None of us knows for certain how long we?ll be here. On Steve?s better days, even in the last year, he embarked upon projects and elicited promises from his friends at Apple to...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/h4fAH6Ny_nU/
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Lindsay Lohan is prepared to eat a piece of humble pie in court and beg Judge Stephanie Sautner for mercy. Whether she'll be successful or not is another story.
Wednesday, at a hearing that could end with a jail sentence, she will concede she violated her probation by getting kicked out of her community service program.
The hearing is to establish if Lindsay violated probation for her necklace heist and what consequences she will face if so. But the first part of that may be moot.
After a series of repeated f*%k-ups, LiLo's shift in strategy is designed to show the judge she is now finally serious about complying with her probation terms.
She'll come to court having logged 24 hours of time at the morgue, significantly more than the 16 hours Sautner required her to put in by Wednesday's hearing.
By effectively admitting guilt, her plan has risks - but could also lead to a lighter sentence than if she were to try and fail to establish her innocence all along.
Judge Sautner made it clear that if Lindsay violated probation she would go to jail. She does not seem like she's messing around, but we'll see for sure soon.
If nothing else, her new teeth will look great in a new mug shot.
What do you think? Should Lohan do hard time?
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/lindsay-lohan-to-beg-for-mercy-in-court/
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WILTON, Iowa ? Iowa's presidential caucuses are any Republican candidate's to win.
Just two months before the GOP nomination voting begins, Iowa Republicans aren't surging toward former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney even though he's essentially been running for president since losing in the state in 2008.
This time, none of his opponents has emerged as the consensus candidate of conservatives to become his main rival, as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee did four years ago.
As Tamara Scott, an undecided social conservative leader who backed Huckabee in that race, says: "It's anybody's game right now."
That could change soon.
Sensing an opening, Romney is stepping up his Iowa campaign and talking about winning the state after months of taking a more low-key approach. He probably will return to Iowa in November and hold a conference call with thousands of Iowa GOP caucus-goers.
"I'd love to win Iowa, any of us would. I will be here again and again, campaigning here," Romney said recently in Sioux City.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is casting himself as the more conservative option, is starting to confront Romney. With $15 million in the bank, Perry started running a TV ad last week that, without mentioning Romney challenges Romney's efforts to portray himself as the strongest candidate on the economy.
"I'll create at least 2 1/2 million new jobs, and I know something about that," Perry says in the ad that highlights Texas job creation.
Businessman Herman Cain, a political outsider enjoying a burst of momentum, is starting to focus more on Iowa, adding campaign staff and visiting the state recently for the first time in 10 weeks. But he trails both Romney and Perry in fundraising by the millions.
For now at least, the race in Iowa is wide open.
Saturday evening's results of a Des Moines Register poll showed Cain at the head of the pack, with the support of 23 percent of respondents. Romney came in just behind him at 22 percent.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican, placed third at 12 percent, followed by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 8 percent. Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich polled 7 percent each, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum got 5 percent.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a moderate on some issues that Iowa Republicans hold dear, was supported by only 1 percent of those participating in the poll.
The up-for-grabs nature of the Iowa race matters nationally because the outcome on Jan. 3 will shape what happens in the states that vote next ? New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida ? and beyond.
As it stands now, Iowa reflects the Republican Party's lack of clarity when it comes to the crowded GOP field and its increasingly urgent search for a candidate who can defeat Democratic President Barack Obama next fall.
"This is the first time I've waited this long to decide," said Linda Allison, an Iowan who recently attended a Perry event. "I am still waiting to be convinced."
Many factors are adding to the volatility.
Large numbers of Iowa Republicans are undecided and just starting to tune into the race in earnest. Fewer than 20 of Iowa's 76 Republican legislators have publicly declared their support for a candidate, and no single candidate has a clear edge among those who have picked sides. At this point four years ago, nearly all lawmakers had endorsed someone.
Consider state Rep. Jeff Kaufmann, for whom Perry raised money at a recent event in eastern Iowa.
"Perry may not be the best debater, but he can really work an audience like this," said Kaufmann, who endorsed former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson four months before the 2008 GOP caucuses. "And while Romney is well prepared, and campaigns well, I'd like to see him out in this area more."
Critical groups of activists also are waiting to rally behind a candidate, too.
Iowa's evangelical pastors, influential among a part of the GOP base, are divided. So are home-school advocates. Both groups pushed Huckabee to victory four years ago.
"None of these home-school families are calling me and asking me about the candidates," said Susan Geddes, a Des Moines-area Republican and top organizer for Huckabee in 2008. "Nobody's excited about them."
All this explains why many candidates are returning to Iowa in the week ahead for a series of events. Most of the 2012 candidate, but not Romney, courted Christian conservatives at a forum on values last weekend.
The all-out effort to court social conservative is partly why Romney is recalibrating his approach toward Iowa, where he's only made three visits this year.
He has been reached out quietly to past supporters and working to cast himself as the candidate with the strongest economic credentials. Unlike in 2008, he's not overtly competing for the love of social conservatives. These voters, a potent bloc in the caucuses, have had doubts about his Mormon faith and his reversals on several social issues.
So while he's stepping up his Iowa activity, he's also picking his spots.
He's the only major candidate who hasn't committed to appearing in Iowa at Tuesday's forum on manufacturing hosted by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in Pella or the state GOP dinner Friday in Des Moines.
Perry plans to attend both.
He has little choice given that he's lagging in state polls, facing challenges from the right and fighting with rivals for the backing of social conservatives. The former Texas agriculture commissioner and Air Force officer is trying to broad his appeal, reaching out to veterans and farmers as he looks to cobble together a winning coalition and stop Romney.
Bachmann, whose support has cooled since her victory in the state GOP's August test vote, is popular with Christian conservatives and tea party activists. She has heavily sought the support of evangelical pastors and recently named a veteran GOP campaign operative to stabilize the campaign for the stretch run.
Santorum is working hard in Iowa and was expected to have stopped in all 99 counties by week's end, even though he has little money and manpower. He shows no sign of going away and recently began airing his first radio ads in Iowa.
Cain is a bit of a wild card.
He's popular for his business background and plain-spoken speaking style. But he's far behind in building an Iowa campaign and he's under attack by conservatives for referring recently to abortion as a choice. Still, tea party activists adore him and his campaign has recently begun conducting automated phone calls.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Transportation in the Northeast was hard-hit on Sunday by a rare October snowstorm that plastered the area with snowfall on the weekend, cutting power to more than two million homes and killing at least three people.
The heaviest snow was recorded in Western Massachusetts, where 27.8 inches was measured in Plainfield, according to the National Weather Service. Just 45 minutes northwest of New York City, in West Milford, New Jersey, 19 inches of snow fell.
"A historic October storm is still crushing New England with heavy snow and howling winds," said meteorologist Meghan Evans on Accuweather.com on Sunday.
The storm was expected to exit Maine later on Sunday, but not before dumping up to a foot of snow on northern New England states, particularly southern Vermont, the NWS said.
The heavy, wet snow snapped enormous trees like twigs, downing power lines from West Virginia to Massachusetts.
New Jersey Transit and Metro-North Railroad suspended service on several lines into New York City on Saturday and continued the suspension on Sunday.
Flights at New York City area airports were widely canceled. Authorities warned drivers to stay off icy roads, which claimed at least one life during the storm.
Slippery conditions on a roadway caused the crash and death of a man driving in Colchester, Connecticut, said Scott Devico, a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management.
Two other deaths were blamed on the storm. In Temple, Pennsylvania, an 84-year-old man was killed when a snow-caked tree fell through his home, said a Muhlenberg Township Police Department dispatcher.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, a 20-year-old man was electrocuted when he stepped out of his vehicle and touched an electrified guard rail, a Springfield police spokesman said.
WEATHER EMERGENCIES
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts declared weather emergencies because of the storm.
Snow fell on Saturday, some at record amounts, across most of Pennsylvania well into Massachusetts after blanketing parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
The unseasonably early storm broke a snow record that had stood since 1969 for New York's Central Park, which received 2.9 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said.
"Are we allowed to curse?" said Philadelphia area resident Marjory Levitt. She had discovered that an expensive pair of boots were not waterproof when she ventured out to the supermarket.
Widespread power outages caused by snow, ice and falling trees were reported from the Mid-Atlantic into New England, leaving some two million customers without power.
Major delays were reported on Saturday at Philadelphia International Airport and at New York area airports. At least 1,000 flights had been canceled and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey closed for a period of time, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.com.
In Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy ordered non-emergency vehicles off the Wilbur Cross and Merritt Parkways due to dangerous driving conditions.
The snow posed traffic and parking problems for some 100,000 college football fans attending a game between Penn State and the University of Illinois in State College, Pennsylvania. Snow plows had to clear the field before the game.
In New York City, several hundred people camped in a park in the city's financial district to protest against economic inequality hunkered down in their tents from the wind, rain, sleet and snow.
They desperately tried to stay warm just a day after the fire department, citing safety hazards, confiscated generators that had been powering heat, computers and a kitchen.
The storm caused massive power outages including 606,388 customers reported by Connecticut Light and Power; 214,000 by PPL Electric Utilities in Pennsylvania; 341,000 without power from PSE&G in New Jersey; more than 300,000 by First Energy in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; more than 77,000 by Con Edison in New York and more than 66,000 by Allegheny Power in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Another 205,890 customers of National Grid in Massachusetts and New York were without power and 17,467 customers reported by The United Illuminating Company in Connecticut.
(Additional reporting by Lauren Keiper in Boston; Eric Johnson in Chicago; Ben Schmitt in Pittsburgh, Dave Warner in Philadelphia and Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Jerry Norton)
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When 'happiness' eludes us -- as, eventually, it always will -- we have the invitation to examine our programmed responses and to exercise our power to choose again. Through exaggeration, confusion, and distortion, we have allowed our politics, our church and our families to fall out of emotional balance. We can learn to heal our reactive responses by seeking "emotional sobriety," which is really the task that we call contemplation.
Bill Wilson, one of the founders of the 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, said that recovery was not complete until addicts achieved "emotional sobriety." In many ways he was saying the same thing that mystical religion recognized -- authentic spirituality should lead to a total "rewiring" of both our conscious lives and our unconscious programming. It will not just change external behavior, but internal emotions and responses, our entire pattern of thinking.
Contemplation is not first of all about being religious, introverted, or pious -- it is about being emotionally and mentally honest! Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows. It is the absolute opposite of addiction, consumerism or any egoic consciousness.
Egoic consciousness is the one we all normally operate with, until we are told there is something else! Every culture teaches egoic consciousness in different ways. At that level it is all about me, my preferences, my choices, my needs, my desires and me and my group as the central reference point. It was religion's job to tell us about a different kind of software and the original word for it was simply prayer. But even the concept and practice of prayer became captive to the voracious needs of the ego. Even prayer became a way to get God to do what we wanted.
Thus we use the word contemplation so people might know we are talking about a totally different operating system, different software where the private self is not the center of attention and interpretation. This is the "grain of wheat" that Jesus says must die "or it remains just a grain of wheat." But if it dies, "it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Mature and contemplative religion has always known that we need a whole new operating system, which Paul called "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) or a "spiritual revolution of the mind" (Ephesians 4:23).
Only with this new mind can we also develop a new heart and a new emotional response to the moment. When it is not all about me, I can see from a much deeper and broader set of eyes. In time our responses are much less knee jerk, predictable and self-centered. Only contemplative prayer touches the deep unconscious, where all of our real hurts, motivations and deepest visions lie. Without it, we have what is even worse -- religious egoic consciousness, which is even more defensive and offensive than usual! Now it has God on its side and is surely what Jesus means by the unforgivable "sin against the Holy Spirit." It cannot be forgiven because this small self would never imagine it needs forgiveness. It is smug and self-satisfied.
We must learn and practice this new mind or there will be no real change, no authentic encounter with ourselves, God or anybody else. Find your own practice and learn a new mind. Contemplation really is the change that changes everything.
This article is adapted from "The Change that Changes Everything," by ? Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, in the October 2011 edition of The Drumbeat. Used with permission of The Center for Action and Contemplation.
Fr. Richard Rohr will speak on the topic of "Emotional Sobriety: Rewiring Our Programs for Happiness" in an upcoming webcast from the Center for Action and Contemplation.
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There?s no doubt HP?s still extremely cozy with Microsoft, but what about its own webOS? Whitman nor Bradley had anything all that firm to add: ?webOS is the next piece to complete. The whole team is working very hard to make the right decisions[...] We?ll make a?decision?about the long-term future of webOS within the next couple months.? That sounds about right considering that?s one of the last pieces of the messy?Apotheker puzzle that Whitman?s still got to place.
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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) ? The U.N. Security Council on Thursday canceled its authorization for a seven-month-old NATO military operation in Libya that led to the ouster and death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The mandate was terminated despite a request from Libya's interim government for the Security Council to wait until the National Transitional Council made a decision on whether it wants NATO to help it secure its borders.
The 15-nation council unanimously approved a resolution terminating the U.N. mandate, which set the no-fly zone over Libya and permitted foreign military forces, including NATO, to use "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.
The resolution said the U.N. authorization for foreign military operations in Libya will lapse at 11:59 p.m. local Libyan time (2159 GMT) on October 31.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice welcomed the decision of the council, which U.N. diplomats say became sharply divided over NATO intervention in a civil war that went on much longer than Western nations had expected or wanted.
"This closes what I think history will judge to be a proud chapter in the Security Council's history and experience, where it acted promptly and effectively to prevent mass slaughter in Benghazi other parts of the east to effectively protect civilians," Rice told reporters.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that the council move "is another significant milestone toward a peaceful, democratic future for Libya." He added that "Libya has entered a new era."
U.S. WANTS 'INCLUSIVE' LIBYAN GOVERNMENT
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who had repeatedly accused NATO of overstepping its U.N. mandate to protect civilians, also welcomed the move to end foreign military intervention in Libya. Moscow co-sponsored the resolution.
Rice urged Libya's transitional government to "make the maximum effort to swiftly form an inclusive government that incorporates all aspects of Libyan society in which the rights of all Libyan people are fully and thoroughly respected."
While the resolution does not specifically refer to NATO, the alliance's legal mandate to carry out the air strikes that enabled rebel forces to defeat Gaddafi's troops was supplied by Security Council resolution 1973, adopted in March.
The NTC officially announced Libya's liberation on October 23, days after the capture and death of Gaddafi.
Libyan Deputy U.N. Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi asked the council on Wednesday to wait before terminating the mandate.
Dabbashi said the government needed time to assess the security situation in its country and its ability to monitor its borders.
Western diplomats said council members did not want to wait. They said issues such as Libya's border security fell outside the U.N. mandate. A NATO official in Brussels, however, said member states of the alliance were free to give further security aid to Libya individually.
The resolution does not lift the arms embargo or other U.N. sanctions on Libya that have been in place for half a year. The resolution approved on Thursday made clear that weapons were a problem, voicing "concern at the proliferation of arms in Libya and its potential impact on regional peace and security."
The Security Council on March 17 authorized a no-fly zone and foreign military intervention to protect Libyans from security forces Gaddafi had deployed to suppress pro-democracy uprisings across the country.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/wl_nm/us_libya_un
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By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo Stacy Teicher Khadaroo ? Wed?Oct?26, 2:25?pm?ET Follow Yahoo! News on , become a fan on Facebook confederate flag confederate flag eddie cibrian kim delaney kim delaney dead sea scrolls new jersey nets
New York ? As zombies invade nearly all aspects of the arts and commerce, the undead are helping to keep the U.S. economy alive
America is in the midst of a zombie renaissance, says Torie Bosch at?Slate. It's no coincidence that "the undead have gone from lowbrow guilty pleasure to the favored monster of the erudite" just as the economy slipped into malaise, and then recession. As a pop-culture and marketing theme, "zombies are the perfect representation of the fiscal horror show" we're living through, especially for endangered white-collar workers who feel like the walking dead. Ironically, zombies' "contribution to Main Street's economy is very much alive," feeding more than $5 billion into U.S. cash registers in recent years, and even more globally, says Jon C. Ogg at?24/7 Wall Street. A guide, by the numbers:
$5.74 billion
Total U.S. "zombie economy," as calculated by 24/7 Wall Street
$2.5 billion
Value of all zombie-themed movies over the past decade ? a number 24/7 Wall Street says is probably "a massive understatement"
$600 million
International box office haul for the Will Smith zombie hit I Am Legend?(2007)
$600 million
International box office take for Milla Jovovich's four "sexed up" Resident Evil?zombie movies (2002-2010)
1968
The year George Romero made Night of the Living Dead, the "granddaddy of zombie films" (which is royalty-free, so doesn't add much to the zombie economy)
1929
The year William Seabrook's novel?The Magic Island?hit U.S. shores, introducing zombies to America
7 million
Number of viewers for last week's season opener of the "not terribly compelling" zombie TV show The Walking Dead
$2.5 billion
Value of all zombie-themed video games, including arcade and computer versions and smartphone apps
46 million
Copies sold of Resident Evil?video games, generating a "low-ball" value of $1.3 billion
8 million
Copies sold of Doom?video games
$550 million
Value of zombie costumes and other gear, including $500 million in Halloween costumes (over 4 years) and $50 million in T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise
411,000
Number of zombie products sold at CafePress.com
$10 million
Estimated value of all zombie walks, pub crawls, conventions, and other events requiring zombie get-ups
3,000
Number of zombies at a recent zombie walk in France
$30 million
"Grossly understated" value of zombie-related music, art, and social media, including Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, "Evenings in Quarantine: The Zombie Opera," personalized 9"-by-11" zombie portraits by "zombie artist" Rob Sacchetto, and the Zombie Music Fest in Grand Forks, N.D.
Sources: 24/7 Wall Street, USA Today, LAist, CNBC, BlackBook, Slate
View this article on TheWeek.com
Get 2010: Recession or recovery?
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Jay Bradner
In his lab, Jay Bradner, a researcher at Harvard and Dana Farber in Boston, works on a breakthrough approach for subverting cancer .. and he?s giving the secret away. Full bio and more links
How does cancer know it's cancer? At Jay Bradner's lab, they found a molecule that might hold the answer, JQ1 -- and instead of patenting JQ1, they published their findings and mailed samples to 40 other labs to work on. An inspiring look at the open-source future of medical research.
Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_bradner_open_source_cancer_research.html
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By AHMED EL-SEDAWY
Associated Press
Associated Press Sports
updated 12:44 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2011
CAIRO (AP) -Bob Bradley isn't ready to talk about the man who replaced him as the United States' coach.
He's not too keen to talk details of his departure, either, after he was let go by the USSF in July after five years in charge.
Bradley says "leaving as coach of the U.S. national team wasn't my decision," summing up his exit.
His decision or not, Bradley moved on. To bigger things? Maybe. Bigger challenges? Almost certainly.
The 53-year-old Bradley has re-emerged as head coach of Egypt and is now faced with what he called "the big responsibility" of reviving Africa's most successful team ever and following in the footsteps of its best-ever coach - all at a time of historic change in the North African country on and off the pitch.
? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsBarcelona's Cesc Fabregas says he is no saint but he did not direct any racist abuse toward Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute during a heated encounter on Saturday.
Ex-striker Les Ferdinand wants English captain banned if racism allegations are proven.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45063424/ns/sports-soccer/
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By Jamey Bergman and Ashley Kosciolek, Cruise Critic
(Updated Oct. 26, 9:40 a.m. EDT) Rina, the 17th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season, is currently a Category 2 hurricane but is predicted to reach major hurricane status today.
According to the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory, Rina is located about 230 miles south-southeast of Cozumel and is packing maximum sustained winds of about 110 miles per hour. The storm is moving west at 4 m.p.h. (Click the image to see a larger version of the forecast path.)
Related: Hurricane Rina gaining strength on path to Cancun
At the moment, the storm is on a collision course with the popular Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel.
Cruise ship itinerary changes
At present, Carnival Cruise Lines is reporting the majority of the itinerary changes, with one additional change from Celebrity Cruise Lines:
Carnival Inspiration, on a five-night cruise from Tampa, is visiting Progresso on Tuesday instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Freedom, on an eight-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale, will call on Montego Bay on Wednesday instead of Limon, and it will stay at sea on Thursday, foregoing a call on Colon. A stop at Grand Turk on Friday will replace an originally scheduled sea day.
Carnival Destiny, on a five-night cruise from Miami, will replace a sea day scheduled for Wednesday with a call on Nassau.
Carnival Liberty, on a seven-night cruise from Miami, will substitute Ocho Rios in place of Grand Cayman on Wednesday and call on Grand Turk on Thursday instead of Ocho Rios.
Carnival Legend, on a seven-night cruise from Tampa, will switch its calls on Belize and Cozumel, visiting the former on Tuesday and the latter on Wednesday. It will also call on Progreso on Thursday instead of Roatan and swap Friday's planned Grand Cayman visit with a sea day.
Carnival Valor, on a seven-night cruise from Miami, will forego Belize on Wednesday for a sea day. The ship will also call on Grand Cayman on Thursday instead of spending the day at sea.
Carnival Triumph, on a five-night cruise from Galveston, is replacing Progreso with Cozumel on Wednesday and Cozumel with Progreso on Thursday.
Carnival Imagination, on a four-day cruise from Miami, is scrapping Cozumel for a sea day on Wednesday and replacing a sea day on Thursday with a visit to Nassau.
Instead of spending Wednesday at sea, Celebrity Millenium will call on Nassau, Bahamas.
Weather outlook: Next affected ships and ports
Rina is currently a Category 2 hurricane, but additional strengthening is expected and it could become a major hurricane on Wednesday. A hurricane warning is now in effect for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from north of Punta Gruesa to Cancun. Hurricane-force winds are expected to reach the coast by early Thursday, with eight to 16 inches of rain predicted to impact the eastern Yucatan.
New updates are released by the NHC every three hours, and we'll keep you in the loop as new information becomes available.
More from Cruise Critic:
Source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/25/8483900-hurricane-rina-scattering-cruise-ships
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Continue reading BlueBiped robot needs no power to walk for miles, as long as it's downhill (video)
BlueBiped robot needs no power to walk for miles, as long as it's downhill (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NEW YORK ? Andy Rooney, who delivered his last essay on "60 Minutes" three weeks ago, was in the hospital Tuesday after developing serious complications following surgery.
CBS said the 92-year-old writer's condition was stable and, at the request of his family, offered no other information about his medical problems or where he was hospitalized.
The three-time Emmy-winner was a regular presence on television's most popular newsmagazine. Since 1978, "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" wrapped up the Sunday night program, often with a look at the absurdities of life and language.
Rooney could talk about what was in the news or what was in his closet. One of his Emmy Awards was for an essay about whether there was a real Mrs. Smith behind Mrs. Smith's Pies.
On Oct. 2, he delivered his 1,097th and final essay, saying it was a moment he dreaded.
"I wish I could do this forever. I can't, though," he said.
True to his often cantankerous nature, Rooney noted that he hated being recognized on the street. So if you see him in a restaurant, he said as he signed off, "please, just let me eat my dinner."
He's had a long career as a writer, and that's how he saw himself. He worked for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes and wrote four books about World War II. He wrote for entertainment personalities Arthur Godfrey and Garry Moore and had a longtime partnership with newsman Harry Reasoner.
With "60 Minutes" looking for something new at the end of its show, Rooney's first essay appeared on July 2, 1978: a complaint about people who kept track of how many people died in auto accidents over holiday weekends.
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BAGHDAD?? A U.S. State Department program to train Iraqi police lacks focus, could become a "bottomless pit" of American money and may not even be wanted by the Iraqi department it's supposed to help, reports released Monday by a U.S. government watchdog show.
The findings by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction paint what is supposed to be the State Department's flagship program in Iraq in a harsh light.
The report comes at a crucial time for the State Department as it assumes sole responsibility for securing U.S.-Iraqi ties as American forces leave by the end of this year.
On Oct. 1, the State Department took over the job of training Iraqi police from the Defense Department. According to the inspector general's report, the training program faces many problems.
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Only a small portion ? about 12 percent ? of the millions of dollars budgeted will actually go to helping the Iraqi police, the report said. The "vast preponderance of money" will pay for security and other items like living quarters for the people doing the training, the review found.
Story: Obama: All US troops out of Iraq by end of yearThe audit also said although the State Department has known since 2009 it would be taking over the training program, it failed to develop a comprehensive and detailed plan for the training.
"Without specific goals, objectives and performance measures, the PDP (Police Development Program) could become a 'bottomless pit' for U.S. dollars intended for mentoring, advising and training the Iraqi police forces," the report stated.
Downsizing
The oversight agency also found that budget concerns led to the program being significantly downsized.
In 2009, the State Department agency in charge of the training, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, estimated it would cost about $721 million to pay for a program with 350 police advisers. That averaged out to about $2.1 million per adviser, said SIGIR.
But in December 2010, the program was downsized to 190 advisers while costs had increased, the report stated. According to SIGIR calculations, the average cost per adviser jumped to $6.2 million per year.
By July of this year, the number of advisers had dropped to 115 for what the State Department described as Phase 1 of the program. If its budget request is approved for fiscal year 2012, the program could be beefed up again to 190 advisers, state department officials told the oversight agency.
Story: Reaction on Iraq withdrawal: 'So many lives have been lost'Despite the considerable outlay in U.S. taxpayer money, the Iraqi government has yet to sign off on the program and doesn't seem to want it. The official in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MOI) responsible for the ministry's day-to-day operations, Adnan al-Asadi, suggested to SIGIR that the U.S. should spend the money on something for the American people instead.
"What tangible benefit will Iraqis see from this police training program? With most of the money spent on lodging, security, support, all the MOI gets is a little expertise, and that is if the program materializes. It has yet to start," al-Asadi said.
The inspector general said the State Department did not fully cooperate with their audit.
"There were delays in gaining access to key officials and in obtaining documents. Moreover, the documents provided were incomplete," the audit read. One meeting in May was canceled an hour before it was to start because State Department officials needed to additional "Department guidance," SIGIR wrote.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad did not respond to a request for comment.
Video: Mixed emotions over Iraq announcement (on this page)In a letter to SIGIR, the State Department said it "generally agrees" with the report's recommendations but defended its efforts.
State Department Assistant Secretary William Brownfield wrote that because they were unsure of whether they would get all the money they'd requested, they decided to start with a smaller number of trainers, and they could ramp up to 190 trainers if the money comes through.
Story: Clinton to Iran: Don't misread departure from IraqBrownfield also said an independent organization was supposed to do a detailed assessment of Iraqi law enforcement capabilities but did not have access to people on the Iraqi side to finish the assessment in time. He said it would be done by November.
The fact that Iraq still does not have a permanent in interior minister has hampered efforts to come up with an agreement on implementing the training program, Brownfield wrote. But he said the MOI was committed to the program. He also wrote that the State Department hoped to reduce costs in the coming years and to hire more Iraqi support employees.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45011157/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/
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ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2011) ? They've been stereotyped as a bunch of insecure, angst-ridden, underachievers. But most members of Generation X are leading active, balanced and happy lives, according to a long-term University of Michigan survey.
"They are not bowling alone," said political scientist Jon Miller, author of The Generation X Report. "They are active in their communities, mainly satisfied with their jobs, and able to balance work, family, and leisure."
Miller directs the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the U-M Institute for Social Research. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation since 1986, now includes responses from approximately 4,000 Gen Xers -- those born between 1961 and 1981.
"The 84 million Americans in this generation between the ages of 30 and 50 are the parents of today's school-aged children," Miller said. "And over the next two or three decades, members of Generation X will lead the nation in the White House and Congress. So it's important to understand their values, history, current challenges and future goals."
The first in a new quarterly series of Generation X Reports describes how Gen Xers are faring in terms of employment and education; marriage and families; parenting; community involvement and religion; social relationships; recreation and leisure; digital life; and happiness and life satisfaction.
Among the many findings:
"In sociologist Robert Putnam's influential book, 'Bowling Alone,' he argued that Americans were increasingly isolated socially," Miller said. "But this data indicates that Generation X members are not bowling alone.
"Although they may be less likely to join community-based luncheon clubs, they have extensive social, occupational and community networks. They are active participants in parent-teacher organizations, local youth sports clubs, book clubs and other community organizations."
In addition, Miller points out, nearly 90 percent of Generation X adults participated in at least one outdoor activity, such as hiking, swimming, boating or fishing, and 40 percent engaged in two or more recreation and leisure activities per month.
On the cultural side, 45 percent of the Generation X adults surveyed reported attending at least one play, symphony, opera or ballet performance during the preceding year, and 13 percent said they had attended three or more cultural events during the last year.
"Generation X adults are also readers," Miller said. "Seventy-two percent read a newspaper, in print or online, at least once a week, and fully 80 percent bought and read at least one book during the last year. Nearly half said that they read six or more books in the last year."
Finally, Miller reports, Generation X adults are happy with their lives, with an average level of 7.5 on a 10-point scale in which 10 equals "very happy."
"That is not to say that some members of this generation are not struggling," Miller said. "And in future issues of the Generation X Report we will address some of the challenges many members of this group are facing."
The second Generation X Report will be issued in January 2012, on the topic of influenza. Using data collected during the 2010 influenza epidemic, the January report will explore how young adults kept abreast of the issue and what actions they eventually took to protect themselves and their families. Subsequent reports will cover food and cooking, climate, space exploration, and citizenship and voting.
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TUNIS, Tunisia ? Tunisians began voting Sunday in their first truly free election, the culmination of a popular uprising that ended decades of authoritarian rule and set off similar rebellions across the Middle East.
Voters ? women with headscarves and without, former political prisoners, young people whose Facebook posts helped fuel the revolution ? are electing members of an assembly that will appoint a new government and then write a new constitution. They're definitively turning the page on the 23-year presidency of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown by a monthlong uprising on Jan. 14 stirred by anger at unemployment, corruption and repression.
The party expected to come out on top, Ennahda, is a moderate Islamic party whose victory, especially in a comparatively secular society like Tunisia, could have wide implications for similar religious parties in the region.
The unexpected revolution in this quiet Mediterranean country ? cherished by European tourists for its sandy beaches and desert oases ? set off a series of similar uprisings against entrenched leaders, an event now being called the Arab Spring. If Tunisia's election produce an effective new government they will serve as an inspiration to pro-democracy advocates across the region, including in next-door Libya, where longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed last week by rebel forces.
The campaign season has been marked by controversies over advertising, fears over society's religious polarization and concerns about voter apathy, but in the run-up to the vote a mood of optimism and excitement in the capital was palpable.
Soldiers were stationed in several areas to keep order, but as of mid-morning the election appeared calm.
"It's a historic day, a moment of joy and celebration. Even if I have to stand in line 24 hours, I would not give up the chance to savor this air of freedom," said Touhami Sakouhi, a former political prisoner standing in line at a crowded voting station in the poor Ettadhamen quarter of Tunis.
In the richer Tunis suburb of al-Aouina, 18-year-old language student and former protester Zeinab Souayah said, "I'm going to grow up and think back on these days and tell my children about them."
"It feels great, it's awesome," she added, in English.
The ballot is an extra-large piece of paper bearing the names and symbols of the parties fielding a candidate in each district. It's a cacophony of choice in a country effectively under one-party rule since independence from France in 1956, and where the now-popular Islamist party Ennahda was long banned.
Retired engineer Bahri Mohamed Lebid, 73, said he voted "for my religion," a sentiment common among Ennahda supporters. He described the last time he tried to vote, in 1974, when he said polling officers forced him to cast a ballot for the ruling party despite his objections.
Others expressed concern that despite its moderate public line, Ennahda could reverse some of Tunisia's progressive legislation for women if the party gains power.
"I am looking for someone to protect the place of women in Tunisia," said 34-year-old Amina Helmi, her hair free of the headscarves that some Tunisian women wear. She said she voted for the center-left PDP party, the strongest legal opposition movement under Ben Ali. She said she was "afraid" of Ennahda.
There are 7.5 million potential voters, though only 4.4 million of them, or just under 60 percent, are actually registered. People can vote with their identity cards but only at certain stations, which some fear may cause confusion during the polls.
More than 5,000 foreign observers are monitoring the vote.
Voters in each of the country's 33 districts, six of which are abroad, have a choice of between 40 and 80 electoral lists, consisting of parties and independent candidates.
A proportional representation system will likely mean that no political party will dominate the assembly, which is expected to be divided roughly between the Ennahda party, centrist parties and leftist parties, requiring coalitions and compromises during the writing of the constitution.
"This is the first time in my life I've truly voted. It is something extraordinary," said Turkane Seklani, a 37-year-old casting her ballot in polling station set up in the Bourguiba High School in Tunis. The sun was still rising as she cast her ballot soon after 7 a.m., but the capital was already humming with political activity.
She said she voted for center-left party Ettakatol, because its leader, a doctor who opposed Ben Ali in the years before the uprising, "is a good man and I find him honest and with integrity."
In the 10 months since the uprising, Tunisia's economy and employment, part of the reason for the revolution in the first place, has only become worse as tourists and foreign investors have stayed away.
Many have expressed indifference about the election out of frustration that new jobs have yet to appear and life has not improved since the revolution.
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ? A massive federal investigation that resulted in Google Inc. forfeiting $500 million this year to settle criminal claims over its advertising began with the 2008 arrest of a jet-setting career con artist, who took federal agents in Rhode Island into the underground world of peddling pills online.
David Whitaker, 36, finalized the decision to help federal agents investigate Google within six weeks of being arrested in California after being expelled from Mexico, where he told authorities he spent his time selling drugs online, according to his plea agreement. He had already served three prison sentences and was staring down a maximum sentence of 65 years in Rhode Island for bilking $8.7 to $22.6 million from small businesses and a credit card company during the mid-2000s, court records show.
The plea deal he signed with federal prosecutors offered some salvation. If he agreed to help the government with an investigation, prosecutors would recommend a punishment "at the lowest point of sentences" when Whitaker learns his fate in the fraud case on Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in Providence.
That was the start of his two-year stint using his experience to help federal agents expose how operators exploited Google's automated ad system known as AdWords to promote illegal Canadian pharmacies to American consumers.
But Whitaker's role in the Google case is cold comfort to those who say they were ripped off by his Rhode Island electronics equipment provider, Mixitforme Inc. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to wire fraud, conspiracy and other charges.
"It's wrong for the feds to use him," said Matthew Grosso, 47, who says he lost his Stony Brook, N.Y., business and $1.3 million after his dealings with Whitaker went sour in 2005.
"You're just perpetuating this guy's god mentality."
Whitaker's victims paint a picture of a high-flying executive who cheated them out of their small businesses.
Mixitforme began selling discount electronics in 2005 with Whitaker and a partner at the helm. The company claimed it had strong ties to overseas suppliers that made its prices about 30 percent lower than its competitors, officials said. The firm also claimed to be an authorized distributor for Apple and Motorola and said it had a special arrangement with Sony to sell its products. Federal prosecutors say those were all lies.
But Whitaker still found a way to lure clients. Grosso recalled visiting warehouses in New York and New England to look at Whitaker's stockpiles of consumer electronics, including iPods and gaming systems.
Trevor Sears, 36, of Salt Lake City, said he would only place orders with Whitaker after seeing photographs of the inventory he wanted to purchase.
Both Grosso and Sears said they placed small orders at first without problems.
But as customers poured more money into Mixitforme, Whitaker blew through Mixitforme's earnings by buying four luxury automobiles, renting a Miami mansion for $200,000 monthly, flying in a private airplane, staying in luxury hotels, renting a yacht and using a limousine driver and security team regularly, according to an affidavit signed by U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Craig Marech.
Grosso recalled Whitaker suggesting they meet at The Ritz-Carlton on Central Park in New York City, where Whitaker had a room. He said other people who did business with Whitaker described going to meet him on airport tarmacs where he'd fly in to on a private jet.
"He was living high on the hog," Grosso said.
At the same time, prosecutors say, deliveries slowed and excuses and cover-ups started piling up, such as faked tracking numbers for shipments or claims the goods were being held by customs agents. From July 2005 to March 2006, Mixitforme failed to deliver about $13 million worth of electronic equipment, Marech wrote.
Finally, Sears said, he flew to Rhode Island to confront Whitaker in his downtown Providence office about a $319,600 order that wasn't delivered.
"He wouldn't see me. He was locked in his office," said Sears, who is launching his first new business, 10bucksupplements.com, after spending years trying to get back on his feet.
"He literally ruined my life," said Sears. "For a few years, it was brutal."
Mixitforme was the latest scheme in a string of criminal accusations against Whitaker that date back more than a decade.
He was arrested in Hawaii in 1997 on charges of bank fraud and e-racketeering and he was sentenced to a year in prison, according to court papers. The next year, he was arrested in New Orleans on a bank fraud charge and sentenced to a year and a day in prison. U.S. marshals also picked him up in 2000 for making forged securities and he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, the affidavit said.
Finally, after federal agents executed a search warrant at the Providence headquarters of Mixitforme, Marech says Whitaker took off for Albuquerque, N.M., where he went by the name Slade Austin and set up a company called Coyotego.com that also sold consumer electronics at below-market prices. That business, too, was shut down after a search in July 2007, but by that time Whitaker had already fled to Mexico, Marech wrote.
But what may save him from a long sentence is one last strategy: his work for the government.
Whitaker helped investigators construct phony websites that purported to sell the drugs, officials said. Then, an undercover investigator would tell Google employees who were creating the advertising for the products that they were manufactured overseas and did not require customers to have a valid prescription, officials said.
Federal officials said Google knew as early as 2003 that its ad system was allowing Canadian pharmacies to make illegal sales. Shipping prescription drugs into the U.S. from abroad violates drug and other laws, investigators said. If the case had gone to trial, federal prosecutors would have to prove an Internet search engine helped pharmacies violate federal law.
Google is no longer letting Canadian online pharmacies advertise to U.S. consumers. It also agreed in August to forfeit $500 million to avoid criminal prosecution for accusations that it improperly profited from ads promoting Canadian pharmacies that illegally imported drugs into the United States.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment, as did spokesmen for Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha and federal Food and Drug Administration investigators, who led the probe. Whitaker's attorney, George J. West, also declined to comment.
Grosso and Sears said they had no idea Whitaker helped federal investigators on the Google case. They say they hope his help doesn't overshadow their suffering.
"He sure lived off the money he stole from people while they went down in flames," Sears said. "I certainly hope he doesn't get leniency."
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.?? A man suspected of shooting and wounding a northern California police officer died in the custody of Sacramento police, following a foot chase, authorities said Sunday night.
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Tyrone Smith, 32, was unresponsive in the back of a patrol car after being caught late Saturday night some seven hours after the shooting of the Twin Rivers police officer, Sacramento police said in a statement.
Paramedics were called who took Smith to a hospital, where he was declared dead, the statement said.
Police said the cause of death had not been determined, but a preliminary investigation showed no indication it was a result of police actions.
Smith ran from officers and jumped over fences after he was found, then refused to comply when they caught up with him and had to be forced to the ground and handcuffed, the statement said.
He again tried to flee and fell to the ground before he was put in the patrol car, police said.
The Twin Rivers officer, whose name has not been released, was in critical condition after being hit with several bullets, but is expected to have a full recovery after surgery Sunday.
"Doctors are very optimistic," Twin Rivers police spokesman William Cho told the Sacramento Bee.
The shooting occurred when the officer tried to pull over the suspect's vehicle Saturday afternoon, the Sacramento police statement said.
The suspect refused to stop, then after a short car chase got out of his vehicle and fled on foot. As the officer chased him, the suspect fired and hit the officer several times, the statement said.
Detectives believe the suspect got back in his vehicle and fled.
Paramedics who happened to be in the area quickly reached the officer and took him to the hospital, the statement said.
Police did not say why the officer tried to pull over the suspect when the incident began.
Several units of the Sacramento Police Department along with the city's Office of Public Safety and Accountability and the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office are investigating the two shootings.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45004594/ns/us_news/
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