Obama’s 'Jedi mind meld' reference ridiculed by sci-fi fans

WASHINGTON — Now that’s illogical.

President Obama yesterday outraged nerds everywhere when he committed sci-fi heresy by mixing up “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” in remarks about budget cuts.

Speaking at a White House press conference, Obama joked that he couldn’t use a “Jedi mind meld” to get Republicans to agree to his budget plan.

“I know that this has been some of the conventional wisdom that’s been floating around Washington, that somehow, even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable . . . the fact that [Republicans] don’t take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right,” the president said.

Obama — a professed Trekkie — was conflating the “Jedi mind tricks” of “Star Wars” with the “Vulcan mind meld” of “Star Trek” lore.

The blunder set off a frenzy of ridicule across the Twitterverse.

“Obama just confused Star Trek and Star Wars by saying Jedi Mind Meld. I think it’s time to impeach,” tweeted one “Darth Vader” parody account, @DepressedDarth.

“Earth to Obama: Mind-melds are not about control, they are for greater understanding. Your desire to dictate is the prob,” tweeted Texas business owner Geary Hughes, a k a @TheNetGear.

The White House quickly maneuvered to turn the sci-fi slip-up to his advantage.

“We must bring balance to the Force. #Sequester #JediMindMeld,” it tweeted.

The tweet linked to a photograph of a Jedi-esque Obama reaching out, either mind-trick or mind-meld style.

Above it, a caption read, “These cuts aren’t the solutions Americans are looking for,” a play on an Obi-wan Kenobi line.

Below was the line, “To deny the facts would be illogical,” a reference to Mr. Spock.

smiller@nypost.com

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Coffee, tea or ‘Shake’ - Dance craze joins mile-high club

The feds are not amused by shakes on a plane.

The FAA is investigating a Frontier Airlines flight in which passengers got up from their seats and danced wildly to film what has become a viral “Harlem Shake” video.

A clip of the stunt has gotten 400,000 views on YouTube. In it, members of the Colorado College Ultimate Frisbee team and numerous other passengers turn the jet’s cabin into a mile-high rave by bouncing and gyrating in the aisle. One is dressed in a banana suit.

The Harlem Shake spoof, which took place on a Feb. 15 flight from Colorado Springs to Denver, was organized by Matt Zelin, one of the team members.

He said flight attendants OK’d the stunt and even gave the signal to start filming by saying, “The floor is yours,” he told the Colorado College student paper, The Catalyst.

Despite this, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the high-altitude antics. Officials admit, however, they are not sure if any rules were broken. “That’s why we do investigations,” said an FAA source.

Over the past month, the Harlem Shake has become a worldwide dance sensation, with groups trying to outdo each other by filming versions in ever more unusual locations.

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Pope Benedict XVI pledges 'unconditional reverence and obedience' to successor

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to cardinals Thursday, a poignant and powerful farewell delivered hours before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.

In an unexpected speech inside the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, the pontiff appeared to be trying to defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiar situation of having both a reigning pope and a retired one.

He also gave a final set of instructions to the "princes" of the church who will elect his successor, urging them to be united as they huddle to choose the 266th leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

UPI

Pope Benedict XVI speaks during his final general audience before his retirement yesterday.

"May the College of Cardinals work like an orchestra, where diversity — an expression of the universal church — always works toward a higher and harmonious agreement," he said.

It was seen as a clear reference to the deep internal divisions that have come to the fore in recent months following the leaks of sensitive Vatican documents that exposed power struggles and allegations of corruption inside the Vatican.

The moment was as unique as Benedict's decision to quit, with the 85-year-old pope, wearing his crimson velvet cape and using a cane, bidding farewell to his closest advisers and the cardinals themselves bowing to kiss his fisherman's ring for the last time.

Some seemed to choke up at that moment, but the scene seemed otherwise almost normal, with cardinals chatting on the sidelines waiting their turn to say goodbye.

Benedict said he would pray for the cardinals in coming days as they discuss the issues facing the church, the qualities needed in a new pope and prepare to enter into the secret conclave to elect him.

"Among you is also the future pope, whom I today promise my unconditional reverence and obedience," Benedict said in his final audience.

The pope also spoke briefly with New York's Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

Benedict's decision to live at the Vatican in retirement, be called "emeritus pope" and "Your Holiness" and to wear the white cassock associated with the papacy has deepened concerns about the shadow he might cast over the next papacy.

But Benedict has tried to address those worries over the past two weeks, saying that once retired he would be "hidden from the world" and living a life of prayer.

In his final speech in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, he said he wasn't returning to private life exactly, but rather to a new form of service to the church through prayer.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, Benedict will leave the palace for the last time as pontiff, head to the helipad at the top of the hill in the Vatican gardens and fly to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.

There, at 8 p.m. sharp, Benedict will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. The doors of the palazzo will shut and the Swiss Guards will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic Church over — for now.

And on Monday, the cardinals are expected to begin meeting to set the date for the conclave.

Benedict's decision has been met for the most part with praise and understanding. Cardinals, Vatican officials and ordinary Catholics have rallied around him in acknowledgment of his frail state and the church's need for a strong leader.

But Sydney Cardinal George Pell has caused a stir by openly saying the resignation has been "slightly destabilizing" for the church.

In an interview with Australia's ABC radio, Pell noted that Benedict himself had acknowledged the shift in tradition; Benedict said Wednesday that he appreciated his decision was not only serious but "a novelty" for the church.

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New Yorkers in favor of woman for mayor: poll

New Yorkers say they're ready for a woman mayor.

They're not as ready to have another business executive calling the shots at City Hall.

Those were the findings of a Quinnipiac University poll released today that asked voters to rate race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and a business resume as factors in the mayoral race.

On just about every count, New Yorkers described themselves as open-minded and unbiased.

A female candidate? Twenty-seven percent said they'd be "enthusiastic" about her and 64 percent said they'd be "comfortable with" a woman contender.

WireImage

Christine Quinn is the only woman in the NYC mayoral race.

An African-American candidate drew comparable numbers of 18 and 71 percent. An Hispanic candidate was at 17 and 72 percent. An Asian pulled 15 and 72 percent.

A gay or a lesbian candidate was at the 15 and 63 percent mark.

The biggest falloff came when the question turned to a hypothetical "business executive candidate." That registered only 10 percent on the enthusiasm meter and 47 percent in the "comfortable with" category.

"They're true to one stereotype of a super-liberal city -- only being a business executive draws significant negative votes in a mayoral candidate," said pollster Maurice Carroll.

The only woman in the mayoral race is City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. She's also the only openly gay candidate.

The poll conducted Feb. 20-25 didn't show much movement in the Democratic primary field.

Quinn maintained her lead at 37 percent; Public Advocate Bill deBlasio moved up to 14 percent, followed by former Comptroller Bill Thompson at 11 percent and Comptroller John Liu at 9. Former City Councilman Sal Albanese got the brush off and wasn't included.

The Republican field remained an enigma to most voters, with 66 percent saying they hadn't heard enough about frontrunner Joe Lhota to form an opinion. The other four Republicans had "don't know enough" rates ranging from 81 to 93 percent.

Plans to increase taxes on the wealthy, which are being promoted by deBlasio and Liu, were popular. Fifty-five percent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate taking such a position, 17 percent said less likely and 26 percent said it wouldn't matter either way.

Unless the state Legislature switches the primary elections from September to June, there's still more than enough time for major shifts.

The poll surveyed 1,017 voters, including 655 Democrats.

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Horror as hot air balloon catches fire and crashes in Egypt, killing 18 foreigners

REUTERS

Police and rescue officials check the wreckage of a hot air balloon that crashed in Luxor, Egypt, killing at least 18 foreigners.

LUXOR, Egypt — A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 18 foreign tourists, a security official said.

It was one of the worst accidents involving tourists in Egypt and likely to push the key tourism industry deeper into recession.

The casualties included French, British, Belgian, Hungarian, Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong, Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad told reporters.

Three survivors of the crash — two British tourists and one Egyptian — were taken to a local hospital. Egypt's civil aviation minister, Wael el-Maadawi, suspended hot air balloon flights and flew to Luxor to lead the investigation into the crash.

According to the Egyptian security official, the balloon carrying at least 20 tourists was flying over Luxor early Tuesday when it caught fire, which triggered an explosion in its gas canister, then plunged at least 1,000 feet from the sky.

The balloon crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, 320 miles south of Cairo, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Bodies of the dead tourists were scattered across the field around the remnants of the balloon. An Associated Press reporter at the crash site counted eight bodies as they were put into body bags and taken away. The security official said all 18 bodies have been recovered.

The security official said foul play has been ruled out. He also said initial reports of 19 dead were revised to 18 as confusion is common in the aftermath of such accidents.

An official with the state prosecutor's office said initial findings show that the accident occurred when the pilot's landing cable was caught around a helium tube. He spoke anonymously because the investigation is ongoing.

The head of Japan Travel Bureau's Egypt branch, Atsushi Imaeda, confirmed that four Japanese died in the crash. He said two were a couple in their 60s from Tokyo. Details on the other two were not immediately available.

In Hong Kong, a travel agency said nine of the tourists that were aboard the balloon were natives of the semiautonomous Chinese city. There was a "very big chance that all nine have perished," said Raymond Ng, a spokesman for the agency. The nine, he said, included five women and four men from three families.

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Lawrence floored by Best Actress win; 'Argo,' Daniel Day-Lewis also take home Oscars

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Actress Jennifer Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept the award for best actress in a leading role for "Silver Linings Playbook" during Sunday's Oscars ceremony.

It was the rise and fall and rise of a great young star.

Twenty-two-year-old “Silver Linings Playbook” star Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for Best Actress last night — but then took an embarrassing header on her way to accept her statue.

FilmMagic

Daniel Day-Lewis

John Shearer/Invision/AP

Anne Hathaway

Getty Images

Actor-producer-director Ben Affleck, winner of the Best Picture award for "Argo."

Lawrence sprawled on the stage steps at the Dolby Theatre after tripping over her flowing gown. It was another award-show faux pas — after her dress slipped on her way to accept a Screen Actor’s Guild award last month.

“Les Misérables” star Hugh Jackman tried to sprint to the rescue, but the red-faced beauty pulled herself up and made it up the steps.

“That’s really embarrassing,” she said, trying to make a joke of the tumble as she accepted her award. “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell,” she said to a standing ovation.

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NEUTRAL COLORS ALL THE RAGE ON OSCARS RED CARPET

The 85th Academy Awards’ biggest prize, Best Picture, went to Ben Affleck’s “Argo. The Iran hostage thriller also won Best Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing. Affleck, one of the movie’s producers, had been snubbed in the Best Director category.

As he took the Best Picture award, he was magnanimous.

“You have to work harder than you think you possibly can, and you can’t hold grudges,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life because that’s going to happen,” he added. “All that matters is that you gotta get up.”

In a surprise twist, the Best Picture award was presented to “Argo” by First Lady Michelle Obama, who opened the envelope via satellite from the White House.

“These nine movies took us back in time and all around the world,” she said of the nominees. “They taught us that love can endure against all odds.”

“Lincoln” star Daniel Day-Lewis made history by becoming the first person to win three Best Actor Oscars.

As he accepted the award from Meryl Streep — who won Best Actress last year playing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — Day-Lewis turned his acceptance speech into a comedy routine.

“It’s funny, because three years ago, we agreed to do this swap. I had actually been committed to play Margaret Thatcher,” he quipped, adding: “Meryl was [director] Steven’s [Spielberg] first choice for Lincoln . . . I’d like to see that version.”

Ang Lee took home the directing prize for his magical lost-at-sea tale, “Life of Pi.”

The native of Taiwan poked fun at the fakery of Hollywood acceptance speeches. After thanking his lawyer and agent, he bluntly joked, “I have to do that.”

Anne Hathaway took home her first career Oscar last night, winning for Best Supporting Actress in “Les Misérables.”

The award for Best Supporting Actor went to Christoph Waltz for his role as a bounty hunter in the Quentin Tarantino flick “Django Unchained.”

Tarantino later won for Best Original Screenplay.

Oscar had a rare tie last night with “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty” sharing sound-editing honors. It was the first tie since 1994.

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Crowds gather for Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday blessing

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Pope Benedict XVI delivers his last Angelus Blessing from the window of his private apartment to thousands of pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square Sunday.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has given his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

Benedict says even though he's retiring on Thursday from the papacy, the first pope in 600 years to do so, he's "not abandoning the church." Instead he says he'll serve the church with the same dedication he has till now, but will do so in a way "more suitable to my age and my strength." Benedict, 85, will spend his last years in prayer, meditation and seclusion in a monastery on Vatican City's grounds.

He has one more public appearance, at his weekly audience on Wednesday in the square.

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Einhorn wins round against Apple

Your move, Tim Cook.

Apple was dealt a major blow in its battle with David Einhorn, when a judge sided with the hedge-fund manager and blocked Apple from moving ahead with a shareholder vote on a controversial proposal.

Manhattan federal judge Richard Sullivan yesterday granted Einhorn’s bid to stop Apple from lumping several measures together as one proposal at its annual shareholder meeting next week.

Part of Apple’s proposal would have required shareholder approval for the company to issue preferred stock — a move that several large investors believe to be shareholder-friendly and good corporate governance — but which Einhorn opposes.

REUTERS

KO! Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn (pictured) scored a decisive blow against Apple CEO Tim Cook when a federal judge granted Einhorn’s bid to block an upcoming shareholder vote.

The founder of $8 billion hedge fund Greenlight Capital has been lobbying the iPhone maker to return some of its $137 billion cash hoard to investors in the form of preferred stock or — as he calls them “iPrefs.”

As part of his campaign, Einhorn sued Apple earlier this month to block the proposal. He argued that Apple violated the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules against “bundling,” which deprives shareholders of the right to vote on each issue separately.

In a 16-page ruling, Sullivan agreed with Einhorn, saying Apple cannot proceed with the proposal at next week’s shareholder meeting.

Apple yesterday said it was “disappointed” with the court’s ruling and that it would pull the proposal from next week’s meeting as a result.

The stock closed up 1.06 percent, to $450.81.

“This is a significant win for all Apple shareholders and for good corporate governance,” Greenlight Capital said in a statement. “We are pleased the court has recognized that Apple’s proxy is not compliant with the SEC’s rules.”

Before the proposal was blocked on technical grounds, Einhorn had been urging fellow shareholders to vote against it as a “referendum” on his effort to get Apple to distribute some of its cash to investors.

The hedge-fund manager is calling for the tech giant to issue preferred stock that pays dividends of 4 percent.

At a recent investor conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the idea “creative” and said he would consider it.

While Einhorn scored a legal win, some shareholders criticize him, saying that he is standing in the way of corporate governance.

“Our position is that Apple should re-introduce the measures as soon as it makes sense,” said Bill Dempsey of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, which also owns Apple stock.

Earlier this week, the foundation, which also invests in Greenlight through a fund of funds, sent a letter to Einhorn asking him to back off his campaign to block the proposal.

By depriving them of a vote on preferred stock, “you undermine shareholders’ rights, to no end whatsoever,” the letter said.

Also siding with Apple is the $253 billion California Public Employees Retirement System.

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

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14 people face charges after takedown of Brooklyn drug ring

Authorities say 14 people face charges after the takedown of a drug ring in Brooklyn.

District Attorney Charles J. Hynes says narcotics detectives made over 60 purchases, including heroin and crack, at the Red Hook Houses.

Hynes says community complaints about drug dealing prompted the investigation that began last summer.

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Donor controversy taking toll on Sen. Menendez's popularity: poll

TRENTON, NJ — A new poll shows a donor controversy is taking a toll on Sen. Robert Menendez's popularity.

The Quinnipiac University poll out Thursday shows the Democrat's job approval rating at a five-year low of 36 percent, compared with 41 percent who disapprove of his performance.

It also shows 44 percent think Menendez isn't honest and trustworthy, compared with 28 percent who believe he has those qualities.

Menendez was recently named chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. But his ties to a Florida eye doctor and political donor have been referred to a Senate ethics panel.

Menendez reimbursed the doctor $58,000 for flights to the Dominican Republican aboard his private plane.

The poll of 1,1,49 registered voters was taken Feb. 13-17 and has an error margin of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

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Witness heard 'non-stop shouting' from Pistorius home before fatal shooting

REUTERS

Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during a break in court proceedings at the Pretoria Magistrates court in South Africa today.

PRETORIA, South Africa — A witness heard "non-stop shouting" coming from the home of Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius shortly before his girlfriend was shot dead, the lead detective in the murder investigation said on Wednesday.

Warrant officer Hilton Botha, a detective with 24 years on the force, also told the Pretoria magistrates court that Pistorius' girlfriend, model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp, was hit by three bullets, in the head, elbow and hip.

Pistorius, a double amputee known as the "Blade Runner," broke down in tears as Botha presented his testimony.

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The shooting has stunned South Africa and the millions around the world who saw the track glory of the athlete, who had no lower legs, as an inspiring tale of triumph over adversity.

Steenkamp was in a locked toilet adjoining Pistorius' bathroom when she was shot in the early hours of Thursday last week. Botha said the angle at which the shots were fired through the door suggested the shooter had aimed specifically to hit somebody on the toilet.

Botha, who arrived at the scene at 4:15 local time to find Steenkamp dead at the bottom of the stairs, also said police had found unlicensed .38 ammunition in Pistorius' house in an upmarket gated compound north of Pretoria.

In an additional revelation Wednesday, police said they found two boxes of testosterone and needles in the Pistorius' bedroom.

Police Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha claimed in Pistorius' bail hearing in a South African court that testosterone was found. Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Botha said police made the discovery in the double-amputee runner and multiple Paralympic champion's upscale Pretoria house but offered no further details or explanation. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel also had to correct Botha when he initially called the substance "steroids."

Pistorius' lawyer, Barry Roux, said on questioning the detective, who was described as a 16-year police veteran, that it was not a banned substance and that police were trying to give the discovery a "negative connotation."

"It is an herbal remedy," Roux said. "It is not a steroid and it is not a banned substance."

Police "take every piece of evidence and try to extract the most possibly negative connotation and present it to the court," senior defense lawyer Roux said. The debate over the substance added another dramatic twist to a case that has already gripped the world's attention since Steenkamp's killing at Pistorius' home last Thursday.

It was not immediately clear what the substance was.

Prosecutor Nel also said that police were not saying that Pistorius was using the substance, only that it was discovered along with the needles in his bedroom.

Pistorius said Tuesday in a written affidavit and read in court by Roux that he mistakenly killed model Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day when he fired shots into a locked toilet door thinking she was a dangerous intruder.

The prosecution claims Pistorius intended to kill the 29-year-old Steenkamp after they had a fight.

International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence told The Associated Press soon after the substance claims that Pistorius — the world's most famous disabled athlete — was drug tested twice in London last year by the IPC, on Aug. 25 and Sept. 8. Both test results were negative, Spence said.

The Aug. 25 test was an out-of-competition test, and the Sept. 8 one in-competition, a day before the end of the London Paralympics.

With AP, Reuters

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Kate reveals royal baby bump

EPA

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrives at Hope House Tuesday.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, debuted her baby bump today for the first time since being hospitalized for severe morning sickness in December.

The Duchess, wearing a grey print wrap dress that demurely revealed the future king or queen and black heels, visited Hope House in London today.

Meanwhile, an Italian magazine that published topless photos of Prince William's wife last year is reportedly printing new pictures of the pregnant duchess on a beach holiday in the Caribbean, provoking condemnation from royal officials.

St. James's Palace expressed disappointment Tuesday that the pictures may be published, saying it would amount to a "clear breach of the couple's right to privacy." It did not say whether officials would be prepared to take legal action against the gossip magazine.

The magazine, Chi, is said to be planning to publish the pictures Wednesday. The photos reportedly show Prince William's wife wearing a bikini and strolling on a beach with William on the island of Mustique.

Last September, the magazine — owned by former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi — published a 26-page special featuring topless photos of the duchess while she and William vacationed in the south of France.

AFP/Getty Images

The royal couple took legal action to halt the use of those intimate photos, but had only limited success. Although a French court ordered gossip magazine Closer to stop further publication of the pictures, they went on to be published in Chi, other publications across Europe, and on the Internet.

The royal couple was also in the news Tuesday after one of Britain's most celebrated authors launched a withering attack on the duchess, branding her a "shop-window mannequin" with a plastic smile whose only role in life is to breed.

In an unusually scathing public attack on a British royal, Hilary Mantel said the princess had no personality, a "perfect plastic smile" and appears to have been designed by a committee.

The writer's comments about the pregnant 31-year-old wife of second-in-line to the British throne Prince William sharply divided public opinion. Newspapers condemned Mantel's words as "venomous", "cruel" and "staggeringly rude", while supporters said it was a thoughtful analysis of the role of royal women over the centuries.

"I saw Kate becoming a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung," Mantel said in a lecture at the British Museum in London earlier this month in which she spoke about her changing views about the princess.

WireImage

The crowd wait to see the princess as she visits the Hope House, an Action on Addiction women's treatment center in London.

"She was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore. These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions."

Mantel, who last year became the first Briton to twice win the coveted Man Booker prize for fiction, referred to the princess's severe morning sickness during the early stage of her pregnancy and said her role was to provide an heir.

"Once she gets over being sick, the press will find that she is radiant. They will find that this young woman's life until now was nothing, her only point and purpose being to give birth," Mantel said in the lecture organized by the London Review of Books on Feb. 4. The literary magazine reprinted the lecture on its Web site this week.

Mantel, 60, is best known for her historical novel "Wolf Hall", about the rise of blacksmith's son Thomas Cromwell to the pinnacle of power in King Henry VIII's court. Her follow-up "Bring Up the Bodies" recounted Anne Boleyn's fall from grace.

In her lecture, Mantel said the Duchess of Cambridge was "selected for her role ... because she was irreproachable", contrasting her with the "emotional incontinence" of William's late mother, Princess Diana.

"As painfully thin as anyone could wish, without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character. She appears precision-made, machine-made, so different from Diana," Mantel said.

The author's agent was not immediately available for comment. A St James's Palace spokeswoman had no comment.

Reaction on Twitter suggested Mantel had split public opinion. Royal commentator Robert Jobson said the "venomous attack" was "unfair and publicity-seeking". Others agreed with Mantel, saying she had elegantly articulated what many people had long thought about the royals.

The lecture looked at the "fascination with royalty" and the "regal body", examining the lives of royal women and the importance of providing an heir. Mantel compared that to the fuss made about pandas mating in captivity.

"Our current royal family doesn't have the difficulties in breeding that pandas do, but pandas and royal persons alike are expensive to conserve and ill-adapted to any modern environment," Mantel said. "But aren't they interesting? Aren't they nice to look at?

With AP and Reuters

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Elevate their game

There’s a cool ride at Barclays Center that’s impressing even NBA players.

The Brooklyn Nets’ new home is the buzz of the league because of its one-of-a-kind $4 million elevator and parking system that transports team buses and players’ cars directly from the street to an area 2 1/2 stories underground.

“I’ve never seen nothing like this in an arena, man,” stunned Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler recently told The Post after his first ride. “Just pulling up to it is just crazy. It’s very futuristic.”

NY Post: Chad Rachman

NIFTY SPIN MOVE: Brooklyn Nets star Kris Humphries strolls through the Barclays Center’s new underground garage, which has a rotating elevator system that places buses on a turntable that takes the vehicles to a parking spot. The subterranean sci-fi ride is the talk of the NBA for its James Bond-like arrival for visiting teams.

The vehicles first enter one of two, 14 1/2-foot by 81-foot freight elevators manned and gated outside the arena along Dean Street.

Then, once the ride down is complete, there’s little room for large vehicles to maneuver — so they cruise onto a steel-deck turntable which rotates them to an angle that allows the driver to pull out and park.

The massive turntable, which holds up to 100,000 pounds, can rotate 360 degrees within four minutes.

Daniel Brooks, who drives visiting team buses to the arena, said he can’t count how many players’ jaws have dropped after their Barclays Center parking experience.

“Their reaction is, ‘Are you serious?! This is bananas!’ ” he said.

The high-tech parking system is the brainchild of arena developer Bruce Ratner, who opted to include it rather than erect massive driving ramps typically used at other sports venues.

“New York City real estate is scarce,” and using the system instead of ramps freed up a lot of space, explained Robert Sanna, an exec at Forest City Ratner who headed the arena’s construction.

“You might have this in big warehouses, [but] it’s one-of-a-kind certainly in sports facilities,” Sanna said. “It’s the type of equipment you need in a tight urban site to get vehicles in and out of a building without backing up traffic.”

Nuggets coach George Karl was all smiles after his first spin.

“I like the idea. It’s a first,” said Karl, hours before Wednesday’s loss to the Nets, adding that his elevator experience felt more like a “submarine ride.”

As for the rest of the NBA, many players were in awe of the Nets’ new toy.

“I wish I would have thought about that when I built my house, because that’s some ‘007’ stuff,” Los Angeles Lakers forward Antawn Jamison told the sports blog Bleacher Report.

Superstar teammate Kobe Bryant said the system looks like it was “rigged by Willy Wonka,” while Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah called it “kind of trippy.”

“You hear so many different stories about it before you get here,” said Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade during the team’s first visit to Brooklyn last month.

“It’s cool because you don’t feel it moving.”

rcalder@nypost.com

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Pope Benedict XVI blesses thousands at St. Peter's Square in one of his final public addresses

Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leads the Sunday Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI is blessing the faithful from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square for the first time since announcing his resignation, cheered by an emotional crowd of tens of thousands of well-wishers from around the world.

Benedict triumphantly raised his arms outstretched to the crowd in his second-to-last Angelus blessing before leaving the papacy. A huge banner in the square read: "We love you."

The Sunday appointment is one of the most cherished traditions of the Catholic Church, and this moment is one of Benedict's last opportunities to connect with the Catholic masses.

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Mrs. Alec client bent out of shape: suit

Alec Baldwin’s better half allegedly caused a Greenwich Village grad student to be severely injured during a crowded yoga class, a new lawsuit claims.

Spencer Wolfe, 32, a Yale Ph.D. candidate and Huffington Post blogger, was at Yoga Vida’s studio near Union Square on Jan. 15 when Hilaria Thomas allegedly directed him “to perform a dangerous activity at a wall,” according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Reps for the yoga studio didn’t return a request for comment. Thomas’ rep had no comment.

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Olympian Oscar Pistorius weeps during court appearance over girlfriend's death

AP

Oscar Pistorius weeps in court in Pretoria, South Africa Friday.

PRETORIA, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius held his head in his hands and wept openly in court Friday as prosecutors said they would pursue a charge of premeditated murder against the Paralympic superstar.

Pistorius was formally charged at Pretoria Magistrate's Court with one count of murder after his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot multiple times and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in the predawn hours of Thursday.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Friday in court it was premeditated murder, indicating the prosecution would file that more serious charge, upgraded from murder.

The double-amputee athlete's arrest and murder charge had already left South Africa stunned after the blonde-haired model's shooting death at Pistorius' house in a gated community in an eastern suburb of the South African capital, Pretoria.

Those who knew Pistorius, including a former girlfriend, weight in on social media.

Trish Taylor, mother of Pistorius' ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor, wrote on Facebook: "I'm so glad Sammy is safe and out of the clutches of that man."

But another ex-girlfriend, Jenna Edkins, defended the accused man Tuesday on Twitter.

"All I am saying is let him speak, let his side be heard without jumping to conclusions," tweeted Jenna Edkins, an attractive, young blonde like all Pistorius' girlfriends. She offered "love and support" to the Pistorius family and tweeted: "I have dated Oscar on and off for 5 YEARS, NOT ONCE has he EVER lifted a finger to me or made me fear for my life."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Reeva Steenkamp

Prosecutors said Friday that they would argue the history-making Olympic athlete — the first amputee to run at the games — had planned Steenkamp's killing. It sent South Africans reeling further as their national hero and a global role model for people in overcoming adversity was set to face accusations that he intentionally gunned down his girlfriend.

South Africa's tabloid Citizen newspaper had the headline "Blade gunner?" Friday morning, playing on double-amputee athlete Pistorius' well-known nickname of "Blade Runner" because of his carbon fiber running blades.

Pistorius stood with his face in his hands as he broke down in tears on his first appearance at the Pretoria Magistrates' Court. Chief Magistrate Desmond Nasir delayed Pistorius' bail hearing until next Tuesday and Wednesday and ruled that the 26-year-old Pistorius would be held at a police station in Pretoria until then. Police have said they oppose the granting of bail.

Pistorius had solemnly entered the court wearing a gray suit and blue tie and initially appeared composed. When he broke down in tears, his brother, Carl, reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. Pistorius' father, Henke, was in the court as was sister Aimee.

The hot courtroom that was jammed with more than 100 people, including numerous local and international journalists. More than 100 people packed into Courtroom C at the courthouse, including dozens of photographers and videographers but Nasir ruled that no recordings of court proceedings would be allowed in the case.

Police said Friday an autopsy on the body of the victim was also taking place. Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale said the results of the autopsy would not be published.

Pistorius earlier left a police station, his jacket completely covering his head as he got into a police vehicle. He was holding what appeared to be a white handkerchief in one hand as he was led by officers to a police van outside the Boschkop Police Station in eastern Pretoria, where he had been questioned on Thursday and had spent the night in custody.

A policeman was also seen carrying a handgun in a plastic forensic bag outside the Boschkop station. It was believed to be the weapon used to shoot and kill Steenkamp.

Police said the victim was shot four times at Pistorius' villa in a gated community. Officers found a 9 mm pistol inside the home.

Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games. He didn't win a medal but did make the semifinals of the 400 meters and the final of the 4X400 relay, propelling the world's best-known Paralympian to the level of an international track star and one of the world's best-known sportsmen.

But police hinted at a troubled lifestyle away from public scrutiny for the runner Thursday when they said there had previously been domestic incidents at Pistorius' home.

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Nixon advised President Clinton on navigating the post-Cold War world

YORBA LINDA, Calif. — In the final months of his life, Richard Nixon quietly advised President Bill Clinton on navigating the post-Cold War world, even offering to serve as a conduit for messages to Russian President Boris Yeltsin and other government officials, newly declassified documents show.

Memos and other records show Nixon's behind-the-scenes relations with the Clinton White House. The documents are part of an exhibit opening Friday at the Nixon Presidential Library, marking the centennial of his birth.

Clinton has talked often of his gratitude to Nixon for his advice on foreign affairs, particularly Russia. In a video that will be part of the exhibit, Clinton recalls receiving a letter from the 37th president shortly before his death on April 22, 1994, at a time when Clinton was assessing US relations "in a world growing ever more interdependent and yet ungovernable."

AP

President Nixon in 1969

"I sought guidance in the example of President Nixon, who came to the presidency at a time in our history when Americans were tempted to say, 'We've had enough of the world,'" Clinton says in the video. "But President Nixon knew we had to continue to reach out to old friends and to old enemies alike. He knew America could not quit the world."

The documents from late February and early March 1994 show Nixon, then 81, in his role of elder statesman. It was two decades after he left the White House in disgrace during Watergate.

The exhibit is an attempt to present a fuller picture of Nixon. It includes the wooden bench he often warmed as a second-rate football player in college, and illustrates events often eclipsed by the scandal that drove him from office.

Media reports from the time discussed interaction between Nixon and Clinton before his trip, including a phone call. The records, provided to The Associated Press by the library, fill in the backstory, detailing Nixon's advice as well as his willingness to assist U.S. interests abroad.

They include a confidential National Security Council memo from a senior Clinton aide who spent three hours with Nixon, shortly before the former president would make his 10th, and final, trip to Russia that year.

The aide, R. Nicholas Burns, writes that Nixon is generally supportive of White House policy on Russia but thinks the administration has not been tough enough when it comes to Russia's dealings with its neighbors. Nixon also advises that U.S. aid to Russia should be linked to US security aims, such as nuclear balance and a reduced threat from the Russian military, rather than emphasizing the value of domestic reforms there.

Nixon also offered to carry messages to Yeltsin and others as his own, the memo says.

The documents, released through Clinton's presidential library for the exhibit, also include talking points Clinton apparently used in his call with Nixon.

Nixon's trip to Russia was followed closely in the media, in part because Yeltsin froze the former president out of the Kremlin and took away bodyguards and a limousine the government had provided for him after Nixon held meetings with Yeltsin adversaries.

Yeltsin later backed off and urged Russian officials and parliament members to meet with Nixon.

In another glimpse into their relationship, a handwritten note will be on display from Nixon to Clinton that praises the former Arkansas governor's 1992 presidential campaign that helped put him in the White House. Nixon said the campaign was one of the best he had ever witnessed.

"The strongest steel must pass through the hottest fire. In enduring that ordeal you have demonstrated that you have the character to lead not just America but the forces of peace and freedom in the world," Nixon wrote.

Clinton in his younger days was no fan of Nixon — as a college student in the 1960s, he opposed escalation of the Vietnam War. And his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, was a young lawyer advising a House committee when she helped draw up impeachment papers against Nixon.

But Clinton's views changed. He led the nation in paying tribute to Nixon at his funeral in California in April 1994, declaring, "May the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close."

He later told interviewer Larry King that he was deeply grateful for Nixon's counsel since he took office and wished he could call the former president for advice.

Clinton echoed that statement in the video tribute.

"After he died, I found myself wishing I could pick up the phone and ask President Nixon what he thought about this issue or that problem, particularly if it involved Russia. I appreciated his insight and advice and I'm glad he chose, at the end of his life, to share it with me," Clinton says.

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In weekly audience, Pope Benedict XVI says he's resigning for 'the good of the church'

VATICAN CITY — Looking tired but serene, Pope Benedict XVI told the thousands who gathered for his weekly audience that he was resigning for "the good of the church" — an extraordinary scene that unfolded in his first appearance since dropping the bombshell announcement.

The 85-year-old Benedict basked in more than a minute-long standing ovation when he entered the packed hall for his traditional Wednesday catechism lesson. He was interrupted repeatedly by applause, and many in the audience of thousands had tears in their eyes.

A huge banner reading "Grazie Santita" (Thank you Your Holiness) was strung up at the back of the room.

REUTERS

Pope Benedict XVI blesses at the end of his Wednesday general audience at the Vatican today.

Benedict appeared wan and spoke very softly, but his eyes twinkled with joy at the flock's warm and heartfelt welcome. He repeated in Italian what he had told his cardinals Monday in Latin: that he simply didn't have the strength to continue.

"As you know, I have decided to renounce the ministry that the Lord gave to me on April 19, 2005," he said, to applause. "I did this in full liberty for the good of the church."

He thanked the faithful for their prayers and love, which he said he had "physically felt in these days that haven't been easy for me." And he asked them to "to continue to pray for me, the church, and the future pope."

The atmosphere was festive and warm, if somewhat bittersweet, as if the faithful were trying to persuade Benedict to stay with them for just a bit longer. A chorus of Italian schoolchildren serenaded him with one of his favorite hymns in German — a gesture that won over the pope, who thanked them for singing a piece "particularly dear to me."

"He gave us eight wonderful years of his words," Ileana Sviben, an Italian from the northern city of Trieste who couldn't hide her sadness. "He was a wonderful theologian and pastor."

The Rev. Reinaldo Braga Jr., a Brazilian priest studying theology in Rome, said he too was saddened when he first heard the news.

"The atmosphere was funereal but nobody had died," he said. "But then I realized it was a wise act for the entire church. He taught the church and the world that the papacy is not about power but about service."

It was a sentiment the retiring Benedict himself emphasized Wednesday when he told his flock that the "path of power is not the road of God."

The audience included groups of nuns waving papal flags, and among the clerics, US Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston at the height of the clerical sex abuse scandal in the United States.

Benedict is the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, and the decision has placed the Vatican in uncharted waters: No one knows what he'll be called or what he'll wear after Feb. 28.

The Vatican, however, has made it clear that Benedict will play no role in the election of his successor, and once retired, he will be fully retired. He plans to live a life of prayer in a converted monastery on the far northern edge of the Vatican gardens.

As a result, Benedict's final public appearances — his last general audience will be Feb. 27 — are expected to draw great crowds, as they may well represent some of the last public speeches for a man who has spent his life — as a priest, a cardinal and a pope — teaching and preaching.

And they will also represent a way for the faithful to say farewell under happier circumstances than when his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, died in 2005.

"We were just coming for vacation, and now we are getting all of this!" marveled Terry Rodger, a tourist from New Orleans as he headed to the audience. "I am very excited. I'm surprised."

The audience was the start of a busy day for Benedict: he will also preside over Ash Wednesday services later in the day to mark the official start of the Catholic Church's solemn Lenten season. The service is usually held in a church on Rome's Aventine hill, but was moved at the last minute to St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican said the shift was made to accommodate the crowds, though it will also spare the pope the usual procession to the church.

The Vatican insisted no serious medical ailment was behind Benedict's decision to retire, though it admitted for the first time on Tuesday that Benedict has had a pacemaker for years and recently had its battery replaced.

The move sets the stage for a conclave of cardinals by mid-March to elect a new pope.

"It is the perfect occasion to give a cordial and affectionate goodbye to this pope who has given us a great example of courage, humility, inner honesty, and a great love for the church," said Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, head of the Vatican's communications office.

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No visit from plows leaves some Suffolk residents stuck in homes

VICTORALCORN.COM

Residents of the community off of Kensington Gate Road said they had all called Town of Brookhaven phone lines repeatedly and were told to leave messages or send e-mails.

It’s the land the plows forgot.

Infuriated residents of an eastern Suffolk County neighborhood remained stuck in their homes yesterday after failing to get even a single visit from Town of Brookhaven plows.

The sole road leading into and out of the cluster of roughly 200 people off of Route 112 in Coram was still impassable yesterday evening as desperate residents were forced to trudge across massive snowdrifts to buy basic necessities from distant stores.

“This is the cycle on Long Island,” said seething New Jersey Port Authority worker William Cendales as he trembled in knee-deep snow. “If it’s not LIPA getting you with Sandy, it’s the Town of Brookhaven not plowing your streets.”

Cendales braved the ice to give his shivering Yorkie a bit of fresh air yesterday. “This is beyond disgusting,” he said. “I can’t go to work, I can’t do anything.”

City school teacher Jachan Watkis said that he was forced to abandon his car on a street near his home during the storm because the entrance lanes to his development had not been plowed. Watkis, who has three small children with his wife, Shelita, said that he ran out of heating oil — and that delivery trucks are unable to get to him. “We’re living on two space heaters,” he said. “And I still haven’t seen a plow,” he said.

“I came outside and a plow that was clearing the main road just pushed it out of the way and damaged it,” he said. “Now I come out to see if the car was okay and they just towed it away! This is getting ridiculous.” All that remained of the abused vehicle yesterday was a running board that had broken off.

“First I couldn’t get the car to my house,” he said. “And now I can’t get the car.”

Residents of the community off of Kensington Gate Road said they had all called Town of Brookhaven phone lines repeatedly and were told to leave messages or send e-mails.

A link at the Town’s Web site urged residents to send e-mails alerting them to streets that required plowing. But neighborhood residents said they abandoned that course of action after the first two days of inaction.

“My father is on oxygen in my house,” said cable technician Daniel Murphy. “If there’s an emergency, these ambulances can’t get through. It’s unbelievable.

“They forgot about us over here. Forget about calling or whatever. We just gave up.”

Kenneth Tax, an operations manager at Farmingdale State College, said that he pays nearly $9,000 annually in property taxes — but can’t get out of his own driveway because of the plow disappearance. “I’m trapped on my own street,” he said. “We all are.”

Capenter Laborde, a technician at JFK Airport, was forced to abandon work today after being unable to leave his block. “Of course I expected to get plowed,” he said. “It’s been three days and not one! I see them drive by, they just keep going.”

A Town of Brookhaven plow-truck operator refused to comment when asked about the forgotten island of ice just down the block from him. “We’re getting to everyone,” he said before rumbling off in the opposite direction.

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State police: 2 NY men caught with 450 lbs. of pot

Two men remain jailed in western New York after state police say the men were caught with 450 pounds of marijuana.

Authorities say a state police drug task force arrested 37-year-old Calvin Bennett of The Bronx and 29-year-old Roderick Johnson of Rochester last Thursday in the rural Orleans County town of Clarendon, 20 miles west of Rochester.

Troopers say both men are Jamaican nationals. They were charged with criminal possession of marijuana and remain in custody Monday at the county jail on $200,000 bail. It couldn't be determined if they had lawyers.

Police say Bennett and Johnson stored the pot in a container that held some office furniture and nine cardboard boxes. Troopers say each box contained 50-pound bales of marijuana.

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