Monday, December 26, 2011

2012 Rose Parade "Donate Life Float" To Honor Mid-Southerner

A young man named Michael Gilmore should be planning to celebrate the holidays with his family in Helena West Helena, AR this week. Instead, the 24 year old's image?will be a part of the 2012 Rose Parade's "Donate Life Float" as it rolls through Pasadena, CA on January 2, 2012.

The Mid-Southerner is one of 72 people whose portraits will be featured on the float, honoring those who donated vital organs, tissue or eyes so that countless others might have life.

The young man was full of promise, a 2004 honors graduate of West Helena High School where he had played football, ran track and participated in the JROTC. After high school, ?Michael enrolled at Phillips Community College where he earned his Associates Degree and began dreaming of a career.

A gifted athlete, Michael headed to Jonesboro to earn a degree in Physical Education at Arkansas State University. He juggled his studies, a part-time job at Wal-Mart and a regular referee gig for ASU's intramural sports. Life looked good for the fun loving college student who should have graduated from ASU in December 2010. ?But in a case that has baffled police, Michael was found dead of a gunshot wound in his Jonesboro apartment on April 17, 2010. The case remains unsolved. Police have no suspects.

Michael's body was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis where the Gilmore family gathered and confirmed the shocking news. Michael Deon (Rudy) Gilmore was gone. But Michael's mother, Jerlene Gilmore, remembered her son applying for a drivers license and deliberately deciding to sign up for organ donation.

"Why shouldn't I?, I won't need them," Jerlene recalls her son saying. ?

Michael kept a journal which contained the following entry, "the meaning of my life is to help others. I don't have a doubt in my mind that I was put here to help people some way or some how." ?

Michael's journal entry became more prophetic than he could ever have realized. Two of the people who received Michael's vital organs united with his family at Phillips Community College this week to create Michael's "Floragraph," a portrait created with floral materials. Sammy Robinson received Michael's heart; Verna Harris of Memphis received one of Michal's kidneys. They helped decorate Michael's posterized photograph, a floral image that will be affixed to the Donate Life Float and appear before a television audience estimated at more than 47 million at the Rose Parade.

Jerlene Gilmore and Michael's brother Demarcus and sister Kaneisha will travel to Pasadena to witness the moment and honor their loved one's life. ?

In addition to the images, the Donate Life Float will feature 28 living riders, representing donors, transplant recipients and transplant candidates on the waiting list. ??

Randa Lipman, Community Outreach Manager of the Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. has worked hard to tell Michael's story as a means of encouraging more people to sign up for organ donation.

Ms. Lipman said, ?"the main thing we need to do is tell people to register on the Organ and Tissue Donor Registry in their state. Your many viewers?in the Mid-South, can go to our website: www.midsouthtransplant.org and they?ll find links to the Registry?s in TN, AR & MS. People can register every time they get or renew their driver?s license, permit or state ID. They?ll also find the facts about donation as well as myths and misconceptions explained there so they can make an informed decision for themselves and then share that decision with their family."

The Donate Life Float will also carry thousands of roses with personal dedications of love and remembrance in a unique Dedication Garden supported by people around the world---even places far from the parade route like Helena West Helena, AR. ??

?

Source: http://crittendencounty.wmctv.com/news/community-spirit/66313-2012-rose-parade-donate-life-float-honor-mid-southerner

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Roethlisberger will not start for Steelers (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Injured Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will definitely not start and probably will not play at all on Saturday when the Steelers host the St. Louis Rams, the National Football League team said on Friday.

Roethlisberger, who has a badly sprained left ankle, will be replaced by back-up Charlie Batch in the starting role, the Steelers said.

Roethlisberger was listed as questionable for the game.

Despite the injury that has limited his mobility, the two-time Super Bowl winner started Monday's game at San Francisco and passed for 330 yards but was intercepted three times in the 20-3 loss to the 49ers.

Coach Mike Tomlin decided to go with Batch against St. Louis, though, with the Steelers (10-4) already having clinched a playoff berth. They remain in the race for the AFC North Division title.

Batch, 39, has compiled a 4-2 record with the Steelers over the past six years. His last start came in October 2010.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo North Carolina; Editing by Julian Linden)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/sp_nm/us_nfl_steelers_roethlisberger

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Alan Wake's American Nightmare was born out of the Fight Till Dawn arcade mode (Digital Trends)

alan-wakes-american-nightmare-7

Remedy?s Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake was a breath of fresh air for video games when it finally arrived in 2010 after an extended development period. Here was a game that seemed to be putting story ahead of everything else. It was fun to play, with combat built around mechanics involving light and shadow, but the narrative was the real hook, with its serial TV drama-style presentation and episodic arrangement.

Remedy?s recently confirmed early 2012 Xbox Live Arcade release Alan Wake?s American Nightmare ALSO has a story, but it?s one that is best viewed as a spin-off. In fact, the plan for a game technically existed before a story was even in the picture, as I learned during a recent sitdown in New York City with Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne and head of franchise development Oskari H?kkinen.

?Alan Wake was a tip of the hat to Alfred Hitchcock, to Stephen King, to Lost, and this has a different feel and a different focus,? H?kkinen told me. ?Some of the influences are pointing more toward Quentin Tarantino, with a Dusk ?Til Dawn-ish grindhouse feel to it. More pulp fiction.?

?So how this came about? after Alan Wake, we were looking at what people liked and it seemed kind of universally agreed that everyone liked the story, the characters, the cinematics and the thriller-esque feeling it. But one thing that a lot of people were saying was that they would?ve liked to have seen a further escalation in the combat, perhaps some different types of weapons and enemies as well. More variation as the story progressed.?

The team used that feedback to create a sort of ???white room sandbox,??

?We put lots of wild stuff in there,? H?kkinen said. ?It just seemed like the perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade. That?s how it started off.?

From there the idea was pitched over to Remedy creative director Sam Lake, who saw a good opportunity to tell another Wake story. He also acknowledged that the more outrageous sampling of weapons and enemies cooked up for what we now know as Alan Wake?s American Nightmare wouldn?t necessarily fit within the narrative framework established in the 2010 game. That?s where the next piece of the puzzle fell into place, with Night Springs.

The story in American Nightmare puts players in control of Wake as he lives through an episode of the TV series Night Springs, a Twilight Zone-like show in the Wake universe that players got glimpses of in the previous game. ?These kind of weapons and enemies fit in perfectly,? H?kkinen said. ?It?s a little bit lighter and it?s something anyone could jump on board with. But for the fans out there, there?s tons of optional story content as well that connects the dots to the first game and explains why we are here.?

Myllyrinne chimed in at this point. ?I think the other consideration we had was, we felt that the medium needs to be reflected in the content. So when you play an XBLA game? even though we?re challenging a lot of the conventions [with American Nightmare], people want to pick it up and play [an XBLA game] to have fun. I think having something like the [Fight Till Dawn survival] arcade mode makes perfect sense for that medium.?

?When we look at the story mode [in American Nightmare], it?s a more contracted experience compared to a full-on 12 to 15 hour adventure. We wanted to introduce these elements really rapidly and make sure that players can jump in and [just] enjoy them, get right down to the core of the ?fight with light? combat mechanics and also a story that has a meaningful structure to it.?

The big surprise for me in all of this was hearing that American Nightmare, a spinoff of one of the most successfully executed game narratives? well? ever, was actually born out of a relatively simple and straightforward arcade-style survival mode. What?s more, that survival mode itself exists only because of the dev team?s efforts to respond to critical and fan feedback. I mentioned this and got nods of agreement from the Remedy guys.

?We?ve done games before where we started more from a narrative perspective. This time, the broad narrative was done already because we?ve plotted out Wake?s journey, if you will,? Myllyrinne explaied. ?We started very much from a gaming perspective here. I wish I could say we had a grand design, but it was more iterative and just kind of came from the arcade mode.?

?It?s a fun time to try to do things slightly differently and in a more concise period of time and so we just cut loose and had fun and had more liberties than you would have than in, for example, a game like the original Wake, where you have a distinctive and different style that you want to achieve. Here we were able to put the gameplay first.?

?We were having such a blast with the early test levels ourselves and we kind of felt, WE like it, and we?d like to share it out with the world. So we took the ball and ran with it, rang up Microsoft and said, ?Oh, by the way, we have a surprise for you.? They were stoked when we showed it to them. They thought it was something kind of different from what they?ve seen before. We?ve been really excited about their support and they?re excited about the opportunity as well.?

H?kkinen chimed in here. ?We looked at what people really loved about Alan Wake and then had a look at what gamers perhaps really want. So this is really from gamers to gamers.?

alan-wakes-american-nightmare-1

Looking at the history, American Nightmare is really just the latest evolution for a development studio that has tended to push itself in different directions with each new project. Whether it?s Max Payne fusing third-person shooter action with bullet-time and a strong narrative focus or Wake with its ?fight with light? combat and unconventional yet highly effective approach to story pacing. Then there?s Death Rally, the combat-oriented iOS racer played from a top-down perspective that was released earlier this year.

?With Death Rally earlier this year we worked with a smaller developer to get something different out to the iPhone and iPad. We love those kinds of devices and ecosystems like the App Store and XBLA. It?s one of those things where we felt we could just be quicker to respond,? Myllyrinne explained.

?We do read our Facebook sites, we do read our community sites, and a lot of the e-mail and feedback. That?s part of the reason, for example, when Microsoft gave us the freedom to bring Wake to PC, which we?re doing early next year, we ran with it because we were getting a lot of requests for it. Maybe it?s changing in many ways. This used to be an industry where you needed to work really hard to sell your concept to a publisher who would then work really hard to sell it to retail who would then work really hard to sell it to the audience. Whereas now it?s more instantaneous, where you actually have the creative team who?s driving it in direct interaction with the audience.?

Bringing it back to Wake, H?kkinen reassured me that the particular change in direction we?re seeing with American Nightmare isn?t necessarily a signal to fans that the series as a whole is changing along with it. ?It?s an IP that?s very, very important to us. I think we do great things with Alan Wake. This spinoff experience is a little bit different, but there?s merit to it because it?s set in Night Springs,? he said.

H?kkinen then went on to admit that American Nightmare ?does connect some dots? within the larger story, ?so it?s not a complete spin-off.? The Night Springs package is really meant to challenge players with a wider set of enemies and a wider set of tools to attack those enemies with. The thing that Remedy wants fans to remember is that American Nightmare DOES slot into the bigger picture.

?You could argue that, within the fiction, Wake ? because his fiction can become real ? he?s perhaps writing himself out of the Dark Place or attempting to get to his wife,? Myllyrinne said. ?There is a?? He sighs at this point, cutting himself off. ?I don?t want to give away the story.?

H?kkinen came to the rescue here. ?There IS a back story to this. Early on in his career, [Wake] had written several episodes of Night Springs. And now you are playing an episode of Night Springs. And this episode happens to be written by Alan Wake himself.?

?How we spin the yarn and how it comes together is something that we planned ahead and do build on,? Myllyrinne explained. ?For example, Mr. Scratch was alluded to in the [original Alan Wake] DLC, and we alluded to the fact that Wake had written Night Springs a little bit. So we are building these different pieces, and hopefully when they all fall into place people will be able to see where it all came from.?

?Another connection to Bright Falls and what?s happened is Mr. Scratch is an urban legend that?s become real,? H?kkinen added. ?That comes out of Alan Wake going missing, he was in the Dark Place. When [he] went missing, the locals in Bright Falls started talking about this writer/rockstar who came to their town and murdered his wife in a cabin. So that?s where the urban legend was born that is now Mr. Scratch, which is darkness shaped in Alan Wake?s image.?

?We will continue with [the series], but where the future is at with it? if people really love this [arcade] stuff, perhaps it?s in the cards to do a little more with this as well, around Night Springs. But with Alan Wake as well, it?s something people really love and we?re storytellers after all, so it?ll be exciting to tell more of the story.?

In other words, don?t change that channel, folks. More Wake to come. For now, stay tuned for American Nightmare, coming to Xbox Live Arcade early next year.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

Alan Wake?s American Nightmare preview

Xbox LIVE dashboard upgrade leaks

Microsoft pays tribute to Star Wars with limited edition Xbox 360

Microsoft?s complete game lineup from E3 2011

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111223/tc_digitaltrends/alanwakesamericannightmarewasbornoutofthefighttilldawnarcademode

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

World Juniors: Don Hay still undecided on Canada's starting goalie

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nationalpost.com/World+Juniors+still+undecided+Canada+starting+goalie/5909069/story.html

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Iraq's Maliki tells Kurds to hand over Sunni leader (Reuters)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday called on Kurdish authorities to hand Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi over to judicial officials to face charges his office had run death squads.

"We ask our brothers in the Kurdistan region to take responsibility and hand the wanted person over to the judiciary. His running to another state would create problems," Maliki told a press conference.

Hashemi, who denied the charges, travelled to semi-autonomous Kurdistan after Maliki's central government sought his arrest, a move that has heightened sectarian tensions soon after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq.

(Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111221/wl_nm/us_iraq

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Pigeons Can Follow Abstract Number-Counting Rules

60-Second Science60-Second Science | More Science

Trained pigeons demonstrate an ability to use abstract number-counting rules on par with primates, and to recognize which groups of items contain more of those items. Sophie Bushwick reports

More 60-Second Science

Several vertebrate species can distinguish between, say, two and five bananas?but with the exception of primates, they can?t grasp the numerical rules that would let them arrange their piles of fruit from least to most. Now, new research suggests that pigeons, like primates, can follow these abstract numerical rules. The study is in the journal Science. [Damian Scarf, Harlene Hayne and Michael Colombo, "Pigeons on Par with Primates in Numerical Competence"]

Researchers trained pigeons with cards on which were pictures of one, two or three shapes, sometimes in different sizes and colors. The birds were ultimately able to correctly pick a card with one large green square first, followed by a card with two small red ovals, followed by one showing three long blue rods.

Then, the pigeons demonstrated a new ability?faced with two cards each showing up to nine images, they could tell which card had more. Which indicates that they had an abstract understanding of the single-digit amounts. Rhesus monkeys trained in a similar way displayed the same talents. Whether this shared ability evolved independently or came from a common ancestor is unclear. But it is clear that birdbrains aren?t so dumb.

?Sophie Bushwick

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]?


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=af1ade15a2b8de2a551ba8107cf67adb

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Mommy Must-Have: Katie Holmes and Hilary Duff?s Cozy Wrap

Katie Holmes and Hilary Duff look chic in their Line Folklore sweater. Check them out and get the details on where to buy it.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/eSoBJiGropo/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

ProPublica: California Republicans Call for Official Investigation of Dems? Redistricting Tactics: http://t.co/fd7Oh765

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California Republicans Call for Official Investigation of Dems? Redistricting Tactics: bit.ly/u1R4Yd ProPublica

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Source: http://twitter.com/ProPublica/statuses/149677220913360896

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Cradle of Arab Spring celebrates first anniversary (Reuters)

SIDI BOUZID, Tunisia (Reuters) ? Tens of thousands of people packed a provincial town square to celebrate the first anniversary on Saturday of Tunisia's democratic revolution in the place where it began, unleashing a tide of popular revolt that has transformed the Arab world.

The festive mood in Sidi Bouzid was tempered somewhat, however, by reminders that democratic change in Tunisia has yet to ease poverty and high unemployment - bread and butter issues that preoccupy many Tunisians and have triggered rioting.

The fuse for "Arab Spring" uprisings was lit when a jobless unemployed university graduate in Sidi Bouzid set himself on fire in despair at police who had confiscated his unlicensed fruit and vegetable cart. He died later in hospital.

Mohamed Bouazizi's death took the lid off simmering anger about poverty, joblessness, corruption and repression. Protests erupted across Tunisia, forcing autocratic President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country less than a month later.

Tunisia's revolution inspired other Arabs to rise up against entrenched authoritarian rulers. They were overthrown in Egypt and Libya. Yemen's leader has stepped aside for a reformist transition while Syria's president faces a spreading insurgency.

In Sidi Bouzid, tens of thousands of people rallied joyfully in the central square, dancing to the rhythms of popular songs despite cold weather, and flags and photographs of Tunisians killed in the uprising decorated the streets.

A ceremony was held, attended by the new president and his prime minister, to unveil a giant status of Bouazizi, who has become a national hero in the North African country.

"It's a day of joy; Sidi Bouzid has long suffered from neglect and today it has become the capital of the world," said a dancing young man who identified himself as Emad.

"On December 17 last year, the Arab world began a new page of history, this is really a source of pride," he said.

Celebrations will run through the weekend with some leading international figures on hand, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Yemeni opposition activist Tawakkol Karman.

But Manoubia Bouazizi, Mohammed's mother, conveyed the underlying concerns of many by urging Tunisian authorities to parlay the revolution into a better quality of life for the population, especially the young.

"(My son) set himself alight to grant liberty to Tunisia and the Arab world ... I ask government officials to pay attention to poor areas and provide jobs for young people," she said.

"ONLY JOBS CAN RESTORE OUR DIGNITY"

Moncef Marzouki, made president this week as part of a governing coalition installed after Tunisia's first democratic vote, paid tribute to Tunisians who defied Ben Ali and in some cases paid with their lives to see through the revolution.

"Sidi Bouzid, which has suffered from marginalization, restored the dignity of all Tunisians," he said. "We have pledged to restore the joy of life to these areas."

Tunisia's revolution has brought democratic freedoms for the first time since independence from France in 1956.

But it has not so far tackled poverty and rampant joblessness. In fact, the revolution has set back the economy by frightening off some tourists and foreign investors.

Popular resentment over economic woes has boiled over into rioting in several towns in recent weeks. Protesters set fire to some public buildings and clashed with security forces.

"Honoring Sidi Bouzid is good but we need to work, only jobs can restore our dignity. People here need bread, not a musical instrument to entertain themselves," Nabila Abidi, an unemployed university graduate, told Reuters in the town.

"The new government must understand the message well and take care of us and improve our conditions. If not, the revolution will return," said Mansour Amamou, another resident.

Tunisia's gross domestic product growth is forecast to drop to about 0.2 percent in 2011 from 3 percent in the last year of Ben Ali's rule. However, officials expect it to bounce back to 4.5 percent in 2012.

Unemployment, at 13 percent at the end of 2010, is now at 18.3 percent, according to central bank figures. The jobless rate among young people is much higher.

Voters in October handed victory to the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. A cabinet line-up is expected to be announced in coming days. The new leaders will hold power for a year while a new constitution is drawn up and fresh elections are prepared.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111217/wl_nm/us_tunisia_arabspring

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Police find fifth victim in Belgium grenade attack

Sudpresse via Reuters

Gunman Nordine Amrani is seen in a handout photo made available on Wednesday.

By msnbc.com and news services

LIEGE, Belgium - Investigators have found the body of a woman in a shed belonging to?the gunman who killed four people and wounded 125 in eastern Belgium on Tuesday.

The body was found following an overnight search of the building, which police said shooter Nordine Amrani had used to grow cannabis.


The 33-year-old brought carnage to the eastern city of Liege by hurling grenades and spraying bullets into crowds of Christmas shoppers.

Two boys aged 15 and 17 were killed, along with a 75-year-old woman and a toddler of just 17 months, whom hospital doctors fought for hours to save.

It was still unclear what drove Amrani to carry out the attack, and investigators were trying to build a profile of the man.

He was previously jailed for possession of arms and drugs offenses.

On the morning of the killings he had been called in for questioning by police in a sexual abuse case, the Associated Press reported.

Michel Krakowski / AFP - Getty Images

A body, suspected to be gunman Nordine Amrani who opened fire children and Christmas shoppers in Leige, Belgium.

Police said the body of his fifth victim was a 45-year-old woman who worked as a cleaner for one of his neighbors.

Prosecutor Cedric Visart de Bocarme told Belgian La Premiere radio station: "A search last night revealed in a warehouse used by the attacker, notably to grow cannabis, the body of a woman killed by the attacker before he went to the Place Saint Lambert.

"The enormous concern we have is how it was possible for someone seemingly sensible and normal to do this. It was a delinquent, someone who had difficulties throughout their life."

Previous conviction
Amrani was freed from jail about a year ago following a 2008 conviction for illegal possession of arms and for growing a huge field of cannabis. A report in Britain's Daily Telegraph?said police found 10 firearms and 9,500 gun parts along with 2,800 cannabis plants, but a prison official granted Amrani early release last year.

The report said he was a weapons aficionado and was said to be able to dismantle, repair and put together a number of different weapons but was never linked to any terrorist act or network.

"He has no history of terrorist acts," prosecutor Daniele Reynders told a news conference on Tuesday.

Instead of reporting to the police station as requested on Tuesday, he took a light automatic rifle, a handgun and several grenades and went onto the roof of a bakery in the central Saint-Lambert square before hurling the weapons into the crowd.

How exactly he died was not immediately clear, with some witnesses claiming he turned his revolver on himself while others said one of his grenades appeared to explode prematurely.

Liege's mayor, Willy Demeyer, said the two teenage victims had been taking school exams nearby just before the attack.

Bruno Devoghel / Photonews via Getty Images

People flee the grenade attack in the heart of Liege, Belgium on December 13.

At Amrani's most recent address, an apartment block near the scene of the attack, Johan Buron said he had been astonished to learn what his neighbor had done.

"He was calm, every time I met him in the corridor he was very friendly and said 'Hi'," he told Reuters. "If my memory serves me right, he was a welder."

Random killings are rare in Belgium. Most recently, in January 2009, a man stabbed two infants and a woman to death and injured 13 at a nursery in the town of Dendermonde.

Reuters, The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

Read more content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9434682-fifth-victim-found-as-belgian-police-profile-city-center-killer

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Dutch Catholic church 'sexually abused thousands'

Tens of thousands of children have been victims of sexual abuse by the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands since 1945, an independent commission said on Friday, criticising what it called the church's cover-up and cultural silence.

The commission estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 minors were sexually abused while in the care of Catholic institutions such as orphanages, boarding schools and seminaries, between 1945 and 1981, with offences ranging from the very mild to the serious, including rape. After 1981 there were few church-run homes for minors.

It also said that from the end of World War Two until 2010, "several tens of thousands of minors were subjected to mild, serious and very serious forms of inappropriate sexual behaviour in the Roman Catholic Church".

But it said sexual abuse was no more prevalent in Catholic institutions than in similar ones run by other groups.

"Sexual abuse of minors is widespread in Dutch society," the commission said.

Abuse by Catholic priests, laymen and laywomen was systematically covered up by the church to protect its reputation, the commission said, adding that the church was guilty of "inadequate supervision" and "inadequate action".

The findings appear to paint a picture of wider abuse in the Netherlands even than in Ireland, in a scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in Europe and the United States and forced Pope Benedict to apologise to victims of sexual abuse by priests.

The investigation was commissioned by the Conference of Bishops and the Dutch Religious Conference in 2010 after cases surfaced involving paedophile priests in the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States.

"The (religious) orders were dealing with cases. The idea that people did not know it and administrators did not know it cannot be maintained," said Wim Deetman, a Protestant former education minister and former mayor of The Hague who led the commission.

The report criticised the church for protecting paedophile priests as it tried to put the reputation of the church above care and concern for the victims.

Most of the cases involved mild to moderate abuse, such as touching, but it said that it estimated there were "several thousand" instances of rape.

"Everyone can be shocked that this history has come in this magnitude. Everyone can be taken aback that the Church has lied about this and covered it up," Guido Klabbers from the KLOKK lobby group of child abuse victims told public broadcaster NOS.

The church is due to respond in a separate press conference on Friday.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45696203/ns/world_news-europe/

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Fitch cuts ratings on 8 major banks (AP)

NEW YORK ? Fitch Ratings on Thursday downgraded its viability ratings on eight of the world's biggest banks, citing increased challenges facing the banking sector due to weak economic growth and heightened regulation.

The firm lowered its viability ratings for Bank of America Corp., Barclays PLC, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse AG, Deutsche Bank AG, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale.

Bank of America's viability rating was lower to "bbb," which Fitch says denotes "good" prospects for ongoing viability. It had been "a-." The other banks have new ratings of "a-," "a," or "a+," a range denoting "strong" prospects for ongoing viability, according to Fitch.

It also downgraded its long-term issuer-default rating for most of the banks: Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. The ratings still remain well into investment grade, at "A" or "A+" following the downgrades.

Fitch affirmed its long-term issuer-default ratings for Morgan Stanley, Society Generale and UBS AG.

In addition, it affirmed UBS' viability rating at "a-."

The rating changes follow a review by Fitch of large banks.

Fitch said that the group of large global banks is particularly sensitive to the challenges that financial markets face, including economic jolts and regulatory changes.

While the large banks have made significant progress it building up capital and liquidity to hedge against market challenges, Fitch said it believes the lenders remain vulnerable to market turmoil, especially during periods of financial stress.

The banks' complex business models make it more difficult to assess the size of losses that could emerge from unexpected events, Fitch said.

The firm anticipates market conditions will ease over time, but expects market volatility to remain elevated above historical averages. It also sees economic growth in development markets remaining subdued.

Even so, Fitch said it believes that the large global banks are in a much better position today to deal with difficult market conditions than in 2008, when the financial crisis hit.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_bi_ge/us_fitch_global_banks

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Gingrich on air in Iowa ahead of caucuses (AP)

WASHINGTON ? TITLE: "Is The America We Love A Thing Of the Past? Newt Says No."

LENGTH: One minute.

AIRING: Scheduled for Iowa television and cable markets.

KEY IMAGES: The ad is laden with Americana, down to the white picket fence, the Statue of Liberty and the American stars and stripes.

Gingrich's ad uses stock images of Main Street, a mountain range, a steel plant and a farm, all appealing to a sense of patriotism. As Gingrich speaks, the imagery fades from one tableau to another.

"Some people say the America we know and love is a thing of the past. I don't believe that, because working together I know we can rebuild America," Gingrich says into the camera in the minute-long spot.

"We can revive our economy and create jobs, shrink government and the regulations that strangle our businesses, throw out the tax code and replace it with one that is simple and fair," Gingrich continues as the video shows a woman working as a florist and men working in a factory.

"We can regain the world's respect by standing strong again, being true to our faith and respecting one another," he says as the ad shows Marines in dress uniforms and church steeples.

"We can return power to the people and to the states we live in so we'll all have more freedom, opportunity and control of our lives. Yes, working together, we can and will rebuild the America we love," Gingrich concludes while the ad shows a rancher herding cattle, the Des Moines statehouse and a teacher working with a student.

ANALYSIS: The Reagan-esque, upbeat ad doesn't mention any of Gingrich's rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and instead tugs at caucus-goers' heartstrings.

Gingrich, enjoying a popular surge, is using his first ad to promote a positive vision for a campaign rooted in optimism and ideas. The former House speaker is leaning heavily on rosy nostalgia as he looks to quickly build support that his rivals have had months ? if not years ? to put together.

Gingrich's ad is a hearty helping of what Republican voters are looking for ? American greatness, criticism of Washington's regulation and taxes, and faith. And while it never explicitly criticizes President Barack Obama, the ad clearly depicts Gingrich as the answer to the struggling economy that tops voters' concerns.

Gingrich's campaign imploded and went broke during the summer but is having something of a comeback just as voters are tuning in. Gingrich went into October with more than a million dollars in debt but seems to have picked up the fundraising pace as his rivals stumbled. Coming off a string of strong debate performances, Gingrich has turned to GOP donors and voters with the pitch that he's best suited to take on Obama next year.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas already are airing ads in Iowa.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_el_ge/us_gingrich_adwatch

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Medical Frontiers 12-5-11: Cancer and Radiation Treatment ? CBS ...

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) ? This week, Medical Frontiers discusses the treatment of cancer with radiation.

They answer your questions and take your calls.

Listen to Medical Fontiers every Monday night from 7pm-8pm on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA!

Medical Frontiers is an informational program sponsored by the West Penn Allegheny Health System.

Radiation Treatment

Source: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/12/05/medical-frontiers-12-5-11-cancer-and-radiation-treatment/

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Kennedy Center Honors celebrates Streep, Diamond (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama revealed a secret crush and Caroline Kennedy crooned to her namesake song on Sunday at the Kennedy Center Honors, which celebrated actress Meryl Streep and singer Neil Diamond.

The annual awards program, which also honored singer Barbara Cook, jazz great Sonny Rollins, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, brought together stars from the stage and screen in a celebration of music, movies, and Broadway shows.

"Right now, somewhere in America, there is a future Kennedy Center honoree - practicing on some phone books, or writing songs to impress a girl, or wondering if she can cut it on the big stage," Obama said at the White House, greeting the winners before the show and noting the importance of the arts.

It turns out the president once fell for Streep, the actress who has been nominated for 16 Academy Awards and won two.

"Anybody who saw 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' had a crush on her," Obama said, joking that he was straying from his prepared remarks.

Of Diamond, Obama said his songs could be heard everywhere from baseball games to children's movies.

"With a voice he describes as being full of gravel, potholes, left turns and right turns, he went on to sell more than 125 million records," Obama said.

The "Sweet Caroline" singer told reporters he would thank Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of slain President John F. Kennedy, for being the namesake of that signature song.

"I'm going to thank her for giving me the title for 'Sweet Caroline,'" Diamond said before the show. "The story really is about my former wife and myself, but it is her name that I used, and I have to thank her for that."

Kennedy, who presided over the evening, referred to Diamond with a line from the tune -- "reaching out, touching me" -- to laughter from the audience. She later joined singer Smokey Robinson and other performers for a rendition of the song, crooning along somewhat awkwardly.

HUMOR, MUSIC

In other crowd-pleasing moments, comedian Stephen Colbert gave a humorous introduction to the music of Ma, who first played for a U.S. president at the age of 7.

"Yo-Yo doesn't just play the cello. He rocks it. He shreds it. He cranks it up and he rips off the knob - metaphorically, of course, because the knobs on a Stradivarius are like a half a million dollars a piece," he said.

Obama said he could learn a thing or two from the cellist.

"Maybe the most amazing thing about Yo-Yo Ma is that everybody likes him," Obama said at the White House, drawing laughter. "You've got to give me some tips."

Actor Bill Cosby introduced the portion of the show dedicated to Rollins, saying the musician's tenor sax became a legend. Rollins, 81, told reporters his award celebrated a uniquely American form of music - jazz.

"America is the home of jazz, it's where we started jazz, and people love jazz all over the world," he told reporters.

Actresses Glenn Close and Patti LuPone joined a lineup of top stage stars that sang a series of songs honoring Cook, who achieved fame with roles in "Candide" and "The Music Man" on Broadway decades ago.

"Thank you, Barbara for all the music - the joys, the longing, the sadness and humor with which you infuse each song," said actor Matthew Broderick who, along with wife Sarah Jessica Parker, addressed the audience about Cook.

This was the 34th version of the Kennedy Center Honors. It will be broadcast by CBS on December 27.

(Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111205/stage_nm/us_usa_kennedy_honors

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Rip Current Risk for South Florida Beaches

Getty Images

Officials warn South Floridians should be careful about rip currents.

The National Weather Service issued a rip current risk early Saturday morning that will remain in effect through the evening.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties that are expected to experience 20 m.p.h winds and wave action, according to the NWS.

The threat will remain through the weekend along the Atlantic coast. Swimming is not advised.

The NWS said beachgoers should listen to lifeguards and pay attention to flags and signs.

If caught in a rip current, remain calm and swim parallel to shore. Do not try to swim directly against the current, according to the NWS.

Click here for NBC Miami's weather forecasts and live interactive radar.

Posted Saturday, Dec 3, 2011 - 10:50 AM EST

Source: http://feeds.nbcmiami.com/click.phdo?i=7069f829fdf3993431d41eda636dafdb

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Two US governors petition for medical marijuana (Reuters)

SEATTLE (Reuters) ? The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment.

Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island are asking for the DEA to reclassify marijuana as a schedule 2 drug from schedule 1 - where it is listed alongside heroin and ecstasy - which would make it legal for doctors to recommend its use and pharmacists to supply it.

"Poll after poll shows an overwhelming majority of Americans now see medical marijuana as legitimate," said Gregoire of Washington, where pot-dispensing clinics have become popular in the 13 years since the state allowed them.

"Sixty percent of voters in our state said yes on a 1998 ballot measure. An ever-growing number of doctors now tell thousands of suffering patients they may find relief from the unique medicinal qualities of cannabis."

Washington and Rhode Island are two of 16 U.S. states which allow the sale of medical marijuana in some fashion, even though the drug is still illegal under federal law.

The governors' petition will require the Federal Drug Administration to conduct a new scientific review and analysis of recent advances in cannabis research since the last time the FDA reviewed the matter in 2006.

A spokesman for the DEA did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/hl_nm/us_usa_states_marijuana

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Friday, December 2, 2011

Researchers Use Off-the-Shelf 3D Printer to Create Custom-Grown Bones [Video]

When you shatter your kneecap, the surgeon may use an implanted scaffold to coax your bones to knit back together properly. But what happens to the scaffold once you're healed? With this new system, the scaffold just melts away. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0LzBhMik6TE/researchers-use-off+the+shelf-3d-printer-to-create-custom+grown-bones

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U.N. rights chief calls for action to protect Syrians (Reuters)

GENEVA (Reuters) ? United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on Friday for the international community to take action to protect the civilian population in Syria from "ruthless repression" as the country slides into civil war.

More than 4,000 people have been killed, including 307 children, in the military crackdown since March and more than 14,000 people are believed to be held in detention, she told an emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.

"The Syrian authorities' continual ruthless repression, if not stopped now, can drive the country into a full-fledged civil war. In light of the manifest failure of the Syrian authorities to protect their citizens, the international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people," Pillay said.

"All acts of murder, torture and other forms of violence must be immediately stopped," she added.

She voiced concern at reports of increased armed attacks by the opposition forces, including the so-called Free Syrian Army, against the Syrian military and security apparatus.

Syrian army deserters killed eight people in an attack on an intelligence building in the north of the country, an opposition group said on Friday.

Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge, noted that she had already called in August for the Security Council to refer Syria to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

"The need for international accountability has even greater urgency today," she said.

The 47-member Geneva forum was holding an emergency session on Syria, its third since April, called by the European Union (EU) with backing from the United States and Arab countries including Saudi Arabia.

It followed a report by an independent commission of inquiry, which interviewed 223 victims, witnesses and defectors, which found that security and military forces committed crimes against humanity including executions, rape and torture.

"In the light of its findings, the Commission is gravely concerned that crimes against humanity have occurred in Syria," Paulo Pinheiro, who led the commission of inquiry, told the talks on Friday.

"The extreme suffering of the population inside and outside Syria must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Victims expect nothing less from the United Nations and its member states," said Pinheiro, a Brazilian expert who headed the three-member panel.

Syria's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, led his country's delegation to the one-day talks and delivered an angry speech.

"The Syrian problem is one that can be resolved only by Syrians. It is only a domestic, national solution that is possible," he said, referring to democratic reforms promised early next year.

"The solution cannot come from the corridors of the international community," he said. "It is only resolutions trying to put more oil on the fire."

A revised EU draft resolution -- which emerged after intense negotiations with China, Cuba and Russia -- condemns "continued, widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms".

But it stopped short of calling for action by the Security Council, which has the powers to refer a country to the ICC.

Instead, it would send the U.N. report to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "for appropriate action and transmission to all U.N. relevant bodies".

The aim was to get all countries on board a consensus text to send a strong message of disapproval to Damascus coupled with a call for a halt to violence, diplomats said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Rosalind Russell)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/wl_nm/us_syria

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Big East will seek dismissal of WVU lawsuit Dec. 5 (AP)

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ? The Big East will seek dismissal of a West Virginia University lawsuit aimed at invalidating conference bylaws and speeding up the Mountaineers' departure for the Big 12.

At a scheduling conference in Morgantown, Big East attorneys said they plan to file a motion Monday in Monongalia County Circuit Court, asking Circuit Judge Russell Clawges to either dismiss the case or put it on hold while a parallel lawsuit plays out in Rhode Island. That's where the Big East is based.

Attorney Benjamin Block said the Big East believes WVU has failed to lay a foundation for its claim that the bylaws are invalid. But if the judge believes there are grounds to move forward, he said, the case should be heard in Rhode Island.

WVU is trying to have the Big East's breach-of-contract lawsuit tossed from the Rhode Island court, arguing it has sovereign immunity as an agency of the state of West Virginia. A hearing on that motion to dismiss is set for Dec. 16, the lawyers said Thursday. In it, WVU also notes that it filed the lawsuit in Morgantown four days before the conference countersued.

The Mountaineers are making plans to join the Big 12 in 2012. WVU argues it should be allowed to leave now because the Big East breached its fiduciary duty by failing to maintain a balance between football-playing and non-football members.

But the Big East is seeking unspecified damages and an order that West Virginia stay in the conference for 27 months. Commissioner John Marinatto says West Virginia helped construct the bylaws and agreed to abide by them.

WVU has already sent half of the required $5 million exit fee to the Big East. The university contends that by accepting the down payment, the Big East agreed to the immediate withdrawal.

WVU attorneys pressed Clawges to fast-track the West Virginia lawsuit, saying the university needs a resolution by June 30.

"We need to know whether we're going to stay or go," said WVU lawyer Stephen LaCagnin.

However, Clawges was doubtful such a timeline can be met.

"My immediate reaction is ... it ain't gonna happen," the judge said.

Clawges agreed to an aggressive schedule for the West Virginia case but told the attorneys it will be up to them to make it happen. He also noted it could end with a settlement before ever getting to a jury.

"This is probably going to be worked out ? as opposed to a jury room ? in a conference room," he said.

WVU said it will reply to the Big East's motion to dismiss by Dec. 9, and Clawges has scheduled a hearing on the motions for 1 p.m. Dec. 19 in Morgantown. He may rule from the bench that day.

The trial is tentatively set for June 25, 2012.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_sp_ot/wv_west_virginia_big_east

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