HOUSTON Sep 30, 2006 (AP)— That’s one small word for astronaut Neil Armstrong, one giant revision for grammar sticklers everywhere.
An Australian computer programmer says he found the missing “a” from Armstrong’s famous first words from the moon in 1969, when the world heard the phrase, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The story was reported in Saturday’s editions of the Houston Chronicle.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Sept. 26 — There is no Running of the Jews here. No one greets you with the expression “Jagshemash,” which is either nonsense, garbled Polish or mangled Czech; it’s hard to say. The country’s national drink is not made from horse urine, though fermented horse milk, or kumys, is considered a delicacy. (It tastes like effervescent yogurt.)
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Former Enron financial chief Andrew Fastow, long vilified as the mastermind behind the collapse of Enron, was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday – a lighter sentence then the 10 years he agreed to in his original plea agreement
Fastow appeared before U.S. District Judge Ken Hoyt in Houston amid of throng of reporters and victims of the fraud that cost Enron shareholders billions of dollars. Hoyt sentenced him to 72 months in jail and two years of supervised probation following his release.
LOS ANGELES – Steven Tyler says he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago after having the illness for a long time without any symptoms.
In an interview that was to air Tuesday on “Access Hollywood,” the 58-year-old Aerosmith frontman said the infection was now “nonexistent” in his bloodstream after 11 months of treatment, including the drug interferon.
By Peg Mackey
LONDON (Reuters) – Oil dropped under $60 to a six-month low on Monday as abundant supplies in top consumer the United States and fears that slower U.S. economic growth would stunt demand for fuel extended a price retreat.
U.S. crude has fallen nearly $19 from its mid-July peak of $78.40, its biggest slide in more than 15 years. The 24 percent decline was set off as investors’ concern faded over Iran and the Atlantic hurricane season proved unexpectedly mild.
The rout deepened last week as speculators fretted over slowing economic growth in the world’s top consumer and hedge fund Amaranth Advisors registered billions of dollars in losses.
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Johnny Knoxville and his pals pulled another prank on Hollywood as their sequel of crazy stunts, “Jackass Number Two,” beat a rush of serious movies to take the top spot at the weekend box office.
Paramount’s “Jackass Number Two” debuted with $28.1 million, with Focus Features’ “Jet Li’s Fearless,” featuring the martial-arts master in a saga set in China a century ago, opening in second place with $10.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Tiger Woods beat Europe’s Robert Karlsson 3&2 in the Ryder Cup singles despite his caddie Steve Williams losing his nine-iron.
The world number one asked for the club to be cleaned near the seventh green by Williams, who stumbled on a rock and dropped it into a lake.
Attempts to retrieve the club failed but Woods soon brushed that off.
HOUSTON — As manager Phil Garner strode to the mound to ceremoniously remove Roger Clemens from Wednesday’s game, Brad Ausmus had a brief exchange with Clemens, who was in the final moments of what could be his last appearance as an active pitcher at Minute Maid Park.
“I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” Clemens told Ausmus.
“I hope it brings you a new pair of socks,” Ausmus responded.
BANGKOK — Troops from Thailand’s U.S.-trained military seized power in a bloodless coup yesterday, ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was in New York to address the U.N. General Assembly and proclaiming their loyalty to the king.
With more than a dozen tanks ringing the prime minister’s office, a self-appointed Military Reform Council took to the airwaves to declare a state of martial law and the suspension of the constitution.
The broadcast did not identify the members of the council, but army spokesman Col. Akara Chitroj told reporters that army commander Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin would serve as acting prime minister.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Ending nearly two decades of disappointment in their division and days of delay, the New York Mets brought the NL East title back to Shea Stadium for the first time since 1988 with a 4-0 victory over the Florida Marlins last night, then celebrated as if they had won the World Series.
“If this is what playoff baseball in New York is like, to me it’s the best,” 3B David Wright said before sticking a cigar in his mouth and high-fiving fans in the first row.
Fireworks shot off from behind the center field wall when Cliff Floyd caught Josh Willingham ‘s fly ball to left for the final out. The Mets rushed to the center of the diamond to celebrate, hugging near shortstop.
LAFAYETTE, La. — Country music star Willie Nelson and four others were issued misdemeanor citations for possession of narcotic mushrooms and marijuana after the tour bus they were on was stopped Monday morning on Interstate 10 in Louisiana, state police said.
In a news release, state police said the citations were issued after an early morning commercial vehicle inspection of the tour bus.
“When the door was opened and the trooper began to speak to the driver, he smelled the strong odor of marijuana,” the news release said. A search of the bus produced 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana and 2/10 of a pound of narcotic mushrooms.
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Anna Nicole Smith’s son was on prescription anti-depression medication when he died at the hospital bedside of the former reality TV star, a pathologist who did a second autopsy on 20-year-old Daniel Smith said Monday.
Forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht said Daniel Smith was being treated for depression that began about four to six weeks earlier, but he did not know whether the medication played any role in his death, which came three days after his celebrity mother gave birth in the Bahamas.
By Bruce Nichols
HOUSTON (Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge on Monday rejected a plea for mercy from prosecutors and sentenced a former Enron Corp. executive who testified against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling to 30 months in prison.
David W. Delainey, a Canadian who pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2003 and cooperated extensively with the U.S. Justice Department’s Enron Task Force, had been praised by prosecutors for his help in the case.
Enron collapsed in a tangle of fraud in 2001, causing investors to lose billions and costing employees their jobs and retirement savings. Delainey’s testimony helped convict Lay, the former Enron chairman, and Skilling, the former chief executive, last summer.
Sept. 17, 2006 — Two recent expeditions off the coast of Indonesia have revealed a remarkable “lost world” of marine species that researchers believe are new to science, including a shark that “walks” on its fins.
“It was extraordinary,” said Roger McManus of Conservation International, which conducted the expeditions along with the Indonesian government. “These expeditions uncovered what we believe are almost 60 new species to science.”
