"His name is not in any of our bulletins," Maria A. Smith, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, tells Inquirer reporter Sam Wood. "There is no list, we never even had a list."
Columbus, the famous - Pole?!
Christopher Columbus, who (re)discovered our fine continent centuries after the Vikings' blood-splattered sojourn, wasn't born in the Italian port of Genoa, but was the son of a Polish king.
No, this isn't a tasteless joke, but a serious claim by Portuguese historian Manuel Rosa, who claims Columbus actually was the son of King Vladislav III. Rosa says the king didn't die in the Battle of Varna in 1444, as is generally believed, but fled to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where he married a local noblewoman. Rosa says the family agreed to keep their origins secret.
Rosa has requested that the remains of King Vladislav III's father, King Vladislav II, natch, be made available for DNA tests.
Celebs remember Leslie Nielsen
"To this day
Airplane! is still one of my favorite comedies ever." So tweets
American Idol host
Ryan Seacrest, one of many boldfacers who continue to pour out Twitter sentiments in the wake of
Airplane! star
Leslie Nielsen's death on Sunday.
Funnyman Russell Brand also had Airplane! in mind, writing, "RIP. Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed." [A reference to a famed Nielsen josh: "Surely you can't be serious." "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."]
Nielsen friend Marlee Matlin tweets, "What a lovely, funny, talented man. He will be missed. RIP." An unlikely pal, unkempt rocker Slash, tweets, "U my friend, will be missed big time. Wow, what a loss."
Oscar duties bequeathed to the young
In a refreshing break with tradition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has chosen two conspicuously young stars to host the Feb. 27 Academy Awards:
Anne Hathaway, 28, and
James Franco, 32.
