Tuesday, January 31, 2012

China's state TV expanding, but fetters remain (AP)

BEIJING ? The killing of a South Korean coast guard officer by a Chinese fisherman should have been tailor-made for China's CCTV News as it embarks on an ambitious plan to become a global network with assertive international coverage.

Instead, according to CCTV employees, the story languished for hours as editors awaited political guidance from above, while would-be competitors such as Qatar's Al-Jazeera reported extensively on December's attack.

In charting its growth, CCTV is closely studying other models, especially Al-Jazeera, which rolled out a global English language 24-hour news network five years ago and quickly made a name for itself.

Qatar's government bankrolled the station as part of its ambitions to parley its massive energy wealth into international influence, much as China is seeking global media stature behooving its booming economy, which now ranks second largest in the world behind the U.S.

But while Al-Jazeera's access and deep knowledge of the Middle East ? and a hands-off approach by its masters ? have been its greatest assets, state-run CCTV's emphatic allegiance to the authoritarian communist state and the party seem to be its biggest liability.

This greatly challenges CCTV's credibility and agenda to influence and channel global public opinion, said David Bandurski, editor of the China Media Project website at the University of Hong Kong.

"The role of the media as defined by the (Communist) Party is to serve the party's interests," Bandurski said.

A longtime CCTV program producer who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the topic said virtually everything in the news report is decided based on political considerations. The issues are discussed at meetings, but the decision always lies with the top bosses while the journalists have no say in the outcome, she said.

Still, CCTV is gearing up to supersize its global footprint this year in pursuit of swaying a foreign audience to China's views and confronting what Beijing considers the Western media's inate anti-China bias.

The network is opening studios in Washington and Nairobi, Kenya, each employing as many as 200 staffers. Worldwide, it will increase numbers of foreign correspondents from 66 to 80 by the end of 2012, with more to come, according to people familiar with the plans.

In Africa, CCTV has linked up with major satellite TV operator MIH Group and plans to operate upward of a dozen offices, according to Martyn J. Davies, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University in South Africa who has discussed the expansion with CCTV officials.

"China is a major player in Africa but its media has been very low key," said Davies, who in 2004 helped set up Africa's first Beijing-sponsored Confucius Institute for Chinese language studies.

Yin Fan, spokeswoman for CCTV's international department, said the station was withholding comment until a formal launch of the expanded service. Individual employees said they had been told not to speak to the media about the expansion plans.

Many of the reporters, cameramen and technical staff are being lured from other news organizations with high salaries and attractive perks. One freelance reporter in east Africa said CCTV recruited him aggressively and agreed to almost doubled his fee from $350 to $600 dollars per report. It also offered him the chance to present his reports in front of the camera instead of passing the footage to others. The reporter asked not to be identified by name.

Veteran U.S. foreign correspondent Jim Laurie, hired to help in Washington, said on his website he was looking for experienced news professionals and that plans call for the U.S. operation to produce four hours of programming daily by June. Laurie declined to comment for this article.

At a time when budgets are tightening in news rooms, China's government appears willing to pour billions of dollars into expanding its international media footprint. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper has reported the total budget to be as high as 45 billion yuan ($7.1 billion), although no official announcement has been made.

Expansion plans found support after 2008, a year in which China's image was walloped by protests among Tibetans and chaotic scenes accompanying the Beijing Olympic Torch on its journey around the globe, said Zhong Xin, a professor of mass media at Beijing's elite Renmin University.

Many Chinese opinion makers also felt let down by Olympics coverage that praised China's organization but also spotlighted political repression and stifling security, Zhong said.

CCTV was already broadening its overseas offerings to include programing in Russian, Arabic, Spanish and French, along with Chinese and English, claiming to reach 219 million households in 156 countries and regions. Programming is distributed on cable and satellite carriers in the U.S. as well as over the Internet. The Associated Press distributes a selection of CCTV news content to broadcast subscribers and also provides content and other services to the Chinese state broadcaster.

Many of the biggest stories emerging from China in 2011 are off-limits, including arrests of lawyers and dissidents and the detention of internationally famed artist Ai Weiwei. Reports on the much-criticized response to a deadly high-speed rail crash hewed to the official line, while unflattering stories such as December's stabbing in the Yellow Sea that sparked anti-Chinese protests in Seoul can be downplayed or ignored entirely.

Still, even that marks an improvement from years past, says Renmin University's Zhong.

"CCTV is basically trying to follow the model of CNN and BBC in delivering balanced information and reporting swiftly and from all angles," she said. "We've seen major changes in the reports over the past few years, both in their content and the way they're presented."

Slick production values have been embraced, along with varied reports on sports, the economy, travel and culture.

Notwithstanding the cosmetic changes, the fact is that CCTV is controlled by the state.

Its head is appointed by the party and the latest pick, longtime Communist Party newspaper editor Hu Zhanfan, seems intent to cement its control. Shortly before his appointment in November, Hu upbraided journalists who placed the truth above loyalty to the party, saying news must always reflect "our party and country's political stance."

"It takes a lot more than very smart looking programs to overcome perceptions about China and the Chinese government," said Anne-Marie Brady, who teaches at New Zealand's University of Canterbury.

___

Associated Press news assistant Yu Bing contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_en_tv/as_china_tv_to_the_world

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"The Artist" director Michel Hazanavicius wins DGA award (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? "The Artist" director Michel Hazanavicius was named the year's best feature film director by the Directors Guild of America on Saturday, further positioning the silent movie-era romance as a frontrunner for Oscars.

The movie about a fading star whose career is eclipsed by the woman he loves just as talkies are putting an end to silent pictures has been a critical darling throughout the Hollywood's current awards season.

"This is really touching and moving for me," said French director Hazanavicius upon accepting his award at the Grand Ballroom adjacent to the Kodak Theatre where the Oscars, the film industry's highest honors, will be given out on February 26.

"It's maybe the highest recognition I could hope for," he said.

The DGA Awards are a key indicator of who may win Academy Awards next month because only six times since the DGA began handing out annual honors in 1948 has the its winner failed to also be named best director by Oscar voters.

More important, there is a long history among members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Oscars, to give their Academy Award for best film to the movie made by the winner of best director.

The next stop in the race for Oscars is Sunday's Screen Actors Guild awards in Los Angeles where "The Artist" will look to extend its streak of victories, including a Golden Globe for best film musical or comedy and honors from critics groups.

The DGA also gives out other awards, including one for best film documentary, which went to James Marsh for "Project Nim."

Among TV award winners, Patty Jenkins was given the DGA trophy for best drama series for the pilot episode of "The Killing" and Robert B. Weide took home the DGA award for best comedy series for an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/en_nm/us_dgaawards

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Official: Yemen president in US for treatment (AP)

NEW YORK ? The embattled president of Yemen arrived Saturday in the United States for medical treatment for burns he suffered during an assassination attempt in June.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived at an unspecified location in the United States, according to the country's foreign press office. His journey had taken him from Oman, through London.

The one-line Yemeni statement said Saleh was in the U.S. for a "short-term private medical visit." His staff has said he is in the United States to be treated for injuries suffered during the assassination attempt. He was burned over much of his body and had shards of wood embedded into his chest by the explosion that ripped through his palace mosque as he prayed.

After months of unrest, Saleh agreed in November to end his 33-year-rule of the Arabian state.

His trip to the U.S. comes as Yemen, a key counterterrorism partner, prepares for an election on Feb. 21 to select his successor.

Human Rights Watch, which says it has documented the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters in confrontations with Saleh's security forces, was outraged by the Yemeni president's travel to the U.S. for medical treatment.

"It's appalling that President Saleh arrives here for first-rate medical treatment while hundreds of Yemeni victims, assaulted by his security forces have neither proper medical care nor justice for the crimes they've suffered," Balkees Jarrah, international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said in an emailed statement. "The Obama administration should insist those responsible for atrocities in Yemen be brought to the dock."

Maneuvering and manipulation had been reliable tactics for Saleh throughout his rule over mountainous, semi-desert Yemen, mired in poverty and divided among powerful tribes and political factions. But his room to maneuver steadily narrowed when the Arab Spring revolts swept into Yemen last year. From late January 2011, hundreds of thousands of Yemeni marched in the streets nearly every day, despite crackdowns. After a particularly bloody shooting of protesters in Sanaa, many ruling party members, lawmakers, Cabinet ministers and, most importantly, powerful military generals and tribal leaders abandoned him, siding with the opposition.

It is unclear how long Saleh intends to remain in the U.S. In a speech before he left Yemen for Oman a week ago, he promised to return home before the election, but the U.S. and its allies have pressured Saleh to leave Yemen for good.

American officials don't wish him to settle in the U.S., however, over concerns that it would be seen as harboring an autocratic leader accused by many of his countrymen of using violence to remain in power. Opponents have accused him of trying to interfere in Yemen's new unity government, even after he supposedly relinquished authority two months ago. He spent three months previously in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, only to return to Yemen, prompting more protests.

Saleh's travel plans in the United States have not been disclosed for security reasons. It wasn't clear where he intended to stay while in the country, or where he would be receiving medical care.

He had been traveling on a chartered Emirates plane with a private doctor, several armed guards and relatives, according to an official in the Yemeni president's office who spokes with the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the details.

The Obama administration agreed last week to allow Saleh to come to the U.S. temporarily for the medical treatment, a move aimed at easing the political transition in Yemen.

Saleh initially requested a U.S. visa in December, putting the Obama administration in the awkward position of either having to bar a friendly president from U.S. soil or risking appearing to harbor an autocrat with blood on his hands.

U.S. officials believe Saleh's exit from Yemen could lower the risk of disruptions in the lead-up to presidential elections there.

The Yemeni embassy in Washington has said Saleh planned to return home in February to attend a swearing-in ceremony for the country's newly elected president.

___

AP correspondent Jill Lawless in London and Ahmed Al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_us/us_yemen

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Beijing air pollution soars with fireworks smoke (AP)

BEIJING ? Clouds of smoke from Lunar New Year fireworks sent air pollution readings soaring in the more sensitive measurement system Beijing started using a little more than a week ago, reports said Sunday.

Readings of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 reached 1.593 milligrams per cubic meter on the Jan. 22 eve of the holiday, about 100 times worse than the amount considered good for 24-hour exposure, the city's environmental bureau said.

The reading drew wide publicity in the local media on Sunday. The popular Beijing Youth Daily praised the city government for taking a more critical look at air pollution, while urging residents to consider the environmental effects of setting off fireworks.

The readings moderated under relatively clear skies in recent days. By noon Sunday, before the weeklong holiday ends and people return to work, the level stood at a relatively good 0.039.

Beijing is frequently cloaked in yellow haze that obscures buildings a couple of blocks away. On particularly bad days, schools cancel outdoor activities and hospitals treat more people ? particularly the elderly ? for respiratory complaints.

The city began measuring the small particles in the air and releasing the readings on Jan. 21, as concern has grown over Beijing's air pollution from all sources. PM2.5 ? particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size, or about 1/30th the width of an average human hair ? are believed to be the greatest health risk because their smallness means they can lodge deeply in the lungs.

Beijing previously had only given PM10 measurements of coarser particles, which indicated pollution was "light," leading to accusations the true extent of the problem was hidden.

The U.S. Embassy since last year has released PM2.5 readings from a device on its rooftop and some residents have tested the air in their neighborhoods and posted the results online.

The embassy measured more pollution than the city on Sunday, but the sampling stations are 10 miles apart or more.

Beijing says its PM2.5 measuring station is about 4 miles (7 kilometers) west of central Tiananmen Square.

___

Associated Press researcher Henry Hou contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_as/as_china_air_quality

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

North Star May Be Wasting Away

A solar mass is over 300,000 Earths, and Polaris is atleast 7 solar masses, adjusting for the most conservative of all estimates. It's apparent magnitude is about 1.9, while the magnitude of drop off (nolonger visible to the human eye) is defined at 7 (with 6 being relatively hard except under good conditions).

Setting aside the nuclear chemistry that will occur in the meantime (which tends to increase brightness), that Polaris is, in fact, multiple stars and the overall reduction of radiative and mass pressure that will be reducing the production/consumption rate*, I would posit even losing half of its mass, it would likely still be visible in 2000 years, which means the Northern Star will have since switched to Gamma Cephei.

So, no big loss here. Personally, I, for one, welcome our new Alrainian OverStar.

****
*You know what, I'm actually going to do these in the coming weeks. This is sound like a fun problem, even though I do a lot more in theoretical particle physics than cosmology.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/EU3qFy8sUDw/north-star-may-be-wasting-away

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

[OOC] Bad Blood

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Bad Blood?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Welcome to the OCC for Bad Blood! Ask any questions you may have here, and reserve character slots, or just hang out and meet the other role players/characters. You can also post character bios/info here as well. Have fun! (( Geez, that saying is getting corny.:D))

User avatar
anaka
Member for 0 years



Can I reserve the cool girl? I can have a character sheet up by tonight. :)

User avatar
abeautifulmess
Member for 1 years


Sure. I will put your name under the cool girl. And yes, that would be great if you can come up with a character sheet by tonight, then all you have to do is create your character and start posting! :D

User avatar
anaka
Member for 0 years



Post a reply

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Carnival sued by crew member over cruise ship disaster (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Carnival Corp, whose luxury cruise liner Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Italy, was sued by a crew member in a first of what may be multiple U.S. lawsuits seeking class-action status over the disaster, court documents show.

Lawyers for Gary Lobaton, who was a crew member on board the Costa Concordia, said in a court filing that he was not aware of the "dangerous conditions" of the cruise ship until it was too late to abandon the ship.

The lawsuit sought to determine whether Carnival deviated from international safety standards when operating the cruise ship.

"Costa Concordia's Captain, Francesco Schettino, delayed the order to abandon ship and deploy the lifeboats," Lobaton's lawyers said in the filing.

Lobaton, who sued Carnival individually and on behalf of all others similarly affected by the cruise disaster, had sought damages from the company, according to the court filing.

Lobaton had also requested the court to assign class-action status to the lawsuit.

The 114,500-tonne ship capsized off the Tuscan coast, which left 11 people dead and 22 missing.

According to a January 24 BBC report, the number of dead has risen to 16.

Carnival could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside regular U.S. business hours.

The case is Gary Lobaton vs Carnival Corp, Case No. 1:12-cv-00598, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/wl_nm/us_carnival_lawsuit

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Children May Be Exposed to Higher Chemical Concentrations Than Their Mothers

Image: ? istockphoto/patrickheagney

Children living near DuPont?s plant in West Virginia are exposed to much higher concentrations of an industrial chemical than their mothers, according to a newly published study.

Children under 5, who are exposed from drinking water as well as their mothers? breast milk, had 44 percent more of the chemical in their blood than their moms. The study was undertaken by a court-approved panel of three scientists who have spent seven years trying to determine whether the DuPont chemical is making people sick in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

The chemical is perfluorooctanoate, or PFOA, also known as C8, and it is used in the manufacture of Teflon nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging and other products.

Nearly everyone worldwide has traces of perfluorinated chemical in their bodies. But people near the DuPont plant have extraordinary levels of PFOA -- about seven times more than the U.S. average ? because the compound, used at the plant since 1951, has contaminated drinking water supplies.

The scientists studied 4,943 child-mother pairs who drank water for at least one year in communities near the plant where water wells were known to contain PFOA.

??Children seemed to concentrate the chemical more than their mothers up to about age 12. This is probably due to exposure via drinking water as well as exposure in utero and via breast milk,? the team from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine wrote in the article, published online Monday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The lead author was Tony Fletcher, who serves on the court-approved panel.

For a related chemical called PFOS, blood concentrations were 42 percent higher in children than their mothers, and it persisted until the children were 19.

The new finding about children and their moms comes at the same time that other scientists, studying children in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, linked perfluorinated compounds to reduced effectiveness of childhood vaccinations. That is a possible sign that the chemical suppresses the immune system.

Environmental health scientists say that fetuses, infants and young children are the most vulnerable to the toxic effects of industrial chemicals such as PFOA and PFOS because they might interfere with development of their brains, reproductive tracts and hormones.

The panel of scientists was created as part of a settlement after residents from West Virginia and Ohio communities filed a class action lawsuit against DuPont in 2001 alleging health damage from contaminated water.

The panel is scheduled to reach a conclusion this July about the probability of health effects from PFOA exposure. Under a settlement between DuPont and the plaintiffs, if the scientists conclude that a ?probable link? exists between the chemical and any diseases, DuPont will fund a medical monitoring program for the residents.

In previous research in the communities, the scientists have found associations between PFOA exposure and markers that suggest potential liver disease, changes in children?s thyroid hormones and increased risk of kidney cancer deaths. Last month, the panel also reported ?a probable link between C8 (PFOA) and pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia.? It found no link to birth defects, preterm births, low birth weight or pregnancy loss.

The chemical is ubiquitous and long-lasting in the environment, which led to an agreement between the Environmental Protection Agency and DuPont and other manufacturers to eliminate emissions by 2015.

In 2005, DuPont paid a $10.25 million fine for violating federal environmental statutes, which is the largest civil administrative penalty on record for the EPA, plus more than $6 million for environmental studies. The agency accused the company of hiding information on public health threats.

This article originally ran at Environmental Health News, a news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=336e35aa36e13cd8fb186f28b03599ec

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Brown Fat Furnishes Physiological Furnace

60-Second Health60-Second Health | Health

Men with more brown fat burn more calories in the cold to keep warm. Katherine Harmon reports.

More 60-Second Health

When it comes to the battle of the bulge, putting on more muscle will burn extra calories even when you're resting. But recent research suggests that there might be a particular type of fat that also uses up more energy than the typical off-white stuff that tends to congregate around American midsections: brown fat.

This tissue turns food energy directly into heat. It was thought to exist only in babies, to help them keep warm. But it?s recently been found?in small quantities?in adults, too. Mostly distributed in our necks and shoulders. And a new study finds that when adult men are chilly, those with more brown fat burn through more calories keeping warm. The results are in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. [Veronique Ouellet, et al, Brown Adipose Tissue Oxidative Metabolism Contributes to Energy Expenditure During Acute Cold Exposure In Humans]

The researchers found that those subjects with the most brown fat saw the biggest boost in their metabolism when they were subjected to cold for three hours.

Although scientists are interested in brown fat?s obesity-battling possibilities, don't count on a calorie-crunching injection in a meat locker anytime soon. For now, we have to burn calories the old fashioned way?or avoid them in the first place.

?Katherine Harmon

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]???
?


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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sony, Paramount and Weinstein Co. get Oscar boost (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Sony Pictures received 21 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, making it the most-nominated studio for 2012's Oscars, but the key winner may be Harvey Weinstein's company as it rolls out new movies to capitalize on Academy Award media hype.

Oscar nominations typically help boost the box office of movies still playing in theaters because awards publicity heightens awareness by moviegoers.

The studios supplement their marketing by leveraging the prestige that comes with a nod for the world's top film honors, and ultimately Oscars can help boost sales of DVDs and licensing fees for future television airings.

The privately-held Weinstein Co., run by Harvey and his brother Bob who once led Miramax Films with best picture winners like "The English Patient," had 16 nominations including 10 for "The Artist" -- the second most-nominated movie next to Paramount Pictures' "Hugo," which garnered 11 Oscar nods.

With roughly five weeks until the Academy Awards on February 26, Weinstein Co. will be promoting the nods for "The Artist" and its other movies including "The Iron Lady," which earned Meryl Streep a nomination for best actress playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The strategy of releasing movies to capitalize on Oscar nomination media coverage is nothing new, of course. Other companies such as Fox Searchlight with its award hopeful "The Descendants" follow the same marketing path.

Paramount with "Hugo" and Sony Pictures with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and a re-release of "Moneyball" similarly hope to lure audiences into theaters to see their films.

But Weinstein Co. is particularly good at the strategy. Last year, it received 12 nominations for "The King's Speech" and timed the release to nominations. The movie went on to win best picture and grossed $138 million at domestic box offices.

Similarly, "The Artist" and "The Iron Lady" screened in New York and Los Angeles late last year to qualify for Oscars before their wider release from January through March when Weinstein Co. hopes to ring up the box office register.

SONY WINS WITH NUMBERS

Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of Sony Corp and parent for Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Releasing and Columbia Pictures, picked up six nods for numbers-crunching baseball drama "Moneyball" and five for thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" among its 21 nominations.

"Dragon Tattoo" remains in theaters since its December launch and "Moneyball," which has grossed $75 million at domestic box offices since its initial released in September 2011, already has been re-issued and will look to boost sales of DVDs and hope to have a long life on TV.

"What was wonderful about this year is that we got to make a bunch of movies that are not usually the kind of movies that are a studios' bread and butter, and all of them paid off this year and that's really gratifying," said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

While Sony Pictures led studios, Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc., scored the most nods of any single film with 11 for Scorsese's "Hugo."

The movie, which had a reported production budget estimated at $150 million, has amassed only $55 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices since its release in November 2011, and $27.3 million in overseas ticket sales.

But producer Graham King noted "Hugo" is still in theaters, has not played in many international markets, and the acclaim from Oscar nods should lead to its long life in libraries.

"The 11 nominations will help the international (box office). I'm hoping the nominations help people discover the film, and I hope it will have a long shelf life, and in 15 or 20 years people will still be talking about it," King told Reuters.

Paramount also said it will re-release this week "Rango," which earned a nomination for best animated film on Tuesday.

Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group received 13 nominations, led by Steven Spielberg's epic World War I tale, "War Horse" with six nods, while News Corp's Fox film divisions received 10 nominations, led by Fox Searchlight's family drama "The Descendants" with five nods. Both "War Horse" and "Descendants" are still playing in theaters.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/film_nm/us_oscars_studios

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Microsoft launches MSN UK for iPad

Microsoft has launched another app for the iPad, this time it is MSN UK. MSN UK is brings all the latest news, sport and entertainment from the UK right to your iPad.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/7GUk7WHFTkg/story01.htm

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

FBI: Jailed terror plotter wanted witnesses slain

(AP) ? A North Carolina man sentenced to prison recently as part of a homegrown terrorist ring has been accused in a federal court document of plotting to kill witnesses who testified against him at trial.

An affidavit unsealed in federal court Monday accuses Hysen Sherifi of plotting against the witnesses from his jail cell. Authorities say an FBI informant posing as a hit man met with Sherifi's brother and a female friend and accepted $5,000 and a photo of an intended victim.

FBI agents have arrested the brother, Shkumbin Sherifi, and Nevine Aly Elshiekh, a school teacher. Now in federal custody at the New Hanover County Jail, each is charged with a felony count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

Hysen Sherifi, 27, was sentenced to 45 years in prison earlier this month in what prosecutors described as a conspiracy to attack the Marine base at Quantico, Va., and targets abroad. Five others, including construction contractor Daniel Patrick Boyd, have been sentenced to federal prison terms for terrorism charges related to raising money, stockpiling weapons and training in preparation for jihadist attacks.

No charges have been filed at this time against Hysen Sherifi related to the new plot, according to a search of a federal court database.

Shkumbin Sherifi and Elshiekh await a scheduled first appearance Friday in federal court in Wilmington. The two have applied for court appointed lawyers, who have not yet been assigned.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh has released no information about those arrested.

In a 10-page affidavit filed under seal Friday, FBI Special Agent James Langtry writes that he developed a source as a confidential informant inside the New Hanover County Jail near Wilmington, where Hysen Sherifi was sent after a jury convicted him in October.

The informant soon befriended Sherifi, who requested help in hiring someone to kill three people who had testified against him at his trial, according to the affidavit. Sherifi specified that he wanted the witnesses beheaded and that he would be provided photos of the severed heads as confirmation of the deaths, according to the document.

FBI agents said in the document that they arranged for a second informant to pose as a hit man and monitored Sherifi during a series of jailhouse visits with Elshiekh.

Following a Dec. 21 visit at the jail, Elshiekh left a voicemail on the fake hit man's cell phone, identifying herself as "Hysen Sherifi's friend," according to the affidavit. It added that the FBI observed and recorded subsequent meetings between Elshiekh and the fake hit man, during which she provided names, addresses and photos of those targeted and $750 in cash toward the first murder.

Agents also observed Elshiekh meeting with Shkumbin Sherifi, who met with the FBI's fake hitman on Jan. 8, the court document said. According to the affidavit, the brother traveled from Raleigh to Wilmington to provide the hit man another $4,250 in cash.

The affidavit provides no information about the nature of the relationship between Hysen Sherifi and Elshiekh, but a woman with that same name was quoted in media reports from last year's terrorism trial in New Bern. The names of the witnesses allegedly targeted were redacted from the affidavit.

Nevine Elshiekh is listed as a special education teacher on the website for Sterling Montessori Academy, a charter school in Mooresville. Bill Zajic, the school's executive director, did not return a message from the Associated Press on Tuesday.

No one answered the phone at Elshiekh's Raleigh home Tuesday.

The Sherifi brothers and other family members emigrated from Kosovo following the wars that ravaged the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. A call to the Sherifi family home in Raleigh on Tuesday was not returned.

Hysen Sherifi and others arrested in the terrorism conspiracy were members of the Islamic Association of Raleigh, the largest Muslim congregation in the Triangle. Several members of the mosque also routinely made the 4-hour round trip for the trial in New Bern to support the accused, who they described as innocent men being railroaded by overzealous federal authorities.

Messages to the media contact listed for the mosque were not returned.

_

Follow AP writer Michael Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-24-NC%20Terror%20Arrests/id-a5aaf39202054a38ab87e75b293a73df

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Doomed liner's captain trades blame with shipowners (Reuters)

GIGLIO, Italy (Reuters) ? The operators of the Costa Concordia faced questions over their share of the blame for the shipwreck, as divers recovered another body from the stricken liner on Sunday, bringing the known death toll to 13.

Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of steering the 290 meter-long cruise ship too close to shore while performing a maneuver known as a "salute" in which liners draw up very close to land to make a display.

Schettino, who is charged with multiple manslaughter and with abandoning ship before the evacuation of its 4,200 passengers and crew was complete, has told prosecutors he had been instructed to perform the maneuver by operator Costa Cruises.

Prosecutors say he steered the ship within 150 meters of the Tuscan island of Giglio, where it struck a rock that tore a large gash in its hull, causing it to keel over.

It is now lying on its side on an undersea ledge, half-submerged and in danger of sliding into deeper waters.

As the search continued into a ninth day, divers found the body of a woman on a submerged deck near the bow of the vessel, bringing the total number of known dead to 13, only eight of whom have been identified.

Costa Cruises have said they were not aware of any unsafe approaches so close to the shore and have suspended Schettino, saying he was responsible for the disaster.

According to transcripts of his hearing with investigators, Schettino has disputed that claim, saying Costa had insisted on the maneuver to please passengers and attract publicity.

"It was planned, we should have done it a week earlier but it was not possible because of bad weather," Schettino said.

"They insisted. They said: 'We do tourist navigation, we have to be seen, get publicity and greet the island'."

Italian newspapers have also published photographs of the Costa Concordia apparently performing the "salute" close to other ports including Syracuse in Sicily and the island of Procida, which is near Naples and Schettino's hometown of Meta di Sorrento.

Schettino also said the black box on board had been broken for two weeks and he had asked for it to be repaired, in vain.

In the hearing, Schettino insisted he had informed Costa's headquarters of the accident straight away, and his line of conduct had been approved by the company's marine operations director throughout a series of phone conversations.

He acknowledged, however, not raising the alarm with the coastguard promptly and delaying the evacuation order.

"You can't evacuate people on lifeboats and then, if the ship doesn't sink, say it was a joke. I don't want to create panic and have people die for nothing," he said.

Costa, a unit of Carnival Corp, the world's largest cruise line operator, says Schettino lied to the company and his own crew about the scale of the emergency.

Documents from his hearing with a judge say he had shown "incredible carelessness" and a "total inability to manage the successive phases of the emergency."

Taped conversations show ship's officers told coastguards who were alerted by passengers that the vessel had only had a power cut, even after those on board donned lifevests.

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UNREGISTERED PASSENGERS?

Adding to the growing debate about the ship's safety standards, Franco Gabrielli - head of Italy's Civil Protection authority which is coordinating the rescue operations - said a number of unregistered passengers may have been on board.

Relatives of a missing Hungarian woman told authorities she was on the Costa Concordia with a member of the crew, but her name was not on the list of passengers, he said.

"In theory, there could be an unknown number of people who were on the ship and have not been reported missing because they were not registered," Gabrielli said.

Of the 13 bodies found, only 8 had been identified - four French nationals, an Italian, a Hungarian, a German and a Spaniard. At least 20 people are still unaccounted for.

Minor pollution from detergents and disinfectants aboard the shipwreck had been detected in the waters around the vessel but there was no sign that the heavy fuel in its tanks was leaking, Gabrielli said.

He said tests were being carried out daily on the waters around the ship and a nearby desalination plant that provides drinking water for the island's residents.

"The tests for toxic substances are negative so far," Gabrielli said. "The only significant elements detected, which luckily are not worrying yet, relate to ... detergents and disinfectants used on the ship, for the swimming pool or to clean the bathrooms for example."

Environment experts have warned that contamination of the pristine waters around Giglio, which is in the middle of a national marine park, is already under way and it is imperative to start recovering the fuel oil as soon as possible.

(Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/wl_nm/us_italy_ship

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Job bias claims in US at record level

(AP) ? Job discrimination complaints in the United States rose to an all-time high last year, led by an increase in bias charges based on religion and national origin.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received nearly 100,000 charges of discrimination during the 2011 fiscal year, the most in its 46-year history. That's a slight increase over the previous year, which had 25 fewer complaints.

Charges of religious discrimination jumped by 9.5 percent, the largest increase of any category. Claims of bias based on ancestry or country of origin rose 5 percent.

Experts say the increase reflects the growing diversity of the nation's work force.

"We're seeing a greater diversity among minority groups in America," said Ron Cooper, a former general counsel of the EEOC who now works in private practice. "We're seeing more workers from India, Pakistan and other countries that bring additional religious complexity to the work force."

The commission does not specify which religious or ethnic groups filed the most charges.

As in past years, claims based on race, sex and retaliation were the charges filed most often, according to commission data.

Charges of racial bias fell by 1 percent, while sexual discrimination claims fell 2 percent and sexual harassment claims dropped 3 percent.

At the same time, claims of disability bias climbed 2 percent and charges of discrimination based on age rose 1 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-24-Job%20Discrimination/id-9f9d0034dc424df586f3e0c6053363ac

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Five lessons learned from the South Carolina primary (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/189897118?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Storm blankets Northeast with a few inches of snow (AP)

PHILADELPHIA ? A few inches of snow coated the Northeast on Saturday in a storm so rare this season in the East that some welcomed it.

"We've been very lucky, so we can't complain," said Gloria Fernandez of New York City, as she shoveled the sidewalk outside her workplace. "It's nice, it's fluffy and it's on the weekend," she said of the snow, which hadn't fallen in the city since a rare October storm that that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in parts and knocked out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses in the region.

By midafternoon, 4.3 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park and 3.4 inches at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Most of eastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, and central New Jersey saw about 4 inches of snow, with a few places reporting up to 6 inches. Flurries and freezing rain fell around Washington, D.C.

Up to 10 inches was predicted for southeastern Massachusetts, noteworthy in a season marked by a lack of snow throughout the Northeast. The quick-moving storm was expected to move out to sea overnight.

Road conditions were fair Saturday, officials said. Crews in Pennsylvania and New Jersey began salting roads around midnight and plowing soon after. By midmorning, the snow had turned to sleet in Philadelphia north through central New Jersey and had stopped falling altogether by early afternoon.

"It's a fairly moderate snowstorm, at best," said weather service forecaster Bruce Sullivan.

Few accidents were reported on the roads, helped by the weekend's lack of rush hour traffic, but New Jersey transportation spokesman Joe Dee cautioned drivers to build in more time for trips. Though temperatures will warm up this afternoon he said, forecasters expect the wet ground to freeze again overnight.

Flights arriving at Philadelphia Airport were delayed up to two hours because of snow and ice accumulation and about 35 flights had been canceled, but most departing flights were leaving on time, airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said.

New York City had 1,500 snow plows at the ready, each equipped with global positioning systems that will allow supervisors to see their approximate location on command maps updated every 30 seconds, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a morning news conference.

The equipment was installed last year following a post-Christmas storm in 2010 that left plows stuck and stranded in drifts and left swaths of the city unplowed for days. Bloomberg said the GPS system has already led to "vastly improved communication" between supervisors and plow operators.

In Connecticut, where the October storm did the most damage and some lost power for more than a week, about 6 inches of snow was forecast. State police had responded to dozens of accidents by midmorning but said none appeared to be serious.

As always, some benefited from the snow. Enough accumulated through the week for snowmobiling and ice fishing in New Hampshire, where cross-country ski trails and snowshoeing were open at Bretton Woods and other places.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_us/us_winter_weather

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Yemen grants Saleh immunity to try to end crisis (Reuters)

SANAA (Reuters) ? Yemen's parliament approved a law on Saturday granting outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution, part of a deal for him to step down after nearly a year of unrest.

Protesters and the opposition have accused the security forces, controlled by the president and aides, of using troops and snipers to kill hundreds of demonstrators who, inspired by revolts elsewhere in the Arab world, began protesting against his rule last January.

Lawmakers also backed Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as the candidate for all parliamentary parties in a presidential election next month to replace Saleh, in power for 33 years.

The immunity law, backed by a majority, stops short of giving full protection to Saleh's aides after being amended to say they would have immunity only for "politically motivated" crimes committed carrying out official duties, not for those considered "terrorist acts."

A United Nations envoy welcomed the amendment limiting the immunity, which U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay has said could violate international law.

"I am pleased that immunity law has been modified but it does not go far enough. The scope of the law is still too broad. The UN cannot condone a broad amnesty that covers UN classified crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, gross violations of human rights, and sexual violence," Jamal Benomar said.

"We would have been more satisfied if these recognized categories of crimes were incorporated into the draft law."

Human Rights Watch was far more critical. "This law sends the disgraceful message that there is no consequence for killing those who express dissent," said HRW regional director Sarah Leah Whitson. "The Yemeni government should be investigating senior officials linked to serious crimes, not letting them get away with murder."

The deal, part of the plan hammered out by Yemen's wealthier Gulf neighbors to ease Saleh from power, will cover Saleh's entire presidency and cannot be cancelled or appealed.

Neighboring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and the United States had backed autocratic Saleh for much of his rule, but endorsed the transition deal, fearing continued unrest would be exploited by al Qaeda's Yemen-based regional wing, seen by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch.

UNITED STATES VISIT PLANNED

A Middle Eastern diplomat involved in the discussions over Saleh's fate told Reuters on Friday the president still planned to visit the United States for medical treatment but would not leave Yemen permanently.

Al Arabiya television said on Saturday that Saleh planned to visit Oman and Ethiopia before going to the United States for a medical check-up.

A senior Yemeni official said Saleh would have diplomatic immunity if and when he travelled to the United States.

"We are waiting for a third country to approve the president's short visit prior to travelling to the U.S.," said the official, who is not authorized to speak to the press and so declined to be named. The official suggested that the third country was an Arab nation.

Some activists said the immunity deal showed that the successes of the protests could easily be overturned.

"We have lost all faith in the political opposition. If they can grant Saleh this kind of pardon perhaps they will pass more laws against us in the future, maybe next time they will pass laws banning demonstrations. We, as the youth, can no longer trust them," said protest leader Faizah Suleiman.

But activist Abdulaziz Sakkaf, 22, said: "It is of course controversial but it is necessary if a peaceful transfer of power has any chance of succeeding. I don't support it in principle, but for pragmatic reasons."

Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakul Karman told Reuters that Saleh and his inner circle must be barred from returning to power if the country was to have any chance of restoring stability.

Analysts say impoverished Yemen may become a failed state as it also faces Shi'ite rebels in the north, resurgent southern separatist sentiment and al Qaeda-linked militants who have seized several towns in the south.

A tribal negotiator said on Saturday talks broke off with Tareq al-Dahab, leader of an Islamist militant group that took over the town of Radda, 170 km (105 miles) southeast of the capital Sanaa, after he demanded that 16 al Qaeda militants be freed and Islamic law be enforced in the town.

Dahab had earlier said his fighters would withdraw if his brother and several others were freed.

Army forces and pro-government tribal fighters clashed with the militants after the talks broke down, targeting a historic fort where the Islamists have taken position, residents said.

Saleh's opponents accuse him of ceding territory to Islamists to bolster his assertion that his rule alone keeps al Qaeda from growing stronger in Yemen, and ultimately aiming to retain power by sabotaging the transition deal.

(Additional reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden; Writing by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/wl_nm/us_yemen

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How immune cells move against invaders

ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2012) ? UCSF scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these cells and could lead to strategies for treating conditions from spinal cord injury to cancer.

The research focused on the neutrophil, the most common type of white blood cell. Like other cells in the immune system, its job is to seek out and destroy bacteria, viruses or other foreign entities that enter the bloodstream or organs. Scientists have known that, to do this, each cell changes its otherwise amorphous shape to form a single front, or leading edge, that approaches the invader and leads the cell into attack.

The leading edge is thought to send out some type of signal to the rest of the cell to prevent the formation of secondary fronts. Until now, scientists thought the signal was transmitted by the movement of molecules from one part of the cell to another.

Now, however, a team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, has shown that the neutrophil triggers this long-range inhibition by transmitting mechanical force.

The process relies on the assembly of a protein known as actin, which accumulates in the part of the cell that pushes out in the direction of its bacterial target.

In their paper, recently published in the journal Cell (January 20, 2012), the team showed that the cell's protrusion stretches its membrane, taking it from lax to tight, like the rope in a game of tug-of-war. The tension is transmitted along the cell membrane, moving from front to back. It is this tension that restricts activity to the leading edge.

"Thiscritical ability of cells to restrict activity to specific regions of their surface is essential for many processes, ranging from the regulation of cell division to the formation of multicellular organisms and the wiring of the nervous system," said lead author Orion Weiner, PhD, an assistant professor in residence at UCSF's Cardiovascular Research Institute.

The finding may help researchers identify new therapies that can promote or block the process of cell mobilization as a way of intervening in conditions, he said. After a spinal cord injury, for example, neurons don't readily cross the site of the injury, impairing motor function or leading to paralysis. There may be drugs that can help the neurons form a leading edge and enable them to jump the gap, Weiner said. Other drugs might impede cells from migrating inappropriately as they do in cancer.

To reach their conclusion, Weiner and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments in which they applied or removed tension from neutrophils and tracked the accumulation of actin and the movement of the cell. Andrew Houk, a graduate student in Weiner's lab, conducted many of the experiments. They showed that tension is necessary and sufficient to constrain the spread of an existing front and keep a cell from forming a second one.

"Our study establishes tension as a central regulator of this process of leading-edge formation," Weiner said. "The challenge now is to figure out which molecules respond to that tension and how."

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Francisco. The original article was written by Kristen Bole.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Andrew R. Houk, Alexandra Jilkine, Cecile O. Mejean, Rostislav Boltyanskiy, Eric R. Dufresne, Sigurd B. Angenent, Steven J. Altschuler, Lani F. Wu, Orion D. Weiner. Membrane Tension Maintains Cell Polarity by Confining Signals to the Leading Edge during Neutrophil Migration. Cell, Volume 148, Issues 1%u20132, 20 January 2012, Pages 175%u2013188 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.050

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119163251.htm

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Novartis drug investigated after 11 deaths (AP)

LONDON ? A multiple sclerosis drug made by industry giant Novartis is under investigation after at least 11 patients taking the medicine died.

The drug, Gilenya, was licensed last year in the European Union to treat patients with a severe type of multiple sclerosis.

The deaths raise concerns Gilenya could trigger heart problems after patients take their first dose, according to a statement issued Friday by the European Medicines Agency. The agency, which is now investigating the drug, said it isn't clear if it caused the deaths.

One of the deaths was in the U.S., where a patient died within 24 hours of taking the first dose.

The European agency said it didn't know where the other 10 deaths occurred, but that they were reported to its drug database, which monitors side effects from medicines in the European Union.

A spokeswoman at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it also is conducting a data analysis but has not made any definitive conclusions and does not know when its review will be complete.

More than 30,000 patients have taken Gilenya worldwide. The European Medicines Agency advised doctors to increase their monitoring of patients after the first dose of the medicine. The agency said the risk of a slow heart rate after the first dose of Gilenya was known when it was approved.

Novartis AG said it was advising doctors of new recommendations on using Gilenya. They had previously recommended all patients be monitored for six hours after their first dose, but are now tightening that to include continuous heart monitoring using electrocardiograms and measuring blood pressure and heart rate every hour. In certain patients, that monitoring should be extended, the drug maker said in a statement.

This new guidance applies only to patients taking their first dose, Novartis said in a statement.

The EU drug regulator hopes to finish its review of the drug by March.

___

Online:

http://www.ema.europa.eu

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_he_me/eu_novartis_drug_review

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iTunes U Puts Entire College Courses on Your iPad [Apple]

Between coming up with a curriculum, teaching, assigning homework, and getting important info to students, teachers have it rough. The iTunes U app is going to let them do all of that from an iPad. Which means students can basically take entire courses from their tablets. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EnX2gJiKbuA/itunes-u-puts-entire-college-courses-on-your-ipad

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Obama takes first lady out to celebrate birthday (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama is taking first lady Michelle Obama out for a night on the town to celebrate her 48th birthday.

The president and first lady were dining Tuesday at BLT Steak not far from the White House. They were joined by White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and friends.

Earlier, with his wife at his side, the president gave her a lighthearted compliment at a White House event celebrating the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series victory, saying that, "When we first married, it was a little controversial that she was 20 years younger than me, but now it seems to have worked out OK."

Mrs. Obama spoke up to say she's 48. The president is 50.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_michelle_obama_birthday

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Castrodale: Here's hoping for a Super spectacular

Patriots-Giants or Patriots-49ers would super-size title game

Image: Manning, BradyGetty Images

Eli Manning and the Giants beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in Week 9, but a rematch would be fantastic, NBCSports.com contributor Jelisa Castrodale writes.

OPINION

updated 4:05 p.m. ET Jan. 17, 2012

Jelisa Castrodale

If you were forced to spend 72 hours fighting some kind of House-worthy death flu, last weekend was the perfect time. Take a triple-digit temperature, add four NFL playoff games and wrap it all in a frayed bath robe and you?ll understand why I spent two days shuffling from sofa to sofa and also why I?ll die alone.?

The division matchups made it worth being quarantined in my apartment and being contagious gave me an excuse to watch all of them, every minute from Saturday?s Candlestick Park kickoff until Aaron Rodgers walked off the field on Sunday night, doomed to spend the rest of the offseason practicing his Discount Double Check in the bathroom mirror.

After the Giants dispatched the Packers, I flipped to NBC for the Golden Globes, which is apparently one of the side effects of prescription cough syrup. Halfway through the show and half asleep, I started to see similarities between the potential Super Bowl matchups and the awards show. Maybe it was the spectacle and fanfare. Maybe it was because both of them involve Madonna (who, at this point, looks like the offspring of a free safety and a strip of beef jerky). Or maybe it was just the codeine.???

Regardless, here are each of the four possible Super Bowl XLVI matchups and their Globe-inspired titles, listed in order of least preferred to a pair of ?NO ONE SHOULD SPEAK TO ME UNTIL ONE TEAM IS BRUSHING CONFETTI OFF THEIR SHOULDER PADS? games.?

Ravens-49ers: ?Modern Family?
There will be other aspects to the Ravens-49ers Super Bowl, but the plot point you?ll hear about for two straight weeks will be the clash between the sons of Jack and Jackie Harbaugh (a couple who, in my head, always wear embroidered windsuits in contrasting colors). Jim?s 49ers and John?s Ravens met for the first time on Thanksgiving Day, a 16-6 Baltimore victory.?

Both teams lived up to their billing that day. The 49ers held Ray Rice to 59 yards. The Ravens repeatedly stuffed Frank Gore, limiting him to 39 yards, and sacked Alex Smith nine times. NINE. Nine of his league-worst 44 trips to the turf happened while the rest of us were eating pecan-encrusted sweet potatoes.?

Harbowl II would be another evenly balanced defensive battle between two of the NFL?s stingiest squads. Team Jim held opponents to 14.3 points per game during the regular season ? second only to Pittsburgh ? and Team John is right behind them with 16.6 ppg.

Does that make for compelling, entertaining football? Yes, if you?re attending Nick Saban?s Super Bowl party (which we imagine only involves Nick Saban).?

Ravens-Giants: ?War Horse?
Before it became the noun-iest entry on Stephen Spielberg?s IMDB page, a war horse was defined as ?a person who has long experience in a field.? Or on a field, if you?re Ray Lewis, the NFL?s war horsiest war horse. (Webster?s third definition is ?something that has been overly familiar or hackneyed due to much repetition, kind of like his beyond-irritating incisor-baring pregame dance routine.?)

The last time these two teams met, it was at Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001. Trent Dilfer led Baltimore to a 35-7 victory, and the team?s only Lombardi trophy. Of the players listed on the two starting lineups, two (Shannon Sharpe and Rod Woodson) have earned Century 21-style blazers and busts in Canton. Three are position coaches for other teams. But only one ? Ray Lewis ? is still playing, let alone starting, let alone leading the Ravens D with 95 total tackles. (Kerry Collins? three games with the Colts don?t count).?

Tom Brady called the Ravens ?the best team we?ve faced all year,? gushing that they ?have some of the best players in the history of the NFL at their positions.??

Unfortunately, those players aren?t on offense. The question for this game ? and for Sunday in Foxborough ? is whether Joe Flacco could put up enough points to outscore the league?s second- (New England) and fifth-(Giants) ranked passing attacks. The D will do its part; Baltimore only allowed three QBs to break 300 yards this season.?


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Will Ravens D crumble vs. Patriots?

Ventre: The Ravens' place as denizens of defensive destruction is secure. Yet they might want to hold off just a tad on uninhibited sack dancing and muscle flexing until they vanquish a real offense.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46027158/ns/sports-nfl/

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