'The Help' earns top honor at SAG Awards

LOS ANGELES?? The Screen Actors Guild on Sunday picked the actors in drama "The Help" as the top ensemble cast of 2011 and gave it two other awards for best lead actress and supporting actress, in a surprise over heavily favored silent movie romance "The Artist."

"The Help" earned three awards overall and "The Artist" only one for French actor Jean Dujardin as best actor in a drama for his role as a fading actor at the end of the talkies.

Dujardin seemed genuinely surprised as he held his statue, thanking the audience of A-list actors including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams.

He noted that as a kid he was always a dreamer and that his teachers called him "Jean of the moon."

"I was always dreaming," he said. "I realize now that I never stopped dreaming. Thank you very much. Thank you for this dream."

Viola Davis was named best actress in a movie for civil rights-era drama "The Help," and she too talked of dreaming big as a kid and encouraged others to do so.

"Dream big and dream fierce," she said.

Others winning SAG film honors included Christopher Plummer with the first film honor for supporting actor. Plummer, 82, who plays an elderly man who reveals his homosexuality, much to the chagrin of his family, thanked his fellow actors from the stage, calling them a wacky but wonderful bunch of artists.

"I just can't tell you what fun I've had being a member of the world's second oldest profession," Plummer joked on stage. "When they honor you, it's like being lit by the holy grail. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Octavia Spencer won supporting actress in a movie with her role as a poor maid "The Help." It proved to be a surprise over Berenice Bejo of silent film romance, "The Artist."

SAG's film awards are closely watched for their impact on Oscars because actors make up the biggest voting group at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which picks winners. The Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on February 26.

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But unlike academy voters focused on film, SAG members also pick winners in TV awards, and in that arena, "Boardwalk Empire" was named best drama series for the second straight year and "Modern Family was picked top comedy, also for the second year.

Alec Baldwin was named best actor in a TV comedy for the sixth year for his role as a TV executive on "30 Rock," and Betty White, who turned 90-year-old earlier this month, took the comedy actress trophy for a second time in "Hot in Cleveland."

An obviously surprised White acknowledged her co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.

The win "belongs with four of us," she said, then looked at her statuette with a gleam in her eye and a joke on her mind. "I'm dealing them right-in with this. I'm not going to let them keep this, but I will let them see it."

In other TV awards, Kate Winslet was named best actress in a small-screen movie or miniseries for "Mildred Pierce," and Paul Giamatti won the trophy for actor in a movie or mini-series with "Too Big to Fail."

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46185039/ns/today-entertainment/

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Gaming firms 888, Caesars extend licensing deal to U.S. (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? 888 Holdings Plc said a unit of private equity-owned Caesars Entertainment Corp extended its UK software licensing agreement with the British online gaming company to the United States.

888 said the agreement would see its arm, Dragonfish, power a selection of private poker brands of Caesars, one of the largest casino operators in the United States and owner of the famed Caesars Palace, once online gaming is permitted under the new regulatory regime.

"Utilising 888's state of the art poker platform, the agreement will allow the launch of a real money offering immediately as either Federal or state based regulation is finalized and upon licensing by gaming authorities," 888 said in a statement on Tuesday.

As U.S. states scramble for tax revenue, the potential for legalizing online poker has led casino and gaming companies MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming to unveil a plan to partner with online poker company Bwin.party Digital Entertainment.

Last month, 888 had said it expected core profit for 2011 to be significantly above market expectations, aided by strength in its casino and poker businesses.

888 shares, which have risen 41 percent in the last three months, closed at 47 pence on Monday on the London Stock Exchange, valuing the company at about 165 million pounds.

(Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Roshni Menon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/wr_nm/us888

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Doctors in Peru to remove 'parasitic twin' (AP)

LIMA, Peru ? Doctors in Peru have found a "parasitic twin" in the stomach of a 3-year-old boy, and plan to surgically remove the tissue Monday.

Dr. Carlos Astocondor of the medical team at Las Mercedes Hospital in the northern port of Chiclayo says the condition occurs in about one of every 500,000 live births.

He says the partially formed fetus weighs a pound and a half (700 grams) and is nine inches (25 centimeters) long.

Astocondor says the brain, heart, lungs and intestines never developed after the fetus was absorbed by the other fetus inside the mother's womb. He says it has some hair on the cranium, eyes and some bones.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_peru_parasitic_twin

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NY Public Library turns stereographs into animated GIFs, reminds your 3D TV of its roots

Digging your 3D TVs, video game consoles and laptops? Thank the past -- the New York Public Library is here to remind you that streographic entertainment has been blowing minds for over 100 years, and has the animated gifs to prove it. The Library recently introduced Stereogranimator, a web app that taps into the institution's large collection of historical stereographs and allows user to convert them into wiggling GIF animations and 3D anaglyphs. The program was inspired by "Reaching for the Out of Reach," a manual labor of animated stereographs started by San Francisco artist Joshua Heineman. The library currently has over 40,000 pairs of stenographic images just begging to be converted to depth-suggesting wigglepic. Interested? The link is below, friends -- go ahead and create your own psudeo-3D view of history. Too lazy to make your own? Fine, read on for a shaky and colorful look at an orange tree.

Continue reading NY Public Library turns stereographs into animated GIFs, reminds your 3D TV of its roots

NY Public Library turns stereographs into animated GIFs, reminds your 3D TV of its roots originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Factbox: Winners at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival (omg!)

PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - Following is a list of winners at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood's major studios.

Winners are grouped in categories for drama films and documentaries and in sections for U.S. films and world cinema.

U.S. DRAMA FILMS

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Best Film, Audience Award - "The Surrogate"

Directing - Ava DuVernay, "Middle of Nowhere"

Screenwriting - Derek Connolly, "Safety Not Guaranteed"

Cinematography - Ben Richardson, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Special Jury Prize, ensemble acting - "The Surrogate"

Special Jury Prize, producing - Jonathan Schwartz, Andrea Sperling, "Smashed"

U.S. DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "The House I Live In"

Best Documentary, Audience Award - "The Invisible War"

Directing - Lauren Greenfield, "The Queen of Versailles"

Editing - Enat Sidi, "Detropia"

Cinematography - Jeff Orlowski, "Chasing Ice"

Special Jury Prize - "Love Free Or Die" (Tied)

"Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" (Tied)

WORLD CINEMA, DRAMA

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Violeta Went To Heaven"

Best Film, Audience Award - "Valley of Saints"

Directing - Mads Matthiesen, "Teddy Bear"

Screenwriting - Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutierrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastian Sepulveda , "Young & Wild"

Cinematography - David Raedeker, "My Brother the Devil"

Special Jury Prize, artistic vision - "Can"

WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARY

Best Film, Jury Prize - "The Law In These Parts"

Best Film, Audience Award - "Searching for Sugar Man"

Directing - Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi, "5 Broken Cameras"

Editing - Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky , "Indie Game: The Movie"

Cinematography - Lars Skree, "Putin's Kiss"

Special Jury Prize, film - "Searching For Sugar Man"

OTHER AWARDS

U.S. Short Film - "The Black Balloon"

World Short Film - "The Return"

Shorts, Jury Prize - "Fishing Without Nets"

Shorts, Audience Award - "The Debutante Hunters"

(Reporting By Christine Kearney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_factbox_winners2012_sundance_film_festival_044758223/44342650/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/factbox-winners-2012-sundance-film-festival-044758223.html

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Attention Investors: More Fruits and Veggies From ConAgra! (The Motley Fool)

Packaged foods giant ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG - News) looks set to expand its presence outside U.S. borders, as it plans to acquire Del Monte Canada from an affiliate of private equity firm Sun Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount.

The move comes just months after ConAgra's repeated attempts to acquire Ralcorp (NYSE: RAH - News) failed. Let's go behind the scenes to find out why it is in acquisition mode once again. The interesting subplot here is that Ralcorp recently announced its intention of spinning off its Post cereal brand. This is certainly another story I'll be following closely.

Canadian charm
ConAgra's international business contribution to its top line currently stands at a meager 10%. Last year, the company's "complete frozen meal" category in Canada grew by a remarkable 58% despite the price-competitiveness in this segment. The company is looking to further tap the Canadian market and add to its top line.

Buying out privately owned Del Monte Canada should work out well for ConAgra for a number of reasons. First, Del Monte is an established player with leading market share in the packaged fruits, fruit snack, and vegetable segments. ConAgra will now have access to the lucrative Canadian fruits and vegetables market through all of Del Monte's renowned brands, including Aylmer Tomatoes.

Secondly, the integration of Del Monte's Ontario manufacturing unit with ConAgra's manufacturing operations should create significant cost synergies for the company. Over the past few years, ConAgra has been restructuring its business to focus on its core areas of revenue generation as well as streamlining and optimizing businesses to achieve cost efficiencies.

But is ConAgra up to it?
The company seems well-positioned for the deal with $1.4 billion in annual operating cash flows generated in 2011. Last year, it saved $280 million through improvements made in the consumer foods supply chain, and that cash can come in handy now.

ConAgra has taken the inorganic route to supplement its core growth historically, and acquisitions are not new to the company. Some notable acquired businesses include Alexia, American Pie, Elan Nutrition, National Pretzel Co., and Agro Tech Foods.

Alexia, acquired four years ago, has grown two-and-a-half times its original size while sales of Marie Callender's, a brand under American Pie, registered double-digit growth within just a year of its acquisition. It speaks volumes about ConAgra's ability to integrate acquisitions and turn them into positive earnings.

The company has extensive growth plans this year with $450 million allocated to capital expenditures. I like where ConAgra is going. What about you?

Fool contributor Priya Singh does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this article. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20120127/bs_fool_fool/rx177175

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Feds: 'Mob Wives' dad charged in NYC case

NEW YORK CITY -- DEA and FBI agents arrested four alleged?members of the Bonanno organized crime family early Friday on charges that include racketeering, gambling and drug sales, NBC New York has learned.? The father of a "Mob Wives" reality show star was also charged in the federal case.

Vincent Badalamenti, identified as a member of the Bonanno crime family administration, Nicholas Santora, a Bonanno family capo, Vito Balsamo, an acting captain, and Anthony Calabrese, a soldier, were arrested Friday and are are charged with racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling, and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, a law enforcement official said.

---

Anthony Graziano -- a Bonanno family captain whose daughter Renee Graziano stars on the reality show? "Mob Wives" -- was also charged.? Graziano was already in custody on a prior conviction.

Read original story on NBCNewYork.com

Also arrested was James Laforte, an associate of the Gambino crime family, the official said.

All five men entered pleas of not guilty in federal court.? Calabrese and Balsamo were released on $1.5 million bail, which includes home confinement and electronic monitoring.?

Investigators used electronic and physical surveillance and cooperating witnesses in the investigation.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.

The arrests are the latest in the federal government's investigation of the Bonanno crime family which has resulted in the prosecution of more than 175 members and associates of the family, officials said.

So far, more than 10 Bonanno family bosses, acting bosses and administration members have been convicted.

The suspects are due back in court on Feb. 7.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10253124-feds-mob-wives-dad-charged-in-nyc-racketeering-case

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Gingrich donor is casino mogul, Israeli hardliner (The Arizona Republic)

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

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TV ratings: Fox wins night with "Idol" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Fox scored a decisive win Wednesday night on the strength of "American Idol" and a preview of the new Kiefer Sutherland drama "Touch," while NBC's new comedy "Are You There Chelsea" dropped significantly to hit a ratings low, according to preliminary numbers.

"Idol," airing at 8 p.m., was down slightly from last week but was easily the night's top-rated and most-watched show of the night, drawing a 6.4 rating/18 share in the adults 18-49 demographic and 19.5 million total viewers. A preview of "Touch" the following hour posted a 3.9/10 in the demographic -- the second-highest drama debut this season, behind ABC's "Once Upon a Time" -- and 11.8 million total viewers. ("Touch" officially premieres March 19.) Combined, "Idol" and "Touch" gave Fox an average 5.2/14 in the demographic and an average 15.6 million total viewers.

On NBC, "Whitney" at 8 p.m. dipped to 1.4/4 in the demographic and 4.4 million total viewers, while "Are You There Chelsea," which premiered to so-so numbers earlier this month, had a 1.4/4 in the demographic and 3.9 million total viewers. It was down 18 percent in the ratings from last week. "Law & Order: SVU" repeats filled out the evening.

Following a "Criminal Minds" repeat at 8 p.m., CBS ran a new "Criminal Minds" at 9 p.m., which was up 13 percent versus last week for a 3.6/9 in the demographic and 13.6 million total viewers. "CSI" the following hour jumped 18 percent over last week, taking a 3.3/9 in the demographic and 14 million total viewers.

ABC ran only repeats.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/media_nm/us_tvratings

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Nokia plans board of directors refresh, chairman to step down

Following on from today's mixed bag of Nokia financials, the Espoo-based company will see some changes on its directorial board, after its Annual General Meeting in a few months. As forecast last year, non-executive chairman Jorma Ollila joined Nokia in 1985 and has been on the board through Nokia's explosive growth into the world's biggest handset manufacturer -- and its more recent troubles. He will leave the board alongside more recent members Bengt Holmström and Per Karlsson, while existing board member Risto Siilasmaa is currently pegged to take the helm once the new board of directors is formed. New candidates earmarked for the board include Bruce Brown, of Procter and Gamble, Mårten Mickos, CEO of Eucalyptus Systems and independent corporate advisor Elizabeth Nelson. The whole Nokia nitty-gritty awaits at the source below.

Continue reading Nokia plans board of directors refresh, chairman to step down

Nokia plans board of directors refresh, chairman to step down originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CW?s Remodeled ?Modeling Agency or Modeling School??

If you didn’t catch the premiere of CW’s high-octane docu-series show,?Remodeled, be sure to tune in as the drama unfolds during the show’s second episode?tonight at 9/8c and Wednesday for a second time at 9/8c.??This time,?fashion mogul/agent and President of The Network, Paul Fisher, travels to South Dakota to makeover a modeling agency. During his [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/cws-remodeled-modeling-agency-or-modeling-school/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cws-remodeled-modeling-agency-or-modeling-school

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S&P 500, Dow turn higher after Fed statement (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? The S&P 500 and Dow turned higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates "exceptionally low" at least through 2014. The Nasdaq added to gains.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was up 4.99 points, or 0.04 percent, at 12,680.74. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) was up 2.04 points, or 0.16 percent, at 1,316.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) was up 20.82 points, or 0.75 percent, at 2,807.46.

(Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Mitchell: 'We won't let Joe's legacy die' (AP)

Former Penn State star Lydell Mitchell visited Joe Paterno about a week and a half ago, hoping to get just a moment with his ailing coach.

After an emotional hour and a half, Mitchell said goodbye and told Paterno that he would always have the support of his players.

"I said, `Hey, man, we love you.' We'll fight the fight for him," Mitchell said Sunday after Paterno died at age 85.

"Joe's legacy will always be intact because we won't let Joe's legacy die," said Mitchell, who played running back at Penn State from 1968-72.

Paterno won more games (409) than any coach in major college football history during 46 seasons at Penn State.

"I think history will say that he's one of the greatest," former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, second on the wins list, told The Associated Press. "Who's coached longer? Who's coached better? Who's won more games? Who's been more successful than Joe? Who's done more for his university than Joe? You've lost one of the greatest. He probably means the same thing up there that Bear Bryant meant down here. He's an icon."

Paterno died from complications of lung cancer less than three months after he was ousted amid a child sex abuse scandal involving one of his former assistants.

"It's just sad because I think he died from other things than lung cancer," former Penn State tight end Mickey Shuler said.

Paterno began his coaching career at Penn State in 1950 as an assistant coach under Rip Engle.

That's when Pro Football Hall of Famer Lenny Moore played for the Nittany Lions. Moore joined Mitchell ? they both played for the Colts and live in Baltimore ? for that trip to State College a couple weeks back.

Moore said he, Mitchell, Paterno and Paterno's wife, Sue, sat around the kitchen table and talked until it got dark and the visitors needed to get back.

"We talked the whole time and he was very together," Moore said. "Didn't look like he was having any pain. We told him we loved him and we left.

"I'm glad that we had the opportunity to do it. And I was glad that I told him how I felt about him."

Mike Guman, who played fullback for Penn State in the late 1970s, said the Paterno's legacy will be carried on by the many people whose lives he has touched.

"Football's a small part of his legacy, but it goes far beyond that," he said. "You could have become a good football player at many places but you wouldn't have become the man you are if you didn't go to Penn State."

Guman said he didn't think Paterno was treated fairly at the end of his time at Penn State and Mitchell agreed.

"They knew Joe was going to retire (at the end of last season)," Mitchell said "They could have let that play out but I think they panicked and jumped the gun."

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he was fortunate to have developed a personal relationship with Paterno over the last few years. In Meyer's last game at Florida, his Gators beat Penn State.

"We have lost a remarkable person and someone who affected the lives of so many people in so many positive ways," Meyer said in statement. "His presence will be dearly missed. His legacy as a coach, as a winner and as a champion will carry on forever."

____

Associated Press Writer Brent Kallestad in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.

____

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_paterno_sports_reax

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Lobbying's SOPA opera lessons (Politico)

K Street boom days have come and gone.

A bad economy and rigid stalemates on Capitol Hill took its toll on big firms for the second year in a row, with seven out of the 10 biggest lobbying groups reporting flat or negative revenues in 2011, a significant contrast with the double-digit growth many of the same firms experienced in the mid-2000s, according to recently filed federal lobbying reports.

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And the stagnant revenues aren?t expected to pick up in the coming year with the economy still slow and an even bigger change afoot in the industry. Fights are no longer just about which side has the most ? or best ? lobbyists. The new world of Washington influence is more diverse:Traditional access lobbying is waged alongside campaigns that use media, grass-roots activism and the Internet ? activity often not reported in federal lobbying filings.

?This is not your grandfather?s lobbying business,? said Nick Allard of Patton Boggs. ?The nature of it is less of a premium on getting information and more of a demand for expert advice.?

Patton Boggs maintained its position as the top-grossing lobbying firm, bringing in $48.4 million in lobbying revenue in 2011. That was up from $45.2 million in 2010. The uptick stems more from the firm?s June merger with Breaux Lott Leadership Group than from overall business growth.

Several lobbyists pointed to last week?s massive online mobilization that tanked two fast-moving anti-online piracy bills as the perfect example of how the influence game is changing. While clients are still willing to pay for access lobbying, there is more of a focus on nonreportable strategy through social media and other grass-roots initiatives.

?A well-resourced content group of people completely got outmaneuvered by the guys in the basement,? Ogilvy Government Relations? Drew Maloney said of the anti-piracy fight. ?It?s not a secret that a lobbying campaign involves a lot of different tools now than maybe it did 10 to 15 years ago.?

The numbers do not come as a surprise to lobbyists, who have been saying all year that K Street is no longer easy street for hired guns.

?Generally speaking, the industry was down, so even in a down year, even is a good thing,? Alex Vogel of Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti said.

Marquee firms like Podesta Group, Van Scoyoc & Associates, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Holland & Knight saw their revenues nose dive. Others ? like Cassidy & Associates, Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates and Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti ? reported relatively flat years.

Competition has also increased as more K-Streeters are hanging out a shingle rather than going to top firms, and clients aren?t as willing to pay huge monthly retainers.

Van Scoyoc & Associates faced one of the steepest declines: Its revenues declined about 14 percent. The firm billed clients $25.3 million for lobbying in 2011, down from $29.4 million in 2010. Holland & Knight?s lobbying revenue dropped 10 percent with the firm bringing in $19 million in 2011, down from $21 million in 2010. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck also dropped about 9 percent. The firm billed $22.1 million in revenue in 2011 compared with the $24.4 million it charged in 2010.

Brownstein Hyatt?s Al Mottur said the drop wasn?t unexpected and that the firm?s explosive, double-digit percentage growth in recent years wasn?t sustainable. Holland & Knight also said the downturn in reportable lobbying revenues was offset by regulatory work as the action moved to the agencies.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71799_html/44269759/SIG=11m59ck9b/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71799.html

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Fred Bauer: Could Gingrich's SC Win Be a Pyrrhic Victory? Ask Bill Clinton

There is no doubt that Gingrich's win in South Carolina is a significant victory for him.? The anti-Romney forces pulled out all the stops in the Palmetto State, and, if they couldn't stop the Mitt Train here, they wouldn't be able to stop it anywhere.? Nor should it be forgotten that Gingrich's vote percentage in South Carolina is the second lowest for any winning candidate in a contested South Carolina primary since 1980; even Bob Dole got 45 percent of the vote in 1996.? Only John McCain did worse with 33 percent of the vote in 2008.? Still, Gingrich was able to give new life to his campaign, though the way he won may point to electoral red flags in the future.

Cunningly, Gingrich was able to change the narrative in South Carolina by making it about him.? Between "King of Bain"-style attacks on Romney and his explosions of outrage against the media, Gingrich pushed narratives of Romney's momentum to the background.? Eschewing policy, Gingrich ran instead on performance art.? Despite his long history as a Washington insider and many positions on many issues, he made himself the avatar of "conservative" frustration, victimization, and irritation.? In a Republican primary in South Carolina, that's a good tactic.?

If, however, a general election between Gingrich and Obama becomes a referendum on Gingrich, the former Speaker probably loses.? Obama's mixed record is a hard thing to run on; surely, the White House would much rather run against Newt Gingrich as a cultural and political figure.? Gingrich has proven all too glad to make himself the center of a political race, and the Obama administration will likely oblige him.

Almost twenty years ago, another Democratic incumbent realized this dynamic.? Bill Clinton was able to reconfigure the media landscape by letting the 1996 and 1998 elections be about Newt Gingrich.? In both of them, Republicans lost seats in the House (coming within a few seats of losing the House itself in the latter).? Furthermore, by making Gingrich a central figure of the 1996 campaign, Clinton was able to make what might have seemed a troubled reelection bid a sure thing.? There's a reason why few of Gingrich's conservative House colleagues have endorsed him and why many have outright attacked him.

For a while, Gingrich had run on the narrative that this was a "kinder, gentler" Newt, an older and wiser man who had learned from his past personal and rhetorical excesses.? Gingrich's nuclear (and, at times, self-contradictory) barrage against Romney and the media has shattered that narrative.? We're back to Newt 1.0, the battle plans against which were already drafted by the Clinton White House.

If he wants to be viable as a general election presidential candidate, Gingrich is going to need to move beyond red-meat appeals to the conservative id and beyond the politics of personality.? As Conn Carroll at the Washington Examiner has noted, Gingrich's net approval rating with the American public is around minus 30.? He remains an exceedingly polarizing figure to the public at large.? Gingrich has a few months to turn that around.? But that is a steep hill to climb.? In the days ahead, Republicans will have to ask themselves whether that hill is worth the ascent.

?

Follow Fred Bauer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fredbauerblog

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-bauer/gingrich-wins-south-carolina_b_1221453.html

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The nation's weather

Wet and snowy weather will persist in the West as snow returns Sunday to the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. A strong low pressure system spinning over the Pacific will push another cold front onshore throughout the day. This system will bring rain showers to the Pacific Northwest and northern California, with heavy snow showers expected in the mountains. The Cascades may see 3 to 7 inches of new snow, and the Sierra Nevadas another 7 to 9 inches of snow.

Strong winds will develop ahead of this front, with gusts from 35 to 45 mph, up to 75 mph at the highest mountain peaks. High wind and winter weather advisories remain in effect in these areas.

Elsewhere, a low pressure system over the central and northern Rockies will advance eastward into the Plains, producing 1 to 3 inches of snow across the Dakotas and upper Midwest. Late Sunday, a cold front will develop south of this system, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms to the Mississippi River Valley. There is a slight chance storms will turn severe in the Tennessee Valley and mid-Mississippi River valley. The back side of this system will spread lingering snow showers over the Rockies.

The East Coast will see a break in wet weather as a low pressure system and associated frontal boundary moves offshore into the Atlantic. High pressure will build over the Northeast and extend down the East Coast, allowing for a dry and mild day before another system quickly approaches from the central U.S.

Temperatures in the lower 48 states ranged Saturday from a morning low of -25 degrees at Land O' Lakes, Wis., to a high of 91 degrees at Bonifay, Fla.

___

Online:

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com

National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov

Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-22-US-Weatherpage-Weather/id-03b9c68b20454a899c18ad22e3676161

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Restore Your Faith in Humanity at the Nicest Place on the Internet (Mashable)

You catch glimpses of sunny parks, busy street corners and various home dwellings as smiling faces step up to offer friendly hugs and a lullaby voice sings lightly. Sound nice? It is. And you might be surprised to learn that it exists, of all places, on the Internet.

"It doesn?t ask any questions," explains Jeff Lam, one of the creators behind the nicest place on the Internet. "It doesn?t want to know why you?re sad or why you need a hug. I think that?s the nice thing about it."

Lam and his co-creator Lauren Perlow had the idea for the site after a rough day at their ad agency jobs. They spent that weekend collecting about 30 video hugs from the streets of San Francisco -- a process that strangers were surprisingly willing to participate in -- and posted the site in November. About 300,000 people have visited it since.

Some of those visitors have contributed their own hugs to the project. There are about 200 on the site, which is the most videos Lam and Perlow can put on its YouTube playlist. They get about 10 new video hug submissions a day. And miraculously, all of them have been nice. Lam says there hasn't been a negative comment yet.

"When we uploaded the videos onto YouTube, we thought we should disable the comments because we don?t want people to write mean things," he says. "But we forgot to turn off the comments. A couple of days later we realized, but it was quite the opposite. People couldn't say a bad thing about it."

As someone who regularly reads about cyber-bullying and is required to attach an open comment thread to everything I produce during the weekday, I tend to think of the anonymous Internet as a terrible, soulless place. But the nicest place on the Internet has leveraged that same anonymity for an eloquent group hug. It's an oddly comforting project.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120120/tc_mashable/restore_your_faith_in_humanity_at_the_nicest_place_on_the_internet

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Damning Evidence Emerges In Google-Apple 'No Poach' Antitrust Lawsuit

TechCrunch:

Next week a class-action civil lawsuit will be heard in San Jose to determine if Google, Apple, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Adobe, Intel, and Intuit conspired to eliminate competition for skilled labor. In anticipation of the hearing, TechCrunch has obtained evidence from the Department of Justice's investigation in 2010 which was made public this evening for the first time. It appears to support the plaintiff's case that the defendant companies tried to suppress employee compensation by entering into "no poach" agreements.

Read the whole story: TechCrunch

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/damning-evidence-emerges-apple-google_n_1220274.html

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Republican hopefuls take fight to Florida (Reuters)

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) ? After a bruising clash in South Carolina, Republican presidential frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich will take their battle to a bigger stage when the campaign moves to Florida on Sunday.

Gingrich, a former U.S. House of Representatives speaker, thrashed Romney in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, suggesting the race for their party's nomination and the right to face President Barack Obama in November may last months more.

The largest of the early voting states by far, Florida presents logistical and financial challenges that appear to give an advantage to Romney's well funded campaign machine.

But Gingrich has momentum after coming from behind in South Carolina to win around 40 percent of the vote, followed by Romney with 28 percent. Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator, was in third with 17 percent and U.S. congressman Ron Paul in fourth with 13 percent.

"We proved here in South Carolina that people ... with the right ideas beats big money," Gingrich told supporters after his victory in the conservative state.

After strong performances in a series of debates, Gingrich was seen by South Carolina voters as the most likely Republican to beat Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 election.

They also rejected millionaire former businessman Romney's pitch that he is the best bet to fix a broken U.S. economy and win the White House.

Romney and Gingrich, who have attacked each other mercilessly in a series of negative television ads since December, face off in a debate in Tampa, Florida, on Monday night.

ROMNEY TAX SOLUTION?

Romney has stumbled over questions about his personal finances in recent debates and acknowledged last week that he only pays a 15 percent tax rate, much lower than that of most working Americans.

The former Massachusetts governor has so far resisted calls from rivals, and even ally New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to release his tax returns.

To try to put the tax return controversy behind him, the Romney campaign has a plan to settle the issue next week, a Republican official said.

That is part of a strategy to be more aggressive against Gingrich, a formidable debater who nevertheless has personal and professional baggage that the Romney team could exploit. Romney accuses Gingrich of being a Washington insider.

"The choice within our party has also come into stark focus. President Obama has no experience running a business and no experience running a state. Our party can't be lead to victory by someone who also has never run a business and never run a state," Romney said on Saturday.

Romney saw his aura of inevitability erode in South Carolina after leading opinion polls by 10 percentage points a week ago.

In Florida, he leads Gingrich by 40.5 percent to 22 percent, according to a poll of polls by RealClearPolitics.com. Santorum, a social conservative who is from Pennsylvania, is third with 15 percent.

Campaigns must spend at least $1 million each week to reach voters in the sprawling southern state, according to local political officials. Romney's allies have already spent $5 million, mostly on ads attacking Gingrich. No other candidate has a significant presence in the state.

(Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/ts_nm/us_usa_campaign

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The best new Android tablets: Do they stand a chance?

By Rosa Golijan

At each Consumer Electronics Show, there seems to be at least one gadget type which just plain takes over the place. Two years ago it was e-ink readers, now practically invisible on the show floor. Last year it was the 3-D TV. This year, Android tablets are all the rage.?Yes, there were so many Android tablets this year that some of us started to become slightly queasy each time yet another such device was announced.

Was the revulsion justified? Or does this latest batch of Android devices stand a chance to succeed? Let's talk tablets!

Pantech

Pantech Element
The Pantech Element?is a fun (not-so-little) 8-inch tablet. It has a 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of memory, (which can be expanded up to 32GB thanks to a microSD slot), a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2MP front-facing camera.?It'll run on AT&T's 4G LTE network, so it should be pretty darn speedy.

Oh, and did I mention that the Element is waterproof??The gadget can apparently be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes without any troubles. In theory, this means that you wouldn't have to worry if you ever spill coffee onto the tablet.

Toshiba

Toshiba Excite X10
One of my favorites?in the latest Android tablet batch ? appearance-wise, at least???is the Toshiba Excite X10.?This particular gadget has been available in other countries for a while, but it's finally coming to the U.S. soon. It's an eye-catching 10-inch beauty which measures in with a thickness of only 0.3 inches.

The X10's display is covered in super tough Corning Gorilla Glass and behind it there's a?Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor (that's 1.2 GHz of horsepower), 16GB or 32GB of storage (depending on your choice of configuration), a 2MP front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing camera (with an LED flash), and an assortment of ports including Micro USB and Micro HDMI. There?are also a gyroscope, an accelerometer and GPS capabilities as well as eCompass and ambient light sensors.

The Toshiba Excite X10 will set you back $530 if you're getting the 16GB model and $600 if you opt for the 32GB version. It should become available in the first quarter of 2012.

Asus

Asus Eee Pad MeMO 370T
With its rather reasonable $249 pricetag, the Asus Eee Pad MeMO 370T ? try wrapping your tongue around that name???is far too tempting of a device.?It's a 7-inch gadget, has a 1.2 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor on the inside, pen-input on the outside, and a 5MP camera in the back.

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
As its name might suggest, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the big brother of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.?It's a ???wait for it ???7.7-inch device and it?has a 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED display, a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, a 3MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, and the usual assortment of ports.

It's very much worth noting that the Tab 7.7 is?going to offer 4G LTE connectivity through Verizon Wireless. (Oh, yes! That's speedy.)

Matt Rivera/msnbc.com

The next-generation Iconia Tab
Oh, what a tease Acer can be! The company briefly showed off the?next-generation Iconia Tab tablet during a CES press conference and it certainly caught my attention.?The gadget is a quad-core device with a lovely 1080p screen and a?Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

Not too much is known about this particular tablet at the time, but it's definitely a powerful little beast.

Wait! What's the problem here?
The trouble with most of the tablets presented lately is not the hardware but the software. Time after time the same lines keep appearing in press releases. The devices are "ready" for Android 4.0, but shipping with Honeycomb 3.2, in other words "last year's OS." Their makers promise that the hardware will be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich shortly after launch, software updates are coming, pinky swear, cross our hearts and hope to die, but even the manufacturers don't necessarily have a firm grasp of the upgrade timing.

The reality is that customers are often left waiting for their new toys to actually feel new?? to receive the latest and greatest in Android software. And perhaps I'm simply a spoiled iPad user, but to me that seems unacceptable. Many Android tablet makers have the hardware handled and are handing out mind-blowing spec sheets ??but until they give their devices brains to match their guts, I'm saying "no dice."

The moment Android tablets take a page from the Apple manual and start selling the experience and the?? get ready to cringe?? magic of software and apps, the moment that developers feel that the time is right to launch an all-out Android tablet software assault, the moment that together, both hardware makers and software developers showcase what you can do with these things, rather than just throw around spec sheets, that's when these new tablets will succeed.

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10149335-the-best-new-android-tablets-do-they-stand-a-chance

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Headphone-distracted pedestrians face death, serious injury

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Listen up, pedestrians wearing headphones. Can you hear the trains or cars around you? Many probably can't, especially young adult males. Serious injuries to pedestrians listening to headphones have more than tripled in six years, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. In many cases, the cars or trains are sounding horns that the pedestrians cannot hear, leading to fatalities in nearly three-quarters of cases.

"Everybody is aware of the risk of cell phones and texting in automobiles, but I see more and more teens distracted with the latest devices and headphones in their ears," says lead author Richard Lichenstein, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of pediatric emergency medicine research at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "Unfortunately as we make more and more enticing devices, the risk of injury from distraction and blocking out other sounds increases."

Dr. Lichenstein and his colleagues studied retrospective case reports from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Google News Archives, and Westlaw Campus Research databases for reports published between 2004 and 2011 of pedestrian injuries or fatalities from crashes involving trains or motor vehicles. Cases involving headphone use were extracted and summarized. The research is published online today in the journal Injury Prevention.

Researchers reviewed 116 accident cases from 2004 to 2011 in which injured pedestrians were documented to be using headphones. Seventy percent of the 116 accidents resulted in death to the pedestrian. More than two-thirds of victims were male (68 percent) and under the age of 30 (67 percent). More than half of the moving vehicles involved in the accidents were trains (55 percent), and nearly a third (29 percent) of the vehicles reported sounding some type of warning horn prior to the crash. The increased incidence of accidents over the years closely corresponds to documented rising popularity of auditory technologies with headphones.

"This research is a wonderful example of taking what our physicians see every day in the hospital and applying a broader scientific view to uncover a troubling societal problem that needs greater awareness," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "I hope that these results will help to significantly reduce incidence of injuries and lead us to a better understanding of how such injuries occur and how we can prevent them."

Dr. Lichenstein and his colleagues noted two likely phenomena associated with these injuries and deaths: distraction and sensory deprivation. The distraction caused by the use of electronic devices has been coined "inattentional blindness," in which multiple stimuli divide the brain's mental resource allocation. In cases of headphone-wearing pedestrian collisions with vehicles, the distraction is intensified by sensory deprivation, in which the pedestrian's ability to hear a train or car warning signal is masked by the sounds produced by the portable electronic device and headphones.

Dr. Lichenstein says the study was initiated after reviewing a tragic pediatric death where a local teen died crossing railroad tracks. The teen was noted to be wearing headphones and did not avoid the oncoming train despite auditory alarms. Further review revealed other cases not only in Maryland but in other states too. "As a pediatric emergency physician and someone interested in safety and prevention, I saw this as an opportunity to -- at minimum -- alert parents of teens and young adults of the potential risk of wearing headphones where moving vehicles are present," he says.

###

Lichenstein R, Smith D, Ambrose J, Moody L. "Headphone use and pedestrian injury and death in the United States: 2004-2011." Injury Prevention. Published online January 17, 2012. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2011-040161. Journalists may access the paper at http://press.psprings.co.uk/ip/january/ip040161.pdf

University of Maryland Medical Center: http://www.umm.edu

Thanks to University of Maryland Medical Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 18 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116798/Headphone_distracted_pedestrians_face_death__serious_injury

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The Culture Gabfest, ? ¡Ay, Marimba!? Edition

In this week's Culture Gabfest, our critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner weigh in on ?Rob!, the new sitcom starring comedian Rob Schneider. Next, they debate SOPA, the proposed anti-piracy legislation that?s got Silicon Valley up in arms. For their final segment, Gabfesters relate the story of the New York Philharmonic, Mahler?s 9^th symphony, and a very unfortunate marimba ringtone.

Here are some links to the things we discussed this week:

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=7a203002836a1a6e6701989886041970

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Tupac Created 'Juice' Character From Life Experience

'Bishop didn't make Tupac; Tupac made Bishop,' Treach tells 'RapFix Live' 20 years after film's release.
By Rob Markman, with additional reporting credit by Sway Calloway

"Juice"
Photo: Paramount

When "Juice" was released 20 years ago on January 17, 1992, the performance of noted rapper but first-time actor Tupac Shakur took critics by surprise. The socially aware, politically driven MC lit up the screen as fiery, gun-crazed thug Bishop. It was a departure from the rapper hip-hop had come to know through more positive songs like "Brenda's Got a Baby."

A year after "Juice" premiered, 'Pac went on to release his second album, Strictly 4 My N.-.-.-.A.Z., before experiencing legal trouble, then a serious rap beef with the Notorious B.I.G. a few years after that and, of course, his murder in 1996. Some believe that after "Juice," Tupac took on the persona of the fictional and troublesome Bishop, and as a result, his life experienced a downward spiral.

Not the case, said 'Pac's friend, "Juice" co-star and Naughty by Nature rapper Treach. "I would definitely disagree with it," Treach said without reservation when he appeared on Wednesday's (January 18) episode of "RapFix Live." "Bishop didn't make Tupac; Tupac made Bishop."

Treach — who appeared in the film and, along with Naughty by Nature, contributed the '90s rap hit "Uptown Anthem" to the movie's soundtrack — revealed that he originally read for the role of Bishop. Things didn't go so well, however, and when Shakur auditioned immediately after him, Treach knew his buddy would get the film's starring role.

Tupac's mother and father were both members of the Black Panther Party, and Treach believes that 'Pac's exposure to the progressive and militant movement helped prep him for the role."He grew up a soldier; he grew up learning different lessons on the streets that not even I had known about," he said.

"He knew different stuff from different facets of life," Treach added. "That's what made him be able to get into that character like that and make that character seem so real, because he had his own life experiences that made him phenomenal at bringing that out through the music and through the film."

What do you think of 'Pac's performance in "Juice"? Let us know in the comments.

Check out everything we've got on "Juice."

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

Related Videos

• 'RapFix Live' Celebrates 20 Years Of 'Juice' With Treach

Related Artists

• Tupac
• Naughty By Nature

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677509/rapfix-live-tupac-juice-naughty-by-nature-treach.jhtml

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It?s a Girl - In India, China and many other parts of the...

It?s a Girl?-?In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of this so-called ?gendercide?.

This documentary film tells the stories of abandoned and trafficked girls, of women who suffer extreme dowry-related violence, of brave mothers fighting to save their daughters? lives, and of other mothers who would kill for a son. Global experts and grassroots activists put the stories in context and advocate different paths towards change, while collectively lamenting the lack of any truly effective action against this injustice.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youmightfindyourself/~3/syTa3ihQwP4/16068493310

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Top official dismisses concerns about Kim Jong Un (AP)

PYONGYANG, North Korea ? A senior North Korean official dismissed concerns about Kim Jong Un's readiness to lead, saying he spent years working closely with his late father and helping him make key policy decisions on economic and military affairs.

In the first interview with foreign journalists by a high-level North Korean official since Kim Jong Il's Dec. 17 death, Politburo member and Kim family confidante Yang Hyong Sop told The Associated Press that North Koreans were in good hands with their young new leader. He emphasized an unbroken continuity from father to son that suggests a continuation of Kim Jong Il's key policies.

"We suffered the greatest loss in the history of our nation as a result of the sudden, unexpected and tragic loss of the great leader Kim Jong Il," he said in the interview Monday at Mansudae Assembly Hall, seat of the North Korean legislative body.

"But still, we are not worried a bit," he added, "because we know that we are being led by comrade Kim Jong Un, who is fully prepared to carry on the heritage created by the great Gen. Kim Jong Il."

Despite Yang's assertion of a lengthy behind-the-scenes role for Kim Jong Un, the world was introduced to the heir only in September 2010, prior to which he had been kept out of the public eye for most of his life. Though still in his 20s, he was quickly promoted to four-star general and named a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The new ruler's youth and quick ascension to power have raised questions in foreign capitals about how ready he is to rule over this nation of 24 million with a nuclear program as well as chronic trouble feeding all its people.

Yang said he had no concerns about Kim's ability to lead.

"The respected comrade Kim Jong Un had long assisted the great Gen. Kim Jong Il," he told AP. "It's not a secret that he has helped the great general in many different aspects ? not only in military affairs but also the economy and other areas as well."

Daily life in this cold, somber capital has begun to return to normal one month after Kim's death, reportedly from a heart attack while riding on his private train.

The white mourning bouquets and massive portraits of the departed leader have been cleared from Pyongyang's main buildings and monuments. People are busy getting back to daily life, with children whizzing down icy slopes on wooden sleds and workers running to catch morning buses and trams as the Kim Jong Un ode "Footsteps" blares over loudspeakers.

Vast Kim Il Sung Square, where a sea of mourners converged after Kim's death, was ghostly quiet except for a few people who scurried quickly across the frigid plaza.

In recent weeks, as North Koreans filled the capital's streets with their emotive mourning and the government staged elaborate funeral proceedings, party and military officials moved quickly to install Kim's son as "supreme leader" of the people, party and military.

A soft-spoken octogenarian who is vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and a standing member of the powerful Political Bureau of the Communist party's Central Committee, Yang has long-standing ties with the Kim family that stretch back to his close alliance with the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung.

During a 2010 interview with Associated Press Television News in Pyongyang, he provided the first confirmation by a government official that Kim Jong Un would eventually become the nation's next leader.

"He knows what the exact intention of the great Gen. Kim Jong Il was," he said Monday.

His comments this week indicated there would be little change to major policies laid out by Kim Jong Un's father in the three years before his death. Yang said the new leader was focused on a "knowledge-based" economy and looking at economic reforms enacted by other nations, including China.

The North has increasingly looked to China for guidance on how to revitalize its moribund economy, particularly as South Korea, Japan and other nations have frozen trade and aid to the North amid concerns about its nuclear ambitions.

Little is known about Kim Jong Un's background and experience, though North Koreans have been told he studied at Kim Il Sung Military University and was involved in military operations such as the November 2010 artillery attack on a South Korean island that killed four South Koreans.

Earlier this month, North Korea's state-run broadcaster aired a documentary about the new leader that began filling in some blanks from before his public debut.

The footage shows him observing the April 2009 launch of a long-range rocket and quotes him threatening to wage war against any nation attempting to intercept the rocket, which North Korea claimed was carrying a communications satellite but the United States, South Korea and Japan say was really a test of its long-range missile technology.

It was the first indication of his involvement in that controversial launch.

Yet if Kim Jong Un was playing a prominent behind-the-scenes role prior to 2010, his training period would have been much shorter than that of his Kim Jong Il, who spent 20 years working under his own father, Kim Il Sung. Even after his father's death, Kim Jong Il observed a three-year mourning period before formally assuming leadership.

___

Follow AP's Korea Bureau Chief Jean H. Lee at twitter.com/newsjean and Chief Asia Photographer David Guttenfelder at twitter.com/dguttenfelder.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_kim_jong_un

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