Arab observers fan out across Syria (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Arab monitors head to three more Syrian cities on Thursday to check if government forces are complying with a peace plan after a delegation to Homs, centre of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, was mobbed by protesters demanding protection.

The Arab League mission, the first international involvement on the ground in Syria since the revolt began last March, got off to a controversial start when its Sudanese leader said he had seen "nothing frightening" on his first trip to Homs.

He later said he needed more time to make an assessment of the city, which was pounded by government firepower in the days before the visit.

The observers briefly visit Homs on Tuesday then returned to Wednesday with an army escort, to the dismay of demonstrators who mobbed their car.

They finally went back to Baba Amr district, one of the worst-hit, to see shattered houses and hear from people who have lost friends and relatives. One family showed them a dead boy.

They are likely to witness similar scenes on Thursday when they visit Deraa, Hama and Idlib, all cities where anti-Assad demonstrations have been violently repressed.

The observers' leader, Sudanese General Mustafa al-Dabi, said the mission was still in its early days.

"We have 20 people who will be there (in Homs) for a long time," he said.

Opposition activists say the government will play for time and bend the mission to its own ends. But Washington urged then to give Dabi a chance.

"We need let this mission get up and running, let them do their job and then let them give their judgment," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington.

Unless it can establish its credibility by proving it has unobstructed access to all areas and is able to hear uncensored accounts, the Arab League mission may not be able to satisfy all sides that it can make an objective assessment of the crisis.

Most of the 5,000 or more people estimated by the United Nations to have been killed in Syria since March have lost their lives in Homs, to machinegun fire, sniper bullets, mortar blasts and tank shelling, or torture.

INSURGENCY RISING

What began with peaceful mass protests against Assad has turned into an armed insurrection as thousands of army defectors formed the Syrian Free Army and attacked military and police convoys, bases and checkpoints.

A video shot by rebels showed the ambush of a security forces convoy on Wednesday by eight gunmen who opened fire from a rootfop.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four soldiers were killed in the attack by rebel troops on a road near the southern village of Dael in Deraa province, cradle of the revolt.

Assad says he is combating Islamic terrorism steered from abroad. He says more than 2,000 security personnel have been killed.

Syria resisted outside involvement for months but yielded to

pressure from fellow members of the 22-state Arab League last month, agreeing to let the monitors in to witness a withdrawal of forces from the turbulent cities.

But the killing did not stop, before and during the first two days of the monitoring mission, and opposition activists predict it will not cease after the observers are gone in a month. About 200 observers will deploy to witness and interview victims of violence scattered across the country of 23 million.

The West has demanded that Assad step down but Russia and China oppose intervention. Syria also has the backing of Iran.

Assad, increasingly isolated, has lost the trust of his neighbor Turkey, which has called for him to quit and which allows the rebel army to launch attacks from its territory.

(Writing by Douglas Hamilton; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/wl_nm/us_syria

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Abortion, immigration changes among new 2012 laws (AP)

Girls seeking abortions in New Hampshire must first tell their parents or a judge, some employers in Alabama must verify new workers' U.S. residency, and California students will be the first in the country to receive mandatory lessons about the contributions of gays and lesbians under state laws set to take effect at the start of 2012.

Many laws reflect the nation's concerns over immigration, the cost of government and the best way to protect and benefit young people, including regulations on sports concussions.

Alabama, with the country's toughest immigration law, is enacting a key provision requiring all employers who do business with any government entity to use a federal system known as E-Verify to check that all new employees are in the country legally.

Georgia is putting a similar law into effect requiring any business with 500 or more employees to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of new hires. The requirement is being phased in, with all employers with more than 10 employees to be included by July 2013.

Supporters said they wanted to deter illegal immigrants from coming to Georgia by making it tougher for them to work. Critics said that changes to immigration law should come at the federal level and that portions of the law already in effect are already hurting Georgia.

"It is destroying Georgia's economy and it is destroying the fabric of our social network in South Georgia," Paul Bridges, mayor of the onion-farming town of Uvalda, said in November. He is part of a lawsuit challenging the new law.

Tennessee will also require businesses to ensure employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S. but exempts employers with five or fewer workers and allows them to keep a copy of the new hire's driver's license instead of using E-Verify.

A South Carolina law would allow officials to yank the operating licenses of businesses that don't check new hires' legal status through E-verify. A federal judge last week blocked parts of the law that would have required police to check the immigration status of criminal suspects or people stopped for traffic violations they think might be in the country illegally, and that would have made it a crime for illegal immigrants to transport or house themselves.

California is also addressing illegal immigration, but with a bill that allows students who entered the country illegally to receive private financial aid at public colleges.

Many laws aim to protect young people. In Colorado, coaches will be required to bench players as young as 11 when they're believed to have suffered a head injury. The young athletes will also need medical clearance to return to play.

The law also requires coaches in public and private schools and even volunteer Little League and Pop Warner football coaches to take free annual online training to recognize the symptoms of a concussion. At least a dozen other states have enacted similar laws with the support of the National Football League.

People 18 and under in Illinois will have to wear seat belts while riding in taxis for school-related purposes, and Illinois school boards can now suspend or expel students who make explicit threats on websites against other students or school employees.

Florida will take control of lunch and other school food programs from the federal government, allowing the state to put more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the change will help children eat healthier.

A California law will add gays and lesbians and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions must be taught in history lessons in public schools. The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions.

Opponents have filed five potential initiatives to repeal the requirement outright or let parents remove their children while gays' contributions are being taught.

In New Hampshire, a law requiring girls seeking abortions to tell their parents or a judge first was reinstated by conservative Republicans over a gubernatorial veto. The state enacted a similar law eight years ago, but it was never enforced following a series of lawsuits.

In Arkansas, facilities that perform 10 or more nonsurgical abortions a month must be licensed by the state Health Department and be subject to inspections by the department, the same requirements faced by facilities that offer surgical abortions in the state.

It affects two Planned Parenthood facilities that offer the abortion pill, though they're not singled out in the statute.

Among federal laws, a measure Congress passed last week to extend Social Security tax cuts and federal unemployment benefit programs raises insurance fees on new mortgages and refinancings backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration by 0.1 percent beginning Jan. 1.

That covers about 90 percent of them and effectively makes a borrower's monthly payment on a new $200,000 mortgage or refinancing about $17 a month more than it would have been if obtained before the first of the year.

Nevada's 3-month old ban on texting while driving will get tougher, with tickets replacing the warnings that police have issued since the ban took effect Oct. 1. In Pennsylvania, police are preparing to enforce that state's recently enacted ban on texting, scheduled to take effect by spring.

Election law changes in Rhode Island and Tennessee will require voters to present photo ID, a measure that supporters say prevents fraud and that opponents say will make it harder for minorities and the elderly to cast ballots.

In Ohio, a measure that creates one primary in March, instead of two that would have cost the state an extra $15 million, goes into effect later in January.

Ohio is also one of eight states with automatic increases in the minimum wage taking effect Jan. 1. The others, with increases between 28 and 37 cents, are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

A few laws try to address budget woes. In Delaware, new state employees will have to contribute more to their pensions, while state workers hired after Jan. 1 in Nevada will have to pony up for their own health care costs in retirement.

Jan. 1 is the effective date in many states for laws passed during this year's legislative sessions. In others, laws take effect July 1, or 90 days after passage.

___

Welsh-Huggins reported from Columbus, Ohio, and can be reached at http://twitter.com/awhcolumbus.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_us/us_new_laws

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Netgear Universal Internet Adapter for Home Entertainment-3D (XAVB5004)

If the onslaught of internet-ready HDTVs, blu-ray players, and gaming consoles has you thinking you have to wire your home with CAT-5 cabling, think again. With the Netgear Universal Internet Adapter for Home Entertainment-3D (XAVB5004) you can install a 4-port gigabit Ethernet switch right next to your home entertainment devices in a matter of minutes and without breaking a sweat. The XAVB5004 ($169.99 list) is a powerline networking solution that uses your home?s electrical wiring as a conduit for network traffic. While not as speedy as a dedicated CAT-5 setup, Netgear's powerlin offering provides more than enough throughput for streaming video from online services like Netflix and Hulu, and it offers two ways to prioritize network traffic for applications that require maximum bandwidth. Its flaws are minor; the adapter heats up after half an hour of use, and the user manual is not included in the box.

Features and Specs

Included in the XAVB5004 kit is an XAV5001 Powerline 500 AV adapter, an XAV5004 Powerline 500AV 4-port adapter and power cord, two Ethernet cables, and a Resource CD with a quick install guide and Netgear?s Powerline Utility. As with the XAV5001 kit, Netgear does not include a user's guide on the CD but provides a link to one on their website. ?

The XAV5001 adapter is the same one that comes with the Powerline AV 500 Powerline Adapter Kit and measures 3.3 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches (HWD). The glossy white adapter weighs 0.4 pounds and sports three LED indicators that provide power and network activity status. ?A blinking green Power light means that the adapter is starting up or is going through a security setup, while a solid light means the adapter is powered up and ready to go. The light turns amber when the adapter goes into power saving mode.

The second light is the Powerline indicator. It glows various colors when the adapter is connected to a network and blinks when transmitting or receiving data. A solid green light means it has a link rate that is greater than 80 Mbps and an amber light means the link rate is somewhere between 50-80 Mbps. A red light indicates a slow rate of less than 50 Mbps. The third LED is solid green when the port is linked and blinks when there is network activity. The Ethernet port is located on the bottom of the adapter and there are Factory Reset and Security buttons on the right side. The housing has vents to help dissipate heat but the adapter tends to run warm after being plugged in for more than half an hour.

The XAV5004 is a 4-port switch. It has a shiny black finish and measures 1.2 x 5.4 x 3.9 inches (HWD). The Netgear logo is stamped on the top of the adapter, and there are three LEDs on the front panel that have? the same characteristics as the indicators on the XAV5001, with one small difference; the Power LED glows a solid blue when powered up and blinks blue when resetting or going through the security setup. You don?t get status LEDS for individual each port like you do with the D-Link DHP540 switch.

At the rear of the switch are four color-coded and numbered Ethernet ports, a security button, a recessed button for restoring the switch to its factory defaults, and a two?pronged power jack. The number 1 and 2 ports have green labels that identify them as high priority QoS (Quality of Service) ports for connecting to gaming consoles and HDTVs, for example. Data coming and going through these ports is given priority over other network traffic to ensure smooth video and multimedia playback. You can also set QoS priorities manually using the Netgear Powerline Utility.

Installation

Installing the XAVB5004 kit is painless. Start by plugging the XAV5001 adapter into an outlet close to your router and connect it to the router with one of the Ethernet cables. Next, plug the XAV5004 switch into an outlet as close to your internet-ready devices as possible. Use the Powerline LED to determine which outlet offers the best connectivity as not all outlets provide the same link rate. For example, you?ll want a solid green light for streaming HD video to an HDTV.

If you want to add 128-bit AES encryption, push the security button on the switch and hold it for two seconds until it blinks. Within two minutes, press the security button on the second adapter and it will be assigned the same randomly generated encryption key as the first adapter. You now have a four port gigabit switch that can be used to bring wired Ethernet to all of your home entertainment devices, including web-enabled HDTVs and blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and streaming boxes such as Roku, Boxee, and Apple TV.

In addition to assigning QoS priority, the Powerline Utility software scans your network and displays the model number, MAC address, and firmware version of each connected device. Clicking on a device gives you the ability to name it and manually assign an encryption key and a QoS priority. You can also update the firmware with the click of a mouse button.

Performance

The XAVB5004 kit worked like a charm. The Powerline Utility detected a link rate of 500 Mbps from the adapter to the router and 156 Mbps from the adapter to the switch, which is more than adequate for streaming HD video and right in line with the DHP540?s rate of 158 Mbps. Episodes of The Office in HD streaming via Netflix played smoothly with no trace of lag and the soundtrack was perfectly synced to the video. Copying a 100MB folder via the XAVB5004 took 17 seconds, while a 500MB folder took 1 minute and 13 seconds. The D-Link DHP-540 was a bit faster with speeds of 13 seconds (100 MB) and 1 minute and 8 seconds (500 MB). By way of comparison, it took 1 minute and 18 seconds to copy the 100MB folder over my wireless 802.11 N network and a whopping 9 minutes and 25 seconds to copy the 500 MB folder.

If you?re looking to bring wired Ethernet to your home theater components or simply want faster transfer rates than you get with Wi-Fi, the Netgear Universal Internet Adapter for Home Entertainment-3D Kit (XAVB5004) is a reasonably priced solution that installs in minutes. Whereas the pricey D-Link DHP540 ($199.99 list) comes with just the 4-port switch, the XAVB5004 comes with a powerline adapter and a 4-port switch so you can get up and running right out of the box, and it?s around $30 cheaper.? Affordable pricing, ease of use, and solid performance earn the XAVB5004 our Editors? Choice for Powerline networking products.

More Networking Reviews:
??? Netgear Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5001)
??? D-Link Powerline AV 500 4-Port gigabit Switch (DHP-540)
??? D-Link DHP501-AV Powerline AV 500 Adapter Starter Kit 
??? Netgear Universal Internet Adapter for Home Entertainment-3D (XAVB5004) 
??? SoMud 1.3.3
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/PMCaG2TusTc/0,2817,2398220,00.asp

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Rihanna Bikini Photos: So Transparent!

Amid reports that she may be rekindling a romance with Chris Brown, a svelte Rihanna hit the beach in her native Barbados, without a care in the world.

Without much covering her up, too, it turned out.

Hanging out with her little brother at the time, the star was in a family-oriented mood, but certain images that resulted from her romp in the sea were anything but.

Rihanna's orange bikini turned transparent in the water. Take a look:

Rihanna makes a splash in the Caribbean.

She may be bad, but she's perfectly good at it, and if Rihanna pictures like these surface as a result, we doubt many people will be complaining too loud.

[Photos: Fame Pictures]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/rihanna-bikini-photos-so-transparent/

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Top 20 Concert Tours from Pollstar (AP)

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Kanye West / Jay-Z; $2,243,684; $120.57.

2. (2) Cirque du Soleil ? "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $1,924,258; $116.04.

3. (3) Taylor Swift; $1,281,481; $68.89.

4. (4) Enrique Iglesias; $780,382; $69.09.

5. (7) Foo Fighters; $686,129; $49.41.

6. (5) Journey; $677,924; $59.35.

7. (6) Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; $671,909; $67.88.

8. (8) Keith Urban; $562,494; $60.08.

9. (9) Caifanes; $515,338; $47.84.

10. (New) Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $499,628; $47.67.

11. (11) Sting; $475,037; $92.43.

12. (12) Furthur; $443,639; $51.89.

13. (13) Guns N' Roses; $415,202; $52.44.

14. (14) Andre Rieu; $372,293; $74.30.

15. (15) Deadmau5; $356,388; $47.05.

16. (17) Duran Duran; $288,046; $73.98.

17. (16) Tiesto; $271,114; $49.68.

18. (18) Paul Simon; $254,164; $76.88.

19. (19) Jeff Dunham; $251,471; $46.79.

20. (20) Roger Daltrey; $235,006; $80.61.

For free upcoming tour information, go to http://www.pollstar.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_en_mu/us_top20_concert_tours

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Before sounding an alarm, chimps consider their audience

Public release date: 29-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons
elyons@cell.com
617-386-2121
Cell Press

It's a basic rule of effective communication: Consider your audience. According to a new report published online on December 29 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that rule of thumb is not lost on wild chimpanzees. Chimps are more likely to make an alarm call about the presence of a snake when others in the group are unaware of the apparent danger they face, the new evidence shows.

The findings suggest that chimpanzees keep track of the information available to other chimpanzees and make selective decisions about the messages they convey based on that understanding.

"Chimpanzees really seem to take another's knowledge state into account," said Catherine Crockford of the University of St Andrews. "They voluntarily produce a warning call to inform audience members of a danger that they do not know about. They are less likely to inform those who already know about the danger."

The researchers made the discovery by placing model snakes in the path of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and watching their reactions. Those studies showed that when an individual chimp detects a snake, they typically produce an "alert hoo" to tell other chimps within earshot. As new group members arrive on the scene, chimps in the know repeat their "alert hoo," filling in the newcomers that a snake is in their midst.

The findings challenge the notion that only humans recognize ignorance in others and act so as to fill them in, the researchers say. They also show that chimpanzee vocalizations are influenced by a prosocial motivation, to intentionally inform others of danger.

The findings are particularly noteworthy given debates over the role of mental state attribution in the evolution of language. "Some have argued that a crucial stage in this evolution occurred when individuals began producing vocalizations with the goal of informing and thereby reducing ignorance in others," Crockford said. The new findings show that "more of the 'essential ingredients' needed to kick start complex communication are evident in chimpanzees than we thought."

It's also key that the findings were made in chimpanzees in the wild, Crockford added. "The advantage of addressing these questions in wild chimpanzees is that they are simply doing what they always do in an ecologically relevant setting; the task is always relevant," she said.

###

Crockford et al.: "Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger."

DOI Number is 10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.053

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons
elyons@cell.com
617-386-2121
Cell Press

It's a basic rule of effective communication: Consider your audience. According to a new report published online on December 29 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that rule of thumb is not lost on wild chimpanzees. Chimps are more likely to make an alarm call about the presence of a snake when others in the group are unaware of the apparent danger they face, the new evidence shows.

The findings suggest that chimpanzees keep track of the information available to other chimpanzees and make selective decisions about the messages they convey based on that understanding.

"Chimpanzees really seem to take another's knowledge state into account," said Catherine Crockford of the University of St Andrews. "They voluntarily produce a warning call to inform audience members of a danger that they do not know about. They are less likely to inform those who already know about the danger."

The researchers made the discovery by placing model snakes in the path of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and watching their reactions. Those studies showed that when an individual chimp detects a snake, they typically produce an "alert hoo" to tell other chimps within earshot. As new group members arrive on the scene, chimps in the know repeat their "alert hoo," filling in the newcomers that a snake is in their midst.

The findings challenge the notion that only humans recognize ignorance in others and act so as to fill them in, the researchers say. They also show that chimpanzee vocalizations are influenced by a prosocial motivation, to intentionally inform others of danger.

The findings are particularly noteworthy given debates over the role of mental state attribution in the evolution of language. "Some have argued that a crucial stage in this evolution occurred when individuals began producing vocalizations with the goal of informing and thereby reducing ignorance in others," Crockford said. The new findings show that "more of the 'essential ingredients' needed to kick start complex communication are evident in chimpanzees than we thought."

It's also key that the findings were made in chimpanzees in the wild, Crockford added. "The advantage of addressing these questions in wild chimpanzees is that they are simply doing what they always do in an ecologically relevant setting; the task is always relevant," she said.

###

Crockford et al.: "Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger."

DOI Number is 10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.053

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/cp-bsa122711.php

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Toshiba Thrive 7" review

As 2011 draws to a close, it's fun to look back and think about how we began the year testing the first Honeycomb tablet, and are now ending it elbow-deep in me-too slates, many of them cut down to smaller sizes. So it should surprise no one, then, that Toshiba released the Thrive 7", a mini (and aptly named) version of the original Thrive, which went on sale last summer.

But in Toshiba's case, shrinking a tablet and calling it a day is a dicey proposition. After all, the 10-inch Thrive had some baggage -- namely, middling battery life, a chunky, toy-like design and a bug that initially kept it from waking after recharging. Indeed, the Thrive 7" looks near-identical, and even packs the same Tegra 2 chip, 16GB of storage and vanilla take on Honeycomb. Still, it brings an LED flash, keeps its big brother's 1280 x 800 display and costs less than the original did when it first came out. So are these improvements enough to make this smaller Thrive stand out? And how does it stack up against all those other 7-inch slates we've been testing lately? Let's find out.

Gallery: Toshiba Thrive 7" review

Continue reading Toshiba Thrive 7" review

Toshiba Thrive 7" review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/toshiba-thrive-7-review/

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Video: Investing in Europe in 2012

Predictions out of Europe for the new year, with CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who says Greece will trigger a credit event in 2012.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45795638/

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More legal trouble for ex-Sen. Pedro Espada (UPDATED) | Politics ...

Posted by: Jon Campbell - Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 27, 2011

A troubled former state senator already facing charges of siphoning $14 million from his non-profit health clinic?and spending $20,000 of that on sushi in Mamaroneck?could be facing a new charge after an ethics board accused him of illegally hiring his uncle.

Former Sen. Pedro Espada, a Bronx Democrat whom some had accused of living in Mamaroneck rather than in his district, was quietly hit with a ?notice of reasonable cause? earlier this month by the Legislative Ethics Commission. (Kudos to the Times Union, which spotted the notice on the commission?s website.)

The commission?which includes four lawmakers and three appointees?found Espada violated the state?s public officers law by tapping Juan Feliciano, his uncle, for an $80,000-a-year job as a ?special assistant? to Espada in January 2009.

Espada declined to speak to the commission, according to the document. He lost his re-election bid to Gustavo Rivera, also a Democrat, last year.

UPDATED: At 6 p.m., Espada issued a response through his non-profit group:

?The report generated and released by the Legislative Ethics Commission is false from beginning to end. It is indicative of the work created by a group recently deemed unnecessary and a waste of resources by legislative leaders and is particularly disheartening during time in which so many New Yorkers face real issues such as joblessness, a depressed economy and a need for delivery of vital services,? said Mr. Espada, former Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.

?It is my hope that the new Joint Commission on Public Ethics will take up real ethics violations such as the use of state owned assets by Governor Cuomo for private fundraisers, the closing of Community Health Centers due to personal political vendettas and the use of money from interest groups who do business with the State to fund television ads explicitly pushing the Governor?s agenda,? noted Mr. Espada.

Here?s the ethics board?s notice:

espadanorc

?

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Source: http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2011/12/27/more-legal-trouble-for-ex-sen-pedro-espada/

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Parsons to emcee community and business awards

Published: December 27, 2011 11:00 AM
Updated: December 27, 2011 11:58 AM

What do Eat More Sprouts, Fanny Bay Oysters, the Kingfisher Resort and Spa, and My Tech Guys all have in common?

They have all been past recipients of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce?s community and business awards.

In the 38 years that these awards have been presented, hundreds of individuals and businesses have been recognized for their role in helping make the Comox Valley such a great place to live, to work, and to play.

?The 38th annual Community Awards will be held at the Florence Filberg Centre on Jan. 28, 2012,? explains Chamber president and CEO Dianne Hawkins. ?While Chamber staff, together with our community partners and sponsors, put in considerable time and effort to stage the event, we rely on the community to submit nominations for award consideration.

"Both members of the Chamber of Commerce and the public are encouraged to nominate local businesses and individuals who they feel are making a difference in the Comox Valley. Deadline for nominations is 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.?

The theme for this year?s celebration is Hats Off to Leadership. It is sponsored by 97.3 The Eagle Radio and features a champagne reception sponsored by the King Fisher Resort and Spa, and appetizers. There will also be a gourmet four-course meal, live and silent auctions, door prizes, raffles, and other surprises.

Fifty per cent of the proceeds raised from the live and silent auctions will be donated to the Comox Valley Food Bank.

CBC and CHEK TV?s Tony Parsons will travel from Victoria to the Comox Valley to be the emcee for the festivities.

With a Canadian broadcasting career spanning five decades, Parsons is a familiar ? and respected ? face amongst Vancouver Islanders. The award-winning broadcaster, author, restaurant co-owner, and philanthropist is sure to deliver an engaging, entertaining and professional program.

Another highlight of the gala will be a video compilation of interviews with previous award recipients sharing their thoughts on what it meant to them to be recognized by their community. In past years, the video showcased the current year?s nominees.

The new format has been developed to ensure that the winners in each of the 11 award categories are kept ?top secret? until the night of the awards gala.

Award nomination packages may be picked up at the Chamber office during regular business hours or downloaded from their website. Completed nomination forms may be dropped of at the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, 2040 Cliffe Ave. in Courtenay, faxed to 250-334-4908 or e-mailed to awards@comoxvalleychamber.com.

Again, a reminder that the nomination deadline is earlier than in previous years and is now Jan. 3 at 4 p.m.

For more information, contact the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce at 250-334-3234 or visit www.comoxvalleychamber.com.

? Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce

'; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } google_ad_client = 'pub-9774721429222771'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_ad_channel ='3389691084'; google_max_num_ads = '4'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_adtest = 'on'; google_image_size = '300x250'; google_skip = '3'; // -->

Source: http://www.bclocalnews.com/community/136272773.html

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Pacers Top Pistons In NBA Opener

INDIANAPOLIS -- Danny Granger couldn't shoot straight for most of the night, yet the smile across his face as he iced his knees in the locker room after the game spoke volumes.In the past, as Granger's shot went, so went Indiana. He shot poorly on Monday night, but the Pacers still defeated the Detroit Pistons 91-79 in the season opener for both teams at the renamed Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Granger finished with 16 points on 6-for-18 shooting, but three Pacers had double-doubles, giving him a level of support that has been absent over the years. Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Tyler Hansbrough had 15 points and 13 rebounds and David West had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Add a defense that held Detroit to 36 percent shooting, and Granger could finally be at peace on an off night. "We definitely could not have done that last year," he said. "We have the ability to crash the boards. I think our big guys did an excellent job of dominating the glass, on the offensive end also. We didn't give up too many offensive rebounds. When they can dominate the glass like that, it's going to be hard to beat us." It was ironic that this season of high hopes started with a win against the Pistons. After all, it was an altercation with the Pistons and their fans in 2004 that ultimately forced the Pacers to rebuild. Indiana's fans haven't forgotten. As players were introduced, Ben Wallace, a central figure in that brawl, was booed loudly. The fans who saw a championship-caliber team dismantled after a flurry of off-the-court problems finally have returned, and a packed house saw the fruits of team president Larry Bird's rebuilding effort on display. West, the team's big-name free-agent pickup, was active and affected the game, even though he struggled to finish down low. Guard George Hill, the hometown hero acquired in a draft-night trade with San Antonio, provided a spark off the bench and created a buzz whenever his name was announced. Pacers coach Frank Vogel won his first game without an interim tag, and the team did it his way -- with smashmouth basketball. Indiana outrebounded the Pistons 53-40. "We still took a few too many bad shots, which I'm not too happy with," he said. "But we were attacking the basket, we were getting to the free throw line and we're making the extra pass, and that's the style of play that we're going to have. and it's going to win for us." The Pacers shot just 37 percent from the field, but got away with it in part because they had 18 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points. Detroit couldn't get its offense going to take advantage of Indiana's poor shooting. "We just have to play a whole lot more together game," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said after his debut as Pistons coach. "More ball movement, more working to get rhythm shots. It just shows you where we're at right now. We've got a lot of work to do." Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Stuckey each scored 17 points for the Pistons, who never led. "Now we know what we've got to do," Stuckey said. "We've got to stop complaining, we've got to rebound the basketball, we've got to play harder. That's it." Indiana led big early, but Detroit made a push in the second quarter before back-to-back 3s by George and Darren Collison increased Indiana's lead to 47-34. The Pacers led 52-38 at halftime and kept rolling at the start of the second half. Collison hit a baseline jumper off an offensive board by West, then followed it with a 3-pointer to push Indiana's lead to 59-42. Hibbert dunked and was fouled after a nifty inside feed from Granger. His free throw pushed Indiana's lead to 62-42 four minutes into the second half and forced a timeout by the Pistons. Detroit played a bit better right out of the timeout, but a bucket by Hansbrough and a fast break layup by Dahntay Jones pushed the lead back to 20 and forced another Detroit timeout with 4:42 left in the third. This timeout didn't work so well for the Pistons. Jones hit a long baseline jumper, then George Hill's steal and dunk pushed Indiana's lead to 74-50. The Pacers led 76-58 at the end of the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Granger pushed the lead to 85-61 with 7 minutes left in the game. Pacers fans gave the team a standing ovation in the final minute. Frank was impressed with the Pacers, but he didn't get carried away. "It's one game," he said. "What's the big boulevard down here? I don't know if there's going to be a parade this year. They're a good team, it's one game, they outplayed us tonight." Notes: Pacers C Jeff Foster sat out with a back injury he tweaked during the preseason. ... Pistons C Ben Wallace was loudly booed during pregame introductions. Wallace played a key role in the brawl in 2004 that eventually forced the Pacers to rebuild. ... Indiana F Jeff Pendergraph missed the game with a sprained right knee. ... Indiana outscored Detroit 16-4 from the free-throw line in the first half. ... Hill had four points and four assists in his regular-season debut for Indiana.

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

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/30079284/detail.html

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Chile daily must pay readers for exploding churros (AP)

SANTIAGO, Chile ? Chile's Supreme Court has ordered a newspaper to pay $125,000 to 13 people who suffered burns while trying out a published recipe for churros, a popular Latin American snack of dough fried in hot oil.

The publisher of La Tercera must pay individual damages to 11 women and two men ranging from as little as $279 to $48,000 for one woman whose burns were particularly severe.

The high court's ruling was announced Monday, seven years after the readers burned themselves while trying out the recipe.

Judges determined that the newspaper failed to fully test it before publication, and that if readers followed the recipe exactly, the churros had a good chance of exploding once the oil reached the suggested temperature. Grupo Copesa, which publishes the paper, said it will abide by the ruling.

Days after the recipe was published in the paper's "Woman" magazine in 2004, hospitals around the country began treating women for burns suffered when the dough boiling in oil suddenly shot out of kitchen pots.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_chile_churro_accidents

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Huge rally increases pressure on Putin

MOSCOW?? Tens of thousands of Russians jammed a Moscow avenue Saturday to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, in the largest show of public outrage since the protests 20 years ago that brought down the Soviet Union. Gone was the political apathy of recent years as many shouted "We are the Power!"

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The demonstration, bigger and better organized than a similar one two weeks ago, and smaller rallies across the country encouraged opposition leaders hoping to sustain a protest movement ignited by a fraud-tainted parliamentary election on Dec. 4.

The protesters shouted "Russia without Putin" and "New elections, New elections" as one speaker after another called for an end to Putin's reign.

"Do you want Putin to return to the presidency?" novelist Boris Akunin asked from a large stage. Whistling and jeering, protesters chanted: "No!"

The enthusiasm also cheered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who closed down the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991.

"I'm happy that I have lived to see the people waking up. This raises big hopes," the 80-year-old Gorbachev said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

He urged Putin to follow his example and give up power peacefully, saying Putin would be remembered for the positive things he did if he stepped down now. The former Soviet leader, who has grown increasingly critical of Putin, has little influence in Russia today.

But the protesters have no central leader and no candidate capable of posing a serious challenge to Putin, who intends to return to the presidency in a March vote.

Even at Saturday's rally, some of the speakers were jeered by the crowd. The various liberal, nationalist and leftist groups that took part appear united only by their desire to see "Russia without Putin," a popular chant.

Putin, who gave no public response to the protest Saturday, initially derided the demonstrators as paid agents of the West. He also said sarcastically that he thought the white ribbons they wore as an emblem were condoms. Putin has since come to take their protests more seriously, and in an effort to stem the anger he has offered a set of reforms to allow more political competition in future elections.

Kremlin-controlled television covered Saturday's rally, but gave no air time to Putin's harshest critics.

Estimates of the number of demonstrators ranged from the police figure of 30,000 to 120,000 offered by the organizers. Demonstrators packed much of a broad avenue, which has room for nearly 100,000 people, about 2.5 kilometers (some 1.5 miles) from the Kremlin, as the temperature dipped well below freezing.

A stage at the end of the avenue featured banners reading "Russia will be free" and "This election Is a farce." Heavy police cordons encircled the participants, who stood within metal barriers, and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Alexei Navalny, a corruption-fighting lawyer and popular blogger, electrified the crowd when he took the stage. He soon had the protesters chanting "We are the power!"

Navalny spent 15 days in jail for leading a protest on Dec. 5 that unexpectedly drew more than 5,000 people and set off the chain of demonstrations.

Putin's United Russia party lost 25 percent of its seats in the election, but hung onto a majority in parliament through what independent observers said was widespread fraud. United Russia, seen as representing a corrupt bureaucracy, has become known as the party of crooks and thieves, a phrase coined by Navalny.

"We have enough people here to take the Kremlin," Navalny shouted to the crowd. "But we are peaceful people and we won't do that ? yet. But if these crooks and thieves keep cheating us, we will take what is ours."

Protest leaders expressed skepticism about Putin's promised political reforms.

"We don't trust him," opposition leader Boris Nemtsov told the rally, urging protesters to gather again after the long New Year's holidays to make sure the proposed changes are put into law.

He and other speakers called on the demonstrators to go to the polls in March to unseat Putin. "A thief must not sit in the Kremlin," Nemtsov said.

The protest leaders said they would keep up their push for a rerun of the parliamentary vote and punishment for election officials accused of fraud, while stressing the need to prevent fraud in the March presidential election.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among those who sought to give the protesters a sense of empowerment.

"There are so many of us here, and they (the government) are few," Kasparov said from the stage. "They are huddled up in fear behind police cordons."

The crowd was largely young, but included a sizable number of middle-aged and elderly people, some of whom limped slowly to the site on walkers and canes.

"We want to back those who are fighting for our rights," said 16-year-old Darya Andryukhina, who said she had also attended the previous rally.

"People have come here because they want respect," said Tamara Voronina, 54, who said she was proud that her three sons also had joined the protest.

Putin's comment about protesters wearing condoms only further infuriated them and inspired some creative responses. One protester Saturday held a picture montage of Putin with his head wrapped in a condom like a grandmother's headscarf. Many inflated condoms along with balloons.

The protests reflect a growing weariness with Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and remained in charge after moving into the prime minister's seat in 2008. Brazen fraud in the parliamentary vote unexpectedly energized the middle class, which for years had been politically apathetic.

"No one has done more to bring so many people here than Putin, who managed to insult the whole country," said Viktor Shenderovich, a columnist and satirical writer.

Story: Report: Russian spy chief joins nuclear missile firm

Two rallies in St. Petersburg on Saturday drew a total of 4,000 people.

"I'm here because I'm tired of the government's lies," said Dmitry Dervenev, 47, a designer. "The prime minister insulted me personally when he said that people came to the rallies because they were paid by the U.S. State Department. I'm here because I'm a citizen of my country."

Putin accused the United States of encouraging and funding the protests to weaken Russia.

Putin's former finance minister surprised the protesters by saying the current parliament should approve the proposed electoral changes and then step down to allow new parliamentary elections to be held. Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, warned that the wave of protests could lead to violence and called for establishing a dialogue between the opposition and the government.

"Otherwise we will lose the chance for peaceful transformation," Kudrin said.

Kudrin also joined calls for the ouster of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov.

Putin has promised to liberalize registration rules for opposition parties and restore the direct election of governors he abolished in 2004. Putin's stand-in as president, Dmitry Medvedev, spelled out those and other proposed changes in Thursday's state-of-the nation address.

Gorbachev, however, said the government appears confused.

"They don't know what to do," he said. "They are making attempts to get out of the trap they drove themselves into."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45782810/ns/world_news-europe/

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Anna factor or Muslim reservation? What will weigh more in UP elections? NDTV India 9 pm tonight.

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Anna factor or Muslim reservation? What will weigh more in UP elections? NDTV India 9 pm tonight. 10 hours ago

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The First 15 iPhone Apps You Must Download (AAPL)

Image: AP ?

The iPhone is a very good device right out of the box. You could be happy with just the Safari web browser, email application, and Google Maps.

But if you want to make it a great device, you need to hit up the App Store as soon as you've set up the basics of the iPhone.

Apple has over 500,000 iPhone apps, so visiting the App Store for the first time can be a daunting experience.

Lucky for you, we exist. After years of using an iPhone, and testing dozens of apps, we've come up with a list of the best apps.

If you just got a brand new iPhone, or you've had your iPhone for years, this collection of apps will turn a very good gadget into a truly great one.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/IbuN5uLBNgM/the-first-iphone-apps-you-must-download-2011-12

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University Club of Michigan State wedding photographers

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Source: arisingimages.com --- Thursday, December 22, 2011
The University Club of Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and caters to the community as well as students and alumni from MSU. Dazzling guests for over 80 years, the University Club sits nestled in the lush countryside near Michigan State University, with stunning views of Forest Akers Golf Course. The conference facilities of the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development are conveniently located adjacent to the University Club, along with the comfortable accommodations of the Candlewood Suites hotel. The University Club is an extraordinary location for your perfect day ? the premier venue for wedding receptions in Lansing. Let our talented catering staff guide you through all the details of planning your wedding reception, bridal showers, rehearsal dinner. A mix of historic and modern architecture, downtown Lansing is a great place to go for your outdoor Michigan wedding photography. For more information about Detroit wedding photographers, please go here arisingweddings.com . For more information on weddings at University Club of MSU, pleae go here http://www.universityclubofmsu.org/ . ...

Source: http://arisingimages.com/blog/2701/2701/

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Chicago News Cooperative | Sports: College Hoops Fans in Chicago Area Must Look Around

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Source: www.nytimes.com --- Thursday, December 22, 2011
Among teams with local ties, undersize but feisty Marquette looks to be the horse to ride come tournament time. ...

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/sports/ncaabasketball/college-hoops-fans-in-chicago-area-must-look-around.html

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Why ABC's new sitcom "Work It" hurts the transgender community

On January 3, ABC is set to premiere the new comedy Work It, a sitcom about two men who dress as women to secure employment. During a period in which the transgender community now routinely finds itself in the cultural crosshairs, the timing couldn?t be worse for a show based on the notion that men dressed as women is inherently funny. In fact, shows like this have the power to put the transgender community in an even more dangerous position.

GLAAD has seen the pilot and while the show?s pilot does not explicitly address transgender people, many home viewers unfamiliar with the realities of being transgender will still make the connection. Work It invites the audience to laugh at images of men trying to adopt a feminine appearance, thereby also making it easier to mock people whose gender identity and expression are different than the one they were assigned at birth. Said GLAAD?s Acting President Mike Thompson, ?Transphobia is still all too prevalent in our society and this show will only contribute to it. It will reinforce the mistaken belief that transgender women are simply ?men pretending to be women,? and that their efforts to live their lives authentically as women are a form of lying or deception.?

These problems are even more pronounced in the show?s printed ad, which depicts the two main characters dressed as women while standing at men?s room urinals. Not only does it inadvertently further notions that transgender identities are humorous or artificial, but imagery like this is one of the first things anti-LGBT activists resort to when trying to deny transgender people protections against discrimination. As Mark Snyder from the Transgender Law Center said in a recent article, a printed image like this in magazines or the sides of city buses will ?make it more difficult for transgender people to gain full equality -- including the important right to access public accommodations appropriate to their gender identity.?

Work It comes from a network with a track record of inclusive LGBT content that has often included the transgender community. When ABC cast Candis Cayne on Dirty Sexy Money, it was the first time a transgender actress was featured in a recurring role on broadcast television. Around the same time, they featured Alexis Meade on Ugly Betty, who was television?s first regular transgender character. Most recently, ABC cast transgender advocate Chaz Bono on their hit series Dancing with the Stars. When it comes to representing the transgender community in a fair and accurate way, ABC has routinely led the network pack.

But the fact that this show is coming from what has been one of the LGBT community?s strongest media allies perhaps makes the sting worse. When speaking about the show to an audience of television critics at this summer?s TCA executive panel, ABC president Paul Lee said, ?I?m a Brit, it is in my contract that I have to do one cross-dressing show a year; I was brought up on Monty Python. What can I do?? For starters, Mr. Lee can recognize that there has been forty years of progressive social change since Monty Python?s television heyday. Not to mention the birth and continuing advancement of the modern LGBT movement.

We are at a crucial point in transgender representation in our culture. While public awareness continues to increase and there have been great milestones reached in the past few years, thanks in part to networks like ABC, all too often the community is still depicted in a problematic light. Creators often resort to the same tired stereotypes and insulting language to depict transgender people, and the slur ?tr*nny? is still used with alarming frequency. Off-screen, transgender people experience disproportionately higher rates of violence, harassment, discrimination, poverty, and homelessness. While the straight men on the show may have gotten jobs by dressing as women, transgender people also face double the rates of unemployment. At a time when we need greater understanding of the transgender community, a show like Work It will ultimately have the opposite effect.

We ask that ABC recognize this fact, keep the show?s bathroom advertisement out of circulation, and seriously consider whether airing this show is worth the damage it has the potential to do. The fact is ABC should not air this show at all, as it will contribute to a climate in which transgender people are something to be laughed at, rather than treated with the respect and dignity that everyone deserves.

To read the original story on the GLAAD blog, click HERE.

Source: http://sdgln.com/causes/2011/12/21/why-abc-sitcom-work-it-hurts-transgender-community

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Quote of the Day (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/177908718?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Writers' Union Condemns Deadly Shooting In Western Kazakhstan

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Tajikistan News.Net
Thursday 22nd December, 2011 (Source: Spero News)

Some 100 members of Kazakhstan's Writers' Union and journalists met in Almaty on December 21 and condemned the deadly shooting of unarmed demonstrators in the western town of Zhanaozen on December 16. ...

Read the full story at Spero News

?

Source: http://feeds.tajikistannews.net/?rid=202075443&cat=929bcf2071e81801

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Jessica Lange & Sam Shepard Secretly Split After 27 Years Together

Jessica Lange & Sam Shepard Secretly Split After 27 Years Together

“American Horror Story” actress Jessica Lange quietly split from her longtime partner, actor Sam Shephard in 2009. The Oscar-winning actress began dating Shepard in 1982 [...]

Jessica Lange & Sam Shepard Secretly Split After 27 Years Together Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2011/12/19/jessica-lange-sam-shepard-secretly-split-after-27-years-together/

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InFocus IN114

The InFocus IN114 ($399 direct) is a capable data projector that can be had at a very low price. There are plenty of projectors out there with higher resolution, better image quality, and/or more features, but the IN114 costs less than most, is highly portable, and is fine for basic business presentations

The IN114 uses a DLP light engine rated at 2,700 lumens. It has a native XGA (1,024 by 768) resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio befitting data presentations. The projector, black with rounded corners, measures 2.8 by 11.8 by 9.2 inches and weighs 4.8 pounds, making it very easy to tote around. It has a focus wheel and a zoom wheel, each accessible from above the lens. In back there are two VGA-in ports for connecting to multiple computers; VGA-out for connecting to a monitor; RS232; S-Video; a yellow RCA composite video jack; audio-in and audio-out jacks; and a USB mini-B port that you can plug into your computer. It lacks a USB type A port that would let you run a computer-free presentation off a USB thumb drive.

Data and Video Testing

The IN114?s projecting distance was somewhat longer than with most projectors I?ve looked at; I needed about nine feet to fill our test screen with a 60-inch diagonal image on our test screen at the highest zoom setting.

In testing with the DisplayMate suite, the InFocus IN114?s data image quality was fair. Light gray tones often showed greenish tints, while white areas sometimes looked slightly yellowish. Gray areas with a hatched or moir? pattern looked distinctly greenish. Although type was readable down to the smallest size, the smallest type was a bit blurred.

All DLP projectors are potentially subject to the rainbow effect, in which bright areas break up into their component colors when one shifts one?s gaze, or when bright objects move in the case of video. The IN114 showed an average rainbow effect for a DLP projector; it could be distracting to people who are particularly sensitive to it.

Video quality is fine for short to medium-length video clips shown as part of a presentation, though you probably wouldn?t want to watch movies with it. In our test clips, the projector did better in retaining detail in darker than in very bright scenes. There were traces of posterization, sudden shifts in color or tone where they should be gradual. The rainbow effect was visible in scenes that typically bring it out. It may or may not be an issue, depending on how sensitive your audience is.

Other Issues

The IN114 has a built-in 2-watt speaker, and its audio is of decent quality and volume.?This projector?s lamp life is very good: 6,000 hours in eco mode, 4,500 hours in normal mode. Another plus is the 5-year limited warranty (though the lamp is only under warranty for 6 months).

Although its data and video quality are average, the InFocus IN114 does well as a budget data projector, adding features like long lamp life and a 5-year limited warrantee. ?It?s compact, portable, and easy to use?and you can?t beat the price. If you need better image quality and a fuller feature set, check out the NEC NP64 ($1,099, 4 stars) or the Editors? Choice WXGA-resolution NEC NP-260W ($850 street, 4 stars), though at their price you could get two IN114s with money to spare.

More Projector Reviews:

??? InFocus IN114
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??? Dell 1410X
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?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/a6r2e5ukyRo/0,2817,2397537,00.asp

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Blizzard-like conditions set to slam Southwest, plains (Reuters)

AUSTIN. Texas. (Reuters) ? A severe winter storm is expected to hit southwestern mountains on Sunday afternoon and evening and then move east to dump up to a foot of snow in Kansas, Colorado and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, weather forecasters said.

New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado are under winter storm warnings. Forecasters warned that some parts of the central and southern plains could see high winds and more than a foot of snow falling at a rate of up to two inches per hour in near-blizzard conditions.

As the United States readies for a week of holiday travel, weather officials warned of dangerous road conditions on Sunday and Monday in the plains. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains and high-elevation snow to the mountains of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona on Sunday afternoon before moving east.

"It is likely that slippery areas will develop Sunday and progress to the east over the high ground along I-40 in Arizona and New Mexico," meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said on Accuweather.com.

"As snow spills out over the southern High Plains Sunday night and Monday, snow is likely to fall and accumulate in part of I-40 stretching across the northern Texas Panhandle and Route 54 reaching northeastward into southern Kansas."

The mix of rain and snow will move through eastern Kansas on Monday night and into the Chicago and Detroit areas on Tuesday, forecasters said.

(Writing by Karen Brooks, editing by Ian Simpson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111218/us_nm/us_weather_storm

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Matchups if NFL playoffs started today

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Paterno: I didn't press for details on Sandusky

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno told a grand jury earlier this year that he was told his ex-assistant Jerry Sandusky had done something of "a sexual nature'' with a boy in 2002.

McQueary: I told Paterno I saw Sandusky with boy

??A Penn State assistant football coach testified Friday that he believes he saw former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky molesting a boy and that he that he fully conveyed what he had seen to two Penn State administrators.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45690407/ns/sports-nfl/

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