Carnival apologizes and says cruise passengers may dress in drag

Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines quickly apologized Tuesday after finding itself in hot water with gay passengers on an upcoming drag cruise, who were told to "refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas" — or be kicked off the liner Glory.

"Anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so," Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill wrote in a letter to passengers, adding that anyone still unhappy could cancel travel and receive a full refund including “reimbursement for any non-refundable travel related expenses.”

The Drag Stars at Sea cruise is scheduled to depart PortMiami on Sunday, visit ports throughout the Caribbean and return Dec. 9. About 1,000 passengers (one-third of the Glory’s total travelers) booked through AlandChuck Travel, a gay-oriented travel company in Sarasota, according to Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen.

The AlandChuck guests are scheduled to be entertained separately throughout the cruise by well-known drag stars who’ve appeared on Logo TV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Monday afternoon, AlandChuck’s guests received an “urgent notice” via email from Vicky Rey, Carnival’s vice president for guest services:

“Carnival attracts a number of families with children and for this reason; we strive to present a family friendly atmosphere. It is important to us that all guests are comfortable with every aspect of the cruise. Although we realize this group consists solely of adults, we nonetheless expect all guests to recognize that minors are onboard and, refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas,” Rey wrote.

“Arrangements have been made for drag performances in the main theater featuring stars from LOGO TV. These functions will be private and only the performers are permitted to dress in drag while in the theater. Guests are not allowed to dress in drag for the performances or in public areas at any time during the cruise.”

Within hours, gay travelers and their friends had posted hundreds of angry messages on AlandChuck’s Facebook page.

“This is where I WANT my DISLIKE button. This is ridiculous and if this was the case it should have been communicated far before six days before the cruise. Drag is not a costume in my opinion it’s an expression of speech. Our rights are being violated,” posted Tommie Tiboni of Phoenix.

Al Ferguson of AlandChuck quickly posted in Carnival’s defense: “Please take note, Carnival’s regulation is NOT an example of discrimination. Carnival is an ally of the GLBT community. Please understand that this cruise could not even be happening on the GLORY if Carnival was not an ally of our segment of society. When they say they are a "family friendly" cruise line they mean it in both the traditional and metaphorical sense of the phrase.”

Still, some passengers demanded refunds.

“My husband doesn’t want to go now,” said Shane Windmeyer of Charlotte, N.C., who planned to travel with Tommy Feldman. “We’ve been together 17 years now and the last thing we want to do is go on a cruise where we don’t feel welcome.

“What was expressed by Carnival is discrimination in the worst way,” said Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, a nonprofit organization for LGBT students. “We paid about $2,500 for two of us. We got a balcony. it was my birthday gift for turning 40. I’ve been looking forward to it since May.”

Windmeyer said despite the apology, he and Feldman won’t be on the cruise.

“My husband does not want to go,” Windmeyer said. “It would be like dragging a cat on board.”

Michael Teague of Phoenix said on Facebook that he decided to take the trip. “This was a professional blunder of the highest order. I will still be on the cruise.”

The controversy put a spotlight on Carnival’s treatment of gay employees and travelers. This year, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest gay-rights group, rated the cruise line’s parent company “zero” on its Corporate Equality Index. (Royal Caribbean International scored 90 on the survey; American Airlines a perfect 100.)

Carnival, which told The Miami Herald on Tuesday that it offers medical/dental/disability insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners and protects gay workers with the company’s nondiscrimination policy, earned the zero for not responding to HRC’s survey.

“When I see a company like Carnival ... not engage with the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization that has for 10 years has been benchmarking corporate America, it strikes me as a missed opportunity,” said Deena Fidas, deputy director of HRC’s Workplace Project.

Carnival said Tuesday it would soon be in touch with HRC.

“We checked on the HRC survey and have been told that our human resources department has been in touch with the organization and is in the process of completing the survey,” Gulliksen said in an email to The Herald.

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Man who died during roach-eating contest choked on bug parts, autopsy says

A man who collapsed during a roach-eating contest last month at a Broward pet shop died from choking on insect parts, according to the Broward medical examiner.

The death of Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach, has been ruled an accident, Medical Examiner Craig Mallak said Monday in an advisory. An autopsy tested negative for toxic substances.

Archbold’s airway became obstructed with “arthropod body parts” and he died of asphyxia, according to the medical examiner.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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ChannelAdvisor says eBay sales up 57 percent early on Cyber Monday

(Reuters) – ChannelAdvisor said client sales on eBay Inc‘s online marketplace jumped 57 percent from a year before early on Cyber Monday.

The sales growth rate was five times higher than during the same period last year, said ChannelAdvisor, which helps merchants sell more on websites including Amazon.com Inc and eBay.com.

Client sales on Amazon.com were up 52 percent during the first part of Cyber Monday, ChannelAdvisor also reported.

(Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Internet News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Larry Hagman's First ET Interview

As fans of Larry Hagman continue to mourn his death, we delved into our video vault to find his first interview with ET!

In the interview -- which took place shortly after he received a star on Hollywood's historic Walk of Fame in 1981 -- the Dallas star talks about playing the show's villain J.R. Ewing, who at the time was one of television's most famous faces around the world. 

VIDEO: Larry Hagman Charms in Final ET Interview

When asked about the honor of getting his own star, Hagman jokes with the interviewer. "Have you ever been a star? Well I never have either and now I know what's its like."

Watch the video to hear Hagman speculate on why "bad guys finish first" and to hear his positive motto for living life to the fullest. 

RELATED: Barbara Eden Mourns Death of Larry Hagman

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Mob boss rats out 'pals' for feds at trial

Mob turncoat Joseph “Big Joey” Massino — who went from Mafia boss to canary for the feds — continued ratting out his old pals today as he took the witness stand in Brooklyn federal court.

But first he described his own greatest hits.

Testifying for the government at the racketeering trial of reputed Genovese capo Anthony “Rom” Romanello, prosecutors had Massino describe his mob resume of murder and mayhem as he rose through the ranks of the Bonannos, one of New York’s notorious Five Families.

The rotund Massino — wearing a black and grey zip-up sweatshirt — eased his considerable girth into the witness stand and put on his glasses before a prosecutor walked him through his life of crime.

Massino said he was in the Bonanno family from 1972 to 2004, rising to the level of boss.</p><p>“Is there anyone else in the Mafia in this courtroom?” the prosecutor asked.

Massino pointed straight to the defense table and calmly said: “The man sitting over there with the glasses, Romanello.”</p><p>Romanello is on trial for racketeering and extortion.

When the prosecutor asked Massino to sum up his life in the Bonanno family, the witness answered without flinching: “Twelve murders, bookmaking, breaking and entering into a factory, shylocking.”

“It’s all about money,” said Massino, adding that his business associates never hesitated to use violence to get their money. “All the time. If you don’t pay they put you in the hospital.”

Additional reporting by David K. Li

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Shifting tides of Panama real estate echo Miami trends

PANAMA CITY, Panama — As a real estate agent shows off a model apartment — white leather sectional, stainless steel appliances, open concept, ocean views — in the 59-story Yacht Club Tower, and touts its fitness center and pool deck designed to mimic a ship floating on the sea, he makes a telling statement:

“We tried to emulate the Miami style in this building.”

Approaching this Central American capital from the air, the first thing a traveler notices is a skyline on steroids — gleaming towers jutting skyward like so many pickets on a fence. There’s even a Trump high-rise here — the sail-shaped 72-story Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower. And it’s not uncommon for those active in Miami real estate and development circles to try their luck in Panama or move back and forth between the markets.

Although Miami is nearly 1,200 miles from Panama City, the real estate markets of the two cities share certain similarities. Both went through booms and overbuilding and then had way too many empty condominiums. Wealthy Latin American buyers were a salvation in both cities when traditional segments of the market fell off.

“Now that things are starting to pick up in the States, they are picking up here too. Now that there’s not as much economic uncertainty in the United States, people feel more confident about Panama too,’’ said Morris Hafeitz, general manger of Emporium Developers. He used to work in Miami as a project manager for Odebrecht, the Brazilian conglomerate.

Now Hafeitz is trying to sell Allure at the Park, a 50-story building Emporium developed in Panama City’s Bella Vista neighborhood. The building is chock full of amenities — gym, teenage game room, adult lounge, toddler playroom, pool, squash court and even miniature golf on the roof — but one of its main selling points is that it overlooks a park and two low-rise historic buildings. “In the heart of the city without the hassles of the city,’’ said Hafeitz.

During the boom, many buildings in central Panama City went up practically on top of each other. “In the beginning of the boom there were no regulations on density,’’ said Mauricio Saba, a project manager at Zoom Development in Panama City and another Miami real estate alum. “I have a friend who said he could watch his neighbor’s TV from his balcony.’’

Margarita Sanclemente, a Miami real estate broker with offices in Panama City and New York, has seen it all — the boom, the irrational building and the slowdown — and has stuck with the Panamanian market.

She first ventured into Panama in 2005. The Panamanian real estate market, which had been sluggish for more than a decade, was undergoing a rebirth and Americans, lured by low prices and the low cost of living, were snapping up properties.

The sweet spot was the 1,000 to 1,500-square-foot apartment, sans maid’s quarters, which appealed to retirees from Canada and the United States, she said.

That was back when Americans still believed you couldn’t go wrong with real estate. “Some of the buyers didn’t even see the units. We sold them by phone,’’ Sanclemente said. Condo prices at new buildings such as Destiny averaged $98 to $120 per square foot. She herself bought a 1,000 square foot, one bedroom condo for $123,000 back in 2005.

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Rubio, Earth and the Elections Industrial Complex

MiamiHerald.com/columnists

Don’t let the calendar fool you. It’s already 2016.

Like it or not, the Elections Industrial Complex has unofficially declared it so.

We are in a state of constant campaigns brought to you by the political-consultant class, polarizing bloggers, cable TV personalities and the ubiquitous partisan trolls who patrol Twitter in search of the latest outrage.

And they’re eying and arguing nonstop over people like Marco Rubio, Florida’s junior senator.

In the week leading up to and including Election Day, Rubio garnered about 304 media mentions, according to a news-clip search in the Nexis database. In the week after: 780 mentions – a 160 percent increase.

It won’t let up. Rubio will be a key surrogate in the mid-term elections in 2014 and he’ll play a major role in the next presidential election.

The first wave of post-election Rubio-related stories was fairly predictable, premised on the whither-the-GOP storyline after President Obama won a second term. As the most high-profile Hispanic Republican, Rubio was indispensible to a narrative about attracting minority support. His name was repeatedly mentioned as a 2016 presidential hopeful.

It didn’t hurt that Rubio, 11 days after the election, attended a birthday fundraiser for the governor of Iowa, site of the first GOP presidential caucuses four years hence.

Rubio actually accepted the invitation months before, during the Republican National Convention in Tampa. He expected Mitt Romney would actually have won the presidential contest Nov. 6, so Rubio’s attendance in Iowa wouldn’t have looked like a premature bid for national office.

This context got nary a mention in the Elections Industrial Complex. It didn’t fit the narrative. So it was discarded or never pondered by some. The Elections Industrial Complex thrives off conflict, contradictions and gaffes. It minimizes similarity and nuance in the cracked looking glass of our politics.

And Rubio has happily obliged.

On Nov. 19, GQ Magazine published an interview with Rubio in which he gave a rambling answer to an out-of-the-blue question about the age of the Earth:

“I’m not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that’s a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States. I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow. I’m not a scientist. I don’t think I’m qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to answer that. It’s one of the great mysteries.”

The comment exploded like a Rorschach ink-blot. Partisans saw what they wanted.

To the left, it was evidence that Rubio’s a knuckle-dragging fundamentalist or a panderer to them. To the right, the ensuing controversy was evidence of the Godlessness of the left.

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Jamie Chung Once Upon A Time Interview

Like many actors before her, Jamie Chung cut her teeth working on a soap opera. And like many actors before her, that 2007 Days of Our Lives entry on her resume has been forever eclipsed by her work alongside actors like Bradley Cooper, Russell Crowe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and for directors like Zack Snyder, Todd Phillips and David Koepp.

Now, Chung is busier than ever, playing Mulan on ABC's Once Upon A Time, reprising her role in the final Hangover film and suiting up for Sin City 2. ETonline caught up with Chung to talk about all these projects and discovered the personal mantra that led to all of them.

ETonline: What appealed to you about playing Mulan on Once Upon A Time?

Jamie Chung: Well, it's just an incredible show. It is so bizarre and nuts and wonderful, and to be a part of the fairytale storyline with the two female leads, who I just adore, has been so fun. almost every other week I got to roll in the hay with Ginnifer Goodwin. I love that although there's a reference point for my character, you still have the freedom to make up a story. To play this strong female woman warrior, who is fun and a tough ass but loyal like a samurai is so fun to play.

RELATED - Once Star Previews Red's Rough Road

ETonline: We know Mulan's backstory from other sources, but will we see any of that on OUAT?

Chung: You'll see a snippet of her past. Everything ties in very nicely this season, I'll say that.

ETonline: What are you excited for the fans to see this season?

Chung: I can't give away a lot, but it gets stranger and darker. People are going to think we're a cable show with how dark it gets. The dream [that Henry and Aurora share] is hugely important to the rest of the season. We discover that we can use to our benefit – but then, whatever can be used for good can also be used for evil. That's a big theme in the next two episodes. What was once good can be used for evil, and vice versa. It's really important to keep that in mind over the next two weeks.

ETonline: You've played a string of very physically capable women. Are you more drawn to physical roles or is that just how things have shaken out?

Chung: It's so interesting. I do feel more confident in a scene when my character has a weapon. You're much more aware of what your body is capable of doing: how fast you can run, how hard you can hit, how quickly you can evade a punch. You're so much more conscious of that, and that confidence makes all the difference. Yeah, it can give you a false sense of confidence in real life, but I have no intentions of getting in a bar fight [laughs].

ETonline: You've also stepped in for a pregnant Devon Aoki to play Miho in Sin City 2. With its stunt work and greenscreen filming, I kind of feel like all your other roles have kind of prepared you for this part.

Chung: That's so true. And Robert [Rodriguez, director] is really taking it to the next level. In terms of technology, there's so much more for him to play with. Robert is such a creative man. His work process is so fascinating to me. There's not much time to prep. You get up there and he says do it and you just do it. It's by the far the most physical role I've ever done. I'm in action hero heaven!

FIRST LOOK PHOTOS: The Hangover - Part III

ETonline: And then you've also got The Hangover Part III -- how does the finale stack up?

Chung: It has the spirit of the first two Hangover movies, but it's much more different. The fans are going to love it.

ETonline: In general, are you someone who meticulously plans their career or just operates on a role-to-role basis?

Chung: I don't plan too far ahead, it really is one script to the next. I'm such a scrapper, I'll take whatever comes my way. That's why I get a lot of leftovers. But when those leftovers are Sin City 2, I won't complain. The goal is to constantly create and keep moving – if you have movement going forward and hopefully the work will be there to match your desires.

Once Upon A Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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No way out: 112 killed in fire at 'high risk' Bangladesh garment factory

AP

Bangladeshis and firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh,where more than 100 workers were killed Saturday.

DHAKA, Bangladesh — At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through a multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, an official said Sunday.

The blaze broke out late Saturday at the eight-story factory operated by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which supplies Walmart and other major retailers in the U.S. and Europe.

By Sunday morning, firefighters had recovered 100 bodies, fire department Operations Director Maj. Mohammad Mahbub told The Associated Press. He said another 12 people who had suffered injuries after jumping from the building to escape the fire later died at hospitals. The death toll could rise as the search for victims was continuing, he said.

Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed in the fire. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, and authorities have ordered an investigation.

Army soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed to help police keep the situation under control as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered at the scene, Mahbub said. He would not say how many people were still missing.

Tazreen was given a "high risk" safety rating after May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an ethical sourcing assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group's website. It did not specify the conditions or violations that led to the rating.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart said online documents indicating that the factory received an orange or "high risk" assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or "medium risk" report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory where the fire occurred.

The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year. Spokesman Kevin Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted, or if the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.

If a factory is rated "orange" three times in a two-year period, Wal-Mart won't place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.

There was no indication whether the violations had been fixed since the May inspection. Neither Tazreen's owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.

AP

Smoke billows out of the building as firefighters try and bring equipment to bear.

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Is the electric car dying again?

A second administration of President Barack Obama will be forced to revisit the issue of subsidies for renewable energy and, with it, those for electric vehicles. Despite the millions of dollars spent on government incentives, marketing and promotion, sales of fully electric cars are well below projected targets. Investment in vehicle charging infrastructure also has fallen victim to budget cutbacks, limited usage and concern over the return on money spent.

Indeed, only last month, a leading automotive battery manufacturer, A123 Systems, was forced to declare bankruptcy. And the founder and CEO of Better Place, Shai Agassi, whose company (in which I was employed) promotes all-electric vehicles with batteries that can be both charged and replaced, was himself replaced due to low sales figures and high capital expenses arising from the deployment of battery-switching stations.

As a result, the question is now being raised: Are we again bearing witness to the death of the electric car?

Any such conclusion over the longer term may be premature. With declining costs and gradually improving technologies that can extend battery range beyond its current limitations, the electric car continues to hold promise. Rising gasoline prices and potential disruptions in oil supply favor alternative sources of energy.

To achieve mass market adoption, however, cars running on electricity — or any other alternative energy source — must satisfy the three “C’s”: cost, convenience and connectivity.

Few buyers are able or willing to pay more for a car running on clean energy unless the upfront cost of the car roughly equals or is below its carbon-powered alternative. Advertised savings over time in powering a car using alternative “fuels” so far have failed to persuade the average driver to buy. And while government subsidies play a role in reducing initial costs to consumers, such incentives so far have not been sufficient to attract large numbers of drivers to switch to electric vehicles.

Cars driven solely or partially by electricity or other alternative energies also must be at least as convenient as those powered exclusively by internal combustion engines. Drivers appear unwilling to sacrifice the expected hundreds of miles in driving range between refuelings. Likewise, drivers demand refueling times equal to what they are accustomed — about five minutes at the gasoline station.

Further, there must be adequate infrastructure in place to enable large numbers of drivers to connect to an alternative energy source before that source can be widely adopted. While a scattering of drivers simultaneously connecting to a power grid may not have much impact, large numbers of drivers doing so can cause major power outages that escalate absent the real-time balancing of energy loads across the network. Moreover, the environmental impact of the connected cycle between car and infrastructure, often referred to as the “well-to-wheel” balance, has to result in less pollution overall for alternative energy vehicles to achieve significant market traction.

Until the fully electric car can satisfy all three C’s, any assessment of projected vehicle sales must reflect a variety of energy sourcing options, both traditional and alternative, all competing for market share.

Gasoline and diesel likely will remain the predominant source of energy in the foreseeable future for new car buyers, with hybrid vehicles that run on both petroleum and alternative energy sources taking an increasingly larger share of the market. Although more costly than pure gasoline-driven cars, hybrids do offer a more environmentally friendly solution and provide the driving range demanded by car buyers.

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