qwertynews

James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream

2011-03-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Mark Zuckerberg: The Face of Social Network

2010-12-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Mark Zuckerberg: Time’s person of the year – Mark Zuckerberg; newly budded philanthropist Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network – a film based on facebook founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
“I’m trying to make this world a more open place” as line read through the face book account of ‘the person of the year’ (as TIMES says) – Mark Zuckerberg.
Mark Zuckerberg is just 26 but holds the nerve of social network, is the youngest CEO (probably when he started 7 years back) of FACEBOOK – a social networking group.
Born in a dorm room of Zuckerberg at Harvard, thefacebook.com is now a hub for 500 million users around the world with a dollar worth in the billions.

Addressing the Facebook users and viewers on his view on the honor ‘the person of the year’, Zuckerberg posted a header on his FB account stating that ‘it is a real honor and recognition of how our little team is building something that hundreds of millions of people want to use to make the world more open and connected’.

Zuckerberg, not only famous for his entrepreneurial activities but also a newly budded philanthropist; he has contributed $100 million in the past five years to schooling system N.J, Newark.
Times’ person of the year
Times’ the publication, through one of its initiative of finding out most influential persons, every year announces the winner of people’s choice in influencing the world at large as ‘Times’ person of the year’.
The publication in its quest to showcase most influential events or persons of the year, organizes ratings and analysis to bring forth the most influential events of good or ill.
Likewise, adding to its past record (of Times’ person of the year: 2009 – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke; 2008 – President elect Barack Obama; 2007 – Vladimir Putin), this year too, the publication has celebrated the most influential event of the year – Time’s Person of the Year – Mark Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg is the second youngest to whom the honor is accredited to while the first one was for Charles Lindbergh in 1927.

By Natalie Brown,
www.mjbnewsonline.com

Panama City shooting prompts security checks in Lee and Collier counties

2010-12-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

1:10 A.M. — Officials in Lee and Collier counties are taking another look at their security measures after a shooting at a Panama City school board meeting Tuesday night.

One Lee school board member wants to verify that the dais is, in fact, bulletproof, and also suggests a discussion about adding metal detectors.

The shooter in Tuesday's tragedy, 56-year-old Clay Duke, shot and killed himself after firing at board members and exchanging gunfire with a security guard. Though Duke is believed to have fired more than 14 bullets, none struck anyone else.

Lee County school board member Jeanne Dozier said she asked interim superintendent Larry Tihen to make sure the dais is actually made of bulletproof materials because sometimes what's promised isn't delivered.

"I wanted him to make sure that in fact it is what it is," Dozier said.

Though she feels safe when attending meetings, she said Tuesday's shooting warrants a discussion about security measures in the county, including possibly adding metal detectors.

"At the same time, we don't need to do a knee-jerk reaction," she said.

Metal detectors aren't used at meetings of the Lee County commission, the school board or the Fort Myers or Cape Coral city councils.

Cape Coral did, however, employ metal-detecting wands last year at one or two council meetings during the height of the hysteria over the utilities expansion project, said city spokeswoman Connie Barron.

In Collier County, the commission building has used metal detectors since 2006. Phillip Reid, the county's public schools security director, said Tuesday's incident has prompted a security review.

"Anytime something like this occurs, you look at what happened there and then you take a look at your own security measures and procedures," Reid said.

While Tihen said he believes security at school board meetings is adequate, he said the district will also examine its procedures, and he talked with security staff on Wednesday about beginning that process.

"We're reviewing what were doing and how we're doing it," Tihen said.

In 1994, he was one of the first people to rush to the aid of former Lee superintendent James Adams, who died after being shot five times in the chest and once in the head while sitting in his office by disgruntled former teacher Larry Shelton.

Shelton, like Duke, turned the gun on himself.

"It was certainly something that we went through that none of us who experienced it will ever forget," Tihen said.

The previous district administration building, the Dr. James A. Adams Public Education Center, was named after the former superintendent.

Sheriff Mike Scott, whose office provides two deputies for security during school board meetings, said he will sit down with officials if they want to discuss new measures.

"Does that mean we're gonna put a third deputy or a fourth or fifth or 20th? No," Scott said. "The reality of it is we just hope nobody goes in there with ill intent."

There is a limit, Scott said, to how far security can be taken at public meetings.

"People don't want to turn federal buildings into prisons," he said.

http://www.news-press.com

UBS Dress Code Is Smart Idea

2010-12-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

UBS’s detailed dress code for its Swiss retail banking staff has become overnight one of the most sought-after documents on the Internet after the WikiLeaks’ cables.

Far from ridiculing the bank for its “Swiss precision” approach, most reactions to the code have been overwhelmingly positive, given the number of people contacting UBS and this publication for a copy of the 43-page document.

Why all this interest?

Although dress guidelines are nothing new in industries where employees are required to wear a uniform, such as airlines and catering, UBS’s advice to staff on how to make a good impression on customers can be adopted by just anyone working in a corporate environment, where appearances can make or break careers.

Far from being patronizing, the bank’s advice wouldn’t be out of place in a magazine article, while the actual guidelines — which include handy tips on grooming, personal hygiene and clothes care — are grounded in common sense.

Despite the overwhelming interest, UBS said it has no plans to make its dress code available to the public, stressing that the document is only meant for a small number of customer-facing staff in five pilot branches in Switzerland.

A bemused spokesman suggested checking out one of the several titles found in the personal development section of any bookstore, saying that the advice dispensed in style bibles doesn’t differ much from the bank’s dress code.

But the appeal of a polished appearance is coming back in fashion in the aftermath of the financial crisis and its consequent mass redundancies.

In the current climate, when unemployed people are competing for fewer jobs, paying attention to personal presentation will improve chances of being hired, said Lucinda Slater, a London-based image adviser who works with corporate clients in the legal, banking and accounting industries.

http://blogs.wsj.com

Kremlin official denounces Moscow riots

2010-12-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

Russian deputy presidential chief of staff Vladislav Surkov condemned the recent riots in Moscow in an interview with the Izvestia paper.

The Russian capital saw its biggest public disturbances for almost a decade on Saturday as a 5,000-strong crowd of nationalists and football hooligans clashed with police near Red Square. Rioters also attacked people from the country's North Caucasus region in protest against the death of football fan Yegor Sviridov in a brawl with North Caucasus migrants.

"Disorders threatening Muscovites' lives and attacks on police cannot be justified in any way. Neither can the murder of Yegor. Those who killed him should be in prison," Surkov told Izvestia.

At least 800 people were arrested in central Moscow on Wednesday evening as police held a massive operation to prevent further race-hate riots. Reports had earlier said that nationalists and migrants from Russia's North Caucasus were planning to clash. Many of those detained were in possession of knives and rubber bullet guns.

The official called for interethnic harmony in Russia. "This country is a common home for all our nationalities," he said.

http://en.rian.ru

F off Harrods

2010-12-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

‘Fuck off Harrods’ done by a disgruntled employee, fired by Harrods from his job as the toy department’s Father Christmas, took revenge last night in spectacular style.

Gaining access to a maintenance control room, Lloyd Hudson, 35, from Ilford, Essex, was able to locate the chart and corresponding switches for Harrods’ 10,000 external lights.

Barracading himself in, Hudson disabled the correct lights until he could spell out his feelings to Harrods bosses and Christmas shoppers alike. He was removed by security guards after an hour-long stand-off, then handed over to police.

“He had drunk the best part of two bottles of whisky,” said a spokesperson for the iconic London store, “and it’s that kind of behaviour that got him the sack in the first place.” Hudson has since been released on police bail.

Knightsbridge visitors were stunned.

“Honestly, I am disgusted, ” said Irene Rider, 59, from Gary, Indiana. “I was with my grandchildren. We had just gotten off the bus. I said ‘look everybody’ and pointed up to the lights – but you know what the lights said? They said f**k off. And that is not an appropriate message for a child. At least not at Christmas time.”

http://dashperiod.tumblr.com

Gators' New Coach Keeps LHS's McRoy Committed

2010-12-16T04:27:00.000-08:00

LAKELAND | New head Florida football coach Will Muschamp wasted little time making sure one of the Gators' highly coveted recruits stayed true to the orange and blue.

Muschamp visited Lakeland High School on Wednesday — his first day of traveling for UF – to make sure star Dreadnaught receiver Javares McRoy was still planning to sign with the Gators in February. McRoy, who originally committed to Florida earlier this year, told the coach he's still coming.

"With Urban Meyer stepping down, it was a hectic time for him, but his heart was always set on being a Florida Gator," said Will Bahler, Lakeland High School's wide receivers coach.

McRoy, a senior, briefly flirted with other options like Georgia, LSU and Auburn once he heard the news about Meyer's departure but never seriously considered any of those programs.

Muschamp arrived at Lakeland High School on Wednesday morning, along with current UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio and running backs coach Stan Drayton, who was in charge of McRoy's recruitment. They spent about an hour with McRoy and his family, who asked about possible changes to Florida's football program in the future.

"Muschamp said there still will be a need for a player with his skill set in the Florida offense," Bahler said.

McRoy had a solid season despite battling injuries to both his ankles and turf toe, which caused him to miss the bulk of the year. He caught 26 passes for 502 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 394 yards and five touchdowns.

"His senior year didn't quite go as he would have liked, but he was still the most dangerous player every time he stepped on the field," Bahler said.

Bahler said Wednesday's meeting was important because McRoy plans graduate high school early and enroll at UF in January. That would allow him to go through spring practice and get better prepared to possibly play next season.

By Tom Zebold,

http://www.theledger.com/

Phillies looking to trade Blanton

2010-12-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

As the Philadelphia Phillies pulled off the stealth move of the offseason by landing another ace to its talent-laden rotation with the addition of Cliff Lee(notes),the word on the street is that something has got to give.

That something is likely to be the dependable Joe Blanton(notes), who has won 25 games and maintained a 4.35 ERA in the three years that he's been with the team.

But now Lee's addition has him being bumped to the role of fifth starter behind Roy Halladay(notes), Lee, Roy Oswalt(notes), and Cole Hamelsnotes). Blanton is owed $17 million over the next two years, so Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. isexploring a trade that would send Blanton packing, according to ESPN.

It is likely the Phils will end up paying a chunk of Blanton's salary for whoever ends up taking him off their hands. Potential fifth starters for the Phils, such as Kyle Kendrick(notes), have got to be chomping at the bit right now to get to Spring Training and start learning from the heavily loaded front end of the rotation.

By Mark J. Miller,

http://sports.yahoo.com

Cliff Lee Unexpectedly Signs With the Philadelphia Phillies

2010-12-14T05:22:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Phillies had a hole open up in their lineup with the departure of Jayson Werth. On Monday, they decided to fill it with a career .132 hitter.

Cliff Lee has shocked just about everyone by agreeing to a deal with the Phillies, the team he helped lead to the 2009 World Series. The race for Lee's services had reportedly been between the Yankees and Rangers until a "mystery" team entered the fold. That team is no mystery anymore. Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but the total deal should be around $120 million.

Lee's fantasy stock should be helped over the next few years by pitching in the National League. in 2009, he made 12 starts with the Phillies en route to the postseason, posting a 7-4 record with 74 Ks and 10 BBs in 79.2 innings. He posted a 3.39 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

After the season, the Phillies decided to roll with Roy Halladay, dealing for the Cy Young winner and trading Lee to the Mariners, who in turn traded the lefty with impeccable control to the Rangers, to help with their own postseason surge. Like in 2009, Lee's team came up short in the end.

He'll now join Haladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels to make one of the most formidable rotations in recent memory. Not since the Atlanta Braves staffs of the '90s have you been able to find such a collection of talented arms on one team, and according to FanGraphs, this group may leave those Braves in the dust.

The acquisition does come with a hefty price tag. Owners of a payroll just under $100 million in 2008, the Phillies currently sport a projected payroll over $150 million with the Lee signing. The team will likely try to unload contracts in the coming weeks to make a little room in the budget for this big-ticket signing. Potential trade candidates include Joe Blanton (two years, $17 million remaining), Raul Ibanez (one year, $12.2 million remaining) and Brad Lidge (one year, $13 million including a 2012 buyout remaining). Ibanez does have a no-trade clause in his contract.

What should fantasy baseball owners expect from Lee in 2011? He remarkably took another step forward in 2010, walking just 18 batters on the season while striking out 185 guys for a K/BB over 10.0, nearly unheard of from a starting pitcher in the modern age. An above average Phillies lineup gives Lee a realistic shot at 20 wins. He and new teammate Halladay should be among the first few pitchers off the board in March, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the two Phillie pitchers routinely compete for the Cy Young award over the next few years.

By R.J. White,

http://fantasybaseball.fanhouse.com

7 justices in Webb acquittal taught ‘evidence’ in law school

2010-12-14T05:15:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The 7 magistrates who acquitted Hubert Webb and 6 others (including police officer Gerardo Biong) in the Vizconde massacre case are experts in threshing out the reliability of evidence, having taught the subject in law schools.

Lauro Vizconde, whose wife and 2 daughters were killed, was shocked with the news over the Supreme Court’s decision acquitting the suspects over faulty evidence and testimonies.

Vizconde's supporters in Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) also blamed the high court for another unpopular decision, turning their empathy to a 72-year-old man who lost his family.

Lauro Vizconde said on Tuesday it was as if his family died a second time because of the decision.

He reiterated that someone from the SC worked to have the decision of the lower courts overturned.

In a phone interview, SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said “he has to prove his allegations. I know for a fact that the respective magistrates had their appreciation of evidence.”

Associate Justice Roberto Abad wrote the decision. The other concurring magistrates are: Associate Justices Conchita Carpio Morales, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Jose Perez, Jose Mendoza and Maria Lourdes Serrano.

The 7 taught the subject of evidence in law school. Evidence is a subject under Remedial Law.

Asked why the high court, not a trier of facts, overturned the factual findings of the lower courts, Marquez said: “The findings of the lower courts are given great weight but the SC can also look at the testimonies and other pieces of evidence.”

In this particular case, the majority noted that the testimonies of witnesses, in particular former NBI agent and confessed drug addict Jessica Alfaro, were replete with inconsistencies.

He said there have been a lot of incidents in the past where the high court overturned findings of lower courts in criminal cases.

Marquez debunked allegations that the high court issued a verdict on the Vizconde massacre case to temper public scrutiny over an earlier decision nullifying the Truth Commission.

“A lot of legal experts had also favored the decision (Truth Commission)…There is nothing to cover,” he said.

The high court was supposed to release the Vizconde case decision next year.

He said there was just one justice who was able to finish early an opinion on the matter, despite having asked for a 2 to 3 weeks submission.

By Ira Pedrasa,

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Vatican claims Wikileaks do not reflect views of Holy See

2010-12-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

A Vatican spokesperson had claimed the recent US cable leaks are a matter of extreme seriousness.

The cables come from the US embassy at the Vatican and they describe the church's leadership as inflexible and out of touch, strongly criticizing the Vatican for its refusal to allow church officials to testify before a commission investigating decades of child abuse by Irish clerics.

The so-called Wikileaks cables reveal that the information requested by the Murphy Commission, which reported on allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church in Dublin in 2009, offended many in the Vatican, who were more concerned the Irish government had failed to respect the Vatican's sovereignty during their investigations.

Having their private opinions revealed in the press, the Vatican went into damage control mode in the press this weekend, hoping to put distance between the sentiments expressed in the cables and the public outcry that followed them.

In a statement released on Sunday the Vatican said:

"Naturally these reports reflect the perceptions and opinions of the people who wrote them and cannot be considered as expressions of the Holy See itself, nor as exact quotations of the words of its officials. Their reliability must, then, be evaluated carefully and with great prudence, bearing this circumstance in mind."

The Vatican's daily newspaper L'Osservatore Romano chose to pointedly ignore the embarrassing leaks in its pages. Meanwhile the US embassy condemned the public appearance of the documents and promised that their relationship of co-operation would not be compromised.

By DARA KELLY,
http://www.irishcentral.com

Holistic social media metrics 'could benefit businesses'

2010-12-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

Online marketing initiatives could be improved by the creation of a holistic social media analytics service.

Drawing information from all social media channels, this form of analytics could provide invaluable data, according to Serengeti Communication's Nathan Linnell, writing for Search Engine Watch.

He suggests that such a tool should offer various insights particular to each social networking site a brand is using.

However, it should also look at the data as a whole to provide information related to overarching social campaigns.

By combining this holistic approach, this kind of analytics tool could revolutionise how brands evaluate their social media efforts.

"While none of these types of tools [are] available now, they'll be here soon and they'll have the potential to drastically alter how we analyse and evaluate our social media efforts," Mr Linnell comments.

http://www.directnews.co.uk

Bernard and Mark Madoff: the US media's view

2010-12-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

Recent developments in the Bernard Madoff saga have been overshadowed by the tragic death of Mr Madoff's elder son, Mark, 46, who was found hanging from a dog leash in his $6m (£3.8m) New York apartment on the second anniversary of his father's arrest.

But as the lawsuits, led by court-appointed trustee Irving Picard, press-on, here's some of the US media's take on latest developments.

The mourning of Mark Madoff was not enough to keep the cynics at bay.USA Today led with the headline, Mark Madoff's suicide leaves unanswered questions, reporting:

"The suicide of Mark Madoff, the older son of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff, on Saturday leaves victims frustrated that answers to questions about the largest Ponzi scheme in US history will go with him to the grave.

"Each person that dies takes information with him," says Ronnie Sue Ambrosino of the Madoff Victims Coalition, a group of more than 400 burned investors. "The burning question that all victims have is who's complicit? How long did the fraud go on for? Where is the money?"

The Madoff scheme "has devastated a lot of people, and this is just another aspect," Ambrosino says. "It's very sad."

The New York Times' DealBook column looked at how some hedge funds could reap massive bonuses from betting on victims' compensation claims.

It said: "One Madoff investor, who declined to be identified to protect his privacy, reported receiving letters from no fewer than six companies in the last two months. He provided copies of those letters, which offered to pay 20 to 34.5 cents for every dollar in claims."

The paper also turned to friends of the Madoffs, to help build a picture of one of the sons who turned their father into the authorities.

“Andy was always tougher than Mark,” said the friend, referring to Mr. Madoff’s younger brother. “Mark was much more sensitive and took all the press coverage very personally.”

“He loved his wife and his kids so much,” this friend added. “The only way to accept this is that he was in so much pain, and that pain outweighed the love he had for his wife and his kids. And I guess he thought this was the only way out.”

Meanwhile former investor Michael Kubin wrote about his misfortune with Mr Madoff's Ponzi scheme, and the moment when he found out that his investment was too good to be true.

"He needn’t have said another word; I knew right away my whole investment was toast. Two weeks earlier I had doubled my stake, having thought of Mr. Madoff’s fund as a safe haven from a nose-diving stock market. Just that morning I had received my monthly statement showing a perky increase; I had even called to thank my Madoff contact.

"Yet during all the years I had money with Mr. Madoff, I had a sense there was something odd about his fund. Its performance wasn’t stellar — it was just so suspiciously steady. I had joked with friends that “someday this will turn out to be a Ponzi scheme, but I’ll have my money out by then.” Someday turned out to be that Thursday, two years ago."

The Wall Street Journal cast its eye towards Irving Picard's biggest lawsuit to date, against Austrian banker Sonja Kohn, filed just before the deadline imposed by US law.

The $19.6bn lawsuit was dismissed by Ms Kohn's lawyers as having "nothing to do with reality," on Monday.

"Clemens Trauttenberg, a lawyer for Ms. Kohn and Bank Medici, said Ms. Kohn and the bank are victims of Mr. Madoff's fraud and they believed Mr. Madoff was reputable. Mr. Clemens said Ms. Kohn and no one at Bank Medici had no knowledge of the fraud and he described Mr. Picard's case as "wild allegations."

It also focused on Mark Madoff's state of mind in the run-up to the suicide, saying:

"In the days leading to his death on Saturday, Mark Madoff was feeling increasingly despondent about his worsening legal situation, say people familiar with the matter, particularly a suit filed by the trustee recovering assets for victims of his father's Ponzi scheme."

Many US papers ran a story by the Associated Press, headed in the Los Angeles Times as Death by suicide of Madoff's eldest son came after his portrayal in court papers as a hero. It said:

"For two years, the two sons of jailed financier Bernard Madoff portrayed themselves as honest whistleblowers of their father's historic fraud. A court-appointed trustee depicted them as bungling money managers who did nothing to protect investors.

"The suicide of Mark Madoff leaves unanswered questions for investors seeking payback for the billions of dollars his father siphoned — and for criminal investigators who continued to pursue charging Madoff's family for knowing participation in the fraud."

The New York Post reported victims of the Madoff fraud lamenting the loss of Mark Madoff, although they had no sympathy for his father:

Under the headline: Madoff victims blame sins of the father, it reported:

"Bernard Madoff's victims said yesterday that they harbored no schadenfreude over news of his son Mark's suicide -- but they pinned the blame squarely on the Ponzi mastermind's shoulders.

"[Bernard] Madoff I could kill without a question. I could kill him without a care. He's an animal," fumed Queens retiree Hilda Hausner, 93, who lost $800,000 to history's biggest Ponzi scheme.

"But the poor son, he must have just had enough. How could you live as a Madoff?"

Former Fort Lee, NJ, Mayor Burt Ross admitted to having similar thoughts.

"No matter how much Bernie is in denial, he's gotta know on some level that he's responsible," said Ross, 67, who lost $5 million. "It starts to have the elements of a Greek tragedy."

The Daily News in New York added:

If the epic financial fraudster's request was approved, he would have to pay for the cost of moving him along with one or two correction officers, the rulebook says.

It also ran a short profile of Mark Madoff, saying:

Mark Madoff, the handsome prince of Bernie Madoff's ill-gotten kingdom, lived the sweet life before his father's $65 billion scam imploded.

During one three-month period in 2008, he racked up more than $77,000 chartering private jets to hopscotch around the country.

He vacationed at his $6.5 million, 3.3 acre retreat in Nantucket and a stately farmhouse in tony Greenwich, Conn. The seasoned fly fishermen also frequently planned outdoor excursions.

"Mark loved his lifestyle, loved the fact he could fly on a private jet or walk into Dunhill and spend $200 on an umbrella," a trader told Vanity Fair in 2009.

Elin Nordegren New Boyfriend: Elin Nordegren Dating

2010-12-14T04:41:00.000-08:00

Elin Nordegren New Boyfriend: Elin Nordegren is dating with new boyfriend for the first time after divorcing Golf player Tiger Woods. Elin Nordegren new boyfriend name was not disclosed yet.

Elin Nordegren amazed Tiger Woods when she said “already planning to start my life with new Boyfriend”, according to some sources Tiger Woods pleased Elin Nordegren to take him back into her life again. Tiger Woods ex-wife met her 35-years-old, new boyfriend at college in Florida, some sources said kissing and hugging was going

on between them. Elin Nordegren said “everyone wants to feel needed someone in my life that I can trust and that day will come”, and she wants to give her two kids a nice future.

Elin Nordegren has been divorced with her husband Tiger Woods with $110 million settlement to came out of his life. Now, Elin Nordegren is looking to lead happy life with her two children and new boy friend. She said to her friend that she will find true love again and that day she will definitely have more kids.

Elin Nordegren seems to be very confident about her life and her children future too.

By Hailey Lafferty,
http://www.mjbnewsonline.com

Swedish Bombing Suspect’s Drift to Extremism

2010-12-14T04:32:00.000-08:00

LONDON — Those who knew the prime suspect in the Stockholm bombings described him as highly intelligent as a child in Sweden, but stubborn and often in trouble. Those who prayed and studied with him in England, where he attended college from 2001 to 2004 and reportedly lived until weeks before the attack, spoke of a friendly associate who fervently sought an audience for increasingly extremist views but was quick to anger and slow to forgive.

His own words, sent in statements to the Swedish news media and the police minutes before he detonated the crude bombs that would kill him, and wound two others, on a busy shopping street in Stockholm, show him as a loving husband and father, as well as a vehement Islamic extremist able to talk tenderly of his children and determinedly of killing in the same breath.

As investigators searched properties in Sweden and England, piecing together the details of the failed terrorism plot, a portrait began to emerge of the suspect, Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, 28, a disaffected Iraqi Swede who had studied in Britain and whose final statements hint at a link to the insurgent group Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Perhaps the clearest picture was provided by Qadeer Baksh, a leader at the Luton Islamic Center, a small red-brick mosque in the county of Bedfordshire north of London. He said Mr. Abdaly attended the mosque during the festival of Ramadan in 2007 — sleeping there, as some Muslims choose to, during the last 10 days of the monthlong celebration.

Mr. Abdaly, he said, was very friendly, “very polite, and very helpful, he’d be making people cups of tea when the fast was broken, talking to people — it was almost too much, actually.” But when elders from the mosque tried to join his conversations with other congregants “he’d say nothing, he’d just go silent.”

On the fifth day of the stay at the mosque, Mr. Baksh said, one of the imams found out that the affable new member was quietly, carefully, preaching “rebellion against Muslim rulers, and talking about the oppression of Muslims. It was nothing violent, but it was extremist.” And it disturbed many of the congregants, who guard vigilantly against any revival of the mosque’s past links to extremists like the banned cleric Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The next day, when the congregation gathered for dawn prayers just after 5 a.m., the imam gave a lecture to those present, directed subtly at Mr. Abdaly, on the dangers of such extremist views.

“He got up and stormed out halfway through,” said Mr. Baksh, “and we never saw him again. He seemed very emotional, very confused, very frustrated. Normally when someone is challenged they can present arguments from the Koran, but he didn’t have the knowledge or the understanding to communicate, so he just left.”

Mr. Abdaly, said Mr. Baksh, was subsequently informed that he was not welcome to return.

In photographs, Mr. Abdaly appears as a tall, stern-looking and smartly dressed man, his black hair and beard cropped short. In one image he is seen posing in sunglasses and a sharp black jacket. Tariq Rasul, a friend while Mr. Abdaly studied in England, said in an interview Monday that the Swede wore only Western clothes despite his devoutness.

Mr. Abdaly, according to a profile he posted on an online dating Web site, Muslima.com, was born in Baghdad and moved to Sweden with his family in 1992, when he was 10 years old. His childhood friends in the small and prosperous town of Tranas, three hours by car from Stockholm, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he arrived with a big sister and his mother and father.

As a child he was “above average,” according to a teacher quoted by Aftonbladet. But “Taimour got himself into a lot of trouble,” said one unidentified friend, “and fought a lot.” Later, the friend said he “wondered if he didn’t actually have a hard time finding his place in Swedish society.”

Mr. Abdaly’s Facebook page contains hints of that apparent conflict. He posted several videos dedicated to Islamic fighters around the world, and his profile picture showed hooded figures waving the black flag of Al Qaeda. But among his listed interests were “National Geographic” and “I love my Apple iPad.”

The Facebook profile also indicates he studied “sports therapy at the University of Bedfordshire.” In a statement Monday, the university said that Mr. Abdaly, going by the name of Taimour Abdalwahab, attended the college between 2001 and 2004.

British news media reports suggest that he may have stayed in Luton, home of one of the university’s campuses, after earning his degree until as recently as three weeks ago. According to reports in the Swedish news media on Monday, Mr. Abdaly’s wife and three small children are still in Britain. Little is known, so far, of his immediate family, and the media accounts could not be verified.

But on the undated Muslima.com profile, he said he had been “married since 2004,” according to a translation from Arabic. He described himself as “very religious” and said two of his daughters were 3 and 1. Little is known of Mr. Abdaly’s final weeks in Sweden, and his last steps toward the attack. But in recorded messages, made in English and Arabic and sent by e-mail to the Swedish police and the news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra just minutes before the bombings, he made reference to “the Islamic state, may Allah protect it, and its people.”

“I have no doubt he’s talking about the Islamic State of Iraq, which is what Al Qaeda in Iraq calls itself,” said Evan Kohlmann, an expert on Al Qaeda communications and recruitment who consults for the Department of Justice. “Other groups do not use this language — it’s a quite specific reference.”

In 2007 Al Qaeda in Iraq, which intelligence agencies say is a mostly Iraqi militant group with some foreign leadership, issued a threat against Sweden, in response to a drawing published in a Swedish newspaper that depicted the head of the Prophet Muhammad on the body of a dog. No group has yet claimed responsibility for Mr. Abdaly’s attack, and the authorities have released no information on any affiliations he might have had. But Swedish investigators said Monday that they did not believe Mr. Abdaly had acted alone.

In the final sections of one of the recordings, Mr. Abdaly turns to address his family. “Tell the children that I love them,” he said, tenderness in his voice, “and their dad couldn’t sit back and watch the pigs humiliate our beloved Prophet Muhammad.”

Mr. Abdaly died, lying on his back in a pool of blood on a Stockholm street, just a few hours before his 29th birthday.

By RAVI SOMAIYA,

http://www.nytimes.com

Canadian Immigration

2010-12-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

New Canadian Immigration Legislation to crack down on crooked consultants.

At the House of Commons today, new legislation to crack down on crooked immigration consultants has been approved.

The legislation aims to ban immigration consultants who exploit prospective immigrants and undermine the integrity ofCanada's immigration system.
Mr Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism said "I am pleased that C-35, our tough measures to crack down on crooked consultants, is now moving to the Senate for its consideration,"
"In their quest for personal gain, crooked consultants have displayed a wanton disregard for our immigration rules and bilked too many people out of their hard-earned dollars," he added.
According to the legislation, unauthorized individuals would become face criminal charges if they provide immigration advice or representation for a fee.
If you are interested in Immigration to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.

http://www.migrationexpert.com

Ahead of Golden Globe Awards, there's drama backstage, too

2010-12-14T04:12:00.000-08:00

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT: Fox's "Glee," with Dot Jones,

left, Jane Lynch and Matthew Morrison, is expected to nab

a Globe nom. (Adam Rose/fox Via Associated Press)

Nominations for Golden Globe Awards - that annual midseason shot in the arm for TV networks - will be announced Tuesday morning by NBC's made-for-TV POTUS Blair Underwood ("The Event"), Interchangeable Pretty Boy Actor Josh Duhamel and Mrs. Tom Cruise (a.k.a. Katie Holmes).

They will unveil the Globes's TV and film nominations at 8 a.m.-ish EST; the coverage will be carried on the morning infotainment shows including, of course,

the "Today" show, which airs on NBC - which has exclusive broadcast rights to the Globes.

Count on FX's "Rescue Me" to receive zero nominations, given that its executive producer Peter Tolan just last week called the organization that puts on the Globes - the Hollywood Foreign Press Association - "a group of [women of ill repute]" who "can be bought." That was closely followed by a report on the Web site Showbiz 411 that seven HFPA members have taken credited roles in Sofia Coppola's newest movie, "Somewhere." Won't it be fun to see how many nominations "Somewhere" gets Tuesday morning?

On the bright side, the HFPA is also known for embracing freshman TV series with sizzle, in contrast to the hidebound Academy of Television Arts & Sciences that puts on the Primetime Emmy Awards.
That said, looking across the TV landscape, you'd be hard-pressed to find freshman shows that could entice even the HFPA. "Hellcats"? "$#*! My Dad Says"? "The Event"? Really?
Only two newbies really stand out as best-series contenders: AMC's new zombie drama "The Walking Dead" and HBO's exec-produced-by-Martin-Scorsese Prohibition saga "Boardwalk Empire." Both are considered shoo-ins by TV industry pundits.
Besides being suspected of favoring flicks that give them credited roles, the HFPA is also known to favor TV series in which foreign thespians have prominent roles, which would work in favor of "Boardwalk Empire," which stars, among others, Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, who plays Margaret Schroeder, the sweet widow-turned-moll for Steve Buscemi's kingpin.
And don't count out NBC's "The Office." Its creator, Ricky Gervais, is hosting the Globes ceremony again this year, and we're amid Steve Carell's final season on the U.S. version. These things matter to HFPA.And of course, Fox's "Glee" and AMC's "Mad Men" are expected to be players at the 68th annual Globes competition, which NBC will broadcast live on both coasts Jan. 16. "Mad Men" is a three-time winner in the competition for best drama series, and "Glee" is the most recent Globe honoree for best comedy/musical series.
NBC's new tune
While the press has been busy navel-lint-gazing over the whole "American Idol" vs. Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" kerfuffle shaping up at Fox, NBC went and pulled a fast one Monday. The network announced that it would get the jump on Cowell's show, having landed U.S. broadcast rights to a Dutch singing competition format called "The Voice of Holland" that will debut here in the spring of '11.
"The X Factor" isn't scheduled to premiere on Fox until fall of '11.
The new reality series (working title: "Voice of America") will be produced by Mark Burnett - of "Survivor," "The Apprentice" and "Sarah Palin's Alaska" fame - and John de Mol, who created the show's Dutch format and executive-produces that version. De Mol's also the guy to hold responsible for "Big Brother" and "Fear Factor."
NBC noted that the original version of its new reality series has displaced that country's version of "Idol" and "The X Factor" and is now the most-watched talent show in Dutch TV history.
This new show will feature four "celebrity artists," each of whom coaches a team of singers throughout the competition. Wannabes will be eliminated, and yes, viewers get to participate in the elimination, until each celebrity has just one team member left. Those four singers will battle in a live finale to win the crown "the Voice of America" - or whatevs - and land a recording contract.
But every singing competition's gotta get a gimmick. On this one, the gag goes like this: The initial audition process will be "blind" - the celebrity artist/coaches can hear the singers but cannot see them.
"This show truly focuses on amazing voices," NBC's alternative-programming exec veep Paul Telegdy said in Monday's announcement.
"As soon as we saw the Dutch format, we knew this was completely different and really exciting."

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Gawker Media Suffers Massive Data Breach Courtesy of Gnosis

2010-12-14T02:57:00.000-08:00

Hacker group infiltrates Gawker Media; posts username/encrypted password file, source code, internal chats

A group calling itself Gnosis has pulled off a massive heist of data from Gawker Media, the New York-based blog network owned by Nick Denton. But perhaps "massive" is a bit of an understatement.

Gawker, perhaps best known for is unusual procurement of a lost iPhone prototype and ensuing fury from Apple, owns the popular blogs Gawker, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Deadspin, Io9, and Fleshbot. In a blog post on Sunday, the petulant commented, "We're deeply embarrassed by this breach."

You Might Want to Change Your Password Now

Posted around the internet are juicy nuggets of what was once Gawker and its customer's secure private data. The posts include the site's entire PHP-heavy source (a fun read if you're a web dev), thousands of user passwords, server logs, staff emails, staff chats, and tons of information on Gawker chief Nick Denton and his various (compromised web accounts).

After 17 hours of cracking, the Gnosis team

is offering up over 273,789 passwords of Gawker users. And they say they expect to have 500,000+ before they're done. That represents roughly half of the purloined database of 1,247,897 user entries, which in turn is roughly 80 percent of the entire accounts on the site (in other words, the hackers expect to compromise +30% of the total users' passwords).

Interestingly, 2,650 users were using either "password" or "qwerty" of their password.

Many Gawker staffers seemed be using short common words or pop-culture names as their passwords. And Nick Denton appears to be a repeating four digit pattern.
The group mocks:
You would think someone like Nick Denton who likes to run his mouth
and taunts such an unforgiving mass like Anonymous, would use a more secure password than "24862486". The sad thing is he probably believes this password is "secure" because he likes to use it everywhere!
Gawker was using an outdated encryption algorithm, DES ("Data Encryption Standard") so the hackers only needed to figure out the first eight characters of the password to log in.
The result is that if you have a longer password, your password and the rest of your online accounts should be safe.
In an interview with The Next Web, a member of the group states, "We apologize that you were caught in the crossfire of this attack, if you have a sufficiently good password over 8 characters then you are most likely not at risk, anyone could have did what we did, it was wide open for everyone to exploit, we just got there first."
If your password was insecure and you use it on other locations, beware. Gnosis already emphasized this fact by posting tweets to the Gawker account and posting pictures and text to Nick Denton's personal Flickr account.
HD Moore, a security research who works for ComputerWorld, has outlined a procedure for you to check if your email has been compromised:

Step 1: Go to http://pajhome.org.uk/crypt/md5/" rel="nofollow, enter an e-mail address in the 'Input' field, click the 'MD5' button, then copy the hash from the 'Result' field.

Step 2: Go to http://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?dsrcid=350662, click 'Show Options,' then paste the already-obtained hash in the field to the right of the '=' symbol. Change the left-most field to 'MD5.' Click 'Apply.'

So why did they do it?

Gnosis, according to the TNW interview, is an invite-only hacking and coding club consisting of "13 members, with three 'others'". The group seems unconcerned about retaliation from authorities, insisting that the attack will just force Gawker to be more open and humble.
The group frequents the popular image board site 4chan, which Mr. Denton publicly taunted over the summer. And their Twitter posts and interviews reveal that at least some of their members support Wikileaks.
Yet Gnosis is not 4chan or "Anonymous" -- the greater pool of 4chan hackers. The group has made a great effort to emphasize that point. Likewise, they do not appear to have any affiliation to Wikileaks, other than that they are admirers. They reportedly have no affiliation with recent attacks on banks that opposed Wikileaks; those attacks were reportedly the work of Anonymous.
As to why they did the attack, aside from "helping" Gawker realize that its security was weak, they say that they were inspired by Mr. Denton's arrogance, which he displayed towards the tech-savvy 4Chan community.
In the TNW interview, the group comments, "We read about [Mr. Denton's insulting comments towards 4Chan] as they happened and thought nothing of them but a member brought it up and we decided to see if we could get inside Gawker but the large gap was because we didn’t really care at the time. But after a quick pentest we discovered how truly arrogant they were, which makes more sense if you know the levels of security within Gawker."
The group has ruled out conducting another attack of similar scope in the near future, but did mention that they have several "project" they are working on. States the group, "Well, we have a few pokers in the fire, but nothing we can discuss. We will however re-visit Gawker sometime in the future and see if they have improved their security and fixed the numerous holes. I hope they will, they mentioned they were hiring IT experts, whatever that means."

In an interview with GeekoSystem, the group [perhaps jokingly] suggests that Mr. Denton hire them for security consultation. Comments a group member, "They made several mistakes which contributed to their compromise - leaving passwords literally lying around, using the same password for multiple accounts and services (A lot were weed related, perhaps they had been smoking a bit too much and forgot some basic security principles? (GANJA framework anyone?!)). Unfortunately, I am afraid that until Gawker Media *do* hire us we cannot report fully on any of our findings. Sorry Nick!"

What Was Learned

Ultimately, if there's one thing this incident reminded the general public of, it's that the web is still very much like the Old West. Those who feel like it's a warm and safe place are underinformed.

If you insult the wrong person in this environment, there's a good chance you will be attacked. If you and your employers were smart, such attacks may fail leaving hackers with only "undesirable" routes like distributed denial of service. But a lot of it comes down to just how much you anger certain individuals. The angrier some folks get, the more they'll fully leverage the ever growing toolkit of vulnerabilities.
Is this wrong? Many would argue it is. Exposing users' email addresses could lead to them getting spammed, but exposing their passwords is far more dangerous. While many of the passwords were likely used exclusively on the Gawker network, other users may find multiple accounts across the web compromised.
But at the end of the day right and wrong won't help you out a whole lot. Like in the Old West, the authorities likely aren't going to catch the bands -- not all of them at least. So for the most part you have to fend for yourself.
Use secure passwords. Passwords should be at least 16 characters -- a good way to be able to accomplish this with something memorable is to use a passphrase.
Use separate passwords, respectively, for business accounts, important private accounts (e.g. your Facebook/Twitter), and extraneous private accounts (e.g. your Gawker or DailyTech login).
If your information is compromised, change all of your affected passwords and inform pertinent administrators as soon as possible. Multiple password changes may be necessary to truly resecure your account.

By Jason Mick (Blog),
http://www.dailytech.com

Brittany Smith reunited with family [VIDEO]

2010-12-14T02:42:00.000-08:00

People in South Boston plan a celebration, but it's not known where Brittany Smith will be.

Brittany Smith's father huddled with relatives Monday night, filled with the excitement of seeing his daughter for the first time since she disappeared for seven days with a man police say is her abductor and a suspect in her mother's killing.

Benjamin Smith stood at the same lectern at the Roanoke County police headquarters where Chief Ray Lavinder just days earlier passed along tidbits, photographs and video surveillance tapes in hopes of finding Brittany.

Instead, on Monday night, Smith laughed with family about Brittany's dog, Little Man. With tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, he thanked investigators, his preacher in South Boston and the woman who spotted Brittany panhandling outside a grocery store in San Francisco.

"I thought the happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born," Smith told reporters. "Tonight has taken the number one spot."

Two Roanoke County detectives flew with Brittany from California and delivered the 12-year-old to her family, county spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall said.

Jeffrey Easley, 32, was locked in the San Francisco County Jail under psychiatric observation while awaiting his first court appearance today. Easley, who was Tina Smith's boyfriend and moved into her house on Fort Lewis Circle in October, can agree to return to Virginia to face abduction charges or fight the extradition.

Smith called the woman who found Brittany "my hero." But he hadn't spoken to her.

In a phone interview, Theresa Shanley, who spotted Brittany outside a Safeway supermarket, said she noticed the girl's stare.

"I think it was her way of saying, 'Help me,' because she couldn't speak it," Shanley said.

Brittany was sitting on the sidewalk, holding a cardboard sign that asked for money, Shanley said Monday. She was surrounded by bags. Easley was standing.

"My first thought was there's something wrong with the situation," said Shanley, a jail nurse. "The hair on my neck stood up."

As she walked into the store, Shanley remembered seeing the aunt of a missing girl on CNN pleading for her niece to come home. Shanley couldn't find her cellphone, and asked a clerk to call police.

About eight police cars arrived within minutes, she said. When Shanley next saw Brittany, she was in the back of a cruiser, crying.

"I don't consider myself a hero, I just consider myself a mom," Shanley said. "You have to look out for other people's children."

Easley and Brittany weren't sighted from the time they left Roanoke County on Dec. 3 until their discovery outside a San Francisco supermarket Dec. 10. Police won't say what details they've gathered about the cross-country trip and are trying to protect the girl, Hall said.

"Just based on some of the information that she's given, it's led them to want to take care of her," Hall said.

Residents in Brittany's hometown of South Boston plan a candlelight celebration Sunday "to welcome Brittany Smith's safe return home," according to a Facebook page about the event.

It was unclear whether Brittany or her family would attend.

"This little girl has been through an ordeal that no one can understand," said Christy Watts, a family friend helping organize the event. "I think it is important to show her how much she's loved."

Brittany's mother, Tina Smith, 41, was found slain Dec. 6 after failing to show up at her nursing home job.

Easley has been charged in arrest warrants with abduction, attempted credit card fraud and credit card larceny. Lavinder has called him a suspect in Tina Smith's killing. Police won't say how Tina Smith died.

Police flew to San Francisco on Saturday and interviewed Brittany and Easley on Sunday. Brittany's family stayed behind in Virginia.

"The family knew that police needed to do their job," Hall said, noting that Benjamin Smith is a South Boston police officer. "From the beginning they've known that we've had her best interests at heart."

Easley could return to Virginia as early as this week if he waives his extradition rights.

University of Virginia law professor Anne Coughlin said she expects today's hearing to be routine.

"Barring some incredible surprise, he doesn't have any grounds on which to fight it," Coughlin said. "Assuming he's the person he's presumed to be, he has to come home to Virginia."

If Easley does fight extradition, authorities will need a governor's warrant from Virginia to bring him back, said Bob Dunlap, a San Francisco public defender. Dunlap is not representing Easley.

An extradition fight, though likely futile, could take months.

By Amanda Codispoti and Jorge Valencia,
http://www.roanoke.com

WikiLeaks And The McCanns

2010-12-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

The latest WikiLeaks cables reveal that British police helped "develop" evidence against Madeleine McCann's parents after their daughter's disappearance.

Britain's ambassador to Portugal, Alexander Wykeham Ellis, reportedly made the claim to his American counterpart on September 21, 2007 – two weeks after Portuguese police named Gerry and Kate McCann as suspects.
In a diplomatic cable marked confidential, the US ambassador reported: "Without delving into the details of the case, Ellis admitted that the British police had developed the current evidence against the McCann parents, and he stressed that authorities from both countries were working co-operatively."

Those who blame the McCanns may leap on this as new evidence that it wasn't just the Portuguse authorities who suspected the coulpe. However, it was well known at the time that British police contributed to the investigation. We provided the cadaver dog to search the appartment. Our Forensic Science Service provided the scientific evidence which led to the arrests and the subsequent speculation.

It was much later when the FSS report was released, among all the other police documents, that we could read for ourselves that scientists had advised the Portuguse police that the forensic evidence was inconclusive.

The McCanns remained under suspicion until July 2008 when Portuguese police shelved the inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance.
A spokesman for the McCanns dismissed the leak as an "historic note" and said the Portuguese had since made it clear there was no evidence to implicate the couple.

By Jason Farrell,

http://blogs.news.sky.com

Liz Hurley facing multi-million pound payout in divorcing Arun Nayar

2010-12-14T02:16:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Hurley could lose a substantial chunk of her £13million fortune to her husband if they divorce.
Despite Arun Nayar’s reputation as a tycoon, his wealth is believed to be vastly exceeded by hers.
The Daily Mail has discovered the couple did not sign a pre-nuptial agreement before their lavish wedding ceremonies in India and Britain in 2007.

A source revealed: ‘A pre-nup would have been a deal-breaker for Arun. He has his pride.’
Miss Hurley, 45, announced on Sunday that her marriage to 46-year-old Mr Nayar was over after pictures emerged of her kissing cricket legend Shane Warne.
The News of the World said she spent two nights in a London hotel with the Australian womaniser last week, after months of exchanging flirtatious messages on Twitter. Her husband was said to be devastated by pictures of the pair enjoying a passionate embrace.
The actress and model is understood to be preparing to visit 41-year-old Warne in Melbourne in the New Year, to fulfil a promise to appear on his TV chat show Warnie.
Yesterday she posted a message on Twitter telling her fans: ‘Thank you for all your very, very nice messages x’.

Warne confirmed on his website that his own marriage was over. Though divorced, he still lives with ex-wife Simone Callahan and their three children.
The couple were reportedly heading towards a reconciliation, but Warne wrote: ‘Sadly and unfortunately, Simone and I split up a while ago, our close friends and family were informed at that time. It is a private matter so we did not make it public. We remain friends and will continue to be good parents.’
He added on Twitter: ‘Hope that clears things up for everyone who is interested.’

Miss Hurley has ploughed much of her fortune into property. She is the sole owner of the sprawling £4.3million farmhouse where she and Mr Nayar live in Gloucestershire, and her £2.5million Chelsea townhouse is still jointly owned by her and her ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant.
Although Mr Nayar comes from a wealthy family in India, analysis of his finances suggests much is dependent on future inheritance.
He has no known assets in the UK. None of his friends contacted yesterday could say exactly what he does for a living, and he was not available for comment.
London divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardag said: ‘He would be very unlikely to get half Miss Hurley’s fortune because her assets were mainly acquired before their marriage.’
However, she said he could demand she buys him a substantial house, to keep him in the style to which he has become accustomed.

By SAM GREENHILL,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Wojciech Szczesny- The 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper makes an impressive Premier League debut in demanding circumstances

2010-12-14T01:58:00.000-08:00

Wojciech Szczesny watches Wayne Rooney fire over the crossbar from

the penalty spot. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

Arsenal did their best to prove Sir Alex Ferguson right last night. Marouane Chamakh, Andrey Arshavin, Gaël Clichy and Alex Song were all booked for fouls on Manchester United players to whom they had just lost the ball, backing up Ferguson's pre-match claim that this is a more physical side than Arsène Wenger has sent out for some years.

Perhaps that combativeness helped keep them in the contest against a United side themselves clearly prioritising the need to establish physical supremacy. When the fog of disappointment clears after a night of hectic football, Wenger may be pleased with the spirit shown by his players but not with their accuracy, which fell below the standard he imposes and which he blamed, with some justification, on an unhelpful pitch.

But what a night on which to make your Premier League debut. It is some time since Wenger nominated Wojciech Szczesny as a definite future No1 goalkeeper for his club and last night, with only three League Cup appearances for Arsenal and 28 matches on loan at Brentford last season to his credit, the 20-year-old Pole was invited to defend Arsenal's lead in the championship table in front of a full house at Old Trafford.

Szczesny certainly has the breeding. His father, Maciej, was Poland's goalkeeper and Wojciech made his senior international debut last year, displacing Tomasz Kuszczak, who was in his usual place on Manchester United's bench last night. Three inches over six feet tall and powerfully built, the debutant began the match as if trying to pay homage to the wholly inaccurate caricature of a Polish goalkeeper created by Brian Clough when he described Jan Tomaszewski as a "clown" on television during England's celebrated and fruitless siege of the Polish goal at Wembley in 1973.

Under the eyes of 26 of the 33 Chilean miners whose miraculous rescue was followed around the world, as well as those of David Beckham, Szczesny's first touch, after a mere 15 seconds, was a hesitant throw-out to Sébastien Squillaci, followed by a poor kick when the ball was rolled back to him. Two minutes later there was a weak clearance under no pressure which gave possession back to United. Eventually he began to rebuild his confidence with a series of simple catches from crosses and free-kicks by Nani and shots from Wayne Rooney, but the home team's approach was abundantly clear: fire on sight.

United had already given Arsenal both barrels in the build-up. One trigger was pulled by Patrice Evra, who remarked in an interview with a French television channel that Wenger's team played very pretty football but, given their recent aversion to actually winning things, can be seen as nothing more than a glorified school of excellence. The finger on the other trigger was that of Ferguson, who used his programme notes to suffocate the north London club with bonhomie by praising Wenger's recent acceptance of the tradition of reciprocal post-match fraternisation with the opposing manager.

Evra's comments were surely calculated to cause affront at the Emirates but the full-back was doing no more than voicing the thoughts of a large proportion of Arsenal's fans in the five years since the team snatched the FA Cup from Ferguson's men. It is always mildly astonishing to find an Arsenal fan who thinks it is time for a change of manager but such encounters have long since become commonplace.

This was the 15th time Wenger has taken a side to Old Trafford for a league match since arriving at Highbury in October 1996. United have won eight of those games to Arsenal's three but the London club never scored more than one goal in a league match on United's ground and last night they were able to cause Edwin van der Sar only the most minimal inconvenience, in the shape of a fine fingertip save from Samir Nasri's shot 10 minutes into the second half, even though they enjoyed the bulk of the possession.

Given the recent uncertain form of the make-do partnership of Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny in the centre of Arsenal's defence, there was some amazement at Wenger's readiness to give an opportunity to an untried goalkeeper in a match of such significance to both sides. But neither the young Pole nor his defenders deserved censure for the instinctive header from a deflected cross for United's goal.

Szczesny ended the half with a nervously mis-hit clearance but Arsenal came out after the interval pressing so hard that they exposed their goalkeeper to a series of rapid counterattacks. From one such raid, in the 54th minute, the goalkeeper saved them going further behind with a reflexive effort to block Anderson's shot from point-blank range, and there was a fine save from Rooney's attempted chip four minutes from time.

"Every good goalkeeper begins at 18 or 19," Wenger said in explanation of the decision to pick Szczesny. Look at Van der Sar, he said, now 40 years old, but he remembered seeing him when the Dutchman was a teenager. Once again Wenger has an eye on the future – at the expense, some will continue to suggest, of the present. So Evra, too, can feel that his point was proved.

By Richard Williams,
http://www.guardian.co.uk

Student protests video allegedly shows police pulling man out of wheelchair

2010-12-14T01:45:00.000-08:00

Jody McIntyre claims he was twice removed from his wheelchair by officers during Thursday's student fees demonstration.

Police launched an internal investigation last night after footage emerged of a man allegedly being pulled out of his wheelchair and dragged across the road by an officer during Thursday's demonstration.

The grainy video, which was posted on YouTube, does not show the moment Jody McIntyre leaves his wheelchair but appears to show the 21-year-old being dragged to the side of the road by an officer as onlookers voice their concerns.

McIntyre said it was the second time police had pulled him from his wheelchair during the protest. He said in the first incident several officers lifted him from his chair and carried him 100 yards "for his own safety".

"This time I was in the middle of the street and I saw an officer from the earlier incident coming running over and tip the chair over and drag me from the middle of the road to the side of the road before he was restrained by colleagues," he said.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police service said that although no complaint had been received it had launched an investigation: "As a result of media coverage, the MPS [Metropolitan police service] directorate of professional standards is investigating the circumstances surrounding this matter."

McIntyre said he was talking to his solicitor and expected to lodge a formal complaint this week.

There has been mounting pressure on Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson after footage emerged showing an officer policing Thursday's student protests not wearing identification.

Following the G20 protests last year, during which Ian Tomlinson died after being pushed to the ground by a police officer not wearing ID, Stephenson said it was "absolutely unacceptable" for officers to cover or remove their shoulder tags bearing identification numbers. However, a video taken by one of the protesters at Thursday's London demonstration clearly shows an officer not displaying her ID.

Keith Vaz, chair of the home affairs select committee, is expected to raise the issue with home secretary Theresa May today at the select committee.

The footage emerged as reports said Stephenson had offered to resign in the wake of this week's protests, with the Met heavily criticised after a protester required brain surgery after allegedly being struck by a police baton. Protesters had also attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

May yesterday told the House of Commons that 35 people had been arrested so far and she expected the number to rise significantly. So far the mugshots of 14 "key perpetrators of violence" have been published. The Met are to continue to publish pictures of other key individuals over the next week.

By Matthew Taylor,
http://www.guardian.co.uk

Yahoo about to lay off 600-700 workers

2010-12-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo Inc.'s holiday trimmings will include 600 to 700 layoffs in the Internet company's latest shake-up triggered by lackluster growth.

Employees could be notified of the job cuts as early as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with Yahoo's plans. The person asked for anonymity because Yahoo hadn't made a formal announcement.

The planned cutbacks represent about 5 percent of Yahoo's work force of 14,100 employees. It will mark Yahoo's fourth mass layoff in the past three years.

The latest two housecleanings have come under the company's current CEO, Carol Bartz, a Silicon Valley veteran hired nearly two years, despite a lack of experience on the Web or in advertising — Yahoo's main source of revenue.

This week's round of reductions is expected to be concentrated in Yahoo's U.S. products group, which already has been undergoing an overhaul since Bartz hired former Microsoft Corp. executive Blake Irving to run the division last spring.

The job cuts won't come as a shock. News of the looming layoffs was first reported last month by two popular technology blogs, TechCrunch and All Things Digital.

Yahoo's feeble financial growth, stagnant stock price and recent management defections have raised questions about whether Bartz herself might be shown the door before her contract expires in January 2013.

The company's revenue had edged up by less than 2 percent to $4.8 billion through the first nine months of the year, reflecting the difficulty Yahoo has had selling ads while other Internet companies such as Google Inc. and Facebook are thriving.

Google's revenue climbed 23 percent to nearly $21 billion through the first nine months of the year. Privately held Facebook doesn't disclose its results but it is growing so fast that it had to move into larger headquarters earlier this year.

Yahoo's stock price fell 31 cents to close Monday at $16.70, a few cents below where it ended last year. Meanwhile, the technology-driven Nasdaq composite index has risen by 16 percent so far this year.

The malaise has spurred speculation that opportunistic buyout firms might put together a takeover bid for Yahoo, possibly in partnership with another embattled Internet icon, AOL Inc.

Bartz, 62, has repeatedly insisted Yahoo, which is based in Sunnyvale, is heading in the right direction, although she has cautioned it might be another year or two before there's a significant improvement in the company's financial results.

2010 The Associated Press.

Assange still committed to publishing secret documents: mother

2010-12-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY | Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:27am EST

(Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told his mother from his prison cell in London that he remained committed to publishing secret U.S. cables, despite condemnation from Washington and elsewhere, Australian television reported Tuesday.

Australia's Network Seven asked Christine Assange to ask her 39-year-old son one question during a visit to his London jail: Was it worth it?

"My convictions are unfaltering. I remain true to the ideals I have expressed. This circumstance shall not shake them," said Assange, according to his mother who supplied the network with a written statement of her son's answer.

"If anything this process has increased my determination that they are true and correct."WikiLeaks has provoked fury in Washington with its publications of secret U.S. cables and has vowed to make public

the 250,000 embassy documents it had obtained.

Assange is under arrest in Britain over sexual assault charges in Sweden.

Assange was also critical of the major finance companies who suspended payments to his WikiLeaks site.

"We now know that Visa, Mastercard, Paypal and others are instruments of U.S. foreign policy. It's not something we knew before," he said.

"I am calling for the world to protect my work and my people from these illegal and immoral attacks."

Internet activists launched "Operation Payback" to avenge WikiLeaks against those perceived to have obstructed its operations. They temporarily brought down the websites of credit card firms Visa and MasterCard, as well as that of the Swedish government, last week.

Christine Assange told her son there was worldwide support for him.

"I told him how people from all over the world, all sorts of countries were standing up with placards and screaming out for his freedom and justice and he was very heartened by that," she said. "As a mother I am asking the world to stand up for my brave son."

Lawyers for Assange will try again Tuesday to win bail for the WikiLeaks founder. Assange was accused this year of sexual misconduct by two female Swedish WikiLeaks volunteers during a stay in Sweden. Assange denies the allegations.

Assange and his lawyers have voiced fears that U.S. prosecutors may be preparing to indict him for espionage after the WikiLeaks website published secret U.S. documents.

by Michael Perry,
http://www.reuters.com

Los Angeles Confronts Homelessness Reputation

2010-12-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

The car culture makes encounters with the homeless less frequent in Los Angeles than in some cities, despite their numbers.

LOS ANGELES — It was just past dusk in the upscale enclave of Brentwood as a homeless man, wrapped in a tattered gray blanket, stepped into a doorway to escape a light rain, watching the flow of people on their way to the high-end restaurants that lined the street.

Across town in Hollywood the next morning, homeless people were wandering up and down Sunset Boulevard, pushing shopping carts and slumped at bus stops. More homeless men and women could be found shuffling along the boardwalks of Venice and Santa Monica, while a few others were spotted near the heart of Beverly Hills, the very symbol of Los Angeles wealth.

And, as always, San Julian Street, the infamous center of Skid Row on the south edge of downtown Los Angeles, was teeming: a small city of people were making the street their home in a warm December sun, waiting for one of the many missions there to serve a meal.

At a time when cities across the country have made significant progress over the past decade in reducing the number of homeless, in no small part by building permanent housing, the problem seems intractable in the County of Los Angeles.

It has become a subject of acute embarrassment to some civic leaders, upset over the county’s faltering efforts, the glaring contrast of street poverty and mansion wealth, and any perception of a hardhearted Los Angeles unmoved by a problem that has motivated action in so many other cities.

For national organizations trying to eradicate homelessness, Los Angeles — with its 48,000 people living on the streets, including 6,000 veterans, according to one count — stands as a stubborn anomaly, an outlier at a time when there has been progress, albeit modest and at times fitful, in so many cities.

Its designation as the homeless capital of America, a title that people here dislike but do not contest, seems increasingly indisputable.

“If we want to end homelessness in this country, we have to do something about L.A.; it is the biggest nut,” said Nan Roman, the president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “It has more homeless people than anyplace else.”

Neil J. Donovan, the executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said he believed that, after years of decline, there had been a slight rise in the number of homeless nationally this year because of the economic downturn, and that Los Angeles had led the way.

“Los Angeles’s homeless problem is growing faster than the overall national problem,” he said, “trending upwards in every demographic, dashing every hope of progress anywhere.”

In a reflection of the growing concern here, a task force created by the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles has stepped in with a plan, called Home for Good, to end homelessness here in five years. The idea is to, among other things, build housing for 12,000 of the chronically unemployed and provide food, maintenance and other services at a cost of $235 million a year.

The proposal, based on the task force’s study of what other cities had done, was embraced by political and civic leaders even as it served as a reminder of how many of these plans have failed over the years.

“This is not rocket science,” said Zev Yaroslavsky of the County Board of Supervisors. “It’s been done in New York, it’s been done in Atlanta, and it’s been done in San Francisco.”

Part of the impetus for this most recent flurry of attention is concern in the business and political communities that the epidemic is threatening to tarnish Los Angeles’s national image and undercut a campaign to promote tourism, particularly in downtown, which has been in the midst of a transformation of sorts, with a boom of museums, concert halls, restaurants, boutiques, parks and lofts.

The gentrification has pushed many of the homeless people south, but they can still be seen settled on benches and patches of grass in the center of downtown.

“If you have a homeless problem, then your sense of security is diminished, and that makes people not want to come,” said Jerry Neuman, a co-chairman of the task force. “It’s a problem that diminishes us in many ways: the way we view ourselves and the way other people view us.”

Fittingly enough, it was even the subject of a movie last year, “The Soloist,” which portrayed the relationship between a Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez, who has written extensively about the homeless, and a musician living on the streets.

The obstacles seem particularly great in this part of the country. The warm climate has always been a draw for homeless people. And the fact that people sleeping outside rarely die of exposure means there is less pressure on civic leaders to act. (In New York City, when a homeless woman known only as “Mama” wasfound dead at Grand Central Terminal on a frigid Christmas in 1985, it was front-page news that inspired a campaign to deal with the epidemic.)

The governmental structure here, of a county that includes 88 cities and a maze of conflicting jurisdictions, responsibilities and boundaries, has defused responsibility and made it nearly impossible for any one organization or person to take charge.

And Los Angeles is a place where people drive almost everywhere, so there are fewer of the reminders of homelessness — walking around a sleeping person on a sidewalk, responding to requests for money at the corner — that are common in concentrated cities like New York.

“It’s easy to get up in the morning, go to work, drive home and never encounter someone who is homeless,” said Wendy Greuel, the Los Angeles city controller. “I don’t think it’s seeped into the public’s consciousness that homelessness is a problem.”

The homelessness task force offered its plan at a conference that attracted some of the top elected officials here, including Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and three of the five members of the Board of Supervisors, a notable show of political support.

“We believe that with the release of this plan, we now have a blueprint to end chronic homelessness and veteran homelessness,” said Christine Marge, director of housing for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Yet in a time of severe budget retrenchment, the five-year goal seems daunting. Even though the drafters of the plan say that no new money will be needed to finance it — Los Angeles is already spending more than $235 million a year on hospital, overnight housing and police costs dealing with the homeless — government financing of all social services has come under assault.

“I don’t for a minute think it’s not going to require a tremendous amount of political will to make it happen,” said Richard Bloom, the mayor of Santa Monica. “Do I think it can happen? Yes, because I’ve seen what happens in other cities, like New York City, Denver and Boston.”

Still, Mr. Bloom, who said he regularly attended conferences involving officials from other communities, added: “Our numbers are way out of whack with those numbers I hear elsewhere. It’s just so much more enormous and daunting here.”

Gus Malzahn Hired by Vanderbilt, Press Conference

2010-12-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Gus Malzahn has been hired by Vanderbilt and will be introduced to the press at a news conference Monday, claims reports. Gus Malzahn’s hiring at Vanderbilt sparked a news debate Sunday, a debatecontinuing Monday. The Washington Post and FOX are reporting that Gus Malzahn has either accepted or will accept today.
But AuburnSports.com reports “Malzahn, if he has not already, planned to turn down the lucrative offer by the Commodores”.

On Sunday, the Birmingham News said that reports of Gus Malzahn accepting the offer were inaccurate and premature.
Terms of the deal are expected to be $2.5 to 3 million annually.
Gus Malzahn and Vanderbilt are not commenting early Monday morning. Malzahn takes over from Robbie Caldwell who replaced Bobby Johnson. Johnson resigned in July after eight seasons. Caldwell did the same in November after a 2-10 record in one season.
Gus Malzahn had a stellar season as Auburn’s offensive coordinator. He joinedAuburn in 2009 after one year at Arkansas and two years at Tulsa’s OC.

http://news.lalate.com

Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar: Separated

2010-12-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Hurley's marriage to Arun Nayar is likely over.

The British model and actress and designer Tweeted Sunday, amid reports of her cheating on Nayar: "Not a great day. For the record, my husband Arun and I have separated as of few months ago. Our close family & friends were aware."

Hurley's announcement coincided with a scandalous report in Britain's News of the World claiming her alleged affair with cricket player Shane Warne.

She and Nayar, an Indian businessman and textile heir, began dating in 2003 andgot married in March 2007 at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, UK.

They exchanged vows in an Anglican ceremony before 300 guests. Days after the ceremony they threw a sumptuous week-long celebration in India.

Hurley has an 8-year-old son, Damian, with her ex Stephen Bing. She previously dated actor Hugh Grant for 13 years before splitting up in 2000.

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com

French children released safely after hostage-taking

2010-12-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

Police are seen outside a kindergarten in Besancon, France, Monday where a young man held children hostage.

Paris (CNN) -- Children who were taken hostage at a school in France Monday were released unharmed and the man who held them was arrested, the mayor of the town of Besancon told CNN.The young man, armed with two swords, had entered a kindergarten and took children hostage in eastern France Monday morning, the French Ministry of Education said.There were about 20 children, aged 4 to 6, in the classroom when the incident began, and five children and their teacher were held until the incident was resolved, Besancon police told CNN.The hostage-taker is about 17 years old, and had "demands," the Ministry of Education said, without specifying what they were.
The hostage taker is "depressed," had been "under medical treatment," and has not taken his medication for several days, Besancon Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret told CNN.The mayor did not know of a connection between the hostage-taker and the school.He had released children in three groups before the incident ended, the ministry said.A security cordon was placed around the school, and police marksmen took positions outside the school, pictures from the scene showed. They did not enter the school during the incident, the mayor said.The incident started at at 8:30 a.m. at the Charles Fourier school in the borough of Planoise and ended about four hours later.France last had a high-profile school hostage incident 17 years ago.Six girls and their teacher were held hostage for two days in the suburbs of Paris in 1993, media reported at the time.A man calling himself "The Human Bomb" strapped explosives to his body and demanded about $18 million to release them.He was killed by police marksmen using guns with silencers, press reports said.

From Antonia Mortensen and Winnie Andrews,
http://edition.cnn.com

Christmas Cupid: Watch Christmas Cupid Online (Video)

2010-12-13T04:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas Cupid premiered tonight on ABC Family. It’s actually on again right now, but in case you missed it, you can also watch Christmas Cupid online as soon as it’s available. You can check out a video clip of Christmas Cupid below as well.

Christmas Cupid stars Christina Milian and Chad Michael Murray, and I have to admit, I was really excited about watching this movie after my son went to bed tonight. I figured it would be a great “chick flick” or “escape from the kids” kind of movie, but I have to say that I was a bit disappointed.

Christmas Cupid is sort of cute, and Chad Michael Murray is total eye-candy as usual, but the story lacked originality and Christina Milian’s character was not very likeable.

Christmas Cupid is basically a modern-day Christmas

Christina Milian Stars in Christmas Cupid

Carol, in which Christina Milian’s character, Sloane, learns through ghosts that she is missing the true meaning of Christmas, and life in general.

I would recommend tuning in to Christmas Cupid if nothing else is on…but other than that…it really wasn’t anything to get excited about. I expect something a little more heart-warming from a chick flick.

BY THEMOMMYOLOGIST,
http://blogs.babble.com

Were those the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field?

2010-12-13T04:04:00.000-08:00

Steven Douglas Losey is a national rock ’n’ roll journalist from Coldwater who is a lifelong Lions and Tigers fan. He has written many stories from a fan’s perspective and covered Detroit sports for The Sporting News, Inside Hockeytown, the Free Press and many others. He offers his view of the Lions’ 7-3 victory Sunday over the Packers at Ford Field.

Remember when Ted Nugent sang, “I got you in a stranglehold baby, you best get out of the way?” I truly believe he was talking about the Lions’ front four. In a game that needed to be taken over by any facet of the team, the Lions’ defensive line delivered a knockout punch, putting Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the sideline with a concussion, delivering four sacks and pressuring backup Matt Flynn for a solid two quarters.
If anyone would have told me the only score and winning touchdown against Green Bay would come courtesy of a Drew Stanton to Will Heller touchdown pass I would have asked if that was a cigarette they were smoking. Stanton played with heart and soul, making just enough plays to put the Lions in a position to win. Scott Linehan called a pretty good game, allowing his QB to use his legs, adding in misdirection, the option and even allowing Stefan Logan to fire out of the backfield on occasion.
With the Lions fielding second- and third-stringers all over the field, they came through in the trenches, punching the Packers in the mouth (and it wasn’t just Ndamukong Suh this time) and playing old time black-and-blue division football the way it was meant to be played.
While the pit in my stomach was still there as the Packers had the football with two minutes to play, it disappeared quickly with more great defense and Stanton floating the last three seconds from the clock with a long pass out of bounds. Here I was in an unfamiliar position, celebrating a Lions victory over a division opponent for the first time in 19 games and watching a futile 10-game losing streak against Green Bay fall away. Wango tango! This was a good day!

BY STEVEN DOUGLAS LOSEY,
http://www.freep.com

Auburn picks Malzahn; Franklin to stay at U-Md.

2010-12-13T03:32:00.000-08:00

Gus Malzahn, Auburn's offensive coordinator, is expected to be introduced as the next head coach atVanderbilt as early as Monday, which means James Franklin, Maryland's offensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting, will remain in College Park barring an unforeseen turn of events, a source familiar with the search said Sunday.

Franklin had two in-person interviews with Vanderbilt officials and had emerged as the next realistic option for Vanderbilt had its hopes of landing Malzahn fallen through. Vanderbilt had reportedly offered Malzahn a contract that would pay him close to $3 million per year. He has verbally accepted the job, the source said, but had yet to sign a contract.
Maryland will keep its most valued recruiter and the man who in February 2009 was appointed to eventually succeed Coach Ralph Friedgen. As a result, the coming weeks and months promise to be a pivotal time for the program, as first-year Athletic Director Kevin Anderson attempts to chart the course for the Terrapins beyond the 2011 season.

Anderson announced on Nov. 18 thatFriedgen would return for an 11th season in 2011, the final year of his contract. After a 2-10 season in 2009 that nearly cost him his job, Friedgen orchestrated the second-biggest turnaround in the nation this season, as the Terrapins finished 8-4 and reached the seventh bowl game of his 10-year tenure. He won ACC coach of the year honors for a second time.
Friedgen wants to coach beyond 2011 and has been telling high school prospects that he plans to coach them for the majority of their college careers. Franklin, meantime, is owed $1 million if he is not named Maryland's head coach by January 2012.
Anderson had said that he planned to discuss the future of the program with Friedgen after the season. It may come down to deciding whether Friedgen or Franklin - or neither - is the best choice for the program's future after 2011.
Complicating matters is a diminished fan base. Season ticket sales declined at Maryland for a fifth straight season, and school officials fell more than $500,000 short of season ticket sales projections each of the past two seasons.
Despite finishing in a three-way tie for third in the ACC, Maryland dropped to the eighth slot in the ACC bowl pecking order in large part because of concerns about attendance issues. The Terrapins will play East Carolina (6-6) in the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium on Dec. 29.

By Eric Prisbell,
http://www.washingtonpost.com

School Closings: Michigan Winter Storm Warning

2010-12-13T03:22:00.000-08:00

School closings in and around the state of Michigan continue to be of concern to parents and those preparing for the Monday workweek and grind. A very frigid and dangerous winter storm has impacted the entire state of Michigan, bringing wet rain, high winds, and blizzard conditions.

As of 6 p.m. most of the entire state's listing of schools in all counties (public and private) have cancelled classes through Monday as a result of heavy accumulations of snow, power outages, and dangerous road conditions. Based on the National Weather Service, between 1 and 3 more inches across the entire state will force more school closings in Michigan for the safety of the students and staff. Although the heaviest of precipitation has passed by, the state continues to suffer the aftermath of the build up of powder. On Monday, authorities expect to deal with flood conditions from melting snow.

A list of school closings in Michigan can be obtained at the ABC News 12 website. Follow this writer on Twitter, below for continued updates on the winter storm and school closings in Michigan.

http://news.gather.com

Sal Alosi sorry for tripping Dolphins player

2010-12-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

It might be a good idea if, in the future, the New York Jets kept their strength and conditioning coach a little busier on the sideline during games. With his team struggling of late, Sal Alosi decided to help out Sunday.

As Miami Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll fielded a punt and took off up the sideline, Alosi leaned into the play as Carroll sprinted past, pushing his left knee out and tripping Carroll, who fell in front of Rex Ryan and was shaken up on the play.

Jets spokesman Bruce Speight said the organization was "looking into appropriate next steps," something the NFL will do this week as well. (May I suggest a first question? "What? You thought no one would notice because NFL games are so rarely photographed?") Alosi, a 33-year-old coach who's been in the NFL with Atlanta and the Jets for nine years, apologized after the game, issuing a statement that said:

"I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment. My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for."

Carroll stayed in the game at cornerback and had the Dolphins' only interception in his team's 10-6 win. "I just remember running," Carroll said. "Water off a duck's back."

His teammates were far more incensed. "I wish they'd tripped me," linebacker Channing Crowder said. "I'd have broken that old man's leg. I didn't see anything. He stuck his leg out and tripped him? He should be ashamed of himself. A grown man from the coaching staff? That's high character."

Said Ricky Williams: "It's the Jets right? We're not surprised."

Carroll offered his own suggestion for how the dastardly incident should conclude:

"If he gets fined, then give me the money," Carroll said.

Packers' station FOX 47 back on air

2010-12-13T03:05:00.000-08:00

The Green Bay Packers game against the Detroit Lions was back on the air in the second quarter Sunday after a power failure at FOX 47 kept the station off the air earlier, the station said.

At noon (game time), the station had the following notice on its website:

"WMSN-TV is off the air at this time due to a power failure at the transmitter site. Alliant Energy and station engineers are on site working on the problem."

http://host.madison.com

Al Golden Is Hired as Miami Football Coach After Five Seasons at Temple

2010-12-13T02:58:00.000-08:00

Al Golden was hired as head football coach at the University of Miami after leading Temple University in Philadelphia to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 30 years.

Golden, 41, succeeds Randy Shannon, who was fired Nov. 27 after a 7-5 season.

Golden has spent the past five seasons at Temple and led the Owls to 17 wins the past two years. Temple had a 0-11 record in 2005, the season before Golden took over the program.

“His desire, leadership, communications skills and preparedness stood above the rest and he is the right man to meet the championship expectations of this program,” Miami Athletic DirectorKirby Hocutt said in a statement.

Temple had an 8-4 record under Golden this season and beat Big East Conference champion Connecticut. The Owls went 9-4 last season and reached their first bowl game since 1979.

Golden, who had an overall 27-34 record at Temple, takes control of a Miami program that won the last of its five national championships in 2001. The Hurricanes’ last two coaches -- Shannon and Larry Coker -- were promoted from coordinator jobs and the Miami Herald said some trustees were wary of again following that route.

Shannon, 44, was fired after the Hurricanes lost to the University of South Florida to finish the regular season. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland will coach the team when Miami plays Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.

Shannon was 0-2 in bowl games at Miami. A member of the Hurricanes’ 1987 national championship team, Shannon’s .560 winning percentage was the worst by any Miami coach since Lou Saban went 9-13 in 1977-78.

From 1979 through 2006, Miami’s football team won five championships and had a 267-69 record.

Howard Schnellenberger coached the school to its first title in 1983, Jimmy Johnson won the second in 1987 and Dennis Erickson won championships in 1989 and 1991. The Hurricanes’ most recent title came in the first season under Coker, who had succeeded Butch Davis.

By Erik Matuszewski,

http://www.bloomberg.com

Beads of Courage, Cards for Sick Children

2010-12-13T02:46:00.000-08:00

The Beads of Courage program is designed to help sick children. Children in hospitals across the nation are encouraged to battle their illness and persevere through a bead necklace system. Each child in the program is given a necklace and a journal.

With the journal, they can write about their experience, perhaps share it with others who read the journal, too. New beads for the necklace are acquired for different illnesses, different treatment plans, length of hospital stays and other moments deemed significant for the ill. It helps boost morale and inspire courage in kids who need it the most.

But Beads of Courage is not the only program designed to help ill children. Take West Virgina University Children’s Hospital and their Cards of Hope program. The patients of the hospital and their brothers and sisters all take part by drawing greeting cards. The cards are then collected and those who work at the hospital vote on the ten best. Those ten become part of the Cards of Hope collection, which is sold to interested consumers.

All of the money from the cards goes to help families of patients. This can mean anything from the gas money to go visit the children to the cost of temporary living facilities. This helps ease the minds of families and allows them to focus on the sick child. The card collections are sold in packs of 20 and retail for about $15. They are purchasable from cardsofhope.com.

Another beneficiary of the Cards of Hope Program? Beads of Courage.

BY KELLY WNUK,

http://www.equicknews.com

Johnny Rockets – Shakes Up John Fuller

2010-12-13T01:57:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Johnny Rockets gets a visit from “Undercover Boss” John Fuller tonight. But Fuller almost blows his cover when he learns that flipping burgers might be even more difficult than being CEO.
When Johnny Rockets was offered the Uncover Boss treatment earlier this year, Fuller jumped at the opportunity. The first time CEO is the company’s former CFO; the self confessed numbers guy says the struggles on tonight’s show were real, but valuable.
A former financial head at Rubio’s, Del Taco and CKE, Fuller took over the successful food chain earlier this year. Johnny Rockets, with a Santa Monicalocation, has been a long-time favorite of LA residents.
“I wanted to do it, show or no show,” he says in a statement to news tonight. “When I committed to the show, I had to go out and learn the stores. So that made it happen.” In fact, Johnny Rockets tells news in a press briefing this week that the Fuller’s appearance has already lead to company changes. Johnny Rockets is already making modifications to issues like Uniforms,Training, Music, and Product Augmentation because of Fuller’s lessons on the show.
The company had 170 stores in 2007. Today it has 300, and is still growing. “The employees I worked alongside are not only four of the finest employees we have in our system, they are also four of the finest people I’ve ever met. They are dedicated, passionate people who make outstanding brand ambassadors for us and for our Franchisees. I’m most proud of the fact that we were able to assist each one of them, personally, and make some difference in their lives.”

by lalate,
http://news.lalate.com

Metrodome Collapse (Watch)

2010-12-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t seen it, here ya go.

If you’re not familiar with the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN, it’s not like the roof of your typical, contemporary domed or retractable roof stadium. It’s literally like a giant freakin’ balloon that inflates to lift the attached frame work, creating contour and shape.

This video is fantastic compared to some of the others that have been circulating, based on the fact that you can see the roof as it should be, followed by the minimal damage resulting in leaks. All this before blizzard hell broke loose. The roof, unable to sustain the weight, simply sagged like the excess skin of a lap-band recipient, and finally gave way to the snow.

Obviously the game between the NY Giants and the Minnesota Vikings won’t be played in Minneapolis, and has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit. Ticket holders to the game will be given dibs to the good seats in Detroit, and the general admission seats will be offered for free–first come, first served.

Enjoy the video.

http://www.manolith.com

'The Amazing Race': 'Sancho Panza's master'

2010-12-13T01:49:00.000-08:00

Doctors Nat and Kat are your"Amazing Race" Season 17 winners. They bested second place team Brook and Claire and third place team Thomas and Jill.

At the start of the last leg, the pairs left within roughly 30 minutes of each other, so it really was anybody's game going into the final stretch. They flew to Los Angeles, more specifically the pier at Long Beach.

There they had to ride a bungee swing in order to get the next clue. It was awesome, like bungee jumping but not quite as scary. During the bungee swing, Nat said, "I didn't even pee my pants." We're sad that wasn't the episode title.

Following the bungee swing the teams had a road black where they had to help decorate a Tournament of Roses Parade float. Thomas, the last man standing, struggled a bit with the road block. Brook and Nat were both a lot more comfortable with the challenge, but all three teams still finished fairly quickly.

The next clue forced them to figure out clues, including who Sancho Panza's master was. Don Quixote is the answer and it was directing them to Quixote Studios where they had to play a game show-like challenge. The challenge was to pick out the 11 greeters from each pit stop (from a grid of 48) and then put them in order.

Nat and Kat got to the challenge first, having used their cabbie's phone to help solve the clues. Brook and Claire were hot on their heels after using some hotel internet. Thomas and Jill? Just got angry and frustrated and Thomas was a bit of a jerk about their cab driver.

The good doctors got through the greeters challenge and took off for the finish line. The editing would've had you believe Nat and Kat were in danger because of stopped traffic, but we have a feeling it wasn't as close as that.

How do you feel about Nat and Kat winning? And better yet, how do you feel about"Unfinished Business" for Season 18?

By Andrea Reiher

http://blog.zap2it.com

‘The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business’ Cast

2010-12-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

Amazing Race season 17 crowned its winners, Nat and Kat, few hours ago on CBS.

Fans of the hit reality show are already focusing on the next season ‘The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,’ that will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 on CBS.

Amazing Race season 18 is already looking like a winner, it will see the return of fan-favorite teams.

A trailer for the upcoming season was released and it says: “They are some of the most memorable, dynamic, and interesting teams ever to run the race. They didn’t come in first. Some didn’t cross the finish line. But you love them anyway. For these teams, the ‘Amazing Race’ competition has always been unfinished business.”

So who made the cut for this new joyous ride?

Amazing Race Season 18 Unfinished Business will have 13 legs with 12 teams competing for the big prize.

-Cord and Jet
-Mel and Mike
-Zev and Justin
-Jaime and Cara
-LaKisha and Jennifer (Kisha & Jen)
-Herb and Nate
-Kynt and Vyxin
-Ronald and Christina
-Gary and Mallory
-Margie and Luke
-Flight Time and Big Easy
-Amanda and Kris
-Michael and Kevin

Who do you think will win?

http://www.tvopi.com

Band Bajaa Baraat : Better Bitter “Binness”

2010-12-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

The chemistry between debutante Ranvir Singh (Bittoo Sharma) and the promising Anuskha Sharma (Shruti Kakkar) is undoubtedly the highlight of this musical entertainer that keeps you engaged for most parts.

Singh plays a fun-loving, rustic Jat to perfection (you feel he was plucked - ripe and fresh - from the sugarcane fields of Saharanpur) while Sharma takes her proven credentials (Rab ne banaa di Jodi, Badmash Company) to the next level with her superb, restrained performance as a starry-eyed Janakpuri Delhi girl. Both come together to form a venture that’s both recession-proof and inflation-friendly (more so in North India, we are inclined to believe) - the planning of Weddings. She’s sure of the costs and benefits of the project; he’s excited about any ‘binness’ that keeps him away from the native sugar cane.

‘Shaadi Mubarak’ takes off and soars high - thanks to the couple’s ingenuity and a god sent value chain of decorators, caterers, DJs and event managers. After conquering the working-class milieu of Janakpuri, Shaadi Mubarak marks its debut in the upmarket confines of Sainik Farms. From lakhs to crores, their triumph is now at its peak…So, now it’s time to hit the nadir, at least the Bollywood formula tells you so.

So, in the frenzy of the celebration, the heroine breaks her own rule book - mixes ‘pyaar’ with ‘vyapaar’ in the proverbial night of passion and emotion. She’s in love but calls it dove when the hero fails to reciprocate her ‘true’ feelings. Yet, deep within, she’s smitten with rage that finally spells the end of their corporate partnership. But the ‘market’ wants them back, so do the alliance partners - so a forced reunion happens for the sake of ‘binness’ that predictably makes way for the usual melodrama of lovelock and wedlock.

The first half of the film is arresting - what with every frame, every dialogue tailored to the occasion. It’s only when the forced ‘break-up’ is imposed on the film that it loses momentum. It’s not clear why should the hero should be averse to love in the first place, more so when he pines for her the moment he knows she’s getting married to someone else. Yes, the film does hint at his fun loving and flirtatious nature but ‘Bittoo’ hardly reflects it on screen. We needed more plausible cues from the script to justify the hero’s initial detachment as also his fag-end desperation. But the director and the writer should share the blame for this mishap, not the actors who leave no stone unturned to lend meaning to their roles.

Anushka Sharma is undoubtedly one of the very few heroines from the current crop who can be called ‘actresses’. In fact, with this film, she has raised the bar for the leading ladies of the Hindi film industry. She has a natural flair for comedy but she’s equally impressive in intense, solemn moments. The rugged Ranvir is simply outstanding in his debut. He has shown great promise but only time will tell if he can prove his versatility in portraying sophisticated roles, given his unkempt and unconventional looks. The artistes playing inconsequential parts in this film are all accomplished artistes - whether Bittoo’s friends, Shruti’s parents, Shaadi Mubarak’s service providers or its customers.

The promos of this Yash Raj banner were quite misleading - the clichéd “Shaadi baraat” theme and an unusual lead pair hardly looked promising. But the film, we must admit, has turned out to be quite a revelation but for the flawed script that took away some of the fun towards the end.

Rielle Hunter: Making Wedding Plans?

2010-12-13T01:33:00.000-08:00

It's been just a couple of days since Elizabeth Edwards has passed. And, while her family, friends and the public are all mourning her death, rumor has it that the mistress of John Edwards, Rielle Hunter, is eager to become the next Mrs. Edwards soon.

According to what we're reading, RadarOnline, which claims to have the exclusive scoop on the matter, quotes a source close to both Rielle and the Edwards family: "Rielle has been very patient through all of this. She still believes that John is her soul mate, and she thinks that they're going to get married."

OUCH. Now that's cold. And, if you ask us, hearing that Rielle seems eager to get her hooks into John immediately after his estranged wife's passing paints Rielle out to be a pretty calculating lady. But, what's to be expected when you're accused of breaking up what once appeared to be the perfect political couple? We can't say that we expected her to have a massive fan club, we'll tell you that. Is Rielle Hunter Cheating On John Edwards?

This twist does add yet another layer to the Elizabeth-John-Rielle saga. Plus, there was that whole rumor about her being on the hunt for a new man when it seemed like John was dragging his feet on marrying her... Yep. Rielle's not looking so hot right now.

But, the somewhat redeeming element here is that we're thinking thoughts of marriage are likely one-sided right now. Reportedly, John was by Elizabeth's side when she passed, which probably means his former wife is still at the top of his mind. And we're thinking that Elizabeth's wishes (and not Rielle's) will continue to be front and center for John right now as he mourns her death and spends time with his family. Did Elizabeth Edwards Forgive John Before Her Death?

By Jenina Nunez, http://www.yourtango.com

Photo Credit: INF

Report: Yankees made a one-year offer to Russell Martin

2010-12-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

A source tells Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the Yankees have offered Russell Martin a one-year contract.

We know that the Red Sox and Blue Jays also have interest, while Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger reported Thursday that a “mystery team” offered a multi-year contract. If Martin signs a one-year deal with a club, he will remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next winter.

Feinsand wrote yesterday that the Red Sox appear to be Martin’s first choice, presumably because he feels he has a better chance to beat out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek for playing time than he would with Jesus Montero and Francisco Cervelli in New York.

Martin, who turns 28 in February, batted .285/.373/.433 from 2006-2008, but has a modest .249/.350/.330 batting line over the past two seasons. He’s also working his way back from a season-ending hip fracture.

D.J. Short, http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

Son of Pink Floyd legend is arrested over 'insult to war dead' during London's student riots

2010-12-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Pink Floyd guitarist’s son seen swinging on the Union Flag at the Cenotaph was arrested yesterday on suspicion of criminal damage and violent disorder.

Charlie Gilmour, 21, who is the adopted son of musician David Gilmour, caused national outrage when he grabbed the Union flag during the riots last Thursday.

He was pictured clutching a rock for use as potential ammunition against the police and allegedly boasted of ‘taking so many batons’ during the violent clashes.

Arrested: Charlie Gilmour throws and catches a rock while wearing latex gloves during Thursdays's protests

The Cambridge University history student was also in the mob that surrounded Prince Charles and Camilla.

As these exclusive pictures show, Charlie Gilmour – the adopted son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who is worth about £78 million – seemed prepared for violence as mayhem erupted during the protest over university tuition fees.

Anarchy UK: Gilmour was also photographed attempting to start a fire

outside the Supreme Court. Police arrived to put out the flames

The 21-year-old grabbed the stone from roadworks in Whitehall. With a scarf wrapped around his face in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his identity, the long-haired Cambridge history student tossed and caught the missile menacingly with his right hand as police struggled to defend the Palace of Westminster from the mob.

In another possible sign of sinister intent, he wore latex gloves during the demonstration.

There was speculation last night that he might have been trying to avoid leaving incriminating fingerprints.

Disrespectful: Gilmour swinging from the Union flag at the Cenotaph

Another theory was that the gloves were there to ensure no paint got on his hands.

Unlike impoverished students campaigning peacefully against the fees rise, Gilmour is unlikely to face money troubles since his adoptive father is estimated to be worth £78million. Yesterday Mr Gilmour said he had ‘no comment’ about the behaviour of his son.

Mr Gilmour attended £9,000-a-term Lancing College in West Sussex.

He was adopted by the Pink Floyd star after the protester’s mother, author and journalist Polly Samson, separated from his father, the poet Heathcote Williams.

On Friday his mother posted a message on her Twitter account saying: ‘I am as ashamed of him as he is of himself.’

Miss Samson married David Gilmour in 1994 and they have homes in London and Hove in Sussex. The musician is estimated to be worth £78 million, ranking 861st on The Sunday Times Rich List.

Charlie Gilmour has admitted being close to the car carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall when it was ambushed by paint-throwing demonstrators in Regent Street.

At 8.10pm, less than an hour after the attack on the Royal limousine, he was filmed by the BBC outside Topshop in Oxford Street, half-hiding a woman’s lace-up boot under his coat.

The shoe looks suspiciously similar to boots sold for £85 a pair in the store.

The boot was attached to some sort of pole, possibly a limb from a shop-window mannequin.

A few minutes earlier there had been reports of the West End store being ransacked by protesters.

Yesterday he was arrested at his home in Billingshurst, Sussex, on suspicion of criminal damage and violent disorder. He was taken to a police station where he was also arrested on suspicion of theft.

Last night he remained in custody.

On Friday, Mr Gilmour apologised for his behaviour at the Cenotaph, describing it as an isolated ‘moment of idiocy’.

But last night his actions throughout the day of protest came under closer scrutiny as the extent of his involvement became clear.

He first came to the attention of a Mail on Sunday reporter covering the demonstration when he was seen carrying a book of poetry in Parliament Square.

He gave his name as Rafael Lefevre but when we spoke to him the following day he admitted this was a pseudonym he used ‘when dealing with the Press’.

Accompanied by a friend called Ruthven, he joined the main demonstration in Parliament Square.

Holding a red and black flag in one hand and the volume of verse in the other, he clambered on to the reinforced barrier protecting Parliament and began reciting Byron and Keats to the riot police lined up on the other side.

A female officer shouted to him: ‘Get down or you will be arrested.’ However, he disappeared from view as violence erupted.

Asked the following day if he was the man filmed by the BBC shortly after the Royal car was attacked, Mr Gilmour said: ‘Yes, I was close by. It was getting really heavy and that’s when I thought, “I’ve got to go.” ’

Referring to the Cenotaph incident, he said: ‘I’ve got myself in a terrible scandal. I’m absolutely devastated by what I’ve done.

‘I saw this flag hanging up there. It was a great big flag. It turned out that it was hanging on a very sacred monument.

‘I was rightly told off by the other protesters. I am extremely respectful of the soldiers who gave their lives. I was just caught up in the excitement of the moment.’

When told he had been seen with the boot and pole, he said: ‘Oh s***, I’ve got to go. There’s someone at the door.’

Friends have claimed he may have taken the hallucinatory drug LSD during the protest.

There is a moving reference to the Cenotaph in the Pink Floyd song Southampton Dock, and David Gilmour’s former bandmate Roger Waters lost his father in the Second World War and has written extensively about his loss throughout his career.

This is the 35th arrest over Thursday's protests. Police have released photos of 14 other people they want to question.

By GRAHAM JOHNSON, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Dubai World's chairman replaced with ruler's uncle in shake-up of indebted conglomerate

2010-12-13T00:57:00.000-08:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Dubai's ruler has replaced the longtime head of Dubai World with his close aide and uncle as the debt-laden conglomerate works to retool its business.

Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was named chairman of the sprawling conglomerate, whose holdings include seaports, high-end retailer Barneys New York and a stake in Las Vegas casino operator MGM Mirage, in a decree carried Sunday evening by state news agency WAM.

The order reshuffled the rest of the company's board too, giving seats to top lieutenants of Dubai's ruler who are charged with cleaning up the emirate's financial troubles.

Among them are Mohammed al-Shaibani, director of the Ruler's Court, the seat of executive power in the emirate, and Ahmed Humaid al-Tayer, who heads the Dubai International Financial Center banking hub.

Sheik Ahmed replaces as chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who spearheaded Dubai World's supercharged growth but also oversaw the accumulation of what turned out to be unmanageable levels of debt.

Sheik Ahmed holds multiple roles in Dubai. He is best known as the chairman and CEO of Emirates, the city-state's rapidly expanding international airline, and is president of Dubai's civil aviation department. He also chairs a government committee set up to oversee Dubai World in the wake of the emirate's financial crisis.

Dubai World is at the center of the emirate's financial troubles, which erupted late last year when the conglomerate called for new terms on billions of dollars of debt it owed. The surprise announcement and the uncertainty that followed rattled markets the world over.

The company has taken steps since to get its finances in order. It won full support from creditors for its $24.9 billion debt restructuring in October following months of negotiations.

Its subsidiary Nakheel, the property developer that spent billions to build Dubai's many manmade islands, is in separate talks to re-negotiate terms on at least $10.5 billion in debt it owes.

Dubai officials said recently the emirate is considering selling more assets and offering shares in state-run companies to raise cash.

Dubai World's new board will have the power to approve asset sales, including real estate, stocks, bonds and other holdings, according to the decree.

By Adam Schreck, http://www.canadianbusiness.com

Best meteor shower of 2010 arrives starting Dec. 13

2010-12-13T00:34:00.000-08:00

Slower-moving Geminids won't require binoculars or a telescope to see.

What should be the best meteor shower of 2010 will occur beginning on the evening of Monday, Dec. 13.

Like most meteor showers, the Geminids will be at their best after midnight (early on the morning of Dec. 14), when the Earth is heading directly into the meteoroid stream. But some will be visible earlier in the night, on the evening of Dec. 13, because the meteors radiant —where they appear to originate — is nearly circumpolar, so they will stay in view above the horizon all night.

This sky map shows where to look to see the Geminid meteor shower.

What causes a meteor shower? Most meteor showers are caused by fragments of old comets scattered along a comets orbit. When the Earth passes through a comets orbit, it sweeps up the fragments, which are heated by friction with the Earth's atmosphere to incandescence, and are visible as bright streaks of light. The Geminid shower is unique in being associated not with a comet, but with an asteroid — 3200 Phaethon.

Phaethon is a very odd asteroid indeed. Its orbit brings it closer to the sun than any other known asteroid, well inside Mercury's orbit. Its orbit is more like that of a comet than an asteroid, but it has never exhibited any of the features which characterize comets: no coma, no gas jets, no dust tail.

When we look toward the radiant of this meteor shower, we are looking into the line of Phaethon's orbit. The meteors appear to radiate from this point in the sky, but this is an effect of perspective, much as railroad tracks appear to diverge as they get closer to us.

The Geminids' radiant is, as the name implies, in the direction of the constellation Gemini, just north of the northernmost of Gemini's two brightest stars, Castor. In the early evening of Dec. 13, the radiant is low in the northeast. By 1 a.m. ET, after the date has changed to Dec. 14, the radiant is almost directly overhead. By 6.a.m., when the shower is at its peak in the Eastern time zone, the radiant is low in the west.

This circumpolar pattern for the radiant means that meteors may be seen all night long, though they tend to be faster and brighter after midnight. It will also help that the moon sets close to midnight, allowing fainter meteors to be seen.

Observing tips How do you observe a meteor shower? The first thing is to dress warmly — much more warmly than the weather might normally make you think — because you won't be moving much. The second thing is to make yourself comfortable so that you can watch the sky: A lawn chair with a reclining back is ideal. And a blanket or a sleeping bag will help keep you warm.

You don't need binoculars or a telescope; in fact these will prevent you from seeing the meteors by restricting your field of view. You want the wide field given by the human eyeball.

It doesn't really matter much which part of the sky you watch, as the meteors can appear anywhere. Early in the evening, they often appear low on the horizon; later at night they are most frequent overhead. You will generally see more meteors if you look away from the radiant, as the meteors 90 degrees away from the radiant have the longest trails.

The most important thing is to be patient. It takes a while for your eyes to adapt to darkness. Then, there are often long periods with no meteors at all, interspersed with more active times when four or five may flash by in a minute. The Geminids are a bit slower moving than their summer cousins, the Perseids, and often end with a tiny explosion — you may hear a popping sound.

If you're clouded out on Dec. 13 or 14, try the night before or the night after: There still should be quite a few Geminids about.

Good luck and clear skies!

Khan takes it on the chin

2010-12-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

"You can't put a muscle on a chin." So goes conventional boxing thinking.

Maybe. But what we witnessed here in Vegas on Saturday night was incontrovertible proof that a fighter's punch resistance can be improved, that it's more than a case of "you've either got it or you haven't".

When Amir Khan was bludgeoned to the point of oblivion by Breidis Prescott in Manchester in 2008, many of us feared there was glass where his jaw should have been and the deficiency would stunt his growth as a prospect.

Khan absorbs a punch from Maidana

Who could have forecast back then that Khan would one day be absorbing thunderous shots from the heaviest puncher in the light-welterweight division?

Four factors have influenced his strengthening of such a key component.

The move up from lightweight to light-welterweight was, he now concedes, delayed too long. "It's a lesson for any young fighter," he told me. "Be truthful and listen to your body."

The process of shedding the five pounds that form the difference between the two divisions left him weakened. In retrospect, his body was a time-bomb.

His move to Los Angeles to train at the Wild Card gym brought him into the embrace of trainer Freddie Roach and - just as importantly - conditioning champ Alex Ariza.

Roach has increased Khan's hand speed and ring awareness while applying the brakes to the mindset of a once hyperactive child. Ariza reshaped Khan's body, shifting weight from the torso and shoulders and relocating it to the thighs.

And, lastly, Khan's courage must be acknowledged and admired.

Bill Caplan, one of the fight game's great publicists and raconteurs, said this week in Vegas how every boxer must one day put his head in the mouth of the cannon.

In taking on Marcos Maidana, Khan boldly went where many cynics said he would never dare to tread. He didn't run, he didn't hide.

On Sunday, I met up with Khan in his suite at the Planet Hollywood Hotel midway up the Strip and his recall of events was remarkably sharp, given that the ringside doctor had recommended he go to hospital for a precautionary brain scan (he got the all-clear and was back at the hotel less than three hours after the final bell).

In particular, his assessment of the 10th round was so accurate, it was almost as if he was watching a replay as he spoke.

He described the overhand right that detonated on his chin and said he was clear in his thinking as he took evasive action for the next two minutes.

At times, he thought about throwing back but opted for safety first.

Towards the end of the round, he sensed that Maidana was blowing hard and so started to return fire. He has learned from the setback against Prescott. In a storm, a fighter must know when to take it on and when to take cover.

In the same way, David Haye recovered from his solitary defeat, against Carl Thompson in 2004, and called on the experience when he got off the floor to beat Jean-Marc Mormeck for two versions of the world cruiserweight titles in 2007.

Khan was adamant Maidana hit him harder than Prescott.

"The Amir sitting here today wouldn't have been knocked out by Prescott," he said.

Considering only 10% of Maidana's opponents have heard the final bell, Khan's achievement in not only surviving the 10th round, but remaining upright throughout, was outstanding.

Maidana, too, showed great valour. Khan remembers the Argentine screaming when felled by a body shot at the end of the first round.

Maidana's treatment from referee Joe Cortez was much harsher than Ricky Hatton received from the same third man in the showdown against Floyd Mayweather three years ago and yet he found the dignity and the humour to avoid excuses.

"I felt I was fighting two men. At one point, I thought the ref was going to punch me," said Maidana.

Maidana was dismissed beforehand as a crude slugger but Khan admitted to being unsettled by the challenger's persistence in cutting off the ring space and, most of all, by his jab. "Freddie told me he's got no jab so it really surprised me," he said.

Even Roach gets it wrong sometimes. And as their relationship develops, Khan will have more of a say in how they work together.

Roach has been through it with Manny Pacquiao, who once followed orders without question but now feels the need to discuss.

In so many ways this week, we've seen how the boy from Bolton has grown up.

He spends long periods away from home and his build-up to this fight included a stay in the Philippines while training alongside Pacquiao. The experiences have hardened him and bolstered his work ethic.

He dispensed with short cuts in favour of the long haul and now the rewards are coming.

Fight of the Year? Probably.

Chin of the year? ...

By Mike Costello,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Gawker Media Websites Hacked, Staff and User Passwords Leaked

2010-12-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

Gawker Media, the blog empire built by Nick Denton,has been hacked.

After bringing the company’s websites to a standstill Sunday, one or more hackers operating under the name Gnosis released a 500 MB file apparently containing Gawker’s source code, commenter and staff passwords, and internal conversations among the company’s employees. The email addresses and passwords of hundreds of thousands of Gawker users have been compromised, the hackers said.

It’s the worst security breach in Gawker’s eight-year history, and a wake-up call to all web publishers.

“We’re deeply embarrassed by this breach,” Gawker said in a blog post Sunday afternoon.

The attack included Gawker’s eponymous flagship property, as well as gadget site Gizmodo and the culture site Jezebel. The successful Gawker hack followed a week of escalating attacks in the wake of Wikileaks’s continued release of U.S. State Dept. documents and counter-attacks by hackers associated with group known as Anonymous, which has staged a counter-offensive called Operation Payback.

Over the last year, Gawker has been covering, with its trademark disdain, the antics of the 4Chan message board, leading 4Chan users to attack the site with denial-of-service attacks in July. That’s the same tactic being used against Visa.com, Paypal.com and Mastercard.com for those companies’ decisions to cut-off the ability to donate to Wikileaks.

But the latest attack is much more serious than a typical denial-of-service attack. Gawker’s attackers managed to infiltrate the company’s content management system (CMS), user database, and internal communications system. The hackers then published a raw file containing that information.

Gnosis took pains to say, in the uploaded file, that they were not 4Chan, even as they gave a shout-out to it, along with Anonymous. 4chan can only be described as one of the most obnoxious (and sometimes hilarious) corners of the net, but it’s not a place where the most sophisticated hackers generally congregate.

Still, Gnosis’s choice of targets and their foul language puts them firmly in the net’s “griefer” culture.

A 500MB file containing thousands of Gawker user IDs, passwords and email addresses was easily available Sunday night. Some of the email addresses and passwords in the file appear to correspond to several prominent current and former Gawker employees. The source code to Gawker’s website was also released, according to the hackers, as were internal chat communications among Gawker employees that mocked 4Chan.

Gawker seems to have regained control of their servers, and are advising readers to change their passwords. However, the real threat is for those readers who use the same password at Gawker that they do for other online services, since the hackers and others are at work breaking the outdated encryption Gawker used to store the passwords. Quite a few have already been broken.

Anyone who has setup up an account to comment on Gawker is advised to change their passwords as soon as possible.

“Gnosis” made clear their disdain for Gawker in the leaked file.

“Fuck you gawker, hows this for ’script kids?’” the hacker wrote. “Your empire has been compromised, Your servers, Your database’s, Online accounts and source code have all be ripped to shreds! You wanted attention, well guess what, You’ve got it now!”

The file, which also includes information about Gawker’s upcoming re-design, was being shared by dozens of people via file-sharing protocol bittorrent Sunday night

The hacker wrapped up the data dump with the following message.

“You would think a site that likes to mock people, such as gawker, would have better security and actually have a clue what they are doing. But as we’ve proven, those who think they are beyond our reach aren’t as safe as they would like to think!”

Photo Credit: Matt Haughey

By Sam Gustin,

http://www.wired.com