LUXE MEN

BOTB/ LUCAS TYLER UNCOVERED

As you may know, I closed my previous blog several weeks ago. My plans are to delete the entire blog later this month. With that in mind, I will be publishing a few articles from that blog, here on Chikane Deluxe under the heading "BOTB," short for Best of the Blog. This posting on Lucas Tyler originally appeared on April 23, 2007. Since that time, Naked News has gone out of business
THE BEAUTIFUL LUCAS TYLER OF NAKED NEWS CANADA. YES, THE DAILY PROGRAM THAT DELIVERS THE DAYS NEWS BY NAKED ANCHORS.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/BBC TIP EMPIRE: Australian fantasy pop duo Empire of the Sun have come in 4th on the BBC's Sound of 2009 list, which features the best bands and singers to watch in the next 12 months. 1 act from the top 5 is being unveiled every day this week, counting down to Friday, when the #1 will be revealed. Empire of the Sun are on a spiritual mission. Dressed as extras from a psychedelic Star Wars, the duo are on an epic journey to seek out ancient cultures across the globe, searching for inner enlightenment while creating a musical dynasty that will last for ever. Together, the pair's 1980s-influenced soft pop synthesisers and blissed-out space beats have already taken them into the Australian top 10. The music is coupled with a striking image of 2 colourful, cosmic crusaders that has been inspired by movie characters and rosily-remembered childhood idols. Their 1st single, "Walking on a Dream" can be found on the net for viewing.
MUSIC/RON ASHETON DIES AT 60: Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton was found dead at his Ann Arbor, Michigan home this morning. The official cause of death is not yet known, but it it believed the Asheton suffered a heart attack. Police discovered Asheton's body on a couch after his personal assistant had been unable to reach him for several days. He was 60. Asheton, along with his brother Scott on drums, frontman Iggy Pop and original bassist Dave Alexander, formed the Stooges in Detroit in 1967. They released 2 albums, "The Stooges" and "Fun House," before Ron Asheton took over bass duties. As a guitarist, he created a bevy of iconic riffs, including those for "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "TV Eye." After the Stooges' initial split, Asheton played in several other bands, including the Wylde Ratttz, featuring Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Mudhoney's Mark Arm, Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis and Mike Watt. Watt joined Asheton once more when the Stooges reunited in 2003, and Asheton returned to his original place as Stooges guitarist on 2007's "The Weirdness."
MUSIC/LEONA TO WRITE BOOK: Leona Lewis has signed a book deal to tell the story of her journey from pizza waitress to "X Factor" winner and international star. Lewis said the 2 years since winning the TV talent show had been "an unbelievable experience". "To have it documented in pictures and to be able to tell people in my own words how it feels means a lot to me." The book will hit the shelves in the UK in October, shortly before the scheduled release of Lewis's 2nd album.
BOOKS/LAURA BUSH TO WRITE MEMOIRS: First lady Laura Bush has sold her memoirs to Scribner. The CBS-owned publisher plans a 2010 publication. Terms of the advance were not disclosed, but previous first lady memoirs have fetched 7 figures. Bush has largely kept to herself, so it was unclear to publishers in discussions with her about the book what, if any, major revelations it may contain. President Bush also has said he would like to write a book, but publishers are wary of trying to market it anytime soon given the recent trajectory of his approval rating.
FILM/PGA UNVEILS MORE NOMS: After unveiling its Zanuck Producers Noms yesterday, the Producers Guild of America has tapped "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "Slumdog Millionaire" as nominees for its top feature award. All 5 films were also nominated for the Zanunck Producer of the Year Award. The documentary feature noms went to: Simon Chin for "Man on Wire," Julie Bilson Ahlberg and Errol Morris for "Standard Operating Procedure," and Carl Deal and Tia Lessin for "Trouble the Water." The PGA launched the category last year with "Sicko" winning the first trophy. Animated feature mentions went to Clark Spencer for "Bolt," Melissa Cobb for "Kung Fu Panda" and Jim Morris for "Wall-E." The PGA Awards also will include kudos in 5 TV categories. Those nominations were unveiled last month. The PGA Awards will be held on January 24 in Hollywood.
FILM/"TINTIN" CASTING MOVES AHEAD: British actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will play the Thompson Twins in Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg’s 2 picture "Tintin" project. The 3-D performance-capture films, based on Georges Remi's comic books and co-financed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, will center on Tintin’s globetrotting adventures as a fearless reporter. In the books, the Thompson Twins are a pair of incompetent, clumsy detectives who can only be told apart by the shape of their moustaches — Thompson, with a “p,” has a flat moustache, while Thomson, without the “p,” has a flared version. Pegg and Frost have worked together often. They came to the public eye in cult Brit TV comedy. “Spaced,” before successfully reteaming in box-office successes “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” As previously reported, Andy Serkis will play Tintin’s sidekick Captain Haddock. Tintin has yet to be cast.
FILM/SCORSESE BACKS "GOMORRAH": Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese has publicly endorsed an Italian drama about organised crime in Naples. "Gomorrah," based on a bestselling expose of the Camorra clan, will carry the credit "Martin Scorsese Presents" when it opens in the US on February 13. Scorsese, 66, praised Matteo Garrone's acclaimed film as "a tough, forceful look at the Neapolitan underworld". Garrone said he was "extremely proud" that his award-winning drama had found "such a prestigious adoptive father." "Gomorrah" is Italy's official entry for this year's best foreign language film Oscar. The fact-based drama won the Grand Prix at last year's Cannes Film Festival and took home 5 prizes from last month's European Film Awards.

US NEWS/ INDIA, THE FIRST CAT, DIES AT 18

India, the first cat, has died just weeks before her family is due to vacate the White House. She was 18. The black American domestic shorthair died Sunday at home in the Executive Mansion, according to the first lady's office. India was also known affectionately as "Willie" and "Kitty." Although India was overshadowed in the public eye by the Bushes' dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley, the Bushes were very attached to her. She was recently seen in the first family’s holiday video, along with the 2 Scottish terriers. "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost 2 decades. She will be greatly missed," said the first lady's press secretary. India is captured at play with Miss Beazley in the undated photo above.

WORLD NEWS/ NARGIS TOPS 2008 WEATHER

According to most weather experts, the top weather story of 2008 is the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Nargis on Burma. Nargis (the Urdu word for 'daffodil') hit the low-lying, densely populated Irrawaddy Delta region of Burma on May 2, 2008. Nargis' Category 4 winds of 135mph brought a storm surge of up to 13 feet to the coast, inundating regions up to 40 km inland. At least 140,000 people perished, according to official estimates by the UN and the government of Burma. This makes Nargis the 9th deadliest cyclone in world history. The storm made 800,000 people homeless, destroying 450,000 homes. Approximately 2.4 million people were significantly affected by the cyclone, and total damage has been estimated at $4 billion. Tropical cyclones are uncommon in Burma, which has had only 6 Category 1 or stronger storms since 1970. Nargis is the 3rd strongest cyclone on record to hit Burma, and the deadliest and most damaging. The previous highest death toll from a tropical cyclone in Burma was 187, during the Category 1 storm that hit on May 7, 1975. Nargis is the 1st major tropical cyclone to hit Burma since Category 3 Cyclone Mala hit on April 28, 2006. Mala hit a less populated area less prone to storm surge, and killed 22 people and damaged 6000 buildings. It is remarkable that no other tropical cyclone over the past 300 years has hit the Irrawaddy Delta and caused major loss of life. An unusually strong and far-southward extending trough of low pressure turned Nargis to the E, much farther S than is the norm for the North Indian Ocean. In the pre-1970 years, there is only 1 hurricane-force storm recorded to have hit Burma, a Category 1 cyclone in 1936 that killed 36 people. A significant cyclone hitting the Irrawaddy Delta causing thousands of deaths would very likely have been recorded, had this happened any time in the past 300 years. Such events were recorded in both India and Bangladesh during that period. Nargis appears to have been the only major tropical cyclone to hit the Irrawaddy River Delta in recorded history, and may be a once-in-500-year event.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

AIR INDIA SACKS "FAT" STAFF: India's state-owned Airline AIR INDIA has terminated the services of 9 Hostesses for being "overweight", a spokesman says. The Air Hostesses, as what Flight Attendants are called in India, were taken off flying duty 2 to 3 years ago and put on ground duty. They say they have now been told by the Airline that it no longer has positions for them in ground jobs. A lawyer said they would challenge the terminations in the Supreme Court. Last June, the Delhi high court ruled that Air India had the right to prevent overweight Air Hostesses from flying. The Hostesses appealed against that order in the Supreme Court and the case is still pending there. A spokesman for Air India said that the Hostesses were sacked after they were declared "medically unfit" to fly. "They haven't been flying for 2 to 3 years for being exceptionally overweight," spokesman Jitendra Bhargava said. He said that the women were between 11kg and 32kg overweight and that "all efforts to get them to reduce weight had failed". Air India said safety was a "prime function" and that "being grossly overweight does have a bearing on reflexes and can impair agility required to perform the emergency functions". Air India, whose Air Hostesses wear traditional Indian saris, is facing a stiff challenge from a number of private Airlines with younger flight crew typically dressed in skirts or Western suits. A few years ago, during a recruitment drive for new crew, the Airline said that it would not consider applicants with acne or bad teeth.
JETBLUE PAX WINS LAWSUIT: An Airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded $240,000 (A$337,000) in compensation. Raed Jarrar received the pay out last Friday from 2 TSA officials and from JETBLUE AIRWAYS following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the ACLU announced. Jarrar, a US resident, was apprehended as he waited to board a JetBlue flight from New York to Oakland, California, and told to remove his shirt, which had written on it in Arabic: "We will not be silent." He was told other passengers felt uncomfortable because an Arabic-inscribed T-shirt in an airport was like "wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, `I am a robber,'" the ACLU said. Jarrar eventually agreed to cover his shirt with another provided by JetBlue. He was allowed aboard but his seat was changed from the front to the back of the aircraft.
AIRLINES SUE FAA: 7 US Airlines have sued the FAA, claiming the agency broke its own rules and may have compromised flight safety when it set new standards for Pilot rest times last year without input from the carriers. The Airlines, including AMERICAN AIRLINES, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES and UNITED AIRLINES, filed the lawsuit on December 24 in the the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Airlines said in the complaint that they should have had a chance to comment on the rules, which would place yet another financial burden on them. "FAA has neither demonstrated how the rule will advance safety, considered the potential that the rule may actually diminish safety, nor justified the significant costs of the rule against any purported benefit," the carriers said. DELTA AIRLINES, which recently merged with NORTHWEST AIRLINES, is not a party to the lawsuit. Both Delta and Northwest have negotiated separate rules with the FAA governing crew rest requirements on long-haul flights. The FAA did not comment on the lawsuit. The government rules require additional rest time and longer layovers for Pilots on nonstop flights that last more than 16 hours. To comply, Airlines would have to put more Pilots on those flights and provide more in-flight rest facilities for them. These changes would drive up labor costs for Airlines, which hope to claw their way out of a financial downturn in 2009. The vast majority of international flights are shorter than 16 hours, but weather delays can unexpectedly lengthen trips and Pilots' workdays.
AER LINGUS COOL TO RYANAIR: Shareholders in Irish flag carrier AER LINGUS have shown little desire for a takeover by budget rival RYANAIR. Last month Aer Lingus bosses rejected a hostile 748m euro takeover bid from the low-cost Airline. But Ryanair, which already owns 29.82% of Aer Lingus, asked other Aer Lingus shareholders to accept the deal. Ryanair says it now has had acceptances totalling just 29.83% of Aer Lingus shares, including its own stake. Its offer has been extended for 5 weeks, until February 13. Aer Lingus management had urged shareholders not to back the takeover when it was launched ahead of Christmas, saying that it contained "nothing new". Ryanair has offered 1.40 euros a share for the former state airline, just 1/2 the price of a previous offer in 2006 which was blocked by the EU on competition grounds. This time Ryanair says it plans to operate both Airlines as separate companies with distinctive brands.
INCIDENTS
AMERICAN EAGLE FLIGHT 3505: The ERJ145 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Dallas/Ft Worth to Kileen, Texas, when it declared an emergency near Kileen, yesterday, January 5. Flight 3505, with 47 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, declared the emergency due to smoky haze in the cockpit. The smoke dissipated before the aircraft landed without incident or injury in Kileen. The ERJ has been removed from service for inspection. AE is investigating the incident.
FLYBE FLIGHT 7125: The ERJ145 was on Scheduled International Service from Birmingham, England, to Stuttgart, Germany, when it overran the runway upon landing in Stuttgart, yesterday, January 5. Flight 7125, with 15 passengers and crew onboard, overran runway 7 while landing in heavy snow at 3:30pm. No one onboard was injured and the aircraft sustained no damage. The incident is under investigation by both German Aviation Officials and the Airline.
ACLI AVIATION CARGO JET: The Basler BT67 was on Non-Scheduled Cargo Service to Antarctica, when it crashed landed on a 3200 meter mountain near Novolazarevskaya Station, yesterday, January 5. The BT67 was transporting spare parts for cross country vehichles of a British expedition on the continent. The 3 crew members and 1 passenger onboard the aircraft all survived the crash, however they were later flown out of the area due to injuries sustained. The BT67 was destroyed in the crash. Officials suggest that either the crew may have entered an area of poor visiblity and crashed into the terrain, or, they may have lost situational awareness. The incident is under investigation by both Russian and British officials.
AIR CANADA FLIGHT 108: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Vancouver to Toronto, Canada, when it had to make an emergency return to Vancouver, on Sunday, January 4. Flight 108 declared PAN PAN PAN while inflight due to pressurization problems. The crew descended from 22000 to 11000 feet, where the crew canceled the PAN after getting the problem under control. The A320 landed back at Vancouver without incident or injury. The aircraft has been removed from service for further inspection and repair. AC is investigating the incident.
GLOBAL EXPRESS EXEC FLIGHT: The Bombardier BD700 was on an Executive Flight from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Vancouver, Canada, when it crash landed at Vancouver, on Sunday, January 4. Prior to landing, the Pilot radioed ATC stating that there was a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft crash landed on runway 12 shortly thereafter. All 5 passengers and crew onboard the jet survived the crash, with no injuries reported. The BD700 suffered substantial damage. The accident is under investigation by the Canadian Transportation Board.
BMI FLIGHT 61: The A319 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Edinburgh, Scotland, to London Heathrow, when it declared an emergency while inflight, on Saturday, January 3. Flight 61, with 128 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared the emergency due to a problem with the left engine. The crew descended from 35000 to 20000 feet, which stablized the problem. Flight 61 then continued on to Heathrow, where it landed without incident or injury. The A319 has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. BMI is investigating the incident.
SATA FLIGHT 2221: The A310 was on Non-Scheduled International Service from The Azores in Portugal, to Boston, Massachusetts, when the crew had to declare an emergency while enroute, on Saturday, Janaury 3. Flight 2221 declared PAN PAN PAN, while flying at 38000 feet near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. The crew reported a computer malfunction which caused the aircraft to climb to 39500 feet, before the crew was able to correct the problem and bring the A310 back down to 38000 feet. No further conflict with the altitude occurred, thus Flight 2221 continued on to Boston, where it landed without incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. Sata is investigating the incident. The Canadian Transportation Board and the FAA are likely to also investigate the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

THE NEWEST PANDA AT ZOO ATLANTA HAS JUST LEARNED HOW TO WALK, AND WILL SOON BEGIN TO CLIMB. THE UNNAMED CUB IS SEEN IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH RELEASED YESTERDAY BY ZOO OFFICIALS.

LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#12)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/BBC TIPS LA ROUX: The 1st act from the BBC's Sound of 2009 list has been revealed, with electro-pop duo La Roux at #5. The list is intended to highlight the best new music talent for the new year. It is based on tips from 134 leading UK tastemakers, who named their favourite three new acts. A longlist of 15 artists was published last month. One act from the top 5 will now be revealed every day this week, until the #1 is announced on Friday. Last year, Adele and Duffy topped the list. The Sound of 2008 top 5 also included The Ting Tings, Glasvegas and Foals. Laroux is led by Elly Jackson. "We don't listen to anything apart from '80s music," explains Jackson, the synth-loving, crazy-haired, pop-obsessed rising star who is determined to take us back to the future. She is the face and voice of La Roux, whose manifesto involves ridding the charts of boring indie bands, contrived girl groups and too-cool dance acts. The debut video from La Roux, "Quicksand," can be found online and at the BBC music website.
FILM/PGA ZANUCK NOMS: The Producers Guild of America has tapped the producers of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk” and “Slumdog Millionaire” as the nominees for its Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award. The winners, determined by voting of the 3,600 members of the PGA, will be announced January 24 at the Hollywood Palladium.
FILM&TV/PAT HINGLE DIES AT 84: Pat Hingle, a veteran actor whose career spanned stage, film and TV, including a recurring role as Commissioner Gordon in several "Batman" movies in the 1990s, died Saturday of cancer. He was 84. Born Martin Patterson Hingle in 1924, he went to U. of Texas on a tuba scholarship. After a stint in the Navy during World War II, he earned a degree in radio broadcasting. He later became a member of the Actors Studio, which led to a role in Broadway's "End as a Man." He earned an acting Tony nom for 1958's "Dark at the Top of the Stairs." Film roles included "On the Waterfront," "Hang 'Em High" and "Norma Rae". Hingle was a guest star in many TV series, including roles on dramas "Touched by an Angel," "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Murder She Wrote," "War and Remembrance" and "In the Heat of the Night," as well as comedies "Wings," "Cheers" and "Mash" to name just a few. Hingle's last movie was "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which was released in 2006. Hingle is survived by his wife and 5 children.

WORLD NEWS/ GAY RIGHTS VICTORY IN OZ

Sydney pensioner Edward Young has won a decade-long legal battle in Australia, to receive his deceased partner's pension. Mr Young's partner of 38 years Larry Cains served with the Australian Army in Borneo during World War II. When Mr Cains died 10 years ago, Mr Young applied for a pension.As the Veteran's Entitlement Act was only available for heterosexual couples, Mr Young's application was denied. He took the case to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr Young said: "I didn't really need the pension. What I wanted was to take on the little man, [the former prime minister John] Howard, and fight. I wanted a decision that wouldn't just apply to my own circumstances. What I wanted was something that would apply right across the board. I wanted something that would say that, yes, there was discrimination and it didn't just apply to me. It applied to all facets of our law." Although in September 2003 the UN ruled that Australia was in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that Mr Young was entitled to the pension, the government delayed reviewing the case until November 2007. In November 2008, however, the Australian government passed laws allowing gay partners of soldiers to claim pensions, and Mr Young's claim was finally allowed. He said: "The laws have been changed; we've won now. I've been waiting 10 years."

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

CLOSE CALL ON DELTA JET: DELTA AIRLINES Flight 55 was on Scheduled International Boeing 777 Service from Atlanta, Georgia, to Tokyo, Japan, when it experienced a close call on its attempted takeoff from Atlanta, on Friday, January 2. The crew of Flight 55 rejected takeoff on runway 09L, at low speed, due to an engine failure. The 777 then taxied back to the gate, where passengers disembarked. Runway 09L was then closed for inspection and removal of debris, that had exited the engine through the inlet and outlet. Maintenance discovered that a number of fan blades had separated, but were contained by the engine casing, causing additional damage to the engine resulting in a subsequent compressor stall. A Pilot of a nearby aircraft saw flames out of the engine inlet as the engine let go. The 777 was removed from service for further inspection and repair. Delta is investigating the incident.
AIRTRAN MAKES A STATEMENT: AIRTRAN AIRWAYS has no released an official statement regarding the incident onboard Flight 175 on January 1. Flight 175 was preparing to depart Washington National that day for Scheduled Boeing 717 Service to Orlando, Florida, when 9 members of a muslim family were removed from the flight due to statements they reportedly made upon boarding, which were overheard by other passengers. The statement reads: "At departure time, the Captain of Flight 175 informed the Airline that there were 2 federal air marshals onboard who contacted local and federal Washington law enforcement officials for a security related issue onboard the aircraft involving verbal comments made by a passenger and overheard by other passengers. The Airline then advised the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). It was determined that all 104 passengers onboard must deplane and passengers, crew, baggage and the aircraft should be re-screened. After the re-screening of the passengers, crew, bags and the aircraft, 95 passengers were allowed to reboard the aircraft and 9 were detained for interrogation by the local law enforcement officials, the FBI and the TSA. Flight 175 departed nearly 2 hours late and arrived safely at its destination. Later in the day, 6 of the 9 detained passengers approached the customer service counter and asked to be rebooked to Orlando. At the time, the Airline had not been notified by the authorities that the passengers were cleared to fly and would not rebook them until receiving said clearance. 1 passenger in the party became irate and made inappropriate comments. The local law enforcement officials came over and escorted the passengers away from the gate podium. AirTran Airways complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter. The 9 passengers involved were all offered full refunds and may fly with AirTran Airways again after having been released from questioning and cleared by the law enforcement officials". Media sources report that the family is considering legal action against AirTran.
INCIDENTS
DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 47: The Boeing 767 was on Scheduled International Service from Moscow, Russia, to Atlanta, Georgia, when it had to divert enroute, due to an unruly passenger, yesterday, January 4. Flight 47, with 206 passengers and crew onboard, diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, due to the passenger behaviour. Media reports said that fellow passengers reported that the passenger, a male, had emptied a 1.5 liter bottle of Scotch Whiskey, then began to fight with his wife and banging against the passenger window. It took 8 people to overpower the man, who broke free out of wrist binders several times. Upon landing in Gander, the local police boarded the 767 and arrested the man. The passenger continued his behaviour inside the police car, and tried to break out the windows. It is not known if the man is still being held in a Gander jail. Charges are expected to filed against him.
AMERICAN EAGLE FLIGHT 3906: The ERJ145 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Chicago OHare to Syracuse, New York, when it skidded off the runway in Syracuse, yesterday, January 4. Flight 3906 skidded off the runway, after missing the taxiway at the end of the runway upon landing at 9:35pm. No one onboard the aircraft was injured. It is not known if the ERJ sustained any damage, but it has been removed from service. According to media reports in Syracuse, the runway and tarmac were described as completely iced over due to freezing rain falling at the time of the incident. AE and the FAA are investigating.
CONTINENTAL MICRONESIA FLIGHT 916: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from Fukuoka, Japan, to Guam, when it made an emergency return to Fukuoka, yesterday, January 4. Flight 916, with 130 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency after flaps asymmetry occurred while the crew attempted to retract the flaps on takeoff. The 737 landed without incident back at Fukuoka about 45 minutes after its initial departure. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repair. Continental is investigating the incident.
BRITISH GULF INTERNATIONAL CARGO FLIGHT: A BCI Antonov 12 was on Scheduled Cargo Service from Sharjah, UAE, to Afghanistan, when it veered off the runway while attempting to takeoff from Sharjah, on Friday, January 2. The AN12, with 6 crew members onboard, was able to stop on its own during the incident. No one onboard was injured, however the aircraft is said to have sustained minor damage. The Antonov has been removed from service for further inspections and repairs. The destination within Afghanistan has not been revealed. BCI is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

CHICAGO'S TRUMP TOWER WAS TOPPED OUT YESTERDAY, WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE BUILDINGS SPIRE. THE SPIRE MAKES THE TRUMP TOWER THE 3RD TALLEST BUILDING IN THE US. IT ALSO BRINGS THE TRUMP JUST 60 FEET BELOW THE HEIGHT OF THE SEARS TOWER, STILL THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE US.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

THEATRE/CLOSING DAY ON BROADWAY: A total of 7 Broadway shows close today, a sight not seen for years on the Great White Way. 4 of the shows are long runners, 2 were limited engagement, and 1 was done in by medicore reviews. The 8 time Tony award winning "Hairspray" closes today after 31 previews and 2,641 regular performances. The Mel Brooks-Thomas Meehan musical "Young Frankenstein" also plays its final performance today. When it closes, the musical, based on the non-musical film of the same name, will have played 30 previews and 484 regular performances since opening in fall 2007. Also closing is the door-slamming of "Boeing-Boeing," the hit sex comedy that won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. When it closes, Camoletti's "classic '60s comedy of errors," will have played 280 performances and 17 previews. The revival of "Grease," the first Broadway musical to have its leads cast via reality TV, plays its final performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre after having played 31 previews and 554 regular performances. The limited engagement of the critically acclaimed "Liza's at the Palace . . .!, " which was extended twice, ends its run today. "Liza's at the Palace . . .!" began previews and opened at the Palace on the same day, December 3. Horton Foote's "Dividing the Estate" plays its final performance of its limited run today at the Booth Theatre. "Dividing the Estate" arrived on Broadway Octoeber 23, 2008, and officially opened November 23 for the limited engagement. And finally, done in by mediocre reveiws, "13," the new middle school-set musical with songs by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, plays its final Broadway performance at the Bernard B. Jacobs. When it closes, "13" will have played a total of 22 previews and 105 regular performances.
FILM/NSOFC WINNERS OUT: The National Society of Film Critics have named “Waltz with Bashir” best picture of 2008. Sean Penn ("Milk") and Sally Hawkins ("Happy Go Lucky") took home best acting honors. The awards were announced yesterday in New York. "Bashir," director Ari Folman's animated WWII doc, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. The innovative pic tells the story of one man's harrowing nightmares in Nazi Germany. Joining Hawkins in the acting honors was "Happy-Go-Lucky" co-star Eddie Marsan, who picked up the best supporting kudo for his role in Mike Leigh's quirky comedy. The NSFC also awarded Leigh with Best Screenplay and Best Director honors, edging out Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and Gus Van Sant ("Milk) in the directing category. Sean Penn, meanwhile, took home best actor for his role as Harvey Milk in the acclaimed gay rights drama, while Hanna Schygulla took home the best supporting actress award for "The Edge of Heaven." "Man on Wire" nabbed the award for Non-Fiction Film.
MUSIC/NO CHANGES AT UK #1: Alexandra Burke's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has held on at #1 for a 3rd week on the UK singles chart. The 20-year-old Londoner saw off the challenge of hotly-tipped New Yorker Lady Gaga, who went straight in at #3 with her song "Just Dance". Burke's talent show-winning predecessor Leona Lewis stayed at #2 with her cover of Snow Patrol's "Run". Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah," however, slumped from #7 to #22 in the singles countdown. It was the #2 single at Christmas behind Burke's rendition of the song. The Sugababes registered a climb of 60 spots to #23 with their single "No Can Do," while former chart-topper "Dance Wiv Me" by rapper Dizzee Rascal moved back into the top 40. Take That retained command of the album chart with "The Circus," ahead of US rock band Kings of Leon. While there were no new entries inside the album top 20, Girls Aloud's "Greatest Hits" package shot up the chart from #45 to #6. Duffy's album "Rockferry," the best-selling collection of 2008, also crept back up the rundown to #3.

WORLD NEWS/QUAKES RATTLE INDONESIA

At least 4 people have been killed and dozens injured after a series of powerful earthquakes hit eastern Indonesia early today. The strongest tremor, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck N of the city of Manokwari in West Papua province at 4:43am. It was followed by another big quake and a string of aftershocks. Witnesses said the tremors triggered mass panic in Manokwari, where several buildings were flattened. A tsunami alert was issued by Indonesian authorities following the earthquakes, but withdrawn within an hour. Assessment teams and medical supplies are expected to arrive in the remote region, some 1830 miles E of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, within the next 24 hours. The first quake struck on land about 95 miles N of Manokwari at a depth of 22 miles, the USGA said. It was followed by another tremor and aftershocks. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the earthquakes also triggered a small tsunami which hit the Japanese coast, but did not cause any damage.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

GARUDA TO EXPAND SERVICE: Indonesian flag carrier GARUDA INDONESIA has revealed plans to fly new routes and expand its business. The Airline announced it would open 16 new flight routes this year, 13 domestic and 3 international, as well as add more aircraft to its fleet. The new routes will begin gradual gradually from January 16, and will later be supported by 14 new Boeing 737 aircraft to be delivered in mid-2009. The new international routes will link Denpasar with Adelaide, Denpasar with Hong Kong, and Surabaya with Hong Kong. Garuda says the new international routes are aimed at establishing a stronger flight network rather than generating significant profit. Garuda currently operates 54 aircraft, including 6 new Boeing 737-NGs that were delivered last year. By 2013, Garuda will have 128 aircraft, including 50 Boeing 737-NGs and 10 Boeing 737-300ERs that are currently being built. "Backed by 128 aircraft, in 2013 Garuda Indonesia will make a quantum leap into the future," Garuda president director Emirsyah Satar said in a statement. Garuda mainly serves domestic routes, making it relatively immune to the global shakeup. Its international routes include flights to Japan, Australia and the Middle East. The Airline used to operate flights to 6 European cities before the European Commission imposed a flight ban in mid-2007 on all Indonesian Airlines, due to safety concerns following a spate of fatal accidents involving Indonesian Airlines. The Transportation Ministry, however, is confident the commission will lift the ban in March.
INCIDENTS

AA FLIGHT 924: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from Medellin, Colombia, to Miami, Florida, when it had to make an emergency return to Medellin, yesterday, January 4. Flight 924, with 148 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency after 1 of the engines failed on takeoff. The landing back at Medellin was safe, although 1 tire on the 737 burst upon touchdown. The aircraft became stuck on the runway, forcing the Airport to close for 5 hours. The passengers disembarked via stairs brought to the runway. According to a passenger account, she saw one engine on fire a few minutes into the flight, followed by an almost immediate announcement by the flight crew, that they'd be returning to Medellin. The landing was very rough, the crew used maximum braking according to their announcements. The 737 has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. American is investigating the incident.

VIRGIN BLUE FLIGHT 289: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Melbourne to Perth, Australia, when it had to make an emergency diversion, yesterday, January 3. Flight 289 diverted to Adelaide after the Captains cockpit window cracked inflight. The 737 landed without incident or injury. The aircraft has been removed from service for repairs. VB is investigating the incident.

LION AIR FLIGHT 792: The Boeing MD90 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Ujung Pandang to Gorontalo, Indonesia, when it damaged the runway upon landing in Gorontalo, yesterday, January 3. Flight 792, with 155 passengers and crew onboard, landed on runway 27. The crew rotated the nose wheel to turn the aircraft around and backtrack to the terminal. However, the runway had been resurfaced at the end of December, and the surface had not fully hardened to bear the load of the MD90. The turn of the nose wheel created a hole of up to 50cm in depth. The aircraft was inspected and allowed to depart on its already scheduled service with only a 3 hour delay. Lion and Indonesian Aviation Officals are investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

THE MARS EXPLORATION ROVER OPPORTUNITY RECENTLY CAPTURED THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SUN SINKING BELOW THE RIM OF GUSEV CRATER ON MARS.

LUXE MEN/ CLICK CLICK (#3)

AMATEUR SELF PORTRAITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, USING A DIGITAL CAMERA OR CELL PHONE.

MUSIC HISTORY/ 30 YEARS AGO

BILLBOARD TOP 10 SINGLES FOR WEEK ENDING JAN.3,1979:
1. TOO MUCH HEAVEN--BEE GEES
2. LE FREAK--CHIC
3. MY LIFE--BILLY JOEL
4. YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS--STREISAND & DIAMOND
5. I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE--ALICIA BRIDGES
6. SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER--DR HOOK
7. YMCA--VILLAGE PEOPLE
8. HOLD THE LINE--TOTO
9. OUR LOVE, DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY--ANDY GIBB
10. OOH BABY BABY--LINDA RONSTADT

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/WILL SMITH B.O. #1: Will Smith has been voted the top money-making movie star of 2008 in an annual poll of US cinema owners and film buyers. Smith, star of "Hancock" and "I Am Legend," is only the 2nd African-American actor to top the Quigley poll, which has been running for 76 years. Robert Downey Jr came 2nd, Christian Bale 3rd and Shia LaBeouf 4th. All are newcomers to the list. 2007's winner Johnny Depp was nowhere to be seen. Anne Hathaway was named a star of tomorrow as was Chris Pine, who will play Captain Kirk in 2009's "Star Trek" movie. Tom Cruise did not make the top 10 for 2008 despite being voted #1 7 times since 1983. The Quigley Poll has been conducted since 1932 by the publishers of the International Motion Picture Almanac.
FILM/JOHN TRAVOLTA'S SON DIES: John Travolta's teenage son, Jett, died in the Bahamas yesterday, after apparently suffering a seizure and hitting his head at his family's holiday home. A house caretaker found Jett, 16, unconscious in a bathroom in the morning. He was taken by ambulance to a Freeport hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The teenager had a history of seizures, according to a statement. An autopsy is planned. Jett was the oldest child of Travolta, 54, and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, 46, who also have an 8-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu. Preston has said previously that Jett was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, an illness that leads to inflammation of the blood vessels in young children. The family had arrived in the Bahamas on a private plane on Tuesday and was holidaying at their home in the Old Bahama Bay resort community. Family friend and Tampa-based lawyer Michael McDermott told the Ocala Star-Banner on Friday that Travolta was "broken up'' and noted that "Kelly's very quiet''. "Just say a prayer for them,'' he added. "That's all you can do at this point.''
THEATRE/UK "SPAMALOT" CLOSES: The London production of "Monty Python's Spamalot" ends its run at the West End's Palace Theatre today, January 3. The show opened at the Palace in October 2006.The final company is led by Sanjeev Bhaskar as King Arthur. Bhaskar is best known as the host of the TV series "The Kumars at No. 42". The Broadway production of "Spamalot" is scheduled to close January 11 at the Shubert Theatre.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

IRAQ SERVICE BEGINS: The 1st commercial Airline flight between Europe and Iraq in at least 17 years has landed at Baghdad Airport earlier today. Swedish-based company NORDIC LEISURE says it expects to fly to the Iraqi capital once a week. About 150 passengers, mainly Iraqis, arrived from Denmark on the first such flight since UN sanctions were imposed after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi national carrier IRAQI AIRWAYS has said it hopes to start flying routes to Europe in the coming months. More international arrivals are expected in the next 2 days, including one from Hong Kong. AIR FRANCE-KLM signed a preliminary accord with Iraq just days ago, setting out plans for Iraqi Airways to fly to European destinations.
AIRTRAN APOLOGIZES: AIRTRAN AIRWAYS apologized yesterday afternoon to members of a Muslim family for kicking them off a plane and refusing to rebook them despite requests from FBI agents who had cleared them of wrongdoing. As reported yesterday, the families of Atif Irfan, a tax attorney, and his brother Kashif Irfan, an anesthesiologist, were removed from a flight in Washington before takeoff Thursday after a passenger reported hearing Atif Irfan's wife say something suspicious. The FBI interviewed the family and cleared them of wrongdoing. "We regret that the issue escalated to the heightened security level it did," AirTran said in the statement. "But we trust everyone understands that the security and the safety of our passengers is paramount."
INCIDENTS
SAUDI ARABIAN FLIGHT 5004: The Boeing 747 was on Scheduled International Service from Madinah, Saudi Arabia, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when it had to make an emergency return to Madinah, on Thursday, January 1. Flight 5004, with 442 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency with a possible engine fire after a cockpit fire alert for engine No.4 went off shortly after takeoff. The 747 landed without incident about 1 hour after its initial departure. Emergency Services could find no evidence of a fire. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection. Saudi Arabian is investigating the incident.
AIR CANADA JAZZ FLIGHT 7077: The CRJ200 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Yellowknife to Calgary, Canada, when it had to make an emergency return to Yellowknife, on Wednesday, December 31. Flight 7077 reported unspecified problems with its flaps and landed back at Yellowknife without incident. The CRJ has been removed from service for inspection. This incident is one of many in December involving flaps on the CRJ200. The Airline and Canadian Aviation Officials are investigating.
THOMSONFLY FLIGHT 133: The Boeing 767 was on Non-Scheduled International Service from Manchester, England, to Punta Cana, Domincian Republic, when it had to divert while enroute, on Wednesday, December 31. Flight 133 diverted to Bermuda after 3 intoxicated passengers began to fight and become verbally abusive to other passengers and crew. All 3 were arrested by Bermuda Authorities. 1 of the 3 has already returned to the UK, where he was arrested by British Authorities and charged with endangering an aircraft. The investigation continues.
AIRBLUE FLIGHT 220: The A321 was on Scheduled International Service from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Manchester, England, when it was struck by lightning while on approach to Trabzon, Turkey, on Tuesday, December 30. Flight 220, with 180 passengers and crew onboard, had to make an unscheduled stop in Trabzon for fuel. The A321 was about 1000 feet from touchdown on the Trabzon runway, when it was struck by lightning, which damaged the electrical systems on the aircraft. The crew declared an emergency, however they did land the A321 without incident or injury. The aircraft has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. Airblue and Turkish Aviation Officials are investigating the incident.
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 938: The Boeing 767 was on Scheduled International Service from Chicago OHare to London Heathrow, when it had to divert to Washington Dulles while enroute, on Monday, December 29. Flight 938 departed Chicago late in the evening on Sunday December 28. While inflight, the crew reported unspecified mechanical problems while flying at 35000 feet. They requested diversion to Boston, Massachusetts, later amending their request to Dulles. The 767 landed in Washington without incident or injury. The 767 has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. UAL is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

HALLETT PEAK, IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO, AS PICTURED EARLIER THIS WEEK.

LUXE MEN

BOTB/ TYLER RIGGZ UNCOVERED

As you may know, I closed my previous blog several weeks ago. My plans are to delete the entire blog later this month. With that in mind, I will be publishing a few articles from that blog, here on Chikane Deluxe under the heading "BOTB," short for Best of the Blog. This posting on Tyler Riggz originally appeared in February 2008.

Pornstar Tyler Riggz is 33 and lives in San Diego, California. Believe it or not, but Riggz was an actual Police Officer up until 2004, when he left the force, and moved to California. Riggz was recently nominated for a Gay VN Award, and has just completed work on 2 new films.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/SALES DOWN IN 2008: A depressed holiday season pushed the recorded music industry deeper into its continued slump as sales of albums, CDs and downloads combined, hit only 428.4 million, a 14% drop from 2007. It’s even more staggering when compared with 2005 numbers, when 618.9 million units were sold. The music business did find consumers were interested in 3 things during 2008: digital downloads, concert tickets and vinyl LPs. The holiday season is counted upon to deliver nearly a quarter of the year’s business and it was down 19% from 2007 (80.1 million album sales vs. 98.7 million a year ago). Data released Wednesday by Nielsen Soundscan further drove home the notion that the marketplace has shifted to digital tracks, sales of which were up 27%, hitting 1.07 billion. Downloads now account for 32% of all music purchases. The concert industry, meanwhile, saw a 7.8% bump from 2007 to $4.2 billion in box office revenue, according to Pollstar, the trade publication that tracks live entertainment data. The growth in revenue, however, owed to higher ticket prices rather than an increase in tickets purchased. The average ticket price for one of the 100 top-grossing shows cost $66.90, up or 8% from 2007. The number of tickets sold for the 100 top-grossing shows fell 3%, to 35.6 million. Madonna had the top-selling tour of the year, grossing $105.3 million. Celine Dion was next ($94 million), followed by the Eagles ($73.4 million), Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and Bon Jovi ($70.4 million). With the exception of Madonna, Neil Diamond and Tina Turner, the Pollstar top 10 featured acts that began tours in 2007 or early 2008 and had multiple legs count toward their tally. The year’s biggest selling album was Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III,” which sold 2.87 million copies to make the lowest selling year-end chart-topper in the 17 years Soundscan has tracked album sales. Rihanna sold the most digital tracks, 9.9. million, while Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love” was the #1 digital track with 3.36 million sold. Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” was the year’s top selling digital album, having registered 617,000 downloads. The rise in vinyl sales, which has been anecdotally chronicled, was considerable as the format nearly doubled in sales in ‘08 to 1.88 million sold, up from just under a million in 2007. And it’s in the vinyl category in which familiar names abound. Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” was #1 with 26,000 units sold followed by the Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” and the B-52’s “Funplex.”
BOOKS/DONALD WESTLAKE DIES AT 75: Prolific mystery writer Donald E Westlake has died of a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Mexico. His wife said he had collapsed while heading to a New Year's Eve dinner. The 75-year-old wrote more than 100 books under a variety of pseudonyms. Several were turned into hit films, including "Point Blank" and "Payback". Westlake's script for con artist movie "The Grifters" resulted in an Oscar nod for best adapted screenplay in 1991. He also received 3 Edgar awards from the Mystery Writers of America, which named him a "Grand Master" in 1993. The author began by writing serious crime fiction including "The Mercenaries," "Killing Time" and "361". He also wrote several comedic crime novels, such as "The Fugitive Pigeon" and "The Hot Rock," and even science fiction in "Anarchaos". He often wrote under an alias - in part because his employers were afraid of flooding the market. His pen names included Tucker Coe, Curt Clark, Samuel Holt and Edwin West. The most enduring pseudonym, however, was Richard Stark, whose bleak novels all featured violent professional criminal Parker. One of those novels, "The Hunter," became film noir "Point Blank," with "Dirty Dozen" star Lee Marvin as the dispassionate anti-hero. The Parker novels were in stark contrast to the books Westlake authored in his own name, many of which featured another, altogether more hapless, career criminal, John Dortmunder.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

AIRTRAN DISPLAYS PARANOIA: A Muslim family removed from an airliner yesterday after passengers became concerned about their conversation say AIRTRAN AIRWAYSofficials refused to rebook them, even after FBI investigators cleared them of wrongdoing. AirTran Flight 175 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Washington National to Orlando, Florida, when the incident occurred as the plane was preparing to depart Washington at 1pm yesterday. Atif Irfan said federal authorities removed 8 members of his extended family and a friend after passengers heard them discussing the safest place to sit and misconstrued the nature of the conversation. Irfan, a US citizen and tax attorney, said he was "impressed with the professionalism" of the FBI agents who questioned him, but said he felt mistreated when the Airline refused to book the family for a later flight. AirTran late yesterday said they acted properly and that the family was offered full refunds and can fly with AirTran again. "AirTran Airways complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter," the company said in a prepared statement. Family members said FBI agents tried to work it out with the Airline, but to no avail. Atif Irfan, his brother, their wives, a sister and 3children were headed to Orlando to meet with family and attend a religious conference. "The conversation, as we were walking through the plane trying to find our seats, was just about where the safest place in an airplane is," Sahin said. "We were (discussing whether it was safest to sit near) the wing, or the engine or the back or the front, but that's it. We didn't say anything else that would raise any suspicion." The conversation did not contain the words "bomb," "explosion," "terror" or other words that might have aroused suspicion, Irfan said. "When we were talking, when we turned around, I noticed a couple of girls kind of snapped their heads," said Sobia Ijaz, Irfan's wife. "I kind of thought to myself, 'Oh, you know, maybe they're going to say something.' It didn't occur to me that they were going to make it such a big issue." Some time later, while the plane was still at the gate, an FBI agent boarded the plane and asked Irfan and his wife to leave the plane. The rest of the family was removed 15 or 20 minutes later, along with a family friend, Abdul Aziz, a Library of Congress attorney and family friend who was coincidentally taking the same flight and had been seen talking to the family. After the FBI interviewed family members, it released them, Irfan said. An AirTran spokesman said the incident began when some passengers reported hearing suspicious remarks by a woman and alerted flight attendants. 2 Federal Air Marshals, who were on board the flight, notified law enforcement about the security-related issue, AirTran said. After the family and Aziz were taken for questioning, the remaining 95 passengers were taken off of the plane and rescreened, along with the crew and the baggage, AirTran said. Irfan said he believes his family is owed an apology. Aziz said there is a "very strong possibility" he will pursue a civil rights lawsuit. "I guess it's just a situation of guilt by association," Aziz said. "They see one Muslim talking to another Muslim and they automatically assume something wrong is going on."
INCIDENTS
VIETNAM AIRLINES FLIGHT 783: The Boeing 777 was on Scheduled International Service from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Sydney, Australia, when it had to divert inflight to Alice Springs, Australia, on Wednesday, December 31. The 777 had to divert after a female passenger onboard fell unconscious. The passenger was brought to an Alice Springs hospital where she underwent surgery after doctors found heroin filled condoms in her GI tract had ruptured. There has been no further word on her condition or possible charges by Police. The 777 was allowed to depart Alice Springs a couple of hours after the incident, and arrived in Sydney 4.5 hours late. Vietnam and Australian Officials are investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

FIREWORKS LIGHT UP THE LONDON SKYLINE JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/"MAMMA" SETS ANOTHER UK RECORD: "Mamma Mia!" has become the UK's biggest-selling DVD of all time, according to official figures. It is the 1st disc to sell more than 5 million copies, placing it in 1 in 4 UK households. The Abba-themed movie was the #1 DVD of 2008, with its closest rival "The Dark Knight" making 1.5m sales. The Official Charts Company's (OCC) all-time DVD list of the last decade sees "Mamma Mia!" surge ahead of previous top seller "Pirates of the Caribbean". Other releases linked to the film have proved successful, with its soundtrack becoming the biggest-selling compilation of 2008, shifting 1 million copies.
MUSIC/VINCENT FORD DIES AT 68: Vincent Ford, the songwriter credited with composing the Bob Marley reggae classic "No Woman, No Cry" has died in Jamaica. He was 68. Ford lost both his legs to diabetes and died in hospital from complications caused by the disease, said a spokesman for the Bob Marley Foundation. His smash hit appeared on Marley's 1974 "Natty Dread" album. Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited for helping spread Jamaican music to the worldwide audience. Marley died of cancer in Miami in 1981, aged 36.

AVIATION/ NTSB UPDATES ON CON 1404 CRASH

The NTSB has released an update on their investigation into the crash of CONTINENTAL AIRLINES Flight 1404 on December 21 in Denver, Colorado. The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Denver to Houston, Texas, when it ran off the runway, crashed into a ravine, and caught fire, after the Pilots attempted to abort takeoff. None of the 110 passengers or 5 crew members were killed, but at least 38 suffered minor to critical injuries in the incident. The NTSB brief update, mainly reiterated previously published weather data from the time of the incident. The only significant weather at the time of the crash was the gusty winds. The report states that all of those injured, including the Captain, have been released from hospital. The NTSB did mention that the Captain has been interviewed, but gave no information on what may have been learned from the interview. Some media sources report that the NTSB is focusing on the wind as a possible cause of the crash, however the NTSB gave no indication on what their primary focus may be at this time. The investigation continues.

AVIATION/ NTSB REPORT ON AIR WISC 758 OUT

The NTSB have released their final report into the incident involving AIR WISCONSIN FLIGHT 785 on December 16. 2007. The CRJ200 was on Scheduled Domestic Service on behalf of US AIRWAYS EXPRESS from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Providence, Rhode Island, when it ran off the runway upong landing in Providence. None of the 31 passengers or 3 crew members onboard were injured in the incident, however the CRJ did sustain substantial damage. The NTSB report cites the cause of the accident as related to Pilot Error. The probable causes of the incident were: "The Captain’s attempt to salvage the landing from an instrument approach which exceeded stabilized approach criteria, resulting in a high sink rate, likely stall, and hard landing which exceeded the structural limitations of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the First Officer’s poor execution of the instrument approach, and the lack of effective intra-cockpit communication between the crew. Additional contributing factors to the accident are the lack of effective oversight by AWAC and the FAA to ensure adequate training and an adequate experience level of First Officers for line operations."

AVIATION/ BEA REPORT ON AFR 7775 OUT

The French Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA) have published their final report on the crash of AIR FRANCE REGIONAL AIRLINES Flight 7775 on January 25, 2007. Flight 7775 was on Scheduled Domestic Fokker 100 Service from Pau to Paris, France, when it crash landed on takeoff from Pau. The Fokker crashed into a truck upon coming down in a field, killing the driver of the truck. 9 of the 50 passengers and 4 crew members onboard Flight 7775 suffered minor injuries. The Fokker 100 was substantially damaged and was written off. On takeoff, the crew could not sustain flight while lifting off from runway 13. The Fokker than overran the runway, hit the truck, and then came to a stop 1754 feet past the runway end. The BEA report concludes that that ice contaminated the upper surfaces of the wings causing seriously degraded aerodynamics. Contributing factor was the fast rotation by the Pilots as reaction to presence of birds. A full copy of the report can be found on the BEA website

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

AUSSIE PILOTS CALL FOR NO-GO ZONE: Another QANTA aircraft has suffered problems with its navigation system near a military installation on Western Australia's NW coast, forcing the jet to return to Perth and raising fresh questions about whether electrical interference from signals is to blame. Qantas confirmed yesterday that Flight 71, which was bound for Singapore with 277 passengers, returned to Perth soon after taking off last Saturday after a cockpit alert said there was a problem with the plane's navigation system near Carnarvon. News of the latest problem with a Qantas plane in the area yesterday prompted the Australian and International Pilots Association to call for airspace around the Exmouth military installation to be declared off-limits to commercial airlines. It is understood the navigation system involved was the same as the system which malfunctioned on another Qantas A330 in October near Exmouth, causing the plane to plummet more than 400 feet in 16 seconds, injuring 13 people seriously. A preliminary report into the October incident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau noted that a MALAYSIA AIRLINES Boeing 777-200 flight had suffered a similar problem in the same area in August 2005. The report said it could not rule out the possibility that the plane's sudden plunge in October was caused by electrical interference from the Harold E. Holt naval base at Exmouth. The base is a joint Australian-US facility used to communicate with submarines. The Australian Defence Force also operates several other bases on the north-west coast as part of its integrated air, sea and land surveillance network, with one base in Carnarvon near where the A330 experienced problems on Saturday. The president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, Captain Barry Jackson, said yesterday that until there was some clarity, barring commercial airlines from entering airspace around the Exmouth base was the safer option. A Qantas spokeswoman said that during Saturday's incident, the plane had not lurched or plunged.
NTSB UPDATES ALASKA DE-ICE INCIDENT: The NTSB has released an update into the incident involving ALASKA AIRLINES Flight 528 on December 24. Flight 528, with135 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Seattle, Washington, to Burbank, California, when the incident took place. Contrary to reports at the time, the NTSB said in their preliminary report, that there were no injuries when the 737 filled with smoke while the de-icing was in progress. The aircraft had pushed back from the gate to undergo de-icing prior to taxiing to the active runway. The flight crew reported, that the de-icing began before the airplane had completed the push back. The APU was running at the time. Smoke began filling the cockpit and cabin. The flight crew had the de-icing crew stop applying de-icing fluid and began smoke removal procedures. The 737 was then towed back to the gate, and the passengers and crew were deplaned. The Investigation continues.
EMERGENCY AIRBUS EAD RELEASED: EASA has released an Emergency Airworthiness Directive that requests operators of CFM56-5B engines, which are on A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft, to monitor Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGT) for deterioration and make sure, that at least 1 engine shows less than 80C deterioration in its EGTs. If both engines show deteriorations of 80 or more degrees, at least 1 engine must be replaced according to the new directive. The FAA have issued the same requirements with immediate effect. The emergency directive comes after an incident, in which an Airbus A321-200 experienced compressor stalls on both engines during initial climb out on December 15th 2008.
INCIDENTS
NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 59: The Boeing 757 was on Scheduled International Service from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to Boston, Massachusetts, when a woman went into labor and gave birth inflight, yesterday, December 21. Flight 59 was over the Atlantic Ocean when the woman, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, went into labor. 2 doctors onboard assisted the woman, and delivered a healthy baby girl while the jet was at 38000 feet. The 757 landed in Boston about 90 minutes after the birth, and the Mother and baby were taken to hospital. According to international law, since the baby was born over Canadian airspace, the birth will be recorded as having occurred in Canada.
AIR BALTIC FLIGHT 662: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from Dublin, Ireland, to Riga, Latvia, when it had to make an emergency landing in Riga, yesterday, December 31. Flight 662, with 100 passengers and crew onboard, was informed after departure from Dublin, that tire debris was found on the runway. The crew elected to continue their flight to Riga, where they declared emergency about 1 hour before landing. The landing was delayed another hour, as the crew prepared for the landing. The 737 landed without incident. Upon examination, the right main landing gear tire was found to have been burst. The aircraft has been removed from service for repairs. Air Baltic is investigating the incident.
AA FLIGHT 1571: The MD82 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, to Des Moines, Iowa, when the crew requested that Police meet the aircraft upon landing in Des Moines, on Tuesday, December 30. While inflight, passengers reported to cabin crew that a male passenger had been observed going thru a womans purse, and taking her money and credit cards. Upon landing, the police arrested the male passenger. The items that had been stolen were found in a magazine in the mans possession.
JETBLUE FLIGHT 128: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from New York JFK to Burlington, Vermont, when it had to make an emergency return to JFK, on Tuesday, December 30. Flight 128, with 84 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared the emergeny after reporting flight control problems after a large bird had struck the aircraft on liftoff from the runway. The A320 landed without incident about 18 minutes after its initial departure. The aircraft has been removed from service from inspection and possible repairs. JetBlue is investigating the incident.
LAN PERU FLIGHT 104 & 111: The 2 A319's were on Scheduled Domestic Service within Peru on December 30, when both aircraft were ordered to return to Aerquipa, Peru, after departure. The Airline had received bomb threats for both flights. No explosives of any kind were found on the A319's. Lan Peru and Peruvian Aviation Authorities are investigating the incident.