Saturday 31 December 2011

Iowa Rep. King joins Bachmann, but no endorsement (The Arizona Republic)

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NASCAR's Kahne sorry for breastfeeding comments

(AP) ? NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne has apologized for comments he made on his Twitter account about public breastfeeding.

According to multiple media reports, Kahne posted messages on his account that he saw a mother breastfeeding a child in a supermarket, calling it "nasty" and saying he didn't "feel like shopping any more or eating."

Reports say Kahne then sent a crude reply message to a Twitter user who took issue with his comments.

After apparently deleting the offending posts from his Twitter feed, Kahne posted an apology on his Facebook page Wednesday, saying it wasn't his intention "to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breast feeding children. I want to make that clear."

Kahne said he understands his comments were "offensive to some people" and apologized.

"In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store," Kahne said. "I shared that reaction with my fans on Twitter. It obviously wasn't the correct approach, and, after reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you.

"My comments were not directed at the mother's right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion."

Kahne said he respects the mother's right to feed her child "whenever and wherever she pleases."

Kahne also posted a personal reply to the user he'd insulted.

"I wanted to apologize for saying what I said to you yesterday," Kahne wrote. "It was out of line."

Kahne's team said its "concerns have been conveyed" to Kahne.

"We appreciate that he chose to follow up with his fans and others who were upset by the comments," Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement.

NASCAR did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-29-NASCAR-Kahne%20Apology/id-7d893c8257f54703a8f588f05eccdf77

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Friday 30 December 2011

Elephants race, play soccer in Nepal festival

Mahouts control elephants during an exhibition soccer match at the elephant festival in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The three day elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Mahouts control elephants during an exhibition soccer match at the elephant festival in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The three day elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

An elephant puts a garland on one of the judges during an elephant beauty contest in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The three day elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A mahout decorates his elephant before participating in an elephant competition in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. An elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Elephants play an exhibition soccer match at the elephant festival in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The three day elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

An elephant plays an exhibition soccer match at the elephant festival in Sauraha, Chitwan, 170 kilometers (106 miles) south of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The three day elephant festival mainly held for tourism began here Monday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

(AP) ? Soccer-playing elephants used all four feet and even their trunks trying to score goals. Racing pachyderm thundered to the finish line to the cheers of the crowds. And in the elephant beauty pageant, contestants sported nail polish on their not-so-dainty toes.

It was all part of an elephant-themed festival in Nepal that wrapped up Wednesday. The three-day event was held to promote conservation awareness and lure foreign visitors to Nepal.

The elephants were trained for weeks for the games, taking time off their normal jobs carrying tourists through protected jungles near Chitwan. The conservation forest has rhinos, several species of deer and crocodiles and is a popular tourist spot some 106 miles (170 kilometers) south of the capital, Katmandu.

"We hope that the elephant festival will help bring more tourists to Chitwan. We need both foreign and domestic visitors," said Ghanashyam Shrestha, one of the organizers.

Tourism is picking up in Nepal as it slowly recovers from a 10-year Maoist insurgency that killed more than 13,000 people. The conflict ended after the rebels gave up their armed revolt and joined a peace process in 2006.

But the tourists who mainly come to hike the Himalayan country's many mountains aren't returning fast enough for some. Nepal received some 600,000 visitors in 2010, short of the goal of 1 million set by the government declaring the Nepal Tourism Year.

Organizers of events like the elephant festival ? which draws on a popular elephant polo event held elsewhere in Nepal ? hope more colorful events will increase interest in tourism.

The final event, a 300-meter race, was won by an elephant named Bajadur Gaj, who pounded his way to the finish line in 69 seconds as thousands of locals and foreign tourists cheered.

Teams of four elephants also played soccer matches using a standard-size ball. The elephants blocked passes, kicked the ball and batted it with their trunks, pushing each other for control of the play.

"Training the elephants to play soccer was not easy but they learned the basic command. They understood they need to hit the ball when I yell 'kick' at them," said Basudev Mahato, 37, an elephant mahout who has been training and riding elephants for 15 years.

The elephants are between 4 and 5 years old. Young ones are easier to train and run faster, Mahato said.

At the Hattishar elephant camp, trainers and workers cleaned up the elephants, fed them a special meal of rice and sugar wrapped in grass and painted them to prepare them for the event.

Over at the beauty pageant, a trainer painted white patterns on an elephant named Loktantrakali, then varnished her toenails bright red.

Judges ? who checked contestants bodies' for scars and overall beauty and also watched them perform tricks ? picked Loktantrakali as the second-prize winner.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2011-12-28-AS-Nepal-Elephant-Racers/id-470ab4916366401eb57162fa5a50f460

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Apple planning custom channels on iTV

Apple planning custom channels on iTV

29 December 2011 10:21 GMT / By Rik Henderson

Apple iTV is set to revolutionise broadcast television if the Cupertino giant has its way, according to analysts Shaw Wu and?Sterne Agee. They firmly believe that the company will want to offer internet-based paid subscriptions and offer customised channel lineups, effectively going head-to-head with Virgin Media and Sky in the UK.

Essentially, the system will work like Talk Talk TV (nee Tiscali TV) - the service that is still active to existing subscribers, but no longer accepting new signups. All TV programming will be streamed via the Internet, effectively giving the viewer complete control over what channels they require as part of their subscription.

Obviously, this would require a decent broadband connection and licensing deals with all of the stations that are available, but if enacted would become a unique proposition (being built into a TV set from the get go) and would give Apple a jump over other set manufacturers:

"This is obviously much more complicated (than current offerings) from a licensing standpoint," said Wu in a statement to investors. "And in our view, would change the game for television and give AAPL a big leg-up against the competition.

"Today, iTunes has a rich library of movies and TV shows but it is mostly for downloads and only movies are available for rentals (TV shows once were but were terminated in August 2011)," he added. "What's missing is live broadcast television."

In the US, it has already been revealed that Apple approached CBS for a?potential streaming TV deal, but the network declined, favouring to license its own content. The UK may be an even harder nut to crack, considering governmental involvement in broadcasting in general and the BBC specifically.

It also remains to be seen what Apple will call its offering in the UK, with broadcaster ITV willing to go to battle over its name and brand identity. It is unlikely that the tech company will localise names, as it's not in its nature to so, so we'd expect the final moniker to be different globally (iTelly, anyone?).

If it is to sort out licensing deals and the name, Apple will have to get a wriggle on if it's to meet the rumoured Christmas 2012 release date.

Are you interested in Apple iTV (or whatever it will be called)? Will it "revolutionise television"? Let us know in the comments below...

Via: appleinsider.com

Full tags

Apple, Televisions, Home Cinema, Apple iTV
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Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/43636/apple-planning-custom-channels-itv

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Wednesday 28 December 2011

Golf4Beginners: Resolutions for a Happy Golf New Year http://t.co/kdYLv4XN via @Golf4Beginners

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How to set up your new camera (Digital Trends)

new cameraThose of you lucky enough to unwrap a new DSLR or ICL camera this holiday season might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Between the included accessories and various instructions for best use that came with the packaging, you might not be sure where to get started. If this is your first foray with a high-end manual digital camera, this guide will help you get your feet wet.

Gear

gearThere are a few things you?ll need to grab if they weren?t included with your gift. Hopefully you?re prepared for this because it might get a little expensive if all you got was the camera body.
  • SD cards: You?ll want a couple to get started, and post-holidays you can put those gift cards and clearance sales to use.
  • Bag and strap: Securing your camera is a top priority. Since you?re new to this higher-end genre, you might not be prepared for the amount of care you should exercise with these devices. A bag or carrying case of some kind is necessary, preferably with room for additional lenses and a charger. Nearly every kit comes with a strap but if that?s not the case, make sure you get one of these as well. Gone are the days when you can just stuff the thing in your pocket, purse, or backpack.
  • Lenses: If you got your camera as a gift, chances are the basic lens kit was included. But if that?s not the case then you obviously need to take care of this before you start shooting. To get started, we suggest picking up a prime and a telephoto lens. This allows you some versatility without sinking too much money right off the bat. Strapped for cash? Grab a pancake lens for the time being.
Now there are a variety of fun camera accessories on the market, and we suggest you start keeping track of them in order for next year?s wish list. But these are some of the basics you?ll need to get set up and on your way to shooting ASAP.

Camera-ModesPushing buttons

It?s time to get acquainted with your camera. If you asked for or bought yourself a high-end manual shooter, you?ve likely had time to at least experiment with shooting in manual, whether via a loaner or a point-and-shoot. But things naturally get more complicated from here. Check out the mode dial and slowly work your way up to the ?M? (full manual) setting.

We?d suggest starting with shutter or aperture priority because you can pretty much surmise what you have control over from the label. After you feel like you have a good feel for adjusting the exposure and depth of field on your own, check out ?P? or program. Like the other two settings, it?s semi-automatic. Here you get to decide the ISO setting, among other things.

Don?t feel like you need to step things up to Manual right away. It?s better to feel entirely comfortable with these introductions than take a frustrating amount of throwaway images immediately. And if these semi-automatic settings are still a little too complicated, put it on full-auto and fiddle with features like white balance and light settings. The best way to improve here: trial and error.

Use raw

A raw image file is to digital cameras what a film negative was to analog cameras. It?s sort of a representative of what the final photo will look like?it?s what will create the image. You?ll have to convert these files on your computer before being able to view them. So why shoot in raw? When you playback these photos on your camera, you get a much more accurate look at the details of the photos. Exposure, saturation, and white balance are much truer, and you can adjust accordingly while shooting rather than have to deal with the inaccuracies in post-production.

Editing

Speaking of post-production, you?re going to need some editing software. If you?re able and willing to shell out for Photoshop, by all means go right ahead. You can also get a 30-day trial, which we suggest doing first.

But if you need something free there are a variety of free photo editors that you should get your hands dirty with before you commit though. Also be sure to troll Web app stores for browser-based versions if you prefer that format. You don?t need to get anything fancy, but there are a few minor tweaks you should at least experiment with now that you?ve upped your equipment.

Choose a platform

500pxNow that you?ve got yourself a fancy new camera, you need to decide where you?re going to show off all your professional-grade photos (and attach copyright to). While we?re not staying that some of them should make it to Facebook, flooding your friends with every single one of your images from shoots isn?t advised.

There are a variety of great photo-sharing platforms that welcome every out of your images, from weird experiments with exposure to mistakes that you want advice on how to improve. Trust us, no one on Facebook or Twitter wants to see five pictures of a bench taken at different aperture for comparison?s sake. For that, we?d advise getting a free membership (of course there are premium options as well) with one of the following.

  • 500px: This site has a very simple layout and a strong community. And users don?t skimp on the details of each shot. The site?s layout also makes it great to use as a portfolio.
  • Flickr: The most obvious place to store and share your photos is Flickr. You can easily copyright your images and keep the prying eyes of the Internet from taking them over, as well as use the site?s various and active discussion boards to ask for help and shooting advice.
  • Behance: Another great option for uploading and sharing your work is Behance, although most who use the site are on the more professional side.
  • Snapixel: You get 5GB of storage and there?s no maximum file size. You can share photos from the site with Twitter as well and grab site embed codes.?

Lock it up

camera securityThe most important thing you can do after getting a new camera is keeping it safe. You likely know this by now, but these things are expensive as well as breakable. If your new gadget came with any insurance policies or warranties, keep those in a safe and memorable place. Like in your wallet? or next to your passport. You can easily spend thousands of dollars repairing or replacing lost or stolen gear, so consider yourself warned.

If you camera didn?t come with any of the above mentioned items, consider taking precautions. CameraTrace is a service from GadgetTrak that makes sure your camera can be found if lost or stolen. Major manufacturers also sell policies for their devices, as do insurance companies. If you want to take matters into your own hands, be sure to keep a copy of you camera?s serial numbers safe.?

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

GadgetTrak launches CameraTrace: Photo thieves beware

Kodak sells its sensor business ? what now?

What you need to know about micro four thirds: The cool kids of the camera world

Concept cameras: Digital photography?s craziest pipe dreams

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111227/tc_digitaltrends/howtosetupyournewcamera

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Tuesday 27 December 2011

News flash: College football is run by corporate America | Sidelines

By CASEY OLSON
Federal Way Mirror Sports editor
December 25, 2011 ? Updated 10:16 PM?

College football is big business.

?Deepthroat? didn?t feed me that information and I?m not going to win a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for pointing that out. Everybody knows that the ?amateur? sport of college football makes a lot of money for a lot of people.

To fully understand the corporate greed of college football, just take a look at the names of the 35 bowl games that are currently being contested.

Every single one of them has a corporate sponsor in its name. Even the self-described ?Granddaddy of Them All,? the Rose Bowl, has a sponsor ? The Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio.

But that doesn?t even compare to some of the other corporations who will put their names on bowl games this holiday season.

Here is a partial list of some of the better ones: The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, GoDaddy.com Bowl, Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Belk Bowl, Beef ?O? Brady?s Bowl, Fight Hunger Bowl, TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

But there are two bowl games that feature more words than most of the players have read during their college careers ? the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and the Franklin American Mortgage Company Music City Bowl. I?m still wondering how organizers get those names on the winner?s trophy?

I guess the best answer to that question comes from the NCAA. Unlike other college sports, the football postseason isn?t run by the governing body. Instead, the NCAA allows these private corporations to start their own bowl games, invite teams to play and to come up with those hokey names.

The biggest driving force to keep the current bowl system in tact actually comes from ESPN.

The cable network currently has the rights to 33 of the 35 postseason games and even owns seven of the bowls. ESPN also spends $125 million a year just to televise the five Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games.

?Our No. 1 goal is to find a multi-year relationship with a sponsor. We don?t want to be in the rebranding business every other year,? said Pete Derzis, senior vice-president and general manager of ESPN Regional Television, in a Bloomberg Businessweek article.

The whole corporate bowl-naming phenomenon started with the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, which felt people were chopping off the beginning of the officially named Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Finally, they just dropped the ?Peach? and the rest is history.

Obviously, money talks and you-know-what walks. Bowl game sponsorship is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to money funneling into college football. It just isn?t funneling to the ones playing the game.

While coaches and conferences are making millions, the ones actually bringing fans into the stadium?? the athletes ? are left with their scholarships and nothing else.

According to an article at Forbes.com, the revenue of the powerhouse college football teams reaches into the tens of millions of dollars a year. The University of Texas generated $93million in pure revenue in 2010, including $36 million in ticket sales alone.

Alabama and Auburn are tied at second by generating $76 million, followed by Georgia ($75 million), Penn State ($73 million) and Florida ($73 million). Even lower-level schools like the University of Miami-Ohio and Northern Illinois, both generate $23 million a year.

The money is mostly due to television contracts inked by certain conferences.

In March, FOX and the Big 12 revealed a new 13-year cable deal worth a reported $90 million annually, or $1.17 billion over the length of the agreement.

Then in May, the Pac-12, which includes Washington and Washington State, agreed to terms with both ESPN and FOX to establish the richest media rights deal in college sports. The contract goes into effect next season and is worth $225 million per year for 12 years.

Remember, college football is big business.

?

Contact Federal Way Mirror Sports editor Casey Olson at sports@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565 ext. 5056.

Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/fwmsports/~3/I0HgJc_jFaQ/136167943.html

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Tough choice looms on 9/11 health lawsuits

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2001 file photo, firefighters make their way over the ruins of the World Trade Center through clouds of dust and smoke at ground zero in New York. More than 1,600 people suing over their exposure to World Trade Center dust must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop their lawsuits and apply for benefits from a government fund. (AP Photo/Stan Honda, Pool, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2001 file photo, firefighters make their way over the ruins of the World Trade Center through clouds of dust and smoke at ground zero in New York. More than 1,600 people suing over their exposure to World Trade Center dust must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop their lawsuits and apply for benefits from a government fund. (AP Photo/Stan Honda, Pool, File)

FILE - In this March 19, 2010 file photo, New York City resident Lori Angelone holds a banner describing her husband Louis' ailments outside Manhattan Federal Court in New York. More than 1,600 people suing over their exposure to World Trade Center dust must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop their lawsuits and apply for benefits from a government fund. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund.

For some, the choice is fraught with risk.

Federal lawmakers set aside $2.76 billion last winter for people who developed illnesses after spending time in the ash-choked disaster zone.

But to be considered for a share of the aid, all potential applicants must dismiss any pending lawsuits by the deadline and give up their right to sue forever over Sept. 11, 2001, health problems. Anyone with a lawsuit still pending on Jan. 3 is barred from the program for life.

The government program is attractive because it spares the sick from having to prove that their illness is related to Sept. 11, and that someone other than the terrorists put them in harm's way. But applicants won't know for months, or even years, how much money they might eventually receive from the program. That means some people may give up their lawsuits and find out later that they only qualify for a modest payment.

Others face a deeper problem. People exposed to trade center dust have blamed it for hundreds of illnesses, but currently the fund only covers a limited number of ailments, including asthma, scarred lungs and other respiratory system problems. That list does not currently include any type of cancer, which scientists have yet to link to trade center toxins.

But the very possibility that cancer could, someday, be covered has led some plaintiffs to drop their lawsuits anyway.

"In a sense, I've weighed my options and rolled the dice believing that the country I helped is not going to let me down," said former New York City police detective John Walcott, who retired after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 2003.

He decided a few days before Christmas to drop his case, saying he had come to believe he would never get anything out of the legal system.

"The court system was set up for attorneys to make a lot of money," he said. He added that at age 47, he is tired of a court fight that had no end in sight. "I'm done with 9/11. I can't go forward with my life and family and live in peace with this hanging over me."

The special master overseeing the compensation fund, Sheila Birnbaum, acknowledged that the deadline would put some people in a tight spot, especially if they have an illness that isn't currently covered by the fund.

"That is one of the dilemmas," she said.

Birnbaum noted, though, that the law gives her no wiggle room. Anyone who has a lawsuit active on Jan. 3 will be disqualified from consideration, she said, even if their illness is later deemed to be covered.

"It's a hard decision that they have to make," she said.

The lengthy application process for the fund began in October, and Birnbaum said she expected thousands to apply. She could not say how many might do so by the time the fund closes years from now.

Lawyers who represent people with pending cases said they have been going over the pros and cons with their clients for several months, to see which option might suit them better.

"It's a complicated analysis," said attorney Gregory Cannata, whose firm represents about 100 people, including laborers brought in to repair damaged buildings and cleaners who swept tons of dust from office suites.

Cannata said that for the most part, his clients have decided to stick with their lawsuits, in part because of the possibility of a larger payout than they might receive under the government program.

Police officers, firefighters and city contractors who cleared away the 9/11 rubble make up only a small slice of the people facing the dilemma. Most of the more than 5,000 city workers who filed lawsuits claiming that the city had failed to protect them from the dust settled their cases in 2010, before the compensation fund was created.

Walcott was one of a few who rejected the deal, worth more than $700 million. Under the law, people who settled previously will be allowed to apply for government benefits. Any award they receive will be reduced by whatever they got from the legal settlement.

The tough decisions won't end Jan. 2.

In addition to people with legal claims already pending, thousands more New Yorkers have become ill because of exposure to the dust. They will have to decide in the coming years whether to sue someone over their illness or try their luck in the government program.

If too many people apply for aid from the compensation fund ? including people with common illnesses that may, or may not, have anything to do with Sept. 11 toxins ? the nearly $2.8 billion set aside by Congress may get exhausted quickly. Adding just 1,000 people with cancer to the program could eat up $1 billion, said Noah Kushlefsky, an attorney with the firm Kreindler & Kreindler.

"The real question is, how many more cases are there out there?" Kushlefsky said.

Enough, it seems, to keep both the courts and the 9/11 fund administrators busy for some time yet.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-12-25-Sept%2011%20Victims%20Fund/id-7649ce9f7def4b97931944959557a2f4

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Sunday 25 December 2011

NKorea pointing to heir's uncle playing key role (AP)

PYONGYANG, North Korea ? North Korea on Sunday aired footage showing the uncle and key patron of anointed heir Kim Jong Un wearing a military uniform with a general's insignia ? a strong sign he'll play a crucial role in helping the young man take over power and uphold the "military-first" policy initiated by his late father, Kim Jong Il.

The footage on state television shows Jang Song Thaek in uniform as he pays respects before Kim Jong Il's body lying in state at Kumsusan Memorial Palace. Seoul's Unification Ministry says it's the first time Jang, usually seen in business suits, has been shown wearing a military uniform on state TV.

Little by little, North Korea is offering hints on the details of Kim Jong Un's rise and the future composition of his inner circle as millions continue to mourn for his father, who died just over a week ago. North Korea has also begun hailing Kim Jong Un as "supreme leader" of the 1.2-million strong military as it ramps up its campaign to install him as ruler.

"Let's become comrades of ... great comrade Kim Jong Un, the sun of the 21st century!" the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary carried Sunday by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The new title, a public show of support from top military leadership and the symbolic appearance of Jang in uniform send a strong signal that the nation will maintain Kim Jong Il's "military first" policy for the time being.

South Korean intelligence has reportedly predicted Kim Jong Un's aunt Kim Kyong Hui, a key Workers' Party official, and her husband Jang, who is a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, will play larger roles supporting the heir.

Jang and his wife have risen to the top of North Korea's political and military elite since the succession campaign began two years ago. Both 65, they also have the weight of seniority so important in a society that places a premium on age and alliances.

Kim Jong Un made a third visit Saturday to the palace where his father's body is lying in state ? this time as "supreme leader of the revolutionary armed forces" and accompanied by North Korea's top military brass, according to KCNA.

Earlier, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper urged Kim Jong Un to accept the top military post: "Comrade Kim Jong Un, please assume the supreme commandership, as wished by the people."

Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was unveiled in September 2010 as his father's choice as successor, will be the third-generation Kim to rule the nation of 24 million. His father and grandfather led the country under different titles, and it remains unclear which other titles will be bestowed on the grandson.

Kim Il Sung, who founded North Korea in 1948, retains the title of "eternal president" even after his death in 1994.

His son, Kim Jong Il, ruled the country in his capacity as chairman of the National Defense Commission while concurrently serving as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and general secretary of the Workers' Party.

Kim Jong Un was promoted to four-star general and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party. He had been expected to assume a number of other key posts while being groomed to succeed his father.

His father's death comes at a sensitive time for North Korea, which was in the middle of discussions with the U.S. on food aid and restarting talks to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program. Chronically short of food and suffering from a shortfall in basic staples after several harsh seasons, officials had been asking for help feeding its people even as North Koreans prepared for 2012 celebrations marking Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday.

North Korea has emphasized the Kim family legacy during the sped-up succession movement for Kim Jong Un. State media invoked Kim Il Sung in declaring the people's support for the next leader, comparing the occasion to Kim Jong Il's ascension to "supreme commander" exactly 20 years ago Saturday.

At the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, Kim Jong Un and senior commanders paid silent tribute to Kim Jong Il, "praying for his immortality," KCNA said. The military also pledged its loyalty to Kim Jong Un, the report said.

"Let the whole army remain true to the leadership of Kim Jong Un over the army," KCNA reported ? a pledge reminiscent of those made when Kim Jong Il was named supreme commander.

The call to rally behind Kim Jong Un, dubbed the "Great Successor" in the wake of his father's death on Dec. 17 from a heart attack, comes amid displays of grief across North Korea. The official mourning period lasts until after Kim's funeral Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.

In Pyongyang, workers at beverage kiosks handed steaming cups of water to shivering mourners, including children bundled up in colorful, thick parkas. State media said Sunday the drinks were arranged at the instruction of Kim Jong Un, who ordered officials to take special measures to protect the health of mourners.

A throng of North Koreans climbed steps and placed flowers and wreaths in a neat row below a portrait of Kim Jong Il as solemn music filled the air and young uniformed soldiers, their heads shaved, bowed before his picture.

A sobbing Jong Myong Hui, a Pyongyang citizen taking a break from shoveling snow, told AP Television News that she came out voluntarily to "clear the way for Kim Jong Il's last journey."

Despite the grief, there are signs that the country is beginning to move on, with people going to work and "not giving way simply to sorrow," KCNA said. "They are getting over the demise of their leader, promoted by a strong will to closely rally around respected Comrade Kim Jong Un."

The Korean peninsula has remained in a technical state of war since the Koreas' 1950-53 conflict, but two groups from South Korea have permission from the South Korean government to visit the North to pay their respects, Unification Ministry spokesman Choi Boh-seon said Saturday in Seoul.

One group will be led by the widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, who held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and the other by the wife of a late businessman with ties to the North.

On Sunday, North Korea accused South Korea of blocking many other groups from visiting Pyongyang to pay respects, warning the action would trigger "unpredictable catastrophic consequences" in relations between the countries. An unidentified spokesman at the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification said North Korea will test how sincere South Korea is in its calls for improved ties with North Korea.

The spokesman's statement was carried by KCNA.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said it will allow only the two groups to visit the North.

___

Associated Press writers Foster Klug and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee contributed to this report. Follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/APKlug.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_re_as/as_kim_jong_il

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Saturday 24 December 2011

Santa and friends on parade with holiday food drive: Push carts throughout downt...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150487649489356&id=95788634355

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Create Video Game F?r Th? Sony PlayStation 3 Move Review

Create! Th?t ?? wh?t th? n?w video game f?r th? Sony PlayStation 3 Move compels u? t? do. Create f?r th? PS3 Move ?? ?n? ?f th? f?r?t trul? original games t? challenge th? player t? u?? critical thinking, imagination, ?nd artistic ability. It w?? developed b? EA Bright Light Studios. It is now on th? market since November 19, 2010.

Create ?? perfect f?r ?n? age. It aids ?n enhancing ?nd developing th? ability t? th?nk quick. A? th? player ?? making n?w th?ng? ?n th? game, th? game ?? 'learning' th? player. Th? game alters ?nd ?h?ng?? wh?t ?? happening ?? th? player progresses thr?ugh th? game.

The Create game f?r PS3 Move ??tu?ll? metamorphosizes w?th th? moves ?nd choices ?f th? player. Th? m?r? th? player m?k?? ?nd moves ?n th? game scenarios, th? m?r? th? game w?ll reward th? player. Th?r? ?r? ? number ?f rewards ?v??l?bl? ?n th? game mode. Th?r? are ?l?? challenges f?r th? player. Th??? challenges ??n b? earned ?n th? ??m? manner ?? th? rewards. Th? game ??tu?ll? adapts t? th? player.The PS Move eye ?nd controller aid th? game ?n remembering ?nd working w?th ???h player. It w?ll grow ?? th? players creativity grows. Th? challenges w?ll g?t harder, th? m?r? th? player demonstrates th??r ability t? m?k? quick decisions, ?nd change scenery ?nd objects.

The player w?ll essentially h?v? th? ability t? 'make' th??r ?wn game. Th?? w?ll animate objects, ?nd textures, ?nd designs. Th?? w?ll b? ?bl? t? dictate h?w th?? move, h?w th?? act, ?nd wh?t th?? do. Th? player w?ll b? ?bl? t? alter ?nd change colors, sizes, ?nd shapes ?f objects. Th? m?r? creative th? player g?t? w?th th? game, th? m?r? rewards th?? w?ll earn.

The Create game f?r th? PlayStation Move h?? ?v?r 100 challenges t? k??? th? player involved, ?nd active w?th th? game. Th? Create ?l?? h?? ? number ?f d?ff?r?nt textures, colors, settings, ?nd art styles f?r th? player t? u?? ?n th? game. A? th? player progresses thr?ugh th??? challenges th?? w?ll b? unlocking ?v?n m?r? ?nd n?w hidden areas, ?nd rewards.

The wh?l? idea ?f th?? game ?? f?r th? player t? create ? wh?l? world ?f th??r own. Th? player ?? g?v?n lists ?f th?ng? ?t th??r disposal, ?nd th?? ?r? t? ??m? u? w?th ? wh?l? structure f?r th??r ?wn world fr?m th??? choices. Th? idea ?? t? g?t th? player t? u?? th??r mind, ?nd th??r imagination ?t th? ??m? time.

Source: http://pspgamesandmedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/create-video-game-fr-th-sony.html

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Friday 23 December 2011

Google deal scores Mozilla $300m per year

Why you need to be careful about whose SSL certificate you install on your website: http://t.co/IKcZ4e3N #security #li

Ohhh that's pretty smart Facebook...not -_- goo.gl/xTZX9 - Facebook to move ads to users' news feed. /via @Jessclicka

RT @mosfreshmedia: Language app soars with the Angry Birds via @zdnetaustralia http://t.co/ZVmhhORS @tysonlundbech

Interested in buying RIM? Think again http://t.co/cK8l3sKR

Interested in buying RIM? Think again http://t.co/cK8l3sKR suck it #blackberry

What one couldn't do with a $25 computer: Direct from the "OMG! I must have this" department comes new pictures ... http://t.co/qWv6ZyFL

What one couldn't do with a $25 computer: Direct from the "OMG! I must have this" department comes new pictures ... http://t.co/sWibWIhA

Harvey dodges GST with direct-import site http://t.co/jDGHUGsZ via @zdnetaustralia

Apple getting a tase of it's own medicine. Seriously though ... grow up ... both of you. http://t.co/TgVV8VRq

Anobit keeps Apple ahead in flash memory: http://t.co/xZstlYER

Anobit keeps Apple ahead in flash memory: The reported acquisition of Anobit should catapult Apple into the rank... http://t.co/gtdJ7H6j

Anobit keeps Apple ahead in flash memory - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/ymlNqR0L

RT @mosfreshmedia: Language app soars with the Angry Birds via @zdnetaustralia http://t.co/x1JqGtKo @inspiredworlds

RT @mosfreshmedia: Language app soars with the Angry Birds via @zdnetaustralia http://t.co/ZVmhhORS @tysonlundbech

...RIM (Blackberry) prepares for social bankruptcy >> http://t.co/FLR5NWpg

Harvey dodges GST with direct-import site - Software - News - ZDNet Austra http://t.co/YIprSy6L

The Christmascast: ZDNet's Technolatte podcast http://t.co/UTynMeyF

http://t.co/TVcxHGvu Google deal scores Mozilla $300m per year - ZDNet Australia: Mozilla's big reliance... http://t.co/VrwSPFap #slander

Language app soars with the Angry Birds via @zdnetaustralia http://t.co/ZVmhhORS @tysonlundbech

Why Ireland? Why not Asia? Cheaper postage labour with quicker delivery Badly executed #strategy @zdnetaustralia http://t.co/HGyEdnU5

Germans tick revised Galaxy Tab 10.1 - Apple has been dealt a significant blow in its efforts to ban the Galaxy Tab ... http://t.co/47jXzhDK

Language app free to fly with Angry Birds http://t.co/NUqhxEYX via @zdnetaustralia

Google deal scores Mozilla $300m per year: http://t.co/5HT4gCBZ

RT @zdnetaustralia: RIM lied about BlackBerry 10 delay: report http://t.co/h0gKpgWT

Germans tick revised Galaxy Tab 10.1: Apple has been dealt a significant blow in its efforts to ban the Galaxy T... http://t.co/ECVLZVCw

Telstra fires $50m warning shot at Australian VCs http://t.co/xj3tVvFj via @zdnetaustralia

RT @joshgnosis: My report from day 2 and the final day of the #optusnrl hearings. http://t.co/WquyuDY8

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RT @zdnetaustralia: Harvey Norman dodges GST with direct-import site: http://t.co/XuWxJ1YB

Intuit to bring Quicken 2007 to Mac OS X Lion: We are expanding our development team to continue our renewed foc... http://t.co/q5k115wh

From the Apple Core: Intuit to bring Quicken 2007 to Mac OS X Lion: In a surprise move on Thursday, Intuit said ... http://t.co/hMUpxGnr

"@ZDNet: Firefox hits the jackpot with almost billion dollar Google deal http://t.co/2pKGNWfM"

The CRM Watchlist 2012 Finalists: One More Step http://t.co/2Wn48OG9

Germans approve revised Galaxy Tab 10.1: http://t.co/Wr5zKcvn

Germans tick revised Galaxy Tab 10.1 - ZDNet Australia http://t.co/T0qTLaam #Galaxy-Tab

Germans tick revised Galaxy Tab 10.1: Apple has been dealt a significant blow in its efforts to ban the Galaxy T... http://t.co/luycRBLO

I actually admire Simon for building a succesfull company over many years, and cashing out while he's young enough to enjoy it. But reall...

Time to start looking for a new provider.

well as long as water is involved we at least know it wont burst into flames lik ethe Sony laptop batteries

Another one bites the dust !

tony abbott and all the clowns in business loobies should take note that they take business as tthe epitome of excellence and the public ...

oops.. Telecoms network is Telstra .. of course.

Forgot t add.. Telecom's network gives me 4 bars in both places. If Telstra can do it, why can't Vodafone?

I wonder which track the $1Billion is on ? Where I live in South Melbourne & my family in Tallangatta, there's NO evidence of ANY networ...

I have a simple solution for the plaintiffs (because I'll bet anything you want that they use Facebook), stop using Facebook: http://www...

Not sure about the telcos, omega, but no doubt the political and shareholder FUD creators will be happy to oblige! But then, they all se...

hi m.zdnet.com.au-ers have a nice xmas to you all - matt-mays

Hi Keith Unless I misread it Keith, the link should tell you. I note Telstra's connection fees seem a little steep as well. All the bes...

I suggest that if one wants to control use of photos, etc, published on Facebook, provide an explicit statement of the usage conditions. ...

Who cares! I just managed to delete ASK.com search from my Firefox browser. Now that's something worth talking about. Goodbye you irrelev...

Women really need to step and take those IT jobs that men tend to go for. Diverse range of workers is always welcome and it would nicely ...

This story has been voted 5 times in the last 24 hours!

1 day ago, Apple seeks to delay possible iPhone ban

Don't blame CEO, they want RIM win. RIM has strange culture and self distruct political environment. In RIM if a new hired person figur...

thx ., but i would be most interested if u write it as for IT , this sounds like for beginners ,.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zdnetaustralia-news/~3/80fXxjKmT8s/google-deal-scores-mozilla-300m-per-year-339328561.htm

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