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Review: 'Bulletstorm' full of dumb fun

2011-02-24T02:14:00.000-08:00

There are times when one simply can't beat around the bush. This is one of those situations when I can't begin with anything witty so the absolute truth will have to serve as the introduction. With that out of the way, all I can truly say to accurately describe "Bulletstorm" is to call it the dumbest fun that I have had with a game in a long time.
Taking place in the distant future, what little plot that actually matters revolves around disgraced soldier Gray Hunt and his crew who are forced to flee across the galaxy after being betrayed by their superior officer who forced them to assassinate innocent civilians. In a drunken attempt to destroy the officer's ship, Gray's incompetence causes both ships to crash land on the planet below – a former human resort that has since been overrun by mutants and giant monsters. As implied by my opening statement, the plot matters little to the enjoyment of the game itself. I could never quite make out what the actual setting was until I did a little background research and a lot of the dialogue ranges from funny, to unintentionally funny, to cringe-inducingly bad. Normally this would be a bad thing, but they somehow serve to enhance the game.
"Bulletstorm" is essentially a giant sandwich of action set pieces. Every layer of this sandwich may vary in how great it is compared to the last, but it ultimately never ceases to be fun despite repetition. In a span of less than three hours, I crashed a ship through a bigger ship, fought off hordes of enemies thrown at me in a valley, fought through a town, fought through a disco bar playing "Disco Inferno," fought through an amusement park and crossed into the next level of the game after taking control of a giant robot from said amusement park and using it to tear open a pathway out, all while listening to Gray deliver one liners galore. A night of "Bulletstorm" is like watching the greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger film never made.
The thing that really gives the game its replay value however is the leash system. In addition to getting a cool electric whip that allows you to fling objects and enemies away and into the air, attaching the whip gives the player a point system similar to an arcade shooter. Simply killing enemies nets a low amount of points but the game rewards you for killing them in unique ways. While gunning somebody down nets you about 10 points, kicking them and shooting them in the head while they're still falling down will give you 50 points. You can use the leash to fling them into a cactus or metal spike for even more points. These points will allow you to upgrade your equipment and buy new ammo at different points of the game. It also helps combat the repetitive nature that sets in early on in the game.
Multiplayer does not disappoint. Despite the lack of traditional deathmatch type game play, the Anarchy mode, which pits four players against continuing waves of enemies with progression to the next level dependent on how many points are earned rather than kills or surviving waves, forces the players to find creative ways to kill the enemy and think on their feet.
"Bulletstorm" was admittedly a pleasant treat. I've played a lot of serious, artfully done video games in the last year or so and, although I would not put "Bulletstorm" on par with them in any way, it's very refreshing to play a game that is simply light and fun. In that regard, I recommend it for any fans of action looking to have a good time.

Justin Bieber's New Haircut

2011-02-24T02:02:00.001-08:00

Justin Bieber's New Haircut

One of the secret weapons to make a real style statement in Celebsville, is definitely a brand new 'do. The pics revealing the Justin Bieber new haircut will either please or disappoint the public. Let the fans decide whether his new hairstyle is far more flattering than the iconic bowl cut.

As the next season is just around the corner, it's time embrace a new look especially when it comes of celebrities. Justin Biebermakes no exception when it comes of experimenting with versatile looks. The latest news reveal the Justin Bieber New haircut that's funky and age-appropriate to make the young teen idol even more up-to-date with the newest trends. The change in his appearance was made while being on the set of a song he recorded with the Rascal Flatts. The teenage heartthrob decided to make the cut in order to switch things up a bit and choose a, “ kind of a mature look” (TMZ.com). Indeed the tousled strands and the choppy sections make the do even more stylish and masculine.

Incidents and Safety Events Since 2000 for JetBlue Airlines

2011-02-22T02:01:00.000-08:00

Incidents and Safety Events Since 2000 for JetBlue Airlines

The following is a list of incidents and other noteworthy safety events since 2000 involving JetBlue. JetBlue Airlines has not had any events resulting in deaths or serious injury to passengers since it began service in 2000. The events listed below are there because of the special circumstances around each incident.
21 September 2005; JetBlue Airways A320-200; Los Angeles, CA: Shortly after takeoff on a domestic scheduled flight from Burbank, CA to New York, the crew became aware of a problem with the front landing gear. The wheels on the landing gear were locked in an incorrect position, leading the crew to divert to Los Angeles for an emergency landing. The landing, broadcast live by CNN and many other television networks, was visually spectacular but did not result in any serious damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries among the 140 passengers and six crew members.
This event was not considered an accident by either the FAA or NTSB and is in fact an airliner landing on a malfunctioning landing gear occurs several times a year around the world. This event was considered to be a significant event by AirSafe.com because of the extraordinary media attention paid to the event both during the emergency and in the days following. One reason for the interest was the fact that many of the passengers were able to view live images of their aircraft until shortly before landing. Fatal Airbus A320 Events
9 August 2010; JetBlue Airways; Embraer ERJ-190; flight 1052; New York, NY: Shortly after landing after a scheduled domestic flight from Pittsburgh, PA to New York, NY (JFK), flight attendant Steven Slater allegedly had a confrontation with a passenger after which he opened an emergency exit slide and evacuated the aircraft while the aircraft was parked in the gate area. There was no emergency in the aircraft that required an emergency evacuation. The flight attendant is no longer working for the airliner. While this event was not directly related to safety, it generated substantial media attention around the stresses faced by airline employees.

Santi Santamaria's death brings end to feud with Ferran Adria

2011-02-22T01:58:00.000-08:00

Santi Santamaria's death brings end to feud with Ferran Adria
The sudden death of Santi Santamaria on Wednesday in Singapore brought an end to a very public rift that caused shock waves through Spanish culinary circles and beyond.

The Catalan chef, who championed the use of fresh local produce in his style of traditional Mediterranean cuisine, for which he won a total of 7 Michelin stars, provoked a scandal when he openly lambasted rivals, including Ferran Adria, the godfather of molecular gastronomy, for their experimental culinary style.
The public clash came when Santamaria used a presentation at the 2007 edition of Madrid Fusion, an international chef's convention, to launch an attack on the fashionable food movement.
"Can we really be proud of a cuisine that fills plates with gelling agents and laboratory emulsifiers?" he asked referring to inventions like Parmesan snow, warm ice cream and spherified olive gel, that have made a table at Adria's El Bulli the most sought after in the world.
"Cooks should not be preoccupied with creating sculptures or painting pictures with their work," he went on."A table is not an art gallery."
He labelled such chefs as "a gang of frauds – cooking for snobs" but his criticism was dismissed as the petty jealousies of a traditionalist chef who had had his day.

Carmelo Anthony Knicks Jersey Will Be Change of Pace

2011-02-22T01:47:00.000-08:00

Carmelo Anthony's Knicks jersey will be a departure from what fans are used to. The new Carmelo Anthony Knicks jersey won't have the familiar No. 15 on the back, as that is a number that has already been

retired by the organization. Former player Dick McGuire wore that number, and it was retired in the early 1990's by the Knicks. That basically means that no new player can wear that number unless a special exemption is made, and in this case, no exemption is expected to take place.It's probably a safe bet that the first Carmelo Anthony Knicks jersey is going to be a hot seller as soon as Anthony decides upon a number, but he is probably the only person that knows for sure what it will be. If Anthony was smart, and all signs point towards that being a fact, he has probably already known that the No. 15 wouldn't be available, and has in mind what number he will now go with. He wore No. 15 at Syracuse when he played his one season of college basketball, so there isn't an easy fall-back for him. He also wore the No. 15 when he played for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics.With all of the players that New York sent to Denver in the Anthony trade, there will be plenty of numbers available to select from. When LeBron James went down to Miami he changed his number, and Kobe Bryant has changed his number several times. Even the great Michael Jordan changed his number, so it might not be that big of a deal for Anthony to now do it. He just needs to figure out what he would be comfortable with, and then it's going to shoot up the list of the most popular jerseys in the league.More From YCN:

Official: Bahrain Grand Prix postponed

2011-02-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

21 February 2011

Officials at the Sakhir International Circuit have announced that the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix has been cancelled as a result of the current political unrest in the country. With the statement having come from the country’s Royal family, the final pre-season Formula 1 test session has also been called off. The 2011 season will now begin two weeks later, in Australia on 27 March.

Talk of Bahrain has very much overshadowed the last four days’ of testing in Barcelona, with the majority of drivers having expressed their fears for the event and Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone having placed its destiny in the hands of the Royal family.

‘Bahrain International Circuit announces Bahrain’s withdrawal from the first race of the F1 season,’ reads the track’s official Twitter feed. ‘HRH Crown Prince informed Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone of the BIC’s decision by telephone earlier today.’

“We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest,” the Crown Prince commented.” The statement continued: ‘At the present time the country’s entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain.’

It is likely that the race will be placed further down the calendar, possibly becoming Round 18 between India and Abu Dhabi. Today's news marks the first date change for a Grand Prix since Belgium 1985, when the Spa track surface was breaking up.

Are banks open Presidents Day 2011? Most RI banks closed Washington's Birthday Continue reading on Examiner.com: Are banks open Presidents Day 2011?

2011-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

Presidents' Day, Monday, February 21, 2011, is a federal holiday, and RI bank customers are asking, "Is my bank open on Presidents Day 2011? What about ATM deposits and withdrawals on Presidents Day?"

Most Banks are Closed in Rhode Island on Presidents Day 2011

Rhode Islanders will most likely find their bank is closed on Presidents Day, also known as Washington's Birthday. For instance, Providence area Citizens Bank branches in Rhode Island are closed on Presidents Day 2011 for "normal" banking.

Local Citizens Bank branch lobbies and drive-throughs are closed on Presidents Day for doing major banking business. However, many ATM's and supermarket banks and kiosks are open for simple ATM deposits and ATM cash withdrawals. Banks that are closed on Washington's Birthday will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Are Post Offices Open on Presidents Day 2011?

According to the USPS Post Office, there is No United States Mail Delivery on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 21, 2011. Washington's Birthday is a U.S. Postal Holiday, and all U.S Post Offices are closed for business. This includes not only mail delivery to your residence or business, but also local post office lobby hours as well.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Are banks open Presidents Day 2011? Most RI banks closed Washington's Birthday - Providence Holidays | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/holidays-in-providence/are-banks-open-presidents-day-2011-most-ri-banks-closed-washington-s-birthday#ixzz1Ec2yqwMC

Constantin Brancusi with Google

2011-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

You might all worried about why Google has changed logo today because Constantin Brancusi`s birthday and we have found this interesting article and source on Wikipedia why Brancusi has been famoust in little village of Romania but interesting this small village was very popular with rich tradition of folk crafts specialy with wood carving and Geometric patterns of the region are seen in his later works.

Parents Nicolae and Maria Brancusi, were poor peasants who earned a meager living through back-breaking labor, and from the age of seven he herded the family's flock of sheep. He showed talent for carving objects out of wood and often ran away from home to escape the bullying of his father and older brothers. At the age of nine, Brancusi left small village and went to work in bigger and larger town.

At 13 he went to Craiova, where he worked at a grocery store for several years. When he was 18, impressed by Brancusi's talent for carving, his employer financed his education at the School of Crafts in Craiova, where he pursued his love for woodworking, graduating with honors in 1898.

He then enrolled in the Bucharest School of Fine Arts, where he received academic training in sculpture. He worked hard, and quickly distinguished himself as talented. One of his earliest surviving works, under the guidance of his anatomy teacher, Dimitrie Gerota, is a masterfully rendered écorché (statue of a man with skin removed to reveal the muscles underneath) which was exhibited at the Romanian Athenaeum in 1903.

Though just an anatomical study, it foreshadowed the sculptor's later efforts to reveal essence rather than merely copy outward appearance. You all need to know that his work has been very popular in Romania, France and United State with many others because his work was very well popular and he created Sleeping Muse and The Kiss which has been very famoust all over the World this days with gemetrical and sparse objects.

Worldwide fame in 1933 brought him the commission of building a meditation temple in India for Maharajah of Indore, but when Brâncuși went to India in 1937 to complete the plans and begin construction, the Mahrajah was away and lost interest in the project when he returned.

Sadly died on March 16, 1957 at the age of 81 leaving 1200 photographs and 215 sculptures. He was buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris. Also located in that cemetery are statues carved by Brancusi for several fellow artists who died; the best-known of these is "Le Baiser" ("The Kiss").

Happy 135th Birthday, Constantin Brancusi with Google and we should be all happy that Google reminds us many special arts all over the World, certainly we should see more like this from Google because everyday can be a fun to learn something new this days over the internet.

You can find about more about Constantin Brancusi by visiting Wikipedia

Despite protests, plow drivers at work

2011-02-20T20:13:00.001-08:00

Business as usual amid budget bill drama
Updated: Sunday, 20 Feb 2011, 9:17 PM CST
Published : Sunday, 20 Feb 2011, 6:35 PM CST
Reporter: Ben Krumholz
GREEN BAY - It is business as usual for area snow plow operators, despite concerns about what is happening at the state Capitol.
Some FOX 11 viewers questioned whether the plow drivers would call in sick because many are public employees. Workers across the state called in sick this past week to protest Governor Scott Walker’s budget bill that would take away collective bargaining rights for government employees.
Green Bay snow plow supervisor Dick Litkey says everything is running smoothly with snow removal in the city. He says it took only 24 minutes to call in 18 plow operators with all of them responding in less than half an hour.
“We could see this one coming for a long time,” said Litkey. “They knew that there was going to be a snow operation this weekend. You could see it coming for three days. It wasn't a surprise like some of them are.”
Sixteen Green Bay snow plow trucks started removing snow early Sunday afternoon from heavily traveled streets. Litkey says a full plow operation will likely start around 11 p.m. with more than 100 trucks on city streets.
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/Despite-protests-plow-drivers-at-work

Julia Roberts To Play The Evil Queen

2011-02-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Julia Roberts, actress and mother of twins and another son, has reportedly been chosen to play the Evil Queen in Brett Ratner’s Relativity pictures production of Snow White.

Roberts, who first appeared in the 1988 production of Mystic Pizza, has been a well-known actress since the smashing success of her films, Steel Magnolias (1989) and Pretty Woman (1990.) Since her debut, Roberts has performed in more than twenty films. She had been inducted into the coveted $20 million club, which means she has been paid twenty million dollars for a role in multiple films.

Eat Pray Love, Roberts’ latest hit film, grossed more than $80 million in the US alone. Among her other high-grossing films are Hook ($119.6 million US,) Erin Brokovich ($125.5 million US,) My Best Friend’s Wedding ($126.8 million US) and her smash hit, Runaway Bride, which pulled in $152.1 million in the US during its run in theaters.

Roberts has been active in her campaign to draw up funds for Rett Syndrome, which is a fatal disease which randomly strikes young girls between the ages of 2 and 6. She has been named several times over one of the most beautiful people in the world by People and Empire magazines. Also, she was announced the spokeswoman for Earth Biofuels in 2006 as part of her participation in the green movement.

Brett Ratner, who was also the producer of the “Rush Hour” films, intends to put an “edgy” spin on the new movie, he has told OnTheRedCarpet.com.

China blocks web calls for "Jasmine Revolution"

2011-02-20T07:42:00.001-08:00

(AP)

BEIJING - Chinese authorities cracked down on activists as a call circulated for people to gather in more than a dozen cities Sunday for a "Jasmine Revolution."

The source of the call was not known, but authorities moved to halt its spread online. Searches for the word "jasmine" were blocked Saturday on China's largest Twitter-like microblog, and the website where the request first appeared said it was hit by an attack.

Activists seemed not to know what to make of the call to protest, even as they passed it on. They said they were unaware of any known group being involved in the request for citizens to gather in 13 cities and shout "We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness."

Some even wondered whether the call was "performance art" instead of a serious move in the footsteps of recent protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria and Libya.

China has limited reporting on the protests in the Middle East and quickly shuts down most protests at home.

Authorities appeared to be treating the protest call seriously. Families and friends reported the detention or harassment of several activists, and some said they had been warned not to participate Sunday.

Police pulled Beijing lawyer Jiang Tianyong into a car and drove away, his wife, Jin Bianling, said. She told The Associated Press by phone she was still waiting for more information Saturday night.

Su Yutong, an activist who now lives in Germany, said that even if Chinese authorities suspect the call to protest wasn't serious, Saturday's actions showed they still feared it.

"If they act this way, they'll push this performance art into the real thing," she said in an e-mail.

The call for protest came as President Hu Jintao gave a speech to top leaders Saturday, asking them to "solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of the society."

The ruling Communist Party is dogged by the threat of social unrest over rising food and housing prices and other issues.

In the latest price increase, the National Development and Reform Commission announced Saturday that gasoline and diesel prices would be raised by 350 yuan ($53) per ton.

The call to protest was first posted on the U.S.-based Chinese-language website Boxun.com. "Boxun has no way to verify the background of this and did not participate," it said.

The Boxun site was unavailable Saturday, and reported being attacked.

"This is the most serious denial of service attack we have received," it said in a statement. "We believe the attack is related to the Jasmine Revolution proposed on Feb. 20 in China."

cbsnew.com

China Blocks Microblogs for 'Jasmine Revolution

2011-02-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon, searches in Chinese for the word "Jasmine" had been blocked on a Twitter-like service operated by Sina. But by the evening, Sina had appeared to suspend searches for all content on the microblog, only allowing users to query for screen names, events and other criteria. Another microblog operated by Tencent also blocked searches relating to the word "Jasmine" or "Jasmine Revolution".

Mention of a "Jasmine Revolution" appear to have begun on the Web, telling Chinese users to demonstrate in 13 cities across the country, including the capital Beijing. The call for the demonstrations seem to be inspired by the anti-government protests in Egypt and Tunisia, but it's unclear who or what group started it. A Chinese site at Boxun.com was reportedly the first to post the call to protest.

China's Internet blocking extended to other social networking websites in the country. Renren.com, a popular Facebook-like service, would not allow users to post using the words for "Jasmine Revolution." Such attempts returned a message, "Please do not release politically sensitive content, salacious content, business advertisements or any other inappropriate content."

Along with the Internet censorship, China has responded to the call for protests by reportedly detaining activists and increasing the number of police. As of Sunday evening, it appeared that no real protests had materialized.

The censorship on China's microblogs has become increasingly more restrictive in the past weeks since the anti-government protests erupted in Egypt last month. The Sina microblog and others had blocked searchesfor the word "Egypt".

Earlier this week, searches in Chinese for "Hillary" and "Hillary Clinton" were blocked on the Sina microblog. The move seemed to be in response to a speech U.S. Secretary of State Clinton gave calling for governments like China to end Internet censorship.

China has the world's largest Internet population at 457 million users. The country has 63 million microblog users, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

PetPet Park Overview

2011-02-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

PetPet Park Overview

PetPet Park is a ‘spinoff’ of the popular Neopets site. The game is centered around petpets, which, in the original Neopets, wew pets players assigned to their pets. In PetPet Park, these once minor characters take on an important role and serve as avatars which players control as they explore the virtual world. Like its predessor, PetPet Park offers colorful visuals and gameplay consisting mainly of mini games. There are currently 20 areas for players to explore but plenty of room left on the map for more. Instantly travel between regions and earn money by playing minigames to purchase new clothes, accessories, and other items for your petpet! There are currently 6 petpet types to chose from:

Dipni - Timid, easily startled fish-like petpets that are affectionate and
inquisitive. Dipnis make gurgling noises when happy.
Oukin - A birdlike petpet that is normally calm but makes a shriek when in danger.
Pinixy - A squirrel-like petpet with a bushy tail and large furry ears. Pinixies are full of energy and enjoy physical activity.
Hifflo - As the name suggests, Hifflos are miniaturized hippos. These petpets like to relax and enjoy music.
Drym - Mischievous petpets who enjoy digging for shiny objects and borrowing through snow.
Kassegat - A catlike petpet with high intelligence that is native to jungle areas. These clever creatures enjoy fruit

Peak Shoes – How to Clean Your Shoes

2011-02-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ever since footwear was invented, ways on how to clean it also came up. Like Peak shoes, no matter how good your set of runners are, you also have to clean them regulary. For sure, you know how to clean your shoes, right? Getting rid of the dirt is easy, but how sure are you that you’re not ruining the footwear’s quality? Always have in mind that there are some chemicals that can harm or affect the shoes’ quality so you have to know what right tools and cleaning stuff to use. Here are some of the tips that might come useful to you:

For rubber shoes – Note that you can only do these on rubber shoes, not on leather shoes as the latter will get ruined. First, you have to determine if your Peak shoes is heavily soiled or slightly dirty. If it’s loaded with mud on the soles, make sure that you use a brush with hard bristles to eliminate the mud. If it’s just slightly soiled, use a white cloth instead. Wash the piece cloth with liberal amount of liquid soap and start wiping the dirt away until it’s clean.

For suede shoes – If stain or mud got in your suede shoes, don’t wipe it with wet cloth. Let the mud dry and brush it with a special suede brush. Always remember to brush the shoes in one direction and not back and forth.

For leather shoes – Make a solution of warm water and ordinary liquid soap. Then soak the leather shoes on the solution and use a soft cloth to wipe the dirt away. Once the shoes are clean, put paper towels inside to that shoes to make it dry faster. Now you can wipe the outer soles with dry towel.

These are just a few simple tips on how to clean your Peak shoes. Although there are some techniques that are far better and complicated than this, it’s still good to learn the easy steps first. After all, it doesn’t matter how hard you cleaned your shoes once it’s clean enough for next use, right?

IBM's Watson supercomputer crowned Jeopardy king

2011-02-20T02:16:00.000-08:00

IBM's Watson supercomputer crowned Jeopardy king

Click to play

Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter revealed what it felt like to "represent the human race" against IBM's supercomputer Watson.

IBM's supercomputer Watson has trounced its two competitors in a televised show pitting human brains against computer bytes.

After a three night marathon on the quiz show Jeopardy, Watson emerged victorious to win a $1million (£622,000) prize.

The computer's competitors were two of the most successful players ever to have taken part in Jeopardy.

But in the end their skill at the game was no match for Watson.

Ken Jennings had previously notched up 74 consecutive wins on the show - the most ever - while Brad Rutter had won the most amount of money, $3million (£1.9m).

"I for one welcome our new computer overlords," Mr Jennings wrote along with his correct final Jeopardy question.

Search for meaning

But the victory for Watson and IBM was about more than money. It was about ushering in a new era in computing where machines will increasingly be able to learn and understand what humans are really asking them for.

Jeopardy is seen as a significant challenge for Watson because of the show's rapid fire format and clues that rely on subtle meanings, puns, and riddles; something humans excel at and computers do not.

IBM machines have previously taken on chess players

On the night of the grand finale, IBM announced a research agreement with speech recognition firm Nuance Communications, to "explore, develop and commercialise" the Watson computing system's advanced analytics capabilities in the health care industry.

The technology behind Watson has the ability to scan and analyse information from many more resources than a human can in a short period of time, potentially aiding doctors in diagnosing patients quickly.

"We can transform the way that health care professionals accomplish everyday tasks by enabling them to work smarter and more efficiently," said Dr John E Kelly III, senior vice president and director of IBM research.

Other possible applications for Watson's technology include dealing with big sets of data commonly found in the legal and financial worlds.

Fair fight

There is little doubt that Watson's win stirred up a host of emotions.

Paul Miller of the technology blog Engadget.com was moderately impressed.

“Start Quote

I was rooting for the humans”

Daniel TerdimanCNet.com

"It's obvious that IBM's DeepQA research programme has developed some of the most sophisticated natural language AI known to man. At the same time, Jeopardy questions aren't really that hard... all three contestants knew the answer most of the time, but Watson was just quicker on the draw.

"Of course, it's no surprise that computers have quicker reflexes, so why shouldn't Watson get to use his inbuilt advantage to the utmost? It seems like a fair fight to us."

Daniel Terdiman of news website CNet watched the final with IBM staff at an event at the company's Silicon Valley research centre.

"I was rooting for the humans," he said.

Who is Bram Stoker?

Twitter was alight with praise and condemnation for the machine's victory.

The comments ranged from "Robot Apocalypse, here we come" to "IBM's Watson dominates Ken Jennings, turns attention to plotting our demise".

One user wrote: "next challenge for #Watson: The Price is Right".

The final Jeopardy category was 19th century novelists.

And the answer: William Wilkinson's "An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia" inspired this author's most famous novel.

The question - which all three contestants got right was "Who is Bram Stoker?"

Watson wagered $17,973 (£11,154) to cement his victory.

In the end Watson accumulated $77,147 (£47,923) versus Mr Jennings' total of $24,000 (£14,907) and Mr Rutter's $21,600 (£12,416)

Roberto Benigni Pictures | Posters | DVDs | eBay Collectibles | News Archive

2011-02-20T01:55:00.001-08:00

Roberto!

With that one word, Italian screen goddess Sophia Loren announced that Life is Beautiful had just won Best Foreign Language film at the71st Academy Awards. Minutes later Helen Hunt would again call Roberto Benigni to the stage to accept the award for Best Actor.

Our site buzzed with emails congratulating the Academy Awards® received by Roberto Benigni and his filmLife Is Beautiful.

An acclaimed comic filmmaker and entertainer, Benigni’s Life is Beautiful explored the power of love and imagination against the backdrop of World War II Europe.

American viewers may know him from Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law and Night On Earthas well as playing Inspector Clouseau’s son in Son of the Pink Panther. However, around the world Benigni is known for his own films many of which he wrote, directed and starred in. They include Johnny Stecchino, the story of a mild-mannered bus driver who’s the spitting image of Italy’s most wanted mobster, The Little Devil, and The Monster.

Roberto began his career in Rome’s theatres and soon became one of Italy’s leading comic talents. He started making television appearances and then took on feature film roles like Il Pap’occhio and Il Minestrone. He directed his first feature, Tu Mi Turbi. He captured a selection of his live performances in Tutto Benigni and appeared in Federico Fellini’s last film,La Voce Della Luna. He also worked on Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar based on the popular European comic strip.

Auto Windscreens Latest News

2011-02-20T01:47:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: 17th February 2011
Since our appointment as Joint Administrators to the Company on Monday afternoon, we are pleased to have received a number of enquiries from parties expressing interest in the Auto Windscreens business, and we are currently progressing discussions with a number of these parties.

Although it is too early yet for us to be able to provide employees, creditors and other stakeholders with any definite news on the outcome of these discussions, please keep watching the Auto Windscreens website for news of any further developments. In the meantime the Joint Administrators would like to thank all of the employees for your ongoing patience and support.

Thank you

Chris, Matthew and Dominic
For and on behalf of Autowindscreens Limited

The affairs, business and property of the Company are currently managed by Chris Farrington, Matthew Cowlishaw and Dominic Wong as Joint Administrators. The Joint Administrators act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
On 14 February 2011, M J Cowlishaw, D L Z Wong, and C J Farrington of Deloitte LLP were appointed Joint Administrators of Auto Windscreens Limited (“the Company”) and now manage the affairs, business and property of the Company.

The Joint Administrators act only as agents of the Company and contract without personal liability. The Joint Administrators are authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

CUSTOMERS:
Regrettably due to the Administration of the Company all operations have been temporarily suspended. We hope to resume shortly.

In the interim, if your query is in relation to either a previously scheduled appointment, rectification work or a new booking and is of an urgent nature we would advise you to contact your insurance company or fleet provider to arrange alternative options.

For all other queries please write to:
The Customer Services Manager
Auto Windscreens Limited in Administration
Britannia House
Storforth Lane
Chesterfield
S40 2UZ

Willow TV World Cup 2011 Site Helps American Cricket Fans

2011-02-20T01:23:00.000-08:00

The Willow TV World Cup 2011 coverage is under way. In the U.S., the Willow TV World Cup 2011 online broadcasts are the only way to watch the cricket World Cup. It is easy for the rest of the world America, there are likely some cricket fans as well, but they have to go through a lot to see the sport's biggest event. Therefore, the Willow TV website is their best option, even if they have to pay a lot for the best broadcast.

Starting today, the world's cricket superpowers are gathered in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Naturally, the opening match has co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off in Dhaka, to kick off a month and a half tournament.

For Americans, the Willow TV website gives them their only chance to see the action. They can watch on any browser and mobile device, but if they want to watch the entire event in high definition, they must pay $129.

The price may be more valuable because there are limited options to see the tournament. Those who have DirecTV and Dish Network can find a "Cricket Ticket" package, but they will have to pay for that as well. Still, it may be cheaper than $129 for the whole competition.

But since the World Cup coverage can still be seen for free day by day, it might be a better plan. However, potential viewers have to sign on first before they can enjoy the only live cricket channel in the U.S.

The sport doesn't get coverage on ESPN, which shows just how obscure it is here. However, there is obviously a market for cricket fans somewhere, so they are looking for any way to see the sport's biggest tournament.

Those who watch the World Cup broadcasts will see 43 days' worth of action, spanning across three nations. It features two groups of seven and includes powers like Bangladesh, India, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and England. After 48 matches, the grand finale takes place on April 2 in Mumbai, India.

53rd GRAMMY Awards Slated For Feb. 13, 2011

2011-02-20T01:09:00.001-08:00

53rd GRAMMY Awards Slated For Feb. 13, 2011

Music's Biggest Night will air live from Staples Center on CBS

Photo: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com
Lady Gaga performs at the 52nd GRAMMY Awards

APRIL 13, 2010 -- 2:00 AM

GRAMMY.com

The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place in Los Angeles at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and will air live on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). As a result of last year's earlier show and Awards process dates, this year the eligibility dates for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards are Sept. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010. (This year will mark a 13-month eligibility period.) The date for the GRAMMY nominations announcement — which showcases GRAMMY Award finalists, the year's best and brightest in music as voted on by The Recording Academy's membership of music professionals — will be announced shortly.

"The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards was a dynamic, memorable evening, and it delivered our highest ratings since 2004 and the biggest year-over-year increase in more than 20 years," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "We have every intention of keeping that momentum going with our 53rd show, and once again we are thrilled to be bringing the excellence and excitement of our GRAMMY Week events and charitable initiatives to the city of Los Angeles. We also look forward to working on another outstanding GRAMMY telecast with our partners and good friends at CBS and Staples Center."

"The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will once again be event television with exciting and memorable performances that will entertain and engage our audience," said Jack Sussman, executive vice president, specials, music and live events, CBS. "We look forward to working with our partners at The Recording Academy to make Music's Biggest Night an event that can't be missed."

GRAMMY Week — a weeklong series of cultural events culminating in Music's Biggest Night — will again feature celebrations of music, fashion, arts education, and philanthropy, including the Salute To series, GRAMMY Style Studio, GRAMMY Career Day, Clive Davis and The Recording Academy's Pre-GRAMMY Gala, the annual MusiCares Person of the Year tribute, the GRAMMY Foundation's Music Preservation Project, the Entertainment Law Initiative luncheon, a Producers & Engineers Wing event, and GRAMMY Museum programs, among others
.

Career Of Lara Logan

2011-02-20T01:01:00.000-08:00

Lara Logan was a swimsuit model while attending college.^[3] It was during her studies that Logan began working as a news reporter for the Sunday Tribune in Durban from 1988 to 1989, and found work with the Daily News, another Durban publication, between 1990 and 1992.^[1] In 1992 she began working for Reuters Television in Africa, primarily as a senior producer.^[1] After four years she branched out into freelance journalism, finding work and assignments as a reporter and editor/producer with ITN and Fox/SKY, CBS News, ABC News in London, NBC, and the European Broadcast Union. She also found work with CNN, reporting on incidents such as the U.S. embassy bombings in Nairobi and Tanzania, the troubles in Northern Ireland, and the Kosovo war.^[1]

Logan was hired by GMTV breakfast television in the UK as a correspondent in 2000, and also worked with CBS News Radio as a freelance correspondent. Days after the attacks on 9/11, Logan begged a clerk at the Russian Embassy in London to give her an expedited visa for travel into Afghanistan.^[4] In November 2001, while in Afghanistan working for GMTV, Logan infiltrated theAmerican- and British-backed Northern Alliance and interviewed their commander, General Babajan, at the Bagram Air Base.^[4]Her skill as a reporter, and her obvious bravery within war zones, persuaded CBS News to offer her an official role within their organisation in 2002. Logan spent much of the next four years reporting from the field, including war zones in Afghanistan andIraq, often as an embedded journalist with the American Armed Forces. Many of her reports were for "60 Minutes II", and she was also a regular contributor to shows such as "CBS Evening News", "The Early Show", and "Face The Nation" She was promoted to the position of the Chief Foreign Correspondent for CBS News in February 2006.^[1]

Haifa Street fighting

In late January 2007, Logan filed a report about fighting along Haifa Street in Baghdad.^[5] When CBS News refused to run the report on the nightly news because the footage was "a bit strong,"^[6] Logan tried to win public support to reverse this decision. Logan said, "I would be very grateful if any of you have a chance to watch this story and pass the link on to as many people you know as possible. It should be seen. And people should know about this."^[6]^[7] Logan went on to use some of the Haifa Street material during a 60 Minutes report about life in Baghdad under the surge.

Criticism of Michael Hastings article

In June 2010, Rolling Stone magazine published an article written by Michael Hastings which quoted four-star Army General Stanley A. McChrystal and his staff contemptuously criticizing civilian government officials and leading to his retirement.^[8]^[9] Logan criticized Hastings on CNN's Reliable Sources, saying there must have been ground rules that would have limited Hastings' reporting on what she characterized as "insults and banter". She said there is an "unspoken agreement" involving "an element of trust" where you don't "blindside" the military and described the general tenor of the article as sensationalistic.^[10] In support of Logan's skepticism, ABC News reported that the military said the comments were thought to have been off the record. Rolling Stone contended that all ground rules had been followed.^[11]

Matt Taibbi, another journalist for Rolling Stone, criticized Logan for what he characterized as a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of journalism.^[12] Glenn Greenwald of Salon.comsaid that Hastings was "exposing the relevant secrets of the powerful" whereas Logan was protecting them.^[13] However, Logan defended her record for balanced reporting, citing her report of hand grenades killing troops.^[10] A column in The Week argued that in one way Logan was right, quoting Max Fisher of The Atlantic that the military will now "shy away from reporters," making it more difficult to report to the public about the war.^[14]^[15]

CNN's former chief military correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, weighed in both criticizing and praising Logan and Hastings. He thought it irrelevant that Hastings had never served, as highlighted by Logan, and said the problem involved more than just "insults and banter."^[16]

Protests in Egypt

On 3 February 2011, Time magazine reported that while covering the Egyptian Revolution, Logan and her crew were arrested by the Egyptian army in Cairo on suspicion of being Israeli spies.^[17]^[18] Logan later said of the incident: "We were not attacked by crazy people in Tahrir Square. We were detained by the Egyptian army. Arrested, detained, and interrogated. Blindfolded, handcuffed, taken at gunpoint, our driver beaten. It's the regime that arrested us. They arrested [our producer] just outside of his hotel, and they took him off the road at gunpoint, threw him against the wall, handcuffed him, blindfolded him. Took him into custody like that."^[17]^[19]

On 15 February 2011, CBS News released a statement revealing that some four days earlier, Logan had been beaten and sexually assaulted while covering the celebrations in Tahrir Square following the resignation of then President Hosni Mubarak.^[20] CBS News indicated that she was overwhelmed along with her camera crew and security staff: "It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy. In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers." Logan returned to her hotel after the assault and was flown out of the country within hours on a chartered network jet.^[21]^[22]^[23]

wikipwdia

latest news about Lara Logan

2011-02-20T00:54:00.000-08:00

Should an attractive blonde have been sent to cover the demonstrations in Egypt?

CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan, 39, the mother of two young children, was surrounded by a 200-strong mob, suffered a brutal attack and was taken to hospital.

Some reports stated she was raped. The inevitable ‘she brought it on herself’ backlash was swift. Debbie Schlussel, a political columnist, wrote in a blog: ‘So sad, too bad, Lara. No one told her to go there. She knew the risks. And she should have known what Islam is all about. Now she knows . . .’

A male New York university fellow, who has since resigned, twittered that she was ‘probably just groped like thousands of other women’ (which doesn’t make it right. In countries such as Pakistan, sexual harassment is known as ‘Eve teasing’ and used to keep women indoors).

Backlash: Like most women who compete with men, Lara Logan too has used her womanly wiles to get ahead

In the late Eighties I worked on a women’s glossy with Janine di Giovanni, an award-winning foreign reporter, who later covered the war in the Balkans.

Janine drove all us feminists (Natasha Walter, author of the The New Feminism, sat opposite me) crackers with her Dallas hair, big boobs and floral tea dresses, and she was the first to admit they were useful in getting her past roadblocks.

When I went to Pakistan to report on the earthquake, I refused to cover my head, which meant I got past soldiers blocking my way to the disaster zone, and my high shoes meant the U.S. Army gave me a lift in their helicopter. The story was always the thing, by any means necessary.

Like most women who compete with men, Logan too has used her womanly wiles to get ahead. When I met her, not long after she landed the job with CBS, making her a household name in America, she admitted she sometimes used her femininity to get a story.

‘In many Third World countries the belief that women are harmless means we can often pass unnoticed at checkpoints,’ she told me.

Logan is not unique, so I find it hard to fathom the level of opprobrium heaped on her. You’d think her surname was Croft, given the way she has always been written about.

Before I met her, I asked other female correspondents what they thought of her. One told me Logan had ‘used her body to get her first job in newspapers’. Another that she wears full make-up while on assignment in war zones.

‘OK,’ Logan said. ‘Let’s start with the one about the fact I got my first job by wearing a mini-skirt and low-cut top. It was my home town of Durban in South Africa, it’s extremely hot, it’s next to the beach, everyone wears T-shirts, and let’s not forget I was 17.’

saas

2011-02-20T00:49:00.001-08:00

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53rd GRAMMY Awards Slated For Feb. 13, 2011

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