92% Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas is a beautiful and fun Christmas movie that is sure to be a holiday classic. The story follows Arthur who is the son of Santa Clause, his brother Steve is a smart but at times inconsiderate role model who is second in command to Santa, and when a little girl has a gift that did not get sent Arthur does everything he can to make sure this girl has a Merry Christmas. The plot of the movie is funny and a great lesson to be told about Christmas and children, and what i learned from this movie if anything is that every child needs to believe in Santa, because there is nothing better than believeing that there is somebody who loves you that whill bring you a present on Christmas day, and the characters of the film were good but i found the characters to be a little selfish at times besides Arthur who was a incredibly kind and good charcater and he saved the film in a way from being just a bunch of selfish men wanting to be a star. The voice cast was great, James McAvoy was perfect for the character, Hugh Laurie was also was a well done choice as Steve, Jim Broadbent was good as the voice as Santa, and Bill Nighy was also a great choice for his role, what else can I say for voice actors other than I liked them. The animation was incredible, I could really tell they worked hard to make a beautiful Christmas film and it really payed off big time, I loved the beauty in this film. Arthur Christmas had some few problems that kept it from being a perfect Christmas film, but those were minor compared to the things that they got right that made it a great Christmas film and that will make it remembered for years to come.

December 30, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arthur_christmas/

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Symantec says pcAnywhere safe, offers free upgrade (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) ? Symantec Corp said it is safe to use its pcAnywhere software for accessing remote PCs after it asked customers last week to disable the product because it put them at greater risk of being hacked.

The software maker took the unusual step of urging customers to temporarily stop using the product after an investigation determined that the blueprints, or source code, to pcAnywhere were stolen in 2006.

Symantec said on January 25 that the theft put users of all versions of the product at greater risk of losing data to hackers.

The company has since determined that it was safe to use the current version of the product, pcAnywhere 12.5, as long as it was updated with a security patch released on January 23, company spokesman Brian Modena said on Monday.

Symantec is offering free upgrades to pcAnywhere 12.5 at no charge to all customers, even those using old editions that would not typically qualify for support, he said.

The company warned customers earlier this month about the theft of the source code to pcAnywhere and several other titles such as Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition, Norton Internet Security, Norton Utilities and Norton GoBack.

It made the announcement after a hacker who goes by the name YamaTough released the source code to its Norton Utilities PC software and threatened to publish its widely used anti-virus programs. Authorities have yet to apprehend the hacker.

The company initially said the theft of the code posed no threat as long as customers were using the most recent versions of Symantec's software, with one exception - users of pcAnywhere might face "a slightly increased security risk."

While Symantec is advising all customers to upgrade, they can safely continue using versions 12.0 and 12.1 if they download a second software patch released on January 27, Modena said.

Customers can contact the company via email for more information: pcanywhere@symantec.com.

(Reporting By Jim Finkle; editing by Andre Grenon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/software/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wr_nm/us_symantec_hacking

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Stocks and bond yields drop on Europe worries (AP)

NEW YORK ? The wait for an expected deal between Greece and its creditors rattled financial markets around the world Monday. Yields for ultra-safe U.S. government debt hit their lowest this year, the euro dropped against the dollar, and European stocks took a fall.

But U.S. stocks dropped only slightly. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 6.74 points to close at 12,653.72, for a drop of 0.1 percent. The Dow lost as much as 131 points in morning trading then slowly recovered in the afternoon.

Borrowing costs for European countries with the heaviest debt burdens shot higher. The two-year interest rate for Portugal's government debt jumped to 21 percent after trading around 14 percent last week.

Greece and the investors who bought its government bonds were said to be close to an agreement over the weekend. A tentative deal would replace bonds held by investment funds and banks with new ones at half the face value.

The plan is aimed at cutting Greece's debt by roughly euro100 billion ($132 billion). Greece needs it to secure a crucial installment of bailout loans and make an upcoming bond payment. But a deal has been in the works for weeks and could still fall apart.

The focus on Greece has shifted attention away from what's going well in the U.S., said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank. Companies have reported stronger quarterly earnings, and hiring has picked up.

"Our collective breath has been held for so many months," he said.

At this point, a good or even a bad resolution of Greece's debt crisis could lead to a stronger U.S. stock market, Ablin said.

"If it finally happens and the world doesn't fall apart, maybe we'll have a reason to take risk again," he said. "Once you pull off the Band-Aid, it feels better."

U.S. Treasury yields sank to their lowest level this year as traders parked cash in the safest assets. The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 1.85 percent. It was trading above 2 percent last Wednesday.

The yield on the five-year Treasury note hit a record low of 0.71 percent early Monday. It finished Monday at 0.74 percent, from 0.75 percent late Friday.

An agreement between Greece and its creditors could serve as a blueprint for other European countries with heavy debt burdens. Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG, pointed to Portugal's soaring bond yields in a note to clients.

"At this rate, Portugal is going to move from the back to front burner in very, very short order," he said.

European leaders also gathered in Brussels, focusing on how to stimulate economic growth when huge government spending cuts threaten to push many countries back into recession. The latest data showed Spain's economy shrank in the last three months of 2011.

In other trading, the Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.32 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,313.01. The Nasdaq composite lost 4.6 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,811.94.

The euro dropped 0.5 percent against the dollar, to $1.3124 in late trading Monday from $1.3208 late Friday. It was worth almost $1.50 in May.

European stocks sank. French and Spanish stock markets closed down 1.6 percent. Italian stocks closed down 1.2 percent and German stocks 1 percent.

Among stocks making big moves Friday:

? The fast food chain Wendy's fell 3.8 percent. The Wendy's Co. said a key measure of earnings dropped 30 percent in the fourth quarter. Charges from selling Arby's offset the effects of a jump in sales.

? PharMerica Corp. plunged 11 percent. The Federal Trade Commission said it was suing to block rival pharmacy company Omnicare Inc. from completing its $457 million takeover of PharMerica. The agency said a merger of the country's two largest long-term care pharmacies would raise the cost of Medicare prescription plans covering drugs for nursing home residents. Stock in Omnicare Inc. fell less than 1 percent.

? Thomas & Betts Corp. soared 23 percent on news that Swiss engineering group ABB Ltd. agreed to buy the maker of power lines and other electrical products for $3.9 billion in cash.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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GetHired Nabs $1.75 Million To Launch Its Video-Centric Recruiting Platform & Job Board

Paper resumes are -- or should be -- going out of style. They rarely give employers a complete profile of a potential hire, they're filled with abbreviated bunches of value-less buzzwords (or in my case, action verbs), and the thought of them makes trees cry. You don't want to make trees cry, do you? No, you don't. So many companies are turning to alternative, technological means to find the right candidates for job openings, some using algorithms, ranking systems, SaaS solutions like Taleo's, and more. In fact, one in six are now finding jobs on social networks.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HXbc_XFFXWw/

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Protesters march through Super Bowl Village

People gather against the Right To Work bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

People gather against the Right To Work bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

People gather against the Right To Work bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

Randy Harrison of Anderson holds a sign against the Right To Work Bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

People gather against the Right To Work bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

Jolivette Anderson of West Lafayette, a.k.a. "The Poet Warrior" speaks out against the Right To Work Bill during a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich) NO SALES

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? A mix of union members and Occupy protesters from across Indiana marched through Super Bowl Village on Saturday in opposition to the state's proposed right-to-work legislation.

About 75 marchers weaved through packed crowds at the pre-game street fair in downtown Indianapolis in the first of what could be several such protests before the big game Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The protesters chanted "Occupy the Super Bowl" and carried signs that read "Fight the Lie" and "Workers United Will Prevail."

Saturday was the second straight day of right-to-work protests in the Super Bowl Village. About 40 people picketed the opening of a zip line in the Village. The 800-foot zip line allows participants to clip onto a wire about 100 feet off the ground and glide almost two blocks.

Most onlookers stared in silence as the protesters walked past them, but some like Jason Leibowitz of Jamestown were upset about their outing being interrupted. "There's a place and a time for this," Leibowitz said. "This isn't it."

Organizers of the march say the protests will likely continue if Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signs the divisive bill into law this week.

Supporters of the legislation, mostly Republicans, insist the measure helps create a pro-business climate that attracts employers and increases jobs. Opponents say the measure only leads to lower wages and poorer quality jobs.

Before Saturday's march, Occupy Purdue organizer Tithi Bhattacharya, a professor at Purdue University, led a rally in front of the Statehouse that included union workers, Occupy protesters, two representatives and a state senator among the speakers.

Most emphasized that while the right-to-work legislation appears likely to pass following Wednesday's House vote approving the bill, that doesn't mean an end to protests.

"If the governor signs, I want to shame him out of this state," said Heath Hensley of Occupy Anderson. "He doesn't want us screwing up this Super Bowl."

State Senator Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis, called the bill evidence that Republican legislators are not in touch with the needs of working-class voters. "If you voted Republican in the past, stop," Breaux said.

Hensley, Breaux and other speakers urged protesters to convince their friends and family members to vote out anyone who decided in favor of the bill.

Another Statehouse protest is planned for Monday's Senate hearing on the bill, and Bhattacharya said that if the bill passes, there will be plenty of angry people who may keep protesting through game day.

The Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots is expected to draw more than 150,000 visitors to Indianapolis.

"Upsetting the Super Bowl ? I couldn't care less," protester Lou Feldman of Lafayette said. "This is about my life and my family. Maybe it will make some people notice."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-28-Right%20To%20Work-Super%20Bowl%20Protest-3rd%20Ld-Writethru/id-cb6e48b1a9e04e1ca28b81bbc9839cab

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Altria 4Q profit falls 9 pct, CEO to retire (AP)

RICHMOND, Va. ? Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. said Friday that its fourth-quarter profit fell about 9 percent on lease, legal and restructuring charges even as higher prices and gains from its smokeless tobacco products helped bolster its sales.

The owner of the nation's biggest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, also announced that CEO Michael E. Szymanczyk will retire in May following the company's annual shareholder meeting. Altria's board has selected Martin J. Barrington to replace him as CEO and chairman, and David R. Beran will serve as president and chief operating officer.

The company also disclosed that it has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Fertin Pharma A/S to develop non-combustible nicotine-containing products. Several other tobacco companies have announced similar initiatives to seek cigarette alternatives as demand declines.

"Altria continues to focus on lower-risk products that appeal to adult tobacco consumers," Szymanczyk said in a conference call with investors.

Richmond, Va.-based Altria reported net income of $836 million, or 41 cents per share, for the three-month period ended Dec. 31, down from $919 million, or 44 cents a share, last year. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 50 cents per share, a penny above Wall Street expectations.

Revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 5 percent to $4.34 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting $4.23 billion.

Its shares fell 52 cents to close at $28.14 Friday. Its shares have recovered from a 52-week low of $23.20 in early August and are 7.4 percent below their high for the past year of $30.40 set in mid-December.

Cigarettes volumes were flat at 33.7 billion cigarettes compared with a year ago as an increase of nearly 20 percent in its discount cigarette brands offset declines in its premium brands like Marlboro. Cigarette revenue excluding excise taxes rose 4 percent to $3.63 billion during the quarter on higher prices.

Altria said its top-selling Marlboro brand lost 0.7 points of market share to end up with 41.6 percent of the U.S. market. Marlboro volumes declined less than 1 percent. Its other brands, including Virginia Slims, Parliament and Basic, also lost market share.

The company has introduced several new products with the Marlboro brand, often with lower promotional pricing. They include special blends of both menthol and non-menthol cigarettes to try to keep the brand growing and steal smokers from its competitors.

Altria still faces pressure in the current economy from less-expensive brands such as like Pall Mall from Reynolds American Inc. and Maverick from Lorillard Inc. Marlboro sold for an average of $5.73 per pack during the fourth quarter, compared with an average of $4.24 per pack for the cheapest brand.

Despite changes in market share driven by short-term increases in promotional activity, "Marlboro's underlying brand equity remains strong," Szymanczyk said.

Like other tobacco companies, Altria is focusing on cigarette alternatives ? such as cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco ? for future sales growth because the decline in cigarette smoking is expected to continue.

Volumes of its smokeless tobacco brands such as Copenhagen and Skoal increased about 10 percent. Excluding excise taxes, revenue from its smokeless tobacco business grew nearly 7 percent to $391 million on higher prices.

For the quarter, the company's smokeless tobacco brands had 55.5 percent of the market, which is tiny compared with cigarettes.

Volume for its Black & Mild cigars fell about 6 percent during the period. But revenue excluding excise taxes rose 26 percent to $90 million as it raised prices and spent less money promoting the brand.

Altria also owns a wine business and holds a voting stake in brewer SABMiller.

Altria has been forced to cut costs as tax hikes, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma make the cigarette business tougher. During the third quarter, the company said it completed a multi-year cost savings program, exceeding its goal of reducing costs by $1.5 billion between 2007 and 2011 compared with 2006.

Last quarter the company rolled out a plan to cut $400 million in "cigarette-related infrastructure costs" by the end of 2013 in advance of anticipated cigarette volume declines. Altria said the restructuring charges in connection with the program totaled 7 cents per share in the fourth quarter.

For the full year, the company said it earned $3.39 billion, or $1.64 per share, in 2011 compared with $3.9 billion, or $1.87 per share, in the previous year. It said its adjusted earnings for the year were $2.05 per share.

Cigarette volumes for the year fell about 4 percent to 135.1 billion cigarettes, largely on declines from Altria's premium brands. Marlboro ended the year with a 42 percent share of the U.S. retail market, down 0.6 points from a year ago. Overall the company lost 0.8 points of market share to end up with 49 percent of the retail market.

Full-year smokeless tobacco volumes increased more than 1 percent to 734.6 million cans or packs, and cigar volumes were stable at 1.25 billion units.

Altria also said it forecast 2012 full-year adjusted earnings between $2.17 and $2.23 per share.

___

Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_altria_group

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Obama's State of the Union: An Optimistic President Talks to a Pessimistic Nation (Time.com)

Bristling with optimism and a can-do pep, President Obama asked for his pessimistic nation's attention on Tuesday night to announce he would not stand the naysayers any longer. "Anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they're talking about," he said from the biggest lectern in the land on Tuesday night, during his annual State of the Union Address.

It was a startlingly blunt statement, even for a speech invariably laced with optimistic bromides. Polls throughout 2011 showed that huge majorities of the American people had come to the opposite conclusion; more than 2 out of every 3 voters in one October survey saw the country in decline. Yet the President was not willing to let this stand. He came out swinging, with positive data, happy anecdotes and an energy that he rarely displays these days when he's off the campaign trail. (See photos of the State of the Union.)

"The state of our union is getting stronger," he said, sounding like a football coach after a tough home loss. "We've come too far to turn back now." In the face of national dissatisfaction, he focused on the silver lining: The killing of Osama bin Laden, the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, the resurrection of the American auto industry. He even promised things he could never deliver, like a return to uninterrupted American labor dominance in a globalized world. "If the playing field is level, I promise you: America will always win," he said.

As a piece of performance, it was uplifting. But the performance only went so far, given his audience. The President offered more than a dozen new proposals, from more money for infrastructure repairs, to increased investments in alternative energy, to corporate tax reforms and new limits on tuition increases. He spoke of the American spirit after World War II, and told the stories of two unemployed workers who had found new careers. But few of his legislative proposals had any hope of serious consideration in Congress, let alone passage in this election year.

A year ago, during the same address before the same body of lawmakers, Obama announced plans to spend the year "winning the future." The months that followed were mostly characterized by loss, with economic troubles at home and abroad, new depths of legislative dysfunction, and a political climate that surprised even the most hardened cynics. (See photos of special guests at State of the Union Addresses throughout the years.)

The residue of this funk set the scene Tuesday, as Republicans and Democrats scattered through the room failed more often than not to rise in applause with unity. As Obama spoke, House Speaker John Boehner looked on respectfully behind him, while his staff bombarded reporters with e-mail press releases that effectively accused the President of misleading the American people while embracing "a political gimmick."

Almost as soon as Obama had finished speaking, the Republican National Committee released a video called "Familiar Rhetoric, Failed Record" that highlighted nearly identical language in the 2011 and 2012 speeches. Afterwards, Utah Senator Mike Lee, one of the Republican freshmen, said he felt the President was trying to divide the nation and belittle its residents. "He's insulting the American people," Lee said. "He's saying, 'I'm going to do everything for you because you obviously can't do anything for yourselves.'"

If the speech has any lasting impact, it will likely be political. Between the exhortations of American greatness, the President laid out the central argument of his re-election campaign, a twist on Harry Truman's 1949 appeal for fairness. "We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules," Obama said.

Some of those different rules, he later explained, had to do with taxation. He called for eliminating certain deductions for those making more than $1 million, and for a new minimum tax on the same group, a change in the law that would directly impact his biggest primary rival, Mitt Romney, who pays a low percentage of his income in taxes because it comes from investment gains. Under Obama's new proposal, anyone making more than $1 million a year would have to pay at least 30% of the gross income in federal taxes. This proposal, as well, is essentially dead on arrival in Congress.

At one point, Obama seemed to directly address Romney's charge that the White House encourages class envy. "When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it's not because they envy the rich," Obama said. "It's because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don't need and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference -- like a senior on a fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet. That's not right."

In other ways, Obama seemed to claim the rhetoric of Republicans as his own. Just as "winning the future" had been the title of a Newt Gingrich book, Obama proposed an "all of the above" energy strategy, stealing a campaign line from Texas governor Rick Perry. He spoke of "nation building right here at home," a line that had become a standard feature of Jon Huntsman's stump speech. Both Huntsman and Perry have since bowed out of the Republican race.

Obama, by contrast, is just beginning to publicly engage in his re-election campaign. He has settled on his optimistic message. Now he must hope that circumstances improve enough that the American people are ready to hear it.

Additional reporting by Katy Steinmetz

See TIME's 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester.

See TIME's Top 10 Everything of 2011.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120126/us_time/httpswamplandtimecom20120125obamasstateoftheunionanoptimisticpresidenttalkstoapessimisticnationiidslmainledexidrssfullnationyah

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Pre-debate: Romney hit by Gingrich; targets Obama (AP)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? Pointing toward an evening debate, Mitt Romney jokingly urged supporters Tuesday to "just storm in" and support him even if they lacked tickets. Newt Gingrich warmed up with a particularly strong attack on Romney.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul also were sharing the stage for the second debate of the week and the last before the Florida primary next Tuesday.

Opinion polls show a close race between Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and Gingrich, who was House speaker for two terms in the 1990s, and the two clashed repeatedly in Monday night's encounter in Tampa.

Gingrich's unexpected victory in the South Carolina primary last weekend upended the race to pick a Republican opponent for Democratic President Barack Obama in the fall, and Romney can ill afford another setback.

In the days since his loss, he has tried to seize the initiative, playing the aggressor in the Tampa debate and assailing Gingrich in campaign speeches and a TV commercial.

An outside group formed to support Romney has spent more than his own campaign's millions on ads, some of them designed to stop Gingrich's campaign momentum before it is too late to deny him the nomination.

Campaigning Thursday at a factory that is scheduled to close, Romney criticized Obama and avoided mentioning Gingrich.

But the evening debate was on his mind ? particularly the makeup of the audience in the hall.

"There may be some give and take. That's always entertaining," he said. "If you all could get in there we'd love to see you all there cheering."

A voice from the audience responded that there were no more tickets, and Romney replied: `No tickets? Just storm in."

Gingrich seemed far less confident as he unleashed an attack reminiscent of his rhetoric a month ago when he was being outspent heavily on television and falling sharply in the polls just before the Iowa caucuses.

He accused Romney and Restore Our Future, the independent group, of dishonest ads, and said, "This is the desperate last stand of the old order. This is the kind of gall they have, to think we're so stupid and we're so timid."

He later told reporters he decided to sharpen his criticisms after Romney released his tax returns. "Here's a guy who owns Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae stock," Gingrich said. "He owns a Goldman Sachs subsidiary, which is foreclosing on Floridians. And on that front he decides to lie about my career? There's something about the hypocrisy that should make every American angry."

Romney released his income tax returns for 2010 and an estimate for 2011 after declining to do so in South Carolina.

Gingrich, also under pressure, disclosed the consulting contract one of his firms had with Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage giant that played a role in the foreclosure crisis that hit Florida especially hard. It showed payments of $300,000 in 2006 for unspecified consulting services.

Romney has pummeled Gingrich in the days since, calling him an influence peddler and a lobbyist who was taking money from the very organization that was harming Floridians.

___

Associated Press writers Brian Bakst and Kasie Hunt contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_el_ge/us_republicans_debate

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Box Office Preview: 'Underworld' to bite again (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Sony's "Underworld: Awakening" should be wide awake atop the domestic box office again this weekend, with a gross of around $12 million following last weekend's $25 million debut and continued dominance midweek.

Of course, the "Underworld" vampires will have to contend with newfound action star Liam Neeson as Open Road unleashes the R-rated Alaskan adventure "The Grey," which should wolf down from $10 million to $12 million in receipts.

Flying into its second weekend, Fox's World War II drama "Red Tails" from George Lucas will set its sights on a gross in the $10 million range.

Crowding those skies even more will be Sam Worthington as the "Man on a Ledge," a debuting crime thriller from Summit Entertainment that should also earn around $10 million.

With two Oscar nominations, including best picture, the 9/11 drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" from Warner Bros. enters its second weekend of wide release with solid momentum. But it will have to contend with the opening weekend of Lionsgate's Katherine Heigl comedy "One for the Money" for a spot in the top 5 and grosses in the $8 million to $10 million range.

Look for major Oscar nominees such as "The Descendants," "Hugo" and "The Artist" to get a bit of an "Oscar bounce" as their higher profiles and additional screens make them more of a "must see" this weekend.

___

Paul Dergarabedian is president of the Box Office Division of Hollywood.com and provides box office analysis for The Associated Press.

___

Online: http://www.Hollywood.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_co_ne/us_box_office_preview

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How states fared on unemployment aid, at a glance (AP)

More people sought unemployment benefits last week, though the increase comes one week after applications fell to their lowest level in four years. Layoffs have fallen in recent months and fewer people are seeking benefits, signs of a healthier job market.

States with the biggest decreases:

New York: Down 27,713, due to fewer layoffs in the transportation, education and construction industries

Pennsylvania: Down 11,687, no reason given

North Carolina: Down 9,516 due to fewer layoffs in the textile, furniture and fixtures, services, construction and manufacturing industries

Georgia: Down 9,496, due to fewer layoffs in the service, construction, trade and manufacturing industries

Alabama: Down 7,639, due to fewer layoffs in the transportation, construction and apparel industries

Texas: Down 6,880, no reason given

States with the largest increases:

Florida: Up 2,711, due to layoffs in services, agriculture, construction and retail

California: Up 1,682, due to layoffs in services

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_unemployment_benefits_glance

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Late Night Open Thread: Pointing & Laughing (Balloon Juice)

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GOP candidates weigh in on Cuba policy

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? All four of the Republican presidential candidates say they'd like to see a Cuba free of Castro's rule, though they differ on how they'd approach relations with Cuba.

Mitt Romney says it's important for the U.S. to stand with people who want freedom, including Cubans.

Newt Gingrich says he would use covert operations and other means to bring down Castro.

Rick Santorum says it's important for the U.S. to deal with Cuba but says he can't foresee a relationship before Fidel Castro and his brother are out of power.

For his part, Ron Paul says he would like to see the Cuban people celebrate their own freedom without any U.S. involvement.

The issue of Cuba looms large in Florida, where there are many Cuban expatriates.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-23-GOP-Debate-Cuba/id-2b79fab8478f42b4b8e0c5d4341374d3

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Huge Tire Bounces Into Lake In Portugal, It's More Awesome Than It Sounds (VIDEO)

Let's say you and your friends are hanging around, bored on the weekend with nothing to do, when you happen upon a giant tire. Better yet, the tire is at the top of a huge hill with a lake at the bottom of it.

You're not just gonna leave that thing there. No way! You're gonna push it upright, force it over the curb, and set that thing free.

Cause believe us, once gravity gets a hold of it, things turn pretty awesome pretty quickly.

Let's just hope there weren't any swimmers nearby.

Via Have You Seen This?!

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/huge-tire-bounces-into-lake_n_1224085.html

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This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Jan 21, 2012 5:00 PM 5,130 0

• Boxer is a Free DOS Game Emulator for your Mac (Mac) Computer games have come a long way since the days of Doom, Zork, Tie Fighter, and Castle Wolfenstein, but many of us who grew up with those games would like to replay them. Boxer is a free app that will let you play any DOS game on your Mac.
• iBoostUp Cleans Out Your Mac's System File Clutter in a Minute (Mac) iBoostUp cleans out the crap on your drive and fine-tunes your system for better performance. It's simple, it's quick, and it's free.
• AntiCrop "Uncrops" Your Photos by Extending the Picture's Background (iOS) If you've ever taken a hasty photo on your phone and didn't leave enough room on the outside, AntiCrop is the app can "uncrop" those photos by filling in the edges with just a few swipes.
• Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iOS 5 Is Finally Here (iOS) iPhone-hacking group Chronic Dev Team just released the first untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. We've explained why a tethered jailbreak can be such a hassle, which is why we've been waiting to recommend jailbreaking your up-to-date iPhone. Luckily, that wait is over.
• Clean My Desktop Sorts Files Into Content Specific Folders (Mac) A desktop filled with hundreds of files in a variety of formats can be a headache to clean up, but Clean My Desktop makes it easy by sorting everything into content specific folders based on the file type.
• MindNode Is a Mind Mapping App that Makes Brainstorming Simple and Easy (Mac/iOS) Regardless of the type of work that you do, brainstorming is an important part of generating new ideas and new approaches to getting your work done more efficiently. Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique that helps you get all of your interconnected thoughts out in a diagram, and there are a number of complicated tools designed to help you do it. MindNode for Mac and iOS is pricey, but it's one of the best tools we've seen for the job.
• Pomodroido Is an Elegant Pomodoro Timer for Your Android Phone (Pomodroido) If you're a fan of the Pomodoro productivity technique, you know that part of the philosophy is to work in short, focused, timed bursts and then take periodic breaks to relax. To do this, you'll need a timer, and Pomodroido is a free app that turns your Android phone into one that follows you everywhere.
• Forismatic Is a Free App that Helps You Relax and Keeps You Inspired Every Day (Mac) Computers are supposed to make our work easier, but in reality they often just bring us more work and stress us out. Give your Mac the opportunity to help you relax for a change with Forismatic, a free app that sits in the menubar until you need a little inspiration to help you keep going, and will remind you to take a break now and again to relax.
• Breathing Zone Guides You Towards Slower Breathing to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety (Mac/iOS) Breathing Zone is a simple app that helps slow your breathing rhythm to calm you down and make you feel more relaxed. If you're a bit stressed or anxious, it's a good way to help you alleviate those feelings in just a few minutes.
• WatchMe Is a Desktop Timer that Keeps Track of Multiple Alarms at Once (Windows) Unfortunately, few of us have the luxury of only keeping track of one thing at a time. There are plenty of great timers available to help you keep track of how long you've been working or when you need to take a break, but if you need to track multiple times or set more than one timer, you may be out of luck. WatchMe is a timer that allows you to set multiple alerts and multiple timers so you're alerted at different times for different things.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/94J0DABeIrw/this-weeks-top-downloads

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Cuche wins record 5th WCup downhill; Miller 29th

Didier Cuche, of Switzerland, celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Didier Cuche won the classic World Cup downhill on the Streif course for a record fifth time on Saturday. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Didier Cuche, of Switzerland, celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Didier Cuche won the classic World Cup downhill on the Streif course for a record fifth time on Saturday. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Didier Cuche, of Switzerland, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second placed Austria's Romed Baumann, left, and third placed Austria's Klaus Kroell, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Bode Miller, of the United States, gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Didier Cuche, of Switzerland, celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Didier Cuche won the classic World Cup downhill on the Streif course for a record fifth time on Saturday. (AP Photo/Shinichiro Tanaka)

Switzerland's Didier Cuche is airborne on his way to win an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Didier Cuche won the classic World Cup downhill on the Streif course for a record fifth time on Saturday. (AP Photo/Shinichiro Tanaka)

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) ? Didier Cuche of Switzerland used his last visit to the Streif on Saturday to earn a record fifth victory on one of the World Cup's most challenging downhill courses.

Bode Miller nearly crashed on an icy bump and finished 29th.

Cuche, who announced his retirement at the end of the season two days ago, overtook Austrian great Franz Klammer, who won the Hahnenkamm downhill four times in the 1970s and 80s.

"That record was my final thought before I left the start gate," Cuche said. "Somehow it helped me to relax a bit and to enjoy my run."

Cuche went down the mountain in 1 minute, 13.28 seconds in heavy snowfall to beat Austrian pair Romed Baumann and Klaus Kroell by 0.24 and 0.30 seconds, respectively.

In the finish area, Klammer was among the first to congratulate his Swiss successor.

"Cuche is now the Emperor of Kitzbuehel, I can live with that," said the 58-year-old Klammer, before joking, "I think he should have quit already before this season."

The snowfall became heavier during the race and slowed late starters. Many of the pre-race favorites battled with the conditions.

Cuche's teammate Beat Feuz finished 0.45 back in sixth to stay on top of the discipline standings with 300 points, leading Cuche by 23.

Miller barely avoided a crash in the icy lower section of the course, finishing 1.35 seconds behind the winner.

"These were less than ideal conditions," Miller said. "But it's no fluke that Didier won. For me, I was pushing pretty hard, I knew I had to take some risks."

Miller was relieved by his quick reactions.

"It feels good to make a save like that," he said. "Those are life-savers. One hundred points is great, but I always try to be at the finish with all my parts intact."

Cuche did not post the fastest intermediate times but chose the right line at the Hausbergkante for his trademark fast finish, which has earned him victory in four of the past five years.

"I lost the line several times but I got it just right in the final section," he said.

Cuche, who also won the first downhill of the season in November in Lake Louise, Canada, has 11 victories in the discipline and 19 overall.

After days of warm weather featuring heavy rain and wet snow, a 500-man crew worked through the night to get the fresh snow off the mountain.

But an hour before the start, an overhanging cloud cover and snowfall setting in again forced organizers to lower the starting gate to shorten the 3.3-kilometer course to 2 kilometers.

"It was not easy to race," Baumann said. "Your visibility was hampered by snow on your goggles. On such a shortened course, you can't allow yourself to make any mistake."

Baumann led Cuche by 0.25 at the last intermediate time but was not able to match the Swiss skier's outstanding finish, losing almost half a second there.

Kroell dropped behind Cuche earlier in the race, struggling in the middle part of the course.

"That's where I lost the race, but a podium in Kitzbuehel always makes you happy," Kroell said. "It's incredible what Cuche has done. It's maybe good for me, but a bummer for ski racing that he is not going to race here anymore."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-21-SKI-Men's-World-Cup/id-6e8d1a3cd1264c18b52a020791a17824

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?Scare Tactic? Anti-Gaming Ads Popping Up On Florida Televisions ...

MIAMI (CBS4) ? With an ominous voice over a bed of scary music, the announcer says, ?Big gambling?they say Florida?s the next Vegas??

It?s part of a new TV ad that?s hitting the airwaves? Friday.? It?s aimed at convincing you that putting mega casinos in South Florida, like the proposed Genting project in downtown Miami,? is a bad, dangerous idea.

?It?s very slick,? said Nova Southeastern University Professor and gambling law expert Bob Jarvis.? ?But it?s not accurate, not truthful.?

Javis calls the ad a scare tactic ? with no facts to back it up.

?The ad wants you to believe that here will be crime on every street corner if you allow casinos,? he said. ?And that?s simply has never happened anywhere. ?

Tell that to Luke Ythasunshorn.? In January of 2009,he was held up in his drive way after leaving a casino.

?He looked at me, held his gun and said give me your watch,? he recalled.? That was a $30,000 Rolex.? But Jarvis believes crimes like that can happen anywhere.

?There have been crimes when people leave casinos, but you know what, there have been crimes when people leave shopping malls and nobody is advocating we close down shopping malls,? said Jarvis

Former state lawmaker Dan Gelber is with NoCasinos.org.? He says crime, bankruptcy and social woes are all part of the package.

?The mega casinos they?re talking about bringing in to our community are the largest casinos in the history of the world,? said Gelber.? ?One of them alone would be equivalent of 7 of the largest casinos in Las Vegas.?

Gelber said we have nothing to compare the proposed resort casinos to ? that even though there is plenty of gambling here now ? this would be like nothing we?ve seen before .

?That?s like saying you have a? 7-11 on the corner so why not just have a Sawgrass Mills.? There?s a huge differencing proportion in what we?re talking about,? said Gelber.

The television spot ends with the announcing saying,?? ?What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas! Tell our elected officials, keep big gambling out of Florida.?

The ad begins airing in South Florida today, it?s also running in Tallahassee where lawmakers are debating it.

Source: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/01/21/scare-tactic-anti-gaming-ads-popping-up-on-florida-televisions/

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Forensic Anthropology Gives Voice to Unidentified Remains

RALEIGH, N.C.?Bone-hunters and anthropologists typically guard their fossils as priceless specimens. I?ve learned to ask: ?Is that real or a cast?? when shown a specimen. Often it?s a replica. So, I was as thrilled as a 12-year-old today when I saw two real, contemporary human skeletons and several human skulls during a tour here of forensic anthropologist Ann Ross?s Osteology Lab in the Park Shops building at North Carolina State University (NCSU). (See Anna Kuchment?s longer article on this lab in the September 2010 issue of Scientific American, as well as this slide show and video that reveals other comparisons made by forensic anthropologists.) I admit to taking a ghoulish but also scientifically curious delight in learning about forensic science, and I?m clearly not alone given all the TV crime shows that trade on such details.

The focus in Ross?s lab, however, is as serious as murder. Anthropologists, entomologists and other experts at NCSU tackle about a dozen complicated cases a year referred to the Osteology Lab by the state medical examiner?typically dismemberment or child abuse cases. Ross?s lab will conduct analyses to determine the tool used by a criminal to cut apart bones. In fact, she casually pointed to several sawed-up pig bones set out on a lab bench. Their job: to help analysts determine whether a hand saw or powered saw was used in a recent human dismemberment case.

In Ross?s wet lab, tissue is removed from bones by boiling them in water for 30 minutes, or letting borax, bleach or laundry detergent go to work on them. Ross had set out a disarticulated skeleton on an exam table to show a group of us from the ScienceOnline2012 conference. Holding up a femur, then the skull, a radius and the pelvic girdle, she showed us some of the features used to identify corpses and determine the probable cause of death?worn-down processes, muscle-marked upper humerus, a retreating chin. DNA, radiographic, morphometric and dental data also contribute, when available. In this case, two bullet holes through the skull and an exit blast made the cause of death clear. Patterns of radiating fractures in the skull revealed which bullet struck first and gave clues about the caliber of the firearm used. Skull bone suture patterns accumulated over the first couple of decades of the victim?s life revealed clues to his ancestry?MesoAmerican. Missing teeth indicated poor nutrition.

Forensic anthropology has also been put to systematic use by Ross to help identify risk factors for genocide. Her studies have shown that genocide victims typically suffer from such conditions as poor nutrition, spina bifida, middle-ear infections and severe dental enamel defects. Preventive policy could be implemented in areas where a high presence of these factors confirms other social data to suggest an increased probability for regional genocide. She has conducted such analyses on bodies collected in Rwanda, Bosnia and Croatia.

Ross stresses that her role as a forensic anthropologist is to present the facts as clearly and as objectively as possible. ?I sit up nights and think about a case?did I missing something?? she said. Her goal is to ?bring resolution to someone who had no voice,? to people, often children, whose cases fell through the cracks of the criminal justice system.

Image caption: Case of human skulls in NCSU forensic anthropologist Ann Ross?s Osteology Lab. Can you tell which one is not a cast/replica? Credit: Robin Lloyd

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=408bfa3f5fa0cd4e9a8f69dc83daf778

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Scientists discover unusual 'tulip' creature

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A bizarre creature that lived in the ocean more than 500 million years ago has emerged from the famous Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies.

Officially named Siphusauctum gregarium, fossils reveal a tulip-shaped creature that is about the length of a dinner knife (approximately 20 centimetres or eight inches) and has a unique filter feeding system.

Siphusauctum has a long stem, with a calyx ? a bulbous cup-like structure ? near the top which encloses an unusual filter feeding system and a gut. The animal is thought to have fed by filtering particles from water actively pumped into its calyx through small holes. The stem ends with a small disc which anchored the animal to the seafloor. Siphusauctum lived in large clusters, as indicated by slabs containing over 65 individual specimens.

Lorna O'Brien, a PhD candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto and her supervisor Jean-Bernard Caron, curator of invertebrate palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, report on the discovery today in the online science journal PLoS ONE.

"Most interesting is that this feeding system appears to be unique among animals. Recent advances have linked many bizarre Burgess Shale animals as primitive members of many animal groups that are found today but Siphusauctum defies this trend. We do not know where it fits in relation to other organisms," said O'Brien.

"Our description is based on more than 1,100 fossil specimens from a new Burgess Shale locality that has been nicknamed the Tulip Beds," said lead author O'Brien. Located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, the Tulip Beds were first discovered in 1983 by the Royal Ontario Museum. They are located high on Mount Stephen, overlooking the town of Field. Like the rest of the Burgess Shale, the Beds represent rock layers with exceptional preservation of mostly soft-bodied organisms. The Burgess Shale, protected under the larger Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site and managed by Parks Canada, preserves fossil evidence of some of the earliest complex animals that lived in the oceans of our planet nearly 505 million years ago. The discovery of Siphusauctum expands the range of animal diversity that existed during this time period.

###

University of Toronto: http://www.utoronto.ca

Thanks to University of Toronto for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116852/Scientists_discover_unusual__tulip__creature

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Problems with Apple's 'iBooks Author' Program (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | To all accounts, the new iBooks Author app -- now available in the Mac App Store -- works as expected. It allows people with little or no training to create picture books, textbooks, and other interactive ebooks, using a simple, iLife-style interface reminiscent of a "Garage Band for ebooks."

Anyone with an Intel Mac running Snow Leopard or later can use the app to write, publish, and sell their ebooks through Apple's iBooks store. And anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch can buy and read the ebooks, and use their interactive features like 3d models and built-in quizzes. College textbooks sold through the app are supposed to cost about $14.99, with free updates and revisions, and publishers including McGraw-Hill and Pearson have already signed up for the program according to ABC News' Ned Potter.

So what's the problem?

People, including lawyer Dan Wineman, are starting to note the extent of the lock-in with the iBooks program. Especially iBooks Author, which Wineman says requires you to sell your books only through Apple's iBookstore.

As he notes, it's not a technical limitation. You can email the book to yourself, and it would open in the iBooks app on your iPad. Someone could technically open a store online and sell iBooks she created, or Amazon.com could add them to its storefront. What prevents them from doing so is the language in iBooks Author's End User License Agreement, which says that "If you charge a fee" for your iBooks, you can only sell it through Apple's iBookstore.

How the lock-in happened

Schools are already dependent on only a handful of big textbook publishers for their course material, in much the same way that four music labels dominate the United States' music industry. Just as Apple managed to dominate digital music by becoming those labels' biggest retail channel, it can now scoop up the textbook market by providing the digital publishing outlet those textbook publishers lacked.

Efforts to provide free digital textbooks already existed, like MIT's OpenCourseWare, but largely haven't made a dent in the textbook publishing world.

Apple in education

Beyond locking writers into using a single bookstore, the larger issue may be one of trusting one company with all electronic textbooks. If iBooks can only be created on a Mac and viewed on an iOS device, where does that leave schools and students with Windows PCs and Android smartphones?

Apple has already made the controversial move of promoting its retail stores as school field trip destinations. Requiring students to purchase an iPad just to buy textbooks would give the company an even longer reach into public educational institutions.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120120/tc_ac/10858435_problems_with_apples_ibooks_author_program

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Obama pitches tourism, campaign on East coast

President Barack Obama arrives at JFK International Airport in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, on his way to Manhattan where he is scheduled to attend several fundraisers. (AP Photo/David Karp)

President Barack Obama arrives at JFK International Airport in New York, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, on his way to Manhattan where he is scheduled to attend several fundraisers. (AP Photo/David Karp)

CORRECTS BYLINE - President Barack Obama speaks about tourism and travel, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, along Main Street USA at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

CORRECTS BYLINE - President Barack Obama speaks about tourism and travel, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, along Main Street USA at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on tourism and travel, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, along Main Street USA at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama greets guests after speaking at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

NEW YORK (AP) ? From the Magic Kingdom to the Apollo Theater, President Barack Obama on Thursday made the case for American tourism and his own re-election bid, mingling his political and economic agendas as he tried to stay ahead of the Republicans chasing after his job.

"I hope you know that the values you cherish, what you stand for, what you believe in, are the things I cherish and I believe in and I'm willing to fight for," Obama said at Daniel, an exclusive Manhattan restaurant, in the first of four glitzy fundraisers.

Presidential politics were not far from the surface during events on both ends of the East Coast, as Obama sought a piece of Florida's political spotlight ahead of a Jan. 31 Republican presidential primary with a high-profile appearance at Walt Disney World. Against the backdrop of Disney's Cinderella castle, Obama announced initiatives aimed at making it easier for citizens of China and Brazil to visit the United States.

"America is open for business," Obama said under Florida's picture-perfect blue skies. "We want to welcome you."

Later, the president told top donors in New York that he had made American foreign policy stronger during his first term, vowing that U.S. support for Israel's security is "nonnegotiable." He also defended his administration's approach to Iran, saying even Tehran has acknowledged that U.S. sanctions are having an impact.

The New York itinerary included a $35,800 per ticket fundraiser at the home of film director Spike Lee and an event starting at $100 per ticket at the famed Apollo Theater featuring performances by singers Al Green and India.Arie.

Outside the theater, more than 100 people demonstrated on behalf of several groups, including Occupy Wall Street and MoveOn.org, and some carried signs that read "Obama Wall Street Stooge" and "Capitalism (equals) 'Democracy' for Billionaires."

Inside, Obama touted his administration's work on everything from health care to ending the Iraq war. But he warned an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,400 supporters that, "everything we did over the last three years is now at stake in this election."

At a separate fundraiser earlier in the night, Obama said the November election would be "as stark a choice as we have seen". He drew a contrast between the current crop of GOP presidential hopefuls and 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, who Obama said shared some of his views on banning torture, climate change and closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"If you've been listening to the Republican debates, they have moved," Obama said. "I've stayed here. They've gone in a different direction."

Obama's trip to Florida marked an attempt by the White House and his campaign to steal attention from Republicans vying for the GOP presidential nomination. In recent weeks Obama held a live video conference with Iowa voters during the Republican caucus, Vice President Joe Biden held a similar event with voters in New Hampshire on the night of the state's first-in-the-nation primary and next week Obama will travel to Nevada, which follows Florida on the primary calendar.

Obama was greeted in the Orlando area by ads from GOP front-runner Mitt Romney blaming the president for the state's struggling economy. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, could take a major step toward securing the Republican nomination with a win in Florida's Jan. 31 primary contest.

"I have a simple question for you: Where are the jobs?" Romney wrote in an open letter to the president on Thursday running as an ad in the Tampa Bay Times. In a conference call with reporters, Romney said Obama was "speaking from Fantasyland."

While Obama carried Florida in 2008, the state is a top target for Republicans in the November elections. Florida twice backed Republican George W. Bush, providing the decisive electoral votes in the cliffhanger 2000 election that was decided after a 36-day recount.

Tourism is a key component to the economy in Florida, which has been battered by 10 percent unemployment and rampant home foreclosures.

The White House said more than 1 million U.S. jobs could be created over the next decade, according to industry projections, if the U.S. increases its share of the international travel market.

The tourism initiative is part of an executive order Obama signed. Its goal is to boost nonimmigrant visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40 percent this year; expand a Visa Waiver Program that allows participating nationals to travel to the U.S. for stays of 90 days or less without a visa; appoint a new group of chief executives to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; and direct an interagency task force to develop recommendations for a National Travel and Tourism Strategy, including promoting national parks and other sites.

The efforts to boost tourism were praised by travel and tourism groups, but one lawmaker said the decision to relax tourist visas could undermine national security. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the administration was "pushing the envelope and using their authority beyond congressional intent," noting that only two of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 terrorist attacks were interviewed by consular offices. He said Congress moved to require visa applicants to be interviewed as a result.

The White House says the travel and tourism industry represented 2.7 percent of gross domestic product and 7.5 million jobs in 2010. But the U.S. share of spending by international travelers fell from 17 percent to 11 percent between 2000 and 2010, due to increased competition and changes in global development, as well as security measures imposed after Sept. 11, 2001, according to the White House.

The approach was welcomed by Brazilian tourists Lilian Lara and Lindbergh Souza, who shopped along the resort's streets hours before the president's speech. Souza said the visa process was expensive, at $500, and time-consuming for Brazilians who don't live close to consuls in Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo. "The whole process took me six months," Souza said.

___

Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Fla., and Cristian Salazar in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-19-Obama/id-79cd9bcc21d7435b836d00efae048bf5

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One of world's smallest premature babies released from hospital (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? An infant ranked as one of world's smallest ever born was released to her joyful parents on Friday after nearly five months in a hospital, as doctors expressed hope for the baby who began life weighing the equivalent of two cell phones.

Melinda Star Guido weighed just 9.5 ounces at birth on August 30 in Los Angeles, 16 weeks premature, which based on a University of Iowa registry made her the third-lightest baby ever born in any country. She measured 8 and three-quarter inches long.

Mother Haydee Ibarra, from the Los Angeles suburb of Granada Hills, cradled her daughter as the family appeared before reporters outside Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. The child wore a white bonnet and a jumper with dots, and had an oxygen tube under her nose.

The parents were joined by Dr. Rangasamy Ramanathan, chief of the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital, and members of the physician's team.

"In my 30 years here this is the first time this ever happened that we were able to discharge a baby that weighed less than 400 grams, or 300 grams," Ramanathan told reporters. "Don't expect miracles every day."

The doctor estimated that the cost of medical care for the infant has run between $500,000 and $700,000. He did not say how those costs would be paid.

The doctor added that the baby now weighs 4 pounds, 11 ounces and "is doing what it's supposed to do" by eating, looking around and sleeping.

Results of a brain scan on Melinda two weeks ago looked normal, and Ramanathan said his team was "cautiously optimistic about how the baby is going to do" over time.

The main concern is the baby's neurological development and whether she will have any trouble walking and talking, he said.

Ibarra and Melinda's father, Yovani Guido, said they were thrilled at being able to take their child home.

"I'm just happy she's doing well, and she's doing better than she was before. I'm happy I finally get to take her home after four and a half months being here," Ibarra said.

"I've been coming every night to feed her, put her to sleep and bond with her," she said.

The smallest surviving baby ever born is listed as Rumaisa Rahman, who in 2004 was born in Illinois weighing only 9.2 ounces, according to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital Tiniest Babies Registry.

Rumaisa is attending school and doing well, Dr. Edward Bell, who started and maintains the registry, said in an email. The second-smallest baby was born in Japan, he said.

He said that the most likely outcome for Melinda is she "will have no major problems with health or development, but she will probably remain smaller than average."

An iPhone 4S weighs 4.9 ounces, according to the Apple Inc website, so two of the devices together are heavier than Melinda was when she was born.

(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/us_nm/us_baby_tiny_california

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To Keep or Kill? Lowly Leap Second Focus of World Debate

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The United States wants to scrap the leap second, but beware: without it, noon will strike at sunrise thousands of years from now.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=ba79fedb5c7f0b24d24cf8269b153181

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This Deadly Jet Boat Is a Pirate's Worst Nightmare [Monster Machines]

Ninjas have been usurped as the number one threat to pirates. The new "Ghost" high-speed attack vessel from Juliet Marine Systems is going to severely f*ck some scallywags up. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EvgfOBrrMVs/this-deadly-jet-boat-is-a-pirates-worst-nightmare

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