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Chinese astronauts wave to cameras, remove make-up, drive home.

Chinese publish tales from space, even before take-off - Times Online

With a burst of flame and smoke, a Chinese rocket blasted off into orbit yesterday. But it was the state news agency that moved faster than the speed of light, publishing the transcript of an “in-space” conversation between the astronauts before they had even left Earth.

The Xinhua news agency posted an article on its website breathlessly describing the Shenzhou VII spacecraft in orbit and quoting exchanges between the crew, possibly during the most important part of the mission: China’s first spacewalk. The only problem was that the crew were still on terra firma.

The story had disappeared by the end of the day and its appearance was described as a technical error. The gaffe highlighted China’s readiness to resort to sleight of hand — if not outright fakery — to present a perfect public image, such as the little girl who lip-synched at the Olympics opening ceremony because the child who did the actual singing was not deemed pretty enough.

Back in real time, China yesterday really did launch the riskiest mission so far of its fledgeling space programme, sending three astronauts on a voyage whose highlight will be the space walk.

I guess his forclosure/bankruptcy was worse than we thought

McGangsta: Ed McMahon to rap in viral videos

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ed McMahon has an unexpected new job title: rapper. The 85-year-old former “Tonight Show” sidekick will star in two viral rap videos for FreeCreditReport.com, a financial Web site owned by credit bureau Experian.

The videos feature McMahon wearing a tracksuit, being chauffeured around Los Angeles in a Cadillac Escalade golf cart and waxing lyrical about his very public financial troubles.

“I knew I could sing the blues, but I didn’t know I could rap,” McMahon said Wednesday.

The videos will appear online in October.

Charles Harris, FreeCreditReport.com’s vice president of strategic marketing, said the company sought out McMahon to star in the humorous spots after seeing him openly discuss his finances on “Larry King Live.” Harris said McMahon represents “a man who is taking charge.”

The only illusion here is that people are still paying this guy. What? ABC couldn’t find anymore “funniest home videos” to fill the timeslot?

The Blaine Game - No dive, no death

Illusionist David Blaine’s upside-down stunt in New York has been labelled a sham by onlookers, while he has admitted it ended in failure.

The crowd gathered in Central Park booed as he was lowered on a rope attached to the metal harness used to suspend him upside down for 60 hours, the Daily Mail reports.

Blaine, 35, was accused of cheating after taking breaks to go to the toilet, drink and receive routine checks by a doctor, but said he had always intended to take the breaks.

“I think the confusion that people had is they didn’t understand: ‘why is he taking breaks’,” Blaine said.

“The truth of the matter is there’s no way to relieve yourself and not put everybody beneath you at risk, basically.”

“I had to keep hydrated since I was fasting - if I was eating then I would need to take real breaks.”

The New York Daily News reports that before being hoisted above the ground, he told reporters he intended to drink through a straw and urinate through a catheter during the stunt.

‘Give us a break’ their headline read, saying there were more boos than cheers.

But Blaine took five-to-ten minute breaks every hour, standing upright on a cherry picker as he drank water and went to the toilet.

“I’m not going to pee all over myself to satisfy those people,” he said.

Blaine also blamed his failed “Dive of Death’ finish on a delay caused by President George Bush’s TV address on the state of the economy.

He said strong winds forced to him to cancel a 44ft plunge to the ground as the dramatic ending.

The Daily Mail reports that he should have been lowered at 9pm on Wednesday night, but had to wait an extra 15 minutes.

Blaine said while waiting for the address to finish the wind picked up and producers of his TV special advised him against the spectacular ending.

He accepted people were left disappointed by the stunt.

“I knew that it didn’t work right when all my friends called me up and said: ‘Wait, what happened, I’m confused’,” he said.

Critics said the ‘Dive of Death’ title was deliberately misleading as ‘there was no dive and thanks to regular breaks when he was allowed to stand upright with little risk of death’, the Daily Mail reports.

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