Adele set to make Grammy-night comeback

? Mario Anzuoni / Reuters / REUTERS

Adele plans to make a Grammy night comeback with her first performance since undergoing vocal-cord surgery last fall.

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By Gina Serpe, E! Online

In the end, the Recording Academy didn't want to make do with someone like her. They wanted her. And they got her.

While Adele hinted as much earlier this month, it was officially announced Tuesday morning that the six-time Grammy nominee would be singing live at the awards show, marking her first performance since undergoing vocal-cord surgery last fall.

MORE: Adele is queen of the Grammys!

"I'm immensely proud to have been asked to perform at this year's Grammy Awards," the best-selling artist of 2011 said in a statement. "It's an absolute honor to be included in such a night and for it to be my first performance in months is very exciting and of course nerve-racking, but what a way to get back into it all."

Adele, who already has two gilded gramophones to her name, is up for Record and Song of the Year for "Rolling in the Deep," Album of the Year for 21, and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Someone Like You," among other nods.

Earlier this month, she confirmed that she would be performing at the Brit Awards -- the U.K.'s answer to the Grammys -- which take place just nine days after the LL Cool J- hosted U.S. ceremony, thus setting tongues wagging that the more world-watched stage would make for a more prestigious comeback.

MORE: Is Adele dating a married man? Not so fast, haters!

And the speculation proved true, as Adele, in a slightly less formal statement than the one she issued to the Academy, revealed on Twitter Tuesday morning.

"Ima be, Ima be singing at the Grammys," she wrote. "It's been so long I started to forget I was a singer! I can't wait, speak soon xx."

PHOTOS: Grammys Most Glamorous

Adele's comeback performance -- what exactly she will sing will likely remain a mystery up until the show -- will take place when the Grammys air live Feb. 12.

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10280243-adele-set-to-make-grammy-night-comeback-after-vocal-cord-surgery

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Man says Nigeria kidnapping like 'an action movie' (AP)

BOWDON, Ga. ? Two men came out of nowhere as Greg Ock's car idled in traffic in a remote Nigerian town. One shot his security guard five times and stole the dead man's gun, while the other ushered Ock into a tiny getaway car, where a waiting driver sped away.

The car weaved through traffic on side roads and then sped to a main road, where police, known there as "mopols," had erected a roadblock. Ock's captors crashed through the barricade and traded fire with a truck of police officers, who narrowly missed Ock.

"I felt like I was in an action movie," Ock told The Associated Press at his west Georgia home on Monday, a day after he returned to his family. As they were speeding away from the police, he said he told his guards: "I was more afraid of mopols than you guys."

Ock, 50, was held seven days and then released Friday after he was kidnapped Jan. 20 in Warri, a main city in the Niger Delta, an oil-rich area where foreign firms pump 2.4 million barrels of crude oil a day.

Ock worked in construction for decades, landing gigs all over the U.S. and as far away as Abu Dhabi. He loved the work, the camaraderie and the pay, which helped him support a wife and four daughters.

He landed in the Nigerian town of Sapele in September 2010 to begin one of his more adventurous assignments, maintaining gas turbines and other heavy machinery for Marubeni Corp.

It was tough work and the perks weren't enticing. The food was bad, he said, and the heat was unbearable. But he had chances to leave the "little prison" of the company's base camp, often going on Sundays with co-workers and a security guard to a golf course, or to neighboring Benin to eat at a Chinese restaurant.

His journey the day he was ambushed wasn't nearly as adventurous. He went with a driver, a security guard and a company secretary to a clinic in Warri, where he would get a checkup for a recent bout with malaria.

He took out some cash from an ATM, hopped in the car and tuned his iPod to Don Henley as the driver idled in traffic. What happened next seemed to unfold in a flash.

A gunman ran up to his vehicle and yelled "die, mopol, die" as he fired five bullets into the guard. The other gunman ordered Ock out of the car and pushed him toward a tiny red Audi.

"They told me we were an easy target. We didn't have tinted windows and only one mopol," he said. "They told me they wanted a white guy anyways."

They escaped the city, and one of the kidnappers then called Ock's boss and demanded about $330,000 for his safe return.

They drove about an hour, arriving at a squat shack where he was forced into a small room. He shared the room with two or three guards, a plastic chair, piles of dirty dishes, some scattered clothes and a mattress blocking the window.

The men dulled his senses by forcing him to smoke marijuana and drink Baron Del Valle red wine at all hours. He didn't have many food options, either. Early in his captivity, Ock said he asked for boiled eggs. From then on, he got four eggs in the morning and four at night. As a snack, he got apples.

He was told few details about the negotiations his captors were working with his company, adding to his unease. When he was able to sleep, his captors often woke him by cranking an odd mix of local music and Dolly Parton classics from a stereo.

"I was on the edge all the time," he said.

After a few days, he decided to escape. He found a butcher knife resting in a bowl and reached for it when he thought his captors were sleeping. They weren't. One alerted the others, who "slapped me around a bit" and chained him tighter to his chair. Despite the beating, Ock said he wasn't tortured.

The next morning, a guard pulled out a gun and threatened to kill his captive. Ock called his bluff.

"I told them I didn't care," he said. "I've had a good life."

On Thursday, Ock could tell the negotiations were heating up. His captors were celebrating and drinking moonshine. Two of the men left the house around noon, returning five hours later with wide smiles.

Around 3:30 Friday morning, the men dumped Ock in a desolate area with about $12 to hail a scooter to the nearest police station. Once there, he called his boss and his wife to let them know he was OK.

Ock said he wasn't told by either his captors or his company whether a ransom was paid.

"But they seemed happy," he said. "They let me go for a reason ? and I don't think it was because they were out of eggs."

He returned home on Sunday morning, arriving at Atlanta's airport to a rapturous greeting from family and friends. There, a limousine drove him the 60-mile route to rural Bowdon. Someone told Ock to peek out the sunroof as they approached, and when he did he saw about 500 people gathered to celebrate.

Among the gifts he received was a plastic bag with only an egg and an apple. The friend who offered it to him joked that she didn't know if he wanted breakfast or summer, so she brought both.

Ock has no plans to return to Nigeria, instead looking for work closer to home. But his wife Teresa said she doubts his kidnapping will scare him from working another faraway gig.

"It's in his blood to travel," she said. "He may work here for a while. But I know him. He'll get to itching to leave."

For now, Ock is catching up on sleep and making up for lost time.

"It's taken a while to process it all. For us, too," Teresa Ock said. "We're just so thankful for the prayers, from our church, from our community, from everyone who prayed for him."

She glanced at her husband, who summoned an impish smile.

"I guess I've got to go to church now," he said.

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_nigeria_kidnapping

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Congress tries to police itself on insider trading (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Aware that most Americans would like to dump them all, members of Congress hope to regain some sense of trust by subjecting themselves to tougher penalties for insider trading and requiring they disclose stock transactions within 30 days.

A procedural vote Monday would allow the Senate later this week to pass a bill prohibiting members of Congress from using nonpublic information for their own personal benefit or "tipping" others to inside information that they could trade on.

Insider trading laws apply to all Americans, but CBS' "60 Minutes" in November said members of Congress get a pass, citing investment transactions by party leaders and a committee chairman in businesses about to be affected by pending legislation.

The broadcast report raised questions about trades of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; the husband of Democratic leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California; and Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

All three denied using any insider information to make stock trades, but the broadcast set off a flurry of efforts in Washington to deal with the public perception.

A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll of registered voters found 56 percent of them favor replacing the entire 535-member Congress. Other polls this year have given Congress an approval rating between 11 percent and 13 percent, while disapproval percentages have ranged from 79 percent to 86 percent.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he's working on an expanded bill that would go beyond stock transactions and ban lawmakers from making land deals and other investments based on what they learned as members of Congress.

The Senate version of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act would subject any member of Congress who violates the ban on insider trading to investigation and prosecution by regulatory agencies and the Justice Department. It also directs the House and Senate ethics committees to write rules that would make violators subject to additional congressional penalties.

"We can start restoring some of the faith that's been lost in our government by taking this common sense step of making members of Congress play by the exact same rules as everyone else," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who with Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., wrote the bill "We must make it unambiguous that this kind of behavior is illegal."

President Barack Obama endorsed the bill in in State of the Union speech last week, saying he would "sign it tomorrow." Brown used that opening to briefly speak with the president as he was exiting the House chamber after Tuesday's address.

"The insider trading bill's on Harry's desk right now," Brown told Obama, referring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "Tell him to get it out, it's already there."

"I'm gonna tell him," answered Obama. "I'm gonna tell him, I'm gonna tell him to get it done."

Obama raised the issue again in his radio and Internet address on Saturday.

"The House and Senate should send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress, and I will sign it immediately. They should limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_insider_trading

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Gaborik's trick leads Team Chara to All-Star win

Team Alfredsson's Henrik Sedin scores past Team Chara goaltender Jimmy Howard during the first period of the NHL All-Star hockey game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, in Ottawa. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand)

Team Alfredsson's Henrik Sedin scores past Team Chara goaltender Jimmy Howard during the first period of the NHL All-Star hockey game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, in Ottawa. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand)

Team Chara's Marian Gaborik, center, is congratulated following his third goal past Team Alfredsson goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) by teammates Marain Hossa, left, and Dion Phaneuf during the second period of the NHL All-Star hockey game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, in Ottawa, Ontario. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

Team Chara's Marian Gaborik celebrates his goal past Team Alfredson goaltender Henrik Lundqvist during the first period of the NHL All-Star hockey game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, in Ottawa. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand)

Mick E. Moose, the Winnipeg Jets mascot, takes in the pre-game ceremonies at the NHL All-Star game Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 in Ottawa. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

Team Alfredsson's Hendrik Sedin, left, is congratulated byScott Hartnell after scoring past Team Chara goaltender Jimmy Howard during the first period of the NHL hockey All-Star game Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

OTTAWA (AP) ? Marian Gaborik got the best of New York Rangers teammate Henrik Lundqvist, and Zdeno Chara scored the winning goal for the NHL All-Star team named after him.

Even in defeat, Daniel Alfredsson rewarded the hometown fans with two goals and an assist, and then the Ottawa Senators captain provided a hint that he might come back for one more season.

For an All-Star game that lacked the league's top-name talent in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, there was plenty to keep everyone buzzing on Sunday.

Gaborik scored three times, added an assist and earned MVP honors, and Team Chara used a third-period offensive eruption to secure a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson.

"We have a lot of fun out there," said Lundqvist, who allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. "A lot of times you might forget because it's a lot of pressure, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself, but this weekend is all about the game of hockey and having fun with it. So we've been enjoying ourselves, and I hope the fans felt the same way."

What was not to like?

Fans were treated to a wide-open, no-hitting style in a game that featured plenty of nifty passing plays, numerous odd-man breaks and even a penalty shot awarded to Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals.

Stamkos, however, was foiled on his freebie ? the second in All-Star game history ? when he attempted the same spin-around move he used to beat Carey Price in the skills competition on Saturday night. Jimmy Howard didn't bite on Sunday, holding his ground and hugging the post to stop Stamkos' penalty-shot attempt.

"I think I ran out of moves," Stamkos said. "I tried something fancy and hoped it would work. It didn't. But I just tried to have fun with it."

Gaborik enjoyed himself the most, earning bragging rights over Lundqvist after the two spent the past few days playfully going back and forth on Twitter. The mock feud was over Lundqvist ? Alfredsson's assistant captain ? choosing not to select Gaborik in the All-Star player draft on Thursday.

Gaborik showed just how motivated he was. After opening the scoring 4:34 in on a give-and-go with Pavel Datsyuk, Gaborik circled the net dropped to one knee and pointed his stick machine-gun style at Lundqvist while pumping his fist.

The move was identical to one done by Rangers forward Artem Anisimov earlier this season when he scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This one was all in fun, said Gaborik, the 16th player to score at least three goals ? one short of matching the record ? in the All-Star game. It was the first All-Star hat trick since Rick Nash had three goals in 2008.

"It's always tough to score on him," Gaborik said of Lundqvist. "It's not easy. I was fortunate to be lucky against him, but I think he's one of the best if not the best goalie in the league."

Tim Thomas made 18 saves in the final period, and extended his record by winning his fourth All-Star game.

Hossa and Jarome Iginla had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara.

For Team Alfredsson, Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville and Milan Michalek had a goal and assist each.

The outcome was decided in the final period when Team Chara outscored Team Alfredsson 6-3.

With the game tied at 8, Chara, Marian Hossa and Corey Perry scored in a span of 1:22, beating goalie Brian Elliott on consecutive shots.

Gaborik set up Chara for the decisive goal, flipping the puck into the high slot, where Chara slapped it in.

"I was surprised that I was open, and I just put it on net," Chara said. "It's nice to get the win. The fans saw some goals, and then as we were going toward the end, you could see that the guys wanted to win."

Chara paid respect to Alfredsson, saying he was rooting for his former Senators teammate to complete his hat trick.

"Alfie's such a classy guy, obviously a big icon in Ottawa and Sweden, as well, and such a great player to represent this team," Chara said. "So of course I was pulling for him."

After falling behind 3-0, Team Alfredsson rallied to tie it before the first period ended. But they didn't get their first ? and only lead ? until Alfredsson scored twice during a 1:31 span to put his team up 6-5 with just under four minutes left in the second.

His first goal came on a great individual effort in which Alfredsson, dragging the puck behind him, split defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Ryan Suter, and flipped a shot that sneaked inside the right post to beat Price. Alfredsson's second came on a wonderful passing play courtesy of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whom Alfredsson was looking forward to play with when he drafted the twins.

That got the crowd chanting "Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!"

He nearly scored his third goal in the third period, only to have a one-timer from the left circle ring off the post.

But it was after the game when Alfredsson sounded upbeat about his future in an interview broadcast on the arena's scoreboard.

With a smile on his face, and fans cheering his name, Alfredsson said: "Fifty percent yes, and my wife's going to have to decide the other 50."

He has one year left on his contract.

It a game built around offense, the goalies still found ways to have fun with it.

Price allowed three goals on 14 shots, and lamented during the first intermission the lack of defense.

"I feel like being a lamb getting led to slaughter," Price said. "I'm must be holding on for the ride today and hope I don't get lit up too bad."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-29-All%20Star%20Game/id-0b15feb7c1af462c9ca278fc7bdd7a25

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NBC asks Romney to remove news material from ad (AP)

WASHINGTON ? NBC asked GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Saturday to pull a campaign advertisement made up almost entirely of a 1997 "Nightly News" report on Newt Gingrich's ethics committee reprimand.

The "History Lesson" ad started running in Florida on the weekend, when it is harder for stations to switch ad traffic even if they want to. Broadcast days before Tuesday's primary, the ad shows NBC anchor Tom Brokaw saying that some of Gingrich's House colleagues had raised questions about the then-speaker's "future effectiveness."

Under Brokaw's image is a line that reads ? "Paid for by Romney for President, Approved by Mitt Romney."

NBC spokeswoman Lauren Kapp says the network's legal department sent the Romney campaign a letter asking for the removal of all NBC News material from its ads. A similar request went to other campaigns that "have inappropriately" used material from "Nightly News," "Meet the Press," "Today" and MSNBC. Kapp said she was not aware of such uses by other campaigns.

NBC did not immediately respond to a request for a copy of the letter.

Romney spokesman Rick Gorka says the campaign hasn't received formal notification from NBC and had no immediate comment.

Brokaw said in a statement released by NBC that he was "extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign."

Brokaw stepped down in 2004 after 21 years as anchor and managing editor of "Nightly News," but continues to report for the network.

The House ethics panel investigated Gingrich's use of tax-exempt organizations. The case ended in January 1997 with a reprimand by the House and a $300,000 penalty against Gingrich for misleading the committee and prolonging its investigation.

Romney has sought the release of all records from the probe. The committee did make public its final report as well as exhibits ? which amounted to a comprehensive account of its findings. The head of the ethics committee during the Gingrich investigation, former Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson, said the committee traditionally does not publicly release investigative documents.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney_ad

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Sandusky asks court to allow visits with grandchildren (Reuters)

HARRISBURG, Pa (Reuters) ? Former Penn State University football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is under house arrest on charges of child sexual abuse, has asked a Pennsylvania court to allow supervised visits with his grandchildren that are now prohibited.

Sandusky, 67, faces 52 criminal charges that he molested 10 boys over a 15 year period and has been tethered to his house under the terms of his release on bail in December that barred contact with anyone under age 18. He has maintained his innocence.

In a motion filed Friday, Joe Amendola, attorney for the former Penn State defensive coordinator, asked the Centre County Court to modify the terms of Sandusky's release to permit supervised contact with his 11 grandchildren.

"The Defendant's minor grandchildren have expressed their sadness to their parents about not being able to visit or talk with the Defendant since November 5, 2011," Amendola wrote.

If his grandchildren were allowed to visit him at his State College home, they would be accompanied by at least one parent, according to the motion.

Amendola is also asking the court to allow Sandusky to communicate with his grandchildren by mail, email, telephone, or by Skyping, a type of video-chatting over the Internet.

Sandusky was charged November 5 with 40 counts of molesting eight boys over a 15 year period. He had been freed after posting $100,000 after those charges were filed in November.

In December, he was arrested a second time and prosecutors added charges that raised the number of sex abuse victims to 10. He has been under house arrest since he was freed on $250,000 bail following his second arrest with restrictions.

Prosecutors say Sandusky used his position as head of The Second Mile charity to find his victims. Sandusky started The Second Mile charity to help troubled disadvantaged children.

His grandchildren are not the only people Sandusky would like to be in contact with.

Amendola said Sandusky wants "reasonable visitation" by friends at his home and he wants the ability to leave his home "for the purposes of assisting his attorneys, private investigators, and other professional individuals retained by the Defendant in the preparation of his defense."

The charges against Sandusky caused an avalanche of top-down changes at Penn State. Soon after his arrest, the school's board of trustees fired iconic head football coach Joe Paterno, who died of lung cancer on Sunday, and university president Graham Spanier.

Also on Friday, Amendola followed up a request for prosecutors to turn over the names of the people who accused Sandusky and the details of those crimes. The attorney said a week had passed since his original request.

Centre County Court Judge John Cleland is scheduled to consider both matters on February 10. Prosecutors have until February 3 to file responses to the requests.

(Editing by David Bailey)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/us_nm/us_crime_coach_pennstate

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Pakistani family wants justice in CIA killing (AP)

ISLAMABAD ? One year after a CIA contractor shot to death two Pakistanis, relatives of the victims are living off generous compensation they received in a deal that led authorities to free the American.

But the family of the man killed by an U.S. vehicle rushing to the scene of the shootings has received nothing, a lingering sore in still festering ties between Washington and Islamabad.

"Pakistani rulers are puppets of America," said Malik Waqar, who demonstrated with dozens of others Friday in the city of Lahore. "We are here to tell the Americans that we are not cowards like our rulers, and we will continue raising our voices until Abbad ur Rehman's family gets justice."

The dead man's brother, Ejaz ur Rehman, has insisted in the past that the family didn't desire payment but wanted to see the driver of the vehicle that killed Abbad taken to court. The driver is believed to have left the country soon after the shooting.

But Rehman told The Associated Press that the family was now open to receiving a payout because it seemed unlikely the driver will ever face trial in Pakistan. He said they wanted the same amount of money received by the families of the two men killed by the contractor, Raymond Davis. Officials said at the time they were paid up to $2.34 million between them.

The U.S Embassy and other foreign missions are reported to have paid compensation in other cases in which employees have been involved in road traffic accidents. Such deals, often informally negotiated between both parties, are common in Pakistan but rarely result in payments of more than $10,000.

The embassy declined to discuss the case or Rehman's comments.

"As we have said, we deeply regret the loss of life in this case, as in the others, and we have expressed our sorrow for the victim's family," said a U.S. official, who didn't give his name because he didn't have clearance to speak about the matter. "Beyond this, it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue in public."

The Jan. 27, 2011 shooting in the eastern city of Lahore and the diplomatic standoff that followed represented one of the first incidents to derail an alliance that the Obama administration was trying to strengthen. Pakistani cooperation is vital in defeating al-Qaida and ending the war in Afghanistan.

What was always an uneasy relationship has only got worse since then, with the unilateral American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani army town in May and a deadly friendly-fire incident that killed two dozen Pakistani border troops in November.

Davis, 37, claimed the two men he shot on the street in Lahore were trying to rob him and that he acted in self-defense.

One was carrying a gun, television footage briefly shown on Pakistani TV indicated. There were also widely reported suspicions that the men, both from poor families, were on the payroll of Pakistani intelligence agencies and were trailing Davis.

The U.S. government initially described Davis as either a U.S. consular or embassy official, but officials later acknowledged he was working for the CIA, confirming suspicions that had aired in the Pakistani media. He was said to be working as a security contractor in Lahore, protecting other CIA employees as they gathered intelligence.

The State Department had insisted Davis was covered by diplomatic immunity. But Pakistan's government, facing intense pressure from Islamist parties, sections of the media and the general public, never said whether it agreed this was the case.

Seven weeks after the shooting, Davis was freed after "blood money" was paid to the families of the two victims.

The families initially said they didn't want compensation, possibly because they were being influenced by right-wing politicians and Islamist groups that relished the opportunity to pressure the U.S. and the Pakistani government.

The deal was negotiated in secret, but Pakistani officials said that it was anything between $1 and $2.34 million. U.S. officials never formally acknowledged paying money, but one said "we are expecting a bill" from the Pakistani government.

Since receiving the funds, the families have avoided the media, with some reports speculating they had left Pakistan.

Abbad ur Rehman was driving to work when his bike was hit by a car dispatched by the American consulate in Lahore to extract Davis, who had radioed for help after shooting dead the two Pakistanis.

His brother, Ejaz, said they now believed a compensation payment from the U.S. was the best solution.

"If we are going for compensation, we would like a decent amount," he said by telephone. "What the other two families received would be fair."

Rehman, who studied law in the United Kingdom and now runs an immigration agency, has protested each Sunday outside the consulate along with a few dozen other supporters. The case has largely fallen off the radar of Pakistan's media.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the shootings, a probe that could result in charges against Davis in the United States. Meanwhile, Davis is due to face trial this month in Colorado, charged with felony second-degree assault for a fight outside a bagel shop on Oct. 1.

___

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_awaiting_justice

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AZ Gov. Brewer Angrily Lectures President Obama (Little green footballs)

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Colorado Car Insurance | Cheapest Car Insurance

If you are interested buyer of car insurance in Colorado, there are some things that you need to know about especially on the laws and the amount of liability insurance that is required by the state. This information could help you make a right choice in buying a Colorado car insurance and also help you avoid receiving penalties.

It is stipulated in the auto insurance law of Colorado that everyone who owns a car in the state should be insured. This is just a way for them to make sure that the person is protected by overwhelming financial burdens when they get involved in a car accident. Paying for the car repairs, medical costs, and other damages might be very heavy on the pocket especially for those people who are earning just enough to live comfortably. It is also stated there that drivers, regardless of the age should have a minimum liability insurance of 25/50/15. That means that the drivers should have coverage of $25,000 for an injured person, $50,000 for multiple injured person, and $15,000 for the damaged properties. People who are responsible enough has the chance to purchase all of those insurances at a single limit. The total would be $60,000 pesos, which is clearly very expensive, but if you look on the other side of it and try to consider the security that I gives to the owner, then the price is not that high at all.

A driver of uninsured and underinsured injury coverage is not required in the state but a lot of people do suggest that it is wise to get this type of coverage. It would pay off the expenses that are needed to be taken care of when you get into a car collision with a driver that is either under insured or uninsured. And with the rise if the number of these types of drivers that are hitting the road, getting this type of coverage is getting more and more popular in Colorado right now.

The state also requires insurance companies to offer you the Medical Payments coverage for an additional cost of $5,000.? You should be mindful of this one, because sometimes the companies would bundle it with the coverage that you have purchased and that would mean additional cost to you. It would be very important to check if this coverage is added to what you have purchased, you could decide to remove it from the coverage, and all that you need to do is express to them that desire.

If you are a resident of Colorado you need to know that there are a lot of companies out there that offers quality service to the insurance owners under them at really affordable prices. The best way to find them is by looking for them in the internet. You won?t only find different companies that you can choose from, but you will also get instant quotes that can help you a lot in your search for an affordable car insurance coverage. The average car insurance premium rate in the state is increasing each year, so it will be a wise choice for you to look for the best offers that you can get your hands on.

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Source: http://cheapestcarautoinsurance.com/car-insurance-by-state/colorado-car-insurance/

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Gingrich donor is casino mogul, Israeli hardliner

FILE - This June 7, 2011, file photo shows Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson waving to reporters as he arrived for Sands China's annual meeting in Hong Kong. He?s an ardent supporter of Israel and a megabillionaire casino mogul whose empire is under federal investigation. And he?s the self-proclaimed ?richest Jew in the world.? Adelson is also, far and away, the biggest patron of Newt Gingrich?s surging presidential bid. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have pumped $10 million into a political action committee backing Gingrich. Campaign finance experts say the pair of $5 million contributions is among the largest known political donations in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

FILE - This June 7, 2011, file photo shows Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson waving to reporters as he arrived for Sands China's annual meeting in Hong Kong. He?s an ardent supporter of Israel and a megabillionaire casino mogul whose empire is under federal investigation. And he?s the self-proclaimed ?richest Jew in the world.? Adelson is also, far and away, the biggest patron of Newt Gingrich?s surging presidential bid. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have pumped $10 million into a political action committee backing Gingrich. Campaign finance experts say the pair of $5 million contributions is among the largest known political donations in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accompanied by his wife Callista speaks during an event at a Holiday Inn, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Cocoa, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

ATLANTA (AP) ? He's an ardent supporter of Israel. A megabillionaire casino mogul whose Las Vegas Sands Corp. is under federal investigation. And the self-proclaimed "richest Jew in the world."

Sheldon Adelson is also, far and away, the biggest patron of Newt Gingrich's surging Republican presidential bid. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have pumped $10 million into a political action committee backing Gingrich that is run by the former House speaker's onetime aides. Campaign finance experts say the two $5 million contributions are among the largest known political donations in U.S. history.

No other candidate in the race for president appears to be relying so heavily on the fortune of a single donor. It's been made possible by last year's Supreme Court rulings ? known as Citizens United ? that recast the political landscape by stripping away restrictions on contributions and how outside groups can spend their money.

Sheldon Adelson is Citizens United come to life.

"The bottom line is that it creates that potential for one person to have far more influence than any one person should have," said Fred Wertheimer, president of the campaign finance watchdog group Democracy 21.

When any candidate is beholden to a single donor for so much money, Wertheimer said, "it opens the door to corruption and influence peddling." Wertheimer said the infusion of cash would raise questions about any decision Gingrich would make that touches on gambling, for example. And similar questions could be raised about Gingrich's Mideast policies.

Indeed, without recent disclosures by news organizations, voters would not have even known about the large contributions until campaign filings due Feb. 20. That would be long after a number of key primaries.

The outsized contributions are stirring some unease among the evangelical voters whom Gingrich is counting on to help him defeat Mitt Romney. Richard Land, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, called the gambling cash fueling Gingrich's bid "discomforting."

Land said Gingrich should make clear what his views are on legalized gambling.

Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said the candidate believes it is a states' rights issue and does not gamble.

Friends say Adelson and Gingrich met when Gingrich was House speaker and Adelson was lobbying to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Gingrich backed the legislation and the two bonded over a shared hardline stance on Israel.

In Cocoa, Fla., Gingrich on Wednesday called Adelson "very deeply concerned about the survival of Israel" and the threat of a nuclear Iran. Asked if he had promised Adelson anything, Gingrich replied that he pledged "that I would seek to defend the United States and United States allies."

Those who have followed Gingrich's career say he has long staked out a tough stance on Israel that predated his friendship with Adelson.

Gingrich "has been one of the few politicians who has had the courage to tell the truth about Israel," said Morton Klein, head of the Zionist Organization of America. "I think that is why they became such good friends."

In December, Gingrich proclaimed the Palestinians "an invented people." Israel's Haaretz daily reported later that month that Adelson approved of the remarks. And Gingrich has said that one of the first executive orders he would sign if elected president would move the American Embassy to Jerusalem.

Through a spokesman, Adelson declined an interview request from The Associated Press.

His rags-to-riches story as the son of poor Ukrainian immigrants in Dorchester, Mass., is well-known lore in the pro-Israeli circles he inhabits and where his philanthropy is legendary.

Adelson entered the business world as a 12-year-old selling newspapers. He began to make his fortune when he founded Comdex, a trade show that became a staple for the computer industry. He then moved into the casino industry. His gambling empire stretches from Las Vegas to Macau and Singapore and includes the Venetian and Palazzo casinos in Las Vegas.

The FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Adelson for possible violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a filing with the SEC. The company denies any wrongdoing and says the investigation stems from the allegation of a disgruntled employee.

The son of a cab driver, Adelson now ranks as the eighth wealthiest person in America, according to Forbes Magazine, which places his net worth at $21.5 billion.

Last year, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Israel, said it received its largest private donation ever ? a $25 million gift ? from Adelson. Since 2007, he has donated more than $100 million to Birthright Israel, a group that sends young adult Jews from the United States and other countries on 10-day trips to Israel.

Adelson is an outspoken supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and owns a widely read, right-wing Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, which is distributed at no cost throughout Israel and is supportive of Netanyahu.

The hefty donations to Gingrich's presidential bid aren't the first checks he's written to help the former Georgia congressman. He ponied up more than $7 million to help get Gingrich's conservative political group American Solutions for Winning the Future off the ground.

The first $5 million donation from Adelson came at a critical juncture for Gingrich as he entered South Carolina, stung by a humbling fifth-place finish in New Hampshire's Republican primary. The Adelson money to Winning Our Future, a pro-Gingrich PAC led by former Gingrich aide Rick Tyler, helped finance a 28-minute movie bashing Mitt Romney's tenure at the helm of the private equity firm Bain Capital.

Gingrich was able to leverage the support into a double-digit win in South Carolina over Romney.

Presumably pleased with his investment, Adelson doubled down in Florida, where the next Republican contest will take place Jan. 31. This week, Adelson's wife chipped in another $5 million. The money is quickly going right back out the door.

Tyler told the AP that Winning Our Future had made a $6 million ad buy in Florida. A spot is planned to take aim at Romney's health care plan as governor of Massachusetts and its connection to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, Tyler said.

___

Associated Press writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem, Brian Bakst in Cocoa, Fla., and Jack Gillum in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Shannon McCaffrey: www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-26-Gingrich-Casino%20Mogul/id-e9bc0316e853481794c24a9742893469

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Dropped heart successfully transplanted in Mexico (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? A heart that was dropped on the ground while being transported to a hospital has been successfully transplanted into a 28-year-old hair stylist.

Dr. Jaime Saldivar says Erika Hernandez doesn't yet know that her new heart made national news when a medic stumbled and the plastic-wrapped heart tumbled out of a cooler onto the street two weeks ago.

Saldivar says it will be up to the family to tell her.

A rosy-cheeked Hernandez spoke briefly with reporters on Tuesday and thanked the donor's family, saying "I have no words to express what I'm feeling right now."

Hernandez was born with a congenital heart defect. She received the heart of a man who died in a car accident.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_heart_dropped

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U.S. Marine spared from jail time in Iraq killings (Reuters)

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif (Reuters) ? A U.S. Marine accused of leading a 2005 massacre of 24 civilians in the Iraqi city of Haditha was spared jail time when he was sentenced on Tuesday for his role in killings that brought international condemnation on U.S. troops.

The harshest penalty Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, 31, now faces for his guilty plea on Monday to a single count of dereliction of duty is a demotion to the rank of private, the lowest rank in the service, as recommended by a military judge.

More serious charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault were dismissed as part of a plea deal that cut short Wuterich's court-martial and was decried by a victim's relative as a disgrace.

The outcome appeared certain to stoke outrage among Iraqis, adding to anger over other abuses by U.S. soldiers or contractors, including the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal, during the more than eight years troops spent in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Even before it became clear that Wuterich would be spared jail time, the head of the Iraqi parliament's human rights committee, Saleem al-Jubouri, said terms of the deal were "a violation of Iraqis' dignity" and vowed to convene his panel on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

Wuterich, who could have faced a maximum penalty of three months in jail after pleading guilty, showed no emotion as a military judge pronounced his sentence.

But in a pre-sentencing statement he read in court earlier in the day, Wuterich expressed remorse for the slayings and said he realized that his name would always be associated with "being a cold-blooded baby-killer, an out of control monster."

As part of his guilty plea, Wuterich accepted responsibility for giving negligent verbal instructions to the Marines under his command when he told them to "shoot first and ask questions later," orders that resulted in the deaths of civilians.

Wuterich, in his pre-sentencing statement, said that when he gave that order, "the intent wasn't that they should shoot civilians. It was that they would not hesitate in the face of the enemy."

He said that he and his fellow Marines behaved honorably under extreme circumstances, and that he "never fired my weapon at any women or children that day."

A final decision on a demotion of rank for Wuterich is up to the commander of the Marine Corps Forces Central Command, Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser, who had ruled out any confinement as part of the punishment.

Any discharge process faced by Wuterich, a father of three girls, will be separate from his sentencing.

OUTRAGE IN IRAQ

Even before sentencing, word of a plea deal that carried a maximum jail term of three months ignited anger in Iraq, where Ali Badr, a Haditha resident and relative of one of the victims, called it "solid proof that the Americans don't respect human rights."

Wuterich was accused of being the ringleader in a series of shootings and grenade attacks on November 19, 2005, that left two dozen civilians dead in Haditha, a city west of Baghdad that was then an insurgent hotspot.

The killings were portrayed by Iraqi witnesses and military prosecutors as a massacre of unarmed civilians -- men, women and children -- carried out by Marines in anger after a member of their unit was killed by a roadside bomb.

"This is not a traffic felony," said Khalid Salman, a lawyer for the Haditha victims' relatives and a cousin of one of those killed, expressing his shock at the plea ahead of sentencing.

Six of the seven other Marines originally accused in the case had previously had their charges dismissed by military judges, while another was cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

Defense lawyers argued the deaths resulted from a fast-moving combat situation in which the Marines believed they were under enemy fire.

Wuterich, in his statement on Tuesday, directed an apology to family members of those killed in Iraq, but said civilians were not singled out for attack.

"Words cannot express my sorrow for the loss of your loved ones," he said. "The truth is, I don't believe anyone in my squad ... behaved in any way that was dishonorable or contrary to the highest ideals that we all live by as Marines."

"But even with the best intentions, sometimes combat actions can cause tragic results," he added, reading calmly and deliberately.

Jeffrey Dinsmore, an intelligence officer with Wuterich's battalion at the time of the killings, testified on Tuesday that "insurgent groups ... had complete control over the city (of Haditha) at the time" and the unit had received word that an ambush was likely.

He said insurgents were known to commandeer homes as places to launch attacks and to deliberately use civilians as human shields.

Wuterich enlisted in the Marines after his 1998 graduation from high school, where he was an athletic honor-roll student and played with the marching band. He was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when the Haditha incident occurred.

(Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/ts_nm/us_marine_haditha

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Video: Mitt Romney releases his tax returns

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney released his tax returns, which reveal he paid a 14 percent rate on nearly $22 million in income for 2010. NBC?s Chuck Todd talks to TODAY?s Matt Lauer about how this release might impact the race.

>> chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. good morning to you. after weeks of questions we finally get a look at the 2010 tax report or return from mitt romney . do you see any surprises in here, anything that will give his rivals more ammunition?

>> well, i think there is certainly fodder for some of his democratic opponents. things like having a swiss bank account . that's not something a lot of ordinary americans have. but it's the timing of the release that's probably the most difficult thing for the romney campaign to handle. the theme of the state of the union is fairness, income in inequality and here is the potential republican nominee who we noted that it's $40 million plus in income over two years but he wasn't working. he was running for president. this was all interest and dividend income. it certainly paints a picture of something that a lot of americans cannot connect to.

>> let's go to the debate last night. mike murphy on "meet the press" on sunday said mitt romney was wounded after south carolina . he was now in a corner with a broken bottle and he had to decide whether he was going to fight with it. it appears he decided to fight with it.

>> he did all day yesterday. it started with the ad peter mentioned in his report. his strategy seemed to be to go after gingrich and hope gingrich would respond. that was the odd thing last night. gingrich decided to be above the fray and act like the front-runner. i want to put a smile on my face a blis. you could tell romney was trying. spent 30 minutes trying to draw him out. didn't successfully do it. then he backed off a little bit. i think he realized he didn't want to look shrill.

>> chuck todd in washington this morning. thank you very much.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46113352/

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Greek debt hopes shore up markets despite delay (AP)

LONDON ? Hopes that Greece will eventually reach a deal with private creditors on lowering its debt supported markets on Monday, as investors looked past delays in reaching an agreement that would further ease Europe's debt crisis.

The country's private creditors are being asked to accept longer maturities and lower interest rates on new bonds swapped for their existing ones.

Greece, which is negotiating alongside fellow eurozone nations and the International Monetary Fund ? its bailout rescuers ? wants interest rates as low as 3 percent on the new bonds. But the private creditors believe that is too low and are aiming for about 4.5 percent.

Both sides say a deal is nevertheless very close, heartening investors. The euro was the main beneficiary, climbing a further 0.9 percent to $1.2995.

Greek officials say negotiations on the private debt writedown are continuing over the phone, while no appointment has been set yet for new face-to-face talks this week.

An agreement is necessary if Greece is to get the next batch of bailout cash that would prevent a devastating debt default ? Greece does not have enough money to cover a euro14.5 billion ($18.7 billion) bond repayment in March. A deal would allow the country to receive a second bailout package from other European governments and the IMF, and cut Greece's debt from an estimated 160 percent of its annual economic output to 120 percent by 2020.

Greece will likely be the main topic of discussion at a meeting later of the 17 eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.

"Hopes are high that today's meeting in Brussels will produce some positive plans to tackle the ongoing debt issues and balance out some of the frustration felt by the inability of Greece to come to an agreement with its lenders," said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index.

Those hopes have helped shore up markets at the start of a week, which will also feature the annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland and the U.S. Federal Reserve's first rate-setting meeting of the year.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.5 percent at 5,759 while Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 6.414. The CAC-40 in France was 0.3 percent higher at 3,332.

Wall Street was poised for a steady, if unspectacular, opening with little economic news on the calendar ? Dow futures were unchanged at 12,658 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures rose 0.1 percent at 1,310.

Optimism that Greece will clinch a deal as well as a run of successful European bond auctions and solid economic and corporate news, not least from the U.S. and China, have brightened market sentiment this year. Many stock indexes have risen to five-month highs, while the euro has clambered off 17-month dollar lows to head back towards the $1.30 mark.

Later in the week, investors will be monitoring the meeting at the Fed.

Though the Fed is expected to keep its super-loose monetary policy unchanged, there will be great interest in the outcome of the meeting. It will be the first time the Fed will be publishing its interest rate forecasts out to 2016, part of a strategy to enchance communication with financial markets.

Investors will be particularly interested to see how long it expects interest rates to remain low ? previously the Fed said it expected to keep them low until the middle of 2013.

"Most, ourselves included, expect the projections to suggest the Fed sees rates on hold well into 2014," said Adam Cole, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.

In the oil markets, traders are watching developments in the Persian Gulf, too. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. and other countries impose more sanctions on it because of its nuclear program. Many analysts doubt that Iran could set up a blockade for long, but any supply shortages would cause supplies to tighten.

As a result, prices have remained well-supported ? benchmark crude was up 30 cents at $98.63 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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AMD A8-3870K

There's good news and less-good news about AMD's new A8-3870K Accelerated Processing Unit (or APU). The good news is that it surpasses its predecessor, the A8-3850, in every way (if only slightly),
and provides overclocking features and performance potential beyond what you may think you can expect from a chip with a $135 (list) price?whether from AMD or Intel. But for all the strides AMD has made since it released the previous APU this past summer, the A8-3870K still can't replace a solid CPU?discrete video card combo for even quasi-serious gamers. But it shows that AMD is taking its Fusion product seriously, and thus hints at more good things to come.

Like the A8-3850, the A8-3870K is based on a 32nm production process and contains four CPU cores and a DirectX 11 (DX11)?supporting Radeon HD 6550D GPU with 400 GPU cores (in roughly the middle budget range of AMD's video products, judging by the previous generation's naming scheme). There's 128KB of L1 cache and 1MB of L2 cache available per core, and the APU supports dual-channel DDR3 memory at speeds of up to 1,866MHz. The A8-3870K of course also requires a motherboard that uses the (relatively) new FM1 socket, based on either AMD's A75 (with enhanced USB 3.0 and SATA III support) or A55 (USB 2.0 and SATA II) chipsets.

One important reminder about the graphics system on the APU: If you have a discrete video card installed, the APU will by default function as the boot-up video adapter, meaning any displays connected to a video card won't work until Windows loads the proper video drivers. This can be annoying if you only have one display, but you can toggle this "feature" in the motherboard's BIOS or UEFI settings. Second, the APU lets you access AMD's new Dual Graphics technology to "combine" the power of a discrete GPU with the integrated graphics; but this only works if both your hardware (the video card must be relatively low-end, and if you're only using one DIMM of memory, the whole thing might not work) and software (you'll need the AMD Vision Engine Control Center running) is correctly configured. Make sure your PC meets all the requirements before trying it out.

The biggest difference between the A8-3850 and the A8-3870K is in terms of the clocks. The CPU core on the newer chip has been bumped up from 2.9GHz to 3GHz, though the GPU clock remains unchanged at 600MHz?but both are now unlocked. This means you may overclock them to your heart's (and your PC's thermal) content, independently of each other, to get as much new performance as you can muster. It's also one of the first genuinely compelling reasons we've seen for enthusiasts (or just wannabes) to consider an APU that, by the broader standards of AMD's product line, is not an exceptional performer.

As we said when we reviewed the A8-3850 last year, Intel doesn't have any products that directly compare with AMD's new APUs in terms of overall capabilities. But if you care about raw processing more than graphics, an Intel platform based on chips like the lower-end Core i3-2100 or the considerably more powerful Core i5-2500K will serve you better. At its stock clock speeds, the A8-3870K represents only a tiny increase over the A8-3850; its multicore CineBench R11.5 score rose from 3.46 to 3.55, it took only six seconds less (5 minutes 12 seconds versus 5 minutes 18 seconds) to apply 12 filters in Adobe Photoshop CS5, cryptography throughput in TrueCrypt 7.0 raised from 106MBps to 109MBps, and its score in our full-system Futuremark PCMark 7 benchmark was functionally unchanged.

Video tests showed similarly small increases, with scores rising from 1,024 to 1,026 in 3DMark 11, frame rates increasing from 6.3 frames per second (fps) to 6.4fps in Lost Planet 2, and frame rates not improving at all in the Heaven Benchmark 2.5 (it remained at 5.5fps both times). These were all at basic resolutions, by the way?the Performance (1,280 by 720) preset for 3DMark 11, and 1,280 by 1,024 for the other two?though we maxed up all the details. By reducing the titles' resolutions or turning down the visual effects, you'll be able to get something much closer to playable frame rates, but you'll be making quite a few sacrifices.

This is where the overclocking comes in, right? Theoretically. We're happy to report that overclocking (when the APU was installed in the Gigabyte GA-A75-UD4H motherboard) was a breeze, and being able to separately focus on the CPU and GPU was an enormous frustration reducer. We had very little trouble nudging the GPU clock up from 600MHz to 900MHz and the CPU clock from 3GHz to 3.5GHz, using just a basic air cooler?and AMD tells us that, with more aggressive cooling and fine tuning of voltages, a combo rate of 960MHz/3.8GHz is possible. The A8-3870K offers you a lot of leeway.

But is it worth it? That depends on your point of view. The 3DMark 11 score rose from 1,026 to 1,244, CineBench from 0.90 to 1.04, the Heaven Benchmark from 5.5fps to 6.4fps, Lost Planet 2 from 6.4fps to 7.5fps, PCMark 11 from 2,509 to 2,691, Photoshop times down from 5:12 to 4:36, and TrueCrypt throughput up from 109MBps to 119MBps. (Predictably, load power rose as well, from 134.6 watts to 142.3 watts.) These aren't poor jumps by any stretch of the imagination. But except for those who might be really excited to overclock with such an inexpensive chip, we're not sure they're dazzling enough to set many hearts racing.

Still, the AMD A8-3870K is a fascinating part that shows how serious AMD continues to take the mainstream processor race. Our conclusion with this APU remains the same as with the A8-3850: Though you'll want a standalone video card for any real gaming purposes, AMD's blending of processing and video performance delivers a balance you just can't get from Intel right now. This may change when Intel ships its Ivy Bridge CPUs, which will support advanced DX11 graphics rather than Sandy Bridge's DX10, in a few months. But for now, AMD's Fusion approach is generating the most comforting heat in the midrange market.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/2pbnTN29974/0,2817,2398957,00.asp

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Joe Paterno???s Coaching Career, by the Numbers (ContributorNetwork)

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died Sunday, mere months after being fired following a child sex abuse scandal among his program's coaching staff. ABC News reports Paterno died due to complications of lung cancer at the age of 85.

Here's a look at Paterno's coaching career, by the numbers.

46: Years Paterno was the head coach at Penn State. Whereas many programs switch coaches often, Paterno's legacy of consistent winning kept his job security intact. Paterno was 8-1 in 2011 before he was fired.

5: Losing seasons Penn State had in Paterno's tenure. Four of those seasons came since 2000. During his first year in 1966 Paterno's team went 5-5. Every season from that point to 1987 had a nonlosing record.

5: Undefeated seasons Penn State had under Paterno. His first undefeated season was in 1968, his third year on the job. Penn State went 11-0 and won the Orange Bowl. A year later, he did the same thing.

37: Bowl games in which Paterno coached in his 46 years. From the 1971 season to the 1983 season, Penn State appeared in 13 straight bowl games, winning nine.

24: Bowl game victories for Paterno. The victory total and appearances in bowl games are NCAA records for coaching.

409: Wins for Paterno. He only had 136 losses and three ties. His .749 winning percentage is 31st all time.

7: Times Penn State made it to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll in Paterno's career during one season. The Nittany Lions finished their season on top of the AP poll twice, in 1982 and 1986.

19: Seasons Paterno coached Penn State as a member of the Big Ten conference. Until 1993, the football program played as an independent.

805: Wins all time in Penn State's football program, dating to 1889. Over half of those wins were earned by Paterno.

4 million: Dollars that Paterno and his wife donated back to the university. A library and spiritual center were named in his honor.

600,000: Dollars of Paterno's annual salary.

William Browning is a research librarian.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120122/us_ac/10869701_joe_paternos_coaching_career_by_the_numbers

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Beyonce, Chris Brown, Emma Stone Nab NAACP Nods

NAACP Image Awards nominations also recognize 'Modern Family' and Bruno Mars.
By Jocelyn Vena

Beyonce
Photo: Getty

<P>Beyonc&#233;, Chris Brown and "The Help" star Emma Stone are among the A-listers who have nabbed <a href="http://www.naacpimageawards.net/43/home" target="_blank">NAACP Image Awards</a> nods this year. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1676907" width="240" height="211"></div><p> New mama Beyonc&#233; &#8212; nominated for Best Music Video ("I Was Here"), Outstanding Song ("Best Thing I Never Had") and Outstanding Album (<i>4</i>) &#8212; is also up for Outstanding Female Artist with her "Dreamgirls" co-star Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Ledisi and Mary J. Blige. Chris Brown, Common, Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars and Anthony Hamilton will compete for Outstanding Male Artist. Diggy Simmons and Mindless Behavior are two of the newcomers in the Outstanding New Artist category, alongside Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Wynter Gordon and Committed. "The Help" is up for Outstanding Motion Picture against "Tower Heist," "Jumping the Broom," "Pariah" and "The First Grader." Eddie Murphy ("Tower Heist"), Laurence Fishburne ("Contagion"), Laz Alonso ("Jumping the Broom"), Oliver Litondo ("The First Grader") and Vin Diesel ("Fast Five") will face off for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. Meanwhile, in the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture category, Emma Stone ("The Help") is alongside her co-star and <a href="/news/articles/1677240/critics-choice-movie-awards-2012-winners-list.jhtml">Critics' Choice Movie Awards</a> winner Viola Davis as well as Adepero Oduye ("Pariah"), Paula Patton ("Jumping the Broom") and Zoe Saldana ("Colombiana"). <a href="/news/articles/1677344/golden-globe-winners-list-2012.jhtml">Golden Globe</a> winner and <a href="/news/articles/1677519/glaad-awards-lady-gaga-glee.jhtml">GLAAD Awards</a> nominee "Modern Family" will compete for Outstanding Comedy Series with "Reed Between the Lines," "The Game," "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," and "Love That Girl!" On the other end of the spectrum, Outstanding Drama Series, nominees include "Boardwalk Empire," "Grey's Anatomy," "Law &amp; Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Good Wife" and "Treme." The show aims to "celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors." A full list of nominees can be found on the <a href="http://www.naacpimageawards.net/43/nominees-and-honorees" target="_blank">NAACP Image Awards</a> website. The winners will be announced live February 17 on NBC. <i>Who will you be rooting for? Share your picks below!</i></p>

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• Beyoncé
• Bruno Mars
• Chris Brown

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677595/beyonce-chris-brown-naacp-nods.jhtml

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Forcibly Prevent Yourself From Texting and Driving With This App Jammer [Safety]

There are laws, PSAs, and nagging family members out there trying to keep us from using our phones while driving. Scosche's cellCONTROL is a clever device that'll actually block the use of distracting apps and the phone whenever a car is motion. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7uafEilXhf4/forcibly-prevent-yourself-from-texting-and-driving-with-this-app-jammer

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Redbox, on-demand are how we like our movies

Damian Dovarganes / AP file

By Suzanne Choney

Redbox's kiosks are now the leading source of physical DVD rentals in the U.S., and video-on-demand accounts for one out of three paid movie rentals.

"Brick-and-mortar retail stores continue to cede movie-rental market share, as kiosks and digital-streaming rentals become more accepted by consumers," said The NPD Group Thursday.

Live Poll

Which do you mainly use to rent movies?

• 173804

  1. Those red kiosks (Redbox).

  33%

• 173805

  2. Video on demand.

  13%

• 173806

  3. Netflix DVDs or streaming.

  35%

• 173807

  4. iTunes or Amazon.

  7%

• 173808

  5. Blockbuster or other brick-and-mortar store.

  2%

• 173809

  6. Don't rent movies at all.

  11%

VoteTotal Votes: 129

"There's no doubt that Redbox has been the largest beneficiary of the collapsing brick-and-mortar store rental business, especially with ongoing Blockbuster store closings and the fact that there are also fewer independent stores than the prior year," said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president, industry analysis for The NPD Group, in a release.

Netflix remains the "dominant provider of paid digital movie rentals, posting a 55 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2011, though Netflix's share is down somewhat from the company's peak of 59 percent" in the second and third quarters of last year,?according to the?The NPD Group.

The research firm said U.S. consumer rental of movies in DVD and Blu-ray disc formats fell by 11 percent in 2011 from 2010. The leader for actual disc rentals was Redbox, which saw its unit volume up by 29 percent in 2011 over the year before.

Some consumers may have been driven to Redbox or video on demand after giving up on Netflix, whose price hikes last year angered consumers.

The company's "share erosion may have resulted from their recent well-publicized challenges with pricing, and from their now defunct Quikster (DVDs-only) experiment," Crupnick said. "However, they are in the process of shifting customers to their Watch Instantly option, so not all of the physical movie rental share drop is a net loss."

The movie rental market is "clearly undergoing a sea change, as consumers become better equipped to access on-demand and streamed movies and are more comfortable with available delivery options," he said. But, he added, "Even so, renting physical discs from now-ubiquitous kiosks in grocery stores and other venues has taken the lead as the most popular movie-rental method in the U.S."

"Now-ubiquitous" is right, for Redbox. You can't, it seems, go a block or past a grocery store or drugstore without finding the red kiosks, almost as prevalent as Starbucks. One down side is that when you're at the kiosk, if something goes wrong during the purchase process, you can be stuck (despite an 800 number to call that often results in a long, long wait) ? something you don't want to do standing near a parking lot.

Related stories:

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10191364-redbox-rentals-on-demand-are-how-we-like-our-movies

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