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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 8, 2012 18:04:02 GMT -5
National Parents as Teachers Day Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 311th day of 2012 with 54 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 3:28 p.m., it's fair , temp 41ºF [Feels like 33ºF], winds NW @ 16 mph, humidity 49%, pressure 30.03 in and falling, dew point 23ºF, chance of precipitation 0%.
Today in History: 1602--the Bodelian Library in Oxford England opens to the public. 1656--Edmond Halley, English astronomer (Halley'ed comet) and mathematician, was born; died 1742 at age 85 1775--Gen. Washington sought to make militias into a military by insisting that the officers behave with decorum and the enlisted men with deference to their officers. 1793--the Louvre in Paris, now containing one of the world's richest art collections, became a public museum after two centuries as a royal palace. 1793--Madame Roland, supporter of the French Revolution and a Girondist, was guillotined. 1837--Mount Holyoke Seminary in Massachusetts became the first U.S. college founded exclusively for women. 1864--Pres. Lincoln was re-elected for a 2nd term. 1887--gunslinger Doc Holliday died of tuberculosis. 1889--Montana became the 41st state. 1892--former Pres. Cleveland beat incumbent Benjamin Harrison, becoming the only president to win non-consecutive terms in the White House. 1895--German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen became the first person to observe X-rays. 1900--Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind, was born.; died 1949 at age 48. 1917--one day after the revolution, Vladimir Lenin rose before the newly formed All-Russian Congress of Soviets to call for an immediate armistice with the Central Powers in World War I. 1923--Adolf Hitler launched the Beer Hall Putsch, his first attempt at seizing control of the German government. 1939--on the 16th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, a bomb exploded just after Hitler finished giving a speech. 1942--World War II r- more than 400,000 Allied soldiers invaded North Africa. 1960--Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency. 1966--Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California. 1971--the album Led Zeppelin IV, which included the song "Stairway to Heaven," was released. 1972--the premium cable TV network HBO made its debut with a showing of the movie Sometimes a Great Notion. 1974--Salt Lake City, Utah, resident Carol DaRonch narrowly escapes being abducted by serial killer Ted Bundy. 1982--a fire set by a prisoner in a Biloxi, Miss., jail killed 28 people. 1985--a judge overturned Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's conviction for a 1966 triple killing in a Patterson, N.J., bar, freeing the former boxer after 19 years in prison. 1987--a bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded as crowds gathered in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, for a ceremony honoring Britain's war dead, killing 11 people. 1988--Vice Pres. George H.W. Bush won the presidential election, beating Democrat Michael Dukakis. 1991--the European Community imposed an economic embargo on Yugoslavia in an effort to halt the civil war. 1994--after 40 years, the Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, controlled both houses of Congress after the midterm elections. 1994--Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (of Sonny and Cher fame) was elected to the U.S. Congress. 1997--Chinese engineers diverted the Yangtze River to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. 2000--a statewide recount of presidential election ballots began in Florida. 2001--a top aide said Pres. Bush had "no plans" to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the U.N. 2002--the UN Security Council unanimously approved a tough, new US-British sponsored resolution authorizing the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq . 2002--Pres. Bush assured a Muslim audience that the US' war was against a network of terrorists and not against the Islamic religion or Muslim civilization. 2003--Lady Louise Windsor , daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was born. 2003--a suicide bomb attack on an Arab residential compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed 18 and wounded 110. 2004--1000s of US troops attacked strongholds of Sunni insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq. 2005--French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin declared a state of emergency to quell the nation's worst rioting in decades. 2006--Pres. Bush introduced former CIA Director Robert Gates as his next secretary of defense, succeeding Donald Rumsfeld. 2007--34 coal miners were trapped underground by a methane gas leak in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou. 2010--an engine fire aboard the Carnival Splendor cruise ship left nearly 4,500 aboard without electricity during a three-day tow to San Diego. 2010--talk show host Conan O'Brien made his debut on TBS.
World News Capsules: 1. Afghan insurgent attacks leave 20 dead ....The deaths were the result of four violent episodes, the worst of them caused by a roadside bomb that exploded in Helmand Province as a pickup full of civilians passed by. 2. In crackdown, Bahrain revokes the citizenship of 31 people ....The government cited security concerns for its actions; the list included exiled political activists and former opposition members of Parliament. 3. Opening meeting, China's president warns of risks
....The weeklong Communist Party Congress is intended to cap a long transition from the current leadership of Hu Jintao to his presumed successor, Xi Jinping. a. Long retired, ex-leader of China asserts sway over top posts ....Factions in the Chinese leadership had lacked a dominant elder statesman like Jiang Zemin to arbitrate disputes. 4. An inside view on documentary stories ....Mentoring and workshops have helped give local photographers, in Egypt and around the world, the time and resources to document their society's issues with the delicacy and insight that might go unnoticed by foreigners.. 5. Obama victory brings Europe a sense of continuity and relief ....Pres. Obama’s victory is likely to resonate in some unusual ways across the Atlantic, where the role of government in a time of economic stress is equally divisive. 5. French cabinet advances gay marriage bill despite Conservatives' opposition ....The measure is expected to pass early next year despite some strong opposition and concerns about gay couples adopting children. 6. Ally of former Georgian leader faces criminal charges ....The charges against a former defense minister, as well as two current Defense Ministry officials, led some to fear a wave of reprisals against the defeated government. 7. New Archbishop of Canterbury chosen ....Justin Welby, the bishop of Durham and a former oil company executive, is likely to be named. A formal announcement is expected Friday. 8. Defections shake Greek coalition
....The three-party coalition of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was licking its wounds, after the defections of several key members in a crucial vote on austerity measures. 9. 48 killed after earthquake rocks Guatemala
....The president said the earthquake, which could be felt as far as San Salvador and Mexico City, was the largest the country had experienced since 1976. 10. Laos breaks ground for controversial Mekong Dam ....Laos inaugurated the construction of a controversial dam on the Mekong River, despite comments from the country’s prime minister that the project was on hold. 11. Obama to visit Myanmar ....The visit, planned for just before Thanksgiving, will be the first by an American president and is part of a new policy of openness toward Myanmar. 12. Sri Lanka's parliament tries to impeach Chief Justice ....Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is charged with misusing her position and failing to adequately declare her assets, among other accusations, in a case her supporters say is politically motivated. 13. Syrian president warns against foreign intervention in Syria
....Pres. al-Assad was quoted saying the price of an invasion by foreign powers would be “more than the world can afford. a. Errant artillery fire from Syrian war hits Golan Heights again ....Stray mortar rounds and a tank shell caused no injuries or damage, but the United Nations has warned that such violence could jeopardize the cease-fire between Israel and Syria 14. Turkey considers defensive measures and deploying missiles near Syria
....The move would effectively create a no-fly zone that could help safeguard refugees and give rebel fighters a portion of Syrian territory without fear of crippling airstrikes by Syrian forces.
US News Capsules: 1. Back to work,Obama is greeted by looming fiscal crisis ....Pres. Obama moved quickly to open negotiations with Congressional Republican leaders while simultaneously preparing for significant cabinet changes. a. An array of relationships for Obama to strengthen and redefine ....National security issues involving Syria, the Middle East and the United States’ relationship with Russia and China are now clamoring for President Obama’s attention. b. On Wall Street, time to mend fences with Obama ....With the presidential election over, Wall Street titans who supported Mitt Romney now face the prospect of having to mend fences with the Obama administration. c. For Obama, housing policy presents second-term headaches
....Pres. Obama’s economic team has said it wants the housing market to work without significant government support. But it has taken few steps to advance that idea. 2. HURRICANE SANDY: When the power came back, so did the crowds
....For four sleepy nights, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the bars and shops that make downtown Manhattan a party and retail capital went dark, but when the lights came back, they were open practically within seconds. a. Some stores struggle to reopen ....While Lower Manhattan was widely affected by the storm, a handful of stores were seriously damaged by flooding. b. No politics as usual on party circuit
....On election night, anxiety ahead of the outcome and cleanup after Hurricane Sandy kept a lid on the revelry. 3. A president engaged in a great civil war
....Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, is more a political thriller than a biopic, a civics lesson that is energetically staged and alive with moral energy, placing slavery at the center of the story. 4. ]u]Gunman in Giffords shooting sentenced to 7 life terms[/u] [/img] ...The astronaut-husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords spoke at the sentencing hearing for Jared L. Loughner, as did other victims. 5. Fate of health law now clear, states rush to meet deadlines
....After years of political and legal threats kept Pres. Obama’s health care law in a state of uncertainty, his re-election all but assures it will survive. The next hurdle is making it work. 6. For Mormons, a cautious step toward mainstream acceptance....The 2012 presidential campaign broke a barrier for Mormons across the US, transforming the way they see themselves and the way many Americans view their church. 7. Voters ease marijuana laws in two states, but legal questions remain....Voters in two states approved making marijuana possession legal, but the states may now be on a collision course with the federal government. 8. With 'fiscal cliff' looming, Congress facing compromise or confrontation....A day after an election that both parties agreed was a mandate to find compromise and avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders also continued to sharply disagree over the key issue of whether top tax rates should be raised to help resolve the looming crisis. POLITICS: 1. Little to show for cash flood by big donors....While record outside spending affected the election in innumerable ways, the prizes most sought by the emerging class of megadonors remained outside their grasp. 2. Senate races expose extent of Republicans' gender gap....Going into the election, Republican candidates knew they faced obstacles with minorities and women, but candidates' comments on rape were not among them. 3. As electorate changes, fresh worry for GOP....The demographic changes in the American electorate have left many Republicans, who have not won as many electoral votes as Pres. Obama did on Tuesday in 24 years, concerned about their future. 4. Triumphant Obama faces new foe in 'Second-term Curse'....It is almost a truism that presidential second terms are less successful than first terms, especially domestically. Sports Headlines: 1. NCAAFB: Alabama defense fears but one man....Coach Nick Saban expects a lot from the Crimson Tide linemen and linebackers, and the last thing they want to do is disappoint him. a. Falling out of bounds, and into the spotlight....The sideline, and the end line, is the domain of football’s acrobats, its tightrope walkers and contortionists, where the fundamental art of catching a pass becomes a balance-beam routine. 2. MLB: Banged up, worn down, heading home....After the Yankees’ fall from the playoffs, catcher Russell Martin lived in a daze with more questions than answers and a future unknown. 3. NBA: No Jumping to conclusions in the NBA....Sportswriters seek meaning in the first week of basketball season, with the Knicks 3-0 and the Lakers 1-4. a. After their fast start, Knicks have plenty of idle time....The Knicks are 3-0 for the first time since 1999, but over the next 10 days, the team will be resting and practicing far more often than playing games. c. Miami shows Nets they have a long way to go....LeBron James had 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in just 30 minutes as the Heat handed the Nets their worst loss of the season 103.73. Thought for Today"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." --[/i]Michel de Montaigne (1532-1592) French Renaissance scholar, philosopher, writer
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 9, 2012 20:37:14 GMT -5
National Donor Sabbath, Nov 9-11 Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 312th day of 2012 with 53 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 5:43 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 46ºF [Feels like 46ºF], winds WSW @ 13 mph, humidity 63%, 30.13 in and steady, dew point 34ºF, chance of precipitation 20%.
Today in History: 1780--Gen. Thomas Sumter evaded then captured the wounded Maj. James Wemyss, second most hated man in the British army, in South Carolina. 1841--Edward VII of England (eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) was born at Buckingham Palace 1862--Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Union Army of the Potomac following the removal of George B. McClellan. 1872-- a warehouse fire in Boston destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed 14 people and led to new system of firefighting and prevention. 1875--Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins submitted a report stating that hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians associated with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were hostile. 1888--Mary Jane Kelly, the last known murder victim of Jack the Rippper, was murdered. 1901--Pres. Roosevelt established a naval base in the Philippines at Subic Bay, returned to the Philippines in 1992. 1907--the Cullinan Diamond was presented to King Edward VII of Greeat Britain on his birthday. 1908--on the first foreign trip by a US president, Theodore Roosevelt traveled to the construction site of the Panama.Canal. 1914--in the first ever wartime action by an Australian warship, the cruiser Sydney sank the German raider Emden in the Indian Ocean during World War I. 1918--Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II announced that he would abdicate. 1923--in Munich, armed policeman and troops loyal to Germany's democratic government crushed the Nazi's Beer Hall Putsch. 1933--Pres. Roosevelt set up the Civil Works Administration as an emergency depression agency to provide jobs for the unemployed. 1934--Carl Sagan, the astronomer whose books and television show informed millions of Americans, was born; died in 1996 at age 62. 1935--United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis and other labor leaders formed the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO). 1938--German Nazis launched Kristallnacht ("Night of the Broken Glass'), a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses. 1953--the US Supreme Court ruled major league baseball isn't within the scope of federal anti-trust laws. 1953--Dylan Thomas, Welsh Poet and playwright, died from an overdose of morphine. 1965--the Great Northeast Blackout: the biggest power failure in US history occurred as several states and parts of Canada were hit by a series of power failures lasting up to 13 1/2 hours. 1965--Roger Allen LaPorte, a 22-year-old member of the Catholic Worker movement and antiwar protestor, iset himself on fire in front of the UN headquarters in New York. 1967--Rolling Stone magazine was first published with John Lennon and the "How I Won the War" movie he starred in on the cover. 1970--the US Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge by the state of Massachusetts about the constitutionality of the Vietnam War by a 6-3 vote. 1970--former French genral and president Charles De Gaulle died at age 79. 1971--John Emil List, a Sunday school teacher and Boy Scout troop leader in Westfield, N.J., murdered his family and disappeared for 18 years when the story appeared on America's Most Wanted. 1976--the UN General Assembly approved 10 resolutions condemning apartheid in South Africa. 1984--the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington was completed by the addition of the Frederick Hart statue called "Three Servicemen." 1989--East German opened the Berlin Wall, allowing travel from East to West Berlin. 1995--Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat visited Israel for the first time to offer his personal condolences to the wife of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. 1997--the US Congress approved a new charter for the Food and Drug Administration that allowed the agency to streamline and speed up its procedures for approving new drugs. 2001--World Freedom Day was created to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. 2001--the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif fell to the northern alliance in the first major territorial advance for the rebels against the ruling Taliban. 2005--three suicide bombers carried out nearly simultaneous attacks on three U.S.-based hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing 60 victims and wounding hundreds. 2006--concessions by incumbent Republicans in Virginia and Montana gave the Democratic Party a majority in the US Senate in the midterm elections. 2011--Penn State fired longtime head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier over their handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse allegations.
World News Capsules: 1. On way out, China's leader offers praise for the status quo ....The departing Chinese leader, Hu Jintao, has made it clear that he has little interest in the bold changes that many Chinese now see as long overdue. a. Huge state enterprises pose test in China's transition ....The politically connected state sector may threaten China’s economy and political stability, but it is unclear whether leaders will take action. b. Amid self-immolations by Tibetans, silence from Chinese intellectuals ....While Tibetan rights advocates have long been inured to impassive officials, they are troubled by the lack of reaction from Chinese intellectuals and the liberal online commentariat.. 2. Stirring the pot and striking fear in India ....Arvind Kejriwal has become an unlikely bomb thrower in Indian politics. His solution to corruption? The formation of a new political party, in time for national elections in 2014. 3. Iran fired on military drone in first such attack, US says ....Pentagon officials said that while a surveillance drone targeted in international airspace over the Persian Gulf last week was not hit, the incident prompted a strong protest to Tehran. a. Iran, saying aircraft trespassed, confirms drone shooting episode
....Iran’s defense minister on Friday confirmed that Iranian warplanes had fired shots at an American drone last week but said they had taken the action after the unmanned aircraft had entered Iranian airspace. 4. Japan seeks tighter pact with US to confront China ....Japan’s defense minister said that he wants to update guidelines that govern how the two allies’ militaries would cooperate during a potential maritime clash with China. 5. Palestinians renew push for enhanced UN status ....The distribution of a draft resolution to all UN member states is the first practical act in an effort likely to pit the Palestinians against Israel. 6. At a Manila hospital, making mothers by the minute ....As a reproductive health bill advances in the Philippines, it is peak baby-delivery season, with women and their newborns are sleeping two to a bed at one Manila hospital. 7. Putin replaces top military leaders ....Pres.Vladimir V. Putin replaced the head of the Russian military’s general staff and a number of top generals. a. Russian reporer's murder was mant as a message, investigator says ....The motive behind the 2006 murder of Anna Politkovskaya, a reporter who was an unstinting critic of the Kremlin, was to instill fear in journalists, a top criminal investigator said. 8. A microcosm of the new South Africa ....The South African township of Soweto - famed for its resistance to apartheid - captured the imagination of Per-Anders Pettersson when he covered South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Nearly twenty years later, its bustle still appeals. 9. Syrian refugee flow escalates sharply
....Eleven thousand Syrians have fled to neighboring countries in the last 24 hours — 9,000 of them into Turkey alone — because of the civil war, United Nations refugee agency officials said. a. Missteps by rebels erode their support among Syrians ....The Syrian public is increasingly disgusted with the actions of some rebels, including poorly planned missions, senseless destruction, criminal behavior and the coldblooded killing of prisoners.
US News Capsules: 1. Petraeus steps down as CIA chief, saying he had an affair
....After an investigation into the possible compromise of a computer wound up uncovering an affair, David H. Petraeus, the director of the CIA, resigned, citing “extremely poor judgment” after 37 years of marriage. The highly decorated general had been expected to remain in Pres. Obama’s administration 2. With Obama re-elected, states scramble over health law ....After years of political and legal threats that kept Pres. Obama's health care law in a state of uncertainty, his re-election all but assures it will survive. The next hurdle is making it work. 3. Hurricane Sandy: Subways find magic on the way to a speedy recovery ....After the most devastating storm in the New York City transit system's history, most major lines were back in service within a week - quicker than almost anyone could have imagined. 4. Man held in shootings that terrorized Michigan town ....Police in Wixom, Mich., arrested a suspect they believe to be a highway gunman responsible for 24 attacks, which made residents of the Detroit suburb nervously eye each passing car for weeks. 5. A brand icon in need of some oversight
....Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is struggling, and the lavish compensation for its founder, Martha Stewart, and her sway over the board may be part of the company’s problem. 6. In veterans' aid, growth pains ....Since 2001, more than 7,800 nonprofit groups have registered with the federal government to care for troops, veterans and their families. a, The dogs of peace
....Many US war veterans are coming home with debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder. But thanks to service dogs, some vets are finding peace. 7. In view of a changing South, Court will revisit Voting Act
....The Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to the part of the act that requires some states with a history of discrimination in voting to get federal approval before making any changes to the way they hold elections. 8. Washington counties drop marijuana misdemeanor possession cases in light of vote
....The prosecutor's offices for two Washington counties - including the one that contains Seattle - announced today they will dismiss 175 misdemeanor marijuana possession charges, days after the state's voters legalized the drug. POLITICS: 1. Colorado Democrats elect state's first gay speaker ....Moments after being elected speaker of the House, Mark Ferrandino vowed to reintroduce a bill to allow civil unions for gay couples that Republicans had blocked in the spring. 2. Debt ceiling complicates a tax shift ....Republican congressional leaders have made clear that the debt ceiling will be part of talks over the so-called fiscal cliff, with many members unwilling to raise the ceiling without a broader deal. 3. For Obama, housing policy presents 2nd-term headaches ....Pres. Obama's economic team has said it wants the housing market to work without significant government support, but it has taken few steps to advance that idea. 4. Obama and Boehner circle each othr on budget impasse ....Pres. Obama and the House speaker, John A. Boehner, circled each other warily, laying out competing approaches on the budget while professing pursuit of common ground.
Sports Headlines: 1. NBA: Lakers fire coach after 1-4 start
....The Lakers had title expectations in Coach Mike Brown’s second season after trading for center Dwight Howard and point guard Steve Nash. a. Nets are caught between hype and a slow start ....The franchise received plenty of attention for moving to Brooklyn, but a subsequent 1-2 start, including a 30-point loss against the Heat, has not gone unnoticed. 2. NFL: Giants' fuzzy pal: Blue bear, blue bear, what do you see?
....One of the few constants in the Giants’ run to two Super Bowl titles in the past five years has been the presence of Little Bear, the offensive line’s prized stuffed animal. a. Plenty of options for the Falcons ....The Saints may struggle to stop the Falcons' passing offense, which has become very dangerous as Matt Ryan has developed into a top-tier quarterback. b. Colts on a roll? It's unreal ....The Colts are 6-3 and a great story, but there are significant obstacles ahead: The next game is at New England. c. Jets bound for stadium that's known for noise ....Facing the Seahawks in Seattle, the Jets will be playing in what Rex Ryan considers “about as tough a venue as there is in the National Football League." 3. NHL: Union says wide gap remains as NHL talks continue ....The NHL and the players’ association met in New York for the 4th straight day as the talks between the two sides intensified on Day 55 of the lockout. 4. MLB: Baseball's new drug problem: fast-acting synthetic testosterone ....Baseball has a drug problem again and is engaged in discussions with the players' association regarding what to do about it. The very specific problem is the use of fast-acting synthetic testosterone, the primary performance-enhancing drug of choice among emboldened players (Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal) who believe they can avoid detection with dosages that are carefully timed and controlled. a. Architects of success, from sshadows or spotlight ....Oakland General Manager Billy Beane is among the most popular general managers with reporters, Baltimore’s Dan Duquette the least. Each brought his team unexpected success in 2012.
Thought for Today "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what's right." --Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 9, 2012 20:38:23 GMT -5
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 12, 2012 20:27:43 GMT -5
Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 315th day of 2012 with 50 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 8:19 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 61ºF [Feels like 61ºF], winds S @ 16 mph, humidity 80%, pressure 30.00 in and falling, dew point 50ºF, chance of precipitation 90%.
Today in History: 1775--Upon hearing of England's rejection of the so-called Olive Branch Petition , Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, "Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren." 1793--Jean Sylvain Bailly, first mayor of Paris after the storming of the Bastille, was guillotined. 1799--the Leonids meteor shower, the first on record was observed by Andrew Ellicott Douglass, an early American astronomer, on a ship off the Florida coast. 1815--Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the pioneering American women's rights leader and social reformer, was born.; died 1902 at age 87 1817--Bahaullah, founder of the Bahai faith, was born. 1847--James Young Simpson, a British physician), became the first to use chloroform as an anaesthetic. 1864--the destruction of Atlanta begins when Union Gen. William T. Sherman ordered the business district of Atlanta, Ga, destroyed 1867--after more than a decade of ineffective military campaigns and infamous atrocities, the US reconsidered war with Plains Indians and initiated peace negotiations. 1918-- one day after an armistice, the Allied fleet passed through the Dardanelles that had been the site of a disastrous Allied naval operation. 1920--Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was elected baseball's first commissioner. 1929--Grace Kelly, American actress and wie of Prince Ranier of Monaco, was born; died 1982 in an automobile accident. 1942--the naval Battle of Guadalcanal began with the US winning eventually a major victory over the Japanese. 1944--32 British Lancaster bombers attacked and sank the mighty German battleship Tirpitz. 1948--seven Japanese military and government officials, including Gen. Hideki Tojo, received death sentences from the international war crimes tribunal. 1954--Ellis Island, the gateway to America, shut it doors after processing more than 12 million immigrants since opening in 1892 1969--journalist Seymour Hersh broke the My Lai massacre charges by the US Army against 1st Lt. William Calley. 1979--Pres. Carter responded to a potential threat to national security by stopping the importation of petroleum from Iran. 1980--the U.S. planetary probe Voyager I flew within 77,000 miles of Saturn and sent back the first vivid photos of the planet.. 1982--Yuri Andropov assumed power in the Soviet Union Following the death of Leonid Brezhnev. 1984--England's one pound note was replaced by a coin after more than 150 years of usage. 1985--Xavier Suarez was elected Miami's first Cuban-American mayor 1990--Crown Prince Akihito formally assumed the Chrysanthemum Throne as the 125th Emperor of Japan. 1997--Ramzi Yousef was found guilty of masterminding the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. 1999--Pres. Clinton signed a sweeping measure knocking down Depression-era barriers and allowing banks, investment firms and insurance companies to sell each other's products. 2001--an American Airlines flight out of John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport crashed into a Queens neighborhood after takeoff, killing 265 people. 2004--Scott Peterson iwa convicted of murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son. 2007--Ira Levin , American novelist, playwright and songwriter best known for Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, died from a heart attack. 2009--US Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the Fort Hood, Tex., massacre. 2011--Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi finally resigned. 2011--The Arab League voted to suspend Syria over the country's bloody crackdown on protesters.
World News Capsules: 1. To stem protests, China mandates 'social risk' reviews for big projects
....The government hopes to avoid the large and increasingly violent environmental protests of the last year, which halted several industrial projects. a. Signs of wrangling in China over top military post
....The question of whether China’s departing president, Hu Jintao, will stay on as the top overseer of military affairs, or retire completely, remains unresolved. b. China's banking leaders seek to calm concerns over loan quality ....Chinese officials tried to allay concerns that the country was allowing its banking system to grow at a reckless pace as a way to sustain short-term economic growth/ 2. BBC chairman says network needs radical overhaul
....The BBC is in a "ghastly mess" after its bungled coverage of a decades-old sexual abuse scandal and requires a fundamental shake-up, the chairman of the BBC Trust said. a. Turmoil spreads at BBC as two more executives step aside ....The crisis over the BBC’s reporting of a decades-old sexual abuse scandal deepened on Monday as two more senior executives withdrew at least temporarily from their jobs. b. Radical preacher Abu Qatada wins appeal
....A British court ruled that the preacher known as Abu Qatada, who was convicted in absentia for his involvement in terrorist bombing plots in the late 1990s, cannot be deported from Britain to his native Jordan. 3. Blogger who died in prison was not tortured, Iran says ....An influential Iranian lawmaker said Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who died while in captivity, had not been tortured during interrogations, but called for further investigation 4. US fears Hezbollah operative held in Iraq may go free ....A senior Iraqi official has told the Obama administration that Iraq no longer has a legal basis to hold Ali Musa Daqduq, who has been accused of helping to kill American troops in Iraq. 5. In Mozambique, the burdens of progress ....As Mozambique receives huge international investments in mining and natural gas, some find jobs and new opportunities while others find displacement and despair 6. Evictions on the rise in Spain
....The number of Spanish families facing eviction continues to mount at a dizzying pace — hundreds a day, housing advocates say — and may spiral higher with Friday’s report that the unemployment rate has passed 25%. 7. As Syrian opposition unifies, new mayhem on Turkish and Israel borders
....Syria pulled both Turkey and Israel closer to its civil war on Monday, bombing a rebel-held Syrian village near the Turkish border and provoking Israeli tank commanders in Golan Heights. a. With eye on aid, Syria opposition signs unity deal ....An umbrella group could pave the way for international diplomatic recognition and more foreign funds and military assistance. b. Israel strikes at Syria again in response to mortar attacks
....For a second consecutive day, Israel confronted fire along its border with Syria as the Israeli army said it fired shells toward the source of a mortar shell, hitting Syrian artillery units. 8. Tunisia battles over pulpits, and revolt's legacy ....In the aftermath of Tunisia's revolution, a heated competition is on to redefine the nation religiously and politically
US News Capsules: 1. Officials say FBI knew of Petraeus affair in the summer
....FBI agents recognized the stakes of any investigation tied to David H. Petraeus, the C.I.A. director who resigned Friday, but were wary of exposing a private affair with no criminal or security implications. a. Lawmakers question FBI handling of Petraeus affair ....Lawmakers expressed concern that the FBI investigation that led to the resignation of David H. Petraeus was conducted without the knowledge of the White House or Congress. 2. Cuomo to seek $30 billion in aid for storm relief ....Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's request would exceed the roughly $12 billion in FEMA disaster aid currently available in Washington without action from Congress, where there is likely to be strong opposition to additional spending. 3. Construction site offers fleeting glimpse of the Civil War past
....The construction of a courthouse in Fredericksburg, Va., had the unexpected effect of exposing an almost perfectly preserved scene from a ferocious 1862 battle. 4. Child's education, but parents' crushing loans ....Millions of parents who have taken out loans to pay for their children's college education make up a less visible generation in debt. 5. Not the standard textbook tales ....Showtime's 10-part documentary "Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States" focuses on the country's missteps over the decades. 6. Elmo puppeteer accused of underage relationship
....Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo on "Sesame Street," has taken a leave of absence after a claim that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy. Mr. Clash has said the relationship started only after the person, now 23, was over the age of 18. 7. For one night at Fox, news tops agenda ....After it became clear that Pres. Obama had won re-election, Fox was confronted with a stark choice between advocacy and news. It chose news. 8. At 97, he has a book (or 2) left
....Herman Wouk, author of 1950s blockbusters like The Caine Mutiny and Marjorie Morningstar, returns with The Lawgiver, a novel made of text messages, e-mails and Skype transcripts 9. US to be world's top oil producer in 5 years, report says
....The International Energy Agency also said the US would be a net exporter by 2030, partly because of advances in unlocking reserves in shale rock. 10. Alzheimer's precursors evident in brain at early age ....A study of a large family with Alzheimer’s found that its precursors begin even earlier than previously thought, and that the brain may deteriorate in more ways than has been documented before. POLITICS: 1. In debt talks, Obama is ready to go beyond Beltway
....Rather than hunker down in negotiations as he did in 2011, aides said, the president will try to rally the public for an accord that could set the tone for his second term. 2. Google or Gallup? Changes in voters' haits reshape polling world ....Whether polling firms conducted their surveys online or called cellphones made a big difference in predicting the election. 3. Uncounted votes in Arizona raise controversy ....The outcome of several races remained a mystery in Arizona as officials struggled to count a record number of early and provisional ballots. 4. Hard-nosed approach wins votes in South, but lacks broader appeal ....Politicians who have been winning in the mid- and Deep South are now discussing how their conservative platforms could be altered for a national electorate.
Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: Quarterbacks' concussions will shape rest of season
....Head injuries sustained by quarterbacks Jay Cutler, Michael Vick and Alex Smith could have unintended consequences in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. 2. NBA: The Lakers change direction and hire D'Antoni as coach
....The Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni as their coach Sunday night, spurning Phil Jackson, who faces daunting challenges in Los Angeles unlike those he faced in Phoenix and then with the Knicks in New York.. 3. NHL: Contract issues emerge as final hurdle to NHL labor talks ....Owners and the union have drawn close to a deal that would end the lockout, but they remain far apart on when players can become free agents, among other contractual matters. 4. Tennis: Top-ranked Djokovic tops Federer to win ATP finals ....Novak Djokovic recovered from early breaks in both sets to beat Roger Federer 7-6 (6), 7-5 Monday in the championship match at the ATP finals. 5. Blind adventurer prepares to challenge Colorado River in a kayak
....Erik Weihenmayer, the first person without sight to summit Mount Everest, will next attempt to descend the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in a kayak. 6. Armstrong cuts official ties with Livestrong charity
----Seeking to protect his cancer charity from more damage from his doping controversy, Lance Armstrong steps further away from Livestrong.
Thought for Today "Hold a book in your hand and you're a pilgrim at the gates of a new city." --Anne Michaels (b. 1958) Canadian poet and novelist.
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 15, 2012 21:18:17 GMT -5
10th Annual I Love to Write Day Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 318th day of 2012 with 47 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 5:07 p.m., it's fair , temp 43ºF [Feels like 43ºF], winds E @ 3 mph, humidity 51%, pressure 30.32 in and steady, dew point 26ºF, chance of precipitation 0%.
Today in History: 1708--William Pitt the Elder, English statesman, was born; died 1778 at age 69. 1777--the Articles of Confederation adopted by the 2bd Continental Congress. 1806--Lt. Zebulon Pike spots an imposing mountain that looked "like a small blue cloud," later named Pike's Peak in his honor. 1864--Union Gen. William T. Sherman began his March to the Sea by torching the industrial section of Atlanta and pulling away from his supply lines. 1867--the first stock ticker was unveiled in New York City 1859--the final installment of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities was published. 1887--Georgia O'Keeffe, one of America's foremost 20th-century painters, was born; died 1986 at age 98. 1889--After a 49-year reign, Pedro II, the second and last Brazil emperor was deposed in a military coup. 1891--Erwin Rommel, German field marshal, was born; committed suicide 1944 after participating in a plot against Hiler at age 52. 1906--Curtis LeMay, US Air Force general in command of the Strategic Air Force, was born; died 1990 at age 83. 1917--76-year-old Georges Clemenceau was named French prime minister for the 2nd time. 1920--the first assembly of the League of Nations was called to order in Geneva, Switzerland 1926--the National Broadcasting Co. debuted with a radio network of 24 stations. 1932--Petula Clark, English pop singing star ("Downtown"), turns age 80 1939--the cornerstone for the Jefferson Memorial was laid in Washington, DC. 1940--the first 75,000 men were called to armed forces duty under peacetime conscription. 1940--actor Sam Waterston (Law and Order) turns 72 1943--Heinrich Himmler gave the order that Gypsies and those of mixed Gypsy blood were to be put on "the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps." 1956--Elvis Presley made his movie debut in Love Me Tender. 1957--in an interview with an American reporter, Nikita Khrushchev claimed that the Soviet Union had missile superiority and challengeed America to a missile "shooting match." 1959--a farmer, his wife and two of their children were found murdered in their home in Holcomb, Kan. – a crime that was the subject of Truman Capote's non-fiction novel In Cold Blood. 1965--at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, 28-year-old Craig Breedlove set a new land-speed record—600.601 miles per hour—in his car, the Spirit of America. 1966--Gen. Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, heckled at Brown University by 60 students protesting Vietnam. 1969--a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington, D.C., against the Vietnam War. 1977--Pres. Carter welcomed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran to Washington, DC for a two day state visit. 1977--Peter Mark Matthew Phillips, son of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II,, was born. 1984--Baby Fae, an infant who had received a baboon's heart to replace her own, died three weeks after the transplant. 1985--Great Britain and Ireland signed an accord giving Dublin an official consultative role in governing Northern Ireland. 1988--the Palestine National Council, the legislative body of the PLO, proclaimed the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. 1989--tornadoes struck six Southern states, killing 17 people and injuring 463, causing at least $100 million in damage in Huntsville, Ala. 1993--a judge in Mineola, N.Y., sentenced Joey Buttafuoco to six months in jail for the statutory rape of Amy Fisher, who shot and wounded Buttafuoco's wife, Mary Jo. 2002--Hu Jintao replaced Jiang Zemin as China's Communist Party leader. 2005--the official death toll from Hurricane Katrina stood at 972 with more bodies found as Louisiana residents returned home more than a month after the search for victims had ended. 2007--Cyclone Sidr, with winds of more than 150 mph, slammed into Bangladesh, killing more than 3,400 people with tens of 1000s injured and 1 million homeless. 2007--most of the shots fired by the private US security firm Blackwater killing 17 civilians in Baghdad Sept. 16 were unwarranted, a preliminary FBI report said. 2011--100s of police officers in riot gear raided the Occupy Wall Street encampment in New York City, evicting hundreds of protesters and then demolishing the tent city.
World News Capsules: 1. Ending Congress, China presents new leadership headed by Xi Jinping
....The departing general secretary of the party, Hu Jintao, prepared to hand power to Xi Jinping, son of a revered revolutionary leader who was also an architect of China’s economic transformation. a. A promise to tackle China's problems, but few hints of a shift in path
....Xi Jinping gave his first speech as general secretary of the Communist Party, impressing many Chinese by avoiding slogans but giving no indication as to whether he favors fundamental reforms. All members of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, the group of politicians who rule the country, have close connections with former leaders. The top two figures of the new administration were also part of the previous government. 2. Egypt torn between allies in Gaza and treaty with Israel ....Pres. Mohamed Morsi is having to reconcile his Islamist firebrand side with his desire as a newly elected leader for stability, revival and friendly relations with Israel’s Western allies.. 3. Workers across Europe synchronize protests
....The breadth of the demonstrations, which affected scores of cities, reflected widespread unhappiness with worsening economic prospects in Europe 4. Crises at BBC brought rules, then a failure ....The corporation established elaborate procedures that placed more formal responsibility for delicate decisions in the hands not of individual managers, but of rigid hierarchies. a. Former politician calls child sex abuse allegations 'rubbish' ....Lord Alistair McAlpine, who was wrongly implicated in child sexual abuse on a BBC program, said in an interview that he should have been called before the segment aired. 5. Hospital death in Ireland rnews fight over abortion ....A Hindu woman was reportedly denied a potentially lifesaving abortion while she was having a miscarriage and died. 6. Ferocious Israeli assault on Gaza kills a leader of Hamas
.....Israel hit at least 20 targets in aerial attacks that killed the military commander of Hamas, damaged Israel's fragile relations with Egypt and escalated the risks of a new war in the Middle East. a. Casualties rise in Gaza battle; Hamas rockets target Tel Aviv
....As Hamas militants fired dozens of rockets and Israel intensified its attacks in response, neither side appeared ready to dial back the confrontation, despite outside pleas for restraint. b. In Israeli border town, rubble and blood ....When a rocket crashed into a building in Kiryat Malachi, or City of Angels, on Thursday morning, it took the first Israeli casualties in this round of violence. 7. Protests over gas prices in Jordan turn deadly ....Opposition leaders scrambled to harness a spontaneous eruption of anger on the second day of demonstrations.. 8. In Nairobi, Kenya, finding the beauty in African sales
....The SuzieBeauty counter at Junction Shopping Mall in Nairobi. The cosmetics line, which was introduced in January, is trying to capture some of the sales now going to imported brands. Local cosmetics companies are growing but they still struggle with expansion and the continent's sprawling informal trade system. 9. Myanmar university, awaiting Obama, patches over a long neglect ....Yangon University, which fell into disrepair during military rule, is being spruced up for Pres. Obama's visit on Nov. 19. 10. Lessons for US from a flood-prone land ....The Netherlands has been hailed for its ideas about protecting cities from flooding, but replicating its success would require a reshaping of American approaches. 11. Nigeria, on the fashion catwalk
....Lagos Fashion & Design Week showcases the work of the country's diverse community of designers. 12. A Pakistani lawyer takes on the army and pays in bruises ....Inam Ur Raheem, who has challenged the tenure of Pakistan’s supreme military commander, has entered perilous waters at a time when the military leadership’s longstanding grip on power is being tested. 12. Securing chemical arms in Syria a vast task, Pentagon says ....Any military effort to seize Syria’s stockpiles, the Pentagon said, would need upward of 75,000 troops — an estimate that stunned top administration officials.
US News Capsules: 1. We need to retreat from the beach ....We need an approach to our shorelines that takes account of rising sea levels, intensifying storms and continuing erosion. 2. Wal-Marat inquiry reflects alarm on corruption
....An inquiry is now looking at activities in Brazil, China and India, along with Mexico, Wal-Mart said. Its quarterly results showed lower-than-expected sales. 3. Adultery, an ancient crime that remains on many books ....In David H. Petraeus's state of residence, Virginia, as in 22 others, adultery remains a criminal act, a vestige of the way the law has tried to anchor sexual activity within marriage. 4. Panetta praises general linked to Petraeus scandal ....Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said "no one should leap to any conclusions" about Gen. John R. Allen, who is being investigated for e-mails he sent to a woman connected to the Petraeus affair. a. Panetta orders review of ethics training for military officers ....The move comes amid a scandal that has ensnared Gen. John R. Allen, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, although officials said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta had planned the review before the scandal broke. 5. Caffeinated drink cited in reports of 13 deaths ....A high-caffeine energy drink, 5-Hour Energy, has been cited as possibly being involved in 13 deaths, according to Food and Drug Administration records. 6. Colorado town, united by dying boy's plight, discovers baffling hoax
....The story of Alex Jordan, a football-loving 9-year-old with leukemia, inspired people in the mountain town of Gypsum. Now people are left to ask why. 7. ART: Relentless bidding, and record prices, for contemporary art at Christie's auction ....The auction brought in $412.2 million, the highest total ever for a contemporary art auction at Christie's, as collectors bid on the work of blue-chip artists for the second night in a row. 8. Novel about racial injustice wins National Book Award ....Louise Erdrich won the fiction award for her novel The Round House, while other awards were given for nonfiction, poetry, young people's literature and American letters. a. How dead is the book business? ....The entire book industry may eventually become an arm of an infotainment giant. 9. Hip hop comes to men's wear
....20-something designers, bloggers, editors and stylists who grew up with rap music are bringing bravado to men's wear. Dao-Yi Chow says some think hip-hop is “still baggy jeans and big logos.” 10. Postal Service reports loss of $15 billion ....The loss, more than triple the deficit last year, includes a decline in revenue from mailing operations and accounting expenses related to the agency’s future retiree health benefits fund. 11. Alzheimer's tied to mutation harming immune response ....A mutation to a gene, TREM2, is suspected of interfering with the brain’s ability to prevent the buildup of toxic shards of a protein that accumulate in plaques on the brain. 12. A murder in the family
....With their father murdered and their mother dead of cancer, the Ammon twins, Greg and Alexa, try to make sense of their lives and a new documentary might help. 13. Terrorist attack on power grid could cause broad hardship, report says ....Terrorists could black out large segments of the United States for weeks or months by attacking the power grid and damaging components, a National Academy of Sciences report found 14. Curating a relief effort on the beach
....Klaus Biesenbach, director of the Museum of Modern Art P.S. 1, is committed to rebuilding the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy. POLITICS: 1. Obama details lines of battle in budget plan, and on Libya
....In his first news conference in eight months, President Obama signaled he would grapple with Republicans over tax rates and the handling of the attack on Americans in Benghazi. 2. GOP governors meet, amid whispers of 2016 ....As Republicans examine how to recalibrate and regain their footing, they are moving forward without a clear national leader. 3. Gay vote proved a boon for Obama ....Pres. Obama and Mitt Romney won roughly an equal number of votes among straight voters, but the president carried the gay vote three to one.
Sports Headlines: 1. NCAAFB: Texas A&M hushes the Heisman hype over Manziel ....In an era of over-the-top Heisman Trophy campaigns, the Aggies are taking a different approach with the freshman quarterback sensation "Football" Johnny Manziel. 2. NFL: Jets' Tebow engulfed in a whirlwind ....Jets Coach Rex Ryan and the starting quarterback Mark Sanchez defended Tim Tebow, who has been criticized in a published report by unnamed teammates. a. Roethlisberger hopes to return this year ....Ben Roethlisberger said he believed he could return this season despite spraining his right shoulder and sustaining what he called a dislocated rib in Monday night's overtime win against Kansas City. 3. MLB: Cabrera and Posey win baseball's MV: awards
....Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera was the first player to win the triple crown in 45 years, and San Francisco’s Buster Posey was the first catcher to win the National League batting title in 70 years. 4. Knicks battle perception that hot start is a mirage ....The Knicks’ 5-0 start has led many to question if they are for real. A game at San Antonio will begin to answer that. In his eighth N.B.A. season, J. R. Smith is averaging 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists, all higher than his career averages, in helping the Knicks to a 5-0 start.
Today's Headlines of Interest: McCain skips Benghazi briefing, gets testy when questioned by CNN
Most of the Republican members of a Senate committee investigating the terrorist attack at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, skipped a classified briefing by administration officials on the incident Wednesday. The missing lawmakers included Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who at the time of the top-secret briefing held a press conference in the Capitol to call for the creation of a Watergate-type special Congressional committee to investigate how and why the attack took place. McCain, who has accused President Barack Obama of not telling the truth about the Benghazi attack, said that even though there are several committees involved in the probe, only a select committee could streamline the information flow and resolve the "many unanswered questions" about the tragedy.
When CNN approached McCain in a Capitol hallway Thursday morning, the senator refused to comment about why he missed the briefing, which was conducted by top diplomatic, military and counter-terrorism officials. Instead, McCain got testy when pressed to say why he wasn't there. "I have no comment about my schedule and I'm not going to comment on how I spend my time to the media," McCain said. When CNN noted that McCain had missed a key meeting on a subject the senator has been intensely upset about, McCain said, "I'm upset that you keep badgering me." While McCain refused to shed light on why he didn't show, his spokesman Brian Rogers emailed CNN a short time later with an explanation. He blamed it on a "scheduling error" but wouldn't provide any more detail. According to a Democratic aide on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, only three of the eight GOP members of the committee attended the two hour briefing that ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. By contrast, seven of the nine Democratic members were there.
I saw the Wednesday interview with Sen. McCain when he tried to accuse the administration of a cover-up and complained of not being briefed on the Behghazi investigatioin. Not mentioning the fact that he was skipping the very briefing he was grousing about not receiving. The usualy hypocritical behavior of government officials.
Thought for Today "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness. " --Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) Polish-born English author.
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 18, 2012 19:58:44 GMT -5
Sleep Comfort Month Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 322nd day of 2012 with 43 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 3:07 p.m., it's fair , temp 47ºF [Feels like 47ºF], winds E @ 5 mph, humidity 56%, pressure 30.54 in and falling, dew point 32ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.
Today in History: 326--Old Saint Peter's Basilica was consecrated in Rome. 1307--William Tell, legendary hero of disputed historical authenticity, shot an apple off the head of his son. 1421--Zuiderzee (a shallow inlet of the North Sea) had one of its seawalls break flooding 72 villages in Holland and killing about 10,000 people. 1863--Pres. Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg. 1883--American and Canadian railroads began using four continental time zones to end the confusion of dealing with thousands of local times. 1886--Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the US, died in New York at age 56 from a cerebral hemmorage. 1905--Prince Karl of Iceland and Denmark was elected as King Haakon VII of Norway. 1916--Gen. Douglas Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, called off the Battle of the Somme in France after nearly five months of mass slaughter. 1918--Latvia declares its independence from Russia . 1923--Alan B. Shepard, the first American astronaut to travel in space, was born in East Derry, N.H.; died 1998 at age 75. 1928--the first successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon, Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York. 1929--Grand Banks earthquake, magnitude 7.2 in the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Newfoundland, snapped 12 submarine cables and led to a tsunami that killed 28 and left 10,000 homeless. 1936--Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco. 1940--Hitler furious over Italy's debacle in Greece and met with Italian Foreeign Minister Galeazzo Ciano over Mussolini's disastrous invasion of Greece. 1947--Ballantyne's Department Store fire in New Zealand killed 41 (mostly employees) in New Zealand's worst fire ever. 1966--US Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays. 1969--financier and diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 81. 1976--Spain’s parliament approved a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship 1978--Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led 100s of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in the South American nation of Guyana. 1985--"Calvin and Hobbes", a comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Watterson, made its debut. 1987--the US Congress issued its final report on the Iran-Contra scandal, saying Pres. Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides. 1987--King's Cross fire, a fire in a London subway station, killed 30 commuters and injures scores of others. 1988--Pres. Reagan signed legislation creating a Cabinet-level drug czar and providing the death penalty for drug traffickers who kill. 1991--Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon freed Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite after more than four years of captivity along with American educator Thomas M. Sutherland. 1996--Tony Silva, a world-renowned expert and outspoken protector of exotic birds, was sentenced to seven years in prison without parole for leading an illegal parrot smuggling operation. 1996--Volkswagen's "Dream Factory" opens in Resende, Brazil 2002--UN arms inspectors returned to Iraq after a four-year hiatus, calling on Saddam Hussein's government to cooperate with their search for weapons of mass destruction. 2003--the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled 4-3 that the state constitution guarantees gay couples the right to marry.
World News Capsules: 1. Fraud trial begins in multimillion-dolar Afghan bank scandal ....Nearly two dozen people, including the former chairman and the former chief executive of Kabul Bank, went on trial in the theft of millions of dollars. a. More Taliban prisoners may be released ....The releases are expected to help bolster efforts by Afghanistan’s High Peace Council to start talks with the insurgents.. 2. Family ties and hobnobbing trump merit at China helm ....Critics, including some Communist Party insiders, say China's process of selecting leaders produces a meritocracy of mediocrity. 3. Dozens killed, mostly children, in Egypt crash
....A train slammed into a school bus as it crossed tracks in a town south of Cairo, dragging the bus at least a half-mile, a witness said. All but two of the 50 dead were children. 4. France to let Syria Council establish ambassador ....Presi. François Hollande agreed to install an envoy just days after recognizing Syria’s newly formed opposition council. 5. For 60th year, Germany honors duty to pay holocaust victims
....The anniversary of the Luxembourg Agreement was observed in Berlin as the government reaffirmed its duty to continue paying reparations to Hitler’s victims. 6. Privatizing Greece, slowly but not surely ....As Greece redoubles its efforts to cut its debt and stoke its economy, privatization is viewed as a last hope for luring foreign cash. But the effort has been sputtering. 7. Alrady desperate, Haitian farmers are left hopeless after storm ....Haiti is slipping deeper into crisis, officials say, after the huge blow from Hurricane Sandy to the tiny nation still struggling to recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010. 8. Israel broadens its bombing in Gaza to include government sites
....Israel expanded its four-day assault on Gaza on Saturday to the civilian political infrastructure, leveling the headquarters of the Hamas prime minister and striking police and security buildings. 9. Even with a 'light footprint,' it's hard to sidestep the Middle East ....The war in Syria and other eruptions in the Middle East are testing an American policy approach that employs remote-control technology and at-a-distance diplomacy. 10. Obama's road to Myanmar is paved with new Asia intentions
....Pres. Obama is making his first overseas trip after the election to China's backyard as the US tries to increase its influence in the region. a. In visit to Myanmar, Obama will see a nation that shaped his grandfather ....The president’s Kenyan grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, spent part of World War II in what was then called Burma as a cook for a British Army captain. 11. Palestine: Gaza violence is unabating as outsiders push for a truce
....Israel’s onslaught against the Gaza Strip continued for a 5th day with its deadliest strike so far, said to target a Palestinian militant tied to recent rocket attacks and likely to weigh on any discussion of a cease-fire. a. Arms with a long reach help Hamas in Gaza ....Recent Israeli attacks have been aimed at cutting the supply chain of rockets that for the first time enable Hamas to strike as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 12. Russians look askance at antic-orruption drive even as new scandals arise ....Mushrooming scandals are unusual in Russia, given past reluctance to prosecute high-level officials, but as more pop up, some are wondering what has changed.
US News Capsules: 1. Diplomat on the rise, suddenly in turbulence
....Susan E. Rice, a blunt ambassador said to be a favored candidate for secretary of state, finds herself in the middle of a firestorm over the Benghazi attack. 2 Suit contests limits on online activities of sex offenders ....Under a new law passed by voters in California, sex offenders must inform the authorities of their e-mail addresses, user names and other Internet handles. 3. Counting the days till marijuana's legal ....With Colorado and Washington legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, the Seattle police are using a blog post called "Marijwhatnow" to inform residents. 4. As boom lures App creators, tough part is making a living
....App developers have turned cellphones and tablets into powerful tools, spawning a multibillion-dollar industry but making huge sacrifices in the process. 5. Gas boom country strives for economic afterglow
....Williamsport, Pa., and its surrounding area have made efforts to keep the benefits of the Marcellus Shale boom from evaporating in the event of a bust. 6. Parade truck in fatal train crash crossed tracks against signal, investigators say
....Federal officials said that the vehicle carrying veterans and their spouses in Midland, Tex., tried to cross the tracks seconds after the warning system was activated. 7. Body of one oil platform workers is found in Gulf
....The platform’s owner said crews would continue searching for the remaining man, who had been missing since Friday, when a fire that injured four others broke out. POLITICS: 1. A search for 'common ground': Fiscal cliff negotiations begin
....Pres. Obama opened talks with congressional leaders about the so-called fiscal cliff, telling reporters that his hope is to find some "common ground." "My hope is that this will be the beginning of a fruitful process," he said. "Our challenge is to make sure that we can cooperate together." 2. Applause for the numbers machine ....In this election cycle, three groups deserve much admiration: people who run political polls, those who analyze the polls and those who figure out how to help campaigns connect with voters. 3. After Democrats gain across the country, Conservative voters wonder where they fit ....A blanket of baffled worry has descended on those who fear that traditional, rural and mostly white states are losing touch with an increasingly diverse and urban electorate. 4. Former aide to Giffords wins election to House ....The former chief of staff to Gabrielle Giffords, Ron Barber, had enough votes on Saturday to win the race for Arizona’s Second Congressional District.
Sports Headlines: 1. NCAAFB: A stunning one-two punch throws the BCS into chaos
....Minutes after No. 2 Kansas State was crushed by Baylor, No. 1 Oregon fell 14-17 in overtime to Stanford, leaving the Ducks' national titles all but vanished. a. First loss leaves Kansas State with little hope ....Baylor struck again with another late-season upset, this time over No. 2 Kansas State with the win reshuffling the Bowl Championship Series picture. b. UCLA clinches division by ending skid vs. Trojans ....A year after USC obliterated the Bruins, 50-0, UCLA clinched a spot in the Pacific-12 Conference title game with a 38-28 victory. 2. Sanchez and Jets end skid, changing the conversation, at least for now
....The Jets ended a three-game slide and improved to 4-6 with a pummeling of the Rams 27-13 behind a brilliant performance by Mark Sanchez and a defense that forced three turnovers. a. NFL: NFL-ready rookie class is set to rewrite record book ....Led by a handful of well-prepared quarterbacks, rookies are having an unexpected impact in the NFL this season. 3. Knicks, with Felton driving offense, rebound against Pacers
....The Knicks topped the undermanned Pacers 88-78 in a mostly sluggish Sunday afternoon game at Madison Square Garden, bouncing back from their first loss of the season. 4. NHL: Inuit prospect skates the ice less traveled
....Skidmore College forward David Dupuis once dreamed of playing junior hockey in Quebec but was steered to a U.S. college by a former N.H.L. star. a. NHL labor talks set to resume Monday ....Just over a week since the last set of failed negotiations, the NHL and the locked-out players union will return to the bargaining table Monday night. 5. GOLF: A golf club to divide them ....Victories with long putters by Ernie Els at the British Open and Guan Tianlang, 14, at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship have fueled debate over a possible ban. 6. NASCAR: Keselowski wins Sprint Cup championship
....Brad Keselowski stole the show at the season-opening Daytona 500 and ended the year under the biggest spotlight of them all Sunday by delivering Penske Racing its first Sprint Cup title.
Thought for Today "Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced -- even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it." --John Keats (1795-1821) English poet
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 19, 2012 20:38:57 GMT -5
Pencil Day Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 323rd day of 2012 with 42 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 5:27 p.m., it's fair, temp 49ºF [Feels like 49ºF], winds NE @ 3 mph, humidity 54%, pressure 30.31 in and falling, dew point 33ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.
Today in History: 1600--Charles I, King of England (1625-49), was born; beheaded by Parliament 1649 at age 48 1776--the Continental Congress pleaded for the states to send more soldiers to serve in the Continental Army. 1824-- a flood on the Neva River in Russia claimed an estimated 10,000 lives. 1863--Pres, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. 1916--Goldwyn Pictures was formed by Samuel Goldfish with Edgar and Archibald Selwyn after which Goldfish legally changed his name to Goldwyn. 1917--Indira Gandhi, the former prime minister of India who served four terms over 15 years, was born in Allahabad; assassinated by her Sikh guard in 1984 at age 67. 1919--the US Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles 1919--Alan Young, comic actor (Mister Ed), turns 93. 1942--the Soviet Red Army under Gen/ Zhukov launched the great Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Uranua, that turned the tide against Nazi Germany in the Battle of Stalingrad. 1954--the first automatic toll collection machine went into service at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. 1955--National Review, a bi-weekly Conservative news magazine, was published for the first time. 1959--Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel. 1967--a Catholic priest, Chaplain Charles Watters of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, received the Medal of Honor for among the paratroopers during intense fighting, giving encouragement and first aid to the wounded. 1969--Apollo 12 astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad and Alan Bean made man's 2nd landing on the moon. 1971--Cambodians appeal to Saigon for help as the communist Khmer Rouge force and their North Vietnamese allies moved closer to its capital, Phnom Penh. 1976--Patty Hearst released on bail pending the appeal of her conviction for participating in a 1974 San Francisco bank robbery. 1977--Egyptian Pres. Anwar Sadat became the 1st Arab leader to visit Israel and sought a permanent peace settlement with Israel after secades of conflict. 1985--for the first time in eight years, Pres. Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev held their first summit meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. 1990--the pop duo Milli Vanilli was stripped of its Grammy Award after it was revealed that neither performer sang on the group's records. 1997--Bobbi McGaughey gave birth in Des Moines, Iowa to the first set of septuplets to survive infancy with all seven alive 10 years after. 1998--Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr laid out his evidence against Pres. Clinton before the House Judiciary Committee. 1998--Vincent Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait without beard" sold at auction for $71.5 million in New York City. 2001--Pres. Bush signed legislation to put airport baggage screeners on the federal payroll. 2006--the Wii, the Nintendo Co.'s game console, first went on sale. 2007--Amazon.com Inc. introduced the Kindle, an electronic book-reading device.
World News Capsules: 1. Freewheeling Afghan city of Herat fearful of US pullout
(In a dirty, bombed-out wasteland in the middle of Herat, 600-year-old minarets still stand, barely. Much of the city was destroyed during the war against the Soviet occupation.) ....A city that has modernized rapidly over the past 10 years now faces whispers of violence, tremors of economic downturn and calls by a local strongman to rearm against the Taliban. Residents of this prosperous city near the Iranian border fear a move backward as international forces and money depart. a. Karzai orders Afghan takeover of prison at Bagram ....Pres. Karzai ordered Afghan forces to take control of the Bagram prison and accused American officials of violating a deal to hand over the facility, according to a statement issued Monday. 2. New Communnist Party chief in China denounces corruption ....The blunt remarks by Xi Jinping were made at a meeting of the Politburo, which announced a turnover of 15 members last week during the change in leadership. 3. Colombian rebels announce cease-fire during peace talks ....The rebel group FARC announced a unilateral cease-fire as guerrilla representatives met with government negotiators in Havana for peace talks aimed at ending a nearly 50-year war. 4. Congo rebels advancing on major city ....Fighting inched perilously close to Goma and UN forces turned to heavy aerial bombardments to stop a rebel advance. a. Fighting breaks sstandoff between rebels and Congo forces ....Heavy shelling and gunfire on Monday broke a tense standoff between Congolese rebels on the outskirts of the eastern city of Goma and government soldiers backed by United Nations troops 5. Clouds lifting over Murdoch, he's out to buy again
....News Corporation delayed deals for more than a year as it dealt with a phone hacking scandal at one of its British publications. a. Business sees risk of British exit from EU ....The leader of Britain's biggest business lobby issued a stark warning of the growing risk that the country would leave the European Union.. b. Church of England prepares for vote on female bishops ....While bishops and clerics are regarded as likely to endorse a compromise allowing traditionalist parishes to reject the authority of female bishops, the vote among lay members is less assured. 6. Anonymous declares 'cyberwar' on Israel
....The hacker collective claimed responsibility for taking down some sites and leaking passwords because of what it calls Israel's "barbaric" treatment of Palestinians. a. Fear hits home in Israel
....While Israelis are protected by the Iron Dome missile interceptor system, there is still fear that one of the dozens of rockets fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza into Israel in recent days will strike nearby. 7. Iin an emerging Myanmar, vows of support from a visiting persident
....President Obama was greeted by tens of thousands of people lining the road from the airport - and by further promises of reform by the government — as he pledged financial assistance for a nation in transition. 8. Palestinians: Hamas gains favor in West Bank, at Palestinian Authority's expense
....Demonstrations in the West Bank show growing support for Hamas and contempt for the governing Palestinian Authority, which Washington considers the only partner for peace with Israel. a. An outgunned Hamas tries to tap Islamists' growing clout
....As Israel and Hamas met separately with Egyptian officials for indirect talks about a truce in the ongoing Gaza fight, Hamas seemed to be trying to exert its sway over ideological allies in Egypt's government. b. While trying to mediate, Egypt blames Israel for Gaza conflict
....A senior Egyptian official told foreign correspondents that the West was blaming the victims, which he said were the Palestinians. c. Brigades that fire on Israel are shwoing a new discipline ....As many as 15,000 Qassam fighters are responsible for most of the rocket blitzes that have blanketed southern Israel in recent days, experts say. d. Defining a target in the Gaza conflict ....Monday's Israeli attack on the Al Sharouk block, the second consecutive day that area was struck, continued to fuel the arguments about "pinpoint" targeting in the densely populated, urban Gaza Strip. 9. Spain seeks investment from Laatin America ....Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy used a weekend summit meeting to try to persuade Latin American leaders to invest more in his recession-hit country. 10. Islamist groups reject new Syrian opposition coalition
....The development underscored worries about the rising influence of religious fundamentalism amid the chaos of the bloody civil war in Syria.
US News Capsules: 1. Investors rush to beat threat of higher taxes ....With potential changes in the tax code set to take place on Jan. 1, investors and business owners have begun to protect their income before the end of the year. 2. Vetoing business as usual after the storm
....A flood barrier on the Thames, one of the ideas American experts are looking at in the wake of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy. Fixing things in New York to avoid another hurricane catastrophe is a no-brainer. What’s standing in the way is democracy. a. As coasts rebuild and US pays, repeatedly, the critics ask why ....Federal subsidies have allowed coastal communities to rebuild after storms, with little consideration of whether it makes sense to do so in disaster-prone areas. b. Fear and anxiety amid move to raze damaged homes ....Many homeowners were confused by red-tag notices left on their doors, and concerned about the potential costs of demolition. 3. Ruling soon on isolation of inmates with HIV ....A federal judge in Alabama is to rule this week on a policy that keeps HIV-positive inmates segregated from the general prison population. 4. Muscular body image lures boys into gym, and obsession ....It is not just girls these days who are consumed by an unattainable body image. Many boys have begun to take unhealthy measures to reshape their bodies. 5. Protests baked by union get Wal-Mart's attention ....Wal-Mart has filed a complaint seeking to prevent a group known as OUR Walmart from staging protests against the company on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. 6. Solar companies seek ways to build an oasis of electricity
....While most solar panel systems are tied to the electrical grid and susceptible to widespread power failures, there are ways to tap solar energy when the grid goes down. 7. European countries seek more taxes from US multinational companies ....European governments are going after American companies, like Google and Amazon.com, that pay little or no taxes in Europe, despite generating billions of dollars in revenue on the continent. POLITICS: 1. In Wyoming, Conservatives feeling left behind
....A blanket of baffled worry has descended on those who fear that traditional, rural and mostly white states are losing touch with an increasingly diverse and urban electorate. 2. Back on Hill, Ryan remains a fiscal force ....Rep. Paul D. Ryan has been tapped to help strike a deal to avoid big tax increases and spending cuts by the end of the year, and to bring along fellow Republicans. 3. Is secession bid more than cry of rage?
....Timothy Stanley says to dismiss the disgruntled conservatives who want to break from the country would be a mistake. Their anger is a significant sign of division in America.
Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: Patriots have lost Gronkowski, but not their firepower
....Although tight end Rob Gronkowski may miss the rest of the regular season with a broken arm, opponents — starting with the Jets — will probably struggle to stop New England. a. Colts show their youth; Patriots show their best ....The Colts rookie Andrew Luck threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns as the Patriots won 59-24 and took a commanding lead in the A.F.C. East. 2. NBA: A box score filled with style points
....In argument over playing styles between the Knicks and the Pacers, the Knicks proved to have the winning formula with Tyson Chandler as their secret threat. a. Blatche does all off bench as Nets win fifth straight ....Andray Blatche, the self-proclaimed Godfather of the Nets’ bench mob, has been quietly proving his critics wrong this season, but he took his reclamation to another level Sunday against the Kings 3. NCAAFB: Maryland and Rutgers will push Big 10 to fourteen ....Maryland switched to the Big Ten conference in search of financial stability, possibly igniting another wave of realignment as Rutgers is expected to follow suit Tuesday. 4. Horse Racing: An unorthodox jockey and predictable winner
....Ramon Dominguez, a Venezuelan who has found a lucrative home at New York racetracks, is about to lead riders in the US in earnings for the third consecutive year.
Thought for Today "You don't have to suffer to be a poet; adolescence is enough suffering for anyone. " --John Ciardi (1916-1986) American author
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 19, 2012 20:40:08 GMT -5
Every day it's the same thing - I get the timed out message.
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 20, 2012 18:43:53 GMT -5
Universal Children’s Week
Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 324th day of 2012 with 41 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 3:17 p.m., it's fair , temp 47ºF [Feels like 47ºF], winds calm, humidity 59%, pressure 30.12 in and steady, dew point 33ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.
Today in History: 1789--New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 1820--the American whaler Essex, from Nantucket, Mass., was attacked by an 80-ton sperm whale, inspiring Herman Melville's MOby Dick[/u. 1843--in Missouri, Blacksnake Hills trading post on the banks of the Missouri River was renamed St. Joseph 1864--Union Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea continued toward central Georgia, destroying property and routing small militia units it its path. 1874--James M. Curley, American politician, mayor of Boston (1914-8, 1922-6, 1930-4, 1947-50) and governor of Massachusetts (1935-7), was born; died 1958 at age 83. 1910--revolution broke out in Mexico. 1910--the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy died apparently of pneumonia. 1917--the British launched a surprise tank attack at Cambrai, France. 1923--Garrett Morgan patented three-position traffic signal. 1925--Robert F. Kennedy, the US Attorney General, US Senator (D-NY) was born; 1968 assassinated in California during his campaign for president. 1925--Queen Alexandra, consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom, died at Sandringham after suffering a heart attack. 1942--Vice President Joe Biden turns 70 1945--24 high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II. 1947--Princess Elizabeth, future Queen of the United Kingdom, married her distant cousin Philip Mountbatten, a dashing former prince of Greece and Denmark, at Westminster Abbey in London 1948--the American consul and his staff in Mukden, China, are made virtual hostages by communist forces in China. 1962--Pres. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11063, which mandated an end to discrimination in housing. 1966--the musical Cabaret, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, opened on Broadway. 1967--San Jose State College students demonstrated against the Dow Chemical Co., the maker of napalm. 1968--methane explosions rocked a West Virginia coal mine, killing 78, and had to be sealed with the bodies of the men still inside. 1969--the Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phase-out. 1975--Spain's Gen. Francisco Franco died after nearly four decades of absolute rule. 1977--Egyptian Pres. Sadat became the first Arab leader to address Israel's parliament. 1982--the Cal football team won a last-second victory over Stanford when they complete five lateral passes around members of the Cardinals’ marching band on the field. 1985--the first version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, Windows 1.0, was released. 1992--Windsor Castle fire broke out in the Private Chapel and raged for 15 hours. 1995--Princess Diana admitted during an interview broadcast on BBC TV that she had been unfaithful to Prince Charles. 1998--the International Space Station's first pressurized module (Zarya) was launched. 2001--Department of Justice Building was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy building in honor of RFK's 76th birthday. 2003--eccentric but influential music producer Phil Spector was indicted for murder of actress Lana Clarkson. 2003--singer Michael Jackson was booked on suspicion of child molestation in Santa Barbara, Calif. (He was later acquited.)
World News Capsules: 1. Opium cultivation rose this year in Afghanistan, UN survey shows ....The trend is “alarming” despite an aggressive eradication effort by Afghan governors, United Nations officials said. 2. Powerful backer for China's new Manhattan
....The Yujiapu financial district, seen as a symbol of the nation’s growing economy, was financed by state-owned banks, but is also closely associated with a little-known local politician. 3. [u[Congo rebels seize provincial capital
....Rebel fighters overtook one of the biggest cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, setting off riots and raising serious questions about the stability of Congo as a whole. 4. While trying to mediate, Egypt blames Israel for Gaza conflict ....A senior Egyptian official told foreign correspondents that the West was blaming the victims, which he said were the Palestinians. 5. Britain is latest power to recognize Syrian opposition coalition
....Britain joins France, Turkey and several Arab countries in backing the newly formed opposition coalition, which increases its international legitimacy. 6. Euro Zone ministers optimistic as they meet on Greece ....With euro zone finance ministers resuming talks on Greece's intractable debt in Brussels, the chairman of the Eurogroup declared that "Greece has delivered" after it adopted decrees to meet creditors' demands. 7. Clinton arrives in Israel as Egypt says truce in Gaza is close
....As attacks on both sides intensified, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, appearing beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, said on Tuesday evening that she would be working to reach a deal. a. In southern Israel, urban dwellers learn to sprint for bomb shelters ....In cities hit by Palestinian rockets, residents have retreated to designated spaces and know to run when air-raid sirens blare. b. Obama steps back into a conflict he avoided ....After a futile effort on Middle East peace talks early in his tenure, President Obama has begun an effort that could shape relations with Israel, the Palestinians and Egypt. 8. Pakistan court orders blasphemy charges against Christian girl dropped
....The decision brings to an end a contentious case that had gripped the country and sown fear in its Christian minority population. 9. Palestine: Hoisting dead children, Gazans mourn family killed by Israeli strike
....A strike obliterated the Dalu family's two-story structure that had been home to 15 people in three generations. A spokeswoman for the Israel Defense Forces described the attack as an accident. As Israel conducted a new wave of strikes on Monday, Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader, suggested that the Israeli mobilization on the border was a bluff on the part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. 10. A tsunami in Switzerland? Lake evidence says yes ....Researchers say a large deposit of sediment in Lake Geneva is evidence of a deadly tsunami from the sixth century caused by a rockfall, and it could happen again.
US News Capsules: 1. Tax talks raise bar for richest Americans ....The changes being discussed by the president and Congressional Republicans would take the biggest bite from the highest earners and a smaller share from those earning less than $500,000. 2. Easing of restraints in Cuba renews debate on US embargo ....A new argument is gaining currency, even among many Cubans who had stayed on the sidelines: that more assistance from Americans could speed up tentative moves toward capitalism. 3. EDUCATION: College of future could be cone one, come all
....Colleges are building global student bodies and trying to create models for massive open online courses, or MOOCs. a. Immigrants to pay tuition at rate set for residents ....Massachusetts will provide an in-state discount at its public colleges for young people in the country illegally. 4. 4 California men accused of plotting to join terrorism groups ....The men sought to join Al Qaeda and the Taliban and travel to Afghanistan to kill American troops, federal authorities said. 5. American carriers are left behind in cargo program ....A program that subsidizes the shipment of United States military cargo was started as a way to boost American shipping, but it is dominated by overseas shipping giants. 6. Case pits technology-based police search against citizens' rights ....Constitutional lawyers are closely watching a case in which police officers pursuing a bank robber in Aurora, Colo., used a GPS device to set up a roadblock that detained innocent drivers. 7. Movies: Plenty of gods, but just one fellow passenger
....Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee and based on the novel by Yann Martel, features a young man, a tiger and lots of talk about God. 8. Holding back floodwaters with a balloon
....Engineers financed by the Homeland Security Department are testing a huge inflatable plug to prevent flooding in transit tunnels. POLITICS: 1. For tax pledge and its author, a test of time ....Some Congressional Republicans say they resent being hamstrung by a pledge created by the lobbyist Grover Norquist that they signed years ago, and some have defected. 2. Bernanke urges swift action of a fiscal accord ....The Federal Reserve chairman said that while the details of a Congressional agreement to avert a so-called fiscal cliff were important, so were speed and a general impression of a functional and cooperative legislative branch. 3. After Obama, Christie wants a GOP hug ....Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who praised the president just before Election Day, is trying to tame the fury of fellow Republicans who feel he betrayed Mitt Romney.
Sports Headlines: 1. NCAAFB: After 489 wins, coach chooses retirement ....At 86, John Gagliardi is stepping down after 64 seasons as a college football coach, 60 of them at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. a, Is a bigger Big Ten better:
.....In Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten added two schools that were successes at running up budget deficits. b. Expanding eastward could dilute Big 10 brand .... The main rationale bor addin two more teams to the Big 10 seems to be economic, and on that account the conference's decision may be questionable. c. Tuck trying his hardest to avoid jinxing the Irish ...A former Notre Dame star, Justin Tuck of the NY Giants is keeping quiet about his alma mater’s chances of winning the national title 2. MLB: Blue Jays hire John Gibbons as manager again
....BToronto lue Jays President Paul Beeston couldn't believe it when he learned the Blue Jays had the chance to land three star players from the Miami Marlins last week. He was equally surprised when his general manager told him he wanted to hire John Gibbons to manage the Blue Jays again. 3. NFL: Patriots have lost Gronkowski, but not their firepower
....Although tight end Rob Gronkowski may miss the rest of the regular season with a broken arm, opponents — starting with the Jets — will probably struggle to stop New England. 4. Antidoping group proposing longer competition bans ....The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency said there was “overwhelming support” for a proposal to extend the competition ban for first doping offenses to four years from two.
Thought for Today "By a very conservative estimate, a hundred million people have died at the hands of their own governments in this century. Given that record, how bad could anarchy be?" --Joseph Sobran (1946-2010) columnist
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 21, 2012 19:28:39 GMT -5
World Hello Day Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 325th day of 2012 with 40 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 2:58 p.m., it's fair , temp 52ºF [Feels like 52ºF], winds S @ 3 mph, humidity 49%, pressure 30.19 in and steady, dew point 33ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.
Today in History: 1694--Francois Voltaire [a.k.a François-Marie Arouet], French Enlightenment philosopher, historian & writer, was born; died 1778 at age 83 1776--Gen. Washington ordered Gen. Charles Lee to bring his forces to New Jersey. 1783--French physician Jean-François Pilatre de Rozier and François Laurent, the marquis d' Arlandes, made the first untethered hot-air balloon flight, flying 5.5 miles over Paris. 1789--North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the US Constitution. 1861--Judah Benjamin, a Jew in an otherwise Protestant cabinet, became the Confederate secretary of war. 1864--Pres. Lincoln allegedly wrote to Lydia Boby, a widow and mother of five men killed in the Civil War (the original letter has never been found). 1877--Thomas Edison announced his first great invention - the phonograph. 1916--the Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people with pver 1,000 rescued. 1916-- with World War I in full swing, the popular Emperor Franz Josef of Austria died at the age of 86, after reigning for 66 years. 1920--Stan Musial, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 92. 1922--Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the US Senate. 1927--the week-old Holland Tunnel, connecting New York City and Jersey City, appeared on the cover of Time. 1931--USC ended Notre Dame winning streak (since a loss in 1928 to USC) and won the national championship. 1934--teenaged Ella Fitzgerald decided to sing not dance and won Amateur Night at Harlem's Apollo Theater at the start of her illustrous careeer. 1938--Nazi forces occupied western Czechoslovakia and declared its people German citizens. 1941--Albert Speer, Nazi chief architect and minister for armaments and war production, asked for 30,000 Soviet POWs to use as slave laborers in a massive Berlin building program. 1953--Piltdown Man (fragments of a skull and jawbone collected in 1912 thought to be fossilised remains of an early human) was exposed as a hoax. 1964--New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened. 1967--Gen. Westmoreland, commander of US Military Assistance Command Vietnam, told the US media that the communists were losing. 1973--Pres. Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18 1/2-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate. 1974--Birmingham pub blasts from IRA placed devices in two pubs packed with mainly teenage drinkers killed 19 injured 180. 1974--the US Congress passed the Freedom of Information Act over Pres. Ford's veto. 1975--a US Senate report charged that the US was involved in assassination plots against two foreign leaders (Fidel Castro and Patrice Lumumba of the Congo) and were heavily involved in at least three other plots in South Vietnam, Chile and the Dominican Republic. 1976--the movie Rocky, starring Sylvester Stallone, premierd in New York City. 1980--350 million people around the world tune in to television's popular primetime drama Dallas to find out who shot J.R. Ewing, the character fans loved to hate. 1980--a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas killed 87 people. 1985--Jonathan Jay Pollard, a civilian US Navy intelligence analyst and Jewish American was arrested as an Israeli spy . 1986--National Security Council staff member Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, begin shredding documents that would have exposed their participation in the Iran-Contra Affair. 1989--the proceedings of Britain's House of Commons were televised live for the first time. 1991--the UN Security Council chose Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt to be secretary-general. 2000--the Florida Supreme Court granted Democrat Al Gore's request to keep the presidential election recount going. 2001--a 94-year-old Connecticut woman died of inhalation anthrax, the last of five people killed in the anthrax attacks. 2002--NATO invited seven former communist countries to join the alliance: Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria. 2004--the NBA suspended Indiana's Ron Artest for the rest of the season following a brawl in the stands during a game against the Detroit Pistons. 2005--General Motors Corp., the world's biggest carmaker, announced it was cutting its payroll by 30,000 and shutting nine major plants to stop a financial hemorrhage. 2007--officials announced the recall of more than a half-million pieces of Chinese-made children's jewelry contaminated with lead. 2007--University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists reported they had reprogrammed human skin cells to behave as embryonic stem cells. 2010--debt-struck Ireland applied for a massive EU-IMF loan to stem the flight of capital from its banks. 2011--Anne McCaffrey, American-born Irish writer best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series, died in her home in Ireland after suffering a stroke at age 85.
World News Capsules: 1. General Allen resumes command duty in Afghanistan ....Gen. John Allen, the top US and NATO commander of the war in Afghanistan, has returned to Kabul amid an investigated over correspondence with a woman linked to the David H. Petraeus scandal. a. Afghan suicide bomber kills 3 near US Embassy
....The attack, deep in the main diplomatic neighborhood of Kabul, killed three security guards and wounded two civilians, according to police officials 2. Chinese boys' deaths in bin sparks outrage
....Eight Chinese officials have been fired or suspended after five boys died in a rubbish bin after suffocating on fumes from charcoal they burned to stay warm, according to state-run media. 3. Congo rebels, fresh from victory, vow to take capital
....Up until this week, many skeptics had dismissed the M23 rebels as a small-time militia with neither the resources nor the manpower to upend Congo, but now it seems they are rapidly gaining momentum. 4. Changes in Cuba create support for easing embargo ....New economic bonds between Cuba and the United States have formed, creating new challenges, new possibilities — and a more complicated debate over the 50-year-old American trade embargo. 5. Rift grows in French party over close leadership vote ....Former Prime Minister François Fillon, who had been declared a narrow loser in a leadership election for the Union for a Popular Movement, said that he had actually won. 6. Crisis in Church of England after rejection of female bishops ....The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, said the Anglican Church had lost credibility with the vote, and Prime Minister David Cameron urged the church to find a way to resolve church-state relations. a. Thousands of kids face abuse in England
....Thousands of children in England have been sexually exploited by gangs or groups of men or are at high risk of sexual exploitation, according to a report released Wednesday. 7. India hangs the only surviving Mumbai attacker
....The surprise execution of Ajmal Kasab, a gunman in the 2008 attacks that left 166 people dead, was unlikely to derail improving ties, analysts in both India and Pakistan said. a. A Mumbai student vents on Facebook, and the police come knocking ....A medical student in India complained on Facebook about the attention a political leader’s death was getting, and she and a friend were charged. 8. Benghazi security dreictor is assassinated, Libyan official says ....The death of the security official, Faraj Mohammed al-Drissi, is the latest in a series of mysterious killings that have raised fears about Libya’s precarious postwar security. 9. Mexican agencies clash over shooting of CIA employees ....Nearly three months after CIA officials were wounded when their embassy vehicle was shot up, divisions have emerged among the Mexican law enforcement agencies trying to determine the motive. a. US and Mexico sign a deal on sharing the Colorado River ....The US and Mexico agreed to overhaul how water from the Colorado River, which serves 33 million people in both countries, will be shared and managed. 10. South Korean man given suspended sentence for twitter posts ....Park Jung-geun was accused of retweeting from an official North Korean Twitter account and charged under a law that bans “praising, encouraging or propagandizing” for the country.
US News Capsules: 1. Tech's new (geographical) frontier: 'Silicon Prairie'
....From Des Moines to Omaha to Kansas City — a region known more for its barns than its bandwidth — a start-up tech scene is blossoming. 2. Storm bared a lack of options for the homeless in New York
....This week, officials closed all evacuation centers but two on Staten Island. Now they plan to rely solely on hotels, even as they brace for new arrivals in winter. 3. Where Pilgrims landed, Thanksgiving is kept at table. not mall ....Some of the country's retailers said they would move up sales to Thanksgiving Day, but stores in some New England states, adhering to those states' "blue laws," will be closed Thursday. 4. 2nd act of a scandal: cue the superlawyers and the spinmasters ....The sex-and-e-mail affair that forced out the CIA director, David H. Petraeus, has now ripened to the image management stage. 5. An eccentric Texas millionaire is accused of abusing teenagers ....Stanley Marsh 3, the Amarillo, Tex., man behind the Cadillac Ranch, has been accused in lawsuit of sexually abusing teenage boys. 6. Insider inquiry incing closer to a billionaire
....For the first time, a case against a former SAC Capital Advisors employee directly involves Steven A. Cohen, the hedge fund's powerful founder. 7. Hopper expert questions how minister got an art trove ....The art historian Gail Levin says the Arthayer R. Sanborn Collection was acquired simply by carrying works out of the home of Edward Hopper's widow. 8. Judge approves Hostess Brands' plan to close down
....Judge Robert D. Drain of the Southern District of New York cited the need for a quick and orderly shuttering of the company to avoid letting its assets molder. 9. Administration defines benefits that must be offered under the health law ....The White House’s rules translate the broad promises of the 2010 law into detailed standards that can be enforced by state and federal officials, including those on pre-existing conditions. 10. South Carolina offers details of data theft and warns it could hapen elsewhere ....Gov. Nikki R. Haley said state officials had not done enough to stop computer hackers who recently stole millions of personal financial records from the state’s Department of Revenue. POLITICS: 1. A chance to tackle inequality ...While lawmakers are debating the question of how much government we can afford, they have ignored the broader question of how much government we need. 2. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., ill and facing inquiry, will resign
....Rep. Jackson Jr., who won re-election this month despite an extended illness, a long absence from Congress and reports of looming investigations, will leave office. 3. Members of the 112th Congress depart, taking their quirks along ....From Sen. Richard G. Lugar’s foreign policy expertise to Sen. Kent Conrad’s bichon frisé, the expiring Congress has left its mark in ways large, small and weird. 4. Republican concedes House race in Florida
....After nearly two weeks of wrangling, Representative Allen West ended his fight with his Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy
Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: For the Lions, a rare feast amid decades of famine ....A commanding victory by the Lions over the Packers on Thanksgiving Day in 1962 left a feeling among some Detroit fans that anything was possible - a feeling that did not last long. 2. NBA: Fast start for Anthony and 8-1 start for Knicks ....Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points in 28 minutes, including 19 points in the first half, as the Knicks cruised to a 102-80 victory over the Hornets on Tuesday night. a. With the Knicks, consider the Kidd factor ....When Jason Kidd joined his previous teams in Dallas, Phoenix, and New Jersey, the result was the same: the teams won a lot more. b. For Thunder, Martin is a definite plus
....Kevin Martin, acquired from Houston in the James Harden trade, has done a fantastic job filling Harden's shoes and by some measures has outplayed him. 3. NCAAFB: Big 10 expansion may bring low payoff
....The Big Ten Conference is adding Maryland and Rutgers to its ranks. The main rationale seems to be economic, and on that account the conference’s decision may be questionable.
Today's Headlines of Interest: US, Egypt announce cease-fire agreement by Israel and Hamas in Gaza crisis
The truce, announced in Cairo, is aimed at ending eight days of fighting that killed more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis and began at 9 p.m. Cairo time (2 p.m. EST). “The United States welcomes the agreement today for the cease-fire in Gaza," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a news conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr. "This is a critical moment for the region." Clinton went on to thank Egypt's Islamist Pres. Mohammed Morsi for his mediation efforts and pledged to work with partners in the region "to consolidate this progress, improve conditions for the people of Gaza, provide security for the people of Israel." Egypt is the "sponsor" of the cease-fire agreement. Meanwhile, the head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard has disclosed his country has given fighters in Gaza the ability to produce longer-range missiles on their own, without direct shipments. The comments, by Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency, offer some of the clearest insights on Iran's weapons support for Hamas. Previously, Iran denied it directly supplied Hamas with the Fajr-5 rockets being fired at Israel in recent days. In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the agreement, adding that he had spoken with Pres. Obama and had agreed to fight together against "weapons of terror." Netanyahu paid tribute to US diplomacy and Morsi's leadership, but also to Israel's resolve and the armed forces. According to the cease-fire agreement: Israel will stop attacks on Gaza by land, sea and air and stop incursions and targeted assassinations; Palestinian factions will stop hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel; Israel will ease the movement of people and goods at border-crossing areas. I sincerely hope that the cease fire takes place and lasts. No one wins in this kind of conflict and you would thing in the 64 years since Israel was established in the Middle East, this simple truth would have been recognized by all sides to the conflict.
Thought for Today "The highest compact we can make with our fellow is -- 'Let there be truth between us two forevermore.' " --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American transcendental philosopher & writer
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 21, 2012 19:30:55 GMT -5
Every day when I post my daily bulletin I get the timed out message.WHY
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 23, 2012 19:48:51 GMT -5
Buy Nothing Day Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 327th day of 2012 with 38 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 7:44 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 47ºF [Feels like 47ºF], winds W @ 10 mph, humidity 67%, pressure 29.69 in and rising, dew point 34ºF, chance of precipitation 50%.
Today in History: 912--Otto I, German king (936-73) and Holy Roman emperor (962-73), was born; died 973 at age 60. 1499--Flemish pretender, Perkin Warbeck, who invaded England in 1497 claiming to be the lost son of King Edward IV, was hanged for allegedly trying to escape from the Tower of London. 1859--the infamous Western outlaw outlaw Billy the Kid was born in a poor Irish neighborhood on New York City's East Side; killed 1881 at age 21. 1874--Far from the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy, was published. 1876--William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, leader of New York City's corrupt Tammany Hall political organization was delivered to authorities in New York City after his capture in Spain. 1889--the jukebox made its debut, at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. 1890--the independent Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was separated from the Netherlands. 1903--Colorado governor sends militia to Cripple Creek gold mines to crush the union of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). 1903--tenor Enrico Caruso made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, appearing in Rigoletto. 1936--the first issue of Life magazine was published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam by Margaret Bourke-White. 1940--Romania signed the Tripartite Pact, officially allying itself with Germany, Italy, and Japan. 1943--US forces seized control of the Tarawa and Makin atolls from the Japanese. 1945--World War II rationing ended in the United States on all foods except sugar. 1950--Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., turns 62. 1954--the Dow Jones industrial average finally surpassed it's pre-crash high - 25 years after Black Tuesday - closing at 382.74. 1959--Robert Stroud, the famous "Birdman of Alcatraz," was released from solitary confinement for the first time since 1916. 1963--Doctor Who premiered on BBC TV with the pilot "An Unearthly Child" starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor. 1970--Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird disclosed the details of the US raid on the North Vietnamese prison camp at Son Tay. 1971--the People's Republic of China was seated in the UN Security Council. 1972--secret peace talks in Paris between Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho, the North Vietnamese representative, reach an impasse. 1979--Thomas McMahon, a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing and planting the bomb that killed Lord Louis Mountbatten and others. 1980--Irpinia in southern Italy was rocked by earthquake, killing more than 3,000 people during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. 1981--Pres. Reagan giave the CIA the power to recruit and support a 500-man force of Nicaraguan rebels to conduct covert actions against the leftist Sandinista regime. 1984--Boston College’s short quarterback Doug Flutie threw a last-second 64-yard Hail Mary pass to beat the University of Miami 47-45 (and, incidentally the Heiwman Trophy).. 1990--Charlie and the Chocolate Factory creator Roald Dahl died at the age of 74 in Oxford, England. He also wronte TV scripts and screenplays, including You Only Live Twice (1967) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), 1992--the US lowered its flag over the last US base in the Philippines, ending nearly a century of military presence in its former colony. 1992--Country music legend Roy Acuff, who rode the "Wabash Cannonball" to fame and fortune, died of congestive heart failure at age 89. 1993--Pres. Clinton signed legislation repealing US sanctions against South Africa. 1996--Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, hijaacked en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, crash landed in the Indian Ocan after running out of fuel. 2001--an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a van in the West Bank, killing Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, a leading member of the Islamic militant Hamas group. 2002--the Bush administration eased anti-pollution regulations that required older coal-fired refineries to upgrade facilities with modern clean air equipment in an effort to spur expanded construction of power plants. 2003--a total solar eclipse occurred over regions of the Antarctic continent. 2004--in a disputed Ukraine election, the day after opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared himself the winner election officials declared that the Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was the real winner. 2005--Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was confirmed as the President of Liberia, becoming the first woman to lead an African country. 2006--former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko died in London three weeks after his alleged radiation poisoning, making a deathbed statement blaming Russian Pres. Putin. 2006--the last of 23 coal miners killed in an underground gas explosion at Ruda Slaska, Poland, was removed by rescue workers . 2007--MS Explorer. a cruise ship tracing the Antaractica route of Ernest Shacleton, hit a possible iceberg and sank near King George Island. 2011--Yemen's authoritarian Pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down amid a fierce uprising after 33 years in power.
World News Capsules: 1. Suicide bomber devastates a government center in Afghanistan ....The attack, which killed three people and wounded 90 others in Maidan Shahr, in Wardak Province, was the first such strike on that city, residents said. 2. Reopening an 18-year-old wound in Argentina
....Jewish leaders have been angered by moves to improve ties with Iran, accused of shielding people who prosecutors in Argentina say authorized a 1994 attack on a community center in Buenos Aires. 3. China detains former journalist who reported on deaths of 3 children ....Li Yuanlong, a former journalist, wrote about young boys who died in a trash bin after taking shelter there from the cold.. 4. In new tack, Congo's army starts to fight
....After a string of victories by rebels who have faced little resistance, the army began a counterattack in an effort to recover some of the territory it has lost in eastern Congo. A battle raged for control of an eastern town in the Democratic Republic of Congo that rebels recently seized. 5. Citing deadlock, Egypt's leader seizes new power and plans Mubarak retrial ....With a constitutional assembly near collapse, Pres. Mohamed Morsi granted himself broad powers above any court and ordered the retrial of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. a. Clashes break out after Morsi seizes new power in Egypt
....Protesters were said to have set fire to the offices of Pres. Morsi in several cities, as fighting broke out between his supporters and opponents. 6. Collapse of divisive budget talks poses new setback to European Union
....European Union leaders failed to reach agreement on a spending plan for their troubled bloc, calling off talks after most countries rejected cuts demanded by Britain and its allies. 7. Code found on pigeon baggles British cryptographers
....Britain’s code-breakers acknowledged that an encrypted message from World War II, found on the leg of a long-dead carrier pigeon, has thwarted all their efforts. a. Times Co. chief executive testifies at closed-door inquiry on BBC scandal ....Mark Thompson, who is now president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, led the BBC when a contentious report on accusations of sexual abuse against a TV host was canceled 8. For Israel, Gaza conflict is test for an Iran confrontation ....One view is that Israel was using the Gaza battle to learn the missile capabilities of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad - the group with the closest ties to Iran - with intent to disrupt those links. 9. Life in Gaza's courtyards{ displays of pride and sacrifice graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/11/24/world/middleeast/24gaza/24gaza-sfSpan.jpg[/img] ....The fatal shooting by Israeli soldiers of a Palestinian man did not fracture the cease-fire that ended eight days of fighting between Hamas and Israel. But it did showcase the confusion that remains over the deal. 10. As prison life deteriorates in Portugal, some stay....Life inside Portugal's prisons has become intolerable, as budgets cuts render them overcrowded, short of necessities and rife with abuse - and that is the view of the prison guards. 11. UN panel criticizes Russia on human rights treaty....In its scathing assessment, UN officials said they were seriously concerned about “numerous and consistent reports” of threats, reprisals and deaths of human rights defenders and journalists in Russia. 12. A candidate unexpectedly quits South Korea's presidential race....Ahn Cheol-soo, a computer software mogul who was widely seen as a top contender for the presidency, threw his support behind a fellow liberal who has championed aggressive engagement with North Korea. 13. Spain: Catalan vote could be a first step toward self-rule....An election in Catalonia on Sunday could help determine whether Spain's most powerful economic region eventually splits from the rest of the country. 14. Fighting across Syria leaves 151 dead....One day after Syrian rebels accused government forces of a deadly bombing near a hospital in the besieged city of Aleppo, opposition groups said another 151 people had been killed in the fighting. a. Rebel faction demands Islamic state....Britain became the latest country to recognize Syria’s new opposition council as the nation’s rightful leader. But Islamist fighters in Aleppo, including some linked to Al Qaeda, say they reject “outside plans” and want an Islamic state. US News Capsules: 1. Day to reflect after bearing storm's wrath....Whether around dinner tables at home or alongside kindhearted strangers, storm victims gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving in steely defiance of life's disruptions. 2. Vignettes of Black Friday....The Lede is checking out the mood of Black Friday shoppers as the economically critical holiday season kicks off. In Times Square, some had been anticipating a sale for months. a. The shrewd shopper carries a Smartphone....Apps for Black Friday shoppers are now loaded with planning tools, prices and directions to parking spots. 3. Effort to curb dangerous coolant flaters, sometimes at home
....Environmentally harmful HCFC-22 is being phased out, but common repairs to air conditioners keep the gas in circulation with little federal enforcement. Refrigerants inside air conditioners allow the machines to cool the air but also deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. 4. A Kansas town seeks fame as a chapter in Lincoln's rise....A publicity campaign in Lecompton, Kan., seeks national recognition of the tiny town's crucial role in the election of President Lincoln and in the Civil War. 5. Movies: A different magnitude of star....In Lifetime’s Liz & Dick, about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s tumultuous relationship, Lindsay Lohan, as Taylor, is mostly a reminder that star power may be a bygone thing. a. A knife and a shower: Sounds Hitchcockian.... Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins, is based on a book about the making of the horror classic Psycho. b. Damaged souls, trying to heal, learning to survive....In Rust and Bone,”a muscular melodrama from Jacques Audiard, a woman who loses her legs in a whale attack finds emotional healing through a relationship with a rough boxer. c. Flimmakers still seek lessons from a case that rocked a city....The documentary The Central Park Five is equal measures criminal investigation, cultural exhumation and a consideration of race in a presumptively postracial America. 6. Pepper spray used against TransCanada protesters in Texas
....Protesters at TransCanada’ s Keystone XL construction site in Texas were pepper-sprayed by local sheriff’s deputies. 7. Inquiry into Gulf dolphin killings intensifies....The investigation of a series of mysterious killings of dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico is gaining momentum, with a federal agent in charge and the offer of a $30,000 reward. 8. Pathway to an Americn pope? Cardinal's elevation gives US clout t Vatican....The red, or rather scarlet, carpet will be rolled in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday for six new cardinals, including an American. Among the six cardinal-elects is James Harvey, an archbishop from Milwaukee who will become the 11th cardinal elector from the U.S., strengthening the country's position as the Vatican's second-largest voting bloc after Italy. POLITICS: 1. As tallies confirm results of Arizona races, many call for a faster way to count....The secretary of state insisted that the election system worked, but acknowledged that the counting process could be improved. 2. One-party control opens states to partisan push....At least 37 states will soon be under single-party control, the most in six decades, raising the prospect that bold partisan agendas will flourish. 3, Jeb Bush in 2016? Not too early for chatter....Republicans are looking for a candidate who can help the party become more inclusive without ceding conservative principles. 4. Seeking ways to raise taxes but leave tax rate as is....Negotiators are floating a number of ideas that they hope will avoid a looming fiscal crisis and appease both Democrats and Republicans by raising taxes without increasing the top tax rate. 5. Voting Rights Act, the South on trial....The Voting Rights Act says locales with histories of discrimination must get approval to change voting rules. As the high court prepares to revisit the act, Jeffrey Toobin writes that the question is: Has the South changed?. Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: Humiliated in a New York minute....On national television Thursday, the Jets were pummeled by the Patriots, a defeat that recalibrated how words like embarrassing and absurd are used to describe the franchise. Coach Rex Ryan said at his news conference on Friday that he still could not fathom how the Jets allowed the Patriots to score three touchdowns in a 52-second stretch the night before. a. NFL re-examining 'harsh' replay rule immediately( Justin Forsett's elbow was clearly down on his eventual 81-yard touchdown run) ....The rule allowed a botched call on a touchdown by the Houston Texans to stand because Detroit Coach Jim Schwartz improperly challenged the ruling in the Lions’ overtime loss on Thanksgiving. 2. NCAAFB: 'Huskers reach Big Ten title game....On a cold and blustery afternoon with a spot in the Big Ten title game on the line, Rex Burkhead proved why he's so valuable to the Huskers. Burkhead scored the go-ahead touchdown in his return from a knee injury and No. 17 Nebraska beat Iowa 13-7 on Friday to claim the Legends Division's berth in the Big Ten championship game, a rmatch of their 30-27 win over the Wisconsin Badgers in late September. a. In Oregon, civil rivalry but quirky one....The Oregon vs. Oregon State rivalry is one of the oldest in college football, dating to 1894. But for the longest time, it lacked a central ingredient to any rivalry: something to win. 3. MLB: A lesson learned? For the Mets, maybe not....The Mets owners, on the heels of the Bernard L. Madoff Ponzi scheme, sold a share of the team to Steven A. Cohen, a hedge fund manager whose operation was in the cross hairs of federal prosecutors. 4. Ownership change unlikely to alter YES's formula....Fox Sports is expected to bring some of its programming to the YES Network as it starts a national sports network, but the channel will still be all about the Yankees. 5. NHL: A Ranger rolls up his sleeves and takes a big role in hurricane relief....Because of the lockout, Brad Richards is not playing. Instead, he is bringing his quiet brand of leadership to the efforts to repair the damage from Hurricane Sandy. a. NHL cancels All-Star Game, schedule through Dec. 14....Stop me if you’ve heard this before — following another round of failed CBA negotiations, the NHL has canceled a slate of games and a marquee league event. This time, it’s all contests from Dec. 1-14 and the 2013 All-Star Game, which was to be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Jan. 27 Thought for Today"Lying is done with words and also with silence." --[/i]Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) American poet, essayist and feminist
TGIF everybody!!
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 25, 2012 19:14:45 GMT -5
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 329th day of 2012 with 36 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 2:34 p.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 34ºF [Feels like 26ºF], winds SW @ 10 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.81 in and falling, dew point 28ºF, chance of precipitation 30%.
Today in History: 1120--White Ship tragedy claimed the life of William Adelin , the only legitimate son of Henry I of England. 1177--Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeated Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. 1471--seige of Granada , the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, began. 1542--in the battle of Solway Moss the English army defeated the Scots. 1703--Great Storm of 1703 (greatest windstorm ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain) reachesdits peak intensity. 1758--Great Britain captured Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh) from the French. 1783--the British evacuated New York City, their last military position in the US, during the Revolutionary War. 1835--Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the American steel industry, was born; died 1919 at age 83. 1839--a cyclone slammed India with high winds and a 40 foot storm surge, destroying the port city of Coringa (never to be entirely rebuilt). 1863--Union Gen. Grant broke the siege of Chattanooga by routing the Confederates under Gen.l Braxton Bragg at the battle off Missionary Ridge. 1876--the U.S. Army retaliated for the Little Bighorn massacre by destroying the village of Cheyenne living with Chief Dull Knife on the headwaters of the Powder River. 1884--J.B. Meyenberg, of St. Louis, Mio. patented evaporated milk. 1918--two weeks after an armistice ended World War I in Europe, Col. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the German commander in East Africa, surrendered. 1940--football great Tom Harmon's uniform, number 98, was retired by athletic officials at the University of Michigan (father of NCIS's Mark Harmon). 1940 Joe Gibbs, Hall of Fame football coach, and Percy Sledge, R&B singer, both turns 72 today. 1941--Pres. Roosevelt informed his Cabinet. "We are likely to be attacked next Monday, for the Japs are notorious for attacking without warning," which was passed on the commanders in the Pacific. 1944--at age 87, the first commissioner of baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis died after serving as czar of baseball for 24 years. 1947--movie studio executives agreed to blacklist the "Hollywood 10", who were jailed a day earlier for contempt of Congress for failing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. 1949--"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" hit the music charts, becoming THE musical hit for the Christmas season. 1950--the so-called "storm of the century" (including record amounts of snow in parts of the Appalachian Mountains) hit eastern US,, killing hundreds and causing millions of dollars in damages. 1952--The Mousetrap,, a murder-mystery written by Agatha Christie, opened and became the longest continuously running play in history, with more than 10 million people to date attending its more than 20,000 performances in London's West End. 1963--Pres. Kennedy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. 1966--Upton Sinclair, Pulitzer prize-winning American author best known for his 1906 muckraking novel The Jungle, died. 1970--world-renowned Japanese writer Yukio Mishima committed suicide after failing to win public support for his often extreme political beliefs. 1973--Greek Pres. George Papadopoulos was ousted in a bloodless military coup. 1980--Sugar Ray Leonard took his welterweight title back when his opponent, reigning champ Roberto Duran, waved his arms and walked away from the fight in the eighth round.saying "No más, no más." 1986--the Iran-Contra affair erupted as Pres. Reagan and Attorney Gen. Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels. 1990--after a storm on Thanksgiving Day, Washington state's historic floating Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge broke apart and sank to the bottom of Lake Washington. 1992--the Czechoslovakian Parliament voted to dissolve the country at the end of the year into separate Czech and Slovak states. 1999--the UN General Assembly passed a resolution designating November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 1999 --ix-year-old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez was rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida. 2001--100s of US Marines arrived in Afghanistan near the southern city of Kandahar in the first major entry of ground troops there in the war on terrorism. 2002--warrants were issued in Los Angeles for the arrest of two former Roman Catholic priests on molestation charges, some dating to the 1950s. 2002--Pres. Bush signed legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security. 2003--the US Senate gave approval to Medicare legislation combining a new prescription drug benefit with measures to control costs before the baby boom generation reaches retirement age. 2003--Yemen arrested Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal, a top al-Qaida member suspected of masterminding the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen's coast. 2004--nine people, including three federal agents, were found dead at two locations near Mexico's resort town of Cancun, all believed slain by drug traffickers. 2006--Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire to end a five-month Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants into the Jewish state. 2008--NFL quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to a Virginia dogfighting charge and received a three-year suspended sentence.
World News Capsules: 1. Student killed in melee at Afghan university ....A fight erupted on the campus of Kabul University when Sunni Muslim students tried to prevent their Shiite counterparts from observing a religious holiday. 2. At least 112 dead in Bangladesh fire, ovvicial says
....An official says firefighters have recovered 112 bodies after a fire raced through a multistory garment factory just outside Dhaka, the capital. 3. Swalllowing rain forest, cities surge in Amazon
....The torrid expansion of rain forest cities is alarming scientists, as an array of new industrial projects transforms the Amazon into Brazil’s fastest-growing region. 4. For the first time, China lands jet on aircraft carrier
....China announced a first on Sunday. It landed a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier built using an abandoned Soviet hull, though it may be years before the ship is fully operational. 5. Congo rebels ignore appeal to quit attack ....Ignoring the demands of regional leaders, M23 rebels continued advancing on government-held territory. 6. Egyptian judges challenge Morsi over new power
....Judges rebelled against an edict by Pres. Mohamed Morsi exempting his decrees from judicial review, calling for a judges' strike as protesters took to the streets for a second day. 7. There's no Indian heir there ....Rahul Gandhi would seem to be the heir apparent in India, but Indians seem indifferent at best to the scion of prime ministers. a. Cellphones reshape prostitution in India, and complicate efforts to prevent AIDS ....One result of the spread of cellphones in India is that more prostitutes have become independent of brothels, a development that has made AIDS prevention harder. 8. Stirring up stodgy Italy with his political style ....Matteo Renzi, the mayor of Florence, has been traversing Italy delivering rousing speeches, as he competes in a primary to decide who will lead Italy’s center-left Democratic Party. 9. Roadside bomb kills at least 7 in Pakistan
....Militants targeted a procession of Shiite Muslims in a small town near a restive tribal region as the government struggled to control sectarian violence. 10. Palestine: On this, 2 sides agree: fighting hardened positions ....The eight days of fighting between Hamas and Israel have left more than 160 people dead, and have dimmed hopes for reviving an already-moribund peace process. a. Hamas claim complicates talk of truce with Israel
....Confusion continued over the status of cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel as the Hamas prime minister announced progress regarding restrictions on movement, which the Israeli prime minister’s office denied. b. A fragile cease-fire achieved by leaving thorny issues unresolved ....American officials assert that they have helped lay a foundation for progress in Gaza, but that careful attention is required in the days and weeks ahead. 11. Selling a 'hot spot' to the Beau Monde ....A billionaire developer is building a luxury resort town-within-a-town at Andermatt, Switzerland, an ambitious project that allows foreigners to buy property without restrictions. 12. Cold ravages Syria refugees as aid falters ....Because of a lack of funds or access, hundreds of thousands face the onslaught of winter with inadequate shelter, senior government officials and relief organizations said.
US News Capsules: 1. Let the month of sugar plums begin
....New York City Ballet began its annual season of George Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” with three performances in two days. 2. US election speeded move to codify policy on drones ....An internal debate in Washington concerns when unmanned strikes are justified and whether they should be a last resort or a more flexible tool. 3. California cove blessed with nature's beauty reels from its stench
....In La Jolla Cove, art galleries and coffee shops meet a stretch of unspoiled cliffs and Pacific Ocean, but the smell that emanates from bird feces on the rocks has become a growing problem. 4. Antigay crime remains steady in Washington despite work of special unit ....Critics say that a unit trained to respond to hate crimes has languished and that distributing its duties throughout the department has proved ineffective. 5. Consensus eludes courts in searches of cellphones
....Judges and lawmakers across the country are wrangling over whether and when law enforcement authorities can search suspects’ cellphones without a warrant, and interpretations range widely. 6. Chasing early sales, retailers undercut Black Friday
....Sales on the day after Thanksgiving fell from those a year earlier, after stores started their “doorbuster” promotions early in the week and opened for business on Thursday evening. 7. Hatching ideas and companies, by the dozens at MIT ....Dr. Robert Langer’s lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is on the front lines of turning discoveries into drugs and drug delivery systems. 8. No Powerball winner sends jackpot to record $425 million
....No one hit the jackpot in the latest Powerball drawing, pushing the next prize of $425 million into the history books. 9. Cholesterol drug recalled over glass concerns. ....Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. says it is calling back bottles of its 10-, 20- and 40-milligram tablets of atorvastatin calcium, the generic version of the widely prescribed anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor. A total of 41 lots of 90- and 500-count bottles are subject to the recall, the company said. POLITICS: 1. States want to have say during talks over federal budge ....With their states still recovering from the recession, governors say they fear that talks in Washington to avert the so-called fiscal cliff will actually lead to deep cuts. 2. The Senate's long slide to gridlock ....The Senate — the legislative body designed as the saucer to cool the House’s tempestuous teacup — has become a deep freeze, but filibuster reform could have a thawing effect. 3. Top GOP lawmakers call for highter tax revenues
....Republican lawmakers are increasingly abandoning Grover Norquist’s no-taxes pledge and declaring a willingness to raise tax revenues as part of a deal to avoid the severe austerity measures set to take effect in January. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called for raising revenues by scaling back tax deductions and credits.
Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: Giants rookie is still figuring out how to attain his lofty goals
....While David Wilson, the Giants’ first-round draft choice, has contributed on kick returns, he is working on developing as a running back. a. Giants' design for desperation: heave into end zone, jump, exhale ....The Giants faithfully (and a bit comically) practice a play called the Flood Tip - Coach Tom Coughlin's version of the last-second heave to the end zone. b. 49ers take odd spin on quarterback controversy ....A good quarterback controversy has at least five stages. The 49ers did something remarkably efficient and fan-friendly this past week. They squeezed the five stages into five days. c. [More NFL teams use statisticians, but league acceptance is not mode/u] ....Teams are turning to advanced statistics that can show the probability of success of plays and players, provide real-time analysis, and even suggest practice regimens after injuries.. 2. NBA: With eye on Nets, Knicks make quick work of Pistons 121-109
....The Knicks treated the game against Detroit as a warm-up for Monday’s matchup with Brooklyn, hitting 51.5% from beyond the arc to score a season-high in points and end a two-game skid. a. A point guard for the Nets to ponder ....The Portland rookie Damian Lillard, drafted with a pick that was acquired from the Nets, is the latest quality point guard to come out of Oakland, Calif. 3. NCAAF: Anxiety turns to ecstasy for the Irish
....When the season started, many pundits tabbed USC as the top team. Instead, Notre Dame entered Saturday’s game undefeated, and left that way 22-13, too, en route to the national title game in January. a. Beating their rival 26-21, Buckeyes finish unbeaten, untied and unfulfilled ....After defeating Michigan, Ohio State was suddenly hit with the realization that its season was over at 12-0 because of N.C.A.A. sanctions. b. Turnovers cost Florida State against Gators ....Mike Gillislee ran for two touchdowns, and No. 6 Florida scored 24 straight points in the fourth quarter to beat Florida State 37-26. 4. NHL: For players and fans, a return to the NHL game, even if it's only for one night
....Operation Hat Trick, a charity game to benefit families affected by Hurricane Sandy, was the main draw, but with Donald Fehr present, pregame questions turned to the stalled labor talks. 5. Canadian Football: Canada's big game goes beyond super
....The Toronto Argonauts host the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday in the 100th Grey Cup, a football game that in Canada is almost as significant as all the wars the country has fought in.
Thought for Today "Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do." ..Pope John XXIII (1881-1963), Roman Catholic pontiff and one of the most popular Popes of all times (1958-63)
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 25, 2012 19:18:56 GMT -5
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH - Timed out again!!
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 26, 2012 23:02:33 GMT -5
Shopping Reminder Day
Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 330th day of 2012 with 35 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 6:56 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 36ºF [Feels like 31ºF], winds WSW @ 6 mph, humidity 62%, pressure 30.16 in and falling, dew point 24ºF, chance of precipitation 30%.
Today in History: 1789--a day of thanksgiving was set aside by Pres. Washington to observe the adoption of the US Constitution. 1825--the first college social fraternity, Kappa Alpha, was formed at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. 1832--public streetcar service began in New York City. 1862--the Alice in Wonderland manuscript was sent as a Christmas present by Oxford mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson to 10-year-old Alice Liddell. 1863--Gen. George Meade and the Army of the Potomac began the Mine Run valley campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee after months of inaction following the battle of Gettysburg. 1872--the Great Diamond Hoax, one of the most notorious mining swindles of the time, was exposed with an article in the San Francisco Evening Bulletin. 1898--a powerful early winter storm batters the New England coast, killing at least 450 people in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 1916--T.E. Lawrence, a junior member of the British government's Arab Bureau, publishes a report analyzing the revolt led by the Arab leader Sherif Hussein against the Ottoman Empire. 1922--British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon became the first to enter King Tutankhamen's tomb in more than 3,000 years. 1931--the first U.S. "cloverleaf" interchange in the US appeared on the cover of the Engineering News-Record. 1933--vigilantes in California lynch Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes, suspects in the kidnapping and murder of the 22-year-old son of a local storeowner. 1940--the half million Jews of Warsaw, Poland, were forced by the Nazis to live within a walled ghetto. 1941--Pres. Roosevelt signed a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. 1941--Adm. Chuichi Nagumo led the Japanese First Air Fleet toward Pearl Harbor, with the understanding that should "negotiations with the US reach a successful conclusion, the task force will immediately put about and return to the homeland." 1942--Pres. Roosevelt ordered nationwide gasoline rationing, beginning December 1 1942--the movie Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered in New York. 1949--India adopted a constitution as a republic within the British Commonwealth. 1950--the Chinese counterattacks in Korea changed the nature of war, putting an end to any thoughts for a quick or conclusive US victory. 1973--Pres. Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, told a federal court that she'd accidentally caused part of the 18 1/2-minute gap in a key Watergate tape. 1975--a federal jury found Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, guilty of trying to assassinate Pres. Ford. 1992--Queen Elizabeth II volunteered to start paying taxes on her personal income, and take her children off the public payroll. 2000--Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified Republican George W. Bush the winner over Democrat Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by 537 votes. 2008--terrorists launched commando-style attacks on two luxury hotels, a Jewish center and a crowded train station in Mumbai, India, killing 166 people. 2009--an investigation ordered by Ireland's government found that Roman Catholic Church leaders in Dublin had spent decades sheltering child-abusing priests from the law and that most fellow clerics turned a blind eye. 2010--Somali-born Mohamed Osman Mohamud was arrested by federal agents, accused of planning to detonate a van of explosives during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
World News Capsules: 1. US shaping scope of force in Afghanistan after 2014 ....Military planners are drawing up broad outlines of a force that would remain in Afghanistan after 2014, including a small counterterrorism unit with an eye toward Al Qaeda, senior officials said. a. For private security guards in Kabul, hazardous duty ....The private security guards in Kabul serve as the first line of defense against bombings and bullets meant for Westerners and high-profile Afghan government officials. 2. Fatal fire in Bangladesh highlights the dangers facing garment workers ....At least 111 bodies were recovered from a garment factory fire, and scores of injured were taken to hospitals with burns and smoke inhalation injuries. a. Garment workers stage angry protest after fire ....1000s of workers demanded justice after at least 112 people died over the weekend in a blaze at a factory in Bangladesh. 3. Oil royalties bill ignites protest and divides parts of Brazil ....The legislation, aimed at shifting big portions of royalties from petroleum-rich states along Brazil’s coast, would deal a blow to Rio de Janeiro, the host of the 2014 World Cup. 4. China's leadership change puts pair ahead of their peers for 2017 ....A new generation of Communist Party leaders has barely taken over in China and maneuvering has begun to position their putative successors, known as the sixth generation, to key posts. 5. Congo slips into chaos again as rebels gain ....In the past week the rebels have been unstoppable, seizing a provincial capital and eviscerating a chaotic Congolese Army. a. Deep wounds of past produce new violence in Cong
....Despite money spent on peacekeepers, recent legislation and diplomatic capital, the country has descended into chaos in recent weeks. 6, Pressure grows on Egyptian leader after judicial decree ....Pres. Mohamed Morsi defended his decree, but his justice minister urged a retreat following a plunge in the country's stock market and the threat of more street protests. a. Semming retreat by Egypt leader on new powers
....Pres. Morsi appeared to backtrack from a sweeping decree that raised his edicts above any judicial review. It was not clear whether the opposition would accept his position. b. Talks begin in Cairo on steps after Gaza cease-fire ....Egyptian and Israeli officials began talks in Cairo on the cease-fire understandings with Hamas, but the process remained opaque. 7. Beer lovers fear an unequal tax bite in wine country
.....The French government’s plan to increase the beer tax by 160% has upset brewers, beer drinkers and bar owners, who ask why the proposal does not affect winemakers. a. French center-right party declaires Sarkozy protégé as leader ....Jean-François Copé, a right-leaning protégé of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, was confirmed as the party’s new chief, staring down a last-minute legal challenge from his centrist rival, François Fillon. 8. German inferno kills 14 at site employing disabled ....The police were not able to immediately confirm a report by the local news media that an explosion in a storeroom on the top floor of the facility in Titisee-Neustadt had caused the fire. 9. Greek prosecutors to review video of threat by extremist ....A video showed the spokesman of the right-wing party Golden Dawn threatening the lives of anti-fascist protesters. a. European finance minister and IMF reach agreement on Greek bailout terms ....The agreement means euro zone ministers have unlocked loan installments for Greece that total $56.7 billion. 10. Israeli defense minister says he is leaving politics
....Ehud Barak, a former prime minister, announced that he would soon “leave political life,” furthering the disarray in Israel’s center-left bloc just weeks before elections there. 11. Italy's center-left heads for a runoff i leadership ....Nationwide primaries to choose the leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party in elections next spring have ended without a clear winner, setting the stage for a run-off. 12. Cautiously, Japan raises military profile as China rises ....Japan’s quiet resolve to edge past its longstanding reluctance and become more of a regional player comes as the US and China are staking their own claims to power in Asia. a. Hopes of home fade among Japan's displaced ....With the slow pace of cleanup efforts, residents of Okuma, a town evacuated in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, have become pessimistic about ever living there again. 13. Toxic cough syrup kills 16 Pakistanis ....The dead were between 20 and 45 years old, and a homicide investigation was opened involving the factory that made the syrup. a. Journalist in Pakistan eludes bomb ....A bomb was found under the car of Hamid Mir, who hosts one of Pakistan’s most-watched political talk shows. 14. Crowding and austerity strain Portugal's prisons ....Government spending cuts and rising crime rates in Portugal have added dangerous new burdens to a system that guards and prisoners alike warn is already stretched beyond its limits. 15. In Spain, Catalonia goes own way from its leader ....The decision to call a vote two years ahead of schedule backfired for Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia, who was apparently punished by voters for trying to shift the debate away from his unpopular austerity measures. 16. Rebels claim they seized air bases abd a dan in Syria ....Fresh from declaring they seized an airport and an air defense base, Syrian rebels on Monday said they overran a hydroelectric dam in the country’s north, adding to a string of tactical successes. 17. Venezuelan judge who angered Chavez syas she was raped while in prison ....In a new book, Judge María Lourdes Afiuni gives her first public account of an allegation from 2010. The government said she was making it up for political purposes.
US News Capsules: 1. Spreading the world about shared music, in a sticky fashion
....HoMedics, a marketer of health and wellness products, is introducing its HMDX wireless speakers with an ad shot in Brooklyn that features a food fight of sorts. 2. Courts divided over searches of celllphones ....Judges and lawmakers across the country are wrangling over whether and when law enforcement authorities can search suspects' cellphones without a warrant, and interpretations range widely. 3. After dozens of deaths, inquiry into bed rails ....A woman whose mother died after getting her neck caught in rails on her bed catches the attention of the Consumer Product Safety Commission with a letter. 4. With ban on drilling practice, town lands in thick of dispute
....Longmont's ban on hydraulic fracturing has inspired other cities to push for similar prohibitions. But it has also set the city head-to-head with oil companies and the state of Colorado. 5. Oprah at a crossroads ....Trying to bolster her media empire, Oprah Winfrey has been seeking to attract younger audiences to her magazine, which has experienced a decline in advertising revenue since her talk show ended. 6. ART: What's in the running for an Oscar this year?
....Pundits have “Argo,” “Lincoln,” “Les Misérables” and “Silver Linings Playbook” as early favorites. a. When Pop Art's wink turned moody
...."Sinister Pop," an exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York, draws links between the consumerism of early 1960s Pop Art and the counterculture sentiment in Pop that soon followed. 7. At 'Sesame Street,' a void in a close-knit troupe ....Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo, was a leader on the PBS show, and his resignation because of sex accusations (proved false) affected more than the Muppet he brought to life for more than two decades. 8. Fierce debt puts pensions at risk in Puerto Rico
(Officials are selling the main San Juan airport and other public assets to raise cash and pay down debt) ....Officials try to raise money by selling assets and restructuring bonds. They have even been pitching Puerto Rico as a tax haven for hedge funds. 9. A vacant lot offers refugees a taste of home
....A plan to revitalize a 15-acre vacant lot in the heart of Phoenix has offered refugees a place to grow their own produce. 10. After drought, reducing water flow could hurt Mississippi river transport ....An annual process meant to maintain irrigation systems may affect the shipment of $7 billion in agricultural and other projects. 11. Astronaut selected for longest US voyage
....Capt. Scott Kelly will embark on a one-year mission with cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko to explore the effects of living in space. Kelly is Gabrielle Giffords' brother-in-law. 12. Justices consider definitionof supervisor in job discrimination case
...The Supreme Court also cleared the way for further challenges to aspects of the health care law and rejected an appeal concerning the insanity defense. POLITICS: 1. Foreign policy's bipartisan trio becomes Republican duo ....With the retirement of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman in January, John McCain and Lindsey Graham will lose the veneer of bipartisanship that helped their policy goals. 2. GOP resistance to anti-tax pledge weakening
....More and more, conservative Republicans in Congress are breaking from a pledge they signed years earlier against any kind of tax increase or additional tax revenue..
Sports Headlines: 1. NFL: In division races, parity takes a holiday, for now
....With five games to go in the regular season, no division is tied and the leaders of five of the eight divisions have at least a three-game cushion3 a. Manning and the Broncos roll 17-9 to sixth straight win ....Peyton Manning threw for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Chiefs, giving him his 149th victory as a starting quarterback, the second most in NFL history. b. A superfan's final cry: Q-U-I-T, Quit! Quit! Quit! ....The Jets superfan known as Fireman Ed announced Sunday that he was hanging up his helmet, but the team is expected to finish out the season anyway. c. Giants bask in return of their offense, and the rescue of a falling fan
....The Giants reflected on their resurgent passing game and powerful ground attack against the Packers, but it was Martellus Bennett who capped the night by catching a falling fan from the stands. Giants Coach Tom Coughlin’s attention to detail and his consistency tend to make Jets Coach Rex Ryan’s words and actions all the more curious and sloppy. 2. NBA: A nascent rivalry for the fans, too
....A new intracity battle is under way as New York’s Nets and Knicks face off. a. Knicks sideline Kidd with injury after saying little ....About 30 minutes before tip-off, the Nets, not the Knicks, explained that Jason Kidd would not play because of back spasms. The Knicks’ reluctance to share lineup changes before games is not uncommon. 3. NHL: Federal mediators will oversee negotiations on lockout
....Seeking to break a stalemate in their labor talks on the 72nd day of a lockout, the NHL and the players’ association agreed to accept mediation. 4. NCAAF: Figing season claims Auburn's Chizik, two years from championship ....The parade of discarded college football coaches includes Gene Chizik of Auburn, Colorado’s Jon Embree, North Carolina State’s Tom O’Brien, Boston College’s Frank Spaziani and Danny Hope of Purdue.
[ Thought for Today "So, let us not be blind to our differences - but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved." ..John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th President of the US.
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 26, 2012 23:05:23 GMT -5
Timed out again!! And again!!!
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 27, 2012 22:39:06 GMT -5
Electric Guitar DayGood evening from Tuxy and me This is the 331st day of 2012 with 34 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 6:17 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 35ºF [Feels like 29ºF], winds NNW @ 7 mph, humidity 54%, pressure 30.23 in and steady, dew point 20ºF, chance of precipitation 20%. Today in History: 1095--Pope Urban II initiated the 1st Crusade, calling all Christians to war against Muslims in order to reclaim the Holy Land, with a cry of "Deus vult!" or "God wills it!'. 1703- -an unusual storm system with hurricane strength winds finally dissipated over England, killing over 10,000 people. 100s of Royal Navy ships were lost to the storm, the worst in Britain's history. 1746--foudning father, landowner, politician and merchant Robert "The Chancellor" Livingstone was born on the family seat, Clermont, on the Hudson River in upstate New York; died 1813 at age 66. 1786--Robert Burns decided not to emigrate to Jamaica as he had planned, and headed for Edinburgh instead. 1863--Confederate cavalry raider John Hunt Morgan escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary and fled to the South. 1874--Chaim Weizmann, Zionist pioneer and 1st president of Israel, was born; died 1952 at age 77. 1868--Lit Col. George Armstrong Custer led a massacre of a band of peaceful Cheyenne living with Chief Black Kettle on Washita River. 1901--the Army War College was established in Washington, D.C. 1910--New York City's Pennsylvania Station opened. 1914--German commander Paul von Hindenburg celebrated his army's successful campaign against Russian forces in the Polish city of Warsaw. 1924- -the 1st Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade was held in New York City. 1934- -Baby Face Nelson, a US bank robber, died in a shootout with the FBI. 1940--Gen. Ion Antonescu's Iron Guard executed more than 60 aides of the exiled Romanian king, including Nicolae Iorga, a former minister and acclaimed historian. 1942 The French navy at Toulon scuttled its ships and submarines to keep them out of the hands of the Nazis. 1953--playwright and Nobel laureate Eugene O'Neill died at age 65. 1954- -Alger Hiss released from prison after 44 months, still procliaiming his innocence from sping for the Soviet Union. 1957--Caroline Kennedy, daughter of Pres. Kennedy, turns 55. 1957--Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru mafr an impassioned speech for nuclear disarmament in New Delhi. 1965--Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings scored his 600th goal against the Montreal Canadiens, the first player to reach that total. 1965--the Pentagon calls for troop increase from 120,000 to 400,000 men in Vietnam. 1970--Pope Paul VI, visiting the Philippines, was slightly wounded at the Manila airport by a dagger-wielding Bolivian painter disguised as a priest. 1973--the Senate voted 92-3 to confirm Gerald R. Ford as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who’d resigned. 1975--Ross McWhirter, Guinness Book of Records co-founder and editor, was shot dead outside his North London home by the IRA. 1978- -Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were murdred by former Board of Supervisors member Dan White at City Hall in San Francisco, Calif. 1985--the British House of Commons approved the Anglo-Irish accord, giving Dublin a consultative role in the governing of British-ruled Northern Ireland. 2002--UN specialists began a new round of weapons inspections in Iraq. 2005- -the first partial face transplant took place in Amiens, France on then 38 year-old Isabelle Dinoire after her Labrador dog, Tania, accidentally mauled her 2007--Indy 500 champ Hélio Castroneves won TV's Dancing with the Stars2008--Iraq's parliament approved a pact requiring all US troops to be out of the country by Jan. 1, 2012. 2009--golfer Tiger Woods crashed his SUV outside his Florida mansion, sparking widespread attention to reports of marital infidelity. World News Capsules: 1. Audit says Kabul Bank began as 'Ponzi scheme'....The report asserts that Afghanistan's largest financial institution existed primarily to allow a narrow clique tied to Pres. Karzai's government to siphon riches from depositors. 2. Something missing in Chinese newspaper's entirely accurate summary of Onion report....The Chinese Communist Party's newspaper reported, accurately, that The Onion has named North Korea's Leader the Sexiest Man Alive. The word satire was notably absent from the report. 3. Rebel leaders in Congo sending mixed signals on pullout from Goma....The list of conditions, like releasing political prisoners and investigating the murders of opposition supporters, was long and unrealistic and meant that an immediate pullout seemed unlikely. 4. Egyptian president's hedging on decree fails to stop protest
....Swarming Cairo's Tahrir Square and waving flgas, 1000s protested the Egyptian president’s attempt to assert broad new powers, despite his apparent backtracking the night before. a. Talks begin in Cairo on steps after Gaza cease-fire....Egyptian and Israeli officials began negotiations, but the process remained opaque. 5. France says it will vote in favor of Palestinians' UN bid....The support from France is the most significant boost to date for the Palestinians’ hopes to be granted nonmember observer status, which comes with greater international recognition. 6. Ex-Foreign Minister heads party to oppose Netanyahu....Tzipi Livni, Israel’s centrist former foreign minister, returned to politics after a six-month hiatus, heading a new party. 7. Italian government faces test as steel plant says ruling would force it to close....Thousands of workers stormed the Ilva plant, in the southern city of Taranto, after the company halted production and said that a court ruling warned of serious environmental problems. 8. Mexico shifts focus from drug war to economy....In a meeting with Pres. Obama, Enrique Peña Nieto, the Mexican president-elect, plans to highlight a more prosperous Mexico where high-skilled jobs are plentiful. a. Third attempt kills former Mexican mayor....Investigators are not ruling out any possible motives in the killing of Maria Santos Gorrostieta, said the Mexican state's deputy attorney general. 9. North Korea may be planning rocket test, satellite operator says....North Korea has stepped up what could be preparations to launch a new rocket from its Sohae Space Launch Station in defiance of a UN ban. 10. Arafat's body is exhumed for poison tests....The remains of Yasir Arafat were exhumed as part of an investigation into whether the Palestinian leader was poisoned eight years ago. 11. Russian martial arts fighter convicted in killing....Rasul Mirzayev was convicted of killing Ivan Agafonov, a 19-year-old Russian student, outside a trendy nightclub in the capital in August 2011. 12. Civilians killed in Syrian strike on olive press, rebels say....Syrian rebels accused the authorities of launching an airstrike outside the northern city of Idlib on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people as they waited to have their olives turned into oil. 13. Tibetan protesters injured in crackdown; self-immolations continue....At least five Tibetans have set fire to themselves in recent days, and at least 20 Tibetan students were injured after security forces cracked down on a large protest in western China. US News Capsules: 1. Learning to accept, and master, a $110,000 mechanical arm....War veterans who have lost their upper limbs have found that replicating their complex actions with robotic arms can be excruciatingly difficult. a. Servicewomen file suit over direct combat ban....Four military servicewomen, who all served tours in Afghanistan or Iraq, filed a federal lawsuit seeking to end the Pentagon’s ban on women serving in direct combat jobs. 2. Educator aided others at cheating, US charges....Prosecutors are investigating an educator who they say ran a test cheating ring in three Southern states for individuals who wanted to pass standardized teacher certification exams. 3. A struggling CNN Worldwide is said to be drawn to Jeffrey Zucker....If he is named, Jeffrey Zucker, the former chief executive of NBCUniversal, is likely to face an identity crisis at a channel with many competing visions. 4. California finds economic gloom starting to lift....After nearly five years of brutal economic decline, government retrenchment and a widespread loss of confidence in its future, California is showing the first signs of a rebound. 5. SCIENCE: Thinking clearly about personality disorders....A new proposal to clarify diagnoses of recognized personality disorders and better integrate them into clinical practice, to extend and improve treatment, is meeting resistance. a. Between rock of ages and a hard place....By allowing that evolution is a theory, scientists would hand fundamentalists the fig leaf they need to insist, at least among themselves, that the Bible is the literal, not metaphorical, truth. b. Undisclosed finding by Mars Rover fuels intrigue....A hint of exciting data soon to be announced has set off a flurry of speculation, testament to the enduring fascination that Mars exerts. c. Looking to cities, in search of global warming's silver lining....Cities, whose conditions can mimic what life may be like in the temperate zone of a heated planet, offer insight into how rising levels of heat and emissions could provide some benefits. 6. Gay 'conversion therapy' faces test in courts....The method, which claims to help men overcome unwanted same-sex attractions, is the focus of two lawsuits in New Jersey and California. 7. Post-Sandy: Power out, but bills are same....The Long Island Power Authority is assuring outraged customers that their latest electric bills with normal monthly charges are no mistake, despite some being in the dark for days or weeks after Superstorm Sandy. POLITICS: 1. Efforts to curb social spending face resistance....Republicans insist that changes to major entitlement programs be on the table in deficit talks, but Democrats have given no indication that they are willing to consider the policy changes. 2. GOP senators not satisfied as Rice concedes error on Libya....The ambassador to the UN, Susan E. Rice, said that she incorrectly described the attack on the American mission in Libya but said she based her statement on the available intelligence. 3. For Latino groups, grass-roots efforts paid off in higher number of voters....The high turnout for Pres. Obama among Latinos was partly due to a civic campaign generated by Hispanic tTV and grass-roots groups that urged viewers to register and vote. 4. Fiscal cliff debate shifts to campaign-style tactkcs....It helped get him re-elected, so Pres. Obama is again employing campaign-style tactics to increase pressure on congressional Republicans to compromise to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Sports Headlines: 1. Marvin Miller, union leader who changed baseball, dies at age 95....By building the Major League Baseball Players Association into a force that revolutionized the game, Mr. Miller became one of the most influential figures in the sport’s history. Fay Vincent, a former baseball commissioner, described Marvin Miller as a brilliant leader who improved collective bargaining agreements and fought for free agency for players. a. Grudges had likely role in Hall's snubs of Miller....Marvin Miller, the former union leader, recognized that as long as baseball executives were judging him, the odds of his election in Cooperstown were slim. 2. MLB: Hall of Fame voters confront the steroid era and its questions....The 2012 Hall of Fame ballot includes a collection of some of the most prominent performers in recent baseball history. A decade ago, all would have been locks for Cooperstown. Not now. 3. NBA: More than a murmur, not yet a roar....When Brooklyn fans can be heard at a Knicks-Nets game at Madison Square Garden, then we will know their team has arrived citywide. Thought for Today"When truth is divided, errors multiply." -- \[/i]Eli Siegel (1902-1978) poet and critic
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 27, 2012 22:43:07 GMT -5
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 29, 2012 21:44:28 GMT -5
National Model Railroad Month Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the day333rd of 2012 with 32 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 6:18 p.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 42ºF [Feels like 35ºF], winds WSW @ 14 mph, humidity 41%, pressure 30.18 in and rising, dew point 20ºF, chance of precipitation 30%.
Today in History: 1781--The Zong Slave Ship Massacre was the mass-killing of African slaves because the ship had taken on more slaves than it could safely transport. 1890--the US Navy won the first Army-Navy football game 24-0 at West Point, N.Y. 1922--Howard Carter opened the tomb of Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamun to the public 1924--Italian composer Giacomo Puccini died in Brussels. 1927--Vince Scully, Los Angeles Dodger sportscaster, turns 85. 1929--US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard Byrd and three crewmen became the first people to fly over the South Pole. 1944--Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas performed the 1st successful operation to correct Blue Baby Syndrome, a congenital heart malformation. 1947--the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the partitioning of Palestine between Arabs and Jews. 1952--Pres.-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower kept his campaign promise to visit Korea to assess the conflict. 1961--Enos the chimp was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft, which orbited Earth twice before returning. 1963--Trans-Canada Airlines Flight 831 crashed several minutes after takeoff in poor weather killing all 118 people on board. 1963--Pres. Johnson named a commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of Pres. Kennedy. 1972--Pong (first generation video game) was released by Nolan Bushnell in Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, Calif. 1986--movie icon Cary Grant died of a stroke at the age of 82. 1988--Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev told a landmark Supreme Soviet session that the country's system of government needed radical change. 1989--in response to a growing pro-democracy movement in Czechoslovakia, the Communist-run parliament ended the party's 40-year monopoly on power. 1990--the UN Security Council voted 12-2 to authorize military action if Iraq did not withdraw its troops from Kuwait and release all foreign hostages by Jan. 15, 1991. 1991--a dust storm in Coalinga, Calif., triggered a massive pileup by more than 250 vehicles on Interstate 5, killing 15 people and injuring more than 100. 1992--Blacks killed four whites and wounded 17 more in an unusual attack at a South African golf club. 1996--a UN court sentenced Bosnian Serb army soldier Drazen Erdemovic to 10 years in prison for his role in the massacre of 1,200 Muslims - the first international war crimes sentence since World War II. 1999--Protestant and Catholic adversaries formed a Northern Ireland government. 2001--George Harrison, 58, lead guitarist and spiritual anchor of the Beatles, died of cancer. 2003--Iraqi insurgents killed seven members of Spain's National Intelligence Center and two Japanese diplomats in a series of attacks apparently aimed at non-American foreigners. 2003--plans by the European Union's "big three" -- Britain, France and Germany -- to give the EU a military planning arm, independent of NATO, won backing from the rest of the bloc. 2005--Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals reported 1,086 bodies were recovered in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 2005--a Vatican policy paper said men who recognize homosexuality as a "transitory problem" can be allowed to pursue ordination to become Roman Catholic priests.
World News Capsules: 1, Egypt rushes to vote on new constitution ....Analysts say the document is hastily drafted and ill-defined, but members of the constitutional assembly acted after facing a looming court ruling and an escalating political crisis. 2. Condemning British Press, report urges a new regulator
....An inquiry triggered by the phone hacking scandal found “significant and reckless disregard for accuracy” by the press and said a regulator should be underpinned by law. 3. Bombings in Iraq kill at least 48 ....Attacks across the country left 32 dead in Hilla and killed 16 more in Karbala, Falluja, Mosul and Baghdad. 4. US and Israel look to limit impact of UN vote on Palestinian Authority ....Anticipating approval of the resolution, Western diplomats have pushed for a Palestinian commitment not to seek membership in the International Criminal Court. a. Israel seizes 2 Gaza boats near new offshore limits ....Despite an Israeli concession to permit fishing up to six nautical miles from shore, forces detained a Palestinian fisherman as his crew tried to venture farther into the Mediterranean Sea. 5. Myanmar uses fire bombs to break up mine protest ....The action was the largest crackdown on protesters since the civilian government of President Thein Sein came to power 20 months ago, and analysts say it could hurt the popularity of the president. 6. Top North Korean defense official replaced, South Korea says ....Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, has replaced his defense minister with a hard-line general as part of his attempt to fill the army leadership with a new generation of officers loyal to him, officials said. 7. Prominent Taliban commander said to have been wounded in Pakistan bombing ....Maulvi Nazir was wounded in a suicide attack that killed six other people on Thursday, Pakistani officials said. 8. UN Assembly, in blow to US, elevates status of Palestine
....More than 130 countries voted to recognize Palestine as a nonmember observer state, a stinging defeat for Israel and the US and a boost for Pres/ Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. a. After vote, Palestinians and Israel search for the next step ....Even after Palestine gained recognition as a nonmember state at the United Nations, the two countries seemed stuck in the same stalemate. b. Hamas chief revives talk of reuniting with PLO ....The move could help heal the political split between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the party that controls the PLO and the West Bank. 9. Demographpic shifts redefine what it means to be Korean
(Assemblywoman Jasmine Lee of South Korea attended a joint wedding for 20 multicultural couples in Seoul.) ....An influx of migrants has South Korea, where textbooks once urged pride in being of “one-blood” and “ethnically homogeneous,” facing the prospect of becoming a multiethnic society. 10. [uj]US weighs bolder effort to intervene in Syria's conflict[/u] ....The Obama administration, hoping that the war in Syria has reached a turning point, is considering more aggressive action there, including providing arms to some opposition fighters. The shift is the most immediate decision facing the Obama administration as it weighs how to end the government of Bashar al-Assad and stop the violence consuming Syria. a. In Syria, Internet and main airport shut down....Internet access disappeared across the country on Thursday, and the largest commercial airport in the capital was shut because of fighting nearby, government opponents said. US News Capsules: 1. In Colorado, no playbook for new marijuana law....In the uncertain weeks following the state’s vote to legalize small amounts of marijuana, how authorities handle minor drug cases depends less on the law than on location. 2. Costliest jet, years in making, sees the enemy budget cuts
....The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, still plagued by technological troubles, will ultimately cost taxpayers $396 billion if the Pentagon sticks to its plan. 3. Medicare is faulted on shift to electronic records....A sharply critical report says the agency has not put in place safeguards against fraud and abuse in encouraging the switch to electronic medical records. 4. MOVIES: Pitt slays them, though not so softly....Brad Pitt talks about his new film, his Chanel ad and his prospects for marriage at the premiere for his latest film, Killing Them Softly. 5. Evolving toward ecstasy....“Matisse: In Search of True Painting,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of the most thrillingly instructive exhibitions about this painter, or painting in general, that you may ever see. 6. Investor is bullish on clean technology. ....Seen as somewhat of a visionary, Vinod Khosla, a billionaire investor, has been pouring money into clean energy start-ups even after taking a hit on investments in biofuel companies. 7. SANDY: Post-storm cost may force many from coast life....Insurance premiums will increase as standards for rebuilding become stricter and costlier, posing a serious threat to low- and middle-income enclaves. 8. Fight over ferry on Lake Michigan prompts questions on definition of earmrks....Language in a Coast Guard reauthorization bill would protect the S.S. Badger, which operates on Lake Michigan. But does that consideration constitute an earmark? 9. On closest planet to the sun, NASA finds lots of ice....New findings from the [/i]Messenger spacecraft indicate that the planet’s poles are home to large quantities of frozen water. 10. Another shooting may test Florida law ....After a dispute in Jacksonville turns fatal, Florida’s law about the use of deadly force in self-defense is likely to face renewed scrutiny. POLITICS: 1. Big issues are lost in focus on Libya talking points ....The parsing of four sentences, rather than important questions about the Benghazi killings, could decide the fate of a leading candidate for secretary of state, Susan E. Rice. 2. Resistance on method for curbing filibuster ....Sen. Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) knew he would anger Republicans when he threatened to change the rules of the Senate to make it harder for the minority to gum up legislation. 3. Obama tilts tax debate away from spending cuts ....Pres. Obama said that he hoped to resolve a fiscal impasse before Christmas, but lawmakers should not wait to preserve current rates for income under $250,000.
Sports Headlines: 1. NCAAF: Georgia defense follows Saban cue ....Alabama Coach Nick Saban and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, a former Saban assistnat, each use the same maxim when explaining their vision of football: “Big people beat up little people.”. a. Firing a coach, at a price, with little evidence the move pays off ....University administrators appear willing to pay coaches of struggling college football teams huge sums of money to go away and make room for new hires. 2. NBA: Rondo suspended 2 games: Garnett and Wallace are fined
....The Celtics guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for starting a shoving match with the Nets’ Kris Humphries that escalated into a melee with other players, including Kevin Garnett and Gerald Wallace. a. 35-year-old rookie gives Felton a break and the Knicks a boost. ....Pablo Prigioni, the oldest rookie in the N.B.A. at age 35, came off the bench to score 11 points, which tied his season-high and handed out 7 assists, as the Knicks beat the Bucks. 3. Mediators walk out as NHL and union stay far apart ....The lack of progress between the league and the players union caused federal mediators to exit negotiations and forced leaders to search for new strategies.
Today's Headlines of Interest:
Electrician facing foreclosure collects $1 million Powerball prize
Larry Chandler, 34, of Highland, Ind. was one of the first people through the door at the Indianapolis lottery headquarters Thursday morning after discovering he was one of the big winners in the $587.5 million drawing. Chandler says he played his own numbers and matched every one except the Powerball. His girlfriend's daughter said that he had been living with them because his own home was in foreclosure. His immediate plans for the money include helping out his mom, starting a college fund for his daughter and taking his girlfriend to Red Lobster . A second million-dollar ticket was purchased in Vincennes, Ind., but it has yet to be claimed, and two other million-dollar tickets were purchased in Central Illinois. Two tickets, purchased in Arizona and Missouri, matched all six numbers and the winners will split the more than half a billion-dollar jackpot. Congrats to all five winners. Now the first thing to do is get a tax adviser and a financial planner.
Thought for Today "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties. " --Sir Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St. Alban (1561-1626) English statesman, philosopher, scientist & author
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Post by Flying Horse on Nov 30, 2012 21:42:56 GMT -5
Vegan Month Good evening from Tuxy and me This is the 334th day of 2012 with 31 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 7:36 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 26ºF [Feels like 23ºF], winds NE @ 5 mph, humidity 85%, pressure 30.35 in and rising, dew point 23ºF, chance of precipitation 50%.
Today in History: 1667--Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish author and satirist (Gulliver's Travels) , was born; died 1745 at age 77. 1718--Charles XII, King of Sweden was killed by a shot in the head during the battle of Fredriksten. 1731--a series of earthquakes struck China. More than 100,000 people died. 1782--the United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. 1804--Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase went on trial, accused of political bias. (He was acquitted by the Senate.) 1835--author Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Mo.; died 1910 at age 74. 1864--the once proud Confederate Army of Tennessee suffered a devastating defeat after its commander, Gen. John Bell Hood, ordered a frontal assault on strong Union positions around Franklin, Tenn. 1874--Sir Winston Churchill, the British statesman, orator and author who served as prime minister during World War II, was born.; died 1965 at age 90. 1886--the Folies Bergère in Paris introduced an elaborate revue featuring women in sensational costumes and dancing the can can. 1900--Oscar Wilde , Irish playwright, poet and author, died of cerebral meningitis in France . 1917--Richard Von Kuhlmann, the German foreign minister, deliver a speech applauding the recent rise to power in Russia of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and his radical socialist Bolshevik Party. 1930--G. Gordon Liddy, lleader of the Watergate burglars and ultra-conservative radio talk show host, turns 82. 1934--the Flying Scotsman becomes the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at 100 mph. 1939--the Russo-Finnish War began when the USSR attacked Finland and the Red Army crossed the border with 465,000 men and 1,000 aircraft. 1950--Pres. Truman refuses to rule out the use of atomic weapons to achieve peace in Korea. 1962--U Thant of Burma was elected secretary-general of the UN, succeeding the late Dag Hammarskjold. 1965--Ralph Nadar's groundbreaking expose Unsafe at Any Speed hit bookstores. 1965--Defense secretary Robert McNamara warned Pres. Johnson that the Communists were gaining strength in South Vietnam. 1966--the former British colony of Barbados became independent. 1967--Minnesota's Sen. Eugene McCarthy, an opponent of the Vietnam Conflict, announced his intention to enter the Democratic presidential primarys. 1967--the Republic of South Yemen gained independence from the United Kingdom. 1975--Israel pulled its forces out of a 93-mile-long corridor along the Gulf of Suez as part of an interim peace agreement with Egypt. 1979--the album The Wall by Pink Floyd was released. 1981--the UStes and USSR opened talks to reduce intermediate-range nuclear forces. 1982--Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, was released by Epic Records. 1989--Aileen Wuornos, "America's First Female Serial Killer," killed her first of seven victims, Richard Mallory, a storeowner in Palm Harbor, Fla. 1993-- Pres. Clinton signed the Brady handgun-control bill into law., requiring a prospective handgun buyer to wait five business days while the authorities check on his or her background. 1993--authorities in California arrested Richard Allen Davis, who confessed to abducting and killing 12 year-old Polly Klaas of Petaluma. 1994-/img]-the Achille Lauro cruise ship with a checkered history that included deaths and terrorism caught fire and sank in the seas near Somalia. 1995--Pres. Clinton became the first US chief executive to visit Northern Ireland. 1999--the opening of a 135-nation trade gathering in Seattle was disrupted by at least 40,000 demonstrators, some of whom clashed with police. 2004--software engineer from Salt Lake City and Jeopardy contestant Ken Jennings's record winning streak of 74 straight games and $2.5 million ended. 2010--Pentagon leaders called for scrapping the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" ban after releasing a survey about the prospect of openly gay troops.
World News Capsules: 1. Brazil registers nemic growth, surprising economists ....Gross domestic product rose only 0.6% in the 3rd quarter in Brazil, recently viewed as the rising star among Latin America’s economies. 2. Chinese delegation said to meet with North Korean leader ....The meeting, reported by North Korean state media, came amid signs that Pyongyang is stepping up its nuclear and long-range missile programs. 3. Dire scene in Congolese city as rebels prepare to leave
....Human rights groups said that the rebels who captured Goma last week were now going on an assassination campaign as they prepared to leave, creating a vortex of crime and confusion. 4. Approval of draft constitution spurs large Cairo protest
....Angered by Pres. Morsi’s hurried effort to pass Egypt’s new constitution, protesters massed in Tahrir Square for the second time in a week. 5. German lawmakers back latest round of aid for Greece ....The lower house of Germany’s Parliament easily approved a deal struck by European finance ministers and international lenders. 6/ Giving new life to vultures to restore a human ritual of death ....The Parsi community of Mumbai, India is awaiting approval on a plan to grow the vulture population and thereby revive a centuries-old death ritual. 7. Israel pushing controversial settlemens after UN vote
....A move toward building housing in a contentious area, coming immediately after the Palestinians won observer state status in the UN, was widely seen as retaliatory. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has announced settlements at inopportune moments ever since Pres. Obama took office in 2009. a. Israel's antimissile system attracts potential buyers ....Iron Dome's most salient feature, according to American experts now examining after-action reports from Gaza, may well be its software. 8. Japan's space agency says rocket information ws stolen by computer virus ....The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that the virus in a computer at its Tsukuba Space Center northeast of Tokyo was found to be secretly collecting data and sending it outside the agency. 9. Ethnic hatred tears apart a region of Myanmar
....In western Myanmar, clashes have left at least 167 people dead and 100,000 people homeless, most of them Muslims. 10. Nepal's political leaders given more time to agree on government ....A spokesman for Pres. Ram Baran Yadav of Nepal said the political parties were committed to having a conclusion next week on how elections should be conducted. 11. UK withholds Rwanda aid over Congo rebels
....Britain halts aid to Rwanda over charges it is backing M23 rebels who are waging war with government forces in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. 12. South Korea's top prosecutor resigns amid scandals and infighting ....The resignation was quickly accepted by President Lee Myung-bak, who urged the nation’s prosecutors to undertake “self-reflection.” 13. Syrian refugees attacked by 'armed groups,' UN says
....The UN refugee agency said that armed groups are attacking Syrian civilians as they try to flee to Jordan to escape the conflict in their country. a. Syria rebels challenge Assad in skies
....inside Syria rebels are beginning to use the weapons they've seized to good effect -- and are beginning to challenge the government's dominance of the skies.
US News Capsules: 1. Solar industry borrows a page, and a party, from Tupperware
....Solar parties, like Tupperware parties, are being used by solar companies to sell their products to neighbors of homeowners who have installed the arrays. 2. Under one roof, building for extended families ....Multigenerational living, a throwback to the past, is a growing trend in the struggling economy, and major homebuilders are designing flexible layouts. 3. End of the line for an oyster farm ....Interior Secretary Ken Salazar ended a longstanding dispute that pitted wilderness advocates against supporters of a Northern California oyster farm on National Seashore land. 4. Sales at nation's retailers fell short of expectations in November ....Major chains including Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's and Target said their sales declined in November, which included the important Black Friday kickoff of the holiday shopping season. 5. Bursting with science, some of it unsettling
....The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, with 180,000 square feet of space and 11 exhibition halls, opens in Dallas. 6. Complaints aside, most face lower tax burden than in 1980 ....Most Americans in 2010 paid far less in total taxes - federal, state and local - than they would have paid 30 years ago. 7. Aid changes raise issue of diversity at colleges
....Wesleyan and other highly selective colleges are changing their financial aid formulas, raising concerns about how campus diversity — both economic and racial — might be affected. 8. US Supreme Court to look at a ene issue ....The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would decide whether human genes may be patented, setting out to tackle the legal question if isolated genes are “human-made inventions” or “products of nature.” 8. Lady Liberty is just fine; her island is battered ....Most of Liberty Island was underwater during the storm, but the water never reached the statue’s base. 9. Strike shuts down Los Angeles and Long Beach ports ....A strike dragged into its fourth day as 600 clerical workers walked off the job at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and colleagues from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union refused to cross picket lines. 10. Attack at Wyoming college roves fatal
....The police said it appears that a faculty member of Capser College, a Wyoming community college. was killed during class, that a female victim was killed off campus and that the attacker committed suicide. 11. Powerball winners claim half of record prize
...."I think we're going to have a pretty good Christmas," Cindy Hill joked Friday, just minutes after a Missouri lottery official announced that Hill and her family (husband Mark, 3 adult sons andan adopted 6-year-old daughter) had won half of the record $587.5 million Powerball jackpot. Trex Mart, where the winning ticket was bought, will received $50,000. 12. Train with toxic cargo crashes into creek
....A bridge collapsed in the West Deptford area of New Jersey Friday, sending several train cars carrying toxic chemicals crashing into a creek below, the US Coast Guard said.. POLITICS: 1. Chamber competes to be heard in the fiscal debate ....For the Chamber of Commerce, long the leading business voice in Washington, negotiations over the nation's debt will be a test of whether it can retain its influence. 2. House votes to ease restrictions on visas ....The House of Representatives voted Fto ease visa restrictions for a limited pool of foreign workers, previewing a fight over how far Congress should go in changing the country’s immigration laws. a. Pelosi backs limiting oversight of debt ceiling ...House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi endorsed a proposal by the Obama administration that would require Congress to cede most of its authority over the debt ceiling. 3. Senate votes to curb indefinite detention ....Senators voted to prohibit the government from imprisoning American citizens and green card holders apprehended in the US in indefinite detention without trial.
Sports Headlines: 1. Twenty-five years of schmoozing ....Steve Somers, who hosts a nightly call-in show on WFAN, is funny, even irreverent, about sports, and for many listeners that is part of the appeal. 2. NCAAF: After lowest point, Murray nears peak
....Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray rebounded from a crushing loss and news of his father’s cancer to lead the Bulldogs to the SEC title game against Alabama on Saturday. a. For-profit university's shift to Division I stokes debate ....Grand Canyon University, a for-profit institution in Phoenix, announced this week that it would join the Western Athletic Conference, becoming the first school of its kind to compete at the highest level of N.C.A.A. athletics. 3. NBA: Spurs coach puts his team first, much to commissioner's chagrin
....Though Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has rested his big three before, he is too smart not to have anticipated the league commissioner David Stern’s reaction this time as he fines the team $250,000. a. NY Knicks expect Kidd back next week ....Guard Jason Kidd has been out with back spasms but may play Wednesday night at Charlotte, or shortly thereafter. b. Among the pushes and shoves, a possible shift in power ....The Celtics have dominated the Atlantic Division for the last half decade, but with the Nets on the rise, that could be coming to an end. 4. NFL: 2 castoff running backs get new chance on NY Giants
....A broken figula in his leg sustained by the Giants’ Andre Brown has given Ryan Torain, formerly of the Redskins, and Kregg Lumpkin, an ex-Seahawk, the chance to revive their careers. 5. MLB: Wright signs 9-year deal with NY Mets
....The Mets had already exercised their $16 million option on David Wright, a six-time All-Star, for 2013. The new deal replaces that option year and will run through 2020. 5. NCAA Hockey: Want a real rivalry? Try Bowdoin-Colby ....Friday and Saturday mark the 199th and 200th meeting between Colby and Bowdoin in a rivalry that dates back 90 years. a. Study shows possible brain damage caused by subconcussive blows ....A hockey concussion study published Friday in the journal Neurosurgical Focus includes in its findings an intriguing element — possible radiological evidence of brain trauma caused by subconcussive blows. 6. A program that builds both team and family ....Wearing uniforms financed by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, seventh-grade boys from the Dunlevy Milbank Children’s Center played with pride in Pennsylvania.
Thought for Today "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." --Harry S Truman (1884-1972) 33rd US president
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