Britain sending advanced warship to Falklands

The Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless arrives in her home port of Portsmouth in a December 2, 2009, file photo. A British minister will travel to the Falkland Islands in June to take part in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Britain's recapture of the islands from occupying Argentine troops.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Britain's HMS Dauntless,?touted as one of the?most sophisticated warships in the world,?will set sail to the disputed Falkland Islands in coming weeks in what the government called a routine operation.

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The futuristic destroyer?will replace the frigate HMS Montrose, the Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. The deployment has long been planned but comes as tensions rise between Britain and Argentina over the status of the islands, which are a British dependency.

The Dauntless, armed with anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic capability,?could "take out all of South America's fighter aircraft let alone Argentina's," one Navy source told the U.K.'s Telegraph.

The news comes shortly before Prince William, heir to the British throne,?is due to arrive in the Falkland Islands?as part of his air force training.

Britain accuses Argentina of 'colonialism'

Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News that while?HMS Dauntless's?deployment is routine, the British ship?"packs a very considerable punch."

A Royal Navy spokesman downplayed the $1 billion destroyer's deployment and rejected that it was a sign of escalation in the tensions between the two countries.

"The Royal Navy has had a continuous presence in the south Atlantic for many years. The deployment of HMS Dauntless to the south Atlantic has been long planned, is entirely routine and replaces another ship on patrol," he told the Guardian.

Last month, Argentina persuaded Brazil, Uruguay and Chile to join a Mercosur trade group resolution to turn away any ship flying the Falklands'flag ? which depicts a sheep and a ship along with the United Kingdom's red, white and blue Union Jack.

Argentina claims sovereignty of the Falklands, 290 miles (460 kilometers) east of its coast. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has also recently stressed that the people of the Falklands must decide their own future and said Argentina is taking a colonialist approach to the islands' residents.

London's Foreign Office said Tuesday that junior minister Jeremy Browne will travel to the islands in June to mark the 30th anniversary of Britain's brief 1982 war with Argentina over the territory. Browne will be the first foreign minister to visit the Falklands since 2008. Prime Minister David Cameron's office said the British leader had no plans to visit.

Earlier this month, Britain announced that?Prince Harry will visit Brazil in March as part of the U.K.'s effort to strengthen ties with Latin America.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Argentina says Prince William's deployment to the Falklands is provocative. Britain says his deployment is routine for a search and rescue pilot. The timing William's deployment is sensitive because it is has been thirty years since British forces liberated the Falkland Islands from Argentina. ITN's Bill Neely reports.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10281166-britain-sending-advanced-warship-to-falklands

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Pets and their owners can rest in peace

Susan Dahl of Kent and her a Great Dane mix, Travis, get some exercise near the new pet burial area in Standing Rock Cemetery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal staff report

KENT: Families have been known to skirt cemetery rules in trying to reunite Fido or Patches with their owners, slipping a tiny tub of ashes into a casket or sprinkling their remains at a grave site when no one?s looking.

But come spring, animal lovers won?t have to be surreptitious anymore at Standing Rock Cemetery.

The public cemetery, operated by trustees on behalf of Kent and Franklin Township, will allow burial of animal remains in a newly designated section of the cemetery. People may also be buried with the ashes of their pet in the area bordering the pet section.

?I don?t think people loved their pets less 50 years ago, but they take it a little more serious these days,? trustee John Sapp said. ?With our society moving in that direction, we thought it would be quite popular.?

It is rare to find a traditional cemetery that welcomes man?s best friend. Of 10 randomly chosen cemeteries surveyed on the topic, none accepted pets.

?Although we have heard of cases where the ashes of a pet are put into a casket when a person is laid to rest, if we know beforehand, we can?t allow it,? said Tedi Kallis, manager of Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg. ?If we knew it, we would have to have the pet removed. The caskets are sealed at the funeral home, and we don?t ask what is in there.?

Standing Rock has heard similar tales. Grounds crews have also reported finding empty containers that indicated someone had scattered pet ashes over a grave.

Some folks aren?t content burying their pets in a backyard because if they move, the site becomes inaccessible, Sapp said.

?There was some demand for [a burial site] and quite frankly, we were looking at revenue,? he said. ?We?re a business and we have to pay employees and buy equipment.?

Kent resident objects

The concept is not without controversy.

Kent resident Carol Alumeyri, who has four generations of family at the cemetery as well as her own prepaid spot, wants the cemetery to remain exclusively for humans.

?To me, it?s sacred ground. I think it?s disrespectful to the people who are buried there,? she said.

Alumeyri said she?s fielded a lot of mean comments from people after voicing her opposition at recent trustees meeting, but she feels strongly about the sanctity of one?s final resting place.

?It?s fine to have pets and people love them and I understand, but there is a proper place to bury them and it?s not there,? she said. ?I go to the cemetery every week. Standing Rock is a beautiful cemetery and they do a wonderful job of taking care of it. I just don?t want to be buried in the same place? as animals.

Alumeyri said she is seeking advice from an attorney as to whether trustees acted properly in adopting the rule without a public hearing and paying for the pet section granite marker with public funds.

?We were never given a voice. Voters were never allowed to consider the matter,? she said.

Opening in spring

But barring legal action, the cemetery will be open to pets beginning this spring.

?We never expected there to be any controversy over this,? Sapp said.

Sapp emphasized that the pet section is in the back of the cemetery and separate from the area where humans are buried, adding that the land there ?wasn?t too good for human burial.?

The rest of the cemetery is big enough to support human burials for up to 150 years at the current rate, he said.

Jean Chrest, the cemetery?s clerk-treasurer, said no one has called to inquire about a pet burial yet.

Missy Jordan of Hummel Pet Services confirmed that more people are getting dead pets cremated. The Copley Township business started in 2007 and has grown every year, to ?well over 4,000 pets per year,? she said.

?A lot of people say they will have their pet?s cremated remains buried with them,? Jordan said, but few inquire about separate burial service.

For those who want a lasting memorial, there are at least three pet cemeteries in the area: Butterbridge Farms Pet Cemetery in Stark County?s Lawrence Township; Paws Awhile Pet Memorial Park in Richfield Township, and Woodside Pet Cemetery in Bethlehem Township near Navarre.

At Standing Rock, a pet gravesite can include up to two cremated remains and cost $250 for residents and $450 for others. Full-size lots for humans who want to be buried with their pet?s remains are $450 for residents and $650 for others.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.

Source: http://pets.ohio.com/2012/01/pets-and-their-owners-can-rest-in-peace/

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Bolivia protest revives road row

30 January 2012 Last updated at 19:53 ET

Hundreds of protesters have arrived in Bolivia's main city, La Paz, to demand the government resume the construction of a controversial road through an Amazon reserve.

President Evo Morales cancelled the project last year after a similar protest march by indigenous tribes.

They said the road would destroy their rainforest homeland.

But other communities say the highway would bring much-needed economic development to the Bolivian Amazon.

The protesters in favour of the road through the Isiboro-Secure reserve - known as Tipnis - marched for more than 40 days from their home communities to demand the government change its position.

Clashes broke out as they tried to force their way through riot police blocking the approaches to La Paz's main square, where the presidential palace is located.

"The road means development for San Ignacio de Moxos, where we live in isolation, and development for Bolivia," protester David Ibanez told the AFP news agency.

Political motive?

Opposition groups say the march in favour of the road was instigated by supporters of President Morales.

Some of those marching are coca-growers from the Chapare region around Villa Tunari, where Mr Morales began his political career as a union leader.

They have been accused of backing the road project in the hope of occupying new lands in the Tipnis reserve to grow coca - the raw material for cocaine.

President Morales cancelled the highway last October in the face of a march by indigenous communities from Tipnis that gained widespread support nationwide.

He had previously insisted that it was vital for national development, but backed down as the protest gathered strength.

The road project was being funded by Brazil to link the Brazilian Amazon to ports on the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-16804399

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Steve Rosenbaum: CURATING FACEBOOK: Finding Meaning in the Noise

If you're like me, Facebook is both a blessing and a curse.

As more and more people that I'm connected with join Facebook, the more I find Facebook both valuable and noisy.

The truth is some of my actual friends are folks who I'm glad to be connected with, but I might be happier if I could tone down, or tune out, some aspects of their Facebook Broadcast.

With this in mind, I've developed a solution for how to Curate my Facebook newsfeed. I know the word 'curate' may not be familiar to you in this context, but in the new world of too much data - organizing and filtering information is critically important.

What I'm going to suggest is a series of steps that I think may help you make Facebook more useful and interesting.

Step One: Determine who your friends are.

I've made a decision that I don't 'friend' anyone I haven't met at least once in person. They don't have to be best friends, or even close friends. But I do want a human relationship to exist before a digital one.

With that in mind, I do like having a broad range of friends from many parts of my life. School, Social, Business, and my Volunteer work. I reach out broadly, knowing that I can curate my Newsfeed with tools that Facebook makes to help dial up and down different voices and topics.

Step Two: I give all friends the benefit of the doubt.

When I first 'Friend' someone, I subscribe to all their posts, and all the sub-topics of their posts. Rather than make guesses about what they may share that is interesting, I open my ears and listen to what they have to share. Politics, Movies, News, Personal life info - I'll check it all out.

Step Three: Narrowing the stream.

Pretty quickly I know who's simply over-sharing. The first step in curation is to narrow the flow from "all updates" to "most updates". This slows the volume of posts from a friend. Sometimes that's enough to keep my newsfeed with a healthy mix of voices and posts.

Step Four: Event Types.

Sometimes, narrowing the feed isn't enough. Sometimes I find my business friends share more personal info that I need to know. In this case, unsubscribing to "life events" can do the trick. And, I almost always unsubscribe to games. I'm just not into the various versions of Farmville.

Step Five: Facebook Groups.

With Facebook Groups, you can create lists such as "Work", "Family", or "Drinking Buddies", and add whichever friends you want. You can then send e-mails to the group ("Hanging out at HiLife Sat night") or post to a shared wall space. Groups replaces the 'lists' feature, which wasn't widely used. Facebook is now set up so new friends are driven to be categorized by Groups, better I think than Google+'s 'circles' feature.

The only thing about groups to be aware of is by default, all members of a Facebook group get e-mail notifications about everything--including all messages and wall posts. Pretty quickly this feels like spam.

But you can limit notifications as well - click on Account on the Facebook home page, then the Account Settings drop-down. Click the Notifications and scroll to Groups. From there you can curate Group-related activity results in e-mail alerts. You can even curate notifications for an individual group.

Facebook is big, and getting bigger. So don't feel despondent about the fact that you're having trouble managing the stream of data that Facebook is sending at you. It's not you - it's them. How big? Facebook reports having 800 million active users. Just to give you some perspective, Europe, with Russia included, has a population of 727 million. Yeah, it's big.

So, imagine being on a conference call with 800 million of your 'friends' - that's just not going to work.

The answer is curation. Using the tools that Facebook has deployed to filter, manage, and organize who you're listening to, and how often their messages are getting through.

One big benefit of curating your Facebook feed is that as you dial down the noise, you'll find some of your more interesting friends who don't Update as aggressively start to make their way into your newsfeed. That's a wonderful surprise.

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Follow Steve Rosenbaum on Twitter: www.twitter.com/magnify

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenbaum/curating-facebook-finding_b_1240076.html

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Etta James remembered as triumphant trailblazer (omg!)

GARDENA, California (AP) ? Rhythm & blues legend Etta James was remembered at a service Saturday attended by hundreds of friends, family and fans as a woman who triumphed against all odds to break down cultural and musical barriers in a style that was unfailingly honest.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, eulogized James in a rousing speech, describing her remarkable rise from poverty and pain to become a woman whose music became an enduring anthem for weddings and commercials.

Perhaps most famously, President Barack Obama and the first lady shared their first inaugural ball dance to a version of the song sung by Beyonce, who portrayed James in the film "Cadillac Records." Sharpton on Saturday opened his remarks by reading a statement from the president.

"Etta will be remembered for her legendary voice and her contributions to our nation's musical heritage," Obama's statement read.

The Grammy-winning singer died Jan. 20 after battling leukemia and other ailments, including dementia. She had retreated from public life in recent years, but on Saturday her legacy was on display as mourners of all ages and races converged on the City of Refuge church in Gardena, south of downtown Los Angeles.

Among the stars performing tributes to James were Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera, who told the gathering that she has included "At Last" in every concert she's performed as a tribute to her musical inspiration.

Wonder performed three songs, including "Shelter In the Rain" and a harmonica solo. James' rose-draped casket was on display, surrounded by wreaths and floral arrangements and pictures of the singer.

Sharpton, who met James when he was an up-and-coming preacher, credited her with helping break down racial barriers through her music.

"She was able to get us on the same rhythms and humming the same ballads and understanding each other's melodies way before we could even use the same hotels," Sharpton said, referring to the era when racial segregation was the law in many U.S. states.

He said James' fame and influence would have been unthinkable to a woman with James' background ? growing up in a broken home during segregation and at times battling her own demons.

"The genius of Etta James is she flipped the script," Sharpton said, alluding to her struggles with addiction, which she eventually overcame.

"She waited until she turned her pain into power," he said, adding that it turned her story away from being a tragic one into one of triumph.

"You beat 'em Etta," Sharpton said in concluding his eulogy. "At last. At last. At last!"

The assembly roared to their feet, and would again stand to applaud performances by Wonder and Aguilera, who filled the sanctuary with their voices.

"Out of all the singers that I've ever heard, she was the one that cut right to my soul and spoke to me," Aguilera said before her performance.

Throughout the service, a portrait of James as a woman who beat the odds in pursuit of her dreams repeatedly emerged.

"Etta is special to me and for me, because she represents the life, the triumphs, the tribulations of a lot of black women all over this world," said U.S. Rep Maxine Waters, a California Democrat.

"It does not matter who sang 'At Last' before or after Etta. It does not matter when it was sung, or where it was sung. 'At Last' was branded by Etta, the raunchy diva ? that's her signature and we will always remember her."

James won four Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement honor, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In her decades-long career, she became revered for her passionate, soulful singing voice.

She scored her first hit when she was just a teenager with the suggestive "Roll With Me, Henry," which had to be changed to "The Wallflower" in order to get airplay. Her 1967 album, "Tell Mama," became one of the most highly regarded soul albums of all time, a mix of rock and gospel music.

She rebounded from a heroin addiction to see her career surge after performing the national anthem at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She won her first Grammy Award a decade later, and two more in 2003 and 2004.

James is survived by her husband of 42 years, Artis Mills, and two sons, Donto and Sametto James.

"Mom, I love you," Donto James said during brief remarks. "When I get to the gates, can you please be there for me?"

___

Follow Anthony McCartney at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_etta_james_remembered_triumphant_trailblazer203252040/44339863/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/etta-james-remembered-triumphant-trailblazer-203252040.html

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Ahead in Florida, Romney turns focus back to Obama (AP)

MIAMI ? Mitt Romney strode into the final 48 hours of the pivotal Florida Republican primary campaign with the confidence of a resurgent front-runner, predicting he'll win in Tuesday's voting while looking ahead to future contests.

His main rival Newt Gingrich hustled around the state, trying to rekindle the energy that lifted him to victory in the South Carolina primary on Jan. 21. He acknowledged the possibility he could lose here but vowed to fight Romney to the party's national convention this summer.

Outspent 3-1 on television advertising in Florida during the campaign's closing week, Gingrich was working the free media by chatting up reporters on Saturday and scheduling appearances on two nationally televised Sunday talk shows.

Gingrich has been under heavy attack from Romney and allies of the former Massachusetts governor. Romney had spent the past several days, including during two Florida debates, sharply criticizing Gingrich's discipline, temperament and ethics during and after his time as the House speaker in the 1990s.

Romney changed his line of attack on Saturday to refocus his criticism on President Barack Obama.

"He's detached from reality," Romney said. He criticized Obama's plan to cut the size of the military and what he described as the administration's weak foreign policy.

Gingrich's South Carolina momentum has largely evaporated amid the pounding he has sustained from Romney's campaign and the pro-Romney group called Restore Our Future. They have spent some $6.8 million in ads criticizing Gingrich in the Florida campaign's final week. Polls show Romney solidly ahead.

Gingrich planned to campaign Sunday in central Florida.

Romney had a series of rallies planned for south Florida. He was also looking ahead to the next-up Nevada caucuses and was airing ads in that state ahead of the Feb. 4 contest.

Gingrich sought to regain momentum with the endorsement of Herman Cain, a tea party favorite and former presidential hopeful whose White House effort foundered amid sexual harassment allegations.

Gingrich has been put on the defensive under Romney's withering attack. Gingrich responded by describing the former Massachusetts governor as "dishonest" and questioning his GOP bona fides.

His pledge to stay in the race suggests Republicans could be in for a long winter and spring if money continues to flow into Gingrich's campaign.

A third GOP contestant, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, has made an effort to campaign in the Sunshine State but trails Romney and Gingrich by a wide margin. He cancelled his Sunday events after his 3-year-old daughter Bella was hospitalized. She suffers from a serious genetic condition.

Texas congressman Ron Paul has invested little in the Florida race and is looking ahead to Nevada.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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UFC on Fox 2 weigh-in: Weidman ditches the Sloppy Joes to drop 32 pounds in 11 days

CHICAGO -- Dana White had to be smiling inside to see Chris Weidman make weight for his UFC on Fox 2 fight. Weidman, called just 11 days ago as a late replacement, had to drop from 217 pounds to make tomorrow's battle against Demian Maia an official middleweight fight.

It just two weeks ago that the promotion had to endure the embarrassment of watching Anthony Johnson missed weight badly at UFC 142.

Weidman was actually called with the offer while sitting at his dinner table. His wife was making some delicious Sloppy Joes. When Weidman committed to the fight, he had to go right to work.

"I just headed to the gym and ate a spoonful of peanut butter, and that was it," a glum Weidman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The former Hofstra wrestler is trying to make a big step up the middleweight ladder with a victory over Maia. We'll find out tomorrow if the severe weight cut will affect him on fight night.

Phil Davis went with the wrestling theme. Rashad Evans, a former Michigan State wrestler, tried to rip on Davis and his college wrestling career. It was a strange approach considering Davis was a four-time All-American and national champ in 2008. Davis, who's done a brilliant job of poking fun at Evans, pulled out his old Nittany Lions' garb for the fight today.

This from wrestling guru Maggie Hendricks:

So that singlet is Penn State's championship singlet, one that only gets broken out if a guy wrestles in the finals. Since Davis wrestled in the NCAA finals twice, he has at least one. Most schools have them, but PSU's is very recognizable because they don't have a ton of singlet options, like other schools. As a fellow Big 10er, Evans would know that. Wearing that one, and not Penn State's more traditional dark blue singlet, was a sly way of Davis saying, "Yes, I am the better wrestler."

A weigh-in wouldn't be complete with a dust up or some heat arising. Michael Bisping took care of that by angrily reacting to the booing crowd at the Chicago Theater. The Brit flipped off the fans.

UFC on Fox 2 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie):

MAIN CARD (FOX)

• Phil Davis (205) vs. Rashad Evans (205)
• Michael Bisping (185) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
• Demian Maia (186) vs. Chris Weidman (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)

• Evan Dunham (155) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
• John-Olav Einemo (253) vs. Mike Russow (251)
• George Roop (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
• Charles Oliveira (144) vs. Eric Wisely (145)
• Michael Johnson (156) vs. Shane Roller (156)
• Joey Beltran (228) vs. Lavar Johnson (252)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

• Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Dustin Jacoby (185)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-2-weigh-weidman-ditches-sloppy-joes-005539088.html

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NC gov's exit shakes up vote on gay marriage ban

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) ? Something unexpected happened on the way to North Carolina's vote this May on banning same-sex marriage.

Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue unexpectedly announced Thursday that she won't seek re-election. That means more Democrats could turn out to the polls for the May 8 primary to pick a new candidate for governor.

Before that, mostly Republicans were expected to show up to pick their candidates for governor and president. They were expected to approve the ban.

If approved, the constitutional amendment would make North Carolina the last state in the Southeast to ban gay marriage.

Now supporters of gay rights hope that an influx of Democratic voters could defeat the ban.

Opponents of gay marriage say they have the victory sewn up anyway and it won't make much of a difference.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-NC%20Governor-Gay%20Marriage/id-9555ecb7b3b845e9b14420ebc9736f50

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

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

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

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

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/sony-xperia-s-jogs-past-the-fcc-carrying-plenty-of-atandt-t-mobi/

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Parent company of car battery maker that received Energy Dept. grant files for bankruptcy

MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

10:49 p.m. EST, January 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The parent company of an electric car battery maker that received a $118 million grant from the Obama administration has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Ener1 said it has been affected by competition from China and other countries.

Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received a $118 million stimulus grant from the Energy Department in 2009, and Vice President Biden visited the company's new battery plant in Indiana last year.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said EnerDel had received $55 million so far. Ener1 said the restructuring would not affect EnerDel's operations.

Ener1 is the third company to seek bankruptcy protection after receiving assistance from the Energy Department under the economic stimulus law. California solar panel maker Solyndra Inc. and Beacon Power, a Massachusetts energy-storage firm, declared bankruptcy last year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wghp-FaithNews/~3/e5xoF3A0q4M/sns-bc-us--batterymaker,0,1512352.story

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How to live with the Facebook Timeline

By Rosa Golijan

Facebook

You can pout and you can shout, but there's no avoiding it: You'll soon be forced to use a new profile page design?? better known as the Timeline???on Facebook. It'll be alright though,?because I'm here to (virtually) hold your hand through this big life change.

Woah! Wait! What is this Timeline thing?
Odds are that you've already?heard about?the Facebook Timeline, but let's have a quick review for the sake of those who might've been on a really long vacation or have a (dangerous) tendency to tune out Facebook-related news.

The Facebook Timeline is a new approach to the profile page. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it's a way to better present "the story of your life."

When someone looks at your Timeline, he or she will be able to see summaries of the most important events in your personal history ? instead of having to scroll through years of silly status updates. You're able to feature (or hide)?"Stories" ? life?events, images, and other details ??in order to create what you feel is the best representation of your life.

Since your personal history no longer starts with the day you joined Facebook, but the date of your actual birth, you are encouraged to go back and add events which weren't previously on Facebook. Please choose what you enter with absolute care, and bear in mind that what you enter (ahem, place of birth, mother's maiden name) could be used for nefarious purposes.

While a lifelong timeline may seem convenient and logical, our own privacy-minded Helen Popkin said this may be "the ultimate Trojan horse,"?a way for Facebook to squeeze even more personal information out of you by posing as an unrequested but alluring feature.

Oh, and you can also?augment your Timeline by using apps which track books you've read, movies you've watched, music you've listened to, and so on. (Yeah, this can get a bit creepy?? so you'll probably want to fiddle with your privacy settings. More on that later.)

I don't really want this! How do I avoid it?
As I said when we started our journey down the Timeline rabbit hole: You can pout and shout as much as you want, but there's no avoiding Timeline.

As?Paul McDonald, an engineering manager on the Timeline team, explained recently:

Over the next few weeks, everyone will get timeline. When you get timeline, you'll have 7 days to preview what's there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it. ...?

?You can also choose to publish your timeline at any time during the review period. If you decide to wait, your timeline will go live automatically after seven days. Your new timeline will replace your profile, but all your stories and photos will still be there.

A warning whistle, a seven-day head start, and ... that's it, that's all you're getting. If anyone is trying to convince you that there's a loophole or a way to outsmart Facebook on this particular issue, odds are that he or she is trying to scam you.

Facebook

Fine. I'll live with this somehow, but can I at least hold on to my privacy?
As Lifehacker's Whitson Gordon points out, the?"one big downside to the Timeline layout is that you can easily see every post you've ever made or received on Facebook. All anyone needs to do is go to a certain year on your profile and click the "All Posts" button."

Yes, that particular downside could lead to quite a bit of embarrassing moments, awkward confrontations, and so on.

Thankfully there are two ways to minimize humiliation. Neither of them is particularly perfect, but they help a bit.

Facebook

As tedious as it is, you could go through your Timeline and hide (or delete) individual posts. All you have to do is click the little pencil icon on a post and you'll be presented with the different options.

Of course, this process could take forever and a day if you're a particularly active Facebook user. (I told you it wasn't perfect.)

Facebook

The other action you can take to prevent some embarrassment involves the posts which are visible to the general public or friends of friends. You can change the privacy setting for all of those posts to "friends only" with just one click.?

Live Poll

Are you properly prepared for the arrival of the Timeline?

• 174337

  Wait. What? This is actually happening?

  73%

• 174338

  I've been ready for this since it was first announced. Wake me up when there's real news.

  9%

• 174339

  I ... I think so. I am, right? Did I forget about something?

  12%

• 174340

  Ready? I was born ready (and made myself some custom Timeline cover images later on).

  6%

VoteTotal Votes: 245

You just have to head to the "Privacy Settings" menu, select the "Manage Past Post Visibility" button next to "Limit the Audience for Past Posts." You'll see a little popup which will confirm that you really want to limit the visibility of your old posts and you're done.

But, as?Gordon notes, this particular move "won't hide those posts from your friends, but it will at least keep everyone else on Facebook from being able to browse every post you've ever made public."

Unfortunately that's about all you can do to shelter what little bit or privacy you have left when you're forced to switch over to the Timeline layout. You can?? and should?? be vigilant about what you post in the first place and what sort of state your general privacy settings are in though, of course. (For more details on that, I recommend checking out Lifehacker's "always up-to-date guide to managing your Facebook privacy.")

Facebook

New York Times columnist Nick Bilton gets creative with his Timeline cover image.

Can I at least make this thing look pretty?
One of the first things you'll notice about the Timeline is that it puts a gigantic photo front and center. This is called the "cover" photo and you're prompted to select one as soon as your profile is converted to this new design. (You can change the cover image as often as you want.)

You can use (or abuse) this feature to make your little corner of the social network look as unique as a snowflake.

Your decorating options include ready-made images ??such as the geeky or intense illustrations artist Sam Spratt made available on BuzzFeed?? or your own creations.

Facebook

Buzzfeed's Director of Creative Services Tanner Ringerud shows how a profile photo can interact with a cover image on Facebook.

If you're really itching to have a one-of-a-kind image, then the best thing to do is is to brainstorm until you find a way to make the large cover image interact with your profile photo. The only tricky part ? aside from actually coming up with a clever idea ? is that you need to keep the proportions of the images in mind to make sure that everything looks perfect.

So make note that the large cover image is 851 x 315 pixels and that the smaller profile photo is 125 x 125 pixels.

That's really all there is to it?
Yes, that's all you really need to know about the Facebook Timeline??? what it is, why you can't avoid it, how to keep it from embarrassing you, and how to make it look pretty.

Not so bad after all, right?

Now go on and pass this handy-dandy guide on to your confused friends and family members so that you can enjoy your last seven Timeline-free days in peace.

Related stories:

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

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10232841-facebook-timeline-what-you-need-to-know

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Genes influence criminal behavior, research suggests

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? Your genes could be a strong predictor of whether you stray into a life of crime, according to a research paper co-written by UT Dallas criminologist Dr. J.C. Barnes.

The study's findings were detailed in a recent issue of Criminology. The paper was written with Dr. Kevin M. Beaver from Florida State University and Dr. Brian B. Boutwell at Sam Houston State University.

The study focused on whether genes are likely to cause a person to become a life-course persistent offender, which is characterized by antisocial behavior during childhood that can later progress to violent or serious criminal acts later in life.

The framework for the research was based on the developmental taxonomy of anti-social behavior, a theory derived by Dr. Terri Moffitt, who identified three groups, or pathways, found in the population: life-course persistent offenders, adolescent-limited offenders and abstainers. Moffitt suggested that environmental, biological and, perhaps, genetic factors could cause a person to fall into one of the paths.

"That was the motivation for this paper. No one had actually considered the possibility that genetic factors could be a strong predictor of which path you end up on," said Barnes, who is an assistant professor of criminology in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UT Dallas. "In her (Moffitt's) theory, she seems to highlight and suggest that genetic factors will play a larger role for the life-course persistent offender pathway as compared to the adolescence-limited pathway."

Adolescent-limited offenders exhibit behaviors such as alcohol and drug use and minor property crime during adolescence. Abstainers represent a smaller number of people who don't engage in any deviant behavior.

Barnes and his co-researchers relied on data from 4,000 people drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to identify how people fell into each of the three groups. The researchers then compared the information using what is known as the twin methodology, a study design that analyzed to what extent genetic and environmental factors influenced a trait.

"The overarching conclusions were that genetic influences in life-course persistent offending were larger than environmental influences," he said. "For abstainers, it was roughly an equal split: genetic factors played a large role and so too did the environment. For adolescent-limited offenders, the environment appeared to be most important."

The analysis doesn't identify the specific genes that underlie the different pathways, which Barnes said would be an interesting area for further research.

"If we're showing that genes have an overwhelming influence on who gets put onto the life-course persistent pathway, then that would suggest we need to know which genes are involved and at the same time, how they're interacting with the environment so we can tailor interventions," he said.

Barnes said there is no gene for criminal behavior. He said crime is a learned behavior.

"But there are likely to be hundreds, if not thousands, of genes that will incrementally increase your likelihood of being involved in a crime even if it only ratchets that probability by 1 percent," he said. "It still is a genetic effect. And it's still important."

The link between genes and crime is a divisive issue in the criminology discipline, which has primarily focused on environmental and social factors that cause or influence deviant behavior.

"Honestly, I hope people when they read this, take issue and start to debate it and raise criticisms because that means people are considering it and people are thinking about it," Barnes said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas at Dallas.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. J.C. Barnes, Kevin M. Beaver, Brian B. Boutwell. Examining the Genetic Underpinnings to Moffitt's Developmental Taxonomy: A Behavior Genetic Analysis. Criminology, 2011; 49 (4): 923 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2011.00243.x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125151841.htm

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Sweden's Ericsson says Q4 profits dropped (AP)

STOCKHOLM ? LM Ericsson, the world-leading wireless equipment maker in terms of market share, on Wednesday shocked the market by posting a much worse-than-expected fourth-quarterly result, mainly blaming operators for turning cautious due to the global financial turmoil.

Shares in the company took a severe beating in the opening minutes of the Stockholm stock exchange, tumbling 13 percent to 8.95 kronor ($1.33).

The company, headquartered in Stockholm in Sweden, said profits in the final quarter of 2011 fell by more than two-thirds compared with a year earlier, reaching only 1.15 billion kronor ($170 million) from a previous 4.32 billion kronor. Aside from the woes on the financial markets, it also said operator investment spending had slowed down due to a period of high investment in capacity as well as caution linked to political unrest in some countries.

Although sales were more or less flat in the October-December period, rising by 1 percent to 63.67 billion kronor, the tighter budgets for operators led to a severe squeeze of its gross margin, which fell to 30.2 percent from a previous 34.7 percent.

Losses in its Sony Ericsson joint venture also hurt the results, it said. Ericsson last year sold its share in Sony Ericsson to Sony, but the deal is being finalized in this quarter.

For the full year 2011, however, a 12 percent rise in sales led to a net profit of 12.19 billion kronor, also up 12 percent from the full year in 2010, the company said.

Greger Johansson, an analyst with research firm Redeye said the results fell way below expectations, describing them as "very weak," especially pointing to the disappointing sales figures in Ericsson's core unit, Networks.

"It's pretty much weaker on all areas," he said.

Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg said that although his company expects operators "to continue to be cautious with spending, reflecting factors such as macro economic and political uncertainty" in the short term, "the industry fundamentals for longer-term positive development remain solid."

"With our global scale and presence, as well as technology and services leadership, we are well positioned to continue to drive and lead the industry development," he said.

Ericsson is the world leader in rolling out and upgrading mobile network infrastructure. Its biggest competitors are China's Huawei and Finnish-German joint venture Nokia Siemens.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_sweden_earns_ericsson

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Merkel walks fine line on boosting euro firewall (Reuters)

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) ? Angela Merkel's conservative allies warned on Tuesday against committing additional German funds to euro zone bailout schemes, underscoring how difficult it will be for the chancellor to meet international demands to boost the bloc's defenses.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and Italian premier Mario Monti have both travelled to Berlin to urge Merkel to increase the euro zone's firewall by either boosting the 500 billion-euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM) or allowing it to run concurrently with the existing bailout fund it is due to replace at mid-year.

German government sources have told Reuters Merkel does not rule out such a step if the euro zone crisis deteriorates over coming months. But only the threat of a disaster may persuade her coalition to back more funds for the currency bloc.

In particular, she faces stiff opposition from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), whose leaders have flirted with euroscepticism, and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), whose freefall in opinion polls has thrown them onto the defensive.

"The (opposition) Social Democrats would back it and she could probably get her Christian Democrats on board. But the FDP could well see it as a no go," a senior German official told Reuters, requesting anonymity.

Euro zone finance ministers have agreed to "reassess the adequacy" of their current rescue fund - European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - and its successor, the ESM, in March.

And Germany is unlikely to send a clear signal about any shift in its position until then. But Lagarde sent Merkel a clear message at a meeting between the two on Sunday that G20 countries outside the euro zone would not agree to boost their contributions to the IMF unless the chancellor showed movement on the rescue funds, European sources told Reuters.

The IMF resources debate will be at the centre of talks between G20 finance ministers who are due to meet in Mexico next month.

PART OF IMF DEBATE

"The definitive conversation on this may not happen until March. But certainly the message is being sent about the need for the combined value of the EFSF/ESM to be increased (towards 750 billion euros) and Germany has taken that message on board," one euro zone source said.

"It's part of a wider discussion about boosting IMF resources, but it's also part of the need to get countries to sign up to the fiscal compact," the source added, referring to a treaty on tighter budget rules that Berlin supports. "The timing for Germany is everything, but they know where they need to go."

Officials close to Merkel denied that she had made any promises to Lagarde. But they also point to her comments at a news conference with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo on Monday.

When asked if she could agree to boost the euro zone's rescue funds, she at first said it was not time for such a debate, before adding that Germany was prepared to do everything necessary to save the euro.

Another euro zone source said Germany had signaled it was ready to move on the firewall when the time was right, but acknowledged that Merkel had domestic constraints and a deal before an EU summit at the beginning of March was unlikely.

Lagarde said in a speech in Berlin on Monday that bigger countries like Italy and Spain could be pushed into a "solvency crisis" if European governments refuse to commit more funds.

Monti has complained to Merkel in person that bolder steps are needed from Germany to avoid destabilizing Italy and the broader single currency bloc.

But Otto Fricke, a budget expert from the FDP, told Reuters that boosting the firewall now would be "putting the cart before the horse".

Another senior member of the party said, on condition of anonymity, that the only scenario where Merkel might get support for a bigger ESM was in the event of a disorderly Greek default, which could unleash contagion engulfing both Italy and Spain.

Gerda Hasselfeldt, a leading MP from the CSU, said it was otherwise "superfluous" to hold such a debate now.

Senior government officials said they would find it hard to go back on the oft-repeated message to German voters that the combined potential outlay of the ESM and EFSF should not exceed 500 billion euros.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Brown, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Sobolewski and Erik Kirschbaum; Writing by Noah Barkin)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_eurozone_germany

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Weaver revisits paranormal with 'Red Lights' (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? Sigourney Weaver may not believe in ghosts, but the paranormal world of her latest film is not alien territory for her.

Weaver's Sundance Film Festival premiere, "Red Lights," is a dark exploration of the supernatural realm she previously took on in comic mode with "Ghostbusters" and its sequel.

"I probably don't believe in fairies and ghosts, but I certainly believe that people have souls," Weaver, 62, said in an interview. "I think that, and that's there's more going on around us than we can explain in a rational way."

What did surprise Weaver in preparing for her role is "what a huge business psychic entertainment was," she said.

"Red Lights" features Weaver as a skeptic whose life's work is debunking phony claims of the paranormal. The film from writer-director Rodrigo Cortes co-stars Robert De Niro as a superstar of the psychic realm, Cillian Murphy as Weaver's assistant and Elizabeth Olsen as one of their students.

There has been talk of a third "Ghostbusters" movie that would reunite Weaver with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and other co-stars. Weaver likes the idea but has doubts it will happen.

"I'd love to work with everybody again," Weaver said. "I think, mmm, at this point, I think it's probably less than 50-50. That's what I think."

Another sequel to one of Weaver's blockbusters definitely is on. But Weaver cannot say much about "Avatar 2," James Cameron's next chapter in his science-fiction franchise. The first "Avatar" film was the biggest commercial smash of modern times, making $2.8 billion worldwide.

Weaver's character died and underwent a cosmic transformation in "Avatar." But Weaver has been bumped off before in her "Alien" sci-fi franchise and came back to battle on in another sequel.

"As Jim would say, there's no death in science fiction," Weaver said. "But no, I can't really talk about it. But I am looking forward to it."

Weaver is more talkative about a film that's an offshoot of the franchise that made her a star. In Ridley Scott's 1979 hit "Alien," Weaver played Ellen Ripley, the lone survivor of a spaceship crew terrorized by an unstoppable creature.

She earned a best-actress Academy Award nomination as Ripley in Cameron's 1986 follow-up "Aliens," and she reprised the role in two more sequels.

Scott makes his return to science fiction with this summer's "Prometheus," a cousin to "Alien" that stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. The director and his actors have been coy about whether "Prometheus" is an outright prequel to "Alien," though they have said there are connections between the films, and the trailer for the new one has images resembling the design and features of the 1979 tale.

"Whatever they call it, I think everyone's very excited to see what Ridley does with some of these wonderful elements, and I think I'll be just as excited as everybody," Weaver said. "I don't really want to know anything about it. I have great confidence in him, and I'm sure they'll make a wonderful movie."

Could Weaver ever imagine resurrecting Ripley for another film?

"No. Let the poor woman rest," Weaver said. "No one ever believed her, anyway. They gave her such a hard time."

___

Online:

http://www.sundance.org

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_en_mo/us_film_sundance_sigourney_weaver

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Steven Tyler: Fiancee Erin Brady Wooed Me With Seductive Headband (omg!)

Aerosmith frontman and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler is known for his love of scarves and headbands - and it appears his fiancee is also fond of the accessory.

In an appearance on Monday's Access Hollywood Live , the rocker dished on how their mutual love of head wraps helped to wrap up his heart for fiancee Erin Brady, 38.

"I saw her one night, she had this band around her head. I said, 'Wow, this is a girl that's not afraid to wear a headband in a very old-fashioned, old-timey sort of way, and I loved it," the 63-year-old rocker told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover. "[She] took be back to her hotel room, tied me up with it and I said, 'This is the girl that I want to marry.' Done! Hello!"

Despite two previous marriages and two divorces, Steve is ready to take the plunge again.

"There's something about a commitment. There's some kind of magic that lives inside a commitment," he explained. "Every time I've ever made a commitment, I've made it successful. And even a few botched marriages, they were still successful."

The rock legend, who was previously married to Cyrinda Fox and Teresa Barrick, said he maintains good relations with all the women from his past.

"I've got four beautiful kids. I still love their moms. I just screwed up," he continued.

And will Steven become a dad for a fifth time?

"I don't know, we'll wait and see," he told Billy and Kit when asked about the possibility of more children. "I'm taking it slow."

Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_steven_tyler_fiancee_erin_brady_wooed_seductive_headband192442893/44275845/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/steven-tyler-fiancee-erin-brady-wooed-seductive-headband-192442893.html

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Obama Address: 'Blueprint' for Action (ABC News)

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Neil Young journeys to Utah with new concert film (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? Neil Young recalls how his first concert film with director Jonathan Demme was a lush, stately tribute to country music.

He says their latest, "Neil Young Journeys," is more like an electric bolt, with a "grinding, blinding beauty to it."

Their 2006 film "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was a reflective, comforting chronicle of two shows Young performed at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium alongside such longtime musical comrades as Emmylou Harris, Ben Keith and Spooner Oldham.

"Journeys" is a raw, thunderous counterpart, filmed by Demme at Toronto's Massey Hall during the closing shows of Young's solo tour last year. Solo often implies intimate and acoustic, but Young wails away on electric guitar, harmonica, piano and organ throughout the show.

The new film played Saturday at the Slamdance Film Festival, a rival showcase to Sundance. Demme says it was a fitting place because both Slamdance and the film share something of a "bad-boy" attitude.

"'Journeys' is so different from `Heart of Gold.' It's like the other side of the universe," Young, 66, said in an interview alongside Demme. "'Heart of Gold' was a massive production with great caretaking to present this whole image of this forgotten style of presenting music, in this great old chapel of country music. ...

"This film we just made is so opposite of that. It's just one person. The sound is completely different and the attitude of it is different. The look is different. ... The sounds are kind of enveloping. You get to move way inside, whereas, `Heart of Gold,' you're way back, going, `Oh, it's beautiful seeing it from the back, seeing all these beautiful people, these great musicians.' And this one here, you're like inside my instrument, inside the distortion of the guitar. There's nothing in the way."

Demme and Young seem to be on a never-ending film journey. The new movie marks the fourth film collaboration between Young and Demme, the Academy Award-winning director of "The Silence of the Lambs."

Young earned an Oscar nomination for the title song of Demme's 1993 AIDS drama "Philadelphia," and in between "Heart of Gold" and "Journeys," the two made the 2009 concert film "Neil Young Trunk Show."

"Journeys" premiered at last September's Toronto International Film Festival and has since been picked up for theatrical distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.

The film includes extreme close-ups of Young captured by a tiny camera mounted on his microphone. The camera was so close its lens catches globs of spit from Young as he's singing, adding a bit of a psychedelic tinge to the images.

"It's more distorted and funky. It's a little bit more in your face," Young said. "It's like zooming in on something, losing everything that's usually around it, and you're just losing everything else. There's no bass, no drums, there's no other guitars, there's no other voices, there's no synthesizers, there's no echo. There's just this thing. It's a big sound, because you're right up on it. It's like a fantastic voyage into your guitars."

Along with songs from Young's 2010 album "Le Noise," "Journeys" features such classics as "After the Gold Rush," "Ohio" and "Down by the River."

Intercut between the songs in "Journeys" is a road trip Young takes to one of the Toronto shows from his northern Ontario hometown of Omemee, cruising with Demme in a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria and commenting on how the towns and landscape have changed.

"This whole world of cars and music, that's a big chunk of Neil's DNA. He's all about cars and driving and music in motion," Demme said. "I don't think we had any discussions. It was just like, well, we're going to Canada to shoot the concert in Toronto. Obviously, we'll drive down there from Omemee and take a look and see what's changed, and kind of just discover the past in the present. The same way the songs are very often kind of reflective. ...

"It put a lens up to his life. He's a medium for all of our lives. Certainly, our generation, whatever Neil's been singing about for the last 40 years or whatever, it's like, `Thank you. That's exactly what I was feeling. You've put it into words and music.'"

___

Online:

http://www.slamdance.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_en_mo/us_film_sundance_neil_young

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Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on)

We had a few minutes to browse through iBooks 2 textbooks following Apple's press conference this morning, but now we have a fully-loaded iPad 2 to play with, so we decided to spend some more time getting educated in the comfort of our in-house studio. You already had a chance to get familiar with the new app and associated media earlier today, so this time it's all about the visuals. Browse through the galley below as we explore Life on Earth before taking a front seat in Biology and getting our hands dirty with Frog Dissection. And if you're feeling brave, there's a juicy video walkthrough just past the break.

Gallery: Apple iBooks 2 screenshots

Continue reading Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on)

Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2-textbooks-video-walkthrough-and-screenshots-hand/

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Female nude by Bacon may fetch $28 million at Christie's (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? A female nude painted by Francis Bacon in 1963 will lead Christie's London auction of post-war and contemporary art on February 14, where it is expected to fetch around 18 million pounds ($28 million).

"Portrait of Henrietta Moraes" depicts Bacon's friend and former lover of Lucian Freud in a large, vibrant work which Francis Outred, head of post-war and contemporary art in Europe, called "one of the most seductive and sexually charged paintings I have ever encountered by Bacon."

Bacon's depictions of "bon vivant" and London socialite Moraes were his first to seriously consider the female form, although he is most often associated with the male nude.

Art critic David Sylvester once said: "Bacon's lack of personal erotic interest in naked females did nothing to prevent these paintings from being as passionate as those of the male bodies that obsessed him."

The artist never painted his subjects from life, and so asked photographer John Deakin to take a series of pictures from which he could work.

Christie's said the work, which measures more than five feet high, had only ever had two owners -- post-war industrialist Willy Schniewind and the present owner who acquired it in 1983.

The seller was not named, and only identified as a "distinguished New Yorker."

1963 is considered an important year for Bacon, whose works have become coveted by some of the world's wealthiest collectors willing to part with fortunes to own them.

The auction record for a Bacon stands at $86.3 million set at Sotheby's in New York in May 2008 for a triptych.

Bacon returned to Moraes as a subject for numerous works over the course of his career. Christie's linked the "striking passion" of the painting on offer with the artist's own personal life.

It was executed at the time Bacon was embarking on a stormy love affair with George Dyer, who became an important subject of his works during his lifetime and after his death from an overdose in 1971.

The price tag on the Bacon underlines confidence in the art market that important works which rarely come under the hammer will fetch high prices despite broader economic concerns.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/stage_nm/us_francisbacon_christies

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Murdoch to pay Jude Law and others hacking damages

[unable to retrieve full-text content]LONDON (AP) ? Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper company on Thursday agreed to pay damages to 36 high-profile victims of tabloid phone-hacking, including actor Jude Law, soccer player Ashley Cole and former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-19-Britain-Phone%20Hacking/id-dd21a11155c24c4fada8a062fad2c3a2

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Roddick out of Australian Open with leg injury

Andy Roddick, left, of the US shakes hands with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt as he retires injured from their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Andy Roddick, left, of the US shakes hands with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt as he retires injured from their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Andy Roddick of the US slips over against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Andy Roddick of the US waves as he leaves Rod Laver Arena after retiring injured from his second round match against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Andy Roddick of the US reaches for a forehand return to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Serena Williams of the US hits a forehand return to Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Andy Roddick's bid to win another Grand Slam singles title nearly a decade after his first hit a roadblock Thursday when a hamstring injury forced him out of the Australian Open.

The former No. 1, whose lone major singles win came at the 2003 U.S. Open, was trailing Lleyton Hewitt 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 when he called the trainer to his courtside chair. He then walked over to Hewitt and shook the Australian player's hand.

Roddick had fallen to the court in the second set, but played despite being in obvious pain from the leg injury.

"It's a miserable, terrible thing being out there compromised like that," Roddick said of his attempt to play with the injury. "I wanted to see what I could do. You don't really have much time for clarity in that situation. He's a tough guy to play ... he knew what was going on."

Trailing 2-0 in the second set, Roddick moved suddenly to his right to retrieve a Hewitt forehand, and seemed to overstretch his right leg, rolling over on his right ankle. Hewitt won that point and the next two for a 3-0 lead, then Roddick took a medical timeout.

Hewitt said the injury was "a nightmare for both of us."

"Obviously, he stretched something," Hewitt said. "It's not easy for the person up the other end of the court. It's hard to concentrate when they're having injury timeouts.

"Andy's a great competitor ... he's similar to me. He plays with his heart on his sleeve, has that never-say-die attitude as well. It's never easy to play injured or to pull out of a match. It's not a good feeling."

Roddick looked lethargic in the second and third sets, rare chasing down shots and walking slowly between points with his head hanging down. He threw his racket into the wall at one point and argued with the chair umpire after a video replay showed that one of Hewitt's shots ? originally called out ? actually hit the line.

The 30-year-old Hewitt, who has won two major titles and was a finalist here in 2005, will play 21-year-old Milos Raonic of Canada in the third round.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic advanced earlier Thursday, overcoming an early service break against Santiago Giraldo in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 victory at Melbourne Park.

"I maybe started a little too defensive because he was hitting the ball very strong," said Djokovic, who won three of the four majors last year. "But then after, it was the other way around."

A title in Melbourne would put him in select company. Only four players ? Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal ? have won three straight Grand Slam singles tournaments, and Djokovic could join them following his wins at last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Second-seeded Nadal and third-seeded Federer, who are in the other half of the draw here, play back-to-back matches at Rod Laver Arena on Friday.

Earlier, five-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams notched her 500th career singles victory when she beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the third round. The left ankle she badly sprained two weeks ago wasn't an issue. However, near the end of the match, she tweak her other ankle and fell to the court.

"It's totally fine. It was my good ankle, so I'm good," she said.

Williams won the Australian Open in 2009 and 2010, but didn't defend her title in 2011 because she was injured.

Her older sister, Venus, has a win-loss record of 589-147, is sitting out the Australian Open because of an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.

Serena is grateful to get her 500th win.

"I knew I had to get there too, because I do everything she does," Williams said of her sister's accomplishment. "It's great, it's like the ultimate."

Martina Navratilova had a career record 1,442-219, and Chris Evert retired with a 1,309-146 win-loss mark.

"I never will get there either, but it's really cool," Williams said. "Five hundred is a lot of matches to play, let alone to win."

Fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the final here last year, also advanced Thursday, beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Murray is playing his first Grand Slam tournament since hiring eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl as his coach.

"It's been good, he's obviously one of the greatest players ever," Murray said. "He's got so much experience and he's a very funny guy. You wouldn't probably expect it by the way he was on the court, similar to myself."

With top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki having a day off, No. 2 Petra Kvitova moved into the third round with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over Carla Suarez Navarro. Kvitova, who lost in the first round at the U.S. Open in the first major after winning Wimbledon, was down a service break in the third before recovering to beat the Spaniard.

"In the beginning it was OK, but I made many, many, many mistakes," Kvitova said of her 48 unforced errors. "It's part of my game but it's too many. It was very tough to get back in the third set."

Maria Sharapova, one of the three former champions in the women's draw, reached the third round after just two hours on court in two matches. The 2008 champion had a 6-0, 6-1 second-round win over U.S. qualifier Jamie Hampton in 64 minutes.

Sharapova did not play in any warmup events and spent nearly two weeks in Melbourne ahead of the season's first major while she rested an injured left ankle.

"It was more about getting my feet going," Sharapova said. "Yeah, started my preparations in the offseason a little late, took a bit of extra time in practice instead of rushing into a tournament."

She'll meet No. 30 Angelique Kerber, who beat Canada's Stephanie Dubois 7-5, 6-1.

Seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva, a two-time semifinalist at Melbourne Park, had a 6-1, 7-6 (3) over Lucie Hradecka. No. 21 Ana Ivanovic also advanced, beating Dutch player Michaella Krajicek 6-2, 6-3.

Ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli beat local hope and former quarterfinalist Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-3 and No. 27 Maria Kirilenko of Russia topped Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. Former U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat American Sloane Stephens 7-6 (6), 7-5.

Three seeded players were beaten: No. 23 Roberta Vinci lost to China's Zheng Jie, No. 29 Nadia Petrova fell to Sara Errani and No. 25 Kaia Kanepi lost to Ekaterina Makarova.

In the men's draw, sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost the 2008 final to Djokovic, advanced 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 over Ricardo Mello of Brazil, while No. 5 David Ferrer struggled early against American Ryan Sweeting before coming back to win 6-7 (4), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic, No. 23 Milos Raonic of Canada, No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan and No. 27 Juan Ignacio Chela also progressed. Frenchman Michael Llodra beat No. 32 Alex Bogomolov Jr. 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4 and Portugal's Frederico Gil beat No. 26 Marcel Granollers in four sets.

In a night match, No. 14 Gael Monfils beat Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, 6-2 and will play Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazkakhstan in the third round. Kukushkin earlier beat No. 19 Viktor Troicki of Serbia 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

In an all-French match, Julien Benneteau beat 12th-seeded Gilles Simon 7-5, 7-6 (8), 1-6, 3-6, 6-2.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-19-TEN-Australian-Open/id-4633a79c27f140d28b4bc7514a403c0d

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