Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman gave character reference to illegal minicab driver who sexually assaulted passenger. Source: http://twitter.com/RachaelSaunders/statuses/152377436510760960
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NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) ? E! President Suzanne Kolb owes much of her network's success this year to an extremely divisive family.
Hours of Kardashian-centered programming -- especially Kim Kardashian's start of a notoriously short marriage -- fueled ratings for the network that Kolb took over the network in July after serving as president of marketing, news and online for both E! and Style.
Kolb talked to us about the Kardashians, why people watch their shows, E!'s plans to introduce a one-hour dramedy and the network's place in the NBC Universal corporate family since Comcast acquired the company in January.
You've probably seen as much research as anyone into why the Kardashians are so popular with so many viewers. Can you explain why people watch their shows?
At their core, the Kardashians are an incredibly bonded, loving, large family who live an incredibly large life. And if you actually look at the history of television, there's a pretty large number of families with that blend resonating with viewers. This just happens to be the first reality show that does it.
In many ways when you look at the year ... there's obviously been a lot of major events in the Kardashian family's lives. It's just an incredibly fascinating drama that's played out. But at its core, you know that they're going to end up around that dinner table together. ... I think there's something emotionally aspirational around that family dynamic and visually aspirational about the way that family lives.
You mentioned aspirational viewers. Some viewers watch shows because they want to be like the people on the screen, and some to laugh at them. Are the Kardashians' viewers in the first group?
From every piece of research I've seen, people aspire to be them or to befriend them.
So there's no section of the audience watching the way they watch "Real Housewives," saying, 'I can't believe how trashy this is'?
I'm sure there are some people out there. I always think it's funny when people say they don't like a show and then they can tell you the name of every character and every plot. ... There are other reality shows out there where you're watching the show primarily to see really bad behavior, and with the Kardashians you're not really watching for that.
I mean, they've definitely made their mistakes here or there. They've been very open about them in the last couple of months... But you don't watch for them to have bad behavior. You watch for sort of over-the-top situations and really a very soapy family dynamic. Nobody's flipping a table.
Did you take seriously the petition to cancel the Kardashian shows?
We take every viewer comment seriously, but no. We did not consider not to be in business with the Kardashians.
What's your plan for getting into scripted programming?
We are not expecting the scripted shows to actually premiere until 2013. 2012 will be our year of developing and piloting to select at least one scripted show to go on the air in '13...We're trying to look at something that really fits into pop culture now and fits into that landscape. We're not necessarily looking for anything that's extremely on the nose of Hollywood celebrity. We're looking at a broader range than I think some people might think we're looking at...We're looking at starting a 60 minute as our ideal scenario and we're looking at kind of a dramedy. I don't think we'd put anything on the air that's super, super dark..."
Do you think E! has become a proving ground for NBC, given the sitcom based on "Chelsea Lately" host Chelsea Handler and Joel McHale of "The Soup" starring on "Community"?
You can add Whitney Cummings to that list too, as one of the people who was on the "Chelsea" roundtable. I think that's actually a sign of E!'s ability to be at the forefront of what's going on in terms of pop culture and talent. Yes, we cover many of the people that have already become established. But we also take gambles on people earlier in their careers and see what happens from there.
What I think is the nicest part is these people are able to expand their careers without leaving their home base. Joel McHale has gone into "Community," which is great, and we're happy for him. But he still does "The Soup" and "The Soup" is thriving. Chelsea is expanding what she's doing and at the same time we've just ensured that she'll be doing "Chelsea Lately" for several years to come.
We've got a track record for finding talent and then we have a track record of keeping them as their careers are still growing.
What are your other goals for E!?
We're definitely looking ahead to expand and move it to an entirely new level and take advantage of this momentum that we have at the end of 2011. What you're going to see in 2012 is us taking steps toward that... Moving "The Soup" to Wednesdays after 7 years on Friday is a big step for us. I think you'll continue to see us nurture "Chelsea Lately" and "Fashion Police" and news, and at the same time I think you'll see us continue to look and I believe find the right companion to build upon the Kardashian momentum.
Sometimes when people talk about where a network can grow or evolve, there's this belief that somehow that comes from a point of weakness. And I think on E! right now, what I'm really proud of is we have so many things that are working. And then to have the opportunity corporately to feel like you've got a window of time where people will support more dramatic growth, then that's an exciting point to be at.
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China Blossom and Lots of Laughs Comedy Lounge are joining together to celebrate the end of one year and the start of another with a New Year?s Eve Extravaganza on Saturday, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at China Blossom, 946 Osgood St.
Dine at China Blossom?s buffet featuring Asian favorites and live-action cooking and carving stations, create-your-own noodle soups and sushi. Seating for dinner starts at 9:30 p.m.
After dinner, enjoy the beats of DJ Barry Mooney, take in a live performance by singer Carissa Scudieri and laugh all your worries from 2011 away at Lots of Laughs Comedy Club, located in China Blossom, with an all-star comedy show featuring Jack Walsh, Christine Hurley and John David. When the big moment arrives, ring in the New Year with festive hats and noisemakers and a complimentary champagne toast.
There will be raffles, prizes and giveaways all night long, and everyone will leave with a gift bag courtesy of China Blossom and Lots of Laughs Comedy Lounge.
Tickets are $75 per person and include an all-you-can-eat dinner, comedy show, live entertainment, giveaways and a champagne toast at midnight. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 978-687-1789 or visit chinablossom.com.
Special hotel rates of $99 are available at the Wyndham Boston Andover with transportation to and from the event and a full breakfast included in the room rate. Call 978-975-3600 for information and reservations.
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The re-election campaign of President Obama and the Democratic National Committee are on track to net $60 million for the fourth quarter of the year, Reuters reports.
Obama had already raised roughly $155 million through September in an effort to raise more than $750 million for next November?s election.
?Enthusiasm for the White House?s policies has been steadily increasing and it will keep increasing,? major Democratic fundraiser Steven Cohen told the news service.
According to Cohen, the GOP?s bungled handling of the payroll tax fight is inspiring contributors to give more to Obama?s re-election campaign.
?Among the people who I have talked to, they are seeing a real demonstration of the president?s commitment to stand his ground,? he said.
The campaign had hoped to bring in $55 million last quarter. Instead they raised $70 million, even though last summer?s debt ceiling fight had forced President Obama to stay in Washington and cancel fundraisers in other parts of the country.
The 2012 election is already on its way to becoming the most expensive in history, with Obama expected to raise more than the record $750 million he had in the bank in 2008. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, among the front-runners for the GOP nomination, is expected to raise at least $20 million this quarter.
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LONDON ? Britain's Prince Philip spent a third night in the hospital as he recovers after treatment for a blocked coronary artery.
The 90-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II is in good spirits and will remain under observation for "a short period," Buckingham Palace officials said Monday. There are no details of when he may be released.
The prince underwent a successful coronary stent procedure at Papworth, a specialist heart hospital in Cambridgeshire, where he was taken on Friday after complaining of chest pains.
It was the most serious health scare suffered by Philip, who is known to be active and robust. He has continued to appear at many engagements, most recently taking a 10-day tour of Australia with the queen.
He is likely to miss the Royal Family's traditional Boxing Day shooting party on Monday at the queen's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, an event he usually leads.
Six of Philip's grandchildren, including Princes William and Harry, visited him Sunday in the hospital.
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| CDCR Today: Inmate Death at California State Prison-Sacramento Is Being Investigated as a Homicide World?  Alexis - 4 hours ago - cdcrtoday.blogspot.com The inmate, who has been identified as Anthony Steadham, 38, was transported to an outside hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5:04 a.m |
| ? | Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates. |
Copyright ? 2011 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved
Source: http://www.care2.com/news/member/101224432/3054528
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There are a ton of potential uses for Google Plus Hangouts, and Google is doing something relatively big to help highlight them--they're putting out another TV commercial. I think I can count on one hand (maybe just a couple fingers) the number of times Google has bothered to advertise on television, so it's something to pay attention to anytime they do.
This time they're promoting Google Plus by way of highlighting the benefits of Hangouts, the group video chat service within Google Plus. And while I've spent plenty of time on this site singing the praises of Google Hangouts for business uses, Google wants to remind you there are plenty of everyday uses for friends and family as well.
Like... rocking out.
This is incredibly smart advertising for a number of reasons:
1. Google Plus needs to court the "common user" if they're ever going to make a serious run at Facebook. right now, they've added an impressive number of users in just half a year, but most of those users are from the "early adopter" or "tech savvy" crowd.
Google knows that the everyday user is where it's at, so by highlighting how fun Hangouts can be with your friends, they're making the product instantly more accessible.
2. Muppets are hot right now. You might have heard they put a new Muppet movie out. It did incredibly well at the box office, and critics and fans alike were thrilled. They're about as hot as they've ever been. Any brand that rides the wave of a cultural icon or hot topic is smart... the built-in interest in The Muppets will help the commercial grab attention on television and online.
3. Google doesn't do television advertising lightly, and typically has good timing. The first TV commercial I remember was the Super Bowl spot (Parisian Love). Why the Super Bowl? Because everyone's watching. And it's smart timing to release the Muppets commercial now as well, as families gather for Christmas and televisions will be on in houses all over the world.
4. The ad walks the fine line between product demonstration and straight-up entertainment, and ends up being both. We're smiling and laughing at the antics of the Muppets, but we may not even realize that we're also learning how easy Google Plus Hangouts is to use.
The people behind The Muppets must be big Queen fans, as this makes the second song by the band that the Muppets have "covered" after Bohemian Rhapsody.
?
About the Author - Jeremy Scott Source: http://www.reelseo.com/google-hangouts-tv-commercial/
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December 24, 2011
A Stockton, Calif., man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Friday for accidently shooting a man at an Ashland gas station in August.
Michael Steven Goldsberry, 29, pleaded no contest in Jackson County Circuit Court to assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of recklessly endangering others.
Judge Tim Gerking sentenced Goldsberry to five years and 10 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $28,502 for the Aug. 17 shooting.
Goldsberry and his wife of one month, Erica Monique Salas Goldsberry, 22, had argued while driving on Interstate 5, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Beth Heckert.
They pulled off the interstate and into a Shell station so she could call her mother from a pay phone there. After more harsh words, the couple were walking toward their parked vehicle near Eagle Mill Road when for unknown reasons Goldsberry fired a handgun several times into the air.
A bullet struck Douglas George Shelton, 48, of Ashland, in the shoulder. Shelton was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center, and two other people in the area were also placed in danger by Goldsberry's reckless behavior, said Heckert.
"He fired a couple shots and hit (Shelton)," Heckert said, adding bullet holes were found in an adjacent U-Haul trailer.
After the shots were fired, the couple left, prompting a search involving officers, police dogs and a helicopter.
A tow-truck driver spotted Goldsberry's disabled truck on I-5, and police moved in to arrest both of the Goldsberrys.
Six weapons were seized from Goldsberry's vehicle, said Heckert, who asked for and received forfeiture of the guns as part of Friday's sentence.
Erica Goldsberry in September pleaded guilty to first-degree theft. A trailer being towed by the couple was determined to have been stolen, Heckert said, adding the new bride was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years supervised probation.
Goldsberry's public defender, Don Scales, said his client was pleading no contest to the Measure 11 second-degree assault charge, in addition to two counts of recklessly endangering another and a single count of unlawful use of a weapon.
Scales said his client admitted to reckless behavior. He'd fired off his handgun irresponsibly, injured a man, and would have considerable time to reflect upon his actions in prison.
"This is, once again, a good lesson to be safe with guns and not be firing them willy-nilly," Scales said.
Gerking sentenced Goldsberry to more than five years for the assault, a year on each endangering charge and 14 months on the weapons charge. All sentences will be served concurrently.
Reach Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or email sspecht@mailtribune.com.
Source: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111224/NEWS/112240313/-1/rss31
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If in case you have an automotive that you understand longer use you will have to imagine donating it to a good cause. Many people are unaware that it is even conceivable to donate cars. In flip they just finally end up taking their car to the junkyard instead. Why give your automotive to the junkyard for pennies, whilst you?ll be able to donate it to help other people which can be in want?
The benefit of donating an automobile is that there are a lot of advantages that pass in conjunction with it which you can no longer even keep in mind of. First of all, it is important to recognise that you?ll be able to donate your automotive even if it is not in very best working condition. With a bit bit of labor your automotive can probably get working again and lend assistance in more ways than one. In addition, you never have to fret about using your automotive to the donation heart or purchasing towing. They are going to at all times come to you to select the car up; no questions asked.
To take provider a step further, donation facilities are also willing to paintings with you in an effort to ensure that the whole thing goes off easily from the start. They provide fast carrier and prompt attention in order that you would not have to head out of your approach to make sure that your automobile is picked up on time, etc. While you donate your automotive there could also be a minimal amount of bureaucracy that you need to maintain; this makes the process even quicker.
Donating an automobile will also be used as a large IRS tax deduction. Many of us are not aware of this, nevertheless it is without doubt one of the very best purposes to donate your car to charity or some other cause. Tax deductions can go a ways in ensuring that you don?t owe money at the end of the year.
And of course the most important advantage of donating an automobile is that you will be serving to other people that are in need. Your automotive would possibly pass to a family that doesn?t have any transportation, or the organization you donate it to might use it to deliver garments, food, or furniture. Both method, you can be rest confident that your donation is going to be put to just right use.
To discover a charity or organization that accepts automotive donations you?ll be able to merely log on or seek the yellow pages. You should not have any problems finding an organization on your area that may be ecstatic to take your automotive off your hands. And if you cannot in finding anybody on your area, try somebody a little additional out. Chances are high that that they are going to be simply excited that can assist you out.
Total, if in case you have an automotive that you now not use glance into donating it. The benefits that pass at the side of this procedure are endless, and you are going to feel a lot better approximately yourself while everything is over and done.
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Source: http://www.eranostra.com/2011/12/25/donating-an-automotive/
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MANILA, Philippines ? Philippine communist guerrillas have expressed sadness over the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and predicted his country will go on to achieve progress and modernity under a socialist system.
The Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement Thursday that Kim left behind a "shining tradition of patriotism and anti-imperialism."
North Korea has been suspected in the past of providing training and funds to the Filipino rebels.
The Philippine government, which established diplomatic ties with North Korea in July 2000, also expressed its condolences after Kim's death was announced Monday.
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News outlets have reported that the ruling, by U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez of Oregon, has ?implications for bloggers across the country. In fact, the story hit close to home here recently when I had an e-conversation with a prominent figure in the progressive blogosphere. This was a gentleman I do not know well, but I have admired his work from afar for years, and he stated that his organization now might be at heightened risk because of the Montana blogger's case.
That's when I decided Legal Schnauzer needed to provide clarification on this issue. It's true that Judge Hernandez' ruling might set off a chain of events that someday could have broad implications for non-traditional journalists. But that process could take 10 years or more, and Hernandez' finding could be completely overturned along the way. For now, the ruling has implications for only one blogger--and that's Crystal L. Cox, the Montana woman who was on the wrong end of the $2.5-million judgment.
In fact, the outcome might not even have much impact on Cox. She has stated that she doesn't have the necessary funds to pay the judgment. And Kevin Padrick, the Oregon lawyer who sued Cox, acknowledges that he is not likely to receive much, if any, of the judgment.
So what should the public make of the Crystal L. Cox ruling? In my judgment, not a whole lot. Should people pay attention to Crystal L. Cox and her work as a citizen journalist? In my judgment, they should.
Cox, a feisty resident of Eureka, Montana, bills herself as an investigative blogger, real estate broker/owner, and real estate whistleblower, among other things. She blogs at a host of sites, including crystallcox.com, crystalcox.com, investigativeblogger.com, industrywhistleblower.com, and obsidianfinancesucks.com.
Reporting on Obsidian Finance Group landed Cox in legal hot water. Obsidian is based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and according to its Web site, the firm "is particularly adept at finding unique financial and structuring solutions to the most difficult problems." Kevin Padrick, a lawyer by training, is a senior principal and co-founder of Obsidian.
Padrick served as a trustee in a bankruptcy case involving Summit Accommodators, a company that "helped property owners conduct real estate transactions in a way to limit taxes." Summit apparently was not above board in its activities. Three executives face federal fraud and money laundering indictments.
Cox determined that Padrick was not above board either. In a post dated December 22, 2010, she referred to Padrick as a "corrupt thug, thief, and a dirty lawyer"--and that was just in the headline. This is from the body of the post:
Kevin Padrick of Obsidian Finance LLC is a Criminal, he has broken many laws in the last 2 years to do with the Summit 1031 case and regardless of the guilt of the Summit 1031 principals, Kevin Padrick is a THUG and a Thief hiding behind the Skirt tails of a corrupt un-monitored bankruptcy court system and protected by Corrupt Bend DA and Corrupt Bend Oregon Judges.
Did Cox get careless with her reporting? Did she come to sweeping conclusions that she could not back up? That's possible. Cox writes on so many different Web sites that it's difficult to make an assessment of her reporting. She appears to have some ability as a researcher, but she makes frequent use of inflammatory language and some of her work is written in a disjointed style, on a complicated topic, making it hard to determine what she has or has not proven.
This much is clear: Padrick and his colleagues at Obsidian did not appreciate Cox' reporting efforts. They claimed her posts were false and defamatory, that she had hurt their business. A federal jury in Oregon wound up agreeing with them.What's my take? Cox might have made some missteps in her reporting, but I'm guessing she was poking around in some seriously dark corners. I'm also guessing that the jury verdict might not hold up if Cox is able to mount an appeal.
Why do I say that? Judge Hernandez made two key conclusions that appellate judges might not agree with--(1) That Cox was not protected by shield laws that keep mainstream reporters from having to reveal their sources; and (2) That Cox was not protected by an Oregon law that requires a party to demand a retraction before seeking damages for defamation in court.
How did the judge reach these conclusions? From a report at Raw Story:
U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez ruled that Cox was not protected by Oregon?s shield law, which allows journalists to protect their sources.?Although the defendant is a self-proclaimed ?investigative blogger? and defines herself as ?media,? the record fails to show that she is affiliated with any newspaper, magazine, periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, or cable television system,? he wrote in his decision. ?Thus, she is not entitled to the protections of the law.?
Hernandez also argued there was no proof that Cox adhered to journalistic standards and noted that she had no professional qualifications as a journalist. He also noted that the shield law does not apply to defamation cases and that the bankruptcy case was not in the public interest.
The post was defamation, Hernandez said, because a reasonable person would be led to believe the blog post was factual. But Cox refused to reveal her source and could not back up her facts.
I intend to follow Crystal L. Cox' work. She appears to base much of her reporting on public documents, as we do here at Legal Schnauzer. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism and 30-plus years of professional experience in the field, and Cox does not have those sorts of credentials. But I think it's important to avoid "news elitism," to avoid assuming that people like Crystal Cox can't do serious journalism. Cox' experiences seem to have taught her that the real-estate industry has set up rules to protect its own interests, at the expense of the public interest. I have come to similar conclusions about the legal industry.
Ms. Cox probably could use the guidance of a seasoned editor. But she has stated that she does not intend to let the $2.5 million judgment stand in the way of her reporting. Is that a good thing for the cause of transparency? I suspect that it is.
As for the findings of the federal judge in Oregon, the public should keep this point in mind:
Marco Hernandez is a district judge, and his rulings have absolutely no precedential value. Legal precedent can only be set by appellate courts, and even then, different circuits do not always incorporate the findings in other circuits.
If Crystal Cox is able to appeal the jury verdict to the Ninth Circuit, which covers Oregon, it might be upheld or it might be overturned. Either way, there is no guarantee that other circuits will follow the Ninth's lead on similar cases. Issues raised in the Crystal Cox case might someday land before the U.S. Supreme Court. But who knows if any of us will live long enough to see that.
The Associated Press has reported that the Cox case has "implications" for bloggers around the country. But that is not true.?It has implications, as of now, for one blogger, in one case, in one federal district court.
And Crystal Cox, to her credit, does not plan to go away quietly.
Here is a video of Cox discussing the real-estate industry and some of the potential pitfalls of buying a house. To my ears, she makes a lot of sense--and her voice needs to be heard, not silenced:
Source: http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2011/12/judges-ruling-on-montana-bloggers-case.html
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Angelina Jolie didn't plan on directing a movie. But the more she learned about the 1990s Bosnia war, the more she felt responsible for bringing it home to her generation.
Jolie threw her energy into "In the Land of Blood and Honey", writing, co-producing and directing the complex love story set against the horror of the 1992-95 conflict in which more than 100,000 people are believed to have died.
The movie, which initially stoked controversy in Bosnia, opens in U.S. theaters on Friday and has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for foreign language film.
"I didn't go into this wanting to be a director, I went into this film because I was moved by the themes," Jolie, 36, told Reuters.
"It wasn't a normal film experience for me, it was an education everyday in humanity and in unity, and also getting to know a culture," she said.
The Oscar-winning "Girl, Interrupted" actress was just 17-years-old and working to establish herself in Hollywood when the conflict in Bosnia erupted on the other side of the world.
But it wasn't until years later, when she became a United Nations Goodwill ambassador and visited Bosnia, that she learned about the war and its victims.
"As I looked into Bosnia -- because this was (when) I was a teenager -- I felt responsible to pay more attention because I didn't at the time ... I was too young and living my life," said Jolie.
"This is my generation that went through this in Europe. So I read more and I learned more and I was just so taken by how little I knew, how little the world speaks about it, and I felt compelled to put this story together," she said.
"Blood and Honey" is the tale of a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman on the eve of the ethnic conflict, who later meet when he is an army officer and she is his detainee.
Jolie cast unknown Bosnian actors Goran Kostic and Zana Marjanovic as the leads and filmed in both English and Serbo-Croat.
But before reading the script, female victims of the war raised objections, and Jolie was forced to shoot many of the scenes in Hungary, rather than Bosnia as she had planned. The movie has since received an enthusiastic reception in Bosnia and Jolie was given an honorary award in July by the Sarajevo film festival.
"This film belongs to this country and these people, it's their story and their film," Jolie said. "They're the most talented actors and nobody could have done these roles better."
Responsibility also weighed heavily on the two lead actors.
"You try very hard to do the best job you can and represent that conflict and your people as best as you can," said Marjanovic, who plays Ajla.
Kostic, who plays Serbian character Danijel, said the movie was very personal. "It's very close to our hearts, and of course, coming from the region, it's easy to tap into that emotional landscape," he added.
Jolie, who was last seen on screen in the 2010 action romance "The Tourist", is yet to schedule her next project.
"I still can't believe somehow I ended up doing this, but I was so compelled by this particular story and I have such a unique crew and cast," she said.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Robert Mezan; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Tourtellotte)
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NEW YORK ? It's almost winter, but get ready for some surf and sun: The Beach Boys are reuniting.
The founding members of the classic rock group ? Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine ? announced Friday they are getting back together to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They're working on a new album and also plan a 50-date tour that will take them around the world.
"This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys, and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again," Wilson said in a statement.
The group also includes Bruce Johnston and David Marks, both of whom have been with the band for decades.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers gave birth to the California rock sound. Back then, the band members were Love, Jardine, Wilson and his two brothers ? Carl and Dennis Wilson, who have since died. With songs like "Good Vibrations," "I Get Around" and "California Girls," the quintet embodied the fantasy of West Coast beach life. Their albums, particularly "Pet Sounds," influenced rockers of their generation and beyond.
But Wilson suffered mental problems that caused him to withdraw from the band, and there were years of animosity between Love and Wilson, who are cousins, as well as lawsuits among members of the band. Still, they have gotten back together over the years, including for their 40th anniversary in the last decade.
Love remarked in the statement Friday on how he and Wilson were getting along well, sharing compliments together in the studio.
"Music has been the unifying and harmonizing fact of life in our family since childhood," he said.?"It has been a huge blessing that we have been able to share with the world." Referring to a Beach Boy hit, he added: "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Do It Again??Absolutely!"
The group was supposed to announce their reunion as a surprise during the Recording Academy's live nominations special for the Grammys last month, but those plans fell through.
However, Jardine said the group planned to appear at the Feb. 12 Grammy telecast in Los Angeles.
"There will be a surprise at the Grammys," he told Rolling Stone. "We will do something really exciting. There's a lot of interest in it, which is nice. It's going to be a very big operation."
The Beach Boys first concert is scheduled for April 27 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
___
Online:
http://www.thebeachboys.com
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MOSCOW ? The Russian billionaire who plans to challenge Vladimir Putin in Russia's presidential election said Thursday that his first move if elected will be to pardon jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Mikhail Prokhorov said he would also allow free registration of opposition parties and restore popular elections of provincial governors if he wins March's vote. Putin has marginalized opposition forces, tightened election rules and abolished direct elections of governors.
The 46-year-old Prokhorov, estimated to be worth $18 billion, made his fortune in metals, banking and media. He also owns 80 percent in the New Jersey Nets. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, has been in jail since 2003 on tax evasion and fraud charges seen as a punishment for defying Putin's power.
Khodorkovsky's lawyers have lost numerous appeals to clear him of the charges.
Prokhorov's surprise announcement this week that he would seek the presidency came in the wake of nationwide protests over alleged fraud in national parliament elections. The protests, which included a throng of tens of thousands in Moscow, were an unprecedented public display of widespread discontent with the man who has dominated Russian politics for a dozen years as president and later as prime minister.
Putin stepped down as president in 2008 because of term limits, but seeks to return to the Kremlin in the March 4 election.
Speaking at a meeting with supporters at a meeting to nominate him for the race, Prokhorov hailed last weekend's protest in Moscow against vote fraud, which attracted tens of thousands in the largest show of discontent in 20 years.
"I deeply understand the demands and the strivings of the people who took to the streets," Prokhorov told reporters, adding that he may join a follow-up protest later this month.
Prokhorov said that "expert opinion" has prompted him to believe that the Dec. 4 parliamentary election was unfair and rigged. But he argued for a legal response to the fraud allegations.
The tycoon avoided criticizing Putin directly, but said he wasn't afraid to challenge his power: "Putin is a serious rival, but I'm not afraid of competition."
Prokhorov, noted for his playboy lifestyle, also humorously noted that he might need to settle down and find a potential first lady.
"I'm ready even for this ? if that's necessary for my country and for winning the presidential election."
Prokhorov's presidential bid follows his botched performance before the parliamentary election when he formed a liberal political party with the Kremlin's tacit support but abandoned it under what he called Kremlin pressure.
Some observers alleged that Prokhorov may have made amends with the Kremlin and might be running for president to accommodate voters unhappy with the authorities to steal the thunder from the opposition.
Prokhorov said in his blog Wednesday that he would play his own game.
"Naturally, my candidacy is good for the Kremlin. Naturally, they want to play democracy and show that people have 'some kind of a choice'," he wrote.
"But we must absolutely use the authorities, too, if we don't want to just make some noise and disappear, but to change our lives for the better."
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A SWEET tooth does more than pack on the pounds. It causes your skin to age prematurely, making you look older than you really are. But how much older?
A team led by Diana van Heemst at Leiden University in the Netherlands divided 569 healthy volunteers into three groups according to whether they had low, medium or high concentrations of blood glucose after a meal. They also studied 33 people with diabetes who had even higher blood glucose levels.
Sixty independent assessors were then asked to view pictures of the volunteers and rate how old each looked. The results show that high blood sugar levels made people look older, even when other factors affecting appearance were accounted for, such as actual age, smoking and a history of sunbathing.
The largest gap in perceived age was one year seven months, between the lowest glucose group and the diabetics, from an average of 59.6 years old to 61.2 years. But even among those without diabetes, there was a one-year gap between the lowest and highest glucose groups. Overall, there was a five-month hike in perceived age for every 0.18 gram increase in glucose per litre of blood (Age, DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9339-9).
"What's happening in the body is written in the face." says David Gunn of Unilever Research in Sharnbrook, UK, who co-led the project.
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After last week's New York Times column?on the pointlessess of making fliers turns off gadgets during take-off and landing, angry technophiles have?started a White House petition to get the rules changed. After two full days and a tweet from The New York Times's Nick Bilton's to his 88,879 followers, the petition only has 364 signatures.
Related: iPad Sales Have Reached a Plateau
When Bilton wrote his takedown last week, it wasn't all that convincing. In the days following his post, a few bloggers piped up to agree with Bilton, but even The Atlantic's own national correspondent and pilot, James Fallows, who?admitted "the rule is pure theater," pointed out that Bilton doesn't really have a case. "[H]ere is the only, admittedly weak rationale behind the 'turn all equipment off' diktat," Fallows wrote. "If anything went wrong on a crowded airline flight, the flight crew would need everyone's full attention, now." And for that, he will keep his iPad off at the flight attendant's?request.
Related: All the Ways Apple Keeps Secrets (That We Know Of)
Fallows isn't alone. A slew of commenters on Bilton's follow-up blog post note the inanity of the entire request. Some?pointed?out that interference can actually occur. Others suggested that a few minutes without iPad access is really a ridiculous thing to complain about. And as The Wire's Adam Clark Estes noted, one can never be too certain when an iPhone might?explode.?
Related: Issa Wants to Know What Obama's Hiding on His iPad
Yet, a week later, the crusade lives on and doesn't really look like it's going anywhere. If the White House gets "enough support," it months of talk, national attention and a study that moved Europe to ban the cancerous things, the TSA still?mostly?uses them.?
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Thanks a lot, Farrah Abraham. You've forced us to take the side of the Kardashians.
Earlier today, the former Teen Mom star randomly Tweeted her reaction to Kourtney Kardashian's second pregnancy, writing: Im shocked Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant again, Did she not learn anything from TEEN MOM? Maybe its a fake pregnancy, like kims wedding SAD.
Kourtney, in response, pointed out one of the major differences between her situation and that of Farrah and her MTV co-stars, Tweeting "I'm 32 years old! I may look young, honey, but don't get it twisted."
Kardashian, of course, is also a multi-millionaire with a large support system... and that's before you consider E! producers!
Scott Disick also jumped in to this Tweet-off, referring to Abraham as "some s-it stain" and echoing his girlfriend's stance: "We're not teenagers, ya f-cking moron."
But Farrah was not to be denied! She concluded her rant with: "Guess what! Age and money honestly do not change a person's poor choice. Quit making excuses."
It's pretty difficult, but try to choose a side in this asinine feud:
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/farrah-abraham-vs-the-kardashians-it-is-on/
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Stock markets may have soared after central banks around the world, led by the Fed, got together in a rare coordinated action to provide more dollars to Europe's strained financial sector. But we also got an indication of just how bad things have become. There have been concerns for months that Europe's banks were having difficulty getting dollar financing, which is very important to the operation of banks in France and elsewhere, as financial institutions around the world became nervous about lending money to a sector saddled with large euro zone sovereign debt holdings of dubious quality. The scary thing about that problem is that it could have caused a financial crisis in Europe even without a major new event in the debt crisis (like an Italian default). For central banks to act as they did, the situation must have become extremely severe, or was at least deteriorating badly.
And though that potential danger may have been averted (probably only in the short term), the central bank decision has done nothing to alleviate the underlying sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone. We're about to get some more action on that front as well, however, with yet another summit of European leaders approaching on December 9. The indications are that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy want to push ahead with some sort of "fiscal union," or at least their vision of one. As I wrote in a recent TIME magazine story, a fiscal union would probably be a real solution to the debt crisis. By coordinating national budgets and centralizing at least some decision making over spending priorities, a fiscal union could start repairing the shattered finances of euro zone countries, provide a backbone of support for weaker members like Italy, and convince investors that Europe will truly do whatever it takes to save the euro. (Read "Is Europe's debt crisis becoming a banking crisis?")
We'll have to wait for the details to get the full picture of what's on the table. But based on the early signs, the version of a fiscal union Merkel & Co. seem to advocate is really just an "austerity union," a way of forcing painful budget cuts, tax hikes and other measures onto euro zone countries through stiffer sanctions and regulations, with very little offered in return. That won't work. The euro can't survive on austerity alone. In fact, austerity, as it is being implemented now, is damaging the euro's prospects. Here's why:
The idea behind the German-backed solution to the debt crisis is to fix the broken countries of the euro zone. That, needless to say, does have to happen. But it can't be the entire focus of the crisis-fighting effort. Yes, some euro zone countries have been given financing (bailouts) to support them during their austerity programs, but now the bigger nations infected by the crisis (Italy and Spain) aren't even being offered that much. Instead, their new Prime Ministers are being placed under more and more pressure to cut, cut, cut, cut -- while the rest of the zone sits back and waits. But as we've witnessed for more than a year, cutting alone won't bolster investor confidence. They simply don't believe that the financial adjustments these countries must make can be achieved in any reasonable period of time. What these countries are being asked to do is reverse years -- in some cases, decades -- of fiscal policy in a matter of months. (France hasn't recorded a budget surplus since 1974.) (Read "Bailouts and Austerity Measures Aren't Working: Is This the Euro's Last Stand?")
Most of all, austerity is killing growth in the euro zone, and without growth, the crisis will be much harder to solve. Just look at some statistics. Spain recently downgraded its 2011 growth estimate by half a percentage point to a mere 0.8%. Portugal's GDP contracted 0.4% in the third quarter from the previous quarter. Greece's third quarter GDP plummeted 5.2% from the previous year -- its best quarterly performance of 2011. The OECD in November forecast that euro zone growth would sink to a pathetic 0.2% in 2012 from 1.6% this year. Without growth, closing deficits and stabilizing debt is much more painful. If GDP is stagnant or contracting, the amount of debt you need to eliminate to bring that crucial government-debt-to-GDP ratio down gets larger, and thus more difficult to achieve. Ditto with budget deficits. So to meet euro zone debt and deficit targets, countries have to cut more and more, further suppressing growth, and moving the target further off yet again. They become like a dog chasing its tail.
Investors know this full well, and that's why they remain wary of the euro zone debt situation even as its political leaders slice away at budgets. So borrowing costs remain lofty, making it harder, once again, for Italy and Spain to meet budget targets, which means they have to cut even more. And the pain inflicted by such severe austerity on populaces already suffering from an economic downturn (Spain's unemployment stands near a staggering 23%) only fuels opposition to reform and ire towards the monetary union. So the sick contradiction facing the euro zone is that austerity is necessary to fix the debt crisis, but at the same time, it also feeds the debt crisis. (Read "How to Know When the Euro Crisis Reaches a Tipping Point.")
How does Europe escape the trap? Austerity has to be balanced with something else to help these countries restore growth while repairing their economies. Yes, structural reforms to free up labor markets and decrease regulation will all help, but not in the short or even medium term. Nouriel Roubini argued in the Financial Times the other day that debt restructuring is the answer, to alleviate the burden on Italy. I'd suggest that the euro zone needs to improve the functioning of the common market by implementing EU-wide incentive programs to get companies in healthier countries, like Germany, to invest in weaker nations and hire the unemployed. Or the proposed fiscal union could be a true fiscal union, more like the United States, in which the center has the ability to tax and thus support member states that are economically struggling.
My sense is that none of the above is actively being considered. It seems to me that the only support being discussed is some form of a bailout -- to find a source of money to provide a financial "shield" for Italy and Spain so they can fund themselves at lower cost while implementing reforms. That may help slow the deterioration of the debt crisis, but it won't necessarily solve the debt problem itself, at least not in any acceptable time frame (as we've seen in Greece). If this is the route Europe takes, the members of the euro zone will have to be prepared to financially support its weaker members for an awfully long time before we see a real improvement in their economic health.
The solution to the debt crisis won't be budget cuts, more taxes, and more rules to force them down the throats of Italians, Spanish and Greeks. Merkel, Sarkozy and their counterparts have to find a broader solution. Otherwise, Europe is facing a race to the bottom.
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