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Watch: X Factor USA Auditions (Episode 2)
first week of X-Factor USA auditions has come to a close and we have the most memorable performances for you here.
Viewers had the opportunity to see a lot of talented individuals over the 2, 2-hour episodes but there are three that stand out to me.
The first is Chris Rene. Viewers of the show will undoubtedly remember Chris Rene. He’s the 28-year-old recovering addict who performed a song he wrote the music and lyrics for called Young Homie. Immediately after he was featured on the show, he became one of the most searched terms on YouTube.
The second most memorable audition (in my opinion) is Stacy Francis. Stacy is a 42-year-old mom who’s ex-boyfriend told her she was too old to make it as a singer. She performed with soul and instantly touched the hearts of millions. She told Simon “I don’t want to die with this music in me, Simon.”
The last most memorable audition for me was likely not one that everyone remembers. The trio The Anser really struck a chord with me and I absolutely adored them. I know they didn’t have quite the story that some of the other contestants had but they seem like raw talent and a group that I would actually buy a record from. They performed a unique version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep combined with Britney’s Til The World Ends and they nailed it.
Viewers had the opportunity to see a lot of talented individuals over the 2, 2-hour episodes but there are three that stand out to me.
The first is Chris Rene. Viewers of the show will undoubtedly remember Chris Rene. He’s the 28-year-old recovering addict who performed a song he wrote the music and lyrics for called Young Homie. Immediately after he was featured on the show, he became one of the most searched terms on YouTube.
The second most memorable audition (in my opinion) is Stacy Francis. Stacy is a 42-year-old mom who’s ex-boyfriend told her she was too old to make it as a singer. She performed with soul and instantly touched the hearts of millions. She told Simon “I don’t want to die with this music in me, Simon.”
The last most memorable audition for me was likely not one that everyone remembers. The trio The Anser really struck a chord with me and I absolutely adored them. I know they didn’t have quite the story that some of the other contestants had but they seem like raw talent and a group that I would actually buy a record from. They performed a unique version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep combined with Britney’s Til The World Ends and they nailed it.
Anti-American Extremists Among Libyan Rebels US Has Vowed To Protect
WASHINGTON -- In 2007, when American combat casualties were spiking in the bloodbath of the Iraq War, an 18-year-old laborer traveled from his home in eastern Libya through Egypt and Syria to join an al Qaeda terrorist cell in Iraq. He gave his name to al Qaeda operatives as Ashraf Ahmad Abu-Bakr al-Hasri. Occupation, he wrote: “Martyr.’’
Abu-Bakr was one of hundreds of foreign fighters who flocked into the killing zones of Iraq to wage war against the “infidels." They came from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Oman, Algeria and other Islamic states. But on a per capita basis, no country sent more young fighters into Iraq to kill Americans than Libya -- and almost all of them came from eastern Libya, the center of the anti-Gaddafi rebellion that the United States and others now have vowed to protect, according to internal al Qaeda documents uncovered by U.S. intelligence.
The informal alliance with violent Islamist extremist elements is a coming-home of sorts for the United States, which initially fought on the same side as the Libyan fighters in Afghanistan in the 1980s, battling the Soviet Union.
According to a cache of al Qaeda documents captured in 2007 by U.S. special operations commandos in Sinjar, Iraq, hundreds of foreign fighters, many of them untrained young Islamic volunteers, poured into Iraq in 2006 and 2007. The documents, called the Sinjar documents, were collected, translated and analyzed at the West Point Counter Terrorism Center. Almost one in five foreign fighters arriving in Iraq came from eastern Libya, from the towns of Surt, Misurata and Darnah.
On a per capita basis, that’s more than twice as many than came from any other Arabic-speaking country, amounting to what the counter terrorism center called a Libyan “surge" of young men eager to kill Americans.
During 2006 and 2007, a total of 1,468 Americans were killed in combat and 12,524 were badly wounded, according to Pentagon records.
Today, there is little doubt that eastern Libya, like other parts of the Arab world, is experiencing a genuine burst of anti-totalitarian fervor, expressed in demands for political freedom and economic reforms. But there also is a dark history to eastern Libya, which is the home of the Islamic Libyan Fighting Group, an anti-Gaddafi organization officially designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization.
Gaddafi Defies Ceasefire As Forces Attack Rebel Stronghold Of Benghazi
Gaddafi's forces advance into Benghazi pre-empted an international meeting hosted by France on Saturday to discuss military intervention in Libya. The meeting will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Arab leaders.
"We saw Gaddafi's tanks, cars and missile trucks less than five km away," a rebel figher giving his name as Mohammed told Reuters.
Libya had declared a unilateral ceasefire on Friday after the U.N. Security Council authorised a no-fly zone over Libya.
But the United States accused Gaddafi of defying international demands for an immediate ceasefire, and France's U.N. envoy predicted military action within hours of the Paris meeting on Libya on Saturday.
Libyan rebels said they were being forced to retreat by Gaddafi's forces. Black plumes of smoke could be seen on the road to the west of the city, a Reuters witness said.
"They were 60 km (40 miles) away yesterday, today they are 20 kms away and they can be here in a half hour to 90 minutes," rebel fighter Khalid Ahmed told Reuters at a rebel base on the western edge of the city.
"We have no hope in the Western forces," Ahmed added as around him rebel forces pulled back from the advancing frontline.
Elsewhere in the city, rebels also reported skirmishes and strikes by Gaddafi forces.
"Fighter jets bombed the road to the airport and there's been an air strike on the Abu Hadi district on the outskirts," Mohammed Dwo, a hospital worker and a rebel supporter, told Reuters.
He was speaking at the scene of an apparent firefight between rebels and what they claimed were two mercenaries who had infiltrated the city and were driving in a car which they said contained a crate of handgrenades.
The two men, in civilian clothes, had been shot and killed and rebels produced blood-soaked identity papers they said showed them to be of Nigerian nationality.
"We were sitting here and we received gunfire from this vehicle then we opened fire and after that it crashed," rebel fighter Meri Dersi said.
LANDING BY BOAT
Jamal bin Nour, a member of a neighbourhood watch group, told Reuters he had received a call to say government forces were landing by boat, but it was impossible to confirm the information.
The city has been so rife with rumours and hearsay that it is virtually impossible to verify due to lack of communications.
A unilateral ceasefire declared on Friday by the Libyan government appeared to have done little to convince outside powers to hold off on plans for air strikes to force an end to an increasingly bloody civil war.
Within hours of President Barack Obama saying the terms of a U.N. resolution meant to end fighting in Libya were non-negotiable, his U.N. envoy, Susan Rice, asked by CNN whether Gaddafi was in violation of these terms, said: "Yes, he is."
Gaddafi said there was no justification for the U.N. resolution.
"This is blatant colonialism. It does not have any justification. This will have serious consequences on the Mediterranean and on Europe," he said in comments reported by Al Jazeera television.
France, which along with Britain has been leading a drive for military intervention, will host a meeting on Saturday on Libya which will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Arab leaders.
"So I guess that after this summit, I think that in the coming hours, I think we will go to launch the military intervention," the French ambassador to the United Nations ambassador Gerard Araud told BBC's Newsnight.
Obama made clear any military action would aim to change conditions across Libya -- rather than just in the rebel-held east -- by calling on Gaddafi's forces to pull back from the western cities of Zawiyah and Misrata as well as from the east. "All attacks against civilians must stop," Obama said, a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution authorising international military intervention.
"Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiyah, and establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya ...
"Let me be clear, these terms are not negotiable... If Gaddafi does not comply ... the resolution will be enforced through military action."
In Tripoli the government said there had been no bombing since it announced the ceasefire.
"We have had no bombardment of any kind since the ceasefire was declared," Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told journalists when asked about reports of continued government operations in Misrata and other parts of the country.
Kaim said Libya was asking China, Germany, Malta and Turkey to send observers to monitor its adherence to the ceasefire.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Friday everything was ready to launch military strikes in Libya.
The United States, after embarking on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had insisted it would participate in rather than lead any military action. Obama said the United States would not deploy ground troops in Libya.
Wonder Woman' Adrianne Palicki in Costume- What do you think?
We now have our first look at Adrianne Palicki in costume for David E. Kelley’s upcoming Wonder Woman TV series. The look? None more pleathery. While I assumed that the TV show would go with a more natural looking costume along the lines of Jim Lee’s recent redesign, it appears that the show will go with a more old-school/we-bought-this-off-the-rack-at-Party-City approach. However, unlike the traditional Wonder Woman costume, this one will have pants. They’re tight, clearly uncomfortable pants that probably squeak every time she moves, but it’s a step up from the granny panties of Lynda Carter’s costume of the 1970s TV series. The costume for the new TV series also, ahem, “lifts and separates.”
Hit the jump to check out Palicki in costume. The pilot, which also stars Elizabeth Hurley and Carey Elwes, is currently filming.
The pilot was written by Kelley, who also serves as executive producer with Bill D’Elia (Boston Legal, The Practice, Harry’s Law). Jeffrey Reiner (The Event) is directing. Based upon DC Comics characters, Wonder Woman is from David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. 2011 NBC/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Justin Lubin.
Michigan Crushes Tennessee 75-45, Advances To Second Round
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michigan coach John Beilein was so worried about rebounding a day before facing Tennessee he joked he was going to box out a reporter in the hallway.
His undersized but plucky and relentless team got the message and then some – enough to send Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl to an early offseason of uncertainty.
Zack Novak scored 14 points, including two 3-pointers in a decisive spurt to start the second half, and Michigan beat listless Tennessee 75-45 on Friday in the West region to end a season of distractions for the Volunteers.
In only their second NCAA tournament appearance since 1998, the eighth-seeded Wolverines (21-13) turned a four-point halftime lead into a rout when they got hot from the outside and found a way to stop Tennessee freshman Tobias Harris.
After scoring 19 points and not missing a combined 13 shots from the field and foul line in the first half, Harris went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting as ninth-seeded Tennessee was outscored 42-16.
Stu Douglass, Matt Vogrich and Tim Hardaway Jr. all scored 11 points for Michigan, which shot 52 percent from the field and held a 36-26 rebounding edge in its 10th win in 14 games.
The loss was the eighth in 12 games for the Volunteers (19-15) as Pearl's future as coach is in question after he admitted lying to NCAA investigators.
Pearl has since served an eight-game suspension, forfeited $1.5 million in pay over the next four seasons and is working without a contract.
Athletic director Mike Hamilton, who had strongly supported his coach, wavered this week in a radio interview in which he said "the jury is still out" on whether Pearl will return.
Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Rips, Rebuffs 'Glee'
Dave Grohl don't wanna be "Glee's" monkey wrench. And Ryan Murphy isn't his hero.
Song play on words aside, the Foo Fighters won't be on "Glee" anytime soon.
Grohl, the band's lead singer, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the high school choir dramedy's penchant for using current pop music. He's not a fan of the pressure the show's creator puts on bands to give permission to use their songs.
"It's every band's right, you shouldn't have to do fucking 'Glee,'" Grohl told The Hollywood Reporter. "And then the guy who created 'Glee' is so offended that we're not, like, begging to be on his f**king show... f**k that guy for thinking anybody and everybody should want to do 'Glee.'"
The rocker went on to mention the dispute Murphy and Kings of Leon had earlier in the year; Murphy was upset that the band didn't want their music on the show, and their drummer, Nathan Followill, struck back.
"F--- you, Kings of Leon," Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter in January. "They're self-centered assholes, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It's like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music."
In response, Followill said, "Dear Ryan Murphy, let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra. Zip your lip and focus on educating 7yr olds how to say f**k."Those comments were seen as homophobic by some -- Murphy is openly gay -- and following the criticism, Followill apologized for the words, though not for refusing the show.
Ironically, it was a dispute that "Glee" guest star Gwyneth Paltrow helped mediate, and "Glee" cast members have since been seen at Kings of Leon shows.
Still, it doesn't seem like that's in the cards for the Foo Fighters -- Grohl revealed that he's no fan of the show himself.
"I watched 10 minutes. It's not my thing," he told THR.
For much more on Grohl's dispute with "Glee," click over to The Hollywood Reporter
'Supermoon' Visible This Weekend
A supermoon is a new or full moon that happens to coincide with a close approach of the moon to the earth. Saturday's full moon will be the closest it has been to Earth in 18 years, according to Spaceweather.com.
The distance between the Earth and the moon during the event will be about 221,567 miles, as compared to the average distance of 238,000 miles, according to Space.com.
That may not seem like much of a difference (and compared to the distance it's not), but the diameter of the moon is only 2,159 miles. That means the moon will be over 7.5 diameters closer to Earth than average.
While many believe the 'supermoon' can be linked to natural disasters (namely the Japan earthquake), Space.com says that's not the case.
It was astrologer Richard Nolle who linked the full moon of March 19 to natural disasters. He claimed that this "supermoon" would trigger massive earthquakes, volcanoes and powerful storms when it arrived. But scientists assure that this is not the case.
[Noted NASA scientist Jim] Garvin, for example, said the moon's effects on Earth have been the subject of extensive studies.
Britney Spears ‘Good Morning America’ Concert Teaser
Odd Future & Wiz Khalifa To Perform AT MTVU Woodie Awards
Wiz Khalifa and Odd Future will take to the stage to perform at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards. Should be a crazy show with Wiz Khalifa who is up for Woodie of The Year, given to the years best act. OFWGKTA is emerging from the new LA rap scene and should definitely follow up with a crazy performance. The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards will air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, March 16, at midnight ET/PT.
UN Security Council allows 'all necessary measures' to protect Libyan civilians
The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to approve a resolution authorizing international military intervention in Libya to protect civilians from harm.Forces loyal to Col. Muammar Qaddafi have been overrunning one opposition stronghold after another and are close to crushing the rebellion that has threatened his 41-year reign. Now the rebels have the backing of the international community, including the United States, if it is not too late.
The resolution, which was drafted by France, Britain, and Lebanon, goes beyond a no-fly zone. It authorizes states to take “all necessary measures” to enforce a ban on flights and protect civilians from harm. That could include targeted air strikes on Libyan military forces, but excludes a ground invasion or occupation force. The resolution passed by a vote of 10 to 0, with five nations abstaining: Russia, China, Germany, India, and Brazil.
IN PICTURES: Qaddafi: A look back
Initially, the United States was reluctant to support even just a no-fly zone over Libya, until the Arab League came out in support of one last Saturday. Once an international consensus began to form, the US did an about-face. In deliberations at the UN, the Obama administration had called for the authority to use force by land, sea, and air, on the condition that Arab governments be centrally involved.
Speaking in Tunisia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that a no-fly zone would include “certain actions taken to protect the planes and the pilots, including bombing targets like the Libyan defense systems.”
“Qaddafi must go,” she added.
The Security Council voted as Mr. Qaddafi’s forces prepared for a major offensive against the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in eastern Libya. Thursday evening, Qaddafi went on state television and warned rebel forces, “We are coming tonight.”
Even as the Security Council took action, concerns grew that the measure was too late to stop Qaddafi from fully reasserting control over the country.
France, however, insisted it was not too late. Its prime minister said action could come within hours of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
And in Benghazi itself, the mood shifted in an instant to one of triumph as the Libyan opposition lit up the sky with celebratory gunfire within 2 minutes of the resolution passing.
Michael Gough, Batman's Alfred, dies aged 94
The actor had not been well for the past year and passed away at home surrounded by family, his agent said.
Gough appeared in more than 150 films and TV shows during his 65-year career.
He continued to work with Burton, starring in Sleepy Hollow and also providing voices in Corpse Bride and Alice in Wonderland.
"Tim Burton was a huge fan of Mick from the Hammer Horror films of the 60s, so he tried very hard to include him in everything he did," said Gough's agent.
"We've lost a very treasured and beloved friend and somebody who made a magnificent contribution to the world of theatre and films," she added.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Gough started his career in the 1946 television movie Androcles and the Lion.
Gough starred as the Celestial Toymaker in a 1965 episode of Doctor Who opposite William Hartnell
In the early 1960s he starred in a number of TV series including The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Count of Monte Christo and The Saint.
The next two decades saw him appear in more cult series including The Avengers, The Champions, Colditz and Blake's 7.
He was also known to Doctor Who fans after appearing in a 1965 episode entitled The Celestial Toymaker and again in the 1980s in an episode opposite the fifth Doctor, played by Peter Davison.
But Gough will be best remembered for his role as Alfred Pennyworth in the four-film Batman franchise, starring opposite Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney.
He is survived by his fourth wife, Henrietta, daughter Emma and sons Simon and Jasper.
Yale killing suspect admits murder, gets 44 years
A Yale University lab technician pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and attempted sexual assault in the killing of graduate student Annie Le in 2009.
Raymond Clark III will be sentenced to 44 years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
In court Thursday, prosecutors described injuries to the victim and evidence of attempted sexual assault.
Le, 24, was strangled to death. She had a broken jaw and collarbone, the prosecution said. Clark's DNA was "all over" the crime scene, including in her underwear, the state charged.
Le's body was discovered inside a wall of a Yale lab building four days later after an extensive search by the FBI and police.
Clark, 26, admitted the facts as the prosecution presented them but pleaded guilty under a legal precedent that allows him to do so while still officially protesting his innocence.
He entered Judge Roland Fasano's packed courtroom handcuffed, winking at his father as he walked in. His handcuffs were removed for the proceedings.
2009: Slain Yale student remembered
2010: Yale student murder evidence
RELATED TOPICS
* Annie Le
* Raymond Clark
* Murder and Homicide
* Yale University
"This is not the Ray we know," Clark's father said tearfully outside the court after the hearing.
"I want you to know Ray has expressed remorse from the beginning," he added, saying how difficult it was "to imagine your child did the unthinkable."
"My family and I send deepest sympathy to the Le family," said Clark's father, also called Raymond.
Clark pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine, which allows a defendant to assert that he is innocent but plead guilty when he "intelligently concludes that his interests require a guilty plea and the record strongly evidences guilt."
Clark had pleaded not guilty in January 2010.
Le was pursuing a doctorate in pharmacology at Yale when she went missing September 8, 2009.
She had planned to marry Columbia graduate student Jonathan Widawsky on the day her body was found.
Clark was not a Yale student but had worked as a lab technician at the university since 2004, after graduating from high school. He lived with his girlfriend, who also is a Yale lab technician, according to police.
A Yale faculty member described Clark's job as maintaining colonies for animals used in research.
NCAA Tournament First Round 2011: March Madness Live Updates
March Madness is finally here! The first round of the 2011 NCAA tournament kicks off Thursday at 12:15 ET with the No. 5 West Virginia going up against No. 12 Clemson. At 12:40, No. 9 Old Dominion squares off against No. 8 Butler. You can watch the games on CBS and TruTV. Vote on which teams will come out of the East, West, Southwest and Southeast regions. We will be providing live updates from the first round action so get your brackets ready!
[UPDATE] 5 Die in Long Beach Plane Crash; Irvine Real Estate Executive May Have Perished
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Two prominent Long Beach, Calif., real estate developers and a bicycle advocate are among five people killed in the fiery crash of a twin-engine plane at the city's airport.
Mike Murchison, who's a local business consultant and spokesman for developer Tom Dean, says Dean, developer Jeff Berger and bicycle advocate Mark Bixby were killed in the crash. The identities of the other two people who died weren't immediately available.
Murchison says another passenger, Mike Jensen, is hospitalized in critical condition.
The Long Beach Airport director says the Beechcraft King Air turboprop had taken off but was circling back when it crashed and burst into flames at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Stick it, Glenn Beck! Bronx Museum of the Arts touts borough's positive stories
First came an "American Idol" contestant groaning about growing up in the Bronx with all its "gangs, drugs, violence."
Then Fox News pundit Glenn Beck railed against Co-Op City as a failed socialist experiment.
And a nationwide study released earlier this month ranked the Cross Bronx Expressway the second-most gridlocked highway in the country.
It seems the hits just keep on coming. But at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, they are looking to quash all that trash talk.
The museum is presenting Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories, a free storytelling event designed to highlight positive images of the borough at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse.
"The goal is to challenge the stereotypes of the Bronx," said the museum's Bridget Bartolini, who brainstormed the idea.
The event is the latest push to invoke Bronx pride.
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. called on Bronxites to defend their borough after Beck's comments and the "American Idol" segment. Online, the blogosphere lit up with pro-Bronx music videos and calls of "Bronx pride!"
The museum event will feature a special screening of the documentary "Richie Perez Watches 'Fort Apache: The Bronx'" and four storytellers sharing their Bronx experiences. The audience will be invited to share their stories.
Museum volunteer Miriam Tabb plans to talk about her time at Bronx Community College in the mid-1990s. The Bronxite, who has been boycotting "Idol" since January, hopes her love for the borough comes through.
"I just love all the diversity of people here," she said. "I really love my borough, but it gets a bad rap all around."
Writer/performer Michele Carlo will be sharing from her memoir, "Fish Out of Agua: My Life on the Neither Side of the (Subway) Tracks."
"I'm telling a story from my teenagehood. It's about discovery and loss and growing up. It's bittersweet," she said.
RIGA, Latvia -- New dinosaur species found in Angola
Police said Wednesday they have smashed a huge international pedophile ring, rescuing 230 children from abuse and arresting 184 suspects -- including teachers and police officers.
The three-year investigation code named Operation Rescue uncovered 670 suspects and identified and safeguarded children in more than 30 countries by arresting people accused of abusing them, said Rob Wainwright, director of the European Union police agency Europol.
The ring was centered on an Amsterdam-based online forum called boylover.net, which Wainwright described as "probably the largest online pedophile network in the world."
"These are very serious crimes on a truly global basis," he added.
The heavily encrypted forum, whose administrator appeared in a Dutch court on Tuesday charged with sex offenses, had up to 70,000 members.
The investigation was led by Britain's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center but also involved law enforcement agencies as far afield as Australia, the United States and Thailand.
Peter Davies of the British child protection center said there would be more arrests as the investigations continue.
"Those who have been members of the site can expect a knock on the door in the very near future," he said. In Britain, police said, the children involved were ages 7 to 14.
Wainwright said the website was intended as a discussion forum where pedophiles could "share their sexual interest in young boys."
Europol released parts of online conversations and other posts including a discussion between two suspects, identified only as X and Y, about their attraction to boys wearing diapers.
Y said he had convinced one boy he needed to wear a diaper every weekend from the age of nine to 13. "They were the happiest four years of my life," he said.
After making initial contact on the forum, members would use e-mail and other electronic channels to share images and video of children being abused, Wainwright said.
Justin Timberlake & Mila Kunis Get Naked
The rumored couple get naked their new romantic comedy called "Friends With Benefits." Justin and Mila both said that they saw pretty much all of their co-star due to the large number of sex scenes inthe movie. It's also rumored that filming the movie might have broken up Justin and long time girlfreind Jessica Biel. Kunis and Timberlake will be out promotng the film togther soon so we'll be able to see their chemistry off screen as well.
New seismic fault revealed near California nuclear plant
SAN FRANCISCO - An unknown seismic fault has been detected on the ocean floor a half-mile from Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s nuclear power plant in Diablo Canyon in central California. A company report on the discovery says the plant could safely withstand a magnitude- 6.5 quake on the fault.
The fault zone was detected more than two years ago by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey working with the utility and was promptly reported to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but its existence did not become widely known until Tuesday.
William Ellsworth, the USGS scientist who developed the method used to determine the fault's dimensions, said it is "not a major fault." The Shoreline Fault Zone runs for 14 miles offshore in three segments, roughly from the vicinity of a coastal feature called Point Buchon northwest of the plant to well out in San Luis Obispo Bay.
Ellsworth said the USGS and the utility have long had a standard cooperative agreement to work jointly on seismic research. He said the fault was found by scientists gathering seafloor data to assess probabilities for major quakes in the Bay Area.
The fault, Ellsworth said, runs vertically about 6 miles beneath the seafloor and is known as a "strike-slip" fault, which means that in its motion one side would slip past the other.
The fault lies about 3 miles inshore from the well-known Hosgri Fault, whose discovery in 1971 by scientists forced PG&E to upgrade the plant's design.
The Situation Bombs At The Roast Of Donald Trump On Comedy Central (VIDEO)
Maybe comedy ain't my game right now." Truer words were never spoken, neither by man nor meathead.
The question was not whether Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino would be funny on the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump. (You had one of the most laughable personalities in the history of television on stage next to real comedians...whatever happened, it would be funny.) The question is whether or not The Sitch (let's face it, the man is in dire need of a diminutive) knew why people were laughing at him or not.
In case you missed it, let us sum it up this way: The Situation bombed so hard at The Roast of Donald Trump, he was nearly booed off stage until Jeffrey Ross came to his rescue (presumably for the sake of the show, not the "Jersey Shore" star's dignity...which like the Easter Bunny, doesn't exist).
What stands out most about The Situation's performance is simply the lack of perspective. He seems to be laboring under the notion that whatever he wants to do, he can. And why not? Being a guy with no real ambition beyond some kind of bizarre tanning, working out and laundry ethos has paid off for him handsomely so far. Why shouldn't he think, "oh, yeah, I can do comedy"? Why shouldn't Snooki write a novel, for that matter?
One would hope that the reaction The Situation got would give him pause to reconsider his life choices, but one would be wrong. According to Lisa Lampanelli, when he returned to his seat on the dais he said he thought it went pretty well. I guess it depends on your criteria for judgment. Did he do "pretty well" compared to how the actual comedians surrounding him did? Not by a long shot. Did he do "pretty well" compared to his fellow non-comedians, Marlee Matlin, Larry King and Snoop Dogg did? No way. In fact, Matlin and Snoop had two of our favorite sets of the night. But did he do "pretty well" compared to how someone from the cast of "Jerseylicious" might have done? Maybe.
