On American Idol Wednesday night, the top 11 from last week performed. Two performers will be eliminated Thursday. Idol showcased the music of Elton John.
The surprise triumph of the night was Haley, whose performances have generally been among the most criticized by this season’s very indulgent judges. She began with “Benny and the Jets” perched atop a piano – an odd strategy – and sang it at a slowed, almost bluesy beat. The judges were thrilled. Randy Jackson called it the “Best performance of the night.” Steven said, “You sing sexy!”
Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday at age 79 of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Taylor won three Academy Awards, including a special one for her humanitarian work. She was the most loyal of friends and a defender of gays in Hollywood when AIDS was still a stigma in the industry and beyond. But she was afflicted by ill health, failed romances (eight marriages, seven husbands) and personal tragedy. “I think I’m becoming fatalistic,” she said in 1989. “Too much has happened in my life for me not to be fatalistic.”
Bill O’Reilly dismissed Donald Trump’s assertions about Barack Obama’s citizenship during an interview on Wednesday’s “O’Reilly Factor”. Trump has been causing outrage in many corners—from “The View” to CNN to MSNBC. O’Reilly said his show had looked into the claims about Obama’s birth certificate. Once they found the two Honolulu newspapers which announced his birth, he said he “put [the issue] to bed,” since “that is impossible to make happen” if Obama was not born in a Honolulu hospital. Trump then repeated the speculation that something on the birth certificate must be so radioactive that Obama is covering it up. “Maybe it says he’s a Muslim, I don’t know,” Trump said. “…If he wasn’t born in this country, it’s one of the great scams of this time.” O’Reilly finally said he didn’t believe that Trump was serious in his skepticism. “It’s provocative. I think it gets a lot of attention, but I don’t think you believe it,” he said.
The CIA has sent a small, covert team into rebel-held eastern Libya while the White House debates whether to arm the opposition. The operatives are in Libya to gather intelligence to help direct NATO airstrikes and to help train inexperienced rebel fighters. The move was authorized after President Obama signed what’s called a “finding,” a legal step necessary before the CIA can carry out secret operations.
Japanese engineers are struggling to gain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Four of the reactors are volatile and once under control will be scrapped. Workers are struggling to restart the cooling pumps in the reactors damaged by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. They have drenched the fuel rods with seawater to cool the reactors. The plants have also been flooded by seawater when the tsunami hit. The challenge is to pump out radioactive seawater flooding the basements in reactors No.1, No.2 and No.3. The water is preventing work to restore electricity to the cooling pumps so that they can operate continuously. The dilemma is that while it is necessary to pump the water into the reactors to cool them, this increases the amount of radioactive waste water at the plant. There is a danger that the operator will run out of places to store it safely. Radiation may now be flowing continuously from the plant into the sea. Contamination is now 4,000 times the legal limit in the sea near the plant’s drains.
For the last couple of weeks, there hasn’t been a great deal to report in the possible NFL lockdown / strike. The lack of news has allowed the league and it’s information disseminating agencies to spin the message and obfuscate the facts. And with repetition, it seems to be working. The NFL issues statements directly to their own media outlets, and everyone else is content to report on what’s been reported, rather than pursue information on their own. Maybe what is needed are replacement owners. We have everything else in place but empty stadiums; financed for the most part by we the people, fans, and players. On April 6, a judge will rule on an injunction to lift the lockout. If the lockout is lifted, it will signal a major victory for players, and for fans as well. While the league will almost certainly appeal, this ruling is our best hope at having a 2011 NFL season.
Connie J. Jasperson’s new book “The Last Great Knight” has been received well and grows readership daily. Compared to the great Wilbur Smith in her action and bawdy prose, she will be one of the great writers of fictional adventures to come.
The Last Good Knight
Connie J. Jasperson
Alison DeLuca’s new book “The night watchman express” is soaring up the Amazon Kindle sales ranking and is a promising series to look forward to in the future.
The Night Watchman Express
Alison DeLuca
J. Darroll Hall and his Fantasy Island Book Publishing brand are topping Amazon sales rankings all over the Kindle book rankings. The brands bookshelves and catalog are on fire at the moment.
The Night Watchman Express
Alison DeLuca
http://www.fantasyislandbookpublishing.com
Located in Wales in the UK, author Ceri Clark has the children and young adult market abuzz with her fantasy series “Children of the Elementi!” This book series is and will become the new “Potter” the entire world will fall in love with. This book series is profound, important, and masterfully written. Learn the name Ceri Clark; it will be a household name in a short time.
Children of the Elementi special edition
Ceri Clark
THE KING OF EGYPT: Special edition.
www.amazon.com
Raised a warrior, Tigris, crowned Nitiqreti, is the first female pharaoh. With a beauty that can bring men to their knees and a power that reaps respect from an army, she is prepared to take on any enemy. Author J.J. Makins has written a fascinating look at one of the most beautiful and unknown rulers of Egypt.
Whatever Became of the Squishies
Claire Chilton, a vibrant new voice at Fantasy Island Book Publishing, has written a funny, exciting book. Anyone who enjoys Douglas Adams will love the Squishies.
Miranda Warning
www.amazon.com
Why is someone killing the band geeks of Richland, Texas? Miranda Beeling would like to know since she is one of them.
Author Marilyn Rucker Norrod certainly knows her subject. A musician and an attorney, she has taken that background and spun a wonderful book with great characters and lots of humor as well as intrigue.
The Little Red Hound
http://www.barnesandnoble.com
Author Julianne Carlile has written a funny, touching story about hunting from the point of view of the little red hound.
Shattered Seeds: Sofia’s Story
Clu Gallagher has written a great story for anyone who enjoys action, adventure, and quilting! Shattered Seeds is a voyage of discovery for an adopted child whose search for her roots takes her to WWII and Vietnam.
All of these books are available on Kindle and Nook, as well as for reading on any wireless device with a free Kindle / Nook download or app. Check out the complete Amazon catalogue at : http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_2?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=J. Darroll Hall
