Fox nation Ferreting Out Fans

Fox Nation, an opinionated site that launches this morning -- and really, what other network would name a country after itself? -- is based on a gut-level appeal:

"It's Time to Say NO to Biased Media and Say YES to Fair Play and Free Speech."

Biased media are in the eye of the beholder, and with a site built around such high-decibel stars as Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, Fox is hoping to leverage its brand online, especially among conservative true believers. "We felt that giving people a real destination to go and express themselves would give them a feeling of belonging," says Senior Vice President Joel Cheatwood. "People feel they're dictated to a lot by the media."

The launch comes as Fox News Channel is touting its aggressive approach to the Obama administration, which has led to rising ratings after eight years in which the network's top commentators often sided with the Bush White House.

Hannity, who had been balanced by liberal co-host Alan Colmes, is flying solo this year, ripping the president for "socialist" policies and calling for the firing of his Treasury secretary, "Turbo Tax Cheat Tim Geithner." Beck, hired away from HLN (Headline News), has been an instant smash, railing against "the people who are betraying you over and over and over again and lying to us in Washington." Mike Huckabee, the former GOP governor of Arkansas, holds forth on a weekend show.

Night after night, Fox's top commentators are former White House aide Karl Rove, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Dick Morris, the onetime Clinton strategist turned debunker of Democrats. Another contributor, Michael Steele, recently left to become Republican Party chairman. And while Democratic analysts hired during the campaign, such as former Hillary Clinton advisers Howard Wolfson and Lanny Davis, have left the network, Fox is beefing up its conservative ranks, recently hiring National Review's Jonah Goldberg.

The Web site will attempt to emulate the social aspects of Facebook -- as well as MySpace, which, like Fox, is owned by Rupert Murdoch -- by encouraging readers to post comments and argue with one another. And the hook will be columns, blogs and videos from the likes of Bill O'Reilly, Greta Van Susteren and Hannity, which will likely draw their strongest followers.

"I don't think this is going to be limited to die-hard Fox News fans," Cheatwood says. When registration begins in two months, users will be asked to abide by "core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse and fair and balanced coverage of the news," with insulting comments deleted.

"If they're critical of Fox News, that's fine," Cheatwood says. "You just can't say anything that's hateful or hurtful to someone else."

Fox has been losing the online wars. The new site would be linked to FoxNews.com, which drew 16 million unique visitors in February, trailing MSNBC.com (41 million visitors) and CNN.com (36 million).

Liberal outlets thrived during the last administration, when those who couldn't stand the president gravitated toward the strongest Bush critics. MSNBC gained in the ratings by moving sharply left, installing Air America's Rachel Maddow in the hour after Keith Olbermann last fall.

A right-leaning brand may be a similar asset in the Obama era. The Washington Times is creating a conservative opinion site, and last week announced that its newsroom is launching a syndicated show on Talk Radio Network, which carries such conservative hosts as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage.
source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033000741.html

Antarctica to Pyramids — lights dim for Earth Hour

SYDNEY – The floodlit cream shells of the famed Opera House dimmed Saturday as Sydney became the world's first major city to plunge itself into darkness for the second worldwide Earth Hour, a global campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.

From the Great Pyramids to the Acropolis, the London Eye to the Las Vegas strip, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries planned to join in the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored event, a time zone-by-time zone plan to dim nonessential lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Involvement in the effort has exploded since last year's Earth Hour, which drew participation from 400 cities after Sydney held a solo event in 2007. Interest has spiked ahead of planned negotiations on a new global warming treaty in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December. The last global accord, the Kyoto Protocol, is set to expire in 2012.

Despite the boost in interest from the Copenhagen negotiations, organizers initially worried enthusiasm for this year's event would wane with the world's attention focused largely on the global economic crisis, Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley told The Associated Press. Strangely enough, he said, it's seemed to have the opposite effect.

"Earth Hour has always been a positive campaign; it's always around street parties, not street protests, it's the idea of hope not despair. And I think that's something that's been incredibly important this year because there is so much despair around," he said. "On the other side of it, there's savings in cutting your power usage and being more sustainable and more efficient."

In Australia, people attended candlelit speed-dating events and gathered at outdoor concerts as the hour of darkness rolled through the country. Sydney's glittering harbor was bathed in shadows as lights dimmed on the steel arch of the city's iconic Harbour Bridge and the nearby Opera House.

Earlier Saturday, the Chatham Islands, a group of small islands about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of New Zealand, officially kicked off Earth Hour by switching off its diesel generators. Soon after, the lights of Auckland's Sky Tower, the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand, blinked off.

Forty-four New Zealand towns and cities participated in the event, and more than 60,000 people showed up for an Earth Hour-themed hot air ballooning festival in the city of Hamilton.

At Scott Base in Antarctica, New Zealand's 26-member winter team resorted to minimum safety lighting and switched off appliances and computers.

The U.N.'s headquarters in New York and other of its facilities were dimming their lights for an hour to signal the need for global support for a new climate treaty in Copenhagen in December. The first round of climate negotiations this year begins Sunday in Bonn, Germany.

U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon called Earth Hour "a way for the citizens of the world to send a clear message: They want action on climate change."

"We are on a dangerous path. Our planet is warming. We must change our ways. ... We need sustainable energy for a more climate-friendly, prosperous world," Ban said.

China was participating in the campaign for the first time, with Beijing turning off the lights at its Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube, the most prominent venues for the Olympics, according to WWF. Shanghai was also cutting lights in all government buildings and other structures on its waterfront, while Hong Kong, Baoding, Changchun, Dalian, Nanjing and Guangzhou were also participating, WWF said.

However, the official WWF Earth Hour Web site appeared to be blocked in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin on Saturday afternoon. While China rarely gives reasons for blocking Web sites, the campaign coincided with the 50th anniversary of the suppression of an uprising in Tibet that forced the Dalai Lama to go into exile.

In Hong Kong, the government planned to suspend its nightly "Symphony of Lights," which beams lasers and lights into the sky from 44 buildings on the city's famed Victoria Harbor. Landmarks along the harbor also were to switch off nonessential lights for an hour.

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva pressed a button that switched off the lights on Khao San Road, a famous haven for budget travelers in Bangkok that is packed with bars and outdoor cafes. City officials then hosted an hour-long outdoor seminar on global warming that offered ideas for reducing energy consumption.

The lights also went out at the Grand Palace and other riverside monuments, and on several of the Thai capital's busiest boulevards.

On Bangkok's bustling Silom Road several street vendors hawking pirated DVDs, T-shirts and fake watches chipped in by turning off the bulbs that light their stalls.

Earth Hour organizers say there's no uniform way to measure how much energy is saved worldwide.

Earth Hour 2009 has garnered support from global corporations, nonprofit groups, schools, scientists and celebrities — including Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and retired Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

McDonald's Corp. planned to dim its arches at 500 locations around the Midwest in the United States. The Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont hotel chains and Coca-Cola Co. also planned to participate.

___

On the Net:

Earth Hour: http://www.earthhour.org

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Earth Hour video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v9bm7yR0HcVY

Senator tackles out-of-network insurance issue

WASHINGTON – Ever wonder how that bill was calculated if you had to pay to see a doctor outside your insurance network?
Might be a scam, says a senator investigating the issue.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, wants answers at a hearing Tuesday from the chief executives of UnitedHealth Group Inc. and its subsidiary Ingenix Inc., a claims database used by insurers nationwide to calculate out-of-network rates.

The inquiry follows lawsuits and an investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo alleging that UnitedHealth and Ingenix manipulated rate data so insurers had to pay less and patients more for out-of-network services.

"They're lowballing deliberately. They deliberately cut the numbers so the consumer has to pay more of the cost," Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday.

"It's scamming. It's fraud," he said.

In January, UnitedHealth agreed to pay $350 million to settle a suit by the American Medical Association and others over the issue. UnitedHealth did not admit wrongdoing. But, under pressure from Cuomo, the company agreed to pay $50 million toward creation of an independent claims database and eventually close down the Ingenix databases.

Cuomo has secured similar agreements from other major insurers, including WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., and Cigna Corp. The AMA is pursuing suits against those companies, too.

"Our view is that we've reached a resolution on this matter and we're moving forward," UnitedHealth spokesman Tyler Mason said in a voicemail message Friday. "We think it's positive that this information will continue to be made available in the health care marketplace so that people can make informed decisions."

A spokeswoman for Ingenix referred calls to UnitedHealth.

Rockefeller and other lawmakers, along with doctors and consumer groups, view the matter as far from over. They say more accountability and transparency is needed in how insurance companies determine out-of-network rates, and that patients need to understand how it's done to avoid sticker shock when they get their medical bills.

One such patient is Mary Jerome of Yonkers, N.Y. She went out of network to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006. When she began getting her bills she discovered that Memorial Sloan-Kettering was not being reimbursed by her insurer anywhere near as much as the center was charging and that she was responsible for paying the rest.

"I had to battle cancer — and I am still battling it — and I had to battle my insurance company to try and get fair coverage," Jerome told Rockefeller's committee in written testimony.

More than 70 percent of workers who get health care through their employers are enrolled in plans that allow them to go out of network, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Typically, those plans will pay a set percentage, say 70 percent, for an out-of-network visit.

But unknown to many consumers, when patients go out of network, their plan doesn't actually pay 70 percent of the doctor's visit cost. It pays 70 percent of what it determines is the "usual, customary and reasonable" cost for the procedure or doctor's visit in question.

Insurance companies determine that cost themselves or use figures from a database of their choosing, and there's scant regulation or oversight of how they do it.

In the case of UnitedHealth and Ingenix, they were allegedly manipulating claims data so that the "usual, customary and reasonable" costs they used were lower than they should have been, leaving patients to pay more. Cuomo's office said Ingenix was understating the market rate for doctor's visits across New York state by 10 percent to 28 percent.

A spokesman for the insurance industry group America's Health Insurance Plans blamed doctors for high out-of-network bills.

"Consumers would be shocked if they knew the exorbitant rates that some nonparticipating providers charge," Robert Zirkelbach said. He declined to respond to allegations that insurance companies knowingly under-reimburse, citing the pending litigation.

Even with the UnitedHealth settlement, lawmakers and others want bigger changes in the system so rate calculations are fairer and better understood. Rockefeller said federal legislation might be needed.

"You ask me how are their 'usual and customary' rates being determined?" Rockefeller said. "I don't know."

___

On the Net:

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/

UnitedHealth Group: http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com

Ingenix: http://www.ingenix.com/

N.Y. Attorney General's office: http://tinyurl.com/d6n89j

source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_go_co/insurers_out_of_network;_ylt=AsxtdnVwBHLxOTnWbiPKQkvXn414

McCain: Obama breaks promise of bipartisanship

EXCLUSIVE:
Sen. John McCain says President Obama is breaking campaign promises he made to the American people and has passed up numerous opportunities to reach out to Republicans -- a pledge the Democrat made repeatedly during their battle for the presidency.

"There are things that, statements that then-candidate Obama made during the campaign over and over and over again that obviously he's not staying with," Mr. McCain told The Washington Times in an hour-long interview with reporters and editors.

The Arizona senator said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "put it best" when she described the lack of bipartisanship in the drafting of the $787 billion bailout bill, which garnered just three Republican votes in the Senate.

" 'We won, we wrote the bill.' That applies not just to that bill, but it does to all of the other pieces of legislation, too," he said, clearly exasperated. "We're not in on the takeoff, and anybody who calls the stimulus package ... bipartisan -- you pick off three Republicans? That's not bipartisanship."

Mr. McCain also ticked off a list of campaign promises his presidential opponent has abandoned, including pledges to clamp down on pork-barrel spending, reinvigorate nuclear energy and expand free trade.

Mr. Obama, who vowed to change politics as usual in Washington, made a show of bipartisanship as he took office, even throwing an inaugural ball to celebrate his Republican opponent in the presidential race. But since then, Mr. McCain said he has been consulted just once by the administration, when a White House lawyer visited to discuss the closing of Guantanamo Bay.

"Aside from that, I have not known of an occasion where they sit down across the table. Now, there's been occasions where the president comes and talks to Republicans, the president talks to -- et cetera, but that's not good bipartisanship," he said.

The senator said he thinks Mr. Obama does want bipartisanship and, for his part, "I'm actively looking for ways that I can work with the administration and I seek them out because Americans want us to do that today." But the 26-year Capitol Hill veteran said achieving the campaign promise will take a real commitment from the president.

"I've been around for a lot of administrations, and the way you address an issue in a bipartisan fashion is you invite somebody over and you sit down at a table and you say, 'OK, here's our position on this issue, and here's what we want -- what do you want? What's your priority? And you sit down and work out an agreement and you come out and you say, like [former Democratic House Speaker] Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did, that we've agreed and we're going to push this through," he said.

That bipartisan pledge is not the only campaign promise Mr. Obama has broken in his first 60 days in office. Foremost, the Illinois senator, who pledged to bring all U.S. troops home quickly if elected, announced an 18-month timetable for withdrawal, along with a plan to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq.

That, though, hasn't irked Mr. McCain, who throughout the campaign urged a less hasty drawdown of troops. "I'm glad, because he said he'd get them out, set date, and obviously, that is significantly different, particularly what he said when he was first a candidate," he said.

But other broken promises infuriate the senator, long a critic of pork-barrel spending through congressional "earmarks" lawmakers insert into bills for special projects at home. In Mr. Obama's first presidential debate, he said "we need earmark reform, and when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."

"We're going to scrub the budget line by line -- who read the stimulus package?" Mr. McCain said. Not Mr. Obama, who urged quick passage of the bill, then took a three-day weekend in Chicago before signing the legislation, packed with 9,000 earmarks worth billions of dollars.

"He said nuclear power - they have basically -- not said nuclear power is gone but their positions make it impossible for nuclear power to be a viable alternative," Mr. McCain said. "Um, what else?" the senator asked. "He's been a bit contradictory on trade."

"Said he was going to unilaterally renegotiate NAFTA, then said he was for free trade, and then he signed two bills, one of them with 'Buy American" provisions in it and the other one with the Mexican trucks," a pilot cross-border trucking program expanded under the North American Free Trade Agreement by President Bush.

"Both of them are sending a message to the world that the United States is practicing protectionism. ... This is very dangerous," he said. "One of my highest concerns about this administration is protectionism and the Mexican truck thing was inexcusable, absolutely inexcusable."
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Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC

source:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/28/mccain-obama-breaks-campaign-promises-shuns-bipart/

Jennifer Hepner PHOTOS!

PHOTOS! Here are pictures of Miss Montana 2008 Jennifer Hepner. Beauty Queen Jennifer Helpner has been arrested for DUI. So how about her crown and duties?

Jennifer Hepner Miss Montana 2008 Pictures
Jennifer Hepner Miss Montana Photo 1
Jennifer Hepner Miss Montana Photo 2
Jennifer Hepner Miss Montana Photo 3

Miss Montana Jennifer Hepner has been booked for DUI and removed from duties to the Miss Montana pageant.

Hepner is 23, a student at the University of Montana. On January 3 she was pulled over, refused to submit to blood alcohol tests. Her license was suspended thereafter.

Reports say she is fighting both the DUI arrest and the license suspension. Reports state her lawyer claims:

Hepner was allowed to participate in the Miss America pageant Jan. 24, but her Miss Montana duties were suspended Feb. 16. The Miss America Organization says Hepner will retain her tiara until the next Miss Montana is crowned June 20.

source:
http://news.lalate.com/2009/03/26/jennifer-hepner-photos/

Denver International Airport Weather!

Poor weather conditions are causing delays at Denver International Airport today. Denver International Airport weather for today is the following:

Delays by Destination [DENVER]:

* Due to WEATHER / LOW CEILINGS, departure traffic destined to Newark International Airport, Newark, NJ (EWR) is currently experiencing delays averaging 1 hour and 27 minutes.
* Due to WEATHER / LOW CEILINGS, departure traffic destined to La Guardia Airport, New York, NY (LGA) is currently experiencing delays averaging 55 minutes.
* Due to WEATHER / LOW CEILINGS, departure traffic destined to Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA (PHL) is currently experiencing delays averaging 2 hours and 32 minutes.

General Departure Delays: Traffic is experiencing gate hold and taxi delays lasting 15 minutes or less.

The National Weather Service is reporting the following conditions:

Conditions at

2009.03.26 1601 UTC
Wind from the ENE (070 degrees) at 24 MPH (21 KT) gusting to 29 MPH (25 KT)
Visibility 1 mile(s)
Sky conditions overcast
Weather Light snow
Mist
Precipitation last hour A trace
Temperature 26 F (-3 C)
Windchill 10 F (-12 C)
Dew Point 24 F (-4 C)
Relative Humidity 92%
Pressure (altimeter) 29.7 in. Hg (1005 hPa)

source:
http://news.lalate.com/2009/03/26/denver-international-airport-weather/

Thea Vidale PHOTOS!

PHOTOS! Here are pictures of the hilarious Thea Vidale who stopped by Howard Stern this morning. Thea Vidale is known for “THEA”, the short run sitcom.

Thea Vidale Pictures
Thea Vidale Photo 1
Thea Vidale Photo 2
Thea Vidale Photo 3

Thea has appeared also in Ellen, The Wayans Bros., The Drew Carey Show, and My Wife and Kids.

Vidale is now earning fans as Mamma Benjamin, mother to Shelton Benjamin, on the WWE. Hilarious.

Catch rebroadcasts of her appearance today on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM channel Howard 100.

source:
http://news.lalate.com/2009/03/26/thea-vidale-photos/

AP IMPACT: More bad wiring imperils troops in Iraq

By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 56 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The military is racing to inspect more than 90,000 U.S.-run facilities across Iraq to reduce a deadly threat troops face far off the battlefield: electrocution or shock while showering or using appliances.

About one-third of the inspections so far have turned up major electrical problems, according to interviews and an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Half of the problems they found have since been fixed but about 65,000 facilities still need to be inspected, which could take the rest of this year. Senior Pentagon officials were on Capitol Hill this week for briefings on the findings.

The work assigned to Task Force SAFE, which oversees the inspections and repairs, is aimed at preventing deaths like that of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh. He died in January 2008, one of at least three soldiers killed while showering since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Scores more soldiers suffered shocks between September 2006 and July 2008, according to a database maintained by KBR Inc., the Houston-based contractor that oversees maintenance at most U.S. facilities in Iraq.

"We got a ton of buildings we know probably aren't safe and we just don't have them done yet," said Jim Childs, an electrician the task force hired to help with the inspections. "It's Russian roulette. I cringe every time I hear of a shock."

Faulty electrical grounding is among the most common problems found, the task force said.

Improper wiring in shower buildings constructed by the military can be particularly dangerous, because the presence of water increases the risk of shock. The shower buildings require electricity for lighting and hot water.

Ron Vance, who served as a sergeant in the California Army National Guard, remembers being knocked out cold in a shower building in 2004 in Taji, Iraq. He said he screamed and fell while showering, suffering burns on his back and shoulders. Another soldier who tried to pry him from the shower head also was injured. Vance, 57, of Fresno, Calif., said he's still too traumatized to shower without his wife nearby.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called Task Force SAFE's findings troubling. He said the task force is doing good work but said problems should have been fixed much earlier.

"Just imagine getting the news that they've done 25,000 facilities, but your son or daughter is in the 65,000 they haven't done," Casey told the AP.

Last year, 94 troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or other Central Command countries sought medical treatment for electric shock, according to Defense Department health data. KBR's database lists 231 electric shock incidents in the more than 89,000 facilities the company runs in Iraq, according to military records.

KBR is the target of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Maseth's family. They claim the company knew there were electrical problems in the building where he died, but didn't fix them. His mother testified last year on Capitol Hill.

Army investigators have since reclassified Maseth's death as negligent homicide caused by KBR and two of its supervisors. An Army investigator said KBR failed to ensure work was done by qualified electricians and plumbers. The case is under legal review.

"KBR is not responsible for the electrocution deaths widely reported, including that of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth," Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

KBR and another contractor, Arkel International, are the targets of a second lawsuit, filed by the family of another soldier electrocuted in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Christopher Lee Everett, 23, of Huntsville, Texas. Everett, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, was killed in September 2005 when the power washer he was using to clean a vehicle short-circuited.

Task Force SAFE inspectors found many of the facilities that fall under KBR's contract have electrical problems, according to an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Of the 20,340 maintained by KBR and inspected so far, 6,935 failed the government inspection, the document said. When about 2,000 of the buildings with faulty work were re-inspected, the facilities passed, the document said.

The Defense Contract Management Agency has accepted KBR's plans to correct the problems, according to the document the AP obtained. It said the agency will closely oversee KBR's work.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., questioned why KBR has been allowed to continue to perform electrical work in Iraq. He said the military should take a more careful look at the electrical work in Afghanistan, too, where KBR also has a large contract for electrical work.

"If they found widespread problems, the obvious question is why has there not been action to remove the contract and bring in another contractor?" Dorgan said.

Browne, the company spokeswoman, said KBR has cooperated with the government, performing technical inspection and providing requested information.

Task Force SAFE (the acronym stands for Safety Action for Fire and Electricity) said it is making progress. The Army is tracking reports of just over two fires each day in Iraq, mostly blamed on electrical faults. But that's down from nearly five fires a day, Brig. Gen. Kurt Stein said in an e-mail to the AP. Stein said the number of electrical shocks has also been reduced.

"Although we are still seeing some electrical shocks, they tend to be minor and are often preventable," Stein said.

In addition to the repairs, Stein said the military has purchased more reliable surge protectors to replace ones that had been bought in Iraq.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those who died or were injured from electrical shock or fire," Stein said. "We take our job to inspect, identify, repair and prevent electrical and fire incidents very seriously."

Vance, the guardsman who was shocked in the shower, said the military didn't take his injuries seriously. He's since retired on partial disability from the Veterans Affairs Department for a "cognitive disorder" related to the incident, but he has sought additional compensation for what he describes as ongoing knee and shoulder problems for falling in the shower.

"I really don't think they cared. I didn't die," Vance said. "It wasn't a priority on their list. It was like, he's fine. He's alive. He's OK."
source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_electrocutions;_ylt=Ak03Jl7vKR009BkfXL9O1hzXn414

World's Deadliest Spider Found In Okla. Store

One of the most deadly spiders in the world has been found in the produce section of a Tulsa grocery store. An employee of Whole Foods Market found the Brazilian Wandering Spider Sunday in bananas from Honduras and managed to catch it in a container.

The spider was given to University of Tulsa Animal Facilities director Terry Childs who said this type of spider kills more people than any other.

Childs said a bite will kill a person in about 25 minutes and while there is an antidote he doesn't know of any in the Tulsa area.

Spiders often are found in imported produce, and a manager at Whole Foods says the store regularly checks its goods and that's how the spider was found.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

source:
http://wjz.com/watercooler/whole.foods.brazilian.2.963652.html

Autopsy: Richardson died from bleeding in brain

NEW YORK - Natasha Richardson died from bleeding in her skull caused by the fall she took on a ski slope, an autopsy found Thursday.

The medical examiner ruled her death an accident, and doctors said she might have survived had she received immediate treatment. However, nearly four hours elapsed between her lethal fall and her admission to a hospital.

The Tony-winning actress suffered from an epidural hematoma, which causes bleeding between the skull and the brain's covering, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner's office.

Such bleeding is often caused by a skull fracture, and it can quickly produce a blood clot that puts pressure on the brain. That pressure can force the brain downward, pressing on the brain stem that controls breathing and other vital functions.

Patients with such an injury often feel fine immediately after being hurt because symptoms from the bleeding may take time to emerge.

"This is a very treatable condition if you're aware of what the problem is and the patient is quickly transferred to a hospital," said Dr. Keith Siller of New York University Langone Medical Center. "But there is very little time to correct this."

To prevent coma or death, surgeons frequently cut off part of the skull to give the brain room to swell.

"Once you have more swelling, it causes more trauma which causes more swelling," said Dr. Edward Aulisi, neurosurgery chief at Washington Hospital Center in the nation's capital. "It's a vicious cycle because everything's inside a closed space."

Richardson, 45, died Wednesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan after falling at the Mont Tremblant resort in Quebec on Monday. Details of her treatment have not been disclosed.

It remained unclear Thursday exactly how she was injured. Resort officials have said only that she fell on a beginner's trail and later reported not feeling well.

A CT scan can detect bleeding, bruising or the beginning of swelling in the brain. The challenge is for patients to know whether to seek one.

"If there's any question in your mind whatsoever, you get a head CT," Aulisi advised. "It's the best 20 seconds you ever spent in your life."

Descended from one of Britain's greatest acting dynasties, including her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, Richardson was known for her work in such plays as "Cabaret" (for which she won a Tony) and "Anna Christie" and in the films "Patty Hearst" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

Mourning continued Thursday with Broadway theaters dimming their lights in Richardson's honor at 8 p.m., the traditional starting time for evening performances.

Praise also came from both tabloid celebrities such as "The Parent Trap" co-star Lindsay Lohan and theater artists like Sam Mendes, who directed the 1998 revival of "Cabaret."

"It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone," said Mendes, who also directed the Academy Award-winning "American Beauty."

Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, the trade organization for Broadway theaters and producers, called Richardson "one of our finest young actresses."

"Her theatrical lineage is legendary, but her own singular talent shined memorably on any stage she appeared," she said.

A spokesman for the family, Los Angeles-based Alan Nierob, said he had no information about funeral arrangements. Instead of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the amfAR foundation for AIDS research, Nierob said. Richardson, whose father died of complications from the disease in 1991, was a longtime supporter of the charity and served on its board of trustees since 2006.

Richardson gave several memorable stage performances, more than living up to some of the theater's most famous roles: Sally Bowles of "Cabaret," Blanche DuBois of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and the title character of Eugene O'Neill's "Anna Christie," a 1993 revival in which she co-starred with future husband Liam Neeson . (They have two sons: Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12.)

Her final feature film, "Wild Child," has been released internationally but has not been released in the U.S., and Universal Pictures said one had not been scheduled.

The death of Richardson, who was not wearing a helmet, greatly heightened the debate over skiing safety. In Quebec, officials are considering making helmets mandatory on ski hills.

Jean-Pascal Bernier, a spokesman for Quebec Sport and Leisure Minister Michelle Courchesne, said Thursday that the minister met with emergency room doctors this week and will meet with ski hill operators soon.

Emergency room doctors in the province first called for mandatory use of helmets three weeks ago.

Questions also arose about why the first ambulance called to the ski resort was turned away.

Yves Coderre, director of operations at the emergency services company that sent paramedics to the Mont Tremblant resort, told The Globe and Mail newspaper that he reviewed the dispatch records and the first 911 call came at 12:43 p.m. Monday.

Coderre said medics arrived at the hill 17 minutes later. But the actress refused medical attention, he said, so ambulance staffers turned and left after spotting a sled taking the still-conscious actress away to the resort's on-site clinic.

At 3 p.m., a second 911 call was made — this time from Richardson's luxury hotel room — as her condition deteriorated. An ambulance arrived nine minutes later.

"She was conscious and they could talk to her," Coderre said. "But she showed instability."

The medics tended to her for a half-hour before transporting her to a hospital a 40-minute drive away.

On Thursday, the ski resort where Richardson had her fatal fall was subdued, as employees refused to speak about the accident.

Still, the sunny slopes were crowded — and the gentle hill Richardson fell on was teeming with beginners, many of them children.

Dozens of skiers and snowboarders took breaks from the runs to discuss Richardson's death — and many said they bought a helmet because of Richardson.

"I bought a helmet yesterday after I heard," said Nathalie Beaulieu, 41. "My daughters always wear them, but now my husband and I will, too."

Not everyone said they would change their ways.

"I haven't worn one up to now and I'm OK," said Jacques Garnier, 45. "My kids wear them, for sure, though."

___

Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard in Washington, Maria Cheng in London, Karen Matthews in New York and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

source:
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/autopsy-richardson-died-from-bleeding-in-brain/20248;_ylt=Alos8dFInPT9f1vhlbiY8qbXn414

Obama reaches out to Iran with video message

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is reaching out to the Iranian people in a new video with Farsi subtitles, saying the U.S. is prepared to end years of strained relations if Tehran tones down its bellicose rhetoric.

The video released Friday was timed to the festival of Nowruz (no-ROOZ), which means "new day" and marks the arrival of spring. It's a major holiday in Iran.

"So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders," Obama said in the video. "We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community."

Obama has signaled a willingness to speak directly with Iran about its nuclear program and hostility toward Israel, a key U.S. ally. At his inauguration, the president said his administration would reach out to rival states, declaring "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

It's been a rough start for Obama.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticized Obama as merely a continuation of President George W. Bush's policies toward Tehran's enemy, Israel. Khamenei has called Israel a "cancerous tumor" that is on the verge of collapse and has called for its destruction.

In his message Friday, Obama had a warning for Tehran: "This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran would welcome talks with the U.S. — but only if there was mutual respect. Iranian officials have said that means the U.S. needs to stop accusing Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism, charges Tehran has denied.

Obama and his foreign policy team are looking for opportunities to engage Iran and help reduce tensions between the two countries, which increased during Bush's time in office.

"You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations," Obama said. "You have that right, but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization."

The White House said the United States still has serious differences with Iran, particularly on the threat a nuclear-armed Tehran poses to the region. But aides said the president's message was a way to speak directly to Iranians about the U.S. commitment to work with the country.

The video also was as much an attempt to reach out directly to the Iranian people as it was a gesture toward the country's leadership. While Obama has advocated direct diplomacy with Tehran, he also has said there are multiple elements within Iran with whom the United States could have a dialogue.

The White House said a Farsi subtitled version of the video would be given to select news outlets in the region. At the same time, the video would be available online in English and with Farsi captions.

The holiday Nowruz is not Islamic; Iranians of all religions celebrate the 12-day event. Traditionally, the U.S. president and secretary of state release statements for Nowruz.

"For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained," Obama said in his video message. "But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together."

___

On the Net:

Obama video: http://www.whitehouse.gov/Nowruz


source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_iran;_ylt=AlPCqu3MveCR48z77RFOX1LXn414

Tennis Player Sarah Gronert Enveloped By Gender Controversy

Sarah Gronert, a 22-year-old pro from Germany, finds herself under scrutiny from her opponents and their coaches, who believe that a unique gender issue from birth should make her ineligible for the woman's tour.

Three years ago, those issues almost caused Gronert, ranked No. 619 in the world, to abandon her career. Though she has since returned to competitive tennis, the dialogue that continues to surround her relates not to her ability, but to her biology.

Gronert was born with male and female genitalia. After undergoing surgery, she's now medically certified as a woman. That's not good enough for some, though.

"There is no girl who can hit serves like that, not even Venus Williams," said Schlomo Tzoref, the coach of Julia Glushko, who Gronert recently beat on her way to winning the Raanana tournament in Israel in early March. "When I heard her story, I was in shock. I don't know if it's fair that she can compete or not. She does have an advantage, but if this is what the WTA have decided, they probably know best. If she begins to play continuously, within six months she will be within the Top 50."

It's tough to piece together the details of Gronert's story. Her story has yet to really reach American shores, so facts have to be parsed together from various foreign language websites. Yet Tzoref isn't the only one who sees the potential for Gronert to climb the ranks of the women's tour, which will surely lead to more conversation -- and infamy -- around the world regarding her standing on the tour.

We do know that, at 19, the harsh words and treatment from peers almost led Gronert to retire. Instead, she underwent surgery to remove the male genitalia and, after a struggle with the WTA that needed a petition and special committee to resolve, was allowed to compete again.

Gronert has appeared in nine tournaments in the last three years, winning two -- the Raanana tournament on March 2 and the German Kaarst tournament on January 19 -- this year. The purse for both titles was $10,000 each. Her competitors feel she had an unfair advantage towards winning those purses which will lead her to continue to rise in the sport unfairly. The longer Gronert competes, the more fevered the conversation grows (her Wikipedia page was deleted due to constant abuse by users).

"This can not be. This is not a woman, it's a man. She does not have the power of a woman and no woman has such a technique," Tzoref said. "She serves like a man. It's very strange."

source:
http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2009/03/13/tennis-player-sarah-gronert-enveloped-by-gender-controversy/

The Very Hungry Caterpillar" written by Eric Carle.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar" written by Eric Carle.

Who here has children? Raise your hands! Very well then. Quite a few. Who here has read to their children? Ah. Ha. Still a pretty good number of you, yes? Well let me ask you one final question. Which one of you fine parents out there haven’t read to their child: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle?
One of you? Ay! Well shame on you Mum. How could you have deprived poor little Siempre Solo from this childhood wonder and this childhood joy? Huh? “Not born here” you say? “Never heard of him!” Ah well that is just to bad. No loss though Mum! You are quite forgiven. I my self however have made no such traumatic mistake with my own children.

Because you see, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle has been a family favorite with the Solo children since ever the eldest girl was a wee lass of 3. You should know that she no longer fills those shoes. She is now twenty. But her younger brother and my wife and mine middle child also had the privilege of enjoying this fine book called The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. And yes for those of you that know even the twins that will be two shortly also have been blessed by the lovely story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

“Well that’s fine and well.” I’m sure all of you are saying “But what is so important about this little children’s book?” you are asking. Well that is a good question. And here is a good answer. Today Friday March 20th, 2009 is not only the first day of Spring “Welcome flowers!” But it is also the fortieth anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This little children’s book you see was written exactly 40 years ago in 1969 by the very prolific children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle. Many of you might not know but he has written and illustrated over 51 children’s books. His books have been published in many different languages as well. The Very Hungry caterpillar having the honor of being published in 46 different languages with over 36 different foreign publishers.

Eric Carle was born in what was until recently my beloved adopted home town of Syracuse, New York. He was born in 1929 and lived there till he was six years old and moved with his parents to Germany where he went to school and eventually graduated from the prestigious art school, the Akademie der bildenden Künste, in Stuttgart. But his dream was always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. So, in 1952, with a fine portfolio in hand and forty dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. Soon he found a job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times. Later, he was the art director of an advertising agency for many years.

One day, respected educator and author, Bill Martin Jr, called to ask Carle to illustrate a story he had written. Martin’s eye had been caught by a striking picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. It is still a favorite with children everywhere. This was the beginning of Eric Carle’s true career. Soon Carle was writing his own stories, too. His first wholly original book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, followed soon afterward by the celebrated classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

I implore you today to take some time out to watch the YouTube Video adaptation of Eric Carle’s lovely childhood classic and if you can get your hands on a copy pick it up and read it to a little one close by. Preferably your own if you have any. Make sure you check out the external link on the left for more fascinating facts and information.If I am not mistaken A 40th Anniversary Pop-Up edition is being released. So have fun with it as you welcome spring! And as always…


source:
http://www.rantrave.com/Rave/THE-VERY-HUNGRY-CATERPILLAR--ERIC-CARLE.aspx

Wii Fit Girl Returns as EA Sports Active Rep

Lauren Bernat, whom you might better remember as the Wii Fit Girl, is making a new round of appearances in online videos, this time as a spokeswoman for the upcoming EA Sports Active.

Bernat stumbled half-naked into her 15 seconds of internet fame when a video of her playing with the Wii Balance Board clad only in panties and a t-shirt was posted to YouTube by her grinning idiot boyfriend. Or so the story goes; almost as soon as the video went online viewers began questioning whether it was actually a clever viral marketing campaign by Nintendo. Regardless, it was a tremendously popular video and has been viewed over 8 million times since being posted in May 2008.

And now she's back, capitalizing on that "fame" for the benefit of the new EA Sports Active title, a new "virtual fitness" product for the Wii from Electronic Arts. In a new promotional video EA Canada PR Manager Jen Riley addresses a crowd while Bernat punches, jumps and squats her way through the game's workouts, all while struggling to keep a perky, "lovin' every minute of it" smile on her face.

EA Sports Active is set for release in May and while Riley said the company had no further announcements at this time, she did point out that along with being a game EA Sports Active is also a brand, strongly implying that future "virtual fitness" titles for the Wii would be revealed in the future.

I suppose there are worse ways to handle being the subject of a potentially humiliating video seen by millions of people around the world, and kudos to Bernat for capitalizing on it and turning her internet notoriety to her advantage. But I still think her boyfriend is a meathead.

source:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90287-Wii-Fit-Girl-Returns-as-EA-Sports-Active-Rep

Citigroup plans reverse stock split

NEW YORK (AP) — Citigroup Inc. said Thursday it is planning to increase the number of its common shares outstanding and execute a reverse stock split as part of its effort to convert preferred shares to common shares.

Citigroup's shares soared more than 10 percent in early trading.

As announced late last month, Citi is seeking to exchange about $27.5 billion in public and private preferred securities as part of its agreement with the Treasury Department, which has pledged to match up to $25 billion of the conversions.

The deal represents the government's third attempt in five months to prevent the beleaguered banking giant's collapse.

Citigroup said all private holders of convertible preferred securities, with a total liquidation value of $12.5 billion, have agreed to the swap. The bank will also offer holders of non-convertible preferred and trust preferred securities to exchange their shares. The conversion price is $3.25 per share. Citigroup said it plans to launch the exchange in early April.

The number of the bank's common shares will increase significantly following the exchange offer and subsequently boost the bank's capital cushion.


A reverse stock split reduces the number of a company's shares outstanding, but increases the value of its earnings per share. The market value of the shares remains the same. Companies often elect to do a reverse stock split in an effort to make their stock look more valuable if the share price is significantly low. Citigroup's shares dropped below $1 a share earlier this month on the fear that the government's efforts wouldn't be enough to save it from failing.

Citi's stock price dropped 77 percent in 2008, and has fallen another 54 percent so far this year. However, its shares have tripled in the past two weeks after the bank said it turned a profit in January and February.

Shares rose 12 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $3.20 in morning trading.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

source:
http://maps.google.com/maps?z=5&q=NEW%20YORK&hl=en-US

Play the 'Layoff' game

The ailing economy has once again become the focus of a new video game with the release of casual title Layoff.

The puzzle game created by Tiltfactor Labs and the Rochester Institute of Technology's Game Design and Development program examines the federal bailout of financial institutions.

"The game has an unsettling feeling," said Mary Flanagan, the director of Tiltfactor Lab, in a statement. "It is cute and fun to play, but when you realize how frightening the situation is, the game in fact functions as a very dark portent."

Similar in style to Bejeweled, Layoff requires players to click on adjacent workers and align them in groups of three or more to lay them off and save the company money. Laid-off workers fall to an unemployment office sitting at the bottom of the screen. Bankers are the only ones exempt from layoffs.

Players save more money by laying off five workers at once, initiating a bank takeover. When players get stuck, they can click on bank bailout to improve their chances.

This is not the first game to tackle the financial crisis. The Bailout Game lets players dish out bailout funds in a board game setting before the recession settles in. Another game, Bush's Billions, pits former President Bush against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a "bank heist shootout" over $700 billion in bailout funds.

Readers, what do you think of the Layoff game?

By Brett Molina
(Hat tip to GamePolitics)
Photo: Layoff (Tiltfactor Labs)

source:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/03/64314657/1

Prison releases photo of elderly Charles Manson

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California corrections officials have released a new photograph of convicted mass murderer Charles Manson, who is now bald with a thick gray beard.
The photo of the 74-year-old Manson was taken Wednesday as part of a routine update of files on inmates at Corcoran State Prison, where he is serving a life sentence for conspiring to murder seven people, said Seth Unger, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The cult leader was first sentenced to death for the 1969 murders of movie star Sharon Tate, coffee heiress Abigail Folger and three others stabbed and shot to death at Tate's home in Los Angeles. The next night, two others were stabbed to death at their homes.

The image — complete with a swastika carved into Manson's forehead — was released to the Los Angeles Times because the newspaper requested a copy the next time it was taken.

Manson's co-defendants — Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles "Tex" Watson — were convicted with him. Their death sentences were commuted to life when the death penalty was briefly outlawed in the United States in 1972.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Los Angeles Times | Charles Manson | Rehabilitation | Sharon Tate | California Department of Corrections | Corcoran State Prison | Seth Unger | Susan Atkins | Leslie Van Houten | Patricia Krenwinkel | Abigail Folger
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

source:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-19-charles-manson_N.htm?csp=34

American Idol: Rubbish Generic Blonde Woman Out

Well, that whole ‘predetermined American Idol top four’ thing turned out to be blindingly accurate, didn’t it?

Just look at Alexis Grace. According to reports, Alexis Grace was going to be one of the last four contestants on American Idol. But that probably won’t happen any more, because last night Alexis Grace got voted off American Idol.

This means that Lil Rounds, Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert also aren’t as safe as they think they are. Especially Lambert, because his voice sounds like a malfunctioning pungi and it’s only a matter of time before he’s attacked by a venomous snake.

Nobody is safe on American Idol. Nobody at all. The judges aren’t safe, because every couple of weeks they’ll turn on each other like angry dogs. The viewers aren’t safe, because every time they sit down to enjoy a jaunty cover of Ring Of Fire they’re presented with the retina-scarring image of a man who looks like a leathery past-his-prime vampire rentboy performing what appears to be the soundtrack to a porno remake of Ali Baba And The Forty Theives.

And the American Idol contestants certainly aren’t safe. This was proved last night when Alexis Grace, one of the favourites to win the entire show, got voted off. People has more:

Favorite Alexis Grace, 21, wound up being the contestant destined to go home, thanks no doubt to an uncharacteristically strident performance of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” on Tuesday. Because of the newly instituted Judges’ Save rule — and because the Mighty Four have always liked her so much — Alexis was permitted to sing an encore as Randy, Simon, Paula and Kara huddled together and discussed her fate.

But it wasn’t to be. No amount of confusingly elaborate fan-cheating rules designed expressly to rig the American Idol final could save Alexis Grace from elimination. So what went wrong? We’ve boiled it down to a few options:

1 - Maybe Alexis Grace just wasn’t as popular as everyone thought she was.

2 - Maybe, in an American Idol season featuring a widower, a blind man and - most tragically of all - a fat bloke with ginger hair, Alexis Grace just didn’t have a winningly tragic backstory. You can try and cover it up by sometimes wearing a hat, Alexis, but that’s not going to make us think that you’ve got leukaemia.

3 - There’s already an American Idol contestant named Megan Joy. If you have a contestant with the surname Joy and a contestant with the surname Grace, there’s a disgustingly high probability that they’ll end up forming an evangelical Christian folk duo, and the public knew they had to stop this no matter what the cost.

4 - Maybe it’s because, in her American Idol publicity photograph, Alexis Grace is sitting with her legs so far apart that it looks like she’s got an abrasive case of terminal thrush.

Or maybe it was just that she wasn’t very good last night. Either way, well done America. Lambert next, please.

source:
http://www.hecklerspray.com/american-idol-rubbish-generic-blonde-woman-out/200922477.php

Schwarzenegger to help Obama answer GOP critics

LOS ANGELES – President Barack Obama is playing a bit of divide and conquer this week, pitting his Republican critics in Washington against GOP governors and mayors eager for the federal money that his hard-fought stimulus plan will bring. Next on the list of Republican notables to embrace the president is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is to join Obama at a town hall meeting Thursday in Los Angeles.

Congress recently enacted Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill without a single House Republican's vote, and with only three GOP senators' votes.

Republican governors have had mixed reactions to the massive measure. Some hardline conservatives, such as Mark Sanford of South Carolina, have rejected portions of the economic bounty.

Other GOP governors, including Charlie Crist of Florida, have welcomed Obama and the stimulus money. Schwarzenegger is casting his lot with that group.

As Obama began his two-day Southern California visit Wednesday in Costa Mesa, the White House released a list of projects to be funded with stimulus money. They include adding an eastbound lane to the Riverside Freeway/SR91 in Orange County. Obama's mention of the project drew cheers from a crowd of 1,300 that greeted him in Costa Mesa.

When a recently laid-off school teacher told Obama of her plight, he said the stimulus will help thousands of teachers nationwide keep their jobs.

Throughout the trip, Obama is playing the role of the embattled populist crusader, helping average Americans fight entrenched interests on Capitol Hill and Wall Street.

He said Southern California's weather and conversations are much nicer than in Washington. The conversation Wednesday was more one-sided, to be sure, as the Costa Mesa crowd cheered, 2,500 miles from the Capitol's shadow.

He defended his ambitious plan to overhaul health care, energy, education, taxes and spending policies in the coming months, against unidentified forces aligned against him.

"I know some folks in Washington and on Wall Street are saying we should focus on only one problem at a time: 'our problem,'" Obama said. "But that's just not the way it works."

"You don't get to choose between paying your mortgage bills or your medical bills," he told those in a hot auditorium. The government also must tackle multiple challenges at the same time, he said.

Obama spoke for 21 minutes, then took eight questions. The first: Will he seek re-election in 2012?

"If I could get done what I think needs to get done in four years, even if it meant that I was only president for four years, I would rather be a good president — to take on the tough issues for four years — than a mediocre president for eight years," Obama said.

There were other whiffs of self-sacrifice. Referring to the uproar over bonuses paid to executives of the largely nationalized AIG insurance company, Obama said: "I know Washington's all in a tizzy, and everybody's pointing fingers at each other and saying, 'It's their fault, the Democrats' fault, the Republicans' fault.' Listen, I'll take responsibility. I'm the president."

In the same breath, he said, "We didn't draft these contracts." But he added, "It is appropriate when you're in charge to make sure that stuff doesn't happen like this."

Obama tried to head off questions about AIG by saying he understood taxpayers' anger. And he tried to broaden the issue, which has vexed his young administration.

"These bonuses, outrageous as they are, are a symptom of a much larger problem," he said. It's "a culture where people made enormous sums of money taking irresponsible risks that have now put the entire economy at risk."

In fact, no one asked Obama about AIG. The questions focused on jobs, schools, union rights and other issues that are easier for him to handle.

One little curve ball came, however, on a topic Obama rarely mentions on his own: immigration. Before a crowd that seemed divided on the emotional, politically dangerous issue, Obama said he still supports "comprehensive immigration reform."

The nation must find a way, he said, to strengthen its borders while also giving about 12 million illegal immigrants a path to possible citizenship.

"People who have been here for a long time and put down roots," he said, should have "a mechanism over time to get out of the shadows" and achieve legal status, including citizenship.

They would have to learn English, pay a significant fine and "go to the back of the line" of those applying for legal entry, he said.

Former President George W. Bush backed a similar immigration program. But it died in Congress amid heavy criticisms, especially from those saying too many illegal immigrants have been allowed to enter the country.

Before returning to Washington late Thursday, Obama will tape an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama;_ylt=Al4r6XOltqIyffYyX61iZ53Xn414