CHIKANE-DELUXE

Thursday, October 1, 2009

MOVING DAY!

DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM RUNNING OUT OF SPACE HERE, I HAVE BEGUN A NEW BLOG TODAY. I CAN NOW BE FOUND AT: http://www.sharpishkane.blogspot.com/.

THANKS!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

SNAPSHOTS

THE WORLD FAMOUS POLAR BEAR, KNUT, HIDES BEHIND A POLE AT HIS SECOND MEETING WITH HIS NEW FEMALE MATE, GIANNA. THE PAIR ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO EACH OTHER THIS WEEK AT THE BERLIN ZOO.

1. STADT--CASSANDRA STEEN w/ ADEL TAWIL
2. MILLION DOLLAR BILL--WHITNEY HOUSTON
3. CELEBRATION (remix)--MADONNA
4. RAINDROPS--BASEMENT JAXX
5. SHE WOLF--SHAKIRA
6. BLACK & BLUE--MIIKE SNOW
7. WE ARE GOLDEN--MIKA
8. BAD THINGS--JACE EVERETT
9. HEARTBREAK (remix)--FREEMASONS w/ SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR
10. UPRISING--MUSE
11. IZ ON--SOHNE MANNHEIMS
12. 4 EVER--VERONICAS
13. BE ALRIGHT (remix)--KRISTINE W
14. I DON'T BELIEVE IN HATE (remix)--AMBER
15. AIN'T NO STOPPIN US NOW (remix)--TABORAH & DARRYL O'BONNEAU
16. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE--PET SHOP BOYS
17. EAST JESUS NOWHERE--GREEN DAY
18. SWEET DREAMS--BEYONCE
19. MEET ME HALFWAY--THE BLACK EYED PEAS
20. UNDERDOG--KASABIAN

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

CHARTBOUND
* BODIES--ROBBIE WILLIAMS
* FEELINGS GONE--BASEMENT JAXX
* HIDING ALL THE STARS (remix)--CHICANE
* HYPERCAINE (remix)--DJ FRESH
* I WILL BE HERE (remix)--TIESTO
* I'M NOT YOUR TOY--LA ROUX
* IN THE MORNING--EGYPT
* ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD--LOSTPROPHETS
* MY SECRET LOVER (remix)--PRIVATE
* PAPILLON--EDITORS
* SOMEDAY--ROB THOMAS
* TAKE ME AWAY--4 STRINGS
* WHEN I'M GONE--VIVIAN GIRLS
* YOU'RE NOT ALONE--TINCHY STRYDER

MUSIC/ TOP 20 ALBUMS 9-30-09

1. CELEBRATION--MADONNA
2. MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL--MARIAH CAREY
3. I LOOK TO YOU--WHITNEY HOUSTON
4. THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH--MIKA
5. DARUM LEBEN WIR--CASSANDRA STEEN
6. KEEP ON LOVING YOU--REBA MCENTIRE
7. IZ ON--SOHNE MANNHEIMS
8. THE RESISTANCE--MUSE
9. MIIKE SNOW--MIIKE SNOW
10. ONLY BY THE NIGHT--KINGS OF LEON
11. ALI E RADACI--EROS RAMAZZOTTI
12. THE POWER OF MUSIC--KRISTINE W
13. HUMBUG--ARCTIC MONKEYS
14. GLASVEGAS--GLASVEGAS
15. A MI EDAD--TIZIANO FERRO
16. GRAN CITY POP--PAULINA RUBIO
17. THE STEADY RHYTHM--IVRI LIDER
18. FAME (2009)--SOUNDTRACK
19. ITS NOT ME, ITS YOU--LILY ALLEN
20. ONE LOVE--DAVID GUETTA

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

BOOKS/ TOP 20 BOOKS 9-30-09

1. HOMER'S ODYSSEY--GWEN COOPER
NonFiction/A story of love about a blind feline named Homer.
2. WHERE MEN WIN GLORY--JON KRAKAUER
NonFiction/The life and death of Pat Tillman.
3. OFFICIAL BOOK CLUB SELECTION--KATHY GRIFFIN
NonFiction/The noted comedianne's memoirs of her life thus far.
4. THE MEANING OF MATTHEW--JUDY SHEPARD
NonFiction/The mother of Matthew Shepard, tells the story of their lives and his murder.
5. TRUE COMPASS--EDWARD M KENNEDY
NonFiction/The autobiography of the late Senator.
6. BURIAL--NEIL CROSS
Fiction/A long buried secret threatens the lives of those involved.
7. A BIG LITTLE LIFE--DEAN KOONTZ
NonFiction/A memoir of Trixie, the authors joyful dog.
8. THE LOST SYMBOL--DAN BROWN
Fiction/Robert Langdon returns on the trail of a new mystery.
9. THE GROUND TRUTH--JOHN FARMER
NonFiction/A member of the 9/11 commission tells of events from that day forward.
10. THE DYING LIGHT--HENRY PORTER
Fiction/A former spy takes on the police state of Britain, in a search for the truth.
11. THE PRICE OF LOVE--PETER ROBINSON
Fiction/11 short mysteries, including some with DCI Allan Banks.
12. PILGRIMS--GARRISON KEILLOR
Fiction/More adventures from Lake Wobegon.
13. THE HIDDEN LIFE OF DEER--ELIZABETH MARSHALL THOMAS
NonFiction/The noted anthropologist examines the lives of deer.
14. HURRICANES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO--KEIM & MULLER
NonFiction/An exhaustive review of storms from 1900 thru Hurricane Ike in 2008.
15. TARGET--SIMON KERNICK
Fiction/No one believes a man who reports a horrorific crime.
16. BLOOD LINE--MARK BILLINGHAM
Fiction/DI Thorne on the trail of of a twisted serial killer in London.
17. THE WATER'S EDGE--KARIN FOSSUM
Fiction/Inspector Sejer investigates a childs murder in Norway.
18. HADRIAN--ANTHONY EVERETT
NonFiction/Biography of the Roman Emperor in the 2nd century A.D.
19. FLYING DRUNK--JOSEPH BALZER
NonFiction/The story of 2 Northwest Airlines Pilots who flew intoxicated.
20. GO DOWN TOGETHER--JEFF GUINN
NonFiction/The untold story of Bonnie & Clyde.

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

TV/ TOP 10 PROGRAMS 9-30-09

1. SURVIVOR: SAMOA (CBS)
2. CSI (CBS) *
3. THE AMAZING RACE (CBS) *
4. THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA (Bravo)
5. HEROES (NBC)
6. THE GHOST WHISPERER (CBS) *
7. MEDIUM (CBS) *
8. GLEE (FOX)
9. THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
10. PROJECT RUNWAY (Lifetime)

*--Season Premiere

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

THEATRE/A RIVETING "RAIN": The Chicago transfer of "A Steady Rain," starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, opened on Broadway last night to mostly positive reviews. Jackman and Craig star as 2 Chicago policemen, who have been friends since childhood. Variety said: "We've seen characters like the men in "A Steady Rain" before -- frustrated city patrolmen dreaming about making detective, maybe bending the law a little yet convinced they're doing an honest job. And we've seen variations on their downward spiral and partner conflict in gritty cop shows from "NYPD Blue" through "The Wire" to "Southland." But playwright Keith Huff recharges those familiar elements by approaching events usually outlined in action terms with the probing eye of a forensics investigator and psych profiler combined. Pair that with John Crowley's taut production, not to mention actors with the charisma and command of Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman, and you get riveting theater". The New York Times was less enthusiastic, saying: "A Steady Rain,” is probably best regarded as a small, wobbly pedestal on which two gods of the screen may stand in order to be worshiped. Not that Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman are striking Olympian poses. On the contrary, playing a couple of all-too-human Chicago cops whose friendship is direly tested, these strapping actors work hard to tamp down associations with their super-heroic franchise film roles, that of James Bond (Mr. Craig) and the X-Man mutant known as Wolverine (Mr. Jackman)". "A Steady Rain" runs 90 minutes and is playing at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on Broadway thru December 5. The production is nearly sold out.

THEATRE/"ENRON" BOOKS BROADWAY: Lucy Prebble's "Enron," which recently opened a sold out 6 week engagement at London's Royal Court's Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, will arrive on Broadway in April 2010. The production will begin previews at a Shubert theatre to be announced April 8, 2010, with an official opening April 27. No casting has been announced for the production, although a casting notice states that the New York run will feature an all-American cast. The Jerwood Theatre production will transfer to London's West End with performances at the Noel Coward Theatre scheduled to begin January 16, 2010. Based on real-life events and using music, dance and video, "Enron" "explores one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, reviewing the tumultuous 1990s and casting a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world currently finds itself."

MEDIA/ THE SUN DUMPS LABOUR

UK prime minister Gordon Brown has shrugged off a newspaper's decision to back the Conservatives at the next election by insisting "it is people that decide elections". The headline of today's Sun Newspaper is headlined "Labour's Lost it". The tabloid backed Labour in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections but the prime minister said: "It's the British people's views I'm interested in." The Sun's declaration came hours after Mr Brown's party conference speech insisted Labour was "not done yet". Brown has steadily lost support in the last several months in the UK, due mostly to the economy. Experts predict that he will have to call an election soon, and from all accounts, Labour could be swept out of power.

WORLD NEWS/ MAJOR QUAKE HITS INDONESIA

A powerful earthquake rocked western Indonesia today, trapping thousands under collapsed buildings, including 2 hospitals, and triggering landslides. At least 75 people were killed on Sumatra island and the death toll was expected to climb sharply. The magnitude 7.6 quake struck at 5:15pm, local time, just off the coast of Padang city the USGS said. It was along the same fault line that spawned the massive 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. A tsunami warning for countries along the Indian Ocean was issued, and panicked residents fled to higher ground fearing giant waves. The warning was lifted about an hour later. When the quake struck, the ground was shaking so hard that people sat down on the streets to avoid falling over, footage shot in Padang and broadcast by local TVOne network showed. Initial reports received by the government said 75 people were killed, but the real number is "definitely higher than that," said the Indonesian Vice President. Government officials said that a mall and 2 hospitals had collapsed in Padang, a sprawling low-lying city in Western Sumatra province of around 900,000 people that geologists have warned could be vulnerable to a massive quake or tsunami. The head of the Health Ministry's crisis center, said "thousands of people are trapped under the collapsed houses." TV One said the quake triggered landslides that cut all roads to Padang. Power and telecommunications were also cut. Fire also broke out in buildings on a road to the city, officials said. The shaking could be felt in high buildings in Jakarta, several hundred miles away. It was also felt in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Padang was badly hit by an 8.4 magnitude quake in September 2007, when dozens of people died and several large buildings collapsed.

WORLD NEWS/ QUAKE & TSUNAMI HIT SAMOA

Disaster officials rushed food, medicine and a temporary morgue to the Samoas today after a powerful earthquake unleashed a tsunami that flattened villages and swept cars and people out to sea. At least 111 people were killed--22 in American Samoa, 82 in Samoa and 7 in Tonga. Survivors fled the waves for higher ground on the South Pacific islands after the magnitude 8.0 quake struck at 6:48am, local time, yesterday. 4 tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet high roared ashore on American Samoa about 15 minutes after the quake, reaching up to a mile inland. Military transports carrying medical personnel, food, water, medicines and other supplies were headed to the stricken islands. New Zealand's acting Prime Minister said tents, stretchers, the temporary morgue facilities and a body identification team were sent to Samoa after a "specific request" from local officials, who are "are very concerned about the growing death toll." The quake was centered about 120 miles south of the islands of Samoa, which has about 220,000 people, and American Samoa, a US territory of 65,000.

WORLD NEWS/ KETSANA DEVASTATES SE ASIA

Typhoon Ketsana extended its trail of destruction across Southeast Asia today, killing at least 66 people in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and unleashing some of the worst floods in a decade. Tens of thousands of people fled as landslides wiped out homes and rising waters submerged villages and ancient world heritage sites, just days after Ketsana killed 246 people in the Philippines. Ketsana barrelled into Laos today after being downgraded to a tropical depression, while aid workers struggled to reach stranded survivors and get urgently needed supplies to the homeless. In Vietnam, officials with the flood and storm control committee said at least 55 people died, including 13 in Kon Tum, a mountainous inland province, and 14 in central Quang Ngai province, where the typhoon made landfall. Another 11 were missing. Cambodia said 11 people died when the storm struck overnight, while there were no immediate reports of casualties from Laos. The Philippines is still struggling to cope with the aftermath of floods caused by Ketsana that have affected more than 2 million people, with the US military set to send troops and equipment there to help. Ketsana, at the time a tropical storm, dumped the heaviest rains in more than 4 decades on Manila and surrounding areas on Saturday, flooding 80% of the nation's capital.

Meanwhile, officials in The Philippines are keeping their eye on 3 storms to the E of the country. The closest storm, Typhoon Parma is forecast to continue to strengthen, and could reach Category 3 status by Saturday. The current forecast, pictured above, suggests that Parma will turn to the NW, but it could impact Luzon this coming weekend. Futher out is Tropical Storm Melor which should become a Typhoon later this week, and reach Category 2 status by Saturday. Tropical Depression 18 has also formed in the last 24 hours, and its forecast to slowly strengthen. Forecasters say that it is too soon to predict the path of Melor or TD 18 at this point.

AVIATION/ BA BEGINS A318 JFK SERVICE

BRITISH AIRWAYS completed its inaugural all-business Airbus A318 service to New York from London City, arriving ahead of schedule. BA Flight 001 departed London City and its intermediate refueling stop of Shannon, Ireland, early, and arrived in JFK at 4:35pm, yesterday. BA took delivery of the 1st aircraft last month, with an interior of a dark brown base color. Each of the 32 seats transforms to a lie-flat bed and a pop-up arm is designed to accommodate a snap-in portable video screen. The seat positions also feature amenities including laptop power, individual reading lamps, and an ottoman which doubles to extend the bed length. The A318 is equipped with the OnAir system to allow in-flight transmission of email and text messages, and cabin crew can select mood lighting from a forward control panel.

AVIATION/ BIRD STRIKE CAPTURED ON FILM

A plane-spotter on the ground captured these amazing images of a GERMANIA Boeing 737 suffering a bird strike on takeoff from Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sunday. As posted yesterday, Germania Flight 8656, with 80 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency immediately upon takeoff from Dusseldorf. The crew reported that a flock of starlings impacted the right hand side of the aircraft with a number of birds ingested into the right hand engine. The 737 landed back at Dusseldorf without incident, about 45 minutes after its initial departure. A post flight inspection revealed multiple dents in the fuselage, but the skin was not pierced. The aircraft was removed from service for a full inspection and repairs. Airport officials in Dusseldorf estimate that about 200 starlings were in the flock that collided with the aircraft.

AVIATION/ DELTA FL85 FINALLY ARRIVES AT JFK

Passengers attempting to fly from Egypt to the US onboard a DELTA AIRLINES jet this week, were hit with 2 days of delays. On Monday, September 28. Delta Flight 85 was on Scheduled International Boeing 767 Service from Cairo, Egypt, to New York JFK, with 206 passengers and crew onboard. Shortly after takeoff, the crew declared an emergency reporting the failure of the left hand engine. The 767 landed back at Cairo without incident, about 30 minutes later. The 767 was removed from service for inspection and repairs. The flight was then canceled and passengers were booked into hotels for the night. Yesterday, a replacement Boeing 767 served for Flight 85, which departed Cairo with 227 passengers and crew onboard. As the aircraft prepared to leave Egyptian airspace, the flight crew was notified that a passenger reported to cabin crew that they had received a box from a friend just before departure without knowing the contents of the box. The crew decided to return to Cairo, and the 767 landed back at the Airport about 1 hour later. The box was inspected upon arrival in Cairo, and it was found to contain birthday cookies. Flight 85 departed Cairo once again a short time later, without the passenger who had carried the cookies. 9 other passengers also declined to take the flight. The 767 arrived at JFK yesterday without incident, about 3 hours past its scheduled arrival.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

BFU UPDATES ON GERMANWINGS FL8962: The German Bundestelle fuer Flugunfalluntersuchungen (BFU) issued an update into an incident involving a GERMANWINGS A319 on July 16, 2009, in Berlin, Germany. On that date, Flight 8962 was on Scheduled International Service from Berlin to Pula, Croatia. The crew declared an emergency about 30 minutes after departure and requested return to Berlin. The A319 landed without incident back in Berlin, however with open gear doors, as seen in photo above. The aircraft had to be towed off the runway. In its update, the BFU stated that the Air Data Inertial Reference Unit No.1 (ADIRU1) had failed. The BFU also said that they are now conducting a full investigation into the incident.

ARKIA DASH IN EMERGENCY LANDING: ARKIA ISRAELI AIRLINES Flight 807 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 7-100 Service from Tel Aviv to Eilat, Israel, when it had to make an emergency landing in Eilat, yesterday, September 29. Flight 807, with 56 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency while on approach to Eilat. The crew reported that they had received an unsafe gear indication and aborted their approach. The Dash landed without incident on its 2nd approach, and was then removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

AIR WISCONSIN CRJ SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: AIR WISCONSIN Flight 3954 was on Scheduled Domestic CRJ200 Service from Greenville, South Carolina, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on behalf of US AIRWAYS, when it had to make an emergency return to Greenville, on Monday, September 28. Flight 3954 was climbing thru 14000 feet after departing Greenville, when a bird struck the CRJ just under the cockpit windshield. The crew declared an emergency and landed back at Greenville without incident, about 15 minutes later. In a brief statement, the FAA said that the CRJ suffered minor damage to a panel below the windshield. The aircraft was removed from service for further inspection and repairs.

CREW LOSES CONTROL OF JAZZ DASH: AIR CANADA JAZZ Flight 8749 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 8-100 Service from Quebec to Ottawa, Canada, when the crew lost momentary control of the aircraft, on Monday, September 28. Flight 8749, with 38 passengers and crew onboard, was descending thru 22000 feet, when it encountered turbulence. The crew reported that they lost momentary control of the aircraft. The Dash landed in Ottawa without incident, about 30 minutes after the incident. According to a brief statement from the Canadian TSB, there were no injuries in the incident, as all passengers and crew were seated with seatbelts on. The incident is under investigation.

CHINA EASTERN 737 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: CHINA EASTERN Flight 2527 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Wuhan to Qingdao, China, when it had to make an emergency landing in Qingdao, on Monday, September 28. Flight 2527 was on approach to Qingdao, when a loud bang was heard inside the aircraft. The crew did not detect any abnormal indications and continued to land at Qingdao without incident. A post flight inspection revealed that a bird had struck the 737 in the lower part of the nose cone. There was no damage to the aircraft, other than the impact mark, thus the 737 was returned to service. The same aircraft had been involved in another bird strike on September 22 in Dalian, China. No damage was noted in that incident.

ALASKA 737 REJECTS TAKEOFF: ALASKA AIRLINES Flight 180 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska, when it had to reject takeoff from Fairbanks, on Sunday, September 27. Flight 180, with 94 passengers and crew onboard, rejected takeoff from runway 19R at high speed when the crew saw another aircraft descending towards runway 01L at too close a distance for their comfort. The 737 slowed safely and exited the runway at taxiway L. The arriving aircraft, Alaska Airlines Flight 55, a Boeing 737 from Anchorage with 45 passengers and crew onboard, landed without incident. Flight 180 departed about 70 minutes after the incident. The FAA is investigating the incident.

HYDRAULICS FAIL ON US AIRWAYS A320: US AIRWAYS Flight 415 was on Scheduled Domestic A320 Service from Phoenix, Arizona, to San Francisco, California, when it had to make an emergency return to Phoenix, on Sunday, September 27. Flight 415 declared an emergency moments after takeoff, with the crew reporting a hydraulics problem. The crew leveled off at 5000 feet, and then notified the tower that they were unable to extend the landing flaps and had to use alternate gear extension. The A320 was able to make a safe landing, despite landing at a higher than normal speed, and with gear doors open. The aircraft was then removed from service for inspection and repairs.