Archive

Posts Tagged ‘ears’

Obama calls for reducing nuclear stockpiles

(CNN) — President Barack Obama followed in the footsteps of past U.S. leaders with a speech on Wednesday at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, where he said he would ask Russia to join the United States in slashing its supply of strategic nuclear warheads.

“We may no longer live in fear of global annihilation, but so long as nuclear weapons exist, we are not truly safe,” Obama said in the city that symbolized the East-West divide in the decades after World War II.

“After a comprehensive review, I’ve determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies — and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent — while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third,” he said. “And I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond Cold War nuclear postures.”

Obama’s speech made repeated references to Berlin’s post-war history and the resiliency of its people. He called on them to manifest the same spirit that helped bring down the Berlin Wall to now take on broader challenges facing the modern world.


Obama goes informal during Berlin speech


President Obama in Berlin

“Complacency is not the character of great nations,” said the president, who perspired openly despite removing his suit jacket when he started speaking to a sun-drenched crowd. “Today’s threats are not as stark as they were half-a-century ago. But the struggle for freedom and security and human dignity, that struggle goes on.”

Repeating his campaign themes of equal opportunity and freedom for all, Obama said such ideals can provide the prosperity sought by all nations — especially longtime allies such as the United States and Germany.

“We may enjoy a standard of living that is the envy of the world, but so long as hundreds of millions endure the agony of an empty stomach or the anguish of unemployment, we’re not truly prosperous,” Obama said. “We are more free when all people can pursue their own happiness.”

In the city rife with Cold War history, Obama also heralded democratic values that helped end communist control.

“Because millions across this continent now breathe the fresh air of freedom, we can say here in Berlin, here in Europe: Our values won,” he said to cheers. “Openness won. Tolerance won. And freedom won.”

Obama’s speech took place almost exactly 50 years after President John F. Kennedy delivered his “Ich bin ein Berliner” — or “I am a Berliner” — speech of solidarity with West Berlin near the dividing line with the Soviet-occupied east on the other side of the Berlin Wall.

Berlin is also where President Ronald Reagan delivered a famous line to the Soviet Union in 1987: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

When Obama referred to Kennedy’s speech and repeated the famous phrase, the crowd cheered. He also quoted from Kennedy’s speech by calling on people to look “to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.”

Taking on another major issue, Obama called for a new global effort to address climate change, citing threats such as “more severe storms, more famine and floods, new waves of refugees, coast lines that vanish, oceans that rise.”

“This is the future we must avert,” he said to cheers. “This is the global threat of our time. And for the sake of future generations, our generation must move toward a global compact to confront a changing climate before it is too late. That is our job. That is our task. We have to get to work.”

Analysts said Obama’s speech sought to entrench a presidential legacy of leadership on global issues, especially after the lofty expectations in Germany and elsewhere for the candidate who spoke in Berlin five years ago have given way to the realities of the Oval Office.

“It was a president who wanted to kind of put down a stake and say, like JFK, like Ronald Reagan, I share their values as an American president and these are the things I feel like I need to talk to you about today as an American president,” said CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger.

Historian Douglas Brinkley called it a “healing speech,” but said “let’s not confuse this with Kennedy’s very important Cold War talk in Berlin or Ronald Reagan’s fighting words about ‘tear down this wall.’”

“This was not a moment that’s going to be a gold star on history’s calendar,” Brinkley told CNN.

Beyond New START

Obama’s latest proposals on nuclear stockpiles come two years after New START — an agreement between the United States and Russia — went into effect. New START, which stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, calls for each country to limit its nuclear warhead arsenal to 1,550 by the year 2018.

If fully implemented, his proposals on Wednesday would reduce both stockpiles by another one-third — to roughly 1,000 warheads for each country.

“At the same time, we’ll work with our NATO allies to seek bold reductions in U.S. and Russian tactical weapons in Europe,” he said.

After New START was ratified, Obama ordered a detailed internal analysis of U.S. nuclear needs and what it would take to deter other countries from attacking, the White House said.

Obama has also said the United States will only consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.

A White House fact sheet released after the speech called Obama’s proposals “new guidance that aligns U.S. nuclear policies to the 21st century security environment.”

Obama’s guidance directed the Pentagon to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in the overall U.S. security strategy, and narrow the focus of nuclear strategy to deterrence, the White House document said.

The proposals drew immediate criticism from the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon of California, who said in a statement that Russia already failed to adhere to existing arms-reduction agreements.

“The president must make clear to (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin that the United States will not allow itself or its allies to be bullied by Russia or to allow that state to ignore its arms control obligations,” McKeon’s statement said.

Pressuring Iran and North Korea

The United States will continue working to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, with specific pressure on Iran and North Korea, a senior administration official said.

Obama also will participate in the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, the official said. The president announced Wednesday in his speech that he will host a Nuclear Security Summit in 2016 to work with other countries in securing nuclear materials and preventing nuclear terrorism.

Nuclear deterrence could restrain N. Korea, Iran

Wednesday’s speech took place amid a festive atmosphere at Brandenburg Gate, where Obama faced the East in contrast to Reagan’s appearance when the Berlin Wall still divided the city.

While the crowd was much smaller than the estimated 200,000 who jammed the area in 2008 to hear then Sen. Obama speak, people waved U.S. and German flags and regularly erupted in cheers and applause.

Near the front was Gail Halvorsen, known as the Candy Bomber for being the first to drop candy to kids during the U.S. airlift of 1948-49 that supplied West Berlin following a Soviet blockade.

Obama paid tribute to that moment, noting that the 92-year-old Halvorsen, who he called “the original candy bomber,” was present.

“We could not be prouder of him,” Obama said as Halvorsen stood and waved. The president added: “I hope I look that good, by the way, when I’m 92.”

CNN’s Deirdre Walsh and Holly Yan contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/0XaFW5RsEMs/index.html

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/Y4Quz9166E8/obama-calls-for-reducing-nuclear-stockpiles

New details revealed on royal baby birth plans


.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

On June 21, 1982, almost 31 years ago, Prince William was born. Prince Charles and Princess Diana are shown leaving the Lindo Wing, at St. Mary's Hospital in London. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, plans to give birth to her baby at the same hospital.On June 21, 1982, almost 31 years ago, Prince William was born. Prince Charles and Princess Diana are shown leaving the Lindo Wing, at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, plans to give birth to her baby at the same hospital.

On display at the main gates of Buckingham Palace in London is the announcement that Diana gave birth to a son, William, at 9.03 p.m. on June 21, 1982. Charles was with her at St. Mary's Hospital for the birth of their first child, who weighed 7lbs 1.5 ozs and had blue eyes.!-- --/brOn display at the main gates of Buckingham Palace in London is the announcement that Diana gave birth to a son, William, at 9.03 p.m. on June 21, 1982. Charles was with her at St. Mary’s Hospital for the birth of their first child, who weighed 7lbs 1.5 ozs and had blue eyes.

Charles and Diana are photographed on September 16, 1984, following the birth of their second son, Prince Harry, at St. Mary's Hospital.Charles and Diana are photographed on September 16, 1984, following the birth of their second son, Prince Harry, at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Catherine attends a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth II on May 22, 2013.Catherine attends a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth II on May 22, 2013.

William and Catherine arrive for a service of celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 4, 2013.William and Catherine arrive for a service of celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 4, 2013.

President and CEO of Princess Cruises Alan Buckelew escorts Catherine stands next to an image taken of herself by Getty photographer Chris Jackson after a ship's naming ceremony at Ocean Terminal on June 13, 2013 in Southampton. This was Catherine's final public appearance before she gives birth.President and CEO of Princess Cruises Alan Buckelew escorts Catherine stands next to an image taken of herself by Getty photographer Chris Jackson after a ship’s naming ceremony at Ocean Terminal on June 13, 2013 in Southampton. This was Catherine’s final public appearance before she gives birth.

Catherine is photographed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Color Ceremony on June 15, 2013 in London.Catherine is photographed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Color Ceremony on June 15, 2013 in London.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7

London (CNN) — Prince William’s wife, Catherine, plans to give birth to their first baby in the same hospital wing where her husband was born to Diana, Princess of Wales, almost 31 years ago, sources familiar with the plans said Wednesday.

The first details of the protocol surrounding the announcement of the birth were revealed as the Duchess of Cambridge enters the final weeks of her pregnancy.

The baby — which, regardless of gender, will be heir to the British throne — is expected to arrive in mid-July.

According to sources familiar with the plans, the birth will take place in the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London.

The first indication that the baby is on its way will be the announcement to the media that the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labor, royal sources told CNN.


Duchess’ last solo event before baby


Did she let a royal secret slip?


Royal baby bump pics: Right or wrong?

The next public announcement is expected to be that of the birth.

It will be made in the form of a formal bulletin, signed by medical staff and rushed in a car with a police escort to Buckingham Palace.

There, the notice will be placed on an easel on the palace forecourt, the royal sources said. This will be the first chance for the nation and those watching around the world to find out whether the new baby is a boy or a girl.

William and Catherine don’t know the sex of their baby and want to keep the surprise until it’s born, the royal sources said. William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and other members of both families will be told of the birth before the public knows.

The next announcement will be that the Duchess of Cambridge and her baby are to be discharged from the hospital.

People are already laying bets on what the newest member of the royal family will be named.

Alexandra appears to be the favorite for a girl, with George the favored name for a boy, according to UK betting websites. Diana, Elizabeth and Victoria are also popular choices with punters.

The baby will be third in line to the throne after Prince Charles and Prince William.

Paternity leave

The royal couple will probably present their baby to the world on the same doorstep where a proud Diana and Prince Charles showed off William in 1982.

It’s not yet been disclosed where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge plan to spend the days and weeks following the birth, the royal sources said.

William, who will turn 31 on Friday, is expected to be given the usual paternity leave of two weeks by the Ministry of Defence, the royal sources said. He will then return to his job as a helicopter search and rescue pilot.

The revelation of the birth details may be cause for some anxiety, given the tragedy that followed Catherine’s hospitalization late last year for acute morning sickness.

In that instance, a prank call by an Australian radio station to nursing staff at King Edward VII’s Hospital, which sparked a media frenzy after details of Catherine’s care were revealed, resulted in a nurse’s suicide.

“We would appeal to all members of the media for an appropriate degree of sensitivity, dignity and privacy in their reporting,” a royal source said.

“With the events of the King Edward Hospital still strong in our memories, we would expect any media covering the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospitalization to ensure that the normal functions of the hospital are not impeded by any media presence.”

Champagne on ice?

According to the Lindo Wing website, it has been offering private obstetric and neonatal care for mothers and babies since 1937.

The private wing operates alongside the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which is part of the National Health Service.

“Over the years, we have gained an international reputation for clinical excellence in both obstetric and neonatal medicine which has made us the choice for thousands of mothers. But what really sets us apart is the discreet, traditional, individualised service we provide,” the Lindo Wing’s online brochure says.

According to the prices listed, a stay in the Lindo Wing doesn’t come cheap by comparison with National Health Service care, which is free at the point of delivery.

However, the mother can stay in a room with its own bath or private suite, with a range of facilities and services offered. Among them is “a comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby’s arrival.”

The care package for the first 24 hours with a normal delivery starts at £4,965 ($7,777), with the price increasing for a larger room or suite, or if a forceps delivery or caesarean section is needed. An additional night’s stay costs £900 ($1,400) or more on top of that price.

Pregnant Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, names cruise ship

Magazine defends photos of pregnant, bikini-clad Duchess of Cambridge


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/CT1cuII-f3E/index.html

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/JSWg8ZFsbsQ/new-details-revealed-on-royal-baby-birth-plans

Attack on U.N. compound in Somalia called ‘barbaric’


Somali soldiers patrol after al Qaeda-linked insurgents shoot their way into the U.N. compound in Mogadishu on June 19.

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) — At least 14 people died and 15 others were wounded in an attack on the U.N. headquarters in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Seven militants, four U.N. employees and three female civilians were killed, said Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the country’s interior and national security minister. The other victims were rushed to a hospital.

Al-Shabaab, the militant group linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility, the group said on Twitter.

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon deplored the “senseless and despicable” assault against an agency that has been a friend and partner.


2012: The battle against al-Shabaab

“I and all Somalis are appalled that they should be the target and victims of such barbaric violence,” Shirdon said.

It was the latest in a series of attacks in the city, the heart of an unstable nation beset with civil strife, with government and African Union forces battling Islamic militants for years in an effort to bring stability to the land.

Last month, a suicide bomber targeted a Qatari delegation, killing at least eight people. Al-Shabaab also claimed responsibility for that strike.

In April, militants forced their way into a court building in Mogadishu and killed 29 people, including members of Al-Shabaab, sources said.

Police Officer Hussein Ahmed said that in Wednesday’s violence, one attacker blew himself up at the entrance of the U.N. compound, which is near the city’s airport.

Others wearing suicide vests entered the U.N. compound. He said Somali and AU forces surrounded the building and fought with the armed assailants.

The attack devastated the area. Mangled buses and cars sat in disfigured heaps, the windows of nearby apartments shattered, the ground littered with blood and body parts.

A large brown plume of smoke was visible in the air as ambulances rushed to the scene and carried away the wounded.

The compound has now been secured and is in the hands of AU troops, the official Twitter account of the African Union Mission to Somalia said. Shirdon also assured city residents that the government remains in control of security and underscored the swift action by the forces against the attackers.

“All our thoughts and prayers are with our U.N. colleagues today,” Shirdon said. “Al-Shabaab will not derail the peace process. They will not stop our recovery. Violence will not win.”


Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/swz8XXrbO6M/attack-on-u-n-compound-in-somalia-called-barbaric

Corsair Carbide Air 540 Review

Corsair Carbide Air 540 Review

Manufacturer: Corsair
UK price (as reviewed): £117 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $140 (ex TAX)

Dual-chamber cases are nothing new. In fact, examples such as YeongYang’s cube server case is over 10 years old. As such, while it might sound harsh, a lot of the hype surrounding Corsair’s new Carbide Air 540 that dubbed it as out-of-the-box thinking is simply down to inexperience and over-excitement. However, there’s definitely something appealing about these types of cases that gets you all enthusiastic about the prospect of building a system into one.

The huge towers doing the rounds at the moment are just that – huge, and we’ve seen many instances where they literally don’t fit under a desk. By splitting a cube case into two compartments, you essentially gain the best of two worlds – enough space to build a tidy system with ample space for water-cooling hardware, and also a relatively compact case, at least in terms of depth and height.

Of course there’s no point just copying a design that was around ten years ago because it simply won’t work. These days you need SSD mounts, 140mm fan mounts and decent cable routing for starters. For this reason, Corsair has of course applied some very modern tweaks to the Carbide Air 540 that make it very much a case your modern enthusiast will be interested in. We’re particularly keen on putting Corsair’s claim of it being ‘the best air-cooling case in the world’ to the test.

Corsair Carbide Air 540 ReviewCorsair Carbide Air 540 Review
The Carbide Air 540′s bulk makes it look deceptively large, when in fact it’s only a couple of centimetres taller and deeper than the BitFenix Prodigy. It’s the fact that the PSU and 5.25in mounts have been shifted to the second chamber that meant Corsair could shrink the other dimensions of the case, yet there’s still loads of room to spare inside. The front panel definitely grew on us as we played with it for a few hours, too – it looks rather spartan, but in a ruggedly good way.

The front is as plastic as the inside of your average Asian-made family car, but the lop-sided features, including a huge top-to-bottom grille and front panel mean you instantly forget about this, especially as the case in general is extremely well-made and solid – there’s no rattling here. The only real issue cosmetically-speaking is the rotated 5.25in bays – the best thing to install here would be two bay reservoirs perhaps catering for two water-cooling loops in two coolant colours. Of course not all of us can be as extravagant, but it’s unlikely fan controllers or optical drives are going to look particularly attractive, or be all that practical, here.

Corsair Carbide Air 540 ReviewCorsair Carbide Air 540 Review
By far our favourite feature is the huge side window and before you ask – which someone always does – no the 5.25in bays aren’t visible because they’re in the other chamber. Hooray! Coupled with the fact the PSU is hidden in the rear chamber, the Carbide Air 540 really is a tidy system-lover’s delight, because all that will be on show is the motherboard, graphics card and any cooling gear you have installed.

While the case’s design results in some features of its own, others are a little bare. There are two USB 3.0 ports, but that’s it – no fan control, no lighting and only a front dust filter. At a little over £100, you’re still getting a lot of case for your money and once again Corsair probably has the excuse that you should be considering one of its all-in-one liquid coolers with their fan control software instead.

Corsair Carbide Air 540 ReviewCorsair Carbide Air 540 Review
However, little niggles like the lack of a dust filter on the bottom of the case, which has large vents beneath the hard disk mounts, and cable ties rather than anything more lavish to secure cables in the otherwise excellent cable routing system, are flies in the ointment of what is so far a very promising case.

Specifications

  • Dimensions (mm) 332 x 415 x 458 (W x D x H)
  • Material Steel, plastic
  • Available colours Black (reviewed)
  • Weight 8kg
  • Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  • Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 2 x internal 3.5in/2.5in, 4 x internal 2.5in
  • Form factor(s) EATX, ATX, micro-ATX
  • Cooling 2 x 140mm/3 x 120mm front fan mounts (2 x 140mm fans included), 1 x 140mm rear fan mount (fan included), 2 x 120mm/140mm top fan mounts (fan not included)
  • CPU cooler clearance 170mm
  • Maximum graphics card length 320mm
  • Maximum PSU length 200mm

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bit-tech/hardware/~3/qsDU5mvZ73M/1


Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GamingRipplesWeb/~3/qpQdGbe4IOU/

Steve Jobs expected to be forgotten by history

Steve Jobs in 1994

In 1994, before his return to Apple, Steve Jobs expected to be forgotten.


(Credit:
Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET)

In 1994, while at Next, Steve Jobs gave a 20-minute interview to the Silicon Valley Historical Association (SVHA) in which he spoke about his legacy. Interestingly, at that point, he expected that he and his accomplishments would be more or less forgotten within a few decades.

A clip from that interview has just been posted to YouTube for the first time this week to help promote the SVHA’s 60-minute documentary on Jobs, “Steve Jobs: Visionary Entrepreneur.”

“All the work that I’ve done in my life will be obsolete by the time I’m 50,” Jobs, still shy of his 40th birthday, says in the video below. “The Apple 2 is obsolete now, Apple 1s were obsolete many years ago, the Macintosh is on the verge of becoming obsolete in the next few years.”

Remember, this is Jobs speaking before his return to Apple to turn it around and build it into one of the most valuable enterprises ever. Now, almost 20 years later, we’ve just seen the latest iteration of the Macintosh OS, and a working Apple 1 just sold at auction for more than half a million dollars.

Lots of innovators are forgotten by history, but it seems that Jobs has already joined the historical vanguard, drawing constant comparisons to names like Edison and Ford. The saddest thing is that the opposite turned out to be true, and the usefulness of Jobs’ many creations will likely outlive the man himself by decades.

Watch the clip of the 1994 interview below:

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/_EBrqvlIFY0/

Categories: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After Katy Perry, is dumping by text standard practice?

How sad La Perry must have felt.


(Credit:
AmericanVogue/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

As one who has been dumped by Skype, registered mail, Pinot poured on bald head, head-butt, intermediary, and sudden marriage to another, I wondered what could possibly remain.

Then I read Katy Perry’s plaintive revelation that the very humorous star of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Russell Brand, had allegedly told her to forget their marriage by text.

I had heard that this might be a method employed in middle school to end what wasn’t meant to be.

However, I wasn’t aware that those designated as adults might also believe this was appropriate etiquette.

I can rarely tell whether stars do things to set trends, or whether they’re merely following suit on what they’ve heard from groupies.

My natural instinct is that a texted sayonara must indicate a relationship that has become irretrievably sour.

If you can only be bothered to spend seconds composing your good-bye, how much can it really mean?

Statistics from the U.K., for example, suggest that 1 in 10 people have been rejected by text. They can’t all be recently pubescent, can they?

It used to be that when a woman decided a man wasn’t right for her, she would compose a beautiful, pained “Dear John” letter. And when a man decided that the woman wasn’t his ideal, he would at least look her in the face and say: “It’s not you. It’s the other girl I’m seeing.”

Has it now sunk to a beep on your phone and the words: “U R dumped”?

Relationship expert Dan Savage seemed to have a very definitive view of these things. I discovered a piece of advice he gave to a 28-year-old man who was pained that he was dumped by text.

In his Savage Love advice column, he replied: “You’re hurt, she hurt you, and you’ve latched on to the dumped-by-text issue so you can tell yourself that you were mistaken about her, that you didn’t have chemistry, that there really wasn’t something special here. Nope, she’s a scumbag. Dumping-by-text proves it.”

But then he continued: “Old notions about text-message dumpings — they’re not classy! — don’t apply these days. A longish, thoughtful, and well-written text message is now a legit way to dump someone.”

The questions are already on their knees and begging: Did Katy Perry receive a long, lyrical, poetic text? Or was it of the curt, to-the-point variety? You know: “I didn’t like your last single. So now you’re going to be single.”

It seems celebrities have been involved in several texted dumpings.

The Today Show reports that upstanding members of the fame community such as Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, and Charlie Sheen have all been on one side or another of SMS-offs — Sheen was allegedly on the painful side of the message.

Perhaps relationships in themselves have become so transactional that a simple, direct, almost businesslike medium is entirely appropriate for the unraveling.

I cannot help, though, feeling that a little lyricism would still be helpful.

Instead of “We’re thru,” perhaps a series of Emoji emoticons describing the relationship: Some happy faces, the Statue of Liberty, a plane, a palm tree, a happy family. At the end, Munch’s “Scream” emoticon and the words: ‘The End.’”

At least that would be artistic.

Just because the dumpee can’t see your face, it doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t have feelings.

But even with a lyrical approach, your post-text ex will surely still think you’re a coward, though, yes?

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/cLv9fdEBC0Q/

Arrests in U.S. ‘subhuman slavery’ case

Editor’s note: For more information on this story, check out CNN affiliates WKYC, WOIO and WJW.

(CNN) — A mentally disabled woman and her daughter were held in an Ohio apartment crowded with people and animals for more than a year, forced to perform manual labor and threatened with dogs and snakes to keep them compliant, authorities said Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors said the people accused of holding the pair in Ashland, about 60 miles south of Cleveland, collected the woman’s government benefits and beat her in order to get painkillers for themselves. They kept her in a room with a free-ranging iguana and ordered her to feed the reptile fruits and vegetables her daughter was denied, according to court papers. Sometimes their captors’ pit bulls got table food while they had to eat from cans, according to an arrest affidavit quoting witnesses.

“The living conditions were simply subhuman,” said Steven Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

“(We’re) talking about people who were locked in rooms, forced to work all the time, people who were threatened and beaten and injured, people who were exploited, people who had their money and benefits stolen, sort of used as pawns to get drugs,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “And the worst part of all this is, you know, they tried to rob the victims of their basic human dignity. So almost everything they did was to prey on them, prey on their vulnerabilities and exploit them.”

The mother and daughter were sometimes forced to eat dog food, according to a law enforcement source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation.

They were also frequently denied access to the bathroom, FBI Special Agent Eric Smith told reporters.


Suspect’s mother: None of this happened


Feds charge 3 in Ohio captivity case

“They were physically punished for toiletry accidents,” he said, “and they were threatened not only with weapons but also with vicious animals, to include pit bulls and pythons.”

Family and attorney deny accusations

Three people — 26-year-old Jordie Callahan, 31-year-old Jessica Hunt and 33-year-old Daniel Brown — were arrested and charged with forced labor. Callahan is facing an additional count of witness tampering, and another arrest could come soon, the U.S. attorney’s office in Cleveland said.

Callahan’s mother, Becky, told CNN’s Piers Morgan that the accusations are false, and that the alleged victim was allowed to leave the apartment whenever she wanted.

“There are so many lies going on,” she said, accusing investigators of trumping up the case to draw attention to the small city of Ashland.

“She was giving them a couple hundred dollars a month for staying there. She was getting her own food. She wasn’t being starved,” Callahan’s mother said.

Her son, she said, is devastated by the accusations.

“He’s devastated that all of this is being said about them. They have some pit bulls and snakes, so they are making them out to be evil because they have that,” she said. “He loves reptiles. He always has since he was a kid.”

An attorney for Callahan told CNN affiliate WOIO that the allegations are ludicrous.

“She had opportunities to leave. She left several times and came back. So this was a mutual arrangement for her,” Attorney Andy Hyde told WOIO. “I don’t like that the federal prosecutors held a press conference to pat themselves on the back.”

Attorneys representing Hunt and Brown could not be immediately reached by CNN for comment.

Prosecutor: ‘They treated her worse than they treated the animals’

But a criminal complaint filed this week alleges that the mother and her daughter were padlocked inside the bedroom they shared.


 


“These individuals in this case preyed upon a human being’s disability and her desire to protect her child, the most fundamental of human traits,” Dettelbach said. The suspects “used that to force her into servitude, to work like an animal, and indeed, as the complaint alleges, they treated her worse than they treated the animals that were in that house.”

Hunt and Callahan are a couple but are not married, FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said. Brown was a friend of theirs, she said.

Before they were allegedly forced into servitude for two years, the victims knew their alleged captors, the law enforcement source said.

The woman was identified in court papers only as “S.E.” Investigators stated Callahan and Hunt persuaded her to move into the apartment they shared with Hunt’s four sons and “numerous” animals, knowing she “suffered from a cognitive disability and received monthly public assistance payments.”

That was in May 2011. Her plight came to the attention of authorities in October 2012, when she was arrested for trying to steal a candy bar from a store. Then she was arrested on a state child-welfare charge as part of the case, Ashland Police Chief David Marcelli said.

“The officers that took that complaint detected that there was other issues aside from the shoplifting,” Marcelli said. He said officers had had “numerous involvements” with the people involved, “and in the course of interviewing her, they discovered the rest of these facts slowly.”

According to prosecutors, Callahan showed police a mobile-phone video of S.E. beating her child. S.E. told police that she had been told to do so by Callahan and Hunt and that Callahan threatened to show police the video if she “messed up” or went to authorities.

S.E. was released from jail in February after being sentenced to time served on the abuse charge, and her daughter is now in foster care, said Michael Tobin, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Once the full picture emerged, Ashland police called in the FBI, “and shortly after, the suspects were indicted,” Marcelli said.

‘All of us…need to work on being better neighbors’

Callahan and Hunt kept tabs on the woman and child with a baby monitor, with Hunt taking the woman’s government benefit cards, authorities said.

“Callahan and Hunt forced S.E. to clean the house, do laundry, walk to the store to do their shopping and care for their numerous pit bulls and reptiles,” the prosecution statement said. Her child was kept in the apartment when she was sent to the store, they said.

Tuesday’s announcement comes more than a month after the rescue of three women from a Cleveland home where police said a man had held them captive for about a decade.

Authorities believe there is no connection between the Ashland investigation and that case, the law enforcement source said.

Dettelbach, the federal prosecutor, said Tuesday’s arrests are part of a broader push to crack down on what he called “modern-day slavery.”

“We need your help in these efforts. Law enforcement cannot do it alone. All of us in the northern district of Ohio need to work on being better neighbors,” he said. “We need to ask questions, hard questions, when we see something that doesn’t look right. We need to not be afraid to pick up the phone and to call law enforcement. We need to not be afraid to ask those simple questions — is everything OK? Is there some way I can help you? As Ohioans and as Americans, that is who we are, and it is our duty. “

CNN’s Carol Cratty and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/us/ohio-captive-woman/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/kbbneyHwiDQ/arrests-in-u-s-subhuman-slavery-case

Paris Jackson ‘lost’ after dad’s death

Los Angeles (CNN) — Paris and Prince Jackson made their first appearances Tuesday in the wrongful death trial against their father’s last concert promoter.

AEG Live lawyers played short video clips from the depositions of Michael Jackson’s oldest children in court to counter testimony from their chef.

Kai Chase, who cooked for the singer and his three children in the last months of his life, described what she said was Jackson’s physical deterioration just before his death.

Jackson was strong, healthy and active in April, but was so weak by June that Prince, then 12, had to help his father walk up stairs, Chase testified.

Chase also repeated the testimony she gave in the criminal trial of Dr. Conrad Murray about the day Jackson died.


Paris Jackson’s ‘cry for help’

Randy Phillips: He's president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his This Is It comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray's treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson's missed rehearsals and sought Murray's help getting him ready.Randy Phillips: He’s president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his “This Is It” comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray’s treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson’s missed rehearsals and sought Murray’s help getting him ready.

Katherine Jackson: Michael's mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son's three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson's comeback concerts.Katherine Jackson: Michael’s mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son’s three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts.

Prince Jackson: Michael's oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons' case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent -- he now has a driver's license and jobs.Prince Jackson: Michael’s oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons’ case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent — he now has a driver’s license and jobs.

Paris Jackson: Michael's daughter, who turned 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father's death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.Paris Jackson: Michael’s daughter, who turned 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father’s death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers.

Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael's youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be medically detrimental to the child.Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael’s youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be “medically detrimental” to the child.

Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq.

Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson's personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son's estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper's death investigation.Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson’s personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son’s estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper’s death investigation.

Marvin Putnam: He's the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is media in defense of their First Amendment rights, according to his official biography.Marvin Putnam: He’s the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is “media in defense of their First Amendment rights,” according to his official biography.

Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons' witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons’ witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion.

Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG's president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke's e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson's health are important evidence in their case.Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG’s president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke’s e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson’s health are important evidence in their case.

Joe Jackson: Michael's father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.Joe Jackson: Michael’s father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him.

Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years.

Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the This Is It shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson's Dangerous and HIStory tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that Jackson was frail at a rehearsal days before his death.Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the “This Is It” shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson’s “Dangerous” and “HIStory” tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray’s criminal trial that “Jackson was frail” at a rehearsal days before his death.

Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson's personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson’s personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify.

John Branca: He's one of two executors of Michael Jackson's estate. Branca was Jackson's lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.John Branca: He’s one of two executors of Michael Jackson’s estate. Branca was Jackson’s lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15

Who's who in Jackson trialWho’s who in Jackson trial

Paris Jackson made headlines recently when she was rushed to the hospital after she reportedly cut one of her wrists. Jackson is the second child of famed singer Michael Jackson and Deborah Jeanne Rowe. Click through to see more of the Jackson family tree.Paris Jackson made headlines recently when she was rushed to the hospital after she reportedly cut one of her wrists. Jackson is the second child of famed singer Michael Jackson and Deborah Jeanne Rowe. Click through to see more of the Jackson family tree.

Katherine Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson family. Here she attends the hand and footprint ceremony for son Michael at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in January 2012 in Los Angeles.Katherine Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson family. Here she attends the hand and footprint ceremony for son Michael at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in January 2012 in Los Angeles.

Joseph Walker Joe Jackson is the patriarch of the Jackson family. He's pictured at a March 2011 press conference in Madrid, Spain.Joseph Walker “Joe” Jackson is the patriarch of the Jackson family. He’s pictured at a March 2011 press conference in Madrid, Spain.

Maureen Reillette Rebbie Jackson is Joe and Katherine's oldest child. She scored a hit in the 1980s with the song Centipede. She has three children: Stacee, Yashi and Austin Auggie Brown. Here she attends the world premiere of Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon in London in November 2011.Maureen Reillette “Rebbie” Jackson is Joe and Katherine’s oldest child. She scored a hit in the 1980s with the song “Centipede.” She has three children: Stacee, Yashi and Austin “Auggie” Brown. Here she attends the world premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon” in London in November 2011.

Yashi Brown, Rebbie Jackson's second child, is a poet and advocate on mental health issues. Yashi Brown, Rebbie Jackson’s second child, is a poet and advocate on mental health issues.

Rebbie Jackson's youngest, Austin Auggie Brown, is a musician. He's pictured at a December 2012 benefit in Hollywood. Rebbie Jackson’s youngest, Austin “Auggie” Brown, is a musician. He’s pictured at a December 2012 benefit in Hollywood.

Sigmund Esco Jackie Jackson, center, is the second of Joe and Katherine's children. He has two children with Enid Spann: Sigmund Esco Siggy Jackson Jr. and Brandi Jackson. Here he performs with brothers Tito, left, and Marlon Jackson in Los Angeles in July 2012.Sigmund Esco “Jackie” Jackson, center, is the second of Joe and Katherine’s children. He has two children with Enid Spann: Sigmund Esco “Siggy” Jackson Jr. and Brandi Jackson. Here he performs with brothers Tito, left, and Marlon Jackson in Los Angeles in July 2012.

Toriano Adaryll Tito Jackson, the third of the Jackson children, has three sons: Toriano Adaryll TajJackson Jr., Taryll Adren Jackson and Tito Joe TJ Jackson, who are members of the group 3T. Tito Jackson performs in Liverpool, England, in 2009.Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson, the third of the Jackson children, has three sons: Toriano Adaryll “Taj”Jackson Jr., Taryll Adren Jackson and Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson, who are members of the group 3T. Tito Jackson performs in Liverpool, England, in 2009.

Toriano Adaryll Taj Jackson Jr., Tito Jackson's oldest son, is part of the group 3T. Here he performs in Cardiff, Wales, in October 2011. Toriano Adaryll “Taj” Jackson Jr., Tito Jackson’s oldest son, is part of the group 3T. Here he performs in Cardiff, Wales, in October 2011.

Taryll Adren Jackson, Tito Jackson's middle son, performs with his bothers in memory of his uncle, Michael, in 2011.Taryll Adren Jackson, Tito Jackson’s middle son, performs with his bothers in memory of his uncle, Michael, in 2011.

Tito Joe TJ Jackson performs in honor of his uncle, Michael.Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson performs in honor of his uncle, Michael.

Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is the fourth of Joe and Katherine's children. He has seven children. With Hazel Gordy, Jackson had three children: Jermaine Lu Juane Jr., Autumn Joy and Jaimy. He had two children with Margaret Maldonado: Jeremy and Jourdynn. His two youngest children, Jaffar and Jermajesty, were born to Alejandra Oaziaza. He has no children with his current wife, Halima Rashid. Jackson and Rashid are pictured at the Royal Festival Hall in London in October 2010.Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is the fourth of Joe and Katherine’s children. He has seven children. With Hazel Gordy, Jackson had three children: Jermaine Lu Juane Jr., Autumn Joy and Jaimy. He had two children with Margaret Maldonado: Jeremy and Jourdynn. His two youngest children, Jaffar and Jermajesty, were born to Alejandra Oaziaza. He has no children with his current wife, Halima Rashid. Jackson and Rashid are pictured at the Royal Festival Hall in London in October 2010.

La Toya Yvonne Jackson, the fifth of Joe and Katherine Jackson's children, attends the world premiere of Dancing In Jaffa at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April. She is one of the film's executive producers.La Toya Yvonne Jackson, the fifth of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children, attends the world premiere of “Dancing In Jaffa” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April. She is one of the film’s executive producers.

Marlon David Jackson was born a year before brother Michael Jackson. He has three children with Carol Parker: Valencia, Brittany and Marlon David Jr.Marlon David Jackson was born a year before brother Michael Jackson. He has three children with Carol Parker: Valencia, Brittany and Marlon David Jr.

Pop superstar Michael Jackson, the most famous of Joe and Katherine's children, had three kids. He fathered his first two, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. and Paris Katherine Jackson, with Deborah Jeanne Rowe. His youngest, Prince Michael Joseph Blanket Jackson II, was born to an unidentified woman. The singer died in 2009.Pop superstar Michael Jackson, the most famous of Joe and Katherine’s children, had three kids. He fathered his first two, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. and Paris Katherine Jackson, with Deborah Jeanne Rowe. His youngest, Prince Michael Joseph “Blanket” Jackson II, was born to an unidentified woman. The singer died in 2009.

Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. attends a baseball game in August 2012 during a visit to his late father's hometown of Gary, Indiana.Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. attends a baseball game in August 2012 during a visit to his late father’s hometown of Gary, Indiana.

Prince Michael Joseph Blanket Jackson attends the Las Vegas premiere of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World by Cirque du Soleil in December 2011. He is Michael Jackson's youngest son.Prince Michael Joseph “Blanket” Jackson attends the Las Vegas premiere of “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World” by Cirque du Soleil in December 2011. He is Michael Jackson’s youngest son.

Steven Randall Randy Jackson is the second youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson's children. He has four children: Steveanna, Genevieve, Donte and Steven Randall Jr. Alejandra Oaziaza is the mother of the latter three. She later married and had two children with Randy's brother Jermaine.Steven Randall “Randy” Jackson is the second youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children. He has four children: Steveanna, Genevieve, Donte and Steven Randall Jr. Alejandra Oaziaza is the mother of the latter three. She later married and had two children with Randy’s brother Jermaine.

Genevieve Jackson, pictured in November 2011, is Randy Jackson's second child.Genevieve Jackson, pictured in November 2011, is Randy Jackson’s second child.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson's children. The pop star has no children. She was briefly married to singer James DeBarge before secretly marrying dancer Rene Elizondo in 1991. The couple divorced in 2000, and she married businessman Wissam Al Mana in 2012. She's pictured performing at the Sydney Opera House in 2011 in Australia.Janet Damita Jo Jackson is the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children. The pop star has no children. She was briefly married to singer James DeBarge before secretly marrying dancer Rene Elizondo in 1991. The couple divorced in 2000, and she married businessman Wissam Al Mana in 2012. She’s pictured performing at the Sydney Opera House in 2011 in Australia.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15


16


17


18


19


20

Photos: All in the Jackson familyPhotos: All in the Jackson family

The death in 2009 of superstar Michael Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, sent shockwaves around the world. The death in 2009 of superstar Michael Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, sent shockwaves around the world.

The Jackson 5 perform on a TV show circa 1969. From left, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Jermaine Jackson.The Jackson 5 perform on a TV show circa 1969. From left, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Jermaine Jackson.

Michael Jackson quickly became the stand out star of the Jackson 5. Here he performs onstage circa 1970. Michael Jackson quickly became the stand out star of the Jackson 5. Here he performs onstage circa 1970.

Michael Jackson poses during a portrait session in Los Angeles in 1971.Michael Jackson poses during a portrait session in Los Angeles in 1971.

Michael Jackson performs with The Jacksons in New Orleans on October 3, 1979.Michael Jackson performs with The Jacksons in New Orleans on October 3, 1979.

Jackson achieved superstardom with his solo career in the 1980s. Here Jackson is shown on stage in Kansas in 1983.Jackson achieved superstardom with his solo career in the 1980s. Here Jackson is shown on stage in Kansas in 1983.

Michael Jackson performs on stage circa 1990.Michael Jackson performs on stage circa 1990.

Jackson broke a world record during the Bad tour in 1988 when 504,000 people attending seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London.Jackson broke a world record during the Bad tour in 1988 when 504,000 people attending seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London.

Jackson perfoms in concert circa 1991 in New York City. Jackson perfoms in concert circa 1991 in New York City.

Known for his dance moves, Jackson is seen here jumping in the air while performing during the Dangerous tour in 1992.Known for his dance moves, Jackson is seen here jumping in the air while performing during the Dangerous tour in 1992.

Michael Jackson performs in Rotterdam, Netherlands.Michael Jackson performs in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Jackson performs with his brothers.Jackson performs with his brothers.

Jackson performs during the Bad tour at Wembley Stadium in London.Jackson performs during the Bad tour at Wembley Stadium in London.

Jackson performs during the taping of American Bandstand's 50th: A Celebration in 2002.Jackson performs during the taping of “American Bandstand’s 50th: A Celebration” in 2002.

Michael Jackson earned the Legend Award during the MTV Video Music Awards in Tokyo in 2006.Michael Jackson earned the Legend Award during the MTV Video Music Awards in Tokyo in 2006.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15

Photos: Michael Jackson, King of PopPhotos: Michael Jackson, King of Pop

But her most dramatic words were about how Michael Jackson’s death affected his children — Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson, whom she now cooks for at their grandmother’s home.

“They talk about their father a lot,” Chase said. “It’s just something that they’ll never get over — the love and how much they miss their father.”

Jackson’s mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the concert promoter was liable in his death because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Murray told police he used the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat Jackson’s insomnia. The coroner ruled propofol killed him.

AEG Live lawyers argue Jackson chose and supervised Murray, and their executives had no way of knowing the doctor was using the dangerous treatment.

Paris testifies

The day Paris Jackson attempted suicide, AEG Live lawyers told reporters they couldn’t promise not to use the 15-year-old’s testimony in their defense. Since Paris is one of the plaintiffs, they were able to compel the teen to sit for two days of questioning in March.

Jackson lawyers, however, told the judge Tuesday that Paris is unavailable to appear in person since she is still being treated in a hospital. AEG Live is able to use the video recording of her deposition, which they began doing Tuesday afternoon.

The first clip shown to jurors was an answer to a question by AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam about former Jackson nanny Grace Rwaramba, who was fired two months before Jackson’s death.

“My dad didn’t like her, so he tried to, like, keep her away from us,” Paris said. “So he sent her on errands a lot.”

Her father was reluctant to fire Rwaramba because “he felt bad because she didn’t really have a lot of money,” she testified.

“He said she was sneaky and she wasn’t an honest person and she lied a lot,” Paris said.

Paris related an incident that happened when she was “really young.” She prefaced the story by saying it was “real creepy” and “this is going to freak you out.”

The nanny would sneak into a doctor’s bedroom and “he’d wake up and she’d be in his bed,” Paris said. “So, yeah, it’s kind of creepy.”

Putnam asked her why her father didn’t just make her stay away. “He sent her to India to get some stuff,” Paris said. “She kept coming back.”

The AEG Live defense team apparently played the video to counter Chase’s testimony about Rwaramba, who is expected to be a key Jackson witness later in the trial.

“This was the mother they knew,” Chase said of Rwaramba. “She was there when they were born.”

Paris’ ‘Daddy days’

“Being Daddy’s little girl, she was devastated, devastated and lost,” said Chase, who was with Paris every day until her attempted suicide on June 4, 2013. “She’s looking, for there was so much love between her and her father. She’s lost. She’s searching. She’s sad.”

The “entire household” is worried about how Paris is dealing with the loss of her father four years ago, Chase said.

“Every girl needs their father,” she said. “I would be devastated, too, if that happened to me.”

Paris “breaks down, she cries,” Chase said. “She talks about him.”

“She’s trying to find herself, trying to find who she is and it’s taking a lot of love and understanding to keep her together,” she said.

Chase told jurors about a very happy day for Paris — her 11th birthday party in April 2009. Her father told the children they could eat whatever they wanted, which was a rare treat for them. Cheese pizza, hot wings and banana splits were on the menu, she said.

The dining room was decorated with Michael Jackson posters and album covers, while his music was played “because this is what she wanted for her 11th birthday,” Chase testified. “She was just ecstatic.”

“Just when you thought that was enough, he took his children to the backyard for a Cirque du Soleil-type performance for her,” she said. Men on stilts, a woman inside a big balloon and circus acts “brought tears to my eyes … It was the most beautiful expression of love I’ve ever seen.”

“Paris hasn’t had a birthday party since,” Chase said. “She doesn’t want one.”

Paris “remembers the Daddy days and her birthday,” she said.

Prince’s testimony

Prince Jackson, 16, also made a brief video appearance in Tuesday’s court session. AEG Live lawyers played a short clip from his deposition to counter Chase’s testimony that Jackson was so weak at one point in June that his son, then 12, had to help him walk up stairs.

“Was there ever a time that he came home from rehearsals so tired that you had to help him upstairs?” Putnam asked Prince.

“I wouldn’t be able to, but no,” Prince answered.

Chase testified about Prince’s relationship with his father and the devastation his death caused.

“Prince has always been, even at 12, the little man — daddy’s little man,” she said. “He wanted his father to be very proud of him, which Michael was.”

The teen has “the weight of the world is on his shoulders, the eldest, big brother and father figure to his siblings,” Chase testified. “It’s a lot for him, growing, liking girls. He wishes his father was here to give him advice. It’s devastating to him.”

Blanket’s ‘dance moves like his father’

Blanket, who was 7 when his father died, is now 11 and a fifth-grade graduate of his home school. “l keep thinking he’s older because he’s so smart,” Chase said.

“As the littlest, he has his older siblings to protect him, but I still think the youngest child will be the most affected,” she testified. “Being the baby, it’s a lot of remembering what daddy did, and it’s constant nonstop talking of him and his father’s relationship together.”

Like Prince and Paris, Blanket is “feeling a little lost as well,” Chase said.

He has to dress up each day, even though he is taught by a tutor at the family’s Calabasas, California, home. But he can wear what he wants on Fridays — which usually is a T-shirt from the Cirque du Soleil “Immortal” show based on his father’s music, Chase said. “He wears it constantly.”

“He does dance moves like his father,” she testified.

My ‘junior clients’

Michael Jackson hired Chase as his family’s chef without meeting her — based on the recommendation of Prince, Paris and Blanket, she testified.

She first met with her “junior clients” in the kitchen of the rented Los Angeles mansion where they were living while Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts.

The interview involved a discussion of “everything from food to video games,” she said. “They wanted to make sure I knew healthy food.”

“‘We eat healthy,” Chase said the children told her. “We don’t eat any beef or pork. Daddy likes apricots, we like fruit and Blanket likes mangoes.”

“It just felt like this was a place I needed to be,” Chase said. “It was a beautiful beginning.”

Dining with Daddy

Meals were “their time to bond,” Chase said. “This was his time with them privately.”

Chase — a graduate of the Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in Paris — would set the table with a different theme for each lunch, featuring recipes from different countries, so the children would learn something while eating.

“One day we would have east Indian food,” she said. “We would discuss what part of India we were eating from.”

The children looked forward to “comfort food Saturdays” — which might include fried chicken — to break up the monotony of healthy eating, she said.

Michael Jackson was “very much into Mexican” and his favorite meal was vegan tacos, she said. The Jackson lawyers showed jurors a photo of the dish Tuesday.

April: ‘A good feeling of love’

Music echoing through the Carolwood Drive mansion was a mix of Disney, Rolling Stones, David Bowie and classical, Chase said. Fireplaces stayed burning despite the warm temperatures outside. “It was a good feeling,” Chase testified.

Animals roaming through the home included a chocolate lab named Kenya, cats Katie and Thriller, a rabbit and a talking bird who would “whistle when pretty girls go by,” Chase said.

Prince had a pet rat he carried around, while Paris would host tea parties in her backyard doll house for the animals. The dog would jump in the pool with the kids when they swam on Saturdays, Chase said.

The children would “run to him like lighting” when their father came home from a rehearsal,” she said. “They would hang on him. It would bring tears to my eyes.”

Jackson would play games with the children and read to them at the end of the day, she said. “His personality with his children was warm and loving.”

Jackson was “a disciplinarian when it was needed,” she said. The children had to be in bed at a certain time and school started on schedule.

Snail Farming

Jackson made sure school work was “interactive” for his children, including one science project for Paris that involved a night time hunt for snails, Chase said.

“So far we have a daddy snail, but we don’t have a mommy and a baby snail,” Paris told Chase one evening. That triggered a snail hunt around the mansion grounds, she said.

“I didn’t know how he would feel about his daughter and me out snail hunting at night,” she said, “but he was fine.”

Jackson joined them in constructing a snail farm in glass vases on the kitchen counter.

‘Box of Happiness’

After working for Jackson in March and April, Chase was suddenly dismissed in May because of what Jackson’s assistant told her was “a change of management.” She was not allowed to say good bye to the children, she said.

The assistant called her back a month later and asked her to return to the job, which she did. But this time, her paychecks would be cut by AEG Live, she was told.

Paris greeted her return with a gift. It was a shoe box filled with stuffed animals and coloring books she called a “Box of Happiness.”

Paris learned “giving” from her father, she said.

“She’d go get clothing maybe she wasn’t wearing anymore and she would cut them to make them into little skirts and hand sew them,” Chase said.

“I’m making these little skirts that I’m going to put in a box and ship overseas to others that aren’t as privileged,” she said Paris told her.

Empty pantry, declined credit

The happy home she left in April was changed when she returned in June, Chase said. It was three weeks before Jackson died there.

“The kitchen pantry was bare, and the only things in the refrigerator were Coca-Colas, Red Bull and Starbuck’s coffee drinks, which I know Mr. Jackson was not drinking,” the chef said.

When Chase went to the grocery store to stock up the Jackson credit card was declined, she said.

Jackson himself “looked very different,” she said. “He appeared very weak. He looked thinner, undernourished.”

The “obvious difference” in Jackson from April to June “concerned me greatly,” Chase said.

“He came to me and pulled me to the side and said ‘Where have you gone? I had no idea you left. I need you to keep me healthy. I’m working hard. They’re killing me,’” she testified.

“He told me ‘I need you to keep me healthy. I don’t know why you left. I need you to keep me and my children healthy.’ I looked at him with great concern,” she said. “When he said that … I thought he was being overworked. He was over rehearsed.”

Jackson was excited that she would again be feeding him, she said.

“I knew I had to get this man as healthy as a possible, but I did not know why he was deteriorating,” she said.

Another change she witnessed in June was the presence of Dr. Conrad Murray. He paid some visits in April, but he was there almost every day in June, she said. The doctor would bring empty oxygen tanks from Jackson’s upstairs bedroom each morning.

“I was concerned,” Chase testified. “I had no idea what they were used for. I didn’t ask, but it was strange.”

The world would later learn that Murray was using oxygen when he administered propofol each night to put Jackson to sleep.

‘A loud crash’

The Jackson lawsuit alleges that AEG Live executives, including CEO Randy Phillips and Co-CEO Paul Gongaware, pressured Murray to have Jackson at more rehearsals. They cite a meeting they believe was held at Jackson’s home around the second week of June as evidence.

Jackson, wearing a surgical mask and covered by several layers of clothing, appeared “scared and frightened” as he walked down his stairs to join Phillips, Gongaware, Dr. Murray and his manager Frank Dileo for the meeting in his parlor, Chase said.

“I immediately heard a loud crash,” she testified. A “very, very expensive vase” sitting next to Jackson’s chair was smashed.

Jackson “seemed very firm with them,” she said. The judge would not let her tell jurors what she heard him saying to the AEG Live executives. But there were “loud voices” and everyone was talking over each other,” she said.

Jackson left the meeting, followed by Dr. Murray, who seemed “very upset,” she said.

“I can’t take this s–t,” Murray said, according to Chase.

When she saw Jackson later, he seemed to have “the weight of the world on his shoulders,” she said. He was “concerned, frightened and scared; a lot of those emotions.”

The day he died

Chase has publicly recounted several times the events at the house the day Michael Jackson died, including in interviews and testimony in Murray’s criminal trial. She described it again Tuesday for jurors in the civil trial.

Dr. Murray “was panicked” as he screamed for Chase to call Prince and the security guard to go upstairs to help him.

“Hurry Dr. Murray needs you,” she said she told Prince, who was playing in the den. “There may be something wrong with your father.”

She returned to her lunch preparations, failing to alert the security guard in the shack near the kitchen door. Murray never asked her to call 911 for an ambulance.

Chase realized there was a grave problem when the housekeepers began crying “Mr. Jackson may be dead,” she said. “You could feel the energy in the house was changing.”

Prince screamed “Daddy” and Paris screamed a “blood curdling, out of her mind Daddy!”

“I grabbed them and held their hands and said ‘Let’s pray. Father God, please let nothing be wrong with this man.’”

Paramedics were soon running up the the stairs. Head of security Alberto Alvarez asked Chase to leave the house. “He’ll be fine,” Alvarez told her.

Chase did not see the Jackson children until she was allowed to visit with them weeks later. Katherine Jackson hired her as her family chef last July at the request of Prince, Paris and Blanket.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/19/showbiz/jackson-death-trial/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/Z4_PtFNHdLc/paris-jackson-lost-after-dads-death

Case of the exploding London sidewalks

London (CNN) — There’s a new menace lurking in the streets of London — exploding sidewalks.

It may sound like a joke, but for Indran Sivarajah, who experienced a near miss three years ago, it was no laughing matter.

Sivarajah, who works for a communications firm, was walking along a sidewalk in the trendy Shoreditch neighborhood of east London when he saw a puddle. He stepped into the road to avoid it — and two seconds later heard a large explosion just behind him.

“I turned back and saw a big fire gushing up,” he said. “I could feel the heat from it.”

One potential reason is that water or gas entered electricity cable boxes and cabling running under the sidewalks or pavement.

The Health and Safety Executive, a UK public body that oversees safety in the workplace, has ordered UK Power Networks, which runs the power network for London, to carry out a major inspection program in the London area — and “find long-term solutions” to the problem.

It was when he sat down at his desk, Sivarajah said, that he realized what a close shave he’d had. “If I hadn’t been avoiding that puddle, it could’ve been me in that blast. I count myself very lucky,” he said.

At least five people have suffered injuries in sidewalk explosions, according to information compiled by government officials since January 2012.

Three women were injured in a blast in central Edgware Road just over a year ago. One, age 55, had 20% of her body burned and was said to have suffered “life-changing” injuries, London’s Evening Standard newspaper reported at the time. The other two also suffered burns.

Another woman suffered whiplash injuries a month later when a cable box blew up in north London.

In November, a cyclist who was knocked off her bike after a cable pit exploded to the west of the city was reportedly taken to a hospital, but no details of her injuries were given.

Asked about instances of exploding sidewalks, UK Power Networks said there had been “relatively few cases” where its equipment has developed a fault.

It has about 100,000 cable boxes and 36,000 kilometers (22,369 miles) of cables under the city’s streets.

“We regularly inspect, maintain and reinforce our network to ensure that London maintains its position as the most reliable electricity network in Britain,” the company said in a statement.

“Underground equipment can always develop a fault, but most of the time it has no external impact. Some events have involved gas or third party damage and were not necessarily just caused by an electrical fault.”

UK Power Networks said it was sending teams out to inspect thousands of cable boxes and pits each year and investing tens of millions of dollars over the next several years to ensure they are safe.

The Health and Safety Executive said it had been informed of about 45 incidents involving boxes or cable pits owned by UK Power Networks since August of last year.

Not all of them caused an explosion, it said.

In some cases, passersby have seen smoke or flames come out of a manhole cover or from link boxes in the sidewalk, according to the government reports.

In other instances, the cover for a cable pit has been blown off, damaging nearby cars or buildings.

UK Power Networks distributes more than a quarter of the United Kingdom’s electricity, serving about 8 million customers in London, the southeast and east of England.

It is owned by the Cheung Kong Group, a Hong Kong-based multinational conglomerate. It also operates electricity distribution businesses in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

CNN’s Alexander Felton contributed to this report.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/19/world/europe/uk-london-exploding-sidewalks/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/a5qGvEDdMmE/case-of-the-exploding-london-sidewalks

Editor Tina Brown: No stranger to big risks

Editor’s note: Leading Women connects you to extraordinary women of our time — remarkable professionals who have made it to the top in all areas of business, the arts, sport, culture, science and more.

(CNN) — When Annie Leibovitz photographed the heavily pregnant actress Demi Moore for her private album, she never intended for that image to be seen by a wider audience.

But the young editor Tina Brown decided to put the picture on the cover of her magazine Vanity Fair. That was 1991.

More than two decades later, that very Vanity Fair cover is one of the most memorable images of our time.

“I didn’t expect the storm that it created,” Brown, now editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and Newsweek Global, told CNN. “It was a good risk because we put on an unbelievable amount of sales. It became a kind of iconic picture for women.”


Tina Brown: I’m living my dream

The cover was one of a series of bold and sometimes controversial decisions that have cemented Brown as one of the most influential magazine editors of a generation.


Newsweek ending print run

The risks Brown has taken — from adding celebrity culture to highbrow news magazines to ending the print run of Newsweek magazine — have brought both success and failure throughout her career.

Read: Arianna Huffington tells women: ‘Less stress, more living’

“Unfortunately taking risks comes so easily to me that you can call it reckless at times,” said Brown. “I have to hold myself back a little and think ‘wait a minute, be careful because you know you can blow it, too.’”

British-born Brown revived the fortunes of two ailing bastions of the newsstand, Vanity Fair, which she began editing aged just 30, and The New Yorker.

In the 15 years Brown edited Vanity Fair, she took its monthly sales from 200,000 to 1.2 million and is credited with saving the magazine with her signature formula of mixing serious news with celebrity culture.

She again worked her magic at The New Yorker, which she edited for six years, increasing circulation by 145% on the newsstand and 28% overall.

In 1998, she left The New Yorker to launch Talk Magazine, which folded after only three years.

Her latest venture is perhaps the most controversial of all. Brown launched news website The Daily Beast — named after the fictional newspaper in the Evelyn Waugh novel “Scoop” — in 2008 and merged it with Newsweek in 2010.

While The Daily Beast is gaining a loyal digital readership — with up to 16 million unique users a month and advertising up 30% year on year — Brown’s Midas touch has yet to work on Newsweek.

Like many weekly print magazines, circulation for Newsweek has slumped — from three million in 2007 to 1.5 million in 2012. And after 80 years on the newsstand, Brown took the stark decision to make Newsweek an all digital publication, printing its farewell edition on December 31, 2012. Twitter lit up with #LastPrintIssue, which also featured on the last cover of the magazine’s final edition.

Although it continues as an online magazine, its owner IAC has now announced it is seeking a buyer for the Newsweek brand.

Read: Lessons from Olympics can help solve financial crisis, says Greek Ambassador

At the age of 59, Brown is now running an all digital business for the first time in her career, and divides opinion on whether she can adapt her operation to meet the demands of a fickle online media world.

“Great editors have great successes and great failures,” says Ken Doctor, digital media analyst and author of Newsonomics, “[Brown] had remarkable success with Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, but Talk was a spectacular failure.

“She is a ‘tweener,’ connecting Britain and U.S. sensibilities, connecting celebrity and serious news, connecting print and digital. There are not many people who have done that.

“She has ridden with the times in creating The Daily Beast; she is someone who adapts and learns.”

Others, however, see Brown as a great magazine editor of her time, and believe she has yet to master the digital media landscape.

“She is a creature of a different age,” says Jeff Bercovici, media and technology staff writer at Forbes. “The formula she brought with her is the opposite of what works online. In the digital world, successful sites have started really small and gradually built up with unknown writers. Her line was to hire expensive writers and do something with panache, but that doesn’t work online.”

Though she has her critics, Brown marks her own success by the fact that people are still talking about her.

“I don’t think any editor wants to put out anything that falls into silence,” says Brown. “I do tend to have points of view that are sometimes counter to the wind.”


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/19/business/tina-brown-taking-risks/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/v1ENhlrtyFc/editor-tina-brown-no-stranger-to-big-risks