Guitar legend Doc Watson dies at 89 30 May 2012 11:54 PM (12 years ago)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

You could hear the mountains of North Carolina in Doc Watson's music. The rush of a mountain stream, the steady creak of a mule in leather harness plowing rows in topsoil and the echoes of ancient sounds made by a vanishing people were an intrinsic part of the folk musician's powerful, homespun sound.

It took Watson decades to make a name for himself outside the world of Deep Gap, N.C. Once he did, he ignited the imaginations of countless guitar players who learned the possibilities of the instrument from the humble picker who never quite went out of style. From the folk revival of the 1960s to the Americana movement of the 21st century, Watson remained a constant source of inspiration and a treasured touchstone before his death Tuesday at age 89.

Blind from the age of 1, Watson was left to listen to the world around him and it was as if he heard things differently from others. Though he knew how to play the banjo and harmonica from an early age, he came to favor the guitar. His flat-picking style helped translate the fiddle- and mandolin-dominated music of his forebears for an audience of younger listeners who were open to the tales that had echoed off the mountains for generations, and to the new lead role for the guitar.

"Overall, Doc will be remembered as one of America's greatest folk musicians. I would say he's one of America's greatest musicians," said David Holt, a longtime friend and collaborator who compared Watson to Lead Belly, Bill Monroe, Muddy Waters and Earl Scruggs.

Like those pioneering players, Watson took a regional sound and made it into something larger, a piece of American culture that reverberates for decades after the notes are first played.

"He had a great way of presenting traditional songs and making them accessible to a modern audience," Holt said. "Not just accessible, but truly engaging."

Watson died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he was hospitalized recently after falling at his home in Deep Gap, 100 miles northwest of Charlotte. He underwent abdominal surgery while in the hospital and had been in critical condition for several days.

Touched and toughened by tragedy several times in life, Watson had proven his mettle repeatedly. Singer Ricky Skaggs called Watson "an old ancient warrior."

"He prepared all of us to carry this on," Skaggs said. "He knew he wouldn't last forever. He did his best to carry the old mountain sounds to this generation."

Watson's simple, unadorned voice conveyed an unexpected amount of emotion, but it was his guitar playing that always amazed - and intimidated. Countless guitarists have tried to emulate Watson's renditions of songs such as "Tennessee Stud," "Shady Grove" and "Deep River Blues."

Mandolin player Sam Bush remembers feeling that way when he first sat down next to "the godfather of all flatpickers" in 1974.

"But Doc puts you at ease about that kind of stuff," Bush said. "I never met a more generous kind of musician. He is more about the musical communication than showing off with hot licks. ... He seems to always know what notes to play. They're always the perfect notes. He helped me learn the space between the notes is as valuable as the ones you play."

Arthel "Doc" Watson was born March 3, 1923, and lost his eyesight when he developed an eye infection that was worsened by a congenital vascular disorder, according to a website for Merlefest, the annual musical gathering named for his late son Merle.

He came from a musical family. His father was active in the church choir and played banjo and his mother sang secular and religious songs, according to a statement from Folklore Productions, his management company since 1964.

Watson learned a few guitar chords while attending the North Carolina Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, and his father helped him buy a Stella guitar for $12.

"My real interest in music was the old 78 records and the sound of the music," Doc Watson is quoted as saying on the website. "I loved it and began to realize that one of the main sounds on those old records I loved was the guitar."

The wavy-haired Watson got his musical start in 1953, playing electric lead guitar in a country-and-western swing band. His road to fame began in 1960 when Ralph Rinzler, a musician who also managed Bill Monroe, discovered Watson in North Carolina. That led Watson to the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 and his first recording contract a year later. He went on to record 60 albums, and wowed fans ranging from `60s hippies to those who loved traditional country and folk music.

Seven of his albums won Grammy awards; his eighth Grammy was a lifetime achievement award in 2004. He also received the National Medal of the Arts from President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Guitarist Pete Huttlinger of Nashville, Tenn., said Watson made every song his own, regardless of its age.

"He's one of those lucky guys," said Huttlinger, who studied Watson's methods when he first picked up a guitar. "When he plays something, he puts his stamp on it - it's Doc Watson."

Merle began recording and touring with him in 1964. But Merle Watson died at age 36 in a 1985 tractor accident, sending his father into deep grief and making him consider retirement. Instead, he kept playing and started Merlefest, an annual musical event in Wilkesboro, N.C., that raises money for a community college there and celebrates "traditional plus" music.

"When Merle and I started out we called our music `traditional plus,' meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian region plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play," Doc Watson is quoted as saying on the festival's website. "Since the beginning, the people of the college and I have agreed that the music of MerleFest is `traditional plus.'"

Watson never let his blindness hold him back musically or at home. He rose from playing for tips to starring at Carnegie Hall.

And he was just as proficient at home. Joe Newberry, a musician and spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, remembered once when his wife called the Watson home. Rosa Lee Watson, Watson's wife since 1947, said her husband was on the roof, replacing shingles. His daughter Nancy Watson said her father built the family's utility shed.

It's that same kind of self-sufficiency that once led him to refuse his government disability check.

"He basically started making enough money performing - couple of hundred dollars a week," Holt said. "So he went to the services for the blind and said he was making enough money to support his family and they should take what they were giving him and give it to somebody who needed it more."

In 2011, a life-size statue of Watson was dedicated in Boone, N.C. At Watson's request the inscription read, "Just One of the People," echoing a statement he'd once made to Holt about how he'd like to be remembered.

"Just as a good ol' down-to-earth boy that didn't think he was perfect and that loved music," Watson said. "And I'd like to leave quite a few friends behind and I hope I will. Other than that, I don't want nobody putting me on a pedestal when I leave here. I'm just one of the people ... just me."

Andy Rooney Dies 5 Nov 2011 10:39 PM (13 years ago)

Legendary CBS News commentator Andy Rooney, whose weekly “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” commentaries on “60 Minutes” made him a welcome guest in millions of people’s homes across the country, died last night in the hospital in New York City of complications following minor surgery.

Born January 14, 1919 in Albany New York, Rooney began his journalism career in the U.S. Army, where he wrote for the Stars & Stripes newspaper during World War II. He would join CBS in 1949 as a writer for a number of entertainment programs, including “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” He wrote his first essay–a precursor to the sorts of essays he would write for “60 Minutes”–in 1964.

Rooney partnered with CBS correspondent Harry Reasoner to write and produce a number of commentaries from 1964-1968, and served as a producer on the first few seasons of “60 Minutes.” His “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” segment became a regular feature in 1978, and it remained a staple of the program until ending it in September.

Rooney has written a regular newspaper column for Tribune starting in 1979, and has also written 16 books. He received a lifetime achievement Emmy Ward from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2003.

In his final regular “60 Minutes” appearance, Rooney reflected on his career, and as he so often did in his commentaries, he explained his thoughts in a straightforward, concise manner.

“I’ve done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things I’ve complained about, I can’t complain about my life,” Rooney said.

He is survived by his four children, as well as his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His children include ABC News correspondent Brian Rooney and WGBH and former “ABC World News” EP Emily Rooney, and one of his grandchildren, Justin Fishel, is the Pentagon producer for Fox News Channel.

Helicopter Crashes Into The East River 4 Oct 2011 7:27 PM (13 years ago)

Helicopter Crashes Into The East River At 34th Street; Five Aboard

NEW YORK (AP) — A helicopter with five people aboard crashed into New York City's East River on Tuesday afternoon after taking off from a launch pad on the riverbank, killing one and seriously injuring at least two.

The pilot and three others were pulled alive from the water by rescue crews shortly after the chopper went down. The body of a woman also on the Bell 206 helicopter, which was submerged in the murky water, was recovered later, police spokesman Paul Browne said.

The private chopper went into the river off 34th Street in midtown Manhattan. It's unclear what happened, but witnesses said it was sputtering and appeared to be in some type of mechanical distress.

A massive rescue effort had been under way with a dozen boats and divers in the cold, grey water before the woman's body was recovered.

The conditions of those who were rescued weren't immediately available. The fire department said at least two people were taken to area hospitals in serious condition.

An FDNY official tells the New York Times:

"One is in cardiac arrests and one is in respiratory arrest," said James Long, a department spokesman.
A man was in "serious condition" at New York University Langone Medical Center.
A second man, who Mr. Long said is the pilot, is still being treated at the location of the crash and is conscious, said Mr. Long.
ABC News reports that the passengers were all tourists from the United Kingdom.

Joy Garnett and her husband were on the dock waiting to take the East River ferry to Brooklyn when they heard the blades of a helicopter and saw it start to take off from the nearby helipad. She said she saw it do "a funny curlicue."

"I thought, `Is that some daredevil move?'" she said. "But it was obviously out of control. The body spun around at least two or three times, and then it went down."

She said the chopper had lifted about 25 feet off the ground before it dropped into the water without much of a splash. It flipped over, and the blades were sticking up out of the river. She said people on the dock started throwing in life jackets and buoys. Two people came up out of the waves.

"It didn't make much noise," she said. "It was just a splash and sunk."

The Bell 206 Jet Ranger (pictured below) is one of the world's most popular helicopter models and was first flown in January 1966. They are light and highly maneuverable, making them popular with television stations and air taxi companies. A new one costs between $700,000 and $1.2 million.
On Aug. 8, 2009 a small plane collided with a helicopter over the Hudson River, on the other side of Manhattan, killing nine people, including five Italian tourists. A government safety panel found that an air traffic controller who was on a personal phone call had contributed to the accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration changed its rules for aircraft flying over New York City's rivers after that collision. Pilots must call out their positions on the radio and obey a 161 mph speed limit. Before the changes, such radio calls were optional.

Earlier that year, an Airbus 320 airliner landed in the Hudson River after hitting birds and losing both engines shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport. The flight, U.S. Airways Flight 1549, became known as the Miracle on the Hudson plane.

NANCY GRACE Nip Slip Cover Up 28 Sep 2011 6:53 PM (13 years ago)

Nancy Grace insists her nipple did NOT make a surprise appearance on "Dancing with the Stars" -- but some preeminent nipple experts (in our newsroom) ain't buying what Nancy's selling.
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Jessy Dixon Dead 26 Sep 2011 7:10 PM (13 years ago)

Gospel Legend Dies In Chicago At 73

CHICAGO — Jessy Dixon, a singer and songwriter who introduced his energetic style of gospel music to wider audiences by serving as pop singer Paul Simon's opening act, died Monday. He was 73.

Miriam Dixon said her brother died Monday morning at his Chicago home. She said he had been sick but declined to provide additional details.

During a more than 50-year career, Dixon wrote songs for several popular singers, including jazz and rhythm and blues singer Randy Crawford. He later wrote songs performed by Cher, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole and Amy Grant.

But it was for his gospel singing – religious music that combined the rhythmic beat of blues, jazz and soul – that Dixon first gained attention. It was during an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1972 with his Jessy Dixon Singers that Dixon first came to Simon's attention. For the next eight years, Dixon toured with the pop icon, collaborating on Simon's `Live Rhymin' Simon' and `Still Crazy' albums.

Dixon also played keyboard with Earth Wind and Fire and guitarist Phillip Upchurch.

Miriam Dixon said her brother

Dixon, who began studying music at age 5, aspired to be classical pianist but told The Associated Press in a 1997 interview that he always knew his talent was destined for use in the church.

Born March 12, 1938, in San Antonio, Dixon's professional compass was set by gospel music legend James Cleveland, who heard Dixon's teen group perform at a theatre in the south Texas city. Dixon said Cleveland liked the group, but he liked Dixon more and persuaded him to move to Chicago to join his group, the Gospel Chimes, as both a singer and pianist.

Chicago's South Side was the place to be for a gospel musician, especially in the early 1960s.

"Going to church was like going to school," Dixon said. At church, he heard the likes of Mahalia Jackson and blues pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey, who is credited with creating modern gospel singing.

"Reading his (Dorsey's) music and studying it, he was the one who wrote for Tennessee Ernie Ford, Elvis Presley and Pat Boone," Dixon said. "All these people were singing his music and were making it commercial."

Dixon credited the creativity of artists like percussionist Maurice White and blues singer Willie Dixon, no relation, inspired him to compose. He started with choral music for Chicago's Thompson Community Singers, for which he sat at the keyboards. Several of his early songs have become classics, sung in churches across America, including: "Sit At His Feet and be Blessed," "These Old Heavy Burdens" and "I Love to Praise His Name."

His more recent compositions gained him even wider acceptance. Dixon's "I Am Redeemed," released in 1993, lingered on Billboard magazine's gospel chart for more than five years.

After his stint with Simon ended, Dixon rode a wave of increased gospel music interest during the 1980s to build a following in Europe.

During his 1997 interview, Dixon noted that when he first began touring on his own outside the United States in the 1980s, the small audiences didn't have much respect for gospel as religious expression.

"At first it was viewed as entertainment," he said. "But now when I go, they ask me to share my faith as a Christian."

In the United States, Dixon was a long-time fixture on composer and singer Bill Gaither's Gospel Series, video concert broadcast on religious oriented cable television stations.

During his career, Dixon was able to produce five gold records and garner several Grammy nominations.

Dixon, is survived by a brother and sister.

Jennifer Lopez - Papi (Live At iHeartRadio 2011) 25 Sep 2011 7:38 AM (13 years ago)

Herman Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll 24 Sep 2011 9:46 PM (13 years ago)

oday’s Florida straw poll results are finally in– and whatever it is they mean for the candidates, well, it isn’t entirely clear. The winner by a 22% margin is former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, trailed Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, only divided by one percentage point.

Cain, who gave one of the most well-received speeches at the event and came off a solid performance at Thursday’s Republican debate, received 37% of the vote at the CPACFL conference, with Perry, at 15%, the closest one behind. Romney received 14% of the vote, followed by Rick Santorum at 11%, Rep. Ron Paul at 10%, Newt Gingrich at 8%, Jon Huntsman at 2%, and rounding out the rear Rep. Michele Bachmann at 1%.

Over on Fox News, Carl Cameron declared the results a “clear message” for Perry that his debate performance did not go over so well, and that his supporters were willing to default to Cain and not Romney. For Cain himself, Cameron argued, it was a “huge, huge win” in terms of fundraising and name recognition. The news is also tremendously upsetting for the winner of the Iowa straw poll, Rep. Bachmann, given that she came in behind Huntsman.

For a full appreciation of the results, however, one must take into account that Romney, Bachmann, and New Mexico governor Gary Johnson were not on the ballot, and that Huntsman, Perry, and Paul were not at the event to campaign whatsoever.

Occupy Wall Street Protest 24 Sep 2011 7:30 PM (13 years ago)

Tensions are rising at the Occupy Wall Street protest, currently in its eighth day, as organizers for the protest claim that 80 have been arrested. Eyewitness accounts report that "dozens" have been arrested. Police would not confirm the exact number. Videos and eyewitness accounts show violent clashing between protesters and the police.

WNYC reports that "of the dozens arrested, most were for disorderly conduct, obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic, resisting arrest and, in one case, assaulting a police officer, the police said."

The skirmish escalated in Union Square Saturday afternoon, as Twitter users report a huge influx of police officers. This video, below, appears to show female protesters being penned and maced by police officers:

Rampage Jackson v. Jon Jones 24 Sep 2011 7:02 PM (13 years ago)

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Eschewing their normal Tuesday slot, the UFC is hosting a media conference call at 2 p.m. ET to promote UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage. Scheduled to participate on the call are UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, UFC Hall of Famer and former welterweight champion Matt Hughes, and Ultimate Fighter 1 alum Josh Koscheck. UFC President Dana White will also be present.

Follow Mike Fagan on Twitter for instant updates. Matt Roth will provide a digest of those updates here. Check back for a full recap at the conclusion of the proceedings.

Jon Jones is making his first defense of the title after beating Mauricio Rua for the belt at UFC 128. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is 2-1 in UFC title fights. He defeated Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 in 2007 to win the light heavyweight title.

Matt Hughes last fought last November at UFC 123. B.J. Penn knocked him out at the 21-second mark of the first round. Josh Koscheck has been recovering from a broken orbital bone that he suffered in his loss against UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre back in December.

Clemson vs Florida State 24 Sep 2011 6:19 PM (13 years ago)

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson's Chad Morris can't wait to see what happens when the 21st-ranked Tigers truly master his offense. Not that things have gone too badly so far.

No. 21 Clemson knocked off a ranked opponent for the second straight week as Tajh Boyd threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in a 35-30 victory over No. 11 Florida State on Saturday.

The Tigers opened 4-0 for the first time since 2007 and got a leg up in the ACC Atlantic Division by holding off last year's divisional champion Seminoles (2-2, 0-1 ACC).

And Clemson accomplished it with an offense led by first-year coordinator Morris that piles up yards, strikes for big plays and finds openings at the most critical times.

It was the Tigers fourth game this season with 455 yards or better and Boyd's second straight with 300-plus passing yards.

"I'm super excited about how our players keep growing this offense and executing. And we're only four games into this offense," Morris said. "It's crazy."

Clemson again struck best through the air. Boyd had 344 yards on 23 of 37 passing. Freshman Sammy Watkins continued his stellar year with eight catches for 141 yards and his fifth and sixth touchdown catches of 24 and 62 yards. Andre Ellington added 71 yards rushing, tied for the most the Seminoles have allowed this year.

Yet, Boyd said Clemson has had to overcome the doubters this year, those who feel the Tigers haven't progressed that far from their 6-7 season of 2010.

"We believe in ourselves so much as a team," Boyd said. "We're watching ESPN and all three people say we're not going to win the game. We feed off of that."

Florida State played without starting quarterback EJ Manuel, hurt in last week's 23-13 loss to top-ranked Oklahoma. Backup Clint Trickett kept the Seminoles in this, though, with 336 yards and three touchdown passes.

His 9-yard touchdown throw to Kenny Shaw brought Florida State to 35-30 with 7:21 to go. The Seminoles had one final chance and Shaw, taken from the Oklahoma game in an ambulance after a crunching hit, was open at midfield on the final drive but didn't make the catch. Trickett was sacked by lineman Rennie Moore on fourth down and the Tigers ran out the clock.

When it was over, Tiger fans and players celebrated like they'd won a national title, swarming the field after beating Florida State the way they had a week earlier when they ended the 17-game win streak of defending BCS champion Auburn at Death Valley.

The Seminoles were ranked fifth in the country two weeks ago and considered a national championship contender. Now, they're not even tops in the ACC Atlantic after their second straight defeat.

"It's not going to be hard" to rebound, linebacker Vince Williams said. "It's just part of the process. This is one game. That's how we look at it."

Florida State gets a week off to heal – cornerback Greg Reid and receiver Bert Reed were also absent with injuries they've had this season – before it returns to action at Wake Forest on Oct. 8.

Some thought Boyd and the Tigers would wilt under Florida State's defensive speed and pressure. Clemson got a bonus, though – several critical mistakes by the Seminoles.

A pass interference call on cornerback Xavier Rhodes kept the Tigers opening drive alive on third-and-7 and Watkins finished things off three plays later with a 24-yard touchdown grab.

Florida State's defense stuffed Ellington on third-and-short to force a punt on Clemson's second series, but a penalty on safety Lamarcus Joyner for running into punter Dawson Zimmerman gave the Tigers back the ball. Boyd found DeAndre Hopkins for a 50-yard strike to the Seminoles 2 as the Death Valley crowd chanted Hopkins' nickname, "Nuuuuuke."

Boyd scored from a yard out to put Clemson ahead 14-3.

The Seminoles were called for another pass interference on Clemson's final scoring drive of the first half and Boyd made them pay once more on tight end Dwayne Allen's 12-yard scoring run for a 21-10 lead.

Trickett, who took all the snaps in practice this week, was effective in some spots and lost in others.

He launched a beautiful ball to Rodney Smith for a 57-yard catch, the Seminoles' lone TD in the first half. But on the Florida State's next series, threw right to Clemson linebacker Quandon Christian deep in Seminoles territory.

Boyd's awful decision to throw the ball while stumbling to the ground gave Florida State a touchdown when defensive end Bjoern Werner easily picked it off and returned it 25 yards to cut things to 21-17.

Ellington regained control for the Tigers when his 1-yard scoring run ended an 11-play drive withi 3:03 remaining.

While Florida State tightened up its defense in the second half, it kept hurting itself with penalties. The Seminoles ended with 11 penalties for 124 yards.

Trickett, the son of FSU offensive line coach Rick, was 24 of 38 with an interception and two sacks, both in the second half.

Smith had four catches for 118 yards. The Seminoles again couldn't get much going on the ground with 29 yards rushing.

(This version CORRECTS No. 21 Clemson 35, No. 11 Florida State 30; corrects Randy Smith to Rodney in 22nd graf)

Debate Audience Boos Gay Soldier 23 Sep 2011 6:50 PM (13 years ago)

During the Republican debate Thursday night, host Megyn Kelly dropped a YouTube clip on Rick Santorum: a question from Stephen Hill, a soldier in Iraq who, up until this week, had to "lie about who [he] was" in order to serve in the army.

Santorum provided Hill no succor, saying that the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" injected "social engineering" into the military.

SANTORUM: I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military. The fact they are making a point to include it as a provision within the military that we are going to recognize a group of people and give them a special privilege to, and removing don't ask don’t tell. I think tries to inject social policy into the military. And the military's job is to do one thing: to defend our country...
KELLY: What would you do with soldiers like Stephen Hill?
SANTORUM: What we are doing is playing social experimentation with our military right now. That’s tragic. I would just say that going forward we would reinstitute that policy if Rick Santorum was president. That policy would be re-instituted as far as people in, I would not throw them out because that would be unfair to them because of the policy of this administration. But we would move forward in conformity with what was happening in the past. Which was- sex is not an issue. It should not be an issue. Leave it alone. Keep it to yourself whether you are heterosexual or homosexual.
Of course, the big news of the exchange will once again be about an audience reaction. After Fox cut back from the clip of Hill, several members of the audience were heard, in a shocking demonstration of disrespect for one of our soldiers, lustily booing him. Very sad.

Sidenote: Fred Karger responded to that exchange by telling the Huffington Post, "Santorum is truly nuts. Just Google him. Congress repealed DADT. Federal court found it unconstitutional."

UPDATE: After the debate, Talking Points Memo reporter Evan McMorris-Santoro caught up with Jon Huntsman. When asked about the incident, Huntsman said the booing was "unfortunate." McMorris-Santoro also talked to a Perry representative, who used similar language, calling it "very unfortunate."

Bristol Palin On A Mechanical Bull At Sunset Strip (VIDEO) 23 Sep 2011 8:33 AM (13 years ago)

Bristol Palin was crawling the Sunset Strip last night, making a stop at the infamous Saddle Ranch Chop House. As anyone who's ever been to West Hollywood knows, you can't just stop in to the Saddle Ranch without taking a spin on the mechanical bull -- especially when rolling with a reality show film crew.

Taking a look at the Celebrity GPS video above, we'd have to admit she does a pretty good job hanging on for a while -- but not everyone there appreciates the show. One heckler jeers, "did you ride Levi like that?" and calls Bristol's mom "evil." You'd think she'd kind of be used to it by now, but Bristol decides to confront him.

Bristol asks the man if he hates her mom because he's a "homosexual," and things just escalate from there. We have to admit -- it made us cringe to watch a middle-aged man call the 20 year-old Bristol Palin a "f***ing b*tch" and "white trash." But if Bristol is surprised to find "homosexuals" around West Hollywood, maybe she should find new stomping grounds. We hear Huntington Beach is nice.

Nawab Pataudi's death 22 Sep 2011 7:14 PM (13 years ago)

Legendary cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died today evening in New Delhi after battling with a severe lung infection. He was admitted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for the last 4 weeks. He was 70.

"He passed away around 6.30 pm. His condition had deteriorated sinceyesterday. He was suffering from interstitial lung disease (interstitial pneumonitis) which worsens rapidly inspite of the best treatment available," Dr S P Byotra, Department of medicine in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.
Pataudi was one of the greatest cricket captains India has ever produced. Pataudi was born on 5th January 1941 in Bhopal, nicknamed Tiger, was a former Indian captain.

Pataudi was a right-hand batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler. Pataudi played in 46 Test matches for India between 1961 and 1975, scoring 2793 runs for an average of 34.91 with an unbeaten 203 being his highest score.
In March 1962, Mansoor was elected as the captain of the Indian cricket team. He was the youngest Indian test captain ever at age of 21. Under Pataudi’s leadership India achieved their first Test victory in foreign soil (New Zealand).

The India-England Test series trophy has been named in his honour.

Pataudi is survived by wife Sharmila Tagore and three children Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan.

Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea 20 Sep 2011 5:31 PM (13 years ago)

Manchester United continued its 100 percent start to the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Chelsea. Chris Smalling, Nani and Wayne Rooney, who later missed a penalty, did enough to overcome Fernando Torres' reply, in a match that was tumultuous, thrilling and frequently baffling.

Sir Alex Ferguson followed through on his vow to restore David de Gea between the sticks having given Anders Lindegaard a run-out against Benfica in midweek. Darren Fletcher also started despite only having played 60 minutes since returning from a long lay-off with a mystery virus. Chelsea, meanwhile, stuck with the misfiring Torres up front.

The home side, though, took its first opportunity – after Jose Bosingwa brought down Ashley Young on the United left, the winger swung the free-kick into the box, and the anonymous Chelsea defence allowed Smalling acres of space in which to head home, although TV replays suggested he was slightly offside.
Chelsea was dominating the attacking play in search of an equalizer, but a relatively rare United foray forward was nearly decisive when Nani clipped a cross into the center of the box towards Rooney, but Meireles made a crucial interception.

The Blues should have equalized immediately after, as, on the break, Juan Mata fed Torres through the inside-left channel, who pulled it across the box into the path of Ramires, but the midfielder made a mess of a shot he should have buried and de Gea snatched it.

And sure enough, Chelsea was made to pay for its variety of squandered chances, when, out of nowhere, Jonny Evans brought Nani into play with a long cross-field pass. The winger moved slowly and deliberately inside a compliant Mata before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 25 yards to throw Andre Villas-Boas’ plans into further chaos – and again, technology intimated that Nani was offside when he received the ball.

A few minutes later, just as Chelsea considered regrouping at half-time, Phil Jones drove relentlessly forward into the penalty area and, as he fell to the floor, the ball popped up out of the mess of players into the path of Rooney, who could not have missed, and so Chelsea, for long periods the superior side, perplexingly reached the break 3-0 down.

Villas-Boas reacted by bringing on Nicolas Anelka for Lampard, and it brought immediate results as the Frenchman played Torres through precisely from the left, and the Spaniard finally scored his second Chelsea goal, a beautiful chip over the helpless de Gea.

Suddenly, with Chelsea pouring forward, United broke and Nani rattled the crossbar with a monstrous shot, but any disappointment was erased when he was awarded a penalty, Bosingwa judged to have brought him down, although it appeared that he got as much of the ball as the player. But, to shock, Rooney’s comical slip from the spot saw him launch the ball skywards, with the watching John Terry reminded of one night in Moscow.

The Blues kept pushing but stuttered a little and the next real chance fell again to the hosts, as Jones rose to meet Young’s cross from the short corner, but the ex-Blackburn man’s header was weak and wide. A corner at the other end then saw substitute Romelu Lukaku look for a second as if he had broken free from Patrice Evra to poke home, but the left-back somehow got back in time to block him.

Later, Ramires removed the entire United back line from the equation with a brilliant through-ball for Torres, who rounded de Gea and had to score, yet somehow contrived to shoot unacceptably wide in the face of an impossibly easy open goal.

As the match moved into stoppage time, Dimitar Berbatov seemed certain to bury a fourth, fed by Rooney on the break, but a heroic last-ditch run from Cole was enough to reach the ball in time. But Chelsea could not summon enough to find a comeback before the game's end.

Sikkim earthquake 19 Sep 2011 8:23 AM (13 years ago)

Sikkim earthquake toll rises to 66
GANGTOK: Landslides and inclement weather today hampered rescue operations in quake-hit Sikkim as the death toll in the 6.8 magnitude tremblor mounted to 66, including 39 in the Himalayan state.

The earthquake, which struck last evening, left a trail of devastation damaging roads, buildings and other structures, uprooting mobile phone towers and snapping communication and power lines. After shocks made people panic in several areas forcing them to spend the night outdoors.

West and South districts in Sikkim remained inaccessible to the Army due to landslides and inclement weather and rescuers were facing an uphill task to reach these areas, Major General S L Narasimhan, GOC 17 Mountain Division told reporters here.

Sikkim accounted for 39 deaths alone, with most casualties taking place in the North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the course of Teesta river, officials in the district control room said.

Eight persons travelling in a bus of Teesta Urja Limited in North District are presumed dead as their vehicle got stuck under debris caused by a landslide, Narasimhan said. This, however, has not been incorporated in the official figure of those killed.

The overnight toll climbed to 66 which included six deaths in West Bengal and seven each in Bihar, Nepal and Tibet, official reports said. Over a hundred people have been injured.

Narasimhan said army has launched 'Operation Madad' in Gangtok and other areas by deploying over 2,500 troops."We are also sending teams to Darjeeling and Kalimpong (in West Bengal)," he said.

A group of 14 tourists were rescued by the army from north Sikkim last night, Narasimhan said.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs two lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the earthquake and Rs one lakh each for those seriously injured.

Manny Pacquiao Interview 18 Sep 2011 6:34 AM (13 years ago)

Oklahoma Vs Florida State 17 Sep 2011 8:22 PM (13 years ago)

Oklahoma Sooners Beat Florida State Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Kenny Stills reached high to grab a 37-yard touchdown pass from Landry Jones midway through the fourth quarter for the tiebreaking score, and Oklahoma's defense made the lead stand as the top-ranked Sooners beat No. 5 Florida State 23-13 on Saturday night.

Javon Harris picked off two passes for the Sooners (2-0), who forced three turnovers and harassed both Florida State quarterbacks all night.

The Seminoles (2-1) played the final 20 minutes without starting quarterback E.J. Manuel, who left in the third with a left shoulder injury.

Backup Clint Trickett kept the Seminoles in it. He hooked up with freshman Rashad Greene for a 56-yard touchdown on a third-and-28 with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 13.

But on the next possession, Jones went deep down the sideline to the 6-foot-1 Stills, who easily outleaped the 5-8 Greg Reid for the touchdown.

Trickett couldn't respond. On the next drive, he had a pass tipped at the line by Ronnell Lewis, and Harris came up with his second interception near midfield. Just like the first pick, Oklahoma turned it into a field goal, this one from 31 yards out by Jimmy Stevens.

Jones finished 18 for 27 for 199 yards with two interceptions, though he did become the school's career passing leader, moving past Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford.

A rematch of a lopsided 47-17 Oklahoma victory in Norman last season, this was more reminiscent of the most important game these two heavyweight programs have played. The Sooners won their last national championship in 2000 by beating the Seminoles 13-2 in the Orange Bowl.

The Sooners scored a touchdown on their first possession and one of the most potent offenses in the country didn't find the end zone again until the fourth quarter. Florida State looked as if it would never get there.

Then Greene's touchdown sent most of the record crowd of 84,392 at Doak Campbell Stadium into hysterics. Like Stills, he went high in traffic to come down with Trickett's pass then broke free from the pack and raced for the score.

Trickett was 7 for 15 for 134 yards for Florida State, which had no running game beyond Manuel's 49 yards.

Oklahoma seemed to pick up right where it left off last year in Norman on the first drive of the game, zipping down field with little resistance for an 80-yard drive that ended with Jones' 1-yard touchdown sneak.

Dustin Hopkins booted a 53-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 2:42 left in the first.

Turnovers, penalties and defense dominated the rest of the way.

Manuel made some nifty plays on the run, jumping over one of his lineman on the way to a 12-yard gain in the second quarter. But the junior also was intercepted twice in Oklahoma territory. The first was on a ball batted into the air behind the line and grabbed by linebacker Tom Wort.

The second came late in the half when Harris grabbed a high throw and returned it 69 yards to the Florida State 3 with 1:19 left in the quarter.

But for the second time in the half, the Sooners got inside the 5 and settled for a field goal. After a penalty pushed OU back, Stevens kicked a 29-yarder to make it 13-3 as time expired in the half.

Florida State's best shot to get in the end zone in the first half came when Manuel found Kenny Shaw deep down the middle inside the 5, but the receiver was sandwiched by Wort and Harris, taking a double-helmet shot, and the ball came out. The Sooners were flagged 15 yards for the hit and Shaw lay motionless on the turf for several minutes. He was carted off, conscious and moving his arms, and taken to the hospital for X-rays. He later returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners' defense got a boost with the return of star linebacker Travis Lewis, who came back earlier than expected from a broken left toe to start against Florida State.

With 5:42 left in the third quarter, Manuel was swarmed under by Oklahoma on a third-and-2 play that never had a chance and the quarterback came off the field wincing, holding his left arm close to his body. He went to the locker room to have his shoulder examined, and Trickett took over the offense after Lamarcus Joyner intercepted a deep ball by Jones.

With no running game to help him, Trickett, a redshirt freshman and the son of Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett, led the Seminoles to Hopkins' 46-yard field goal to make it 13-6 with 53 seconds left in the third.

Reno Air Show Plane Crash 16 Sep 2011 9:47 PM (13 years ago)

Reno Air Show Plane Crash: Airplane Crashes Into Stands At National Championship Air Races In Nevada (VIDEO)

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- A World War II-era fighter plane flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot plunged Friday into the edge of the grandstands during a popular air race, killing three people, injuring more than 50 spectators and creating a horrific scene strewn with smoking debris.

The plane, piloted by 74-year-old Jimmy Leeward, spiraled out of control without warning and appeared to disintegrate upon impact. Bloodied bodies were spread across the area as people tended to the victims and ambulances rushed to the scene.

Authorities were investigating the cause, but an official with the event said there were indications that mechanical problems were to blame.

Maureen Higgins of Alabama, who has been coming to the air races for 16 years, said the pilot was on his third lap when he lost control.

She was sitting about 30 yards away from the crash and watched in horror as the man in front of her started bleeding after debris hit him in the head.

"I saw body parts and gore like you wouldn't believe it. I'm talking an arm, a leg," Higgins said "The alive people were missing body parts. I am not kidding you. It was gore. Unbelievable gore."

Among the dead was Leeward, of Ocala, Fla., a veteran airman and movie stunt pilot who named his P-51 Mustang fighter plane the "Galloping Ghost," according to Mike Houghton, president and CEO of Reno Air Races. Officials earlier said Leeward was 80.

Renown Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Carter confirmed that two others died, but did not provide their identities.

Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority, told The Associated Press that emergency crews took a total of 56 injury victims to three hospitals. She said they also observed a number of people being transported by private vehicle, which they are not including in their count.

Kruse said of the total 56, at the time of transport, 15 were considered in critical condition, 13 were serious condition with potentially life-threatening injuries and 28 were non-serious or non-life threatening.

"This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades," Kruse told The Associated Press. "The community is pulling together to try to deal with the scope of it. The hospitals have certainly geared up and staffed up to deal with it."

The P-51 Mustang, a class of fighter plane that can fly at speeds in excess of 500 mph, crashed into a box-seat area in front of the grandstand at about 4:30 p.m., race spokesman Mike Draper said. Houghton said Leeward appeared to have "lost control of the aircraft," though details on why that happened weren't immediately known.

Houghton said at a news conference hours after the crash that there appeared to be a "problem with the aircraft that caused it to go out of control." He did not elaborate.

He said the rest of the races have been canceled as the NTSB investigates.

KRNV-TV weatherman Jeff Martinez, who was just outside the air race grounds at the time, said the plane veered to the right and then "it just augered straight into the ground."

"You saw pieces and parts going everywhere," he said. "Everyone is in disbelief."

Tim Linville, 48, of Reno, said the pilot appeared to lose partial control off the plane when he veered off course and flew over the bleachers near where Linville was standing with his two daughters.

"I told the girls to run and the pilot pulled the plane straight up, but he couldn't do anything else with it," Linville told the AP. "That's when it nosedived right into the box seats."

Linville said after the plane went straight up, it barrel rolled and inverted downward, crashing into an area where at least 20 people were sitting.

"If he wouldn't have pulled up, he would have taken out the entire bleacher section," and hurt thousands of people, Linville said.

Linville said the plane smashed into the ground and shattered like an enormous water balloon, sending shrapnel and debris into the crowd.

"It was just flying everywhere," he said.

Leeward, the owner of the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team, was a well-known racing pilot. His website says he has flown more than 120 races and served as a stunt pilot for numerous movies, including "Amelia" and "Cloud Dancer."

In an interview with the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner last year, he described how he has flown 250 types of planes and has a particular fondness for the P-51, which came into the war relatively late and was used as a long-range bomber escort over Europe. Among the famous pilots of the hot new fighter was WWII double ace Chuck Yeager.

"They're more fun. More speed, more challenge. Speed, speed and more speed," Leeward said.

Leeward talked about racing strategy in an interview Thursday with LiveAirShow TV while standing in front of his plane.

"Right now I think we've calculated out, we're as fast as anybody in the field, or maybe even a little faster," he said. "But uh, to start with, we didn't really want to show our hand until about Saturday or Sunday. We've been playing poker since last Monday. And uh so, it's ready, we're ready to show a couple more cards, so we'll see on Friday what happens, and on Saturday we'll probably go ahead and play our third ace, and on Sunday we'll do our fourth ace."

Houghton described Leeward as "a good friend."

"Everybody knows him. It's a tight-knit family. He's been here for a long, long time," Houghton said.

He also described Leeward as a "very qualified, very experienced pilot" and that he was in good medical condition. He also suggested Leeward would have made every effort to avoid casualties on the ground if he knew he was going to crash.

"If it was in Jimmy's power, he would have done everything he possibly could," Houghton said.

The National Championship Air Races draws thousands of people to Reno every year in September to watch various military and civilian planes race. They also have attracted scrutiny in the past over safety concerns, including four pilots killed in 2007 and 2008. It was such a concern that local school officials once considered whether they should not allow student field trips at the event.

The competition is like a car race in the sky, with planes flying wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the sagebrush at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.

The FAA and air race organizers spend months preparing for air races as they develop a plan involving pilot qualification, training and testing along with a layout for the course. The FAA inspects pilots' practice runs and brief pilots on the route maneuvers and emergency procedures.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued a statement saying he was "deeply saddened" about the crash.

"My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives and with those who were wounded in this horrific tragedy," he said. "I am so grateful to our first responders for their swift action and will continue to monitor this situation as it develops."

TAREQ SALAHI Kiss His Wife 16 Sep 2011 9:21 AM (13 years ago)

It's the most tragically ironic video we've ever seen -- Tareq Salahi blissfully ignorant ... cheering on his wife while she plants a fat kiss on Journey guitarist Neal Schon, deep into their secret affair.

Neal's eyes tell the whole story -- it will make you squirm.
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The clip was shot backstage at a make-up concert in Virginia on Labor Day weekend -- the show was originally scheduled for August 28th but was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irene.

Tareq is holding the camera ... and it's fair to assume he has NO IDEA what's secretly going on.

And FYI ... it was no accident the Salahis turned up at that concert -- sources extremely close to Michaele tell TMZ, she had been in close touch with Neal leading up to the show.

According to sources, Neal went so far as to send Michaele an extremely suggestive message just days before the show -- "I will be there on the 4th for a make-up date. Solo!!!! Can u?"

Apparently, the answer was yes. Don't tell Scotty.

Mayweather Vs. Ortiz: Fight Preview 16 Sep 2011 7:09 AM (13 years ago)

Brent Brookhouse breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Victor Ortiz before their HBO pay-per-view clash and explains the ways the fighters can earn a victory.

Sep 16, 2011 - Saturday night will see Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a fight that will be broadcast on HBO pay-per-view. Mayweather is boxing PPV king and is one of the best fighters this generation has seen in the ring. In Victor Ortiz, Floyd faces the #2 ranked welterweight in the world coming off his best ever win.

Let's break down the fighters and see how this fight shapes up:

The Fighters

Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Record: 41-0
Last 5 Fights:

May 1, 2010 - W (Decision) vs. Shane Mosley
September 19, 2009 - W (Decision) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
December 8, 2007 - W (TKO-10) vs. Ricky Hatton
May 5, 2007 - W (Split Decision) vs. Oscar De La Hoya
November 4, 2006 - W (Decision) vs. Carlos Baldomir
Strengths: Floyd is very fast, especially for a welterweight. He also is a masterful defensive fighter, possibly the best the sport of boxing has seen since Pernell Whitaker was making men punch air. That defense and speed matched with very solid accuracy makes Floyd a dangerous counter-puncher. In recent fights though, Floyd has really opened up with his lead right hand and brought the fight to men like Mosley more than would normally be expected. Finally, Mayweather's strengths in other areas lead to the fact that he has power in both hands being overlooked. His power isn't always properly used, but it exists enough to keep opponents honest. He truly is a complete fighter.

Weaknesses: When a man has had the level of success that Mayweather has, you have to resort to nitpicking and speculation to really find weaknesses. There are openings to counter Floyd, and the few times he has been hurt have been the direct result of leaving his chin open when punching. You must catch Floyd on the counter as you're going to have trouble finding him if he is in defensive mode. Mayweather is also a one-shot fighter. Going back through his career he has not been a guy who lets combinations go often at all.

One also has to question the fact that Floyd is 34 years old with a style predicated on reflexes and fast twitch muscles. This is a style that typically leads to a sudden, sharp decline at a younger age than most traditional boxers. Given that we've only seen Floyd fight twice since the start of 2008 and that was against an old Mosley and an outsized Marquez it's hard to know exactly where he is in his overall career arc. One also has to go back to 2006 to find Floyd fighting a legitimate welterweight who wasn't "over the hill."

Bad Left Hook: Tickets To Mayweather vs. Ortiz Being Given Away

Victor Ortiz
Record: 29-2-2
Last 5 Fights:

April 16, 2011 - W (Decision) vs. Andre Berto
December 11, 2010 - Draw vs. Lamont Peterson
September 18, 2010 - W (KO-3) vs. Vivian Harris
May 15, 2010 - W (Decision) vs. Nate Campbell
February 25, 2010 - W (TKO-10) vs. Hector Alatorre
Strengths: Ortiz has big power in both hands and has yet to find an opponent he can't drop. He also is willing to use that asset, throwing punches with bad intentions at all times. In the Berto fight, it looked like Ortiz has always belonged at welterweight. He looked strong at the weight and his cardio held up well throughout the fight. Being a southpaw is more of an advantage than fighting orthodox when it comes to fighting Mayweather and you certainly can't fault Victor for not being active enough given that he has fought as much since 2010 as Floyd has since 2005. While heart is a question, Ortiz has shown the ability to get off the canvas and still do solid work.

Weaknesses: Victor can be dropped, both Marcos Maidana and Berto were able to do so on more than one occasion. The elephant in the room is the question of Victor's heart. In the very entertaining battle with Maidana, Victor was up 48-45 on all three judges scorecards but suffering from a cut and having been knocked down in the sixth round, Ortiz quit. To make matters worse, he said in the post fight press conference that he "didn't deserve" to be beaten up the way he was and that he had some thinking to do. In some ways the Berto fight addressed this issue, but it's going to take more than one fight to erase that moment from the minds of boxing fans. If frustration is something that makes Victor want out of the ring, fighting a guy that is as hard to hit while effective offensively as Mayweather may break the young Ortiz's spirit quickly.

Ortiz's power punching style makes him very "counterable" for a guy with Floyd's gifts. He isn't always the most accurate fighter which only adds to the problems he may have once Mayweather gets his timing and rhythm established.

Brookhouse: Is Victor A Legitimate Threat To Floyd's Legacy?

The Fight

It isn't going to take long to see how the fight will play out. If Ortiz can't find success in the first two or three rounds, he isn't likely to find it at any point, barring clipping Floyd as the fight wears on. Victor has to make a decision immediately after the opening bell. Will he headhunt and try to hurt and finish Floyd before he can get rid of the ring rust and find his rhythm? Or will he go old school and work the body to sap the speed and open up the head as the rounds wear on?

Mayweather needs to not get caught up in a shootout, it's not his style so there isn't a huge risk of seeing it happen. If he can counter Victor effectively in the opening rounds, it will likely make Ortiz reluctant to fire the power punches and allow Floyd to dictate a comfortable rhythm.

Ortiz will also likely need to accept some punches to open up his offense. If at any point in the fight he is going backward and isn't the attacking fighter, he is losing. It comes down to pressuring Floyd and fighting like the younger man. If he can keep Mayweather from getting comfortable he might be able to make him fight like the "old man" Victor claims he is.

The Prediction

I have a bad habit of convincing myself that an upset is coming in the big fight. There is a part of my brain that I've already convinced that Victor will tag and hurt a Mayweather that simply isn't used to fighting young, big welterweights.

But I can't bring myself to follow through with that pick.

Assuming we see anything close to "normal Floyd" rather than an old, rusty fighter, he is simply a better fighter than Victor Ortiz. While no one should overlook Victor in this fight, and the possibility of him knocking out Mayweather does exist, it's simply more likely that Mayweather controls the pace of the fight and hits more than he gets hit in typical Pretty Boy style.

Kenyan Gasoline Pipe Explosion 12 Sep 2011 6:56 AM (13 years ago)

NAIROBI, Kenya — A leaking gasoline pipeline in Kenya's capital exploded on Monday, turning part of a slum into an inferno in which at least 61 people were killed and more than 100 hurt.

Flames leapt out from the pipeline in a radius of some 300 yards (meters), setting shacks ablaze and incinerating scores of people. Reporters later saw clusters of charred bodies and blackened bones at the site. Some burned bodies floated in a nearby river filled with sewage. Homes had been built right up to the pipeline, the residents said.

"I've lost count of the number of bodies," said Wilfred Mbithi, the policeman in charge of operations in Nairobi as he stood at the scene. "Many had dived into the river trying to put out their flames."

Provincial Commissioner Njoroge Ndirangu said at least 61 bodies have been recovered so far, but said the death toll from the blast will rise.

Nearby, a young woman clawed through smoldering timbers, screaming in grief. Others wandered by the remains of the inferno, frantically dialing phone numbers that didn't go through or staring around in disbelief.

Fires still smoldered among the twisted wreckage of corrugated iron sheets and scattered possessions. Visibility was poor because of rain and smoke.

Resident Joseph Mwangi, 34, said he was feeding his cow when people went running past him, calling out that there was a leak in the pipeline. He said others started drawing fuel and that he was going to go and get a bucket and get fuel too when he heard an explosion around 9 a.m. By then fuel had leaked into the river and parts of the river had also caught fire. People in flames were jumping into the fiery, stinking mess, he said.

Moments after speaking to the AP, Mwangi discovered two small charred bodies in the burnt wreckage of his home.

"Those were my children," he said blankly, before collapsing on the ground sobbing.

Another man, Michael Muriuki, found the body of his 5-year-old daughter still smoldering. He ran to the river for water to put her out. He took a deep breath and struggled for control before speaking.

"Her name was Josephine Muriuki. She was five," he said.

At the time of the explosion, the narrow, twisting alleyways would have been packed with people on their way to work or school who had stopped to try to scoop up fuel. The flimsy homes of corrugated iron sheets would have offered little resistance to the blast.

The Red Cross was conducting search and rescue operations and had set up two tents for first aid and counseling, said Bernard Magila, who was helping the operation. Bodybags and materials for temporary shelter were also being provided.

At least 112 burn victims have arrived so far at Kenyatta National Hospital and they urgently need blood donors and blankets, said Richard Lisiyampe, the head of the hospital. Many children were among the victims. Most had burns covering more than a third of their bodies, he said. Some were unrecognizable, said St. John's Ambulance Service spokesman Fred Majiwa.

Inside the hospital, beds were crowded together and doctors and nurses rushed from victim to victim. Many had long strips of skin hanging from their heads and bodies. One man picked at his hands distractedly, peeling off skin like gloves. Relatives clustered outside operating rooms, waiting for news.

"This is a terrible accident," said Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who visited the wounded in hospital. He said the government would cover medical expenses for the injured and pay compensation to those who lost loved ones. He also said he had visited the offices of the Kenya Pipeline Company, who operate the pipeline.

They had told Odinga that the explosion was caused by a leak from the pipeline into nearby sewage, he said. Workers who answered the phones at their offices declined to give a comment or their names.

"There will be a proper investigation," Odinga said.

In 2009, at least 120 people were killed when they were trying to scoop fuel spilled from a crashed petrol tanker in Kenya and it exploded.

___

America marks 10th anniversary of 9/11 11 Sep 2011 3:39 AM (13 years ago)

America is preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with events taking place across the globe to remember the worst attack on US soil in history.
Thousands will gather at ceremonies at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center towers, at the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennslyvania where the fourth hijacked plane crashed.
President Barack Obama and former president George Bush, who was leading the country at the time, will lead the remembrances for the 2,977 people who died.
New York's 650lb Bell of Hope, which hangs near Ground Zero in St Paul's Chapel, the rest centre for 9/11 rescue workers, will sound at 8.46am New York time, the moment of the first impact.
The two presidents will join victims' families to hear the reading of the names of those who died as bells toll across the city and President Obama will also visit the other two sites.
The remembrance takes place in the shadow of the "credible" threat of a terror attack on the mainland US as other ceremonies begin to take place around the globe

UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Condit 10 Sep 2011 11:10 PM (13 years ago)

UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Condit
Date: October 29, 2011
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

-Georges St-Pierre (22-2; #1 Welterweight)* vs. Carlos Condit (27-5; #5 Welterweight)*
-B.J. Penn (16-7-2; #8 Welterweight) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7; #4 Welterweight)
-Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (27-9-2) vs. Roy Nelson (15-6)
-Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2; #3 Featherweight) vs. George Roop (12-7-1)
-Cheick Kongo (16-6-2) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0)
-Dennis Siver (19-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (16-3)
-Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Eliot Marshall (10-3)
-Tyson Griffin (15-5) vs. Bart Palaszewski (35-4)
-Tim Credeur (12-4) vs. Brad Tavares (7-1)
-Danny Downes (8-2) vs. Ramsey Nijem (4-2)
-Scott Jorgensen (12-4; #4 Bantamweight) vs. Jeff Curran (33-13-1)

Demi Moore tweets nude picture of herself 9 Sep 2011 7:22 PM (13 years ago)

Demi Moore’s not like your average 48-year-old! The actress (who is no stranger to tweeting provocative pictures) just tweeted this picture, with the caption “remember…..you’ve got your own back.”

Thanks for reminding me Demi!

Here are a couple more of her more provocative pics.

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