Big Bird on SNL: ‘I got a million tweets’ after debate

Daniel Craig may have been SNL’s official guest star this weekend, but Sesame Street’s Big Bird stole the show, chatting with Seth Myers during Weekend Update about his newfound fame after being mentioned in the presidential debate.

 

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez wins reelection by wide margin

The incumbent defeats Henrique Capriles to win another six-year term despite growing dissatisfaction with economic woes and rising crime.

By Chris Kraul and Mery Mogollon, Los Angeles Times

October 7, 2012, 11:24 p.m.

Carcas Venzuela   — Venezuelan President Hugo Charvez   apparently won reelection by a convincing margin Sunday, with allegiance among poor voters to his socialist revolution trumping dissatisfaction with a stunted economy, rising crime and the increasing polarization of society.
With 90% of votes counted, the National Electoral Council said Chavez, a 58-year-old former army colonel, won 54.4% of the vote, compared with challenger Henrique Capriles' 44.9%. Turnout was estimated to be as high as 80%, and there were few reports of violence or other problems.

Chavez sent a message of thanks on Twitter before addressing red-shirted multitudes assembled Sunday night outside the presidential Miraflores Palace.
"Viva Venezuela, viva the people of Bolivar, viva Oct. 7," Chavez said. "I want to recognize the Venezuelan people and give thanks for this memorable day. And to those who voted against us, I congratulate the leadership for recognizing the victory of the people."
Chavez was referring to Capriles' address to supporters in which he accepted defeat and congratulated his rival shortly after the electoral council's announcement.
"To know how to win, you have to know how to lose. What the people say is sacred," Capriles said. "I want to thank 6 million Venezuelans for their confidence.... I have learned a lot in the past six months."
The victory means that Chavez will be in office until February 2019, making him the hemisphere's longest-serving leader, if his health holds up. The burly socialist was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in June 2011 and has undergone three surgeries in Cuba and several rounds of chemotherapy.

In office since February 1999, Chavez has in many ways transformed Venezuelan society, channeling the nation's torrent of oil dollars into social welfare projects called Missions that deliver free medical care, housing, education and cut-rate groceries to the nation's poor.
But he also has dramatically polarized Venezuelan society with government takeovers of ranches, farms and businesses, and by characterizing political opponents in insulting terms. Chavez was briefly toppled by a coup d'etat in 2002 for which he blames the "squalid ones," meaning the rich and middle class.
Chavez was thought to be facing a stiff challenge in Capriles, a 40-year-old political wunderkind who is the son of a Caracas shopping mall developer. Capriles' campaign platform of fighting crime and ending government waste struck a responsive chord with voters.
But Chavez's bond with poor voters was once again highlighted by Sunday's result. In addition to winning four presidential contests by comfortable margins, he has won all but one of the several referendums he has put to voters. His only loss came in 2007 when a constitutional reform measure to enable him to run indefinitely for reelection was narrowly defeated.
As pollster Oscar Schemel told The Times in August, Chavez enjoys an "irrational and emotional devotion" among his extremely loyal poor voters that seems to transcend policy. "They feel he has set a place at the table for them, that his vision of the future includes them," Schemel said.

After casting his vote in a poor neighborhood in west Caracas, Chavez saluted supporters, who included Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize   laureate Rigoberta Menchu and Hollywood actor Danny glover  

"We will respect the decision of the people, whether it's by 3 million votes or just one," Chavez said, expressing confidence in Venezuela's ballot-counting system, calling it "the best in the world."
Capriles voted in the affluent Mercedes zone of east Caracas and afterward said he too would respect the will of the electorate. "I'm very emotional and very happy," he said. "Something good is happening."
Capriles criticized Chavez for a rise in violent crime. He also lambasted Chavez for $7 billon in annual oil giveaways to Central American and Caribbean nations, mainly Cuba, saying the money should be invested in Venezuela.

Columbus Day 2012: Hero, Villain or Both?

"In fourteen hundred ninety-two/ Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
"He had three ships and left from Spain/ He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain." -- Source Unknown
Time was when sailor Christopher Columbus unequivocally
Time was when sailor Christopher Columbus unequivocally "discovered" America, but that was before the debate about his legacy recast him in school history books as the Italian explorer who, more accurately, raised and solidified European awareness of the Americas after arriving Oct. 12, 1492, in what would become known as the Bahamas.
In short, Columbus wasn't the first European to reach the Americas. But he made the most of it, for better or worse. And that's where the Columbus Day debate continues, including periodic calls to dump or modify the holiday.

Native-American Day The United States is hardly alone in celebrating Columbus Day, but even here it's not unanimous.
South Dakota, for instance, clearly falls on the other side of the debate, after 22 years ago changing the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Native American Day in honor of the indigenous people who suffered near-annihilation after Columbus opened doors to the New World.
Italian Heritage Many Italian-Americans defend Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and the generations of Italians who've contributed mightily to U.S. prominence through their work and philanthropy. Of that there's no doubt, although critics, including some Italian-Americans, have pointed out that the Oct. 12, 1492, arrival itself is no representation of the Italian experience. Supporters claim him as a source of pride, however, not unlike other cultures that honor their sons and daughters as pioneers.
Italian Heritage Many Italian-Americans defend Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and the generations of Italians who've contributed mightily to U.S. prominence through their work and philanthropy. Of that there's no doubt, although critics, including some Italian-Americans, have pointed out that the Oct. 12, 1492, arrival itself is no representation of the Italian experience. Supporters claim him as a source of pride, however, not unlike other cultures that honor their sons and daughters as pioneers.
Columbus, USA
There are 30-plus U.S. cities and townships named Columbus, and apparently little push to rename any of them, suggesting that the debate has long been settled for some people with the closest association to the explorer.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Lessons from Win over Philadelphia Eagles

The Pittsburghs   evened their record (2-2) against their in-state rivals, the  Philadelphia Eagles   on Sunday afternoon.
And they had to. It would have been remarkably difficult to make the playoffs if they had gone 1-3.
It wasn't the cleanest game you've ever watched, but as they say, "A win is a win."
In their first four games, the Steelers have not made things very easy on themselves, suffering injuries to key players and amassing a huge number of penalties (more on that in a minute).
Their offense has looked stunted, and their defense has looked porous at times, but against the Eagles, they managed to do enough to squeak out a win.
Let's look at the five things we can take from this game going into a short week.

Google celebrates Niels Bohr’s 127th birthday with Google doodle

Sunday is the 127th birthday of physicist Niels Bohr and Google celebrated the event by placing a  on the Google home page; the news has created an Internet buzz Sunday morning. Google periodically displays a Google doodle to celebrate a birthday or event from history, and as people pull up the Google homepage, they try to discover what the doodle is about for that day. See the links below for other Google doodles.
Niels Henrik David Bohr was born in 1885 in Copenhagen, Denmark and he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. He was well known in the science world for his incredible understanding of atomic structure and quantum mechanics.
Neils also had a strong influence on his family and his son, Aage Bohr, also received the Nobel Prize in 1975.
Niels Bohr was well known for the “Copenhagen interpretation, Complementarity, Bohr model, Sommerfeld–Bohr theory, BKS theory, Bohr-Einstein debates and Bohr magneton,” according to Seroundtable.com.
See the Google doodle for Sunday, October 07, 2012 above.
Bohr died in 1962.

Notre Dame Football: Iconic Program on Right Track to BCS Glory

After a disappointing 2011 season that saw the Notre Dame Fighting Irish finish 8-5 for the second year in a row, the team has addressed their biggest issues and currently hold a 5-0 record.
Another huge 41-3 win over longtime rival Miami proves that the Irish are back to being a legitimate contender and want a shot at BCS glory.
While there is no doubting that Notre Dame is far from perfect this season, the improved fundamentals of not turning the ball over and letting the running game open up the passing attack has made it very clear that the Fighting Irish are here to stay.
http://adf.ly/DUtcD

Kebede wins Chicago Marathon in course record

CHICAGO (AP) - Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia shattered the course record in winning the Chicago Marathon on Sunday morning.
Kebede pulled away late and was all alone, waving to the crowd as he approached the finish at Grant Park and crossing the line in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 38 seconds. That easily eclipsed the previous mark of 2:05:37 set by Kenya's Moses Mosop last year and was more than enough to beat countryman Feyisa Lilesa.
The women's race was also a thriller, with Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia edging Kenya's Rita Jeptoo by about a step. The two traded leads down the stretch, with Jeptoo briefly grabbing it as they turned into Grant Park and Baysa quickly regaining it.
She kept looking over her shoulder during the final stretch and barely hung on, with Jeptoo making one final push and raising her arms at the finish line.
Baysa broke the tape, though, finishing in 2:22:03, one second ahead of Jeptoo. That ended the three-year run of Russia's Liliya Shobukhova, who placed fourth at 2:22:59. Kenya's Lucy Kabuu (2:22:41) was third.
On a cool day that seemed made for a course record, Kebede delivered.
He and Lilesa started to break away over the final three miles, and with about a mile to go, it was clear that this was Kebede's race.
The runner-up to the late Sammy Wanjiru in 2010 in a stirring finish, he simply came on strong as they approached the finish on the way to his second major marathon victory. He also took the top prize at London in 2010.
Ethiopian Tilahun Regassa (2:05:28) was third.
With 42-degree temperatures at the start, the conditions were good for a race marked by tragedy and mishap in recent years.
Chad Schieber, a 35-year-old Michigan police officer and father of three, died during the 2007 marathon in near-90 degree heat.
Race organizers improved communication among various agencies and the runners. They also added more water distribution points and medical aid stations, but tragedy struck again when William Caviness, a 35-year-old North Carolina firefighter, collapsed about 500 yards from the finish line on a day when temperatures reached the high 70s.
There was also a mishap in 2006, when champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya slipped on a wet decal and banged his head as he crossed the finish line.
Mosop won in 2011 with the then-course record but was recovering from an injury and missed Sunday's race. That left Wesley Korir as the favorite in his fifth Chicago appearance after winning in Boston this year, but he dropped off the lead pack around the 20th mile and took fifth.
Shobukhova was looking to put aside a disappointing Olympics and become just the second four-time winner - male or female - in Chicago. The only other runner to do that was Khalid Khannouchi (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).
She had been dealing with a hamstring problem and came up short in this race, after she was unable to finish at the London Games due to stomach cramps.