Source: http://feeds.salon.com/salon/index
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Park Chan-wook Talks Stoker
ROTTERDAM -- Ever since his international breakthrough,?Oldboy -- which won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2004, and is now being given a U.S. makeover by Spike Lee -- Park Chan-wook has been a regular on the global festival circuit. But touring with?Stoker,?which finally opens in the U.S. on March 1, represents a new adventure, as he's been presenting his first English-language film, and one based on material he didn't write.
The first script written by British actor Wentworth Miller, the story revolves around the change in 18-year-old India (Mia Wasikowska) as she comes to terms with her father?s death, the reaction of his widowed mother (Nicole Kidman) and then the arrival of a mysterious uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode).
VIDEO: Nicole Kidman Gets Creepy in 'Stoker' Trailer
Stoker premiered at Sundance, and?then screened as the closing film to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Before the curtain came up in Rotterdam, Park spoke with?The Hollywood Reporter about discovering the soft spots in even the most seasoned Hollywood?A-lister, commissioning Philip Glass to write a piano duet that serves as a musical metaphor for sex, and getting pleasure from audiences? misguided reception of the film as a horror movie.
The Hollywood Reporter: What was it like for you working on your first U.S. production, with American actors?
Park Chan-wook: Actors, I think, are all the same. Both Korean actors and American actors are all very sensitive people, and they are all curious to know what the director thinks of them and how they are evaluated, and they try to satisfy the director. And they like it if you listen carefully to their opinions and accept them. I?m used to working with those kinds of actors. It was just that I was working within the boundary of Korea, but the actors I was working with there are the hugest stars there. So I felt all actors are similar, especially excellent ones, who are intelligent. It?s not because they are from good colleges or anything, but they are very bright in their thinking. They think a lot about human emotion. As for the system, in a word, the biggest difference is that there were too few shooting days. I had to shoot twice the speed as I shot in Korea; I had only 40 days, and there wasn?t enough time for additional shooting.
REVIEW:?Stoker
THR: How did you work with Wentworth Miller on his screenplay?
Park: Wentworth I had just one long conversation, and after that I just worked on it. I worked with Erin Cressida Wilson, an excellent screenwriter who helped me. We didn?t get writing credits, but from the beginning to end we had a lot of small and tiny revisions. Let me put it this way: If we?re talking about food, the ingredients are the same, but the cooking method is a little bit different. So the taste in the end is probably a bit different. But once it?s in your stomach it?s all the same.
THR: But you certainly brought your trademark visual style and musical choices.
Park: Visual elements are, of course, the director?s job. As for the music, there?s a bit where the two of them are playing the piano together. In Wentworth?s screenplay, I believe it?s described as Eric Satie-esque. But I changed that to Philip Glass, and so it is newly composed.
So if a different director had worked with Wentworth?s script, visually or aurally what kind of result would come out of it? It would be an interesting thing to imagine that. It would have been a very different result. But that has something to do with why I chose the script -- there?s a lot of space in there, there?s not a lot of dialogue, and any director taking it on could breathe their own style into the film.
STORY:?Park Chan-wook on Hollywood Debut 'Stoker': I Wish I Had More Time With the Actors
THR: And there?s a lot of sexually-charged symbolism in the film, such as the piano duet you mentioned.
Park: The piano duet wasn?t in the script, and it wasn?t even my idea! When I first went to New York to meet with Philip Glass I asked him to create a song [India and Charlie] could play together for that scene. And he said, ?Well, I got to know what kind of scene it is for me to write it.? So we?re saying, it?s a piano performance, but it?s actually sex. And he said, ?Oh, I got it. I once made a piece called Four Hands, a married couple were playing it and one day the husband said, while we can play it like this, we can also play it like this' [mimes the man putting his arm around the woman to reach the other side of the keyboard]. Right away that night, I changed the script to have Charlie?s arm going around India.
Sex is part of the whole process of courting or being in love. And in this scene, it is expressed in stages: a A woman is alone and the man approaches quietly; she ignores him and plays the piece alone; he gets tired of waiting and suddenly boldly gets into it. At first she?s shy but then she reacts, and it escalates to more excitement and then climax. That?s the point of a woman feeling enough satisfaction and that the man, having taken care of her needs, just disappears. That?s what?s being shown in that scene.
THR: Is Stoker supposed to be the second installment of a trilogy about girls going through their rites of passage, with the first one being 2006?s I?m A Cyborg That?s OK?
Park: Before I got the script I hadn't been thinking any more about that sort of film. I looked through so many different scripts, but in the end I chose this one. And there's also the fact that I decided to focus on those themes more so than is in Wentworth?s original script. I think that must mean I hoped to make another film like I?m A Cyborg But That?s OK. I?m a father who?s raising a daughter, and it?s an interest I?ve naturally taken. As I grow older I spend more time with my wife and gradually my interest in the woman?s world is growing. I feel like there are comparatively less films that deal with this view. That?s why I became more interested in it.
Q&A: Park Chan-wook
THR: The film?s title reminds one of Bram Stoker, and there are quite a few visual devices common to horror films there. But the film doesn't exactly fit into that genre, does it?
Park: The title was Wentworth?s, so I can?t say anything about that. Idioms of horror films are there for sure. I didn?t have any idea of making a horror film. I think this kind of result is desirable -- me making a film with the presumption that I'm making a thriller, and the audience taking it as almost a horror film because they are so scared. Officially we define it as a psychological thriller, but in Sundance people just called it a horror film straight out. I find that an interesting outcome.
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926928/news/1926928/
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West wary, Iran upbeat after nuclear talks
Stanislav Filippov / AFP - Getty Images
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili speaks at a press conference after the talks on Iran's nuclear program in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Wednesday.
By Ali Arouzi, Correspondent, NBC News
ALMATY, Kazakhstan ? Another round of talks between six world powers and Iran over Tehran?s nuclear program ended Wednesday. And like the air in fog-engulfed Almaty, the Kazakh city where the meetings were held, nothing was very clear at the conclusion of the latest negotiations.
The only thing both sides seemed able to agree on was that they would meet again: The next high-level talks will be held on April 5 and 6, again in Almaty.
It is hard to know what exactly has been offered and rejected by Iran and the six powers ? France, Germany, the United States, China Russia and Britain ? because the negotiations are opaque by nature.
?
NBC's Ali Arouzi reports from Almaty, Kazakhstan, on the nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, that have ended with no tangible agreements other than to meet again in April.
While Tehran maintains it is not seeking nuclear weapons, both sides seemed just as far away from an agreement to resolve the dispute that could lead to military conflict in the Middle East.
Israel has hinted that it could strike Iran's nuclear sites if current diplomatic efforts failed to stop its enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. Israel is thought to be the only country in the region with a nuclear arsenal.
An American diplomat speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity said that Iran was offered minor sanctions relief if Tehran was willing to scale back certain elements of its nuclear program. It is generally accepted that neither side wants a complete breakdown in talks.
Iran?s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was upbeat and smiling after the talks concluded, and said that the offers made by the world powers was more realist than previous ones.
"In this round of talks we have witnessed that despite all the attitudes during the last eight months, they tried to get closer to our viewpoints," he told journalists.
He also said Western powers had made no demands that Iran shut down a uranium enrichment facility in Fordow, which is hidden deep inside a mountain.
Jalili concluded by saying that Iran had made massive achievements since the last round of talks and that it would not give up its rights.
One Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that that halting enriching uranium to 20 percent fissile purity ? a short technical step from weapons grade ??shipping out current stockpiles and shutting Fordow was still a prerequisite for world powers.
Speaking to journalists for the six powers, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that she was glad that the Iranians saw this as a positive meeting.
"I hope the Iranian side is looking positively on the proposal we put forward," she said.
"We have to see what happens next,? she added, striking a cautious tone.
She only took three questions from journalists, replying with very short answers.
Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, one thing that the Iranian team has to look forward to is the approaching Persian New Year.? This, the most important holiday on the calendar, is a time for shopping, buying presents for family and friends and decorations for the festive season.
The sense that a deal is on the horizon could strengthen the Iranian currency, which has been in free-fall under pressure from Western sanctions.? A strengthened rial would give ordinary Iranians more purchasing power, and the government more breathing space.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
'Why Almaty?' Journalists at Iran nuclear talks wonder
Iran widens use of clandestine tanker fleet to bust oil sanctions, international officials say
Iran conducts tests to bring down 'hypothetical' drones
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Show Us Your Custom PC
Building your own computer allows you to create a system perfectly tailored to your needs. You also learn a lot from picking your parts and putting them together?knowledge that can help you be a better troubleshooter should the need arise. Custom PC builds are near and dear to our life hacking hearts. We've done an entire Night School series on how to build a computer from scratch, so if you've never done it before that's a perfect place to start. We also maintain a handy always up-to-date guide on the best PCs you can build for $600 and $1200 if you'd like to use our research as a starting point for speccing out your build. And rest assured, we haven't left you Mac users out of the fun. Behold our always up-to-date guide to building a hackintosh.
Now, we want to see that beastly (or not so beastly) rig you've put together. Take a moment to snap a pic of your custom PC and don't be afraid to open up that case so we can see inside. If you'd also like to share your system specs, all the better. You can include the details with your picture or get all fancy and use PCPartPicker?a free service that lets you quickly select the parts you've used and share your build. And if you've forgotten some of your components, Speccy for Windows will show you exactly what you've got lurking inside that case.
Image by chudo-yudo (Shutterstock).
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/gpFBpJp1br4/show-us-your-custom-pc
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Uber recruiting San Franciscan drivers, no (official taxi) license needed
Taxi-hailing apps like Uber and its competitors have been hitting stop sign after speed bump in their journey to actually, you know, being able to operate. Uber even had to shut down a beta in the Big Apple before the authorities gave such services the green light (with various caveats), and earlier this month, a similar win was scored in California when officials lifted local restrictions. As a result of the Golden State's leniency, Uber has started its UBERx program in San Francisco to recruit drivers who don't possess a specific taxi or limo license. That means everyone and your neighbor Bob can potentially start exchanging rides for cash, and are being promised decent compensation, completely flexible working hours, and access to a large number of clients. Luckily for fare-payers, those that wish to repurpose their whip will have to pass several tests before ferrying passengers, including a "city knowledge exam," so hopefully you won't end up on Alcatraz when you just asked Bob for a lift to Chinatown.
[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Software, Mobile
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Uber
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/8zcGik0cZrY/
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Self help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patients
Feb. 26, 2013 ? Patients with severe depression show at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions, such as self help books and interactive websites, as less severely ill patients, according to new research by The University of Manchester.
Depression is a major cause of disability worldwide and effective management of this is a key challenge for health care systems.
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), confirmed evidence that 'low-intensity' interventions provide significant clinical benefit. Initial severity of depression is one of the key variables determining who gets 'low' or 'high' intensity treatment, but this is largely based on epidemiological studies and clinical experience rather than high quality evidence.
Researchers from an international collaboration carrid out a meta-analysis of several studies involving 2470 patients with depression, all treated in a non-hospital setting. All studies were from the year 2000 or later with a sample size of more than 50 patients. The mean age in all studies was 35-45, and studies included patients with lower levels of depressive symptoms, as well as those with quite severe depression.
'Low-intensity' treatment was defined as interventions designed to help patients manage depressive symptoms such as self-help books or interactive websites, often with limited guidance and support from a health professional. Self-help groups were excluded.
The researchers found that patients with more severe depression at baseline derive "at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions as less severely ill patients." They recommend including 'low-intensity' interventions in the first step of treating severely ill patients and encouraging the majority of patients to use them as the initial treatment option.
Professor Peter Bower, from The University of Manchester who led the research, said: "To better manage depression in the community, many services seek to provide simple forms of psychological therapy (so called 'low intensity' interventions) to depressed patients. We assessed whether more severely ill patients demonstrated better or worse treatment effects from 'low-intensity' treatments. We found no clinically meaningful differences in treatment effects between more and less severely ill patients receiving 'low-intensity' interventions. Patients with more severe depression can be offered 'low-intensity' treatments as part of a stepped care model."
The researchers also say that an important research question for the future is whether low-intensity treatments are cost-effective and if "initial experience with low intensity interventions could act as a barrier to further treatment."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Manchester.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Peter Bower et al. Influence of initial severity of depression on effectiveness of low intensity interventions: meta-analysis of individual patient data. BMJ, 2013; 346 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.f540
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/mind_brain/depression/~3/EpZw92v9ku4/130226194010.htm
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Telecom CEOs: US regulators better than Europe
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? The CEOs of AT&T, Vodafone and Telefonica ? three of the world's largest cellphone companies ? say U.S. regulators are doing better than their European counterparts in promoting faster wireless data networks.
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson told an audience at Mobile World Congress, the world's largest cellphone trade show, that the U.S. practice of selling phone companies large swathes of space of the airwaves for perpetual use was helping encourage U.S. companies, including AT&T, to build out large networks using the latest "LTE" technology.
By contrast, many European countries only lease out space on their airwaves for eight- to 15-year terms. The perpetual licenses in the U.S. give phone companies the incentive to invest, Stephenson said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/telecom-ceos-us-regulators-better-europe-104735633--finance.html
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Cuba: Raul Castro Plans To Retire In 2018, Signaling The End Of An Era (VIDEO)
HAVANA -- It's been more than 54 years since someone not named "Castro" led Cuba, and it will likely be five more.
But now islanders and exiles alike have finally been given a date for when the sun will set on brothers Fidel and Raul's longtime rule: 2018.
In accepting a new presidential term on Sunday, the 81-year-old Raul Castro announced that it would be his last. And for the first time, he tapped a rising young star, Miguel Diaz-Canel, to be his top lieutenant and possible successor.
"This will be my last term," Castro said, his voice firm.
Castro also said he hopes to establish two-term limits and age caps for political offices including the presidency, though he didn't specify what age.
As the new first vice president of the ruling Council of State, the 52-year-old Diaz-Canel is now a heartbeat from the presidency and has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the heady days of the 1959 revolution.
In his 35-minute speech, Castro hinted at other changes to the constitution, some so dramatic that they will have to be ratified by the Cuban people in a referendum. Still, he scotched any idea that the country would soon abandon socialism, saying he had not assumed the presidency in order to destroy Cuba's system.
"I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba," he said. "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it."
Castro fueled interest in Sunday's legislative gathering after mentioning on Friday his possible retirement and suggesting lightheartedly that he had plans to resign at some point.
It's now clear that he was serious when he promised that Sunday's speech would have fireworks, and would touch on his future in leadership.
Cuba is at a moment of "historic transcendence," Castro told lawmakers in speaking of his decision to name Diaz-Canel to the No. 2 job, replacing the 81-year-old Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought with the Castros in the Sierra Maestra.
Castro praised Machado Ventura and another aging revolutionary for offering to leave their positions so that younger leaders could move up.
Their selflessness is "a concrete demonstration of their genuine revolutionary fiber ... That is the essence of the founding generation of this revolution."
Castro said that Diaz-Canel's promotion "represents a definitive step in the configuration of the future leadership of the nation through the gradual and orderly transfer of key roles to new generations."
"Our greatest satisfaction is the tranquility and serene confidence we feel as we deliver to the new generations the responsibility to continue building socialism," he added.
On the streets of Havana, where people often express a jaded skepticism of all things political, there was genuine excitement.
"This is the start of a new era," said Roberto Delgado, a 68-year-old retiree walking down a street in the leafy Miramar neighborhood. "It will undoubtedly be a complicated and difficult process, but something important happened today."
"I'm mesmerized," added Regla Blanco, 48. "You thought that with all these old men, it would never end. I am very satisfied with what Raul said. He is keeping his promise."
Since taking over from Fidel in 2006, Castro has instituted a slate of important economic and social changes, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and relaxing hated travel restrictions.
Still, the country remains ruled by the Communist Party and any opposition to it lacks legal recognition.
Indeed, several dozen anti-government protesters were detained across the island Sunday and held for a few hours for public disorder before being released, according to Elizardo Sanchez, a dissident who monitors human rights in Cuba.
Castro has mentioned term limits before, but he has never said specifically when he would step down, and the concept has yet to be codified into Cuban law.
If he keeps his word, Castro will leave office no later than 2018. Cuban-American exiles in the United States have waited decades for the end of the Castro era, although they will likely be dismayed if it ends on the brothers' terms.
Nevertheless, the promise of a change at the top could have deep significance for U.S.-Cuba ties. The wording of Washington's 51-year economic embargo on the island specifies that it cannot be lifted while a Castro is in charge.
In Florida, home to hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles, some were skeptical that Castro's eventual retirement will change much.
"First we have to see if he lives another five years, and after we have to see what happens," said Raul Lopez Mola, an 81-year-old who abandoned Cuba in 1966 for a new life in Miami. "No one can predict what will happen in five years. For me, I don't think it has great importance."
"It would be more meaningful if Fidel Castro died," Lopez Mola added.
Fidel Castro is 86 and retired, and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He made a surprise appearance at Sunday's gathering, receiving a thunderous ovation from lawmakers.
Some analysts have speculated that the Castros would push a younger member of their family into a top job, but there was no hint of that Sunday.
While few things are ever clear in Cuba's hermetically sealed news environment, rumblings that Diaz-Canel, an electrical engineer by training and ex-minister of higher education, might be in line for a senior post have grown.
In recent weeks, he has frequently been featured on state television news broadcasts in an apparent attempt to raise his profile.
He also traveled to Venezuela in January for the symbolic inauguration of Hugo Chavez, a key Cuban ally who had been re-elected president but was too ill to be sworn in.
The 612 lawmakers sworn in Sunday also named Esteban Lazo as the National Assembly's first new chief in 20 years, replacing Ricardo Alarcon.
Lazo, who turns 69 on Tuesday, is a vice president and member of the Communist Party's ruling political bureau. Parliament meets only twice a year and generally passes legislation unanimously without visible debate.
The legislature also named as vice presidents of the ruling Council Machado Ventura; comptroller general Gladys Bejerano; second Vice President Ramiro Valdes; Havana Communist Party secretary Lazara Mercedes Lopez Acea; and Salvador Valdes Mesa, head of Cuba's labor union.
___
Associated Press writers Anne Marie-Garcia and Paul Haven in Havana, and Christine Armario in Miami, contributed to this report.
___
Peter Orsi on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/end-of-castro-era_n_2757191.html
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Asian stocks fall amid unease about US budget
BEIJING (AP) ? Asian stock markets fell Tuesday amid anxiety about impending U.S. government spending cuts and the uncertain outcome of Italy's general election.
Oil dropped below $93 a barrel on concern about possible setbacks in all the major economic regions.
Japan's Nikkei 225 plunged 2.2 percent to 11,410.51 as the yen's recent weakness, which has boosted export stocks, reversed course. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.7 percent to 22,666.90. Seoul, Taipei and Sydney also suffered declines.
The only major market to buck the trend was China, where the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 percent to 2,333.90.
Investors were spooked by automatic U.S. spending cuts that hit this week and possible political instability in Italy following a general election.
In Asia, Chinese markets have drifted after Beijing ordered new efforts to cool housing prices, prompting fears of tighter monetary policy that might slow a gradual economic recovery. Investors also were dismayed by a survey that showed February factory activity slowing.
"As all three major economic areas face uncertainty, risk aversion has returned," said Credit Agricole CIB economist Dariusz Kowalczyk in a report.
South Korea's Kospi declined 0.6 percent to 1,997.42, Taiwan's Taiex fell 0.5 percent to 7,905.90 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.8 percent to 5,015.4. India's Sensex was down 0.5 percent at 19,027.07. Benchmarks in Singapore, Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta also declined.
Markets were volatile Monday amid uncertainty about the outcome of Italy's election. Exit polls suggested a center-left coalition might be able to form a government. But later polls showed a center-right group led by former Premier Silvio Berlusconi might win control of the upper house ? a scenario that might produce political deadlock and force new elections.
Berlusconi has promised to roll back some of the austerity measures introduced by technocrat prime minister Mario Monti. Heavily indebted Italy's stability is considered crucial to the future of the euro currency bloc and European leaders want Rome to enforce Monti's spending controls.
On Wall Street, the Dow fell 216.40 points, or 1.6 percent, to 13,784.17, its biggest drop since Nov. 7. The S&P 500 fell 27.75 points, or 1.8 percent, to 1,487.85, falling below 1,500 for the first time in three weeks. The Nasdaq composite dropped 45.57 points, or 1.4 percent, to 3,116.25
In China, investors were dismayed when HSBC Corp. said Monday a preliminary version of its purchasing managers index showed Chinese manufacturing unexpectedly fell in February to a four-month low and export orders declined.
China is recovering from its deepest slowdown since the 2008 but analysts say the rebound will be gradual and could be jeopardized if trade or investment falls.
Investors also are awaiting new U.S. data and remarks by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
Last week, minutes from the Fed's latest policy meeting showed concern over monetary stimulus, stoking jitters in the markets.
In currency markets, the dollar was down 0.7 percent to 91.92 yen. But the yen, which has fallen by about 20 percent in recent weeks, is still much weaker than it was for most of last year. The euro was down 0.3 percent to $1.305.
Benchmark crude for April delivery was down 57 cents to $92.54 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract settled Monday at $93.11.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
A cappella group Pentatonix offers powerful vocals in their takes on top 40 hits
Pentatonix, the winners of the third season of the NBC show 'The Sing-Off,' showed they're more than a YouTube sensation at a sold-out concert at Boston's House of Blues.
Pentatonix released their first EP this past June.
EnlargeFrom ?cello beat-boxing? to an interactive audience sing-along, vocal group Pentatonix had no problem amping up the crowd at their recent sold-out concert at the House of Blues in Boston.
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The five-person a cappella group, which was the winner of the third season of NBC?s ?The Sing-Off,? are not your average YouTube sensation ? they?re better. ??
With Scott Hoying?s spot-on solos, Mitch Grassi?s unreal high notes, Avi Kaplan?s sultry bass, Kirstie Maldonado?s pitch-perfect diva vocals and Kevin Olusola?s beat-boxing/percussion perfection, the group is a unique mix of individual voices that beautifully blend into one.
It?s so perfect that it?s almost robotic, too good to be real ? but it is.
What was once just popular among ?choir nerd extraordinaires? (as Hoying called himself and some of his fellow group members during the concert), a capella music has transformed into a pop culture phenomenon, partially due to shows such as "The Sing Off" and "Glee" and even more recently with films such as "Pitch Perfect" (which made over $100 million in the box office) and ABC Family's "The Mistle-Tones." Pentatonix has scored YouTube hits in the millions and currently boasts about 230,000 Facebook fans and more than 71,000 Twitter followers.?
In a time where people glorify electronic beats and synthesized vocal chords ? such as those remixed by Swedish DJ Avicii - and synthesized vocal tracks - such as top-of-the-charts songs like Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"?? Pentatonix offers a refreshing twist to top 40 hits.
With little choreography and only some minor light effects (different colors for different songs, spotlights on individual group members, etc.), the group stayed away from a flashy routine and kept the performance simple but still fresh to avoid simply replicating their YouTube videos.
Highlights of the show:
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'Amour' wins Oscar for best foreign language film
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Michael Haneke's brutal depiction of an aging couple, "Amour," has won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.
It's the second time an Austrian film has won the best foreign language film award, following "The Counterfeiters" in 2008.
Haneke, 70, thanked his wife Susanne after receiving the award.
"Thank you to my wife, she was a member of the crew," he said onstage. "You are the center of my life."
Though "Amour" was Austria's submission, it was a multinational production. The film's German-born director is Austrian, but it's in French and stars two French film legends, Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
They play a loving, elderly Parisian couple. When Anne, played by Riva, has a stroke, her husband Georges is left to care for her. Riva is also up for a best actress Oscar.
"Amour" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and received a total of five Oscar nominations, including best picture.
The other nominees Sunday night were Norway's "Kon-Tiki," Chile's "No," Denmark's "A Royal Affair" and Canada's "War Witch."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amour-wins-oscar-best-foreign-language-film-025334688.html
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Huckabee: If GOP veers on abortion, 'we will run from this party'
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
Formation of nanoparticles can now be studied molecule-by-molecule
Feb. 22, 2013 ? Atmospheric aerosol particles affect our climate by slowing down the global warming. After years of studying the international research group led by Academy Professor Markku Kulmala from the University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, Finland has succeeded in developing measurement techniques that allow detection of aerosol nucleation starting from the formation of clusters from vapor molecules, and the growth of these clusters into aerosol particles.
The results are published in the journal Science on the 22th of February 2013.
The study combines the cycles of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon in the ecosystem, as it shows that the molecular clusters need sulphuric acid, amines and oxygenated organics for growth. When the clusters reach a size of 1.5-2 nm, their growth increases considerably. The measurements were conducted at the University of Helsinki SMEAR II (Station for Measuring Forest Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) measurement station in Hyyti?l?, southern Finland, which is among the most comprehensive stations in the world for atmosphere and biosphere research.
During the last five years, the researchers at the University of Helsinki Physics Department have developed a Particle Size Magnifier (PSM), which is the first particle counter able to detect clusters and particles as small as 1 nm in diameter. The instrument is commercially available through the spin-off company Airmodus. The scientists have also put effort into developing mass spectrometric methods for measuring the composition of the recently born clusters. The results in this study would not have been achieved without this technical development.
Professor Kulmala predicted the existence of neutral molecular clusters already in the year 2000 and their growth mechanisms in 2004.
He says:-Years of systematical research are now bearing fruit. My theoretical predictions have been proven to reflect the reality.
He stresses that knowledge of the formation and growth mechanisms of nanoparticles is needed for understanding the interactions within the climate system. Assessing the global impact requires an extensive data bank and a world-wide observation network.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki), via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- M. Kulmala, J. Kontkanen, H. Junninen, K. Lehtipalo, H. E. Manninen, T. Nieminen, T. Petaja, M. Sipila, S. Schobesberger, P. Rantala, A. Franchin, T. Jokinen, E. Jarvinen, M. Aijala, J. Kangasluoma, J. Hakala, P. P. Aalto, P. Paasonen, J. Mikkila, J. Vanhanen, J. Aalto, H. Hakola, U. Makkonen, T. Ruuskanen, R. L. Mauldin, J. Duplissy, H. Vehkamaki, J. Back, A. Kortelainen, I. Riipinen, T. Kurten, M. V. Johnston, J. N. Smith, M. Ehn, T. F. Mentel, K. E. J. Lehtinen, A. Laaksonen, V.-M. Kerminen, D. R. Worsnop. Direct Observations of Atmospheric Aerosol Nucleation. Science, 2013; 339 (6122): 943 DOI: 10.1126/science.1227385
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/physics/~3/NADOSYpkkvw/130222075732.htm
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Architects Take on Fashion: Regent Street Windows Project 2013
From 15 April to 6 May, Regent Street London W1 will be showcasing a number of inspiring architectural installations created by cutting edge architects in partnership with RIBA
(Royal Institute of British Architects). Now in its fourth year, the Regent Street Windows Project matches a diverse range of RIBA architects with international fashion brands to create innovative window displays.
This initiative is in line with The Crown Estate?s ?750m investment plan to maintain Regent Street as one of the leading shopping destinations in the world. As part of this long-term strategy, Regent Street has recently seen the revival of iconic landmarks in the area balancing original architecture with contemporary restoration. This restoration of vast architectural buildings has recently welcomed to the street the largest Burberry in the world, restaurants Brasserie Z?del and MASH and the re-opening of Caf? Royal after being restored to its former golden-age glory.
Brands participating in the Regent Street Windows Project 2013 include: Topshop working with NEON, Esprit working with naganJohnson architects, Jack Spade working with Carl Turner Architects, Ferrari Store working with Gensler, Karen Millen with Mamou-Mani and Moss Bros with AY Architects.
Annie Walker, Director of the Regent Street Association, said: ?The RIBA Regent Street Project, now in its fourth year, is getting more and more recognition. Each time I look forward to seeing the designs and marvel at the result of the collaboration between the architects and the retailers; it definitely adds to the visitor experience.?
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| For further information and images please contact Lucia Ruz and Verity Ramsay. Tel: +44 (0)20 7287 9601 Email: ? or ? |
Notes to Editors
Concept images showcasing the designs of the installations will be available for press use from 4 March.
Photographs of the completed installations will be available from 16 April.
A viral film of last year?s Regent Street Windows Project 2012 can be seen on the Regent Street YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCHRx7wiKME
For more information about RIBA London, please contact Antonia Faust in RIBA London on 020 7307 3624 or email ?
Regent Street Windows Project is an initiative of RIBA London and Regent Street, London W1. The project started in 2010 as part of the London Festival of Architecture and is now established as a stand-alone annual event.
RIBA London supports RIBA membership in the capital by providing high quality support services, organising regular activities and training. It seeks to increase the political and professional influence of the RIBA in London and work to raise public awareness of architecture as a profession. It encourages improvement in the built environment by delivering cultural activities and by encouraging architectural debate in the public arena.
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| For further information and images please contact Lucia Ruz and Verity Ramsay. Tel: +44 (0)20 7287 9601 Email: ? or ? |
For further information please contact Verity Ramsay or Susie Howard
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Video: Real reasons behind pope?s resignation revealed?
>>> an italian newspaper is out with a bombshell report on what it says is the reason pope benedict resigned. the daily paper says an internal report uncovered an underground gay network at the vatican much more could come from the paper. the newspaper says this is just the first in a series of reports. nbc's claudio lavania is here for us. what more did they disclose in this report?
>> reporter: well, tamron, it is certainly well respected here in italy. the first or second biggest newspaper here in italy and usually good sources. well, what this paper is saying is that in that report, 300-page report of the internal vatican inquiry in to the scandal was so disturbing that pope benedict xvi decided to leave there and then and two months before the official abdication. it contained details about the inside of the vatican and lobbies that were -- it was power clashes of the lobbies that broke two, as a matter of fact, of the ten commandments. the first one, commandment number 6. thou shall not steal. that's a reference to the vatican bank accused of money laundering. well, also broke according to the report commandment number 7 , thou shall not commit adultery. also though it's also who no sexualise homosexuality. they said it had connections with the gay community outside of the vatican and there were blackmailed by the people outside the vatican that there were threatening them to reveal the identities. it looks like when the pope saw the documents he said, well, there's no way to fix this. the divisions are too deep and the only thing to do is resign and bring everybody down with me and start from scratch. tamron?
>> the vatican will not confirm or deny. is that the final reaction on the report given it's supposed to be a series with more details in the near future?
>> reporter: well, the vatican spokesperson yesterday said there was no comment on that. well, you will expect that. the vatican is a very secretive institution and won't rule on something that's not proved. the paper didn't put out the actual document. he said that he read the document or somebody told them about the content of the document and they promised for more but certainly you may expect the vatican is going to deny it even more.
>> claudio, thank you so much
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/50909765/
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Friday, February 22, 2013
Google updates YouTube Android app with Google+ tie-in, notification drawer controls
Making its YouTube app for Android a little more powerful, Google today pushed a new update, further integrating its Google+ social platform and incorporating TV playback controls that can be easily accessed from the Notification Bar.
Slowly migrating YouTube accounts to Google Accounts and then Google+ sign-ins on its website, Google now leans on its social network for comments and account actions, using your real name when submitting a comment. The move follows Google?s insistence that users post?Google Play reviews using their real names.
If you have paired the YouTube Android app with your smart TV, PlayStation 3 or Xbox, Google?s update also includes playback controls that can be accessed in the Notification Bar, turning it into a true second-screen app.
Google has also patched the annoying fullscreen video bug, which left users unable to view many YouTube videos in full landscape view on their devices when pushing the fullscreen button. It?s one of a few performance improvements that have users impressed with the new update.
? YouTube ? Google Play
Image Credit: jm3/Flickr
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Did you get sober but your marriage got worse?
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London levy set to fall short of Crossrail target
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Parents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimental
Feb. 22, 2013 ? Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research, published in the journal Human Communication Research, found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.
Jennifer A. Kam, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Ashley V. Middleton, MSO Health Information Management, published in Human Communication Research their findings from surveys of 253 Latino and 308 European American students from the sixth through eighth grades. The students reported on the conversations that they have had with their parents about alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. Kam and Middleton were interested in determining how certain types of messages were related to the students' substance-use perceptions, and in turn, behaviors.
Past research found that teens reported that they would be less likely to use drugs if their parents told them about their own past drug use. In Kam and Middleton's study, however, Latino and European American children who reported that their parents talked about the negative consequences, or regret, over their own past substance use were actually less likely to report anti-substance-use perceptions. This finding means that when parents share their past stories of substance use, even when there is a learning lesson, such messages may have unintended consequences for early adolescent children.
Kam and Middleton's study identifies specific messages that parents can relay to their children about alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana that may encourage anti-substance-use perceptions, and in turn, discourage actual substance use. For example, parents may talk to their kids about the negative consequences of using substances, how to avoid substances, that they disapprove of substance use, the family rules against substance use, and stories about others who have gotten in trouble from using substances.
"Parents may want to reconsider whether they should talk to their kids about times when they used substances in the past and not volunteer such information, Kam said. "Of course, it is important to remember this study is one of the first to examine the associations between parents' references to their own past substance use and their adolescent children's subsequent perceptions and behaviors."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by International Communication Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Jennifer A. Kam, Ashley V. Middleton. The Associations Between Parents' References to Their Own Past Substance Use and Youth's Substance-Use Beliefs and Behaviors: A Comparison of Latino and European American Youth. Human Communication Research, 2013; DOI: 10.1111/hcre.12001
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/living_well/~3/fpA8tU5i6Hw/130222083127.htm
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Nielsen ratings expand definition of TV households to include internet-only viewers
The Nielsen Company has monitored TV audiences since 1950, but soon it will expand that definition from solely households with antenna, cable or satellite access, but also those that have dropped those options but still get video over the internet. Reflecting the changing times, the move was first noted by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed later by company executives to the New York Times and LA Times. Nielsen hinted at changes two years ago when TV ownership dropped for the first time in decades, which may turn around since the new definition includes viewers with internet-connected TVs, and could go further to include viewers with just a tablet or laptop. According to senior VP Pat McDonough, that means views over services like Aereo can be counted, since they still contain advertisements, which is what broadcasters rely on the ratings for, unlike ad-free Netflix or Hulu streams with different ads. Because of that, it seems unlikely the change will boost the numbers of internet darlings like Community or Arrested Development, but we can dream, right?
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, NYT
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/21/nielsen-ratings-expand-definition-of-tv-households-to-include-in/
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Dozens killed in Damascus car bombing
The headquarters of Syria's ruling party was reportedly targeted in what the government once again described as a terrorist attack.
This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows first responders working after a huge explosion that shook central Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. A car bomb shook central Damascus on Thursday, exploding near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy, eyewitnesses and opposition activists said.
SANA/AP
EnlargeA car bombing near Syria's ruling party headquarters in Damascus killed 53 people on Thursday, according to state media, while mortar rounds exploded near the army's central command in the city.
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It was the third straight day of attacks on the center of the capital, among the deepest and fiercest on the heart of Bashar Assad's seat of power during the civil war.
The car bombing was the deadliest attack inside Damascus in nine months and within hours, two other bombings and a mortar attack on the military compound followed.
While no one group has claimed responsibility, the attacks suggest that rebel fighters who have gotten bogged down in their attempts to storm the capital are resorting to guerrilla tactics to loosen Assad's grip on the capital.
The day's deadliest attack struck a main street on the edge of central Mazraa neighborhood, near the headquarters of Assad's Baath party and the Russian Embassy, as well as a mosque, a hospital and a school.
TV footage of the blast site showed firemen dousing a flaming car with hoses. The state news service, SANA, published photos showing a large crater in the middle of the rubble-strewn street and charred cars.
Witnesses at the scene said a car exploded at a security checkpoint between the Russian Embassy and the central headquarters of Assad's ruling party.
"It was huge. Everything in the shop turned upside down," one local resident said. He said three of his employees were injured by flying glass that killed a young girl who was walking by when the blast hit.
"I pulled her inside the shop but she was almost gone. We couldn't save her," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution for speaking with foreign media.
Ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast, which shattered windows and sent up a huge cloud of smoke visible throughout much of the city, witnesses said.
State TV called it a "terrorist" attack by a suicide bomber. It said at least 53 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.
The Britain-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 42 people were killed, most of them civilians. Some members of the Syrian security forces were also killed, it said.
There was no way to immediately reconcile the differing death tolls.
The bombing appeared to be the second most deadly in the Syrian capital since the uprising against Assad began 23 months ago. Fifty-five people were killed in the first, a double suicide bombing outside of an intelligence building in May, 2012.
The most extreme of Syria's rebel groups, Jabhat al-Nusra, claimed responsibility for that and other bombings that have struck targets associated with the regime but also killed civilians.
Such tactics have galvanized Assad's supporters and made many other Syrians distrustful of the rebel movement as a whole, most of whose fighting groups do not use such tactics.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Thursday's attack.
Russia's state owned RIA Novosti news agency quoted a Russian Embassy official as saying the Embassy building had been damaged in the blast but no one was hurt.
Among those wounded by flying glass was Nayef Hawatmeh, the leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a radical Damascus-based Palestinian group.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/yoggZScv2UE/Dozens-killed-in-Damascus-car-bombing
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