How Not To Fly (about)

Bush Calls Election A 'Resounding Success'

Insurgents had vowed to wash the streets with "voters' blood," and more than a dozen attacks killed more than two dozen people and wounded 71 others. But authorities said extensive security measures prevented more widespread car bombings and other attacks that many had feared would mar the elections.

After the voting, President Bush said the balloting was a "resounding success" and praised Iraqis who "have taken rightful control of their country's destiny."

al-Zarqawi hasn't followed through on increased bombing to thwart the election. And Jennifer Aniston has been Tommy-Lee-free since her break-up with Brad Pitt. You don't suppose...

Ohio Couple Forced To Shop At Wal-Mart At Gunpoint

Police said the men told the alleged victim, Jeremy Schumacher, that they wanted to go shopping. The men checked Jeremy's wallet, found his girlfriend's credit cards and forced her to come outside. The men allegedly took the woman, later identified as Pamela Logan, to the bank to make a withdrawal and then drove her to a Wal-Mart...

Senator Wants Boxing Gloves On Chickens

[Oklahoma City] State Sen. Frank Shurden, a longtime defender of cockfighting, is suggesting that roosters be given little boxing gloves so they can fight without bloodshed....

Janet Halliburton, an attorney who led the initiative petition drive to ban cockfighting, said, "What this is going to do is make a platform for him to continually try to amend the existing [state] ban...."

Shurden said he's not trying to amend the existing cockfighting ban, something he tried the past few years without success.

US Researchers Find Kinship Between Whale And Hippo

...in 1985, scientists found a much closer relationship between hippos and whales after analyzing blood proteins and other molecular data of the two animals.... The latest analysis, according to [UC Berkeley researcher Jean-Renaud] Boisserie, finally brings the fossil evidence into accord with the molecular data, showing that whales and hippos indeed are one another's closest relatives.

Lawmaker Says He Shares Homes With 2 Women

The Memphis [TN] Democrat has tried to make use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.

In the hearing, Ford said he lives some days with ex-wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford and the three children they had together. On others, he said, he stays with his longtime girlfriend, Connie Mathews, and their two children.... Ford and Mitchell-Ford went through a bitter divorce in 2002 that led to Mitchell-Ford's jailing after she plowed her car through Mathews' home....

Ford is battling a lawsuit filed by Dana Smith, who is trying to increase his court-ordered support of their 10-year-old daughter. Smith, a former employee under Ford, won a 1996 sexual harassment verdict against him....

[Judge] Hogan rejected Ford's request [to employ Ford's support-cap law], saying he must produce evidence of bills paid if he wants credit to lessen any modification of Smith's child support.... [Mitchell-Ford] said she is six months pregnant, and the father, she said, is John Ford, now 62.

Court-Martial Judge Sentences 1st Cav Soldiers In Death Of Translator

The charges stemmed from the Nov. 24 shooting death of an Iraqi interpreter. Prosecutors said Hooser shot the woman in the head and later denied involvement in the death. They said Dajani supplied the gun used to kill the translator.

Schwarzenegger 'Damages Austria'

Peter Pilz, of the Green Party, said the Californian governor broke Austrian law by allowing Donald Beardslee's death by lethal injection on Wednesday....

Mr Pilz said Austrian law states that citizenship can be revoked if an Austrian "in the service of another country substantially damages the interests or reputation of the republic by his or her behaviour."

Mr Pilz said: "Capital punishment is unacceptable in Austria and in Europe, and no Austrian citizen may take part in it or arrange it."

Bush's Words On Liberty Don't Mesh With Policies

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, was struck by the fact that Bush mentioned "liberty" repeatedly [in his second inaugural speech] but did not use the phrase "human rights" as an overriding goal.

"The decision to speak in terms of liberty instead of human rights was deliberate... It's easy to say I'm for liberty but difficult to say I'm for human rights when he's overseeing what we know is a conscious policy of coercive interrogation..."

During her confirmation hearings this week, Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice also stressed that she would focus on spreading democracy and freedom around the globe.... [Sen Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)] challenged her to explain why the administration looks the other way when it comes to countries with near-dictatorships, such as Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan...

• Some of the administration's allies in the war against terrorism -- including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan -- are ranked by the State Department as among the worst human rights abusers.
• The president has proudly proclaimed his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin while remaining largely silent about Putin's dismantling of democratic institutions in the past four years.
• Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup, reneged last month on a promise to give up his title as army chief of staff, eliciting little protest from the administration.
• The State Department, in its annual human rights report, has cited Uzbekistan for its "very poor" human rights record, including the torture and killing of citizens in custody for political reasons.... Yet Bush met with Uzbekistan's president in 2002 and signed a declaration of "strategic partnership..."
• [Freedom House executive director Jennifer Windsor] noted that the administration signed free-trade deals with Morocco and Bahrain, which, after some promising steps toward political reforms, have begun to crack down on human rights groups.

US Right Attacks SpongeBob Video

The video also features children's favourites like Bob the Builder, along with characters from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. But James Dobson, founder of right-wing Christian group Focus on the Family, singled out SpongeBob at a black-tie dinner in Washington in the run-up to President Bush's inauguration, the New York Times said.

SpongeBob -- who appears on the children's cable channel Nickelodeon -- is seen as an icon for adult gay men in the US, apparently because he regularly holds hands with his sidekick Patrick.... "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organisation is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," Paul Batura, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, told the New York Times.

Mentally Ill Family Member Of Hitler's Was Gassed

One of the thousands of victims of the Nazi regime's program to kill mentally ill people was a relative of Adolf Hitler, two historians said Tuesday. The woman, identified only as Aloisia V., was 49 when she was gassed on Dec. 6, 1940, at an institution in the Hartheim castle near the northern Austrian city of Linz, historian Timothy Ryback said.

Ryback, an American historian who heads the Obersalzberg Institute in Berchtesgaden, Germany, said the details surrounding the woman's death surfaced last week after Obersalzberg archivist Florian Beierl gained access to her medical file at a Vienna medical institution where she had been treated. An ink stamp on the file serves as "proof of extermination..."

Summers' Remarks On Women Draw Fire

The president of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers, sparked an uproar at an academic conference Friday when he said that innate differences between men and women might be one reason fewer women succeed in science and math careers. Summers also questioned how much of a role discrimination plays in the dearth of female professors in science and engineering at elite universities....

In his talk, according to several participants, Summers also used as an example one of his daughters, who as a child was given two trucks in an effort at gender-neutral parenting. Yet she treated them almost like dolls, naming one of them "daddy truck," and one "baby truck." It was during his comments on ability that [MIT biologist Nancy] Hopkins, sitting only 10 feet from Summers, closed her computer, put on her coat, and walked out.

Cancer Claims Ex-McDonald's CEO Bell At 44

[Sydney, Australia] Charlie Bell, who worked his way up McDonald's Corp. to become its chief executive last year, has died of cancer in his native Australia. He was 44....

Bell was chosen to follow former chief James Cantalupo, who died of a heart attack in April 2004.

Dr. King or Gens. Jackson, Lee?

During this holiday weekend, Virginia commemorates the lives of three men who fought for what many people consider to be warring, inconsistent ideals....

In 1984, the Virginia General Assembly approved a state holiday to observe King's birthday, which is Jan. 15. State legislators also decided to celebrate birthdays for ["Stonewall"] Jackson and [Robert E] Lee on the same day. Recognizing all three men with a single state holiday was a compromise to assure passage of a state holiday for King.

US Military Pondered Love Not War

The plans were obtained under the US Freedom of Information by the Sunshine Project, a group which monitors research into chemical and biological weapons.

The plan for a so-called "love bomb" envisaged an aphrodisiac chemical that would provoke widespread homosexual behaviour among troops, causing what the military called a "distasteful but completely non-lethal" blow to morale.

Christian Group Never Had Custody Of Orphans

Henry Lantang, a Protestant minister in eastern Indonesia... had read on a popular Indonesian news Web site, detik.com, that 300 children were waiting at the airport in Banda Aceh... Lantang said he e-mailed that information to a friend in Virginia. "I only quoted that in my e-mail. I did not say we already had hold of the 300 children..."

Last weekend, WorldHelp launched an urgent fundraising appeal among evangelical Christians in the United States. "The Aceh people strongly and even violently oppose other religions. They are unreached with the gospel," the group said on its Web site. "If we can place [the Muslim orphans] in a Christian children's home, their faith in Christ could become the foothold to reach the Aceh people."

Speaker Tells Palo Alto Students That Stripping Can Be Lucrative

The school has asked [William] Fried to give his 55-minute presentation, "The Secret of a Happy Life," for the past three years. A tip sheet he distributes to students includes a list of 140 potential careers and areas of interest they can consider pursuing. Along with professions as accounting and nursing, the list offers such nontraditional suggestions as exotic dancing, stripping and acting as a spiritual medium.

He counsels students to experiment with a variety of interests until they discover their "life's purpose," something they love and excel in....

But on Tuesday, some students asked Fried to expand on why he included "exotic dancing" on the list. Fried spent about a minute answering questions... He told students, "For every two inches up there [bust size], you should get another $50,000 on your salary," student Jason Garcia, 14, said.

Homeowners Association Shuts Down Kids' Fund-Raiser

[Boca Raton, FL] Two girls... raised almost $200 in two hours Sunday selling lemonade around the corner from their Boca Raton home. Woodfield Country Club security -- with their police lights flashing -- put a stop to that....

Two people called security, according to [Homeowner Association President Rick] Coffin. He said the association had concerns about kids near what he described as a busy intersection inside the club.

"It wasn't explained to the kids that it was a security issue," Carol Chenkin said. Seven parents watched over the kids who came to help sell lemonade. "It wasn't like we were going to let our kids get run over..."

Rather Saves Job, But Reputation Takes Hit

As his anchor career nears its end in March, Dan Rather's reputation as a hard-charging news reporter took some damaging blows from the independent panel that probed CBS' discredited story on President Bush's National Guard service....

Boccardi and Thornburgh's 224-page report catalogued a long series of missteps, essentially saying the report was aired too soon under competitive pressure [with a USA Today investigation] without being thoroughly checked out....

"Such error layered upon error can only happen when there is a rigid political orthodoxy that not only does not encourage dissent, it does not even recognized that dissent might exist," said Michael Paranzino, founder of a Web log encouraging a boycott of CBS.

Rule Requires Grocery Stores To Spell Out Seafood's Origin

Starting April 4, large supermarket chains must label the country of origin for all the unprocessed seafood they sell. The labeling rule, part of the 2002 farm bill, will also eventually apply to red meat, pork, fruits, vegetables and peanuts.

Putting A Healthy Spin On Processed Foods

The scramble to put new products in the grocery store comes as fast-food restaurants have revamped their menus to attract more health-oriented families. Kids' meals now come with a choice of fries or fresh fruit and, sometimes, applesauce. For drinks, kids can choose soda, apple juice or milk.

In fact, milk sales have soared since the chains replaced the staid and often hard-to-open cartons with snazzy plastic bottles and added chocolate milk to their menus. At Wendy's, milk sales recently jumped to more than 1 million bottles a week from 65,000 cartons a week a year ago, while McDonald's milk sales have doubled, to more than 200 million units over the past year.

Springer Opera Draws 1.7M Viewers

At least 45,000 people had contacted the BBC to complain about swearing and religious themes in the opera.... The show was reported to contain a total of 8,000 obscenities -- a total reached by adding every swear word sung by each member of the 27-strong chorus.

Pundit's Role In Education 'Propaganda' Draws Ire; Column Cut

The department's arrangement with Williams required him "to regularly comment on [No Child Left Behind] during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.

The contract also shows that the Education Department, through the Ketchum public relations firm, arranged with Williams to use contacts with America's Black Forum, a group of black broadcast journalists, "to encourage the producers to periodically address" NCLB. He persuaded radio and TV personality Steve Harvey to invite Paige onto his show twice....

By accepting the money, the [Tribune Media Services] statement said, Williams created, at the very least, the appearance of a conflict of interest. "Under these circumstances, readers may well ask themselves if the views expressed in his columns are his own, or whether they have been purchased by a third party,' the statement said.

Mexico Offers Tips For Crossing Border In Comic Book

"It's kind of like illegal immigration for dummies," said the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, Mark Krikorian. "Promoting safe illegal immigration is not the same as arguing against it...."

Using color drawings and simple text, the booklets warn migrants of the dangers of crossing in desert and mountain areas. They include basic dos and don'ts, such as adding salt to water to avoid dehydration and never to resist arrest or carry drugs.... Once in the United States, the booklet recommends: "Don't call attention to yourself.... Avoid loud parties.... Don't become involved in fights."

Yates Expert Calls Falsehoods 'Honest Mistake'

Dietz said on the stand during Yates trial that there had been an episode on the TV show "Law and Order" in which a woman was found not guilty by reason of insanity of drowning her children. However, no such episode exists.

Friday, Dietz told ABC's "Good Morning America" that prosecutors had told him in "passing conversation" that there was such an episode. "I put that in my notes and must have remembered those notes," he said.

Ashlee Simpson Booed At Orange Bowl

Ashlee Simpson's Orange Bowl halftime performance was a lemon, according to the 72,000-plus Miami crowd. The 20-year-old singer received a discernible chorus of boos following a performance of her song "La La."

"You make me wanna scream," she sang before the audience jeered....

The negative vocal reaction came months after Simpson's performance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," which revealed she used background vocal tracks. The mishap was later attributed to acid reflux.

Shy Kids Process Facial Expressions Differently

Italian researchers say the brains of children who are very shy appear to have a different pattern of processing other peoples' neutral and hostile facial expressions.... The study findings indicate that shy children seem to have diminished brain involvement and partially impaired reading in response to hostile or neutral facial expressions.

Site Wins Right to Dub Famed Stuntman 'Pimp'

[San Francisco] Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel cannot sue a Web site that published a photo of him with two women above a caption reading "You're never too old to be a pimp," a U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

The term "pimp" was probably intended as a compliment, the court said. But Knievel said, "What good is law in the United States of America if five or six goddamn bimbos are going to rule against it...?" Knievel, 66, added that he would ask his lawyer to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.