Though the operating system Windows Phone 7 hasn?t quite found its footing in the marketplace, it now has one solid achievement to boast about ? it has hit the 50,000 app mark in its Marketplace days before it was expected to.
AllAboutWindowsPhone.com lets us know of this milestone and its a pretty big deal for the OS, since the entire life of an OS depends on how many users really make apps for it since that?s a very lucrative draw and the reason why iOS and especially Android have been gaining traction (and why Blackberry isn?t). The report suggests that the OS will reach 100,000 mark by summer 2012 at the rate that it?s going at.
A look at the prime minister candidates for Jamaica's two main political parties.
ANDREW HOLNESS: The candidate of the ruling center-right Jamaica Labor Party, Holness, 39, is the youngest prime minister in Jamaica's history. The island's No. 1 politician for the past two months, he also risks being the country's shortest serving leader. Born to working class parents in the southern city of Spanish Town, Holness became a lawmaker at age 25. He became Jamaica's No. 1 politician when Bruce Golding, Jamaica's prime minister since 2007, stepped down in October amid anemic public backing. Labor Party lawmakers unanimously chose Holness as their party's leader during a seamless transition. He has described himself as both "pro-business" and "pro-people" and has said he hopes to ease Jamaica's severe poverty by creating jobs and improving access to education. He has called for a "new era of responsibility," but there are concerns that he is not providing citizens with a clear picture of the island's dire fiscal straits.
PORTIA SIMPSON MILLER: The top opposition candidate, Simpson Miller has been a stalwart of the People's National Party since the 1970s. The 66-year-old Simpson Miller was first elected to Parliament in 1976 and became a Cabinet member in 1989. She became Jamaica's first female prime minister in March 2006 after she was picked by party delegates when P.J. Patterson retired as leader. Supporters admire Simpson Miller as a Jamaican who was born in rural poverty and grew up in a Kingston ghetto, not far from the crumbling concrete jungle made famous by Bob Marley. Also referred to as "Sista P" and "Comrade Leader," she is known for her folksy style. During her brief tenure as prime minister, her support waned amid complaints she responded poorly to Hurricane Dean.
Sony Ericsson today is sending out e-mails reminding folks (or chaps, since the e-mail we received was sent to our UK operation) that it's shutting down its Sony Ericcson Sync service on Dec. 29. The good news, of course, is that you can (and really should) sync all the same stuff with your Google account, including your contacts and calendars, along with, well, every thing else Android does extremely well.
So, you've got a couple days left to get it down. SE's worked up some instructions to ease the transition. Give 'em a look.
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion
Connexion
Rejoignez Twitter !
Today @ 12: The "National Jukebox" project between Sony and Library of Congress has turned up some audio gems: wamu.fm/vVfNI2Il y a environ 6 heuresvia TweetDeckRetweeted by 2 people
As one journalist put it, it said how much we all knew about North Korea that for the better part of Wednesday morning, most of the world remained in the dark about just when ? if at all? ? the state funeral for Kim Jong Il had begun.
PYONGYANG, North Korea ? North Korea on Sunday aired footage showing the uncle and key patron of anointed heir Kim Jong Un wearing a military uniform with a general's insignia ? a strong sign he'll play a crucial role in helping the young man take over power and uphold the "military-first" policy initiated by his late father, Kim Jong Il.
The footage on state television shows Jang Song Thaek in uniform as he pays respects before Kim Jong Il's body lying in state at Kumsusan Memorial Palace. Seoul's Unification Ministry says it's the first time Jang, usually seen in business suits, has been shown wearing a military uniform on state TV.
Little by little, North Korea is offering hints on the details of Kim Jong Un's rise and the future composition of his inner circle as millions continue to mourn for his father, who died just over a week ago. North Korea has also begun hailing Kim Jong Un as "supreme leader" of the 1.2-million strong military as it ramps up its campaign to install him as ruler.
"Let's become comrades of ... great comrade Kim Jong Un, the sun of the 21st century!" the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary carried Sunday by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The new title, a public show of support from top military leadership and the symbolic appearance of Jang in uniform send a strong signal that the nation will maintain Kim Jong Il's "military first" policy for the time being.
South Korean intelligence has reportedly predicted Kim Jong Un's aunt Kim Kyong Hui, a key Workers' Party official, and her husband Jang, who is a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, will play larger roles supporting the heir.
Jang and his wife have risen to the top of North Korea's political and military elite since the succession campaign began two years ago. Both 65, they also have the weight of seniority so important in a society that places a premium on age and alliances.
Kim Jong Un made a third visit Saturday to the palace where his father's body is lying in state ? this time as "supreme leader of the revolutionary armed forces" and accompanied by North Korea's top military brass, according to KCNA.
Earlier, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper urged Kim Jong Un to accept the top military post: "Comrade Kim Jong Un, please assume the supreme commandership, as wished by the people."
Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was unveiled in September 2010 as his father's choice as successor, will be the third-generation Kim to rule the nation of 24 million. His father and grandfather led the country under different titles, and it remains unclear which other titles will be bestowed on the grandson.
Kim Il Sung, who founded North Korea in 1948, retains the title of "eternal president" even after his death in 1994.
His son, Kim Jong Il, ruled the country in his capacity as chairman of the National Defense Commission while concurrently serving as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army and general secretary of the Workers' Party.
Kim Jong Un was promoted to four-star general and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party. He had been expected to assume a number of other key posts while being groomed to succeed his father.
His father's death comes at a sensitive time for North Korea, which was in the middle of discussions with the U.S. on food aid and restarting talks to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program. Chronically short of food and suffering from a shortfall in basic staples after several harsh seasons, officials had been asking for help feeding its people even as North Koreans prepared for 2012 celebrations marking Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday.
North Korea has emphasized the Kim family legacy during the sped-up succession movement for Kim Jong Un. State media invoked Kim Il Sung in declaring the people's support for the next leader, comparing the occasion to Kim Jong Il's ascension to "supreme commander" exactly 20 years ago Saturday.
At the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, Kim Jong Un and senior commanders paid silent tribute to Kim Jong Il, "praying for his immortality," KCNA said. The military also pledged its loyalty to Kim Jong Un, the report said.
"Let the whole army remain true to the leadership of Kim Jong Un over the army," KCNA reported ? a pledge reminiscent of those made when Kim Jong Il was named supreme commander.
The call to rally behind Kim Jong Un, dubbed the "Great Successor" in the wake of his father's death on Dec. 17 from a heart attack, comes amid displays of grief across North Korea. The official mourning period lasts until after Kim's funeral Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.
In Pyongyang, workers at beverage kiosks handed steaming cups of water to shivering mourners, including children bundled up in colorful, thick parkas. State media said Sunday the drinks were arranged at the instruction of Kim Jong Un, who ordered officials to take special measures to protect the health of mourners.
A throng of North Koreans climbed steps and placed flowers and wreaths in a neat row below a portrait of Kim Jong Il as solemn music filled the air and young uniformed soldiers, their heads shaved, bowed before his picture.
A sobbing Jong Myong Hui, a Pyongyang citizen taking a break from shoveling snow, told AP Television News that she came out voluntarily to "clear the way for Kim Jong Il's last journey."
Despite the grief, there are signs that the country is beginning to move on, with people going to work and "not giving way simply to sorrow," KCNA said. "They are getting over the demise of their leader, promoted by a strong will to closely rally around respected Comrade Kim Jong Un."
The Korean peninsula has remained in a technical state of war since the Koreas' 1950-53 conflict, but two groups from South Korea have permission from the South Korean government to visit the North to pay their respects, Unification Ministry spokesman Choi Boh-seon said Saturday in Seoul.
One group will be led by the widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, who held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and the other by the wife of a late businessman with ties to the North.
On Sunday, North Korea accused South Korea of blocking many other groups from visiting Pyongyang to pay respects, warning the action would trigger "unpredictable catastrophic consequences" in relations between the countries. An unidentified spokesman at the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification said North Korea will test how sincere South Korea is in its calls for improved ties with North Korea.
The spokesman's statement was carried by KCNA.
Seoul's Unification Ministry said it will allow only the two groups to visit the North.
___
Associated Press writers Foster Klug and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee contributed to this report. Follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/APKlug.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon (L) and his Guatemalan counterpart Alvaro Colom arrive at a joint press conference at the official residence Los Pinos, in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on July 27, 2011. (Xinhua/David de la Paz)
Breaking News Monday 26th December, 2011
Our network flyer service provides a medium for putting your important news into a flyer on the web. Whether it be a new product launch, announcing a community event, promoting a Web site, or advertising your business, then our Network Flyers service is for you. Click here for more details
Re:?
Anand Sharma to Chair the Convocation Ceremony at NIFT- to meet Industry
Leaders
?
Dear
Sir/Madam,
?
Shri
Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, will be Chairing the
Convocation Ceremony at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), to
the 2011 batch of graduate and post graduate students, as per the following
details.?
?
Day & Date????????? :?????????? Tuesday, 27th December,
2011
Time???????????????????? :?????????? 3 PM
Venue?????????????????? :????????? Siri Fort Auditorium, Khel Gaon Marg,
New Delhi
?
????????
Shri
Sharma will also be interacting with the representatives of the Fashion
Industry after the meeting. (Convocation in Auditorium IV at Siri Fort.)
?
????????? ????????? ?You are invited to cover the event.
?
????????? Yours
sincerely
?
?
( Dhiraj
Singh )
To
?
All Accredited Correspondents
All Accredited Electronic Media / Still
Camerapersons
TILTON, N.H. ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the president and vice president are living in "fantasyland" if they think the economy is getting better.
Romney was responding to an opinion piece by Vice President Joe Biden in Friday's Des Moines Register. Biden argued that the economic policies Romney wants to pursue as president would help the wealthy and leave some in the middle class behind.
Speaking in New Hampshire less than two weeks before voting begins in Iowa, Romney said Biden and President Barack Obama don't "understand from fantasyland what it's like in real America."
Romney says Obama's policies have made it harder for entrepreneurs to start businesses and create jobs.
Cottonwood High School football players teamed up Friday to help the homeless.
The clothing, including 2400 pairs of warm socks and other items, were gathered by Zach Taylor of Highland for his Eagle Scout project.
?
"They've got stuff to help these guys stay warm in the winter andons of food--looks like good food. They're trying not to eat all the food but they're happy to be here and help out," said Josh Lyman, head football coach at Cottonwood High School.
Santa also came to hand out gifts to the children at the event.
Normally, a bean casserole should not inspire huge amounts of anxiety. But it's the holidays -- a time of year when the expectations are often as big as the celebrations themselves -- and you can't stop worrying about that the huge get-together at your in-laws' house, with all their "important" friends who can't wait to meet your kids. And, yes, Grandma will be making her "famous bean casserole" -- the one that's causing your stomach to sink, because you can already hear your son taking one look at it and whining "Eeeeeeeewwwwww!" He is The Picky Eater.
And you will be the mortified parent everyone stares at when he objects to the food that's put in front of him. I have been there! You feel as though you've failed as a nutritionist, a caregiver, a mentor, a behaviorist -- in other words, a mom.
The truth is, everyone has or knows a picky eater, and my household is no different. I may be a professional chef with a handful of family-meal-geared cookbooks -- but I still worry about my loveable picky eater, and I still stress about being judged about it. When the holidays roll around, you're faced with more potential dining disasters and "judging moments" than usual (invited by boss, by old friend you haven't seen in ages, by distant relatives, etc.).
Since you can't magically make your child like beans -- or salmon or Brie en croute -- the instant an invitation arrives, here are some tips that have helped me dare to venture out into the dining sphere of holiday cheer:
Don't wait to give the kids dinner until you get to the party. Feed them something before (preferably healthy) so they aren't hungry and nagging and whiny! And if they don't care for what's offered, no big deal.
Don't forget to go over some ground rules. Such as: We never say "Gross" or "Eww, what's this?" at the dinner table -- and that goes for your house, too!
Don't try to be the Nutrition Police on a special night. Relax the rules. There are 364 other days this year to get your kids to try spinach.
Don't sit them next to someone who can be a bad influence (crazy Uncle Joe!). Try to find someone they know and admire, so they can emulate their good manners. Remember... behavior is contagious!
Don't hesitate to use the hostess gift to your advantage! Bring an appetizer or dish that you know your child loves -- so at least he'll have one safe choice at the table.
Don't make a big fuss if your child still reacts badly. Have a smart, humorous comeback line at the ready -- guaranteed to diffuse any mishap.
And finally: Don't get so worked up! You might feel the pressure for your kids to behave. impeccably, but the truth is that most people don't share those expectations -- especially when we're talking friends and family. In fact, they'll likely relate and feel for you if a meltdown does occur. Perfect kids don't exist, so let this day slide with a smile on your face and start afresh with a good, healthy breakfast tomorrow.
?
?
?
Follow Missy Chase Lapine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SneakyChef
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) ? The U.N. General Assembly granted a request from North Korea and held a few moments of silence on Thursday for Kim Jong-il, the country's former leader who died on Saturday, though Western delegations boycotted it.
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, president of the 193-nation assembly, called for a "minute of silence" before the start of a routine meeting at 3:00 p.m. EST in the half-empty U.N. General Assembly hall.
"It is my sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the late Kim Jong-il, Secretary-General of the Workers Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, who passed away on Saturday, December 17," he said.
The minute of silence lasted for 25 seconds before Nasser proceeded with the scheduled meeting. The United States, European Union member states and Japan were among the countries that boycotted the tribute to Kim Jong-il.
North Korea's U.N. mission made a similar request to the Security Council, but Western diplomats said it was rejected.
"We didn't think it would be appropriate," a diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Several Western diplomats said Pyongyang's request for Kim to be honored was highly unusual. They voiced surprise that Nassir had granted it and added that their delegations would most likely boycott the moment of silence in the assembly.
Speaking at a news conference, Nasser cited "protocol" as the reason for agreeing to the request from North Korea, a full U.N. member. One diplomat said the reason for granting the request was probably because Kim was an acting head of state.
Pyongyang is under Security Council sanctions due to Kim Jong-il's nuclear weapons program, which Western officials say ate up huge sums of money that could have been used to help feed North Korea's starving population.
An official at the Czech Republic's U.N. mission said the Czechs did not request a similar moment of silence for Vaclav Havel, the playwright-turned-dissident who died on Sunday.
The former Czech president was the leader of Czechoslovakia's 1989 "Velvet Revolution," in which he oversaw the peaceful transition from communism to democracy.
(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Eric Walsh)
We're not going to twist your arm, but if you're sitting on some beachfront property that you're willing to deed over to your favorite Engadget writers, the folks at Adobe are making the process all too easy. The company is delivering a free app for iOS that enables EchoSign subscribers to attach legally binding signatures to virtually any document, all from the comfort of their preferred fruit-filled device. What's more, the software also allows users to send documents to others for a one-click stroke of the pen and track the status of said agreements with real-time updates. Now, please excuse us. We've got some aboveboard contracts to draft.
Our correspondent explains why there's less than meets the eye when it comes to being 'naked' in China.
Everywhere you look on the Internet in China these days, somebody is referring to something as ?naked.?
Skip to next paragraph
I have written two stories recently about ?naked? social phenomena ? ?naked marriage? and ?naked resignation.? The articles? headlines attracted a lot of readers; I hope they were not too disappointed to find, when they clicked on them, that the stories had nothing to do with a lack of clothes.
?Naked marriage? refers to couples getting hitched even though the groom brings no apartment or car to the relationship, as is traditional. ?Naked resignation? refers to people quitting their jobs without the security of another one lined up ? once highly unusual but now a growing habit among the urban young.
In new Chinese slang, students can take ?naked exams,? which means they have done no studying, or make a ?naked return? to China after studying abroad, with no specific career plan. Senior officials can go in for ?naked retirement,? which means they really retire, rather than take all sorts of honorary positions or consultancy posts.
The term began appearing on the Internet about five years ago, and it seems to represent a spreading zeitgeist among educated young Chinese, a spirit of the times that encourages the pursuit of freedom and independence.
Naked marriage means shrugging off material burdens; naked resignation implies following your heart; naked retirement means switching to a simpler life without the glory of titles; naked exams suggest self confidence, a ?let it be? approach.
This is new in China, where children are taught to be obedient and respectful of tradition and adults are expected to subordinate their personal interests to group values. If ?going naked? really takes off, it could mean major changes for Chinese society, and Chinese politics.
CARSON, Calif. - Landon Donovan is returning to Everton on a two-month loan.
The Los Angeles Galaxy made the announcement Thursday, giving the Toffees some attacking help as they try to climb the standings after a slow start. Everton is 12th in the English Premier League standings and has just 15 goals in 14 league matches.
"I am delighted that we have managed to get Landon back. He will give us some good experience," Everton manager David Moyes said. "He did well for us when he was over two years ago and hopefully will return with those same qualities. His season has just finished and like last time we need him to hit the ground running because the games come thick and fast at this time of year."
Donovan will be eligible to play starting with the Jan. 4 home match against Bolton and will stay through the Feb. 25 Merseyside derby at Liverpool. He scored two goals in 13 matches during a loan to Everton from last January to March in 2010.
"The opportunity to return to Everton and play for such a well-respected club and a manager that I hold in such high regard was something that was simply too good to pass up," the 29-year-old midfielder and forward said. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Everton in 2010 and I'm hopeful that we can experience similar success this time around."
Donovan scored 16 goals in 34 games for the Galaxy this year, including the one that won the MLS Cup final against Houston last month. He is to return to the Galaxy on Feb. 26, ahead of the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Toronto.
"This is a great opportunity for Landon," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "During the final months of the 2011 season he was limited because of an ongoing injury, and he just started to get his legs back during the playoffs. Therefore, I think that this opportunity with Everton comes at a perfect time as he is rested and ready to go."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
advertisement
More news
Broken leg for Villa
David Villa broke his left leg, marring Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Qatar's Al-Sadd on Thursday night that advanced the European champions to the Club World Cup final against Brazil's Santos.
The Duggar Family, grieving from the loss of what would've been their 20th child, not only named the miscarried baby (a girl, Jubilee), they held a memorial service for her and took photos of the corpse, one of which made it onto Twitter.
It's unclear which family member or friend posted it online, but the Duggars weren't trying to keep it private. An artistic picture of the fetus, due in April, was distributed it at the memorial Wednesday. We have not posted it here for obvious reasons.
Michelle Duggar, who has given birth 19 times, and suffered severe medical issues with her youngest, Josie-Brooklyn (now 2), announced the miscarriage last week.
Because it was during the second trimester, the little girl's body was partially formed, and therefore had to be delivered, allowing the family to take photos afterward.
Alongside the image of the fetus, the Duggar family wrote the following message: "There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world."
Say what you will about them, the family marches to the beat of their own drum.
What do you think of the Duggars' way of honoring their unborn baby?
RALEIGH, N.C.?? As Superstars prepare to smash each other using tables, ladders and chairs at WWE TLC on Sunday, they made final efforts to gain valuable momentum for the brutal pay-per-view. Taking the brunt of World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry?s wrath was a hapless WWE cameraman, who was brutally smashed with a steel chair.
Randy Orton & Zack Ryder def. Wade Barrett & United States Champion Dolph Ziggler (WATCH | PHOTOS) Although they are not competing for a championship at WWE TLC, it?s clear that Randy Orton and Wade Barrett are both eager for a victory on the pay-per-view stage. After a back-and-forth tag team battle, it was The Viper who garnered the win for his team by dropping United States Champion Dolph Ziggler with a stinging RKO. As the ref delivered the three-count, Orton locked eyes with Barrett, who slowly backed away from the ring. (WWE TLC TABLES MATCH PREVIEW)
Sheamus def. Jinder Mahal (WATCH | PHOTOS) Despite the ruthlessness Jinder Mahal displayed against Ted DiBiase, Mahal could not stop the hard-charging Great White Sheamus, who downed Mahal with a stunning Brogue Kick.
Ted DiBiase def. Heath Slater (WATCH | PHOTOS) Ted DiBiase had Health Slater singing the blues when he planted him into the canvas for the win. But before the DiBiase Posse Party hero could celebrate, Jinder Mahal charged to the ring and locked him in a Camel Clutch. Taking charge of the situation, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long emerged and declared that Mahal would face Sheamus.?
Mark Henry attacked a WWE cameraman and Jack Swagger (WATCH) Full of rage, The World?s Strongest Man took out his fury on Swagger by blasting him from behind with a steel chair. Not done yet, Henry demolished an unsuspecting WWE cameraman with a vicious shot from behind with a steel chair. The ugly display was eerily reminiscent of when Henry attacked a WWE audio technician earlier this year (FULL STORY).
Big Show def. Jack Swagger (WATCH | PHOTOS) Despite being able to lock the massive Big Show in his painful ankle lock, Jack Swagger could not stop The World?s Largest Athlete. With his devastating WMD, Show dropped the former World Heavyweight Champion for the win. Afterward, Show grabbed Swagger by the neck and tossed him from the ring.
Primo & Epico def. The Usos (WATCH | PHOTOS)? Despite an impressive effort from both teams, it was Primo & Epico who prevailed when Primo capitalized on a distraction from Rosa to pin Jey Uso.
Alicia Fox def. Natalya (WATCH | PHOTOS) Using her superb athleticism, Alicia Fox managed to roll-up Natalya for a commanding win. In the process, Fox ripped out one of Natalya?s blonde hair extensions. After the bout, Fox added insult to injury by attacking the distraught Diva. ?You?re so synthetic, it?s pathetic,? Fox declared.
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes def. Daniel Bryan (WATCH | PHOTOS) With Booker T banned from interfering in Rhodes? match ? or their TLC match would be off ? the champion got down to business against Daniel Bryan. Looking good for Sunday, Rhodes took Bryan down with Cross Rhodes for the victory.
Booker T vowed to win the Intercontinental Championship (PHOTOS) If there?s any doubt in Booker T?s mind if he?s ready for a return to the ring, he?s certainly not showing it. The veteran Superstar vowed to give Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes the beat down of his life and win the Intercontinental Championship at WWE TLC (PREVIEW). And, "If I win the title, I will defend it," Booker said during commentary.
WASHINGTON ? Congress is putting the spy world on a diet ? trimming back planned growth in staff and high-tech surveillance programs.
Next year's budget doesn't cancel any programs, but it shaves money off big-ticket items like the multi-billion-dollar spy satellites.
A budget bill passed Friday is classified, but it's expected to stay in the same range as last year's -- just under $79 billion. Spy agencies had asked for an increase.
Congress left alone plans for new hires in cybersecurity and counter-terror threat finance.
One change in the new measure: Families of intelligence officers will get the same financial help for burial expenses as those of uniformed military, if agents are killed by terrorists.
WASHINGTON ? Imploring supporters to stick with him, President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that his re-election is "not a slam dunk" ? despite his administration's achievements ? because of understandable public skepticism over the economy.
Addressing donors at a hotel near the White House, the president drew attention to his efforts to heal the economy, save the auto industry, end the Iraq war and overhaul health care.
But he said: "All those things don't mean that much to somebody who's still out of work right now. Or whose house is still underwater by $100,000."
Obama said his campaign will have to fight to take its message to voters. "This is going to be tough," he said.
Obama spoke hours after his top campaign advisers said they are uncertain about which Republican will emerge to challenge him next year but predicted a long GOP primary contest that they say will produce a weaker opponent in 2012.
Democrats have been targeting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the Republican most likely to challenge Obama but now say former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's surge in the polls has made the GOP contest very unpredictable.
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said in a briefing in Washington for reporters that he was unsure "what kind of candidate will be in the general election." He said he anticipated a lengthy primary contest that would eventually hurt the party's nominee.
Of the Republican candidates, Axelrod said: "They're being tugged to the right every day. I think they're mortgaging themselves for the general by tacking as far as they are." He said that would make it more difficult for the nominee "to scramble back" to the center and appeal to a broader base of the electorate for the November general election.
Romney and Gingrich remain locked in a close contest in early Republican voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina with less than a month before voters begin assessing the GOP field.
The campaign officials said the president's speech last week in Kansas offered a glimpse of what his message will be next year: His argument that the middle class has faced numerous challenges during the past decade and that the country's economic policies must give everyone a "fair shot and a fair share."
Obama made that case again in his remarks to donors, telling them "we're all in this together."
"That vision can contrast to a vision that basically says you are on your own," he said. "It's what this election was about in 2008; it's what this election is going to be about in 2012."
The campaign officials also claimed an organizational advantage over the GOP. They said they have more staffers on the ground in Iowa than the Republicans and have had about 1 million conversations with supporters and about 90,000 in-person meetings with volunteers since Obama launched his re-election campaign in April.
Obama's campaign outlined several potential paths to victory that would build upon states that Democrat John Kerry won in 2004 and winning in Western states like Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada or holding onto Southern states Obama captured in 2008, such as Virginia and North Carolina.
Obama's session with top campaign donors came ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline for the current fundraising quarter. Obama has raised more than $150 million for his campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the end of September.
Growing income and gender gaps in college graduationPublic release date: 6-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Diane Swanbrow swanbrow@umich.edu 734-647-4416 University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A new study shows that the gap in rates of college completion between students from high-and low-income families has grown significantly in the last 50 years.
"We find growing advantages for students from high-income families," said University of Michigan economist Martha Bailey, who conducted the study with U-M economist Susan Dynarski. "And we also find that increases in educational inequality are largely driven by women."
Bailey and Dynarski analyzed nearly 70 years of data on postsecondary education from the U.S. Census and the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth. Their findings were included as a chapter in the book "Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children," published this year by the Russell Sage Foundation. They were also issued this month as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org/papers/w17633).
For their analysis, the researchers compared the educational attainment of those born between 1961 and 1964 (who were college age in the early 1980s) to those born between 1979 and 1982 (who were college age in the early 2000s), by family income at the time children were between fifteen and eighteen years old.
They found that 54 percent of those who went to college in the early 2000s and who were from families in the top income category graduated from college, fully 18 percentage points more than college-age students in the same income group twenty years earlier. In contrast, college completion rates for those in the lowest income group increased only slightly over the same period, from 5 percent to 9 percent.
"Growing inequality in college graduation rates happened during a period when education became increasingly important for subsequent earnings," Dynarski said.
The U-M researchers also found that inequality in educational attainment has risen more sharply among women than among men. For those entering college in the 1980s, the gap between men and women was small: about 2 percent more females in the top income group graduated from college than did males; and about 2 percent fewer females in the lowest income group graduated than did males. But for those entering college in the 2000s, the gender gap widened significantly especially at the top of the income distribution, with 13 percent more women than men in the highest income group graduating from college.
This female advantage in educational attainment is not a new phenomenon, the researchers point out. More women than men graduated from college in all birth cohorts since 1950. But the gap has grown recently, with the overall college graduation rate for women now ten points higher than the rate for men? percent compared to 22 percent.
The recent increase in women's college graduation reflects rapid achievement gains among women from upper-income families who have outperformed their brothers, according to Bailey. Why this is the case is not entirely clear.
Whatever the reasons for the growing gender gap in college graduation, the growing income gap has some clear policy implications, according to the authors.
"Inducing more low-income youth into college will not, by itself, serve to close income gaps in educational attainment," they conclude. "Even if rates of college entry were miraculously equalized across income groups, existing differences in persistence would still produce large gaps in college completion."
###
Bailey is an assistant professor of economics in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and a faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). Dynarski is an associate professor at the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the U-M School of Education, and also holds appointments in the Department of Economics and ISR.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Growing income and gender gaps in college graduationPublic release date: 6-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Diane Swanbrow swanbrow@umich.edu 734-647-4416 University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A new study shows that the gap in rates of college completion between students from high-and low-income families has grown significantly in the last 50 years.
"We find growing advantages for students from high-income families," said University of Michigan economist Martha Bailey, who conducted the study with U-M economist Susan Dynarski. "And we also find that increases in educational inequality are largely driven by women."
Bailey and Dynarski analyzed nearly 70 years of data on postsecondary education from the U.S. Census and the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth. Their findings were included as a chapter in the book "Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children," published this year by the Russell Sage Foundation. They were also issued this month as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org/papers/w17633).
For their analysis, the researchers compared the educational attainment of those born between 1961 and 1964 (who were college age in the early 1980s) to those born between 1979 and 1982 (who were college age in the early 2000s), by family income at the time children were between fifteen and eighteen years old.
They found that 54 percent of those who went to college in the early 2000s and who were from families in the top income category graduated from college, fully 18 percentage points more than college-age students in the same income group twenty years earlier. In contrast, college completion rates for those in the lowest income group increased only slightly over the same period, from 5 percent to 9 percent.
"Growing inequality in college graduation rates happened during a period when education became increasingly important for subsequent earnings," Dynarski said.
The U-M researchers also found that inequality in educational attainment has risen more sharply among women than among men. For those entering college in the 1980s, the gap between men and women was small: about 2 percent more females in the top income group graduated from college than did males; and about 2 percent fewer females in the lowest income group graduated than did males. But for those entering college in the 2000s, the gender gap widened significantly especially at the top of the income distribution, with 13 percent more women than men in the highest income group graduating from college.
This female advantage in educational attainment is not a new phenomenon, the researchers point out. More women than men graduated from college in all birth cohorts since 1950. But the gap has grown recently, with the overall college graduation rate for women now ten points higher than the rate for men? percent compared to 22 percent.
The recent increase in women's college graduation reflects rapid achievement gains among women from upper-income families who have outperformed their brothers, according to Bailey. Why this is the case is not entirely clear.
Whatever the reasons for the growing gender gap in college graduation, the growing income gap has some clear policy implications, according to the authors.
"Inducing more low-income youth into college will not, by itself, serve to close income gaps in educational attainment," they conclude. "Even if rates of college entry were miraculously equalized across income groups, existing differences in persistence would still produce large gaps in college completion."
###
Bailey is an assistant professor of economics in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and a faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). Dynarski is an associate professor at the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the U-M School of Education, and also holds appointments in the Department of Economics and ISR.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Early Saturday morning, well-known skateboarder Peter Starrs was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle near the 101-80 connector ramp in San Francisco. He was 24.
According to SFAppeal, Starrs crashed at about 12:30 a.m. and was ejected from the ramp to the surface street below. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and investigators are researching what caused the accident.
Starrs had recently moved to San Francisco from Seattle where he was a fixture in the skateboarding scene. Upon news of his death, skateboarding blogs exploded with memorial posts for Starrs.
"Seattle lost one of its finest skaters and human beings," wrote Randomlife.
Many sites uploaded videos of Starrs skating in Seattle and San Francisco, along with words about Starrs, his life and his skateboarding style. "Skateboarder and friend Peter Starrs has passed away in a motorcycle accident," wrote skate shop GOODS on the company's blog. "His time here was cut short, but it was not taken for granted."
Preoperative aspirin therapy can benefit cardiac surgery patientsPublic release date: 5-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Karen Finney karen.finney@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9111 University of California - Davis Health System
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Aspirin taken within five days of cardiac surgery is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of major postoperative complications, including renal failure, a lengthy intensive care unit stay and even early death (30-day mortality), according to a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis Medical Center set to appear in the journal Annals of Surgery.
According to the study's authors, the findings are significant because despite remarkable progress in cardiac surgery, the number of major complications from cardiac surgery remains high.
"Therapies targeted to prevent or reduce major complications associated with cardiac surgery have been few and ineffective so far," said Jianzhong Sun, an anesthesiologist at Thomas Jefferson University and lead author of the study. "These complications are significant and costly both for the public health and the quality of patient life."
The study team evaluated the impact of preoperative aspirin on major outcomes in adults (total 4,256 consecutive patients) who had cardiac surgery -- mostly coronary artery bypass graft or valve surgery -- at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital or UC Davis Medical Center between 2001 and 2009. Among 2,868 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 1,923 took aspirin (about 81 to 325 mg daily) at least once within five days preceding their surgery versus 945 not taking aspirin (non-aspirin therapy).
The outcomes showed that preoperative aspirin therapy (vs. non-aspirin) is associated with a significant decrease in the risk for 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiocerebral events, postoperative renal failure and average time spent in the intensive care unit.
Beneficial effects of preoperative aspirin use found in the current study "are in line with our previous findings and findings from early postoperative aspirin studies," wrote Sun and colleagues in their paper.
"We know that aspirin can be lifesaving for patients who have experienced heart attacks," said Nilas Young, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at UC Davis and a study co-author. "Now we know that this simple intervention can do the same for patients who undergo certain coronary surgeries. This outcome could lead to new preoperative treatment standards in cardiac medicine."
The researchers acknowledge that bleeding remains a concern with preoperative aspirin therapy. However, they said, in the current era of cardiac surgery, the potential for bleeding may be avoided by using antifibrinolytic therapy, which prevents the breakdown of clotting factors in the blood, and/or a low dose of aspirin.
"Overall, the outcome benefits provided by preoperative aspirin therapy may override its possible risk of excess bleeding in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Nonetheless, further studies are certainly needed to examine this potential side effect carefully," Sun and colleagues wrote.
Added Zvi Grunwald, chair of anesthesiology at Jefferson, "While we are excited that the study clearly showed that preoperative use of aspirin significantly reduced major complications and mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, we do urge further study before recommending aspirin for cardiac surgery patients prior to surgery."
###
In addition to Sun and Young, study investigators included senior author Longhui Cao, Scott Silvestry, Will Sun and James Diehl of Thomas Jefferson University; Hong Lui of UC Davis; and Ning Zhao of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (TJUH) are dedicated to excellence in patient care, patient safety and the quality of the health-care experience. Consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation's top hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, established in 1825, has over 900 licensed acute care beds with major programs in a wide range of clinical specialties. TJUH is one of the few hospitals in the U.S. that is both a level 1 trauma center and a federally-designated regional spinal cord injury center. TJUH patient care facilities include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, the region's only dedicated hospital for neuroscience, Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia, and additional patient care facilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. TJUH partners with its education affiliate, Thomas Jefferson University. For information, visit http://www.jeffersonhospital.org.
UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., is a comprehensive academic medical center where clinical practice, teaching and research converge to advance human health. Centers of excellence include the National Cancer Institute-designated UC Davis Cancer Center; the region's only level 1 pediatric and adult trauma centers; the UC Davis MIND Institute, devoted to finding treatments and cures for neurodevelopmental disorders; and the UC Davis Children's Hospital. The medical center serves a 33-county, 65,000-square-mile area that stretches north to the Oregon border and east to Nevada. It further extends its reach through the award-winning telemedicine program, which gives remote, medically underserved communities throughout California unprecedented access to specialty and subspecialty care. For information, visit http://www.medicalcenter.ucdavis.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Preoperative aspirin therapy can benefit cardiac surgery patientsPublic release date: 5-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Karen Finney karen.finney@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9111 University of California - Davis Health System
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Aspirin taken within five days of cardiac surgery is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of major postoperative complications, including renal failure, a lengthy intensive care unit stay and even early death (30-day mortality), according to a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis Medical Center set to appear in the journal Annals of Surgery.
According to the study's authors, the findings are significant because despite remarkable progress in cardiac surgery, the number of major complications from cardiac surgery remains high.
"Therapies targeted to prevent or reduce major complications associated with cardiac surgery have been few and ineffective so far," said Jianzhong Sun, an anesthesiologist at Thomas Jefferson University and lead author of the study. "These complications are significant and costly both for the public health and the quality of patient life."
The study team evaluated the impact of preoperative aspirin on major outcomes in adults (total 4,256 consecutive patients) who had cardiac surgery -- mostly coronary artery bypass graft or valve surgery -- at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital or UC Davis Medical Center between 2001 and 2009. Among 2,868 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 1,923 took aspirin (about 81 to 325 mg daily) at least once within five days preceding their surgery versus 945 not taking aspirin (non-aspirin therapy).
The outcomes showed that preoperative aspirin therapy (vs. non-aspirin) is associated with a significant decrease in the risk for 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiocerebral events, postoperative renal failure and average time spent in the intensive care unit.
Beneficial effects of preoperative aspirin use found in the current study "are in line with our previous findings and findings from early postoperative aspirin studies," wrote Sun and colleagues in their paper.
"We know that aspirin can be lifesaving for patients who have experienced heart attacks," said Nilas Young, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at UC Davis and a study co-author. "Now we know that this simple intervention can do the same for patients who undergo certain coronary surgeries. This outcome could lead to new preoperative treatment standards in cardiac medicine."
The researchers acknowledge that bleeding remains a concern with preoperative aspirin therapy. However, they said, in the current era of cardiac surgery, the potential for bleeding may be avoided by using antifibrinolytic therapy, which prevents the breakdown of clotting factors in the blood, and/or a low dose of aspirin.
"Overall, the outcome benefits provided by preoperative aspirin therapy may override its possible risk of excess bleeding in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Nonetheless, further studies are certainly needed to examine this potential side effect carefully," Sun and colleagues wrote.
Added Zvi Grunwald, chair of anesthesiology at Jefferson, "While we are excited that the study clearly showed that preoperative use of aspirin significantly reduced major complications and mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, we do urge further study before recommending aspirin for cardiac surgery patients prior to surgery."
###
In addition to Sun and Young, study investigators included senior author Longhui Cao, Scott Silvestry, Will Sun and James Diehl of Thomas Jefferson University; Hong Lui of UC Davis; and Ning Zhao of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (TJUH) are dedicated to excellence in patient care, patient safety and the quality of the health-care experience. Consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation's top hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, established in 1825, has over 900 licensed acute care beds with major programs in a wide range of clinical specialties. TJUH is one of the few hospitals in the U.S. that is both a level 1 trauma center and a federally-designated regional spinal cord injury center. TJUH patient care facilities include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, the region's only dedicated hospital for neuroscience, Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia, and additional patient care facilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. TJUH partners with its education affiliate, Thomas Jefferson University. For information, visit http://www.jeffersonhospital.org.
UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., is a comprehensive academic medical center where clinical practice, teaching and research converge to advance human health. Centers of excellence include the National Cancer Institute-designated UC Davis Cancer Center; the region's only level 1 pediatric and adult trauma centers; the UC Davis MIND Institute, devoted to finding treatments and cures for neurodevelopmental disorders; and the UC Davis Children's Hospital. The medical center serves a 33-county, 65,000-square-mile area that stretches north to the Oregon border and east to Nevada. It further extends its reach through the award-winning telemedicine program, which gives remote, medically underserved communities throughout California unprecedented access to specialty and subspecialty care. For information, visit http://www.medicalcenter.ucdavis.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
AllAboutWindowsPhone.com lets us know of this milestone and its a pretty big deal for the OS, since the entire life of an OS depends on how many users really make apps for it since that?s a very lucrative draw and the reason why iOS and especially Android have been gaining traction (and why Blackberry isn?t). The report suggests that the OS will reach 100,000 mark by summer 2012 at the rate that it?s going at.
kojoshow 
TheAtlanticWire 
Randy Orton & Zack Ryder def. Wade Barrett & United States Champion Dolph Ziggler (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Big Show def. Jack Swagger (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes def. Daniel Bryan (WATCH | PHOTOS)![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 6-Dec-2011
Share ]