"The Fiskie Award for 2009 Goes To: A Raving Freakazoid Nut Sandwich"

He spreads End Times craziness and has guests who suggest Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the Antichrist. He constantly predicts that the end of America is imminent. He asserts that President Obama is a “racist with a deep-seated hatred of white culture.” He says President Obama is part of a decades long communist plot to destroy the country. He thinks the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan is a hotbed of commie propaganda. He promotes a book by W. Cleon Skousen, a crazed work of conspiracy theories that served as an inspiration for the John Birch Society. He interviewed a spokesman for the Birch Society, and said their ideas are “starting to make more and more sense.” He spread a conspiracy theory that the Cash for Clunkers website was part of a plot to take over your computer and confiscate everything you own. He compares Fox News to Jews during the Holocaust. He rants about the government over a backdrop of Nazi demonstrations.

And that’s just the short list.

He’s a creationist, a climate change denier, a conspiracy theorist, a demagogue — and he weeps frequently on the air, sometimes after hearing the songs of Paul Anka.

So now, without further ado, we present the winner of the coveted Idiotarian Award for 2009 — who else? — Glenn “Raving Freakazoid Nut Sandwich” Beck.

For more clear and present dangers from "Little Green Footballs" click on the heading above.

"and you thought you had problems"

This is called "Death Road". There must be a little "photoshopping" here.

High Altitude Party

Climbers normally head to the summit of Mont Blanc for the awesome views. Guess what these folks are heading up there for? A recent expedition to the summit carried a jacuzzi kit with them to party it up on the top of the Mont Blanc: probably one of the highest bath tub parties or you can call it high altitude craziness.

Skydiver plans head-first freefall from the edge of space in dizzying bid to break Mach 1

French parachutist Michel Fournier vowed to try again to launch a record-breaking skydive hours after a "freak" accident over Canada aborted his second attempt to do so.

"I'm not about to give up," the 64-year-old adventurer said of his shot at setting a world record for the highest jump and fastest, longest free fall by a man riding a balloon.

The May 2008 attempt was thwarted when an electrical charge broke the cable connecting the balloon to the gondola, causing it to slip away from his ground crew and rise into the Saskatchewan skies over North Battleford.

Fournier planned to leap head-first from a weather balloon 25 miles above Earth and plummet at more than 1,000 mph with only a parachute for company.

He will face external temperatures of minus 100c while inside his carbon-fibre suit it will be a stifling 65c - almost 150 fahrenheit.

And most amazing of all, Michel Fournier was actually looking forward to it.

The daredevil Frenchman, a greyhaired 63-year-old former paratrooper, aims to become the first person to break the sound barrier in free-fall.

As he plunges through the stratosphere at supersonic speed, he also hopes to break three more world records - for the longest sky dive, the highest parachute jump and the highest altitude achieved by a human in a balloon.

Despite the intense cold outside, his £35,000 suit will heat up inside when it meets air resistance. His crash helmet will have its own air supply and reinforced ear pads to protect him from the sonic boom as he breaks through the Mach 1 sound barrier.

Fournier was one of three candidates selected in the 1980s to take part in a
military endurance test to see whether a parachutist could descend from 125,000ft - almost 24 miles.

The project was shelved in 1988 - but he decided to go it alone. He hopes to make the jump over the Great Plains of Saskatchewan in Canada some time next month, weather permitting.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid, but I am also very excited," he said."It really is a leap into the unknown."

After leaping from the balloon, Fournier believes he will break the 760mph sound barrier within 37 seconds.

The lack of friction due to the thinness of the air will mean he can attain a much higher terminal velocity, and his team of scientists estimate he will reach the top speed of 1,113mph before he is slowed down by greater air resistance.

His parachute will not open until six minutes, 25 seconds after jumping and he will finally reach the Earth after around eight and a half minutes.

The record for highest leap was set in 1960 by a U.S. Air Force test pilot, at just under 20 miles.

"dive suits that resemble a flying squirrel"

This will probably be the garb of future skydivers. Designers the world over are in a race to develop the first wingsuit, special dive suits that resemble a flying squirrel costume, using which a person can land safely without the aid of a parachute.

Fabric panels between the arms and legs will allow divers to whiz around in a freefall.

Wingsuits are jumpsuits with fabric panels between the arms and legs that enable skydivers to zoom around in freefall. By angling the self-inflating, rigid fabric panels, pilots can turn, dive, or rocket forward. However, the landing technique is still to be made perfect since they still use parachutes.

Jean Potvin, a physics professor at St. Louis University in Missouri is quoted to have said:

It’s something that’s doable, but it’s ... fraught with danger

The use the technique of doubling the body surface area, slowing the descent rate to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) an hour, to be able to almost glide like a bird. Whenever they are likely to be ready they sure will become the rage with skydivers.

Source: National Geographic

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

Art experts are gathering to discuss the future of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi as development of the striking new art gallery gets underway on Saadiyat Island. As part of the Emirate Expressions programme, and in partnership with the Tourism Development and Invetsment Company (TDIC), a series of presentations and discussions are taking place in Abu Dhabi to explore the role and aims of the new gallery , which is scheduled to be complete by 2018.

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi discussions are part of ‘Talking Art’ , a three month series of public programmes in conjunction with Emirati Expressions that invite the public to discuss and contribute to the developement of art institutions and events in the capital.

Architectural Thrills

MARITIME MUSEUM: The planned facility on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, designed by Pritzker-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando, would be joined by several other museums. (Tadao Ando Architects & Associat, xx)

Architectural Drama

The striking white marble Oslo Opera House is the foundation of a sweeping urban renewal project in the waterfront Bjørvika area of Oslo, Norway. The stark white exterior is often compared to an iceberg or a ship. In stark contrast, the interior of Oslo Opera house glows with curving oak walls.

Darwin mania - 200 years after his birth

Charles Darwin, pictured in his later years. Two hundred years after his birth on Feb. 12, 1809, Darwin is being celebrated in his native land. Britain has a yearlong series of 300 events, among the most extensive national commemorations of a single person ever to be held in the country.

"The boar war that was averted on San Juan Island"

The history books don't say whether the dead pig had a name. There's also no mention of whether the slaughtered swine ended up as ham on someone's dinner table. But one thing is clear: The porker's plight nearly led to human bloodshed.

From his home on San Juan Island -- about 30 miles off the Washington mainland -- Lyman Cutler spotted the pig rooting through his potato patch, grabbed his musket and fired the fatal round.

After the killing, on June 15, 1859, Cutler told neighbors he'd had enough, that this wasn't the first time he'd caught the beast munching on his spuds. In those days, the U.S. and Britain both claimed the island, which made for an uneasy truce among residents. And Cutler, an American, had shot an Englishman's pig.

The National Historical Park, devoted to sharing the story of the Pig War, is on San Juan Island, one of the more than 70 islands in a chain bearing the same name. In the "rain shadow" of the Olympic Mountains, the San Juans get only half as much rain as Seattle and have an average of 247 sunny days a year. The summer months are the most popular for tourists, though Washington state ferries ( www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) take passengers and their vehicles on scenic voyages to the islands year-round.

"Tradition and the Faroe Islands"

This Roykstovan farmhouse in Kirkjubour was made of blackened logs floated in from Norway, and after 17 generations it is still in the hands of its original family.

"It's getting craaaazy down in the Antarctic"

The Internet was set abuzz this morning with news that Japanese whalers rammed anti-whaling activists from Sea Shepherd aboard the stealth speed boat the Ady Gil. Videos of the encounter have popped up showing pretty clearly that the Japanese made a hard turn right (starboard if you want to get technical) and sliced off the front 10 feet of the Ady Gil. It looked downright scary for the poor suckers on the Ady Gil.

Yosemite's "Natural" Firefall

Firefalls were waterfalls once created with fire in Yosemite National Park. A large fire was started atop Glacier Point and red-hot embers were pushed off a shear granite wall in the evening. It was Yosemite’s version of fireworks. Park officials learned it was a fire hazard in the 1960s and the practice was stopped.

These days you can see and photograph a natural firefall, but the conditions have to be just right. The first ingredient you need, oddly enough, is sunlight. You can’t capture this effect throughout the year, and the setting sun is only in the right position during the last two weeks of February, when it can shine a golden spotlight down the center of Yosemite Valley. Wintertime can bring clouds and storms that block the sunlight, so timing is everything.
The next ingredient you need for the firefall is water. The source of water comes from Horsetail Falls, a small waterfall atop El Capitan. The water basin that drains into Horsetail Falls is around 30 acres. The elevation at the top is 7569 ft. It is cold up there in February. It gets cold enough to freeze any snow or rain into a solid piece of ice. California also has dry years when waterfalls barely run. No water means no waterfall, and no firefall. Like I said, timing is everything, and this can be a rare sight.

The best pictures I have of the firefall were taken during the El Nino. It rained nonstop during the El Nino of ’95. Horsetail Falls was raging on February 22nd. The water seemed to fling off the shear face of El Capitan. The waterfall was also affected by strong winds at the top of the mountain. The wind created a fine mist that was being blown across El Capitan. The winds also cleared the sky of rain clouds as sunset was approaching. In short, prime firefall conditions.
El Capitan was falling into shadow when the sun began to disappear. I saw the last golden light of day zero in on Horsetail Falls. El Capitan went dark as the firefall began to glow. It looked like a giant waterfall of fire in a twilight sky. The clouds of mist from the water spray were glowing. The show lasted for five minutes. I had taken over 100 pictures by the time it was over. It looked like an electric neon fire. I had to remind myself that the firefall I had seen was real.

I drove back to Yosemite every winter after that memorable day. It was five years before I saw the firefall again. It was a most unexpected and unusual sight. It was a very cold year. The valley floor was covered with a few feet of snow. Horsetail Falls was frozen solid the morning I arrived. The falls began to dribble water down the face of El Capitan in the warm, midday sun. There was a small amount of water running by late afternoon. The winds picked up as I positioned myself along the Merced River. The water from the falls whipped up into a vapor. Horsetail Falls looked like a cloud creating new shapes before my eyes. The cloud became electric at sunset and a new firefall was created.
The firefall is another one of nature’s little miracles in Yosemite National Park. I understand why Ansel Adams spent a lifetime taking pictures there. My favorite quote is by Adams: “Sometimes I arrive just when God’s ready to have someone click the shutter.”

The best location to view the firefall is slightly east of El Capitan near the base of the mountain. You need to be east of Horsetail Falls as the sun sets in the West. Sunlight shining through the waterfall creates the most brilliant colors. There is a small meadow that provides an opening in the forest at a perfect angle. The spot is in between Yosemite Lodge and El Capitan. Photographers gather in a large herd at the end of February. The easiest way to find that meadow is to look for a lot of cars parked along Northside Drive for no apparent reason. You have gone too far if you get to the large parking area directly in front of El Capitan.

Firefall seen from across the valley along the Merced River.

All credit for this entire posting goes to Brad Perks who obviously has a deep love of Yosemite that matches my own. I found this entire narrative fascinating and exciting. I hope you did too. To see more pictures by Brad Perks, visit his website at http://pcimagenetwork.com.

Glitz and Glitter

THE GRAND STAIRCASE: What would an over-the-top, classic Donn Arden Las Vegas production be without one? And what would descending it be without thrilling headgear? (Brian Vander Brug, Los Angeles Times)

In case you were wondering -- Here's what the Hollywood Bowl used to look like

Hollywood Bowl, 1958

"Stormy Weather"

According to James Gavin's new biography, "Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne," the legendary singer-actress was never comfortable being an icon.

"As I say in the introduction of my book, icons are not allowed to be human beings," explains Gavin, a lifelong fan who interviewed Horne in 1994. "Once you step up on that pedestal . . . and everyone is scrutinizing your every move -- how do you function as a human being? You have to cover up mistakes you made."

And the breathtakingly beautiful Horne, who broke down barriers for African Americans in the 20th century, "had to be all things to all people. She had to constantly think about her image."

While she was in Hollywood, the NAACP schooled her in "perfect public deportment at all times," Gavin says.

"When you are remembering your image -- how can you live your life? You have to sacrifice a lot of freedom. This was a very hard way for her to live."

Constant rejection from her parents as a child, Gavin says, also made Horne "hyper-sensitive to things like rejection. Every perceived or real slight, she recoiled from it in a violent way. This does not make for a happy lady. She was angry." As for the 92-year-old Horne, Gavin says, "she has long been reclusive and completely closed the doors on interviews and public appearances. Sad is not a word that people want to associate with Lena Horne, but unfortunately, she paid an enormous price for her victories."

Congratulations Andre -- Our Hats Are Off to You !!!

Congratulations to Andre Dawson, a real "Hall of Famer" who provided excitement and real drama to baseball fans everywhere. When Andre came to bat in the late innings of a close game at Wrigley Field, you could feel his intensity and Cubs fans everywhere held their breath. He provided thrills when he played for Montreal and Florida too, but I'll always remember him as a "Cub". Thanks Andre, for the excitement and intensity that you always brought to the game. You always gave 100% and your fans everywhere appreciate that. The Hall of Fame is a place of great honor and all the other players who have been accorded that honor are honored too, by your presence there.

Andre Dawson was the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.

Dawson received 77.9% of the 539 ballots from the Baseball Writers Assn. of America. Players must receive 75% of the vote to be elected.

Bert Blyleven got 74.2% of the vote. He got 400 votes and needed 405. He will have two more chances for election. Roberto Alomar, in his first year on the ballot, got 73.7%. He was followed by Jack Morris (52.3%), Barry Larkin (51.6%) and Lee Smith (47.3%). Mark McGwire, in his fourth year on the ballot, got 23.7%, up from 21.9% last year.

"rock stars of the wild, wild West"

Jesse James and Billy the Kid were the rock stars of the wild, wild West.

James, who was born in 1847 and died in 1882, was an outlaw, gang leader, bank and train robber from Missouri who was the most infamous member of the James-Younger Gang. Mythologized even while he was alive, his celebrity grew after his death in dime novels where he was portrayed as a sagebrush Robin Hood.

Billy the Kid, a.k.a. William H. Bonney, who was born in 1859 and died at 21 in 1881, was a outlaw and gunman who claimed that he killed more than 20 men (in reality, historians believe he probably shot only four -- but he was just starting out). Unlike James, he was still a relatively unknown outlaw until the year after his death saw the publication of the highly exaggerated "The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid," which was written by his killer, Sheriff Pat Garrett, and M.A. "Ash" Upson.

Just as these men captured the attention of novelists, Hollywood transformed James and Billy the Kid from murderous outlaws into heroic romantic heroes who were fighting the government and authority.

Starting Friday, the UCLA Film & Television Archive is exploring the cinematic history of these two outlaws in its "Two Western Myths: Billy the Kid & Jesse James" film series at the Billy Wilder Theater.

Above, Johnny Mack Brown, left, is Billy to Wallace Beery's Pat Garrett in King Vidor's 1930 film, which opens the "Two Western Myths" series Friday. (UCLA Film & Television Archive / January 4, 2010)

View from Los Angeles City Hall, then and now

1951: Looking west. The structure with the spire is the Richfield Building, and just to the right of it is steelwork for the new Statler Hotel, now the Wilshire Grand.

2009: Skyscrapers on Bunker Hill dominate the view. The cluster of mid-rise buildings stretching across the middle of the photo is the Angelus Plaza senior citizens housing complex. The salmon-colored building is part of the Colburn School.

"the largest-known star sapphire in the world"

The boy brought home a dull-colored half-pound stone he found on the hillside, and his father, Harry Spencer, thought of the perfect place for it. They would use it as a doorstop.

The year was 1938, and their home was a modest shack in a sparsely populated, dusty stretch of gem-mining territory in central Queensland, Australia. The stone sat at the backdoor for 10 years, until a jeweler recognized its potential and brought it across the Pacific. In Los Angeles, it was polished to reveal a six-pronged, mesmerizingly beautiful star -- or so goes the story that is passed down about the largest-known star sapphire in the world.

The Black Star of Queensland would make its way around the world, weaving in and out of spotlight and obscurity, with stops in the Smithsonian in the '60s, on Cher's neck in the '70s, and at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto in 2007. It would capture the fantasy of a young boy, who would dream of one day owning it. It would be mounted on white gold and 35 diamonds added around its rim.

Some profess the stone has a certain magic, bringing luck to the fortunate few who have touched it. One owner said it brought on the darkest period of her life, leaving memories she never wanted to revisit.

Eventually, as many prized things do, it landed in L.A. County Superior Court, at the center of allegations of deception, unkept promises and a lover's betrayal.

Above, Cher wears the Black Star of Queensland in a sketch on TV in 1971.

New York, New York -- "On the Town"

On the Town is a musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on Jerome Robbins' idea for his 1944 ballet Fancy Free, which he had set to Bernstein's music. The musical introduced several popular and classic songs, among them "New York, New York", "Lonely Town", "I Can Cook, Too", and "Some Other Time". The story concerns three American sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City during wartime 1944. Each of the three sailors becomes enamoured of a particular woman — and of the city itself.

On the Town was first produced on Broadway in 1944 and was made into a film in 1949. The show has enjoyed a number of major revivals. The musical integrates dance into its storytelling: Robbins made a number of ballets and extended dance sequences for the show, including the "Imaginary Coney Island" ballet.

Playing with Shadows

Unlike other types of puppets, the shadow puppet itself is never seen in performance, only the effect it creates. The performing shadow puppet is not just a single object of wood or cardboard, but a collection of things working together. However clever or beautiful the puppet shape, it's the puppet's combination with light and a screen that makes its magical effect.

Leonardo da Vinci -- still mysterious

Is the world about to gain another Leonardo da Vinci painting?

The multitasking Renaissance genius who produced the most famous portrait in the world -- Mona somebody -- left us only 10 to 20 other paintings. Yet if current whispers bear out about a picture in Boston, that number may increase by one more. Art experts say it's the equivalent of stumbling upon a surprise Shakespeare play or a lost Homeric epic.

At this point, we have only a tantalizing mystery -- perhaps the unspooling of a new Da Vinci code -- dangling on the slender thread of secrets and a handful of clues that emerged this week:

Mystery man: Da Vinci still has allure, shown above in undated drawing. (Associated Press)

Introducing Burj Khalifa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Dubai opened the world's tallest skyscraper today, and in a surprise move renamed the gleaming glass-and-metal tower Burj Khalifa in a nod to the leader of neighboring Abu Dhabi -- the oil-rich sheikdom which came to its rescue during the financial meltdown.

A lavish presentation witnessed by Dubai's ruler and thousands of onlookers at the base of the tower said the building was 828 meters, or 2717 feet, tall.

Dubai is opening the tower in the midst of a deep financial crisis. Its oil rich neighbor Abu Dhabi has pumped billions of dollars in bailout funds into the emirate as it struggles to pay its debts.

Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the ruler of Abu Dhabi and serves as the president of the United Arab Emirates, the federation of seven small emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Above, light installations mark the opening ceremony of skyscraper Burj Khalifa in Dubai today. (Ali Haider / EPA)

"Mighty Mo" -- still impressive

HONOLULU -- The battleship Missouri is scheduled to return to Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor this week after three months of maintenance and preservation work.

The 887-foot "Mighty Mo" is expected to leave drydock at noon Thursday for the 2-mile return to its previous pier a few hundred yards away from the sunken battleship USS Arizona.

The Missouri underwent an $18 million renovation that included painting, stripping its hull, replacing its mooring lines with chains, and building a new enclosure for events on the fantail.

The restoration work on the 54,899-ton warship was its first since 1992.

A grand reopening is planned for Jan. 30, a day after the 66th anniversary of the ship's launch.

The Missouri was the site of Japan's unconditional surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.

Innovative approach and optical expression of creative freedom

The key to affecting the development of tomorrow's mobility lies in our readiness to challenge what is established and in the ability to present new options. In order to meet these objectives, BMW Group Design taps into the potential of the GINA principle (Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions) which promotes innovative thinking by allowing maximum freedom of crea-tivity. GINA produces dramatically different solutions that affect the design and functionality of future cars. The GINA Light Visionary Model is an optical expression of selective, future-oriented concepts which provide an example of the manner and extent of this transformation.

"Stormy Weather" brings heavy surf

Heavy surf slams into the 72-foot-tall Ram Island Ledge Light, Friday, Dec 3, 2009, at the mouth of Portland Harbor, in Portland, Maine. A quick moving storm with winds approaching 50 miles per hour brought record breaking warmth to Portland where the temperature reached 68 degrees (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Shanghai world's fair

Think of a world's fair as a cultural Olympics that lasts six months. Prices are better, the airport less jammed. As such, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is shaping up as one of the year's best travel events.

The coastal city has always considered itself more cosmopolitan than Beijing. It's upping the ante with $45 billion in upgrades that include better roads and expanded mass transit. New hotels include two InterContinental locations -- the Peninsula and the stylish Hotel Indigo, a boutique property.

So where's the "wow" factor? As with any world's fair, it's all about the pavilions.

Visitors are sure to be drawn to the Saudi Arabia pavilion, which looks like a big gleaming wedding gift. The "moon boat" shape will be surrounded by deserts and seas. Across its roof: 150 date palms. Besides such stunning design feats, more than 100 daily events and performances will take place across several dozen sites. One-day admission is about $24. More info: en.expo2010.cn/.

-- Chris Erskine

"Crazy Heart"

Jeff Bridges' star turn in "Crazy Heart" as downtrodden country music legend Bad Blake has been earning the veteran actor some of the most glowing reviews of his career, from writers who have invoked the names of many real-life musicians in their assessments of Bridges' portrayal of the fictional Blake.

"Peering into that face, you'd swear it's Kris Kristofferson," Mary Pols wrote in Time magazine.

Rolling Stone's Peter Travers suggested that "Bad is an outlaw combo of Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard."

And in the New York Times’ review, A.O. Scott noted that during the film, "You hear songs by Townes van Zandt and Waylon Jennings, and you may also think of Willie Nelson and some others. As for Mr. Bridges: He can't help it if he looks like Kris Kristofferson and sounds a little like David Allan Coe."

Few, however, have zeroed in on the Country Music Hall of Fame member who actually inspired the creation of Bad Blake in Thomas Cobb's 1987 novel: Hank Thompson. "I used to be a country music writer," Cobb told me after flying out from his home in Rhode Island to attend the film's star-studded premiere in Beverly Hills. "This was in Houston, and I went to cover a show one night -- it was an arena show with Conway Twitty, and Hank Thompson opened for him."

Thompson was best known for his 1952 hit "The Wild Side of Life," which topped the country chart for 15 weeks, and had a remarkably long career, placing records on the country charts in five decades, from 1948 to 1983. He toured tirelessly, upwards of 200 to 250 shows a year until shortly before he died at age 82 in 2007.

--Randy Lewis

How much do you really know about Nostradamus ???

Typically known as Nostradamus, Michel de Nostradame was born on December 14, 1503, in St. Remy de Provence. He was said to be a seer and a time traveler living in two realities. Along with his own clairvoyance, he was also adept in astrology and astronomy. He used both sciences to interpret the visions he received in the secrecy of his study.

Because of the visions he had involving death and war, he was often referred to as the prophet of doom. His followers claim he predicted the French Revolution, the birth and rise to power of Hitler, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. His prophetic vision, 942 cryptic poems called "The Centuries" groups in sets of one hundred. A single verse is usually called a quatrain and one hundred quatrains is a centurie. Generation after generation of readers have been enthralled by them. It said he predicted some of history's most monumental events from the Great Fire of London in 1666 to the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger.

For much more on Nostradamus click on the heading above.

"Dexter and Anti-Dexter"

Dexter and Anti-Dexter
2008
Ballpoint pen, paper
50" x 60"
005-08-ND
$4500

A Different View

"L.A. River," from Kevin McCollister's book, "East of West L. A.". The city, he says, "can be beautiful but not always in an upper-class way." (Kevin McCollister)

One of REUTERS "Pictures of the Decade"

Smoke from the remains of New York's World Trade Center shrouds lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks. It was the day the world will never forget -- September 11, 2001 People watched in disbelief and then horror as two airplanes hijacked in the name of al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden slammed into the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center, killing nearly 3,000 people. The 9/11 attacks heralded a new era for world security, triggered an invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and its allies. Taken on September 12, 2001 by Ray Stubblebine.

"Where the daring dare not go . . . or perhaps they do some times"

A member of the Detroit Pistons 'Flight Crew' dunk team, wearing a Santa suit, flips upside down before dunking a ball during a time-out in the first half of their NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors in Auburn Hills, Michigan December 23, 2009.

A man dressed as Father Frost, the Russian equivalent to Santa Claus, makes a bungee jump from a bridge across the Yenisei River in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, December 27, 2009.

A lot happened in Times Square as 2009 ended

This couple's style and panache reminded me of the final scene in the movie The Graduate. The movie stills below serve as a delicious reminder.

"The ODD Couple"

James Carville & Mary Matalin -- you can't help but love 'em. Together they're dynamite.

Inventing the plants of 'Avatar'

A plant physiologist from UC Riverside helped create the exotic flora seen in the movie. 'What botanist would not want to "discover" new plants and name them?' she says. The plant life on the world of Pandora is key to the plot of "Avatar." Plant expert Jodie Holt suggested scientifically credible ideas about how plants might communicate, drawing on a growing area of research called signal transduction.

There's something backward about this date

01-02-2010 can be read the same way in both directions. One math geek's really got its number. Professor Aziz Inan has a passion for palindromes. There will be 12 dates this century that can be read in two directions; today's is the second.

Unforgettable glimmering lights

Albert Bridge, in London, across from Battersea Bridge, is beatiful at night.

"Syndicated Justice" can be trying

Judge Judy Sheindlin is the judge against all other judges must be judged. There must be an underground group of people who have had to go into therapy after daring to appear before her. The cases are secondary to Judge Judy's withering stare and venom-laced invectives that reduce their targets to quivers.

"Don't lie -- I'm smarter than you" is a sample Judy-ism, delivered in a strong Brooklyn accent. One defendant in an assault case kept playing with his tie during his testimony, adding to the judge that he was nervous.

With a snake-like glare, Sheindlin replied, "Good. I like nervous." When another defendant tried to compliment her, she snapped, "Don't stroke me. I have no time."

Longtime fans of the show say Sheindlin, who is in her 14th season, has gotten more vicious through the years. But she has no competition when it comes to being the most entertaining judge on the bench.