'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.
In this era of magic and politics, of man and monster, we are heroes; we are scum.
We are bad hands of society, tied to the same fate.
Hope you don't mind a little red on those shoes.
Once, we were blind. We heard the devils arrive, heard them ravage and plunder and eat their fill, but you'd be lucky to catch hair, club, or third eye of them. They're crafty beasts. They got a few eras' worth of experience behind 'em, and all logic says they've got the upper hand. You start panicking. It's natural.
Ever invited a demon into your home? Not voluntarily, at least. But they're persistent creatures; they have their awkward methods of socializing, and they do enjoy tea with their flesh. You need to take action, but the samurai wanderin' ain't so noble no more. You want to play the village hero, but your blade is "broken," conveniently enough. So you call the Demon Queller, of course?you call Shoki. And Shoki takes his big ole boomin' voice, waves that sword round, and your demon infestation is naught more but cause for boys' festivals.
Shoki was special, see. He was also uglier than shit. He got evil on his side, turned it good. The yokai, as the demons were called, behaved themselves. They say the Demon Queller is reincarnated every hundred years or so, and our current savior just so happens to be a woman who, not knowing any better, gave her heart to a devil. A real troubled fellow. He heads the yakuza, just a bunch of men who get their kicks from racketeering, gambling, extortion, real gangster stuff. No big deal.
Once, we were blind, but you'd be hard pressed to miss the creatures of myth in this day. The yakuza? They got a whole lot of them in their ranks, became one family in the process. It's been about half a century of peace?nail-bitingly unstable peace, but peace no less. As stories go, however, things gotta change. And in this case, change can be a scary, violent thing.
WHOAKEY, confusing intro aside, I'm guess you're here for the umbrellas. Bad Hands is, essentially, a mythological mafia roleplay based primarily on Asian lore. Players would assume the role of either man or monster in the Takano Clan, working the mob life just as things are starting to go to hell. Races such as oni, tengu, and kappa would be available, as well as a host of others in the vast Japanese bestiary. I'm planning an open-world where writers would be welcome to engage in all sorts of shenanigans, with an arc-based story and missions available for various positions of the yakuza hierarchy. Yeah. Because this was in such high demand.
This is a large project, and because my first GM'ing experience was marred by the absence of a friend, I'd adore having someone to help plot and keep track of things. I apologize if this seems a bit vague; I've a wealth of information I'm setting up for people unfamiliar with the folklore, so consider this an abridged version of what to come. Comments, questions, send 'em all in. I'd be ecstatic to hear from at least one of you.
Happy holidays~ Hope you'd like to spend your new year with the losers.
Clingman's Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Our readers have submitted some stunning photos from around the world this year. We often get hundreds of submissions each week, and it's very hard to select just a few dozen to feature.
In order to showcase this year's best It's a Snap submissions, we rounded up 15 that won a gallery vote throughout the year. As you'll see below, these photos capture brilliant colors, amazing scenes and beautiful angles. There are majestic mountains, dramatic Western landscapes, impressive bodies of water and even a few animals. Scroll through this gorgeous set of images and vote for your favorite at the bottom.
Aaron Keigher
Horseshoe Bend in Page, Ariz.
Patricia DiLuiggio / UGC
Valley Of the Ten Peaks in Banff National Park, Canada
Andrea Ihlefeld / UGC
Jim Walker / UGC
Jeffrey Bower / UGC
Peter McIntosh / UGC
Chattahoochee National Forest, Ga.
Harry Pherson / UGC
Elakala Falls, Blackwater Falls State Park, W. Va.
Alex Sokolow / UGC
Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
Chris Carr / UGC
Kihei beach, Maui, Hawaii
Michael Toma / UGC
Prairie lightning in Wyoming
David Bullock / UGC
Deer at Seven Mile Hill, The Dalles, Ore.
Tod Carroll / UGC
Matthew Smith / UGC
Jennifer Blom / UGC
If you have photos you'd like to share, submit them for a chance to be featured in the weekly gallery by clicking here and scrolling down.
You can also join our It's A Snap Facebook community by clicking here, and share your photos with others.
Which photo is your favorite?
?
2. Horseshoe Bend in Page, Ariz.
?
13.3%
(6 votes)
8. Elakala Falls, Blackwater Falls State Park, W. Va.
?
13.3%
(6 votes)
10. Kihei beach, Maui, Hawaii
?
11.1%
(5 votes)
12. Deer at Seven Mile Hill, The Dalles, Ore.
?
11.1%
(5 votes)
13. Glacier Bay, Alaska
?
8.9%
(4 votes)
1. Clingman's Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
?
6.7%
(3 votes)
7.Chattahoochee National Forest, Ga.
?
6.7%
(3 votes)
4. Albuquerque, N.M.
?
6.7%
(3 votes)
5. Iguasu Falls, Argentina
?
6.7%
(3 votes)
14. Pelicans in Aruba
?
4.4%
(2 votes)
9. Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
?
4.4%
(2 votes)
11. Prairie lightning in Wyoming
?
4.4%
(2 votes)
3. Valley Of the Ten Peaks in Banff National Park, Canada
For those of you show-offs who find a regular Rubik’s Cube too easy, there’s the Simplicity Cubic 3x3x7 Uneven IQ Brick from Brando’s toy selection.? Brando says this toy offers left and right brain training, and IQ & EQ training.? They also say that it will provide fun in your home and at your office.? [...]
The Superior High School football team, coached by Bob DeMeyer, was named the Big Rivers Conference?s Sportsmanship winner for the 2011 football season.
This is the second straight year the Spartan football team has won this award.
SAN ANTONIO ? Ron Paul wants to legalize pot and shut down the Federal Reserve. He thinks the federal government has no authority to outlaw abortion, no business bombing Iran to keep it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and no justification to print money unless it's backed up by gold bars.
And he might win the Iowa caucuses.
The closer the first votes of the 2012 presidential campaign get, the more competitive the Texas congressman has become. It's a moment his famously fervent supporters have longed for. Plenty of others are asking: What's Ron Paul about, again?
As in his two prior quixotic campaigns for president, Paul has toiled for months as a fringe candidate best known for staking out libertarian positions. As every other Republican candidate lined up to attack President Barack Obama's health care law and to promise tax cuts, Paul again demanded audits of the Federal Reserve and a return to the gold standard.
Leading in some state polls, Paul is getting a look from mainstream voters in Iowa, where the 76-year-old obstetrician has emerged as a serious contender in the Jan. 3 caucuses ? and in other early voting states, should he pull off a victory.
The sudden rush of attention to Paul's resume hasn't been kind. He's spent the past week disowning racist and homophobic screeds in newsletters he published decades ago, including one following the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that read, ?Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to collect their welfare checks three days after rioting began.?
?Everybody knows I didn't write them and they're not my sentiments, so it's sort of politics as usual,? Paul said during a recent Iowa campaign stop.
Looking to cut into Paul's support, rivals laid into him on Tuesday.
In an interview on CNN, Newt Gingrich said Paul holds ?views totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American.? And Rick Santorum chided, ?The things most Iowans like about Ron Paul are the things he's least likely to accomplish and the things most Iowans are worried about about Ron Paul are the things he can accomplish.?
Paul returns to Iowa on Wednesday, giving his impressive grass-roots organization in the state a last chance to present, and perhaps defend, positions he's staked out over a long political career and reiterated during the 13 Republican debates held this year.
Paul has served a dozen terms in Congress as a Republican, but he espouses views that have made him the face of libertarianism in the U.S. He blames both Republicans and Democrats for running up the federal debt and opposes any U.S. military involvement overseas. He wants to bring home all troops from all U.S. bases abroad.
He vows to do away with five Cabinet-level departments ? Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior ? and repeal the amendment to the Constitution that created the federal income tax. He opposes federal flood insurance and farm subsidies and wants to remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances while allowing states to decide how to regulate it.
He says he'll cut $1 trillion out of the first budget he offers as president. He doesn't believe in a border fence but says illegal immigrants shouldn't get a free education in public schools.
He's reliably described by political pundits as non-establishment, quirky, unorthodox. During a Republican debate in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this month, Paul defended his views and rejected the idea that they make him unelectable.
?The important thing is, the philosophy I'm talking about is the Constitution and freedom, and that brings people together,? Paul said. ?It brings independents in the fold and it brings Democrats over on some of these issues.?
Paul doesn't always side with the most extreme conservative proposals. When it comes to Gingrich's suggestion that judges could be hauled before Congress to explain their rulings, Paul joined other Republicans in dismissing the idea.
Paul's recent surge in Iowa isn't the first time the GOP establishment has been forced to pay attention to him. A fundraising blitz that netted $5 million in one day in 2008 led Republican operatives to weigh whether he was a bigger threat to siphon votes than previously thought.
Now he may be in his best position yet to do more than just steal votes.
?I see this philosophy as being very electable, because it's an American philosophy, it's the rule of law,? Paul said.
Recently, many customers reported the Windows Firewall issue. This seemed to be caused by a wide spread malicious application.
Symptom:
The error message "Windows Firewall can't change some of your settings. Error code 0x80070424" will pop up when you try to change the Windows Firewall settings. In the meantime, when you restart the system, it might pop up an error saying that "Base Filtering Engine Service" could not be found in the system.
Please note that the same error code could?pop up when?you try doing anything in Windows Defender.
Resolution:
Download the registry files (You can also export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BFE from another working PC) 1055.BFE.reg
Launch and import them to registry
Restart your PC
Now,open RUN and type
regedit and click ok
go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BFE
Right click on it-permissions
Click on ADD and type
Everyone and click ok
Now Click on Everyone
Below you have permission for users
Select full control and click ok
Now,open RUN and type services.msc and click ok
start base filtering engine service and then windows firewall service
Good luck
Note:Modifying REGISTRY settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the configuring of REGISTRY settings can be solved. Modifications of these settings are at your own risk...
This position will serve as PetSmart Charities? webmaster and will have full responsibility for the day-to-day management, maintenance and content of the organization?s websites, micro-sites, and social media presence. He or she will write and edit web, blog, and micro-blog content as well as edit digital images, video, and audio. Additionally, the Manager of Social Media & Online Communications plans and executes online communication programs designed to create and maintain a favorable image for PetSmart Charities and encourage engagement, with oversight by the Senior Manager of Communications and Director of Marketing and Communications.
Responsibilities will include leading the development, production, content and implementation of electronic marketing strategies including, but not limited to, websites, social media, e-mail marketing, SEO, online advertising, and other forms of electronic communications delivery.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Online Community Coordinator
Essential Duties
Develop and execute online communications and campaigns (including initial planning, testing, production and implementation of campaigns) to achieve strategic and tactical goals and objectives to enhance communications with the public and increase awareness for PetSmart Charities and its programs.
Produce all possible forms of online content including websites, online videos, online advertising, and e-mail.
Develop strategies, tactics and content to drive consumers to PetSmart Charities? websites and social media channels.
Manage, enhance? and expand the company?s social media program including Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, YouTube channel, RSS feeds, and other electronic communications channels,
Develop, manage, and edit video content for PetSmart Charities? YouTube channel.
Draft, edit, and post updated, new, and timely content across all online channels.
Translate print publications into content for online media and manage digital publications.
Manage website maintenance and functionality including full oversight of website vendors and service providers.
Track and report on trends and performance of PetSmart Charities? online presence by identifying appropriate metrics and evaluating the effectiveness of electronic marketing channels and content.
Make recommendations on best practices for search engine optimization and implement, as necessary.
Identify opportunities to leverage emerging and established web trends to inform and motivate key constituencies. Help develop and maintain new tools and channels
Determine and procure the best software solutions to meet PetSmart Charities? online communications needs.
Assist in integrating online and offline communications in support of communications plans designed to achieve larger organizational objectives.
Manage paid search bid and web advertising efforts.
Track projects to budget and schedule in coordination with both internal and external Web development resources.
Manage the online communications budget.
Develop talent and provide quality review and oversight.
Other duties as assigned.
?
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
A minimum bachelor?s degree in Communication, Public Relations, Journalism, English or related field from a four-year college or university; minimum 10 years of communication experience, including at least 5 years in an online-communication function utilizing HTML, social media and appropriate Web-based communication software. Master?s degree preferred.
SKILLS
Managing successful online campaigns
Excellent writing and editing skills
Strong background in technical aspects of web and digital communications functionality, and have advanced proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript,? PHP, CMS; WordPress; web analytics; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vimeo, and YouTube; Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign); and Microsoft Office
Hiring and supervising staff and freelancers
Understanding of and experience working with software products and measurement tools used in online organizing
Strong strategic thinking, including the ability to see how online marketing can help achieve an organization?s strategic objectives
Marketing for nonprofit organizations and causes, especially fundraising and/or advocacy
Excellent graphic design skills
Knowledge of online video technologies and production standards
10.? Knowledge of the Convio Content Management System and Convio Online Management tools
11.? Knowledge of server technologies
12.? Ability to demonstrate strong customer service skills to maintain effective, positive professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders and constituents
13.? Knowledge of AP Style
14.? Strong ability to research, write and edit compelling, accurate and useful copy for various media types
15.? Ability to demonstrate diplomacy and negotiating tactics, as well as the ability to coach, motivate and inspire others to perform
16.? Proven ability to work with all levels of staff and management
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- Former Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has turned down the chance to take charge of Colombia - the second offer he's refused in four months.
Colombian football federation president Luis Bedoya says Martino, who is from Argentina, decided to accept an offer to coach Argentine club Newell's Old Boys instead. Bedoya says the federation will "continue looking for a coach with international experience.''
Martino took Paraguay to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup and final of the Copa America in July. He turned down an initial offer to coach Colombia in August.
After Martino's rejection, Colombia turned to former player Leonel Alvarez, who oversaw three World Cup qualifying matches before being dismissed earlier this month.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
TOKYO (Reuters) ? More than half the Japanese public oppose a proposed doubling of the country's 5 percent sales tax by mid-decade, a newspaper poll showed on Monday, boding ill for the government's aim of fleshing out its plan on overhauling taxes by a self-imposed year-end deadline.
The government is in the final stage of debate on sales tax hikes to pay for rising welfare costs, a step towards fiscal consolidation in a nation whose public debt is already twice the size of its $5 trillion economy.
But Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, a fiscal hawk who took office in September, is struggling to win broad support for the proposal to double the tax rate that was originally floated in June, with some ruling party members against it.
Among the public, those who disapprove of the sales tax increase comes to 53 percent, while more than 38 percent support it, a poll conducted over the weekend by the Nikkei business daily showed.
The sticking point in the ongoing debate is the exact timing of sales tax rises, along with which areas of welfare spending to expand and on tax credits for low-income families.
The opposition, which controls the upper house, earlier this month voted to censure two of Noda's ministers in the chamber, signaling he may face an uphill battle obtaining support for the tax plan.
The same Nikkei poll also showed that support for Noda's government has dropped to 36 percent, a fall of over 30 points since he took office and much less than the 53 percent who disapprove of him.
Fifty percent of the latter cited Noda's poor management of the government and the ruling party while 45 percent said he lacks leadership.
(Reporting by Rie Ishiguro; Editing by Joseph Radford)
O.J. Simpson, John DeLorean, Claus von Bulow and Casey Anthony. In each of these cases, the public (aroused to quick judgments by reporters and headline writers on deadline) would have convicted in a heartbeat. Still, each of these defendants was acquitted. How? How is it that those juries did not -- unanimously, as the law requires -- see the case the way the rest of us did?
Some would argue that those juries were simply stupid. Others that the jurors rightly put aside the sometimes hysterical press coverage and instead decided the case based only on what they heard in the courtroom. Either is possible -- the System isn't perfect by a long shot.
* * * The real question, though, is whether the System under which we have operated since the Magna Carta has become more vulnerable today. Meaning, can jurors in high-profile cases today put aside the onrush of "published" opinions that may infect them in ways that decrease the likelihood they will be able to "stand on the ramparts" as did Henry Fonda's "Juror #8" character in 12 Angry Men?
We all know that internet advertisements hugely impact us -- i.e., we buy "stuff" in droves as a result of having seen the subliminal displays lodged in the interstices of an internet page. With controversial criminal cases, do the subliminal internet musings of op-ed contributors subtly persuade us even if we don't realize it? Perhaps.
Let's look at Sandusky for some perspective, although that case is obviously still light-years from a courtroom verdict. Sandusky's lawyer chose to waive a preliminary hearing and proceed directly to trial, or, when that day comes, maybe plead guilty. Of course, in the meanwhile, his lawyer maintains that Sandusky "waived" solely because of the prosecutor's eleventh hour offer that, if armed with a waiver, he wouldn't ask the court to raise Sandusky's bail. Or perhaps it was because Sandusky's lawyer finally recognized that, in such a hearing, the world would have heard just one side of the horrible story -- not the new emerging defense from one of his lawyers, under which he now says it was only hypothetical that Sandusky was actually trying to teach underprivileged kids the value and means of proper showering.
Yes, Sandusky has been called a coward on the internet for opting out of a hearing. However, strategically, it may have been the right decision for his lawyer to have made. Despite Sandusky's public pronouncement that he will fight this case "for four quarters," he may ultimately plead guilty if he harbors any hope to see a single day of freedom before he dies. A public airing of this evidence would not have boded well for him. Just imagine what the Pennsylvania Attorney General would face if she offered a guilty plea deal offering less than life imprisonment after the public has actually seen and heard what currently is only alleged. Try to visualize the impact of these young men having testified while wiping aside their tears over what they allege they have had to endure.
We don't weep for Sandusky. As do all "commentators," we have the right to "personally" convict him based on our own idiosyncratic views of the case. But why has the public convicted him at this early stage? The reports, of course, are terrible. However, the public's disdain this time isn't based solely on fact reportage by traditional journalists who attend court, observe proceedings, interview sources, and report the interviewees' disclosures in compliance with sometimes demanding sourcing rules (depending on the publication). Still, even tabloid journalists at the low end of the food chain obtain quotes from experts in the field to support and buttress their stories and the story lines.
Conversely, internet "journalists" -- i.e., bloggers -- quietly sit at their keyboards far away from any courtroom. Some never speak to a witness -- or possibly anyone. Yet they have the capacity to stoke the flames of public recrimination against a defendant simply by posting robust "writing" (not reporting) about things they only "know" through the internet. These bloggers not only have the capacity to influence public opinion; they have the capacity to influence official action by prosecutors and judges who must approve guilty plea deals. How many prosecutors and judges will stand up to the internet drumbeat? Not many, and maybe Sandusky's seemingly over-his-head lawyer may have recognized that reality.
America is indeed a land of free speech and press. But, psychologically, people tend to believe what they read in black and white. If someone writes or blogs on a website, rather than merely offer his opinion at the water cooler, he and his musings promptly gain enormously more approbation than may be warranted. Ten million people reportedly "follow" Ashton Kutcher on Twitter. Why? What if Kutcher tweets that Jerry Sandusky is "Not Guilty"? Kutcher's say-so alone could carry the day for millions of people, even though Kutcher may know absolutely nothing other than what he read online.
True: O.J. Simpson was acquitted despite powerful evidence against him and an unprecedented and angry mob that attended his trial. But remember this: in the era of the internet, the Simpson trial was a lifetime ago, before the blogosphere. When Simpson was tried in 1995, no one -- certainly not a nobody -- could stand in his apartment, tapping at his computerized bully pulpit, and share his "pearls" with literally the entire world just by hitting his "send" key. No one, then, could assert (even anonymously) to the entire world -- including the Simpson jury pool -- that O.J. also was a stealth getaway driver for Lee Harvey Oswald in the Kennedy assassination, as I have just done (save for the anonymity). Indeed, no matter how ferociously I might try to retract this false impression I have created, someone down the chain of Google search infamy, a reader would encounter my saying that O.J. was a getaway driver for Lee Harvey Oswald. The shelf life for what is "reported" on the internet is eternal. What one reads on it is almost incapable of erasure: it is indelibly etched in the collective memory of those who have had the ability to turn on a computer. My name, along with O.J.'s and Lee Harvey Oswald's, will always be there, conjoined with the others, available to anyone without any need for expertise in encryption sciences.
If through some perverse "miracle," each Sandusky "victim" were to honestly retract his testimony in open court, testifying, e.g., that a Big Ten rival football coach put each up to falsely accusing Sandusky in order to deflate the Penn State football program, it would simply be too late. Fifty years from now, Sandusky would still be a child rapist "convicted" by the world.
Yes, given the public outcry, Sandusky is an unsympathetic case in which to raise this issue. But it is an issue that potentially faces every single defendant who is well enough known to warrant reportage. Just Google your own name, if it has ever appeared on a website, and see what pops up -- see how indiscriminately and (perhaps) offensively it connects you to things that may truly surprise you, and criminal episodes that don't involve you. It's sort of like playing telephone -- virally gone wild. And, bear in mind, this is without you every having been charged with a crime.
By the way, although you won't read this too often on the internet -- this is just my opinion!
Amazon-owned movie streaming company Lovefilm and Sony Pictures Television have signed a multi-year content deal giving Lovefilm customers exclusive streaming access to new and forthcoming Sony Pictures titles during the second subscription pay TV window, as well as catalogue titles and TV series, from June 2012.
The agreement with Sony Pictures Television is the latest in a line of exclusive content deals announced by Lovefilm in the UK in recent months, including deals with Warner Bros, Entertainment One, Studiocanal, Disney, Momentum and Lionsgate.
Lovefilm customers members will be able to stream Sony Pictures titles including The Social Network and action-thriller Salt at no extra cost and as part of their existing subscription.
Simon Calver, chief executive of Lovefilm, said: ?Our latest major content agreement means we?ll be able to exclusively offer our members world-class content from Sony Pictures. The number of recent high profile deals we have secured means we are able to keep expanding the service, offering our members high quality films and TV and the ability to watch as much as they want for one low monthly price.?
Contact: Andrea Moser amoser@sanfordburnham.org 858-646-3146 Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Washington D.C. and La Jolla, Calif., December 23, 2011 John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D., and Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., of Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), have been named as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
This year's AAAS Fellows were formally announced today in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science.
As part of the section on Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Reed was elected as an AAAS Fellow for contributions to the field of cell biology, particularly mechanisms of apoptosis and programmed cell death, including the links to cancer, innate immunity, and brain diseases. Dr. Reed serves as Chief Executive Officer, professor and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford-Burnham.
As part of the section on Neuroscience, Dr. Lipton was elected as an AAAS Fellow for studies of ion channels and redox signaling pathways in neurodegeneration and development of pharmacological agents for the treatment of nervous system dysfunctions. Dr. Lipton serves as professor and Scientific Director of Sanford-Burnham's Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the Association's 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee's institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.
The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.
This year 539 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, February 18 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
###
About Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. Sanford-Burnham, with operations in California and Florida, is one of the fastest-growing research institutes in the country. The Institute ranks among the top independent research institutions nationally for NIH grant funding and among the top organizations worldwide for its research impact. From 1999 2009, Sanford-Burnham ranked #1 worldwide among all types of organizations in the fields of biology and biochemistry for the impact of its research publications, defined by citations per publication, according to the Institute for Scientific Information. According to government statistics, Sanford-Burnham ranks #2 nationally among all organizations in capital efficiency of generating patents, defined by the number of patents issued per grant dollars awarded.
Sanford-Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford-Burnham is a nonprofit public benefit corporation.
For more information about Sanford-Burnham research, visit our blog (http://beaker.sanfordburnham.org) or follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/SanfordBurnham).
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the worlds largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to advance science and serve society through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Andrea Moser amoser@sanfordburnham.org 858-646-3146 Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Washington D.C. and La Jolla, Calif., December 23, 2011 John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D., and Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., of Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), have been named as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
This year's AAAS Fellows were formally announced today in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science.
As part of the section on Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Reed was elected as an AAAS Fellow for contributions to the field of cell biology, particularly mechanisms of apoptosis and programmed cell death, including the links to cancer, innate immunity, and brain diseases. Dr. Reed serves as Chief Executive Officer, professor and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford-Burnham.
As part of the section on Neuroscience, Dr. Lipton was elected as an AAAS Fellow for studies of ion channels and redox signaling pathways in neurodegeneration and development of pharmacological agents for the treatment of nervous system dysfunctions. Dr. Lipton serves as professor and Scientific Director of Sanford-Burnham's Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the Association's 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee's institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.
The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.
This year 539 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, February 18 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
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About Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. Sanford-Burnham, with operations in California and Florida, is one of the fastest-growing research institutes in the country. The Institute ranks among the top independent research institutions nationally for NIH grant funding and among the top organizations worldwide for its research impact. From 1999 2009, Sanford-Burnham ranked #1 worldwide among all types of organizations in the fields of biology and biochemistry for the impact of its research publications, defined by citations per publication, according to the Institute for Scientific Information. According to government statistics, Sanford-Burnham ranks #2 nationally among all organizations in capital efficiency of generating patents, defined by the number of patents issued per grant dollars awarded.
Sanford-Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford-Burnham is a nonprofit public benefit corporation.
For more information about Sanford-Burnham research, visit our blog (http://beaker.sanfordburnham.org) or follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/SanfordBurnham).
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the worlds largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to advance science and serve society through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.
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Yet another Apple rumor to serve you. This time, it?s all about the iPad 3 and its possible features.
Yes, Apple is expected to release a new tablet next year that might use the ?iPad 3? name. Early reports say it will arrive by second quarter of 2012, similar to previous iPad releases.
According to eWeek, Apple?s iPad 3 could feature the voice assistant SIRI citing reports circulating online. Apparently, the iPhone 4S customers say the new voice command feature is the ?best feature? beating the new dual-core A5 chip and the new 8-megapixel camera, so it looks like Apple can sell more iPads if it will also give the next-gen tablet a sexy voice command treatment.
Rumors also add that the next iPad will feature a better LCD screen citing months-old reports posted online like the statement from LG Display CEO who said that the ?Retina? display is coming to the iPad and other non-iPhone smartphones.
The ?revolution? of Android smartphones is ongoing. In fact, the latest phone from Google and Samsung, the Galaxy Nexus, features a 4.65-inch screen with 310 pixels per inch, very close. It is worth noting that the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S feature a 3.5-inch screen with 326 pixels per inch.
One analyst said the iPad 3 might arrive in February, but follow ups from other ?experts? say Apple will still follow the April tradition. Either way, according to new reports, Apple will not release a new tiny tablet to compete against the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Instead, according to these self-proclaimed Apple experts, Apple will release a new iPad next year, and the company will drop the prices of the iPad 2 variants. The possibility of the 8GB iPad is also high, says others.
NEW YORK?? It's time to pencil some savings into your 2012 calendar.
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Throughout the year, there are a variety of steps you can take to pocket some extra cash, whether it's booking airline tickets a month in advance or setting aside tax-free wages to pay for health care costs. In many cases, these are actions that can result in ongoing savings that add up over time.
The problem is that these moves typically require a degree of planning, even if only a minimal amount. And when you're juggling work and the daily tasks of life, such opportunities have a way of sitting on the backburner until it's too late to act.
To ward off another year of missed chances, below is a guide of simple money-saving moves you can make each month in the year ahead. Scan through it now to see whether there are any particular dates or actions you want to flag, and keep the list handy as a reference.
You may discover you've been leaving free money on the table for years.
January DEBT: It's a perennial New Year's resolution, but there's extra incentive to pay down your debt right now. Cash still isn't earning much interest sitting in deposit accounts, with the average rate for a one-year CD clocking in at just 0.35 percent, according to Bankrate.com. So if you're sitting on any extra savings, consider using it to knock off any accumulating credit card debt.
TAXES: To make the most of your taxes, designate an office folder or kitchen drawer where you can keep receipts and other necessary paperwork. A common roadblock when filing returns is a lack of documents to claim deductions.
COLLEGE: Families with college-bound kids will want to get their taxes squared away early. The income and asset figures from the returns will be needed to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which should be completed as soon as possible after Jan. 1. An early application improves the chances of receiving aid from multiple sources. To fill out the form, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov .
February SPENDING: Flowers can become a big part of your Valentine's Day spending, especially if you procrastinate. If you plan on sending a bouquet, start browsing websites early to avoid inflated delivery charges on last-minute orders.
CREDIT CARDS: Sweeping credit card reforms have banned a number of misleading billing practices. But the new rules don't set guidelines on rewards programs, which cardholders often fail to use to their full potential. Take a few minutes to understand the caps, expiration dates and redemption process of your program; a few tweaks to your spending habits could boost the cash back rewards or points that you earn.
ENTERTAINMENT: If you realize you haven't seen any of the Oscar nominated films even though you've been paying for premium channels, it might be time to trim your cable package. The trial offers you were given when first signing up may also have expired.
ENTERTAINMENT: While you're at it, commit to a cap on how much you'll spend on online entertainment each month. It's easy to lose sight of how much you're spending when all you have to do is click "buy."
March
TRAVEL: If you're planning a spring break, remember that the best time to book a flight is four to six weeks before traveling; prices for any given flight are generally highest in the few weeks just before and after that time frame. Airlines also offer the most sales on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
SPENDING: As you store away your cold-weather gear, make a list of any items that need to be replaced for next winter. Then hit the clearance sales ? and avoid impulse buys by shopping only for items on your list.
April
TAXES: Don't panic if you haven't filed your taxes yet. You have until October if you file for an extension, but you'll need to pay any taxes that are due.
BANKING: In honor of Earth Day, check to see if you can save a few bucks by opting for e-statements. The monthly service fee for a basic checking account at U.S. Bank, for example, is $6.95 when customers opt for e-statements. If customers opt for paper statements, however, their monthly fee is $8.95. And while you're making tweaks to your bank account, consider setting up automatic bill pay to guard against late fees.
May SPENDING: If you're dining out on Mother's Day, go online to see if there are any deals available at your mom's favorite restaurants. Start with sites such as BiteHunter.com and Restaurant.com; if your mom is a fast food junkie, try EatDrinkDeals.com.
HOME: Before the weather gets too hot, consider investing in a more efficient air conditioner to save on energy costs. Keep in mind that getting a unit that's too powerful for the space you're cooling can be just as wasteful as getting one that's too weak. The recommended capacities for various room sizes can be found at www.energystar.gov.
COLLEGE: If you're the parent of a high school sophomore or junior, start planning a tour of college campuses this fall. Think about coordinating the visits with another trip and try to get in as many nearby campuses as possible to minimize travel costs.
June
SPENDING: If you have multiple wedding ceremonies to attend this summer, think about where you can cut corners. This could be as simple as limiting how much you spend on new clothes or teaming up with others to buy group presents.
HOME: It's National Homeownership Month and interest rates on mortgages should still be near record lows. If you're still not sure whether you're ready to become a homeowner, check out the renting versus buying calculator on the website of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
HOME: Homeowners should check whether it's worth refinancing. The general rule of thumb is that the new rate should be at least about 1.5 percentage points below your current rate. Otherwise the closing costs may not make the savings worthwhile.
July
INVESTING: The mid-year checkup on your investment portfolio is even more critical in times of market volatility. You want to be sure that market gains and losses haven't knocked your mix of stocks, bonds and cash out of balance. If you don't have a financial planner, consider rebalancing with the help of an online portfolio tool such as Morningstar.com's Portfolio Manager or one offered by Quicken.com
HEALTHCARE: If you're inspired by the Olympics set to take place in London, check whether your employer offers any discounts for health club memberships or programs.
COLLEGE: This is the time of year that families apply for private student loans to bridge funding gaps for college. When evaluating the options, be sure you understand whether the loan has a variable interest rate and what the options would be if payments can't be honored. The rates and terms on private student loans are far less forgiving than on federal student loans.
August
SPENDING: Several states offer tax holidays for back-to-school items on a designated weekend. The timing varies by state, but tax holidays usually start early in the month. If your state had a tax holiday last year, it may run again this year. The Federation for Tax Administrators offers a list of this year's dates and qualifying purchases here.
TRAVEL: It's time for a little number crunching. Set aside an hour or two to review your summer travel and recreation expenses. See how much your vacation ended up costing, compared with how much you intended to spend. Make a note of unexpected expenses you could have avoided and file it away for next summer.
September
COLLEGE: The rise in college costs has far outpaced the rate of inflation; tuition and fees alone are an average of $17,000 a year at public universities. In honor of National College Savings Month, consider setting up a 529 college savings plan for your child. These work like 401(k) accounts and let families invest in the market and withdraw money tax-free to pay for education. Each state offers its own plan; families can invest in plan from any state they like, but there are often tax benefits to picking one from home.
SPENDING: The holiday shopping season is rapidly approaching. Keep spending in check by starting to pay down debt and mapping out a budget.
October
HEALTHCARE: Open-enrollment season arrives in workplaces across the country. Many companies have been tweaking their benefits to keep pace with rising health care costs, so make sure you're still signed up for the plan that best fits your needs. Also consider opening a flexible spending account for health care costs. These accounts let workers set aside tax-free wages for items such as copays and medications.
HEALTHCARE: Don't forget to evaluate how much you spend on medications. Over-the-counter drugs are as much as 50 percent cheaper at Target and Wal-Mart than at local supermarkets, according to Consumer Reports. The big box retailers also charge $4 for a 30-day supply of many generic prescriptions, or $10 for a 90-day supply. Other chains, such as CVS and Rite Aid, offer similar programs.
November
INSURANCE: As you start to review your expenses for the past year, check whether you can cut your auto insurance payment. You may not need as much coverage if your car has aged and depreciated in value since you first signed up for coverage. A clean driving record since then may also qualify you for a lower rate.
TAXES: Start thinking about the year-end moves to lower your tax bill for 2011. For example, consider maxing out contributions to your retirement accounts.
COLLEGE: It's time to have a money talk with new college graduates. The six-month grace period on student loans for May graduates is coming to an end. To make sure your child's credit record remains clean, help work out a budget to juggle payments, rent and living expenses. Graduates who are still looking for employment should investigate their deferment options.
December
SPENDING: You don't have to brave the crowds even if you haven't gotten around to your holiday shopping. Check out the hundreds of retailers that participate in Free Shipping Day in the middle of the month at www.freeshippingday.com. Don't forget to tap into social media sites of retailers to stay on top of special sales.
GIVING: If you plan to give to a charity during the holidays, be sure the group you're donating to is appropriately qualified before making a donation. Remember that charitable contributions can only be deducted if you have receipts to back them up. Further guidance is available on the IRS website.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? A law firm that led mortgage bondholders to extract a $8.5 billion settlement from Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) is turning its sights on JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N).
Houston-based Gibbs & Burns LP said on Friday its clients have instructed trustees overseeing $95 billion of securities issued in the housing boom by JPMorgan's affiliates to investigate whether ineligible mortgages were included in collateral behind the bonds.
Gibbs & Burns said its clients represent holders of more than 25 percent of the voting rights on 243 residential mortgage backed securities.
JPMorgan spokeswoman Kristin Lemkau declined to comment.
The development marks an escalation of legal challenges from the housing bust for JPMorgan. The largest U.S. bank by assets, JPMorgan has been setting aside billions of dollars for claims that mortgage bonds sold by Chase bank, and by companies it bought, were backed by fraudulent loans or otherwise flawed.
Mortgage securities typically set a threshold of 25 percent of voting rights above which organized investors gain additional legal power over the pools, said Greg Taxin of Spotlight Advisors LLC, which advises pension funds on mortgage bond investments.
"This is what started the ball rolling that ultimately led to the $8.5 billion settlement with Bank of America," said Taxin. "The best defense for JPMorgan has been that the investors were not coordinated."
Paul Miller, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, said, "It was only a matter of time before they went after JPMorgan."
The settlement with Bank of America is pending and being challenged in court as insufficient by other holders of its mortgage bonds.
Kathy Patrick of Gibbs & Bruns LLP said in a statement, "Our clients continue to seek a comprehensive solution to the problems of ineligible mortgages in RMBS pools and deficient servicing of those loans."
The investors represented by the firm own securities issued in 2005, 2006 and 2007. They include bonds from Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, two firms which JPMorgan took over during the financial crisis.
JPMorgan is in a better position than Bank of America to deal with the legal claims, said Miller. It is not clear that the bank is responsible for mortgages made by Washington Mutual, which the government put into JPMorgan's hands after it failed, he said.
Bank of America, in contrast, had bought mortgage-maker Countrywide, the source of most of its problem securities, on its own before the crisis.
Also, JPMorgan has already booked litigation expenses when it added to reserves. "For something like this, they are well-reserved," Miller said.
JPMorgan shares closed up 14 cents to $31.90 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.
(Reporting by David Henry; editing by Carol Bishopric)
DUBAI (Reuters) ? Bahraini police fired tear gas and clashed with Shi'ite Muslim protesters on Friday, a day after a man was run over and killed as he fled security forces chasing protesters near Manama, the opposition and a rights group said on Friday.
Tensions have been high in Bahrain since security forces crushed weeks of pro-democracy street protests by the Gulf kingdom's majority Shi'ite Muslims in March.
The police fired tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters, and several people were injured during the clashes which went on for several hours in different Shi'ite villages outside the capital Manama, said Matar Matar, a member of the Shi'ite al Wefaq political bloc.
Doha-based Al Jazeera television aired footage of riot police firing tear gas at protesters.
"Many were injured because of excessive force," Matar told Reuters over the telephone. "Many have head injuries which indicates there is an intention to hurt them."
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) said demonstrator Ali-Ahmed al-Qassab was trying to flee intelligence officers during clashes between hundreds of mainly Shi'ite protesters and riot police on Thursday when a speeding car hit him.
His funeral will be held on Saturday.
"The regime prefers using force and killing people instead of instituting reforms that the people are asking for," Nabeel Rajab, the head of BCHR, told Reuters.
An interior ministry spokesman could not be reached for comment.
TALKS STALLED
Protesters took to the streets in February demanding a bigger role for elected representatives and less power for ruling al-Khalifa family, who are Sunni Muslims. Some Shi'ite groups sought an end to the monarchy altogether.
Bahrain hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet and faces Shi'ite giant Iran on the other side of the Gulf. Iran has denied Bahraini government accusations it has incited the protests.
A government-appointed commission of international jurists found evidence of systematic abuses against detained protesters.
There has been no progress on talks between the government and opposition groups on political reform, and sectarian tensions continue to dog the Gulf Arab island state.
Also on Thursday, police detained Zainab al-Khawaja, a human rights activist and daughter of a prominent opposition leader, after she joined the protesters, many of whom chanted slogans against King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Rajab said.
BEIJING (Reuters) ? The Beijing city government said on Friday it would tighten control over popular microblogs that have vexed authorities with their rapid dissemination of news, giving users three months to register with their real names or face legal consequences.
China has repeatedly criticized microblogs for spreading what it calls unfounded rumors and vulgarities and has issued a series of warnings that online content must be acceptable to the ruling Communist Party.
Microblogs such as Sina's Weibo allow users to issue short messages of opinion -- a maximum of 140 Chinese characters -- that can course through chains of followers who receive messages instantly.
Censors have a hard time monitoring the tens of millions of messages sent every day and users have become expert at using clever, nuanced language to discuss sensitive topics such as human rights and the foibles of the top leadership.
Now, in rules unveiled by the Chinese capital's government and carried by state media, individual and company users must register with their real identification information.
Users have three months to register with "responsible departments for Internet content" or will face legal consequences, state media cited the rules as saying.
However, people will be able to choose their own user names, state-run Xinhua news agency cited an unidentified government spokesman with the Beijing Internet Information Office as saying.
Hong Kong media said the cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou were likely to follow suit.
"Not only will this not affect the development of microblogs, it will help such sites build their brands and improve their service," the government spokesman told Xinhua.
China has more than 300 million registered microbloggers, although many people have more than one account.
Wang Junxiu, an Internet commentator and investor in Beijing, said the new policy would be difficult to implement -- the rules give no details on how they will be enforced -- but nonetheless would have a chilling effect.
"I don't know how they're going to implement this because there are already hundreds of millions of users on microblogs," said Wang, who studies microblog developments.
"How do you go about checking them one by one? It will be very hard to enforce, but it still means that the intensity of controls will grow."
Peng Shaobin, general manager of Sina's microblog service department, told Xinhua that the company had been trying hard to "stop the spread of false information" on microblogs.
"We ... support the regulations," Peng said.
China already blocks foreign social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, fearing the uncensored sharing of images and information could cause instability and harm national security.
DISMAY ONLINE
Chinese microbloggers were quick to share their dismay at the new rules.
"This is a covert way of monitoring what people say and to control public opinion!" complained a user with the screen name of "huitailang." "But think about it another way -- if the subjects of heaven are full of complaints, that's bad for social harmony and for our emperors."
Still, investors may be slightly more relaxed, as they have been expecting tighter regulation for some time now, said Dick Wei, a Hong Kong-based analyst with JPMorgan.
The impact would depend on how the new regulations were executed, he added.
"If you look at the real-name registration for the online-games industry back a couple of years ago, the execution of the real-name registration on the online games industry did not impact the online game usage," Wei said.
Sina and other Chinese microblog operators already deploy technicians and software to monitor content and block and remove comments deemed unacceptable, especially about protests, official scandals and Party leaders.
While the Party has vowed to intensify control over online social media and instant messaging tools, analysts say it is unlikely to shut down what has become an important valve for monitoring and easing social pressures.
The government has also urged ministries, officials and the police to set up their own microblogging accounts to give the public "correct" facts and release authorized information to dispel misunderstandings.
(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley and Huang Yan in BEIJING and Melanie Lee in SHANGHAI)
SeanBamberger 
Amazon-owned movie streaming company Lovefilm and Sony Pictures Television have signed a multi-year content deal giving Lovefilm customers exclusive streaming access to new and forthcoming Sony Pictures titles during the second subscription pay TV window, as well as catalogue titles and TV series, from June 2012.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 23-Dec-2011
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