Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Banco Santander sees Q4 profit slide after charge (AP)

MADRID ? Spain's Banco Santander saw its fourth-quarter profits plunged 98 percent after it took a euro1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) charge to protect its Spanish real estate portfolio, and as it set aside cash to cover bad loans.

Europe's largest bank by market capitalization said Tuesday it earned euro47 million for the quarter that ended in December, down from euro2.1 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Without the provision, the bank said it would have had profit of euro1.7 billion in the fourth quarter.

Spain's banks are under heavy pressure from the government to disclose additional losses on overvalued real estate including land and apartment buildings in their holdings.

Spain is mired in an economic morass and has the highest unemployment rate in the whole 17-nation eurozone, largely because of a big construction sector crash.

A more detailed look at the quarterly earnings figures showed that the bank's revenue rose modestly to euro11 billion from euro10.6 billion a year earlier.

For the whole of 2011, Santander's profit totaled euro5.4 billion, down from euro8.2 billion in 2010. The bank said profits from Latin America made up the bulk of its profits during the year. It said 51 percent of the total came from its operations there.

The growing importance of Latin America was evident in the bank's loan book during the year. Total loans during the year were up 4 percent as Banco Santander SA boosted business in Latin America that helped buffer decreasing European operations.

Santander shares rose 1.1 percent to euro6.05 each in Tuesday morning trading after the results were released.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_spain_earns_santander

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Pinterest Becomes Top Traffic Driver for Retailers [INFOGRAPHIC] (Mashable)

Pinterest, a two-year-old social bookmarking site that lets users collect and share things they like on the web, is driving increasingly significant amounts of traffic to retailers' websites. The service enables users to create online bulletin boards, or "pinboards," for popular categories such as home decor, food and wedding inspiration. Members can use Pinterest's "Pin It" bookmarklet tool and iPhone app to save things they see online and offline, and explore and repin the images their friends collect via their personal newsfeeds. The website is especially popular among women, who account for 58% of Pinterest's traffic, according to Experian Hitwise.

[More from Mashable: How To Avoid Hiring The Wrong Person For Your Startup]

SEE ALSO: 21 Must-Follow Pinterest Users

The site's popularity is quickly growing. Pinterest's traffic increased more than fourfold between September 2011 and December 2011, bringing in 7.51 million unique visitors in December alone, data from Compete indicates. The amount of traffic Pinterest sent elsewhere has risen accordingly, becoming a top five referrer for several apparel retailers, according to internal data from Monetate, which provided the infographic below.

[More from Mashable: Megaupload?s Kim Dotcom Loses ?Call of Duty? Top Spot While in Prison [VIDEO]]

Although Pinterest is becoming a significant source of traffic for retailers, search still dominates, and the site has yet to prove itself as a potential sales channel. At present, scant data is available about the social network's conversion rates.

[via Monetate]

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120129/tc_mashable/pinterest_becomes_top_traffic_driver_for_retailers_infographic

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Monday, January 30, 2012

[OOC] A Demon and it's Master

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?A Demon and it's Master?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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One Of History's Greatest Minds Can Now Store Your Stupid Cat Videos [Flash Drives]

Mimobot has been doing the character-based flash drive thing for a while now, focusing on superheroes and other fictional personalities. But their new Legends of Mimobot Series will instead feature the "stars of the human race," starting with Albert Einstein. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/p8PPG4sabS4/one-of-historys-greatest-minds-can-now-store-your-stupid-cat-videos

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Outrage as bodies pile up at Cook County morgue

Cook County officials say they are being forced to change morgue procedures due to an overflow of unclaimed bodies. Charlie Wojciechowski reports.

By Dick Johnson and Michelle Relerford, NBCChicago.com

CHICAGO ? Outraged pastors and community activists on Friday descended upon the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and called for an independent investigation after reports that bodies have been piling up for weeks.

At least one activist openly called for the facility's director, Dr. Nancy L. Jones to step down.

"Somebody needs to be held accountable for what happened," said Dawn Valenti, who works to help families find missing loved ones.

Read original story at NBCChicago.com

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle a day earlier said Jones will remain -- for now -- but called for a top-to-bottom review of the facility.


"This is a reminder of how my ancestors -- how the remains of our ancestors were treated like garbage," Peggy Hudgens said through tears at the building at 2121 W. Harrison St.

Hudgens claimed to have been trying to resolve her brothers death and burial since October.

The issue has been simmering for months, if not years. As many as 363 bodies were reportedly once collected in a cooler designed to hold just 300. Ministers gathered Friday to pray for the deceased and to call for justice.

Anti-violence community activist Andrew Holmes was among the protesters and wondered aloud about the accountability of missing persons at the morgue.

"We want those deceased finger-printed and identified. We still have a lot of missing, unclaimed and missing people that have not been found," he said.

Holmes focused specifically on Carmelita Johnson, a woman who'd gone missing and was ultimately found in the facility. Her family said they tried to find her for more than a year. Johnson has since been buried.

The Illinois Department of Labor said it's also opened an investigation into "worker safety issues."

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10254153-bodies-pile-up-at-cook-county-morgue-activists-outraged

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CDC Says More Parents Having Home Births (ContributorNetwork)

The number of babies born at home instead of in a hospital has increased by almost one-third between 2004 and 2009, says a recent report from the Center for Disease Control. One of every 90 babies is now born at home. Here are details for parents about home vs. hospital births and why more parents are choosing midwifery and at-home childbirth.

* According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 1900 most all babies were born at home. That trend reversed and by 1969, 99 percent of births happened in hospitals or birthing centers. Home births are still rare, but in the last few years have increased by 29 percent in all population groups.

* The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that in 1989, birth certificate reporting laws changed to include data on several medical and lifestyle risk factors involved with the mother's pregnancy and the baby's birth. The U.S. Certificate of Live Birth lists birthing procedures performed, delivery method (vaginal or Cesarean section), unusual conditions and birth defects in the infant. Names of people attending the baby's birth, place of birth and ethnic origins of parents were added, too. This additional data helps statisticians track parent birthing habits.

* According to the CDC, 36 percent more non-Hispanic Caucasian mothers opted to birth babies at home. Fewer women in other ethnic backgrounds chose home delivery. Home births were more common among mothers over 35 and among those who already had children.

* The risks with home births are lower than with hospital births, said the research. Fewer teen and unwed mothers had babies at home. Fewer babies were born preterm, with low birth weight or in multiples.

* According to Health Day, the biggest concern with home birth is lack of access to medical equipment and procedures should sometime go wrong. Mothers with previous or current high-risk pregnancies are typically advised by doctors to deliver in a medical center. However, parents who chose home births said that what they liked most about this method at home was less obstetric intervention. A chief reason for having a midwife deliver the baby at home is that she is trained in a variety of less-invasive natural birthing practices, whereas hospitals rely more on C-section, labor induction and other clinical procedures.

* The American College of Nurse-Midwives says that continuous, individualized care and therapeutic vs. medical childbirth are the biggest reasons most mothers choose to have babies at home. Parents also like to have control over the environment in which their children enter the world. As long as the mother is not at medical risk, midwives say, giving birth at home is safer for mom and baby.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about parenting from 23 years raising four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, adult education and homeschool.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120128/hl_ac/10893357_cdc_says_more_parents_having_home_births

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Hull House closes doors after more than 120 years (AP)

CHICAGO ? Hull House, the Chicago social services organization founded more than 120 years ago by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams, closed Friday after running out of money.

The Jane Addams Hull House Association announced earlier this month plans to close in the spring, but the shutdown came unexpectedly. More than 300 people are losing their jobs. Many spent Friday packing belongings and saying goodbye.

Founded in 1889, Hull House was the best known of the 400 settlement houses in the United States in the early 1900s. The settlements were designed to provide services to immigrants and the poor while uplifting them through culture, education and recreation. At its peak, Hull House served more than 9,000 people a week, offering medical help, an art gallery, citizenship classes, a gardening club and a gym with sports programs.

In recent years, it has provided child care, domestic violence counseling, job training, housing assistance and other services for 60,000 people a year at nearly four dozen sites in the Chicago area.

The agency said the poor economy increased demand for services but made it difficult to raise enough money to cover the cost of providing them. Other service agencies are expected to step in to help provide services to Hull House clients.

Lizzie Harrington, 32, a project director for a Hull House program that helps low-income people find jobs said employees are emotional and angry about the closing. Harrington has a long history with the agency. She received help from Hull House when she was a teenager in foster care and wanted to live independently.

"It's unfortunate, and it's been emotional," Harrington said. "I have a special connection to this place. This was part of my childhood."

Agency officials have said the organization will file for bankruptcy protection in the first quarter of this year. The decision to close came after the agency's management and board of trustees worked for two years to reduce operating costs and improve services, officials said.

The Hull House agency isn't affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago's Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, which will remain open. The Hull House site on Chicago's West Side is a National Historic Landmark.

___

Online:

Jane Addams Hull House Association: http://www.hullhouse.org

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_hull_house_closes

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Ecuador to crack down on clinics that 'cure' gays (AP)

QUITO, Ecuador ? Ecuador will investigate and act forcefully against any clinics found to be trying to force homosexuals to change their sexual orientation, a Health Ministry official said Thursday.

Gay rights activists in the South American country say four clinics that engaged in coercive practices, three in the capital, have been shut down in recent months but that others still to operate clandestinely.

"Sadly, authorities have not yet taken the corrective measures necessary to regulate the work of clinics that offer 'de-homosexualization' treatment,'" said Efrain Soria, director of Fundacion Equidad, an anti-discrimination group.

Health Ministry official David Troya told The Associated Press the agency will deal firmly and drastically with any clinics that offer such treatments, which have been denounced by critics as abusive.

Newly named Health Minister Carina Vance, who studied at the University of California and has publicly defended gay rights, is hiring someone to work exclusively on the issue, said Troya, an adviser to Vance.

"We are going to take the necessary measures in a firm and drastic manner as regards this subject," he said.

The ministry is "clear and emphatic" that in line with the World Health Organization findings, "homosexuality is not an illness and that as such a cure can't be suggested, so that whoever offers treatments is deceiving people and acting illegally," Troya said.

Paola Concha told the AP that her family sent her in 2006 to a clinic to "cure" her of homosexuality.

"I received physical and verbal aggression during the 18 months I was interned in one of these centers," she said. "Nearly daily they beat me, and many times I was handcuffed to a pipe."

Concha said the women's ward of the clinic where she was held was later closed. She said other women who were "treated" along with her are afraid to go public with their stories.

Troya said the few clinics offering "de-homosexualizion treatment" that were shuttered by authorities were closed not because they offered such services but for other reasons, such as failing to meet sanitary standards.

Soria, the anti-discrimination activist, said complaints had been filed in courts against all of the closed clinics.

He said the clinics running "de-homosexualization" programs camouflage themselves by advertising that they treat such disorders as substance abuse.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_ecuador_gays_clinics

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios

The FCC boys were clutching at their multimeters in horror when they saw how much work they'd have to do when Sony's new Xperia S rolled into the bunker. Still, their loss is connectivity's gain, as the Ericsson-branded (for now, at least) phone packs quad-band GSM / EDGE, 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 UMTS and HSPA, RFID, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 WiFi b/g/n and GPS. ANT+ is also included, which is a healthy sign that support for the fitness tracker will carry on through Ericsson's departure.

In related news, thanks to a post on the company's Facebook wall we know that the unit will be clad in an "anti-stain shell," -- hinting at a similar nano-coating to what we've seen on the Droid Razr. We've also heard rumors of a fast-charging mode that'll provide an hour's usage with just ten minutes of cable-time. Either way, it won't be long until we find out what's true, since the unit's sashayed past the FCC then it's most certainly on for that promised Q1 launch.

Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/74NB3ECHHKE/

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'Finance Degree Guides' Helps Those Looking for a New Career in ...

Tempe, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/25/2012 -- As the economy continues to struggle to improve, many people are considering starting a new career.

For some, a job in the financial field is appealing for many reasons: the work is interesting, jobs tend to be stable with decent salaries, and having a finance degree can open up many doors in terms of career choices and options.

But for many people, knowing how to go about getting the education that is necessary to work in the field of finance can be confusing and even overwhelming. Also, some prospective students who wish to get a finance degree may already be working, and so while the idea of an online program may be one they would like to pursue, they may be unsure if that would even be a reasonable option for them.

A website has been getting a lot of attention lately for its comprehensive, reassuring and helpful information about anything and everything related to a masters in finance.

Finance Degree Guides features in-depth articles, tips and advice about how both prospective students as well as those already working in the field can further their education, get the finance degree they need, and obtain their career goals. The site also covers what types of jobs are typically available to those with a degree in finance.

Busy people who need to schedule college around an already-full workday will also be pleased to read that online finance degree programs are definitely an option.

?Apart from the campus-primarily based institute, there are a selection of on-line faculties that provide finance diploma programs as well,? an article on the website assured readers, adding that college students who want to make a rewarding profession in ?a snug and hassle free method? can enroll in the on-line finance degree programs.

?Students can enroll in these applications distantly and handle their studies as per their own schedule. The pliability of the net diploma programs makes them a super solution to gain larger degree for individuals who are into full-time or part-time jobs. Compared to the normal finance diploma applications, the web training in finance are also more affordable.?

About Finance Degree Guides
Finance Degree Guides is an online resource devoted to helping prospective students get all of the information they need to make an informed decision about the best type of masters in finance degree program for them, as well as a wide variety of helpful articles about possible career choices, and much more. The website is easy to use and also includes a list of Finance Degree Resources that can help students meet their career goals. For more information, please visit http://www.financedegreeguides.org

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/finance-degree-guides-helps-those-looking-for-a-new-career-in-finance-to-reach-their-goals-124050.htm

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Look of old Hollywood glamour is a modern favorite (AP)

In the Hollywood landscape of new, new, new, what really stands out is that today's starlets still emulate the looks of classic screen beauties, including Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, who ruled the red carpet in the 1950s.

Funny, you don't hear that much about Cher, Sharon Stone, or even Demi Moore and Julia Roberts, all very popular stars of the awards-show circuit in more recent history. Could you imagine Angelina Jolie all done up as Sally Field?

But Jolie made most of the best-dressed list from the Golden Globe awards earlier this month with her bright red lips and neat hair that complemented her glamorous gown.

"To reference the bygone era of past screen sirens, there's something about that genre that women gravitate to, men gravitate to and fashion gravitates to," says Jenn Karsten, director of education and artistry for the cosmetics brand Make Up For Ever .

"I think it's the essence of the real woman," she says. "If we referenced the `70s, `80s and the `90s even, the culture was shifting so much. It was a sexual revolution but with a strong androgynous look. It was, `Don't look at me for my beauty, look at me for my brains, my power.' But if you look at Liz Taylor, Sophia Loren or Marilyn, they're all mega stars that were proven talents and proven beauties."

Lori Taylor, global pro lead makeup artist for Smashbox, says Hollywood back in the day was more about crafting a lasting image instead of jumping from trend to trend. "The 1940s and `50s had a ladylike glamour. Everything worked! These women weren't testing anything out. If you look at the women of the `80s, it was more about pushing the edge ? and that's not as timeless."

It was a pretty rare occasion that the Monroes and Hayworths of the world would turn up somewhere without a well-planned outfit and full madeup face, adds Wende Zomnir, founding partner and creative director of Urban Decay. Their appearances were more staged than the paparazzi snapshots of today's stars, of course, but they also had fairly simple beauty routines, even if they wore a lot of product, she says.

Tips on recreating those looks:

_Beautiful, full brows. "Pamela Anderson ruined brows," declares Zomnir. "Brows are hard to do right, but people are scared to let them grow."

She'd like to see more people take their cue from Elizabeth Taylor, or at least Brooke Shields in the `80s.

_A natural look. This isn't carte blanche to be natural, however, says Karsten.

The goal is a look that's simple, but well groomed, with flawless skin and a few big statements, such as a bright lip color and jet-black lashes. You might need foundation, you'll need a good skin-care routine, you might even need time-consuming false lashes to make it look like you barely gave it a thought.

Balance those one or two bold moves with neutral-tone eyes and cheeks, she says.

_Healthy lifestyle. Many ingredients commonly used in skin care today were virtually unknown 50 years ago, like antioxidants and peptides, said Charles Denton, CEO of skin-care company Erno Laszlo, but Laszlo, the company's late founder, was an early proponent of lifestyle approaches. He also personally worked with Monroe and Ava Gardner.

"He actively promoted a good diet, the idea of avoiding the sun and getting a good night sleep," Denton explains. "He supported antioxidants that do good when drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate."

_Clean canvas. Targeting skin blemishes will mean less makeup ? and less room for error, says Denton.

_Red lipstick. "Red lipstick makes you walk a little taller, stand a little straighter and you'll get more attention and compliments," says Karsten. "Why not do it?"

Lori Taylor says there is a right shade of red for everyone. Most people can wear a warm red, but you have to try it on, she says. If it doesn't work, move toward something with a little bit more orange. It'll have the same effect but be friendlier to both pale and olive skin tones, she says.

Elizabeth Taylor made candy-apple red her signature, and Hayworth wore the red that really looks like real red. Monroe leaned toward a really rosy pink. A berry-tone fuchsia also turns heads and is easy to wear, especially for daytime, says Zomnir.

_Highlighting instead of contouring. Contouring makeup that took advantage of staged lighting is clunky and cumbersome for a modern on-the-go lifestyle, says Lori Taylor. The modern version is highlighting (for example, by using bronzer), which adds dimension with just a few strokes here and there.

Kim Kardashian and Beyonce are masters, she says.

_Playing to type. A sultry star ? she has Eva Mendes, Megan Fox or Jennifer Lopez in mind ? can do Hayworth with a good glow on the skin, Lori Taylor says, while a blonde can do the contrast of pale skin and highly pigmented cosmetics.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_en_mo/us_fea_fashion_hollywood_glamour

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

UFC on Fox 2: Evans says Davis isn?t ready for the big stage

Phil Davis is talking a damn good game getting ready for his UFC on Fox 2 main event fight against Rashad Evans. It was so good recently that Evans had finally had enough saying it's all lip service until their face to face in the Octagon.

"When you get hit in the mouth, things change," Evans said during the UFC on Fox 2 conference call (2:15 mark). "When you got hit by 'Little Nog,' you didn't know what to do. When I hit you n the mouth, you're going to feel it."

Davis set off Evans when he said the former UFC light heavyweight champ wouldn't have to worry about a title shot after this fight. Evans unloaded on the young Davis, also suggesting he would freeze in a fight of this magnitude.

"He ain't ready. He knows he ain't ready. You're just a boy," Evans, 32, said of the 27-year-old Davis. "We're going to see what happens. When those lights hit you and the crowd is roaring ... we're gonna see what kind of man you are, what kind of fighter you are."

Evans then went onto say he's a real fighter. He fights because he loves it while Davis fights because it's a job that pays. So the heat has kicked up a notch for Saturday night's fight on network TV.

UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones did his part to pitch the bout. He came out with some pretty strong words about Davis' chances in the fight, saying "Rashad's chin sucks." Jones said Davis by knockout is possible.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-2-evans-says-davis-isn-t-155350902.html

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EU envoys agree to impose Iran oil embargo: diplomat (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? European Union ambassadors agreed on Monday to impose an embargo on Iranian oil imports, but decided to delay the full implementation of the ban until July 1, an EU diplomat said.

Their agreement was the final step before EU foreign ministers can give their formal approval to the measure. The EU's 27 foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday.

"(EU ambassadors) have agreed on Iran sanctions," the senior EU diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Under the deal, EU governments will have to stop signing new contracts with Tehran from the moment the ban comes into place -- probably as soon as this week -- but will be able to fulfill existing contracts until July 1.

EU ministers are also expected to agree extra restrictive measures on Iran's central bank at Monday's meeting, but no details on those steps were immediately available.

(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; editing by Luke Baker)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wl_nm/us_iran_eu_deal

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Poles protest ACTA online and on the streets (AP)

WARSAW, Poland ? Hundreds of people waged a street protest in Warsaw on Tuesday to protest the government's plan to sign an international copyright treaty, while several popular websites also shut down for an hour over the issue.

Poland's support for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, has sparked days of protest, including attacks on government sites, by groups who fear it could lead to online censorship.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk insisted Tuesday that his government will not give in to the protesters. He vowed that Poland will sign the international agreement, which is aimed at protecting intellectual property ? like music and books ? and products including pharmaceuticals and designer items. ACTA enjoys widespread support from the producers of music, movies and a range of goods enjoying copyright protections.

"There will be no concessions to brutal blackmail," Tusk said at a news conference.

Several popular websites replaced their normal content with a statement about ACTA, including several that are popular with young people and carry a mix of celebrity news, jokes, funny photographs and other entertaining material.

One site, http://www.wykop.pl, said that "under the banner of fighting piracy and concerns about intellectual property, ACTA will limit the rights of each of us."

At the street protest, held in front of a European Union office, people carried banners that said "Stop ACTA," while some put tape over their mouths to signify their fears that ACTA will infringe on freedom of expression online.

An extremist right-wing group is planning a separate protest Wednesday to oppose ACTA.

However, an influential group representing authors and composers ? known by its Polish acronym ZAiKS ? has thrown its support behind ACTA. ZAiKS argued that ACTA will not hurt Internet freedom but protect the rights of creators. It said that Internet piracy is now robbing artists and the state treasury of hundreds of millions of zlotys (many millions of dollars) in income.

ACTA shares some similarities with the hotly debated Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S., which was shelved by lawmakers last week after Wikipedia and Google blacked out or partially obscured their websites for a day in protest.

In recent days, a group calling itself Anonymous attacked Polish government websites, leaving several paralyzed on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, most appeared to be working again, though the prime minister's site was unreachable.

Still, Polish leaders are vowing to stick to plans to sign ACTA in Tokyo on Thursday.

ACTA has been negotiated by a number of industrialized countries that have been struggling for ways to fight counterfeiting and intellectual property theft ? crimes that cause huge losses to the movie and music industries and many other sectors.

The far-reaching agreement would cover everything from counterfeit pharmaceuticals to fake designer handbags to online piracy. The United States signed ACTA in October in Tokyo along with seven other countries: Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Morocco and Singapore.

Critics of ACTA accuse the negotiating countries of hammering out the agreement in secret and failing to consult with the broader societies along the way.

(This version CORRECTS Updates with the websites going dark; corrects style on spelling of group ZAiKS. This story is part of AP's general news and financial services.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_hi_te/eu_poland_websites_attacked

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Newt Gingrich's infidelities not hurting him in South Carolina

One major issue that might have slowed Newt Gingrich?s momentum in South Carolina ? his history of marital infidelities, most recently highlighted in interviews with his second wife ? appears not to be doing so.

One major issue that might have slowed Newt Gingrich?s momentum in South Carolina ? his history of marital infidelities, most recently highlighted in interviews with his second wife ? appears not to be doing so.

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Heading into today?s primary election there, Gingrich was polling at 37 percent to 28 percent for Mitt Romney, 16 percent for Rick Santorum, and 14 percent for Ron Paul, according to Public Policy Polling (PPP).

?Gingrich's lead has actually increased in the wake of his ex-wife's controversial interview with ABC,? reports PPP. ?There's a lot of skepticism about it. Only 31 percent of voters say they think her accusations are true while 35 percent think they are false and 34 percent are unsure. Fifty-one percent of voters say that they have 'no concerns' about what came out in the interview.?

RECOMMENDED: Newt Gingrich: 8 of the GOP idea man's more unusual ideas

Gingrich?s response to Marianne Gingrich?s charge that her former husband sought an ?open marriage? in order to continue an affair with the woman who would become his third wife ? deny it outright and blast the media for its ?destructive, vicious, negative nature? ? clearly is working, according to this poll.

Just 14 percent of likely South Carolina GOP primary voters have a generally favorable opinion of the media, while 77 percent view it negatively.

Other surveys have found similar results ? especially when the episode happened years ago.

A Monitor/TIPP poll taken in December shows that the more distant the infidelity, the less the public cares about it.

Asked ?How important is marital fidelity to you in choosing a presidential candidate?? 52 percent said ?important? (27 percent ?very important?), and another 26 percent said ?somewhat important.? Among Republicans, the total saying the issue was at least somewhat important was 87 percent.

But asked to ?rate how you would weigh a presidential candidate's infidelity if the affair occurred 10 years ago,? the numbers shifted significantly. Only 28 percent said ?extremely? or ?very? important, and that number was actually lower for Republicans (26 percent). For 42 percent of those surveyed, any infidelity that long ago ? which is the case with Gingrich ? was viewed as ?not very important? or ?not important at all.?

?Newt Gingrich looks like the clear favorite now in tomorrow?s primary,? Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling, said Friday. ?There was a thought that his ex-wife?s interview could stop his momentum in South Carolina, but instead it seems to have reinforced his support. He?s winning with all the key groups that determine the winners and losers in Palmetto state GOP politics.?

The latest American Research Group poll, conducted in South Carolina on Thursday and Friday, shows Gingrich leading Romney 40-26 percent.

South Carolina is about as ?red? a state as they come, where active Republicans are inclined to favor the most conservative, most combative candidate. Things could change as the primary train moves to Florida and beyond. But for now, that?s Newt Gingrich ? despite his controversial marital history.

RECOMMENDED: Newt Gingrich: 8 of the GOP idea man's more unusual ideas

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/GWJFFe65z8c/Newt-Gingrich-s-infidelities-not-hurting-him-in-South-Carolina

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Joel Cox, Doug Ibold to receive editors' achievement awards (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Clint Eastwood's longtime editor Joel Cox and TV veteran Doug Ibold will receive Lifetime Career Achievement Awards from the American Cinema Editors on February 18, ACE announced on Thursday.

The awards will be given to Cox and Ibold at the 62nd annual ACE Eddie Awards, which will take place in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and will be hosted by Patton Oswalt.

Eastwood will present the award to Cox, while television producer Dick Wolf will present the honor to Ibold.

Cox has worked with Eastwood for more than 35 years and more than 30 movies, including "Million Dollar Baby," "J. Edgar," "Gran Torino," "Letters from Iwo Jima," "The Bridges of Madison County," "Sudden Impact" and "Unforgiven," for which he won an Academy Award.

His collaborations with Eastwood began when he served as assistant editor on "The Outlaw Josey Wales" in 1975.

Ibold has worked in television for more than 40 years, including runs on the long-running series "Miami Vice," "Law & Order," "Magnum P.I." and "Walker, Texas Ranger."

As a founder of the production company Butterfly Films, he also worked with John Lennon as he was recording "Imagine," and the Rolling Stones when they toured to support the album "Exile on Main Street."

ACE will announce its Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year next week.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/film_nm/us_eddieawards

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GE expects 2012 to be another volatile year (AP)

NEW YORK ? General Electric Co. is bracing for another volatile year. The global conglomerate expects to see emerging markets from China to South America continue to grow while Europe falls into a recession.

Its own results are also telling two different stories: Its fourth-quarter profit improved when the results of sold-off businesses are excluded. But revenue fell short of Wall Street's expectations, partly because of a slowdown in Europe.

Shares of the Fairfield, Conn., company, which makes everything from jet engines to light bulbs, fell about 1 percent in midday trading. They're still up about 6 percent this year.

In a conference call with analysts, CEO Jeffrey Immelt called the last three months of the year "a good quarter (that) could have been even better."

But, he added: "I like our momentum, and really we feel good about where we are and what we can get done in 2012."

The CEO held onto his prediction for double-digit earnings growth despite some areas of concern. Revenue in the energy infrastructure division, GE's biggest, rose 19 percent, but its profit was flat. Health-care division profit was off by 5 percent. Profit at the home and business solutions divisions, which includes appliances, dropped 41 percent.

GE said infrastructure orders rose 15 percent in the final three months of 2011, leaving it with its biggest-ever order backlog of $200 billion. In a note to clients, Citi analyst Deane Dray said that backlog, combined with a 23 percent increase in equipment orders in the quarter, sets the company up to meet the lofty double-digit growth goal.

Including discontinued businesses, profit dropped 18 percent in the fourth-quarter. GE also said it saw slower growth in Europe, and its ongoing effort to make its GE Capital financing arm more efficient reduced revenue at the unit by 9 percent. GE Capital is the company's second-largest segment. The overall revenue decline of 8 percent reflects GE sale of its majority stake in NBC Universal to Comcast last year.

The transportation division was a bright spot. Revenue there grew by 43 percent. The division is the largest producer of diesel-electric locomotives and also makes drive systems for wind turbines and mining trucks.

Excluding discontinued businesses and certain pension costs, earnings were 39 cents per share. That topped analysts' forecast of 38 cents, based on a FactSet survey. But revenue fell below Wall Street's $40.05 billion estimate.

For all of 2011, the company earned $14.15 billion, or $1.23 per share, up 22 percent compared with $11.64 billion, or $1.06 per share, in 2010.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_general_electric

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Is some poor little planet getting blasted?

The Jan. 19 Weekly Space Hangout touches upon boiling planets, reloaded Pillars of Creation and more.

By Alan Boyle

Did you hear the one about the planet that's boiling away? Astronomers working with data from NASA's Kepler planet-hunting telescope say they're seeing evidence that a star system 1,500 light-years from Earth has a "super-Mercury" orbiting less than a million miles from its sun. At that distance, they surmise that the blasted world (known as KIC 12557548) is slowly being vaporized by temperatures in excess of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius).

The report about the boiling planet appears on ArXiv.org, and was the focus of a posting by Bad Astronomy blogger Phil Plait. It's also the top story on the Weekly Space Hangout, a Google+ live video show that brings together a gaggle of space writers, including yours truly. Check out the hourlong video above for more about KIC 12557548 as well as the other stories listed below:


This week's Hangout panel also included Discovery News' Nicole Gugliucci (the Noisy Astronomer) and Universe Today's Jon Voisey (the Angry Astronomer), with Universe Today's Fraser Cain as host, organizer and moderator. Tune in at 1 p.m. ET Thursday for the next installment of the Weekly Space Hangout, and check out these archived vidcasts:


Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10192531-is-some-poor-planet-getting-blasted

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