Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Actor Charlie Sheen arrested in Colorado
ASPEN, Colo. -Charlie Sheen spent the better part of Christmas Day in a Colorado jail cell after being arrested on domestic violence allegations.
The 44-year-old actor was taken into custody Friday morning by officers responding to a 911 call from a house in this ski resort town about 200 miles west of Denver.
Sheen, the star of CBS' "Two and a Half Men," was taken to the Pitkin County jail and booked for investigation of second-degree assault and menacing, both felonies, along with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, Aspen police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro said.
He was released in the late afternoon after posting $8,500 bond and being advised by a county judge on the conditions of his release, she said.
Dasaro declined to name Sheen's accuser, citing a department policy prohibiting the identification of potential victims in domestic violence cases.
It wasn't immediately known whether Sheen had retained an attorney. His publicist issued a statement urging against a rush to judgment.
"It would benefit everyone not to jump to any conclusion," Stan Rosenfield said.
Sheen is the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of actor-director Emilio Estevez. He is married to Brooke Mueller Sheen, a real estate investor who gave birth to the couple's first children, twin boys, in March. They married in May 2008 following Sheen's bitter divorce from Denise Richards.
Charlie Sheen's screen credits include "Platoon," "Wall Street" and the "Hot Shots!" movies.
The Top Ten IPO Candidates For 2010
It’s been a long drought for IPOs, but venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs are hopeful that 2010 will be the year they rain down on the Valley once gain. Earlier this year, a handful of IPOs trickled out, such as OpenTable, Rackspace, and A123Systems. But what people are really waiting for is another Netscape moment—an iconic IPO which will whet investor’s appetites and open the floodgates for others to follow.
Below is our list of the top ten IPO candidates for 2010 in the technology industry (and, no, it doesn’t include Twitter). I conducted an informal survey of some top VCs and angel investors. These are the names whispered about the most in the Valley and other tech circles. The hope is that the economy will swing back and the public markets will become receptive to IPOs, especially towards the second half of the year. The stock market in general is finding its legs already. The S&P 500 is up 24 percent this year. If the bull market continues, that will be good for the prospects of seeing these potential IPOs. And if it doesn’t, there’s always M&A.
1. Facebook. Total raised: $716 million.
If there is one company which everyone is looking towards for a new Netscape moment, it is Facebook. The company can pretty much go public any time it wants. It is already the fourth largest site in the U.S. and the world. Its last private common stock sale valued the company at $11 billion, which may or may not be rational. The key to a large public valuation will be whether Facebook can figure out how to turn all of that attention into advertising dollars. So far it is said to be on track to beat its $550 million revenue projections from earlier this year. A Facebook IPO would certainly create a halo effect for other tech offerings. Even if it doesn’t go out in 2010, the prospect that it might could still help other companies go public as hungry investors grab what they can get.
2. Zynga. Total raised: $219 million.
Social game developer Zynga is on a tear, with more than 230 million people a month actively playing its games such as FarmVille, PetVille, and Texas HoldeEm Poker. The company just raised a whopping $180 million round. It is believed to be Facebook’s largest advertiser and pulling in at least $250 million in revenues on its own. But it is also at the center of the Scamville controversy over how it makes some of its money from scammy offers. If it can convince investors it has cleaned up its act, they will gobble up an IPO.
3. LinkedIn. Total raised: $103 million.
The other social network, LinkedIn is like the enterprise version of Facebook. It is where business gets done and people find jobs. LAst year alone it raised about $75 million at a $1 billion valuation. Founder Reid Hoffman has spoken repeatedly about LinkedIn’s ability to IPO. Earlier this year, he recruited former Yahoo exec Jeff Weiner to be CEO and is spending more time himself as a venture capitalist, which has always been his sideline.
4. Glam Media. Total raised: $125 million.
Glam Media is one of the fastest growing ad networks and collection of fashion- and women-oriented sites. At a time when traditional media and women’s magazines are suffering, Glam is saw display advertising revenues across its network up more than 50 percent in 2009. CEO Samir Arora expects the company to be profitable in the fourth quarter, and is recruiting executives with big-company experience. Ad networks which dominate their niche are an easy lay-up for investors.
5. Demand Media. Total raised: $355 million.
Demand Media is another LA-based company, started by former MySpace chairman Richard Rosenblatt. Demand Media owns a collection of sites such as eHow, Livestrong, and countless niche sites. It also owns domain name registrar eNom, which generates a lot of its cash. Demand Media is a content mill, churning out articles and videos for its niche sites like Golflink.com and Trails.com cheaply and quickly in response to what people are searching for. It may not be sexy, but it is lucrative enough that potential acquirers are sniffing around and AOL’s Tim Armstrong is looking to copy and improve on the niche content model.
6. Gilt Groupe. Total raised: $48 million.
Gilt is a private online shopping club for luxury goods. Its revenues are reportedly around $200 million this year, and expected to more than double next year. IPO talk is already in the air. Gilt’s counterpart in Europe, Ventee-Privée, is rumored to be in acquisition talks with Amazon for around $3 billion. And Kleiner Perkins just invested in One Kings Lane, another private shopping club based in England.
7. Etsy. Total raised: $31.6 million.
Another niche e-commerce play could be Etsy, the Brooklyn-based marketplace for handcrafted goods. Sellers on Etsy are on track to trade $200 million worth of goods on the maretplace this year, double from last year. Founder Rob Kalin recently took over again as CEO and says the company is now profitable. Etsy will never be as big as eBay, but its focus means that can become a the alternative eBay for buyers and sellers of high-quality, custom-designed apparel, furniture, and other goods.
8. Yelp. Total raised: $31 million.
Yelp was nearly acquired by Google for around $500 million before the deal broke down last week. The fast-rising local reviews site now might try the public markets instead. The company already has 300 employees and is becoming a powerhouse in the online advertising for local businesses, which is an area of growth every major Web company wants to participate in. Already the IPO filings are starting to come in, with ReachLocal filing to raise $100 million for its local ad network.
9. Tesla Motors Total raised: $783 million.
Why would you invest in GM IPO if you could invest in Tesla instead? Silicon Valley’s electric car company is expected to hit the public markets. Building a car company takes massive amounts of capital, and Tesla has raised nearly $800 million so far. Most of that comes in the form of government loans, such as the $465 million it received as part of the government’s $25 billion bailout of the U.S. auto industry. A lot of the capital also comes from partner Daimler, and billionaire founder Elon Musk. But, hey, at least Tesla is profitable, which is saying a lot for a car maker.
10. Skype Total raised: $69 million
Despite all the drama surrounding eBay’s recent sale of Skype to a group of private investors including Silver Lake Partners and Andreessen Horowitz for $2.75 billion, the deal got done. Skype is already a major Internet brand, with more than 500 million users of its Internet calling, IM, and video communications service, and $185 million in quarterly revenues. Before eBay found its buyers, it was very publicly pursuing the IPO route. And given that eBay retains a 30 percent stake in Skype, that is still an option if its growth continues apace.
Runner’s Up: The ten names above are the most likely to go public if the markets open up. Other companies which might tap the public markets include Associated Content, Brightcove, Digg, StumbleUpon, LiveOps, Workday, MerchantCircle, ExactTarget, Chegg, and Rearden Commerce. Most informed observers do not expect a Twitter IPO next year. It is too early. The company just raised $100 million, and still needs to figures out its business model. Maybe in 2011.
Which of these companies do you think is most likely to IPO? Which ones would you invest in?
U.S. military drops ban on soldiers getting pregnant
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military has dropped a controversial rule that called for punishing soldiers in northern Iraq for becoming pregnant or impregnating another soldier.
The updated policy "does not include a pregnancy provision," said Maj. Joe Scrocca, spokesman for U.S. Forces-Iraq.
The military also said that any unit must get the permission of the commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq before creating new rules restricting the activity of troops, Scrocca said.
Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo created the rule about pregnancy, covering 22,000 people under his command in northern Iraq, including 1,682 women.
Cucolo said he designed the rule to make his soldiers "think before they act."
It prohibited "becoming nondeployable for reasons within the control of the soldier," including "becoming pregnant or impregnating a soldier ... resulting in the redeployment of the pregnant soldier."
Cucolo made the rule part of General Order No. 1.
While violation of any rules in the general order could lead to court-martial, Cucolo insisted that he never intended such a drastic punishment for pregnancy.
All units have a general order that outlines a code of conduct. Commanders have been allowed to add to those rules but not allowed to make the rules any more lax.
But in an e-mail Friday to CNN, Scrocca wrote that from now on, "all requests by subordinate units to impose further restrictions of activities addressed in General Order No. 1 will require approval of the USF-I commander."
Cucolo had no immediate response. His division said he was spending Christmas Day visiting soldiers.
"It is our understanding that there will be no subordinate command general orders below United States Forces-Iraq. Therefore, as soldiers we will comply," Maj. Jeff Allen of the Multi-National Division North wrote in an e-mail to CNN.
Defending the rule last week, Cucolo said he alone would decide each case based on the individual circumstances.
To date, he said, there have been eight cases of women getting pregnant while deployed under his command. Four were given letters of reprimand that were put in their local files, which means the letters wouldn't end up in their permanent files and they wouldn't be a factor under consideration for promotions.
The four others found out they were pregnant soon after deployment; no disciplinary action was taken since they were not impregnated while deployed.
In all cases, the women were sent back to the United States for medical care, as is military policy. Each has the right to submit a letter in her own defense to be included in her file.
Of the men involved, three were reprimanded, Cucolo said. One, a sergeant, was given a more severe punishment of a written reprimand in his permanent file because he fraternized with a subordinate and committed adultery. A letter in the permanent file can affect a person's career because it is evaluated when a service member is considered for promotion.
A fourth man was never reprimanded because the pregnant soldier refused to identify who the father was, and Cucolo did not pursue the issue.
Cucolo said he expected some controversy.
"But I was also willing to deal with this attention because this is important," he said. "I am responsible and accountable for the fighting ability of my task force. I've got to take every measure to preserve my combat power, and that's the reason."
Officials: Passenger tried to blow up plane
WASHINGTON – U.S. officials say a Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria said he was acting on behalf of al-Qaida when he tried to blow up a flight Friday as it landed in Detroit.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.
One of the U.S. intelligence officials said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it.
The passenger was being questioned Friday evening.
Both of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.
The motive of the Christmas Day attack was not immediately clear.
What Does the Real Santa Look Like?
Is this the real Santa Claus? By tradition, no one is supposed to see the actual Saint Nick. Come Christmas night, as the song has it -- and even the Boss sings it -- he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. So you'd better be snoozing as well as pretty darned good, or else.Besides, we all know what he looks like. Since the advent of Clement Clark Moore's "Night Before Christmas" in 1823 and his invention of that "jolly old elf," we have become so conditioned by the kid-friendly version of the roly-poly guy with dimples and cheeks like roses that we stopped wondering who the real Santa Claus was, much less what he looked like. From movies like "Miracle on 34th Street" to all those Santa stand-ins at the mall -- and his visage on every piece of Christmas kitsch you could ever sell -- the myth is so widespread and so good there seemed little reason to question it.
Until, that is, the invention of powerful computers and some fancy new software that uses "virtual clay." The technology makes possible the reconstruction of a face from a skull, even one as old as that of Nicholas of Myra -- also known as Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus -- who lived and died in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. So holy was Nicholas that after his death his relics were carefully preserved, and through the vagaries of history -- basically a Muslim-Christian war a thousand years ago -- the saint's skull and other bones were relocated (stolen or rescued, depending on your point of view) to Bari, a city on what would be the Achilles' tendon of the Italian boot.
In the 1950s, the bones were removed while the crypt was spruced up. While they were out, the Vatican asked an anatomy professor at the University of Bari to take thousands of minutely detailed measurements and x-rays of the relics. Flash forward to the present day, and another University of Bari expert, forensic pathologist Francesco Introna, decided to commission an expert facial anthropologist, Caroline Wilkinson of the University of Manchester in England, to reconstruct the saint's face and head using the new technology and the earlier measurements.
The wizards at Image Foundry in England then took the data, and presto!
Delighted? Disappointed? Arguments for the veracity of the face are strong. Every face has the same 26 muscles but each skull is different, and that underlying bone structure gives a unique form to each person's face. Which is what happened when Wilkinson began laying the virtual muscles onto the 1,600-year-old skull of Saint Nicholas of Myra.
Moreover, this Nicholas is in many respects not so far removed from the Santa Claus or at least the Saint Nick who was long venerated in icons like the lineup the folks at the St. Nicholas Center have helpfully put together.
To be sure, he's more olive-skinned than rosy-cheeked, and his eyes are more piercing than twinkly. But the white hair and beard, while a bit of artistic license, make sense: the beard is in the style of the time, and the white hair would fit a man who died in his 70s after a life a sanctity that prefigured the Santa Claus of our time.
Nicholas of Myra (270-346 AD) was born into a patrician family of some wealth, but as a devoted Christian he used what he had to help others (and to intervene on behalf of the falsely accused). The most famous story to come down to us is how Nicholas, hearing of the plight of a father who could not afford dowries for his three daughters, secretly left bags of gold coins at their home to provide a dowry and preserve the ladies from a likely fate as prostitutes. In one version of the story, the father lay in wait the third time the donor was to visit and thus discovered the identity of history's first secret Santa.
But Nicholas was much more than a kindly, anonymous gift-giver. As a bishop in the fourth century, he was also deeply involved in the raging disputes of the day over core issues of church doctrine that we now take for granted, or ought to.
Back then, even three centuries after the death of Jesus, many beliefs remained unsettled. Chief among these was the true nature of Christ, and hence the nature of the Trinity. Was Jesus both God and man? Or was he just a man, a creation of God, albeit a special one? That was the line taken by followers of Arius, known as the Arians. So fierce was the divide over Christ's nature that Constantine, the Roman Emperor who had only recently legalized Christianity and ended the persecution of the church, called all leading bishops together for a council at Nicaea in the year 325 to settle the matter.
The Council of Nicaea, which produced the Nicene Creed that believers still recite as the foundational expression of Christian belief, was hardly the somnolent discussion that one might expect of such angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin topics. Instead, there were nasty arguments and periodic fisticuffs, and at one point Bishop Nicolas of Myra -- who already had a reputation as a staunch defender of orthodox belief against the heresy of the Arians -- popped Arias himself in the face.
The new facial reconstruction certainly gives credence to Nick's reputation as a battling bishop who gave as good as he got -- just look at that strong jaw and his broken boxer's nose. "It must have been a very hefty blow because it's the nasal bones between the eyes that are broken," Wilkinson, who did the reconstruction, told The Guardian.
In the end, Nicholas and the other orthodox bishops carried the day, vanquishing the Arians and confirming the belief that Jesus was true God and true man -- the heart of the mystery of the Incarnation that is observed on December 25. (Ironically, Christmas was not widely observed in Saint Nicholas' day, nor was there an agreement on a date to mark Jesus' birth. Easter was the oldest and most important celebration, and its date was one of the other debates settled at Nicaea.)
There is some speculation that Nicholas may actually have had his nose broken during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian, who reigned from 284-305 AD.
Yet whatever the source of the broken nose, the reconstructed face of Nicholas of Myra reminds us that the real Santa Claus came from a time before Christmas, and from an era when the meaning of Christ was something worth fighting about.
Pope knocked down at Christmas Eve Mass
VATICAN CITY – A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI at the start of Christmas Eve Mass, but the 82-year-old pontiff got up unhurt and proceeded as planned with Thursday's service.
Witness video obtained by The Associated Press showed a woman dressed in a red hooded sweat shirt vaulting over the wooden barriers that cordoned off the basilica's main aisle and rushing toward the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards.
The video showed the woman grabbing the pope's vestments as she was taken down by guards, with Benedict then falling on top of her.
The commotion occurred as the pope's procession was making its way toward the main altar and shocked gasps rang out among the thousands who packed the basilica. The procession came to a halt, the music stopped and security rushed to the trouble spot.
A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini said the woman appeared to be mentally unstable and had been taken into custody by Vatican police. He said she also knocked down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was taken to hospital for a checkup.
"During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked down the Holy Father," Benedettini told The AP by telephone. "(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession."
It was the second year in a row that there had been a security breach at the Christmas Eve service and this was the most serious incident involving the public in Benedict's five-year papacy. At the end of last year's Mass, a woman who had jumped the barriers got close to the pope but was quickly blocked on the ground by security.
That woman too wore a red hooded sweat shirt, but Benedettini said it was not immediately known if the same person was behind Thursday's incident.
MaryBeth Burns from Paris, Texas, was about four people away from the woman who jumped the barriers and was filming the pope's procession as the commotion started.
"All of a sudden this person sort of flew over the barricade and the Holy Father went down and all the security people were on top of it, a whole pile there, getting her off and him back up," said Burns, who was visiting Italy with her family on a religious pilgrimage for Christmas.
"I'm really mad because I had a perfect shot lined up," she added. "I'm still shaking."
Benedict lost his miter and his staff in the fall. He remained on the ground for a few seconds before being helped back up by attendants. At that point, a few shouts of "viva il papa!" (long live the pope!) rang out, followed by cheers from the faithful, witnesses said.
After getting up, Benedict, flanked by tense bodyguards, resumed his walk to the basilica's main altar to start the Mass. The pope, who broke his right wrist in a fall this summer, appeared unharmed but somewhat shaken and leaned heavily on aides and an armrest as he sat down in his chair.
Few people who were watching the Mass on giant screens set up in a rain-soaked St. Peter's Square even knew that the pope had fallen, with many saying that either they weren't looking or had arrived too late.
Benedict made no reference to the disturbance after the service started. As a choir sang, he sprinkled incense on the altar before opening the Mass with the traditional wish for peace in Latin.
The incident was the first time a potential attacker came into direct contact with Benedict, and underscored concerns by security analysts who have frequently warned the pope is too exposed in his public appearances.
There have been other security breaches at the Vatican.
In 2007, during an open-air audience in St. Peter's Square, a mentally unstable German man jumped a security barrier and grabbed the back of the pope's open car before being swarmed by security guards.
Then there was the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981. John Paul suffered a severe abdominal wound as he rode in an open jeep at the start of his weekly audience in the Vatican piazza.
The pope is protected by a combination of Swiss Guards, Vatican police and Italian police.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., the Vatican has tightened security at events where the pope is present. All visitors must pass by police to get into the square, with those entering the basilica going through metal detectors or being scanned by metal-detecting wands.
However, Sister Samira, an Indian aide to Vatican officials who attended the service and saw the incident, said she is never searched by security when she attends papal Masses, and said the same holds true for other people in religious garb.
Burns, the U.S. pilgrim, said security had been tight, and that it seemed there was no way to have prevented the woman from getting to the pope other than keeping the public out altogether.
"This is Midnight Mass in the heart of our church," she said. "I guess the Holy Father puts himself at risk every time he's around anybody, any crowds really."
In a similar incident, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was attacked as he was greeting the crowd at a political rally earlier this month. A man with a history of psychological problems hurled a souvenir statuette at the politician, fracturing his nose and breaking two of his teeth.
Benedict celebrated this year's Christmas Eve Mass two hours earlier than the usual midnight starting time in a move by the Vatican to ease the pontiff's busy holiday schedule.
Benedict has been remarkably healthy during his pontificate, keeping to a busy schedule and traveling around the world.
But in July, he broke his wrist during a late-night fall while vacationing in an Alpine chalet and had to have minor surgery and wear a cast for a month — an episode that highlights the risk he ran in Thursday's tumble.
In his homily, delivered unflappably after the incident, the pope urged the world to "wake up" from selfishness and petty affairs, and find time for God and spiritual matters.
"To wake up means to leave that private world of one's own and to enter the common reality," Benedict said in Italian. "Conflict and lack of reconciliation in the world stem from the fact that we are locked into our own interests and opinions, into our own little private world."
Benedict's next scheduled appearance is at noon on Christmas Day, when he is to deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" speech (Latin for "To the city and the world") from the basilica's balcony.
__
God Works in Mysterious Ways
(Dec. 24) -- In 2009, we've endured an economy in shambles, staggering unemployment rates and an ongoing mess in Afghanistan and Iraq. But don't be fooled. It's been a busy year for God. He just happens to work in very mysterious ways and appear in strange places.
Let's look back at the Lord's unexpected travels:
Let's look back at the Lord's unexpected travels:
Jan. 26: Jesus heads to a tree in Millington, Mich., just outside of Flint, in Ron and Marilyn Bielak's backyard.
The retired pair are facing foreclosure and believed the sighting would mean help was on the way. A call to their home several months later would indicate the line had been disconnected.
The retired pair are facing foreclosure and believed the sighting would mean help was on the way. A call to their home several months later would indicate the line had been disconnected.
Europics / CEN
The face of Jesus as seen in a Kit Kat, at least according to one witness.
After one bite into a Kit Kat, the man recognizes the crispy face of Christ within the chocolate-covered candy bar. The astonishing vision emerged on Good Friday.
"I was amazed," the man says.
"I just took a bite and then I saw the face of Christ in it." One person remarks that the image looked more like Darth Vader.
MetroWest Daily News
This divine leave turned up in Sudbury, Mass.
April 11: In Boston, Mimi DiMauro finds Jesus in a maple leaf while raking the lawn with her daughter. After her story becomes public, she gets requests from several people down on their luck to get a copy of the photo, hoping to uplift their spirits.
DiMauro ends up keeping the leaf in her closet and takes it out on special occasions.
"All the experts told me to put it in a box with a glass viewing area and it should do fine," she says.
"I haven't put it on eBay; I don't want to look like a whack job."
The leaf has been described as "beyond be-leaf." DiMauro says that three-quarters of the people who see it say it looks like Jesus; the rest tend to think it's John Lennon.
Spartanburg Herald Journal
Jesus popped out on a slice of toast.
April 23: Linda Lowe of Spartanburg, S.C., has a hankering for toast with some cheese, but instead of a hot, tasty treat, she discovers the Lord Jesus Christ bubbling up.
The toast had been cooked up by Lowe's boyfriend. She puts the blessed bread aside, along with her hunger, and gives the Good Lord shelter in a plastic container, sitting on a paper plate.
That image of the King of Kings would grow a little stale in the months to come, but Lowe guards Cheese-us Christ like a family treasure.
The toast remains a popular topic of conversation among friends at her church, First Baptist North Spartanburg.
Todd Krainin, Imperial Valley Press / AP
An outline of the Virgin Mary found in a restaurant griddle caused commotion in Calexico, Calif.
April 30: A Calexico, Calif., restaurant called Las Palmas becomes the hot spot in town after the Virgin Mary reveals herself on a cook's griddle.
Soon, more than 100 people gather to gaze at the image, which would function much like a five-star review in the Michelin Guide.
Out of respect for Mary, the holy cookware would soon be relocated from the kitchen to a shrine in a storage room. And even though the divine sign is not connected to the gas, it's still the talk of the town.
Visitors not impressed with the burnt image of Mary are still encouraged to try the crispy chicken tacos or the huevos rancheros.
Wales News Service
Sweet Jesus! That must be the lord in Marmite.
May 28: Welsh couple Claire and Gareth Allen are spreading Marmite on their son's toast when they suddenly witness the Son of God staring at them from the underside of the jar's lid.
The family continue to enjoy their yeast spread except, of course, for the divine portion clinging to the cap.
The Marmite messiah is soon hailed to be more than just pot lock, or even a gooey residue.
Even though the family still doesn't consider itself religious, they've decided to embrace this special event.
University of Arizona
Is there more than just sand in this photo of Mars?
Aug. 3: Perhaps Jesus could be promoting world peace more effectively if he weren't hanging out on Mars, where he is spotted in a photograph taken by NASA.
The image was by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the etching can otherwise be described as the sand and gullies near the Hale crater on the southern part of the planet.
It may not be heaven, but to some, it's a sign of something.
AP
This image appeared on Jim Stevens' truck window for two weeks in the fall.
Oct. 27: Jesus visits Jim Stevens of Jonesborough, Tenn., in the form of condensation on his Isuzu pickup's driver-side window.
Neither evaporation nor rolling down the window proves powerful enough to erase the Lord's presence. The image keeps reappearing for two weeks.
"Nothing takes it away," Stevens says. He claims the face of Jesus is so detailed, that "you can even count the hairs on his head."
Despite having God as his co-pilot, Stevens remains unchanged. "I'm just a good ol' country boy."
AP
Mary Jo Coady says this image reassures her that "life is good."
Nov. 27: Mary Jo Coady of Methuen, Mass., finds Jesus ready to perform miracles on wrinkles. She claimed residue on the bottom of her iron has formed the face of the Lord.
With troubles in both her personal and professional lives, she believes the image was a sign from God that everything would be all right. Coady has planned to retire the iron to a closet and purchase a deity-free replacement.
Political foes united in Christmas wishes
The nation's political leaders have urged Australians to reach out to those who are struggling this Christmas.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has wished Australians a restful and happy holiday. But in his Christmas address he has acknowledged it will be a tough time for some - particularly those affected by the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires and people who have lost their jobs.
"For many people, this Christmas will be a real battle just to make ends meet," he said.
"Christmas too is a sad time for those who have lost a loved one, suffered a family breakdown, or simply lost contact over the last year.
"It's a time, therefore, to reach out to our friends, our neighbours, and people perhaps we may barely know, to extend the hand of friendship."
Mr Rudd says people should also a time to think of people who cannot be with loved ones.
He thanked emergency service workers on duty today and Australian soldiers in the field.
"We thank them for the sacrifices they make in Australia's name and we think of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those they have left behind," he said.
"2010 will also be a hard and bloody year in Afghanistan. Let us make sure our soldiers in the field know that they always have our support back at home."
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott echoed the Prime Minister's call for Australians to extend a helping hand to friends and strangers in need.
"I also hope that as well as counting our blessings that we'll reach out to those people who are less fortunate," he said.
Mr Abbott says he hopes every Australian has a safe Christmas.
"I'd like to wish all Australians a happy Christmas," he said.
"This is a great time of the year. It's a great time of the year to enjoy our magnificent Australian environment.
"It's a great time to reach out to the ones we love."
Drunk driver 'five times over limit'
A man has been charged after allegedly being caught driving in Sydney's inner west with a blood-alcohol reading five times the legal limit.
Police pulled the man over after they spotted him swerving all over Marrickville Road at Dulwich Hill yesterday afternoon at about 3pm.The 48-year-old Rozelle man returned a reading of point two-five when he was breath-tested.
He was charged with high-range drink driving and had his licence confiscated on the spot.
The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Newtown local Court in January.
High school YouTube video gets famous by going backward
There are numerous lip dubs online, and this one is pretty much like any other, beginning with an enthusiastic girl running through the halls of the school, mouthing the words. But there are some odd things going on. Some students around her are doing impossible-looking acrobatics as the camera passes by. Objects fly up from the floor.
That's because the Shorewood lip dub, which has become a big hit on YouTube, was filmed backward. The kids in the video (it's a cast of hundreds, including cheerleaders and the swim team) did everything in reverse, including the lip syncing. That meant they had to painstakingly learn all the words phonetically, backward, like in the old days when we played records backwards to get devil messages.
A local television station did a story about the kids, and they demonstrated the technique.
The lip dub video isn't perfect, but it's wonderfully inventive, ambitious and joyous. It was done in answer to a challenge by a rival high school that did a regular lip dub to the OutKast song, "Hey Ya!" We'll do that other school the favor of not mentioning its name, because the Shorewood effort was overwhelmingly sick (in a good way).
It's manatee vs. military in pending habitat ruling
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service soon will make a decision on whether to expand what's called critical habitat for the manatee in Florida and southern Georgia, in response to a petition from several environmental groups.
The coastlines of these states bristle with naval installations, such as the historic Pensacola Naval Air Station, where World War II aviators trained; Kings Bay in southern Georgia, home to nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines; and the South Florida Ocean Testing Facility in Dania Beach, where the Navy operates an undersea range to determine ships' acoustical signatures.
Although the Navy doesn't object in principal to an increase in protected areas -- and indeed points out the many measures it takes to prevent harm to endangered species -- it says that an overly broad expansion could have "significant impacts" on Navy operations.
"Manatees and their habitats overlap Navy training and operation areas through the Southeast," said a letter from C.R. Destafney, the Navy's regional environmental program director. "Navy's training involves activities necessary to maintain proficiency in mission-essential areas such as mine warfare, strike warfare, electronic combat and maritime security."
Among the military's concerns are security arrangements for Ohio-class submarines entering and exiting Kings Bay. The Navy does not want protections for a marine mammal, no matter how lovable, to compromise security arrangements for submarines approaching shore armed with nuclear weapons.
Spokesman Steve Strickland said that the Navy works hard to leave a minimal environmental footprint. For example, he said, the Navy conducts aerial surveys of endangered right whales off north Florida in order to alert military ships of their whereabouts.
"Certainly the Navy coexists with various endangered species," he said. "We do all kinds of things to help minimize the impact."
The habitat expansion proposal came in a 2008 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Save the Manatee Club and Wildlife Advocacy Project.
These groups argued that the currently designated critical habitat, drawn up in 1976, was outdated. Since then, they said, a skyrocketing population has brought more boats and waterfront development.
A critical habitat designation would not prohibit construction or other activities. But it would require the wildlife service to review federal activities or decisions that could affect the manatees' habitat, such as permitting development, oil drilling, boating or shipping.
Katie Tripp, science and conservation director of the Save the Manatee Club, said that there may be ways the Navy could alter operations to protect manatees without any impact on operations or training.
"In the past, manatees have not kept the Navy from doing what they need to do," she said. "In this state, endangered species and the military have coexisted."
The petition calls for the protection of dozens of natural springs, seagrass beds, travel corridors and coastlines throughout manatee habitat.
Rules to protect manatees have irritated boaters and the marine construction industry for years, and the proposal could face a fight if it moves forward.
Chuck Underwood, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said that any increase in critical habitat would almost certainly be a fraction of the habitat proposed by the wildlife groups.
He downplayed the significance of expanding the species' critical habitat, saying any changes would simply reinforce protections already in place. Of the Navy's comments, he said, "We understand they have concerns, and they're legitimate concerns."
Boy leaves Brazil with American father
RIO DE JANEIRO - A 9-year-old boy at the center of a five-year custody battle on two continents was finally turned over to his American father Thursday in a scene as tumultuous as the legal fight itself, with the youngster forced to squeeze though a jostling crowd of reporters and photographers.
Soon afterward, a smiling Sean Goldman was back in his father's arms, talking about basketball and how much snow there was back in New Jersey. Then father and son boarded a private jet chartered by NBC and took off for the United States.
"It is now time for our new beginning, the rebirth of our family at such a special time of the year," the boy's father, David Goldman of Tinton Falls, N.J., wrote in a letter read to reporters after his departure.
The reunion ended an epic battle that pitted Sean's father against the boy's Brazilian stepfather, who had cared for Sean since his mother died last year. The dispute reached the highest levels of the U.S. and Brazilian governments and strained relations between the two countries.
"Today, the abduction has ended," said Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who was with Sean's father in Brazil and supported him.
But the boy's maternal grandmother, Silvana Bianchi, said: "My heart is empty and broken because our love is missing. To take the boy on Christmas Day is a heinous crime."
The last act in the drama played out partly in public view. Wearing a gold Brazil Olympic T-shirt, a tearful Sean was walked a block to the American consulate, surrounded by his stepfather, other members of the family and their lawyer.
Once spotted by the more than 100 reporters and cameramen waiting for their arrival, the group had to drag, shove and push its way about 50 yards to the consulate's front door.
"I was disappointed to see him marched through the streets like that," Smith said.
Orna Blum, the U.S. Embassy spokeswoman, said the Brazilian family was offered the same secure entrance to the consulate garage that Goldman used, which would have shielded the child from view, and that she had no idea why they decided to walk the boy a block through Rio's streets.
Smith, however, said the Brazilian family's lawyer told him it was their way of protesting the handover.
Once inside, the mop-haired boy calmed down after a few minutes, Smith said. Father and son were reunited in private and were soon eating hamburgers and talking, the congressman added.
"Once he was with his dad they were smiling, with their arms around one another," Smith said. "They looked just like best buddies."
Smith would not say where they were headed, only that they wanted to "cocoon" somewhere other than New Jersey for a while.
Goldman fought a long battle against one of Rio's best-known legal families to regain custody of his son.
Sean had lived in Brazil since Goldman's ex-wife, Bruna Bianchi, brought him to her native country for what was supposed to be a two-week vacation in 2004. She stayed, divorced Goldman and remarried, and Goldman began legal efforts to get Sean back.
After Bianchi died last year in childbirth, her husband, Paulo Lins e Silva, a prominent divorce attorney, continued the legal fight and won temporary custody.
On Tuesday, Brazil's chief justice finally cleared the way for Goldman to take his son home.
Goldman had said this week that if he won, he would allow the Brazilian family to visit Sean. But the Brazilian family's lawyer, Sergio Tostes, said no visitation agreement had been reached.
"It is inhumane that he left without a guarantee that his grandmother would be able to see him in the United States," Tostes said.
Now, Goldman said, is the time for Sean's American family to get to know him.
"Please know that my love and the rest of Sean's family's love for him knows no boundaries," he wrote in his letter. "We will go to the ends of the Earth to protect him and shower him with every ounce of love that we have."
When the boy's handover was blocked last week, the U.S. Senate put a hold on a trade deal worth about $2.75 billion a year to Brazil. President Barack Obama also discussed the matter with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had also rallied behind Goldman, said she was thrilled that father and son had been reunited.
Memorable moments in pop
Best collaboration by anthropomorphic studio whizzes embargoed from release by record-label mumbo jumbo: When Danger Mouse (producer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Burton of Gnarls Barkley) reached out to Sparklehorse (the reclusive musical soundscape-ist Mark Linkous) about laying down some new tracks, the result was “Dark Night of the Soul,” an album full of lo-fi ballads of Gothic sweep and apocalyptic churn, chockablock with fuzzed-out hip-hop beats and contributions by a who’s who of invited singers – including Suzanne Vega and Julian Casablancas. Art house auteur David Lynch even stepped in to shoot an accompanying photo book. But when it came time to release the music, Burton’s label, EMI, got litigious about commercially distributing the work in conjunction with the coffee table book. Endgame: “DNOTS” is out there, widely available for free online, but never reached iTunes. (Chris Lee) Photo: Downtown Records
Music genre with the most absolutely impenetrable subgenres: Indie rock. Underground rock music has long been about subdividing and pegging names to ever-more-obscure offshoots. But really, can you describe exactly what constitutes “chillwave” or “glo-fi?” What about the unprintable name of an especially nasty strain of shoegaze? 2009 was the year indie rock officially ate its tail and became one massive in-joke for the two dozen people who for whom Neon Indian represents a watershed in production styles. (AB) Photo: Lefse Records
Best year for mystic lady rock: In a secret ceremony in a northern wood, Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks got together and let out a siren call, audible only to other mystic ladies-in-training. Not only did we have Bat for Lashes’ “Two Suns,” a lunar romance partially birthed at Joshua Tree, but Bat for Lashes bandmate Caroline Weeks came out with the gorgeously fragile “Songs for Edna.” Closer to home, Warpaint is readying their mysterious psychedelia for a debut album in 2010 from Rough Trade Records. (MW) Photo: Bat for Lashes. Credit: Brooke Nipar
Best pop fashion item: Lady Gaga’s Frank Gehry hat. There were Dali-worthy disco balls, bubble-wrap getups and a coat of Kermit the Frog pelts in Gaga’s extensive 2009 wardrobe. But the most audacious of all might have been her Frank Gehry-designed hat for her appearance at the reopening of the Museum of Contemporary Art. It wasn’t her most attractive piece -- it looked like a post-industrial wasp’s nest -- but to walk outside and behold another Gehry creation down the block was to be reminded that pop is fundamentally public spectacle, and nobody did that better than Ms. Germanotta this year. (AB) Photo credit: Ann Johansson / For the Times
Performance that spawned the most hypocritical outrage: Adam Lambert at the American Music Awards. After Britney Spears and Madonna’s scripted onstage liplock and Katy Perry’s for-the-boys bicuriosity, it was only a matter of time before a male pop singer planted one on another fellow on a public stage. But who knew that Glambert’s actually-quite-tame AMAs performance would have caused such a kerfuffle? To unpack the public reaction is to wade into deep rapids of double standards; a place where a joyless lyrical threesome with Spears goes unremarked upon and Lil Wayne can proposition literally every single woman alive in a song, but a bit of light S&M among guyliner’ed rocker boys can turn TV audiences apoplectic. Somewhere, a bewildered David Bowie is wondering what decade we’re living in. (AB) Photo: Getty Images
Best cameo rapper: Gucci Mane. Despite his many legal imbroglios, the Atlanta rapper managed to have one of the most productive years behind the mic in 2009, guest-versing on more than 150 tracks across mix-tapes, albums and singles, all sporting his husky drawl and ubiquitous “Gucci!” catcall. His most popular one, Mario’s magnificently wacky slow jam “Break Up,” had the year’s most reassuring advice for spurned dudes: “Girls are like buses. Miss one, next 15 -- one comin.” (AB) Photo: Getty Images
How Harry Reid shepherded healthcare reform through the Senate
Reporting from Washington - Rahm Emanuel was agitated. With only seven weeks until Christmas, the opportunity to pass healthcare legislation seemed to be fading. The White House chief of staff feared that if the Senate left for the holiday without passing a bill, President Obama's top domestic priority would wither as lawmakers turned to other concerns next year.
Democratic senators and administration officials gathered in a conference room outside Majority Leader Harry Reid's Capitol office. Emanuel wanted to know: Was there a chance the chamber could still act in time?
As one participant placed a calming hand on Emanuel's sleeve, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told him there was one chance: The White House would have to put its trust in Reid.
The quirky, taciturn majority leader had no background in health policy and a less-than-commanding public image. Yet today Reid delivered as the Senate moved to take its final vote on the most sweeping healthcare legislation to make its way through the chamber in nearly half a century.
Along the way, Reid's effort sometimes revealed an unseemly, if time-honored, side of congressional business as he struck bargains with senators who traded their votes for aid to their states or help for supportive interest groups.
"This bill is a mess, and so is the process that was used to get it over the finish line," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) charged this week, encapsulating a new GOP line of attack.
But the process -- as described by senators, Capitol Hill aides and White House officials -- also revealed that oft-fractious Democrats could achieve remarkable unity under the guidance of a politician with an unparalleled understanding of the arcane institution he leads -- and a sure grasp of the particular needs of the individual lawmakers who serve there.
"So many people find Harry Reid incomprehensible as a leader in large part because he is so unprepossessing as a public speaker," said Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist. "But his virtue and his value to his caucus is his mastery of the mechanics of the Senate."
"There are Senate leaders like that who come along every few decades," he said.
Over the last two months, Reid, a slight, soft-spoken man who makes listeners strain to hear him, gambled. He pulled senators back to the table when deals fell apart. And with the clock ticking down, he prodded his colleagues to make agonizing concessions for a larger goal.
The $871-billion bill, paid for with a mix of tax hikes and Medicare cuts, would expand coverage to an estimated 31 million more people over the next decade.
There were doubters this fall when Reid began trying to meld healthcare legislation developed by two Senate committees. In particular, the conventional wisdom held that the proposal for a new government insurance plan -- which was contained in the House bill -- was a poison pill for the Senate.
The night before a crucial meeting with Obama, Emanuel and other senior administration officials warned Reid that the idea could sink the bill. As usual, the majority leader listened quietly, not saying much.
But he had already made up his mind to go his way. The White House misread the Democratic caucus, Reid believed: He could not even get liberal senators to vote to take the bill to the floor for debate, Reid had concluded, unless he included a new government plan.
The next afternoon, Reid informed Obama at the White House that he would include a public option with a provision allowing states to opt out.
The move won plaudits from liberals and helped win the votes to take the bill to the Senate floor the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Hurdle No. 1 was cleared, helped by support from the likes of Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who opposed the public option but wanted the bill to remain alive.
By the time lawmakers returned from Thanksgiving recess, however, the momentum seemed to have evaporated as conservative criticism mounted and second thoughts began to affect some members.
Gathering his leadership team and a delegation of administration officials in his office on Monday, Nov. 30, Reid sought help in reeling in wayward Democrats.
He had already brought several hesitant Democrats on board. Indiana's Evan Bayh became a yes vote after receiving a promise of tax relief for his state's medical device makers. And Louisiana Sen. Mary L. Landrieu signed on after Reid pledged additional aid for her state's Medicaid program.
Unlike the president, who hoped to woo moderate Republican Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, Reid held out little hope that she would vote for the bill this year; her complaints about the rushed timeline were too deeply felt, he believed.
Is Bey Bey Really Black Culture??
Your girl Bey has a new jawn called “Black Culture”. Pop it to have a listen…
What are your thoughts???
Balloon boy parents both get jail time for hoax
FORT COLLINS - A judge sentenced both parents who carried out the balloon boy hoax to jail time on Wednesday morning and forbid them from making any money from the spectacle for four years.
Richard Heene, 48, will serve 90 days in jail, 30 of which will be actual jail time and the other 60 can be work release so he can work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Mayumi Heene, 45, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski also sentenced Richard and Mayumi Heene to four years of strict probation and ordered both to pay restitution for the rescue efforts involved in chasing the homemade helium balloon they claimed was carrying their 6-year-old son Falcon.
Judge Schapanski also imposed conditions on their probation that forbids both from profiting from the balloon spectacle in any way for four years.
Judge Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible - she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example - so the couple's three children are cared for, the judge said.
"What this case is about is deception, exploitation - exploitation of the children of the Heenes, exploitation of the media and exploitation of people's emotions - and money," Judge Schapanski said.
Judge Schapanski also said that Richard Heene did not have to start his jail time until after the holidays and his jail time will start on Jan. 11. The work release means Richard Heene can leave the jail to work during the day, but spend his nights in jail.
The amount of restitution will be determined at a later time.
Before the sentencing, Richard Heene spoke before the court, saying he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down the false reports that the balloon was carrying his son.
Richard Heene choked back tears as he stood before a judge and apologized: "I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it."
Mayumi Heene did not speak at the hearing.
After the hearing, the Heenes walked past a crowd of reporters without comment.
Earlier this year, Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to charges they carried out the balloon stunt in October to promote a reality TV show. People around the world were captivated by live video of the balloon as it floated from Fort Collins to near Denver International Airport on Oct. 15.
The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.
"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax - an amount that could exceed $50,000. Earlier this week the Larimer County Sheriff's Office sent the Heenes a $42,000 bill.
"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."
He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. [The Heenes] need to go to jail so people don't do that."
He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks - and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax on Oct. 15 as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.
David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency during the hearing with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.
"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.
Afterward, Lane called the judge's sentence for his client "a measured response" -- but said he was surprised Mayumi Heene got jail time.
"This is payback," he said of her sentence.
Lane said the FAA also plans to fine the Heenes $11,000 for disrupting flights. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said he could not confirm that.
Asked by reporters if his client was done with reality TV, Lane joked: "I don't know if they're done with reality television. Is reality television done with them?"
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said in a statement he believes Judge Schapanski gave a "well-reasoned ruling. The sentence is in line with what we expected and we are satisfied with the result."
At the sentencing, the prosecutor provided a more detailed timeline of the hoax.
He said Richard Heene was working with a collaborator throughout the year to pitch a reality series about madcap experiments and inventions. By late September, it became clear that the networks weren't biting.
At the same time, the Heenes' finances were collapsing - they weren't paying bills, checks were bouncing, and banks were threatening to close accounts, Lewis said.
The Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jump-start the reality TV effort and get some attention.
Heene began seeking money to buy helium tanks and studying weather patterns to find the right day for the launch. He eventually settled on Oct. 15; the weather was right, and his kids were home from school with parent-teacher conferences.
The balloon floated away that afternoon with Falcon thought to be aboard. The Heenes first called the Federal Aviation Administration, then a TV station and finally 911.
Authorities launched a desperate search for little Falcon, using military helicopters and a mounted posse, before the boy turned up at home hours later. The Heenes said they realized he had been hiding all along in the rafters after his father had yelled at him for fooling around with the balloon.
The story soon began falling apart, especially after Falcon blurted out to his father during a CNN interview that evening: "You had said we did this for a show."
The parents were brought in for questioning, with Richard Heene feigning sleep during his lie-detector test and claiming his drowsiness was a diabetic reaction, Lewis said.
They were ultimately arrested and pleaded guilty in November under deals with prosecutors that called for up to 90 days behind bars for the husband and 60 days for the wife, a Japanese citizen who could have been deported if convicted of more serious charges.
She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services, while her husband pleaded to a felony count of falsely influencing authorities.
Richard Heene, 48, will serve 90 days in jail, 30 of which will be actual jail time and the other 60 can be work release so he can work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Mayumi Heene, 45, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski also sentenced Richard and Mayumi Heene to four years of strict probation and ordered both to pay restitution for the rescue efforts involved in chasing the homemade helium balloon they claimed was carrying their 6-year-old son Falcon.
Judge Schapanski also imposed conditions on their probation that forbids both from profiting from the balloon spectacle in any way for four years.
Judge Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible - she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example - so the couple's three children are cared for, the judge said.
"What this case is about is deception, exploitation - exploitation of the children of the Heenes, exploitation of the media and exploitation of people's emotions - and money," Judge Schapanski said.
Judge Schapanski also said that Richard Heene did not have to start his jail time until after the holidays and his jail time will start on Jan. 11. The work release means Richard Heene can leave the jail to work during the day, but spend his nights in jail.
The amount of restitution will be determined at a later time.
Before the sentencing, Richard Heene spoke before the court, saying he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down the false reports that the balloon was carrying his son.
Richard Heene choked back tears as he stood before a judge and apologized: "I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it."
Mayumi Heene did not speak at the hearing.
After the hearing, the Heenes walked past a crowd of reporters without comment.
Earlier this year, Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to charges they carried out the balloon stunt in October to promote a reality TV show. People around the world were captivated by live video of the balloon as it floated from Fort Collins to near Denver International Airport on Oct. 15.
The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.
"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax - an amount that could exceed $50,000. Earlier this week the Larimer County Sheriff's Office sent the Heenes a $42,000 bill.
"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."
He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. [The Heenes] need to go to jail so people don't do that."
He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks - and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax on Oct. 15 as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.
David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency during the hearing with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.
"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.
Afterward, Lane called the judge's sentence for his client "a measured response" -- but said he was surprised Mayumi Heene got jail time.
"This is payback," he said of her sentence.
Lane said the FAA also plans to fine the Heenes $11,000 for disrupting flights. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said he could not confirm that.
Asked by reporters if his client was done with reality TV, Lane joked: "I don't know if they're done with reality television. Is reality television done with them?"
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said in a statement he believes Judge Schapanski gave a "well-reasoned ruling. The sentence is in line with what we expected and we are satisfied with the result."
At the sentencing, the prosecutor provided a more detailed timeline of the hoax.
He said Richard Heene was working with a collaborator throughout the year to pitch a reality series about madcap experiments and inventions. By late September, it became clear that the networks weren't biting.
At the same time, the Heenes' finances were collapsing - they weren't paying bills, checks were bouncing, and banks were threatening to close accounts, Lewis said.
The Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jump-start the reality TV effort and get some attention.
Heene began seeking money to buy helium tanks and studying weather patterns to find the right day for the launch. He eventually settled on Oct. 15; the weather was right, and his kids were home from school with parent-teacher conferences.
The balloon floated away that afternoon with Falcon thought to be aboard. The Heenes first called the Federal Aviation Administration, then a TV station and finally 911.
Authorities launched a desperate search for little Falcon, using military helicopters and a mounted posse, before the boy turned up at home hours later. The Heenes said they realized he had been hiding all along in the rafters after his father had yelled at him for fooling around with the balloon.
The story soon began falling apart, especially after Falcon blurted out to his father during a CNN interview that evening: "You had said we did this for a show."
The parents were brought in for questioning, with Richard Heene feigning sleep during his lie-detector test and claiming his drowsiness was a diabetic reaction, Lewis said.
They were ultimately arrested and pleaded guilty in November under deals with prosecutors that called for up to 90 days behind bars for the husband and 60 days for the wife, a Japanese citizen who could have been deported if convicted of more serious charges.
She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services, while her husband pleaded to a felony count of falsely influencing authorities.
TV shows that made 2009 brighter
(CNN) -- Picking the best television shows of 2009 is risky business.
Plenty of shows have loyal fan bases, and many of those viewers will question these choices with a "what about" and a "how could you not include" at the top of their lungs.
So the caveat here is that the following is a list of some of the best shows of the past year, ranked in no particular order, all of which made TV land just a little bit brighter in the '09.
Discuss amongst yourselves!
'Glee'
Ordinarily, a show about a group of high school students who at any moment might burst into song is a recipe for disaster as far as most adults are concerned. But "Glee" does it with such quirky charm and bravado that it is impossible not to get swept up.
The cast has chops, both acting and singing, and with its sometimes risqué dialogue and endearing characters, what's not to love? Not to mention covers of songs that sometimes rival the original tunes.
But one of the best things about the show can be summed up in two words: Jane Lynch. Her Sue Sylvester, coach of the "Cheerios," is so deliciously self-absorbed, calculating and evil that she turns just about every scene into a delight.
Hurry back soon from hiatus, "Glee."
'Modern Family'
You could argue that "The Office" paved the way for this hilarious mockumentary. While that may be true, "Modern Family" seems to be improving on the format.
In a postmodern twist on the old "something for every member of the family" line, the show features a wise-beyond-his years kid, Manny (Rico Rodriguez); the midlife-crisis-prone Jay (Ed O'Neill); a gay couple raising a baby and various offshoots of a blended family.
The characters are rich, none more so than Phil (Ty Burrell), who strives so hard to be the hip dad to his kids that it's beyond embarrassing. Noting that he is down with the shorthand lingo young people use today, he translates "WTF" to mean "Why the Face?" Oh, Phil.
'Fringe'
After a slow start in the fall of 2008, "Fringe" came into its own towards the end of the first season, doing a much better job than its fellow J.J. Abrams production, "Lost," of explaining just what it's actually about.
It definitely wins the award for the most shocking season finale of the year (yes, even above "Lost" itself) for the final shot in which (SPOILER!) viewers find out that Olivia Dunham's (Anna Torv) unplanned visit to the office of the mysterious William Bell (played by Leonard Nimoy, another surprise) is actually taking place inside the World Trade Center.
The plot twists and turns, coupled with the transformation of Olivia Dunham from a bit of a bore into an interesting character, have helped make this show destination viewing for fans.
'Big Bang Theory'
This series is smart beyond the fact that it's centered around a bunch of geniuses.
Playing on the age-old trope of geeks as a source of humor, the show goes beyond just poking fun at a group of mega-intellectuals. Rather, the writers have created lovable characters whose beautiful minds are to be appreciated, as well as laughed at.
When the show launched in 2007, it was the little comedy that could, beloved by a core fan base and bloggers but failing to make big waves in the Nielsens. As the buzz built and the nerd herd cheered plotlines (including the appearance of "Star Trek: Next Generation" vet Wil Wheaton), the series became a ratings grabber.
That's good news for fans that enjoy watching Sheldon (Jim Parsons) attempt to navigate human relationships with a Mr. Spock-like detachment and utter frustration.
'True Blood'
Let's just get the obvious out of the way: this show doesn't suck.
Instead, let's focus on what made this show so bloody good this season: stories and characters that have bite to them, as well as lots of sex and violence served up among the residents of the steamy Louisiana town of Bon Temps.
In a year that continued the "Twilight" craze of vampires as sexy, misunderstood loners, "True Blood" featured a "good versus evil" battle in which it was hard to tell the good from the evil -- the blood-suckers or the cracked Christian cult out to destroy them.
Sookie (Anna Paquin) continued to heat things up with Bill (Stephen Moyer), a relationship made even more thrilling for "True Blood" worshippers given that the actors are engaged in real life. But they weren't the only passionate pair -- Jason (Ryan Kwanten), Sookie's less-than-bright brother, managed to hook up with Sarah (Anna Camp), wife of the leader of the Fellowship of the Sun church, for some graphic action that became water-cooler fodder.
The healthy serving of gore, mystery and soap-opera-like shenanigans led New York Magazine to dub the show "cable catnip." Meow!
'Better Off Ted'
Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington), how we heart you!
Never has research and development been more fun. The snappy dialogue, the ever-icy Portia di Rossi as Ted's boss Veronica, and the send-up of corporate America was often so deadpan that it took a minute or two to get the gag.
Every season, there seems to be a smart, quirk-filled show that viewers either really get or really ignore, and "Better Off Ted" fit that bill this year. Those who loved it raved about it, and those who didn't love it usually hadn't seen it.
Count us Team Ted.
Honorable mentions:
A few we couldn't help but mention include "Party Down," "Parks & Recreation," "How I Met Your Mother," "Mad Men," "Dollhouse" and "30 Rock."
CNN iReporters also weighed in on their picks for the best TV of 2009, and Showtime's "Dexter" won out.The series about the serial-killing antihero had fans anxious and eager. Kathi Cordsen of Fullerton, California said, "Just waiting for all the suspenseful happenings, on the edge of your seat, shocking finale, waiting nine months for the next season to start --- That's a 'killer' show for you."
Other iReport picks included "Rescue Me," "Top Chef," "The Closer," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Amazing Race."
