Kremlin 'outraged' by electoral fraud... in Eurovision song contest

Allegations of voter fraud in Russia are nothing new. But this time it's the Kremlin making them.

By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / May 22, 2013

Winner of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest Emmelie de Forest of Denmark who won with her song 'Only Teardrops,' holds the winners trophy as she poses for photographers following the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, last Saturday. The Kremlin today said that they found a case of alleged voting fraud in Eurovision song contest.

Alastair Grant/AP

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Russian authorities have finally found a case of alleged voting fraud that they can get really incensed about.

Skip to next paragraph Fred Weir

Correspondent

Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998.?

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No, it's not the 2011 Duma elections, which experts from across Russia's political spectrum?now agree were probably falsified?on a huge scale. That has never been the subject of official outrage, or even investigation.

This is something far more important: the continental song competition, Eurovision.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists?yesterday?that he was "outraged" to learn that the voting system in neighboring Azerbaijan had eliminated the votes cast for Russian Eurovision contestant Dina Garipova in that country. Voters registering their preferences by cellphone had given a second-place finish to Ms. Garipova ? which should have given her 10 points in the overall contest ? but they had somehow disappeared in the reporting process.

"We can?t be happy with the fact that 10 points were stolen from our participant, primarily in terms of how this event is organized," Mr. Lavrov?said during a previously scheduled joint press conference?in Baku with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.?

"We have agreed with Elmar Mammadyarov that we will discuss joint measures to ensure that this outrageous action will not go unanswered," Lavrov added.

The head of Azerbaijan's broadcasting company, Jamil Guliyev, quickly acknowledged that some sort of mistake had occurred.

"We sincerely hope that this case, which was probably initiated by some groups, would not cast a shadow on brotherly relations of Azeri and Russian people," he told journalists.

Contestant: Why the fuss?

The mammothly popular annual singing contest, held last Saturday in Malmo, Sweden, featured contestants from 39 countries from the Atlantic to the shores of the Caspian Sea. An estimated 125 million TV viewers,?each cheering for their country's contestants as avidly as any football team,?tuned in to the Eurovision finals, plus countless more around the world via Internet streaming.

Competition for the honor of hosting Eurovision is almost as serious as for the Olympics, and?Russia went wild when Moscow won the right to stage the event back in 2009.

The winner of each year's multinational contest is determined by a complicated system ??which is supposed to be foolproof ? in which each country votes for all entries except their own.

Votes cast by TV viewers in each country by cellphone (or through social media such as?Facebook) makes up half the decision, while a national panel of judges makes the other half. At the end of the process, each country submits a ranking for all contestants ? except its own ? by giving 12 points to the winner, 10 points to the runner-up, and so on. The results, totaled for all of Europe, determine the overall winner.

This year Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won by a landslide, with 281 points, followed by Azerbaijan's Farid Mammadov with 234 points (full table?here). Russia's Garipova came fifth with 174 points.

The missing 10 points from Azerbaijan didn't affect Garipova's standing, and she graciously told the Russian media today that?it would be better to drop the rising demand for an international investigation into the alleged vote-rigging scandal.

"To be honest, I don?t know why an investigation is needed," Garipova said. "I am satisfied with the result of the contest."

Inferiority complex

Eurovision's organizers?said in a statement?that they will take swift action to preserve the event's apolitical nature and prevent any future abuses.?But the scandal is far from dying down in Russia.?

Some Russian conservatives claim it's just another example of Western "double standards," in which those who never miss an opportunity to lecture Russia about human rights and democracy turn out to be dirty themselves.

Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov told the Ekho Moskvi radio station?today?that the Eurovision result was "direct forgery and fraud."

Perhaps tongue-in-cheek, Mr. Markov went on: "In general it's better when we non-Europeans are accusing them of falsifying elections than when they are accusing us?. And here [with Eurovision] we have such a fraud, and the whole world has seen it with their own eyes."

Viktor Shenderovich, once a top political satirist?who was exiled from the mainstream media?after Vladimir Putin came to power, says the Russian response, and particularly Lavrov's official outrage over a singing contest, is an unseemly display that reveals a persecution complex at the heart of Kremlin behavior.

"This comes from the inferiority complex than haunts our state, which is really funny when you recall that we're a country the size of a continent that has a vast nuclear arsenal," Mr. Shenderovich says.

"When a mature adult from the Foreign Ministry starts taking such things seriously, well, it can only mean that we have lost any sense of self-irony. On the surface it looks silly, but when you examine the roots of this affair you can't help feeling sad?. Whenever Russia feels it's been shortchanged in anything, be it a song contest or a sporting event, our people immediately begin claiming that there's a plot against us. But, as the old Russian saying goes, 'a bad dancer's boots are always too tight,'" he adds.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/go3P9d9TwRk/Kremlin-outraged-by-electoral-fraud-in-Eurovision-song-contest

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Bon Jovi to Bieber: Don't be an @#$% to fans

Celebs

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper TODAY

13 hours ago

Getty Images

Jon Bon Jovi performs in April.

Jon Bon Jovi's been in the music business since before Justin Bieber was born, and the older rocker has some advice for the younger one: Don't be an (expletive) to your fans.

Bieber, 19, was reportedly two hours late taking the stage for a London concert in March, though the singer blamed technical difficulties and says he was just 40 minutes late.

"Every generation has guys that do that, none of that is new," Bon Jovi, 51, told the London Evening Standard. "They run the risk of disrespecting their audience members who have worked hard to pay for their ticket, to give you the permission to take two or three hours of their lives ? or in that kid?s case, 80 minutes of their lives.

?Do it once, you can be forgiven," the singer warned. "Do it enough times and shame on you. They won?t have you back. Then it just becomes a clich?. It?s really not cool ? you?re an (expletive). Go to (expletive) work!?

Bon Jovi spoke to the paper about an upcoming July 5 concert in London's Hyde Park that will lack guitarist Richie Sambora. Sambora missed 13 concerts in 2011 because he was in rehab for alcohol abuse, and Canadian session musician Phil X took his place. Bon Jovi suggested similar reasons are behind Sambora's absence this year.

"It?s getting more and more difficult every day to not just sit here and say something," he told the paper. "Because all I can say is this ? it?s for personal reasons. He?s been through it before, fortunately for us the same guy who filled in last time was available this time."

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/bon-jovi-bieber-dont-be-fans-6C10015364

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Irish potato famine pest identified

20 May 2013 Last updated at 23:05 ET By Helen Briggs BBC News

Scientists have used plant samples collected in the mid-19th Century to identify the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine.

A plant pest that causes potato blight spread to Ireland in 1845 triggering a famine that killed one million people.

DNA extracted from museum specimens shows the strain that changed history is different from modern day epidemics, and is probably now extinct.

Other strains continue to attack potato and tomato crops around the world.

The fungus-like infection causes annual losses of enough potatoes to feed hundreds of millions of people a year.

A team led by The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, traced the global spread of potato blight from the early 1800s to the present day.

Until now, it has been unclear how early strains of Phytophthora infestans are related to those present in the world today.

Continue reading the main story

The Irish Potato Famine

• Altogether, about a million people in Ireland are estimated to have died of starvation and epidemic disease between 1846 and 1851
• Some two million emigrated in a period of a little more than a decade from 1845
• Comparison with other famines suggests the Irish famine of the late 1840s, which killed nearly one-eighth of the entire population, was proportionally much more destructive of human life than the vast majority of famines in modern times
• The famine began as a natural disaster, but historians say its effects were worsened by the actions and inactions of the Whig government of the time

Researchers in the UK, Germany and the US analysed dried leaves kept in collections in museums at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, UK, and Botanische Staatssammlung Munchen, Germany.

High-tech DNA sequencing techniques allowed them to decode ancient DNA from the pathogen in samples stored as early as 1845.

These were compared with modern-day genetic types from Europe, Africa and the Americas, giving an insight into the evolution of the pathogen.

"This strain was different from all the modern strains that we analysed - most likely it is new to science," Prof Sophien Kamoun of The Sainsbury Laboratory told BBC News.

"We can't be sure but most likely it's gone extinct."

Treasures of knowledge

The researchers believe the strain - HERB-1 - emerged in the early 1800s and continued to spread globally throughout the 19th Century.

Only in the 20th Century, after new potato varieties were introduced, was it replaced by another Phytophthora infestans strain, US-1, which is now dominant around the world.

The research, published in the new open-access scientific journal, eLife, suggests crop breeding methods may have an impact on the evolution of pathogens.

"Perhaps this strain became extinct when the first resistant potato varieties were bred at the beginning of the 20th Century," said Kentaro Yoshida from The Sainsbury Laboratory.

"What is certain is that these findings will greatly help us to understand the dynamics of emerging pathogens. This type of work paves the way for the discovery of many more treasures of knowledge hidden in herbaria."

Commenting on the study, Professor Sir David Baulcombe of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge said it shows how we can use herb specimens to track biodiversity.

"It might be a revival in the fortunes or relevance of dried plants," he said. "It illustrates very nicely the arms race over pathogens and their host."

Phytophthora infestans - which causes potato blight - emerged in the US in 1844, and spread to Europe the following year.

The summer of 1845 was mild but very wet in the UK and Ireland, giving the perfect conditions for the blight to spread.

The failure of the crop in Ireland - which relied heavily on potatoes as a food source - led to the deaths of about a million people from starvation and disease between 1846 and 1851.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22596561#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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That Time American School Kids Were Given Dog Tags Because Nukes

In the early 1950s cities across the U.S. spent hundreds of thousands of dollars outfitting their children with military-style dog tags. Why were we giving kids something that's usually reserved for people at risk of dying horrifically in the line of duty? Because in the era of duck and cover, kids were on the front lines.

The Soviet Union surprised the U.S. and became a nuclear-equipped superpower when it successfully tested its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949. Suddenly the world had two ideologically opposed countries with the capability of unleashing unprecedented devastation upon each other. The campaign to mobilize average Americans by normalizing the discussion of collective death (even with children) was under way.

In February of 1952 the city of New York bought 2.5 million dog tags. By April of that year, just about every kid in the city from kindergarten to fourth grade had a tag with their name on it. Kids in many other cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Las Veagas and Philadelphia also got dog tags, allowing for easy identification should the unthinkable occur.

But educators weren't considering just dog tags to identify the scores of dead and injured children that would result if the cold war suddenly turned hot. They also considered tattoos.

As JoAnne Brown explained in her 1988 paper on civil defense during the cold war, the assistant superintendent of Milwaukee schools raised the possibility of even more bizarre tagging methods. Writing in a 1951 issue of the Journal of the National Education Association, assistant superintendent William M. Lamers laid out their options:

Tattooing is considered occasionally, but generally rejected because of its associations and impermanence in the case of severe burns ... Marking of clothing is more seriously regarded [but] clothing can be destroyed... and is frequently interchanged. Fingerprinting is... regarded by some as an infringement of privacy... Cards are easily worn out, stolen or destroyed.

Did you catch that? Fingerprinting children: a terrible invasion of privacy. Tattooing children: well, the only downside is that the tattoos won't be legible when all their skin peels off in a nuclear blast.

Somehow I missed that episode of Leave it to Beaver where the Beav gets a tattoo for corpse identification purposes.

(Image source: August 1951 issue of School Executive by way of the June, 1988 issue of The Journal of American History.)

Source: http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/that-time-american-school-kids-were-given-dog-tags-beca-508802138

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Galaxy S III Android 4.2.2 firmware leaked, adds several S 4 features (video)

Samsung didn't stray far from its comfort zone when designing the Galaxy S 4, and now a leaked build of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for the S III makes it even harder to distinguish the older flagship from the newer one. The folks at SamMobile got their mitts on a test firmware build and, better yet, have combed through it to see what's new. As you may know, the S 4 ships with 4.2.2 under a TouchWiz layer, so it's not surprising to hear most of the features new to this S III build are on the S 4 already: an updated version of S Voice, more lock screen options / unlock effects, new display modes, a redesigned settings interface, voice control, and more. SamMobile has put together a video walkthrough of the build (embedded below), and you'll find an expanded changelog and software screenshots at the source link. Apparently, the firmware "works perfectly," so if you'd rather not wait through the (often lengthy) carrier approval process, you can download it for your S III right now (flashing required, of course).

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung, Google

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Game of Thrones, Season 3

Every bride looks a little shell-shocked on her wedding day, right?

Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO??? ??? ???

Every week in the?Game of Thrones?TV Club, Rachael Larimore will IM with a different fan of the show about the goings-on in Westeros and across the Narrow Sea. This week she discusses "Second Sons" with Yahoo Sports writer and columnist (and frequent TV Club guest) Jay Busbee.

Rachael Larimore: Jay, I have to ask. When you go to a family wedding, do you encounter any brothers who are also your father-in-law, or any nephews who are also your grandsons?

Jay Busbee: Well, yes. But I live in the South. We're the Lannisters with banjos.?(Sure wish someone had shouted "Roll Tide" when Tyrion escorted Sansa from the room.)

Larimore: ?Well, then I hope you have an aunt as delightful as Lady Olenna to keep it all straight for you! Tyrion and Sana?s wedding was one of the sadder moments in a largely serious and depressing episode, and Lady Olenna provided some much-needed levity. As did Tyrion, but he had a much bigger job. He was the self-deprecating fiance, the badgered son, the angry uncle, and?ultimately?the decent and respectful husband. What did you think of the nuptials and the bridal couple??

Busbee: Tyrion is the most self-aware of anyone in the entire cast; he's known the burdens that lie upon him since he was a child. The rest seem to think they can elude, outrun, or outfight the demons that come for them. Tyrion understands that his life began as crap, so anything even slightly above that is an improvement. His tenderness to Sansa wasn't unexpected, but was still appropriate and gentlemanly in a world that frowns on such things. As for Sansa? I've never much cared for her character?too much of a blank slate?but then, that's kind of the point with her, isn't it?

Larimore: Yes, I've always felt that Sansa is the least interesting Stark, and she's been given the least to work with. I ached a little for Tyrion when she couldn't even muster any warmth for him when he came to her chambers and acknowledged that marrying him was just another kind of prison, or when he vowed that he would not hurt her. She?s dutiful, as she was raised to be, but she also has her pride, and the pride was winning out here. But then it all comes into focus in their bedchamber when he asks her her age, and she tells him 14. When you think about what she's been through in the past couple of years, and the fact that her new in-laws are responsible for the wreck her life has become?oh yeah, she?s 14?you can sympathize with her. At least I can. And she didn't go around embarrassing herself, like her evil former fiance, Joffrey. When he took Tyrion's stepstool away during the ceremony, I yelled at the television, "What a dick move."?

Busbee: And that line about "Your father's not here"?somehow, he just gets worse every time we see him.

Larimore: Joffrey is a fool, and an evil one at that, but at least we know that he gets his threatening nature from his Lannister side. (Oh wait ... both of his sides are Lannister sides. Incest is funny!) But seriously, he gets a lot of his lesser traits from his mother. Could you believe the threatening tale she told Margaery about the social-climbing Rains of Castamere? Cersei is generally unlikable, but at least in previous seasons, she had some endearing moments, usually when she was trying to be sympathetic to Sansa. Now she's reduced to threatening to strangle her daughter-in-law. Can't say I'm a fan.

Busbeee: I noticed that as well, and the way she brushed off Loras was like kicking a puppy. The way she's been outmaneuvered at every turn by Tywin and disregarded by Joffrey has to have her seething. She was always a bit of a viper, but with no allies like Jaime to help keep her in check, she's got nothing to stop her in her fall to the bottom. As for her son, if there were any justice in Westeros, what's being done to Theon?over and over and OVER again?will look like a loving massage when compared to Joffrey's fate. (I say this having not read the books.)?

Larimore: If we learned anything this week, it's that there is not much justice in Westeros, but there are plenty of prisoners. I thought there was an interesting parallel for the long-separated Stark sisters in this episode. They are both imprisoned by their circumstances, but they are actually in decent hands, all things considered. (And both are in the company of "second sons," a subtle nod to the episode title.) Arya has value to the Hound, so he is no danger to her?though you have to admire her pluck when she lifts a rock over his head. And Sansa, of course, is with Tyrion, who will at least not rape her or kill her.

Busbee: Arya remains my favorite character in the whole series. (I'm not even close to alone on this, I'd imagine.) This was a perfect episode to show that below the badass exterior--and, really, not much below it?there's still a scared little girl?notice how she had her arm around the Hound as they rode. I look forward to her reunion with Robb and her mother, mainly because Arya's probably the best fighting mind of all the Starks.

Larimore: The girls are OK for now. Gendry, however, seems to be in far greater danger with Melisandre. Tell me, of all the creepy sex scenes you've witnessed in Game of Thrones, where does the scene with Melisandre and Genry rank? Above or below Jaime and Cersei?

Busbee: We?ve got to rank anything Joffrey does at the top, though I'm not sure those really qualify as "sex" scenes. And Cersei and Jaime ? well, we didn't really know them way back in the first episode of the first season, so it wasn't quite the shock it perhaps should have been. Plus, leeches are never a good element to introduce in the bedroom.

Larimore: The leeches were gross but far from the worst of it. The power dynamic, and what we know about Melisandre that Gendry has no way of knowing?just made it very uncomfortable. I was glad for his sake at least that he was suspicious. And I'm glad that Stannis and Davos are back together. Their dynamic on the show is underplayed compared with the books, but I find them more compelling as a team than I do on their own. Their back story (Davos was a smuggler who aided Stannis during Robert?s rebellion.Stannis took his fingers for his smuggling past but also made him a knight) shows Stannis' humanity, which has been too little on display since he staked his claim to the Iron Throne.

Busbee: I hope Davos and Stannis both get more of a personality. I know it's the function of having 347 characters (with a new one introduced this episode!), but I feel that many of the characters get reduced to their most basic emotional characteristics, and get little opportunity to break out of that mold. Now, within the confines of the story, I'd love to see Gendry discover strength within himself that would make him a worthy challenger for?or possessor of, technically?the Iron Throne. As it stands now, though, he'd get torn to pieces by the Lannisters. Davos will hopefully have a hand in strengthening the boy's spine, because we can't look to Stannis for that.

Larimore: There are two characters who've shined despite their limited scenes, and that is Sam and Gilly. Samwell Tarly, who joined the Night's Watch because his father wanted his more macho second son as his heir, who could barely keep up with the Rangers as they escaped the Others earlier in the season, who is a mere steward ... Samwell finally had his moment in this episode. He's a man now! Not everyone loves the distraction the Others offer from sex and medieval power struggles in Westeros, but I think these two have a charming (if totally platonic) chemistry.

Busbee: We all want to think we'd be Jon Snow and Ygritte. Realistically, we'd all be Sam and Gilly, lost in the forest and terrified. Best we can hope for is some dragonglass of our own. Nitpicking here, but the CGI of the White Walker shattering was jarringly fake after the insanely creepy shots of it shambling up, just out of view within and beyond the trees. And good on Sam for coming through big at just the right time! Shame nobody will know it, but Gilly does, and maybe that's enough for our boy Sam.

Larimore: What, you didn?t realize The Others were phosphorescent when they met their end? At least he is dead and Gilly's son survived the curse of so many of his brother/cousins. (Again with the incest!) And now from dragonglass to the Mother of Dragons. Daenerys wants Yunkai, and she would rather have the city's sellswords fighting for her rather than against her. There were many great lines in this episode, but her confidence that she would get a meeting with the captains, because "soldiers who fight for gold can't afford to lose to a girl" was right up there. We've been along for every step of Dany's journey, from scared girl to wife and lover to khaleesi, but this season we've really seen her evolve. She?s been smart and cunning and fierce, but now we get to see her plotting more strategically. She?s clever.

Busbee: The most fascinating aspect of Dany to me has been the way she's been one step ahead of everyone--opponents, advisers, viewers. She knows exactly what she's doing, and every element of her plan is so far working smoothly (if sloooowly). Was a bit sorry to see Lewd Han Solo get his head chopped off so soon, but them's the breaks. Daario looks like he'll be a fine ally in between cover shoots for romance novels. Could love be the only thing that knocks Daenarys off her stride?

Larimore: Danaerys would be wise to heed the words of Robb Stark, if she could. As he said recently, "We've won every battle, but we are losing the war." The point being that you can do everything right and yet still be backed into a corner. So she must be wary. But if anything waylays Dany, I doubt it will be a pretty boy. However, Daario Naharis will make an interesting addition to her war council if she takes Yunkai, which is already getting crowded with Jorah, Barristan Selmy, and Grey Worm.

Busbee: She's embracing the Team of Rivals approach! Of course, Lincoln didn't have to worry about his cabinet cutting each other's heads off.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=07f4a4647508e1be29a5d4dd9d081309

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Yahoo, Tumblr, Porn: Why It Doesn't Matter - Business Insider

Tumblr

Some of the softer porn stuff on Tumblr.

?

Yes, Tumblr has porn.

While it hasn't said how much of its site is pornographic material, it's enough that just about every knucklehead on the Internet has commented about Tumblr's many porn blogs.

Tumblr's porn content makes some people think that Yahoo's $1.1 billion acquisition was a waste because premium advertisers don't want to advertise against pornographic content.

On today's call with analysts, Marissa Mayer was asked about Tumblr's porn. Sort of. An analyst said, how will you deal with content that is not "brand-safe," which is code for porn.

Her answer: Targeting. She hopes to use good targeting to keep ads away from NSFW content.

A Tumblr backer explained it further to Peter Kafka at All Things D saying, "Non-story. Tumblr is the Internet. It?s a dashboard follower model, opt-in."

In other words, just like all of the Internet has some porn, so too does Tumblr. There is plenty of advertising on the non-porn content of the web, and there will be advertising on Tumblr's non-porn content.

Also, Tumblr is an opt-in model. The user chooses who she is following, and what content is pumped into her Tumblr feed. Advertisers are advertising to users more than they are against content.

Yahoo will do its best to make sure ads don't follow porn, but if that were to happen it's more a statement on the user than it is on the content.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-tumblr-porn-why-it-doesnt-matter-2013-5

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98% Mud

All Critics (131) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (129) | Rotten (2)

There is an enchanted-fairy-tale aspect to Mud, but its bright, calm surface only barely disguises a strong, churning undercurrent.

A modern fairy tale, steeped in the sleepy Mississippi lore of Twain and similar American writers, and with a heart as big as the river is wide.

Nichols has a strong feeling for the tactility of natural elements-water, wood, terrain, weather.

Nichols takes his time with the story, dwelling on how the boy is shaped by the killer's tragic sense of romance, yet the suspense holds.

"Mud" isn't just a movie. It's the firm confirmation of a career.

"Mud" unfolds at its own pace, revealing its story in slivers. The performances are outstanding, especially from Sheridan, who plays tough, sweet, vulnerable and confused with equal conviction.

As Mud might say, it's a hell of a thing.

The boys are so skillfully played that Mud also plays like cinema verite. Nichols' fluid camerawork suggests a documentary-style approach. That helps these young lads transform into flesh-and-blood characters who get our attention and support.

Sheridan, who played the Terrence Malick surrogate in The Tree Of Life, is terrific at conveying adolescent confusion with tiny squints and frowns, and McConaughey plays off him masterfully.

Carefully crafting films that fly just below the political radar, director-writer Jeff Nichols is slowly, but surely, reweaving the fabric of the American dream.

It's totally worth it to pay good money to see a good, little film nestled between theaters showing 'Iron Man 3' and 'The Great Gatsby.' (Complete Content Details for Parents also available)

This is a junior adventure story echoing Huckleberry Finn and Stand By Me, a tale which is in no hurry to unfold, but beautifully done, exquisitely performed, and filled with terror and wonder.

Beautifully acted, intellectually engaging, and dramatically satisfying, Mud deserves to rocket to the top of your must-see list.

Nichols is a gifted writer-director who knows how to get into the heads of his characters. And this film has superior actors who create people who are intriguing and hugely involving.

'Mud' is a standout film in this 'coming of age' genre mainly because of its central character, one tough, warm-hearted, stubborn little kid who believes in the power of love, above all else.

Other than pacing problems that needlessly stretch the film past the two-hour mark, 'Mud' slings the dirt and sweat with the best of them, as it both mourns and celebrates a way of life that's all but disappeared.

A sublime coming-of-age film, 'Mud' would be the offspring if 'Stand By Me' and 'Cape Fear' reproduced.

Mud is a movie of striking performances and memorable images and of people who seem to belong in rather than being imposed upon their environment.

A brilliant metaphor for how a child deals with divorce.

This might be Mud. But it deserves to stick.

This is a film that gives McConaughey the chance to be an actor rather than a star, and, not for the first time, he grabs the opportunity.

Gone is the rom-com character and emphasis on a toothy smile and six-pack abs. Matthew McConaughey is showing off some acting chops.

Mud is, perhaps, a little longer than it needed to be, but few sensitive viewers will begrudge Nichols his indulgence. This director is the real thing.

Writer-director Nichols continues to get inside the heads of his characters with this involving but overlong dramatic thriller.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mud_2012/

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Honey, I shrunk the deficit! (video) (Americablog)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/306851553?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Alpine in talks with FCC on financing: CEO

VIENNA (Reuters) - Alpine, the Austrian unit of Spanish construction group FCC , will hold talks with its owners on how to meet its financing needs and has many options open, Chief Executive Arnold Schiefer said.

He was responding to a newspaper report that FCC was worried about Alpine's finances and that Austria's second-biggest construction group had to come up with another 150 million euros ($192 million) this year despite reaching a deal with creditors in March.

Alpine lost 450 million euros in 2012 as it began to exit unprofitable projects abroad. Its creditors took a 150 million euro haircut in the debt restructuring this year.

In a statement issued late on Friday, Schiefer said the original plan was to raise liquidity for the main building season by selling assets, as agreed with creditors.

These sales were now under way, but could wrap up after summer should it find other ways to raise the cash it needs.

"Together with our owners FCC we will now determine in which way to meet the expected liquidity requirement - by asset sales, bridge financing via banks, cost cuts or other financing opportunities," Schiefer said.

He declined to comment on the newspaper report, which he said had not made life easier for the group. He said he would personally discuss the situation with FCC within two weeks.

He said FCC had always fully backed Alpine and had already made 200 million euros available for implementing its revamp.

"Alpine can if needed draw on more funds committed within the framework of the agreement," he added. ($1 = 0.7798 euros)

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by David Holmes)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alpine-talks-fcc-financing-ceo-123820233.html

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IRS officials set to testify at House hearing

By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC News

?

The outgoing head of the IRS blamed ?foolish mistakes? made by employees for the agency?s targeting of conservative groups, denying that partisanship played a role in the controversy.

Steven Miller, the acting commissioner of the IRS who submitted his resignation from that role earlier this week, appeared on Friday before the first Capitol Hill hearing on the revelations that IRS officials had inappropriately singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny. He apologized for the tax-collecting agency?s actions, but blamed incompetence, rather than political score-settling, for the scandal.

?As acting commissioner I want to apologize on behalf of the IRS for the mistakes that we made and the poor service that we provided,? he said in a brief opening statement.

?I do not believe that partisanship motivated the practices of the people described in the IG report,? Miller added. ?I think that what happened here was that foolish mistakes were made by people who were trying to be efficient in their work.?

House Republicans convened, on Friday, for the first of what?s sure to be many hearings into the actions by taken by IRS officials to single out conservative and Tea Party groups for additional scrutiny.

Miller appeared before the House committee charged with handling taxes on Friday, where he faced pointed questions from Republicans and Democrats alike.

The hearing comes a week after an inspector general?s reports detailing abuses by IRS officials first became public. The revelation that the IRS had targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status erupted this week into a major political controversy for President Barack Obama, who publicly denounced the actions of the IRS officials, and pledged to cooperate with Congress in investigating the root cause of the controversy.

?It is just simply unacceptable for there to even be a hint of partisanship or ideology when it comes to the application of our tax laws,? the president said Thursday at the White House.

But the administration?s actions have scarcely satisfied conservatives, who have demanded criminal prosecutions as a result of the controversy, and have suggested that the IRS?s actions might have been a politically motivated effort to target ideological opponents. (The inspector general report found no evidence of external influence on IRS field agents to pursue conservative groups.)

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., joins The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd to talk about the IRS scandal. He discusses whether ?the IRS situation hurts chances of passing bipartisan immigration reform, Benghazi, and the gives his opinion on the new Media Shield Law.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who?s seen as possibly having his own presidential ambitions one day, called the IRS fiasco evidence of a ?culture of intimidation? by the Obama administration; House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, accused the administration of ?remarkable arrogance? over the IRS controversy and revelations that the Justice Department seized phone records of Associated Press journalists.

Friday?s hearings before the House Ways and Means Committee will give Republicans a perch to advance many of those attacks on the administration. Along with Miller, J. Russell George, the Treasury?s inspector general for tax administration, will also appear.

?This committee wants the facts, and the American people deserve answers to why they were targeted on the basis of their political beliefs,? Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., the chairman of the committee, said following Miller?s resignation on Wednesday. ?The IRS has demonstrated a culture of cover up and has failed time and time again to be completely open and honest with the American people.?

Related stories:

Obama names acting IRS chief, denies knowledge of IRS report

This story was originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 7:43 AM EDT

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Verizon increasing data allowances on prepaid plans

New plans available to existing customers now; new customers can take advantage June 6

As an update to a previous blog post detailing changes to its prepaid plans, Verizon stealthily made yet another change that will give prepaid customers even more data. Verizon keeps things simple on its prepaid smartphone offerings, with two tiers -- $60 and $70. Both have unlimited talk and text, and previously either 500MB or 2GB of data. Verizon is now bumping those up to 2GB and 4GB, respectively, with no price increase. The plan changes go into effect right away for existing customers that have either of the two plans, but new customers will have to wait until June 6th to have the option available when starting a line.

If you're new to Verizon's prepaid plans, you have to also remember that they are restricted to just its 3G service, and there's no indication of when (if ever) LTE will be included. With that being said, these are still a couple of good options that just got a little more competitive in the steadily expanding prepaid market.

Source: Verizon

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/tnsIk_bZWMs/story01.htm

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96% Stories We Tell

All Critics (47) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (2)

Polley was right to follow her instincts, though, in not attempting to tie everything up. She recognizes that family histories are necessarily contradictory, crazymaking, and essentially unfathomable.

What unfolds is a riveting drama that grows even more so as it plays out.

Don't be fooled by its deceptively simple title or the hesitant, unassuming way it begins. Writer-director Sarah Polley's "Stories We Tell" ends up an invigorating powerhouse of a personal documentary, adventurous and absolutely fascinating.

A brilliant, thought-provoking documentary.

A fascinating variant on the documentary form that examines what we see, and how we see it.

Even calling ''Stories We Tell'' a documentary seems rather limiting and not entirely accurate; it's also a deadpan comedy, a juicy melodrama and a gripping mystery, all cleverly blended together with great focus.

What I can say is that the movie is dramatically compelling, journalistically fascinating, cinematically profound, and intellectually challenging.

Sheds fascinating light on Polley's art.

Polley mines her own life to strip naked the essence of storytelling, and what it is about folklore that makes it so essential in shaping our perceptions about who we are and where we come from.

Stories We Tell starts out as a simple investigation into the life of a mother that director Sarah Polley barely knew and slowly turns into a documentary that is as good as any movie you will see this year.

Where Polley's work goes from mere family movie to something much greater is in how she uses her own quest for answers to illuminate why & how we tell stories in the first place, especially in the form of film.

Polley's compassion and curiosity again mark her as both a heartfelt and unforgiving filmmaker.

Suspenseful, unpredictable, mature, tender and funny. A triumph.

The movie is convincingly built around the essential truth that we are ultimately defined by our loved ones' memories and perceptions.

A genre-twisting documentary with a fictional vibe that playfully bares the elusive truths about a family of storytellers.

Sarah Polley has blossomed as an actress and, more recently, as a daring and original filmmaker with an Oscar nomination to her credit.

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

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Dick Trickle Dead of Apparent Suicide; NASCAR Star Was 71

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/dick-trickle-dead-of-apparent-suicide-nascar-star-was-71/

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Novel brain training device to reconnect brain and paralyzed limb after stroke

May 15, 2013 ? The world's first Brain Training Device has given a ray of new hope to the recovery of survivors after stroke. Developed by researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this novel device can detect brainwave and control the movement of paralyzed limbs.

The world's first Brain Training Device has given a ray of new hope to the recovery of survivors after stroke. Developed by researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering (BME), this novel device which can detect brainwave, and thereby control the movement of paralyzed limbs, or go even further to control a robotic hand based on its sophisticated algorithm.

The research was led by Prof. Raymond Tong Kai-yu, Professor of PolyU's Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, who is also the Principal Investigator of the award-winning Exoskeleton Hand Robotic Training Device or the "Hand of Hope." His team members include the BME research team (Newmen Ho, Xiaoling Hu, Ching-hang Fong, Xinxin Lou, Lawrence Chong and Nathan Lam) and the Industrial Centre team of PolyU (Robert Tam, Bun Yu, Shu-to Ng and Peter Pang).

The latest breakthrough "Brain Training Device" can be coupled with the use of the "Hand of Hope" to achieve higher degree of recovery for stroke patients. While effective motor recovery after stroke depends on early rehabilitation program and intensive voluntary practice of the paretic limbs, current rehabilitation products have not use brainwave to guide the stroke survivors to identify voluntary intention and to relearn how to reconnect to their paralyzed limb again.

Prof. Raymond Tong and his team therefore developed the Brain Training Device with a new coherence algorithm for hand function training. The new algorithm is based on frequency coherence on surface electroencephalography (EEG, brainwave) and electromyography (EMG, muscle activities) to identify voluntary intention and their connection.

"The Brain Training Device is able to guide the stroke patients to relearn the reconnection between the brain and the limb, with a new design on the EEG headset and the EMG forearm brace to transmit data for controlling a hand robotic system interfaced by a telecare software platform using iPad app." Prof. Raymond Tong explained.

The patented Brain Training System, which looks like a helmet for cyclist and can read brainwaves, also has new features to find the specific EEG electrode locations for each individual stroke patient and reduce the number of EEG electrodes, which can reduce the system cost and the preparation time for brain training, added by Prof. Tong.

To find a minimal set of electrodes to control the device with accuracy higher than 90%, five chronic stroke patients were recruited to be trained for 20 sessions in the study. The researchers found that, in general, 32 electrodes are needed to maintain accuracy higher than 90%.

The high accuracy and low number of channels needed means that the Brain Training Device is a viable tool for assistive aid and rehabilitation training. The futuristic system will be made portable and easy-to-use at hospital and home settings.

PolyU researchers have already filed patents for this Brain Training Device in both the United States and China. This project is funded by the HKSAR Government's Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). The findings of this brain control algorithm have been published as the cover story in top international journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering (2011.12).

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/7aBw8_brrSA/130515124841.htm

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Expect cliffhanger from 'Big Bang Theory' finale

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Listening to actor Simon Helberg talk about "The Big Bang Theory," you'd think his show was actually a nerdy nighttime soap. The actor, who plays aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom, dropped a few hints about what to expect from Thursday night's season finale.

"This time, the adventure is for Leonard," Helberg revealed, referring to the experimental physicist played by Johnny Galecki. "Howard finds Stephen Hawking's crew is sending out an expedition to the North Sea, and he gets Leonard a job, going on a boat for four months."

But there's no easy scientific equation that can tell Leonard how to choose between the expedition and his street-smart girlfriend Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco.

"The obstacle is Penny and Leonard have never been better," Helberg continued. "So, is he really going to leave her for four months?"

And Penny isn't the only one who doesn't want to see Leonard go. His roommate, the perennially neurotic theoretical physicist Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, doesn't want to be left alone.

There's also trouble for romance-challenged astrophysicist Raj, played by Kunal Nayyar, and his new love interest Lucy, played by Kate Micucci. Raj wants more from the relationship than Lucy may be able to give ? a major leap considering she has a habit of crawling out of restaurant bathroom windows on their dates.

To add to the nerd drama, there are science jealousies at play, too.

"Howard's a little competitive now that Leonard is getting the spotlight, (because) no one cared about Howard being an astronaut. So, it creates this sort of ripple effect."

In six seasons, "Big Bang" has more than doubled its debut-audience U.S. viewership, delivering its most-watched first-run episode ever this year, with more than 20 million tuning in. Add to that number, the millions who watch the show's reruns daily on local stations and on cable network TBS. The show is also a smash globally, with Canada, the U.K. and Brazil delivering some of its biggest ratings success stories.

The 32-year-old Helberg, who has a one-year-old daughter with actress-wife Jocelyn Towne, said he sees a long life for "Big Bang."

"I think we're all having a good time," he explained." And I think the show is far from being stale. It is kind of constantly ? not reinventing itself ? but just expanding on these characters. So, yeah, I think we're going strong for now, as long as people keep inviting us in."

The season-six finale of "The Big Bang Theory" airs Thursday night on CBS.

___

Online:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/

Follow Michael Cidoni Lennox at http://www.twitter.com/MikeCLennox

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-16-TV-Theory%20Finale/id-1bb8fac76fb3412ba0237834c77f3b53

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Parents of kids allegedly killed by nanny expecting a baby

Kevin and Marina Krim with their daughter Lulu in 2012. (via Live Journal)The parents of two young children killed last fall allegedly by their nanny announced on Thursday that they are expecting a baby this fall.

Kevin and Marina Krim broke the news on a Facebook page established in the memory of their children, Lulu, 6, and Leo, 2, who were found stabbed to death in their Manhattan home in October.

?We are very happy to let you know that Marina is expecting a baby in the fall,? the Krims wrote. They added that their surviving daughter, Nessie, 3, ?can?t wait to welcome her new baby brother.?

?We are filled with many emotions as we look to the future, but the most important one is hope,? the Krims wrote.

The announcement comes just a month after Yoselyn Ortega, the family?s nanny, was declared fit to stand trial for the murders of Lulu and Leo. Marina Krim has told police she came home from Nessie?s swim practice and found her two other kids dead in a bathtub while Ortega stood nearby stabbing herself in the throat.

Ortega has not entered a plea. She is currently being held without bail in a New York City jail.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/parents-kids-allegedly-killed-nanny-expecting-baby-214131294.html

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18 Incredible Objects Being Kept Under Wraps

Wrapping presents for Christmas or for someone's birthday is a pleasure in most cases. Wrapping luxury cars and towering trees and Space Shuttles, though, takes it to a whole new level.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Yxyk1ZyHGZs/18-incredible-objects-being-kept-under-wraps-496256853

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Neil Patrick Harris' Family Day!

The actor and his adorable clan hit the farmers' market! Plus, see more photos of celebs spending time with their loved ones.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-kids-and-family-photos-2012/1-b-462723?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-kids-and-family-photos-2012-462723

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Texas Teacher Susan Templer's Cancer Fight Inspires Students (VIDEO)

In this March 20, 2013 photo, Susan Templer passes out test forms to her science class in Richardson, Texas. Templer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011, but has continued teacher through her illness to reach her 25 year service mark. (AP Photo/John L. Mone)

RICHARDSON, Texas ? Susan Templer wasn't supposed to make it to 2012 or 2013.

But the suburban Dallas middle school science teacher fought back against pancreatic cancer for close to two years and reached a milestone ? 25 years on the job.

When doctors diagnosed her with cancer in August 2011, her students and colleagues rushed to support her.

Templer says work kept her going, and she loves nothing more than teaching science.

Richardson North Junior High Principal Philip Bates says Templer is the strongest person he has met.

But even the iron-willed Templer has limits. She's had to stop her school year early_she's in hospital now focusing squarely on her cancer fight.

___

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?vRZxlPw63igE

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/susan-templer-texas-teachers-cancer-fight_n_3269816.html

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5 killed in Nev., including 1 near Mustang brothel

RENO, Nev. (AP) ? Detectives investigating a string of five homicides in two northern Nevada counties have made one arrest and believe all the killings are connected, including one at the interstate exit for the Mustang Ranch brothel.

A married couple was found dead Monday in a Fernley home about 30 miles east of Reno and another dead man and woman were discovered in a house a few blocks away. Police determined those deaths apparently are tied to a fifth victim who was found in a ditch along the Interstate 80 exit for the infamous brothel just east of Reno.

"We do believe that from talking to all of our detectives that they are connected," Lyon County Undersheriff Albert Torres told KRNV-TV.

KOLO-TV reported Tuesday one suspect had been arrested in connection with the case, but he has not been identified.

The first dead couple was discovered after firefighters were called to a house on fire in Fernley about 6 a.m. Monday. About two hours later, Washoe County sheriff's deputies were called to the Mustang exit with the report of a dead man. A short time later, deputies responding to a call for a welfare check found the other two victims in a Fernley home within 100 yards of the house where the first two dead were found.

"This is the most horrific thing I've ever seen," said Stacee Dickey, a neighbor of the Fernley victims. She said she was acquainted with the husband of one of couples killed and he was friendly and "always helping kids."

"Just an all-around nice man," she said.

The arrest was made two doors down from the site of the initial house fire after a homeowner called police about a man hiding in his garage.

Officers surrounded the man, who initially ran out the back door but confronted police and tried to run back out the front of the garage, Torres said.

"We caught him right outside the garage," he said.

Police were looking for a white pickup truck they believe the man found dead near Mustang was driving ? a 1998 GMC Silverado with Nevada plates, 336-UNB. KRNV-TV reported that victim was a 52-year-old man from Spanish Springs, a Reno suburb.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-killed-nev-including-1-near-mustang-brothel-134628378.html

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Jim DeMint stands by controversial immigration study

The Fine Print

Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R ? S.C.) is standing by the controversial Heritage Foundation study that put a $6.3 trillion price tag on the Senate immigration bill, saying: ?There?s no doubt that these numbers are real.?

He also says he has no regrets about leaving the Senate to become president of the Heritage Foundation, recalling his recent years in the Senate as similar to ?being on a treadmill going nowhere.?

?I?m at a place now at Heritage where I can have more impact on public policy than I could as a United States senator,? says DeMint.

As the Senate debates an immigration bill, DeMint is at the center of a dispute at Heritage. The conservative policy group released a report last week citing the $6.3 billion cost of the bill over 50 years, which many on both sides of the aisle have rebuked as overblown. The report faced further scrutiny after it was discovered that its co-author, Jason Richwine, has previously made controversial arguments based on race.

While Richwine has since resigned from the Heritage Foundation, and the organization has distanced itself from his previous writings, DeMint is not backing away from the report?s findings.

?The towering cost of moving forward this way is something everyone should stop and think, ?Okay, let's check the numbers out, see if they're real,?? DeMint says. ?I think they're irrefutable. I have done a lot of research in my life, there's no doubt that these numbers are real.?

DeMint discounts the argument made by supporters of the legislation that there will be long-term benefit to the U.S. economy.

?Some are suggesting that just having these additional workers is going to improve the economy and help everyone?There is no way over a fifty year period that this is going to improve the economy to a point that actually creates a benefit to American taxpayers,? he says.

DeMint contends that many of the estimated 10-12 million people to whom the bill would extend a path to citizenship will rely on government services more than they contribute in taxes.

?They take out over $9 trillion, they put in around $3 [trillion], but the net is a cost to taxpayers of $6.3 [trillion],? DeMint says.

While DeMint says the Heritage Foundation is supportive of the concept of immigration reform, he characterizes the current compromise as ?blanket amnesty.?

?A true immigration reform would create a lot of benefits for America?but to get those benefits we don't have to offer this blanket amnesty for those who came here unlawfully,? he says. ?It?s not fair to the 4 million people all around the world waiting to come here lawfully, costs way too much, and will make problems worse.?

For more of the interview with DeMint, and to hear how this issue has strained his relationship with Sen. Marco Rubio (R ? Fl.), check out this episode of The Fine Print.

ABC's Eric Wray, Betsy Klein, Alexandra Dukakis, Chris Carlson, and John Knott contributed to this episode.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/fmr-sen-jim-demint-6-3-trillion-immigration-112640100.html

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