The Internet Tourist

Early Astronauts Recall 'Ridiculous' Fears

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:59:00 +0000

Breakout Kings: Season 2 Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:57:00 +0000

First Person: Church Becomes Houston Shrine

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:54:00 +0000

STROMBO: Jordan Knight on Whitney Houston's Tragic End

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0000

STROMBO: Neil Peart on 'Moving Pictures': Track By Track

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

FULL INTERVIEW: Wendy Crewson

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Whitney Houston Funeral to See Kevin Coster, Bobby Brown, Oprah In Atten...

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:58:00 +0000

FULL INTERVIEW: John Giorno

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:52:00 +0000

OnLive to start selling streaming game console

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:34:00 +0000

NEW YORK – Video game streaming company OnLive plans to start selling its small gaming console for $99 on Thursday, with delivery starting on Dec. 2.

OnLive lets players stream popular, high-end video games such as "Assassin's Creed" and "NBA 2K11" over the Internet using technology similar to what is already used to stream movies.

Streaming games is more difficult than music and movies because they cannot be compressed into smaller files before they are sent over a broadband connection. Since they are interactive, video games require an immediate reaction to the player's actions.

OnLive says it has come up with a technology that lets its game servers communicate with players in real time. Though console makers have been skeptical, if it works, game streaming could further disrupt the industry that's already seeing retail sales lag this year.

As a promotion, the $99 price will include a free game download, worth up to $50. In addition to the pocket-sized MicroConsole, the package comes with a wireless controller similar to controllers for the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3 and a TV adapter.

Games can be rented or bought with prices ranging from $4 to $50.

Oliver Stone to be honored at Mumbai Film Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:14:00 +0000

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Mumbai Film Festival on Thursday.

"He has never hesitated to tackle any issue however touchy it is. He definitely deserves all our respect," Srinivasan Narayanan, the festival director, told Reuters. "He is one of the most prolific film makers we have today.

Stone's last film, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," the sequel to his 1987 classic, "Wall Street," did modest business.

The director said he had expected some people would be disappointed.

"I think it might disappoint some people that it's not the old 'Wall Street' but I would never remake that film. This is the new Wall Street and it's worse in many ways. It's harder," he said.

Stone has won three Oscars in a career spanning three decades, exploring themes like war, greed and politics.

The 64-year-old film maker, who says his main purpose for the visit to India is to introduce local audiences to his 2004 epic "Alexander," screened a re-cut version of the film, running into four hours late on Wednesday.

"'Alexander' is a three-year long effort, and the new version changes the structure of the film - gives them a chance to understand the relationships in the film," Stone told a news conference.

The film -- which starred Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell and Anthony Hopkins, parts of which were filmed in India -- received a mixed response when it released in 2004.

The 12th Mumbai Film Festival opened on October 21 with David Fincher's "The Social Network."

Comic-Con match-ups: Who won?

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:53:00 +0000

SAN DIEGO (Hollywood Reporter) – The stakes are high at Comic-Con, the pop-culture marathon that took over the San Diego Convention Center -- and much of the surrounding town -- for the past five days.

On one side are the Hollywood studios, looking to win over the hearts and minds of geek tastemakers. On the other side are the self-proclaimed geeks, eagerly inhaling TV and movies but not quite trusting Hollywood to get all the genre fare right.

So who came out on top at this year's edition? Consider some of the epic matchups:

DC COMICS/WARNER BROS. VS. MARVEL

Both companies held forth Saturday, the biggest movie day of the convention.

Warners and DC kicked off their panel for "Green Lantern" with a series of quick shots from its tentpole about an Earthman who joins a galactic police force. Star Ryan Reynolds charmed the audience, but the presentation ran headlong into fan grumblings about the Green Lantern's costume, as depicted on a recent cover of Entertainment Weekly. "It is a work in progress and ... it will eventually look incredibly cool," director Martin Campbell, thrown on the defensive, promised.

Fans had lots of questions, but filmmakers fell back on "We can't tell you about that yet"-style responses. Not what the fans wanted to hear.

Marvel, by contrast, turned its presentation into a rock concert with music blasting over every actor's entrance, generating so much frenzy that the 6,000-plus crowd in Hall H was on its feet screaming for portions of the show.

Marvel knows that if you're appearing at the Con, it's best to give the fanboys something substantial: While "Captain America" is barely a week into production, filmmakers trotted out a good chunk of one scene, with time-code stamps still visible, that showcased the tone and look of its movie, as well as footage of Chris Evans' costume test. Both impressed.

Moving on to "Thor," which doesn't open until May 11, Marvel unveiled an extended made-for-Comic-Con trailer, which drew a response similar to the Con's first look at "Iron Man."

Marvel even staved off a tense moment -- and some boos -- when one fan brought up Edward Norton, who was dropped from playing the Hulk in "The Avengers." Marvel's Kevin Feige addressed it quickly, admitting "He's not here today," but then quoted Norton's own words, saying, "The Hulk is bigger than all of us," before adding quickly, "The panel isn't quite over yet."

A few minutes later, an all-star roster of the actors who have been cast in "Avengers" paraded out onstage -- including Mark Ruffalo, who's been recruited to become the Hulk. For that moment at least, that controversy became moot.

COMIC-CON VS. TCA

The struggle for media power between summer's two biggest TV events -- the San Diego fan convention and the Television Critics Assn. press tour -- tipped more toward Comic-Con than ever before this year, with several networks making announcements that normally would have been part of TCA: USA Network's "Burn Notice" will have a two-hour prequel movie starring cult favorite Bruce Campbell; Linda Hamilton will be joining NBC's "Chuck" next season to play the hero's mom; Felicia Day will be on Syfy's "Eureka" for 10 episodes next season, and Polly Walker is coming to "Sanctuary"; "Glee" will do a "Rocky Horror"-themed episode; and next season "The Simpsons" will welcome Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm and Cheech and Chong as guest stars.

"SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD" VS. "THE OTHER GUYS"

Two August releases used the Con to pump up their profiles. Universal pulled out the stops for its adaptation of the cult graphic novel "Scott Pilgrim," and Columbia boosted "Guys," Will Ferrell's first movie since bombing last summer in "Land of the Lost."

Universal organized one of the convention's best panels, putting director Edgar Wright front and center to present his large cast in zippy clip packages. He then led fans to nearby theater for the first of several screenings. There also was a "Scott Pilgrim vs. Comic-Con Experience," which saw thousands line up daily for a chance to interact with the movie's stars and make silk screen T-shirts, flipbooks and videos.

"Guys" threw what arguably was the funniest presentation. Ferrell started things off by walking onstage, waving, saying hi, and kept on walking by the movie's Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg and director Adam McKay and right off the stage.

He returned to say he was happy to be back in the "whale's vagina," quoting lines from his influential San Diego-set comedy "Anchorman," and Mendes pushed the envelope by flirting with teenage boys in the crowd. The real question is, will the movie be as funny as the panel?

3D vs. 2D

The success of "Avatar," and its 3D presentation at the Con last year opened the floodgates to an unprecedented number of panels requiring 3D glasses. At the same time, other filmmakers hyped up 2D, with battle lines drawn around the 2D-to-3D conversion process.

The "Drive Angry 3D" panel talked frankly about the challenges of shooting a non-CG-intensive movie in 3D, and the 3D "Tron Legacy" presentation had fans focusing not on the format but on the onscreen sci-fi world.

"Priest" director Scott Stewart said his movie's release has been pushed back to convert to it to 3D. "Some films have gotten into trouble for rushing it," he said before showing footage that wasn't half bad.

While Seth Rogen insisted that 3D was part of the conversation since the beginning of "Green Hornet's" development, he acknowledged that that film's footage, converted into 3D, was "by no means 100% finished." The previewed footage didn't convince a lot of the fans.

Meanwhile, such movies as "Cowboys and Aliens" and "The Expendables" boasted of their traditional 2D approach. Director Jon Favreau, who use a few of the Marvel tricks he learned promoting "Iron Man" to preside over a raucous "Cowboys" presentation, said producers considered making the movie 3D but didn't like the conversion process. "Take the money you save (without have to pay for 3D tickets) and see it twice!" he yelled to fans.

BROADCASTERS VS. TWITTER

Hoping to gain positive social media buzz, broadcasters gave Comic-Con fans an early look at the fall pilots for a quartet of shows. It's a high-wire-act -- while Comic-Con fans are fairly representative of the summer box office crowd for studios giving sneak peeks of films, they're not representative of your typical broadcast network demographics. NBC's fall drama "The Event" came up a big winner ("One word: incredible" wrote one fan), while reaction to the network's midseason effort "The Cape" was more subdued ("'The Cape' has some work to do ... but offers enough twists -- and Summer Glau -- to keep us interested"). ABC's upcoming "No Ordinary Family" received a warm reaction ("A solid pilot with a lot of excellent geek highlights") and tweets about the CW's "Nikita" reboot were a bit all over the place ("looks promising; interesting twist on previous incarnations").

GUILLERMO DEL TORO VS. "THE HOBBIT"

When director Guillermo del Toro left "The Hobbit" production at the end of May, it put the future of the two-film J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation in doubt. It also made del Toro a wanted man, with projects being thrown at the filmmaker, who already had a growing heap of personal projects in development.

As the capper to Disney's successful "Tron Legacy" presentation, del Toro appeared to announce that he is co-writing and producing "Haunted Mansion," based on the Disney attraction.

The next day, del Toro talked horror, mentorship and failings of Hollywood movies at the panel for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," the Miramax horror thriller he produced that comes out January 21. The scenes he showed, which echoed his critical hit "The Orphanage," chilled audiences with their moody and tense terror. He promised his next directorial effort will be revealed in the weeks ahead.

But he declined to take part in a "Hobbit" panel thrown by OneRing.net, where there was little to discuss given that "Hobbit," hobbled by MGM's financial situation, remains in limbo.

"THE SIMPSONS" VS. "FAMILY GUY"

A "Simpsons" producer took a rare public swipe at "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane.

A fan asked a question referencing MacFarlane's three successful shows that bracket "Simpsons" on Fox's Sunday night lineup ("Family Guy," "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show"). "Seth MacFarlane has one show three times," said "Simpsons" writer/executive producer Matt Selman.

Asked about Selman's line later that afternoon, MacFarlane referenced Voltaire: "While I disagree with what you're saying, I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

"LET ME IN" VS. "LET THE RIGHT ONE IN"

Die-hard fans have been skeptical about Overture's "Let Me In," an Americanized remake of the Swedish tween vampire movie "Let the Right One In."

Its trailer, focusing on generic horror tropes, did nothing to quell fears. But Overture also previewed two extended clips, which showed the movie to be atmospheric and melancholic and, horror of horrors, true to the spirit of the original.

Director Matt Reeves took on those critics , saying he initially he didn't want to take part in the remake but changed his mind when he read the book on which the movie is based and saw he could tell a story about the pains of adolescence and about growing up in 1980s America.

LOS ANGELES VS. ALIENS

Aliens will invade Los Angeles in two upcoming movies: Columbia's "Battle: Los Angeles" (which was shot in Louisiana) and Rogue's "Skyline" (a low-budget indie shot at a Los Angeles condo).

Both movies had been flying under the radar but picked up traction at the Con -- especially "Battle: LA," which showcased an embedded-with-the-Marines "Black Hawk Down"- meets-"District 9" aesthetic.

CRIME SHOWS VS. GENRE SHOWS

USA's "Burn Notice" and CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" proved one doesn't have to have a spaceship or vampires to be at Comic-Con anymore. By having fan favorites like Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park in the cast, "Five-0" packed its midsize ballroom and convinced more than a few conferencegoers to check out the reboot in the fall.

GEEKS VS. THE REAL WORLD

As the ill-fated "Jonah Hex" proved, what plays at Comic-Con doesn't always succeed at the box office. "Scott Pilgrim" and movies like Gregg Mottola's "Paul," about comic book geeks who encounter an alien, made the most of their time in the Comic-Con spotlight. And Zack Snyder's "Suckerpunch" had folks talking about its cool visual melange of genres.

But studios are becoming more aware that thunderous approval in Hall H doesn't always reach beyond San Diego's Gaslamp district. The Con is an important first skirmish but doesn't always suggest victory at the ultimate battle of the box office.

COMIC-CON FANS VS. FUNDAMENTALIST PROTESTERS

Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, had his protesters picketing the sci-fi worshipers at Comic-Con, saying fans should be reading the Bible instead. Fans in turn staged their own protest, with signs like "God Hates Jedi" and chanting "What do we want? Gay Sex! When do we want it? Now!"

COMIC CON FANS VS. EACH OTHER

It's all fun and games until somebody gets stabbed in the face with a pen. Two friends got into a fight in the cavernous Hall H over seating during Universal's "Cowboys and Aliens" presentation, and one of the men reportedly struck the other in the face with a pen. It was just a scratch, but the news made national headlines ("When nerds attack!") and within hours promoted a slew of jokes from the stage and "Don't stab me" signs.

Togo's ruling, opposition parties claim victory in vote

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:22:00 +0000

LOME — Togo's ruling and opposition parties Friday both claimed victory in a presidential vote amid fears of renewed violence in the tiny west African nation trying to turn the page on electoral bloodshed.

"All the results we have confirm that President Faure (Gnassingbe) has resoundingly, I mean resoundingly, won this election," government spokesman Pascal Bodjona told Radio France Internationale, as votes were being counted following Thursday's poll.

Earlier, opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) claimed he had won the election.

"Results compiled at the voting centres in our possession give a comfortable lead to the candidate of the UFC," said Fabre, the candidate for the Union of Forces for Change, told a news conference, estimating he had won "an average of between 75 and 80 percent of votes."

Togo's independent electoral commission (CENI) said it would publish official results on Saturday.

The election is widely seen as a test of whether democracy will find a foothold in this dirt-poor country of 6.5 million ruled for nearly 40 years by strongman Gnassingbe Eyadema and then, after his death, by his son.

Fabre has alleged "irregularities" in voting procedure, especially in "stuffing of ballot boxes" -- a claim rejected by the ruling party, which accused the opposition of trying to stoke violence.

Togo factfile

Besides Fabre and incumbent Gnassingbe, five other candidates were in the fray to be the country's next leader.

The main opposition has campaigned on a platform of change after 43 years of rule by the same dynasty.

A day after the vote the seaside capital Lome, bastion of the opposition, was calm.

"People are tensely awaiting the results because if there is no change, there will again be destruction," warned Felix Amelo, a taxi driver and opposition supporter.

No incident was recorded during polling, police and the electoral commission said.

"In all, voting went very well. There were more rumours than incidents," senior police commissioner Abalo Assih said.

In 2005, violence that followed the election of Gnassingbe left up to 800 dead according to some sources, while the United Nations put the toll at between 400 and 500.

This time around, African leaders and Togolese parties agreed that the voting took place in a peaceful, sometimes festive climate.

Togo's historic opposition leader, Gilchrist Olympio, said the balloting "was probably the start of democratisation of the country."

At some polling stations in Lome, the counting of ballots began immediately after the close of the vote, under the watchful eyes of a crowd in an expectant atmosphere.

Outside UFC office, in the run-down district of Be, hundreds of youths chanted victory songs after Fabre's self-proclaimed victory.

"We are freed," screamed a woman. "We won them by KO", shouted another.

Gnassingbe, 43, who is seeking a second mandate, has remained publicly silent since he voted Thursday in Lome and said, "May the best candidate win."

On his campaign Internet site, he promised, if elected, "totally to take Togo out of the political and economic impasse in which it found itself" and "to consolidate democracy and the rule of law."

Turkey, Israel on track to close drone deal: official

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:07:00 +0000

ANKARA — Turkey and Israel appear to be on track to finalise a long delayed multi-million-dollar deal for the delivery of 10 drone aircraft for the Turkish air force, a Turkish official said Friday.

The project, launched in 2005, was under threat of cancellation amid delays and rising tensions between the two countries over Israel's devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip last year.

"Turkish experts are currently in Israel to test the drones," the defence ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Should the systems pass the tests, six aircraft will be brought to Turkey's southeastern province of Batman, on the border with Iraq, for further tests, the official added.

"If there are no problems, we will take the drones. We expect the delivery to take place in the first six months of this year," he said.

The announcement came ahead of a visit by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak to Turkey on Sunday for talks on mending battered ties following the latest diplomatic row.

On Wednesday Israel was forced to apologise after Ankara threataned to withdraw its ambassador over Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's public dressing down of the envoy.

The drone project had been expected to be completed in the second half of 2009, but it was delayed by technical problems, forcing Turkey to give the two contractors -- Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit -- a deadline until early 2010 and threaten to cancel the tender.

Last week, Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül said that negotations were under way on the compensation the Israeli companies would pay for the delay, but refused to give a figure.

Media reports have suggested that the compensation could be somewhere around 12 million dollars (8.2 million euros).

The drone contract was part of an 185-million-dollar project that involved the manufacture of 10 aircraft, surveillance equipment and ground control stations, with Turkish firms providing sub-systems and services.

Under a 1996 military cooperation deal, Turkish-Israeli ties have flourished greatly until last year when the two countries fell out about Ankara's almost daily criticism of the Jewish state over the Gaza war.

Tajikistan quake 'leaves 10,000 without shelter'

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000

DUSHANBE — An earthquake in the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan has destroyed hundreds of homes, leaving some 10,000 people without shelter in the dead of winter, officials said Sunday.

"According to preliminary information, 300 houses have been destroyed," a regional spokesman for the country's Civil Defense Committee responsible for the affected area told AFP.

Some 10,000 people have been left without shelter as scores of other homes have been damaged, the spokesman said, citing preliminary information.

Two schools, a clinic and a power line have also been destroyed, he added.

The spokesman reported no deaths but said dozens of sheep and goats were killed in the earthquake that struck around ten high-altitude villages in the Pamir mountains in eastern Tajikistan on Saturday.

The US Geological Survey reported that a 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck 235 km (145 miles) east of the Tajik capital Dushanbe at 07:15 a.m. (0215 GMT) on Saturday. It had a depth of 44.5 km (27.7 miles), the survey said.

Authorities said they were assessing damages, but their work was complicated by the location of the destroyed villages. More than 25,000 people live in the affected area, the Vanj district.

The deputy head of the district, Azimjon Shamsiddinov, told AFP preliminary damage estimates were between one million and 1.5 million dollars, a hefty amount for the impoverished ex-Soviet nation.

Some residents in the Vanj district said they were afraid there could be another quake in the coming days.

"We live as if we were on a volcano," a local resident, Nazarbek Shodiyenov, 39, told AFP by phone. "We feel constantly scared that an earthquake will strike again. We are scared to sleep at night.

"There is a feeling that the earth is constantly moving under feet."

A government commission including seismologists and geologists was expected to arrive in the Vanj district Monday morning, said a senior official with the Civil Defense Committee.

Earthquakes are relatively frequent in Tajikistan, which is located in Central Asia and borders war-torn Afghanistan.

Danish attack suspect also allegedly targeted Clinton: report

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:11:00 +0000

COPENHAGEN — A man charged with attempting to kill a Danish cartoonist over his Muslim prophet Mohammed caricatures was also involved in an alleged plot against US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Danish newspaper reported Sunday.

But one Danish diplomat played down the report.

The online edition of Politiken newpaper said that the 28-year-old man charged with having tried to kill cartoonist Kurt Westergaard late Friday had also been involved in a plot against Clinton in Kenya.

Clinton visited Kenya last August.

Their report said Kenyan police had arrested the suspect in 2009 and had held him for seven weeks. The Kenyan press had linked his arrest with a plot againt Clinton, the paper added.

"This connection has been confirmed to Politiken by intelligences source," the article added.

The newspaper noted that a statement Saturday from the Danish intelligence service, PET, had said of the suspect: "He is also suspected of having been involved in terror related activities during his stay in East Africa."

The suspect, who allegedly broke into Westergaard's home with an axe in a bid to kill him because of a caricature he had drawn of the prophet Mohammed which sparked deadly protests in the Muslim world, has not been named by the Danish authorities.

Approached by Politiken, Bo Jensen, the Danish ambassador to Kenya, would neither confirm or deny that the suspect charged in Denmark was the same person the previous year in Kenya.

But Jensen told the Danish news agency Ritzau the man arrested in Kenya had been picked up because his papers were not in order.

Kenyan officials had not confirmed he was involved in any plot against Clinton, he added. "It's just a story in a newspaper."

Danish intelligence, approached by AFP, refused to comment on the story.

BlackBerry users beset by second outage in a week

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:48:00 +0000

TORONTO — When Corey Marshall's Blackberry mysteriously stopped sending and receiving messages, he realized all too clearly just how much he depends on the device: He had no way of contacting his friends because he never bothers to exchange phone numbers with anyone anymore.

"A lot of the times if I meet someone and I see they have a BlackBerry, I don't even want their number or care. I just want their BBM," or their BlackBerry instant-messaging ID, said the 23-year-old tanning-salon manager and student. "I didn't even have my boss' number. I only contact him through BB."

He added: "I go to sleep with it in my hands. It's the first thing I do when I wake up in the middle of the night. It's the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning."

The second BlackBerry outage in less than a week disrupted service for millions of users on two continents Tuesday and Wednesday, demonstrating how vital — and how addictive — the device dubbed the "CrackBerry" can be.

The company behind the service, Canada's Research in Motion Ltd., blamed a software upgrade for the problem, which it said was confined to North and South America.

RIM said BlackBerry users were unable to send or receive e-mails and instant messages but did not lose phone service. Many users also found the Internet inaccessible. RIM said the disruptions began around 1:45 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, worsened around 6:30 p.m. and began to be fixed around 11:30 p.m. Service appeared restored by Wednesday afternoon. RIM would not disclose exactly how many subscribers were affected.

The glitch comes after another outage last Thursday and at least three breakdowns in 2008. The latest problems are happening at an especially bad time for RIM, which is facing tougher competition than ever before in the market it helped pioneer.

"One of RIM's big advantages is that it's perceived as a reliable device," said Duncan Stewart, director of research and analysis at DSam Consulting. "To lose the advantage of reliability would, in fact, be a very big deal for this company."

CanDace Johnson, a 25-year-old nanny living in New York, said her BlackBerry lost all Internet service around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, leaving her cut off from the e-mail account she uses to keep in touch with her boss.

"If someone is watching your child, you want them to respond to your messages," she said.

Robert Hagler, a 46-year-old lawyer in Daphne, Ala., noticed around dinner time Tuesday that the normal flow of e-mail and Facebook updates on his BlackBerry Curve had petered out.

"So I went home that evening, logged on to my laptop, and there's 20 e-mails sitting there," he said. "All my iPhone friends are just tickled to death."

When Marshall suddenly stopped getting reply messages from his friends, he lost his cool: "I kept unplugging my phone, turning it off and on. I was getting very upset when it wouldn't work."

"My whole life is based on my BBM," he said.

RIM has sold more than 75 million BlackBerrys since the gadget debuted 10 years ago. It now counts 36 million subscribers around the globe and ranks second in the worldwide market for advanced "smart phones," with a 21 percent share, behind Nokia Corp.'s 39 percent, according to market research firm Gartner Inc.

BlackBerrys are especially popular in occupations heavily dependent on messaging — among lawyers and business executives, for instance. RIM counts 500,000 subscribers in the U.S. government. President Barack Obama has been a BlackBerry devotee.

After originally focusing on corporate or government customers, RIM now gets most of its new subscribers in the consumer market, thanks to touch-screen models like the BlackBerry Storm.

But RIM faces innovative competitors such as Apple's iPhone, which had 17 percent of the smart phone market in the Gartner report, and the brand-new Motorola Droid. RIM's stock has dropped 23 percent since September.

The iPhone is beloved for its design cachet and the seemingly limitless supply of programs, known as "apps," that users can download to customize their phones. BlackBerrys got apps later, and have fewer available.

Yet the iPhone also has not been as reliable as many users would like. AT&T, the sole carrier of the device in the U.S., has been upgrading its network to reduce the dropped connections and long waits people have encountered when trying to run programs.

Although BlackBerry service is sold by wireless carriers, RIM manages its messaging network itself. The centralized structure means that any problems can affect millions of users.

This week's outage apparently stemmed from a flaw in recently released versions of RIM's instant messaging software, known as BlackBerry Messenger. RIM released a new version on Wednesday that solves the problem.

RIM, which is based in Waterloo, Ontario, apologized for any inconvenience. The company declined interview requests.

AP Business Writer Andrew Vanacore in New York contributed to this report.

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Taliban sneak past Marines in southern Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:52:00 +0000

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — Only a few hundred American troops are policing the southern border of one of Afghanistan's major smuggling areas, leaving open a vast expanse of desert that the Taliban use to shuttle in weapons and fighters from Pakistan.

This dusty hamlet 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of the border in Helmand province was the Taliban's key transit point from Pakistan before the Marines arrived in July. Since then, the Marines have set up a series of patrol bases east and west of Khan Neshin to disrupt the Taliban's supply lines.

But the battalion deployed at only about 50 percent of its authorized strength, and one of its three companies is posted in central Helmand. That leaves several hundred Marines to cover roughly 6,000 square miles (15,000 square kilometers) — an area larger than Connecticut.

As a result, the Marines may have trouble curbing Taliban supply lines as thousands of fresh troops pour into the province as part of President Barack Obama's surge.

"I would like to push closer to the border, but I can only go as far as I can support," said Lt. Col. Michael Martin, commanding officer of 4th Marine Division, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

"Like Napoleon, you don't want to overextend your capabilities, or you will get your butt handed to you," said Martin, whose troops are spread out among a handful of patrol bases along the Helmand River, marking the coalition's most southern presence in the province.

Some 8,500 additional Marines are slated to arrive in Helmand by mid-2010 as part of the 30,000-troop buildup. But any decision to send more Marines south to patrol the largely uninhabited border area would leave fewer troops for the major population centers farther north.

Many Taliban fighters fled to Pakistan following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and found sanctuary in the mountainous belt that runs between the two countries. Obama has pressed Pakistan to target the militants, but many analysts believe the government has resisted because the Taliban could serve as useful proxies if the coalition effort in Afghanistan fails.

That leaves the Marines with the difficult task of disrupting the flow of Taliban fighters into Afghanistan largely without Pakistani help.

"We are trying to make it as difficult as possible for the Taliban to stay connected to their sanctuary in Pakistan," said Capt. Timothy Newkirk, executive officer of 4th LAR's Bravo Company, which is based in a 200-year-old mud fort in the town of Khan Neshin.

Tribal elders attending a recent meeting at the Marines' most eastern patrol base reported scores of Taliban fighters flowing through a bazaar about 12 miles (20 kilometers) to the northeast near the town of Sar Banader.

"If they can get there, they can get into Marjah and they have basic freedom of movement there," Newkirk said.

Marjah is the Taliban's principal stronghold in central Helmand and will likely be a key target once the 11,000 Marines currently in the province are bolstered with the surge troops.

If the Taliban are able to send reinforcements to Marjah from Pakistan, it could make it more difficult for the Marines to take the city.

Martin, the battalion commander, said his ultimate goal would be to push south with Afghan border police the Marines are training to set up an outpost near Bahram Chah, a town just north of the Pakistani border teeming with Taliban fighters and drug smugglers making their way into Afghanistan.

But that would require hundreds of additional troops so that the Marines could extend their security control far enough south to protect any outpost near the border.

"I can drive my vehicle down to the border and back, but if I have a problem, I can't be reinforced," Martin said.

The Marines said they don't want to make the same mistake as the Army, which set up a series of remote bases near Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan that were constantly in danger of being overrun because the military didn't control the surrounding area. Some of those outposts have now been abandoned.

"A presence on the border would be better, but it is so far south that supporting it wouldn't be feasible right now," Newkirk said. "It wouldn't be diligent to have hundreds of Marines down in hostile territory 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the nearest medical facilities."

Police: Body of Cyprus president stolen from grave

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:34:00 +0000

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Grave robbers stole the corpse of former Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos after digging up his coffin on the eve of the first anniversary of the statesmen's death, police said Friday.

A light-gray substance was sprayed across the tombstone in a village cemetery southwest of the capital, Nicosia, obscuring the name and date of birth of the hardline former president of the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south of the island. Cyprus was split into a Turkish-occupied north and a Greek Cypriot south in 1974.

Mounds of fresh earth could be seen at the grave site, which police investigators cordoned off and searched. They did not discuss a possible motive for the violation.

Saturday is the first anniversary of the death of Papadopoulos, who was a central figure of Cypriot politics for decades, and who became president in 2003. He died of lung cancer on Dec. 12, 2008 at 74.

Papadopoulos had famously urged Greek Cypriots to reject a reunification plan brokered by then U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which he vilified as entrenching the island's division rather than ending it.

Three-quarters of Cypriots obliged him in an April 2004 referendum. Two-thirds of Turkish Cypriots accepted the plan.

"It was with grief that I received the news of the sacrilege," said President Demetris Christofias, who beat Papadopoulos in March 2008 elections. "This is an unacceptable, unholy, unethical and condemnable act that damages our tradition, our culture and our respect toward the dead."

Christofias called on Cypriots "to remain calm in the face of this provocative act.

"I cannot think of any other words to describe this incident," he said.

Investigators believe the body was taken either late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Neighbors said there had been heavy rain and a lightning storm during the night.

Papadopoulos' family issued a written statement saying that they were grieved and angered by the "sacrilegious act of the tomb raiders."

The theft of the former president's remains "cannot in any way bury the policy or erase the political will of Tassos Papadopoulos. Wherever his body maybe, his voice will still be heard and will continue to be heard during the difficult times of our national issue," the family statement said.

A British-trained lawyer, Papadopoulos was a veteran of Cyprus politics whose career spanned most of the island's turbulent history since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

He was a leader of the Greek Cypriot guerrilla group EOKA, which waged an anti-colonial campaign, and served as the youngest cabinet minister in the island's first post-independence government, at the age of 26.

Turkey invaded the island in 1974 in response to a coup by supporters of unification with Greece. Christofias, the current president, has been holding reunification talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, but little clear progress has been made.

"What happened is macabre and utterly condemnable. I am honestly still trying to comprehend what kind of warped minds could even think of doing such a thing, let alone actually carry it out. This is a perverse act that will sicken society in Cyprus," said the head of Cyprus' ruling AKEL party, Andros Kyprianou.

"It is my hope that those responsible will be caught and made an example of," he added.

Jobs plan will 'jump-start' hiring, Obama says

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:41:00 +0000

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Even as he heralded the first unemployment drop in months, President Barack Obama began putting the finishing touches Friday on a fresh job creation proposal he's planning to send to Congress next week.

"I still consider one job lost one job too many," Obama told a community college crowd in Allentown. "Good trends don't pay the rent."

The president plans to outline his list of ideas for a new jobs bill in a speech from Washington on Tuesday. Among the plans he's likely to endorse is an expansion of a program that gives people cash incentives to fix up their homes with energy-saving materials, senior administration officials said.

Obama also is leaning toward new incentives, either through the tax code or some other means, for small businesses that hire new workers and toward new spending for building roads, bridges and other infrastructure, said the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the package, and Obama's speech, are still being crafted and could change.

The president also is open to a federal infusion of money to cash-strapped state and local governments, considered among the quickest and most effective — though expensive — ways to stem layoffs. Officials stressed that Obama probably won't mention in his speech every job-stimulating idea he will eventually support.

"We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can," Obama said Friday at Lehigh Carbon Community College. "On Tuesday, I'm going to speak in greater detail about the ideas I'll be sending to Congress to help jump-start private sector hiring and get Americans back to work."

Democrats on Capitol Hill have been pushing for a jobs bill for weeks and are pleased that that Obama is getting on the same page. Under pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the White House and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are now signaling that tapping unused Wall Street bailout funds to pay for a jobs measure is OK.

Because of growing anxiety about federal deficits, Obama has been stressing that government spending shouldn't be increased too much. During his jobs discussion with CEOs and academics at the White House on Thursday, he said it is primarily up to private business to create large numbers of new jobs, because "our resources are limited."

But using the bailout money to pay for a jobs bill would require issuing billions of dollars in new federal debt. And White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that option is being actively considered.

Geithner said Friday in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital" program that the administration planned to lay out some proposals in "the next couple of days" for handling the remaining resources in the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund. The administration must decide by the end of the year whether to shut down the bailout fund or extend the program.

Jobs-related legislation is likely to have to wait until next year given the press of business on Capitol Hill. But legislation to extend benefits for the long-term unemployed and subsidies to help them retain their health insurance is more likely to pass this year.

Job losses in the U.S. have been the worst since the 1930s, but a new Labor Department report Friday showed a relatively moderate shedding of 11,000 jobs last month, the smallest number since the recession began. The unemployment rate dipped from 10.2 percent in October to 10 percent in November.

During a campaign-style swing through Allentown, Obama was upbeat about the new numbers, calling them "good news just in time for the season of hope." But he said the situation is still dire and in need of urgent attention.

Making his pitch — and Americans' pain — personal, Obama said his own family had members who were looking for work. The flourish was not included in his prepared remarks.

Evidence of the growing concern in the White House over unemployment problems can be seen in Obama's schedule. He hosted the jobs summit at the White House on Thursday, took the trip to Pennsylvania on Friday and set the jobs-bill speech for Tuesday.

At Allentown Metal Works, the president casually chatted with the kind of working-class voters whose support will be crucial to his plan making its way to Congress and, more daunting, to Democrats' chances in the 2010 midterm elections and his own in 2012. Obama has seen his approval rating slide as his promises of change have slammed into governing reality.

"How you doing?" Obama shouted to workers below a platform where he stood. "Merry Christmas!" he shouted at others. The plant employs about 70 people, and the White House says it's expanding.

The president's motorcade raced past protesters. "Go home," one group chanted. The group also hoisted signs reading "Fail!" and "Republicans work so you don't have to."

Later Friday, Obama made an unannounced stop at a jobs center in Allentown, where he talked with jobseekers about their resumes and the help they've gotten in their search for new employment. He accepted a letter from one woman, promising to read it in private.

"This is a tough environment," Obama said. "This was a rough year."

Obama also visited a pet food company, shaking hands with all 180 workers who lined up inside the factory to greet the president.

Andrew Taylor reported from Washington. AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven contributed to this story from Washington.

Blair adviser faces Iraq inquiry

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:56:00 +0000

The Iraq war inquiry will seek fresh answers on Tony Blair's role in the build-up to the invasion when it hears evidence from the ex-Prime Minister's top foreign policy adviser.

Sir David Manning is expected to be questioned over suggestions Mr Blair and George Bush may have "signed in blood" a hardening of their approach in private talks at the US president's Texas ranch.

A subsequent meeting at the White House, at which the leaders are alleged to have agreed on the invasion whether or not weapons of mass destruction were found, is also likely to feature.

Sir David, who was at Mr Blair's side throughout the period before being made the UK's ambassador to the US, will be the first witness in the second week of the inquiry. Last week, Foreign Office officials repeatedly told the inquiry, sitting in central London, that British intelligence had no evidence of any connection between the Iraqi regime and al Qaida.

But Sir Christopher Meyer, Sir David's predecessor as ambassador, said Mr Blair deliberately linked the two and first cited the case for regime change the day after the April 2002 ranch talks. "To this day I am not entirely clear what degree of convergence was, if you like, signed in blood at the Crawford ranch," Sir Christopher told the inquiry.

Asked previously if Mr Blair had signed up in principle to war plans at Crawford, Sir David said: "If he did, he didn't do it in my hearing... He didn't talk to me as a Prime Minister saying to me, 'I've made up to mind.. we're going to war with Iraq'."

A five-page secret memo is reported to exist which documents the alleged deal made at the White House meeting on January 31, 2003 in apparent contradiction of later statements made by Mr Blair to Parliament that Iraq would be given a final chance to disarm. The document is among those which Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has demanded be made public amid concerns that restrictions placed on the inquiry will mean they remain secret.

Mr Clegg, who raised the issue with Gordon Brown in the Commons last week, has written to the Prime Minister urging him to lift a wide-ranging Whitehall right to veto disclosure.

US to present emissions target in Copenhagen

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:34:00 +0000

WASHINGTON — The United States, under pressure from other nations as one of the world's largest greenhouse-gas polluters, will present a target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions at next month's climate conference in Copenhagen, Obama administration officials said Monday.

The development came as the European Union urged the United States and China to deliver greenhouse gas emissions targets at the long-anticipated summit, saying their delays were hindering global efforts to curb climate change.

For nearly a year the Obama administration has indicated it would eventually come up with specific targets for quick reductions in pollution that causes global warming, as part of international negotiations. Those targets will soon be made public, officials said.

A senior administration official, briefing reporters only on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the administration's thinking, said that all countries, including the U.S., "will need to put their emissions targets on the table."

The Obama administration has resisted talking specific numbers without the backing of Congress, which is not expected to pass climate legislation until next year at the soonest. The official would not offer details about the U.S. targets but said any U.S. goal will reflect the unfinished state of legislation on Capitol Hill and would not seek to get ahead of it.

A House-passed bill would slash heat-trapping pollution by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. A Senate bill seeks a 20 percent reduction over the next decade, but that number is likely to come down to win the votes of moderate Democrats.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is still considering attending the climate conference. His decision is expected to be announced within a few days.

The United States has historically been the world's largest greenhouse gas-polluter until China zoomed ahead in 2006.

Two weeks before the U.N.-sponsored conference, the world's two biggest polluters have not put any firm bids, or proposals, on the table.

"Without a bid from the U.S. or China, only half of emissions are covered," Sweden's environment minister, Andreas Carlgren, said after he led talks with other EU nations. He said an agreement was "totally dependent" on both countries promising cuts.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said last week that nations would each do what they were able — referring to China's view that developing nations should not be required to make cuts. China has promised to curb emissions but has not said by how much.

Carlgren said any agreement also had to include pledges from developing countries — especially major economies such as China — to curb emissions.

World leaders are no longer expected to reach a legally binding agreement in Copenhagen, and are aiming instead for a political deal that includes commitments on reducing emissions and financing for developing countries to deal with climate change.

The EU's environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, said nations still had a lot of work to do in Copenhagen because they have to set new emission targets and agree on other actions to curb global warming — such as how they plan to prevent widespread deforestation.

He said the talks should also set a timetable for 2010 meetings to work toward a full, binding global treaty.

A panel of U.N. scientists has recommended that developed countries cut between 25 percent and 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to avoid a catastrophic rise in sea levels, harsher storms and droughts, and climate disruptions.

The EU aims for deeper cuts than most other industrialized nations — pledging to move from a 20 percent cut below 1990 levels to 30 percent if others follow suit. By 2050, it wants to eliminate most emissions, with a target of up to 95 percent.

The U.S. is considering a far lower cut — 17 percent from 2005 levels or about 3.5 percent from 1990. Japan has promised a 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels. Per head, Americans account for twice the emissions compared to Europeans and Japanese.

While the EU sees itself as a trailblazer, it has delayed promising cash to poorer nations to help them tackle global warming. EU leaders have pledged to pay their "fair share" into an annual global fund but gave no amount.

They estimated that $148 billion a year is needed and that half should come from governments. The EU's executive suggested that the 27 EU governments should give up to $22 billion a year from 2013 to 2020.

Wielaard reported from Brussels.

N.L. premier pitches energy development in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:44:00 +0000

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams took his pitch for the Lower Churchill hydroelectric development in Labrador to New York City on Monday.

The premier spoke at an event sponsored by the Canadian Consulate to promote the project to potential investors and customers.

But he spent part of his speech giving a history lesson of the province's dealings with Quebec over another hydroelectric development project, the Upper Churchill.

"Power which is sold by us to Hydro-Québec is flipped by them for 36 times what they pay for it," he told the investors group. "It seems unbelievable, but that's been our reality for years."

Williams was referring to the terms of the Upper Churchill deal, which was negotiated in the late 1960s and did not include escalator clauses. Hydro-Québec purchases hydroelectric power from Newfoundland and Labrador at cheap rates and can pocket profits on the resale of the energy to other markets.

The deal, which Newfoundland and Labrador says has cost it billions of dollars over the years, has been a political sore spot between the two provinces for more than three decades.

With a new dam being proposed on the Churchill River, Williams told the group, Quebec has been standing in the way of the development for three years, as the Newfoundland and Labrador government tries to negotiate better terms with Hydro-Québec to use its transmission lines to move power from the Lower Churchill into the New York market.

"We now have a situation where Hydro-Québec believes their current stranglehold is not quite strong enough."

Williams said that it's in the best interests of the United States to see that Quebec doesn't restrict the flow of energy.

"The state of New York has a direct interest. Market dominance by Hydro-Québec is bad for consumers. Simply put: We have the energy, you need the energy and we need to work together to face the unreasonable obstacles that we face together."

Williams later told reporters that his trip to New York was part of a long-term strategy for energy development in the province.

"In 2041, for example, Newfoundland and Labrador will repatriate the Upper Churchill. At that point in time, overall, we will be then producing gas. We will have significant wind energy, the Lower Churchill will have been underway for over 25 years. So, we'll be a major player in the northeastern United States. And that's not lost on the people of New York, I can tell you."

Clinton: Specific demands will accompany US help

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:40:00 +0000

WASHINGTON — The United States is limiting its goals in Afghanistan and demanding better accountability from that country's underperforming leader, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday, and she tied additional U.S. civilian help to results from Kabul.

Clinton, an influential voice in deliberations about whether to add large numbers of U.S. troops to an unpopular eight-year war, said Afghan President Hamid Karzai can do more to reduce corruption and go after those who may have looted U.S. aid in the past.

"I have made it clear that we're not going to be providing any civilian aid to Afghanistan unless we have a certification that if it goes into the Afghan government in any form, that we're going to have ministries that we can hold accountable," Clinton said.

The Obama administration wants a tribunal to prosecute major corruption crimes and a new anti-corruption commission, she said in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"There does have to be actions by the government of Afghanistan against those who have taken advantage of the money that has poured into Afghanistan in the last eight years so that we can better track it and we can have actions taken that demonstrate there's no impunity for those who are corrupt," she said.

President Barack Obama is weighing ways to link the coming troops and money decision to better government performance in Afghanistan, but U.S. leverage is limited by the shifting objectives in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion and the history of sloppy accountability on both sides.

"We're going to expect more from the Afghan government going forward and we've got some very specific asks that we will be making," Clinton said in another interview on NBC's "Meet The Press." Both interviews were done from Asia, where Clinton is traveling with Obama.

Clinton did not spell out exactly what those "asks," or demands, would be, beyond the tribunal and commission she mentioned on ABC. Congress has already required the administration to measure the performance of the Afghan government on several fronts, and the coming announcement is expected to expand on that effort and include more specific goals for the training and performance of Afghan armed forces.

Obama is expected to announce some troop increase along with clearer limitations on U.S. goals for the war after he returns from Asia late this week. The announcement is expected either just before or just after the Thanksgiving holiday. The post-holiday timing appears more likely, despite continued criticism from the political right that Obama is taking too long to announce his next move.

The time is past, Clinton said, when U.S. officials would "talk about how we were going to help the Afghans build a modern democracy and build a more functioning state and do all these wonderful things."

She added, "That could happen, but our primary focus is on the security of the United States of America — how do we protect and defend against future attacks."

Presidential adviser David Axelrod made a similar point Sunday. "We have to keep focused on what our purpose was in the first place," he said on CNN. "Our purpose was to disrupt and dismantle and destroy al-Qaida. That remains our purpose, but obviously we cannot make an open-ended commitment."

Axelrod dismissed GOP criticism that as a political adviser he should not have sat in secret meetings of the president's war council over the past several weeks. Axelrod said he did not speak during those sessions and was there to better understand the emerging strategy so he can reflect it accurately to the press and others.

Obama's top war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has laid out military options for employing between about 10,000 and 40,000 additional U.S. troops next year, and prefers the high end, military officials have said. Obama rejected four troop options presented at a war council session Wednesday, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the focus is now on choosing the best elements from those plans.

Military officials have said the most likely outcome is a middle path that would add some 20,000 to 35,000 troops.

Gates also said that cost estimates had been prepared for each option. He gave no details, but on Sunday Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., appeared to refer to those calculations.

"Security is not cheap and the first judgment has to be, what assures the security of the nation?" Conrad said in expressing Democratic doubts about a troop build up on CNN. "But in the case of Afghanistan, the cost is $40 billion to $50 billion a year if we're going to put in an additional 35,000 to 40,000 troops."

The U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan doubts the wisdom of sending more forces, Conrad noted.

Obama will get more support from Republicans than Democrats for any troop increase.

Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell said Sunday that support is likely to hold even if Obama approves slightly fewer forces than McChrystal wants, but he said Republicans are "perplexed about the length of time it's taking to make this decision."

"I think the president, as difficult as this decision is, needs to make it, needs to follow the advice of his generals," McConnell, R-Ky., said on "Fox News Sunday." "And if he does, he'll have overwhelming support among Republican senators."

BCE Q3 profit more than doubles; wireless segment delivers growth

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:25:00 +0000

MONTREAL — BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) scooped up 501,000 new wireless customers in the third quarter, but said Thursday customers on average were spending less than a year ago due to the weaker economy.

Average monthly revenue per customer decreased to about $64, down $3.98, as subscribers switched to lower monthly rate plans, used their phones less and lower roaming revenues, BCE said in a conference call about its third-quarter financial results.

The increase in wireless subscribers was 14.1 per cent more than in the same period last year - due to new mobile phones, services and applications. Net activations were about 15 per cent higher at 135,000 from the same quarter last year.

"Importantly as investors know, acceleration of market share has been a core strategy of ours," CEO George Cope told the conference call.

"We're beginning to gain traction here."

Canada's largest telecommunications company reported Thursday a third-quarter profit of $558 million or 72 cents per share for the third quarter, up from a profit of $248 million or 31 cents per share last year.

Operating revenue totalled $4.46 billion, up from $4.44 billion a year ago.

Wireless operating revenues increased 0.3 per cent to $1.2 billion in the quarter on growing wireless data revenues and increased product sales, while revenue at Bell Canada, BCE's largest subsidiary, was $3.78 billion, up $40 million from $3.74 billion last year.

The company said it expects full-year adjusted earnings to be at the high end of its guidance, which is $2.40 to $2.50 per share for 2009, while revenue this year to come in at the low end of a range provided in August.

Analysts had pegged BCE revenues at $4.5 billion for the third quarter and $4.5 billion in the October-December quarter. They also predicted 70 cents per share of adjusted earnings in the third quarter and 62 cents in the fourth quarter, according to estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Bell launched its advanced wireless network earlier this month which will carry Apple's iPhone, breaking Rogers (TSX:RCIB) hold on the touchscreen smartphone. Telus (TSX:T) also launched it's new wireless network this month, which will also carry the iPhone.

UBS analyst Phillip Huang wrote in a research note that BCE expects all of its post-paid or longer-term subscribers to migrate to its new HSPA network over the next to two three years.

Huang also noted there was no mention of Bell eliminating 911 or service activation fees, but "management stated that they will remain competitive."

BCE said its operating revenues for the July-September quarter were boosted by the acquisitions of The Source retail chain and the remaining 50 per cent equity of Virgin Mobile Canada not already owned by Bell.

The company also reported growth in video revenues which offset declines in local, long-distance and wireline data revenues.

To cut costs, Cope said the company's labour force had been reduced by 1,100 during the quarter as part of a previously announced efficiency drive, bringing a total reduction since June 2008 to a little over 5,000 employees, or about 11 per cent of Bell's total workforce.

BCE shares closed at $27.14, up five cents, in trading Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Obama salutes Fort Hood victims, promises justice

noreply@blogger.com (Daryl Lorette) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:38:00 +0000

FORT HOOD, Texas — Somberly reciting 13 names and 13 stories, President Barack Obama saluted the Americans killed at this Army post as heroes who died for their country — and promised a nation demanding answers that "the killer will be met with justice."

Addressing a hushed crowd of thousands of soldiers Tuesday, the president spoke forcefully if indirectly of the alleged shooter's motives in last week's massacre, never mentioning Maj. Nidal Hasan by name.

"It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy," Obama said. "But this much we do know: No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts."

It was an apparent reference to reports that Hasan had communicated with a radical Islamic imam. A vast investigation is under way, including questions about what the government knew about Hasan and whether action should have been taken.

The president's remarks at a memorial service were personal, more about how the victims lived than how they died: the Eagle scout, the newlywed, the expectant mother, the soldier eager to catch Osama bin Laden by herself. The president spent more time meeting privately with the wounded and with loved ones of those killed than speaking in public.

His tone stern, Obama pledged to the crowd that "the killer will be met with justice — in this world, and the next."

On a steamy Texas day, Obama stepped into a scene filled with military resolve and tender moments. Soldiers helped wounded friends to their seats. A little girl in a black dress and shiny shoes clutched her mother's hand as hurting families streamed in.

Thousands upon thousands gathered on a field for the ceremony. Right below the stage was a traditional military tribute to the fallen — 13 pairs of combat boots, each with an inverted rifle topped with a helmet. A picture of each person rested below the boots.

Riflemen fired a last salute. A bugler played taps.

After the ceremony, Obama walked solemnly along the row of boots, placing a commander-in-chief's coin next to each victim's photo in tribute.

Then soldiers and loved ones traced the same path to remember those lost and give a final salute, one woman nearly collapsing with grief.

Even as Obama honored the dead, there was fingerpointing back in Washington about what the military knew of Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, before the shooting rampage.

Two U.S. officials said a Washington-based joint terrorism task force overseen by the FBI was notified of communications between Hasan and a radical imam overseas and the information was turned over to a Defense Criminal Investigative Service employee assigned to the group. But a military official denied prior knowledge of the Army psychiatrist's contacts with any Muslim extremists.

All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the case on the record.

In Texas, one soldier who attended the memorial said the mood at Fort Hood was turning from sadness to anger as soldiers learned more about Hasan's background.

"A lot of folks are angry because they feel this could have been prevented," said Spc. Brian Hill, a 25-year-old soldier from Nashville, Tenn., who was injured in Iraq and walks with a cane. "Somebody should have been paying attention."

Obama, in his public remarks, spoke of the tranquility and liberty enjoyed by most Americans, and said the 13 fallen gave their lives for it.

"That is their legacy," he said.

As much as the president made the moment about the gunman's victims, the ceremony also was about him. Presidents inevitably must take the lead in times of tragedy, and this was Obama's moment to offer himself as consoler in chief.

The president worked through several drafts of his speech, including three on the Air Force One flight down to Texas. He viewed the personal stories as the most important part of the speech, a senior aide said.

About the victims and the soldiers who rushed to help them, Obama said, "We need not look to the past for greatness, because it is before our very eyes."

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama devoted considerable time to three private meetings with those affected by the shooting rampage, meeting first with families of those killed, then with some of those wounded and their families, and later with those still hospitalized.

"Just the president being here was a great morale booster to show the country he was here for the families," said Ronald Fiveash, a sailor whose brother was shot four times but survived.

Sheila Wormuth, whose husband is stationed at Fort Hood, came with her 3-year-old daughter to show their support. While her husband wasn't at the shooting site, she said, "what happens to my husband's brothers and sisters happens to us."

Bonita Childs, 46, drove 30 miles to attend the ceremony, even though she had no connection to Fort Hood.

"I thought coming here today and showing my gratitude was the least I could do," she said.

In a memorial offered in deeply personal terms, Obama spoke every victim's name and told of their lives.

"These men and women came from all parts of the country," Obama said. "Some had long careers in the military. Some had signed up to serve in the shadow of 9/11. Some had known intense combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some cared for those did. Their lives speak to the strength, the dignity and the decency of those who serve, and that is how they will be remembered."

Associated Press writers Angela K. Brown and Jeff Carlton at Fort Hood contributed to this report.

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Mark Lewis |Downtown Tilt, Zoom and Pan (2005)
I worked on this film back in Sept.2005

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Daryl Lorette 1.0 Feed.I was hoping this would happen.Google has let me move all my feeds over at one time.A big time saver.

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NY deal reached over Monroe's last nude photos - Yahoo! News
NY deal reached over Monroe's last nude photos

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Patrick Swayze in hospital, The Beast will have to wait
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