In this week’s address, President Obama marked the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and paid tribute to the first responders, those serving our nation in the military, and those who lost their lives on that tragic day. He says, “A decade after 9/11, it’s clear for all the world to see—the terrorists who attacked us that September morning are no match for the character of our people,… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Kicking Ass Discovery Date : 10/09/2011 17:45 Number of articles : 3
Continue reading …• Click on auto-refresh for all the latest action • Send your emails to Jacob Steinberg here • Follow Jacob on Twitter • Follow today’s other latest scores 26 min: Gary Neville is having a wee chuckle about little brother Phil being left on the bench by Everton yesterday. Ah, brotherly love. 24 min: The lively Goodwillie scoots into the Fulham area but is unable to outwit the hulking Senderos. 21 min: A moment of high farce to enliven proceedings in the Blackburn defence. There was absolutely no danger at all as Dann went across to the left to cover an aimless pass down the line. Facing his own goal he decided to knock the ball back to Robinson. But he failed to notice Zamora there – even though he had a little look – and played the ball straight into the path of the Fulham striker. He was through on goal but was too eager to get the ball on to his left foot which allowed Samba to block his path. Salgado then raced back and muscled Zamora to the floor. Fulham cried for a penalty but Webb waved play on, before awarding a free-kick to Blackburn when Zamora, on the floor, grabbed the ball with his hands. Well done everyone, that was very entertaining. 20 min: Blackburn don’t look like a side with zero points from three games but Fulham’s early intent has rather disappeared. There’s a disturbing lethargy about their play, passes going astray with too much regularity. 19 min: Blackburn are enjoying a decent spell, with Hoillet particularly menacing on the left. Fulham have now been forced into an early change, Aaron Hughes limping off to be replaced by Stephen Kelly. 16 min: “Must say its a poor start from Neville,” says Rob Smith. “He’s offered tactical insight, hasnt slated the ref and worst of all he hasnt referenced the best eague in the world yet, and 14 whole minutes have gone. As much chance as lasting as an MOTD pundit who doesnt play golf.” He’s also spoken a lot about the refusal of both midfields to close opponents down. He’s aping Alan Hansen, that crafty Neville. Anything to get one over on Liverpool. 15 min: Well, Goodwillie is supposedly suffering with a hamstring injury, but there’s little evidence of that here as he launches into a stunning overhead kick from around 12 yards out which flies not too far past the corner of the post and bar. Samba, as ever, had caused the initial nuisance in Fulham’s area after a cross from the left from Hoillet. 13 min: Ruiz has spent more time on the floor than on his feet. This has been a rude awakening for him. 11 min: Rochina misses a glorious chance to give Blackburn the lead. Hoillett, quiet so far, suddenly bursts into life, skipping in from the right and slipping a pass through the middle for Rochina, whose canny run had gone unnnoticed from the Fulham midfield. He was through on goal but rather than take the shot first time, he got the ball stuck under his feet, seemingly desperate to score the perfect goal. That allowed Hangeland and Senderos to recover and close down the route to goal and when Rochina finally decided to go for goal, he could only curl a tame low shot at Schwarzer. 10 min: Ruiz, perhaps understandably, hasn’t got into the flow of the game yet. The pace in England is rather more frenetic than in Holland and at the moment he wants a little too much time on the ball. 8 min: Duff v Givet is not a contest at all. Once again the Irishman beats the creaking Frenchman to a loose ball on the right and scampers away down the right. He marauds with intent towards the area and then plays an intelligent pass back to Sidwell, arriving from deep. The pass was just behind him though, his momentum taking him too far forward, and from around 12 yards out he cracked a firm effort well wide of the left post. Fulham may well feel they should lead. 7 min: Now Blackburn are playing it around at the back, keeping it on the floor, without really going anywhere. Eventually Samba gets bored and knocks it down the right channel for Goodwillie. Throw to Fulham. 5 min: A free-kick to Blackburn in their own half. They take it short, working pretty patterns and triangles in midfield Everyone ambles up into Fulham’s area, Robinson launches it forward and Schwarzer catches it easily. Goalkeeper to goalkeeper: efficient. 3 min: And here’s the first evidence to support that. With Givet caught out of position, Duff is released down the right flank by a firm pass from Murphy. He hares away with barely a Blackburn defender in sight but his low centre towards Zamora in the middle is crucially cut out by Samba. 2 min: For all of Blackburn’s troubles, it must be said that a centre-back pairing of Samba and Dann will be very difficult for a lot of sides in this league to break down. So there’s some encouragement for a side that will take anything it can get at the moment. 1 min: And off we go, Blackburn, wearing their yellow away kit, kicking off and attacking from right to left. They keep the ball for all of three seconds from the kick-off. Start as you mean to go on chaps. A minute’s silence before we start for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. Impeccably observed. Gary Neville’s the co-commentator on Sky. This is his first one, isn’t it? This should be interesting. I’ve been very impressed with his start to life in the meedja. If Blackburn lose today, it will be the first time they’ve lost their first four games. Ever! They did it once during World War One, but that doesn’t officially count. In Blackburn’s favour, though, the food in and around Ewood Park is exceptional, which is really how they should judge these things. Hello. It’s a bit early for talk of six-pointers, but what the hell, let’s talk of six-pointers. These two have made terrible starts to the season, Fulham in 19th with one point and Blackburn last with none, a state of affairs which does little to justify the sacking of Sam Allardyce last December and the subsequent appointment of deep thinker Steve Kean. But hey, maybe Venky’s know best. They have heard of Raul, Ronaldinho and David Beckham after all and you can’t buy football knowledge like that. Suffice to say, despite all the talk of bringing in big names, Kean has had to rely on some big bones instead, bringing in Yakubu from Everton on deadline day, a signing that should, how shall we put it … beef up their attack. With two goals scored in their first three games, Blackburn will need the Nigerian to hit the ground running. That’s a figure of speech by the way; no one expects Yakubu to do any actual running. Even so, delving further into more punditese, he knows where the goal is, whereas Jason Roberts is more likely to point at that rectangular thing at the end of the pitch, a confused look on his face, and ask ‘What’s that then?’. Goalscoring has been a problem for Fulham as well, their record even worse than Blackburn’s. They’ve managed only one so far, Climnt Dempsey’s consolation strike in the defeat to Newcastle two weeks ago. But whereas Blackburn are in genuine trouble, the suspicion remains that this is merely a slow start for Fulham, perhaps a consequence of playing two away games shortly after Europa League ties. Their away form is as dismal as ever, which will heighten the tension at Craven Cottage, though they will be confident of getting their first win against a side who don’t fare too well on their travels either. Martin Jol isn’t under too much pressure yet – he’s only just started in the job after all – but after the fine work achieved at Fulham by Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes, the comparisons with those two are likely to be unfavourable until he gets those first three points. He can’t complain about not being backed either, spending £10.6m on the exciting Costa Rican Bryan Ruiz from FC Twente. Though there is a dangerous precedent for Fulham and costly signings: who remembers the club-footed Steve Marlet? Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Hughes, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Sidwell, Murphy, Dempsey; Ruiz, Zamora. Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Johnson, Kasami, Gecov, Grygera, Dembele. Blackburn (4-5-1): Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Dann, Givet; Hoilett, Dunn, Formica, Nzonzi, Rochina; Goodwillie. Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Petrovic, Yakubu, Vukcevic, Roberts, Lowe. A special treat: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) Premier League Fulham Blackburn Rovers Premier League 2011-12 Jacob Steinberg guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Foriegn Office confirms British couple were attacked in luxury resort on border with Somalia A British man has been murdered and his wife kidnapped after armed men attacked the luxury Kenyan beach resort where they were on holiday. The Foreign Office said the two Britons were targeted on Sunday at a resort north of Lamu, near the border between Kenya and Somalia . “One was killed and another kidnapped,” said an FCO spokeswoman, adding that consular assistance was being provided. Kenyan police declined to give details but said they had launched a search-and-rescue operation to find the missing woman. Although the FCO would not name the resort, reports suggest it is the Kiwayu Safari Village , which consists of 18 luxury cottages spread along a private beach some 30 miles from Lamu. No one from the resort answered phone calls on Sunday afternoon and its website seemed to be having techinical difficulties. On its website, the resort says it takes guests’ safety very seriously. “We have a number of systems and measures in place which are designed to give you maximum security and safety without detracting from the special ambiance [sic] of this site or the area,” it says. “We have our own organic security protocols as well as a professional security structure which provides us with overarching security and safety 24 hours a day … We regularly review our security and safety to ensure it is both comprehensive and current.” Attacks on tourists are unusual in Kenya, which is popular for its safaris and pristine beaches. It is unclear if the attackers came from neighbouring Somalia – where pirates often prey on foreigners – or if they were Kenyans. Advice posted on the FCO website advises travellers against going within 30 miles of the Kenya-Somalia border. It says: “There have been previous attacks by Somali militia into Kenya. “Three aid workers were kidnapped in July 2009, and two western nuns in November 2008.” In 2008, British missionary Brian Thorp , 77, was murdered during a robbery on the island of Lamu. Originally from Derbyshire, he had worked extensively across Africa as a Mill Hill missionary and may have been targeted as he was carrying cash due to be paid to labourers renovating a church. Kiwayu is a favourite of celebrities and backpackers. Artist Tracey Emin has visited the resort and talked of her love of the area, telling the Times in 2008: “There’s a tiny little spot in Kenya called Kiwayu, near the Somalian border, which has to be one of my favourite places on earth. “It’s so tranquil. You just lie on the beach and thousands of pink crabs cover the whole shoreline – you have the combination of the aquamarine sea and the pink crest of the crabs.” The actor Imelda Staunton wrote in the Daily Telegraph two years ago : “It was very nice lying there on the beach, but it all seemed a bit tame – and then suddenly about 50 monkeys came over the dunes, and wandered over to have a look at us, before heading down to the sea to get crabs for their tea.” Sir Mick Jagger is also reported to have stayed at the lodge, which was opened in 1973 by an Italian couple. The resort website says: “There are few places in the world which can boast such seclusion. “We are visited only by fishermen, the dhows that still come to collect water and the occasional sports fisherman in search of the magnificent marlin, which are then tagged and released back into the sea.” It currently charges $445 (around £278) per adult per night to stay in its beach bungalows. Kenya Africa guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …As family members began reading the names of the victims of 9/11, others paid their respects at the new Sept. 11th memorial that was opened for relatives. (Sept. 11)
Continue reading …Former President George W. Bush read a letter President Abraham Lincoln wrote to a widow who lost five sons in the Civil War during commemorations for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at Ground Zero in New York. (Sept. 11)
Continue reading …So says Alex Pareene at Salon.com . I don’t know but I’ll take his word for it. I wasn’t able to bring myself to watch more than the first 30 seconds. And yes, that is Herman Cain (the amateur gospel singer) singing. Reports are he did it in one take , almost as if this garbage was something to be proud of.. So, Joe Scarborough only produced the second-grossest 9/11 “tribute” video I’ve seen this week. Herman Cain’s presidential campaign produced this monstrosity, in which Cain croons “God Bless America” over footage of the 2001 attacks and their aftermath. Just a warning: If you don’t want to see graphic images of the events of 9/11, including multiple shots of the second plane hitting and the towers collapsing, don’t watch this video. (Also, don’t turn on your TV this entire weekend.) I don’t even know what to say. I guess Cain can now brag that he’s a former pizza magnate and crass exploiter of tragedies for political gain.
Continue reading …We’ve all heard the phrase, “Tragedy + Time = Comedy,” but what if you’re a comedian in the midst of a tragedy who must return to work even though not nearly enough time has passed? If you can’t be funny, all that’s left is to be honest. In the weeks that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks, late night hosts, comedy writers, and satirists of all stripes slowly returned to the job, in part because it felt like their duty. For those comics who lived and worked in New York City — like Letterman, Jon Stewart & Conan — it was a moral imperative. Their city needed them to try to make things normal again. Those first shows, episodes and issues covered a lot of ground and their tone reflected how close to the event they were. In the case of Letterman, recovery efforts and Ground Zero were in full swing and the true number of those lost was still in question. In the case of South Park, a couple of months had passed and the United States had already begun the war in Afghanistan. Over the days, weeks and months, laughter was slowly allowed to replace tears, even though the loss and frustration remained. In their own way, these comedians ushered us through each stage of grief. Which ones do you remember and whose message resonated most with you?
Continue reading …WASHINGTON — Two million-year-old bones belonging to a creature with both apelike and human traits provide the clearest evidence of evolution’s first major step toward modern humans – findings some are calling a potential game-changer. An analysis of the bones found in South Africa suggests Australopithecus sediba is the most likely candidate to be the ancestor of humans, said lead researcher Lee R. Berger of the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. The fossils, belonging to a male child and an adult female, show a novel combination of features, almost as though nature were experimenting. Some resemble pre-human creatures while others suggest the genus Homo, which includes Homo sapiens, modern people. “It’s as if evolution is caught in one vital moment, a stop-action snapshot of evolution in action,” said Richard Potts, director of the human origins program at the Smithsonian Institution. He was not among the team, led by South African scientists, whose research was published online Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists have long considered the Australopithecus family, which includes the famous fossil Lucy, to be a primitive candidate for a human ancestor. The new research establishes a creature that combines features of both groups. The newly studied bones were found in 2008 in the fossil-rich cave region of Malapa near Johannesberg. Berger’s then 9-year-old son, Matthew, found a bone that was determined to belong to the child. Two weeks later Berger uncovered the fossils of the female. The journal published five papers detailing the findings, including separate reports on the foot, hand, pelvis and brain of A. sediba. Berger said the brain, hand and foot have characteristics of both modern and early pre-human forms that show a transition under way. It represents a bona fide model that could lead to the human genus Homo, Berger said. Kristian J. Carlson, also at Witwatersrand, said the brain of A. sediba is small, like that of a chimpanzee, but with a configuration more human, particularly with an expansion behind and above the eyes. This seems to be evidence that the brain was reorganizing along more modern lines before it began its expansion to the current larger size, Carlson said in a teleconference. “It will take a lot of scrutiny of the papers and of the fossils by more and more researchers over the coming months and years, but these analyses could well be `game-changers’ in understanding human evolution,” according to the Smithsonian’s Potts. So, does all this mean A. sediba was the “missing link”? Well, scientists don’t like that term, which Berger calls “biologically unsound.” This is a good candidate to represent the evolution of humans, he said, but the earliest definitive example of Homo is 150,000 to 200,000 years younger. Scientists prefer the terms “transition form” or “intermediary form,” said Darryl J. DeRuiter of Texas A&M University. “This is what evolutionary theory would predict, this mixture of Australopithecene and Homo,” DeRuiter said. “It’s strong confirmation of evolutionary theory.” But it’s not yet an example of the genus Homo, he said, though it could have led to several early human forms, including Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis or Homo erectus – all considered early distant cousins to man, Homo sapiens. These articles “force a rethinking of how traits are coupled together in human evolution,” the Smithsonian’s Potts said in an email from Kenya, where he is doing research. “For example, in previous definitions of our genus, the leading edge in the emergence of Homo has been brain enlargement. The sediba bones show, however, that reorganization of the brain and pelvis typically connected with the evolution of Homo need not have involved brain enlargement,” he noted. “The more we learn about human evolution, the more we see that traits” that must have happened together could occur separately, Potts said. For example, the study of the hand shows that major changes in the thumb usually associated with toolmaking “did not imply abandoning life in the trees. In the foot article, we’re introduced to a unique and previously unknown combination of archaic and advanced traits in sediba,” Potts explained. The researchers reported that the fingers of A. sediba were curved, as might be seen in a creature that climbed in trees. But they were also slim and the thumb was long, more like a Homo thumb, so the hand was potentially capable of using tools, though no tools were found at the site. The fossil provides the first chance for researchers to evaluate the function of a full hand this old, said Tracy Kivell of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. Previously, hand bones older than Neanderthals have been isolated pieces rather that full sets. The heel bone seems primitive, the researchers said. Yet its front is angled, suggesting an arched foot for walking on the ground, and there is a large attachment for an Achilles tendon as in modern humans, they said. The pelvis is short and broad like a human pelvis, creating more of a bowl shape than in earlier Australopith fossils like the famous Lucy, explained Job Kibii of the University of the Witwatersrand. That may force a re-evaluation of the process of evolution because many researchers had previously associated development of a human-like pelvis with enlargement of the brain, but in A. sediba the brain was still small. The name Australopithecus means “southern ape,” and “sediba” means natural spring, fountain or wellspring in the local Sotho language. After the bones were discovered, the children of South Africa were invited to name the child, which they called “Karabo,” meaning “answer” in the local Tswana language. The older skeleton has not yet been given a nickname, Berger said. The juvenile would have been aged 10 to 13 in terms of human development; the female was in her 20s and there are indications that she may have given birth once. The researchers are not sure if the two were related. ___ Online: http://www.sciencemag.org
Continue reading …phoebetruong says: Michael Fassbender – best actor , Venice Film Festival 2011 http://t.co/2jjcnxM Proud of you, Fassy. “Shame”, come out soon!
Continue reading …