Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Al-Qaida in decline, but threats to US multiply

Al-Qaida is in decline around the world but is still a leading threat to the United States, the top U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday in an annual report to Congress on threats facing the country.

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Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper also told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran's leaders seem prepared to attack U.S. interests overseas, particularly if they feel threatened by possible U.S. action.

The U. S. now faces many interconnected enemies, including terrorists, criminals and foreign powers, who may try to strike via nuclear weapons or cyberspace, with the movement's Yemeni offshoot and "lone wolf" terror attacks posing key threats, he said.

But while al-Qaida still aspires to strike the U.S., it will likely have to go for "smaller, simpler attacks" as its ranks are thinned by continued pressure from U.S. drone strikes and special operations raids since Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of Navy SEALs in Pakistan last year.

"We judge that al-Qaida's losses are so substantial and its operating environment so restricted that a new group of leaders, even if they could be found, would have difficulty integrating into the organization and compensating for mounting losses," Clapper said.

The intelligence community predicts that al-Qaida's regional affiliates - from the Yemeni offshoot al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to Somalia's al-Shabaab - will "surpass the remnants of core al-Qaida in Pakistan," and try to attack "Western targets in its operating area." The Yemeni branch of al-Qaida remains the most likely affiliate to try to attack the U.S. homeland, he added.

The U.S. continues to put pressure on the Yemeni offshoot, and on Monday mounted airstrikes targeting al-Qaida leaders there, killing at least four suspected militants, according to Yemeni and military officials.

Just below al-Qaida on the list of threats comes the possibility of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, from chemical and biological, to nuclear and radiological. The intelligence community does not believe states that possess them have supplied them to terror groups, but that remains a risk.

'Keeping open the option'
Iran has the technical ability to build a nuclear weapon, but simply hasn't decided to yet, Clapper said.

"We assess Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons, in part by developing various nuclear capabilities that better position it to produce such weapons," Clapper said.

Citing last year's thwarted Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in the U.S., "some Iranian officials - probably including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ... are now more willing to conduct an attack in the United States in response to real or perceived U.S. actions that threaten the regime," Clapper said.

The North Korean nuclear weapons program is a continued threat to global security, though the program is intended for self-defense, his assessment states: "We judge that North Korea would consider using nuclear weapons only under narrow circumstances" and "probably would not attempt to use nuclear weapons against U.S. forces or territory, unless it perceived its regime to be on the verge of military defeat and risked an irretrievable loss of control."

China and Russia remain the key threats to the U.S. in cyber-space, with "entities" in both countries "responsible for extensive illicit intrusions into US computer networks and theft of US intellectual property," though Iran is also a player, Clapper said.

He warned of growing cyber-espionage by foreign governments against U.S. government and businesses, and said many such intrusions are not being detected.

Insider threats are another category of risk, in which disgruntled employees like accused Army soldier Bradley Manning allegedly leak information to the public or sell it to competing corporations or nations.

The annual threat assessment looked further afield to places like Afghanistan, where it assessed the Afghan government's progress as fragile, and the Taliban as "resilient." The group is less able to intimidate the Afghan population that last year, especially in areas where NATO forces are concentrated, but its leaders continue to direct the insurgency from their safe haven in Pakistan, the report said.

The continent of Africa got one of the grimmest reviews. Africa remains "vulnerable to political crises, democratic backsliding, and natural disasters." Violence, corruption and terrorism are likely to plague Africa in areas key to U.S. interests, the review said, with unresolved discord between Sudan and South Sudan, continued fighting in Somalia, and extremist attacks in Nigeria.

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/46205906/ns/us_news-security/

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Tourists banned from U.S. over Twitter jokes?

By Rosa Golijan

Almost everyone realizes that saying certain words?? such as "bomb" or "explosion"?? in an airport can lead to awkward conversations with security inspectors at this point. By now is it not commonly understood that cracking similar jokes on publicly viewable social networks?could potentially have similar results?

According to the Sun and the Daily Mail?? daily tabloids published in the United Kingdom?? a handful of ominous-sounding Twitter jokes got 26-year-old Leigh Van Bryan and 24-year-old Emily Bunting kicked out of the United States before they could even begin their long-awaited vacation.?

When msnbc.com contacted a?U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, we received confirmation that, though unidentified, a couple matching these circumstances was in fact declared "inadmissible," and "returned to their country of residence."?

Before the two British tourists flew into?Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last week,?Leigh posted several Twitter messages about their trip, reports the Sun. In one tweet, addressed to a fellow Twitter user who goes by "@MelissaxWalton," he wrote "free this week for a quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?"

In another Twitter post he announced "3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!" He tagged a Twitter user named "@ELB_1987" in that message.

According to the Daily Mail, it was because of those tweets that the?Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flagged Bryan and Bunting as "a potential threat."?Upon arriving at LAX, the two pals were "detained by armed guards," explains the publication:

Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated. ...?Federal agents even searched [Bryan's] suitcase looking for spades and shovels, claiming [Bunting] was planning to act as [Bryan's] 'look out' while he raided Marilyn's tomb.

The two were quizzed for five hours before being "put in a van with illegal immigrants and locked up overnight," writes the Sun.?They were then kept in separate holding cells for 12 hours before being put on a flight home.

When we reached out to the appropriate authorities for more information about this incident, a?U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)?spokesperson confirmed that two individuals were in fact denied admission to the U.S. under vaguely similar circumstances:

Based on information provided by the LAX Port Authority Infoline ??a suspicious activity tipline ??CBP conducted a secondary interview of two subjects presenting for entry into the United States. Information gathered during this interview revealed that both individuals were inadmissible to the United States and were returned to their country of residence.

When I questioned whether tweets posted by either individual had anything to do with the incident, I was told that the details of the detainment/expulsion were protected by privacy laws. The same reply came when I inquired whether the individuals were temporarily or permanently barred from entering the U.S.

The CBP spokes person did explain that the agency "denies entry to thousands of individuals each year on grounds of inadmissibility, some of which include: improper travel documents, prohibited activities or intent, traveling under the Visa Waiver Program without qualifying for participation in that program, smuggling of contraband or prohibited goods, criminal activity or history, immigration violations such as prior overstay, attempting to gain entry with fraudulent documents or posing as an imposter, and national security concerns, among others."

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.?

If you're more interested in?Sam Spratt???the guy who made the cute Twitter bird illustration above ? then you'll want these?Facebook,?Twitter?and?Tumblr?links instead.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/30/10272373-tourists-banned-from-us-over-twitter-jokes

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Confident Romney says of Florida, ?I think we are going to win here? (The Ticket)

On his bus, Romney and his family watch a Gingrich speech on TV (Charles Dharapak/AP)

PANAMA CITY, Fla.?It was as flashy an entrance as Mitt Romney has ever made into a campaign event.

"Ladies and gentleman, if you turn to your left, give a Panama City welcome to MIIIITT ROMMMMNEEEY," an announcer said. Hundreds of onlookers craned their necks as Romney's campaign bus began barreling down a dusty road leading to a rally at a local shipyard here.

Instead of Romney's usual entrance song?"Born Free" by Kid Rock?"Panama,"?Van Halen's rock anthem, began to blare from the speakers at the event. Romney, sitting shotgun, wore a wide grin.?David Lee Roth, Van Halen's frontman, claimed he wrote "Panama" about his fast car?though the suggestive lyrics seemed to be more about a fast girl.

The out of character soundtrack on Saturday seemed to illustrate Romney's growing confidence in Florida on the weekend before Tuesday's primary.

In the week since Romney's double-digit loss to Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, he?has gone being a candidate on the defensive to a man with a confident swagger.?The rally felt like a general-election campaign event. On stage, Romney took aim at President Barack Obama, who has been the primary focus of his stump speeches in recent months.

But after several minutes, Romney paused. "Now I'm speaking to you today as if I'm already the candidate for president for the Republican Party," he said. "But I'm not. I've still got some primaries to go through."

With that, Romney turned his focus to Gingrich, delivering one of his toughest attacks on the former Speaker of the House this weekend, even as?numerous polls now show Romney comfortably ahead in Florida.

"You know, I am running against Speaker Gingrich ? a very nice fellow," Romney said. "He's a historian, but that doesn't give him a right to rewrite history. He was given the opportunity to lead our party ? He failed."

Revisiting the ethics scandal that marred Gingrich's tenure in the House, Romney told the crowd that the former speaker had "resigned in disgrace."

"We have to go back and look at history and say, He may be a great guy with great ideas, but he's not going to be the leader we need," Romney said.

Along the sidelines, Romney's top aides?including senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom and top strategist Stuart Stevens?beamed, clearly pleased by their boss's tough rhetoric. The old Romney would have been content at focusing his entire speech on Obama?an approach the campaign has been forced to tweak after South Carolina.

In a strategy that can only be described as annihilation, the Romney campaign is keeping its pressure on Gingrich, in hopes of eliminating him from the race once and for all. Tactically, Romney insiders admit the campaign made a mistake in not taking on Gingrich more over the last month, admitting Romney might have performed better in South Carolina had he done so.

Now, Romney is making up for lost time. Over the weekend, Romney rolled out a slew of new Gingrich attacks, including a new analogy likening Gingrich to "Goldilocks" for griping about crowds at last week's presidential debates.

At a rally in Naples on Sunday that attracted roughly 2,000 people, Romney suggested Gingrich is whining about his standing in Florida. Pointing to an interview Gingrich gave to ABC's This Week in which he accused Romney of running a "campaign of vilification" in Florida, the candidate used the pivot to attack the ex-speaker even more.

"He's now finding excuses everywhere he can," Romney said in Naples. "I think each of us, if we fail somewhere, if we fail in a debate, if we fail to get the support of people, it's time to look in the mirror. And my own view is the reason that Speaker Gingrich has been having a hard time in Florida is the people of Florida have watched the debates, and listened to the speaker and listened to the other candidates and said, You know what, Mitt Romney is the guy we're going to support."

Romney has been careful to avoid looking too confident heading into Tuesday's primary. But there were moments when he can't seem to help himself, including in Panama City, where he seemed more invigorated than usual.

Working the rope line afterward, a reporter asked Romney how he's feeling about Florida.

"I just feel like things are going in our direction," Romney happily declared. "I am hoping for a big turn out, and I think we are going to win here, I sure hope so."

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:

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Handy with a camera? Join our?Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20120130/el_yblog_theticket/confident-romney-says-of-florida-i-think-we-are-going-to-win-here

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Obama's targeted Latino appeal (Politico)

President Barack Obama?s got a version of his ?We can?t wait? drive customized for the Latino audience.

Never heard of it? Unless you?re a Latino voter, that?s no surprise.

Continue Reading

Over the past few months, the Obama administration has rolled out a series of executive actions that often garner little attention from the English-language press but get huge coverage in the Spanish-language media and other outlets favored by Hispanics.

As Obama?s GOP rivals face the primaries? first sizable group of Latino voters, in Florida, the president?s use of executive power to court the potentially pivotal demographic group already is well under way. And Obama?s team is heavily promoting his actions to their target audience.

When Obama sat down with Spanish-language network Univision on Wednesday, one of the first things he did was boast about the immigration policies he?s altered.

?Some of the changes that we?re making on immigration, we?re trying to make sure that we?re prioritizing criminals [for deportation],? the president said, without really being asked.

Latino advocates say they?ve noticed a new level of engagement from the White House.

?They want to tell Latinos what they?re doing. That?s clear,? said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), an outspoken immigration reform advocate who has pushed the administration to take unilateral steps to ease and refocus immigration enforcement.

Gutierrez said the proposals initially got a chilly reception from Obama and his aides, but the administration seems to be coming around.

?Before they weren?t worried about communicating with anyone in terms of the immigration sphere, except the very restrictionist community which they spoke to in very clear terms for three years. Every time they had a press conference on how many deportations, they weren?t shy about telling us,? Gutierrez said. ?So, there is a difference [now], and I?m happy. Does it take a campaign to bring that out? Maybe. But there are more families being kept together as a result of the changes.?

The steady stream of under-the-radar moves to tweak the immigration system are aimed at re-energizing Latino voters disappointed by Obama?s failure to win ? or even make a serious push on ? a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and by the record-setting number of deportations carried out since Obama took office, Democrats say.

Gutierrez dates the administration?s new focus on immigration issues to Obama?s appearance last July before the National Council of La Raza. As Obama explained to the Latino activists that he had little ability to change the immigration process without help from Congress, the crowd broke into a variation of his 2008 campaign slogan.

?Yes, you can. Yes, you can,? they chanted.

?I think at that point [Obama aides] said, ?You know what? We can,?? Gutierrez said.

Since that visit, the administration has discovered new flexibility to change a variety of immigration-related policies without the approval of Congress.

In August, the federal government promised to refocus deportations on criminals and launched an unprecedented review of all pending deportation cases, including those in which a final deportation order has been issued. In December, the Department of Homeland Security announced a toll-free hot line for citizens mistakenly detained as foreigners.

Earlier this month, Obama?s appointees began the process of tweaking the green-card policy, curtailing potentially dangerous trips to consulates in violence-plagued Mexico ? another change the president highlighted in his Univision interview. A few days later, DHS released a policy enhancing the rights of lawyers representing immigrants in deportation proceedings.

?In the mainstream press, I don?t see a lot of news about the waiver [process for green cards] and the deportation review, but you can see that in the Spanish media all the time,? said Antonieta Cadiz, White House correspondent for La Opini?n, a Spanish-language paper in Los Angeles. ?The administrative relief measures: That?s something important.?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_72110_html/44348284/SIG=11m64q01k/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/72110.html

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Biden Prediction: Dems Will Retake House (Michellemalkin)

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Student orders terrorism textbook on Amazon, gets $400 bag of cocaine as a bonus (Yahoo! News)

Sophia Stockton thought the bag of white powder was anthrax

All Sophia Stockton wanted from?Amazon was a?textbook for one of her classes. Little did she know that it was going to be shipped to her with something extra on the side. Leafing through the pages of her new book, she was alarmed when a bag of white powder fell out, which she feared was?Anthrax.?So imagine her surprise when she found out that the powder was far from being a biological weapon ? it was actually $400 worth of?cocaine!

Stockton, a junior at the MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas, ordered a copy of?Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives and Issues from the retailer's website. Upon coming across the curious bag of white powder, she took it to authorities who immediately examined the substance, and determined it was a Schedule II drug.

The book she received was marked "used," which usually indicates an item is shipping?from a third-party?Amazon Marketplace reseller. But Stockton says she's positive the book came directly from the website, and it was even sealed in Amazon packaging when it arrived.

Without an official response from Amazon, we could only guess how a bag of cocaine got in between the pages of a textbook, though authorities are currently investigating its possible sources. We can only hope that no other stashes of illegal substances make their way to unsuspecting buyers in the mean time.

[Image credit:?William Christiansen]

WPTV

This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20120127/tc_yblog_technews/student-orders-terrorism-textbook-on-amazon-gets-400-bag-of-cocaine-as-a-bonus

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99% A Separation

Asghar Farhadi's "A Separation" (made in Iran) is a deceptively simple film. On the surface, it seems quite mundane. But gradually, its deeper themes emerge beautifully. It is not just about the specific legal disputes that make up the plot. It's a deep expression of sorrow about the divisions in present-day Persian society. It's complex enough that one could analyze it in different ways ad infinitum. (How often are you able to say that about a film nowadays?!) The divisions that hit me most powerfully are: - Class stratification. The gap between the well-educated professional class and the poorly educated working class is depicted in a brutal, heart-wrenching way. - Religious stratification. The gap between the religious population (Muslim, of course) and the secular population is shown to have some correspondence to class stratification, with the poor and less educated tending to be more religious, but not always. - Family divisions. This is explored several ways. A well-educated family is torn apart over whether to leave Iran. The mother wants to leave; the father does not. Their teenage daughter is caught in the middle, forced to make an agonizing choice: which parent does she want to stay with? Before this, I had always thought that families were united in the desire to migrate. This film clued me into the devastating struggles families go through trying to reach consensus around the momentous decision to uproot the family and possibly never again see family members left behind. A chief reason the man does not want to leave is that he cannot leave his father alone. The divisions inside a poor family are also explored. Here it surrounds whether a married woman should work outside the home. This struggle has religious overtones as well. "A Separation" is uncommonly rich. Its weakness is that it does become tedious at times. There are endless scenes in make-shift courtrooms, where witnesses bicker with each other. The camera work is extremely pedestrian. Farhadi seems to be of the mind that the director's hand should be invisible. He should just set up the camera, point it toward the actors, and turn it on. This approach to filmmaking is risky. Sometimes a flat style is paradoxically exhilarating. But more often it leads to a dull cinematic experience for the audience. Unfortunately, this happened too often during the film, at least for me. But still, there's no denying the depth and uniqueness of "A Separation." I'm delighted that it has become an art-house sensation in America. I also look forward to following Asghar Farhadi's career with more care. (This is the fifth film he has directed but the first I've seen or even heard of.)

January 6, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_separation_2011/

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Friday, January 27, 2012

[OOC] Wasted Youth

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This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Wasted Youth"

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User avatar
Writer
Member for 3 years



Sign me up for one female wasted youth member :). I remember this rolepaly

Will there be a sheet to fill out or?

Vanity was stronger than love at sixteen and there was no room in her hot heart now for anything but hate.-Gone with the Wind

User avatar
Madmoiselle
Member for 1 years


Can I have a female Wasted member?

User avatar
M'ange
Member for 0 years


Since females are already being mentioned, I wouldn't mind playing the male member who falls for the female cop.

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Syn.!
Member for 4 years



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Lois Tarter: EX-Foliate

Moving on from your ex after a divorce is never easy. Even though you may still be angry with him or her, you will have moments when you might question your decision. And if you have children, you'll probably question it even more. At the end of all the "what ifs," you must admit that you aren't meant to be together. Although you may be alone now, you're definitely not solo on this journey. There are a lot of other people who've gone through the same experience and came out the other side. You must look forward and not back.

Head onward and upward by forgetting the past and removing any negative thoughts of it. The same way you ex-foliate your skin, you need to "EX-foliate" the reminders of your ex-spouse from your world. At this point, you probably feel that your ex is about as useful as a bunch of dead skin cells any way. This may change down the line, but for now you must focus on the present. Here are some simple ways to EX-foliate your former spouse from your life and make this transition less painful.

Remove Old Photos: Make sure there are no photos of you and your ex lying around the house. You could be having a great day and then all of a sudden go into a drawer and find a photo of the two of you hugging in a pool in Cancun. While you may not have gotten sunburned on the trip, you might have gotten burned by your ex and you don't need to be reminded of it. Pack up all of the photos and put them in a box far away from any place you could stumble upon it.

Go New Places: Going to the same restaurants, caf?s and coffee shops that you went to with your ex should be off your radar. It's best to find new places with new faces. You're single, so don't go into places where they know you as Mrs. when you want the world to now know you as Ms.

Remove Cell Phone Reminders: Delete any old voicemail messages or texts from your ex. That birthday text message your former spouse sent you last year might have been cute then, but if you stumble upon it now it loses its luster. Clear out your inbox and make room for all the new messages and possibilities.

Select New Music: Don't listen to songs that remind you of your ex. There's nothing like making an effort to put your ex-spouse out of your mind and then the song that played when you got married starts up on your iPod. Clear the decks and make a new playlist.

Login to Your New Life: The Internet probably contains many reminders of your ex. Your Facebook may need the biggest clean-up. Head in there and delete any photos with both of you together. Also, the friends that went over to your ex's side of the fence once the divorce happened should be unfriended immediately.

Think Positive Thoughts: It's not just physical things that can remind you of your ex. Thoughts that we have can change our outlook on life, so think positively. Don't remind yourself of all of the things your ex did that you couldn't stand. Instead, be positive and focus on all of the things you're going to achieve in your new life.

Make Notes of Your Progress: Write down the progress that you're making as a new divorcee. Get a journal and put down your thoughts as they come to you. List where you've been and where you're headed. This will keep your eye on the prize -- happiness.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lois-tarter/exfoliate_b_1232687.html

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

French brand Courreges takes retro fashion online (omg!)

French fashion house Courreges co-Presidents Jacques Bungert (L) and Frederic Torloting (R) pose at the end of an interview with Reuters at their offices in Paris January 23, 2012. REUTERS/John Schults

PARIS (Reuters) - Courreges, the futuristic fashion brand of the 1960s, is poised to bring its vinyl boots and A-line mini-dresses back into vogue, relaunching the French name online.

A year after the brand was sold for more than 10 million euros ($13.05 million) to two directors from advertising agency Young & Rubicam, Jacques Bungert and Frederic Torloting, Courreges is now also aiming to expand its perfume business.

The simple shapes and minimalist black and white palette of the couturier Andre Courreges -- a protege of Balenciaga -- had their heydey in the 1960s and 70s, rivaling Chanel and Dior, before being sold to Japanese investors in the 1980s.

A decade later Courreges and his wife Coqueline bought back the brand but it largely disappeared from sight before the purchase by Bungert and Torloting in January 2011.

"We're hoping that the brand returns, in five to 10 years, to its former stature as a global brand with its dimension of innovation that earlier made its success," Bungert told Reuters.

"When the feeling of a brand is respected, it can be reborn without losing its integrity," he added.

Currently, Courreges clothes and accessories are sold at its Paris boutique in the posh Eighth Arrondissement, where sales have risen 40 percent in a year, Bungert said. Total revenue for the brand is now about 20 million, the executives said.

Internet sales begin February 1, and women will be able to shop online for nearly all the clothes and accessories currently sold in the boutique.

Torloting said Courreges' design lends itself well to online sales, as the brand does not use the kind of delicate fabrics that could get damaged in transit.

As for perfume, Courreges' "Empreinte" and "Eau de Courreges," currently sold only in the boutique, will now be distributed more widely, and a publicity campaign, the first since 1996, is planned.

As Paris Fashion Week launched Monday with its bi-annual Haute Couture shows, Torloting said he has no intention of parading twice-yearly collections on the catwalk at the industry's fashion weeks.

Founder Andre Courreges refused to use celebrities to promote his swinging sixties styles, claiming designs such as his 1964 "Space Age" collection were created for the "ordinary woman."

"The idea of creating collections that push each other out is not very modern in our view," Torloting told Reuters.

"We don't want to manufacture our own obsolescence," he said.

(Writing by Alexandria Sage, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_french_brand_courreges_takes_retro_fashion_online163130146/44290869/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/french-brand-courreges-takes-retro-fashion-online-163130146.html

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Shazam Player: Have an iPhone Sing-A-Long [App Of The Day]

We all sing-a-long to our favorite songs. Maybe it's in the car. Maybe it's in the shower. Maybe it's at your company's karaoke party and you're trying your best to sing Once Bitten, Twice Shy even though you don't really like the song. Wherever you're singing, there's a good chance you're singing it wrong. Here's an app that'll fix that and save you from the occasional "Hold me closer, Tony Danza." More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/j0GHrS8en6w/shazam-player-have-an-iphone-sing+a+long

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State of Union: Obama to take on economic anxiety (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190587028?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Michael Fassbender's Penis Is Hollywood's New Obsession

With a Golden Globe nomination, a flurry of press coverage and even a mention from George Clooney during his Globe acceptance speech, it's clear: Michael Fassbender's penis is the new toast of Hollywood.

Fassbender played an emotionally distant sex addict and went full frontal nude for Steve McQueen's drama "Shame," which earned the film an NC-17 rating and, ironically, far more press than it would have gotten otherwise. The German-Irish star's performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the Golden Globes, and should also scoop him up an Oscar nomination, but his immense talent has almost been overshadowed by incessant talk about his member.

Clooney thanked him for "taking over the frontal nude responsibly that I had," during his Globes acceptance speech, adding, "Really Michael, honestly, you can play golf like this with your hands behind your back."

Clooney again made mention of his anatomical club during an actors roundtable hosted by Newsweek, calling him the "expert" in issues of on-screen erection and drawing Fassbender into talking about a difficult urination scene in "Shame."

"I did actually pee on cue. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do that," Fassbender said, drawing Clooney to ask him how many takes it took for him to get it right. (Three).

Fassbender cracked a joke about his prominent personal co-star during an appearance on "The Late Show" last week, calling himself "flaccid most of the time" and then going on to talk about the embarrassment of shooting nude.

There is also the recurring MTV segment in which Fassbender is asked to identify celebrity penises.

He's smiled throughout the public commotion, but as he told The Huffington Post while promoting "Shame," he doesn't actually think of the nudity as a big deal, and certainly not something that should have earned the film an NC-17 rating.

"Half of us have a penis and the other half have probably seen one, and so why should it be more normal to, like, chop people's heads off and shoot people?" he said. "Does that mean that that's more acceptable or closer to us as human beings?"

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/michael-fassbenders-penis-hollywoods-new-obsession_n_1224116.html

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Windows Phone Android iPhone Market Share - Business Insider

steveballmer clapping tbiWindows Phone will surpass iPhone in market share in 2015, according to research firm iSuppli.

iSuppli attributes the giant increase in market share over the next few years "largely" to the introduction of the Nokia Lumia 900, which Nokia launched at CES last week in Las Vegas.

In 2015, Android will lead the two runners up by a very hefty margin with 58.1% market share.?

iSuppli joins Gartner and IDC, which made the same prediction last year (in April, and in March, respectively).

See below for the chart from iSuppli, via WMPowerUser:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-phone-iphone-android-market-share-2012-1

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Peyton Manning retiring? He has good years left.

Peyton Manning's future is still in question. But if the Colts don't want him, other teams will gladly take?Peyton Manning.

Rob Lowe didn?t know anything about Peyton Manning, it turns out. And though the speculation on the Colt?s fate will build in the coming weeks, it's quite likely we won?t know anything for a while, either. So let?s all take a Twitter break and examine the factors at play:

Skip to next paragraph

It all hinges on his health. If the future Hall of Famer continues to have trouble with his neck, on which he had three surgeries this year, then yes, he might call it quits, capping a career that includes eight Pro Bowl appearances, four NFL MVP awards,?a Super Bowl ring, and a?guest voice appearance on ?The Simpsons.?

It?s a career that leaves little to be desired, and if Manning walked away now, he?d be quitting on top.

His exit from the pros, too, would be perversely welcome news for the Colts organization. The team is in the middle of an expansive reorganization. In the wake of Manning?s season-canceling neck trouble, the Colts failed to find an adequate replacement at quarterback and finished the season 2-14. In the past few weeks, Vice Chairman Bill Polian (the man responsible for picking Manning first overall in the 1998 NFL Draft), General Manager Chris Polian, and head coach Jim Caldwell have all been sacked.

The prevailing wisdom suggests that Manning will probably be next. His exit would make room for the Colts to draft? Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the most highly coveted quarterback prospect in years.

Ironically, Manning?s injury, and the Colts? subsequent bumbling season, unmasked flaws in the team that his masterful play and management had been covering up for years. And those flaws will probably cost him his job.

Manning?s retirement would save the Colts front office the inevitable backlash of forcing out the greatest player in their history. It would also save them the $27 million due to Manning by March, if they don?t cut him loose. Furthermore, they?d be spared the awkwardness (and potential embarrassment) of facing him as a quarterback for another team.

Manning is 35 years old ? well into elder statesman territory in the NFL. But he?s still an elite quarterback, and likely one with a few good years left in him. For one, he?s a pocket passer who takes relatively few hits. If his neck issues clear up, he has a lower chance of getting injured than your average player (he played 208 consecutive games over 12 years before his injury, second only to Brett Favre). Even at 35, he?d be a prize at quarterback for a slew of NFL teams. The New York Jets and Washington Redskins have already expressed interest.

Furthermore, 35 isn?t so old for NFL quarterback these days, especially pocket guys like Manning. Brett Favre played until he was literally a grandpa, at 41. Kurt Warner led the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl at age 37, and Steve Young played until 38. The NFL Hall of Fame website list dozens of players who remained active well into their forties. The oldest? George Blanda, the Raiders quarterback/kicker who played until the ripe old? age of 48.

Yes, he?d be well past his peak. But a past-peak Peyton Manning is still incredibly dangerous.? Indianapolis can?t afford to keep him, especially if they need to rebuild. But other teams may not be able to afford to pass him up.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/xHL8-SgN9SM/Peyton-Manning-retiring-He-has-good-years-left

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Facial symmetry may play a role in 'gaydar'

ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2012) ? Facial symmetry could play a role in "gaydar," a new study suggests. Researchers at Albright College in Reading, Pa examined how perceptions of a person's sexual orientation are influenced by facial symmetry and proportions. Self-identified heterosexuals had facial features that were slightly more symmetrical than homosexuals. And the more likely raters perceived someone as heterosexual, the more symmetrical that person's features were.

"The ability to assess the sexual orientation of others may be an adaptive trait," says Dr. Susan Hughes, an evolutionary psychologist who led the study. "In terms of mate selection and romance, it's crucial to recognize [others' sexual orientation]."

The study showed the photographs of 60 men and women -- 15 straight men, 15 straight women, 15 gay men and 15 lesbians -- to a group of 40 participants (15 men, 25 women) who assessed the sexual orientation of those seen in the photographs. The raters indicated the gender to which the person in the picture was most sexually attracted using a five-point continuum scale (1=only men, 2-mostly men, some women, 3=men and women equally, 4=mostly women, some men, 5=only women).

"We found differences in measures of facial symmetry between self-identified heterosexual and homosexual individuals," says Hughes. "We also found that the more likely raters perceived males as being attracted to women (i.e. holding more of a heterosexual orientation), the more symmetrical the males' facial features were." Likewise, there was a tendency for straight women to be more symmetrical, although it was not statistically significant.

The study also examined sexual dimorphic facial measures -- i.e. how masculine or feminine a face appeared -- and found heterosexual men had overall more masculine features than did gay men. This, too, was used by the raters in assessing orientation; the more masculine a man's face was, the more likely he was perceived as heterosexual.

"We were surprised to find that symmetry played a larger role than masculine/feminine features in assessing sexual orientation," says Hughes. "But it appears that individuals use cues of symmetry to make assessments about one's sexual orientation and may be one of the features that comprise a person's 'gaydar' abilities."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Dick Jones Communications, via Newswise.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Hughes, S.M., & Bremme, R. The effects of facial symmetry and sexually-dimorphic facial proportions on assessments of sexual orientation. Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology, 2011, 5(4), 214-230

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/2012/01/120121120109.htm

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'Kourtney And Kim Take New York': John Edwards Brings Girls Message From Beyond (VIDEO)

Celebrity psychic medium John Edward appeared on "Kourtney & Kim Take New York" (Sun., 10 p.m. EST on E!) after Kim Kardashian realized she could perhaps find some closure regarding the death of her father Robert. She convinced sister Kourtney to join here, where both women were ultimately moved and touched by the experience.

Edward touched on pregnancies in the family, and even spoke of Robert's role in Kim's divorce to her first husband. He told Kim that as long as she learned from that first experience, then everything is fine now. It was at this point that Kim started crying, but not completely because of the experience with Edward. It was what it started making her realize about her current marriage.

After Edward left, she opened up to Kourtney about her emotions, perhaps verbalizing a definitive realization of her feelings for the first time. "The divorce stuff, that's why I started to cry because I honestly feel like I can't do this anymore with Kris," she said. "I don't want to be married anymore."

The episode, of course, ended with those words. But certainly they'll be hanging over both women as they return home and interact with Scott and Kris over the next few episodes. Expect tension to increase and look for even more awkward moments between the not-so-happily married couple.

The saga unfolds on "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," every Sunday at 10 p.m. EST on E!

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Related on HuffPost:

MONDAY, JANUARY 23: "Gossip Girl"

1? of ?19

"Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW) "Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret. "Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW)
"Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret.

MORE SLIDESHOWS NEXT?> ??|?? <?PREV

MONDAY, JANUARY 23: "Gossip Girl"

"Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. EST, The CW) "Clueless" writer/director Amy Heckerling makes her first foray into TV directing since 2005 for Blair's bachelorette party, as others scheme behind Queen B's back to make it a night to remember. After discovering the truth behind Chuck and Blair's car accident, Nate joins forces with a surprising ally to gather the evidence, while Serena and Dan pretend to be dating again to protect Blair's secret. "; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/kourtney-and-kim-take-new-york-john-edwards-video_n_1222857.html

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Classic Wrecks: Rusted-Out Model Cars

Who doesn’t love a good toy car? Stupid little girls, that’s who. So don’t buy any of your doll-cuddling daughters these awesome Classic Wrecks, regular die-cast cars painstakingly detailed by hand to add in the rust, scratches and dents of a truly used car. You don’t even need to buy one of these Grand Theft [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/nqCEO4symDc/

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Amazon's India launch may be limited: report (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Amazon.com Inc's highly anticipated entrance into India's retail market may be limited to operating an online marketplace for other merchants, the Times of India reported Thursday.

The world's largest Internet retailer may launch Amazon Marketplace, an online platform that will connect shoppers with third-party retailers -- similar to rival eBay Inc's approach, the newspaper said.

The company could be in India by the first or second week of February, the newspaper added, citing unidentified people familiar with Amazon's plans. An Amazon representative did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Amazon is stepping up its international expansion as the company tries to maintain the torrid rate of growth of recent years. India, with more than 1 billion people and a fast-growing economy, would be an attractive location for the Seattle-based company.

Restrictions on overseas multi-brand retailers now effectively exclude giants like Wal-Mart Stores and Amazon from the $550 billion Indian retail market.

"There's the regulatory handicap that Amazon has to work around," said Scott Tilghman, an analyst at Caris & Company.

Some restrictions on foreign direct investment in India's retail market were lifted recently, and there may be more curbs loosened, the analyst said.

Entering India with an online marketplace or "aggregator" approach will help Amazon "get their feet wet and keep their eyes and ears on the ground," Tilghman said.

Amazon has a thriving online marketplace in the United States and other countries that accounts for about 40 percent of the company's revenue, Tilghman estimated.

Rolling this out in India will get Amazon into the country, without some of the higher costs associated with opening a full retail operation, Tilghman said.

"It takes some of the pressure off by lowering the bar considerably on the financial commitment involved in entering that market," the analyst said. "They can rely more heavily on individual retailers that are already there."

Amazon shares were up 2.2 percent at $193.59 on Thursday afternoon on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting By Alistair Barr in San Francisco)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/wr_nm/us_amazon_india

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Unruly NFC Championship fans face ouster from game (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Don't yell, don't curse, don't flip the bird ? and don't even think about insulting anyone's mother.

The San Francisco 49ers and the NFL have adopted extraordinary security measures for Sunday's NFC championship against the New York Giants after opposing fans complained of harassment by unruly 49ers faithful last week.

Undercover police will be dressed in Giants' garb and on the lookout for nasty fans. Giants ticketholders will be handed a card as they enter Candlestick Park with details on how to contact police if they feel threatened. And more security cameras and undercover police officers will be in place to identify abusive fans.

Season ticketholders have also been warned to follow the NFL Fan Code of Conduct: no foul or abusive language or obscene gestures and no verbal or physical abuse of opposing team fans.

The nail-biting 36-32 win last Saturday for the 49ers was the team's first playoff game in nine years, and a raucous crowd was on hand to enjoy the victory at the expense of the Saints.

"I apologize for any rudeness that may have happened," San Francisco 49ers president and CEO Jed York said. "I think you saw 49ers fans who were very excited about hosting a playoff game for the first time in a long time."

Those fans were so excited that they ruined the day for a shaken Don Moses and his two teenage daughters. Moses, a longtime Bay Area resident who is from New Orleans, said they were wearing the Saints colors and prepared for some good-natured ribbing.

Instead, he tells a horror story of fear and humiliation when his daughters asked him why he didn't do anything to stop the hulking 49ers fans who yelled vulgarities and threw footballs at them, screamed in their faces and called their mother a whore.

"The hostility and threats of violence were a constant throughout our experience," Moses said in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, one that launched some soul-searching by city officials and led to some 49ers fans to apologize on behalf of their city.

"Every other word from dozens of fans around us was an f-bomb shouted at the top of their lungs," Moses said. "There were seven or eight large 30- to 35-year-old guys directly behind us who cursed and threatened us the entire game." He turned to ask them to tone it down in front of his girls and they yelled: "Do not turn around again! Do not ever turn around again."

He was afraid that if the fans saw him calling or texting security, the men would harm his daughters.

"Every 49ers fan, the team and its owners should be ashamed and embarrassed to wear the red and gold today," Moses wrote in the letter published Tuesday. "They won the game but are losers in every other way."

NFL security director Jeff Miller told the AP that if the security cameras or undercover police catch such abusive behavior by fans on Sunday, they will be yanked from the stadium.

"We'll be looking early on to identify people trying to do those things in the parking areas and take action to remove them," said Miller, who will be at the game. "We're not going to be warning people inside the stadium. They will be removed."

Authorities are already sensitive about the heartbreaking case of Brian Stow, a paramedic and San Francisco Giants fan who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a beating by two men dressed in Dodgers gear following the home opener against the Giants in Los Angeles on March 31. Medical care for Stow is expected to cost as much as $50 million and the father of two has sued the Dodgers.

Tailgating after kickoff already has been banned from the parking lot at Candlestick Park under security measures introduced after two shootings, a beating and fights broke out during an Aug. 20 pre-season game with across-the-bay rivals Oakland Raiders.

San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said he heard first-hand how Saints fans were treated last Saturday when he gave three of them a lift from the stadium back into the city after the game. They gave him an earful about how badly they'd been belittled.

"We're all native San Franciscans and, you know, that's not the way we want to represent the team and the city," Suhr said.

He said Mayor Ed Lee instructed him to do whatever it takes to make Giants fans feel safe.

Police officers and team personnel at the ticket gates will be welcoming them with cards that tell them how to contact police.

The 49ers also purchased Giants attire for undercover police officers.

"They'll be seated around the stadium as decoys, if you will, trying to draw out the obnoxious fans and they will be removed immediately," he said.

Then there are the lights.

A good portion of the game will be played under the same stadium lights that blacked out and delayed the nationally televised Monday Night Football game between the 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 19.

The city and the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. insist there won't be an embarrassing repeat of the two blackouts at the 51-year-old stadium, which had prompted the mayor to call the night a "national embarrassment."

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica is confident the nearly $1 million in upgrades to the park by the electric utility and the city will prove the old bayside stadium proud.

He said the wire for the electrical circuit that serves the park has been replaced with more than a mile and a half of new wire that is resistant to contact and carries three times the electrical load. A new computer system allows workers to better monitor the circuit.

The command center at the stadium has conducted a string of tests simulating the Dec. 19 blackout and everything tested well.

Will Molica be holding his breath on Sunday about another blackout?

No, Molica said, "I'll be holding my breath for the 49ers to win."

___

AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this report from Santa Clara, Calif.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_sp_ot/us_niners_giants_security

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