Thursday, January 26, 2012

As Sears Plans Closings, Cities Fight To Keep Stores

Sears Holdings Corp., the iconic company that sold millions of families their first appliances and christened America's tallest building, finally succumbed to shabby sales late December, announcing that it would close 100 to 120 of its of its Sears and Kmart stores. Many of the 81 store closings announced thus far are in small towns, where Sears is one of only a handful of retailers.

Now, at least four of the places affected -- Jackson, Miss., Cleveland, Tenn., New Smyrna Beach, Fla., and Harper Woods, Mich. -- are fighting the company's decision. Local governments, afraid of the economic impact of the closures, are appealing to Sears Holdings with petitions, rallies and even tax incentives, so far to no avail.

"We would like for a major store to remain in the Jackson area," pleaded Mary Garner on the online petition started by Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. "Please do not desert us." The petition had 3,251 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon.

Without a replacement store -- unlikely to emerge in this economy -- the departure of a Sears or Kmart means fewer jobs, less tax revenue and another ugly vacancy for already struggling cities. It also means a loss of pride. Even as affluent Americans protest the spread of chains like Walmart and shoppers look online for good deals, big box stores remain important symbols of prosperity for many small towns.

Once America's largest retailer -- and still one of its most ubiquitous, with almost as many store locations as Walmart -- Sears Holdings has struggled in recent years to refresh its staid brand and aging retail stores. After seeing same-store sales decline 5.2 percent in the eight weeks before Christmas (traditionally the most profitable time of the year), the company announced the closures.

"We appreciate the community support and in fact have seen an increase in traffic to these stores since the petitions have started," Tom Aiello, a Sears spokesperson, wrote in an email. "Unfortunately these stores have lost money for several years and Sears Holdings, as a company, cannot continue to support underperforming stores."

RALLIES AND INCENTIVES

Mayors Harvey Johnson Jr. of Jackson, Miss., and Tom Rowland, of Cleveland, Tenn., say that Sears Holdings didn't contact them before making the announcement and that their cities are in the midst of economic development projects that they had hoped would eventually bring more business to struggling stores like Sears'.

"I would hate to see us lose the Sears brand," Rowland said, noting that Cleveland, with a population of 41,285, is also the place where many of the Kenmore ranges -- a brand of ovens exclusive to Sears -- are manufactured. He cited a recently completed luxury apartment complex and a soon-to-open branch of the Whirlpool plant as examples of his city's vibrancy. While Cleveland has other big stores in the area, including branches of Home Depot and Kmart, the loss of one of its oldest department stores would hurt, he said.

Jackson, meanwhile, stands to lose much more: Sears is one of only two remaining anchor stores in the largest mall in Mississippi. City officials are considering offering the company an incentive package to keep it in the Metrocenter Mall, according to Chris Mims, director of communications for the mayor's office.

Jackson, the state's capital, has seen its population drop 5.8 percent since 2000, and the Metrocenter Mall has not fared well either. Since the mall's opening in 1978, it has declined along with the surrounding neighborhood as newer, nicer shopping centers opened in the northern part of the city. In 2010, the mall owners narrowly avoided foreclosure, and today only two of four anchor spaces are filled. That number will dwindle to one if Sears leaves.

Jackson city officials, working to fight the flight of retail from the area, are planning to move 200 to 300 employees from various government offices into one former anchor space in the mall, which they hope will bring new customers to stores like Sears, Mims said.

Any incentive package would most likely be made up of tax abatements, according to Mims. Jackson will lose $129,000 in property taxes annually should the store close. While proposing incentives for private companies is a bold move in a state currently considering cutting its public health budget, Sears is enough of a fixture in Jackson that public support (and petition signatures) are mounting for the plan.

'SEARS HELPED US'

So far, Sears Holdings has yet to respond publicly to the cities' efforts. It's not clear yet whether things will change before Sears Holdings completes the liquidation process for its stores in the next few months.

For cities, giving incentives to retailers doesn't always work out as planned. In 2002, when Kmart (then a separate company) announced store closings en masse, city officials in Buffalo, N.Y., presented the company with a $400,000 incentive package, including six months' worth of free rent, to keep its local store. While the company initially accepted the offer, a few months later it decided to close the Kmart anyway. The building remains vacant to this day, with Buffalo green-lighting plans for an Aldi discount supermarket to take over the space only this past summer.

In New Smyrna Beach, Fla., the petition drive to save Kmart hit a standstill last week when organizers failed to gain the support of the city commission and mayor, even though roughly 6,000 people had signed on. While there is a brand-new Super Walmart a few miles away, unlike Kmart, that store isn't accessible by public transportation. Some worry that those who don't have cars will be out of luck once Kmart is gone. "Poor and elderly people will be especially hurt," said Ellen Weller, 70, the retired nurse who launched the petition.

Dottie, a Kmart employee who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing her last set of paychecks, is one of those people. "I've worked here for 17 years and now I'm looking for another job," she said. "I'm 72 and I live on my own on a very tight budget. It's very scary."

Whether or not the stores will stay afloat, the news of their closing has generated one strange by-product: nostalgia. Since shoppers learned of the closures, there has been more effusive praise for the iconic glory of Sears than any other time in recent history (and certainly more than was ever generated by the company's own advertising campaigns).

"I would like to see the Sears at Metrocenter in Jackson MS remain open because of the great values on the everyday products that working class people need and want," wrote Anthony Clay on the Jackson petition. Below him, many others pledged earnestly to do all of their shopping at Sears until the store decided to remain open.

"Sears helped us, I believe we can and will help Sears," wrote Jim Watford.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/sears-closes-cities_n_1231326.html

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Team arrives as campus farewell for Paterno begins (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Members of the Penn State football team and the athletic department have arrived at the campus faith center, where a viewing is being held Tuesday for Joe Paterno.

The players wore dark suits and filed out of three blue Penn State buses ? the same buses that once carried Paterno and the team to games on fall Saturdays. Son Scott Paterno was seen coming in and out of the center.

The 85-year-old Paterno, the winningest coach in major college football, died Sunday. He disclosed his lung cancer in November, days after he was fired in the aftermath of the child sex-abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky.

This marked the start of three days of public events as the Penn State community in State College and beyond said goodbye to the man who led the Nittany Lions to 409 wins over 46 years.

Big crowds were expected to show their love for Paterno, starting with a 10-hour public viewing at 1 p.m. EST. The viewing on campus is at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, with another public viewing Wednesday. After that, Paterno's family will hold a private funeral and procession through State College.

On Thursday, the school's basketball arena will be the site of a public service called "A Memorial for Joe." Penn State was expecting a huge demand for seats and set a two-per-person limit on tickets.

Scott Paterno said despite the turmoil, Paterno remained peaceful and upbeat in his final days and still loved the school.

The revered coach was fired Nov. 9 after he was criticized over his handling of the allegations against Sandusky in 2002. Pennsylvania's state police commissioner said in not going to the police, Paterno may have met his legal duty but not his moral one.

Bitterness over Paterno's removal has turned up in many forms, from online postings to a rewritten newspaper headline placed next to Paterno's statue at the football stadium blaming the trustees for his death. A headline that read "FIRED" was crossed out and made to read, "Killed by Trustees." Lanny Davis, lawyer for the school's board, said threats have been made against the trustees.

Scott Paterno, however, stressed his father did not die with a broken heart and did not harbor resentment toward Penn State.

___

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_paterno

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International Development - Director Of Finance

Devex-UN Foundation ?innovative finance? campaign wraps up

Over the past month, in a collaboration with the United Nations Foundation, Devex has featured ideas from some of the world?s top thinkers on innovative financing. These guest opinions were full of insight, passion and optimism for a future without extreme poverty and hunger. Here's a look at what we call "Busannovate: Making the Money go Further."

Source: http://www.devex.com/en/jobs/director-of-finance-18713

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Video: Fed Survey: QE3 On The Way?

CNBC's Steve Liesman takes a look at the results from 75 market participants who were surveyed on whether QE3 is going to happen early this year.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46098523/

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Jim Reeves' music royalties at issue in trial

FILE - In this in 1958 file photo Country singer Jim Reeves poses with his Gibson J-200 guitar on the "Country Music Jubilee." A trial over how music royalties of the late country singer "Gentleman" Jim Reeves should be split is set to begin this week. Reeves was a country music sensation when he died nearly 50 years ago in a plane crash at the age of 39. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this in 1958 file photo Country singer Jim Reeves poses with his Gibson J-200 guitar on the "Country Music Jubilee." A trial over how music royalties of the late country singer "Gentleman" Jim Reeves should be split is set to begin this week. Reeves was a country music sensation when he died nearly 50 years ago in a plane crash at the age of 39. (AP Photo, File)

(AP) ? A trial over how music royalties of the late country singer "Gentleman" Jim Reeves should be split is set to begin this week.

Reeves was a country music sensation when he died nearly 50 years ago in a plane crash at the age of 39.

The two-day trial that begins Monday will focus on how much Terry Davis, who married Reeves' widow, should receive from royalties of up to $400,000 a year, The Tennessean reported (http://tnne.ws/w4mgtF ).

Reeves is best known for the lyric "Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone" but he stayed on the charts from 1970 through 1984 because of how his widow, Mary Reeves Davis, managed his posthumous career. His most popular songs included "He'll Have To Go" and "Welcome To My World."

Terry Davis has been locked in a battle with Reeves' nephew and niece since Mary Reeves Davis died in 1999.

The case will determine if Terry Davis should receive more than the $100,000 and some land that Mary Reeves Davis left to him. Terry Davis, who was married to Mary Reeves Davis for 30 years, has cited a provision of law allowing spouses an "elective share" of an estate based on how long the marriage lasted..

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-22-Jim%20Reeves-Royalties%20Trial/id-d6b649ae15944121a8955db22d198463

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Scientists pause research with lab-bred bird flu (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The scientists who created easier-to-spread versions of the deadly bird flu say they're temporarily halting more research, as international specialists debate what should happen next.

Last month, U.S. officials had urged two labs not to publicly reveal how they brewed the new viruses, for fear would-be bioterrorists might copy them. Critics also worried a lab accident might allow the strains to escape.

The viruses are held in high-security labs in the U.S. and the Netherlands. They were created to help learn how bird flu might mutate to become a bigger threat to people. But in a letter Friday to the journals Science and Nature, the scientists said they would "pause" additional research for 60 days as world health officials debate how to learn from the work, safely.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_he_me/us_med_bird_flu

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Maldives asks UN help to resolve "judicial crisis" (AP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka ? The Maldives asked the United Nations on Sunday to send a group of international jurists to resolve what it calls a judicial system failure that has resulted in the military's detention of a senior judge.

A government statement said Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem made the request in a letter to the office of the U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights.

President Mohamed Nasheed's government is under heavy pressure. Street protests have broken out in the capital Male following last week's arrest of Criminal Court Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed after he ordered the release of a government critic.

Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan has also joined calls for the release of the judge, saying that he is ashamed by his government's action.

The government has accused Mohamed of corruption and political bias.

On Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered in Male to demand the resignation of Nasheed and the release of the judge. Police used tear gas to break up the gathering, but protesters through the capital and demonstrated outside the homes of the president, home minister and police commissioner.

Naseem in his letter explained that the dispute with the criminal court judge was not an isolated incident but "represents a systemic failure of the judicial checks and balances foreseen in the constitution."

"This system failure led directly to the president's decision, as the ultimate guarantor of the constitution and of rule of law in the Maldives, to detain Justice Abdulla Mohamed," the statement said.

The Judicial Service Commission mandated by the constitution to examine the conduct of judges has failed in its responsibilities by not taking action on any of the 143 complaints it received in 2010 alone, the statement said.

Judge Mohamed remains in custody on an island the military uses for training in the Indian Ocean archipelago despite calls for his release by the country's Supreme Court and the prosecutor general. The Maldives human rights commission has also called the arrest unlawful.

Nasheed's critics say that his government is using the military and police to crack down on dissidents and intimidates the media from reporting on the dispute.

Both Nasheed and his deputy Waheed were leading pro-democracy campaigners before being elected to office in the country's first multiparty election in 2008.

Maldives is known for its idyllic resorts for upmarket tourists.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_as/as_maldives_politics

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The Stops and Starts of Designing the Traffic Light (and Why You Should Love It) [Design]

You might not realize it when you've been trapped behind the same red light for five minutes, but traffic lights, when they're timed and tuned correctly, are actually pretty good at making traffic move. Really. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GepvFQe9rHk/the-stops-and-starts-of-designing-the-traffic-light-and-why-you-should-love-it

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Rare sea creature climbs onto woman's dock

A Seattle resident recently got a big surprise when she discovered a strange-looking furry visitor on her property.

"She woke up and it was lying on her dock, hanging out and sleeping ? just chilling," said Matthew Cleland, district supervisor in western Washington for the USDA's Wildlife Services, and the recipient of a photo of the bizarre intruder.

"I thought, 'That's an interesting-looking creature,'" Cleland told OurAmazingPlanet. "I had no idea what it was."

A quick glance through a book in his office soon revealed it was a ribbon seal, an Arctic species that spends most of its life at sea, swimming the frigid waters off Alaska and Russia.

Somehow, the seal turned up on the woman's property, about a mile from the mouth of the Duwamish River, a highly industrialized waterway that cuts through southern Seattle. In 2001, the EPA declared the last 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) of the river a Superfund site ? an area contaminated with hazardous substances in need of cleanup.

The sighting was "pretty exciting," said Arctic seal researcher Peter Boveng, leader of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory's Polar Ecosystems Program. "It's really unusual."

Ribbon seals, named for the unmistakable stark white markings that ring their necks, flippers and hindquarters, typically shun dry land.

Boveng said the animals spend only a few months per year on sea ice, to molt and give birth, and have almost never been seen so far south. "So it's a surprise, but knowing the species, it's not a complete surprise to me," he said. "They're good travelers."

The ribbon seal, which Boveng identified as an adult male, "looked to be in really good shape," he said. "We don't have any way to rule out other possibilities, but I'd say it's almost certain that it swam there."

Satellite tracking studies have revealed that ribbon seals do sometimes make it as far as the north Pacific Ocean, south of the Aleutian islands, but much about the species remains mysterious. Because they spend so much of their lives in the open water, it's a challenge to track them.

"Unfortunately we don't know a lot about their numbers," Boveng said. "There's never been a reliable survey."

A conservation groups has made efforts to list ribbon seals as an endangered species because of concerns about disappearing sea ice in the Arctic. So far the federal government has declined to do so, but is continuing to review the case for listing.

The Seattle ribbon seal appears to be only the second on record to make it so far south.

In 1962, a ribbon seal showed up on a beach near Morro Bay, Calif., a town about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Los Angeles. According to contemporary reports, the seal was in good shape, but totally bald except for hair on the head, neck and flippers. It died a month later at the local aquarium.

The Seattle ribbon seal's story is unknown, but one could be forgiven for thinking it a harbinger of things to come. This week, cold winds from Alaska helped create a record winter storm in Seattle, slamming the metro area with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of snow.

The ribbon seal hasn't been seen again since it was first spotted last week.

"It stirred up a lot of interest," Cleland said. "There are a lot of people out here looking for it."

Reach Andrea Mustain at amustain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @AndreaMustain. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.

? 2012 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46073497/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Bing Maps Are Being Rebranded as Nokia, Across All Platforms [Nokia]

It sounds a little like stealing someone else's homework and then putting your name it, only slightly more expensive, but Nokia has convinced Microsoft to rebrand Bing Maps as Nokia's own. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kSbau_-XIaE/bing-maps-are-being-rebranded-as-nokia-across-all-platforms

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Review: Lucas-produced "'Red Tails" fails to soar (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Though it tries hard, "Red Tails" never becomes an updated "Glory" with wings.

"Glory" was the stirring 1989 film based on a true story about a group of black Union soldiers during the Civil War who battled prejudice both inside and out of the Army. (Denzel Washington won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role.)

"Red Tails," produced by George Lucas and directed by feature first-timer Anthony Hemingway (TV's "The Wire," "Treme" and "CSI: NY"), is about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of black Army pilots who served with distinction in Europe during World War II despite facing multiple roadblocks caused by racial prejudice. (The title derives from the fact that the tails of their planes were painted a bright red.)

The story of the Tuskegee airmen and the hurdles they encountered is certainly one worth putting up on the big screen. Sadly, "Red Tails" tells its inspiring story in the most old-fashioned, Saturday-afternoon-at-the-movies kind of way. The movie occasionally flies but it never soars.

In showing how the Tuskegee Airmen finally earned the right to fly combat missions -- it was felt by the brass that African-American pilots weren't up to the task-and distinguished themselves once they did, "Red Tails" falls back on all the usual bomber crew film clich?s.

When Hollywood was cranking out WWII movies with regularity, every bomber crew had one of each: a rural yokel, an urban wise guy, a scared young kid, the angry guy, various ethnic types, etc. In "Red Tails," the featured pilots may all be black, but they're still a mixed bag featuring a one-note one of each: the pilot who secretly drinks, the hotshot who takes too many risks, the joker, the religious guy and ... well, you get the idea.

Despite the weaknesses in the screenplay of this long-gestating project -- Lucas wanted to make the movie for at least two decades -- there are still moments that will stir an audience. These come primarily from two actors: Terence Howard, who plays a colonel who stubbornly takes on his superiors at the Pentagon to enable the airmen to fly meaningful missions, and David Oyelowo, as an ace pilot who gently courts a non-English speaking beauty from the Italian town near the airmen's base.

There are also plenty of action-filled aerial battle scenes but they soon develop a monotonous, repetitive rhythm, alternating between CGI shots of planes attacking each other and going down in flames, and interior cockpit shots featuring pilots looking either stressed or exultant. Such sameness eventually lessens the bark of these dogfights.

In the end, "Red Tails" is like the old, patched together B-40s its pilots are stuck flying early in the movie. It can still do the job, but you just that know that there should have been a better-built and sleeker model out there.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/film_nm/us_redtails

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

South Florida: Just one stop on an around-the-world run

Jesper Olsen has run through sandstorms in the Sahara Desert. He has run through perpetual sunlight above the Arctic Circle. He has run through Egypt, pitched his tent in Istanbul, had tea with peasants in Sudan, and reveled in music flowing from tiny huts in the Andes Mountains.

He has even run through Siberia, though that?s another story.

And now, all that remains between Olsen and his final steps of a 24,854-mile journey is a 3,284-mile stretch of U.S. 1 that began last week in Key West, continues this week in Miami-Dade and Broward and climaxes with the end of World Run II in Newfoundland, Canada.

Forrest Gump, of fictional fame, ran across America for three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours.

He?s got nothing on Olsen.

Olsen, 40, plans to finish his second run around the world July 1. That would make it four years to the day since the modest but spirited strawberry-blond from Denmark embarked on World Run II.

?One lap around the world, it?s the biggest challenge you can give yourself as a long-distance runner,? said Olsen, who ran through Miami-Dade and reached downtown Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday. He will continue about 10 a.m. Wednesday, heading north from Broward Boulevard.

Escorting him through the streets of South Florida ? a rare treat for Olsen after almost a year of running solo through South America ? are local distance runners who are opening up their homes to Olsen at night.

?It was an amazing experience,? said Hallandale Beach attorney Andrei Nana, 35, who ran with Olsen for two days. ?He?s very humble. Very modest. We runners think what he?s doing is awesome. Regular people must think, ?Is he crazy????

Olsen began the final stage of his journey at Key West?s Southernmost Point marker on Jan. 10. By Tuesday morning, he had taken off from Collins Avenue in Bal Harbour, heading north on State Road A1A and finally onto U.S. 1 in Broward.

He averages 20 to 30 miles a day ? a marathon?s distance is 26.2 miles. And except for every now and then when he alters his meticulously planned course to run through can?t-miss areas such as Tuesday?s jaunt along the ocean, the route will keep Olsen on U.S. 1.

The worldwide trek began at North Cape, Norway, and continued through the Middle East and into the Sahara Desert.

There, he endured sandstorms and 127-degree heat.

Through much of his run through Africa, Olsen had a perpetual fever and amoebic dysentery. He also had malaria, ?but not too severe.?

His stomach couldn?t handle the food.

?Once you?re out of the big cities, you have to eat what the locals eat in the huts,? Olsen said. ?You can choose not to get sick ? if you don?t eat.?

From Africa, he took a flight to South America, starting in Chile and running north ? sometimes high in the Andes, sometimes low in the jungle. From Colombia, he flew to South Florida to start the final leg of his round-the-world excursion.

World Run I, which he completed in October 2005 and included Siberia ? where he had a too-close encounter with a wild bear ? took only 1 year, 10 months.

?The first one,? from west to east, said Olsen, traversed ?across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, and was as easy a route as possible.?

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/17/2594508/south-florida-just-one-stop-on.html

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Fisher's late 3 pushes Lakers past Mavericks 73-70 (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Derek Fisher hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to play and the Los Angeles Lakers survived a dismal offensive game by both teams for a 73-70 victory over the Mavericks on Monday night, snapping Dallas' five-game winning streak.

Vince Carter missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the defending champion Mavericks, who swept Los Angeles out of the second round of the postseason last spring, ending the Lakers' bid for a three-peat.

Neither team looked much like a championship contender in their first meeting since, with 3 1/2 miserable offensive quarters before the exciting finish.

Fisher scored 13 points and led a 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks rallied to tie it on Jason Terry's running jumper at the top of the key with 9.9 seconds left.

Kobe Bryant, whose streak of four straight 40-point games ended with just 14 against the Mavs, drew the Dallas defense before passing to Fisher. The veteran point guard calmly drilled a long 3-pointer from the wing.

Carter's desperation try was far off, and the Lakers celebrated their ninth consecutive home victory since Christmas.

Andrew Bynum had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won six of seven overall despite barely scoring 70 points ? the franchise low in the shot-clock era, set in November 2002.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points for the Mavericks, but committed a crucial traveling violation with 38 seconds left in their first loss since Jan. 5. Lamar Odom scored 10 points in his return to Staples Center, where he won two championships before the Lakers abruptly traded him to Dallas last month.

Two elite NBA franchises might have showed the strain of the NBA's compacted schedule, or the excitement of the playoff rematch ? or maybe they both just stunk.

Airballs, turnovers and missed assignments dominated play, which included a seven-point third quarter by the Lakers and 35 percent shooting by the Mavericks, who extended their string of exceptional defensive performances.

Pau Gasol, whose struggles in last year's playoff series played a huge role in the Lakers' losses, had just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, while Dallas' Jason Kidd went 0 for 8 on 3-pointers and Terry was 2 for 9 from the field until his tying basket.

Bryant had scored at least 40 points in each of his past four games, but the NBA's leading scorer even didn't score until midway through the second quarter.

At least the Lakers have their first chance to recover from the lockout-compacted NBA schedule: After matching the league high with 15 games in 23 days, Los Angeles has consecutive days off for the first time this season before Thursday's game at Miami.

Odom demanded the trade when his feelings were hurt after a deal fell apart to send him to New Orleans for Chris Paul, but the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is still struggling to fit in Dallas.

Odom's return added another layer of intrigue to the Lakers' first matchup with the Mavericks since Dallas' 36-point win in the playoff clincher. That game ended with thuggish behavior by Bynum, who earned a four-game suspension for his harsh fouls in coach Phil Jackson's final game with Los Angeles.

Odom said it was "surreal" to be in the visitors' locker room at Staples Center, his home for the past seven seasons. The Staples Center crowd greeted Odom with a lengthy standing ovation when he entered the game midway through the first quarter, and the Lakers played a video tribute on the scoreboard at the ensuing timeout.

NOTES: Odom's wife, reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, watched the game from Lakers executive Jeanie Buss' second-row seats, cheering loudly for the Mavericks. ... Fans near courtside included Chris Tucker, Don Cheadle and boxing trainer Freddie Roach.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_sp_bk_ga_su/bkn_mavericks_lakers

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

[OOC] Made for war

Forum rules
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Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Made for war?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Made for war"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

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Tonks
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Can i reserve a female angel?

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broken-wings
Member for 1 years


Sure, just get it in soon.

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Tonks
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ITC gives Motorola preliminary win in Apple patent dispute (Appolicious)

Score one for Motorola and against Apple in one of the iPhone maker?s many patent infringement suits, after the U.S. International Trade Commission issued a preliminary ruling stating that Motorola wasn?t infringing Apple?s patents.

The ruling came from an administrative law judge, as Ars Technica reports, and was based on three smartphone patents that Apple accused Motorola of having violated. Apple has lawsuits all over the world against multiple smartphone and tablet manufacturers. It has been in the middle of a protracted patent fight with Samsung over similar allegations, stating that Samsung has copied the look and feel of Apple?s device designs. But the early ruling could be a sign of the end for Apple?s suit against Motorola.

Apple and Motorola have been fighting this particular patent battle since back in 2010, in both federal court and the ITC. Motorola started the war by alleging that Apple had violated several of its smartphone patents covering things like antenna design, 3G technology and device synchronization, and Apple responded with a countersuit of its own.

Bringing patent lawsuits to the ITC is an effective workaround to taking them to federal court for many electronics makers. The ITC oversees imports of devices by foreign companies and from foreign distributors. It?s supposed to protect American companies from having their patents infringed by foreign businesses and then sold in the U.S. That means the ITC can ban the imports of devices into the U.S., effectively halting their sale here.

The ruling isn?t a final nail in the coffin of Apple?s suit against Motorola. There?s still a ruling by the six-judge ITC panel, which has the final say on import matters, and there?s a chance it could be different than that of the administrative law judge. But Motorola was pretty quick to send out a press release declaring victory, and it has a fair reason to be pleased. From Ars? story:

?We are pleased with [Friday's] favorable outcome for Motorola Mobility,? Motorola Mobility general counsel Scott Offer said in a statement. ?Motorola Mobility has worked hard over the years to develop technology and build an industry-leading intellectual property portfolio. We are proud to leverage this broad and deep portfolio to create differentiated innovations that enhance the user experience.?

Apple is basically in an all-out patent war with Google?s Android platform right now, and a loss against Motorola would be a setback. But it?s not the only side of the story: Apple did recently win an ITC victory against another Android device maker, HTC. And there?s still all that Samsung drama that needs sorting through, taking place all over the world. This battle?s far from over.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10777_itc_gives_motorola_preliminary_win_in_apple_patent_dispute/44197852/SIG=13bnrc61q/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10777-itc-gives-motorola-preliminary-win-in-apple-patent-dispute

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Monday, January 16, 2012

Judge in NC hears bid to delay John Edwards trial (AP)

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? A federal judge in North Carolina will consider whether former presidential candidate John Edwards goes on trial this month for alleged campaign finance violations, despite his lawyers' request for a delay because of an undisclosed medical condition.

A hearing in Greensboro is scheduled for Friday. Lawyers say Edwards' condition would make it difficult to attend the trial if it begins as scheduled Jan. 30. They've requested a delay of at least two months.

Court records detailing the condition of the former Democratic senator have been kept under seal.

Prosecutors say they're ready to try Edwards on six felony and misdemeanor counts related to nearly $1 million from wealthy donors used to help hide his pregnant mistress during his 2008 While House run.

Edwards appeared healthy at a hearing last month.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_re_us/us_edwards_investigation

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch viewing and 'booming sound' on your mobile

Despite all the product rivalry at CES, a little romance was inevitable -- and not just in the Engadget trailer. WOWee, purveyor of the ONE portable speaker, has paired up with MicroVision and its dashing PicoP laser projector technology (shown above) to create a "marriage of sight and sound." It looks like the two companies will start out by simply bundling their respective wares, which will be available together in 120 countries from this quarter, rather than rushing to announce a hybrid device straight away. A wise decision, no doubt.

WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch viewing and 'booming sound' on your mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/13/wowee-and-microvision-offer-200-inch-viewing-and-booming-sound/

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Authorities say missing Montana teacher is dead

In this undated photo provided by the Sidney, Mt., Police Dept. shows Sidney High School math teacher Sherry Arnold, 43, who has been missing since Saturday, Jan. 7. Hundreds of people are assisting in the search for the Sidney teacher who did not return home after going for a jog on Saturday Jan. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sidney Montana Police Dept.)

In this undated photo provided by the Sidney, Mt., Police Dept. shows Sidney High School math teacher Sherry Arnold, 43, who has been missing since Saturday, Jan. 7. Hundreds of people are assisting in the search for the Sidney teacher who did not return home after going for a jog on Saturday Jan. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Sidney Montana Police Dept.)

(AP) ? Authorities said Friday that two men in the Dakotas were being questioned in connection with the death of a Montana math teacher who vanished last weekend when she left her house for a run.

Sidney police Chief Frank DiFonzo said a 47-year-old man was in custody in the Williams County jail in North Dakota, while a 22-year-old man was being questioned in Rapid City, S.D. He did not identify them and declined to answer questions about the investigation.

Sidney Public School officials posted a statement online saying they learned of Sherry Arnold's death Friday morning. The statement did not provide details.

"I think we are starting to find some closure in the whole deal," said Sidney Mayor Bret Smelser, who knew Arnold and her parents well. "The news is not good, and as far as I know we don't have a body yet."

FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, of Salt Lake City, said a tip from the public led to the two men. The FBI hasn't confirmed Arnold's death.

The popular 43-year-old teacher from the oil boom town of Sidney near the North Dakota border had been missing since last Saturday morning. The only clue to her disappearance that had been publicly released was that one of her shoes was found along her running route.

Authorities had been investigating the possibility Arnold was abducted.

Karen Arnold Truax of St. Paul, Minn., the daughter of Sherry Arnold's husband, Gary, told The Billings Gazette the family wants some privacy and "time to process what has happened."

"We appreciate everything that everyone did to help us in this search. We are so heartbroken that this is the outcome," Truax said. "We just sincerely appreciate all the love and support that continues to come from the community."

Both Sherry and Gary Arnold were employees of the Sidney school system and have five children combined from prior marriages, according to the Gazette. Two live at home and attend the same school system where Sherry Arnold worked for the past 18 years.

Hundreds of residents, police, firefighters and others combed the town and surrounding countryside earlier this week. The school district provided buses to transport members of search teams and set up a fund to defer expenses.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-13-Missing%20Montana%20Teacher/id-1f93253bb674402aac08ec4c15759fdb

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

RI unions push for income tax hike on wealthy (AP)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Rhode Island union leaders say state lawmakers should raise income taxes on the state's highest earners to reverse years of budget cuts.

State AFL-CIO President George Nee said Thursday that Rhode Island needs additional tax revenue to stabilize government budgets and prevent deep wage and pension cuts to public workers.

But Gov. Lincoln Chafee says raising income taxes could backfire if high earners leave the state. Chafee, an independent, has said he is open to considering some kind of tax increase this year as lawmakers grapple with a $120 million budget shortfall.

The comments came after a closed-door meeting between Chafee and union leaders to discuss a possible overhaul of municipal pension plans.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_on_bi_ge/us_income_tax_hike_rhode_island

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Ever so humble: Homes of the GOP contenders

By Zillow

After months of hitting the campaign trail, the Republican candidates hoping to win their party's nomination for the 2012 presidential election have been spending most of their time in planes, trains and automobiles. Home, sweet, home has been a dizzying series of hotel rooms.

But out there somewhere, each of these politicians actually does have a domestic domicile where there are no corn dogs to eat, no stranger's babies to hold and no stray swarms of supporters to glad-hand.

As the GOP primary season cranks into high gear, we're taking a look at the homes these candidates want to trade in for the big white one at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Newt Gingrich

The former House speaker was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in Georgia and served as a U.S. Congressman from the Peach State, but he now calls McLean, Va., home. After his resignation as speaker in 1998, Gingrich's aspirations to transform the nation, as outlined in his 1994 "Contract With America," were short-circuited. Now, however, the 68-year-old author is taking no prisoners as he tries to leap-frog over Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum for a shot at the GOP nomination.

Gingrich purchased his home (above) in McLean in 2000 for $995,000. The 5-bedroom, 5-bath home has 5,206 square feet of living space. The Colonial-style home was built in 1987. Only 10 miles from the White House, McLean is a critical suburban outpost for the Beltway political crowd.

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Jon Huntsman

The two-term governor of Utah has spent time in Washington D.C. in diplomatic positions during George W. Bush's presidency and as an ambassador to China under President Barack Obama. Huntsman currently calls the nation's capital his home, residing in a Federal-style home since 2010.

The 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath brick house is in the heart of the politician-stacked Kalorama neighborhood. Built in 1911, the 5,119-square-foot home housed the seventh season cast of "Top Chef" prior to Huntsman and his family moving in.

Ron Paul

During his 20-year service in Congress, Rep. Ron Paul established himself as one of the country's leading libertarians. The prophet of self-rule and minimal government is making his third bid for the presidency.

At 76, Paul has been successful in rallying younger voters seeking a leader who promises to alter the political structure of the country. And true to the profile of a man who advocates people doing things for themselves ? in politics or elsewhere ? it's not surprising to find that Paul is trying to sell his house via the Internet without a real estate agent or broker.

The Lake Jackson, Colo., home is priced at $325,000 and has 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and 5,500 square feet of living space.

Rick Perry

Gov. Rick Perry is the longest-serving top leader of Texas ever, but now he wants to break out of the Lone Star State, just like his former boss, George W. Bush, under whom Perry served as lieutenant governor.

Perry currently calls the Texas Governor's Mansion home, but during the mansion restoration in 2007, Perry and his wife rented a $9,900-a-month home in the state capital of Austin that "raised some eyebrows," according to the Associated Press. The secluded estate sits on 3.25 acres and includes high-end amenities like Sub-Zero appliances and gourmet kitchen with marble and granite countertops, outdoor kitchen and pecan hardwood floors.

Mitt Romney

The former Massachusetts governor is hoping that his 2008 failure to secure the GOP nomination will turn into a presidential election win in 2012. He's running as a non-politician, calling himself a businessman who can turn the wheels of the U.S. economy. As the wealthiest of the candidates with an estimated net worth between $190 million and $250 million, it's clear Romney knows how to spur his own economic recovery.

Out of the slew of GOP candidates, Romney also owns the most real estate, although he has downsized in the last few years. He currently owns a townhouse in Boston, as well as a beachfront home in La Jolla, Calif., which he bought in 2008 for $12 million. Romney applied for a permit to expand his beachfront La Jolla home in 2011 and will reportedly begin construction when his presidential campaign is finished.

Rick Santorum

Former two-term Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum lost his seat to Democrat Bob Casey in 2006, but he proved that his governmental connections were good for business in his years as a Philadelphia Inquirer writer, Fox News commentator and conservative think-tank leader.

In 2007, after much controversy about whether he and his large family actually resided in Pennsylvania during his Senate terms, Santorum bought a yellow Colonial-style home in Great Falls, Va., for $2 million in 2007. The 4-bedroom, 5-bath home sits on five acres and includes a cobbled drive and heated pool.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/09/10077374-the-homes-of-the-gop-contenders

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Friday, January 13, 2012

Chavez resumes program after cancer treatment (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez resumed his Sunday television and radio program after a hiatus of seven months due to his cancer treatment.

Chavez launched the program "Hello, President" in typical style, attacking his political opponents and the U.S. government while visiting an oil project in eastern Venezuela.

Referring to his political opponents, Chavez said: "It seems there's confusion, divisions in their ranks."

The leftist leader has used the program during his 13-year-old presidency to make announcements, chide critics and entertain his supporters, singing and telling stories in monologues often lasting four to five hours.

"I'm just starting my training," said Chavez, who is running for re-election in October.

The 57-year-old president had a tumor removed from his pelvic region in June and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy from July to September in both Cuba and Venezuela. He has repeatedly said he is now cancer-free, although he hasn't revealed what type of cancer he was diagnosed with.

Chavez's program on Sunday was episode No. 376 of his presidency. The last edition occurred June 5 before he underwent cancer surgery in Cuba.

Sipping coffee, Chavez said, "They still say I'm dying" and added, "With the grace of God... I will be here with you for a long time."

He called for a round of applause for his new defense minister, Gen. Henry Rangel Silva. The U.S. has accused Rangel of aiding drug traffickers and Colombian rebels, and political opponents have highlighted what they say are antidemocratic tendencies for suggesting in a 2010 newspaper interview that neither the military nor the public would accept an opposition victory in the upcoming presidential vote.

Rangel, a former intelligence chief, stood and smiled in the audience while Chavez praised him and referred to his opponents as "squalid ones."

"Give thanks to God that the squalid ones attack you," Chavez said. "I'd be very worried if they applauded you."

Rangel's appointment was one of several recent changes in Chavez's inner circle as the president prepares his re-election campaign.

Diosdado Cabello, a former army officer who participated in a 1992 coup attempt led by Chavez, took over last week as National Assembly president, showing Chavez expects to count on him in the coming year after Cabello also assumed a top party post.

Cabello, a former vice president who is thought to have close ties to the military, has long been a close ally of Chavez, but his standing appeared diminished after he lost a 2008 state governor re-election bid to an opposition leader.

Chavez has also said another close ally, Vice President Elias Jaua, will run for state governor in the key state of Miranda, which includes part of Caracas and surrounding areas.

Chavez spoke against a backdrop of oil processing machinery, and the camera cut to a live conversation with oil workers.

He noted that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was set to arrive later Sunday to begin a four-nation Latin American tour. Chavez rebuffed critical comments by U.S. officials, who have urged countries to insist that Iran stop defying international efforts to assess its nuclear program.

"What the empire does is make you laugh, in its desperation to do something they won't be able to do: dominate this world," Chavez said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120108/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Use the Ten Second Rule to Cut Impulse Purchases [Shopping]

Use the Ten Second Rule to Cut Impulse PurchasesNo matter how frugal you think you are, most of us make silly impulse purchases now and again. If you want to cut down on those types of purchases, frugal living blog The Simple Dollar recommends using the ten second rule to stop and ask yourself a few questions before you buy.

The idea is pretty simple. By pausing a bit before heading to the counter, you can review the purchase in your head for a few seconds and make sure it's something you really need or want. You can ask yourself a few questions too:

Do I actually need this item? Does it cause any sort of fulfillment in my life that isn't already achieved by the things I currently own? Could I not put the cost of this item to better use?

If you're trying to cut out spontaneous purchases, it's a clever and simple way to do so. Photo by Jetalone.

Master the Ten Second Rule | The Simple Dollar

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/hs6HUfmLaWs/use-the-ten-second-rule-to-cut-impulse-purchases

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Google gets more personal with search results

(AP) ? Google is sifting through the photos and commentary on its blossoming social network so its Internet search results can include more personal information.

The additional personal touches coming out Tuesday mark another step toward one of Google's most ambitious goals. The Internet search leader eventually hopes to know enough about each of its users so it can tailor its results to fit the unique interests of each person looking for something.

Different people should start seeing different search results more frequently now that Google Inc. is importing content from its 6-month-old Plus service, a product that the company introduced in an attempt to counter the popularity of Facebook's online hangout and Twitter's short-messaging hub. Google's main search results page also will start highlighting more content from an older online photo service called Picasa.

Facebook and Twitter pose a threat to Google because they don't allow Google's search engine to log the avalanche of photos, links and observations tumbling through those services. That's troublesome to Google because its search engine could become less useful if its system can't analyze what people are signaling is important to them so those preferences can be factoring into the results.

Google is tackling that challenge with an addition to its results called "Search, plus your world."

The feature will be automatically turned on beginning Tuesday for all English-language searches made by users logged into Google. Turning off the personal results permanently will require changing a setting in Google's personal preferences. The personal results can also be excluded on a search-by-search basis by clicking on an icon of the globe on the results page (the personal results will be denoted by a button featuring a human's silhouette).

If the new formula works as Google expects, the search results will include pertinent information culled from the requestor's Plus account. For instance, a query about the San Francisco 49ers might include links and comments made about the football team by other people in one of the social circles on the user's Plus account. A search request that includes the name of a dog owned by the user or a friend might turn up photos of the pet that have been posted on Plus and Picasa.

"This is going to open up a whole new avenue in search," said Ben Gomes, a Google fellow.

Google isn't the first to do this. Microsoft Corp.'s Bing search engine has been mining some of the preferences and other information shared on Facebook since May. But Google's emphasis on more personal results figures to attract more attention because its search engine is so dominant. It handles about two-thirds of the Internet search requests made in the U.S. while Bing processes less than one-third, including the activity that it comes through a partnership with Yahoo Inc.

Facebook, though, has greater insights into personal tastes. That's because its nearly 8-year-old social network boasts more than 800 million users who share more than 1.5 billion photos alone each week. In October, Google said Plus had more than 40 million users. Google hasn't updated the information since then, although some external studies have estimated Plus began the new year with 60 million to 70 million users.

Some of Google's changes may help prod more people into joining Plus. As part of Tuesday's expansion, the profile pictures of Plus accountholders will appear in the drop-down suggestions on Google's search box. In another twist, searches on general topics such as "music" and "sports," will generate suggestions on people, companies and places that have Plus accounts.

While Google is hoping the addition of more personal results will make its search engine even more useful, the changes also could spook some people as they realize how much information is being compiled about them. Google tried to minimize privacy concerns by recently switching to technology that encrypts all its search results to protect the information from slipping out.

Previous privacy missteps by both Google and Facebook resulted in both companies entering into settlements with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The FTC agreements require Google and Facebook to submit to external audits of their privacy practices every other year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-10-US-TEC-Google-Personal%20Search/id-e8ea1f3f8d794578a34216eb27810fbd

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Wide awake during brain cancer surgery - Boing Boing

This fascinating video from the Mayo Clinic explains how 28-year-old Mary Meixner went through "awake surgery" during which surgeons used an intra-operative MRI to target her brain tumor.

At the end of the operation, she slept. Then, she says, "I woke up and I was so excited, and I was like, yes! I'm not dead! I can talk! I can think! Because you never know, right?"

Transcript here (PDF).

(via @thespeachgal)

Where not otherwise specified, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution. Boing Boing is a trademark of Happy Mutants LLC in the United States and other countries.

Source: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/09/wide-awake-during-brain-cancer.html

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LG?s first Google TV shows off a new interface

After months of rumors, Google formally announced a new set of partners for Google TV yesterday, with LG right at the top of the list. Now some renders/press shots for the very first model have appeared, and it?s a stunner. The unspecified model will be shown off at CES next week. But what?s more interesting than the TV itself is the interface displayed in the photos. That begs the question: is this a new interface for the new version of Google TV expected early this year, or a customized modification of the base software done internally by LG?

Android observers will understand the danger here. One of the biggest thorns in the side of the Android ecosystem is manufacturer-customized software, which tends to slow down the operating system and make updates take months longer than they should. Thanks to Samsung?s TouchWiz ?optimizations?, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab will never see another official OS update, and TouchWiz is far from the worst of the offenders. All of LG?s high-end Optimus phones run its custom user interface, which leaves a lot to be desired.

Android has succeeded thus far in spite of manufacturers? software additions, not because of them. The news yesterday gave us hope for Google TV returning to make a fight of it this year, but if the cost of signing up so many new partners is letting each one have their way with Google TV?s software, it might not be worth it. Of course, I could be?overreacting?- I?ll be sure to ask LG when they debut the new hardware in Las?Vegas.

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Source: http://bestsmartphonetoday.com/android-community/lg%E2%80%99s-first-google-tv-shows-off-a-new-interface/

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