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The First Draft: White House “gate-crashers” say they’re suffering By David Morgan (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:19:47 AM

They passed through layers of White House security to attend a lavish state dinner, got themselves photographed with the president and vice president and posted pix on Facebook. It was supposed to be an experience to last a lifetime. But now, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the couple at the center of one of the most embarrassing White House security breaches of all time, say their lives have been destroyed by falsehood and gossip. “Devastated. Shocked,” is how beautiful, blond, former NFL cheerleader Michaele recalls her reaction to the morning-after headlines in an interview with NBC’s Today show. And Tareq? “Very saddened,” he says. According to the White House, the Salahis were not on the

invitation list. But they insist they were invited and predict that emails now in the hands of the Secret Service will exonerate them in the end. In the meantime, their lives are a one-syllable word for perdition. Tareq: “Our lives have really been destroyed.” Michaele: “Everything we’ve worked for — for me, 44 years

— destroyed.” The U.S. media have made the Salahis out to be self-promoting social climbers who crashed the White House dinner while Michaele was auditioning for a new reality TV show called “The Real Housewives of Washington.” There have even been reports they tried to cash in on their exploits by demanding

big bucks in exchange for media interviews. A camera crew from the cableTV channel, Bravo, did follow them to the edge of the White House grounds on the night of the dinner. But the bit about paid interviews is dead wrong, says Michaele: “At no time … have we ever even talked about doing that with anyone.” Whether the Salahis are charged depends on a Secret Service probe to figure out just what happened. The Salahis tell NBC they hope to clear their name by sharing those e-mails as soon as the Secret Service says they can. When might that be? “We hope within the next several days,” Tareq says. Photo Credits: Reuters/Ho New (the Salahis and Obama); Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (the Salahis)

Live blog of Obama’s Afghanistan speech By Reuters Staff (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:22:35 PM

Reuters’ Toby Zakaria will be live blogging the Obama speech on Tuesday night.

In nod to media, Google News policy limited By Tom Krazit (Webware.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:54:00 AM

Google's "First Click Free" policy allowed Google News and search users to discover news articles behind paywalls, but it was easy to abuse. Now, there are limits. Originally posted at Relevant Results

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New U.S. “voice of development” fluent in Washington speak By Andrew Quinn (Front Row Washington)

RedPrairie looks for a red-hot IPO

Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:11:33 PM

Rajiv Shah, the Obama administration’s nominee to head the troubled U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), carries a resume heavy with outside-the-beltway cred. Medical doctor. Agricultural scientist. Gates Foundation expert. So at least one senator at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday was surprised that, with scarcely a few months of government experience under his belt as an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture, Shah was already fluent in Washington’s bureaucratic doublespeak. “You’ve learned the Washington process very well,” New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said as Shah confidently turned questions into answers without providing much in the way of fact, opinion, or hard detail. No matter. Shah, 36, appeared

By Tom Taulli (BloggingStocks)

sophisticated systems to forecast consumer demand. This is done by improving visibility on Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:20:00 PM logistics, inventory and Filed under: Initial public personnel. It also helps that to enjoy strong bipartisan support that have seen it sidelined and offerings, Technology While RedPrairie has extensive domain for his job as the head of a U.S. neglected in favor of other business software can be highly expertise in complex areas like foreign aid apparatus that almost a g e n c i e s i n c l u d i n g t h e lucrative, it's tough to build international business and everybody agrees has been D e p a r t m e n t o f D e f e n s e . critical mass. Look at RedPrairie. regulatory requirements. seriously diminished. Senator John Kerry, the head of The company got its start about Continue reading RedPrairie “During the last two decades, the foreign relations committee, 35 years ago. looks for a red-hot IPO decision-makers have not made it said Shah would become the “de But it is not until now that the RedPrairie looks for a red-hot easy for USAID to perform its facto voice of development in the company has filed to go public. IPO originally appeared on vital function,” Senator Dick U.S. government” — charged The offering should hit the BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec Lugar, the senior Republican on with advocating for long-term markets in the first quarter of 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see the Senate Foreign Relations strategies to improve people’s next year. our terms for use of feeds. Committee, said. “The rescue lives around the world amid the The main focus for RedPrairie is Permalink| Email this| Comments mission I think is imperative.” epic chop and flow of D.C. h e l p i n g c o m p a n i e s b o o s t Shah — whose confirmation policy-making. productivity, such as with looked all but assured given the Maybe Washington speak will warm tone of his hearing — prove useful. stands to take over a $20 billion Click here for more Reuters agency that employs more than political coverage 6 , 8 0 0 p e o p l e i n a b o u t 8 0 PHOTO/ USAID official logo countries and is struggling to redefine its mission after years

Turnaround guru Miller moves over to private equity By Tom Taulli (BloggingStocks)

holds huge profit potential. There are many firms looking for capital, especially in light of the Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:30:00 PM tough credit markets. At the same Filed under: Ford Motor (F), time, there are company founders One of the top private equity Private equity In the private who are looking to exit their players in the middle market is equity space, the middle-market business and plan for retirement. MidOcean Partners. And, this

week the scored a big win. That is, they hired Robert Miller as its Chairman. Continue reading Turnaround guru Miller moves over to private equity Turnaround guru Miller moves

over to private equity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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30,000 more troops for Afghanistan By Mark Tran, Daniel Nasaw (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

Taliban strongholds in the countryside to the cities. 7.42pm: AP reports Obama will announce that US forces will Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:28:56 PM start leaving Afghanistan in July Barack Obama tonight will end 2011. That means the troop months of uncertainty over his surge could last just over a year, Afghanistan policy when he d e p e n d i n g o n t h e p a c e o f announces a military escalation r e d e p l o y m e n t . in an attempt to prevent the war 7.13pm: from being lost. Main points so Daniel Nasaw in Washington far. here. Thanks Mark. â&#x20AC;˘ Troops will start pulling out Reuters asks if the rapid 6before the end of 2012 month deployment schedule of * Extra troops will be deployed the 30,000 additional troops is within six months driven by the US political â&#x20AC;˘ Obama will send about 30,000 calendar. (The entire House of more soldiers Representatives, one third of the â&#x20AC;˘ US wants an extra 5,000 to Senate and many state governors 10,000 Nato troops are up for election in November 8.20pm: 2010). House Democratic Majority The answer, according to Leader Steny Hoyer blasts former Anthony Cordesman, senior V i c e - p r e s i d e n t C h e n e y ' s fellow at the prominent Centre a s s e r t i o n t h a t t h e B u s h for Strategic and International a d m i n i s t r a t i o n b e a r s n o Studies: No. responsibility for the mess in You cannot predict in any sense Afghanistan. if this is going to have a good or Hoyer told Politico: negative impact on the election. They started something and You can guess all you want but didn't finish it, and they left it for you have no way of knowing. this administration to clean up. The president is probably more 7.54pm: concerned with a second term G i l l e s D o r r o n s o r o o f t h e and history than trying to time a C a r n e g i e E n d o w m e n t f o r war to the uncertainties of a International Peace, has an c o n g r e s s i o n a l e l e c t i o n . . . informative video Q&A on the presidents are not congressmen. recent Afghanistan elections, the 7.03pm: origins of the Taliban and the My colleague in Washington, affect of the US presence there. Daniel Nasaw, will be taking As Mark Tran noted earlier, over now and will continue live Dorronsoro f a v o u r s coverage until Obama's redeployment of US troops from announcement. Thanks for all

your comments. 6.48pm: Michael Tomasky can't believe that Dick Cheney thinks the Bush administration bears no responsibility for the situation in Afghanistan. 6.39pm: AP has fleshed out its story about withdrawal timetable - the exit strategy will have a starting point of sometime before the end of 2012, while the first Marines in the surge will arrive as early as Christmas day. 6.34pm: Angela Merkel, the German leader, says Germany is not ready to send more troops. She has told reporters that Germany would await the results of an international conference on Afghanistan next month in London before deciding whether to commit more forces, AP reports. 6.30pm: The Los Angeles Times focuses on where US troops will be concentrated- southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban are strongest. Plans call for a near-doubling of the Marine contingent in Helmand, which is to grow to about 20,000. That in turn will pave the way for a US-led push to capture the town of Marja, which has remained out of the grasp of Marines who arrived in Helmand five months ago. 6.27pm: AP has just snapped this. Official: US troops will start

leaving Afghanistan "well before" end of Obama's first term. This is the first inkling we have had about time frame for US forces leaving. 6.20pm: Sky News is picking up an AFP report that France has said no to Obama's request for 1,500 more French soldiers. France has 3,160 troops in Afghanistan, the fourth largest force contributor behind the US (68,000), the UK (9,000) and Germany (4,000). 5.47pm: Reuters has more on that sixmonth deployment, which appears to be the big surprise in Obama's announcement tonight. It says the Pentagon was expecting a rollout over 12-18 months and that the deployment represents a "major gamble" by Obama. 5.41pm: Jon Boone reports on ructions in Kabul as Kai Eide, the top UN envoy in Afghanistan attacks plans to install a powerful foreign envoy to deal with Karzai. 5.27pm: The US will be counting heavily on Pakistan to bear down on its side of the border on Taliban leaders who have sought refuge in the northern city of Quetta. However, Dawn, the liberal leading Pakistani paper, reports that President Asif Ali Zardari, is in deep political trouble because of unpopular polices such as accepting US aid that came with conditions.

Zardari's downfall would complicate US efforts to secure more support for its battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Failure there could damage President Barack Obama's presidency. 5.12pm: Like the New York Times, the Washington Post is leading on the accelerated deployment of troops, launching what Obama is hoping to be the "end game" to the eight-year war. 5.04pm: As the US and its western allies step up their war effort against the Taliban, they are stuck with Hamid Karzai, who they probably regard as the weakest link in their strategy. Christina Lamb, the veteran foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times, wrote this revealing profile recently of the man she first met in 1987. It contains this damning verdict. He may have looked the part but in retrospect Karzai was probably the wrong man for the job. "He couldn't even run a restaurant," said Ashraf Ghani, his first finance minister. 4.45pm: Asked on ABC News whether this will be the last time that Obama will ask for more troops from the American people for Afghanistan, Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, says "the president sure believes so." It does sound like a last throw of 30,000 page 6

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the dice. 4.34pm: Reaction from Afghans is mixed, Jon Boone reports from Kabul. Here is what people are saying. Gulab Mangal, governor of Helmand: I really welcome the additional troops for Afghanistan and for Helmand. And we have to seize the opportunity to expand our Afghan National Army and police, that way we can take responsibility for security in the country ourselves. Shahzada, a village chief from the Babaji area of Helmand: In the past 30 years all are problems have been because of the foreign troops. In the past we suffered a lot under the Russians and the same things happened today with Americans and foreign troops. We are not happy with the current level of foreign troops â&#x20AC;&#x201C; any increase will make things worse. Mohamad Sharif, shopkeeper from Lashkar Gah, Helmand: Instead of bringing more foreign troops they should improve the Afghan National Army. Everyone is happy with the ANA, but not the police who are corrupt. Abdul Samad, Kabul taxi driver: sending more troops is not the solution, the main problem is employment. Unemployment leads people to join the opposition and the criminals. Sending more troops, it will make the situation worse. Daoud Sultonzoy, member of parliament:I am confused a little

bit about the timing. It thought it would be announced after Mr Obama hears what sort of reform Mr Karzai was going to do but we haven't heard anything. I'm sure Mr Karzai has charmed Mr Obama and talked him into making this announcement before he shows his hand. Shukria Barakzai, member of parliament: Security cannot come only with more troops. There should be negotiations with those Taliban who accept the constitution. And security is linked to economic growth and access for ordinary people to justice. Without justice there is no security. Arsala Jamal, former governor of Khost: Yes in a way more troops will help of course but we believe that it should be coupled with more resources being allocated to civilian development, creating a good governance and more development works. There also needs to be regional approach to encourage Pakistan to deal with the insurgency inside their own borders where it is based. 4.21pm: The UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, who was heavily criticised for his handling of the August election, has been briefing reporters. Our man in Kabul, Jon Boone, says he called for a "transition strategy not an exit strategy" as the world needs to reaffirm its commitment to Afghanistan. Eide also said the risk of southerners thinking they are under a foreign occupation

when the troop surge happens can be reduced by continuing to focus on reducing civilian casualities. As for resigning, Eide said that "at this critical juncture it would be absolutely wrong to have any change in the major international positions in Afghanistan". He claimed to have received support from top US officials including Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy. 4.06pm: AP is reporting that the US wants its allies to provide 5,000 and 10,000 new troops to the international force in Afghanistan. Bob Herbet, a columnist at the New York Times takes the same tack as the Nation. It would have been much more difficult for Mr Obama to look this troubled nation in the eye and explain why it is in our best interest to begin winding down the permanent state of warfare left to us by the Bush and Cheney regime. It would have taken real courage for the commander in chief to stop feeding our young troops into the relentless meat grinder of Afghanistan, to face up to the terrible toll the war is taking â&#x20AC;&#x201D; on the troops themselves and in very insidious ways on the nation as a whole. The price tag for escalation will be hefty and the Wall Street Journal carries some eyewatering numbers. It says the administration will have a fight on its hands in trying to raise

money for the war effort. The White House estimates that sending 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan would add approximately $30bn in new costs per year, or about $1m per soldier or Marine. The Pentagon estimates that it will cost roughly $500,000 per soldier, for a total of about $15bn per year in new expenses. 3.47pm: The New York Times is leading on the speed of Obama's deployment- sending in 30,000 over the next six months, which is much faster than anyone expected. It amounts to a trying to deliver a decisive blow to the Taliban over that period. Of course the Taliban can choose to lie low until the surge subsides. 3.41pm: The leftwing Nation magazine carries the"speech" that it says Obama should deliver tonight but won't. Let me say as bluntly as I can that I have decided to send no more troops to Afghanistan. Beyond that, I believe it is in the national interest of the American people that this war, like the Iraq War, be drawn down. 3.27pm: If Stewart and Dorronsoro are the most articulate in presenting the case for de-escalation, Steve Coll at the New Yorker, is one of the most convincing in spelling out the risks of "losing" Afghanistan, including increased momenturm for a Taliban revolution in Pakistan and the potential for more Islamist

violence in India. 3.08pm: This from the Associated Press A senior administration official has told The Associated Press that President Barack Obama is sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to be deployed over six months. In his speech Tuesday night, Obama also will lay out a rough timeframe, including some dates, for when the main US military mission will end. AP does not have details on the last point, which is perhaps what most people will want to hear about. 3.04pm: In the course of Obama's lengthy deliberations, there has been plenty of time for backers and opponents of his strategy to make their respective arguments. Consequently there is a rich debate on the pros and cons of escalation. Two of the most persuasive voices for reducing the military effort have been Rory Stewart and Gilles Doronsorro. Stewart, who served as governor of an Iraqi province in 2003-2004 and walked across in Afghanistan, argues that trying to build a strong Afghan state is an exercise in futility as it goes against history. His article in the London Review of Books in July is worth revisiting. The best Afghan policy would be to reduce the number of foreign troops from the current 30,000 page 9

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Seized sailors row escalates as David Miliband intervenes By James Meikle, Matthew Weaver, Sam Jones (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:51:15 AM

Foreign secretary speaks to counterpart after Tehran warns of 'hard and serious' measures against five British yachtsmen David Miliband spoke to Iran's foreign minister this evening about the five British yachtsmen seized in the Persian Gulf last week as fears grow for their safety. The conversation, which followed an earlier claim from Miliband that the matter would be handled at consular level, came after the Iranian ambassador to the UK went to the Foreign Office for talks this afternoon. Rasoul Movahedian's 30-minute meeting with the permanant undersecretary, Peter Ricketts, came after a close aide to the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, today warned the five men would face "hard and serious" measures if it were found they had "evil intentions". The sailors were captured six days ago when their racing yacht was intercepted by Iran's navy while en route from Bahrain to an event in Dubai. The incident was kept secret until yesterday as the Foreign Office sought to establish what had happened and tried to avoid raising the political temperature. But Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie,

Ahmadinejad's head of staff, turned up the heat. "Naturally, our measures will be hard and serious if we find out they had evil intentions," he told the semi-official Fars News agency, according to Reuters. A Foreign Office spokesman said Ricketts had asked the ambassador for more information on the captives at their meeting this afternoon. "He stressed the need for Iran to confirm where the yachtsmen are being held, to grant us formal consular access to them, and the need for a speedy resolution to this matter," the spokesman said. "These were points we had been making for some days. Since it was now almost a week since the yachtsmen were held, the delay in providing a full explanation of what had happened and clarity on Iranian intentions were a matter of increasing concern." It is thought the yacht, the Kingdom of Bahrain, may have strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, said. The organisers of the race the sailors were due to compete in said the yacht had lost its propeller. The vessel was being delivered by the crew to the annual Dubai to Muscat race, which was due to begin the following day. All the Britons were said to be safe and well and their families have been informed. The crew members have been named as Oliver Smith, 31, Oliver Young, 21, Sam Usher,

Luke Porter, 21 and David Bloomer. Miliband told the Commons today there was no connection between the capture of the crew and the diplomatic clash over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "There is no link at all between the position of the yachtsmen and the Iranian nuclear file or other political issues that exist between Iran and the international community," he said. "We very much look forward to the yachtsmen being released on a consular basis." The foreign secretary said the government was working with Tehran to ensure the men were released as soon as possible, adding that he understood they were being treated well, "as we would expect in Iran". Gordon Brown's spokesman said the government was in close contact with the sailors' families. "The facts are emerging. We don't have all the facts in front of us," he said. "What we do know is these five yachtsmen were on the way to a race. They probably, and inadvertently, strayed into Iranian waters. We are in close touch with the families." Asked if he was certain the yachtsmen were in Iranian waters, the spokesman replied: "The evidence appears to be that they strayed into Iranian waters." Oliver Young's father told the thisisplymouth website he was sure his son was "fine". David Young, a Plymouth businessman, said: "He's travelled a fair bit,

he's got quite a bit of experience under his belt. They'll be coping with it fine. We understand they are being well looked after. "He's been doing this since he's 18. He's with a very good friend of his and two crew members. They've been out there on this project for a number of weeks now â&#x20AC;Ś We hope to see them very soon. "It's just a worry that there are diplomatic stresses at the moment. They are under international pressure. We just hope they're not used as a bargaining chip." Keith Mutch, general manager of the Dubai offshore sailing club, the race organisers, told the BBC: "In all of our sailing instructions, skippers are briefed to stay away from Iranian waters. "I've been told, although I can't confirm this, that Team Pindar had lost her propeller. We were waiting for her to come and pick one up." The shadow foreign minister, David Lidington, called for the sailors to be released immediately. He told the BBC: "I think it is completely unjustifiable and I believe Iran should release these people from captivity without delay. "There was no justification for them being arrested in the first place." The Tory MP Ben Wallace, chairman of the British-Iranian all-party parliamentary group, said Iran was trying "make a

point". He told the BBC: "A normal nation would stop a yacht, check it out, maybe take it back to shore and get rid of them. But this is five, six days into the incident. That is much more worrying, that is more deliberate." Communication with Iran may have been made more difficult since the incident occurred over the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha. The race went ahead as planned. Sail Bahrain is the brainchild of Bahrain's King Hamad, who wants to develop sailing and other water sports in the Gulf region. The team has recently brought two 60ft Volvo racing yachts, of which the Kingdom of Bahrain is one, to the kingdom from Southampton after setting up the project with Team Pindar racing. Bloomer, a DJ and sports broadcaster, has worked for the Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation for 25 years. He was expected to give regular updates on the 360-nautical-mile Dubai to Muscat race for which the yacht was headed. Louay Habib, press officer for the Dubai offshore sailing club, said the yacht, which, when racing, would have had nine crew, ran into trouble about 60 miles off Dubai. The incident comes amid heightened tensions over Iran's plans, announced on Sunday, to build 10 uranium enrichment SEIZED page 8

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EU proposes new Palestinian capital By Rory McCarthy (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

community. " If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the capital of two Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:17:05 PM states," says the draft, which the Israel accuses EU of destroying Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz has prospects of renewed peace talks obtained a copy of. with document seen as an effort Sweden, which currently holds to strengthen Abbas the EU presidency, was singled An EU document stressing that out for blame by Israel. "The East Jerusalem should be the move led by Sweden damages capital of a future Palestinian the ability of the European Union state brought a sharp response to take a role and be a significant today from Israel, which claimed factor in negotiations between Brussels was damaging the Israel and the Palestinians," the p r o s p e c t s o f p e a c e t a l k s Israeli foreign ministry said. restarting. "After the important steps taken The draft document, to be by the government of Israel to discussed by EU foreign enable the resumption of ministers next week, strongly n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h t h e criticised Israeli policies towards Palestinians, the European Union the Palestinians and warned must now exert pressure on the negotiations need to resume Palestinians to return to the urgently to break the "stalemate" negotiating table. Steps like those in the peace process. Although being led by Sweden only the EU has long said that contribute to the opposite effect." Jerusalem's future should be Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian r e s o l v e d i n f i n a l s t a t u s president, has refused to resume negotiations, the draft appears to negotiations – now frozen for a be part of a diplomatic effort to year – unless Israel halts all strengthen the Palestinians and construction in settlements, in encourage them to return to talks. l i n e w i t h i t s U S r o a d m a p The draft says a future Palestine obligations. Israel has refused, should be made up of the West offering instead a 10-month B a n k a n d G a z a w i t h E a s t partial freeze but insisting it will Jerusalem as its capital. It adds continue to build inside East that the EU did not recognise Jerusalem settlements and on Israel's annexation of East 3,000 homes and all public Jerusalem – a position shared by b u i l d i n g s i n W e s t B a n k the rest of the international s e t t l e m e n t s .

Abbas has threatened not to run in the next presidential election, apparently out of frustration with a lack of progress and of US support. Diplomats, and most senior Palestinian leaders, want him to stay. The document – which comes ahead of a meeting on Tuesday of the EU foreign affairs council – insists that the borders of a future Palestinian state must be based on those in 1967, which stood until the six day war, and should only be changed under joint agreement. The draft also talks about recognising Palestinian statehood. This comes at a time when Palestinian leaders have considered a unilateral declaration of independence or attempting to win a UN security council resolution affirming statehood over the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. But the wording was careful not to say when such recognition would come. "The council [of the EU] also reiterates its commitment to support further efforts and steps towards Palestinian statehood and to be able, at the appropriate time, to recognise a Palestinian state." It said settlements, Israel's separation barrier and the demolition of Palestinian houses were "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two

Hubble Explains Nebulas Ruddy Complexion By Alexis Madrigal (Wired Top Stories)

New observations by Hubble explain why a nebula that should

be blue is actually tinted red.

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-state solution impossible." Israel's long-running economic blockade of Gaza was "unacceptable" under international law and "politically counterproductive." But there was limited praise for Israel. In the draft the EU says it hopes the 10-month partial settlement freeze "will become a step towards resuming meaningful negotiations" and welcomed Israel's removal of some of its hundreds of checkpoints and obstacles in the West Bank. Today more Jewish settlers moved into a Palestinian house in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, an area that has become a front line in Israel's settlement project. Several Palestinian houses in the east of the city have been demolished in recent weeks. A UN spokesman described these as "provocative actions" and said they should "cease immediately". • Palestinian territories • Middle East • Israel • European Union • United States • Sweden Rory McCarthy guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

plants. Iran's relations with Britain have been frosty since the country's disputed election earlier this year. • Iran • Foreign policy James Meikle Matthew Weaver Sam Jones guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Michael Jackson tops Google, Yahoo search in 2009 By Don Reisinger (Webware.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:54:27 AM

That No. 1 ranking should come as no surprise. Web traffic surged on word of the singer's death in June--so much that Google initially suspected an attack.

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level of 90,000 to far fewer – perhaps 20,000. In that case, two distinct objectives would remain for the international community: development and counterterrorism. Neither would amount to the building of an Afghan state. If the West believed it essential to exclude al-Qaida from Afghanistan, then they could do it with special forces. (They have done it successfully since 2001 and could continue indefinitely, though the result has only been to move bin Laden across the border.) Dorronsorro, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, has been arguing for a redeployment of troops to the north instead of trying to defeat the Taliban in Helmand and the south, where they are strongest. He believes Nato troops should focus on defending the cities and major communications routes. 2.37pm: For an opposing view watch MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann deliver a sarcastically -worded rant against sending troops. "If you liked Iraq, you'll love Afghanistan with 35,000 more troops complete with new wrinkles from the Minderbinder lingo of Joseph Heller's Catch 22," he says.

The Huffington Post has a full text. 2.32pm: Professor Michael Clarke from the Royal United Services Institute thinktank believes that Obama's strategy, announced back in March, has a chance of success now that he has decided to send more troops. You can listen to him on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. (Sscroll down to 8.15) 2.23pm: Even as he announces an escalation, Obama will lay out what is effect an exit strategy, the Washington Post reports. Last week, Obama said he wanted to "finish the job", although that begs the question as to whether it will take one term - or two if he is re-elected. Despite the attention on troop numbers for Afghanistan, the real strategic prize is Pakistan, the Post reported yesterday. Pakistan has been the hot core of the months-long strategy review. The long-term consequences of failure there, the review concluded, far outweigh those in Afghanistan. 2.00pm: All eyes will be on Barack Obama tonight when he finally announces the most momentous decision of his presidency. He will address the American people

at 8pm in the US - 1am here in the UK. I will be blogging on developments leading up to the announcement before handing over to my colleague Daniel Nasaw in Washington. The venue itself is highly symbolic, America's most prestigious military academy, West Point in New York state. He has chosen to speak there rather than the White House, a decision that emphasises not only his role as commander-in-chief but also the gravity of the military situation in Afghanistan. Obama has been building up to this since the beginning of the year, holding nine strategy meetings. In fact, Obama announced a "new strategy" back in March, so strictly speaking this is a recalibration of that strategy. Inevitably there have been leaks. • He is expected to announce the deployment of 30,000 troops, on top of the 21,000 sent in March. • In an intriguing twist, the Guardian's diplomatic editor, Julian Borger, reports on a Nato split over US moves to bypass Hamid Karzai, the west's flawed partner. We have been here before when Karzai saw off Paddy Ashdown last year, when the US and the UN wanted the former Liberal Democrat leader to be high rep.

In other angles on the story in the Guardian. • Nicholas Watt reports on Gordon Brown's unusual step of announcing the dispatch of over 500 special forces to spearhead the British war effort. • The decision is as much to do with politics as the demands of the military, writes Richard Norton-Taylor. • Malalai Joya, a woman MP in Afghanistan, argues that escalation will be worse than a mistake. It will be a continuation of a war crime. • The Guardian's Data blog has a breakdown on the number of troops each country has in Afghanistan. • Afghanistan • Obama administration • Taliban • Hamid Karzai • Pakistan Mark Tran Daniel Nasaw guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Google, Twitter call attention to World AIDS Day By Don Reisinger (Webware.com)

On World AIDS Day, both Google and Twitter have added some elements to their sites to

increase awareness.

Staples heads higher on third -quarter release By Steven Mallas (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:40:00 PM

Filed under: Earnings reports, Office Depot (ODP), OfficeMax Inc (OMX), Staples Inc (SPLS) Staples ( SPLS) issued Q3 results early this morning, and the market loved them. In afternoon trading, the stock was bid higher by over 6%, with awesome volume backing the trade. According to the press release, total sales decreased 6%. Earnings per diluted share declined as well, dropping 7% on an adjusted basis to 39 cents. That was good enough, though, to beat expectations by a penny, as indicated by our preview piece. Continue reading Staples heads higher on third-quarter release Staples heads higher on thirdquarter release originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Australia: A nation for heads in the sand By Fred Pearce (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

House poking out of a blue sea. But the country also has a history of redneck climate denial. Twelve years ago at the Kyoto Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:35:29 PM summit, while other rich nations Something in the frontier ethic promised carbon emission cuts of the 'big country' still leads Australia won permission to raise many of its residents to declare: its by 8%. Even that wasn't good 'Mate, we don't believe in climate e n o u g h f o r i t s t h e n p r i m e change.' minister John Howard, who Australia is the hottest and, bar eventually pulled out of the Antartica, driest continent on Kyoto protocol with George Earth. Parts have been embroiled Bush. in record drought for the past Recently, the Labor premier, decade, leaving reservoirs empty Kevin Rudd, rejoined Kyoto. But a n d a g r i c u l t u r e d e c i m a t e d . the sceptics are unrepentant. The Things got so bad that thousands Australian geologist Ian Plimer is of camels besieged a Northern the latest international pin-up Territory town last week in among climate sceptics. search of water. Even the "ships Why do the deniers hold such of the desert" couldn't cope. sway down under? For one thing, Yet something in the frontier Australians have the highest per ethic of the "big country" still capita carbon emissions of any leads many of its residents to major developed country thanks grab a cold beer, peer at the to its sprawling suburbs and horizon and declare: "Mate, we heavy coal use. According to don't believe in climate change." figures submitted by Canberra to Maybe they have been out in the the UN, Australia's emissions sun too long, for the country is from burning fossil fuel have living on the edge. risen 30% from 1990 to 2007 – Australian scientists were among more even than the US. the first to warn about global Also, Australia is the world's warming. In 1988 they printed largest coal exporter. Enough is off posters showing the fin- shipped out of giant ports such as shaped roof of the Sydney Opera Gladstone each year to put more

than 0.5bn tonnes of CO 2 into the air. Industrialists have lobbied loudly against any limits on their emissions. Last year the Business Council of Australia called Rudd's cap-and-trade climate plan a "company killer", and declared war on the policy. Now they have seen off the Liberals' Malcolm Turnbull, because he backed that plan. But whatever happens in Copenhagen, Australia's climate policy will still be in a mess. Either the world adopts tough emissions cuts – in which case demand for Australian coal will fall and the country will face painful economic reforms to cut domestic emissions. Or it doesn't – in which case, say its scientists, there is a real risk of Australia becoming uninhabitable. • Australia • Climate change Fred Pearce guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Way out there marketing: Getting paid six figures to wear a T-shirt By Connie Madon (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:00:00 PM

Filed under: Marketing and advertising, Entrepreneurs Jason Sadler made a whopping $85,000 wearing T-shirts! Yes, you heard right, wearing T-shirts. Jason is way out there where imagination rules. He dreamed up the idea of wearing a different T from a different company each day. Simple idea. But there's more. Just getting paid a few dollars to wear a T shirt doesn't add up to $85,000. Now comes Jason's marketing genius. He charges for wearing the T-shirts based on the day of the year. For example, on January 1 he charges $1.00, on the second $2.00 and so on up to

Thousands of NY Sex Offenders Booted From Facebook, MySpace By Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:27:00 AM

Facebook and MySpace

In Role as Kingmaker, the Energy Department Stifles Innovation By Darryl Siry (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:29:00 AM

Of all of the Department of Energy programs intended to advance the green agenda while stimulating the economy, the

$365 for December 31. Continue reading Way out there marketing: Getting paid six figures to wear a T-shirt Way out there marketing: Getting paid six figures to wear a T-shirt originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Advanced Technology Vehicle the most ambitious. But it has a Manufacturing incentive to spur downside. the development of cleaner, greener automobiles is perhaps

terminate the accounts of 3,533 convicted sex offenders in New York after they submit the account information required by the state's 2008 e-STOP law.

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G20 protester jailed for attempt to set Devon Energy remains fire to bank devine (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

near the Bank of England in Threadneedle Street. Charlotte Welsh, prosecuting, said his efforts resulted in Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:08:31 PM nothing more than singed blinds C o u r t h e a r d M i n d a u g u s and "scorching" to the ceiling. Lenartavicius made repeated The barrister added that despite attempts to set blinds at Royal attempts by Lenartavicius to Bank of Scotland in City ablaze conceal his identity, police after fellow demonstrator had relayed details of his distinctive smashed windows studded hood to other officers A demonstrator at the G20 and he was arrested a short time summit who tried to burn down a later. bank in the City of London at the He was searched, and a lighter height of clashes with police was and balaclava were found in his today jailed for two years. pocket. Mindaugus Lenartavicius, a The 22-year-old, who had been Lithuanian, repeatedly attempted staying in a squat on the North to set light to blinds at the Royal Circular Road in Palmers Green, Bank of Scotland after a fellow north London, admitted one protester had smashed windows. count of arson on 1 April this C C T V f o o t a g e s h o w e d year. L e n a r t a v i c i u s , h o o d e d a n d He was formally cleared at an wearing a balaclava, stepping earlier hearing of a similar charge back after each attempt to see accusing him of "being reckless whether the flames had caught. a s t o w h e t h e r l i f e w a s Each time they failed to take e n d a n g e r e d " . hold, he stepped forward and Sentencing, Judge Geoffrey tried to set fire to the blinds Rivlin QC said: "There is no again. doubt you helped to turn a Southwark crown court, in peaceful protest into a violent London, heard that, after he and angry protest. finally succeeded, smoke was "Arson is always a serious "billowing" from the building, matter, and this offence was

committed in the full glare of massive publicity." Because Lenartavicius's sentence is more than 12 months, he faces automatic deportation. Welsh told the court the defendant had arrived from Lithuania days before the G20 protest and had planned to return immediately afterwards. Oliver Wellings, defending, insisted his client was a "pacifist" and had not gone to the protest to cause trouble. "His beliefs and his convictions were sincere, and at the outset it was a peaceful protest," he said. However, he was "swept away by the power of the mob, buy the power of the crowd and, perhaps, the glare of publicity. He suffered a momentary loss of control".." He said it was "not his intent to endanger life nor, indeed, did he believe danger would be caused," Wellings said. â&#x20AC;˘ G20

By Joseph Lazzaro (BloggingStocks)

guardian.co.ukÂŠ Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:00:00 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:00:00 PM

Filed under: Stocks to Buy Devon Energy Corp. ( DVN) remains on schedule for outsized gains in the current expansion, which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company's shares, first recommended on May 27, 2009 at a price of $60.89. If you bought DVN in May, you're up about 13%. Devon was a late addition to the buy list, for technical reasons: those hurdles - primarily key, psychological resistance at $50 have been mounted and now this quality, independent oil/natural

gas company should head toward much higher levels in 2010. Continue reading Devon Energy remains devine Devon Energy remains devine originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Video: Wish List for Stargazers and Audiophiles By Wired.com Video Department (Wired Top Stories)

Looking for the right gift for the audiophiles and stargazers on your list? The Neuhaus

Laboratories T-2 amp lets you sidestep a computer's sound card and pump jams directly through a vacuum-tube amplifier. Set the tunes, then gaze at the stars with the Explore Scientific Apochromatic Telescope.

NES Cartridge iPhone Dock: Ghetto-It-Yourself By Greg Kumparak (CrunchGear) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:23:35 AM

Look. I'm all for the D.I.Y-spirit. I go to the Maker Faire, I randomly add LEDs to things that have no reason to have them, and I've voided more warranties

than I can count. But this is just cheating. When we got a tip today from reader Roland with a subject line of just "NES

Cartridge iPhone dock", I got a little bit tingly inside.

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Profiles: The British sailors detained Happy Thanksgiving: by Iran Sony sells some 400,000 PS3s last week By Steven Morris (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:09:29 PM

The sailors captured six days ago when their racing yacht was intercepted by the Iranian navy while sailing from Bahrain to an event in Dubai Oliver Smith, 31, from Southampton The skipper of the yacht, he is described as experienced, competent and calm in a crisis. Polly Dawson, who works for round the world yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, said Smith was a "very professional and capable sailor" and added: "I think he will be holding everything together." A qualified yachtmaster, Smith has a degree in ocean science and marine navigation. After university, he spent six months skippering a survey yacht. Oliver Young, 21, from Saltash, near Plymouth One of four brothers, he has sailed since he was a small child. His mother, Sue Young, said: "It is a complete passion for him,

and this will never put him off. He is a very strong person, he will be coping with this fine." After leaving school at 18, Young spent his time gaining qualifications – he is also a yachtmaster – and experience in all sort of ocean conditions. His father, David Young, added: "We just hope they're not used as a bargaining chip." Luke Porter, 21, from Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset A good friend of Young's and also a qualified yachtmaster, he had been working in Bahrain for about two months. He started crewing on his father Charles's racing yacht at the age of 14, and has already taken part in five transatlantic crossings as well as a series of regattas in the West Indies. "He's a professional sailor, very used to dealing with adversity," his father said. He added that his son "wasn't on top form" when he spoke to him on the telephone. "It was obvious someone was monitoring what he said." Sam Usher, 26, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire A father of two young children,

he owns Wykeham Watersports, a sailing academy on the Dawnay estate, north-east of York. He is a qualified senior dinghy instructor and powerboat instructor and runs Wykeham Watersports, which organises training courses, with his fiancee, Nicola Drayton. She said: "It's difficult, but you just get on, you have no choice." David Bloomer, in his 60s, lives in Bahrain A DJ, sports presenter and adventurer, he is thought to have both a British and an Irish passport. He had been due to broadcast updates on the yacht's progress in the race, having begun working for the Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation as a newsreader before making the switch to DJ. A fully qualified off-road driving instructor, he crossed the Sahara in a Land Rover in the 1970s. • Iran Steven Morris guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

'Avatar' Points Way to Future of Movie Games By Frank Rose (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:00:00 AM

In the new videogame based on

James Cameron's highly anticipated sci-fi flick, blue giants deliver a big green message: Greed is bad, and humans are a cancer. But behind

the scenes, the parallel teams working on the movie and the game forged a visionary alliance.

By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:01:26 AM

This may be the first holiday season in a long time that Sony is looking forward to. Some 440,000 PS3s were sold last week(compared to 550,000 Nintendo Wiis), and Sony says demand for the system was at “an all-time high.” Good thing for that price cut and re-design, right? Sony told Gamasutra, which I’m putting here for your convenience: In today’s economy, consumers are drawn to items that offer the most value for their money, making the PS3 an ideal choice for those who want a comprehensive gaming and entertainment system all in one package. That’s a fair point. Threehundred dollars gets you a Bluray-playing, online game-ing, Netflix-streaming… you know the deal. The PS3 at $300 is so much more attractive than, what,

the $500 Sony wanted for so many years? Besides, for $500, or a little more, you can build a reasonable gaming PC. It won’t blow you away, no, but a proper PC is so much more versatile than a static consoles. So now we wait for Microsoft’s numbers. Did any of y’all take advantage of any Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Awesome Tuesday deals? I saw a few PS3 bundles here and there, but I spent a few dollars on Steam buying Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and Mirror’s Edge. Steam makes it too easy to spend money!

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Silvio Berlusconi's ally Gianfranco It’ll linger for a week: security system Fini overheard criticising PM's 'regal' Japanese sprays stinky smell on thieves style By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear)

By John Hooper (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:30:20 PM

Gianfranco Fini says Italian leader 'confuses leadership with absolute monarchy' The government of Silvio Berlusconi already beset by scandal over the prime minister's sex life was tonight rocked by comments from the man supposed to be the Italian prime minister's closest ally. Gianfranco Fini, whose formerly neo-fascist party merged with Berlusconi's Freedom People movement in March, said that Berlusconi "confuses leadership with absolute monarchy" in remarks that were inadvertently recorded. The daily La Repubblica posted to its website a recording of a conversation between Fini, the speaker of the lower house of

parliament, and a prosecutor at a prizegiving ceremony on 6 November. Unaware that the microphone in front of him was live, Fini said that Berlusconi "confuses leadership with absolute monarchy", and also remarked that his party leader was unable to distinguish between "popular consent, which he obviously has and which gives him a mandate to govern, and a sort of immunity from any other authority [such as] the magistracy, the audit court, the [top appeals court], the head of state or parliament". While Berlusconi's supporters played down or laughed off the embarrassment, the leader of the main opposition party, Pierluigi Bersani, said it was "the confirmation of problems in the [governing] majority". Antonio Di Pietro, of the smaller Italy of Principles party, predicted that the scandals that have weakened

Berlusconi had brought the country to "the eve of a new revolution". As the prime minister's difficulties have mounted, Fini has become increasingly open in his criticism of the government's policies, and has astonished followers by voicing support for a tolerant, progressive and secular form of conservatism. Berlusconi's travails are far from over. On Friday, a mafia informer is due to testify in court on an alleged deal between the prime minister and Cosa Nostra in the 1990s hotly denied by Berlusconi. • Italy • Silvio Berlusconi John Hooper guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:25:56 AM

Does anyone remember the Japanese anti-burglar mat for stores and restaurants I blogged a few months ago? Well, there’s another security system from Japan and it clearly raises the bar: It’s a new mechanism, dubbed Capture, for these places and it sprays stinky agent on thieves who won’t be able to get rid of the stench for a week. The idea is to able for the police to easily identify the bad guys even after they manage to escape from the crime scene. All that store owners need to do is to push a button, and Capture will spray stinky agent from special gas carts onto the thief or burglar. The carts can be placed behind the counter, in the store’s ceiling or at the entrance, for example. It takes three to five minutes for the agent to begin stinking and trying to wash it away won’t work as it will linger on for a

week. And there’s even a reason for this five-minute time lag: It’s supposed to avoid making the bad guys so angry that they physically assault store clerks or restaurant staff who would then suffer from the stench themselves. The system is the result of joint development by three Japanese chemical companies who plan to offer it for about $1,150, mainly to convenience store operators. (Apologies for the small picture. It’s the only one available at this point.) Via Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun[JP]

Navy UAV sets endurance record of 26 hours 1 minute By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear)

aircraft flew through the air during a recent test run. It’s called the Ion Tiger. There it is, Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:00:17 AM right there. Twenty-six hours and one As anyone who’s played Modern minute. That’s how long a new, Warfare 2 knows, the U.S. vehicles these days. Why risk unmanned, experimental Navy military is all about unmanned air

soldiers’ lives when you can send a UAV up into the air, and remotely spread freedom to the people down below? That was a joke. Please chill out. The aircraft flew an average of 27 miles per hour for the 26-hour

duration. Oh, that’s an endurance record, by the way. I probably should have mentioned that in the beginning.

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Gadgets Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo] By Kyle VanHemert (Gizmodo) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:00:00 PM

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, but that doesn't mean that the Dealz well is dry. Be sure to sign up for a VIP membership to Zappos.com that guarantees you free overnight shipping for life. FOR LIFE. Top Deals: • 16" Toshiba Satellite A500ST6622 2.1GHz Laptop for $623.20 with free shipping(normally $779). • Creative Labs HS-980 Fatal1ty Professional MKII Gaming Headset for $54.99 with free shipping(normally $99.99) • Free Zappos VIP Membership (Guaranteed Free Overnight Shipping Forever) for $0. Computing and Peripherals: • 21.5" Apple iMac Desktop (Latest Gen) with 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD for $1,049.99 plus free shipping(normally $1149.99 - use this form). • Studio XPS 8000 Desktop with Intel Core i5-750 Processor 2.66GHz and 20" High Definition Monitor for $949 plus free shipping(normally $1328). • 20" HP TouchSmart 300 1080p All-in-One Multi-touch Desktop PC for $779.99 with free shipping(normally $949.99 - use coupon code: SVMY478761). • HP p6270z 2.6GHz Quad-Core AMD Desktop PC for $409.99 with free shipping(normally $679.99 - use coupon code:

SVMY478761). • 18.4" HP dv8 Quad Core i7 Laptop bundled with HP Mini Netbook starts at $1,149.98 with $19 shipping(normally $1,649.99 - use coupon code: NBW4RX). • 16" Toshiba Satellite A500ST6622 2.1GHz Laptop for $623.20 with free shipping(normally $779). • 16" Asus K61IC-X4 Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 2.13GHz Laptop (4GB/320GB/Nvidia GT220M/Win 7) for $649.95 plus free shipping(normally $799). • 15.4" Lenovo ThinkPad T500 Laptop for $662.15 plus free shipping(normally $1,254 - use c o u p o n c o d e USPTHINKHOLIDAY). • 14" ThinkPad T400 Laptop for $628.15 plus free shipping(normally $1,205 - use c o u p o n c o d e USPTHINKHOLIDAY). • 14" Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 Laptop for $449.10 plus free shipping(normally $734 - use c o u p o n c o d e USPTHINKHOLIDAY).

• 14" HP dv4t 2.1GHz Laptop for $529.99 with free shipping(normally $729.99 - use coupon code: USP15SVEBIG). • 13.3" Apple MacBook (Newest Generation) for $849.99 plus free shipping(normally $999 - use this form). • 10" Sylvania GNET31201X6S Magni Elite Slate G-Netbook for $280.10 plus free shipping(normally $349.99). • 10.1" Lenovo S10-2 (2nd Gen) Intel Atom N270 Netbook (1GB/160GB/3-Cell/XP Home) for $280.50 plus free shipping(normally $329 - use coupon code: USP15SVEBIG). • 27" HP 2709m Widescreen LCD Monitor for $309.99 plus free shipping(normally $355 use coupon code SVMY478761). • 24" Samsung 2494SW LCD Monitor (DVI) for $179.99 plus free shipping(normally $229). • Western Digital Elements 500GB Portable External Hard Drive for $69.99 plus free shipping(normally $109). • Logitech Cordless Desktop EX 110 (Wireless Keyboard &

Mouse) for $19.99(normally $30 - use coupon code logi_ex110_11309). • HP MediaSmart LX195 640GB Home Server for $199.99 with free shipping (normally $399.99). • Verbatim 20-Pack 8.5GB 2.4X Dual Layer Blank Disc Media for $19.99 plus free shipping(normally $29). Gaming: • Xbox 360 Elite 250GB Modern Warfare 2 console + 12 Month Live Gold Card for $399.99 plus free shipping(normally $439.95). • DJ Hero Renegade (Jay-Z & Eminem) Turntable Bundle [Wii] for $159.97 plus free shipping(normally $189). • Don King Presents Prizefighter (360) for $7.99(normally $15). • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (360) for $7.90(normally $17). • Batman Arkham Asylum (360/PS3) for $39.99 plus free shipping(normally $58.99). • Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes (PC) for $16.90(normally $25). • Creative Labs HS-980 Fatal1ty

Professional MKII Gaming Headset for $54.99 with free shipping(normally $99.99). • Go Play Lumberjacks (Wii) for $9.98(normally $19.99). • Go Play Circus Star (Wii) for $9.98(normally $17.99). • Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (360/PS3/Wii/DS) for $12.98(normally $19.99). • Rhythm Heaven (DS) for $9.98(normally $29.99). • Scribblenauts (DS) for $19(normally $29.99). Home Entertainment: • 52" Samsung LN52B550 1080p LCD HDTV with Samsung BDP1600 Blu-ray Player for $1,119 with free shipping(normally $1,899.99). • 52" Sony BRAVIA KDL52W51001080p 120Hz LCD TV, Plus Sony PS3 Slim 120GB for $1,699.98 plus free shipping(normally $1839). • Sharp LC52D85U Aquos 52" 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV for $1179 plus free shipping(normally $1500). • 47" Sharp LC47SB57UT 1080p, 120Hz LCD HDTV for $799 plus free shipping(normally $1199). • 47" Toshiba 47ZV650U 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV for $1,099 plus free shipping(normally $1,168). • 46" Samsung LN46B550 46in LCD HDTV (1080p) + Netflix Streaming Blu-Ray Player for $999.98(normally $1249). • 42" Philips 42PFL3704D/F7 GADGETS page 16

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How to Make Quality Comments, Earn a Star and Be a Hero [Announcements] By Jason Chen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:20:00 AM

In the spirit of holiday housecleaning, it's time for a crash course in comments etiquette. What can you do? What should you definitely never do? What, in effect, do we want from you, Citizen Commenter? Gawker Media blogs are known for their savvy commentary—and yes, that includes Gizmodo. We strive to let in a smart and plugged-in community, and we want comments that serve as first -rate contributions to the post at hand. We love new insight and inside information that you obtained from companies because you worked there. Or because you're familiar with the designer of some project. Or because you ARE the designer of some project. We value informed response and welcome spirited debate. Above all, comments should always further the discussion."Lifehacker's Guide To Weblog Comments" is a great jumping-off point for the uninitiated. We like to see good spelling and grammar, because we're nerdy

like that. Capitalization and punctuation are important, too. These basic requirements go a long way towards making us all look better. Staying on-topic in a thread is essential — but now you can also take a topic to your own generated#hashtag page, then direct others there. Editors may sometimes caution that a thread has gone off-topic and should be moved to another forum.

Many readers have already discovered how to make their voices stand out via our#tips pages. Here you can share breaking news, leaked info, links of interest and timely video. Give us some substantive lines on why we should follow up, and your post may be promoted or featured on the blog. The#tips page is also an excellent space to audition as a first-time commenter with a juicy tidbit or

comments, liveblogs, pictures, video, and links that are relevant to your community. It's also easy to jump over here if you find yourself veering off-topic and want to take others with you. So: thumbs up to attention to detail, thoughtful typing and prodigious use of the 'Shift' key. Personal attacks, inappropriate behavior and off-topic rants in comments are subject to bans, disemvowelling and deletion. Starred commenters should be aware that their privileges are not guaranteed, and should be careful in the comments they approve and promote. Commenters can be demoted for unruly or obscene posting. Baiting trolls helps no one, and we want the level of to show off your investigative dialogue maintained to be high. instincts. Self-promoters and We're going to be looser with spammers will be summarily starring and unstarring, so good banned, but quality contributors commenters—even if you're have the spotlight. infrequent—will get starred. In addition, there is now an Commenting a lot with mediocre i n f o r m a l c o m m e n t e r comments isn't a guarantee of forum,#whitenoise, where the being starred either, so make sure conversation is yours to guide. everything you say is quality. Thanks to commenter Sandeep Murali for coming up with the name. And yes, he is a Facebook user. This is the place to add

Counterculture Comics Hero Grant Morrison Gets a Biopic By Scott Thill (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 12/1/2009 6:01:00 AM

Now that the comics industry has overtaken film, its outstanding writers are starting to step up to the biopic bar.

Subversive brainiac Grant Morrison is up next, with a dedicated documentary due in time for next year’s Comic-Con

International.

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GADGETS continued from page 14

1080P LCD HDTV for $644 plus free shipping(normally $899 use coupon code: 15OFFPHILIPS). • 32" Toshiba 32RV525R 1080p LCD TV for $419.00 plus free shipping(normally $449). • Asus O!Play HDP-R1 1080p HD Media Player for $89.99 plus free shipping(normally $99.99 use coupon code SUPERSTEAL10). • Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Player for $104.99 plus free shipping w/ Google Checkout(normally $149). • Polk Audio Monitor 60 Single Floor Speaker for $99 with free shipping(normally $299.99 - use coupon code SPEAKER113X1). • 20+ TV Seasons of The Office, 30 Rock, House, Earl, etc. via Amazon VideoOn Demand for $9.99(normally $15+). Personal Portables and Peripherals: • 64GB Apple iPod Touch (3rd Generation) for $339.99 plus free shipping(normally $365). • Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Camcorder 2nd generation for $99.99 with free shipping(list $179.99).

• Visual Land V-Touch 8 GB Video MP3 Player for $58.36 plus free shipping(normally $104.40). • Archos 7 160 GB Internet Media Tablet for $209.99 plus free shipping(normally $411.48). • Sony Walkman NWZ-E345 16GB MP3 Player for $57.40 plus free shipping w/ Google Checkout(normally $99). • Disney Hannah Montana 1GB Mix Stick MP3 Players for $12.99 plus free shipping(normally $25). • TomTom ONE 130 3.5" Portable GPS Navigation (3.5in) for $76.00 plus free shipping(normally $99). • Nikon 7266 Action 10 X 40mm Binoculars for $57.87 plus free shipping(normally $75). • Viewsonic 10-inch Digital Photo Frame w/ 2GB Internal Memory for $69.99(normally $98). Hobomodo: • Free Zappos VIP Membership (Guaranteed Free Overnight Shipping Forever) for $0. • Free food every other day until December 24 at Whataburger. • Definitive Jux Free 12 Track

Sampler (Explicit) for $0(download here). • Scraps (iPhone) for $0(normally $2.99). • We The Kings: Make It Or Not MP3 for $0 use code: WETHEKINGS • Priscilla Renea: City Love MP3 for $0 use code: CITYLOVE • American Greetings: Free Photobook or 11 x 8 Calendar or 25 Photo Paper Holiday Cards for $0. • Free Photo with Santa at WalMart for $0(use this form). • Free Subscription to Flying Magazine Subscription for $0(use this form). If a deal looks too good to be true, investigate the store and see if it's a good, reputable place to buy. Safe shopping! [ Thanks TechDealDigger, Dealzon, Logic Buy, GamerHotline, Cheap College Gamers, CheapStingyBargains and TechBargains.]

T-Mobile pushing CLIQ firmware update today? (update: yes!) By Chris Ziegler (Engadget) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:52:00 PM

TmoNews seems to have it on good authority that T-Mobile will be rolling out a firmware update over the air to the Motorola CLIQ today -- the device's first since launch -- and we've got good news and bad news. First, the bad: by all accounts, it appears that this'll still be an Android 1.5-based firmware, adding fuel to the fire suggesting that UI skins like BLUR are a huge barrier to keeping devices up to speed with Google's breakneck release pace. The good news, though, is that the update seems to be lined up to fix a plethora of issues involving Bluetooth, touchscreen accuracy (we can attest to this one), connectivity, accelerometer functionality, and -- wait for it -battery life! Looks like the build

number is 1.1.31, so let us know if and when you get hooked up, owners. Update: We've gotten tips from several users now that they've already been able to nab the update, so it looks like the CLIQ is definitely getting a little better today. Well, hopefully, anyhow. T-Mobile pushing CLIQ firmware update today? (update: yes!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| TmoNews| Email this| Comments

India blocks service to millions of handsets (CNET News.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:37:00 AM

India has blocked service to all mobile phones without a valid identity code, as part of antiterrorist measures being implemented by the Indian

government. On Monday, any handset without a valid International Mobile Equipment Identity(IMEI) code had its connection cut off, according to the Indian Cellular Association (ICA), which represents mobile

operators in the country. The mobile industry is complying with a government directive that arose after discussions between Indian security agencies and the Indian Department of Telecommunications, the ICA added.

The IMEI, a 15-digit number printed inside a phone, can be used to identify a particular device on an operator's network, meaning it can be tracked by security services. In addition, network providers can use the absence of an IMEI to cut off a

phone. Read more of " India blocks service to millions of handsets" at ZDNet UK. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Apple dings Psystar for $2.67m, round two heads to Florida By Nilay Patel (Engadget) Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:19:00 PM

It looks like the first phase of the Apple / Psystar Mac cloning saga is winding towards a conclusion, as the two sides have just filed wrap up their case with the California court that ruled decisively in favor of Apple last month. As you probably expect, Apple hasn't ceded much ground here: Psystar's agreed to be deemed liable for illegally copying OS X Leopard, bypassing the OS X kernel encryption in violation of the DMCA, and breaching Apple's EULA, all to the tune of $2,675,050. In return, Apple's dropping its various trademark and unfair competition claims, and has promised to hold off on collecting any cash until the various appeals have run their course. Now, considering Apple and Psystar are currently engaged

in pretty much the exact same case in Florida over Snow Leopard, we'd say that this agreement isn't much more than a way for both sides to save money and move on to that fight: Apple's already won the bulk of its case against Psystar in California, and spending money to litigate trademark claims we thought were weak when we first

read them doesn't really buy Steve any leverage he doesn't already have, while Psystar probably needs to scrimp all the coin it can right now. There's one other little wrinkle here, and that's exactly what Apple's eventually going to be able to prevent Psystar from doing. It's certain that the California court will bar Psystar

from preloading machines with Leopard, but Psystar's arguing that its new Rebel EFI software shouldn't be covered by any decision, since it wasn't part of the case. That's an interesting argument and definitely worth some consideration -- but it's got some holes in it since Psystar's now admitted that it's liable for contributory and induced

copyright infringement and violating the DMCA. As we've said before, Psystar's essentially doing with Rebel EFI what Grokster got smacked by the Supreme Court for doing in 2005: it's trying to build a business around the knowing copyright infringement of customers, and that usually doesn't fly. We'll see what happens -- and Florida awaits. Apple dings Psystar for $2.67m, round two heads to Florida originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Settlement (PDF), Rebel EFI Motion (PDF)| Email this| Comments

Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: PMPs By Laura June (Engadget)

curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:11:00 PM the rest of the product guides as Welcome to the Engadget they're added throughout the Holiday Gift Guide! The team holiday season. h e r e i s w e l l a w a r e o f t h e So your music-loving grandma heartbreaking difficulties of the wants a PMP, huh? Fair enough seasonal shopping experience, - we've put our heads together to and we want to help you sort come up with a list of the best we through the trash and come up could find in several price ranges with the treasures this year. -- and we tried to come up with a Below is today's bevy of hand few that are off the beaten (iPod)

Continue reading Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: PMPs Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: PMPs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments path, too. The choices out there sure are varied, but we've culled out the boring and the poorly designed to come up with what

we think is the... most melodyfriendly group on the planet. Read on for our full recommendations!

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The 2011 Audi A8 bests K.I.T.T. in the gadget department By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:30:51 AM

Cars are increasingly becoming more circuits than gears and the 2011 Audi A8 is a prime example of this transformation. There is likely more tech packed in the full-size Audi sedan than the International Space Station. In fact, if you think the laptop steering wheel table is the ultimate driver distraction, click the read link below to see what the flagship Audi packs. First, let’s start with the creature comforts. • Heated, cooled, and massaging seats • Standard 12-way adjustable seats or optional 22-way adjustable optional seats • Vibration-canceling motor in the steering wheel • Interior LED ambient lighting system • Four climate zones Entertainment system

Safety equipment • Night vision • R8-style LED headlights • Adaptive cruise control • Radar that detect collisions that automatically tight seat belts and adjusts seats • Speed limit camera that actually reads roadside signs and displays them as graphics on the dash

Psystar, Apple reach settlement: No more PCs pre-loaded with Mac OS X (but Rebel EFI may be safe) By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear)

PCs pre-loaded with Mac OS X; and Psystar may be allowed to keep selling Rebel EFI, which • Standard 14 speaker Bose Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:30:37 AM lets users instal Mac OS X on system or optional 1,400 Watt, Of course the A8 has the 19 speaker Bang & Olufsen powertrain to back up this Some more Psystar news for their generic PC. That’s pretty massive saloon with an 8-speed y’all. You’ll recall that the much it. system • Google maps-enabled GPS triptronic system and quattro renegade company was more or Or, in a single sentence, Psystar system with handwriting input permanent all-wheel drive, along less shut down last week, slapped won’t be allowed to sell PCs with with a direct fuel injection 372 with an injunction and expected Mac OS X pre-loaded, but may mode HP V8 engine. Too bad Audi to pay Apple an awful lot of be allowed to sell the $50 Rebel • 8-inch LCD info screen hasn’t announced the price yet, money. Put all of that aside for a EFI, software that lets people • 20GB hard drive but chances are it doesn’t matter. minute, for there’s new news: instal Mac OS X on regular PCs. • WiFi, USB, and AUX-inputs • Dual 10.2-inch rear seat T h e o n l y p e o p l e t h a t c a n Apple and Psystar have struck a Or, rather than paying for Rebel displays with its own DVD probably afford all this luxurious deal! The deal, which ends a 17- EFI, you can OSx86 your PC, player, 20GB hard drive, and Audi technology are those that month-long legal battle, means which I may well do when I get will likely be overwhelmed by it. P s y s t a r w i l l s t o p s e l l i n g around to building my PC in the controls computers pre-loaded with Mac c o m i n g w e e k s . I ’ m e i t h e r • WLAN via UMTS that turns Or douchebag bankers. OS X. This ends our long, running Linux or Mac on the PC. the car into a mobile HotSpot national nightmare. I’ll be damned if I have to run So here’s what happens: Psystar Windows 24/7! has to pay Apple a boatload of money; Psystar will stop selling

Washington Times Runs Birther Ad, With Monkeys (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/30/2009 1:03:09 PM

The racism at the Washington Times (former employer of white

supremacist blogger Robert Stacy McCain) is bubbling to the surface for all to smell, like noxious sewer gas. Today they ran the following advertisement, a lunatic Birther ad featuring

images of monkeys. This isn’t even “dog whistle” racism. It’s right in your face, poking you in the eye. Also see:

Wash. Times Editor: Obama’s Mother Was ‘Attracted to Men of the Third World’

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Dual-Sided Blu-ray/DVD Discs: What the Hell Took So Long? [Rant]

Weekly Nielsen and Renew/Cancel posts slightly delayed due to Thanksgiving holiday

By Jason Chen (Gizmodo)

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:01:00 PM

HD DVD made dual-sided HD DVD/DVD combo discs in 2006. They even announced a dualsided HD DVD/Blu-ray disc in January 2007. So why the fuck did it take three more years to make a Blu-ray/DVD combo? Stuff like this is indicative of the problems with the Blu-ray format. Not only did they launch the format with players not fully supporting basic stuff like Ethernet ports for over-theinternet updates, it took them almost two years to get suppliers onto the Blu-ray 2.0 format, which more or less made them catch up with HD DVD's feature set. Blu-ray didn't just put the cart before the horse, they rolled

the cart down a hill, waited a year, and asked the horse politely if it could go find the cart. I don't want this post to be just a chance to re-hash all the old issues with Blu-ray, but really. Three years. It took three years for you guys to get your act

together and realize most of the people—the mainstream, not Gizmodo readres—now don't really see the need to buy new players, new discs and new TVs just to watch movies in high def. Hell, one in five people can't tell the difference between SD and

HD. Don't get me wrong; this is a wonderful idea. With combo discs you can eliminate the need for standalone DVD releases, thereby saving shelf space AND putting Blu-ray discs in the hands of people that wouldn't necessarily have purchased Bluray. Once these unwitting customers collect enough Blu-ray combo discs, they just might buy a cheap BD player and convert. Really, it's a great sales tactic and something that will ease the transition for the less technologically inclined. But answer me this, Blu-ray consortium: why did it take you three extra years to pull this off?

Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:23:56 AM

The weekly Nielsen data that normally begins trickling in Tuesday mornings will not be available until after 2pm on the west coast. As a result, typical posting of the weekly results and Renew/Cancel reports will be a bit delayed. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Twitter Co-Founder Begins Trial On SquareUp iPhone Credit Card Payment Service [IPhone] By Sean Fallon (Gizmodo) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:17:00 AM

Basic details about Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey's plans for an iPhone credit card payment service have been floating around for some time, but it appears that his SquareUp startup has finally gone live for trial users—and it looks promising. There are several apps on the

iPhone designed to accept credit card payments but, as far as I can tell, SquareUp has the best set of features. It doesn't require any contracts or monthly fees, and card payments can be accepted through a small device that plugs into the audio jack. Receipts can be sent via email or viewed online and text messages can be used to verify payments in real time.

There are even benefits to using the service for cardholders, much like the points you might accrue

for making purchases. SquareUp lets business owners know that you are a repeat customer that may be entitled to a freebie—kind of like punch cards do now. They also donate one cent of each transaction to the charity of your choice. SquareUP claims the service will roll out to everyone in 2010, which is good news for small businesses. No word yet on how

much the swiping plug-in will cost, but you can bet that it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the machines you currently have to contend with. [ SquareUp via VentureBeat]

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Comcast inches closer Sharkoon USB LANPort gets to buying NBC By Darren Murph (Engadget) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:49:00 PM

Pogoplug may have been the first to make this type of contraption popular, but now it's time for the no-names to sneak in and offer up comparable devices for a bit less cheddar. Sharkoon has evidently taken a break from punching out SATA HDD Docks in order to develop its USB LANPort, which effectively connects any piece of USB storage (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) to the web. The USB LANPort 100 converts a single drive into a NAS device, while the USB LANPort 400 puts up to four USB devices on the

By Nilay Patel (Engadget)

TV broadcast licenses in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to the effects on competitors like It's been over a month since we Dish Network and Verizon, who last heard anything about the will still want access to NBC's information superhighway. Both rumored Comcast takeover of huge stable of content and boxes support automatic and NBC, but things are slowly programming. Big challenges, to manual IP address contacts, and s t a r t i n g t o m o v e f o r w a r d : be sure, but we get the feeling they're both available now across Bloomberg says that NBC parent this deal is going down one way the pond for â&#x201A;Ź22.99 ($34) / company GE has bought out or another -- get ready for a â&#x201A;Ź36.99 ($56) in order of mention. Vivendi's 20 percent stake in the rocky 2010. As for a US release? Your guess broadcaster for $5.8b, with up to Comcast inches closer to buying a $2b refund due back if the NBC originally appeared on is as good as ours. G a l l e r y : S h a r k o o n U S B Comcast deal isn't done by the Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 LANPort gets your isolated USB end of 2010. That's no small 13:51:00 EST. Please see our gamble -- Comcast will have to terms for use of feeds. Permalink drives on the world wide web Sharkoon USB LANPort gets clear a "gauntlet" of federal Consumerist| Bloomberg| Email your isolated USB drives on the regulators from the FCC and this| Comments world wide web originally F T C , w h o w i l l s c r u t i n i z e appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 everything from the transfer of Dec 2009 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Hot Hardware| Email this| Comments

your isolated USB drives on the world wide web

Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:51:00 PM

Jennifer Aniston's Airport Mad Dash (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:20:00 AM

ET has the latest...

Hollywood.tv catches a quick glimpse of Jennifer Aniston! Wearing a funky fedora and cool shades, the former "Friend" is

spotted leaving the Los Angeles airport and dashing into her waiting SUV. Check out the new video for the

star's mad dash!

Via Mobile-ITX Platform is Half the Size of the Pico-ITX, Still Powerful [Motherboards] By Rosa Golijan (Gizmodo) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:59:00 AM

Via's Pico-ITX motherboard was small and powerful to begin with, but their new Mobile-ITX platform is about half the size and supposedly still packs a punch while keeping power consumption low. Because of that low power consumption and tiny package, the Mobile-ITX should be great for always-on devices and even smaller gadgets. As far as whta features it brings to the table, it looks like there's support for "core CPU, chipset and memory functionality and I/O that includes the CRT, DVP and TTL display support, HD Audio, IDE, USB 2.0, as well as PCI Express, SMBus, GPIO, LPC, SDIO and PS2 signals." Wowza. Quite a lot for such a small fellow. [ Hot hardware via Engadget]

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How to Quickly Convert a Wall Outlet Into a USB Charger [DIY] By Sean Fallon (Gizmodo) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:40:00 AM

Yet another game, Fring brings one-way CrimeCraft, refused video calling to the classification in Australia iPhone By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:00:39 AM

There’s almost a comedy about this next story: Australia has banned another video game because it’s too violent. (What is it with Australia and banning violent video games?) The game is CrimeCraft, and it has been refused classification by the ratings board down there. The game was refused classification because “there is insufficient delineation between the ‘fictional drugs’ available in game and real-world proscribed drugs.”

In other words, the in-game drugs aren’t “fake enough” for the Australian Classification Board. CrimeCraft is sort of an FPS MMO. You’ll recall that this same board refused classification for several other games, including Left 4 Dead 2 and Risen. No, I’ve never heard of Risen. I wonder, what is it about this board that makes it so ornery? You never hear about the ESRB refusing to rate a game here in the U.S. I could go on, but Australia is so far from me, you know.

I can't tell you how many times we have come across USB chargers that can be plugged into an outlet, so why not cut out the middleman and simply convert the outlet to USB? Instructables shows you how. By Donald Melanson app for Nokia devices, you'll also Not only that, the guy behind the (Engadget) be able to make video calls to hack claims it can be done in 30 Skype users, but you'll have to minutes on a budget as small as Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:18:00 PM make sure you're in the vicinity $10. In a nutshell, he just inserted Fring was the first to bring VoIP of a WiFi hotspot, as this one two apple mini usb plugs into the calls to the iPhone, and it looks doesn't support calls on 3G. Head outlets and tucked them back in the wall, but you could soldier like it's now finally done the on past the break for a video. same for video calling -- sort of. Continue reading Fring brings the wires to the chargers if you While it obviously can't do much one-way video calling to the have the skills to go that route. Yeah, you could just keep the to change the camera placement iPhone on the iPhone, the latest version Fring brings one-way video chargers plugged in to the regular of the app will at least let iPhone calling to the iPhone originally outlet, which is even easier and users (and iPod touch users, for appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 seems like less of a fire code that matter) see the person on the Dec 2009 13:18:00 EST. Please violation, but this certainly looks other end, and Fring says it'll add see our terms for use of feeds. a whole lot better. [ Instructables] two-way video calling whenever Permalink Phone Scoop| Fring| "a front camera is placed on Email this| Comments these." As with the company's

Facing AIDS By Heather Champ (Flickr Blog)

• About Flickr making photo management an and tags on your photos, post to Flickr is a revolution in photo easy, natural and collaborative any blog, share and more! storage, sharing and organization, process. Get comments, notes, This content has passed through

fivefilters.org.

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Australian Operator Optus Deliberately Blocking Android Paid Apps

Universal's BD-59 Blu-ray / DVD flip discs to debut on Bourne trilogy releases

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:20:00 AM

By Richard Lawler (Engadget) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:22:00 PM

Once upon a time Universal was the hybrid disc king, with plans to release up to 90% of its 2007 HD DVD titles on the dual sided discs, but we know how that ended. Now the company is back to its old tricks, ready to ship the first BD-59 discs with a 50GB Blu-ray / 9GB DVD configuration promising movie and all available special features in whichever format is desired. The expensive answer to a question no one was asking or the perfect way to add future proofing and extended compatibility to new movie purchases? We'll know more once a price is announced for the Jason Bourne trilogy of movies -seeing their first individual Bluray releases -- due on January 19.

Universal's BD-59 Blu-ray / DVD flip discs to debut on Bourne trilogy releases originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 By Adam Frucci (Gizmodo) Dec 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:45:04 AM see our terms for use of feeds. P e r m a l i n k B l u - r a y . c o m , Here's some news anyone with TheHDRoom| Universal| Email an iPhone could have told you: AT&T delivers crappy service this| Comments that its customers hate. But this news comes from a reputable source, Consumer Reports, instead of the usual whiny m o r n i n g i n L o s A n g e l e s , friends. according to People.com. Loeb, Yes, in 19 of the 26 cities 41, and Hershkovitz, 31, named surveyed, AT&T was ranked their daughter Lyla Rose Loeb dead last in every category. Verizon was ranked the best, Hershkovitz. Loeb first announced she was followed by T-Mobile, then e x p e c t i n g a b a b y b a c k i n Sprint and then, of course, September.

Lisa Loeb Baby News! (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:43:00 AM

ET has the latest... Singer Lisa Loeb and her husband Roey Hershkovitz are proud first-time parents! The couple welcomed a baby girl into the world on Sunday

AT&T Comes in Last in Consumer Reports Study That Surprises No One [Schadenfreude] bringing up the rear is our friend AT&T. You can compare their results to the results of our own nationwide 3G test here. You've got to wonder if Apple can afford to stick this exclusivity contract out another year, what with decent competitors such as the Droid and the Pre now available. AT&T is as big a black mark on Apple's customer service reputation as they've ever had. And hell, for AT&T's sake it'd be nice to see some other carriers share the burden of iPhone data hogs. [ 9 to 5 Mac]

A few folks have sent in the news that Australian mobile operator Optus appears to be completely blocking access to paid apps for owners of Android phones. Apparently people have been complaining about this for a while, and Optus has been mostly silent on the matter, only stating:"Optus is currently working with Google to provide an Android application store to our customers, and we are optimistic it will be available soon." Except, of course, it shouldn't require any permission from Optus at all -- which is leading to reasoned speculation that Optus is blocking access to paid apps in the Android app store because Optus wants a cut of the revenue. This is typical of mobile carriers who keep wanting to believe that they're the tollbooth everyone needs to pay. Instead, the more likely result is just to drive mobile phone users to other carriers. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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ESRB iPhone app arms video game buying parents (CNET News.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:57:47 AM

I love tools that are all about providing people with information they want, and on Tuesday, the video game industry's official ratings board got my attention with something awfully useful. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) announced on Tuesday its new iPhone app, which is designed to put the board's full written summaries of more than 18,000 video games right at parents' fingertips. A new iPhone app from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board allows parents to see the full ratings summaries of more than 18,000 video games.(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET) The idea is that with the app-officially called ESRB Rating, and available now, for free, in Apple's App Store--parents can punch in the name of any game rated by the board after July 1, 2008, and see not just the game's official rating--such as "M" for those 17 and up, or "E" for everyone--but the ESRB's full written summary of the title. Starting just over a year ago, the ESRB began making those summaries available to the public through its Web site, or through a mobile site (m.esrb.org). But the Web site isn't convenient to a parent who is actually out shopping for something for junior, and the mobile site is not

something that many people will use who have standard cell phones, especially if they have to pay extra for data. An iPhone app is just so much easier. Brilliant on-the-fly tools Add this app, then, to the growing list of tools available for the iPhone and other smartphones that give consumers the ability to arm themselves with the most information about products and pricing while they actually have boots in the Best Buy, so to speak. Others include the brilliant SnapTell, which delivers comparative pricing information about books, DVDs, video games and other items from sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Gamespot and others based solely on a photograph, and RedLaser, which scans items' bar codes and delivers similar pricing information. But what makes the ESRB app so terrific, it seems to me, is that it provides parents with exactly the kind of nuanced information they need to properly choose the kinds of games they want to buy their kids. Sure, the basic letter rating gives some context--if you're concerned about violence or racy content, you probably want to stay away from "M"rated games--but within a single rating category, there is still a wide spectrum of content. This lets parents get on the fly context and empowers them to make the right choices for what their kids play. For example, the hottest game in

the world right now is Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game has an "M" rating, but that just doesn't say all that much. Reading the summary, though, a parent can see much more: "Realistic gunfire, explosions, and cries of pain are heard during the frequent and fast-paced combat. The most intense depiction of violence occurs

during a 'No Russian' mission where players take on the role of an undercover Ranger: Several civilians are gunned down at an airport as players are given a choice to participate in the killings (e.g., players can shoot a wounded civilian that is crawling on the ground), or walk by and observe without opening fire." That's a little more informative than "M," isn't it.

To be sure, kids are going to be able to get the games they want regardless of what their parents buy them. But given that games can cost $60 apiece--at least for the AAA console games--it may be that they don't quite have the means to sneak off with each and every first-person shooter they desire. They may still be dependent on Santa Claus, aka their parents, to get them the bulk of their games. And, of course, those buyers that don't have an iPhone still will have to struggle to access these summaries, and it's unlikely that retailers will be providing them in any useful form. The app arms parents with the information they need to make informed decisions about the games they buy for their kids.(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET) But all in all, I find this precisely the kind of thing that puts the power over decisions about which video games to buy right back wherer it belongs: in parents' hands. We are in an age where so many pundits, politicians and others are moaning and whining about the breakdown of society, and parents are complaining about the corruption of their children. Well, complain no more: If you've got an iPhone--and I certainly hope the ESRB puts this app out for Android and other smartphones soon--you can do ESRB page 26

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Should There Be Punishment For Bogus 'Pre-Settlement' Letters? By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

out as many letters as possible to as many people as possible. It's a pure numbers game. And, for We've recently seen efforts to that reason, plenty of false ramp up the system of "pre- positives are identified. Now, settlement" letters as a way to plenty of people reasonably point "profit" off of file sharing. The out that IP addresses are not scheme works by having a indicative of individuals, and company that either holds the there are problems with relying copyrights to certain works or solely on IP addresses -- but has merely licensed them for this those problems become even purpose put those files online and bigger when you're dealing with then see who is downloading folks who don't understand how them. That's the simplest version BitTorrent actually works. That (though, of questionable legality activity leads to claims of since if the copyright holder itself c o p y r i g h t i n f r i n g e m e n t b y is putting the content online, you n e t w o r k e d l a s e r p r i n t e r s . can raise questions about whether Over at Freedom to Tinker, or not the sharing is really computer science professor Mike unauthorized). Some others in Freedman discusses how the the space don't actually put their popular CoralCDN has been content online themselves, but try g e t t i n g h u n d r e d s o f p r e to find IP addresses of those who settlement letters because one of are sharing the content, and then these companies doesn't seem to s e n d i n g t h o s e u s e r s " p r e - do even the slightest verification settlement" letters, in the hopes of whether or not an IP address is that many people just pay up, actually involved in sharing rather than fighting the letters (or, content, and misinterprets the more likely, ignoring them). data it has received (despite the Of course, one of the big self-supported claim that "The problems with such a system is information in this notification is that those sending such letters accurate"). Of course, since the have very little incentive (if any) "punishment" for such things is t o a c t u a l l y v e r i f y t h a t slight to non-existent, the unauthorized file sharing has company in question (in this happened. They want to cast as c a s e , " V i d e o P r o t e c t i o n wide a net as possible and send Alliance") has no incentive to Submitted at 12/1/2009 5:22:00 AM

improve its process. But it presents a real cost to Freedman, who helps run CoralCDN: Our personal experience with DMCA takedown notices is that network operators are suitably afraid of litigation. Many will pull network access from machines as soon as a complaint is received, without any further verification or demonstrative network logs. In fact, many operators also sought "proof" that we weren't running BitTorrent or engaging in file sharing before they were willing to restore access. We'll leave the discussion about how we might prove such a negative to another day, but one can point to the chilling effect that such notices have had, when users are immediately considered guilty and must prove their innocence. At some point, shouldn't we start to consider serious sanctions against those issuing not just bogus DMCA takedown notices, but then also using such notices to demand "pre-settlement" payments from individuals who may not realize their legal rights and may just pay up? Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

Facebook and MySpace Booting Sex Offenders in Droves By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:15:11 AM

Social networks have been in the precarious position of having to deal with sex offenders since their early days, but as a result of new laws being passed around the country, several local governments now also play a role in keeping predators off the likes of Facebook and MySpace. Today, New York state reports that a registry they set up that requires convicted sex offenders to provide social networking details to the state has resulted in 3,500 people losing their Facebook and MySpace accounts. According to a statement from the state’s attorney general’s office, “The law sets mandatory restrictions on a sex offender’s access to the Internet where the offender’s victim was a minor, the Internet was used to commit the offense or they are among the highest-level offenders.” While MySpace and Facebook are the focus of today’s report, the AG says they are encouraging 17 other social networking sites to start using its database as well.

Earlier this year, the state of Illinois passed similar legislation that bans sex offenders from using social sites. Although, as we have noted in the past, there is some controversy over these laws. The definition of a “social networking site” is open to interpretation, and because lesser crimes (like urinating in public) are also classified as sex offenses in many states, minor offenders could also be subject to such laws. That said, until we see cases of unjust account termination emerging, it’s certainly good news that the social networks and the states are working effectively to remove dangerous users from their services. Reviews: Facebook, MySpace Tags: facebook, myspace, online safety, sex offenders, social networks

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Shooting Victim Sues Google Over Search Results On His Name By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:30:00 AM

sinsi alerts us to a bizarre lawsuit in Australia where shooting victim Michael Trkulja is suing Google, claiming the search engine has some liability for his getting shot. The reasoning? Apparently searches on his name would take you to pages suggesting that Trkulja was involved in organized crime operations. It doesn't appear that he has any other info linking his shooting to this particular webpage or to the fact that the Web publishers to decide how shooter may have done a Google they want to track visitors search. It also does not appear through some combination of (at least from the article here) cookies or IP addresses. that the guy is blaming the G o o g l e i s o n e o f m a n y website in question -- just Google companies and organizations for leading people to it. Not sure participating in a day-long what sorts of laws there are in discussion about the future of A u s t r a l i a c o n c e r n i n g s u c h journalism at the Federal Trade liability, but it's hard to think of a Commission in Washington. The scenario under which this lawsuit topic has pitted Google against should make sense under any the publishing industry all year, legal system. with Google insisting it's a friend Permalink| Comments| Email of journalism by sending traffic This Story toward media companies, and media companies accusing Google of siphoning their potential traffic by showing headlines and snippets on Google News. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

In nod to media, Google News policy limited (CNET News.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:54:00 AM

Reading The Wall Street Journal articles for free through Google News will get harder if the paper decides to embrace Google's new changes to its "First Click Free" policy.(Credit: Screenshot by Tom Krazit/CNET) As the journalism industry gathers once again to wring its hands about the future, Google has thrown it a bone with new limitations on its "First Click Free" policy for news stories shown on Google News. Companies that operate subscription-based Web sites-such as The Wall Street Journal-don't want to expose the full text of their articles to Google. But despite what WSJ owner Rupert

Murdoch says, most of them also want their articles and sites discoverable through Google and Google News. As a compromise, Google has allowed those publishers to participate in what it calls a"First Click Free" program, where articles accessed through Google News links can be seen in their entirety, but if the user attempts to click anywhere else on that story page, they are directed to a sign-up page. The problem is that Web users quickly figured out that you can access almost any Wall Street Journal article for free simply by cutting and pasting the headline into Google News, which generates a "free" link that isn't available if a publisher such as CNET links to a Wall Street Journal article. "While we're

happy to see that a number of publishers are already using First Click Free, we've found that some who might try it are worried about people abusing the spirit of First Click Free to access almost all of their content," wrote John Mueller, Webmaster trends analyst for Google, in a blog post. As a result, Google is now putting limits on the First Click Free usage. Web publishers can now decide to limit use of the First Click Free rule to five times per person per day through both Google News and regular Google search results. It's not clear whether readers could get around this issue by clearing cookies from their browser or enabling private browsing, but a Google representative said it will be up to

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Apple, Psystar reach partial settlement By Lauren Hirsch (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:30:00 PM

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, OS Details are still sketchy, but apparently Apple and Psystar have reached partial settlement in the ongoing saga between the two companies. It appears that in return for paying Apple unspecified damages on its copyright claims (most of which were ruled in Apple's favor in a summary judgment motion last month), Apple will drop its remaining claims against Psystar, including those for trademark violation. Apple also agreed not to execute on those damages until all appeals have been exhausted. A more detailed document is due to be filed later, but the idea is that the matters before the court will be reduced to only the issue of permanent injunction, a motion Apple filed last week. If the court accepts the terms of the settlement, there will be no need for a trial. Psystar appears to

the Rebel EFI product as evidence of Psystar's ongoing attempts to infringe and circumvent Apple's software restrictions. Of course, the Rebel EFI software is the subject of the ongoing Florida litigation, so certain elements are beginning to dovetail together. Apple, for its part, would like both lawsuits to come together. My guess is that Apple is more interested in the outcome of the completely concede (though it's p e r m a n e n t i n j u n c t i o n t h a n not like it had any further leg to damages. It's not even clear if stand on) copyright violation, by Psystar could hope to pay Apple arguing that whatever the court any significant money, since decides to do with the permanent Psystar filed for bankruptcy last injunction barring sale of its May, and recent information computers with OS X pre- indicates that Psystar only has installed, that it not extend such sales of 768 units thus far. an injunction to Psystar's Rebel TUAW Apple, Psystar reach partial settlement originally EFI software product. The Rebel EFI software product appeared on The Unofficial does not come with its own copy Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, of Mac OS X or any particular 01 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. hardware product, but permits Please see our terms for use of installation of Mac OS X on an feeds. " u n a u t h o r i z e d " c o m p u t e r . Read| Permalink| Email this| Apple's motion for permanent Comments injunction specifically mentions

ESRB

By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:00:39 AM

If you’re among the growing number of people abandoning their cable and satellite TV packages in favor of alternatives like iTunes, Hulu, and Netflix, here’s something interesting to consider: YouTube may soon offer streaming TV shows the day after they air for $1.99 each. According to All Things Digital, Google is currently in negotiations with the networks and studios to make such a service available to users of its video-sharing site in 2010. The big difference with YouTube and iTunes, however, is that YouTube streams its video, whereas iTunes lets you download the file. For the moment, All Things Digital calls this “the biggest stumbling block” because “the networks and studio … want to sell the streamed shows at the same price as downloads; they fear that offering them at a different price will force them to go back and

rework their existing deals.” Certainly, this is a big issue. If, for the same price, I could own a show via iTunes as opposed to stream it via YouTube, I’d choose iTunes every time. On the other hand, if I could watch it on YouTube for less, I’d likely go there, as I only want to watch most shows once. Whether or not a middle ground can be reached will likely determine if this service will ever come to fruition. Meanwhile, we want to know what you think: Would you pay $1.99 to stream shows on YouTube? If not, what pricing model would make the service attractive? Let us know in the comments. Reviews: Google, YouTube Tags: Google, tv, video, youtube

Global investors return to risky assets

continued from page 23

the research yourself. And then if you're still unhappy about the content in the games you buy your kids, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Would You Pay to Watch New TV Shows for $1.99 on YouTube? [RUMOR]

This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

(Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:54:09 AM

19:35 GMT: The “all-clear” siren sounded across global

markets on Tuesday, encouraging traders to scurry from their boltholes and resume playing with riskier assets. Gold hit a fresh high above $1,200, equities powered ahead

and industrial commodities found favour as the “risk on” switch was flicked. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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ColorSchemer Studio 2 is here, and we have licenses! By Brett Terpstra (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:00:00 PM

Filed under: Multimedia, Software We brought you a sneak peek at ColorSchemer Studio 2 last week, and I'm excited to share the news that it's available today. Any screen-based designer should be excited, and with the new CMYK support and advanced color manipulation tools, anybody who works with color at all should have a look. Some highlights from the new release: • CMYK color support • Color management/profiles • GalleryBrowser: browse (and grab from) over a million palettes from COLOURlovers.com, right in the app • LiveSchemes, advanced color/harmony manipulation • Variations palette • Color Libraries • Favorite Colors color groups • QuickPreview now has a wide

selection of layouts to work with • See the sneak peek for some more coverage on new features ColorSchemer Studio 2 costs $49.99US and has a free trial available. The exciting news is that TUAW has 3 ColorSchemer Studio licenses to give away to the color lovers among our readers. Just leave a comment mentioning what new feature you think will be the most useful to you, and we'll randomly select 3 winners from the entries on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009. Here are the rules and a link to

the legal statement: • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. • To enter leave a comment describing which of the new features you're most excited about • The comment must be left before Tuesday, December 8th, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. • You may enter only once. • Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. • Prize: Full license for ColorSchemer Studio 2 • Click Here for complete Official Rules. Good Luck! TUAW ColorSchemer Studio 2 is here, and we have licenses! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Fake CDC vaccine email leads to malware (CNET News.com)

post on Tuesday. Once installed, "this Trojan will create a security-free gateway on The e-mail appears to be from your system and will proceed to the CDC but directs people to a download and install additional fake CDC site that serves up a m a l w a r e w i t h o u t y o u r Trojan.(Credit: AppRiver) authorization," the post warns. "It You can ignore that e-mail that also enables a remote hacker to looks like it comes from the U.S. take complete control of your Centers for Disease Control computer. This malware can log about creating a profile for an your typed keystrokes and send H1N1 vaccination program. It's a c o n f i d e n t i a l p e r s o n a l a n d malware scam, according to financial data (including banking security provider AppRiver. information, credit card numbers, The fake alert informs recipients and website passwords) to a t h a t a s p a r t o f a " S t a t e remote hacker." Vaccination H1N1 Program" AppRiver said it was seeing the they need to create a profile on fake CDC e-mails at a rate of the CDC Web site. The link in nearly 18,000 messages per the e-mail goes to a fake CDC minute, reaching more than one page where the visitor is assigned million, in the first hour alone. a temporary ID and a link to a This screen shot shows the fake vaccination profile that is C D C W e b p a g e t h a t i s actually an an executable file distributing the Trojan.(Credit: containing a copy of the Kryptik AppRiver) Trojan targeting Windows, This content has passed through according to an AppRiver blog fivefilters.org. Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:57:00 AM

Don't Go to the Chapel Just Yet [Engagement] By Brian Moylan (Gawker)

D.C. seems poised to legalize gay marriage. Let's see what

Congress says about that.

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Twitter founder formally unveils 'Square' project (CNET News.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:02:00 PM

A look at one of Square's receipts for Sightglass Coffee, a San Francisco establishment in which founder Jack Dorsey has invested.(Credit: Square) Small business is front and center for Square, the new mobile -payments company founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Previously in a quasi-stealth mode (OK, more like San Francisco's worst-kept secret), Square has now launched in beta, is accepting e-mail requests for preliminary accounts, and has put up a basic Web site to explain the company's premise. The Square hardware is a small, inexpensive card reader that

plugs into the audio jack of a compatible device, including a mobile phone (it's starting with the iPhone and currently has job postings up for BlackBerry and Android engineers). It processes credit card payments, geotags their locations on a map, and emails a receipt to the buyer. "Even though a majority of payments has moved to plastic cards, accepting payments from cards is still difficult, requiring long applications, expensive hardware, and an overly complex experience," the Square Web site explains, talking about how the company premise was hatched when now-executives heard about an artist whose sales were hindered by the fact that he was unable to accept credit card

payments. What hadn't been reported before is that loyalty programs and microdonations are built in as well. Square can track a history of your purchases at a

nonprofit organization that the merchant chooses. CNET first reported the company's name(it had been code -named "Squirrel") as well as some of the details about its business model: low production costs, possibly to the point where the devices can be distributed for free, and profits from transaction fees. (It's not clear whether they actually will make them free.) Square has set up offices in San Francisco, New York, and St. Louis, with a team of 11 employees announced on the given establishment for discounts Web site. It's backed by Khosla and promotions, effectively Ventures and some angel replacing the buy-10, get-oneinvestors. free card at coffee shops. This content has passed through Additionally, Square donates a fivefilters.org. cent of each transaction to a

Rupert Murdoch: Feds Should Stay Out Of News Business, Except, Of Course To Smack Down Google For Sending Me Traffic By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:43:43 AM

Rupert Murdoch stopped by at an FTC workshop on the future of journalism to say that the federal government should "stay out" of regulating the journalism business. Except, in the same speech he said exactly the opposite. What he meant was

that he didn't want the government to get in the business of funding journalism. Yet, in the very same speech he does say that the government shouldn't allow Google to link to his news stories, calling it "theft" yet again. Again, he doesn't explain why he hasn't blocked Google if it's actually "theft." Not surprisingly, compounding these

contradictions, he fails to mention (or perhaps recognize?) that the sites he owns do plenty of aggregating themselves. I've been told, however, that Arianna Huffington is making that point, though I wonder if Rupert stuck around to hear it. Update: Huffington has published her speech, which does a very nice job making the point.

Other points made by Murdoch include the bizarre claim that "advertising is dead" as a model to support journalism. You would think that someone who has lived through a bunch of ad market cycles wouldn't extrapolate from just a short period, but that appears to be what Murdoch is doing. About the only other explanation for all

of this is that he's simply trying to confuse and throw off both the competition and the federal government -- but at some point someone should directly call him on his various contradictions and confusion. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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Redux Creates Unique Visualizations Helping Everyone of What Your Friends are Sharing Become An IT Innovator By Christina Warren (Mashable!)

you can see your streams update in real-time and you can watch videos or view photographs all in Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:05:02 AM the same window. We first wrote about Redux back You can also use the Redux in July. Redux is a Web site that Bookmarklet to easily share turns status updates and real-time content with others. Now Open feeds into an entertainment for Everyone destination. It’s basically a I’m a big fan of Redux because FriendFeed/Twitter/YouTube As I said in my post in October, even though it is a total time-sink mashup. In October, the service Redux is incredibly addictive. (in a good way), it actually adds added support for your Twitter Because you can see content your value to my other streams. So and Facebook feeds, taking the friends are sharing and also while it’s often unclear what content (like videos, photos and subscribe to different “channels” people are sharing on Twitter or l i n k s t o W e b s i t e s ) a n d with people who share your Facebook, Redux makes it easy visualizing it in your stream. interests, you can always find to see it, comment on it and then From there you can give props, cool stuff. The Redux homepage pass it on to others. comment on content or share highlights some of the newer and Now that Redux is open to with others. more popular channels. For everyone, the service can only Redux is an incredibly cool way instance, did you know some get better. to discover new stuff or to get a dude actually got a tattoo of Tony Have you used Redux? What do better visualization of the stuff Danza (like Who’s the Boss? you think about visualizing the your friends are already sharing. Tony Danza) on what looks like r e a l - t i m e w e b ? R e v i e w s : The service has been in private his thigh? Facebook, Twitter beta for quite some time, but You can also create your own Tags: facebook, real-time web, starting today, Redux is now channels to share information and redux, twitter open to the public. video links with other users. Real-Time and Really Addictive What’s nice about Redux is that

By Michael Ho (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 6:30:00 AM

This post is part of the IT Innovation series, sponsored by Sun & Intel. Read more at ITInnovation.com. Of course, the content of this post consists entirely of the thoughts and opinions of the author. As many of our readers already know, we've been producing several topical conversations on a variety of subjects via the Insight Community, and we'd like to introduce our newly sponsored site, IT Innovation, brought to you by Sun Microsystems and Intel. (You may have missed the subtle new 'IT Innovation' link added to the top of our page.) First and foremost, the goal of this effort for us here at Techdirt is to create interesting and useful content for our readers in the realm of server hardware and datacenter management.

We'll be covering trends in datacenters and skills for IT managers -- and asking the Insight Community for its input on generating relevant insights for future conversations. And as with any natural conversation, we're not 100% sure where the topics will lead because the ideas will develop and evolve as we discuss them. But we'll start with current trends, as well as far off predictions, advice and tips for IT managers, business tools, and try to delve deeper into the subjects that resonate with the community participants. If you're already a member of the Insight Community, you can contribute your thoughts on the datacenter upgrade process. If you're not already a member, you can join now. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

Mail.app rules! By Sang Tang (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

perform a specified action if a certain condition is met. These actions include moving, copying, Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:00:00 PM and setting the color of a Filed under: Software, How-tos, message, as well as automatically Productivity replying, forwarding, and One of the neat things about redirecting a message. For rule, which highlights messages Mail.app is rules. Rules will example, the "News from Apple" received from Apple in light

blue, is included in mail.app by default. Here are a few of my favorite rules. Continue reading Mail.app rules! TUAW Mail.app rules! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Dec 2009

15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Cyber Monday Deals Ignite Sales for Online Retailers [STATS] By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)

from 9-10 a.m. PST, but maintained stronger momentum Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:32:30 AM throughout the day than on Cyber By midday yesterday it looked Monday 2008. like we might be in for a big The big Cyber Monday numbers Cyber Monday, and today, final follow strong results from Black stats show that it was definitely a Friday. Does that point to good strong showing for online economic news ahead? Perhaps, retailers. though Coremetrics is quick to According to numbers provided The average dollar amount point out that the stats are being by Coremetrics, sales for this consumers spent per online order driven at least in part by more year’s Cyber Monday beat last rose 38.2 percent from Cyber consumers turning to the Web to year by 13.7 percent. Moreover, Monday 2008 ($180.03 versus find the best prices on items. it appears that Black Friday deals $130.24), led by apparel retailers. Did you do any online shopping moving online hasn’t taken much Consumers bought nearly 10 yesterday? Let us know about thunder away from the year’s percent more items per order on your experience in the comments. busiest online shopping day –- Cyber Monday 2009 compared to Tags: black friday, cyber sales yesterday topped this year’s Black Friday 2009 and nearly 30 monday, online retail, online Black Friday by 24.1 percent. percent more compared to Cyber shopping Some other numbers directly Monday 2008. from the report[PDF link]: Consumer shopping hit its peak

Teen tweeter cashes-in on SUL placement (Scripting News)

Editorial comment: Might as well say that a Dutch teenager amazes his parents by traveling BBC: "A Twitter feed set up by from Europe to America in a a Dutch teenager as a hobby has matter of hours. Without saying been taken over by Microsoft that he booked a flight on KLM. : news channel MSNBC.com." -) The report emphasizes the rate We live in a time of pseudo that the feed is growing, by 3000 news. to 4000 followers per day. What Another observation. It would be it doesn't say is that the feed is on interesting to know how much Twitter's Suggested Users List, Microsoft paid for his feed. That and that growth is normal for would, right there, establish the feeds on the list, even ones that m o n e t a r y v a l u e o f S U L aren't run by prodigious teens. placement. Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:30:47 AM

Xbox Live app for iPhone By Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

all), and even a CoverFlow-style friend browser just for good measure. It is pretty darn impressive -- if there's anything Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:00:00 AM you need to do with your Xbox Filed under: Gaming, Software, Live account ( Gold account iPhone, App Review 360 Live[ required for messaging) while App Store link] certainly isn't the away from your actual 360, this first Xbox 360 app to hit the app will let you do it. iPhone, but it's definitely one of There is one issue: it's $1.99. the most full-featured, offering Technically, that's not bad -- an gamertag management, complete app like this is probably worth friends list access, messaging the $2 especially if browsing c a p a b i l i t y , g a m e s l i b r a r y your friends' games is something browsing (with achievements and you do often. But the catch is that

Microsoft recently stated that all apps that tag in to Xbox 360's online service must be sold for the low, low price of free. So one

or Microsoft might end up blocking it, either on the App Store or in the actual Xbox Live connection. Hopefully, whatever happens, we'll end up with a solution TUAW Xbox Live app for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 of two things will probably 08:00:00 EST. Please see our happen here -- either the app will terms for use of feeds. drop down to free (in which case, Read| Permalink| Email this| you might as well save your $2), Comments

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Samurai Puzzle Battle getting GotY edition By Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:00:00 AM

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store I hadn't even thought about it, but sure enough, we're coming up on the end of the year, and there'll be quite a few iPhone titles in the running for best mobile game of the year. This certainly isn't the first year we've seen a nice crop of App Store picks coming out, but it's the best so far. One of my favorites, Samurai Puzzle Battle, isn't even waiting for the choices -- they've announced that they'll be releasing a Game of the Year edition very soon, with improved graphics and better online features.

The game itself is a Puzzle Quest-style mix of RPG and gem matching gameplay, with extra modes that allow you to play a full campaign, or just jump in and match some gems. It's a lot

of fun, and I can't wait to see what the new version looks like. The update will be a free upgrade for current owners, and we haven't yet seen a price to buy outright (though it probably will be less than the original $4.99 price, probably closer to $1.99). I don't know that I'd choose the game for Game of the Year quite yet, but it's great to hear that a good game is getting better. TUAW Samurai Puzzle Battle getting GotY edition originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

If You Gain Unauthorized Access To A Character In A Virtual World, Is It Theft? By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:30:00 AM

Well, here we go again. For years we've questioned the wisdom of using real world laws to deal with issues within virtual worlds. You begin to open up quite the Pandora's Box of problems. If it's okay to charge someone for theft of virtual goods in a virtual world, what do you do if "theft" is a part of the game? And then does killing another character in a virtual world become "murder"? These issues are coming up again as Slashdot points out that a guy in the UK has been arrested for "robbery" of a player in the online world RuneScape. In this case, the arrested guy used a phishing scheme to get access to the username and password,

making it similar to a story from two years ago involving"stolen goods" in Habbo Hotel that involved a similar "hacking" of an account. But, again, it seems questionable to call this a robbery. Why not just charge the guy with violation of whatever laws there are against phishing or fraud, rather than robbery. These sorts of "robberies" can and probably should be dealt with directly in the virtual worlds themselves, where game administrators should be able to just "make things whole." Instead of calling it a robbery, why not focus on the actual crime of phishing, rather than the questionable "crime" of "robbery" of another's character. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

That Mythical 'Information Wants To Be Free' Crowd By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:44:00 AM

Jay Rosen is doing a brilliant job highlighting the rather silly trend among folks who think they're "debunking" the economics of free to build up complete strawmen often identified as "the information wants to be free

crowd." However, as Rosen notes, none of those critics ever links to anyone in particular or defines who they're arguing against or what it is they actually said. There's a good reason for that, of course. Usually those folks are arguing against a myth. They don't want to argue against the actual economics or what

folks who understand where free fits into the wider economic landscape are actually saying. They want to throw up a punching bag (usually something along the lines of "everything must be free!") which they can knock down without anyone punching back. But that's not because they're right, but because

they're arguing against a myth. No one claims everything (even information) must be free. Most (and in this group I include folks like Kevin Kelly, Chris Anderson, Stewart Brand and others) are simply pointing to the basic economic forces on information. If you don't understand what those forces are,

then you will be overwhelmed by them. But simply claiming that any one in that group is saying that everything must be free is flat out wrong. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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On the first night of Christmas, my true love game to me - free game apps By David Winograd (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:00:00 PM

Filed under: Software, Freeware, Deals, iPhone, Holidays, iPod touch The folks at Blacksmithgames have come up with a really nifty idea. They've created an Advent calendar, or in their words, an appventcalendar. Each day from now until Christmas, a new door will open showing an iPhone game app that you can get for free, but only for one day. Being December 1st, the first

door just opened and what's behind it is 33rd Division[ iTunes Link] a line-drawing stealth game where the goal is to escort your troops while avoiding enemy patrols. 33rd Division is for any

iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.2.1 or later. Tomorrow its price will go back to US $0.99 and another door will be opened. Blacksmithgames promises a mix of well known and

undiscovered games to keep things interesting. So go on over and pick yourself up a free game. Then keep checking back for new surprises. Twitter Creator TUAW On the first night of Launches iPhone Christmas, my true love game to me - free game apps originally Payment System appeared on The Unofficial Website Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, By Ben Parr (Mashable!) 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:26:36 AM feeds. Several months ago, we learned Read| Permalink| Email this| that Twitter’s Inventor and Comments Chairman, Jack Dorsey, was working on a brand new project, his first after stepping down as Twitter’s CEO. Soon his new project was revealed to be the Square iPhone Payment System, which intends to replace credit mom was a little girl — but the cards with payments via your concept, despite improving phone. technology has just not taken off. We’ve just learned that Jack and Will video calls from cell phones his team have launched the f i n a l l y p u s h t h e i d e a i n t o website for the new project, common use? What do you SquareUp.com. It’s a beta think? Reviews: Fring, iPhone, website that explains the benefits video of the Square iPhone payment Tags: fring, iphone, iPod Touch, system, as well as the ability to Skype, video phone, voip log into the SquareUp system…if you have a beta account. Here are some screenshots of the device and the website: Tags: iphone, Square iPhone Payment System, SquareUp, twitter

Fring Brings Video Calls to the iPhone By Christina Warren (Mashable!) Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:49:33 AM

We’ve always been impressed with Fring, the VoIP and chat client for your mobile phone. The service works with a ton of different networks, including Skype, AIM, MSN Messenger and Twitter. Plus, you can make calls to landlines from your SkypeOut/SkypeIn account and place voice calls to your Skype

and Fring contacts. Today, Fring is taking its iPhone app to the next level by bringing support for video chat. Nokia added this feature to some of its devices last week, and the new version of Fring is now in the app store. Fring is free and you can download it here(iTunes link). Watch this video to see what the service looks like: Fring notes that as soon as frontfacing cameras exist for the iPhone or iPod touch, two-way

video conversations will be available — just like they are on some Nokia devices. Video phones have been promising to take the world by storm since — well, since my

Runway Visions: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)

All Photos: Kelly Stuart

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Apple planning to add iTunes LP creation to iDVD?

Kick Off the Holidays with an Advent Calendar for Techies

By Joachim Bean (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

By Christina Warren (Mashable!)

Filed under: iLife, Rumors With the recent introduction of documentation to create iTunes LP and iTunes Extras and the ability to submit the the iTunes Store, Apple might be thinking about bringing development of iTunes LP a bit further. Boy Genius Report is reporting they've heard that Apple might be wanting to bring iTunes LP creation to the next version of iDVD, which is part of iLife. This could further broaden the creation of iTunes LP for independent artists, as they could be created right along with other things in iLife. iDVD hasn't received a major update in a few years, so it could be likely iDVD

will receive some sort of update. TUAW Apple planning to add iTunes LP creation to iDVD? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

I've got to give it up for the video editors on staff for this one. Now that Jon and Kate is off the Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:07:00 PM air, TLC is scrambling to figure If you've ever watched The Soup out what mildly offensive reality or Community, you know what a concept it's going to use to win (hot) genius Joel McHale is. But over America once again. Instead while his scruffy mug tends to of coming up with an entirely get all of the credit for the funny new concept (because, let's face that The Soup constantly brings, it: ideas are hard), The Soup

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers)

Hulu “Movers & Shakers” for the week ending 11/29/09 (this info is directly from Hulu). Even if you don’t celebrate Though it’s not particularly Christmas, advent calendars can useful since there is no data for be a lot of fun. And while Webmetrics (number of streams, based advents don’t evoke quite average minutes per stream) that the same thrill as opening up a would reveal how tiny the tangible paper door on every day 24ways consistently offers up viewership is compared to TV in December, they can still be great tips, tricks and solid advice. viewership, at least you can get full of nice surprises. In fact, just going through the an idea of what’s most popular 24ways is an advent calendar for 24Ways archives is a nice little on Hulu: Web geeks that has been around gift in and of itself. P.S. I apologize for the for five years now. Every day, an Do you have any favorite web- formatting. Hulu sends these amazing list of authors(including based advent calendars? Let us VERY nicely formatted, but for Christian Heilmann, Jeffrey know. Happy December, Web whatever reason Wordpress has Zeldman and Dan Rubin) post a geeks. some problems with it. Where new design or Web development [via WebWorkerDaily] you see “?” it should’ve been an tip catered toward users of the Tags: 24ways, advent calendar, up or down arrow indicating alternative advent. Christmas, web dev trend. Fortunately they also let Produced by Drew McLellan, you know how many slots it was up or down so you can figure that out from the “+” and “-” symbols… This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Joel McHale presents TLC's next reality bonanza By Kona Gallagher (TV Squad)

Family Guy, Saturday Night Live, Glee lead Hulu for week ending 11/29/09

Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:42:30 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:44:03 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:30:00 PM

posits that TLC is just going to combine all of their already successful shows into one. TLC has decided to build their success on little people, tattoos, pageant kids, cake shows and folks who have way too many babies, so let's just cut the crap and give the people what they want. In this case, the people

want Fertile Little Tattooed Pageant Parents Who Enjoy Baking. Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Video, Watercooler Talk Read| Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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UK Jewish Group Urges Jews Not to Skeptical Science Be Fooled by Fascists Debunks the Deniers (Little Green Footballs)

(Little Green Footballs)

Submitted at 11/30/2009 5:40:44 PM

Submitted at 11/30/2009 3:07:14 PM

communal violence, intimidation and polarisation feed the extremists on every side. They British Jewish advocacy group encourage social division and CST appeals to Jews not to take leave all minorities vulnerable. part in an upcoming Anti-Muslim bigotry is a vital demonstration by far right recruiting sergeant for both the Eurofascists: Don&##x2019;t be far right, and its Islamist fooled by Islamophobia. extremist counterparts. It A small Islamophobic group, generates votes for the BNP and, called Stop Islamisation Of at the furthest ends of this Europe (SIOE), has called for political spectrum, it even 1,000 Jews to attend its provides the fuel for terrorism. forthcoming demonstration at British Jews should have no part Harrow mosque; and for each David; with blood dripping down of it. Jew to bring an Israeli flag. the rabbi&##x2019;s pulpit; and The SIOE is trying to use British This is strikingly similar to with blood dripping from the Jews for two purposes: 1) to give appeals that have also been made mouth of a skull that wears an t h e m c o v e r a n d d e f l e c t in recent months by the English accusations of fascism, and 2) to Israeli army helmet. … Defence League (EDL). It is also CST has raised awareness of the enrage any Islamists at Harrow essentially the same as activities of extreme Islamist mosque and try to provoke them opportunistic attempts by British groups in the UK for many years. to violence. National Party leader Nick But to demonise an entire Insane shrieking harpy Pamela Griffin to ditch both his and his community, every Muslim and Geller is solidly on the side of the party’s antisemitic heritage, by every mosque, in the way that fascists, as always, and is stressing his supposed new-found SIOE does, shows exactly the freaking out at her hate site: Atlas support for Israel and Jews. kind of bigotry from which Jews U r g e s J e w s W o r l d w i d e t o SIOE’s appeal for Jewish have suffered so often in our Support SIOE, Ignore Dhimmi participation sits alongside this history. For SIOE to appeal to ‘Jewish Councils’ - Atlas Shrugs. grotesque Islamophobic image on Jews to support them shows a Quote: its website: complete ignorance of the Jewish Oncve again leftist Jews lying If a Jew cannot understand why experience of being on the and deceiving to advance the the image is racist, or hateful, or receiving end of exactly this type aims of the enemies of Jews bigoted then they should try andJewish life. of politics. … imagining it as a synagogue: with Hatred, division, cycles of inter- (Hat tip: KT.) blood dripping from a Star of

person put it, “the cheerleaders for doing something about global warming seem to be largely the Here’s an excellent website that cheerleaders for many causes of thoroughly debunks a lot of the which I disapprove”. most common talking points Beneath the politics is a more endlessly repeated by climate elemental instinct - an aversion to change skeptics and deniers: alarmism. We’ve been burnt Skeptical Science: Examining before. The media predicted an Global Warming Skepticism. ice age in the 70’s which never Their mission statement: eventuated. Y2K was going to Skeptical Science was created by destroy society - it was barely a John Cook, an ex-physicist hiccup. And I won’t deny there (majoring in solar physics at the are alarmists in the global University of Queensland). My warming camp. Urgent cries that interest in global warming began the ice sheets are on the verge of when I got into some discussions sliding into the sea. Or emotional with a skeptical family member pleas to save those cute little who handed me a speech by polar bears. Sadly, alarmists Senator Inhofe. It took little seem to be the loudest voices in research to show his arguments the global warming debate. But were misleading and lacking in that doesn’t change the science science. underneath. Since then, I’ve scoured peer So I ignore the distracting reviewed scientific literature in p o l i t i c s a n d a d h o m i n e m an attempt to penetrate the arguments. Instead, I concentrate political agendas and cherry on the science. And I noticed picking. I’ve noticed two patterns when the discussion did get to in global warming skepticism. science, the same flawed skeptic F i r s t l y , m a n y r e a s o n s f o r argument continue to propogate disbelieving in anthropogenic through the blogosphere, Chinese global warming (AGW) seem to whispers style. This website is an be political rather than scientific. attempt to examine all the Eg - it’s all a liberal plot to scientific arguments that reject spread socialism and destroy AGW. capitalism (or sometimes just plain dislike for Al Gore). As one

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Why I Parted Ways With The Right (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/30/2009 6:49:45 PM

1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.) 2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.) 3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.) 4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism,

climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.) 5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.) 6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.) 7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.) 8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.) 9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing

radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.) 10. Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source) And much, much more. The American right wing has gone off the rails, into the bushes, and off the cliff. I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be going over the cliff with them.

Are you ready for some Martha Stewart?! By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:30:00 PM

If you're like me, when you hear the name Martha Stewart you think of football. Now those two things are coming together in a new contest. Martha and NBC have teamed up for Martha's Sunday Night Football Sweepstakes, a contest where, if you win the grand prize, you get a trip to New York City, a stay in a hotel, $100 in spending money, and you get to attend a live taping of Martha Stewart or Football Night in America. Runner up prizes include Martha's new book

Fring Puts Video Calls on Your iPhone [Downloads] By Adam Pash (Lifehacker)

Dinner at Home and autographed footballs. Continue reading Are you ready for some Martha Stewart?! Filed under: Sports, Daytime, Celebrities, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Creditors mobilise over Dubai debt plan (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:50:21 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:30:00 AM

iPhone only: Previously mentioned mobile VoIP and chat application Fring has updated their iPhone app with support for streaming video calls. It's a great feature, but it does have a catch. If you're unfamiliar with Fring, it's a messaging application that integrates with everything from Skype and Google Talk to Facebook and AIM. For most, the VoIP feature comes via Skype. With the new update,

iPhone and iPod touch users with a Wi-Fi connection can make and receive video calls via Fring or Skype and watch your contact from your phone. Unfortunately the video chat is only a one-way video thing for now, meaning either you can watch your friend talk or your friend can watch you talk. This is, of course, a limitation of the iPhone and its non-front-facing camera. The

folks at Fring assure us that twoway video calls will be available as soon as the iPhone gets a front -facing camera. Two-way video or not, it's great to see a first step in this direction for the iPhone. Video calling may not be an everyday sort of event (I do plenty of things while I'm on the phone that the person I'm talking to doesn't need or want to see), but it's certainly got its

Creditors mobilise over Dubai debt plan By Robin Wigglesworth in place, and it'll be nice to take Dubai, Andrew England in Abu video chat out of our computer Dhabi and Patrick Jenkins in monitors. London Fring is a free download. Published: December 1 2009 Fring[iTunes App Store via Fring 19:50 | Last updated: December 1 Blog] 2009 19:50 This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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How HTML5 Will Change the Way You Use the Web [Web Browsing] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:00:00 AM

Firefox and Safari partially support it, Google's Wave and Chrome projects are banking on it, and most web developers are ecstatic about what it means. It's HTML5, and if you're not exactly sure what it is, here's an explainer. Image taken from Bruce Lawson's fantastic HTML5 presentation. What is HTML5? Some kind of really fancy link tag? HTML5 is a specification for how the web's core language, HTML, should be formatted and utilized to deliver text, images, multimedia, web apps, search forms, and anything else you see in your browser. In some ways, it's mostly a core set of standards that only web developers really need to know. In other ways, it's a major revision to how the web is put together. Not every web site will use it, but those that do will have better support across modern desktop and mobile browsers (that is, everything except Internet Explorer). What Awesomeness can I expect from HTML5? The big, marquee changes in HTML5 have already made some headlines, thanks to browser makers like Google, Apple, Mozilla, and others picking them up and implementing them. The

shortlist: • Offline storage: Kind of like "Super Cookies," but with much more space to store both onetime data and persistent app databases, like email. Actually, you can think of offline storage as something a lot like Google Gears—you just won't need to install a plug-in to reap the benefits. • Canvas drawing: Sites can mark off a space on a page where interactive pictures, charts and graphs, game components, and whatever else imagination allows can be drawn directly by programming code and user interaction—no Flash or other plug-ins required. • Native video and audio streaming support: It's in the very

early stages and subject to format disruption, but sites like YouTube and Pandora could one day skip Flash entirely to bring you streaming audio and video, with timed playback and other neat features. • Geolocation: Just what it sounds like, but not limited to a single provider's API or browser tool. HTML5 can find your location and use it to tailor things like search results, tag your Twitter updates, and more. Location-aware devices are a big deal. • Smarter forms: Search boxes, text inputs, and other you-typehere fields get better controls for focusing, validating data, interacting with other page elements, sending through email,

video demonstrations: Google I/O 2009 Keynote, pt. 1 Firefox 3.5 Treats Videos Like Web Pages: If you're running an up-to-date version of Firefox, Safari, Chrome, or Opera—or, basically, any regularly updated browser besides Internet Explorer—give these links a shot. HTML5 Demos: Huge list of capability demonstrations, gracefully compiled by Remy Sharp. Welcome to Safari: Written entirely with HTML5 and CSS 3. YouTube in HTML5: No Flash required at all (for Chrome and Safari only, at this point). and more. It may not sound that Canvas drawing and audio sexy, but it could mean less Neat interactive site that shows annoyance as a user, and that's tweets from folks who are digging on HTML5, with always a good thing. • W e b a p p l i c a t i o n f o c u s : streaming background audio and Without breaking down the interactive data pieces. Why is it hundreds of nuts and bolts, it's being pushed? Don't Flash and fair to say that HTML5 is aimed JavaScript already work? at making it easier to build wikis, Make no mistake, HTML5 has drag-and-drop tools, discussion much love for JavaScript and its boards, real-time chat, search many relatives—in fact, the new front-ends, and other modern markup standards make it easier web elements into any site, and for JavaScript-type code to point have them work the same across at, and pull from, pieces of each web page. As for Flash, and browsers. Silverlight, and other browser Where can I see HTML5 in plug-ins, well, they are artificial solutions for a natural problem action? that HTML5 is trying to fix: Ooh, good question! From this page right here, with a Placing and managing interactive soon-to-be-optional-maybeHOW page 38 Flash, you can check out these

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Gadget and Gear Deals of the Day [Dealhacker] By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

Price: $140) • Creative Labs Vado HD 8GB Pocket Camcorder (2nd Gen) for Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:00:00 AM $129 with free shipping(Regular You missed Black Friday, you Price: $199.99) skipped Cyber Monday, but you • 4.3" TomTom XL 340S Live still want a good deal or two. No Internet Connected GPS for problem, we bring you deals all $199.99 with free year long on gadgets, gear, and shipping(Regular Price: $299.99) electronic goodies. • ooma Telo Free Home Phone Computer Gear! Service for $199.99 with free • 15" Apple MacBook Pro shipping(Regular Price: $249.99) - u s e c o u p o n c o d e free shipping(Regular Price: • Microsoft Zune HD 32GB Laptops $1499, $1749, $1999 + $999) $999.99 - use coupon code: Touchscreen MP3 Player for Free Shipping(Regular Prices: • 16" HP G60t Laptop for S V M Y 4 7 8 7 6 1 ) $ 3 5 9 . 9 9 w i t h $ 2 9 • Logitech MX Air 2.4 GHz BONUSBUY) $1699, $1999, $2299 - use this $269 with free shipping(Regular shipping(Regular Price: $469.99 Cordless Laser Rechargeable Air • 42" LG 42PQ10 720p 600Hz Price: $289.99) form) M o u s e f o r $ 6 9 . 9 9 + F r e e Plasma TV $499.99 + Free • Microsoft Zune HD 16GB • Lenovo ThinkPad SL410 14- - use coupon code: SV6462) • 15.6" Lenovo IdeaPad Y550P Shipping(Regular Price: $115) Shipping(Regular Price: $547) Touchscreen MP3 Player for inch Laptop w/ Windows 7 for Core i7 Laptop for $1,061.65 • 37" VIZIO VO370M 1080p $ 1 9 7 . 9 9 $449.10 + Free Shipping(Regular with free LCD HDTV for $499 with free shipping(Regular Price: $219.99) Price: $734.00 - use coupon code with free shipping(Regular Price: Not Computer Gear! $1,249.99 - use coupon code: • Toshiba 47ZV650U 47-inch shipping(Regular Price: $599.99) • HP 12-inch Digital Photo USPTHINKHOLIDAY) 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV • 37" LG 37LG30 720p LCD F r a m e f o r $ 9 0 + F r e e • 23" HP TouchSmart 1080p All USP15SVEBIG) -in-One Mult-touch Desktop PC • 15.6" Compaq Presario CQ61Z f o r $ 1 , 0 9 9 . 0 0 + F r e e HDTV for $479.99 + Free Shipping(Regular Price: $110) f o r $ 9 7 9 . 9 9 w i t h f r e e Laptop for $299.99 with $29 Shipping(Regular Price: $1,168) Shipping(Regular Price: $599) • Aliph Jawbone 2 Wireless s h i p p i n g ( R e g u l a r P r i c e : shipping(Regular Price: $399.99) • Asus O!Play HDP-R1 Digital • Samsung BD-P2500 Netflix Bluetooth Headset for $49.99, $1,249.99 - use coupon code: • 15.5" Sony VGN-NW250F/S Media Player for $89.99 + Free Blu-ray Player for $199.99 + J a w b o n e Prime for Intel Laptop plus 16GB Zune HD Shipping(Regular Price: $99.99 - Free Shipping(Regular Price: $64.99(Regular Price: $79 and SVMY478761) coupon c o d e $249) • Dell Vostro 220MT Dual Core for $780 plus shipping(Regular u s e $99) Price: $999) S U P E R S T E A L 1 0) • LG BD370 Blu-ray Player plus Desktop with 19" LCD for $349(Regular Price: $588) • 12" Lenovo ThinkPad X200 • X-Men Origins: Wolverine F r e e B l u - r a y M o v i e f o r Free Stuff! • HP Elite e9270t Core i5 Laptop for $767.20 + Free [Blu-ray + DigiCopy] for $9.99 + $129.99(Regular Price: $165) • Zappos VIP Membership (Free Desktop PC for $879.99 with Shipping(Regular Price: $1,399 - Free Super Saver or $2.98 • iPod Touch 64GB (new 3rd Overnight Shipping Forever) for coupon c o d e Shipping(Regular Price: $20) g e n ) f o r $ 3 3 9 . 9 9 + F r e e $0 free shipping(Regular Price: u s e • 52" Sharp AQUOS LC- Shipping(Regular Price: $358) • Big Kahuna Reef game $1,149.99 - use coupon code: U S P C B R M O N D A Y ) • 24" Dell ST2410 1080p LCD 52D85U 1080p 120Hz LCD TV • iPod Touch 8GB (newest 3rd download for $0 SVMY478761) f o r $ 1 8 4 w i t h f r e e f o r $ 1 , 1 7 9 . 0 0 + F r e e g e n ) f o r $ 1 6 9 . 9 9 + F r e e • 12 oz Bag of Seattle's Best • 18.4" HP dv8 Quad Core i7 Laptop w/Blu-ray for $899.99 shipping(Regular Price: $259) Shipping(Regular Price: $1499) Shipping(Regular Price: $182) Coffee (after rebate!) for $0(use with free shipping(Regular Price: • 1TB Fantom GreenDrive • 50" LG 50PQ30 720p Plasma • Beats by Dr. Dre Tour High- this form) $1,349.99 - use coupon code: GD1000EU External Hard Drive HDTV for $675.83 with free resolution In-ear headphones for • Lady Gaga Christmas MP3 for $59.99(Regular Price: $110 - shipping(Regular Price: $999.99 $ 1 2 7 . 4 6 with f r e e Download for $0(use this form) NBM7RTX) use this form and this form) u s e c o u p o n c o d e : shipping(Regular Price: $179.99) • 16.4" Sony VAIO VGN• $10 Restaurant.com Gift Card • Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB for $0(use this form) FW520F Laptop with Zune HD • HP OfficeJet 6000 Wireless B O N U S B U Y ) 16GB MP3 Player for $799.20 + Color InkJet Printer for $39.99 + • 50" Panasonic TC-P50X1 720p Pocket Camcorder (2nd Gen) for GADGET page 38 Free Shipping(Regular Price: Free Shipping(Regular Price: $55 Plasma HDTV for $691.84 with $90 + Free Shipping(Regular

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elements on a web page. Besides being a major source of browser memory leaks and crashes, Flash and its brethren also doesn't work on every platform, and has to be re-written and adapted for every new one. If you're looking to make a clever application available to as many people as possible, a write once, use everywhere system is ideal. When more browsers and developers support HTML5's audio, video, and interaction standards, the idea of the web as the universal app store—for smartphones, for desktops and laptops, Windows, Mac, and Linux—gets closer to reality. Apple tried to pitch this mentality to developers with their first iPhone release. That pronouncement was, to put it mildly, roundly mocked. Since then, webapps have become a lot more powerful and respectable as mainstays of productivity, and enthusiasm for the walled garden model of application markets has waned quite a bit in the minds of an increasing number of developers. That's not to say that HTML5powered web applications, with their lack of serious local storage,

hardware access, and serious offline capabilities, are going to make the iPhone App Store, the Android Market, or the desktop software we're all used to obsolete. But look at how Chrome is positioning its Chrome OS for netbooks, which relies on HTML5 for offline storage: A secondary computer, in terms of hard-and-fast capabilities, but one you might use just as often, if not more, for the web-connected convenience. How will HTML5 makes its way onto my web? HTML5 isn't a software release, or a web development law. It's a voted-upon and group-edited standard, written in broad fashion to accommodate different styles of development and the different thinking among web browser makers. Put more simply, it depends on what you're using to surf. And what standards your web makers are following. Firefox, Safari, and Chrome on the desktop support a few of the styles and features outlined in HTML5's draft specifications, like offline storage, canvas drawing, and, most intriguingly, tags for audio and video that

GADGET continued from page 37

• Sample of Hugo Boss Orange for $0(use this form) Thanks Dealzon, Slickdeals, Fatwallet, TechDealDigger, T e c h B a r g a i n s , CheapStingyBargains,

CheapCollegeGamers, and GamerHotline!

allow sites to stream multimedia files directly into a browser. Apple's Safari for iPhone and the Android browser also support elements of HTML5, as does Opera Mobile. Want to know the nitty-gritty of where your browser stands on HTML5? Web geeks have put in the time to put it all in a Wikipedia chart. Those audio and video tags aren't quite as liberating as they may seem. The writers of the HTML5 standard—Ian Hickson of Google and Davd Hyatt of Apple—wanted to define a single, standardized format for video streaming, but while their employers favor the H.264/MPEG-4 standard, opensource firms like Mozilla can't abide by its patent "encumbrance," and Opera and other web firms don't particularly love the licensing costs. Their alternative is Theora, better known (relatively) as Ogg Theora. As it stands, HTML5 simply doesn't require or suggest a single container format or codec to use, which could mean browser-by-browser differences down the road. Ars Technica has a good explainer on the HTML5 video codec debate. Further

reading • HTML5 - Wikipedia: Because, seriously, where else would you start? • HTML5: The editor's draft of the whole darned standard. • Dive Into HTML5: Programmer, and explainer of all things programming, details what's different about HTML5 in an ongoing work. • HTML5 Supersedes Web Forms 2.0: A good read on what changes with web forms in HTML5, which I'm not quite developer-y enough to concisely explain. • The Future of HTML 5 by Bruce Lawson: Funny, digestible bigger-picture take on what HTML5 really means for the web. If you're already savvy with HTML5, what differences or improvements would you point out that we left out? Tell us what HTML5 means to you, and your browser, in the comments.

There could be yet another permanent death coming up on Heroes By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:29:00 PM

So, in last night's episode of Heroes, one of the original cast members was killed off. In slow motion! Fans might think that there's a chance he could come back because characters come back on this show all the time, but producer Tim Kring says that this is final. And now it looks like it might not be the only permanent death on the show. Continue reading There could be yet another permanent death coming up on Heroes Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities, Heroes, Casting, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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The Enormous Whiteboard Workspace [Featured Workspace]

Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress: It's Not True

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

(ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 5:26:00 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:00:00 PM

If you need a big white board to hold your big ideas, you'll definitely want to take a peek at today's featured workspace for some whiteboard inspiration. Lifehacker reader Tom Borowski likes having a spacious whiteboard to sketch out his ideas and jot down his lists. How spacious? Read on to hear about his office and DIY whiteboard: I recently moved to a new place and this is the workplace I set up. The main desk is in the shape of an L and is dominated by the two 30-inch TFTs which are connected to a Mac Pro that sits under the desk. There's also some audio recording equipment, like a mixer and a mic boom. On the wall behind the desk is a giant 10x3ft DIY magnetic whiteboard which I use for sketching out ideas or brainstorming. The whole work area is surrounded by Ikea Billy book shelves and a built-in bookshelf. The second desk below the window is for paperwork as the main desk doesn't really have

enough space left for that. In the far left corner on the panoramic photo is a comfy Ekornes Stressless armchair for reading and the occasional afternoon nap. Next to this "leisure corner" is a dining room table that used to live in the kitchen in my last appartment. Since my current kitchen has a built-in dining table, it now serves as an allpurpose office table. Overall this office works for me because it's very spacious, has

Tiger Woods' alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel calls their rumored affair "ridiculous" -- and she's willing to take a lie detector test to prove her side of the story. Speaking out to The New York Post, the NYC beauty says the tabloids got it wrong. "Not a word of it is true," Rachel says. "I told the [ National] Enquirer and Star[magazine] that it wasn't true. I told them not only did I have information to disprove the story, but I offered to take a liedetector test ... It's the most ridiculous story. It's like they are asking me to comment if there lots of storage for folders and y o u c a n c h e c k o u t a f u l l are aliens on Earth." books and has everything I need p a n o r a m a p h o t o h e r e . Rachel says she knows the girls throughout a normal workday, be If you have a workspace of your w h o b l a b b e d t o t h e t a b s , it working on the Mac, doing own to show off, throw the claiming, "[She's] not even a paperwork or reading. pictures on your Flickr account friend of mine. This girl was If you're in love with his and add it to the Lifehacker never around me for any of the whiteboard we've covered a Workspace Show and Tell Pool. time she was saying she was. If I number of ways to craft a DIY Include some details about your was having some big, lurid affair, whiteboard including: recycling a setup and why it works for you, I would not tell this girl. It's just window into a whiteboard, and you just might see it featured ridiculous. She got paid money to painting a whiteboard right onto on the front page of Lifehacker. sell a story to the National t h e w a l l , t u r n i n g s o m e The Enormous Whiteboard Enquirer. I heard she got $25,000 inexpensive showerboard into W o r k s p a c e [ L i f e h a c k e r and another girl got $25,000. The large whiteboard. Workspace Show and Tell Pool] other magazines heard about it, For a closer look at this office but they turned it down because there was no hard evidence.

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Hulu Advanced Search Helps You Find Specific Episodes More Easily [Television] By Sarah Rae Trover (Lifehacker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:30:00 AM

Although online media giant Hulu has users all across the country saying no monthly cable bills, their site was still a little unruly when it came to its search function. They've listened to user feedback and implemented some really helpful new features. Next time you miss a specific episode of TV, try using Hulu's new search feature. Next to the search bar located at the bottom of the page, you'll find a button labeled Advanced Search. Simply click

through and enter in specific episode information. In our search above, we were able to find Season 3, Episode 4 of Doogie Howser with just a few keystrokes—and have been

make for smooth searching as they continue to add more and more videos to their catalog. As you can see in the screenshot, the advanced search also demonstrates what search operators one might use to perform episode-specific searches from the main search box (e.g., show:"Doogie Howser" season:3 episode:4). Hit up the watching Vinny Delpino try to Hulu blog for more tips on make it to second base with his making the most of your searches girlfriend Janine ever since. within their online interface. The Although their archives weren't Search Is On[Official Hulu Blog actually difficult to navigate via CNET] before, it's an addition that will

Inbox2 Combines Email and Social Networking Into One Stream [Communication] By Whitson Gordon (Lifehacker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:00:00 AM

We may be eagerly awaiting Mozilla's previously mentioned Raindrop, but webapp Inbox2—already available in beta stage—looks to serve the same purpose: Pulling all your email and social networking communication in a single unified stream. You can use Inbox2 as either a

standalone webapp or a Facebook application, allowing you to choose the hub of your message stream. If you already spend tons of time on Facebook, for example, you can add your email, Twitter, and other updates to your Facebook notifications instead, as well as read and send messages from any of your non-

Facebook accounts without leaving Facebook's site. Inbox2 also integrates well with your existing system, allowng you to import your existing labels and stars from other services like Gmail. It also has support for Microsoft Exchange 2007, and is planning on releasing an iPhone app in the near future (followed

by apps for other smartphones). Take a look at their demo video above for a closer look at how it all works. Inbox2 is a free, web-based service. Inbox2[via TechCrunch]

Break Out Film 'Precious' Leads in Spirit Award Noms (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:40:00 AM

Actors Matt Dillon and Taraji P. Henson announced the nominees for The 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards with 'Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire' leading the way in nominations -- ET has the award show info. 'Precious' is nominated for five Spirit Awards including the coveted Best Feature film honor. The film's leading lady Gabourey Sidibe is up for an award as well as Mo'Nique, who plays Precious' abusive mother in the movie. Other films up for accolades include '(500) Days of Summer,' 'A Serious Man,' 'Adventureland,' starring 'Twilight' leading lady Kristen Stewart, and 'Two Lovers,' starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix.

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What Did the Internet Search for in 2009? By Frederic Lardinois (ReadWriteWeb)

obvious URL searches, so a direct comparison between Bing and Google is sadly impossible. Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:35:47 AM Neither Google, Bing or Yahoo As the year draws to an end, all made lists of their actual top the large search engines have Moon 6. Patrick Swayze 7. queries available this year. All now published their year-end Paranormal Activiy 7. Lady Gaga we got so far are highly sanitized roundups of the most popular 7. Cash for Clunkers 8. Natasha lists of "trending topics." While search queries on their sites. On Richardson 8. Windows 7 8. Jon these reflect the current mood, almost every service, these and Kate Gosselin 9. Farrah they don't really give us a good i n c l u d e M i c h a e l J a c k s o n , Fawcett 9. dantri.com.vn 9. Billy idea of what people search for on Twitter, Lady Gaga and terms Mays 10. Lady Gaga 10. torpedo a day-to-day basis. Your Personal related to Twilight. Google also gratis 10. Jaycee Dugard Top 10 in Google's Web History just released its annual Zeitgeist Some of these are pretty If you have Google Web History survey, which features lists of the straightforward (Twitter, Michael feature turned on, you can find a fastest rising search terms on J a c k s o n , F a c e b o o k ) , w h i l e list of your personal top queries Google's properties worldwide. others, like ' torpedo gratis' of 2009 here. Ask.com Among the top queries related to (which refers to a free SMS Ask.com also just published its t e c h n o l o g y a n d t h e W e b , service) and ' tuenti' left us top questions of 2009 - though this year. We use data from Facebook (#2) leads the charge slightly puzzled at first. It is also questions like "What is Miley multiple sources, including ahead of Twitter (#4) and interesting to note that a lot of Cyrus' phone number?" make us Insights for Search, Google Windows 7 (#8) in the global these search terms in Google's wonder about the validity of this Trends and internal data tools. survey. In the US, Twitter was list are basically just URLs list. We also filter out spam and the fastest rising search term of ( T w i t t e r , F a c e b o o k , H u l u , repeat queries to build out lists 2009, followed by Michael dantri.com.vn). Sanitized Lists • How much should I weigh? that best reflect "the spirit of the Jackson, Facebook, Hulu and hi5. Fastest Falling Terms on Google • How do I get out of debt fast? • How do I get pregnant? times." All of the search queries Sponsor (Global) • What is Twitter? we studied are anonymous-no The Lists • beijing 2008 Here are Google's and Bing's • What is Miley Cyrus' phone personal information was used. • euro 2008 number? The Google Zeitgeist always lists of top search queries of • heath ledger • What is the meaning of life? provides an interesting overview 2009: Google - Fastest Rising • barack obama Search Queries in the US Google • When will the world end? of what was on our minds in any • amy winehouse • How long does marijuana stay given year, so give it a look and - Fastest Rising Search Queries • kraloyun in your system? share what interesting finds you Globally Bing - Top Trending • dailymotion Topics 1. Twitter 1. Michael • What are the symptoms of can dig up in the comments. • bebo Swine Flu? Google Zeitgeist 2009[Google] Jackson 1. Michael Jackson 2. • wii Michael Jackson 2. Facebook 2. • emule • What time is it? Twitter 3. Facebook 3. tuenti 3. Swine Flu 4. Hulu 4. Twitter 4. It's important to note that Bing's Discuss Stock Market 5. hi5 5. sanalika 5. list was mostly scrubbed of Farrah Fawcett 6. Glee 6. New

Google's Always-Fascinating Year-End Zeitgeist Rounds Up 2009 in Search [Zeitgeist] By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:30:00 AM

Web users perform billions of searches every year, leaving the folks at Google with a fount of interesting information. When the year ends, GOOG rounds it all up into their yearly zeitgeist. This year, Twitter and Michael Jackson lead the way. A bit more about how Google puts their zeitgeist together: To compile the 2009 Year-End Zeitgeist, we studied the aggregation of billions of queries people typed into Google search

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Top 10 Consumer Web Apps of 2009 By Frederic Lardinois (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:58:34 AM

Every year at ReadWriteWeb, we look at hundreds of new web apps aimed at everyday users. Occasionally, we come across a service that stands out from the pack because it offers a novel solution, disrupts the way incumbent market leaders do business or changes the way we experience the Web. Here is our list of the top 10 consumer web apps of 2009. These are apps and services that helped consumers use the web in new ways this year; and brought technologies that were previously only geared towards advanced users to a mainstream audience. Sponsor Some of these apps aren't new but just like last year, we've tried to select a mix of applications that either reached the mainstream this year, or that we think will be big in the year to come. This is the second part in our series of top products of 2009: â&#x20AC;˘ Top 10 Mobile Web Products of 2009 Bing Until earlier this year, Google didn't have any serious competition in the search market. Now, however, thanks to Microsoft's Bing- which launched in July - users finally have a choice when it comes to search engines. Bing's market

share climbed steadily over the last few months, and Microsoft keeps adding interesting new features like visual search, hover previews, integrated Twitter search and a smart integration of some of Wolfram Alpha's most compelling features. Bing, which bills itself as a "decision engine," tries to give its users more than just 10 links. Instead, Bing focuses on giving users answers right on the search results page. A search for a football or baseball player, for example, will bring up recent stats, while a search for flights brings up data from Microsoft's Bing Travel service. Wolfram Alpha No other new web service was greeted with the same amount of hype as Wolfram Alpha this year. Inevitably, Wolfram Research's "computational knowledge engine" disappointed many who were looking for a Google killer, but Alpha introduced a new paradigm for search engines: Instead of giving you a long list of links, Alpha tries to give users an answer based on information from reputable sources. If this sounds familiar, it might be because Microsoft's Bing is trying to do something very similar - even if Microsoft's approach isn't quite as radical. Because of these similarities, it also doesn't come as a surprise that Bing was the first search engine to integrate search results from Wolfram Alpha. While it isn't useful for

version of Google Chrome in late 2008. Even though Chrome still only holds a small share of the browser market and doesn't offer a stable version for OSX or Linux yet, Chrome has already changed the browser market. Chrome's relentless focus on speed helped to reignite the browser wars and even Microsoft now compares the performance of the next version of Internet everybody yet, the Wolfram Explorer to Chrome. Thanks to Alpha team has worked hard to its fast JavaScript rendering expand Alpha's knowledge. If engine and interesting new you are an engineer or scientist, t e c h n o l o g i e s , C h r o m e i s Wolfram Alpha might just be the changing the way developers are most useful web app for you. For thinking about browsers. Even if the rest of us, Alpha's ability to you don't use Chrome, you will s o l v e a n a g r a m s , a g g r e g a t e see Chrome's influence in the weather data and tell you the upcoming versions of Firefox distance between two cities and Internet Explorer. proves to be useful, too, though Chrome, of course, is also the not as useful as the service's basis for Google's upcoming ability to solve complex math Chrome OS, so chances are that problems. We still have to wait we will see a lot more of Chrome and see what the future holds for in the next year. Posterous Whether you want to open up a Wolfram Alpha. new blog without any fuzz or just For now, the service is a great experiment and even if it fails share photos and messages easily (which we don't think it will), its o n m u l t i p l e s e r v i c e s l i k e influence will surely extend to Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, other search engines like Bing light blogging service Posterous and Google Search. In the spirit has you covered. The service of trying something different, launched in May 2009 and was Wolfram also launched a $50 definitely one of the most iPhone application in October. interesting new arrivals in the Even though Wolfram Alpha's blogging landscape this year. web interface is available for What makes Posterous stand out free, the company insisted that its is its ability to cross-post updates mobile application offered t o o t h e r s e r v i c e s ( F l i c k r , enough new features to justify Facebook, Twitter or your own blog, for example). In addition, this price. Google Chrome Google launched the first beta it's also extremely easy to set up

a new blog. Just email a message, photo or video to post AT posterous.com and your new blog is ready to go. Advanced users can also port their own domain names to the service and theme their blogs. With PicPosterous, the company now also offers an easy to use iPhone app. Hulu Thanks to its prominent ads during the Super Bowl, Hulu became a household name in the US this year. Even before this publicity campaign, however, Hulu had already established itself as a the #1 destination for finding episodes of TV shows online. Hulu started out as a joint venture between FOX, NBC and other TV networks. In April, ABC also joined this group. Thanks to this, Hulu now offers one of the only destinations to easily find TV shows online in the US. While Hulu is currently available for free, it's worth noting that Hulu could start charging for subscriptions as early as next year. Next page: Consumer web apps 6-10 TweetDeck Except for Twitter's own website, TweetDeck is currently the single most popular Twitter client. While a few of us here at RWW prefer Seesmic's Twitter application, there can be no doubt that TweetDeck has set the standard for Twitter clients this year. TweetDeck was the first client to popularize a columnTOP page 43

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based layout - a design feature that a lot of other Twitter clients now use as well. In its current version ( our review), TweetDeck introduced support for Twitter's new lists feature, as well as integration with LinkedIn and partial support for Twitter's new geolocation feature. TweetDeck was also one of the first clients to introduce local lists, a feature that many power users had been clamoring for long before Twitter introduced its own version of this functionality. Twitter No Top 10 list of web applications would be complete without mentioning Twitter. No other web service (except for maybe Facebook) has recently managed to capture our imagination to the degree that Twitter has. Over the course of the year, Twitter introduced numerous new features, including lists and integrated search. Twitter's users didn't greet every new feature with complete happiness, however. The new retweet feature, for example, was met with resistance and it's still not clear if it will win out over today's retweet convention that grew organically over the last few years. Today, there are numerous users on Twitter with more than 1 million followers, and services

like BNO News regularly break news reports on Twitter long before the mainstream media. While Twitter has its detractors, there can be little doubt that 2009 was the year when Twitter came of age. Aardvark Have you ever found yourself in a city you've never been to and wondered where to find a good place for lunch or dinner or just playing pool? You could go to Yelp or Citysearch, but the best suggestions are likely to come from your own personal network and the friends of your friends. Aardvark makes it possible to harvest this collective knowledge of your extended social network through an easy to use web app, instant messaging bot and iPhone app. Simply ask a question and Aardvark will route your query to one of your friends (or your friend's friends) who is currently online. Thanks to sophisticated machine learning algorithms that run in the background, Aardvark quickly learns who to ask about specific topics. Unlike Yahoo Answers or similar services, Aardvark doesn't keep a repository of frequently asked questions. The service's mission is to get you current answers from experts in your own social networks. While we had our doubts about how well this would work when the

service first launched, Aardvark has proven it's worth time and again. On most days, over 85% of all questions get answered. Google Voice Google loves to enter markets where the status quo prevails and turn things on their head. With Google Voice, the search giant is doing just that to the telecom and VoIP industry. Google Voice assigns every user a new phone number that can be forwarded to any phone. Google Voice, which features a Gmail-like user interface, allows its users to make free local and long distance call, as well as cheap international calls from their existing phones. The service also features free text messages, conference calls and automated voicemail transcriptions. While other services like Ribbit Mobile and VoxOx offer similar features, Google Voice has the name recognition and marketing power behind it to make it an even more important product in the coming year. For now, Google Voice is still an inviteonly service, though Google continually sends out additional invites. Facebook Over the course of 2009, Facebook continued to grow and added new features which ranged from vanity URLs to a new sharing widget and a focus on

real-time updates of its users news streams. While it still trailed MySpace in 2009, it became the #1 social network this year, and by September Facebook had passed the 300 million active user mark. The service's user base is now bigger than the population of all but three countries in the world. While Facebook was once the domain of early adopters, today's Facebook population is highly diverse. The fastest growing demographic on Facebook today is users over 35. Did We Miss Your Favorites? This list showcases some of the favorite consumer web apps of the RWW team. What are your favorites? What web services do you think made the biggest impact in 2009? Let us know in the comments. ReadWriteWeb's Best Of Lists for 2009: â&#x20AC;˘ Top 10 Mobile Web Products of 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Top 10 Consumer Web Apps of 2009 Discuss

Alec Baldwin on Cohosting Oscars: It's totally on Steve Martin (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:30:00 AM

The Gotham Independent Film Awards kicked off the award season on Monday night in New York City and ET was with actor Alec Baldwin as he talked about his upcoming awards show gig. Baldwin gave his thoughts on hosting the "81st Annual Academy Awards" alongside Steve Martin, telling ET, "I need a lot of practice for the Oscars. It's going to be hard, but it's all on Steve actually. He's done it twice before so it's totally on him. I'm Steve's guest is how I look at it." Among those films up for a Gotham Independent Film award were the Coen brothers' 'A Serious Man,' Kristen Stewart's 'Adventureland,' Chris Rock's 'Good Hair' and Patton Oswalt's 'Big Fan.'

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Semantic Bookmarking Service Faviki Finally Usable Thanks to Delicious Import By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

bookmarking import feature only supports Delicious users and not other popular bookmarking tools Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:00:00 AM like Diigo, Delicious is still the When we first came across largest and most heavily used of Faviki back in 2008, we were the social bookmarking services intrigued by the concept of a available today...at least among social bookmarking service built those who still collect and save u s i n g s e m a n t i c t a g g i n g websites for future reference. capabilities. Instead of organizing Delicious Import and Common bookmarks based on user-created Tags tags, Faviki tags come from With the new semi-automatic structured information extracted Delicious import feature, Faviki from Wikipedia. After F aviki's users can enter in their Delicious update earlier this year which information and the service will improved the tagging process and i m p o r t t h e i r s a v e d s i t e s . introduced OpenID support, we However, before the import is again wanted to make the move initiated, Faviki displays a list of to this semantic web-based sites along with suggestions of service. There was just one thing "Common Tags." s t a n d i n g i n o u r w a y : n o Common Tags are a new open b o o k m a r k i m p o r t f e a t u r e . tagging format introduced this Unfortunately, until now, the year which help eliminate some only way to use Faviki involved of the problems inherent in userabandoning your extensive generated tagging systems. Prior bookmark collection and starting to common tags, users could f r e s h . T o d a y , t h i n g s h a v e create a number of different tags changed. Faviki has, at long last, that mean the same thing. For added a Delicious import feature. example, "new_york" and "nyc" Sponsor could both mean the New York, While at the moment, the the city. Also, there is the

you don't have to fix that issue before import. Instead, the next time you go to use that particular tag, Faviki will prompt you to problem of one tag that refers to define it then. Automatic Posting different things such as "jaguar" to Delicious and Twitter the animal and "jaguar" the car. Another nice feature in today's With the new standardized upgrade is that you can continue f o r m a t , t a g s a r e l i n k e d t o to use the Delicious service to concepts complete with metadata complement Faviki. Through and their own URLs. That way, automatic posting settings, your "new_york" and "nyc" would bookmarks tagged in Faviki will both be known to mean the same copy over to Delicious. Not only thing and an article about an that, but you can continue to use animal tagged "jaguar" would your Delicious tags, too, once link back to the concept for the they're mapped to common tags animal. The metadata in these after import. Twitter posting is "concepts" provides additional also supported as of now. information about the item being While this update is a relatively tagged, too. For example, a tag minor one, it was a much-needed for "obama" would be linked to a feature in order to get users to concept which indicates that he's make the big switch from one the President of the U.S. and service to the next. Now that we married to Michelle Obama. don't have to abandon our After Faviki suggests the bookmarks - and can even still appropriate common tags for use Delicious if desired - Faviki each link being imported, you looks a lot more appealing. c a n m a k e c o r r e c t i o n s a n d Discuss suggestions as you see fit. Also, if any of your own Delicious tags don't resolve to a common tag,

Regis Philbin Surgery Update (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:50:00 AM

ET has the latest... Talk show host Regis Philbin underwent hip surgery this morning and ET has the latest on his condition. "Everything went perfectly this morning during Regis' hip replacement surgery, and his doctor said that Regis couldn't be in better shape," his rep tells ET. "Regis anticipates returning to 'LIVE! with Regis and Kelly' soon after the first of the year, given the procedure's typical four -six week recovery time. Regis and Joy want to thank everyone for their support and best wishes."

Michael Jackson Tops Yahoo! Search (ETonline - Breaking News)

with Michael Jackson in the number one spot. Read on to find out who else made the list! ET has the latest... Coming in second is the hugely Yahoo! has just revealed their popular book series and movie list of the top searches of 2009, franchise, 'Twilight,' while the Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:28:00 AM

WWE, Megan Fox and Britney Spears come in third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 are Naruto, the Japanese manga series, at number six, "American

Idol" at number seven, Kim Kardashian at number eight, NASCAR at number nine and at number 10 is the online adventure game RuneScape.

Square: Twitter CoFounder Launches New Mobile Payment System Square, a new mobile SQUARE: page 45 phone By Frederic Lardinois payment system founded by

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Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, just launched its private beta today. Square will give anybody the ability to accept payment cards without having to go through a costly credit card processing service. Instead, Square will give its users the ability to use their mobile phones, laptops or desktop computers to accept payment cards and swipe them with the help of a small dongle that will plug into the computer's or phone's audio jack. Sponsor Square is backed by Khosla Ventures and a team of angel investors. Square's team of advisors includes actress Alyssa Milano, Susan Wu, Ryan Gilbert, Ted Wang and Gregg Kid (who was also an angel investor in Twitter). According to the information on Square's website, users won't have to sign any contracts and there won't be any monthly fees

or hidden costs. Square is currently only working with a select group of companies but plans to expand widely in 2010. In its current iteration, Square works on the iPhone and iPod touch. It's not clear how much the dongle will cost, but chances are that it will be cheap, as the company plans to focus on the service and not the hardware. Disrupting the Credit Card Processing Business Credit card processors (the people behind the card swiping machines at your local coffee shop, restaurant or corner store) typically take a hefty cut from every transaction and charge monthly fees. Square want to be a cheaper, more modern alternative to these systems. Square will email receipts to a payer's phone, for example, and allow merchants to track frequent customers and offer them discounts. In addition, Square will also donate one

penny for every transaction to a cause of the user's choice. Thanks to Square, every stand at a local farmers' market and every small coffee cart or hot dog vendor on the street will soon be able to accept credit cards without having to go through one of the major credit card processing services. Competition It's worth noting that other services like ePAY and Obopay also offer solutions that allow anybody to accept credit cards, though Square's service looks to be far more elegant than any of the current solutions we have seen. See the next page for additional screenshots The Square dongle Discuss

GE and Vivendi agree NBC Universal deal (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/30/2009 5:20:47 PM

General Electric has agreed to pay Vivendi$5.8bn for the French group’s 20 per cent stake in NBC Universal, according to a

person familiar with the negotiations, paving the way for the conglomerate’s planned sale of 51 per cent of the US media group to Comcast. The valuation is at the high end of expectations and essentially equates to one fifth of the

valuation the Comcast deal puts on NBCU, once debt is stripped out. However, it is slightly below the stake’s current valuation in Vivendi’s books. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Gartner to Acquire AMR Research for $64 Million By Alex Williams (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:31:00 AM

Gartner has acquired AMR Research for $64 million, further tightening Gartner's grip on the analyst world. Gartner is the leading IT Research firm with annual sales of $1.28 billion. AMR Research is a long time research and advisory services that specializes in serving supply chain management and IT professionals. It's a far smaller operation than Gartner. Last year the firm did $40 million in revenues. The firm has 40 analysts. Sponsor Bruce Richardson of AMR points out that Gartner is about 32 times the size of AMR with 60,000 clients inside 10,000 organizations. What this means for Gartner is an expansion of tis research offerings. Gartner says it will also extend the company's consulting and events business. AMR is reaching out to its customers today, saying it will be

business as usual until January 1 when "integration," will begin in earnest. That's according to a l etter from Tony Frisca, president and CEO at AMR. Richardson points out that benefits will come with scale. AMR will write to a much larger audience. They will have stronger global reach. They will reach into more verticals. Richardson, who is generally viewed as AMR's most high profile analyst, will stay with Gartner which he looks forward to in an amusing way:"While it will be a bit odd not to have the Advanced Manufacturing Research or AMR Research logos grace my business cards and PowerPoint templates, at least I will never again be introduced as being from "American Market Research" or "ARM." Everyone knows Gartner." The acquisition is expected to be completed later this month. Discuss

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Redux Launches as Twitter's RealTime Video Feed By Dana Oshiro (ReadWriteWeb)

from your friends, networks, and favorite channels. Because the community pulls a live feed from Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:00:00 AM your Twitter and Facebook After a long weekend, you may networks, clips arrive as realfind you're all caught up on your Sponsor time suggestions from friends favorite shows. If you're looking Similar to Digg, Redux allows and community members. In the f o r a n e w s o u r c e f o r users to upload, share and vote past ReadWriteWeb has looked entertainment, Berkeley-based on content across the network. to Redux as a great way to community Redux is finally T o o l s l i k e i t s e m b e d d a b l e bypass Bit.ly's malware issues as emerging from closed beta. blogging widget and inline video the site offers a thumbnail ReadWriteWeb first covered comment threads encourage preview prior to clicking on Redux's Facebook and Twitter o n g o i n g d i a l o g u e a n d links. With TV Mode, users can integration in early October. engagement. The community's bypass the act of clicking Since then the company has best content and dialogue has a l t o g e t h e r a n d w a t c h a n increased its member base, been its video, and TV mode is a unadulterated stream of real-time created some new tools and most way to celebrate that. video. To register visit Redux. importantly, built on the strength Redux lets you stream videos Discuss continuously in full screen mode of its video.

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Report: Jaimee Grubbs Claims She Had 31-Month Affair With Tiger Woods By Will Brinson (FanHouse)

the story will be reported in their latest magazine which, believe it Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:02:00 PM or not, comes out tomorrow. by Will Brinson Jaimee Grubbs, Report: Jaimee Grubbs Claims a Los Angeles-area cocktail She Had 31-Month Affair With waitress and former reality Tiger Woods originally appeared television "star," has "come on Fanhouse Golf Blog on Tue, forward" with the allegations that 01 Dec 2009 14:02:00 EST . she had a 31-month affair with Please see our terms for use of Tiger Woods and has voicemails feeds. and text messages to back it up. Permalink| Email this| Linking This is according to the US Blogs| Comments Magazine, Web site, which says

Introducing ReadWriteWeb's New COO: Sean Ammirati By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb)

backed startup mSpoke. He's also been a research fellow at Carnegie Mellon's Software Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:05:00 PM Industry Center. I'm pleased to announce a new Sean will assume responsibility e x e c u t i v e a p p o i n t m e n t t o for sales, business development ReadWriteWeb, our new Chief and operations. You can reach O p e r a t i n g O f f i c e r S e a n him at sean@readwriteweb.com. Ammirati. Based in Pittsburgh, S e a n i s a t t h e S u p e r n o v a PA, Sean has been an occasional conference this week in San writer on ReadWriteWeb since Francisco, so if you're there too March 2007 and hosted our then feel free to greet him in the podcast show ReadWriteTalk. hallways. see Bernard's name around in Prior to b e c o m i n g Sponsor 2010 I'm sure, as he's going to be ReadWriteWeb's COO, Sean was I'd like to thank our outgoing w o r k i n g o n a n e w s t a r t u p Co-Founder & CEO at venture- COO, Bernard Lunn. You will

opportunity. 2009 has been a great year for ReadWriteWeb and in partnership with FM Publishing, we've gained significant revenue growth during this time. So I thank Bernard for driving this for us and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. 2010 is going to be another big year for ReadWriteWeb, so we're excited to have Sean on board! Discuss

Data confirm strength of US housing recovery (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:18:54 AM

Pending home sales picked up for the ninth month running in October and climbed to the highest level since 2006, as the US housing market continues to stabilise. The National Association of Realtors said that pending home sales, which reflect deals that have been signed but not completed, rose by 3.7 per cent in October from September, beating projections that they would slide. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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10 OS X Games for the Holidays By Mark Crump (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:00:19 PM

Recently, my boss at my day job was considering getting a Mac and asked that fateful question: So, what about games? A few years ago, any response to that question would have been met with an awkward silence and an embarrassed look and a rush to change the subject to the weather. Now a days, thankfully, the answer is: Not that bad, actually. The switch to Intel processors, along with TransGaming’s Cider, has allowed companies to port their games to OS X. The bad news is, almost all the games on this list require a Mac with an Intel-based processor to run, and most of them either do not work on the old GMA 950 chip, or are severely limited. Massively Multiplayer Online Games I’ve got a weak spot for these enormous time sinks. They do come with a not-so-hidden cost of a monthly subscription fee and potential dirty looks from your spouse as you’re up until 3am trying go get “just one more level.” Warhammer Online Derived from the old Warhammer miniatures war games, we’ve covered this one previously. It’s still a good

choice for someone who also likes bashing their fellow man in the face as well as computercontrolled monsters. You can download the endless trial, which will let you play a portion of the game for free, or you can also buy the retail Windows version for about $20 — you don’t need to install it, and the Mac version isn’t on the disc, but you can use the account key to create the account and then download the Mac client. Eve Online A space-themed MMO where you pilot your own ship is a nice distraction from the chicks-inchainmail you find in fantasy games — really, that bikini has a high armor rating? Riiiiiight. While my experiences with Eve are limited, from what friends have told me, “once you get over the learning curve, it’s quite fun.” So, if you’re tired of burly elves and svelte dwarves (or is it the other way around?), Eve Online might be worth a look. As with Warhammer, you can either download it online or pick up a box set at a retailer. World of Warcraft It’s hard to mention a gaming roundup without talking about the 800 pound gorilla of the gaming market. Recently celebrating its fifth anniversary and over 11 million subscribers, WoW shows no indication of slowing down this decade.

Blizzard has always been a staunch supporter of the Mac, and the box you buy at the store will have the Mac installers on the disc. There’s even a handy iPhone app you can view your character and guild info with. Shooters Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare In a break from the World War 2 theme of the earlier Call of Duty game, as you’d assume from the title, this one is set in the modern era. The single-player campaign is one of the best I’ve ever experienced — I’ve got a fairly low finish rate on games, and this once was interesting all the way to the end. You’ll play the part of two soldiers in different areas of the world (A British SAS trooper and an American marine) working on two plot lines. I found the level design varied and well-paced — each level felt bereft of the usual “padding” developers add to the game to make it longer. At around 12 hours long, the campaign is relatively short, but, frankly, I’d rather most games be this short and well done than inflated. Bioshock Yeah, I know, like Call of Duty 4, it came out a few years ago for consoles and PCs. This Art Deco themed shooter answers the question: What would happen if Ann Rand built an underwater complex based on her Objectivist theories? Naturally, something

goes wrong and you get to unravel it. As with Call of Duty 4, Bioshock is one of the few games that compelled me to finish it, and is one of the few games so scary it caused the hair on my arms to stand up. Sim Games Sims 3 It’s hard to ignore the siren’s call of a game that lets you block off the bathroom and watch your Sims go mad. The Sims franchise is a guilty pleasure of mine. Apparently I’m not so busy micromanaging my own life, I need to micromanage a Sim’s virtual life, too. The Sims 3 has a few new features, like careers. Previously, when your Sim went to work, he or she disappeared into a black hole from which money spouted. Now, they can advance up a career path. I just wish they’d learn to use the bathroom at work. X-Plane Back in my PC gaming days, I was a huge fan of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s shuttering of that development group killed the program — not that we’d have seen a Mac version. X-Plane seems to be the Mac equivalent of it. I’ve yet to play it, and, sadly, any attempt at downloading the demo has failed. You can get it at the Apple store but the online store claims a 2-3 week shipping time. Strategy

Games Civ 4 The Civilization series has been a long staple in the strategy era, and Civ 4 is one of my favorites. Civ 4 adds a few new features over previous versions: religion is much more important, you can promote units, and now you can see your overall score. There is also a slimmed down iPhone version. Whimsical Lego Series If there’s something more fun than a Lego adaptation of Star Wars or Indiana Jones, I don’t know what it is. I love how they are both true to the source material, yet light-hearted. These are fun for the whole family. Peggle Part pinball, part blockout, part crazy, the idea behind Peggle is to eliminate the orange pegs. You are given 10 balls to complete this task. If the ball lands in the scoop at the bottom, you get a free ball. Most of my experience has been with the iPhone app, but I’ve been loving it. Any sort of a roundup like this is heavily biased on the author’s tastes: in my case, it’s apparent I like MMOs, shooters, and strategy games. Now it’s your turn: What games would you like to give or receive this holiday season?

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Chrome for Mac Imminent, Why We Should Care By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)

for Google Chrome for Mac, was asked by Twitter user @boundlessdreamz “When will Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:44:18 AM extensions work correctly on It has been a long time coming. mac? Is that a blocker?” Google’s Chrome web browser Pinkerton replied, “No on has been available on Windows extensions for beta. But we’ll get for over a year, while Mac users them soon. Must draw the line have been left with three options somewhere.” — take their chances with a If you’re a Safari user, you nightly build of the open-source won’t feel too bad about missing f o r k o f C h r o m e ( d u b b e d Extensions support. If Safari C h r o m i u m ) , u s e G o o g l e ’ s proves anything, it’s that a fully developer release, or wait for an functional and productive web official Google release. browser doesn’t need to be chock TechCrunch’s MG Siegler -full of third-party extensions. reported yesterday that Chrome Mine has only two; Evernote and for Mac is just a handful of bugs 1Password. And I could probably a w a y f r o m a r e l e a s e — live without the former, if I’m specifically, seven bugs, in case honest. you’re counting. But in order to The lack of Gears comes as no reach their end-of-year deadline great surprise, either. Google for release, the code-jockeys at Gears doesn’t work on Snow Google had to do a bit of a Leopard anyway, and Google has hatchet-job on the Mac version of been uncharacteristically rubbish their browser. at communicating why it’s being So far, Siegler says, all signs so slow at fixing it. On this point, point to the exclusion of the S i e g l e r a d d s , “ A p p a r e n t l y , Bookmark Manager, App Mode Google plans to push ahead with (which emulates the single- full HTML5 support rather than window web app functionality rely on Gears, at least on the offered by Fluid), Task Manager, Mac.” Gears, Sync for Mac (for syncing I wonder what prompted that bookmarks across Macs), Multi- decision? Timing? Complexity? touch Gesture support, Full Or perhaps Gears becomes less Screen Mode and Extensions. d e s i r a b l e i n a s t a n d a r d s Mike Pinkerton, Technical Lead compliant WebKit-world where

you’ve been pursuing the 64-bit dream, you’ll know how consistently disappointing the experience is — practically no one is building apps with true support for 64-bit OS X — and no, Apple’s home-grown Mail and iCal apps don’t count! Why Should We Care? For the last five months I’ve tried various builds of Chromium, which has so far been f u n c t i o n a l i t y , s p e e d a n d a bit of a mixed-bag when it compatibility across multiple comes to little things like devices and multiple form-factors performance and stability. Oh becomes the driving force in wait — did I say those were “little things?” Of course, what I browser development. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t meant to say was “stonking-great know which technology more major issues.” elegantly supports offline data To be fair, Chromium shows storage; Gears or HTML5. In any promise, but it’s still much too case, Gears’ absence on Snow “unfinished” to be my primary Leopard is deeply irritating for browser. And in case you were those of us who want to use wondering, my primary browser GMail offline, or take advantage is Safari. No, not because I’m an of drag-and-drop functionality in Apple fanboi, but because it’s Google Wave. If Chrome marks stable, it’s lightweight, and it’s the start of a Google-wide not a resource-hog. I used to love migration away from Gears and Firefox and recommended it to toward HTML5 (even if only for everyone, but I barely use the thing these days. Even with no the Mac), I welcome it. Also out of the equation (at this third-party extensions installed, it stage, anyway) is any mention of takes an age to load and the UI is 64-bit compatibility. But there is, bafflingly inconsistent with the predictably, nothing surprising rest of OS X. about that at all. If, like me, Ultimately, why should we care about Yet Another Browser?

Street Chic: New York By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 12/1/2009 4:00:00 AM

A floral frock and polka-dotted blouse clash beautifully. Photo: Stylesight Think you are Street Chic? E-

mail us your photo and you could

appear in ELLE.com's Street Chic Daily. Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan!

Well, just consider how much time you spend in a browser every day. Personally, most of my time is spent in Safari. I regularly have several dozen tabs open, often for days at a time. Most of my work is made up of hours spent reading, researching and writing, and while the latter used to take place in a dedicated word processor, Safari is now so stable and dependable I’ve gradually started doing more and more real-time, “live” writing inside the browser. I never would have taken that risk a year ago, but now I barely give it a thought. In fact, the browser is such a primary, fundamental element in day-to-day computing that Google has built an entire operating system out of it. In short, web browsers are big business, and make all the difference in how we perceive, experience and interact with the web. I’m all for a new browser that’s fast and functional and plays well with the websites and services I already use. I’m looking forward to putting Chrome for Mac through its paces — I hope it was worth the wait.

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Socialite Leaves Beta, Brings Twitter Video Calls on the Lists to Mac Desktop iPhone, Courtesy of Fring By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:12:45 AM

If you’re looking for a solution that keeps track of various social networks at once, all in one centralized location, EventBox for the Mac was a nice beta program that did the trick. EventBox is no more, but the program still exists. It’s changed names and become Socialite(much more appropriate if you ask me), and come out of beta, too. I downloaded the demo of the 1.0 release and ran it through its paces. The demo lets you have all the functionality of the full version, but you’re limited to running three different services or accounts. Which, honestly, isn’t much of a limitation for many users, myself included. All Your Services, One Place Socialite covers all the major bases, including Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. That would be enough for me, but it also will log you into Digg and Google Reader, or let you track RSS feeds yourself manually. For many people I know, opening Socialite first thing in the morning would clear their to-do list for the day. Facebook integration lets you access status updates and photo

albums, both yours and those of your friends. You can upload photos and update your status, but inbox access is still not a part of the deal, until Facebook opens that up to the API. Twitter gives you access to your timeline, mentions, and direct messages, and allows you to view your lists and lists you subscribe to. You can’t create new lists or modify them in this version of Socialite. Flickr includes contacts photos, but also Interestingness, which is one of my favorite parts of Flickr, so I’m glad it’s included. Many Features, One Simple UI None of these services share the same UI in their native formats. That’s why Socialite’s interface is so impressive. It manages to make the process of working with multiple services in the same shell incredibly intuitive and relatively painless. Well-

designed icons, and consistent function placement across the board help make this happen. Best of all, if you’d rather just deal with things as one big mess, you can work with updates from all your services at once in the macro view “Unread” menu, and all of the appropriate actions for each separate service still appears in the options section for each. And clicking on any update automatically brings up the quick input field related to that service. Jack of All Trades, Master of None? Socialite is a great program, and well designed, but it can’t take the place of Tweetie on my Mac. The problem is that since starting to use Twitter, I’ve become less and less dependent on other social networks I belong to. Facebook I can check twice a day really, if I feel like it, and Flickr is something I never really used to begin with. No matter how well Socialite does Twitter, Tweetie still does it better, and with a much smaller memory footprint. Still, if you like to frequent many social sites, and especially if you’re a Google Reader user, Socialite could be the perfect program to help keep things organized and nicely aggregated in one convenient location.

By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:30:33 AM

As our sister site GigaOM reports, video calling has indeed arrived on the iPhone. It’s just a little one-way, is all. A new version of Fring supports video calls made using both its own and the Skype network, but you’re only able to receive video, not transmit it, since the camera on the iPhone 3GS still resides on the side of the phone opposite the screen. So long as you have iPhone OS 3.0 installed on your iPhone, you should be able to receive video calls with Fring from desktop and certain Nokia phone users once you install the update. As with everything cool on the iPhone, you’ll have to have a Wi-Fi connection to use video calling features, just as you must to make and receive voice calls, too. This despite AT&T’s announcement that it would allow VOIP on its network. Video calling works as advertised, but I’ll warn you that it can be an unnerving experience to talk to someone who can’t see you, but who you can see, for all parties involved. You can even initiate video calls from the iPhone, but obviously doing so

still won’t enable video services on your end. It’s a neat trick, and handy if you’re on the road and haven’t seen a loved one for quite a while, but until Apple gets wise to this trend (if it is one; some think video calling will never catch on in the mainstream), I’ll be placing my iPhone Skype calls the old-fashioned way, to avoid the accompanying feeling of slightly creepy voyeurism that comes with watching without being watched. The video below will help you fathom the system if you’re not interested or able to give it a go yourself.

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Psystar and Apple Ink Settlement Deal in Copyright Case By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)

Apple’s copyright claims. That means that Apple’s permanent injunction, which it Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:29:35 AM filed last week, would still be In an unexpected twist in the decided by the court. Psystar drawn-out battle between Psystar moved to have its software, the and Apple, the two companies Rebel EFI program, to be agreed Monday to a partial excepted from the injunction. settlement that could end the case Rebel EFI allows users to install after 17 months of back-andany OS on any hardware, but f o r t h b e t w e e n t h e m , a compromise Apple is willing to Psystar maintains that since it is Computerworld is reporting. live with, and with good reason, entirely its own product, and is Details on the settlement are since the Mac maker would have not sold together with any sparse, but what is known is quite to go after many other clone hardware or Mac OS X, it should makers if it wasn’t. surprising. be exempt from Apple’s motion. The terms of the settlement Here are the terms of the deal, as Also, Psystar goes onto note that would see Psystar pay Apple stated in a motion filed Monday even its customers, should they damages, though the amount has by Psystar: choose to use Rebel EFI to install not yet been determined. It would Psystar and Apple today entered O S X o n n o n - a u t h o r i z e d also see Apple drop any and all into a partial settlement that is hardware, should also be exempt trademark, trade-dress and state embodied in a stipulation that from any legal repercussions: l a w c l a i m s , w h i c h w o u l d will be filed with the court Psystar’s end users do not effectively eliminate the need for tomorrow. Psystar has agreed on engage in commercial use of Mac a trial. As a partial settlement, the certain amounts to be awarded as OS X and their use would qualify agreement would not go into statutory damages on Apple’s as use for “internal purposes” effect until Psystar has exhausted copyright claims in exchange for e v e n u n d e r t h e s t a n d a r d s all of its appeals before the court. Apple’s agreement not to execute articulated by Apple in its It’s an interesting deal, because on these awards until all appeals summary-judgment briefing. i t l o o k s l i k e i t w o u l d n ’ t i n t h i s m a t t e r h a v e b e e n Hard to vilify this new moderate necessarily stop Psystar from concluded. Moreover, Apple has stance taken by the clone maker, selling its Mac clones. Instead, agreed to voluntarily dismiss all which is probably why Apple the company would be limited to its trademark, trade-dress, and seems to have agreed to the s e l l i n g i t s “ O p e n ” l i n e o f state-law claims. This partial terms. Whether or not Rebel EFI c o m p u t e r s w i t h o u t O S X settlement eliminates the need for w i l l c o n t i n u e t o b e s o l d , p r e i n s t a l l e d , a n d t h a t a trial and reduces the issues however, is now up to the courts. responsibility would lie instead before this court to the scope of with customers. Apparently that’s any permanent injunction on

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Season 2 premiere of History’s Pawn Stars averages 2.91 million between 10p-11p By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:26:07 PM

via press release: SEASON 2 PREMIERE OF HISTORY’S HIT SERIES, PAWN STARS, DELIVERS SIGNIFICANT AUDIENCE AND CONTINUES TO BUILD IN RATINGS New York, December 1, 2009– The season 2 premiere of HISTORY’s hit television series PAWN STARS, on Monday, November 30 from 10-11pm ET, scored significant ratings and grew 66% in Total Viewers. The 2 back-to-back 30 minute episodes averaged: 2.91 million Total Viewers, 1.5 million Adults 18-49, 1.6 million Adults 25-54, and a 2.0 HH rating. Season 2 premiere night vs. Season 1 premiere night: Total Viewers: 2.91 million – up 66% vs. Season 1 (1.75 million) Adults 18-49: 1.5 million – up 60% vs. Season 1 (935,000) Adults 25-54: 1.6 million – up 60% vs. Season 1 (1.0 million) HH Rating: 2.0 – up 43% vs.

season 1 opening night (1.4) HISTORY’s hit television series, PAWN STARS, brings viewers inside the doors of a family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas, where three generations of men from the Harrison family— grandfather Richard, son Rick and grandson Corey— jointly run the business, with clashing and camaraderie every step of the way. This family lives and breathes the pawning business, using their sharp-eyed skills to carefully assess the value of items their colorful customers bring in, objects ranging from the obscure to the truly historic. Season 2 of PAWN STARS premieres on Monday’s at 10pm ET on HISTORY. Visit www.history.com/pawnstars for more info. PAWN STARS is produced for HISTORY by Leftfield Pictures. David McKillop and Mary Donahue are Executive Producers for HISTORY. Executive Producers for Leftfield Pictures are Brent Montgomery and Colby Gaines. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Mac OS X, iPhone OS, Safari Down or Flat in November By Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog)

had in that Chrome and Safari both use WebKit. More WebKit users, and Gecko users with Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:23:18 AM Firefox, ultimately mean a November was not a great greater adherence to neutral month for Apple, at least standards for web browsers. according to web metrics firm As for the iPhone, November Net Applications. While one was one of those rare months that could argue the launch of saw the iPhone OS lose ground. Windows 7 in October may have In terms of overall market share negatively impacted market share among operating systems, iPhone for OS X, Safari also lost ground OS may be insignificant, but the to Chrome, and even the iPhone actual number of users probably OS saw a slight decline against exceeds 60 million. Nonetheless, competitors. market share for iPhone OS was For OS X, the decline could 0.43 percent in November, down actually be good news. In the from 0.44 in October. Competing first full month since the release mobile operating systems like of Windows 7, OS X declined to JavaME, Symbian, Andriod and 5.12 percent of the overall RIM, all saw increases of 0.01 or F r o m S e p t e m b e r t h r o u g h t e c h n o l o g i e s s e e m o r e Windows version, represents 0.02 percent, minuscule changes, market, down from 5.27 percent last month. That’s not so bad. N o v e m b e r , O S X 1 0 . 6 widespread support sooner; 4.36 percent, down slightly from but still increasing. However, if Windows 7 is to represented 18 percent, 22 slower for Windows 7 means 4.4 percent in October. Still, that It should be noted, though, that blame for that modest decline, p e r c e n t a n d 2 7 p e r c e n t , more support headaches for percentage is moving slowly Net Applications data this month upward over time, though not comes with a “preliminary” it’s a little difficult to understand respectively, of the OS X user Microsoft. how Linux saw an increase of base. Those are impressive gains Similarly, Safari 4 has become nearly as fast as Google’s warning label. That could mean 0.04 percent, to an even one- after launching on Aug. 28. In the standard among Mac versions Chrome. Chrome is now at 3.93 there are still slight variations to hundredth of overall market contrast, Windows 7 launched on of the web browser, accounting percent, up from 3.57 percent for be found. For a month that share. More positively, Snow Oct. 22, and nearly six weeks for more than 80 percent of the previous month, and will showed a little decline for Apple, Leopard continues to account for later is just reaching 5 percent of Safari users since launching in almost assuredly pass Safari on it might turn out to be more of a an increasing share of the OS X Windows market share. Faster June. In terms of overall market the desktop within three months. plateau. uptake of OS X means new share, Safari, including the Of course, some solace can be user base.

Review: Lie to Me - Fold Equity By Jonathan Toomey (TV Squad) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:29:00 PM

( S02E09)"She's the female equivalent of roulette and you like the view." - Foster There's always a potential for screw-ups when networks start

airing episodes out of the producers intended order (see NBC and their goofs with Detective Crosetti's death in season three of Homicide), but Lie to Me seems to have avoided that sort of miscalculation despite FOX's shuffling of the season order. That is, until "Fold Equity"

aired last night. Originally set to air during Fox's Simpsons week

(catch the Sideshow Bob reference?), "Fold Equity" didn't drop that ball on anything as major as a character's death, but more than once during the hour it felt as though we were taking some giant steps backward. Continue reading Review: Lie to Me - Fold Equity

Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Lie to Me Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Rejected App Gets Special Approval From Steve Jobs Himself

US presses allies on troops for Afghanistan

By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)

(Financial Times - US homepage)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:34:10 PM

If there’s one thing you can count on about Apple’s App Store review policy, it’s that the process will be consistently inconsistent. Today, an app launches that was originally rejected for known and acknowledged use of private APIs, despite the fact that developers haven’t modified the app in any way since its rejection. Knocking Live Video, the app in question, makes use of Apple’s forbidden private APIs to enable live video streaming over Wi-Fi and 3G for the first time on the platform. Apple has made clear its policy on the use of private APIs, most recently via the introduction of an automated layer of the review process for app submissions that automatically checks all code for the presence of unauthorized API usage. Knocking’s usage of live streaming video is very

emails personally on occasion, so it was at least worth a shot. Meehan’s plea was not about self -interest, but instead focused on appealing to Jobs as a lifelong Apple user who wanted to create a better experience for other members of the community. The Monday following Meehan’s email, which was sent on a Saturday night in late November, he was contacted by an unnamed Apple executive who informed him that the app’s rejection had been reversed, and particular, as Ars Technica notification. Once answered, you that the decision to allow it into explains, something which may can then stream live video the App Store had come “directly have had something to do with it directly to them. An iPhone 3GS from the top.” It is now available being approved while other apps or iPhone 3G is required to for free in the App Store. like Qik haven’t been able to transmit video, but other iPhones Hopefully this means that Apple break down the streaming wall: and iPod touches can receive and is at least considering expanding Knocking Live Video uses an view the stream via WiFi. the pool of publicly available interesting take on streaming The app was initially rejected A P I s . A c c e s s t o t h e l i v e video. Unlike Qik, which is a b o u t a m o n t h a g o f o r streaming video API would allow designed to stream video to unauthorized use of the private a lot of applications that have multiple clients, Knocking APIs, but Knocking development been shelved to see the light of streams from one iPhone to Brian Meehan decided not to just day. It proves one thing at least: another. (…) You simply launch take the refusal lying down. Apple is listening to the iPhone the app and “knock” another Instead, he went straight to the development community, even iPhone user with Knocking Live top, contacting Steve Jobs though it may not always appear Video installed. That user will directly via email. Jobs has been that way. receive the “knock” via push known to actually respond to

Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:36:51 AM

The US on Tuesday stepped up its call for other countries to contribute to its military surge in Afghanistan, even as Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, rebuffed a direct appeal from Barack Obama to send up to 1,500 more troops. The US president was due to reveal his strategy in an address to the nation from West Point military academy on Tuesday night, amid widespread expectations that he would authorise the dispatch of about 30,000 more US troops, spearheaded by a marine brigade. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Punch Jerks at Work, Urge Scientists [Science] By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:14:01 AM

Have you ever gotten so mad at your god damn boss you just

wanted to scream your guts out in his ugly face until one or the other of you threw up, from anger? Go for it, say scientists! The WSJ reports:

Men who didn't confront

colleagues or bosses who treated them unfairly doubled their risk of heart attack, according to a study in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

* WASHINGTON POST JOKE.* [ Pacquiao for Congress!]

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Damages returns Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 10p; FX announces mid-season schedule By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:22:24 AM

via press release: FX SETS MIDSEASON LINEUP Final Season of Landmark Series Nip/Tuck Begins on Wednesday, Jan. 6 New Animated Comedy Series Archer Debuts on Thursday, Jan. 14 Award-Winning Damages Returns on Monday, Jan. 25 New Drama Justified(formerly Lawman) Starring Timothy Olyphant Premieres in March New Comedy Louie Slated for Spring Launch Plus Primetime Movie Lineup Features of The Simpsons Movie, Superbad, Spiderman 3, Live Free or Die Hard LOS ANGELES, December 1, 2009 – FX’s midseason schedule features a lineup of new and returning original series, kicking off 2010 with the final season of the Emmy® and Golden Globe® award winning drama Nip/Tuck on Wednesday, January 6; the new animated comedy Archer debuting on Thursday, January 14; and the third season of the Emmy and Golden Globe award winning drama Damages on Monday, January 25. FX’s new drama Justified(formerly Lawman) starring Timothy

Olyphant debuts in March, and the new comedy Louie, starring Louis C.K., will launch in the spring. Nip/Tuck, The Final Season, premieres on Wednesday, January 6. The final nine episodes of the groundbreaking series’ seventh season will air consecutively on Wednesday nights at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The series finale – Nip/Tuck’s 100th episode – will air on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Guest stars for the final season include Melanie Griffith, Joan Rivers, Mario Lopez, Frances Conroy, Donna Mills and Joan Van Ark. FX will debut its new animated comedy series Archer on Thursday, January 14 at 10PM E/P. Archer is an animated, halfhour comedy set at the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS), a spy agency where espionage and global crises are merely opportunities for its highly trained employees to confuse, undermine, betray and royally screw each other. The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as suave master spy “Sterling Archer,” whose less -than-masculine code name is “Duchess”; Jessica Walter as his domineering mother and boss, “Malory”; Aisha Tyler as his exgirlfriend, “Agent Lana Kane”; George Coe as his aging-butloyal butler, “Woodhouse”; Chris Parnell as ISIS comptroller and

serve as Executive Producer/Showrunner of the series. Leonard is Executive Producer, along with Sarah Timberman ( Kidnapped), Carl Beverly ( Kidnapped) and Michael Dinner ( Karen Sisco), who directed the pilot episode. Produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions. FX has ordered 13 episodes of the series, which is shot in Los Angeles. Louie, starring comedian Louis C.K., will premiere in the spring (month/date TBD). Louie is a comedy filtered through the observational humor of Louis C.K. and his daily life as a Lana’s new love interest, “Cyril P r o d u c t i o n s . T h e s h o w i s successful stand-up comedian Figgis”; and Judy Greer as executive produced by Todd A. and newly single father helping Malory’s lovesick secretary, Kessler, Glenn Kessler and to raise his two daughters in New “Cheryl/Carol.” FX has ordered Daniel Zelman, and co-executive York. His recent credits include 10 episodes. produced by Mark A. Baker and Parks & Recreation and the Damages, FX’s acclaimed series Aaron Zelman. Emmy nominated Showtime starring Glenn Close, will In Justified, which debuts in comedy special Chewed Up. premiere its third season on a March (date TBD), Olyphant Louis C.K. serves as executive new night, Mondays, beginning plays the lead role of Deputy producer, writer and director, and January 25 at 10 PM ET/PT for U.S. Marshal “Raylan Givens.” Dave Becky and 3 Arts are 13 weeks. The show brings back Givens is a modern-day 19 th executive producers. FX has its award-winning cast with century-style lawman, enforcing ordered 13 episodes which will C l o s e , R o s e B y r n e , T a t e his brand of justice in a way that be shot in New York. Donovan and Ted Danson. puts a target on his back with Preceding Archer’s premiere on Standout series regulars joining criminals and places him at odds January 10 at 8PM ET/PT will be the cast are Campbell Scott (Joe with his bosses in the Marshal the FX premiere of the smash-hit Tobin), Martin Short (Leonard service. Justified was developed feature The Simpsons Movie. Winstone), and guest stars Lily by Graham Yost( Boomtown, The following week on January Tomlin (Marilyn Tobin), Keith Speed) and is based on the 17 at 8 PM ET/PT will be the FX Carradine (Julian Decker) and popular character featured in premiere of Superbad. Other Len Carion (Louis Tobin). several books and short stories by Damages is produced by Sony famed novelist Elmore Leonard. DAMAGES page 54 Pictures Television and FX Yost wrote the pilot and will

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What's On Tonight: Presidential Address, Scrubs, Victoria's Secret, ECW

Why is ABC giving Nicole Richie a situation comedy?

By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)

By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

• There's a new Sons of Anarchy on FX at 10. • Bravo has a new Tabatha's Salon Makeover at 10. • Syfy has a new ECW at 10. • Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of The Hills, followed by a new episode of The City.

Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:21:00 PM

• At 8, the major networks and the cable news networks have the Presidential Address. • The CW has a new 90210 at 8, then a new Melrose Place. • At 8:30, FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance. • At 9, ABC has the season premiere of Scrubs(two episodes), followed by a new episode of The Forgotten. • NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 9. • Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9, then a new Ghost Lab. • History Channel has a new How The World Was Made at 9. • Food Network has a new The Best Thing I Ever Ate at 9.

• Spike has Super Dave's SpikeTacular at 9. • IFC has two episodes of Arrested Development at 9. • At 10, CBS has the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

If you don't count Hank-- and I'm trying to erase the two episodes I saw from my memory banks -- ABC has had a pretty good year launching new Check your local TV listings for comedies. In fact, if you go back to the spring, you can add Better more. After the jump, the late night Off Ted to Cougar Town, The Middle and Modern Family. talk shows. Continue reading What's On Why then would ABC be giving Tonight: Presidential Address, Nicole Richie a new sitcom? I Scrubs, Victoria's Secret, ECW just don't see where she's worthy F i l e d u n d e r : L a t e N i g h t , of a show, let alone that she has Programming, Celebrities, Talk the star appeal or talent to carry a Show, What To Watch Tonight, situation comedy. Perhaps ABC has some take on Reality-Free P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | | The Simple Life star that I'm missing. She's cute, yes. She's not Comments a complete airhead judging by what I've seen of her on talk shows. But, really, aren't there better actresses -- stars -- who are more viable for a new comedy series? Stars will more talent than

DAMAGES continued from page 53

movie highlights in early 2010 are Spiderman 3 and Live Free or Die Hard. FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 95 million homes. The

diverse schedule includes a growing roster of distinctive original series and films, an established film library with boxoffice hit movies from 20th Century Fox and other major studios that run in prime time and an impressive lineup of acquired

Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:01:00 PM

hit series. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

celebrity to their credit. Continue reading Why is ABC giving Nicole Richie a situation comedy? Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free, Cougar Town, Modern Family Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Gossip Girl Wins 9pm Hour With Young Women By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:46:26 AM

yes, I know, it was against repeats on CBS, but it does still include some ratings data for demographics we don’t normally report… via CW press release: GOSSIP GIRL WINS THE 9 O’CLOCK HOUR WITH YOUNG WOMEN GOSSIP GIRL Posts Third Best Women Demos of Season The CW Ranks Second on Monday with Young Women December 1, 2009 (Burbank,

CA) – The CW’s GOSSIP GIRL won its 9:00-10:00p.m. time period in its target young women demographics, beating all network competition among women 18-34 (2.9/7) and females

GOSSIP GIRL delivered solid improvement compared to its previous original telecast (on 11/16/09), gaining 16% in women 18-34 and up 6% in adults 18-34 (1.7/5). ONE TREE HILL also out-performed its previous original episode (on 11/16/09) by 4% in women 18-34 AOL's Editorial (2.4/6) and 7% in adults 18-34 Process — Revealed! (1.6/4). The CW ranked second on [Journalismism] 12-34 (2.7/7), according to Monday night in women 18-34 preliminary live plus same day (2.7/7) and females 12-34 (2.5/7), By Nicholas Carlson (Gawker) Nielsen ratings for Monday, Nov. behind only FOX. Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:53:29 AM 3 0 , 2 0 0 9 . G O S S I P G I R L This content has passed through matched its third best ratings of fivefilters.org. AOL'S page 56 the season in women 18-34.

Peter Bergman celebrates 20 years on MediaDailyNews: 'FT" Puts 120-Year Archive The Young and the Restless By Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:03:00 PM

Where has the time gone? Is it really 20 years that Peter Bergman's played Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless? Amazing, but true. Not only has Bergman been tearing it up as Jack for two decades, he's pretty much eradicated the memory of his tenure on All My Children where he was nice guy, Dr. Cliff Warner. Say what you will about Jack, he's not a nice guy. He can have his good moments, but this

character is too complicated, too selfish, too diabolical ever to be confused with a noble man like Cliff. Which is what has made Peter

Bergman's time on Y&R so remarkable! The character had been so sharply defined by Terry Lester that it was going to be tough for any actor to take over the part. Continue reading Peter Bergman celebrates 20 years on The Young and the Restless Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Video, Celebrities, Emmys, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Online

(MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:25:12 AM

The Financial Times has made its complete archive available online to subscribers to see how the paper covered almost 120 years of business, politics and international affairs, reports The Guardian. Educational publisher Cengage Learning has digitized FT's archive from 1888 to the

end of 2006. The digital resource will update annually; 2007 will come onstream at the end of next year. The archive will become available for subscription or oneoff purchase to all academic, public and government libraries in mid-January, with revenues from the venture to be shared between the FT and Cengage. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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AOL'S continued from page 55

Today we obtained a copy of one AOL editor's "welcome to the team" email to new writers. Reading it, we learned a little bit about how AOL — transtioning from a dying dial-up ISP to a huge media company — expects its 500 fulltime and ~2,500 freelance editorial staffers to produce 80+ content sites. We expect some of the procedures outlined in the email will probably find their way to most any online-only publications — from the New York Times on down. The email, from an editor at AOL site RentedSpaces.com, encourages writers to produce 300-500 word stories fast in a style that's "colorful, concise, [and] opinionated." But he doesn't want them to go too far. "We're not Gawker, so be friendly and authoritative." He tells them stories don't have to be based on original reporting. He writes, "All we want to know for a pitch is: what's the story, who broke it (AP, NYT, BW, Bloomberg,etc.), and how you will advance the story if you are following someone else's reporting," reads the email. When writers file their copy, they're expected to "Include 140 characters for a Tweet or Facebook update." AOL wants its editors to write in a way that will help Google will find their stories — that they're "search engine optimized." For example, the RentedSpaces editor tells his staffers to "make sure the first few words and first graf

contain the critical keywords." Of course, all these guidlines could change soon. AOL told the Wall Street Journal over the weekend that it's developing an algorithm that will assign freelance writers stories based on user Web searches and the sites AOL ISP subscribers visit. We've pasted the whole email, below. Read: Hi everyone: Hope you are having a terrific break. I have a few notes before Monday. My apologies in advance for a long email. First, I want to welcome Amy Cortese, who will now solo as news lead, and also announce Fred Bernstein of the New York Times as design lead, as well as the imminent hire of Robert X. Cringely as a senior columnist. Cringely was a bellweather of tech journalism, rising in the early 2000s to prominence via his own series on tech stuff at PBS (I, Cringely). Like many of us, he "discovered" real estate when his own 5/1 reset, and a couple of years ago, made some headway with a blog on the mortgage business that morphed into home -account.com. Bernstein is one of the Times' most eminent real estate and design writers. You'll find bios on all these guys at LinkedIn/Wikipedia/etc. It thrills me to have such an amazing group of early advocates for our mission, and I can't wait to witness them spread their wings through their writing, networks, and their experience of what makes real estate tick.

Second, I want to encourage each of you, writers, editors, and of course leads, to join our call Monday to Friday at 10AM. At this early stage of our formation, having the ability to build a shared DNA is a very cool thing. Don't pass it up. The calls are a half hour long, and lurkers are welcome. Of course, we're not about lurking, we're about participation, so listen in, learn, and pitch to get assignments. As I've said to many of you, this is a Darwinian platform. The more you contribute, the more you'll achieve. So pitch, pitch, pitch. How? Several of you have expressed confusion about how exactly you go about pitching, and what to do once you get an assignnment. To make that a little clearer, here's a little step-by-step advice. 1) Build a pitch. All we want to know for a pitch is: what's the story, who broke it (AP, NYT, BW, Bloomberg,etc.), and how you will advance the story if you are following someone else's reporting. Here's an example: Owners Charge U.S. Made Toxic Drywall Now US-made drywall may be at risk, too. We blow out solutions with per foot cost estimates for each cure. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/ 2009/11/23/cbsnews_investigates /main5752469.shtml?tag=stack Simple, right? (And note the format: really helps to catch our eye in the AM.) If you see a great story, or better

yet, a great story than needs reporting, let us know, even if you're not the right writer. For now, send your pitches to me and Brett, and we'll forward to everyone else. By Tuesday or Wednesday, we'll have a new email address for pitches ([redacted]@housingwatch.com or something like that). 2) Write it. Don't hesitate. This isn't print. So do it fast. We're looking for colorful, concise, opinionated analysis that always expands the consumer viewpoint. We're not Gawker, so be friendly and authoritative, but on the other hand, don't be afraid to take sides. Most important: Show, don't tell. Take a statistic and tell us a real human story attached to it. Or why current technical analyses miss the point. Don't just define MBSs (mortgage backed securities); find someone who sold them, tell his story, how the instrument evolved, what you think of it, and why we should or shouldn't allow them in their current state—and do it crisply. Appeal to, and link to, relevant facts. You have 300-500 words to make your argument, although going long is not a problem if the copy rocks. 3) Keep it clean. Yes you can write in another program and drop it into Blogsmith, but that program isn't Microsoft Word, which throws in all sorts of gobbledygood into your copy. Use TypePad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) and paste it in. 4) Until told otherwise, make

sure the dropdown says RentedSpaces and tag your post HousingWatch (unless of course you're writing expressly for RS). Your lead will help you figure out where the story will go. Which raises another question: How will you know who's your lead? Simple: join the morning call, and make sure your pitch gets considered (i.e., speak up) . If your pitch is good, someone will grab it. 5) All that other stuff on the page: Links: Link promiscuously based on major points in your story. Make your story good enough that someone won't want to lose you. Link to important search-engine-optimization keywords. For the drywall example above: Drywall, rot, fungus, mildew, construction might all be keywords that would need to be linked in a story. Try not to link to Wikipedia but to other sources, even smaller ones. Create a virtuous cycle between you (AOL) and a smaller site from which you may be capturing a story. Linklove is real. Use it. Headline: Make sure the first few words and first graf contain the critical keywords: "Now,US Drywall Rots, Sucks. Eats Your Home." That's a good head. Provoke the reader to click, and to think. Categories: Basic taxonomical barns your story fits into. Think library science: the drywall story AOL'S page 58

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Print Refugees Laid Off by Web Site That Was Supposed to Save Them [Layoffs] By John Cook (Gawker)

In a statement, Seidman said Oyster was just limiting its coverage area: Oyster.com, a hotel-rating site After a burst of massive growth that launched just five months over the past 18 months, we've ago with the aim of hiring real covered a very large percentage journalists—ones who got laid of the U.S. leisure market with a off from all the real journalism product that has been incredibly jobs—is laying off a bunch of well received. In order to focus people. The lifeboat is sinking. on winning in the markets we've Oyster's schtick when it debuted already covered, we've decided to to much fanfare in June was that slightly slow our rate of new it would hire experienced staffers market coverage. to stay in hotels and write (That 18 months figure must reviews, giving it a competitive Times in June. He added that he employs. UPDATE: Oyster's rep include a lengthy pre-launch advantage against user-submitted hoped that by the end of 2010, got back to us with figures that "burst of massive growth," sites like TripAdvisor.com. Sure he'd have 150 full-time staffers. indicate the site laid off one-third because it hasn't been 18 months e n o u g h , t h e s i t e h i r e d 2 0 Well, that couldn't last very of its payroll, though the mix of since Oyster launched in June of reporters and at least three long, could it? After just under full-time and temp staffers isn't this year.) editors—veterans of the New two quarters of operation, the site clear: "At our 2009 production Anyway, if you're a reporter Y o r k T i m e s , M o n e y , F a s t has engaged in what we hear are peak, we had more than 30 terrified of losing your job and Company, the Village Voice, massive layoffs: 75% of staff is people, full-time and temporary. dreaming of an online gig where Rolling Stone, and all sorts of g o n e , o u r t i p s t e r s a y s . A As a result of both economic you get paid to travel and stay in other former lions of print—to s p o k e s w o m a n f o r O y s t e r conditions in the market and our luxury hotels and write about it, fly around all the time and stay at confirms the layoffs, but says the decisions to slow our rate of new that escape hatch just closed. hotels. "We pay for all the 75% figure is laughably high. market additions after 18 months Maybe it's time to think about expenses, the plane ticket, taxis, She declined to offer the accurate of torrid growth, we now have law school. meals, rooms and, of course, numbers, or say how many more than 20 people — full time If you know the details on who salaries and benefits," co-founder s t a f f e r s t h e s i t e c u r r e n t l y and temporary." got fired, or how many people it Elie Seidman told the New York was, let us know. Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:56:45 AM

MediaDailyNews: iVillage, Hidden Valley Launch 'Garden Party' (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:23:19 AM

The NBC Universal Digital Studio and the makers of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing have teamed to produce a new Web series called "Garden Party," which will be featured on iVillage. The series, which serves helps families eat balanced, healthy meals, will be hosted by Jennie Garth, ("Beverly Hills, 90210," "What I Like About You"). "Garden Party" was codeveloped and produced in association with MATTER, the entertainment marketing agency for the Hidden Valley brand. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Forget About Dodgers: Can McCourts Afford Divorce? By Jon Weinbach (FanHouse) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:30:00 PM

by Jon Weinbach Filed under: Dodgers Frank and Jamie McCourt's divorce battle is still in the early

rounds, but some small developments last week shed new light on the couple's financial health -- and indicate why it's quite likely that neither spouse will end up controlling the Los Angeles Dodgers. For those

handicapping at home, here's

some recent information you may have missed on L'Affaire du Chavez Ravine: Forget About Dodgers: Can McCourts Afford Divorce? originally appeared on Fanhouse MLB Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009

14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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AOL'S continued from page 56

could be categorized under "development," "design," and if there was a local element, the specific location ("Florida"). Tags are not library science. They help you make organizational connections between stories. For example, drywall, drywallrot, construction, China, are all significantly related. SEO: Hot topic of the day. The key is the keyword. Not any keyword, but keywords essential to real estate that AOL Real Estate can win on. For example, drywall isn't very descriptive, but "chinese drywall rot" is. Our aim is to be in the first three pages of Google listings on any term on a real estate story. Here's an interesting way to check if you're on the right path: check out your search term on Google and see who else is there, how your story can be better than theirs', and what you need to add to advance the story. Then keep sprinkling the words throughout your story without changing either the story

or your voice. One keyword in every graf is a decent metric but avoid slavish repetition. 6) After you're done: Send a note to your lead telling them your story is up in Pending. Include 140 characters for a Tweet or Facebook update. 7) Our next job: capture your friends' content. If you know someone who can write for us, let us know asap. We still don't have enough writers. 8) Some pitches to pick up by or before Monday: 30 Y Mortgages Hit 38Y Low http://www.washingtonpost.com/ w p dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/A R2009112504163.html Why Dubai Matters To You http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2 009/11/28/why-dubai-shouldmatter-to-you-u-s-real-estatecould-take-big/ For Athletes in Motion, Real Estate Can Be a Burden

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11 /27/sports/27homes.html Bidding Starts at $5.9M for McCain's Home

Today in #tips [Tips] By Gabriel Snyder (Gawker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:28:53 AM

Why don't we take a look at what you're telling us on the#tips tag page? So far today: The Tiger Woods saga continues, a wrecked Lamborghini, and some high seas insight. • Cynner is keeping us up to date on TMZ's latest Tiger Woods report: maybe charges are going to be filed? • johnivdaly gave us a link to a BBC story about Italian cops http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11 wrecking their precious, precious /29/business/economy/29modify. Lamborghini. • raincoaster was probably html Have a great Sunday. Speak to punking us with a Facebook cheat that triggers an easter egg. you Monday. We think? We've never been able Craig ( N e w A O L l o g o , t o p , v i a to get those video game tricks to work. Leave that to these guys. PaidContent) • Uncle_Billy_Slumming flagged a Scientific American rebuttal to climate change contrarians. • Mike Jahn gave us some yachting insight about that http://blog.taragana.com/n/biddin g-starts-at-59-million-for-formermccain-home-in-phoenix237084/ Also, get ready: It looks like Obama will mount a challenge to the mortgage industry Monday morning with a new campaign to pressure mortgage cos to reduce payments for many homeowners.

sailboat that the Iranians seized • goetz pointed out a truly terrifying animated U.S. countyby-county unemployment map. You can leave us tips, links, news, story ideas, pictures, whatever on the#tips page by using the "Share" box on the front page and including the hashtag#tips. If you'd prefer, you can also send a confidential email to tips@gawker.com or call our tipline at 646-214-8138.

Married in the Cage By Ray Hui (FanHouse) Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:55:00 PM

by Ray Hui Filed under: Fighting, FanHouse Exclusive For fighters, the steel cage is an outlet to express their passion towards martial arts and

competition. The Ultimate Fighter 6 cast member John Kolosci has gone a step further, taking the setting to celebrate a more traditional type of love: Romance. Kolosci, who holds an overall MMA record of 12-6, tied the on Nov. 20 at a ceremony inside knot with fiancée Cathy Landeros the cage at the inaugural Hoosier

Fight Club mixed martial arts event in Valparaiso, Ind. "Our entire lives are surrounded by MMA, so this seems like the perfect setting," Kolosci told FanHouse. Married in the Cage originally appeared on Fanhouse MMA Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009

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I Have a Dream That One Day Blacks And Whites Will Die Together in Poverty [Recessionomics] By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker)

mathematical terms, "Black man with MBA from Dartmouth" is Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:08:12 PM roughly equal to "Luther, the boy The Way We Live Now: Passing who just done got out of jail for strange. It's the only way to get a the bad check thing but that was two decent poverty-level jobs, probably the drugs done made w h i c h y o u n e e d t o s t a y him do it, and he's white," when underemployed. We're still it comes to hire-ability. waiting to realize Martin's dream "Hey," some African-Americans of a day when everyone is may protest, "that is not fair." equally broke. Hey, that is not the "up from the If you're a black American bootstraps" attitude that made seeking a good career here, in the Booker T. Washington one of the USA, experts say your best most beloved men in white strategy is not "going to college." America! It could be worse; you Instead, it is "Being white." That could be one of the many poor helps more than any degree! In suckers who are working two

think of it, it's likely that many of those people are, indeed, black Americans. So, bad example. The point is, it's all about "attitude." There is no "attitude" in "macroeconomics"—there is only "attitude" in U. Get it? So whether you get your money by bitterly auctioning off your motorized bar stool or by stealing Salvation Army kettles, just get that money—with a positive attitude! jobs and are still underemployed, Never let irrefutable facts stand because both of those jobs in the way of your success. happen to suck. Now that we [Pic via]

Facebook Absolutely Demolishing MySpace in the Sex Offender Demographic [Social Networks] By Ryan Tate (Gawker) Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:48:52 AM

About 3,500 New York sex offenders have been kicked off Facebook and MySpace after identifying their accounts under a new state law. And, go figure, like 80 percent of them were on Facebook. Even sex fiends are ditching MySpace. Lawless, teen-heavy MySpace used to be considered the online place for pervs — Saturday Night Live even made a funny skit about it (embedded below). No

more: Numbers published in the New York Daily News reveal that Facebook is the favored destination, attracting 79 percent of the registered sex offenders

who declared accounts at the big social networks, versus 51 percent for MySpace. The numbers don't add up to 100 because many offenders had

accounts on both networks; see the chart we made above for a different slice, or look at the precise the numerical breakdown in the image below. The migration of these unsavories onto Facebook was inevitabe, particularly after Facebook relaxed its requirement that its members be in college or be college alumni. People want to join the social network everyone else is joining. Sex offenders are definitely no exception. [ via Wired Epicenter]

Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago II Being Targeted for UFC 109 in February By Ariel Helwani (FanHouse) Submitted at 12/1/2009 2:20:00 PM

by Ariel Helwani Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive The UFC is targeting a welterweight rematch between Josh Koscheck and Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 on Feb. 6. FanHouse learned of the potential fight on Tuesday, but the bout has yet to be made official by the organization. Thiago defeated Koscheck in a stunning upset at UFC 95 last February via first round TKO in the Brazilian's Octagon debut. Since then, Thiago has gone 1-1 in the UFC, losing to Koscheck's teammate, Jon Fitch, at UFC 100 and beating Jacob Volkmann UFC 106 in November. Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago II Being Targeted for UFC 109 in February originally appeared on Fanhouse MMA Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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NFL Diary: Saints 38, Patriots 17 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 11/30/2009 3:00:05 PM

Reuters The Saints’ Devery Henderson had three catches for 116 yards, including this 75-yard touchdown, all in the first half. The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of the New Orleans Saints’ 38-17 victory over the New England Patriots from the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Guest blogger Steve Kornacki offers commentary on the game and the ESPN telecast. 6:09 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Now this is what the Disney suits were expecting when they decided to shell out $1.1 billion per year to put âMonday Night Footballâ on ESPN: 10-0 vs. 7-3. Brees vs. Brady. Visor vs. Hoodie. The Game of the Century of the Week. Of course, it could also be argued that tonightâs SaintPatriots clash is actually a reminder that todayâs âMNFâ is a mere shadow of what it once was. In the days of Cosell, Dandy Don and the Giffer (and even when it was just Gifford, Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf), the Monday night tilt was automatically the biggest event of the week. But since the switch to cable, âMNFâ has all too often become the dumping ground for lousy teams making their one obligatory national television appearance for the year. Texans-

Titans, anyone? Sunday night has become the new Monday night. But not this week. This game needs no hype (even if the Worldwide Leader has been happy to provide plenty of it). What is there to say about these two teams? The Saints and Pats rank first and second respectively in total offense âthe only two NFL teams averaging more than 400 yards per game. Drew Brees and Tom Brady both sport quarterback ratings of over 100. The New Orleans gunslinger has tossed for more than 2,700 yards and 22 touchdown passes so far, while the New Englander has racked up 20 TDs and over 3,000 yards. Only two of the Saintsâ ten wins have come by fewer than 10

points; the Patsâ seven victories have come by an average of almost 20 points. Thereâs every reason to expect a fun, high-scoring, close contest. With home-field advantage and an undefeated record, the Saints are a very slight favorite in Vegas. But the Patriots own the stronger defense (they give up 35 fewer yards per game) and seem better than their record, having started the year slowly as Brady worked his way back to his old form. Bill Belichickâs fourth-down gamble in Indy two weeks ago was immediately likened to Barry Switzerâs infamous call against the Eagles in 1995. But people seem to forget that Switzerâs team rallied around him after it and won the Super

Bowl. If the Pats can follow up last weekâs thrashing of the Jets with a Big Easy upset tonight, it might be a sign that history is ready to repeat itself. 8:28 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Kickoff is a few minutes away and the big pregame news (to the extent itâs actually news) is that Reggie Bush, who missed last weekâs game against Tampa Bay, will again be out. So the Saints will have to make due with two threats at running back, instead of their usual three. Overall, tonightâs game will test whether, as some believe, these are two teams heading in opposite directions -â that the Saints, who have looked decreasingly impressive in their most recent wins, are poised to

stumble down the stretch and fizzle in the playoffs, while the Patriots are steadily building toward a well-timed peak. For added incentive, New England has a chance to help protect its status as the only team ever to finish a 16-game regular season undefeated. On the flip side, a loss would put the Patriots -â who now lead the AFC East by 2 1/2 games â- in a somewhat precarious situation when they play Miami next week. Lose that one too and their division lead would be down to one. The Saints, of course, have essentially locked up a playoff spot â- and their division. But with Minnesota sitting at 10-1, a single loss could endanger home NFL page 61

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-field advantage for New Orleans. 8:30 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Mike Ditka is 11-0 in Monday Night picks this year. He just chose the Saints. Game over. 8:37 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki I was told kickoff would be at 8:30. But currently there is an enormous American flag being held up on the field. In the booth, Jon Gruden is talking about Wes Welker. 8:42 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Saints will get the ball first, from their own 35. We are underway! Finally! 8:44 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki So much for Brees being a slow starter. He finds Devery Henderson for 33 yards on the first play from scrimmage. New Orleans already at the Patriot 32. 8:47 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki On third and 4 from the 15, Brees gives to Pierre Thomas, who is tackled a yard short. Fourth and 1. Crowd wants New Orleans to go for it. No surprise there. Sean Payton calls for the field goal. No surprise there, either. 8:49 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Showing a flair for the dramatic, John Carney banks the 28-yard kick in off the left upright. 3-0 Saints with 11:14 left in the first quarter. 8:51 pm | First quarter | by Steve

Kornacki The Patriots probably feel good after that last series. After a few quick plays landed New Orleans in the red zone, the New England D tightened and shut down Brees & Co. Not a bad outcome, all things considered. 8:53 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Well, that will quiet the crowd (for about 20 seconds).Â On second and 10, Laurence Maroney runs for 22 yards, giving New England a first down at its own 42. 8:55 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Fourth and 1 from the Saint 36. Yeah, like Belichick won't go for this. By the way, Belichick is sporting a hood-less sweatshirt this evening. 8:57 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki And there's the handoff to Sammy Morris for three yards and the first down. Maybe they should have tried that in Indy two weeks ago... 8:59 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki There's a quick pass to Kevin Faulk, who takes it to the Saint 13. So far, the Pats have picked up yardage with Faulk, Maroney, Wes Welker and Sammy Morris on this drive. 9:02 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Another fourth down coming, this one from the Saint 4, about a half-yardÂ short of the marker. And Maroney runs right through

the line for the touchdown. I hate to beat this to death, but when you see a drive like that, you understand why Belichick went for it against the Colts. Stephen Gostkowski adds the point after and it's 7-3 New England with 3:34 left in the quarter. 9:06 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki I love that Chris Berman is the pitch-man for both Nutra-System and Applebee's.... 9:11 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Brees goes deep on third and 4 but misses Robert Meachem. Saints will have to punt and....uh -oh: Thomas Morestead's kick is fielded by speedy Wes Welker, who sprints all the way back to to the New Orleans 46 with it. In hindsight, the Saints would have been better off pulling a Belichick and going for it there. 9:14 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki Just when the Pats are in position to do some damage, Brady throws a first-down pick to Mike McKenzie. First down for New Orleans at its own 41, with just over a minute left in the quarter. The Saints dodged a big bullet there -- it really felt like the Pats were going to march down and grab a double-digit lead. 9:17 pm | First quarter | by Steve Kornacki A big run by Pierre Thomas sets up New Orleans in Patriot territory -- and ends the quarter. Momentum is funny. The crowd has roared back to life and New

Orleans is now threatening to take the lead. Let's see if the Pats' defense stiffens like it did on New Orleans' first drive. 9:19 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki The teams switch sides for the second quarter. I think the Saints are going into the wind now. 9:23 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki The Saints, at least for the moment, are down to one running back, with Mike Bell shaken up. Thomas fails to make the yardage on third and short -but then comes through on fourth and 1. First down for the Saints at the Patriot 18. 9:25 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Maybe one running back is all they need. On first down, Brees hits ThomasÂ with a screen and he breaks two tackles and takes it into the end zone. New Orleans is now up 10-7 with 12:55 left in the half. 9:26 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki I think we can safely say that both teams showed up ready to play. So far they've each taken a punch and bounced right back -the Pats with an impressive TD drive after surrendering a quick field goal and the Saints with aÂ timely interception andÂ 59yard TD drive just when it seemed like New England might be taking charge. 9:32 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki On second andÂ 6 from his own 44, Brady walks up to the line,

looks around and takes a timeout. Maybe he just wanted us to see more Chris Berman ads. 9:35 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Brady gets plenty of time on third and 6 , but Mike McKenzie is all over Sam Aiken as soon as he catches the ball -- two yards short of the line. Saints will take over from their own 25. Now they have a chance to do some damage. 10:02 left in the half. 9:39 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Can you say defensive breakdown? Devery Henderson is wide open -- as in, no one appeared to be within ten yards of him -- and Brees hits him (it wasn't that tough) for a 75-yard touchdown. And now it's 17-7 Saints with 9:53 until halftime. 9:41 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki A pleasant surprise: There's a break in the action and ESPN didn't go to a commercial. 9:43 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Needless to say, this is a pretty critical moment for the Patriots. A 10-point deficit isn't that bad, especially when you have New England's offense, but they'd better at least pick up some first downs here to settle things down. 9:44 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Huge, huge play on third and 13. Brady connects with Aiken for 33 yards and a first down at the NFL page 62

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Saint 35. 9:46 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki TheÂ refs miss a passinterference call that would have set the Pats up deep in Saint territory...then make up for it by handing the Pats a first down after a third-down incompletion. 9:49 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki On fourth and 3 from the 18, Belichick calls for a fumblerooski and....just kidding. This time he plays it safe and Gostkowski's 36-yard field goal makes it 17-10 with 4:14 left in the half. 9:54 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Brees has really found his rhythm here. On the last play before the two-minute warning, he connects with David Thomas for 25 yards, putting New Orleans at the Patriot 38. He's now 10 of 12 for 191 yards and two touchdowns. I have a feeling the Saints will be aggressive in these last two minutesÂ -- no playing for a field goal here. 9:57 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Did I call that one or what? Brees to Meachem. 38 yards. 2410 New Orleans. 1:50 left in the half. 9:58 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Clearly, Brees is winning the battle of the quarterbacks so far. After that last pass, he's 11 for 13 for 229 yards and three touchdowns -- a 158. 3 rating. Brady is 7 for 12 for 81 yards

and a pick -- a 44.1 rating. 9:59 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki Third and 2 for the Pats with 1:36 left in the half. They'd better move the chains here, becauseÂ that's plenty of time for the Saints to come down and tack on seven more. 10:00 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki They do. Brady finds Aiken for a first down at the Patriot 35. 10:03 pm | Second quarter | by Steve Kornacki I think it was Ron Jaworski who said a few minutes ago that the Patriots now need to go for broke on offense, since their defense can't stop New Orleans. They seem to be doing that here, trying desperately to crank out a score before the half. If they do scoreÂ a TD here, though, things might not be that bad: they'd get the ball to start the second half, with a chance to tie the game. 10:06 pm | Halftime | by Steve Kornacki So much for that. The drive conks out at the Saint 32, after a few failed throws to the end zone. Then Gostkowski's 50-yard kick sails wide left. Brees takes a knee and that ends the half with the home team leading, 24-10. 10:10 pm | Halftime | by Steve Kornacki The best way to summarize the first half is probably this: The Patriots won the first quarter by a little and the Saints won the second by a lot. The first possession of the third quarter will be telling. Can Brady lead

the Pats downfield for a touchdown and cut the gap to seven? Or will he give Brees a chance to put New Orleans up by 21? 10:22 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki And we're back. After a touchback, Brady & Co. start out at their own 20. 10:25 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Well if that isn't the mother of all breaks. Brady dumps it off the Maroney, who fumbles it away to the Saints' Sedrick Ellis....who fumbles it back to New England. Payton is now challenging the call, but it looks like it will stand and the Pats will have a first down from their own 18 or so. 10:26 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki And the ruling is confirmed. Payton wastes a timeout. 10:30 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Here's the first big third down of the second half. Pats need nine yards -- and Brady finds Aiken for 11. (I think that's the thirdÂ time he's connected with Aiken on a third-down conversion).Â Move the chains. 10:34 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki On second and 12 near midfield, Brady lets it loose....and find Moss inside the 5. Maroney runs it in on first down. That's an 81yard touchdown drive coming out of the lockerroom -- although technically (because of theÂ Maroney-Ellis fumble-fest) it wasn't the Pats' first possession

of the half. It's now 24-17 with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Let's see if the Pats defense is any better now. 10:38 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Nope, the Pats' defense didn't improve at the half. It got worse. A 68-yard pass to Marques Colston on first and 10 sets the Saints up at the Patriots' 6. Then on secondÂ and goal from the 2, Brees hits Darnell Dinkins for six. That drive took 82 seconds. 31-17 New Orleans, 9:02 left in the third. 10:39 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Things that look foolish now: My statement that the first drive of the game -- on which the Pats held the Saints to a field goal -was a good omen for the New England defense. 10:40 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Things that don't look foolish: Mike "The Oracle" Ditka's pregame Saints pick. 10:44 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Third and 8 for New England at the New Orleans 34. Is this fourdown territory? Not like a field goal will do the Pats much good here. 10:45 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki We'll never know. Brady connects with Aiken (yet again) for 17 yards. Pats in the red zone now. 10:49 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Fourth and 3 from the Saints 10.

Looks like New England will go for it. Which makes sense, given how proficient New Orleans is on offense. Brady calls for a timeout. This next play could tell us whether the rest of the game is worth watching. (Although I'll be sticking around no matter what.) 10:51 pm | Third quarterback | by Steve Kornacki It doesn't work. McKenzie makes his third big play of the game, breaking up what would have been a first-downÂ pass to Moss. Brees takes over at the 10. 10:53 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Without Brees ever throwing a pass, the Saints manage to notch a first down in three plays. Interesting strategy, given that Brees has thrown only two incompletions all night. 10:54 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki Finally, the New England D makes a play, with Adalius Thomas sacking Brees on first down. Third quarter is almost over now. Patriots still clinging to life, but barely. 10:57 pm | Third quarter | by Steve Kornacki And that will do it for the quarter. It will be third and 12 for the Saints from their own 35 when play resumes. Brees (who is sitting on a 158.3 QB rating for the game right now) hasÂ made some big throws tonight. Can he pull a rabbit out of the hat here? 11:01 pm | Fourth quarter | by NFL page 65

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Where Does Notre Dame Go From Here? (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

likely not have a tough time finding an elite coach to fill one of college football’s toughest Over the last few weeks, Notre jobs. “Of course Notre Dame is Dame coach Charlie Weis has still an elite coaching job,” had the nightmarish experience Wetzel writes. “The fact the of being awake for his own s c h o o l h a s m a d e t h r e e professional autopsy. As the consecutive bad coaching hires Irish’s season sank further into has certainly slowed the Notre m e d i o c r i t y , i t b e c a m e Dame brand, but it hasnt increasingly clear that, massive destroyed it. Bad coaches happen contract or not, Weis was almost to every school. If youre big certainly done in South Bend. e n o u g h , y o u c a n q u i c k l y When the axe finally fell for r e c o v e r . ” Weis Monday, there was In Time Magazine, Gary something anticlimactic about the Andrew Poole situates the whole thing. Hadn’t this already decline of Notre Dame football happened, weeks ago? Getty within a broader context. “Many Images Charlie Weis shakes forces, including abuse by its hands with some of the fans who own priests, have damaged patiently waited for results from A m e r i c a n C a t h o l i c i s m a n d his football team. crippled the parochial school Try five years ago, Rick system. Nearly 1 in 5 Catholic Telander writes in the Chicago schools in the U.S. has closed its Sun-Times. “Charlie Weis was doors this decade,” Poole writes. terminal in South Bend from Day “Combine that with a more One,” Telander argues. “The only s e c u l a r s o c i e t y , a m o r e people who didn’t know that are competitive college recruiting the teeming masses of the Nutso environment and Notre Dame’s Notre Dame Nation. Weis was tough admission requirements, not right for Notre Dame in so and it has become more and more many ways — except for having difficult for the school to field a been a student there — that it team capable of competing for a boggles the brain trying to figure national championship.” out what the boosters and board It’s almost insulting to compare and football movers-and-shakers Weis and Florida State’s Bobby saw in him.” Bowden — the former was a The “who’s next” stories and blooper of a hire, the latter is a speculation are probably best college football legend. But saved for another day, but Bowden, too, has recently Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel reminds struggled in an increasingly readers that, despite what has Hobbesian recruiting scene. been a difficult stretch for Notre While he hadn’t announced Dame football, the team will anything by press time, the 80Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:41:27 AM

threw for five touchdowns and 371 yards, the Saints improved to 11-0, and the generationspanning laughingstock looked a lot like the best team in the NFL. “This this was the New England Patriots. ‘Monday Night Football.’ Bill Belichick,” year-old Bowden is expected to ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas writes. resign today after 34 years as “The Saints arent supposed to Florida State’s head coach. In the win games like this and they sure Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a r e n t s u p p o s e d t o t o t a l l y Tony Barnhart works through his dominate in games like this. But e m o t i o n s o v e r B o w d e n ’ s they did. Get used to it, because apparently imminent departure. the Saints really are different.” At CBS Sports, Dennis Dodd In the Boston Globe, Bob Ryan wonders what Bowden’s fate is in awe of both how well the m i g h t a u g u r f o r f e l l o w Saints are playing and how much octogenarian pigskin icon Joe New Orleans is loving it. “It would be difficult to overstate Paterno at Penn State.* * * For some, it’s a concussed whats going on down here with Archie Manning zipping passes the New Orleans fans and their through the hands of all-thumbs current adoration of this football receivers. For others, it’s Aaron team,” Ryan writes. “You easily Brooks frantically hurling the could think you had landed in ball backwards, in the general Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, or direction of his left tackle. But Austin, and not an NFL town.”* whatever the generational * * Allen Iverson will almost differences, most football fans’ memories of the New Orleans certainly enter the Basketball Saints could aptly be scored with Hall of Fame someday. But his The Benny Hill Show’s “Yakety brief, brutal three-game stint with Sax” theme. For about as long as the Memphis Grizzlies earlier the franchise has existed as the this season surely seemed to 272-375-5 record the team indicate that the NBA might well carried into Monday’s game have been ready to be rid of The indicates the New Orleans Saints Answer, especially given his have been NFL also-rans. After unwillingness to come off the New Orleans wrapped up Week bench or tranisition gracefully 12 of the NFL season with a into a supporting role. But after rollicking 38-17 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers guard Louis very good New England Patriots, Williams suffered a broken jaw though, the goofy musical score last week that’s expected to keep seems inappropriate. Drew Brees him out for two months, the

struggling Sixers suddenly found themselves nostalgic for their erstwhile franchise player. Iverson and Sixers management met for two hours in Dallas on Monday, and a reunion may well be in the offing. “The Sixers, amazingly, could turn out to be Iverson’s court of last resort,” Phil Jasner writes in the Philadelphia Daily News. In the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phil Sheridan grouses that adding Iverson is an admission of failure on the part of the franchise, and a bad idea to boot. But the Sixers players themselves seem on board with the idea — even Williams endorsed the idea on his Twitter feed— and, for many NBA fans, the prospect of Iverson giving it one last shot in the city that made him is a tantalizing one. At the Sporting News, Iverson scholar and blogger Bethlehem Shoals counts himself among the tantalized. “Is it strange that, as a final act, he’d walk right back into that loaded, sometimes ugly, often exultant environment? Perhaps,” Shoals writes. “But at this point in Iverson’s career, it would be like a Viking on fire as he drifts out to sea for the last time. And if that metaphor doesn’t stick with you, then you never understood the man or his Sixers.”* * * For all the usual “spirit of fellowship” and “joy of competition,” certain nations WHERE page 68

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Florida State Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden retires, will coach bowl game By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

"Bobby Bowden in many ways became the face of Florida State. It was his sterling personality and Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:53:21 AM character that personified this Bowden Expected To Meet With university." Players Bowden Expected To Florida State officials announced Meet With Players after the 2007 season that TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida offensive coordinator Jimbo State coach Bobby Bowden will Fisher would succeed Bowden. end his 44-year coaching career Bowden, who met with school after the Seminoles' bowl game officials Monday and again this winter. Tuesday morning, said he would Bowden will retire as the second announce his decision Tuesday -winningest coach in major afternoon after he met with his college football behind Penn players at 2:15 p.m. ET. State's Joe Paterno. The 80-year- Shortly thereafter, the school old Bowden has won 388 games released his statement. in his career at Samford, West During a hastily called news Virginia and Florida State, where conference, quarterback Christian he spent the last 34 seasons. Ponder and linebacker Dekoda "We've got one more game and I Watson addressed a few dozen look forward to enjoying these media members. Wetherell and next few weeks as the head athletics director Randy Spetman football coach," Bowden said did not address the media. A Tuesday in a statement released school official told ESPN.com by the school. that Bowden did not want a news Bowden won two national titles conference, but officials were with Florida State, in 1993 and trying to persuade him to sit for a 1 9 9 9 . A m o n g h i s t o p video news statement to be achievements was a string of 14 released to the media. straight seasons, ending in 2000, "A lot of guys went into [the where the Seminoles won at least meeting] expecting it," Ponder 10 games and finished ranked in said. "A lot of guys saw what the top five of the AP poll. was in the newspaper. A lot of Florida State was 152-19-1, an guys were saddened by it." .864 winning percentage, during Ponder said Bowden didn't that span. spend much time talking about "He set records of achievement what he was going to do. on the field that will probably "He said this was going to be his never be equaled," university last game and being Bobby president T.K. Wetherell said. Bowden, he quickly turned it,"

Ponder said. "He said we were going to work hard this week and go win. He was a little bit [emotional], but not too much. He showed a little bit, but not too much. A few other people got emotional, but he's Bobby Bowden. He's a strong-willed person." Added Watson: "I'm still going to respect the man for what he's done. He turned this program around. I'm just disappointed at the people who tried to knock him down. He's still Bobby Bowden." Bowden wants his last bowl game to be in Florida, and efforts are underway to try to attain a berth in the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, or the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, the school official told ESPN.com. The official also said the school was working with the ACC to try to have the Seminoles (6-6, 4-4 ACC Atlantic) face West Virginia, where Bowden was offensive coordinator from 1966 to 1969, and head coach from 1970 to 1975. "You can't have a successful program without players and we have been blessed to have young men who are winners both on and off the field," Bowden said in his statement. "I want to thank them and their families for committing 4-5 years of their lives to me and to FSU."

Bowden met with Wetherell and other school officials at his Tallahassee home Tuesday morning, his second meeting with them in two days. He then returned to his office at Doak Campbell Stadium, where his attorneys were finalizing details of his buyout agreement, the school official said. Under the terms of his one-year rollover contract, Bowden will receive at least $1 million as a settlement. University officials are hoping Bowden will return next season as a fundraising ambassador, but he has not indicated whether he'll agree to such an arrangement. Sources told ESPN.com Fisher has agreed to contract terms to replace Bowden after this season. The school's booster organization would have owed Fisher $5 million if he didn't replace Bowden by January 2011. The winningest coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history, Bowden teams put together one of the most dominant runs in college football history between 1987 and 2000, with 14 consecutive finishes in the nation's top five and a pair of national titles. In 1993, despite a late-season slip at Notre Dame, Florida State won its first national title after just missing out in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1992 -- several seasons because of losses to nemesis

Miami, which won three national titles during that span. Quarterback Charlie Ward guided the Seminoles to a 12-1 record and a title-clinching win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in 1993. The next national crown came six years later, with Weinke and All-American Warrick leading the 'Noles to a perfect 12-0 record capped by a win over Michael Vick and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Bowden had a perfect season in 1999 as the Seminoles became the first team to go wire-to-wire in The Associated Press poll ranked No. 1 from the preseason to finish. Since winning their 12th ACC championship in 2005, the Seminoles have been 16-16 the past four seasons against league opponents. Bowden also has been entangled in NCAA investigations. The school was hit with five years' probation for a 1993 incident when several of his players were given free shoes and sporting goods from a local store. That led to former Florida coach Steve Spurrier calling Florida State "Free Shoes University." Bowden entered this season faced with the possible loss of 14 of his wins as part of sanctions from the NCAA on an academic cheating scandal that involved FLORIDA page 65

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Steve Kornacki He's human! Brees throws short (his first incompletion in 12 attempts) and the punting team -yes, New Orleans has one of them -- takes the field for the first time since the first quarter. Pats will get it at their own 15. 11:04 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki On third and 9, the Saints swarm Brady, who is forced to unload it early. What a terrible time for a three-and-out for New England. About two minutes after he left the field, Brees is back, starting from his own 25 with just over 13 minutes left. 11:07 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki The onslaught resumes: a 27yard pass from Brees to Colston. He's now 15 of 18 for 338 yards, and his QB rating is still 158.3. 11:09 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki This one pretty much feels like it's over right now, but the Saints can really put it out of reach with a score on this drive -- which would make it a three-possession game. Right now (after a Breesto-Meachem third-down conversion), they're at the New England 44. Basically, 15 more yards will have them in fieldgoal range. 11:10 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki Another third-and-five completion to Meachem. It's amazing the Saints only have 31

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points. 11:12 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki And there's the dagger:Â a 20yard touchdown pass to Colston. It's 38-17 Saints now, with 7:49 to play. Brees has now thrown five touchdowns in the game. 11:16 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki How on earth did the Rams almost beat the Saints a few weeks ago? 11:19 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki Now it's just a blowout. Brady can't find anyone downfield and then, seemingly out of frustration, chucks it deep, where Darren Sharper picks it off and returns it all the way to the New England 25. 11:21 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki Amazing stat on ESPN: The Saints are outscoring opponents 112-24 in the fourth quarter this year. And it's about to get worse. Here comes the field-goal team.... 11:22 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki Never mind that. 22-year veteran John Carney shows his age and pushes it wide right. Still 38-17 Saints with about 5 1/2 minutes left. 11:26 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki Brian Hoyer, who is probably not related to U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, is

in the game as the Pats' quarterback now. Well, he was in the game -- a quick three-andout just gave the ball back to the Saints with 3:58 left. 11:30 pm | Fourth quarter | by Steve Kornacki I'm looking at the Saints' remaining schedule right now, and 16-0 looks very doable: at Washington, at Atlanta, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and at Carolina. There are some potential traps in there, butÂ New OrleansÂ might actually be favored in every one of those games. The caveat, of course, is that the New Orleans we're seeing tonight might not show up for all of those games -and the one that barely beat the Rams might. 11:41 pm | Final | by Steve Kornacki Weâll let the final moments tick away. Final: Saints 38-17. 11:46 pm | Postgame | by Steve Kornacki Coming into tonight, the knock on the Saints was that they hadnât really shown anything, despite their gaudy record â- that theyâd been gifted with a soft schedule and that, at least in the last few weeks, they hadnât looked very impressive in beating up on the little guys. But after tonight, we know why that was: They were just bored. Against the Patriots, New Orleans finally had a real challenge -â and they turned in what was probably the most

impressive performance of any team this year. We saw a frighteningly efficient offense simply abuse New England. Every time New Orleans needed a play, it got one. Drew Brees finished 18 of 23 for 371 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions â- a perfect 158.3 rating. Maybe theyâll go 16-0, or maybe theyâll trip up once down the stretch. It doesnât matter: The Saints proved themselves tonight. They are the team to beat in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Patriots have a potentially serious problem on their hands: They canât seem to win on the road. Sure, their loss tonight probably had a lot more to do with the Saintsâ offense than the Superdome crowd, but you canât ignore that the Pats are now 1-4 on the road, with their only win coming over Tampa Bay in London. This spells trouble for the playoffs, of course, but it also raises a more immediate problem: They must travel to Miami next week, and if they lose that, the Patsâ lead in the AFC East will be down to just one game. No wonder Bill Belichick and Tom Brady looked so lost on the sideline in the fourth quarter tonight.

two dozen football players. The school is appealing. Bowden is a football lifer, who modeled his career after his idol Paul "Bear" Bryant, the legendary Alabama coach who died shortly after he retired in 1982. "After you retire, there's only one big event left," Bowden has said over the years. "And I ain't ready for that." Information from ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press was used in this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

MediaDailyNews: RJ Palmer Wins Universal Orlando Media (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:03:15 PM

RJ Palmer announced that it would be handling media planning and buying for Universal Orlando Resort, which has created some of the world's most innovative theme park attractions, based on pop culture films and stories. RJ Palmer is a full-service ad agency headquartered in New York. It is privately held with billings in excess of $645 million. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Tiger Woods at fault in one-car accident, police say By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:25:53 PM

Lawyer: No Signs Woods Was Beaten Lawyer: No Signs Woods Was Beaten ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Highway Patrol says it will issue Tiger Woods a careless driving citation for a car crash outside his Orlando-area mansion last week. Woods faces a $164 fine and four points against his driver's license. The citation will close the investigation. "Despite the celebrity status of Mr. Woods, the Florida Highway Patrol has completed its investigation in the same professional manner it strives to complete each traffic investigation," Sgt. Kim Montes said. Mike and Mike in the Morning Former White House communications chief Kevin Sullivan says Tiger Woods can recover from his incident, but he will need to offer up an explanation and stop shutting people out. More Podcasts Âť According to a patrol accident report, Woods crashed his SUV

into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2:25 a.m. Friday. The airbags did not deploy and Woods' wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out. Woods withdrew Monday from his own golf tournament, citing injuries from the crash. The crash came two days after The National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters. The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press. An attorney for the neighbors who dialed 911 after the crash said Woods did not appear to be driving under the influence and showed no signs of having been in a fight. The Florida Highway Patrol said there were no claims of domestic violence and no reason to issue a subpoena for medical evidence. Woods' injuries were "consistent with a car wreck and inconsistent with him being beat up," said Bill Sharpe, the attorney for the

neighbors. "The scratches on his face were consistent with someone who maybe was in a minor car accident and hit his head on the windshield. ... None of his injuries looked like he was beat up by his wife." In its initial accident report, the Florida Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved. Sharpe said neighbor Linda Adams and her two adult sons went outside their home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth after hearing the crash and Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, asked them to call the 911 emergency number. He said the neighbors found Nordegren kneeling beside her husband, upset about his injuries. Sharpe said Woods appeared woozy and had scratches on his face and that his wife was trying to console him. The Adamses wrapped Woods in a blanket and made sure he didn't move. Tabloid speculation has focused on whether Woods and his wife were fighting before the accident. "One thing we want to make clear is that Mrs. Woods' attitude was consistent with her being concerned about her injured husband," Sharpe said. "Mrs.

Woods was trying to help him. Mrs. Woods was worried about her husband. She was concerned." Sharpe said the Adams family did not see the crash and did not see Woods' wife with a golf club. He said he was hired to get the message out that the Adams family members have told investigators everything they know about the crash and aren't hiding anything. By skipping his tournament, Woods will escape the TV cameras and a horde of media seeking more details. The tournament was to be the last of the year for Woods anyway, and he did not say when or where he would make his return next year. When healthy, he has made his season debut at Torrey Pines every year since 2006. The San Diego Invitational this year is scheduled the week of Jan. 25. That could mean Woods avoids the media for 10 weeks. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

MediaDailyNews: BIA: Display Ads Jump Nearly $2 Bil By 2013 (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:58:29 AM

The geotargeted display (or banner) ad market will leap from $897 million in 2008 to $1.9 billion in 2013, representing a compound annual growth rate of 16%, per BIA/Kelsey. The geotargeted segment of the display market will grow from 10.2% of all display ads sold in 2008 to 15% by 2013. The big jump is in local ads, wich smll and medium-sized companies. That segment will grow from $45 million in 2008 to $565 million by 2013. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh Steelers expected to start vs. Oakland won't address speculation about Notre Dame position Raiders By Brian Bennett (ESPN.com)

By James Walker (ESPN.com)

induced headaches late last week, which forced former thirdstringer Dennis Dixon to play in Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:54:51 AM the overtime loss that put NFL QB Injury News NFL QB Pittsburgh's (6-5) playoff hopes Injury News in jeopardy. PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Receiver and team captain Hines Steelers coach Mike Tomlin Ward was among the most vocal e x p e c t s q u a r t e r b a c k B e n in expressing his disappointment Roethlisberger to start Sunday that Roethlisberger would not against the Oakland Raiders. play against the Ravens. But But unlike last week, Tomlin T o m l i n s a i d W a r d a n d says the team is not expecting Roethlisberger have ironed things any last-minute complications out. from Roethlisberger's recent "I've been informed that those concussion -- the fourth of his two guys spoke extensively," career. Tomlin said. "I spoke to Hines "We're not anticipating him last night. He called me and it having headaches this week," was a good, clean conversation. Tomlin confirmed in his Tuesday He assured me that this football news conference. team will be ready to prepare for AFC North blog and ultimately play Oakland ESPN.com's James Walker w h e n w e c o m e h e r e writes about all things AFC [ W e d n e s d a y ] . " North in his division blog. On his official Facebook page, â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: NFL Nation Ward said he and Roethlisberger Roethlisberger caused a stir had resolved the issue and are w i t h i n t h e t e a m w h e n h e focusing on Sunday's game. "So practiced with the starters all the moral of this story is not to week but was sidelined by the do an interview based off of medical staff one day before last emotions," Ward said in his w e e k ' s c r u c i a l l o s s t o t h e Facebook post. "I made that Baltimore R a v e n s . mistake and I have apologized to Roethlisberger had exercise- Ben for that. Ben and I are cool

and always will be. We will not let this come between us, our talk was very productive." Roethlisberger, who was having his best season statistically despite the Steelers' erratic play, went through "a normal week" of preparation for the pivotal game at Baltimore and had said he had every intention of playing. His decision to not play came as the NFL has taken a heightened stance on protecting players from head injuries. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams outlining steps the league is taking to reduce head impacts. Roethlisberger had two concussions in 2006, including one from a motorcycle accident, and the other last season. In other injury news Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu is doubtful for Sunday's game. Tomlin believes Polamalu is still about a week or so away from returning. James Walker covers the AFC North for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:03:05 AM

CINCINNATI -- Brian Kelly's name is among the hottest of those rumored to be in the mix for the Notre Dame head coaching job. But the Cincinnati coach said he won't address the subject or talk to anyone from another school until after this week's game at Pittsburgh. Big East blog ESPN.com's Brian Bennett writes about all things Big East in his conference blog. â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: College Football Nation The No. 5 Bearcats (11-0, 6-0 Big East) can win their second straight conference title with a victory on Saturday. "It's absolutely irrelevant," Kelly said when asked about Notre Dame rumors. "We're in lockdown mode. All that other stuff is going to have to wait for another time." Asked if he would entertain any overtures this week from the Irish, who fired Charlie Weis on Monday, Kelly said, "No. We're focused on Pittsburgh, 100 percent." Kelly said he didn't plan on

addressing the rumors with his team this week and that he didn't think the Bearcats, who have won 17 straight regular-season games, would be distracted. "They'll be all right," Kelly said after receiving several Notre Dame questions at his weekly news conference. "I'll have them ready. We've done it 17 times in a row. We're going to be OK, we're going to stay focused and we're going to put our football team in a great position to win on Saturday. So I hope that makes your day a little better." Senior linebacker Andre Revels said most of the players are avoiding the speculation surrounding their coach. "It's on TV, and we're not really watching TV," Revels said. "We should be inside the film room studying. It's a real hush subject. "If that's a concern of any player on this team, then they need to go ahead and get off this team. Because we have to focus on Pittsburgh," he said. Brian Bennett covers Big East football for ESPN.com. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Sources: TCU, Gary Patterson agree to contract extension

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WHERE continued from page 63

have clearly prioritized Olympic medals more than others. Canada, in the Olympics and in general, By Richard Durrett among possible candidates to as defensive coordinator for has not been noted for its chest(ESPN.com) replace Charlie Weis for the Dennis Franchione, who became t h u m p i n g , w i n - a t - a l l - c o s t vacant Notre Dame job, but a head coach in 1998. It didn't take approach in the past. But the Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:06:38 AM TCU official said Monday that Patterson long to put together a Journal’s Kevin Helliker reports FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU the coach had not been contacted. solid defense. The Horned Frogs that the hosts for the 2012 Winter and coach Gary Patterson have Patterson has had six seasons of had the No. 1 total defense in the Games in Vancouver — after agreed to terms on a long-term at least 10 wins in his nine years country in 2000, Franchione's p u m p i n g m o n e y i n t o t h e i r contract extension, according to at the helm, including five final season before leaving for Olympic training program — are in the midst of a comprehensive two sources close to the situation. seasons of at least 11 wins since Alabama. An official announcement is 2003. He's won three conference TCU held a national search after attitude adjustment. expected Wednesday morning. championships (two Mountain Franchione left, but opted for “In its slogans for Montreal (’Game Plan ‘76) and Calgary The sources both said part of the West titles and a Conference Patterson. agreement includes pay increases USA title) during his tenure and A f t e r a 6 - 6 f i r s t s e a s o n , (’Best Ever’), Canada displayed for his assistant coaches. has taken TCU to eight bowl Patterson's defense led the way, all the brashness of a rockhopper Patterson, in his 12th season at games, including a 17-16 win finishing No. 1 in the country penguin,” Helliker writes. “The TCU and ninth as head coach, over previously undefeated Boise again in 2002 as TCU went 10-2 1988 Calgary medal take turned has an 85-27 record in his tenure. State in last season's Poinsettia and shared a conference title. out to be two silvers and three That includes TCU's 12-0 record Bowl. TCU was the top defense in 2008 bronzes, a showing that ranked this season, the school's first Patterson has beaten some top as well, giving the Frogs some Canada 13th in total medals. This year’s motto, ‘Own the Podium,’ undefeated campaign since 1938. Big 12 teams, including No. 5 momentum for this season. The Horned Frogs are No. 4 in Oklahoma on the road in 2005 Currently, TCU is No. 2 in total shows no such timidity. In the the BCS standings and are and No. 20 Texas Tech, holding defense in 2009, just behind the history of the Olympics, in fact, expected to play in the first BCS the prolific Red Raiders offense top-ranked Florida Gators. The no host country has ever talked bowl in the program's history. to three points in a victory in Horned Frogs also are No. 3 in such smack in its slogan.”* * * Marion Jones took steroids Patterson is one of three finalists 2006. He is second in all-time rush defense and No. 4 in passing for the George Munger Award, wins at TCU, 24 behind Dutch defense. Four opponents have before the 2000 Olympics and given by the Maxwell Football Meyer, who won two national recorded season-low point totals later lied to federal agents about it. But while those choices may Club to the national coach of the championships in the 1930s and against TCU this season. year. coached for 19 seasons at TCU. This content has passed through reflect poorly on her decisionmaking skills and sense of fair Patterson has been mentioned Patterson arrived in Fort Worth fivefilters.org. play, her transcendent athletic

ability is beyond debate. At age 34, Jones has completed her prison sentence and started the next chapter of her life. While said chapter involves the requisite speaking tour and public remorse, there’s a more surprising element, too. As a freshman point guard, Jones led North Carolina’s women’s basketball team to a 332 record and a NCAA championship in 1994 before quitting to focus on track. Now many years removed from the game, Jones is plotting a comeback on the hardwood and hopes to find her way to the WNBA, William C. Rhoden reports in the New York Times. – Tip of the Fix cap to reader Don Hartline and fellow Fixer Garey Ris. Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at droth11@gmail.com.

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The Count: Len Bias and What Might Have Been

NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Can Saints and Colts Go 32-0?

(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

By Josh Alper (FanHouse)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:13:07 AM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 3:00:00 PM

Bill Simmons, who wrote a memorable ESPN column about Len Bias in 2001, mentions the former University of Maryland star frequently in his new basketball book. In June 1986, Bias, then 22 years old, died of heart failure induced by a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted by the Celtics. In his column, Simmons wondered if Bias could have had a career as good as Karl Malone’s. Reading the book got Basketball Reference’s Neil Paine wondering the same thing. Associated Press Len Bias’s future seemed bright after he was taken with the second pick of the NBA draft. Paine focuses on several pieces of evidence: Opinions from sportswriters and scouts at the time, some of whom thought Bias could become the next Michael Jordan (which meant

by Josh Alper Filed under: NFL Power Rankings It's safe to say we can stop debating anything about the two teams that have regularly found their way to the top of these rankings. We knew the Saints could score on anyone. But to see their defense, playing with cornerbacks signed off the street, shut down the Patriots with little trouble made it clear that this is a team without any exploitable flaws. That doesn't mean they won't stumble at some point, but I wouldn't bet your house on it happening before the playoffs. As for the Colts, say what you will about their habit of falling behind in games but you can't do anything but applaud their ability to come back. They've won five straight games after trailing in the fourth quarter, an NFL record, and Peyton Manning has made it

something very different then, 100 games into Jordan’s career); Bias’s draft position — No. 2, behind Brad Daugherty; and his college stats, the weakest link in Bias’s résumé. Compared to college forwards who excelled in the pros, Bias’s shooting percentage and rebounding rate were troublingly low. “What my dad and so many other Celtics fans wanted was for [Bias] to become Larry Bird’s heir at the helm of the Boston dynasty,” Paine writes. “Unfortunately, given his important performance indicators in college, that probably wasn’t the most realistic expectation in basketball history.”

impossible to feel safe with a lead unless the game's been over for 45 minutes. The only question left is if they can both run the table and there are fewer and fewer reasons to doubt them every week. NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Can Saints and Colts Go 32-0? originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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Manny Pacquiao Could Tiger Woods' Neighbors Face Floyd Mayweather Hold Press Conference, or Yuri Foreman Next Provide Details of Incident By Will Brinson (FanHouse)

By Lem Satterfield (FanHouse)

Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:00:00 PM

Submitted at 12/1/2009 1:15:00 PM

by Lem Satterfield Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, FanHouse Exclusive Manny Pacquiao could pursue an eighth world title in as many weight classes on March 13 against WBA junior middleweight champ Yuri Foreman if a fight with Floyd Mayweather isn't made for that date, said Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum. Pacquiao, on Monday, filed for congressional candidacy in the Philippines' southern Sarangani province's Alabel township, an area where his opponent will be supported by the three biggest political and business families. Meanwhile, Arum, and Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer, on behalf of the 32year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25

KOs), have been involved in negotiations for a megafight between their two fighters, who are considered the sport's two best, pound-for-pound. Manny Pacquiao Could Face Floyd Mayweather or Yuri Foreman Next originally appeared on Fanhouse Boxing Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

by Will Brinson Filed under: Golf Odds and Ends Tiger Woods' neighbors have been at the (oddly) silent center of the entire Thanksgiving wreck, but things have gotten hectic enough since they called 911 for Woods that they have decided to lawyer up. And apparently, the neighbors' attorney believed a press conference was necessary to clear up any rumors about what might have happened on that oh-sofateful post-Thanksgiving eve. In that press conference, their attorney cleared up any rumors, stating that they saw "no indication" that Tiger was "beaten" or "driving under the influence." More coverage: Rachel Uchitel

Denies Affair| Full Crash Coverage Back Porch: HausCast 38: Stephanie Wei Talks Tiger Tiger Woods' Neighbors Hold Press Conference, Provide Details of Incident originally appeared on Fanhouse Golf Blog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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Obama 'to detail Afghan end-game' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 12/1/2009 11:30:01 AM

President Barack Obama is to tell the American people that US troops will start to leave Afghanistan within three years, a senior official has said. He will outline the rough withdrawal plan in a speech to the nation, when he will also announce a rapid six-month deployment of 30,000 extra soldiers. Mr Obama has also asked Nato allies to send up to 10,000 more combat troops. But France has refused, while Germany postponed any decision. The UK has agreed to By ELLE.com (ELLE News In their latest collaboration, the send 500 more soldiers. Blog) partners have released the Bones In Tuesday evening's muchbag done in the style of the iconic anticipated speech at West Point Submitted at 12/1/2009 7:51:52 AM L e P l i a g e b y military academy, Mr Obama is Longchamp's relationship with Longchamp. Playing off Jeremy's expected to make an accelerated Jeremy Scott is long and loving; F l i n t s t o n e s - t h e m e d troop surge the centrepiece of his the two brands have been paired spring/summer 2010 collection, new strategy for Afghanistan. since 2006. There is always a the pink canvas is printed with A senior administration official fabulous bag by the house front- bones that resemble the one that told AP news agency President row at his shows, which show Pebbles Flintstone sports in her Obama would outline a plan for security will give you a slightly hair. It's limited edition, is now US troops to start leaving humiliating reprimanding should being sold at Colette in Paris, and Afghanistan "well before" his you try to nick one (and people w i l l b e c o m e a v a i l a b l e a t first term ends in 2012. try to grab them left and right, so Longchamp stores everywhere The US currently has 68,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the security have their work cut after the 15th of this month. out.) The collaboration between Now that is a classic with a foreign forces overall totalling more than 100,000. the classic house and the designer twist. A senior Pentagon official told whose work is anti-conformist â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Rebecca Suhrawardi Austin the BBC the new troops would and known for being inspired by Follow ELLE on Twitter. be made up of 9,000 Marines and pop culture (such as cartoon Become our Facebook fan! 21,000 regular soldiers, including characters), has always been an interesting one.

Jeremy Scott and Longchamp

trainers. Mr Obama has reached his deployment decision after more than three months of deliberations and 10 top-level meetings with advisers. The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the American people will be anxious to hear in this hugely important speech how the president intends to get out of Afghanistan. 'Quick punch' Rising violence - more than 900 US soldiers have died there - and the chaos of August's discredited elections have fanned mounting domestic opposition to the eightyear-old war. Earlier this year, the US military commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, warned America risked failure unless troop numbers were increased. He requested 40,000 more soldiers. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told MSNBC on Tuesday: "This is not an open-ended commitment, what we are doing is putting forward a comprehensive strategy and an end-game in Afghanistan." He said the deployment would be accelerated to "deliver a punch quickly". The US president outlined his new strategy to Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in an hour-long video conference on Tuesday morning. The BBC's Martin Patience in

Kabul says that while the speech will probably receive a cautious welcome from the Afghan government, many people in the country do not want any more foreign forces. They say every time America sends more troops the security situation gets worse, and some question why the US is spending billions of dollars on the military - and not on aid and reconstruction. An unnamed Nato diplomat told AP news agency on Tuesday that President Obama had asked European allies to contribute between 5,000 and 10,000 new troops to Afghanistan. But President Nicolas Sarkozy's special envoy to Afghanistan told AFP news agency France had ruled out sending more troops, although Paris might send military trainers. In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference Germany would wait until after a 28 January conference in London on Afghanistan before deciding on any troop increases. Italy has also said it will increase its force, although without saying by how much. On Monday, Britain confirmed it was sending 500 more troops, taking the UK's total deployment there to 10,000. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Man Who Killed 4 Washington Police Officers Shot Dead (FOXNews.com)

morning, about 6:30 a.m., he said at a briefing. That person wasn't named. Seattle police shot and killed the SLIDESHOW: Deadly fugitive who gunned down four Lakewood Police Shooting officers in a suburban coffee More arrests are coming, Troyer shop, a sheriff's spokesman said vowed. Tuesday. "We're also looking at family Maurice Clemmons was shot to members who aided and abetted death after a "very alert patrol in his escape," he told reporters. officer" investigating reports of a "They did everything they could stolen car recognized him, Pierce to hamper our investigation. We County sheriff's spokesman Ed expect to have six to seven Troyer told Fox News. people in custody by day's end." Clemmons, 37, murdered the Bios of the Slain Washington four Lakewood police officers at Officers a cafe Sunday morning in A gun belonging to one of the Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about fallen Lakewood officers was 35 miles south of Seattle. found with Clemmons after he He was killed by a lone police was recognized with the stolen o f f i c e r i n a w o r k i n g - c l a s s vehicle about 2:45 a.m. and then neighborhood after he was found killed, Troyer said. He was with the help of information reaching for it when he was shot about possible hiding spots, Tuesday. Troyer said. "We know our suspect. He's not "Shots were fired," Troyer told afraid to shoot cops," Troyer said "Fox & Friends" Tuesday. "We're at the news conference. very happy that the Seattle police The officer saw Clemmons and officer is OK. ... This could have ordered him to show his hands turned out a lot worse." and stop, according to Assistant Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39, and Police Chief Jim Pugel. Officers Ronald Owens, 37, Tina "He wouldn't stop," Pugel said. Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards, " T h e o f f i c e r f i r e d s e v e r a l 42, were the victims of Sunday's r o u n d s . " shooting spree. Police had surrounded a house in Troyer told Fox police arrested Seattle late Sunday following a t h r e e p e o p l e o v e r n i g h t o n tip Clemmons had been dropped suspicion of rendering criminal off there. After an all-night siege, assistance. They were identified a special weapons and tactics as Ricky Hinton, Eddie Lee police team entered the home Davis and Douglas Edward Monday morning and found it Davis. empty. But police said The suspected getaway driver Clemmons had been there. also was caught early Tuesday Police said they aren't sure what Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:55:47 AM

prompted Clemmons to kill the officers as they did paperwork on their laptops. Clemmons was described as increasingly erratic in the past few months and had been arrested earlier this year on charges that he punched a sheriff's deputy in the face. More from Q13Fox.com. "There is no answer, other than that he was angry about being incarcerated," Troyer said. "There's never going to be an answer that makes any sense." Authorities don't believe Clemmons knew any of the officers he gunned down, but was just targeting police in general. "Whoever was in there was going to suffer the wrath of what happened," Troyer told reporters. Clemmons indicated the night before the shooting "that he was going to shoot police and watch the news," Troyer told the Tacoma News-Tribune. Clemmons' death capped one of the largest manhunts in the region's history. Clemmons had stayed on the run for nearly two days with help from a network of friends and family who gave him places to stay, medical aid, rides and money, police said. Troyer said authorities believe they were planning to sneak him out of the state. On Monday, officers detained a sister of Clemmons who they think treated his gunshot wound. Her name wasn't released. "We believe she drove him up to

Seattle and bandaged him up," Troyer said. Police think people close to Clemmons deliberately misled officers. Troyer said anyone who helped him could face charges. "We don't think anybody helped him plan this murder," he said. "But he's been bailed out of jail ... This family has enabled him. Even after this happened, after he killed all four officers, they continued to save him. ... They're going to pay for it." Authorities said the gunman singled out the Lakewood officers and spared employees and other customers at the coffee shop. He then fled, but not before he was shot in the torso by one of the dying officers. Troyer confirmed that Clemmons did have an untreated gunshot wound when he was killed Tuesday. Police frantically chased leads on Monday, searching multiple spots in the Seattle and Tacoma area and at one point cordoning off a park where people thought they saw Clemmons. Authorities found a handgun carried by the killer, along with a pickup truck belonging to the suspect with blood stains inside. They posted a $125,000 reward for information leading to Clemmons' arrest and alerted hospitals to be on the lookout for a man seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. "We need to get him into custody and we need to end this," Troyer said Monday night.

Authorities in two states were criticized amid revelations that Clemmons was allowed to walk the streets despite a teenage crime spree in Arkansas that landed him an 108-year prison sentence. He was released early after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence. Huckabee cited Clemmons' youth in granting the request. But Clemmons quickly reverted to his criminal past, violated his parole and was returned to prison. He was released again in 2004. "This guy should have never been on the street," said Brian D. Wurts, president of the police union in Lakewood. "Our elected officials need to find out why these people are out." Huckabee said on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night that Clemmons was allowed back on the street for a second time in 2004 because prosecutors failed to file paperwork in time, but acknowledged his role in commuting Clemmons’ sentence, making him immediately eligible for parole in 2000. “I’m responsible for that,” Huckabee said of the commutation, which cut Clemmons’ sentence to 47 years. “And it’s not something I’m happy about at this particular moment.” Huckabee reviewed roughly 1,200 such cases each year during his tenure as governor, 92 MAN page 78

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Seattle police kill suspect in officer slayings (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

sheriff. "Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are SEATTLE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The man suspected relatives. Now they're all partners of gunning down four police in crime." officers in a suburban coffee Three people were booked into shop was shot and killed by a t h e P i e r c e C o u n t y J a i l o n lone patrolman investigating a Monday and early Tuesday for stolen car early Tuesday. Four i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f r e n d e r i n g p e o p l e w e r e a r r e s t e d f o r criminal assistance on four allegedly helping the suspect counts of first-degree murder. e l u d e a u t h o r i t i e s d u r i n g a They are Ricky Hinton, Eddie m a s s i v e t w o - d a y m a n h u n t . Lee Davis and Douglas Edward Maurice Clemmons was carrying Davis. Troyer said a getaway a handgun he took from one of driver also was arrested. That the dead officers when a Seattle p e r s o n ' s i d e n t i t y w a s n ' t policeman recognized him near a i m m e d i a t e l y k n o w n . stolen car in a working-class On Monday, officers detained a south Seattle neighborhood about sister of Clemmons who they 2:45 a.m., Assistant Police Chief think treated the suspect's Jim Pugel said. gunshot wound. The vehicle was running but "We believe she drove him up to unoccupied when the officer Seattle and bandaged him up," pulled up, radioed in the license Troyer said. plate number and realized the car Authorities say Clemmons, 37, was stolen, Pugel said. singled out the Lakewood The officer saw something officers and spared employees moving, got out of his car, saw and other customers at the coffee Clemmons and ordered him to s h o p S u n d a y m o r n i n g i n show his hands and stop. Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about "He wouldn't stop," Pugel said. 35 miles south of Seattle. He then " T h e o f f i c e r f i r e d s e v e r a l fled, but not before one of the rounds." dying officers apparently shot Clemmons also had sustained a him in the torso. serious gunshot wound from one "I'm surprised that he managed to of the four officers killed in the get away," Troyer said. "The coffee-shop shooting. officer did a good job in Police planned to arrest more L a k e w o o d . " people who helped Clemmons. Killed were Sgt. Mark "We expect to have maybe six or Renninger, 39, and Officers seven people in custody by the R o n a l d O w e n s , 3 7 , T i n a day's end," said Ed Troyer, a Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards, spokesman for the Pierce County 42. Submitted at 12/1/2009 10:49:36 AM

The officer who shot Clemmons was not injured, Pugel said. Police said they aren't sure what prompted Clemmons to shoot the four officers, who were in uniform and working on paperwork at the coffee shop just two blocks outside their jurisdiction. "The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to go kill police officers," Troyer said. He said Clemmons talked the night before the shooting about killing a group of cops and watching the news. Police believe Clemmons chose the coffee shop because it was frequented by police officers from various agencies. "We do not believe that the Lakewood officers were actually targeted other than that they were police officers in that location at the time where he knew he could find police officers." Police surrounded a house in a Seattle neighborhood late Sunday following a tip Clemmons had been dropped off there. After an all-night siege, a SWAT team entered the home and found it empty. But police said Clemmons had been there. Police frantically chased leads on Monday, searching multiple spots in the Seattle and Tacoma area and at one point cordoning off a park where people thought they saw Clemmons. They found a handgun along with a pickup truck belonging to the suspect with blood stains inside, and

alerted hospitals to be on the lookout for a man seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. Authorities in two states were criticized amid revelations that Clemmons was allowed to walk the streets despite a teenage crime spree in Arkansas that landed him an 108-year prison sentence. He was released early after then- Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence. Huckabee cited Clemmons' youth in granting the request. But Clemmons quickly reverted to his criminal past, violated his parole and was returned to prison. He was released again in 2004. "This guy should have never been on the street," said Brian D. Wurts, president of the police union in Lakewood. "Our elected officials need to find out why these people are out." Huckabee said on Fox News Channel's " The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night that Clemmons was allowed back on the street because prosecutors failed to file paperwork in time. Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley, whose office opposed Clemmons' parole in 2000 and 2004, said Huckabee's comments were "red herrings." "My word to Mr. Huckabee is man up and own what you did," Jegley said. Clemmons was charged in Washington state earlier this year with assaulting a police officer and raping a child, and investigators in the sex case said

he was motivated by visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse. A psychological evaluation conducted in October found he was a risk to public safety, but not a bad enough risk to justify committing him, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported. The confidential report acquired by the newspaper was ordered by a Pierce County Superior Court judge to determine whether Clemmons was competent to stand trial on the rape and assault charges. He was found competent and was released from jail after posting bail with the assistance of Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. At the time of his arrest, he allegedly made "religiouslythemed comments, told the officer President Obama and Lebron James are his brothers, Oprah (Winfrey) is his sister and referred to himself as 'the beast,'" according to the evaluation. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Manuel Valdes in Seattle, Rachel La Corte in Tacoma, George Tibbits in Seattle, Andrew DeMillo and Jill Zeman Bleed in Little Rock, Ark., and photographers Elaine Thompson in Seattle and Ted S. Warren in Parkland, Wash. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Most states have not adopted sex offender rules (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:05:47 PM

ATLANTA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; More than three years after Congress ordered stepped-up monitoring of sex offenders, only one state has adopted the government's strict new requirements, and some others are weighing whether to ignore the law and just pay a penalty. So far, Ohio is the lone state to meet the new federal standards. Elsewhere, efforts have been hampered by high costs and legal challenges from the nation's 686,000 registered sex offenders. Advocates worry that the delays are putting public safety at risk. "This means more of the same â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that we're losing sex offenders when they cross state lines and disappear," said Erin Runnion, who lobbied for the law after her 5-year-old daughter, Samantha, was kidnapped and killed in 2002. "It's incredibly frustrating. How many children do we have to lose to repeat sex offenders before we start taking these guys seriously?" The initial deadline for states to comply was in July. Then the deadline was extended to July 2010, although several states have signaled they may still be unable to meet it. States that do not adopt the mandates risk

losing millions of dollars in federal grants. The law was designed to keep closer tabs on sex offenders, including an estimated 100,000 who are not living where they are supposed to be. It would create a national sex offender registry and toughen penalties for those who fail to register. The president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said states need more money to adopt the law, and he called on Congress to help. "We understand that there are challenges in becoming compliant, but the greatest challenge is that states are overwhelmed. And they're going to need resources to address this," Ernie Allen said. Last year, a federal judge in Nevada declared the law unconstitutional because it would subject offenders to additional penalties after they have served their time. The Ohio Supreme Court heard similar arguments this month from more than 26,000 sex offenders who were convicted before the law was signed. Critics have also complained that juvenile offenders would appear on registries in some states. And because the law requires offenders to register in person, it could unfairly burden people in rural areas who would

have far to travel. In addition to the legal challenges, states are also struggling with the cost, which could climb into the millions of dollars. "We have states being very laid back, and states where legislators are pulling out their hair trying to comply," said Alisa Klein of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. "And there's lots of states waiting for another state to bust a move and say, 'We're not going to comply.'" In California, the state's Sex Offender Management Board estimated last year that adopting the requirements would cost at least $38 million. Congress tried to encourage states to adopt the measure by threatening to take 10 percent of their federal crime-prevention grants if they do not comply. The grants have swelled with stimulus funding but typically range from several hundred thousand dollars to more than $1 million each year, depending on the size of the state. California stands to lose a few millions dollars a year if it does not comply, state officials said. "Obviously this funding loss pales in comparison with the cost of complying with the act," said Dana Simas, spokeswoman for the California Department of Justice.

So lawmakers are locked in a dilemma: They must spend millions of dollars to adopt the system or back off a program that is designed to protect the public from some of society's most dangerous criminals. "There's a number of issues we're trying to work out," said Vermont state Sen. Richard Sears, who leads his state's Senate Judiciary Committee. "We're not necessarily against the law, but we'd like some money to go along with it to help us implement it." Congressional leaders may support changes to the law. U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, says he has been working on ways to help states comply. "This legislation makes vital progress toward keeping our children safe, but it only works if states can and do comply with it," Leahy said in a statement. "Rather than punish states that are actively trying to comply with this important federal law, we must work together to address obstacles facing state law enforcement agencies." Advocacy groups say roughly two dozen states have submitted reports on their compliance for the Justice Department to review, although the government would

not confirm that number. Scott Matson, a senior policy adviser with the Justice Department office that monitors sex offenders, said he has seen a recent uptick in applications, although he did not say whether more states are getting close to compliance. The Justice Department declared in September that Ohio had "substantially implemented" the law's requirements, leading to a fresh round of complaints. The state's public defender office said court appeals alone could cost $10 million. Gary Reece is a 50-year-old convicted sex offender who is challenging Ohio's efforts to comply with the federal law. Reece said he was previously allowed to register once a year and that his name would have been removed after 10 years without a serious conviction. The state's new measure, he said, would put his name on the registry for life and require him to register in person four times a year. "It's a tremendous burden, no doubt about it," Reece said. "Every 90 days you have to take off work and go register â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and if you miss once, you're going back to jail." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Salahi denies being White House party crasher (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

circumstances ... portraying my wife and I as party crashers. I can tell you we did not party-crash WASHINGTON – The couple the White House." who got into the White House Michaele Salahi had hoped to state dinner for the visiting land a part on an upcoming Indian prime minister without Bravo reality show, "The Real invitations denied Tuesday that Housewives of D.C." NBC's they were gatecrashers and said parent company, NBC Universal, the uproar over the incident had also owns the cable network "destroyed" their lives. Bravo. Appearing on a nationally Earlier this year, the Salahis broadcast morning news show attended a Congressional Black with his wife, Tareq Salahi said Caucus party — and there are the furor surrounding his and his now questions about whether wife Michaele's attendance at the they had invitations to that affair. dinner a week ago has been a Muriel Cooper, a spokeswoman "most devastating" experience. for the Congressional Black White House spokesman Robert Caucus Foundation, confirmed Gibbs described President Barack that the Salahis were escorted out Obama and first lady Michelle of a foundation dinner on Sept. O b a m a a s a n g e r e d b y t h e 26. She said the couple was incident. sitting at a $20,000-per-table Salahi told NBC's "Today" show section at the event where Obama there's more to their side of the was the keynote speaker. When story — an explanation that other guests complained that would exonerate them from someone was in their seats, the allegations of misconduct. Gibbs Salahis were asked to show their insisted the Salahis had not been tickets. They were asked to leave invited. when they couldn't produce them. " T h i s w a s n ' t a "They didn't argue," Cooper said. m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g , " t h e "They just looked a little spokesman said. "You don't show sheepish and were escorted out." up at the White House as a Cooper added that a camera misunderstanding." crew from Bravo requested Said Salahi: "We're greatly permission to shoot video at the s a d d e n e d b y a l l t h e event a day or two before but was Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:34:08 PM

turned down because, she assumed, of heavy security required for Obama's appearance. The foundation raises money for scholarship and intern programs. Salahi told the "Today" show they were invited to that party as well. "This is the first time I've ever heard, you know, another false accusation against my wife and I saying that we weren't invited there," Salahi said, adding that they were the guests of the Gardner Law Group. The Salahis' lawyer, Paul Gardner, is the managing partner of the Baltimore law firm, which handles corporate and entertainment law. Gardner has not returned phone calls or emails. Last week's White House gate caper captivated a capital frequently as well known for its high-end social life and celebrity eruptions as the occasionally mundane day-to-day business of governance. Interviewed on MSNBC, Gibbs said "it's safe to say he (Obama) was angry. Michelle was angry." Gibbs noted that the Secret Service is investigating what went wrong and said the White House was also re-examining its procedures. He told the network,

"I think the president really had the same reaction the Secret Service had, and that was great concern for how something like this happened." Michaele Salahi described the couple as "shocked and devastated" when they saw accounts of the incident the following morning. Asked if they had been mischaracterized, Tareq Salahi said, "No question ... It's been devastating what's happened to Michaele and I ... Our lives have really been destroyed." "Everything we've worked for," Michaele Salahi told interviewer Matt Lauer. "We were invited, not crashers, and there isn't anyone who would have the audacity or the poor behavior to do that," she said. "No one would do that, and certainly not us." Bravo producers filmed the couple preparing for the event but did not photograph the White House grounds. Tareq Salahi said that the couple has been "very candid" with the Secret Service and said "we have turned over documentation to them." "We're going to definitely work with the Secret Service between Michaele and I to really shed

light on this," Tareq Salahi said. He indicated the couple had emails that would reinforce their position that they did not go uninvited to the dinner. The couple also said they had not discussed accepting money from any party or organization, including NBC, for telling their story. On Monday there were more twists in the unfolding mystery. It was revealed that they communicated with a senior Pentagon official about going to the event, but the official denied that she helped the couple get in. Michele Jones, a special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said in a written statement issued through the White House that she never said or implied she would get the Salahis into the event. A congressional hearing is planned for Thursday. ___ Associated Press writers Julie Pace, Ben Evans and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Neighbor: Woods Didn't Seem to Be in Fight Before Crash (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/30/2009 11:45:50 PM

Tiger Woods' SUV crash into a fire hydrant and tree outside his posh Florida home landed him a ticket for careless driving, but no criminal charges will be filed, the Florida Highway Patrol said Tuesday. Patrol officers said Woods was at fault in the Nov. 27 accident and it would issue him a citation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but nothing more. Officers said there was "insufficient evidence" to subpoena Woods' medical records and there was nothing to indicate that domestic violence was involved in the crash. "Despite the celebrity status of Mr. Woods, the Florida Highway Patrol has completed its investigation," said Sgt Kim Montes. The accident has tarnished Woods' previously spotless reputation, as it came two days after a bombshell report surfaced that he was having an affair with a New York night club hostess. SLIDESHOW: Is Rachel Uchitel Woods' 'Other Woman'? AUDIO: Woods 911 Tape Released. Meanwhile, an attorney for

Woods' neighbor who dialed 911 said the golf star did not appear to be driving under the influence and showed no signs of having been in a fight in the minutes after his car crash outside his mansion near Orlando. Woods' injuries were "consistent with a car wreck and inconsistent with him being beat up," attorney Bill Sharpe said. "The scratches on his face were consistent with someone who maybe was in a minor car accident and hit his head on the windshield. ... None of his injuries looked like he was beat up by his wife." In its initial accident report, the Florida Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved. Sharpe said neighbor Linda Adams and her two adult sons went outside their home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth after hearing the crash and Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, asked them to call the 911 emergency number. He said the neighbors found Nordegren kneeling beside her husband, upset about his injuries. Sharpe said Woods appeared woozy and had scratches on his face and that his wife was trying to console him. The Adamses wrapped Woods in a blanket and

made sure he didn't move. According to the Florida Highway Patrol accident report, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2:25 a.m. Friday. The airbags did not deploy in the crash, and Woods' wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out. Tabloid speculation has focused on whether Woods and his wife were fighting before the accident. The crash came two days after The National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters. The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press. Sharpe said the Adams family did not see the crash and did not see Woods' wife with a golf club. "One thing we want to make clear is that Mrs. Woods' attitude was consistent with her being concerned about her injured husband," Sharpe said. "Mrs. Woods was trying to help him. Mrs. Woods was worried about

her husband. She was concerned." Sharpe says the Adams family hired him to get out the message that they've told investigators everything they know about the crash and aren't hiding anything. Woods withdrew Monday from his own golf tournament, citing injuries from the crash. By skipping the tournament, Woods will escape the TV cameras and a horde of media seeking more details. The tournament was to be the last of the year for Woods anyway, and he did not say when or where he would make his return next year. When healthy, he has made his season debut at Torrey Pines every year since 2006. The San Diego Invitational this year is scheduled the week of Jan. 25. That could mean Woods avoids the media for 10 weeks. Click for photos of the car crash Click here for more from TMZ.com. Click for more on this story from MyFoxOrlando.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Lone officer 'kills US shooting suspect' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 12/1/2009 8:17:20 AM

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Assistant Police Chief Pugel said the officer opened fire as the suspect tried to flee A policeman investigating a stolen car on a Seattle street shot dead the man accused of gunning down four police officers at the weekend, US police say. Maurice Clemmons, aged 37, was killed in Seattle early on Tuesday, said Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel. He said the officer recognised Clemmons and told him to stop, before opening fire after the suspect tried to flee. Four people have been arrested for allegedly helping the suspect elude authorities during the twoday manhunt. The victims - Sgt Mark Renninger and officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards - were singled out as they did paperwork at a cafe in a LONE page 79

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Police: Woods at fault in crash, will get citation (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

injuries from the crash. The crash came two days after The National Enquirer published ORLANDO, Fla. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tiger Woods a story alleging that Woods had will get a careless driving citation b e e n s e e i n g a N e w Y o r k for a car crash outside his nightclub hostess, and that they Orlando-area mansion last week, r e c e n t l y w e r e t o g e t h e r i n but will not face criminal M e l b o u r n e , w h e r e W o o d s charges, the Florida Highway competed in the Australian Patrol said Tuesday. Masters. The woman, Rachel Woods faces a $164 fine and Uchitel, denied having an affair four points against his driver's with Woods when contacted by license. The citation will close The Associated Press. the investigation. An attorney for the neighbors "Despite the celebrity status of who dialed 911 after the crash Mr. Woods, the Florida Highway said Woods did not appear to be P a t r o l h a s c o m p l e t e d i t s driving under the influence and i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t h e s a m e showed no signs of having been professional manner it strives to in a fight. The Florida Highway c o m p l e t e e a c h t r a f f i c Patrol said there were no claims investigation," Sgt. Kim Montes of domestic violence and no said. reason to issue a subpoena for According to a patrol accident medical evidence. report, Woods crashed his SUV Woods' injuries were "consistent into a fire hydrant and a tree at with a car wreck and inconsistent 2:25 a.m. Friday. The airbags did with him being beat up," said Bill not deploy and Woods' wife told Sharpe, the attorney for the Windermere police she used a neighbors. "The scratches on his golf club to smash the back f a c e w e r e c o n s i s t e n t w i t h windows to help him out. someone who maybe was in a Woods withdrew Monday from minor car accident and hit his his own golf tournament, citing head on the windshield. ... None Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:33:27 PM

of his injuries looked like he was beat up by his wife." In its initial accident report, the Florida Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved. Sharpe said neighbor Linda Adams and her two adult sons went outside their home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth after hearing the crash and Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, asked them to call the 911 emergency number. He said the neighbors found Nordegren kneeling beside her husband, upset about his injuries. Sharpe said Woods appeared woozy and had scratches on his face and that his wife was trying to console him. The Adamses wrapped Woods in a blanket and made sure he didn't move. Tabloid speculation has focused on whether Woods and his wife were fighting before the accident. "One thing we want to make clear is that Mrs. Woods' attitude was consistent with her being concerned about her injured husband," Sharpe said. "Mrs. Woods was trying to help him. Mrs. Woods was worried about

her husband. She was concerned." Sharpe said the Adams family did not see the crash and did not see Woods' wife with a golf club. He said he was hired to get the message out that the Adams family members have told investigators everything they know about the crash and aren't hiding anything. By skipping his tournament, Woods will escape the TV cameras and a horde of media seeking more details. The tournament was to be the last of the year for Woods anyway, and he did not say when or where he would make his return next year. When healthy, he has made his season debut at Torrey Pines every year since 2006. The San Diego Invitational this year is scheduled the week of Jan. 25. That could mean Woods avoids the media for 10 weeks. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Relative: Suspect in Thanksgiving Killings Planned Murders (FOXNews.com)

in Jupiter, Fla. — were released Tuesday. As screams echo in the The man suspected of killing background, a male caller in the four family members after midst of the mayhem tells the Thanksgiving dinner, including dispatcher that multiple people his pregnant sister and 6-year-old have been shot. cousin, told relatives he'd been Authorities have focused part of waiting 20 years to murder them, their investigation on Michigan according to the little girl's because Merhige had sought a father. physician in the Detroit area in Jim Sitton said Tuesday that the past year, Jupiter Police Sgt. Paul Michael Merhige had Scott Pascarella said last week. planned to kill his family when He was unsure why he needed he showed up for dinner to his the doctor. South Florida home, ate and then Merhige is believed to be driving shot the child, his pregnant sister, a royal blue 2007 Toyota Camry her twin sister and his 79-year- with a rear spoiler and Florida old aunt. license plate. Sitton said there were no There had been "ongoing arguments before the spree and resentment" in the family, but Merhige, 35, wasn't acting investigators weren't sure what strangely during dinner, dessert specifically prompted Thursday's and singing. shooting. SLIDESHOW: Thanksgiving Prosecutors issued an arrest Killings warrant for four counts of firstDuring the shooting, Sitton says degree murder and two counts of Merhige pointed the gun at attempted first-degree murder for Merhige's uncle and said he'd Merhige on Saturday night and a been waiting to kill him, but the $10,000 reward was offered for gun misfired. information leading to his arrest. A manhunt is under way for Police said Merhige left briefly Merhige. before returning to the home Tapes of the 911 calls made that where 17 relatives had gathered night — one by a neighbor and in Jupiter, a small beach town one by someone inside the house about 90 miles north of Miami. Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:01:55 AM

The town is known as a home to celebrities including Michael Jordan and Burt Reynolds. Pascarella said police first received a 911 call from a neighbor, then another from someone inside the home. The home, in a well-kept new subdivision with brick-paved driveways, is owned by local TV videojournalist Jim Sitton and his wife. The home was surrounded Friday by yellow crime scene tape and police crime unit vans. Sitton's daughter Makayla had gone to bed before the rampage, according to police. "God packed a lot of sweetness into that little body," Sitton said last week. "She's just our life. I don't know how we are ever going to recover." The other victims were Merhige's twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, and an aunt, Raymonde Joseph. Merhige's brother-in-law Patrick Knight was in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. Another man, Clifford Gebara, 52, was grazed by a bullet. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

MAN continued from page 72

percent of which were denied, he said. “My heart is broken for four families tonight,” Huckabee said. Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley, whose office opposed Clemmons' parole in 2000 and 2004, said Huckabee's criticisms of the district attorney's handling of the case were "red herrings." "My word to Mr. Huckabee is man up and own what you did," Jegley said. Troyer said authorities were "disappointed" by the former governor's remarks. "We're mainly disappointed out here in that Huckabee made some comments about our criminal justice system and stated we dropped the ball, and we had some problems out here,” Troyer said Tuesday. “And that was made at three or four o'clock in the morning before he had any option at looking at court records or knowing what happened out here.” Troyer continued, “What we're concerned about is him taking us to task and possibly blaming us for something that he now knows

we had nothing to do with.” Clemmons was charged in Washington state earlier this year with assaulting a police officer and raping a child, and investigators in the sex case said he was motivated by visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse. But he was released from jail after posting bail with the assistance of Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. Documents related to those charges indicate a volatile personality. In one instance, he is accused of gathering his wife and young relatives and forcing them to undress. "The whole time Clemmons kept saying things like trust him, the world is going to end soon, and that he was Jesus," a Pierce County sheriff's report said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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LONE continued from page 76

suburb of Tacoma, near Seattle, on Sunday morning. 'Increasingly erratic' Assistant Police Chief Pugel told a news conference that Clemmons was found by a patrolman who stopped at about 0245 local time on Tuesday to investigate a car reported stolen hours earlier. He said that while the officer was making inquiries about the vehicle, which was unoccupied with the engine running, he noticed a movement behind him. He turned to find a man he believed to be Clemmons. The officer ordered the man to stop and show his hands, but the suspect tried to run away, said Assistant Police Chief Pugel. "He wouldn't stop. The officer fired several rounds," he said, adding that the police officer had not been wounded. Mr Pugel also said that Clemmons was found to be carrying a handgun taken from one of the dead officers. He also had a recent gunshot wound in the abdomen, believed to have been inflicted by one of the dying officers who shot at Clemmons as he fled. Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the

Pierce County sheriff, said in addition to the four people arrested on suspicion of helping Clemmons since Sunday, up to seven more could soon be in custody. "Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives. Now they're all partners in crime," he said, according to the AP news agency. He also said that police planned to arrest more people who had allegedly helped Clemmons. Officials are trying to establish what prompted Clemmons to shoot the police officers on Sunday. Clemmons' behaviour had been described as increasingly erratic in the past few months, AP said. Mr Troyer told the Tacoma News-Tribune newspaper that the suspect had indicated on Saturday night "that he was going to shoot police and watch the news". Parole row A reward of $125,000 (ÂŁ76,000) had been offered for information leading to his arrest. Police in the US state of Washington had been storming potential hiding places of

Clemmons and patrolling streets with dogs. They surrounded a house in a Seattle late on Sunday following a tip that Clemmons was inside. After an all-night siege, a Swat team entered the home and found it empty. But police said Clemmons had been there. The case sparked anger across the US after it emerged that Clemmons had been released from prison despite a history of violent crime. His 95-year sentence in Arkansas was commuted in 2000 by then governor Mike Huckabee. Clemmons quickly reverted to crime. He was back in prison in 2004, but released again later that year. On Monday, Mr Huckabee said he took responsibility for making Clemmons eligible for parole, describing the case as a failure of the justice system. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Christian Convert, Muslim Parents Must Talk Religion (FOXNews.com)

father would harm or kill her for converting from Islam. Her father has denied the claim. A Florida The runaway teen Muslim Department of Law Enforcement convert to Christianity who made investigation found no credible national headlines when she ran threats to the girl. away should talk to her parents The plan leaves open the about religion when they are possibility that the girl may never reunited, according to a proposal return home. filed in Ohio. Bary was sent back to Ohio last A government caseworker month, where she is in the care of outlined a plan calling for Rifqa the county children's services Bary, 17, and her parents to listen agency. Her phone and Internet to each other's views on religion. usage is being closely monitored Bary needs to hear out her to comply with a judge's ruling. parents' explanation of their Bary, of suburban New Albany, beliefs when she goes home, disappeared July 19. Police used according to the proposal filed in phone and computer records to Franklin County Juvenile Court. track her to the Rev. Blake In turn, her parents must listen to Lorenz, pastor of Orlando, Fla.Bary explain her newfound based Global Revolution Church. Christianity. Authorities said the teen had met The goal is for both sides to him through a prayer group on b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d w h y t h e Facebook. teenager ran away to Florida over The Associated Press the summer and stayed with a c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h i s r e p o r t . Christian family she met online. This content has passed through S L I D E S H O W : C h r i s t i a n fivefilters.org. Convert Fears Family Bary has said she feared her Submitted at 12/1/2009 9:30:02 AM

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'Spam gang' boss faces $15m fine (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

and "potentially unsafe" according to authorities. 'Worst gang' Submitted at 12/1/2009 6:36:26 AM The FTC also said that Mr The mastermind of a "vast Atkinson and Mr Smith failed to international spam network" has protect the security of customer been ordered to pay a fine of payments by claiming that they $15m (£10m) by US courts. were using SSL (Secure Socket New Zealander Lance Atkinson Layer) encryption technology to and his US accomplice Jody process payments even though Smith sent billions of illegal e- they were not. mails marketing prescription Following the ruling, all the drugs and and weight-loss pills. assets of Jody Smith have been US authorities claimed the gang frozen and he faces a jail - k n o w n a s H e r b a l K i n g - sentence up to five years after "deceptively marketed" the drugs pleading guilty to "conspiracy to on the internet. traffic counterfeit goods". He will Three companies affiliated with be sentenced in the US in Mr Smith are liable for a further December. $4m, following the case. Mr Atkinson will only have to The fines follow a lengthy pay his part of the $15.15m fine investigation by the Federal if he enters the US. He is yet to Trade Commission (FTC) into pay a fine of $2.2 million he was the gang, which used a global g i v e n i n 2 0 0 5 f o r s i m i l a r network of hijacked computers - o f f e n c e s . known as a Botnet - to send out Richard Cox of anti-spam body the junk messages. Spamhaus said that he hoped the The e-mails marketed various latest ruling would "get the pills which the gang claimed message across that spam won't were generic versions of US- be tolerated". branded and licensed However, he expressed medications. frustration that the FTC had had However, they were actually to prosecute the gang under rules imported from India, unapproved d e s i g n e d t o t a c k l e f a k e -

pharmaceuticals. "They would have got same judgement if they had been selling on the streets of New York," he told BBC News. Many countries still have inadequate laws to deal with spammers and the misuse of computers, he said. Australia and New Zealand had recently tightened up their rules, he added. This had led to a separate ruling against Mr Atkinson's brother, Shane, who was earlier fined by a New Zealand court for sending spam. He has been ordered to pay $112,000 (£67,500). The HerbalKing gang were named the "number one worst spam gang on the internet" for 2007 and 2008 by Spamhaus. They are thought to have been active since at least 2005 and at their peak may have accounted for one third of the world's junk e -mail. Spamhaus estimates that up to 94% of all e-mail is spam. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Tiger Woods 'at fault' for crash (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 12/1/2009 12:30:57 PM

Golfer Tiger Woods was to blame for the car crash he was involved in outside his Florida home on Friday but will not face criminal charges, police say. Maj Cindy Williams from Florida Highway Patrol said Woods was guilty of careless driving. The golfer was found semiconscious with facial injuries after his car reportedly hit a fire hydrant and tree. The incident occurred in the exclusive suburb of Isleworth at 0225 (0725 GMT) on Friday. At a news conference in Orlando, Maj Williams said the golfer had been given a traffic citation for careless driving. If he is convicted, Woods faces a

$164 (£99) fine and four points on his driving record. She said: "Mr Woods has satisfied the requirements of Florida law by providing his driver's licence, registration and proof of insurance to us." Her colleague Sgt Kim Montes said there was not sufficient evidence for police to issue a subpoena or seek any additional medical information from the golfer. She added that there were no claims of domestic violence by any individual. On Monday, Tiger Woods withdrew from his own golf tournament blaming injuries from the crash. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Zelaya: Honduras still in crisis (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

But other nations, including regional power Brazil, as well as Argentina and Venezuela, have Submitted at 12/1/2009 4:01:12 AM refused to recognise the vote, Deposed Honduran president arguing it was held under an Manuel Zelaya says the election illegitimate government. of Porfirio Lobo as the next 'Honduran reality' president has served only to Mr Zelaya, speaking to BBC intensify the political crisis. Mundo from inside the Brazilian Official turnout figures of some embassy where he took refuge in 60% were fraudulent, he told the September, said the election of BBC. Mr Lobo had done nothing to Mr Zelaya, ousted in June, said change the situation. he would refuse reinstatement "Will the elections change the even if Congress voted this week m i l i t a r y l e a d e r s h i p t h a t to restore him to serve out his conducted the coup that ousted term until January. me? It remains the same. Will the Regional reaction has been split, elections change the composition with several nations opposing the of the Supreme Court that issued election, while the US gave a an arrest warrant [against me] cautious welcome. without due cause? It remains the "It's a significant step for same," Mr Zelaya said. Honduras to go back to order but The Honduran Congress is due it's just that. It's only a step and t o v o t e o n W e d n e s d a y o n it's not the last step... It's not whether Mr Zelaya should be sufficient," said US assistant restored to office to serve out his secretary of state for Western term until the next president Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo takes office on 27 January. Valenzuela. For Mr Zelaya, the session Peru, Panama, Colombia and would have no legal basis. Costa Rica voiced support for the "I will not accept restitution to elections. legitimise a fraud, nor to

legitimise or whitewash a coup," he said. Mr Lobo, who lost to Mr Zelaya in the 2005 election, said he would form a unity government and seek dialogue. He also urged the international community to "understand the Honduran reality and stop punishing the country". Mr Zelaya was forced into exile on 28 June after trying to hold a vote on whether a constituent assembly should be set up to look at rewriting the constitution. His critics said the vote, which was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, aimed to remove the current one-term limit on serving as president and pave the way for his possible re-election. Mr Zelaya has repeatedly denied this and pointed out that it would have been impossible to change the constitution before his term in office was up. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Ohio Man Accused of Living With Bodies Indicted for Murder (FOXNews.com)

attempted murder in that attack and has pleaded not guilty. Sowell, who served 15 years in CLEVELAND A registered sex prison for a 1989 attempted rape, offender who police say was was arrested while walking in the living with 10 dead bodies and a neighborhood on Oct. 31, two skull has been indicted on 11 days after police began searching counts of aggravated murder, a his home. prosecutor said Tuesday. Of the 11 alleged victims, all Anthony Sowell, 50, previously b l a c k w o m e n a n d m o s t had been charged with five apparently strangled, 10 have murders. Now, he is indicted on a been identified. Their remains total of 11 murder counts and were found in his home and dozens of others, including buried in the yard. kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, Authorities said the victims were attempted murder, assault and homeless or living alone and had rape charges. drug or alcohol addictions. Prosecutor Bill Mason expects to Sowell lured women to his home seek the death penalty. with the promise of alcohol or Sowell's home was searched drugs, authorities said. after a woman said Sowell had More from Fox8.com. attacked her there on Sept. 22. He This content has passed through has been charged with rape, fivefilters.org. kidnapping, felonious assault and Submitted at 11/30/2009 11:33:23 PM