Saturday, December 31, 2011

Supervolcanoes won't destroy Earth in 2012

The notion that the world will end with the coming of the new year, as some claim the ancient Maya predicted, has spawned a series of proposed methods for this planetary disaster: galactic forces, Earth's magnetic poles flipping, the eruption of a ?supervolcano.

Though it has been shown that the Mayans did not in fact predict 2012 would bring the end of the world, there have been supervolcano eruptions in Earth's past that have wrought significant destruction. One such eruption may have been the cause of a major ancient mass extinction event.

But is another supervolcano eruption on the way? At the dawn of the new year, researchers say: Don't hold your breath.

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Catastrophic consequences
Supervolcanoes are capable of eruptions dwarfing anything ever recorded by man, spewing out thousands of times more magma and ash. A supervolcano eruption would have consequences similar to those from the impact of a mile-wide asteroid, potentially killing millions of people and disrupting climate and ecosystems by blotting out the sun with ash and cooling the Earth.

The largest supervolcano blast of the past 25 million years may have been the most recent one: the explosion of Mount Toba in Sumatra some 74,000 years ago. Scientists say Toba released a staggering 700 cubic miles of magma and a thick layer of ash over all of South Asia. By comparison, the famous explosion of the volcanic Indonesian island of Krakatoa ?in 1883 released about 3 cubic miles of magma.

There are roughly a dozen supervolcanoes today, some of them lying at the bottom of the sea. One, however, is in the middle of the United States.

The most recent giant eruption of the volcanically active area underlying Yellowstone National Park created the oval-shaped, 40- by 25-mile Yellowstone caldera. These energetic underpinnings are what fuel the park's famous geysers. [ Infographic: The Geology of Yellowstone ]

Minuscule odds
There is evidence that volcanic activity in Yellowstone will eventually lead to a colossal eruption capable of covering half the United States in 3 feet of ash. However, experts agree that super-eruptions are exceedingly rare, and the odds that one will occur in our lifetimes are vanishingly small.

In all, geologists have identified the remnants of about 50 super-eruptions. This may sound like a lot until it is put into the context of the full span of geologic history. Research suggests there is a super-eruption every 700,000 years or so, on average.

Scientists regularly monitor volcanically active regions globally, and there is absolutely no sign of a super-eruption looming anytime soon, said climate scientist Drew Shindell at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, who has studied what super-eruptions might do to climate.

There has only been only one super-eruption" in more than 100,000 years, so odds are minuscule for either near-future or within our lifetime," Shindell told OurAmazingPlanet.

In any case, the ancient Maya never predicted a supervolcano eruption in 2012 to begin with.

? 2011 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45818146/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Friday, December 30, 2011

All-Teen 'Wedding Singer' Musical Opens Thursday

WEST HARTFORD ??

About 25 students are spending their winter break preparing for the Mandell JCC's all-teen musical, "The Wedding Singer," an '80s flashback comedy that will open Thursday at the Zachs Campus, 335 Bloomfield Ave.

The director, 17-year-old Mac Cherny, is a senior at Conard High School. Other Greater Hartford students from ages 11 to 17 are involved in producing, choreographing and starring in the show, which is based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film.

"I've been in the JCC almost every day, and we've been working around the clock," Cherny said Friday. "It's all put on by the kids."

Cherny described the musical as "Sandler's humor with a really awesome '80s soundtrack."

The lead actors are Hall High School's Max Ferrar, playing Robbie Hart, the broken-hearted New Jersey wedding singer; and Mercy High School's Abby Geremia in the role of Julia Sullivan, the waitress who Robbie eventually woos.

Teen musicians Stephen Bridgman, Alonzo DeJesus, Max Dvorin, Jonathan Sussler, Dan Weinreb and Emily Weiser will perform the musical score of '80s pop songs, organizers said.

The opening performance is set for 7 p.m. Thursday in the Mandell JCC's Herbert Gilman Theater, followed by encore shows at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8.

Tickets ? $5 for students and $8 for adults ? can be purchased at the Mandell JCC Box Office, 860-231-6316 or tickets@mandelljcc.org, and the Member Services Center, 860-236-4571.




Source: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-west-hartford-mandell-1231-20111230,0,787428.story?track=rss

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Greek tax officials on strike (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? Greek tax officials walked off the job Thursday at the start of a 48-hour strike to protest salary cuts and other austerity measures, as the government struggles to meet revenue targets demanded by the crisis-struck country's international creditors.

Tax offices shut down for the last two working days of the year, prompting hundreds of Greeks on Wednesday to rush to settle last-minute issues before the strike. Many handed over their car license plates, preferring to keep their vehicles off the road rather than paying an increased tax.

Greece has been surviving since May 2010 on multibillion euro rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund after years of government overspending left it with an unsustainable public debt.

In return for the euro110 billion ($144 billion) bailout, the previous Socialist government imposed harsh austerity measures, increasing taxes and retirement ages, cutting pensions and salaries, and suspending tens of thousands of civil servants on reduced pay.

"As a result of the austerity measures putting some tax officers on reduced pay, we have 5,500 fewer tax office jobs," said tax officers' union head Charalambos Nikolakopoulos.

Tax evasion has been rampant in Greece, despite repeated efforts to crack down on the practice.

The strike comes a day after the sudden resignation of two prosecutors heading the judicial task force charged with fighting tax evasion. The two, Grigoris Peponis and Spiros Mouzakitis, claimed they were being sidelined and implied government interference in their work.

They said the government was "attempting to replace and get rid of" them with a new draft law that would appoint a high court prosecutor in their stead. The finance and justice ministries said the draft plan was meant to improve the task force's functioning.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, who was appointed to head an interim coalition government in November after a political crisis forced his predecessor to resign, was meeting with top judicial officials on Thursday following the resignations.

The main Supreme Court prosecutor ordered an investigation into why the two resigned and their allegations of interference.

The repeated rounds of austerity cuts have left the country struggling through a deep recession, with the economy projected to contract for a fourth year in 2012. It quickly became clear that the initial bailout would not be enough to prevent Greece from a potentially catastrophic default, and European leaders agreed in late October on a second, euro130 billion bailout for the country.

The new package includes provisions for private creditors to write off 50 percent of the value of Greek bonds they hold, potentially cutting Greece's overall debt by euro100 billion. But the details of this remain to be worked out, and the country is currently involved in tough negotiations.

If the debt writedown goes through and Greece implements all it has pledged to in the way of austerity measures and privatizations, the country is expected to reduce its debt to 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, from 161 percent of GDP this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Bachmann loses Iowa campaign chairman to Paul (AP)

INDIANOLA, Iowa ? Michele Bachmann's struggling presidential campaign saw her Iowa chairman defect Wednesday to rival Ron Paul's side, an embarrassing blow that came as some called for her to leave the race to free up her supporters for other candidates.

Hours after appearing with Bachmann at an event, state Sen. Kent Sorenson gave his endorsement to the Texas congressman at a Des Moines rally. Sorenson said he resigned from Bachmann's campaign to back Paul, whom he called the most conservative of the top-tier candidates.

Bachmann said Sorenson made the jump after "he was offered a large sum of money to go to work for the Paul campaign."

"Kent said to me yesterday that `everyone sells out in Iowa, why shouldn't I,'" Bachmann said in a written statement. "Then he told me he would stay with our campaign. The Ron Paul campaign has to answer for its actions."

Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton said the campaign was not paying Sorenson and that he was puzzled why Bachmann would make such a claim against an elected official popular with Iowa conservatives.

"We've always known Michele to be an honorable person. She should stop slandering an honorable Iowa state senator," Benton said.

Benton said Paul campaign officials had been begun speaking to Sorenson "in earnest" in the last few days, and that he had informed the campaign Wednesday he was ready to sign on.

Sorenson announced the switch during a Paul veterans rally in Des Moines. He didn't immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press to address Bachmann's charges that the move was financially based.

"The fact is, there is a clear top tier in the race for the Republican nomination for president, both here in Iowa and nationally. Ron Paul is easily the most conservative of this group," Sorenson said in a statement. "The truth is, it was an excruciatingly difficult decision for me to decide between supporting Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul at the beginning of this campaign."

Susan Geddes, a veteran operative in conservative GOP political circles who managed Sorenson's 2008 and 2010 legislative races, said Sorenson had told her several times, as recently as last month, that the Paul campaign had offered him money to leave Bachmann's campaign for the Texas congressman's.

Geddes said Sorenson had damaged his political future in Iowa by abandoning Bachmann's campaign less than a week before the caucuses.

"He just committed political suicide," she said.

Bachmann has been on a frantic 99-county push across Iowa in an effort to recover from the slide that followed her Iowa straw poll victory in August. Paul was a close second in that contest.

Earlier in the day, two influential pastors said they wanted either her or former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum to drop out of the running to keep evangelical voters from splitting their support. Bachmann insisted she would see the Iowa caucus campaign through.

Sorenson, who has strong ties to Iowa's tea party, was one of Bachmann's earliest public supporters and joined her for an afternoon stop at a Pizza Ranch restaurant in Indianola. Standing by her side, he declined to speak to the crowd there, citing numbness from dental work.

All day, Bachmann bashed Paul as "dangerous" for having a hands-off foreign policy. It was part of a double-barreled attack on the two Texans in the race. She went after Gov. Rick Perry for "27 years as a political insider."

The aggressive tone underscored Bachmann's role as a chaser in the final week of campaigning. She has bet heavily on Iowa, where she was born.

Bachmann came hardest at Perry, who this week began a television ad lumping Bachmann with other Washington figures seeking the GOP nomination in his attempt to come off as the outsider in the race.

"Just because he's held office outside of Washington, D.C., does not mean he is not a political insider. It's what you do in your office that matters," she said outside a small-town cafe. "There aren't very many politicians who have spent more time paying off political donors than Gov. Rick Perry has."

Perry has served Texas as a legislator, agriculture commissioner, lieutenant governor and governor.

Bachmann also said Perry has engaged in "crony capitalism" by helping donors with Texas government contracts or giving them political appointments. And she called Perry a double-dipper for collecting his gubernatorial salary and state pension at the same time.

Campaigning in Indianola on Wednesday, Perry scored what appeared to be a double hit of his own. Although he didn't name his targets, he took aim at lawmakers who sound off in Washington without much influence on policy ? a rap sometimes attached to Bachmann and Paul.

"Some campaigns are about their voting record, on bills that never make it to the president's desk. I'm campaigning on ideas that I've signed into law," Perry said.

As for Paul, Bachmann criticized him as misguided about foreign threats to U.S. interests.

"Ron Paul would be a dangerous president," Perry said. "He would have us ignore all of the warning signs of another brutal dictator who wants to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. I won't. He would wait until one of our cities is wiped off of the map until he reacted. I won't wait."

On Wednesday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told CNN that he would find it personally difficult to vote for Paul if the Texas congressman were to become the party's choice to go up against President Barack Obama next fall. Bachmann refused to go that far, dodging two direct questions about her willingness to back Paul later on.

"He won't win the nomination," she said.

At stop after stop, Bachmann cast herself as America's "Iron Lady," the nickname assigned to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Bachmann sits on the House Intelligence Committee, which she said gives her a firm grip on world affairs.

State Sen. Brad Zaun, who had been Bachmann's Iowa co-chairman, was named full chairman after Sorenson's resignation.

___

Associated Press writers Tom Beaumont, Beth Fouhy and Philip Elliott in Iowa contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_el_pr/us_bachmann

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Scientists map susceptibility to type 2 diabetes

ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2011) ? Research carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has provided the first proof of molecular risk factors leading to type 2 diabetes, providing an "early warning" sign that could lead to new approaches to treating this and other human disease conditions.

Despite extensive research on the molecular basis for the variance in susceptibility between individuals to common diseases, the subject is still poorly understood. A prime example of this is type 2 diabetes (T2D), a very widespread human disorder.

What is it that characterizes the susceptibility to this disease?

Epigenetic variations -- which are small molecular marks superimposed on the DNA structure -- have been frequently hypothesized to modify predisposition, but direct evidence was missing.

Now, a research team led by Dr. Asaf Hellman of the Hebrew University's Institute of Medical Research Israel Canada has developed a novel, multistep, study design involving the analysis of disease-contributing epigenetic variations among hundreds of patients and control individuals.

The research was presented in a scientific conference at the Cambridge University Genomic Center and was recently published in the scientific journal Human Molecular Genetic.

Taking an innovative research direction, the Hebrew University research team decided to map DNA methylation variations rather than DNA sequence variations, as was traditionally done. The team undertook a proof-of-concept study among 1,169 type 2 diabetes patients and non-diabetic controls. The results demonstrated the unique abilities of this novel research approach by revealing a clear-cut, disease-predisposing DNA methylation signature. This is a first report in the scientific literature of epigenetic risk factor for T2D.

DNA methylation is a naturally occurring mechanism used to regulate genes and protect DNA from some types of cleavage. It is one of the regulatory processes that are referred to as epigenetic, in which an alteration in gene expression occurs without a change in the nucleotide sequence of the DNA. Defects in this process cause several types of disease that afflict humans.

The method used by Hellman was developed during postdoctoral training at the Harvard University Medical School. Later, his research students at the Hebrew University, Gidon Tperoff and Dvir Aran, further developed it into an efficient, genome-wide mapping method.

The mapping was carried out on the methylation sites in cooperation with Prof. Benjamin Glaser, head of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and a leading researcher of T2D genetics, and with additional key researchers including Professors Jeremy Kark and Yechiel Friedlander from the Braun Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Prof. Julio Wainstein from the Wolfson Medical Center, and Prof. Ephrat Levy-Lahad from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

This analysis not only revealed, for the first time, a clear-cut epigenetic signature in T2D, telltale methylation signature marks were also shown to appear on the DNA of young individuals who latter developed impaired glucose metabolism, even before the appearance of clinical diabetic manifestations.

These findings shed new light on the mechanism of individual predisposition to T2D and pave the way for the elucidating of similar mechanisms in a long list of common human diseases, including many metabolic, autoimmune and psychiatric disorders.

Given that epigenetic marks are sensitive to a wide range of environmental clues, including diets, chemical exposures, intrauterine environments, and also to therapeutic drugs, these finding may open the way for the development of new prevention and/or intervention epigenetic therapies.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem, via AlphaGalileo.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. G. Toperoff, D. Aran, J. D. Kark, M. Rosenberg, T. Dubnikov, B. Nissan, J. Wainstein, Y. Friedlander, E. Levy-Lahad, B. Glaser, A. Hellman. Genome-wide survey reveals predisposing diabetes type 2-related DNA methylation variations in human peripheral blood. Human Molecular Genetics, 2011; 21 (2): 371 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr472

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://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/hEZjeURZBv0/111228134841.htm

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A position-by-position breakdown of Northwestern vs. Texas A&M

Quarterbacks:

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill put together a solid season that would have gotten a lot more attention in the Big Ten than it did in the pass-happy Big 12. Tannehill's average of 284.6 passing yards per game would have led the Big Ten by a margin of more than 40 yards per game, but he finished just fifth in the Big 12. His 28 passing touchdowns would have been good for second in the Big Ten.?

However, Tannehill's accuracy leaves something to be desired as he completed just 61.1 percent of his passes and tossed 14 interceptions. Though more attempts will invariably lead to more interceptions, Tannehill was picked off on one out of every 35 passes whereas Northwestern's tandem of quarterbacks, Dan Persa and Kain Colter, combined to throw an interception one out of every 42 passes.

Persa and Colter also provide a ground game that is far superior to Tannehill's. NU's quarterbacking duo averaged 57 rushing yards per game, more than twice what Tannehill?compiled. Though Tannehill has thrown for considerably more yards (3,415 to 2,823) and more touchdowns (28 to 22), when Colter and Persa's running is thrown in, the Wildcats' signal-callers had the advantage in both total yards and touchdowns.

Advantage: Northwestern

Wide Receivers:

The receiving corps clearly marked NU's strongest unit this season. Senior wide receiver Jeremy Ebert topped the 1,000-yard mark while Colter emerged as a solid receiving option when he wasn't under center. Four different players caught three or more touchdown passes, and young talent like Christian Jones demonstrated that this group has the potential to remain elite for years to come.

Still, for all their success, the Wildcats cannot match the Aggies in terms of receiving prowess. Ryan Swope topped even Ebert's numbers, averaging 91.8 yards per game with 11 touchdown receptions. From Swope on down, Texas A&M's wide receivers outplayed NU's. The Aggies' No. 2 receiver, Jeff Fuller, easily topped Colter with 255 more receiving yards, as did the Aggies' No. 3 receiver, Uzoma Nwachukwu?who outpaced Demetrius Fields by 263 yards.

The Aggies also have more depth with nine players catching a touchdown pass this season to the Wildcats' six. Though NU's wide receivers played admirably, Texas A&M's competed on another level.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Running Backs:

Northwestern, which struggled to establish a rushing attack in the two seasons since Tyrell Sutton's departure, took a step forward in 2011. The Wildcats ranked fifth in the Big Ten with their average of 176 yards per game. It was NU's most productive season on the ground since 2005, when Sutton earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after leading the Cats to an average of 193 rushing yards per game.

Mike Trumpy started the season as the Cats' top back, but the sophomore's season ended when he tore his ACL against Illinois. Offensive coordinator Mick McCall called on several backs to fill Trumpy's spot, mixing and matching senior Jacob Schmidt, sophomore Adonis Smith and freshman Treyvon Green. However, it was Colter who proved the Cats' most lethal weapon on the ground, tallying 589 yards and eight touchdowns on 118 carries. After Colter, Schmidt was NU's most reliable rusher, frequently getting the call on third-and-short situations.

Like NU, Texas A&M saw its leading rusher sidelined for the season with a torn ACL. Unlike the Cats, the Aggies had the luxury of an NFL prospect to fill the void. Through the first 10 games of the season, junior Christine Michael split carries with senior Cyrus Gray. The duo combined to form one of the more formidable rushing attacks in the Big 12; in the month of October, the Aggies led the conference with 256 rushing yards per game. But on Nov. 5, Michael tore his left ACL in a loss to Oklahoma. Two weeks later, Gray went down with a stress fracture in his shoulder. With Gray forced to miss Texas A&M's season finale against Texas, Ben Malena shouldered the load, rushing 25 times for 83 yards. Michael is out for the season, but Gray is expected to play against Northwestern.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Offensive Line

The Cats' offensive line was the second most experienced in the country, but it struggled to live up to its billing. While NU retained the same starting five throughout the season, a few rough halves hurt the Cats (most notably the second half against both Penn State and Michigan State). Overall, the Cats allowed 35 sacks, the second worst figure in the Big Ten.

On the other hand, Michael and Gray benefited from one of the nation's best offensive lines. Anchored by standout left tackle Luke Joeckel, the Aggies' front five surrendered just eight sacks over 12 games, the fewest in the country. The unit has undergone unthinkable adversity since the end of the season. On Dec. 21, offensive line coach Jim Turner left to take the same job at Texas Tech, followed by reserve lineman Joseph Villavisencio's death in a car accident one day later.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Defensive Ends:

The Northwestern defensive ends had a terrible 2011 campaign. The Wildcats expected All-Big Ten candidate Vince Browne to lead their four-man rotation, but other than his game-clinching sack against Boston College, the senior was virtually non-existent on the field. Sophomore Tyler Scott showed the most upside of the four, levying constant pressure on the quarterback through the first six games and accumulating seven tackles against Michigan. However, a shoulder injury kept him out of two games and limited his effectiveness towards the end of the season. Quentin Williams and Kevin Watt became NU's starting ends after the team's loss to Penn State on Oct. 22 and brought a renewed energy to the defensive line.

Texas A&M got good productivity from its ends in its 3-4 scheme. The two stalwarts of the line were Tony Jerod-Eddie and Spencer Nealy, who combined for 13.5 tackles for loss and five-and-a-half sacks. Jerod-Eddie led the unit with 48 tackles and six quarterback hits while Nealy was not far behind with 44 tackles. Ben Bass was ineffective as a substitute, compiling 23 tackles in 12 games, while the only other defensive end who saw the field was freshman Gavin Stransbury with 14 tackles.

Although the Aggies are only two deep at defensive end, their two ends have played much better than all four ends for the Wildcats combined.

Edge: Texas A&M

Defensive Tackles:

In the middle of the Aggies' 3-4 formation is 310-pound Eddie Brown Jr. The junior compiled just 27 tackles, but had four tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Although not as big, Kirby Ennis was equally effective in his limited playing time. The 286-pound sophomore had only 10 tackles, but had two tackles-for-loss and one-and-a-half sacks.

The Cats got good productivity from their defensive tackles this season despite injuries. Jack DiNardo had 32 tackles in 10 games played while Niko Mafuli had 15 tackles. While the seniors did not have many tackles, the duo accumulated nine tackles-for-loss and four sacks. NU's depth in the middle was lacking for most of the season, but sophomores Chance Carter and Will Hampton held their own in limited playing time. The biggest wild card is junior Brian Arnfelt who missed most of the season with a foot injury. Arnfelt will get the start against the Aggies after Mafuli broke his leg during practice in early December.

NU's defensive tackles were the team's most consistent defensive unit this season. Although Texas A&M got a lot of pressure with Brown Jr., the high pace of the Cats' offense should test the Aggies' depth in the middle.

Edge: Northwestern

Linebackers:

NU's linebackers suffered the most upheaval of any of the team's units this season. Only one linebacker that started the Cats' opener against the Eagles is still starting and he has since been shifted to the outside linebacker spot. Injuries hit this group hard as four linebackers have missed games due to injury this season. There is no real leader of this group although junior David Nwabuisi is the most experienced of the three starters. Damien Proby has settled into the middle linebacker position as a sophomore while Collin Ellis has played well for a freshman. The team's depth took a hit when freshman Chi Chi Ariguzo was lost for the season, but the Cats do have two seniors who can come in as substitutes in Bryce McNaul and Ben Johnson.

For the Aggies, their success lies in their linebackers. Four of Texas A&M's top-five tacklers are linebackers, led by Sean Porter and Damontre Moore. The pair of outside linebackers combined for 16 sacks and 136 tackles this season. On the interior, Jonathan Stewart is the team's leading tackler with 89, 16 more than Porter. He is joined on the inside by a rotation of Steven Jenkins, Charlie Thomas and Garrick Williams. Jenkins was the best of the group with 52 tackles and is the only one of the three with a sack this season.

The linebackers mark the Aggies' best unit and although the Cats' young crew of linebackers is coming into its own, Texas A&M's have been firing on all cylinders.

Edge: Texas A&M

Safeties:

Trent Hunter and Steven Terrell tied for Texas A&M's team high in takeaways with two interceptions each. Hunter put up some of the best stats for an Aggies defense that ranked second to last in the conference in scoring defense and total defense. The senior safety finished third on the Aggies with 73 tackles, including two-and-a-half tackles-for-loss and a sack. His eight pass breakups marked the second highest figure on the team. Despite sharing second-string strong safety duties, Howard Matthews proved an aggressive player in the backfield, recording three tackles-for-loss and two sacks among his 26 tackles on the year. Matthews also hurried the quarterback four times, more than double the total of any other player in Texas A&M's secondary.

NU's secondary received regular criticism in 2011, as a result of its 222.2 passing yards allowed per game, the second worst number in the Big Ten. The Cats were anchored by the play of senior safety Brian Peters. Peters led NU with four interceptions and also forced two fumbles while recovering another.

Redshirt freshman safety Ibraheim Campbell was burned frequently by opposing wide receivers early in the season, but adjusted well enough to be named to Yahoo! Sports' Freshman All-American first team. Campbell also demonstrated his skills as a run stopper, leading the Cats with 89 tackles.

Advantage: Northwestern

Cornerbacks:

NU suffered a major blow when it lost senior cornerback Jordan Mabin for the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas due to shoulder surgery. Mabin, a four-year starter, secured his half of the field while the Cats rotated through several options on the opposite side, hoping to find a worthy companion for Mabin.

Now, NU will have to rely on senior Jeravin Matthews, who was benched earlier this year before regaining his job, and redshirt freshman Daniel Jones, who got beat for two touchdowns against Michigan State while filling in for Mabin.

Though he only intercepted just one pass this season, Texas A&M cornerback Terrence Frederick played the same role of shutdown cornerback that Mabin did. Frederick broke up a team-high 12 passes this year and made 49 tackles.

The Aggies' cornerbacks?utilize an aggressive style and aren't afraid to cheat towards the line in order to stop a play in the backfield. Frederick recorded more tackles-for-loss than every NU player except David Nwabuisi and Jack DiNardo, while fellow cornerback Dustin Harris matched Frederick with two sacks.

Perhaps as a result of its risk-taking style, Texas A&M suffered similar vulnerability through the air as NU. The Aggies gave up the most passing yards of any team in the Big 12, surrendering more than 280 passing yards per game. Still, while both teams lack a strong track record of cornerback coverage, the Aggies at least will not be trotting out a redshirt freshman for his first start.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Kicking Game:

The Aggies are blessed to have one of the best kickers in the game in Randy Bullock. The senior made all but four of his 29 field-goal attempts in 2011, including a most impressive 10-of-12 clip from 40 to 49 yards out. He also hit a 52-yard field goal in 2011, and is 3-for-5 from 50 yards and beyond in his college career. So, there's no doubting his range. Bullock is generally reliable as well ? he has missed just two field goals from fewer than 30 yards out in his college career ? so Texas A&M will not hesitate to trot Bullock out in pressure situations. The Aggies also posted the second-best kickoff coverage numbers in the Big 12 this season.

On the other sideline, coach Pat Fitzgerald hasn't shown very much trust in kicker Jeff Budzien. The sophomore attempted just four field goals in the Wildcats' final six games of the season. On the bright side for NU, Budzien was highly reliable when it came to extra points, sending all 48 of his extra-point attempts through the uprights. Extra points have haunted past NU kickers in bowl games, so Budzien's reliability from close range is a plus. However, he made just two-of-five from 40 to 49 yards, so while he has the leg, he cannot necessarily be trusted from deep.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Punters:

After averaging fewer than 40 yards per punt in six of Northwestern's first eight games of the 2011 season, Brandon Williams ended his season in fine form, averaging 42 yards or more in each of the Wildcats' last four games of the regular season. His unusual rugby style generally limits what the return team can do with his punts, and friendly bounces have been known to lead to unbelievably long yardage for Williams. The sophomore produced a 77-yard punt in a win over Minnesota, followed by a 57-yarder against Michigan State the next week. Williams, while hardly steady, has the ability to change games with a few spectacular boots.

Meanwhile, Ryan?Epperson?produced his best season yet for the Aggies, averaging 40.9 yards per punt, a 3.3-yard improvement from 2010. Yet, Texas A&M still finished with the third-lowest net punting numbers in the Big 12, similar to Northwestern's low finish in the Big Ten. The Aggies also allowed 3.1 yards per return, while the Wildcats allowed just 1.4 yards per return.

A 57-yard punt return in the Wildcats' regular-season finale arguably sealed Northwestern's loss to Michigan State that day, but this is still an area where the Cats should have an edge.

Advantage: Northwestern

Return Team:

Dustin Harris, a defensive back and returner for Texas A&M, is plenty dangerous. He helped the Aggies finish second in the Big 12 with their 13.6 yards per punt return average. The Aggies were less prolific when it came to kickoff returns, averaging just 21.3 yards, while failing to bring one back to the house. Northwestern sophomore?Venric?Mark also failed to bring one back for a touchdown, but he came awfully close on several occasions, helping the Wildcats average 21.8 yards per kickoff return and 12.8 yards per punt return. With such similar numbers, and both teams clearly featuring dangerous weapons in the return game, I'm going to have to declare this category a tie.

Advantage: Even

Head Coach:

Whatever you thought of Pat Fitzgerald's decision to run wide receiver Zeke Markshausen to the right on a fake field goal try to cap off the 2010 Outback Bowl, there's no doubt that Fitzgerald is one of the most dynamic coaches in college football. He's highly experienced in bowl games, having led the Wildcats to four consecutive bowl games, and should be highly determined, given his 0-5 mark in bowl games as a player and a coach. In his sixth year with Northwestern, Fitzgerald provides unparalleled stability at the helm, particularly after signing a contract extension in May that will keep him in Evanston through the 2020 season. Compare that with the instability at Texas A&M. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter was named interim head coach in place of the recently departed Mike Sherman. The Aggies' matchup with the Cats will mark DeRuyter's first and last game at the helm of Texas A&M. After their bowl game, the Aggies will welcome Houston coach Kevin Sumlin to College Station, while DeRuyter will depart for Fresno State, where he will be the new head coach.

Advantage: Northwestern

Source: http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/sports/a-position-by-position-breakdown-of-northwestern-vs-texas-a-m-1.2683088

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On North Korea's border: foreboding about what's next (The Christian Science Monitor)

Dorasan, South Korea ? At this major gateway between South and North Korea, tomorrow's funeral in Pyongyang for North Korea's "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il evokes memories of when North Korean troops poured south in the first days of the Korean War.

Against a distant backdrop of ridges stripped bare by desperate North Koreans looking for firewood, people wonder if North Korea?s new leader, Kim Jong-il?s third son and heir, Kim Jong-un, thrust into power while in his late 20?s, might foment more trouble to divert attention from political instability at home.

?Kim Jong-il?s death is one thing, but what worries me is the condition of North Korea now that he?s gone,? says a clerk in the spacious ?immigration office? near the last station on the unused line going North. ?It?s going to be dangerous up there. No one knows what will happen.??       

RELATED: 4 questions about 'dear successor' Kim Jong-un

A grizzled guard who fled south with his parents as a boy in the days after the invasion echoes that fear. ?They would blame everything on the South,? he says, looking over the vast train station, an edifice in glass, steel, marble, and granite. Several times a day, near-empty trains bring curiosity-seekers and workers on the way to the Kaesong economic zone, a complex of more than 100 small factories staffed by about 50,000 North Koreans several miles above the demilitarized zone that has separated the two Koreans ever since the Korean War. ?They could do anything.?

Significance of the widows in blackOn the eve of Kim Jong-il?s funeral, however, the immigration center was crowded as two widows in black, with relatives and retainers, arrived after spending the better part of two days in North Korea. They had gone, they said, only to express condolences before the glass-enclosed coffin of Kim Jong-il in the same memorial hall in Pyongyang that contains the embalmed remains of his long-ruling father, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994. 

Still, there is no doubt of the significance of the visit of Lee Hee-ho, the 90-year-old widow of Kim Dae-jung, the South Korean president who initiated the Sunshine policy of reconciliation with the North, and Hyun Jeong-eun, whose husband had committed suicide in 2003 after his indictment for channeling payoffs to bring about the June 2000 summit between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il. 

?Kim Jung-un thanked them for traveling so far,? said an aide to Lee Hee-ho as she stood, proud but silent, along with two of her late husband?s sons ? the elder by his first wife, the youngest her own ? who had accompanied her to Pyongyang. 

Ms. Lee and Ms. Hyun exchanged no other words with Kim Jong-un, but images from North Korean television show the warmth of the welcome ? Kim Jong-un shaking hands repeatedly with both of them. 

Just as important were breakfast and lunch meetings with senior officials, notably Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Supreme People?s Assembly, a job that makes him titular head of state.  It was not clear, however, if they also met Jang Song-thaek, brother-in-law of Kim Jong-il, who is thought to be the single most powerful figure ? a de facto regent calling the shots, or at least tutoring the inexperienced Kim Jong-un on the ways of power in his country.

What to look for at the funeralThe line-up of those at the funeral, who shows up on North Korean TV, who?s standing next to whom, whose photographs appear in the next edition of Rodong Sinmun, the party paper, will provide vital clues as to individual power and influence. For true Pyongyang-watchers, those revelations will be the most important aspect of another day of mass grieving and funeral pageantry. 

South Korean officials in Seoul were politely upbeat about the visits ? the only condolence delegations permitted to go to Pyongyang by the conservative government of President Lee Myung-bak. Park Sun-jin at the unification ministry said the government would ?promote and continue inter-Korean exchanges? in hopes they would ?lead to reconciliation between the two side.? 

One anonymous official, however, is less sanguine. ?Without the Sunshine policy of Kim Dae-jung, North Korea would not exist in its current form,? he says. ?It is natural they are treated with great respect in Pyongyang."

RELATED: 4 questions about 'dear successor' Kim Jong-un

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111227/wl_csm/442026

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Celebrity of the Year Finalist #3: Charlie Sheen


We're down to the top three.

With the remaining days in 2011 ticking down to zero, THG has been ranking the most newsworthy celebrities of the year, starting at #10 with Lindsay Lohan and moving on, in order, to...

Jennifer Lopez; Selena Gomez; a host of viral video stars; Katy Perry; Justin Bieber; and pretty much everyone in the Royal Family. Now, at #3, we present... Charlie Sheen!

Charlie Sheen Motivational Poster

Due to a relatively quiet second half of the year, it might be easy to forget the unparalleled, unstable tear Sheen was on to kick off 2011. So here is a two-word reminder: Sheen's Korner.

The shenanigans got underway almost as soon as the calendar turned, as Charlie spent into the six figures on a Las Vegas-based sex and drug romp in January that included strippers, cocaine and plenty of headlines. He was then hospitalized a few days later after a similar party in his home.

From there... wow. Sheen was at the center of a storm truly never seen before in the annals of celebrity gossip. He was in rehab, he was out of rehab. He was fighting publicly with Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre, who eventually shut down production on that sitcom. He was collecting live-in girlfriends he referred to as "goddesses" and giving interviews in which he bragged about his capacity for cocaine and explained why Thomas Jefferson was a pussy.

The dude totally lost it. Remember all these quotes?

Incredibly, this all happened over the course of just a few weeks. Sheen was fired from the highest-rated sitcom on TV; became the fastest Twitter user to ever amass one million followers; and created the year's most overused, obnoxious, single-word catchphrase.

But the insane times could not last forever. Or even for six months.

Sheen bombed in a series of live, ridiculous performances, lost his goddesses and went about trying to revive his career. He settled a lawsuit with Warner Bros., appeared contrite in a lame, contrived Emmy speech and somehow convinced FX to give him another shot. The actor will anchor a program based on the film Anger Management in the summer of 2012.

Personally, the star is also back on track. He's supporting ex-wife Brooke Mueller's rehab efforts with his own money and spent the holidays on vacation with another ex-wife, Denise Richards. Heck, to anyone born in the last six months, Sheen would come across as a caring, responsible, drama-free father.

But to all of us who lived through his escapades in the winter/spring of 2011, Sheen put on a show unlike any we've ever seen before or will see again. It's simply shocking that the actor himself actually lived through it.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/celebrity-of-the-year-finalist-3-charlie-sheen/

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North Korean power-behind-throne emerges as neighbors meet (Reuters)

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) ? North Korean television on Sunday showed power-behind-the-throne Jang Song-thaek in the uniform of a general in a sign of his sway after the death of Kim Jong-il, and Japan's prime minister said the region had entered a new phase following Kim's demise.

The footage, which North Korean television said was shot on Saturday, showed Jang on the frontrow of top military officers who accompanied Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of Kim Jong-il and his anointed successor, paying their respects before Kim's body.

The choreography around Kim's death is one of the secretive North's few clues to the emerging configuration of power in this poor and isolated state that has rattled neighbors with nuclear tests and military brinkmanship.

A Seoul official familiar with North Korea affairs said it was the first time Jang has been shown on state television in a military uniform. His appearance suggested that Jang has secured a key role in the North's powerful military, which has pledged its allegiance to Kim Jong-un.

North Korea announced on Monday Kim Jong-il had died of a heart attack on December 17. His body is lying in state in a mausoleum in Pyongyang. He was believed to be 69.

Kim Jong-un was hailed by state media on Saturday as "supreme commander" of the North's 1.1 million-strong armed forces, the title held by his father.

A senior source told Reuters this week Pyongyang will shift from a strongman dictatorship to a coterie of rulers including the military and Jang, Kim Jong-un's uncle.

Jang married the daughter of the country's revolutionary founder, Kim Il-sung, in 1972, joining the ruling family that has forged its own form of dynastic rule.

"AN NEW PHASE"

In Beijing, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that their two countries shared a stake in preserving stability in North Korea in a "new phase."

"The death of Secretary-General Kim Jong-il has brought East Asia to a new phase," Noda told Wen at the start of bilateral talks in China's capital.

"Peace and stability of the Korean peninsula is in a common interest for both Japan and China," Noda told Wen.

"I believe it is timely that we can exchange views and information on this matter with China, which is the chair country of the six-party talks and has the biggest influence on North Korea."

Noda is the first regional leader to visit Beijing since Kim Jong-il's death was announced on Monday, leaving his young son Kim Jong-un as leader of North Korea, which has rattled the region with nuclear tests and military confrontation.

China is North Korea's sole major economic and diplomatic partner, and the United States and its regional allies have long pressed Beijing to use its influence to rein in Pyongyang.

China has also hosted the six-party talks, which have sought to coax North Korea into abandoning its nuclear arms ambitions in return for aid and security steps.

Those talks bring together North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.

Constraining North Korea is especially important for Japan, which is well within range of the North's long-range missiles and wants Pyongyang to resolve the emotive issue of the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped to help train spies decades ago.

"I hope we can sincerely exchange views on how to overcome abduction, nuclear and missile issues," Noda told Wen, referring to North Korea.

(Writing and additional reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Yoko Nishikawa)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111225/wl_nm/us_korea_north_power

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Exclusive: Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taliban talks (Reuters)

KABUL (Reuters) ? Afghanistan will accept a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to start peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government's peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the decade-long war.

Afghanistan's High Peace Council, in a note to foreign missions, has set out ground rules for engaging the Taliban after Kabul grew concerned that the United States and Qatar, helped by Germany, had secretly agreed with the Taliban to open an office in the Qatari capital, Doha.

U.S. officials have held about half a dozen meetings with their insurgent contacts, mostly in Germany and Doha with representatives of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban's Quetta Shura, this year to prepare the way for face-to-face talks between the group and the Afghan government.

A representative office for the group is considered the starting point for such talks and Doha has in the past served as a meeting ground for initial contacts.

But the Afghan peace commission which has suffered a series of setbacks including the assassination of its head in September said that negotiations with the Taliban could only begin after they stopped violence against civilians, cut ties to al Qaeda, and accepted the Afghan constitution which guarantees civil rights and liberties, including rights for women.

The council, according to a copy of the 11-point note made available to Reuters, also said any peace process with the Taliban would have to have the support of Pakistan since members of the insurgent group were based there.

"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is in agreement regarding the opening of an office for the armed opposition, but only to move forward the peace process and conduct negotiations," the council said.

The government would prefer such an office in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, both of which it is close to, but was not averse to Doha as long as the authority of the Afghan state was not eroded and the office was only established for talks, officials said.

"We are saying Saudi or Turkey are preferable, we are not saying it has to be there only. The only condition is it should be in an Islamic country," said a government official.

President Hamid Karzai's administration recalled its ambassador from Doha last week, apparently angry that it had been kept in the dark about the latest round of contacts with the insurgent group.

Officials said Kabul was also deeply concerned about reports that the United States was considering the transfer of a small number of Afghan prisoners from Guantanamo Bay military prison to Doha as a prelude to the talks.

"We are a sovereign country, we have laws. How can you transfer our prisoners from one country to another. Already it's a violation to have them in Guantanamo Bay," the official said.

The Afghan government wanted the prisoners to be returned to its custody, the official said.

Reuters reported this month that the United States was considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay into Afghan government custody as part of accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy.

"We have no problem with this. In fact we have been demanding this for a while. These are Afghan prisoners," said the official, who declined to be identified.

The tension between the Karzai administration and the United States over engaging the Taliban underscores the challenges of seeking a political settlement as the West prepares to withdraw most combat troops from the country by 2014.

Efforts to engage the insurgent group have faced a string of setbacks, the most recent being the assassination of the head of the peace council and former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September at the hands of a suicide bomber who pretended to be a Taliban emissary.

HARDENING OF POSITIONS

It led to a hardening of positions with Karzai saying the government could not talk to suicide bombers and that there should be an address for the Taliban so that negotiators know they are talking to the right representatives.

"We are committed to the reconciliation process, the experience of the last 10 years shows no military solution is possible. Talking to the armed opposition is the key in this regard," said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi.

The peace council, laying down the markers for engagement with the Taliban, said well known figures from both the Taliban and the government had to be involved in talks.

It said that "before any negotiations can take place, violence against Afghan people must stop and that the armed opposition must cut ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups."

It also said that the Taliban must accept the constitution and honor the gains made in the last 10 years since they were ousted from power, conditions that the Taliban have shown no sign of accepting.

The Taliban do not accept the constitution and have vowed to carry on fighting until all foreign troops have left the country.

The peace council said Pakistani support was necessary for talks to take place, another condition that makes the task harder because of fraught ties between the United States and Pakistan which fears it is being shut out of the process.

Opening a Taliban office in a third country is seen as a way to create distance from Pakistan which has longstanding ties to the insurgent group.

But the government official said he did not think the peace council had laid down such tough conditions that the talks would fail even before they started.

"We don't think it's a deal breaker. We are quite optimistic," he said.

(Editing by Robert Birsel and Ed Lane)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_talks

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Case audit reveals flaws in legal system - The Nation

Home ? national ? Case audit reveals flaws in legal system


Don Pathan
The Nation
Pattani
December 24, 2011 8:24 pm

Speaking at a seminar on Saturday during which a report that examined 100 legal cases that was audit by the Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation and the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative, experts said the entire sysem needs to be seriously examined. Out fo the 100 cases studied, 72 were dismissed, all on the ground of insufficient evidence.

Vast majority of the suspects were charged with terrorism, unlike the separatist conflict in the 1970s and 1980s when militatns were charged with treason.

Thailand employed special laws - Emergency Law and Martial Law - that permits detention up to 37 days without formal charges. Suspects are almost incommunicado the entire time.

From the Martial Law, there were 39 cases of tortured and 27 cases of verbal abuses. From those held under Emergency Law, 37 were tortured, while 25 experienced verbal abuses. The same kind of treatment also existed under normal legal proceeding.

Most of the suspects are locked during the cases that can take anywhere form one to two years, or even three years, before the verdict is read.

Pairote Polpetch, a member of the Legal Reform Committee, said the problem lies with the authorities unwillingness to question cases that are sensitive in nature and decided to pass it on.

Moreover, the lengthy detention period, which is not subjected to any examination, may leads to questionable and illegal interrogation tactics, such as torture, as the authorities tries to obtain information form the suspects.

International Crises Group's Rungrawee Chalerm-pinyorat asked whether this is a problem exclusively for the south or for the entire country.

Moreover, quoting a senior police officer, there is the feeling that without these special laws, rogue officials may employ controversial and illegal means, such as abduction and consequently murder of suspects.

She said the violence in the deep South was political in nature but Thai legal process does not take this into consideration.

The government also employed Article 21 to give incentive to insurgents to lay down their arms. But the scheme failed to attract much participations because, said senior government officials in the region, the militants see themselves as winning. Such process is reserved for post-conflict period and should be use as a way to reintegrate the insurgents back into the society.

Pairote said the judge and the Office of the Attorney General just be more vigorous in screening and demanding more solid evidence from the law enforcement officers.

"They can help filter the process at the early stage instead of waiting until the legal process exhausted itself," Pairote said.

One senior officer in the region said there is a concerned that many of the suspects who had been locked up for a year or two would come out with extreme anger and then join the movement.

Participants urged the authorities to investigate the alleged torture and abuses, saying faith in the government lies with the sincerity of the officials and justice system.

Latest stories in this category


Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Case-audit-reveals-flaws-in-legal-system-30172605.html

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Motorola Wins Against Apple

Motorola recently experienced victory as the company won against Apple regarding a patent case filed in Germany.

Motorola, the Android-based smartphone manufacturer filed the patent case against Apple when the company filed to license one of the wireless intellectual properties that the company utilizes. This intellectual property is included in the technology used by Apple in their iPhone and 3G iPad devices. This case is also related to a patent claimed by Motorola which is a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system." Motorola licenses their patent to other companies on FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms. Since Apple lost this case, Motorola could try to force Apple to remove this feature from the devices that they offer or opt to stop sales in Germany.

Motorola expressed its contentment regarding the court decision in a statement released by Scott Offer, senior VP and general counsel of Motorola Mobility. Offer said that "We (Motorola) will continue to take all necessary steps to protect our intellectual property, as the company's patent portfolio and licensing agreements with companies both in the US and around the world are critical to our business. We have been negotiating with Apple and offering reasonable licensing terms and conditions since 2007, and will continue our efforts to resolve our global patent dispute as soon as practicable."

Companies who own a Frand-type patent is under obligation to license out their technology to third-parties due to the fact that this invention is considered to be "essential" to an industry standard. Apple had previously expressed their willingness to pay a Frand-set fee in the future as well as paying a similar rate for past infringements. Despite Apple's willingness to pay the needed fees, the company lost because it attempted to "retain the right to contest the validity of the patent with a view to past damages". Apple decided to go with this strategy because Motorola defended the company's right to charge an above-Frand rate to Apple for the past four years.?

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On the other hand, Apple expressed its discontent regarding the court's decision. Apple said that "we're (Apple) going to appeal the court's ruling right away. Holiday shoppers in Germany should have no problem finding the iPad or iPhone they want."

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/272434/20111224/motorola-apple-patent-case.htm

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Melanie Amaro Expresses Shock, Appreciation Over X Factor Victory


Melanie Amaro accomplished the very difficult on the first season of The X Factor: the front-runner since day one, this talented singer maintained that status for months and went on to win the title last night.

And she still can't believe it.

"I felt as though I was hearing things, to be honest," Amaro told reporters today of when Steve Jones announced her at the winner. "I had to check my ear real quick. It shocked me a lot. It really did."

Melanie Amaro Wins!

Melanie, of course, is now $5 million richer, a wild sum for anyone, let alone a young woman who didn't grow up with much.

"Life will change a lot," she says. "The most I have ever had before was $200, if I was lucky."

A piano teacher from Florida, Amaro says she'll purchase a new home for her mother with the winnings, along with a lifetime supply of chicken for herself. Seriously. ("I can't live without it. It's my favorite food.")

Overall, she just wants to give a shout-out to her fans.

"Thank you to all my supporters who've supported me and have been behind me since day one and believed in me when I didn't even have the heart to believe in myself," she says. "Even when I went home, you guys still pushed and sent all your love my way."

You're welcome, Melanie! Did do you think Amaro deserved to win?



Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/melanie-amaro-expresses-shock-appreciation-over-x-factor-victory/

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Shootings in Mexico's Veracruz kill 16

At least 11 people were killed by an armed gang on Thursday in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz, where drug-related violence flared this autumn, before five gunmen were shot dead by security forces.

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A spokeswoman for the state government told local television the gunmen killed four people in the small town of El Higo then attacked three buses on a highway about 60 miles southwest of the port of Tampico, killing seven others.

Five armed men were killed in a shootout with security forces, the spokeswoman said.

Story: Mexico disbands entire police force in top port of Veracruz

Mexican authorities in October blamed a surge of killings in the city of Veracruz ? some 300 miles south of Tampico ? on a group linked to the country's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.

Guzman has been fighting a turf war with the violent Zetas cartel, which authorities say controls Veracruz.

More than 45,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched a war on drug cartels in late 2006.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45770652/ns/world_news-americas/

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