|
| |
|
|
| ||||
Comic Frank Carson dies aged 85Northern Irish comedian Frank Carson, whose catch phrases included "It's a cracker", has died aged 85, surrounded by his family.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:06 pm Poll: Optimism on the economy doesn't lift views of politicsA poll says Americans are feeling better about the nation's economy but not about its politics.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:05 pm Blacks say atheists were unseen civil rights heroesThink of the civil rights movement and chances are the image that comes to mind is of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. leading the 1963 March ...Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:03 pm Japan in final talks to cut Iran oil imports by over 20 percentTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is in final talks for an agreement with Washington to cut the volume of its crude oil imports from Iran by over 20 percent per year to win waivers from U.S. sanctions, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:02 pm Judge says Wash. can't make pharmacies sell Plan BWashington state cannot force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:01 pm Linsanity Hits Bookstores
Jeremy Lin is knocking down the milestones of contemporary pop-culture like floaters in the lane. Time magazine cover? Check. Twitter troll explosion? Check. Kim Kardashian-is-comin’-to-get-you rumor? Check. And now, here comes the first Lin-stant book trying to cash in on Number 17′s burgeoning popularity: “Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity,” to be penned by Timothy Dalrymple for Hachette Book Group, which expects to get it into stores by May — in time for the NBA playoffs. According to a report in the Associated Press, the book promises to give a “Lin-side look at the NBA’s newest sensation,” and will cover Lin’s years at Palo Alto High School, Harvard University and early NBA career — beginning with his summer stint in the Dallas Mavericks’ minicamp, through his signing and brief career with the Golden State Warriors, where he bounced from bench to D-league and back again before being released, and finally ending with his pickup by the bedraggled Knicks and the eruption of the era of Linsanity. Interestingly, Dalrymple isn’t a sportswriter: The Harvard Divinity School grad cofounded and blogs for the Christian issues site Patheos.com. However, he met Lin at Harvard while completing his doctorate, and ended up conducting a brief video interview with him for the fledgling blog. The interview has since gotten over 64,000 views on YouTube. In addition to their shared Christian faith, Dalrymple notes some other common ground with Lin: Bay Area roots — he was born in Walnut Creek, California and graduated from Stanford, ironically the first-choice school that rejected Lin as a recruit. He also writes that he “grew up…with a Korean adopted sister and best friends who were Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino [and] married an extraordinary Chinese-American woman, and thus joined her family and community (amongst whom I now live). Even though I’m Caucasian, I’ve been around Asian-American communities long enough to see that Asian-American men and women face different stereotypes and different challenges.” Some sports scribes, like Bleacher Report columnist Eric Ball, are saying that it’s way too soon for a book on Jeremy Lin. “It’s going to be a book that has about five pages worth reading,” writes Ball. “What don’t we know about Linsanity that we haven’t already been told?…This is a clear money grab by the Hachette Book Group.” Ball’s not wrong there. MSG stock has risen over 12 percent since the Jeremy Lin Effect took hold. Average ticket prices for Garden seats have jumped 27 percent. And his official NBA replica uniform — still virtually impossible to find in souvenir stores in New York — is the league’s best-selling jersey online, far outstripping even that of L.A. Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant (who saw Lin drop 38 points on him a few weeks ago) and Miami Heat sensation LeBron James (who faces Linsanity this Thursday in Miami). And meanwhile, as Ball points out, Lin’s rookie cards are going for over $4000 a piece on eBay. Dalrymple’s book will undoubtedly sell; so will the other quick to market books that are in progress, including one by prolific instabook author Rich Wolfe. But all of these will pale before the volume everyone’s really waiting for — Lin’s own autobiography, which he put on hold last week after deciding that he’d rather focus on helping the Knicks win ballgames. Typically classy move by the preternaturally mature 23-year-old. We bet he won’t end up dating Kim Kardashian either. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pm Dirty Feet, by Edem AwumeyDonna Bailey Nurse reviews Dirty Feet, by Edem AwumeySource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pm High Court Punts On California Medicaid RulingCalifornia patients and doctors had sued to block the state's decision to cut Medicaid payment rates. But instead of ruling on the matter, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court, saying "changed circumstances" in the case warrant a different process for deciding it. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:59 pm Could thieves be spying on your smart meter?A daily miscellany of information by Michael KestertonSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:59 pm Congress members receive threatening lettersWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three members of Congress have received threatening mail containing a suspicious powder later found to be harmless and law enforcement officials on Wednesday warned that more may be coming.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:58 pm LG X3 will hit the market as Optimus 4X HD LG's upcoming X3 flagship, which we've told you about before, reportedly got its retail name outed. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 packing quad-core powerhouse with a massive 4.7" screen, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and serious appetite for benchmarks will hit the shelves as LG Optimus 4X HD. Such an occurrence seems quite logical, given the fact that the device will be a successor of sorts to the LG Optimus... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:58 pm Richelieu Hardware: A screaming buy for conservative investorsCompany has more than 60,000 customers across Canada and in the United StatesSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:57 pm Chile-Peru border mine scare endsChile reopens its main border crossing with Peru after closing it earlier this week when rain washed landmines onto the road.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:55 pm In a Lithuanian library, I rediscovered my rootsMy grandfather donated thousands of volumes to the country’s libraries, his passion for books only surpassed by his love for his homelandSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:55 pm Toronto pulls lewd street posters for a hockey comedy 'Goon'Complaints from public prompt removal of bus-shelter ads on eve of movie’s gala openingSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:53 pm A Long Time Coming: Glimpse Inside The Upcoming African American MuseumAt the groundbreaking on the National Mall on Wednesday, President Obama said the newest Smithsonian museum has been has "a long time coming" and will serve "not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life." The National Museum of African American History and Culture is expected to open in 2015. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:53 pm New York Court Affirms Towns’ Powers to Ban Fracking
by Lena Groeger In a decision that could set a national precedent for how local governments can regulate gas drilling, a New York state court yesterday ruled for the first time that towns have the right to ban drilling, despite a state regulation asserting they cannot. At issue was a zoning law in Dryden, a township adjacent to Ithaca and the Cornell University campus, where drilling companies have leased some 22,000 acres for drilling. Last August, Dryden's town board passed a zoning law that prohibited gas drilling within the town limits. The next month, Denver-based Anschutz Exploration Corp sued the town, saying that the ban was illegal because state law trumped the municipal rules. As Anschutz noted, New York law promotes the development of oil and gas resources in the state. State Supreme Court Phillip Rumsey addressed this point in his decision, writing: "nowhere in legislative history provided to the court is there any suggestion that the Legislature intended – as argued by Anschutz -- to encourage the maximum ultimate recovery of oil and gas regardless of other considerations, or to preempt local zoning authority." The Dryden case is merely the latest in a string of similar conflicts arising from Colorado to Pennsylvania that pit local communities against state oil and gas laws. It is common for local governments to zone industrial or commercial land, or to institute ordinances for noise or traffic. When it comes to the development of natural resources like oil and gas, the industry contends that local government shouldn't make those decisions. In New York, the controversy over state regulation of fracking has been brewing for years. In 2008 New York effectively put drilling on hold while it launched an environmental analysis of fracking, a process that uses a mix of highly pressurized water, sand and other chemicals to crack the earth deep underground. This is the first ruling on an industry effort to use the mineral extraction law to get around local bans. In addition to the environmental and health concerns swirling around fracking, which we've covered in depth, a fundamental question has been the rights of localities against state or federal laws. According to Eric Goldstein, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources and Defense Council in New York, the right of local governments to determine their own land use has been guaranteed by the Constitution for over a century. "The argument is simple," said Goldstein, "New York state laws shouldn't override the authority of local governments to protect their constituents." In New York, two very similarly worded laws govern the regulation of mining and oil and gas drilling. The oil and gas provision gives the state the power to "regulate the development, production and utilization of natural resources of oil and gas." The town of Dryden argued that it was not trying to regulate fracking, but rather merely trying to protect its citizens and property. It pointed out that courts have previously allowed towns to ban mining, and said they should be allowed to do the same for fracking. The judge seemed to agree, concluding that the state's oil and gas laws don't prohibit localities from barring drilling. Anschutz's lawyer, Thomas West, said he was not sure if the company would appeal the decision. Even if it does so, said Joseph Heath, an environmental attorney in New York, Tuesday's win could help set a precedent for other communities. Despite the threat of similar lawsuits from a major corporation, local fracking bans and moratoriums have continued to grow in the last few years. "People are now concentrating on local governments because that's the best form of protection against fracking," said Heath. Such protection is unlikely to come from the states, as New York's Department of Environmental Conservation has already deferred to the courts. When ProPublica interviewed the commissioner last year, we asked him specifically about the potential for conflict between local municipalities and states. He said it was likely "that the courts will need to decide these issues in a lawsuit between the town and the drilling company, not the state." Now, it looks like at least one court has decided. "[The Dryden case] is an important indicator of the how those battles are likely to play out," said the NRDC's Goldstein, "although it's not the final word." Source: ProPublica: Articles and Investigations | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:51 pm Yamana Gold reports higher adjusted profitMiner cites higher precious metal prices, sales of concentrate; dividend hiked 10 per centSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:51 pm Drugs, death and rock 'n' rollA long list of music stars, the most recent being Whitney Houston, has been destroyed by the potent cocktail of high-level fame and life on the roadSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:50 pm Video: EMD layoff compounds cancer patient's stressRalf Zapke, 49, worked as a welder and overhead crane operator at Electro-Motive in London, Ont. for 18 years. Now facing terminal cancer, his stress has been compounded by Caterpillar’s decision to close the factory, leaving him wondering how much longer his health benefits will last.Source: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:49 pm Judge strikes down law mandating sale of contraception(Reuters) - A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Washington state cannot require pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives if to do so violates their religious beliefs.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:47 pm Teenage girl dies after inhaling helium at party (AP)AP - Last weekend, 14-year-old Ashley Long told her parents she was going to a slumber party. But instead of spending the night watching videos and eating popcorn two blocks away, she piled into a car with a bunch of her friends and rode to a condo in Medford, Ore., where police say the big sister of one of her friends was throwing a party with booze and marijuana.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:47 pm US rivals set for Arizona debateThe four Republican candidates prepare to spar in a crucial TV debate days ahead of two key primaries in the US states of Arizona and Michigan.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:46 pm Romney and Santorum seek edge in 20th debate (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:46 pm Supt. Deasy orders new look at L.A.'s teacher misconduct reportsL.A. schools Supt. John Deasy has ordered his staff to submit or re-submit reports to the state credentialing commission on hundreds of teachers accused of misconduct over the last four years.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:44 pm Rae rallies Liberals in Quebec on heels of NDP membership driveThird party has lots of work to do to win back francophone vote, Interim Leader saysSource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:43 pm Iran defiant as U.N. nuclear talks failVIENNA/TEHRAN (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog ended its latest mission to Iran after talks on Tehran's suspected secret atomic weapons research failed, a setback likely to increase the risk of confrontation with the West.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:42 pm Mail Containing Harmless Powdery Substance Sent To Congressional OfficesThe mailings follow letters to comedians Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart that warned of the mailings. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:42 pm High court torn over law banning lies about medalsThe Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments over a law making it a crime to lie about receiving top military honors.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:41 pm VIDEO: Is Somalian capital on the mend?Ethiopian and Somali troops have taken a strategic stronghold of Islamist militants in south-western Somalia.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm Verdict on Mubarak set for 2 JuneA trial verdict for Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak, accused of ordering the killing of protesters in the revolution that ousted him, is set for 2 June.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm McDowell out of World Match PlayNorthern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is knocked out in the first round of the World Match Play Championship by South Korea's YE Yang.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm Man's childhood comic collection fetches $3.5M (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm New company to operate Niagara Falls ferry tourHornblower Canada Company given contract held for four decades by Maid of the Mist Steamboat CompanySource: The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:36 pm Police: Student shot at Wash. elementary schoolPolice say a shooting at a Washington state elementary school appears to have left a student injured.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pm Tiger Woods survives opening round of Match Play (AP)AP - Tiger Woods had to go the distance to get to the second round of the Match Play Championship.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:30 pm Assad forces bomb Syria's Homs (Reuters)Reuters - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces rained rockets and bombs down on opposition-held neighborhoods of the city of Homs on Wednesday, reducing buildings to rubble and killing more than 80 people, including two Western journalists.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:28 pm Assad forces bomb Syria's HomsAMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces rained rockets and bombs down on opposition-held neighborhoods of the city of Homs on Wednesday, reducing buildings to rubble and killing more than 80 people, including two Western journalists.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:28 pm Study: Colonoscopy cuts colon cancer death risk (AP)AP - Millions of people have endured a colonoscopy, believing the dreaded exam may help keep them from dying of colon cancer. For the first time, a major study offers clear evidence that it does.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:28 pm VIDEO: Argentina train crash kills dozensAt least 49 people have been killed in a train accident in Buenos Aires.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:27 pm Newark mayor: NYPD Muslim files 'deeply offensive' (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:25 pm Researchers find flaw in faster-than-light clocksResearchers have found a flaw in the technical setup of an experiment that startled the science world last year.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:25 pm University reprimands climate science criticGeorge Mason University faculty committees split on plagiarism charges leveled against climate science critic Edward Wegman.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm UK emergency services hold big Olympics testPolice have escorted bloodied passengers up to ambulances, cordoned off the street near a stricken London subway station and rushed off to find an half-exploded knapsack.But it was all just an Olympic security drill.Britain's...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm N.J. judge's ruling bolsters gay marriage lawsuitThe ruling keeps alive the possibility that same-sex marriage can be enacted, even as Gov. Chris Christie vetoed legislative efforts.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm Congress members receive threatening letters (Reuters)Reuters - Three members of Congress have received threatening mail containing a suspicious powder later found to be harmless and law enforcement officials on Wednesday warned that more may be coming.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:19 pm Karzai urges calm over Koran rowAfghan President Hamid Karzai urges Afghans "not to resort to violence" after protests over the burning of the Koran at a US airbase near Kabul.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:18 pm Obama seeks corporate tax rate cut, loophole limit (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:17 pm Obama urges corporate tax cut, closing loopholesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama made an opening offer in what could be a long negotiation with corporate America on Wednesday, putting forward his first clear plan to cut the corporate tax rate.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:16 pm Judge strikes down law mandating sale of contraception (Reuters)Reuters - A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Washington state cannot require pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives if to do so violates their religious beliefs.Source: Yahoo! News: Top Stories | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:13 pm Greece pores over bailout laws amid protestsATHENS (Reuters) - Trade unionists, communists and pensioners angry at punishing spending cuts in Greece marched through central Athens on Wednesday as lawmakers set to work on legislation needed to secure payment of a second bailout for the debt-laden country.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:10 pm Cartel members accused of dissolving victimsTwo members of a breakaway Mexican drug gang dissolved victims in acid on U.S. soil, prosecutors saySource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:10 pm US dismay at IAEA Iranian visitThe White House expresses disappointment on the barring of UN nuclear inspectors from a site in Iran, calling the visit a "failure" for Tehran.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:09 pm Third-grader shot at Washington elementary schoolA third-grade girl was shot and wounded and a second student was detained Wednesday at an elementary school in Bremerton, Wash.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:07 pm Is Einstein Right? Error Could Account For Faster-Than-Light NeutrinosA GPS error could have affected an Italian team's observations that neutrinos moved faster than light. It was a finding that threatened the very basics of physics. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:07 pm Chavez surgery throws Venezuela into uncertaintyPresident Hugo Chavez has never been one to share decision-making authority. Now, the voluble socialist strongman and acerbic critic of the U.S. may have no choice but to designate a successor. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:04 pm Home resales at 1-1/2 year-high, supply fallsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Home resales rose to a 1-1/2-year high in January, pushing the supply of properties on the market to the lowest level in almost seven years in a hopeful sign for the housing sector.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:03 pm FDA panel backs previously rejected obesity pillThe FDA panel of outside physicians voted 20-2 in favor of the weight loss drug Qnexa.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:01 pm Climate Scientist Admits To Lying, Leaking DocumentsPeter Gleick is an outspoken proponent of scientific evidence that humans are responsible for climate change. This week, the MacArthur "genius" grant recipient shocked the scientific community by admitting to lying to obtain internal documents from the Heartland Institute, a group skeptical of climate change. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:01 pm Danica Patrick: I Could Win the Daytona 500"If everything goes right ... there's really an opportunity [to win]," Patrick saysSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm Fitch downgrades Greece on debt swap planATHENS (Reuters) - Fitch cut Greece's long-term ratings on Wednesday to its lowest rating above a default, becoming the first ratings agency to make the widely expected downgrade after the country announced a bond exchange plan to ease its massive debt burden.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:58 pm HP sales fall short of forecastsComputer firm Hewlett-Packard sees a drop in first-quarter sales, as it attempts to turn itself around under new chief executive Meg Whitman.Source: BBC News - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:56 pm Diet Drug Qnexa Gets Thumbs-Up From FDA PanelIn a reversal, a panel of experts is advising the Food and Drug Administration to approve Qnexa, a weight-loss pill, that was rejected in 2010. The potential benefits for overweight people exceed the risks, such as birth defects and increased heart rates, the panel determined. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:53 pm Explosions rock northern Nigerian cityMultiple explosions rocked a highway checkpoint in Nigeria's second-largest city, witnesses said.Source: USATODAY.com Feed | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:40 pm Comics trove found in closet fetches $3.5 million
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:31 pm In Speech, Top Pentagon Lawyer Defends Targeted Killing ProgramJeh Johnson said there's no difference between today's high-tech strikes and past actions like targeting an airplane carrying the commander of the Japanese Navy in 1943. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:31 pm Michael Phelps Will 'Never' Shave His HeadThe star swimmer dishes on hair maintenance - and the fact that the 2012 Olympics will be his lastSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pm Adele Gives Rude Gesture After Getting Cut Off at Brit Awards
Last night, during her acceptance speech for Album of the Year at the annual Brit Awards, singer Adele was cut off by host James Corden in order to leave time for a performance by the indie-rock group Blur. Adele was mid-sentence, saying “I’m so so proud to be British and to be flying our flag, and so proud to be in the room with all of you…” when Corden approached her and apologized. Adele asked, “You’re going to cut me off?” then turned and said to the crowd, “Can I just say then, goodbye and I’ll see you next time around, eh?” before she made a rude gesture. The crowd, which had been cheering during Adele’s speech, booed Corden as he introduced Blur. Adele said afterward that her gesture was directed toward “the suits at the Brit Awards” who decided to cut her speech short, and not to her fans. (Singer-rapper M.I.A. was criticized for making a similar gesture during a musical performance with Madonna at this year’s Super Bowl.) The organizers of the award show apologized for the interruption of her speech, and said it was due to the live show running over time. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:29 pm UN chief sending humanitarian official to SyriaA U.N. spokesman says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is dispatching his top humanitarian official to Syria Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:22 pm Whooping Cough Vaccine Recommended For SeniorsAn expert panel is expanding an earlier recommendation that seniors be vaccinated if they have contact with very young infants. Now just about all seniors will be candidates for vaccination. Adults and teens have been on the recommended list for years already. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:18 pm Can A Videogame Forecast the Future?
How will the nation’s wealth be divvied up 50 years from now? The division likely will be more drastic in the future than it is today, if videogames are to be believed (which, for obvious reasons, they shouldn’t, although Madden did pick the Giants to win the Super Bowl by a margin of three––just sayin’). Syndicate, released today, is Electronic Arts’ sci-fi dystopia, told through the language of recoiling machine guns that cover half of your television set, ultra-violence, and a hand-picked selection of cyberpunk memes. It is also a hotly-debated reboot of a classic PC game that some people say should have stayed an isometric strategy game. We caught up with three major players in its production, Jeff Gamon, the Executive Producer, Richard Morgan, the Writer, and John Miles, the Art Director, to find out what the future has to say about metropolitan cities, first-person shooters, and our rising moral bankruptcy.
Whenever I play a game with a clean, futuristic setting, I can’t help but think that the architecture of the game is based on the facilities of the company who made them. For instance, Mirror’s Edge has geometrically precise high-rises, Dead Space 2 is set inside dark, metallic spacecraft, and Syndicate takes place within sweeping foyers and futuristic offices buildings. Could you talk about EA’s campuses in relation to these virtual places? Jeff Gamon (Executive Producer): Ha, well I’ve worked in some gloomy studios but I think comparisons to Dead Space would beat the worst of them. While I suppose many of the EA facilities are cool working environments relative to many, they are at the end of the day, offices. While elements of your environment might unconsciously creep into creative thinking, level design always requires what in architectural terms would be a ludicrous layout of corridors, stairways and convoluted locking mechanisms. Working in such an environment might be fun for a while but I think getting a coffee via doors opened by switches in another room, and vaulting down obstructed corridors might quickly become tedious. In a recent interview, William Gibson, one of the fathers of cyberpunk, said “cyberspace is everting.” He continued, “I think it’s starting to go out, because it is no longer describing what is happening.” If cyberspace is becoming irrelevant, why is cyberpunk, the world and themes built around cyberspace, still important? Richard Morgan (Writer): Well, I think primarily because cyberspace was only ever one element of the cyberpunk ethos, and, for my money, one of the least important. What Gibson imported into science fiction above all was a noir sensibility, an underbelly feel borrowed from mid-century American pulp literature and re-tooled to fit future contexts. The Sprawl’s data cowboys were really the least of it. It was the murky criminal underground that they swam in that was truly cool, and, equally important, told us something about our existing visions of the future––to wit, that they were bankrupt. What cyberpunk did was simply assume the human element; it said that the future would be full of the same messy human dynamics as the present and the past. Technology wasn’t going to save us––it was just going to make things shinier. I think that is cyberpunk’s enduring legacy, and it isn’t going away any time soon. One characteristic of cyberpunk is that, like all good science fiction, it is metaphorical. The writings of H.G. Wells, for example, captured the fears of Victorian England. Does Syndicate have an underlying moral? Richard Morgan: Yes, I’d say it does. Paraphrasing Amory Lovins, the underlying moral is that market forces may make good economic servants, but they’re a very bad master and an even worse god. Basically, when humanity is subordinated to economics, you can expect things to get very bleak indeed. Science fiction imagines future technology. The Time Machine postulated about time travel before quantum physics suggested that it might be possible. Isaac Asimov wrote of advanced robotic AI. What sorts of future technologies are speculated on in Syndicate? Richard Morgan: The legacy of the original Syndicate is really a riff on the Lovins quote above, and that remains true for the re-boot. But in strictly technological terms, what we’re exploring in this Syndicate is how far biotech and AI development might take augmented reality and consumerism – and what might easily be lost along the way. What cinema, television, and novels did you take inspiration from? John Miles (Art Director): There’s a huge library of cyberpunk influences, but central to this is Philip K Dick’s novels and film adaptions. His dystopian vision of authoritarian governments and altered states inspired our imagination. Conceptually we set out to represent the extremes of society through the game visuals. The verticality of the city dramatically represents status; poor at the bottom, rich at the top, clean and bright verses dark, gritty and polluted. Syndicate’s chipped society exaggerates this concept even further. In 2069, corporations control where the populous can roam, what media they’re exposed to and what they should consume. Let’s not forget the un-chipped civilians, digitally locked out of these gated communities, they inhabit the eclectic and diverse downzones. The player gets to see the world both augmented through the chip and digitally naked as the un-chipped Downzoners. The chip enabled us to explore visually a vast range of situations and environments. The challenge was to graphically tie these together so they felt like one game. Syndicate is a reboot of an older computer game by the same name. However, the new game is a first-person shooter, while the previous Syndicate was a well-regarded real-time strategy game. On the surface, they don’t seem similar at all. In what ways is Syndicate influenced and inspired by its older sibling? Richard Morgan: The underlying theme of the original Syndicate is one which transcends the game itself and stands alone as a classic concern of the science fiction genre in general. Syndicate borrowed from an existing memeplex of cyberpunk-derived ideas––corporate power unleashed, the death of government, biotech-enhanced operatives, warfare over data and elite data specialists, alienating night-time cityscapes, ordinary humans as disposable chaff. The re-boot has all of this and more, and for a very simple reason––we’re not just re-booting Syndicate, we’re mining the very same memeplex the original game fed off. Some fans were disappointed that the well-regarded strategy game had become the latest in a long line of samey first-person shooters. I understand that the multiplayer makes some concessions, harkening back to the original game. In what ways does it do this? Jeff Gamon: We always wanted to remain faithful to the spirit of the original real-time strategy game. The co-op campaign is closest to the original. Four agents raid enemy bases to assassinate personnel and steal technology and research material. The missions are inspired by the original game, and, in some cases, we’ve recreated the areas to be played in first-person. Outside of the missions, the stolen technology can be used to unlock and upgrade weapons and new abilities. Perhaps unjustifiably, Syndicate has been compared to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Both games revive older franchises that have futuristic vantage points. Looking at the two games, one obvious difference I see is the visual style. Deus Ex is dark and dingy. Syndicate is clean and sterile. What does the art style say about the game’s vision of the future? John Miles: The game’s environments aren’t just clean and sterile; they vary dramatically across the levels. Yes, there are the clean and hygienic corporate headquarters, but there is also the gritty, polluted underbelly of New York City, and many other unique locations. The world of Syndicate is an exaggerated version of our cities today; extremes in wealth, environments and culture. Only in 2069, we have the added distortion of the chip augmentations to make each citizen’s world unique to them. The world is governed by giant corporations called syndicates. Where do you think Electronic Arts will be at that time? Will it be one of the syndicates? Jeff Gamon: Good question. If you have any insights into where digital entertainment will be then I’d be very interested in hearing from you. Syndicate takes place in the year 2069. Do you think there will be any more videogame concepts to explore then, or will games be tapped of new ideas? Richard Morgan: I think “new idea” is a bit of a mistaken concept, really. All ideas are recombinant to some extent. Pick any seminal work of art or literature (or technology, come to that!), and you’ll always be able to find antecedents, influences, prior exemplars surrounding the context in which said work was created. The process of innovation is incremental. It always builds on what’s gone before. And to that extent, no, I don’t think games (or movies or books) will ever be tapped of innovation. They are integral to being human. Do you think people will still be playing first person shooters? Richard Morgan: Almost certainly, yes. It’s a very robust, satisfying form. That’s not to say that the gaming medium won’t have come up with a whole bunch of other cool stuff too. But people are still reading books, despite all the advances and cool dynamics emerging from a century of movie-making and now interactive media. I see no reason why the straightforward visceral shooter shouldn’t endure. Jason Johnson is a senior writer at Kill Screen. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:14 pm 'We Crush The Cars': Inside The Monster Truck ArenaThe sport — yes, sport — of monster truck driving has come a long way. What started in the late '70s as intermission entertainment for tractor-pulling competitions is now a multimillion-dollar industry that tours the world. "We are a show," says veteran Rod Schmidt, "but yet we're racers." » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:59 pm Va. governor opposes ultrasound abortion billShortly after Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell announced his opposition a Republican bill requiring vaginal probes of women seeking abortions, the state House on Wednesday approved a watered-down version dropping that condition.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:58 pm Pro-Obama SuperPAC Hits Romney On Auto BailoutPriorities USA Action has unveiled a new ad in Michigan in advance of that state's GOP primary next week. It takes former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to task for opposing the auto industry bailout. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: News | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:54 pm U.S. drafts plan to fight feared Alzheimer's diseaseThe Obama administration declared Alzheimer's "one of the most-feared health conditions" on Wednesday as it issued a draft of the nation's first strategy to fight the devastating disease that is on the rise as the population ages.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:52 pm Verizon says 4G restored, service still spottyFor the fourth time in the last three months, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network has suffered a service outage. Verizon Wireless spokesman, Tom Pica, said the outage was brief and that service has since been restored
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:38 pm Judge rules state can't force pharmacies to sell Plan BWashington state may not force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the state's true goal is to suppress religious objections by druggists — not to promote timely access to the medicines for people who need them.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:38 pm Parents slam Army in soldier's rabies deathThe parents of a U.S. soldier who died from rabies after being bitten by a dog in Afghanistan are accusing the Army of “criminal negligence,” the Army Times reports.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:34 pm Republicans meet for critical debate, maybe their lastTonight’s debate, the 20th of the campaign, comes ahead of a critical juncture in the campaign, as Mitt Romney works to fend off a challenge from Rick Santorum, who’s hoping to land a decisive blow against Romney in his native Michigan.
Source: msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:28 pm Report: Dozens dead in Argentina train crashAt least 49 people were killed and more than 600 people were injured Wednesday when a train plowed into a platform at a Buenos Aires station, state media said.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:23 pm Norwegian confident rogue Antarctic trip will succeedA Norwegian adventurer who defied New Zealand authorities and headed to Antarctica is confident his yacht will return safely.Jarle Andhoy and the crew of the Nilaya set sail from New Zealand to the Ross Sea last month, in search...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:22 pm Justin Theroux: Jennifer Aniston Made Me Breakdance for Her BirthdayTheroux shows off the moves he did to celebrate Aniston's turning 43Source: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm Germany urges Iran to free pastor on death rowGermany's top human rights official is urging Iran to release a pastor sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:58 pm West Bank settlement housing gets initial approvalIsrael gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to a plan to build 600 new homes in a settlement deep inside the West Bank, a move that drew rebukes from the United Nations and Palestinians and threatened to raise tensions with the U.S. as the prime minister prepares to head to the White House. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm Tony Blair's wife sues Murdoch co. over hackingCherie Blair becomes latest high-profile figure to challenge News International over illegal eavesdroppingSource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:21 pm Five-year-old girl found in Costa Concordia wreckEurope's biggest cruise ship operator was caught up on Wednesday in the probe into the Costa Concordia tragedy as eight more bodies including a five-year-old Italian girl were found in the wreck.Three managers of Costa Crociere...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:19 pm Lindsay Lohan Gets Another Rave Review from Judge"You seem to be getting your life back on track," the judge tells the actressSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:05 pm Water-resistant 13MP Fujitsu droid with Tegra 3 to come at MWC Fujitsu teased its Tegra 3 smartphone at CES in January and promised to tell us more about it at the MWC at the end of this month. As it turns out, the wait has been well worth it, as the prototype about to be showcased has more than a powerful chipset to show. The company gave us some details about the smartphone in advance and we got to know that it will pack an impressive 13 megapixel... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:04 pm Video: Adele flips the bird at Brit AwardsGrammy Award-winning pop superstar Adele gave the finger at the Brit Awards when her acceptance speech was cut short.Source: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:03 pm Chinese Ball Maker Takes Trademark on Jeremy Lin’s Name
As attention focuses on the few who first saw potential in surprise basketball standout Jeremy Lin, a Chinese sportswear company has drawn local headlines for spotting his talent – and taking out a trademark on his Chinese name. A Chinese maker of soccer balls and basketballs named Wuxi Risheng Sports Utility Co. applied for a trademark for Lin Shuhao in 2010, according to government records. That year, Mr. Lin graduated from Harvard University but was ignored during the NBA draft, leaving little indication that he would become a high-scoring starter for the New York Knicks as well as a global media darling. The company also registered a variant of his English name, Jeremy S.H.L. It’s unclear whether anyone in China has trademarked the English name “Jeremy Lin” – as of Wednesday evening the website of the trademark office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce was failing to work properly. Risheng Sports’s owner, Yu Minjie, couldn’t be reached for comment. Articles in the local media have quoted Ms. Yu as saying that she was intrigued by Mr. Lin at an early stage but that his rise to prominence was “totally unexpected.” According to a filing on SAIC’s website, Risheng Sports registered the Lin trademark for a variety of uses, including balls, outfits, shoes, toys, gym facilities and ornaments. Other filings show Risheng Sports claims trademarks for other famous basketball players, including the Chinese name of Yi Jianlian, a Chinese center who now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, and also has a trademark on the Chinese name for “Jordan’s Kingdom” – an apparent reference to former star Michael Jordan – for use on balls. Word of the company’s claim, which surfaced this week in the Chinese media, comes as others plan to tap China’s immense interest in Mr. Lin, who was born in the U.S. to Taiwanese parents. Earlier this week, sports apparel maker Adidas AG said it plans to roll out Lin jerseys across its network of 6,700 stores in China. The jerseys offer his name in English, so they wouldn’t be likely to run afoul of Risheng Sports’s trademark. –Yang Jie, Laurie Burkitt, Carlos Tejada. Read more at our sister blog, China Real Time. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm UK emergency services hold big Olympics testPolice escorted bloodied passengers up to ambulances, cordoned off the street near a stricken London subway station and rushed off to find an half-exploded knapsack. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm White House unveils corporate tax changes to fix 'unfair' systemCalling the system unfair, the Obama administration on Wednesday proposed a broad overhaul of the corporate tax code designed to reduce the rate that most companies pay by axing dozens of breaks designed for specific industries, particularly oil and gas production.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:49 am Henry's TV debut amid Aussie spatAn Australian Labor MP has hinted former foreign minister Kevin Rudd quit before he was pushed out of the job.Rudd quit as foreign minister in spectacular fashion yesterday, accusing Prime Minister Julia Gillard of deserting him...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:47 am Italy Ship AgroundA fireman signals after recovering the body of one of the victims of the luxury ship Costa Concordia, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, that run aground off the Tuscany Isola del Giglio island on Jan. 13, 2012...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:46 am Journalists' deaths Syrian 'brutality'Western powers condemned Syria for the killing of two foreign journalists, with Washington slamming the regime's "shameless brutality'' and Paris holding Syrian authorities responsible.US war correspondent Marie Colvin of Britain's...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:40 am Strauss-Kahn 'didn't know' orgy women were escortsFormer IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from a French police station on Wednesday after two days of questioning about an alleged illegal prostitution ring.The 62-year-old former Socialist minister was driven away by...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:30 am How Elizabeth Smart Found the Perfect Wedding GownThe newlywed says she tried on "just about every dress in Utah" before finding the perfect gownSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:30 am Syria violence intensifies amid journalist deathsRegime shelling of Homs continues as helicopter gunships strafe rebel bases elsewhere, activists say; 2 Western journalists deadSource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:29 am Strauss-Kahn freed after French police questioningThe former chief of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been released from a French police station after two days of questioning over a suspected hotel prostitution ring. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:17 am Horror train smash kills 49 in ArgentinaA train packed with morning commuters slammed into a barrier at the end of a line in Buenos Aires Wednesday, killing 49 people and injuring hundreds as passenger cars crumpled and windows exploded. It was Argentina's worst train accident...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:16 am Star Jones Returns to The View, Recalls 'Ugly' DepartureThe former co-host faces Barbara Walters and chats about hiding her gastric bypass surgerySource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:10 am Italian mobsters arrested for pastry extortion plotItalian cops rounded up five mafia suspects Wednesday accused of extorting pastries from their favorite bakery, ANSA reported. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:09 am 49 killed as train slams into retaining wall in Buenos AiresA commuter train went out of control and slammed into a retaining barrier in a central Buenos Aires train station during peak rush hour Wednesday morning, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 500, federal police officials said.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:08 am Fukushima contamination detected 640km away in Pacific OceanRadioactive contamination from the Fukushima power plant disaster has been detected almost 640km off Japan in the Pacific Ocean, with water showing readings of up to 1000 times more than previous levels, scientists reported.But...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:05 am Ben Affleck: How My Kids Inspire MePlus, Affleck launches a Facebook page to share his charity-work trips to AfricaSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am Pope marks Ash WednesdayPope Benedict XVI has led a solemn service to mark the start of the Lenten season of penitence, including the placement of ashes on the forehead of faithful. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:57 am U.S. and French journalists killed in SyriaAMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - American correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday when rockets fired by government forces hit the house they were staying in, opposition activists and witnesses said.Source: Reuters: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:53 am Technicians work at pumping out 2,380 tons of fuel from the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia on January 26Technicians work at pumping out 2,380 tons of fuel from the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia on January 26. Europe's biggest cruise ship operator was caught up on in the probe into the Costa Concordia...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:49 am UN nuclear mission to Iran admits new failureThe United Nations nuclear agency has acknowledged its renewed failure in trying to investigate suspicions Tehran has worked secretly on atomic arms, in a statement issued shortly after an Iranian general warned of a pre-emptive strike...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:40 am Game on as Rudd quits and targets PMA showdown between Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her ousted predecessor Kevin Rudd appears imminent following the Foreign Minister's sudden resignation in Washington last night.Mr Rudd's move provided high drama in...Source: nzherald.co.nz - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:30 am Nuclear watchdog team disappointed after Iran visitTwo days of talks in Iran went nowhere and the frustration of the global nuclear watchdog agency was palpable in its terse statement.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:19 am Egyptian court to rule in Mubarak trial on June 2An Egyptian judge on Wednesday set June 2 as the date for the verdict and sentencing in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak, who ran Egypt for 30 years, is accused of...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:19 am Will You Be Twitter's 500 Millionth User?Reports state Twitter may reach 500 million users on Wednesday.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:18 am Syria Western Journalists KilledA still image taken from Turkish news crew video filmed Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012, showing the location where two western journalists were killed in the immediate aftermath of shelling by Syrian government...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:12 am Argentine train slams into station, killing 49A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, killing 49 people and injuring hundreds of morning commuters in Argentina's worst train...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:11 am NEC is prepping three interesting LTE Android devices for the MWC NEC may not be among the top cellphone manufacturers, but that's because its phones and tablets are sold exclusively in Japan. Soon this is likely to change as it seems NEC is preparing to showcase at least three devices at the MWC 2012 in Barcelona. The info on those three is still scarce even the names are unknown (unless someone reads Japanese). As the insignias suggest all three of them... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:09 am US troops now in 4 African countries to fight LRAU.S. troops helping in the fight against a brutal rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army are now deployed in four Central African countries, the top U.S. special operations...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:08 am Ukrainian party accused of racism in pop scandalA small Ukrainian nationalist party came under fire Wednesday after a high-profile member suggested a singer of African descent was a bad choice to represent the country in the Eurovision...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:07 am Leaders meet in UK over fragile Somalia's futureSomalia's fragile leadership, its neighbors and international allies are meeting in London in the hope of speeding the troubled east African nation's progress toward a stable government...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:03 am Egyptian judge sets Mubarak verdict for June 2The verdict in the landmark murder and corruption trial of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak has been set for June 2, Judge Ahmed Refaat told the court on Wednesday. Mubarak, his former...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:03 am A supporter of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak (portrait) outside the court in Cairo WednesdayA supporter of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak (portrait) waits for news from his trial outside the court in Cairo on February 22. The verdict in the landmark murder and corruption trial of ousted...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:03 am Student who jumped off high school roof was bullied, parents sayDays after their 15-year-old son died after jumping off of a third-story building at his high school, the parents of Drew Ferraro said they learned by reading his journal that he had been bullied by classmates in the last months of his life.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:01 am Meredith Whitney Turns Muni Call Into Book
Meredith Whitney is still worried about municipalities and now she’s writing a book about it. Whitney, appearing on CNBC this morning, confirmed she’s writing a book, to-be titled “Downgraded”, about the trouble that the country’s states, cities and local governments are in. She said she’s worried about the problem, not just because of the municipal bond market, but because of what it means for the entire economy. “I think that for the last three-and-a-half years I’ve spent so much time focusing on this issue because I really think it shapes the future of the American economy,” Whitney said. “The issue is so much bigger than the municipal bond markets.” For more go to our fellow blog Deal Journal. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion rolePARIS (Reuters)- After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be -- and firstSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:58 am Israeli minister rejects foreign warnings on IranIsrael's foreign minister says the Jewish state will not bow to foreign pressure in deciding whether to attack Iran. In an interview Wednesday with Israeli Channel 2 TV News, Avigdor...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:56 am Kandi Burruss Searches for Next Big Pop StarWatch an exclusive first look at a new spin-off special, The Kandi FactorySource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:45 am Greek lawmakers rush to clear promised austerityGreece scrambled Wednesday to push through a batch of emergency laws that will further cut incomes and state spending, a day after securing a new bailout and debt relief deal designed to...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:39 am Egypt's Mubarak before verdict: "No comment"Ousted president declines chance to address court as trial ends; Faces death penalty for complicity in killing protestersSource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:38 am Vote for the greatest non-human president of the United StatesWith every passing election year, the statistical likelihood increases that we'll elect a U.S. president who's really a robot, or an alien. Or maybe a charismatic plant, grown in some kind of tank. How will you recognize a non-human candidate for president when one comes along? And more importantly, which non-human would be the best pres?Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:35 am APTOPIX Argentina Train AccidentFiremen rescue wounded passengers from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:35 am Argentine train crash kills 49 people, hurts 600BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A packed commuter train plowed into the buffers at a Buenos Aires station during morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:25 am Brigitte Bardot is married to a former aide of Jean-Marie Le Pen -- the founder of the National FrontScreen legend Brigitte Bardot, seen here in 2005, has backed French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in a handwritten note published Wednesday in regional daily Nice-Matin.Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:22 am Kourtney Kardashian Is Expecting a GirlThe reality star and Scott Disick broke the news of the sex of their second baby on WednesdaySource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:20 am APTOPIX Mideast SyriaThis Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 image taken from amateur video made available by the Shaam News Network Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, shows a man cradling his son, who was purportedly killed by Syrian government...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:18 am Iran court convicts Christian pastor convert to deathA trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, according to sources close to the pastor and his legal team. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:16 am Mariska Hargitay, Hilary Swank Celebrate Mardi Gras in New OrleansThe actresses, as well as Bret Michaels, celebrate along the annual Krewe of Orpheus paradeSource: People.com Latest News | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:10 am Journalists film former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn arriving by car at a police station in Lille, northern FranceJournalists film and take pictures of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn arriving by car at a police station in Lille, northern France. The former IMF chief has been questioned by French police for...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:06 am Dominique Strauss-Kahn admits he has an uninhibited sex life, but rejects any role in pimping or corruptionFormer IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, seen here in 2010, was questioned by French police for a second day on Wednesday over allegations that he took part in sex parties organised by a corrupt vice ring...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:06 am The Carlton Hotel is a well-known meeting place of the local business and political elite in LilleThe facade of the Carlton Hotel in Lille. Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was questioned by French police for a second day on Wednesday over allegations that he took part in sex parties organised...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesWorld | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:06 am My First Job: Woody Harrelson
He refuses to take work calls on a cell phone. He doesn’t eat meat or smoke. Sometimes, he’ll drink caffeine. But one thing’s for sure, Woody Harrelson has perfect aim. Growing up in Houston, Texas, Harrelson took on the job of local paperboy. He found he had a knack for delivering the dailies, but when it came to collecting money, the 10-year-old Harrelson failed. “It was very difficult being a paper boy. You go to collect the money and people are like, ‘oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have any money.’ It was really hard to get paid. I’d end up breaking even or more often in debt. I couldn’t get people to pay or they weren’t home or they’d say, ‘oh well I don’t handle this, my husband, he’ll be back later.’” Harrelson said he didn’t even make $15 dollars a week. But he did learn the importance of finding the best, even in the worst of situations. “Sometimes just pedaling around the neighborhood is its own reward because I surely wasn’t making any money at it,” said Harrelson. Harrelson can be seen in Rampart, a film set in the late 1990s when a post- Rodney King scandal shook the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart division. He will also star as Haymitch Abernathy in “The Hunger Games.” Alexandra Cheney writes the My First Job section for the Journal. Follow her on Twitter @alexandracheney. Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am Pakistan fires health workers tied to bin Laden killPakistani official says 17 workers fired for taking part in CIA's fake vaccination program meant to get bin Laden DNASource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:54 am Greek lawmakers rush to clear promised austerityGreece scrambled Wednesday to push through a batch of emergency laws that will further cut incomes and state spending, a day after securing a new bailout and debt relief deal designed to stave off bankruptcy. Source: FOXNews.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:48 am O.C. serial killer suspect changed after Iraq, woman saysA former Marine accused of fatally stabbing six people pleaded not guilty Tuesday as an acquaintance said Itzcoatl Ocampo's service in Iraq changed him.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:42 am Pressure on nations as they talk SyriaDesperation and a rapidly growing death toll serve as a backdrop for a new effort dozens of countries are launching in hopes of finally stemming the brutal crackdown under way in Syria.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:41 am Marie Colvin focused reporting on women, childrenAmerican war correspondent killed in Syria had appealed for the world to notice the slaughter taking placeSource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:35 am Argentine train slams into station; 49 deadHundreds more injured as commuter train came into busy Buenos Aires station too fast; Nation's worst train wreck in decadesSource: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 8:19 am When kidnapping teens, make sure to take away their cellphones so they don't text for help from inside your trunkBeneby, 17, left her home around 6:30 a.m. and told her mother via text at 7:05 a.m. that she needed help, according police. At 7:06 a.m., Beneby texted her mother that she had been put into the trunk of a vehicle and that she did "all that she could do."Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:57 am Marijuana use can be problematic but only rarely leads to addictionBeer is a gateway drug and is, in some cases, addictive. Nicotine is a gateway drug and is, in some cases, addictive. Both are legal.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:55 am EU suspends ACTA ratification, refers Treaty to CourtThe EU has suspended the ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and referred the text to the European Court of Justice to investigate possible rights breaches.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:53 am Trial begins in case of Rutgers student who filmed gay roommateOpening statements could begin Wednesday in the trial of a former Rutgers University student accused of spying on his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi, who then committed suicide after learning he had been secretly filmed during an encounter with another man in his dorm room.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:38 am Two Western journalists killed in besieged Syrian cityAn award-winning American-born journalist and a French photographer died in the besieged Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, after the building in which they were taking shelter came under attack.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:37 am Study: Creating energy (electricity) out of everyday motions may be possibleRandomness and chaos in nature, it turns out, can be a good thing especially if you are trying to harvest energy from the movements of everyday activities like walking.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:35 am Video: Alleged bank robber "Fast Eddie" caught after two decadesA British man accused of stealing over a-million-and-a-half dollars in 1993 was tracked down in Missouri after being turned in by his daughter-in-law. "CBS This Morning" special correspondent Jeff Glor reports.Source: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:29 am Video: American, French reporters killed in SyriaTwo more western reporters, American Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik, have been killed covering the fighting in Syria. "CBS This Morning" co-host Erica Hill reports.Source: Latest World Headlines - CBS News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:25 am The Scientist Who Discovered Hepatitis C Says He's Now Discovered the VaccineIn a poetic turn of virology, the scientist who discovered hepatitis C in 1989 has now also discovered a vaccine that will hopefully treat and prevent the disease.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:15 am The myth of the eight-hour sleepSleeping in one eight-hour chunk is a very recent phenomenon, and lying awake at night could be good for you, according to scientists and historians.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:07 am ‘The Daily Show’ On Whitney Houston Funeral CoverageWas the media coverage of Whitney Houston’s funeral over the top? “The Daily Show’s” Lewis Black thinks so. Watch a clip.
Follow the Money: Payment Trail Reveals Challenges of Ridding Liberia of Corruptionby Johnny Dwyer, Special to ProPublica This story was co-published with Foreign Policy. Last July, five months before she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf welcomed Chevron CEO John Watson into the executive mansion to herald one of the largest investments in her country since the end of its devastating civil war in 2003: Chevron's purchase of the rights to explore for oil off the coast of the West African nation. Sirleaf told the CEO, "We hope that you will work with us to ensure the fullest of integrity in everything that you do." Watson reciprocated, telling the president, "The hallmark of your administration has been anti-corruption, transparency, rule of law. We look forward, at Chevron, to helping you establish that high integrity method of doing business in this country." But in the judgment of one of the Liberian government's own anti-corruption watchdogs, Chevron's investment had been tainted even before the multinational oil giant paid its first dollar. According to a report of the Auditor General of the Liberian General Auditing Commission (GAC), a series of bribes -- less than $120,000 when added altogether -- was allegedly paid in 2006 and 2007 so that the legislature would grant two small firms the rights to four oil concessions off Liberia's coast. One of those companies, which purchased rights to three offshore properties, sold its concessions to Chevron. No one has been prosecuted or charged with wrongdoing for the alleged bribes. According to a cache of U.S. diplomatic cables obtained by ProPublica under the Freedom of Information Act, both Sirleaf and the U.S. State Department pushed for the three allegedly tainted concessions to be sold to Chevron even after the allegations became public. ExxonMobil is now zeroing in on the fourth concession. These transactions give U.S. companies potentially rich new oil reserves, and the Chevron deal alone marks the largest concession in Liberia's history, according to one of the diplomatic cables. What happened after the alleged bribes became public is a tale of compromise and competing priorities that shows how hard it is to root out alleged corruption even when a Nobel-laureate president has made that one of her main goals, and even when the United States has poured more than $84 million since 2007 into good governance and anti-corruption programs. Chevron declined to discuss its investment in detail but provided a statement saying that the company's "engagement with the Liberian Government in relation to our blocks has been made in accordance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements." ExxonMobil declined to comment in detail but said its agreement is subject to due diligence. The Money Trail
Four properties, or blocks, each extending about 20 miles offshore, lie between the capital Monrovia and Buchanan, the nation's second largest port city. Two oil companies, Oranto Petroleum Limited and Broadway Consolidated PLC, negotiated production-sharing contracts with the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). Essentially, Oranto and Broadway acted as middlemen; their contracts allowed them to sell oil exploration rights to international oil giants for millions of dollars — but first those contracts had to be ratified by the Liberian legislature. They were submitted to lawmakers for approval in 2006, and that's when money allegedly started changing hands. The long and winding money trail, detailed here, boils down to NOCAL paying money, sometimes on behalf of Oranto, to legislators and legislative staff, according to the report by Liberia's GAC. NOCAL made two payments in the second half of 2006, totaling $76,900, to its own chief accountant, Timothy G. Wiaplah, who, in turn, "allegedly disbursed [the money] to the Legislators," according to the GAC. Referring to most of that money, the then chairman of the NOCAL board, Clemenceau B. Urey, told GAC auditors that the contracts languished in the legislature for
Urey added:
When ProPublica contacted Urey, he referred comment to Christopher Z. Neyor, who until this month was president and CEO of NOCAL. Neyor denied wrongdoing by his company. NOCAL made a second set of payments, according to the GAC report, in April 2007: $40,000 to Alomiza Ennos Barr, at that time a member of the Liberian House of Representatives, and $1,500 to James R. Kaba, then the House's chief clerk. It is not known whether Barr voted to ratify the contracts, because the House of Representatives did not at that time publish how its members voted. As clerk, Kaba did not have a vote. Barr told auditors that she provided some of that payment to the Joint Committee of the House and Senate on Investment, but the chairman of that committee denied receiving it, and the trail went cold. Kaba "refused to indicate the purpose for which he received the funds," the GAC report says. Barr declined to comment to ProPublica, and Kaba has died. As for the companies, Oranto, a Nigerian firm with deals in several West African countries, couldn't be reached for comment. No evidence links Broadway Consolidated, which has since renamed itself Peppercoast Petroleum, to the alleged bribes. The company declined to comment on the GAC findings but said, "Our Board is committed to high standards of corporate governance and transparency permitted by law, consistent with a well-run company." Based in Isle of Man, the company says on its website that its "main asset" is the Liberian concession. NOCAL's Neyor denied in an interview that any of the payments constituted bribery. "That's ridiculous," he said noting that the total alleged amount — less than $120,000 — "is so minute." He described the payments as legitimate funds provided to the legislature so it could purchase "computers, stationary, to make copies." He explained, "In 2006, the allocation for their budget was very small for their staff, they didn't have computers – nothing — to analyze anything." "It was all transparent" and "in the books," he said, and suggested that only "an error at the time by the financial people" left the purpose of the funds unclear. The GAC, however, determined that the payments, totaling $118,400, were "intended to influence the Legislature, thus undermining Liberia's democracy" and concluded that they "constituted bribery." The legislature ratified the contracts on Aug. 23, 2009. The Scramble
That cable — dated April 28, 2010, and sent to the Secretary of State, the Department of Justice, the National Security Council, and other agencies in Washington — describes a scramble of closed-door meetings. "Chevron's grave concerns prompted the president of Chevron Africa and Latin America" — Ali Moshiri — "to fly to Liberia for a private discussion with President Sirleaf on April 20," the cable says. Moshiri also met with the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Monrovia, according to the cable, while U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns arrived and met with Sirleaf together and the U.S. ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. In the GAC report, Auditor General John S. Morlu II recommended that the Oranto and Broadway contracts be nullified — meaning that those companies would have lost the rights to sell the concessions to Chevron, ExxonMobil, or any other company. In that case, the government would likely have had to reopen bidding on the offshore properties — a major worry for Chevron. According to the April 28 U.S. cable, Chevron feared that "the allegations alone would cast doubt on the concessions' legitimacy and open the door for a future GOL [Government of Liberia] decision to nullify the contracts." According to the cable, Chevron had another worry: that the U.S. "Department of Justice might find Chevron 'guilty by association' if it could not establish a sufficient firewall between itself" and a partner company that might have been involved in corrupt practices. The cable also contained a warning about U.S. energy security interests. The United States has been pursuing oil exploration around the globe, including in West Africa, in order to be less reliant on oil producing nations in the volatile Middle East. In the cable, a source, whose name was redacted, cautioned that if Chevron backed out of the Liberia deal because of Department of Justice scrutiny, then "top-tier oil majors likely would arrive at similar conclusions. That would leave the field open to Russian and Chinese firms ... that place less emphasis on good governance." As for Sirleaf, she "assured Moshiri of her eagerness to do business with Chevron," the cable says. Another cable, dated April 26, 2010, states, "Sirleaf stressed that she will not nullify the existing contracts, despite a recommendation by the General Auditing Commission to do so." A later U.S. cable, also obtained under FOIA, sheds light on Sirleaf's thinking. The Liberian president wanted "Chevron in the country because it must abide by U.S. [anti-corruption legislation], which might induce improvements in Liberia's investment climate," according to the cable, dated May 4, 2010. Nullifying the contracts, as the auditor general had recommended, would also take precious time. Sirleaf, the cable reports, said that "'going back to the drawing board' and rebidding the blocks would take years and delay Liberian oil extraction gains." In Liberia, delaying a major economic investment has real consequences. One of the poorest nations on the planet, Liberia ranked 182 out of 187 countries and territories on the United Nations human development index last year. More than 80 percent of the population survives on less than $1.25 a day. It also has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world, with a few very wealthy individuals. The cables show that the U.S. government, Chevron, and Sirleaf all voiced concerns about the alleged corruption, each for their own stated reasons. The U.S. government has invested more than $84 million over the last five years in a variety of anti-corruption and good governance programs in Liberia, according to USAID. Chevron wanted no legal liability. And Sirleaf, who was then heading into the campaign for her second term, had made fighting corruption a major part of her election pitch. But each of these players also had other interests. Chevron wanted the lucrative oil reserves that might lie in the offshore blocks. The United States wanted a U.S. company to have access to this strategically important potential energy source. Sirleaf wanted the economic development that would come of the deal, and she wanted that development spearheaded by a company subject to America's strict anti-corruption laws. The Deal Goes Through
For Chevron, the only remaining question was its exposure to U.S. legal action under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). "Chevron doesn't have any liability for its pre-acquisition conduct," Philip Urofsky, a former federal prosecutor who pursued FCPA cases at the Department of Justice, said in an interview. As for Oranto, Broadway and NOCAL, they are not American companies and were not subject to FCPA at the time of the payments. So the primary risk to Chevron, said Urofsky, was these companies' current and future actions: "If there's any ongoing conduct then that could very much become an ongoing problem." Chevron declined to comment on any possible FCPA exposure. Chevron acquired 70 percent of Oranto's stake in the offshore properties; the terms of that deal are not known. But in August 2010 Chevron was added to the allegedly bribe-tainted contract between Oranto and NOCAL that the legislature had ratified back in 2009. Chevron gained the rights to develop the three offshore blocks, and it agreed to pay almost $10 million to the government of Liberia and disburse $10.5 million in tax-deductible community development funds over five years. Chevron has also paid the Liberian government $15 million in withholding taxes for 2010. In a cable, the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia estimated the potential value of the investment at $10.7 billion. The embassy declined to make Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield available for an interview, but she celebrated the deal in a Jan. 25, 2011, cable with the subject "Outreach and Commercial Success." Thomas-Greenfield wrote that "Embassy intervention and advocacy ensured a level, open 'playing field' ... that resulted in Chevron signing a 10.7 billion [sic] contract...this constitutes the largest concession in Liberian history." Last November, ExxonMobil announced its intent to acquire rights to develop the last of the four blocks. In a complicated deal, the company plans to take a 70 percent interest in the block from a small, Calgary-based company, Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, which, in turn, is in the process of purchasing the block from Broadway (now renamed Peppercoast Petroleum). ExxonMobil's offer would provide Canadian Overseas Petroleum with $55 million up front, according to a press release by the Canadian company, and up to $42 million to cover exploration and "venture" costs. Arthur Millholland, Canadian Petroleum's president and CEO, did not respond to request for comment. A spokesman for ExxonMobil would not comment beyond saying, "The agreement is subject to due diligence and government approval." The Aftermath
Morlu, the auditor general, was not re-nominated to his position by Sirleaf, who won re-election in November. Morlu had often clashed publicly with Sirleaf and the Ministry of Justice, which has pursued only two cases out of more than two dozen GAC audits that recommended criminal investigations, according to Morlu and Minister of Justice and Attorney General Christiana Tah. At one point, a couple of months after the audit into the alleged bribes leaked, state security personnel stormed the GAC offices, for reasons that remain unclear. That incident prompted Sirleaf to publicly reprimand her stepson, Fombah, who oversees the agency responsible for the raid. The revenues flowing into and out of NOCAL are tracked by Liberia's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, but the group's reporting has experienced delays. NOCAL has not been audited since the original GAC report, which covered the company's actions through June of 2008. In December, Transparency International released its 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index; Liberia had dropped four spots from last year. This month, Robert Sirleaf, the president's son, was named chairman of the board of NOCAL. This week, NOCAL announced that an exploratory well struck "a potentially large accumulation of oil deposits" in an offshore block very near to those Chevron is now exploring -- a positive omen for all the blocks in that field. The high-level meetings in Monrovia and the attempts to follow the money seem a world apart from Marshall City, a warren of woven thatch huts that sits on Liberia's Atlantic coast at the terminus of a crimson mud road. African-American settlers named the town for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, who passed away in 1835, the year that this area was homesteaded. Today, the 13,000 residents live without running water or electricity, save for the few who can afford generators. Each day at dawn, men set out from the shore in worn, wooden skiffs casting their nets for a catch of cassava fish, bonny, grouper and sardines, which the women set out to dry before selling at market. According to the United Nations, almost two-thirds of Liberia's gross domestic product is generated from fishing, agriculture and forestry, much of it at the subsistence level. But there are concerns for the future. "The ocean is not producing," said Aci Johnson, a 30-year-old market vendor and mother of four children, who has noted a drop in the local catch over the last year. Marshall's future — like that of hundreds of rural towns that line the coast near the oil concessions — may depend on the deal Chevron has struck, specifically the $10.5 million in community-development funds intended to go directly to the Liberian people. Government officials have held meetings with the Marshall community, promising improvements in education and health care. When a Chevron corporate responsibility team visited Liberia, Sirleaf "emphasized to Chevron that no CSR [corporate social responsibility] funds should come through the GOL [government of Liberia] budget," an October 2010 U.S. diplomatic cable noted. The president hoped "to avoid many of the governance issues" that had emerged when previous corporate development money was funneled through local government offices, according to the cable. But when ProPublica asked for a detailed accounting of these social development funds, to see what entities received money, both Chevron and NOCAL offered only general background on the spending. In Marshall, Mayor J. Konah McCauley said, "This is one of the oldest cities in the republic and, should I say, we are a little bit behind developed." Speaking of Liberia's oil exploration he said, "We hope development comes out of it." The writer is a reporter and the author of American Warlord, a forthcoming book about Charles Taylor, his American son Chucky Taylor and the first U.S. prosecution under the federal anti-torture statute, to be published by Knopf / Random House. Source: ProPublica: Articles and Investigations | 22 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am Nokia teases PureView monster cameraphone on video As MWC hype is picking up momentum, Nokia decided to join the fun and released a short video trailer of its upcoming PureView smartphone. The Nokia PureView is the rumored successor to the Nokia N8 camera-centered smartphone. Earlier online gossip had it its official name will be Nokia N808 PureView and it will be wielding the most capable camera mounted on a smartphone to date. The... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 6:59 am High stakes for Rick Santorum at tonight's GOP debateThe last time the four remaining contenders in the GOP presidential race met on a debate stage, all eyes were on Newt Gingrich, who was trying to ride the momentum off his surprise victory in South Carolina.Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 6:47 am 35 percent of British adults sleep with bearThirty-five percent of adults in Britain admitted they sleep with a teddy bear to help de-stress and sleep at night, a survey said.Source: Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 6:36 am Australian foreign minister Rudd resignsKevin Rudd, the Australian foreign minister, has resigned, his office said Wednesday, amid speculation that he may mount a leadership challenge to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 6:08 am President Obama Sings ‘Sweet Home Chicago’
At a blues concert in the East Room of the White House, President Barack Obama once again showed off his pipes. During a performance of “Sweet Home Chicago,” President Obama, who wowed many when he sang a few words from “Let’s Stay Together” at a Harlem event, was coaxed to deliver a few lines. ”Come on, baby don’t you want to go?” President Obama sang into the mic, as Mick Jagger and B.B. King rocked on stage. Obama then delivered the final lyric: “Sweet Home Chicago.” According to the Associated Press, Obama talked about the what the blues mean to him at the event, saying that “this music speaks to something universal. No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. ” [AP] Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 5:29 am ‘Justified,’ Season 3, Episode 5, ‘When the Guns Come Out’: TV Recap
The danger and violence are increasing, and so is Raylan’s anger, on last night’s episode of “Justified,” “When The Guns Come Out.” Yes, there’s violence almost right off the bat. Trixie, the pretty blonde “party girl” from last week, and her brunette friend Ella Mae show up at the makeshift office of Doc Stern, prescription for Oxy in hand. When the doctor says their bottle will only be half-filled, the girls work on getting more. Just as things might be looking up in that regard, the office is under attack by Tanner and his men. Among others, the doctor and Trixie are killed, but Ella Mae hides under the desk, escaping the same grisly fate. Meanwhile, Raylan is dealing with Winona’s abrupt departure. He goes to her court office, looking at her computer, which indicates that she was researching fares to Costa Rica. He encounters Winona’s boss, eccentric Judge Reardon, who advises that he should give Winona some space. Knowing Raylan like we do, what are the odds of this happening, really? To further investigate the Winona situation, Raylan asks Art for some time off, but he can’t oblige, since the shootings occurred on his Aunt Helen’s property. Upon hearing this, Raylan is angrier than usual with the “antics” that Boyd and Arlo are up to. Still reeling from this, Raylan follows a hunch and goes to the Federal evidence lockup, asks Charlie for the key to the locker, Yep…the money from that bank robbery (from last season) is gone. Hmmm… Ella Mae reluctantly tells her pimp Delroy about the shooting. He barely disguises any concern for the young woman, then tells her that he’s gonna need her to shake off the experience and get him some Oxy from another source. She goes to that other spot, but once she enters the trailer, she sees Tanner at the desk dispensing the Oxy. She freaks, exits before conducting any business. Tanner has no clue who she is. Boyd and Ava go to Limehouse’s restaurant in the holler. Limehouse makes it clear that it’s his wont to make sure he has an ear to what goes on around Harlan. Sure enough, he seems to know that Quarles was behind the hit on Boyd’s Oxy business. They make a business deal of sorts, with Limehouse getting to handle Boyd’s money. In exchange, Limehouse tells him about Trixie. Ava knows where Trixie used to work, and goes there to try to find Ella Mae. She encounters sleazy Delroy, who propositions her. Ava deftly deals with him, then leaves. As she does so, another working woman alerts her that Ella Mae is in a trailer on the premises, but warns that Delroy watches her like a hawk. Meanwhile, Wynn Duffy is discussing ongoing business with Quarles, whose slickness gets a little under Wynn’s skin. He leaves, then abruptly returns, only to hear Quarles take out frustrations on a young man strapped to a bed in a back room. After having angry words with Arlo over the use of Aunt Helen’s house for the Oxy selling, Raylan storms to the Crowder bar and has even angrier words with Boyd. All Boyd offers in response is “go see Ava”. Raylan goes to Ava, who tells him about Ella Mae. Together, they head for the trailer, where they see that the scared woman has been beaten up by Delroy. Just then, Delroy shows up, but Raylan drops him and warns that no further harm should befall Ella Mae. Shortly, Raylan finds Tanner, and manages to fend off an attack by Tanner and his man, who gets shot by an errant bullet while trying to drive the trailer away. Later, Wynn goes back to Quarles, pissed that he knows about Tanner’s actions and concerned that war could break out with Boyd. Quarles remains more or less unflappable. Speaking of unflappable, Limehouse confronts his main henchman, measured in his tone yet undeniably angered by the revelation that the man started the “war” pitting Tanner vs. Boyd, essentially getting Trixie killed in the process. Limehouse and his man have a philosophical difference over their approach to “business”. Limehouse still has the upper hand, and orders him to make things right, especially as Trixie’s family is concerned. Raylan eventually makes his way to Winona’s sister Gail’s house, where she’s holing up. Winona explains that while Raylan’s intentions to change are earnest, she knows his heart is not in it, that he can’t change who he is. She loves him, and is determined to keep him in the baby’s life. But as for the two of them, their future is very much up in the air. Pointedly, she tells Raylan that she didn’t take the money, assuring him that she doesn’t want to go through any more hell with that situation. Later, he and Art talk about the money. They find out that Charlie has suddenly retired, put two and two together. Sure enough, we find Charlie driving near the border, about to enjoy his retirement. Or so he thinks… I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Charlie. But that’s a story for another time. For now, what did you think of “When The Guns Come Out”? Source: Speakeasy | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:58 am Yemen election: Short on candidates, long on hopeThere is only one name on the ballot Tuesday as Yemen goes to the polls to replace longtime ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. And yet, the election is a historic one because it signifies the formal end of Saleh's 33-year reign.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:15 am LG Optimus 3D Max is official, gives you more 3D enhancements LG just unveiled the glasses-free 3D smartphone Optimus 3D Max. The announcements comes hot on the heels of the Optimus 3D Cube and the two smartphones are almost identical in terms of specs. The LG Optimus 3D Max sports the same 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, dual 5MP camera, NFC capabilities and even Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. ICS updates for both should come right after they... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 4:11 am Nokia Carla smartphones to ship in Q3, updates coming in Q4 More details on the upcoming Nokia Carla release came in. The platform previously known as Symbian will get its next update in Q3 of this year, when the first smartphones running Nokia Carla will hit the shelves. According to the latest rumors, second-gen Belle smartphone, including Nokia 603, 700 and 701 will start shipping with the new version of their OS first. Later on, the rest of the... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:47 am U.N. experts leave Iran without nuclear agreementTwo days of talks with Iran have failed to produce agreement on how to verify that Iran's nuclear program remains peaceful, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced Tuesday.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:29 am Police subdue rioting inmates in BaliHundreds of Indonesian police officers charged into a prison in Bali on Wednesday to subdue rioting inmates who had set a building on fire and thrown stones at firefighters.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:24 am Saving Syria's wounded kidsThe shrapnel wound is in the toddler's left side. The boy needs "a proper hospital," the doctor says, not the makeshift clinic in the Syrian city of Homs where he's being treated.Source: CNN.com - World | 22 Feb 2012 | 3:24 am Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G for T-Mo USA coming in late March Samsung and T-Mobile USA announced the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G in early January, but it took them this long to announce the launch date (more frustratingly, they haven't announced all the specs just yet). The Blaze 4G has a 3.97" Super AMOLED screen, is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU in a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 chipset and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It has two cameras - 5MP camera with... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 2:53 am LAUSD substitute thrice accused of abuse moved to another districtThe substitute teacher quit after the third inquiry and started working in Inglewood schools. Police later found video of him molesting a girl in that district; he was charged, but he fled and is at large.During five years as a frequent substitute teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, George Hernandez was investigated by police three times for allegations of sexual misconduct involving students. Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am Fullerton police didn't intend to deceive public in Kelly Thomas' death, report findsA police watchdog attorney hired by the city says there was no deliberate attempt to make the homeless man, who was beaten by officers, look bad. His father disagrees.There is no evidence that Fullerton police deliberately released false or negative information and an unflattering photograph of a mentally ill homeless man who died last year after being beaten by police officers, a police watchdog attorney hired by the city said Tuesday. Source: Los Angeles Times - Top News | 22 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am LG announces Optimus 3D Cube smartphone After announcing the three new L-series smartphones yesterday, LG has yet another phone to announce before MWC. This one is the successor to the Optimus 3D and is called the Optimus 3D Cube. The Optimus 3D Cube improves upon its successor by having a newer, thinner design, which is just 9.6mm thick compared to the 11.9mm thickness of the previous phone. It also has a slightly bigger... Source: GSMArena.com - Latest articles | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:13 am Abkhazian Leader Dodges Yet Another Barrage Of Bullets
TBILISI -- The car of Abkhazian President Alexander Ankvab was ambushed by unknown assailants Wednesday morning as he was driving towards Sukhumi, the regional capital of Abkhazia, a break-away republic of Georgia. President Ankvab was not injured, but two of his bodyguards died from wounds and two more were seriously wounded. In addition to the machine-gun fire on the president’s car, there were also several land-mines detonated. Abkhazia considers itself an independent state and is recognized as such by Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The rest of the international community considers it part of Georgia, even though it has operated with de-facto independence since the Georgia-Abkhazia war in the early 1990s. Russia continues to have a strong military presence, ostensibly for peacekeeping, in the break-away republic, which still engages in periodic violence with Georgia. The Abkhazian embassy in Russia confirmed the news of the assassination attempt and said military helicopters have been deployed in an effort to catch the would-be assassins, who are presumed to be hiding in the mountains. “It is very good that Alexander Ankvab once again stayed alive,” Paata Zakareishvili, one of the Georgian opposition leaders, told Kommersant. The Abkhazian president has survived numerous assassination attempts. Zakareishvili described Ankvab as “a sensible politician, with whom we can and must work, including towards the regularization of the Georgian-Abkhazian relations.” Signs of “Moscow’s hand”? Authorities in Tibilisi, the Georgian capital, denied speculations of a “Georgian fingerprint” in this assassination attempt on Ankvab. David Avalishvili, an independent political scientist, explained that the assassination attempt took place “deep in Abkhazia” – in other words, far from the Georgian border. “In addition, it is more or less an ‘Abkhazian’ region, by population. Almost 100% of the residents are Abkhazian. And a large group of Russian paratroopers is stationed at the local airport,” Avalishvili explained. Georgian observers tended to see “Moscow’s hands” in the events. “Alexander Ankvab always stood out in that he defends his opinions very assertively. He is not a very convenient partner for Moscow,” said Timur Mzhaviya, a former representative of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, part of the Abkhazian government in exile that is located in Georgia. Mzhaviya struggled, however, to say exactly whom Ankvab might have angered in Moscow. “There are differences of opinion, but they are generally carefully hidden and only rarely come to light,” he said. “It’s possible that they just wanted to scare the Abkhazian leader, since the Russian special forces are professional enough to have finished off the job.” It is also worth noting that this is the fifth assassination attempt against President Ankvab, who previously served as the prime minister and vice-president of Abkhazia. Two assassination attempts took place in 2005 and one in 2007. In those cases, a jeep that Ankvab was riding in was shot at by unknown gunman, and he was lightly injured. Ankvab was also injured in an assassination attempt in 2010 when his home was shot at with grenade launchers. Read the original article in Russian Photo - YouTube Source: Worldcrunch.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am Down But Not Out: Why Colombia’s FARC Guerillas Just Won't Go Away
By Marie Delcas BOGOTA – Ten years ago, on Feb. 23, 2002, Colombia’s Green party presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, was taken hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), an armed Marxist organization that is considered the oldest guerilla group in South America. Three days earlier, Bogota had put an end to peace talks that had been going nowhere for three years. War resumed – and in fact continues to this day. Ingrid Betancourt was freed by a well-executed military operation in July 2008. In 2002, the FARC was holding some 60 hostages. By now, that number is down to 11. The others having been freed by the army or released by the guerillas. Four were shot at point blank range by the hostage takers on Nov. 26, 2011. Like his predecessor Alvaro Uribe, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos refuses to negotiate for the release of the hostages still in captivity, even though these are all soldiers captured in combat. The government refuses to “cede to the blackmail” of a guerilla group in decline, it says. In 2002, the FARC had approximately 17,000 armed men, according to official figures at the time. Today, there are fewer than 9,000 FARC. Even if the organization is still recruiting on a regular basis, thousands of rebels have deserted due to army pressure and campaigns led by the authorities promising amnesty if they lay down their arms. Within the space of 10 years, some 17,000 guerilleros have turned themselves in, the vast majority of them young, freshly-enrolled men. Army figures should be viewed with caution, however. "To get an idea of the FARC’s evolution, its territorial presence is a more reliable indicator than the number of recruits,” says researcher Camilo Echandia who has been charting the Colombian conflict for the past 20 years. "The FARC was present in 377 municipalities in 2002, as opposed to 142 today,” Echandia says. In a country twice the size of France, with a population of 46 million, a military offensive led by the Uribe government pushed the guerilleros away from the cities and the main roadways. A turning point? There is no question, though, that the army offensive decapitated the FARC. The organization’s “Secretariat,” a long untouchable leadership collective comprised of seven members, suffered some mortal blows. On March 1, 2008, the Colombian air force bombed Raul Reyes’s camp on Ecuadorian territory and killed the FARC’s chief ideologue. Three days later, Ivan Rios, another Secretariat member, was assassinated by one of his body guards. To get the reward offered by the government, the killer presented himself to the authorities with the severed hand of his victim in a plastic bag. The FARC received an earlier blow in March 2008 when former chief Manuel Marulanda Velez, alias Tirofijo, died of old age. At 78 years old, 60 of them spent as a guerilla, he had become a symbol of the longevity of the FARC, which was founded in 1966. Following these successes the army announced the “beginning of the end of the FARC.” President Santos – who was Uribe’s minister of defense – appeared convinced that the death of these FARC leaders marked a turning point. The deaths of other FARC leaders followed. In September 2010, Mono Jojoy, the FARC’s grand strategist, died in a bomb explosion. On Nov. 4, 2011, Alfonso Cano, who had been the FARC commander-in-chief since 2008, was also killed. And on Feb. 13, the army announced it had seized “a giant arsenal of more than six tons of weapons and explosives” and a camp in the department of Caqueta, in the south of the country, that could hold nearly 200 guerilleros. The modernization of the Colombian army, which began in the late 1990s and was largely financed by the United States, gave state forces a decided advantage over the FARC. There had also been progress in the air force, as well as improvements in communication and information. The army was quick to portray the FARC as cornered and demoralized, just a shadow of its former self. Observers said the only reason it survived at all was its increased involvement in the drug trade. Either way, the infamous guerilla army finally seemed to be fading away. Staying power Yet for some reason, the FARC did hang in there. In Colombian back country, its ability to recruit remained pretty much intact – the group hadn’t lost sight of its peasant origins. Not only that, but FARC activities appear in fact to be on the rise of late. According to the Bogota-based Corporación Nuevo Arco Iris, the FARC was implicated last year in 2,148 armed actions, of which 421 were combat situations. Those kinds of figures have in fact gone up consecutively over the last four years. “Resisting is what it does best,” an army general admits. The FARC, in would seem, has adapted. "The days when it was capable of getting a thousand fighters together to attack a military base are over,” says Ariel Avila, the director of the Nuevo Arco Iris “Observatory.” “The guerilla fighters have dispersed, but highly mobile small units continue to make life difficult for the army. Ambushes have become the order of the day along with the use of anti-personnel mines, snipers, and booby-trapped cars.” The new tactics are increasingly murderous: between January and October 2011, the FARC killed 429 members of the military and wounded 1,806. Adapting for the FARC has also meant growing involvement in drug trafficking. "FARC and the drug trade cover exactly the same territory on a map. There are guerillas where drug-producing plants are cultivated illegally, and at the borders where both drugs and arms trafficking take place,” explains Camilo Echandia. These are the same areas that harbor the "Bacrims" (short for bandas criminales) -- new criminal bands that are direct descendants of right-wing paramilitary groups that, officially speaking, have been demobilized. Depending on the region, the FARC and Bacrims team up and share the spoils – or kill each other. "The FARC has not, however, turned into a mafia: drug trafficking is not an end in itself,” says Echandia. In mountain hideouts and the depths of the jungle, the guerilleros live a miserable life. "The drug money is used to buy weapons and finance the war,” says Ariel Avila. As far as the FARC is concerned, winning the war may be a long way off, but a negotiated peace is not in the cards. President Santos has demanded that the FARC free all hostages, stop terrorist attacks and hand in their arms before negotiations can get underway. Like his predecessors, the new FARC leader, Timoléon Jimenez, refuses these conditions. Several indications suggest that there are secret contacts between the guerillas and the authorities. But, as Echandia stresses, "there is no consensus within the army, within Colombian society or probably within the FARC itself that negotiations alone could lead to peace." Read more from Le Monde in French Photo - SMORENO2007
Source: Worldcrunch.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am eBay Outrage: Israeli Man Auctions Off Bits Of Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall
There’s not much that doesn’t find its way to eBay. Bidders can use the popular Internet site to buy a goat’s skull, six-foot bullwhip, Barack Obama toilet paper or, for just $24.99, a piece of Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall. Much to the dismay of the Rabbi in charge of the holy site, an Israeli businessman has begun using eBay to sell laminated cards containing crumbled little bits purported to be from the Western Wall, a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Jews. The seller describes the merchandise as “Piece of Stone Soil From the Wailing Western Wall Kotel Jerusalem Jesus Israel.” The same seller is also offering stones of some two square centimeters, supposedly found on the ground in front of the Wall, for $4.99 each. Each stone is presented in an “elegant” display box. Going…going…gone Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi who oversees the Wall, took exception to the offer and wrote a letter to eBay asking the site to take it down. The stones, he wrote, are in no way “blessed” as the vendor claims. "Even if they are merely stones from the area around the Wall that were taken without permission, this constitutes fraud,” Rabbi Rabinowitz wrote, adding that what is implied is “that they have some kind of merit and blessing, which isn't the case!" The rabbi accused the seller of violating not only the Torah but also the Israeli Antiquities Act. As a kind of warning to seller and potential buyers of the stones, Rabbi Rabinowitz included an anecdote about a man who placed a small stone from the Wailing Wall under the pillow of his sick wife, hoping that it would lead to her healing. Instead, the woman died. Although widely published in the Israeli and world press, the Rabbi’s letter doesn’t seem to have had much effect on the businessman or sales: in a week, he sold nine. Read the original article in German Photo - Bertrand Hauger
Source: Worldcrunch.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am Russia’s “Friends of Syria” Snub As Seen From Moscow
MOSCOW -- Russia on Tuesday turned down an invitation by Arab countries to take part in the “Friends of Syria” group, which has active support from the United States and the European Union. Moscow is concerned that the conference – slated to take place on Friday in Tunis, Tunisia – will become an excuse to interfere in the Syrian conflict - just as happened in Libya. “Many different opposition groups were invited to Tunis, but the Syrian government was not invited to the conference,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said in a rebuke to the conference organizers. “That means that the interests of the majority of Syria’s population, which support the government, will not be represented.” He went on to say that the conference “brings up more questions then it does answers.” Lukashevich complained that Russia was not given a list of the other conference invitees, nor an agenda of the day’s events. He said also that a group of governments among the “Friends of Syria” – without input from the other invitees – have already been working on a document “that they will then just ask the other invitees to rubber-stamp.” “You get the feeling that we’re talking about creating some kind of international coalition, just as was the case with the ‘Contact Group on Libya,’ with the goal of supporting one side against the other in an internal conflict,” the Russian diplomat concluded. Russia thinks that the Syrian problem should be resolved under the aegis of the United Nations, so that “all members of the world’s societies can act as friends of the entire Syrian people, not just one part of it.” For some of “Syria’s Friends,” Russia’s decision to turn down the invitation may not actually have been all that upsetting. After the Tunisian government, acting in its capacity as hosts of the forum, sent the invitation to Moscow, Washington was quick to point out that the list of invitees was supposed to include only those countries which had already shown their support for the Syrian people by supporting the U.N. resolution and the Arab League’s suggestion regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria. “And with regret,” said Victoria Nuland, spokesperson for the State Department, “China is not in that category. Nor is Russia.” Responding to Russia’s decision not to participate in the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to use Friday’s meeting in Tunis to “send a clear message to Russia, China and others who are still unsure about how to handle the increasing violence, but are up until now unfortunately making the wrong choices.” It is noteworthy that China, unlike Russia, is trying to keep a low profile in the matter. On Tuesday, the representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hong Lei confirmed that Beijing had received the invitation to the conference in Tunis. But the Chinese diplomat shied away from a straight answer on whether or not China would accept. “China continues to study the goals and mechanisms of the meeting,” Hong Lei said. “China welcomes all measures that could facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Syrian problem.” Read the original article in Russian Photo - pik.tv
Source: Worldcrunch.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am As Men Struggle To Keep Up, Some Women Pose The Question: Who Needs Them?
By Bettina Weber ZURICH -- Things are going badly for men – again. In Germany, an article published in Zeitmagazin has created a furor because the author, a woman, described the 30-year-old men in her age group as Schmerzensmänner. By this she meant the men are childish, oversensitive, self-centered and so focused on “finding themselves” that they haven’t got a clue about relating to women. In short: men aren’t guys anymore – they’re needy softies. The article unleashed a flood of letters and comments from readers, hit the blogosphere big-time, and even inspired one actual male to present his side of things – and ask for understanding. The heated discussion made one thing very clear: men are increasingly being seen as a problem. Lists of criticism include such items as: never grow up; refuse to accept responsibility; don’t help enough around the house; emotionally stunted; mamma’s boys; and overly dependent. Even sociologists and researchers are sounding alarm bells, saying the main problem is the lack of role models. The Berlusconis, Schettinos [Francesco Schettino, captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship] and Schwarzeneggers of the world aren’t exactly helping the situation, so it’s no wonder, say the experts, that there is no such thing as a new, modern man. Failing to make the grade While women are advancing with giant strides, men appear to be falling behind. In school, boys need a lot more help than girls to get through – although, interestingly, successful female students still tend to be credited for their “hard work” and “discipline” rather than “talent” or “intelligence.” What’s even more interesting is that the reaction of many boys to girls being better at school is that good grades are “girly” and uncool – the feminine being perceived as inferior and thus not worthwhile. Another theory has it that since there are more female than male teachers, their way of teaching is more adapted to girls -- so the boys are getting the short end of the straw. The lack of male teachers also means that boys are missing vital role models at school. This argument has been going around as tirelessly as a prayer wheel for years, without getting any truer from repetition. Studies in Germany and Switzerland have shown that children learn how to read better with women teachers, and that, overall, female teachers are more competent than their male counterparts. “In Germany, the male teachers in primary schools are not among the very best,” the Swiss paper NZZ am Sonntag quoted a researcher at the Berlin-based Social Science Research Center (WZB) as saying. Anton Strittmatter of the Swiss Teachers’ Association says: “Among primary school teachers in their 40s and 50s, there are more brilliant women than men.” So aside from the fact that the argument about women teachers doing boys a disservice, the question also poses itself: why do there need to be male role models in the classroom? What’s Dad doing, for example? Whatever side of the issue one may be on, the figures speak for themselves: in 2011, 57.6% of all high school graduates were girls; the percentage of women registered at institutions of higher learning was 55.3%; and women walked away with 62.1% of the university degrees. Consequences of the dominance of females in education can already be seen in the United States. The disparity in salaries for the under-30 age group is disappearing as women start to be paid as much or more than men. According to a national study conducted in 2010, in 147 of the 150 largest U.S. cities, women earned on average 8% more than men of the same age. Topping the list were Memphis and Atlanta, where the figure was 20%, followed by New York City with 17%, San Diego with 15%, and Los Angeles with 12%. What the study also showed is that women have a slight lead in holding well-paid top positions – though the ones who did tended to be unmarried and childless. In the United States too, having a family is often a hindrance to professional advancement for women. The situation in the United States caused Time Magazine to pose the worried question as to whether colleges should introduce a quota for men so they aren’t left entirely on the shelf. The same question is getting asked in Europe. At a recent info-evening for students who would be attending a cantonal high school in Zurich, one of the (male) teachers, in a private aside, said he thought that measures to support boys academically had become necessary. A shortage of family guys At first glance, this development is of course positive for women. But there is a flip side: unlike men who are often happy to have relationships with less-accomplished women, women don’t tend to like less-accomplished men. They want the men in their lives to be at the same level as they are, or higher. Highly educated women are more often childless and partner-less than their less well-educated sisters. Should women lower their standards? Renowned sociologoist Eva Illouz says no. Her advice to women is not to make the desire for kids dependent on a man – i.e. not to give up having children just because there is no viable candidate for partner or fatherhood on the horizon. She goes so far as to say that, except for conceiving, women shouldn’t even plan for a man in their lives and would do better to explore alternative family models, for example several mothers living together. Under this scenario, men risk becoming superfluous. In the United States, the scenario is already a frequent reality – particularly among Afro-American women. In his book Is Marriage for White People?, Stanford law professor Richard Banks argues that the black population is often a barometer for social developments. Afro-American mothers have for a long time tended to be unmarried more frequently than white American mothers. Women remaining single – something that was considered “pathological” in the 1960s – has now made considerable inroads in western societies. Today, across Europe, 37% of mothers are unmarried -- and 66% of Afro-American children grow up without the presence of a father. Mothers and children may not always choose this, to be sure, but it’s a rising trend. Sociologists ascertain that what is basically happening is that black women tend more to a new model of the family than to the standard formula. They have children and then live with their own mothers, who look after the kids while the daughter goes to work. The fathers of the children don’t even figure as extras in the script. As providers, they are thoroughly dispensable since women tend to have the better education. Professor Banks’s analysis would point to the Afro-American model becoming pan-European. For the present, it’s not a wide reality. But the attitude and outlook are already widely present. At a recent panel discussion of single moms, two women acknowledged that – although they didn’t like to say it out loud – their lives were a lot easier now that there were no men around. Society tends to pity such women. It shouldn’t. Even when they shared their lives with men, these women found themselves handling all of the household responsibilities on top of going to work. They had no choice, in other words, but to do everything anyway – so in the end the preferred to be autonomous. Whiny Schmerzensmänner may be a problem, but the real dimensions of the man problem are a lot bigger. Read the original article in German Photo - Julien Haler
Source: Worldcrunch.com | 22 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am Megaupload founder Dotcom released on bailA New Zealand court on Wednesday released on bail Kim Dotcom, the millionaire founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload, after a judge said Dotcom did not appear to have funds available to flee.Source: CNN.com - World | 21 Feb 2012 | 11:05 pm ‘Glee’ Season 3, Episode 14, ‘On My Way’: TV Recap
It gets better. Don’t text and drive. Pick a message, “Glee.” Confused? You’re not the only one in tonight’s episode called “On My Way.” The emotional push-and-pull was enough to make your head spin — or make a car tailspin. What was supposed to be this incredibly monumentous message of hope became sullied with unexpected product placements: Edible Arrangements, Peanut Butter & Co., even “Sex and the City 3.” Most preposterous of all was the wedding of Rachel and Finn. Now, that’s a head scratcher. And that cowardly ending? What was with that? Let’s rewind to the first 15 minutes of the show, which we can call “All Fun and Games.” Sebastian Smythe of the Dalton Warblers eggs New Directions on with a threat to upload an embarrassing (fake) picture of Finn if Rachel doesn’t drop out before Regionals. The boys badly want a win after losing out last year at this stage. We entertain Coach Sue, who tells Quinn that she’s “with child.” Good on you, Sue. Then, boom! When Blaine practices a song meant to convey the message of Regionals (truly anti-”inspirational”), his performance instead became an alt-rock anthem to a downward spiral of a carefully built reputation. We see this: Karofsky is outed at his new school, sees graffiti tagged on his gym locker, and reads the mocking homophobic posts on his Facebook wall. Embarrassed, ashamed, and faced with nothing but a dark abyss, he dresses up in his Sunday clothes and steps on a chair to hang himself. Thankfully, his dad finds him just in time to save him. Karofsky’s attempted suicide clouds everyone, even the Christian group at school. Kurt feels the most responsible of all; he never responded to Karofsky’s calls. (He eventually makes amends with Karofsky when he visits him at the hospital; a heart-melting moment ensues.) Will Schuester even confessed to an attempt when he was a junior, although his story sounds a bit suspect. Even Sebastian, however insincere, declared a ceasefire between the two show-choirs. The Warblers’ performance will be a fundraiser in Karofsky’s honor. But of course, Rachel manages to turn this into something about her. “Why not get married now?” she asks. ”Life is short, Finn. Let’s do the most selfish thing ever.” After Regionals, they plan to tie the knot. At Regionals, it was between the Warblers and New Directions. The Lady of Perpetual Sorrow did a morose sounding poetry slam of Lord Byron’s poem “She Walks in Beauty.” I mean, they really killed that piece of literature. And not in a good way. The Warblers were perfectly in sync, like German engineering, with sharp moves accompanying performances of Lenny Kravitz’s “Stand” and The Wanted’s “Glad You Came.” Here we see Sebastian lead the team, like an Orlando boy-band, but we somehow wish that Blaine was still the ringleader. New Directions took on a dynamic trifecta. First was a mashup of “Fly” by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna and R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” Santana and Blaine took on the rhymes, while Artie lifted the melody. Next was the Troubletone’s pugilistic performance of Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger).” They were fine, fierce and fabulous. Lastly, Rachel does a solo of “Here’s to Us” by rock band Halestorm, which was a bit self-congratulatory. Again, it was all about her. Sebastian couldn’t shut Rachel up, so she and New Directions won Regionals. Instead of stopping it here, the story continues to the next event: Rachel and Finn’s wedding at the courthouse. Both set of parents are angsty and want to stop this hot mess from happening, but they seem too chicken to do anything about it. When the hour is about to strike, Rachel tells Finn that they need to wait; Quinn isn’t there. We see her driving her car on a lonely road, reaching for her phone, not watching the intersection and before she could finish texting “On My Wa…” to Rachel, her car gets T-boned. What did you think about that surprise ending? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Source: Speakeasy | 21 Feb 2012 | 7:39 pm More child soldiers in Somalia fightingChildren as young as 10 years old increasingly face horrific abuse in war-torn Somalia as the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab has targeted them to replenish its diminishing ranks of fighters, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Tuesday.Source: CNN.com - World | 21 Feb 2012 | 7:22 pm Two Wall Street Players Ensnared in New ProbeMore than three years after the financial crisis, Wall Street watchdogs are still uncovering questionable actions rooted in that time. The latest revelation involves one of the more creative packagers of securities who contributed to a trail of billions in soured deals, as well as a much-maligned rating agency. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority — an independent, non-governmental regulatory body — has recommended disciplinary action against two men for “alleged misrepresentations in connection with the sale” of a complex security. The recommendation is preliminary. No civil or criminal charges have been filed. The men, Alexander Rekeda and Timothy Day, are both affiliated with Guggenheim Capital, a privately held, financial services company that does everything from trading securities to providing investment advice. According to its web site, the firm, headquartered in New York, has 1,700 employees in 25 offices located in 10 countries, and it manages about $125 billion. A lawyer for Rekeda could not be reached for comment. ProPublica has learned that he is no longer with Guggenheim. Day, who is still at Guggenheim, did not respond to a request for comment. We will update this post when they are reached. FINRA has been investigating the men over the sale of a type of security known as a collateralized loan obligation, or CLO. The investigation touches on a CLO called Nine Grade Funding II, although it remains unclear if this CLO is the main focus of the probe. FINRA’s filing did not elaborate on the type or character of the “alleged misrepresentations” it said were involved in the sale of the CLO it is investigating. In a story published Monday evening, the Wall Street Journal reported that Rekeda was under investigation by FINRA for an unnamed CLO. The Journal also reported that Rekeda is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for a collateralized debt obligation, or CDO, he helped construct while employed by the Japanese bank Mizuho. As we detailed in our series the Wall Street Money Machine, Rekeda was involved in the creation of several CDOs with Magnetar, a hedge fund that helped put together more than $40 billion of the securities. Magnetar often lobbied for riskier assets to be put into the CDOs and then placed bets against many of the investments, reaping tremendous profits when the deals soured. (Magnetar has never been charged with any wrongdoing, and has always maintained that it did not have a strategy to bet against the housing market.) The investigation into Rekeda is one of the few public signs that regulators are considering charges against a top banking executive involved in a Magnetar deal. Nine Grade Funding was a CLO comprised of other CLOs backed by corporate loans. It was issued at a time when few such securities were being sold. The CLO was featured prominently in allegations by a whistleblower, Eric Kolchinsky, against the rating agency Moody’s. Kolchinsky alleged that Moody’s allowed bonds to be added to the CLO in January 2009 and that it allowed the CLO to keep its previous rating. Moody’s took these actions, according to Kolchinsky, despite plans already in the works by the rating agency to downgrade all such securities. Moody’s denied the allegations. After Kolchinsky was forced out of the firm, he testified about the deal before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Source: ProPublica: Articles and Investigations | 21 Feb 2012 | 4:59 pm | ||||
|
Liberia's miniature resource boom dates back to the 1997-2003 presidency of Charles Taylor, currently on trial for war crimes at The Hague, when a survey conducted by a private company suggested oil lay off the Liberian coast. So in early 2004, not even a year after the nation's 14-year period of civil war ended, the government began marketing offshore properties for oil exploration.
On March 30, 2010, the GAC report leaked out and Monrovia newspapers trumpeted the details of the alleged bribes. "Within hours of the media reports, Chevron officials contacted [the U.S. embassy] seeking further information and expressing concerns about the implications for Chevron's compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," according to another U.S. diplomatic cable obtained by ProPublica.
In the end, Sirleaf effectively addressed one of Chevron's concerns — that the government of Liberia might come back later and nullify the contracts. The cables report her telling the U.S. ambassador that "she is willing to give Chevron what it needs in terms of legislative approval for 'comfort'."
More than a year after the ratification of the Chevron deal, and just as the company prepares to drill its first well off the Liberian coast, none of the individuals involved in the alleged bribery has been prosecuted in connection with the payments. The $118,400 in alleged bribes were never returned. And the contracts have not been canceled, as the auditor general recommended, but remain in place.
