THE PEGASUS DAILY NEWS

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 18th day of 2012 with 347 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 4:52 p.m., it's partly cloucy , temp 21ºF [Feels like 11ºF], winds W @ 8 mph, humidity 51%, pressure 30.13 in and rising, dew point 8ºF, chance of precipitation 15%.

Today in History:
1778--English navigator Captain James Cook became the first European to reach the Hawaiian Islands.
1788--the 1st English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to establish a penal colony.
1871--William I of Prussia was proclaimed German emperor in Versailles, France.
1911--the 1st landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor.
1912--English explorer Robert F. Scott and his expedition reached the South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had gotten there first.
1919--the Paris Peace Conference, held to negotiate peace treaties ending World War I, opened in Versailles, France.
1943--the Soviets announced that they had broken the long Nazi siege of Leningrad.
1949--Charles Ponzi, engineer of one of the most spectacular swindles in history, died destitute at a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at age 66.
1957--a trio of B-52's completed the first non-stop, round-the-world flight by jet planes, landing at March Air Force Base in California after more than 45 hours aloft.
1967--Albert DeSalvo, who claimed to be the "Boston Strangler," was convicted in Cambridge, Mass., of armed robbery, assault and sex offenses. (He was killed in prison in 1973.)
1990--Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.
1991--financially strapped Eastern Airlines shut down after more than six decades in business.
1993--the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed in all 50 states for the first time.
2002--1970's radical-turned-suburban mother Sara Jane Olson (formerly Kathleen Soliah) was sentenced in Los Angeles to 20 years to life in prison for plotting to blow up a pair of police cars 27 years earlier.
2005--the world's largest commercial jet, an Airbus A380 that can carry 800 passengers, was unveiled in Toulouse, France.
2007--truck driver Tyrone Williams was spared the death penalty and sentenced by a federal court to life in prison for his role in the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants crammed in a tractor-trailer.
2011--Chinese Pres. Hu Jintao arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington for a four-day state visit.


World News Capsules:
1. After years of decline, polio cases in Afghanistan triple in a year.
....Health workers are alarmed at the reversal of what has been both a local and a worldwide trend — particularly since some of the cases erupted far outside the disease’s traditional areas.
2. Canada accuses naval officer of sharing state secrets.
....Court documents assert that Sub-Lt. Jeffery Paul Delisle, who worked in key military intelligence centers, began spying four and a half years ago.
3. China expands program requiring real-name registration online.
....A trial program in China requires users of the country’s microblog services to disclose their identities to the government in order to post comments.
4. As European Union beckons, allure fades for wary Croatia.

....Croatians are set to vote on joining the organization, which has become mired in a debt crisis that threatens its very essence in the decade since the country first applied for membership.
5. Five tourists killed and 4 kidnapped in Ethiopia.
....Five European tourists were killed, and two tourists and two Ethiopians were kidnapped, in an attack by gunmen in northern Ethiopia's remote Afar region, the Ethiopian government said.
6. Greek premier says creditors may be forced to take losses.
....In an interview, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said he was optimistic about talks set to resume with holders of Greek debt, but was considering his options if they do not succeed.
7. As powers maneuver, Israel says no decisio yet to attack Iran.
....Israel’s defense minister said that a decision on a possible attack was “very far off,” as Russia signaled renewed aversion to tighter sanctions on Iran.
a. Hearing begins on Israeli foreigh minister.
....Prosecutors will decide whether to pursue charges against Avigdor Lieberman on charges of fraud, breach of trust and money laundering.
8. More bodies found on ship, as transcripts reveal rebuke to captain.
....Rescuers pulled five more bodies from the Costa Concordia as the Italian news media published transcripts of a tense screaming match between the coast guard and the captain.
a. Captain of stricken vessel says he fell overboard in passenger panic.
....A farcical new twist emerged from the horrific accounts of the wreck, with the captain saying he tripped during the passenger panic on deck, fell overboard and ended up in a life boat.
b. Industry weighs effect of ship accident.
....Shares of the Carnival Corporation fell 14 percent on Tuesday, and analysts said the accident in Italy could not have happened at a worse time for the industry.
c. Hopes of finding more cruise ship survivors fade.

....Amid bitterly cold temperatures and frigid waters, the chances of finding more survivors on the wreck of the Concordia have dimmed, with 24 people still missing.
9. Child slavery in Africa's cocoa fields.
[imghttp://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120118055433-cfp-chocolate-toure-clip-00010422-c1-main.jpg][/img]
....An investigations into the use of child labor in the production of chocolate in the Ivory Coast.
10. Myanmar's Aung Sa Suu Kyi registers for Parliament seat.
....Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s decision to contest the April polls is the latest vote of confidence for reforms by Myanmar’s new, nominally civilian government.
11. Russia 798warns against support for Arab uprisings.
....Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Wednesday said that encouragement of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa could lead to “a very big war.”
12. At least 34 people killed in Syria as monitors are unable to quell violence.
....The UN Security Council renewed discussions about the Syrian conflict but appeared no closer to a diplomatic breakthrough

US News Capsules:
1. Protest on Web uses shutdown to take on two piracy bills.

....With a Web-wide protest on Wednesday that includes a shutdown of Wikipedia, the legislative battle over two piracy bills has reached a political coming of age.
a. Web protests piracy bills, and 2 senator change course.
....Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, announced he would no longer back the anti-Internet piracy legislation he had co-sponsored. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, quickly followed suit.
2. Few cities have regained jobs they lost, report finds.
....The nation's mayors, both Democrats and Republicans, are exasperated as a study shows many areas have years to go until employment recovers.
3. Affirmative-action foe is facing allegations of financial misdeeds.
....Ward Connerly is facing accusations from a former ally that he mismanaged - and exploited for his own benefit - donations made by fellow conservatives.
4. Los Angeles mandates use of condoms for sex films.
....The law is the first of its kind in the country, advocates said, and could have a significant impact on what some say is a $1 billion industry.
5. Spider-Man producers sue Taymor for breach.
....The producers of the Broadway musical marshaled a muscular counteroffensive in federal court against a lawsuit by the show's former director.
6. Unaccustomed to heavy snow, Northwest is pounded.

....A major winter snowstorm dumped up to 10 inches of snow overnight in some low-lying areas of the Pacific Northwest, and more than a foot in the mountains. Seattle saw just a dusting by early morning, but forecasters warned up to 8 inches could still fall Wednesday on the city accustomed more to rain than snow.
7. Pinkberry co-founder arrested in beating of homeless man.
....Young Lee, who started the frozen yogurt franchise in 2005, is said to have chased the man before hurting him in June.
8. Hikers find human head in Hollywood hills.
....Hikers in the Hollywood Hills found a human head in a plastic bag Tuesday when two of their dogs began playing with the object, Los Angeles police said.
9. FBI makes insider trading arrests.
....Among those taken into custody by federal authorities was Anthony R. Chiasson, co-founder of the Level Global hedge fund.
10. Since 1980s, the kindest of tax cuts were for the rich.
....Advantages for investments have significantly reduced the effective federal income tax rate paid by the wealthiest Americans.
11. Obama posed to reject Keystone crude oil pipeline.

....Pres. Obama rejected a bid to expand the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf, saying the deadline imposed by Congress did not leave time for a review - decision welcomed by environmental groups but inflame the domestic energy industry.
12. The good news: US factories rev up. The bad news: They aren't hiring.
....A healthy pickup in production has done little to help the job prospects for millions of unemployed factory workers.
13. Defense cutbacks worry some miitary families.

....A new survey finds that middle-class military families are more likely to be setting stringent savings and spending goals this year, as the military gears up for some major cost-cutting of its own.
POLITICS:
1. Romney shares some tax data; critics pounce.
....Under renewed pressure to release his personal income tax returns, Mitt Romney said that he paid a tax rate approaching 15%.
a. Romney looks past weekend's primary as rivals find new hope.
....Mitt Romney’s outward confidence belies a deeply uncertain conclusion to the coming vote.
2. Gingrich: I paid taxes at 31% rate last year.
....While continuing across the Palmetto State on his bus tour, the former House speaker told reporters he hopes to release his 2012 tax returns tomorrow, which he said he had been told would reflect the fact that he paid nearly a third of his income to the federal government.
a. Is Newt-mentum returning?
....There are some increasing signs -- though all of it anecdotal for now -- that Newt Gingrich is gaining some momentum three days before the South Carolina primary.
3. Organizers say 1 million signed petition to recall Wisconsin governor.
....Critics of Gov. Scott Walker say they have collected nearly twice as many signatures as required to recall him and force a new election.
4. Parties confident of extending payroll tax cut.
....Both sides have given ground in Congress’s fight over a yearlong payroll tax deal, but how to pay for it remains a thorny question.

Today's Headlines of Interest:
Teen girs' mystery illness now has a diagnosis: mass hysteria.

....The day after TODAY reported on the baffling case of 12 teenage girls at one school who mysteriously fell ill with Tourette's-like symptoms of tics and verbal outbursts, a doctor who is treating some of the girls has come forward to offer an explanation. Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, a neurologist in Amherst, N.Y., says the diagnosis is "conversion disorder," or mass hysteria. "It's happened before, all around the world, in different parts of the world. It's a rare phenomena. Physicians are intrigued by it," Mechtler told TODAY. "The bottom line is these teenagers will get better."
TODAY contributor Dr. Gail Saltz noted that just because the girls' symptoms may be psychological in origin doesn't make them any less real or painful. “That’s not faking it. They’re real symptoms,” Saltz continued. “They need a psychiatric or psychological treatment. Treatment does work.’’
Conversion disorder symptoms usually occur after a stress event, although a patient can be more at risk if also suffering from an illness. Symptoms may last for days or weeks and can include blindness, inability to speak, numbness or other neurologic problems.
The New York State Health Department has been investigating the case for more than three months and says the school building is not to blame. Officials from the LeRoy Junior-Senior High School in upstate New York, where all the girls attended when their symptoms began, have released environmental reports, conducted by an outside agency, showing no substances in any of the school buildings that could cause health problems. Health officials ruled out carbon monoxide, illegal drugs and other factors as potential causes. Officials say no one at the school is in any danger.
But some of the girls' parents say they're not satisfied with the explanations so far. "Obviously we are all not just accepting that this is a stress thing," Jim Dupont, father of one of the affected girls, told TODAY on Wednesday. "It's heart wrenching, you fear your daughter's not going to have a normal life."
I hope the skeptical parents and the others get psychological treatment for the girls. even if you doubt the diagnosis, since hother else has been found that could have created the problem, don't prevent one of the girls from getting psychologogical help.

'Pillars of Creation' reloaded.

The Hubble Space Telescope's "Pillars of Creation" picture is arguably the best-known astronomical image of the 20th century, but can you spot the pillars in the 21st-century version? Those well-known towers of gas and dust are dwarfed by the full majesty of the Eagle Nebula in a view that's based on far-infrared observations from the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, plus X-ray readings from the XMM-Newton probe.

The Eagle Nebula, 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens, is one of the closest cradles of starbirth. Radiation from a young star cluster known as NGC 6611 is blasting away at the surrounding pillars of gas and dust —and sparking new star systems inside clumps known as evaporating gaseous globules, or EGGs. Hubble's visible-light image, captured in 1995, showed the pillars in detail. It also provided an iconic image of cosmic structure for ages to come. But it couldn't reveal exactly what was inside the EGGs' dusty sheaths.
In 2001, a near-infrared image from the ISAAC instrument, at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope facility in Chile, cut through the dust and revealed some of the infant stars within their EGGs. Researchers determined that 11 of the 73 EGGs in the Hubble image clearly had stars associated with them. Only one of these stars had been previously been seen in the Hubble images, and another five EGGs were noted as possibly containing stars.

The new far-infrared view from Herschel provides even more detail about the structure of the pillars and the young stars within. Meanwhile, the view from XMM-Newton highlights the points of strong X-ray emission within the nebula. The European Space Agency says the new imagery supports the view that one of the stars in the NGC 6611 clusters went supernova, sending out a shock wave that is about to tear the pillars apart. In fact, it's probably already happened — but because of the distance separating us from the nebula, we just haven't seen it yet. Astronomers expect that we'll witness the destruction of the Pillars of Creation sometime in the next few hundred years. So enjoy the view while you can.

SOPA explained: What it is and why it matters.
The tech industry is abuzz about SOPA and PIPA, a pair of anti-piracy bills. Here's why they're controversial, and how they would change the digital landscape if they became law. SOPA is an acronym for the Stop Online Piracy Act. It's a proposed bill that aims to crack down on copyright infringement by restricting access to sites that host or facilitate the trading of pirated content. SOPA's main targets are "rogue" overseas sites like torrent hub The Pirate Bay, which are a trove for illegal downloads. Go to the The Pirate Bay, type in any current hit movie or TV show like Glee, and you'll see links to download full seasons and recent episodes for free. Content creators have battled against piracy for years -- remember Napster? -- but it's hard for U.S. companies to take action against foreign sites. The Pirate Bay's servers are physically located in Sweden. So SOPA's goal is to cut off pirate sites' oxygen by requiring U.S. search engines, advertising networks and other providers to withhold their services. That means sites like Google wouldn't show flagged sites in their search results, and payment processors like eBay's PayPal couldn't transmit funds to them.
But opponents say that the way SOPA is written effectively promotes censorship and is rife with the potential for unintended consequences. The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes copyright infringement illegal but it's useless against overseas sites. SOPA tackles that by moving up the chain. If you can't force overseas sites to take down copyrighted work, you can at least stop U.S. companies from providing their services to those sites. You can also make it harder for U.S. Internet users to find and access the sites. SOPA goes further than DMCA and potentially puts site operators -- even those based in the U.S. -- on the hook for content that their users upload. The proposed bill's text says that a site could be deemed a SOPA scofflaw if it "facilitates" copyright infringement.
The bill requires every payment or advertising network operator to set up a process through which outside parties can notify the company that one of its customers is an "Internet site is dedicated to theft of U.S. property." Once a network gets a notification, it is required to cut off services to the target site within five days. Filing false notifications is a crime, but the process would put the burden of proof -- and the legal cost of fighting a false allegation -- on the accused.
Who supports SOPA, and who's against it? The controversial pair of bills, SOPA and PIPA, have sparked an all-out war between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. In general, media companies have united in favor of them, while tech's big names are throwing their might into opposing them. The bill's supporters dismiss accusations of censorship, saying that the legislation is meant to revamp a broken system that doesn't adequately prevent criminal behavior. But SOPA's critics say the bill's backers don't understand the Internet's architecture, and therefore don't appreciate the implications of the legislation they're considering.
SOPA was once expected to sail quickly through committee approval in the House. But after a massive pushback from tech companies and their supporters, it's being extensively reworked. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has said SOPA won't come up for a committee vote as-is. One major tenet of the original legislation has already been removed. As originally written, SOPA would have required Internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to sites that law enforcement officials deemed pirate sites. A markeup process once expected to take days is now likely to last for months. As the outcry around SOPA grows louder, the bill's momentum in Congress appears to be fading.
Alternative legislation has also been proposed. A bipartisan group of House members has begun drafting the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN), a compromise bill. Among other differences, OPEN offers more protection than SOPA would to sites accused of hosting pirated content. It also beefs up the enforcement process. It would allow digital rights holders to bring cases before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent agency that handles trademark infringement and other trade disputes.
SOPA's very similar counterpart, PIPA (the Protect IP Act), flew under the radar and was approved by a Senate committee in May. PIPA is now pending before the full Senate and scheduled for a vote on January 24, though some senators are pushing for a delay.

Sports Headlines
1. NFL: What's next in Indy?
....The Colts’ firing of Jim Caldwell puts the spotlight on Peyton Manning’s future while the playoff field contemplates how New England’s offense will fare against Baltimore’s defense.
a. In year of hut, hut, hut, the 49ers hit, hit, hit.
....In an season defined by offense, the physical, intimidating defense of the San Francisco 49ers has boosted them into the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
b. Pining for sideshow Rex and his bickering Jets.
....The final weeks of the NFL season are a circus, and Rex Ryan and the Jets are a first-class sideshow. What is a circus without a sideshow?
c. Ravens unraveling? Reed calls out Flacco.
[imghttp://img.fannation.com/upload/truth_rumor/photo_upload/321/911/full/Joe_Flacco_96163453.jpg][/img]
....Reed believes Flacco needs to pick up his play to beat the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game this weekend.
2. NBA: Knicks to face Suns and Steve Hash, the point guard they are lacking.
....Sentimentality would suggest the Knicks make a deal for Steve Nash, whose contract expires after this season. Practicality points to Baron Davis, whose balky back is nearly ready for contact.
a. Despite struggles, it's not time for Celtics to make major changes.

....The lockout and the pressures of squeezing more games into a shortened window have rewarded the teams that were ready to play and punished those that have been trying to get up to speed. Doc Rivers's Celtics have been in the latter category.
3. MLB: Braun, amid drug furor, to attend awards dinner.
....A little over a month after news broke that Ryan Braun had a positive drug test, he will receive the National League Most Valuable Player award at a dinner Saturday in Manhattan.
a. Mets owners can look forward to trial during spring training.
....A ruling by a federal judge against the Madoff trustee makes it appear likely that a lawsuit seeking money from the owners of the Mets will move to a jury trial.
4. NHL: Rangers' owner climbs aboard their bandwagon.
....Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots, and James L. Dolan showed up to praise the organization and General Manager Glen Sather.
5. GOLF: On the Gold Channel, an analyst who is not afraid to get rough.

....Brandel Chamblee, an opinionated commentator on the Golf Channel, is a master of statistics who has won many admirers — and a few outspoken critics.
4. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: American Fish is ousted at the Open.
....The eighth-seeded Mardy Fish, the highest ranked American, had trouble controlling his shots and his temper in a first-round loss to Alejandro Falla of Colombia.
5. OLYMPICS: Rugby, the Royals and unruly behavior.
....Mike Tindall married Zara Phillips, a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II in July, then took part in the rugby World Cup and tabloid antics off the field in New Zealand.


Thought for Today
"Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours."
—-Rudyard Kipling, Engish Nobel Prize-winning author & poet (1865- 1936).

Today's flower: Campsis radicans or trumpet creeper - large trumpet shaped flowers that are bright red to orange on the outside, yellow inside and grow in clusters of 2 to 9 Flowers. Wild Trumpet vine will climb trees or woody structures but is usually found sprawling on the ground or over a wood fence post.



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[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 19th day of 2012 with 346 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 2:26 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 27ºF [Feels like 15ºF], winds S @ 16 mph, humidity 46%, pressure 29.84 in and falling, dew point 12ºF, chance of precipitation 70%.

Today in History:
1807--Robert E. Lee, Confederate general of the Army of Northern Virginia, was born; died 1870 at age 63.
1840--during an exploring expedition, Capt. Charles Wilkes sights the coast of eastern Antarctica and claims it for the US.
1853--Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore premiered in Rome.
1862--Union forces won the Battle of Mill Springs in southeastern Kentucky.
1861--Georgia became the 5th state to secede from the Union.
1883--heavy fog in the North Sea causes the collision of two steamers and the death of 357 people.
1937--millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
1942--Japan invaded Burman (Myanmar).
1944--the federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute.
1950--Communist China recognized North Vietnam.
1955--a presidential news conference was filmed for TV for the first time, with the permission of Pres. Eisenhower.
1960--the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America was signed.
1966--Indira GAndhi was elected prime minister of India.
1977--Pres. Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D'Aquino, an American convicted of treason for making wartime broadcasts for Japan as Tokyo Rose.
1979--former Attorney General John Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months in federal prison for Watergate-related crimes.
1981--the US and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.
1983--Klaus Barbie, the Nazi Gestapo chief of Lyons, France was arrested in Bolivia for his crimes against humanity.
1992--German government and Jewish officials dedicated a Holocaust memorial at the suburban Berlin villa where the notorious Wannsee Conference had taken place,
2001--in a deal sparing himself possible indictment, Pres. Clinton acknowledged for the first time making false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
2002--Israeli troops set off a powerful explosion that gutted the official Palestinian broadcasting building, dealing another retaliatory blow two days after a Palestinian gunman killed six Israelis,
2006--an unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion-mile journey to Pluto.
2007--former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for his role in a lobbying scandal.
2007--the first McDonald's drive-through opened in Beijing.
2010--in a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the US Senate seat held by liberal champion Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.


World News Capsules:
1. Insurgents kill dozens in Southern Afghanistan.
....Seventeen people were killed in two bombings in southern Helmand Province, and a suicide bomber killed six civilians at a NATO base’s entrance in Kandahar.
2. China looks to Saudi to quench thirst for fuel.
....Saudi Arabia produces nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day – about the same as China consumes. That’s why the Kingdom is at the heart of China's energy strategy to secure more resources from the Gulf region.
a. China sentences another prominent activist to jail.
....Li Tie, a human rights campaigner, became the 3rd Chinese dissident in less than a month to be sentenced to prison on charges involving subversion of state power.
3. Slow response to East African famine costs lives.

....Thousands of people needlessly died from famine in East Africa last year because the rich nations failed to act on early warnings, two leading British aid organizations reported.
4. Facing elections, Sarkozy focuses on the jobless.
....Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy, facing re-election this spring, brought union and business leaders together to discuss legal changes to promote greater economic flexibility.
5. Murdoch company settles with 36 hacking victims.

....Lawyers for the victims said that News Group Newspapers settled on the basis “that senior employees and directors” of the company “knew about the wrongdoing and sought to conceal it by deliberately deceiving investigators and destroying evidence.”
a. British aide admits Russian spy claims.

....A former senior official has confirmed Russian allegations that the British spy service was caught trying to use a fake rock in Moscow to hide communication equipment.
6. Hedge funds may sue Greece if it tries to force loss.
....Several funds have plans to go to the European Court of Human Rights if the country doesn't make good on its bond payments.
7. Honduras: murder capital.

....Violent drug wars afflict Mexico, but has also left staggering murder rates in Central America. Overrun by drug violence, San Pedro Sula is the second-largest and most violent city in Honduras -- a country that's the current murder capital of the world.
8. Pressed by Europe, Hungary backtracks on new laws.
....Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, offered to change details of controversial new laws, but rejected claims that his country was sliding toward authoritarianism.
9. Veil of silence lifted in Indonesia.
....The anti-Communist purges of 1965-66, which killed at least 500,000 but had been little discussed, have been the focus of recent academic seminars, personal memoirs and other forums.
10. Mexico's drug war bloodies areas thought safe.

....The drug carnage is spreading to Mexico's interior and south, a trend believed to be linked to a widening turf war between the country's two biggest criminal organizations.
11. 5 unemployed Moroccans set selves on fire
....Five unemployed Moroccan men set themselves on fire in the capital Rabat as part of widespread demonstrations in the country over the lack of jobs, especially for university graduates, a rights activist said Thursday. Three were burned badly enough to be hospitalized.
12. Doubts on North Korea from dead leader's son.
....The eldest son of Kim Jong-il, the late North Korean leader, is quoted in a new book as expressing doubts about his country and its new leader, his half-brother
a. Where Koreans go to reunify (hint: it's not the Koreas).

....An effort by North Korea to bring in currency with a small chain of restaurants outside the country has led to the odd scene of Koreans mingling in a way that would be impossible back home.
13. Pakistan crisis: Prime Minister appears at top court in contempt case.

....Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appeared to defend himself on contempt charges that he failed to obey long-standing order to ask Swiss authorities to reopen graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari dating back to late 1990s.
a. Reporter dies in Pakistan, and Taliban warn others.
....The killing underscored Pakistan’s reputation as the world’s most dangerous beat for reporters and raised fresh questions about the future of American-financed journalism in the region.
14. Protests over austerity cuts, corruption continue across Romania.

....Protests continued for a 6h day across Romania, as hundreds gathered in the capital city Bucharest and in about 40 other cities, calling for Pres. Traian Basescu’s resignation and denouncing the government’s austerity measures and systemic corruption.
15. The forgotten story of Zambia's Jewish settlers.

....The city of Livingstone, in Zambia, is located just 10 kilometers from the spectacular Victoria Falls. Its proximity to the falls makes it a tourist destination, but it also boasts an almost-forgotten past as the home of one of the oldest Jewish settlements in Africa.

US News Capsules:
1. Railroad companies fight safety rules, with help from GOP and Obama.

....Less than four years after a California train disaster spurred passage of major safety legislation, railroad companies are pushing hard to relax the law’s chief provision, bidding to scale back and delay a system to prevent crashes such as the head-on collision that caused 25 deaths and 135 injuries in Chatsworth, Calif.
2. In wake of Web blackout, SOPA/PIPA support weakens.
....As websites from Wikipedia to Wired went dark Wednesday to protest anti-piracy bills, some co-sponsors of the legislation in Congress said they're withdrawing their support for the bills.
a. In firght over piracy bills, new economy rises against old.
....The legislative battle over two once-obscure measures to combat the looting of online content may prove to be a turning point for how Washington does business.
3. Billionaire donates for Washington Monument repairs.

....Businessman David Rubinstein, a history buff, offered $7.5 million matching gift to start repairing quake damage near the top of the Washington Monument due to last summer's East Coast earthquake.
4. 200-year sentence in NYC stabbing, carjacking and other crimes spree: killer yells at victims' relatives.

....Ukrainian-born Maksim Gelman who admitted killing four people in a rampage of stabbings had a bizarre outburst in court that included laughing and yelling at victims' relatives.
5. Arrests in 2008 Long Beach homeless deaths.
....Police in Long Beach have arrested two alleged gang members in the 2008 murders of five transients who were gunned down in a homeless encampment near a Southern California freeway.
6. Kodak seeks shelter in bankruptcy court.

....Icon of industry gets credit lifeline as it seeks to survive crisis after years of falling sales related to the decline of its namesake film business. Its downfall has already hit its Rust Belt hometown of Rochester, N.Y., with employment there falling to about 7,000 from more than 60,000 in Kodak's halcyon days.
7. Boeing departure shakes Wichita's identity as airplane capital.
....After eight decades as one of its biggest employers and most prestigious brands, Boeing leaves Wichita in a trail of broken promises and bitter recriminations, putting Wichita, Kans. at risk of losing its identity as one of those American places where people make things and are paid well for it..
8. A second here a second there may just be a waste of time.
....The US wants to scrap the leap second, but beware: without it, noon will strike at sunrise in some 100,000 years.
9. A new fight on licenses for illegal immigrants.
....For the third straight session, Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico will be pushing to repeal a nearly decade-old law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
10. Warm winter deflates prospects for retailers.
....Above-average temperatures across the United States thus far are hurting retail sales, and retailers are running out of time to sell their winter inventory
11. HEALTH: Patients with normal bone desity can delay retests, study suggests.
....A new study is asking whether frequent bone density measurements make sense for the majority of older women whose bone density is not close to an osteoporosis danger zone on an initial test.
POLITICS:
1. NBC poll: Gingrich gains ground on Romney in SC.
....Mitt Romney holds a 10-point lead over Newt Gingrich, says an NBC News/Marist poll of the South Carolina GOP race.
2. Romney launches Gingrich offensive.
....Mitt Romney's campaign launched a barrage of attacks against Newt Gingrich just three days before South Carolina's primary amid signs the former House speaker could threaten Romney's bid for his third straight win in the primary cycle.
a. Romney's estimated 15% tax rate rekindles fairness argument.

....While Romney has rekindled the long-running argument over tax fairness and whether investment income ought to be taxed at a lower rate than salary and wage income, it isn’t surprising that his effective tax rate is what it is – since much of his income is from investments and the tax code has long provided a preferential lower rate for them.
a. Romney riches are being seen as new hurdle.
....With a fortune estimated to be as large as a quarter of a billion dollars, Mitt Romney is among the wealthiest men ever to run for president.
3. Poll sees shift in independent vote, a hurdle for Obama.
....Most swing voters disapprove of how Pres. Obama has dealt with the economy and are not clear on his aims for a second term, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll.
4. Rejecting pipeline proposal, Obama blames Congress.
....The decision does not preclude later approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, but it sets up a partisan fight that will likely persist through the election.
5. Perry quits race, backs Gingrich.

....Texas governor's decision comes just two days before crucial South Carolina primary.
6. Certified results: SANTORUM WON IOWA.
....The Republican Party of Iowa announced Thursday that Rick Santorum finished ahead of Mitt Romney in its Jan. 3 caucuses, meaning the contest resulted in a virtual tie between the two candidates.
7. Republican senator runs away from party line.
....Scott P. Brown is leaping into what will likely be one of the most expensive races in the nation as he seeks to keep Elizabeth Warren from gaining his Senate seat.
8. Budget wars are revived with a vote in the House.
....In a mainly symbolic protest, the Republican-led House blocked President Obama’s request to borrow an additional $1.2 trillion.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Despite tensions, US Navy rescues Iranian fishermen - again.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey came to the rescue of a sinking Iranian fishing dhow in the Arabian Sea early Wednesday morning, giving the fishermen water, food, medical and hygienic supplies - about 150 pounds of goods. All but one of the crew members had already climbed on to two other dhows nearby.


Western intervention in Arab Spring could end in 'very big war,' Russia warns.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, warned Wednesday that outside encouragement of antigovernment uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa could lead to “a very big war that will cause suffering not only to countries in the region, but also to states far beyond its boundaries.”
His remarks came on the heels of a report on state-controlled television that accused the American ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who has been in Moscow for less than a week, of working to provoke a revolution here. Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, at an impromptu meeting with prominent editors, also unleashed an attack on the liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy, which he said was serving American interests.
Mr. Lavrov said foreign governments were arming “militants and extremists” in Syria, and he gave a bristling response to Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, who on Tuesday expressed concern about possible Russian arms shipments to Syria. “We don’t find it necessary to explain or justify anything,” Mr. Lavrov said. “We are only trading goods with Syria that are not prohibited by international law.”
Relations between Moscow and Washington have worsened over the past year, as the cordial tone of the “reset” between President Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev has been replaced by a drumbeat of criticism. Mr. Lavrov said that Russia and the United States were not adversaries, and that “the cold war ended a long time ago.” By contrast, however, he was glowing about Russia’s cooperation with China, which he said was “the highest in the history of our bilateral relationship.”
So, a new cold war? It looks to me that Putin is running scared at the protests about his running for president and is trying to use the US as a scapegoat, blaming everything on us - shades of Cold War politics at its height.

Sports Headlines
1. NFL: As a 49er, Carr saw Alex Smith's confidence.
....The success of Alex Smith this season has not surprised David Carr, who plays behind Eli Manning and was a 49ers backup last season.
a. Ravens' Flacco is used to getting little credit.
....Joe Flacco, the quarterback whose knowledge of the Ravens' offense was questioned this week by his teammate Ed Reed, is used to dealing with criticism.
b. Once again, Wilfork anchors Patriots' defense.
....Lineman Vince Wilfork is headed to his fourth Pro Bowl, but, more important to him, the Patriots are in Sunday’s A.F.C. championship game.
c. The Jets' Tomlinson sheds further light on turmoil.
....In an interview on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” LaDainian Tomlinson said that the feud between Santonio Holmes and Mark Sanchez was so intense that he doubted whether they could co-exist next season.
d. For Super Bowl XLVI, a bigger batch of 1st-time advertisers.
....The new sponsors include two luxury car brands, Acura and Lexus; Century 21, the real estate firm; Dannon; and the H&M retail chain.
2. NCAAF: Penn State's trustees recall painful decision to fire Paterno.

....A group of 13 trustees described the events during the week that led to the firings of Joe Paterno and the university president Graham B. Spanier.
3. NBA: Bosh and Anderson, efficiency experts.
....Chris Bosh and Ryan Anderson do not create shots like Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant do, but they should be recognized as impressive, efficient scorers.
a. Suns and Nash deal D'Antoni's Knicks 4th straight loss.
....Steve Nash, who made six free throws in the final 16.9 seconds, had 26 points and 11 assists as the Suns beat the struggling Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
4. MLB: Yu Darvish signs with the Texas Rangers.
....The Rangers, in need of an ace after Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson left in free agency the last two years, signed Darvish to a six-year contract.
5. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Down under's daunting tennis text.

....When it comes to prize money, the Australian Open leads the way, with the 2012 tournament the richest in grand slam history. The prize fund is a whopping $23.9 million, with the winners of each singles event collecting a cool $2.2 million while the losing finalists can console themselves with a $1 million check.
a. Clijsters seeks meaning as she winds down her career.
....It has been anything but easy in the past year, even in the past week, for Kim Clijsters to put herself in position to have the farewell season brimming with meaning that she hopes she deserves.
b. Serena Williams cruises into last 32 with 500th career win.

....Serena Williams extended her winning streak to 16 matches at Melbourne Park with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic's Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the 2nd round of the Open.
c. Young Canadian is ready for a starring role.
....Milos Raonic has recovered from a freak injury last year to resume his climb to the top of men's tennis.
d. Hamstring injury forces Roddick out of Aussie Open.
....Andy Roddick has an injured hamstring that forced him to retire from his match against Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open.
e. Djokovic, Murray on course for semifinal showdown in Melbourne.

....World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and fourth seed Andy Murray remain on course for a semifinal clash at the Australian Open after both players stormed into the third round on Thursday.
6. PARALYMPICS: The fast life of Oscar Pistoriius.

....The “fastest man on no legs” may be Olympic-bound.
a. After losing a leg, new races to be won.

....Jarryd Wallace, a champion runner in high school, lost his right leg but not his determination to compete. He is now a contender to participate in the 2012 Paralympics in London.
7. SOCCER: World Cup beer battle brewing between Brazil and FIFA.

....FIFA and World Cup host nation Brazil are on a collision course over whether alcohol should be served in stadiums during the 2014 finals - the Brazilian law prohibits the sale of all alcohol in football arenas (Bud's one of FIFA's main sponsors).
a. Classless in the Clásico?
....Barcelona defeated Real Madrid, 2-1, in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal series. But as usual, there was more to it than three goals and the final score.
b. David Beckham signs for 2 more years with L.A. Galaxy.

....Soccer superstar David Beckham, 36, has re-signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, extending his stay with the team for another two years, the Major League Soccer team announced.

Thought for Today
"Love without passion is dreary; passion without love is horrific."
—-Abraham Cowley, English poet (1618-1667).

Today's flower: Clytostoma callistegioides or violet trumpet vine - features trumpet-shaped lavender flower with purple veins in heavy bloom in mid to late spring and then off and on in late spring through fall. Violet trumpet vine is native to Argentina and the southern part of Brazil.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 20th day of 2012 with 345 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 6:02 p.m., it's fair , temp 17ºF [Feels like 16ºF], winds NW @ 3 mph, humidity 58%, pressure 30.23 in and rising, dew point 7ºF, chance of precipitation 70%.

Today in History:
1265--England's first representative Parliament, which included officials from districts, cities and boroughs, met for the first time.
1649--King Charles I of England went on trial, accused of high treason (He was found guilty and executed by month's end.)
1801--John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the US.
1841--Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain.
1887--the US Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.
1936--Britain's King George V died and was succeeded by his son Edward VIII.
1937--Pres. Roosevelt became the first chief executive to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 instead of March 4.
1942--Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Jews.
1957--Pres. Eisenhower and Vice Pres. Nixon were sworn in for their second terms of office in a private Sunday ceremony (a public ceremony was held the next day).
1961--John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the US.
1981--Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the US and minutes after, Iran released 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days.
1986--the US observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
1987--Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite disappeared in Beirut, Lebanon, while attempting to negotiate the release of Western hostages.
2001--Pres. Clinton pardoned 140 people in one of his final acts as president.
2001--Hundreds of thousands of protesting Filipinos forced President Joseph Estrada to step down; Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as the new president.
2002--two Marines were killed, five injured when a U.S. military helicopter crashed in Afghanistan.
2007--Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., launched a trailblazing campaign for the White House, saying in a videotaped messsage on her Web site: "I'm in, and I'm in to win."
2007--25 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq, including 12 in a helicopter crash in Baghdad and five in a sophisticated sneak attack in Karbala.
2009--Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African-American president of the US.
2011--Chinese President Hu Jintao denied his country was a military threat despite its arms buildup and pressed the U.S. for closer cooperation between the global powers.
2011--federal authorities orchestrated one of the biggest Mafia takedowns in FBI history, charging 127 suspected mobsters and associates in the Northeast with murders, extortion and other crimes spanning decades.


World News Capsules:
1. 'Hatred is growing rapidly': Afghan soldiers killing their American allies.

....Classified coalition report reveals the deep-seated contempt each side holds for the other. The report makes clear that these killings have become the most visible symptom of a far deeper ailment plaguing the war effort: the contempt each side holds for the other, never mind the Taliban. The ill will and mistrust run deep among civilians and militaries on both sides, raising questions about what future role the United States and its allies can expect to play in Afghanistan.
2. 4 Russian diplomats leave Canada as spy case heats up.
....Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the four were men who had completed their tours, and no one in Canada has identified the country involved in the espionage case.
3. Yao Ming's political debut is an eye-opener (for some).

....Nearly six months after Yao Ming formally retired from basketball, the 7-foot-6, eight-time NBA All-Star has been anything but idle. In that time, Yao has started college, spearheaded a campaign to end shark-finning, and even started his own vineyard. But last week he added a new title: Standing committee member of Shanghai’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
4. In debt-laden Europe, new cars stay in showroom.
....Signs of a recovery in automobile demand in late 2009 vanished as the sovereign debt crisis emerged, first in Greece and then in other countries.
a. European Union planning tough sanctions on Iran.
....The European Union moved closer to imposing a phased oil embargo on Iran and sanctions against dealing with Iran’s central bank to press Tehran into talks on its nuclear program.
5. France eyes early withdrawal after Afghan attack.
....France suspended military operations in Afghanistan Friday after the killing of four more French soldiers, President Nicolas Sarkozy said - 'It's unacceptable that our soldiers are killed by our allies.'
6. Murdoch settle ssuits by dozens of victims.
....Rupert Murdoch's media empire agreed to pay victims of phone and e-mail hacking, and the victims' lawyers said they saw evidence of a cover-up by senior managers.
7. 8 Guilty for prison mssacre in rare trial of Haiti's police.
....The convicted police officers were among 14 tried for a prison massacre that occurred a week after the 2010 earthquake.
8. Hungarian leader softens on central bank merger.
....Viktor Orban promised Friday to abandon plans to merge the nation’s central bank and its financial markets regulator, seeking to defuse criticism from the European Union.
9. Monkey long believed extinct found in Indonesia.

....The Miller's Grizzled Langur — its black face framed by a fluffy, Dracula-esque white collar — was found in the Wahea Forest on the eastern tip of Borneo, an area well outside its previously recorded home range.
10. Joint Chiefs chairman meets with counterpart in Israel.
....Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, paid a short visit to Israel to discuss strategy on Iran.
11. With pollutants a peril, Italian rescuers again suspend cruise ship operations.
....For the third time since the Costa Concordia cruise liner foundered off this Italian island a week ago, rescuers suspended operations Friday after the vessel shifted.
12. Madagascar ex-leader plans to return.
....Marc Ravalomama, who was ousted in 2009, said he wanted to help rebuild his country. Officials there, however, say he is likely to face arrest.
13. An ethnic war is rekindled in Myanmar.

....The Burmese military's offensive against the Kachin in northern Myanmar is raising human rights concerns among American officials. For years the Kachin Independence Army controlled Myanmar’s northern hills, which they call their ethnic homeland. Now the Burmese Army has pushed into the region, displacing thousands.
14. File-share exec's homes raided; $5 million in luxury cars seized.

....New Zealand police storm homes and businesses linked to the founder of Megaupload, a site shut down by the US.
15. Two European aid workers are kidnapped in Pakistan.
....Police officials said on Friday that they were searching for two European aid workers who were kidnapped the day before in central Pakistan.
16. Somali and African Union troops strike rebel posts in Mogdishu
....The government is trying to drive the Islamic militants they have long battled out of the city, officials and witnesses said.
17. Spain's central government to rush aid to financially ailing regions.
....A $10 billion effort to shore up the regional governments is part of a move to tighten controls over their spending.
183 Floodwaters are gone, but supply chain issues linger.
....Before the floods, Thailand produced nearly all of the world's hard disk drives, the ubiquitous storage devices of the digital age. It is now clear it will be months before production returns to normal.

US News Capsules:
1. Miracle baby born fro single, frozen sperm.

....Kenley Schiraldi was born last April, the result of a long-shot infertility treatment, a case Cleveland Clinic IVF experts say is the first time a single sperm has been frozen, injected into a single egg -- and resulted in a healthy pregnancy.
2. Stunning reversal: GM reclaims global sales crown.

....Less than three years after emerging from bankruptcy General Motors is positioned to once again be the world’s number one automaker, with sales for 2011 totaling 9.03 million.
3. Incoming! Solar blast is heading our way.

....The sun has unleashed a blast in Earth's direction, and that should cause brighter-than-normal auroral displays this weekend. Skywatchers won't be the only ones monitoring the storm: The folks in charge of power grids and orbiting satellites will also be on guard to make sure the disturbance in the (geomagnetic) force won't be disruptive.
4. R.I.P. Etta James.'

....Rock Hall of Fame 'Matriarch of R&B', died at age 73 of leukemia at home.
5. Flooding, power outages linger ater huge Northwest storm.

....The storm coated much of Washington in ice and swelled Oregon rivers, killing a child and two adults. Besides the power outages around Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia, the big concern now is more flooding in both states with warmer temperatures and rain.
a. Snow, sleet target Midwest and Northeast.
....Snow is forecast for Chicago, Milwaukee and other Midwestern cities Friday as a winter system travels toward the Northeast. A mixture of freezing rain and sleet is possible as far south as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, according to weather reports. Snow changing to rain or sleet is projected for Philadelphia and New York City, and Boston will likely see 1 to 3 inches of snow.
6. New definition of autism will exclude many, study finds.
....Changes to the way autism is diagnosed may make it harder for many people who would no longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, researchers say.
7. Active-duty soldiers take their own lives at record rate.
....164 soldiers took their own lives in 2011, and there was also a sharp increase in violent sex crimes by active-duty troops last year, according to Army officials.
8. In deporation policy test, 1 in 6 offered reprieve.
....A court review in Denver focused on low-risk immigrants, allowing more than 1,000 to stay without legal status.
9. New normal on Wall Street: smaller and restrained.
....With firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reporting weak results, Wall Street's moneymakers are doubting they will ever get back to their high-rolling ways.
10. MOVIES: Symbiotic bond for stage and screen versions.
....With shows like War Horse, Rock of Ages and Chicago, Broadway has come to embrace film adaptations as good for business.
a. A dyslexia film and a directors family.
[/img]....The director Jamie Redford talks about the stress of screening a documentary about his son's dyslexia at a festival founded by his father.
11. Accused Amish beard-cutter willing to use electricity if freed pre-trial..

....The alleged leader of a splinter Amish group charged with federal religious-motivated crimes in a slew of beard- and hair-cutting attacks in his Ohio community would use electricity to facilitate an electronic monitoring device if a judge agreed to his pre-trial release, court documents show.
12. Justices' Texas redistricting ruling likely to help GOP.
....The Supreme Court blocked election maps proposed by a lower court, and said the court had not paid enough deference to a plan drawn up by Texas’ Republican-controlled Legislature.
13. Obama reaffirms insurers must cover contraception.
....In ruling that health insurance plans must cover contraceptives for women without charge, the administration also rejected a broad exemption for employees of Roman Catholic hospitals, colleges and charities.
14. GE says operating profit in quarter rose 6%.
....The financial performance is in line with Wall Street’s expectations and reflected G.E.’s strategy of paring back its reliance on its big finance arm and relying more on its industrial businesses.
POLITICS:
1. SC primary could make history - just not the kind Romney expected.
....Coming out of last night's fiery debate, Republican race more unsettled than ever. Saturday, there’s the potential for another kind of history -- having three different Republican winners in the first three contests. That has never happened before.
2. US Senate delays vote on piracy bill as House balks, too.
....Lawmakers indefinitely postponed anti-piracy legislation that pits Hollywood against Silicon Valley, two days after major Internet companies staged an online protest by blacking out parts of prominent websites.
3. Why taxes aren't as high as they seem.
....When Mitt Romney said that his federal tax rate was about 15 percent, many wrongly assumed that their own rate was higher.
4. For Gingrich, rival's gift and an ex-wife's sting.
....Newt Gingrich got a big lift for his campaign when Rick Perry dropped out of the race, but there was also a damaging claim from an ex-wife.
5. Final days in SC upset a smooth path for Romney.
....Facing intense attacks from all sides, questions about his conservatism and the effects of his own stumbles, Mitt Romney now faces, at minimum, a long fight for the Republican nomination


Today's Headlines of Interest:
China braces for Year of the Dragon travel rush.

On the Chinese lunar calendar, 2012 will be the Year of the Dragon, which is of special importance to the Chinese. As legend goes, the Chinese consider themselves descendants of the dragon, the only mythic creature in the Chinese 12-animal zodiac. The festival to greet the Chinese New Year that begins on Jan. 23rd is a time for family reunions. Since millions of Chinese are migrant workers who spend most of the year separated from their families working hundreds of miles from home, the New Year holiday is the often the one time they go home. About a quarter billion travelers will load onto China’s over-burdened rail network.
It’s as if the entire population of the US took to the road several times over. During China’s “chunyun” or Spring Festival travel season, the 40-day period that began earlier this month, more than 3.2 billion passenger-trips will tax the country’s transportation system in what is thought to be the world's largest human migration ever. Despite a new online ticketing system and hotlines, many have complained of difficulties and delays in buying train tickets. Still, for many Chinese, the ticketing problems and prospect of long ride in crowded condition are small price to pay for the once-in-a-year family reunions.

Sports Headlines
1. NFL: Giants receivers put trust in Manning.
....Despite being criticized in the past for his stoic demeanor, Eli Manning's quiet leadership approach is exactly what this season's receivers for the Giants have needed to succeed.
1). A splashy tradition, gatorade-style.
....A gatorade shower for Giants Coach Bill Parcells in 1985 was actually a form of revenge. For the last 25 years, though, the dousing of the coach has become a winning tradition.
a. The brute force behind the 49ers.
....After playing in just one playoff game in his first 10 seasons, Justin Smith, an All-Pro defensive lineman, is enjoying leading the 49ers' defense into the postseason.
b. Hernandez, Patriots' other tight end, is also a handful.
....Aaron Hernandez and the All-Pro Rob Gronkowski have been potent weapons at tight end as the Patriots prepare to host Baltimore Sunday in the A.F.C. championship game.
2. NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins make NY Rangers pay for their mistakes.
....The Penguins were again without the injured Sidney Crosby, but his Pittsburgh teammates showed plenty of firepower against the Rangers.
3. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Experience counts in Australian Open this year.
....The first weekend of this Grand Slam tournament will offer up a clash of the generations in the men’s draw
4. Sarah Burke, freestyle skier, dies from injuries suffered in training.
....The 2014 Olympic favorite from Canada died from injuries sustained last week in a fall during a training run in a 22-foot halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah.


Thought for Today
"Whatever people in general do not understand, they are always prepared to dislike; the incomprehensible is always the obnoxious."
—-Letitia Landon, English poet (1802-1838).

Today's flower: Adenocalymna comosum or yellow trumpet vine - a tropical vine originated in South America. The bright yellow-colored corolla has a basal tube that widens rather abruptly into a campanulate limb.



[/color]

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 21st day of 2012 with 344 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:41 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 21ºF [Feels like 21ºF], winds calm, humidity 73%, pressure 30.06 in and steady, dew point 15ºF, chance of precipitation 50%.

Today in History:
1648--Margaret Brent went before the Maryland colonial assembly to seek two votes in that body, one for herself as a landowner, the other as the legal representative of the absent Lord Baltimore; the assembly turned her down.
1738--Ethan Allen, frontiersman & Revolutionary War soldier-leder of the Green Mountain Boys, was born; died 1789 at age 51.
1793--during the French Revolution, King Louis XVI, condemned for treason, was executed on the guillotine.
1824--famed Southern general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was born; died 1863 at age 39 from a wound received in battle.
1861--five Southerners resigned from the US Senate, including Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, the future president of the Confederacy.
1909--New York City's Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting women from smoking in public. (Although the measure was vetoed two weeks later by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr., at least one woman, Katie Mulcahey, was arrested and spent a night in jail after being unable to pay a $5 fine.)
1915--the 1st Kiwanis Club was founded, in Detroit, Mich.
1924--Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died at age 54.
1950--a federal jury in New York City found former State Department official Alger Hiss guilty of perjury. (Hiss, who proclaimed his innocence, served less than four years in prison.)
1954--the 1st atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Conn.
1968--the Battle of Khe Sanh began during the Vietnam War as North Vietnamese forces attacked a U.S. Marine base; the Americans were able to hold their position until the siege was lifted 2 1/2 months later.
1968--a B-52 bomber with. four hydrogen bombs crashed in Greenland, killing one crew member and scattering radioactive material
1976--the supersonic Concorde jet was put into service by Britain and France.
1977--Pres. Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft evaders.
1982--convict-turned-author Jack Henry Abbott was found guilty in New York of first-degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of waiter Richard Adan in 1981. (Abbott was later sentenced to 15 years to life in prison; he committed suicide in 2002.)
1994--a jury in Manassas, Va., acquitted Lorena Bobbitt by reason of temporary insanity of maliciously wounding her husband, John, whom she'd accused of sexually assaulting her.
1997--Speaker Newt Gingrich was reprimanded and fined as the House voted for first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical misconduct.
2003--the Census Bureau announced that Hispanics had surpassed blacks as America's largest minority group.
2004--the recording industry sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet.
2007--Lovie Smith became the first black head coach to make it to the Super Bowl when his Chicago Bears won the NFC championship with Tony Dungy becoming the second when his Indianapolis Colts took the AFC title.
2010--a bitterly divided Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, vastly increased the power of big business and labor unions to influence government decisions by freeing them to spend their millions directly to sway elections for president and Congress. (And so today we have the Super PACs)
2011--Keith Olbermann abruptly announced on his MSNBC program Countdown that it was his last broadcast for the network.
2011--Ed Mauser, the oldest living member of a 101st Airborne Division company that became known as the Band of Brothers during World War II, died in Omaha, Neb., at age 94
2011--South Korean special forces stormed a hijacked freighter in the Arabian Sea, rescuing all 21 crew members and killing eight Somali pirates.


World News Capsules:
1. Self-immolation is on the rise in the Arab world.
....The fiery suicide of a Tunisian fruit vendor is credited with touching off the Arab Spring, yet the anger and frustration that prompted those uprisings persist.
2. A Brazilian magnate points to himself for inspiration.
....Eike Batista, Brazil’s richest man, wants to teach his country to look up to its entrepreneurs the way Americans do.
3. China leader warns Iran not to make nuclear arms.
....Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, visiting the Middle East, said China “adamantly opposes Iran developing and possessing nuclear weapons” — unusually pointed language for Chinese diplomacy
4. Prison death brings outcry against Cuba.
....Human rights advocates and American officials criticized the government for limiting political freedom after a dissident who had carried out a hunger strike died.
5. Egypt's economic crisis.
....Worsening economic conditions are sabotaging hopes for a democratic future. The new government must make reforms if it wants to spur investment and growth.
a. Two Islamist parties win big in Egypt election.
....Two Islamist parties won about 70% of the seats in the Egyptian election for the lower house of parliament, according to electoral commission figures released Saturday. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party won 235 seats and the conservative Al Nour party gained 121 seats in the People's Assembly, according to final results.
6. Central banks becomes an unlikely hero in Eurozone crisis.

....Banks have used quiet emergency loans from the European Central Bank, which has resisted buying up government debt in its own right, to come to their governments' rescue.
7. Citing decurity fears, Rushdie won't attend literary festival.
....Salman Rushdie’s cancellation is the latest in a series of blows to free speech in India that have included a court challenge to Internet sites Google and Facebook.
a. Indian military rescues people stranded in Kashmir snow.

....More than a thousand stranded people, cold and fearful, escaped blankets of snow and slippery roads Saturday after the Indian air force ferried them to warmer climates.
8. US general urges closer ties with Israel.
....During a visit to Israel, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for closer engagement with the US amid tension over Iran’s nuclear program
8. Italy announces new steps to get economy moving.
....Prime Minister Mario Monti proposed a package that includes efforts to liberalize certain industries and services, and a $7.1 billion investment in infrastructure projects.
a. UPDATE: Italian crews struggle to secure cruise ship.

....Crews at the Costa Concordia shipwreck deployed undersea robots to determine new ways to secure the partly submerged hull after it shifted for the third time in a week.
9. A Nobel laurete's problem at home.
....Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf risks future conflict by awarding land inhabited by rural Liberians to foreign investors.
10. UPDATE: Scores killed in bomb, gun attacks on Nigerian city.

....Nigerian authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in the northern city of Kano after assailants killed at least 156 people in a hail of gunfire and coordinated bomb attacks.
11. Two European aid workers are kidnapped in Pakistan.
....Police officials said that they were searching for two European aid workers who were kidnapped the day before in central Pakistan.
12. Meshaal planning to step down as leder of Hams.

....Khaled Meshaal, the top political official of Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip, will not seek re-election when a vote to choose its leadership is held soon, the group said.
13. Russian envoys leave Canada after officer is accused of spying.
....Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the diplomats were four men who had completed their tours, and no one in Canada has identified the country involved in the espionage case.
14. Somali and African troops hit rebel posts in Mogadishu.
....The government is trying to drive the Islamic militants they have long battled out of the city, officials and witnesses said.
15. US warns it may close embassy in Syria.

....The American concerns about security come as violence continues between the government and opposition groups.

US News Capsules:
1. Blacks face bias in bankruptcy, study suggests.
....A new survey found that lawyers were more likely to steer whites to Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code and blacks to the more expensive Chapter 13.
2. Scientists to pause research on deadly strain of bird flu.
....A national biosecurity panel in the US had asked researchers who produced a more contagious form of the bird flu virus to keep some data secret.
3. Kansas law on sodomy stays on books despite a cull.
....Gov. Sam Brownback created an office to eliminate out-of-date or burdensome laws, but the "criminal sodomy" statute was not selected for repeal.
4. In flash of fire, Florida loses old friend.
....The Senator, a huge 3,500-year-old bald cypress, burned and collapsed in a Florida swamp after a suspected lightning strike - although arson remains a possibility.
5. After an online firestorm, Congress shelves antipiracy bills.
....The Protect I.P. Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act began with broad bipartisan support, but now further action on them this year seems unlikely.
6. Bad year for Wall Street not reflected in chiefs' pay.
....The disclosure of stock awards to Wall Street's top tier comes as lower-level employees are finding out that their own bonuses will be much smaller than a year ago.
7. A specialists' debate on autism has many worried observers.
....A possible revision of the disorder’s definition has ignited a discussion over the value of a diagnosis for behavior differences, and how to apportion services amid shrinking resources.
8. Panetta ends probation of Marines' F-35 warplane.
....Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said there had been enough progress in fixing technical problems that he could reverse a decision by his predecessor.
9. Obama vow exorts is on track, with help.
....Pres. Obama’s plan to double American exports in five years is on track. Exports are now about $180 billion a month, up from $140 billion a month two years ago.
10. Acuser of Syracuse assistant coach admits doctorin g 3-mails and drops civil suit.
....Zach Tomaselli’s lawyer said he had withdrawn a lawsuit against the former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, whom two former ball boys accuse of molesting them.
11. Cougars extinct in East? No way, say those who claim sightings.

....Cougar sightings persist in the East nearly a year after the big predators were declared extinct in the region, a determination that some don't believe. Others want to make cougars' presence a big reality.
12. Sites back online after Anonymous attack.

....Most of the websites shutdown by the hackers group were up and running including the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI and some entertainment sites targeted after one of the federal government's largest anti-piracy crackdowns..
13. ARTS: A 'Porgy' for theatergoers, not for fans of the opera.
....Theater critic Charles Isherwood says people unfamiliar with Porgy and Bess seem to like the new version on Broadway, unlike most critics.
a. A program for singers shows them the way to Carnegie.
....Young singers who just completed a training workshop at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall were the stars at the annual concert of “The Song Continues.”
POLITICS:
1. Tightening race comes as abrupt blow to Romney team.

....After arriving in South Carolina fresh off of what seemed to be two victories in a row, Mitt Romney could leave as the winner of only one of the first three nominating contests.
a. Romney seeks to fend off late surge by Gingrich in South's first primary.
....South Carolina voters head to polls; GOP candidates prepare for an extended fight.
2. Justices' Texas redistricting ruling likely to help GOP.
....The US Supreme Court blocked election maps proposed by a lower court, and said the court had not paid enough deference to a plan drawn up by Texas' Republican-controlled Legislature.
3. For Gingrich, wives always at center of career.
....Friends and colleagues say that for all his bombast, Newt Gingrich has leaned on his wives — including Marianne, his second, in 1996 — to help project his vision of himself.
4. For South Carolinians, no escape from the messages.

....Direct mail, robo-calls, endless TV ads, even a hot-air balloon hovering over the highway — for many in Greenville, the Republican primary cannot be over soon enough.
5. House Republicans hone plan to take on Obama.
....Facing attacks from Pres. Obama, they plan to fight back while pushing their own legislative agenda, including extracting concessions in the payroll tax cut bill and Medicare overhaul.

Today's Headlines of Interest:
OCCUPY: 12 arrested during 'Occupy' protests at US Supreme Court.
Twelve persons were arrested Friday during an "Occupy" demonstration at the U.S. Supreme Court in which protesters were dressed like justices and sang songs of the Motown group The Supremes, officials said. One was arrested in the building and the other 11 on the steps and plaza. The event was timed with the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which removed many limits to corporate spending in federal political campaigns, organizers said. The 2010 ruling made it legal for groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for a candidate, as long as the group does not coordinate with the candidate or contributed directly to his or her campaign. It allowed for the rise of Super PACs, which can raise unlimited funds from corporations.
Protests were also expected at federal courthouses in dozens of cities across the country, from Akron, Ohio, to Gainesville, Florida, to Honolulu, Hawaii. The one-day event, dubbed "Occupy the Courts," was organized by the grassroots group called Move to Amend and was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street participants, organizers said. "Move to Amend volunteers across the USA will lead the charge on the judiciary which created -- and continues to expand -- corporate personhood rights," the Occupy the Courts website states.

Sports Headlines
1. NFL: A 49ers linebacker with two men to call dad.
....Linebacker Patrick Willis, taken away from a struggling, abusive single father at age 17, went to live with his high school's basketball coach; now he calls both men Dad.
1). 49ers reclaim a famous fan.
....The poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti had given up watching football, in favor of baseball and soccer, until he stumbled on the fantastic finish of the 49ers-Saints playoff game last week.
a. Like he said, Eli Manning is an elite quarterback.

....Eli Manning's arm strength - essentially a measure of a passer's ability to throw the most difficult passes powerfully - is rooted in proper footwork and the building of his legs and core.
1). Coughlin goes by the ook, and wins.
....With the Giants’ Tom Coughlin about to coach in his fourth conference championship game Sunday, it seems time to appraise him for more than his punctiliousness.
b. Gronkowski earning name for scores and spikes.

....Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has scored 31 touchdowns in 34 games, including in the playoffs, and has become one of football’s celebrated spikers.
2. MLB: Fielder's options are as narrow as his talent is vst.
....The productive and consistent Prince Fielder is still seeking a home in free agency, but his demands are murky and will probably have to be adjusted.
3. NBA: Ejection and dejection as Knicks' skid goes on.
....Just one night before Carmelo Anthony faces his old team, he went 11 for 26 from the floor and got ejected from the game.
1). For Gallinari, a long-awaited return to New York.
....Danio Gallinari, who was a favorite of fans when he was with the Knicks, returns to Madison Square Garden with the Nuggets Saturday.
4. In battle of top teams, a chance to measure potential.
....The NY Rangers and Boston Bruins have been the cream of the league’s crop this season, and although neither team will call this meeting a yardstick game, it most certainly is.
5. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Williams turns back the clock and turns up the heat.

....Serena Williams needed only 59 minutes to record a victory in straight sets in the third round of the Australian Open.
b. Aussie Hesitt flashes old self in upset victory over Raonic.
....yton Hewitt reached the second week of the 2012 Australian Open with a surprising four-set win over the Canadian Milos Raonic.


Thought for Today
"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate."
-—George Burns, comedian & actor (1896-1996).

Today's flower: Russelia equisetiformis or coral fountain/firecracker plant - a Mexican multi-branched shrub with slender, wiry branches start out erect then fall over to cascade down in lengths as long as 4 ft. Plant produces hanging clusters of scarlet tubular flowers about 1 in long that look like little firecrackers inspiring the plant's other common name, firecracker plant.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 22nd day of 2012 with 353 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 3:30 p.m., it's fair , temp 30ºF [Feels like 22ºF], winds S @ 9 mph, humidity 51%, pressure 30.26 in and falling, dew point 17ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1498--during his 3rd voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus arrived at the present-day Caribbean island of St. Vincent.
1788--Lord George Gordon Byron, English Romantic poet, was born; died 1824 at age 36, fighting in Greece.
1901--Queen Victoria died at age 81 after 63 years on the British throne.
1904--George Balanchine, Russian-born choreographer, was born; died 1983 at age 79.
1905--Russian troops opened fired on marching workers in St. Petersburg, killing more than 100 in what became known as "Bloody Sunday."
1912--the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, which connected the Keys with the mainland, went into service. (Following the damaging 1935 Labor Day hurricane, the rail line from the mainland was abandoned and replaced with a highway.)
1938--Thornton Wilder's play Our Town premiered in Princeton, N.J.
1944--Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy.
1953--Arthur Miller 's drama The Crucible opened on Broadway.
1959--12 workers were killed in the Knox Mine Disaster in Pennsylvania.
1968--Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In premiered on NBC.
1973--in its Roe vs. Wade decision, the US Supreme Court legalized abortions, using a trimester approach.
1973--Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th president of the US, died at age 64
at his ranch in Johnson City, Tex.
1987--Pennsylvania treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, convicted of defrauding the state, proclaimed his innocence at a news conference before shooting himself to death in front of horrified spectators.
1997--the US Senate confirmed Madeleine Albright as the nation's first female secretary of state.
1998--Theodore Kaczynski pleaded guilty in Sacramento, Calif., to being the Unabomber in return for a sentence of life in prison without parole.
2002--Kmart Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
2006--Evo Morales, Bolivia's first Native Indian president, took office.
2007--a car bombing of a predominantly Shiite commercial area in Baghdad killed 88 people.
2008--Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to blow up a radioactive "dirty bomb," was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge in Miami to more than 17 years in prison on terrorism conspiracy charges.
2009--Pres. Obama ordered the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay closed within a year and banned harsh interrogation of terror suspects.
2011--thousands of Yemenis demanded the ouster of Pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh in a noisy demonstration that appeared to be the first large-scale public challenge to the strongman.


World News Capsules:
1. Karzai honors slain officials in speech.
....Pres. Hamid Karzai used a speech during Afghanistan’s annual opening of Parliament to recite an honor roll of 49 senior officials and elders killed over the past year.
2. Iran steps back from warning on US ships.
....A statement seems to be an effort to reduce tensions that have been heightened over the Strait of Hormuz.
3. Japanese struggle to protect their food supply.

....The discovery of tainted rice 35 miles from a damaged nuclear plant has Japan scrambling to plug gaps in its food-screening measures.
4. Ousted leader is thwarted in a return to Madagascar.
....Shortly after the former president, Marc Ravalomanana, boarded a commercial flight from South Africa, the island nation closed its airspace
5. More than 100 killed by a radical group in Nigeria.

....Attacks by the Islamist sect Boko Haram in northern Nigeria’s largest city struck police buildings, immigration offices and an office of the secret police.
6. In Syrian City, a calm that few expect to last.
....Zabadani, known for fruit trees and summer tourists, has also recently drawn attention as a surprise stronghold for opponents of Pres. Bashar al-Assad.
7, Chávez Gets Bluster Back and Reclaims the Spotlight.

....After a year of cancer treatment and facing a tough re-election campaign, Pres. Hugo Chávez is trying to show he is still the dominant figure in Venezuelan politics.
8. Yemen legislators approve immunity for the president.

....The law granting Ali Abdullah Saleh, the departing president, freedom from prosecution was criticized by Human Rights Watch and antigovernment activists.

US News Capsules:
1. Pres. Obama to draw an economic line in State of the Union.

....Pres. Obama will use his election-year address to argue that it is the role of government to promote a prosperous and equitable society, setting a stark contrast between parties.
2. The iPhone economy.
....Apple's iPhone is a model of American ingenuity, but most of its components are manufactured somewhere else, leading to the decline of other kinds of jobs.
a. How US lost out on iPhone work.
....Apple once bragged that its products were made in America. But it has since shifted its immense manufacturing work overseas, posing questions about what corporate America owes Americans.
3. Cleaning up the Old West ithe modern way.
....Tombstone, Ariz., has had a tough time keeping up with the trash created by the streams of tourists who come to see its shootouts, saloons and graveyards.
4. In Texas, Rick Perry still holds the reins.
....Mr. Perry's national defeat is not likely to have any long-term negative effect on his ability to govern the state, according to several people from the Texas political world.
5. As price of oil soars, users shiver and cross their fingers.

....Oil prices are expected to reach record levels this winter, but many users are unable to switch to natural gas or electricity, whose prices are going in the opposite direction.
6. Let's raze Javits Center (but first finish renovations).

....New plans to demolish the Javits Center are deflating to the architect in the midst of the $300 million renovation of that Manhattan convention center.
7. NASA searches for loot thatn traveled from space to another void.
....Hundreds of moon rocks and other stuff from space have been lost, destroyed, stolen or remain unaccounted for, according to inspectors
8. Trying to nudge drowsy drivers.
....Lane-keeping technology, soon to be available in more cars, is intended to keep vehicles from drifting across lane markers, but it is suited only for certain road conditions.
9. AFTS: Broadway's big prime-time moment.
....For Broadway veterans, nothing less than pride is on the line when Smash, the prime-time soap about the making of a musical, opens on Feb. 6 on NBC.
POLITICS:
1. Gingrich wins South Carolina primary, upending GOP race.
....Newt Gingrich's showing brought to the fore questions about whether Mitt Romney, presumed the front-runner, could win over conservatives, Tea Party supporters and evangelical Christians.
a. Many voters moved to Gingrich with days, or moments, left.
....On one day in South Carolina, enthusiasm for Newt Gingrich's victory was apparent in individual voices heard across differing political regions in the state.
2. Fresh doubts about Republican contest.
....Republican voters, after delivering three different winners in the first three stops in the nominating contest, are in no rush to settle on their nominee.
3. What went wrong for Mitt Romney the 'inevitable' candidate?

....Newt Gingrich has pulled a Double Lazarus, coming back from the dead twice in this campaign to win decisively in South Carolina -- but what happened to Romney, once seen as the 'inevitable' candidate? Mitt Romney's sole strong suits were people making over $200,000, moderates and non-tea partiers, making him look like Jon Huntsman in this primary state.
4. Lobbyist helps a project he financed in Congress.
....The lobbying firm of former Representative William Delahunt of Massachusetts is set to be hired for a project that he earmarked $1.7 million for while in Congress.
5. Gabrielle Giffords to resign from the House.

....The Arizona Democrat says she will resign from Congress this week to continue her recuperation from the brain injury she suffered when shot just over a year ago.
6. Santorum: SC results mean GOP race will be a long fight.

....Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum finished third in the first Southern state primary, a disappointing showing for the candidate who just days ago was declared the winner of the first 2012 GOP presidential contest in Iowa.

Today's Headlines of Interest: Not on Sunday.

Sports Headlines
1. NCAAF: Joe Paterno, longtime Penn State coach, died at ge 85.

....Paterno became the face of Penn State and a symbol of integrity in collegiate athletics only to be fired during the 2011 season amid a child sexual-abuse scandal.
2. Patriots hang on against Ravens, will head to fifth Super Bowl for the franchise.

....Brady's TD run helps New England outlast Baltimore 23-30.
a. NFL: For Coughlin, it's not about redemption.
....No matter the season’s outcome, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin can expect that the decision on whether to coach again next season will be his and only his.
b. New generation of 49ers success.
....This season’s 49ers seem to be an echo of their glory years, when the owner Eddie DeBartolo empowered an inner circle of Bill Walsh and John McVay to act on its own.
3. NBA: Anthony and Knicks are left to 2nd-guess.
....Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, but Danilo Gallinari, the player the Knicks gave up for Anthony, was a little better, with 37 points and 11 rebounds, winning 119-114.
4. NHL: Targeet for the next Winter Classic: 104,174.
....The NHL’s Winter Classic retains the capacity to delight and astonish, as evidenced by last week’s reports that the game next Jan. 1 will be played at Michigan Stadium.
1. In showdown, penalty by Boston Bruins leads to injury and 3-2OT victory for NY Rangers.
....The two best teams in the East and perhaps in the NHL, the Rangers and the Bruins, played for the first time this season and it was razor close from start to finish, but Andrew Ference could face supplementary discipline from the NHL for a check on Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in overtime.
5. No. 1 Syracuse loses, as do Nos. 3 and 4.
....Notre Dame surprised top-ranked and previously unbeaten Syracuse, No. 5 Missouri edged No. 3 Baylor and Florida State ended No. 4 Duke’s 45-game home winning streak.
6. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Clijsters wins rematch of 2011 final.
....Li Na failed to capitalize on the ankle injury that left Kim Clijsters wincing in pain in the seventh game of the opening set.
a. Nadal and Federer march on in Melbourne.

....Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer remain on course for a semifinal clash at the Australian Open after both men recorded straight sets victories in Melbourne on Sunday. Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez while Federer breezed past Australian teenager Bernard Tomic.


Thought for Today
"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own."
—-Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish writer (1667-1745).

Today's flower: [Solanum jasminoides/i] or potato vine - , shrubby climber which gives an almost perpetual display of showy blue-white blossoms. Good ornamental cover for fences or walls, or grow across lattice for shade. Semi-evergreen. This great vine falls into the nightshade family which it shares with potatoes, hence its common name. This species is native to South American jungles of Brazil. The species name suggests its visual similarity to jasmine vines, conferred by Joseph Paxton of England, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 23rd day of 2012 with 342 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 1:04 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 47ºF [Feels like 47ºF], winds S @ 16 mph, humidity 77%, pressure 29.75 in and falling, dew point 40ºF, chance of precipitation 80%.

Today in History:
1775--London merchants petition for reconciliation with America.
1789--Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.
1812--the second New Madrid Earthquake struck, with an estimated magnitude of 7.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
1845--Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
1849--English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in America to receive a medical degree, from the Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y.
1898--Sergei Eisenstein, the Russian film director and innovator, was born; died 1948 at age 50.
1920--The Netherlands refuses to extradite Kaiser Wilhelm to the Allies.
1932--New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1937--17 people went on trial in Moscow during Soviet leader Josef Stalin's Great Purge. (All were convicted; all but four were executed.)
1957--toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees
1960--the U.S. Navy-operated bathyscaphe Trieste]/i] carried two men to the deepest known point in the Pacific Ocean, reaching a depth of more than 35,000 feet.
1962--Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
1962--Tony Bennett recorded "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in New York for Columbia Records.
1964--the 24th amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified.
1968--North Korea seized the USS Pueblo, charging it had intruded into the communist nation's territorial waters on a spying mission. The crew was held for 11 months.
1973--Pres. Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.
1977--the TV mini-series Roots, based on the Alex Haley novel, began airing on ABC.
1991--Allied forces in the Persian Gulf War announced that they had achieved air superiority after some 12,000 sorties.
1997--a judge in Fairfax, Va., sentenced a Pakistani man to death for an assault rifle attack outside CIA headquarters in 1993 that killed two people and wounded three.
2002--Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign.
2002-- John Walker Lindh, a U.S.-born Taliban fighter, was returned to the United States to face criminal charges that he'd conspired to kill fellow Americans.
2007--a new rule requiring US airline passengers to show a passport upon their return from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean took effect.
2011--allies and adversaries of Pres. Hugo Chavez took to the streets of Caracas by the 1000s, staging rival demonstrations to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Venezuela's democracy.

World News Capsules:
1. Many Burmese weren't jailed for politics.
....Petty criminals were among the 651 people released by Myanmar, and fewer than half of the total were political prisoners, two rights groups say.
2. Deadly new Violence reported in restive Tibetan area of Western China.
....Police officers opened fire on Tibetan protesters in the largest violent confrontation in ethnic Tibetan areas of China since 2008.
3. In Egypt, signs of accord between military coundil and Islamists.
....Evident points of agreement on a new charter include a legal system no more Islamic than the previous one and broad guarantees of freedom of religion and expression.
a. Chaotic start to Egypt's first democratically elected Parliament.

....The opening session of Egypt’s first democratically elected parliament, with Islamists comprising the overwhelming majority, erupted in chaos Monday as the Islamist dominating the chamber struggled to keep order.
4. François Hollande, challenging Sarkozy, calls for change.
....The Socialist candidate for president of France leads in the polls, but his margin has been shrinking, despite the unpopularity of the incumbent.
a. Over Turkish protests, French lawmakers to vote on bill penalizing genocide denial.
....Although the draft law does not mention the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915, Turkey has objected to the bill.
5. Europe steps up pressure on Greece.
....As euro zone finance ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the Greek debt crisis, Christine Lagarde said a "larger firewall" was needed to safeguard global financial stability.
6. In Guatemala, former dictator is told to appear in court.
....The order by a judge is the first step in a process that could lead to genocide charges, revisiting a dark chapter in Guatemala’s brutal civil war.
7. Doubt cast on threat that deterred Rushdie.
....An Indian newspaper said the assassination plot was invented by the police to keep Salman Rushdie from attending a literary festival in the country.
8. Confronting Iran in a year of elections.
....Every country involved in the dispute over Iran’s possibly acquiring nuclear weapons is calculating how the American presidential election plays to their agendas.
a. Iran urged to negotiate as Europe agrees on new sanctions.
....British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged Iran on Monday to “come to its senses” by resuming negotiations that were suspended a year ago on its nuclear program.
9. Rising strife threatens tenuous Iraqi stability.
....With political and sectarian factions battling for power and influence following the American withdrawal, violence and instability have escalated across the country.
10. International Court orders 4 Kenyans tried for election violence.
....Four prominent Kenyans were ordered to stand trial in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity in the bloodshed and waves of violence following the disputed 2007 elections.
11. Libya protests spur shake-up in interim government.
....Protesters ransacked official offices in Benghazi, forcing one top leader to resign and another to warn that the country stood on the edge of violence.
12. Web site's founder held in custody by New Zealand.
....The US authorities want Kim Dotcom extradited, accusing him of masterminding a scheme that made more than $175 million by copying and distributing copyrighted content without authorization.
13. Pakistan court widens role, stirring fears for stability.
....Pakistan's Supreme Court has inserted itself as the third player in a bruising confrontation between military and civilian leaders at a time when Pakistan faces a dizzying array of threats.
a. Pakistan rejects US account of November clash.
....Pakistan’s military strongly rejected a US military investigation into a contentious border exchange of fire last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
14. 2 Palestinian legislators arrested in protest.
....The arrests, along with remarks by a Muslim cleric are seen as a blow to prospects for negotiations on restarting peace talks.
15. New US envoy ruffles feathers in Moscow.
....Ambassador Michael A. McFaul has arrived as the Kremlin tries to portray antigovernment protests as being driven by the US, but he has no intention of keeping a low profile,
16. Singapore slashes officials salaries.
....Responding to one of the voters' top grievances in elections last May, Parliament has approved significant cuts in the pay of government ministers, which is among the highest in the world/
17. US drone strike kills foreign commander fighting for militants in Somalia.
....Bilal al-Barjawi, age 27, who had been fighting alongside Shabab Islamic militants, was killed in an American drone strike a few miles south of the Somali capital.
18. Arab League floats ambitious new peace plan for Syria.
....Faced with the failure of its observer mission to curb the violence in Syria, the Arab League offered a proposal that would require Pres. Bashar al-Assad to hand over power. News reports, quoting Syria's state-run news SANA agency, said Damascus, as expected, rejected the ambitious plan,
19. Yemen leader leaves for medical care in New York.
....Pres. Saleh of Yemen will seek treatment for injuries he sustained in a bomb attack on the presidential palace in June, an official said.

US News Capsules:
1. 'Major, major damage' in deadly Ala. storms.

....It appears two twisters were responsible for at least 2 deaths, more than 100 injuries and numerous homes and buildings damaged or destroyed in the area around Birmingham, Ala., overnight.
2. With rising rents, is now the time to buy a home?
....Falling home prices have sent many would-be buyers to the sidelines. If all goes well, record low interest rates and rising rents may soon prompt some of them to take a second look at buying. But - the decision to buy a house still depends on your personal finances and preferences, your career or family life, or level of financial security.
3. Supreme Court rules: Warrant needed fo GPS tracking, but punts on larger issues.
....Ruling overturns drug conspiracy conviction which included GPS tracking as evidence, which might seem like a victory for privacy advocates. But on the critical issues of privacy and Fourth Amendment rights, the majority of the court actually punted. The unanimous opinion is among the first in which the Court ha decided a cse at the thorny 21st century intersection of law, technology and privacy.
4. Ex-CIA agent charged with leaking info in Gitmo case.

....John Kriskos, a former US Senate investigator who had previously worked for the CIA, was arrested and charged with repeatedly leaking classified information to journalists as well as violating the federal law that forbids disclosing the identity of covert intelligence officers.
5. TSA critic Sen. Rand Paul has run-in with...TSA.

....NBC News reported that Rand Paul (R-Ky.) set off a full-body scanning machine while going through airport security. Paul, according to aides, said it was “clearly a glitch” and asked to proceed through the machine a second time. The TSA demanded a full-body pat-down, which Paul refused.
6. More lockouts as companies battle unions.
[imghttp://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/23/business/JPLOCKOUT1/JPLOCKOUT1-thumbStandard.jpg][/img]....Many Americans know about the highly publicized lockouts in professional sports. But they are increasingly imposed in less visible industries as well.
7. Bird-watchers revel in unusual spike in snowy owl sightings.
....High numbers of the white birds have been spotted from coast to coast, stirring speculation about the cause of the spike.
8. Cameras may open up the board room to hackers.
....Businesses spend billions each year beefing up security, but they rarely consider the vulnerability of their videoconferencing equipment.
POLITICS:
1. Giffords meets with supporters and fellow survivors in Tucson on last day in office.

....In one of her last acts in office, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords met with other survivors and supporters more than a year after gunfire interrupted a spontaneous meet-and-greet with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.
2. Gingrich and Romney trade jabs as GOP race rolls on.
....The intensifying duel between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich was shaping up as a proxy battle in the fight between their party's establishment wing and a grass-roots insurgency.
3. GOP ventures into Florida, a state harder to pigeonhole.
....Florida more closely resembles the rest of the country in its diversity, its multiplicity of media markets and its voter base.
4. Gingrich bets on attack mode against news media.
....Newt Gingrich’s relentless criticism of the news media last week was part of an anti-elite, anti-establishment campaign that is rallying conservative voters around him.
5. Line of scrimmage forms over union bill.
....The Super Bowl, in Indianapolis this year, is bringing national attention to a debate over state “right to work” legislation

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Auroras spark awe across the north.

There was a multiplicity of auroral awesomeness this weekend — thanks to a solar storm that swept past Earth's magnetic field over the weekend. Auroral lights arise when electrically charged particles from the sun interact with atoms and ions high up in Earth's atmosphere, 60 to 200 miles up. The interaction sets off emissions in wavelengths ranging from blue, to green (the most common color), to red. The colors depend on the energy of the particles in question. This weekend's auroras were particularly bright because of a strong solar outburst that occurred on Thursday. There's an interval between the outburst and the displays because the particles that are ejected from the sun travel at far less than the speed of light. But they're still pretty speedy — the velocity is on the order of a million miles an hour.

Solar outbursts, known more formally as coronal mass ejections or CMEs, have the potential to disrupt electrical grids or satellite communications. There could be radiation effects on astronauts in orbit or passengers on high-altitude, pole-traversing airplane flights. Thursday's outburst dealt Earth's magnetic field a glancing blow, and no significant negative impact has been reported. However, an even stronger CME is currently on its way toward Earth and may force the rerouting of polar flights. Once again, electric-grid managers and satellite operators will be on alert, as will aurora-watchers.




Sports Headlines
1. In victory for Giants, the ball bounces Devin Thomas's way - twice.

....Devin Thomas of the Giants noticed that a punt hit the knee of Kyle Williams of the 49ers, and in overtime he recovered Williams’s fumble.
1). Manning delivers again, earning hug and praise from big brother.
....The Giants had not needed Eli Manning’s magic for a month or so, but in the NFC championship game against the 49ers, Manning authored the most important comeback of the year.
a. Football, just pure football.
....With two classic championship games, one played in mud and rain, much of the bad taste from the N.F.L.'s lockout was washed away. The Giants and Patriots will be Super Bowl combatants thanks to luck, grit and heartbreaking mistakes by the 49ers and Ravens.
b. Patriots' defense holds, and Ravens miss a last-second kick.
....A missed field goal in the final seconds of regulation denied Baltimore a shot at overtime, sending New England on with a 23-20 victory.
c. Flacco outshines Brady, but team comes up short.
....The oft-criticized Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco did all he could to lead Baltimore over the Patriots in the A.F.C. Championship game, only to see his team fall.
2. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Serena Williams suffers rare loss in Melbourne.
....Williams, the last American singles player left in Melbourne, lost to unseeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, 6-2, 6-3.
3. NBA: In Davis, NY Knicks seek glimmer of hope.
....The injured point guard Baron Davis took the court for the first time in nine months.
4. Good fortune, and penalty kick, help.
....Manchester City defeated third-place Tottenham Hotspur, 3-2, with a penalty winner in the fourth and final minute of added time by Mario Balotelli, who was lucky not to have received a red card.


Thought for Today
"It's not what you are, it's what you don't become that hurts."
—-Oscar Levant, pianist-composer-actor (1906-1972).

Today's flower: Aechme or American holly - a very diversified, hardy, extremely popular and very easily cultivated bromeliad family group. They have very colourful and striking foliage. The Aechmea family have large inflorescence and brightly coloured, long lasting bracts hold the magnitude of tiny flowers



[/color]

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 24th day of 2012 with 341 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 5:41 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 35ºF [Feels like 25ºF], winds WSW @ 17 mph, humidity 73%, pressure 30.05 in and rising, dew point 26ºF, chance of precipitation 30%.

Today in History:
1742--Charles VII was elected Holy Roman Emperor during the War of the Austrian Succession.
1781--Patriot commanders Lt Col. Light Horse Henry Lee and Brig. Gen. Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion of the South Carolina militia combined forces and conducted a raid on Georgetown, SC, which is defended by 200 British soldiers.
1848--James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of '49.
1865--the Confederate Congress agreed to resume prisoner exchanges.
1908--the 1st Boy Scout troop was organized in England by Robert Baden-Powell.
1922--Christian K. Nelson of Onawa, Iowa, received a U.S. patent for his Eskimo Pie.
1924--St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad in honor of late revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.
1935--the first canned beer goes on sale by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company.
1939--Chile suffered a killing earthquake.
1942--the Roberts Commission, which had looked into America's lack of preparedness for Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, publicly released its report placing much of the blame on Rear Adm. Husband E. Kimmel and Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, the Navy and Army commanders.
1943--Pres. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill concluded a wartime conference in Casablanca, Morocco.
1956--Look magazine published the confessions of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, two white men from Mississippi who were acquitted in the 1955 kidnapping and murder of Emmett Louis Till, an African-American teenager from Chicago.
1961--a U.S. Air Force B-52 crashed near Goldsboro, N.C., dropping its payload of two nuclear bombs, neither of which went off; three crew members were killed.
1965--Britain's wartime prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill, died in London at age 90.
1972--the US Supreme Court struck down laws that denied welfare benefits to people who had resided in a state for less than a year.
1980--the US announced military equipment sales to China.
1986--the Voyager 2 space probe swept past Uranus, coming within 50,679 miles of the seventh planet from the sun.
1987--gunmen in Lebanon kidnapped educators Alann Steen, Jesse Turner, Robert Polhill and Mitheleshwar Singh. (All were later released.)
1989--confessed serial killer Ted Bundy was executed in Florida's electric chair.
2002--a House committee opened hearings into the collapse of energy giant Enron Corp.
2003--the new federal Department of Homeland Security officially opened as Tom Ridge was sworn in as secretary.
2004--NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars three weeks after its identical twin, Spirit.
2006--Walt Disney announces the $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar.
2007--the Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a nonbinding measure, 12-9, dismissing Pres. Bush's plans for a troop buildup in Iraq as "not in the national interest" of the US.
2008--French bank Societe Generale announced it had uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud by a single futures trader.
2011--Jared Lee Loughner pleaded not guilty in Phoenix to federal charges he'd tried to kill U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides in a Tucson shooting rampage that had claimed six lives.
2011--a suicide bomber blew himself up in Moscow's busiest airport, killing 37 people; Chechen separatists claimed responsibility.


World News Capsules:
1. Envoy condemns rumors that US plans to divide Afghanistan.
....U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker says that the suggestions were "lies that dishonor the sacrifice of more than 1,800 American service members who have died in the cause of a unified Afghanistan."
2. US moves embassy staff in Bahrain as anniversary of uprising approaches.

....The US warned Americans in the tiny Gulf kingdom of potential unrest and moved embassy employees to safer locations.
3. Near Cambodia's temple ruins, a devotion to learning.
....The tourism boom in Siem Reap has had a happy unintended consequence — the town has become a higher-education hub, with thousands from the industry working toward degrees at night school.
4. China says Tibetan monks rioted, provoking deadly confrontation.
....The Chinese government made public on Tuesday a strikingly different narrative from what overseas Tibetan groups have said about a deadly showdown on Monday between security forces and ethnic Tibetans in western China.
a. Research awards showcase Chinese gains.
....China’s government has thrown billions in recent years into building a top-notch research establishment, now comes a hint that that effort is beginning to pay off
5. Egypt military council partly curbs state of emergency law.
....Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said Tuesday that the military government would limit its use of extra-judicial arrests and detentions to cases of what he called “thuggery."
6. Europe weighs tough law on online privacy.
....A proposed law in Europe would compel Web sites to obtain consent when collecting personal data and to delete that data forever at the consumer's request.
7. Deadly explosions rattle Baghdad.
....A series of explosions in Shiite neighborhoods killed nine civilians and wounded dozens more.
8. 'Very thin film' of slick reported from stricken cruise ship.
....Salvage and rescue workers reported the first possible sign of a contaminant slick beginning to ooze from the partly submerged Costa Concordia.
9. New US envoy steps into glare of a Russia eager to find fault.
....Ambassador Michael A. McFaul has arrived as the Kremlin tries to portray antigovernment protests as being driven by the US, but he has no intention of keeping a low profile.
10. Renowned Spanish judge faces charges of abusing power.
....Baltasar Garzón was himself on trial on Tuesday over accusations he abused his powers to investigate atrocities committed during the Spanish Civil War
11. Stalemate deals grief and fury in Syria.
....As Syria's government rejected a new peace plan proposed by the Arab League, a tour of Homs on Monday provided a glimpse of the ceaseless violence in the city.
a. Unrest and American safety concerns strand Iraqis in Syria awaiting visas for US.
....Thousands of refugees were left stranded after the United States stopped processing visas in Damascus, saying the situation was too volatile to send officials for required interviews.

US News Capsules:
1. Discrimination complaints hit all-time high.
....Complaints of age, race and disability discrimination have soared since the start of the Great Recession in 2008, but it was only a slight increase over 2010.
2. Consumer watchdog targeets payday loans.
.
....Payday lending is now a $7 billion a year industry in the US as millions of Americans with limited income and no savings see this as their only way to get quick cash to pay for an unexpected expense. Some states limit the interest rate payday lenders can charge and they must also comply with federal law. Until now, there has been little federal oversight, but that’s about to change. Critics of payday loans say some customers wind up living off borrowed money at an annual interest rate of 400 to 600% or more.
3. Iowa Lottery sets deadline in mysterious jackpot case.
....Iowa Lottery officials have warned they will deny payment of a multimillion-dollar jackpot unless the New York attorney who turned in the winning ticket under mysterious circumstances gives them key details by Friday.
4. Despite mild flu season, don't skip shots, experts say.

....Even the mildest flu season doesn’t mean people should be complacent about getting vaccinated against the bug, experts say. Those who haven’t gotten their shots yet probably still should, said Dr. Neil Fishman, an associate professor of medicine and infectious disease and associate chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
5. In poice training, a dark film on US Muslims.
....The Third Jihad, a film that cast a very harsh light on American Muslims, was shown to many more New York officers than was first believed.
6. Dozens of stranded dolphins on Cape Cod shores perplex rescuers.
....In less than two weeks, scores of the mammals have washed ashore and died at a rate unusually high even for the area, which is considered a hotspot for strandings.
7. Depression's criteria might include grieving.
....A proposed change to depression’s definition could greatly expand the number of people treated, a new study says.
8. Not quite smart enough.
....As the "smart" gadget revolution spreads from phones to televisions and home appliances, some manufacturers are hoping to make a bundle.
0. From far back in the pack to the lead in War Horse.
....The movie, nominated Tuesday for an Oscar for best picture, used almost 300 horses for one battle scene. The best acting was by Finders Key, who also appeared in Seabiscuit.
POLITICS:
1. Mitt Romney's tax returns: He earned $42.5 million, is papying $6.2 million in taxes.

....Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9% in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4% rate when they file their returns for 2011.
a. Romney unleashes attack with Gingrich sole target.

....For the first time in a series of debates, Mitt Romney was on the offensive. He aggressively tore into Newt Gingrich's time as House speaker and the ensuing years, when he advised companies like Freddie Mac.
b. Romney sidesteps tough immigratin talk in Florida.
....Mitt Romney is counting on Florida’s 450,000 Hispanic Republicans caring more about the economy than his stance on the Dream Act.
2. 'Super PAC' for Gingrich to get $5 million infusion.
....The supporter, Dr. Miriam Adelson, is the wife of Sheldon Adelson, a longtime Gingrich friend and patron who contributed $5 million to the super PAC, Winning Our Future, this month.
3. A GOP counterweight to Obama, but so far just in speech response.
....Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, who will give the GOP response to the State of the Union address on Tuesday, is sure to raise wistful “if onlys” in the Republican establishment.
4. Political push moves a deal on mortgages inches closer.
....About one million homeowners facing foreclosure could have their mortgage burden cut by about $20,000 each as part of a long-awaited deal

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Oscar nominations: Hugo[ leads with 11 nods.

Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure Hugo leads the Academy Awards with 11 nominations, among them best picture and the latest director slot for the Oscar-winning filmmaker. Also nominated for best picture : the silent film The Artist; the Golden Globe-winning family drama The Descendants; the Sept. 11 tale Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; the Deep South drama The Help; the romantic fantasy Midnight in Paris; the sports tale Moneyball; the family chronicle The Tree of Lif"; and () the World War I epic War Horse. The Artist ran second with 10 nominations.
The best actress nominees are: Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis, The Help; Rooney Mara (niece of the owner of the NY Giants football team), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Meryl Streep (Golden Globe winner), The Iron Lady; and Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn. Two-time Oscar winner Streep padded her record as the most-nominated actress, raising her total to 17 nominations, five more than Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who are tied for second-place.
The best actor nominees are George Clooney (Golden Globe winner), The Descendants; Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Brad Pitt, Moneyball; Jean DuJardin, The Artist, and Demian Bichir, A Better Life. Bichir's nomination all but came out of nowhere, as his film has not been widely seen.
The best supporting actor nominees are: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn; Jonah Hill, Moneyball; Nick Nolte, Warrior; Christopher Plummer (Golden Globe winner), Beginners; Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Nolte and von Sydow's nominations were probably the most surprising there.
The best supporting actress nominees are: Octavia Spencer (Golden Globe winner), The Help; Berenice Bejo, The Artist; Jessica Chastain, The Help; Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs; and Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids. McCarthy's nomination surprised many.
Nominees for best foreign-language film are Bullhead by Belgium's Michael R. Roskam, Footnote by Israel's Joseph Cedar, In Darkness by Poland's Agnieszka Holland, Monsieur Lazhar from Canada's Philippe Falardeau and A Separation from Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi. A Separation has already won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film.
War Horse
It's Spielberg. It's sweeping. It takes on the Big Events and how they affect the Little People. How could it not be on the list?
Moneyball
May be the most simply enjoyable film on the list. You've got a big star (Brad Pitt), comic relief (Jonah Hill), baseball that's accessible for even non sports fans, a snappy Aaron Sorkin script and a little guy who triumphs over big money.
The Artist
The novelty of it being black-and-white and silent aside, it's actually a really enjoyable film. You leave the theater happy. You tell your friends about this crazy silent movie you saw. Good chance of winning.
Tree of Life
In the same vein as "2001: A Space Odyssey," it's the film whose meaning keeps being dissected and discussed even months after you saw it.
The Descendants
Perpetual bachelor Clooney is not that believable as a dad, but this is a smart film that goes where viewers don't expect. Will be right up there competing for the trophy. Won the Golden Globe.
Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen's back, and he's accessible! May be Allen's best in years, he's up for director, too.
The Help
Sneer if you want, movie snobs, but this movie has been taken to viewers' hearts. Good buzz counts for plenty.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The biggest stunner on the list. Even those who enjoyed it didn't see this coming. It won't win.
Hugo
Presented as a kids' film, but not really. It's a film for film lovers.
What do the viewers think?
War Horse 29.4 %
The Help 21%
Moneyball 13.7%
The Artist 8.7%
Descendants 8.4%
Hugo 7%
Midnight in Paris 5%
Extremely Loud 4.4%
Time of Life 2.4%

Sports Headlines
1. Players, fans pay respects to Joe Paterno.

Decked out in Penn State hats and jackets, students and townspeople stood in a line more than a quarter-mile long Tuesday to pay their respects to Joe Paterno, the coach who for nearly a half century was the face of their university, One current and one former team member will stand guard over the casket for the duration of the public viewing, athletic department spokesman Jeff Nelson said.
2. Peyton Maning, fan, analyst and his brother's defender.

....http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/25/sports/25manning1/25manning1-sfSpan-v2.jpg
3. Prince Fielder has found a home - Detroit.
....Prince Fielder has signed a $214 million contract for 9 years to bat behind Miguel Cabrero in the Detroit Tigers' lineup.
a. For Posada, an emotional farewell.
....News of Jorge Posada’s decision to call it quits after a stellar 17-year career had leaked out two weeks ago so Tuesday’s event was not a surprise, but it was emotional nonetheless.
3. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Federer and Nadal to meet in semifinals.
....Both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal radiated vitality on the way toward their 27th encounter. In the women’s draw, Caroline Wozniacki was ousted by Kim Clijsters.

Thought for Today
"I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom."
—-Bob Dylan, singer-wongwriter (b. 1941)

Today's flower: Spathodea cmpanulata or African tulip tree

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 25th day of 2012 with 341 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 4:45 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 31ºF [Feels like 31ºF], winds W calm, humidity 67%, pressure 30.26 in and fa;;ing, dew point 23ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1533--King Henry VIII of England secretly married Anne Boleyn, his second wife.
1759--poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Scotland; died 1796 at age 37.
1787--Shays' Rebellion suffered a setback when debt-ridden farmers led by Capt. Daniel Shays failed to capture an arsenal at Springfield, Mass.
1890--the United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
1890--reporter Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.
1909--the opera Elektra"by Richard Strauss premiered in Dresden, Germany1915--the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, inaugurated US transcontinental telephone service.
1947--gangster Al Capone died at age 48 in Miami Beach, Fla.
1959--American Airlines began Boeing 707 jet flights between New York and Los Angeles.
1961--Pres. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference to be carried live on radio and television.
1971--Charles Manson and three female followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.
1981--the 42 American hostages in Iran for 444 days arrived home.
2002--a judge in Cambridge, Mass., sentenced Thomas Junta to six to ten years in prison for beating another man to death at their sons' hockey practice.
2006--the Islamic militant group Hamas won a large majority of seats in Palestinian parliamentary elections.
2007--Ford Motor Co. said it had lost a staggering $12.7 billion in 2006, the worst loss in the company's 103-year history.
2011--a federal judge in New York sentenced Ahmed Ghailani, the first Guantanamo detainee to have a US civilian trial, to life in prison for conspiring in the bombing of two embassies in Africa in 1998.
2011--in Egypt, 1000s of anti-government protesters clashed with police during a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of President Hosni Mubarak's rule.


World News Capsules:
1. In Bahrain, worries grow of violent Shiite-Sunni confrontation.
....The 14th of February movement is a worry to Western and Arab security officials who say that the passions unleashed by last year's democracy campaign are evolving into another violent confrontation.
2. Huge crowd in Tahrir Square as Egypt marks year since uprising with cheers - and jeers.

....In a mix of celebration and agitation, Egyptians headed to Tahrir Square on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak with some seeking a new revolt against army rule and others celebrating the changes already achieved. But that uprising has exposed divisions in the Arab world's most populous country over the pace of democratic change.
a. Economic potholes add dangers on Egypt's new political path.
....With mounting debts, negligible growth and dwindling foreign reserves, Egypt's military rulers and the new Islamist-led Parliament face a crisis that could undermine the political transition.
b. Egyptian activists say their revolution remains unfinished.
....As Egyptians prepare to mark the first anniversary of the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak but left them under the rule of his top generals, two activists explained why they plan to protest, not celebrate/
3. Court keeps Hitler's work from German newsstands.
....The controversy surrounding the attempted publication of Mein Kampf is the latest round in an ideological clash over whether modern Germany can cope with the work that sowed the seeds for the Holocaust.
a. Germany permits itself to celebrate Prussian king 300th birthday.
....For better or worse, the taboo against Prussian militarism has lost enough of its sting for Germany to permit itself a yearlong, all-out Frederick the Great celebration.
b. Merkel warns that Europe needs eforming.

....German Chancellor Angela Merkel defends the European project but warns that the bloc's richest nation won't make false bailout promises to solve the euro crisis.
4. 'Bersek' bus driver kills 9 in busy Indian streets.

....An on-duty bus driver went on a rampage on the crowded streets of a central Indian city Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring more than two dozen as he mowed down pedestrians and rammed other vehicles.
5. Sanctions against Iran grow tighter, but what's the next step?

....Officials said a last-ditch effort had only a limited chance of persuading Tehran to abandon what the West feared was a pursuit of nuclear weapons.
a. Iran currency freefall forces president to allow rise in interest rates.
....Iran’s president reversed himself on Wednesday and allowed bank interest rates to rise sharply in an effort to stop a slide that has depressed the currency to a relentless string of record lows.
6. Anger in Iraq after plea bargain over 2005 massacre.
....Iraqis were outraged to learn that the Marine considered the ringleader of the 2005 killings in Haditha was sentenced on Tuesday to a reduction in rank but avoided any jail time.
7. Pro-government Libyan militia routed from a Kaddafi bastion.
....Both sides attributed the conflict, which killed at least four fighters, to local antagonisms and not to pro-Qaddafi forces.
8. Pakistan leader softens criticism of army and spy agency.
....The remarks by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday offered the strongest indication yet that the tensions may be dissipating.
9. US Navy SEALs rescue American hostage in Somalia in overnight raid.

....In a daring nighttime raid, US Navy SEALs rescue American aid worker Jessica Buchanan, 32, and her 60-year-old Dane co-worker, Poul Thisted. who were kidnapped last October. Their kidnappers were heavily armed criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.
10. Syria rejects peace effort from region.

....Saying that "half the universe" was conspiring against Syria, the foreign minister rejected an attempt to broker an end to the conflict.
a. Syrian role at UNESCO under fire.
....At least 25 countries have joined to try to unseat Syria from two sensitive committees of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization that deal with issues of human rights
11. An ambitious Arab capital reaffirms its grand cultural vision.
....Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, says it will complete construction on three colossal museums by 2017 despite delays and a variety of financial and cultural concerns.
12. UAE: An ambitious Arab capital reeaffirms its grand cultural vision.
....Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, says it will complete construction on three colossal museums by 2017 despite delays and a variety of financial and cultural concerns.
13. UK: Scots begin bid for vote on independence.
....Scottish authorities set out to prepare the ground for a potentially divisive referendum on their land’s independence after three centuries of union with England.

US News Capsules:
1. Police gang tyrannized Latinos, indictment says.
....Three East Haven police officers and their supervisor were charged with beating and harassing Latinos, trying to cover up their actions and thwarting efforts to investigate their conduct.
2. Federal Reserve says interest rate hikes unlikely until at least late 2014.
....Central bank announces date even later than investors expected in an effort to support a sluggish recovery.
3. In Wasington state, weak snowpack, heavy snow raising avalanche danger.

....3 deaths last weekend; 'potential to be a pretty dangerous winter,' expert says.
4. New school lunch rules aimed at reducing obesity.
....The Obama administration announced long-awaited changes to government-subsidized school meals, issuing rules that add more fruits and green vegetables and reduce the amount of salt and fat.
5. Fpr mewcp,ers om So;ocpm Va;;eu. tje drea, pf emtre[remeirsjo[ sto;; ;oves.
....A surge in high-tech start-ups and investment money has drawn recent college graduates who, unlike their peers in other parts of the country, seem snugly protected from any hint of the recession.
6. TV: Boy with strange powers and a challenged father.
....In Touch Keifer Sutherland plays the single father of a boy who can't speak but who nonetheless has almost magical powers
POLITICS:
1. Obama State of the Union: We cannot be divided into wealthy and struggling Americans, delaring "we've come too far to turn back now."

....In State of the Union, president points to signs of economic revival but paints dire picture of split nation. With an unfinished legislative agenda from last year and with Election Day nine months from now, Pres. Obama went before a joint session of Congress to offer his proposals for economic growth and to draw sharp contrasts with his Republican foes.
a. Obama speech makes pitch for economic fairness.
....Pres. Obama set forth a long list of domestic economic proposals, many of which centered on jobs and changing the tax code.
2. Tears llow as Giffords resigns from Congress.

....On the House floor Wednesday morning, the day after her appearance at the president’s State of the Union address in the same chamber, Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords formally offered her resignation to Speaker John Boehner.
3. Democrats flee an Indiana vote on union bill.
....As union members protested outside, the Republican-controlled House neared approval of a “right to work” measure.
4. Two sides far apart on payroll tax cut.
....Presidential politics and pushes for pet measures could turn negotiations over the extension of the payroll tax cut into the next partisan donnybrook.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Microwave popcorn bag chemicals ruin vaccine efficacy.
A group of compounds used in a variety of products, including water-resistant clothing and microwave popcorn, may prevent childhood vaccinations from working properly, a new study says. Children who had higher concentrations of these compounds, called perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), in their blood had lower immune responses to diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations. An insufficient immune response to a vaccination can mean a child is actually vulnerable to catching a disease even though they've been vaccinated against it.
"When we take our kids to the doctor's office to get their shots, we expect that the vaccines are going to work," said study researcher Dr. Philippe Grandjean, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "What we found was that there was an increasing risk that they didn’t work if the kids had been exposed to the PFCs," Grandjean said.
The study is provocative, but the findings are not of immediate public health concern, said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Despite the link found in this study, vaccines have largely protected the public against diphtheria and tetanus over the same period of time that PFCs have accumulated in the environment, Schaffner said. "These are illnesses that have been virtually eliminated from children," in the United States, Schaffner said.

Solar storm brings visual fireworks to Earth.

A storm from the broiling sun turned the chilly northernmost skies of Earth into an ever-changing and awe-provoking art show of northern lights on Tuesday night. Even experienced stargazers were stunned by the intensity of the aurora borealis that swept across the night sky in northern Scandinavia after the biggest solar flare in six years.
U.S. space weather experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday evening that so far they had heard of no problems from the storm that triggered the auroras, which made it as far south as Wales, where the weather often doesn't cooperate with good viewing. It was part of the strongest solar storm in years, but the sun is likely to get even more active in the next few months and years, said physicist Doug Biesecker at the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo. "To me this was a wake up call. The sun is reminding us that solar max is approaching," Biesecker said. "A lot worse is in store for us. We hope that you guys are paying attention. I would say we passed with flying colors."

Sports Headlines
1. NFL: On a futures bet, Las Vegas loses if the Giants win.
....To the oddsmakers’ dismay, bets on the Giants at long odds when they were struggling are one game from paying off big.
a. For Belichick, fond memories of New York (Giants, not Jers).
....The two Super Bowl coaches, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, have a friendship that stretches back to their years as assistants with the Giants.
2. MLB: Stocking up for a title run, the Tigers buy in bulk.
....Prince Fielder’s signing isn’t the first time the Tigers have opened their wallet to add a slugger who was outside their price range.
3. NHL: First in east at the break; now what?
....The NY Rangers scored in each period against Winnipeg, winning 3-0, and with a playoff berth seemingly secure, the Rangers can also strive to ensure home-ice advantage in the postseason.
4. NBA: Knicks end 6-game skid in rout.
....Carmelo Anthony had a career-low 1 point, but the Knicks got 20 from Tyson Chandler, and 18 each from Amar’e Stoudemire and Landry Fields in a rout of the Bobcats.
5. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: A final four with a familiar look on men's side.
....Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic won their matches Wednesday, meaning, along with Federer and Nadal, the top four men will play in the Australian Open semifinals.
a. How do you solve a problem like Mria? Tennis' battle with grunters
.

....The shrieks of three-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova and world No. 3 Victoria Azarenka have been the source of much conversation at this week's Australian Open in Melbourne.
6. ALPINE SKIING: For young Austrian, victory amid allegations of cheating.
....Marcel Hirscher, 22, won a World Cup slalom on home soil after being disqualified and fined at the last two slalom competitions for straddling gates



Thought for Today
"A first-rate organizer is never in a hurry. He is never late. He always keeps up his sleeve a margin for the unexpected."
—-Arnold Bennett, English poet, author & critic (1867-1931).

Today's flower: A. x grandiflora or apple serviceberry flowers - a hybrid of Alleghany and Downy serviceberries, with an upright branching habit and the largest flowers of all serviceberries, and some types have pink flowers.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 26th day of 2012 with 239 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 4:18 p.m., it's lightly raining , temp 36ºF [Feels like 29ºF], winds SE @ 8 mph, humidity 81%, pressure 29.87 in and steady, dew point 30ºF, chance of precipitation 100%.

Today in History:
1788--the first European settlers in Australia landed in present-day Sydney
1802--Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the US Capitol
1837--Michigan became the 26th state
1841--Britain formally occupied Hong Kong, which the Chinese had ceded to the British
1861--Louisiana passed an Ordinance of Secession, becoming the 6th state to secede from the US
1870--Virginia rejoined the Union
1880--Douglas MacArthur, the US general who achieved acclaim as a grand strategist in World War II and in Korea, was born; died 1964 at age 84
1911--the Richard Strauss opera Der Rosenkavalier (The Cavalier of the Rose) premiered in Dresden, Germany
1939--during the Spanish Civil War, rebel forces led by Gen. Francisco Franco captured Barcelona
1942--the first American forces to go to Europe during World War II arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1950--India officially proclaimed itself a republic as Rajendra Prasad took the oath of office as president.
1988--the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history, opened at the Majestic Theater in New York
1992--Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton, appearing with his wife, Hillary, on CBS' 60 Minutes, acknowledged "causing pain in my marriage," but said past problems were not relevant to the campaign
1998--Pres. Clinton forcefully denied having an affair with a former White House intern
2001--an earthquake hit the Indian subcontinent, killing more than 13,000 people
2005--Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as secretary of state
2006--confronted by Oprah Winfrey on her syndicated talk show, author James Frey acknowledged lies in his addiction memoir A Million Little Pieces
2007--Pres. Bush had authorized U.S. forces in Iraq to take whatever actions were necessary to counter Iranian agents deemed a threat to American troops or the public at large
2007--nine black youths were convicted in juvenile court in Long Beach, Calif., of beating three white women in a racially charged attack on Halloween night
2011--Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai swore in the country's new parliament, marking the end of a drawn-out battle over whether the lawmakers would be able to start work despite ongoing investigations into electoral fraud


World News Capsules:
1. Australian premier Julia Gillard flees rowdy protest over Aboriginal rights.

....Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was dragged away by security guards Thursday after she was trapped in a restaurant by rowdy protesters demonstrating for indigenous rights following a ceremony to mark Australia's national day.
2. In Brazil, three bodies found in Rio rubble.

....The bodies of three people are recovered by rescue workers in Brazil searching through rubble after the collapse of several high-rise office buildings in Rio de Janeiro.
3. In China, human costs are built into an iPad.
....A staggering manufacturing system in China has made it possible for Apple and other companies to make devices almost as quickly as they can be dreamed up, but for workers, it can be dangerous. Workers assembling iPads, iPhones and other products often work in abusive and sometimes deadly conditions.
a. At Apple's Chinese fctories, long hours, injuries and death.

....Workers at tech giant's suppliers often labor in harsh conditions, employees, worker advocates and businesses say. 'We've known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they're still going on,' former Apple executive says, 'Why? Because the system works for us'
4. Djibouti outpost behind Somalia rescue is part of new defense strategy.
....An austere base, Camp Lemonnier, is part of an archipelago of outposts in high-risk environments that can preserve a military presence at relatively low cost.
5. Egypt stops US Transportation Secreary's son, three others, from leaving county.

....Egypt's authorities have imposed a travel ban on four members of a U.S.-funded pro-democracy organization — including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood — in a row over its activities, a source said Thursday.
6. Euro Zone: Citing Europe's progress, Merkel urges patience.
....At the World Economic Forum, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said Europe had made more progress on the sovereign debt crisis than foreign investors acknowledged.
a. At euro talks, a calm arm-twister from Washington.
....Lael Brainard, a Treasury under secretary who is America’s top financial diplomat, is trying to coax European leaders to contribute to a financial firewall.
7. Breast implant maker's founder arrested, French police say.

....Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of a French company that made hundreds of thousands of breast implants from industrial-grade silicon, was detained by police .
a. Stolen impressionist art returned after 3 decades.

....Camille Pissarro's "Le Marche aux Poissons" ("The Fish Market" in English) was handed over to the French ambassador by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
8. Iran ready for nuclear talks with West, says Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

....But he maintains sanctions will not force Iran to capitulate to Western demands.
a. Pattern of intimidation is seen in arrests of Iranian journalists and bloggers.
....Rights groups and people who know the detained journalists said the government apparently wanted word of the arrests to spread informally, to heighten the atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
b. In reversal, Iran allows interest rates to increase.
....Iran’s president reversed himself and allowed bank interest rates to rise sharply in an effort to stop a slide that has depressed the currency to a relentless string of record lows.
c. Potent sting is prepared in the belly of a warship.

....Deep below the water line, sailors on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis build the bombs that turn the ship from a floating airport into a projection of American military power.
9. UPDATE: Captain of doomed cruise ship says course change was an order.
....Capt. Francesco Schettino told an official from the cruise line that company managers instructed him to change direction, according to leaked telephone transcripts.
10. Eiko Ishioka, multifaceted designer and Oscar winner, dies at 73.
....Ms. Ishioka, who won a 1992 Academy Award in costume design for “Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’” came to be known as one of Japan’s, then the world’s, foremost art directors.
11. Human rights groups denounce widespread use of torture in Libya.

....International humanitarian groups said they had documented the widespread use of torture in Libyan detention centers, a troubling indication that some Qaddafi-era abuses continue.
12. Palestinians and Israelis do't agree on new talks.
....The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said he would leave open the possibility or resuming talks under certain conditions and after consultations with Arab League representatives on Feb. 4.
13. Mutineers oust defense dhief in Papua New Guinea.
....A group of soldiers mutinied, placing the country’s military chief, Brig. Gen. Francis Agwi, under house arrest in an apparently bloodless raid.
14. Manila Negotiates broader military ties with US.
....Philippine foreign affairs and defense officials are visiting Washington to negotiate an expansion of the US military presence in the country, a senior defense official in Manila said/
15. Syria chaos claims priest and an aid group official.
....Dr. Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was shot in a vehicle clearly marked with the Red Crescent symbol, and Rev. Basilious Nasser was killed in Hama.
a. Arab League chief to hold UN talks on Syria.

....The chief of the Arab League will hold talks on Syria with the U.N. as President Assad faces growing pressure over his government's crackdown on protesters

US News Capsules:
1. New home sales fall in Dec., capping dismal year.
....Sales of new homes dropped in December for the first time in four months, ending a gloomy 2011 for the housing industry and showing how far it has to go to revive fully and begin helping the recovery.
2. Jobless claims edge up, but remain at hopeful levels.
....New claims for unemployment benefits rose slightly in the latest week, but remained at levels that point to a slowly improving labor market.
3. NYPD commish's son, a Fox anchor, in rape probe.

....Greg Kelly, co-host of Fox 5’s "Good Day New York," son of New York City's police commissioner Raymond Kelly, is under investigation after a woman accused him of rape, sources tell NBC New York. He has not been arrested or charge with any crime.
4. US Army chief 'comfortable' with smaller force as Pentagon prepares cuts.
....Eight brigades to be slashed as parts of $260 million defense savings over five years.
a. . Pentagon plan includes base closings and pay raise cuts.
.....The Pentagon says it wants to limit pay raises, increase health insurance fees for retirees and close bases as part of its plan to shrink in size after a decade of war.
5. US home births rise by surprising 30%.

....Most mothers are over-35 white women who are "consciously rejecting the system" of hospital deliveries.
6. The true cost of high school dropouts.
....Proven educational strategies to increase high school completion provide returns to the taxpayer that are two to four times their cost.
7. A ballot push to legalize marijuana, with alcohol as the role model.

....In Colorado, a proposal to legalize possession of marijuana in small amounts is likely to be on the ballot this fall, backed by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
8. Fewer cows' hides may bear the mark of home[.i].
....A federal plan to institute an identification system for cattle, one that emphasizes numbered ear tags rather than brands, is entering final revisions.
9. Oasis for resisting status symbols just might get one.
....Druid Heights, a secluded Bay Area community that attracted creative lights of the counterculture, is being evaluated for recognition as a historic site.
10. In real time, a virus learns a new way to infect.
....Researchers report that viruses deprived of their usual channel for infiltrating the E. coli bacterium evolved a different route into the cells in little more than two weeks.
11. Obama wades into issue of raising dropout age.
....President Obama’s call for every state to require students to stay in school until they turn 18 is Washington’s first direct involvement in an issue that many states have found tough to address.
12. Survery finds that dwindling financial aid contributes to fewer college options.
....Freshmen entering college last fall were less likely to attend their first choice of college, a function of both competition and cost, than at any other time since 1974.
13. New housing task force will zero in on Wall Street.
....A new federal task force looking into fraud related to the housing crisis will begin by looking at big banks and investment firms on Wall Street
POLITICS:
1. Congress? Vote them all out, Americans say.
....Most Americans don’t like Congress, and they would vote to replace every single member — even their own, a new NBC/WSJ poll shows.
2. President takes his economic message on the road.
....Appearing in Iowa and Arizona, President Obama urged Congress to eliminate tax deductions for companies that move jobs overseas and reward those that hire Americans at home.
3. Judge orders Arizona candidate struck from ballot over English skills too poor.

....Lawyers for Alejandrina Cabrera, a candidate for the City Council in the border community of San Luis, Ariz., said Thursday that they might appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.
4. With audiences encouraged to react, primry debates seem more made for TV.

....As the debates have taken on a bigger significance in this primary, the audience’s response has become as much a part of the calculation as the parrying onstage.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Stephen Colbert gets wild with author Maurice Sendak.

Few can really stand up to Stephen Colbert when he's in his full "Colbert Report" character, but as it turns out, ornery author Maurice Sendak gives as good as he gets. That's the lesson "Report" viewers learned this week as Colbert welcomed the man behind the kids' classic Where the Wild Things Are to his show for a two-part interview.
In part one, which aired Tuesday night, Colbert and Sendak swapped a series of rapid-fire barbs largely focused on children. Not that Sendak was sticking up for kids with his quips. As he later revealed, he likes them about "as few and far between" as he likes adults. If that seems an odd stance from a children's author, he even grumped to Colbert that, "I didn't set out to make children happy!"
Wednesday night's follow-up made Tuesday's moments seem tame. During part two of the interview, or as Colbert called it, "The Grim Colberty Tales," the host inspired the 83-year-old author to argue, sing and give magic markers a magical try. And Sendak gave his impressions of other writer's kiddie classics. His take on "Green Eggs and Ham"? "Good." And "Give a Mouse a Cookie"? "Ugh."
Later, Sendak set about the task of giving his interview rival some illustration tips, but even that took a strange turn. "You ever sniff a marker?" Colbert asked. "No. Is that a good thing?" Sendak responded while sniffing a marker. "It's a cheap high," the host shot back. Which might just explain Sendak's sudden urge to break into a few bars of "I remember Pearl Harbor…yadda-da-da-da-da."
It sounds as if "where the wild things are" is on the Colbert Report, if you dind't know that already.

Sports Headlines
1. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Nadal outlasts Federer in semi-final thriller.

.....Nadal outlasts Federer to reach Aussie Open final2 weeks ago, Nadal injured his right knee and wasn't sure he'd be able to start the tourney



Thought for Today
"Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves."
—-Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian statesman & 1st premier (1889-1964).

Today's flower: Pyrus serotina or Asian pear tree - a large group of pears that are crisp in texture and, when mature, are good to eat as soon as harvested or for several months after picking if held in cold storage.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 27th day of 2012 with 338 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:53 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 42ºF [Feels like 33ºF], winds W @ 23 mph, humidity 76%, pressure 29.38 in and steady, dew point 35ºF, chance of precipitation 90%.

Today in History:
1302--Dante was exiled from Florence for politcal reasons.
1756--Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria; died 1791 at age 35.
1785--Georgia incorporates the first state university.
1832--Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Oxford logician & mathematician who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland under the pen name Lewis Carroll, was born in Cheshire, England; died 1898 at age 65.
1862--Pres. Lincoln issued General War Order No. 1, ordering all land and sea forces to advance on February 22, 1862.
1880--Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric incandescent lamp.
1885--Jerome (David) Kern, one of America's foremost composers of music for the theatre and screen (Showboat), was born' died 1945 at age 60.
1888--the National Geographic Society was founded in Wasington, DC for "the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge."
1900--Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, father of the US submarine force, was born; died 1986 at age 86.
1901--opera composer Giuseppe Verdi died in Milan, Italy, at age 87.
1943--some 50 bombers struck Wilhelmshaven in the first all-American air raid against Germany ,
1944--the USSR announced the end of the deadly German siege of Leningrad, which had lasted for more than two years.
1945--Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.
1951--an era of atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flat.
1955--Chief Justice John Roberts was born this day.
1967--astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo spacecraft at Cape Kennedy, Fla.
1967--more than 60 nations signed a treaty banning the orbiting of nuclear weapons.
1972--Mahalia Jackson, the "Queen of Gospel", died at age 60 in Evergreen Park, Ill.
1973--the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.
1975--A bipartisan Senate investigation of activities by the FBI and CIA wass launched by Senator Frank Church of Idaho.
1977--the Vatican issued a declaration reaffirming the Roman Catholic Church's ban on female priests. (Its report charged both agencies with illegal surveiliance of several 100,000 US citizens.)
1978--Richard Chase, who becomes known as the "Dracula Killer," murders Evelyn Miroth and Daniel Meredith, as well as Miroth's 6-year-old son and another woman, in Sacramento, California. He removed some of Miroth's organs and filled them with blood before taking them with him.
1998--1st lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, appearing on NBC's Today show, said that allegations against her husband were the work of a "vast right-wing conspiracy."
2002--a munitions depot in Nigeria exploded; more than 1,000 people died, most of them drowning in a nearby canal during the resulting stampede.
2006--Western Union delivered its last telegram.
2007--tens of thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C., calling for the U.S. to get out of Iraq.
2010--Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad tablet computer during a presentation in San Francisco/
2010--J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, died in Cornish, N.H. at age 91.
2011--Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that color-coded terror alerts would be phased out.
2011--tens of thousands of Yemenis demanded their president step down and vowed to continue until the U.S.-backed government fell.


World News Capsules:
1. France, Karzai want faster NATO Afghanistan exit.
....After meeting with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, the French president said the country’s soldiers in Afghanistan will resume their training mission and withdraw by the end of 2013.
2. Popular criticism cracks China's wall of denial about pollution.
....Under popular pressure, Chinese officials have begun to track the most pernicious measure of urban air pollution and promise to set new health standards and publish data on air pollution.
a. Chinese police fire on Tibetan protesters again.
....The latest episode was the third of its kind this week, activist groups say.
3. As tensions rise, Egypt bars exit of six Americans.
....The Obama administration threatened to withhold aid as Egypt confirmed it had kept at least a half-dozen American employees of US non-governmental agencies from leaving.
4. Sarkozy's main rival offers proposal for lifting France's economy.
....François Hollande, the Socialist candidate leading in the polls, offered a mix of increased spending for social programs and jobs and tax increases for corporations, banks and the wealthy.
a. Maker of faulty breast implants is released on bail.
....Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of a French company that used substandard silicone in 1000s of breast implants, was placed under formal investigation, his lawyer said.
5. The Wales economy slips, but London cushions the fall.

(state quarries that have dominated Welsh life for over 150 years, now too expensive to compete with foreign alternatives)
....The British government’s so-called money transfers prop up its poorer regions, keeping them from the kind of collapse suffered in euro zone nations like Greece.
a. In Great Britain, a partial list of those who declined to be called 'Sir.'

....The government released the names of 277 people who rejected the rarefied opportunity to become knights, dames and the like between 1951 and 1999, such as Doris Lessing and David Bowie.
6. For Greece, the outlook is still grim.
....A new analysis suggests the nation’s economic condition is worsening, throwing a wrench into talks meant to pave the way for more financial support.
7. Accused of atrocities, Guatemala's ex-dictator chooses silence.

....Efraín Ríos Montt, Guatemala’s former military dictator, was accused of genocide and crimes against humanity during the country’s long civil war.
8. Iran says it may cut off its oil exports to Europe.
....Iran threatened to terminate oil exports to European nations even before their embargo takes effect this summer.
9. Suicide bomber attacks funeral procession in Iraq.

....A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives attacked a funeral procession in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, killing at least 22,
10. Israel senses bluffing in Iran's threats of retaliation.
....As Israel's political and military leaders weigh options to stop Iran's nuclear program, many are guided by an assessment that an attack is unlikely to set off widespread conflict.
.....Israel wants existing settlement blocks to become a part of Israel, an approach that the Palestinians rejected as unacceptable.
a. Details emerge of Israeli offer on two-state solution.
11. North Korea warns South but accepts food aid.
....North Korea warned that a South Korean military drill around front-line islands could lead to a “full-scale war” as South Korean trucks crossed the border carrying private food aid.
12. Rockets fired on Pakistan military academy near bin Laden hideout.
....Unidentified assailants rained rockets on Pakistan’s elite military academy on Friday in an unusual outburst near the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed.
a. For many in Pakistan, a TV show goes too far.
....Nongovernmental organizations are suing a station over a show featuring a group of women on the hunt for “immoral” behavior.
b. Former Pakistani leader usharraf delays return.

....Pervez Musharraf is delaying his return home, his party says, after the country's leadership said he would be arrested on arrival.
13. Spanish jobless total hits almost 23%.

....The number of Spaniards without jobs rose by more than half a million last year to reach 5.27m, or 22.85% of the workforce, in the final quarter, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). The figures, not seasonally adjusted, confirm Spain's jobs record as by far the worst among big eurozone economies following the collapse of the Spanish housing construction bubble from 2007.
14. In Davos, Switzerland, the Gates Foundation moves to close $750 million gap in Global Fund.
....The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said that it was committing an additional $750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
15. Violence rises sharply in Syria, flustering Arab League monitors.

(appears to be bodies of children killed in government attacks, at a mortuary in Homs)
....Heavy bloodshed was reported Friday as Arab League monitors expressed exasperation and the UN made a step toward a possible resolution condemning the government.
a. UN to world: don't ignore Syria's dying children.
....At least 384 children have been killed during Syria's 10-month uprising and virtually the same number have been jailed, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Reported killings of at least 35 people in the city of Homs on Thursday called 'terrifying massacre' by Syrian rights group in exile
b. On a tour cut short, monitors in Syria see little.
....The visit, truncated by worries about volatile areas, revealed the limitations of the Arab League’s mission as the conflict shifted to clashes between armed groups and government security forces.
c. Deaths rise in Syria as UN Security Council to hold talks.

.....Deaths mounted in Syria on Friday as world powers plan crucial talks about the conflict there. Soldiers and security forces killed 135 people on Thursday and Friday, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group, including at least 18 children and 8 women.
14. Transfer of Vatican official who exposed corrruption hints at power struggle.
....A Vatican administrator wrote to Pope Benedict XVI revealing mismanagement and asking to continue cleaning up financial affairs. Instead, he was made ambassador to the United States.

US News Capsules:
1. 'Evil little thing' or constitutional defender?

....Atheist teen forces school to remove prayer from wall after 49 years. State Representative calls girl, who has been escorted by police to school, 'an evil little thing.'
2. Economy grew at a healthy 2.8% pace at end of 2011, new data show.

....US economic growth picked up speed in the final three months of 2011, expanding at the fastest pace in 1-1/2 years. An increase in consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of US economic activity, was largely driven by pent-up demand for motor vehicles.
3. Second Connecticut home invason killer gets death sentence.

....Joshua Komisarjevsky, who killed a woman and her two daughters in gruesome Cheshire, Conn., home invasion addressed the court before the sentence was handed down for a gruesome crime that unsettled the suburbs and halted momentum to abolish the death penalty in the state,.
4. Defense budget cuts would limit raises and close bases.
....The Pentagon took the first major step toward shrinking after a decade of war, announcing a proposal for budget cuts that is fraught with political risk.
a. Defense budget limits reach of a campaign promise for the Navy.
....Mitt Romney has vowed to increase the Navy’s shipbuilding program, but the cuts faced by the Defense Department suggest that even maintaining the fleet at its current size would be no easy feat.
b. Spy drone and missile sub are on military's budget-cutting list.
....In a round of budget tightening, the Pentagon said that it would stretch out purchases, cancel a high-flying spy drone and delay work on a new missile submarine.
5. At UN headquarters, an unexpected arrival - bags of drugs.

....Phony diplomatic pouches into which 30 pounds of cocaine had been stuffed attracted the staff’s attention, the head of security said.
6. Super Bowl becoming the social media event of the season for advertisers.

(Companies are falling over themselves to get ads out on YouTube or as part of online contests, like Volkswagen has done this year)
....Analysts say this year is a turning point for social media's incorporation into the biggest mass-media event of the year, and advertisers are taking note,
7. Many pardon applicants stressed connection to Mississippi governor.

....A look at the clemency applications of felons who were pardoned reveal that many contained personal appeals from friends of Gov. Haley Barbour and major Republican donors.
8. Revamped search urged for a nuclear waste site.
....With local cooperation, a commission on nuclear waste said, the government might avoid the kind of conflicts that led to the cancellation of plans to create a vast repository at Yucca Mountain.
9. for $2 a star, an online retailer gets 5-star product reviews.
....Agencies like the Federal Trade Commission have been trying to crack down on online product reviews that do not disclose the connection between a merchant and the person doling out the praise.
10. Energy tax breaks proposed, despite waning support for subsidies.
....Wind and solar companies say they need more government support to be competitive. But in Washington, there’s little enthusiasm for more subsidies.
POLITICS:
1. Meet the billionaire casino owner who is bankrolling the Gingrich campaign.
....Despite giving millions, Sheldon Adelson isn’t trying to “buy” a presidency, his top political consultant said. "He’s just following in the footsteps of another powerful business tycoon, Joseph Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy."
2. Gingrich-Romney battle dominates the final debate before the Florida primary.

....Republican rivals Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney clashed early and often Thursday night over issues ranging from immigration and personal wealth to the various charges that have been fired in television ads and on the campaign trail as they conducted their final face-to-face confrontation.
3. Romeny had a strong debate, but Santorum may have won.
....The winner of the Conservate debate was Rick Santorum, who fprced Romney to defend health care in the same language Pres. Obama uses. It’s amazing that with all the candidates chasing Romney, none has been able go box in Romney on health care and the mandate the way Santorum did last night.
a. As primary nears, Florida poll favors Romney.
....The former governor of Massachusetts moved past his rival, Newt Gingrich, heading into the final weekend before the vote.
4. Gingrich stuck to caustic path in ethics battles.
....Newt Gingrich used ethics issues to make political gains from the beginning of his career, but in the end ethics issues helped topple him from power in the House.
5. Pres. Obama college aid proposal puts a focus on affordability.
....The predisdent is proposing a financial aid overhaul that would tie colleges' eligibility for campus-based aid programs to the institutions' success in improving affordability and value for students.
6. Senate vote approves rise in debt limit.
....The $16.4 trillion debt ceiling, which drew disapproval in the House, passed the Senate on a party line vote,

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Ship collapses portion of Kentudky bridge.

'All of a sudden I see the road's gone and I hit the brakes,' motorist Robert Parker of Cadiz, Ky said. Parker said he stopped his pickup within five feet of the missing section. Two cars behind him stopped on his bumper and he saw another car on the other side of the missing section stopped.

State officials are inspecting what's left of a southwestern Kentucky bridge that collapsed after the Delta Mariner, a cargo ship carrying aviation parts, struck the Eggner Ferry Bridge at US 68 and Kentucky highway 80. Officials said the collapse meant vehicles needing to cross the Kentucky Lake reservoir and the Tennessee River had to be detoured for dozens of miles. The Coast Guard blocked access to boat traffic at the bridge site. Officials say about 2,800 vehicles travel daily on the bridge, which was due to be replaced. Whew, that was a close call for those vehicles on the bridge in the dark of night.


Thought for Today
"The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself."
—-Wallace Stevens, poet & author (1879-1955).

Today's flower: Banksia integrifolia or ciast babjsua - a species of tree that grows along the east coast of Australia. One of the most widely-distributed Banksia species, it occurs between Victoria and Central Queensland in a broad range of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountains.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 28th day of 2012 with 337 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:52 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 34ºF [Feels like 28ºF], winds SSE @ 7 mph, humidity 73%, pressure 29.87 in and falling, dew point 26ºF, chance of precipitation 60%.

Today in History:
1457--Henry VII, King of England, was born; died 1509 at age 52 and was succeeded by his son Henry VIII.
1547--King Henry VIII of England died at age 56 and was succeeded by his son Edward VI.
1777--John Burgoyne, poet, playwright and British general, submits an ill-fated plan to the British government to isolate New England from the other colonies that was stop at the battle of Saratoga.
1855--the first train crosses the Panamanian isthmus.
1871--France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War.
1909--the US ended direct control over Cuba.
1915--the US Coast Guard was created by an act of Congress.
1915--the captain of a German cruiser orders the destruction of the William P. Frye, an American merchant ship.
1916--Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by Pres. Wilson to the Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.
1917--US ends the search for Pancho Villa.
1945--Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
1955--French Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy was born.
1958, Charles Starkweather, a 19-year-old high-school dropout from Lincoln, Nebraska, and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, kill a Lincoln businessman, his wife and their maid, as part of a murderous crime spree that began a week earlier and would ultimately leave 10 people dead.
1964--the U.S. State Department angrily accuses the Soviet Union of shooting down an American jet that strayed into East German airspace.
1973--a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.
1985--American recording artists gather to record "We Are the World".
1986--the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.
1997--Afrikaner police admit to killing Stephen Biko.
2003--Pres. Bush that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had sought uranium from Africa. (The claim was later disputed by former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who had been asked by the CIA to investigate.)
2009--in a swift victory for Pres. Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a huge $819 billion stimulus bill 244-188 with Republicans unanimous in opposition.
2010--Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won Senate confirmation for a second term.

World News Capsules:
1. Optimism as US transfers security control to Afghans in Jalalabad.
....After the handover of relatively calm regions, control of more volatile areas in eastern Afghanistan is being transferred amid doubts about the ability of Afghan forces to handle security.
2. Teaching Tibetan ways, a school n China is an unlikely wonder.
....Far from the eyes of Beijing technocrats, students learn to write Tibetan and get their first formal introduction to a history, culture and religion that many call embattled.
3. Some in Egypt turn their anger on Islamists, and the Syrian Embassy is attacked.
....The resentments of many political activists toward the Muslim Brotherhood spilled into a public spat, and opponents of the leadership of Syria stormed its embassy.
4. More pressuer on Europe for solution to debt crisis.

....Echoing comments by American officials, leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos said that aid to the euro zone from the rest of the world would be contingent on a larger commitment by Europe.
5. 5 are arrested in British tabloid scandal.
....Police searched the offices of the British tabloid, The Sun, after arresting an officer and four journalists with ties to the paper.
6. Greece makes progress in talks with creditors.
....The latest progress comes in the wake of two days of talks in Athens between the bankers lobby representing most investors, and Greece’s political leadership.
7. Iran says it could terminate Europe oil sales next week.
....Escalating retaliatory threats over nuclear sanctions, Iran also advised Arab oil producers that any attempt by them to replace the exports would be considered unfriendly
8. 434 people killed in Iraq since US pulled out.
....The average daily death toll has risen to 11 in the last month, up from 9 for last year, amid concerns about a resurgence by Al Qaeda in Iraq.
a. An Iraqi massacre, a light sentence and a question of military justice.
....The collapse of the prosecution of a Marine for a civilian massacre in Haditha, Iraq, follows a trend by the military of an unwillingness to second-guess fighters in fog-of-war cases.
89 Latin America looks at west's fiscal crisis, and sees its own past.
....After years of hearing lectures on fiscal prudence from the West, many in Latin America are left with bewilderment, and even a little schadenfreude, at the West’s problems,
10. As nations line up against Syrian government, Russia sides firmly with Assad.
....Russia remains a staunch defender of Syria, providing it with a political lifeline as well as arms and ammunition.
a. A rally for Putin, enthusiasm optional.
....Teams of mechanics, welders and heavy-machinery operators gathered Saturday in support of Vladimir V. Putin. But that does not mean they were happy about it.
11. Senegal court says president can run again.
....The country’s constitutional court ruled that Pres. Abdoulaye Wade could seek a third term, and threw out the candidacy of Youssou N’Dour, a popular singer.
12. seized pirates in high-=seas legal limbo, with no formula for trials.
....Hijackings have declined sharply in the past year, but where interdiction ends, a problem begins: what to do with the detained pirates?
13. A South African party's new face, and lightning rod.
....Lindiwe Mazibuko, a leader in the Democratic Alliance, faces criticism over whether she is black enough as she tries to help the party shed its white, elitist image.
14. Violence continues in Syria.

....Violence in Syria has escalated sharply in the past two days, with heavy bloodshed reported Friday in at least three flash points as Arab League monitors expressed exasperation.
a. Syrian rebels make inroads with help of armed fighters.
....The growing assertiveness of a loosely organized force in Syria hinted at the expanding role of the armed opposition in a movement that began peacefully more than 10 months ago.
b. Citing violence, Arab League suspends monitoring in Syria.
....The group says “a severe deterioration in the situation and the continued use of violence” has caused it to suspend its mission.
c. Hamas leader abandons longtime base in Damascus.
....Khaled Meshal has effectively abandoned his long-time base in Syria, where a popular uprising has left thousands dead, and has no plans to return, Hamas sources in Gaza said.

US News Capsules:
1. Growth accelerates, but US has lots of ground to make up.
....Whether the American economy, which grew last quarter at its fastest pace in a year and a half, can sustain that momentum is critical to millions of people out of work.
2. Censoring of Tweets sts off outrage.
[imghttp://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/28/us/TWITTER/TWITTER-thumbStandard.jpg][/img]....Twitter's announcement that it would agree to block certain messages in countries where they were deemed illegal prompted outcry, argument and even calls for a boycott.
3. Banks takety, but don't giveth.
....The banks that are engaged in a Manhattan land grab seem to be in the business of taking our money but not in the business of giving it back.
4. Lone wolf commands a following.
....The young male, tracked with a GPS unit, is believed to be the first gray wolf in California in decades, raising hopes that the endangered species may once again thrive there.
5. Cultural conflicts, playing out on the football field.
....The attention to Tim Tebow’s on-field displays of religiosity is the latest example of the way the sport reflects the culture in this country.
6. NY airports account for half of all flight delays.
....Despite changes in procedures and airline schedules, flight delays last year in the New York area were as bad as ever, and rippled across the country.
7. For Ford, three years of profit in a row.
....The automaker's earnings for 2011 were the largest in 13 years after a one-time gain in the fourth quarter.
8. Retrial in case tied to post-Katrina deaths.
....Prosecutors said they intend to retry a retired police sergeant charged with helping cover up deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge after Hurricane Katrina.
POLITICS:
1. For a moon colony, technology is the easy part.
....Could America build a lunar base during an eight-year Newt Gingrich presidency, as Mr. Gingrich promised this week? The obstacles would lie in money and politics.
2. Close ties to Goldman enrich Romey's public and private lives.
....Goldman Sachs, which manages Mitt Romney’s family’s fortune, is also his largest source of campaign contributions.
3. Medicare seen as battlegournd issue in Congressional races.
....Democrats and Republicans both expect the “Ryan budget,” Representative Paul D. Ryan’s plan to remake Medicare, to be key in the coming elections.

Today's Headlines of Interest:


Thought for Today
“Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”
--Tom Krause, motivatinal speaker & teacher (b. 1934)

Today's flower: Barringtonia acutangula tree - a species of Barringtonia native to coastal wetlands in southern Asia and northern Australasia, from Afghanistan east to the Philippines and Queensland.



[/color]

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 29th day of 2012 with 336 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 2:03 p.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 37ºF [Feels like 26ºF], winds WSW @ 13 mph, humidity 52%, pressure 29.94 in and falling, dew point 21ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1777--Americans retreat from Fort Independence in Bronx County, NY.
1820--Britain's King George III died insane at Windsor Castle.
1834--Andrew Jackson became the first president to use federal troops to quell labor unrest.
1843--William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, and the first president to ride in a car, was born in Niles, Ohio; assassinated 1901 and Vice Pres. Teddy Roosevelt became president.
1846--Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" was first published, in the New York Evening Mirror.
1850--Henry Clay introduced in the Senate a compromise bill on slavery that included the admission of California into the Union as a free state.
1856--Britain's Queen Victoria introduced the Victoria Cross to reward military acts of valor during the Crimean War.
1861--Kansas became the 34th state of the Union, entering as a free state.
1891--Liliuokalani proclaimed queen of Hawaii.
1900--the American League, consisting of eight baseball teams, was organized in Philadelphia.
1919--the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which launched Prohibition, was certified by Acting Secretary of State Frank L. Polk.
1929--The Seeing Eye, a New Jersey-based school which trains guide dogs to assist the blind, was incorporated by Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank.
1936--the first five members of baseball's Hall of Fame, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson, were named in Cooperstown, N.Y.
1963--the first members of pro football's Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio.
1964--Stanley Kubrick's black comic masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb opened.
1979--Pres. Carter welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House following the establishment of diplomatic relations.
1990--former Exxon Valdez skipper Joseph Hazelwood went on trial in Anchorage, Alaska, on charges stemming from the 1989 oil spill.
1998--a bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., killing an off-duty policeman and severely wounding a nurse.
2002--in his first State of the Union address, Pres. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America — and he warned of "an axis of evil" consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq.
2006--ABC "World News Tonight" co-anchor Bob Woodruff and a cameraman were seriously injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq.
2007--Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized because of medical complications eight months after his gruesome breakdown at the Preakness.
2007--a Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israelis at a bakery in Eilat in the first such attack inside Israel in nine months.
2009--the Illinois Senate voted to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office.
2010--abortion opponent Scott Roeder was convicted of murder by a jury in Wichita, Kan., in the shooting death of Dr. George Tiller, one of the only doctors to offer late-term abortions in the U.S.
2011-- Egyptian Pres. Mubarak named his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, as his first-ever vice president as chaos engulfed Cairo.


World News Capsules:
1. Former Taliban officials say US talks started.
....Former officials said Taliban negotiators traveled to Qatar for discussions with American officials that included a possible prisoner transfer.
2. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Djokovic wins longes Sam final ever.

....No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic outlasts Rafael Nadal in six-hour Aussie Open final.
3. At war with São Paulo's establishment, black paint in hand.
....The São Paulo authorities have tried for years to stop pichação, graffiti that reflects urban decay and deep class divisions in Brazil.
4. Chinese crackdown seals off ethnic unrest.
....Confronting an outbreak of Tibetan protest in western Sichuan Province, Chinese authorities have cordoned off the area.
5. Beltway lobbyists drop Egypt's government as client.
....Tensions have grown since a crackdown by Egyptian authorities on several American nonprofit organizations.
6. In cradle of games, a new Olympic trial: debt.

....Greece has scrapped extra financing for training, athletes say aid they are supposed to receive is frequently late, and many training centers have fallen into disrepair or closed.
a. Greek debt talks again seem to be on the verge of a deal.
....Greece and its private sector creditors have made new progress toward an agreement on how much of a loss the creditors would be willing to accept on their bond holdings.
7. Will Israel attack Iran?
....For the first time since the Iranian nuclear threat emerged, the conditions for an Israeli assault have been met.
a. Israeli drone crashes in ball of fire.

.... An unmanned Israeli airplane capable of reaching parts of Iran crashed during an experimental flight Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
8. UPDATE: Stormy seas delay recovery of liner's fuel.
....Officials in Italy said the conditions might keep them from resuming work until midweek.
9. Russian liberals growing uneasy with alliances.

....n the effort to drive out the paramount Russian leader Vladimir V. Putin, the opposition, driven by liberal and middle-class Russians, has tentatively reached out to nationalists.
10. Spanish airline Spanair goes bust, strands passengers.

....Spanish airline Spanair went bust early Saturday, forcing many passengers to find seats on flights with other airlines at short notice.
11. Sudan: Rebels kidnap 70 workers, including Chinese nationals.
....Militants attacked a construction site and captured 70 workers, including Chinese nationals, in Sudan's volatile South Kordofan state, military officials said.
12. In Davos, Switzerland, Europe is pressed for debt crisis solution.

....Echoing comments by American officials, leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos said that aid to the euro zone from the rest of the world would be contingent on a larger commitment by Europe.
13. Sharp rise in violence halts monitoring by League in Syria.
....The Arab League said a harsh new crackdown by the government made it too dangerous to proceed with its observer mission and was resulting in the deaths of innocents across Syria.
a. More Syrian killings reported incrackdown.

....At least 58 people were killed in Syria Sunday, according to an opposition activist group -- and as Russia calls for more monitors to be sent to the violence-ridden country.
b. In Rankous, barely holding on.
....Free Syria Army tries to hold on to Rankous, a town located near Damascus.
14. Yemeni leader arrives in US for medical treatment.
....Pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is seeking treatment for injuries sustained when the presidential palace was bombed in June.

US News Capsules:
1. Occupy: 100s arrested at Occupy Oakland protest; protesters break into City Hall.

....A U.S. flag was burned by a group of protestors inside City Hall, according to City Council President Larry Reid. City officials also said three police officers and one protester were injured during Saturday's events. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said: "Once again, a violent splinter group of the Occupy Movement is engaging in violent actions against Oakland. The Bay Area Occupy Movement has got to stop using Oakland as their playground." The statement also said there were reports of damage to exhibits inside City Hall during the protest.
2. Private snoops find GPS trail legal to follow.

....Sales of GPS tracking devices, for a variety of largely unregulated uses, are growing fast, raising new questions about privacy and testing a legal system that has not kept pace with technology.
3. The bookstoe's last stand.

....Barnes & Noble, the giant that put so many independent booksellers out of business, now finds itself locked in the fight of its life, with Amazon.com lurking in the background/
4. The blackberry, trying to avoid the hall of fallen giants.
....Some tech gadgets that once seemed indispensable have been mercilessly superseded over the years, and Research in Motion is trying to avoid that fate for its BlackBerry.
5. Slow resonses cloud a winoow into Washington.
....Courts have ruled that government agencies must respond to Freedom of Information Act requests in 20 days, but delayed responses have left some requests approaching 20 years old.
6. In Tucson, finding a game to replace the one that took its ball and left.
....Tucson, abandoned as a spring training site for Major League Baseball, hopes to rebound with spring training for Major League Soccer.
7. New report by agency lowers estimates of natural gas in US.
....The Energy Information Administration estimated that there are 482 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the US, down from the 2011 estimate of 827 trillion cubic feet.
8. At least 9 dead in Florida in highway pileups.

....At least nine people were killed in a series of overnight accidents in northern Florida, blamed on poor visibility from smoke from a nearby brush fire, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office said.
POLITICS:
1. Romney 15 points ahead of Gingrich in Florida race.
....The former Massachusetts governor appears poised for a decisive victory in a key Republican primary, with Santorum in third place and Paul in fourth.
a. The calculations that led Romney to the warpath.
....In the hours after Mitt Romney's double-digit loss to Newt Gingrich in the South Carolina primary, the Romney team outlined a new aggressive approach to deal with Gingrich.
2. Gingrich vows long fight and gets Cain's backing.

....Newt Gingrich picked up the endorsement of Herman Cain, his former rival, as he barreled through a series of speeches and town-hall-style meetings Saturday on Florida's "Treasure Coast."
a. Gingrich questions Romney's suitability for presidency.

....Newt Gingrich today accused front-running Mitt Romney of waging a dishonest campaign, saying the former governor is trying to cover up liberal stances in his past.
3. A governor still trying to become a politician.
....Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, who approaches the job of governor as the corporate chieftain he once was, is trying to soften his approach to politics.
4. In nonstop whirlwind of campaigns, Twitter is a critical tool.
....The candidates’ teams can reach voters, gather data and respond to charges immediately, but the brief posts also carry danger.


Thought for Today
"Misquotations are the only quotations that are never misquoted."
—-Hesketh Pearson, British biographer (1887-1964).

Today's flower: Robinia pseudoacacia or black locust - highly prized as an urban street specimen, because it tolerates air pollution very well. The graceful white flower racemes that hang from the branches are extremely fragrant and perfume the air for shopping pedestrians.

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 30th day of 2012 with 335 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 12:52 p.m., it's cloudy , temp 19ºF [Feels like 12ºF], winds NW @ 13 mph, humidity 61%, pressure 29.37 in and falling, dew point 27ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1649--England's King Charles I was beheaded by Parliamentarians in the English civil war.
1798--a brawl broke out in the House of Representatives in Philadelphia, as Matthew Lyon of Vermont spat in the face of Roger Griswold of Connecticut.
1862--the ironclad USS Monitor was launched from the Continental Iron Works in Greenpoint, N.Y.
1882--Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd Pres. of the US, was born; died 1945 at age 63 just months after the start of his 4th term; succeeded by Vice Pres. Harry Truman.
1883--James Ritty and John Birch received a US patent for the first cash register.
1933--the first episode of the Lone Ranger was broadcast on radio station WXYZ in Detroit.
1933--Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.
1948--Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, 78, was murdered in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist.
1962--two members of "The Flying Wallendas" high-wire act were killed when their 7-person pyramid collapsed during a performance at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit.
1968--Vietnam Conflict: the Tet Offensive began as Communist forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese provincial capitals.
1969--The Beatles performed in public for the last time in a 45-minute gig on the roof of their Apple Records headquarters in London.
1972--13 Roman Catholic civil rights marchers were shot to death by British soldiers in Northern Ireland on what became known as "Bloody Sunday."
1981--an estimated two million New Yorkers turned out for a ticker-tape parade honoring the freed American hostages from Iran.
2002--Afghan leader Hamid Karzai visited the World Trade Center site and placed a wreath of yellow roses by a memorial wall.
2003--Richard Reid, a British citizen and al-Qaida follower, was sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge in Boston for trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoes.
2005--Iraqis voted in their country's first free election in a half-century.
2006--Coretta Scott King, civil rights advocate & the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died at age 78.
2007--a propane tank explosion leveled the Flat Top Little General Store in Ghent, W.Va., killing four people.
2007--two gunmen shot and killed Mellie McDaniel, the wife of the Jackson County, Fla., sheriff and a deputy sent to check on her; other deputies opened fire and killed the assailants.
2011--Rachid Ghanouchi, leader of the long-outlawed Tunisian Islamist party, returned home after two decades in exile.
2077--Novak Djokovic won his 2nd Australian Open title, breezing past Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.


World News Capsules:
1. Afghan kin accused of killing wife who failed to have son.
....The Kunduz Province authorities say that a woman, 22, was strangled by her husband and mother-in-law three months after she gave birth to a third girl.
2. General strike grips Belgium.
[/img]....Belgium was paralyzed by a national strike Monday as unions, angry at austerity measures, timed their protest to coincide with a one-day meeting of European Union leaders in the capital, Brussels.
3. China says it curbed spill of toxic metal in river.
....Despite what appears to have been a disaster averted, the incident highlighted China’s continuing struggle against contamination of its waterways.
a. WTO ordrs China to stop export taxes on minerals.
....The appeals panel’s ruling, a victory for United States, said that China distorted international trade through dozens of export policies on raw materials.
4. Egypt's military seeks advice on early handing of power to civiliams.
....After a week of major protests demanding an immediate end to military rule, the request may be an attempt to calm the unrest.
a. US Embassy in Cairo shields 2 Americans.
....The Americans are being protected from potential arrest by the Egyptian authorities as part of a politically-charged probe into the activities of four American-backed nongovernmental organizations.
5. Sarkozy unveils tax raises but not a re-election bid.
....Insisting he was not acting as a candidate, Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy said he would raise consumer taxes to make French companies more competitive and reduce the budget deficit.
6. Greek coalition is said to back more austerity.
....A deal that would erase $130 billion in debt owned by private creditors is expected within days, while Greece's government positions itself for a second bailout/
7. . Iran offers to extend UN nuclear inspection.
....Iran’s foreign minister was reported to have offered to extend a three-day visit to his country by UN inspectors.
8. [US drones patrolling its sides provoke outrage in Iraq[/i].
....The use of unarmed craft to protect American buildings and personnel may foreshadow an expansion of such operations to the US government's diplomatic arm.
a. Sunnis end boycott of Iraqi parliament, but crisis remains.
....In the first sign that Iraq’s leaders may yet halt a sectarian political crisis that has raised fears of civil war, Iraq’s Sunni leaders said that they would end their boycott of Parliament.
9. Hamas leader takes rare trip to Jordan.
....Khaled Meshal's trip comes just days after he abandoned his base in Damascus, Syria, and marked the first official visit to Jordan by Hamas's leader since 1999.
10. To mend ties after clash, Kazakhstan makes an offer.
....In the six weeks since police officers killed 17 oil workers on strike, senior officials have acknowledged errors and begun a sweeping program to offer jobs to the strikers.
11. Myanmar's Suu Kyi calls for changes to constitution.
....Opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called for changes to Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution, on her first political trip since announcing plans to run for Parliament
12. Spanish economy shrinks.
....The Spanish economy contracted in the fourth quarter after a stagnant third quarter, official data showed,
13. Sudan says it freed some kidnapped Chinese workers.
....The Sudanese military said that it freed 14 kidnapped Chinese workers who were captured over the weekend by Sudanese rebels.
14. Fighting excalates in Syria as opposition rejects Russian plan.
....Heavy clashes were reported as troops and tanks were sent to vanquish rebels, in suburbs of Damascus and Russia indicated it would oppose any effort to have President Bashar al-Assad step down

US News Capsules:
1. Ruling on contraception draws battle lines at Catholic colleges.

....Many Catholic colleges are pushing back against a ruling by the Obama administration that the new health care law requires insurance plans at Catholic institutions to cover birth control.
2. Search for aliens is on again, but next quest is finding money.
....Operating on money and equipment scrounged from the public and from Silicon Valley millionaires, a band of astronomers recently restarted the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
3. US banks tally their exposure to Europe's debt maelstrom.

....Some banks, using credit-default swaps, are more hedged than others against the possibility of a debt cascade in Europe.
4. Facebook users to put political views up in lights on Times Square.
....A new application will allow Facebook users to share their political views on digital billboards in Times Square.
5. Segregation curtailed in US cities, study finds.
....Residential segregation in metropolitan America has been significantly curtailed in the last 40 years, according to a study by two economics professors.
6.. In a gang-ridden city, new efforts to fight crime while cutting costs.
....Aggressive measures helped reduce gang violence in Salinas, Calif., a city that is notorious for it. Then the budget cuts came.
7. Pay rises, but workers don't spend - and that's bad for the economy.
....Americans caught a break in their paychecks in December — and the money went right into their saving accounts.
8. 62 below: Deep freeze grips much of Alaska.

....Even if it has been warmer than usual in much of the US, there's no denying Alaska is seeing a real winter, even by its standards. Anchorage is shivering through one of its coldest January's on record, while in Fairbanks, folks preparing for a sled dog race were being tested by temperatures nearly 50 degrees below zero. Farther inland, Fort Yukon has ranged from -50ºF to -62ºF degrees over the last three days, getting close to its record of -78ºF.
ARTS:
1. A studio's rel-life drama.
....Its first chunk of investor funding is almost gone, and DreamWorks, which garnered 10 Oscar nominations this year from two of its films, must find more, or reduce its ambitions.
2. With Homeland, Showtime makes gains on HBO.
....As Showtime edges closer to its competitor's subscriber numbers, HBO is ready to counter with a spate of big projects over the next six months.
3. Sundance documentaries transform data into stories.

(A scene from The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki)
....The standout documentaries at the Sundance Film Festival included the grand jury prize winner, about the war on drugs, and a second filmmaker’s work on the West Memphis Three.
POLITICS:
1. OCCUPY: Occupy DC faces 'noon' deadline to end camping.

....The National Park Service said in a flier released Friday that it would begin enforcing regulations prohibiting camping and the use of temporary structures for camping at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza. Individual violators may be subject to arrest and their property subject to seizure as evidence, the flier said.
2. Years of despair add to uncertainty in Florida race.
....As the Republican primary campaign picks up, the mood of many Florida voters was sour, focused on one thing: the state's troubled economy. Few expect any quick solutions.
a. Polls show Romney rolling to victory in Florida.
....Gingrich vows to fight on, but upcoming primaries schedule works against his campaign.
b. A Florida Bush stays silent, and to many, that says a lot.
....With Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich making final appeals to Florida voters, Jeb Bush has been noticeably - and, friends say, purposefully - absent from the conversation.
3. Romney and Gingrich scrap amid shifting fortunes.
....Newt Gingrich sought to rally his grass-roots coalition against the heavy campaign machinery of a resurgent Mitt Romney.
a. With polls on his side, Romney stays on the attack.
....With a new poll showing him with a commanding lead in Florida, Mitt Romney hammered Newt Gingrich a day before the primary even as rivals turned their attention to later contests/
4. Democratic senators to push 'Buffett rule.'
....Democratic senators say they will introduce legislation this week codifying Pres. Obama’s principle that the superrich should pay at least the tax rate of middle-class workers.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

How do we keep candidates from telling lies?
After a presidential debate, even before the debate has ended, we're able now to read fact-checks from Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact and many news organizations. But shouldn't the candidates get their facts straight and tell the truth in the first place?
"American politics has become a battle of talking points," said Bill Adair, editor of PolitiFact and Washington bureau chief for The Tampa Bay Times. "Once candidates find a talking point they like, they often stick with it — even when fact-checkers say it's wrong." Perhaps the first questions in the next presidential debate should be something along these lines...
For Newt Gingrich:
Former Speaker Gingrich, in debate after debate, you've taken credit for balancing four federal budgets when you were the speaker of the House. As has been pointed out repeatedly by fact-checking organizations, the four years of balanced budgets were fiscal 1998 through 2001, but you were in office for only the first two of those budgets. You left the House in January 1999 and had no role in crafting the budgets for the subsequent two years. In addition, you opposed the two tax-raising deals that were largely responsible for balancing the budget. Similarly, you said that people can use food stamps "to go to Hawaii," claimed that the ethics charges against you were conducted by "a very partisan political committee," and said that "no federal official at any level is allowed to say 'Merry Christmas.'" All these statements were false, according to PolitiFact.
Here are specific follow-up questions for each of the current Republican candidates, as well as Pres. Obama, based on fact-checking by PolitiFact and the major newspapers:
For Mitt Romney:
In every debate so far, you've said something like, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were a big part of why we have the housing crisis." But studies have shown that Fannie and Freddie were late to invest in subprime mortgages, following the lead of Wall Street firms that you never mention. The unspoken narrative in your comments, and those of the other candidates, panders inaccurately to those who want to believe that loans to unworthy minorities, driven by the Community Reinvestment Act, caused the financial crisis. In fact, most subprime loans were made by lenders who were not covered by the CRA, but who were driven by the need for profits to satisfy their Wall Street investors. Are you trying to deflect blame from Wall Street?
Similarly, you have said repeatedly that Pres. Obama "went around the world and apologized for America," said "I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," and claimed that President Obama's health care law "represents a government takeover of health care." All false, according to PolitiFact.
For Rick Santorum:
You have repeatedly criticized Gov. Romney's health insurance program in Massachusetts for the so-called individual mandate, for requiring individuals to buy health insurance. Why not mention that in 1994, when you were running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, you supported an individual mandate. Similarly, you said that an Obama administration policy prohibits people who work with at-risk youth from promoting marriage as a way to avoid poverty, claimed that "a third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion," and said, "Any child born prematurely, according to the president, in his own words, can be killed." All false, according to PolitiFact.
For Ron Paul:
You've said that the United States "is bankrupt." The country isn't unable to pay its debts, nor is it impoverished. The credit rating of the United States is AA+ at Standard & Poor's (one step below the top of a 20-step scale), and AAA at the other rating agencies. Similarly, you claimed that only a few sentences in your racist and conspiratorial newsletters were inflammatory, that the majority of the American people believe we should go back on the gold standard and that you never vote for legislation unless it's specifically authorized in the Constitution. All false, according to PolitiFact.
And in the general election, maybe the first question to the incumbent could start something like this:
For Pres. Barack Obama:
You've said that most of the money for your campaign came from small donors, that you've excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs, that you haven't raised taxes once. All false, according to PolitiFact. You've claimed that your opponents plan to cut funding for Israel to zero. PolitiFact rated that claim "Pants on Fire," its lowest rating. "One theme we've seen in Obama's statements," says PolitiFact's Bill Adair, "is that he is exaggerating how he has fulfilled promises. We know this, of course, because we keep track of all 500+ promises on our Obameter."
For all candidates:
As you prepare for a debate, is part of your preparation to remind yourself, whatever I say, I should play it straight with the American people? Aren't you embarrassed to repeat statements that any 8th-grader could look up in 20 seconds and discover have been proven untrue? Or do you calculate that it's acceptable to twist the facts to win an election?
Is it any wonder that the American electorate has become increasingly distrustful of all politicians? And the higher the office they are running for, the more deceitful they become.

5 things to watch for in this year's Super Bowl ads.
We know who’s playing in the Super Bowl. Now it’s time to turn our attention to an equally pressing matter — who’s going to win the Ad Bowl? Several brands, including Chevy, Doritos and VW, have gone into launch mode two weeks prior to the kick-off. So since the brands have fired their first salvos, it seems like the perfect time to give you a little guide on what to look for on the NFL and Madison Avenue’s biggest stage.
Celeb-a-palooza
From the A-list to the D-list, brands are lining the pockets of celebrities and tasking them with shilling for their brands. For this year’s Super Bowl look for the following peeps: Troy Aikman, David Beckham, Mark Cuban, Jillian Michaels, Motley Crue, Apolo Ohno, Danica Patrick, Pussycat Dolls, Joan Rivers, Andy Samberg, Deion Sanders, John Stamos and a whole lot more. Also look for a surprise cameo as everyone tries to come up with the “next Betty White” as Snickers masterfully did in last year’s game.
Car wars
We’ve come a long way from a few years ago when automakers stayed on the sidelines and licked their bankrupt wounds. This year, Detroit, the Germans, the Japanese and the Koreans will duke it out for spot supremacy. Look for ads from Audi, Cadillac, Chevy, Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Lexus and Toyota. Plus related car services including Bridgestone tires and Cars.com.
I screen, you screen, we all screen …
The multi-screen era of Super Bowl watching is upon us. Now between gazing at our flat screens, sipping beer and munching chips and seven-layer dip, we’ll be tweeting and texting with our smart phones and tablets. Chevy is embracing this multi-screen reality with their downloadable Game Time app. This app will ask relevant trivia questions about the game and even the commercials. It will also connect consumers to all manner of prizes from Chevy and other brand partners.
Clydesdales, dogs and meerkats, oh my!
Who let the dogs out? As mentioned above, VW has already launched some canine antics with their Star Wars-themed teaser. Look for a charming bulldog for Sketchers in the big game. There might also be some horses and hamsters too if Bud and Kia stay true to their brands. I’m also predicting there will be a new iconic animal to replace the chimp as animal rights groups are really pressuring agencies to stop using apes and monkeys. I see a resurgence of the bear. And the emergence of something new like a meerkat or a lemur.
A little song, a little dance, a whole lot of seltzer down your pants
Slapstick and visual humor will rule the day. Also look for a few examples of situational comedy with dialogue as everyone is always trying to create the next “Whassup.” Finally look for a few musical numbers to capitalize on the country’s obsession with shows like Dancing with the Stars, Glee and X-Factor.
Look for an amazing game - this might be one of those years where the game is actually more exciting than the commercials.
Or not.

Miss Piggy and Kermit fire back at FOX.

All things considered, it's wisest not to mess with The Muppets. Specifically, Miss Piggy.
Eric Bolling of FOX Business' "Follow the Money" took The Muppets to task last December as an example of how "liberal media" tries to "brainwash our kids" against big business -- specifically big oil.
Well, at a recent press conference in the United Kingdom to promote the film, frog and pig fought back. Asks Kermit: "If we had problems with oil companies, why would we have spent the entire film driving around in a gas-guzzling Rolls Royce?" But Piggy took the sharpest shot: "(The brainwashing charges are) almost as laughable as accusing Fox News of being ... news." After which, Kermit predicted correctly that, "Boy, that's going to be all over the Internet!"









Thought for Today
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
—-Harold Wilson, British prime minister (1916-1995).

Today's flower: Peltophorum africanum or Blckwood, African wattle, weeping wattle - a small to medium-size semi-deciduous to deciduous tree of about 15 ft to 30 ft tall, with a spreading crown, frequently branched from near the ground or 2- to 3-stemmed from ground level.




[/color]

[pegasus]

Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 31st day of 2012 with 334 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 3:21 p.m., it's fair , temp 54ºF [Feels like 54ºF], winds WSW @ 14 mph, humidity 49%, pressure 29.91 in and falling, dew point 35ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1606--Guy Fawkes, convicted for his part in the Gunpowder Plot against the English Parliament and King James I, was executed
1734--Gouverneur Morris, American founding father& senator from New York (1800-1803), was born.
1865--the House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment to abolish slavery.
1865--Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1917--Germany announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare
1919--Jackie Robinson, who made history in 1947 by becoming the first black baseball player in the major leagues, was born; died 1972 at age 53.
1938--Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was born.
1944--U.S. forces began a successful invasion of Kwajalein Atoll and other parts of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
1945--Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
1949--the first TV daytime soap opera, [t]These Are My Children[/t], was broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago.
1950--Pres. Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.
1958--the US entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite into orbit, Explorer I.
1961--NASA launched Ham the Chimp aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket from Cape Canaveral and was safely recovered after his 16 1/2 minute suborbital flight.
1968--the Viet Cong attacked the US Embassy in Saigon.
1971--astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on the 3rd successful mission to the moon.
1972--North Vietnam presented a 9-point peace proposal.
1990--McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow.
2000--an Alaska Airlines jet plunged into the ocean off Southern California on a flight from Mexico to San Francisco, killing all 88 people on board.
2002--the Bush administration handed abortion opponents a symbolic victory, classifying a developing fetus as an "unborn child" as a way of extending prenatal care to low-income pregnant women.
2007--nine blinking electronic devices planted around Boston threw a scare into the city in what turned out to be a marketing campaign for a late-night cable cartoon.
2001--a federal judge in Florida declared the Obama administration's health care overhaul unconstitutional, siding with 26 states that argued people cannot be required to buy health insurance.
2011--Egypt's military promised not to fire on peaceful protests and recognized "the legitimacy of the people's demands.
2011--Myanmar opened its first parliament in more than two decades.


World News Capsules:
1. Fearing Taliban talks, Afghan women keep pushing to have their voices heard.

....With increased pressure for a US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and potential peace talks with the Taliban, many Afghan women fear their newfound rights could be jeopardized.
2. Dozens freeze to death as 'extreme cold' grips Europe.

....A severe and snowy cold snap has killed at least 48 people across central and eastern Europe. Officials have responded with measures ranging from opening shelters to dispensing hot tea, with particular concern for the homeless and elderly.
3. Forget Iran, Iraq is threatening oil prices.

....The deteriorating situation in Iraq is leading some analysts to worry that the country may not be able to meet its lofty goals for rapidly ramping up oil production.
4. Militant attacks kill 8 Pakistani soldiers.

....100s of militants stormed military checkpoints in northwest Pakistan, killing at least eight soldiers and injuring 10 others, military and government officials said -- the latest in a string of attacks against security forces.
5. Militant group kicks aid group out of regions in Somalia.

....The Somali militant group Al-Shabaab says it has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross from operating in the regions it controls, accusing the organization of distributing expired food.
6. Arab League urges Security Council to take 'rapid action' on Syria.

....Western and Arab nations launched a major diplomatic offensive at the UN in hopes of overcoming Russia's opposition to a resolution demanding that Syrian Pres. Bashar Assad relinquish power.
a. Assad: President defined by violence.

....Bashar al-Assad promised a more democratic Syria when he succeeded his father in 2000, but his presidency is becoming defined by his regime's violent crackdown.
7. 'Canelled and annulled': Disgraced UK banker stripped of his knighthood.

....The UK took the rare step of stripping former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin of his knighthood, following intense criticism of his role in RBS' near-collapse during the 2008 credit crisis, and public anger towards wealthy bankers.
8. 9 killed in suspected drone strikes in Yemen.
....Three suspected drone strikes hit militant targets in southern Yemen Monday night and Tuesday morning, killing at least nine people believed to be linked to al Qaeda, Yemeni security officials said.
a. Yemeni minister escapes assassination.

....Ali al-Amrani, Yemen's information minister, escaped an assassination attempt unharmed Tuesday, his office manager said

US News Capsules:
1. US spy chief says Syria's Assad cannot hold power.

....Syrian leader Bashar Assad cannot sustain his hold on power and it is a matter of time before his leadership falls, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a US Senate intelligence committee.
a. Al-Qaida in decline but threats to US multiply.
....Iran's leaders seem prepared to attack U.S. interests overseas, particularly if they feel threatened, U.S. intelligence director tells senators.
2. Ex-L.A. teacher charged with molesting 23 children.

....Mark Berndt, 61, a former elementary school teacher has been charged with molesting 23 children after an investigation by authorities uncovered more than 40 photographs showing victims with their eyes blindfolded and mouths covered with tape, possibly inside a classroom.
3. Report: uS deficit falls slightly to $1.1 trillion.
....A new budget report predicts the government will run a $1.1 trillion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in September, a slight dip from last year but still very high by any measure. A previous estimate was for $973 billion.
4. Komen cancer charity halts grants to Planned Parenthood.
....End to partnership has led to a bitter rift linked to the natinoal abortion debate between two key women's organizations. Planned Parenthood says the cutoff, affecting grants for breast exams, results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion groups. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion activists.
5. America is becoming a nation of renters.
....There was fresh data from the government showing that the American dream of owning a home is fading fast. The number of housing units occupied by renters rose by 749,000 in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier; some 91,000 fewer homes were occupied by owners.
6. Probe: Air Force illegally punished Dover whistleblowers.

....Air Force officials violated whistleblower laws when they retaliated against four civilian workers who reported the mishandling of war remains at the military mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del., independent federal prosecutors said.
POLITICS:
1. As Florida votes, Mitt Romney poised to regain frontrunner status.

....Mitt Romney could reassert his status as the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination with a win Tuesday night in Florida, where the former Massachusetts governor has waged a pitched battle against Newt Gingrich.
2. Native Americans, given less time to vote for president, sue S.D.
....Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, a heavily Democratic group, are getting only six days for early voting in the presidential primary election, while the rest of the state gets 46, so they are suing Jason Gant, S.D. Secretary of State (oversees elections in the state) and is the treasurer of a Republican Party PAC.
3. UPDATE: Park poice can enforce caming ban, judge rules.

....Living in a public park as a means of protest is not protected by the First Amendment, a federal judge said Tuesday in rejecting an Occupy DC demonstrator's request to keep park police from enforcing a ban on camping.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

New airline rules give meaning to price tags; other industries should follow.

Cry as it might about the new federal rules designed to clarify flight ticket prices, the airline industry brought this on itself. The hidden fees and “after charges” encountered by flying consumers had reached such absurdity that one might rightly call them an attack on the English language. Consumers have had enough, and now the Department of Transportation has, too. Could similar rules for other industries, such as cell phones or pay television, be far behind?
New consumer-friendly federal Department of Transportation rules have kicked in that require airlines to quote prices including all required fees and taxes. The airlines aren't happy and have filed lawsuits over the requirement. For example, in the past, you might typically see an ad for a $199 one-way fare that in reality cost $245 after security fees, taxes, and other tack-on charges were applied. Now, airlines must use the $245 figure in an ad. The rules do not require inclusion of "optional" fees, such as checked luggage costs, in the advertised price -- so consumers still have a lot of homework to do when they are shopping around for the best deal on a ticket.
"Now there are no more '$9 fare' sales. Airlines have to advertise the full price," said Christopher Elliot, a travel writer and author of “Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals." “(For some airlines) deception has been their business model. It's definitely not only the airlines who were doing this kind of thing, but they have made an art out of it."
Edgar Dworsky, who operates Mouseprint.org, cheered the changes and said other federal regulators should consider similar requirements."The car rental industry is notorious for quoting a low daily rates, but when you add up the fees and everything else, the price comes out to 20, 30, even 40% above the stated price," he said. He also cited a friend in New York who recently signed up for cable television and Internet service after answering an ad claiming the price would be $99 per month. “His bill was $147. He didn't realize he would be charged extra for a box in every room, and goodness knows what else."
Tack-on fees are huge business for the airlines. Domestic carriers collected nearly $5.7 billion in baggage and change fees alone in 2010, according to Consumers Union. So naturally, the airline industry is hardly going down without a fight. Spirit Airlines is risking the wrath of regulators by railing against the new rules with a large pop-up notice placed on its home page labeled "Warning." The notice accuses regulators of planning to "carry out their hidden agenda and quietly increase their taxes...And if they can do it to the airline industry, what's next?"
Industry trade associations are also complaining about the change. Steve Lott, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, has complained in several publications that "basic economics" dictate consumers will shy away from flying because prices appear to be higher. In reality, price transparency is essential for economic activity, and it's just as likely that more clarity will lead to more purchases, not fewer. Sadly, the new airline rules go only half-way toward real price transparency in the airline industry. The Spirit Airlines "passenger usage fee" still rates as optional in this new system, so it would not be included in advertised prices.
The simplest form of consumer protection in America would be a rule that simply forbids all firms from advertising a price for any item -- monthly cable service, airplane tickets, or a telephone line -- that is impossible to get. The problem is so rampant that many industries, such as auto sales, have adopted twisted language like "out-the-door-price” or “OTD price" to distinguish between fake price tags and real ones. The Department of Transportation has taken one small step in this direction; other regulators should take notice.

Who's behind that outbreak? Sometimes, CDC won't say.

....When government health officials wrapped up a three-month investigation of a salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 68 people in 10 states, the final report on Jan. 19 included nearly every detail -- except the name of the place that sold the food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has refused to identify the source, other than as “Restaurant Chain A,” a Mexican-style fast-food chain. That’s the second time in a little more than a year that the agency has masked the source of foodborne illness at a similar chain. In August 2010, a final CDC report found that 155 people in 21 states were sickened by two rare strains of salmonella traced to an anonymous Mexican-style fast-food chain eventually identified as Taco Bell.
Food safety advocates say the practice keeps the public in the dark about which firms have been linked to illness. “It will eventually come out and it will be the company that looks bad,” said Doug Powell, a professor of food safety at Kansas State University and author of a food safety blog. “A lot of these problems could be reduced if government agencies were more transparent about how they decide when to go public.” “The longstanding policy is we publicly identify a company only when people can use that information to take specific action to protect their health,” said Dr. Robert Tauxe, the CDC’s deputy director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. “On the other hand, if there’s not an important public health reason to use the name publicly, CDC doesn’t use the name publicly.”
But critics such as Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer, say that the government owes the public early and full disclosure during illness outbreaks. “In today’s society, where transparency is so important for decision-making, I just don’t think government has the right to withhold that information from the public,” said Marler, who has pushed hard for the CDC to identify the firm behind the latest outbreak. If Taco Bell were indeed the entity involved in the latest outbreak, the information would allow consumers to decide whether they wanted to continue eating at a fast-food chain implicated in similar outbreaks in 2006 and 2010, Marler said.
In the case of the outbreak of commercially produced salmonella Typhimurium that sickened 109 people between August 2010 and June 2011, including one man who died, the CDC withheld the specific strain that caused the illnesses. The victims of "strain X" were mostly clinical and teaching microbiology lab students and their families, but they could have spread the germs to the general public on contaminated lab coats and cells phones, investigators suggested. It was those lapses in lab practice, not the particular strain of bacteria, that caused most concern, officials said.
"No one is happy, and that's largely because there are no guidelines people can at least point to, whether they agree with the guidance or no," Powell said. Tauxe acknowledged there’s no written policy or checklist that governs that decision, only decades of precedent. “It’s a case-by-case thing and all the way back, as far as people can remember, there’s discussions of ‘hotel X’ or ‘cruise ship Y,” he said. That just doesn’t pass muster, said Marler and other critics. “If the CDC has a good, rational reason for doing what they’re doing, fine,” he said. “Then write it down and hold it up for people like you and I to scrutinize.”
So much for the promise of government transparency.


Thought for Today
"Mystics always hope that science will some day overtake them." — Booth Tarkington, American author-dramatist (1869-1946).

Today's flower: Clusia rosea or autograph tree - widely grown as an ornamental in tropical regions of the world. In Hawaii, C. rosea is commonly planted as a street, parking lot, or specimen tree.

[pegasus]

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Good afternoon from Tuxy and me
:)This is the 32nd day of 2012 with 333 days left in the year.

Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 5:52 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 43ºF [Feels like 36ºF], winds WSW @ 14 mph, humidity 68%, pressure 30.01 in and rising, dew point 33ºF, chance of precipitation 10%.

Today in History:
1790--the U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York. (However, since only three of the six justices were present, the court recessed until the next day.)
1861--Texas voted to secede from the Union at a Secession Convention in Austin.
1862--"The Battle Hymn of the Republic," a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly.
1896--Puccini's opera La Boheme premiered in Turin, Italy.
1902--Langston Hughes, poet and prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, was born; died 1967 at age 65.
1920--the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was established.
1922--in one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries, movie director William Desmond Taylor was shot to death in his Los Angeles home; the killing has never been solved.
1941--Joy Philbin of TV's The View turns 71 today.
1942--the Voice of America broadcast its first program to Europe, relaying it through the facilities of the BBC in London.
1943--one of America's most highly decorated military units, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up almost exclusively of Japanese-Americans, was authorized.
1946--Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the UN.
1960--four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., where they’d been refused service.
1962--the Ken Kesey novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was first published by Viking Press.
1968--Saigon's police chief, Nguyen Ngoc Loan, executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head.
1979--Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini received a tumultuous welcome in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile.
1982--Late Night with David Letterman premiered on NBC.
1991--34 people were killed when an arriving USAir jetliner crashed atop a commuter plane on a runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
1999--former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gave a vidotaped deposition for senators weighing impeachment charges against Pres. Clinton.
2002--Pres. Bush responded to the collapse of Enron by proposing regulation reforms of 401(k) retirement plans.
2002--actress Winona Ryder was charged with four felony counts stemming from her shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills, Calif.
2002--the NCAA placed Alabama on five years' probation, jolting the program with a two-year bowl ban and heavy scholarship reductions.
2003--the space shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry, killing all seven of its crew members.
2004--singer Janet Jackson's breast was briefly exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show.
2007--Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched anniversary celebrations for Iran's Islamic Revolution with a defiant promise to push ahead with the country's controversial nuclear program.
2007--Gian Carlo Menotti, Pulitzer Prize-winning opera composer (Ahmal and the Night Visitors) died in Monaco at age 95.
2011--Egyptian Pres. Mubarak announced he would not run for a new term but rejected protesters' demands he step down immediatelyafter a dramatic day in which a quarter-million Egyptians staged their biggest protest to date calling on him to go.


World News Capsules:
1. Afghans fear downturn as foreigners withdraw.

....The withdrawal of foreign troops, aid workers and billions of dollars in assistance has the potential to undo the fragile progress Afghans have made under the occupation.
a. Panetta sets end to Afghan combat role for US in 13.
....Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta cast the decision as an orderly step in the planned withdrawal, but it was the first time the US had put a date on stepping back from its central role in the war.
2. Help wanted to Apple plant, Chinese line p.
....On Monday, tens of thousands of people lined up outside a job agency to apply for an estimated 100,000 new jobs Foxconn, a key mnufacturer for Apple, is seeking to fill at its factory in Zhengzhou, the capital of central Henan province. Why? - “If they don’t work for Apple, those workers don’t have anywhere to shed their sweat and blood.”
a. Residents vote in Chinese village at center of protest.
....Less than two months after staging a bold protest against official corruption, thousands of people in the village of Wukan cast their first ostensibly independent votes.
2. 73 killed in clashes after Egypt soccer match.

....Multiple fatalities and hundreds of other injuries resulted from violence following a soccer match in Port Said, where fans flooded the field seconds after a match against a rival team was over, Egypt's Health ministry said. Fans of rival teams attacked each other with fists, stones, fireworks and bottles in one of the worst incidents of sports violence in Egypt in decades.
a. Humble museum aims for rebirth.
....The Egyptian Museum of Modern Art houses works by more than 1,500 Egyptian artists but has been overshadowed by the country's pharaonic and medieval Islamic heritage.
3. Helicopters used to evacuate, send food in Europe freeze.
...In Serb villages, 'snow is up to five meters high in some areas, youcan only see rooftops.'
a. Making it worse in Europe.
....European Union leaders agreed to sign a new measure to enforce fiscal austerity and restrict stimulus, which could be a dangerous approach.
4. UN nuclear inspectors hail 'good' talks with Iran.
....'We are committed to resolve all the outstanding issues ... And the Iranians said they are committed, too,' Herman Hackaerts, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and mission leader says. Inspectors will return to Iran on Feb. 21, suggesting that some common understanding had been reached regarding the country’s position regarding scrutiny of its nuclear program.
a. As Syria wobbles under pressure, Iran feels the weight of an alliance.
....Some American officials and political analysts say the downfall of Syria’s leader could also undermine Iran as its economy reels under sanctions.
5. Rare earth metal refinery nears approval.
....The opening of a plant in Malaysia appears imminent, even after street demonstrations over radiation worries, regulatory challenges and the withdrawal of a supplier worried about safety.
6. Pakistan and NATO officials downplay Taliban report.
....NATO and Pakistan leaders were scrambling to downplay a leaked report Wednesday featuring testimony by Taliban detainees who claim they are winning the war in Afghanistan, and poised to take over again once international forces leave, thanks in large measure to help from Pakistan’s security services.
7. At UN, pressure is on Russia for refusal to condemn Syria.
....As Arab and Western states confronted Russia over its refusal to sign on to a call for Pres. al-Assad to leave power, violence continued without pause in Syria.
a. Putin concedes he may not win in 1st round.
....While acknowledging that he may not win the presidency in the first round, Vladimir V. Putin said that a second round of voting would lead to political turbulence.
8. To combat modern ills, Korea looks to the past.
.....Confucian academies, or seowon, are drawing more students in a growing campaign to reawaken interest in Confucian teachings.
a. US Envoy pushes for improved ties between Koreas.
....A senior American diplomat said that Washington wanted North Korea to improve ties with South Korea before it would resume talks with leaders in Pyongyang.
9. In Spanish village, everyone's a winner, almost.
....All but one household in Sodeto, Spain, held at least a piece of a winning ticket in the Christmas lottery's huge first prize of $950 million, the biggest ever.
10. Soldier says Syrian atrocities forced him to defect.
....Ammar Cheikh Omar, who returned to his parents’ homeland from Germany, said he was forced to shoot at protesters and witness torture.
a. Fighting intensifies in Syria.

....An anti-Assad group known as the Free Syrian Army, composed partly of army defectors, has attacked and violently resisted loyalist forces.
b. Drones for human rights.
....With use of drones, the world could get clear, instant evidence of atrocities in Syria.
11. New twists and turns in Turkey's head-scarf debate.
....A television program featuring a woman in a head scarf driving a car set off a storm in Turkey.
12. UK Islamists who targeted US Embassy admit London bomb plot.
....Four British men pleaded guilty to involvement in an al-Qaida-inspired plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange and several other high-profile targets, including the American Embassy, in December 2010.
a. WikiLeaks founder appeals extradition at Britain's supreme court.

....Julian Assange was set to appear on Wednesday at Britain’s Supreme Court to appeal an order approving his extradition to Sweden

US News Capsules:
1. Beatboxing cellist astounds audiences.

....Kevin Olusola, a 23-year-old, multitalented, overachieving, “cello-boxing,” Mandarin-speaking, saxophone-playing, pre-med Yale graduate who came in second in a Yo-Yo Ma cello competition and first on NBC’s a cappella show The Sing-Off, who has revolutionized the cello, but his head hasn’t swelled.
2. American Airlines may cut up to 15,000 jobs.

....American Airlines officials were meeting with their three major unions amid reports that the bankrupt airline company is making plans to eliminate up to 15,000 jobs.
3. High times in the Bronx: 593 marijuana plants found.
....New York police raided a five-story Bronx building that they believe was being used as a massive marijuana farm with hundreds of plants in an elaborate growing system, seizing 593 plants (some as tall as 7 feet), as well as 76 pounds of dried, cut and packaged marijuana.
4. Breast cncer surgery rules are called unclear.
....Nearly half of lumpectomy patients who had second operations may not have needed them, a new study finds/
5. Personal data's value? Facebook is set to find out.

....At long last, the Holy Grail of Internet IPOs is here: Facebook files to raise $5 billion in an initial public offering. As of December 31, it had 845 million daily active users. The social network's stock offering, expected to value the company at $80 billion to $100 billion, is bound to raise even more concerns about privacy and other issues.
6. After a delay, MF Global's missing money is traced.
....While the authorities have traced hundreds of millions of dollars from MF Global, investigators do not know whether they can retrieve the money.
7. Letterman anniversary is like a low-key guest.
....David Letterman on Wednesday will celebrate 30 years as a late-night host - but don't expect to see much mention of it on his show or elsewhere.
8. After workers are fired, an immigration debate roils California campus.

....At Pomona College, dining hall employees were fired after questions about their residency status, prompting a debate over what it means to be a liberal college.
10. Indiana governor signs 'Rght to Work' law.
....The state becomes the 23rd in the nation to bar union contracts from requiring non-union members to pay representation fees
POLITICS:
1. Why Romney's poverty gaffe could hurt him.

....Today Mitt Romney uttered the words: "I'm not concerned bout the very poor.We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it...But my campaign is focused on middle income Americans. My campaign – you can choose where to focus. You can focus on the rich. That's not my focus. You can focus on the very poor. That's not my focus."(In fact, according to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, the largest benefits of Romney's tax plan go to the wealthy, not the middle class.)
a. Romney, eye still on GOP foes, turns to face Obama.
....The commanding win offered a forceful response to the questions that were raised about Mitt Romney’s candidacy
2. Gingrich accuses Romney of denying kosher meals to Holocaust survivors.
....A Gingrich robo-call said, "As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney vetoed a bill paying for Kosher foods for our seniors in nursing home -- Holocaust survivors, who for the first time were forced to eat non-kosher because Romney thought $5 was too much to pay for our grandparents to eat kosher," a man says in the robo call. "Where is Mitt Romney's compassion for our seniors? Tuesday, you can end Mitt Romney's hypocrisy on religious freedom with a vote for Newt Gingrich. Paid for by Newt 2012."
3. Pro-Ron Paul PAC misses $$$ deadline, blames credit card co.
....A Super PAC supporting Ron Paul was the only major presidential fundraising operation to miss Tuesday's federal deadline for disclosing its donors. The Revolution PAC blamed an error by its credit card company. Because of bad information provided by the company, the PAC told the Federal Election Commission, it didn't know who its donors were. Two other PACs supporting Paul did file their reports on time.
4. Obama proposes $5-10 billion for home refinancing, with Romney in mind.

....Pres. Obama called on Congress to approve a $5 billion to $10 billion effort to help U.S. homeowners refinance as part of a wider package of proposals to shore up the depressed housing market, including a tax on banks to pay for the plan that Republicans rejected. The proposal is an lternative to those - namely Mitt Romney - who contend that the market must bottom out.
5. Oregon Democrats retain House seat.
....Democrats held on to an open Congressional seat as returns in a special election showed that Suzanne Bonamici would complete the term of former Representative David Wu.

Today's Headlines of Interest:

Automakers start year with strong sales.

People are trading in their older cars after delaying purchases during the economic downturn. Car sales zoomed ahead in January, with many automakers reporting solid sales at the start of a year expected to show a steady gain in vehicle purchases. Chrysler, now privately held and majority owned by Italy’s Fiat, was the notable standout for the month, with a 44% rise in U.S. auto sales, led by gains for its Jeep brand, while its larger domestic rival General Motors lost ground in a month marked by modest growth. Chrysler’s sales blew past some analysts’ expectations of a 35 percent increase, demonstrating the remarkable comeback of the smallest U.S. automaker nearly three years after its taxpayer-funded bankruptcy restructuring. It also reported its first full-year profit since 1997.
GM, the largest U.S. automaker, reported a 6% drop in sales for the month, while Ford posted sales that were 7% higher, spurred by a 60% jump in sales of the Focus. Japan’s Toyota said its January sales in the U.S. rose 7.5% as momentum from the fourth quarter of last year picked up speed. Older cars, which now average a record 11 years old, are helping to boost new car sales as people trade them in after delaying purchases during the economic downturn. Volkswagen and Nissan reported sales gains for January. VW sales rose 48% to 27,209 vehicles, buoyed by the introduction of its Passat sedan. It was the German automaker’s best sales month in decades. Nissan’s U.S. sales rose 10.4% to 79,313.


Thought for Today
"Facts and truth really don't have much to do with each other."
—-William Faulkner, ANobel laureate novelist and poet (1897-1962).

Today's flower: Prunus subhirtella or Higan cherry - a medium sized deciduous tree growing to 40-50-ft tall. It is a naturally occurring hybrid from Japan that generally features non-fragrant pale pink to white flowers in spring, pea-sized blackish fruits in late summer and ovate to lanceolate green leaves