Germanwings crash: Mother, daughter among 3 American victims

Story highlights

• Third American killed on Germanwings flight identified as Robert Calvo
• State Department says three Americans were on the plane
• Co-workers, friends in shock at deaths of mother and daughter from Virginia

Yvonne Selke and her daughter, Emily, were aboard Germanwings Flight 9525 that crashed Tuesday in the French Alps. They, along with the other 148 people on board that flight, are presumed dead.

"I just keep saying over and over, it's surreal. You always see these things on the news and you think it's horrible, but you never know anyone involved," said Haley Holmes, a close friend of Emily Selke's.

"I think what people need to know about them, and what people should know about them, is that they were two -- not two Americans on a plane, not a mother and daughter on a plane -- but Yvonne and Emily -- two amazing, loving people who left behind friends and family who love and miss them a lot," Holmes told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

Emily Selke had belonged to Gamma Sigma Sigma's Zeta chapter at Drexel University. She was a membership vice president while at the sorority and "an integral part of our growing chapter," according to the chapter's Facebook page.

"She embodied the spirit of Gamma Sigma Sigma," the sorority said. "As a person and friend, Emily always put others before herself and cared deeply for all those in her life. Emily will be greatly missed by her fellow sisters of Zeta."

A music industry major, Emily Selke graduated with honors from the Philadelphia university, according to the school. She then went on to work around Washington for Carr Workplaces, a company that offers office space, meeting rooms and virtual offices, company spokesman Robert Beach said.

"We cherished Emily's work ethic, enthusiasm, humor and overall presence," said Beach, calling her "dedicated, helpful and always willing to go the extra mile."

"Her genuine, bright smile and quick wit will be missed," he added.

Yvonne Selke worked for Booz Allen Hamilton. Betty Thompson, an executive vice president with that consulting firm, described Yvonne as "a wonderful co-worker and a dedicated employee" in a statement to The Washington Post.

Holmes said Yvonne Selke was "a lovely spirit to be around," fiercely loyal to the people she loved.

"Our entire family is deeply saddened by the losses of Yvonne and Emily Selke. Two wonderful, caring, amazing people who meant so much to so many. At this difficult time we respectfully ask for privacy and your prayers," the Selke family said in a statement.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that three Americans were on the plane.

The third American was Robert Calvo, according to Desigual, the clothing company for which he worked for in Spain.

Students, singers among the victims

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/us/germanwings-crash-american-victims/

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New homeowner selling house because he can't get Comcast Internet

One unluckyman who bought a house that can't get wired Internet service is reportedly selling the home just months after moving in.

Seth, a software engineer who works at home, bought a house in Kitsap County, Washington state after being told by multiple Comcast employees that he could buy the Internet service he needs to do his job, according to a detailed Consumerist articleyesterday. Seth also wrote a lengthy account on his blogtitled, "Its Comcastic, or: I Accidentally Bought a House Without Cable." (The man's last name was not given.)

"Before we even made an offer [on the house], I placed two separate phone calls; one to Comcast Business, and one to Xfinity," Seth wrote. "Both sales agents told me that service was available at the address. The Comcast Business agent even told me that a previous resident had already had service. So I believed them."

That turned outto be untrue. After multiple visits from Comcast technicians, he says the company told him extending its network to his house would cost $60,000, of which he would have to pay an unspecified amount. But then Comcast allegedly pulled the offer.

"After about seven weeks of pointless install appointments, deleted orders, dead ends, and vague sky-high estimates, Comcast told him that it had decided to simply not do the extension," according to the Consumerist story. "The company wouldnt even listen to Seths offers to pay for a good chunk of the cost."

We contacted Comcast to get more details last night but haven't heard back.

After getting nowhere with Comcast, Seth tried getting DSL Internet from CenturyLink, which told himit could provide service of up to 10Mbps.

"After that very first Comcast tech told Seth there was no cable infrastructure to his house, he contacted CenturyLink. The company promised to get him hooked up right away," Consumerist wrote. "But then the next day he got a call informing him that his area was in 'Permanent Exhaust' and that CenturyLink wouldnt be adding new customers. Of course, that didnt stop CenturyLink from billing Seth more than $100 for service he never received and will never be able to receive. Seth then had to convince someone with CenturyLinks billing department to zero out the account that should have never been opened."

Besides Comcast and CenturyLink, theKitsap Public Utility District operates a gigabit fiber network that passes near Seth's house, Consumerist wrote. "So why cant he just get his service from the county?Because Washington is one of the half-dozen states that forbids municipal broadband providers from selling service directly to consumers," the article said.

Nationwide, about 20 states impose limits on municipal broadband in order to protect private Internet providers from competition. The Federal Communications Commission voted to preempt such lawsin Tennessee and North Carolina after receiving petitions from municipal providers in those states, but is facing a lawsuit over the decision.

Consumerist reporter Chris Morran contacted both Comcast and CenturyLink but was unable to get a satisfactory answer about Seth's case, he wrote.

"Even though Comcast was given weeks to research and comment on Seths story, the company has yet to provide Consumerist with a statement or explanation of how it could not only fail to keep an accurate accounting of serviceable addresses, but why it continued to send tech after tech to do installs that couldnt be done," Morran's article states.

CenturyLink provided Consumerist a short statement: "We researched the issue and found that there was an error in our system, which we are updating.

"That was two days ago, and yet as of right now the CenturyLink website still says Seths address can get broadband service," Morran wrote.

To get his work done, Seth wrote that he is using a Verizon Wireless mobile hotspot that is "frightfully expensive and has a 30GB per month cap...When I want to download a big file, like an OS update or a VM image for work, I go to the local Starbucks. Their Wi-Fi is great."

Seth could get satellite service but his work requires a VPN connection, which would be unreliable with satellite's high latency.

While Comcast, the country's biggest cable company, tells the federal government it faces so much competitionthat it should be allowed to merge with the second biggest cable operator, agovernment database designed to tell consumers what options they have for Internet service is offering inaccurate information.

The National Broadband Maplets you enter any address in the US to find out what Internet accessoptions are available. The database shows 10 options at Seth's house, including mobile and satellite, but they're all eitherinadequate for home Internet service or unavailable. One of the 10 options is that fiber network that residents cannot use.

"Im devastated. This means we have to sell the house," Seth wrote. "The house that I bought in December, and have lived in for only two months."

Source: http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/03/new-homeowner-selling-house-because-he-cant-get-comcast-internet/

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Cambodian PM: Michelle Obama's visit to promote education was US 'just ...

Hours after the Army charged him with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl released a two-page statement through his attorney that gives his account of what happened during the five years he was held captive by the Taliban.

Bergdahl said that for the first three months, he was "chained to a bed spread-eagle and blindfolded," and because he spent so much time unable to move, his muscles atrophied. After a year, he was placed in a cage with his feet chained every night. He developed acute pain, he said, which turned into a "freezing numbness that continues to the present, as both feet have neuropathy." He was always isolated, sometimes in total darkness and other times in constant light.

He said he tried to escape at least 12 times, and once was able to hide for nine days. Because he had no food and only drank "putrid" water, his body gave up and he was caught by a large Taliban search party, who went on to beat him and "tried to rip my beard and hair out." His captors played mind games, he stated, telling him one day he would be executed, and the next day he would be going home. For the entire time he was held captive, Bergdahl wrote, he had "absolutely no understanding of anything that was happening behind the door I was held behind."

Source: http://theweek.com/speedreads/546444/cambodian-pm-michelle-obamas-visit-promote-education-just-playing-around

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Ad-Rock Thinks Iggy Azalea Is Awful, But Kanye West's Totally Alright

By Marissa G. Muller

Like everyone else, Ad-Rock has an opinion on Iggy Azalea. But unlike everyone else, the Beastie Boys member is actually in a prime position to address the controversial Australian rapper considering his group faced similar accusations of cultural appropriation when they were active.

When asked his thoughts on Azalea, ina new interview with The Daily Beast, Ad-Rock didnt hold back.

We wore fin Puma suits and do-rags, so of course we did! he said, referring to the similar criticism that the group came under. She sounds like Da Brat. I cant say too much because Ive heard literally one song of hers, and its not for me. I was gonna say its awful, and it is awful. But what do I know? Its sold like 20 billion records, so people like it. I dont care, more than anything.

Related: Beastie Boys Win Sampling Lawsuit Over Pauls Boutique

Harsh, but Ad-Rock was much more empathetic when it came to talking about the Blurred Lines verdict, which ordered Robin Thicke and Pharrell to pay the Gaye estate $7.4 million for plagiarism.

[The jury] werent allowed to hear the song in the case but they saw the charts for it, and if youre basing a legal case on drum patterns and bass notes, its a billion songs! he said. Its a simple 4/4 drum pattern that every rap, rock, everything, uses.

Certainly, he has authority to speak there; the Beastie Boys just won a lawsuit over sampling they did inPauls Boutiquethough sampling is, of course, in a different vein from what was alleged (stealing from the source material) in Blurred Lines.

Oh, and hes not so sure about the state of rap as a whole, but he does like Kanye West.

I haveno ideaabout the state of rap, he said. I dont pay attention. I just listen to old music that I have. Once a year, Ill go do a digging search on things, and then listen to that for the next year or two. I like Kanye West he makes good music.

You can read the rest of his interview here.

Source: http://radio.com/2015/03/25/ad-rock-interview-iggy-azalea-kanye-west/

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Darren Sharper -- Hall of Famers Rally Against Him ... 'He Isn't Getting In'

Hall of Famers Rally Against Him 'He Isn't Getting In'

3/25/2015 1:02 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Several NFL Hall of Famers tell TMZ Sports ... they are united AGAINST the possibility of Darren Sharper joining their elite group ... with one star putting it bluntly, "He isn't getting in."

As we previously reported, Sharper is still eligible to make the HOF -- despite the fact he's a convicted rapist -- because voters are instructed to IGNORE the players' off-the-field lives.

But multiple former NFL stars who are currently enshrined in Canton tell us they don't like the fact that Sharper could join them one day. Here are some of the strongest quotes:

John Randle(inducted 2010) -- "My gut says he'll never get in. At the end of the day, it looks bad upon the Hall if someone in prison for rape receives that honor. It taints the group."

Willie Roaf( inducted 2012) -- "If Sharper was inducted, it would shine a bad light on the Hall. He would have to do a complete image makeover. I don't know if that's possible."

Dan Hampton(inducted 2002) -- "Darren Sharper has no business being considered for induction into this exclusive fraternity. The systematic commission of these heinous crimes that [he] has committed should preclude him from any HOF consideration. Simple as that."

Another HOFer who wished to remain anonymous went even stronger -- "He isn't getting in. I don't care what the rules say about only considering what happened on the field."

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2015/03/25/darren-sharper-nfl-hall-of-fame-john-randle-willie-roaf-dan-hampton/

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Outside Lands 2015 Lineup Announced! Here's A Playlist To Get You Pumped

Every summer, audiophiles descend on Golden Gate Park for Outside Lands, a weekend of stuffing your face full of churros, sipping whiskey on blankets, getting lightly trampled, having at least one crippling case of agoraphobia, and, oh yeah, listening to tons of live music. Last year, Kanye West, Tom Petty, Macklemore, and Disclosurerocked it out, andthis years roster isjust as good!

Elton John is set to continue the trend of an English Sir headlining (Paul McCartney did the honorsat Outside Lands two years ago). Sam Smith and DAngelo, a.k.a. the voices to which innumerable babies have beenconceived, willromance the pants off you. If you want to propose to your boo, maybe you can convince Billy Idol to let you on stage duringWhite Wedding. Kendrick Lamar, fresh off his amazing surprise album, will be there to blow your mind. AndMumford & Sons and Wilco will be representing the folksy set. I could go on about how pumped you should be, but the power of music does it so much better, so heres a mix to get you ready for Outside Lands 2015!

And heres the full lineup:

Elton JohnMumford & SonsThe Black KeysSam SmithKendrick LamarWilcoAxwell & IngrossoTame ImpalaDAngelo and The VanguardSt. VincentPorter RobinsonBen Harper & The Innocent CriminalsBilly IdolG-EazyHot ChipSlightly StoopidCaribouMilky ChanceChet FakerThe Devil Makes ThreeNate RuessODESZAFirst Aid KitToro Y MoiRL GrimeLake Street DiveMac DeMarcoGeorge EzraLindsey StirlingIrationAngus & Julia StoneDJ MustardSt. Paul and The Broken BonesGlass AnimalsLaura MarlingJames BayGreen Velvet & Claude VonStroke: Get RealDjango DjangoClassixxKarl Densons Tiny UniverseSky FerreriaLeon BridgesRobert DeLongUnknown Mortal OrchestraSZAAllah-LasShakey GravesDan DeaconBenjamin BookerMisterwivesLanghorne Slim & The LawRyn WeaverBroodsHurray for the Riff RaffGiraffageGIVERSAlvvaysTwin PeaksThe Family CrestThe RevivalistsMETZStrand of OaksSpeedy OrtizFantastic NegritoDMAsNatalie PrassAlex Bleeker & The FreaksThe Sam ChaseDevon BaldwinThe Tropics

Source: http://ww2.kqed.org/pop/2015/03/24/outside-lands-2015-lineup-announced-heres-a-playlist-to-get-you-pumped/

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Darren Sharper -- Eligible For HOF ... Despite Rape Conviction

Eligible For Hall Of Fame... Despite Rape Conviction

3/24/2015 3:01 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Despite the fact he'll be locked up for the next 9 years, convicted rapist Darren Sharper is still eligible to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- and based on his numbers alone, there's a real possibility it could happen.

TMZ Sports spoke with Joe Horrigan -- Executive V.P. of the Selection Process for the Pro Football HOF -- who tells us there's nothing in the bylaws preventing a convicted criminal from being enshrined in Canton.

Horrigan says as long as the player has been out of the league for 5 years and has made at least 1 All-Pro team ... that person is eligible.

That being said ... the Exec. V.P. says it's POSSIBLE voters will take Sharper's crimes into account when voting for the former New Orleans Saints superstar -- but they're not supposed to.

FYI ... Sharper played 14 seasons in the league and was a 6-time All-Pro ... widely considered one of the best safeties of his era.

Sharper last played in 2010 ... so he would be eligible as early as 2016.

Stay tuned ...

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2015/03/24/darren-sharper-eligible-nfl-hall-of-fame-rape-conviction/

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