Saturday, December 31, 2011

Forest fire cuts across Chilean Patagonia

The fire has already burned 32 square miles of the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, says President Sebastian Pinera.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera says an out-of-control fire has already burned 32 square miles of a national park in the nation's south, and it has prompted the evacuation of 400 tourists.

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The president interrupted a summer vacation to meet with top aides on Friday about how to respond to the conflagration at the Torres del Paine National Park, which receives tens of thousands of foreign visitors each year.

He says "the terrain in the area is extraordinarily rough and that enormously complicates access and work." Gusts as strong as 70 mph also have fanned the fire.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/AYaQJQYqFcA/Forest-fire-cuts-across-Chilean-Patagonia

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Duet Enterprise for Microsoft SharePoint and SAP Demo

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Snow church opens in Bavaria (AP)

MITTERFIRMIANSREUT, Germany ? A church built entirely of ice and snow has opened in Bavaria ? a century after villagers first built a snow church in an act of protest.

The church at Mitterfirmiansreut, near the Czech border, is more than 20 meters (65 feet) in length and boasts a tower. It's made up of some 1,400 cubic meters (49,000 cubic feet) of snow.

The structure was bathed in blue light as it opened Wednesday evening with a blessing from Dean Kajetan Steinbeisser.

But when the ancestors of today's villagers built the first snow church in 1911, they weren't thinking just of architectural achievement.

Steinbeisser says: "It was meant as an act of provocation ? believers from the village got together and built a snow church because they didn't have a church here."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_snow_church

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Israel kills al Qaeda-linked chief in Gaza strike (Reuters)

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters)- Israel killed the leader of an al Qaeda-inspired faction in the Gaza Strip on Friday, accusing him of involvement in firing rockets and a planned attack on the Jewish state from the neighboring Egyptian Sinai.

The deadly air strike was Israel's second against a Salafi Islamist militant this week. Militants identified him as Momen Abu Daf, chief of the Army of Islam, among a loose network of Palestinian groups which profess allegiance to al Qaeda and have been reinforced by volunteers who slip in from the Sinai.

Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers, who have sometimes reined in more radical groups, are seeking an accommodation with secular Palestinian rivals and with an Egypt struggling for order after the fall of U.S.-allied President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Abu Daf died when a missile hit Gaza City's Zeitoun district, the Hamas administration's Health Ministry said. Five other Palestinians were wounded and one of them needed hospital treatment.

The Israeli military said its aircraft "targeted a terrorist squad that was identified moments before firing rockets at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip."

Abu Daf, a military statement said, had "orchestrated and executed numerous and varied terror attacks" and "was actively involved in the preparations of the attempted terror attack on the Israel-Egypt border that was thwarted this week."

EYES ON EGYPT

That appeared to refer to Israel's killing on Tuesday of another Salafi fighter, Abdallah Telbani, who the military said had been plotting strikes in which gunmen would circumvent the fortified Gaza border by attacking south Israel from the Sinai.

Israel has been on high alert for such raids since losing eight of its citizens to armed infiltrators on Egypt's porous frontier in August. Israeli troops repelling those gunmen killed five Egyptian border guards, fraying strategic ties with Cairo.

"We shoot when we're being shot at," one Israeli security official said after Friday's air strike in Gaza. "It's clear that Hamas does not have an interest in fanning the flames at this time, but it's not dousing them either."

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, responded: "Our people have the right to defend themselves, and the problem is the (Israeli) occupation which targets the Palestinian resistance."

Though Hamas echoes Salafi calls for Israel's ultimate destruction, its ambitions are framed within Palestinian nationalism, not al Qaeda-style global jihad, and include a possible ceasefire with the militarily superior Jewish state which, with Egyptian help, has tried to isolate Gaza.

Hamas took over the coastal strip in a 2007 civil war against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, which holds sway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Abbas held rapprochement talks in Cairo last week against a backdrop of political upheaval across the Arab world, including Syria, where Meshaal retains a headquarters that diplomats say Hamas has scaled back.

One official said Meshaal told Abbas he was "in favor of peaceful resistance and a truce in Gaza and the West Bank at this stage," though Hamas would not meet Israel's core demand for recognition.

Two short-range rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel on Thursday and five on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. There were no casualties. The Popular Resistance Committees, an armed Palestinian faction, claimed responsibility.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_violence

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Chinese leaders watch Peking Opera

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Zimbabwe News.Net
Thursday 29th December, 2011 (IANS)

Chinese President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and other leaders have watched the Peking Opera at a gala here to celebrate the New Year.

The 200-year-old Peking Opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performances, mime, dance and acrobatics, is regarded as a cultural treasure of China.

Top legislator Wu Bangguo and political advisor Jia Qinglin were among nearly 1,000 visitors who attended the program at the National Centre for the Performing Arts Thursday, reports Xinhua.

The show included excerpts from the classical Peking Opera 'The Fourth Son Visits His Mother' and other traditional works.

The Unesco has listed Peking Opera as an intangible cultural heritage.

?


Source: http://www.zimbabwenews.net/story/202239898

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At least 13 killed in Venezuela tanker truck fire

A tanker truck filled with gasoline crashed and burst into flames on Thursday in Venezuela, engulfing several cars and a bus and killing at least 13 people.

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The tanker truck tipped over and spilled gasoline, which ignited and burned seven vehicles, Caracas fire chief William Martinez said.

Rescue workers pulled victims' bodies from the blackened vehicles.

Martinez said the tanker truck driver apparently lost control on the highway in Caracas but the cause of the accident was unclear.

At least 16 people were injured in the accident, national police chief Luis Fernandez said.

The 30-year-old truck driver, Tulio Estenique, was unhurt and was arrested, prosecutors said in a statement. He is to be arraigned and is under investigation for his responsibility in causing the accident.

Prosecutors said that according to witnesses the truck was speeding.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45819416/ns/world_news-americas/

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

U.S., Canada cruise to open junior hockey worlds

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Charlie Coyle had a hat trick and Kyle Rau added two goals and the United States dominated Denmark 11-3 to open the world junior men's hockey championship Monday.

With a 3-2 lead going into the second period, the U.S. (1-0) scored six goals to put the game out of reach.

U.S. captain Jason Zucker, with two assists, Stephen Johns, Jarred Tinordi, Nick Bjugstad, Bill Arnold and JT Miller also scored.

Mathias Bau-Hansen scored twice in the first period to keep the Danes close through 20 minutes.

Thomas Spelling had the other goals for Denmark (0-1).

In other games, Mark Stone had a hat trick to lead Canada to an 8-1 win.

Stone also had an assist for Canada. Jonathan Huberdeau had a five-point effort with a goal and four assists.

Brendan Gallagher, Defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Ryan Strome and Brett Connolly of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning also scored.

Alexander Ruuttu, son of former NHL player Christian Ruuttu, scored for Finland early in the second period.

Canada coach Don Hay went with experience in net, giving Mark Visentin the first start of the tournament. The Phoenix Coyotes prospect made 24 saves on 25 shots for the win.

Visentin was Canada's starting goaltender for the medal round of the 2011 tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.

Finland went with Chris Gibson. Canada finished with 42 shots on the Los Angeles Kings prospect.

Canada has Tuesday off before facing the Czech Republic on Wednesday and Denmark the following day. The hosts conclude Pool B play on Saturday versus the United States.

In Calgary, Sweden defeated Latvia 9-4 in a Pool A game with defending champion Russia set to face Switzerland at night.

The top team in each pool earns a bye to the semifinal round. The second and third teams cross over and meet in the quarterfinals.

Max Friberg scored four goals for Sweden. Ottawa Senators prospect Mika Zibanejad, who plays for Djurgardens of the SEL, scored a pair of power-play goals for Sweden, which led 3-2 after the first period and 6-3 after the second.

Huberdeau and Stone were standouts at Canada's summer camp playing on the wings of center Ryan Johansen.

Johansen wasn't made available to play for Canada by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Huberdeau and Stone quickly re-established their chemistry from the summer. Strome was their center for most of the game.

The win came at a heavy cost for Canada as forward Devante Smith-Pelly broke his left foot blocking a shot in the second period and has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.

The Anaheim Ducks forward is one of two NHL players on the team, and Canada cannot replace him on its roster. At this point the only situation in which a team could add another player would be in the case of a goaltender injury.

Huberdeau was the third overall pick in this year's draft by the Florida Panthers and was the Memorial Cup MVP last season.

Stone was a sixth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators last year.

Both are over 6 feet 1 and difficult for the opposition to contain.

"Stone just continues to score goals for us and it's great to see Jonathan get some confidence and start the tournament off with a game like that," Hay said.

"They're two different guys, but they do good work in their areas of the ice. Mark does a great job in front of the net. He's got great hands for a big guy. Jonathan really sees the ice well and can put pucks in the small areas."

Stone's third goal at 4:05 of the third period brought hats onto the ice. Connolly scored 52 seconds into the period, driving the wing and beating Gibson with a wrist shot. Strome added another goal at 7:18.

"He's always in the right spot in the slot," Huberdeau said. "He scores a lot of goals. You could see that in exhibition games. He scored in every exhibition game since the beginning so it's easy to play with him."

"It's the first win, but to do it in that kind of manner in front of the home crowd is pretty awesome," Canadian captain Jaden Schwartz said.

"You look at the start we had, we were extremely excited and you want to enjoy the moment. It's hard to calm people down when you skate in front of a crowd like that."

Canada has finished in the medals of the tournament 13 straight years, including five straight golds from 2005 to 2009. The Canadians have settled for silver in the past two tournaments.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/12/26/world.junior.hockey.canada.ap/index.html?eref=si_latest

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UMC Vice President Bruce Resigns Following Audit

Bruce - UMC Media

A University Medical Center administrator has resigned following an audit which revealed possible embezzlement.

Greg Bruce, UMC vice president of corporate services, has resigned from his position as a result of the audit, according to a press release from the hospital.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney?s office are investigating the possible embezzlement. The hospital?s press release states that no further statements will be made until the investigation is completed.

Bruce, an Abilene native, submitted his resignation effective immediately.

?

Source: http://kfyo.com/umc-vice-president-bruce-resigns-following-audit/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Google, Microsoft Square off for Search Supremacy

While Google and Microsoft waged "trench warfare" in the search business this year, both are hoping to come up with a market game changer for 2012.

Analysts are split over which firm got the better of 2011, but most agree that the search business is critical to the future of both Microsoft and Google .

The growing competition between the tech giants in 2012 is good news for users, analysts said, noting that it will likely result in more innovation and the development of strong new search features .

"Neither of them were able to make game-changing moves in 2011, so the battle settled down into trench warfare," said Dan Olds, an analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group. "Competition between the two isn't going to get any easier. Both are going to try to get to high ground in this battlefield. That should be interesting."

Advantage: Microsoft

Analysts generally agree that Microsoft's big win this year came via its partnerships market leading social partners -- namely Facebook and Twitter.

Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the agreements gave Bing a slight advantage over Google's 2011.

"I believe Microsoft won the overall rivalry this year in terms of overall growth and strategic moves," Moorhead. He cited Bing's "improved integration of social media, the Bing iOS app, and Bing for Xbox and Kinect. But on the flip side, Microsoft has made little traction on the international side related to search metrics."

Rob Enderle, an analyst at the Enderle Group, agreed that Microsoft's marketing investment in Bing is paying off so far. "They increasingly appeared as the nicer, more interesting, alternative to Google search," he said.

The work has resulted in some momentum for Bing.

For instance, the Microsoft search engine picked up some market share after a partnership deal with Yahoo that was signed in July, 2009. And the company got some more hope in July, 2011, when Google's search market share dipped below 65 percent for the first time in two years. Over that same two-year period, Bing's share of the search market had almost doubled.

Google Still Rules

But Google's share did rise past 65 percent again this fall and the battle of two strong contenders continued.

"Google seems to be capitalizing on their brand and isn't having a problem holding onto its market share," said Olds. "At the start of 2011, Google had 66 percent of U.S. searches while Bing had about 30 percent. In October, we see pretty much the same thing -- Google with two-thirds of the searches and Bing with 30 percent."

Meanwhile, Google failed to come up with partnership agreements with social network leaders like Facebook or Twitter , which could come back to haunt it, analysts said.

Google has taken advantage of the Google+ social network it launched last summer, integrating it with the search engine, but the product's user base is far below the reported 800 million Facebook members, putting it at a significant social search disadvantage.

Next Battleground: Mobile

Moorhead said that both companies have to focus on the mobile market in 2012, which he calls "a year for mobile integration. Search will attempt to permeate every kind of imaginable smartphone app in one way or another. This includes searches on videos, pictures and even sounds. Some of the largest advances will come in the form of image search, which will augment shopping, maps, and even food reviews."

Olds agreed that both companies must focus on improving integration with social networks with, for example, local shopping and daily deal features.

Olds also noted that the precarious position of Internet pioneer and one-time search leader Yahoo creates some intrigue for the search business next year.

Some analysts have been speculating since the firing of CEO Carol Bartz in September that Microsoft may try again to buy the firm, though for much less than the $40 billion-plus it offered in 2008. Acquiring Yahoo -- or even of parts of it -- could prove a boon to Microsoft in its battle with Google, they added.

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin , or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her e-mail address is sgaudin@computerworld.com.

Read more about internet search in Computerworld's Internet Search Topic Center.

Computerworld
For more enterprise computing news, visit Computerworld. Story copyright ? 2011 Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: http://feeds.pcworld.com/click.phdo?i=25938d4f544eda44a6a6f4151ad1b4aa

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Serial killer? 3 found dead worked as escorts

Detroit police fear that a killer may be targeting escorts after finding that three of four women found dead in car trunks within blocks of each other this month had placed sex-related ads on the same website.

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Attorneys general for 45 states had raised concerns earlier this year about how the site, Backpage.com, polices ads for adult services.

Police Chief Ralph Godbee said authorities find the link "disconcerting." The deaths could be connected, Godbee said, though he has said police were "stopping short" of calling it the work of a serial killer.

"The link between the three females and this website specifically dealt with prearranged adult dating services," Godbee said Monday. "We are not passing judgment on any individual who is utilizing this website, yet we felt it was imperative to alert the public that deciding to meet unknown persons via the Internet can be extremely dangerous."

The latest victims were found Christmas morning, when Detroit firefighters discovered their badly burned bodies in the trunk of a car that had been set ablaze in a garage. They were identified as women ages 28 and 29, and police were awaiting a determination from the medical examiner's office on cause of death.

Meanwhile, the families of Demesha Hunt, 24, and Renisha Landers, 23, whose bodies were found Dec. 19 in the trunk of a car parked in the driveway of a vacant home on the city's east side, prepared for a joint funeral Thursday. The Detroit women had been reported missing by relatives.

The names of the latest victims hadn't been released Tuesday. Police also haven't said which three of the women had had promoted themselves as escorts on Backpage.com, which is used to buy and sell things but that also carries personal ads.

A Backpage.com lawyer didn't immediately respond to email and phone messages seeking comment.

The attorneys general of Michigan and Illinois were among those across the country who wrote Backpage.com on Aug. 31 demanding that it show it was not promoting illegal sexual activity. Attorneys general and others had raised similar concerns about Craigslist, which agreed to close its adult services section last year.

Email and phone requests for comment were left Tuesday for attorneys general in Michigan and Illinois.

Detroit police said Tuesday they had no new developments in the investigation to report, and Sgt. Eren Stephens reiterated Godbee's warning about those who use dating or adult online services.

On Tuesday, printing business Can You Picture This in Detroit made T-shirts in memory of Hunt and Landers. Money from the sale of the shirts was to go to their families, said owner Clayton Carter.

Near signs promoting printing for business cards, banners and Christmas cards for the just-passed holiday, three adult-sized shirts in memory of Hunt and Landers sat on a counter along with an infant's shirt showing Hunt and her young daughter, their photos in a heart with red roses.

"It's disturbing to have this kind of stuff going on in our city," Carter said.

The Associated Press, Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45794835/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

NBA regular season opens. Back to normal? Not quite.

NBA regular season finally arrives with five games on Christmas Day. But TV and technology are changing league revenues and how America will see the NBA regular season.

The NBA regular season finally begins Christmas Day with a slate of five games: Oklahoma City vs. Orlando, the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, and, in a rematch of last year?s finals, the Miami Heat will meet up with the Dallas Mavericks.?

Skip to next paragraph

So all is back to normal in professional basketball? Not quite. And it's just not the lockout-shortened season will feature 66 games instead of the usual 80-plus.

TV and TV technology are changing the league's revenue streams. And the NBA will have to catch up, if it wants to capitalize on its potential.

Start with the least obvious: Fans are less inclined to go to an actual game.

Oh, they still show up.?Over the past decade, the top attracting team (which changes from year to year) has averaged between 20,000 and 22,000 attendees per game. But except for the top-tier seats, they're less willing to pay for the experience, because it's better watching games at home.

?The gate revenues have been flat and falling since 2006,? says?Kenneth Wilbur, a marketing professor at Duke University?s Fuqua School of Business. So??teams are altering their mix of ticket prices.... Court seat prices are rising just as fast as they ever have. But in the second or third tier of seats in the arena, you get a better view at home. Those prices have been falling in a lot of NBA cities.?

If teams are seeing smaller gate revenues, their TV profits?continue to grow. The NBA has a $485 million annual contract with ABC/ESPN, as well as a $445 million deal with TNT. That works out to about $31 million for each of the league's 30 teams, a deal that wasn?t affected by the games lost during the lockout. Both contracts go through the 2015/16 season.

That's a healthy development, for the most part. The NBA is coming off a strong ratings performance to cap last season. The league finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks netted an average 17.3 million viewers per game. Game 6, in which the Mavericks bested LeBron James and company to win the title, was seen by nearly 24 million people. It was the most watched Game 6 since 2000, and it led to ABC having its best summer week in over a decade.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/rYI6stX82AQ/NBA-regular-season-opens.-Back-to-normal-Not-quite

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Madison Mayor Blames State For Tax Increase

It's property tax time in the city of Madison, and a letter from Mayor Paul Soglin blames the state for a local tax increase.

It all has to do with how much money local governments get from the state each year through what's called "shared revenue," which is a portion of state income taxes shared to help cover government costs.

This year, Madison took a 25 percent cut, and the mayor said that's part of why homeowners' tax bills may have gone up this year.

As resident Charles Quackenboss made his way to city hall to pay his property tax bill, he said it wasn't as bad as he expected.

"It was up about $150 over last year, and I think that is outstanding," said Quackenboss after paying his bill. "I think the mayor and county executive did a good job of keeping the tax levy reasonable. It could have gone up a lot more."

City of Madison taxes went up 3.7 percent this year, and in a letter with tax bills the mayor said that's primarily because of a cut in state aid.

"There is no question that the state's shared revenue decisions have driven up the property tax in Madison," said Soglin.

Soglin argued that the formula to figure out local aids needs to change. Although Madison is the second largest city in the state, it gets the 15th most shared revenue.

"The formula was well-intended to deal with issues of population and poverty, but it was always assumed that the state would be fair in terms of the funding," said Soglin.

Todd Berry, of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said that's exactly why Madison gets less -- because it is considered a property-wealthy city.

"Either the appropriation has to be made larger so Madison will compete for some money, or they've got to take it away from poorer communities like Milwaukee, Beloit or Racine to give it to Madison," said Berry. "So it is a little unfair to suggest that the state is entirely to blame here."

But as Quackenboss looks at his bill, he said he thinks the city should get more money, too.

"When you're considering Madison, you must consider city services to all state buildings," said Quackenboss. "I don't think we get all the state money that we should for that."

Soglin and Berry said the other problem is that the funding formula hasn't really been used since the early 2000s. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau confirmed that local aids have been flat or cut since the early 2000s under Gov. Jim Doyle and Gov. Scott Walker.

Source: http://madisonnearwest.channel3000.com/news/news/63584-madison-mayor-blames-state-tax-increase

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Act as if You're Being Filmed at Work [Video]

Act as if You're Being Filmed at Work Most of us have seen the YouTube video of a FedEx driver throwing a computer monitor over a fence. This driver will probably be facing pretty stiff disciplinary action. If he had acted as though he knew he was being recorded he might have done his best to gently place the package over the fence. The resulting video would not have gone viral and the driver might now be up for a raise instead of a reprimand.

Personal Finance weblog The Simple Dollar points out that most of us are fortunate enough not to have our worst days at work broadcast over the internet, but the best way to establish a career reputation is to always behave at work as though you're being recorded. This will keep you from taking shortcuts and doing things like throwing away a stack of paperwork rather than dealing with it. Video by goobie55

FedEx Delivery and Your Career | The Simple Dollar

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YZjsDLMRxdk/act-as-if-youre-being-filmed-at-work

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The winner of 'The X Factor' is ...

By Craig Berman, TODAY.com contributor

Michael Becker / FOX

Melanie Amaro was crowned the first "X Factor" champ on Thursday night.

Melanie Amaro was crowned the winner of ?X Factor? on Thursday, surprising almost nobody and completing the journey that nearly ended before it began.

Amaro famously wasn?t one of judge Simon Cowell?s original four female finalists, but got called back into the competition when he either changed his mind or decided that the charade had gone on long enough, depending on how cynical you are. Once she got that second chance, she immediately became the favorite among the women, sailing through the competition and earning the $5 million recording contract.

She fell to her knees in prayer after hearing the news, overwhelmed enough to resist host Steve Jones? numerous attempts to get something resembling a sound bite out of her. She choked up several times during her show-closing number, but presumably will recover in time to record what everyone at Fox hopes?will be?a monster album that sells millions of downloads.

Josh Krajcik, the former burrito maker and champion of the 30-somethings, came in second, with Chris Rene having been eliminated earlier in the evening as the third-place finisher.

The result capped an evening that was more of a holiday special than a coronation. The three finalists all sang Christmas tunes, as did Justin Bieber in a duet with Stevie Wonder. Bieber than sang a few notes with Drew, the teenager eliminated earlier in the competition who auditioned with Bieber?s ?Baby? and seemed as overwhelmed by the opportunity as any girl her age would.

?She is a very special girl and she will go far,? Bieber said, though he did not indicate that he was prepared to fulfill Drew?s fantasy of a date with him at the beach.

The show also featured the snippets of interviews with friends and family members that tug at the heartstrings and are a staple of all reality competitions, or so it seems.

?We used to complain about you singing all the time, and now look at you singing in front of millions of people,? Amaro?s brothers said.

?I?m not really surprised we?re here right now. I want you to know that I love you so much, and I don?t think I say that enough,? said Krajcik?s daughter.

The night also saw the rivalry between Simon and judge?L.A. Reid depicted as a battle of heavyweights, while judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Adbul had the ?Cry-Off? clip show instead. This concept was brought to you by the 1950s, which wants its gender roles back.

Rachel Crow made her return, two weeks after her elimination in what was called the most shocking moment of the season. She didn?t seem to have any lingering scars from that experience.

?I?m gonna steal your job,? she told Steve.

It was a tough night for the host in general, who was often stymied in his attempts to talk with the contestants and had Nicole whiff on a punchline several times before he finally threw up his hands and gave up.

Other acts included 50 Cent, who tested the Fox censors and was accompanied by some of the less-heralded members of the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as Ne-Yo and Pitbull. Also singing was Leona Lewis, who won the British version of the show and is what the folks at Fox are desperately hoping that Amaro becomes. That, as much as anything else, will determine whether this becomes the next ?American Idol? or just one of the countless shows stuck in its wake.

Did the right contestant win?

?

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/22/9645437-the-winner-of-the-x-factor-is

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Moody's keeps Austria's triple A rating (AP)

VIENNA ? Moody's says it is keeping Austria's triple-A status due to the nation's robust economy and plans to cap budget deficits.

A statement on the rating agency's web site notes Austria's "very high economic strength ... skilled labour force and a competitive export sector ... have helped Austria to grow faster than the European average in recent years."

The statement, issued Friday, says the agency "views positively the recent announcement by the government to introduce a balanced budget requirement into the constitution as well as attempts to limit the sovereign's exposure to the banking system's foreign operations."

Moody's says Austria's outlook remains stable but warns that could depend on the length and severity of the eurozone financial crisis, which could spill over into triple-A countries.

___

Online: http://www.moodys.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_austria_financial_crisis

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

San Francisco / Bay Area - $199 for a 4-Night Mexico Getaway in Playa Del Carmen or Nuevo Vallarta

$199

Time Remaining

177:28:52 638932

Highlights

  • Choose from two great hotels: Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya Hotel at Playa del Carmen or the Sea Garden Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta.
  • Ocean Breeze Hotel,?situated in a serene area in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen,?is a boutique hotel surrounded by lush gardens and the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea.
  • Ocean Breeze Hotel offers an executive golf course, world class Spa Brio, an ocean view fitness center and more.
  • Sea Garden Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta offers pristine swimming pools, challenging golf courses and breathtaking ocean views.
  • Includes complimentary airport pick-up to either hotel.
  • Enjoy a 4-night stay for less than $50 per night.
  • Modern furnishings and bright, comfortable rooms make these hotels the perfect places for a family vacation.

Fine Print

  • Expires 12/19/2012.
  • Voucher cannot be redeemed until the day after deal closes.
  • Valid for up to 2 adults (must be 28 years of age or older) and 2 children (12 years of age and under).
  • Limit 1 certificate per household; may purchase 1 additional as gift. Not valid for group travel.
  • Valid for 5 days and 4 nights at either Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya Hotel at Playa del Carmen or the Sea Garden Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta.
  • Valid for a Standard Room.
  • Reservations subject to availability.?
  • This offer is provided by and scheduled through Mexico Travel Company. Bookings must be made by calling 888-488-9468 (toll free), Mon-Fri from 9am-7pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm (CST).
  • Reservations must be made at least 45 days in advance or a $50 fee may apply.
  • Reservations cancelled within 15 days of expected arrival date will incur $50 per room fee. Failure to arrive on confirmed date will result in reservation cancelled in its entirety. Additional cancellations penalties may apply.
  • Airfare and other travel expenses not included. Not all-inclusive.
  • Incidental expenses such as gratuities, service charges and/or any other personal expenses are not included.
  • Must provide a major credit card at check-in to cover cost of incidentals.
  • Must redeem in one visit. No cash value/ cash or credit back.
  • Not valid for retail sale and must forfeit any payments in the event of a cancellation as listed above.
  • You may cancel purchase if accommodations or facilities not available.
  • Blackout Dates: 04/01 to 04/14/2012; 11/21 to 11/28/2012; 12/20/2012 to 01/03/2013.
  • Mexico Travel Company reserves the right to substitute hotels/resorts of similar or superior quality to accommodate guest.
  • See the fine print that applies to all deals.

About This Deal

Last minute gift shopping? Planning a getaway for the new year? Or need an excuse to get out of town for rest and relaxation? Today's deal has been designed with your vacation needs in mind. A four night, five day stay at your choice of one of two Mexican destinations would normally cost $687, but today you can pick up this package to paradise for only $199. Choose your getaway to the Sea Garden Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta or the Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya Hotel in Playa del Carmen and start packing!

Your resort stay can accommodate up to two adults (must be 28 years of age or older) and two children (ages 12 or younger), so you can surprise a special someone and even bring the little ones along. The deal is good for almost a year, so you'll have ample time to make your travel arrangements for 2012. Here are some highlights of each resort and destination:

  • Sea Garden Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta: Near Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta is a tourist development close to lots of activities and attractions. Nayarit's rainforest, a beautiful beach front and Puerto Vallarta's downtown area all offer something different for your stay- whether you want to explore, relax, or live up the nightlife. Golf courses are close by if you want to play a round. And the Sea Garden's sister hotel boasts the Brio Spa for your pampering needs. Surrounding restaurants offer everything from Mexican to Italian to Japanese. The hotel room you'll enjoy on your trip includes modern d?cor and comfortable furnishings. Amenities include: air conditioning, cable TV, drinking water and more.
  • Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya Hotel in Playa del Carmen: This boutique hotel is situated in a serene area in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen. It is surrounded by lush gardens and the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea. The resort complex at Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya offers an executive golf course, spa and other attractions. Room amenities include satellite TV, high speed internet access, air conditioning, and more. Restaurants and bars on the property offer an assortment of dining options, or you can opt for room service and enjoy your meals in the comfort of your own room. And, of course, the area offers white sand beaches that are beautiful and inviting.

It's easy to see that both destinations offer a variety of activities and attractions, whether you're on a romantic getaway or treating your family to some much-needed fun. Plus, each resort offers complimentary airport pick up. See what these fans have to say about each hotel and their fond memories:

"The Ocean Breeze Hotel was everything we could have wanted in hotel! Great service, good location, clean rooms and great food. It's 10 minutes from Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen and 30 minutes from Cancun." - "Jane49785," TripAdvisor

"We love our stay at Ocean Breeze! We spent 10-days the beginning of April. Excellent room service, food, and very nice people. We loved location, hotel is situated in the jungle and it was really relaxing. Kids loved golf cart rides to the big pool at the Mayan palace area and enjoyed kid's club. Overall, we would like to go back." - "A Traveler from Denver," Expedia

"We cannot say enough about our week stay at the Sea Garden in Nuevo Vallarta. It was wonderful. Very quiet, clean and understated. The pool was by far our favorite. The view was spectacular." - "MeAndMyMan," TripAdvisor

"The Sea Garden is a wonderful gem. Not too big, and not too small. It was quiet and very relaxing. The pool area is nicely landscaped, very clean, and is big enough to be interesting but not crowded. The beach here is very clean and well kept as well." - "A Traveler from San Diego," Expedia

Company Info

Ocean Breeze or Sea Garden Hotels

888-488-9468

Website >

Locations

Sea Garden, Nuevo Vallarta

Av Paseo de las Moras s/n
Nuevo Vallarta 63735, MX 00000
888-488-9468
Get Directions

Ocean Breeze, Playa del Carmen

Km 48 Carretera Federal 200
Playa del Carmen 77710, MX 00000
888-488-9468
Get Directions

Source: http://voicedailydeals.com/deals/4-night-mexico-getaway-in-playa-del-carmen-or-nuevo-vallarta-2

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What will Santa leave in Wall Street's stocking? (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Wall Street may not be on Santa Claus's list for presents this year.

The "Santa Claus rally" refers to the seasonal tendency for equities to gain in the final five trading days of the year and first two trading days of the new year.

Since 1969, the S&P 500 has gained on average about 1.6 percent during those seven trading days, according to the Stock Traders Almanac.

This year, the period runs from Friday, Dec 23. through Wednesday, January 4.

Some traders, however, are betting on a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings this year, suspecting that any malaise will be due to debt-stricken Europe, the source of so many disappointments this year.

"I don't buy into the whole Santa Claus thing this year. There were some bulls setting up for it but there is just too much news, too many headlines that can throw you off, " said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.

"I think you should be on guard all the time because we could be getting anything, like a downgrade on sovereign banks, any moment," he said. "If you are playing (the Santa Claus rally), it's a dangerous game to play."

Warnings from major credit rating agencies on a potential downgrade of several European nations has kept investors on edge. After Standard & Poor's back in August surprised financial markets with a downgrade of the United States' triple-A credit rating on a Friday evening, investors worry a similar move could come at any time - even between Christmas and New Year's.

The correlation between U.S. stocks and European sovereign bond yields remains high, so a negative headline out of Europe could hit the U.S. market.

Brown Brothers Harriman data to 1928 shows that stocks have traded higher 78 percent of the time during the year-end period, with an average gain of 1.8 percent. That compares with an average gain of 0.2 percent during any seven-day period since 1928, and a 56 percent chance of being higher.

When the market slips, however, the market suffers for months.

"In the 12 times the S&P 500 fell at least 1 percent during the Santa Claus rally, the index subsequently averaged a 1.9 percent loss during the first quarter of the new year," said Ari Wald, equity strategy researcher at BBH.

It could also be argued that the Santa rally came and went a bit early this year, with the one-day, 3 percent rally on the 20th accounting for all of what was to come.

(Reporting By Angela Moon; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111222/bs_nm/us_stocks_santaclaus

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Madonna Fan Arrested For 'Gimme All Your Luvin' Leak

Recordings of the new song, featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., found in 31-year-old's belongings after leak was traced to Spain, police say.
By Andrea Duncan-Mao


Madonna
Photo: Getty

Just over a month after a demo of Madonna's "Gimme All Your Luvin' " was leaked online, police have arrested a 31-year-old fan. After the icon's lawyers traced the leak to Spain, the man, whose full name has not been released, was arrested in the northern city of Zaragoza. Police, who have only confirmed the suspect's initials as J.M.R., describe the man as "a big Madonna fan" and say they found recordings of the song in his belongings.

The track, which features Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., was leaked without M.I.A.'s vocals. When it surfaced in early November, Madonna's longtime manager Guy Oseary voiced his displeasure via Twitter, writing, "The plan was for new music to come out in the new year. I'm very happy with the positive reaction to the demo, but we are very upset with whoever leaked the song! We are asking that the fans please help us police any more leaks. We have a lot in store for you. But please respect the process." An unhappy Madge also weighed in, via Oseary, saying, "My true fans wouldn't do this. Whoever is responsible for this leak, we ask that you please stop!"

Earlier this month, both Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. tweeted saucy details from the set of the video shoot for the song, which was originally titled "Give Me All Your Love." Minaj gushed about kissing Madonna, while M.I.A. teased that they had a "3sum."

No word on when the video will be released, but Madonna's upcoming as-yet-untitled new album is expected to drop in the spring of 2012. It will feature production from Ray of Light producer William Orbit. Madonna is also slated to perform at the Super Bowl in February, which coincides with the release of her film "W.E."

Do you agree with Madonna that "true fans" wouldn't leak the song? Share your thoughts below!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676410/madonna-gimme-all-your-luvin-arrest.jhtml

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Frankincense production 'doomed, scientists warn

Trees that produce frankincense, a fragrant resin used in incense and perfumes and a central part of the Christmas story, are declining so fast that production could be halved over the next 15 years, scientists said on Wednesday.

In a study published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, ecologists from the Netherlands and Ethiopia looked at large-scale field studies and predicted that tree numbers could decline by 90 percent in the next 50 years.

If fire, grazing and insect attack, the most likely causes of decline, remain unchecked, then frankincense production could be doomed altogether, they warned.

Frankincense, best known in religious teachings as one of the gifts laid before the newborn Messiah, is obtained by tapping various species of Boswellia, a small, deciduous tree that grows across Africa from northern Nigeria to the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Cutting the Boswellia's bark produces the frankincense resin, a white substance with a strong, sweet smell. The resin is burnt in churches, mosques and at ceremonies, as well as being used by the perfume industry and in herbal medicines.

Despite its economic importance, incense has been traded internationally for thousands of years, little is known about how tapping affects Boswellia populations.

Working in an isolated part of northwest Ethiopia near the source of the Blue Nile, a research team led by Frans Bongers of Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied 13 two-hectare plots, some where trees were tapped for frankincense and some where they were untapped.

Over two years, they monitored survival, growth and seed production of more than 6,000 Boswellia trees and used the data to build mathematical models to predict the fate of Boswellia populations in coming years. The forecasts suggest Boswellia populations are declining so dramatically that frankincense production could be halved in the next 15 years.

"Current management of Boswellia populations is clearly unsustainable," Bongers said in a statement. "Our models show that within 50 years, populations of Boswellia will be decimated, and the declining populations mean frankincense production is doomed."

The researchers found that all the Boswellia populations they studied are declining, not only those from tapped trees, a finding that suggests factors other than tapping are at the root of the problem.

Bongers said the main causes of the trees' decline are likely to be burning, grazing and attack by the long-horn beetle, which lays its eggs under the Boswellia's bark.

The scientists urged local authorities to introduce better management incentives to ensure farmers work harder to protect Boswellia trees. In the short-term this meant preventing fires and beetle attack, Bongers said, but in the longer-term, large areas should be set aside and protected for five to 10 years to allow Boswellia saplings to become established.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45744432/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Dell Streak Pro D43 launched in China, where Yi shall find some Baidu love

Just as rumored and teased earlier this week, yesterday Dell unveiled the world's first Baidu Yi-powered smartphone dubbed Streak Pro D43. We won't bore you with the hardware details again (the D43's identical to its Japanese Android counterpart 101DL), but it's worth noting that this dual-core 1.5GHz, quadband HSPA phone focuses on features and services tailored for Chinese users, including some seemingly basic Mandarin voice control (no pressure on Siri just yet), contacts synchronization, Baidu Chinese input, Yi's own app store and 100GB of free cloud storage that supports multimedia upload and secure file sharing. Essentially, the Yi platform's basically just another Chinese bastardized Android OS sans Google services -- much like Alibaba's Aliyun, China Mobile's Ophone and Lenovo's LeOS; but if you already reside in China and are cool with Baidu's offering, then get a Micro SIM ready and look out for a China Unicom deal soon.

Continue reading Dell Streak Pro D43 launched in China, where Yi shall find some Baidu love

Dell Streak Pro D43 launched in China, where Yi shall find some Baidu love originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget China  |  sourceDell (Chinese)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/dell-streak-pro-d43-launched-in-china-where-yi-shall-find-some/

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Monday, December 19, 2011

Gene discovered for Weaver syndrome

Friday, December 16, 2011

Scientists have found a gene that causes Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that typically causes large size at birth, tall stature, developmental delay during childhood, and intellectual disability. Published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, the discovery means that testing the EZH2 gene for mutations could help families who are seeking a diagnosis for their child.

"For the families among whom we identified the gene, this discovery definitively brings the diagnostic odyssey to a close ? it's DNA confirmation that their children have Weaver syndrome," says Dr. William Gibson, the study's lead investigator. Dr. Gibson is a clinician scientist at the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children's Hospital and an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

"Our discovery enables DNA-based diagnostic testing for this particular disease," says Dr. Gibson. "For physicians who suspect Weaver syndrome in one of their patients, we can now confirm it if we find mutations in EZH2. There may still be other Weaver syndrome genes, and we need to study more families to be sure."

Presently, doctors diagnose Weaver syndrome by assessing a child's face, growth, skeleton and other clinical features. People with Weaver syndrome have an oversized head, typical facial features, problems with muscle tone and joints, and differences in the way their skeleton matures. Mutations in the NSD1 gene, which normally causes a rare disease called Sotos syndrome, are also known to cause Weaver syndrome in some cases. There may be other genes involved in Weaver syndrome that are yet to be discovered.

"Now we have an answer for these families and we are also in a position to provide answers to other families affected by this rare and difficult disease," says Dr. Gibson. He is available to see new patients clinically for diagnosis of Weaver syndrome. As a result of this discovery, Dr. Gibson's team now offers sequencing of the EZH2 gene on a research basis in partnership with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Gibson's team can be contacted by email at wtgibson@cfri.ubc.ca.

Traditionally, hunting for a disease-causing gene has relied on tracking a gene throughout a family's history. However, Weaver syndrome usually occurs only once in a family, as it is thought to be caused by a new genetic mutation in the sperm or egg that conceived the child. For this study, the investigators sought patients with Weaver syndrome from Canada and the United States. They approached Dr. David Weaver, who discovered the syndrome in 1974 and is professor emeritus of Medical and Molecular Genetics at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. In two families that Dr. Weaver had examined, the Canadian team looked for brand new genetic mutations by comparing the DNA of affected children to DNA from their unaffected parents. Once the investigators identified EZH2 as a candidate gene, they sequenced it in DNA samples from a third Canadian family. They confirmed that an EZH2 mutation was in this third family's child but not in either of her healthy parents.

EZH2 is a cancer gene that is known to be mutated in leukemia, B-cell lymphomas and some other blood cancers. The gene helps control how DNA is packaged around specific proteins, which in turn helps to regulate which groups of genes are turned off and on.

"Our finding illuminates an emerging area of biology that links developmental syndromes and cancer," says Dr. Gibson. "It appears that some mutations in EZH2, if these occur early in life, produce developmental syndromes such as Weaver syndrome, whereas mutations in the same gene that occur later in life can produce cancer."

Dr. Steven Jones is the study's senior author who led the DNA sequencing and bioinformatics. He is head of bioinformatics and associate director of the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer Agency, professor in the UBC Department of Medical Genetics, and professor, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU).

###

Child & Family Research Institute: http://www.cfri.ca/

Thanks to Child & Family Research Institute for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116102/Gene_discovered_for_Weaver_syndrome

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Accused Army document leaker faces hearing (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? An Army intelligence analyst suspected in the biggest leak of classified U.S. documents in history makes his first court appearance on Friday accused of multiple charges including aiding the enemy, which could bring life imprisonment.

Private First Class Bradley Manning, 23, is suspected of being the source of documents that last year eventually made their way to the WikiLeaks website. WikiLeaks divulged hundreds of thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables that exposed the candid views of U.S. officials and their allies.

It also released about half a million classified U.S. files on the Iraq and Afghan wars -- actions that Washington said jeopardized national security.

"It was a very unfortunate and damaging action ... that put at risk individuals and relationships to an extent that we took it very seriously and launched a vigorous diplomatic effort to try to counter," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday, referring to the WikiLeaks dump.

She declined comment on the Manning case directly.

Neither side is outlining its legal strategy ahead of the pre-trial hearings -- known as Article 32 hearings, which could run through December 23. But prosecutors aim to show there is sufficient evidence to bring Manning to trial at a general court martial on 22 criminal charges.

If convicted of all counts, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted pay grade, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge, the Army said in a statement.

The most serious charge, aiding the enemy, is a capital crime that carries the death penalty but the Army has indicated it does not plan to seek that punishment.

For much of the time since his detention in May 2010 in Iraq, Manning was held on a charge of improperly obtaining a classified gunsight video that showed a 2007 helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq, including two Reuters journalists. The video was released publicly by WikiLeaks.

The additional charges were brought against Manning last spring.

HEARING BEFORE BIRTHDAY

The hearing is being conducted under tight security at Fort Meade, Maryland, a military base that serves as the home of the secretive intelligence-gathering National Security Agency. The proceedings begin one day before Manning, a Crescent, Oklahoma, native, celebrates his 24th birthday.

Members of the Bradley Manning Support Network plan demonstrations outside Fort Meade on Friday and a march outside the base on Saturday joined by protesters from the Occupy movement's encampments in Washington and on Wall Street, the organizations said.

Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg is expected to address the protesters on Saturday along with former military veterans and diplomats, Manning supporters said in an email.

Manning defenders see him as a hero. Some view the release of the cables, with their frank discussion of corruption in some countries, as having contributed to the Arab Spring protests in the Middle East.

Manning was caught after he bragged about his activities to former hacker Adrian Lamo, who turned him in to authorities, Lamo told Reuters.

Lamo said Manning, who worked as an intelligence analyst for the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade in Iraq, told him he would come into work with music on a recordable CD labeled "something like 'Lady Gaga." He would then erase the music and download data from the military's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, known as SIPRNet.

Manning said he "listened and lip-synced to Lady Gaga's song 'Telephone' while exfiltratrating possibly the largest data spillage in (A)merican history," according to a transcript of his Internet chats with Lamo, the details of which were confirmed by Lamo to Reuters and which were published by Wired Magazine.

In his Internet chats with Lamo, Manning appears to acknowledged giving materials to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He wrote to Lamo: "I'm a high profile source ... and I've developed a relationship with Assange."

For his part, Assange is in Britain fighting extradition to Sweden over accusations of rape and sexual assault made by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers in August 2010.

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/ts_nm/us_usa_defense_manning

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Keep Drawing Is the Coolest Polymorphic Animation You'll See This Week [Video]

For as revolutionary as the introduction of CGI was for animation, sometimes hand drawn pieces can still be just as amazing. Case in point: Keep Drawing by South Korean animation house, Studio Shelter. Each frame is drawn in a distinct animation style but stitched together around the same characters. Just check it out, you'll see what I mean. [Colossal via Laughing Squid] More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hrB8gb_riLM/keep-drawing-is-the-coolest-polymorphic-animation-youll-see-this-week

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RadiumOne Buys Mobile Photo Sharing App Developer Focal Labs

Focal LabRadiumOne, an online ad network that aims to combine social and intent data to serve ads, has acquired Focal Labs, the developer of the photo sharing and geo location apps Clixtr and PicBounce, according to sources familiar with the matter. Clixtr, which launched at TechCrunch50, aims to turn smartphones into ?social cameras?. The basic idea behind the service is that when you?re at an event, be it a birthday party at your home or at a massive rock concert, photos from multiple people attending could be turned into one single, centralized photo album.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/xwEU1-krqgI/

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