Saturday, November 10, 2012

Do Recreational Drugs Help Programmers?

It sounds like that is based on very limited personal experience.

I have been smoking cannabis for more than 35 years and it is nothing but an enhancement to me (well... unless used excessively all day or something). To long time users, it's more like having a cup of coffee than an intoxicant. While it is and we have to be a bit discrete, we don't even think of it as an "illegal drug" when we use it either alone or in social settings, but then, this is Canada where we don't believe American propaganda.

Hippies didn't necessarily die young because of drugs (at least not marijuana and not likely LSD either). There are other common factors and lifestyle choices that come into play. I have friends in their 70's who still smoke cannabis several times a day, by the way.

Most all of the harm from cannabis comes from the drug laws, and extrajudicial mechanisms that serve only to ostracize people who defy those laws. For example it is absolutely disingenuous to test urine for cannabis and use the presence of non pharmacologically active metabolites that may persist for weeks or months, to discriminate against people for employment or any other purpose. Hair follicle testing is even more sinister. They are always testing for past use. Even blood tests, while more accurate, immediate and having the possibility to be quantitative, can detect it for up to 4 days.

Funny how the harm is directly related to society. In places where it's legal/ignored and tolerated, there is far less harm than in an authority driven place like America where the public is so brainwashed that they actively participate in the injustice. You've really got to see cannabis use without the stigmata, to understand this. It doesn't affect your family either, when it's tolerated. In fact it can be a "god send" (not my words) when chosen over alcohol abuse. When people aren't punished by society for it, they keep their jobs and/or businesses, they own homes, have families, raise bright kids who go on to higher education just like "normal" people etc.

The answer to the main question in the article "Do Recreational Drugs Help Programmers?" can only be that it depends on the individual, the drugs in question and the circumstances. It is my opinion that someone who doesn't use drugs would almost certainly be affected adversely if they suddenly got intoxicated or over stimulated and tried to code. Drugs don't affect all individuals the same, either. I know some people who just CAN'T use cannabis for example.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/jrcjWVK5X_o/do-recreational-drugs-help-programmers

dallas fort worth tornado dallas tornadoes

The Almighty Dollar

Former oil executive and new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby addresses the media during a press conference in London on Friday. Former oil executive and new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby addresses the media during a press conference in London on Friday

Photo by Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images.

Former oil executive Justin Welby was named Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday. Welby openly criticized banking excesses in the run-up to the 2008 financial collapse, and some hope his business experience will help him stabilize the church?s finances. Are churches good at managing their money?

Some are very good. The Church of England invests conservatively, putting most of its $760 million in assets into stocks and real estate. The church?s 5.7 percent annual return just beats the Standard & Poor?s 500 over the past decade (excluding dividends), but that revenue covers only about 15 percent of the church?s operations, with most of its cash coming from parish giving. It?s difficult to compare the Anglicans? investment performance with that of other major religions, which are generally reluctant to release financial information. It seems relatively clear, however, that the Latter-day Saints are outpacing them, in part because the Mormon Church goes well beyond passive investment in existing businesses. In July, Business Week investigated the Mormons? money management, noting that the church?s largest investment vehicle pulls in $1.2 billion per year. Its investments include media, hospitality, and insurance businesses. The church also owns more than $1 billion worth of land in the United States alone, used for crops, livestock, and timber.

The Roman Catholic Church is also secretive about its money, but the Vatican financial situation is clearly tumultuous. In recent years, the church swung wildly between losing $10 million in a year to earning $45 million. Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department for the first time included the Holy See on its list of ?jurisdictions of concern? because it might be vulnerable to money laundering. JPMorgan Chase also closed the Vatican?s account, providing little explanation for the decision. While the Holy See is moving toward greater financial transparency, it appears that internal controversies over how far to go and a legacy of alleged mafia connections are slowing the process.

Few religious organizations can top the Church of Scientology when it comes to secrecy, making it nearly impossible to determine how the church invests its money. The organization is, however, obviously efficient at extracting revenue from its members. Last year, the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) reported the stories of Scientologists who were pressured into giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the church. One couple, after giving $160,000 to help build a new church, declined to take out a loan to give an additional $90,000. They quickly received an official complaint from Scientology headquarters noting that it would take the couple only a year-and-a-half to pay off that debt. At fundraising events, members have reportedly been blocked from leaving until they donated. The Church of Scientology also makes impressive profits on merchandising, selling holy texts to its members for $3,000 each. Earlier this year, a senior church member broke ranks and complained that the organization was sitting on more than $1 billion in assets.

Large religious organizations rarely fail, but small churches have been going bankrupt at a brisk rate since the 2008 financial collapse. Maryland?s Ark of Safety Christian Church filed for bankruptcy in June, and the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church, which has been active in Boston for nearly 200 years, also declared bankruptcy this year. More than 240 other churches have been foreclosed upon since 2010. In many cases, they have been unable to refinance their mortgages, which, unlike residential loans, come due after five years.

Got a question about today?s news? Ask the Explainer.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=d47f0c29e711f127b374508a0d2b0571

aaliyah Empire State Building shooting Republican National Convention Karlie Redd guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson

Internet Marketing Tips For A Successful Online Presence | Free ...

Internet marketing is essential for any business owner in this day and age. There are so many ways to market your business and so many ways to reach new customers. Often, these methods are both cheap and effective. You can use the advice outlined in this article to get started with Internet marketing and grow your business.

Receiving and sustaining your customer?s trust is imperative. When designing your marketing communications and promotions, include only the information which can be supported by facts. Client testimonials, user reviews, and expert endorsements must be documented to remain effective.

Avoid believing that Internet marketing is going to replace your day job right from the get go. If you are skilled with Internet marketing, you can consider turning it into a career.

More subscribers means higher profits. You can use a split test to find out what works best. A split test offers one version of a web page to a group, and a different version to a second group. You?ll discover which methods are working best when you look at the subscription numbers for each site version.

Make sure you have a way to figure out your detailed statistics. This information should encompass traffic, conversions, sales, refunds and anything else that is measurable. Keep detailed records and statistics to guide your choices when choosing ways to launch Internet marketing campaigns.

Include content that is rich and original on your site. You will attract search engines better by packing your site with loads of rich content. You not only have better results with the search sites, but your audience will be more satisfied with what they find when they visit your site.

Look into testing the emails that you send out to see what your customers think and how they respond. One way to do this is with split testing, also called bucket testing or A/B testing. Make an email campaign, and change one singular thing in it to make a variant. For instance, you may draft two separate subject lines, calls to action, or intro paragraphs. Send out each version to an equally-sized random subset of your customers, and measure the success. If one version has a clear advantage over the other, use that one going forward.

Feature comments from your customers about your products on your site. Many people enjoy reading what others have to say about a product. It also makes them trust your company a bit more.

Make sure you follow up with your customers. Have them leave a review or answer a survey a few days after purchasing.

Press releases are a good strategy to get the word out on the product you offer. If you can write clear, crisp and informative press releases, there are many sources available online that will publish you and release your material to certain niche markets. You can boost your presence in this way.

Create a video in which you demonstrate the item that you are selling. By doing this, customers can watch you literally trying the product out. You can show your audience the benefits of using the product, and highlight features that are difficult or impossible to describe in text. After you make the video, post it to several sites including Youtube, blogs, and Facebook.

No longer is Internet marketing a luxury; it?s now become a necessity. Those with an online business have to use it if they want to make money. By including these tips in business plan, you will maintain high visibility on the Internet and increase the profitability of your business.

Productive Network Marketing Success is surely a requirement to be successful in your web and real world business. Acquire fantastic networking recommendations on this site ? Ugettingbetter.com

Source: http://www.businesslistingnow.com/blog/internet-marketing-tips-for-a-successful-online-presence/

google earnings pat burrell hilary rosen grilled cheese allen west north korea missile nerlens noel

Friday, November 9, 2012

Weed lealized in Colorado, Washington (Reuters)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/261369132?client_source=feed&format=rss

shipwreck jose aldo vs chad mendes lana del rey john 3 16 alex smith 49ers miss america 2012 hgtv dream home

Live Stream Your Own Matches on YouTube in Black Ops II ...

Ever feel like live streaming your multiplayer gameplay directly to YouTube for games like Call of Duty? eSports are quickly becoming some of the most viewed and talked about stuff online, and live streaming gaming events is a big part of that world.

Activision announced today that Call of Duty: Black Ops II?sports a brand new live streaming feature unlike anything going for any other console game. Here?s part of the news by way of a press release from the publisher.

Forget the need for capturing equipment and a nearby computer, gamers will actually be able to live stream their gameplay directly from their consoles without any other tools. As the release indicates, this feature will only be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No news regarding either the Wii U or PC versions of Black Ops II?were mentioned.

Read the full release for yourselves by hitting the button below.

CALL OF DUTY?: BLACK OPS II TEAMS WITH YOUTUBE?TO DELIVER IN-GAME LIVE STREAMING

Treyarch?s Innovative New Live Streaming Functionality?Marks Historic First for Video Games

New Pillar for eSports Competition Elevates Gameplay to a Sporting Event

Santa Monica, CA ? November 8, 2012 ? Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops II?s new live streaming feature, available when the game launches on November 13th, will let players live stream gameplay on YouTube directly from the Xbox 360? and PlayStation?3 game consoles. The first of its kind innovation coming from Activision and the game?s developer, award-winning studio Treyarch, will allow players to live stream Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer League Play games, as well as the player?s webcam and audio commentary while playing.

Call of Duty Elite takes the live streaming experience even further, letting viewers on Elite see the player card of the user that is streaming. With just a couple clicks, viewers can dig deeper to see such information as class loadouts, recent match data, as well as career stats across supported Call of Duty? games on Elite.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II player live streams will be viewable on YouTube via web browsers, mobile and tablets through Call of Duty Elite as well as individual YouTube user channels.

?From the beginning of development with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the team has been pushing boundaries on every front to offer Call of Duty fans things that they haven?t been able to do before,? said Mark Lamia, studio head of Treyarch. ?With our competitive play and eSports initiatives, we wanted to deliver live streaming capabilities built right into Call of Duty: Black Ops II, because Call of Duty is not only fun and exciting to play, but we believe it will be just as exciting to watch. By making the capability of live streaming as accessible as possible to our fans, straight from a player?s console without the need for any additional hardware or sophisticated setups, we are empowering our fans to share their multiplayer experiences.?

?Our partners are using YouTube Live to bring entertainment, must-see moments and more to millions of people around the world. With Call of Duty: Black Ops II, people can live stream their gameplay directly from the game or watch the best players live on YouTube, which is an awesome next step for the eSports community,? said Sang Kim, Head of Game Partnerships.

A verified YouTube account is required to live stream. A valid Call of Duty Elite registration is necessary to view the streams and related information inside Call of Duty Elite. Call of Duty: Black Ops II player live streams will be subject to limitations and restrictions. Additional Call of Duty: Black Ops II live stream destinations will be announced in the future.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II launches worldwide on November 13, 2012, on the Xbox? 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation?3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC. The title is also expected to be released in North America on November 18, 2012, for the new Wii U? game system from Nintendo. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is rated ?M? (Mature ? Blood and Gore, Intense Violence Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs ? content suitable for persons ages 18 and older) by the ESRB. More information on Call of Duty: Black Ops II can be found at http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2 or on www.facebook.com/codblackops. Fans can also follow @Treyarch on Twitter.

About Treyarch
Treyarch is an industry-leading game developer, wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. whose previous game Call of Duty: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company?s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing?s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected release date of November 13, 2012, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing?s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard?s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

# # #

ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, and CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. ?PlayStation? is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii U is a trademark of Nintendo.

Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/gaming/platform-gaming/black-ops-ii-youtube-live-stream/

the artist sacha baron cohen oscars the old curiosity shop jane russell meryl streep martin scorsese sacha baron cohen

Thursday, November 8, 2012

More Smartphone Users Turning to Mobile for Health Info [SURVEY]

Quick, look at your smartphone and count how many of your apps are health-related. A new survey on Mobile Health from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds 19% of smartphone users have at least one health app downloaded onto their device.

Perhaps you use a fitness app like MyFitnessPal or a calorie counter such as Lose It! Or maybe you just use your phone to gather health data and look up info on headache remedies or caregivers.

If so, you?re among a growing trend, according to Pew Associate Director Susannah Fox, who authored the report. It found one in three cell phone owners have used their phone to look for health information. That?s up from 17% which is what a similar survey taken two years found.

SEE ALSO: Store All Your Fitness and Health Stats in This One App

Why the uptick? With 45% of U.S. adults now owning a smartphone, people don?t have to wait to get a question answered. Your internet-connected phone has become a mobile information device; a personal appliance that people have with them all the time.

Fox likens it to the transition we experienced in 2002 and 2003 when dial-up gave way to Broadband connectivity in the home. It made it easier to find health care, among other important information. The same transition is happening now with the prevalence of smartphones. ?You had to go find the Internet,? Fox tells Mashable, ?whereas now the Internet is with you wherever you are.?

What are we searching for? Many of the 52% of smartphone users who gather health information on their phones look for topics like caring for a loved one, or to find answers when facing a medical crisis.

SEE ALSO: Digitally Connected Scale Sends Your Apps the Naked Truth

Others say they use apps when they?re looking to, or have made, a make a significant health change in their lives. Exercise, diet and weight apps top the list. Mashable has written numerous stories on the availability of apps for this market but, given how popular it?s becoming, it looks like there?s room for growth.

Smartphone users reach for health apps to track their exercise (38%), monitor their diet (31%), and manage their weight (12%), according to the nationwide survey of 3,014 adults living in the U.S. Others use health apps to monitor blood pressure, diabetes, and even track their menstrual cycle.

Texting is starting to come into play in mobile health care. While an estimated 80% of cellphone users send and receive text messages, 9% are getting text updates about health or medical issues. Fox says it?s often in the form of a reminder. For example, a melanoma survivor might be more likely to remember to use sunscreen if the message comes via text, along with the daily weather outlook.

Do you use a mobile app to search for health info or track your fitness? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/11/08/mobile-health-adoption/

rawhide bigfoot sandra dee twilight zone december 21 2012 mayan calendar nfl playoff picture

Vieira Downgrades Apple to Strong Sell

Vieira Downgrades Apple to Strong Sell

?

?

?

Vieira Downgrades Apple to Strong Sell at $705. For more information refer to Why Did Apple Stock Crash? It?s all about Vieira

When are you going to learn you cannot do anything about it? ?if you are following Wall Street scam?analysts, great snake oil salesmen and criminals, your account will bust soon or later.

Vieira has concerns about Apple management. He considers the stock is not worth more than $708 mentioned in this same blog in April 2012.

We repeat it again to make it really clear for the dumb investor. This is not about Apple. This is not about discussing bulls and bears arguments. This is not about the iPhone 5 or the iPad Mini. Is your brain really so limited??If this is the case then for God?s sake, stay tuned to the great stock market scams on earth: Jim Cramer, Cody Willard, Zacks Investment Research,?Motley?Fool, Penny Stocks, Gadgets magazines and many others.

So,?which is Vieira secret,?the best stock market trading system??We already discussed it here in this blog.?He listens to the market.

Vieira?s?Trading and Coaching for Professionals and Fund Managers,?is the reference in Professional Live Trading and Online Trader?s Education. He has been coaching traders, hedge fund managers and investors around the globe for the past twenty years. Besides coaching investors trading live the stock market, Vieira develops priceless and unique e-learning content for professional traders: basic and advanced trading courses based on actual trading shared with subscribers.

Source: http://blog.beyond-trading.com/blog/2012/11/06/vieira-downgrades-apple-to-strong-sell/

black and tan dwight howard trade ncaa bracket 2012 2012 ncaa bracket john carlson greg smith catamount

A Fall Recipe for ICI Homes from a Food Network Star

A Fall Recipe for ICI Homes from a Food Network Star

Emily Ellyn is a well known Orlando Food Network Star and was recently a contestant on the Food Network?s show Food Network Star.

Not only is Emily a trained chef who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and Academie Internationale de Management in Paris, she has two master?s degrees in Hospitality Management and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Food Service Education. Emily also contributes to her community by being an imaginative, rad and much loved Food Service instructor at the University of Central Florida?s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

ICI Homes reached out to Emily for one of her famous recipes for the Fall. We hope you enjoy this easy and delightful recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Hot Chocolate!

_______________________________________

Pumpkin Spiced Hot Chocolate:
Recipe courtesy of Emily Ellyn
Retro Rad Culinary Personality
Hot Chocolate Ingredients:
2 cups of whipping cream
6 cups of milk
? cup canned pumpkin
1 ? teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 (12 ounce) package of white chocolate chips
? (3 ounce) package butterscotch morsels
Holiday Cheer Ingredients:
4 ounces Butterscotch Schnapps
1 ? 2 ounces Amaretto

_______________________________________

Directions:
1. Prepare in your crock pot (you can keep the mixture warm and melted and do not have to worry about stepping out of the party to make hot chocolate!) This recipe serves about 10.

2. Start this recipe right before everyone arrives so that you will have some time to cook it while everyone is up and mingling. It will simmer on low for 2 hours and be ready for dessert!

3. Add all of the hot chocolate ingredients into your slow cooker ? whipping cream, milk, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and white chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels.

4. Stir occasionally until mixture is melted together.

5. Right before you serve (if you want to add the holiday cheer) add the Butterscotch Schnapps and Amaretto to make it a creamy nutty drink!

6. Serve with whipped cream and your favorite cookies!

For more fantastic recipes visit www.emilyellyn.com

Corinne is the Online Marketing Coordinator for ICI Homes This entry was posted in Home and Garden and tagged Cooking, fall, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.icihomes.com/blog/2012/11/07/a-fall-recipe-for-ici-homes-from-a-food-network-star/

san francisco earthquake terminator salvation terminator salvation deron williams jarhead montrose marshawn lynch

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Computer science grad student develops 'musical heart'

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2012) ? A University of Virginia graduate student has developed a biofeedback-based system that helps smartphones select music that will help get their owners' heart pumping during exercise, or slow it down when they want to cool down or relax.

"Whether I am driving, jogging, traveling or relaxing -- I never find the appropriate music to listen to," said Shahriar Nirjon, a doctoral student in computer science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. "I believe there are many like me. The problem is: The heart wants to hear something, but our music player does not understand the need. My joy was in connecting them together -- in a non-invasive and cost-effective way."

Called "Musical Heart," the system "brings together wellness and entertainment," Nirjon said.

Musical Heart works by merging a microphone that detects the pulse in arteries in the ear with earphones that bring in music from a playlist on a smartphone. An app selects tunes that optimize the heart rate of an individual user based on a given activity, whether running, walking or relaxing -- playing fast-paced music for hard workouts, and slowing the beat for cool-downs. An algorithm refines the music selection process of the system by storing heart rate data and calculating the effects of selected music on the rate. Over time, it improves music selections to optimize the user's heart rate.

Musical Heart uses a pair of specially built earphones equipped with tiny sensors to continuously monitor the user's heart rate and activity level. That physiological information, along with contextual information, is then sent to a remote server, which provides dynamic music suggestions to help the user maintain a target heart rate. The system learns, in essence, to select music that will have a desired effect on heart rate customized to the individual user, based on the effects of past music selections on the heart rate. In addition to helping to optimize heart rate for various activities, Musical Heart also can select music that helps the user relax.

"We've designed Musical Heart to be convenient, non-invasive, personalized and low cost," Nirjon said.

Most portable heart monitors, he said, are not personalized to the user, meaning they don't provide the biofeedback feature of Musical Heart. They can be inconvenient to use, requiring bulky watch-like monitors, sometimes with a chest strap, and can range in price from $80 to $400.

The Musical Heart system, which is not on the market, may cost about $20, Nirjon said, and is more than simply a monitor because of its music selection feature.

Nirjon will present his system at the 10th Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (SenSys 2012), being held this week in Toronto -- the most important annual meeting in the field, he said. His paper describing the system has been accepted for publication in the conference's proceedings.

Nirjon's area of expertise is in smartphone sensing and networked embedded systems. Musical Heart is one of his research projects and will be a part of his Ph.D. thesis. He works with computer science professor John A. Stankovic, who runs a research group that bridges health and computer science. The industry partner on this project was Microsoft Research Asia (Beijing).

Nirjon currently is working on a generic acoustic sensing platform for smartphones that hosts a suite of apps -- one of which is the Musical Heart. He does not currently have a marketing plan, but may develop one in the future.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Virginia, via Newswise.

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


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/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/6YQN_PG91n0/121106125454.htm

sign of the times keystone pipeline purim acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm

Perry's Previews Movie Review & Director Interview: "Paperman," A ...


Perry Chen giving his drawing to "Paperman" director John Kahrs (photo by Amy Astley)

?

Perry?s Previews Movie Review & Director Interview: ?Paperman,? A Flight of Imagination

Four and a half stars. (4.5 out of 5 starfish)

?

By Perry S. Chen???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? November 2, 2012

Have you ever looked at a total stranger and imagined what it would be like to spend a life with that person? That is the story first-time Disney director John Kahrs is trying to tell through his delightful short film, ?Paperman,? which plays before the ?Wreck-it Ralph? feature that opens on November 2, 2012.

The story starts out when an attractive young woman Meg catches the eye of a sad-looking young man George, both waiting at a New York tram station.? As Meg gets onto the tram, she looked at George in a way that Kahrs described in a panel discussion at the 2012 Platform International Animation Festival as ?we could have made a great couple.? Unexpectedly, George spots her again in the highrise building where he works, and makes a daring attempt using paper airplanes to catch her attention.

?Paperman? is an incredible film, the best animation short I have seen this year! The art is a seamless bend between CG and 2D animation, retaining the feel of fluid hand-drawn movements. The film is done in black and white, conveying the time period of the 1900s. The color gives it a nostalgic feel, but not enough to distract from the main story. The characters are shown with great detail using the lighting, movements, and evocative music that changes with the mood of the story, from melancholy to light-hearted moments. George has a dark color scheme and looks bored and depressed, while Meg is more lightly colored. Finally, the film conveys a deep story with underlying themes of love, fate, and connections.

"Paperman" by Perry Chen (given to director John Kahrs)

I had the great honor to interview director John Kahrs at the Platform Animation Festival, and gave him a drawing I did from the film.? He told me that he was inspired by a time when he lived in New York City. During his commute, he saw that ?everybody is looking to make a connection out there?, and he had the idea to make a film about connections. John got started doing animation by making flip books out of his mother?s romance novels when he was my age. Making these books really taught him a lot about the principles of drawing. Later, he got a camera and began to make his own short films. His best advice for aspiring animators is to ?know how to move the characters and when to stop moving the characters. You have to find the balance between the two,? he explains,?because that?s what life is like.?

I noticed that a man would do anything to get a woman?s attention.? The only flaw in the film is that George and Meg took completely different trams even though they worked right next to each other. Meg got onto the tram while George stayed for the next one, and when they both returned from work, they arrived at the station from trams of opposite directions. When I pointed out the flaw during my interview, director Kahrs acknowledged that ?this is a giant plot hole, and you are the first person to ask it.? But I told him that the story more than makes up for it.

?

The director kindly autographed a collectable booklet on the art of ?Paperman? and drew me a scene from the film on my now famous animation sketchbook (with original drawings from Pixar director Brad Bird of ?Ratatouille? and ?The Incredibles,? Disney director John Musker of ?Aladdin? and ?The Little Mermaid,?? directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of the Oscar-winning short ?The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,? ASIFA-Hollywood President Frank Gladstone, my animation collaborator Bill Plympton, and many more).? Director Kahrs said he is working on a ?secret? project right now.? I look forward to seeing his next masterpiece.

Original drawing by "Paperman" director John Kahrs to Perry Chen at Platform International Animation Festival

I watched ?Paperman? four times already, at the ?Wreck-it Ralph? press screening, the Animation Show of Shows, and the Platform Animation Festival.? The film is fresh and interesting each time, and I notice new things with each viewing.? I give ?Paperman? 4.5 starfish.? I recommend this film to people of all ages, although adults would appreciate the story more.? I believe this charming short will surely earn an Oscar nomination, and may even win, come February!

Moral: Everyone longs for love and connection.? With persistence, destiny will take flight.

?

Copyright 2012 by Perry S. Chen

?????-

About Perry Chen:

Perry S. Chen is a 12-year-old award-winning child film critic, artist, animator, TEDx speaker, and entertainment personality, currently in 7th grade from San Diego.? He started reviewing movies at age 8 in 3rd grade using a kid-friendly starfish rating system, and has been featured in CBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, CCTV (China Central Television), Variety, Animation Magazine, The Young Icons, The Guardian, The China Press, etc.? He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation, and has written movie reviews for Animation World Network, San Diego Union Tribune, Amazing Kids! Magazine, and his own Perry?s Previews blog.

Perry is currently writing, animating, and directing his most personal film to date, ?Changyou?s Journey,? produced by his mom Dr. Zhu Shen, about his beloved father Dr. Changyou Chen, a cancer researcher who passed away in July 2012 from terminal cancer after a long, brave battle, please watch trailer and donate to support Perry?s animation film:

www.perryspreviews.com

Perry won an ?Excellence in Journalism Award? from San Diego Press Club in 2010 and 2011 for his movie and restaurant reviews, an ?Excellence Writer Award? from ?We Chinese in America? Magazine in 2010 for his movie review column. Perry is widely recognized as an authoritative spokesperson about movies for his generation, and appears frequently at red carpet movie premieres, awards, and film festivals, interviewing prominent directors from such films as Toy Story 3, Up, How to Train Your Dragon.? He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation in Hollywood.? Perry and his mom Dr. Zhu Shen are featured in a new book about parenting and youth entrepreneurship, ?The Parent?s Guide to Raising CEO Kids,? published in Aug 2011.

Perry?s first animation short ?Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,? in collaboration with animation legend Bill Plympton, won multiple film festival awards and has been screened at over 30 international film festivals, now available on iTunes. More info: http://ingridpitt.co.uk

Watch ?Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest? on iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/ingrid-pitt-beyond-the-forest/id554607718

Watch Perry on ?Live Life & Win? national TV show:

http://vimeo.com/51042736

Become a fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan (Perry?s Previews fan page)

http://www.facebook.com/ingridpittanimation (Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest official FB page)

?

Subscribe to Perry?s YouTube channel and watch his filmmaker interviews:

http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews

Follow his tweets: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews

For business inquiries about Perry Chen, his animation films, movie reviews, contact Dr. Zhu Shen, bioforesight at gmail dot com

Source: http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=3997

perfect game jon jones vs rashad evans results justin bieber rashad evans jon jones chuck colson death meteor showers 2012

Georgia detains former minister on suspicion of power abuse

'},"otherParams":{"t_e":1,".intl":"US"},"events":{"fetch":{lv:2,"sp":"2145892301","ps":"LREC,MON","npv":true,"bg":"#FFFFFF","em":escape('{"site-attribute":"_id=\'562fb691-e07e-3c8a-bcf9-7f0e2a63a5ff\' sensitivity=\'0\' rs=\'lmsid:a0770000002GZ5iAAG\' ctype=\'fn_news;News\' ctopid=\'2053500;1996000;2054000;3989;1055500;2063500;1047000\' can_suppress_ugc=\'1\' content=\'no_expandable;ajax_cert_expandable;\' ADSSA"}'),"em_orig":escape('{"site-attribute":"_id=\'562fb691-e07e-3c8a-bcf9-7f0e2a63a5ff\' sensitivity=\'0\' rs=\'lmsid:a0770000002GZ5iAAG\' ctype=\'fn_news;News\' ctopid=\'2053500;1996000;2054000;3989;1055500;2063500;1047000\' can_suppress_ugc=\'1\' content=\'no_expandable;ajax_cert_expandable;\' ADSSA"}')}}};var _createNodes=function(){var nIds=_conf.nodeIds;for(var i in nIds){var nId=nIds[i];var dId=_conf.destinationMap[nIds[i].replace("yom-","")];n=Y.one("#"+nId);if(n)var center=n.one("center");var node=Y.one("#"+dId);var nodeHTML;if(center && !node){nodeHTML=_conf.nodes[nId];center.insert(nodeHTML);};};};var _prepareNodes=function(){var nIds=_conf.nodeIds;for(var i in nIds){var nId=nIds[i];var dId=_conf.destinationMap[nIds[i].replace("yom-ad-","")];n=Y.one("#"+nId);if(n)var center=n.one("center");var node=Y.one("#"+dId);if(center && node){center.set("innerHTML","");center.insert(node);node.setStyle("display","block");};};};var _darla;var _config=function(){if(YAHOO.ads.darla){_darla = YAHOO.ads.darla;_createNodes();};};var _fetch=function(spaceid,adssa,ps){ if (typeof(ps)!='undefined') _conf.events.fetch.ps = ps;if(typeof spaceid != "undefined") _conf.events.fetch.sp=spaceid;adssa = (typeof adssa != "undefined" && adssa != null) ? escape(adssa.replace(/\"/g, "'")) : "";_conf.events.fetch.em=_conf.events.fetch.em_orig.replace("ADSSA", adssa);if(_darla){_prepareNodes();_darla.setConfig(_conf);_darla.event("fetch");};};Y.on("domready", function(){_config();});;var that={"fetch":_fetch,"getNodes":_conf.nodes,"getConf":_conf};return that;}();/* Backwards compatibility - Assigning the latest instance to the main fetch function */YUI.PhotoAdsDarla.fetch=YUI.PhotoAdsDarla.photoslightboxdarla.fetch; }); Y.later(10, this, function() {YAHOO.namespace('Media.Social').Lightbox = {}; }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.Media.Article.init(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {new Y.Media.AuthorBadge(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {new Y.Media.Branding(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.on("load", function () { YUI.namespace("Media.SocialButtons"); var instances = YUI.Media.SocialButtons.instances || [], globalConf = YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons.conf || {}, vplContainers = []; Y.all(".ymsb").each(function (node) { var id = node.get("id"), conf = YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons.configs[id], instance; if (conf) { instance = new Y.SocialButtons({ srcNode: node, config: Y.merge(globalConf, conf.config || {}), contentMetadata: conf.content || {}, tracking: conf.tracking || {} }); vplContainers.push( { selector: "#" + id, callback: function(node) { instance.render(); instance = conf = id = null; } }); if (conf.config && conf.config.dynamic) { instances.push(instance); } } }); Y.Global.Media.ViewportLoader.addContainers(vplContainers); YUI.Media.SocialButtons.instances = instances; }); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if (!Y.Media) { return; } Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_targets = Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_targets || {}; Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_configs = Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_configs || {}; Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_dataset = Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_dataset || {}; Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_whitelist = Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_whitelist || {}; Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_dataset['38b65abe04601d324c6d167472a69d40'] = []; Y.Media.boba_lightbox_module_configs['38b65abe04601d324c6d167472a69d40'] = {"spaceid":"2145892301","ult_pt":"story-lightbox","darla_id":"","images_total":0,"xhr_url":"\/_xhr\/related-article\/lightbox\/?id=562fb691-e07e-3c8a-bcf9-7f0e2a63a5ff","xhr_count":20,"autoplay_if_first_item_is_video":true}; }); Y.later(10, this, function() {new Y.Media.RelatedArticle({count:"2",start:"1", mod_total:"10", total:"0", content_id:"562fb691-e07e-3c8a-bcf9-7f0e2a63a5ff", spaceid:"2145892301", related_count:"-1" }); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function(d){ d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d.createElement('script')).src='http://d.yimg.com/oq/js/csc_news-en-US-core.js'; })(document); }); Y.later(10, this, function() { if(!("Media" in YAHOO)){YAHOO.Media = {};} if(!("ugcrate" in YAHOO.Media)){YAHOO.Media.ugcrate = {};} if(!("Media" in Y)){Y.namespace("Media");} YAHOO.Media.ugcrate.ratings_9a3f89788c6adba4ec7267d26f866414 = new Y.Media.UgcRate({"context_id":"9563d0d6-df7d-4726-8e78-0957e6a90a3c","sCrumb":"","containerId":"yom-sentimentrate-9a3f89788c6adba4ec7267d26f866414","rateDimensions":"d1","appLang":"en-US","sUltSId":"2145892301","sUltProperty":"news-en-US","sUltCampaign":"","sUltPlatform":"ugcwidgets","sUltIntl":"US","sUltLang":"en-US","selfPageUrl":"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/georgia-detains-former-minister-suspicion-power-abuse-231308782.html?_esi=0","artContentId":"562fb691-e07e-3c8a-bcf9-7f0e2a63a5ff","sUltQstnTxt":"Are you optimistic about President Obama\\'s second term?","artContentTitle":"Georgia detains former minister on suspicion of power abuse","artContentDesc":"TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia\\'s new government detained a former interior minister on Tuesday for questioning on suspicion of abuse of power in the first such case brought against a member of the ousted administration. Bacho Akhalaia, who served as interior minister for two-and-a-half months before resigning in the midst of a prison abuse scandal, was detained after more than three hours of questioning at the prosecutor\\'s office, his lawyer told reporters. \\\"The reason for his detention was that during his work as a defense minister he allegedly insulted several officers in the presence of ...","sUltBucketId":"test1","sUltSection":"sentirating","sUltBeaconUrl":"","sUltRecordPageviews":"1","sUltBeaconEnable":"1","serviceUrl":"\/_xhr","publisherContextId":"","propertyId":"2fcd79b5-b3a3-333e-b98e-722536a6698f","configurationId":"435db9ee-c55e-3766-b20d-c8ad3ff889d1","graphId":"","labelLeft":"Yes","labelRight":"No","labelMiddle":"","itemimg":"http:\/\/l.yimg.com\/a\/i\/ww\/met\/yahoo_logo_us_061509.png","selfURI":"","aggregateRatingCount":"121101","aggregateReviewCount":"0","leftBlocksNum":"69592","rightBlocksNum":"51505","leftBlocksPerCent":"57","rightBlocksPerCent":"43","ugcrate_apihost":"api01-us.ugcl.yahoo.com:4080","publisher_id":"news-en-US","yca_cert":"yahoo.ugccloud.app.trusted_proxies","timeout_write":"5000","through_proxy":"false","optionStats":"{\"s1\":57182,\"s2\":3887,\"s3\":2957,\"s4\":2836,\"s5\":2730,\"s6\":51505,\"s7\":0,\"s8\":0,\"s9\":0,\"s10\":0}","l10N":"{\"FIRST_TO_READ\":\"You are first to read this. Share your feelings and start a conversation.\",\"SHARE_YOUR_FEELINGS\":\"You too can share your feelings and start a conversation!\",\"HOW_YOUR_FRIENDS_THINK\":\"Share your response with your friends on Facebook\",\"PRE_SHARE_MSG\":\"Your Facebook friends on Yahoo! can see how you responded. To share your response on Facebook, click on the Facebook share option.\",\"START_THE_CONVERSATION\":\"Share\",\"THANKS_FOR_SHARING\":\"Your response has been shared with your friends on Facebook\",\"POLL_HEADER\":\"SOCIAL SENTIMENT\",\"SERVER_ERROR\":\"Oops there seems to be some error, please try again later\",\"LOADING\":\"Loading...\",\"SHARE_AFTER_COMMENT\":\"Your response has been shared on Facebook.\",\"UNDO\":\"Undo\",\"UNIT_PEOPLE\":\"People\",\"NUM_PEOPLE_DISAGREE\":\"disagree with your opinion.\",\"READ_MORE_TEXT\":\"Read what they have to say.\",\"SLIDER_THUMB_WORDING_BEFORE_VOTING\":\"WHAT DO YOU THINK?\",\"SLIDER_THUMB_WORDING_VERB_BEFORE_VOTING\":\"DRAG\",\"SLIDER_THUMB_WORDING_THANKS_VOTING\":\"Thanks for voting\",\"NUM_PEOPLE_ANSWERED\":\" 121,101 people have responded\",\"ONE_PERSON_ANSWERED\":\" 1 person has responded. Your response will be seen by your Facebook friends on Yahoo!\",\"TWO_PEOPLE_ANSWERED\":\" 2 people have responded. Your response will be seen by your Facebook friends on Yahoo!\",\"NUM_PEOPLE_ANSWERED_AND_SHARED\":\" 121,101 people have responded. Your response will be seen by your Facebook friends on Yahoo!\",\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s1\":57182,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s2\":3887,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s3\":2957,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s4\":2836,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s5\":2730,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s6\":51505,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s7\":0,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s8\":0,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s9\":0,\"NUM_PEOPLE_RATED__s10\":0}","fbconfig":"{\"message\":\"undefined\",\"name\":\"undefined\",\"link\":\"\",\"source\":\"\",\"picture\":\"http:\\\/\\\/l.yimg.com\\\/a\\\/i\\\/ww\\\/news\\\/2011\\\/09\\\/27\\\/yahoo-tc.jpg\",\"description\":\"\",\"captionLeft\":\"undefined\",\"captionRight\":\"undefined\",\"app_id\":\"196660913708276\",\"redirect_uri\":\"\\\/_xhr\\\/ugcratefbredirect\\\/\"}","template_id":"LONG_SLIDER_SOUTH","obj_id":"ratings_9a3f89788c6adba4ec7267d26f866414","opt_count":"6","opt_color1":"","opt_color2":"","template_html":"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/georgia-detains-former-minister-suspicion-power-abuse-231308782.html

dierks bentley kenny chesney blake shelton academy of country music awards brad paisley zac brown band aubrey

Sony Action Cam review: a good rugged camera with a few software wrinkles

DNP Sony Action Cam review a good rugged camera with a few software wrinkles

Until now, Sony's efforts in the element-stopping sports cam world had largely consisted of handhelds such as the Bloggie Sport HD and the waterproof Handycam. The $200 Action Cam, however, is an all-out hiking-boot-wearing adventurist, with a backpack full of tools and supplies by comparison, that frankly, makes the brand's previous attempts look like they're barely prepared for a school field trip.

A lot of technology can be broken down into numbers. PetaFLOPS, gigahertz and megabytes -- the idea usually being, the more the better. And often that's true. Sometimes, though, what you really need are a couple breaths of fresh air and a healthy shot of adrenaline. And that's where something like Sony's new HDR-AS15 Action Cam shines. It's one of a growing breed of devices that allow us to get our fill of the great outdoors, while still satisfying our gadget fix. With plenty of other competitors lining up to be your sporting partner of choice, however, does the Action Cam have what it takes to keep up? Dive past the break to find out.

Continue reading Sony Action Cam review: a good rugged camera with a few software wrinkles

Filed under: ,

Sony Action Cam review: a good rugged camera with a few software wrinkles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/f28-MhL-QD0/

mt rainier national park rose parade mount rainier national park drop dead gorgeous ticket city bowl 2011 nfl playoff schedule cowboys vs giants

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Somali pirates free Seychelles fishermen after year's captivity

MOGADISHU/VICTORIA (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released two Seychellois hostages they had in captivity for a year, officials from both countries said.

The two fishermen were hijacked last November in their boat, the Aride, some 65 miles west of Mahe in Seychelles and taken to the Somali port of Hobyo, a base for many pirates, before being moved inland to the central town of Adado, where they were held.

"The Office of the President has confirmed that - following extensive efforts by President James Michel - Rolly Tambara and Marc Songoire have been freed in Somalia, where they had been held hostage for the past year," the Seychelles president's office said in a statement.

"The two Seychellois fishermen are now in a safe area and arrangements are being made to convey them to Seychelles by the speediest means."

A pirate known as Mohamed from Adado said late on Saturday the captors had been given a $3 million ransom, but this could not be independently verified.

Somalia, which is only now getting a functioning government after two decades of chaos and civil war, is next to the Gulf of Aden's busy shipping lanes. Poverty and lawlessness have in recent years lured many young men into piracy, where ransom payments for crew and ships can yield millions of dollars.

An international naval flotilla in the region has stepped up pre-emptive action against the pirates, including strikes on bases on the Somali coast. Shipping firms are increasingly deploying armed guards and other measures such as heightened watches and razor wire to improve security on vessels.

"The two men ... have now been flown out after negotiation with the Somali and Seychelles government," Ahmed Salad, commissioner of Adado District in central Somalia, told Reuters on Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/somali-pirates-free-seychelles-fishermen-years-captivity-051224295.html

Sam Champion Engaged Infield fly rule Taken 2 Venezuela Elections Skyfall Chicago Marathon 2012 texas rangers

Intense fighting erupts in Syrian capital

In this Sunday, Nov. 04, 2012 photo, a rebel fighter aims a shoulder-fired missile toward a building where Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad are hiding while they attempt to gain terrain against the rebels during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

In this Sunday, Nov. 04, 2012 photo, a rebel fighter aims a shoulder-fired missile toward a building where Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad are hiding while they attempt to gain terrain against the rebels during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

In this Sunday, Nov. 04, 2012 photo, a rebel sniper aims through a hole in the wall that overlooks a position held by Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad hidden in a nearby building as they attempt to gain ground on the rebel lines during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

In this Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 photo, a rebel fighter fires a gun toward a building where Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad are hiding while they attempt to gain terrain against the rebels during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

In this Sunday, Nov. 04, 2012 photo, rebel fighters watch as smoke rises after Syrian government forces fired an artillery round at a rebel position during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against President Bashar Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

In this Sunday, Nov. 04, 2012 photo, a rebel fighter claims for victory after he fires a shoulder-fired missile toward a building where Syrian troops loyal to President Bashar Assad are hiding while they attempt to gain terrain against the rebels during heavy clashes in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. The uprising against Assad started with peaceful demonstrations in March last year, but has since morphed into a bloody civil war. Activists say more than 36,000 people have been killed in 19 months of fighting. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)

(AP) ? Palestinian supporters and opponents of Syria's regime got swept up in intense fighting in Damascus on Monday while rival rebel groups clashed over control of a border crossing with Turkey, activists said.

The rare infighting among the two groups added a new dimension of chaos to the civil war and heightened fears that if President Bashar Assad falls, the disparate factions battling the regime will turn against each other.

In the capital, a car bomb ripped through the main square of a residential neighborhood known as Mazzeh al-Jabal, killing 11 people and wounding dozens, the SANA state news agency said. The powerful blast caused widespread panic and massive destruction in residential buildings. Television footage showed bloodied people in the street as firefighters worked to put out the blaze.

"The explosion was very strong and broke all the windows in my apartment. I just ran with my son and daughter," said a woman in tears fleeing the blast site. "I don't know what happened to those who stayed behind, we couldn't see anything because of the smoke and flames."

The neighborhood is inhabited mostly by members of President Bashar Assad's Alawite minority, and residents said members of his security forces and military officers are known to live there, but it was not clear what the exact target was.

The car bomb, along with fierce fighting Monday in two other districts of the capital, was some of the worst violence in Damascus since July, when rebels took over several neighborhoods in the capital in a stunning attack. Within days, a regime counterattack pushed the rebels out of Damascus and recaptured the areas. Shortly after those battles, rebels moved on Syria's largest city, Aleppo, and it has become a major front in the civil war since then.

The attacks on Syria's two main cities since summer have demonstrated new organization and capabilities of rebel forces as well as a determination to press their uprising despite the deaths of more than 36,000 people in fighting over the last 19 months.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting in Damascus was concentrated in the southern neighborhood of Tadamon and the outskirts of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

Damascus-based activist Abu Qais al-Shami told The Associated Press via Skype that the fighting began Sunday night and went on continuously into Monday.

The Observatory and al-Shami said regime forces are backed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) led by Ahmed Jibril, a radical Palestinian leader and staunch supporter of President Bashar Assad.

"Tadamon is being struck with shells, rockets and heavy machinegun fire," al-Shami said. "People are fleeing the area toward safer areas inside the Yarmouk camp."

A Syrian opposition figure, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the events, said Palestinian fighters who are opposed to Assad were fighting alongside the rebels in Damascus.

The Observatory had no immediate word on casualties from Monday's fighting but said eight people were killed in Yarmouk Sunday night when several mortar rounds landed in the camp.

When Syria's unrest erupted last year, the country's half-million Palestinians at first struggled to stay on the sidelines. But in recent months, many Palestinians began to the uprising.

The PFLP-GC, however, has remained loyal to Assad's regime.

The popular committees in Yarmouk Camp, which are led by the PFLP-GC and represent camp residents and Palestinian factions, said the camp was attacked by "terrorist gangs" who claim to include anti-government Palestinians.

"The mercenaries who claim to have Palestinians among them" tried to infiltrate the camp Sunday but were repulsed by the popular committees, the statement said. When the rebel attack failed, they fired mortars that killed and wounded several people, it added.

"Those who are shelling the camp are terrorists" who want to displace the Palestinians again, PFLP-GC spokesman Anwar Raja told The AP in Damascus.

Syrian authorities blame the anti-government uprising that began in March last year on a foreign conspiracy. They accuse Gulf countries Saudi Arabia and Qatar, along with the U.S, other Western countries and Turkey, of offering funding and training to the rebels, whom they describe as "terrorists."

In the central province of Hama, a suicide attacker detonated his car in the village of Ziyara causing some deaths, the state news agency said. It added that the blasts occurred outside a state-run development agency. The Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the suicide attacker targeted an army checkpoint and killed at least 50 soldiers and pro-government gunmen.

The Observatory also reported that an air raid on the northern town of Harem killed at least 20 rebels. It said a rebel commander was seriously wounded in the raid.

Elsewhere in Syria, activists reported air raids, shelling and clashes in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib near the Turkish border to Deir el-Zour region in the east and Homs in the center.

In the northern town of Kfar Nobol, the Observatory said an air raid killed and wounded a number of people. An amateur video posted online by activists showed cars and shops on fire and debris all over the street. A man was seen running carrying a dead body. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

In northern Syria, An opposition figure also said there were clashes between rival rebel groups for control of the Bab al-Salameh border crossing point with Turkey that has been in the hands of rebels since July. The opposition figure spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The opposition figure said Sunday's fighting was between the Northern Storm Brigade and the Amr bin al-Aas brigade, which has a large number of Muslim hardliners.

There are dozens of opposition groups and rebel brigades fighting in Syria's civil war. Rivalries are common though violent clashes are unusual.

A Turkish government official based in the border town of Kilis confirmed two Syrian rebel groups were "engaged in a power struggle," fighting each other for the control of the Bab el-Salameh border crossing. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with government rules, said however, that Turkish officials were still trying to determine who the two groups were.

Former Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, who defected, met with Turkey's foreign minister behind closed doors in Ankara to discuss the Syrian opposition meeting in Qatar and efforts to restructure the opposition, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said. The two also discussed the more than 110,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey.

It was Hijab's second visit to Turkey since he defected to Jordan in August.

Prominent Syrian-born Palestinian actor Mohammed Rafeh was buried in a Damascus cemetery a day after he was shot dead by anti-government gunmen for his apparent support of the regime.

Draped with the Syrian flag, Rafeh's coffin was carried into the cemetery on the shoulders of friends and relatives as men fired in the air in mourning. More than 500 men and women marched behind the coffin and later dispersed after the funeral procession ended.

_____

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-05-ML-Syria/id-2a67c590cad945a5a145b2a747b071a1

lemonade diet steve jobs action figure chris jericho rose bowl johnny weir quadrantid meteor shower osu football

Monday, November 5, 2012

Iraq signs gas deal with Pakistani company

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"7663536","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-419198751", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-419198751", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "7663536", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "7663536" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

Cold weather adds urgency to NY storm recovery

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"2145868275","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-981882493", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-981882493", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "2145868275", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "2145868275" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });