Wing walker dies after falling 200 feet from plane at Selfridge Air Show!

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wxyz.com / Posted: 08/21/2011 / Last Updated: 45 minutes ago.

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - A wing walker, whose stunt went wrong during an air show at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, has died. His death was confirmed by a spokesperson for Mt. Clemens Regional Medical Center.

Todd Green fell 200 feet from a moving plane as he tried to climb onto a passing helicopter.  Officials said he was flying on a Steerman aircraft operated by John Mohr.  When he fell, many people thought it was part of the act.

“All of a sudden something just trickled out of the helicopter,” said Amanda Cull. “We thought he had a parachute because early guys were falling out in parachutes.”

  

The 127th Wing released the following news release regarding the incident:

At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, 2011, during an acrobatic aircraft performance during the 2011 Selfridge Air Show and Open House, civilian performer Todd Green fell approximately 200 feet while attempting to transfer from a fixed wing aircraft to a helicopter. Mr. Green died as a result of the fall.

"The entire Selfridge family joins together in mourning the death of Mr. Green. Our hearts reach out to those who are impacted by this tragedy, including his family, friends and our many visitors who witnessed this tragic event," said Col. Michael Thomas, 127th Wing commander at Selfridge. "As Airmen, we understand the inherent risks associated with flight, but we aviators are a close-knit family, and when a tragedy like this occurs we all share in the loss."

Selfridge officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Traffic Safety Board to investigate the accident.

Mr. Green was walking on the wing of a Stearman biplane flown by John Mohr and attempting to transfer to a helicopter flown by Roger Buis at the time of the incident. Mr. Green had successfully completed the maneuver during the air show on Saturday in similar weather conditions.

   

Full Story at,

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/homepage_showcase/accident-at-selfridge-air-show

TERROR ON NORWAY: The germs of madness!

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Tabish Khair, The Hindu / August 6, 2011.

Beyond belief: Norwegians mourn their dead - AFP.

It is easy to dismiss Anders Behring Breivik as a monster. But he, like monsters everywhere, is a product of his society, of the unspoken xenophobia that stalks Europe today. It is not multiculturalism but the contradiction at the heart of a welfare society like Europe that is responsible for such tragedies, says Tabish Khair.

Anders Behring Breivik might be mad, as his lawyer claims. If so, then a significant minority of Europeans share the germs of his madness.

I first heard of the Norway attacks some hours after they took place, on my way to the Hong Kong book fair on July 22. TV screens in Copenhagen and Helsinki, where I had to change flights, reported the tragedy. The details were unclear then; I was rushing to catch my flights. Oh no, I recall thinking, another crazy Islamist! I shuddered at the thought of the deaths and suffering as well as the usual rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims and multiculturalism that I could imagine sprouting in many European quarters.

By the time I reached Hong Kong on the 23rd, the details were clearer. There had been a car bomb explosion outside the executive government offices of Oslo in the afternoon, killing and critically wounding about 20 people. The second attack had occurred less than two hours later at a camp organised by the youth wing of the Norwegian Labour Party (AP) on the peaceful island of Utøya. A gunman, disguised as a policeman, had opened cold and sustained fire at the participants, killing about 70 attendees, including personal friends of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a stepbrother of Norway's crown princess. The Norwegian Police soon arrested Breivik, a 32-year-old man, and charged him with both attacks.

Relief is not the right word in the light of such a senseless tragedy, and yet — coming from where I did — I felt something like relief at the fact that Breivik was a light-haired, light-eyed, white Norwegian nationalist who apparently considered himself a ‘Christian'. As such, I was a bit surprised — writers Junot Diaz and Ravi Shankar shared my surprise — when accusing fingers continued to be raised at immigrants and multiculturalism in the West.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article2330475.ece

Anti Corruption Movement: Use political platform to indulge in politics: Soni to Ramdev!

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http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_jan_lokpal/?copy

PTI / The Hindu.

New Delhi: Union Ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik, Virbhadra Singh and Krishna Tirath after a cabinet meeting in New Delhi on Thursday - PTI.

Baba Ramdev should use a political platform if he wants to indulge in politics, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said here on Thursday.

“Baba Ramdev has taught yoga across the country and that is the basis of his popularity. When he share the dias with people who are known to have divided the country in the name of religion, then you can only imagine what goes on in the mind of the common man.

“Those who want to indulge in politics should use a political platform,” Ms. Soni said when asked to comment on the yoga guru’s indefinite fast on the issue of black money.

Madam, 

I am an apolitical citizen and do not appreciate the Flip-Flop Ramdev's dramatics or trivialisation of Corruption & Black Money by the political parties.

This rigmarole is being repeated by all Goebbelss of Congress to the divert public attention from the core issue of bringing back the Black Money stashed away, abroad as well as ferreting out that which is still in India.

I also strongly condemn the act of demolition of Babri Masjid.

I still hold whether they are in jail or out, being still citizens of India, have not a right but responsibility to demand some action on the above discussed core issue, that has been the gangrene of India.

Congress and / or its allies do not have 'licencing powers' to grant on who could raise voice or not on issues of National importance.

Your own party was not averse to roping in for electoral campaigns or even admitting celebrities into your party.

Finally, stop competing with BJP in trivialising this crucial issue of our National Importance and let us know what is your Party's and UPA Government's stand on the all pervading corruption at all levels and planes.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2090787.ece