Technology Slice Blog

Cartoon Characters Prepaid Cards - It was the Kardashian sisters a few days ago. Now it’s cartoon characters who are promoting prepaid cards. Myplash.com has begun selling Teen Prepaid MasterCards with images that include So So Happy, Skelanimals, Paul Frank, and Emily the Strange, according to a report issued Wednesday by Bill Hardekopf, chief executive of Lowcards.com, a credit-card comparison Web site. On Nov. 17, Hardekopf wrote about how the Kardashian Kard was a bad deal because of the high fees that came with the card. Myplash.com also sells prepaid cards featuring various artists, and earlier this year began marketing one featuring characters from the Twilight movie saga. “There is nothing illegal about using cartoon characters to promote a financial product to teens, but it sure bothers me as a parent and seems to cross over the line of what is good taste,” said Hardekopf, also author of The Credit Card Guidebook. Fees for the Myplash cards are lower than fees for t...

Support Builds For Unemployment Benefit Extension - Congressional Democrats and more than 100 jobless workers rallied yesterday in Washington in support of an extension of federal unemployment benefits. Federal jobless benefits expired yesterday after a failed attempt in the Senate to extend benefits for a year. Rep. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) blocked the vote on the measure because it wasn't paid for. U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was at yesterday's event and spoke about the Republicans' desire to extend tax cuts to high-earning Americans without offsetting the cost while insisting that an extension of jobless benefits be paid for. "We have to pay for unemployment insurance, we don't have to pay for tax cuts for the rich," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "Tax cuts do not create jobs. They haven't throughout the Bush administration. Unemployment insurance creates jobs and does not add to the deficit." U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis...

Arian Foster Tops The League - For most fantasy leagues, this is it….the final week of the regular season. If you’re currently fighting for a playoff position, your running backs are obviously going to play a pivotal roll, so a mistake here could leave you out of the playoffs. Keeping that in mind, let’s take a quick look at who you should be starting and sitting in Week 13. Start ‘Em Arian Foster @ Philadelphia: It’s not that Philadelphia has a bad run defense or anything (they’re ranked 12th in the league), it’s just that Foster has been the best running back in the league this season. When you add in the fact that he’s developed into an excellent receiver, it doesn’t matter what defense Foster is facing. Look for him to gain over 150 total yards this week and score at least once against the Eagles. Peyton Hillis @ Miami: Hillis is really starting to establish himself as one of the elite running backs in the NFL after gaining 194 total yards and rushing for three touchd...

National Finals Rodeo 2010 - The 2010 National Finals Rodeo kicks off at the Thomas and Mack Thursday. It's the 26th year the event has been held in Las Vegas. But now, there are questions about just how much longer it will be here. The Thomas and Mack Center has been home to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and competitors say there's nothing like it. "There's 17,000 people hollering - it's an amazing deal." And it's amazing for fans, too, because when the rodeo isn't going on, there's lots to do. "You go to all the hotels and a little gambling and eating." The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is contracted to be in Las Vegas through 2014. And Las Vegas Events says they've been informally negotiating to extend that. "Our goal is to continue to make the experience better. That in itself makes it very difficult for any other city to compete with." But there are rumors that Jerry Jones is trying to l...

Cartoons From The 70's, 80's 90's - Every generation has its own set of beloved cartoons that are later cherished as childhood gems. The impression that the cartoons of the 80s had on the minds of its fans is hard to find in any of the receding or preceding decade cartoon lovers.The cartoons of the 80s were fun loving and had no traces of the evils found in the society.Some of the most watched cartoons of the 80s were Smurfs, Gummi Bears, Gl Joe, He Man, Transformers, Mario Brothers, Rescue Rangers, Thundercats, Duck Tales, Voltron, Danger Mouse, and BraveStarr.Countless other cartoon characters including Scooby Doo ruled the 80s' animated industry. Cartoons From The 70's, 80's 90's

Eagles vs Texans, Eagles Up - Trevor Laws got his first career interception on the Texans second to last drive to set the Eagles up with great field position with two minutes left in the half. However, both Jason Avant and Brent Celek flat out dropped would be TD passes from Michael Vick. They settled for a David Akers FG to extend their lead to 20-10 So far tonight Michael Vick is playing well going 15-22 with 180 yards and a TD. He’s also rushed for 34 yards. LeSean McCoy has two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. David Akers has drilled two field goals. Eagles vs Texans, Eagles Up

Estate Tax Could Return - If you were a billionaire, 2010 was the year to die. That's because there was no estate tax. Next year, well, that's still up in the air. In a nutshell, the estate tax is a tax on what you leave behind -- your house, any savings you have, stocks and bonds, your entire financial package. Under the Bush tax cuts, in 2009, $3.5 million of your estate was exempt. Whatever was left after that was taxed at a top rate of 45 percent. The way the law was written, the tax would expire in 2010 unless Congress came to an agreement to extend it. They didn't. And as a result of their inaction, some of the largest estates left behind in 2010 went untaxed, meaning the government lost out on a lot of money. "Billions. Billions of dollars. Just the Steinbrenner estate alone the government lost out on a half a billion dollars," explains Alan Kahn of the AJK Financial Group. The year 2011 could be a very different story. If Congress again does nothing...

Mark Wahlberg In Contraband - Ben Foster has joined the cast of forthcoming drama Contraband. The X-Men: The Last Stand actor will star with Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale in the Universal project, reports Deadline. Contraband is an English-language remake of Reykjavik-Rotterdam, a 2008 Icelandic film. The director of the original, Baltasar Kormakur, has signed to helm the update. The movie will star Wahlberg as a smuggler trying to live a crime-free life as a night security guard. His wife's brother, who drags him back to the world of crime, complicates his plans. Foster has signed to play Wahlberg's character's best friend. Mark Wahlberg In Contraband

Quick Weight Loss With HCG - A urine injections weight-loss clinic is marketing a very different way of losing weight. Unorthodox comes to mind when one learns that the product used is HCG, a fancy word for the pee of pregnant women. Is the proof in the pudding, or is it just another extreme weight-loss scam that promises the shedding of boat-loads of pounds? The providers of these diet injections claim the shots consist of the urine of pregnant women and the magic bullet is HCG aka human coriogonic gotrophin [a fancy word for pee]. Supposedly, the HCG component of urine serves as a hormone that tricks the brain into thinking that the user is pregnant. As a result, the person's metabolic rate speeds up and the pounds and inches melt away. Need proof? Ask Sheryl Poloni, a customer of the urine injections weight loss clinic. According to her, by taking a shot a day since June, she has been able to lose 43 pounds and 30 inches off her waist. Further, she claims she is more ali...

Julieta Grajales Photo Shoot - Anyone else hear of Julieta Grajales? She is the number one search right now on Google, and for good reason… just take a look at this magazine shoot that she did for Maxim. But we can’t find anything on Julieta Grajales? Does anyone have any information on her? Who is she? I’m sure that a lot of people would like to know! If you know who Julieta Grajales is, share it in the comment box below. Update: Someone pointed us to her facebook page, we have translated the info from there on Google Translator. Google Translator isn’t the best, but her it is for those that are curious: He was born on April 24 in Tuxtla Gutierrez Chiapas. Since childhood I knew I wanted to be an actress, constantly involved in activities in theater, dance and music school. He liked to imagine in a film representing a totally different person in different times and places. Began work on the aesthetics of their family because they hoped to become a professional stylist, while b...

Cavs vs Heat, LeBron James Returns - Despite having to listen to a chorus of boos everytime he touched the ball, LeBron James' said at halftime that he still has "a lot of love for the fans here" in Cleveland. It appears to be a very one-sided relationship. But James hasn't let the fans' vocal-chord fueled feelings get to him in his first game in Cleveland since joining the Miami Heat. He has 18 points and six assists as the Heat lead, 69-46, with 9:07 left in the third quarter. Cavs vs Heat, LeBron James Returns

Fires Rage In Israel - U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday night offered condolences to the families of 40 victims of a massive brushfire that tore across Israel's north, pledging American aid to help fight the blaze. "I want [to offer] our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who died as a result of the terrible forest fire in northern Israel," Obama told Jewish community at a Hannukah reception at the U.S. Congress in Washington. "As rescuers and firefighters continue in their work, the United States is acting to help our Israeli friends respond to the disaster," he said. Obama told reception guests, among them Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, that planning had begun to send assistance to Israel. "A short while ago, our ambassador in Tel Aviv, Jim Cunningham […] launched an effort to identify the firefighting assistance we have available and provide it to Israel as quickly as possible," he said. He added: ...

Airbus A380 Defect Found - The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released preliminary results of its probe into the Nov. 4 incident when engine failure forced Qantas flight QF32 to make an emergency landing in Singapore. “It has been identified that the leakage of oil into the high pressure/intermediate pressure bearing structure buffer space was central to the engine failure,” according to the ATSB report. “Further examination of the cracked area has identified the axial misalignment of an area of counter-boring within the inner diameter of the stub pipe,” it added. “Misaligned stub pipe counter-boring is understood to be related to the manufacturing process,” the ATSB said. ATSB chief commissioner, Martin Dolan stressed the preliminary nature of the report. “It is intended to set out the sequence of events as we understand it so far and to highlight the safety issue we have identified. A comprehensive report will be completed within a year of the occurrence,” he said. Q...

Esperanza Spalding Gets Grammy Nomination - Just in case you missed the rock-‘em sock-‘em Nominations Special on CBS TV – the GRAMMY® nominations are in. Last night’s hour-long program revealed the nominees for just a handful of the Recording Academy’s 109 awards (which will be presented February 13, 2011); you can see a complete list of the nominations at grammy.com. That’s where you can locate the six jazz categories, along with the several others in which jazz musicians often figure heavily, such as composition and arrangement. As has been true in recent years, the list of nominees does a decent job of reflecting the year in the jazz mainstream – and, in a few cases, somewhat beyond. (Quick disclaimer: as a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, a.k.a. The Recording Academy, I vote in the preliminary round of balloting that helps determine the nominations, along with thousands of others.) In the biggest surprise (but a most welcome one), the captiv...

Janice Dickinson Joins Celebrity Rehab 4 - Janice Dickinson said she contemplated suicide while on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. On Wednesday's Season 4 premiere, a crying and distraught Dickinson, who's being treated for alcohol abuse, broke down before her counselor. Sober for years, the supermodel said she was "ashamed" for having recently "slipped." Check out the rest of today's news "I'm having thoughts of suicide," she said. "I wanted to go to the bathroom and try to hang myself. I want it to ... end." "You're going through the toughest part of your life right now, the fight for your life. And you're doing it," her counselor told her. "It's a fight for our lives. It's not easy." In addition to Dickinson, Season 4 of Celebrity Rehab features Eric Roberts, The Hills' Jason Wahler, Frankie and Neffe's Frankie Lons, oil heir Jason "Gummi Bear" Davis, Rachel Uchite...

Sepp Blatter Happy With Outcome - Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, says that he is a happy man with the voting that took place on Thursday Dec. 2, 2010 in Zurich to determine the hosts for two World Cups. Russia will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup while Qatar will host the tournament in 2022. Clearly Blatter could not be more pleased. "We will travel to two completely new countries. There has never been a World Cup in Russia or elsewhere in Eastern Europe," Blatter said to reporters after the votes had taken place. "Additionally, nations from the Middle East and the Arabic world have long been waiting to get the chance to host the World Cup." After the loss the words "What more could we have done" were spoken by the captain of England's team Rio Ferdinand but might well have been said by any of those on the 7 member English bid team - including David Beckham, Gary Lineker and Prince William - or indeed by anyone in the country with knowledge of En...

Boobie Gibson's Hot Streak - A year ago, the crowd of cameras and voice recorders was located in the far corner of the Cavaliers locker room. With LeBron James commanding the room of beat writers looking for their postgame quotes, players and PR folks were free to roam in and out of the room as the hord was avoidable. This season, it’s a bit of a different story with guard Daniel Gibson, whose locker is located right in front of the Cavaliers locker room doorway. If you’re not in the locker room in the first wave, there’s a good chance you’re standing in the hallway waiting to merge and squeeze past the mass as if a lane closing on a interstate. Though not listed on the All-Star ballot (write-in?) Boobie is averaging career- bests across the board: 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game. But, according to Gibson, while it is great to finally get the opportunity to be playing – and playing very well, mind you – all of the attention only means somethi...

Quatar Win World Cup - Football's world governing body, FIFA, has selected Russia and Qatar as hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The surprising votes by FIFA's executive committee came Thursday in Zurich. The announcements of the future World Cup hosts came less than 30 minutes apart, with FIFA President Sepp Blatter first announcing the 2018 host. "The 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup, ladies and gentleman, will be organized in Russia," said Blatter. It was a crushing defeat for England which had hoped to stage football's premier event for the first time since 1966. Russia has never hosted a World Cup, nor has any nation in Eastern Europe, and senior English football figures said England's status as an established football power may have contributed to its defeat. Others hinted a critical media may have been to blame. The other losers for 2018 were joint bids from Spain-Portugal and the Netherlands-Belgium. No country in the Middle East...

Biggest Disappointments In 2010 - Sebastian Vettel may have triumphed in a titanic battle for the world title itself, but championship table aside who truly stood out and who failed to shine on the track in 2010? In Formula One, it is fair to say that the car counts for more than the driver so in assessing the best drivers of the season it is important to consider how each performed with the equipment they were given. Tomorrow we will take a look at the top four drivers of 2010 but first we look at the biggest disappointments. 1. Michael Schumacher The uncontested biggest disappointment of the year was Schumacher’s much heralded return to the cockpit with Mercedes. Despite having three years away from competitive F1 racing, the German was expected to take up where he left off – but it all went wrong and his comeback season ended without him setting foot on the podium for the first time since his debut year in 1991. Indeed, not since that same year had Schumacher had a season w...

Reggie Miller Hall Of Fame Nomination - Former Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller headlines a large group of candidates nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2011 class. Miller, who played his entire 18-year career with the Pacers, retired as the NBA leader in 3-pointers made (2,560) and attempted (6,486). He was a five-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist. A first-time nominee, Miller is now a broadcaster for TNT. Former Pacers Mark Jackson and Chris Mullin, both of whom have been nominated before, are again on the 2011 list. The candidate list will be trimmed to a group of finalists by mid-February, with the 2011 class announced in April. Among those also being considered are Bernard King, Don Nelson, Dennis Rodman, Maurice Lucas, Jamaal Wilkes, Rudy Tomjanovich, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Tex Winter, Spencer Haywood, Maurice Cheeks, Ralph Sampson, Bill Fitch, Dick Bavetta, Rick Pitino, Joe B. Hall, Jim Valvano, George Raveling, Marty Blake, Tara VanDerveer, Teresa Edward...

Juwan Howard Ejected From Game - Washington's Hilton Armstrong and Miami's Juwan Howard were ejected in the third quarter of the Wizards' game at Miami on Monday night. Armstrong flagrantly fouled Heat center Joel Anthony, and since it was deemed a Category 2, he was ejected. Howard was sanctioned for pushing Armstrong in the back after Anthony hit the floor. The play took place with 32.3 seconds left in the quarter. Anthony got a pass from Mario Chalmers, only to be sent flying when Armstrong pushed him in the midsection with both hands. Armstrong was immediately called for the flagrant-2, and Howard was kicked out after referee Bill Kennedy reviewed the play on a video monitor. Juwan Howard Ejected From Game

NASA Finds New Life - NASA has discovered a new life form, a bacteria called GFAJ-1 that is unlike anything currently living in planet Earth. It's capable of using arsenic to build its DNA, RNA, proteins, and cell membranes. This changes everything. Updated. NASA is saying that this is "life as we do not know it". The reason is that all life on Earth is made of six components: Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur. Every being, from the smallest amoeba to the largest whale, share the same life stream. Our DNA blocks are all the same. That was true until today. In a surprising revelation, NASA scientist Felisa Wolfe Simon and her team have found a bacteria whose DNA is completely alien to what we know today, working differently than the rest of the organisms in the planet. Instead of using phosphorus, the newly discovered microorganism-called GFAJ-1 and found in Mono Lake, California-uses the poisonous arsenic for its building blocks. Arsenic is an...

The Santa Clause 3 - Tonight on the Disney Channel, the fun movie, 'The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause' has Time Allen and Martin Short in this fun movie. The third of 'The Santa Clause' series, it has to be the best as it brings a little chaos into Christmas with a fun ending. The movie plot is as about as silly as a Christmas movie could be. It is a showdown between Santa Claus and Jack Frost. The holiday season really does bring some lovely movies back to the small box in our living rooms. The question is to decide which one to watch. Tonight there is not only 'The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause' but also 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer', 'Shrek the Halls' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. Keep in mind it isn't even December 1st yet! If you are thinking about staying home tonight, consider the movie for a lovely choice for some family time. The Santa Clause 3

What Does Censure Mean? - Rep. Charles Rangel begged for "a drop of fairness and mercy" from the House ethics committee in recommending today how he should be punished for financial and fundraising misconduct. One possibility that was floated as a possible consequence facing Rangel was censure, "the most serious punishment short of expulsion that could be meted out by the House," according to The Associated Press. Earlier this year, the 80-year-old congressman and former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee was accused of violating 12 House rules, including living in four rent-controlled apartments, misrepresenting his property on tax forms and soliciting money. At a public sanctions hearing Tuesday, Rangel admitted that he had mishandled his finances and asked the House to consider previous cases where lawmakers received censure. So does the punishment really fit the crime? Surge Desk takes a look at congressional censure and past cases. In short, ...

TNT Schedule - Hockey 8:30, CSN Washington: Capitals vs. Stars. Good news: After tonight's game, the Capitals next four games are at home, so you'll have plenty of chances to Rock the Red in the coming week and a half. Basketball 8:00, TNT: Heat vs. Cavaliers. Tonight, Cleveland will make your Kwame-hating look downright pleasant. Football 8:00, ESPN: Arizona State vs. Arizona. The hatred in Cleveland will be fresh tonight, but the anger between the Wildcats and Sun Devils has been festering since 1899. TNT Schedule

Child Nutrition Bill Approved - Congress gave final approval on Thursday to a child nutrition bill that expands the school lunch program and sets new standards to improve the quality of school meals, with more fruits and vegetables. Michelle Obama lobbied for the bill as a way to combat obesity and hunger. About half of the $4.5 billion cost is financed by a cut in food stamps starting in several years. Mrs. Obama said she was thrilled by passage of what she described as a groundbreaking piece of legislation. By a vote of 264 to 157, the House on Thursday passed the bill, which was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent in August. It goes now to President Obama, who intends to sign it. On the final roll call, 247 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted for the bill. Four Democrats and 153 Republicans voted no. Some liberal House Democrats and advocates for the poor railed against the bill in September, saying it was wrong to pay for the expansion of child nutrition programs ...

Pinstripe Bowl 2010 - Syracuse University accepted a bid Thursday to play in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium. The Orange, which finished 7-5 this season (4-3 in the Big East), will play a Big 12 team to be determined. It will be the school's first bowl game since 2004. The Pinstripe Bowl will mark the second college football game played at the new Yankee Stadium, which hosted the Notre Dame-Army game on Nov. 20. Pinstripe Bowl 2010

Linda Evans Sells Home - Actress Linda Evans has listed her house in the Beverly Hills Post Office area for sale at $3,295,000. The one-story ranch house, built in 1937, sits on a half-acre behind gates and tall hedges. A main house and a detached guest unit/office have a total of four bedrooms, 51/2 bathrooms and 3,900 square feet of living space. The grounds include a circular motor court, mature trees, lawns, a rose garden and a swimming pool. Evans, whose series ranged from "The Big Valley" (1965-69) and "Dynasty" (1981-89), is selling because she has relocated to Washington. Cristie St. James and Markus Canter of Prudential California, Beverly Hills, are the listing agents. Linda Evans Sells Home

AVG Antivirus Breaking Down Windows 7 - If you haven’t already downloaded the latest mandatory AVG 2011 Free software update, it may be best not to if you want your computer to turn on again. The December 1 update is causing 64-bit PCs running Windows 7 to totally breakdown. The problem appears to lie in the 271.1.1/3292 (432/3292) database update, which requires PCs that run the update to restart. Affected PCs will throw up a c0000135 error upon restarting, and fail to boot. AVG have since pulled the update so no more computers suffer, but if your computer got caught then all is not lost. AVG have released a handy set of instructions to follow, detailing how to disable the software if it bricks your system. AVG Forum users have also come up with a few tricks to forcing the system to boot, such as pressing F8 and removing the AVG update. All methods will need the Repair CD in order to re-install the software. AVG Antivirus Breaking Down Windows 7

Mortgage Rates Mixed - Tomorrow the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the Employment Situation Report. This is the single most influential monthly dataset shared with the market. It carries the potential to shift investment perspectives and realign outlooks. It could be way better than expected and 30 year fixed mortgage rates could go into the 5's by the end of the day. It could be way worse than expected and rates might take reasonable steps back toward 4.25%. It could do either of those things and rates could be relatively unchanged. Or it could do either of those things and paradoxical opposite reactions could occur. The point here is that tomorrow is definitely NOT about how NFP prints compared to how economists expect it to print. It is all about how the market receives it and whether or not there are any other major news events being digested at the time (Europe is a continuing theme that comes to mind). Would we take that reaction to be a sign of things to ...

LeBron Returns In Cleveland Miami Game - Even President Obama is weighing in on LeBron James' return to Cleveland tonight as his Miami Heat take on the Cavaliers: “It's going to be brutal.” AN AP reporter caught up the James in the lobby of the hotel the Heat are staying at and got in one question: Is James ready for whatever Cleveland fans have in store for him? “Yes sir,” James replied. “I will be. I will be.” James' hyped return has been building for five months, since he announced to the world during a one-hour ESPN television special that he would be aligning with fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. There will be uniformed police and undercover officers throughout Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena to keep an eye on more than 20,000 fans who will holler at James. We will have live quarter-by-quarter updates here on the Fabulous Forum when the game starts at 5 p.m. Pacific. LeBron Returns In Cleveland Miami Game

Sonny Barger Cameo On Sons Of Anarchy - This Tuesday, an icon of the Hells Angel Motorcycle Club will make an appearance on the final episode of Sons of Anarchy, the FX Channel's number-one viewed drama. Barger, who was a founding member of the Oakland Chapter of the Hells Angels, will have his cameo role as the series finishes its third season; it was also announced last month that the series that tells the story of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original) will continue for a fourth season in 2012. During Tuesday's SOA finale (Nov. 30), Barger will play a character named "Lenny the Pimp" Janowitz, who, like a reflection of Barger's real life, is a founding member of the fictional Sons of Anarchy MC. During a recent interview, Barger, now residing in Arizona, remarked on Sons of Anarchy. Sonny Barger says: "We watch it every week. It's a nice show and it seems like everyone likes it. But it's nowhere near my everyday life....

X Factor Star Rebecca Ferguson - X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has admitted to soul-searching over whether she should continue in the competition. The mother-of-two said that during the weekend she questioned whether her sacrifices would be worth it - but has now decided to give it her all. She is one of five acts who has won through to the semi-finals on Saturday. Rebecca, from Liverpool, said: "I just found myself on Saturday night thinking 'is it going to be worth it?' - and I got emotional about it. "And it just made me more determined to go out on Saturday and give it my all," she added. She said the pressure of being away from her children had got to her. "I was just missing my kids, if I'm being totally honest. I've worked really hard and it's been a big sacrifice for me being here away from the kids. "I've missed their birthdays, I've missed the first day of school." Speaking at a secret X Factor live sho...

Cop 16 Climate Summit - Today at the United Nations’ conference on climate change COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico Google.org introduced its latest philanthropic project, the Google Earth Engine— an analytics tool for earth scientists and conservationists especially. Google.org dubs their product “a planetary-scale platform for environmental data & analysis.” A product web page said: The Google Earth Engine brings together the world’s satellite imagery—trillions of scientific measurements dating back more than 25 years—and makes it available online with tools for scientists, independent researchers, and nations to mine [a] massive warehouse of data to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences to the earth’s surface… The search leader also introduced the Google Earth Engine API— only available to approved partners at this time— to help researchers develop, access and run algorithms on the full Earth Engine data archive, using Google’s parallel processing platform. Cop 16 ...

Internet Service Provider Acquires Data Center - Local Internet service provider RSAWeb 
 has acquired its second data centre 
 facility, in Cape Town, set to come online this month. The new facility, which was bought from a leading financial services provider and is located in Gardens, was acquired in October and will be retrofitted to bring it up to standard and in line with industry requirements before services are launched in January 2011. The company built its first data centre in Bree street, in Cape Town, in 2007. It provides the full range of RSAWeb’s hosting and colocation services. “The acquisition of our new data centre was strategically made in light of increased demand for cloud computing services. South African businesses are starting to take note of the advantages of cloud hosting as opposed to traditional hosting models, like in-sourced data centres and dedicated servers,” says RSAWeb MD Rob Gilmour.
 He also notes that the increase in inno-
vative technology c...

Obama Must Ratify START Treaty - Ronald Reagan set forth on an ambitious goal to reduce the number of nuclear warheads in the two most dangerous countries in the world — the U.S. and the USSR. Reagan was committed to reducing the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals by one-third. He did so with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START. Today, President Barack Obama aims to do something similar. Obama has made it clear he too is committed to reducing the nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and Russia by one-third. As a result, his administration has negotiated the START II Treaty. In his words, “This is not a traditionally Democratic or Republican issue, but rather an issue of American national security.” Despite these bipartisan endorsements, the Senate has yet to consent to ratify this treaty. As a Security Leadership Fellow at the Center for International Trade & Security at the University, I am focused on the issues of strategic trade management and nonproliferation. The ...

Chevron World Challenge - Tiger Woods' life wasn't the only one that started to change dramatically a year ago this week. Graeme McDowell, a last-minute replacement for Woods in the Chevron World Challenge, had one of the best seasons in golf as he won the U.S. Open and played hero in Europe's winning Ryder Cup effort. Jim Furyk has known plenty of success in his career, but he had gone nearly three years without winning a tournament before he won the Chevron World Challenge a year ago. That was just the start of an incredible season. Furyk won three tournaments, the FedEx Cup and could win player of the year honors soon. No one on tour won more events. McDowell finished second here, earned critical World Golf Ranking points, got into the Masters and had a high enough ranking (48th in the world) to crack the top 50 to make the U.S. Open field at Pebble Beach. "It's been a life-changing season," McDowell said on Wednesday. "I'm looking forwa...

Asante Samuel Absence - There’s something you probably didn’t think would be a problem with cornerback Asante Samuel [stats] out of the lineup for the Eagles. "Missed tackles," were what Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson called the biggest deficiency in the 31-26 loss in Chicago on Sunday. "That’s what stands out all about Sunday. "We had our hands on guys and just didn’t come up with the tackles. That’s something we can control." OK, it’s a stretch to say that the presence of Asante "They don’t pay me to tackle" Samuel would have made a difference as Bears running backs and receivers were passing through Eagles defenders like turnstiles. But what happened to the defense does illustrate the shortsighted view of those who want to discount Samuel — who missed the game with a knee sprain — as a difference-maker on the field. Next to defensive end Trent Cole, Samuel is the guy on the Eagles’ defense with whom the opposition is most concerned....

Stable Google Chrome 8 - Chrome users who appreciate having the latest and greatest things (and doesn't that describe every Chrome user?) will be pleased to know that version 8 of Google's Web browser has debuted in stable form. Version 8.0.552.215 was announced earlier this afternoon, to be exact. Fair warning: don't expect this new release to revolutionize your online experience. The biggest single change the average user is likely to notice appears to be the integration of the PDF viewer we've been following since mid-June. Quite a lot has been altered under the hood, however. A post on the Google Chrome Releases blog noted that Chrome 8 benefits from "over 800 bug fixes and stability improvements," so users are sure to be much better off. More than a few independent researchers are better off thanks to Chrome 8, too, in the sense that Google's bug bounty program continued to achieve results. The blog post listed five different problems peopl...

Heavy Snow In Buffalo - Heavy snow has stranded motorists for nearly 20 hours on a major thoroughfare near Buffalo, New York, with emergency personnel working to get them out despite continued squalls and sizable drifts. Tractor-trailers and passenger cars are marooned on two nearby four-mile stretches of Interstate 90 -- one eastbound and the other westbound. Even with the help of plows and all-terrain vehicles to clear the road and reach those stuck, as of 4:15 p.m., the highway authority said it had no estimate on when the interstate would reopen. Authorities have provided gas and sustenance to those stuck on the road, and have taken stranded motorists by bus to a senior center-turned-shelter in suburban Cheektowaga. "We're still using ATVs that have police officers or (firefighters) operating them, inspecting to see if anyone needs any services," said New York State Police Capt. Michael Nigrelli. "We are seeing progress now, (and we're) hoping in the n...

Clearwire Plans To Sell Debt - Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) plans to sell more than $1.1 billion in debt after months of negotiations to stave off a looming funding gap as it spends billions on building a new wireless network. But its shares fell 6.6 percent after the news as some investors worried about the cost of the debt, while others were disappointed the wireless service provider, majority owned by Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N), had not been able to raise more. "It's only $1 billion, and in view of the other options this is likely one of the higher-cost of capital options," Mizuho Securities analyst Michael Nelson said. Sprint shares rose 5 percent as investors saw the offering as a sign that the No. 3 U.S. mobile provider would not need to raise its investment in Clearwire -- at least for now. The news was more mixed for Clearwire investors, some of whom were hoping for a lower-cost solution, like an equity investment. Clearwire had also considered raising funding...

Adam Dunn Agrees To Four Year Deal - Adam Dunn, the biggest slugger on the free-agent market, has agreed in principal to a four-year deal for $56 million with the White Sox, according to two officials involved in the contract talks who were not athorized to speak about it publicly because the deal is not yet official. The deal is expected to be announced Friday after Dunn completes a physical. He spent the past two seasons with the Washington Nationals and has hit at least 38 home runs in seven consecutive seasons. Dunn also has been one of the game's most durable players. He has missed only 26 games since 2003. The deal for Dunn, according to the two officials, does not preclude bringing back free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko. He hit 39 homers with 111 RBI last season for the White Sox If they are able to re-sign Konerko, the two will share the first base and DH duties. "Not only is there room for (both), it would be the ideal fit from our persepctive," White ...

Marc Savard Cleared To Play - Boston Bruins center Marc Savard, who has not played this season due to post-concussion syndrome, has been cleared by the team and will make his long-awaited return Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to a team source. As Savard spoke to the media after an optional skate Thursday morning at TD Garden, it was clear that the Bruins center was itching to be in the lineup against the Lightning Thursday night. "I think at the end of the day, skating every day and after practice and stuff, it gets long and gets a little monotonous, because you're doing the same thing," said Savard, who also thanked the team brass, medical staff and coaches for not letting him rush back. "When I am able to play, I can't wait. It's going to be an exciting time." The team gave him that clearance just a few hours before game time. It is unclear how much ice time Savard will see. Savard said earlier Thursday that he is lo...

Rangel Censure Debate Continues - The House engaged in an emotional debate over the censure resolution against one of its longest-serving members, Rep. Charlie Rangel, the final chapter in a long-running scandal that has severely tarnished the reputation of the New York Democrat. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the House ethics committee, read a lengthy list of violations committed by Rangel, who was the subject of a two-year ethics investigation into his personal finances. Rangel, a Korean War vet and member since 1970, was found guilty of 11 ethics violations on Nov. 16. The scene on the House floor was a solemn one, as Rangel stood in the front of the House to hear the charges against him. Many lawmakers paid close attention to the proceedings, and a series of Rangel defenders came to the floor to defend him after the charges were read. An effort to change the punishment from censure to a reprimand — a lesser punishment – failed on a 146-267 vote. Rangel only gav...

Jim Leyritz To Be Sentenced - A jury found Jim Leyritz guilty of drunk driving last month, but he was acquitted of manslaughter. Today Leyrtiz gets sentenced. He faces a maximum of six months in prison. Two things I wonder about: Normally someone who just gets a drunk driving conviction with Leyritz’s record won’t actually do six months of time. I have a friend who has defended a couple of cases like this before (i.e. a death or injury is involved, but the defendant is acquitted on the big change, with only a DUI holding up). Each time his client got the maximum sentence. He thinks it’s because the judge is trying to make up for the acquittal somehow, even if no one will ever admit it. It’s probably of little consequence, but that kind of outside-the-lines justice is something that has always intrigued me. Both in cases where a defendant gets off easier or is hit harder than he might otherwise be. Second: before the accident, Leyritz was a fixture in the talk radio world and wo...

America's Next Top Model Winner Ann Ward - "America's Next Top Model" crowned Ann Ward the winner of the series' 15th cycle on Wednesday, only months after the show came under fire for celebrating the fact that one of its judges could fit his hands around the 19-year-old’s waist. In a promo for the CW show, which aired in August, judge Miss J wrapped his hands around the 6-foot-2 model's tiny mid-section. "You have the smallest waist in the world," host Tyra Banks said. "Look at that waist!" The 37-year-old former top model later released a statement to People magazine saying the scene "misconstrued our overarching message,." But that didn't stop Banks from crowning Ward the winner over bleached blonde beauty Chelsey Hersley. "All those comments about being too tall or just being not normal..." Ward responded after throwing her hands to her mouth in shock. She later revealed she was completely "caug...

Survivor Nicaragua - Nobody likes a quitter. And if you hoped to muster some sympathy for Survivor: Nicaragua's dropout duo, you've come to the wrong exit interview. Instead of apologizing for jumping ship, these loathsome losers made excuses, insisted they deserve spots on the jury and insulted their fellow competitors and you fans... How do you respond to those who call your quitting a slap in the face to Survivor? "Purple" Kelly Shinn: I'm sorry to everyone who thinks that, but at the same time I was so physically ill—afterwards, I was treated for parasites and low blood pressure. [Editor's note: Aw, poor baby.] NaOnka Mixon: I played the game exactly the way I said I would at the beginning: I would lie, cheat and steal, I would be faker than faux fur, I would pretend to be your friend and stab you in the back. I lived up to that. But you also told me when I was in Nicaragua, "I'm going to be that rainbow, that ray of sunshine that keep...

Federal Reserve Questionable Bailout - The Federal Reserve Board has pulled back the curtain on the companies that took advantage of its short-term loans and other emergency programs that it set up during the financial crisis. The Fed on Wednesday posted on a public website details of 21,000 transactions from December 2007 through July 2010 that totaled more than $3 trillion. The help was provided not only to giant banks such as Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., but also to companies such as General Electric Co., Caterpillar Inc. and Harley-Davidson Inc. The Fed said its aim most often was to provide them with liquidity — that is, to keep them from running out of cash — when the private credit markets froze up. Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), who wrote the measure that forced the disclosures, accused the central bank of conducting a secret "backdoor bailout" of big banks and corporations. The program dwarfed the much-criticized $7...

NASA Press Conference Today - A NASA press conference today on bacteria GFAJ-1 inside Mono Lake is redefining notions of alien life. NASA’s news conference today changed how we view extraterrestrial life forms, their DNA, and the environment in which they live. The opening line by Mary Voytek, director of Astrobiology Program at NASA Headquarters, summed it up best. “Today’s report is on terrestrial life, but not life as we know it.” In advance of today’s press conference, FOX News spoke with one of the panelists. Dr. Felisa Wolfe-Simon confirmed she would announce the news that “a bug will grow in the presence of the toxic chemical arsenic when only slight traces of phosphorous are present.” Wolfe-Simon’s findings did not support extraterrestrial life. Rather, she concluded that bugs will consume and live in toxic arsenic. Despite that, she admits her findings change our current notions of DNA. Moreover, the findings change how we perceive alien life elsewhere. The focus goin...

Qatar Win World Cup Bid - Angry about the World Cup host vote? Can't understand how Russia and Qatar -- despite generally substandard technical reports filed by FIFA itself -- are getting to host the biggest sporting event in the universe in 2018 and 2002, respectively? Maybe this will help. Consider what the point of hosting a World Cup is. If it's to give the biggest number of fans the best possible experience in terms of stadiums, facilities, infrastructure and safeties all at (relatively) affordable prices, while honoring those nations that have passionate fans and venerable traditions, then it would only ever really rotate between the same three or four countries. Or, in fact, you could just have it in Germany every four years. But if you believe there's an evangelizing element to it and that as many as possible should get a chance to experience it to some degree, then you're going to employ different criteria. You'll push the boat out, you'll take risk...

Celebration Florida Killing - Matteo P. Giovanditto has been identified as the first homicide victim ever in the Disney-developed community of Celebration, Fla., the Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday. Giovanditto, 58, was killed inside his Celebration condominium sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend, say investigators. His body was discovered Monday by a woman who was checking on her neighbor, Osecola County sheriff's deputies said. Detectives said the death is the first homicide in the Celebration community, a small, family-oriented community that was planned and developed by Disney in the early 1990s, reports CBS affiliate WTSP. On Tuesday, deputies recovered Giovanditto's black 2008 Chevrolet Corvette in Kissimmee after someone called a tip line. Giovanditto, a former teacher and Massachusetts native, moved to Celebration from south Florida in 2004, according to the Sun Sentinel. A neighbor told the paper that Giovanditto was working as a p...

Dow Jones Industrial Average Surges - U.S. stocks capped their best two-day performance since July as better-than-expected retail and home sales painted a brighter picture of the U.S. economy. Also helping stocks, pressure on the euro eased on talk that the European Central Bank was actively buying more bonds of some of the bloc's more financially stressed governments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished Thursday up 106.63 points, or 0.95%, to 11362.41. The blue-chip index has gained 3.2% in the first two days of December, its largest two-day rise since July 8. Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase were among the Dow's strongest components after Goldman Sachs lifted its view on the financial sector to "overweight," marking the first time the firm has been positive on the industry since 2008. Bank of America climbed 39 cents, or 3.5%, to $11.68 and J.P. Morgan added $1.16, or 3%, to $39.31. The technology-oriented Nasdaq Composite gained 29.92 points, or...

FXCM Rises In Trading - Shares of the following companies had unusual moves in U.S. trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are as of 4 p.m. in New York. Financial shares rallied after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said banks will outperform the market next year because of “stronger economic growth, an improved equity investing environment, and a more supportive interest rate environment.” Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (MI US) rallied 12 percent to $5.48 for the biggest gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Regions Financial Corp. (RF US) climbed 6.9 percent to $6.06. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB US) added 6.4 percent to $13.05. SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI US) rose 5.8 percent to $25.38. Bank of America Corp. (BAC US) rose 3.5 percent to $11.68. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM US) added 3 percent to $39.31. Homebuilders advanced after more Americans signed contracts to buy previously owned homes in October, sending the index of pending home resales to a record 10 percent ...

Livingsocial Google Groupon Rival - If you haven’t heard, Google is very, very close to acquiring Groupon for a price in the $5.3 billion to $6 billion range. The press has been quick to speculate what the acquisition will mean for Google, but has said little about what it would mean for Groupon (besides the cash it would put in its founders’ wallets), nor the implications for Groupon’s number-two competitor, LivingSocial. First, the benefits. According to sources familiar with their respective marketing budgets, Groupon and LivingSocial each spend more than $1 million per month on advertising through Google alone — a huge share of their overall advertising spend. If Google acquires Groupon, the latter will have search inventory set aside for it in the same way YouTube does, effectively cutting a substantial share of Groupon’s advertising costs and, in theory, making it a more profitable business by lowering its operating costs. Groupon will also likely have more prominent placement...

Lausd Workers Moved To New Jobs - A day after more than 1,000 Los Angeles Unified office clerks, grounds workers and classroom aides lost their jobs, several thousand more reported to new work sites Wednesday in a mid-semester version of "musical chairs," as one school district official called the upheaval. More than 3,600 nonteaching staff members were "bumped" from one position to another - and in some cases assigned to campuses on the far side of a sprawling school district - in the latest round of budget-induced personnel moves. On Tuesday afternoon, district workers protested outside a Board of Education meeting, calling for the LAUSD to save jobs using a portion of $103 million distributed to the school district from the federal jobs bill. "The money is earmarked to preserve and create jobs," said Susan Gosman, president of Los Angeles Chapter 500 of the California School Employees Association, or CSEA. "In the meantime, we have people wh...

Suge Knight's Lawsuit - Suge Knight’s lawsuit against Kanye West has been thrown out of court by a judge, the Associated Press reports. The former rap kingmaker was asking for over $1 million in damages because he was shot in the leg at a 2005 party hosted by West. The judge ruled that there was no evidence West could have prevented the shooting. Suge Knight's Lawsuit

Focus On Trichet - The European Central Bank on Thursday left its key lending rate unchanged at a record low 1%, as expected, but investors are focusing on ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet’s upcoming news conference for any sign the central bank will take action to address Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. To avoid disappointment, Trichet will need to at least announce that the central bank is extending its fixed-rate, long-term refinancing operations through the first quarter of next year, strategists said. But investors are also looking for Trichet to signal that the ECB intends to step up purchases of distressed euro-zone sovereign bonds, possibly even announcing a numerical target for purchases. Those expectations spurred a short-covering rally in the previously hard-hit peripheral euro-zone bond markets, narrowing yield spreads between the periphery and benchmark German bunds. It also allowed the cost of insuring debt issued by the likes of Spain, Portugal and Italy agai...

Amazon Boycott Over Wikileaks - Amazon could face a boycott from free speech campaigners after it stopped hosting whistle blowing site WikiLeaks on its servers. WikiLeaks was using Amazon’s servers to host its site after its own Sweden-based server was attacked over the weekend. The online retailer is thought to have come under pressure from US Government. WikiLeaks has caused global controversy this week after making public thousands of confidential political documents and free speech campaigners say consumers should now boycott the online retailer. Amazon Boycott Over Wikileaks

X Factor One Direction - Matt Cardle wasn't the only X Factor star to pull out of last night's secret X Factor gig in London. One Direction were down to four after band member, Zain Malik had to rush home to Bradford for personal reasons. Although insisders refused to confirm to the Daily Mail the reason for Zain's trip home, they did rule out death and serious injury. Zain's bandmate, Liam Payne said: “Zain has got some personal problems so he is not here right now. “We can't elaborate but we hope he is going to be ok.” X Factor One Direction

Egypt Shark Attack - Authorities in the resort of Nama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh, reported an adult oceanic white tip shark was responsible for injuring three Russian tourists in attacks during the last 24-hours. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism released a statement to all anxious British holidaymakers in the region yesterday. They reported that they had tracked down the shark, but were trying to catch it and release it back into a remote area of the Gulf of Suez. They added the resort – popular with thousands of Brits each year – had suspended all diving and water sports until Friday. A statement read: “The MoT has announced that all beaches will be closed to the public and all water sports activities will be suspended until the end of the day tomorrow (2/12) along the whole of the Sharm el Sheikh coast. “It has been reported that three Russian tourists have been attacked in three separate incidents in the last 24 hours in an area north of Nama Bay. “The victims, one male and ...

2022 World Cup Bid - Qatar’s shares increased the most in almost two weeks on optimism about the Persian Gulf country’s bid to host soccer’s 2022 World Cup. Industries Qatar, the second-biggest petrochemicals maker in the Middle East, rose a second day and Qatar National Bank, the nation’s biggest lender by assets, gained 1.7 percent. The QE Index climbed 0.7 percent, the most since Nov. 22, to 8,184.91 at the 12:30 p.m. close in Doha. Markets in the United Arab Emirates are closed today through Dec. 5 for the country’s National Day and an Islamic holiday. “If Qatar wins, it would have a massive impact on the country’s infrastructure and economy as it would improve liquidity and affect companies in the real estate, communications and logistics sectors,” said Ahmed A. Hadi, general manager of equity brokerage at Dlala’ Brokerage & Investment Holding Co. in Doha. “Investors have eagerly been waiting for the moment the winners of the bid are announced.” The Federation Internati...

PepsiCo To Buy Wimm-Bill-Dann - PepsiCo is set to buy Wimm-Bill-Dann, the Russian dairy and fruit juice company, for $5.8bn – the biggest foreign acquisition yet of a Russian company. The US food giant is expected to announce it has agreed to acquire 66 per cent of Wimm-Bill-Dann’s stock from the company’s major shareholders and treasury shares for $3.8bn, according to people familiar with the situation. Subject to regulatory approval, it will then make a public offer to remaining shareholders. The deal, valuing Wimm-Bill-Dann at $132 a share, is also one of the biggest acquisitions to date by PepsiCo. News of the deal sent shares in the Russian company up some 27 per cent in Moscow. “The deal was discussed...over the last three weeks,” board member and co-owner David Yakobashvili told Russian news agency Interfax. It follows a series of acquisitions of food companies – and particularly soft drink and juice makers – in the fast-expanding Russian consumer market. PepsiCo ...

Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Lawyers for a man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart could conclude their case as early as Thursday, a day after the young woman stormed out of court during trial. Smart abruptly left the courtroom Wednesday during the trial of Brian Mitchell, who is charged with kidnapping the Utah teen in 2002. She was 14 at the time. Smart left during the testimony of defense witness Paul Whitehead, a forensic psychiatrist who treated Mitchell, CNN affiliate KSTU reported. Whitehead testified about Mitchell's desire to bear children with Smart, the affiliate said. "Mr. Mitchell was talking with Ms. Smart about having babies to the point where Ms. Smart actually picked out a name in case that happened," Whitehead testified. That statement prompted Smart's departure, followed by her mother. Mitchell's trial was halted Tuesday after he suffered seizures in court. Before the seizures, the suspect was singing Christmas carols when he was ...

NASA Announcement On Thursday - NASA has an announcement to make! You know what that means…ALIENS!!! The government is finally going to clue us in about the little green men. Or maybe it’s something else, but we don’t think so. NASA says it has an announcement to make on Thursday regarding a discovery. NASA says it will make the announcement during a news conference scheduled for Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. The only clue they will give us right now is that it is an “astrobiology discovery.” Inside Pilgrim State Abandoned Psychiatric Center [Photos] A NASA press release claims that the NASA discussion will involve an “astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.” The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters in Washington and will be broadcast on NASA Television and on the agency’s website at www.nasa.gov. NASA Announ...

Storage Wars Review - Like Syfy's Hollywood Treasure, the men of Storage Wars gamble with history, shelling out big bucks for the chance to get their hands on strangers' cast-offs. They’ve mastered the shorthand of glancing at a storage locker and locating the corner of a hidden organ, or memorizing the shape of certain boxes to discern their possible contents. They know to search for footprints (no) and dust (yes). The treasure hunters get five minutes to peek at a storage container--no stepping in or touching!--and then bid, on the spot. In the first two episodes, single containers went for anything from $200 to $800, and they've even sold for more. The real win, you see, is how much they can sell the objects inside; with a good get, it can be $100,000 for just one part of the collection. These men are wrestling for the chance to nab comic books, baseball cards, Because the collectors and sellers run in small circles, we're treated to the same eccentric bunch eve...

David Kirby Aids Sufferer - Like wars and natural disasters, the AIDS epidemic spurred artists around the world to create posters designed to inspire unified action against a common enemy. Instead of messages inspiring citizens to resist invaders or reinforce levees, these posters encouraged safe sex, condom use and tolerance. Many artists had to contend with wide-ranging social stigmas and outright cultural taboos when portraying sexuality, gay relations, nudity or drug use. They came from traditional cultures where such subjects were spoken of in whispers and certainly not depicted in posters that were publicly displayed. Yet a great many artists prevailed in their task, creating posters that were almost always informative, very often memorable and sometimes beautiful in jolting ways. They are displayed in "Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters, 1985-2010" at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The exhibit was co-curated and ...

Eric Roberts Confessions - 'The Expendables' and "The Young and the Restless" star Eric Roberts gets candid with our own Samantha Harris about his struggle with drug addiction, the mistakes he's made in the past, his relationship with sister Julia Roberts and his hard-fought redemption on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." "I've been a pothead all my adult life," says Eric. On "Celebrity Rehab," he specifies, "Anything bad or negative that ever happened in my career or in my personal life had to do with the abuse of drugs, completely." Asked what made him start smoking pot, he tells Samantha, "I liked it, it makes me nice, and I'm basically by nature a curmudgeon, so smoking pot makes you very pleasant." He adds, "I did cocaine all the time for about 10 years." In the early '80s, Eric's career was full steam ahead, with memorable performances in such movies as 'Star 80,' '...

Kyrie Irving Has Arrived - If Mike Krzyzewski were carving a Mount Rushmore of his best point guards, he'd take the chisel and nick out the faces of Tommy Amaker, Bobby Hurley and Jason Williams, players so good they proved themselves unique as soon as they set foot on the Duke campus. Seven games into a season full of the promise of magic, Krzyzewski is reaching for his tools again. The fourth face hasn't quite earned his way onto the mountain, but he is climbing there rapidly. If November belonged to Kemba, Kyrie took first dibs on December. Kyrie Irving dropped 31 on sixth-ranked Michigan State, overpowering a veteran Spartans backcourt and outshining his own All-American teammates. The 31 points rank second behind only J.J. Redick in the all-time freshman scoring records at Duke and left the Cameron Crazies oohing, aahing and chanting their hero's name after the No. 1 Blue Devils ousted a feisty Michigan State team 84-79. As another star freshman -- the one n...

Jeremy London, Jason Davis - Dr. Drew Pinksy's reality show "Celebrity Rehab" is set to return on Wednesday for a fourth season, while the host is also prepping for his own prime-time series that is scheduled to debut on HLN, formerly CNN Headline News, in the spring of 2011. The new installment of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" will feature Tiger Woods' reported former mistress Rachel Uchitel, reality stars Jason Wahler and Janice Dickinson, socialite Jason Davis, Keyshia Cole's mother Frankie Lons, 1970s musician Leif Garrett and actors Jeremy London and Eric Roberts. Wahler, a 23-year-old who starred in the MTV reality show "The Hills", battles alcohol addiction in the series, following his sixth alcohol-related arrest in March, Us Weekly reported. Wahler was sentenced in May to three years probation after pleading guilty to drunk driving and was also ordered to spend three months in an alcohol-offender program. He has gone to AA meeting...

Jeggings Instant Hit - BRAVADA International Ltd. (www.BravadaWomen.com) (Pink Sheets:BRAV) announced today that its new Stretch Active Jeggings have been an instant hit with customers and has released three additional jean Jegging styles on BravadaWomen.com; The Princess Jegging, The Midnight Jegging and The Vixen Jegging. BRAVADA recently debuted its line of Stretch Active Jeggings which are a high performance and fashion forward active jean Jegging blended with a specified amount of superior spandex weave that provides an ideal amount of stretch and performance. BRAVADA Jeggings also provide body contouring and form support by enhancing and lifting key areas on a female’s body. BRAVADA’s Jegging body contouring shapes a woman’s legs, hips and buttocks and provides an enhanced esthetically pleasing shape through BRAVADA’s body-fabric synchronicity giving complete freedom of movement without any pinching or constriction BRAVADA attributes the success of its Stretch Active Jeggings ...

Putin Interview With Larry King - Putin's satellite interview with Larry King as provided by the Russian prime minister's website http://premier.gov.ru Larry King (as translated): Good evening. This is a very special evening for the Larry King show and our guest in the studio is once again Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister and formerly president of the Russian Federation. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome him to the Larry King show. Vladimir Putin: Good evening. It's evening here and morning there. Good morning, Larry. It is very good to see you again. I remember our first meeting, our interview. Larry King: Mr Prime Minister, thank you for joining us. Let us start right off. You could run for president again in 2012? Are you thinking about doing that? Vladimir Putin: President Medvedev and I work together closely. We made up our minds long ago that we would take our decision concerning the 2012 elections in the interests of the Russian people. Pu...