শনিবার, ৩১ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১১

A's trade closer Bailey, OF Sweeney to Red Sox (AP)

BOSTON ? For Andrew Bailey, coming in from the bullpen at Fenway Park is a special feeling.

He'll experience that a lot more next season.

New manager Bobby Valentine found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen on Wednesday when the Red Sox obtained the All-Star closer and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Josh Reddick, infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a $50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

The 27-year-old Bailey has three saves in four appearances at Fenway Park in his three major-league seasons.

"The one that sticks out the most was my first save opportunity this year was against the Red Sox," Bailey said in a conference call. "I actually blew that save. From what I remember, there's nothing like the atmosphere of running into the game from the bullpen at Fenway Park."

A New Jersey native and offseason resident of Connecticut, Bailey is excited about coming back east.

He already knows Valentine, who lives in Stamford, Conn., and hosted several events for the pediatric cancer foundation of Bailey and former teammate Craig Breslow.

"Bobby and I are good friends," Bailey said. "It just kind of helps knowing someone going in."

Bailey ? the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, who made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010 ? had been the subject of trade talk this offseason.

The right-hander went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

"I'm feeling good," he said. "This is my first healthy offseason I've had since I've been in the big leagues."

In his career, he is 7-10 with a 2.07 ERA and 75 saves in 84 opportunities. In 2010, Oakland led the AL in ERA (3.56) and shutouts (17) while holding opponents to a .245 batting average.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A's, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last week.

Still left in Oakland's depleted rotation are Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy.

Braden, who pitched a perfect game on May 9, 2010, received a $3.35 million, one-year contract Dec. 13. But he made only three starts last season before being sidelined by a shoulder injury that required surgery.

"That organization is heading down a different road where they're trying to get younger and build for a future in San Jose," Bailey said.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark some 40 miles south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County.

Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from Commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own and other free agents this winter. He has gone the trade route yet again, a common practice for the low-budget franchise that has watched its superstars leave for big money elsewhere over the past decade.

The A's (74-88) haven't posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

The Red Sox missed the playoffs the past two years, but won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

"I think every kid playing T-ball out there strives to pitch in the postseason and meaningful games in September and, ultimately, the World Series," Bailey said. "So I'm going to welcome that with open arms."

On Dec. 14, Boston traded for Houston closer Mark Melancon, who had 20 saves last year in 71 relief outings but may be a setup man for Bailey.

"We believe both are fully capable of (closing)," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "Bailey's been doing it for a little bit longer so perhaps he goes in with the leg up."

Sweeney is in the mix for Boston's right field job now that J.D. Drew is a free agent. He's an outstanding fielder who can play all three spots. In six seasons, he has a .283 batting average after hitting .265 with one homer and 25 RBIs in 264 at bats last season.

Reddick, who began last season at Triple-A Pawtucket before being promoted in late May, will look to fill a big void in Oakland's open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A's, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn't expected to return either.

At last summer's trade deadline, the A's and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden to Boston for Triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson, but it fell through late because of Harden's lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A's this offseason to work under manager Bob Melvin.

Head, a first baseman, batted .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games with the Red Sox two Single-A affiliates, at Greenville and Salem.

The right-handed Alcantara, 19, combined for a 1-4 record and a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts with Single-A Lowell and the Red Sox affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He struck out 50 and walked just 12 while holding opponents to a .208 batting average.

___

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_red_sox_athletics_trade

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'Record year' for ivory seizures

More elephant tusks were seized in 2011 than in any year since 1989, when the ivory trade was banned, international wildlife trade group Traffic says.

The group said elephants have had a "horrible year", with 23 tonnes of ivory seized - representing at least 2,500 dead animals.

Trade in ivory was banned in 1989 to save elephants from extinction.

But it has continued illegally because of huge demand in Asia, where it is used to make decorative objects.

"The escalating large ivory quantities involved in 2011 reflect both a rising demand in Asia and the increasing sophistication of the criminal gangs behind the trafficking," said a statement from Traffic, which monitors the trade in wildlife products.

"Most illegal shipments of African elephant ivory end up in either China or Thailand."

Shifting smuggling routes

The group said there had been at least 13 large seizures of ivory this year, amounting to more than 23 tonnes, compared to six last year of less than 10 tonnes.

"In 23 years of compiling ivory seizure data... this is the worst year ever for large ivory seizures. 2011 has truly been a horrible year for elephants," Traffic's elephant expert Tom Milliken said.

Traffic said the smugglers appear to have shifted away from using air to sea - in early 2011, three of the large scale ivory seizures were at airports but later in the year most were found in sea freight.

"The only common denominator in the trafficking is that the ivory departs Africa and arrives in Asia, but the routes are constantly changing, presumably reflecting where the smugglers gamble on being their best chance of eluding detection," it said.

In six of the large 2011 seizures, Malaysia was a transit country in the supply chain, Traffic said.

In the most recent case on 21 December, Malaysian authorities seized hundreds of African elephant tusks worth about $1.3 million (?844,000) that were being shipped to Cambodia.

The ivory was hidden in containers of handicrafts from Kenya's Mombasa port, Traffic said.

Mr Milliken said despite the seizures, there were generally few arrests.

"I fear the criminals are winning," he said.

Some environmental campaigners say the decision to allow some southern African countries, whose elephants populations are booming, to sell their stockpiles of ivory has fuelled the illegal trade.

Those countries - South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe - however, deny this and argue they should be rewarded for looking after their elephant populations.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-16353204

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Ziplipproblem with android market login.

I recently buyed a samsung galaxy5 n it had a gmail a/c already logged in so i cant remove that a/c or download anything frm market. I tried to formate my phn that is also not possible.so plz do help me out.


Source: http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/472772-problem-android-market-login.html

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শুক্রবার, ৩০ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১১

Energy Select volatility low, oil approaches five-month high

News Breaks

December 29, 2011

08:16 EDTXLE
theflyonthewall.com: Energy Select volatility low, oil approaches five-month high
Energy Select overall option implied volatility of 28 is below its 26-week average of 35 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement as oil trades recently trades up 0.29% to $99.65 according to Bloomberg. :theflyonthewall.com

News For XLE From The Last 14 Days

Check below for free stories on XLE the last two weeks.

There are 11 items on the Fly with pertinent information.
Sign up for a free trial to see the rest of the stories you've been missing.

December 29, 2011

08:16 EDTXLE
theflyonthewall.com: Energy Select volatility low, oil approaches five-month high
Energy Select overall option implied volatility of 28 is below its 26-week average of 35 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement as oil trades recently trades up 0.29% to $99.65 according to Bloomberg. :theflyonthewall.com

December 28, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 27, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 26, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 23, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 22, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE
theflyonthewall.com: Energy Select Sector SPDR: Pivot points
The following are the pivot points for XLE. Pivot High: $69.165, Pivot Low: $67.815. These were calculated using the DeMark method. It is generally believed to be bullish when price breaks out above the pivot high or bearish when price breaks down below the pivot low. :theflyonthewall.com

December 21, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE
theflyonthewall.com: Energy Select Sector SPDR: Pivot points
The following are the pivot points for XLE. Pivot High: $68.500, Pivot Low: $66.930. These were calculated using the DeMark method. It is generally believed to be bullish when price breaks out above the pivot high or bearish when price breaks down below the pivot low. :theflyonthewall.com

December 20, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 19, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 16, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE

December 15, 2011

08:46 EDTXLE
theflyonthewall.com: Energy Select Sector SPDR: Pivot points
The following are the pivot points for XLE. Pivot High: $66.710, Pivot Low: $65.000. These were calculated using the DeMark method. It is generally believed to be bullish when price breaks out above the pivot high or bearish when price breaks down below the pivot low. :theflyonthewall.com

Source: http://www.theflyonthewall.com/permalinks/entry.php/XLEid1550952/XLE-Energy-Select-volatility-low-oil-approaches-fivemonth-high

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China urges tighter Internet security after series of data leaks (Reuters)

SHANGHAI (Reuters) ? The Chinese government is working with domestic Internet search engines like Baidu Inc and Sohu.com and financial institutions to prevent phishing attacks on unsuspecting Chinese web users.

The Ministry of Public Security said on Friday it would work with 10 Chinese search engines to protect the website rankings of financial institutions to lessen the chances that Internet users will be duped by phishing websites.

A phishing attack occurs when the user is persuaded to part with his or her username and password via a fake webpage that closely resembles the original.

Through the collaboration, the official websites of several Chinese banks, such as Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank will be ranked first in the search engine when a user searches for the related keywords, reducing the risk of such attacks, the Ministry said in an online circular on Friday.

The move comes after China urged tighter Internet security on Wednesday following a spate of personal data leaks that alarmed the online community and prompted calls for tougher scrutiny of who has access to online information.

On Thursday, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department confirmed a technical vulnerability on the website of the Division of Exit and Entry Administrative Department of Public Security for Guangdong had left the personal data of 4.4 million users exposed.

According to Chinese media, the loophole was first reported by a microblogger on Thursday and has been around since June this year.

The province's public security department said the loophole had been fixed.

China claims the most Internet users in the world at 485 million, state media reported last month. Despite widespread censorship and monitoring online, many users have been up in arms about the reported data leaks and their implications.

The user IDs, passwords and email addresses of more than 6 million accounts registered on CSDN -- a site for programmers -- were leaked, Xinhua news agency reported last week, citing an anti-virus software provider that discovered the problem. The popular social-networking site Tianya was also hit.

The Global Times newspaper on Friday described the state of Internet security in China as "very dangerous," saying the leaks had "struck Chinese society's alarm bells."

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday it would investigate the hacking incidents.

"The department believes the recent leak of user information is a serious infringement of the rights of Internet users and threatens Internet safety. The department strongly condemns such behavior," the ministry said in the statement.

China is widely suspected of being the origin of many hacking attacks on government and commercial websites abroad, but officials have repeatedly dismissed reports that the government or military could be behind such attacks.

China bans numerous overseas websites, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and some foreign media outlets, fearing the uncensored sharing of images and information could cause social instability and harm national security.

(Reporting By Sisi Tang in HONG KONG and Melanie Lee in SHANGHAI; Editing by Chris Lewis and Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/wr_nm/us_china_internet

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Marketplace for health insurance exchange draws closer | PennLive ...

Pennsylvania has moved more slowly than some states but is making progress toward a health insurance exchange ? even with a governor who opposes the federal health care law.

Pennsylvania and most other states applied for and received a $1 million grant toward the early costs of creating an exchange, which is required by the law championed by President Barack Obama and approved by Congress in 2010.

The purpose of the exchange is to provide an online store where individuals and small businesses can compare and buy health insurance. Other goals include making health insurance easier to understand and creating more competition among insurers.

All states must create an exchange or the federal government will do it for them.

Pennsylvania used the initial grant to hire a consultant to carry out tasks such as surveying businesses and the public on what they want from an exchange.

Now people in the state Department of Insurance are finishing up the application for a second grant to fund more work toward creating the exchange.

About 30 states have applied for such grants and received amounts ranging from $1.6 million in Tennessee to nearly $40 million in California.

?Pennsylvania has taken steps towards the establishment of an exchange, which I think is positive. ... There are other states who have moved more aggressively, including states whose governors are part of the lawsuit,? said Sharon Ward, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a nongovernment organization that supports the federal health care law.

Ward was referring to the lawsuit challenging the health care law largely on the argument that it is unconstitutional to require people to buy health insurance.

Gov. Tom Corbett, who joined the lawsuit when he was attorney general, is among leaders from 26 states pursuing the lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court plans to hear arguments in March.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Allegheny County, the minority chairman of the House Insurance Committee, believes the Corbett administration has ?been dragging their feet a bit? with the hope the Supreme Court will strike down the law.

Still, he said Pennsylvania is making adequate progress, and he isn?t worried the state will miss the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline to have the exchange up and running or lose out on grant money.

Rosanne Placey, a spokeswoman for the state Insurance Department, said Corbett?s view on the law isn?t affecting Pennsylvania?s pace.

?While the governor believes that the law requiring the purchase of health insurance is unconstitutional, we must be prepared if the Supreme Court does not strike down the law. Making sure Pennsylvania is prepared in case that happens is the prudent thing to do,? Placey said.

Although the federal law contains far-ranging mandates, it also gives states flexibility in tailoring exchanges to meet states? particular needs.

That means Pennsylvania must make many choices, such as how generous the benefits of health plans offered through the exchange must be, whether it will limit participation to businesses with no more than 50 employees, and who will run the exchange.

Advocates, including Ward, want the exchanges to be set up in a way that shields against excessive influence by the health insurance industry and minimizes the role of politics.

Pennsylvania has decided it will have a state-run exchange, meaning it likely will be run by an existing state agency such as the Department of Insurance or the Department of Public Welfare.

Ward was hoping Pennsylvania would opt to run it with a nonprofit entity, which she believes would provide greater insulation against state politics.

Pennsylvania has settled on some specifics of the exchange, but those won?t be publicly known until the state files its next grant application, which is expected to occur in the next few weeks, said Melissa Fox, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Department.

Ward believes the exchanges will withstand the legal challenges.

?It will certainly make it easier for people to shop for insurance. ... This is an idea whose time has come,? she said.

Most of the opposition to the health care law has come from Republicans, with all the leading contenders for the Republican nomination for president promising to repeal the law, which has many components beyond health insurance exchanges.

Yet in assorted Republican-led states, resistance to the exchanges has thawed, largely because of acknowledgment that the current health insurance market is dysfunctional and exchanges might help, according to Kaiser Health News.

State Sen. Pat Vance, R-Cumberland County, said the law contains ?some good things and some bad things.?

The exchanges are among the good things.

?I think people need to be able to compare health care costs. Right now it is difficult if not impossible to compare health insurance plans. I think the consumer is the winner in that,? she said.

The bad things, in Vance?s view, include too much power placed in the hands of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The federal law calls for subsidies to make coverage affordable for people earning between 133 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level and some small businesses. One of the purposes of the exchange will be to match people and businesses with subsidies.

People who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty level also will receive coverage through the exchange, but it will come from an existing government program, Medicaid.

Pennsylvania?s effort has included three public forums, held over the summer, and comments accepted online that drew input from 814 residents and 204 business owners and health insurance decision makers, according to the Insurance Department.

The surveys suggest a substantial lack of awareness surrounding the exchanges.

Four out of five businesses were ?unaware of the health insurance exchanges and confused by the name.?

Among consumers, only one in 10 was aware of the exchanges.

Among the other findings: 40 percent of Pennsylvania small businesses don?t offer coverage; less than half feel their plan offers excellent value; 56 percent of consumers have insurance through work; and, of those who are uninsured, most lost their job or don?t have access to coverage through work.

About 2 million uninsured Pennsylvania residents are expected to seek coverage through the exchange.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/marketplace_for_health_insuran.html

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৯ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১১

Mark Acton commented on article Opinion: The GOP's Answer to Union Money

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Is Your Brain a Barrier to Smart Investing? - PF - eWallstreeter

From: MintLife Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice

1:23pm - December 28, 2011

Why do so many investors make the same mistakes year after year? It turns out that your brain may be the biggest barrier preventing you from becoming a stock market success.

Continue reading this article ?

Source: http://ewallstreeter.com/is-your-brain-a-barrier-to-smart-investing-3903/

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Word Boom - Addicting and Explosive: iPhone and iPad

WORD BOOM IS THE NEXT ADDICTING WORD GAME WHERE A TICKING BOMB*IS THE ENEMY AND YOUR BRAIN IS THE WEAPON. PLAY TOO SLOW AND YOU'LL EXPLODE!

In this game, you'll try to create words, but WATCH OUT because when you least expect it, a bomb could be coming your way to destroy your progress!*

Powers ups and boomer will affect your game play at every level. A power up can get you double or triple points but the boomers can speed up the bomb fuse or even flip your touches so that left is right and right is left.

Word Boom is simple to understand and may seem easy, but don't underestimate the ferocity of a badly timed boomer!

SINGLE PLAYER MODE:

You are given a set of seven letters that you must use to create words and fill up the empty word blocks in order to advance

Filling up the entire board is not required, but keep an eye on your "letters left" counter. If the counter does not reach 0 by the time your bomb goes off you will not advance.

MULTIPLAYER:

We believe in good sportsmanship. So please try to keep your sportsmanship when you HUMILIATE your friends in our Multiplayer mode.

Both players are given the same set of 7 letters and are faced against each other in a Word Boom deathmatch. Race to fill in as many shared empty word blocks as possible. The player with the most points at the end of the round is crowned the Victor.

But that's not all. Each player is given 3 Power Ups to use during the match. You can send a rocket to blow up their words or send a fog to cover their screen. So don't be surprised when time is winding down with you in the lead, and all of a sudden, your opponent steals your word in the last few seconds to win the game. That's Word Boom.

NOW STOP READING AND START PLAYING!

Go Check this out in the app store!

Source: http://forums.tipb.com/iphone-apps-games-forum/227247-word-boom-addicting-explosive-iphone-ipad.html

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PFT: Heat 'should be on me,' Ryan says

New York Giants v Dallas CowboysGetty Images

On the surface, it?s easy to shrug at Sunday?s slate of games, given the sense that only a few postseason loose ends remain.? But as our good friend Ricky Diamond, producer extraordinaire at NBC Sports, points out, all but three of the games have meaning.

Unfortunately for FOX, all three of the meaningless games ? Redskins-Eagles, Bears-Vikings, Seahawks-Cardinals ? will be televised on its network.

Here are the implications of each of the other games.

Bills at Patriots:? New England clinches the top seed in the AFC with a win.? A loss combined with a win by the Steelers or Ravens would push the Pats to No. 2.

Jets at Dolphins:? New York remains alive for the second wild-card berth in the AFC.

Titans at Texans:? Ditto for the Titans.

Colts at Jaguars:? The Colts secure the No. 1 pick if they lose; if they win (and if the Rams lose to the 49ers), the pick goes to St. Louis.

Ravens at Bengals:? The Ravens need a win to clinch the AFC North and the No. 2 seed.? The Bengals must win to secure the second wild-card berth in the AFC.

Steelers at Browns:? A Steelers win plus a Ravens loss gives Pittsburgh the AFC North title and the No. 2 seed.? Throw in a Patriots loss, and the Steelers emerge with the No. 1 seed.

Chiefs at Broncos:? Denver clinches the AFC West with a victory.

Chargers at Raiders:? Oakland takes the AFC West with a victory and a loss by the Broncos.? The Raiders with a win also have a shot at the second AFC wild-card berth.

Panthers at Saints:? The Saints can capture the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a win and a 49ers loss.

Buccaneers at Falcons:? With a Falcons win and a Lions loss, Atlanta secures the No. 5 seed in the NFC, avoiding a potential return trip to New Orleans.

Lions at Packers:? With a win, the Lions clinch the fifth seed, avoiding the Saints in the wild-card round.

49ers at Rams:? A win by San Fran nails down the No. 2 seed; a loss by the Rams could deliver the top pick in the draft, if the Colts beat the Jaguars.

Cowboys at Giants:? A true playoff play-in game, the winner takes the NFC East.? The loser goes home.

And so be sure to ring in the New Year by keeping your eyes on every NFL game on Sunday.? (Except the three that don?t matter.) We?ll be watching them all ? including the three that don?t matter ? and bringing you all the pertinent information right here.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/28/rex-ryan-heat-should-be-on-me-not-sanchez-or-schottenheimer/related/

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বুধবার, ২৮ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১১

Beyonce Fans Weigh In On Baby's Anticipated Arrival

From the birth date to the sex of the baby, fans share their thoughts with MTV News.
By John Mitchell


Beyoncé
Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

It's almost here, and no, we're not talking about New Year's. Here at MTV we're waiting patiently for an even bigger event: the birth of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's baby.

And depending on whom you ask, Queen Bey's little prince or princess might be here sooner than any of us thought. According to various media reports, Beyoncé may even be in labor right now.

Rumors that the 4 songstress, who was one of MTV's top Newsmakers of 2011, was set to give birth Wednesday (December 28) first surfaced on Media Takeout, with two nurses at New York's Saint Luke's Roosevelt Hospital allegedly telling the celebrity gossip site that they were informed last night that a "celebrity VIP" who had reserved half of the hospital's luxury labor and delivery floor would be arriving to give birth Wednesday.

There has been no confirmation that the rumored VIP is indeed Beyoncé, and representatives for the star did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

Fans of the "Countdown" singer and her hip-hop mogul husband are starting to get very excited about baby Jayonce. When MTV News took to the streets of New York to ask Bey's fans their thoughts on when they expect the baby to make its debut and whether it will be a boy or a girl, they had plenty to say.

Most of Bey's fans told MTV they expected the baby to be born in January, with one perhaps astute fan zeroing in on New Year's, saying, "I think Beyoncé's baby will be born sometime in January, maybe on the first."

We found only one dissenter on the chilly streets of NYC, and he seemed to have the best knowledge of past public statements from the couple, including an early-September interview with Beyoncé that announced that the baby was actually due in February. "I trust Jay Z, I think he's a good guy," the fan said. "Him and Beyoncé are a good couple, so they wouldn't lie to the public. So Beyoncé's baby is going to be born in February."

And nearly all of the fans we surveyed believe the power couple is expecting a baby girl. Perhaps they caught wind of de facto auntie Kelly Rowland's slip of the lip on a London red carpet in early November, where the former Destiny's Child singer said, "I have no idea what I'm going to buy Beyoncé at the baby shower because Jay is going to buy that little girl every single thing possible. She won't be spoiled, but she will be very well looked-after."

One fan was particularly excited for a baby girl because she hoped the babe picked up Beyoncé's good genes. "Hopefully a girl," she told MTV News. "Probably because I'm a fan of Beyoncé's looks."

One thing all could agree on was that Jay and Bey's bundle of joy would jump right to the top of the celebrity baby power list. "A power baby, obviously," one fan said, while another added, "It's gonna be a pretty cool baby, that's for sure. Probably gonna run New York City by the time he's 13 or 14."

Do you think Beyoncé and Jay-Z's baby will be a boy or a girl? Let us know in the comments!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676552/beyonce-baby-watch-fans.jhtml

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STEPHEN ROACH: Here's Why India Is Riskier than China

NEW HAVEN ? Today, fears are growing that China and India are about to be the next victims of the ongoing global economic carnage. This would have enormous consequences. Asia?s developing and newly industrialized economies grew at an 8.5% average annual rate over 2010-11 ? nearly triple the 3% growth elsewhere in the world. If China and India are next to fall, Asia would be at risk, and it would be hard to avoid a global recession.

In one important sense, these concerns are understandable: both economies depend heavily on the broader global climate. China is sensitive to downside risks to external demand ? more relevant than ever since crisis-torn Europe and the United States collectively accounted for 38% of total exports in 2010. But India, with its large current-account deficit and external funding needs, is more exposed to tough conditions in global financial markets.

Yet fears of hard landings for both economies are overblown, especially regarding China. Yes, China is paying a price for aggressive economic stimulus undertaken in the depths of the subprime crisis. The banking system funded the bulk of the additional spending, and thus is exposed to any deterioration in credit quality that may have arisen from such efforts. There are also concerns about frothy property markets and mounting inflation.

While none of these problems should be minimized, they are unlikely to trigger a hard landing. Long fixated on stability, Chinese policymakers have been quick to take preemptive action.

That is particularly evident in Chinese officials? successful campaign against inflation. Administrative measures in the agricultural sector, aimed at alleviating supply bottlenecks for pork, cooking oil, fresh vegetables, and fertilizer, have pushed food-price inflation lower. This is the main reason why the headline consumer inflation rate receded from 6.5% in July 2011 to 4.2% in November.

Meanwhile, the People?s Bank of China, which hiked benchmark one-year lending rates five times in the 12 months ending this October, to 6.5%, now has plenty of scope for monetary easing should economic conditions deteriorate. The same is true with mandatory reserves in the banking sector, where the government has already pruned 50 basis points off the record 21.5% required-reserve ratio. Relatively small fiscal deficits ? only around 2% of GDP in 2010 ? leave China with an added dimension of policy flexibility should circumstances dictate.

Nor has China been passive with respect to mounting speculative excesses in residential property. In April 2010, it implemented tough new regulations, raising down-payments from 20% to 30% for a first home, to 50% for a second residence, and to 100% for purchases of three or more units. This strategy appears to be working. In November, house prices declined in 49 of the 70 cities that China monitors monthly.

Moreover, it is a serious exaggeration to claim, as many do today, that the Chinese economy is one massive real-estate bubble. Yes, total fixed investment is approaching an unprecedented 50% of GDP, but residential and nonresidential real estate, combined, accounts for only 15-20% of that ? no more than 10% of the overall economy. In terms of floor space, residential construction accounts for half of China?s real-estate investment. Identifying the share of residential real estate that goes to private developers in the dozen or so first-tier cities (which account for most of the Chinese property market?s fizz) suggests that less than 1% of GDP would be at risk in the event of a housing-market collapse ? not exactly a recipe for a hard landing.

As for Chinese banks, the main problem appears to be exposure to ballooning local-government debt, which, according to the government, totaled $1.7 trillion (roughly 30% of GDP) at the end of 2010. Approximately half of this debt was on their books prior to the crisis.

Some of the new debt that resulted from the stimulus could well end up being impaired, but ongoing urbanization ? around 15-20 million people per year move to cities ? provides enormous support on the demand side for investment in infrastructure development and residential and commercial construction. That tempers the risks to credit quality and, along with relatively low loan-to-deposit ratios of around 65%, should cushion the Chinese banking system.

India is more problematic. As the only economy in Asia with a current-account deficit, its external funding problems can hardly be taken lightly. Like China, India?s economic-growth momentum is ebbing. But unlike China, the downshift is more pronounced ? GDP growth fell through the 7% threshold in the third calendar-year quarter of 2011, and annual industrial output actually fell by 5.1% in October.

But the real problem is that, in contrast to China, Indian authorities have far less policy leeway. For starters, the rupee is in near free-fall. That means that the Reserve Bank of India ? which has hiked its benchmark policy rate 13 times since the start of 2010 to deal with a still-serious inflation problem ? can ill afford to ease monetary policy. Moreover, an outsize consolidated government budget deficit of around 9% of GDP limits India?s fiscal-policy discretion.

While China is in better shape than India, neither economy is likely to implode on its own. It would take another shock to trigger a hard landing in Asia.??

One obvious possibility today would be a disruptive breakup of the European Monetary Union. In that case, both China and India, like most of the world?s economies, could find themselves in serious difficulty ? with an outright contraction of Chinese exports, as in late 2008 and early 2009, and heightened external funding pressures for India.

While I remain a euro-skeptic, I believe that the political will to advance European integration will prevail. Consequently, I attach a low probability to the currency union?s disintegration. Barring such a worst-case outcome for Europe, the odds of a hard landing in either India or China should remain low.

Seduced by the political economy of false prosperity, the West has squandered its might. Driven by strategy and stability, Asia has built on its newfound strength. But now it must reinvent itself. Japanese-like stagnation in the developed world is challenging externally dependent Asia to shift its focus to internal demand. Downside pressures currently squeezing China and India underscore that challenge. Asia?s defining moment could be hand.

Stephen S. Roach, a member of the faculty at Yale University, is Non-Executive Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the author of The Next Asia.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2011.
www.project-syndicate.org

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/clusterstock/~3/C-lh4k_FYdM/English

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[Washington Post] - Falcons lose LB Peterson, CB Hayden to season-ending injuries

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Can Samsung Galaxy Nexus Beat HTC Rezound?

The much-anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is finally available in Verizon Wireless.

The smartphone battle can only get more intense, with the HTC Rezound and the Galaxy Nexus squaring off against each other.

Galaxy Nexus was also known as Samsung Google Nexus Prime, Samsung Google Galaxy Nexus I9250, Samsung Google Nexus 3, Samsung Google Nexus 4G and Samsung Nexus Prime 4G LTE.

Galaxy Nexus marks the commencement of the Android 4.0 era. The Ice Cream Sandwich operating system is a combination of two previous incarnations - the smartphone Gingerbread OS and the tablet Honeycomb OS.

The features of Android 4.0 includes widgets in a new tab, a customizable launcher, Gmail with offline search and a two-line preview, a new action bar at the bottom, better voice integration, improved copy-and-paste functions and a new tabbed Web browser that allows up to 16 tabs.

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It comes with a 4.65-inch high-definition Super AMOLED Contour display, dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, TI OMAP 4460 chipset, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal memory, NFC, 4G LTE support, a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. On the flip side, the phone will not support Google Wallet.

On the other hand, the HTC Rezound, which runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, is said to be the only phone in the United States with Beats Audio integration. The HTC phone, which was made available on Verizon from Nov. 14, is also known as HTC Vigor, HTC ThunderBolt 2, HTC Droid Incredible HD and HTC ADR6425.

Apart from this, Rezound sports a 4.3-inch super LCD screen, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor and Adreno 220 GPU, features an 8-megapixel camera in the rear and a 2-megapixel camera in the front.

Let's take a look at the specifications of both the phones:

Display:? Galaxy Nexus sports a 4.65-inch high-definition Super AMOLED Contour display that may give a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels with about 316 ppi pixel density. On the other hand, Rezound has a 4.3-inch screen with super LCD display which provides 1280 x 720 pixel resolution at about 342 ppi pixel density.

Size:?Galaxy Nexus comes with 5.33 x 2.67 x 0.37 inches dimension and weighs 5.1 ounces. On the other hand, Rezound comes in 5.08 x 2.58 x 0.54 inches dimension and weighs 6 ounces.

Processor:?Galaxy Nexus features dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 chipset, PowerVR SGX540 GPU with 1GB RAM. On the other hand, Rezound features 1.5GHz Scorpion dual-core processor Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon processor with 1GB RAM.

Camera:? Galaxy Nexus sports a 5-megapixel LED flash camera with 1080p video capture, while Rezound sports 8-megapixel rear-facing dual-LED flash camera with 1080p video capture capability. Rezound has a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling while Nexus has a 1.3 megapixel camera.

3G/4G:? Galaxy Nexus has HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps and supports 4G LTE. On the other hand, Rezound has Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps and LTE Class 13.

Operating System:? Rezound has the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with the promise of an upgrade to Google Inc.'s latest smartphone OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Galaxy Nexus, however, comes preloaded with Android 4.0 OS. Android Head of Engineering Mike Claren has announced that the new OS - Ice Cream Sandwich - as Google's "most ambitious release to date."

User Interface:?The Rezound uses HTC Sense 3.5 version user interface while the Galaxy Nexus comes with Samsung TouchWiz UI with Google's Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

WLAN/Bluetooth/USB:?The Rezound supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot along with Bluetooth 3.0 version with A2DP and microUSB (MHL) 2.0 version. On the other handthe Galaxy Nexus has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 3.0 version with A2DP, and microUSB 2.0 version.

Storage:? Rezound has an internal 16GB storage with a 16GB microSD card included in the package that can be expanded up to 32GB. However, Galaxy Nexus has a fixed 16 / 32GB internal storage.

Battery:? Rezound comes with a standard Li-ion 1620 mAh battery that gives more than 6 hours 24 minutes of talk time and 261 hours of standby. On the other hand, the Galaxy Nexus comes with a standard Li-ion 1750 mAh battery that gives more than 8 hours of talk time and 270 hours of standby on 3G networks.

Pricing:?Both the smartphones are priced $299.99 each with a two-year Verizon Wireless contract.

Editors' Rating:? Galaxy Nexus scores over the Rezound in technology editors' ratings. CNET has a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars for Galaxy Nexus while Rezound has scored 4. PCMag rates both smartphones with 4 stars.

To contact the editor, e-mail:

Source: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/272981/20111228/samsung-galaxy-nexus-beat-htc-rezound.htm

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Christmas Church Attacks by Islam's Boko Haram in Nigeria (Time.com)

On the blood-splattered front walls of the blasted church, using wood burned into charcoal from the flames of the explosion, somebody scrawled two messages: "Revolution now" and "No more peace in the country." In the aftermath of the attack by Islamist militants against a Christian sanctuary in Abuja and four other churches in Nigeria, those are the symptoms of a sectarian backlash that Nigerian authorities are most alarmed about.

At least 32 people were killed as they poured out of the packed Christmas-morning Mass in St. Theresa Catholic Church near Abuja, the capital, Interior Minister Abba Moro told TIME. Four other bombs elsewhere in the country took at least three lives. Boko Haram, a group whose aim is to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic Shari'a on Africa's most populous country, took credit for the attacks. One-third of Nigerian states already live under Shari'a. (See TIME's photo-essay "Bombing in Nigeria.")

Authorities are now battling to keep a lid on the bubbling threat of a sectarian civil conflict that would pitch one half of Nigeria's population of 155 million against the other. "The fact that Christian facilities were bombed was intended primarily to provoke Christians into attacking Muslims," Moro told TIME. "We have appealed to our Christian brothers for them not to do so." But two days after the bombing, the area around St. Theresa remained tense as angry young men loitered just beyond military cars patrolling the area. "If the government cannot protect us, we will take revenge by ourselves," said Josiah Agbo, 18, whose mother was killed in the blast. He left only after a priest from St. Theresa took to the streets urging Christians not to attack Muslims. In a country where religious leaders wield enormous power, Muslim counterparts in the powerful Sokoto and Kano caliphates -- the country's historic Islamic communities -- denounced the bombings.

"The people lying in hospitals after the Christmas bombs were ... Muslim and Christian," Moro said. "Boko Haram aren't aliens from another planet. People know who they are. We want to draw members of the public into sharing that information to prevent future attacks." He said two arrests in connection with the Christmas bombings were made because of just such collaboration.

But there have been almost 500 deaths in near daily bomb blasts and shoot-outs in the predominantly Muslim northeast in 2011 alone. And Boko Haram (a name that means "non-Islamic education is sacrilege" in the northern Hausa language) at times seems perilously close to plunging the country into chaos. "The Islamic militants want Nigeria to be an Islamic republic like Iran, but we may end up becoming a Sudan or Somalia if the violence continues at this pace and scale," says activist Shehu Sani, who heads the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria and led attempts to mediate a cease-fire with the group. "It all depends on the ability of the leadership to handle the crisis."

A diplomat who requested anonymity told TIME that Boko Haram has splintered into different factions that are prepared to use varying degrees of force. A December report by the U.S. Congress said Boko Haram has morphed from homegrown criminals into worldly terrorists with the capability of forging international links. Boko Haram spokespeople have claimed that its members have traveled as far east as Somalia, where al-Shabab militants have shared financing and techniques. In December, a serving Senator from Boko Haram's home of Borno State was charged with financing the organization. He denied the charges and has been released on bail. (See "Hell on Christmas Day: Nigeria's Deadly Bombings.")

Countries such as the U.S., France and the U.K. are stepping up assistance to Nigeria in areas like explosives forensics and intelligence gathering, a Nigerian military spokesperson says. "How does one keep one step ahead of not just one but all these groups? That is what we in Nigeria, just like in developed nations, need to work out," the spokesperson adds.

"Some people see Boko Haram as the right irritant to sting the government into action over poverty and corruption," says Sani, the activist. For some, however, the response from Nigeria's ruling elite has often seemed lackluster. "Still not a single [senior] government has visited," Agbo said at St. Theresa. "It's always the same. They are too busy with themselves to bother with us." Some of the Boko Haram mayhem can be traced back to the government. Its attempts to crush the group in 2009 led to the killing of Boko Haram's then leader and 900 other deaths in sectarian riots. The move may have further radicalized the organization, pushing its leadership underground and into neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the Muslim elite is grumbling over the ascendancy of President Goodluck Jonathan -- a southern Christian. His succession to the office violated an unwritten agreement that the highest office should rotate between north and south every two terms. A former university lecturer, Jonathan was dubbed the Accidental President by the local press after he succeeded Umaru Yar'Adua, a Muslim, who died in 2010 midway through his first term. The following year, Jonathan ran successfully for office.

See TIME's Pictures of the Week.

See TIME's 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111227/wl_time/08599210316300

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[Fudzilla] Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo tested

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Ryan Dunn's Death Shocked Us All In 2011

'Jackass' star's death is our #7 Newsmaker of the year, proving fans appreciated the bearded daredevil as much as we did.
By Gil Kaufman


Ryan Dunn
Photo: Getty Images

A lot of people view their co-workers as being a kind of extended family. Here at MTV, though, the madmen of "Jackass" really are part of our gang. They've taken over our studios, filled our prime time with outrageous spin-off programs and used their original half-hour show as a launchpad to worldwide fame.

So it was with an especially heavy heart that we reported on "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn's death in a high-speed car crash in June. His untimely passing is #7 on MTV News' Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, indicating the world seemed to share in our appreciation for Bam Margera's bearded best pal.

Dunn, 34, the go-to guy for outrageous stunts that even such stalwarts as Steve O weren't willing to try, died while bombing down the highway in his sports car near his Pennsylvania home after a night of drinks with friends.

Not only did many of our readers write in with fond remembrances of Dunn, but pals Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine shared their grief, along with everyone from motocross racer Carey Hart to the MTV brass.

With his kind, soft eyes and up-for-anything attitude, Dunn was described by many of his co-stars and cohorts as the kind of guy who would do anything for a friend. Many of you shared your stories of meeting him and confirmed that he was a person who loved life and brought a little bit of joy to everyone he met. As always, we tried to paint a deeper picture than the one you may have gotten from the mainstream press.

When we sent a reporter to Dunn's hometown of West Chester, we spoke to some of his neighbors and those gathered at a makeshift highway memorial. They too spoke of a kind-hearted soul who always remembered everyone he met and, well, just seemed like a good dude who really appreciated the life his fans had allowed him to live.

And yes, once the details about his death, along with that of passenger Zachary Hartwell, came to light, they served as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking and driving. Police determined that Dunn, a notorious speed demon, was driving his 2007 Porsche between 132 and 140 mph in a 55 mph zone and that his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania.

A recent MTV special gave a loving overview of Dunn's life, told through his many TV appearances and the memories of his co-stars and friends, following his career from his early years in Ohio to some never-before-seen clips from "Viva La Bam" and "Jackass."

His friends said Dunn liked to marvel at the kind of life he was able to lead thanks to his willingness to dive into pools of poo and ride BMX bikes off roofs. And though we will miss him, he left behind the best legacy we could ask for: laughter and joy.

MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists, Best Songs, Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011.

Related Videos Related Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676452/ryan-dunn-dead-2011-news.jhtml

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PhilSchwarzmann: Sony Bravia's new slogan: "You'll never stop watching our TV's, your fat ass will get grafted to the couch."

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Sony Bravia's new slogan: "You'll never stop watching our TV's, your fat ass will get grafted to the couch." PhilSchwarzmann

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North Chicago church makes day merry for Navy recruits

Article updated: 12/25/2011 6:54 PM

Seaman recruits Deron Carter of Vallejo, Calif., left, and Standric Choice of Dallas play dominoes at Mt. Sinai.

Seaman recruits Deron Carter of Vallejo, Calif., left, and Standric Choice of Dallas play dominoes at Mt. Sinai.

?

Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

Nelson Metayer of Auburn, Maine, left, Gererdo Borema of Forestville, Texas, and Marissa Sanchez of Phoenix, wait to use the phone as James Shilhan of Porter, Colo., talks to his parents.

Nelson Metayer of Auburn, Maine, left, Gererdo Borema of Forestville, Texas, and Marissa Sanchez of Phoenix, wait to use the phone as James Shilhan of Porter, Colo., talks to his parents.

?

Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

Peter Shen of San Francisco returns to his table with a plate full of food.

Peter Shen of San Francisco returns to his table with a plate full of food.

?

Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

Recruits from Great Lakes pose for a picture by photographer Chris Brown of Gurnee.

Recruits from Great Lakes pose for a picture by photographer Chris Brown of Gurnee.

?

photos by Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

The Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church in North Chicago hosted 90 recruits from Great Lakes for food and activities on Christmas Day.

The Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church in North Chicago hosted 90 recruits from Great Lakes for food and activities on Christmas Day.

?

Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

On any other Christmas, Donnita Howard would be at home in Pensacola, Fla., where she is the youngest of eight siblings, eating, laughing and enjoying the holiday.

This year, Howard, 20, is a recruit at the Great Lakes Naval Base and spending her first holiday away from home.

However, thanks to a North Chicago church, she got to celebrate the day.

Howard was among 90 recruits who got to leave the base for just this day, the only day they leave during their 10 weeks of boot camp, to enjoy holiday services, food and activities at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in North Chicago.

Howard said she teared up during the morning church service, thinking of her family, her faith, and how both have gotten her through boot camp so far.

?I expected it to be hard,? Howard said of joining the military and being away from her family. ?But you never really know how much you?ll miss people until you?re far away.?

It?s the 14th year Mt. Sinai Baptist Church has hosted recruits on Christmas, the Rev. Gerald Wilcoxon said. They never have a shortage of volunteers willing to help serve and entertain.

?It brings some Christmas joy to our sailors,? Wilcoxon said. ?But for us, it?s also the joy of knowing you?re giving back, and that is partially what Christianity is all about.?

Sabrina Estrella, 31, of San Francisco said she knew when she signed up for the Navy in early November she would have to be away from her family during the holidays, but she was willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of the military.

Originally form Brazil, Estrella said she has lived in the United States for 10 years and is looking forward to her graduation in two weeks.

?Being in the military is a dream coming true for me,? Estrella said. ?It?s my way of saying ?thank you? for all this country has given me.?

When Estrella called her sister on Sunday to wish her a Merry Christmas, her sister got emotional and was happy to hear her voice although they could not be together.

Even just taking the day to relax, sing, play games and eat a home-cooked meal with other recruits was a blessing, said Nick Quarto, 24 of Walla Walla, Wash.

?It?s wonderful what they?ve done for us,? Quarto said, enjoying the spontaneous sing-a-longs and dishes of candy on each table.

With graduation for this class of recruits coming up on Jan. 6, many of them will be seeing their families soon, but that doesn?t make being far from home during the holiday season easier, though spending the day off-base was a start.

?It almost felt like home,? Howard said.

Source: http://dailyherald.com/article/20111225/news/799996340/

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This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23 [Highlights]

This Week’s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23This week we took control of our bodies, looked at the biggest dating mistakes we make, learned about who's snooping when we torrent, Hackintoshed our laptops, and more. Here's a look back.

This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Top 10 Tricks that Give You Power Over Your Body

We may control a lot of what our body does, but sometimes it rebels-whether its with brain freeze, a gag reflex, or just plain bad vision. Here are our top 10 body hacks that give the power back to you. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Most Popular Repurposing Tricks of 2011

There is something special about the tricks and tips people come up with to turn old or useless objects into something fresh and useful. Turning an old gadget or piece of furniture into something completely new is a great way to extend its life, and here are some of our favorite conversions from... More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Draw On Your Desktop with These Sketched Up Wallpapers

Big and colorful wallpapers are great, but some of the most compelling images require nothing more than a pencil and paper (or pen). Here are some great sketches to decorate your desktop. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

The Stupid Things You Do When Dating (and How to Fix Them)

Our emotions and hormones are powerful forces that can make us do things that may feel right but are not actually in our best interest. On a regular basis you may think you're attracted to someone when you're not, make yourself uglier when you're trying to look good, and generally cause yourself... More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Most Popular Hive Fives of 2011

2011 was a great year to get your feedback. Every week we put out the call for applications, gadgets, products, or services in a given category, and every week we challenge you to vote for the best in each category. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Five Best Android Tablets

Android tablets come in all shapes and sizes. They often run different versions of Android, some can be easily attached to keyboards, others are designed to be slates, and some are ebook readers. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

What Does My Internet Provider See When I'm Downloading Torrents?

Dear Lifehacker,I've done lots of research about my Internet Service Provider's relationship with my uTorrent activity, but I still don't feel entirely confident in my knowledge about what they see. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

The Most Popular Featured Desktops and Home Screens of 2011

Every week, we feature desktops and home screens submitted by readers that we find elegant, informative, attractive, and in most cases, a great use of the customization tools and UI tweaks available for both desktop and mobile operating systems. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

The Netflix Catalog, Firefox Search Engines, and CCleaner Notifications

Readers offer their best tips for quickly searching Netlifx's catalog, switching between search engines in Firefox, and getting audible CCleaner notifications in Windows. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

Can I Hackintosh My Laptop?

Dear Lifehacker,I have a Sorny Inspironbookmate 2564300iP00. Can I make Hackintosh? But seriously, I know a lot of people ask if they can hackintosh their obscure laptop that nobody has ever heard of and I understand it's very unlikely that they can, but when is it possible? More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: December 16-December 23

How to Copy Music from Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to Your Computer for Free

Apple, true to form, makes it simple to put media and files on your iDevice but the road really only goes one way. It can be pretty difficult to copy anything (or everything) back to your computer without a lot of trouble and sacrifice, but it's even harder to find a good, free solution to that... More ?


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How to Deal With People Who Cut in Line

If you've lived in the world you've waited in a line, and at some point in your life-if not many-someone has cut in the line and made you wait longer. More ?


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