Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Dominican police: man kills ex-girlfriend, himself (AP)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic ? Authorities in the Dominican Republic say a man locked himself in a room with his former girlfriend and set it on fire, killing them both.

Police say in a statement that 35-year-old Edwin Figueroa was upset that 24-year-old Miguelina Pacheco didn't want to get back together with him. They say he sneaked into her parents' house early Tuesday and went into her room while she slept. Then he set the room on fire.

The victim's mother told reporters that the couple had been together for eight years but that she broke up with Figueroa five months ago because of his jealousy.

The fire occurred in a neighborhood west of the capital of Santo Domingo.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_dominican_republic_fiery_death

miracle on 34th street santa tracker patrice oneal monkey bread letter from santa sweet potato pie sweet potato pie

FDA approves Roche skin cancer drug (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? U.S. health regulators on Monday approved Roche's pill to treat an advanced form of the most common form of skin cancer, known as basal cell carcinoma.

The drug, Erivedge, which was co-developed by Curis Inc, was given a green light by the Food and Drug Administration more than a month ahead of the expected March 8 decision date. It was approved for use by adults whose cancer cannot be treated with surgery or radiation or whose disease has spread to other parts of the body or returned following surgery.

Erivedge, known chemically as vismodegib, is the first drug to gain FDA approval for advanced basal cell carcinoma. Curis, which earned a $10 million milestone payment as a result of the approval, is entitled to royalty payments on sales of the drug.

"Today's approval provides a new treatment for people with advanced basal cell carcinoma who, until now, had no approved medicines to help shrink disfiguring or potentially life-threatening lesions," Hal Barron, Roche chief medical officer, said in a statement.

The drug, which is taken once a day, is expected to cost about $7,500 a month, with an estimated 10-month course of treatment totaling about $75,000, Curis said in a regulatory filing.

Roche is awaiting an approval decision on the drug in Europe.

Basal cell carcinoma is generally a slow-growing and painless form of skin cancer that starts in the top layer of the skin and develops on areas that are regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation.

Erivedge works by inhibiting a signaling pathway that is active in most basal cell cancers and only in a few normal tissues, such as hair follicles.

The drug was approved with a warning alerting patients and health-care professionals of the potential risk of death or severe birth effects to a fetus. Pregnancy status must be verified prior to the start of Erivedge treatment, the FDA said.

Curis shares were down 16 cents, or 3 percent, at $5.02 on Nasdaq. Roche shares closed off 1.2 percent in Switzerland.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; editing by Mark Porter and Gunna Dickson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/hl_nm/us_roche_approval

dennis the menace dylan ratigan dylan ratigan occupy occupy midnight madness midnight madness

Monday, January 30, 2012

6.3 earthquake shakes Peru but no injuries or damage reported (Reuters)

LIMA (Reuters) ? A earthquake of 6.3 magnitude rattled the coast of Peru early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake occurred shortly after midnight local time (1 a.m. ET) and was centered about 9 miles southeast of the city of Ica and about 170 miles south-southeast of Lima.

Witnesses said the quake shook buildings in coastal Lima, Peru's capital. Although there were no reported injuries or damage, local radio said residents near the epicenter were alarmed and ran outside their homes when they felt the quake. Power was out in nearby Pisco, the radio said.

"We felt a terrible earthquake that's really scared us," Ica resident Blanca Cabanilla told the local radio. "It was similar to what happened to us in 2007."

An 8.0 quake in 2007 killed more than 500 people in Ica and wrecked thousands of homes.

(Reporting by Helen Popper and Patricia Velez; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_peru_quake

battlefield 3 release battle field 3 battle field 3 dana wilkey dana wilkey chuck liddell chuck liddell

Blood found at home where Maine tot was last seen (AP)

PORTLAND, Maine ? Investigators have been analyzing blood found in the basement of a Maine home where a missing toddler was last seen six weeks ago, an official said Saturday.

The blood was found early in the investigation into Ayla Reynolds' disappearance from her father's home in Waterville, state police spokesman Steve McCausland said. The state crime laboratory has been running tests on it since then, but it was unclear when results would be available.

Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, reported her missing Dec. 17. He had put her to bed the night before in the home he shares with his mother and said she wasn't there the next morning.

McCausland called the discovery of the blood "troubling." He declined to discuss how much blood was found in the basement or how old it might have been.

Ayla was 20 months old when she disappeared. She had been staying with her father at the time in the house where DiPietro lives with his mother. Her mother, Trista Reynolds, lives in Portland.

DiPietro told police she was wearing green pajamas with polka dots and the words "Daddy's Princess" on them and had a soft cast on her broken left arm.

DiPietro, his mother and a third adult were home the night of Dec. 16, and police have questioned all three, McCausland said.

"We believe they have not given us the full story," he said.

Trista Reynolds was participating in a vigil Saturday for the girl and could not be reached for comment. DiPietro did not immediately return a message left on his cellphone.

The two came face to face for the first time since Ayla's disappearance at the vigil on the City Hall steps in downtown Waterville, said Bob Vear, a friend of the DiPietro family who organized the vigil. They spoke privately for about 10 minutes before giving each other a hug, Vear said.

A woman who answered DiPietro's mother's cellphone hung up after being asked about the blood.

The blood was among hundreds of pieces of potential evidence that were removed from their home as part of a criminal investigation into the girl's disappearance. The discovery of the blood was first reported Saturday by WCVB-TV in Boston.

Ronald Reynolds, who is Trista Reynolds' father, said DiPietro hasn't been forthcoming with his version of what happened or what he knows. DiPietro has said he took a polygraph test, but has declined to say what the results were.

"They haven't given the full story, but this family has gone through so much pain, so much hurt," said Reynolds, who lives in Portland. "We're going into two months now and don't know anything, and all we get is the runaround."

Vear said he was first made aware of the blood sample Dec. 24, but he doesn't think it'll amount to anything.

"I cut myself at home all the time," he said. "It could be Justin's, it could be the baby's. There were five or six people in the house that night."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_us/us_missing_toddler

breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 big game jeremy london jeremy london butterball turkey fryer butterball turkey fryer

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Mozilla to overhaul Firefox's default home and tab pages

Despite Mozilla kicking its release schedule into overdrive, not all parts of Firefox have gotten the tender love and care they truly deserve. Take for example, the browser's default homepage, which hasn't evolved much since its humble beginnings nearly a decade ago. That'll change soon in a two pronged effort, with Mozilla first adding a function bar to version 12 (seen after the break), followed by a later and more extensive revamp (up-top) which incorporates apps, top sites and chat functionality. Also planned is a Chrome and Safari-esque Top Sites "New Tab" view and savvy URL autocompletion in the address bar. A more in-depth preview awaits at the source, or we suppose, you could live dangerously and hop aboard Mozilla's nightly release train. You decide.

Continue reading Mozilla to overhaul Firefox's default home and tab pages

Mozilla to overhaul Firefox's default home and tab pages originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceExtremeTech  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/o1KdkYHhh84/

oyster festival oyster festival hopkins hopkins the big year the big year breast cancer walk

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Friend says on 911 call Demi Moore was convulsing (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Demi Moore smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and was convulsing and "semi-conscious, barely," according to a caller on a frantic 911 recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.

The woman tells emergency operators that Moore, 49, had been "having issues lately."

"Is she breathing normal?" the operator asks.

"No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up," the friend says as she hurries to Moore's side, on the edge of panic.

The recording captures the 10 minutes it took paramedics to arrive as friends gather around the collapsed star and try to comfort her as she trembles and shakes.

Another woman is next to Moore as the dispatcher asks if she's responsive.

"Demi, can you hear me?" she asks. "Yes, she's squeezing hands. ... She can't speak."

When the operator asks what Moore ingested or smoked, the friend replies, but the answer was redacted.

"Some form of ... and then she smoked something. I didn't really see. She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff. So I don't know what she's been taking or not," the friend says.

The city attorney's office advised the fire department to redact details about medical conditions and substances to comply with federal medical privacy rules.

"She smoked something. It's not marijuana. It's similar to incense," the friend says to the 911 operator.

While Moore's friends don't say exactly what she smoked, an increasingly popular drug known as Spice is sometimes labeled as "herbal incense."

Spice is a synthetic cannabis drug and also called K2. It's sold in small packets over the Internet, in smoke shops and at convenience stores. The packaging sometimes reads "not for human consumption" to conceal its purpose.

In 2011, there were twice as many spice-related calls to Poison Control Centers nationwide as in the previous year, according to the National Office of Drug Control Policy.

The adverse health effects associated with synthetic marijuana include anxiety, vomiting, racing heartbeat, seizures, hallucinations, and paranoid behavior.

Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman says Moore ingested it on purpose but the reaction was accidental.

"Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics," the operator says.

The operator asks the friend if this has happened before.

"I don't know," she says. "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."

Moore's publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. She would not comment further on the emergency call or provide details about the nature or location of Moore's treatment.

The past few months have been rocky for Moore.

She released a statement in November announcing she had decided to end her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, 33, following news of alleged infidelity. The two were known to publicly share their affection for one another via Twitter.

Moore still has a Twitter account under the name mrskutcher but has not posted any messages since Jan. 7.

Meanwhile, Millennium Films announced Friday that Sarah Jessica Parker will replace Moore in the role of feminist Gloria Steinem in its production of "Lovelace," a biopic about the late porn star Linda Lovelace. A statement gave no reason for the change. The production, starring Amanda Seyfried, has been shooting in Los Angeles since Dec. 20.

During the call, the woman caller says the group of friends had turned Moore's head to the side and was holding her down. The dispatcher tells her not to hold her down but to wipe her mouth and nose and watch her closely until paramedics arrive.

"Make sure that we keep an airway open," the dispatcher says. "Even if she passes out completely, that's OK. Stay right with her."

The phone is passed around by four people, including a woman who gives directions to the gate and another who recounts details about what Moore smoked or ingested. Finally, the phone is given to a man named James, so one of the women can hold Moore's head.

There was some confusion at the beginning of the call. The emergency response was delayed by nearly two minutes as Los Angeles and Beverly Hills dispatchers sorted out which city had jurisdiction over the street where Moore lives.

As the call is transferred to Beverly Hills, the frantic woman at Moore's house raises her voice and said, "Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?"

"Ma'am, instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell (the street name) for me?" the Beverly Hills dispatcher says.

Although the estate is located in the 90210 ZIP code above Benedict Canyon, the response was eventually handled by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

By the end of the call, Moore has improved.

"She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking," the male caller told the operator.

Moore and Kutcher were wed in September 2005.

Kutcher became a stepfather to Moore's three daughters ? Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle ? from her 13-year marriage to actor Bruce Willis. Moore and Willis divorced in 2000 but remained friendly.

Moore and Kutcher created the DNA Foundation, also known as the Demi and Ashton Foundation, in 2010 to combat the organized sexual exploitation of girls around the globe. They later lent their support to the United Nations' efforts to fight human trafficking, a scourge the international organization estimates affects about 2.5 million people worldwide.

Moore can be seen on screen in the recent films "Margin Call" and "Another Happy Day." Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on TV's "Two and a Half Men" and is part of the ensemble film "New Year's Eve."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_en_mo/us_people_demi_moore

pomegranate 9 11 lightning dominica fiji fiji ruby tuesday

Exxon to sell part of Tonen stake for about $3.9 billion:sources (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) plans to sell a large part of its 50 percent stake in TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK (5012.T) back to its Japanese refining partner in a deal that could be worth about 300 billion yen ($3.9 billion), and will make an announcement as early as Monday, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Exxon Mobil will retain about a 20 percent stake in TonenGeneral but the deal will mark a de facto retreat from the world's third-largest economy by the U.S. oil giant, which is focusing its resources on emerging markets and development of natural resources.

The move could also spark realignment among Japan's oil refiners, which have been cutting capacity to cope with falling demand caused by a weak economy and a shift to more efficient and environmentally friendly forms of energy, analysts have said.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Exxon was in talks to sell part of the stake back to TonenGeneral.

TonenGeneral, which imports and distributes Exxon oil in Japan, ranks as the country's No. 2 refiner behind JX Holdings (5020.T). Smaller rivals include Idemitsu Kosan Co (5019.T), Cosmo Oil (5007.T) and Showa Shell (5002.T).

Exxon and TonenGeneral aim to complete the deal around summer, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

TonenGeneral will seek funds from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Sumitomo Trust Banking, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ and Mitsubishi Trust Bank to buy back the stake, the sources said.

($1 = 76.7350 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by Taro Fuse and Emoto Emi; Writing by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chris Gallagher and Ed Lane)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/bs_nm/us_exxon_tonengeneral

mark wahlberg merle haggard ladainian tomlinson apple announcement yu darvish pipa keystone xl

Friday, January 27, 2012

Parent company of car battery maker that received Energy Dept. grant files for bankruptcy

Associated Press

10:49 p.m. EST, January 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The parent company of an electric car battery maker that received a $118 million grant from the Obama administration has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Ener1 said it has been affected by competition from China and other countries.

Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received a $118 million stimulus grant from the Energy Department in 2009, and Vice President Biden visited the company's new battery plant in Indiana last year.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said EnerDel had received $55 million so far. Ener1 said the restructuring would not affect EnerDel's operations.

Ener1 is the third company to seek bankruptcy protection after receiving assistance from the Energy Department under the economic stimulus law. California solar panel maker Solyndra Inc. and Beacon Power, a Massachusetts energy-storage firm, declared bankruptcy last year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wghp-FaithNews/~3/e5xoF3A0q4M/sns-bc-us--batterymaker,0,1512352.story

neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson bears lions bears lions heavy d heavy d taser gun

Obama courts Latino vote on economic tour

President Barack Obama speaks at UPS, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama speaks at UPS, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama walks to the podium before speaking at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama greets service members before speaking at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama speaks at UPS, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama speaks at a UPS facility, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama is courting Hispanics in politically important states, setting himself up as a champion of the crucial Latino voting bloc and as a foil to Republican candidates fighting for a share of support from the same groups.

With Latino voters voting overwhelmingly Democratic, Obama is not in danger of losing the support of a majority of Hispanics. But he does need their intensity, and a Gallup tracking poll shows that while a majority of Hispanics approve of Obama, that approval is not as high as it is among black voters.

Pitching his economic agenda during a three-day, five-state trip this week, Obama has not ignored the fact that three of the states ? Nevada, Arizona and Colorado ? all have Hispanic populations of 20 percent or more. A majority of them are Democratic, but they also could be a factor in upcoming nominating contests in those states. Nevada and Colorado hold caucuses within two weeks and Arizona has a primary Feb. 28.

In Arizona Wednesday, where he was drawing attention to his efforts to increase manufacturing, Obama playfully interacted with a supporter who shouted out: "Barack es mi hermano! (Barack is my brother!)"

"Mi hermano ? mucho gusto (My brother, a real pleasure)," Obama shouted back.

And it was no accident that he scheduled an interview with Univision, the Spanish language network that reaches a broad swath of the U.S. Latino population, while he was in Arizona and with local Telemundo affiliates Thursday in Las Vegas and in Denver. All that while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and the rest of the Republican presidential field were battling in Florida, another state with a key Latino voting bloc.

"It's an important community in this country and he will continue to have those interactions," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of Obama's efforts to reach out to Spanish language media.

No issue reverberates more in the appeal to Latinos than immigration.

For Obama, it reared up suddenly for him Wednesday when Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican who signed one of the toughest laws to curtail illegal immigration, greeted him at the airport tarmac in Mesa, Ariz., with a handwritten invitation for the president to join her in a visit to the Mexican border.

Obama replied coolly, noting that he did not appreciate the way she had depicted him in a book she published last year, "Scorpions for Breakfast." In the book, Brewer writes that Obama was condescending and lectured her during a meeting at the White House to discuss immigration. "He was a little disturbed about my book," Brewer told two reporters shortly after the encounter.

Obama continued to promote his economic plan Thursday in Nevada and Colorado, focusing on energy policy and his attempts to expand oil and gas exploration while also emphasizing clean energy.

"Doubling down on a clean energy industry will create lots of jobs in the process," the president said at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, where the Air Force has installed solar panels and tested jets that run on biofuels.

As such, he was indirectly pitching to Hispanics as well. A new Pew Research Center poll found that 54 percent of Latinos believe that the economic downturn has been harder on them than on other groups in the U.S.

"There is no question that Latinos were hard hit, especially by the bursting of the housing bubble and the resulting steep decline in construction work," Carney said Thursday. "Latinos are overrepresented in the construction industry. It's one of the reasons why, certainly, Latinos would greatly benefit from infrastructure investments that put construction workers back to work."

In 2008, Obama beat Republican John McCain by a 2-1 margin among Hispanics.

To win again, he will need that level of enthusiasm to make up for weaknesses elsewhere in his voter support. In a bright spot for Obama, the Pew poll found that even though Hispanics believe their economic condition is poor, two-thirds of those polled said they expect their financial situation to improve over the next year, whereas 58 percent of the overall population expect the same.

In his interview with Univision, Obama made a point of noting that both Romney and Gingrich have said they would veto legislation, known as the DREAM Act, that would give a pathway to citizenship to children who came to the United States illegally but who attend college or enlist in the military.

"They believe that we should not provide a pathway to citizenship for young people who were brought here when they were very young children and are basically American kids but right now are still in a shadow," Obama said. "They've said that they would veto the DREAM Act. Both of them."

At a debate Monday on NBC, however, both Gingrich and Romney said they would support modified legislation that only applied to young people who joined the military. "I would not support the part that simply says everybody who goes to college is automatically waived for having broken the law," Gingrich said.

Obama, in the interview, explicitly connected the Republican presidential field to congressional Republicans, who suffer from bottom-dwelling approval ratings right now. Asked why he had been unable to deliver on his promise for overhauling the immigration system, Obama replied:

"Well, it's very simple. We couldn't get any Republican votes. Zero. None," he said. "So this is the kind of barrier that we're meeting in Congress. We're just going to keep on pushing and pushing until hopefully we finally get a break."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-26-US-Obama/id-61aa05f4ba7a49aab8288fe8fcd3d846

mega millions emma stone texas longhorns texas longhorns francesca woodman kennedy center honors neil diamond

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Demi Moore's 'Lovelace' Replacement, 'Hangover 3' Cast Gears Up

The boys could be back in town for a new installment of "The Hangover," but not before they get some ginormous paychecks for the movie. Meanwhile, Chloe Sevingy could be getting Demi Moore's recently-vacated spot in "Lovelace," Russell Brand is headed to family-friendly territory and Paul Giamatti is ready for some Shakespearean tragedy.
It's January 26, [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/26/demi-moore-lovelace-hangover/

buckyballs gilad annie hall jon lester mitchel musso bad lip reading gilad shalit

SOTU verdict: Predictably partisan (Politico)

Top Hill lawmakers handed down their judgment on President Barack Obama?s State of the Union address ? and not surprisingly, the verdict was split along predictable partisan lines.

At a post-speech briefing hosted by POLITICO, Republicans accused Obama of divisive rhetoric and not delivering on ambitious policy promises ? driving the message that he has fallen short as he amps up for a competitive reelection campaign. And Democrats cheered Obama?s address, arguing that public opinion weighed in favor of Democrats and the president?s goals on jobs and the economy.

Continue Reading

?Most of the president?s speech was about a campaign,? said House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

?My first reaction to the president?s speech was, he seems to have an alternative reality in terms of where we are,? added freshman Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.). ?When you think about the last four years, you ask yourself the question, ?Are we better off today than when we were four years ago???

Republicans are hoping that voters answer ?no? to that question this November, and several GOP lawmakers at POLITICO?s briefing listed Obama?s policy achievements that they said would turn against Democrats at the polls ? such as the economic stimulus package and his health care law.

?Like most of the other speeches, I find myself agreeing with about 80 percent of what he says, but disagreeing with about 80 percent of what he does,? said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)

The House Republican Conference chairman pointed to the current fight over the Keystone XL oil pipeline as an example of Obama not following through on a broader goal of energy independence. The Obama administration has blocked approval of the permit for the controversial 1,700-mile pipeline ? a project that Republicans strongly support as part of their energy and jobs agenda.

?Again, his actions belie his words,? Hensarling said of Obama.

?I would argue the challenge is the president delivering,? said Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.).

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71953_html/44302825/SIG=11meq9j7p/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71953.html

bobby valentine al franken al franken mary did you know seattle seahawks grammy nominations philadelphia eagles

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Newt Gingrich gets boost from Jerry Falwell in Florida (Washington Bureau)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190360582?client_source=feed&format=rss

tom bradley tom bradley penn state riot penn state riot state college pa wilson ramos kidnapped mcqueary

Tech Students Head to State Finals in Automotive Competition ...

Posted by: Brian Howard - Posted in Schools, Yorktown on Jan 23, 2012

Tech Center Automotive students Tom DeMasi, from Lakeland, and Austin Smith, from Carmel, placed second in the Greater New York Automotive Dealer Association Regional Competition held on January 11th in Whitestone, New York.

The students, who attend the Tech Center at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, performed tasks ranging from precision measurements to diagnostics. They will move on to the state finals on February 14th in Whitestone. Students Damian Diaz, from Ossining, and Dan Ferreira, from Lakeland, placed fourth in the competition, and Bryan Restrepo, from Bedford, won first place in the alternate division.

The Greater New York Automotive Dealers Association awards $5,000 scholarships to the top finishing teams in its Automotive Technology Competition, and also awards scholarships to students who write the best essays on Why I Hope to Work in an Automotive Dealership. The Association also presents up to 21 $300 awards to graduating high school seniors who participate in the Greater New York Automotive Technology Competition and display outstanding academic and technical achievements during their high school careers.

Photo: Automotive students Tom DeMasi from Lakeland, left, and Austin Smith from Carmel will go to the state finals in the Greater New York Automotive Dealer Association competition. Courtesy Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES

?

?

Print This Post?Print This Post | Email This Post?Email This Post

Leave a comment using your facebook account

Source: http://yorktown.lohudblogs.com/2012/01/23/tech-students-head-to-state-finals-in-automotive-competition/

ijustine visionary guy kawasaki jani lane the exorcism of emily rose the exorcism of emily rose fort knox

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Clijsters overcomes injury to beat Li in 3 sets (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia ? Down four match points and hobbling on her injured left ankle, defending champion Kim Clijsters somehow rallied for a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 win over Li Na at the Australian Open on Sunday.

Clijsters was in pain from the ankle she twisted in the seventh game. Li was just a bundle of nerves. The French Open champion failed to serve out the fourth-round match at 5-4 in the second set, but then led 6-2 in the tiebreaker. Again Clijsters refused to yield.

"I said in my mind, keep fighting," Clijsters said. "You never know what happens on the other side of the court."

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on course for a semifinal meeting in matches either side of Clijsters's win at Rod Laver Arena. Federer ended the run of Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, while Nadal won in straight sets too, beating fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki ended the day's play with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Jelena Jankovic and will next play Clijsters.

Li's best chance to win the match ? and gain revenge for her three-set loss to Clijsters in last year's final ? came on her fourth match point.

Clijsters played a poor drop shot, giving her opponent the chance to put the ball into the open court. Instead, Li tentatively hit the ball almost straight back to Clijsters, who sent up a perfect lob that dropped just inside the baseline.

"Of course I was nervous," Li said. "If you're nervous, you could not think too much, right?"

Clijsters won six straight points to take the tiebreaker and the first four games of the deciding set.

"I'm not saying that that forehand drop shot was a good choice, but you make decisions. Luckily, that one turned out OK," Clijsters said. "I think she was a little bit lost or maybe a little bit confused at that time."

Clijsters then overcame a wobble of her own, losing her serve at 5-2 in the third set, before finally closing out the fourth-round match on her second match point.

Li broke down in tears at the end of her post-match news conference.

"Maybe 6-2 up in the tiebreak I was a little bit shocking," she said.

Clijsters was hurt in the first set while serving at 3-all and 30-all. As she hit a forehand, her left foot got stuck on the surface and the ankle twisted awkwardly.

She got up to finish the point but then immediately called for the trainer and had the injury strapped.

Clijsters' movement was clearly slowed when she resumed but, playing in her last Australian Open before quitting tennis at the end of the season, she said she didn't want to bow out in Melbourne with a retirement.

"I knew if I could just try to let the medication sink in or if I could get through the first 20 minutes, half hour, I think the pain would go away a little bit and then maybe with the adrenaline I could just fly through it."

The injury seemed to affect Li just as much. The 29-year-old, who won last year's French Open to become the first player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title, looked increasingly stressed as the match progressed.

After 2 hours, 23 minutes, she netted a backhand to put Clijsters through to the quarterfinals. The Belgian said she was hopeful her ankle would hold up after ice treatment.

Federer hasn't lost to a teenager since 2006 and that run continued Sunday as he disappointed the home crowd with a comprehensive win over the 19-year-old Tomic.

Tomic had beaten seeded players Fernando Verdasco and Alexandr Dolgopolov in earlier rounds, but Federer was a step-up in class. The 16-time Grand Slam champion broke six times as he set up a quarterfinal against 11th-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.

"I thought I played a really good match," said Federer, through to his 31st straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. "I knew I had to. Anything else wouldn't have done the job tonight."

Nadal was almost as convincing in his win over Lopez. The 2009 champion had his right knee heavily strapped and had his left ankle taped after three games of the first set but afterward said he was "fine."

Nadal plays Tomas Berdych next, hoping to avoid a third straight quarterfinal loss in Melbourne. Defending the title in 2010, the Spaniard retired with a knee injury against Andy Murray. A year ago, he was hampered by a hamstring problem in a straight-sets loss to David Ferrer.

"Hopefully not happen this time," Nadal said. "I had a bad experience last two years here. It's tough have to go out of a tournament like Australia in quarterfinals."

Berdych beat Nicolas Almagro of Spain 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2). Former U.S. Open champion Del Potro easily defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.

Berdych was booed by the crowd at Hisense Arena after he refused to shake hands with Almagro. The sixth-seeded Czech was upset that Almagro had hit the ball straight at him while he was at the net during the fourth set.

Wozniacki advanced with a chance of keeping her top ranking by beating former No.1-ranked Jankovic.

"My confidence is high, my fitness is good, my play is improving and I'm very positive," said Wozniacki, who is looking for her first Grand Slam title.

Victoria Azarenka was the first player to reach the quarterfinals when she beat Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-2. The third-seeded Belarusian is yet to drop a set at the tournament and will next meet eighth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.

With the win, 22-year-old Azarenka stayed in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking. Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova can also claim the top spot from Wozniacki.

"I would be a liar if I said I didn't care about it," Azarenka said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_sp_te_ga_su/ten_australian_open

up all night dr. oz lingual braces joe mcginniss joan crawford joan crawford kat dennings

Monday, January 23, 2012

US Senator Rand Paul refuses airport patdown after alarm

In a harshly worded attack on the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at US airports, Ron Paul, known for his strident libertarian views, said the TSA 'gropes and grabs our kids and our seniors and does nothing to keep us safe.'

Republican Senator?Rand?Paul?was stopped at an airport on Monday for setting off an alarm and refusing a patdown, prompting his father, U.S. presidential candidate?Ron?Paul, to accuse security officials of being part of an "out of control" police state.

Skip to next paragraph

In a harshly worded attack on the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at U.S. airports,?Ron?Paul, known for his strident libertarian views, said the TSA "gropes and grabs our kids and our seniors and does nothing to keep us safe."

After?Rand?Paul?refused the patdown, he was escorted out of the airport security area in?Nashville,Tennessee, by local authorities, the TSA said.?Paul?missed his flight to?Washington, but was later rebooked and rescreened without incident.

As favorites of the anti-Washington?Tea Party movement,?Paul?and his father, who is a U.S. Represenative from?Texas, have helped lead the charge against what critics call excessive federal intrusion, from healthcare to body searches.

At a?Senate?hearing last June,?Rand?Paul?challenged TSA Administrator?John Pistole?over his agency's random patdowns of travelers at airports, including the case of a 6-year-old girl from his home state of?Kentucky.

"This isn't to say that we don't believe in safety procedures,"?Paul?said. "But I think I feel less safe because you're doing these invasive exams on a six-year-old. It makes me think you're clueless that you think she's going to attack our country and that you're not doing your research on the people who would attack our country."

On the campaign trial,?Ron?Paul?has called for the abolition of the TSA on the grounds that it wastes taxpayer money and violates personal liberties.

Rand?Paul?has recommended that authorities eliminate patdowns as part of everyday security, saying TSA should more heavily emphasize non-invasive methods for assessing risk.

The senator has even complained that close screening of members of?Congress?and other frequent fliers known to airlines and security officials is a poor use of security resources.

TSA DEFENDS PROCEDURES

The TSA was created following the Sept. 11, 2001, airplane attacks by al Qaeda on the?United States.

Full body imaging and patdowns at U.S. airports began in 2010, and immediately triggered a public backlash and fire from both sides of the political aisle.

Secretary of State?Hillary Clinton, a leading member of the?Obama administration, weighed in on the controversy at the time, saying she would avoid pat downs if possible.

More than 650 million passengers fly on U.S. airlines, most using one of the more than 400 airports where TSA operates checkpoints.

The agency defends its procedures, which they say are needed to ensure passenger safety.

Paul's personal showdown with airport security unfolded as he headed to?Washington?to address an anti-abortion rally and to return to work after a long congressional holiday break.

The senator's father,?Ron?Paul, tweeted that his son was detained for refusing a full-body pat-down "after anomaly in body scanner."

The TSA did not say what triggered the alarm and denied?Paul?had been detained.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/CqnlYi1LeGA/US-Senator-Rand-Paul-refuses-airport-patdown-after-alarm

bcs standings 2011 rhodes scholarship rhodes scholarship ufc 139 results lee corso lee corso thanksgiving appetizers

Italian officials: 2 more bodies found

AAA??Jan. 23, 2012?10:04 AM ET
Italian officials: 2 more bodies found
AP

Italian Navy scuba divers work next to the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Unregistered passengers might have been aboard the stricken cruise liner that capsized off this Tuscan island, a top rescue official said Sunday, raising the possibility that the number of missing might be higher than previously announced. Divers, meanwhile, pulled out a woman's body from the capsized Costa Concordia on Sunday, raising to 13 the number of people dead in the Jan. 13 accident. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Italian Navy scuba divers work next to the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Unregistered passengers might have been aboard the stricken cruise liner that capsized off this Tuscan island, a top rescue official said Sunday, raising the possibility that the number of missing might be higher than previously announced. Divers, meanwhile, pulled out a woman's body from the capsized Costa Concordia on Sunday, raising to 13 the number of people dead in the Jan. 13 accident. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slack off, divers would not swim into the submerged part of the vessel just off the port of Giglio, a tiny Island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slack off, divers would not swim into the submerged part of the vessel just off the port of Giglio, a tiny Island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Workers of the Costa Crociere company place messages outside the company headquarters, during a march in downtown Genoa, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slacken off, divers will not swim into the submerged part of the vessel near the port of Giglio, a tiny island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Two Italian firefighters work on the deck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Unregistered passengers might have been aboard the stricken cruise liner that capsized off this Tuscan island, a top rescue official said Sunday, raising the possibility that the number of missing might be higher than previously announced. Divers, meanwhile, pulled out a woman's body from the capsized Costa Concordia on Sunday, raising to 13 the number of people dead in the Jan. 13 accident. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

GIGLIO, Italy (AP) ? Italian officials say two more bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan coast, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 15.

The national civil protection agency official in charge of the search said Monday that divers recovered the bodies of two women from the ship's internet cafe.

The recovery of the two brings to 17 the number of known missing. However, officials over the weekend said it appeared unregistered guests were on board at the time of the accident, meaning the number of officially missing could increase.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-23-EU-Italy-Cruise-Aground/id-7a6b44eacc1242d396185fab56ee3650

the descendants homeland homeland packers giants game golden globe winners 2012 ricky gervais golden globes epidermolysis bullosa

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Health Tip: Strengthen Your Muscles (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- Maintaining strong and healthy muscles is particularly important for seniors, who tend to lose muscle as they age.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these muscle-strengthening suggestions:

  • Engage in vigorous gardening, such as by shoveling or digging.
  • Lift weights, or work out with a resistance band.
  • Practice yoga.
  • Opt for exercises that naturally use your body weight for resistance, such as by performing sit ups and push ups.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/seniors/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120121/hl_hsn/healthtipstrengthenyourmuscles

john kennedy jr john kennedy jr machine gun preacher machine gun preacher austin city limits breaking dawn trailer breaking dawn trailer

Deal on EU embargo of Iran's oil remains in doubt (AP)

BRUSSELS ? A diplomat says agreement on an EU embargo on Iranian oil remains in doubt, days before foreign ministers plan to meet in Brussels in hope of adopting such a ban.

The intent is to choke off funding for Iran's nuclear program, which many Western governments believe is geared toward developing nuclear weapons ? something Iran denies.

Under a compromise being discussed, the ban would take effect immediately but existing contracts would be honored until July 1, the diplomat said. The diplomat, accredited to the European Union, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing talks.

The full embargo would then take effect, but possibly only after further review of the impact so far on oil prices. Greece, in particular, is in economic trouble and relies on Iranian oil.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_eu/eu_iran_oil_embargo

giuliana rancic giuliana rancic the cabin in the woods the cabin in the woods trace adkins the darkest hour the darkest hour

Saturday, January 21, 2012

OrcaM ?Reconstruction Sphere? Digitally Recreates Any Object Placed Within

OrcaM_UntenOccasionally, in this line of work, I need to have a slight freak-out moment where I rave about the fact that things like this OrcaM "reconstruction sphere" actually exist. Not only does this thing look like a prop out of a sci-fi movie (or Transmetropolitan), but it acts like one as well.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/pLYRKVvMNBY/

greg oden snooki john dillinger atlanta hawks carlos zambrano lisa lampanelli lisa lampanelli

?Spare One? Phone Runs On One AA Battery

The Spare One is just that — a spare cellphone that runs on a single AA cell and does nothing more than make calls. If left switched off, it can last for up to 15 years (or the time before the battery inside decides to burst and spread its toxic innards everywhere). Actually, it does [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/tbgahQzBgp0/

martin scorsese houston astros google music 2013 ford escape stop online piracy act spear of destiny rock hill sc

Friday, January 20, 2012

Apparent smoke bomb tossed at White House

Rachel Maddow reports breaking news that the White House is on "lockdown" after a "smoke bomb like device" was thrown over the north fence.

?

By msnbc and nbc news staff

Someone threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb over the White House north fence Tuesday night, according to the Secret Service. The White House was locked down while authorities investigated.

The incident took place at the same time?a rally was going on outside the White House.

About 1,000?protesters from the Occupy DC movement marched from Capitol Hill to the White House,?Secret Service public affairs officer George Ogilvie told NBC News.

Msnbc.com's Miranda Leitsinger was at the scene and described a flash of light just inside the White House grounds. "People scurried away but someone quickly said it was nothing and everyone returned to what they were doing," she said. "It did smell bad like sulfur," she added.

The crowd largely dissipated later in the evening, he said.?

No arrests were reported.

See the original story at NBCWashington.com.?

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10177904-apparent-smoke-bomb-tossed-at-white-house

r e m gurney gurney clemency us supreme court cameron todd willingham death row

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Sports News: Pardew preaches power of nine

'); tm.siteLife.daapi.getArticle( "201-102039-23706229", function(article){ tm.siteLife.display.displayCommentCount( article, 'sitelife-commentsWidget-top', false, 'Comments', true, false ); } ); })();//call anonymous function //]]>

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has urged the club's fans to be patient as new signing Papiss Demba Cisse attempts to handle the pressure of filling the club's famous number nine shirt.

The 26-year-old Senegal international completed a sensational transfer to the Magpies from German club Freiburg on Tuesday night on a whistlestop visit to Tyneside from his country's African Nations Cup training camp.

Pardew is confident he will cope, but knows he will need time to settle into his new role, and said: "He's not young, he's a good age. He is in the prime of his career. He has been under pressure in is career, so he understands it."

He added: "He is going to be surprised at the pressure that comes with this, but I think he will attack it in an honest way. He's an honest footballer and I think our fans appreciate that.

"I hope they have a little bit of patience at the start because he is going to find it difficult to get in the team, let alone be worthy of the jersey, so I hope our fans are patient with him and give him every opportunity."

However, Cisse himself insists he is well aware of the history of the shirt he has inherited, and is relishing the chance to prove himself worthy of it.

He told NUFC TV: "Yes, number nine. I talked a lot about that with the manager and he made sure I knew that the number nine is a number that is not a big number, it is a legendary number for this team.

"I promise that I will do what is required of me wearing this number.

"What I want to do is show I am worth the money to make people confident in me. They have brought me here and I don't want to disappoint them.

"I want to do my best to show them they were right to have confidence in me, and I want to pay them back."

Source: http://www.people.co.uk/sport/sports-news/2012/01/18/pardew-preaches-power-of-nine-102039-23706229/

haynesworth haynesworth ohio issue 2 ohio issue 2 mississippi personhood mississippi personhood issue 2 ohio

Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun

Motorola Mobility has announced its intentions to bring the super-thin RAZR smartphone to the shores of Japan. The handset will look very similar to the device released here in the states -- 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GB of RAM, an eight megapixel shooter with 1080p video capture and 32GB of storage -- only minus the LTE radio and Droid branding. The handset will be available in "shadow black" or "glacier white" and land on KDDI's network at an undisclosed date for an undisclosed price. The full press release awaits your scrutiny after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun

Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/motorola-razr-coming-to-japan/

kenny britt matt hughes matt hughes matt dodge matt dodge jon jones lost in space

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

SEC Inspector General Kotz leaving agency (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? David Kotz, the tough internal watchdog at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is leaving the agency at the end of January, the SEC said on Tuesday.

Kotz, 45, joined the SEC in December 2007 after previously working as the inspector general of the Peace Corps.

He has made a name for himself as a prolific inspector general at the SEC, investigating everything from leasing and contracting to insider-trading and even pornography-watching by agency employees.

He has also faced some criticism from SEC employees who have complained his tactics have led to a culture of fear at the agency.

He plans to join Gryphon Strategies, a private investigative services firm where he will serve as a managing director in its Washington office. He will focus on conducting corporate fraud investigations and helping whistleblowers seeking to expose fraud, the SEC said.

"I am tremendously proud of the accomplishments of my office and the agency over the past four years," Kotz said in a statement. "The reports we have issued have not only been significant to the agency, Congress and the investing public, but they have also directly resulted in a transformation of many of the divisions and offices of the commission."

Kotz's aggressiveness has won him some fans, particularly in Congress. His exhaustive 477-page report on the agency's failure to catch convicted Ponzi swindler Bernard Madoff prodded the SEC to be more assertive in implementing a new database to help track tips from informants.

Most recently, one of Kotz's past investigations helped lead the Justice Department to reach a civil settlement with a former SEC attorney over claims he improperly represented alleged Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford after departing the SEC. [ID:nL1E8CD9DB]

Kotz's successes have recently been shaded by growing concerns about his tactics.

In December, Reuters reported that at least two SEC employees had filed formal complaints against Kotz alleging he bullies witnesses and twists facts to build a case against them.

In addition, several recent articles by Bloomberg have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest after Kotz did a sit-down interview with a financial adviser who later sold Kotz three tickets to a sold-out football game.

(Reporting By Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by John Wallace and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/bs_nm/us_sec_kotz

black friday violence il postino il postino online black friday deals college football scores arkansas razorbacks arkansas football

Shares, euro up as China data soothes growth fears (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Asian shares and the euro rose on Tuesday as slightly better-than-expected Chinese economic growth data soothed investor worries that the euro zone debt crisis is dragging down the global economy.

Copper and other industrial metals, and commodity-linked currencies such as the Australian dollar, also advanced on signs European woes have not derailed the growth trend in the world's second largest economy, a giant importer of commodities.

China's gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter, its weakest in 2- years and slowing from 9.1 percent in the previous quarter, but it beat expectations for a 8.7 percent rise.

"The slowdown is quite modest, and the overall situation of the Chinese economy is stable," said Hua Zhongwei, analyst with Huachuang Securities in Beijing. "According to our field studies, demand for heavy equipment and machinery is recovering, and that is a very good sign for the economy."

Materials (.MIAPJMT00PUS) and energy (.MIAPJEN00PUS) sectors led a 2 percent climb in the MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS). By region, Shanghai shares (.SSEC) rose more than 3 percent and Hong Kong (.HSI) shares added 2.2 percent, while shares in resource reliant Australia hit a five-week high.

Japan's Nikkei average (.N225) ended up 1 percent. (.T)

European shares were set to open higher, with financial spreadbetters forecasting Britain's FTSE 100 (.FTSE), Germany's DAX (.GDAXI) and France's CAC-40 (.FCHI) would open up around 0.4-0.7 percent.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

China GDP and exports: http://link.reuters.com/zeq95s

Package of ECB graphics: http://link.reuters.com/neg32s

Euro-zone sovereign ratings: http://r.reuters.com/maf75s

Global government yields: http://link.reuters.com/ser95s

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The euro rose 0.5 percent to $1.2730, moving away from its lowest since late August 2010 of $1.2624 hit on Friday. It also extended gains against the yen to 97.60 yen, having hit an 11-year low near 97 yen on Monday.

The Australian dollar extended its climb to a two-month high near $1.04. London copper rose 1.7 percent to around $8,230 a tonne while Brent crude oil gained above $112 a barrel.

A recovery in risk-taking sentiment warmed Asian credit markets, tightening spreads on the iTraxx Asia ex-Japan investment grade index by several basis points.

Recovery in risk appetite and the euro lifted spot gold up nearly 1 percent to around $1,660 an ounce.

Market focus had turned to economic data, shrugging off the latest move by Standard & Poor's to cut a top-notch credit rating on the euro zone's bailout fund, following mass downgrades late last week that stripped France and Austria of their prime AAA ratings.

EUROPE WEIGHS

Investor sentiment remained pressured by persistent concerns about Europe's ability to resolve its two-year-old debt crisis, with Greece struggling to break a deadlock on its debt-swap talks, keeping intact fears of a default.

The China data "is good news as it shows the economy hasn't slowed as much as feared by some," said Yiping Huang, chief economist for emerging Asia at Barclays Capital in Hong Kong.

"But we still have to watch out for risks, including the recession in Europe and China's domestic housing industry correction."

For Europe, market attention will likely switch to the latest ZEW survey due later on Tuesday on the health of the giant German economy.

A recovery in S&P 500 index futures, which began in mid-December as the euro eased against the dollar, shows that positive correlation between EUR/USD and equities is starting to erode, RBC Capital Markets said in a report.

"The key take-away here is that the 'risk on/risk off' dynamic may be starting to have less of an influence on markets, with pure 'fundamentals' becoming more relevant as the euro zone crisis is now infecting core markets," it said.

In the first test of investor appetite for French debt since the S&P rating downgrade, yields on French treasury bills eased marginally on Monday.

The euro zone faces further tests later in the week when

France and Spain offer longer-dated debts.

The cost of insuring Italian, Spanish and other euro zone government debt against default rose on the S&P ratings cuts, while a flight to safety pushed shorter-dated British government bond yields down on Monday.

(Additional reporting by Jane Lee in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/bs_nm/us_markets_global

thanksgiving appetizers greg jennings thanksgiving recipes thanksgiving recipes mashed potato recipe mashed potato recipe cranberry sauce

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Students swimming for breast cancer awareness | WLFI - West ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Some Purdue students are diving in for a cause. The Purdue swim team, along with students from various sororities and fraternities took part in the? Breaststroke 4 Hope swim-a-thon Saturday.

30 teams hit the lanes to swim for one consecutive hour in exchange for pledges from the community for each lap completed. The teams collected donations from different businesses and organizations before the event. Those donations will be put toward breast cancer awareness.

The event took place Saturday at the Boilermaker Aquatics Center.

Purdue student Taryn Gerson founded Breaststroke 4 Hope. She said swimming and breast cancer awareness are two things she's always been passionate about.

"Events are either walk-a-thons or run-a-thons and so I thought something unique would be a swim-a-thon," Gerson said. "Nobody really pulls from the swimming community. So I thought it was a unique way to raise awareness for a great cause."

Gerson hopes to host the event at Purdue again next year. She said she even wants to expand Breaststroke 4 Hope to other schools, like Indiana University and the University of Michigan.

Source: http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/students-swimming-for-breast-cancer-awareness

bob knight lavar arrington hope solo dancing with the stars hope solo dancing with the stars jack wagner matt jones snow white and the huntsman trailer

Harmful websites aimed at kids are spreading

A nasty trend of Trojans and other drive-by downloads popping up on children's online-game websites, first noticed last fall on Chinese-language sites, has spread to the West.

Researchers at the Czech security company Avast compiled more than 60 sites that dumped spam, malware and redirects upon unsuspecting underage visitors.

"Games like these require clicking, and children don't think much about what they are clicking on," Ondrej Vlcek, chief technology officer of Avast Software, said in a company press release. "This makes them ? or their parents' computers ? quite susceptible to malware."

The Avast researchers looked over the feedback data from their firm's anti-virus software clients and found that a site called CuteArcade.com had attempted 12,600 Trojan infections as of Jan. 10.

Other offenders included HiddenNinjaGames.com, Gamesbox.com and the French-language Jeux.com. There were German- and Spanish-language sites on the list as well.

The webmaster of HiddenNinjaGames.com told SecurityNewsDaily he could find no malware on his site, and suggested that Avast's software may have detected infections in third-party ads.

Sites infected with drive-by downloads can infect visitors' computers immediately. The only real defense is to have robust anti-virus software and to update it regularly.

The Avast researchers said that while most of the reported children's game sites seemed legitimate, a few seemed to have been set up primarily to deliver spam.

We tried to visit CuteArcade.com ourselves and were immediately met with a warning from our own anti-virus software.

The site's "Contact" page was completely blocked, so we checked the site's domain name registry, which showed that the site was run by a company called Two-Point-Oh based in the British Virgin Islands. When we checked, Two-Point-Oh's own website consisted of a single placeholder page.

Emails to the webmasters of CuteArcade.com, Gamesbox.com and Jeux.com were not immediately returned.

? 2012 SecurityNewsDaily. All rights reserved

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46006001/ns/technology_and_science-security/

jay z and beyonce the big chill steelers blue ivy carter pittsburgh steelers charles barkley beyonce

Monday, January 16, 2012

Mistruths, Insults from the Copyright Lobby Over HR 3699

As you know from my last post, I am staunch proponent of open access to scientific information, especially the variety that I paid for by virtue of taxation. The Research Works Act (HR3699) being proposed now will lock away taxpayer funded research from the hands of those whose hard-earned wages funded the research. It?s really a no-brainer and the NIH compromise was generous, allowing publishers to make a profit from research works for a whole year, during the crucial access time for new articles. The AAP argument that they add value by?administering?peer-review is?disingenuous?at best, but insulting to the scientists that voluntarily staff their peer reviewer army. Researchers freely add-value to for-profit institutions through providing all peer-review services and assigning copyright to publishers. As Heather Morrison writes in her thorough dissertation on scholarly communication: ?Giving exclusive copyright to any one party is arguably a disservice to all of the other parties who contributed to the research, or for whom it was conducted.??Additionally, threats of job losses due to the NIH policy on open access are fear-mongering and taxpaying Americans should not have to bear the burden for their failure to innovate an outdated and inefficient mode of research communication.

Of course, scientists are as much to blame. We buy into this crappy system, convince ourselves it works and refuse to consider alternative models cause such out-of-the-box thinking, while occasionally praised among scientists, is not rewarded by the system of tenure and promotion in academia. The paper becomes the final product, a measurable unit whose value is not in the contents it holds and the progress it promises, but whose value is characterized by unscientific traits such as the title of the journal that contains it and a useless metric with artificial flavoring that has a value in and of itself that is wholly?irreproducible. The paper is NOT the final product. Science doesn?t end at publication, it continues.

As H.R. 3699 was clearly a bill written to increase the profits of the publishing industry, it came as no surprise to me to find the Copyright Alliance?s glowing support cross my eyeballs tonight. It goes a little further than the vaporous AAP release in supporting the Research Works Act and denigrates scientific integrity, insults the government and taxpayers, and wades knee-high into irrelevant points. Below is their text with my comments in bold:

?The Copyright Alliance praises U.S. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) for their bipartisan introduction of H.R. 3699, the Research Works Act.?The proposal would overturn an unprecedented federal government taking of copyrights from certain authors and researchers.?

WRONG. Authors and researchers voluntarily give up their profits as required by most for-profit publishers once a paper is accepted for publication. The government is not taking away copyrights, the publishers make scientists sign it over. Many open access publications, though, allow authors to retain copyright and utilize Creative Commons licensing.

?Providing a federal grant to fund a research project should not enable the federal government to commandeer and freely distribute a subsequently published private sector peer-reviewed article. But a 2008 mandate at the National Institutes of Health requires just that ? disregarding the significant value added by the private-sector publisher whose activities are not funded by the government.?

WRONG. Funding agencies have every right to impose restrictions on their funds. It?s their money, their rules. In fact, I can?t recall ever signing a contract that DIDN?T have some conditions on it. Using language like ?commandeer? and ?freely distribute? is misleading. What if the money were from a private foundation instead of the government? On the other hand, publishing companies are free to disagree with the policy and not publish government funded research because of this requirement. It is also free to charge higher fees to offset this. That is their decision as profit-driven vehicles. But it does not have a right to tell the funder how recipients should spend their money. From the moment a researcher gets a grant accepted up to the moment they send off a manuscript ?for review, publishers have nothing to do with a funder?s money.

Additionally, the NIH mandate does nothing to ?disregard? private-sector?s added value. It was a major concession to private industry to allow open access after one year, recognizing that it does add value by?administrating, editing, printing and distributing the work, in addition to managing the peer review process. During the first year of a publication?s life is when access requests would be strongest anyways. In fact, during the few years that the NIH policy has been in place, profits of at least one major academic publisher haven?t changed in at least decade from 30-40% operating profit margin.

?This is counterproductive for several reasons: it is not fair to other investors in the research, if there are any;?

Irrelevant. As I mentioned above, each funder has every right to put conditions on their money. Receiving money is a privilege won by submitting proposals, and if there are multiple funding sources for a research work with conflicting requirements it is between the researcher and funder to work out ? not the publisher. This is creating a problem that doesn?t exist.

?it arbitrarily limits the value of the copyright in the article for the author and publisher, and harms the publisher?s investments in ensuring a quality publication; and, it results in reduced incentives for both these groups to publish peer-reviewed articles explaining the nature and results of government-funded research in a manner that ultimately harms society when the investment in publication dries up due to lack of ability to recover their costs.

Misleading. Author?s copyright is often irrelevant cause it is typically signed over to the publisher. But, yes publisher?s investments are harmed because they can no longer continue earning a profit after 12 months. Yet, they can still charge for access to the article at their own website. They are merely required to deposit a copy of the research work in a public repository, like?PubMedCentral.

The quality of the publication lies in the content of the article not the processing, editing, and distribution. I do not include peer review because it is done for free by other researchers. The quality of peer review varies no matter how ?prestigious? you think your publication is. This is shown time and again through the process of retraction. I fail to see how there will ever be ?reduced incentives? for publishing peer-reviewed literature. It is a process borne out of the scientific method, not the publishing industry. It will exist in some form regardless of publishing company-written legislation, as shown by the immense popularity of the PLoS One journal?s method of pre-publication peer review for technical accuracy and post-publication peer review for impact, technicalities or anything else for that matter.

Finally, the ultimate irony of the last sentence is that the Copyright Alliance fails to understand what ?ultimately harms society? is lack of access to the research works themselves! That last statement shows how little they actually are aware of emerging internet technologies. Let?s say worst case scenario is that there is NO MORE MONEY EVER for publishing research results. Its?Armageddon?for the publishing industry and they all folded because of overblown government restrictions on their 30+% profit margins. What is preventing researchers from posting their results to publicly available online repositories like say? their personal webpages, or arxiv, or PLoS (which conveniently offers full or partial fee wavers if you do not have funds to cover publishing costs while managing to be profitable after only seven years)? The message is not the medium, folks.

This is just typical copyright lobby and publishing industry fear-mongering. So long as people buy into the Impact Factor scam they will always have business, but they aren?t satisfied there. They?ve watched PLoS and BMC grow and know how popular and successful they?ve become. They know the way of the future is open access so they are now trying at every turn to force the government?s legislative hand to skew the rules so that they can continues embezzling government funds through the guise of research works publication.

?This reversal of centuries of copyright law occurred without input from the affected communities, and without benefit of oversight by congressional committees with expertise and responsibility for copyright laws and enforcement.

This bipartisan bill ensures that privately-funded research works that describe or interpret federal research and are intended for public publishing will receive that treatment, and preserves the rights of research funders and publishers.?

Copyright law is not reversed! Copyright law remains as it ever has. If for-profit publishers? do not like the demands placed by government funders, which are enacted in the interest of its constituents, they are free to jack up the costs or refuse government funded research works. Then they can sit back and see if the market forces like this or not and we will finally see how researchers value artificial prestige over broad, efficient dissemination. Like any industry, innovate or die.

Another ill-conceived press release in support of this damaging piece of legislation filled with misleading statements and half-truths designed to provide talking points and ammo to sympathetic congress members who have their pockets lined by publishing company lobbyists. Let?s not let them embezzle our payroll wages under the guise of providing artificial services that can by provided by other, more forward-thinking institutions who believe in providing taxpayer access to their paid-for deliverables and lack such revolting disdain for our government acting in its citizens? interests. Follow up with the chatter on Research Works Act HR 36999 over at John Dupuis? blog, who has archived all the reports, news and opinion concerning this issue and write your congressman and implore them to support their constituents? access to material they have rightfully paid for.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2ac07cb7bb1fefd983e44d5d08986be9

joe bodolai ben nelson extreme couponing taylor lautner act sinead o connor dan marino passing record