Corey K Katir Brings You Elton John News

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Many airlines celebrate significant milestones with a unique livery on one of their jets. It is not rare to see planes celebrating national events, a significant occurrence in an airline's history, or even sponsored opportunities.

In the USA, one airline that has taken frequent advantage of the opportunity to rebrand their planes is AirTran.

Since they sponsor a number of teams and individuals, AirTran uses their airplanes as a unique way to activate partnerships.

Each special plane is renamed and unique graphics are applied to make it stand out from the rest of the fleet.

Since AirTran has been acquired by Southwest Airlines, the fleet will begin to rebrand to Southwest's livery in 2012. With that in mind, we thought it would be a prime time to take a look back at some of the unique designs they have used over the years.

In 2005, AirTran applied the likeness of music legend Elton John to 20 of their airplanes, and even offered a way to track them all on their website. This was a result of the installation of of XM Radio on board.

Source: AirTran

In 2008, Danica Patrick won her first (and only) IndyCar race for Andretti-Green Racing in Motegi, Japan. As the team's official airline, AirTran launched "AirTranica Won" to commemorate the victory.

Source: AirTran

In a partnership with Orlando, one AirTran craft was logoed with the words "Say YES to Orlando" to promote tourism in the area.

Source: AirTran

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By Steve Persall, Times Movie Critic
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Everything old is gold again after Tuesday's announcement of Academy Awards nominations, with two movies set in cinema's silent era making the most noise.

Martin Scorsese's fanciful Hugo, with its third act focused upon film pioneer Georges Melies, led all films with 11 nominations including best picture and director. The Artist, an affectionate replica of black-and-white, wordless storytelling, was close behind with 10, fully half in major categories.

Makes you wonder if the academy might dump Billy Crystal as host if Charlie Chaplin were still alive.

Beyond those faux vintage frontrunners, nominations for the 84th annual back-patting extravaganza known as the Oscars showed a decidedly gray streak.

Take young buck Jonah Hill out of the supporting actor equation and the group's average age of nominees is 71. Best director and original screenplay nominee Woody Allen (76) remembers when creaky dramas like best picture nominees War Horse and The Help were cutting edge stuff, and The Tree of Life was released as 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Some youth was served along the way, earning a measure of Hollywood Boulevard street cred. Hill's nomination for Moneyball may ensure that we'll never see that sequel to The Sitter that nobody asked for. Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) struck a blow for lowbrow comedy with a supporting actress nod. And Rooney Mara's best actress nomination for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo could make kinky piercings the trendy red carpet fashion accessory.

We'll find out Feb. 26 when the show is televised live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. For now, here are a few thoughts that popped into my head after Oscar nominations were announced:

SNUBS AND SUBS

The best actor race contains two notable surprises. Many observers predicted Leonardo DiCaprio's J. Edgar Hoover impersonation and current "it" guy Michael Fassbender's full frontal sex addict in Shame would make the list.

Instead, the academy nominated first-timer Demian Bichir (TV's Weeds) for his tenderly pensive portrayal of an undocumented immigrant in A Better Life. The fifth slot went to Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), who was snubbed by the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild. The race still looks like George Clooney's (The Descendants) to lose.

Breaks from conventional wisdom were relatively minor in other acting categories. Best actress nominee Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) likely nudged out Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), who has a Screen Actors Guild nomination for consolation.

Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) got the supporting actor nod that many expected to go to Albert Brooks (Drive) after a run of critics awards. Among supporting actresses, Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) was a toss-up choice; Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) or Carey Mulligan (Shame) would fit as nicely.

NO MOUSE IN THE HOUSE

For the first time since the Oscar category for best animated feature film was created in 2001, neither Disney nor its subsidiary Pixar are included among the nominees. Academy voters were rightfully unimpressed with Cars 2 and Gnomeo & Juliet. Not even Elton John's Golden Globe finalist Hello, Hello from the latter film was nominated, while only two songs made the Oscar cut — a record low.

DreamWorks earns animation studio bragging rights this year with three feature nominees: Rango, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots.

More surprising than Disney/Pixar's absence is the inclusion of two 'toons I've honestly never heard of.

A Cat in Paris is a French fantasy about a feline named Dino leading a double life. By day he's the pet of a police officer's daughter. By night he's literally a cat burglar stealing jewelry. Chico & Rita is a Spanish production set in 1948 Cuba, where a piano player and a singer fall in love to bolero rhythms.

Both nominees are handled by obscure distributors without Disney or DreamWorks' bankroll or connection with theaters. We'll let moviegoers know if and when Tampa Bay opening dates are set.

DOG EAT DOG

The most amusing tidbit from Tuesday morning's TV happy chat about the Oscars concerned a rivalry brewing between canine co-stars, stoked by an best supporting actor nominee.

At a recent Newsweek photo shoot, Christopher Plummer (Beginners) reportedly balked at posing with Uggie, a Jack Russell terrier and scene stealer from The Artist. Plummer had his own four-legged co-star in Beginners, a rescued Jack Russell named Cosmo who, unlike Uggie, conveys thoughts with subtitles.

"We had the better dog," Plummer reportedly sniffed. Uggie couldn't be reached for comment.

Steve Persall can be reached at persall@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8365.

What has been described as an aoverzealous clerka at Israelas border crossing with Jordan refused to allow Noam Chomsky, the anti-Israel American-Jewish academic, and darling of the international Far Left, to enter the country.

Chomsky had been invited by Palestinians to lecture at Bir Zeit, one of the West Bankas most radical universities, where incitement is rife against Israel and against Jews in general.

Israel has barred two other prominent American Jews from entering in recent months a Professor Richard Falk and Norman Finkelstein. In Falkas and Finkelsteinas cases both had agitated in a way that could help terrorist groups and adversely affect Israelas national security (in Finkelsteinas case arising in part from his liaisons with Hizbullah on a visit to Lebanon).

Their language is also notorious. Last year, as I pointed out at the time, Norman Finkelstein told The Tehran Times that Israel is a avandal state,a an ainsane state,a a alunatic state,a a aterrorist state,a a asatanic statea from athe boils of hella which ais committing a holocaust in Gazaa.

Although Chomsky has made many odious political pronouncements, and his seeming justification for various massacres during the twentieth century, notably those carried out by Communists, is repugnant, his agitation against Israel is not in the same league as Falkas and Finkelsteinas. It was clearly a mistake of Israel to refuse him entry, as indeed the Israeli government acknowledged as much, saying Chomsky would be welcome if he returned.

Nevertheless, given how much else is happening in the world, it is still an amazing judgment by news editors to lead their world news pages with Chomskyas non-entry into Israel as The Times of London, The New York Times-owned International Herald Tribune, and other papers did. (The Tribune printed a further editorial on it yesterday, calling the treatment of Chomsky aoutrageousa and saying aIsrael has lost its last remnants of tolerancea a I donat recall them ever calling Americaas killing of civilians in Afghanistan and elsewhere aoutrageousa.)

Israelas interior ministry said the official at the border crossing who had refused Chomsky entry was being reprimanded a not that most international papers mentioned this in their often hysterical stories about Israelas behaviour.

aThere is no change in our policy,a said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. aThe idea that Israel is preventing people from entering whose opinions are critical of the state is ludicrous; it is not happening. This was a mishap. A guy at the border overstepped his authority.a

After being barred from entering, Chomsky was quoted as comparing Israel with aStalinas regime.a
As everyone knows (perhaps even Chomsky) Stalin murdered tens of millions of innocent people.

In contrast to the breaking news surrounding Chomsky, very few Western news outlets reported on the banning two weeks ago of British pop star Elton John from performing at a private concert in Egypt for being gay. The news was widely reported in the Middle East and by international agencies like the DPA. Elton John was forced to call off his concert there by the government-controlled Egyptian Musician Union, but will still perform in Israel, where gays are welcome.

There has barely been a peep of protest about the Egyptian decision from his fellow pop stars, including fellow British pop star, Elvis Costello, who did however this week call off his concerts in Israel on June 30 and July 1 following pressure from anti-Israeli activists in Britain.

The Facebook page for Elvis Costello already includes remarks from people criticizing him for the decision.

National Post

Tom Gross is a former Middle East correspondent for the London Sunday Telegraph and the New York Daily News.

Photo:  Elton John sings "Like A Virgin" at Carnegie Hall in New York May 13. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

What has been described as an aoverzealous clerka at Israelas border crossing with Jordan refused to allow Noam Chomsky, the anti-Israel American-Jewish academic, and darling of the international Far Left, to enter the country.

Chomsky had been invited by Palestinians to lecture at Bir Zeit, one of the West Bankas most radical universities, where incitement is rife against Israel and against Jews in general.

Israel has barred two other prominent American Jews from entering in recent months a Professor Richard Falk and Norman Finkelstein. In Falkas and Finkelsteinas cases both had agitated in a way that could help terrorist groups and adversely affect Israelas national security (in Finkelsteinas case arising in part from his liaisons with Hizbullah on a visit to Lebanon).

Their language is also notorious. Last year, as I pointed out at the time, Norman Finkelstein told The Tehran Times that Israel is a avandal state,a an ainsane state,a a alunatic state,a a aterrorist state,a a asatanic statea from athe boils of hella which ais committing a holocaust in Gazaa.

Although Chomsky has made many odious political pronouncements, and his seeming justification for various massacres during the twentieth century, notably those carried out by Communists, is repugnant, his agitation against Israel is not in the same league as Falkas and Finkelsteinas. It was clearly a mistake of Israel to refuse him entry, as indeed the Israeli government acknowledged as much, saying Chomsky would be welcome if he returned.

Nevertheless, given how much else is happening in the world, it is still an amazing judgment by news editors to lead their world news pages with Chomskyas non-entry into Israel as The Times of London, The New York Times-owned International Herald Tribune, and other papers did. (The Tribune printed a further editorial on it yesterday, calling the treatment of Chomsky aoutrageousa and saying aIsrael has lost its last remnants of tolerancea a I donat recall them ever calling Americaas killing of civilians in Afghanistan and elsewhere aoutrageousa.)

Israelas interior ministry said the official at the border crossing who had refused Chomsky entry was being reprimanded a not that most international papers mentioned this in their often hysterical stories about Israelas behaviour.

aThere is no change in our policy,a said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. aThe idea that Israel is preventing people from entering whose opinions are critical of the state is ludicrous; it is not happening. This was a mishap. A guy at the border overstepped his authority.a

After being barred from entering, Chomsky was quoted as comparing Israel with aStalinas regime.a
As everyone knows (perhaps even Chomsky) Stalin murdered tens of millions of innocent people.

In contrast to the breaking news surrounding Chomsky, very few Western news outlets reported on the banning two weeks ago of British pop star Elton John from performing at a private concert in Egypt for being gay. The news was widely reported in the Middle East and by international agencies like the DPA. Elton John was forced to call off his concert there by the government-controlled Egyptian Musician Union, but will still perform in Israel, where gays are welcome.

There has barely been a peep of protest about the Egyptian decision from his fellow pop stars, including fellow British pop star, Elvis Costello, who did however this week call off his concerts in Israel on June 30 and July 1 following pressure from anti-Israeli activists in Britain.

The Facebook page for Elvis Costello already includes remarks from people criticizing him for the decision.

National Post

Tom Gross is a former Middle East correspondent for the London Sunday Telegraph and the New York Daily News.

Photo:  Elton John sings "Like A Virgin" at Carnegie Hall in New York May 13. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

What has been described as an aoverzealous clerka at Israelas border crossing with Jordan refused to allow Noam Chomsky, the anti-Israel American-Jewish academic, and darling of the international Far Left, to enter the country.

Chomsky had been invited by Palestinians to lecture at Bir Zeit, one of the West Bankas most radical universities, where incitement is rife against Israel and against Jews in general.

Israel has barred two other prominent American Jews from entering in recent months a Professor Richard Falk and Norman Finkelstein. In Falkas and Finkelsteinas cases both had agitated in a way that could help terrorist groups and adversely affect Israelas national security (in Finkelsteinas case arising in part from his liaisons with Hizbullah on a visit to Lebanon).

Their language is also notorious. Last year, as I pointed out at the time, Norman Finkelstein told The Tehran Times that Israel is a avandal state,a an ainsane state,a a alunatic state,a a aterrorist state,a a asatanic statea from athe boils of hella which ais committing a holocaust in Gazaa.

Although Chomsky has made many odious political pronouncements, and his seeming justification for various massacres during the twentieth century, notably those carried out by Communists, is repugnant, his agitation against Israel is not in the same league as Falkas and Finkelsteinas. It was clearly a mistake of Israel to refuse him entry, as indeed the Israeli government acknowledged as much, saying Chomsky would be welcome if he returned.

Nevertheless, given how much else is happening in the world, it is still an amazing judgment by news editors to lead their world news pages with Chomskyas non-entry into Israel as The Times of London, The New York Times-owned International Herald Tribune, and other papers did. (The Tribune printed a further editorial on it yesterday, calling the treatment of Chomsky aoutrageousa and saying aIsrael has lost its last remnants of tolerancea a I donat recall them ever calling Americaas killing of civilians in Afghanistan and elsewhere aoutrageousa.)

Israelas interior ministry said the official at the border crossing who had refused Chomsky entry was being reprimanded a not that most international papers mentioned this in their often hysterical stories about Israelas behaviour.

aThere is no change in our policy,a said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. aThe idea that Israel is preventing people from entering whose opinions are critical of the state is ludicrous; it is not happening. This was a mishap. A guy at the border overstepped his authority.a

After being barred from entering, Chomsky was quoted as comparing Israel with aStalinas regime.a
As everyone knows (perhaps even Chomsky) Stalin murdered tens of millions of innocent people.

In contrast to the breaking news surrounding Chomsky, very few Western news outlets reported on the banning two weeks ago of British pop star Elton John from performing at a private concert in Egypt for being gay. The news was widely reported in the Middle East and by international agencies like the DPA. Elton John was forced to call off his concert there by the government-controlled Egyptian Musician Union, but will still perform in Israel, where gays are welcome.

There has barely been a peep of protest about the Egyptian decision from his fellow pop stars, including fellow British pop star, Elvis Costello, who did however this week call off his concerts in Israel on June 30 and July 1 following pressure from anti-Israeli activists in Britain.

The Facebook page for Elvis Costello already includes remarks from people criticizing him for the decision.

National Post

Tom Gross is a former Middle East correspondent for the London Sunday Telegraph and the New York Daily News.

Photo:  Elton John sings "Like A Virgin" at Carnegie Hall in New York May 13. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Elton John is writing his first book, a personal account of the Aids crisis.

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Queenstown Lakes music fans may not have had Elton John play on their doorstep, but they will be spoilt for choice this summer with the wealth of national and international acts lined up.

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