90 Dead in Joplin Missouri After American Tornado

90 Dead in Joplin Missouri After Deadliest American Tornado in 60 Years

By RICHARD ESPOSITO, LEEZEL TANGLAO, KEVIN DOLAK and MICHAEL MURRAY

The death toll in Joplin, Mo., rose to 90 today as officials described themonster tornado that hit the city as a "once in a generation event."

Meteoroligcal records show that this was the deadliest tornado since 1953 when a twister hit Worcester, Mass., and caused 90 fatalities.

Rescuers shifted through rubble today looking for survivors as high winds and hail continues to plague the area.

The tornado blasted a four mile wide path through the city and left trapped survivors crying out for help this morning.

"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like," Kerry Sachetta, the principal of Joplin High School, which was mangled by the tornado. "I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw."

Want to help? Here is a list of organizations.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Sunday evening and activated the Missouri National Guard in response to the destruction.

St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin was evacuated after it took a direct hit from the tornado. Every window in the facility was blown out and the top two floors were blown off, ABC News affiliate KMBC reported.

Disney Cruise: Fun For All

If you are like me then you grew up loving Disney movies. The Princess and the Prince may not be the same as they were back then but there are still some great movies. What would be better than going on a Disney cruise? Not too many things that is for sure.

Some of the things that you can expect on aDisney cruise are live Disney shows as well as meet and greets with the characters. You will be able to get plenty of photos with your favorite characters which will allow you to capture memories for years to come. A Disney cruise will appeal to anyone no matter what age they are.

If the parents need a little time to themselves there is a daycare on board what caters to kids up to 13 years old. If your kids are 14 to 17 there is a room that they can hang out at which will allow them listen to music, watch television and play the latest video games. As you can see going on a Disney cruise is a great idea. If you at the right time you will be able to find a great discount.

Source: http://www.wagerrun.com/5291/disney-cruise-fun-for-all-ages/

Have you been on the Disney Cruise?

Acer and Samsung unveil Google Chrome OS

Samsung and Acer are the first two netbook manufacturers to offer devices based on Chrome OS, the net operating system from Google.

Called Chromebooks, the devices both use Atom dual core processors. The Samsung weighs 1.48kg and offers a 12.1 inch 1280x8000 resolution screen with 8.5 hours claimed battery life. The Acer uses an 11.6 inch and offers six hours battery life. Both devices will be available from Amazon.com from June 15. Wi-Fi is built in and users will be able to purchase an optional 3G dongle. In the US users are being offered 100MB per month of free mobile data from Verizon Wireless.

According to Google's Chrome OS website: "Chromebooks boot in eight seconds and resume instantly. Your favourite websites load quickly and run smoothly, with full support for the latest web standards and Adobe Flash."

There does not appear to be any local storage. Applications are stored in the Google cloud. Google is also providing a webstore with applications like TweetDeck, Google Maps, Google Docs among others.

Google says the operating system has been designed from the bottom up to be secure. Applications run in a so-called sandbox, designed to limit the damage a rogue application can cause; Chromebooks are automatically updated and any local data such as cookies and anything downloaded are encrypted.

On the Amazon website, one user who has seen a sample Chromebook says: "Web and software developers will have to tailor and support their programs for Chrome, which will take a while but undeniably will happen, once the popularity of this device increases."

Another Amazon reviewer said: "It's a great system, I have been running on Chrome OS for months now. My only negative comment is that I can't do photo-editing as I used to on my old windows PC. But because I know what this OS is all about and what it's trying to do, I have no reason to complain."

Reviewers on Amazon expect the Acer Wi-Fi Chromebook to sell for $349 while the Samsung model is expected to cost $429 (Wi-Fi) and $499 (Wi-Fi and 3G capable).

Google says ChromeOS has been designed to work on a variety of form factors, but at the moment it is only available on laptop, meaning a tablet version could be on the horizon, although the company did  not confirm this.

The company claims businesses will buy Chromebooks because they offer significantly lower total cost of ownership figures, even when compared to a managed desktop environment. “You won’t need anti-virus and firewalls,” said Google.

Google also hinted that the products will be offered through a subscription package: “You will get warranty, service and a new computer with the Chromebook,” said the company.

“On average we find enterprises spend $3,000 per year on their PC environment for a well-managed PC desktop. We believe Chrome OS will be significantly cheaper.” The savings will come from the fact that Chromebooks reduce the need for administration software, maintenance and helpdesk costs, Google claimed.

Users will be able to access any browser application, and desktop applications via Citrix.

Source: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2011/05/12/246634/Acer-and-Samsung-unveil-Google-Chrome-OS-powered-Chromebooks.htm

Dancing With the Stars Results: Final 4

It you looked at the scores going into the Dancing With the Stars results show, Ralph Macchio should be the one going home. Easy call there.
Only Tuesday is never all about Monday's DWTS scores.
The judges' influence does factor in along with the votes, but it's America that makes the call, and Ralph's effort was hampered by a bad knee.

Ralph and Karina were on thin ice this week ...

The Karate Kid entered Tuesday with a good chance of going home, and conventional wisdom said that Romeo would be the odd man out if not Ralph.
It turns out one of those two is in fact leaving the show, with Hines Ward, Chelsea Kane and Kirstie Alley safely in this season's final four.
So who's in and who's out? Find out after the jump ...
It was goodbye to Romeo last night. Was he surprised?
"I'm surprised because I did my best dances, but at the same time I'm not surprised," he said. "This show has changed my life forever. I didn't dance at my own prom. I've turned down a lot of movies because I was afraid to dance."

He expressed his love and gratitude to his pro partner Chelsie Hightower, telling her, "I wanted to do this for you. We can dance after this."
"I'm just super happy," Hightower responded, "and so proud of you."
He gave it a good run, for sure, and even bounced back well Monday after a lackluster week the week before. But Ralph got the support.
Voters forgave his performances given his injury and maybe even gave him some extra props for going out there on the floor at all.
So it goes. Was it the right call by America this week? Comment below.

Read more celebrity gossip at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/05/dancing-with-the-stars-results-who-made-the-final-4/#ixzz1M2eosJUb

Rick Santorum : the "loser" label

Rick Santorum

During last Thursday’s Republican presidential debate, Rick Santorumwas asked to explain why GOP voters should make him their national standard-bearer even though he was crushed by his Democratic opponent by 18 points the last time he stood for election.

The question went a long way toward explaining why Santorum, a 52-year-old who represented Pennsylvania in the Senate for two terms before that defeat to Bob Casey in 2006, has such a remote (read: nonexistent) chance of capturing his party’s White House nod. He did his best to put a positive spin on it, but there’s really nothing that Santorum can say to free himself from the label that the ’06 result inflicted on him: Loser.

Simply put, presidential candidacies that are launched in the wake of high-profile electoral defeats are doomed, unless the candidate has benefited from some sort of major, image-altering development in the intervening years. A failure like Santorum’s in '06 signals to activists and opinion-shapers within a party that the candidate is damaged goods and lacks the basic appeal and campaigning skills needed to win over swing voters across the country. The media picks up on this too, treating the candidate as a has been, someone who is relevant because of what he once was -- not what he might someday be.

Thus, by virtue of his status as a former senator, Santorum enjoys most of the perks that major White House candidates are afforded: Influential players take his calls, he’s invited to participate in debates, forums and candidate cattle calls, his name is used in public opinions polls, he makes plenty of talk show appearances, and the media provides at least some coverage of his campaign. But this is all mainly a courtesy. For Santorum, reeling in meaningful endorsements, raising serious money, and gaining polling traction just isn’t in the cards, because to the GOP’s elites -- activists, elected officials, interest group leaders, fund-raisers, and commentators – he is, first and foremost, a loser.

Granted, there’s something thoroughly arbitrary about this. Santorum was hardly blameless for his 18-point defeat in 2006. He’d always been a cultural conservative, but his comfortable reelection in 2000 seemed to embolden him, and his second term was marked by noticeably more visible – and polarizing – rhetoric on social issues. His 2005 pledge, for instance, not to let the Terri Schiavo die "on my watch," surely left a negative impression on many of Pennsylvania’s swing voters. But the 2006 election was bigger than Santorum and his antics, shaped by a mighty anti-GOP tide brought on by Bush fatigue, chaos in Iraq and congressional scandals. That Santorum fell in that climate (and in a swing state) tells us no more about his skills as a candidate than his initial Senate victory in 1994, a year that was defined by a fiercely anti-Democratic tide.

Source: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/05/09/santorum_loser/index.html

Red Wings steal Game 5, put pressure on Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — There wasn't any big speech or dramatic moment back in a quiet San Jose Sharks locker room, just a simple two-word message from a few veterans: Move on.

At this point, the Detroit Red Wings have given them no choice.

Tomas Holmstrom broke a tie with 6:08 remaining, and the Red Wings scored three third-period goals to avoid elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Sunday night.

Danny Cleary and Jonathan Ericsson also scored in the final period to send the series back to Detroit for Game 6 on Tuesday night. After winning the first three games, San Jose is clinging 

to a 3-2 lead.

"The message that I heard in the locker room from the guys and the leaders of our team was, "You know what? It's behind us, now we have to move on," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "Keep your heads and get ready to play again."

Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi scored to help the Sharks take a 3-1 lead early in the third period. Then the Red Wings scored two quick goals before Holmstrom redirected the winner past Antti Niemi, leaving a sellout crowd stunned and silent.

Niklas Kronwell also scored and Pavel Datsyuk added three assists for Detroit.

"There's a lot of character on this team. There's not any quit," said Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who made 39 saves. "Our season was on the line there in the third period, and we found a way."

The Red Wings moved closer to adding to their already storied history.

The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2010 Philadelphia Flyers are the only teams to win a series after losing the first three games. With Chicago winning three straight to force a Game 7 against Vancouver in the opening round, that's enough precedent to 

give Detroit hope that it can push San Jose to the brink.

The Red Wings already have overcome a repeat of last season, when they went down 3-0 to the Sharks — just like this year — before being eliminated in Game 5 at San Jose.

No encore this time.

Detroit came back again with a strong push up ice and sent several shots at Niemi after going down two goals. In a span of 1:46, the Red Wings got a goal from Ericsson and another from Cleary on a wraparound shot for the equalizer.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Red-Wings-steal-Game-5-put-pressure-on-Sharks-1371337.php#ixzz1LqRKuR00

Freedom Riders - 50th anniversary

Fifteen Freedom Riders who arrived on a bus in Jackson, Miss., are loaded into a paddy wagon at the bus station, May 24, 1961. They entered the "whites only" waiting room and were arrested for violating state laws. (AP photo/Horace Cort)

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This week marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Freedom Riders campaign-- white activists who were determined to strike a blow for civil rights. On May 4, 1961, they boarded buses bound for New Orleans, intent on challenging segregation laws along the way.

At the time, a federal law mandated that all interstate transportation--such as Greyhound buses--be integrated. But in Alabama, Mississippi and other Southern states, the law was not enforced.

Of course, there were African-Americans who were part of the Freedom Rider campaign as well, but the point hinged on white people. The strategy was to force police in the South to defend segregation by arresting, jailing and, in many cases, beating other white people, thus causing an embarrassing spectacle.

Freedom Rider John Raines, now professor emeritus of religion at Temple University, was not part of the initial wave of activists--he boarded a bus out of St. Louis in July, when the violence awaiting Freedom Riders was well publicized.

Source: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/art-entertainment-sports/item/18864-freedom-riders

Boy with Cerebral Palsy is Denied First Communion

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A priest denied him because he has "the mental capacity of a 6-month old" and didn't have "sufficient knowledge of Christ".

According to the boy's family, a Catholic church priest in Texas turned away Kevin Castro, from his First Communion because he had cerebral palsy. The priest who has never met Kevin, made his decision based on what he knew of him.

It is a shame to see that a church would judge the knowledge of a boy and discriminate him because of his condition and not even know him.

Sources reported that people often mistakenly confuse cerebral palsy for an intellectual disability because of the symptoms they witness, such a slurred speech, drooling or spasticity."

That does not mean that Kevin is unable to understand the importance of the Catholic faith and not be able to share the ceremony embraced by the church community.

His family had been preparing him for months on the "religious milestone". They should go to another church, where acts of discrimination are not judged. The Catholic doctrine doesn't specify what level of knowledge that should be adequate by the person.

As long as he believes in his faith he should be able follow through his First Communion.

Do you find this to be discrimination ?

Terra USA/ F.Chajin

source: http://en.terra.com/latin-in-america/news/boy_with_cerebral_palsy_is_denied_first_communion/hof14652

Geronimo : OSAMA BIN LADEN - DEAD OR ALIVE?

"Geronimo E-KIA." Those words were heard in the Situation Room when Osama bin Laden was killed by bullets to the head and chest. Geronimo was the code name given by U.S. officials for bin Laden; E-KIA stands for "Enemy Killed In Action."

Apparently the code namers thought of bin Laden as a 21st century equivalent of the Chiricahua Apache leader, who waged battles against the Mexico and the United States, countries engaged in colonizing Indian lands. 

Like bin Laden, Geronimo proved to be an elusive target. More than 5,000 soldiers were deployed to capture him in around 1885.

Geronimo was fighting for his land, and committed what U.S officials at the time might have called acts of terrorism, conducting raids on white settlers in Apache territory. U.S. officials said they could convict Geronimo and his fighters of murder, and exiled the outlaw Apache to Florida as a prisoner of war, never to return to his homeland.

But bin Laden was in a completely different league. The al Qaeda leader was a mass murderer, out to destroy Western civilization, not primarily to protect his lands.

 In 1998, bin Laden declared, "We--with God's help--call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it. We also call on Muslim ulema, leaders, youths, and soldiers to launch the raid on Satan's U.S. troops and the devil's supporters allying with them, and to displace those who are behind them so that they may learn a lesson."

Geronimo

 (Credit: wikipedia.org)

However, unlike bin Laden, Geronimo lived to tell his tale, and in 1905 he appeared in President Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade. 

During his latter years, Geronimo converted to Christianity.

"Believing that in a wise way it is good to go to church, and that associating with Christians would improve my character, I have adopted the Christian religion... I am not ashamed to be a Christian... I have advised all of my people who are not Christians, to study that religion, because it seems to me the best religion in enabling one to live right," he wrote in his autobiography.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20059037-503543.html