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March 4, 2012 at 8:51 pm Comments (0)

VW fan finds success restoring classic Beetles

With nearly 22 million sold, the Volkswagen Type 1, affectionately known as the Beetle, may have helped put the post-WWII world on wheels, but finding one in good condition today is becoming a challenge.

Unless, of course, you know where to look.

Chris Vallone was a graphic artist for a cable TV business network when he began restoring Beetles for fun. With a background in cartooning, he says he always had an affection for the vehicle that looked so much to him like an animated character.

After listing a few of his creations on Ebay, he quickly found that he was far from the only person with a penchant for the People?s Car. His attention to detail attracting the attention of more than a few VW fans online.

So, about five years ago he left the TV game and launched ClassicVWBugs.com with his father, a retired New York City police officer also named Chris. Their nine-car garage is located about an hour north of Manhattan in Congers, N.Y, and business is so good that they?re planning to expand this year. Along with offering restoration services, Chris taps his TV background to produce how-to and other Type 1-themed videos that he have gotten over 1.5 million views on YouTube to date.

Customers either send Chris their beat-up Beetles, or he works with him to find a suitable donor car. Even junkyard quality Type 1s can cost thousands of dollars today, if they?re from a desirable year and have enough original parts. When the hardtop Bug was last sold in the United States in 1977 it had a base price of just $3,000.

Read: The search for the elusive electric Beetle

Chris prefers working on pre-1967 Beetles, which he says are the most valuable for resale, but is especially fond of the 1954-55 models with their pop-out semaphore turn signals and huge ragtop sunroof. Left to his own devices, he prefers to bring them back to as-new condition, and uses only the highest quality parts he can find, often sourced from Europe rather than Mexico, where the Beetle was produced until 2003. That said, he?ll happily take on any Type 1, and even make modifications like using newer more powerful engines in older Bugs, but is sure to let customers know that it?ll likely be a long time before they see a return on their investment if he does.

That outlay can run anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000, but with about a dozen orders currently on the books, it doesn?t seem to be a deterrent to people interested in buying a little nostalgia. Chris says most of his customers either had a Beetle in their family growing up, or remember buying one for fifty bucks in college and driving it cross country or on another adventure. His 1955 daily driver was even accepted to the exclusive 2011 Fairfield County Concours d?Elegance in Connecticut, where it caught the eye of noted car collector, Wayne Carini.

Taking one of his meticulously finished cars for a spin around the twisty roads of the Hudson River Valley is definitely a step back into a different era. It?s easy to forget how small the Beetle was until you get in one and rub shoulders with your passenger while contemplating just how close the windshield is to your face. Seatbelts were an option in the early days, and still are on the most antique of Chris? creations.

The flat-4-cylinder engine pumps out something less than 50 horsepower through the car?s four-speed manual transmission, but once you?re up to speed proves surprisingly adequate as it leaves that distinctive air-cooled symphony in its wake. A pencil-thin steering wheel feels very strange to hands used to thick-rimmed modern tillers, but is an unassisted delight, even if it?s hard to imagine using it to hop onto Interstate 80 and head for California as so many did so many years ago.

They may be pricey as far as used economy cars are concerned, but as time machines, Chris? classic Beetles could be the bargain of the century. Either this one or the last.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/leisure/~3/scHQx35oT9I/

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February 21, 2012 at 1:00 pm Comments (0)

How Windows 8 Phone Compares to Android OS

Windows Phone users have been anticipating the release of Windows 8 for their mobile systems, but don’t really know what to expect. Is Windows 8 going to be the same old Windows Phone operating system we’ve seen since its inception? Or, are we going to see something completely different, as far as carrier and desktop [...]

How Windows 8 Phone Compares to Android OS originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)
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Source: http://feeds.maketecheasier.com/~r/MakeTechEasier/~3/61R8bCwTPMc/20

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February 21, 2012 at 11:00 am Comments (0)

Texas billionaire donates across Republican field with goal of beating Obama

One of the GOP?s biggest financial backers has changed presidential horses.

Again.

Texas billionaire Harold Simmons donated $100,000 to a super PAC supporting the presidential bid of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in January, according to a fundraising report released Monday afternoon.

Simmons has now donated money to just about every Republican candidate — and super PAC — involved in the 2012 Republican primaries.

Simmons got started last February with a donation to Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. In April, he gave money to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign. Less than two weeks later, he sent a check to Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor.

In June, he gave to Romney, who received a $2,500 donation from Simmons. Less than a week later, he sent a check for $100,000 to a political group supporting his home state governor, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The next month, he sent a check to Rep. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who never even got in the race. Sen. Mark Rubio (R-Fla.), tipped as a possible vice-presidential nominee, received a donation from Simmons in August.

When Perry formally entered the presidential race, Simmons gave him the legal maximum of $2,500.

After Perry dropped out of the race, Simmons switched to the surging Gingrich in December by donating $500,000 to a super PAC backing the former House speaker.

A month later, Simmons is back with Romney.

At the end of the day, it may not matter which Republican candidate has Simmons’s backing.

Simmons simply wants to beat President Barack Obama. He has already donated more the $5 million to an independent campaign entity called American Crossroads that plans to spend as much as $300 million to defeat the president and other Democrats.

Click here for more on this story from The Wall Street Journal.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/most-popular/~3/dQTqLvPK7Zg/

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February 21, 2012 at 9:00 am Comments (0)

Officials lower death toll from Honduran prison fire

  • An official says 358 people died, not 382 as previously reported
  • The blaze tore through the overcrowded facility Tuesday night
  • The cause of the fire is unknown

(CNN) — Fire officials on Sunday lowered the number of people they say were killed when a fire ripped through a prison in central Honduras last week to 358.

Sgt. Josue Garcia with the Comayagua fire department said 353 bodies were found at the scene, while five more people died at a hospital as a result of their injuries.

Last week, a fire chief of the same department said 382 people were killed.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the blaze, which tore through the overcrowded facility Tuesday night.

Comayagua’s governor said she received a call from an inmate inside the prison reporting the fire.

“What I know, according to what I’ve been told, is that someone lit a mattress on fire and said, ‘We’re all going to die,’” Gov. Paola Castro said.

Inmates have also complained that guards were slow to open doors for them to escape. Prisoners broke out of the facility any way they could, one survivor said.

“The authorities should have opened the gates,” said Odalis Aleyda Najera, a relative of a victim. “It is preferable to face the responsibility for a mass escape of prisoners and avoid situations like this where there are more than 300 dead inmates.”

The U.S. State Department published a report last April criticizing conditions at Honduras’ 24 prisons.

Prisoners “suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of adequate sanitation,” the report said, citing human rights groups.

CNN’s Helena DeMoura contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_americas/~3/3wRaawmeclY/index.html

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February 21, 2012 at 7:00 am Comments (0)

Rhode Island teen who fought against prayer banner gets scholarship from atheist group

The Rhode Island teen who was recently thrust into the national spotlight for fighting to have a prayer banner at her high school removed, is now receiving a scholarship from an atheist group, MyFoxBoston.com reports.

The American Humanist Association, a national atheist organization, says that Jessica Ahlquist, 16, of Cranston High School West, stood up for her beliefs despite critics and, ?responded well to online threats when she challenged the constitutionality of the display,? MyFoxBoston reports.

The group?s campaign has resulted in $40,000 raised on the website, the Friendly Atheist.

On Feb. 9, FoxNews.com reported that Ahlquist, an atheist, filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union after deciding the banner?s presence in a public school was unconstitutional.

The banner had been hanging for decades, and included the words, ?Our Heavenly Father,? and ?Amen,? according to the report.

A federal judge ordered that the banner be taken down, and Cranston?s school committee decided not to appeal last week, MyFoxBoston reports.

Click here to view the full story at MyFoxBoston.com.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/most-popular/~3/UgTGE83o9H4/

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February 21, 2012 at 5:00 am Comments (0)

Vettel: ‘Red Bull out to dominate again’

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<br/>Reigning constructors' champions Red Bull have unveiled their new RB8 car for the 2012 Formula One season. The RB8 is the UK-based Austrian team's eighth F1 car.
Reigning constructors’ champions Red Bull have unveiled their new RB8 car for the 2012 Formula One season. The RB8 is the UK-based Austrian team’s eighth F1 car.
<br/>The 2012 season will see Red Bull going for a third consecutive constructors' title, having claimed the prize in 2010 and 2011.
The 2012 season will see Red Bull going for a third consecutive constructors’ title, having claimed the prize in 2010 and 2011.
<br/>Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has reigned supreme over Formula One in recent years. The 24-year-old German has won the last two drivers' titles, making him the sport's youngest double world champion.


Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has reigned supreme over Formula One in recent years. The 24-year-old German has won the last two drivers’ titles, making him the sport’s youngest double world champion.

<br/>Vettel's veteran Australian teammate Mark Webber had a frustrating 2011 campaign. The 35-year-old won just one race -- the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix -- and finished the year 134 points behind Vettel in third place.


Vettel’s veteran Australian teammate Mark Webber had a frustrating 2011 campaign. The 35-year-old won just one race — the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix — and finished the year 134 points behind Vettel in third place.

<br/>Lotus displayed their first car since changing name from Renault on Sunday. The Britain-based team's new E20 will be driven by 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Frenchman Romain Grosjean.
Lotus displayed their first car since changing name from Renault on Sunday. The Britain-based team’s new E20 will be driven by 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Frenchman Romain Grosjean.
<br/>Finland's Raikkonen is returning to F1 having spent the last two years enjoying spells in both NASCAR and the World Rally Championship. The 32-year-old won the drivers' title with Ferrari in 2007.


Finland’s Raikkonen is returning to F1 having spent the last two years enjoying spells in both NASCAR and the World Rally Championship. The 32-year-old won the drivers’ title with Ferrari in 2007.

<br/>Swiss team Sauber revealed the new C31 on Monday, with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mexico's Sergio Perez putting the car through its paces.
Swiss team Sauber revealed the new C31 on Monday, with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mexico’s Sergio Perez putting the car through its paces.

(CNN) — Double world champion Sebastian Vettel insists Red Bull can continue to dominate Formula One as the leading marque unveiled their car for the 2012 season on Monday.

German driver Vettel has been unrivaled over the last two years, winning 16 races since the start of 2010 to become the sport’s youngest two-time drivers’ champion.

The 24-year-old’s peerless form — which earned him 11 grand prix wins in 2011 — has also helped Red Bull clinch back-to-back constructors’ titles.

Speaking at the launch of the new RB8, Vettel set his sights on securing a third successive Red Bull clean sweep.

Alonso eyes glory as Ferrari unveil radical new design

“We had a great year,” Vettel told the sport’s official website. “I think we’ll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was.

“We know how special it was and we really enjoyed that but we know how hard it is to be that consistent, always there and nearly every race on the podium.

“So the target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves, so we’ll see how we get on with the new car, the RB8.”

Despite the success of the Austrian-owned, UK-based team — who entered the elite division of motorsport as recently as 2005 — Vettel warned against complacency ahead of the new season, which starts in Australia on March 18.

“At the beginning of last year we didn’t really expect whatever happened last year, so I think it’s the same thing again.

“It would be wrong to go into this season and expect 2011 to happen again … I think it will be very, very tight this year and anything else would be a surprise to be honest.”

The target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves
Sebastian Vettel

New car gives McLaren confidence to end Red Bull dominance

Vettel’s Australian teammate Mark Webber endured a frustrating 2011, securing his first and only win of the year at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on his way to a third-place finish in the drivers’ standings — 134 points behind Vettel.

“Last year wasn’t an amazing season, but it wasn’t too bad for me,” the 35-year-old said. “I still managed to finish third in the drivers’ championship … so it was a great way for me to finish the year with the victory in Brazil and many strong results.

“We’re always learning as athletes and I’m looking forward to 2012, it’s got some great opportunities for me. You know the old cliche, take each race as it comes, but that’s how it will be initially and we’ll go from there.”

Another veteran on the grid next year will be Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, who is returning to the sport after a two-season absence.

The former Ferrari driver has joined Lotus — who competed in last year’s championship as Renault — and spoke of his excitement at the launch of the team’s new E20 car.

“Formula One is something very special in my racing career,” said the 32-year-old, who participated in NASCAR and the World Rally Championship in his break from F1.

I think we’ll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results
Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus

“You always want to race at the toughest level, so Formula One is where you want to race if you have a choice.

“I think we’ll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results. I want a strong enough car to challenge for good results.”

Swiss team Sauber also showcased their new car on Monday, with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mexico’s Sergio Perez on hand to take the C31 for a spin.

Kobayashi finished last season in 12th place, four positions and 16 points ahead of Perez, and he is looking forward to his third year with the team.

“We’ve been through a lot together and can benefit from our shared experiences,” Kobayashi said. “In my first year with the team we had a bad start but a good second half to the season.

“The second year was the exact reverse. In our third year together we should be a reliable bet to finish consistently in the points. I’m really looking forward to the new season with the Sauber team.”

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_motorsport/~3/KhN2DEe096A/index.html

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February 21, 2012 at 3:00 am Comments (0)

Rihanna and Chris Brown, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant spark rumors: Who should not get back together?

Today is Rihanna’s 24th birthday, and who does she want on her “Birthday Cake”? Chris Brown, if you believe the reports.

According to MTV, the song’s producers, Da Internz, said their upcoming remix of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” features a cameo that would “shock the world.” Rumors of both a professional and a personal collaboration with Brown began to fly, especially after the ex-couple was seen embracing in purported photographs from her birthday party.

SODAHEAD SLIDESHOW: Who should NOT get back together? 

Last Thursday, Miss Info blogged that Brown IS featured on the “Cake” remix — but Da Internz denied it in a deleted tweet. Miss Info later updated her story, explaining that Rihanna is allegedly being pressured to shelve the “Birthday Cake (Remix).”

So has the superstar duo reconciled, three years after Brown pleaded not guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend? Not likely, given that the newly minted Grammy-winner was recently photographed hanging out with girlfriend Karrueche Tran — and being attacked by a flock of seagulls, according to The Daily Mail.

PHOTOS: See the latest celebrity pictures to hit the Internet. 

Meanwhile, TMZ is reporting that Kobe and Vanessa Bryant may call off their divorce … From Rihanna and Chris to Kobe and Vanessa to Heidi and Seal, let us know: Which celeb couple should NOT get back together?

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/entertainment/~3/ZplHtkET7Jo/

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February 21, 2012 at 1:00 am Comments (0)

Crude Behavior: Iran Plays Petrol Card, Oil Prices Soar

Iran’s move to cut off oil shipments to Britain and France is expected to have little or no effect on supplies, but had an immediate effect on world prices Monday, as oil prices jumped to a nine-month high above $105 a barrel.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark March crude was up $1.91 to $105.15 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the day, it rose to $105.21, the highest since May. The contract rose 93 cents to settle at $103.24 per barrel in New York on Friday.

Markets in the United States are closed Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

Iran’s oil ministry said Sunday it stopped crude shipments to British and French companies in an apparent pre-emptive blow against the European Union after the bloc imposed sanctions on Iran’s crucial fuel exports. They include a freeze of the country’s central bank assets and an oil embargo set to begin in July.

Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi had warned earlier this month that Tehran could cut off oil exports to “hostile” European nations. The 27-nation EU accounts for about 18 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

The EU sanctions, along with other punitive measures imposed by the U.S., are part of Western efforts to derail Iran’s disputed nuclear program, which the West fears is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Iran denies the charges, and says its program is for peaceful purposes.

Analysts said Iran’s announcement would likely have minimal impact on supplies, because only about 3 percent of France’s oil consumption is from Iranian sources, while Britain had not imported oil from the Islamic republic in six months.

“The price rise is more a reflection of concerns about the further escalation in tensions between Iran and the West,” said commodity analyst Caroline Bain of the Economist Intelligence Unit. “Banning the tiny quantities of exports to the U.K. and France involves very little risk for Iran ? indeed quite the opposite, it catches the headlines and leads to a higher global oil price, which is something Iran is very keen to encourage.”

Oil prices also rose on hopes that Greece’s new bailout deal will be approved on Monday as well as by China’s decision to boost money supply bid to spur lending and economic growth. China’s central bank said Saturday it will lower the ratio of funds that banks must hold as reserves, a move that frees tens of billions of dollars.

Oil has jumped from $96 earlier this month amid optimism the global economy may grow more this year than previously expected. J.P. Morgan raised its Brent crude price forecast to as high as $135 from $120 ? on Monday, the April Brent crude contract was up 79 cents at $120.37 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

“Building economic momentum has the potential to pull oil prices higher for the next 12 to 24 months,” J.P. Morgan said in a report.

In other energy trading in March contracts, heating oil gained 1.61 cents to $3.2050 per gallon and gasoline futures rose 3.2 cents to $3.22 per gallon. Natural gas lost 4.8 cents to $2.636 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/20/oil-prices-jump-to-month-high-after-iran-cuts-exports/

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February 20, 2012 at 11:02 pm Comments (0)

Mickelson retains lead at Northern Trust Open

Phil Mickelson had more of a mixed day on day two of the Northern Trust Open but remains top of the leaderboard.
Phil Mickelson had more of a mixed day on day two of the Northern Trust Open but remains top of the leaderboard.

(CNN) — Phil Mickelson continued his recent run of good form at the Northern Trust Open in California on Friday shooting a one-under par round of 70 to lead by one at the halfway stage.

The 41-year-old opened his second round where he left off on Thursday with a birdie at the first hole but experienced more mixed fortunes for the remainder of the day.

An eagle at the par-four eighth, where Mickelson holed his approach shot, was bookended with bogies at seven and nine and a birdie two at the par-three 16th was then cancelled out by a bogey five at the last.

Resurgent Mickelson sets early pace at windy Riviera

“I probably didn’t play the greatest today, but I was able to kind of salvage a good round and had a good break on eight where I holed out from the fairway; that was a nice little bonus,” Mickelson said, PGATour.com reported.

I probably didn’t play the greatest today, but I was able to kind of salvage a good round and had a good break on eight where I holed out from the fairway
Phil Mickelson

“I put myself in contention heading into the weekend, which is what my initial goal was. And so with 36 holes to go, I’m right in the thick of it. I’ve got to go out and shoot some low scores, because they’re out there,” he added, PGATour.com reported.

Mickelson’s nearest challenger is American Pat Perez who carded a six-under par 65 to jump 34 places up the leaderboard to claim second place on his own.

Australian Jarrod Lyle also shot a 65 to leave him in tied for third on four-under along with Sweden’s Carl Petterson and Americans Jimmy Walker (66), Matt Kuchar (69) and Jonathan Byrd (70).

Bubba Watson, Spencer Levin and Australia’s Marc Leishman are a shot further back on three-under par.

Ten players, including England’s Justin Rose, South Korea’s K.J. Choi and America’s J.B. Holmes are currently tied for 11th on two under.

Holmes, who is appearing in only his fourth PGA Tour event since having brain surgery in September, shot a two-over par 73.

World number one Luke Donald is on level par after posting a one-over par round of 72.

The secret to beating Tiger? Ask Butch

Meanwhile at the Avantha Masters in India, South Africa’s Jbe Kruger will take a shot lead into Sunday’s final round.

Two eagles and two birdies helped the 25-year-old to a third round 66 to finish on 11-under par.

Halfway leader Peter Whiteford, Germany’s Marcel Siem and France’s Jean Baptiste Gonnet are all one shot back with six players currently tied for fifth place, including Paul McGinley and Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara who shot a third round 64.

Kruger is looking to clinch his maiden European Tour victory but isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“I’m going to try to play how I played today. If it’s meant to be my week, it’ll be mine, so I don’t want to think too far ahead yet,” Kruger said, EuropeanTour.com reported.

“The putts need to go in and I think that’s what defines the winner…My putting has been good and if I can see the line, I’m confident my putts will go in. I’m improving and I’m a lot more experienced, and I think that will give me the edge,” he added, EuropeanTour.com reported.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_golf/~3/u9MPl_PHX2Q/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 9:00 pm Comments (0)

Oprah’s first academy grads

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<br/>Oprah Winfrey flew to South Africa to attend the first graduation ceremony at her all-girls academy on January 14 2012.
Oprah Winfrey flew to South Africa to attend the first graduation ceremony at her all-girls academy on January 14 2012.
<br/>The TV presenter set up the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls to provide world-class high school education to underprivileged girls.
The TV presenter set up the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls to provide world-class high school education to underprivileged girls.
<br/>Winfrey greets Graca Machel, the wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, on her arrival at the inaugural graduation of the class of 2011.
Winfrey greets Graca Machel, the wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, on her arrival at the inaugural graduation of the class of 2011.
<br/>Winfrey said she feels like a "proud momma" as the academy graduated its first class.
Winfrey said she feels like a “proud momma” as the academy graduated its first class.
<br/>The 71 graduates are heading to prestigious universities in South Africa and the United States.
The 71 graduates are heading to prestigious universities in South Africa and the United States.
<br/>The students of the school are offered free tuition, accommodation, uniforms and meals and have access to its state-of-the-art facilities.
The students of the school are offered free tuition, accommodation, uniforms and meals and have access to its state-of-the-art facilities.
<br/>The walls of the classrooms in Winfrey's academy are plastered with posters that advocate the "You go, Girl!" attitude that Oprah is known for.
The walls of the classrooms in Winfrey’s academy are plastered with posters that advocate the “You go, Girl!” attitude that Oprah is known for.
<br/>Winfrey opened the $40 million school on January 2 2007 in Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg.
Winfrey opened the $40 million school on January 2 2007 in Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg.
<br/>Singer Mariah Carey was among the celebrities attending the opening of the school in 2007.


Singer Mariah Carey was among the celebrities attending the opening of the school in 2007.

<br/>The TV presenter takes the first HIV test at her all-girls academy on Janaury 6 2007.
The TV presenter takes the first HIV test at her all-girls academy on Janaury 6 2007.

(CNN) — Surrounded by the white-clad students of her all-girls academy, Oprah Winfrey is glowing with pride.

And just like many mothers at a graduation ceremony, the talk show queen cannot hold back the tears as the girls she calls her daughters stroll across the stage to accept their diplomas.

“I am one proud mama and for once I think I know what that feels like for real,” Winfrey said before the graduation of the first class of her South Africa-based school last week. “It feels like a real sense of accomplishment. It is a triumph indeed, considering where all these girls have come from.”

The TV star had every reason to be jubilant: In 2007, she had hand-picked all these students as she established the $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls to provide world-class high school education to underprivileged children from South Africa and teach them leadership skills.

Five years later, the 71 graduates of the class of 2011 — all high-achieving young girls who had experienced poverty and personal trauma such as violence, molestation, or loss of a parent — have all been accepted to continue their studies at universities in South Africa and the United States.

It feels like a real sense of accomplishment — it is a triumph indeed, considering where all these girls have come from.
Oprah Winfrey

Oprah: Power, money and compassion

“When I look at them, I see where they’ve been, I see where they’ve come from. I know how hard it is to come up from nowhere and nothing and have almost no support and to have suffered not one or two but on average five, six traumas by the time you actually get in this school,” said Winfrey.

“And now 100% of this class has been accepted into colleges, 10% going to the United States. I mean, that’s pretty incredible.”

Before the graduation, the girls received intensive financial planning counseling and assistance to help them with life beyond the academy, school officials say. A mentoring program has also been put in place to offer them advice during university.

Overall, the boarding school, which spans 52 acres in the small town of Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg, accommodates 400 South African girls of any race, color or origin, aged 12 to 18. The students are offered free tuition, uniforms and meals and have access to the academy’s state-of-the-art facilities, which include modern classrooms, computers labs, sport fields and a 10,000-volume library.

Elite boarding school aims to create Africa’s future leaders

But for all its success and money spent, Winfrey’s academy has not been without its controversies. A few months after opening, the school was rocked by an abuse scandal when one of its matrons was accused of molesting students. The women was acquitted in 2010.

Last year, a student concealed her pregnancy and then secretly gave birth at the school. The baby died and was later found in the student’s school bag.

Winfrey, who lost a child as a teenager and has spoken publicly about abuse she suffered at a young age, said it was her faith in the girls that kept her “steadfast” and “stimulated” amid all the challenges.

“I’ve always believed in the girls,” she said. “I’ve known that no matter what we were going through, the girls were worth it — no matter what happened, the end of the day the girls, the investment in the girls, which is really an investment in the future leadership of this country.”

Africa’s emerging leaders launch 2020 growth vision

The 57-year-old media mogul, who now runs her own channel, appropriately titled OWN, said her next mission is to continue championing the rights of young girls to a better education.

She aims to use the experience garnered over the past five years as a “force for change” to give educational opportunities to more girls from poor backgrounds in other countries and help raise the next generation of female leaders and entrepreneurs.

“You want to change the world, you change a girl’s life,” she said. “What I intend to do now is … take that model and to use it in the world to change the lives of 250 million girls around the world who can’t get an education, who don’t have any asset other than their bodies to use, and therefore they’re sold for dowries, they’re sold off into slavery, they’re married at 11 and 12 years old.”

You were born in the year that apartheid ended in this country. That means that you are a child of freedom — there is no bar.
Oprah Winfrey

Winfrey, who overcame economic hardship as well as racial and gender challenges to become one of the world’s most successful and influential women, says education can help girls from all backgrounds to raise their aspirations.

“In the beginning, I think we had teachers who were like, ‘oh, the girls, they come here disadvantaged.’ So we’ve eliminated that word ‘disadvantaged,’ because disadvantaged allows other people to look at you like you have some kind of disease, and they lower their expectations for what you can be.

“I said, ‘nobody has a disadvantaged brain. Nobody is here with a disadvantaged mind. Nobody has a disadvantaged spirit.’ “

For this “proud momma,” the possibilities are endless for her girls.

“You were born in the year that apartheid ended in this country,” Winfrey tells her school’s students. “That means that you are a child of freedom. There is no bar.”

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_africa/~3/XG6VOUN4LtE/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm Comments (0)

Japan posts record trade deficit

Japan began allowing its nuclear reactors to fall idle after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in March last year.
Japan began allowing its nuclear reactors to fall idle after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in March last year.

(CNN) — Japan — battered by a strong yen, slowing global demand and increased oil and gas imports due to last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster — posted a record trade deficit of $18.7 billion in January, according to official figures released Monday.

The record fall was stoked by greater energy imports of gas and oil following the March 11earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which forced the closure of most of Japan’s atomic power plants.

“The sharp increase of oil price could be the main reason of the sharp deterioration of trade balance,” said Takahide Kiuchi, chief economist for Nomura Securities in Tokyo.

Currently, only five reactors out of 54 in the country are in operation after officials allowed most to fall idle in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

By April, if more reactors are not brought online the country will have no nuclear plants in operation, placing more pressure on its energy suppliers. Liquid natural gas imports alone climbed 28.2% year on year, according to the ministry’s preliminary report.

Last month, U.N. nuclear experts gave a thumbs-up to Japan’s planned “stress tests” for its remaining nuclear power plants to test whether they could withstand another emergency. The team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommended Japanese regulators improve communication with the residents around the plants and address plans for dealing with severe accidents more comprehensively in the wake of the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Monday’s record deficit comes after Japan posted in 2011 its first annual trade deficit in 31 years, and underlines the difficulties facing the export-driven nation as it looks to rebuild.

But the world’s third largest economy faces difficult headwinds with a currency that reached record-high levels in the past year, cutting profits returning home from multinational companies and slowing demand from major trading partners such as the European Union and China.

Exports fell 9.3% year-on-year, according to figures released by the country’s Ministry of Finance Monday. The biggest drop was with China, which fell 20.1%. Exports to Europe fell 7.7%, while trade with the U.S. was up 0.6%.

January was the fourth straight month where imports outpaced exports.

CNN’s Kyung Lah contributed to this report

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_asia/~3/ZBCPCdxsbi0/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm Comments (0)

The secret to beating Tiger? Ask Butch

American golf coach Butch Harmon worked with Tiger Woods for eight of his 14 major triumphs.
American golf coach Butch Harmon worked with Tiger Woods for eight of his 14 major triumphs.

(CNN) — The secret to Phil Mickelson’s recent successes against longtime rival Tiger Woods could lie with the man who has coached both golf superstars — Butch Harmon.

Harmon helped Woods to eight of his 14 major triumphs between 1993 and 2004, and started working with Mickelson three years later.

He was on hand to give the veteran left-hander tips during the pair’s final-round showdown at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

Mickelson bettered his fellow American for the fifth time in a row when they have played together on the last day of a tournament to clinch his 40th PGA Tour title.

Harmon, who has also worked with other top names such as former major champions Greg Norman and Fred Couples, has revealed how he gave Mickelson an insight into what to expect from former world No. 1 Woods.

Mickelson roars to victory as Tiger falls apart at Pebble Beach

“I explained to Phil some things to be aware of when playing with Tiger,” Harmon told the tour’s official website.

“If Tiger putts out first the gallery is going to start moving ahead, so if you have a chance to putt out first it’s in your best interest to do so.

“If it’s close on the back nine, Tiger will sometimes hit three-wood on purpose to make you wait. Tiger’s not doing anything illegal, it’s just a little bit of gamesmanship.”

While four-time major winner Mickelson carded a stunning eight-under-par 64 to surge up the leaderboard and win, Woods collapsed from third to tie for 15th after a 75.

Tiger seeks ‘home’ success as he announces PGA Tour triple-header

But Mickelson took the time to praise Woods, who is currently enduring the longest winless run of his career having not claimed an official tournament victory since November 2009.

“I don’t believe anybody has benefited more from what he’s done for the game than myself,” said Mickelson, who has outscored Woods on eight of the 12 occasions they have played together since he started working with Harmon in 2007.

I explained to Phil some things to be aware of when playing with Tiger
Butch Harmon

“He seems to bring out the best in me and the last four or five years. I just seem more focused. “

Mickelson also spoke of the “little bit of inspiration” his wife Amy — who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 — had given him when it looked as if the tournament was slipping away on Friday.

A pep talk from her helped him overhaul a six-shot deficit on leader Charlie Wi on Sunday.

“I think it’s a good lesson for me to learn that if you never give up and you stay and you fight hard, you can fight through some bad stretches and still come out on top at the end of the week because you just never know when it’ll turn,” he said, before acknowledging his recent lack of form.

The 41-year-old finished 26th at his previous outing in Phoenix, having missed the cut at Torrey Pines and tied for 49th in his season opener at the Humana Challenge in California.

“Prior to the Humana, I had played eight to 10 rounds like Sunday’s final round, and I’ve been wondering where that has been these last three weeks,” he said ahead of Thursday’s opening round at the Northern Trust Open , where he tasted victory in 2008 and 2009.

“I was wondering what happened those three weeks because I had been playing well prior, and I’m just glad it finally came out when I needed it the most.”

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_golf/~3/QCkL6H734U0/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 3:00 pm Comments (0)

Costner delivers poignant eulogy for co-star Houston

Costner on Houston: Our bond was church

(CNN) — A blockbuster movie could not have been scripted better: a woman whose unparalleled voice earned her the kind of single-name recognition that felt like an unbearable burden.

Fitting, then, that superstar Kevin Costner should eulogize his co-star in this way.

At Whitney Houston’s funeral Saturday, Costner recalled a woman who doubted herself when she need not have.

He revealed how Houston was chosen to star with him in the 1992 movie “the Bodyguard.” Few had confidence in Houston — she had never acted before. A lot was riding on this role, he said, and the studio was unsure about giving it to a black woman.

But Costner thought she was perfect, though she would have to prove it to the studio with a screen test. In her trailer, he took her nervous hands in his; told her she looked beautiful.

“I could still feel the doubt,” he said.

She asked for some time and after 20 minutes appeared for the screen test.

“We hadn’t said four lines when we had to stop,” Costner recalled. “I needed to know what she had done in those 20 minutes.”

He stood her in front of a mirror, her makeup running down her face.

In those 20 minutes, she had wiped off the studio makeup and applied her own, the thick heavy kind she wore for her music videos, the kind that melted under the heat of studio lights.

She didn’t think the lighter makeup made her look good enough. To Costner, Houston seemed so small and sad at that moment.

“You weren’t just pretty. You were as beautiful as a woman could be,” Costner said in front of a packed Newark church.

“Whitney, if you could hear me now, I would tell you: You weren’t just good enough. You were great. You sang the whole damn song without a band.”

Costner, of course, was referring to Houston’s signature song: “I Will Always Love You” from “The Bodyguard.”

“A lot of leading men could have played my part, but you, Whitney, I truly believe, you were the only one who could have played Rachel Marin.”

For her closest friends inside that church Saturday, and strangers who continue to draw inspiration from her voice, Costner’s words hit a painfully honest note about human frailty.

“It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble again,” he said.

Years after “The Bodyguard” hit theaters, reports of Houston’s struggles with drug addiction and a rocky marriage with Bobby Brown surfaced and her album sales declined.

“The inexplicable burden that comes with fame,” Costner said. “Call it doubt. Call it fear. I’ve had mine. I know the famous in the room have had theirs.”

Costner said Houston’s own story could help a new generation of young girls who dream big.

“Maybe they’re thinking they aren’t good enough,” he said. “I think Whitney would tell you: Guard your bodies. Guard the precious miracle of your life. Then sing your hearts out, knowing that there’s a lady in heaven who’s making God himself wonder how he created something so perfect.

“So off you go, Whitney. Off you go,” Costner said in closing.

“Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father. And when you sing before him, don’t you worry. You’ll be good enough.”

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_entertainment/~3/33o8hWFje2s/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 1:00 pm Comments (0)

Tiger seeks ‘home’ success in Honda bow

Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods last won a tour-sanctioned tournament in November 2009.
Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods last won a tour-sanctioned tournament in November 2009.

(CNN) — Tiger Woods is looking to the familiarity of home as he continues his search for a first full-field tournament win in over two years.

The former world No. 1 has announced he will play three PGA Tour events in the next month, including the Honda Classic in Florida for the first time in his professional career.

The tournament is held in Palm Beach Gardens, which is near the 14-time major champion’s home on Jupiter Island — where he moved last year after his 2010 breakup with ex-wife Elin Nordegren following the scandal about his extramarital affairs.

“I’ve heard great things about the Honda Classic,” Woods told his website. “Now that I live there, I want to play whenever possible.”

He missed the cut as a 17-year-old amateur in 1993 when the tournament — which since 2007 has benefited the children’s charity of golf legend Jack Nicklaus — was played at the Weston Hills course.

I’m excited about my start and look forward to keep building
Tiger Woods

“Jack’s involvement in the tournament and the benefits to the local community are also important,” Woods said of the March 1-4 event.

Its current venue, the PGA National, is rated as one of the toughest courses on the U.S. circuit.

“We obviously are thrilled to have Tiger Woods play,” tournament director Ken Kennerly told the tour’s website. “We have worked hard for five years to make this one of the premier events on the PGA Tour.

“This is a testament to where the tournament has come, and a testament to Honda’s 31 years as the longest-standing sponsor on the PGA Tour.”

World No. 18 Woods, who slipped out of the top 50 last year, will also line up at next week’s WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona next week — an event he has won three times.

After the Honda Classic, Woods will stay in Florida for the WGC Cadillac Championship a week later, where he has tasted victory on a record eight occasions.

Woods will be in illustrious company at Doral, with world No. 1 Luke Donald and 2011 U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy both confirming their attendance on Tuesday.

The American has shown signs of returning to form in recent times, finishing tied for third at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship last month and winning the Chevron World Challenge event he hosts in December.

“I’m excited about my start and look forward to keep building,” said the 36-year-old, whose last tour-sanctioned win was in Australia in November 2009.

“I’ve made great strides from last year and hopefully all my hard work will pay off with a victory soon.”

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_golf/~3/GbsAh6S5Ykk/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 11:00 am Comments (0)

In-form Mickelson sets early pace at Riviera

Phil Mickelson has won the Northern Trust Open twice, among his 40 PGA Tour victories.
Phil Mickelson has won the Northern Trust Open twice, among his 40 PGA Tour victories.

(CNN) — Four-time major winner Phil Mickelson entered last week’s Pebble Beach tournament without a PGA Tour success since April 2011, but now the American golfer has a chance for his second victory in a week.

In a sport where victors struggle to follow one title with another, the veteran left-hander made the perfect start to the Northern Trust Open in California as he claimed the early lead on Thursday.

Having carded a stunning final-round 64 to win the AT&T National Pro Am on Sunday, the 41-year-old fired an impressive five-under-par 65 despite difficult conditions at Riviera Country Club.

Mickelson handled the blustery winds on the Pacific Palisades course to open up a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Hunter Mahan and compatriot J.B. Holmes, while several players had yet to complete their opening rounds.

The highlight was his approach from nearly 300 yards at the par-five 11th which gave him an eagle chance.

I was trying to get good speed and try to let it feed with the break, and I got fortunate
Phil Mickelson

The secret to beating Tiger Woods? Ask Butch

Mickelson’s attempt finished agonizingly short of the hole, but he was still able to recover and hole a birdie putt.

“I didn’t think it was going to necessarily be reachable into that wind, but I was able to hit a low drive off the tee that scooted along the ground,” he told the PGA Tour’s website.

“I felt like if I could hit one more of those with a driver I could get right up by the green. I felt like it was worth the risk to try to scoop one up.”

Mickelson, who won this event in 2008 and 2009, caught a lucky break on the 18th when his chip from behind the green found the cup for a sixth and final birdie of the round.

“It wasn’t one I was really trying to make. It was quick, it was downhill, and I had to play about four or five feet of break, so it’s not one that you’re trying to get aggressive with,” he said.

“I was trying to get good speed and try to let it feed with the break, and I got fortunate, obviously, that it went in.”

Holmes, returning to the fold this year after brain surgery, bounced back from the third-round 80 that meant he missed the cut at Pebble Beach.

“It was really difficult. We got about four holes where the wind wasn’t blowing. It was whipping most of the day on us,” he said.

American Jonathan Byrd and Sweden’s Carl Petterson were tied for fourth on three under.

South Korea’s K.J. Choi, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink shot 69s to sit in an eight-way tie for sixth.

World No. 1 Luke Donald, his fellow Briton Justin Rose and 2011 U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples were all on one under after opening rounds of 70.

The 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, world No. 10 Dustin Johnson and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson were one shot further back.

Meanwhile, American golfer John Daly has pulled out of the European Tour’s Avantha Masters in India after injuring his elbow during Thursday’s opening round.

The two-time major winner completed a seven-over 79 after hitting a tree root with his second shot at the ninth hole, he confirmed on his Twitter website page.

“No bones are broken, possible torn ligaments according to European Tour Docs — getting home for X-rays! Back 9 painful to play — hit a root coming down on #9 & snapped my elbow!” the 45-year-old wrote.

Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, ranked 236th in the world, led by two shots at the halfway stage after carding 68 on Friday.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_golf/~3/xELv4NqFBYc/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 9:00 am Comments (0)

3 dead in Washington avalanche

  • NEW: The eight people missing might have been found
  • NEW: The avalanche happened outside of the “ski proper area”
  • NEW: Heavy snow has fallen in the region recently

(CNN) — Three people were killed Sunday in an avalanche near a ski resort in Washington state, a spokeswoman for the King County Sheriff’s Office said.

Sgt. Cindi West first reported that eight people were missing, but later said she heard they were found.

“We’re hearing that everybody’s accounted for, but I don’t want to confirm that until we know for sure,” she said. “We’re hoping.”

The avalanche near the Stevens Pass ski area in the Cascade Mountains happened around noon, local time, outside of the “ski proper area,” West said. Heavy snow has fallen there recently. A post on the resort’s website Sunday reported that more than 2 feet of snow fell overnight Saturday.

In a separate incident Sunday, a snowboarder was found dead near Snoqualmie Pass in the same mountain range. The cause of death was not immediately known.

CNN’s Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/9snzBy_gFsc/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 7:00 am Comments (0)

3 Android Apps To Automatically Silence Notifications On A Schedule

Have you ever been in a meeting or other place and forgot to silence your phone? I know I have. In some cases, this can really cause problems, but in general, it is disrespectful in most situations. The other part is, when you silence your Android phone notifications, you have to remember to turn the [...]

3 Android Apps To Automatically Silence Notifications On A Schedule originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)
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February 20, 2012 at 5:00 am Comments (0)

Four for Messi as Barcelona rout Valencia

Argentina striker Lionel Messi scored four times against Valencia to take his league tally for the season to 27.
Argentina striker Lionel Messi scored four times against Valencia to take his league tally for the season to 27.

(CNN) — Lionel Messi scored four times as Barcelona routed Valencia to keep alive their slim chances of overhauling Real Madrid at the top of Spain’s La Liga.

The Argentina striker took his tally for the league season to 27 and has scored 42 in all competitions for the Spanish and European champions this campaign.

Barcelona’s win closed the gap on Real Madrid to ten points, though Jose Mourinho’s side are still the overwhelming favorites to clinch the title with two-and-a-half months of the season remaining.

Valencia opened the scoring at Camp Nou, with Pablo Piatti’s ninth minute strike but a two-goal burst from Messi put Barcelona ahead after 26 minutes.

Messi then pounced on a loose ball in the area to claim his hat-trick before a cheeky, scooped finish when clean through on goal made it four. Spain midfielder Xavi put the seal on an emphatic victory in stoppage time.

Benzema brace helps Madrid stretch lead

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao moved into fourth after a 3-1 win over Malaga — Fernando Amorebieta, Mikel San Jose and Gaizka Toquero with the goals.

Atletico Madrid stayed sixth with a 1-1 draw away at Sporting Gijon, Sebastian Eguren equalizing for the home side after Roberto Canella’s own goal.

Granada moved away from the drop zone after beating Real Sociedad 4-1, both teams having a man sent off, while Mallorca thumped Villarreal 4-0 with Victor Casadesus grabbing two goals.

Rayo Vallecano moved up to eighth with a 5-3 win at Levante, Diego Da Silva Costa and Lass scoring two goals each.

In Italy, AC Milan usurped Juventus at the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Cesena. Sulley Muntari, Urby Emanuelson and Brazilian forward Robinho were on target as Milan went a point clear.

Udinese moved into third place on goal difference despite a 0-0 draw at home to Cagliari, due to Lazio‘s 5-1 defeat at Palermo. A Fabio Borini goal was enough to see AS Roma past Parma and into fifth place.

Novara climbed off the foot of the table after a 0-0 draw at home to Atalanta, while Lecce thumped Siena 4-1 despite going a goal behind. Cyril Thereau scored the winner as Chievo won away at Genoa.

In Germany, Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored twice as Schalke beat VfL Wolfsburg 4-1 as they closed within one point of third placed Bayern Munich.

In Sunday’s other match, Hannover moved level on points with sixth placed Bayer Leverkusen after a 4-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_football/~3/sflaWwO2JK8/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 3:00 am Comments (0)

Dozens killed in Pakistan market blast

  • NEW: Death toll increases to 19
  • Authorities are trying to determine what caused the blast
  • Explosion occurs in a market

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — The death toll has increased to 19 after an explosion Friday at a market in Pakistan’s tribal region, a senior government official said.

The blast wounded 42 people, said Shahab Ali Shah, the top government official of Kurrum Agency, one of the seven districts of Pakistan’s volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Authorities were still trying to determine what caused the explosion, he said.

The incident took place in a market of Parachinar, a town in Kurrum Agency, where people are gathered after their Friday prayer, Shah said.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_asia/~3/JcwHqZUkV-M/index.html

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February 20, 2012 at 1:00 am Comments (0)

Naked rowers break Atlantic record

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<br/>The Row for Freedom team broke the Atlantic crossing record last month with crew members going naked for most of the journey. The unconventional tactic helped them counter the boils and sores that can result when clothes rub against skin.
The Row for Freedom team broke the Atlantic crossing record last month with crew members going naked for most of the journey. The unconventional tactic helped them counter the boils and sores that can result when clothes rub against skin.
<br/>As well as contending with sores and boils, the all female crew were confronted with punishing waves that damaged their boat's equipment.
As well as contending with sores and boils, the all female crew were confronted with punishing waves that damaged their boat’s equipment.
<br/>Row for Freedom Skipper, Debbie Beale, smiles for the camera. The crew kept their spirits high by frequently singing to each other, she says.
Row for Freedom Skipper, Debbie Beale, smiles for the camera. The crew kept their spirits high by frequently singing to each other, she says.
<br/>Helen Leigh (right) and Debbie Beale (left) celebrate their double record breaking achievement upon arriving in St Charles, Barbados.


Helen Leigh (right) and Debbie Beale (left) celebrate their double record breaking achievement upon arriving in St Charles, Barbados.

<br/>The Row for Freedom Team (R-L Debbie Beadle, Kate Richardson, Julia Immonen, Helen Leigh, Katie Pattison-Hart) are already plotting their next adventure but aim to do so fully clothed this time.


The Row for Freedom Team (R-L Debbie Beadle, Kate Richardson, Julia Immonen, Helen Leigh, Katie Pattison-Hart) are already plotting their next adventure but aim to do so fully clothed this time.

(CNN) — Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean may be an extreme test of human endurance but an all female crew who completed the feat discovered a secret tactic to ease the physical burden — rowing nude.

“We spent a lot of time rowing naked because when the sea water gets inside your clothes it increases friction against your skin which can cause sores,” says Debbie Beadle, Skipper of the Row for Freedom team.

“If you row naked it means you don’t rub as much and you also get dry much quicker instead of constantly having wet clothes,” she adds.

The unconventional ploy worked to perfection as Beadle and her fellow crew members — Julia Immonen, Katie Pattison-Hart, Kate Richardson and Helen Leigh — smashed the existing Atlantic crossing record for a boat of five rowers, taking just 45 days.

The British team also became the first all female boat to complete the 2,600 mile voyage between the Canary Islands and Barbados, although they were sure to don clothing as they approached their final destination last month.

See also: Teenager’s historic round the world sail

If you row naked it means you don’t rub as much and you also get drier much quicker
Debbie Beadle, Row for Freedom

“Getting the records was just amazing,” says Beadle. “It was something we worked hard for and were really determined to achieve when we set out.”

The trip followed a route previously used to transport slaves between Europe and the Americas in the 19th century, raising money for UK-based anti-human trafficking charities the A21 Campaign and ECPAT UK.

Beadle, whose day job is a youth worker at ECPAT UK, says the motivation to achieve something notable for such a worthy cause far outweighed any inhibitions that she or the crew may have held.

“We got to know each other very well,” says Beadle as she recalls airing her sores in front of her ship mates after a particularly hard day of rowing.

“What’s been most inspiring since we got back however is that some of the young people that I work with have told me they’ve been inspired by us to take up a 10 kilometer run which is really quite sweet,” she says.

As well as having to improvise to counter boils and sores, Beadle and her crew faced numerous other unexpected challenges during the course of their epic voyage.

It was a great feeling when we realized what we had achieved.
Debbie Beadle, Row for Freedom

She highlights the steering on the boat breaking and losing much of their food when hatches became flooded with sea water as two of the most daunting issues to arise.

“Our water maker, which made most of our water, also broke but in the end we were brought closer together by everything that happened. We even used to sing to each other to keep our spirits up,” says Beadle.

“By the end we were quite dehydrated,” she adds. “But it was a great feeling when we realized what we had achieved.”

See also: Round the world rowing and cycle challenge

Beadle and her crew mates have since returned to their day jobs but are already busy plotting their next mission.

“Because of our focus on human trafficking we are considering traveling across some of the deserts in North Africa which are major trafficking routes,” she says.

But no matter what the crew end up doing next Beadle thinks it likely and preferable that the task will be completed fully dressed.

“It was a necessity at the time but our next mission will definitely be with clothes on,” she says.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_travel/~3/4dYaUGgQ_Cs/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 11:01 pm Comments (0)

Carnival fever seizes Brazil as parades, block parties kick off

  • Pounding drums and fireworks explosions announce the start of each samba school
  • The five-day Carnival in Rio started Friday
  • Neighborhoods across the city host block parties that attract thousands
  • About 850,000 tourists are attending the carnival, officials says

Rio de Janeiro (CNN) — Carnival revelers descended on Rio de Janeiro, flocking to hundreds of block parties and cramming into designated areas to watch elaborate parades from dusk until dawn.

Pounding drums and fireworks explosions announced the start of each samba school that parades down the emblematic strip, flanked by stands with seating for 80,000 spectators.

Dancers with platform heels and little else posed for photographers before bursting onto the dazzling pavement.

Just before the lavish floats hit the Sambadrome, cranes lowered feathered dancers onto podiums where they will dance and swivel their hips nonstop for 40 minutes.

But the five-day Carnival in Rio, which started Friday, is more than just the official parades.

Neighborhoods across the city host block parties that attract thousands — and sometimes more than a million — revelers. They drink and dance behind samba bands that wind their way through the streets.

This year, about 850,000 tourists descended on Rio for Carnival celebrations, according to tourism officials

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_americas/~3/2nVWCgkT-W4/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 9:00 pm Comments (0)

Hiddink takes reins at Russian club Anzhi

Veteran Dutch coach Guus Hiddink is back in club football with Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala
Veteran Dutch coach Guus Hiddink is back in club football with Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala

(CNN) — Veteran Dutch coach Guus Hiddink is the latest man to take the reins at big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, succeeding Yuri Krasnozhan who resigned before he’d even taken charge of a match.

Hiddink has coached his native Netherlands, South Korea, Australia, Turkey and Russia during a long and distinguished career, while at club level he won the European Champions League with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, and the English FA Cup with Chelsea.

The 65-year-old has agreed an 18-month contract at Anzhi, who can boast four-time African player of the year Samuel Eto’o and Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos among their ranks.

The club are owned by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and their stadium is based in the Dagestan region of Russia but the players fly in from Moscow for home games for security reasons. They are currently seventh in the Russian League.

Manchester City complain to UEFA over racist abuse of Balotelli

Hiddink has been out of work since quitting as Turkey coach when they failed to qualify for Euro 2012. It will be his first job in club football for six years and as well as being coach, he will also act as vice president for the club’s development.

The most significant factor for me is that the club is building plans on football development in the republic
Guus Hiddink

“At the end of last year we had long discussions about Anzhi and that’s why now I made a prompt decision,” he told the club’s official website.

“I’m glad to accept such an opportunity, to work not only with the football team but also with my friends who invited me here. The most significant factor for me is that the club is building plans on football development in the republic.

“This is as important as getting results for the first team and I’m going to pay special attention to this. We spoke much with Suleiman Kerimov about this after which I realized what a grand project I was invited to be a part of.

Can Liverpool salvage the Suarez saga?

“I know about ambitions of the owner, the club, the fans, now it’s known to the whole world. I’ll do my best so that the team’s play would satisfy these ambitions.”

Hiddink replaces Yuri Krasnozhan, who joined the club in December last year during the Russian league’s winter break, but he resigned last week before he had taken charge of a competitive match.

The Dutchman had been linked with a return to English club Chelsea, with whom he spent a short stint in 2009 after the sacking of Brazil’s World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Hiddink led the Netherlands to fourth place in the 1998 World Cup and repeated the feat with underdogs South Korea, as they co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.

Four years later he took Australia to their first World Cup in 32 years and reached the quarterfinals. He also won the Intercontinental Cup with Spanish giants Real Madrid in 1998.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_football/~3/DNX8-KxdbKA/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 7:00 pm Comments (0)

Arrests in Italy over $6 trillion fake bonds

  • NEW: $6 trillion is more than twice Italy’s national debt
  • The bonds were discovered as part of an investigation into a local mafia group
  • Arrest order was issued in the southern Italian city of Potenza
  • 8 people arrested after $6 trillion in fake U.S. bonds found in Italy

(CNN) — Italian authorities on Friday arrested eight people in possession of an estimated $6 trillion in counterfeit U.S. Treasury bonds, according to Italian paramilitary police and an Italian news agency.

The discovery of the fake bonds — made to look as if they were printed by the U.S. Federal Reserve in 1934 — came about as part of an investigation into a local mafia association.

The arrest order for the alleged criminals was issued by a preliminary investigative judge in the southern Italian city of Potenza, police noted.

Italian authorities, working with their Swiss counterparts, learned about the counterfeit bonds by way of eavesdropping on wiretapped phones, police said.

The total of $6 trillion is more than twice the Italy’s national debt.

The Italian news agency, ANSA, reported that the bonds were also discovered “alongside copies of the Treaty of Versailles rolled inside lead cylinders.”

CNN can not independently verify that account.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_europe/~3/QTDhJ6L2Jks/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 5:00 pm Comments (0)

Officials among latest killed in Syria

Damon: Syrians are bracing for the worst

Are you there? Send us your images or video

(CNN) — A provincial attorney general and a judge were assassinated Sunday in Syria in what the regime called another attack targeting officials.

Attorney General Nidal Ghazal of Idlib province, Judge Mohammed Ziyadeh and their driver were fatally shot on their way to work by an “armed terrorist group,” the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also acknowledged the deaths, but said the three were killed by “unknown assailants.”

The deaths follow the Saturday assassination of Aleppo city council member Jamal al-Bish, who was also killed by an “armed terrorist group,” SANA said. And last weekend, SANA reported a Syrian general was gunned down in Damascus — perhaps the first significant hint that the resistance is spreading to the seats of power.

But in a country where some civilians live in constant fear of government attack, opposition activists said two more residents died Sunday at the hands of regime forces.

One civilian was shot to death at a security checkpoint in Aleppo, and a woman was killed by indiscriminate gunfire in the embattled city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory said.

As violence spiraled unabated, opposition activists say the regime has snatched up hundreds of doctors.

At least 295 doctors have been arrested during the 11-month Syrian uprising as part of a “fierce campaign” against physicians, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists.

In the past three days, security forces seized three doctors from Damascus — including two from their clinics, the LCC said Sunday.

For weeks, opposition activists have bemoaned a shortage of doctors and medical supplies as parts of Syria came under siege.

Residents — particularly in the opposition stronghold of Homs — describe an endless nightmare of random shelling on houses, snipers perched on rooftops and wounded civilians dying long, painful deaths because they can’t get the medical care needed to save their lives.

Even those mourning the dead can’t escape the government’s relentless onslaught.

At least two people were killed at a massive funeral and protest Saturday in Damascus, the LCC said. Security forces confronted the tens of thousands of mourners and protesters with gunfire and tear gas, the group said.

The two were among 17 killed across Syria on Saturday, according to the LCC.

More than 8,500 people have been killed since the Syrian government’s crackdown on peaceful demonstrators started almost a year ago, LCC spokeswoman Rafif Jouejati said. The United Nations has said well over 5,000 people have died, though it does not have a recent death count due to the conditions in the country.

In recent months, more opposition fighters have taken up arms against government soldiers, police and militia.

World powers decry the violence but have been unable to stop it. Some countries have pulled their diplomats out of Syria.

Egypt decided Sunday to keep its ambassador to Damascus, Shawky Ismail, “in Cairo until further notice,” state-run EgyNews.net reported.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement “calling for a response to the demands of the Syrian people, and that it is an obligation for the Syrian leadership and government to stop the violence and begin to respond to the demands of the people particularly after the events of Homs,” EgyNews.net said.

On Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, not far from where the deadly violence at the mass funeral took place.

“I exchanged clear and profound viewpoints with President al-Assad about the Syrian issue. … China, as a friendly country to Syria, is following with great concern the developments here,” Zhai said, according to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.

China, like Russia, has vetoed attempts by the U.N. Security Council to denounce the al-Assad regime amid escalating reports of government brutality in Syria.

Zhai said China urged all sides “to sit on the dialogue table to reach a comprehensive political plan.”

“I briefed President al-Assad on China’s basic stance image over the Syrian issue. This stance is represented by calling on the Syrian government, armed men and the opposition to an immediate halt of acts of violence against civilians.”

CNN cannot independently confirm opposition and government reports of violence because the Syrian government has severely restricted the access of international journalists.

The Syrian regime has denied reports that al-Assad’s forces are targeting civilians, saying they are fighting armed gangs and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the government.

But the vast majority of accounts from within the country indicate Syrian forces are slaughtering civilians in an attempt to wipe out dissidents calling for al-Assad’s ouster.

CNN’s Salma Abdelaziz, Holly Yan, Joe Sterling, Samira Said and Yousuf Basil contributed to this report

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/WkEY2b_wDfw/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 3:00 pm Comments (0)

How to Fix The Windows XP iertutil.dll Errors

In my work as an IT professional, I’ve recently been encountering a whole swathe of “iertutil.dll” errors on Windows XP machines. I believe this issue is also affecting some Windows Vista installations, however the solutions below are only tested on XP. If you’re one of the unlucky souls who has stumbled into this issue after [...]

How to Fix The Windows XP iertutil.dll Errors originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)
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February 19, 2012 at 1:00 pm Comments (0)

How the web changed fame

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<br/>Kate Upton went from (relative) obscurity as a model to the coveted gig of Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl after she uploaded a video of herself doing a bouncy version of "The Dougie" at an L.A. Clippers game. It quickly went viral, and her path to fame was set. Her 190,467 Twitter followers haven't hurt either.
Kate Upton went from (relative) obscurity as a model to the coveted gig of Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl after she uploaded a video of herself doing a bouncy version of “The Dougie” at an L.A. Clippers game. It quickly went viral, and her path to fame was set. Her 190,467 Twitter followers haven’t hurt either.
<br/>The viral music video of Rebecca Black's song "Friday" was trashed by critics, the vanity release dubbed "the worst song ever." Really? It had about 167 million views on YouTube, which named it 2011's top video of the year. The Internet pop star went on to host MTV's first online awards show, appear on Jay Leno, and have her song performed on "Glee."
The viral music video of Rebecca Black’s song “Friday” was trashed by critics, the vanity release dubbed “the worst song ever.” Really? It had about 167 million views on YouTube, which named it 2011′s top video of the year. The Internet pop star went on to host MTV’s first online awards show, appear on Jay Leno, and have her song performed on “Glee.”
<br/>When he was just a boy in Ontario, Justin Bieber uploaded videos to YouTube of himself performing R&amp;B tunes. He collected an Internet following that soon included the R&amp;B star Usher, who signed him to his media group/record label. Since then, Bieber has become a teenage heartthrob, selling more than 4.5 million copies of his three albums and millions more of his digitally downloaded singles.
When he was just a boy in Ontario, Justin Bieber uploaded videos to YouTube of himself performing R&B tunes. He collected an Internet following that soon included the R&B star Usher, who signed him to his media group/record label. Since then, Bieber has become a teenage heartthrob, selling more than 4.5 million copies of his three albums and millions more of his digitally downloaded singles.
<br/>Comedian Louis CK, already a popular regular-guy comedian, confounded the standard distribution and marketing machine by bypassing it completely and offering his standup video for download on his own site. His enterprise bumped his fame to a new level -- and also made $1 million in 12 days. <br/>
Comedian Louis CK, already a popular regular-guy comedian, confounded the standard distribution and marketing machine by bypassing it completely and offering his standup video for download on his own site. His enterprise bumped his fame to a new level — and also made $1 million in 12 days.
<br/>Turkish photographer Mahir Cagri's home page welcomed viewers with a big "I KISS YOU!!!!!" message, followed by an enthusiastic explanation of his interests -- with pictures -- in not-so-great English. He was an early example (1999) of celebrity conferred on an unsuspecting subject by an Internet audience who hadn't realized they could actually do that. In 2006, the site was included in PC World's "The 25 Worst Web Sites" list.<br/>
Turkish photographer Mahir Cagri’s home page welcomed viewers with a big “I KISS YOU!!!!!” message, followed by an enthusiastic explanation of his interests — with pictures — in not-so-great English. He was an early example (1999) of celebrity conferred on an unsuspecting subject by an Internet audience who hadn’t realized they could actually do that. In 2006, the site was included in PC World’s “The 25 Worst Web Sites” list.
<br/>Joe Moses found Internet fame in the role of Severus Snape, which he performed as part of a musical theatre troupe at the University of Michigan in the viral sensation "A Very Potter Musical." The troupe Team StarKid grew a rabid Internet fan base of tweens and teens that has stuck with Moses even as he moved his talents to Brooklyn, where he works as a bartender, performs in a one-man show, and continues to upload video sketches on his YouTube channel.
Joe Moses found Internet fame in the role of Severus Snape, which he performed as part of a musical theatre troupe at the University of Michigan in the viral sensation “A Very Potter Musical.” The troupe Team StarKid grew a rabid Internet fan base of tweens and teens that has stuck with Moses even as he moved his talents to Brooklyn, where he works as a bartender, performs in a one-man show, and continues to upload video sketches on his YouTube channel.
<br/>Eduard Khil's cheerful, lounge-singer rendition in 1976 of a Russian folk tune, soon dubbed "The Trololo Song," languished in obscurity until it was uploaded to YouTube. It was picked up by ironic websites far and wide, as well as "The Colbert Report," and parodied mercilessly. Khil, in his 70s and living in St. Petersburg, Russia, says he learned from his 13-year-old grandson that he was a viral sensation.<br/>
Eduard Khil’s cheerful, lounge-singer rendition in 1976 of a Russian folk tune, soon dubbed “The Trololo Song,” languished in obscurity until it was uploaded to YouTube. It was picked up by ironic websites far and wide, as well as “The Colbert Report,” and parodied mercilessly. Khil, in his 70s and living in St. Petersburg, Russia, says he learned from his 13-year-old grandson that he was a viral sensation.

Editor’s note: David Weinberger is a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. His books include “Too Big to Know,” “The Cluetrain Manifesto” (co-author), and “Everything is Miscellaneous.” He has written for Wired, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review and many others. He is a marketing consultant, has been an Internet adviser to presidential campaigns, and has a Ph.D. in philosophy.

(CNN) — A year ago, Kate Upton was a pretty young woman. Perhaps not typically model-pretty as The New York Times has noted, but certainly fetching. In the old days, to go from, well, hot to famous, Upton would have needed not just looks but a truckload of luck, for fame was something bestowed by capricious media out to sell their next movie or magazine.

But in the Age of the Internet, all it took was a YouTube video of Upton doing “the Dougie” at a Los Angeles Clippers game. It went viral, and now Upton is on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Fame isn’t what it used to be.

In the old days, fame was controlled not by the famous and certainly not by the audience, but by the owners of the media. It was so foreign and artificial a construct that we thought that fame made you special. The rules didn’t apply to you. You had a certain ethereal glow. A glow of fame.

Now that the Internet has pulled fame inside out, you don’t need to be blessed by the mass media to become famous. To paraphrase Andy Warhol, on the Internet, everyone will be famous to 15 people. In fact, everything important about fame has changed.

To begin with, it used to be that the famous were foisted on us. If they wanted to make “Rosie the Waitress” famous for mopping up spills with a paper towel, they could. If they wanted to make talentless dream boys famous, they did. Now fame is something we do — we the audience, we the people on the Web.

There’s nothing very complicated about how we do it: We create links, and we pass them around. That is the most basic and natural thing to do with a Web like ours.

So, if you happen to come across a video of a fan-made Harry Potter musical spoof, in which you are struck by the presence of a young man named Joe Moses playing Snape, of course you’ll tell your friends using your social media of choice: You tweet, you post on Facebook or you might go old-fashioned and send out some e-mails. Some of your friends will share your enthusiasm, so they retweet, repost, resend.

With astonishing rapidity, the Harry Potter musical accumulated more than 3 million views on YouTube, and young Moses has 41,651 followers on Twitter. Moses, a bartender in Brooklyn, is famous on the Internet.

After winning the Internet, Kate Upton takes SI’s swimsuit cover

This is possible because the basic idea of media has been transformed. In the days of broadcast, a medium was a channel through which messages were passed, connecting the publisher with the audience. Not on the Internet.

On the Web, the medium isn’t the message. The medium is the audience. So, when someone becomes famous on the Internet, it’s because We the Medium decided to move that person’s message along. And this gives rise to two odd Web phenomena.

First, on the Web we sometimes make people famous for inexplicable reasons. For example, one of the first Web-famous people was Mahir Cagri, a Turkish photographer whose home page (remember them?) welcomed viewers with a big “I KISS YOU!!!!!” message.

Mahir’s page was the opposite of slick, and his enthusiastic explanation of his interests was in less than perfect English. There was absolutely no reason in 1999 for his page (which had been slightly “enhanced” by hackers) to go viral. But it did. Certainly some who passed around the link did so to make mean-spirited fun of a man who turned out to be something of a sweetheart.

But many who shared the link to Cagri’s page did so in part because it asserted that we the audience could make an obscure person famous overnight. It was “sticking it to the old media” that had for so many years rammed commercial nonentities into our brains. And it’s happened countless times.

That we can now can make people famous also explains the deglamorization of fame on the Internet. The people we make famous and sometimes rich are usually people like us. They’re flawed. They make spelling errors when they tweet from their mobile phones. They treat us with a rough but real respect.

They are people such as comedian Louis CK, who used the Web’s power to bypass the standard marketing machinery and offer his standup video for download on his own site (he made $1 million in 12 days). He is loved by his fans not despite his flaws, but because those flaws show that he is one of us. And don’t even ask about what happens when a celebrity ventures onto the Web thinking fame makes him not one of us. (Amirite, Woody Harrelson?)

Now, all of this is complicated because we are in a hybrid culture that is shaped both by the broadcast media and by the Internet. Internet celebrities cross over into the mainstream, and the traditional mainstream star-making machinery still works. Just look at the Web’s complex relationship with Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black.

Nothing is simple, especially fame, now that the audience is the medium and fame is of, by, and for us.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Weingarten

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_technology/~3/CczT6iZM8SU/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 11:00 am Comments (0)

Manhunt over Greek museum theft

  • Two suspects are sought in the smash-and-grab robbery
  • They tied up a guard before storming the museum
  • They took 65 to 68 clay and brass statues, and a gold ring
  • It’s the second big theft of this kind in Greece this year

(CNN) — A manhunt was under way Saturday in Greece for two suspects who tied up a guard, stormed the Archeological Museum of Olympia, smashed glass casings and stole dozens of small statues, state media reported.

The robbers took 65 to 68 clay and brass statues, and a gold ring, police spokesman Athanassios Kokkalakis said Friday, the day of the theft.

Closed-circuit video footage showed the suspects as they seized about 65 statuettes, Greece’s official AMNA news agency reported.

It’s the second big theft of this kind in Greece this year.

Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos submitted his resignation after the robbery, the prime minister’s office said Friday.

In January, three art works — including a painting by Pablo Picasso and another by Piet Mondrian — were stolen from the National Gallery in Athens.

Dimitra Koutsoumba, president of the Greek Archaeologists’ Association, said Friday that the latest attack was sad and worrying.

“It is the first time that we have an armed robbery at a museum during operating hours. It shows that the cuts the Culture Ministry has made since the crisis hit in 2009 make it easier for such incidents to take place,” she said. “The minister himself had told us that the cuts were ranging between 30% and 35%, and they include cuts in personnel.”

She called for more importance to be placed on cultural heritage and said greater steps should be taken to protect irreplaceable items that belong to the nation.

“Such incidents are an issue of national security,” she said. “The artifacts that were taken were mainly figurines related to the Olympics, so many were depicting athletes.”

The museum, built on an ancient site in the Peloponnese peninsula, is considered among the most important in Greece.

The ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic flame for the 2012 London Olympics is scheduled to take place on May 10 at the Ancient Olympia site, where the museum is located.

The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia in 776 B.C. to celebrate the deity Zeus. A sanctuary at the site was dedicated to him.

CNN’s Helena DeMoura contributed to this report.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/18/world/europe/greece-museum-theft/index.html?eref=edition

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February 19, 2012 at 9:00 am Comments (0)

When will workers share in Apple’s wealth?

A protester takes part in a rally last year in Hong Kong against Foxconn, which makes Apple products.
A protester takes part in a rally last year in Hong Kong against Foxconn, which makes Apple products.

Editor’s note: Scott Nova is executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, an independent, nonprofit labor rights-monitoring organization that investigates working conditions in factories around the world.

(CNN) — Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says the company “cares about every worker” in its factories and that “no one in (the) industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple.”

Of course, when it comes to issues of corporate responsibility, talk is cheap. What matters is not what Apple says, but what it does.

And what Apple does in its vast global supply chain has been well-documented, which is why the company is in public relations overdrive, frantic to protect its once pristine corporate image.

Scott Nova

Consider the fate that befell workers at a factory in Chengdu, China, that makes products for Apple. In May, independent investigators issued a report documenting grave dangers to workers at the facility. They warned the factory was failing to control the profusion of dust produced by the manufacture of aluminum cases for the Ipad 2. When a factory is suffused with aluminum dust, there is a high risk of explosion. Apple ignored the report and refused to meet with the authors, the investigators said. It did nothing to address the danger.

Two weeks later, the factory exploded, killing four workers and injuring 18. In the wake of the explosion, Apple said its suppliers took measures to control aluminum dust. But despite this, in December 2011, another explosion, at an Apple supplier factory in Shanghai, injured 61 workers.

Grievous labor rights problems at Apple’s supplier factories have been known for years, including the spate of worker suicides in 2010 at the giant plant in Shenzhen, China, known as “Ipod City.” At this factory — owned, like the Chengdu plant, by Apple’s biggest supplier, Foxconn — more than a dozen workers took their own lives by throwing themselves from the roof of the factory’s overcrowded dormitories, in apparent protest of the brutal treatment facing workers at the facility. (Foxconn reportedly responded by putting up nets outside the dorms and making workers sign pledges not to kill themselves.)

In recent weeks, public awareness of these issues has increased exponentially, thanks to a huge jump in media interest, raising Apple’s public relations problems from a low simmer to a rolling boil.

When a company comes under this kind of pressure, sometimes genuine change in policy can occur. The more typical response is a mere change in rhetoric. This is the route Apple is choosing.

Apple’s major move has been to announce that it has joined an organization called the Fair Labor Association, which will “audit” Apple’s factories. According to Apple, the Fair Labor Association is an independent watchdog that will work tenaciously to hold Apple and its suppliers accountable.

Unfortunately, while there are some fine people at the association, the organization is not the independent watchdog Apple claims it to be. Indeed, most of its money — millions of dollars per year — comes from the very companies whose labor practices it is supposed to scrutinize. Although Apple has not disclosed its financial relationship with the Fair Labor Association, it is likely now the organization’s largest funder. Moreover, on the association’s board of directors sit executives of major corporations such as Nike, Adidas and agribusiness giant Syngenta. The job of these executives is to represent the interests of other member companies, such as Apple. Under the Fair Labor Association’s rules, the company representatives on the board exercise veto power over major decisions.

Independence, as most people understand the term, means an organization is not funded and governed by the companies it is charged with investigating. Despite the financial relationship, Apple argues that the Fair Labor Association will act independently and that the association’s review of Apple’s factories will probably be “the most detailed factory audit in the history of mass manufacturing.”

Early indications are not encouraging. Just one day after launching what was supposed to be a long and uncompromising investigation of Foxconn’s Ipad plant in Shenzhen, the association was already issuing public praise of Foxconn and Apple.

On Wednesday, CNNMoney/Fortune ran an article with the headline, “Apple iPad plant is ‘way, way above average,’ says inspector.” Fair Labor Association President Auret van Heerden said this about Foxconn to Reuters: “The facilities are first-class. … I was very surprised when I walked in the door how tranquil it is. …” The CNNMoney/Fortune article notes that “whether intended or not, van Heerden’s remarks served to support (Apple CEO) Cook’s contention that no one has done more than Apple to address the working conditions at factories.”

Van Heerden reached these conclusions after a guided tour of the factory provided by Foxconn’s owner, Terry Gou. The views of Gou, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, are well-known to Foxconn workers because, as punishment for displeasing their managers, workers are sometimes forced to spend hours writing out copies of his personal sayings. Clearly, Apple’s partnership with the Fair Labor Association is not, in and of itself, going to usher in radical change.

So what steps would Apple take if it were genuinely committed to improving its labor practices? For starters, it would open its factories for inspection and worker trainings to genuinely independent groups such as Hong Kong-based SACOM, the organization whose report on the Chengdu factory could have saved the lives of the workers killed there in May, had Apple paid it heed.

And if Apple genuinely “cared about every worker,” it would pay every worker a living wage — enough for workers to achieve a minimally decent standard of living, support their families and even save a bit toward a better future. Today, barely 1% of the retail price of an Ipad goes to the workers who make it; 33% goes to Apple’s profits. Apple’s profits are so high, and its global labor costs so low, that it could triple the wages of its 700,000 manufacturing workers and help them achieve a living wage (just a few dollars an hour in China), and still make $40 billion a year. A wage increase of 16% to 25% at Foxconn, announced today as Apple’s public relations blitz reaches a crescendo, doesn’t come close.

Next time you are at the Apple Store, consider bellying up to the Genius Bar and asking why the most profitable company in the history of technology can’t pay its workers a living wage and why, if Apple is really ready to open itself to independent scrutiny, it doesn’t allow inspections by organizations in which it is not a dues-paying member.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Scott Nova.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_technology/~3/vletxy3eBJM/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 7:00 am Comments (0)

Arrests in Italy over $6 trillion fake bonds

  • NEW: $6 trillion is more than twice Italy’s national debt
  • The bonds were discovered as part of an investigation into a local mafia group
  • Arrest order was issued in the southern Italian city of Potenza
  • 8 people arrested after $6 trillion in fake U.S. bonds found in Italy

(CNN) — Italian authorities on Friday arrested eight people in possession of an estimated $6 trillion in counterfeit U.S. Treasury bonds, according to Italian paramilitary police and an Italian news agency.

The discovery of the fake bonds — made to look as if they were printed by the U.S. Federal Reserve in 1934 — came about as part of an investigation into a local mafia association.

The arrest order for the alleged criminals was issued by a preliminary investigative judge in the southern Italian city of Potenza, police noted.

Italian authorities, working with their Swiss counterparts, learned about the counterfeit bonds by way of eavesdropping on wiretapped phones, police said.

The total of $6 trillion is more than twice the Italy’s national debt.

The Italian news agency, ANSA, reported that the bonds were also discovered “alongside copies of the Treaty of Versailles rolled inside lead cylinders.”

CNN can not independently verify that account.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_europe/~3/QTDhJ6L2Jks/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 5:00 am Comments (0)

City complain to UEFA over Balotelli abuse

Italian striker Mario Balotelli joined Manchester City from Inter Milan in 2010.
Italian striker Mario Balotelli joined Manchester City from Inter Milan in 2010.

(CNN) — Manchester City have lodged an official complaint with European football’s governing body after striker Mario Balotelli claimed he was racially abused during Thursday’s match away to Porto.

City came from behind to win the first-leg Europa League tie 2-1 in Portugal, but the English Premier League leaders approached UEFA after the match when Italy international Balotelli complained of being subjected to racist chants from fans.

UEFA confirmed to CNN Friday that City’s complaint had been received, but said a decision on whether to launch an investigation would not be made until the match delegate’s report had been received.

Despite reports that Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, playing his first match since Sunday’s African Cup of Nations final loss to Zambia, was also subject to abuse, a City spokesman said the club only knew of Balotelli’s complaint.

Did Liverpool’s U.S. owners act too late?

Maybe in foreign countries they don’t expect black players
Yaya Toure

“I didn’t hear this because I was concentrating on the game. I don’t know if (it happened) to Mario and Yaya,” City manager Roberto Mancini was reported to have said by the Press Association.

Mancini, who also coached Balotelli when they were both at Inter Milan, praised the 21-year-old for maintaining his focus during the game.

Balotelli has had a checkered disciplinary record since arriving in England in 2010 and has just returned from a four-match ban for stamping on Tottenham Hotspur’s Scott Parker during a league match in January.

“I think Mario did very well, he played very well,” Mancini said. “He was calm and it is important he continues like this.

“I think this provocation can happen every game. For this reason I spoke with Mario before the game. I said, ‘Mario think and play, think what you should do during the game.’”

Football is football and the fans come to enjoy the game, and we don’t want things like this to happen
Yaya Toure

Manchester clubs enjoy wins in Europa League

Balotelli, an Italian of Ghanaian descent, has been on the receiving end of racist taunts in the past when representing his country. He was repeatedly jeered when he made his second appearance for his Italy in a friendly match against Romania in November 2010.

Toure said after the Porto match that one of the reasons why he enjoys playing in England is the lack of racial abuse from fans.

“That’s why we all like the Premier League, because it never happens there,” Toure told Sky Sports. “Maybe in foreign countries they don’t expect black players.

“I think in future it will be okay, they will change their minds and the game will become more open. Football is football and the fans come to enjoy the game, and we don’t want things like this to happen.”

Despite Toure’s claims, the English game has been hit by several recent race-related incidents.

A police investigation was launched last month when a Liverpool fan was alleged to have racially abused third division Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi during an FA Cup tie.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has also recently returned from an eight-match ban for directing a racial slur at Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

In July, England captain John Terry will face trial for alleged racial abuse of Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Manchester City’s Micah Richards and Newcastle’s Sammy Ameobi have received racist abuse on microblogging website Twitter, as have former Everton striker Louis Saha and Scotland-based players Maurice Edu and Kyle Bartley, both of Rangers, and Inverness’ Gregory Tade.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_football/~3/nnaEAOqlUQ4/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 3:00 am Comments (0)

First exiles to leave Iraq’s Camp Ashraf slam new site

  • About 400 residents of Camp Ashraf leave for a temporary site at a former U.S. base
  • The Iranian exiles say they are being inhumanely treated by Iraqi authorities there
  • “Preliminary reports indicate that Camp Liberty is a prison,” a spokesman says
  • Under the plan, the U.N. intends eventually to resettle the group to third countries

Baghdad (CNN) — About 400 members of an exiled Iranian opposition group who are the first to leave a long-term camp in Iraq under a U.N. plan criticized their treatment and the conditions at the new temporary site Saturday.

The group left Camp Ashraf at midnight following 12 hours of inspections and checks, Shahin Gobadi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said in a statement.

When they arrived seven hours later at the new site, a former U.S. military base near Baghdad International Airport called Camp Liberty, the group discovered a heavy presence of police.

Another inspection was then demanded, prompting the residents to protest what they consider “degrading, humiliating and inhumane treatment” and the obstructive behavior of the Iraqi forces by refusing to leave the transit buses, Gobadi said.

“The preliminary reports indicate that Camp Liberty is a prison from all aspects,” he added.

The group’s relocation to the new site was agreed between the United Nations, Iraqi authorities, the United States and the European Union.

From there, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees will begin efforts to resettle the group outside of the country.

Camp Ashraf has been home to members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, for more than 25 years. More than 3,000 exiles, described as Iranian resistance figures and their sympathizers, live at the camp.

The MEK has been on the U.S. terrorism list since 1997 because of the killing of six Americans in Iran in the 1970s and an attempted attack against the Iranian mission to the United Nations in 1992. However, since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of Camp Ashraf “noncombatants” and “protected persons” under the Geneva Conventions.

Before moving, the Camp Ashraf residents had demanded a commitment that no Iraqi police would remain inside the new site, in order to ensure the security of the residents. The group believes the current regime in Iraq, under orders from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, has previously staged deadly attacks against Camp Ashraf.

Instead, there are several police posts inside the facility and residents must be accompanied by the police even to go to the dining area, Gobadi said.

“The most important of the Ashraf residents’ demands is that the police must leave the camp area and stay outside the walls,” a statement released by the group Friday said. “This is a condition without which it will be impossible to have more people in Liberty as it will result in further confrontations, tensions and killing.”

The residents also asked for guarantees with regards to the site’s infrastructure — and say these have not been met.

“In a nutshell, Camp Liberty lacks the most basic international humanitarian standards and human rights standards are not met,” the statement said.

The residents say the camp is much smaller than they were told it would be, and that they are being denied free movement and access to medical services.

The U.N.’s refugee agency confirmed that the new camp’s infrastructure and facilities were in line with international humanitarian standards at the end of January, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said earlier this week.

Camp Ashraf was established in 1986 after former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invited members of the MEK to relocate to Iraq in an effort to undermine the Iranian government, which was then at war with Iraq. Iran also considers the group to be a terrorist organization.

A U.N. commission on refugees has described the residents as “formal asylum seekers” from persecution by the regime in Iran.

The temporary facility, at what was formerly the U.S.-run Camp Liberty, will remain open for an unspecified period of time, though a senior U.S. administration official said in December that there were plans to keep it open until all of the camp residents were resettled.

CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_meast/~3/ayevPlY84fU/index.html

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February 19, 2012 at 1:01 am Comments (0)

Afghan government ‘in talks’ with Taliban

Taliban: Won’t talk peace with Karzai

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — The Taliban rejected a claim Thursday by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that it was taking part in secret talks with the Afghan government.

“The Islamic Emirate strongly rejects Karzai’s remarks and adds that the Islamic Emirate has never met with the representatives of the powerless Kabul administration, and has made no decision to hold talks with the Karzai government, even in the future,” the Taliban said in a statement e-mailed to CNN.

The statement followed a report in the Wall Street Journal in which Karzai said, “There have been contacts between the U.S. government and the Taliban, there have been contacts between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and there have been some contacts that we have made, all of us together.”

Karzai’s assertion suggested a change in course for peace efforts, because the Taliban has long publicly refused to meet with Karzai’s government, and Afghan officials have complained they were largely sidelined in talks taking place between the United States and the Taliban.

“The last cards are with us. So far, it has been a U.S.-Taliban business. We have not been involved in this so I cannot say what was discussed,” an Afghan government official told CNN last month.

In the statement Thursday, the Taliban insisted that “the enemy has only got propaganda left to show off its power, which in reality has been given to them by someone else and only for a few more days” — an apparent reference to Karzai’s government being bolstered by the United States.

“The Islamic Emirate believes that even if somebody claiming to be from the address of the Islamic Emirate has met with Karzai administration, that person is a fake and, like many times before, once again the Karzai government has been deceived.”

In a statement Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid called Karzai’s government “a puppet and unauthorized,” and said “meeting with them will not be beneficial in solving the issue.”

“The issue is … who is powerful and has got the power to make a decision, and who hasn’t, and everyone around the world knows that the one who has got the authority in opposition to the Mujahideen (the Taliban) is America,” he wrote.

Last June, Karzai said the United States was involved in peace talks with the Taliban, and that representatives of the government and insurgents had been in touch, but that no high-level meetings had taken place.

Karzai arrived Thursday in Pakistan for discussions with President Asif Ali Zardari on improving relations between the two countries and peace efforts in Afghanistan.

CNN’s Josh Levs, Nick Paton Walsh and Masoud Popalzai contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_asia/~3/lzGVCFsD9V8/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 11:01 pm Comments (0)

Syrian protesters hail ‘resistance’

‘Dire conditions’ in Syria

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United Nations (CNN) — Shelling continued non-stop in the besieged city of Homs early Friday, a day after the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-biding resolution condemning the brutal government crackdown in Syria.

The shelling in the flashpoint city of Homs marks the 14th consecutive day of near constant bombardment as Syrian forces targeted stronghold neighborhoods of Bab Amr, Inshaat and Khailidya, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition activist group.

Protests were planned in cities across the war-ravaged nation later Friday.

And as the carnage continued, the international community struggled to find a way to stop it.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly passed by an overwhelming margin a nonbinding resolution endorsing the Arab League plan for the Syrian president to step down. The vote was 137 in favor and 12 against, with 17 abstentions.

It is unclear what, if any, effect the resolution will have on what many world leaders see as a relentless campaign by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces to stamp out opposition.

“Today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message to the people of Syria: the world is with you,” said U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice in a statement. “Bashar al-Assad has never been more isolated. A rapid transition to democracy in Syria has garnered the resounding support of the international community. Change must now come.”

“For France, this is a new step towards the end of the martyrdom of the Syrian people,” said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe in a statement. “With our partners, we will do our utmost in all instances to make sure this resolution is fully implemented.”

The symbolic resolution that condemns the violent crackdown in Syria was introduced into the assembly after China and Russia blocked the Security Council from approving enforceable measures aimed at curbing the violence. China and Russia were among the no votes on Thursday.

Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari lashed out at the vote, calling the League of Arab States “broken, both politically and morally.” He added that, “If things continue in this manner … the United Nations will collapse — morally first and entirely second.”

Asked after the vote about the possibility that Syria would implement a 24-hour ceasefire in the besieged city of Homs to let women, children and the wounded depart the city, he said, “Ceasefire? We are not in a civil war! We are not in an armed conflict!”

The resolution marks the strongest U.N. statement to date condemning al-Assad’s regime. It calls on Syria to end human rights violations and attacks against civilians immediately, and condemns violence by al-Assad’s forces and the opposition.

For nearly a year, al-Assad has denied reports that his forces are targeting civilians, saying they were fighting armed gangs and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the government.

But the vast majority of accounts from within the country say that Syrian forces are slaughtering civilians as part of a crackdown on anti-government opposition calling for al-Assad’s ouster.

Russia is seen as the linchpin in winning passage of a resolution that could force change in Syria because it could open al-Assad’s regime up to U.N. sanctions. It also could expose the president and his inner circle to possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

Syria is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC’s authority. The Security Council is the only world body that can refer crimes against humanity to the international court.

Russia, a Soviet-era ally with trade and arms ties to Syria, has been adamantly opposed to a resolution that calls for al-Assad to step down, saying it amounts to a mandate for regime change.

Russia has given mixed messages as to whether it would accept a U.N. arms embargo or economic sanctions, even though it has said it is concerned about the prospect of a Syrian civil war.

Meanwhile, China announced Thursday that it was sending an envoy to Syria in an attempt to help defuse the crisis, according to state-run China National Radio (CNR).

Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun is scheduled to travel Friday to Syria for a two-day visit, CNR said. The report did not say with whom the minister would meet.

At least 70 people died Thursday across several provinces, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group. They include 38 in Idlib, 12 in Hama, and others in Rif Damashq — the Damascus suburbs, Homs, Daraa , Deir Ezzor and Raqqah. The LCC said the casualties included 36 unidentified bodies, 13 soldiers and three women, at least one of whom was pregnant.

Col. Malek Al Kurdi, deputy head of the Free Syrian Army, reported shelling by government forces in Hama and Daraa province. He cited civilian and FSA casualties.

Among the dead are 10 military defectors in Hama, activists say.

Ahmed, an activist in Damascus who said he had been in contact with LCC members in Hama, said about 100 people were arrested in the city, where bread, gasoline, electricity and medical supplies were in short supply. He said some 60 people had been killed in the area during the prior 11 days, 47 of them on Thursday in the village of Kafranbode village outside Hama. The approximately 200 people who were wounded were not taken to hospitals for fear that security forces would abduct them, he said.

CNN cannot independently confirm opposition and government reports of violence because the Syrian government has severely restricted the access of international journalists.

The uprising in Syria — influenced by the Arab Spring movement that forced regime change in Egypt and Tunisia — was sparked about a year ago in the southern city of Daraa with demonstrators angered by the arrests of young people who scrawled anti-government graffiti.

Their grievances and calls for reforms were met with a violent security crackdown, and the unrest there served to catalyze anti-government protests across the nation.

Thousands have died in the crackdown — more than 5,000, according to the United Nations, but the LCC puts the toll at more than 7,000.

CNN’s Richard Roth reports from the United Nations. CNN’s Ivan Watson reports from northern Syria. CNN’s Arwa Damon reports from Homs.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_meast/~3/I_tarjx2uNw/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 9:01 pm Comments (0)

How To Stay Up-To-Date About Your Favorite Websites

The best way to get updates about a website or a web service is using the email feature. If the website offers email updates, you will be able to get all the updates right inside your email. The next popular method is to subscribe to its RSS feed. Now, what if the website that you [...]

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February 18, 2012 at 7:01 pm Comments (0)

Sutil seeks F1 return after guilty verdict

(CNN) — German driver Adrian Sutil is confident of returning to Formula One despite receiving an 18-month suspended jail sentence for grievous bodily harm on Tuesday.

The former Force India driver was also fined ?200,000 ($262,000) for injuring Eric Lux, chief executive of the Lotus team’s owner Genii Capital, with a champagne glass in a Shanghai nightclub after last April’s Chinese Grand Prix.

Sutil lost his seat with Britain-based Force India for 2012 and was replaced by his compatriot Nico Hulkenberg — who last raced for Williams in 2010.

The 29-year-old’s agent is hoping to find Sutil a position within F1 before the new season begins in Australia on March 18, but his options are limited with Spanish marque HRT the only team on the grid with a seat yet to be filled.

Can Senna restore romance to Formula One?

His talent didn’t suffer from the verdict, we are now exploring the possibilities that exist in Formula One
Manfred Zimmerman

“He’s still a race-car driver,” Manfred Zimmermann told CNN. “His talent didn’t suffer from the verdict. We are now exploring the possibilities that exist in Formula One.

“We will do our best to find a place there again and only time will tell if we’re successful. The most important thing to Adrian is that Lux accepted his apology.

“They shook hands and now they can move on. A load has been taken off Adrian’s shoulders. Otherwise, we’re assuming Adrian has a future in Formula One and will find his place again soon enough.”

Zimmerman said Sutil has no contingency plans outside of the elite motorsport should he not have the chance to add to his 90 race starts.

“We’ll only think about that if everything else falls through,” Zimmerman said.”But we’re assuming that everything will work out.”

Sutil finished ninth in the drivers’ standings last season with 42 points. His highest finish was sixth, which he achieved at his home race in Germany and at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_motorsport/~3/_6ggj-nK-1E/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 5:01 pm Comments (0)

Key moments in Whitney Houston’s life

  • Pop superstar Whitney Houston’s funeral is set for Saturday
  • Houston set numerous records during her musical and film career
  • Singer died at age 48 after being found unconscious in a hotel room bathtub

(CNN) — Whitney Houston, who ruled the pop charts during the 1980s and ’90s, will be laid to rest Saturday following a funeral at her childhood church in Newark, New Jersey.

A look back at key moments in Houston’s life, as well as her last days:

August 9, 1963

Houston is born in Newark to gospel singer Cissy Houston. Her cousins include Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick; Houston’s godmother was “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin. Houston honed her vocal skills as a child at New Hope Baptist Church, where her mother was director of sacred music.

“Whitney’s mother and cousins nurtured her passion for gospel music since birth,” according to a biography on Houston’s website. “As a teenager, Whitney was already singing on the scene in New York.”

Also while in her teens, Houston sang backup for Chaka Khan on “I’m Every Woman,” a song Houston would re-record in 1992 that went on to become one of her biggest hits.

1983

Arista Records’ Clive Davis is taken to a New York nightclub to see Houston perform; he signs her on the spot.

March 1985

Houston’s debut album, “Whitney Houston” is released. It yields three consecutive No. 1 singles, “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know” and “The Greatest Love of All.” The album sold more than 12 million copies in the United States and more abroad, according to Houston’s website, and set the record as the biggest-selling debut album by a solo artist.

June 1987

Houston’s second album, “Whitney,” is released and entered the Billboard album charts at No. 1, according to Houston’s website. The nine-times-platinum album contains four No. 1 singles and establishes Houston as the only artist ever to have seven consecutive No. 1 hits.

November 1990

Houston’s third album, “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” is released, selling some 8 million copies worldwide.

January 27, 1991

Houston sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV before a record 79 million viewers.

July 18, 1992

Houston marries R&B singer Bobby Brown.

November 1992

Houston appears with Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard.” The film’s soundtrack, featuring Houston’s smash hit — a remake of the Dolly Parton single “I Will Always Love You” — went 17-times platinum, making it the biggest-selling motion picture soundtrack album in history. “I Will Always Love You” becomes the biggest-selling commercial single in history.

Houston’s film work continued, as she appeared in 1995′s “Waiting to Exhale” and 1996′s “The Preacher’s Wife.” The soundtrack to “The Preacher’s Wife” becomes the biggest-selling gospel album in history, according to Houston’s website. In 1997, she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in a made-for-television version of “Cinderella.”

March 4, 1993

Houston gives birth to her daughter with Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

1998

Houston releases “My Love Is Your Love,” which earns her a Grammy but does not match the performance of her previous albums, according to Biography.com.

Late 1990s and early 2000s

Reports about Houston’s struggles with drug addiction, health problems and her rocky marriage with Brown begin to surface. Album sales drop off, and her voice begins to show signs of wear.

2002

In a now-infamous interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Houston admitted to using drugs but denied using crack. “Crack is wack,” she said, quoting a line from a mural painted in 1986. In the same interview, Houston told Sawyer, “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.”

2004

Filming begins on the short-lived reality show “Being Bobby Brown,” featuring Brown and Houston, which aired in 2005. “The show aired during the worst years of the couple’s crumbling marriage: drug use, lifestyle excess and bad behavior were all caught on tape, and Houston’s reputation sunk to new lows,” according to Biography.com. Houston later said she did the show to try to save her marriage.

At some point, Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, steps in. Houston told Oprah Winfrey in a 2009 interview that her mother arrived on her doorstep with sheriff’s officers and a court order for drug intervention.

“She walks in with the sheriff and she says: ‘I have a court injunction here. You do it my way or we’re not going to do this at all,’” Houston recalled in the interview. “‘You’re going to go on TV and you’re going to retire. And say you’re going to give this up because it’s not worth it.’”

Houston enters rehab and takes a long hiatus.

2006

Houston and Brown separate. They divorce the following year, and Houston receives sole custody of Bobbi Kristina.

2009

Houston releases “I Look To You,” her first album in seven years.

2011-12

Houston works to turn her career around with the movie “Sparkle,” the remake of a 1976 film said to be loosely inspired by the Supremes. The movie is set for release this summer.

February 7, 2012

Houston visits Dr. Shawn Nasseri, a Beverly Hills ear, nose and throat specialist, according to a source familiar with her visit.

February 8 and 9

Houston is seen ordering and consuming considerable quantities of alcohol at the Beverly Hilton hotel before 10 a.m., according to a source briefed on her behavior and activity in the days before her death. Guests on both days overhear Houston complaining loudly about her drinks, accusing bartenders of “watering down” or “putting too much ice” in them, the source said. Guests express concern about Houston’s erratic behavior, according to the source; her disheveled appearance, including mismatched clothing, suggested to them that she was intoxicated. Houston is seen jumping in and out of the pool and doing somersaults in the pool area, the source said.

February 9

Houston attends a pre-Grammys party to celebrate singer Kelly Price’s nominations. At one point, she joins Price on the stage and sings a hoarse rendition of “Jesus Loves Me.” (Price said Monday that Houston was not behaving erratically and “I didn’t see someone who was high” although she said Houston did drink champagne. Photos of Houston leaving the party appeared to show her sweaty and somewhat disheveled, although Price attributed her “messy” appearance to partygoers’ singing and dancing until the wee hours of Friday morning.)

February 10

Investigators are aware of Houston’s partying at the hotel and other venues the night before her death, a source close to the death investigation told CNN.

February 11

Houston is set to attend Clive Davis’ pre-Grammys party at the Beverly Hilton. She is seen drinking at the hotel pool in the morning, according to the source briefed on her behavior and activity, but witnesses report she was not behaving erratically.

3:43 p.m.

Police and fire officials are summoned to Houston’s room after she is found unconscious in the room’s bathtub.

3:55 p.m.

Houston is pronounced dead at age 48 after efforts to revive her are unsuccessful.

February 12

An autopsy is performed on Houston’s body. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has said a cause of death is undetermined pending the results of toxicology tests.

February 13

Houston’s body is flown back to her native New Jersey.

February 15

Houston’s death certificate is filed in Los Angeles. It lists her cause of death as “deferred,” meaning a determination is delayed pending more information.

February 16 (investigation update)

The anti-anxiety medication Xanax was among prescription drugs found in the room, a source close to the death investigation says. Houston’s family members and staff confirmed she used the medication, the source says, but investigators don’t know whether she took it the day she died. No Valium or other drugs classified as benzodiazepines, or sedatives, were found in the room, according to the source. Medicine and pill bottles found in Houston’s hotel room are currently undergoing basic testing, but nothing so far indicates anything criminal occurred, the source says. Officials are trying to speed up toxicology testing.

February 17

By order of Gov. Chris Christie, flags in New Jersey fly at half-staff.

February 18

Funeral service is scheduled for noon at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.

CNN’s Don Lemon and Alan Duke contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_entertainment/~3/ZUiTGXaLwoE/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 3:02 pm Comments (0)

Exploring Music The Ex.fm Way

Ex.fm is a new social network for audiophiles giving endless options to browse, listen and share songs of their taste. The whole experience offers a new way of finding music.

Exploring Music The Ex.fm Way originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)
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February 18, 2012 at 1:01 pm Comments (0)

Apple Textbooks: On Its Way to Revolutionizing Education

The latest brainchild out of the Apple idea factory is textbooks that are published through their iBooks app. While it may seem like Apple is sticking its nose in an …

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February 18, 2012 at 11:01 am Comments (0)

FOX NEWS SPECIAL: Glen Campbell and Alzheimer’s

Fox News takes a look back at the career of country music legend Glen Campbell on the special ?Glen Campbell Fights Alzheimer’s,?  hosted by Shepard Smith.

The special, airing Feb. 18 at 10 p.m. EDT, features interviews with Campbell and his family.

The ?Rhinestone Cowboy? singer, who announced last year that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, said he would be retiring from music after embarking on a goodbye tour that took him through Europe and North America. 

The special offers an inside look at how Campbell, 75, performs on stage each night, despite his battle against the disease that affects more than 10 million Americans.

?You can?t cry over spilled milk,? Campbell tells Fox News of his diagnosis. ?[You] get on with your life and enjoy it.?

Over the course of his career, Campbell sold 40 million records and won four Grammys in both country and pop music. Last Sunday, the Grammys hosted a special tribute to Campbell, with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton taking the stage to perform his songs ?Gentle on My Mind,? ?Southern Nights? and ?Rhinestone Cowboy.?

His final album, ?Ghost on the Canvas,? released last year, contains all new material. 

His wife of nearly 30 years, Kim Woollen, tells Fox News that Campbell and his producer Julian Raymond began the process of writing the material three years ago.

?When they did the record ‘Meet Glen Campbell,’ the previous record, Julian would keep a journal of the things Glen would say to him throughout the day,? she said. ?That was [roughly] three years ago and the Alzheimer’s was present then but we didn?t know the diagnosis. I think the new songs reflect a lot of what he was going through and thinking and being in confusion and needing the people he loves around him more and more each day. Julian took those things and put them to music.?

The special also gives an inside look at how his music has helped him cope with the disease, the second most feared in the United States, just behind cancer.

?I don?t pay any attention to it,? he said. ?It?s like when the devil comes knocking on your door. Don?t pay any attention to it.?

The special will also look at how Alzheimer’s impacts patients? loved ones, with commentary from TV personality Leeza Gibbons and Maria Shriver.

?Glen Campbell Fights Alzheimer’s,?  hosted by Shepard Smith airs Feb. 18 at 10 p.m. EDT.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/02/17/fox-news-looks-at-remarkable-career-glenn-campbell-and-his-battle-with/

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February 18, 2012 at 9:00 am Comments (0)

Hands on with the new PS Vita

Sony's PS Vita device doesn't come preloaded with games, but more than two dozen are available for download.
Sony’s PS Vita device doesn’t come preloaded with games, but more than two dozen are available for download.

(CNN) — Sony’s PlayStation Vita, which hits stores in the U.S. and Europe next Wednesday, is much more than just another portable gaming device.

With the Vita, Sony is trying to combine the power of its PlayStation home console with the interface, portability and social media features of a smartphone. With its innovative touch controls, OLED screen, motion sensors, social apps, GPS capability and dual cameras, it has most of the bells and whistles that today’s gamers could want.

Some industry observers question whether gamers will spring $250-$300 for another portable gaming device — plus potential monthly fees for a 3G data plan — when smartphones already handle many of the same gaming functions. But Sony is counting on the Vita’s appeal to hard-core action- and first-person shooter gamers who want a designated mobile gaming system, not just another gadget on which to play “Angry Birds.”

CNN spent a week testing out the Vita on a handful of games. Our verdict: It’s a powerful and promising device — better suited to some games than to others — whose ultimate success will depend on whether developers make enough worthy games for it.

A social device

The successor to the Sony PSP hand-held console, PS Vita was started three years ago at the Sony Corporate Design Center by a team led by Takashi Sogabe, who designed the original Walkman. The goal was to bring richer and better gaming enjoyment than was available with the PSP.

While members of the development team knew they’d be making upgrades to the hardware and gameplay, Shuhei Yoshida, president of SCE Worldwide Studios, said he knew social media capability was going to be just as important.

“It has Twitter. It has Flickr. Portable music applications. These are here to enhance your gameplay experience,” Yoshida told CNN. “What (Twitter) does as a player is, it lets you take a screen shot of a game you are playing. You beat the boss or you get the high score, (and) you can show the world what you’ve done with that screen shot.”

Other social media applications, like Facebook, Foursquare and Skype, will also be available for download.

The processing power in the Vita allows for eight different applications to run simultaneously. During our hands-on experience, we could download a new game while playing another and listening to music from the media player. There was no detectible slowing of the action or the music.

PS Vita also raises the bar on mobile gaming by offering voice chat and text chat through the Party application. Party isn’t tied into specific games, but allows players to communicate with their friends no matter what each person is doing.

However, AT&T, the exclusive broadband provider for the Vita in the U.S., does impose some restrictions. Yoshida said voice chat will only work if one person is on a Wi-Fi connection and the other is on a 3G connection. As he reminded us, the Vita isn’t a phone.

Don’t have many PlayStation friends online? Vita can help you find new connections with Near, a program that uses GPS to search your area for other nearby Vita devices. You can see what other people are playing, maybe join up for a multiplayer match or challenge a friend to top your high score. If you’re concerned about privacy, there are ways to block your location, yet still see what’s going on around you.

Other features

All these additions to the gaming experience mean little if the core gameplay is lacking. And that’s where the Vita really delivers. The seven-inch device is chock full of processing power, multiple controls and a 5-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, all designed to make games look and play as well as they do on a PlayStation home console.

The front of the Vita has two analog joysticks, a first for a portable gaming device, as well as a directional pad and four buttons. The front screen is also a touchscreen, allowing for direct control during a game.

The back of the device is a touchpad, which can create some unintended gaming consequences when gripping the Vita. Because Sony wanted the back screen to have a one-to-one relationship with the game action, the rear touchpad takes up the same amount of room as the front screen. But it takes some creative holding of the device to play some games without accidentally tapping on the back.

Yoshida said that while Vita does have a lot of input devices and functions, there were many others that didn’t make it to the final design. He said the team focused on three things for the Vita: the size of the device, the price and its battery life.

“A certain group of us wanted a stylus,” he said, laughing, about one feature that didn’t make the cut.

There are also two cameras, front and back, that are designed more for augmented reality (AR) gameplay than for taking quality pictures of your vacation spots. Three games that take advantage of augmented reality — using a camera to overlay real-world objects onto a device’s digital screen — will be available at launch next week.

Games

To consumers, all these features won’t mean much if there aren’t good games to play. Available at launch will be 25 titles, with many others scheduled for release shortly after.

Sony is counting on some big franchises to help the Vita make a splash in the U.S. “Assassin’s Creed,” “Madden NFL,” “Uncharted,” “FIFA,” “Little Big Planet” and “BioShock” are a few of the powerhouse series that are developing games for the Vita. Some are available now, and others are coming soon.

Sony also is making some original games, mainly shooters and action-adventure titles, available at launch.

At a recent demo in Washington, the new “MLB 12: The Show” showed how gamers can use the Vita’s rear touchpad to throw the ball around a baseball diamond. Designer Ramone Russell said the PS3 version of the game will have 70 new enhancements and Vita will have 65 of those as well.

He explained that the PS3 version and the Vita version of the game were designed with cross-play between the two consoles in mind.

“You dump 20, 30, 40 hours into a mode, and it’s time to go on a business trip,” Russell said. “You save that file up into a Cloud. Pick up your PlayStation Vita. Take it on the road. Download it from the Cloud and you keep going. And it works vice versa.”

After about a week of hands-on experience, the PS Vita feels less like a mobile gaming device and more like a new gaming console that is also portable. The social features and functionality are exciting, and their integration into games seems smooth.

It takes a period of adjustment to avoid tapping the backside touchpad at the wrong time during a game. Even using the front touchscreen requires a bit of juggling, but it isn’t anything that gets frustrating or awkward.

Overall, the Vita’s power, social integration and presentation make the device worth a look. But the lingering question is whether developers will create enough great Vita games to make it worth the money.

The Wi-Fi version of the PS Vita will cost $249, while the AT&T 3G version will sell for $299 (plus a data plan). Two monthly data plans are available through AT&T: 250MB for $15 and 3GB for $30. There’s also a first-edition bundle package that includes a PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model, 4GB memory card, “Little Deviants” game and a limited-edition case for $350. The deal expires at the end of March. Memory cards are needed for some Vita games, but not for all.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_technology/~3/ZZLWN0Nj3Mw/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 7:01 am Comments (0)

An oasis for sounds

Music lovers gather for desert festival

(CNN) — You might associate music festivals with muddy fields and heaving crowds, but Mali’s “Festival au Desert” is a world away from all that.

Based a few kilometers outside the historic town of Timbuktu, on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, the festival is inspired by the traditional gatherings of the region’s Tuareg nomads. It’s been running since 2001, bringing together musicians from the region, and beyond.

It’s perhaps the only festival in the world where you can watch camel racing while listening to amped-up desert blues, where hawkers sell headscarves rather than burgers and where you can camp in a Tuareg tent among miles of empty sand dunes.

See also: Asa, African pop legend in the making

This year’s festival, held in January, was in doubt after the kidnap of three tourists and the killing of another in Timbuktu, in November last year. The festival did go ahead, with an increased security presence, but security fears and travel warnings reportedly kept many tourists away.

Those who did make it to the three-day event saw performers including soulful Sudanese singer Amira Kheir, Nigerien group Koudede, and an all-star tribute to the music of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure.

In the past, European acts including Robert Plant, Manu Chao and Damon Albarn have performed at the festival. This year, U2 singer Bono made a cameo appearance, singing onstage with local favorites — and now international stars — Tinariwen.

Watch video: Mali’s nomadic musicians

It’s the authentic homegrown stars that really represent the festival. Among them is local Tuareg group Tartit, which was formed in 1995 by a group of women who met in a refugee camp. Their song “Democracy,” featured on the video above, is their take on the fate of the Tuareg in modern Mali, and perfectly embodies the spirit of the festival, and the Sahara.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_travel/~3/cvHH81kLtX0/index.html

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February 18, 2012 at 5:01 am Comments (0)

Body found in search for South Carolina woman

Published February 17, 2012

| FoxNews.com

Police have found a cell phone belonging to a 30-year-old South Carolina woman who has been missing for more than a week.

Divers searching small ponds near where Dara Lee Watson and her former fiance lived found the phone Thursday.

Investigators think the phone was used Feb. 8 by David Hedrick to mislead the woman’s family and employer about her safety. Text messages said Watson was fine.

Officials said someone who gave Hedrick a ride from the woods saw him walking with a shovel.

Hedrick, 34, shot himself to death Feb. 10 in their home. Watson was last seen Feb. 6. Her burned silver 2006 GMC Envoy was found abandoned Feb. 7 in the Francis Marion Forest. 

A candlelight vigil was planned Friday night in Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park across the Cooper River from Charleston.

Watson is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 127 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is being urged to call the Mount Pleasant Police Department at (843) 884-4176.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/C_m9d-SLWOo/

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February 18, 2012 at 3:00 am Comments (0)

President Obama is made to feel not so welcome in Orange County

Hundreds of protesters lined Pacific Coast Highway Thursday morning to greet President Obama who was visiting Newport Beach for a campaign fundraiser. Most of the attendees awaited the arrival of the president in protest though a number of pro-Obama supporters were sprinkled throughout the crowd.

This, Obama?s first visit to Orange County since 2009, was characterized by several blocks of protesters wielding a variety signs reading ?Catholics Say No To Obamacare,? ?Get Out Of My Way — I am a Business Owner,? ?Evict Obama,? ?Enough is Enough,? ?End of an Error? and many others. One pro-Obama sign that stuck out in memory read ?Thank You for Getting Osama,? in reference to the administration?s killing of former Al Qaeda terrorist leader Usama bin Laden last year.

Perhaps the most hard-hitting sign at the rally read: ?Breakfast with Obama: $38,000. 4 Years Of Political Favors: Priceless.?

Total monies raised from the fundraising stop have yet to be released but ticket costs to attend ranged from $2,500 to a whopping $38,500. 

Attendees are not the only people paying for the president?s visit, Newport Beach taxpayers will front the costs for extra police support and traffic control, among other things. Newport Beach City Manager David Kiff gave an early estimate of $20,000 in additional costs to the city but said he and his staff understand ?that visits that are purely political in nature may have costs reimbursed.? He said ?we will examine our options there and submit what we think is fair.?

President Obama?s appearance, and the mixed reaction he received, illustrates a broader ideological divide not only in the Orange County community but perhaps nationally. 

As one protester said ?He was billed as the great ?uniter? but he has become the great divider.? A few of the dueling protesters minced words, as to be expected. 

Even in a Republican stronghold like Newport Beach though, the Democratic president had dedicated and boisterous support. A crowd of his supporters chanted ?Four more years.? 

One anti-Obama protester said of the chanting supporters ?they may be louder but there are way more of us,? referring to the greater number of anti-Obama protesters. 

Nonetheless, the president will likely raise a significant chunk of change for his reelection efforts in a typically red county and the presence of a noticeable number of pro-Obama supporters may illustrate the increased ranks of Democrats, progressives and their allies in the county.

The president?s visit to Newport is a microcosm of what he will likely experience at similar stops throughout country, and also a glimpse into the political and ideological division his presidency elicits as well as the high emotions on various public policy issues going into this crucial election year.

Brian Calle is an Opinion Columnist and Senior Editorial Writer for the Orange County Register. More of his writing can be found at www.ocregister.com/opinion.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/opinion/~3/6mDci2APjTM/

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February 18, 2012 at 1:00 am Comments (0)

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