Monday, October 31, 2011

Preschool Peers May Boost Language Skills in Kids (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Preschool students with poor language skills show much greater improvement if they're placed in a classroom with higher-achieving children, compared to being in a class with other low-achievers, researchers say.

The findings are important because many preschool programs in the United States are targeted to poor children, whose development of language skills may be lagging, according to lead author Laura Justice, a professor at Ohio State University's School of Teaching and Learning.

"The way preschool works in the United States, we tend to cluster kids who have relatively low language skills in the same classrooms, and that is not good for their language development," she said in a university news release. "We need to pay more attention to the composition of preschool classrooms."

She and her colleagues looked at 338 children in 49 preschool classrooms and found that, among children with low initial language skills, those who were placed in the lowest-ability classes tended to lose ground during the school year, while those placed in average-ability classes tended to improve their language skills.

The researchers also found that high-ability students improved their language scores when placed in either low- or average-ability classes.

"Children with high language abilities don't seem to be affected by the other kids in their class," Justice said.

The findings, published in the Oct. 25 online edition of the journal Child Development, don't explain how preschoolers' language skills are affected by peers. Either direct interactions between children or teacher expectations for their students may play a role, the authors suggested.

But Justice said one thing is certain from this study -- dividing preschoolers into low- and high-achievement classrooms may be shortchanging those who most need help.

"If we really want to help lift kids out of poverty, and use preschool as a way to make that happen, we need to reconsider how we provide that education," Justice said. "Classrooms that blend students from different backgrounds are the best way to provide the boost that poor students need."

More information

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association outlines typical speech and language development in children.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111029/hl_hsn/preschoolpeersmayboostlanguageskillsinkids

free agents free agents americas got talent winner americas got talent winner guinness book of world records gears of war 3 release date up all night

10 South Carolina schools locked down for manhunt (AP)

GREENVILLE, S.C. ? A gunman fired on a South Carolina police officer checking on a suspicious license plate Friday, causing 10 schools in Greenville to go on lockdown.

The schools reopened their doors after a couple of hours and it appears the gunman was able to get someone to pick him up and elude a massive manhunt that went on for hours, authorities said.

Police identified the gunman as 25-year-old Patrick Dean Lowrance and said he was wanted on attempted murder and other charges. They think he might have been wounded when the Greenville officer fired back at him and asked hospitals in the area to be on the lookout in case anyone came in with a gunshot wound.

The shooting happened around 10 a.m. at an apartment complex, police spokeswoman Alia Urps said.

The suspect was able to run into nearby woods. Several dozen officers who happened to be in a training session nearby rushed to help search, along with teams of tracking dogs authorities said.

The shooting happened after an officer checking license plates in a hotel parking lot found that a plate on a GMC Yukon was listed for a Honda, Urps said. When she went inside the hotel to inquire about the driver, the suspect drove off in the SUV. The officer got into her patrol car and tried to pull the suspect over on Interstate 85, but he sped up, and she abandoned the chase, Urps said.

"We do not pursue for minor traffic infractions, and at that point, that's all that we had," she said.

Another officer found the vehicle in an apartment parking lot, and as she approached the building, the suspect shot at her, she said.

The SUV was stolen in a carjacking three weeks ago in a motel parking lot in Spartanburg, a city about 30 miles east, police said.

Lowrance was wanted on warrants for four counts of attempted murder and other charges after he tried to rob a Wendy's in Greenville last Sunday, authorities said.

Investigators said Lowrance came into the restaurant after closing time and demanded that the three workers inside open the safe. The employees told him only the manager had the combination and she was outside.

The gunman forced the workers outside, where the manager was in her car, trying to drive off. The suspect fired at the car, then demanded that the employees go back inside. But they told him the door locked behind them automatically and Lowrance fired his gun again at them as they ran away. No one was injured, authorities said.

After Friday's shooting, four public schools, three private schools, two colleges and a special education center were placed on lockdown.

Schools were locked down in several directions because officers weren't sure where the suspect went.

"This is not around the corner from a school. I don't want to give you that impression. This is several miles from any of our schools," Oby Lyles, spokesman for Greenville County school district, told The Associated Press. "Everybody's fine."

Officials said it was a precaution, and none of the students or teachers appeared to be in danger. Schools began shifting to a partial lockdown after about two hours and the lockdown was lifted entirely by the time the schools dismissed after police determined the suspect was able to escape in a car.

Investigators have reached out to Lowrance's family for help finding him, but police said they haven't been able to provide much assistance.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_us/us_school_lockdown

aaron hernandez san francisco 49ers san francisco 49ers aids walk 49ers giants green bay packers

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Children With Head Injuries Can Face Lifetime of Problems (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Children can face a lifetime of problems after suffering head injuries from falls, car accidents and other mishaps, according to a new study.

From communication deficits to trouble with daily self-care, the effects of moderate to severe brain injuries can lead to "substantial long-term reduction" in quality of life for children with traumatic brain injury, the researchers found.

The findings "emphasize the need for prevention," said study author Dr. Frederick Rivara, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. "Many of these injuries can be prevented by using bicycle helmets, and kids being buckled up in seatbelts, making sure there are gates on stairways." Schools also should consider different rules for football, he added.

The study, published online Oct. 24 and in the November print issue of Pediatrics, looked at 729 children under 18 years old treated for brain injuries at emergency rooms in Seattle and Philadelphia between 2007 and 2008. Most of the injuries resulted from falls and car crashes, the study noted. Few were related to assault or abuse, said Rivara.

Levels of the children's functioning before they were injured were determined through phone interviews, usually with parents. Tests were done three months, one year and two years later to assess different skills and behaviors. They included whether the children were depressed, played or interacted with others, were teased, had trouble concentrating or remembering, and could do things "that other children can do," said Rivara.

The children were further assessed to see if they could "have a conversation, discuss a topic," and do things such as use the toilet, brush their teeth, and feed and dress themselves, he said.

Comparisons also were made to a separate group of 197 children who had visited the same emergency rooms with arm injuries in the same period.

The research found most of the children with head injuries, about 85 percent, suffered from mild trauma. Some of those had deficits at three months, but few suffered lasting loss of social and daily life activities.

But lasting effects were seen in those with mild injury who also suffered a brain hemorrhage and those who suffered a moderate or severe brain injury. These kids faced obstacles in day-to-day life, school activities and sports at the end of the two-year research period.

The more seriously injured children had a lower quality of life than children undergoing active treatment for cancer, the researchers said.

Children in the control group had no significant deficits after two years, according to the research.

Kids with significant problems after two years are unlikely to make big gains in their condition, but researchers are still collecting data on youths in the study, said Rivara.

The data showed that boys were more than twice as likely as girls to sustain head injuries, and that the youngest (under 4 years old) and the oldest (15 to 17 years) were most likely to sustain moderate to severe injuries.

Of the total number of severe injuries, more than half were suffered by 10- to 17- year-olds, which another expert attributed to organized sports.

"This is the age group where they're playing more sports," said Dr. Gail L. Rosseau, a neurosurgeon in the department of neurosurgery of NorthShore University Health System in Chicago.

Rousseau called the study "well-designed" and said it pointed to the need for more states to enact legislation similar to Washington's Zachery Lystedt law, which was designed to protect student athletes. It was named after a high school student who sustained permanent brain damage playing football.

She said laws in 30 states and Washington, D.C. require that players with symptoms of concussion, a mild form of brain injury, be cleared by a health care professional before returning to play. Concussion symptoms include dizziness, nausea and headaches.

"Professional football has changed some rules to try and decrease the incidence of concussions, and high schools need to look at that as well," Rivara said.

"It's not only football," said Rosseau, noting that girls' soccer is the second leading sports-related cause of concussion among children.

The academic performance of the children in the study will be presented separately.

The study authors acknowledged several limitations with the study, including the fact that the children's level of functioning beforehand was assessed by their parents, not professionals.

In order to better understand why symptoms persist in some children, they said additional research is needed.

More information

To learn more about head injury, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111028/hl_hsn/childrenwithheadinjuriescanfacelifetimeofproblems

last minute halloween costumes rum diary klipsch image s4 chris bosh daylight savings dia de los muertos dia de los muertos

92% Senna

All Critics (110) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (9) | DVD (1)

"Senna" makes a fascinating subject in a pretty entertaining film about a sport that isn't followed that closely by most Americans. But our very ignorance of that subject helps the film and adds to its impact. We don't know this story by heart.

A psychologically intriguing if at times too hagiographic portrait of a man who often held pole position in his profession and felt nearer to God because of it.

There's not an ounce of fat or a wasted shot throughout.

You don't have to know anything about car racing at all. Instead, you simply have to like a great story, one that has all the elements: drama, inspiration, competition, victory, defeat, betrayal and, looming above it all, tragedy.

It's stripped of narration, talking heads, and anything else that might threaten to slow it down.

Even if you can't tell Formula One from Grecian Formula, Senna is pretty exciting stuff.

Though the film seemingly had a good ambassador for the sport, astounding racing footage and was well-presented, the subject matter never fully engaged me.

You don't have to be a Formula 1 nut to enjoy this enthralling documentary ... Asif Kapadia's film Senna is so skillfully put together that its portrayal of a complex, charismatic and fascinating figure will grip even those with no interest in the sport.

"Senna" is a streamlined piece of filmmaking, completely immersing the viewer in Senna's world and never losing momentum as it moves from one breakneck race to another.

It's impossible not to be impressed by how director Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey have managed to craft a biographical film completely out of archive footage.

Uses an astonishing wealth of racing and interview footage - including film shot by in-car cameras during races - to chart in a compelling way the dramatic rise and heart-rending end of the Brazilian legend.

The film is a snapshot in time of an imperfect, interrupted life more than a gateway drug to racing enthusiasm.

There's no doubt Senna was a great driver, but this competently executed highlights reel doesn't tell us much beyond that.

...an entertaining, absorbing and inspiring documentary celebrating a champion's talent.

Ayrton Senna was a phenomenon, and as such, he was filmed, interviewed, and photographed repeatedly throughout his career, images now assembled as the documentary Senna.

Even those with no interest in Formula One - and I count myself amongst such people - will be captivated by this phenomenal motion picture.

"Senna" is simply the greatest sports film I have ever seen.

Kapadia fosters a distinct 'you are there' feeling for the races by composing his visual storytelling entirely of vintage footage, mostly derived from the Formula One archives.

Exhilarating in the extreme.

Undeniably gripping stuff.

I simply didn't care about it, and unless you already know who Senna is and are curious to know more, I doubt if you will, either.

It's hard to see how anyone wouldn't be absorbed by this fascinating film about a formidable driver and man.

More Critic Reviews

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

september 11 tennessee titans freedom tower freedom tower osama bin laden dead picture sept 11 never forget

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Miley to cover Bob Dylan on tribute album

Now it's Bob Dylan 's turn to get the Miley Cyrus treatment?we just hope the legendary singer knows who Miley Cyrus is.

The "Hannah Montana" star had better brush up on her "Like a Rolling Stone" lyrics, because she's one of several famous singers who have volunteered to cover a recording of one of Dylan's songs.

Unlike her live concert performance of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," her Dylan tune will be appear on an album, "Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International," with proceeds going to the human rights organization.

So who else will be belting out Dylan tunes?

  1. More Entertainment stories
    1. 'Sister Wives' welcome baby No. 17

      And baby makes 22! According to People, Kody Brown and wife No. 4, Robyn, welcomed a baby boy on Wednesday morning. The child is the first for the couple, but is the 17th in the plural family.

    2. Report: Bruce Willis to be a dad again
    3. Exclusive: Taylor Armstrong shares healing
    4. 'Beavis and Butt-head' and ... Snooki?
    5. Trick-or-treat with a 'Toddlers' twist

MORE: Meet Miley's new pet

British superstar Adele, Sting and Ke$ha are among the stars supporting Amnesty International's "life saving work to protect human rights around the world...and to inspire [fans] to stand up for justice, freedom, and human rights," says a rep for the group.

Miley has had Dylan on her mind lately, covering one of his tunes at a recent concert.

MORE: Jamie Foxx slams Miley for Radiohead fight

The charity album isn't due to be released until early next year and the specific tracks that will be covered have yet to be announced.

Let's hope Dylan likes Miley's cover?her take on Nirvana had an interesting twist while another cover of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was a smash success and loved by frontman Bret Michaels.

PICS: Fashion Spotlight: Miley Cyrus

Which song should Miley Cyrus cover? Tell us on our Facebook page!

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45053518/ns/today-entertainment/

modern family troy davis troy davis cough new facebook layout new facebook layout yalta

Friday, October 28, 2011

Israel, Egypt carry out U.S.-brokered prisoner swap (Reuters)

JERUSALEM/TABA, Egypt (Reuters) ? Egypt released an American-Israeli it held as an alleged spy and Israel freed 25 Egyptians in a prisoner swap Thursday that will ease strains between Cairo's new rulers and the United States and Israel.

Ilan Grapel, 27, flew to Israel accompanied by two Israeli envoys sent by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader later greeted him at his Jerusalem office and exchanged a firm handshake but few words for the cameras.

Smiling, Grapel embraced his mother who waited on the tarmac at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport after he climbed out of a private jet with Netanyahu's envoys.

The freed Egyptians crossed overland into Egypt's Sinai desert, some of them kneeling in a thanksgiving prayer.

Egypt arrested Grapel in June on suspicion that he was out to recruit agents and monitor events in the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, an ally of Israel and the United States.

Israel denied that Grapel, who emigrated from New York in 2005 and was wounded as an Israeli paratrooper in the 2006 Lebanon war, was a spy. His links to Israel were apparent on his Facebook page, which contained photos of him in Israeli military uniform.

A law student in the United States, Grapel had been working for Saint Andrew's Refugee Services, a non-governmental agency, when he was detained.

The United States, which provides the army that now runs Egypt with billions of dollars in military aid, had called for Grapel's release. He was freed three weeks after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Egypt.

The U.S.-brokered exchange deal was reached shortly after a more high-profile, Egyptian-mediated swap between Israel and Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers freed captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Eli Avidar, a former diplomat who headed Israel's mission in Qatar, said securing the release of Egyptian prisoners could help Cairo's new leaders domestically.

"The Egyptian administration needs this for its prestige," he said on Israel Television.

Israel is widely unpopular in Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with its northern neighbor in 1979.

EMBASSY ATTACK

In September, Israel flew its ambassador out of Egypt when the Israeli embassy was attacked by protesters angry at the killings of Egyptian border guards when Israeli troops pursued raiders who killed eight Israelis in August. Israel said the gunmen infiltrated from the Gaza Strip via the Sinai.

Many of the prisoners on the release roster were jailed for drug trafficking, infiltration into Israel and gun-running, but not for espionage or attacks on Israelis, Israel's Prison Service said.

"Raise up your heads, you are Egyptian," cried relatives waving the country's red, white and black flag as the bus carrying the men crossed the border.

"I've been in jail since 2005. Thank God. I feel reborn," Mursi Barakat told Egyptian state television. "The treatment in jail was very tough and it was clear there was discrimination."

U.S. Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-New York) who pressed for Grapel's release, traveled to Israel to accompany him back to the United States, his office said in a statement.

"Congratulations, great work, thank you for everything," Ackerman told Netanyahu when he accompanied Grapel and his mother to the meeting in Jerusalem.

Israel has also called for steps to help free another Israeli, Oudeh Suleiman Tarabin, jailed by Egypt.

Egypt's South Sinai governor Khaled Fouda told reporters after the hand over: "This is the biggest prisoner swap deal since 1948 ... There will be more deals in the future."

Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli Defense Ministry official, rejected arguments by right-wingers in Israel that it had capitulated to Egypt in the 25-1 exchange.

"The bottom line is you have to decide, will he (Grapel) stay there in prison, or not? If you ask, me, he needed to be freed," Gilad said on Israel Radio.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem and Shaimaa Fayed and Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Writing by Jeffrey Heller and Edmund Blair)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/wl_nm/us_egypt_israel_swap

extract bobby jindal bobby jindal talladega pujols broncos broncos

Surveillance video leads to 2 in school shooting (AP)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. ? Surveillance video helped lead authorities to two suspects who have been charged in the shooting of a 15-year-old student at a North Carolina high school.

The video showed the 18-year-old and 15-year-old suspects carrying the rifle inside Cape Fear High School, Cumberland County Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler said.

The younger suspect has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Tanna said Tuesday. He was being held in the county juvenile facility. It wasn't clear when he would appear in court.

Eighteen-year-old Ta'Von McLaurin, also a student at the school, was scheduled to appear in a Fayetteville courtroom Tuesday afternoon on a charge of felony aiding and abetting.

Fifteen-year-old Catilyn Ambercrombie was standing in a breezeway outside the cafeteria when she was shot Monday. She underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition.

Butler said investigators don't think Abercrombie was the intended target, but no motive had been established.

"Why did they shoot? I don't know," Butler said.

An officer assigned to the high school was standing near Abercrombie when she was shot around 1 p.m. and immediately called 911, Tanna said.

The high school and nearby Mac Williams Middle School were locked down for hours before students were allowed to go home.

Classes resumed as usual at both schools Tuesday. Butler said additional deputies were at the school to help students and parents feel confident about their safety.

While the high school has metal detectors, Butler said he didn't know if they were used on a daily basis.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/education/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111025/ap_on_re_us/us_school_shooting_nc

cyndi lauper 127 hours 127 hours true grit serena williams the falling man the falling man

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Boehner assails Obama "reset" with Russia (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday assailed President Barack Obama's "reset" policy with Russia as contrary to U.S. interests and values and urged him to rethink his approach in light of Vladimir Putin's impending return to the Kremlin.

Boehner, in prepared remarks for a rare speech on foreign policy, warned that Russia's response to Obama's much-vaunted outreach was "nothing short of an attempt to restore Soviet-style power and influence."

Pushing for a tougher line, Boehner pressured Obama not to agree to Russia's long-sought accession to the World Trade Organization until Moscow settles a territorial dispute with neighboring Georgia, a U.S. ally, stemming from their brief 2008 war.

In an address to the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, he also urged the Obama administration to do more to "compel" Russia to curb its ties with Iran, particularly on nuclear and missile technology, and called for a stronger effort to get Moscow to address human rights concerns.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111025/ts_nm/us_usa_russia_boehner

soa hydrangea hydrangea latin pj harvey sons of anarchy season 3 hydrangeas

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Can NSAIDs Cut Colorectal Cancer Deaths in Older Women? (HealthDay)

SUNDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Older women who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs -- such as aspirin or ibuprofen -- appear to have a lower risk of death from colorectal cancer than women who don't use these medications, a large new study suggests.

Women who reported using these drugs, called NSAIDs, at the beginning of the study and three years later had a roughly 30 percent lower rate of death from colorectal cancer than women who did not take the drugs, or women who took them at only one of these two points in time, according to an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release.

"Our results suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is associated with lower colorectal cancer mortality among postmenopausal women who use these medications more consistently and for longer periods of time," Anna Coghill, a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said in the news release.

In the study, researchers examined the use of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAIDs among more than 160,000 postmenopausal women in relation to deaths from colorectal cancer.

Study participants were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, which "represents a large and well-characterized cohort [group] of postmenopausal women, and the medication data collected in this cohort made it possible for us to investigate multiple types, durations and strengths of NSAID use," Coghill explained.

The researchers confirmed 2,119 cases of colorectal cancer and 492 deaths due to the disease.

"The results of our study help to further clarify the importance of different durations of NSAID use over time for the risk for dying from colorectal cancer," Coghill noted in the news release.

While the study found an association between NSAID use and a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, it did not prove a cause-and-effect.

The findings were slated for presentation on Sunday at the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, in Boston.

Experts say that for studies presented at medical meetings, data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colon and rectal cancer.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111024/hl_hsn/cannsaidscutcolorectalcancerdeathsinolderwomen

buccaneers bernanke bernanke tampa bay buccaneers meredith kercher meredith kercher waxahachie

To Save Soggy Grapes, Winemaker Looks To Helicopter

Damp weather in wine country can make for moldy grapes that can't be harvested. Enlarge iStockphoto.com

Damp weather in wine country can make for moldy grapes that can't be harvested.

iStockphoto.com

Damp weather in wine country can make for moldy grapes that can't be harvested.

It's been raining for days and the crop you're a week away from harvesting is about to mold. If you don't dry it quickly, you will lose the crop. What do you do?

If you're Bruce Cakebread, you call in a helicopter to be a giant grape dryer.

When rain soaked Napa Valley two weeks ago, Cakebread ? the president of Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford, Calif. ? used a technique occasionally employed by orange and cherry farmers. It's just the latest example of farmers forced to take drastic measures to salvage crops in the face of extreme weather.

If mold forms on grape clusters, they can't be picked for harvest. Fortunately for the valley's winemakers who got drenched this month, most of the white and red varietals had already been picked, Cakebread tells The Salt. But the Cabernet Sauvignon ? a tougher, more resilient varietal ? still hung on the vines during the wet weather.

Cakebread's hired helicopter snaked up and down 100 acres of vineyard about 20 feet above the valley floor, using the wind from the chopper's blades to push water off the plants. (You can watch the video here.)

So did the helicopter technique work?

?

It's too soon to tell, Cakebread says. Shortly after the chopper left, fog rolled into the valley from the sea and may have counteracted some of the helicopter's work. He says he won't know the extent of the crop damage until the harvest finishes later this week. For now, workers are busy picking the healthy grapes for crushing. In the end, there just may not be as many bottles as in years past to sell.

"We've been through short crops before," he says. "Every year Mother Nature gives us a bigger crop in one variety and less in another."

It's a pricey endeavor to hire a helicopter ? he says it's about $400 per hour ? but it far outweighs the cost of losing a big chunk of his Cabernet Sauvignon. Cakebread, who tried the same technique in 2002, says he just couldn't sit around and do nothing.

"It's not an absolute method that works, but it makes you feel better," says Cakebread.

Farmers from Arkansas to Louisiana who have been pummeled by floods, tornadoes and droughts this year can probably relate. Thousands of acres of soybean, rice, corn and other crops have been destroyed despite farmers' best efforts to protect them, amounting to as much as $1 billion in losses.

Farmers expect some degree of extreme weather, but the string of devastating events in recent years means farming is becoming more risky. "We've seen this weather back in '79 and '89," Cakebread says. "You see this come through once every 10 years, but with all the recent weather changes, you never know."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/24/141656280/to-save-soggy-grapes-winemaker-looks-to-helicopter?ft=1&f=1007

fergie rafael nadal bradley cooper ellen acl doc martin doc martin

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Will Steve Jobs' final vendetta haunt Google? (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Google can only hope that Steve Jobs' final vendetta doesn't haunt the Internet search leader from his grave.

The depths of Jobs' antipathy toward Google leaps out of Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Apple's co-founder. The book goes on sale Monday, less than three weeks after Jobs' long battle with pancreatic cancer culminated in his Oct. 5 death. The Associated Press obtained a copy Thursday.

The biography drips with Jobs' vitriol as he discusses his belief that Google stole from Apple's iPhone to build many of the features in Google's Android software for rival phones.

It's clear that the perceived theft represented an unforgiveable act of betrayal to Jobs, who had been a mentor to Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and had welcomed Google's CEO at the time, Eric Schmidt, to be on Apple's board.

Jobs retaliated with a profane manifesto during a 2010 conversation with his chosen biographer. Isaacson wrote that he never saw Jobs angrier in any of their conversations, which covered a wide variety of emotional topics during a two-year period.

After equating Android to "grand theft" of the iPhone, Jobs lobbed a series of grenades that may blow a hole in Google's image as an innovative company on a crusade to make the world a better place.

"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong," Jobs told Isaacson. "I'm going to destroy Android because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go to thermonuclear war on this. They are scared to death because they know they are guilty."

Jobs then used a crude word for defecation to describe Android and other products outside of search.

Android now represents one of the chief threats to the iPhone. Although iPhones had a head start and still draw huge lines when new models go on sale, Android devices sold twice as well in the second quarter. According to Gartner, Android's market share grew 2 1/2 times to 43 percent, compared with 17 percent a year earlier. The iPhone's grew as well, but by a smaller margin ? to 18 percent, from 14 percent.

Both Google and Apple declined comment to The Associated Press when asked about Jobs' remarks.

Jobs' attack is troubling for Google on several levels.

It suggests that Apple, which has pledged to be true to Jobs' vision, may try to derail Android in court, even if Google obtains more patent protection through its proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of phone maker Motorola Mobility Inc. The derision comes across as a bitter pill for Page and Brin, who have hailed Jobs as one of their idols. It also appears to contradict Schmidt's repeated assertions that he remained on friendly terms with Jobs even after he resigned from Apple's board in 2009.

Most of all, Google should be worried whether the Android brand is damaged by the withering criticism of a revered figure whose public esteem seems to have risen as friends, colleagues and customers paid tribute over the past few weeks.

"The words of cultural icons have a lot of power after death," veteran technology analyst Rob Enderle said. "This almost sounds like a spiritual leader declaring a jihad on Android as his dying wish."

Apple fans tend to be fiercely loyal, making it more feasible to envision an anti-Android movement taking shape like some kind of political protest, Enderle said.

It's also possible that Jobs' criticisms of Google may be seen as hypocritical. That's because some of Apple's computing breakthroughs were based on technology developed by others. The Mac's easy-to-use interface and its mouse controller, for instance, came out of Xerox Corp.

The bitter divide between two of the most beloved and successful technology companies would have seemed inconceivable a few years ago.

In 2006, Google and Apple were on such friendly terms that Jobs welcomed Schmidt to Apple's board of directors with these words: "Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric's insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead," Jobs said.

But in 2008, a year after the iPhone came out, Google unveiled plans to release Android as a free software system that phone makers can use to make devices that compete with the iPhone. Jobs was so infuriated that he went to Google's Mountain View headquarters ? about nine miles from Apple's Cupertino office_ to try to stop the project, according to the biography.

Jobs' persuasive powers failed to sway Google's leaders.

Now, more than 550,000 devices running on Android are being activated each day. Apple, meanwhile, sold about 3 million fewer iPhones than anticipated in the July-September quarter, contributing to a sharp drop in the company's stock. The newest Android challenger to the iPhone, the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung, is scheduled to go on sale next month.

Although there's no indication in the book that he ever forgave Google, Jobs set aside his disdain for the company long enough to counsel Page nine months ago, according to the biography.

After Google's Jan. 20 announcement that Page would replace Schmidt as CEO in April, Page called Jobs for some pointers. Jobs told Isaacson that his first instinct was to reject Page with a curt expletive, but he reconsidered as he recalled his times as a young entrepreneur listening to the advice of elder Silicon Valley statesmen including Bill Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Co.

Jobs didn't mince words when Page arrived at Jobs' Palo Alto home. He told Page to build a good team of lieutenants. In his first week as Google's CEO, Page reshuffled his management team to eliminate bureaucracy. Jobs also warned Page not to let Google get lazy or flabby.

"The main thing I stressed was to focus," Jobs told Isaacson about his conversation with Page. "Figure out what Google wants to be when it grows up. It's now all over the map. What are the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest because they're dragging you down. They're turning you into Microsoft. They're causing you to turn out adequate products that are adequate but not great."

Page has shut more than 20 Google products and services in his first six months as Google's CEO as part of an effort to "put more wood behind fewer arrows." It was the type of discipline Jobs instilled on Apple when he returned in 1997 after a dozen years of exile. Jobs killed such products as the Newton handheld device and the PC clones that were allowed to run on Apple's operating system.

It still remains to be seen whether Jobs' words of wisdom or his grievances will leave a bigger imprint on Google.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_steve_jobs_book_apple_vs_google

iaa blackberry torch 2 the closer ea sports ovarian cancer symptoms angola manny ramirez

Libyans urged to unite after death of Gaddafi (Reuters)

MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) ? Libya's interim prime minister said he was resigning on Saturday and urged new leaders to seize a "very limited opportunity" and resolve rivalries now surfacing after Muammar Gaddafi's death.

With regional differences emerging about what to do with Gaddafi's still unburied body, the formal end to the war and the carve-up of power, Libya's outgoing premier said the coming days posed a crucial test of resolve for the new men in power.

Mahmoud Jibril said he would step down later on Saturday, after seven months as prime minister of the Western-backed rebel government now that the legal declaration of "liberation" was expected on Sunday following Gaddafi's killing on Thursday.

But in a parting shot at an international business forum in Jordan, he warned Libyans to avoid in-fighting if Libyans were to keep to a plan to hold their first free election next year.

Leaders required "resolve," he said, "in the next few days."

In Misrata, the curious and the relieved filed for a second day through a market cold store to view the body of Gaddafi, whose surprise capture and killing in his hometown of Sirte sparked joy - and renewed jockeying for postwar influence.

Visitors wore surgical masks against the stench, an image that may trouble some Muslims, for whom swift burial is a holy duty - even if few Libyans share the unease among their Western allies over what some believe was a summary execution.

Jibril said progress for Libya would need great resolution, both by interim leaders on the National Transitional Council and by six million war-weary people: "First," he said, "What kind of resolve the NTC will show in the next few days?

"And the other thing depends mainly on the Libyan people - whether they differentiate between the past and the future."

He added: "I am counting on them to look ahead and remember the kind of agony they went through in the last 42 years.

"We need to seize this very limited opportunity."

"LIBERATION"

The formal declaration of an end to war and of "liberation" from Gaddafi's rule was expected to be made by NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil on Sunday in the eastern city of Benghazi, the seat of the revolt inspired by the fall of autocrats in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt.

There have been several delays to the announcement. It will set a clock ticking on a plan for a new government and constitutional assembly leading to full democracy in 2013.

Jibril reaffirmed the plan was for elections to the body that will draft a constitution to be held in eight months.

Gaddafi's body remained in Misrata, bearing wounds assumed to have been inflicted by fighters from the city who hauled him from a drain in his hometown Sirte. A field commander in Misrata worried that trouble was brewing:

"The fear now is what is going to happen next," he said, speaking to Reuters privately, as ordinary Libyans, some taking pictures for family albums, filed in under armed guard to see for themselves that the man they feared was truly dead.

"There is going to be regional in-fighting. You have Zintan and Misrata on one side and then Benghazi and the east," the guerrilla said. "There is in-fighting even inside the army."

DIVISIONS

Comparisons with Iraq after Saddam Hussein are tempered by the absence of the Sunni-Shi'ite divide which ravaged that country. However, as in Iraq, there are vast energy resources at stake and international powers keen to exploit them.

Regional enmities thrive, as well as differences between Islamists and secularists and among those who once served Gaddafi - like NTC head Abdel Jalil - and others. There is also ethnic tension between Arabs and Berbers.

Gaddafi's surviving family, in exile, have asked that his body and that of his son Mo'tassim be handed over to tribal kinsmen from Sirte. NTC officials said they were trying to arrange a secret resting place to avoid loyalist supporters making it a shrine.

Unlike on Friday, Gaddafi's body was covered by a blanket that left only his head exposed, hiding bruises on his torso and scratch marks on his chest that had earlier been visible.

A Reuters reporter who viewed the body said Gaddafi's head had been turned to the left. That hid a bullethole that earlier could be seen on the left side of his face.

SUMMARY EXECUTION?

Gaddafi's family and international human rights groups have urged an inquiry into how Gaddafi, 69, was killed, since gory cellphone video footage showed him alive but being beaten and taunted by his captors. Jibril said on the day that Gaddafi was killed in "crossfire" in an ambulance taking him to hospital.

But an ambulance driver in Sirte told Reuters Gaddafi was already dead by the time he picked him up, and a local military commander in Misrata said "over-enthusiastic" fighters had taken matters into their own hands:

"We wanted to keep him alive. But the young guys...," he told Reuters. "Things went out of control."

The International Criminal Court at The Hague had wanted to try Gaddafi for war crimes and may yet be able to try his son Saif al-Islam if he is found. NTC officials believe he escaped from the last redoubt in Sirte, after French jets had scattered a convoy of dozens of vehicles trying to flee with his father.

Intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, the third man wanted by the ICC, managed to reach Niger, officials have said.

Libyans also want to try some of the old guard at home.

Despite the qualms of some abroad, few compatriots are troubled by Gaddafi's bloody end, captured in clips of cellphone video broadcast around the world.

"People in the West don't understand the agony and pain that the people went through during the past 42 years," said Jibril, who added he felt "reborn" when he heard the news.

Abdulatif, a pilot, who came to see the body in Misrata, asked: "What would he tell the mother whose children were killed or the girls who were raped? If he lived and was killed a thousand times that would still only be a trifle."

Nonetheless, some Libyans have expressed unease at the way Gaddafi's body has been treated - Muslim custom dictates it should have been buried by sundown on Thursday - and at other matters of religion and respect for the dead.

Gaddafi's daughter Aisha, her mother and two of her brothers fled to Algeria after the fall of Tripoli. Aisha gave birth on the day she arrived.

The government in Algiers has angered the NTC by refusing to send them back. But an Algerian newspaper on Saturday quoted official sources saying that, following the death of the head of the family, they might now reconsider.

(Additional reporting by Taha Zargoun in Sirte, Barry Malone, Yasmine Saleh and Jessica Donati in Tripoli, Brian Rohan in Benghazi, Christian Lowe, Jon Hemming and Andrew Hammond in Tunis, Samia Nakhoul in Amman, Tom Pfeiffer at Dead Sea, Jordan, David Brunnstrom in Brussels and Lamine Chikhi in Algiers; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111022/wl_nm/us_libya

constitution

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Latino Votes Could Be Casualty of Romney-Perry Sparring (The Atlantic Wire)

Republicans have an opening to steal some of the Latino vote, given that President Obama's approval rating among them has hit a new low, but the candidates will have a hard time winning them if they keep throwing red meat to their anti-immigration base. The candidates referred to illegal immigrants as "illegals" ten times in the Las Vegas debate Tuesday, most notably when Mitt Romney responded to Rick Perry's accusation that he'd hired undocumented workers by saying, "I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals." Romney "can make as many trips to Florida and New Mexico and Colorado and other swing states that have a large Latino population, but he can write off the Latino vote ... He?s not going to gain it again," Republican strategist Lionel Sosa told The New York Times' Trip Gabriel. Sosa advised George W. Bush and John McCain on winning over Latinos.

PERRY: ... but we have a 1,200-mile border with Mexico, and the fact is we have a huge number of illegals that are coming into this country.?

?

And they're coming into this country because the federal government has failed to secure that border. But they're coming here because there is a magnet. And the magnet is called jobs. And those people that hire illegals ought to be penalized.?

?

And Mitt, you lose all of your standing, from my perspective, because you hired illegals in your home and you knew about it for a year ...

?

ROMNEY: Rick, I don't think I've ever hired an illegal in my life. And so I'm afraid -- I'm looking forward to finding your facts on that, because that just doesn't --?

?

PERRY: And they want to hear you say that you knew you had illegals working at your --?

?

ROMNEY: ...?When you were governor, you said, I don't want to build a fence. You put in place a magnet ...

?

You put in place a magnet to draw illegals into the state, which was giving $100,000 of tuition credit to illegals that come into this country, and then you have states -- the big states of illegal immigrants are California and Florida. Over the last 10 years, they've had no increase in illegal immigration.?

?

PERRY: You stood here in front of the American people and did not tell the truth that you had illegals working on your property. And the newspaper came to you and brought it to your attention, and you still, a year later, had those individuals working for you.?

?

ROMNEY: OK.You wrote an op-ed in the newspaper saying you were open to amnesty. That's number one.?

?

Number two, we hired a lawn company to mow our lawn, and they had illegal immigrants that were working there. And when that was pointed out to us, we let them go ...

?

So we went to the company and we said, look, you can't have any illegals working on our property. I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111020/pl_atlantic/latinovotescouldbecasualtyromneyperrysparring43911

the fall kellen winslow ben folds jacqueline laurita sprint iphone sprint iphone defamation

Romney says religion shouldn't be a factor (The Arizona Republic)

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/150060782?client_source=feed&format=rss

temperature caroline wozniacki caroline wozniacki ua ua weeds weeds

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Motorola announces Motoactv, 'the ultimate fitness device'

It's official, Motorola's just officially unveiled Motoactv (not to be confused with these guys), its very own music and fitness device. The little running mate sports a 600MHz processor, runs Android and weighs a healthy 35 grams. It'll apparently track your heart rate, and log running, walking and cycling statistics, and packs GPS to track your exercise routes. The Nike+ competitor is unsurprisingly sweat and waterproof and can hold up to 4,000 songs. It also offers FM radio and audio "coaching," which updates on pace and distance, for those who need a little inspiration in their routine. Moto's also outing a pair of accompanying Bluetooth headsets, the SF700 ($149) and SF500 ($99), which will be sold separately. The Motoactv will set beat-bumping runners back $249 or $299 for 8GB and 16GB, respectively. Full PR is after the break, and official photos are on the way.

Be sure to check out our Motorola liveblog right here!

Continue reading Motorola announces Motoactv, 'the ultimate fitness device'

Motorola announces Motoactv, 'the ultimate fitness device' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/motorola-announces-motoactv-the-ultimate-fitness-device/

occupy occupy midnight madness midnight madness john henry john henry zack greinke

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Leaked: Image, Specs And Launch Date

secondsamsungnexusimageWell it would seem that NTT DoCoMo, one of the largest wireless carriers in Japan, has let slip the Samsung Galaxy Nexus announcement just a couple hours early. According to a tweet, "the latest Android OS smartphone with Google and Samsung Electronics [will be] announced on October 19 in Hong Kong tomorrow. DoCoMo is almost equivalent to the fastest in the world, scheduled for release in November. More later." (Anyone who's fluent in Japanese, please feel free to add clarity that Google Translate can't.)

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

anita hill major league major league ows mlk memorial mlk memorial john wayne gacy

Surprising K-State up to 12th in AP poll

Kansas State's Collin Klein (7) heads upfield ahead of Texas Tech's Scott Smith (94) during an NCAA college football game in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Stephen Spillman)

Kansas State's Collin Klein (7) heads upfield ahead of Texas Tech's Scott Smith (94) during an NCAA college football game in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Stephen Spillman)

(AP) ? Surprising Kansas State has climbed to No. 12 in The Associated Press college football poll, the Wildcats' best ranking since 2004.

Kansas State improved to 6-0 on Saturday night with a 41-34 comeback victory at Texas Tech and jumped five spots in the rankings released Sunday. It was the fourth straight week coach Bill Snyder's Wildcats won as underdogs.

The last time Kansas State was ranked this highly was the 2004 preseason poll, when the Wildcats were No. 12.

The top 10 teams in the rankings remained the same after a weekend filled with blowouts. No. 1 LSU received 41 first-place votes, No. 2 Alabama had 11 and No. 3 Oklahoma got six.

The rest of the top 10 was Wisconsin, Boise State (one first-place vote), Oklahoma State, Stanford, Clemson, Oregon and Arkansas.

Kansas State went 7-6 last season and was picked eighth out of 10 in the Big 12's preseason poll. But behind a much improved defense and a solid running game led by quarterback Collin Klein, the Wildcats are perfect after six games for the first time since 2000.

Snyder is in his third season since coming out of retirement to return to the job he held for 17 years.

The Wildcats' resurgence this season is impressive, but when it comes turnarounds, the 72-year-old Snyder has done much better in Manhattan, Kan.

He first took over the program in 1989 and it wasn't a stretch to call Kansas State the worst program in major college football.

From 1938-1988, K-State won 130 games. Snyder was hired during 27-game winless streak.

But from 1993-2003, Snyder led the Wildcats to a bowl every season, averaged 10 wins and contended for national championships.

He stepped down after the 2005 season, but after three lackluster seasons under Ron Prince, he returned and has the Wildcats, who play in-state rival Kansas on Saturday, contending for a conference title again.

Just ahead of Kansas State at No. 11 in the latest rankings was West Virginia.

No. 13 Nebraska was next, followed by South Carolina and Michigan State, which hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

The rest of the top 20 had Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Michigan, Auburn and Georgia Tech, which dropped eight spots to No. 20 after its first loss.

The 17th-ranked Wolverines fell seven spots after losing for the first time this season, 28-14 to Michigan State.

The final five were undefeated Houston at No. 21, Washington, Illinois, another first-time loser on Saturday, and Arizona State and Georgia tied for No. 24.

Texas and Baylor dropped out of the rankings after losing Big 12 games.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-16-FBC-T25-College-FB-Poll/id-f7e8b1e527484229ac41ab7ce2ebadc0

nike pro combat gardasil gardasil usnews new york special election windows 8 2pac

Michael Jackson doctor's trial to resume Wednesday (AP)

LOS ANGLES ? A judge delayed resumption of the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death until Wednesday to give defense attorneys time to analyze new testing that coroner's officials recently conducted.

Testimony had been canceled on Monday so that the prosecution's final witness, Dr. Steven Shafer, could deal with family affairs after his father died last week.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor agreed to delay the case against Dr. Conrad Murray for another day after defense attorneys said they needed time to prepare for how to deal with testing the coroner's office conducted last week on the level of the sedative lorazepam in Jackson's system.

Murray's attorneys have suggested that authorities ignored the effects lorazapam may have had on the pop superstar and said their own testing suggested Jackson had taken eight pills before his death.

Coroner's officials determined Jackson died from a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Authorities contend Murray gave Jackson the fatal dose and other sedatives in the singer's bedroom to try to help him sleep. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the defense lab's results combine two numbers to make it seem like there was more lorazepam in Jackson's system than may have been present. He said the coroner's tests show a much smaller amount was actually in Jackson's system and are inconsistent with the theory that he swallowed several pills.

Lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff said he had numerous questions about the coroner's testing and had asked the agency to conduct the same test before the trial began but was told it couldn't be done. He said he didn't yet know what impact it will have on how Murray's defense case is presented.

Defense attorneys are expected to begin calling their own witnesses, including experts, later this week.

Pastor agreed it was an issue that defense attorneys needed time to address. He ordered attorneys to give him an update at a hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111017/ap_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_doctor

osg osg temple grandin audrina patridge coleman graffiti study

Monday, October 17, 2011

MLS playoff berths clinched: Union

Sebastian Le Toux, Ty Harden

updated 7:05 p.m. ET Oct. 15, 2011

CHESTER, Pa. - Sebastien Le Toux scored in the 43rd minute to lead Philadelphia to a 1-1 draw against Toronto FC on Saturday, good enough to clinch the Union's first playoff berth.

Le Toux scored his team-best 11th goal after receiving a crisp open pass from Justin Mapp, and the Union extended their unbeaten streak to eight games (3-0-5).

Ryan Johnson scored for Toronto FC (6-13-14) in the 57th minute. Toronto FC dropped to 1-9-7 on the road.

The match was played before a crowd of 19,178, tying a PPL Park record.

All-Star goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon returned for Philadelphia (11-7-15). Mondragon broke his right ring finger at Real Salt Lake on Sept. 3.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


advertisement

More news
LeBron's team helps Man City

Manchester City defeated Aston Villa and overtook rival Manchester United at the top of the Premier League after the defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw at LeBron James' Liverpool.

Nightmare Rooney

No one could have predicted the brilliant but flawed gem of England would become such a disappointment and liability.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44916276/ns/sports-soccer/

facebook music daphne guinness daphne guinness mortgage rates mortgage rates kirstie alley r.e.m.

Downey urges Hollywood: 'Forgive Mel Gibson'

It was supposed to be Robert Downey Jr.'s night, but somehow Friday's American Cinematheque Award ceremony became all about Mel Gibson.

When the evening's honoree took to the stage at the Beverly Hills Hilton to accept his doorstop, he had a clear message for Hollywood.

"I urge you to forgive my friend his trespasses," Downey said to loud applause. "Allow him to pursue this art without shame."

It was Gibson who handed out the award to the "Iron Man" star. That was a choice Downey made clear he had made in part to help his friend rehabilitate his image.

  1. More Entertainment stories
    1. Breast cancer diagnosis for Giuliana Rancic

      The E! network personality told TODAY's Ann Curry about her surprising diagnosis, which she discovered while undergoing fertility treatment.

    2. Addicted to reality: Shows we can't turn off
    3. Exclusive: Simmons gets standing O at wedding
    4. 'Three Stooges' poster keeps cast in shadow
    5. Not in 'New Year's Eve'? You're not trying!

Gibson has become something of an industry pariah in the wake of taped phone calls during which he had used racial slurs and threatened to beat his estranged girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. Prior to that, Gibson was already on thin ice with Hollywood, having made anti-Semitic remarks when he was arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence.

Slideshow: Mel Gibson's rocky road (on this page)

Gibson was dropped from a cameo in "Hangover 2" after cast members rebelled, although lately Warner Brothers has made a deal with the actor-director to explore an action film about a Biblical-era Jewish rebellion against oppressors. That too has drawn angry responses from Jewish leaders.

Downey, who had well-publicized bouts with drinking and drug abuse, said that by sticking up for Gibson, he was simply returning the favor. After his imprisonment and arrests on drug charges made him uninsurable and thus prevented him from being hired in Hollywood, it was Gibson who stepped up and paid his insurance bond on the 2003 film "The Singing Detective."

"He kept a roof over my head and put food on my table," Downey remembered.

Slideshow: Career of Robert Downey Jr. (on this page)

He said that all Gibson asked in return was that Downey do the same for another person who was struggling.

"It is reasonable to assume he didn't know the next guy would be him," Downey joked.

In response, Gibson mockingly hit his head against the set.

It's not clear if the gambit worked. Gibson's appearance in a sketch video ribbing Downey for playing a white man pretending to be a black man in "Tropic Thunder" drew laughs, but some were of the uncomfortable variety.

Moreover, the "Lethal Weapon" star stuck close by his friend and fellow presenter Jodie Foster when he entered the hotel ballroom and remained affixed to her throughout the evening as if she were a bulwark against an unfriendly press and public.

However, as Downey has demonstrated, Hollywood loves a comeback.

As "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau said of Downey at one point during the evening: "Not since Joseph in the Bible went from prison to prophecy has someone elevated themselves from so low."

Now it's Gibson's turn to pull off a miracle.

Is Downey right? Should Gibson be forgiven? Tell us on Facebook.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44918712/ns/today-entertainment/

coleman graffiti study study sf giants elton john clint eastwood

Shield Your Family And Pets Against Shared Threats

HTML Ready Article. Click on the "Copy" button to copy into your clipboard.

By: Valera Chafin

On one hand, there are a lot of ways having a pet can contribute to your health. Pets provide emotional support, help folks exercise and help the disabled.

On the other hand, pets (and different animals) also can spread diseases to people. Referred to as zoonotic illnesses or zoonoses, they are often especially harmful for younger kids and people with certain medical conditions.

There are important types. One, resembling leptospirosis (a bacterial infection), could be transmitted from animals to people. The other kind infects each individuals and pets. Lyme illness, for example, can cause arthritis and is unfold by ticks.

Fortuitously, there are methods to maintain your loved ones and pets healthy. In line with veterinarians, you must:

. Get a wellness exam on your pet each six months. Remember, pets age seven times quicker, on common, than individuals and wish common checkups.

. Make certain your pet is protected against illness every time possible. Many zoonotic illnesses, together with leptospirosis, Lyme disease, rabies and giardia (a parasitic an infection), might be prevented by vaccination.

. Ask your veterinarian about flea and tick control.

. Wash your fingers typically when touching, enjoying with or caring for pets.

. Never handle the stool of any animal with out wearing disposable gloves or using a plastic barrier.

. Keep away from kissing your pet or letting him lick your face.

. Do every day "tick checks" on your self, your kids and your pet. When you discover a tick, use tweezers to slowly pull it out. After removing the tick, immerse it in rubbing alcohol. Wash the tick chew wound and your palms with cleaning soap and water.

. For those who're pregnant, have someone else clear the cat's litter box. If you should do it your self, wear gloves and immediately wash your arms after changing the litter.

. Wash your fingers after gardening or working in soil where pets might have relieved themselves.

. In case you are scratched or bitten, wash the area with soap and water instantly and administer first aid. If you are concerned, contact your health care professional.

. Not let your pet drink from standing water outdoors.

. Remove meals, rubbish or nesting materials that will entice disease-carrying wildlife.

To assist defend pets and the people they arrive in touch with, 1000's of U.S. veterinary clinics are taking part in Nationwide Pet Wellness Month, a veterinary clinic-centered academic campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Veterinary clinics supply pet wellness exams and consult with pet homeowners about illness prevention and other methods to assist their pets live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Your veterinarian will know the predominant illness threats in your space and may develop a plan to offer illness protection for you and your pet.

Author Resource:->??For knowledge concerning African Pygmy Hedgehog, stop by Franklin Hoislkerv's web page without hesitation.

Article From SEO Articles - Find Articles Faster - Web Content

Source: http://www.activeweblist.com/Art/230178/36/Shield-Your-Family-And-Pets-Against-Shared-Threats.html

weather miami ohio state angus t. jones belgian malinois honey badger oakland raiders girl fight