LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#80)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MEDIA/PLAYGIRL SNAGS LEVI?: The new issue of Vanity Fair has a lengthy article on Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin's grand-daughter. Johnston dishes on life with the Palin's, warts and all. As part of the promo for the issue, VF posted a video with Johnston. In that video, Johnston jokes with his manager about posing for Playgirl. Its not the 1st time that Johnston has talked about getting his kit off, but this time, its actually going to happen. After reading online that Johnston was game, the guy who puts together Playgirl's photoshoots, Daniel Nardicio, emailed Johnston's manager about having his client pose nude for their website. Apparently, after discussions back and forth, that included Johnston's lawyer, the deal is done. The only thing different about this Playgirl shoot, is that Levi would not do a full nude pictorial, but will go down to his skivvies. The 2 parties in final negotiations to get the shoot finalized. Although one wonders if Johnston knows who reads the magazine. In the VF video, Levi is asked about Playgirl and he says: "I'm assuming it's where a dude poses for women." Playgirl closed down its print publication early this year and functions strictly as a web based business.

FILM/PERRY TO HELM "FOR COLORED GIRLS": Lionsgate has engaged Tyler Perry to write, direct and produce an adaptation of the 1975 play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf." "For Colored Girls" will begin shooting in Atlanta in November, with Lionsgate planning a release next year. The play is a series of 20 poems telling stories of love, abandonment, domestic abuse and other issues faced by black women. Lionsgate announced in March that it had acquired the feature rights to the stage play and signed musicvideo director Nzingha Stewart to helm from her screenplay adaptation. "For Colored Girls," written by Ntozake Shange, was 1st performed in 1975; it was made into a 1982 television film for PBS. A Broadway revival, produced by Whoopi Goldberg and starring India.Arie, was announced for the 2008-09 season but got pulled last summer when funding fell through.

MUSIC/ MICHAEL JACKSON LAID TO REST

Michael Jackson's family and about 200 of their closest friends gathered last evening for their final farewell to the pop singer, who died 10 weeks ago. Jackson, who died at the age of 50 on June 25, was laid to rest in a crypt inside the well-guarded and ornate Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California. Jackson's 3 children, parents, siblings, and an invited group of close friends, including Elizabeth Taylor, were present for the evening service. Soul music legend Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." Clifton Davis sang "Never Can Say Goodbye," a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5. Others in attendance included Lisa Marie Presley, Macaulay Culkin, Berry Gordy, and Quincy Jones. When the hour-long service ended, his brothers lifted Jackson's casket for a final time to carry him inside the Great Mausoleum, where he was placed in his crypt. The family statement said it was "his final resting place." The massive mausoleum, the final resting place for Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and dozens of other celebrities, is normally open to tourists, though the public is denied close access to crypts. Security guards, aided by cameras, keep constant vigil over the graves and crypts, which are surrounded by a world-class collection of art and architecture.

US NEWS/ USN DISCHARGES ABUSED SAILOR

A gay USN sailor who refused to sleep with a female prostitute suffered 2 years of harassment and bullying, according to official Navy documents. The documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Youth Radio, say that former Petty Officer Third Class Joseph Rocha was physically and sexually abused by his fellow sailors at a military dog base in Bahrain. His abuse was one of dozens of alleged cases discovered by a Navy investigation. According to the documents, Rocha was hog-tied, forced to eat dog food and thrown into a kennel of dog faeces. He was also allegedly forced to simulate oral sex on other men. The alleged abuse continued until 2006 but Rocha did not report it, fearing he would be discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', the law that bans openly gay personnel serving in the US military. After returning to the US, Rocha, pictured at left, developed post-traumatic stress disorder. After admitting to his superiors he was gay, he was discharged under the military gay ban law. Despite widespread allegations of similar abuse, he is the only member of the unit to be discharged as yet. Since the investigation began, the Navy has promoted the Chief Petty Pfficer in charge of the unit, to the rank of Senior Chief. According to official documents, most of the abuse was perpetrated or presided over by him. This is 1, of at least 93 other incidents of abuse alleged. In 1 case, male officers were said to have been forced to simulate gay sex acts, as part of 'training sessions' and also as punishment. In another alleged incident, 2 female sailors were handcuffed to a bed and forced to simulate lesbian sex while male sailors filmed them.Rocha said visiting prostitutes was common in the unit and his refusal to join in revealed he was gay. He said he was preparing to testify against his alleged accusers but was then told by a Navy official the case had been dropped. In a statement he said: "I wish I could still be serving in our military, but after 3.5 in the Navy, including 2.5 and a half years stationed in the Middle East, I resigned because I refused to be punished any longer for who I am." Navy Region Europe officials, who oversaw the Bahrain unit, and the Pentagon, would not comment on the case.

WORLD/ WWF AD DRAWS CONDEMNATION

An advert, designed for the World Wildlife Fund, has sparked outrage across the world, in particular in the US. The ad, which features dozens of planes heading towards the World Trade Center, was designed to raise awareness of potential enviromental disasters and their resulting casualites. The slogan reads: "The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11". The ad was run only once, in a Brazilian newspaper, and has now been pulled. WWF has distanced itself from the ad, saying that it was only created as a mock up by the ad agency DDB Brasil, in order to gain their account. In a statement, WWF "strongly condemned" the ad, and said that when they saw the ad, it was rejected and should have been destroyed. DDB initially denied making a video of the ad, but British newspapers found that they had submitted the video to the Cannes Advertising Festival in June. WWF has launched an internal investigation into the incident.

AVIATION/ AIR INDIA 747 CATCHES FIRE

An AIR INDIA Boeing 747 caught fire today, after pushing back from the gate and beginning to taxi for takeoff, at Mumbai International Airport. At least 21 people were injured evacuating the aircraft. Air India Flight 829 was on Scheduled International Service from Mumbai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with 213 passengers and 16 crew members onboard. According to local media, Flight 829 was scheduled to leave early this morning. Passengers boarded the 747 at 1:30am, and then were offloaded due to a "technical fault". The passengers spent the night in the Airport, and were told that another aircraft had been brought in for their flight to Riyadh. The fire broke out on the left wing of the aircraft, around 10:22am. Indian media played a video showing a wall of flames from the ground up, to several hundred meters above the aircraft. The crew ordered an immediate evacuation via the slides, while Emergency Services responded and extinguished the fire. The 21 people injured were said to be suffering from minor injuries sustained while going down the slides. The aircraft has visible and substantial damage to the left wing, which can be seen in the photo above. According to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation the aircraft had undergone maintenance due to a fuel leak on engine No.1, before the 747 was released for Flight 829. The DGAC has ordered the suspension of the aircraft engineer doing the maintenance work, pending a full investigation into the incident. Indian media is already reporting that a fuel leak caused the fire, and that the heat of the engine sparked the fire.

AVIATION/ JETBLUE ERJ SUFFERS ENGINE FIRE

Passengers and crew onboard a JETBLUE ERJ190 had to be evacuated via the slides yesterday, after an engine on the aircraft caught fire. JetBlue Flight 1781 was on Scheduled International Service from Orlando, Florida, to Nassau, Bahamas, with 89 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, when the incident took place. The crew declared an emergency while on approach to Nassau, reporting an indication of a left hand engine fire, and requested an accelerated approach and landing. Emergency Services were deployed and in place as the ERJ approached. The Tower confirmed that there were visible flames on the left hand side of the aircraft. The ERJ touched down without incident, and taxied quickly off the active runway. As Emergency Services worked to extinguish the flames, passengers and crew were evacuated via the slides. No one onboard was injured in the incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for a full damage assessment. The Bahamian Flight Standards agency has opened an investigation into the incident, as has the NTSB.

AVIATION/ FAA ORDERS PITOT TUBES CHANGE

The FAA ordered yesterday that US Airlines must replace pitot tubes on all A330 aircraft in use, within the next 120 days. The FFA move came weeks after EASA required pitot tube replacement. Pitot tubes have come under suspicion as a potential factor of the crash of AIR FRANCE Flight 447 on June 1 over the Atlantic Ocean, which claimed the lives of all 228 people onboard. The FAA said that it ordered the expediated process, since only 43 A330s are in use in the US, and that it was prudent to order the changes quickly. The FAA it said it did not feel the risk warranted grounding the fleet of aircraft. Only 2 US Airlines fly the A330, and 1 of those 2, US AIRWAYS said yesterady it has already replaced the pitot tubes on all of its affected aircraft. NORTHWEST AIRLINES, the other carrier flying the A330, said they are in the process of replacement. The devices under suspicion are the Thales Avionics pitot probes that were installed on A330 and A340 aircraft. They measure "ram air pressure," the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air, and are part of a system used to determine air speed. The FAA order requires aircraft operators to replace certain Thales pitot probes with certain Goodrich or newer-design Thales pitot probes. The FAA says the order is intended to "prevent airspeed discrepancies, which could lead to disconnect of the autopilot and/or auto-thrust functions and consequent increased pilot workload." French authorities are still investigating the cause of the Air France crash. But tests conducted since the crash have brought into question the performance of the pitot tubes and authorities say there have been reports of other malfunctions on flights. No US Airline flies the A340.

AVIATION/ BA INCIDENT PROMPTS EASA A.D.

EASA has issued an emergency A.D. on inspections of the nose landing gear, NLG, in BAe146 & Avro aircraft. The move comes in response to a serious incident involving a BA CITYFLYER Avro RJ100 on February 13, 2009. On that date, Flight 8456 was on Scheduled International Service from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to London City Airport, with 67 passengers and 4 crew members onboard. Upon touchdown at London City, the nosegear on the Avro collapsed. The crew ordered the immediate evacuation of all onboard, which was completed without incident. The Avro suffered substantial damages in the accident and was written off in May. The investigation continues. In their emergency A.D, EASA said the examination of the fractured NLG main fitting showed that a maintenance bulletin, Messier-Dowty SB.146-32-150, had not been completed, although the records indicated that it had been. BAE Systems has determined that more NLG units, in both the BAe146 and Avro aircraft, could be similarly affected. These NLG units had been overhauled at Messier Services in Sterling, Virginia, in the US. This condition, if not corrected, could result in NLG failure. To address this situation, EASA issued Emergency AD 2009-0043-E to require repetitive NDT inspections of each affected NLG unit and, if cracks are found, replacement with a serviceable unit, in accordance with the instructions of the BAE Systems Limited Alert Inspection Service Bulletin. Full details on the A.D. can be found on the EASA website.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

CONCORDE SIMULATOR OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: The world's 1st Concorde flight simulator has now been opened to the public in the UK. The simulator at Brooklands Museum, Surrey, on which all BRITISH AIRWAYS Concorde Pilots were trained, has been renovated to allow aviation enthusiasts to "fly: the iconic aircraft across the globe. The former chief Concorde Pilot for BA said it offers people the closest thing to flying Concorde for real. The simulator does not move, relying on graphics to recreate the sensation of flying. According to the Museum director: "It's the next best thing to actually flying Concorde. It's very, very realistic. Those who have done it so far remark on how much they feel like they're flying in an aircraft." The cost is also less than the real thing, but will set customers back either £139 or £395, depending on whether they choose the 1 or 2 hour package.

SINGAPORE TO DELAY A380 DELIVERIES: SINGAPORE AIRLINES said yesterday it had agreed with Airbus to defer the delivery of 8 A380 superjumbo jetliners by 6 to 12 months. The Airline, which posted its 1st quarterly loss in 6 years during the June quarter, already has 9 A380s in operation with 2 more due for delivery in the current financial year. The revised schedule will see the 12th aircraft delivered in October 2010 rather than April 2010, while the 19th aircraft will be delivered in January 2012 rather than January 2011. SIA said in July it lost S$307.1 million in the April to June period, its 1st quarterly loss since the outbreak of SARS in 2003. Revenue declined 30% to $2.87 billion and the Airline warned it expected to report a full-year loss if the downturn continues. The ramifications to the A380 project are serious because the deferral suggests SIA is finding it increasingly hard to fill its premium seats on this plane, 60 business and 12 first class suites, especially on the London-Singapore sector. SIA is seen as a bellwether in the industry and if the market leader has difficulty in maximising yields on the A380, then other Airlines that have ordered it will find the going even tougher.

NTSB AIDS IN TAILWIND FL36 INVESTIGATION: The Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation has requested the assistance of the NTSB in their investigation into an incident involving a TAILWIND AIRLINES Boeing 737 on June 14, 2009. On that date, Tailwinds Flight 36 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Istanbul to Diyarbakir, on behalf of ONUR AIR, with 159 passengers and crew onboard. While on approach to Diyarbakir, the 737 suffered a bird strike on 1 of its wings. In a brief statement, noting their involvement in the investigation, the NTSB said the 737 had been on final approach to Diyarbakir at a height of about 20 feet, when the aircraft experienced an uncommanded pitch up. The crew controlled the pitch up by both Pilots pushing the control column fully forward and setting the stabilizer trim full nose down. The crew performed a go-around and subsequently managed a safe landing on the 2nd approach. Both Pilots received minor injuries during the pitch up encounter and subsequent go-around, however none of the passengers and cabin crew were injured. The investigation continues.

TIGER A320 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: TIGER AIRWAYS Flight 882 was on Scheduled Domestic A320 Service from Adelaide to Gold Coast, Australia, when it had to reject takeoff from Adelaide, earlier today. Flight 882 had to reject takeoff from Adelaide after the aircraft collided with a flock of galahs and ingested at least 1 bird into an engine. The crew was able to stop the A320 on the runway, and taxi to an apron. According to local media, the aircraft suffered substantial damages to the engine, and has had to be grounded for a full damage assessment. Airport officials had to close the runway temporarily in order to clear debris. Adelaide Airport has employed a number of procedures to deal the galahs, which have caused a number or bird strikes in the past few years.

ALASKA 737 DIVERTS OVER UNSAFE GEAR: ALASKA AIRLINES Flight 67 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Seattle, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, when it had to divert for landing, yesterday, September 3. Flight 67, with 132 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, requested diversion while on approach to Ketchikan. The crew reported an unsafe gear indication that the nose gear was not down. The 737 was diverted to Juneau, Alaska, where after a flyover inspection, it landed without incident. Although the indication was most likely false, the aircraft was removed from service for inspection.

NWA DC9 DIVERTS OVER ENGINE PROBLEMS: NORTHWEST AIRLINES Flight 1246 was on Scheduled Domestic DC9 Service from Detroit, Michigan, to Manchester, New Hampshire, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, September 3. Flight 1246, with 108 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency while inflight at 34000 feet. The crew reported oil temperature warnings and an engine fire alert for the left hand engine, prompting the crew to shut the engine down. The DC9 was diverted to Syracuse, New York, where it landed without incident with Emergency Services on standby. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

CIMBER STERLING CRJ REJECTS TAKEOFF TWICE: CIMBER STERLING AIRLINES Flight 1871 was on Scheduled International CRJ200 Service from Stavanger, Norway, to Copenhagen, Denmark, on behalf of SCANDANAVIAN AIRLINES, when it had to reject takeoff twice, yesterday, September 3. Flight 1871, with 30 passengers and crew onboard, had to reject takeoff twice at low speed when the air speed indicators disagreed during both attempts. After the 2nd attempt, the flight was canceled and the CRJ was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

GOL 737 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: GOL TRANSPORTES AEREOS Flight 1888 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Rio de Janeiro to Salvador, Brazil, when it had to make an emergency return to Rio, on Wednesday, September 2. Flight 1888, with 76 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency shortly after departure, with the crew reporting that a bird had been ingested into an engine. The 737 landed back at Rio without incident. According to local media, passengers onboard Flight 1888 said that the only indication of the bird strike was a strong odor that became present in the passenger cabin. The 737 was inspected and returned to service after no damage was found.

SNAPSHOTS

A MELTING ICE WALL, PART OF THE AUSTFONNA ICE CAP IN NORWAY, PRODUCED THIS STRIKING IMAGE RECENTLY. AUSTFONNA, AT OVER 3000 SQUARE MILES, IS NORWAY'S LARGEST ICE CAP.

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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

VARIETY PANS "THE ROAD": In the 1st review of the long awaited film adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel, "The Road," Variety has given it a strong thumbs down. The book is filled almost entirely by spare but vivid physical descriptions of a decimated United States in its death throes after an unexplained catastrophe, and with limited dialogue, the book serves up images and tense situations for the unnamed man and boy who trudge thru the woods, in hopes of finding food and shelter. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, and Kodi Smit-Mcphee. In its review, Variety said: "This "Road" leads nowhere. If you're going to adapt a book like Cormac McCarthy's 2006 bestseller, you're pretty much obliged to make a terrific film or it's not worth doing -- first because expectations are high, and second, because the picture needs to make it worth people's while to sit through something so grim. Except for the physical aspects of this bleak odyssey by a father and son through a post-apocalyptic landscape, this long-delayed production falls dispiritingly short on every front. Showing clear signs of being test-screened and futzed with to death, the Dimension release may receive a measure of respect in some quarters but is very, very far from the film it should have been, spelling moderate to tepid B.O. prospects after big fest preems". "The Road" runs 110 minutes and is rated R.

MUSIC/JAY-Z SETS 9/11 BENEFIT: Jay-Z will commemorate the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by staging a concert to raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, the largest charity serving the survivors of first responders killed in the line of duty. The rapper, a native of Brooklyn, said the show, set for Madison Square Garden on September 11, is something of a full-circle move for him. "I was in Los Angeles making a video the night before 9/11," he said, "and a friend of mine called the next morning and told me to put the TV on." While a sellout is likely, there will be lots of opportunity to witness the event, which Jay-Z says will have a number of special guests. The concert will air live on Fuse, and producers plan a number of media events to promote the show and the charity. Tickets go on sale next week, and are priced at $50.00.

MUSIC/MADONNA TOUR SETS A RECORD: Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet" world tour made $408m, making it the highest grossing tour ever for a solo artist, promoters Live Nation said. Madonna played her last show on the tour yesterday in in Israel, after performing in 32 countries. The 51-year-old has broken her own record, set by her "Confessions" tour, which was named the all-time top in 2006, after it made $194m. The Rolling Stones' "Bigger Bang" tour is the highest grossing tour of all time. The tour, which ran from 2005 to 2007, made $558m. In all, Madonna played 85 shows and attracted thousands. The star even set an attendance record for the biggest crowds in history in Zurich, Switzerland, where she drew 72,000 fans. And in Helsinki, Finland, Madonna sold more than 85,000 tickets, making it the biggest single show by an artist in history in Scandinavia.

TV/NBC TO REMAKE "PRIME SUSPECT": NBC is developing a new take on the groundbreaking UK drama series "Prime Suspect." "Prime Suspect" starred Helen Mirren as Det. Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, a tough homicide investigator who found herself juggling her difficult job and equally harrowing personal life. Lynda La Plante created the drama series, which aired in seven parts between 1991 and 2006, and made waves for featuring a woman as head of a murder squad. "Prime Suspect" also scored big with critics, who applauded its realistic take on the internal workings of a police unit. In the US, "Prime Suspect" bowed in 1992 as part of the "Mystery" series. Mirren starred in 5 editions of "Prime Suspect" between 1991 and 1997, before taking a break, and returning with 2 more editions, in 2003 and 2006. "Prime Suspect" made Mirren a household name in the US and earned her 2 Emmys for lead actress in a miniseries or movie. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th "Prime Suspect" installments also won the Emmy for miniseries. In a statement, NBC said that Hank Steinberg ("Without a Trace") is onboard to develop and write the pilot, which NBC will shoot as a 2 hour presentation. Steinberg is in the midst of a three-year deal at Universal. Besides creating CBS' "Without a Trace," he also co-created "The Nine," wrote the FX telepic "RFK" and earned an Emmy nomination for the HBO telepic "61*."

US NEWS/ STATION FIRE HALF CONTAINED

Firefighters are close to containing half of the massive Station Fire, located North of Los Angeles. They are not quite at the 50% mark but are making progress, particularly on the W side of the fire, officials said. The fire is still producing hot spots, including on the SW front. The Station Fire, which has been raging more than a week, has displaced thousands of Southern Californians. It had burned 140,150 acres by yesterday. The fire has destroyed 62 homes, 3 commercial properties and 27 other buildings since it began August 26. The state of California has spent about $21 million so far fighting the fire in the Angeles National Forest. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said 21 firefighters had been injured battling the Station Fire in addition to 2 who were killed earlier this week. They died Sunday in a vehicular crash trying to escape fast-moving flames.

WORLD NEWS BRIEFS

INDONESIA QUAKE TOLL RISES: Rescuers in Indonesia are searching the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors after a powerful earthquake, with the toll expected to rise. At least 57 people are confirmed dead and thousands of homes ruined after the 7.0-magnitude quake hit yesterday. More than 100 people are in hospital and dozens are still missing. Damaged roads and poor weather are hampering efforts to get heavy rescue equipment to the worst-hit areas in the West Javan district of Cianjur. At least 40 people remained missing in the village of Cikangkareng after a landslide buried a row of homes. Police, military personnel and villagers are using their bare hands to try to reach survivors buried in the rubble. Officials report that 18000 homes across West Java province have been damaged, about 9000 seriously.

JIMENA WEAKENING OVER BAJA: Tropical Storm Jimena lost more of its punch today, after hitting Mexico's Baja California peninsula as a Category 2 Hurricane yesterday. The storm made landfall yesterday afternoon between Puerto San Andresito and San Juanico, Mexico. As of this afternoon, no deaths or major injuries have been reported, nor has any major damage been reported. Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect for a large portion of Baja, with forecasters warning of 4 to 8 inches of additional rain over the next 2 days. TS Jimena is currently located 40 miles N/NE of Santa Rosalia, Mexico, and is moving N/NW at 4mph. Winds are at 45mph, with gusts to 55mph. Forecasters expect Jimena to weaken into a Tropical Depression overnight, and also turn to the W/NW. The remnants of the storm will then move out into the Pacific Ocean as a remnant low.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

GULF AIR BEGINS IRAQ SERVICE: GULF AIR flew its inaugural flight to Baghdad this week, with the flight marking the start of a new 5 time weekly service the carrier is operating to the Iraqi capital. On arrival at Baghdad International Airport, the Gulf Air CEO said: “This is a great milestone for a new, forward-looking Gulf Air. We were the first and only full-service carrier to operate into Baghdad back in 1976 and today we reaffirm that leadership position. I am pleased to announce to you here today in Iraq of our plans to extend our network into the country even further. My plan is that we will soon operate to a total of 5 destinations in Iraq: Baghdad; Najaf; Erbil; Basra and Solamnia. Our services to Najaf and Erbil will commence as soon as September 15.” As well as special Gulf Air guests onboard, over 90 Gulf Air customers were also on the inaugural flight taking advantage of the new direct services from Bahrain. Forward bookings for the service are high and Gulf Air expects the service to be one of its most profitable routes with extensive corporate traffic anticipated from finance and investment companies, the oil and minerals industry, security and construction companies and a host of others. VFR and pilgrimage traffic is also expected to grow as Iraq becomes more accessible.

FAA TO CHANGE HUDSON AIRSPACE RULES: The FAA confirmed that it is planning to modify the airspace over the Hudson River by revising procedures to "create safe, dedicated operating corridors" for all the aircraft that fly at lower altitudes around Manhattan. In a statement, the head of the FAA said: “The New York Airspace Task Force chartered on August 14 developed a comprehensive series of recommendations that we plan to implement as quickly as possible. These steps will significantly enhance safety in this busy area and create crystal-clear rules for all of the Pilots who operate there.” The moves come in response the collision of a helicopter and a private plane over the Hudson several weeks ago, that killed all 9 people onboard both aircraft. The safety enhancements would restructure the airspace, mandate Pilot operating rules, create a new entry point into the Hudson River airspace from Teterboro, standardize New York area charts and develop new training for Pilots, ATC, and businesses that operate helicopters and aircraft in the area. One of the most significant changes, if adopted, would divide the airspace into altitude corridors that separate aircraft flying over the river from those operating to and from local heliports or seaplane bases. The NTSB issued independent recommendations on August 27 that were not used in the development of the task force's safety enhancements. The FAA's proposed actions meet or exceed the NTSB's recommendations.

LAWYER FINED FOR CONTACT OVER COLGAN FL3407: A New Jersey attorney has been fined after being acccused of contacting the relatives of the victims of COLGAN AIR Flight 3407, before it is permitted by law. Flight 3407 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 8-400 Service from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, when it crashed in Clarence Center, New York, while on approach to Buffalo, on February 12, 2009. All 49 passengers and crew, along with 1 person the ground, were killed in the crash. Federal law requires that an attorney wait at least 45 days after a crash, before they contact any relatives of victims. A DOT investigation found that the New Jersey attorney had sent a letter to the victims families early in March, well before the 45 day period. The attorney admitted sending letters, and paid a $5000.00 fine, to avoid a civil suit. Approximately 12 of the passengers were from New Jersey, however it is not know if all relatives of all 12 received the letter.

BELL 430 CRASHES IN INDIA: A Bell 430 Helicopter, owned and operated by ANDHRA PRADESH STATE in India, crashed yesterday in Rudrakonda, Kurnool District, India, killing all 5 people onboard. The Chief Minister of Andra Pradesh State, Y S Rajashekar Reddy, along with 2 other government officers and the 2 Pilots were identified as the victims. The Bell 430 went missing after it took off from Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad at 8:45am yesterday, and is seen departing in the photo at left. The Bell was headed to Chittoor district, in Andhra Pradesh. At the time that the Bell went missing, the weather was described as poor, with heavy rains in the region. Government officials launched an immediate search, and the wreckage was discovered earlier today. Preliminary investigations showed that the helicopter, which was heading S, had changed direction and hit a small hill, E of Kurnool. Federal officials have ruled out the possibility that insurgents shot down the helicopter. Andhra Pradesh is one of a number of Indian states with a significant Maoist rebel presence. Reddy, 60, was an influential politician from the Congress party. He was elected for a 2nd term in state elections this year.

SMOKE DIVERTS AE ERJ: AMERICAN EAGLE Flight 4840 was on Scheduled Domestic ERJ135 Service from Bentonville, Arkansas, to New York La Guardia, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, September 2. Flight 4840, with 22 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency while flying at 37000 feet. The crew reported smoke in the cockpit. The ERJ was diverted to Springfield, Missouri, where it landed without incident about 20 minutes later. Emergency Services met the aircraft and could find no source of a fire or the smoke. The aircraft was removed from service for a full inspection.

CARGO DOOR OPEN ON AA 767: AMERICAN AIRLINES Flight 680 was on Scheduled International Boeing 767 Service from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Miami, Florida, when it had to make an emergency return to Santo Domingo, yesterday, September 2. Flight 680, with 100 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency shortly after departure. The crew stated that they had an open cargo door indication, and that the airframe was vibrating. The 767 landed back at Santo Domingo without incident. After a full inspection, the aircraft was allowed to continue on its flight to Miami, where it landed without incident about 10 hours after its scheduled arrival. In a brief statement, the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute said that they have launched an investigation into the incident.

PRESSURE PROBLEMS ON JETBLUE ERJ: JETBLUE Flight 1417 was on Scheduled Domestic ERJ190 Service from Orlando, Florida, to Austin, Texas, when it had to make an emergency return to Orlando, on Tuesday, September 1. Flight 1417 had been dispatched according to Minimum Equipment List, with the left hand engine bleed air inoperative. About 15 minutes after departure, and while flying at 28000 feet, the right hand engine developed a bleed air leak causing the loss of cabin pressure. The crew declared an emergency and began an emergency descent to 10000 feet. The ERJ landed back at Orlando without incident or injury, about 30 minutes after its initial departure. The aircraft was removed from service for a full inspection and repair.

SKYWEST CRJ IN TACAS INCIDENT: SKYWEST AIRLINES Flight 4777 was on Scheduled Domestic CRJ200 Service from Pasco, Washington, to Salt Lake City, Utah, on behalf of DELTA AIRLINES, when it suffered a TACAS incident, on Sunday, August 30. Flight 4777 was about 45 miles from Salt Lake City, and on descent, when the incident took place. At the same time, a private Cessna carrying parachutists was flying above 10000 feet in uncontrolled airspace. The pilot contacted Salt Lake City Center and requested flight following, which means that the Cessna would be identified and monitored by ATC. As Flight 4777 was descending through 14000 feet, ATC noted that the 2 aircraft were on converging flight trajectories. ATC radioed the Cessna, but got no response. ATC then contacted the Skywest crew to warn of the conflicting traffic and phoned Ogden's Hinckley Airport to see whether they had the Cessna on their frequency. Before the Cessna could be diverted, the Skywest crew received a TCAS resolution advisory calling for a descent, which the crew complied with. Both aircraft continued on their flights without further incident. In a brief statement, the FAA said that the 2 aircraft came as close as 0.5 nautical miles laterally with 200, maximum 300 feet vertical separation. The FAA called the result unacceptable, even though no rules were broken in the incident.

NYC MAYOR'S DASSAULT SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE: A private Dassault 900EX was on Non-Scheduled Domestic Service from New York to Boston, when it suffered a bird strike, on Saturday, August 29. The Dassault reportedly suffered the bird strike while over Long Island, shortly after departure. The crew continued on to Boston, but declared an emergency for landing, as a precautiont. The Dassault landed without incident. Although no apparent damage was sustained, the aircraft was removed from service for inspection. The FAA is investigating the incident. The Dassault was carrying New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and others, to the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy.

SNAPSHOTS

CALIFORNIA'S MOUNT SHASTA AS SEEN IN THE DISTANCE THRU CHARRED TREES. THE TREES WERE BURNED IN THE HAT CREEK FIRE LAST MONTH.

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LUXE MEN

MUSIC/ TOP 20 SINGLES 9-02-09

1. HEARTBREAK (remix)--FREEMASONS w/ SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR
2. BE ALRIGHT (remix)--KRISTINE W
3. FUNHOUSE (remix)--PINK
4. BAD THINGS--JACE EVERETT
5. I DON'T BELIEVE IN HATE (remix)--AMBER
6. A DUSTLAND FAIRYTALE--THE KILLERS
7. RAINDROPS--BASEMENT JAXX
8. INDIETRO--TIZIANO FERRO
9. SOS (LET THE MUSIC PLAY)--JORDIN SPARKS
10. SWEET DREAMS--BEYONCE
11. RELEASE ME--AGNES
12. MILLION DOLLAR BILL--WHITNEY HOUSTON
13. I GOTTA FEELING--THE BLACK EYED PEAS
14. WHERE DID ALL THE LOVE GO--KASABIAN
15. OBSESSED--MARIAH CAREY
16. NEVER LEAVE YOU--TINCHY STRYDER w/ AMELLE
17. NOTION--KINGS OF LEON
18. SEXY CHICK (remix)--DAVID GUETTA w/ AKON
19. CAUSA Y EFECTO--PAULINA RUBIO
20. 4 EVER--VERONICAS

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

CHARTBOUND
* BODIES--ROBBIE WILLIAMS
* CELEBRATION (remix)--MADONNA
* DRUMMING SONG--FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
* FEELINGS GONE--BASEMENT JAXX
* HEARTBEAT (remix)--NNEKA
* I LOOK TO YOU--WHITNEY HOUSTON
* IN THE MORNING--EGYPT
* LEFT MY HEART IN TOKYO--MINI VIVA
* LITTLE BRIBES--DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
* LOVE LONG DISTANCE--GOSSIP
* MANOS AL AIRE--NELLY FURTADO
* NEW YORK--PALOMA FAITH
* ONE MORE CHANCE--BLOC PARTY
* OUTTA HERE--ESMEE DENTERS
* SAY IT--BOOTY LUV
* SHE WOLF--SHAKIRA
* TAKE ME AWAY--4 STRINGS
* THE ONE--MARY J BLIGE w/ DRAKE
* UPRISING--MUSE
* WE ARE GOLDEN--MIKA
* WHEN I'M GONE--VIVIAN GIRLS

MUSIC/ TOP 20 ALBUMS 9-02-09

1. I LOOK TO YOU--WHITNEY HOUSTON
2. KEEP ON LOVING YOU--REBA MCENTIRE
3. ONLY BY THE NIGHT--KINGS OF LEON
4. FAME (2009)--SOUNDTRACK
5. HUMBUG--ARCTIC MONKEYS
6. ALI E RADACI--EROS RAMAZZOTTI
7. ONE LOVE--DAVID GUETTA
8. THE POWER OF MUSIC--KRISTINE W
9. GLASVEGAS--GLASVEGAS
10. GRAN CITY POP--PAULINA RUBIO
11. LEAVE THIS TOWN--DAUGHTRY
12. ITS NOT YOU, ITS ME--LILY ALLEN
13. NOW THATS WHAT I CALL MUSIC 73--VARIOUS ARTISTS
14. THE E.N.D.--THE BLACK EYED PEAS
15. A MI EDAD--TIZIANO FERRO
16. 21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN--GREEN DAY
17. NUMBER ONES--MICHAEL JACKSON
18. THE STEADY RHYTHM--IVRI LIDER
19. IN A PERFECT WORLD--KERI HILSON
20. ROCK OF AGES--BROADWAY CAST

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

BOOKS/ TOP 20 BOOKS 9-02-09

1. THE PRICE OF LOVE--PETER ROBINSON
Fiction/11 short mysteries, including one with DCI Allan Banks.
2. GONE TOMORROW--LEE CHILD
Fiction/Jack Reacher tries to determine why a suicide occurred.
3. THE WATER'S EDGE--KARIN FOSSUM
Fiction/Inspector Sejer investigates a childs murder in Norway.
4. TARGET--SIMON KERNICK
Fiction/No one believes a man who reports a horrorific crime.
5. BLOOD LINE--MARK BILLINGHAM
Fiction/DI Thorne on the trail of of a twisted serial killer in London.
6. HOMER'S ODYSSEY--GWEN COOPER
NonFiction/A story of love about a blind feline named Homer.
7. DEAD TOMORROW--PETER JAMES
Fiction/Inspector Grace investigates murder in Sussex
8. DEAD MAN'S BOOTS--MIKE CAREY
Fiction/London based ghost hunter Felix Castor returns.
9. FEAR THE WORST--LINWOOD BARCLAY
Fiction/A man's hunt for his missing daughter
10. GO DOWN TOGETHER--JEFF GUINN
NonFiction/The untold story of Bonnie & Clyde.
11. A BIG LITTLE LIFE--DEAN KOONTZ
NonFiction/A memoir of Trixie, the authors joyful dog.
12. FAR CRY--JOHN HARVEY
Fiction/Grayson & Walker investigate a double tragedy for a family
13. BURIAL--NEIL CROSS
Fiction/A long buried secret threatens the lives of those involved.
14. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE--STIEG LARSSON
Fiction/Salander & Blomkvist reunite in Book 2 of the mystery trilogy
15. WICKED PREY--JOHN SANDFORD
Fiction/Davenport tackles crime during the Republican Convention in St Paul.
16. THE STRAIN--DEL TORO & HOGAN
Fiction/Book I of III in a new vampire series.
17. SALVATION ARMY--ABDELLAH TAIA
NonFiction/A gay man's coming of age in Morocco.
18. THE DYING LIGHT--HENRY PORTER
Fiction/A former spy takes on the police state of Britain, in a search for the truth.
19. FLYING DRUNK--JOSEPH BALZER
NonFiction/The story of 3 Northwest Airlines Pilots who flew intoxicated.
20. HURRICANES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO--KEIM & MULLER
NonFiction/An exhaustive review of storms from 1900 thru Hurricane Ike in 2008.

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

TV/ TOP 10 PROGRAMS 9-02-09

1. TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
2. BEING HUMAN (BBC America) **
3. PROJECT RUNWAY (Lifetime)
4. THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA (Bravo)
5. BIG BROTHER 11 (CBS)
6. MAD MEN (AMC)
7. THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS (CBS & Soapnet)
8. FLIPPING OUT (Bravo)
9. REHAB: PARTY AT THE HARD ROCK (Tru TV) *
10. TOP CHEF LAS VEGAS (Bravo)

*--Season Premiere
**--Season Finale