Will the Herman Cain Endorsement Help Newt Gingrich? (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The endorsement of Newt Gingrich by Herman Cain should be a game changer for the conservative challenger to Mitt Romney. But would Cain bring much to the Gingrich campaign? Can he cover the ex-House Speaker's incendiary comments that critics have labeled racist? Did the endorsement come too late? If it works, could it help him in the fall against Barack Obama?

Does Cain Bring Much To The Gingrich Campaign?

Herman Cain is more than just a great Horatio Alger rags-to-riches story of the self-made man who became the business executive, which contrasts well with Romney's background. Cain is also an electrifying speaker, who demonstrated to my students such skills first-hand a few years. But then again, Gingrich isn't a bad speaker himself, and isn't a blueblood, and is also from Georgia, so there's no geographic balance. The endorsement is something that would have helped Romney more than Gingrich.

Can Cain Help Gingrich Overcome His Critics' Accusations Of Racism?

The former House Speaker frequently labels Barack Obama as the "food stamp president," a line that has media members claiming such words represent code words designed to disparage blacks. But with Cain standing by his side, such charges against Gingrich seem less credible.

Did The Cain Endorsement Come Too Late?

While the Gingrich campaign is undoubtedly pleased to see Cain on its side, it probably could have used such support earlier, when Romney was unleashing his comeback against the South Carolina primary winner. After all, Romney had the money and organization, but Gingrich only had debate performances to motivate people. Romney leads in early voting, according to Fox News. Each ballot cast before Cain's endorsement is lost. And picking up Cain's selection has to compete with headlines touting Romney's big lead.

Would the Cain Endorsement Help Gingrich in the GOP Primaries and the Fall Election?

Winning Florida, or making it a close contest, is one thing. Securing the GOP nomination and beating President Obama is another thing. A study by the Pew Research Center found Cain's impact on the GOP nomination would be similar to John McCain's backing of Mitt Romney: A slight bump in the polls.

However, like the endorsement of several Republicans, such as George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and Michele Bachmann would be counterproductive in the fall contest. Only 8 percent say they are more likely to vote for a candidate backed by Cain in November, compared to 21 percent who would be less likely to vote for a Cain-supported nominee, with the rest being indifferent.

Cain's support of Gingrich could help, but probably could have helped earlier when Gingrich had Romney on the ropes after South Carolina. Many of his positive attributes are those held by Gingrich. He could insulate the ex-congressman from racism charges, and provide a small boost in his quest to win the nomination, yet polls indicated it would not help Gingrich that must in the race against Obama.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120130/pl_ac/10901615_will_the_herman_cain_endorsement_help_newt_gingrich

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Video: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Little green footballs)

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SayUncle ? Making safety equipment legal

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Source: http://www.saysuncle.com/2012/01/30/making-safety-equipment-legal/

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'The Grey' Captures #1 At Weekend Box Office

atherine Heigl's 'One for the Money' and 'Man on a Ledge' also make the top 5.
By Ryan J. Downey

Liam Neeson in "The Grey"
Photo: Open Road Films

It must be wintertime, because Liam Neeson is #1 at the box office again.

Following the January 2010 release of "Taken" and the February 2011 success of "Unknown," Liam Neeson returned to theaters in another action-heavy role with "The Grey" over the weekend and beat back all other contenders. "The Grey," about a group of oil workers stalked by wolves while stranded in the Alaskan wilderness, debuted with an estimated $20 million.

Katherine Heigl's "One for the Money" had a decent $11.8 million opening, which placed the PG-13 action comedy at #3 on the box-office scorecard. The Sam Worthington-led thriller "Man on a Ledge," on the other hand, opened at #5 with just $8.3 million.

Having proven his biopic mettle with heady fare like "Schindler's List" and "Kinsey," 59-year-old Neeson has entered a career groove playing rough-and-tumble anti-heroes in barn-burning action thrillers. While its opening numbers were slightly lower than "Unknown" ($21.9 million) and "Taken" ($24.7), "The Grey" enjoyed the best critical reviews of the action trio. "['The Grey'] takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive," wrote New York Times film critic and former "At the Movies" co-host A.O. Scott.

The same cannot be said for "One for the Money," which at press time sat at just 3 percent on Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer," which assigns ratings based on reviews from film critics.

"Heigl's comic timing is solid, and she knows her limitations well enough, but there's a hollowness at the movie's center, right where Heigl's heart should be," wrote Sam Adams of The Onion A.V. Club. The film's opening was lower than Heigl's 2010 rom-coms "Killers" ($15.8 million) and "Life as We Know It" ($13.2 million).

"Avatar" and "Clash of the Titans" star Sam Worthington received top billing in "Man on a Ledge," which sat at 25 percent on the Tomatometer at press time. Worthington plays a wrongly accused man who hatches an elaborate scheme to prove his innocence. The last movie co-starring Worthington was the war criminal/ spy drama "The Debt," which opened with $9.9 million.

The rest of the weekend's top five included "Underworld Awakening" at #2 with $12.5 million, which gave the fourth entry in the vampires-and-werewolves franchise a two-week total of $45.1 million, and "Red Tails" at #4 with $10.4 million. The George Lucas-produced World War II flick has made $33.8 million since it opened last weekend. Lucas financed the film's $58 million budget himself.

"The Descendants" and "The Artist" both received a boost from their respective award season attention. George Clooney has racked up trophies for his starring role in the Alexander Payne-directed "Descendants," which expanded from 600 theaters to 2,000 and took in another $6.5 million for an 11-week total of $58.8 million. "The Artist," meanwhile, spiked 42 percent from last week. The Weinstein Co.-produced silent film has made $16.7 million after big wins at several award shows, including three prizes at the Golden Globes.

Check out everything we've got on "The Grey" and "Man on a Ledge."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678110/the-grey-movie-box-office.jhtml

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Dolphin, seal deaths plague New England

BOSTON?? Whether they got lost, sick or swam astray chasing food, 77 dolphins that beached on Cape Cod in recent weeks have died, the second time in three months New England has seen a mass of marine mammal deaths.

Now, scientists are trying to figure out why.

They're also researching whether there's any connection to a die-off this fall of 162 harbor seals, whose carcasses were found between northern Massachusetts and Maine.

Scientists later determined the seal deaths were linked to an influenza virus similar to one found in birds but never before seen in seals. In a letter earlier this month, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Rep. William Keating asked Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to investigate "any common cause" between the dolphin and seal deaths.

"That is a big question," said Mendy Garron, regional marine mammal stranding coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of NOAA. The initial indications are that there is no link, she said, but it's too early for a definitive answer. Necropsies are under way to determine the causes of death, and that can take a few weeks.

The strandings stretch along 25-mile stretch of Cape Cod from Wellfleet, approaching the tip of the cape, south around the curve of Cape Cod Bay to Dennis.

The first was reported in Wellfleet on Jan. 12. Five more reports followed the next day. On Jan. 14, 30 more animals got stuck on Wellfeet and reports remained steady, then trailed off in the past week.

As of Saturday, 63 of the dolphins have been found dead and 11 died later, included at least one that was euthanized. Another 24 were released into the ocean, though three of those have died, said A.J. Cady of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The group is leading the rescue efforts.

The total strandings are unprecedented, and two and half times the annual average of 37 common dolphin strandings over the past 12 years, Cady said.

Wellfleet harbormaster Michael Flanagan said he's seen several pods of more than 100 animals in his 14 years on the job. "But you never really see that many strandings," he said.

The affected dolphins appear to be linked by little besides their species. Their conditions range from healthy to sick, and they aren't all a particular age or sex.

"Nobody really knows for sure yet whether it's one particular thing," Cady said.

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There are several possibilities. For instance, the dolphins are social animals, and some could be following a sick fellow animal to shore, researchers theorize. Changes in water temperature are a possible factor leading them into the bay, but it's unclear how.

Some dolphins could be chasing prey into Cape Cod Bay, and essentially getting lost in the geographic features of Cape Cod's inner coastline. For instance, dolphins headed north along the inner Cape's coastline looking for open ocean can get trapped in Wellfleet, which juts out like a tiny hook. Then, the area's quickly receding tides can beach them in local marshes.

Rescuers try to guide lost animals to open water, either by keeping a boat between them and the coastline, or repelling them from land with unpleasant sounds, Cady said.

Once stranded, a dolphin's own weight can damage its organs. Hypothermia and sunburn are also a danger, and Flanagan said seagulls looking for a meal turn savage and pick at the mammal's eyes and organs.

After rescuers reach a dolphin, often through major muck, they quickly assess whether it's strong enough to be moved. If so, workers slip a stretcher underneath and carry the 8-foot-long, 300-pound animals into rescue trailers for a trip to the Cape's outer coastline for release. On the way, scientists perform tests to better assess the health of the animals.

Just a few years ago, it was commonly believed to be too risky to move the stranded animals, Cady said. But, he said, tracking devices placed on some rescued dolphins have shown them moving far from where they were released.

The effort and expense is considerable ? the dolphin strandings have cost between $50,000 and $60,000, Cady said. But it's well worth the cost on several levels, he added. Their health tells us about the health of the ocean, which affects everyone, Cady said. It's also simply the humane things to do, he said.

People don't have to be prodded to assist dolphins. Flanagan said he gets "a million" volunteers every time an animal is stranded.

"People can relate to these mammals, because they go and see them at Sea World. ... They can see how intelligent they are," he said. "They're such gentle animals, you can't help but feel sorry for them when they're stranded and they're out of their element and there's nothing you can really do for them."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46175315/ns/us_news-environment/

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Bulletins Live ? The automotive industry is rebounding from a bleak ...

By

Saturday, January 28, 2012

BERWYN, Pa., Jan 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) ?
In 2009, sales and profits in the automotive industry were generally ?as
bleak as a burned forest,? according to the latest Sector Focus
commentary from Turner Investments. But the investment firm believes
better days may be ahead for automotive companies now running leaner,
more competitive businesses that are meeting pent-up consumer demands
for higher quality products.

Turner Investments, based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, publishes Sector
Focus commentaries monthly as part of the continuing efforts of its
five teams of security analysts to monitor market sectors for its
growth-stock portfolios.

Titled Back from the brink: what?s driving a resurging automotive
industry, the piece was written by the five analysts who cover the
consumer sectors: Chris Baggini, senior portfolio manager/global
security analyst; Bill McVail, senior portfolio manager/global security
analyst; Halie O?Shea, portfolio manager/global security analyst; Jason
Schrotberger, senior portfolio manager/global security analyst; and Eric
Turner, global security analyst.

In the U.S., for instance, sales of new cars and light trucks are up
sharply since 2009, when they reached their lowest point since the Nixon
Administration. Sales climbed to 11.8 million units in 2010 and 12.8
million last year. The auto manufacturers predict sales will hit 13.5
million this year.

As sales increase, Turner?s consumer analysts believe the prospects
appear especially strong for seven companies: vehicle manufacturers
Honda Motor and Hyundai Motor; auto dealers Asbury Automotive Group and
Sonic Automotive; and automotive-parts makers BorgWarner, Harman
International Industries, and Tenneco.

To read this January 2012 Sector Focus in its entirety, click on
this link to the Turner Investments Web site:
http://www.turnerinvestments.com/SectorFocus .
Or call 484.329.2407 for a free copy of the piece.

?

The views expressed represent the opinions of Turner Investments and are
not intended as a forecast, a guarantee of future results, investment
recommendations, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. There can be
no guarantee that Turner will select and hold any particular security
for its client portfolios. Past performance is no guarantee of future
results.

Turner Investments, founded in 1990, is an investment firm based in
Berwyn, Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2011, we managed more than $13
billion in stocks in separately managed accounts and mutual funds for
institutions and individuals.

As of December 31, 2011, Turner held in client accounts 398,740 shares
of Asbury Automotive Group, 378,579 shares of BorgWarner, 9,800 shares
of Honda Motor, 6,240 shares of Hyundai Motor, 1.2 million of Sonic
Automotive, and 672,840 shares of Tenneco. Turner held no shares of
Harman International Industries.

SOURCE: Turner Investments

Turner Investments
Abbi Anderson, 484-329-2407
aanderson@turnerinvestments.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Source: http://www.bulletinslive.com/?p=2071

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Russia to delay space mission due to technical problems (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Russia plans to delay the next mission carrying U.S. and Russian astronauts to the International Space Station by several weeks due to problems with the spaceship's descent vehicle, Interfax news agency quoted an industry source as saying Friday.

The expected delay follows a series of technical mishaps that marred Russia's celebration of 50 years last year since Yuri Gagarin's pioneering first human space flight.

The space industry source told Interfax that the launch, originally set for March 30, would be delayed by several weeks, possibly until May.

The source added the shell of the descent vehicle, used to carry astronauts to the surface of Earth or other celestial bodies, broke during testing ahead of the take-off.

"This descent vehicle can no longer be used in a manned flight," said the source. "Therefore the launch of the Soyuz TMA-04M will have to be rescheduled until the second half of April or the first half of May."

The Soyuz was meant to carry Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin as well as U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba to the ISS, a $100 billion research complex that orbits about 240 miles above Earth.

Alexei Krasnov, in charge of manned flights at Russian state space agency Roskosmos, told Itar-Tass there was a defective element in the descent vehicle. He said a decision might be made as soon as next week to push back the launch date.

Separately a space industry source told Itar-Tass that Saturday's launch of Dutch telecommunications satellite NSS-14 would also be delayed for the second time because of problems with the Proton-M carrier rocket.

It had first been planned for December 26, but was rescheduled for January 28. The new launch date has not yet been set.

The Proton-M has failed in the past and it was temporarily suspended after one of the rockets proved to be the cause behind the loss of a $265 million satellite last year.

(Reporting By Thomas Grove)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/sc_nm/us_russia_space_launch

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The Ghost of Health Care Passed (Prospect)

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Notebak Anti-Theft

When your laptop goes missing, your first reaction may be blind, unreasoning panic. If the laptop has Notebak Anti-Theft ($29.95/year direct) installed, though, you can relax a bit. That is, as long as you've configured the product correctly for maximum security. Notebak offers a wide variety of features to help you protect and recover your laptop and the data that it holds.

During installation you define a password for connecting with the Notebak Web portal, along with a separate secret key which can't be the same as the password. To make remote requests of the client installed on the laptop you'll need to enter this secret key.

To open the local Notebak client on the laptop itself you can either double-click its icon or press Shift+Ctrl+V. If desired you can set Notebak for stealth mode, hiding the icon. In that case, the special keystroke becomes the only way to open Notebak.

Lock and Alarm
Any time you have to leave your laptop unattended, you really should lock Windows, so nobody can even look at what you've been doing. Notebak can't do that for you, since it can't tell that you've walked away. However, it can lock automatically if a thief closes the lid or unplugs the power in preparation for running off with the laptop.

From the local client you can choose several alarm and lock options. Just setting it to sound the alarm if the laptop is unplugged or the lid closed won't help you much, since the thief can just click a big on-screen button to turn Notebak off. Instead, set it to sound the alarm and lock the computer. You can choose from a dozen alarm sounds.

As with Laptop Superhero ($29.99/year direct, 2.5 stars) and LaptopSentry 3.1 ($9.99 direct, 2.5 stars), Notebak's alarm could be silenced by plugging headphones (or even a simple audio jack) into the headphone socket. The startled thief probably won't think of this ploy.

Serious Lockdown
The DigitaLabel feature goes way beyond merely invoking Windows's computer lock. When active, it displays a big notice on the laptop screen before Windows ever boots, saying "REWARD FOR RETURN." The notice contains a unique identifier along with Notebak's Web address. An honest user can report the find using the unique ID, without ever receiving your personal connection information. As the owner, you can bypass that screen by typing in a four-digit code that you'll find by logging in to the Notebak Web portal.

Naturally I tried to break through this protection, to somehow gain access without entering the four-digit code. I couldn't do it. The product includes advice to foil a thief who wants to reformat the drive, though of course there's no hope if the thief physically extracts the drive and installs it in another computer.

When a good Samaritan reports finding a lost laptop, the recovery process is flexible. If you want to pay a reward, Notebak will negotiate with the finder. They can set up a meeting or have the finder ship them the laptop (at your expense). You (and the finder) can remain anonymous. The point is to give you the best a chance at recovery.

For maximum security, you can set DigitaLabel so it's always active. That means each time you restart or unlock the computer for your own use, you'll need to enter that four-digit code. You can also set it to activate any time the laptop's location is outside a user-defined geofence (more about geofencing shortly).

At a minimum, the company recommends you set DigiaLabel to turn on automatically if the laptop hasn't connected to the Internet for a full day. Like the offline lock feature in Laptop Superhero, this helps ensure that a thief can't totally foil Notebak by isolating it from your remote commands.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/F-oqJNfbmLk/0,2817,2399391,00.asp

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[OOC] Saving Quakos

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LH_

Member for 0 years

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This looks interesting...I wish to join this rp...may I reserve a place? I'm writing my char as 'descriptive' as possible...I'll submit my char soon

EDIT: err...I have a question...well, several questions:

Can our chars have special abilities? Like controlling the elements? Flying or stuffs like that?

and when you say races? What kinds of races?

blackwolf

Member for 1 years

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Upcoming Speaking Gigs in Nashville, D.C. (Theagitator)

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Video: Clinton speechwriter: What I would write for Obama

>>> the state of the union is strong. our economy is the healthiest it's been in three decades.

>> that was president bill clinton beginning his state of the union in 1996 where he dlairdlair declared the era of big government is over. president bill clinton 's chief speech writer , good to be here with you. also the author of a book, "potus speaks". if you were writing for president obama , considering the climate in this country, what would your major themes be?

>> a speech like this is not only the constitution we require to address to the congress, but it's taiki intaking place at the beginning of the election year and the launch of his big argument to the country. it's in the context of this that's going on on the republican side . i think he ought to be doing, i imagine he is doing, which is talking about the economy, talking about his vision, not what congress will pass this year, but what does he think the country needs and do it in the terms of not just of this policy, that policy, but what's his vision for the economy and his vision for the middle class and the role of government.

>> it's been a while since we have heard such a memorable pronouncements that the era of big government is over. that one phrase did a lot in defining bill clinton 's second term. where have those bold quotable phrases gone?

>> it's a good question. the state of the union address is always are these long laundry list of policies.

>> especially bill clinton 's.

>> he loved that, but the public loved it too. they want to hear from their president directly. what does he want to have happen? the headline language comes from the bold ideas. you had that with george w. bush saying it was an access of evil at one of these state of the union addresses. we haven't heard that from president obama in these speeches. he's been focused on the economic crisis and what he might have a chance to get done with congress. sometimes it's when you're up against an opponent, whether it's the invisibility opponent of your presidential foes or the congress, that clarifies things. i hope we'll hear a strong argument.

>> it's fascinating story you have writing some of the most famous words that we have all heard and read. thank you so much.

>> my pleasure.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/46123170/

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US military raid in Somalia frees American, Dane (AP)

MOGADISHU, Somalia ? U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness early Wednesday and crept up to an outdoor camp where an American woman and Danish man were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnappers were dead and both hostages were freed.

President Barack Obama authorized the mission by SEAL Team 6 two days earlier, deploying the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden last year. Minutes after the president gave his State of the Union address to Congress he was on the phone with the American's father to tell him his daughter was safe.

The Danish Refugee Council confirmed the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted, a Dane, were "on their way to be reunited with their families."

Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, were working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when gunmen kidnapped the two in October.

The raiders came in quickly, catching the guards as they were sleeping after having chewed the narcotic leaf qat for much of the evening, a self-described pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told The Associated Press by phone. Hussein said he was not present at the site but had spoken with other kidnappers who were, and that they told him nine kidnappers had been killed in the raid and three were "taken away."

The hostage rescue was carried out by the same SEAL unit, SEAL Team 6, behind the operation in Pakistan last May that killed bin Laden, two U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation.

One official said that the team parachuted into the area before moving on foot to the target. The raid happened near the Somali town of Adado.

New intelligence emerged last week that Buchanan's health was deteriorating rapidly, so Obama directed his security team to develop a rescue plan, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly. A Danish Refugee Council official, Mary Ann Olsen, said that Buchanan was "not that ill" but needed medicine.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice."

A Western official said the rescuers and the freed hostages flew by helicopter to a U.S. military base called Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released publicly. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Camp Lemonnier just over a month ago. A key U.S. ally in this region, Djibouti has the only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa. It hosts the military's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The timing of the raid may have been made more urgent by Buchanan's medical condition. The Danish Refugee Council had been trying to work with Somali elders to win the hostages' freedom but had found little success.

"One of the hostages has a disease that was very serious and that had to be solved," Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal told Denmark's TV2 channel. Soevndal did not provide any more details. Soevndal congratulated the Americans for the raid.

The Danish Refugee Council said both freed hostages are unharmed "and at a safe location." The group said in a separate statement that the two "are on their way to be reunited with their families."

Olsen informed Thisted's family of the successful military operation and said "they were very happy and incredibly relieved that it is over." Olsen said the two freed hostages were in Djibouti and would soon be moved to a "safe haven." She said Buchanan does not need to be hospitalized.

"One of the first things Poul and Jessica were able to do was to call their families and say they were freed," Olsen said. "They will be reunited with their families as quickly as possible," Olsen said.

The head of the Danish Refugee Council, Andreas Kamm, said he would have preferred to see the two hostages freed peacefully after working with Somali groups to win the pair's freedom, "but we're happy with the outcome. This is a day of joy indeed."

The two aid workers appear to have been kidnapped by criminals and not by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. As large ships at sea have increased their defenses against pirate attacks, gangs have looked for other money making opportunities like land-based kidnappings.

The Danish Refugee Council had earlier enlisted traditional Somali elders and members of civil society to seek the release of the two hostages.

"We are really happy with the successful release of the innocents kidnapped by evildoers," said Mohamud Sahal, an elder in Galkayo town, by phone. "They were guests who were treated brutally. That was against Islam and our culture ... These men have spoiled our good customs and culture, so Somalis should fight back."

Buchanan lived in neighboring Kenya before Somalia, and worked at a school in Nairobi called the Rosslyn Academy from 2007-09, said Rob Beyer, the dean of students. He described the American as quick to laugh and adventurous.

"There have been tears on and around the campus today," Beyer said. "She was well-loved by all her students."

Buchanan graduated in 2006 from Valley Forge Christian College, a small suburban Philadelphia school. The school's president, the Rev. Don Meyer, said Buchanan taught at Rosslyn as part of her studies and "fell in love with Africa."

"Ever since Jessica was captured, we all as a community have been praying for her safety and for her safe release," Meyer said. "We are also grateful that our prayers have been answered."

Buchanan and Thisted were seized in October from the portion of Galkayo town under the control of a government-allied clan militia. The aid agency has said that Somalis held demonstrations demanding the pair's quick release.

Their Somali colleague was detained by police on suspicion of being involved in their kidnapping.

The two hostages were working in northern Somalia for the Danish Demining Group, whose experts have been clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.

Several hostages are still being held in Somalia, including a British tourist, two Spanish doctors seized from neighboring Kenya, and an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday.

___

Associated Press reporters Julie Pace in Washington, Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Patrick Walters in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Houreld reported from Nairobi and Dozier from Washington.

___

Follow Katharine Houreld at http://twitter.com/khoureld

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_af/af_somalia_helicopter_raid

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The Northern Lights dance over northern England (AP)

LONDON ? The northern lights have lit up the skies above Scotland, northern England and northern parts of Ireland ? and more light shows are expected in the next few days.

The northern lights are sometimes seen from northern Scotland but they were also visible Monday night from northeast England and Ireland, where such sightings are a rarity.

Ken Kennedy, director of the Aurora section of the British Astronomical Association, said the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, may be visible for a few more days.

The Canadian Space Agency posted a geomagnetic storm warning Tuesday after residents were also treated to a spectacular show in the night sky.

Monday night's auroras were likely just variations in normal background solar wind, not the solar storm that erupted Sunday, said physicist Doug Biesecker at the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. That was the biggest solar storm in more than six years.

He said a geomagnetic storm Tuesday that came from that solar storm seemed to mostly miss Earth, going a bit north, so it was unlikely that auroras would extend too far south Tuesday night.

Geomagnetic storms cause awesome sights, but they can also bring trouble. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, problems can include current surges in power lines, and interference in the broadcast of radio, TV and telephone signals.

(This version CORRECTS that light show on Monday night took place before solar storm radiation reached the Earth.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_sc/eu_europe_northern_lights

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France's Hollande bids to lock in campaign lead (AP)

LE BOURGET, France ? The Socialist candidate for France's presidency attempted to consolidate his front-runner status on Sunday with a pledge to pull French troops out of Afghanistan and to combat international financial speculators that he blamed for much of the country's problems.

In a combative speech in front of thousands of loudly applauding supporters, Francois Hollande also promised to cut his own pay by 30 percent if elected and sought to attract young voters by asking to be judged on how much their lot improves over his first term.

Hollande, a bespectacled 57-year-old career politician, has extended his lead in polls over French President Nicolas Sarkozy, his expected rival in two-round elections in April and May. But he's virtually unknown outside France, and critics say he has limited international experience to head this nuclear-armed nation.

"Mobilize, and in three months we will make the left win and take France forward," Hollande said at the end of his nearly 90-minute speech in an exhibition hall outside Paris.

Hollande said that if elected, he would decide by the end of May on when to withdraw French troops from Afghanistan.

Sarkozy said last week that he is considering to bring back French troops from Afghanistan and suspended the country's training mission there after an Afghan soldier killed four French servicemen on Friday.

Shouting and waving his fist, Hollande said he would rein in banks with a law separating their loan-making businesses from their "speculative" operations.

"Who is my adversary? It is the world of finance," Hollande said to cheers from the audience.

He pledged to eliminate stock options and to tighten regulations on bonuses, as well as pass a tax on financial transactions.

After sustained criticism in recent weeks over a lack of specifics in his program, Hollande unveiled a wide-range of new promises in his speech Sunday, while leaving details of their cost and how they will be financed unspecified.

Among the pledges were promises to shift greater power to France's parliament, more decentralization, and an end to presidential interference in naming the heads of state television and radio. Hollande also promised to give foreigners the right to vote in local elections, a move the Socialist party has long sought as a way of better integrating France's large immigrant communities.

He also promised to balance France's budget by the end of his first term in 2017 ? one year later than France's current pledge to its European partners.

Noticeably absent from Hollande's speech was any mention of his party's last major legislative achievement, the controversial 35-hour workweek introduced in 2000.

The candidate also refrained from mentioning Sarkozy by name. However in a thinly veiled attack on Sarkozy's much derided tendency toward flash that led many to call him "president bling-bling," he said "I like people, when others are fascinated by money."

Hollande also sought to burnish his European credentials, pledging to work with Germany for "a Europe of growth, solidarity and protection."

"I know Europe has faults, but is our common heritage, it needs to be defended," Hollande said.

Hollande is an affable, soft-spoken and witty former longtime party boss who was chosen as the Socialist candidate in a primary last October.

He won the job after the most anticipated Socialist front-runner, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, had his is political career all but ended when he was jailed briefly in May in the United States after a New York hotel maid accused him of rape. Prosecutors later dropped the case, but Strauss-Kahn's reputation and presidential ambitions crashed.

Hollande has so far pitched his campaign on representing the anti-Sarkozy. When asked "Why you?" in an interview in October, Hollande first answered: "Because I can beat Nicolas Sarkozy."

"He's a man who has always been brave and sincere in his political expression, who always told the truth, as opposed to some (other) candidates on the left who cede to the temptation to promise too much," said Antoine Rouillard-Perain, a 22-year-old Parisian.

"Some people think that the campaign lacks dynamism, but it's not true," he said. "There's three months f campaigning ahead. The campaign begins now."

Hollande is known as good on the stump and a quick-witted debater, and has built his reputation as a manager and consensus-builder more than as a visionary.

He's never run a government ministry and during his tenure the party was weakened and badly fractured.

A lawmaker in the National Assembly and the governor of the central Correze region ? the same political backyard as conservative former President Jacques Chirac ? Hollande led the Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008.

During that time the Socialists suffered two devastating presidential campaign defeats, including the 2002 election when Prime Minister Lionel Jospin embarrassingly failed to qualify for the presidential runoff. Hollande's former partner Segolene Royal ? the mother of his four children ? was defeated by Sarkozy in the last presidential elections in 2007.

Hollande's program calls for reversing cuts in education introduced by Sarkozy's government, a new work contract to encourage companies to hire young people and focus on reducing France's high state budget deficit. It says little about international affairs, other than calling for an unspecified "pact" with Germany, the EU's economic engine, to spur on the now-troubled European project.

___

Greg Keller can be reached at http://twitter.com/Greg_Keller

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_hollande

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Automotive Metric Fasteners for the Pivotal Automobile Community

Metric fasteners are people fastening tools which adhere with the specifications of global expectations as agreed upon once the Worldwide Business for Standardization was set up in 1947. These fasteners occur within a big selection of metals like metal, stainless-steel, brass, nylon and titanium. So, what consists of metric fasteners? They involve sockets, bolts, screws, and nuts that are obligatory for affixing your valuables for the risk-free job operation. These fasteners are utilized in necessary trade sectors just like the automotive, development, trailer, marine, industrial and commercial fasteners and many others.

In this post, we might stick only to automotive fasteners on account of house constrains. Also, a latest survey has seen the automotive trade could be the single greatest buyers of fasteners (This trade absorbs 26 billion out of total 200 billion fasteners made yearly). The automotive bolts will be the most critical fasteners put into use right here. Also referred to as threaded fasteners, this one particular consists of either a threaded pin or rod having a head at one particular conclusion. It is easy to insert the bolts by way of holes in assembled areas after which fasten it by a mated nut having a guidance of pari turf presentation torque. Amongst the a range of automotive bolts readily available in the market currently are wheel bolts, hub bolts, U-bolts, all mounting plates bolts and many others. Then one can find automotive nuts, which can be readily available as easy nuts, collar nuts, locking nuts, t-nuts, hex nuts, jam nuts, lug nuts, plate nuts, self locking nuts, stainless-steel nuts and many others.

Even though the vast majority of the companies of cars depend upon exterior supply to have fasteners, it can be highly recommended you purchase them only from sources which have adequate experience. Get them from companies that use state-of-the-art equipments and tools for production of superior superior. They needs to be in a position to facilitate you, as clientele with custom-made solutions for certain wants. Be sure that the raw elements employed in these metric fasteners guarantee highest stage of functionality, dependability and longevity. Take advantage of thread cutting screws, or sheet steel screws, when the really need arise.

If you are in the automotive trade, it can be highly recommended that before applying the automotive , they can be checked and tested appropriately for obtaining the most impressive effects. This applies if you could be ordering these fasteners in bulk or in small-scale packaged quantities as well as as you are ordering building/construction fasteners. In spite of everything, these fasteners diminish threat and boost functionality in cars. Never compromise for the reason that unwarranted accidents on streets are to become averted by any means fees. In spite of everything treasured daily life and residence is linked to this. In other words, get guaranteed safety with superior metric fasteners.

Source: http://www.pinotagebook.com/automotive-metric-fasteners-for-the-pivotal-automobile-community

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Attacks in Nigeria's Kano kill over 100: security source (Reuters)

ABUJA (Reuters) ? More than 100 people were killed in bomb attacks and gunfights in Nigeria's second largest city Kano late on Friday, a senior local government security source told Reuters, in the deadliest coordinated strike claimed by Islamist sect Boko Haram to date.

"Definitely more than 100 have been killed," the source, who could not be named, said. "There were bombs and then gunmen were attacking police and police came back with attacks." Hospital staff said there were still bodies arriving at morgues in Kano.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack. The sect has killed hundreds in the north of Africa's most populous nation in the last year.

(Reporting by Mike Oboh; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/wl_nm/us_nigeria_blast

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Best Bets: Stephanie Plum hits big screen

Lionsgate Films

Katherine Heigl plays Stephanie Plum in "One For the Money."

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

At last, the movies are starting to get ... if not good, at least interesting. And last year's movies are starting to hit DVD and Blu-ray, so if you're snowed in, stock up on films for home viewing.

Movies
Look around the next airport you're in and you'll see dozens of folks?engrossed in?books?from the Stephanie Plum series. Plum is author Janet Evanovich's lingerie-saleswoman-turned-bounty-hunter, and the heroine of her numerically titled books. Now the first in that series, "One For the Money," is coming to the big screen, with the sometimes controversial Katherine Heigl as Plum. Book fans have high hopes, but we'll have to see if Heigl and the cast live up to the characters so many have already imagined in their heads. (Jan. 27.)

Does Liam Neeson really punch a wolf in the snout??In "The Grey," Neeson plays the leader of a group of plane crash survivors who are determined to make it out of the Alaskan wilderness alive. The trailer reveals that even those tiny liquor bottles they put on planes can be a weapon if you really need them to be. (Jan. 27.)

TV
The third "Spartacus" series, "Spartacus: Vengeance,"?comes to TV?this week.?If you watched "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," you know the gladiators have killed their master and escaped his brutal school. But are the Romans going to let them get away without a fight? Don't bet on it. (Jan. 27, 10 p.m., Starz.)

DVD
That poor family in the "Paranormal Activity" series! Apparently they've been cursed for decades, and in "Paranormal Activity 3," hitting DVD this week, we learn about how Katie and Kristi's growing up was more "Addams Family" than "Brady Bunch." The Bloody Mary sequence, where the girls stare into a bathroom mirror and try to summon the supernatural with that old slumber-party game, is jump-out-of-your-seat scary.?(On DVD Jan. 27)

"Real Steel" also hits DVD this week, and it was a bit of a surprise hit at the box office. Sure, it looked like two hours of giant robots pounding each other, "Battlebots" style, but really it was a sweet family film. Hugh Jackman plays the dad and washed-up boxing promoter who gets to know the son he never really cared about as they try to fight their way up the rankings. (On DVD Jan. 27)

Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10191370-best-bets-stephanie-plum-hits-big-screen

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Ch?vez appointment - a slap to Colombia?

Venezuela President Hugo Ch?vez's?new defense minister is worrying officials in both the US and Colombia because of his links to Colombia's FARC rebels.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has tried to build better relations with?his counterpart in Venezuela, Hugo Ch?vez, who?once accused the Colombian president of trying to have him assassinated.

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But as Mr. Ch?vez enters election year with stepped up rhetoric aimed at?Washington and the opposition at home, Mr. Santos may be caught in the?crossfire. One of the primary sources of antagonism between the two?nations was Ch?vez?s alleged links to the Revolutionary Armed Forces?of Colombia (FARC).

The links are personified by Venezuelan Gen. Henry Rangel Silva,?who was accused by the United States in 2008 of aiding drug?trafficking and pushing for cooperation between the Venezuelan?government and FARC.

Ch?vez swore in General Rangel Silva this week as Venezuela?s new defense minister.

The ceremony came just days after two major Colombian news outlets?published correspondence which they claim proves that Rangel Silva was?for a long time the principle contact between the Venezuelan?government and FARC and also shows links between the general and?FARC?s newly appointed leader Rodrigo Londono, also known as?Timochenko.

Authorities in both Washington and Bogot? will have grimaced at the?appointment. Ch?vez, however, defended his decision in typically?theatrical language.

?If our defense minister is attacked by imperialism and its lackeys?and if our defense minister is attacked by the Venezuelan bourgeoisie,?it is because we have a tremendous defence minister,? said Ch?vez as?he spoke to the thousands of troops gathered at Fort Tiuna in Caracas.??[They] have no proof,? Ch?vez added. ?It is all untrue.?

It is not just US and Colombian diplomats who will be worried. With?elections due in less than 10 months, and primaries within a month,?there are concerns that Ch?vez is asserting his control on the army in?preparation.

Rangel Silva even declared last year that the Venezuelan military was??absolutely loyal? to Ch?vez.

If elections don?t go Ch?vez?s way in October, there are worries that?the military will fail to support the alternative successor; this?would inevitably destabilize the OPEC-member country.

Ch?vez did say in a 10-hour state of the nation speech on Friday that?he would honor election results and show off the ?political maturity??the country had acquired during his now 13-year Bolivarian revolution.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/uRH4tEqzSJs/Chavez-appointment-a-slap-to-Colombia

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iBooks Author EULA claims all paid content is exclusive to Apple

Following Apple's iBooks Author announcement today, word started to circulate that content made with Apple's app could only be sold in Apple's iBookstore. Author's could freely distribute the work, but they couldn't sell it elsewhere.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/VsB5SMa5d1E/story01.htm

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Williams-Sonoma must jump hurdles to return home

FILE - In this March 20, 2007 file photo, Chuck Williams stands in front of his original store location in Sonoma, Calif, during a reception celebrating the company's 50th anniversary. High-end cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma could be blocked from returning to its hometown, as the Sonoma City Council considers enacting a moratorium on chain stores. The company has been in discussions to buy the downtown building where it opened its first store in 1956. (AP Photo/Press Democrat, Mark Aronoff, File)

FILE - In this March 20, 2007 file photo, Chuck Williams stands in front of his original store location in Sonoma, Calif, during a reception celebrating the company's 50th anniversary. High-end cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma could be blocked from returning to its hometown, as the Sonoma City Council considers enacting a moratorium on chain stores. The company has been in discussions to buy the downtown building where it opened its first store in 1956. (AP Photo/Press Democrat, Mark Aronoff, File)

FILE - In this March 20, 2007 file photo Chuck Williams, center, founder of Williams-Sonoma Inc., stands outside his very first storefront as a plaque, lower left, is unveiled to mark his company's 50th anniversary in Sonoma, Calif. High-end cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma could be blocked from returning to its hometown, as the Sonoma City Council considers enacting a moratorium on chain stores. The company has been in discussions to buy the downtown building where it opened its first store in 1956. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) ? Chuck Williams first opened his little shop in Sonoma in the heart of Northern California wine country in 1956 ? and eventually saw it grow into the Williams-Sonoma chain that is now worth some $3 billion.

The cookware giant now wants to build a store at the same site in Sonoma where it first opened more than a half century ago, but is facing hurdles as the Sonoma City Council considers a zoning ordinance to regulate chain stores in the city's historic district.

The City Council was to vote Wednesday on a temporary moratorium on chain stores from its downtown plaza while it drafts a permanent zoning ordinance that will regulate and possible ban "formula" stores from its historic city center. But when it became clear that the four of five votes needed to pass the urgent moratorium were not there, they shelved the issue until they could discuss it further.

Mayor Joanne Sanders worries the proposed ordinance could hurt the local economy for the 10,000 residents in the town that was once the capital of the California Republic in the 1800s. The small-business owner is opposed to chain-store regulations and believes there is room for growth while maintaining the charm of the rural community nestled in the Sonoma Valley.

"It's a business that has become somewhat of a household name," Sanders said of Williams-Sonoma. "And with that, it has tugged us along behind in the little red wagon. Sonoma is on the map as a tourist destination, a premier wine-country venue, a historic town ? partly because of that name recognition."

She believes the kitchenware store would draw more tourists to Sonoma and create badly needed jobs.

Williams-Sonoma spokeswoman Rebecca Weill released a statement describing the city as having "tremendous significance to Williams-Sonoma" and to its founder, Chuck Williams.

"When we learned of this real estate opportunity, we thought what better way to honor Chuck than to bring his journey full circle," the statement said. "Our goal is to connect to our roots and honor Chuck's legacy by creating a space of historical significance."

The company met with city officials last week to present its plans. City planners say Williams-Sonoma wants to open a smaller, boutique-style version of its typical outlet. The store would not be on the main historic plaza, but would have to meet new criteria not currently on the books if the current language of the draft ordinance is approved.

City planners said Williams-Sonoma Inc. is negotiating the contract on the property where Chuck Williams, now 97, first started selling his high-end cookware imported from France. There are now more than 250 Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide. The company also owns the housewares and furniture behemoth Pottery Barn.

While there is a Chico's clothing store and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop on Sonoma's main plaza, there are no Starbucks, and most of the boutiques, restaurants, pottery, artisan cheese and wine-tasting stores are locally owned.

City Councilmember Ken Brown said that while he favors the ordinance to regulate large-scale chain stores, there are always exceptions to the rules, and Williams-Sonoma would likely be one of them.

"You have to take into consideration as to who this is," Brown said. "Mr. Williams founded his empire in Sonoma and that counts here in Sonoma."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-19-Williams-Sonoma-Homecoming/id-e5b2c063a2a84f42abeeff0b40fd7668

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