podcast efflorescence

Monday, June 18, 2012

Radiohead drum technician killed in stage collapse

A stage intended for a Radiohead concert is collapsed at Downsview Park in Toronto on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Toronto paramedics say one person is dead and another is seriously hurt after the stage collapsed while setting up for a Radiohead concert. They say two other people were injured and are being assessed. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

Jeongmi Lee and her boyfriend Mark Lee show their tickets as they leave Downsview Park after a stage collapsed prior to a Radiohead concert in Toronto, Saturday, June 16, 2012. The top of a stage being set up for a concert collapsed, killing one of the stage workers preparing for the event which was canceled. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Toronto Star, Tara Walton)

A man stands near a collapsed stage at Downsview Park in Toronto on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Toronto paramedics say one person is dead and another is seriously hurt after the stage collapsed while setting up for a Radiohead concert. They say two other people were injured and are being assessed. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

This photo provided by Alexandra Mihan shows a collapsed stage at the site for a Radiohead concert at Downsview Park in Toronto on Saturday June 16, 2012. Toronto paramedics say one person is dead and another is seriously hurt after the stage collapsed while setting up for a Radiohead concert. They say two other people were injured and are being assessed. (AP Photo/Alexandra Mihan via The Canadian Press)

People read a sign informing of the cancellation of a Radiohead concert after a stage collapsed at Downsview Park in Toronto on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Toronto paramedics say one person is dead and another is seriously hurt after the stage collapsed while setting up for a Radiohead concert. They say two other people were injured and are being assessed. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

TORONTO (AP) ? Investigators combed through the wreckage of a Toronto stage Sunday to determine what caused the structure to come crashing down ahead of a Radiohead concert, killing the band's drum technician and injuring three other crew members.

The British band said it was devastated over the death of Scott Johnson, a U.K. citizen in his 30s who was trapped under the rubble and pronounced dead at the scene.

"We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague. He was a lovely man, always positive, supportive and funny; a highly skilled and valued member of our great road crew," the band said on its website. "We will miss him very much. Our thoughts and love are with Scott's family and all those close to him."

Toronto Police spokesman Tony Vella said a 45-year-old man hospitalized with a head injury was improving and his life was not in danger. The other two crew members were treated at the scene.

Officials from the Ontario Ministry of Labor searched through the wreckage for clues to the cause of the collapse Saturday in Downsview Park. They were also investigating whether safety regulations and standards were followed and if staff were properly trained.

Ministry spokesman Matt Blajer said the massive structure is "still fairly unstable" and work is under way to make it safe.

He said the investigation is "fairly complex" and it could take some time to figure out exactly what happened. Blajer said they have three inspectors and two engineers going through the wreckage. They were provided with engineer drawings.

Vella said criminal charges could result but added that it's early in the investigation.

Live Nation, the company that organized the concert, did not immediately return calls seeking comment Sunday.

Radiohead's website had listed the concert as being sold out, with 40,000 tickets sold. The band said fans could get refunds for the cancelled show at points of purchase.

Police said the park wasn't full when the collapse occurred at about 4 p.m. but there was a considerable crowd already waiting for the show amid sunny skies.

Mike Kensey, 26, said he arrived at the venue hours early to get a spot close the stage and see the opening act by Canadian band Caribou.

"It was like fireworks went off and then boom, the stage just crumbled to the ground in a matter of seconds," he said. "I had never really seen anything like it."

Joseph McGuire, 28, said he drove from Warren, Michigan, to attend the concert.

"I was so bummed, coming all the way here to find out the show had been canceled, but I also thought we were pretty lucky that it didn't happen while the concert was going on," he said. "I couldn't imagine the chaos and even great potential injuries and possible deaths had it happened during the concert."

Many of the disappointed fans headed instead to Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, where "Spinner Magazine" was hosting a free concert headlined by the Flaming Lips as part of the weeklong North by Northeast musical festival.

Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne paid tribute to Radiohead throughout the show, including performing a cover of Radiohead's "Knives Out," which he introduced saying "peace be with their hearts tonight."

"This has been a pretty powerful day. This goes out to the Radiohead family," he said.

There have been a number of concert stage collapses in recent years.

In Canada, one person died and several people were injured when the stage went down at Bluesfest in Ottawa last July, and one person died and more than a dozen were injured in 2009 when a powerful windstorm caused the main stage to collapse at the Big Valley Jamboree near Camrose.

Six people died last August when the stage collapsed at a Sugarland concert in Indianapolis; five died in Belgium when a storm swept in and toppled the stage at the Pukkelpop Festival.

____

Associated Press Writer Nekesa Moody in New York contributed to this report.

____

Online:

Radiohead: http://radiohead.com

Downsview Park: http://www.downsviewpark.ca

Associated Press

san diego chargers j.r. martinez lance ball lance ball kansas city chiefs chiefs kc chiefs

Rooney downplays impact of his return

By ROB HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:56 a.m. ET June 17, 2012

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) -Built up as the player to strengthen England's attacking threat, Wayne Rooney is trying to downplay the impact he can make at the European Championship.

The striker has been a frustrated fan for England's first two matches, sitting out the draw against France and victory over Sweden because of suspension.

Now he's preparing to walk straight back into the starting lineup for the Group D finale against Ukraine on Tuesday, with coach Roy Hodgson playing up how he can make "life a little bit easier" for the team.

A draw against the co-hosts would be enough to steer England into the quarterfinals and Rooney would prefer if the attention wasn't on him.

"I don't put that pressure on myself," Rooney said Sunday. "There are 23 players in the squad and there's pressure on us all ... I'm not going to win the Euros on my own. There are 23 players who are going to contribute to try to help us win the tournament or go as far as we can."

Rooney, who scored 35 goals for Manchester United last season, will be making sure he isn't forced to sit in the stands again.

"When you're watching the game, it's more difficult than playing," he said. "When you're playing, you can always do something to try to change the game, or you always feel that you can help the team win. Obviously, sitting in the stands, then there's nothing you can do. You can only talk, so I think it's a bit more difficult watching."

Rooney was banned by UEFA for kicking a Montenegro player in the final Euro 2012 qualifier in October, but now insists his aggression is under control, having received just one yellow card since then playing for United.

"What happened was a mistake, I understood that and apologized to the guy (Miodrag Dzudovic)," Rooney said. "That's fine. I've paid the price. I've had to take it. And I have no problems with my attitude or my temperament."

But his absence gave strikers Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll a platform to shine against Sweden on Friday, with both scoring in the 3-2 victory. Theo Walcott also scored.

While Hodgson has said Welbeck or Carroll will lose their place against Ukraine, Rooney knows he can't take his own spot in the team for granted.

"The forwards have done well in the games, it's great for me as well," he said. "It's great competition. You know you need to be at your best to get in the team ... there's four good strikers there (including Jermain Defoe) and we'll all fight for one or two places. You have to make sure when you do play that you do well."

But Rooney has failed to fulfill his potential at major championships since bursting onto the international scene with four goals at Euro 2004 as an 18-year-old, failing to score at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

But with the affable Hodgson replacing the disciplinarian Fabio Capello as coach, Rooney is finding life in the England camp more relaxed.

"I think it helps everyone being English," he said. "There are no words lost in translation and we understand what the manager wants from us."

Rooney said Hodgson trusts his players and has given them a lot of rest time.

"We understand what we have to do," Rooney said. "It's good for the players to relax and obviously put football aside for even just one afternoon. It's good to give your mind a rest as well."

---

Rob Harris can be reached at http://twitter.com/RobHarris

More newsFilippo Monteforte / AFP - Getty Images

Netherlands in decline

??PST: The mythology of Netherlands' greatness has been in slow decline. Nothing was clearer then in Sunday's loss to Portugal.

michael buble teddy roosevelt rita hayworth rita hayworth lakers rumors alfa romeo giulietta alfa romeo giulietta

Egypt makes stark choice for president

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians voted on Saturday in the first free presidential election in their history to make what many find an unpalatable choice between a military man who served deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak and an Islamist who says he is running for God.

Reeling from a court order two days ago to dissolve a new parliament dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, many question whether generals who pushed aside fellow officer Mubarak last year to appease the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring will honor a vow to relinquish power by July 1 to whoever wins.

"Both are useless but we must choose one of them unfortunately," said Hassan el-Shafie, 33, in Mansoura, north of Cairo, exasperated like many who picked centrists in last month's first round and now face a choice between two extremes.

With neither a parliament nor a new constitution in place to define the president's powers, the outcome from Saturday and Sunday's run-off will still leave 82 million Egyptians, foreign investors and allies in the United States and Europe unsure about what kind of state the most populous Arab nation will be.

Both contenders may herald further turbulence. An Islamist president will face a mistrustful army, while a victory by a Mubarak-era general will rile the revolutionaries on the street.

There are no reliable opinion polls for guidance, but former air force commander Ahmed Shafik, 70, Mubarak's prime minister in the last days of his rule, surged from outsider status and into the run-off. He has kept up the momentum by playing on fears about rule by an Islamist and the chaos that might bring.

His rival, the Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsy, paints himself as the last revolutionary in the race. He can be sure of solid support from the group's network of disciplined supporters built up over decades. But he has struggled to broaden his appeal.

A result may emerge within hours of polls closing on Sunday. Turnout in the first round last month was only 46 percent. An election official said Saturday's voting had been steady.

For the urban youth who drove the anti-Mubarak revolt, the decision is agonizing, so much so that some of the 50 million voters will spurn both, despite the blood spilt on the streets to end a 30-year rule marked by rigged and meaningless ballots.

Among those staying away was the sister of Khaled Said, a young activist whose death in police custody in 2010 became a cause c?l?bre which helped ignite the popular uprising: "I am boycotting this sham election," Zahra Said told Reuters.

"What guarantees does Shafik offer that he will not jail or torture youths? During his premiership many youths died and he did nothing," she said in her home city of Alexandria.

"Morsy is no good because he has manipulated the revolution, at times backing the youth and at other times abandoning them."

Yet, whoever wins, the army retains the upper hand. A Shafik presidency means a man steeped in military tradition will be back in charge, just like every president since the end of the monarchy in 1953. If Morsy wins, soldiers can still influence how much authority he has in the yet-to-be-written constitution.

MOOD CHANGE

Many fear the Brotherhood will not accept a defeat quietly and a Shafik win could touch off new unrest on the streets, forcing the army to take sides to impose order and further unsettle a heavyweight state at the heart of a troubled region.

It is a dramatic mood change from the euphoria when Mubarak fell on February 11, 2011. Many are now exhausted and frustrated after a messy and often violent interim period in which the generals have promised to set Egypt on a democratic path.

"If we elect Shafik, I think we can say the Egyptian revolution is over," said Ali Mahmoud Ibrahim, 44, heading to the polls in Cairo. "I will give Morsy a chance to make Egypt a good, Islamic state and to implement Islamic sharia law."

Yet, Shafik has gained traction among those who see him having the army's backing to restore order and revive an economy teetering on the brink of crisis with its foreign reserves drained sharply after tourists and investors packed up.

"He has exactly what we need in a leader. A strong military man to have a strong grip on the state and bring back security," said Hamdy Saif, 22, a student in Cairo's Nasser City district.

There are signs of exasperation with the Brotherhood's push for power after a revolt driven initially by the secular, urban middle class. The Brotherhood secured the biggest bloc in parliament after running for more seats than it said it would. It then reneged on its pledge not to run for president.

The court ruling to dissolve parliament reverses its gains, though that move has helped the group win some sympathizers.

"I was going to vote for Shafik but after parliament was dissolved, I changed my mind and will vote Morsy. There is no more fear of the Islamists dominating everything," said Ahmed Attiya, 35, an IT technician in Cairo's Zamalek district.

Critics denounced the court's parliament ruling as a "soft coup" and compared it to the start of Algeria's civil war, when the army cancelled an election won by Islamists 20 years ago.

But the Brotherhood renounced violence as a means to achieve political change in Egypt decades ago and an Islamist uprising in the 1990s was crushed by Mubarak and the same security forces which have survived last year's revolt intact.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of about 20 generals is led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who was Mubarak's defense minister for two decades. The army controls businesses ranging from real estate to consumer goods factories.

Tantawi sent a letter to parliament ordering it to disperse and barring members from returning to the building, an official in the speaker's office said. The Brotherhood said the council wanted to "take all powers, despite the will of the people".

'DANGEROUS DAYS'

Hardline Islamist violence this month in Tunis, where the first Arab Spring uprising inspired Egyptians, has hardened fears of political Islam, notably among tourism workers, secular activists, women and Christians, who are a tenth of Egyptians.

"With Shafik I know what policy he is going to pursue but Morsy is enigmatic and shadowy like their underground group," said Walid Farouk, a 42-year-old cook, referring to the Brotherhood which was banned for decades under Mubarak.

But some threaten action after a Shafik victory that would disappoint many who massed on Cairo's Tahrir Square last year.

"If Shafik wins, I will be the first one to gather the people and go to Tahrir Square," said Sherif Abdel Aziz, 25, in Fayoum, a city south of Cairo.

The Brotherhood has warned of "dangerous days" and said a Shafik win could wipe out the gains of the revolt. It listed poll violations, including conscripts voting although they are barred. Election officials said any such violators were stopped.

Reflecting its suspicions, one Brotherhood official said many of the group's supporters would vote on Sunday to avoid any tampering with ballot boxes overnight.

International monitors gave guarded approval of the first round vote last month and Egyptian groups listed a range of mostly only minor violations on Saturday, apparently from both sides. In one curio, Egyptian officials reported seizing pens that use ink which disappears within hours. They gave no detail.

Both candidates have sought the centre ground, promising to rule in the spirit of the revolution: "It is not correct that the military council wants to rule through me," said Shafik, seen as a potential successor even in Mubarak's time although he and other contenders were overshadowed by the president's son.

Protesters chanted slogans for and against Shafik as he voted in Cairo. But he did not face a hail of shoes or the kind of abuse he received when he voted in the first round.

Morsy has played down talk of a crackdown on beachwear and alcohol that would hurt tourism and steered away from confrontation with Israel after three decades of cool peace maintained during Mubarak's military-backed rule.

Mobbed by backers after voting in Zagazig in the Nile Delta, Morsy said: "There is absolutely no room for Mubarak's aides."

But both candidates are defined by those who promoted them. Morsy says he is running because God expects him to offer his sacrifice for the nation. Shafik's air force career shadowed that of Mubarak, his elder by 13 years.

(Additional reporting by Samia Nakhoul in Cairo, Tom Perry in Fayoum and Tamim Elyan in the Nile Delta; Writing by Edmund Blair and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Samia Nakhoul)

brett ratner stevie nicks anchorman capybara duggars peter facinelli bobby rush

Italy's Monti raises specter of crisis amid protests

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

giuliana and bill bill rancic nflx jennifer hudson chicago blackhawks dick clark elie wiesel

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Bomb damages tax office in southern Italy: police

pat robertson hunger games trailer hunger games trailer in plain sight hunger games movie review bats hunger games review

BodyMedia FIT LINK Armband Review

The fitness/exercise equipment I typically use measures heart rate, speed, distance, cadence, etc. With this data, either the device, sync software, or website can approximate the calories burned during the periods of exertion. Measuring and tracking the data points is a great training tool but does not necessarily facilitate overall weight loss. The designers and [...]

incendiary floyd mayweather winter solstice x factor finale pro bowl voting kindle fire update college board

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Parisian picnic pops up at Place des Vosges

kevin hart thomas kinkade brewers pat summit courtney stodden matt cain adastra