Ill. nuclear reactor loses power, venting steam (AP)

CHICAGO ? A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators.

Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station, about 95 miles northwest of Chicago, shut down at 10:18 a.m., after losing power, Exelon officials said. Diesel generators began supplying power to the plant, and operators began releasing steam to cool the reactor from the part of the plant where turbines are producing electricity, not from within the nuclear reactor itself, officials said.

The steam contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, but federal and plant officials insisted the levels were safe for workers and the public.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission declared the incident an "unusual event," the lowest of four levels of emergency. Commission officials also said the release of tritium was expected.

Exelon Nuclear officials believe a failed piece of equipment at a switchyard caused the shutdown but were still investigating an exact cause. The switchyard is similar to a large substation that delivers power to the plant from the electrical grid and from the plant to the electrical grid. Smoke was seen from an onsite station transformer, Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng said, but no evidence of a fire was found when the plant's fire brigade responded.

Mitlyng said officials can't yet calculate how much tritium is being released. They know the amounts are small because monitors around the plant aren't showing increased levels of radiation, she said.

Tritium molecules are so microscopic that small amounts are able to pass from radioactive steam that originates in the reactor through tubing and into the water used to cool turbines and other equipment outside the reactor, Mitlyng said. The steam that was being released was coming from the turbine side.

Tritium is relatively short-lived and penetrates the body weakly through the air compared to other radioactive contaminants.

Releasing steam helps "take away some of that energy still being produced by nuclear reaction but that doesn't have anywhere to go now." Even though the turbine is not turning to produce electricity, she said, "you still need to cool the equipment."

Candace Humphrey, Ogle County's emergency management coordinator, said county officials were notified of the incident as soon as it happened and that public safety was never in danger.

"It was standard procedure that they would notify county officials," she said. "There is always concern. But, it never crossed my mind that there was any danger to the people of Ogle County."

Unit 1 was operating normally while engineers investigate why Unit 2 lost power, which comes into the plant from the outside power grid, Mitlyng said. She said Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors were in the control room at Byron and in constant contact with the agency's incident response center in Lisle, Ill.

In March 2008, federal officials said they were investigating a problem with electrical transformers at the plant after outside power to a unit was interrupted.

In an unrelated issue last April, the commission said it was conducting special inspections of backup water pumps at the Byron and Braidwood generating stations after the agency's inspectors raised concerns about whether the pumps would be able to cool the reactors if the normal system wasn't working. The plants' operator, Exelon Corp., initially said the pumps would work but later concluded they wouldn't.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_us/us_nuclear_plant_illinois

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Best and Worst Renditions of the National Anthem (omg!)

Don't blame Francis Scott Key

'The Star-Spangled Banner' may be America's national anthem, but the tune has been a perilous fight for many a singer taking on its octave-and-a-half (give or a take a fifth) range. Who could forget Michael Bolton, who was caught with the lyrics scribbled on his hand in a desperate attempt to remember the words? The past year has seen more than its fair share of anthem assaults; the latest mixed reviews came in for Steven Tyler, who gave the song a glam-rock gloss at the Patriots-Ravens NFL playoff game.

As a sophomore "American Idol" judge, Tyler has been on the offensive end of doling out singing advice. (It might be worth noting that two "Idol" prot?g?s -- winner Scott McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina -- have mangled the anthem.) Tyler's shredded rasp had Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy blog comparing his voice to that of an "alley cat with strep throat after a Novocain injection." Then again, YouTube "likes" have been running ahead at a roughly 2:1 ratio. "This was a Steven Tyler WIN!!!" extolled one comment.

Why is the anthem so hard to sing?

Screwing up the anthem has been as old a tradition as the anthem itself. The New York Times suggested tinkering with the tune -- actually an old English tavern ditty called "The Anacreontic Song" -- in the early 1900s. "The American people...stand mute, or they collapse in the middle of the first stanza."

One remedy, by a female musical correspondent who "modestly" wanted to remain anonymous, suggested "compressing the air at both ends, to prevent it from descending to the tonic and from ascending to the higher fifth, thereby keeping it within the compass of an octave plus a semi-tone. A characteristic trait of the original melody is based on the intervals of the common chord or triad."

Get it? Or, as the New York Times explained 35 years later, you jump 10 notes from a low B flat "with no preparation whatsoever" at that crucial "rockets' red glare" line, and then crawl up another two notes. No wonder a committee in 1942 had to come up with "The Code for the National Anthem of the United States of America."

The patriotic duty may be to sing along, but this is the stuff that can sideline political careers. A candidate always has to worry about an errant microphone. In Hillary Clinton's case back in 2008, some off-tune warbling earned her a few seconds of infamy.

Forgotten lyrics

OK, this one we might be able to blame on Francis Scott Key. If it's not the tune that brings them down, the lyrics trip them up. Christina Aguilera has been honing her "Star-Spangled" rendition since she was 7 years old, singing often for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But when her Super Bowl XLV moment came, she choked up and had to apologize for crooning about the twilight's last gleaming instead of those broad stripes and bright stars so gallantly streaming.

Aguilera later explained, "I got so caught up in the moment of the song, that I lost my place." Don't worry, Christina, there's proof you knew the words once. Here's a young Aguilera, beginning at the 0:53 mark.

Aguilera started off a 2011 anthem downslide that continued with Cyndi Lauper, whose reverent take at the U.S. Open tennis tournament hit the "O'er the ramparts we watched," then went off a cliff into what sounds like "the frag was still streaming."

Cheaters never win

Time magazine, in a merciless hit list of "Top 10 Worst National-Anthem Renditions" flayed Michael Bolton for writing the lyrics on his hands for his 2003 Fenway Park performance. Tell us, how was he supposed to carry on, when all those lyrics are so long?

Second chances

Comedian Roseanne Barr usually tops my-ears-are-bleeding-revoke-her-citizenship lists. As offensive as her 1990 San Diego Padres performance was (not to mention the crotch-grab), did anybody really expect Barr to sing?

Then again, it took some cajones for Barr to claim her shot at redemption, 20 years later, on her Lifetime show, "Roseanne's Nuts." "Singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' the first time ruined everything. I really wanted to just turn the car around and not to do it," Barr says on the show. "But when I saw my grandkids, I did want them to know no matter if you made a bad mistake, nobody can stop you from trying to correct it."

How it's done

For every booed version, there's a crowd pleaser. The favorite from the 2011 World Series was Zooey Deschanel's rendition.

The kiddie round-up

Maybe the secret is to find someone who doesn't know about all the baggage that comes with the anthem -- and how your missteps live forever online. This was certainly the case for two young ladies: 8-year-old Elizabeth Hughes, who inspired a crowd sing-along, and 10-year-old Lily Anderson, diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. Stand up and salute.?

On February 4, Yahoo! will be streaming the Bud Light Hotel concert featuring Pitbull, 50 Cent and Lil Jon. Show time is at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET, and there will be more Super Bowl party coverage throughout the week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_best_and_worst_renditions_of_the_national_anthem/44360851/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/best-and-worst-renditions-of-the-national-anthem.html

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'Crony' of Mugabe to promote Thai national image

BANGKOK (AP) ? A Thai Cabinet member under U.S. sanctions for alleged business deals with Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe is now in charge of promoting Thailand's national image.

Nalinee Taveesin, previously Thailand's trade representative, was named a Cabinet minister in the Prime Minister's Office during last week's reshuffle of Yingluck Shinawatra's government.

The opposition has expressed dismay, questioning whether the appointment violates the Thai constitution's ethics code for lawmakers.

Undeterred, Yingluck's office announced Tuesday that Nalinee's duties would include overseeing the National Identity Office, which according to the agency's website is responsible for promoting the "unique and noble values that distinguish Thailand."

Nalinee has said she knows Mugabe and his wife socially but has no business dealings with them.

The government office aims to promote national values among Thais, such as the significance of the nation, religion and monarchy. It produces documentaries and music and pamphlets about Thailand's king, as well as organizing events for Buddhism Week.

The U.S. Treasury Department in 2008 named Nalinee a crony of Mugabe and said she had "facilitated a number of financial, real-estate and gem-related transactions" on behalf of Mugabe's wife and other figures in Zimbabwe.

"Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption ... in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa's most corrupt regimes," the department said at the time.

The sanctions freeze any potential U.S. assets and ban American citizens from doing business with her.

A former senator and advisor to the Commerce Ministry, Nalinee also holds a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University, according to her website. She also served on the board of directors for several Thai companies.

Seeking to calm the criticism, Nalinee called a news conference over the weekend and said that she met Mugabe and his wife during an official visit to Thailand in 2002. On subsequent visits, she had "social relations" with the couple but "no business transactions at all."

"I never thought a friendship could have had such a tremendous impact on my life, especially when I stepped into the political arena," she said.

Nalinee is a member of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which is led by Yingluck and closely allied to her brother, deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Critics say the current government is stacked with Thaksin's political and business allies and call Yingluck a proxy for her brother.

Deputy government spokesman Anusorn Eiamsa-ard defended Nalinee as "a person of great expertise and experience," saying she had been thoroughly vetted before being named to the Cabinet. He said she has tried to explain herself to U.S. authorities and dismissed the blacklisting as "one-sided."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-25-AS-Thailand-National-Image/id-5ffc810d43d940dc94c04c6dba2a4bc9

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Gangaji: Going Inside: Direct Experience Is Like a True Kiss

To inquire into something is to open to it, to meet it, and to discover its meaning -- or lack of meaning -- from the inside of it.

Inquiry is generally recognized to mean investigating, and that definition serves the purpose well. However, in the sense in which I use Inquiry, it is not information that is provided by this investigation, but direct experience. To directly experience anything we first have to leave behind all preconceptions of that thing.

No matter how often we are told about a thing it is only when we experience that thing directly that we truly know it. We know the meaning of heat and pain and fire from the direct experience of coming into contact with fire. We can be taught that it is good to love and holy to show compassion, but those concepts will never have true meaning until they are real -- our direct experience. We know a true kiss or surrender to an embrace when we directly experience them. We may practice or imitate kissing and embracing for some time, just as we may practice or imitate love and compassion before we have the direct experience.

In imitation or mimicry we remember what we should do or feel, and then we think ourselves through the act. "Now I press my lips, now I put my arms around..." In directly experiencing there is no thought. While thought processing is extremely important, in many acts of a day -- giving or following directions, remembering the time of a meeting, checking a grocery list, studying complicated issues as well as the thousands of other sophisticated ways we think -- consciously surrendering to any act or any moment requires the suspension of all thought.

We surrender thought spontaneously in moments of awe or shock. Usually our most prized memories are the moments where we are directly in an experience. Moments of extreme focus and moments of complete open-mindedness are both without thought. In truth, thoughts stop many times within a day, but since our conditioned reference points are located in our thoughts, we generally overlook these moments of pure spaciousness of mind. We "think" ourselves from thought to thought.

To consciously choose to be without thought is the gateway to direct experience. If we are bound to our thinking process for our reference points of reality, we will ask only those questions guaranteed to keep attention on analysis, cause and effect and conceptual evaluation. While recognizing the value and power of thinking we can also recognize the power of actually choosing thought-free, direct experience.

People often fear being without thought as if it were the corollary to ignorance. Understandably, ignorance is feared. There is never a need to deny the harm that ignorance can cause, and use of the term thoughtless usually refers to some action taken without thoughtful consideration. What is overlooked in this corollary is the harm caused by being bound to thoughts. When we are bound to thoughts, our minds are already possessed by what we have been taught, by our latest conclusions, by beliefs of all kinds and by our fear of having no thoughts.

The invitation to inquire into what is present requires that we have no preconception of what that is. Since we have spent most of our lives being taught to accumulate concepts categorizing what we perceive, this invitation is also a challenge. We are ready for this challenge when we recognize that conceptual thinking is limited. We are ready when we want more, and when we realize we aren't finding more in what we already know. This readiness, coupled with the willingness to explore, allows us to face the fear that naturally arises when we no longer rely on knowledge.

If we don't rely on the knowledge we have for our experience of the world and ourselves, what is left? When we don't rely on our naming and defining particular emotions or particular states of mind, what is here?

For more by Gangaji, click here.

For more on consciousness, click here.

This blog is adapted from Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story, which was published by Penguin Tarcher in 2011. In this life-changing book, Gangaji uses the telling of her own life story to help readers uncover the truth in their own. Publisher's Weekly said, "This gently flowing but often disarming volume invites readers to examine the narratives that shape them, and is a call to pass beyond personal stories to find a deeper, more universal self." In February and March Gangaji will be offereing Retreats in Maui, HI. Visit www.gangaji.org for more information about Gangaji and her upcoming events, including the monthly Webcast / Conference Series, With Gangaji, which is currently undergoing an in-depth study of Hidden Treasure.

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Follow Gangaji on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Gangaji

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gangaji/thinking_b_1223829.html

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Justin Bieber Rocks Fur Hat And Knee Highs

Celebuzz:

Is Justin Bieber starting a new fashion trend?

Read the whole story: Celebuzz

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/justin-bieber-fur-hat_n_1223433.html

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The Automotive Generation Drives Chevrolet | Magnificent Machine

They are called Baby Boomers, Generation Jones, and just plain Boomers ? a segment of the consumer market born between 1943 and 1964 that today, have already raised their families, have a sightline to retirement, and are now focused on what they want, or what they have dreamed about having all their lives. Chevrolet knows these Boomers well. They are the Automotive Generation and one thing is certain ? they love their ride!

A generation raised on muscle cars like the Camaro; on luxury cars like the Impala; on the affordable family-style Malibu, and on the sheer need for speed like the Corvette; unlike the generations before them, the Automotive Generation grew up on motorized vehicles and the freedom of the open road. Whether by interstates, highways, or byways, they demand fashionable, affordable, safe, and economical auto-mobility.

The Chevrolet family knows that most Boomers always remember their first car and according to Scotia Economics, a research and policy development company, Baby Boomers account for more than half of all new vehicle purchases and make up almost 60% of all drivers. According to George Hoffer, an auto analyst, they have a ?fixation? on their cars born out of the days when gas was cheap, credit was easy, and for the first time in history, you could just jump in your car and go. This generation of car buyers has driven automotive styling for the past 50 years, and that is why several of Chevrolet?s models have lasted just that long, evolving as times change.

No automobile proves this point better than the generation who grew up lusting after the Corvettes and Stingrays of the 1960s ? and turning 50 doesn?t seem to dampened the passion for the Vette?s sleek curves. According to Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends and insights for pricing at TrueCar, the lifelong dream of owning a Corvette is representative of a group of Boomers now known as empty nesters. Corvettes are ??aspirational vehicles. They?re getting it for themselves, not the family. It?s what they?ve always wanted.? And according to Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North American division who recently spoke about the next generation of Corvettes on FOX News, ?There is a good chance every new Corvette we do has got to be dramatically different? As we go through time, there will always be an evolution of materials? Fiberglass is at the heart of the car. Materials are continually more efficient, stronger, and I think you?ll see that in whatever we do with the Corvette.?

The Impala was the first of the full-sized luxury Chevrolet automobiles. From 1958 until the mid 1960s, it remained the most expensive Chevrolet on the market until they introduced the larger Caprice. Throughout the 1960s, the Impala was not only the best-selling automobile in America, but it was also the most collected car of its type. Redesigned in 1971 and again in 1980, the Impala became the favorite among law enforcement before discontinuing it in 1985. Resurrected in 2000, the 2010 Impala starts at just $23,000 and comes standard with six airbags. The Luxury Edition Package features E85 FlexFuel-capability, a versatile flip-and-fold-flat rear seat, a six-passenger option, heated front bucket seats, a Bose? premium sound system, Universal Home Remote, auto-dimming rearview mirror, outside heated mirrors, a rear spoiler, Automatic Crash Response, and OnStar Advisor.

Breaking out from the sporty Chevelle ?muscle car? lineup, the Chevrolet Malibu, named for Malibu, CA hit the market in 1964, designed as a typical American family car sold at an affordable price. Today, the Chevy Malibu is wildly popular as a conservative midsize sedan, famous for its safety, and beloved by American start-up families.

Source: http://www.versustwin.com/automotive-news/the-automotive-generation-drives-chevrolet.html

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Spokesman: Paterno in serious condition

People gather at a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in State College, Pa, on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Joe Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/John Beale)

People gather at a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in State College, Pa, on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Joe Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/John Beale)

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2009, file photo, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno stands with his players before taking the field for an NCAA college football game against Ohio State in State College, Pa. A family spokesman says the former Penn State coach, who is battling lung cancer, is in serious condition after experiencing health complications. The 85-year-old Paterno has been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from cancer treatments. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

People gather at a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/John Beale)

FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2007, file photo, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno stands with his team before they take the field to play for an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin in State College, Pa. A family spokesman says the former Penn State coach, who is battling lung cancer, is in serious condition after experiencing health complications. The 85-year-old Paterno has been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from cancer treatments. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Candles, flowers, notes and other mementos are placed at a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/John Beale)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Joe Paterno's doctors said Saturday that the former Penn State coach's condition had become "serious," following complications from lung cancer in recent days.

The winningest major college football coach, Paterno was diagnosed shortly after Penn State's Board of Trustees ousted him Nov. 9 in the aftermath of the child sex abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky. While undergoing treatment, his health problems worsened when he broke his pelvis ? the same injury he sustained during preseason practice last year.

"Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications," family spokesman Dan McGinn said in a brief statement to The Associated Press. "His doctors have now characterized his status as serious. His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time."

Paterno's sons Scott and Jay each took to Twitter on Saturday night to refute reports that their father had died.

Wrote Jay Paterno: "I appreciate the support & prayers. Joe is continuing to fight."

Quoting individuals close to the family, The Washington Post reported on its website that Paterno remained connected to a ventilator, but had communicated his wishes not to be kept alive through any extreme artificial means. The paper said his family was weighing whether to take him off the ventilator on Sunday.

The 85-year-old Paterno has been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with the Post. Paterno was described as frail and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted from his bedside.

Roughly 200 students and townspeople gathered Saturday night at a statue of Paterno just outside a gate at Beaver Stadium. Some brought candles, while others held up their smart phones to take photos of the scene. The mood was somber, with no chanting or shouting.

"Drove by students at the Joe statue," Jay Paterno tweeted. "Just told my Dad about all the love & support--inspiring him."

Penn State student David Marselles held a candle in his right hand and posed next to a life-sized cardboard cutout of Paterno that he keeps at his apartment. A friend took a photo on the frigid night.

"I came to Penn State because of Joe Paterno. Since I was a little kid, I've been watching the games ... screaming 'We Are ... Penn State' because of him. ... He inspired me to go to college," Marselles said. "With such a tragic event like this, I just thought it was necessary to show my support."

The final days of Paterno's Penn State career were easily the toughest in his 61 years with the university and 46 seasons as head football coach.

Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator who was on Paterno's staff during two national title seasons, was arrested Nov. 5 and ultimately charged with sexually abusing a total of 10 boys over 15 years. His arrest sparked outrage not just locally but across the nation and there were widespread calls for Paterno to quit.

Paterno announced late on Nov. 9 that he would retire at the end of the season, but hours later he received a call from board vice chairman John Surma, telling him he had been terminated. By that point, a crowd of students and media were outside the Paterno home. When news spread that Paterno had been dumped, there was rioting in State College.

Police on Saturday evening barricaded the block where Paterno lives, and a police car was stationed about 50 yards from his home. Several people had gathered in the living room of the house. No one was outside, other than reporters and photographers.

Trustees said this week they pushed Paterno out in part because he failed a moral responsibility to report an allegation made in 2002 against Sandusky to authorities outside the university. They also felt he had challenged their authority and that, as a practical matter, with all the media in town and attention to the Sandusky case, he could no longer run the team.

Paterno testified before the grand jury investigating Sandusky that he had relayed to his bosses an accusation that came from graduate assistant Mike McQueary, who said he saw Sandusky abusing a boy in the showers of the Penn State football building.

Paterno told the Post that he didn't know how to handle the charge, but a day after McQueary visited him, he spoke to the athletic director and the administrator with oversight over the campus police.

Wick Sollers, Paterno's lawyer, called the board's comments this week self-serving and unsupported by the facts. Paterno fully reported what he knew to the people responsible for campus investigations, Sollers said.

"He did what he thought was right with the information he had at the time," Sollers said.

Sandusky says he is innocent and is out on bail, awaiting trial.

The back and forth between Paterno's representative and the board reflects a trend in recent weeks, during which Penn State alumni ? and especially former players, including Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris ? have questioned the trustees' actions and accused them of failing to give Paterno a chance to defend himself.

Three town halls, in Pittsburgh, suburban Philadelphia and New York City, seemed to do little to calm the situation and dozens of candidates have now expressed interest in running for the board, a volunteer position that typically attracts much less interest.

While everyone involved has said the focus should be on Sandusky's accusers and their ordeals, the abuse scandal brought a tarnished ending to Paterno's sterling career. Paterno won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and those two national championships, the last in the 1986 season. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.

Throughout his coaching years, Paterno maintained that, yes, winning was important, but even more important was winning with honor.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-22-Penn%20State-Paterno/id-65e609a0835648bbba01c7b4b0aa3736

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Gingrich upends Republican race in South Carolina (Reuters)

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) ? Newt Gingrich jolted the Republican presidential race on Saturday with a convincing come-from-behind victory in South Carolina, where voters rejected frontrunner Mitt Romney's pitch that he is the best bet to fix a broken economy and defeat President Barack Obama.

Gingrich's win injects unexpected volatility into a Republican nominating race that until this week appeared to be a coronation for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and private-equity chief.

Three different candidates now have won the first three contests in the state-by-state battle for the Republican presidential nomination to face Obama, a Democrat, on November 6.

Former senator Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses on January 3 and Romney won the New Hampshire primary on January 10. Gingrich fared poorly in both those states and had trailed badly in South Carolina polls.

Riding a series of feisty debate performances, Gingrich captured the lingering unease of conservative voters in South Carolina who view Romney's moderate past and shifting policy stances with suspicion. The former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives argued that he would be able to better articulate the party's conservative ideals.

With 65 percent of the vote counted, Gingrich had pulled in 41 percent of the vote, followed by Romney with 26 percent, networks reported. Santorum was in third with 18 percent and U.S. congressman Ron Paul in fourth with 13 percent.

Gingrich contrasted his sometimes-chaotic management style with Romney's buttoned-down approach, arguing that his campaign was powered by ideas rather than logistics.

U.S. television networks declared Gingrich the winner shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT).

"We have a very real chance on an idea basis as conservatives to offer a better future for the American people. We have an ability to reach out to lots of people and communicate with them without millions of dollars of paid advertising," Gingrich said on Fox Business Network.

"This race is getting to be even more interesting," Romney told supporters.

"We're now three contests into a long primary season," he added in a speech in which he took several shots at Gingrich, including condemning Republican rivals for assaulting free enterprise as they criticized his business resume.

FLORIDA IS NEXT

The next contest is the Florida primary on January 31. It will be the largest state yet in the nomination battle and one that will require the candidates to spend quite a bit of money on advertising.

Romney starts off with a wide lead in the polls in Florida and a distinct edge in logistics and fund-raising, which will be crucial in a state that has 10 separate media markets.

A drawn-out Republican contest would likely help Obama as Republican candidates would continue to spend time and money attacking each other.

Obama, who does not face a primary challenger, will have his turn in the spotlight on Tuesday with his State of the Union address. In a message to supporters on Saturday, he said the speech would focus on "building an economy that works for everybody, not just a wealthy few.

Animosity between Gingrich and Romney has been festering since December, when a group supporting Romney launched a blitz of negative TV ads in Iowa that effectively ruined Gingrich's campaign there.

In South Carolina, a state with a reputation for rough and tumble politics, the gloves came off.

Gingrich attacked Romney's business record and reluctance to release personal tax information, while Romney pointed to Gingrich's past ethics lapses and alluded to his messy personal life.

Voters said they were overwhelmingly focused on fixing the sluggish economy and finding the strongest candidate to defeat Obama. Some 78 percent said they were "very worried" about the economy and 45 percent said that the most important trait in a candidate was the ability to beat Obama, according to exit polls released by CNN.

Those issues are the twin pillars of Romney's candidacy.

Romney had developed an aura of inevitability after strong showings in the first two nominating contests, and he led South Carolina polls by 10 percentage points a week ago.

He suffered a setback on Thursday when Iowa officials declared in a recount that he had come in second place in that state's January 3 contest, behind Santorum, instead of winning narrowly as initially announced.

Romney is among the richest men ever to run for the U.S. presidency and his stewardship of the private equity firm Bain Capital has been criticized by Gingrich and others.

"If Republican leaders want to join this president in demonizing success and disparaging conservative values then they are not going to be fit to be our nominee," Romney told supporters.

Voters said they viewed Romney's business background as an asset. But he waffled this week when asked whether he would release his tax records, and acknowledged that he pays a much lower tax rate than many Americans.

'PUNCH IN THE MOUTH'

"This is the punch in the mouth/wake up call Romney needed if he wanted to be a strong general election candidate," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell said in a Twitter message, referring to the South Carolina results.

Romney attacked Gingrich's ties to mortgage giant Freddie Mac and criticized his time in the nation's capital. His campaign also highlighted Gingrich's $300,000 fine due to ethics lapses while serving as House speaker 15 years ago.

The thrice-married Gingrich has fended off publicity about his turbulent marital history. On Thursday, he rejected his second wife's accusation that he had asked her for an "open marriage" while he was having an affair with another woman in the 1990s.

South Carolina has been a tough state for Romney's presidential ambitions. In his previous run for the White House in 2008, Romney finished a poor fourth, with just 15 percent of the vote, behind winner and eventual Republican nominee John McCain. McCain endorsed Romney in the current campaign.

The winner of South Carolina's Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the party's nomination in every presidential election since 1980.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/ts_nm/us_usa_campaign

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David Furnish Apologizes for Trashing Madonna's Speech

Elton John's partner David Furnish has more to say to Madonna -- but this time, it's an apology. Four days after slamming the Material Girl for her Golden Globes win (which shut out Sir Elton) and then criticizing her acceptance speech as "embarrassing in its narcissism," Furnish, 49, would like to make amends.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/david-furnish-apologizes-trashing-madonnas-globes-speech/1-a-420702?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Adavid-furnish-apologizes-trashing-madonnas-globes-speech-420702

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Belfast hospital evacuates unit after 3 babies die (AP)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland ? Northern Ireland's major maternity hospital has evacuated its unit for premature babies after three died from a bacterial infection.

A doctor at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast, Clifford Mayes, says the 13 babies remaining in the neonatal unit are being moved to isolation rooms while the unit is extensively cleaned and an investigation launched.

Mayes said Friday that the first baby died Jan. 6, the second Jan. 13 and the third Thursday night. He said the Pseudomonas bacterium responsible is not particularly contagious and poses little threat to healthy humans, but proved lethal to ill and premature babies.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nireland_baby_deaths

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Citizens speak out on (at)Sweden Twitter account

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Do you think Sweden is all about blondes, meatballs and snow? Think again.

Since December, the Nordic country has been promoting itself on Twitter by handing over the official (at)Sweden account to an average citizen every week.

Among those who have hosted the account are a Christian minister, an organic sheep farmer and a blogger from an immigrant neighborhood ? each painting their own, different image of Swedish society.

This week the account is controlled by Hanna Fange, who describes herself as "just your average lesbian truck driver."

Maria Ziv, marketing director at public-private PR agency Visit Sweden, said the idea was to give the national account a more genuine voice and present a different picture of Sweden.

"Each tweeter should be a small piece in the puzzle that is Sweden," she said Thursday.

While institutions in many other countries still haven't taken control of their country names on Twitter, Visit Sweden and the public Swedish Institute registered the (at)Sweden account in 2009. Ziv said the latest campaign is a natural step in the organization's efforts to use social media in their marketing.

The move has been well-received online and the account has increased its number of followers from around 8,000 in December to more than 23,000.

The writers are free to express their thoughts about Swedish society after signing a contract prohibiting racist comments, personal attacks, advertising or tweets affecting national security, Ziv said.

Visit Sweden doesn't pre-read or censor the tweets, but demands that personal political opinions should be followed by the hash-tag myownopinion. And the hosts haven't shied away from controversial subjects or challenging the popular perception of Sweden.

Among other things, they have dissuaded foreign visitors from going to the "worthless" Ice Bar ? a popular tourist spot in Stockholm ? and criticized Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt for how he has handled negotiations with Ethiopia in relation to the imprisonment of two Swedish journalists there.

In December, Swedish-Bosnian account host Hasan Ramic stirred up a small debate after calling the Kebab-Pizza combo a "Swedish national dish" and later writing a series of tweets lamenting what he sees as the dismantling of Sweden's famous welfare system.

"In exchange for tax cuts, we've got a hollowed out society," he wrote. "The current Swedish welfare system is a bad joke compared to what it once was."

Ziv said the organizers have tried to pick tweeters of varying backgrounds to get an as broad representation of Sweden as possible. An important criteria is that the person is experienced in using Twitter and uses the tool to communicate with others instead of just for self-promotion.

"We encourage them to be themselves and tweet like normal, except in English," she said.

___

Online: http://twitter.com/sweden

____

Malin Rising can be reached at http://twitter.com/malinrising

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-19-EU-Sweden-Twitter/id-d4f548c4a6bb42559b3396266aaf6bb8

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Wind energy showcased in two Maine events

FREEPORT, Maine (AP) -- The Greater Portland Council of Governments and the Windependence group that promotes wind energy are holding events this week to promote the idea of municipally owned wind power.

The council's Jennifer Puser says the technology and ownership model represent a "perfect match for municipalities." She says she looks forward to seeing projects get off the ground.

Experts from as far away as California and British Columbia will be participating in events Wednesday and Thursday in Freeport and Augusta.

Freeport's event on Wednesday will be aimed at wind turbine installers, engineers, architects and others. Separate events Wednesday and Thursday in Augusta are being held in conjunction with the Maine Agricultural Trade Show. They're aimed at farmers and others who're interested in community wind.

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Source: http://kennebecvalley.wcsh6.com/news/news/98425-wind-energy-showcased-two-maine-events

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Cobra JoyRide car charger automatically flips your phone into Car Mode when you get on the road

Most Android phones offer a Car Mode app, either built-in or at least through the Market. Going into this Mode, however, can often take additional steps that slows you down if you're trying to get on the road in a hurry. Cobra Electronics has announced a way to get around this hurdle: a car charger. More specifically, it's the Cobra JoyRide, and should be available in Q2 of this year for $40. Here's how it works: as soon as you climb into your car and plug your Android phone into the JoyRide, it automatically triggers a companion app that pulls up your own customized Car Mode with several options you can switch around yourself. We're hoping to have some hands-on time with the JoyRide next week at CES, so stay tuned. In the meantime, feel free to check out the press release below.

Continue reading Cobra JoyRide car charger automatically flips your phone into Car Mode when you get on the road

Cobra JoyRide car charger automatically flips your phone into Car Mode when you get on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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Chartis: 'Insurance in Russia still 'push' product' ? RT

Insurance in Russia needs ?evolutionary growth? ? says Christos Adamantiadis, General Manager at Chartis Russia. Few Russians choose to the security of insurace, as it hasn?t yet become a part of their everyday thinking, explains Adamantiadis to RT.

RT: Russians often appear fatalistic?How difficult is it to sell them insurance?

CA:?Well, I would prefer to see the glass as half full! One could equally well argue that the Russians are too?optimistic, in that they think that nothing unfortunate can happen to them, and therefore don?t really need insurance! Whichever way you look at it, insurance penetration in Russia is still very low compared to Western Europe, about 1% of GDP against a European average of over 8%. In that sense, insurance is still a ?push? product, a product (or concept) that is ?sold? rather than ?bought?, especially when it comes to consumers and small businesses. Right now, I don?t see much on the horizon that will give a rapid spur to the sales of insurance to these groups. So there will be growth, but mostly organic ? let?s say ?evolutionary?, brought about by the gradual maturity of the society. On the other extreme, one has to admit the large Russian insurance companies are very sophisticated buyers of insurance.?

RT: Do you think Russians understand both the mechanism and the purpose of insurance well enough?

CA:?Generally speaking, not yet; but increasingly ? in certain circles. One example is the sales of insurance by the banks: the penetration rates that we see are quite high by any standards, implying that there is a slow change in the attitude of consumers towards insurance. Moving beyond the white collar population and the urban centers, most likely the picture is slightly different. In this context, probably the most striking thing is the very low penetration of Life and Pension insurance, which could be linked to generally low savings rates.?

RT: What type of insurance is the most popular one among Russians? And why, do you think?

CA:?Clearly Motor Third Party Liability (OSAGO) and, right behind, Motor Own damage (KASKO). All the rest ? without exception are in fact a long way behind. Nevertheless, an interesting trend to observe is the growing penetration of simple, inexpensive ?lifestyle? insurance products sold via banks (such as fraudulent use of credit card, simple travel insurance, etc), which seem to have growing traction with the ? mostly urban ? public.?

RT: What is the correlation between mandatory and voluntary insurance in Russia. How does it affect insurance companies?

CA:?All societies have to undergo some level of compulsory insurance, during which the notion of insurance gets entrenched, before the voluntary classes pick up. Usually it starts with classes that protect large parts of the population and/or financially weaker groups, such compulsory Motor Liability ? as has been the case in Russia. The ?compulsory? notion is initially alien, seen more as a tax rather than a protective social net, and typically there is a dose of push back until the benefits start sinking in and people start to appreciate the value of insurance. It usually takes between 1-2 years to achieve a good level of acceptance. Right now, the government is ready to roll out a new class of mandatory insurance, namely regarding the Liability Insurance for High Hazard Industries. The interesting feature here is that the limits per insured person are significantly higher than in the Motor Liability insurance and far closer to the true value of life in Russia.?

RT: Has the current crisis changed the trends in Russian market significantly?

CA:?We have not seen any major trends emerging as yet. During the 2008 crisis, insurance spending was one of the first areas that were cut in corporate operational expenses; also, Motor insurance being the main driver in consumer classes, the drop in new car sales had a severe negative impact on the insurance market. This time round, the indications are that Russia will, on the one hand, be more shielded from a global economic crisis; and, on the other, the growing insurance maturity of the population as well as the corporate sector, probably means that cutback on insurance spend will not be as deep.Overall, I am optimistic that growth will continue, albeit at a slower than originally anticipated rate.?

RT: How difficult was 2011 for a global insurance market? In this respect, how does the Russian market compare with the rest of the world?

CA: ?There was a large dichotomy in how the insurance markets performed in 2011, largely reflecting the direction of regional economies. Based on 1 half or 9 months? trends which are available, the US, Europe and Japan were static or, in some cases, even degrading, whereas the rest of the world was growing at reasonably healthy rates. Within the latter group, Russia at about 15% growth clearly stands out. This is a great achievement for the Russian insurance market!

In terms of bottom line, it has globally been a very bad year in the Consumer classes with negative technical profits and very low investment income to compensate. But the Corporate sector was better off, with not too many large losses from natural catastrophes, the Japan earthquake notwithstanding.?

RT: Are you going to launch any new insurance tools here in Russia?

CA:?Definitely! We have a big number of projects on the pipeline. Just to highlight a few: we have very ambitious plans both for our direct marketing operations as well as our Agency business, both of which we expect to grow significantly in 2012. Having a reasonably good footprint in the very large accounts segment, we expect to see bigger penetration in targeted segments in the ?middle market?.And not least, we will continue our investment in brand recognition and brand awareness.?

RT: What new challenges will 2012 bring to Russian insurance market?

CA: ?I see four main developments, which will largely define the direction of the market in 2012. First, the growth in new Auto sales. Auto insurance being a key determinant of the market dynamics.
Second, the traction of the new law on the Liability of High Hazard industries ? which I see as a very positive development for the corporate insurance market as well as for citizens? rights, in Russia. Third, the speed with which Bancassurance grows. Bancassurance being a relatively new but very dynamic distribution channel. Fourth, the pace of the market consolidation as new capital requirements set in from January. Overall, I would expect to see less but stronger companies, healthy premium growth even if at a slower rate than in 2011, and more professional, well organized distribution? in other words, a ?win-win? scenario for all the market stakeholders!?

Robert Mckenzie, Anastasia Kostomarova, Business RTAnastasia Kostomarova, Business RT

Source: http://rt.com/business/news/russia-insurance-chartis-adamantiadis-007/

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A Minute With: Jon Heder about Napoleon Dynamite on TV (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Geek chic will soon be back when Napoleon Dynamite returns in an animated TV show and joins "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" on the Fox network's "Animation Domination" night.

"Napoleon Dynamite," the 2004 independent film about a socially awkward teenager in a small town, directed by Jared Hess and starring Jon Heder, became a hit and received praise for bringing something fresh to the teen comedy genre.

The film is about a high-school loser, Napoleon, who becomes a bit of a winner while retaining his geekiness. The original cast is voicing their animated characters in the TV shows that debuts on January 15.

They are joined by new characters and guest stars including Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement.

Heder, 34, talked to Reuters about returning to play Napoleon and working in animation.

Q: Napoleon is back! Why now?

A: "We played around with the idea of an animated series or live-action series for a sequel, but we never played around seriously because we made this with a bunch of friends, so we weren't thinking cash franchise. But it came out and became a success, and I think all these years later, when Fox came to us, we said, 'Hey, we'd talked about it. We think the time is right, let's do it,' and we were all on board."

Q: Why animation over live action, especially with the original cast?

A: "Honestly, because it's probably cheaper and we're probably all old and flabby now! A live-action show still has a certain lifespan, but with shows like "Family Guy" and "King of the Hill," successful animated shows can go on forever."

Q: Where does the new series pick up from after the film?

A: "Napoleon is already friends with Pedro and Deb, and he still has a rivalry going with Summer and Don, but Kip really hasn't met LaFawnduh yet. The idea was that Kip might have lots of potential female romantic interests. It's kind of a prequel, in between the end of the movie and the wedding (between Kip and LaFawnduh), because the wedding at the end of the movie, that could have been much later, even years later, so maybe they took some time apart to try out some different mates."

Q: What can we expect from Kip's online dating adventures?

A: "We just like the idea that Kip is always online, especially because he doesn't really know what he's getting into. In one of the episodes, he'll be talking to Tatiana from Russia, and he has no idea who she is, she could be a man, so we're playing with the idea that Kip is clueless. It also lends itself to stories where Kip and Napoleon are going after the same girl, some sibling rivalry there."

Q: Do you ever feel pigeonholed by playing Napoleon?

A: "He's very much like me. He's not pretentious. He was raised in a small town, and he's an outsider. So, I relate a ton to the character. It is kind of a part of me and it probably will be for the rest of my life. That's why I have no problem coming back and doing Napoleon again."

Q: How do you think fans will respond?

A: "... I think true fans will like it, hopefully. It's animated but it's trying to capture the feeling and the integrity of the movie. There's an innocence that's still there and the naivety of the characters and there's such a lovability about them."

Q: Does Napoleon's iconic dance to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" make an appearance?

A: "Sadly, because it's animated, unless they do some motion-capture on me, that was the only thing I was a little bit bummed about. I'm playing the part, but it's only the voice, and so much of the Napoleon character is capturing the image and the physical movements. But from what I've seen, the animators are doing a pretty funny job."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Patricia Reaney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120104/tv_nm/us_napoleondynamite

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Smoggy Beijing to reveal more pollution data (AP)

BEIJING ? A bureau in charge of monitoring China's frequently smog-choked capital will release more detailed reports, state media said Friday, following a public outcry over the hazards of fine particle pollution.

Beijing's decision to publish the data appeared aimed at appeasing residents' anger over the pollution and a lack of government transparency.

Frustration over the issue has been fueled by a Twitter feed set up by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that reports air quality as measured by a monitor on the embassy roof and publishes it online every hour. Those readings include levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5 ? a type of pollution that Beijing authorities also measure but keep secret from the public.

China's environmental ministry has said it will factor PM2.5 into national air quality standards, but not until 2016.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Beijing's environmental protection bureau will also now post hourly online readings for PM2.5 before Chinese New Year, which begins later this month. The city already has six monitoring stations measuring PM2.5 and will add more before the end of the year, Xinhua said.

Beijing is frequently cloaked in yellow haze. Buildings a couple of blocks away are barely visible. Still, Beijing's official air quality index records the pollution as "light" ? a reading at odds with what many people experience.

Sometimes seen as soot or smoke, PM2.5 is tiny particulate matter ? less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter or approximately 1/30th the average width of a human hair ? that can result from the burning of fuels in vehicles, power plants and agriculture. Breathing such fine particles causes respiratory problems and can lead to death.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120106/ap_on_re_as/as_china_pollution

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Cold snap hits Florida's citrus belt (Reuters)

MIAMI (Reuters) ? Sub-freezing temperatures hit parts of Florida's citrus belt on Tuesday night, heating up the orange juice futures market even though damage to groves was isolated and not extensive.

"Approximately three quarters of the citrus belt has seen temperatures cold enough to result in frost, with about a quarter of the belt seeing a hard freeze," said Don Kenney, a senior agricultural meteorologist with MDA EarthSat Wether/CropCAST, a leading commodities weather risk consulting group.

While reporting "minor fruit damage and leaf burn" in some crop areas, Kenney said in a statement that damage was not expected to be significant or widespread and that temperatures should moderate quickly after Wednesday.

Florida Citrus Mutual, the state's leading growers association, also reported "cut ice in fruit and some leaf damage" portions of the citrus belt but said damage was not widespread.

"All in all I would not call it a non-event but in general the industry came through in pretty good shape," Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows said in an e-mail.

U.S. orange juice futures rallied for a second day in a row on Wednesday, after reports on the latest weather developments in Florida.

The key March frozen concentrated orange juice contract on ICE Futures USA was up about 2.8 percent, trading at just under $1.78 a lb, by 11:40 a.m. EST (1640 GMT). If it closed for the day at that level, it would have gained 5.2 percent since it begin trading for the year on Tuesday, making it the market's biggest two-day gain since mid-October.

Typically, citrus can sustain damage when temperatures fall for four hours or more below 28 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 2 Celsius).

Todd Barron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa, said there were a handful of areas where that level was reached for extended periods overnight.

James Cordier, president of Liberty Trading Group in Tampa, Florida, said a hard freeze in Florida may have been of little concern to the market in the not too distant past but production levels have dropped enough to make any freeze potentially significant for the state's $9 billion citrus industry.

"We really don't have the luxury of losing 5, 7 to 10 million boxes on a freeze," said Cordier, whose firm actively trades orange juice options.

"Last year and the year before we had cold temperature into late January and early February, so if we did escape with minor damage or no damage last night, I think this is certainly a wake up call," Cordier told Reuters.

"The Jet Stream's been falling much lower than in the previous years and we have to keep an insurance premium, you know, a feeze premium in the market, until we get to March," he said.

"We could have $2 orange juice so easy this year," he added. (Additional reporting by Barani Krishnan; Editing by XXX)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120104/us_nm/us_weather_florida_citrus

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Apple gearing up for 'media-related announcement' later this month?

Leave it to Apple to completely avoid CES, yet be one of the largest stories surrounding its dates. Much like last year's invite to what would eventually be the introduction of Verizon's iPhone 4, All Things D has it on good authority that the folks in Cupertino are spending their first hours back on the job planning a "media-related announcement" for later this month. Contrary to earlier beliefs, we're told by All Things D that this particular event won't be related to the next-gen iPad, and it's also "unlikely" to be connected to a "large-scale rethinking of its interactive television initiative."

So, knowing what it won't entail... what will be talked about? According to unnamed sources, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue is reportedly involved. For those unaware, Cue is responsible for a sizable chunk of Apple's media units, not the least of which include the App Store, iBookstore, iTunes Store and iCloud. Sadly, details outside of that are few and far betwixt, but you can bet we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more -- even if it's smack-dab in the middle of a Sony CES keynote. Cough.

Update: TechCrunch is reporting that it'll focus on the publishing sector, with no new hardware whatsoever on tap.

Update 2: Clayton Morris has chimed in and confirmed that it'll be related to iTunes.

Apple gearing up for 'media-related announcement' later this month? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/02/apple-media-related-announcement-this-month-rumor/

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Bariatric surgery associated with reduction in cardiovascular events and death

ScienceDaily (Jan. 3, 2012) ? Among obese individuals, having bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced long-term incidence of cardiovascular deaths and events such as heart attack and stroke, according to a study in the January 4 issue of JAMA.

Most epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular events and death. "Weight loss might protect against cardiovascular events, but solid evidence is lacking," according to background information in the article.

Lars Sjostrom, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues conducted a study to test the hypothesis that bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events and examined the relationship between weight change and cardiovascular events. The study (Swedish Obese Subjects [SOS]) is an ongoing, nonrandomized, prospective, controlled study conducted at 25 public surgical departments and 480 primary health care centers in Sweden, and includes 2,010 obese participants who underwent bariatric surgery and 2,037 matched obese controls who received usual care.

Patients were recruited between September 1987 and January 2001. Date of analysis was December 31, 2009, with median (midpoint) follow-up of 14.7 years. Inclusion criteria were age 37 to 60 years and a body mass index of at least 34 in men and at least 38 in women. Surgery patients underwent gastric bypass (13.2 percent), banding (18.7 percent), or vertical banded gastroplasty (68.1 percent), and controls received usual care in the Swedish primary health care system. Physical and biochemical examinations and database cross-checks were undertaken at preplanned intervals. The average changes in body weight after 2, 10,15, and 20 years were -23 percent, -17 percent, -16 percent, and -18 percent in the surgery group and 0 percent, 1 percent, -1 percent, and -1 percent in the control group, respectively.

During follow-up, there were 49 cardiovascular deaths among the patients in the control group and 28 cardiovascular deaths among the patients in the surgery group. In total (fatal and nonfatal), there were 234 cardiovascular events among patients in the control group and 199 cardiovascular events among patients in the surgery group. After adjustment for a number of variables, bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced number of fatal cardiovascular deaths and a lower incidence of total cardiovascular events.

Bariatric surgery was associated with reduced number of fatal heart attack deaths (22 in the surgery group vs. 37 in the control group), with analysis indicating that bariatric surgery was related both to reduced fatal heart attack incidence and total heart attack incidence. Also, bariatric surgery was associated both with reduced number of fatal stroke events and total stroke events.

However, the researchers found no significant relationship between weight change and cardiovascular events in the surgery or control group. The authors suggest that the lack of association between weight loss and reduction of cardiovascular events could be related to inadequate statistical power to detect this relationship. "Alternatively, following relatively modest weight loss induced by bariatric surgery, there is no further risk reduction attributable to greater, subsequent weight loss. Our negative findings also emphasize the need to explore weight loss independent of effects of bariatric surgery."

"In conclusion, this is the first prospective, controlled intervention to our knowledge reporting that bariatric surgery is associated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular deaths and cardiovascular events. These results- together with our previously reported associations between bariatric surgery and favorable outcomes regarding long-term changes of body weight, cardiovascular risk factors, quality of life, diabetes, cancer, and mortality- demonstrate that there are many benefits to bariatric surgery and that some of these benefits are independent of the degree of the surgically induced weight loss."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. L. Sjostrom, M. Peltonen, P. Jacobson, C. D. Sjostrom, K. Karason, H. Wedel, S. Ahlin, A. Anveden, C. Bengtsson, G. Bergmark, C. Bouchard, B. Carlsson, S. Dahlgren, J. Karlsson, A.-K. Lindroos, H. Lonroth, K. Narbro, I. Naslund, T. Olbers, P.-A. Svensson, L. M. S. Carlsson. Bariatric Surgery and Long-term Cardiovascular Events. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2012; 307 (1): 56 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.1914

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103165004.htm

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New Year's shooting at Calif. condo leaves 4 dead

CORONADO, Calif.?? An early morning New Year's shooting has left four people dead at a condominium near San Diego, authorities said Sunday.

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Police responded to a 911 cellphone call of shots fired in Coronado, a wealthy seaside suburb of about 24,000 people on San Diego Bay. Officers found a man in the doorway of the condo. The bodies of two men and a woman were discovered inside the condo.

San Diego County sheriff's Lt. Larry Nesbit said homicide investigators have not determined how any of the four died, though Coronado police officers who were first to arrive believe the man found in the doorway was shot.

"They checked and he had no obvious signs of life. They tried to make contact with anyone else that might be inside the building and they got no response," Nesbit said.

A SWAT team sent in a robot to the first floor and later searched the second and third floors, Nesbit said. The three dead bodies were found in "different parts" of the three-story building.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was on scene, "in case any of the victims were members of the military," Nesbit said.

The victims' identities hadn't been confirmed.

Asked if the deaths are believed to be a murder-suicide, Nesbit said, "I'll let it infer what it does. We're not going to say that. Although it's very early in the investigation, we don't believe there are any outstanding suspects."

Nesbit said the 911 was placed by a male passer-by who heard gunshots. Authorities received a search warrant Sunday afternoon to enter the three-story condo, which remained cordoned off.

Neighbor Julie Kansy said was awoken at 2:15 am by six pops ? three, followed by a short break, then three more.

"At first I thought it's too late for fireworks," she said. "Then I thought it was somebody being stupid and firing shots in the air."

The condo sits a few blocks from the famed Hotel del Coronado and a block from the main street, which is lined with boutiques and restaurants. Curious passers-by asked police what the commotion was about and expressed shock and surprise.

Coronado is home to Naval Air Station North Island and is a haven for Navy retirees. Homicides are extremely rare in Coronado ? just one was recorded in 2010.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45841660/ns/us_news/

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India airs edgier TV shows _ but cuts out the edge (omg!)

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Would the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll fueled TV show "Californication" be worth watching without the sex, drugs and rock-n- roll? What about serial killer series "Dexter" without the gore?

In an effort to attract younger viewers without offending the older ones, Indian TV is now showing some of America's edgiest shows ? but cutting out the edge.

As India urbanizes and its middle class grows, a delicate dilemma has hit a media culture long dominated by local TV shows aimed at rural audiences, such as the soap opera "Baalika Vadhu" or "Child Bride," about a girl married off at age 10. While the young and hip audiences that attract advertising dollars want foreign imports, no broadcaster wants to upset conservative viewers or attract government ire.

"This is a very sensitive time for the media in India," said TV critic Shailaja Bajpai. "Many stations are afraid of government banning orders," but at the same time, output needs refreshing to bring in audiences."

So TV channels resort to inconsistent and clumsy self-censorship, snipping scenes that are central to a show's plot with abandon. While they bleep out profanities, they will also cut a reference to the drug "crack" from one part of a show, while letting it slide a few minutes later.

Even more absurd are the imports that have English subtitles to assist those with a shaky grasp of the language. Censors often let the spoken word slide through, but change it or strike it completely from the subtitles. So while a character on "The Big Bang Theory" is allowed to say the word "intimate," the subtitles only showed "int ------."

One incident turned an episode of "Friends" into a legend of unwatchable TV. The show hinged on the gag that two pages in a cookbook got stuck together and the character Rachel mistakenly made a fruit pastry with beef. The station bleeped out the word "beef," a show of sensitivity for Hindus' reverence for cows, leaving viewers to guess why her diners were so disgusted.

It's just as perplexing for the suddenly chaste vampires of HBO's lusty "True Blood" and for the serial killer star of "Dexter," who is constantly changing blood-splattered clothes for no apparent reason on Indian TV. Or for David Duchovny's "Californication" lech Hank Moody, who disappears into a bedroom with a beautiful women and then suddenly appears in a disjointed scene from later in the episode.

Nevertheless, young Indians, who have embraced Levis, McDonalds and MTV, are hungering for Western television.

"I no longer want to watch the stupid shows I watched with my family growing up, I want entertainment and there is very little on Hindi-language television," said Abhinav Mohan, a 22-year-old mass-communication student, who watches the disjointed imports instead. "Though heavily censored, I can still follow them."

Broadcasting the shows, while editing them into confusion, underscores the fine line entertainment companies like the NewsCorp-owned Star and FX are trying to walk to attract urban youth while not angering their more traditional parents.

Bollywood actors only began kissing onscreen in the last decade. As recently as 2007, an arrest warrant was briefly issued for Hollywood star Richard Gere after he kissed the cheek of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness rally.

"Indian produced movies and TV are very formulaic, you always know what you are going to get," said Rahul Gupta, a media company owner in New Delhi. "Today's youth are more likely to get what they want from Hollywood than Bollywood and TV companies are starting to realize it and hope to cash in."

In an effort to head off government interference, the industry created its own regulatory body in June to deal with complaints. Now, in addition to the odd censoring, viewers must also suffer a banner that repeatedly scrolls across the screen, advising viewers how to complain to the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council. More than 3,000 have.

The complaints range from "scantily and vulgarly dressed women" on MTV's "Grind" to a scene "misguiding children to kill," on the southern Indian family melodrama "Muddu Bidda," or "Cute Girl."

So far, only six channels have been called in for a hearing. Their apologies have been enough to satisfy the council and prevent it from referring the cases to the government, which has the power to ban shows.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_india_airs_edgier_tv_shows_cuts_edge093154716/44053111/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/india-airs-edgier-tv-shows-cuts-edge-093154716.html

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