The OFFICAL News Thread

[EagleChick19]

[aephi alum]

[Kevin]

When I first read the headline I thought it might have been from malnutrition

[juniorgrrl]

I thought he went into a carb-coma - someone slipped him a bag of Ruffles and a box of Wheat Thins and he went into a super-carb nap

[NinjaPoodle]

http://apnews1.iwon.com//article/200...=home&SEC=news

Luther Vandross Recovering From Stroke

Apr 18, 7:53 AM (ET)

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

(AP) Singer Luther Vandross is seen backstage at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles in this Jan....
Full Image


NEW YORK (AP) - Grammy-winner Luther Vandross is recovering from a stroke, but it wasn't clear whether the R&B singer's motor skills have been impaired, his spokeswoman said.

Vandross, who turns 52 on Sunday, suffered the stroke Wednesday, according to a statement from his business manager, Carmen Romano.

"Family and friends are hopeful for a speedy recovery," the statement said. No further details about his condition were included.

Lois Najarian, a spokeswoman at Vandross' label, J Records, confirmed that the singer was hospitalized in New York, but said she had received no further information.


"We're all very optimistic at this point," Najarian said in a telephone interview.

Vandross, whose deep silky voice has anchored romantic hits such as "Here and Now, "A House is Not a Home" and "Any Love," has sold about 20 million albums in the United States alone.

Najarian said he was in good health and had recently completed work on a new album.

Vandross has long battled weight problems. At one point, he weighed more than 330 pounds, and his weight fluctuated dramatically over the years.

Vandross told The Associated Press in a 2001 interview that his excess weight had led to diabetes and hypertension, but he had been able to keep his weight down for three years through diet and exercise.

However, the singer recently had gained weight again.

Vandross won four Grammy awards in the 1990s. His new album was scheduled for a June release.

[DeltaSigStan]

I hope he's gonna be ok. Luther Vandross is a legend.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Scott Peterson has been arrested for the murder of his pregnant wife Lacy. http://www.msnbc.com/news/900348.asp?0cv=CA01

[Kevin]

BAGHDAD, IRAQ—Reflecting on his time as Iraq's president in a pre-taped television address, Saddam Hussein expressed pride Tuesday that, despite the success of the U.S. invasion and the civilian casualties it has inflicted, he still has killed far more Iraqis than President Bush.

"George Bush believes he is so powerful, so strong," Saddam said. "But even with all of his bombs and missiles and Marines, he has not even come close to killing as many Iraqis as I did."

While estimates of the number of Iraqi civilians killed by the U.S. ranges from 500 all the way to 10,000, Saddam and his associates are believed to have murdered somewhere between 100,000 and 250,000 civilians since 1968.

"The international press counts off on their fingers every Iraqi that dies by Bush's missiles," Saddam said. "The papers make a big story of it when six Iraqi civilians are killed by American GIs near Basra, or when 15 Iraqi civilians are killed in air strikes on Baghdad. What paltry death tolls. I cannot even begin to add up how many died in Basra upon my orders, how many in Baghdad I killed with my own gun."

Throughout his presidency, Saddam said he routinely had political opponents arrested and put to death without trial, sometimes along with their entire families. He also summarily executed countless citizens for crimes as minor as petty theft and "monopolizing rationed goods."

"The race between myself and Bush is not even close," Saddam said. "I easily killed 100 times more men than Bush, not to mention women and children. That's right—women and children."

In his suppression of the Shiite Muslims alone, Saddam said he can lay claim to thousands more Iraqi kills than Bush.

"My officers did more damage rounding up students at [the Shiite Muslim theological institution] al-Hawza al-'Ilmiya in al-Najaf than the entire American 3rd Infantry did roaring through all of southern Iraq in their billion-dollar tanks," Saddam said. "And my men did not put down their guns just because someone asked for mercy. They finished the job like soldiers. They did not serve food to their enemies as if they were women at a picnic."

Saddam boasted that the 1988 Anfal campaign against the Iraqi Kurds added another 50,000 to his tally.

"In Anfal, we rounded up the battle-age men and put them in front of firing squads," Saddam said. "Even today, when you travel through rural Kurdistan, you notice the high proportion of women. That is not because of the U.S. Army. That is not because of the 101st Airborne Division. It is because of me—Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq, the Glorious Leader, the Anointed One, Direct Descendant of the Prophet, Great Uncle to the People."

In his campaigns against the Kurds, Saddam crushed unrest with chemical-weapons strikes against civilian populations—a tactic he said Bush "would never have the nerve to do."

"I remember the day my cousin [Commander of Southern Forces] Ali [Hassan al-Majid] dropped chemical weapons on the town of Halabja," said Saddam, referring to the March 1988 slaughter of 5,000 Kurds. "That is how he got his nickname, 'Chemical Ali.' Much better nickname than 'Dubya,' wouldn't you say?"

"The total number of Kurds we killed could be as high as 110,000, and that is not just an idle boast," Saddam said. "The United Nations Sub-Committee on Human Rights has been keeping extensive records of my actions for years."

In fairness to Bush, Saddam conceded that he has had a significant head start killing Iraqis, beginning his political career in the late '60s as a torturer for the Ba'ath party.

"Back in 1969, I turned the execution of 14 alleged anti-government plotters into a major public event, hanging them in a town square and leaving their bodies on display," Saddam said. "Already everyone knew my name, and this was still a good 10 years before I would carry out the wave of executions that signaled my rise to power."

In addition to killings, Saddam said he bests Bush in the torture department.

"There is a certain type of torture, which is called al-Khaygania—so named in honor of its creator, former security director al-Khaygani—in which the victim is handcuffed and suspended on a piece of wood between two chairs like a chicken," Saddam said. "Then, we attach an electric wire to the man's penis and toes. Can you see Bush doing this? Can you see Bush smashing a man's skull with a brick? Can you see him calling for the deaths of his own family members? Pah, he is too weak."

Saddam closed with harsh words for his American rival.

"I recently heard a critic of President Bush say he is a dictator," Saddam said. "That made me laugh. George Bush, a dictator! My sons Uday and Qusay showed more viciousness at 10 years of age."

"Bush has a long way to go before he can match me," Saddam added. "My hands are red with the blood of the innocent. His are merely a light pink."

[The1calledTKE]

WASHINGTON, April 23 — In an amazing story of canine survival California-style, a dog named Dosha has shown she has nearly as many lives as the average cat.
DOSHA WAS HIT by a car near her owner’s home on April 15. Next, a police officer shot her in the head to put her out of her misery. Then, presumed dead, she was put in a freezer at an animal control center.
Two hours later, when a veterinarian opened the door to the freezer, she was shocked to find Dosha, a 10-month-old of mixed-breeding, standing upright in a plastic orange bag — the equivalent of a human body bag.

Appearing on national television Wednesday, Dosha seemed in fine spirits apart from a gunshot wound to her head and other injuries sustained from being hit by the car.
“When she first came in we called her miracle girl because we couldn’t believe what she had gone through and was still with us,” said veterinarian Deborah Sally on NBC’s “Today” show.
“She’s doing amazingly well,” added Sally, who said the dog had suffered from hypothermia after being put in the fridge.
The police chief in Clearlake, California defended the officer who shot Dosha the dog. Police Chief Bob Chalk says the officer did nothing wrong when he shot the dog in the head last week. He says the dog had been hit by a car and was in pain.
Police say the dog’s owner may be cited for letting her pet run free. The case remains under investigation by police and Animal Control.

[Kevin]

LOS ANGELES—Fox executives Monday unveiled their latest reality-TV venture, Appointed By America, a new series in which contestants vie for the top spot in Iraq's post-war government.

"Get ready, America, because you're about to choose the man—or woman—who will lead Iraq into an exciting democratic future," said Fox reality-programming chief Mike Darnell, introducing the show at a press conference. "Will it be Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the exiled Iraqi National Congress? Or General Tommy Franks, commander of the allied forces? Or maybe Roshumba Williams, the Macon, GA, waitress with big dreams and an even bigger voice? Tune in Tuesdays at 9 to see."

Describing the new show as "American Idol meets the reconstruction of Afghanistan," Darnell said Appointed By America will feature contestants squaring off in a variety of challenges, including a democracy quiz, a talent competition, and nation-building activities that will demonstrate their ability to lead a bombed-out, war-ravaged Mideast country.

A panel of celebrity judges will help eliminate two contestants each week, leaving one lucky winner the undisputed leader of Iraq at the end of the season. Viewers can participate by casting phone-in votes, although Darnell noted that voting is restricted to calls originating from within the continental U.S.

U.S. General Jay Garner (Ret.) will host the show under the auspices of the Pentagon. The three celebrity judges, Darnell said, will be choreographer and former Chrysalis recording artist Toni Basil, internationally renowned hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, and television star Kevin Sorbo.

"They really get into it," Darnell said. "Just wait until you see the fur fly between Sassoon and Basil."

Fox entertainment president Gail Berman said the network was inspired to create the show after witnessing its news division's ratings success over the past few months.

"Fox did such huge numbers with its war coverage, we figured, 'Why not find a way to keep this good thing going?'" Berman said. "I'm confident that our loyal Fox News viewers will find that reconstruction can be just as thrilling as destruction."

The first episode has already been taped in front of a live studio audience, though results will remain classified until airtime. The winner of Appointed By America will be sworn in as president of Iraq on June 24 in a gala two-hour season finale broadcast live from Baghdad.

According to Berman, Fox received more than 3,000 applicants for the show during an open casting call. While most of the hopefuls were American or Iraqi, some 600 aspiring rulers from more than 100 nations auditioned for the coveted 20 finalist spots. Contestants included a San Diego interior decorator, a Philadelphia inner-city schoolteacher, and a peshmerga fighter from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Contestant Kymbyrley Lake, a cashier from Garland, TX, said she has a "good feeling" about her chances.

"I just really believe I am going to win this show," Lake said. "I feel it in my heart that Jesus is going to grant me the chance to help all these people. Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of doing something to help bring about a more peaceful world."

Lake just might get her chance. Inside sources say she was among the top five vote-getters in the first episode, with Kurdistan Democratic Party official Fawzi Hariri and pre-Saddam Iraqi minister Adnan al-Pachachi—both early odds-on favorites—scoring low points for stage presence.

At a Pentagon briefing Monday, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz gave his blessing to Appointed By America.

"It is great that Fox will play a vital role in post-war Iraq," Wolfowitz said. "Heck, we didn't really know what we were going to do."

[AXJules]

My life is shit compared to this kid..........

13-year-old prodigy to get college degree
Long resume already includes Nobel Peace Prize nominations
Monday, April 21, 2003 Posted: 11:30 AM EDT (1530 GMT)

College senior Gregory Robert Smith, 13, right, will receive a mathematics degree in May.

ASHLAND, Virginia (AP) -- He was solving math problems at 14 months, reading and correcting adults' grammar by 2 -- the same age he decided to become a vegetarian. He was explaining photosynthesis to kindergarten classmates at 5.

He breezed through 10 grades of school in three years, graduated with honors from high school at 9, founded an international youth advocacy organization, met with prime ministers and presidents, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Twice.

Now, 13-year-old Gregory Robert Smith is about to add another line to his resume: College graduate.

Greg will receive his bachelor's degree in mathematics May 31 from Randolph-Macon College, a private Methodist school 15 miles north of Richmond. Greg, who was elected Phi Beta Kappa, is graduating cum laude.

He has not yet said where he will attend graduate school. He plans to earn PhDs in math, aerospace engineering, political science and biomedical engineering, and pursue multiple careers while continuing to champion nonviolence and children's rights.

Among his goals is to become president of the United States.

"It would give me the opportunity to help so many people," Greg said in an interview in the campus office where Janet Smith spends her days managing her son's always-packed daily schedule.

Greg's arrival at Randolph-Macon in September 1999 drew so much attention that he had to schedule two news conferences -- one before classes and one at the end of the day. School officials expect a similar crush on graduation day.

Since that first day of college, Greg has shot up 13 inches -- "5 feet 7," he says proudly -- but his maturity and personal growth are much harder to quantify, said his mentor, psychology professor Michael Wessells.

"I don't have a measuring stick for it," Wessells said. "He has come much farther in three years than anyone I've ever known."

Greg already was well ahead of his classmates intellectually when he arrived, Wessells said. But the cheerful lad with the distinctive bowl-shaped mop of golden hair lacked life experience and cultural understanding.

That is where he has made the greatest strides, Wessells said.

"He has boundless curiosity, a tremendous sense of values around peace and social justice, and great motivation. His is a mind that should not be straitjacketed."

'Life of a normal child'
Greg could have entered a larger and more well-known college. But Janet and Bob Smith liked the small classes at the 1,100-student school and what seemed a safe environment for their son, who received his first threatening note -- likely from a jealous classmate -- when he was 8. An adult is always by his side, often a campus security officer.

Janet Smith said concerns that her son has missed out on his childhood are misplaced. Greg has charted a course that makes him happy, and that includes not only advanced learning but also playing sports with children his own age.

"I feel I've lived the life of a normal child," Greg said. "I've just been given so many incredible opportunities."

Among those opportunities was attending Randolph-Macon on full scholarship. However, much of his energy has been spent working with the Richmond-based Christian Children's Fund and traveling as the founder of International Youth Advocates, which champions nonviolence and human rights.

He visited Kenya, where he was a guest at the signing of a peace treaty between warring tribes, and witnessed the despair of crack-addicted children in the slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has met with Mikhail Gorbachev, Jordan's Queen Noor and Nobel peace laureates.

"He's traveling in circles very few humans ever attain, let alone 13-year-olds," Wessells said.

Campaigner for children's rights
Greg earns money on the speaking circuit to support his philanthropic work. He writes his own speeches, which he delivers with the polish of a veteran campaigner.

"When I was very young," Greg says in one videotaped speech, drawing laughter from the crowd of about 11,000. He waits for silence and begins again: "When I was very young and witnessed the video accounts of children suffering from disease or malnutrition, separated from their families or subjected to violence, I knew I had to act. I was just 7 years old then, but I was certain that there must be a way that I could make a difference."

Greg continues to advocate for children and peace, which he said go hand-in-hand.

"The first step to peace is education. That's one reason I'm working so hard," Greg said.

Greg's lessons outside the classroom included what Wessells called "an encounter with the school of hard knocks" at the United Nations' first children's summit last May. He was a delegate to the fractious meeting, which ended with approval of a compromise children's rights document that pleased virtually no one. "I saw firsthand how countries that didn't want to deal with these issues sabotaged the document," he said.

"He was quite upset by the level of political rhetoric and all the self-serving positions that were taken," Wessells said. "It was a bitter pill for him, but that's part of growing up. He didn't lose his idealism, but tempered it with a better sense of reality."

[Optimist Prime]

I feel bad for him, in a way.

[moe.ron]

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A Menlo Park man accused of barking at a police canine is in the doghouse with authorities.

Richard "Tyson" Dillon, 25, faces a misdemeanor charge that he willfully and maliciously interfered with a Palo Alto police officer's duty by teasing and agitating the officer's dog. Dillon, who could face up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, pleaded innocent in a Palo Alto courtroom Tuesday.

The incident occurred March 5, on Mardi Gras night, when Dillon, a bartender, and a co-worker were walking in downtown Palo Alto and passed a group of officers standing by their patrol cars.

According to Dillon's attorney, Donald Tasto, the police dog in one of the cars was already agitated and barking at other passers-by when Dillon returned a single "friendly bark." Police cited then released him.

Tasto contends his client's case doesn't measure up to a crime.

"It's ridiculous that someone could be charged for barking," he said in a phone interview Tuesday, adding that Dillon "doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

"And what about First Amendment rights?" Tasto asked. "Is there no freedom of bark?"

Palo Alto police spokesman Jim Coffman acknowledged that barking in itself may not warrant a citation, but the law clearly prohibits actions that harass and agitate police dogs, he said.

Police also accused Dillon of swinging a fist at the dog — something Dillon denies.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office received the case Tuesday and is reviewing it, said prosecutor Jay Boyarsky.

Link to the Story

[Munchkin03]

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- Two three-year-old twin boys who disappeared from home then reappeared hours later without their clothes had been off wreaking havoc in a neighbour's empty house, French newspapers reported on Thursday.

Police initially feared an abduction by a paedophile when the missing boys were discovered late in the evening walking through their home town of Deols, western France, stark naked and holding a bedside lamp.

But a call from a neighbour to report a suspected burglary revealed the boys had broken into a nearby house and gone berserk, emptying out drawers, bouncing on beds, scribbling on walls and gobbling up orange-flavoured vitamin pills.

The twins discarded their clothes after getting covered in shampoo and toothpaste after a rampage through the bathroom, squeezing out bottles and tubes.

They grabbed a bedside light and took it away with them thinking it would help them find their way home in the dark.

The boys' parents will compensate the house owners, daily Liberation said. It did not say how they would punish the twins.

[Eirene_DGP]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/04/2...eut/index.html
HONOLULU, Hawaii (Reuters) -- A young woman who wanted to leave a cruise ship to return to her boyfriend in California spent Monday night in a federal detention center here, charged with threatening to kill everyone aboard the ship to cut the cruise short, authorities said.

Kelley Marie Ferguson, 20, made an initial appearance in federal court Monday to hear the charges, according to Edward Kubo Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 1.

Ferguson of Laguna Hills in Orange County, who was traveling with family members on Royal Caribbean's "Legend of the Seas," was charged with two counts of threatening acts of terrorism, Kubo said. Each count carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.

The cruise ship was on a 10-day trip out of Ensenada, Mexico, when crew members found two handwritten notes on April 22 and 23, according to the charges. Both notes stated that if the ship docked in a U.S. port, the nearly 2,400 passengers and crew would all die.

After the second note was found, authorities diverted the ship to Oahu waters and a 120-member task force of federal, state and military personnel searched the ship and interviewed people on board.

The ship was searched for biological, chemical, radiological and explosive weapons, but nothing was found and the ship's cruise resumed on April 24. But Ferguson confessed the following day during an interview, Kubo said.

"The defendant said that she never wanted to go on this cruise with her family and that she wrote these notes hoping that it would shorten her time on the cruise, thereby allowing her to rejoin her boyfriend in Orange County, California," Kubo said.

Kubo said the incident frightened many aboard the cruise ship, but when he briefed reporters, he was more upset by the defendant's reaction.

"I find it very disturbing that after causing all this fear, excitement and concern, the defendant never showed any degree of regret or remorse for her actions, not even after her arrest," Kubo said.

"We do not consider such threats to be jokes. If you commit such an act and disrupt lives, we will use all of our resources to investigate and prosecute you."