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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/tldxY-D7CGM/story01.htm
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Bloom County now available in iBooks
Birkley Breathed's Bloom County was my two favorite comic strips growing up, and now it's starting to become available in iBooks. From Bill the Cat's run for president to Milo's skewering of Senator Bedfellow to Oliver's landing the space shuttle to Opus'... everything, it delighted me on a daily basis.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Video: Watch highlights of US rout of Guatemala
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With crude around $100 US gas prices stay high
NEW YORK (AP) ? The price of oil lingered around $100 a barrel this week, helping to keep retail gasoline prices at their highest levels ever for this time of year.
Crude has ranged from about $98 per barrel to around $102 per barrel this week. On Friday benchmark oil fell $2.21 to end at $98.33 per barrel in New York. The national average for gasoline was $3.38 per gallon Friday. Pump prices peaked at about $4 a gallon in May as crude oil approached $114 a barrel.
Oil and gasoline prices are staying high now because of tension in the Middle East and worries about Europe sliding into a recession.
Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, if the U.S. and other countries impose more sanctions on it because of its nuclear program. Many analysts doubt that Iran could set up a blockade for long, but any supply shortages would cause supplies to tighten.
Gas prices are likely to move up or down based on the outcome, PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn said. If the situation calms down, retail gas prices could fall from 25 cents to 50 cents a gallon. If the situation intensifies, prices could increase by that much.
"It's that much of a wild card," Flynn said. "I think it's a very volatile situation and I think we could go either way."
Europe is still struggling with massive debt problems that threaten to drive the region into recession. The uncertainty about how the crisis will play out is helping to keep oil prices up as well.
Retail gasoline consumption in the U.S. has been falling steadily for the past 10 months, according to surveys by MasterCard SpendingPulse. Although recent data points to the U.S. economy slowly improving, many drivers appear to be sticking with habits they picked up during the recession ? watching how much they spend on expensive gas and combining trips to save on fuel.
Those habits may continue. Flynn and other analysts think that the national average for gas could reach $4 per gallon again by spring, as refiners switch to more expensive anti-smog blends ahead of the summer driving season.
In other energy trading, natural gas fell 2 cents to finish at $2.34 per 1,000 cubic feet. The price remains near a 10-year low because a mild winter has cut demand and supplies remain plentiful. Heating oil fell 5 cents to end at $2.99 per gallon and gasoline futures fell 3 cents to $2.78 per gallon.
Brent crude fell $1.69 to finish at $109.86 per barrel in London.
___
AP Energy Writer Chris Kahn contributed to this report.
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
Storm blankets Northeast with a few inches of snow
A JetBlue plane is deiced, as seen through the window of the plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in New York. A weekend snowstorm is blanketing the Northeast, creating treacherous travel conditions and some delays at airports. (AP Photo/Aaron Jackson)
A JetBlue plane is deiced, as seen through the window of the plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in New York. A weekend snowstorm is blanketing the Northeast, creating treacherous travel conditions and some delays at airports. (AP Photo/Aaron Jackson)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? A weekend snowstorm is blanketing the Northeast, creating treacherous travel conditions and some delays at airports.
The National Weather Service was predicting 4 to 6 inches in New York City before the snow stops in the afternoon. Early Saturday morning flurries and freezing rain showers were expected for the Washington area. Philadelphia is under a winter weather advisory and could receive up to 4 inches of snow.
A Philadelphia International Airport spokeswoman says arriving flights are experiencing delays of less than two hours because of snow and ice accumulation, but most departing flights are leaving on time.
The storm marked the first significant snowfall for some East Coast residents, including in Philadelphia. A rare October snowstorm knocked out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses in the Northeast.
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'Thor' Star Chris Hemsworth, Wife Elsa Pataky Expecting Baby
'We don't care if it's a boy or girl, our only wish is that it's healthy,' Pataky says.
By Jocelyn Vena
Chris Hemsworth
Photo: WireImage
"Thor" star Chris Hemsworth and his actress wife, Elsa Pataky, have announced that they are expecting their first child together.
A rep for the actor confirmed the news to People.com, and the "Fast Five" actress is opening up about the baby in a new interview in Hola! magazine, revealing that their bundle of joy will join them this spring.
"Since it's our first child, we don't care if it's a boy or girl, our only wish is that it's healthy," Pataky said. "I'm only going to speak to the baby in Spanish. I already told my husband, 'Get ready fast with Spanish because, if not, you're not going to be able to understand what we say.' "
The news comes the same week the twosome was spotted on vacation in St. Barts with Pataky sporting a baby bump. "Having the person that you love by your side and starting a family with them is the best thing that can happen to you in this life," Pataky said. "You can't ask for more."
Hemsworth and Pataky were married in December 2010. In addition to impending fatherhood, Hemsworth has a busy 2012 slated for the big screen, with a number of highly anticipated flicks set for release, including "Snow White and the Huntsman" (along with "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart) and "The Avengers," in which he'll once again play the hammer-swinging Thor. Pataky also has a few films coming out, including "The Wine of Summer" and "All Things to All Men."
Related VideosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677521/chris-hemsworth-baby.jhtml
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tom Engelhardt: Washington's Crocodile Tears: On Checkpoints, War Porn, and Wedding Parties
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called it ?utterly deplorable.?? Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed ?total dismay.?? General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was ?deeply disturbed? that the actions in question would ?erode the reputation of our joint force.?? Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos declared them to be ?wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos that we have demonstrated throughout our history,? and Senator John McCain claimed they made him ?so sad.?
Seldom have so many high officials in Washington lined up to denounce an event so quickly or emphatically.? I?m talking, of course, about the video of four wisecracking U.S. Marines in Afghanistan pissing on what might be three dead Taliban or simply -- since we may never know whose bodies those are -- the corpses of three dead Afghans.? (?Have a good day, buddy... Golden -- like a shower, ? you hear them say, seemingly addressing the bodies.) The video went viral in the Muslim world, and the Obama administration moved fast to contain the damage.? After all, no one wanted another Abu Ghraib.
On this subject Washington has been remarkably united (with the exception of Rick Perry, who offered a half-hearted defense of the Marines -- ?to call it a criminal act, I think, is over the top?). Pardon me, though, if I find this chorus of condemnation to be too little, too late.? It feels like a malign version of one of Casablanca?s famous final lines: ?Round up the usual suspects.?
After all, these last years in occupied Iraq and Afghanistan have been utterly deplorable, totally dismaying, and deeply disturbing from start to finish.? On occasion after occasion, U.S. troops, aka ?America?s heroes,? as well as private contractors and others in Washington?s employ have run riot.? There is no way to catalogue what?s been deplorable, dismaying, and deeply disturbing, but if you wanted to start, it really wouldn't be that hard.
In fact, you wouldn't have to go farther than the website I run, TomDispatch.com.? If, for instance, it was deeply disturbing pictures taken by our troops you were curious about, you could have read David Swanson?s 2006 piece "The Iraq War as a Trophy Photo," which focused on the ?war porn? photos U.S. soldiers were already taking (or even setting up) and then proudly submitting to an actual porn website for posting (something, by the way, that?s still going on).
Or if checkpoint killings by U.S. soldiers in Iraq were what you were interested in, all you had to do was read Chris Hedges at TomDispatch in 2008, based on interviews he did with American soldiers for the book Collateral Damage: ?Iraqi families,? he wrote, ?were routinely fired upon for getting too close to checkpoints, including an incident where an unarmed father driving a car was decapitated by a .50-caliber machine gun in front of his small son.?? ("'It's fun to shoot sh-t up,' a soldier said.") And if his word wasn?t enough, you could turn to U.S. Afghan War commander General Stanley McChrystal who, in a moment of bluntness in April 2010, commented: ?We've shot an amazing number of people and killed a number and, to my knowledge, none has proven to have been a real threat to the force.?
Or consider something no one has yet denounced as deplorable, dismaying, or deeply disturbing: the obliteration of wedding parties.? Over the years, TomDispatch has counted up at least six weddings in Iraq and Afghanistan that were wiped out in part or full by the U.S. Air Force.? All of these, including the first in December 2001 in which a B-52 and two B-1B bombers, armed with precision weapons, killed 110 of 112 Afghan revelers, were reported individually.? But next to no one in our world thought them dismaying or disturbing enough to write about them collectively or, for that matter, to deplore them.? (Of a wedding in Western Iraq in which U.S. planes killed 40 people, including wedding musicians and children, Major General James Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division, asked: "How many people go to the middle of the desert... to hold a wedding 80 miles from the nearest civilization?")
The troves of documents leaked to the website WikiLeaks, for which Army Pfc. Bradley Manning has been charged, certainly caused a stir, but the carnage in them was, in truth, easily available without access to a single secret document.? Washington?s crocodile tears can?t wash away the stain of all this on American honor, as Chase Madar, author of the upcoming book The Passion of Bradley Manning, makes all too clear in a new piece "Blood on Whose Hands?."?
Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project and the author of The American Way of War: How Bush?s Wars Became Obama?s as well as The End of Victory Culture, runs the Nation Institute's The United States of Fear (Haymarket Books), has just been published.?
To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com here.
?
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-engelhardt/washingtons-crocodile-tea_b_1216790.html
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Chegg Launches Mobile Reader For Online Textbooks
Having built, bought and partnered its way into the textbook distribution business, Chegg is launching a long-promised mobile web version today that lets readers easily read and mark up their textbooks. Of course the move is timed with Apple's forthcoming announcement event, which based on everything everyone is hearing, has something to do with offering and/or creating digital textbooks. But regardless of Apple's or anyone else's plans, Chegg's eTextbook Reader has been in the works since August, back when Rip wrote a preview of it.?Built in HTML5 by the team from acquiree 3D3R, it provides all sorts of features that I wish I had available when I was in college last decade (at least as I saw them over a screencast).Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/z2bt2eybsos/
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Friday, January 20, 2012
Time Warner Cable app streams live TV to iPhones, no longer iPad-only
[Thanks, Jason]
Time Warner Cable app streams live TV to iPhones, no longer iPad-only originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iTunes, TWCableUntangled | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/twc-tv-for-iphone/
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Astronomers Getting Ready to Take The First-Ever Photo of a Black Hole [Astronomy]
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
a new opinion in Software about MS Windows 7 Home Premium
Introduction
Windows 7 is still the latest windows operating system available for purchase. It was released towards the end of 2009 and is now over 2 years old. I have had the operating system on my Acer laptop now for a while so am in a good position to give a review of the product. It came pre installed so this review will not contain much information on installation issues. There were plenty of problems with Vista and many people reverted back to XP which seemed to be more favourable with fewer problems and compatibility issues. Is Windows 7 any better?
The operating system itself
On the surface the operating system does not show many changes in terms of appearance and feel when compared to Vista. There are though quite a few new touches and features which make it better than Vista.
The minimum requirements for Windows 7 are actually less than Vista with 1gb of memory the main requirements although it would probably be advisable to have more if possible to ensure the smooth running of the computer/laptop. This does though allow it to be used on lower level net books with 1gb memory.
The taskbar-Windows is known for its taskbar and especially the Start menu and System Tray. Vista gave the Start menu a redesign while in Windows 7, the Taskbar and the System Tray have gotten a a thorough redesign. The new Taskbar has replaced the old small icons and text labels for running applications with larger, unlabeled icons. This has helped to reduce clutter. Applications can also be pinned to the taskbar.
Search- the search facility is also improved. Type in the start menu box and you can instantly see results.
Performance improvements-Windows 7 has key performance improvements which take up less memory and it only runs background services when you need them. This is all designed to help the system work more efficiently and much faster.
In terms of security it seems to be much better than both XP and Vista. It also seems to run a lot faster with it booting up more quickly and also connecting to wi-fi networks more instantly.
Some Negatives include it not working so well with machines more than a few years old and also games which are quite old. My version came already installed but upgrading for some may prove to be both costly and there may be compatibility issues.
Overall
It still looks quite stylish like Windows Vista but Windows 7 seems to work significantly better. It hasn't changed much on the surface but it works very efficiently and it allows you to tweak and fine tune your windows experience. Usability and functionality are two things that have improved since Vista. The pros certainly outweigh the cons and this operating system has been a success for Microsoft with high volume of sales throughout the world. I would overall give this product 5 stars
Source: http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/operating-system/ms-windows-7-home-premium/1612706/
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Romney, Santorum square off over felons voting (AP)
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. ? Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and front-runner Mitt Romney are trading barbs over who's the toughest on canceling voting rights for convicted felons.
Santorum says Romney is promoting lies when he stands by attack ads run by Romney's supporters in South Carolina.
One pro-Romney ad shows a prison inmate and says Santorum supported allowing felons to vote. Santorum said Tuesday in Charleston, S.C., that such tactics "lead to real serious questions about whether that man can be trusted to tell the truth on a variety of things."
Romney shrugged off the criticism. He says Santorum is in favor of allowing felons to vote again once they've served their sentences ? while Romney would still ban them from voting.
Their remarks continued a dispute that began in Monday night's GOP debate.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Mitt Romney's four remaining challengers are keeping the spotlight on the Republican front-runner's wealth and business dealings by pressing him to release his income tax returns. Romney says he might make them public in April. By then, he hopes to have the presidential nomination in the bag.
His rivals did their best to knock the former Massachusetts governor off stride in a contentious debate Monday night, going after him on several fronts. Romney didn't bend under heavy pressure on the issue of his job-creation record at his former private equity firm Bain Capital, nor did he apologize for his evolving views on abortion. Blamed for negative commercials flooding South Carolina's airwaves, he stressed the independence of the super PACs that have been running ads in his behalf against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other rivals, including former Sen. Rick Santorum.
Romney said that while he might be willing to release his tax returns, he wouldn't do so until tax filing time. The multimillionaire former businessman didn't get much gratitude from his rivals, who want him to release the information in time to influence South Carolina voters going to the polls on Saturday.
Gingrich was quick to suggest Romney wouldn't delay for months if he had nothing to hide and that his hesitation wouldn't sit well with voters. "Last night weakened him," Gingrich told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday.
Romney seemed hesitant when confronted with the tax issue on stage. He at first sidestepped calls from his rivals to release his returns, then said later that he'd follow the lead of previous presidential candidates.
"I have nothing in them that suggests there's any problem and I'm happy to do so," he said. "I sort of feel like we're showing a lot of exposure at this point," he added.
Monday's night's debate was as fiery as any of the more than dozen that preceded it. Romney, the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination after back-to-back wins in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, was under fire not only from Gingrich and Santorum, but also from Rick Perry and Ron Paul.
The five will meet again in debate in Charleston Thursday night, the last time they will share a stage before the primary two days later.
The first Southern primary could prove decisive in the volatile contest. Gingrich has virtually conceded that a victory for Romney in South Carolina would assure his nomination as Democratic President Barack Obama's Republican rival in the fall, and none of the other remaining contenders has challenged that conclusion.
That only elevated the stakes for Monday night's debate, where the attacks on Romney often were couched in anti-Obama rhetoric.
"We need to satisfy the country that whoever we nominate has a record that can stand up to Barack Obama in a very effective way," said Gingrich.
The five men on stage also sought to outdo one another in calling for lower taxes. Texas Rep. Ron Paul won that competition handily, saying he thought the top personal tax rate should be zero.
In South Carolina, a state with a heavy military presence, the tone turned muscular at times.
Gingrich drew strong applause when he said: "Andrew Jackson had a pretty clear idea about America's enemies. Kill them."
Perry also won favor from the crowd when he said the Obama administration had overreacted in its criticism of the Marines who were videotaped urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Gingrich and Perry led the assault against Romney's record at Bain Capital, a private equity firm that bought companies and sought to remake them into more competitive enterprises, with uneven results.
"There was a pattern in some companies ... of leaving them with enormous debt and then within a year or two or three having them go broke," Gingrich said. "I think that's something he ought to answer."
Perry referred to a steel mill in Georgetown, S.C. where, he said, "Bain swept in, they picked that company over and a lot of people lost jobs there."
Romney said the steel industry was battered by unfair competition from China. As for other firms, he said, "Four of the companies that we invested in ... ended up today having some 120,000 jobs." And he acknowledged, "Some of the businesses we invested in were not successful and lost jobs."
It was Perry who challenged Romney to release his income tax returns. The Texas governor said he has already done so, and Gingrich has said he will do likewise later in the week.
"Mitt, we need for you to release your income tax so the people of this country can see how you made your money. ... We cannot fire our nominee in September. We need to know now," Perry said.
Later, a debate moderator pressed Romney on releasing his tax returns. His response meandered.
"If that's been the tradition I'm not opposed to doing that," Romney said. "Time will tell. But I anticipate that most likely I'm going to get asked to do that in the April time period and I'll keep that open."
Prodded again, he said, "If I become our nominee ... what's happened in history is people have released them in about April of the coming year, and that's probably what I'd do."
April is long after the South Carolina primary and the Republican nomination could easily be all but decided by then, following Super Tuesday contests around the country in March.
Santorum stayed away from the clash over taxes, instead launching a dispute of his own. He said a campaign group supporting Romney has been attacking him for supporting voter rights for convicted felons, and asked Romney what his position was on the issue.
Romney initially ducked a direct answer, preferring to ask Santorum if the ad was accurate.
He then said he doesn't believe convicted violent felons should have the right to vote, even after serving their terms. Santorum instantly said that as governor of Massachusetts, Romney hadn't made any attempt to change a law that permitted convicted felons to vote while still on parole, a law the former Pennsylvania senator said was more liberal than the one he has been assailed for supporting.
Romney replied that as a Republican governor, he was confronted with a legislature that was heavily Democratic and held a different position.
He also reminded Santorum that candidates have no control over the campaign groups that have played a pivotal role in the race to date.
"It is inaccurate," Santorum said of the ad assailing him. "I would go out and say: `Stop it. That you're representing me and you're representing my campaign. Stop it.'"
That issue returned more than an hour later, when Gingrich said he too has faced false attacks from the same group that is criticizing Santorum. He noted that Romney says he lacks sway over the group, "which makes you wonder how much influence he would have if he were president."
Romney said he hoped no group would run inaccurate ads, and he said the organization backing Gingrich was airing a commercial that is so false that "it's probably the biggest hoax since Bigfoot."
He called for scuttling the current system of campaign finance laws to permit individuals to donate as much money as they want to the candidates of their choice.
Noting that the debate was occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, one moderator asked Gingrich if his previous statements about poor children lacking a work ethic were "insulting to all Americans, but particularly to black Americans."
"No," Gingrich said emphatically, adding his aim was to break dependence on government programs. "I'm going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn to get a better job and learn someday to own the job," he said.
Romney is the leader in the public opinion polls in South Carolina, although his rivals hope the state's 9.9 percent unemployment rate and the presence of large numbers of socially conservative evangelical voters will allow one of them to slip by him.
___
Associated Press writer Dave Espo contributed to this report.
___
Follow Shannon McCaffrey at http://www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Kazakh vote tests stability after oil town unrest (Reuters)
ZHANAOZEN, Kazakhstan (Reuters) ? Kazakhstan voted on Sunday in an election designed to put a second party in parliament and ease growing discontent after deadly riots shook the country's image of stability.
No one doubts veteran President Nursultan Nazarbayev's Nur Otan party will win by a landslide. The second-placed party will also be guaranteed a presence in the 107-seat chamber, whether or not it clears the 7 percent entry threshold.
But Nazarbayev's most critical opponents have been barred from standing, and the party expected to come second is a pro-business group led by a former ruling party member.
"Top-down changes are practically impossible in Kazakhstan," said opposition politician Bolat Abilov. "The president, the ruling party and their circle are too convinced they are right."
Nazarbayev, 71, in power since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, remains overwhelmingly popular throughout most of his mainly Muslim country of 16.7 million people.
Central Asia's largest economy and oil producer, Kazakhstan's relative wealth has long helped it avoid the sort of unrest seen in other former Soviet republics in Central Asia.
But complaints have grown that many have remained poor while an elite few grew rich. Anger erupted last month in the remote western region of Mangistau, where oilmen sacked by their state-owned employers had been protesting for seven months.
Officials say 17 people were killed in clashes during which police fired live rounds. Some residents of Zhanaozen, a dusty oil town 150 km (90 miles) from the Caspian Sea, believe the death toll was higher. A state of emergency remains in place.
Black-clad security forces patrolled the town of 90,000 as polls opened in a blizzard. The first voter at a local school, a middle-aged woman, was presented with a vase. An unclaimed set of crystal glasses awaited the first 18-year-old voter.
"I have just voted for our children to have a better future, to have good jobs so that their lives become better than ours," said Kumlyumkos Nurgazinov, 63, an oilfield machinery operator.
ROADBLOCKS
One of the first to vote, he cast his ballot for Nur Otan. "The events that took place here should never be repeated, God forbid," he said. Cars drove slowly along slush-covered roads, snaking around concrete roadblocks.
Younger residents displayed little faith in the authorities.
"We have all been deceived," said a man in his 20s who was fired from his job at the local oil company. He declined to identify himself for fear of repercussions. "If the situation changes, it won't be for the good of the ordinary people."
Kazakhstan, four times the size of Texas, holds 3 percent of global oil reserves and has attracted more than $120 billion in foreign investment in two decades of independence. It boasts per capita GDP on a par with that of Turkey or Mexico.
The country has accumulated nearly $75 billion in foreign currency reserves and a National Fund for windfall oil revenues.
But with discontent growing about the distribution of wealth and an economic crisis looming, Kazakhstan called the election seven months early. Presidential adviser Yermukhamet Yertysbayev said on December 12 Kazakhstan was at a time of "social reckoning."
Politicians are wary of the mass protests that greeted a disputed election last month in Russia, still Kazakhstan's biggest trading partner and a cultural reference point for its millions of Russian-speaking citizens.
"This is a big examination for us," Nazarbayev said after voting in the national library in Astana, his futuristic capital on the windswept steppe. "I'm sure Kazakhstanis will make the right choice for their future and for our peaceful development."
He cast his ballot shortly after his eldest daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, a 48-year-old opera enthusiast and former media executive who is expected to return to frontline politics after being included on the Nur Otan party list.
The list also includes artists and sports stars, including cyclist Alexander Vinokourov. The lower chamber of parliament comprises 98 elected seats and a further nine to be appointed by the People's Assembly of Kazakhstan, a loyal consultative body.
"Most important is the fact we will no longer have a one-party parliament," Nazarbayeva said.
OPPOSITION SIDELINED
The party widely expected to claim second place and a spot in parliament is the pro-business Ak Zhol, membership of which has swollen rapidly since its founder left Nur Otan last year to build it into the country's second-largest political force.
Zhanat Shauenov, a 44-year-old resident of the commercial capital Almaty, voted for Ak Zhol in the belief the party would invest more in education and medicine. "They will devote more attention to small and medium-sized business," he said.
Many of Nazarbayev's more vehement critics have been barred from the election on technicalities.
"This election will be another missed opportunity to bring political debate into the Kazakh parliament," said Lilit Gevorgyan, analyst at IHS Global Insight. Western monitors have never judged a Kazakh vote free and fair.
The critical Communist Party has been suspended while some outspoken opposition candidates from the Social-Democratic Party, which is standing, were removed from their party list for allegedly making inaccurate declarations of income and property.
Abilov, co-chairman of the Social Democrats and one of those removed from its party list, said those who wanted change would vote for his party. "The other parties aspiring to parliament are filials of Nur Otan," he said.
(Additional reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva in Astana and Mariya Gordeyeva, Olga Orininskaya and Dina Teltayeva in Almaty; Writing by Robin Paxton; Editing by Andrew Roche)
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US names 20-play men's Olympic basketball pool
FILE - In this Dec. 27, 2011 file photo, Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots over Sacramento Kings' Chuck Hayes (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore. The U.S. added Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Aldridge of Portland on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to the 18 holdovers who hope to go for more basketball gold. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 27, 2011 file photo, Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots over Sacramento Kings' Chuck Hayes (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore. The U.S. added Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Aldridge of Portland on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to the 18 holdovers who hope to go for more basketball gold. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012 file photo, Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin dunks the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, in Los Angeles. The U.S. added Griffin of the Clippers and LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to the 18 holdovers who hope to go for more basketball gold. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2008,. file photo,?USA's Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd in celebration after beating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. added Blake Griffin of the Clippers and LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to the 18 holdovers who hope to go for more basketball gold. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2008, file photo, USA player receive their gold medals following their win over Spain in the gold medal basketball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. From left are Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, Chris Paul, Chis Bosh, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Michael Redd, Deron Williams and Lebron James. The U.S. added Blake Griffin of the Clippers and LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to the 18 holdovers who hope to go for more basketball gold. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? This U.S. basketball team might be even better than the last two that won gold medals.
"This will be the most talented of the three teams that I've had the opportunity to coach," coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday during a conference call.
The Americans announced the 20 players who will be candidates for the London Games, adding Blake Griffin of the Clippers and LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland to the 18 holdovers from either the 2008 Olympics or 2010 world championship who have said they wish to be considered again.
The 12-man roster and alternates for the Olympics will be chosen from the new player pool in June.
Returning from the team that won gold in Beijing are: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Back from the reigning world champions are: Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Tyson Chandler, Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook and Andre Iguodala.
"I like the fact that we have a roster full of guys who've been champions, either in the Olympics or world championships, and guys who are excited to play," Krzyzewski said.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo had planned to add Griffin to the national team roster in 2009, but he was hurt shortly after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick and those plans were scrapped. Aldridge was on the national team roster but withdrew from consideration for the 2010 worlds for personal reasons.
But both have a shot now if the Americans decide to bolster the frontcourt on a roster loaded with point guards and wing players. And it's an experienced group, with Anthony playing in 59 games for the U.S. and James 55.
"To be on that list, I'm honored again, to be able to represent my country at the highest level. I mean, it's an unbelievable class. We've got an unbelievable group coming in and I'm looking forward to it," James said.
The final roster of 12 players and six alternates is due June 18, before the NBA finals will be completed in this lockout-delayed season, so there will be no time for a tryout camp. But USA Basketball needed to submit the list of all candidates by the end of this month so they could be entered in the drug-testing program.
The Americans will have to decide how many point guards to keep from a list that includes Rose, the NBA MVP, Paul; Williams, Westbrook and Billups ? though he started at shooting guard in Istanbul, as he does now playing alongside Paul on the Clippers.
Size could be a consideration for a potential matchup against a Spain team that boasts Pau and Marc Gasol, along with Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, which could help the two newcomers. Colangelo said Aldridge is a versatile big man who can shoot from the perimeter, and he sounds just as excited about Griffin as the many fans of his astounding dunks.
"He's showing what kind of future he has and I have no doubt that going forward Blake will have a significant impact on USA basketball, if not now than certainly in the future," Colangelo said.
Colangelo said the Americans decided to tab 20 players, rather than the 18 that were originally expected, to protect themselves in case some players aren't available when training camp opens. The Americans will start practicing July 6, before a free agency class that could be headlined by Howard and Williams will be able to sign contracts.
But Howard said his status wouldn't be a factor.
"I talked to Jerry a couple of days ago and I told him that I'm committed to being on the team and looking forward to winning another gold medal for the U.S. So nothing else matters," Howard said.
Whichever players are picked, the Americans will again have the unmatched athleticism that allowed them to end an eight-year Olympic gold-medal drought in Beijing and a 16-year absence from the gold-medal podium in the world championship two years ago.
Colangelo assembled the original national team roster in 2005 after taking control of the USA Basketball program following the Americans' poor performance a year earlier in Athens, where they managed only a bronze medal. That group committed to representing the Americans for three years, but then all the players and the entire coaching staff signed on for a return after winning gold in 2008.
None of those players competed in 2010, but the Americans won anyway with a young team led by Durant, the MVP of the world championships. Colangelo then combined the best of both rosters for the new pool.
Jason Kidd was the only former gold medalist on the squad when Colangelo formed the program. Now there are 18 in the mix to wear red, white and blue this summer.
"Things are moving smoothly and the proof of that pudding is we are loaded in terms of our pipeline," Colangelo said.
Only Kidd, who retired from international competition following a long career, Carlos Boozer, Tayshaun Prince and Michael Redd weren't chosen from the 2008 team. Stephen Curry and Danny Granger aren't back from 2010.
Nor was Amare Stoudemire named after he was forced to pull out on the eve of U.S. practices in 2010 because his contract couldn't be insured. He wasn't aware if insurance was the reason he was bypassed this time, saying he wasn't even aware the roster was being announced.
"It's definitely not my choice. I would love to play. My loyalty is with USA Basketball, as it always has been," Stoudemire said. "Last year I couldn't play because I had pulled out, but if they want me to play, I'd be totally open to representing the USA."
___
AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
___
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Brand says he's 'quite well' since Perry split
Russell Brand is ready to be uplifted.
On Sunday, the British comic was back to work, and back on U.S. soil, to promote "Strangely Uplifting," his new FX series, at a TCA panel in Pasadena, Calif.
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As the Q&A session began, a reporter made a vague reference to Brand's headline-making Dec. 30 split from wife Katy Perry, asking Brand, 36, how he was doing.
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"I'm quite well, thank you. Are you asking because of recent events?" he chuckled. "Well, I suppose what you're doing is you're making the mistake as seeing time as linear."
PHOTOS: Katy's cleavage-tastic outfits
His goal for the still-developing series, Brand said, is fairly simple. "All I want is for people to feel better than they do now. That's all I want," he mused. "All I want is to make people laugh and to make people happy. And as long as I stay in alignment with that, then I'm served by great forces."
Story: Perry's father apologizes for remarks about JewsWill the series delve into his talked-about personal life? "I think there will be inevitable biographical elements because you can't speak from anyone's perspective but your own," he said. "Unless I was to bizarrely adapt some sort of avatar."
PHOTOS: Katy Perry's insane style
Brand conceded that he's frequently misunderstood in the press. But, to correct that, he told reporters, "I listen to others. I accept that you must be humble. It's very important to have humility.... I have a tendency to fly off. I'm tangential and also I'm narcissistic. I have to be very careful."
Slideshow: Russell Brand (on this page)His estranged wife Perry, meanwhile, wasn't too far away from Pasadena on Sunday night ? but the "Firework" singer, 26, avoided the glitz and celeb crush of Golden Globes parties.
PHOTOS: What all the stars wore at the Golden Globes
A source tells Us Weekly that Perry watched the awards show from the comfort of her hotel room in the L.A. area.
"She has been very low key during her stay," a hotel source said, adding that Perry has been ordering room service and takeout food with pals.
Copyright 2012 Us Weekly
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46012906/ns/today-entertainment/
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49ers win wild one, reach NFC title game
SF blows early lead, but beats New Orleans 36-32 on Davis' TD catch with 9 seconds left
By JANIE McCAULEY
updated 10:58 p.m. ET Jan. 14, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO - In one triumphant afternoon, playoff first-timer Alex Smith joined a pair of 49ers Hall of Fame quarterbacks with his own indelible postseason moment.
Joe Montana had "The Catch." Steve Young had "The Catch II." Now, Smith added another epic play to the 49ers' storied history: "The Grab."
Smith completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with 9 seconds left just after Drew Brees had put the high-powered Saints ahead, and resurgent San Francisco capitalized on five New Orleans turnovers for a thrilling 36-32 playoff victory Saturday.
"You've got to call it 'The Grab,'" Davis said of his play. "We were down. I had to make it happen to take my teammates where we want to go."
What a way to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of "The Catch."
Montana to Dwight Clark then. Smith to Davis now.
Smith ran for a 28-yard TD with 2:11 left and threw another scoring pass to Davis in the first quarter. Coach Jim Harbaugh's NFC West champions (14-3) proved that a hard-hitting, stingy defense can still win in the modern, wide-open NFL by holding off one of league's most dynamic offenses.
"This is huge for us," Davis said. "It's history, legendary, anything you can describe."
Brees completed a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham with 1:37 left and the Saints seemed poised to rally from an early 17-point deficit when Smith and Davis delivered once more. It was a wild back-and-forth finish featuring an impressive passing duel over the waning moments.
Their highlight show came in the opposite end zone from where Clark caught a stretched-out 6-yard pass from Montana on Jan. 10, 1982. Saturday's game-winner by a leaping Davis ? who plowed over a defender as he landed ? came in the same end zone where Steve Young hit Terrell Owens for a winning TD with 3 seconds left in a 30-27 wild-card win over the Packers in the 1999 playoffs. T.O.'s grab became known as "The Catch II."San Francisco triumphed in its first playoff game in nine years and will move on to face the New York Giants or defending champion Green Bay Packers, who play Sunday. A win by the Giants would give the 49ers the home field.
The 49ers pulled off another last-second win in a season full of them ? and on a day former coach George Seifert served as honorary captain for the coin toss. San Francisco came from behind for five victories during the regular season, four on the road.
Smith helped the Niners become the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final 3 minutes to win a playoff game, according to STATS LLC.
Davis, who wept on the sideline afterward days after saying he was overwhelmed early on by Harbaugh's thick playbook, finished with seven catches for 180 yards. It was the most yards receiving by a tight end in a playoff game. He averaged 25.7 yards per catch.
Smith found Davis for a 47-yard completion on a cross to the left sideline with 31 seconds left and Smith then connected with Frank Gore to put the Niners on the 14 for third down. Davis produced on a play they call "Vernon Post" ? one they worked on all week, just from the right side instead of the left where it worked Saturday.
Brees came up big down the stretch just as he did throughout a record-setting season, also hitting Darren Sproles for a 44-yard TD with 4:02 remaining ? one of Sproles' 15 catches for 119 yards.
"It stings right now because of the expectation level that we had coming into this tournament and understanding that if we win here we're into the NFC championship game and anything can happen," Brees said. "That's tough. Tough to swallow at this point."With Donte Whitner bringing the bruising hits and Dashon Goldson, Patrick Willis and their defensive mates pressuring Brees and forcing turnovers from every angle, surprising San Francisco is a win away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since capturing the proud franchise's fifth championship after the 1994 season.
Brees, whose team was coming off consecutive 600-yard games, completed 40 of 63 passes for 462 yards and four touchdowns and was sacked three times. He also threw two interceptions, his first in the postseason in five years, and New Orleans (14-4) fell short again in its quest to get back to the Super Bowl after winning it all two years ago. The Saints are still searching for the first postseason road victory in franchise history after falling to 0-5.
"Kind of an unbelievable game the way it went back and forth," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "It's obviously a difficult game to lose."
How far these 49ers have come since that 24-3 trouncing they took back in August at the Superdome in the teams' exhibition opener. Now, Harbaugh's "Who's got it better than us? No-body!" group is drawing comparisons to the good ol' days of Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young. And of course, Dwight Clark, who came through with "The Catch" to beat Dallas in the NFC title game on Jan. 10, 1982.
All-Pro David Akers, the Niners' most experienced playoff veteran whose 44 field goals set a single-season record, kicked three more when it mattered most ? from 25, 41 and 37 yards.
The underdog 49ers made the big plays on both sides of the ball and on special teams.
"Guys were so confident, as long as we had time we had a shot," Smith said.
They also had a towel-waving sellout crowd of 69,732 behind them at Candlestick Park on a beautiful sunny winter day in the Bay Area. It was 62 degrees at kickoff.
Who Dat? It's the Saints headed home to the Big Easy empty-handed.
A year ago, New Orleans came out West and suffered a stunning loss to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in the NFC wild-card round.
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Pats punch clock on Tebow Time
Tom Brady throws a record-tying six TD passes, including three to Rob Gronkowski, and the Patriots rout Tim Tebow and the Broncos 45-10 to reach the AFC title game.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45999499/ns/sports-nfl/
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Fresh Android Apps for Jan. 13: Guard My Angel, The Last Defender, Run Like Hell! Yeti Edition (Appolicious)
It?s nice to have someone to watch over you, but if no one?s around, you can rely on your Android with the fresh Guard My Angel app.
For fun, try The Last Defender or Run Like Hell! Yeti Edition.
Adjust the settings as to whom you?d like to alert and how to notify them. Select a pin code if you want to make sure only you can deactivate the alerts.
For some extra cash, you can even out the odds by purchasing shields, enhanced ammo and air strikes from the in-app store.
Grab power-ups to help you run faster and use OpenFeint to draw your friends into the action.
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Friday, January 13, 2012
No. 9 Texas A&M Women Beat Oklahoma 75-58
COLLEGE STATION (AP) ? Tyra White had 20 points and Kelsey Bone added 18 points to lead No. 9 Texas A&M to a 75-58 win over Oklahoma on Sunday.
Texas A&M (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) led by six before using an 8-1 run to extend its lead to 62-49 with less than six minutes remaining. Bone had six straight points and a steal to lead the way during that span.
The win gets the Aggies back on track after they dropped their Big 12 opener in overtime to Kansas State on Wednesday.
Oklahoma (9-4, 1-1), which saw a six game winning streak snapped, was led by Aaryn Ellenberg who had 18 points and Whitney Hand with 17.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/01/09/no-9-texas-am-women-beat-oklahoma-75-58/
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Friday, January 6, 2012
jakartanewsnet: Bank Indonesia wants to scrap debt papers http://t.co/xWG1zgcp
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Bank Indonesia wants to scrap debt papers tf.to/Wp4g 
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Thursday, January 5, 2012
Kate Middleton Finally Reveals ... Charities of Choice
Kate Middleton is not expecting. Sorry. Let the pregnancy rumors continue.
She is a charitable young woman, however as evidenced by a just-released list of groups she plans on throwing her support - financial and otherwise - behind.
The royal newlywed has spent months familiarizing herself with worthy charitable causes she will devote her life in the public eye to. The four organizations:
Kate Middleton has accepted the honorary positions of...
- Patron of Action on Addiction
- Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices
- Royal Patron of The Art Room
- Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, London
The latter two patronages are hardly surprising, considering she was an art history student at St. Andrew's University, where she first met Prince William.
The children's hospice selection is also understandable and seems a good fit, given the impact Kate Middleton had visiting a children's cancer center last fall.
The Duchess, who celebrates her 30th birthday on Monday, will also serve as a volunteer in the Scout Association, and for the time being will privately volunteer with groups based in North Wales, where she and Will share a home.
As for her next steps, Kate is expected to pay both private and public visits to her chosen charities in the coming months. Wonder what she'll wear!!
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/kate-middleton-finally-reveals-charities-of-choice/
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sunny_hundal: @danielbyles so Osborne misses deficit and debt and growth targets and you think his strategy is working? Unreal. Deal with deficit & debt..
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@danielbyles so Osborne misses deficit and debt and growth targets and you think his strategy is working? Unreal. Deal with deficit & debt.. 
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