FAMILY: ROAD BUMPS CAUSED PAUL WALKERS ACCIDENT

paul Walker died after the speeding Porsche in which he was riding hydroplaned on reflective plastic markers in the street ... at least that's what his family and accident reconstruction experts believe.

Sources close to Paul's family told TMZ ... the family has been in touch with stunt experts who have gone to the crash site and come back with what they believe is a solid theory -- a speeding car that hits the plastic markers -- called Botts' Dots -- will hydroplane, causing the driver to lose control.


We've learned the experts have told the family ... a car going speeds approaching 90 MPH will lose traction after hitting a series of Botts' Dots.  It's akin to driving on ice -- and  control is further compromised by the fact that the Porsche was outfitted with special racing tires that have very little tread.

And there's this ... Porsche sent out a memo to dealers back in 2004, warning about control problems with the Carrera GT, saying, "This vehicle cannot drive over a Foster Beer can that is lying on its side.  It will crush the can and damage the carbon fiber under panels," adding, "You need to be aware of what type of road surface you are on (dips, pot holes, seam heights, etc.)."




Source: TMZ

JOE BIDEN: OBAMA AND I DO NOT EXCHANGE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

There is a special holiday policy in the White House ... the President and the Vice President DO NOT exchange Christmas gifts. Joe Biden told TMZ. 

Biden dropped the info while on Capitol Hill yesterday ... telling us all about the special gift treaty he arranged with President Barack Obama -- "We exchange birthday gifts, we don't exchange Christmas gifts."

Biden was quick to point out, "He gave me a GREAT birthday gift!"

The Veep acknowledged it's really tough to shop for the most powerful man on the planet ... but they usually give each other something that has to do with golf. 

Obasanjo: JONATHAN HAS A KILLER SQUAD!!

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of secretly keeping a specially trained killer squad to use in the 2015 elections, Premium Times reports.

Obasanjo, in a letter, alleged that the president has over 1 000 political opponents he is keeping an eye on and might use everything at his disposal as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces against them.

The presidency on Wednesday hit back at the criticism by Obasanjo, describing his widely leaked letter accusing Jonathan of leadership failures as "indecorous" and "reckless".

Read more at Premium Times

Dele Alampasu : I'm On My Way To Juve

Goalkeeper Dele Alampasu has confirmed that he is on the verge of a transfer to Italian Serie A giants Juventus in January.

The 17-year-old, who is currently sweating it out at the Super Eagles camp in Abuja, told Premium Times that the Italian champions and Club Genk from Belgium are currently negotiating with his representatives with a view to signing him up in January, Kick Off Nigeria reports.

"I maybe going to Genk, they are showing interest in me but I also have another offer from Juventus FC, a club in the Italian league," he disclosed.

Read more at Kick Off Nigeria.

Mandela Memorial Interpreter: I saw Angels

Thamsanqa Jantjie

The sign language interpreter widely ridiculed for his performance at the Nelson Mandela memorial has asked for forgiveness from the deaf associations across the world for his behaviour.

“For the deaf association, if they think that I’ve done a wrong interpretation, I ask for forgiveness,” Thamsanqa Jantjie said on Thursday.

But he said he has long been “a champion of what I’ve been doing.” He also said he is schizophrenic.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Mr. Jantjie said he saw “angels come to the stadium.”

“I start realizing that the problem is here. And the problem, I don’t know the attack of this problem, how will it come. Sometimes I get violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things chasing me,” he said.

“I was in a very difficult position,” Mr. Jantjie went on. “And remember those people, the president and everyone, they were armed, there was armed police around me. If I start panicking I’ll start being a problem. I have to deal with this in a manner so that I mustn’t embarrass my country.”

The sign language interpreter also said he stood by his work.

Mr. Jantjie told journalists in Johannesburg that he was a fully qualified interpreter and had been trusted in the past with other big events as an interpreter.

“I’ve interpreted in many press conferences, including the presidential conference,” he said. “There was no one at all that said I interpreted wrong.’’

Reports however suggest that there were complaints last year after Mr. Jantjie interpreted the proceedings at the ruling African National Congress elective conference, the institute’s Chairman, Johan Blaauw told the South African Press Association.

“If I was not interpreting right, why was it was not picked up at that time?”

13 yr old Sentenced for Killing His Sister With Wrestling Moves

A 13-year-old Louisiana boy has been sentenced to three years in a secure juvenile facility for killing his 5-year-old half-sister by performing pro-style wrestling moves on her.
The children's mother left them at home when she went to the store, according to authorities. The teen will get credit for the time he has already served, Dawn Palermo, the judicial administrator for Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court told CNN Wednesday. The facility where the boy will serve his sentence hasn't been identified, she said.



Read more at www.cnn.com