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American folk singer and civil rights activist Odetta has died. She was 77.She had suffered from heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis on her lungs for many years and was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York last month after suffering from kidney failure. She died on Tuesday December 2 as a result of heart disease. Her manager, Doug Yeager, gave a rousing statement to the press following her death: "May Odetta's luminous spirit and volcanic voice from the heavens live on for the ages. Her voice will never die." Odetta was considered one of the most influential folk singers of her generation, inspiring musicians such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. She was always politically active, performing the slavery song Oh Freedom during the 1963 march on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Odetta was due to perform at Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony in January 2009.Pop and rockFolk musicguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Hey, the Pres-elect wants a big, rambunctious "man's" kind of dog. Anything wrong with that? Wash Post columnist doesn't think so -- on the other hand....
In an exclusive interview with The Early Show's Julie Chen, the Canadian singer talks about all aspects of her life -- from her superstar career, her hit song "My Love" and her family.
The FA will not take any formal action against Liverpool after their players wore T-shirts carrying a message of support for jailed fan Michael Shields
It was a big night at the Gothams for the "Frozen River," which won for best feature and Melissa Leo, the star of the film, was improbably named best breakthrough actor after years in the business.
The Army releases the first audit of its own environmental sustainability efforts.
Croatia's PM orders an inquiry following arrests of opposition activists who used the social networking website Facebook.
Jack Black is one of those guys people have a very distinct reaction to -- they either love him or loathe him. Looking at the picture above, it's sort of a snap to figure out why. Therefore, I am not sure if I bring you good or bad tidings when I say that he has been formally announced as the host of this year's Spike Video Game Awards.
New ways to manipulate neural plasticity - the brain's ability to rewire itself - could make adult brains as facile as young ones, at least in part. Drugs that target these mechanisms might eventually help treat neurological disorders as diverse as Alzheimer's, stroke, schizophrenia, and autism.
The England and Wales Cricket Board expects to confirm within hours that the Test series of India will go ahead after the completion of a security inspection in Chennai. The ECB remains confident despite the febrile atmosphere surrounding the tour that the bulk of the squad will accept the security report that a tour of India remains legitimate and will decide to travel.Reg Dickason, the ECB's security adviser, completed today what appeared to have been a satisfactory inspection of the Chidambaran Stadium, the new venue for the first Test on December 11. He told Press Trust of India: "We had some security concerns and these have been addressed." Dickason now flies on to Mohali, venue for the second Test, and a similar outcome is expected within 48 hours.On the basis of Dickason's preliminary report on Chennai, which will reach them today, the ECB should be emboldened to confirm that England will fly to India at the end of the week via Abu Dhabi, where they will practice for about 48 hours. They may not fly to Chennai until two days before the game.Dickason held security meetings with N Srinivasan, the secretary of the Indian board and also president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, which manages the stadium. He also met the Chennai police commissioner K Radhakrishnan. Srnivasan said: "Based on the discussions held and the clarification given, the BCCI expects no problems with the first Test being held in Chennai."Dickason sought commitment on a range of issues, including the presence of Indian special forces as well as police, an emergency evacuation plan and heightened security in the vicinity of the England dressing room. Radhakrishnan confirmed: "A central access control system will be installed at the vantage point and the players' viewing area and also at the team hotel. The players, upon their arrival here, will be advised to restrict their movements outside the hotel area."The police presence around the hotel and the stadium will be in record numbers and it is likely that all leave will be cancelled during England's stay in the city.Abu Dhabi is struggling to find enough players of sufficient quality to host a practice match and England are likely to make do with two or three days of net practice before entering the Test.England in India 2008-09India Cricket TeamEngland Cricket TeamEngland cricket seriesCricketguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Another layer of the Word of Mouth multi-bird roast. Last minute suggestions, please
Ford Motor Co. will tell Congress that it plans to return to a pretax profit or break even in 2011 when the Detroit Three automakers' CEOs appear before lawmakers this week to request $25 billion in government loans.
Parents! Do you know what your teenage son has got himself into? The answer, according to the people behind such films as new teen comedy Sex Drive, is socks, apple pies, soft fruit and his friends' mums. If it's inanimate or inappropriate, he's been there.Apologies for crassness, but that's exactly the kind of humour regularly employed by Hollywood scriptwriters to describe the coming of age experience. Male teens are sweaty lumps of sexual frustration who will hump anything; they're enthusiastic but useless lovers who think finesse is something you yell when it's over. We have Paul Weitz's genre classic American Pie (in which unions with all the above occur) to thank for this stereotype - which, shockingly, is an improvement on the previous state of affairs. Following the progress of four high-school boys who make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night, the film gifted the sexcom genre with a whole new set of moves. Before Pie, comedy films for the teenage market followed Russ Meyers' mantra - "big laughs and big tits" - but weren't much bothered if the latter squeezed the former out. The format was all about cramming in gross-out gags regardless of the plot, hence the shallow humour of 80s hits such as Caddyshack and Porky's. There were no consequences, there were no lessons, just slobbering blokes chasing after vacuous women - Benny Hill goes Beverly Hills. The relative realism of American Pie (pie-coupling notwithstanding) changed everything. It dealt with the issues that shape teenage sexual behaviour - peer pressure, competitiveness, parental attitudes - without ridicule, and it didn't patronise its audience. Put bluntly, it gave teenage boys a voice as well as a hard-on. Post-Pie, it appears teen comedies are taking a (slightly) more sophisticated view of adolescent sex and sexuality. Sex Drive, the story of one boy's road trip across America to sleep with a girl he's met on the internet, is an example of the developing maturity of the genre's film-makers. Director Sean Anders takes inspiration from the sexual insecurity implicit in Gen-X classics such as Swingers and Clerks; hence, Sex Drive's hero, Ian, isn't just a randy teenager. He's lonely, desperate and hormonal, bullied by an older brother who boasts greater sexual prowess and outgunned by a more experienced best friend. He's also painfully insecure around girls, who tend to ignore or use him. Incidentally, it's significant that here, as in most blockbuster genres, the female characters are still always either sex objects or "one of the boys". The genre's film-makers still have a lot more maturing to do when it comes to their views on equality. Still, it's reassuring that the film industry's love affair with the movies at the extreme end of the scale - the true trash inspired by the genre's moronic, sexist 80s - appears to be fizzling out. It suggests that Hollywood is beginning to realise that most teenagers are driven by more than their base instincts. Concerned parents should take comfort in that. After all, hormones alone are unlikely to turn your teenager pie-fucking crazy. But hormones, plus the influence of Porky's-like idiocy, just might.Sex educationSexual healthguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Two bombs found in bag are defused at station that was attacked last week
Fighting the economic downturn is the government's top priority for the year ahead in a slimmed down Queen's Speech.
Chabad will not allow Mumbai to remain dark.
If you cant criticize the Senate votes of a senator in a Senate race, what can you criticize?
Unlike National Review, all of NRO is available free on the Internet. And free doesnt mean NRO doesnt cost us money. In fact, it costs us a lot.
At least five England players have told former Test bowler Dominic Cork they will not go back to India - but a final decision on the tour may not be made until next week.
Angela Balakrishnan tests your knowledge of the quirky stories making the headlines
The former head of Nigeria's anti-corruption unit is reportedly receiving death threats.