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Leon Russell, Elton John appear on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend

2011-04-03T14:47:00.002+07:00

Elton John, Leon Russell arise on "Saturday Night Live"
British pop superstar will do bifold assignment as host and agreeable bedfellow this weekend on "Saturday Night Live" figure with Oklahoma ties him to the agreeable performances.
Live from New York, is the "Rocket Man" and "Master of Space and Time", which links already again.

British pop superstar Elton John will do bifold assignment as both host and agreeable bedfellow on "Saturday Night Live" during the adventure this weekend account appearance long-term. His contempo affiliation accomplice and Oklahoma figure Leon Russell will accompany him for agreeable performances of the program.

"SNL" affectedness at 10:30 message Saturday on NBC.

This adventure marks the aboriginal time Saturday that John is aback on "Saturday Night Live" date aback 1982, if he played the song "Empty Garden" and "Ball and Chain", according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Uncle Leo and his again wife Mary Russell were agreeable guests on "Saturday Night Live" in 1976, according to IMDB.

The accompanist / songwriter / pianist brace met in New York endure ages if John Russell entered the Bedrock and Cycle Hall of Fame. Russell (and citizen of Owasso Garth Brooks) will be aback in New York June 16 for consecration into the Hall of Fame Composers.

John and Russell accept fabricated several appearances on top contour television set aback the absolution of their collaborative anthology "The Union" endure fall. "The Union" opened in October at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, was nominated for a Grammy for best pop accord with vocals on aboriginal individual "If It Was not for Bad" and acquired a affecting improvement of Russell's career, that had collapsed into about obscurity afterwards arena a key role at the arena of bedrock 'n' cycle in the 1960's and 70's.

Russell high 70's abstract accept been aggregate into a new CD and agenda collection, "The Best of Leon Russell," which will be appear on Tuesday by Capitol / EMI.

In addition, the documentary "The Union" which the administrator Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous," "Jerry Maguire") attempt on the authoritative of the album's collaborative partner, will accomplish its apple premiere on April 20 aperture of the 10th Tribeca Film Festival affairs in New York.

Willow Smith: KCA 2011 Performance!

2011-04-03T14:46:00.003+07:00

Willow Smith flies through the air during his achievement in the 2011 Children's Choice Awards at the USC Galen Center on Saturday (April 2) in Los Angeles.

The musician, 10 years old, fabricated a mash-up of his two hits "Whip my hair" and "21st Century Girl!"

In accession to Willow brother of the show, abundant Jaden aswell took home the accolade for admired cine The Karate Kid!

Did You Willow performance? If not, analysis out the below!

Facebook Will Be Baked Into Dozens Of Mobile Devices This Year

2011-02-16T05:41:00.001+07:00

Late last year we broke the news about the
upcoming Facebook Phone project, which
sparked a media frenzy as the social network
claimed this to be wrong, only to later admit that
it did exist (the explanation being that there was
no ‘Facebook Phone’, but that there are many
Facebook Phones). Last week we got a video
demo of one of these devices: the Android-based,
INQ Cloud Touch. And today HTC announced
its own Facebook-branded phones. But this is
only the beginning.

Today Facebook announced on its blog that we’ll
be seeing many similar integrations over the
coming months:
In addition to these new phones from INQ and
HTC, you ’ll also be seeing similar deep Facebook
integration on dozens of other devices over the
course of this year. Some manufacturers will be
highlighting Facebook as a part of their phones ’
on-screen interfaces, and others will use our
brand as an element of the device hardware itself.
The Facebook functionality on the INQ devices
include single sign-on (you won ’t have to keep
reentering credentials for various applications,
because it will use your Facebook account) and
links to popular features like Chat and Places. The
HTC devices actually have a Facebook hardware
button.
However, while these devices will all feature
prominent Facebook integration, we ’re also
hearing that Facebook continues to work on a
different and more exciting project: a ‘social’
version of Android that includes much deeper
Facebook integration throughout the OS,
stripping out Google ’s apps in favor of its own. In
other words, Facebook could have its own
mobile operating system in the not-so-distant
future.

Source: Http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/15/facebook-will-be-baked-into-dozens-of-mobile-devices-this-year/

Egypt's Military Dissolves Parliament; Calls for Vote

2011-02-13T21:58:00.000+07:00

CAIRO - The Egyptian military, for the first time
publicly laying out the terms of its rule, said
Sunday that it had dissolved the country's
parliament, suspended its constitution and called
for elections in six months, according to a
statement by the Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces read on state television.

The announcement went a long way toward
meeting the demands of protests, who distrusted
both houses of parliament after elections in the fall
that were widely considered corrupted.
The announcement came only minutes after the
prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, made his own
appearance on state television and said the
country's economy was "stable" and that the
primary focus of the new caretaker government
would be "to bring security back to the Egyptian
citizen."
It was unclear whether the two statements were
meant to compliment each other. The military did
reiterate though that the civilian cabinet would
remain in place over the next six months.
In Cairo's central Tahrir Square, cars began circling
the roundabout for the first time in over two
weeks as Egyptians and tourists flocked around
pictures of dead protesters that hung from
clotheslines at one end of the square.
The police, civilians and soldiers with guns slung
over their shoulders effected a form of impromptu
crowd control, forming human chains to keep the
crowds from spilling into traffic.
Nearby, about 500 police officers joined protesters
at the Interior Ministry and shouted for better
wages.
Even as pockets of protests continued, a measure
of normalcy returned to the capital as Egyptians
awaited word from the new military-led
government on its impending negotiations with
opposition groups.
Just two days after Hosni Mubarak relinquished his
post as president and withdrew to the resort of
Sharm el Sheikh, the form of the military council
to which he had ceded power began to take
shape. The military statement confirmed that Field
Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, 75,
considered a loyalist of Mr. Mubarak, was the
council's leader.
The military has sought to reassure Egyptians and
the world that it would shepherd a transition to
civilian rule and honor international commitments
like the peace treaty with Israel. But even though it
had begun acting on the protest movement's
demands, it was still unclear how or when military
leaders would meet directly with protest leaders in
order to start the process of bringing opposition
figures into the government.
Exultant and exhausted opposition leaders claimed
their role in the country's future over the weekend,
pressing the army to lift the country's emergency
law - which suspending the constitution would
seem to do - and release political prisoners. And
they vowed to return to Tahrir Square next week
to celebrate a victory and honor those who had
died in the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni
Mubarak after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.
The impact of Egypt's uprising rippled across the
Arab world as protesters turned out in Algeria,
where the police arrested leading organizers, and
in Yemen, where pro-government forces beat
demonstrators with clubs. The Palestinian
leadership responded by announcing that it
planned to hold presidential and parliamentary
elections by September. And in Tunisia, which
inspired Egypt's uprising, hundreds demonstrated
to cheer Mr. Mubarak's ouster.
Reporting was contributed by David D. Kirkpatrick,
Anthony Shadid, Mona El-Naggar, Dawlat Magdy
and Scott Nelson from Cairo, Thomas Fuller from
Tunis and J. David Goodman from New York.

Source: Http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/world/middleeast/14egypt.xml

D.Boerse, NYSE narrow in on name as talks intensify.

2011-02-13T05:32:00.000+07:00

FRANKFURT - Deutsche Boerse and
NYSE Euronext may call a merged company "DB
NYSE Group," according to two people close to
the negotiations, though the companies said no
name for what could become the world's largest
exchange operator has been picked.
The Frankfurt- and the New York-based
companies will likely sidestep thorny issues of
technology in a bid to strike a merger deal by
early next week, the Europe-based sources said.
The companies are edging toward an outline
deal to be agreed on Tuesday or Wednesday,
one source said.The exchange operators said on Saturday their
negotiations continued. "No name has been
finalized and we expect any decision on a name
would be made at a later date, subject to the
successful completion of a merger agreement,"
they said in a joint statement.
Earlier this week, the companies unveiled the first
details of the merger plan that would give
Deutsche Boerse shareholders about a 60
percent stake, and name NYSE Euronext's head
Duncan Niederauer as chief executive.
The two Europe-based sources said the sides
have still not finalized a merger document that
can be presented to Deutsche Boerse's board of
directors, confirming earlier reports.
They said the name DB NYSE Group has
emerged as the front runner among the options
for the new company.
Negotiations over a name, and where to locate
various operations across the two continents,
highlight some of the difficulties in bringing
together companies that are both operationally
complicated and symbols of national pride.
Decisions over leadership, including the
composition of a combined company's board,
have been made, sources said earlier this week.
In their talks, the two sides are hammering out a
framework deal which focuses on functions and
personalities but key issues, such as over
information technology (IT), are likely to be
postponed.
"How you make the details work later on is a
different matter," one of these people said.
Rather than deciding now which technology
platform to use for derivatives trading on a
group level, the parties are seeking to agree on
"a person for IT coordination."
This person will later decide whether to use
Deutsche Boerse's Eurex or Euronext's Liffe
technology, or whether to develop a new
platform using staff from both camps.
It is also not yet decided whether the combined
group will take the legal form of SE or an NV (the
corporate designation) for the Amsterdam-based
legal entity, the person said.
Despite the uncertainty, there is quiet optimism
the two sides will be able to make an
announcement early next week.
Unlike when talks between the two companies
were disrupted by a leak in December 2008,
negotiations have now reached "a much more
mature level," and are more likely to bear fruit, a
person close to the deal said.
The two powerhouse exchange operators said
on Wednesday they were in advanced talks to
merge, just hours after London Stock Exchange
unveiled a bid for Canadian market operator TMX
Group Inc.

Euro Struggles Under $1.38, Good Support For Pound.

2011-02-03T19:56:00.000+07:00

LONDON (Dow Jones)--The euro lost its perch
above $1.38 and continues to struggle just under
that level after some mixed economic data ahead
of the European Central Bank's interest rate
decision and subsequent news conference, all of
which come against the backdrop of heightened
tensions in Egypt.Euro-zone services sector performance proved
better than expected in January, with Germany
and France growing strongly despite weaker
figures elsewhere in the currency bloc. However,
retail sales in the euro zone fell for the second
month running in December. Taken together, the
data underscore the area's two-speed economy
and the dilemma facing European Central Bank
rate setters.
The ECB's rate verdict, at 1245 GMT, is widely
expected to bring no change but the news
conference after the event, at 1330 GMT, will be
the main draw. Whether ECB chief Jean-Claude
Trichet hardens the rhetoric on inflation will be
central for the euro's immediate future.
For now, at least, talking tough seems to be the
only option for the ECB as its hands are tied on
interest rates.
"Today's [Thursday's] ECB policy decision is
expected to be a non-event and the focus again
falls on President Trichet's subsequent press
conference. Hawkish overtones are expected
given the latest euro-zone CPI print for January
came in at +2.4% year-on year, which is well
above the ECB's target," said Gareth Berry
currency strategist at UBS. He added that UBS
economists don't expect a policy rate rise until the
fourth quarter of the year.
Concerns about the euro zone's debt woes
continues to simmer in the background, with
Standard & Poor's downgrade of Ireland
Wednesday working as a timely reminder. But
investors appear to have taken in their stride
Thursday's government bond offerings from
Spain and France which, although successful,
weren't exactly well received. Spain sold a total of
EUR3.5 billion of two-year and five-year bonds,
with respective cover of 2.0 and 1.8, while France
sold EUR1.725 billion of 3.75% 2021 OATS at a
yield of 3.61%, the highest since December 2009.
It feels like only yesterday that the market awaited
every euro-zone auction with bated breath, notes
Citi, adding that the auctions appear to have gone
unnoticed.
Overnight, Egypt moved back into the headlines
after skirmishes between protesters and
government forces left five dead. That left
investors a bit more wary about holding on to
assets considered less safe and led to fresh
demand for the dollar. The greenback also found
support from a strong ADP jobs report which
added to expectations of a strong payrolls
number Friday.
The pound was again the European session's star
performer as economic data Thursday shored up
U.K. rate-rise expectations.
The U.K.'s dominant services sector rebounded in
January, showing surprisingly solid growth after
activity in December was hit by heavy snowfall.
The services Purchasing Managers Index jumped
to 54.5 in January from 49.7 in December,
research group Markit and the Chartered Institute
of Purchasing and Supply. The surge easily
exceeded the modest rise to 51.5 predicted by
analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires and
comes on the heels of strong equivalents in the
manufacturing and construction industries. The
new year looks to have started on a much
stronger footing after the cold snap towards the
end of 2010 dented fourth-quarter activity.
"The pound is being underpinned by rising U.K.
interest rate expectations borne from a spike in
inflation," said Neil Mellor, currency strategist at
Bank of New York Mellon.
In the light of the PMIs, the 0.5% drop in U.K.
fourth quarter GDP looks increasingly like a one-
off.
The pound hit a day high of $1.6277--close to its
highest level in a year--as investors moved to
price in early BOE rate rises.
The euro was at $1.3769 from $1.3810 late
Wednesday in New York, according to EBS. The
dollar was at Y81.73 from Y81.55, while the euro
was at Y112.52 from Y112.51. The pound was at
$1.6215 from $1.6184. The dollar was at CHF
0.9441 from CHF0.9400
The ICE Dollar Index, which tracks the dollar
against a trade-weighted basket of currencies,
was at 77.251 from 77.086.

Obama's address watched on TV by 43 million.

2011-01-27T20:22:00.001+07:00

LOS ANGELES - Almost 43 million
Americans tuned in to watch President Barack
Obama's State of the Union speech live on
television, according to TV ratings provider
Nielsen.
In a 61-minute address on Tuesday evening that
was carried live on 11 U.S. and Spanish-language
television stations, Obama stressed the need to
freeze spending and find common ground with
Republicans to boost growth and create jobs.
Nielsen said on Wednesday that 42.8 million
viewers watched the speech live -- an 11 percent
drop from Obama's TV audience for his 2010
State of the Union address, which drew 48
million people.
The U.S. president's emotionally charged speech
this month at a memorial to victims of the
deadly shooting rampage in Arizona
commanded an audience of 31 million across
seven U.S. networks.
By comparison, "American Idol" -- the most-
highly rated entertainment show on U.S.
television -- currently attracts about 24 million
viewers per episode.

Source: Http://us.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70P9KE20110126?ca=rdt

Google Updates Mobile Weather Search with Interactive Options.

2011-01-25T06:00:00.002+07:00

Google is taking yet another step into the realm of
mobile web pages as apps with the introduction
of some nifty new features for their weather
results. When using a mobile device (English
only, for now), a simple search for “weather” will
now return an interactive set of information on
the days forecast.
The content isn’t new, but the way you access it
has changed for the better. Now a slider lets you
shift through the weather over the next 12 hours,
with information on temperature, wind, and
humidity changing as you move along the day.
Scrolling past the new interactive weather results
brings you to your standard Google search
results.
While apps are experiencing a big boom, the
future is in mobile web pages that leverage
HTML5 and other technologies to create more
app-like experiences. Google senses this and is
making some pretty cool strides in that direction.

Source: Http://phandroid.com/2011/01/24/google-updates-mobile-weather-search-with-interactive-options/

Obama Speech Will Set Tone for 2012 Run.

2011-01-25T05:54:00.002+07:00

President Obama delivers his first State of the
Union address on January 27, 2010. President Obama's State of the Union speech
Tuesday will be in part driven by events - chief
among them the "shellacking" he took in the
midterm elections and the assassination attempt
on Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.
But it will also, inevitably, be driven by politics -
and, along with the tax cut compromise worked
out in December, set the groundwork for Mr.
Obama's argument to voters that he deserves to
be reelected in 2012.
When Republicans took control of the House in
November, it was an obvious setback for
Democrats. But it also came with an opportunity.
After two years of casting stones from the
sidelines, Republicans had to take some
ownership of the business of governing. The
result was the unexpectedly productive lame
duck session punctuated by the tax cut
compromise, which provided Americans with a
glimpse - however brief - of a Washington that
seemed to work.
And much of the credit for that went to Mr.
Obama, who had promised to change the tone in
Washington but had until that moment, in even
the eyes of many of his supporters, failed to
deliver. Polls in the wake of the compromise
suggest that his standing has increased since the
midterms, particularly among independents,
who may be giving the president a second look
as someone who ultimately can function as, in
the words of his predecessor, "a uniter, not a
divider."
Indeed, the tax cut deal allowed Mr. Obama to
present himself as someone capable of
overseeing a more effective Washington. Then
came the tragic attack on Giffords and others in
Tucson, which gave him the opportunity
(however unwanted, in light of the
circumstances) to present himself as capable of
changing the tone as well.
The tax cut deal and Mr. Obama's reaction to the
Tucson tragedy - which included a moving
speech memorializing the victims and calling on
Americans to aspire to their better selves -
allowed the president to reclaim his original
argument: That he can rise above the ugliness of
Washington rhetoric and cut through the
divisiveness that rose to a fever pitch under
President George W. Bush.
The speech Mr. Obama delivers Tuesday will be
designed in large part to drive that notion home.
The president has little reason to call for the sort
of aggressive policy moves of his first two years
- political reality means that anything as ambitions
as health care reform is off the table. Instead, he
will stress how lawmakers can come together
both legislatively and personally - a notion that
will be reinforced by the decision of many
lawmakers to break with tradition and watch the
speech alongside a member of the opposition
party.
The Barack Obama of the 2011 State of the Union
address will strive to project moderation. He will
likely point to his recent efforts to reach out to the
business community to make the case that
acrimony can't be overcome -- and drive that
point home by stressing his desire to improve
the playing field for American business to be
competitive around the globe.
That doesn't mean there won't be fault lines, of
course. Republicans are aggressively pushing the
notion that Mr. Obama has been a reckless
spender in his first two years, an argument they
will come back to over and over in the run-up to
election day 2012. They plan a vote for
Tuesday on returning discretionary, non-
security spending to 2008 levels to drive the
point home.
And while Mr. Obama is stressing that he wants
to lower deficits responsibly, he will call in the
speech for continued spending on infrastructure,
education and research and development to help
the economy continue to recover - and caution
that deep spending cuts could hamper that
recovery. In a preview speech released over the
weekend, the president cast such costs not as
spending but investment, prompting derision
from Republicans.
Yet don't expect that conflict to yield anything like
the " You Lie" moment provided by Rep. Joe
Wilson in 2009. The speech, coming just weeks
after a national tragedy, will be about unity: The
president will favor soaring rhetoric and
generalities over potentially divisive policy
proposals, and members of both parties in the
audience will look for opportunities to showcase
their willingness to disagree without being
disagreeable.
Republicans realize that the credit for that
environment is likely to go disproportionately to
Mr. Obama, just as it did following the tax cut
deal. But there isn't much they can do about it.
For the president, the speech offers the
opportunity to set the tone for a reelection
campaign highly dependent on winning back the
independent voters who respond well to efforts
to rise above the typical Washington noise. And
that's not an opportunity he's going to pass up.

Source: Http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20029390-503544.html

Friend recalls Arizona suspect's disturbing decline(2).

2011-01-25T05:43:00.001+07:00

The unassuming Loughner started forcing
himself to stay awake in an effort to experience
"lucid dreaming," a trance-like state in which a
person goes directly from waking to dreaming
with no lapse in consciousness.
A timeline of Loughner's behavior the night
before the shooting -- when he crisscrossed
Tucson's northwest side, stopping at two Wal-
Marts, a Walgreens pharmacy and three
convenience stores between midnight and
sunrise -- is typical of the way Gutierrez
remembers him.
"He got really into depriving himself of sleep ... It
had to be natural. He explained this. If you use an
amphetamine or something like that, as soon as
it's completely out of your system, you can
crash, and you're also not getting the true lucid
dreaming state, because you're under the
influence of a chemical or substance," he said.
Loughner is alleged to have been involved later in
a series disruptions at Pima Community College
between February and September 2010 that led
school administrators to bar him from campus
until he could be examined and cleared to return
by a psychiatric professional.
According to school officials, he chose instead to
withdraw from college.
His friends knew he was having some kind of
trouble, but they assumed he was going through
a hard time at home and didn't want to talk about
it, so they gave him what support they could,
Gutierrez said.
"We'd just be here to hang out with him when he
wanted to. You know, you really can't offer
much, if you're not a professional or anything like
that. There's not a lot you can offer as a friend
besides, 'Yo, here's a place you can come chill
and hang out, and no one's going to bother you.'
It got to the point where he didn't even want
that," he said.
In a widely distributed YouTube video narrated
by Loughner, he is heard rambling about the
"genocide college" that was controlling grammar
and would leave him homeless.
Such talk became typical for Loughner, and
friends would sometimes challenge him when he
spoke that way.
"He kind of got tired of us, like, checking him on
things he was trying to say and being weird and
stuff. I think he just got tired of hearing it from
us, and he just cut us off," Gutierrez said.
When Gutierrez last had contact with him,
Loughner still appeared clean-cut, well-groomed
and dressed in Eddie Bauer. Then in July,
Gutierrez saw him in a grocery store parking lot.
He was wearing camouflage pants and combat
boots and his head was shaved.
"Jared was a good kid who was sick, and he just
went crazy. That's what happened, and if there's
going to be any fingers pointed anywhere, it's
that someone didn't haul his ass in and get him
evaluated. Whether that responsibility lies on the
parents, the school on the state, whatever it may
be, it didn't happen," he said.

Source: Http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70N6U520110124?pageNumber=2

Cutler case proves perception of injuries hasn't evolved with game.

2011-01-25T05:36:00.003+07:00

It's too bad Jay Cutler only tore his medial
collateral knee ligament in the NFC Championship
game on Sunday. A broken kneecap might have
been better; heck, a broken leg would have been
better than that. Can someone please grab
Cutler's knee and turn it 180 degrees?
Because really, that's the only way Cutler should
have come out of Sunday's game against the
Packers. As we all know, unless you're dead,
you'd better be playing. Otherwise, you aren't a
real NFL man.
"I have to be crawling and can't get up, to come
off the field,'' Derrick Brooks tweeted Sunday, in
the heat of the moment. "Meds are available.''
Absolutely. Jay, throw back a few Advil and get
your broken self back out there. There is a game
to be won. That stuff you pulled in the second
half against Green Bay was unacceptable. You are
a tin man. As Brooks, the former Tampa Bay
linebacker, noted, "There is no medicine for a guy
with no guts and heart.'' Man up, Cutler.
GALLERY: NFL players who rushed to rip
Cutler
Well ...
I don't know Jay Cutler from Jay Gatsby. His
public face is either scowling or standoffish. He's
an easy guy to rip. Plus, pain is implied in the
contract. In the NFL, if you're not hurt today, you
will be tomorrow. If you're not hurting, you're
not trying. Unless you're a kicker.
But the bashing Cutler took Sunday was dumb.
The comments reflect a Cro-Magnon culture that
hasn't progressed with the same speed as the
science that surrounds it. In fact, it hasn't
progressed at all.
"As a guy [who has had] 20 knee surgeries,
you'd have to drag me out on a stretcher to leave
a championship game,'' tweeted former Pro Bowl
lineman Mark Schlereth, now an ESPN
commentator. Purple hearts for you, Mark. Ever
think that's a reason you had 20 operations? Let's
see you play with your grandkids a few decades
from now.
On the radio Monday, ESPN's Mike Golic
suggested the ankle injury that KO'd Pittsburgh
center Maurkice Pouncey was more believable
than Cutler's knee pop, because Pouncey
emerged on crutches from the Steelers' locker
room. There you go, Cutler. Next time, try a full
body cast.
The medicine has advanced. The understanding
has progressed. Concussions aren't simply a case
of a player getting his bell rung. The evidence,
hard and anecdotal, is out there. Whether it's a
former lineman concussed into dementia, or a
former quarterback whose knees are so wrecked
he can't escape an easy chair without help from a
forklift, it's obvious what recklessness can do to a
man's body.
Too bad the culture hasn't caught up with the
science.
Overheated macho still rules in football. Got a
bruise the size of Vermont on your thigh? Rub
some dirt on it, tough guy. Got a bad muscle
pull? Get "shot up,'' in players' parlance, and get
back out there. Suck it up.
Cutler could have taken a Novocaine injection at
halftime, if anyone had wanted to risk his career
that way. But to shoot a guy up -- to numb an
injury involving a ligament -- is foolish and
unsafe. "There's real danger in continuing to
play,'' says Dr. Timothy Kremchek, an orthopedic
surgeon and the team doctor for the Cincinnati
Reds.
"[Cutler] could be doing permanent, career-
ending damage to himself and not even know it,''
Kremchek said.
Pain can be a good thing. It tells a person to stop
what he's doing and get some help. Unless
you're in the NFL, where men are men and the
best way to prove it is to have 20 knee surgeries.
John Thornton, a former defensive tackle for the
Bengals and Titans, said, "It's kind of hard to
question a guy's courage when it comes to
injuries. Everybody's tolerance level is different.''
JIM TROTTER: Don't question Cutler's
toughness
Thornton tore his rotator cuff in the middle of his
rookie year in Tennessee. His second season, he
tore it again and chipped a bone in the same
shoulder. He played through it. Thornton felt
obligated to earn the money he was making. He
also felt peer pressure: "We had Steve McNair on
that team, and he was tougher than anybody,''
Thornton explained Monday. "If he wasn't
missing games or taking plays off, nobody was.''
In Cincinnati, Thornton injured his clavicle in his
third game as a Bengal. He was a high-priced,
free-agent acquisition and again felt pressure to
play. "I couldn't practice,'' Thornton recalled.
"They injected me before every game. I couldn't
even put my right hand on the ground. It was
peer pressure. I felt like I couldn't let my coaches
and teammates down.''
Attitudes change in a contract year, Thornton
says. Players are more protective of themselves.
No team is going to sign a player who is hurt, so
players are more likely to sit with an injury than
risk their next contract by taking one for the team.
"It's like driving with no insurance,'' Thornton
said. "At that point, it's a business decision. If
you're in your walk year and get hurt, the team
isn't obligated to pay you. Neither is anybody
else.''
Yet even the cool-headed Thornton looked at
Cutler's injury and said, "It makes [the knee]
unstable. But you can play on it.''
Sure, why not? You're a quarterback and you
can't run. You can't push off, meaning you can't
get any power on your throws. Your fastball is
suddenly junk. Very likely, your presence in the
huddle is hurting your team more than it's
helping.
But you are a man. An NFL man. You suck it up,
shoot it up and take one for the team. You won't
come off that field unless you crawl off.
Sometimes, evolution takes longer than it should.
Paul Daugherty is a columnist with The Cincinnati
Enquirer.

Source: Http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/paul_daugherty/01/24/jay.cutler/

AP Interview: IAEA head seeks openness from Iran.

2011-01-25T05:36:00.001+07:00

VIENNA -- The head of the International Atomic
Energy Agency said Monday his organization
cannot be sure that Iran is not secretly working
on nuclear arms, in comments reflecting
disappointment with the collapse of talks between
Tehran and six world powers.
That meeting ended Saturday with the six failing
to persuade Iran to dispel fears of such covert
activity by allowing increased IAEA monitoring of
its nuclear programs - leaving the U.N. agency
short of applying all inspecting instruments it
says it should have a right to.
"Cooperation is not sufficient" by Iran, IAEA
Director General Yukiya Amano told The
Associated Press. "We cannot provide ...
assurance on the absence of (undeclared) nuclear
activities or the exclusively peaceful nature of all
the nuclear activities of Iran."
Expectations had been low for the Istanbul
meeting. So the six powers - the U.S., China,
Russia, Britain France and Germany - had avoided
too much emphasis on their main demand: an
end to uranium enrichment, as called for by the
U.N. Security Council.
Iran's enrichment program is of international
interest because the process can create both
nuclear fuel and fissile nuclear warhead material.
While Iran insists it wants to enrich uranium only
to run a nuclear reactor network, its nuclear
secrecy, refusal to accept fuel from abroad and
resistance to IAEA efforts to follow up on
suspicions of covert experiments with
components of a nuclear weapons program have
heightened concerns.
Despite four sets of U.N. sanctions Iran insists it
will never give up its right to enrich uranium.
Since it resumed the process four years ago, it
has amassed enough low-enriched material for
more than two bombs, should it choose to
enrich its uranium to weapons-grade levels.
Separately, it has amassed more than 40
kilograms (nearly 90 pounds) of higher-enriched
uranium, which would take less time to turn into
weapons grade material, should Iran decide to do
so.
Because of Iran's rejection of talks on enrichment,
Iran's interlocutors instead had come to the table
with more modest hopes, including seeking
concessions from Tehran as to what it was ready
to show IAEA inspectors.
The problem is less about monitoring facilities
and activities that Iran has declared to the agency
and more about concerns that the Islamic
Republic might be hiding other nuclear work and
denying the IAEA the right to search for them.
"We maintain knowledge on Iranian enrichment
activities and other nuclear activities which are
declared," Amano said. But, he said, "our
knowledge is limited to which we have the
access."
That would include the central Natanz enrichment
plant, where thousands of centrifuges churn out
material that Iran says it will use as reactor fuel
but which can also be reworked to make the core
of nuclear warheads. Remote cameras and on
site inspections are meant to make sure no
material is diverted for possible weapons use,
and IAEA officials say the agency is content with
its overview at Natanz.
The IAEA also has sufficient access to the Bushehr
reactor built with Russian help that is to go on line
later this year and the Isfahan uranium
conversion plant making gas feedstock that is
then enriched at Natanz.
But Tehran has restricted IAEA access to its
reactor site at Arak, which - once completed - will
be able to produce plutonium, which can also be
used to arm nuclear warheads.
And it revealed a nearly finished enrichment
facility at Qom in 2009 to the IAEA just days
before the U.S. and Britain went public with
intelligence on its existence, feeding concern that it
had planned to keep it secret and worry of other
undeclared nuclear work elsewhere.
"The facility at Qom was brought to our attention
at quite a late stage of construction," said Amano.
"We also hear from a high level of Iranian
authorities that they have plans of constructing
(other) enrichment plants, but we don't have
particular informations."
Such lack of transparency means that "we cannot
provide an assurance of the absence of
undeclared activities and facilities," said Amano.
Iran also refuses to cooperate with an IAEA probe
of U.S. and other intelligence reports that it
worked on nuclear weapons programs,
dismissing them as falsifications and asserting
that the agency is overstepping its bounds -
something Amano denied.
"We have the mandate to have clarification on
these issues," Amano said, citing U.N. Security
Council resolutions urging Iran to cooperate with
the agency on clearing up the allegations.

Source: Http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/24/2031731/ap-interview-iaea-critical-of.html

Make Money Online Made Easy With Simple, Fast and Working At Home Guide Offered by TheRichKids.

2011-01-25T04:45:00.000+07:00

January 24, 2011 – It can be
utterly frustrating to have a day job and not make
enough money to make ends meet. While some
work a lot harder than the others, those who
miss out on the opportunities do not have the
money to pay the bills. Given these, the fact
remains that there are many people across the
world who need the extra income and turn to the
Internet. However, making money online can in
fact be shady business opportunities that are
either too complicated to pursue, or just simply
do not work.
TheRichKids.com developed the real income plan
system that has created hundreds of millionaires
– without the MLM's, Gifting Programs, No Money
Down Real Estate, Chain Letters, Envelope Stuffing
or any other schemes. This website is backed by
a group of online money making people who
work hard in order to provide the best
information on how to become self-employed
and to have an online money making business.
TheRichKids.com explains that in its proven
business affiliate formula to make money fast and
easy online, its marketing and research team will
direct participants to advertising companies in
order to maximize profit. Participants are required
to simply log on to a specific website, fill in a few
blanks for some information and make sure that
some particular advertisements go correctly. This
easy money process takes only 15 to 30 minutes
a day.
With TheRichKids.com, it is simple and fun to
make real money. Moreover, it is affordable. For
only $14.95, participants will get the program that
describes in detail the key to massive wealth and
freedom.
Aiming to educate visitors about the money
making business, TheRichKids.com also offers a
plethora of articles that tackle online affiliate
marketing and other topics that guide and inform
people about how to make money online.
Grab the power to live the life you deserve and
maintain that lifestyle forever. Learn the ways to
make easy money with an online business
through a simple and affordable method. Visit
http://www.TheRichKids.com today.

Source: Http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=94534

US. Airlines make money again by flying less.

2011-01-25T04:42:00.000+07:00

After a decade of multibillion-dollar losses, U.S.
airlines appear to be on course to prosper for
years to come for a simple reason: They are
flying less.
By grounding planes and eliminating flights,
airlines have cut costs and pushed fares higher.
As the global economy rebounds, travel demand
is rising and planes are as full as they've been in
years.
By grounding planes and eliminating flights,
airlines have cut costs and pushed fares higher.
As the global economy rebounds, travel demand
is rising and planes are as full as they've been in
years.
Profit margins at big airlines are the highest in at
least a decade, according to the government. The
eight largest U.S. airlines are forecast to earn
more than $5 billion this year and $5.6 billion in
2012.
U.S. airlines are in the midst of reporting fourth-
quarter results that should cap the industry's first
moneymaking year since 2007.
"The industry is in the best position — certainly in
a decade — to post profitability," says Southwest
Airlines CEO Gary Kelly. "The industry is much
better prepared today than it was a decade ago."
The airlines' turnaround has benefited investors —
the Arca airlines stock index has nearly
quadrupled since March 2009 — but it's been
tough on travelers.
Fares in the U.S. have risen 14 percent from a
year ago, according to travel consultant Bob
Harrell. Flights are more crowded than they've
been in decades. On domestic flights, fewer than
one in five seats are empty. Space is even tighter
over the summer and holidays. That's why it
took a week to rebook all the travelers who were
stranded by a snowstorm that hit the Northeast
over Christmas weekend.
Travelers also face fees these days for services
that used to be part of the ticket price, such as
checking luggage (usually $25 to $35 per bag)
and rebooking on a different flight (usually $150
for a domestic flight, more when flying overseas).
"I'm not averse to anyone making money —
that's great — but (to) take things away and then
charge for them, that's not right," said Rick Jellow,
an executive who travels in his job for a lighting-
systems company in Virginia.
From 2000 through 2009, U.S. airlines lost about
$60 billion and eliminated 160,000 jobs,
according to an industry trade group, the Air
Transport Association.
During that tumultuous decade, airlines were hit
with a series of events beyond their control: two
recessions; the Sept. 11 attacks; an avian flu
outbreak that scared away many travelers, and
rising fuel costs.
The industry was profitable in 2000, 2006 and
2007, when the economy was roaring. But those
boom years masked the industry's underlying
problems, including high costs and more seats
than travelers demanded. During 2008 and 2009,
airlines lost a combined $23 billion, but they were
also attacking their problems, setting the stage for
a comeback in 2010.
— They eliminated money-losing flights. When
travel demand recovered, airlines could raise
ticket prices for the smaller supply of seats.
— They grounded older, gas-guzzling airplanes.
The government says the major U.S. airlines,
plus freight delivery companies FedEx and UPS,
used 11.39 billion gallons of jet fuel in the first nine
months of 2010, down 11.4 percent from the
same period a year earlier. The price of a gallon of
jet fuel jumped 20 percent year over year, but
overall fuel spending rose just 6 percent.
— They added fees. In the first nine months of
2010, airlines collected more than $4.3 billion from
fees for checking baggage and changing tickets,
up 13.5 percent from the comparable period in
2009.
— They consolidated. Delta Air Lines Inc. bought
Northwest in 2008, and United and Continental
combined last year. That leaves four so-called
network carriers that operate from hub airports,
down from six. And Southwest Airlines Co.'s
pending purchase of AirTran Airways will
combine two of the biggest discount carriers.
Fewer airlines should mean higher fares.
Delta, Southwest, United Continental and US
Airways are expected to have earned nearly $4
billion combined in 2010. The latter two report
results on Tuesday. The parent of American
Airlines, which suffers from higher costs than the
others, said last week it lost $389 million.
The economy is expected to grow faster in 2011
and 2012 than it did in 2010, and this should give
the industry a lift. But, there are some challenges
on the horizon.
The biggest, is higher fuel prices. With oil
hovering around $90 a barrel, jet fuel on the spot
market costs about $2.60 a gallon, the highest it's
been in more than two years. This will temper
industrywide profit margins. Still, Soleil Securities
analyst James Higgins says most airlines would
make money this year even if oil hits $100.
Another factor that will determine how long the
industry's profitability lasts is how individual
airlines manage growth. Rightly, the airlines so far
have been cautious about adding more flights as
travel demand picks up. In the past, they added
flights and brought back grounded aircraft too
quickly. That led to a glut of seats and falling
airfares.
"The wild card is always capacity discipline," says
William Swelbar, a director at Hawaiian Airlines'
parent and an airline industry researcher at MIT.
"All it takes is one carrier to begin to add capacity
aggressively, and then we follow and we undo all
the good work that's been done."

Source: Http://m.cnbc.com/us_news/41238310

2011: Second Wave of Children ’s Mobile Apps Is Coming.

2011-01-25T04:35:00.001+07:00

I spent a lot of 2010 playing with mobile
apps, mostly on iDevices.
It is clear that over that time, applications
have grown up and older in a very time.
As with all technology, mobile apps follow
a general “Moore’s law trajectory” and
quality (along with speed) is improving at
an exponential rate. We have gone from
apps that simulate simple real-world
activities, like memory and flash cards to
games that allow us to fling birds and onto
beautifully designed 3-D environments
through tools like the Epic engine.
The arrival of the iPad last year probably
had the biggest impact on children’s and
educational apps for mobile devices. Since
then, we have seen app developers
moving with alarming speed to get in first
with an app that will “wow” parents and
children.
This is not unusual. The iPad, combined
with iTunes, is like opening up a big empty
warehouse and saying, “People will buy
things here, what have you got to sell?”
This same process happened with the iPod
Touch and iPhones. It is what stimulates
the first wave of app development.
But, the first wave is almost over. Along
with those rushing into the market place,
coding quickly and (sometimes) planning
poorly, there have been builders and
developers working away quietly in their
workshops creating apps that they believe
in and have crafted to make people sit up
and notice. They are the leaders of the
second wave of apps, and they are
beginning to arrive.
That’s isn’t to say we don’t have some on
the scene already. I’d call The Elements,
Motion Math, The Monster at the End of this
Book, Toontastic and Infinity Blade all
leaders of the second wave (but not all of
these are educationally focused).
It is these apps that will really help
transform the learning landscape for our
children, as new apps begin to provide
space to be creative, to share that creativity
and provide experiences that can ’t be had
anywhere else. So, what will these second-
wave apps look like?
Attributes of a Second-Wave
Educational App
This is not a definitive list, but I’d like to see
the apps I explore in 2011 have five
attributes. A second-wave app may have
all or some of these:
1. The app can only exist on the
mobile device.
This means eBook apps that are just pages
with writing and maybe a music track don ’t
cut it. They could also be produced as
books. And, for the second wave this
means not just being interactive, but
hyper-interactive. The best examples of e-
books designed for mobile devices arte The
Elements or Solar System. By using all
aspects of media — video, photo, text and
audio interwoven into an intuitive
navigation system and aesthetically
pleasing design, they are setting the tone
for what we should expect.
It also means apps like Motion Math, which
use the gyroscope to turn math into a
physical activity. It links learning math with
kinesthetic intelligence. This can ’t be
recreated on a maths sheet.
2. The app maximizes the
opportunities presented by the
technical capacity of the mobile
device.
This is what Motion Math does. Using any
of the recording functions on the devices
also does this. But, the second wave
should take it one step further than the way
Oceanhouse Media and Kiwa Media engines
allow you to record a child’s voice while
reading. We want to see how video
recording can be used from the iPhone
camera, or what else could be achieved
with the Toontastic screen and audio-
recording functionality. How can we help
develop children ’s gross and fine motor
skills or excite their kinesthetic or spatial
intelligence using mobile apps and devices?
3. It allows children to create.
This is core to the second wave. We want
apps that will allow children to not just
consume and learn, but to demonstrate
their learning through a creative act. We
can open a drawing program, of course,
but we can use pencils and paper in the
same way. Toontastic has demonstrated
that it can help children tell stories in
creative ways. But, what else could children
be using apps for? How can we support
them to capture and edit their own films,
mix their own music ( Mixaroo is a nice
start), share their feelings and explore their
emotional intelligence?
4. It connects children to each other
and to the outside world.
These devices are connected to the internet.
So, beyond social network games that
model MMORPGs, how can apps allow
children to share with each other? Or, how
do we create apps that encourage them to
put the device down and go out and
explore the backyard? Children’s learning
needs to be holistic. Technology and
mobile devices are one facet, but to
become really powerful learning tools apps
must begin to take children beyond the
screen and connect to the world outside.
There has been discussion among several
of the Moms with Apps crowd about this
and I look forward to seeing how they
address this challenge.
5. It looks beautiful.
We have to invest more energy into design
of the user experience for children. The
knowledge is out there in terms of what
will work best for children, it needs to be
transferred into a digital environment. On a
simple level it will be bold colors, simple
lines and audio that engages. One good
way to test this out is to look at what
children are playing and engaging with
most, not in terms of sales, but in terms of
time. How much time a child spends with
an app will become important in assessing
how well the aesthetics work alongside the
broader design and operation of the app.
I know some apps out there are pushing
these boundaries. The second wave will be
exciting and creative. Let us know of your
favorites as they appear.

Source: Http://m.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/2011-the-second-wave-of-childrens-mobile-apps-is-coming/

Nvidia's Tegra 2 Chip Joins Android in Riding the Mobile Market Train.

2011-01-25T04:30:00.000+07:00

Nvidia (NVDA) competes with AMD (AMD) and
Intel (INTC) in the graphics business. The
company also competes in mobile processors
with Intel ’s Atom and is now planning to enter PC
CPU business as well. The announcement of
Project Denver was one of the more significant
announcements from Nvidia, however another
key announcement was the introduction of the
next generation mobile computing chip Tegra 2.
Our current forecasts does not include this new
development, and we await the company ’s
earnings release to update our forecasts.
We have written an article previously (Android
Market May Decide Fate of Nvidia’s Tegra 2 Chip)
where we discuss how the tie up with android
may help Nvidia ’s Tegra 2 chips to reap success.
While android has been gaining in popularity, the
superior processing power of Tegra 2 dual-core
may set standards of performance in the mobile
market and challenge leaders like Apple
(NASDAQ: AAPL). Apple has set the smartphone
trend with its introduction of iPhone and now the
tablet trend with its iPad. These devices are
powered by A4 processor but Nvidia ’s chip may
create further demand for android devices,
thereby challenging Apple.
Full nVIDIA Model
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(Chart created by using Trefis' app)
Full nVIDIA Model
To use this tool, please
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here.
(Chart created by using Trefis' app)
The Adoption of Tegra 2
It looks like Nvidia’s new chip is likely to gain
higher adoption on the grounds of its
performance as well as link to the android
operating system. The company announced the
arrival of super phones that will be powered by
its chip.
For example, LG Optimus will be one of the first
super phones that will offer capability of
recording and playing 1080p HD video. With
dual-core processor, the performance will be
much faster and these super phones are likely to
evolve to the direction of mini computers, with
voice calling being used as secondary feature.
One analyst estimated that the new chip will add
over $400 million in high margin sales to Nvidia
in 2011. [1]
Tablets will from LG and Dell will also use Nvidia’s
new chip, which will boost its mobile chip
revenues. It seems that given the recent stock
run, Investors may be expecting quite high
revenue and margin gains.

Source: Http://seekingalpha.com/article/248256-nvidia-s-tegra-2-chip-joins-android-in-riding-the-mobile-market-train

Smartphone-Powered Satellites Are Destined for Space Travel.

2011-01-25T04:24:00.001+07:00

Forget the in-dash car phone. If all goes
according to plan in 2011, a group of British
scientists will be rocketing an Android
smartphone to infinity, and beyond.
Researchers at the University of Surrey and
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL)
in England are developing an Android-
powered satellite to be launched into lower-
earth orbit.
Dubbed Strand-1 (Surrey Training,
Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator),
the 11.8-inch satellite will take pictures of the
Earth on a mission to be launched later in
the year. Included in its control electronics
are the guts of a commercial smartphone
running Android.
With Strand-1, SSTL researchers want to
show off the features and capabilities of a
satellite while primarily using relatively
inexpensive off-the-shelf components.
“The economic implications of this are
really exciting,” mission concepts engineer
Shaun Kenyon told Wired.com. “If these
phones stand up to the extreme
environments we see in space, it’s amazing
to think we could eventually leverage low-
cost mobile technology to use in satellite
production. ”
This isn’t the first time scientists have
launched phones aboard rockets. Last year,
researchers at the NASA Ames Research
Center experimented with sending a couple
of HTC Nexus One phones 30,000 feet into
the atmosphere, attaching each phone as
payload in a small rocket. One phone bit
the dust hard after the rocket parachute
failed, but the other one walked away from
its mission unscathed, capturing more than
two and a half hours of recorded video on
its 720×480-pixel camera.
Cost is a big motivation for the experiment.
Many of the standard features seen in
current smartphones — cameras, GPS
navigation, Wi-Fi accessibility — are also
found on satellites. But the smartphone
components are a fraction of the size,
weight and cost of those used in
aerospace.
“We want to see if smartphones can
actually survive up there, ” Kenyon said,
“and we’ll be looking at how phone-specific
sensors like accelerometers perform in
space-flight conditions. ”
SSTL will initially launch the satellite
powered by an on-board computer, which
will judge how the phone ’s vitals are
holding up and monitor for malfunctions in
the phone ’s hardware. After the data on the
phone’s basic functioning are collected, the
computer will be turned off and the phone
will be used to control different parts of the
satellite.
SSTL won’t divulge the manufacturer or
model of the phone, but says it is indeed
powered by the Android OS.
The satellite will weigh just under ten
pounds and come equipped with miniature
reaction wheels for general torque and
orientation control, as well as GPS
navigation and pulse-plasma thrusters for
space propulsion. Kenyon estimates the
cost of the satellite to come in at less than
300 pounds, or just under $500.
SSTL has built and launched 34 satellites
since being founded in 1981. The company
specializes in smaller, low-cost satellites that
often cost much less than those normally
associated with space travel. In the past,
the company has worked on training and
development programs for NASA and the
European Space Agency. The smartphone
satellite project is being worked on in
conjunction with the Surrey Space Center
at the University of Surrey.
SSTL hopes to launch the satellite before the
end of 2011.

Source: Http://m.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/01/android-smartphone-space/

What new fees might airlines impose next?

2011-01-25T04:23:00.001+07:00

Ready for new airline fees for traveling with an
infant or perhaps bringing a carry-on bag?
George Hobica, founder of the travel website
Airfarewatchdog, predicted airlines will be
tempted to adopt new fees to compensate for
higher fuel costs. After all, the nation's airlines
collected more than $6 billion from such fees in
the first nine months of 2010, according to federal
statistics.
Hobica drafted a list of possible charges, some of
which he said have already been imposed in the
U.S. or Europe. For example:
Infant fee: a charge to hold a baby on your lap
during a flight. Europe's Ryanair charges 20
euros, or roughly $30, each way.
In-person check-in fee: a charge to check in with
an airline employee instead of checking in online
or at a kiosk at the airport.
Credit card fee: a charge for buying tickets with a
credit card. Hobica says foreign airlines already
charge a small fee to passengers who don't pay
for their tickets with cash.
Lock-in fee: a charge to lock your fare for three to
seven days while you consider buying a ticket.
Continental Airlines introduced the option in
December, and several European carriers already
had been charging for such price insurance.
Carry-on bag fee: a charge to bring luggage in the
cabin that doesn't fit under the seat. Florida-based
Spirit Airlines added a charge of up to $45 for
such bags last year.
Although new airline fees in the last few years
have prompted many travelers to choose a
different mode of transportation, Hobica says
most are resigned to paying those costs.
But after publishing his list of possible airline fees
on Airfarewatchdog, he said the most common
response from website visitors was, "Don't give
the airlines any ideas."
BUSINESS TRAVEL GROUP OPTIMISTIC
To gauge the strength of the economy, some
experts look at consumer spending, retail sales
and unemployment numbers.
Not surprisingly, the trade group for the nation's
corporate travel managers focuses on business
travel spending.
Based on that criterion, the National Business
Travel Assn. says the economy is looking strong.
The group says business travel spending grew
2.3 percent last year, compared with a 14 percent
drop in 2009. The group's research arm predicts
that business travel spending will rise 5 percent
this year.
When business executives feel optimistic about
the economy, they spend more on travel, group
officials say. As a result of such spending, they
say, the economy thrives.
"Our research is ringing in the new year with
reason for cautious optimism," said Michael
McCormick, the group's executive director.
In another sign that companies may be willing to
spend more on business travel, a new survey of
business travel managers found that the top
criterion when choosing a hotel was proximity to
a meeting location.
In previous surveys by other travel companies,
the top criteria were low prices, loyalty program
points and wireless Internet access. In the latest
survey by Travel Leaders, a travel agents
network based in Minneapolis, price ranked ninth.
"It's interesting to see that location is coming out
so far ahead of price," said Kath Gerhardt, a
spokeswoman for the network. "It definitely
shows you that other things are more important
to making business travel easier than price."
AIRLINES MUST SAY IF THEY'LL USE PARTNERS
Anyone who has flown for business or leisure in
the United States in the last few years probably
has experienced what the airline industry calls
code sharing.
It happens when an airline sells you a ticket but
books a portion of your journey on a small
regional operator or another large airline, often
without telling passengers. Carriers have
increasingly relied on code sharing to branch out
to new markets without investing in extra planes
and staff.
But the U.S. Department of Transportation now
wants airlines to identify the actual carriers for an
entire route before tickets are purchased.
The DOT announced recently that airlines and
travel websites have 60 days to modify their
websites to clearly identify the airlines that will
serve the passengers under code sharing
agreements.
"When passengers buy an airline ticket, they have
the right to know which airline will be operating
their flight," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
said in a statement.
The DOT order clarifies provisions of a law
adopted last summer after a regional jet crashed
in 2009 near Buffalo, killing all 49 aboard and one
person on the ground. The turboprop plane was
operated by Colgan Air, a regional carrier working
with Continental Airlines Inc. Investigators largely
blamed crew error for the crash.
Although airline officials insist that pilot training
and working conditions are the same for large
airlines and regional carriers, backers of the law
say passengers should know before buying a
ticket on which airline they would be flying.
In December, the DOT fined JetBlue Airways
Corp. $600,000 for violating disability access
rules and failing to disclose a code-sharing
agreement with a regional carrier, Cape Air. DOT
investigators discovered the violation by calling
JetBlue reservation agents and posing as potential
passengers.
FEW AIRPORTS OPT TO REPLACE TSA
Since the Transportation Security Administration
added new security measures last year -
including more full-body scanners and enhanced
pat-down searches - privacy advocates have
called on U.S. airport managers to take advantage
of a little-known law to replace TSA agents with
private contractors.
An opt-out clause was included in legislation that
created the TSA after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
But of the nation's 450 or so major commercial
airports, only 18 have opted out.
Last month, the San Diego County Regional
Airport Authority board discussed the idea of
becoming the 19th airport to opt out. But after
airport staff explained the process, the board
members lost interest in the idea.
If an airport chooses to opt out, the TSA must
select and hire a private contractor to take over
security. The TSA must also train the contractor
employees and supervise them to follow TSA
guidelines for searching passengers and cargo.
TSA agents who lose their jobs in the opt out also
get to apply for positions with the private
contractor.
"Is there a possibility of cost savings if we go
with a private contractor," board member Jim
Desmond asked during a recent meeting. "Not
really," replied board President Thella F. Bowens.
With that, the board ended discussion and
moved on to other topics.
WEBSITE ADDS AIRLINE REVIEWS
Before seeing a movie, booking a hotel room or
sitting down at a restaurant, you can read a
review to get an idea of what to expect.
Now travel website TripAdvisor has added a
feature that lets passengers rate airlines and then
posts the results. The carriers are rated on such
things as baggage handling, check-in experience,
in-flight amenities, punctuality, seat comfort and
value. For each category, passengers can submit
a rating from one to five.
But to ensure that airlines don't skew the
outcomes by submitting favorable reviews,
TripAdvisor specialists have been assigned to
monitor the website and look for bogus reviews.
In addition, only TripAdvisor members can add
reviews.
Said TripAdvisor spokesman Justine Drake: "We
have safeguards to make sure no one is gaming
the system."

Source: Http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/24/2605234/what-new-fees-might-airlines-impose.html

Forex: Euro Rally Tapers Off, British Pound To Face Increased Volatility.

2011-01-25T04:17:00.001+07:00

Talking Points

Japanese Yen: Weakens Across The Board
British Pound: Consolidates Ahead of 4Q
GDP
Euro: ECB President Trichet Maintains
Dovish Outlook
U.S. Dollar: Mixed Against Major
Counterparts, Risk Aversion To Gather Pace

The Euro pared the rally from the previous week
and the single-currency may face increased
headwinds going into the North American trade
as European policy makers maintain a dovish
outlook for future policy. The EUR/USD fell back
from a high of 1.3629 and the exchange rate may
continue to retrace the advance from earlier this
month as the near-term rally appears to be
coming to a halt. The reversal in the relative
strength index reinforces a bearish outlook for the
next 24 hours of trading as the two-week rally
fails to push the oscillator above 70, and the
euro-dollar may test the 50.0% Fibonacci
retracement from the 2009 high to the 2010 low
around 1.3500 for support as price action
maintains the upward trend from the January low
(1.2873).
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude
Trichet continued to talk down the risk for
inflation during an interview with the Wall Street
Journal, and the dovish outlook held by the
central bank head could translate into further euro
weakness as investors weigh the prospects for
future policy. Mr. Trichet reiterated that monetary
policy remains “appropriate” despite the recent
rise in price growth, and went onto say that
second-round effects of higher commodity prices
should be contained as wage growth remains
subdued. As the ECB aims to encourage a
sustainable recovery, the central bank is likely to
maintain monetary support throughout the first-
half of the year, but the Governing Council could
be forced to support the real economy
throughout 2011 as the risk for contagion
intensifies. The lackadaisical approach to address
the debt crisis is likely to bear down on the
exchange rate as European policy makers
struggle to meet on common ground, and the
EUR/USD may consolidate ahead of the EU
Summit in February as the group weighs
different alternatives to strengthen the financial
system.
The British Pound slipped to a low of 1.5920
during the European trade, and the GBP/USD
may continue to consolidate over the next 24
hours of trading as economic activity in the U.K.
is expected to expand at a slower pace in the
fourth quarter. As the daily RSI falls back from a
high of 68, the pound-dollar may pare the sharp
rally from earlier this month, but the slew of
event risks coming out of the U.K this week is
likely to produce increased volatility in the
exchange rate as investors weigh the outlook for
future policy. With the Bank of England scheduled
to release its policy meeting minutes on
Wednesday, market reaction to the 4Q GDP
report could be short-lived as we expect the
central bank to adopt a highly hawkish outlook
for future policy, and the central bank may see
scope to start normalizing monetary policy later
this year as the economic recovery in Britain
gradually gathers pace. However, there could be
a growing split within the MPC as the
fundamental outlook remains clouded with
uncertainties, and we expect to see another 7-1-1
vote count as the committee struggles to meet
on common ground.
U.S. dollar price action was mixed on Monday,
with the USD/JPY advancing to a high of 82.91,
but the greenback may regains its footing during
the North American trade as we anticipate the rise
in risk aversion to fuel demands for the reserve
currency. As the economic docket remains bare
for the next 12 hours of trading, risk trends
should continue dictate price action in the foreign
exchange market, and we may see the drop in
risk appetite carry into the Asian trade as the
economic outlook for global growth remains
clouded with high uncertainty.

Source: Http://www.dailyfx.com/forex/fundamental/daily_briefing/session_briefing/us_open/2011/01/24/01-24-11.html

FOREX-Euro hits 2-mth high, helped by rate expectations.

2011-01-25T04:05:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The euro rose for
a fifth straight session on Monday, hitting a two-
month high near $1.37 as expectations of higher
euro zone interest rates sparked traders to push
the currency above important technical levels.
Political turmoil in Ireland again highlighted
problems in indebted euro zone countries and a
suicide bombing at Russia's biggest airport
capped the European currency's rise.
But the euro gained momentum in the New York
session, and traders said tough talk on inflation
from European Central Bank President Jean-
Claude Trichet on Sunday was a catalyst driving
it to its highest level since November.
[ID:nLDE70M0GT]
"They are closer to tightening in the euro zone
with a lot less spare capacity, and it is realistic to
expect the ECB to tighten before the Federal
Reserve," said Kathy Lien, director of research at
GFT Forex in New York.
The euro EUR=EBS was up 0.3 percent on the
day at $1.3655 on electronic trading platform
EBS, after climbing as high as $1.3683, its highest
since November. Euro gains accelerated after
automatic buy orders were triggered at $1.3615
to $1.3620 were breached. Traders said $1.3695,
the Oct. 20 low, was the next upside target.
Solid data on euro zone industrial orders and a
robust euro zone flash estimate of services
purchasing managers activity also bolstered the
currency. [ID:nSLALCE7NA] [ID:nBRLOCE7AH]
The dollar fell 0.3 percent to 82.38 yen JPY=EBS
while the euro was unchanged at 112.50 yen
EURJPY=EBS, just off a two-month high hit in
earlier trade and not far from its 200-day
moving average.
EURO STILL FACES HURDLES
The euro has rallied some 6 percent in the past
two weeks, aided by increasing international
support for the euro zone's debt rescue plan and
concerns that higher inflation will prompt a rate
rise this year.
The spread between euro zone and U.S. bond
yields has widened as a result and boosted the
euro, but some analysts are more cautious,
arguing that weakness in some member
countries, including Ireland, Greece and Portugal,
may hold the ECB back from raising rates in the
near term.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowan resigned as
head of the Fianna Fail party at the weekend,
sparking political turmoil as for the country as it
tries to pass a budget bill to access a bailout
from the EU and IMF. [ID:nLDE70M0AH]
"I don't see how it's possible to raise rates this
year given the dire circumstances of the
peripheral nations," said Greg Salvaggio, vice
president of trading at Tempus Consulting in
Washington.
"Euro zone debt issues have gone to the
backburner and U.S. municipal financing
concerns are front and center," he added. "But
the U.S. will outgrow the euro zone this year,
and when the focus shifts to growth differentials
and euro zone debt issues, that will
change." [ID:nN24172184]
He said a euro failure to close above $1.3650 on
Monday could spark a pullback. The euro
retained a key technical level around $1.3570, a
50 percent retracement of its decline from
November to early January. Technical analysts
say it must hold above that level on a sustained
basis to extend its gains.
The euro's broad rally has cleared out short
positions, or bets that the shared currency
would depreciate. The latest CFTC data show
IMM euro positions held by speculators shifted to
4,109 net long contracts last week, versus
45,182 net shorts the previous week.

Source: Http://us.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSN2419042620110124?ca=rdt

UPDATE: Global Banks Urge Forex Rise To Cool Capital Flows.

2011-01-25T04:03:00.001+07:00

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Emerging countries
should strengthen their currencies to cool off
cash and investment flows threatening to
overheat their economies, the Institute of
International Finance, a trade group of the world's
largest banks, said Monday.
The IIF expects capital flows to developing nations
to surge to nearly $1 trillion dollars this year. And
although that is well shy of the pre-crisis level of
$1.7 trillion in 2007, strong inflation and the rising
risk of housing market and other asset bubbles
have ratcheted up pressure on developing
nations such as China, India, Brazil and Turkey.

Source: Http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110124-711537.html

GOP strategy: Force Dems to vote on `job killing' taxes in health reform.

2011-01-25T03:57:00.001+07:00

With Senate Dems threatening to force
Republicans to vote on whether to repeal
individual popular provisions in the health reform
law, Senate GOPers are mulling a response: Aides
say they may retaliate by demanding that
Democrats vote on other tax-related individual
provisions in the law that Republicans can paint
as "job killers."
In recent days Republicans have been demanding
that Senate Dems allow a vote on the repeal bill
that the House has already passed. As Brian
Beutler reports, Dems have crafted an aggressive
response: If the GOP persists, they will insist on
votes directly on whether to repeal popular
provisions like the restriction on discrimation
against people with pre-existing conditions.
Now the GOP is preparing their response to the
Dem response. According to a GOP Senate aide,
Republicans may counter by demanding a vote
on whether to repeal provisions disliked by
business, such as the one that imposes an excise
tax on medical device manufacturers. Those
manufacturers have been complaining that this
provision forces them to shoulder an unfair
burden of the cost of expanded health coverage
and could lead to layoffs.
The GOP aide says if Dems try to force votes on
individual provisions, Republicans will respond in
kind. GOP aides are combing through the
legislation to find provisions that they can
demand votes on, should it come to that.
"If Democrats are pushing for political votes on
health care, they can expect the exact same
thing," the aide says. "They don't really want to
go back and forth and relitigate this." The aide
added that Republicans would pick provisions
"that have an impact on jobs."
Translation: Republicans would demand votes on
provisions that serve their larger (and ubiquitous)
message that health reform is a "job killer."
Of course, a lot of this on both sides is bluff and
bluster, a form of brinksmanship designed to
spook the other side into backing off. But if there's
one thing we've learned from the health care
wars, it's that Republicans have not shied away
from procedural fights of this kind. Indeed, they
seem to proceed from the assumption that noisy
process fights help them by tainting the health
law -- and its architects -- with Americans' dislike
of Congress, which is at historic lows.

Source: Http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/gop_strategy_force_dems_to_vot.html

GOP strategy: Force Dems to vote on `job killing' taxes in health reform.

2011-01-25T03:57:00.000+07:00

Source: Http://

The people who will really decide whether health-care reform succeeds or fails

2011-01-25T03:55:00.002+07:00

The New Yorker isn't allowing Atul Gawande's
latest article out from behind the paywall, but you
can read the abstract here. The basic point is well
worth keeping in mind amid all the arguments
over the Affordable Care Act: Health-care costs --
and thus our paychecks, and the federal budget
-- won't be decided by how we deliver and
structure health-care insurance. They'll be decided
by how we deliver and structure health care. And
though national policy has a role in that, it's not
always a huge role, and it's not usually a
controversial one.
Gawande relates a series of stories showing
innovation in the toughest corners of the care-
delivery system. The most inspiring is about
Jeffrey Brenner, a Camden-based physician who
began playing with his city's hospital claims data
and making maps of where the money was
being spent. It turned out that there were two city
blocks, containing two particular buildings, where
900 people were responsible for "more than four
thousand hospital visits and about two hundred
million dollars in health-care bills" over the past
seven years. So that's where he focused.
Insurers try to run from the costliest patients.
They try to kick them out for having preexisting
conditions, or they rescind their coverage, or
they price coverage beyond their reach. That just
makes them costlier, of course. Inconsistent
access to medical care means more medical
emergencies, and more medical emergencies
mean higher medical costs. Brenner, by contrast,
is lavishing them with attention. He's calling them
daily. He's checking up on their medications, their
lifestyles, their habits. He wants to open a
doctor's office in their building. His patients
averaged "sixty-two hospital and E.R. visits per
month before joining the program and thirty-
seven visits after — a forty-per-cent reduction.
Their hospital bills averaged $1.2 million per
month before and just over half a million after —
a ﬁfty-six-percent reduction."
We don't really know if his success can be
replicated. But somebody's can be. And that'll be
where policy -- in particular, where Medicare --
comes in. The administration's vision sees things
running something like this: A promising
experiment or pilot program will come to the
attention of the newly established Center for
Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The center will
fund it on a larger scale and study it more
intensely if. If it proves promising, the
Independent Payment Advisory Board will force
Medicare to implement it fairly quickly. And
history shows that if something works in
Medicare -- and, quite often, even if it doesn't --
it's soon adopted by private insurers.
That's if all goes well, of course. And all may not
go well. But it's important to keep in mind that we
know who costs the system money: Sick people.
And we know what costs the system money:
Their health care, particularly when it involves
catastrophic or chronic conditions. So from a
cost and quality perspective, this is where health-
care reform will live and die: In doctor's offices, in
community health centers, in operating rooms
and in people's homes.
Insurers can play a role here, as can Medicare.
But for the next few years, cost control is going
to be less about setting national policy than about
setting up the experiments that allow us to test
what national policy should be. The Affordable
Care Act's contribution to this is money, a center
dedicated to bringing these experiments up to
scale and a reform process that makes it easier to
seed them in Medicare. But for all that to work,
the component pieces need to remain in place,
and some of the experiments actually need to pan
out.

Source: Http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/01/the_health-care_side_of_health.html

Google jumps into 'Do Not Track' debate with Chrome add-on(2).

2011-01-25T03:41:00.001+07:00

"It looks like they're iterating pretty quickly,"
Brookman said, referring to the bandwagon that
Mozilla and Google have joined in the last two
days. "We'll see this move very quickly."
Brookman saved his biggest praise for Mozilla,
and its Do Not Track HTTP header concept.
"It's very easy to do on the part of browser
makers," he said, echoing Mozilla's belief that the
technology -- which doesn't rely on a list, as does
Microsoft's approach, or on cookies, as does
Google's -- was the simplest solution.
Mozilla's assumption, of course, is that Web sites
and advertisers will buy into the idea.
"That's the chicken and the egg problem, that
sites and advertisers will build support [for the
header]," said Brookman. "But by putting a bug
fix out there means that there will be more
discussion of the approach. The three or four
months it will probably take Mozilla [to add the
feature to Firefox] means they can use the time to
build support."
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has
called on browser makers to add additional
privacy features to their software so users can
decide how much information to share with sites
and advertisers.
Ironically, Brookman credited concerns about
Facebook's information-sharing for jump-starting
the discussion about Do Not Track and browsers.
"A lot of it comes from Facebook," Brookman
argued. People can relate to tales of the popular
social networking service sharing their personal
data, he said, when they may not understand the
intricacies of personalized Web ads, and how
sites and advertisers monitor consumers'
movements on the Web.
"Consumers can internalize what goes on in
Facebook, and it's driven a far amount of the calls
for more privacy," said Brookman. "But all the
talk, whether it's from the FTC or in the series of
stories last year by the Wall Street Journal, has
had an aggregate effect," he added in explaining
why the pace has picked up.

Source: Http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9206061/Google_jumps_into_Do_Not_Track_debate_with_Chrome_add_on?taxonomyId=84&pageNumber=2