Opening Day Baseball winners and losers

Winners:

Yankees
Angels
Braves
Reds
Padres

Losers:
Cardinals
Brewers
Nationals
Rouals
Tigers

Top five April fool pranks of all time

#1: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

1957: The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

 

#2: Sidd Finch

1985: Sports Illustrated published a story about a new rookie pitcher who planned to play for the Mets. His name was Sidd Finch, and he could reportedly throw a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy. This was 65 mph faster than the previous record. Surprisingly, Sidd Finch had never even played the game before. Instead, he had mastered the "art of the pitch" in a Tibetan monastery under the guidance of the "great poet-saint Lama Milaraspa." Mets fans celebrated their teams' amazing luck at having found such a gifted player, and Sports Illustrated was flooded with requests for more information. In reality this legendary player only existed in the imagination of the author of the article, George Plimpton.

 

 

#3: Instant Color TV

1962: In 1962 there was only one tv channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970.

 

#4: The Taco Liberty Bell

1996: The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke. The best line of the day came when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

 

#5: San Serriffe

1977: The British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Only a few noticed that everything about the island was named after printer's terminology. The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that gripped the British tabloids in subsequent decades.

source: Museam Of Hoaxes

Missing Bronx Zoo Cobra found after six days

The deadly Egyptian cobra who went missing in New York City's Bronx Zoo and evaded zoo employees for six days is back in custody.

The snake was found Thursday morning in the zoo’s Reptile House and is said to be secure and safe. The building will reopen and snake put back on display when zoo officials are certain the snake is healthy.

The Reptile House closed Friday after the snake’s disappearance, and zoo staff conducted round-the-clock extensive searches throughout the building.

In less than a week, the snake has become the stuff of urban legend. Someone pretending to be the cobra even developed quite a following on Twitter with fake updates on the snakes activities around New York. The snake does not even have an official name, however zoo officials say they are considering holding a naming contest. The cobra, who weighs about three ounces, is an adolescent of its hooded species, which is believed to be the type of snake that was called an asp in antiquity.

Cobra bites can be deadly if not treated properly. MyFoxNY.com reports that poison from an Egyptian cobra's bite can kill an elephant in three hours and a human in only 15 minutes.

But the snakes aren't likely to attack people unless the reptiles feel threatened, according to a fact sheet on the San Diego Zoo's website.

New earthquake in Japan......tsunami warnings issued

***Breaking News***

A  magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Japan on Monday, prompting officials to issue a Tsunami warning. Japanese broadcaster NHK said a 50-cm wave was expected to reach the shores of Miyagi prefecture, which was hit hard by the March 11 quake and Tsunami. More later as the story unfolds.

Two Airliners Land in Washington Without Tower Communication

According to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, two planes landed safely early Wednesday morning at Washington's Reagan National Airport after they were unable to reach anyone at the airport's air traffic control tower.

The FAA refused to comment on a media report that the airport controller had fallen asleep. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said, "All we know is the controller was unresponsive and we want to know
why."

The situation began at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday when an American Airlines plane attempted to call the tower for clearance to land and got no response. The plane had been in contact with a regional air traffic control facility, and a controller at that facility advised the pilot that he, too had been unable to contact anyone at the tower. "1012," the controller said, referring to the airline's flight number, "called a couple of times on landline and tried to call on the commercial line and there's no answer.

About 15 minutes later, a United flight also failed to reach the tower and landed without incident, he said. After that, the controller in the tower was back in communication. Knudson said one controller was staffing the tower at the time this occurred.

Libyan Jet Shot Down By French Fighter

French fighter jets attacked an air base deep inside Libya on Thursday and in the process, downed one of Moammar Gadhafi's planes.  Other coalition bombers struck artillery, arms depots and parked helicopters, officials said.

The French strikes overnight attacked a base about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of the Libyan coastline,
A French fighter jet reported attacking and destroying a Libyan plane believed to be a military trainer aircraft, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because it has not been publicly announced by the French government.

 NATO warships began patrolling Wednesday off Libya's Mediterranean coast in an effort the blockade's commander described as "closing the main front door" to weapons and mercenaries for Gadhafi.
Vice Adm. Rinaldo Veri said the Mediterranean was the most efficient way to get weapons into Libya and that it was impossible to patrol its entire coast. He expected to have enough vessels in place in a few days for effective operations.


Coalition aircraft and ships continued to strike at Gadhafi positions, including artillery, tanks, an ammunition bunker and a small number of helicopters as they sat on an airfield along the coast, a U.S. defense official said Thursday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.
More than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from U.S. and British ships in the Mediterranean Sea late Wednesday and early Thursday, their targets including Gadhafi's air defense missile sites in Tripoli and south of the capital. Even more attacks were launched against an ammunition bunker near Misrata and forces south of Benghazi, the official said.
The U.N. Security Council authorized enforcement of an embargo and no-fly zone to protect Libyan civilians after Gadhafi launched attacks against anti-government protesters who wanted him to leave after 42 years in power. But rebel advances have foundered, and the two sides have been at stalemate in key cities such as Misrata and Ajdabiya, the gateway to the opposition's eastern stronghold.

Japan earthqauke costliest disaster ever

Japan has estimated the total cost of the damage suffered from it's devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami could reach 309 billion dollars, making it the most costly natural disaster in the history of the world. The estimate includes damage to roads, homes, factories and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, officials in Tokyo are warning residents not to give babies tap water because of leaking radiation from the crippled nuclear power plant at Fukushima. Concern is growing over food safety from radiation  and the United States has blocked some food imports from Japan.

Authorities are still trying to bring the damaged plant under control, however work is often interrupted by conditions that warrant evacuation and stoppage of work.

The 9.0 quake and tsunami has left over 23,000 people dead or missing in Japan.

Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79

***Breaking News***

Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor has died. She was 79. Taylor had been hospitalized for several weeks at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and apparently succumbed to congestive heart failure.

She appeared in more than  50 movies, from the children's classic "National Velvet" and the sentimental family comedy "Father of the Bride" to Oscar-winning transgressions in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Butterfield 8." The historical epic "Cleopatra" is among Hollywood's greatest on-screen performances.


Taylor won three Academy Awards, including a special one for her humanitarian work. She  was 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 (seven husbands).

Hollywood will miss one of the most beautiful actresses and loyal friends of all time.

U.S. Warplane crashes in Lybia

A Unites States Air Force F-15 fighter jet crashed in Lybia today while on a strike mission. The apparant cause of the crash was mechanical failure. The pilot was rescued by an Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, about 100 miles off the coast of Libya. The second crew member was rescued by Lybian rebels and was taken care of until he could be extracted and taken to safety. Both crew members are said to be in good condition.

Meanwhile, Lybian leader Moammar Gadhafi's whereabouts have been in question since his compound in Triploi was bombed by U.S. and British forces early Monday. A second wave of attacks were called off when information surfaced that international journalists were touring the damage at the compound.

The United States has  fired 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya in the past 12 hours, a military spokeswoman said early Tuesday morning. A total of 159 Tomahawks have been fired by the United States and the United Kingdom since Operation Odyssey Dawn started Saturday. The mission includes enforcement of a no-fly zone.

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Gadhafi's compound struck in coalition bombing

***Breaking News***

A central portion of Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli was heavily damaged earlier today by allied bombing. Gadhafi's whereabouts are unknown at this time. U.S. officials say they the Libyan leader is not being actively targeted, but if he happens to be in an area where coalition attacks are occurring, "that is his "problem"

 A second bombing run by British forces targeting the compound was called off for fear of hitting civilians, a Ministry of Defence spokesman told CNN Monday, declining to be named in line with British tradition.
The ministry said earlier that Royal Air Force GR4 Tornadoes were told not to launch weapons after "information came to light that identified a number of civilians within the intended target area." At the time it did not identify the target of the aborted mission

The Security Council resolution, which passed Thursday, allows member states "to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country ... while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory."

CNN's Nic Robertson was among several Western journalists taken inside Gadhafi's bombed compound by Libyan officials to survey the destruction.
Robertson reported a four-story building was heavily damaged. He held a chunk of metal retrieved from the site -- with writing in English -- that appeared to be from a cruise missile.

The U.S. military mission in Libya may have peaked, spokesman Vince Crowley said Monday.
"We are moving from the action phase to a patrolling phase," said Crowley, a spokesman for the military's Africa Command. "Our aircraft participation has... plateaued, if not reduced somewhat."

 

Attacks continue as Gadhafi remains defiant

***Breaking News***

Coalition forces continue to target government forces on the ground for a second day, as Colonel Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war.""We promise you a long war," he said.
He called the international assault "simply a colonial crusader aggression that may ignite another large-scale crusader war."

 Ghadhafi's air force has resumed bombing the town of Misrata. "Misrata is the only city in western Libya not under Gadhafi's control; he is trying hard to change its position," said al-Warfali, who told The Associated Press he was in touch with residents in the city. Gadhafi vowed to fight on. In a phone call to Libyan state television Sunday, he said he would not let up on Benghazi and said the government had opened up weapons depots to all Libyans, who were now armed with "automatic weapons, mortars and bombs." State television said Gadhafi's supporters were converging on airports as human shields.

The first night of strikes began with assaults by French warplanes, followed by a barrage of 112 cruise missiles fired by U.S. and British warships and submarines in the Mediterranean Sea targeting radar systems, communications centers and surface-to-air missile sites. A wave of bombings mainly from American aircraft — including B-2 stealth bombers and F-15 and F-16 fighter-bombers — then targeted Libyan ground forces and air defenses, the U.S. military said. One senior military official said the early judgment was that the attacks had been highly successful, while not fully eliminating the threat posed by Libyan air defenses

Operation Odyssey Dawn continues

***Breaking News***

U.S. Navy ships launched over 110 cruise missiles at selected air defense systems around Tripoli and other Libyan cities as French warplanes attacked vehicles on the ground. Coalition forces will evaluate the damage inflicted to determine if further attacks are needed to insure the safety of aircraft enforcing the no fly zone over Libya. President Obama said today that no American ground troops will enter the country. No coalition injuries have been reported as of yet. More to come as news breaks.

Coalition forces begin attacks in Lybia

***Breaking News***


U.S., French and British forces have begun enforcing the much anticipated no fly zone in Lybia. The attacks began with French warplanes patrolling the sky's and they have since attacked an armored vehicle on the ground. This was followed by a heavy barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles from U.S warships aimed at taking out air defense systems around Triploli and other cities. More to come later as events unfold.

Airstrikes appear imminent as Gadhafi defies U.N

***Breaking News***

Apparent Libyan government warplane shot down by rebels

\
Moammar Gadhafi's government military forces pushed into the rebel stronghold of  Benghazi on Saturday with blatant disregard of a United Nations resolution demanding an end to the fighting. A so called ceasefire was announced by the Libyan government immediately following the U.N vote that authorized the use of force, including a no fly zone to halt Gadhafi's advance against rebel towns. The ceasefire was widely believed to be only a stall tactic to buy time, and Libya has already went back on its word with today's events.
In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy hosted an international summit to discuss the crisis. Members of the Arab League, the president of the European Council and representatives of states that support the implementation of the U.N. resolution were invited. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expecte to be in attendance. Yesterday, word came from French officials that military action would begin within hours of the end of the Paris summit.

Libyan government calls for "immediate ceasfire"

Breaking News

In an apparent response to the U.N resolution to use "all measures necessary" to stop Qadhafi's assault on rebel forces, the Libyan foreign minister has called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to all military operations in the country. There were reports that U.N and Arab league country's were preparing to enforce a no fly zone against Qadhafi's warplanes beginning as early as Sunday. There is no word at this point whether or not this call for a ceasefire will have any effect on those plans.

Despite the foreign ministers comments, there are reports of ongoing violence in the town of Misrata. One citizen said that tanks and artillery units have assaulted  and even set fire to the city.

U.N Vote could mean the end for Qadhafi regime

***Breaking News***

The United Nations Security council has voted in favour of a no fly zone over portions of Libya. After days of discussion, the measure was approved with 10 votes in favor, none against and 5 abstaining. The vote not approves the enforcement of a no fly zone in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya including Benghazi, but also allows for "any means necessary" to protect civilians. This appears to give U.N warplanes the power to not only engage airborne craft, but also attack ground units, such as artillery. The measure did stop short of permitted ground forces in the country. The will certainly inhibit Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's ability to assault rebel forces near there home base. Gadhafi's air force has been bombing rebel positions for several days and appeared to be on the brink of collapse as ground forces neared Benghazi.

Libyan airstrikes looming?

Rebels running after government warplanes attack

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. raised the possibility of "going beyond a no-fly zone," Wednesday Ambassador Susan Rice said a "range of actions" were up for serious discussion, including but not limited to a no-fly zone, which has "inherent limitations in terms of protection of civilians." She said she hopes to see a  resolution as early as Thursday. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is on his way to New York  to lobby the Security Council in person to approve a resolution against Libya. France is a co-sponsor of the measure, along with the United Kingdom and Lebanon. In recent day's, France has been leading the charge for military action in Libya, while the United States has been reluctant to act. The U.S has made it clear that they would not authorize military action with U.N. approval. Moammar Gadhafi's forces are  fighting  their way east toward the rebel capital of Benghazi and may siege the city at any time. Without outside help, it is becoming increasing clear that government forces will succeed in crushing the rebellion.

Unrest in Japan spreads to world markets

U.S. Stocks continue to respond negatively to news of a possible eminent nuclear meltdown in Japan. All 2011 gains have been erased after a three day sell off. The Dow Jones Industrials fell 242 points today after being down 300 at one point. The U.S dollar has also matched an all time low against the Japanese Yen.

Today the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo cautioned any American citizens who live within 50 miles of the cripples Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility to evacuate or take shelter indoors. Radiation levels have been fluctuating in recent days as workers try to avert a total meltdown. There is a report that the fuel rod tanks at one reactor have gone dry, which means there is no water to cool them and they could begin to melt at any time.

Workers are believed to be close to completing a power line that may allow for the cooling systems to be restarted at the plant. With the cooling systems working, they should be able to begin cooling the reactor. Let's hope it isn't to late. 

Gadhafi shells rebel stronghold.......no fly zone still grounded

Moammar Gadhafi's air force began bombing the rebel stronghold of Benghazi on Wednesday, marking the first assault against the safe haven. Government forces have virtually routed the uprising in recent day's since Gadhafi began using his warplanes. If Benghazi is surrounded and sieged, it could spell a quick end to the organized revolt.

Meanwhile, amid French and English calls for action, the much talked about no fly zone is no closer to becoming a reality, and time is running out. The rebel forces have been asking for NATO air support to ground government warplanes, but international opinion has been mixed. A no fly zone would involve air strikes to destroy Gadhafi's air defense system and thus would be an act of war, a step the United States has not been willing to take.

France pushing hard for action in Libya.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron are urging other allies to continue planning for all contingencies, including a possible "no fly zone", which would limit Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's ability to wage war against rebel insurgents. France has even gone as far as to recognize the rebel faction as the true governing party of the the northern African nation. The United States has made no decision regarding the use of the military in Libya. If such action were taken, it would likely be limited to an air campaign designed to ground all of Gadhafi's warplanes and helicopter's. This would be considered an act of war because airstrikes to take out any anti-aircraft positions would be necessary, and because of this, the U.S. would prefer the action to take place under the NATO flag, and not just a unilateral attack. Rebel forces in Libya had been taking many strategic oil towns and closing in on the capitol city and Gadhafi stronghold of Tripoli. Recently, however Gadhafi has utilized his air force to pound the rebel position's and has force them to give up virtually all the territory they once held.

Fuel rods exposed at crippled Japanese reactor.

***Breaking News***

CNN is reporting that some fuel rods have become exposed at one of Japan's nuclear reactor's. More bad news for a country really needing a break.

Explosion at Japanese Nuclear Plant

Breaking News

Japan's nuclear safety agency has reported a explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Reacter

Radiation levels improving at Onagawa Nuclear plant

Breaking News

The IAEA has just announced that radiation levels at the Onagawa nuclear power plants in Japan have returned to normal. Officials have been concerned of possible immanent nuclear meltdown at multiple Japanese nuclear plants following Friday's earthquake and tsunami because there cooling systems failed when the power was lost. Workers are scrambling to restore power to the cooling systems  to avoid a major radiation release.

A small nugget of good news amid crisis in Japan

Japanese rescue team

There are so many horrible stories of death and displacement coming out of Japan in the wake of the earthquake on Friday. It is important, however, to know that there is always "hope". It's that hope that keeps people from giving up entirely in times like these, so let's hear a truly remarkable story of survival. Earlier today, 60 year old Hiromitsu Shinkawa was rescued after being discovered floating on a broken piece of rooftop nine miles of the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, a full two days after the disaster. The town of Minamisoma, where this man lived, was virtually destroyed. As of this post, he is said to be in good condition.

Town of Minami Sanriku, Japan nearly erased from existance

Friday morning's indescribably destructive earthquake and Tsunami In Japan brought sheer terror to tens of thousands of residents of the Pacific island nation. Possibly the saddest story comes from the town of Minami Sanriku, in the northeastern part of the country. Only a few building remain standing. The rest are nothing more then piles of rubble strewn about. At present, 9,500 residents of this mangled town are missing. That is more than half the population. What was once a picturesque fishing town, is now a place of horror and despair.

Japan and planet Earth changed forever after record earthquake

Smoke rising from Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear facility

Two days after Japan was hit with the worst earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in it's history, the  country is facing many sobering realities. It is now feared that the death toll could reach into the tens of thousands. Towns and village were utterly swept away by the surging water. One of the more pressing issues at the moment is the serious danger of nuclear meltdown at at least two of Japan's nuclear power plants. At the Fukushima Dai-ichi, there are fears that a meltdown may already be underway. More than 180,000 people have been evacuated as a precaution. The quakes magnitude has now been raised from the preliminary 8.9 to 9.0. The intense shaking actually moved Japan' island of Honshu 8 feet and shifted earths axis by as much as 10 centimeters. Hundreds of aftershocks have occurred and experts say they may lasts for decades.