Madonna 50, fit and frisky

People

The queen of pop began her world tour Saturday night in Wales, appearing before fans on a throne as a retinue of dancers wriggled their way across a stage at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The show includes the usual Madonna fixtures — sequins, fishnets and bondage-style outfits — and is billed as a musical mishmash of "gangsta pimp," Romanian folk, rave and a nod to the blonde material-girl's roots in the '80s New York City dance scene.

Oops

She almost got $850,000

Oklahoma officials say a typo resulted in a state employee receiving a bonus of $850,000, temporarily. Jo Harris was supposed to receive an $850 longevity bonus for working at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for seven years. But a misplaced decimal point turned that into a six-figure windfall. Officials caught the error before the $850,000 left state funds.

Fashion news

Tips for short politicians

The fashion industry has a lot to teach politicians. In an interview with Stylephile.com, Jimmy Au, who designs for shorter men, including Danny DeVito, Mel Brooks and Chris Rock, said John McCain, who is 5-foot-7, has a serious height deficit, especially next to the 6-foot-3 Barack Obama. Au said McCain must avoid suits with big shoulders. "Bigger shoulders ... will make a shorter man look stocky and shorter," he said. Instead, McCain should "wear the trimmest fit within [his] comfort zone. ... Wear pinstripes to create a longer visual line," and "choose a slimmer tie with a simple pattern," he said.

Today in History

A.D. 79: Long-dormant Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic ash; an estimated 20,000 people died.

1932: Amelia Earhart embarked on a 19-hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., making her the first woman to fly solo, nonstop, from coast to coast.

1949: The North Atlantic Treaty came into force.

2006: The International Astronomical Union declared Pluto was no longer a planet, demoting it to "dwarf planet."

Today's Birthdays

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 53. Actor-writer Stephen Fry, 51. Talk-show host Craig Kilborn, 46. Actress Marlee Matlin, 43. Comedian Dave Chappelle, 35.

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