'Airline' reality series follows employees
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The newest U.S. reality television show covers the real-life adventures of nine employees of Southwest Airlines.
"It was a little weird, knowing that millions of people might see me make a mistake," said Yolanda Martin, who has worked at the ticket counter for the Dallas-based discount airline carrier for nine years. "I never thought my job would seem very exciting to anyone."
The 18-show series, "Airline," debuts at Monday on the A&E cable network with two 30-minute episodes based on cameras following the Southwest employees at Chicago Midway Airport and Los Angeles International Airports.
The show is similar to a series in Britain that followed Heathrow Airport employees as they dealt with crisis and customers in London's airport, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
"Everyone can connect to the trials and tribulations of travel," said Nancy Dubuc, vice president of documentary programming at A&E. "We all have a love-hate relationship with air travel."
Willie Nelson debuts protest song
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Singer Willie Nelson debuted his anti-war ballad at a fund-raising concert in Austin, Texas, for presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
The congressman from Ohio is campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for president and to run against President George Bush.
Nelson wrote the song on Christmas Day, debuted it Friday at the concert, and planned to record "Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth" this week in Nashville and rush it into release as a single, the Austin Statesman reported Saturday.
Nelson told the Statesman that he woke up early Christmas morning at his Lake Elsinore, Calif., home of his in-laws and turned on the news.
"There was nothing but bad news, and here it was Christmas Day," Nelson said. "I said, There sure are a lot of babies dying and mothers crying, and (his wife) Annie said, 'That sounds like a song.'"
By the end of the day he had written his second protest song.
Nelson said he became interested in endorsing Kucinich because of the Ohioan's support of family farmers who has also been a critic of the war in Iraq.
NYC offers 'First Saturday' activities
NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- New York City is extending the New Year's holiday with a series of with "First Saturday" activities.
The Brooklyn Museum of Art's "First Saturday" series extends the New Year's celebration with a mix of free highbrow culture and fun activities for the entire family as well as singles and couples, the New York Daily News reported.
Starting at 6 p.m. Saturday. the public can stroll the exhibit "About Time: 700 Years of European Painting" featuring a 200 paintings in the show, including works by France's Claude Monet, Italy's Davide Ghirlandaio and Spain's Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta.
Hans Richter's 1921 film "Rhythm 21" will be showed with live jazz by the Mason Brothers Band.
The public can dance at the museum's Winter Ball with the Vienna Festival performing. The museum is offering lessons on how to waltz and polka.
Ben Affleck violates Middle East custom
LONDON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Ben Affleck, in the Persian Gulf over the holidays to meet U.S. troops and show his new movie "Paycheck," got into hot water.
The actor, who has been dodging questions over whether he and Jennifer Lopez will wed, had been briefed about local customs in the Middle East, but in a moment of fatigue he kicked back in an airport and ticked off a Yemeni prince, Sky News reported Saturday.
"They told me, 'Don't show the soles of your feet.' I forgot about that," Affleck said. "At one point, I was in one of the Middle Eastern airports, going from one place to another, and I was tired."
Affleck said he felt he was being "terrorized" on the spot, Sky News said.
"So I was sitting there, kicking back, and apparently there was some Yemeni prince that came through and this guard literally looks over at me and comes charging over," he said.
"He yelled, 'What are you doing? Your feet,' and then he slaps my feet (and) puts them on the ground."
