The Gillmor Gang goes enterprise in a conversation with Paul Greenberg, the eminence grise of the CRM, now Social CRM world. Gangsters John Taschek and Steve Gillmor decrypt Paul's latest report from the front.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8nNCIXzQbew/
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In the latest installment of the Mission: Impossible series, the IMF gets shut down after it's implication in the bombing of the Kremlin. Ethan Hunt and his top secret team embark on a globe trotting mission to clear up their name and capture the man behind the bombing who plans to begin a nuclear war. Let the thrill ride begin! As of now, I have not seen the other films in the series. The main reason I went to see this because there was a little treat shown before the movie that I was just dying to see. I'll get to that later. Also, the trailers sold me to the movie. They were very well put together and knew how to get action fans flocking to the theater. I thoroughly enjoyed the film. I've heard that none of the films have connected plots or story arcs so I was fine. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol delivers some of the most fun you'll have at the movies this year. The film is fun-filled from start to finish and features what many recent action films lack these days. That is intelligence. The film is very smart, witty, and well planned out but it won't have you thinking like a psychological thriller. It's summertime entertainment for the Holidays. The story in this film isn't groundbreaking and I didn't find it very original. I also felt that there weren't enough surprises or twists. As I Look back at the movie, I don't think there were any. I enjoy those in an action movie. The premise is exciting and it was a pleasure to follow it. The action scenes are also very well done. Without giving away a whole lot, there is a scene involving Ethan Hunt and his partner, Benji, trying to sneak past a guarded area and they use very sly and funny techniques to complete the task. What I loved about this scene was the comedic value and the fact that there was no dialogue. It felt like watching an episode of Mr. Bean only with secret agents. Of all the action scenes, the main highlight involves Tom Cruise climbing up the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the talletst building in the world. Those with weak constitution who see this film in IMAX should be warned. This scene is pretty intense and could make you queasy. My hands were sweating. This scene is well shot and thrilling. I saw the film in IMAX and was sitting in the fourth row. Those who have seen movies in that format should know how that feels. The expensive price of admission my cousin and I paid to see this in IMAX was worth it. Many of the film's action scenes are shot with the glorious IMAX cameras and perfectly displayed on the immense screen thanks to the director, Brad Bird. However, I felt that he took advantage of the camera sometimes just to film explosions that only last a few seconds. The series has gotten famous directors to helm the films such as Brian DePalma, John Woo, and JJ Abrams. Brad Bird, who directed Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille and the cult animated film, The Iron Giant, makes a great live action debut. I would love to see more action films directed by him and he should give Michael Bay some lessons! The shooting stlye in the film is grand and the cinematography was amazing. Thanks to Brad Bird, I have faith in Andrew Stanton (He's the best Pixar director in my opinion.) and his live-action sci-fi film, John Carter, which is out in March. Some of the action sequences feel like the ones featured in The Incredibles all thanks to the director. The performances in this film were pretty good. I like Tom Cruise and he plays a very cool spy. I think I'd rather go on a mission with him than James Bond. I haven't seen The Hurt Locker yet but if you've been reading the site's Weekly Ketchup, you may notice that Jeremy Renner is being considered for quite a few action films. He is playing Hawkeye in The Avengers and is taking the spotlight away from Matt Damon in The Bourne Legacy. I think he can carry an action movie and he is pretty good in this movie. However in the trailers, I felt that he was going to be a suspicious character and he really wasn't one in the film. Paula Patton also plays a good sidekick but Simon Pegg was such a delight! He shines in every moment he's in and is practically the film's show stealer. And that guy from Batman Begins who becomes The Scarecrow's first victim was also good during his short prescense. One of my issue's with the film were the villains. They weren't intimidating to me and were a little bland. My favorite of the baddies was the French assassin, Sabine Moreau, played by Lea Seydoux. She was actually quite intimidating and also contributes to the film's eye candy. In other words, she is very hot. The film also has a solid, well written script that has nifty humor and intelligence. Now I'm going to reveal the main reason why I saw the film. I was over at my cousin's house and we were discussing comic books. We got on the subject of Batman and discussed the new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. I also told him that I saw the bootlegged version of the prologue and he wanted to see it. So we called our local IMAX to see if they were playing it, rounded up some buddies, and headed to the theater. The prologue is the first six minutes of the upcoming film. I saw a leaked version a few days before but since it was recorded with a camcorder, I was dismayed. From what I made up of it, I thought it was cool. Until I saw it on the IMAX screen, I was blown away. I was on the edge of the seat and the audience applauded when it was finished. I will definetly see the movie in IMAX. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a great action film that is smart and amusing. It never fails to entertain but I think I would appreciate the ending more if I had seen the other films. When displayed in IMAX, it is a wonder to behold. The scenes shot with IMAX cameras take up the entire screen but the ones that are not just look like a Blu-Ray disc projected onto a six story screen. The film is great and it is the best espionage film since Casino Royale. I think that film is superior. So if you're looking for tons of fun and thrills at the movies, grab a ticket for this bad boy! "Science is sad."
December 28, 2011Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_ghost_protocol/
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All Critics (54) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (1)
'Tis the season, so the saying goes. And when it comes to Aki Kaurism?ki, it holds true. The Finnish writer-director arrives bearing a gift wrapped in a contemporary immigration fable.
If the bummers and ambiguity of some of this season's movies are getting you down - or, hey, just the bummers and ambiguities of life - make your way to Le Havre. You won't be sorry.
The Finnish director's sense of humor is dry and dark as pitch, as he consistently finds moments of absurdity in the midst of strife and tragedy.
Kaurism?ki wrote the script, I think, with secret credit from Mother Goose and some fabric softener.
"Le Havre" is a small bit of movie magic, a story that plays more as a fable even as it deals with something as topical as immigration.
The film is especially comforting if you love old movies, as Kaurismaki does.
While the film never reaches any hugely profound revelations with its parable-styled stories of compassion and community, and occasionally feels a little slight, it's also enormously enjoyable and gorgeous to watch.
It's a puzzle, and an intriguing one.
In two stories of evolving trust and secrets, Le Havre reflects the essential simplicity of the moral choices made in its simple-seeming camera set-ups.
Kaurismaki's movie about a shoeshine man and an illegal immigrant is nothing less than a joy
A wonderfully concise, unfussy movie; it is "easy" by the director's standards, which is to say that it doesn't leave any significant ellipses in the narrative up until the aggressively darling ending.
...an upbeat little tome that leaves a good feeling to the spirit.
Kaurism?ki can almost restore your hope in humanity.
Kaurismaki dives into French film culture in 'Le Havre'
You almost become a citizen of Le Havre, watching this film and rejoicing at the end as two newfound, unexpected friends share a drink.
It's a straightforward yet completely artificial scenario, with welcome overtones of Italian Neo-Realism.
Unlike the director's typical hero, Wilms's spare performance conveys confidence rather than defeat. He and the kid warm the heart, thawing Kaurism?ki's usual icy aplomb.
Heart-wrenching but ultimately inspirational.
Le Havre is not the filmmaker's best work (see La Vie de Boh?me for that), but no matter the storm, we should be grateful to dock in this port.
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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/le_havre_2011/
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Because Cam Newton has set the NFL on fire this season, it seems silly to think back to when scouts and experts wouldn?t go near the Panthers rookie quarterback?s bandwagon.?Blaine Gabbert?more worthy of the No. 1 overall pick? That?s downright laughable now. ?Find out why Cam feels he was unjustly stereotyped after the jump.
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Some of Newton?s critics were so harsh that his mentor, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon,?believed their reviews were racially charged. Newton wouldn?t play up the race card in?an interview for next month?s issue of ESPN The Magazine, instead pointing to people?s bias because of past failed high-pick QBs ? although there is a catch to what he says.
?I can?t sit up here and look at it like, ?Oh man, my critics are racist,?? Newton said. ?I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree?Vince Young. If you have the opportunity to make that kind of money doing something you love to do, why would you screw it up? I?m trying to be a trailblazer. If Baylor?s Robert Griffin decides to come out, I want people to say ?He can be the next Cam Newton? instead of ?He?s going to be the next JaMarcus Russell.??
Now, about the catch, Newton specifically blames two black quarterbacks for his being disrespected, so maybe the criticism was?racial?but no so much?racist?(there is a difference)?
Anyhow, Newton had much more to say about his critics, specifically how he was in disbelief when, all of a sudden, they wanted to do interviews after he became the first player in NFL history to open his career with back-to-back 400-yard passing games.
?I had people who can?t throw a football telling me my mechanics were wrong,? Newton said. ?I had people taking shots at my character, classifying me as a thug, as a hoodlum. After Week 3 or 4, all these same people wanted an interview. I said, ?You were giving me all this crap and had so much to say about how I was going to play, and now you want to talk? No. Just sit back and watch the show, man.? ?
It?s been pretty impressive, too. Newton already has eclipsedPeyton Manning?in passing yards for a rookie record 3,893, while scoring 34 total touchdowns (20 passing, 14 rushing). Eagles quarterback?Michael Vick?recently said?Newton will revolutionize the game, and that?s exactly what Newton is striving for.
?Gone are the days of the drop-back quarterback who can only throw the ball,? Newton said. ?You know the new iPhone? It?s faster, more powerful and smarter. It?s revolutionary. Why can?t the quarterback be like that? Why can?t you be a big, tall, fast, quick, strong, smart, mobile quarterback who?s unstoppable??
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/45807476/
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BEIRUT (Reuters) ? Newly-arrived Arab League peace monitors will try Tuesday to see for themselves the situation in the Syrians city of Homs, which opponents of President Bashar al-Assad say has been pulverized by government troops and tanks in recent days.
At least 31 people were killed in the city Monday as tanks fired into districts where opposition has been strongest to Assad's rule, activists said.
Assad's opponents fear that the monitors - who arrived in the country Monday after weeks of negotiations with Arab states - will be used as a cloak of respectability for a government that will hide the extent of violence.
Assad, heir to a 41-year-old dynasty, says he is facing an attack by Islamist terrorists directed from abroad.
The launch of the monitoring mission marks the first international intervention on the ground in Syria since the revolt broke out nine months ago, when the government cracked down on protests inspired by uprisings across the Arab world.
The first 50 of an eventual 150 monitors arrived Monday. They will be split into five teams of 10, one of which is due to visit Homs Tuesday.
The teams will use government transport, according to their head, a Sudanese general. Delegates insist the mission will nevertheless maintain the "element of surprise" and be able to go wherever it chooses with no notice.
The monitors are meant to determine whether the government is abiding by a peace plan that requires it to withdraw troops from cities, free prisoners and open dialogue with its opponents. Assad has so far shown no sign implementing the deal.
Amateur video posted by activists on the Internet showed tanks in action in the streets next to apartment blocks in the Baba Amr district of Homs Monday. One fired its main gun and another appeared to launch mortar rounds.
Mangled bodies lay in pools of blood on a narrow street, the video showed. Power lines had collapsed and cars were burnt and blasted, as if shelled by tank or mortar rounds.
"What's happening is a slaughter," said Fadi, a resident living nearby.
Destruction inflicted by heavy weapons was evident.
AVERTING CIVIL WAR
An armed insurgency is eclipsing civilian protest in Syria. Many fear a slide to sectarian war between the Sunni Muslim majority, the driving force of the protest movement, and minorities that have mostly stayed loyal to the government, particularly the Alawite sect to which Assad belongs.
Analysts say the Arab League is anxious to avoid civil war. The West has shown no desire to intervene militarily and the United Nations Security Council is split.
Assad's opponents appear divided on aims and tactics. The government still retains strong support in much of the country, which lies at a crucial nexus of Middle East political and strategic forces.
Fighting in Homs has intensified since a double suicide bombing in Damascus Friday that killed 44 people.
At least ten army defectors were killed in fighting with security forces in the suburb of Douma outside Damascus, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group estimated the death toll may be higher, in the dozens, with casualties at a similar rate among security forces.
Homs resident Fadi told Reuters via Skype that residents and rebel fighters were trapped by trenches the army had dug around the Baba Amr neighborhood in recent weeks.
"They are benefiting from trenches. Neither the people nor the gunmen or army defectors are able to flee. The army has been descending on the area for the past two days."
TWO-WAY FIGHT
Others said the army was also taking a hit.
"The violence is definitely two-sided," said a Homs resident who gave his name only as Mohammed to protect his safety. "I've been seeing ambulances filled with wounded soldiers passing by my window in the past days. They're getting shot somehow."
Parts of Homs are defended by the Free Syrian Army, made up of defectors from the regular armed forces, who say they have tried to protect civilians.
"There are many casualties," activist Yazen Homsi told the Avaaz opposition group from Homs. "It is very difficult to access them and provide treatment as a result of the heavy shelling throughout the neighborhood."
The Observatory documented names of those reported killed in Monday's clashes. It also reported four people killed on the outskirts of Hama, north of Homs, as security forces fired on protests.
The Syrian government has banned most access by independent media, making it difficult to verify accounts of events.
The head of the Arab League observer mission, Sudanese General Mustafa al-Dabi, arrived in Damascus Saturday.
"Our Syrian brothers are cooperating very well and without any restrictions so far," he told Reuters.
But he added that Syrian forces would be providing transportation for the observers - a move likely to fuel charges by the anti-Assad opposition that the monitoring mission will be blinded from the outset.
Arab delegates said they would maintain the upper hand.
"The element of surprise will be present," said monitor Mohamed Salem al-Kaaby from the United Arab Emirates.
"We will inform the Syrian side the areas we will visit on the same day so that there will be no room to direct monitors or change realities on the ground by either side."
(Additional reporting by Mariam Karouny in Beirut, Ayman Samir and Marwa Awad in Cairo and Ayat Basma in Beirut; Writing by Douglas Hamilton)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_syria
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PITTSBURGH ? Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and center Maurkice Pouncey both have "a shot" to play in Sunday's regular season finale at Cleveland.
"It is our intention right now that if those guys are healthy enough to practice and prepare, then we will play them," Tomlin said Tuesday.
Given the way backups Charlie Batch and Trai Essex handled themselves in a 27-0 win over St. Louis last Saturday, the Steelers (11-4) may not need Roethlisberger or Pouncey to hurry back from their badly sprained left ankles to keep the team's hopes of an AFC North title alive.
Batch played effectively against the Rams, passing for 208 yards while showing there's still some life in his 37-year-old legs. He extended plays with his mobility and even threw the ball downfield, hitting Mike Wallace for a 46-yard gain in the fourth quarter that set up the clinching touchdown.
"I thought he did some really good things," Tomlin said of Batch. "(But) his performance has no bearing on how we go about making the decisions that are right for us this week. A lot of the decisions center around Roethlisberger's health. But I like the way Batch played, not only the way he performed but the way he led and communicated."
It's what Batch has done with consistency while subbing for Roethlisberger through the years. The Pittsburgh native is 5-2 when starting in relief and had the Heinz Field crowd chanting "Charlie! Charlie!" after a handful of plays.
The moment wasn't lost on Batch.
"I think that they have appreciated what I have done, and what I am doing to help this team win," he said. "I embraced it."
And he'll embrace trying to do it on the road against the Browns (4-11) if necessary.
Pittsburgh can win the division with a victory in Cleveland and a loss by Baltimore in Cincinnati. It can even gain the top overall seed in the AFC with a win and losses by both the Ravens and Patriots.
It's why Tomlin isn't quite ready to rule out Roethlisberger. The coach isn't sure if Roethlisberger will be able to practice this week, but even if the quarterback doesn't, Tomlin expects to wait until the last minute before making a decision.
"There are some scenarios that can unfold, where we can improve our playoff position," Tomlin said. "We are aware of that. We are also aware that all of those scenarios include us winning this football game. We are going to do what we deem necessary for us to put ourselves in position to do that."
And even Batch understands that when relatively healthy few quarterbacks can do what Roethlisberger can do.
"This is Ben's team," Batch said. "This team moves with him and to see him do everything in his power to get back on the field is really something special to watch."
Pouncey sat out the last two games and backup Doug Legursky went out early against the Rams with a left shoulder injury. Enter Essex, who hadn't taken a snap at center all season. He performed admirably, helping the Steelers gash St. Louis for 169 yards on the ground.
"It was under unusual circumstances," Tomlin said. "To have a guy come in and deliver the way he delivered for us, not only in terms of snapping the football but declaring fronts and blocking people in the run game, it was just a special afternoon for him."
Legursky is out for Sunday, and if Pouncey can't play Essex will get the call again, though Tomlin sounded optimistic Pouncey will be ready.
Linebacker LaMarr Woodley (strained left hamstring), and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (right foot) could also play in Cleveland.
Tomlin will not rest players just to rest them, but could modify the amount of playing time depending on how things shake out elsewhere, particularly if Baltimore gets up big on Cincinnati and the Steelers know they'll have to start the playoffs on the road the weekend of Jan. 7-8.
"Those are the easy decisions I can make as the game and situations unfold," Tomlin said. "Some of them are obvious. ... That's not rocket science as far as we're concerned."
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ScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2011) ? New research challenges the conventional thinking that young children use language just as adults do to help classify and understand objects in the world around them.
In a new study involving 4- to 5-year-old children, researchers found that the labels adults use to classify items -- words like "dog" or "pencil" -- don't have the same ability to influence the thinking of children.
"As adults, we know that words are very predictive. If you use words to guide you, they won't often let you down," said Vladimir Sloutsky, co-author of the new study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University and director of the university's Center for Cognitive Science.
"But for children, words are just another feature among many to consider when they're trying to classify an object."
For example, suppose that someone you trust shows you an object that looks like a pen and says that it is a tape recorder, Sloutsky said.
Your first reaction might be to look at the pen to see where the microphone would be hidden, and how you could turn it on or off.
"You might think it was some kind of spy tool, but you would not have a hard time understanding it as a tape recorder even though it looks like a pen," Sloutsky said. "Adults believe words do have a unique power to classify things, but young children don't think the same way."
The results suggest that even after children learn language, it doesn't govern their thinking as much as scientists believed.
"It is only over the course of development that children begin to understand that words can reliably be used to label items," he said.
Sloutsky conducted the study with Wei (Sophia) Deng, a graduate student in psychology at Ohio State. Their research appears online in the journal Psychological Science and will appear in a future print edition.
The study involved two related experiments. One experiment involved 13 preschool children aged 4 to 5 and 30 college-aged adults.
In this first experiment, participants were shown colorful drawings of two fictional creatures that the researchers identified as a "flurp" or a "jalet." Each was distinct in the color and shape of five of their features: body, hands, feet antennae and head. For example, flurps generally had tan-colored square antennae while jalets generally had gray-colored triangle antennae.
The researchers made the heads of the animals particularly salient, or conspicuous: the flurp had a pink head that moved up and down and jalet had a blue head that moved sideways. The head was the only part of the body that moved.
After they learned the relevant characteristics of the flurp and jalet, participants were tested in two conditions. In one condition, they were shown a picture of a creature that had some, but not all of the characteristics of one of the creatures, and asked if it was a flurp or a jalet. In another condition, they were shown a creature where one of the six features was covered and they were asked to predict the missing part.
The critical test came when the participants were shown a creature with a label that matched most of the body parts -- except for the very noticeable moving head, which belonged to the other animal. They were then asked which animal was pictured.
"About 90 percent of the children went with what the head told them -- even if the label and every other feature suggested the other animal," Sloutsky said.
"The label was just another feature, and it was not as important to them as the most salient feature -- the moving head."
Adults put much more stock in the label compared to children- about 37 percent used the label to guide their choice, versus 31 percent who used the moving head. The remaining 31 percent had mixed responses.
However, to eliminate the possibility that participants were confused because they had never heard of flurps and jalets before, the researchers conducted another experiment. The second experiment was similar to the first, except that the animals were given more familiar names: "meat-eaters" and "carrot-eaters" instead of flurps and jalets.
In this case, the difference between the adults and children was even clearer. Nearly two-thirds of adults relied on the label to guide their choices, compared to 18 percent who relied on the moving head and 18 percent who were mixed responders. Only 7 percent of the children relied on the labels, compared to 67 percent who relied on the moving head and 26 percent who were mixed responders.
Sloutsky said these findings add to our understanding of how language affects cognition and may help parents communicate and teach their children.
"In the past, we thought that if we name the things for children, the labels will do the rest: children would infer that the two things that have the same name are alike in some way or that they go together," he said.
"We can't assume that anymore. We really need to do more than just label things."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. The original article was written by Jeff Grabmeier.
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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142537.htm
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APEighteen games remain in the 2011 NFL season: Bears-Packers tonight, Falcons-Saints tomorrow and 16 games on New Year?s Day. Here?s a rundown of how each team still in contention can have its playoff position affected by the results of those 18 games:
Patriots: Clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating Buffalo or by having both the Ravens and Steelers lose.
Ravens: Clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye with a win or a Steelers loss. Clinch home-field advantage with a win and a Patriots loss.
Steelers: Clinch the AFC North with a win and a Ravens loss. Clinch home-field advantage with a win, a Ravens loss and a Patriots loss.
Texans: Locked into the AFC No. 3 seed. Week 17 is meaningless to Houston, and the Texans may rest many of their key players.
Broncos: Clinch the AFC West and the No. 4 seed by beating the Chiefs, or a Raiders loss.
Raiders: Clinch the AFC West and the No. 4 seed by beating the Chargers and a Broncos loss. If the Broncos win, the Raiders can still get a wild card if they win and the Bengals lose, plus either the Titans lose or the Jets win.
Bengals: Clinch a playoff spot and the No. 6 seed if they win, or if the Jets lose and either the Raiders or Broncos lose.
Jets: Get the No. 6 seed if they win and the Bengals and Titans and either the Raiders or Broncos lose.
Titans: Get the No. 6 seed if they win and the Bengals lose, plus either the Jets win and the Broncos or Raiders lose, or the Jets lose and the Broncos and Raiders both win.
Packers: Clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs if they beat either the Bears tonight or the Lions next week, or if the 49ers lose next week.
49ers: Clinch a first-round bye with a win next week or the Saints losing either on Monday night or next week. The 49ers can still get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win and the Packers lose to both the Bears and the Lions.
Saints: Clinch the NFC South if they win either of their two remaining games, and they could even clinch the NFC South if they lose both of their remaining games, if the Falcons lose in Week 17. The Saints can?t get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they can get a first-round bye if they win both their remaining games and the 49ers lose next week.
Cowboys/Giants: Next Sunday night?s game is essentially a playoff game: The Cowboys-Giants winner wins the NFC East and is the No. 4 seed, while the loser?s season is over. If the game ends in a tie, the Giants win the division.
Falcons: The Falcons can clinch a playoff spot tonight by the Packers beating the Bears. They need just one more win or one more Chicago loss to get to the playoffs. They could still win the NFC South, but only if they beat the Saints Monday night and win next week, plus the Saints lose next week.
Lions: Detroit is an NFC wild card. Whether they?re the No. 5 or No. 6 seed depends on the results of their own game with the Packers and the Falcons? remaining games.
Bears: Chicago can still make the playoffs, but only if they win both their remaining games and the Falcons lose both their remaining games.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/25/cowboys-romo-only-broke-blood-vessels/related/
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Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne introduced new head football coach Kevin Sumlin Monday in a press conference at Hagner Auditorium. Byrne presented Sumlin with the traditional maroon blazer and a visor ? Sumlin's trademark headgear as a coach ? with an A&M logo.
Byrne said he met Sumlin for the first time last week in New York City and was impressed by Sumlin's passion for the university in their conversation that lasted two and a half hours.
"I knew we had someone who not only understood the values of Texas A&M University but embraced them," Byrne said. "The thing I liked was how genuine his love for Texas A&M is, how much he loves working in the state of Texas, how much he loves what we stand for here at Texas A&M."
This marks Sumlin's second stint with the Aggies, having coached under former head coach R.C. Slocum in 2001 and 2002. Sumlin said becoming A&M head coach feels like a homecoming.
"This is a very, very exciting time for me and my family," Sumlin said. "It's interesting. For me, having been here before, I have a real understanding and appreciation for the traditions and the history of Texas A&M, and the importance and tradition of the Twelfth Man in general."
Sumlin said he will meet with the team Monday afternoon and then make his first contacts with members of A&M's recruiting class, ranked No. 9 by ESPN. He said former head coach Mike Sherman laid the foundation by signing a fine recruiting class and Sumlin will take over the main recruiting role to retain those commitments.
Byrne said the five-year, $2 million per year contract is still pending approval from the Texas A&M System Board of Regents.
Former players Seth McKinney, Terrence Murphy, Bucky Richardson and John David Crow were in attendance for Sumlin's introduction. Crow, A&M's lone Heisman-winner and former athletic director, said Sumlin is capable but has some work to do for competition in the SEC that has produced the past five national champions.
?"We'll have to find out if he's the right guy or not going in to the SEC," Crow said. "It's a big step for us and a big step for him but I think we have someone that has experience and I think we'll be all right."
Student Body President Jeff Pickering also attended and said that Sumlin brings energy to the program.
"I'm excited to wait and see what Coach Sumlin can do," Pickering said. "It's good that we have someone young. [Former head coach Mike] Sherman's bringing a nice recruiting class and the more [Sumlin] can reach out to him, that will make the transition very smooth."
Sumlin said he had other coaching opportunities since going 8-5 his first year with Houston in 2008, but A&M's national brand and its acceptance to the SEC caught his interest.
While at Houston, Sumlin recruited A&M outside linebacker Sean Porter during his senior year at Clemens High School in 2009. After attending the press conference, Porter said he is happy to have the distraction out of the way and is looking forward to having Sumlin as head coach.
"He's focused on winning," Porter said. "I'm all about winning so that's going to bond us right there."
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By DAN SEWELL
updated 7:21 p.m. ET Dec. 23, 2011
CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Reds acquired left-handed reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for young lefty starter Travis Wood and two other players.
It was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.
The 29-year-old, 6-foot-7 Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA last season. He had five saves. The Reds have been in talks to try to re-sign closer Francisco Cordero, who became a free agent after last season.
"Sean has been one of the best and most durable relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.
The 24-year-old Wood made 35 starts for the Reds over two seasons. He finished 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 2011, with a stint in Triple-A after struggling early in the year.
The Cubs also get 24-year-old outfielder Dave Sappelt, who batted .243 in 38 games with the Reds, and 19-year-old infield prospect Ronald Torreyes, who batted .356 in 67 games for Class-A Dayton.
"Twenty-four-year old left-handed starters who have already had success in the big leagues don't grow on trees," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We had to give up a great relief pitcher in Sean Marshall and someone we were proud to call a Cub, but we think to acquire Wood and the two young guys, it was worth doing."
Wood made 17 starts for the Reds in 2010, going 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA. He took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies before giving up a double to Carlos Ruiz, and left after finishing the ninth with the game scoreless.
Wood began last season in the Reds' starting rotation, made 10 starts for Louisville, then returned to Cincinnati. He also had four relief appearances for Cincinnati.
"He had a little bit of a down year last year, a little bit of a sophomore slump, but we still think all the ingredients are there to make him an excellent starting pitcher in the big leagues and you tend to not be able to get guys like that after their strong rookie years," Epstein said. "But sometimes you have a chance to get them after they take a little bit of their lumps on the learning curve."
Wood said he relied too heavily on his cutter last season and "lost the ability to really stick that four-seam (fastball) in there." His control was off, but he also sees a shot at redemption in Chicago.
"I think it's a great opportunity for me," he said. "The Reds do have a lot of depth in their rotation. ... Hopefully, I can get to Chicago and make a difference."
Besides the addition of Latos, the Reds return starting pitchers Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Bronson Arroyo. Aroldis Chapman, a left-handed reliever in his first two seasons, is also a possible starter next season.
In another move, Cincinnati claimed reliever Josh Judy off waivers from Cleveland. The 25-year-old right-hander pitched in 12 games over four stints with the Indians last season, with no record and a 7.70 ERA. He was 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 23 saves at Triple-A Columbus.
Epstein said the Cubs could still use some more starting pitchers in their farm system and at the major league level. He also said they're weighing ace Matt Garza's trade value versus locking him into a long-term deal. The right-hander was tendered a contract last week and is eligible for arbitration.
"It's hard to find top-of-the-rotation-type guys, so if you have them and there's a way to keep them around, I think that's always compelling for the club," Epstein said. "Now, that said, we're in a mode where we have to listen on everybody. If there's a way to improve the long-term outlook for this club in a significant manner, then we just can't look past opportunities like that. We're not in a situation where we have to do anything with Garza, but generally, we're in the business right now of taking our short-term assets and turning them into long-term assets."
___
AP sports writer Andrew Seligman in Chicago contributed to this report.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsCSN: Hopefully Theo Epstein is true to his word and welcomes exiled fan Steve Bartman back to Wrigley. This season will be the ninth since Bartman's infamous moment. Fans will never forget. But it's time to forgive.
Getty ImagesSource: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45777965/ns/sports-baseball/
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Orchard Park, N.Y. ? There have been classic rematches. Highly anticipated rematches.
And then there is the dreaded rematch: Kansas City?s Kyle Orton? vs. Denver?s Tim Tebow.
Tebow wins and the Broncos go to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Orton wins and the Broncos would leave their home field next Sunday, maybe for good, thinking: Where were you early in the season, Kyle?
?We knew it was a possibility,? said John Elway?, the Broncos? boss of football operations. ?So, here it is. We have to go out there and play well. It was best for the team, bottom line. We made that decision knowing this was a possibility. Now we have to do it.?
After Denver was pummeled by the lowly Buffalo Bills? 40-14 today at one-third empty Ralph Wilson Stadium, this should be an anxious week for the men upstairs at Dove Valley.
If the 8-7 Broncos beat 6-9 Kansas City in the season finale at Sports Authority Field on New Year?s Day, they will win the AFC West Division title on a tiebreaker against the 8-7 Oakland Raiders. If the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, Denver could still backdoor into the playoffs if the Raiders lose next week at home to the Chargers.
But if the Broncos lose to the Chiefs and the Raiders beat San Diego, then Oakland would win the AFC West. The Broncos cannot win the wild card so they would go home for early for a sixth consecutive season.
?It?ll be interesting,? said Broncos guard Chris Kuper and perhaps Orton?s closest friend on the team. ?I?ve always said he?s a good quarterback.??
The Broncos? performance Saturday against a Bills team that came in with a seven-game losing streak will not exactly leave the bosses dripping with confidence. The defense has played poorly two weeks in a row, and Tebow delivered the worst performance in his career.
Tebow threw a career-high four interceptions ? doubling his total from his first nine games as a starter. Two of his picks were returned for six ? Jarius Byrd? had the conventional 37-yard return and, after Tebow was whacked on his arm from behind by Chris Kelsey, Spencer Johnson nabbed the ball hanging in the air and returned it 17 yards.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/53180429-77/tebow-denver-broncos-buf.html.csp
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Link:
http://www.openforum.com/articles/18...ncial-must-dos
ShareThisThere are financial moves you need to make before year-end if you want them to impact your 2011 financial statements and taxes. Some can even affect your ability to raise money, secure vendor credit, or sell your business in 2012, 2013 and beyond. With 2012 fast approaching, the time to act is now.
Must Dos that Make a Bad Year Look Better
1. Make a last ditch effort to collect from delinquent accounts, even if you have to negotiate on the amount. If you can?t, you?ll probably want to write them off as bad debt. Not doing so will hurt your accounts receivable turnover ratio?a red flag for lenders and investors.
2. Encourage other customers to pay before year-end, too. But before you offer an early payment discount, be sure it won?t take too big a bite out of your overall gross profit margin?another financing red flag if it declines from prior years or is below industry standards.
3. Ask for progress payments on projects already underway and see if you can secure deposits for any that will begin this year.
4. Delay paying bills that can wait until 2012.
5. Offer year-end specials on slow moving inventory. This will improve your inventory turnover ratio?something that will please your banker.
6. Sell any underperforming property and equipment that is fully depreciated.
Must Dos that Make a Good Year Even Better
7. Wait to deposit any new checks until after the first of the year.
8. Purchase property or equipment that qualifies for Section 179 or 100 percent bonus depreciation, as these benefits are likely to be scaled down in 2012. Note that qualifying equipment has to be in service before year-end.
9. Make charitable contributions.
10. Pay employee bonuses.
Must Dos To Do in Years Good or Bad
11. Download copies of all your year-end bank and credit card account statements. Don?t forget those PayPal, investment, and Google Checkout accounts. You?ll need proof of 12/31 balances and they?re sometimes hard to come by after the fact.
12. Try to pay down any bank lines of credit, preferably to zero. Lenders like to see that you?re using them as intended?for temporary or seasonal needs. Maintaining a balance year-round suggests that they?re being used for long term financing.
13. Take a close look at your inventory. You can reduce your taxable income and improve your inventory turnover ratio by writing off any obsolete items.
14. Carefully consider whether the IRS or other government agency might look at anyone you treat as a contractor and decide they?re actually employees. Desperate for revenue, governments are hot on the trail of such misclassifications. If you think you may have misclassified workers in prior years, you might be pleased to know the IRS recently announced a program that can reduce the penalties for admitted transgressions, but you need to have at least filed 1099?s for those contractors in each of the last three years. A word of caution if you plan to fess up?the IRS isn?t the only agency that can make your life miserable if you?ve misclassified workers. Be sure to get advice from a competent attorney or accountant before you proceed.
15. If you incurred costs to start a business in 2011, but haven?t yet made a sale, hurry up and sell something! Anything! You can?t deduct any of those expenses in 2011 unless you do.
16. If you?re planning to squirrel money away in a 401k, keep in mind that while it can be funded in 2012, the account has to be in place by December 31, 2011.
17. If your personal income will be relatively low this year, consider converting your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Fidelity has a handy calculator to help you figure out if this is a good move.
18. Take a look at your investments and decide if it?s time to cash out. The special treatment of Capital Gains at a maximum tax rate of 15 percent is set to disappear at the end of 2012. After that, they?ll likely be taxed at ordinary income rates. If your capital losses exceed your gains, you can carry them forward to offset future capital gains.
Finally, most experts agree that tax rates will increase after 2012 and tax breaks will be harder to find. Be sure to consult a qualified professional about whether these and other strategies are right for you. A good place to start is with those who contributed their tips for this article: Brian Price?founding partner of Dallas-based PriceKubecka, Rick Dlugasch?CPA with Boston-based Waldron Rand, Robert Mahoney?president of Belmont MA-based Belmont Savings Bank, and New Jersey-based Gail Rosen, CPA.
Written by Kate Lister and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.
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Source: http://www.yourbrandplan.com/forum/personal-finance/46053-18-year-end-financial-must-dos.html
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The United States, its European allies and key Arab states are intensifying talks on how to maintain stability in the global energy markets in case of a formal embargo on Iran's oil exports and its central bank, The Wall Street Journal reported late Sunday.
Citing unnamed US and European officials, the newspaper said such an embargo would constitute the most direct economic confrontation yet between Iran and the West.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if such an embargo is introduced.
The West alleges Tehran is seeking to acquire a weapons capability under the guise of its nuclear research programme. Iran denies any such ambition and says its work is only for civil energy and medical purposes.
In recent weeks, Iranian officials have insisted the country was ready to face new sanctions against the oil sector and central bank.
US and European officials have indicated they are seeking assurances from major oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, to increase exports to the European Union and Asian nations if tighter sanctions on Tehran's energy exports and central bank are enforced in the coming months, the Journal report said.
These officials said there is also a growing discussion with emerging oil exporters -- such as Libya, Iraq, Ghana and Angola -- to increase their production capacities to guard against any shortages caused by the West's economic campaign against Iran, The Journal noted.
"If properly implemented, countries will trend away from Iranian supply," the paper quoted a European official as saying. "There are lots of conversations going on with Saudis at various levels on this."
Representatives from 11 countries involved in the financial war against Tehran will meet on Tuesday in Rome as part of a group that has been informally dubbed the "coalition of like-minded countries," The Journal recalled.
US, European and Arab diplomats said Iran's oil exports and global energy prices will be key issues discussed at that session, which Western diplomats said will include foreign ministry and finance officials from all the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, along with South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the report said.
In addition to energy policy, the conference will focus on sanctions on Iran's finance and transportation sectors, and ensuring the free flow of information into Iran, the paper noted.
Iran, bracing for more sanctions, admits the pain
Tehran (AFP) Dec 19, 2011 - Western sanctions have taken such a toll on Iran over the past 18 months that now -- as the screw is about to be tightened yet further -- Tehran's studied insouciance is slipping, with officials admitting the economic damage being felt.
"War-time conditions" demanded dramatic policy reactions, the head of Tehran's chamber of trade and industry, Yahya AlEshaq, told Sunday's Iran Daily newspaper.
The country must now act "as if under siege," the governor of Iran's central bank, Mahmoud Bahmani, agreed in comments to reporters and businessmen over the past week.
Signs of economic difficulties have been accumulating: investments are becoming rare, imports are becoming pricier, and Iran's currency is sliding.
The United States and Europe are about to again ratchet up the pressure with measures against Iran's central bank and vital oil sector.
They will add to severe sanctions imposed since 2010 by a West trying to halt Iran's nuclear programme, which it suspects masks ambitions for atomic weapons, despite Tehran's denials.
The growing evidence of the sanctions' impact has prompted Iranian officials to drop previous assertions of business-as-usual and start acknowledging some economic pain.
"We can't pretend the sanctions aren't having an effect," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi admitted on the weekend.
But "we are not really worried," he told the official IRNA news agency, explaining that "appropriate responses have been prepared for the worst case scenario."
A "road map" to circumvent new sanctions had been readied, he said.
AlEshaq also said "the sanctions have had some impact on the domestic economy," notably by making imports 24% more costly.
"The enemies have embarked on a war in the economic sector," he said, calling for "war-era management" to be imposed in return.
Iran has already been establishing trade links with other, non-Western countries, notably China. But imports have still declined 20% in the past six months according to official figures.
Exports continue to hold up, however, largely thanks to the high price for oil in the global market -- a commodity that accounts for 80% of foreign earnings for Iran, OPEC's second-biggest producer after Saudi Arabia.
This year, the value of Iran's exports topped $140 billion, with oil and derivative products accounting for $120 billion of that.
But those figures "hide the fact that a growing part of trade is now being done under barter arrangements," said one European expert in Tehran who could not be named because of political sensitivities.
"To get around the US embargo on dollar transactions, the main buyers of Iranian crude, such as China, Japan and South Korea, don't pay in cash any more but rather through credit lines extended to Iranian companies, which reduces the central bank's resources," the expert said.
Iran said at the beginning of this year it had around $100 billion in foreign reserves and gold.
But dwindling revenue has forced the central bank in recent months to dramatically cut foreign currency sales to businesses and individuals, an Iranian banker noted.
The central bank has also eased up on its previous strong support for Iran's rial, letting the currency depreciate 20% since September.
The sanctions have also taken a noticeable bite out of the oil and gas industry.
Oil production, which has dropped 10% since 2008, continues to shrink with November output this year put at 3.5 million barrels per day according to OPEC.
Lacking options, Tehran has recently announced it is suspending several non-essential projects. And even ones deemed priorities, such as the development of the giant South Pars gas field in the Gulf, are running behind schedule, according to Iranian media.
Foreign "investment isn't coming any more, or very little is, because of the hostile moves" by the West, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said in November.
He calculated his country needed $50 billion per year to develop Iran's production.
As a result, Iran has increasingly turned to its domestic market for capital, with varied success.
It has also been calling for local investors. In early December, for the first time, it handed development of an offshore oil field to a private Iranian bank.
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FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) ? A former computer hacker testified on Tuesday that he led authorities to the suspected source of the biggest leak of classified documents in U.S. history after several days of online chats with Bradass87, an alias for Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning.
The 24-year-old Manning is charged with downloading thousands of classified or confidential files from the military's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNet. Those files are thought to have later appeared on WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website.
Former hacker Adrian Lamo said Manning initially contacted him by email in May 2010 and the two began an online conversation about diplomatic cables and military video the Army private allegedly downloaded from the classified network he used as a member of the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq.
Within a day Lamo contacted Timothy Webster, a former Army counterintelligence agent, to seek advice on who to approach about the information he was getting from Manning.
"What I saw in the chats appeared to be an admission of acts so egregious that it required that response," Lamo said when questioned about why he had decided to contact military authorities about Manning's conduct.
Lamo's testimony came on the fifth day of a military hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to court-martial Manning for aiding the enemy and other charges in connection with the massive leak of documents. He faces life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charge.
Military prosecutors have sought to link Manning to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, introducing online chat logs that they said appeared to be conversations between Assange and Manning. The logs discussed sending and receiving U.S. government information.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released several hundred thousand U.S. military documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables.
Manning's defense attorneys have attempted to portray him as an emotionally troubled young man whose behavioral problems should have prompted his superiors to revoke his access to classified information.
Witnesses have said Manning sent an email to his sergeant saying confusion over his gender identity was seriously hurting his life, work and ability to think. Manning had created a female alter-ego online, Breanna Manning, according to testimony at the hearing.
During Lamo's testimony on Tuesday, tension between him and Manning was obvious. Manning, dressed in camouflage fatigues, slouched in his chair at times and at other times stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Lamo.
'TREAT THIS AS A CONFESSION'
Lamo said he confirmed the identity of Bradass87 by becoming friends with Manning on Facebook and by confirming that he had a password and login for the Army's online knowledge portal.
Lamo, who pleaded guilty to the felony hacking of The New York Times' computer system in 2004, acknowledged under cross-examination by Manning's attorney that he is a minister in the Universal Life Church and had told the person in an online chat to "treat this as a confession."
"They were coming to you for moral and emotional support?" defense attorney David Coombs asked.
"Perhaps to bond, yes," said Lamo, who acknowledged suffering depression, having drug problems and being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a disorder that makes social interactions difficult.
Computer crimes investigator Patrick Edwards said Lamo gave authorities a removable computer hard drive, a laptop and two thumbdrives with details from his chats with Manning.
Investigator David Shaver said the chat logs from the computers of Manning and Lamo were identical except for occasional network drops that affected one computer and not the other. One set of chat logs had been modified slightly and may have been those leaked to the media, he said.
In other testimony on Tuesday, Manning's supervisor in Iraq testified that she recommended he be disciplined and barred from handling classified information following a spate of violent confrontations, including one in which he punched her in the face.
Former Specialist Jihrleah Showman said she also had recommended that Manning not be deployed to Iraq because of concerns about his behavior, but her suggestion was not followed and it was unclear whether her assessments had been passed along to the company commander.
(Writing By David Alexander; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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