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| WEDNESDAY • NOVEMBER 11, 2009 |
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 LBN-INVESTIGATES: In 2008, there were 23.2 million military veterans in the United States, with 9.2 million 65 and older and 1.9 million younger than 35.
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BLACKWATER BRIBED IRAQI OFFICIALS: The company formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide is in hot water again, this time for $1 million in secret payments to keep Iraqi officials quiet. Four former executives of the firm now known as Xe Services are speaking anonymously about remittances that were intended to silence criticism from and buy support of Iraqi officials following an incident in 2007 where Blackwater security guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians.
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OBAMA MULLS 30K TROOPS: A day after vigorously denying reports that he plans on sending 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, President Obama is considering sending between 30,000 and 35,000 new troops, including up to 10,000 military trainers, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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D.C. SNIPER DECLINED LAST WORDS: D.C.-area sniper John Allen Muhammad was executed at 9:11 p.m. Tuesday, the long-awaited conclusion of a three-week killing spree that left 10 dead in 2002. Though Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine opposes the death penalty, he declined to commute Muhammad’s sentence (requested by lawyers who claimed mental illness), saying he had a duty to abide Virginia’s extant penal code. Muhammad requested a final meal but did not release the menu to the public; he declined to visit with a spiritual adviser; he also declined to choose his method of death, and died by lethal injection as a default. He reportedly “showed no emotion in the death chamber. When the curtain opened, his head was tilted to the right, and his eyes were closed. Asked whether he wanted to say anything, he did not respond.” Though the sniper attacks spread across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, were prosecuted in Virginia precisely for its harsh stance on murder.
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LBN-BUSINESS INSIDER: ***Robert Benmosche, the chief executive of American International Group, Inc., told the board that he is “done” and is contemplating quitting a mere three months after taking the job. The issue rankling Benmosche is the constraints placed on the company by Obama administration pay czar Kenneth Feinberg ever since the company became 80 percent owned by the government after its rescue last year. ***As the Federal Reserve has come under scrutiny, Ben S. Bernanke, its chairman, is nurturing political ties as never before. ***Every day thousands of leading executives from hundreds of the largest companies in the world read this LBN E-Lert because they understand that information is power and the LBN E-Lert is a power-tool. ***After a trampling death last year at one of its stores, Wal-Mart has overhauled its crowd-control measures and other retailers are taking precautions.
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 OBAMA’S BEST SPEECH EVER?: In case you had forgotten, President Obama can really give a speech. Was his address at the memorial service at Fort Hood on Tuesday his best speech ever? “They’ll be teaching this one in rhetoric classes,” writes Marc Ambinder, while Taegen Goddard writes it “may go down as one of his best ever.” Chuck Todd said it will be “remembered and quoted from for quite some time.” A sample of Obama’s words: “We are a nation that endures because of the courage of those who defend it. We saw that valor in those who braved bullets here at Fort Hood, just as surely as we see it in those who signed up knowing that they would serve in harm’s way.”
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AMA ADVOCATES MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Medical marijuana got a huge boost on Tuesday when the American Medical Associationthe nation’s largest physicians’ organizationurged the federal government to loosen the classification of marijuana, which is currently a Schedule I controlled substance. Other drugs classed as Schedule I, the most restrictive of the federal government’s five schedules, include heroin and LSD. The AMA’s goal in changing its policy is to clear the way for clinical research, development of marijuana-based medicines, and creation of alternate ways to deliver the drug.
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 DIAPER ASTRONAUT GETS PLEA DEAL: Lisa Nowak, the former NASA astronaut accused of attempting to kidnap a romantic rival in 2007, was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to lesser charges on Tuesday. Motivated by jealousy over a fellow astronaut paramour, Nowak drove more than 1,000 miles from Houston to Orlando to confront Colleen Shipman, an Air Force captainbut the detail most people remember about the case is that Nowak was so monomaniacally preoccupied with getting to Orlando that she armed herself with adult diapers so she wouldnt need to pause, even for bathroom breaks en route. When she arrived, Nowak attacked Shipman with pepper spray and tried to break into her car. The object of both womens affection was NASA space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein, who now lives with Shipman in Alaska and with whom Nowak had a three-year relationship. Nowak pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary and misdemeanor battery, and has been sentenced a community service and ordered to write an apology to Shipman.
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LBN-HEALTH WATCH: ***Researchers have found that a specific gene variant may be linked to bad driving. According to their study, those who possess the variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than those with a different DNA sequence. Additionally, they estimate that approximately 30 percent of Americans have the variant, possibly explaining why there are so many bad drivers on the roads. The gene in question controls brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that affects memory. ***Snake oil is a traditional Chinese remedy for joint pain and inflammation. Imitations with unidentified or mischaracterized ingredients have caused the term “snake oil” to become synonymous in Western culture with a class of remedies marketed as miraculous panaceas but which actually provide little health benefit.
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 LBN-SEE IT:….You Pushed Her Too Far….
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LBN-MEDIA INSIDER: ***Reed Elsevier CEO Ian Smith is resigning as the publisher of Variety, Publishers Weekly and other publications says its key professional information businesses have not escaped the advertising downturn. Elsevier CEO Erik Engstrom will take over the top job. ***Adweek, Editor & Publisher, the Hollywood Reporter and other Nielsen Business Media trade publications are poised to be sold to News Communications, the owner of the Washington, D.C.-based trade The Hill. “The B-to-B market has just collapsed.” ***Dennis Romero, who has been a staff writer at the late Tu Ciudad magazine, the late New Times and the Los Angeles Times, has recently been anchoring the LA Weekly’s news blog as a temp.
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BEAR STEARNS FUND LEADERS ARE ACQUITTED: It was, prosecutors claimed, a clear case of Wall Street crime and a chance to bring to account two culprits of the subprime age. But jurors disagreed, and on Tuesday, two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers were found not guilty of securities fraud in federal court in Brooklyn, in what legal experts called a setback for prosecutors hoping for easy victories in this era of bailouts and foreclosures.
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 LBN-NOTICED: ***Re-engineered pop star Amy Winehouse took her new silicone assets out for walk last night in Camden, which seemed to burst through her wife-beater top like they were the handiwork of Dr. Bruce Banner. ***Singer / Songwriter Joni Mitchell sitting at a table alone, outside the Beverly Glen Center deli near Mulholland. ***Robert Morgenthau lunching with Drew Nieporent at Nobu in NYC. ***Sharon Stone in the private room at Steven Knoll salon in NYC while Queen Noor of Jordan sat with the mortals getting their hair done. ***Brooklyn (Mrs. Roddick) Decker and Elle magazine’s Joe Zee dining at Tanuki Tavern in the Meatpacking District in NYC. ***Stefano Gabbana at Hotel Griffou in NYC, eyeing Uma Thurman drinking at the bar with Amy Sacco. ***Rising Dem star Rep. Kendrick Meek,up from Miami at Elaine’s with New York State racing czar John Sabini. ***Frank Langella eating a bagel with a friend at the Irving Farms coffeehouse in Millerton, NY. ***Rowdy L.A. travel consultant Dave B. Goodman visiting numerous Gentlemen’s Clubs throughout Southern California with his “bros” last weekend. ***Adam Lambert was spotted hiking down an incline in L.A.’s Runyon Canyon Park along with a friend. ***John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston take their daughter Ella Bleu to the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. ***Kelly Clarkson and a large group of friends partied at Wasted Space inside the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. ***Christina Aguilera and husband Jordan Bratman share an intimate dinner at L.A.s Mozza restaurant. ***BE AN LBN-CORRESPONDENT Send your celebrity sightings to LBNElert@TimeWire.net.
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 LBN-MUSIC INSIDER: ***Pope Benedict XVI (pictured left) is breaking new ground this Christmas - an album of him singing is to be released at the end of this month. The 8 track CD is produced by record label Geffen, which also manages rock legends Guns N Roses, The Stone Roses, The Cure and Nirvana, as well as rapper Snoop Dogg. Entitled Music From The Vatican Alma Mater, the album, which will cost 9.99, features a blend of chants and songs featuring the voice of the Prussian Pontiff for the first time. On the CD he sings in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French and German and is accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was however rumored to be too sensitive to include choirboys on the recording, so that particular musical feature will be lost to posterity.
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WHO READS THE LBN E-LERT: ***12 member of the White House staff. ***Over 100 winners of the Academy Award. ***3 Nobel Prize winners. ***Over 300 winners of the Grammy Award. ***More than 500 published authors. ***National syndicated radio talk show host Doug Stephan. ***Mayors of Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Denver. ***Billionaire Mark Cuban. ***Professors from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Duke, UCLA, Princeton, MIT. ***Political commentator and best-selling author Susan Estrich. ***Editor of Psychology Today, Kaja Perina. ***Power-attorney Tom Girardi. ***Rock and roll legend Paul Stanley. ***Book publisher Bill Hartley. ***Senator Diane Feinstein of California. ***Leading executives from Wal-Mart, Exxon, Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, Starbucks, Intel. McDonald’s in addition to 317,000 other “influencers” in all 50 of the United States and 24 foreign countries.
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 LBN-SPORTS INSIDER: ***Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps had to settle for only a bronze Tuesday, after the swimmer decided to leave his high-tech swimsuit at home. The 24-year-old athlete failed to qualify for the finals in two of his three races in the World Cup at Stockholm, and took home third in the 100M medley. The international governing body of competitive swimming will ban high-tech polyurethane bodysuits come January 1, and Phelps took this opportunity to adjust to the new rules. ***Sammy Sosa has spoken up to explain recent photos of him where his skin is so light that some thought he was suffering vitiligo. “I use a cream to keep my skin smooth and soft. I apply it before I go to bed. When I was playing for Chicago all those years, I was in the sun a lot for 1 o’clock games,” Sosa told an interviewer. “The flashes (from the cameras) also made my skin look lighter. I’m surprised with the controversy this has caused.” Asked if he was trying to be like Michael Jackson, Sosa said: “Not at all, I respect him very much. I’m not a racist. I’m not like that. I’m just a happy person.” ***Sen. John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, may have done a good deed the other night at the Oak Bar in the Plaza Hotel in NYC. The Democrat had a quick bite and drink with his daughter, Alexandra, near a group of 25 Marines with the top brass of the USS New York. When the leather necks were done and asked for the bill, they learned someone had grabbed their check and paid it in cash. “We don’t know who,” said one source. “It was over $1,000.”
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 LBN-RECOMMENDS By VANESSA WILLIAMS (Singer and Actress): I love accessorizing outfits with my Diamond Empowerment Fund bracelet that Russell Simmons gave to me. It is not only a beautiful piece, but it’s also a daily reminder of the turmoil so many parts of our world are currently enduring. A portion of the sales for the Russell’s D.E.F. bracelet raises money for education in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. Education is the key to a child’s future, so I encourage all fashionistas out there to join the cause and help a child in need.
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 LBN-COMMENTARY By JOHN STOSSEL: As an American, I am embarrassed that the U.S. House of Representatives has 220 members who actually believe the government can successfully centrally plan the medical and insurance industries.
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LBN-COMMENTARY By MAUREEN DOWD: The saying used to be, whatever happens, the lawyers win. But with bankers getting obscene bonuses again, now its whatever happens, the bankers win.
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 LBN-HISTORICAL COMMENTARY By KURT VONNEGUT: Now I find myself maundering about parts of plays hardly anybody knows or cares about anymore, such as the graveyard scene in Our Town, or the poker game in Tennesee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, or what Willy Lomans wife said after that tragically ordinary clumsily gallant American committed suicide in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. (1996)
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LBN-COMMENTARY By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN: No matter how many times you hear them, there are some statistics that just bowl you over. The one that always stuns me is this: Imagine if you took all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships in the world and added up their exhaust every year. The amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, all those cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships collectively emit into the atmosphere is actually less than the carbon emissions every year that result from the chopping down and clearing of tropical forests in places like Brazil, Indonesia and the Congo. We are now losing a tropical forest the size of New York State every year, and the carbon that releases into the atmosphere now accounts for roughly 17 percent of all global emissions contributing to climate change. It is going to be a long time before we transform the worlds transportation fleet so it is emission-free. But right now like tomorrow we could eliminate 17 percent of all global emissions if we could halt the cutting and burning of tropical forests. But to do that requires putting in place a whole new system of economic development one that makes it more profitable for the poorer, forest-rich nations to preserve and manage their trees rather than to chop them down to make furniture or plant soybeans.
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LBN-COMMENTARY By GARDINER HARRIS: Maines history is a cautionary tale for national health reform, as many overhauls to the system have done little more than solve one problem while worsening another.
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 LBN-COMMENTARY By LAURIE DAVID (Global warming activist): This book is a game changer. Eating Animals offers an impassioned argument against animal cruelty and for a more informed, responsible relationship with our food.
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LBN-COMMENTARY By MITCH KAPLAN (Literary Agent The Kaplan Stahler Agency): Are you in favor of reinstating the military draft? Why? I am in favor of re-instituting the Military Draft. We should all serve our nation, not just those who cannot find a job. The standards used now for the Volunteer Army are so low because the best and brightest do not enter into the Service. We owe our country so much, lets ALL pay our debt through national service. It will make grown men and women out of us anyway. It did for me. USAF 1968, NY ANG 1968-1973.
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 LBN-COMMENTARY By DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN (NBC News Chief Medical Editor and host of MSNBC’s “Dr. Nancy”): While Wall Street perks are percolating, guess what else those money mavericks have that you probably don’t? They have allotments of H1N1 vaccine.
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LBN-COMMENTARY By DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN (NBC News Chief Medical Editor and host of MSNBC’s “Dr. Nancy”): While Wall Street perks are percolating, guess what else those money mavericks have that you probably don’t? They have allotments of H1N1 vaccine.
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LBN-COMMENTARY By KIM CATTRALL (Actress): Veterans Day — which began more than half a century ago as a profound national holiday — has now become little more than a day for people to skip work or a chance for shoppers to find a good sale. We should do better than that.
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 LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:….Lady Gaga…..
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LBN-OVERHEARD: ***The family of California kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard has eliminated the vultures who were trying to profit off their misery and brought in pit- bull publicist Nancy Seltzer. “It’s clear there are many cooks in the kitchen,” said one magazine editor. “Nancy is trying to clean it up.” ***Emma Thompson removes her name from a petition of support to Roman Polanski.
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LBN-CORRECTION: Yesterdays issue contained a typographical error in the spelling of Mr. Andrew Loog Oldham. We apologize for the error.
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DID YOU KNOW: ***Mid-men, the male versions of mid-wives, are called accouchers. ***The device used in alcohol distilleries for freeing the spirit from water is called the dephlegmator. ***Ducks are never male. The males of the species are called drakes. ***Another name for a shoemaker is a cordwainer. ***The white part of your fingernail is called the lunula.
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LBN-QUOTE: Friendship is a sheltering tree. –Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
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LBN-HISTORY: On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.
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LBN E-Lert Edited by Shannon Donnelly
Contributing Editors: Rosita Buada, Natgeda Remy, Sargam Pathak, Rita Elias, Erika Sandoval, Marlynn Duran, Marissa Stone.
LBN E-Lert Disclaimer: 1.) The LBN E-Lert accepts no liability for the content of this email, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. The LBN E-Lert is not associated with any commercial or political organization and is transmitted via the web for the sole benefit of its subscribers. 2.) Unfortunately, computer viruses can be transmitted via email. The recipient should check this mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses.
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