My Picks for 2006

Here are my predictions for things that will be way hot in 2006.

Electronics
IPod
I-Pods are so hot right now, but with the Nano and upcoming models, video programs can be downloaded and played on the I-Pod. We will be seeing more and more shows offering people to pay a small price to download television show episodes and music videos onto an I-Pod for on demand video. Shows like Lost and The Office are already slated to be released for I-Pod viewing.

TiVo and DVR
11.4 million television viewers already use some type of digital video recorder to record their favorite shows to watch whenever they want with the ability to skip through commercials, putting TV on their time. Neilson's recent announcement of adding DVRs to their survey groups will only help to fuel the DVR fire. Satellite television subscription services are beginning to add TiVo's as standard equipment. DVR's with DVD burners will become more affordable giving people the power to make a permanent copy of their favorite shows.

Fashion
I predict the look for '06 will be preppie with more upturned collars and argyle sweaters. Lacoste is making a big comeback. The tiny logo look will be hot!

Movies
The big hit for Summer '06 will be Superman Returns. Batman Begins was a huge hit for '05. Superhero movies are all the buzz. Other big movies will be X-Men 3 and Mission: Impossible 3.

Television
Everyone is anxiously awaiting the return of HBO's The Sopranos and the final season of The Chapelle Show. Also making a big hit in '06 will be Will and Grace. It's there final season! The live episode they opened with was fantastic and they will be doing it again in '06.

My Hometown is 'Mining for Land'

The towering mountains that frame this Appalachian town have been a hindrance to growth, forcing homes and businesses to crowd together side by side on precious little flat land.
That could change under a plan by Pikeville leaders who recruited a coal company to flatten two mountaintops to make room for the town of about 6,300 to expand.

Appalachian towns like Pikeville that have exhausted all useable land have no choice but to look to the mountaintops.

In mountaintop-removal coal mining, hilltops are blasted away to uncover coal seams, and the leftover rock and dirt are dumped into adjacent valleys, burying streams. Environmentalists say the process destroys wildlife habitat and contaminates water.

Pikeville wouldn't be the first Kentucky town to look to mined land for expansion. Cities throughout the mountain region have used the reclaimed properties for everything from industrial parks to airports.

In nearby Hazard, housing developments, car lots and even a hospital have sprouted up on such property. The Federal Bureau of Prisons built a high-security penitentiary on a former mountaintop removal site outside Inez. And Prestonsburg has a golf course on mined land.

Ordinarily, coal companies are required under federal law to restore mountains to the original contour. But an exception in the law allows mining companies to leave the land flat when that better serves post-mining purposes.

The deal would create about 800 acres of flat land suitable for various types of development. Mining has already begun on that project, which will net the airport as much as $4 million in royalties.

Undeveloped flat land is rare in many Appalachian towns. Less than 17% of Pikeville's land is flat and can be developed.

LOCAL - AWOL Machines Illegal

Governor Granholm has signed a law banning the possession, selling, and usage of alcohol vaporizing machines called Alcohol Without Liquor (AWOL) machines. These machines vaporize hard liquor so that it can be inhaled instead of ingested. Critics say the machine causes a more rapid and intense buzz because the alcohol moves throughout the lungs instead of the digestive system.

UPDATE - Oprah's Jet

The windshield of Oprah's jet was not damaged by a midflight bird collision. Investigators have determined that the damage was caused by wear and tear.

Oprah's Jet Makes Emergency Landing

Oprah Winfrey's private jet was forced to return to the Santa Barbara airport following a mid-air collision with a bird. Neither the talk show diva nor her boyfriend, Stedman Graham, were injured in the incident.

The impact cracked the jet's windshield. The GulfStream jet will be grounded until the windshield is repaired.

Naked 'Satan' Injures Deputy

A naked man in Lake County, Fla., claiming to be Satan was arrested after he threatened to kill a sheriff's deputy and then injured the man in a neighborhood street.

Officers responded to complaints of a naked man screaming in the streets. When deputies arrived, they found Roy Lee Henson walking with his boxer shorts around his ankles and screaming wildly. Henson then lunged at a sheriff's deputy.Backup officers arrived and took Henson into custody as the man screamed he was Satan.

The sheriff's deputy suffered minor injuries when he was kicked during the struggle with Henson.

Henson has been booked into the Lake County Jail on $10,000 bond.

He faces charges of aggravated assault on a officer, resisting arrest with violence, exposure of sexual organs and disorderly conduct.

Anna Nicole's Bush Connection

The Bush Administration's top Supreme Court lawyer filed arguments on behalf of Anna Nicole Smith and wants to take part when her appeal is argued before the high court.

The court will decide early next year whether to let the U.S. solicitor general share time with Smith's attorney during the one hour argument on Feb. 28.

Smith, a television reality star and native Texan, plans to attend the court argument.
She is trying to collect millions of dollars from the estate of J. Howard Marshall, the oil tycoon she married in 1994 when he was 89 and she was a 26-year-old topless dancer in Houston. Marshall died in 1995.

Like Marshall, President Bush was a Texas oil man. Both attended Yale. Both held government positions in Washington.

A federal bankruptcy judge sided with Smith in the fight over her late husband's estate, awarding her $474 million. That was reduced to about $89 million by a federal district judge, then thrown out altogether by a federal appeals court.

2006 to be Delayed by Leap Second?

The U.S. Naval Observatory says a leap second will be inserted in the world's clocks just before midnight Greenwich mean time on New Year's Eve.

That means 7 p.m. Eastern time on Dec. 31 will occur one second later than it would have otherwise.

Leap seconds are occasionally needed because modern atomic clocks are more precise than the rotation of the Earth, which can be inconsistent.

The rotation of the Earth has been slowing down, so leap seconds keep the clocks and the Earth from getting out of synch with one another.

This will be the 23rd leap second that has been inserted since 1972. The last one was inserted seven years ago.

Historically, leap seconds have been inserted about every 18 months. However, the Earth's rotation rate is unpredictable in the long term, so it is not possible to predict the need for them more than six months in advance. Between January 1972 and December 1998, the International Earth Rotation ande Referece Service gave instructions to insert a leap second on 22 occasions. The interval between Dec 31, 1998 and Dec 31, 2005, the most recent leap second, is the longest period since the system was introduced without a leap second.

This years leap second is a positive one, meaning one more second will be added at 6:59:60 PM.

Note that leap seconds have nothing to do with leap years.

NY Public Transit Workers Walk Off Job

NEW YORK - Subways and buses across the nation's largest city shut down Tuesday morning as transit workers walked off the job, stranding more than 7 million daily riders and threatening the city with a $400 million a day financial hit.

Britney Spears Sues Us Weekly

Pop singer Britney Spears has filed a $20 million libel lawsuit against celebrity gossip magazine Us Weekly.

Spears claims the magazine published a false story reporting she and her husband, Kevin
Federline, made a sex tape and were worried about its release.

The lawsuit seeks $10 million in libel damages and $10 million for misappropriating Spears' name and image to promote sales.

It also seeks unspecified punitive damages.

According to the lawsuit, Spears went to court after Us Weekly refused her request for a retraction, saying it stood by the story.

Spears and Us Weekly also tangled in February after the magazine published pictures of her October honeymoon in the Fiji islands.

Court Rejects Intelligent Design

"Intelligent design" cannot be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district. A federal judge delivered a decision in one of the biggest courtroom clashes on evolution since the 1925 Scopes trial.

Dover Area School Board members violated the Constitution when they ordered that its biology curriculum must include the notion that life on Earth was produced by an unidentified intelligent cause.

The school board policy, adopted in October 2004, was believed to have been the first of its kind in the nation.

The dispute is the latest chapter in a long-running debate over the teaching of evolution dating back to the famous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, in which Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes was fined $100 for violating a state law that forbade teaching evolution. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed his conviction on a technicality, and the law was repealed in 1967.

Don't Drink the Christmas Shake

Henry County police have filed charges of aggravated battery against a 19 year old Waffle House cook named Quinton Wilson after Wilson allegedly paid a homeless made $5 to drink a 'Christmas shake' that contained such ingredients as industrial strength dishwashing detergent and ivory soap. If convicted on this charge, Wilson could serve as much as 20 years in prison.

The homeless man was taken to the hospital and is listed in critical condition. The the man dies, prosecutors could charge Wilson with involuntary manslaughter.

Pot Cave Discovered in Tenn

Tennessee drug investigators say they've busted a pot growing operation in the Hartsville area that looks like something out of a Hollywood action movie.

The cave beneath a stylish A-frame home was equipped with sophisticated gear for lighting, irrigation and even humidity control. The cave was reached by secret entrances from the house or through a tunnel big enough for a car.

Police say the underground pot farm could produce 100 pounds of high-quality weed every couple of months.

Tennessee authorities report arresting three suspects.

'Brokeback' to be Released on More Screens

Altering their original plans, Focus Features executives will widen the release of Brokeback Mountain to between 300 and 400 screens by January 6. The original plan was 250 screens by Jan. 13.

Thus far, 'Brokeback' has made around $3.5 million dollars on 69 screens. The increased release should bring in major money for the low budget ($14 mil), independent film.

LOCAL - Plane Makes Emergency Landing on I-75

A small plane made an emergency landing on I-75 near Allen Park this afternoon. The plane landed on the south bound lanes of the freeway between Dix and Goddard. There were no reports of injuries.

UPDATE: Elton's Wedding

Elton John has turned down a nearly 11 million (US) deal for exclusive videography rights to his UK wedding.

It is also reported that President Bill Clinton has recorded a one minute video message to congratulate Elton John and his future husband, David Furnish. The video will reportedly be played at the Elton's "hen night" tonight at a cabaret party at the Too2Much nightclub in Soho.

First Gay Partners Wed in UK

Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close today became the first same-sex couple to register under the new UK civil partnership law.

Two more same-sex couples are to make their partnerships official at Belfast City Hall later.

The Civil Partnership Act provides same-sex couples with similar legal rights to married couples.

The first ceremonies in Scotland will take place tomorrow, and in England and Wales on Wednesday.

Neilsen to Track Ratings Using DVRs

Starting next week, the company that measures what people watch on television will also follow what they record on DVRs to watch later.

The move by Nielsen Media Research is a reflection of how the traditional notion of watching TV is changing. And if Nielsen's numbers show that new technology is also changing what people are watching, it has the potential to profoundly disrupt a multibillion-dollar business.

An estimated 7 percent of the nation's 110 million homes with televisions now have digital video recorders, and that's expected to rise to one quarter of the TV population by sometime in 2007

The immediate effect will likely be minor, since only about 100 DVR homes will be included in the first week's survey. But Nielsen plans to gradually add families and by summer it expects to have DVR homes in its survey that mirror the percentage of such homes in the nation as a whole.

'Brokeback Mountain' - 4 Scoops!

I saw the 5:30 showing of Brokeback at the Main Art. It was spectacular and I give it 4 (out of 4) scoops.

The setting was breathtaking; the cinematography spectacular. I loved the musical score also. Each character had an amazing emotional struggle. Ennis Del Mar's (played by Heath Ledger) conflict was most complex and Ledger delivered an awe-inspiring performance. The ending of the movie brought everything full circle.

The love scenes were tasteful and not overdone. There was nothing about it that made the movie seem porn-esque. Boiled down, this movie was just a love story between two people who struggle to find out about themselves and each other.

Everyone must see it!

Massive Ice Storm In South East

More than 700,000 homes and businesses began the day Friday without power after a frigid night allowed ice to build from a deadly storm in the South.

Schools remained closed Friday in Virginia and Maryland, and the ice left commuters with more tough driving conditions in Georgia.

Throughout the Atlanta area, traffic was backed up for miles because of accidents and ice that closed ramps and interstates, despite efforts to salt the roads.

Hundreds of accidents were reported and utility companies said it would take days to fully restore power. Still in the dark Friday were about 328,000 customers in North Carolina, 358,000 customers in South Carolina, 30,000 in Georgia and 13,000 in Virginia.

Many outages were caused when ice-laden tree limbs fell onto power lines.

At least four deaths were reported, including a 58-year-old man in suburban Charlotte who was lying on a couch in his living room when a 100-foot tree buckled from heavy ice and crushed him. Two men were killed in Maryland and another died in Georgia, each after losing control of his vehicle in separate accidents.

North Carolina's heaviest icing -- one-half to three-quarters of an inch -- came in the southwestern area of Saluda and Flat Rock

Patriot Act Renewal Blocked by Senate

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday and blocked legislation to renew the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

On a Senate vote of 52-47, mostly Republican backers of the measure fell eight short of the needed 60 to end debate and move to passage of it.

Proponents of the legislation warned that much of sweeping anti-terror law was to expire at the end of the month, and if it did, the nation could be placed at increased risk.

Senate Democratic and Republican foes of the proposed renewal said the law could be swiftly reauthorized if lawmakers agreed to better balance national security with civil liberties.

Britney to Reinvent Pop Career

Britney Spears has recruited Madonna's writers and producers to reinvent her pop career. The singer has nabbed duo Bloodshy and Avant and writer-producer Peer Astrom after being impressed by their work on Madonna's most recent album Confessions on a Dancefloor.

Wal Mart Has Christmas Choir Removed

A festive group of high school choir students from Central Islip singing at an Islandia shopping center discovered over the weekend that some people were not in the holiday spirit. After entering a Wal-Mart store, the choir was quickly asked to leave before even starting to sing its first song.

Right away, a store manager approached the award-winning group, announcing that they did not have an appointment and that the sheer size of the group posed a fire hazard.

Wal-Mart officials released a statement this week saying the choir's appearance was unscheduled and created a fire code violation. "For their safety and the safety of our customers, we asked them to move," the statement read. Wal-Mart has offered the school an opportunity for the choir to return at a scheduled time.

House Votes to Put Fence Up Along Mexican Border

The House of Representatives voted to build a wall along the US border with Mexico to stop illegal immigration.

The 260-159 voice vote on an amendment to a bill on illegal immigration "mandates the construction of specific security fencing, including lights and cameras, along the Southwest border for the purposes of gaining operational control of the border.

The US-Mexico border is 2,000 miles long.

Stern Leaves Terrestrial Radio

The free ride for Howard Stern fans ends Friday. Stern, a New York radio fixture for 20 years and host of a syndicated show for 12 million daily listeners, bid farewell to his fans with a final show on terrestrial radio. On Jan. 9, Stern makes his move to satellite radio — where his once-free speech will cost listeners $12.95 a month.

"Good morning, and welcome to the last show on terrestrial radio," Stern said to launch his grand finale. The sound of "Taps" played in the background.

"WE PLAYED DILDO GOLF, WE PLAYED WHEEL OF SEX, WE ARE THE LAST OF A DYING BREED. THIS IS A BIG MOMENT. WE BROKE EVERY RULE KNOWN TO RADIO AND MANKIND. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS CLEAN UP YOUR ACT, WE SAY NEVER."

LOCAL - Brokeback Mountain Showtimes

Brokeback Mountain was released today in select theaters across the country. In Michigan the Landmark Main Art Theater in Royal Oak located at 118 North Main Street in downtown Royal Oak will be showing the movie on three screen. Below are the showtimes:

1:00 2:30 3:30 4:00 5:30 7:00 8:30 9:30 10:00

The theater can be reached by calling (248) 263-2111.

Please stay tuned for my review of the movie because I will be going to see it sometime today.

Teacher Tells 1st Graders There's No Santa

Guess what, kids? There's no such thing as Santa Claus! That's what a suburban Dallas music teacher told first-graders on Monday and the school's been hearing from parents ever since.

The angry phone calls prompted the Richardson School District to issue a pro-Santa statement.

The district announced that the offending teacher had heard from Santa Claus himself -- who assured the teacher that "the spirit of the holidays is alive and well." And Santa asked the teacher to pass that message along to students.

A district spokesman said the teacher won't face any disciplinary action.

UPDATE - SW Pilot Violated Braking Policy

The Southwest Airlines pilot at the helm during Thursday's snowy crash at Midway Airport told federal investigators he used the Boeing 737's "autobrakes," a device airline officials say their pilots are told not to activate.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they found the autobrake switch in the "maximum" position on the flight panel. The system is designed to activate when the landing gear hits the runway.

Investigators are still trying to determine if the system was operable when flight 1248 overshot the runway, crashed through an airport barrier fence into traffic, killing 6-year-old Joshua Woods as he rode in his family's car. The pilot's use of the autobrakes against airline policy raises questions about Southwest's braking procedures, especially for landing in inclement weather.

Virginia Cat Lady Pleads Guilty

Ruth Knueven once had close to 500 cats. On Wednesday, she promised a judge she would never own another one. Knueven, 83, was arrested in July after hundreds of cats were found in her home. She pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty in Fairfax County General District Court. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed several other counts, and Knueven must continue getting treatment for her hoarding problem.

Judge Donald McDonough fined her $2,500 US, suspending all but $500. He also gave her a 360-day suspended jail sentence and put her on probation for one year. Knueven was barred from owning any animals. Before sentencing, lawyer Jonathan Frieden said Knueven's stray cat problem developed some time ago when she started taking them in to protect them from the dangers of the streets. 493 cats had bee nfound in her home, 272 of which were still alive.

Murderous Santa Display Outside Manhattan Mansion

Joel Krupnik and Mildred Castellanos decked the front of their Manhattan mansion this year with a scene that includes a knife-wielding 5-foot-tall St. Nick and a tree full of decapitated Barbie dolls. Hidden partly behind a tree, the merry old elf grasps a disembodied doll's head with fake blood streaming from its eye sockets.

Krupnik told the New York Post it was a statement about the commercialization and secularization of Christmas. "Christmas has religious origins. It's in the Bible. Santa is not in the Bible. He's not a religious symbol."

'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Golden Globe Noms

"Brokeback Mountain," the story of two cowboys grappling with their love for each other, was the top Golden Globe contender Tuesday, picking up seven nominations, including best dramatic picture.

It also was nominated for best director (Ang Lee), best actor in a drama (Heath Ledger) and best supporting actress in a drama (Michelle Williams) as well as best screenplay, best original score and best original song.

The Color Quiz

This test is partially based on research by Dr. Max Lûscher during the early 1900's. He has devoted his life to the study of how color affects behavior and has been hired by some of the world's largest companies as a consultant.

The test itself is based upon fundamentals in color psychology. With years of research by color psychologists the characteristics of certain colors has been identified to cause an emotional response in people. This was done by studying the response from hundreds of thousands of test subjects around the world in order to isolate how certain colors make us feel. By doing the reverse, using the colors people prefer to determine how people feel, we can get some interesting indicators about a person's current emotional state.

It is important to understand that the results from tests like this can be both short-term and long-term in their meaning. For example, if you are feeling depressed about something when you take the test you may see this reflected in your results. You may also notice deeper conflicts showing themselves consistantly if you take the test time and time again. This test can be taken quite often and still yield results that are accurate. The results will not be the same each time you take the test, for the most part, unless you are taking them without some time interval between them.

My Results

James took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! Click here to read the rest of the results.

The test takes five minutes. Visit ColorQuiz.com right now!

LOCAL - Dearborn School Locked Down

The Advanced Technology Academy in Dearborn was locked down Monday morning after a student reported seeing man with a gun inside the school.

Police searched the building, but did not find anything suspicious.

School administrators said police arrived less then one minute after they were called.

The school will send home letters with the students to let parents know what happened.

Pope Warns Against Materialism This Christmas

Pope Benedict warned on Sunday against rampant materialism which he said was polluting the spirit of Christmas.

"In today's consumer society, this time of the year unfortunately suffers from a sort of commercial 'pollution' that threatens to alter its real spirit," the Pope told a large crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear his weekly Angelus blessing.

He said Christmas should be marked with sober celebrations and urged Christians to display a nativity crib in their houses as "a simple but effective way of showing their faith and conveying it to their children."

Last year, under Pope John Paul, the Vatican launched a high-profile campaign to urge Roman Catholic Italy not to compromise the spirit of Christmas through excess or dilute its message out of fear of offending a growing Muslim population.

Video Game Seizure

A central Iowa mother woke up over the weekend to find her daughter having a seizure. After a trip to the emergency room, a family learned that the cause was most likely from playing video games too long.

Doctors said such incidents are not common, but they do happen. Certain people are prone to it because of the way their brains work. Once was enough for 14-year-old Amy Kopaska.
She loves to play video games, the station reported. She spent five hours straight playing a video game over the weekend. Her marathon session led to a frightening situation.

The pattern of the lights sets up an abnormal reaction in the brain, and that causes the seizure to happen," said Dr. Joel Waymire, a pediatrician. Kopaska doesn't remember anything about the seizure. "My mind is a blank, like dreaming without the dream," she said.

Kopaska was playing the game called "True Crime: Streets of New York." There's a car driving through snow and the snowflakes act as a strobe light. Kopaska's brother played, too, but he took a break when it was her turn. She stayed and watched him play. Kopaska now only plays one to two hours at a time and then takes a break.

I'm Still Jolie's Lesbian Lover

The tabloid Sun reports that Angelina Jolie's former lesbian lover has given warning to Brad Pitt: "There has never been an ending to her and I. I think there never will be."

Supermodel Jenny Shimizu adds: “I think we will continue to have a deep relationship. It really does go beyond just the sex." Jenny has spoken for the first time about her steamy ten-year relationship with bisexual Angelina and her belief that Brad’s relationship may be short-lived.

“She’s always had lovers that she relies on. If she can ring you and you can meet up then she can take care of her sexual needs. Whenever she calls me up I visit her. It’s not always the case that we have sex. Sometimes we go to her property in Cambodia and explore the jungle. It’s definitely more of a deeper friendship. She’s the person I’ll always care about and always help and always be there for.”

UPDATE - War on Christmas

Sears and Target change their position on Christmas. Both retailers announced that they would not ban the greeting "Merry Christmas" from it stores.

On Long Islang a politician interrupted a priest who was blessing a Christmas Tree. He later apologized.

In Dodgeville, Wis. an elementary school has changed the title and lyrics of "Silent Night" to "Cold in the Night." There, the students were forced to sing the new lyrics to the tune of the original song.

In Plano, Tex. a school told students that they could not wear red and green because they are Christmas colors.

Quit Smoking, or You're Fired!

That's what Scotts Miracle-Gro is telling its employees. If they don't quit smoking by October 2006, they'll lose their jobs. The lawn and garden company is trying to keep health insurance costs down by promoting healthy lifestyles for its employees.

Its chairman and chief executive, James Hagedorn, said the company shouldn't have to shoulder health risks for employees who smoke. It pays for 75 percent of employees' health insurance.
The Ohio-based company has 6,000 employees. It said it can fire smokers legally in 21 states.
Workers who smoke can get free counseling, nicotine patches and classes on quitting.

'Brokeback Mountain' Tops LA Critics Picks

"Brokeback Mountain," the film adaptation of Annie Proulx's story of the enduring but thwarted love between two cowboys won the award for best picture of 2005 from the L.A. Film Critics Association.

With 32 LACA present on Saturday afternoon, voting ranged all over the map, as numerous films vied closely in all categories. As far as distribs are concerned, Sony Classics was the big winner with five victories (two in ties). Focus got two nods by virtue of its big "Brokeback Mountain" wins, as did Universal, although both in ties.

UPDATE - Global Warming

Earth's magnetic pole drifting quickly.

Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America and toward Siberia at such a clip that Alaska might lose its spectacular Northern Lights in the next 50 years. Despite accelerated movement over the past century, the possibility that Earth's modestly fading magnetic field will collapse is remote. But the shift could mean Alaska may no longer see the sky lights known as auroras, which might then be more visible in more southerly areas of Siberia and Europe.

Scientists have long known that magnetic poles migrate and in rare cases, swap places. Exactly why this happens is a mystery. They found that the north magnetic field shifted significantly in the last thousand years. It generally migrated between northern Canada and Siberia, but it sometimes moved in other directions, too.

Clinton comes out against Bush environmental plan.

Former US president Bill Clinton took to the podium at the UN climate talks here to ram home a grim message about global warming and demand the United States move quickly away from the fossil fuels causing the problem.

"There's no longer any serious doubt that climate change is real, accelerating, and caused by human activities," Clinton said. He pointed to an array of gloomy scientific studies published in past weeks, including evidence that carbon dioxide levels are at their highest in 650,000 years, that glaciers in the Himalayas and Arctic sea ice were melting and the warm Atlantic currents that bathe northwestern Europe were slowing down.

Rumours spread among the conference that the US delegation was angry that Clinton had come, and that it had even tried to block his appearance.
The delegation issued a statement, though, saying it encouraged "stakeholder presentations" of the kind symbolised by the Clinton visit.

UPDATE - SW Airlines Plane Crash

Authorities issued the initial findings Friday of their investigation into what caused a Southwest jet to skid off a snow-covered runway and into a nearby intersection, killing a young boy in a passing car.

Meanwhile, the Boeing 737 remained in the intersection into which it crashed, and the passengers of Flight 1248 were still waiting for their luggage.
The plane, carrying 98 passengers and five crew members en route from Baltimore, Maryland, should be moved to a hangar Saturday morning.

Investigators will begin by weighing luggage and interviewing pilots. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders were retrieved, and investigators will review air traffic control tapes.

Data indicated it was traveling 152 mph when it landed and had slowed to 46 mph by the time it smashed through a barrier wall separating the runway from the residential and business districts around Midway and into the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue on the northwest side of the airport.

Six-year-old Joshua Woods was killed when the plane struck the car he and his family were in.

UPDATE - Christmas Under Fire

Lunch menus imprinted with the words "Merry Christmas" have been discarded and replaced in the Federal Way school district south of Seattle.

The December lunch menus for all 23 elementary schools were recalled and reprinted with the words "Happy Holidays" at a cost of almost $500.

A school district spokeswoman said printing "Merry Christmas" on the menus violated school system policies because "it has a religious connotation for some people."

The 11,500 calendar-style menus were never distributed and were recycled.

On a happier note, an Ohio couple has been swamped with orders for bracelets bearing the message "Just Say Merry Christmas." Dan and Jennifer Giroux came up with the red-and-green rubber wrist bands as a statement against the more generic "Happy Holidays."

They describe that phrase as "political correctness run amok."

The Girouxs sell the bracelets for $2 each through their store, The Catholic Shop, in the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira. They said they've filled phone and Internet orders from 43 states and have sold almost 15,000 so far, nearly depleting their first two shipments.

SW Airline Flight Skids Off Runway In Chicago

A Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore to Chicago slid off a runway at Midway International Airport and onto a nearby street as it attempted to land amid heavy snow and wind on Thursday. Two passengers on the Boeing 737 suffered minor injuries, and as many as seven people on the ground were hurt and one six year old boy on was killed when the plane crashed into the car he was riding in. At least two vehicles were damaged, and one was pinned under the wing.

The accident happened about 7:15 p.m. when Southwest flight 1248 inbound from Baltimore slid off the runway, skidded through the airport's boundary fence and crashed into a lamp post on 55th Street and Central Avenue, approximately 100 feet south of the airport. The plane came to a stop on Central Avenue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's regional office in Chicago. The flight was scheduled to continue on to Las Vegas.

LOCAL - Ford Plans Job Cuts, Plant Closings

Ford reportedly plans to slash as many as 30,000 jobs and close ten plants in the coming years. This is part of the struggling automaker's plan to restructure as a massive corporate shakeup. The new cuts would be in addition to the 4,000 jobs Ford says it will axe next year.

Record Lows in Parts of U.S.

Bitterly cold air poured southward across the nation's midsection Wednesday, dropping temperatures to record lows from Montana to Illinois. The mercury dived to a record 45 below at West Yellowstone, Mont., the frequently cold spot at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the National Weather Service said. The old record for Dec. 7 was 39 below, set in 1927.

The cold even extended south to the Texas Panhandle, where Lubbock shivered at a record low 6 above zero. The body of a homeless man was found huddled next to a fence in Denver, where the temperature hit 11 below Wednesday, and authorities were trying to determine if he froze to death. He apparently had shed his jacket in a phenomenon called "paradoxical undressing," where victims of hypothermia become disoriented and hallucinate. The coldest spot in Colorado early Wednesday was Hohnholz Ranch, 50 miles northwest of Fort Collins, which bottomed out at 37 below zero.

A winter storm warning was issued Wednesday in and around the Dallas- Fort Worth area, where the temperature fell from the low 40s before sunrise to the upper 20s by the end of the morning rush hour. Freezing rain and sleet fell Wednesday and up to 2 inches of snow was predicted by Thursday morning.

Elsewhere Wednesday, the weather service said record lows for the date included 28 below zero at Drummond, Mont., where the date's previous record was 21 below in 1971; 26 below at Seeley Lake, Mont.; 25 below at Laramie, Wyo., tying a 1978 reading; 17 below at Alliance, Neb.; 19 below at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and 3 below at Lincoln, Ill.

Coca-Cola Blak?

Coca-Cola, the world's No. 1 soft drink company, on Wednesday said it will launch a coffee-infused soft drink called Coca-Cola Blak in various markets around the world in 2006. The new drink, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will be first launched in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006.

LOCAL - Snow Storm Headed This Way?

The cold blast of weather in metro Detroit could soon be joined by more snow. A storm system is forecast to move into southeastern Michigan after sunset Thursday. Between 2 to 4 inches of snow is expected to accumulate. Cities south of Monroe could receive up to 6 inches of snow. The temperature is expected to rise to about 26 degrees Thursday.

Man Killed After Bomb Scare at Airport

44-year-old U.S. citizen who claimed to have a bomb was shot and killed when air marshals opened fire on a boarding bridge at the Miami airport. American Airlines Flight 924 was in Miami on a stopover during a flight from Medellin, Colombia, to Orlando, Florida, when the man, identified as Rigoberto Alpizar, said there was a bomb in his carry-on backpack. Alpizar was confronted by a team of federal air marshals, who followed him down the boarding bridge and ordered him to get on the ground. When Alpizar appeared to reach into his backpack, he was shot and wounded. The man later died from those injuries.

One passenger claims that the man ran frantically down the aisle from the rear of the plane, arms flailing, and that the woman accompanying him said that Alpizar was bipolar and had not taken his medication.

Investigators removed the carry-on bag belonging to the man, from the airport, and an explosives team detonated several pieces of luggage on the tarmac.

New Titanic Discoveries

The discovery of two large pieces of the Titanic's hull on the ocean floor indicates the fabled luxury liner sank faster than previously thought. The hull pieces were a crucial part of the ship's structure and make up a bottom section of the vessel missing when the wreck was first located in 1985. After the bottom section of the hull broke free, the bow and stern split. The stern, which was still buoyant and filled with survivors, likely plunged toward the North Atlantic floor about five minutes later. Previous researchers believed the ship broke in just two major pieces, the bow and stern, which was how the sinking was depicted in the 1997 film version of the catastrophe. Research now indicates that the ship likely broke into three pieces.

Seniors Seeking Medicare Info Get Phone Sex Instead

Seniors looking for information about the new Medicare prescription drug program got one of those phone sex hotlines instead.

Humana, a health insurance company, sent out letters to thousands of people who asked about the new program. The letter lists a toll free 1-800 number for info.

But there's a typo in the phone number.

Instead of Medicare information, callers are hearing a pitch for something called "Intimate Encounters." The number is being corrected for future mailings.

The Veil Nebula Unveiled

These wisps of gas are all that remain visible of a Milky Way star. Many thousands of years ago that star exploded in a supernova leaving the Veil Nebula, pictured above. At the time, the expanding cloud was likely as bright as a crescent Moon toward the constellation of Cygnus, visible for weeks to people living at the dawn of recorded history. The supernova remnant lies about 1,400 light years away and covers over five times the size of the full Moon. The above image of the Veil was made clearer by digitally dimming stars in the frame. The bright wisp at the top is known as the Witch's Broom Nebula and can be seen with a small telescope. The Veil Nebula is also known as the Cygnus Loop.

The Origin of Christmas

excerpts taken from christmas.com

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether he was born on December 25th, no one can say. Most sources cite the birth occurred on the 25th of the month, but which month is uncertain and at one time or another it has been assigned to every month. As early as before 220AD it has been celebrated on Dec. 25th. During the third century it was a common belief that Christ was born during the winter solstice based on interpretation of prophetic scriptures. One third century set of writings, The Apostolic Constitutions, indicate that the birth of Christ was celebrated on the 25th day of the ninth month (which would now be December). The Roman Church finally fixed December 25th as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Christ Mass, later called Christmas, was first celebrated in the year 354AD, December 25th, according to several sources.

References for the first Christmas appear in the Books of Luke and Matthew in the King James version of the Bible.

British Same-Sex Couples Register for Civil Partnership

Across Britain, gay couples have been going to town halls Monday to register for civil partnerships. It's the first day of a new law that gives same-sex couples many of the same legal rights as married heterosexuals, although it doesn't actually allow gays to marry. The couples will get the same social security, tax, pension and inheritance rights as married couples. Among the first to register were Veteran British rock star Elton John and his long-term love David Furnish. There ceremony will take place in the same venue as the civil wedding of Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla.

Christ-less Xmas

Lately we have all heard about some outrageous lawsuits concerning Christmas. I am probably the last person that anyone would expect to come out for Christmas, considering that I am an atheist. Community and home owner groups have asked one family to remove a nativity scene from their yard, retailers across the country have instructed their employees to use the non-denominational greeting of "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas", the Christmas trees at both the White House and in Rockefeller Center are called "Holiday Trees". This is ridiculous. What is Christmas without Christ? What are the holidays without their religious beginnings? My answer: "Nothing." Without religion Christmas and Hanukkah are nothing. The only reason that these holidays were ever celebrated were for their religious meanings.

Instead, Americans are waking up early, sometimes at 4:00AM, to rush to shopping centers to stand in line for hours and to fight with others over some half-priced, door buster gift that the recipient probably doesn't even want. Maybe you don't remember my Nov. 9 entry ("... Americans Want Gift Cards"). A reported 80% of Americans want gift cards for Christmas, and 70% of those people would prefer universal cash cards. So basically, your loved ones don't want you to waste the day after Thanksgiving (a day that many Americans have as a holiday from work) shopping for them. All you have to do is stop by National City one of more than a dozen other banks to pick up a gift card by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. These gift cards work just like cash and can be used for anything.

I say...

You are going to kill yourself by working overtime and saving money for months to finance your holiday gift giving. Or, like some, max out high interest credit cards to buy gifts for people who might return them to the very store that you visited at 6:00AM for that spectacular door buster. You are going to get at least one gift that you really don't want, and you might even return it yourself. You are probably also going to get at least one gift card that you will go back to the same stores that you braved on "Black Friday" to buy something that you really want.

When what you should do this year is...

If you want to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, celebrate it for the REAL reason; the religious reason. Put up a nativity, go to mass, have a huge family dinner. Praise your god and the teachings that you believe in. Those teachings say nothing about non-denominational holiday cards, Black Friday door busters, or a thousands of dollars in debt.

Or if you are one of those others like me...

Then don't celebrate Christmas at all, because it wasn't created for us. Don't sue your child's school because he came home with a finger painting titled "Merry Christmas".