Ethiopia troops enter Somalia, control border town

NAIROBI, Kenya ? A resident and a military officer say Ethiopian troops have entered a border town in Somalia in what would be a third front against al-Shabab militants.

Resident Mohammed Abdi said hundreds of residents fled the border town of Beledweyne on Saturday after hundreds of Ethiopian and Somali troops moved in.

Capt. Hashi Nor of the Somali military confirmed that Somali and Ethiopian troops had moved in.

The movement appears to be a third front against al-Shabab, Somalia's strongest militant group. Kenyan troops are fighting al-Shabab in Somalia's south, and African Union troops in Mogadishu have mostly pushed al-Shabab fighters out of the capital.

The Associated Press

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/31/ethiopia-troops-enter-somalia-control-border-town/

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THE HILL: Perry blasts Obama for not hosting parade for returning US troops. ?It really disturbs m?

THE HILL: Perry blasts Obama for not hosting parade for returning US troops. ?It really disturbs me that nearly after nine years of war in Iraq that this president wouldn?t welcome home our many heroes with a simple parade in their honor.?

Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 2:27 pm

Source: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/134328/

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Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments (AP)

NEW YORK ? After a customer backlash, Verizon Wireless on Friday dropped a plan to start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit or debit cards.

In a statement on its website Friday, the company said "customer feedback" prompted the decision to drop the "convenience fee" it wanted to introduce on Jan. 15.

Verizon wanted to steer people to electronic check payments, which are cheaper, and automatic credit card payments, which are more reliable.

A petition on Change.org against the fees had gathered more than 95,000 names by Friday afternoon, a day after Verizon, the country's largest cellphone company, announced the fees. The petition was set up by Molly Katchpole, who earlier this year started a successful campaign to make Bank of America drop a $5-per-month fee for debit-card use.

Payment processors for power companies usually charge "convenience fees" of up to $5 for every payment made by phone or online, but cellphone companies haven't taken the step yet. The furor against Verizon hints that they may have to wait further.

Verizon Wireless serves 91 million phones and other devices on accounts that pay the company directly, and more who pay indirectly through other companies. It's a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.

___

Online:

Verizon's statement: http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2011/12/pr2011-12-30.html

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_hi_te/us_verizon_wireless_monthly_fees

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Surveys shows China manufacturing slowing further (AP)

BEIJING ? China's manufacturing slowed in December for a second month due to weak global demand amid U.S. and European economic woes, a survey released Friday showed.

The latest HSBC Purchasing Managers Index added to growing signs of strain on China's manufacturers and exporters. They have been battered by a plunge in global demand and lending curbs that have driven thousands of entrepreneurs into bankruptcy, wiping out jobs and raising the specter of unrest.

The index for December stood at 48.7 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 indicate a contraction in activity. It said companies reported a drop in foreign orders due to sluggish global demand.

"Weakening external demand is starting to bite," said HSBC economist Hongbin Qu in a statement with the survey.

The latest data will add to pressure on Beijing to ease spending and lending controls to stabilize growth and spur job creation, Qu said.

"Hard landings should be avoided so long as easing measures filter through in the coming months," he said.

China's export growth declined in November for a third month, falling to 13.8 percent from the 15.9 percent the previous month.

The slump in global demand has battered export-driven southern coastal regions, where thousands of small companies have been driven out of business and the survivors have laid off tens of thousands of workers.

Smaller private companies were hard hit by bank lending curbs imposed to cool inflation and a boom in housing prices. The government has promised to have state banks lend more to help struggling entrepreneurs but says most of its curbs will remain in place.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_manufacturing

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Says U.S. Is The Reason Why He Has Cancer

Just one day after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hinted that the U.S. may be the reason behind the cancer affecting many of the South American leaders. Read more after the jump!

Wendy L.

(Bloomberg)?Chavez said the Central Intelligence Agency was behind chemical experiments in Guatemala in the 1940s and that it?s possible that in years to come a plot will be uncovered that shows the U.S. spread cancer as a political weapon against its critics.

?It?s very difficult to explain, even with the law of probabilities, what has been happening to some of us in Latin America,? Chavez said in a nationally televised speech to the military. ?Would it be so strange that they?ve invented technology to spread cancer and we won?t know about it for 50 years??

Chavez, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in June and had a baseball-sized tumor removed in Cuba, has called for a regional summit of leaders who have battled cancer including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and Paraguay?s Fernando Lugo.

?I?m just sharing my thoughts, but it?s very, very, very strange,? Chavez said. ?Evo take care of yourself, Correa, be careful, we just don?t know,? he said, referring to Evo Morales and Rafael Correa, the leaders of Bolivia and Ecuador.
Thomas Mittnacht, press director at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, declined to comment when reached by telephone.

Re-election Bid

Chavez, a former tank commander who has led South America?s largest oil producer since 1999 and will seek a third consecutive six-year term in October elections, says that the U.S. was involved in a coup against him in 2002 that briefly ousted the socialist leader before he was reinstated by the military and supporters.

The 57-year-old leader also accuses the U.S. of plotting an invasion of Venezuela to capture its oil reserves.
Chavez, who continues to send the U.S. more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day, said that former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has warned him about assassination attempts after surviving what he has claimed are hundreds of plots by the U.S. since he took power in 1959.

?Fidel always tells me, ?Chavez be careful, they?ve developed technology, be careful with what you eat, they could stick you with a small needle,?? the Venezuelan leader said today. ?In any case, I?m not accusing anyone, I?m just using my freedoms to reflect and issue comments on very strange events that are hard to explain.?

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Source: http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2011/12/29/venezuelan-president-hugo-chavez-says-u-s-is-the-reason-why-he-has-cancer/

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Mutation in gene that's critical for human development linked to arrhythmia

Public release date: 27-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Phil Sahm
phil.sahm@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-2517
University of Utah Health Sciences

(SALT LAKE CITY) Arrhythmia is a potentially life-threatening problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat, causing it to go too fast, too slow or to beat irregularly. Arrhythmia affects millions of people worldwide.

The cardiac conduction system (CCS) regulates the rate and rhythm of the heart. It is a group of specialized cells in the walls of the heart. These cells control the heart rate by sending electrical signals from the sinoatrial node in the heart's right atrium (upper chamber) to the ventricles (lower chambers), causing them to contract and pump blood.

The biologic and genetic mechanisms controlling the formation and function of the CCS are not well understood, but new research with mice shows that altered function of a gene called Tbx3 interferes with the development of the CCS and causes lethal arrhythmias.

In a study published in the Dec. 26, 2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences early edition, researchers led by the University of Utah showed the CCS is extremely sensitive to levels of Tbx3. Mouse embryos with Tbx3 levels below a critical threshold suffered arrhythmia and couldn't survive. As the levels of Tbx3 were increased, mice survived to birth, but as adults they developed arrhythmias or had sudden death.

Tbx3 dysfunction merits further investigation as a cause of acquired and spontaneous arrhythmias, says Anne M. Moon, M.D., Ph.D., adjunct professor of pediatrics at the U of U School of Medicine and corresponding author on the study. "The cardiac conduction system is very sensitive to Tbx3," Moon says. "Tbx3 is required for the conduction system to develop, mature, and then continue to function properly."

The Tbx3 protein, which is a transcription factor encoded by the TBX3 gene, has been linked to heart development, but its role is not yet clearly defined. Moon and her colleagues, including first author Deborah U. Frank, M.D., Ph.D., U assistant professor of pediatrics, found that slight alterations in the structure of the Tbx3 gene alter the level of the protein in mice. When this happens, it can impair the electrical signal in the sinoatrial node and block the atrioventricular node, which conducts electrical signals from the atria to the ventricles. The result is lethal arrhythmias in embryonic and adult mice.

This discovery has implications for the potential to regenerate functional heart tissue, according to Moon. "There's a big effort to regenerate heart muscle," she says. "But if the muscle can't conduct electrical signals, it's not going to do any good; we also need to be able to regenerate conduction tissues to regulate that muscle."

Arrhythmia is not the first problem related to mutations in the TBX3 gene. In humans, TBX3 mutations have been shown to cause limb malformations in people with ulnar-mammary syndrome, an inherited birth disorder characterized by abnormalities of the bones in the hands and forearms and underdeveloped sweat and mammary glands.

In her future research, Moon wants to discover specifically how Tbx3 regulates the behavior of cells in the cardiac conduction system and whether cells that don't have enough Tbx3 die or turn into some other kind of cells.

"It turns out that Tbx3 is a lot more important in the heart than we realized," Moon says.

###

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, University of Washington, and New York University also contributed to the study.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Phil Sahm
phil.sahm@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-2517
University of Utah Health Sciences

(SALT LAKE CITY) Arrhythmia is a potentially life-threatening problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat, causing it to go too fast, too slow or to beat irregularly. Arrhythmia affects millions of people worldwide.

The cardiac conduction system (CCS) regulates the rate and rhythm of the heart. It is a group of specialized cells in the walls of the heart. These cells control the heart rate by sending electrical signals from the sinoatrial node in the heart's right atrium (upper chamber) to the ventricles (lower chambers), causing them to contract and pump blood.

The biologic and genetic mechanisms controlling the formation and function of the CCS are not well understood, but new research with mice shows that altered function of a gene called Tbx3 interferes with the development of the CCS and causes lethal arrhythmias.

In a study published in the Dec. 26, 2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences early edition, researchers led by the University of Utah showed the CCS is extremely sensitive to levels of Tbx3. Mouse embryos with Tbx3 levels below a critical threshold suffered arrhythmia and couldn't survive. As the levels of Tbx3 were increased, mice survived to birth, but as adults they developed arrhythmias or had sudden death.

Tbx3 dysfunction merits further investigation as a cause of acquired and spontaneous arrhythmias, says Anne M. Moon, M.D., Ph.D., adjunct professor of pediatrics at the U of U School of Medicine and corresponding author on the study. "The cardiac conduction system is very sensitive to Tbx3," Moon says. "Tbx3 is required for the conduction system to develop, mature, and then continue to function properly."

The Tbx3 protein, which is a transcription factor encoded by the TBX3 gene, has been linked to heart development, but its role is not yet clearly defined. Moon and her colleagues, including first author Deborah U. Frank, M.D., Ph.D., U assistant professor of pediatrics, found that slight alterations in the structure of the Tbx3 gene alter the level of the protein in mice. When this happens, it can impair the electrical signal in the sinoatrial node and block the atrioventricular node, which conducts electrical signals from the atria to the ventricles. The result is lethal arrhythmias in embryonic and adult mice.

This discovery has implications for the potential to regenerate functional heart tissue, according to Moon. "There's a big effort to regenerate heart muscle," she says. "But if the muscle can't conduct electrical signals, it's not going to do any good; we also need to be able to regenerate conduction tissues to regulate that muscle."

Arrhythmia is not the first problem related to mutations in the TBX3 gene. In humans, TBX3 mutations have been shown to cause limb malformations in people with ulnar-mammary syndrome, an inherited birth disorder characterized by abnormalities of the bones in the hands and forearms and underdeveloped sweat and mammary glands.

In her future research, Moon wants to discover specifically how Tbx3 regulates the behavior of cells in the cardiac conduction system and whether cells that don't have enough Tbx3 die or turn into some other kind of cells.

"It turns out that Tbx3 is a lot more important in the heart than we realized," Moon says.

###

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, University of Washington, and New York University also contributed to the study.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/uouh-mig122711.php

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After crime, punishment awaits ex-Gov. Blagojevich (AP)

CHICAGO ? Rod Blagojevich's days of reckoning arrive Tuesday when a federal judge opens a sentencing hearing for the disgraced former Illinois governor on 18 corruption counts, including trying to auction off President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.

The impeached state executive-turned-reality TV star has good reason to feel anxious and afraid at the two-day hearing in Chicago. He faces the prospect of 10 or more years behind bars.

If Judge James Zagel settles on a sentence Wednesday of more than a decade, that would make it one of the stiffest penalties imposed for corruption in a state with a long history of crooked politics.

Prosecutors will ask Zagel to imprison the twice-elected governor for 15 to 20 years, arguing he has not only shirked all responsibility for his crimes but repeatedly thumbed his nose at the U.S. justice system.

Blagojevich has already paid a price in public ridicule and financial ruin, the defense argues in proposing a term of just a few years. They also seem bent on an approach judges often frown upon at the sentencing stage: Continuing to insist their client is innocent.

Both sides could finish their pitches to Zagel during Tuesday's hearing, which was moved to a large ceremonial courtroom to accommodate expected crowds. But Zagel says he'll wait until Wednesday to pronounce a sentence ? possibly so he can sleep on it.

The 70-year-old judge, who played a judge in the 1989 movie "Music Box," must answer nuanced questions according to complex sentencing algebra, including whether any good Blagojevich accomplished as governor counterbalances the bad.

In describing the humiliation his family has faced, the defense cited Blagojevich's appearances on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice," where he struggled to use a cellphone, and his wife, Patti, eating a tarantula on the reality show, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!"

After sentencing, Zagel will likely give Blagojevich weeks before he must report to prison. Once there, the man heard scoffing on FBI wiretaps about earning a low six-figure salary would have to take a prison job ? possibly scrubbing toilets ? at just 12 cents an hour.

Blagojevich's sentencing comes just days before his 55th birthday and three years to the week of his Dec. 9, 2008, arrest.

The jury deadlocked in his first trial, agreeing on just one of 24 counts ? that Blagojevich lied to the FBI. Jurors at his recent retrial convicted him on 17 of 20 counts, including bribery.

Legal experts have said Blagojevich needs to display some remorse when, as expected, he addresses Zagel Tuesday or Wednesday. But the big unknown is whether the often cocksure ex-governor will beg for mercy at the hearing or yet again protest his innocence.

A flat-out apology isn't always considered a must. If it isn't sincere, it can only anger a judge.

The defense could call others to speak in court. But as Blagojevich became politically radioactive, longtime friends scattered, so it's not clear who would be willing to speak for him now.

Wives often plea for leniency, but Zagel likely wouldn't view Patti Blagojevich sympathetically. On FBI wiretaps, she was heard encouraging her husband's bid for campaign cash or a top job in exchange for an appointment to Obama's vacated seat.

___

Michael Tarm can be reached at www.twitter.com/mtarm

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_re_us/us_blagojevich_sentencing

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Amazon.com executive dies in plane crash

By msnbc.com staff

?ST. IGNACE, Mich. -? An executive with Amazon.com was one of two people killed when the single-engine plane they were flying in disappeared Saturday night in the Straits of Mackinac.

The Coast Guard's Cleveland office told WDIV-Detroit that?the plane failed to arrive as expected about 8 p.m. at Mackinac Island after leaving?St. Ignace in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. The flight is only about 4.5 miles and should have taken just six minutes.

The two men killed in the crash were Tom Phillips,?a general manager with Amazon Web Services, and?Joe Pann.?Both men are reportedly from northern Michigan. Phillips joined Amazon.com earlier this year, overseeing the company?s?Windows Elastic Compute Cloud service.

The Coast Guard said its crews and other federal, state and local agencies?had been ?involved in the search of northern Lake Huron, WDIV-Detroit reported. The plane was a Piper Saratoga.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Phillips, described as being in his late fifties, previously worked at Microsoft from 1992 to 2010, according to his profile on Linkedin.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/04/9207897-amazoncom-executive-dies-in-lake-huron-plane-crash

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Massive WWII bomb succesfully defused in Germany

Sandbags frame a 1.8 ton WWII bomb in river Rhine near Koblenz Saturday Dec. 3, 2011. Officials in Germany's western city of Koblenz say some 45,000 residents have to be evacuated because of a World War II era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Saturday the massive British 1.8 ton bomb will be defused early Sunday, requiring all residents within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site to leave their homes for the day. The British bomb was found last week alongside a 275 pound bomb dropped there by U.S. forces during WWII. The bombs were discovered in the Rhine after its water level fell significantly amid a prolonged lack of rain. (AP Photo/dapd/ Harald Tittel)

Sandbags frame a 1.8 ton WWII bomb in river Rhine near Koblenz Saturday Dec. 3, 2011. Officials in Germany's western city of Koblenz say some 45,000 residents have to be evacuated because of a World War II era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Saturday the massive British 1.8 ton bomb will be defused early Sunday, requiring all residents within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site to leave their homes for the day. The British bomb was found last week alongside a 275 pound bomb dropped there by U.S. forces during WWII. The bombs were discovered in the Rhine after its water level fell significantly amid a prolonged lack of rain. (AP Photo/dapd/ Harald Tittel)

Old ladies wait to be evacuated from a residential home for the elderly in Koblenz, Germany Sunday Dec. 4, 2011. Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War II-era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Sunday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT. It's one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended. The British 1.8 ton bomb could cause massive damage if it exploded. It was found last week alongside a 275-pound U.S. bomb after the Rhine's water level fell due to lack of rain. Both bombs are to be defused. (AP Photo/dapd/ Harald Tittel)

Gertrud Thurn (87) background, waits to be evacuated from a residential hom for the elderly in Koblenz, Germany Sunday Dec. 4, 2011. Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War II-era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Sunday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT. It's one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended. The British 1.8 ton bomb could cause massive damage if it exploded. It was found last week alongside a 275-pound U.S. bomb after the Rhine's water level fell due to lack of rain. Both bombs are to be defused. (AP Photo/dapd/ Harald Tittel)

Police guard a blocked shopping street in downtown Koblenz, western Germany Sunday Dec. 4, 2011. Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War II-era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Sunday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT. It's one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended. The British 1.8 ton bomb could cause massive damage if it exploded. It was found last week alongside a 275-pound U.S. bomb after the Rhine's water level fell due to lack of rain. Both bombs are to be defused. (AP Photo/dapd/Harald Tittel)

An army vehicle drives across the blocked Pfaffendorfer Bridge over Rhine river in Koblenz, western Germany Sunday Dec. 4, 2011. Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War II-era bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said Sunday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT. It's one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended. The British 1.8 ton bomb could cause massive damage if it exploded. It was found last week alongside a 275-pound U.S. bomb after the Rhine's water level fell due to lack of rain. Both bombs are to be defused. (AP Photo/dapd/Harald Tittel)

BERLIN (AP) ? A massive British World War II-era bomb that triggered the evacuation of about half of the 107,000 residents of Germany's western city of Koblenz was successfully defused Sunday, authorities said.

It was one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended with some 2,500 police officers, firefighters and paramedics on duty across the city to secure the operation.

Experts successfully defused the British 1.8 ton bomb and a 275-pound U.S. bomb that had been discovered last month after the Rhine river's water level fell significantly due to a prolonged lack of rain, said Heiko Breitbarth, a spokesman for Koblenz's firefighters.

Some 45,000 residents, living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to leave their houses early Sunday before the evacuation order was lifted in the evening, the city said on its website. Among those ordered to evacuate were seven nursing homes, two hospitals and a prison with some 200 inmates.

The British bomb could have cause massive damage in case it exploded.

"I did my job, that was all," lead defusing expert Horst Lenz told local daily Rhein Zeitung.

Finding unexploded bombs dropped by the Allies over Germany during World War II is common over 65 years after the war's end. The explosives are usually defused or detonated by experts without causing injuries.

Authorities in Koblenz had set up shelters for the evacuees and used buses to carry them to safety.

Train and road traffic came to a halt in the area, some 130 kilometers northwest of Frankfurt during the operation.

The residents of Koblenz, which was heavily bombed during World War II, are used to bomb scares. City officials said 28 smaller war bombs had been found there since 1999, the German news agency dapd reported. Such bombs are often found during construction work or by farmers plowing their fields.

Separately, another 200 people had to be evacuated from the southern German city of Nuremberg as experts there defused another bomb left from the war. The 70 kilogram (155 pounds) of unknown origin was defused in 15 minures, the city said in a statement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-04-EU-Germany-Bomb-Evacuation/id-c58302a8e1244b219d4442ce9e8c0514

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Indianapolis courts Chicago Mercantile Exchange (Providence Journal)

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

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Khosla, Google Ventures And Hearst Put $4M In Social TV Platform Miso

The social app for TV content Miso has just raised $4 million in new funding from Khosla Ventures, with existing investors Google Ventures and Hearst Interactive Media participating in the round. This brings Miso's total funding to $6 million. Similar to GetGlue, Tunerfish and others, Miso launched as a check-in app for television content. The idea behind Miso is that as you watch TV shows and movies, users can check-in to this content, follow specific shows and earn points and badges for interacting with this content. Miso offers iPhone, iPad and Android apps for users on the go as well as a web app.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/3BVcE1BuzUw/

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PFT: Martz blames his players ... again

Getty Images

I was so excited by the fact that Rosenthal and I disagree on six games ? and that I feel very good about my position in each of them ? that I posted the weekly PFT picks without the perfunctorily pithy opening comments.

Yes, we disagreed on five games last week.? Yes, even though I picked the Packers when Rosenthal picked the Lions and the Broncos when he picked the Chargers, he got me on the other three and extended his season-to-date lead by a game.

It doesn?t matter.? This week, his 12-game lead gets cut in half.

For the week, he was 11-5 and I was 10-6.? For the season, he?s 120-56.? I?m 108-68.

Eagles at Seahawks

Florio?s take:?? Vince Young gets another crack at Pete Carroll, nearly six years after Young stole from Carroll an NCAA title that the NCAA would have stolen from Carroll last year.? The last time the Eagles faced a short week amid so many challenges and distractions, they blew out the Cardinals on Thanksgiving night, 2008.? Though this one won?t be a blowout, it?ll be enough to prolong for another week or two the ultimate demise of the Dream Team.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 27, Seahawks 19.

Rosenthal?s take: The Seahawks quietly have a strong defense, the fourth quarter of last week?s game notwithstanding. The Eagles don?t do anything quietly. Just when you think their season has bottomed out, they find a way to go lower. Losing a third game to an NFC West team is the new rock bottom.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seahawks 20, Eagles 17.

Titans at Bills

Florio?s take:? The Bills are disintegrating and the Titans still see an opportunity to steal a playoff spot.? With Chris Johnson waking up and the rest of the team doing enough to get more wins than losses, look for the Titans to extend Buffalo?s misery, without having to resort to any Music City Miracles.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 24, Bills 16.

Rosenthal?s take: Buffalo?s meltdown has mostly been on the road. Things might look different at home against a mediocre opponent. Chris Johnson showed renewed quickness last week, but the Titans passing game remains limited. The receivers either can?t get separation or are in the wrong place. Matt Hasselbeck has worked wonders to get this team to 6-5.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bills 24, Titans 21.

Chiefs at Bears

Florio?s take:? Kyle Orton wanted to return to Chicago.? He gets his wish, in a roundabout way.? But he won?t be starting and he may not be playing.? Which is good news for the team for which he wanted to return.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 27, Chiefs 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Todd Haley may not start Kyle Orton, which would be a shame. Orton?s revenge tour starts Sunday in Chicago and ends in Denver on January 1. Don?t discount the Chiefs no matter who starts at quarterback. Caleb Hanie?s pocket presence was Gabbert-like last week. He?s no better than Tyler Palko.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bears 17, Chiefs 14.

Falcons at Texans

Florio?s take:? Coach Gary Kubiak?s decision to entrust the offense to a rookie quarterback gets its toughest test against a team with an offense that has the firepower to test the Texans? much-improved defense.? Though Atlanta could still swipe a playoff berth in the NFC, the home team in this one has the horses to grind the clock, limit Matt Ryan?s chances, and ultimately outscore the Falcons.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 23, Falcons 20.

Rosenthal?s take: The Texans will have to throw more to win this week. The Falcons rush defense can slow down Arian Foster, especially if Houston stays ultra-conservative. I?m hoping for the sake of Texans fans that T.J. Yates shows promise, but it?s hard to see a fifth-round rookie beating many playoff-caliber teams.

Rosenthal?s pick: Falcons 22, Texans 17.

Raiders at Dolphins

Florio?s take:? The Dolphins played well enough to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.? The Dolphins will play well enough to beat the Raiders in Miami.? And the Raiders, still banged up, are due for a stumble.? Tony Sparano may not save his job, but he?ll definitely throw a wrench into the franchise?s plans to draft a quarterback in the top ten.

Florio?s pick:? Dolphins 24, Raiders 21.

Rosenthal?s take: Miami is favored by three partly because Oakland misses its big play threats. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schilens, and Louis Murphy make too many mistakes. Michael Bush is playing well, but he?s no Darren McFadden. It?s a credit to Hue Jackson and Carson Palmer this team keeps winning. (And will keep winning.)

Rosenthal?s pick: Raiders 28, Dolphins 24.

Broncos at Vikings

Florio?s take:? Tebowmania invades the Twin Cities, along with a Minnesota native who has become one of the best young receivers in the NFL.? The only way to beat the Broncos is to build a big lead against them, something that the Vikings were able to do back in September, when they were blowing big leads.? Look for this one to remain close and for Tebow to generate a Vick-in-2002 highlight for the winning touchdown run, possibly in overtime.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 23, Vikings 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Florio?s record would be a lot better if he didn?t go with the Vikings so often early in the year. This week, I?ll return the favor. The Vikings aren?t as bad as their record indicates. The Broncos aren?t as good as their winning streak indicates. Tim Tebow can?t exploit Minnesota?s big weakness in the secondary.

Rosenthal?s pick: Vikings 24, Broncos 21.

Colts at Patriots

Florio?s take:? Once the greatest non-division rivalry in the NFL, the absence of Peyton Manning has made this one a stinker.? The fact that the Colts haven?t won a game this year doesn?t help matters.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 42, Colts 13.

Rosenthal?s take: Dan Orlovsky has awful luck, becoming the Colts starter just in time to face back-to-back AFC powerhouses on the road. (The Colts head to Baltimore next week.) I think Orlovsky will avoid going down in 0-16 infamy again, but in a week where the Colts can compete. Bill Belichick is going to enjoy this one.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 38, Colts 17.

Bengals at Steelers

Florio?s take:? The Bengals get another chance to prove that they?re for real.? Though they have managed to keep it interesting against the Steelers and Ravens, at some point the Bengals need to win one of these games.? It?ll eventually happen, but the Steelers have been tougher than usual to beat at home this season, and they know they need to keep pace with Baltimore.? Injuries to the Cincinnati secondary coupled with an improving corps of young wideouts could be the difference.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 28, Bengals 24.

Rosenthal?s take: This is the Bengals? last stand in the AFC North. Andy Dalton did some good things against Pittsburgh last time out should be more prepared for the rematch. The bigger concern is the Bengals secondary. They don?t have enough bodies ? especially at safety ? to deal with the Steelers.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 27, Bengals 21.

Panthers at Buccaneers

Florio?s take:? The Bucs finally get a break from their crippling schedule, which now features three of four games against three-win teams.? If Tampa blows this one, Raheem Morris should go ahead and leave now.

Florio?s pick:? Buccaneers 30, Panthers 20.

Rosenthal?s take: It?s a scary thought for the Bucs that they could be in the NFC South cellar with a loss Sunday.? Another scary thought: Carolina has the diverse running game to pound the Bucs? soft defense for four quarters.

Rosenthal?s pick: Panthers 29, Buccaneers 28.

Jets at Redskins

Florio?s take:? Once an intriguing rivalry given the pipeline of players between the two cities, this one has lost a lot of its pop.? In large part because the Redskins aren?t very competitive.? The Jets need this one badly, but perhaps not as badly as a head coach who hosts the Patriots next weekend.? Perhaps Mark Sanchez will get some extra motivation once he realizes that his inconsistency could put him on the Rex Grossman career arc.

Florio?s pick:? Jets 20, Redskins 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Rex Ryan seasons have a formula. First comes the early overconfidence. Then the humbling midseason swoon.? We?ve hit the portion of the schedule where the Jets go on a winning streak against bad teams with improbable fourth-quarter plays. It all wraps up with the Jets peaking in January.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 24, Redskins 21.

Ravens at Browns

Florio?s take:? The Ravens chased three big wins against good teams with deflating losses against bad ones.? Baltimore gets a chance to reverse the trend in Cleveland, where the team that used to be in Cleveland has won four out of five times.? And coach John Harbaugh never has lost there.? The Ravens can see the bye and the home playoff game(s) waiting for them the season?s finish line.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 30, Browns 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Peyton Hillis returned to the starting lineup just in time to face the Ravens and Steelers four times in five weeks.? Hillis ran hard against the Bengals, but the Browns are too limited offensively to move the ball on Baltimore. This closing stretch will make Colt McCoy?s dreadful numbers even worse.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 22, Browns 13.

Cowboys at Cardinals

Florio?s take:? An old NFC East rivalry renews, with the Cardinals having beaten the Cowboys two times in a row.? This year, the Cowboys have found a way to consistently outscore inferior teams, and that?s simply what the Cardinals are in relation to the current kings of the division these franchises once shared.? As long as the Cowboys don?t kick to Patrick Peterson.

Florio?s pick:? Cowboys 31, Cardinals 21.

Rosenthal?s take: All John Skelton does is win. That?s more proof that judging a quarterback by wins and losses is overrated. Kevin Kolb should be back, and he?ll upgrade the team?s passing game. That doesn?t mean they can beat Dallas. Arizona lost all four games they?ve played this year against teams that currently have a winning record.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cowboys 27, Cardinals 20.

Packers at Giants

Florio?s take:? The possibility that the Giants could upset the Packers will prompt at least one prominent commentator to say, ?That?s why they play the games.?? After this one ends, there?s a chance Giants fans will be saying, ?Why did they play this game??

Florio?s pick:? Packers 35, Giants 20.

Rosenthal?s take: Eli Manning should keep the Giants competitive, but the rest of the team has fallen apart. I?ve been waiting for weeks to pick the Giants in this game, but it makes no sense after New York?s implosion in the Superdome. Justin Tuck isn?t the same guy this year and Osi Umenyiora is hurt. The Giants don?t have much if they don?t have a pass rush.

Rosenthal?s pick: Packers 33, Giants 24.

Rams at 49ers

Florio?s take:? The firing of Jack Del Rio possibly has primed the pump for other coaches to be prematurely punted.? If (when) the Rams get blown out in San Fran, Steve Spagnuolo could the next one to go.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 30, Rams 7.

Rosenthal?s take: The Rams offense scored three touchdowns combined in their last four games. Brandon Lloyd scored all of them. That slump came against mediocre competition. They?ll be lucky to score one touchdown in San Francisco.

Rosenthal?s pick: 49ers 24, Rams 9.

Lions at Saints

Florio?s take:? With or without Ndamukong Suh, who has in many respects been ordinary this season, the Lions won?t be able to stop an offense that is largely unstoppable in the Superdome.? Unfortunately for the Saints, even running the table likely won?t prevent them from having to travel to San Francisco or Green Bay in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 38, Lions 24.

Rosenthal?s take: The Lions have lost four straight games to winning teams. The Saints haven?t lost at home all year, with three of those wins coming against winning teams. That doesn?t bode well for the Lions. Detroit will make this more interesting than New Orleans? last primetime game, but the result will be the same.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 34, Lions 28.

Chargers at Jaguars

Florio?s take:? This could be the most uninteresting Monday Night Football game since Raiders-Seahawks in 2006.? Or perhaps ever.

Florio?s pick:? Jaguars 17, Chargers 10.

Rosenthal?s take: It?s painful to pick a winner of this game. It may be even more painful to watch it. The Chargers defense versus Blaine Gabbert is the ultimate matchup of weakness against weakness. The difference here: Maurice Jones-Drew. He should go to the Pro Bowl for overcoming Gabbert.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jaguars 20, Chargers 17.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/30/martz-blames-players-for-execution-issues/related/

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Japanese PM wants status of royal brides studied (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan's prime minister said Thursday the government should study the possibility of allowing women in the royal family to keep their imperial status after marriage.

Japanese law requires female members marrying a commoner to officially leave the monarchy. That has palace officials worried because more than a third of Japan's 23 imperial family members are single women and girls, some approaching marriage age.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said he intended to seek a national debate on the matter.

"From the viewpoint of stability, this is a matter of urgency," Noda said at a news conference.

Noda did not give a timeline or say how the discussion would occur.

A revision could lead to discussion of allowing female members to succeed the currently male-only Chrysanthemum throne.

Emperor Akihito, 77, has only three eligible male successors ? his two sons and a grandson.

Thursday marked the 10th birthday of Princess Aiko, the only child of Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako.

Prince Akishino, the emperor's second son, said he hoped he and his brother are given a chance to provide their views.

"Keeping the imperial family to a small number is not bad in light of national budget," he told a news conference last month marking his 46th birthday. "Naturally, we need a certain number to maintain the imperial family as is."

___

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_royal_family

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