As her family was struggling financially and was unable to afford a big Christmas celebration, all that 5-year-old Helen Berence Cardenas de Reyes wanted, when she wrote a Christmas message to Santa, was a doll, some clothes and a pair of shoes.
Helen Berence Cardenas de Reyes from Auburn, Washington, attached her frugal Christmas list to two balloons and set it off hoping it would somehow reach Santa in the North Pole.
Julie Sanders and her son discovered the scrap of paper while they were out on their quad bikes near their home in Laytonville, California.
Although Helen’s letter was written in Spanish they could tell it was a Christmas list and could make out a few words.
So Julie Sanders asked a ranch hand to translate the rest of note.
Julie Sanders told ABC news: “The fact that she asked for a doll, some pants, boots and nothing materialistic, I just knew it was a family in need.
“I thought if I we can get a hold of them we can make sure there is something for her under the tree for Christmas.”
Julie Sanders decided to get on the phone and called up the family.
She found out that Helen’s mother is injured and her father had struggled to find any work at all this year.
Little Helen sent her letter on December 2, which is a particularly emotional date for Julie Sanders as it is the birthday of her brother, who passed away a few years ago.
So kind-hearted Julie Sanders headed to the shops and bought little Helen a few outfits and toys.
Julie Sanders addressed the package from Santa and sent it special delivery so it could be under the girl’s tree in time for Christmas.
Dennis Dodds, a family friend of the Sanders was also there when they found the balloon message.
He told ABC: “Laytonville is a small timber industry town that has lost its mill. People here know what it is like to struggle around the holidays. It is always good to pay it forward.
“We’ve been in that situation ourselves, I know what it feels like,’ said Sanderson ‘but now we are in the position to help so it really felt good to help this little girl.”
Helen’s mother, Rosa Cardenas de Reyes, said she helped send the note.
The mother said: “I didn’t know what to do.
“So I always told her we would send a balloon to Santa because that was a tradition when I was little.”
Children and parents across the world can see just how far Santa and his reindeer are from their homes, thanks to a “Santa Tracker” that follows his route around the globe.
Santa tracker – a collaboration between Google and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) – shows live footage of the sleigh passing landmarks including Big Ben, the Empire State Building and, of course, his grotto in the North Pole.
The tracker uses radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets to follow his sleigh, and can be seen online on Google Earth.
Santa can also been seen on the Google Maps app on smart phones by typing in “Santa” or on the NORAD Santa Site.
NORAD Santa site explains: “The moment that radar indicates Santa has lifted off, we use our second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat.
“Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.”
Children and parents across the world can see just how far Santa and his reindeer are from their homes, thanks to a “Santa Tracker” that follows his route around the globe
NORAD has been tracking Santa’s journey for more than 50 years.
In 1955, a Colorado Springs newspaper advert invited children to talk to Santa on a hotline.
But the number had a typo, and dozens of children mistakenly dialed the Continental Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, the predecessor to NORAD.
The officers on duty sprang into action and began passing along reports on Santa’s progress – and the tradition was born.
It is going strong, with a Denver-based NORAD crew answering 80,000 phone calls and 7,000 emails on Christmas Eve last year.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website has had more than 2.2 million unique visitors this year, compared with 2 million last year, according to the Associated Press.
More than 1,200 volunteers will answer calls in shifts until 3:00 a.m. Mountain Time on December 25.
They check big-screen computer monitors to pass along information to the children who call in.
“It’s just so precious to hear the little sigh or (only) breathing on the other end, and you realize how nervous they are,” Joyce Creech, NORAD’s project leader, told the Associated Press.
“But we’ve had really heart-wrenching stories as well,” she said.
“<<Can you ask Santa to heal my brother of cancer?>> Or, <<Can I get a new pair of shoes? I don’t have any.>>”
This year, they have added a further 20 phones this year, bringing the total to 120, and four more laptops, totaling at 23.
Santa tracker now even has a Twitter account, a Facebook page, a Youtube channel and apps for mobile phones, along with a website, and the phone line, 877-HI NORAD.
A new aviation rules will allow carriers operating in the South Pacific to take a “short cut” over the North Pole for the first time.
Under the new relaxation of aviation rules, British air passengers will be able to cut the times of long-haul flights by as much as half and fly faster to exotic destinations.
It could also mean cheaper and cleaner flights for holidaymakers.
While pilots from Australia taking passengers to South America will be able to steer more direct courses making big savings in time, fuel and emissions.
Until now, Boeing’s 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner jets had for safety reasons to stay within a three hour range (180 minutes) of the nearest diversion airport.
Under the new rules, that has been nearly doubled to five and a half hours, (330 minutes) taking account of improvements in aircraft and engine technology.
It means, for example, that planes from the UK will be able to take a non-stop flight – dubbed “Santa’s short cut” – over the North Pole to destinations such as Hawaii, Alaska or French Polynesia.
It also means shorter journeys, cheaper flights, less fuel, and lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the so-called greenhouse gas, which is blamed for global warming.
The “extended operations” rules define the time that an aircraft is permitted to be from an emergency landing site in case of an engine failure and is applied to two-engine jets.
The new regulation follows a decision by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to allow up to 330-minutes “extended operations” for Boeings’ 777 fleet.
It allows airlines operating Boeing 777-300ER (extended range), 777-200LR (longer range), 777 Freighter and 777-200ER models equipped with General Electric engines to fly up to 330 minutes from a potential “diversion” airport.
Approval for the Boeing 777-200ER equipped with British Rolls-Royce and American Pratt & Whitney engines is expected to follow over the next few months.
The first airline to take advantage of the new longer “extended operations” option is Air New Zealand which earlier this month flew from Los Angeles to Auckland.
Last October The European Aviation Safety Agency granted a 207-minute rating after receiving an application from Air France to fly a 777-300ER from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti. The European agency is also expected to adopt the 330-minute rule.
Planes once flew over the North Pole during the Cold War in the 1950s to avoid Communist Bloc airspace.
One fan has gone the extra mile to show rapper Drake how much he means to her – by getting the hip hop star’s name tattooed across her forehead.
The mystery woman, who has shaved eyebrows and hair, adding to the dramatic look, visited an LA based tattoo parlor to make her bold statement.
It is thought that she may be responding to a lyric in one of Drake’s songs, Free Spirit, which instructs a lover or listeners to, “tat my name on you so I know its real”.
Photos of the bold new look found their way onto the internet and have now gone viral.
One fan has gone the extra mile to show rapper Drake how much he means to her - by getting the hip hop star’s name tattooed across her forehead
Even Drake (real name Aubrey Graham) has seen the photos, reacting in disbelief at the permanent addition to the girl’s face.
Drake told Mando Fresko that he wants to meet her and “understand what happened”.
The Canadian rapper said: “That’s cool. I feel you 100 %. That to me is absolutely incredible. It was love.”
Drake then exploded in a rant against the tattoo artist:
“The guy who tatted it is a ****ing ***hole. You should lose your job and never do tattoos again.”
Drake even threatened to “f*** [the tattoo artist] up”.
The hip-hop artist appeared visibly upset by the pictures. He added: “It’s crazy, it’s surreal- I don’t even want to look at it anymore.”
Drake is said not to have any tattoos himself.
Meanwhile Kevin Campbell, the tattoo artist at LA parlor Will Rise, who is responsible for the work, has spoken out about his decision to go ahead.
“She was really psyched about it. She had the sh—y font all picked out on her iPhone ready to go and was pretty adamant about putting it on her forehead.”
Kevin Campbell, who claims he asked the woman three times if she was sure about the inking, and explained possible future consequences to her, told Vice magazine:
“She acted as if she had planned it out for a while; though I’m not really sure how much extended coherent thought could actually go into getting such a stupid tattoo on your forehead.”
Kevin Campbell assumed because of the neighborhood that it was a gang-related tattoo.
Robert de Niro and his wife Grace Hightower De Niro, 56, welcomed a baby daughter through a surrogate mother, Entertainment Tonight reports.
The baby, whom they’ve named Helen Grace Hightower, weighed in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces.
Robert de Niro and Grace Hightower also have a 13-year-old son, Elliot.
The Oscar-winner has four other children – daughter Drena, 40, and son Raphael, 35, with former wife Diahnne Abbott, as well as 16-year-old twin sons Julian and Aaron, born via surrogate with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.
Robert de Niro and his wife Grace Hightower De Niro welcomed a baby daughter through a surrogate mother
Robert de Niro and Grace Hightower have been married for almost 14 years but are rarely photographed together, choosing to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.
They met in 1987 and married ten years later.
After hitting a rough patch, Robert de Niro and Grace Hightower managed to reconcile and renew their vows in front of friends and family at a romantic ceremony back in 2004.
The couple’s early marital troubles played out on a public scale, with a 1999 divorce filing by Robert De Niro and a 2001 custody case over their son Elliot.
But after their second set of vows, the couple became resolutely private about their renewed relationship.
They’ve been solid ever since, and the actor is a devoted father to all this children.
Robert de Niro said: “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my years as a father is to keep the lines of communication open with my kids.
“I have five of them, ranging in age from 14 to their 30s, by three mothers, so I guess you could call it a fractionalized family of sorts.”
“But I care deeply about all of them, and I have made a conscious effort to talk to and to listen to them.
“Sometimes it’s hard to talk to kids, especially when they’re teenagers.
They’re in their own world, and they don’t look like they’re even listening to you.
“But that’s the time when it’s most important to find a way to talk to them – not to lecture them, but to tell them things I think are important for them to know.”
Chaos is the name of what happened across the U.S. stores when a re-issue of shoes first worn 15 years ago by basketball legend Michael Jordan went on sale.
Madness was breaking out yesterday in many stores across the U.S. as impatient shoppers queued up to get their hands on the first new Nike retro Air Jordan shoes that went on sale for $180 in the morning.
Police used pepper spray in Seattle, Washington; four people were arrested in Atlanta, Georgia; there were fights in Louisville, Kentucky, and unruly crowds forced two stores shut in Austin, Texas.
Fights broke out in Charlotte, North Carolina; a gunshot was fired in Richmond, California; 1,500 turned up for 300 pairs of shoes in Indianapolis, Indiana; and a boy was injured in Troy, Michigan.
In Pineville, North Carolina, dozens of police officers had to break up fights and restore order inside Carolina Place Mall as early as 5:00 a.m. on Friday.
Outside the Foot Locker on the second floor, two could be seen throwing punches as they waited to get their hands on the Air Jordan XI Concord tennis shoe.
Moving west to Seattle, police used pepper spray on around 20 people to break up fights among pushing and shoving customers waiting outside a mall to buy the shoes.
One man was arrested there for assault after police say he pushed an officer. Authorities said more than 1,000 people lined up to buy shoes at 4:00 a.m. at four stores, which all sold out quickly.
In Atlanta, four people were arrested in a mad dash by customers hoping to purchase a pair of the shoes and up to 20 squad cars responded.
Police said a large crowd broke down a door to get inside before a store opened. Authorities escorted most of the people back outside, but took four into custody.
Officers said they had to break a car window to get two toddlers out after a woman went in after the shoes. They said she was taken into custody when she returned to the car.
Meanwhile in Indianapolis, 1,500 people were waiting for 300 pairs of shoes hours at Castleton Square Mall before they went on sale when police were called by security because of shoving.
Shoppers were throwing things at each other and officers, police told ABC affiliate WRTV. Authorities also had concerns that a glass window on the storefront could break because of the crowd pushing.
The shoes named for Michael Jordan are still generate huge sales years after the retirement of the NBA legend
The front doors of Lafayette Square Mall were broken off their hinges at 7:00 a.m. as shoppers ran inside and several people were knocked over in the mad rush, reported the Indianapolis Star.
Over in Charlotte, North Carolina, three malls reported unruly customers and dozens of police officers were called to restore order at Carolina Place Mall in Pineville after fights erupted.
The unrest started at 5:00 a.m. as a crowd of about 200 that had been waiting pushed inside. Women were seen throwing punches. There were also disturbances at SouthPark and Northlake malls. Police at both asked patrons to leave.
The shoes named for Michael Jordan are still generate huge sales years after the retirement of the NBA legend, who now owns the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.
Two malls with Foot Locker stores in Austin, Texas, were shut down on Thursday night at around 10:00 p.m. when shoppers began pushing each other and police called in backup to control the crowd.
In Richmond, California, crowds waiting to buy the shoes at the Hilltop Mall were turned away after a gunshot rang out at 7:00 a.m. No injuries were reported but a suspect, 24, was taken into custody.
There were also reports of Florida police using pepper spray. In Louisville, Kentucky, witnesses said police had to break up around 100 shoppers who were fighting over the shoes at Jefferson Mall.
WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT AIR JORDAN SHOES
Air Jordan’s are hugely lucrative for Nike and bring in around $1 billion in revenue each year.
Oregon designer Tinker Hatfield first developed the iconic shoes and they were made famous by basketball legend Michael Jordan in 1996 while he was playing for the Chicago Bulls.
“Jordan 11s only come around once a year, so don’t miss this highly anticipated release,” a Nike press release said earlier this week.
Johnna Woolfolk , a jealous wife from California, allegedly called in a bomb threat to prevent her husband getting on a plane from Los Angeles to Atlanta, where she believed he was to visit his mistress.
In a last ditch attempt to save her marriage of 30 years, Johnna Woolfolk called AirTran Airways on November 27 and said her husband was carrying a bomb, the FBI said.
But her romantic gesture didn’t quite work out like the movies.
Johnna Woolfolk’s husband, who was intercepted at the airport, explained he was having marital problems, the Torrance Daily Breeze reported. She has now been charged with providing false and misleading information.
The woman broke down in tears after authorities replayed her conversation with the AirTran operator, according to FBI Special Agent David Gates.
“She stated that she was not thinking, she did not want to hurt anyone and did not want to cause harm,” David Gates wrote in an affidavit.
Defence attorney Gordon E. Turner said on Thursday that Johnna Woolfolk, who is about 50, admitted in court and to the FBI that she made the call.
“She now realizes it was wrong,” Gordon E. Turner said.
Johnna Woolfolk is caring for her dying mother at the couple’s Lynwood home and it has been stressful, the attorney said.
She also believes he is having an affair and was boarding the flight to meet the woman, the lawyer said.
Johnna Woolfolk is expected to plead guilty during a January 9 hearing having struck a plea bargain, US attorney’s office spokesman Thom Mrozek told the Torrance Daily Breeze.
Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been visited by The Queen at Papworth Hospital following his emergency heart surgery to treat a blocked coronary artery.
The Queen arrived at the hospital this morning from her Sandringham estate, where the Royal family is spending Christmas.
The Duke of Edinburgh was this morning recovering after being airlifted to hospital for emergency heart surgery.
Prince Phillip was flown to the specialist cardiothoracic unit, near Cambridge, in a RAF search and rescue helicopter after being taken ill at Sandringham with serious chest pains last night.
Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been visited by The Queen at Papworth Hospital following his emergency heart surgery to treat a blocked coronary artery
After “precautionary” tests, Prince Philip underwent what was described as a “minimally invasive procedure” known as coronary stenting.
This involves placing a tube in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, to keep them open in the treatment of heart disease. Stents reduce chest pain and have been shown to improve survival rates in the event of an acute heart problem.
Today Buckingham Palace said Prince Phillip “had a good night” and was currently under surveillance in the world-famous Papworth Hospital after emergency surgery for a blocked coronary artery.
He is expected to be visited by members of his family this morning.
There was no indication when he would be discharged, but medical experts have said that many patients can leave hospital a day after undergoing the procedure, providing there are no complications.
Dr. Simon Davies, a cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, said: “The pain was from the heart. It means that one or more of the coronary arteries was badly narrowed or perhaps blocked.
“That meant that the blood was not passing through that artery so the muscle was starving of oxygen and in danger of dying, in other words a heart attack, or was on the verge of one.”
In view of his age, Prince Phillip, who still conducts more than 350 engagements each year, will remain in hospital for a day or so for further monitoring.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement last night: “His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was taken to Papworth Cardiothoracic Centre this evening from Sandringham House for precautionary tests after experiencing chest pain.
“Following tests at Papworth the Duke of Edinburgh was found to have a blocked coronary artery which had caused his chest pains. This was treated successfully by the minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting. Prince Philip will remain in hospital for observation for a short period.”
It is believed the Duke of Edinburgh was flown to the hospital, which is around 60 miles away from the Sandringham estate, by a Sea King helicopter from RAF Wattisham, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, where Prince Harry is based.
It has been claimed that Jennifer Aniston was advised to get a “sperm donation” from Brad Pitt after they broke up in 2005
Jennifer Aniston recently claimed she is not desperate to have a baby but she could have produced a mini Brad Pitt, if she’d listened to the bizarre advice of recently deceased Hollywood agent, Sue Mengers.
It has been claimed that Jennifer Aniston was advised to get a “sperm donation” from Brad Pitt after they broke up in 2005.
Hollywood agent, Sue Mengers, who passed away in October, aged 78, made the odd recommendation Jennifer Aniston following her difficult separation from Brad Pitt.
Columnist, Maureen Dowd revealed the news yesterday as an article about the ballsy film industry legend is published in New York Times Magazine.
Maureen Dowd claimed that Sue Mengers admitted telling Jennifer Aniston to arrange taking some semen form her ex-husband.
Brad Pitt, 48, has gone on to enjoy parenthood since leaving Jennifer Aniston and pairing up with Angelina Jolie, 36.
While Angelina Jolie already had adopted son Maddox, now 10, when they started dating, Brad Pitt accompanied her on her trip to Ethiopia to collect daughter Zahara, now 6.
Then in 2006, Angelina Jolie gave birth to their first biological daughter, Shiloh Nouvel, 5, but the child rearing didn’t stop there.
Pax, now 7, was adopted aged three after being brought up in a Vietnamese orphanage in 2007 and Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne in 2008.
Meanwhile Jennifer Aniston and her partner, Justin Theroux, 40, may not be producing offspring as yet but they are taking the next big step in their relationship.
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have created a personalized Christmas card together which they have sent out to family and friends in celebration of the festive season.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Moscow to protest against Vladimir Putin and the alleged electoral fraud.
The protesters passed a resolution “not to give a single vote to Vladimir Putin” at next year’s presidential election.
Protest leader Alexei Navalny told the crowd to loud applause that Russians would no longer tolerate corruption.
“I see enough people here to take the Kremlin and [Government House] right now but we are peaceful people and won’t do that just yet,” Alexei Navalny said.
Protesters say parliamentary elections on December 4, which were won by Vladimir Putin’s party, were rigged. The government denies the accusation.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Moscow to protest against Vladimir Putin and the alleged electoral fraud
A sea of demonstrators stretched along Sakharov Avenue, a few miles from the Kremlin, in sub-zero temperatures.
Rallies were taking place across Russia, with the first big protest in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
At least 28,000 people turned out in the capital, according to the Russian interior ministry, but rally organizers said the true number was around 120,000.
President Dmitry Medvedev announced political reforms this week, but many demonstrators say it is not enough.
They are demanding a re-run of the poll, which was won by Vladimir Putin’s party – but with a much smaller share of the overall vote.
Vladimir Putin poured scorn on protesters during a recent live chat on Russian TV, calling them “Banderlog” after the lawless monkeys in The Jungle Book, and likening their protest symbol, a white ribbon, to a condom.
However, Vladimir Putin also said protesters had the right to demonstrate if they kept within the law.
In Moscow, many protesters clutched white balloons and banners with the slogan “For Free Elections” while some mocked Vladimir Putin with images of condoms, to the extent that the first speaker, music journalist Artyom Troitsky, dressed himself up as one.
The resolution passed at Saturday’s rally built on demands expressed at an earlier rally in Moscow on December 10.
Another new point was a call for the creation of a new election monitoring body – the Moscow Voters’ Association – to investigate ballot-rigging.
Alexei Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption blogger who was jailed for 15 days over a street protest just after the elections, greeted the crowd with the words: “Greetings to the Banderlog from the net hamsters [internet activists].”
Condemning Russia’s leaders as “swindlers and thieves”, he listed victims of injustice including imprisoned former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in custody.
“Who’s the power here?” he shouted to cries of “We are” from the crowd.
Alexei Navalny promised that the next protest rally would be a “million strong”.
Alexei Kudrin, who recently resigned after serving a decade as Vladimir Putin’s finance minister, was booed when he took the microphone to call for early parliamentary elections and urge a dialogue between the Kremlin and the opposition.
“There needs to be a platform for dialogue, otherwise there will be a revolution and we lose the chance that we have today for a peaceful transformation,” he said.
A total of 22 speakers were lined up for the Moscow rally, with rival opposition figures addressing a crowd which mixed liberals with nationalists.
• In a video message, Russian rock musician Yury Shevchuk urged protesters to maintain their dignity and avoid “competing in hatred for the authorities”
• Billionaire and Putin election challenger Mikhail Prokhorov had been expected to address the rally but stayed in the crowd, saying he had heard presidential candidates were “not supposed to speak”
• Another presidential candidate, veteran liberal Grigory Yavlinsky, did speak, and called for a free electoral system
• Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, 80, did not attend after all, sending a message of support instead. He later told Moscow Echo radio that Mr Putin should not stand for another term in office
Saturday’s rally in Moscow ended peacefully, with the last speaker a Grandfather Frost (Russian Santa Claus) figure who wished citizens of a “free Russia” a Happy New Year.
The Snowman has been a perennial Christmas television fixture for almost 30 years in UK.
Now Channel 4 has decided that The Snowman needs to be updated with new characters and without its “Walking in the Air” theme song.
In a bid to “freshen” the animation, based on a story by Raymond Briggs, a remake is to be made with the little boy at the centre of the story updated and the Snowman joined by a “snow dog”.
The new version of The Snowman, which is about to go into production, will be shown next Christmas as part of a celebration of the television channel’s 30th anniversary.
The Snowman and the new little boy will no longer fly over Brighton pier, but will be seen soaring over landmarks including the London Eye.
They will also go to a ski resort, rather than a Snowman’s party as in the 1982 version.
Channel 4 has decided that The Snowman needs to be updated with new characters and without its “Walking in the Air” theme song
The song “Walking in the Air” will also be axed because the makers say the remake needs to feel “new and fresh”.
“Walking in the Air” was originally sung by St. Paul’s choir boy Peter Auty, but was made famous when it went into the top-10 after it was covered by Aled Jones a few years later.
One element from the original will remain though, the sad ending, as the Snowman will still melt away as the sun comes out.
The production, which makers are considering making in 3D, will cost £2 million ($3 million) and is being made with the help of many of the original creative team.
Raymond Briggs, who had resisted the idea of a remake for many years, said that he has given it his approval for the production, but is not involved.
“I am keeping a polite distance,” Raymond Briggs told The Guardian.
“I haven’t written the new story.
“I was against making a new version for years and refused to agree. But there has been such a huge elapse of time, 30 years, a lot of people have died in that time.
“An awful lot of the old team are being reassembled to make it, that is good. I am not grumpy at all about it.”
The original version of The Snowman will be shown on Channel 4 on Christmas Day this year at 2:30 p.m.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in a 1939 book written by Robert L. May, one of the Montgomery Ward’s advertising copywriters and was given free to children as a way to drive traffic to the stores.
The book author, Robert L. May donated his handwritten first draft and illustrated mock-up to Dartmouth College before his death at age 71 in 1976, and his family later added to what has become a large collection of Rudolph-related documents and merchandise, including a life-sized papier-mache reindeer that now stands among the stacks at the Rauner Special Collections Library.
Robert L. May’s scrapbook about the book’s launch and success went unnoticed until last year, when Dartmouth archivist Peter Carini came across it while looking for something else.
“No one on staff currently knew we had it. I pulled it out and all the pieces started falling out. It was just a mess,” Peter Carini said.
The scrapbook, which has since been restored and catalogued, includes Robert L. May’s list of possible names for his story’s title character – from Rodney and Rollo to Reginald and Romeo. There’s a map showing how many books went to each state and letters of praise from adults and children alike.
The scrapbook also chronicles the massive marketing campaign Montgomery Ward launched to drum up newspaper coverage of the book giveaway and its efforts to promote it within the company.
Near the front of the scrapbook is a large colored poster instructing Montgomery Ward stores about how to order and distribute the book. An illustration of Rudolph sweeps across the page, his name written in ornate script.
There are exclamation points galore: “The rollinckingest, rip-roaringest, riot-provokingest, Christmas give-away your town has ever seen!”, “A laugh and a thrill for every boy and girl in your town (and for their parents, too!)”
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in a 1939 book written by Robert L. May, one of the Montgomery Ward's advertising copywriters
Rudolph is described as “the perfect Christmas crowd-bringer,” if stores follow a few rules, including giving the book only to children accompanied by adults. “This will limit <<street urchin>> traffic to a minimum, and will bring in the PARENTS … the people you want to sell!”
The response was overwhelming – at a time when a print-run of 50,000 books was considered a best-seller, the company gave away more than 2 million copies that first year and by the following year was selling an assortment of Rudolph-themed toys and other items.
But lest this become a story about corporate greed, it should be noted that in 1947, Montgomery Ward took the unusual step of turning over the copyright to the book to Robert L. May, who was struggling financially after the death of his first wife.
“He then made several million dollars using that in various ways, through the movie, the song, merchandising and things like that,” Peter Carini said.
“I think it’s a great story because it shows how corporations used to think of themselves as part of civil society and how much that has changed.”
Robert L. May eventually left Montgomery Ward to essentially manage Rudolph’s career, which really took off after May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song (made famous by Gene Autry in 1949), and the release of a stop-motion animated television special in 1964.
Both the song and movie depart significantly from Robert L. May’s original plot, however.
In Robert L. May’s story, Rudolph doesn’t live at the North Pole or grow up aspiring to pull Santa’s sleigh — he lives in a reindeer village and Santa discovers him while filling Rudolph’s stocking on a foggy Christmas Eve.
“And you,” Santa tells Rudolph, “May yet save the day! Your wonderful forehead may yet pave the way!”
Robert L. May’s story is written in verse, similar to “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore, and opens, “Twas the day before Christmas and all through the hills/ The reindeer were playing … enjoying the spills.”
“It’s lovely to hear it read out loud, it really comes alive,” Virginia Herz, one of Robert L. May’s daughters, said in a phone interview this week.
As a small child, Virginia Herz, who declined to reveal her age, didn’t think there was anything unusual about growing up in a house surrounded by Rudolph merchandise. It wasn’t until she was older that she realized her father’s job of “taking care of Rudolph” was a bit different.
Virginia Herz tells her grandchildren that their great-grandpa wrote a story about Rudolph, not that he created the character.
“As I child, that’s how I felt. I knew my dad had written a wonderful book about Rudolph and now there were Rudolph toys and other things all around us,” she said.
“But it was no different than the guy next door who sold cars, or the guy down the street who was a painting contractor.”
Virginia Herz acknowledges the myths that have become entwined in Rudolph’s history – including the notion that May wrote the story as a Christmas gift for his older daughter, Barbara, when his wife was dying of cancer and that a Montgomery Ward manager “caught wind of the little storybook”.
In reality, Montgomery Ward assigned Robert L. May to write a Christmas book around the same time his wife was ill, Virginia Herz said.
“What’s out there on the Internet is a softer telling,” she said.
“My dad was aware of it and considered it appropriate. There’s the softer, romantic version and the more fact-based version.”
Virginia Herz said her father would be thrilled to see how his creation and its many incarnations have become part of American culture.
“I think he would be startlingly amazed,” she said.
“It really is an eternal part of Christmas. He would have been amazed.”
A strange metal sphere that looks like a prop from a science fiction film fell to the ground in a remote area of northern Namibia, Africa, and nobody can explain where it came from.
The metallic sphere weighs around 13 lbs, has a diameter of 14 inches and its rough surface looks like “two halves welded together”, said police forensics director Paul Ludik.
When the ball came down it caused a crater 12 inches deep and 13 ft wide, although it was found some 60f t away.
Locals claimed to have heard several explosions in the days before it was discovered by a farmer on his land.
The metallic sphere weighs around 13 lbs, has a diameter of 14 inches and its rough surface looks like “two halves welded together”
The find sparked speculation on the internet that it could finally be proof of extra terrestrial life, even though it bore a passing resemblance to the head of a character from the children’s series Teletubbies.
Some claimed that it could be an escaped particle from the Large Hadron Collider, reindeer droppings or a Quaffle from the Harry Potter films.
Others – arguably with more accuracy – guessed it was a hydrazine tank, which are used on space satellites to store the flammable chemical.
Paul Ludik however was quick to point out that more tests need to be done and that NASA and the European Space Agency had been notified.
He said that the ball was discovered a month ago but it has only now been made public. Whilst it was made of a “sophisticated material”, it was something that was known to mankind.
Paul Ludik explained that the explosion heard by locals could have been the sonic boom when it broke the sound barrier coming down to Earth, or by the impact on the ground.
The compound appeared to be a “metallic compound normally used in space vehicles”, although he would not be surprised it it was actually from a normal aircraft.
Police deputy inspector general Vilho Hifindaka added that the sphere, which landed 480 miles from the Namibian capital Windhoek, did not pose any danger.
Vilho Hifindaka said: “It is not an explosive device, but rather hollow, but we had to investigate all this first”.
Earlier this year Britain and the rest of the world was put on alert when one of NASA’s satellites broke up and crashed to Earth.
Huge chunks of titanium up to 350lbs from car-sized Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite tore through the atmosphere at 1,800 mph but the best NASA could guess was that they landed somewhere south of Inverness on the equator.
To try and reassure the public it also revealed that the odds of being hit were one in 3,200 – more likely than getting a hole-in-one in golf.
Weeks later Germany’s Roentgen satellite crashed to Earth and split up into 30 huge chunks including one which weighed 880 lbs.
Rumors abounded that The First Dog Bo had flown out to Hawaii on Saturday with the First Family then returned to Washington D.C. for the Wednesday photos.
However, White House clarified the big question and said Bo stayed in Washington and never went on holiday with First Family.
Barack Obama’s dog Bo did not fly back just days after his Hawaiian holiday began so he could take part in a presidential photo call.
Michelle Obama’s press office had earlier said Bo would be leaving with the First Lady and her girls for their Hawaii holiday last Saturday.
A Hawaii eyewitness said he saw the Portuguese Water Dog taken for a walk earlier this week, ahead of President Obama’s delayed arrival.
But now the White House has told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Bo has been in Washington all along and never left for Hawaii in the first place.
Eyewitness Scott Miscovich blamed the sighting on his wife, whom he said must have seen “another black dog walking our neighborhood”.
Scott Miscovich told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: “We would like to apologize to Bo and the Obama family for any inconvenience this may have caused them.”
The same newspaper had reported earlier this week that “the family and first dog Bo arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam”.
The White House Dossier blog speculated Bo could have come back on the plane that first took Michelle Obama out to Hawaii on Saturday.
The bill for the $4 million trip rose by $100,000 when Michelle Obama decided to take Sasha and Malia early while her husband sorts out the economy.
President Barack Obama took Bo on a shopping trip to PetSmart on Wednesday
The National Enquirer even reported Bo is flown to holidays on a separate plane with Secret Service agents, but this was never verified.
President Barack Obama took Bo on a shopping trip to PetSmart on Wednesday where he bought two items including a dog bone with a $50 bill.
The First Family will return home on January 1. It is not yet known whether Bo will go with President Barack Obama when he flies out to Hawaii.
James Ramseur, one of the four teens who were famously shot by “subway vigilante” Bernhard Goetz in a New York subway in 1984, has died in a possible suicide.
James Ramseur, 46, was found dead in the Paradise Motor Inn in the Bronx at about 11:00 a.m. yesterday.
Sources told the New York Daily News that two empty prescription pill bottles were found near the body, suggesting James Ramseur may have taken his own life.
However, cops did not find a suicide note or any wounds on the body.
James Ramseur was scheduled to check out on Thursday, but when he never did, the manager of the motel entered the room and found him.
He was the youngest of four teens who surrounded Bernhard Goetz on the 2 train on December 22, 1984.
Believing the group was about to rob him, Bernhard Goetz pulled out a .38 calibre revolver and fired, striking each of them once.
James Ramseur was shot in the chest, but survived.
Each of his partners in crime – Barry Allen, Troy Canty and Darrell Cabey – were also hospitalized and were not killed.
Bernhard Goetz was briefly a fugitive, but turned himself in to police a little more than a week later in Concord, New Hampshire.
Bernhard Goetz, who is white, claimed it was self-defense, alleging the youths intended to rob him.
During the trial, James Ramseur testified that they were panhandling, and not demanding money from Bernhard Goetz, but it was later reported that the group was intending to mug him.
Bernhard Goetz was convicted of a gun charge but acquitted of attempted murder.
Three of the suspects were found to have screwdrivers at the time of the shooting, which the suspects claimed were used to break into arcade games to steal quarters, not as weapons.
Each of the men shot by Bernhard Goetz would later be in and out of jail, with the exception of Darrell Cabey, who was left paralyzed by the bullet that struck him.
Bernhard Goetz filed for bankruptcy shortly after Darrell Cabey won a $43 million lawsuit against him.
James Ramseur fell into a coma after the shooting and underwent multiple surgeries.
Shortly after James Ramseur’s release from the hospital, he filed a phony report that men hired by Bernhard Goetz tried to kidnap him. He was not charged in that incident.
A year later, in 1986, James Ramseur was convicted of holding a gun while a cohort raped and sodomized a pregnant woman on the rooftop of a Bronx building he lived in.
He was released from prison in that case in 2010 after serving nearly 25 years.
Berry Allen did time after he was convicted of robbery in 1991, while Troy Canty has been arrested for several petty crimes over the years.
The case of the electronics expert who refused to be a victim of subway muggers captivated New York at a time when such crimes were rampant.
The shooting heightened an already divisive debate in the city over race, crime and quality of life in New York City.
He was praised as a hero by many, but he was also branded a racist by civil rights leaders like the Reverend Al Sharpton.
The case is frequently mentioned in popular culture, from crime drama Law & Order to the Billy Joel hit song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.
Cops from University Park Mall in Mishawaka, Indiana, banned a five-year-old boy from visiting Santa’s grotto because his grandparents had broken rules by taking a picture of him.
Don Oberloh and his wife Debbie Cassella were kicked out of the mall along with their grandson and his mother, for taking pictures at a café.
Debbie Cassella claims they had taken the boy, who was over from California, to visit Santa and had been enjoying a drink at a cafe when security staff pounced.
The grandmother told WNDU.com: “We were just sitting around the table having something to drink, talking about what we were planning and that’s when my husband took the picture.”
Cops from University Park Mall in Mishawaka, Indiana, banned a five-year-old boy from visiting Santa's grotto because his grandparents had broken rules by taking a picture of him
According to the grandparents, security staff rushed over after they noticed Don Oberloh with his camera.
Don Oberloh recalled: “I believe she said you can’t take pictures at the mall.
“I thought she was joking and I said <<I’m taking a picture of my grandson>>, I’d understand if I was taking pictures of the architecture or the products in the stores and she became a little hostile.”
“I asked to speak with a mall manager and she flashed a badge at me, and I didn’t see it, and asked <<is this good enough?>> and I tried explaining things to her and she came back.”
Don Oberloh said he apologized but the woman became belligerent at which point he asked to speak to the manager.
Eventually he left the building after being asked by security to leave, but Debbie Cassella stayed to wait for her daughter, who had gone into a store.
Debbie Cassella added: “I told him I can’t just leave and then he said that he would remove me physically and then he called another security guard and that guy came over and then my daughter showed up and I said we were just here to take my grandson to see Santa and he said you can’t see Santa.”
Debbie Cassella said the incident was embarrassing and has vowed never to return to the mall.
A spokesperson for the University Park Mall said managers are investigating the incident.
She said it was not mall policy to immediately remove shoppers for taking a picture, but that shoppers who do not comply with requests to stop taking photos or were aggressive with staff, would be ejected.
It has emerged that barbaric textbooks which were handed out in Saudi Arabian schools teach children how to cut off a thief’s hands and feet under Sharia law.
The shocking books, paid for and printed by the Saudi government, also tell teenagers that Jews need to be exterminated and homosexuals should be “put to death”.
Recent editions were obtained by the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, D.C., which says they should raise fears in the West over the use of jihadist language.
Barbaric textbooks which were handed out in Saudi Arabian schools teach children how to cut off a thief's hands and feet under Sharia law
The books were published and handed out to 9th and 10th-graders despite Saudi Arabia’s promises to clean up textbooks in the kingdom.
Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Fox News: “This is where terrorism starts, in the education system.
“They show students how to cut (the) hand and the feet of a thief.”
The textbooks were printed for the 2010-2011 academic year and translated from Arabic by the institute.
In one, for ninth-graders, students are taught the annihilation of the Jewish people is imperative.
One text reads in part: “The hour (of judgment) will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. There is a Jew behind me come and kill him.”
According to the translations, women are described as weak and irresponsible.
Ali Al-Ahmed said the textbooks also call for homosexuals to be put to death “because they pose a danger at society, as the Saudi school books teaches”.
“If you teach six million children in these important years of their lives, if you install that in their brain, no wonder we have so many Saudi suicide bombers.”
The Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. was approached for comment, but there was no immediate response.
Sandra Baker, a Kentucky mom picking up her son at school, was shocked to find he was stuffed in a bag – not by bullies – but by school workers who wanted to teach him a lesson.
Sandra Baker said she noticed the large green bag when she arrived at the school to pick up her son, but as she walked down the hallway, the bag moved.
Then it spoke: “Momma, is that you?”
It was her son, 9-year-old Christopher Baker, who is autistic and enrolled in a programme for children with special needs.
“He was treated like trash and thrown in the hallway,” said Sandra Baker.
Sandra Baker said when Mercer County school officials called the family to pick her son up, they were told he was “jumping off the walls”
Sandra Baker did not know how exactly how long he had been in the bag, but probably not more than 20 minutes.
A teacher’s aide was there, and Sandra Baker demanded that her son be released.
The mother said: “I tried to talk to him and get his side of the reason they put him in there, and he said it was because he wouldn’t do his work.”
Sandra Baker said when Mercer County school officials called the family to pick him up, they were told he was “jumping off the walls”.
In addition, Sandra Baker learned that it wasn’t the first time that he had been put in the so-called “therapy bag”.
The incident, which occurred on December 14, has spawned an online petition calling for the firing of the school employees responsible.
The district’s Interim Superintendent Dennis Davis said confidentiality laws forbid him from commenting.
Dennis Davis said in a statement: “The employees of the Mercer County Public Schools are qualified professionals who treat students with respect and dignity while providing a safe and nurturing learning environment.”
State education officials said they were investigating.
Christopher Baker is a student at Mercer County Intermediate School in Harrodsburg in central Kentucky.
The day had barely begun when his family was called to the school because the boy was acting up.
At first, the aide struggled to undo the drawstring, but the boy was pulled out of the bag, which had some small balls inside.
Sandra Baker said the bag resembled a green Army duffel bag.
She said: “When I got him out of the bag, his poor little eyes were as big as half dollars and he was sweating.”
Days later, at a meeting with school officials, Sandra Baker said she was told the boy had smirked at the teacher when he was told to put down a basketball, then threw it across the room.
At a meeting with school district officials, the bag was described as a “therapy bag”, Sandra Baker said, though she wasn’t clear exactly what that meant.
She said her son would sometimes be asked to roll over a bag filled with balls as a form of therapy, but she didn’t know her son was being placed in the bag.
So far, nearly 1,000 people have signed a petition on the website Change.org.
Sandra Baker said she heard different accounts about her son’s behavior that day.
She stopped short of calling for the dismissal of school employees, but she said they should be suspended.
They also need more training, she said.
In Kentucky, there are no laws on using restraint or seclusion in public schools, according to documents on the state Department of Education’s website.
Sarah Symonds did not exactly spread festive happiness in December 2008 when she claimed she had had a seven-year affair with Gordon Ramsay.
Former “professional mistress” Sarah Symonds – who now claims to be “clean” – has admitted the loneliness of being “the other woman” at Christmas has in the past made her suicidal.
Sarah Symonds, 40, said the fiery Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay had been her long-term lover, although he denied the claims, saying he was “more likely to have an affair with Delia”.
Sarah symonds also said she had an affair with shamed Tory peer and bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, and says she has lived as a mistress for 15 years.
In a piece for a down-market tabloid newspaper, Sarah Symonds said: “I’ve been clean for three years now.
“I’ve been with no married men since Gordon Ramsay and never will be. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation again.”
Sarah Symonds added: “I take full responsibility for my past. But having affairs is like a drug – you’re always desperate for your next fix of the guy.
“It can destroy you. I’ve felt so low I’ve been suicidal.
“You end up imagining what your lover is doing on Christmas Day and you can’t wait until the New Year because you fool yourself into believing the following year will be your time.
“If you’re in love with a married man you want a life with him. The fact that he’s having Christmas with someone else eats to your core.”
Sarah Symonds did not exactly spread festive happiness in December 2008 when she claimed she had had a seven-year affair with Gordon Ramsay
Sarah Symonds hit the headlines in late 2008 when she went public with claims she had been in a long-term relationship with Gordon Ramsay.
She also claimed chef Gordon Ramsay had been having affairs with two other women.
The chef, who is married to wife Tana, denied anything had happened.
Now Sarah Symonds has spoken about how having an affair with a married man leaves the other woman the odd one out at Christmas when he goes back to his wife and family for the holidays.
She warned women to avoid the trap – but gave some money-minded tips for those who do it – and offered a glimpse into how some of her lovers have treated her in the past.
Sarah Symonds said: “My advice is, don’t have an affair. But if you’re going to, know that he’s using you and use him back. Mistresses should get something nice for Christmas – after all, he’s buying his wife something.
“Mr X was wealthy and he’d always try to buy me off. One Christmas Eve he gave me a Cartier bracelet with diamonds in it.
“He said: <<Each year we’ll put another diamond on it for the amount of time we’re together>>. Another man phoned to say he had a Christmas present for me, which he was very excited about.
“When he turned up he gave me £1,000 [$1,500] in an envelope. It was a sweet gesture, but as we’d just spent a night together his timing made me feel cheap – then he asked me to leave the hotel in disguise so no one would see me.
“In the end, I used the money to clean a carpet he’d spilled red wine over.
“At least he spent some money, though. Jeffrey Archer, who was one of the tightest people I’ve ever met, bought me a tin of humbugs for my Christmas present.”
As a poacher-turned-gamekeeper, Sarah Symonds also had some tips for suspicious wives.
Sarah Symonds wrote: “Christmas is a good time for finding out if your other half is cheating.
“Remember, if you think that something is up, it probably is.
“Does he go to bed after you because he doesn’t want the intimacy? Does he take his mobile phone to the toilet because you might check it or perhaps because he’s secretly texting his mistress?
“Does he have a second phone you don’t have the number for? Look for clues, such as receipts for hotels or presents you know nothing about.
“I wasted years being a mistress but I’ve finally emerged as a much stronger person.”
Unaccompanied Chloe Boyce, 9, spent five hours stranded in Baltimore after her Southwest flight was reroute, but her awaiting family was never told
Unaccompanied 9-year-old Chloe Boyce, from Clarksville Tennessee, spent five hours stranded in Baltimore after her Southwest flight was rerouted between Nashville and New York but her awaiting family was never told.
Chloe Boyce’s flight arrived without her on it and the Southwest attendants couldn’t say where she was.
“The flight arrived and my daughter didn’t get off,” Chloe Boyce’s mother Elena Kerr told MSNBC.
“Someone went on the plane to see if she was there and my sister called me and said, <<Where’s Chloe?>>” Elena Kerr recalled, leading her to question her sister who had been sent to retrieve her daughter in New York.
“The Southwest guys told her there were no unaccompanied minors on that flight,” she explained, to her full family’s horror.
Despite scheduled stops in Columbus and Baltimore, Chloe Boyce’s mother was neither told her daughter would have to get off the plane nor was her daughter authorized to according to the airline’s policy on unaccompanied minors.
But when fog hit Columbus, Chloe Boyce’s Southwest flight additionally landed in Cleveland, prompting the later delay in Baltimore.
Elena Kerr says she frantically called Southwest but it took them an hour to track her daughter’s location down and even longer than that to give her an explanation on what had happened.
“It was like the scariest moment of my life to think that they didn’t know where she was,” Elena Kerr told ABC news.
“We just don’t understand why we weren’t called, especially because the Southwest policy states that someone must be available to answer phone calls during the flight time in the event of a flight irregularity,” she told MSNBC.
In addition to apologizing to Chloe Boyce’s family, Southwest has refunded the cost of their ticket as well.
“Our unaccompanied minor policy aims to minimize these kinds of situations … by only ticketing them on itineraries that don’t require an aircraft change,” Southwest spokesperson Brad Hawkins wrote in an email to MSNBC.
“In this case, the unscheduled change of planes resulted in the connection, a delay and distress for the family which we certainly regret and have apologized for in our conversation with the family of our customer,” Brad Hawkins stated.
In addition, a pilot in Baltimore who was alerted to Chloe Boyce’s situation walked her to a nearby airport Chili’s for dinner, according to her mother, making the girl as comfortable as possible.
It wasn’t Chloe Boyce’s first unaccompanied flight, yet despite the company’s apologies, her mother says it may be her last.
”I’m going to be driving the 17 hours to New York to get her,” she told MSNBC.
Southwest’s rules on unaccompanied minors:
“Unaccompanied Minors are allowed to travel on only nonstop or same-plane service (makes one or two stops but does not require a change of planes or flight number).”
Chloe Boyce disembarking her flight in Baltimore to change planes was an admitted mistake by the airline.
Southwest says they “will not transport UMs on flights that may be diverted or cancelled due to inclement weather or other operational abnormalities”.
That policy on possible diversions and/or cancellations is in place to minimize situation is like Chloe Boyce’s.
At least 44 people have been killed and more than 150 injured in twin suicide car bombings in Damascus, Syria, officials say.
State television said suspected al-Qaeda militants had targeted two security service bases in the Kafr Sousa area.
But the opposition said the attacks – which came a day after Arab League observers arrived – were staged by the government to justify its crackdown.
The Arab League team are tasked with monitoring whether the government complies with a peace agreement that orders all troops to withdraw from the streets, with the aim of ending the violence.
But human rights and opposition activists said the killings continued on Friday, with security forces shooting dead at least 12 civilians.
More than 5,000 people have been killed and thousands more detained since anti-government protests erupted in March, the UN says.
At least 44 people have been killed and more than 150 injured in twin suicide car bombings in Damascus
The two explosions happened within minutes of each other on Friday morning.
Within minutes, state television said two attacks had been carried out by suicide bombers driving vehicles packed with explosives against the General Security Directorate and another branch of the security services in the up market Kfar Sousa district, south-west of Damascus centre.
“Preliminary investigations showed al-Qaeda was responsible,” it added.
Video footage was broadcast of heavily damaged buildings, with rescue workers combing through burnt buildings and blood-stained debris, and ambulances taking the injured away.
The state-owned news channel, al-Ikhbariya al-Suriya, said the first car bomb exploded outside the offices of an unspecified security agency.
When guards at a nearby compound housing the General Security Directorate went to inspect the aftermath of the first blast, the driver of another vehicle rammed the main gates and detonated the bomb it was carrying, the channel said.
“The explosions shook the house, it was frightful,” Nidal Hamidi, a Syrian journalist who lives in Kfar Sousa, told the Associated Press news agency.
“Gunfire was heard immediately following the explosion and windows up to 200m (670ft) away were shattered,” Nidal Hamidi said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told reporters: “On the first day after the arrival of the Arab observers, this is the gift we get from the terrorists and al-Qaeda.
“But we are going to do all we can to facilitate the Arab League mission.”
Faisal Mekdad was accompanied by the Arab League’s Assistant Secretary General, Samir Seif al-Yazal, who said the nine-strong advance team of monitors would not be deterred.
“We are here to see the facts on the ground,” he added.
“What we are seeing today is regretful; the important thing is for things to calm down.”
The US state department condemned the attacks in Damascus but said they must not deter the Arab League observers from doing their work.
Pop star George Michael has been released from the Austrian hospital and is flying back to England today after almost five weeks.
George Michael, 48, has been receiving treatment for pneumonia at the AKH clinic in Vienna, Austria, for weeks. But after making a recovery from the illness he was discharged from the medical centre at 08:00 a.m. and was taken straight to the airport so he can be at home for Christmas.
AKH staff member told Austrian newspaper Osterreich: “He’s feeling a lot better. He’s doing so well, he’s able to fly again.”
Yesterday George Michael’s doctors revealed he was feeling much better and had responded well to treatment.
Christoph Zielinski – one of his doctors – said: “We know he’s doing fine and we are generally optimistic.”
Last week, George Michael’s boyfriend Fadi Fawaz tweeted the pop superstar would be flying back to England for Christmas.
Fadi Fawaz said: “Christmas at home. I cannot stop smiling today, the best day ever. He is getting better and better. Nothing to worry about, happy days.”
The tweet has since been removed.
Pop star George Michael has been released from the Austrian hospital and is flying back to England today after almost five weeks
George Michael had to cancel all the remaining shows on his “Symphonica Tour” when he fell ill in November.
In late November, a statement released by George Michael’s doctors revealed that the singer was “improving steadily”.
They made clear that the pop star will need a period of “complete rest” to recover from the illness but emphasized he had no further underlying health problems.
In a statement, Professors Gottfried Locker and Christoph Zielinski said: “The latest development in Mr. Michael’s case, which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection, necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension.
“We are happy to announce that Mr. Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped.
“There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken.”
They continued: “Mr. Michael is receiving precisely the same treatment as any ordinary patient in Austria would receive at the hospital for this disease.”
Doctors said “complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory for his recovery”.
George Michael’s official website has urged fans to send well wishes to him via his Facebook page.
It also announced the re-release of George Michael’s festive single December Song (I Dream of Christmas).
Best Buy, the largest U.S. specialty electronics retailer, has alerted some customers that it will not be able to fill their online orders, just days before Christmas.
Best Buy said late Wednesday that “overwhelming demand for some products from Bestbuy.com has led to a problem redeeming online orders made in November and December”.
Meanwhile, the iconic upscale New York department store Barneys said a number of its online orders were canceled because of technical glitch.
Neither Best Buy nor Barneys are saying exactly how many customers were affected.
The shortages are a black eye for Best Buy, which has beefed up its online campaign to fight off intense competition from online retailers and discount stores. And the holiday season is crucial for retailers like Best Buy because it can make up to 40% of annual sales.
Some glitches should not be a surprise with such a massive surge in online shopping this year, analysts said, but there is a risk of a backlash.
“It is a hiccup for the company,” said Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy.
“They were kind of behind the curve building out their online channel. They’ve done a good job investing in it, but if you make a lot of rapid changes, inevitably there are going to be growing pains.”
“The canceled orders probably won’t make a big difference for Best Buy’s holiday sales this year, but it may lead to more customers looking elsewhere in the future,” he said.
“The risk is any consumers affected by canceled orders will be willing to explore other alternatives for online shopping in years to come,” R.J. Hottovy said.
Online sales are up 15% to $32 billion so far this holiday season, while total sales are up just 2.5%.
Even though online sales are a huge boon for retailer, the shift has already created some problems.
Discount retailer Target Corp’s site crashed in September because of overwhelming demand for Missoni for Target, a limited designer line of clothing, home goods and accessories.
Best Buy benefitted when its now-defunct rival Circuit City went out of business more than a year ago, but its suffering as Americans hold off on big ticket items and search for deals online and at discounters.
In order to compete, Best Buy has expanded its online offerings, cut back on square footage in the U.S. by closing stores and sought to expand internationally. In its most recent third quarter ending November 26, Best Buy said its net income fell 29% as it cut prices in popular categories such as tablets and TVs to drive sales and traffic during the holiday season.
Best Buy shares rose 8 cents to $22.96 in midday trading.
Barneys sent out e-mails to some customers with the following message:
“This technical issue posed a significant challenge for our IT department and in turn caused some lengthy delays in responding to both order requests and emails and so I apologize as well for the lateness of this reply… but nonetheless your order was canceled as we no longer have the inventory to fulfill it.”
Chaz Bono, the transgender son of singer Cher, began moving out of the home he shared with his partner of 12 years, Jennifer Elia, yesterday.
Chaz Bono, 42, was pictured leaving their LA residence with a large suitcase just days after announcing the end of their engagement.
Cher’ son looked downbeat as hauled his baggage and coat to his car.
Jennifer Elia, 36, later emerged in what appeared to be a distraught state – her puffy eyes suggested she had been crying.
It is unclear where Chaz Bono will reside now their relationship has come to an end.
Chaz Bono, 42, was pictured leaving the LA residence with a large suitcase just days after announcing the end of his engagement with Jennifer Elia
Chaz Bono and Jennifer Elia announced their split through Chaz’ spokesperson Howard Bragman earlier this week.
Howard Bragman said: “They leave this relationship with great love, respect and affection toward one another.
“No further amplification will be forthcoming and they ask that you respect their privacy at this time.”
Chaz Bono also tweeted: “Thanks for your concern about our separation. I’m doing fine, and we remain on good terms with nothing but respect and affection 4 eachother.”
Just last month, Chaz Bono was shown popping the question during his one-hour TV-show special Being Chaz, which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
The programme was a follow-up to his Emmy-nominated documentary Becoming Chaz which focused on his transition from female to male.
Jennifer Elia – who is writing a book – supported Chaz Bono during his gender reassignment process and was regularly seen cheering from the sidelines during his time on Dancing With The Stars.
But Jennifer Elia revealed that the process of dealing with Chaz Bono’s transition was difficult at times, admitting that she started drinking again when he told her that he made the final decision about changing genders.
Kim Jong-Un is the heir poised to become the next leader of rogue state North Korea, but a probe into the school days of the youngest son of Dictator Kim Jong-Il proves he is little more than an academic failure who squandered his education playing computer games and basketball.
The baby-faced Kim Jong-Un, 28, first stepped out of his father’s shadow in September last year to appear in public in the capital Pyongyang as thousands of goose-stepping troops marched by to mark the 65th anniversary of the ruling Workers Party.
Kim Jong-Un looked the part, dressed up in the uniform of a four-star general, and trained in the operation of the torture camps and punishment gulags which fill his blighted land.
The world will have to see whether his prolonged exposure to the west and its values during his school days in Switzerland have imbued him with any democratic values that might bring his decrepit and starving country back into the international fold after years of isolation.
But the signs are not good. Despite having lot of money spent on his education at a top private school in Switzerland, he didn’t leave with even the equivalent of a single GCSE.
When Kim Jong-Un was just 15, his father took him out of the costly International School Of Berne, where fees now cost around $25,000 a year. He moved him to a nearby state school to save money but he was quickly put in the lower tier in class.
Wearing Nike trainers, a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt and jeans, Kim Jong-Un was introduced to Class 6A by the headmistress of Liebefeld-Steinholzi School near Berne. She lied: “Boys and girls, this is Un Pak. He comes from North Korea and he is the son of a diplomat.”
Kim Jong-Un took the empty seat next to Portuguese diplomat’s son Joao Micaelo and the pair became friends. Joao Micaelo, who now works as a chef, said: “We weren’t the dimmest kids in class but neither were we the cleverest. We were always in the second tier.
“Un tried hard to express himself but he was not very good at German and became flustered when asked to give the answers to a problem. The teachers would see him struggling ashamedly and then move on. They left him in peace.
“He left without getting any exam results at all. He was much more interested in football and basketball than lessons.”
When Kim Jong-Un was just 15, his father took him out of the costly International School Of Berne, where fees now cost around $25,000 a year
A big fan of star Michael Jordan, Kim Jong-Un – who was once caught with a bondage pornographic magazine in his school bag – proved to be a good player on the basketball court.
Kim Jong-Un did shine at maths but nothing else in class, and schoolmates remember that he needed a lot of extra tuition.
One colleague who was with Kim Jong-Un at the International School said: “It must have been 1993 when he came to the school. His English was bad at first. He had a strong accent and he was given extra lessons.
“He also learned German and was OK in the basics of both – but just OK. His English got better but not his German.
“He was good in maths. That sounds like he was a nerd – but he wasn’t. He wasn’t so hot in other subjects. I suppose in hindsight we could have nicknamed him Dim Jong-un. One day he just disappeared.”
According to school sources, Kim Jong-Il got fed up paying for an education that he thought was going nowhere. But there may have been another reason – his son’s taboo love affair with American culture.
The North Korean Embassy in Berne sent back reports on his son’s friendships and influences to his father and intelligence chiefs back in North Korea.
JoaoMicaelo said: “We spent nearly every afternoon with each other. He often invited me back to eat. He had a private chef who cooked whatever he wanted.
“Much of it wasn’t to my taste. Lots of chicken in strange sweet-and-sour sauces. He didn’t live at the embassy but in a flat in a nice residential area near the school.”
Kim Jong-Un in fact lived in a large flat at No 10 Kirchstrasse, a sedate suburban street with two pizza cafes, a bank and a Co-Op supermarket.
Joao Micaelo added: “He was surrounded by the best gadgets that the rest of us kids couldn’t afford – TVs, video recorder, a Sony PlayStation. He had a cook, a driver, a private teacher.
“But, curiously, I never saw his room. We were mostly in the communal living room. We watched a lot of kung-fu films – especially Jackie Chan movies. He loved them. He had everything which we never saw coming close to our own cinema.
“After school we met at the basketball court and threw a few baskets, with both of us pretending to be Michael Jordan. We were all envious of his genuine NBA basketball, which must have cost more than $150.
“We spoke about girls and about our grand plans. At weekends there were parties and a lot of under-age drinking. But I never once saw a drop of alcohol pass his lips and he wasn’t interested in girls.
“He only spoke about his life in the <<homeland>> rarely. But I knew he had a certain homesickness. On his stereo he only played North Korean songs. Western music didn’t do it for him.
“Most of all he listened to the North Korean national anthem, which we must have heard 1,000 times together. I only knew him in his alibi mode until one Sunday afternoon, shortly before he left for North Korea in 2000.
“He pulled out a photo of him alongside his father and said <<I am not the ambassador’s son. I am the son of the North Korean President.>>”
One member of staff at the school, identifying himself only as Joerg, said: “We had these after-school discussion groups. I remember I was outside the school having a smoke when this black, armoured Mercedes with smoked glass pulled up.
“Out stepped <<Un Pak>>. He was surrounded by these dwarf ninjas. They scanned the street and then led him up the path.
“That night we talked about the responsibilities of democracy – you know, the right to vote, the right to a common voice, the importance of speaking out.
“He never joined in. He looked down at his shoes all the time and fidgeted, never seemed easy. He was dipping into a bag from Loeb – that’s the fanciest delicatessen in Berne, the kind of place where you can spend 100 euros on a couple of salads.
“And at that moment I thought of George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm where, truly, some are more equal than others.”
