Astronauts step outside space station for lube job
Nov 18 03:20 PM US/Eastern By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Two astronauts stepped outside the international space station Tuesday for an unprecedented clean and lube job on a gummed-up joint. Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen Bowen were armed with grease guns, putty knives and oven-like terry cloth mitts to wipe away metal grit from the clogged joint. It was the first of four spacewalks planned for space shuttle Endeavour's two-week visit to the space station; the astronauts also are making home improvements. For more than a year, the jammed joint has been unable to automatically point the right-side solar wings toward the sun for maximum energy production. The repair work—expected to be greasy and hand-intensive—will take up much of all four spacewalks. The joint is located near the extreme reaches of the 220-mile-high outpost. The spacewalkers had 85-foot safety tethers to keep them connected to the mother ship at all times. NASA suspects a lack of lubrication caused the massive joint to break down; grinding parts left metal shavings everywhere and prompted flight controllers to use the joint sparingly. Besides scraping and wiping away the grit and applying grease, the spacewalkers will replace the bearings. As a precaution, extra grease will be applied on a later spacewalk to the joint on the opposite side of the space station that has allowed those solar wings to produce ample electricity. Before tackling the joint repairs, Stefanyshyn-Piper and Bowen had to get some relatively mundane work out of the way. First on their to-do list: collecting an empty nitrogen gas tank outside the space station and hauling it back to the docked shuttle for return to Earth. Then they had to move an ammonia hose coupler from the shuttle over to the station, storing it on a giant toolbox holding other spare parts. Like other tasks on this mission, the astronauts began the spacewalk early. "OK, let's go out," said Stefanyshyn-Piper, the first woman to serve as a lead spacewalker on a shuttle flight. The spacewalk was expected to continue well into Tuesday evening. As the action unfolded outside, the astronauts inside the shuttle-station complex started unloading the gear inside a huge trunk that was brought up by Endeavour. The big-ticket item—and one of the first things to be hooked up—is a recycling system that will convert astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water. It is essential if NASA is to double the size of the space station crew to six next June. Endeavour also delivered an extra bathroom, kitchenette, two bedrooms, an exercise machine and refrigerator that will allow space station residents to enjoy cold drinks for the first time. Until now, they have had to settle for tepid or hot beverages. The additions—coming exactly 10 years after the first space station piece was launched—will transform the place into a two-bath, two-kitchen, five-bedroom home. Endeavour and its crew of seven arrived at the space station Sunday. The shuttle will remain docked through until at least Thanksgiving. The next spacewalk is set for Thursday.

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

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Example for the word (YOU)

YOU

763 = 7 + 6 + 3 = 16 = 7 

Pick 3 # = 167

The Bowl Championship Series is coming to ESPN starting in January 2011 (following the 2010 regular season).

ESPN and the BCS announced the deal on Tuesday. It includes exclusive television, radio, digital, international and marketing rights for the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls from 2011-2014 and the BCS title game from 2011 to 2013.

The Rose Bowl will continue to be televised on ABC through 2014 under a separate, previous contract. The Rose Bowl is also slated to host the 2014 title game.

ESPN is currently available in 98 million American homes. The current BCS deal with Fox Sports expires after the 2010 games.

This means the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls, plus the BCS Championship Game, will be televised in prime time each January. The schedule has not been released. There will also be a BCS show on ESPN every Sunday to unveil the current rankings.

The games will also be carried on ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio. Digital Media rights include operation of the official BCS Web site and the opportunity to simulcast the games online at ESPN360.com and on ESPN Mobile TV for mobile devices.

ESPN International will distribute and televise the BCS matchups around the world through networks and syndication, including on the re-branded ESPN America in Europe (known as NASN until Feb. 2009). In addition, ESPN has the right to televise BCS games on ESPN Deportes, the U.S. Spanish-language sports network.

"The BCS will thrive on ESPN," ESPN president George Bodenheimer said. "Our slogan is 'College Football Lives Here' and the BCS will now top college football's best regular-season and studio coverage, the sport's top awards shows, Bowl Week and other national championships all carried on our family of networks. This is a proud day for ESPN and an exceptional day for this great sport and its passionate fans."

"We are tremendously pleased to reach an agreement with ESPN and feel that the BCS games from 2011 to '14 will be in good hands," said BCS commissioner John Swofford, who is also the commissioner of the ACC. "With the continued growth of technology and the depth of coverage that ESPN gives to the college football fan on all its platforms during the regular season, this postseason partnership is a natural fit."

ESPN is available in just over 98 million U.S. homes, which is 86 percent of all households with televisions, according to Nielsen. Swofford expects that number to grow by 2011. Of the people who watched the BCS title game on Fox last season, 95 percent had cable or satellite, ESPN said.

Japan firm recalls 8 million bottles of U.S. mineral water

TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese firm recalled eight million bottles of U.S. mineral water on Monday after consumers complained it smelled like insecticide and medicine.

The case is the latest food scare in Japan, where consumer confidence has been shaken after several people complained of becoming ill from eating Chinese-made dumplings containing insecticide and instant noodles that had a chemical used in mothballs.

Otsuka Beverage Co Ltd, which is unlisted, said it is recalling the Crystal Geyser mineral water after receiving 75 complaints in October about its smell.

Spokesman Kazuhiko Horiuchi said the firm did not find any abnormalities in the water, but the plastic bottles may have absorbed smells they were exposed to during storage.

He said no one had been made ill and the company saw no health effects.

The water's manufacturer, CG Roxane LLC, gives a contact address in San Francisco on its website. It also lists locations of springs across the United States where the water is obtained and says the water can be kept for several years but is best stored in an odor-free environment.

Japan has been hit by a string of food safety scandals in recent years, after traditional sweets and cookies were found to have false labeling and tainted food, such as frozen dumplings and beans, were found to be imported from China.

Last month, Kirin Beverage, part of Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings, recalled over half a million bottles of French mineral water Volvic after finding some of it smelled like paint.

Bahrain prince sues Michael Jackson in UK court

LONDON (Reuters) – A son of the king of Bahrain took U.S. pop star Michael Jackson to court on Monday for reneging on an agreement to record a new album and write an autobiography.

Bankim Thanki, the lawyer representing Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, told London's High Court that his client had made several payments to Jackson from 2005 onwards, including $35,000 to pay utility bills at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.

The court heard that the following month, in April 2005, Jackson asked for one million dollars through an assistant, the Press Association reported.

"Sheikh Abdullah made many more payments on his behalf or to others," Thanki said.

"Sheikh Abdullah began to support Mr. Jackson financially after 2005 when it became clear that Mr. Jackson was in very serious financial difficulties, much to Sheikh Abdullah's surprise," Thanki added.

The early financial support coincided with Jackson's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Despite his acquittal, the case left the 50-year-old performer's reputation and financial status in tatters.

Jackson spent time in Bahrain as a guest of the royal family following the trial, and in April 2006 a statement was released on behalf of Bahrain music label Two Seas Records announcing he would record a new album for release in 2007.

The sheikh is suing the pop legend for allegedly reneging on a $7 million "pay-back" agreement designed to repay money he advanced to Jackson during his financial troubles.

He said he and Jackson entered into a "combined rights agreement" under which the star was committed to a recording contract, an autobiography and a musical stage play.

But Jackson contests that there was no valid agreement and that the sheikh's case was based on "mistake, misrepresentation and undue influence."

In his pleaded defense, Jackson said the payments he received were "gifts" and that no project was ever finalized.

At the start of a court hearing set for up to 12 days, the judge heard that an application would be made for Jackson to give evidence via video link from Los Angeles.

SEC charges Mark Cuban with insider trading
Nov 17 01:07 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators have charged Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with insider trading for allegedly using confidential information on a stock sale to avoid more than $750,000 in losses. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Cuban on Monday in federal court in Dallas. The agency says that in June 2004, Cuban was invited to get in on the coming stock offering by Mamma.com Inc. after he agreed to keep the information private. The SEC says Cuban knew the shares would be sold below the current market price, and a few hours after receiving the information, told his broker to sell all shares in the search engine company.

Midday & Evening

** until 11-19-08 **

280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289

308, 318, 328, 338, 348, 358, 368, 378, 388, 398

609, 619, 629, 639, 649, 659, 669, 679, 689, 699

Monday 11-17-08

341, 553, 669, 315, 256, 858, 298, 423, 601, 632

186, 855, 152, 444, 6111, 7459, 2905, 4012

8057, 5862, 1156, 5666, 7755, 0923

2200, 5555, 7777, 8888

Pop stars, fans say goodbye to MTV's 'TRL'
Nov 17 09:28 AM US/Eastern By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Carson Daly chatted with Eminem, Beyonce gave a show-stopping performance, girls shrieked at the sight of Justin Timberlake and hundreds of fans lined up outside in Times Square for a glimpse at superstars. For few hours, it seemed like old times at MTV's "Total Request Live"—back when the show was not only music's most powerful force but a dominant part of pop culture. Unfortunately, it took the show's demise to make it relevant again. MTV pulled the plug on its most influential franchise Sunday night following years of declining ratings, but not before marking the occasion with celebration and nostalgia, as some of pop's biggest stars paid respects to the show that helped launch their careers. "I feel like they're kinda tearin' down my home," Eminem said via phone as he and Daly, "TRL's" first and most famous host, commiserated during the live, three-hour broadcast from the show's headquarters. "It's a bittersweet moment," Diddy, the show's most frequent guest, said as he cried mock tears and gave one of the final waves to the Times Square audience from "TRL's" glass-encased studios above. MTV has had other shows that will be remembered for changing the musical landscape, including "Yo! MTV Raps," but perhaps none greater than "TRL." It made its debut in 1998, just as the teen pop phenomenon was about to explode, when the rap-rock hybrid was bubbling over, and groups like Destiny's Child were considered emerging acts. While its concept of a video countdown show wasn't new, its model—which included a live show, an audience full of enthusiastic kids and viewer feedback—helped energize the teen fan base and made them music's tastemakers. Soon, "TRL" would become an integral part of boosting the careers of superstars like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Eminem and Christina Aguilera. It's no coincidence that their biggest sales, and pop's huge sales boom in the new millennium, came during the show's most potent era. "If it wasn't for 'TRL,' I don't think I would have this launching pad for my career," said a cigar-smoking Kid Rock, who came to prominence as a raucous rap-rocker on "TRL" with his baudy hit "Bawitdaba" but has since morphed into a country-rock career that is more CMT than MTV. "It's a big loss, not having this as a platform to promote our music," said 50 Cent in the show's waning moments. In its prime, "TRL" had "American Idol"-like power to influence sales on the pop charts, and became a required stop, not only for those on the road to pop stardom, but those in TV, movies and even sports superstars. Tom Cruise and Will Smith made stops before a new movie; all-star athletes like Derek Jeter mingled with the teens; even legends like Madonna and Michael Jackson made sure they got "TRL" face-time. The moments weren't always cheery, though. The Backstreet Boys broke news of member A.J. McLean's drug and alcohol rehab on the show; Mariah Carey's bizarre moment involving a striptease and ice cream defined her time of emotional instability. Both of those moments were replayed during Sunday's show, but the event mostly recalled its musical legacy, highlighted by performances from its most important alumni. Beyonce opened the show with her new singles, "If I Were A Boy" and "Single Ladies," but also gyrated to one of her superstar-making hit "Crazy in Love," which got endless plays on "TRL." "This show obviously launched the careers of so many people," said Daly, the now late-night talk show host who could include himself in that category. "This is a sad moment." Timberlake didn't perform, but arrived with JC Chasez, his fellow 'N Sync member, and hailed the show for making his launching-pad group one of music's best-selling acts. "This is like a high school reunion in a way," said Timberlake. "I feel like we all grew up together. 'TRL' was so integral to our careers." Like all reunions, the show featured appearances from its past graduating classes, like former VJs Vanessa Minnillo, Hilarie Burton (now an actress on "One Tree Hill") and trivia game answer Jesse Camp. Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Ludacris rapped some of their biggest hits in a hip-hop melody; Fall Out Boy performed in Times Square without the services of soon-to-be-dad Pete Wentz, who spoke later via phone (Wentz is the host of the video show that is taking the place of TRL—"FNMTV.") But TRL's greatest claim to fame was a no-show. Spears entire career, from its meteoric rise to tragic downturn to recent resurgence, was chronicled on TRL, but she didn't attend the goodbye gala. Still, her presence loomed large: As the show did its final countdown of all-time videos, her now-iconic first hit, "... Baby One More Time," emerged as the top video, and played as the credits of the show ran for the final time.

Midday & Evening

** until 11-21-08 **

553, 535, 413, 134, 431, 669, 966, 504, 365

645, 456, 546, 106, 663, 366, 186, 780, 444

Midday & Evening

** until 11-19-08 **

4677, 4679, 4670, 5780, 5784, 5781, 6519, 6518, 6514

2840, 2841, 2842, 2843, 2844, 2845, 2846, 2847, 2848

2849, 7626, 6726, 6692, 6693, 6695, 6696, 6698, 4667

Female General Breaks 'Brass Ceiling'

U.S. Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody Is America's First Female Four-Star General

By LUIS MARTINEZ

Nov. 14, 2008—

 

The military's highest glass ceiling was finally shattered today, as Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody became America's first female four-star general.

Dunwoody received her fourth star and the rank of general today during an emotional promotion ceremony held at the Pentagon and attended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Central Command Commander Gen. David Petraeus.

The auditorium housing the ceremony was so crowded that three-star generals had to stand off to the sides because there were no seats left in the hall.

"We invited everyone but the fire marshal," Gates said jokingly during his remarks.

Gates praised Dunwoody's accomplishments and said, "History will, no doubt, take note of her achievement in breaking through this final brass ceiling to pin on a fourth star. But she would rather be known and remembered, first and foremost, as a U.S. Army soldier. "

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey recalled that when Dunwoody was commissioned as an officer in 1975, an Army survey of both male and female soldiers that year concluded that the best career path for women in the Army was to serve as cooks. He said her career has mirrored how the Army has evolved since then.

"Although it's taken a long time, probably longer than it should have, what's happening here today is something our entire Army can celebrate and take pride in," he said.

When Dunwoody received her stars, the auditorium erupted in loud, sustained cheers and applause.

Dunwoody said she never envisioned a day like today, not even in her "wildest dreams."

"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she said. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family."

But she said the longer she stayed in the Army, the more she realized how her childhood dreams had become a reality. "I'm still sort of in the fitness business, and my family, there's nothing better than being part of a huge Army family that I've come to love so much."

"While I know I may be the first woman to achieve this honor, I know with certainty, I won't be the last," she said.

 

 

Dunwoody's Long Military History

Dunwoody's family has a long tradition of military service, including her great-grandfather, grandfather, father, brother, sister, niece and husband. Both her father and great-grandfather served as one-star generals in the Army. In her remarks, she praised her 89-year-old father, Brig. Gen. Harold Dunwoody, as "my hero."

At the time of her nomination Dunwoody said in a statement, "I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were." Her older sister was one of the Army's first helicopter pilots and her niece is a fighter pilot who has flown missions over Afghanistan.

Dunwoody is accustomed to making history as she has climbed up the ranks during her 33-year Army career. She was the first woman to be a battalion commander for the 82nd Airborne Division, and in 2000 she became the first woman to serve as a general at Fort Bragg.

Her climb up the ranks highlights the widening role that women play in the armed forces, but also their low numbers at the very top of the command structure.

Women make up 14 percent of the 1.4 million serving on active duty in the nation's military. And despite being excluded from units designed for direct combat, like infantry brigades, more than 100 women have died in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, where insurgent fights have put all military forces at risk for attack.

The ranks of female general officers throughout the armed forces has grown since 1970 when Anna Mae Hays became the first woman to attain the rank of general when promoted to brigadier general to become the chief of the Army Nurse Corps.

Today, 57 women hold the rank of general or admiral; five of them are three-star generals. But their numbers at the very top remain low. Among the Army's 391 generals, 21 of them -- or about 5 percent -- are women. But only four serve above the one-star rank of brigadier general.

Dunwoody said that she has been "humbled" by the enormous attention and support her promotion has received and that she hopes to remain a role model for both men and women in the military.

"I've heard from moms and dads who see this promotion as a beacon of hope for their own daughters, and after affirmation that anything is possible through hard work and commitment."

Eight good reasons to be cheerful

• Story Highlights
• Columnist shares a few excellent reasons to venture out in the world
• Reason one: You survived junior high, "Beowulf," feathering your bangs
• Reason three: Friend invented bacon ice cream
• Reason seven: Don Draper is mesmerizing every week on "Mad Men"

(OPRAH.com) -- It's probably good that I'm not rich. Money, it seems to me, sends people in one of three directions:

It accelerates an innate inclination to be generous, or it accelerates a kamikaze inclination to party with the Olsen twins, or it sucks away your sense of purpose and produces a desperate need to eat nothing but those little white cheddar Cheez-It crackers while staring blankly at an endless cycle of "Will & Grace" reruns.

I like to think that if I were rich, I'd be the kind of person who looks at the world and decides to fund cancer research and build schools and feed the hungry, and save whoever needs saving, but there's an excellent chance I'd be the kind of person who looks at the world and decides never to get out of bed again.

In fact, despite my very real (and utterly inconvenient) need to earn a living, I'm still the kind of person who leans toward the whole Cheez-It thing.

To begin with, I have a slight tendency toward depression (think Sylvia Plath listening to a freshly downloaded acoustic set from Leonard Cohen).

And when this particular brain chemistry is confronted with the incredibly unsettling knowledge that people no longer work like dogs to get ahead, they work like dogs just to stay where they are, well, a girl starts needing a few good reasons to get up, put on a little lipstick, and venture out.

But it's no secret that it's not pretty out there. Food prices are soaring, the housing market is plummeting, the middle class is disappearing, the climate is changing, and Madonna is touring.

This is all the more reason to keep a soothing thought or two close at hand. Someday soon, I promise, we can sit down together and come up with a breathtaking bucket list that finally commits us to skydiving with Morgan Freeman just as we've secretly prayed we would, but today I'm offering a different kind of list. Oprah.com: How you (yes, you!) should live your life

Good reasons to put on a little lipstick and venture out (or at least put on clean pajamas and raise your window shade a couple of inches):

• Junior high is just one long daisy chain of nonstop mean, and you have officially survived it. That's right, my friend, you may have to face locusts, drought, and World War III, but you can now go forth secure in the understanding that seventh grade is over.

You get to wake up each and every morning without worrying that Arleen Posner got the same Frye boots as you. You will never have to read "Beowulf," be groped by a 13-year-old reeking of his father's Aqua Velva, or feather your bangs again. The enormity of this revelation must not be underestimated.

• Javier Bardem walks among us.

• My delightfully decadent friend Stephen Whitlock recently discovered a recipe for bacon ice cream (DavidLebovitz.com), and get this -- the first step involves candying the bacon! Let's all take a moment of hushed reverence to contemplate this. Oprah.com: Five friends every woman should have

First came the polio vaccine, then Neil Armstrong made a giant leap for mankind, and today we actually have the technology to combine pork fat with butter fat, salty with sweet, crunchy with creamy. I firmly believe that what chicken soup does for the common cold, bacon ice cream will one day do for the premenstrual woman.

• One word: Spanx. We can now have our scoop of bacon ice cream and wear a clingy Diane Von Furstenberg jersey wrap dress too.

• Intelligent, witty, creative women appear to be on the rise. I like men. I like men so much that I even had a baby with one of 'em, but the baby is now 5, and it's nice to be able to show her some brilliantly talented females -- Rachel Maddow (MSNBC host), Mindy Kaling (playwright, producer, actress, "The Office"), Janice Lee (her debut novel, "The Piano Teacher", hits stores in January, and it's an absolute knockout) -- who are very good at what they do.

As role models go, Dora the Explorer only takes a mom so far. Besides, check out Dora's expressionless little brow -- I'm pretty sure it's coursing with Botox.

• Ordinarily, I would not include houseguests on my list of bright spots, but Mabel, the dog I am currently babysitting, is causing me to rethink my position.

Mabel suffers from a chronic greeting disorder that manifests itself as follows: I leave the room for 10, maybe 12 seconds. Upon reentry, Mabel welcomes me with a level of enthusiasm usually reserved for soldiers returning from three years in a POW camp -- a one-dog mariachi band of pure, unmitigated joy.

Unless my boyfriend and our daughter sense that I'm carrying a pizza, my return from nine or 10 hours at the office rarely merits more than a mumbled "They never came to fix the dishwasher." There's something to be said for a bit of good old-fashioned, uncomplicated affection, even when it comes from a shedding, slightly incontinent 14-year-old beagle.

• Tony Soprano is either dead or eating onion rings, but Don Draper is alive and mesmerizing every week on "Mad Men."

• You know those little stain remover pens that everybody keeps in their bags and desk drawers? I couldn't care less about them. Life is inherently messy, and I accept the odd spot of cranberry juice as part of God's great plan for me and the vast majority of my T-shirts.

But the other night at our local diner when Julia accidentally catapulted her chocolate milk shake across our booth, there was my pal Valerie, dry cleaner's pen, ice water, and paper napkins at the ready. Val is just one of those intuitive, insightful, ironic, wildly generous, deeply adorable women who, despite working two jobs, is quietly, unequivocally there for the people she loves.

If you need a complex carbohydrate, she's got the whole grain pasta salad. If you need a sock puppet, she's got the glue gun. If you need a boost, she's got the ceramic vase brimming with sunflowers. The woman once went on vacation, and I was absolutely bereft. Two weeks without Valerie Soll feels like a house without books.

You see, Javier Bardem, bacon ice cream, and all the mad men in the world don't change the hard truth that plans frequently fail and dreams have been known to dim. But come the morning, there are your friends offering sweet salvation and good gossip and the occasional glass of Sauvignon Blanc with lunch. If ever there was a reason for hope, I think maybe that's it.

Al Qaeda in Iraq on 'verge of defeat,' CIA chief says

BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Friday, November 14th 2008, 3:55 AM

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda no longer sees Iraq as the central front in its war on the West, CIA Director Michael Hayden said Thursday.

"Al Qaeda in Iraq is on the verge of strategic defeat," Hayden said in a major speech on the continued threat posed by Osama Bin Laden's thugs.

"Today, the flow of money, weapons, and foreign fighters into Iraq is greatly diminished, and Al Qaeda senior leaders no longer point to it as the central battlefield," the spy chief told the Atlantic Council.

The politically astute official's remarks - and his argument the Afghan-Pakistan border is now ground zero in the global jihad - is in sync with President-elect Barack Obama.

The Bush appointee's remarks sharply departed from the current President's talking points, and came as Obama is deciding if he wants Hayden to stay or go.

On Sept. 9, Bush said, "Al Qaeda leaders have repeatedly declared that Iraq is the central front of their war with America."

Hayden - who is known to want to keep his job - also repeated his view that Bin Laden is too bent on staying alive to oversee his henchmen's plots against the West.

"He appears to be largely isolated from the day-to-day operations of the organization he leads," the CIA chief explained.

Of immediate worry is that Pakistan's lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan is a safe haven.

"Virtually every major terrorist threat my agency is aware of has threads back to the tribal areas," Hayden said. Intelligence officials say any future U.S. attacks will have been planned there.

The CIA is engaging in a massive offensive in those areas. Unmanned drones have fired missiles 20 times since August.

A rising fear is that Iraq insurgents will "bleed out" to commit terror elsewhere. "Iraq [insurgent] veterans have been involved in planning attacks in Europe and the U.S.," he said.