Judge dismisses Oracle fraud claim against HP (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? A California judge has dismissed a fraud claim brought by Oracle Corp against Hewlett-Packard Co in the bitter legal battle between the two companies over the Itanium platform.

Last year, Oracle decided to discontinue its support for Itanium, a heavy-duty computing microprocessor, saying that Intel Corp made it clear that the chip was nearing the end of its life and that Intel was shifting its focus to its x86 microprocessor.

HP called Oracle's decision "anti-customer" and sued Oracle in California state court in June.

Oracle then brought several claims against HP, including one for fraud. Oracle accused HP of concealing facts during settlement talks to resolve litigation over former HP chief executive Mark Hurd's move to Oracle.

Specifically, Oracle said HP did not disclose that it was about to hire Leo Apotheker and chairman Ray Lane, who both have longstanding animosity with Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison. Had it done so, Oracle said, it never would have signed the Hurd settlement.

Apotheker has since been ousted as HP's chief executive.

In an order made public on Monday, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg dismissed Oracle's fraud claim.

"The alleged fraud did not prevent Oracle from participating in the negotiations or deprive Oracle of the opportunity to negotiate," Kleinberg wrote.

Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger declined to comment. In a statement, HP said it was pleased with the ruling.

The case in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara is Hewlett-Packard Company v. Oracle Corporation, No. 11-CV-203163.

(Reporting by Dan Levine; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/bs_nm/us_oracle_hp_lawsuit

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Taylor Lautner drops out of "Stretch Armstrong" film (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? The big-screen adaptation of the flexible toy Stretch Armstrong will finally make its way to the big screen thanks to a new partnership between Hasbro and Relativity Media.

However, "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner will no longer be headlining the project due to scheduling conflicts, an individual with knowledge of the project confirmed to TheWrap.

A new cast will be announced shortly.

Lautner has stumbled in launching a post-"Twilight" career. The teen pin-up's recent bid for stardom, last fall's "Abduction," disappointed at the box office, grossing $82 million worldwide on a $35 million budget.

Lautner will next appear in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" and is in pre-production on "Incarceron."

"Stretch Armstrong" was originally in development at Universal, which was eyeing a 2012 release for the film. Lautner was on tap to earn a reported $7.5 million for the movie. He had cleared his dance card to fit the big-budget project into his schedule, dropping out of the superhero film "Max Steel" and the extreme flying story "Northern Lights."

Relativity will be the domestic distributor and will release the film internationally. The film is targeted for an April 11, 2014 release date.

The film will be produced by Relativity's CEO Ryan Kavanaugh ("The Fighter"), Hasbro President and CEO Brian Goldner ("Transformers") and Bennett Schneir, senior vice president and managing director, motion pictures ("Battleship"). Relativity Co-President Tucker Tooley ("Immortals") will serve as executive producer.

"Stretch Armstrong" will draw its inspiration from the action hero figure first launched by Hasbro in 1976 and re-launched in the 90's. The original "Stretch" could be stretched over and over and always returned back to his original size.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/film_nm/us_taylorlautner

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The Oil Off Cuba: Washington and Havana Dance at Arms Length Over Spill Prevention (Time.com)

On Christmas Eve, a massive, Chinese-made maritime oil rig, the Scarabeo 9, arrived at Trinidad and Tobago for inspection. The Spanish oil company Repsol YPF, which keeps regional headquarters in Trinidad, ferried it to the Caribbean to perform deep-ocean drilling off Cuba -- whose communist government believes as much as 20 billion barrels of crude may lie near the island's northwest coast. But it wasn't Cuban authorities who came aboard the Scarabeo 9 to give it the once-over: officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and Interior Department did, even though the rig won't be operating in U.S. waters.

On any other occasion that might have raised the ire of the Cubans, who consider Washington their imperialista enemy. But the U.S. examination of the Scarabeo 9, which Repsol agreed to and Cuba abided, was part of an unusual choreography of cooperation between the two countries. Their otherwise bitter cold-war feud (they haven't had diplomatic relations since 1961) is best known for a 50-year-long trade embargo and history's scariest nuclear standoff. Now, Cuba's commitment to offshore oil exploration -- drilling may start this weekend -- raises a specter that haunts both nations: an oil spill in the Florida Straits like the BP calamity that tarred the nearby Gulf of Mexico two years ago and left $40 billion in U.S. damages.

The Straits, an equally vital body of water that's home to some of the world's most precious coral reefs, separates Havana and Key West, Florida, by a mere 90 miles. As a result, the U.S. has tacitly loosened its embargo against Cuba to give firms like Repsol easier access to the U.S. equipment they need to help avoid or contain possible spills. "Preventing drilling off Cuba better protects our interests than preparing for [a disaster] does," U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida tells TIME, noting the U.S. would prefer to stop the Cuban drilling -- but can't. "But the two are not mutually exclusive, and that's why we should aim to do both."

(MORE: Cuba Set to Begin Offshore Drilling: Is Florida In Eco-Straits?)

Cuba meanwhile has tacitly agreed to ensure that its safety measures meet U.S. standards (not that U.S. standards proved all that golden during the 2010 BP disaster) and is letting unofficial U.S. delegations in to discuss the precautions being taken by Havana and the international oil companies it is contracting. No Cuban official would discuss the matter, but Dan Whittle, senior attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund in New York, who was part of one recent delegation, says the Cubans "seem very motivated to do the right thing."

It's also the right business thing to do. Cuba's threadbare economy -- President Ra?l Castro currently has to lay off more than 500,000 state workers -- is acutely energy-dependent on allies like Venezuela, which ships the island 120,000 barrels of oil per day. So Havana is eager to drill for the major offshore reserves geologists discovered eight years ago (which the U.S. Geological Survey estimates at closer to 10 billion bbl.). Cuba has signed or is negotiating leases with Repsol and companies from eight other nations -- Norway, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola and China -- for 59 drilling blocks inside a 43,000-sq.-mile (112,000 sq km) zone. Eventually, the government hopes to extract half a million bpd or more.

A serious oil spill could scuttle those drilling operations -- especially since Cuba hasn't the technology, infrastructure or means, like a clean-up fund similar to the $1 billion the U.S. keeps on reserve, to confront such an emergency. And there is another big economic anxiety: Cuba's $2 billion tourism industry. "The dilemma for Cuba is that as much as they want the oil, they care as much if not more about their ocean resources," says Billy Causey, southeast regional director for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's marine sanctuary program. Cuba's pristine beaches and reefs attract sunbathers and scuba divers the world over, and a quarter of its coastal environment is set aside as protected.

So is much of coastal Florida, where tourism generates $60 billion annually -- which is why the state keeps oil rigs out of its waters. The Florida Keys lie as close as 50 miles from where Repsol is drilling; and they run roughly parallel to the 350-mile-long (560 km) Florida Reef Tract (FRT), the world's third largest barrier reef and one of its most valuable ocean eco-systems. The FRT is already under assault from global warming, ocean acidification and overfishing of symbiotic species like parrotfish that keep coral pruned of corrosive algae. If a spill were to damage the FRT, which draws $2 billion from tourism each year and supports 33,000 jobs, "it would be a catastrophic event," says David Vaughan, director of Florida's private Mote Marine Laboratory.

(MORE: Will BP Spill Lower Risk of Deepwater Drilling?)

Which means America has its own dilemma. As much as the U.S. would like to thwart Cuban petro-profits -- Cuban-American leaders like U.S. Representative and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami say the oil will throw a lifeline to the Castro dictatorship -- it needs to care as much if not more about its own environment. Because fewer than a tenth of the Scarabeo 9's components were made in America, Washington can't wield the embargo cudgel and fine Repsol, which has interests in the U.S., for doing business with Cuba. (Most of the other firms don't have U.S. interests.) Nor can it in good conscience use the embargo in this case to keep U.S. companies from offering spill prevention/containment hardware and services to Repsol and other drilling contractors.

One of those U.S. firms is Helix Energy Solutions in Houston. Amid the Gulf disaster, Helix engineered a "capping stack" to plug damaged blow-out preventers like the one that failed on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig. (It later contained the spill.) Having that technology at hand -- especially since the Cuba rigs will often operate in deeper waters than the Deepwater rig was mining -- will be critical if a spill occurs off Cuba.

Helix has applied to the Treasury Department for a special license to lease its equipment, and speedily deliver it, to Cuba's contractors when needed. The license is still pending, but Helix spokesman Cameron Wallace says the company is confident it will come through since Cuba won't benefit economically from the arrangement. "This is a reasonable approach," says Wallace. "We can't just say we'll figure out what to do if a spill happens. We need this kind of preparation." Eco-advocates like Whittle agree: "It's a no-brainer for the U.S."

(MORE: U.S. Fails to Respond to Cuba's Freeing of Dissidents)

Preparation includes something the U.S.-Cuba cold-war time warp rarely allows: dialogue. Nelson has introduced legislation that would require federal agencies to consult Congress on how to work with countries like Cuba on offshore drilling safety and spill response, but the Administration has already shown some flexibility. Last month U.S. officials and scientists had contact with Cuban counterparts at a regional forum on drilling hazards. That's important because they need to be in synch, for example, about how to attack a spill without exacerbating the damage to coral reefs. Scientists like Vaughan worry that chemical dispersants used to fight the spill in the Gulf, where coral wasn't as prevalent, could be lethal to reefs in the Straits. That would breed more marine catastrophe, since coral reefs, though they make up only 1% of the world's sea bottoms, account for up to 40% of natural fisheries. "They're our underwater oases," says Vaughan, whose tests so far with dispersants and FRT species like Elkhorn coral don't augur well.

A rigid U.S. reluctance to engage communist Cuba is of course only half the problem. Another is Havana's notorious, Soviet-style secrecy -- which some fear "could override the need to immediately pick up the phone," as one environmentalist confides, if and when a spill occurs. As a result, some are also petitioning Washington to fund AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) that marine biologists use to detect red tides, and which could also be used to sniff out oil spills in the Straits.

What experts on both sides of the Straits hope is that sea currents will carry any oil slick directly out into the Atlantic Ocean. But that's wishful thinking. So probably is the notion that U.S.-Cuba cooperation on offshore drilling can be duplicated on other fronts. Among them are the embargo, including the arguably unconstitutional ban on U.S. travel to Cuba, which has utterly failed to dislodge the Castro regime but which Washington keeps in place for fear of offending Cuban-American voters in swing-state Florida; and cases like that of Alan Gross, a U.S. aid worker imprisoned in Cuba since 2009 on what many call questionable spying charges.

U.S. inspectors this month gave the Scarabeo 9 the thumbs-up. Meanwhile, U.S. pols hope they can still dissuade foreign oil companies from operating off Cuba. Last month Nelson and Cuban-American Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey introduced a bill to hold firms financially responsible for spills that affect the U.S. even if they originate outside U.S. waters. (It would also lift a $75 million liability cap.) Others in Congress say Big Oil should be exempted from the embargo to let the U.S. benefit from the Cuba oil find too. Either way, the only thing likely to stop the drilling now would be the discovery that there's not as much crude there as anticipated. That, or a major spill.

PHOTOS: Fidel Castro Steps Down

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120128/wl_time/08599210559800

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Source: http://www.fcsafekids.org/2012/01/29/group-wellness-insurance-coverage-no-examination-to-be-capable/

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Long-term-care insurance: Right for some, but not all ? Health ...

In the last years of Martin Privot?s life, his family had to start selling his assets to pay for his nursing home costs. ?He needed 24-hour care and couldn?t be left alone,? recalls his daughter Toni Footer. ?My biggest fear was we would run [through his money] and wouldn?t be able to provide the care that he needed.?

Privot died in 2008, from post-surgical complications and other ailments, before all his assets were depleted. Yet Footer, 61, says her dad?s experience ?reinforced my already strong feelings that long-term-care (insurance) is a necessity.? The Rockville, Md., resident says she pays about $2,500 every year for such coverage for herself. ?It?s expensive ? in fact, it?s gone up twice ? but it?s worth every penny. It provides a peace of mind that my family won?t have to struggle to find money to pay for my care.?

Mary McClelland came to the opposite conclusion after seeing how her mother?s expenses were often deemed exempt from coverage.

Her mother, Ruth Mezick, purchased long-term-care, or LTC, insurance in 1990 at age 78 when she was in fairly good health, paying an annual premium of $2,827 until she died 11 years later. In her mid-80s, her health began to deteriorate and she spent time in a nursing home, at home with help and in assisted living. But her policy ? which promised to pay $100 a day ? failed to cover much of those expenses because it kicked in only after she had been in one institution more than 100 days.

?She was never in one place long enough to qualify. She ended up getting about 10 days? coverage, worth about $1,000,? says McClelland, who lives in Arlington, Va. ?That was a lesson to me; I decided it doesn?t always pay off.?

The question of whether to get LTC insurance bedevils consumers and their advisers. Unlike medical insurance, it is intended primarily to cover people who need assistance with so-called activities of daily living ? for example, the care of a dementia patient or someone recovering from a broken hip. It can be expensive: Premiums range from $1,000 to $5,000 a year, depending on the age, sex and health of the purchaser as well as the extent of the coverage. And policy details can be confusing.

Even advocates acknowledge that it isn?t for everyone. Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an industry group, sums it up well: ?Long-term care is a universal issue facing all Americans who are getting older. But long-term-care insurance is not a universal solution.?

So how great is the need for such coverage? It depends on how you look at the data. ?One in two Americans are likely to need long-term-care services sometime in their lives,? says Amy Pahl, a consulting actuary for Milliman Inc, a leading actuarial and consulting company. However, Pahl adds, of those who might need long-term care, about a third will not meet the most common deductible period of 90 days because they will either die or recover before then.

To determine if a long-term-care policy makes sense for you, it is important to understand how the coverage works and what?s available.

Medicare is not the answer

Most standard health insurance plans do not cover long-term care. Nor does Medicare or insurance policies that supplement Medicare.

Medicaid, however, is the largest source of coverage for long-term care. The program pays for more than two-thirds of nursing home residents, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But Medicaid comes with significant limitations. The choice of facilities that accept Medicaid is narrow, and the program is restricted to people with extremely limited income and virtually no resources, which forces middle-income consumers to spend down their assets if they want to qualify.

?Medicaid is supposed to be a safety net, but unfortunately it rests just about a half-inch off the floor,? says Tom West, a Northern Virginia financial adviser and long-term-care expert.

Yet Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger cautions that LTC policies may not be a good investment for some people. ?It?s mostly a policy to protect your assets (so you don?t have to sell everything to pay for care) in case you get sick. If you don?t have assets to protect, then you shouldn?t be buying it.? Unfortunately, that can leave those consumers with limited flexibility if they do need long-term care.

How the coverage works

Typically, a policy pays a fixed daily benefit ($150 is common) for a certain period of time (often three to five years) starting at a specified time (90 days is common) after the beneficiary becomes disabled. The policy covers nursing home expenses, assisted living charges or less costly in-home-care bills.

Many policies also allow the initial fixed daily benefit to rise 3 or 5 percent annually to keep up with health-care costs. The policyholder agrees to a premium that can increase only if the change is approved by state regulators. Such increases have occurred frequently in recent years and, as a result, once-flat premiums have risen sharply. So have nursing home costs, which averaged about $214 a day ? or more than $78,000 annually ? for a semi-private room last year, according to a national survey by the insurer MetLife.

As people?s needs have changed, LTC policies have expanded to cover assisted living and home care; some new policies are flexible enough to anticipate technologies that don?t yet exist, such as robotic care.

?The policies have become very innovative,? says Slome. ?Today you can go in and design coverage for particular needs and desires; you can even buy long-term-care insurance to enable you to get your care on a cruise line if you want it ? and can afford it.?

Today?s policies can also allow couples to share benefits, so a husband and wife can each buy a shorter-term policy, for example three years of benefits. About 70 percent of coverage today is sold to couples, Slome said. If it turns out that the husband needs more than three years? coverage, he can tap into his wife?s benefit pool. And in some policies, if the husband completely exhausts the couple?s coverage, the wife may still receive some nominal benefits if she needs care, too.

At the end of 2010, about 7 million Americans had LTC insurance, according to LIMRA, an association of life insurance and financial service companies. About 422,000 new policies were written in 2010.

The 2010 health-care law has a provision creating a voluntary program of LTC insurance. However, in October, the Obama administration announced it would not implement the provision because it was financially unsustainable.

According to Slome, the average age of the buyer is 57, with three-quarters of the policies written when purchasers are between 45 and 64.

When buying insurance, the younger the consumer, the lower the annual premiums. Today, according to Slome?s association, a 55-year-old couple in generally good health can expect to pay $2,675 a year for $338,000 of benefits; that figure would grow to $800,000 by the time they reach 80 if the policy contained a 3 percent annual compounded escalation clause. If they are 65, however, that same policy would cost $4,660 a year and grow to only $527,000 in coverage when they are 80.

Steep rate increases

One of the key concerns among consumers is the rise of premiums.

?It?s probably the most frequent complaint I hear,? says Praeger, who heads the National Association of Insurance Commissioners? health and managed care committee. ?The problem is, the older policies weren?t priced right to begin with. Companies expected about 8 percent of customers to stop paying their premiums, when, in fact the lapse rate is closer to 2 percent.? That meant the insurers had to cover more beneficiaries than they expected at a time when the economic downturn has meant less return on their investments.

Praeger acknowledges that rate increase requests have posed a dilemma for insurance commissioners. ?If we don?t give them the rate increase they need, the insurance carriers could become financially impaired, and that doesn?t help people,? she says. In fact, in recent years, a number of companies have stopped selling policies. As a result, she adds, it?s hard to turn the increases down.

The policies can be very complicated, and Praeger advises consumers to consult with their accountant, attorney or other trusted financial adviser before purchasing a policy.

This article was produced in collaboration with Kaiser Health News. KHN is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health-policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/25/health/long-term-care-insurance-right-for-some-but-not-all/

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Madonna Cries Discussing Her Mother at 'W.E.' Premiere

Madonna is having an auspicious January. She won a Golden Globe for her song "Masterpiece," she's getting ready for her halftime show at the Super Bowl and she's enjoying the New York premiere of her directorial debut, W.E.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/madonna-cries-discussing-her-mother-we-premiere/1-a-421898?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Amadonna-cries-discussing-her-mother-we-premiere-421898

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Trash Talk: Flacco should've silenced critics

Most popular

Winderman: Someone needs to talk Ainge off the ledge

Winderman: Celtics GM Danny Ainge needs to take a deep breath before blowing anything up in Boston. With a subtle touch, playoffs as well as rapid regeneration not only remain plausible but eminently possible.

Federer breezes into Aussie Open semis

Four-time champion Roger Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals for the ninth consecutive year.

Clijsters advances to Aussie Open semis

Defending champion Kim Clijsters has defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the Australian Open quarterfinals, ensuring Wozniacki will lose the No. 1 ranking.

Source: http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/14400754?pg=3#spt_trash_talk

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Student Senate Finance Committee will update, clarify Budget Code ...

How student organizations obtain funding for travel expenses will be reviewed this semester, along with several other changes, as the Student Senate Finance Committee updates the 11-year-old Student Senate Budget Code.

Finance Committee chairman Josh Dean said members of the committee are altering the Budget Code, Article VIII of the Student Senate Rules and Regulations, to make its structure and language clearer for the student body. The committee also intends to take record of rules that are currently in practice but have never been written down.

?The last overhaul of the budget code took place in 2000, and people have made lots of amendments, and many rules have been changed,? Dean said. ?Right now, the rules are very confusing for people.?

One such rule is item 8.2.5.6.1, which says, ?No funds from student fees shall be allocated or apportioned to any corporation, organization, or group for travel expenses.? Organizations are able to apply for an exemption to this rule, but requirements for the exemption are not written in the code and currently need to be interpreted by the Finance Committee.

Article 8.2.5.6.1

?No funds from student fees shall be allocated or apportioned to any corporation, organization, or group for travel expenses.?

Source: Student Senate Rules and Regulations, last updated in 2000

Any student organization can apply for the exemption with a bill that must receive two-thirds of the vote in the Finance and Rights committees before going to the Senate for another two-thirds vote.

?The big test we use is, ?Is travel vital to the existence of your group?,?? Dean said about any organization seeking a travel exemption.

If the general answer is yes, the organization may be eligible for an exemption. Another parameter the committee looks at is if the organization is inclusive to all students, Dean said.

While these specifications have been the unofficial benchmarks for a travel exemption for many years, at least one student organization has not agreed with the committee?s answer to that question.

Engineers Without Borders, a student organization that participates in engineering projects around the world, applied for a travel exemption in November. It was denied, because the Finance and Rights committees thought it was an organization that could exist without travel.

Rights Committee chairman Aaron Harris ruled out the proposed exemption for Engineers Without Borders, because he thought the organization wasn?t completely inclusive.

?We can?t fund a group that charges dues to its members,? he said. ?If a group wants funding, it must be open to all students, not those who pay.?

But the leader of Engineers Without Borders contends that the group is still inclusive by being open to all KU students from any major.

?We have other majors besides engineering that travel with us,? said Mary Adams, the president of Engineers Without Borders.

The travel exemption request was brought to a vote in the Finance Committee, but didn?t receive the two-thirds vote to move onto the Senate. Adams said she thought the bill was rejected because Engineers Without Borders doesn?t participate in competitions like some organizations with the exemption, and because it was compared with other organizations that didn?t have the same travel requirements.

?To exist as a chapter we have to travel in this case, but to exist as a member in the chapter, you don?t have to travel,? she said.

Dean said the committee discussed that the organization doesn?t participate in competitions and that most group members don?t travel when the committee made its decision.

Engineers Without Borders was hoping to take about eight people to Bolivia to build latrines for underdeveloped areas, but are now taking fewer people, Adams said. The organization has applied for funding in previous years, but was also denied then.

?The fact that they?ve been around without (student fee) funding shows they can exist,? Harris said.

Clarification of the rules and regulations about funding may help organizations better determine if they should put resources into providing exemption requests.

?I think it would be very beneficial to be more clear about that,? Adams said about the Finance Committee?s review of the Budget Code.

According to Dean, members of the Finance Committee are currently reviewing the student-fee portion of the Budget Code, but he estimated the committee will start reviewing the part related to travel exemptions in March.

? Edited by Corinne Westeman

Source: http://www.kansan.com/news/2012/jan/24/finance-committee/

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Merkel walks fine line on boosting euro firewall (Reuters)

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) ? Angela Merkel's conservative allies warned on Tuesday against committing additional German funds to euro zone bailout schemes, underscoring how difficult it will be for the chancellor to meet international demands to boost the bloc's defenses.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and Italian premier Mario Monti have both travelled to Berlin to urge Merkel to increase the euro zone's firewall by either boosting the 500 billion-euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM) or allowing it to run concurrently with the existing bailout fund it is due to replace at mid-year.

German government sources have told Reuters Merkel does not rule out such a step if the euro zone crisis deteriorates over coming months. But only the threat of a disaster may persuade her coalition to back more funds for the currency bloc.

In particular, she faces stiff opposition from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), whose leaders have flirted with euroscepticism, and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), whose freefall in opinion polls has thrown them onto the defensive.

"The (opposition) Social Democrats would back it and she could probably get her Christian Democrats on board. But the FDP could well see it as a no go," a senior German official told Reuters, requesting anonymity.

Euro zone finance ministers have agreed to "reassess the adequacy" of their current rescue fund - European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - and its successor, the ESM, in March.

And Germany is unlikely to send a clear signal about any shift in its position until then. But Lagarde sent Merkel a clear message at a meeting between the two on Sunday that G20 countries outside the euro zone would not agree to boost their contributions to the IMF unless the chancellor showed movement on the rescue funds, European sources told Reuters.

The IMF resources debate will be at the centre of talks between G20 finance ministers who are due to meet in Mexico next month.

PART OF IMF DEBATE

"The definitive conversation on this may not happen until March. But certainly the message is being sent about the need for the combined value of the EFSF/ESM to be increased (towards 750 billion euros) and Germany has taken that message on board," one euro zone source said.

"It's part of a wider discussion about boosting IMF resources, but it's also part of the need to get countries to sign up to the fiscal compact," the source added, referring to a treaty on tighter budget rules that Berlin supports. "The timing for Germany is everything, but they know where they need to go."

Officials close to Merkel denied that she had made any promises to Lagarde. But they also point to her comments at a news conference with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo on Monday.

When asked if she could agree to boost the euro zone's rescue funds, she at first said it was not time for such a debate, before adding that Germany was prepared to do everything necessary to save the euro.

Another euro zone source said Germany had signaled it was ready to move on the firewall when the time was right, but acknowledged that Merkel had domestic constraints and a deal before an EU summit at the beginning of March was unlikely.

Lagarde said in a speech in Berlin on Monday that bigger countries like Italy and Spain could be pushed into a "solvency crisis" if European governments refuse to commit more funds.

Monti has complained to Merkel in person that bolder steps are needed from Germany to avoid destabilizing Italy and the broader single currency bloc.

But Otto Fricke, a budget expert from the FDP, told Reuters that boosting the firewall now would be "putting the cart before the horse".

Another senior member of the party said, on condition of anonymity, that the only scenario where Merkel might get support for a bigger ESM was in the event of a disorderly Greek default, which could unleash contagion engulfing both Italy and Spain.

Gerda Hasselfeldt, a leading MP from the CSU, said it was otherwise "superfluous" to hold such a debate now.

Senior government officials said they would find it hard to go back on the oft-repeated message to German voters that the combined potential outlay of the ESM and EFSF should not exceed 500 billion euros.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Brown, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Sobolewski and Erik Kirschbaum; Writing by Noah Barkin)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_eurozone_germany

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Psychedelic mushroom trips point to new depression drugs (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? The brains of people tripping on magic mushrooms have given the best picture yet of how psychedelic drugs work and British scientists say the findings suggest such drugs could be used to treat depression.

Two separate studies into the effects of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, showed that contrary to scientists' expectations, it does not increase but rather suppresses activity in areas of the brain that are also dampened with other anti-depressant treatments.

"Psychedelics are thought of as 'mind-expanding' drugs so it has commonly been assumed that they work by increasing brain activity," said David Nutt of Imperial College London, who gave a briefing about the studies on Monday. "But, surprisingly, we found that psilocybin actually caused activity to decrease in areas that have the densest connections with other areas."

These so-called "hub" regions of the brain are known to play a role in constraining our experience of the world and keeping it orderly, he said.

"We now know that deactivating these regions leads to a state in which the world is experienced as strange."

In the first study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, 30 volunteers had psilocybin infused into their blood while they were inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, which measure changes in brain activity.

It found activity decreased in "hub" regions and many volunteers described a feeling of the cogs being loosened and their sense of self being altered.

The second study, due to be published in the British Journal of Psychiatry on Thursday, involved 10 volunteers and found that psilocybin enhanced their recollections of personal memories.

Robin Carhart Harris from Imperial's department of medicine, who worked on both studies, said the results suggest psilocybin could be useful as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

Nutt cautioned that the new research was very preliminary and involved only small numbers of people.

"We're not saying go out there and eat magic mushrooms," he said. "But...this drug has such a fundamental impact on the brain that it's got to be meaningful -- it's got to be telling us something about how the brain works. So we should be studying it and optimizing it if there's a therapeutic benefit."

"FUNDAMENTAL IMPACT"

The key areas of the brain identified -- one called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and another called the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) -- are the subject of debate among neuroscientists, but the PCC is thought by many to have a role in consciousness and self-identity.

The mPFC is known to be hyperactive in depression, and the researchers pointed out that other key treatments for depression including medicines like Prozac, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and deep brain stimulation, also appear to suppress mPFC activity.

Psilocybin's dampening action on this area may make it a useful and potentially long-acting antidepressant, Carhart-Harris said.

The studies also showed that psilocybin reduced blood flow in the hypothalamus - a part of the brain where people who suffer from a condition known as cluster headaches often have increased blood flow. This could explain why some cluster headache sufferers have said their symptoms improved after taking the psychedelic drug, the researcher said.

The studies, which are among only a handful conducted into psychedelic substances since the 1960s and 1970s, revive a promising field of study into mind-altering drugs which some experts say can offer powerful and sustained mood improvement and relief from anxiety.

Other experts echoed Nott's caution: "These findings are very interesting from the research viewpoint, but a great deal more work would be needed before most psychiatrists would think that psilocybin was a safe, effective and acceptable adjunct to psychotherapy," said Nick Craddock, a psychiatry professor from Cardiff University.

Kevin Healy, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' faculty of medical psychotherapy said it was interesting research "but we are clearly nowhere near seeing psilocybin used regularly and widely in psychotherapy practice."

(Editing by Robert Woodward)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/hl_nm/us_brain_magic_mushrooms

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Steven Tyler screeches the National Anthem (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Here's the big question, of course: Would "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler have gotten through to the next round?

Judging by the audience reaction that could be heard during his performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" before Sunday's AFC Championship game -- were those really boos for the Aerosmith legend? -- maybe not.

Tyler's rendition was off-key in places, screechy in most others and he messed up a lyric -- it's "the bombs bursting in air," not "as bomb bursting in air." Though he does get rock star fashion points for the festive scarf he was sporting to support his team, the AFC champion New England Patriots.

You can check out video of the performance at the link below and decide: would you give Tyler a golden ticket to Hollywood based on his national anthem performance?

http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/steven-tyler-screeches-national-anthem-video-34672

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/tv_nm/us_steventyler

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Soundmachines Turntables Drop the Needle For an Optical Sensor [Video]

Created by Berlin-based design studio The Product, this set of three unique turntables was built for the premiere of Volkswagen's new Beetle at the 2011 IAA motor show. Instead of vinyl, it uses discs with concentric geometric patterns to produce music. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zQ760l1rxUQ/soundmachines-turntables-drop-the-needle-for-an-optical-sensor

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76ers win 3rd straight, beat Bucks 94-82

Philadelphia 76ers' Jrue Holiday (11) dunks over Milwaukee Bucks' Andrew Bout (6), of Australia, in the first half of and NBA basketball game on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Philadelphia 76ers' Jrue Holiday (11) dunks over Milwaukee Bucks' Andrew Bout (6), of Australia, in the first half of and NBA basketball game on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Philadelphia 76ers' Jrue Holiday (11) drives past Milwaukee Bucks' Andrew Bout (6), of Australia, in the first half of and NBA basketball game on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Jrue Holiday scored 24 points and Andre Iguodala had 21 to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 94-82 on Monday and remain unbeaten at home.

Everything is going right for the Sixers this season. They've won three straight, nine of 10 overall and already hold a four-game lead over the second-place New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division. The Sixers are 6-0 at home.

Iguodala went 9 of 14 from the floor hours after he was chosen as part of the 20-player men's Olympic basketball pool. Known as a lockdown defender, he surprised Tobias Harris with a block from behind late in the third.

Spencer Hawes, their 7-foot-1 center, buried his first two 3-pointers of the season in the third.

Andrew Bogut returned from concussion-like symptoms to lead the Bucks with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Hawes finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Lou Williams scored 17 points. The Sixers won without reserve guard Evan Turner, who sat out with a right quad contusion.

Williams cut off a late Bucks' surge with a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 83-71. Their top reserve, Williams entered as the Sixers' leading scorer at 16.1 points per game. Six other Sixers averaged double-digit scoring, proving they don't need a superstar to make them contenders in the Eastern Conference, just team-oriented basketball.

Coach Doug Collins calls the Sixers perhaps the most unselfish team he's coached in all his years in basketball.

Check out the assist totals that go along with the points: Williams had six, Holiday five and Iguodala four.

Iguodala was rewarded for his defensive effort Monday when he was announced as one of the 20 players who will be candidates for the London Games. Iguodala, the ninth overall pick of the 2004 draft, has spent all nine seasons with the Sixers. He was the go-to defensive stopper for the U.S. team that won gold in the 2010 world championships.

"I think Dre's got a great chance if he stays healthy," Collins said. "He's gotten off to a great start for us this year."

While he's carved a reputation as a stout man-to-man defender, Iguodala bested Harris late in the third. Stephen Jackson made a nice dish to Harris as he cut down the lane, but Iguodala was there to swat the ball against the backboard with his left hand.

Hawes stunned everyone in the third when he nailed a pair of 3-pointers after missing his previous four attempts on the season. His first one gave the Sixers a 67-54 lead, then he stepped back to end the third with his second straight for a 76-62 lead. It was that kind of game.

The Sixers made 11 of 23 3-pointers. With a hand in the lane, they forced the Bucks to shoot a step or two beyond their comfort range and into 3 of 14 3-point shooting.

One weak point for the Sixers had been slow starts, but they made 12 of 19 shots in the first quarter and rolled to an early 13 point lead.

Brandon Jennings (18.7 ppg) was limited to seven points and missed eight of 11 attempts and was outplayed by Holiday. With Jennings struggling to get going, the Bucks fell to 0-8 on the road.

Notes: The Sixers are off to their best home start since going 10-0 in 2002-03. ... The Bucks failed to win three straight over the Sixers for the first time since 2005. ... The Sixers won six games at home by holding all teams under 90 points.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-16-BKN-Bucks-76ers/id-05807e57bbf8438db5e5143d6972c8ed

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Rivals say split SC conservative vote aids Romney (AP)

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? A splintered conservative vote in South Carolina could pave the way for Mitt Romney to win this week's pivotal primary, some rivals said Sunday, acknowledging an outcome that prominent state lawmakers suggested could end the nomination fight.

"I think the only way that a Massachusetts moderate can get through South Carolina is if the vote is split," said Newt Gingrich, portraying himself as the lone conservative with a "realistic chance" of beating Romney in the first-in-the South contest.

Polls show Romney, the former Massachusetts governors who struggled to a fourth-place finish in South Carolina during his 2008 White House run, with a lead heading into Saturday's vote. The state has a large population of evangelicals and other conservative Christians, and concerns arose four years ago about his Mormon faith.

But Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry all said Romney, after victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, continued to benefit from the fractured GOP field and the failure of social conservatives to fully coalesce around a single alternative.

"If for some reason he's not derailed here and Mitt Romney wins South Carolina ... I think it should be over," said the state's senior senator, Republican Lindsey Graham. He added, "I'd hope the party would rally around him if he did in fact win South Carolina."

Santorum said South Carolina is "not going to be the final issue" and spoke of the "need to get this eventually down to a conservative alternative" to Romney. "When we get it down to a two-person race, we have an excellent opportunity to win this race," said the former Pennsylvania senator who won the endorsement of an influential group of social conservatives and evangelical leaders Saturday in Texas.

Perry, the Texas governor, said it was "our intention" to compete in the next contest, Florida's primary Jan. 31, even if he finished last in South Carolina.

Gingrich said he would "reassess" his candidacy if he lost in South Carolina and acknowledged that a Romney victory would mean "an enormous advantage going forward."

The former House speaker appealed for the support of "every conservative who wants to have a conservative nominee."

"I hope every conservative will reach the conclusion that to vote for anybody but Gingrich is, in fact, to help Romney win the nomination," he said.

To Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the equation is simple: "If Romney wins South Carolina, I think the game's over. This is the last stand for many candidates."

He noted that three candidates are pursuing the evangelical vote "very strongly and without any question that works to the Romney campaign's benefit. It's hard to find a single candidate that rallies all of the Christian voters in South Carolina and therefore that splintered approach will probably have a major impact" in the primary.

Romney took a rare day off from campaigning while his opponents focused on the South Carolina coast. They also attended church services and prayer breakfasts in a state with a large population of evangelicals and other conservative Christians.

At the Cathedral of Praise in North Charleston, Gingrich was cheered by church members as he criticized activist judges who he said had made "anti-American" rulings to keep God out of schools. Santorum spoke at the same church Saturday.

At a prayer breakfast in Myrtle Beach, Perry appealed to religious conservatives to back his candidacy.

"Who will see the job of president as that of faithful servant to the American people, and the God who created us?" Perry said. "I hope each of you will peer into your heart and look for that individual with the record and the values that represent your heart."

The candidates faced a packed week of campaign events and nationally televised debates Monday and Thursday. No Republican has won the party's presidential nomination without carrying South Carolina.

Santorum battled Romney to a virtual tie in Iowa before falling to fifth place in New Hampshire. Gingrich and Perry fared poorly in both states.

All three have the backing of well-financed independent groups known as super political action committee that can help keep their candidacies afloat.

Santorum refused to suggest anyone should drop out of the race as a way to consolidate conservative support behind an anti-Romney candidate. But he said Republicans would have a hard time beating President Barack Obama in November if Romney were the nominee. Santorum cited Romney's push for mandatory insurance coverage in Massachusetts.

Gingrich and Perry used television interviews to focus on Romney's former leadership of the Bain Capital venture firm. Both defended raising questions about Bain's business practices, saying Romney's tenure would come under relentless assault from Democrats in the general election.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman picked up the endorsement of The State, one of South Carolina's leading newspaper. Huntsman came in a weak third in New Hampshire after skipping Iowa, but the paper described him as a "realist" able to appeal to the centrist voters who will decide the general election.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul was returning to campaigning for the first time since Wednesday. He has spent several days at home in Texas after his second-place finish in the New Hampshire primary last week.

Gingrich, Graham and Scott appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," while Santorum spoke on "Fox News Sunday" and Perry was interviewed on CNN's "State of the Union."

___

Associated Press writers Tom Beaumont in Myrtle Beach and Julie Pace in North Charleston contributed to this report.

___

Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bfouhy

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120115/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Jillian Michaels' Top Tips For Healthy Eating In 2012

The average American eats at least one fried food a day, according to exercise guru Jillian Michaels. If you've resolved this year to eat healthier, that's a good place to start, she says.

For snacks, opt for fruit, veggies, nuts or popcorn. When eating out, ask if the restaurant can grill, bake or broil typically fried fare. "Just that simple switch in your cooking style is going to make a huge difference," says Michaels. And don't worry about missing the flavor -- many spices, herbs and dry rubs pack savory punch and some impressive health benefits, too.

Watch the video to find out Michaels' top tip for getting the crunch of fried food on fish and chicken without the extra fat.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/14/jillian-michaels-diet-tips_n_1202166.html

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Ravens beat Texans 20-13, move into AFC title game

Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed intercepts a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed intercepts a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is stopped by Houston Texans outside linebacker Connor Barwin during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates, left, congratulates running back Arian Foster on his touchdown during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak reacts to a play during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed, right, celebrates his interception with teammate outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, left, during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Houston Texans in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. The Ravens won the game 20-13. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

BALTIMORE (AP) ? If style points and offensive fireworks meant anything, the Baltimore Ravens wouldn't stand a chance of making it to the AFC championship.

Playing defense and protecting the football are what they do best, and that formula led to a 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, putting Baltimore in the AFC title game against the New England Patriots.

"I always say there is a right way to do things, there is a wrong way to do things and there is just the Ravens' way of doing things," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "It wasn't pretty but we're not really a pretty team. We got the W and now it's on to the AFC championship."

The Ravens (13-4) had almost as many punts (nine) as first downs (11) and scored only three points over the final 46 minutes. But Baltimore wasn't penalized once, didn't commit a turnover, intercepted rookie quarterback T.J. Yates three times and totaled four takeaways ? two in the first quarter and two over the final eight minutes.

"If we didn't get any of those turnovers it would probably be a different game," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said.

Baltimore visits New England next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on Feb. 5.

The Patriots lead the series 6-1, but Baltimore's lone win came in the postseason.

"We don't play the game until next week," Suggs said. "I'm going to enjoy tonight."

Veteran defensive stars Ed Reed and Ray Lewis led a unit that yielded only one touchdown and came up with the big play when one was needed. Lewis had a team-high seven tackles and Reed sealed the victory with the Ravens' fourth takeaway, an interception near the goal line in the closing minutes.

"It's winning by any means necessary," Reed said. "That's what it's got to be."

The Ravens finished 9-0 at home, but this one was anything but easy. Baltimore led 17-3 after the first quarter, and interceptions by Lardarius Webb and Reed in the final 7? minutes helped the advantage stand up.

Reed has eight interceptions in 10 playoff games, few bigger than the last one.

"You can't say enough about him," Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "His big plays always seem to happen when you need one."

One week earlier, in the first playoff game in Texans history, Houston didn't commit a turnover in a 31-10 home rout of Cincinnati. Against Baltimore, the Texans couldn't hold onto the ball and quickly fell behind by two touchdowns.

Arian Foster ran for 132 yards, the first player ever to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens in the postseason. But Yates' three interceptions matched the total he had in six regular season games.

"I can't have the turnovers," Yates said. "If we don't turn the ball over like that, we have a chance to win. And we still had a chance to win. If I'd done a better job of protecting the football, I really think we'd have come out with the win today. We did a good job of moving the ball and we had some big plays, but you can't have that many picks."

Yates was the third starting quarterback used by Houston this season following injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. The Texans also lost wide receiver Andre Johnson for a spell and finished without sack specialist Mario Williams, who missed the last two-thirds of the season.

And still, the Texans got within a win of reaching the conference title game. After the game, team owner Bob McNair pulled aside coach Gary Kubiak and congratulated him.

"I told him how proud I was. ... To come out and play the way this team has played, I think it's just remarkable," McNair said. "Where would New England have been if (Tom) Brady wasn't playing, and if Wes Welker wasn't playing, and if their best defensive player wasn't playing? Go down the list of any of these teams and ask where they would be ? and they wouldn't be in the playoffs. And this team was in the playoffs."

Down 17-13 at halftime, Houston twice held the Ravens without a first down in the third quarter before driving to the Baltimore 32. From there, Neil Rackers' 50-yard field goal try hit the crossbar and dropped into the end zone.

Baltimore then launched a drive in which seldom-used Lee Evans made a sensational one-handed catch for a 30-yard gain on third-and-5 from the Houston 39. On fourth-and-goal inside the 1, Ray Rice was stuffed by linebacker Tim Dobbins for no gain.

"That's a huge play," Houston defensive end J.J. Watt said. "Those are the type of plays that win playoffs games. Obviously, we wish it had gone the other way, but those are the type of plays that you remember."

The Texans couldn't move the ball, and the Ravens took the ensuing punt at the Houston 49. But three plays netted only 4 yards, and Sam Koch punted for the seventh time.

Minutes later, the Ravens went three and out for the fourth time in five second-half possessions. Fortunately for Baltimore, the defense compensated for the team's inability to add to its early lead.

"You have to do whatever you have to do to win a football game," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

Webb's second interception came with 7? minutes left and the Ravens clinging to 17-13 advantage. Baltimore moved 45 yards to get a field goal by Billy Cundiff with 2:52 left.

Houston's Danieal Manning muffled the record crowd of 71,547 by taking the opening kickoff 60 yards to the Baltimore 41. Yates then completed two straight passes, and after the Ravens stuffed Foster on a third-and-1, Rackers kicked a 40-yard field goal.

Baltimore failed to get a first down on its first possession and had to punt. Jacoby Jones inexplicably attempted to field the bouncing ball at the 13-yard line, was immediately hit by Cary Williams and lost the ball, which was recovered by Baltimore rookie Jimmy Smith at the 2.

On third down, Joe Flacco threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kris Wilson ? the tight end's first catch of the season.

After a Houston punt, Flacco completed a 21-yard pass to Anquan Boldin to set up a 48-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.

Later in the first quarter, Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb stepped in front of Johnson for an interception at the Houston 35. Five plays later, Flacco tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Boldin in the right side of the end zone.

Yates then completed a pair of third-down passes in a 59-yard drive that ended with a field goal.

After Yates misfired on third down from the Baltimore 10, the rookie came off the field he was greeted by coach Gary Kubiak, who put a hand on the back of the quarterback's jersey while chatting.

Yates returned after a Baltimore punt to direct a 12-play, 86-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Foster, who accounted for 66 yards ? including 54 on the ground.

Yates went 17 for 35 for 184 yards. Johnson had eight catches for 111 yards.

Notes: Baltimore improved to 6-0 against Houston, 2-0 this season. ... It was the Ravens' first home playoff win since 2000. ... Foster ran for 285 yards in the postseason, most by a player in his first two NFL playoff games. ... With the Ravens' home win, it's the first time since the NFL went to current playoff format in 1990 that the first seven games have been won by the home team.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-15-Texans-Ravens/id-a1b5116d9cc24fdc81aedde5b60579c8

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Palhares spectacular leg lock finishes Massenzio at UFC 142

Don't let Rousimar Palhares get near you. If he does you're probably going to walk away from the fight with a limp

Palhares flashed brilliance in taking down Mike Massenzio, quickly getting a hold of his leg and finishing things with a heel hook just 63 second into pay-per-view fight No. 3 of night at UFC 142.

Palhares (14-3, 7-2 UFC) has posted five submissions in seven UFC wins. The Brazilian has also had his brushes with controversy. He's held onto several submission finishes even after the referee stopped things. Tonight, he behaved himself.

Other popular content on the Y! network:
? Video: Relive frantic final moments of 49ers-Saints playoff classic
? ThePostGame: Touchdown dance inspired by salsa-loving grandma
? Y! Games: Most fascinating gaming gadgets from CES

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/palhares-spectacular-leg-lock-finishes-massenzio-ufc-142-041048859.html

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West Virginia Gets a Pair of Rematches (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/186316538?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with MIPS Technologies

MIPS has been pretty busy as of late, hookin' up a little Android ICS action onto the Ainovo NOVO7 tablet, for the budget-minded slate seekers out there. Amit Rohatgi of MIPS Technologies joins us on stage to talk about affordable tablets and more. Don't miss it, live at 2:00PM ET.

Continue reading Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with MIPS Technologies

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/live-from-the-engadget-ces-stage-an-interview-with-mips-technol/

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HBT: Rangers meeting with Fielder

Most of the recent reports about Prince Fielder center around various teams not being interested in paying his asking price, but now Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Rangers are meeting with the free agent first baseman at a Dallas hotel today.

That doesn?t necessarily mean a deal is close, but clearly the Rangers? interest in Fielder is legitimate.

And at this point it?s hard to say that with confidence about any other teams, although the Nationals, Cubs, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Orioles have been linked to Fielder at various times this offseason.

Fielder to Texas would make plenty of sense, because thanks to their new television contract the Rangers have tons of money to spend even if they sign Yu Darvish to a massive deal and they?ve seemingly soured somewhat on Mitch Moreland as the long-term answer at first base. And of course an American League team would enable Fielder to move to designated hitter if needed at some point.

Fielder in that ballpark and in the middle of a lineup that scored 855 runs last season would be scary.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/13/rangers-meeting-with-prince-fielder-in-dallas/related/

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Anthony Ha Joins TechCrunch

Blogging is still a relatively young part of the media industry. But already there are a cadre of professional reporters who cut their teeth blogging, who are used to the pace and get an adrenaline rush from covering events as they unfold. Anthony Ha is one of them, and I am very pleased to announce that he will be joining the TechCrunch writing staff next week in San Francisco. Anthony (pictured here writing furiously at a conference) comes to us from AdWeek, where he is currently a staff technology writer. Before that was one of the most prolific bloggers at VentureBeat, which is where I first noticed him. (Another one of our recent hires, Eric Eldon, also hails from there).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1nHSBlhr7hY/

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Mixed News on Tough-to-Treat Lung Cancer (HealthDay)

TUESDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Dutch researchers report disappointing results from an early clinical trial of the drug Nexavar (sorafenib) in fighting a tough-to-treat form of lung cancer.

But, in better news, an experimental drug known as ganetespib showed promise in laboratory and animal experiments.

The results of both studies were to be presented Tuesday at an American Association for Cancer Research/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer meeting in San Diego.

In recent years, researchers have made some headway in finding treatments to combat lung cancer, which often doesn't respond well to chemotherapy, explained Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

Those treatments include drugs such as crizotinib (Xalkori) and erlotinib (Tarceva), which are most effective in tumors that contain certain genetic mutations.

However, those drugs tend to not work well in people with tumors that contain a particular type of mutation in the KRAS gene. KRAS is the most common molecular mutation, present in about 25 percent of people with non-small cell lung cancers such as adenocarcinoma, particularly smokers, said Dr. Paul Bunn, a professor of lung cancer research at the University of Colorado and executive director of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

"The patients who have this mutation have a somewhat worse prognosis than patients who don't have this mutation, and have worse outcomes with chemotherapy," Bunn said. "Most drugs produce a shrinkage of the tumor in less than 10 percent of KRAS patients."

While a smaller, even earlier trial showed sorafenib might be that drug, the latest findings were not impressive. This larger trial by researchers in the Netherlands involving 57 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had already failed chemotherapy and who had the KRAS mutation showed the median progression-free survival was just 2.3 months. Overall survival was about five months.

"They were undoubtedly hoping that progression-free survival would be longer, maybe four or five months, and overall survival would be six or eight months," Bunn said. "The results were not encouraging. Their basic conclusion is that we should find something better for these patients, and not spend a lot of time on a big randomized trial to show it has a teeny effect or no effect."

In addition, sorafenib was not compared to other drugs, or even to no treatment, Lichtenfeld said, so there is no way of gauging if the 2.3 months represents a true benefit above and beyond what patients would experience otherwise.

A second study done on non-small cell cancer cells and mice with the KRAS mutation showed more promise, experts said.

In it, researchers tested the drug ganetespib, which inhibits the Hsp90 protein. When combined with other cancer drugs, ganetespib seems to affect multiple other proteins present in the cancer cell that help the cancer cell thrive, Lichtenfeld said.

"The presence of this protein [Hsp90] really directs or impacts many proteins within the cancer cell that are necessary for it to survive," Lichtenfeld said. "If you can block that protein's effect, you then have other proteins that are blocked, and by blocking them you could shut down the cancer cell and severely impact the cell and its growth patterns. That is interesting and exciting from a laboratory point of view."

However, Lichtenfeld noted, "the problem we always face is translating what we see in the laboratory to clinical medicine. There are so many times we have promising and exciting findings in the laboratory that don't translate into patients, but occasionally they do."

The next step will be larger trials involving cancer patients, Bunn said.

"I would say this other approach is more promising than the sorafenib, and certainly worthy of additional studies, but not ready for clinical primetime," Bunn said.

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. Non-small cell cancers include squamous cell and adenocarcinomas.

"The big picture is we are learning about these mutations that tell us something about lung cancer, which has in some cases given us targets to guide us to use certain drugs because we know they have a higher chance of being effective," Lichtenfeld said.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States for men and women, killing an estimated 157,000 people this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Experts note that research presented at meetings has not been subjected to the same type of rigorous scrutiny given to research published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on lung cancer.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120110/hl_hsn/mixednewsontoughtotreatlungcancer

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