Monday, October 31, 2011

Biden fires up Florida faithful in Orlando (tbo)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/155165967?client_source=feed&format=rss

john edward psychic john edward psychic brandon marshall frank mccourt headless horseman headless horseman brandon lloyd

93% Take Shelter

All Critics (102) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (7)

Shannon wonderfully modulates Nichols' portrait of a man whose mind and life seem to unravel before our eyes.

There's a strong, unsettling sense of disease that runs through Take Shelter, the best drama of the year so far.

Shannon is astounding, playing a good man pushed to the brink of sanity, maybe beyond. He portrays a sense of quiet desperation -- a feeling recognizable to many.

A work of hushed and persuasive emotional veracity.

The movies have long been mad about the onset of madness.

The chilling genius of "Take Shelter'' isn't that the threat is never specified but that it doesn't need to be.

On rare occasions, a movie comes along that does genuine honor to Alfred Hitchcock. Take Shelter is such a movie. It could be subtitled "Take Shelter with Hitch."

(Director) Nichols creates the kind of quiet malevolence that Roman Polanski used to excel at.

Take Shelter is a deeply unsettling movie.

Michael Shannon's spectacular performance grounds Take Shelter with a haunting realism.

Are his dreams a sign of things to come or are they simply the creation of an individual who is teetering on the brink of insanity?

In an era of empty entertainments, "Take Shelter" is built to last.

Life is a double-edged sword. Be careful how you hold it.

Powerfully emotional and extremely tense, this is an impressively directed and superbly written drama with a riveting central performance from Michael Shannon.

Take Shelter is paced slowly and deliberately, which is necessary to make believable whatever is tormenting Curtis.

Those who've never understood [anxiety] could do to see Take Shelter as a total immersion virtual reality experience.

With that frowning face - including a right eye that looks sleepy and a left one that looks crazed - Michael Shannon could play Jekyll and Hyde at the same exact time.

Michael Shannon gives his best onscreen performance ever... and creates what might well be the finest male character of 2011.

While Take Shelter is a marvellously composed film, it is also one that holds you at a distance

Out of his 'Tree of Life'

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/take_shelter/

steve wozniak steve wozniak legarrette blount pharrell pharrell kellie pickler silver bullet

New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp

A researcher at the Netherland's Eindhoven University of Technology has invented a new type of eye surgery robot designed to steady the ophthalmologist's hands and minimize error -- always a good thing when it comes to having needles and knives near your peepers. Kind of like an Igor to a mad scientist, the robot is considered a "slave" to its "master" doctor, who controls the automaton's arms using two joysticks. The doctor is still in charge of the cuts, but the technology makes sure the MD jabs that needle in at the exact same entry point each time without shaking to minimize ocular marring. Another notable feature is the robot's ability to switch between tools quickly, ensuring that if this whole doctor thing doesn't work out, it'll at least have a job at Hibachi waiting. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.

Continue reading New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp

New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceNetherlands University of Technology  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/28/new-high-precision-eye-surgery-robot-helps-doctors-stay-sharp/

all hallows eve samhain philadelphia eagles kim zolciak kim zolciak dia de los muertos dia de los muertos

Cancer survivorship research must look at quality of life, experts urge

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2011) ? Assessing the quality of life experienced by cancer survivors is becoming increasingly important, say researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. Such an assessment has a number of important applications when doing research on cancer survivorship, but just how to measure quality of life for cancer survivors is still being developed.

"Assessment of quality of life in cancer patients can be tailored through the use of measures specific to a particular disease, treatment, or end point on the cancer continuum," said study authors Paul B. Jacobsen, Ph.D., and Heather S. Jim, Ph.D., of Moffitt's Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior. They published their conclusions in a recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

The authors identify strategies and priorities for quality of life research with cancer survivors. For example, observational studies can generate data on the nature and extent of problems experienced by cancer survivors in relation to their type of disease and treatment received, as well as the time elapsed since treatment was completed.

"This information can be used to inform patients of the expected consequences of specific treatments and to help identify their rehabilitative needs," said Jacobsen. "Similarly, the outcomes of clinical trials that include quality of life as an endpoint in studies can be useful in identifying which treatments yield the best quality of life for cancer survivors."

In addition, quality of life assessments can be used to evaluate the quality of care patients received.

"Quality of life is a multidimensional construct about functioning -- from physical to social -- and is most often assessed by self report, either by interview or questionnaire," noted Jim. "However, some research suggests that patients may be less likely to report poor quality of life in response to an interview as compared to a questionnaire."

In total, the authors evaluate almost 20 commonly used measures of quality of life for cancer patents and cancer survivors.

For example, the authors discuss the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS) measure that is driven, in part, by the view that existing cancer-specific measures were designed primarily to capture the effects of diagnosis and treatment.

"These measures may not adequately assess problems that can persist long after treatment, such as pain, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, sexual difficulties and body image concerns," said Jim.

Greater consistency in quality of life measurement may be found in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative, the authors report. The initiative is designed to develop, validate and standardize item banks for measurement of patient-reported outcomes for a wide range of conditions, including cancer.

According to Jacobsen and Jim, too many studies are based on "convenience sampling" at a single recruitment site, and these studies often suffer from the limitation of being too small.

"There is a need for research based on larger cohorts of cancer survivors recruited from multiple sites, or by using population-based recruitment strategies," said Jacobsen.

The authors conclude by noting the "marked increase" in publications on quality of life for cancer survivors in recent years, suggesting widespread recognition of the value of such research.

"However, for the field to continue to progress, important issues still need to be addressed," said Jacobsen. "Most important among these is how quality of life is to be measured, in whom it is measured, and what uses are made of quality of life data."

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. P. B. Jacobsen, H. S. L. Jim. Consideration of Quality of Life in Cancer Survivorship Research. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2011; 20 (10): 2035 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0563

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/-tB32OODHx0/111028115344.htm

delonte west bank of america black eyed peas central park occupy wallstreet occupy wallstreet tony bennett pumpkins

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The King Has Fallen: Samsung Dethrones Apple As Smartphone Leader

chess-king-fallsBefore the Samsung Galaxy Nexus even goes on sale, Samsung has managed to take the lead against Apple to become the largest mobile phone maker by revenue in the third quarter of 2011. Nokia still holds the crown for mobile phone sales by volume, while Apple has dropped behind both to take the number three spot in terms of revenue.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7m__Cvu4Xoc/

williams syndrome grand theft auto 5 grand theft auto 5 jay leno machine gun kelly lindsey lohan reed hastings

More people banking using their mobile devices, comScore says (Appolicious)

New figures from Internet research firm comScore suggest a big rise in online banking among mobile device users.

The data finds that a big number of Americans ? almost 32.5 million ? have tapped into their bank accounts using a mobile device by the end of the second quarter of 2011, according to a story from Fierce Mobile Content. That?s just under 14 percent of all wireless subscribers in the U.S., comScore says, and a 21 percent increase over figures from six months earlier, when only 26.7 mobile subscribers were using their devices to pull up bank account information.

The high numbers are interesting, considering that banking is something that could potentially have a high risk of security threats among mobile users. About a year ago, for example, Citibank reported a big lapse in security with its mobile app, where it was saving personal information in an unprotected file on users? iOS devices. That file was also copied to users? computers when they synced with iTunes. Potentially, it made identity theft very possible and very easy.

Yet despite problems such as that one, it seems more users, not less, are trusting their mobile devices with their sensitive information. ComScore found that more users are pulling down all kinds of financial information using their smartphones. The firm?s findings show that 12.7 million subscribers in the U.S. said they?d used a mobile banking app in the month of June 2011, which is a rather huge increase of 45 percent over the same time a year earlier. About 6 million consumers have also used a credit card app in lieu of a credit card, which has seen a 43 percent increase during the last year.

More than just apps

It?s not just apps, either: 17.5 million smartphone subscribers said they got to their banking information by way of a mobile browser, like Apple?s Safari on its mobile devices. That?s an increase of 14 percent over last year. Conversely, 10.4 million people used mobile browsers to access information about their credit cards, an increase of 17 percent.

That increase suggests that mobile banking and financial information is getting easier and more convenient to access ? which is probably good, given all the benefits that those services can offer. But as we?ve seen in the past, accessing sensitive information by way of mobile devices can leave users vulnerable, as well.

Back in March, a study suggested only about 15 percent of mobile users were even aware of mobile software that protected against malware and other security threats, and of those users, a much smaller fraction actually used it. An increase in users passing vulnerable information through their smartphones and other mobile devices, like Apple?s iPad, will undoubtedly lead to an increase in instances of that data being compromised.

Things aren?t as bad for users of Apple?s iOS devices as they can be for those of Google?s Android, given the (somewhat robust) vetting Apple does for its apps. But it?s always a good idea to be careful of the kind of data you send over a mobile device. This is a burgeoning technology that may not always be secure, even when the creators of that technology think it is secure. The best way to protect yourself is to limit the kind of information you make available to your iPhone or iPad.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10050_more_people_banking_using_their_mobile_devices_comscore_says/43419578/SIG=13dtbj8tr/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10050-more-people-banking-using-their-mobile-devices-comscore-says

heart attack grill gaddafi dead steve wynn lytro camera lytro camera st. louis cardinals gaddafi bodyguards

Portugal wants U.S. help in euro crisis: source (Reuters)

ASUNCION (Reuters) ? Portugal asked Mexico on Saturday to tell fellow G20 members next week that the United States should offer "financial help" to resolve the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, describing it as a "systemic and global" problem, a Portuguese government source said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho asked Mexican President Felipe Calderon to convey the message during the G20 meeting in Cannes next week, the source told reporters after the two leaders met at the Ibero-American summit in Paraguay.

"The crisis isn't in the euro zone. It is a systemic and global crisis and we hope that other big G20 countries intervene," the source told reporters in the capital Asuncion, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The source added that Washington should help resolve the crisis "by boosting trade and also with financial help."

No one from Calderon's delegation in Asuncion could immediately be reached for comment.

Financial markets rallied strongly this week after European leaders hammered out a deal to recapitalize their banks, boost the firepower of a euro zone rescue fund, and impose hefty losses on holders of Greek debt.

However, economic analysts quickly warned that details of the rescue could still take weeks or even months to work out.

Portugal is suffering a deepening recession as it implements painful austerity measures under a 78-billion-euro ($110.3-billion) EU/IMF bailout.

(Reporting by Guido Nejamkis; Writing by Helen Popper; Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111029/bs_nm/us_eurozone_g20_portugal

weather boston grimm fairy tales grimm fairy tales gold rush gold rush bcs standings bcs standings

Saturday, October 29, 2011

9 Ways Top Brands Use Social Media for Better Customer Service (Mashable)

Rohit Bhargava is SVP of global digital strategy at Ogilvy, an award-winning marketing blogger and the best-selling author of Personality Not Included, a book about creating a more human brand. His is currently writing his second book called Likeonomics on how to be more believable. When an irate traveler tweeted about how he had arrived late to The Four Seasons in Palo Alto and been ?bumped? to an inferior room, the hotel saw it immediately and responded, promising to make it up to him. Turns out, the customer spends about 60 nights a year in Palo Alto for work, and promised in his next tweet to spend many of those nights at The Four Seasons.

[More from Mashable: Top 5 Tools to Better Time Your Tweets]

The brand has had several similar stories posted online by delighted customers, and they are exactly the kind of successes that justify the investment in social media for customer service (which, in turn, drives sales).

Oct. 27 was the first day of the Social Media for Customer Care Summit in New York, a gathering of some of the largest brands in the world focused on how social service can be leveraged more effectively. Nearly every brand was struggling with the same three big questions, which became discussion topics and hashtags in their own right:

[More from Mashable: Occupy Wall Street: Who Is Donating to Keep it Afloat? [STATS]]

  • How can customer care better integrate with other functions across a company, like marketing? #integration
  • How can an organization take the efforts of one or two pioneering individuals and employ it brand-wide? #scaling
  • How can social media be used to mitigate negative posts or a brand crisis? #crisis
Throughout the day, there were many strong ideas and lessons offered on these topic. Here are just a few of the highlights.

#Integration


1. Don't allow any one team to own social media. (KLM)

In April 2010, Dutch airline KLM was thrown into the jaws of social media head first thanks to the Icelandic ash cloud that covered Europe and grounded flights across the continent for nearly a week. Moving quickly, KLM earned credit by creating a rebooking tool for Facebook within 24 hours and created a "multi-functional" team across customer service, marketing, PR and operations. For the world's largest airline, this forced integration was just what they needed to build a highly sophisticated view that social media belongs belongs everywhere across the company. When they recently launched 24/7 support on Twitter and Facebook, they did it through a highly engaging ?Live Replies? campaign in which they responded to tweets with a small army of staff in an airplane hanger holding up signs.

2. Go through the experience to really get it. (Telus)

Canadian telecom brand Telus shared an important lesson about walking in someone else's shoes. For them, it meant bringing executives into the real ?down and dirty? conversations that customers were having with service reps on social media channels. As Carol Borghesi, senior vice president of the brand's Customer First initiative candidly shared, Telus was rated high on the Canadian list of companies with the ?worst customer service.? Social media is a key component of how they plan to be the first telecom in Canada to make it off that notorious list.

3. Help your customer service people feel like rock stars. (Zappos)

Of course, no conference about customer service would be complete without a great Zappos story, and Scott Klein and Marlene Kanagusuku from its customer loyalty team certainly delivered. A key thread in their presentation was how every employee is required to take four weeks of customer service training, and they are planning to cash in for the holiday season by bringing everyone from across the company in to man the phones and work with customers directly during that busiest time.


#Scaling


4. Get top-level buy-in through stories and data. (Citi)

unique point of view on how and why social media for customer service is a failure, and how brands can fix it. One of his main points was that you need to combine data with real powerful stories in order to actually make a change. As he shared, ?I?ve never met a CEO who wanted to create a bad customer experience.? Amen.

5. Find your ROI formula to justify your own existence. (Xbox)

Everyone has his own secret strategy for how to answer the big ROI question. But Xbox pulled back the curtain on her relatively simple formula:

Unique customers engaged with Xbox on Twitter x The percent of people who say they would have called instead of tweeting x Average cost per call = $$ saved in call center costs.

It?s not a perfect methodology, but it's all about finding the right lens through which to view data your company cares about.

6. Consider and leverage employees' personal passions. (Best Buy)

No discussion of scaling a social media for customer service effort would be complete without delving into the amazing work of Best Buy and its here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111028/tc_mashable/9_ways_top_brands_use_social_media_for_better_customer_service

scott hall lra lra collegeboard kelsey grammer coco rocha coco rocha

Witnesses detail Jackson doc's care, thoroughness (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death cried Wednesday while hearing five witnesses tell jurors he was thorough and caring and not motivated by money.

Dr. Conrad Murray's eyes filled with tears as one of the witnesses, Ruby Mosley, recalled the physician founding a clinic in a poor community in Houston in honor of his father.

Mosley said Murray never would have founded the clinic if he had been greedy, as prosecutors have previously suggested.

"When you went to the doctor, in his office, you did not see a sign when you walked in that (said), `Pay at the time that services rendered,'" Mosley said. "You did not see a sign that said present ID or your insurance card ... You saw the doctor first."

Murray continued to wipe his eyes for several moments after Mosley left the witness stand. She was the last of five character witnesses that Murray's attorneys called during the doctor's involuntary manslaughter trial. He has pleaded not guilty.

The trial recessed for the day after Mosley's testimony and was expected to resume Thursday with Murray's final witnesses ? a pair of medical experts.

Authorities contend Murray gave Jackson a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol in the singer's bedroom on June 25, 2009. Defense attorneys claim the singer gave himself the fatal dose.

Gerry Causey, of Cedar City, Utah, said Murray treated him for a heart attack 11 years ago, and the cardiologist remains his best friend.

Causey said he was not put to sleep at his request while Murray implanted a stent after fully explaining the procedure to him.

"I know his love, his compassion, his feelings for his patients," Causey said. "He's the best doctor I've ever been to."

Murray, 58, last treated Causey in 2008. Causey said the doctor didn't charge him his deductible for office visits.

"I just don't think he did what he's been accused of," Causey said.

Another witness, Dennis Hix of Banning, Calif., said Murray performed a stent procedure for him for free.

Murray agreed to become Jackson's personal physician for $150,000 a month but was never paid because the singer died before the contract was signed.

Prosecutors have contended that Murray was heavily in debt and initially sought $5 million to treat Jackson as he prepared for a series of lucrative comeback concerts.

Another character witness, Andrew Guest, echoed Causey's comments about Murray's skill and care.

"He makes sure you're OK, during the procedure, after the procedure," said Guest, a locksmith at a casino in Las Vegas. "I'm alive today because of that man."

The flurry of witnesses came as defense attorneys wind down their case, which could conclude Thursday. They previously told a judge that after the character witnesses, they will call the two experts to counter prosecution experts who said Murray acted recklessly by giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid.

The lawyers already called a doctor and nurse practitioner who treated Jackson but refused his requests to help him obtain either an intravenous sleep aid or propofol.

Murray's attorneys contend Jackson was desperate for sleep so he could rehearse for his comeback shows and gave himself the fatal dose of propofol when his doctor left the room.

They attempted to argue that Jackson would have been indebted to concert promoter AEG Live for nearly $40 million if his shows were canceled, but a judge blocked any mention of the figure to the jury.

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

___

McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_en_ot/us_michael_jackson_doctor

rogue trader rogue trader gone in 60 seconds gone in 60 seconds our lady of sorrows january jones top gun

Six Tools to Deal with That Pesky Stalker Secret Admirer* [Toolkit]

Yesterday, I received an arrangement of balloons from a new secret admirer. It was a uniquely flattering and completely-not-creepy-at-all-don't-kill-me-I-loved-it experience. But it got me thinking: Since we've provided you with all the tools you need to be really, really creepy, (not that the balloons were that!) then why not help you deal with persistent secret admirers? Here are seven tools to help establish some boundaries. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Vng6PL2p7nQ/

janeane garofalo janeane garofalo neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson braves braves harrys law

Friday, October 28, 2011

Expert says Jackson likely addicted to pain med (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Lawyers for Michael Jackson's doctor sought to shift blame Thursday to another doctor and a drug different from the anesthetic that killed the star, calling an expert to testify that Jackson was addicted to Demerol in the months before his death.

They suggested the singer's withdrawal from the painkiller triggered the insomnia that Dr. Conrad Murray was trying to resolve when he gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol.

Murray's attorneys claim Jackson self-administered a fatal dose of propofol as a sleep aid.

Authorities contend Murray delivered the lethal dose and botched resuscitation efforts. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 2009 death.

There was no mention of propofol during the testimony of Dr. Robert Waldman, an addiction expert who said he studied the records of Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist, in concluding the star developed a dependency on the powerful painkiller. Records showed Klein used Demerol on Jackson repeatedly for procedures to enhance his appearance.

No Demerol was discovered in the singer's system when he died, but propofol was found throughout his body.

Waldman relied on Klein's records from March 2009 until days before Jackson died. Waldman said he was not shown records for earlier periods and didn't review a police interview of Murray about his treatment of the star.

Under questioning by Murray's lead lawyer, Ed Chernoff, Waldman said: "I believe there is evidence that he (Jackson) was dependent on Demerol, possibly."

Klein has emerged as the missing link in the involuntary manslaughter trial, with the defense raising his name at every turn and the judge ruling he may not be called as a witness because his care of Jackson is not at issue. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

But Klein's handwritten notes on his visits with Jackson were introduced through Waldman, who said Klein was giving Jackson unusually high doses of Demerol for four months ? from March through June, 2009 ? with the last shots coming three days before the singer's death.

Over three days in April, the records showed Jackson received 775 milligrams of Demerol along with small doses of the sedative Versed. Waldman's testimony showed Klein, who also was Jackson's longtime friend, was giving the singer huge doses of the powerful drug at the same time Murray was giving Jackson the anesthetic propofol to sleep.

"This is a large dose for an opioid for a dermatology procedure in an office," Waldman said.

He told jurors the escalating doses showed Jackson had developed a tolerance to the drug and was probably addicted. He said a withdrawal symptom from the drug is insomnia.

On cross-examination, prosecutor David Walgren tangled with the expert, who was hostile to most of his questions. He elicited from Waldman that the law requires physicians to keep accurate and detailed records, which Murray did not. The doctor also said all drugs should be kept in a locked cabinet or safe where they could not be stolen or diverted by anyone.

Waldman said every doctor also must document when the drugs are stored and when they are used. Murray told police he kept no records on his treatment of Jackson.

Waldman, who has treated celebrities and sports stars at expensive rehab clinics, told jurors treatment can work if the addict is willing to admit a problem.

Several prosecution experts have said the propofol self-administration defense was improbable, and a key expert said he ruled it out completely, arguing the more likely scenario was that Murray gave Jackson a much higher dose than he has acknowledged.

Jackson had complained of insomnia as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts and was receiving the anesthetic and sedatives from Murray, his personal physician, to help him sleep.

Murray's police interview indicates he didn't know Jackson was being treated by Klein and was receiving other drugs.

In response to questions from a prosecutor, Waldman said some of the symptoms of Demerol withdrawal were the same as those seen in patients withdrawing from the sedatives lorazepam and diazepam. Murray had been giving Jackson both drugs.

The final defense witness was to be Dr. Paul White, a propofol expert.

White and Waldman do not necessarily have to convince jurors that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose, but merely provide them with enough reasonable doubt about the prosecution's case against Murray.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

___

McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_en_ot/us_michael_jackson_doctor

dexter season 6 ben roethlisberger homeland homeland andy rooney 60 minutes andre johnson andre johnson

After poor debates, Perry may skip some in future (AP)

AUSTIN, Texas ? Rick Perry may skip some upcoming GOP presidential debates, sidestepping a campaign staple that hasn't been kind to the Texas governor in his first two months on the national stage. It's a decision that ultimately could cause other Republicans to bow out of the more than half-dozen face-offs scheduled between now and the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3.

Perry does plan to participate in a Nov. 9 debate at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. ? his sixth ? but he hasn't committed to any others beyond that as political advisers hunker down to determine how best to proceed. He's juggling fundraising and retail campaigning with only two months before the first votes in the Republican nomination fight are cast.

"We haven't said no, but we're looking at each debate," campaign spokesman Mark Miner said Thursday. "There are numerous ? 15, 16, 17 ? debates, and we're taking a look at each one and we're making the appropriate consideration."

He said that "while debates are part of the process, they're just one part."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, considered the Republican candidate to beat because of his leads in national polls, fundraising and organization, also has not committed to debating beyond Michigan. His campaign has made debate commitments on a case-by-case basis depending on how each fits his schedule and strategy. For instance, he skipped the leadoff debate in South Carolina in June when the GOP field was still gelling and few top-tier candidates participated.

For Perry, who is not nearly as well-known as Romney, there's more to it than time management.

As he reboots his fledgling campaign, Perry clearly also is trying to reintroduce himself to the nation on his own terms. After a couple of recent rocky debate performances hurt his poll standings, he's returning to the play-it-safe strategy he successfully employed in running three times for governor of Texas.

The state's longest-serving governor, he never has lost an election and has debated his rivals only when it couldn't be avoided. Perry has long conceded he's not a strong debater, and he contends that his up-close charisma and ability to take a more personalized message directly to voters is the key to his success. His closest advisers have built campaigns around that approach and their candidate's ferocious campaign-trail energy.

It's unclear whether this approach will work in a national campaign, where debates provide candidates new to the national stage with a huge dose of free media as they look to make themselves better known to primary voters. The stakes are high. Do well, and you could enjoy a burst of momentum as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann did over the summer. Do poorly, and you risk falling out of favor as Perry can attest.

This year, the Republican primary debates have drawn large audiences and have significantly shaped the contours of the race. Eight debates already have been held, and nearly a dozen more are scheduled before January's end.

Media companies and state Republican Party leaders schedule them without the campaigns' consent. It's up to the candidates to decide whether they participate.

Perry has made his disdain for the encounters clear.

"These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidate," he said Tuesday on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. "So, you know, if there was a mistake made, it was probably ever doing one of the (debates) when all they're interested in is stirring up between the candidates instead of really talking about the issues that are important to the American people."

Rival campaigns jumped on Perry.

"You have to go to debates if you want to succeed in the new era," chided Steve Grubbs, chairman of Herman Cain's Iowa campaign.

But Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, a former aide to John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, said Perry must play to his strength, not his weakness.

"During those debates, he looks like the Washington Generals while Mitt Romney is the Harlem Globetrotters scoring all around him," O'Connell said. "A lot of people have written him off as a bad debater already, so you might as well make up ground like you have during 10 years as Texas governor, and that's pressing the flesh, getting to know the people."

In the debates so far, Perry has flubbed ready-made attack lines and rambled through answers. He's looked unprepared, if not angry and confused at times. And, in one debate in which Perry's advisers thought he had shown improvement, observers tagged him as a bully.

None of that is much of a surprise to people in Texas, who know Perry as a reluctant debater.

He cruised to re-election last year without ever debating Democratic challenger Bill White. Perry refused to share a stage with White unless the former mayor of Houston released his tax return.

White actually released all but one part of his return, which contained information about a business partnership that he wasn't allowed to make public. Perry seized on that, though, and avoided a debate altogether.

"I was stunned that he was able to make it the whole way through the 2010 campaign without debating," said J.D. Gins, who served as field director for the White campaign. "I think most people saw through it, saw that he really didn't want to get up there and defend his record. As we're all seeing now, he's shaky when he is thinking on his feet."

Perry did debate during last year's Texas Republican primary race and also during his gubernatorial races in 2002 and 2006.

At his campaign's insistence, however, the 2006 debate was held in Dallas on the eve of the annual Cotton Bowl showdown between Texas and Oklahoma. It was a Friday night, too, meaning many would-be voters were distracted by high school football ? something of a religion in much of Texas.

___

Associated Press writer Kasie Hunt in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_el_ge/us_perry_fewer_debates

spartacus spartacus forrest gump sunday night football paul simon hyundai equus nissan leaf

Argentine court sentences 12 ex-military, police (AP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ? A court in Argentina has sentenced 12 former military and police officials to life in prison for crimes against humanity committed during the country's 1976-1983 dictatorship.

The men were convicted of kidnapping, torturing and killing leftist dissidents at a torture center called the Navy Mechanics School.

Among those sentenced was Alfredo Astiz, a 59-year-old former navy spy nicknamed "the Angel of Death." Astiz is accused of participating in the disappearance, torture and murder of two French nuns, a journalist and three founders of a human rights group that he infiltrated while spying for the dictatorship.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? An Argentine court was poised to deliver verdicts Wednesday in the case of 18 former military and police officials who have been on trial for alleged crimes against humanity during the country's 1976-83 military dictatorship.

In neighboring Uruguay, lawmakers planned to vote Wednesday to revoke an amnesty law that protected scores of officials in that country's 1973-1985 dictatorship from human rights prosecutions.

The two countries are among several Latin American nations still struggling to come to terms with Cold War dictatorships in which regimes routinely tortured, killed or "disappeared" suspected opponents. Most of those dictatorships ended nearly three decades ago.

The most notorious defendant in the Argentine case is Alfredo Astiz, a 59-year-old former navy spy nicknamed "the Angel of Death." Astiz is accused of participating in the disappearance, torture and murder of two French nuns, a journalist and three founders of a human rights group that he infiltrated while spying for the dictatorship.

The crimes allegedly took place inside the Navy Mechanics School, one of the military junta's principal centers for detention and torture used to crush the threat of armed revolution. About 5,000 detainees passed through the Navy Mechanics School. Fewer than half survived.

The leafy former military campus, now home to a museum dedicated to preserving evidence of crimes against humanity, also housed a maternity ward where pregnant detainees were held until they gave birth and then were made to "disappear." A separate trial alleging that systematic baby thefts were part of the junta's anti-subversion strategy is under way in another courtroom.

Survivors and relatives of victims from the nation's "dirty war" against leftist guerrillas and political opponents eagerly awaited Wednesday's verdict, calling it a "historic day." Human rights organizations planned to gather in front of the courthouse.

Astiz has accused President Cristina Fernandez of promoting unjust and illegitimate prosecutions for her own political gain. Her late husband and predecessor, President Nestor Kirchner, encouraged the trials after Argentina's Congress and Supreme Court removed amnesties that had protected junta veterans.

"This government doesn't hesitate in its revenge against we people who combated terrorism," Astiz said. "It seeks revenge through martyrdom and death in prison."

In the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo on Wednesday, members of the lower house of Congress, or Chamber of Deputies, were debating a measure to annul an amnesty protecting officials of the dictatorship from being prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

Backed by the governing Broad Front coalition, the measure was approved Tuesday by the country's Senate by a close vote of 16-15. The Chamber of Deputies was also expected to pass the measure following a debate that began in the afternoon and was expected to last into the night.

The Inter-American Human Rights court has demanded that Uruguay lift impediments to prosecuting dictatorship-era crimes, but the proposal has divided the politically moderate country, where memories of the 1973-1985 military government remain fresh.

Congressional allies of President Jose Mujica tried and failed to revoke the amnesty law in May.

The opposition has said the measure violates the constitution and notes that the amnesty was approved by Uruguayans in two national referendums, first in 1989 and then in 2009.

Nationalist Sen. Jorge Saravia called Tuesday's senate vote "a coup d'etat" that ignores the decision of citizens in the two plebiscites.

Uruguay's Congress approved the military amnesty in 1986, after leftist guerrillas who had fought the government received amnesties.

Members of Uruguay's armed forces have threatened to seek prosecution of former Tupamaro guerrillas if legislators strike down the military amnesty.

In Chile this week, forensic investigators informed the family of a man who disappeared nearly 40 years ago during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet that they had identified his remains. Georges Klein was the doctor of Marxist President Salvador Allende, who was toppled by Pinochet in a bloody coup on Sept. 11, 1973.

Klein was one of four Frenchmen who disappeared after Pinochet came to power.

__

Associated Press writer Michael Warren in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_argentina_uruguay_dirty_wars

miami hurricanes football emmy winners emmy winners sportsbook sportsbook directions driving de la salle

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Obama tells students of plans to ease loan burden (Reuters)

DENVER (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to take steps to ease the burden of student loans, potentially helping cash-strapped college graduates in a tough U.S. economy.

"I want America to have the most highly skilled workers doing the most advanced work. I want us to win the future," Obama told an audience of about 4,000 students at the University of Colorado-Denver.

"So that means we should be doing everything we can to put a college education within reach for every American."

In line with an announcement on Tuesday, Obama said he planned to speed up a plan to cap student loan payments at 10 percent of income, bringing it forward to start in 2012 instead of 2014.

The White House estimates the loan changes could cut monthly payments for 1.6 million graduates.

Americans owe more on student loans than on outstanding credit card debt, and total loans outstanding are slated to exceed $1 trillion this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The rise in private student lending and growing debt defaults have also been highlighted by Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Under the plan, student debt will also be forgiven after 20 years, compared with 25 years under current law.

More than 36 million Americans have federal student loan debt, but only 450,000 have taken advantage of the existing income-based repayment program.

Obama will also make changes to allow 6 million students to bundle together certain federal loans to allow a single monthly payment. The move would reduce the risk of default caused by juggling several debts.

The option will be open from January. Those that take it up will also get a 0.5 percentage point cut in the interest rate on some of their loans, lowering monthly payments and potentially saving them hundreds of dollars in interest.

The loans initiative was the third such move by Obama in as many days, following action to aid homeowners and boost hiring of military veterans. The White House wants to show Obama is an activist president battling a "do-nothing" Congress.

The loan changes do not require approval by Congress.

Republican lawmakers blocked a $447 billion jobs plan put forward by Obama last month, citing among other reasons its increases in some taxes.

Students helped push Obama into the White House in 2008. As he campaigns for re-election in 2012, Obama's public approval ratings have fallen near 40 percent, the low of his presidency, largely because of discontent with his economic stewardship.

Obama was wrapping up a swing through western states that will be vital to his re-election campaign in 2012.

(Writing by Ian Simpson; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/pl_nm/us_obama_students

susan sarandon motorola razr camille grammer camille grammer big east port charlotte florida buckyballs

Another Tibetan monk sets himself on fire in China (AP)

BEIJING ? A British human rights group says another Tibetan Buddhist monk has set himself on fire in a protest against Chinese rule over the Himalayan region in the 10th self-immolation this year.

The monk set himself ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tibetan monastery in southwestern Sichuan province's Ganzi prefecture, the London-based Free Tibet group said in a statement.

The group said it was unable to confirm the monk's age or name. It was unsure of his condition and whereabouts.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Wednesday that the ministry had noted reports about the alleged incident, but was unable to confirm it had happened.

The ministry has condemned the immolations and accuses Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, and his supporters of encouraging them. Jiang reiterated the government stance, telling reporters at a regular press briefing that "inciting people to kill themselves in such a cruel manner is a violent and terrorist activity."

At least nine Tibetans in their late teens and 20s have self-immolated since March, with five or more of them dying from their injuries. All but one of those occurred in Aba, a town in Sichuan near Tibet that has been the site of a series of protests.

Most of those protests have been led by monks who are fiercely loyal to the Dalai Lama, who fled the Himalayan region in 1959 amid an abortive anti-Beijing uprising and is reviled by China's communist government.

The self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile has described the self-immolations as tragic acts and called for the international community to urge Beijing to open a dialogue on its policies in Tibet and traditionally Tibetan regions of western China.

A woman who answered the phone at the Ganzi Public Security Bureau said she was unaware of the incident and hung up the phone.

A man reached by telephone at the Ganzi Monastery said "I don't know, I'm sorry," when asked about the alleged immolation and hung up.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet

michael jackson autopsy liberace liberace repudiate avengers joost joost

Wall Street hit by worries before Europe debt summit (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stocks fell on Tuesday on doubts European leaders can agree on a plan to end the euro zone debt crisis, while major corporations disappointed investors with their outlooks.

Though European Union and euro zone leaders still planned to hold a summit on Wednesday, markets were spooked by news that a meeting by euro zone finance ministers was canceled.

The news fed fears that leaders will be unable to come up with the detailed plan for ending the crisis that investors want.

"There have been a number of different statements coming out that seem to suggest Europe is having a hard time coming to any real hard conclusions at solving their debt issues," said Gail Dudack, chief investment strategist at Dudack Research Group in New York.

"That alone has added a big wave of disappointment to today's market."

The S&P 500 has rallied nearly 9 percent for the month on optimism European leaders will succeed in tackling the region's debt crisis. Investors fear the impact that an uncontrolled fiscal crisis in the euro zone could have on the global economy.

On Tuesday the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) lost 205.18 points, or 1.72 percent, to 11,708.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX)(.INX) fell 24.96 points, or 1.99 percent, to 1,229.23. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) dropped 61.02 points, or 2.26 percent, to 2,638.42.

Adding to the pessimistic tone, 3M Co (MMM.N) reported quarterly profits that missed expectations and cut its 2011 forecast. The Dow component said the crisis in Europe was weakening consumer demand and taking a toll on profit, sending shares down 6.3 percent to $77.04.

In after-market activity, Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) slumped 15 percent to $193.10 after the world's largest Internet retailer reported weaker-than-expected results as it spent heavily on a new tablet computer and other long-term projects.

Other companies reporting on Tuesday included engine manufacturer Cummins Inc (CMI.N), which fell 5.1 percent to $93.81 after cutting its outlook. United Parcel Service (UPS.N) shed 2.1 percent to $69.35 after the company's chief executive said he sees the slow-growing economy continuing.

The S&P industrials index (.GSPI) lost 2 percent.

Netflix (NFLX.O) plunged 34.9 percent a day after the movie rental company said it lost more customers than it anticipated in the third quarter and warned of still more departures. The stock sank to $77.37.

Economic data showed U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly dropped to its lowest level in 2 1/2 years in October, while house prices were unchanged at low levels in August, suggesting the consumer is still struggling.

Volume was light, with about 7.78 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, slightly below the daily average of 8.01 billion.

Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,491 to 520, while on the Nasdaq, decliners beat advancers 2,033 to 462.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

guinness book of world records gears of war 3 release date up all night dr. oz conjoined twins lingual braces joe mcginniss

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Wall Street protests reflect nationwide anger

Is the movement merely an extension of a nationwide scare about the possibility of a double dip recession?

Are the protests a real-life extreme negative sentiment signal that markets should be paying attention to? Does the velocity of anger represent a crescendo of misery for the "it's a recession" crowd?

Skip to next paragraph Joshua M. Brown

Joshua has been managing money for high net worth clients, charitable foundations, corporations and retirement plans for more than a decade.

Recent posts

I've been thinking about this over the weekend after reading a few things about how the Occupy Movement is losing steam.

See the story below for some sense about the infighting going on between the various factions as it turns out that "some protesters are more equal than others" a la Animal Farm. Here's one of the drummers complaining about how the so-called General Assembly is acting like the very bureaucracy they are meant to be rebelling against:

?They are becoming the government we?re trying to protest," he said. "They didn?t even give the drummers a say ... Drumming is the heartbeat of this movement. Look around: This is dead, you need a pulse to keep something alive.?

The drummers claim that the finance working group even levied a percussion tax of sorts, taking up to half of the $150-300 a day that the drum circle was receiving in tips. ?Now they have over $500,000 from all sorts of places,? said Engelerdt. ?We?re like, what?s going on here? They?re like the banks we?re protesting."

from:

Animal Farm at OWS (New York Magazine)

The movement's beginnings coincided with the pessimism peak on The Street as big firms were cutting GDP forecasts just about the time when the kids were first rolling out their sleeping bags. The question is whether we've seen the absolute worst of the pessimism on both The Street and the streets in early October. Was the movement merely an outcropping or an extension of a nationwide scare about the possibility of double dip?

The kids downtown won't see it that way but that's because most aren't paying attention to the economic headlines. But some forces are bigger than the comprehension of the soldiers fighting in the trenches, some battlefield shifts elude the notice of those fighting hand-to-hand, tooth and nail.

I'm raising questions here and not answering them, maybe these two themes are merely running on parallel yet unrelated tracks. Or maybe not. If there is a psychological shift taking hold and a true amelioration of economic conditions coming for the US, one can only hope that it brings some prosperity to those who may be the last to see it coming in Zuccotti Park.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on www.thereformedbroker.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Y8yTIXjQ5Lo/Wall-Street-protests-reflect-nationwide-anger

unthink oakland julianne hough chris cook nest lindsay lohan williams syndrome

High fizzy soft drink consumption linked to violence among teens

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) ? Teens who drink more than five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks every week are significantly more likely to behave aggressively, suggests research published online in Injury Prevention. This includes carrying a weapon and perpetrating violence against peers and siblings.

US lawyers have successfully argued in the past that a defendant accused of murder had diminished capacity as a result of switching to a junk food diet, a legal precedent that subsequently became known as the "Twinkie Defense" -- a twinkie being a packaged snack cake with a creamy filling.

The researchers base their findings on 1,878 teens from 22 public schools in Boston, Massachusetts. The teens were part of the Boston Youth Survey, a biennial survey of 9th to 12th graders (14 to 18 year olds).

The teens were asked how many carbonated non-diet soft drinks they had drunk over the past seven days. Intake was measured in cans (355 ml or 12 ounces), and responses categorised according to quantity.

The responses were divided into two groups: those drinking up to four cans over the preceding week (low consumption); and those drinking five or more (high consumption). Just under one in three (30%) respondents fell into the high consumption category.

The researchers then looked at potential links to violent behaviour in this group, by asking if they had been violent towards their peers, a sibling, or a partner, and if they had carried a gun or knife over the past year.

Responses were assessed in the light of factors likely to influence the results, including age and gender, alcohol consumption, and average amount of sleep on a school night.

Those who drank 5 or more cans of soft drinks every week were significantly more likely to have drunk alcohol and smoked at least once in the previous month.

But even after controlling for these and other factors, heavy use of carbonated non-diet soft drinks was significantly associated with carrying a gun or knife, and violence towards peers, family members and partners.

When the findings were divided into four categories of consumption, the results showed a clear dose-response relationship across all four measures.

Just over 23% of those drinking one or no cans of soft drink a week carried a gun/knife, rising to just under 43% among those drinking 14 or more cans. The proportions of those perpetrating violence towards a partner rose from 15% in those drinking one or no cans a week to just short of 27% among those drinking 14 or more.

Similarly, violence towards peers rose from 35% to more than 58%, while violence towards siblings rose from 25.4% to over 43%.

In all, for those teens who were heavy consumers of non-diet carbonated soft drinks, the probability of aggressive behaviour was 9 to 15 percentage points higher -- the same magnitude as the impact of alcohol or tobacco -- the findings showed. "There may be a direct cause-and-effect-relationship, perhaps due to the sugar or caffeine content of soft drinks, or there may be other factors, unaccounted for in our analyses, that cause both high soft drink consumption and aggression," conclude the authors.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Sara J Solnick, David Hemenway. The 'Twinkie Defense': the relationship between carbonated non-diet soft drinks and violence perpetration among Boston high school students. Injury Prevention, 2011; DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-20011-040117

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024213401.htm

stevie wonder gurkha cobra starship cobra starship blue whale melissa joan hart phish

Cardinals miss key pitches, signs, phone calls

By RONALD BLUM

updated 1:51 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Cardinals couldn't get any key hits. Then again, they hardly got much right in a World Series game that turned slapstick for St. Louis.

Matt Holliday and Co. went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and their average was hardly much better with signs to baserunners and calls to the bullpen.

"It's not good to be down 3-2," Lance Berkman said after a 4-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday night in which the Cardinals were done in by man and machine. "We'd rather be up 3-2, but we feel good."

Albert Pujols apparently called for a hit-and-run with the score 2-all in the seventh inning, then didn't swing as Allen Craig got caught stealing second.

What could have been an inning-ending, double-play grounder by David Murphy bounced off lefty Marc Rzepczynski and rolled toward second for an infield hit that brought up Mike Napoli with the bases loaded. His two-run double in the eighth put the Rangers ahead.

Pujols struck out in the ninth as Napoli threw out Craig trying to steal second again.

"We had chances but didn't come through," Pujols said. "Nothing you can do. Day off tomorrow and get ready to play on Wednesday."

And, it turns out, the Cardinals even botched their calls to the bullpen. Twice.

"It's a really tough loss because we had the opportunity to add the runs where you can make a mistake ... and you still win the game," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "So it's a very disappointing, frustrating loss."

On a night that was more Abbott & Costello than Tinker to Evers to Chance, the game will be remembered for a reach-out-and-touch-someone moment that La Russa would rather forget.

When he went to the mound to relieve Rzepczynski, he was shocked to find Lance Lynn had come in to pitch.

"I went, 'Oh, what are you doing here?'" La Russa said.

So much for the email, text-message age. La Russa had called bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist to have Jason Motte start warming up. Lilliquist didn't hear La Russa correctly.

"I thought it was Lynn," Lilliquist said.

Was Napoli supposed to face Rzepczynski or Motte?

La Russa insisted it was Motte. Lilliquist said Rzepczynski would have faced Napoli anyway.

"It must be loud," La Russa said. "I give the fans credit."

When Murphy's grounder bounced away from Rzepczynski, La Russa lifted his blue hat right off his head, in amazement and frustration, arching his eyebrows.

This wasn't what he meant before the game when he said he would tip his cap to the Rangers if they proved to be the better team.

Yadier Molina hit an RBI single in the second and Skip Schumaker followed with a run-scoring groundout against C.J. Wilson as St. Louis built a 2-0 lead for Chris Carpenter.

But the Cardinals stranded 12 runners, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh.

Wilson pinned a runner at third in the third when Holliday grounded into an inning-ending double play, and the lefty got Holliday to ground out with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth.

St. Louis left runners at second and third when Scott Feldman struck out Nick Punto to end the sixth. In the seventh, Craig walked with one out and Pujols apparently called for a hit-and-run on an 0-1 pitch.

He didn't swing, and Craig was thrown out.

"It was a mix-up, and that's all I'm going to say," was La Russa's explanation. "On our team, nobody gets thrown under the bus."

Said Pujols: "I don't want to tell you. .. That's secret. I can't tell you how I play my game."

Pujols is 0 for 12 in the Series other than his 5-for-6, three-homer, six-RBI performance in Game 3. He was intentionally walked in the seventh for the third time in the game ? this time with no one on. After a single by Holliday and an intentional walk to Berkman, David Freese flied out on the next pitch.

Then, after Allen Craig was hit by Neftali Feliz's pitch leading off the ninth, Pujols struck out as Craig was caught stealing second again.

When the Series resumes Wednesday night in St. Louis, Jaime Garcia starts for the Cardinals and Colby Lewis for the Rangers. The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain. St. Louis could use some extra time to regroup.

After beating Wilson in last week's opener, Carpenter gave up solo homers to Mitch Moreland in the third and Adrian Beltre in the sixth, starting the Texas comeback. He allowed six hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked two.

It was 2-all when Texas put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth on Michael Young's leadoff double against loser Octavio Dotel and a one-out intentional walk to Nelson Cruz.

Murphy's infield hit off Rzepczynski loaded the bases for the right-handed-hitting Napoli, who drove the ball to the gap in right-center to raise his Series average to .309 with two homers and nine RBIs. The Rangers ran out of the dugout to celebrate.

Would Motte have faced Napoli had he been warmed up?

La Russa said yes, Lilliquist said no.

Rzepczynski wasn't surprised he was left in.

"Not at all, especially with the lefty being on deck. I've done that all year, where if there's a righty in between, I'm going to go out there and get the chance to get the righty out," he said.

Motte wasn't aware of the mix-up until reporters asked in the postgame clubhouse.

"I go out there. The phone rings, and we get going when we're told," he said. "I started throwing when I was told to start throwing."

Lilliquist thought the mix-up didn't make much of a difference, that La Russa wanted Rzepczynski to face Napoli.

"It's basically miscommunication. It was loud. A lot of places are like that," he said. "The phone is as good as any phone."

La Russa said the first time he called the bullpen in the ninth, he wanted two pitchers to get warm.

"They heard Rzepczynski, and they didn't get Motte. I looked up there and Motte wasn't going," he said. "So I called back for Motte, and they got Lynn up."

Rzepczynski struck out Moreland, and once Lynn came in, he intentionally walked Ian Kinsler before Motte finally relieved.

He struck out Elvis Andrus. By then, the damage had been done.

"We have nothing to be worry about," Molina said. "We're going back to St. Louis to win at home."

And perhaps La Russa will find a new method of signaling his bullpen.

"Yeah, smoke signals from the dugout," he said.

NOTES: Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach bounced the ceremonial first pitch. ... Furcal, who turned 34 on Monday, led off the game with a liner to Beltre at third, just as he did in Game 4. This was an easier play, with the third baseman not having to leap. Furcal turned and slashed his bat through the air in frustration.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


advertisement

More news
This one's on La Russa

DeMarco: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will be in the Hall of Fame some day. But Monday's loss to the Rangers in Game 5 of the World Series was hardly his finest hour, not with a stunning miscommunication with the bullpen and a handful of other questionable decisions.

Getty Images
Rangers on brink of title after Game 5 win

Mike Napoli hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning against Marc Rzepczynski, and the Texas Rangers rallied from a two-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Monday night and take a 3-2 World Series lead.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45026037/ns/sports-baseball/

breaking dawn trailer breaking dawn trailer chely wright chely wright paul williams flight search jackie kennedy

Chinese leader urges North Korea to better US ties (AP)

BEIJING ? China urged ally North Korea to improve its strained ties with longtime foes the United States and South Korea, state media reported Monday, as U.S. and North Korean diplomats prepared to talk about restarting negotiations on Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

On a visit to North Korea, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang told North Korean Premier Choe Yong Rim on Sunday that improving ties with the U.S. and South Korea would promote stability in the region, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li's message seems intended to further diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program that is already under way and to enhance China's role in it. Li's three-day trip to North Korea is being immediately followed by a two-day visit to South Korea, underscoring Beijing's good ties with both Koreas and its desire to revive the stalled six-nation disarmament negotiations.

U.S. and North Korean diplomats are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday to see about resuming the negotiations, which also include South Korea, Japan and Russia as well as China. North Korea walked out on talks in 2009 ? and exploded a second nuclear-test device ? but now wants to re-engage.

Li told the North Korean premier that China supports North Korean efforts "to take the right direction for engagement and dialogues, resume the six-party talks at an early date," Xinhua reported.

China has for years urged North Korea to refrain from ratcheting up tensions and to undertake serious reforms to strengthen an anemic economy that is failing to meet basic needs for its people. The visit of the Chinese vice premier is highlighting North Korea's growing dependence on China.

Ahead of Li's arrival Sunday, Xinhua reported that China-North Korean trade nearly doubled in the first seven months of the year, rising to $3.1 billion, an 87 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

North Korea relies heavily on China for food and fuel aid and many consumer products. Chinese companies are the main investors in North Korean mining, and the sides recently signed agreements on road building and jointly developing an industrial park on an island near the Chinese city of Dandong.

"The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has shown great potential, with bilateral trade and investment volume reaching new highs," Xinhua said, citing the Chinese ambassador to Pyongyang, Liu Hongcai.

Bilateral trade between China and North Korea still is dwarfed by economic ties between China and South Korea, which is projected to hit about $250 billion for all of 2011.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_nkorea

meteor shower 2011 home depot center the replacements fleet week scarecrow festival scarecrow festival texas longhorns