Monday, October 31, 2011

ArianaGrande: How sweet, thank you! RT @JosalynnK @ArianaGrande my 8 year old daughter asked me to create a twitter account so she could follow you! Th...

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How sweet, thank you! RT @JosalynnK @ArianaGrande my 8 year old daughter asked me to create a twitter account so she could follow you! Th... ArianaGrande

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Source: http://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/statuses/130397795575271424

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Arizona Cheerleader Breast Cancer T-Shirts and Other School-Banned Clothing (ContributorNetwork)

Cheerleaders at Gilbert High School in Arizona were banned from wearing their breast cancer fundraiser t-shirts. The shirts read "Feel for Lumps, Save your Bumps." Some parents think the school is being needlessly reactionary. This isn't the only dress code issue that parents and students struggle with. Here are some of the items that schools have forbidden, along with parental reactions to those rules.

"Feel for Lumps, Save your Bumps" t-shirts

Gilbert principal Charles Santa Cruz said that while the school encourages October Breast Cancer Awareness activities, the "Feel for Lumps" shirts were inappropriate and not authorized by the school. The cheerleaders had made the t-shirts to collect money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. They planned to wear them at football games after school hours. Booster mom, Gayleen Skowronek says, "I think it's hypocritical they would approve a fundraiser for breast-cancer research but they won't approve a shirt to bring awareness to breast cancer." Her cheerleader daughter says, "We're not saying anything a doctor wouldn't say." Other parents say that while they don't disagree with the principal, they think he's making too big of a deal over it.

"I Heart Boobies" breast cancer bracelets

Earlier this year, two Easton, Pa., middle-schoolers Brianna Hawk and Cayla Martinez were suspended for wearing Keep a Breast Foundation bracelets reading, "I (heart) Boobies." The school had banned them, saying the presented a sexual double entendre. Several boys had touched the girls inappropriately, prompted by the bracelets, officials said. The girls, with their parents, filed a lawsuit with the ACLU and won. In response to the lawsuit, a Wisconsin middle-schooler, Kaisey Jenkins and her mom, Caran Braun, challenged their school's no-"boobies" bracelet policy. The school outlawed the bracelets after some parents and faculty complained that the jewelry was inappropriate for children.

"Rebel Moms" school pride t-shirts

Last year, a parent booster group, "Rebel Moms," in Willoughby, Ohio, designed and sold a school pride t-shirt. The t-shirts showed the word "Rebels" (the South High School mascot) with a Confederate flag. The school has an ongoing rivalry with North High School. Officials forbid the sale of the shirts, but only after the mothers had sold 250 of them. The school made the parents redesign the shirts, saying the Confederate flag is offensive to some students.

Pajamas at school

In some schools, it's not just students who have to follow dress code; parents do too. Several UK schools stated that parents should not wear pajamas to school, even when they are simply dropping students off. School officials say sleepwear belongs at home, not in public. This issue sparked debate over whether schools can dictate what parents wear in their vehicles or on school property.

Some schools are banning pajamas for students' apparel also. Students have been allowed to wear pajamas to school for certain school spirit events, but some schools deem pajamas too casual. Parents are mixed on this one: some feel pajamas should not be worn in public, while others say pajamas at school are no big deal.

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

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111028/us_ac/10205743_arizona_cheerleader_breast_cancer_tshirts_and_other_schoolbanned_clothing

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Game 6: Twice down to last strike, Cards win 10-9 (AP)

David Freese homered in the 11th inning to give the Cardinals a 10-9 victory over Texas in Game 6 of the World Series, capping one of the wildest, most exciting finishes in baseball history.

As Freese's shot cleared the center field fence, Fox broadcaster Joe Buck reprised the famous call by his late father, Jack, on Kirby Puckett's homer to win Game 6 of the 1991 World Series for Minnesota.

"We will see you tomorrow night!"

Nice tribute.

Twice, the Rangers were one strike away from their first championship. How do they recover from this?

___

It's tied again! Unbelievable!

The Cardinals just won't let this wild World Series end.

Twice down to their final strike, they've tied it each time. Once in the ninth inning on Freese's two-run triple off Neftali Feliz, then again in the 10th on Lance Berkman's RBI single off Scott Feldman.

After the Rangers were oh-so-close to their first World Series crown in the ninth, Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer in the 10th to put Texas ahead again, 9-7.

But the Rangers couldn't hold it.

Jake Westbrook worked a scoreless inning, and we're headed to the bottom of the 11th tied at 9.

___

Extra innings!

Down to their final strike in the ninth, the Cardinals got a two-run triple from NLCS MVP David Freese off Neftali Feliz to tie the score at 7.

Texas was excruciatingly close to its first World Series crown. But the Rangers responded right away. Josh Hamilton, the hobbling star who hadn't homered the entire postseason, hit a two-run shot off Motte in the 10th to put Texas ahead 9-7.

What a game! What a Series!

And what an incredible life story for Hamilton, whose career was derailed by drug and alcohol addiction. This could be the capper. One Hollywood movie may not be enough to tell this comeback story.

Headed to the bottom of the 10th. Darren Oliver on to try to save it for Texas.

___

Mike Adams retires Rafael Furcal with the bases loaded to end the eighth. Leading 7-5, the Texas Rangers are three outs from their first World Series championship.

It's a mystery why manager Ron Washington didn't go to closer Feliz in the eighth, but he'll surely be on in the ninth to try to close it out.

St. Louis has the 2-3-4 hitters coming up: Ryan Theriot, Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman.

___

Allen Craig homers off Derek Holland with one out in the eighth inning and St. Louis trims its deficit to 7-5. That's the first run the Cardinals have managed off Holland, who pitched a gem to win Game 4. The young lefty was just lifted for Adams, with pinch-hitter Gerald Laird coming up. Laird was replaced by pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso, who reached on an infield single when shortstop Elvis Andrus made an ill-advised throw to first rather than going to second for the force.

Jon Jay followed with a single that loaded the bases.

___

Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz hit consecutive home runs off Lance Lynn to start the seventh, giving Texas the lead. Ian Kinsler added an RBI single to make it 7-4.

Cruz's mammoth shot into the third deck in left field was his eighth homer of the postseason, tying the major league record held by Barry Bonds (2002) and Carlos Beltran (2004).

Holland stands to win in relief. He started and won Game 4 on Sunday, taking a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning for a 4-0 victory.

Holland scored on Kinsler's single in the seventh.

___

A footnote on Beltre's shot: It was 25 years ago tonight that the New York Mets won the 1986 World Series. That night, in Game 7 against Boston, another third baseman (Ray Knight) hit a leadoff homer in the seventh inning to snap a tie.

___

After a costly error by first baseman Michael Young, Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando walked Yadier Molina with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, tying the score at 4.

Another great play by Texas catcher Mike Napoli helped to keep it tied. Napoli picked off Matt Holliday at third base for the second out. Beltre did a great job of blocking the bag with his foot, and Holliday hurt his pinkie on a headfirst dive trying to get back.

Holliday, who had a rough night all around, left the game with a severely bruised pinkie. X-rays were negative.

The teams have combined for five errors.

___

Rangers manager Ron Washington showed a lot of faith in starter Colby Lewis before finally pulling him in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out.

Lewis had allowed only one ball out of the infield since Lance Berkman's two-run homer in the first inning.

Holland, who threw 116 pitches Sunday night, retired Jon Jay on a grounder back to the mound with the bases loaded to end the inning.

___

Albert Pujols didn't like the call on strike three to start the sixth, but it appeared he was fortunate not to get punched out on the previous pitch.

___

Boy, the Cardinals are really making a mess for themselves on defense. Not sure if they're tight, cold, rusty or what.

Third baseman David Freese dropped Josh Hamilton's leadoff popup in the fifth for St. Louis' third error ? and that doesn't include a foul ball that Freese had a chance to catch earlier in the game.

Young followed with an RBI double to give Texas a 4-3 lead.

___

Interesting little chess match there in the top of the fifth after Young's RBI double. Two outs later, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa intentionally walked the No. 7 hitter, Napoli, who has 10 RBIs in the World Series. That put runners at the corners for pinch-hitter David Murphy ? with pitcher Colby Lewis on deck.

Washington put Yorvit Torrealba in the on-deck circle, and Holland began warming up hastily in the bullpen. La Russa, however, wasn't fooled by the decoys. Fernando Salas pitched around Murphy, loading the bases with an unintentional intentional walk. Forced to make a decision, Washington stayed with Lewis, who struck out to end the inning.

Lewis worked a 1-2-3 fifth. Lynn is on for St. Louis, and he worked a scoreless sixth.

The Rangers still lead 4-3.

___

Napoli's run-scoring single just inside the right field line gave Texas a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning.

St. Louis handed the Rangers a leadoff baserunner when Furcal and Holliday botched Nelson Cruz's popup in shallow left. Neither took charge, and the ball popped out of Holliday's glove when he reached out at the last moment. It was probably Holliday's ball. He was charged with an error that allowed Cruz to reach second. Cruz scored on Napoli's single.

It was Napoli's 10th RBI of the World Series.

Moments later, Napoli twisted his left ankle when he went into second awkwardly. He got caught in between sliding and going in standing up. Napoli, who appears on his way to Series MVP honors if Texas wins, was writhing in pain at first but walked it off and stayed in the game.

___

Holliday with a late, high, hard takeout slide on Andrus in the fourth to prevent a double play. Probably could have been called an automatic DP ? it was borderline at best.

Not necessarily dirty. But not necessarily legal, either.

That helped the Cardinals tie it at 3 on Yadier Molina's RBI groundout. Lewis avoided further damage.

An error by first baseman Michael Young got the inning started for St. Louis. Holliday then drew a walk, putting runners at first and second.

___

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia has been pulled after three innings. Fernando Salas on in relief as manager Tony La Russa once again puts the game ? and the season ? in the hands of his bullpen.

Garcia left with the score tied at 2, but he was missing the command that made him so effective in Game 2. He was helped by two double plays and a couple of wide strike calls from plate umpire Gary Cederstrom. Texas squandered a great chance to build a comfortable lead in the first inning.

___

Plenty of Rangers fans at Busch Stadium, hoping to see their team win its first World Series crown. A little surprising, considering how much St. Louis loves its Cardinals.

___

That early lead didn't last long for Texas.

Berkman hit a two-run homer to left-center off Lewis in the bottom of the first inning, putting the Cardinals ahead 2-1. Lewis gave up an AL-high 35 homers during the regular season.

Kinsler hit an RBI double in the second to tie it 2-all. Fox announcer Joe Buck says that was the Rangers' first hit in the World Series with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Texas is trying to win its first World Series crown. St. Louis hopes to force the first decisive Game 7 in the Series since 2002.

___

Berkman, batting cleanup, connected on the first pitch. Just before that, Albert Pujols also went after the first pitch from Lewis but flied out to right.

Skip Schumaker scored on Berkman's homer after reaching on a one-out single. Schumaker started in center field for the second straight game in place of slumping Jon Jay, who is 0 for 14 in the World Series.

Schumaker can be an offensive spark, and that's why he's in the No. 2 hole in the lineup. St. Louis needs to get some guys on in front of Pujols, Berkman and Holliday so the Rangers are forced to pitch to them ? Pujols in particular.

___

Garcia has walked the leadoff batter in each of the first two innings ? not the way you want to attack this Texas lineup. But he caught a break when Lewis bunted into a 5-6-4 double play in the second.

It actually wasn't a bad bunt, but third baseman David Freese was right on top of Lewis, with no threat that he would do anything but bunt. Lewis needed to push the ball to the right side ? easier said than done for an American League pitcher who normally doesn't hit.

___

Game 6 is under way, and the Cardinals are in immediate trouble.

Garcia issues a leadoff walk to Kinsler before Andrus singles to left-center, sending Kinsler to third. Hamilton follows with an RBI single.

With runners at the corners, Garcia buckled down. He struck out Michael Young and Adrian Beltre before Nelson Cruz grounded out. Texas leads 1-0.

That's already more than the Rangers managed against Garcia in Game 2, when he yielded only three hits in seven shutout innings while striking out seven.

___

Clear skies in St. Louis tonight, after Game 6 of the World Series was postponed a day because of rain. The temperature is 56 degrees with little wind. Not a bad night to play ball.

Much has been made about who would pitch for the Cardinals in a potential Game 7. The rainout gives manager Tony La Russa a chance to bring back ace Chris Carpenter on three days' rest if he wants. But they have to get there first, and nobody is more aware of that than La Russa. He refused to look beyond Game 6 during his pregame news conference today.

On the mound, it's a rematch of the Game 2 pitching duel between Garcia and Lewis. Both were outstanding last time out, and the Rangers rallied in the ninth inning for a 2-1 victory.

Garcia is at his best in Busch Stadium, while Lewis has been Texas' most reliable postseason starter the past two years. He is 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA in seven starts, and it was Lewis who threw a gem to close out the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the 2010 AL championship series.

He gets another shot at a clincher tonight.

Regardless of the Game 5 phone fiasco, the Cardinals have been let down by the deep bullpen that carried them into the Series. But they also need to get their big bats going.

Pujols enters 0 for 12 besides his record-setting outburst in Game 3, when he had three homers, five hits, six RBIs and 14 total bases. Berkman was batting .389, but he had struck out seven times. Holliday was 3 for 18 (.167) without an RBI, and leadoff man Furcal was 3 for 20 (.150).

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_world_series_online

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Video analysis: Dana White meets with Showtime, what?s cooking?

Dana White spent time in New York this week, surprisingly he sat down with officials from Showtime.

The UFC president has repeatedly gone on record saying he doesn't want to deal with the network, but now that Ken Hershman, Showtime's former Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports & Event Programming, has left for HBO, new doors could open.

Yesterday, White teased fans and the MMA media by suggesting something new could be on the horizon.

We checked in with Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole to find out what he's heard about the latest round of talks between the promotion and the network. It was believed that the two would be going their separate ways after the Strikeforce deal is finished, maybe not.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-analysis-Dana-White-meets-with-Showtime-?urn=mma-wp8654

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Celebrity Babies 2011

Polygamist reality stars Kody and Robyn Brown welcome a baby boy! Plus, see more stars who welcomed new bundles of joy

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-babies-2011/1-b-16266

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Japanese WWII submarine found off Papua New Guinea (AP)

CANBERRA, Australia ? A Japanese World War II submarine wreck was found partially buried in the seabed of a Papua New Guinea harbor during a search for unexploded munitions, Australia's military said Friday.

Australian and New Zealand warships found it 180 feet (55 meters) underwater while working in the area to clear WWII-era explosives Thursday, a Defense Department statement said.

Simpson Harbor is in the town of Rabaul, which was a major Japanese military base on the northeast coast of the South Pacific nation.

The wreck is partially buried in sand but upright. Australian navy historians had concluded from underwater images that the wreck is Japanese, the statement said.

"The Royal Australian Navy will now work with Japanese authorities to assist in determining the wreck's identity," it said.

Gary Oakley, an Australian War Memorial curator and a former submariner, said it appeared to be a midget submarine crewed by one or two men.

"My best guess would be it's a Japanese midget submarine. It doesn't look big enough to be an ocean-going ... submarine," Oakley said after examining indistinct images of the wreck released by the Defense Department.

Japanese midget submarines were transported by ship or larger submarines and used covertly to infiltrate enemy targets including Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Sydney Harbor.

Such a submarine could have been destroyed by an American air raid or naval bombardment or even scuttled by the Japanese toward the end of the war, Oakley said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_as/as_papua_new_guinea_submarine

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Study questions outsourcing traffic camera systems (Providence Journal)

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 Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/153963845?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Obama's 2012 pitch: Still unfinished business

President Barack Obama deplanes after he arrives at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. The President is scheduled to attend fundraisers in Denver Tuesday night and speak at Metro State University on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

President Barack Obama deplanes after he arrives at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. The President is scheduled to attend fundraisers in Denver Tuesday night and speak at Metro State University on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

(AP) ? Raising money and appealing for votes, President Barack Obama is framing his 2012 re-election campaign as a call to complete unfinished business and as a clear choice between his ideas and those of potential rivals who he says are no different than the congressional Republicans who are thwarting him now.

The message lets Obama highlight accomplishments and lump Republican presidential candidates with unpopular legislators. Time and again Obama reminds his campaign backers that the 2012 election will be more difficult than the last. And, aware that some Democrats are less enthusiastic about him than they were three years ago, he is using every opportunity to enumerate achievements, from health care to financial regulatory changes to the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gay service members.

Lately, Obama has been telling audiences that he is marking off a list of campaign promises he made in 2008.

"We're through about 60 percent of it," he told a group of 100 donors in Denver Tuesday. "Which isn't bad for three years."

"There's still a lot of people hurting and there's still a lot of work to do," he continued. "And that 40 percent that's not done, I'm going to need you, because I need five more years."

Denver was the last stop in a three-day swing that also took him to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco, a fundraising-rich tour that let him spend time with top Los Angeles celebrities and to get some media attention in the battleground states of Nevada and Colorado.

During a quick stop in San Francisco Tuesday afternoon, Obama sought to draw a distinction between his economic plans and those of his Republican rivals, who he said are only interested in cutting taxes for the wealthy and eliminating regulations.

"It's not as if we haven't tried what they're selling. We have. And it didn't work," he told a 200-person crowd, each of whom paid a minimum of $5,000 to attend.

With his poll numbers sagging and enthusiasm among some of his supporters waning, the president reminded backers that his administration has had significant accomplishments, from overhauling health care to ending the military's ban on gay service members. But he acknowledged that change hasn't always been easy to come by.

"It's not as trendy to be an Obama supporter as it was back in 2008," he said. "We've had setbacks, we've had disappointments. I've made mistakes on occasion."

The Western tour is one of Obama's busiest donor outreach trips of the season. In Los Angeles Monday, he turned to celebrities, including actor Will Smith and basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, to bring in money, and mingled with Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas over canap?s at the movie star couple's home.

Celebrities are a tried-and-true fundraising draw, particularly for Democratic presidents. Both the president and the stars bask in their reflected fame and the endorsement of stars can be a useful asset.

California ranks as Obama's top donor state, and he raised about $1 million in the Los Angeles area alone during the last two fundraising quarters, according to an Associated Press review of contributions above $200.

Not that he needs the votes in California, a solidly Democratic state. However, Sacramento-based Democratic consultant Roger Salazar said the president, echoing national trends, is less popular now in the state than he was when he was elected.

"Democrats by their nature are going to give the president the benefit of the doubt," said Salazar, a veteran of California and national political campaigns. "But they want him to do something about it. They want to see some movement."

Obama is promising some movement. He has been promoting his $447 billion jobs bill, which has been broken up into its component parts in hopes Congress can pass some of them.

He's also focusing on steps his administration can take without congressional approval, including an initiative announced Tuesday to offer millions of student loan borrowers the ability to lower their payments and consolidate their loans. Earlier this week, the administration unilaterally created new rules to allow homeowners who are deeply underwater on their mortgages to refinance at lower rates.

_____

Associated Press writer Jack Gillum in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-25-Obama/id-2607bfd729434ddb932f2134fc3cf717

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Chaz Bono called a 'penguin,' exits Dancing with the Stars

Chaz Bono was voted off Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night. Chaz Bono and his dance partner complained about judges making animal references about him.

Chaz Bono has gotten his walking papers on "Dancing with the Stars."

Skip to next paragraph

Tuesday's edition of the hit ABC show marked the last dance for Bono. Despite his cheerful, spirited style, he had struggled from the beginning and came in last in the judges' assessment the night before.

When he got the bad news, the transgender activist said he had come on the program "to show America a different kind of man."

"If there was somebody like me on TV when I was growing up, my whole life would have been different," he said.

Soccer star Hope Solo, who also was in jeopardy, avoided being sent home and will stay in contention.

Along with her, five other celebrities remain in the contest: actors David Arquette and J.R. Martinez, reality TV personality Rob Kardashian, and TV hosts Ricki Lake and Nancy Grace. Judges' scores combined with viewer votes determine who is kicked off the show each week.

Monday's episode had included insults, an animal comparison and two nearly perfect performances.

A heated exchange between professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy and head judge Len Goodman stole the spotlight from first-place finishers Lake and Martinez.

Chmerkovskiy and his partner, Solo, landed near the bottom of the judges' leaderboard Monday. With 20 points out of 30, they finished just ahead of Bono, in last place with 19 points.

When Goodman called Solo's rumba "your worst dance of the whole season," Chmerkovskiy suggested the judge get out of the dance business.

Chmerkovskiy told one of the show's hosts that the judges seem to pick on certain contestants, and he kept up the conversation after Monday's episode.

"The judges have their favorites," he said. "They always have."

Bono's professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, agreed.

"They always have their favorites, and this season it's completely clear who they are. I won't name names, but we are not one of them," she said. "I'm actually proud of what Maks said. A lot of us don't get the chance to stand up for us and our partners."

Schwimmer cried backstage during Monday's episode and was still upset after the show, when she complained about the judges' "rude" remarks about Bono.

"Every week he gets referred to as an animal," she said. "They always comment on his personality, and last I checked, this was a dancing show."

After the couple danced their tango, judge Bruno Tonioli said Bono was like "a cute little penguin trying to be a big menacing bird of prey." Tonioli had also compared Bono to an Ewok.

Carson Kressley, Chynna Phillips, Kristin Cavallari, Elisabetta Canalis and Ron Artest have already been eliminated this season.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ImSo0RTdlBo/Chaz-Bono-called-a-penguin-exits-Dancing-with-the-Stars

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Chinese leader urges North Korea to better US ties (AP)

BEIJING ? China urged ally North Korea to improve its strained ties with longtime foes the United States and South Korea, state media reported Monday, as U.S. and North Korean diplomats prepared to talk about restarting negotiations on Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

On a visit to North Korea, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang told North Korean Premier Choe Yong Rim on Sunday that improving ties with the U.S. and South Korea would promote stability in the region, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li's message seems intended to further diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program that is already under way and to enhance China's role in it. Li's three-day trip to North Korea is being immediately followed by a two-day visit to South Korea, underscoring Beijing's good ties with both Koreas and its desire to revive the stalled six-nation disarmament negotiations.

U.S. and North Korean diplomats are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday to see about resuming the negotiations, which also include South Korea, Japan and Russia as well as China. North Korea walked out on talks in 2009 ? and exploded a second nuclear-test device ? but now wants to re-engage.

Li told the North Korean premier that China supports North Korean efforts "to take the right direction for engagement and dialogues, resume the six-party talks at an early date," Xinhua reported.

China has for years urged North Korea to refrain from ratcheting up tensions and to undertake serious reforms to strengthen an anemic economy that is failing to meet basic needs for its people. The visit of the Chinese vice premier is highlighting North Korea's growing dependence on China.

Ahead of Li's arrival Sunday, Xinhua reported that China-North Korean trade nearly doubled in the first seven months of the year, rising to $3.1 billion, an 87 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

North Korea relies heavily on China for food and fuel aid and many consumer products. Chinese companies are the main investors in North Korean mining, and the sides recently signed agreements on road building and jointly developing an industrial park on an island near the Chinese city of Dandong.

"The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has shown great potential, with bilateral trade and investment volume reaching new highs," Xinhua said, citing the Chinese ambassador to Pyongyang, Liu Hongcai.

Bilateral trade between China and North Korea still is dwarfed by economic ties between China and South Korea, which is projected to hit about $250 billion for all of 2011.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_nkorea

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Report: Bachmann staff unpaid for a month (Politico)

The fact that Michele Bachmann's New Hampshire staffers quit today - including the state campaign manager, who confirmed the? walk-off from the campaign on the record to news outlets - continues to be denied by her national campaign manager, Keith Nahigian.

"We have a great team in New Hampshire and we have not been notified that anyone is leaving the campaign," Nahigian said in a statement that landed even as news outlets confirmed the departures.

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"We look forward to spending more time in the Granite State between now and the primary, but our campaign has emphasized that our main focus is the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa and we are continuing to build efforts there. While she will campaign in other states, Michele will spend the majority of her time in Iowa, doing what she does better than all the other candidates - retail politics - leading up to the all important caucuses."

Yet one of the staffers told ABC News that they hadn't been paid for a month.

The issue is likely to dog Bachmann as she heads to the Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Iowa tomorrow night, a candidate cattle at which she needs to break out, given that most of the attention will be on Herman Cain and Rick Perry.

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_stories1011_66605_html/43347709/SIG=11mppekof/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66605.html

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

MRV Communications Inc. (MRVC); A Single Source Provider of ...

MRV Communications Inc. (PINK: MRVC) is a Chatsworth, California-based provider of optical communications network infrastructure equipment and services to a variety of telecom concerns.?Company Overview?MRV Communications is a worldwide supplier of communications equipment and services. MRVC?s customers include carriers, governments and enterprises.?MRVC has divided its business along two principal segments; Network Equipment Group and Network Integration Group.?Network Equipment GroupThe Network Equipment Group at MRV Communications offers communications equipment that enable access, transport, aggregation and management of voice, data and video traffic in networks, data centers and laboratories used by telecom service providers, cable operators, enterprise customers and governments globally.?Network Integration GroupThe Network Integration Group at MRV Communications offers network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufacturing by third party ventures and MRVC?s Network Equipment Group.?MRVC markets and sells its products globally through a variety of channels, including direct sales force, manufacturers? representatives, value-added resellers, distributors and systems integrators.?MRV Communications relies heavily on its foreign-based offices for business. Foreign revenue accounted for 71% of the MRVC?s total revenue for the June quarter. Majority of the company?s foreign sales are generated from customers located in Europe, with the rest coming mainly from customers in Asia Pacific region.?Strong Top-Line Growth?According to a SEC filing made by MRV Communications, the company had revenue of $68.19 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, a significant increase of $57.20 million reported for the three-month period ended June 30, 2010.?Product revenue totaled $53.22 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, while Service Revenue totaled $14.97 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011.?MRVC?s gross profit for the three-month period was $29.40 million, compared with $26.04 million reported for the same period in the previous year.?Financial Position?MRV Communications? cash position was strong at the end of the June quarter. At the end of June 30, 2011, MRVC had cash and cash equivalents of $152.3 million.?Uncertainty in Europe a WorryMRV Communications derives a major portion of its revenue from Europe. The uncertain economic environment in Europe due to the debt crisis is major worry for MRVC. In the SEC filing, MRVC particularly noted that the weakness in Italian market affected its Italian market.?

The ongoing economic uncertainty in Europe could have a significant impact on MRVC?s operating results going forward.?

Source: http://www.smallcapnetwork.com/MRV-Communications-Inc-MRVC-A-Single-Source-Provider-of-Optical-Communication-Network-Infrastructure-Equipment-and-Services/s/via/7473/article/view/p/mid/1/id/5/

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Google, PE firms mull bid for Yahoo: report (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Google Inc has spoken to at least two private equity firms about possibly helping them finance a deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core business, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Google and prospective partners have held preliminary discussions but have not come up with a formal proposal, and Google may end up deciding not to pursue a bid, the source said.

It is not clear which private equity firms Google has spoken to, the WSJ said.

Representatives of Google could not immediately be reached for comment.

Any potential deal between the two biggest Internet companies would likely arouse antitrust scrutiny.

Google is interested in selling some advertising across Yahoo's websites, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Microsoft Corp is now considering financing part of a bid for Yahoo by a private equity firm, people familiar with the matter have said.

Yahoo has been in a state of chaos since it fired former CEO Carol Bartz in early September. The company retained investment banking firm Allen & Co to help conduct a "strategic review" of its business and is reportedly working with executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles to find a new CEO.

A number of potential buyers have expressed interest in a deal with Yahoo. Private equity firms Silver Lake Partners, Providence Equity Partners, Bain Capital, Hellman & Friedman, Blackstone Group, and KKR are among those likely to get a look at the limited financial data Yahoo's advisers are circulating.

(Reporting by Matthew Lewis in Chicago; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111022/tc_nm/us_google_yahoo

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Watch: Who Supported TARP? (ABC News)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/150097943?client_source=feed&format=rss

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cheap term life assurance : insurance cheap ? Your Choice Of Life ...

There are different types of life covers that are available from the insurance companies today. While some people prefer whole life covers there are many that swear by term life insurance. For any insurance cover, the benefit that the customer gets is some kind of monetary benefit in the event of something unforeseen happening. Term life covers are sometimes more preferable than whole life covers simply because of the cost advantage they afford to the people covered under a term life policy. The Internet has also made it very simple for people to check out term life insurance quote from various insurance companies and choose the one they feel is more reasonable. Take into account a situation where you are about to book a flight. As you book online you will find an option to buy term life insurance for the duration of the flight. The first thing to notice is the amount of premium. It is drastically low when you calculate the amount of cover you are about to get in the event of something wrong happening during the duration of the flight. Your term life insurance will cover everything from flight delay to accidents to lost baggage to injuries. But the policy will be in force from the time the flight takes off till the time it lands at your destination. Due to the safety of flying and the short duration of the policy being in force you will get surprisingly low term life insurance quote from the insurer. Buying a term life insurance policy is very simple now that you have the option of going online. Go to any insurance website and you will surely get an option to check out term life insurance quote. The website will ask you some basic details like your name and date of birth, contact details, the amount and type of term life policy you want and the duration for which you want the policy in force. After you have entered all the details and clicked submit you will immediately get your term life insurance quote. You can then change some of the inputs and see how the policy premium is affected by the change. The good part of modern term life insurance policies is that they allow you to purchase additional riders along with the policy. You can buy a rider for critical illness that allows your premium payment to be waived off in the event of you being diagnosed with a critical illness. There could be some other benefits too. God forbid you don?t have any such issue but it?s never bad to be safe. As you add the riders to your term life insurance policy the term life insurance quote will also change accordingly. Ensure that you go through the terms and conditions carefully. To buy a modern term life insurance policy you don?t need to go to an insurance adviser. The Internet is your best adviser and you can easily find out term life insurance quote for any term policy you choose.

http://insurance4cheap.us/wp-content/plugins/rss-poster/cache/5e510_5.jpgcheap term life assurance : insurance cheap ? Your Choice Of Life Insurance Quotes Should Be Based On Your Insurance Needs

Article source: http://www.chanute.com/pages/ad_details/?id=44405997

Source: http://insurance4cheap.us/cheap-term-life-assurance-insurance-cheap-your-choice-of-life-insurance-quotes-should-be-based-on-your-insurance-needs/

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Apple sells 4 million iPhone 4S in 3 days (Reuters)

REUTERS ? Apple Inc said on Monday it sold 4 million iPhone 4S in the three days since it went on sale Oct. 14.

Sales in stores began on Friday in Japan, Australia, France, the UK, Germany, Canada and the United States.

The company took more than 1 million online orders in the first 24 hours after the release of the iPhone 4S, exceeding the 600,000 for the iPhone 4, though it was sold in fewer countries.

Unveiled just a day before Apple Chairman Steve Jobs died, it was initially dubbed a disappointment, partly because it looked identical to its predecessor. But anticipation of its "Siri" voice software helped it set an online record in orders on Oct. 7.

Along with the new iPhone, more than 25 million customers are using the iOS 5 mobile operating system, in the first five days of its release, and more than 20 million customers have signed up for its free cloud services, Apple said.

The latest iPhone will be available in 22 more countries on Oct. 28 and more than 70 countries by the end of the year.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in New York, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111017/india_nm/india599404

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Europe's bankers resisting bigger debt losses

By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer

Following yet another failed round of talks to head off a Greek debt default, it is increasingly clear that European bankers are about to get a big haircut.

And they?re embracing the idea about as well as a squirming 3-year-old.

European political and financial leaders have set an Oct. 23 deadline to come up with yet another set of proposals to resolve a debt crisis that threatens the send the continental into a deep and painful recession. After months of failed efforts to help the Greek government make good on those debts, Europe?s politicians have now finally accepted that avoiding default simply isn?t feasible, according to Paul De Grauwe, professor of international economics at Leuven University.

?Everyone agrees today that the Greek government will not be able to pay its debt,? he said. ?And we had better face that fact and start that process of restructuring - and haircuts that will allow Greece to have a lighter debt burden?

That ?haircut? for bankers and other holders of Greek debt means accepting less than 100 cents on the euro. The question European leaders are wrestling with is: How big a hair cut will it take to stabilize Greece?s budget?

European leaders thought they had reached a working solution in July, when the European Union agreed to a series of endlessly-debated proposals that include, among others, a ?voluntary? swap of Greek debt for newly-issued bonds that would force bankers to take a loss of 20 percent. The hope was that a voluntary plan would dodge the legal definition of an outright default.

That distinction is critical. A legal default could reverberate through the financial markets because it would trigger a wave of claims on a debt loss insurance known as credit default swaps. Uncertainty about the size of swaps holdings, and which investors and banks held them, were a central cause of the global financial Panic of ?2008.?

Three months later, it appears the July plan doesn?t go far enough. Now, bankers who face much bigger losses are pushing back on proposals that they cut the value of their Greek debt holdings by as much as 50 percent. Many banks are believed to have too little capital in reserve to covers those losses, prompting calls by regulators to force bankers to raise more capital.

Without stronger capital cushions to withstand Greek debt losses, European governments fear they?ll have to step in to clean up the financial mess. Earlier this month, France and Belgium took over the failed bank Dexia after it?s investment losses burned through the last of its cash.

Faced with the prospect of seeing the value of their Greek bonds cut in half, European bankers are not going quietly. On Thursday, Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann warned that the combination of stricter capital requirements and deeper losses on bond holdings would force bankers to write fewer loans.

"A question remains over whether banks will be able to provide financing, or whether possible haircuts in the euro zone and the new regulatory environment will practically force them to be restrictive," Ackermann told a conference of corporate executives in Berlin. "We need to find the right balance between stricter regulation of the financial sector and the impacts these have on the economy as a whole."

A credit crunch couldn?t come at a worse time for the European economy, which is now teetering on the brink of another recession. That, in turn, is raising debt pressures on other countries with weak economies, including Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Unless those economies recover sharply, their governments will likely have to follow Greece down the path of debt restructuring, former IMF chief economist Kenneth Rogoff told a group of business reporters Friday.

While a Greek debt restructuring may now be unavoidable, it will represent the beginning of a long, difficult period of recovery as investors stop lending to the Greek government. Jittery lenders and investors may also have second thoughts about lending to countries now seen as being at risk of a future default, according to Roger Nightingale, economist at RDN Associates.

?It?s going to be pretty frightful,? he said. ?There?ll be no private sector lending to Greece, and they?ll be no private sector lending to any at-risk country for years to come. I think this is no solution at all. This makes things very much worse.?

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Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/17/8366193-europes-bankers-resisting-bigger-debt-losses

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Lollihop: It?s Like Birchbox, But For Healthy Snacks

lollihopshotI'm a Clif Bar fiend. Cool Mint Chocolate's my current favorite, but mainstays like Chocolate Chip and Crunchy Peanut Butter suit me just fine. But sometimes as I bite into one of these super-efficient, energy-packed bundles of nutrition, I find myself asking: could there be an energy bar out there that's even better than my beloved Clifs? One that sacrifices some sugar for a bit more protein, and maybe a sprinkle of antioxidants? Enter Lollihop, a new startup based out in Palo Alto that's looking to help introduce you to an array of tasty and healthy snacks, with a minimum amount of effort required on your part.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/FpW-3G-EIto/

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Colson Whitehead takes on the zombie trend

Colson Whitehead's new book puts an original spin on the post-apocalyptic genre, say reviews.

Colson Whitehead said in an interview with NPR that writing a book about one of the current monster phenomena was a little different from taking on his previous novels.

Skip to next paragraph

?I did have to give myself permission because zombies were so popular,? Whitehead told NPR about taking on a horror theme that can be seen in everything from AMC?s popular TV show ?The Walking Dead? to Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 parody ?Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,? soon to be a movie. ?But I think the idea is that if it's good, people read it. So all I could do is really salute my childhood influences and try to do the best I could in reinvigorating the genre, putting a new spin on it.?

If reviews are any indication, it?s a satisfying spin. The new book by Whitehead, author of books including "Sag Harbor" and "The Colossus of New York" and a 2002 recipient of a MacArthur grant, is titled ?Zone One? and will be released tomorrow. In Whitehead?s new novel, society collapsed when zombies (called skels in this world) took over, but now the survivors are determined to take back the city of New York. Groups called ?sweepers? are sent into Manhattan to roam the area and kill any skels they encounter; our hero Mark Spitz is one of them.

Whitehead said he was a fan of movies like ?Escape From New York? and ?Planet of the Apes? growing up and that ?Zone One? is an homage to movie depictions of a post-apocalyptic New York.

?I wanted to cut back on the Whole Foods lines and make it easier to get a cab for my main characters,? he said about his decision to destroy New York in his interview with NPR. ?If you get rid of 90 percent of the population, life gets a bit easier in the city.?

Reviews for the novel have so far been mainly positive, with many writers praising Whitehead?s fresh take on the subject matter.

?When a Macarthur Fellow takes a whack at zombie lit, you know the neighborhood has gentrified,? James Kennedy wrote in an article for the Wall Street Journal. ?But Mr. Whitehead comes by zombies honestly ? he riffed memorably on Romero's zombies in his last novel, ?Sag Harbor?? an astute and often suavely ironic explorer of race in America, Mr. Whitehead is clearly aware of the subtle racial legacy of zombie stories, but what truly drives 'Zone One' is a sincere love of the genre.?

Patrick Ness of The Guardian praised Whitehead?s character development.

?These are real, three-dimensional characters fighting for their lives, for the future.? Ness wrote of Mark Spitz and the other members of his sweeper team. ?And, what a surprise, that makes this zombie story rather affecting.?

Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.

Join the Monitor's book discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/oxJYw8jF9zQ/Colson-Whitehead-takes-on-the-zombie-trend

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Stop Windows From Adding the Word "Shortcut" to Every Shortcut You Create [Registry Tweak]

Stop Windows From Adding the Word "Shortcut" to Every Shortcut You CreateWhen you create a new shortcut in Windows, it annoyingly adds the word "Shortcut" to the end of the file. A very simple registry tweak can turn off this behavior.

This tweak's actually been around for awhile, but we never knew about it. All you need to do is hit the Start button, type regedit in the search box, start up regedit.exe, and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Click on the Explorer folder and you should see a registry key called "link" in the right-hand pane. Double click on it and change its value from 1e 00 00 00 to 00 00 00 00. Then, restart Windows Explorer or log off your machine. When you come back, all your newly-created shorcuts should have the same name as their original program, saving you quite a bit of tedious typing.

If you don't want to edit the registry manually, hit the link for a downloadable, two-click version. And be sure to check out our other favorite registry hacks for powering up Windows.

Remove "Shortcut" Text From New Shortcuts in Windows 7 or Vista | How-To Geek via How-To Geek


You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.
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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/gOHW6jdexzY/stop-windows-from-adding-the-word-shortcut-to-every-shortcut-you-create

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Monday, October 17, 2011

News Corp.'s Murdoch heckled during Calif. speech (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Protesters associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement heckled News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch during a speech at an education forum in San Francisco.

Murdoch was repeatedly interrupted Friday as he talked at a downtown hotel about technology's role in improving the country's public education system.

Protesters accused Murdoch of trying to profit from the public education system. About half a dozen people were escorted out of the hotel, but they said they were not arrested.

Murdoch appeared unfazed, telling the crowd controversy makes things more interesting.

He was appearing as part of a two-day education forum sponsored by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a group chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. It champions school vouchers, charter schools and performance pay for teachers.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111014/ap_en_ce/us_school_reform_murdoch

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Occupy Wall Street's Brilliant/Inane 'People's Microphone' (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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PFT: Cutler says the pressure makes him uneasy

vikings_83924515Getty Images

Vikings V.P. of public affairs and stadium development Lester Bagley joined PFT Live on Thursday for a comprehensive update of the effort to get a new stadium in Minnesota for the team.

Momentum seems to be building for a resolution of the situation, one way or the other.? Bagley said that, on Monday, Governor Mark Dayton and legislative leaders will meet in the hopes of identifying possible sources for the state?s $300 million contribution, and also to explore whether a special legislative session before the end of the year can be scheduled.

With the Metrodome lease expiring after the 2011 season, Bagley said the Vikings refuse to extend the lease absent a plan for a new venue.? And if the lease expires absent a plan for a new venue, all sorts of things could happen.

Most significantly, Bagley said that ?more than one community? has contacted the team about a possible move.? Though Bagley declined to identify the communities involved, he believes that the efforts will become public if/when the lease expires.

Obviously, there?s a chance that the Vikings are bluffing ? not about the fact that other communities want the team to move there, but about the Vikings? genuine willingness to relocate.

Either way, the powers-that-be in Minnesota won?t know whether it?s a bluff until the powers-that-be call the bluff.? And if they call the bluff and it?s not a bluff, the Vikings could be playing elsewhere as soon as 2012.

Look for things to move fairly quickly.? Minnesota needs to decide, once and for all, whether it will build a new stadium.? And if the new stadium won?t be built, the Vikings need to decide, once and for all, what they plan to do.

A year-to-year arrangement simply won?t work.? Fans will begin to detach from the team absent some closure as to whether the team will be staying or going.

Thus, build it or not, move or not, now is the time to bring this issue to a boil.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/13/cutler-says-pressure-makes-me-uneasy/related/

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Swank 'regrets' attending Chechen concert

Hollywood celebrity Hilary Swank said she "deeply regrets" visiting a concert held on the birthday of the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader, who is accused of torture, abductions and killings by human rights groups.

The two-time Oscar winner said that she was unaware of the disappearances, house torchings and extra-judicial killings reportedly orchestrated by Ramzan Kadyrov in the southern Russian republic.

"I deeply regret attending this event," Swank said in a written message to The Associated Press. "If I had a full understanding of what this event was apparently intended to be, I would never have gone."

Story: Hilary Swank slammed for going to Chechnya leader fete
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Swank issued the message after the Human Rights Watch criticized her ? along with Belgian actor Jean Claude Van Damme and British violinist Vanessa Mae ? for attending a show that, it says, "trivializes the suffering of countless victims of human rights abuses."

Representatives for Van Damme and Mae have not responded to AP's requests for comment.

On Kadyrov's 35th birthday on Oct. 5, his government organized a lavish concert in Chechnya's provincial capital, Grozny, that has been restored after being flattened during two wars between Chechen separatists and Moscow since 1994.

The celebrities ? as well as dozens of Russian politicians and pop stars ? showed up to congratulate and lavish Kadyrov with praise from a stage arranged between a gigantic mosque and a newly-built business center.

During the birthday show, Swank said that she had been taken by the Chechen government's "passion to make peace and to make something beautiful." She claimed in her apology that her invitation to the concert made no mention of Kadyrov's birthday.

Story: Fall movies offer some very familiar faces

At the show, Swank also appeared to be one of the few women to wear no headscarf even though women in Chechnya are compelled to adhere to an Islamic dress code. Those who refuse to obey have reportedly faced threats and harrassment from Kadyrov's feared security forces.

Swank won Oscars for her roles in "Boys Don't Cry" and "Million Dollar Baby." Her screen credits also include "Freedom Writers," "P.S. I Love You" and "Amelia."

Kadyrov is a former separatist rebel who has boasted of killing his first Russian soldier at age 15. He went over to the federal side at the start of the second Chechen war in 1999.

A string of Kadyrov's critics and political rivals have been brutally murdered in recent years in Russia, Austria, Dubai and Turkey. Kadyrov has consistently denied involvement in any of the killings, saying the accusations are fabricated to blacken his name.

The birthday show was the latest in a series of expensive and extravagant events sponsored by Kadyrov's government despite Chechnya's high poverty and unemployment rates.

He has spent millions of dollars to acquire well-bred horses that have competed in some of the world's richest races and to renovate a soccer stadium in Grozny. International soccer legends have visited Chechnya to play friendly matches.

Under Kadyrov's leadership, Chechnya has become relatively quiet, and the insurgent violence has largely migrated to neighboring republics of the volatile North Caucasus region.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44887040/ns/today-entertainment/

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Friday, October 14, 2011

Jack Osbourne expecting first child

To be a fly on the wall when Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne first heard the news!

The rock 'n' reality-TV stars' son Jack Osbourne is expecting his first child with fianc?e Lisa Stelly. That means Sharon is finally going to be a grandmum and Ozzy will have five grandchildren!

Wait, what?

READ: Jared Padalecki and wife expecting their first child together

  1. More Entertainment stories
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Ozzy's son and daughter from his first marriage each have two children, but this is the first grandchild to stem from his and Sharon's brood.

"I'm excited. I'm a little nervous," Jack said upon revealing the happy news Tuesday during a sit-down with his parents for Piers Morgan Tonight.

Story: Ozzy's son Jack Osbourne gets engaged

She missed out on this interview, but sister Kelly Osbourne is obviously rooting for Jack and his soon-to-be missus.

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MORE: January Jones shows off son Xander

"Just spent the last hour on the phone with @MissKellyO ....she will be the best sister-in-law ever!" Stelly tweeted this afternoon.

Stelly's certainly joining a close-knit family.

GALLERY: Famous Families

"@shabooty shut your ... mouth!" Kelly tweeted in response to a hater who had written, "What an idiot, you're not supposed to knock up your model girlfriend :P."

Looks like Jack's little one already has the fiercest aunt in town.

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44871792/ns/today-entertainment/

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