Sundance documentary examines rape in US military (omg!)

Producer Amy Ziering, left, and director Kirby Dick, from the film "The Invisible War," pose for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Victoria Will)

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) ? The Department of Defense estimates that more than 19,000 military men and women were sexually assaulted by fellow troops in 2010 while serving in the United States armed forces. At least 20 percent of servicewomen and 1 percent of men ? an estimated 500,000 troops ? have experienced sexual trauma while serving.

These troubling statistics motivated documentarian Kirby Dick and producer Amy Ziering to make "The Invisible War," a film that examines the epidemic of rape within the military, how it affects victims and why so few cases are prosecuted. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it is a contender in the U.S. documentary competition.

The statistics "were just so astonishing that at first we didn't believe it," said Dick, adding that he was equally surprised that no film had been made on the subject.

Through interviews with rape survivors and military officials, "The Invisible War" suggests that it's not just the violence and harassment that traumatizes victims but the absence of impartial justice and personal retaliation they often experience after reporting the incident. A rape survivor's only judicial recourse is to report the attack to her commander ? even if he was the attacker ? and it's his decision whether to investigate and prosecute, regardless of the evidence.

"If they investigate it, and the investigator comes back and says, 'I've got a slam-dunk case. I can put this serial perpetrator behind bars,' the commander can, on his or her own, decide, 'No, we're not going to send this case to court martial,'" Dick said.

A 2009 study shows that only 8 percent of military sex offenders are prosecuted.

"The Invisible War" introduces viewers to Kori Cioca, who left the Coast Guard after being beaten and raped by her supervisor. Five years later, she still suffers from post-traumatic stress and has yet to receive Veterans Administration approval for the surgery she needs to repair the injuries she suffered during the attack. The perpetrator, who continues to serve in the Coast Guard, hit her so hard that he permanently dislocated her jaw.

Viewers also meet Marine Corps 1st Lt. Ariana Klay, who served in Iraq before being gang-raped by a senior officer and his friend while stationed at the elite Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. Klay's husband, also a Marine, cried as he described his concern and fear that his wife would commit suicide.

Other rape survivors shown in the film, including Cioca, said they also contemplated suicide.

Hannah Sewell, who comes from a military family, said she has trouble convincing herself that she is still a virgin after being raped while serving in the Navy. Her father, wearing his own military uniform, recounts the story through tears.

Dick and Ziering traveled the country to interview some 70 survivors of military rape.

"We weren't really ready for all the stories we heard," Ziering said. "Each one had a lot of similarities and all were equally horrific."

But the filmmakers said they remained optimistic throughout the project and have been gratified by the film's reception at Sundance, where politicians such as U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California; U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio attended the premiere. Grammy winner Mary J. Blige has also pledged to write an original song for the film.

"Our great hope was and continues to be that capturing (survivors') experience and their trauma will help change things for hundreds of thousands of men and women who are in the armed forces," Dick said.

There's also "a history of hope," he said, because when the military set out to banish the segregation and racism that reigned among troops in the early 1960s, they made significant strides in just over a decade.

"They can do the same thing with this," he said.

So why don't they?

"They don't take it seriously enough," Ziering said. "They don't really see, and what we're hoping the film will show is the repercussions of it. They don't understand the amount of damage this is doing and how it really is a national security issue, and also costing taxpayers billions of dollars in just caring for people with this kind of trauma.

"Once that message gets through to them, they will be motivated to make a change, because it's a no brainer. They have to do something."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

___

Online:

www.invisiblewarmovie.com

www.sundance.org/festival

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_sundance_documentary_examines_rape_us_military101519990/44297205/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/sundance-documentary-examines-rape-us-military-101519990.html

legarrette blount pharrell pharrell silver bullet joshua komisarjevsky russell simmons russell simmons

Senior Aviation Finance Specialist joins Maples' Dublin office ...

Jan 25, 2012

Senior Aviation Finance Specialist joins Maples? Dublin Office?

The Irish office of international law firm Maples and Calder (?Maples?) is delighted to announce that senior aviation finance specialist Laurence Hanley has joined the Finance Group. Laurence?s appointment is one of a number of recent strategic hires and adds further strength and depth to the firm?s innovative aviation practice.

Laurence?s experience is in advising lenders, lessors and lessees of commercial aircraft and engines in both portfolio and individual equipment transactions. He joins Maples from the highly regarded Asset Finance group of Clyde & Co LLP where he worked in both their London and Paris offices, and was seconded to Air France. Laurence is fluent in French and German and will focus on servicing and expanding Maples? international aviation client base.

Nollaig Murphy, Head of Finance at Maples? Dublin, said: ?We are delighted to welcome Laurence to the team. His arrival highlights our commitment to the aviation finance sector and adds significantly to our offering in this space through his practical experience with industry players.?

About Maples and Calder

Maples is a leading international law firm specializing in Irish, Cayman and BVI law. The Maples group comprises over 700 staff worldwide. The firm?s affiliated organization, MaplesFS, provides specialized fiduciary, accounting and administration services to finance vehicles and funds.

Since establishing in Ireland in 2006 the firm?s Irish office has become the singular success story of the Irish legal services industry. It has grown to over 175 people, many of whom have joined from leading Irish and international firms.

The Dublin Finance group has advised on many of the most high profile and complex transactions in Ireland in the last number of years, including the establishment and operation of the Avolon aircraft leasing and CHC helicopter leasing platforms in Dublin.

Source: http://www.worldleasingnews.com/news/senior-aviation-finance-specialist-joins-maples-dublin-office%E2%80%8E/

rodney atkins fergie one republic carlos santana new years ball drop new years rockin eve michael dyer suspended

Mission Possible: Graphene


ShareShare ?ShareEmail



Bora ZivkovicBora Zivkovic is the Blog Editor at Scientific American, chronobiologist, biology teacher, organizer of ScienceOnline conferences and editor of Open Laboratory anthologies of best science writing on the Web. Follow on Twitter @boraz.

More »

--> Bora ZivkovicBorn in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Bora was always interested in animals and nature. His studies in veterinary medicine were interrupted by the 1990s war in the Balkans, when he arrived in the USA. He went to graduate school at North Carolina State University where he studied how bird brains measure time of day (circadian rhythms) and time of year (photoperiodism). He started ‘A Blog Around The Clock’ in 2004. He teaches introductory biology to non-traditional students at North Carolina Wesleyan College, organizes the annual ScienceOnline conference, and edits Open Laboratory – the annual anthology of the best writing on science blogs. - http://coturnix.org - boraz Contact Bora Zivkovic via email.
Follow Bora Zivkovic on Twitter as @boraz. Or visit their website.-->

Video of the Week #27 January 25th, 2012

From: Winners of the Cyberscreen Science Film Festival at Science Online 2012 by Carin Bondar and Joanne Manaster at PsiVid

Source: Derek Muller & Chris Stewart on techNyouvids and Veritasium on YouTube.

Derek Mueller of Sydney Australia won this year?s Cyberscreen Science film festival with his physics film ?Mission Possible: Graphene?. The festival took place during the Science Online 2012 conference last weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite the dense subject matter of the film (pun intended), Derek kept it entertaining with fantastic storytelling and fun characters. We will be doing a full feature on Derek?s work in the near future on PsiVid, stay tuned!

Bora ZivkovicAbout the Author: Bora Zivkovic is the Blog Editor at Scientific American, chronobiologist, biology teacher, organizer of ScienceOnline conferences and editor of Open Laboratory anthologies of best science writing on the Web. Follow on Twitter @boraz.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5b73f6f83bd4aa9bb7ab9015dfe13af0

giuliana rancic the cabin in the woods the cabin in the woods trace adkins the darkest hour the darkest hour neverland

Exclusive peek: B.H. 'Housewives' wedding finale

Bravo

By Anna Chan

A fairy tale scene in the backyard of a mansion. Smoking drinks. Fancy food. Giant invites featuring white flowers and a price tag of $15,000. Fans of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" have seen all this and more as star Lisa Vanderpump planned daughter Pandora's lavish wedding this season.

Did we say "lavish"? We really meant "simple," as Lisa has insisted during multiple meetings with fab wedding planner Kevin Lee. ("It's Beverly Hills, dahling! It has to be over the top!" he often reminded her.)

Now, viewers will finally see just how "simple" Pandy's August nuptials to long-time love, Jason,?were. The happy celebration is set to cap off the second season of Bravo's hit reality show Monday, which has been filled with allegations of domestic violence and possible drug abuse.

And though Lisa may have insisted on not going over the top, fellow co-star Camille Grammer reveals in an exclusive clip of the finale? provided to us by Bravo that "it definitely looked like a million-dollar wedding." Check it out:

According to our pals at Us Weekly, two of the "Housewives" weren't in attendance. One was Taylor Armstrong, whose husband, Russell, committed suicide just weeks before, and the other was Kim Richards. Seeing as how Kim has created quite a bit of drama this season with her regular tardiness and loopy behavior, we doubt the bride missed her presence.

While planning her wedding, Pandy admitted to mom Lisa that she wasn't sure the "Housewives" would behave on her big day. "Every single time your friends get together, it's a battle," she pointed out in an earlier episode.

In addition to what could be a drama-free wedding for the bride and groom, the ceremony might also bring the gift of?a second straight week of?good news for the show. Last Monday's episode, which featured the opening of Lisa's SUR lounge, was the highest-rated episode in the series' history.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" finale airs at 9 p.m. on Bravo Monday.

Think the "Housewives" will keep the drama to the minimum without Kim and Taylor there? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

?

?

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10194440-exclusive-peek-glam-wedding-on-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-finale

conrad murray verdict tappan zee bridge jessica chastain jessica chastain nook tablet eagles magic johnson

Germany, France press for rapid Greek debt deal (Reuters)

PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) ? Germany and France pressed Monday for a rapid deal between Greece and its private creditors that cuts its soaring debt to sustainable levels and said they were committed to a sealing a new bailout for Athens by March to avert a disastrous default.

Euro zone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the terms of a Greek debt restructuring and new treaties that will pave the way for tighter fiscal discipline and a new rescue fund the bloc wants in place by mid-year.

Ahead of that meeting, French Finance Minister Francois Baroin said an elusive deal to convince the banks and investment funds that own Greek debt to accept deep losses on their holdings appeared to be "taking shape."

But his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble warned that any deal must help Greece cut its debt mountain to "not much more than 120 percent of GDP" by the end of the decade, from roughly 160 percent today, something many economists believe will not be achieved by the existing plan.

"The negotiations will be difficult, but we want the second program for Greece to be implemented in March so that the second (bailout) tranche can be released," Schaeuble told a news conference in Paris with Baroin and the heads of the German and French central banks.

"Greece must fulfil its commitments, it is difficult and there is already a lot of delay," Schaeuble said.

After several rounds of talks, Greece and its private creditors are converging on a deal in which private bondholders would take a real loss of 65 to 70 percent on their Greek bonds, officials close to the negotiations say.

But some details of the debt restructuring, which will involve swapping existing Greek bonds for new, longer-term bonds are unresolved.

Charles Dallara, the Institute of International Finance chief who is negotiating on behalf of the private debt holders, left Athens over the weekend saying banks had no room to improve their offer.

Sources close to the talks told Reuters Monday that the impasse centered on questions of whether the deal would return Greece's debt mountain, currently over 350 billion euros, to levels that European governments believe are sustainable.

"There will likely be an updated debt sustainability analysis that will be discussed at the Eurogroup," a banking source in Athens said, requesting anonymity. "Talks will continue this week. The aim is to have an agreement by late next Monday."

In Brussels, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said talks had been "moving well" and expressed confidence a deal could be sealed this week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was no question of extending Greece a bridging loan if talks with the private sector dragged on further.

The euro pushed up to its highest level against the dollar in nearly three weeks on hopes Greece and the banks could overcome differences and seal a successful debt swap.

LAGARDE DEMANDS

Speaking in Berlin not far from Merkel's Chancellery, IMF chief Christine Lagarde urged European governments to increase their financial firewall to prevent Greece's troubles from ensnaring bigger countries like Italy and Spain.

She also called on European leaders to complement the "fiscal compact" they agreed last month with some form of financial risk-sharing, mentioning euro zone bonds or bills, or a debt redemption fund as possible options.

Berlin opposes those steps and Merkel told a news conference with the Belgian prime minister that it was not the time to debate an increase in the euro zone's bailout funds -- the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and its successor, the 500 billion euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

"I don't think it is right to do one new thing then do another, let's get the ESM working," Merkel said, reiterating that Germany was prepared to accelerate the flow of capital into the ESM ahead of its planned introduction in mid-2012.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, who has complained openly that his reform efforts have not been recognized by the markets, is reportedly pushing for the rescue fund to be doubled to 1 trillion euros. Lagarde stopped short of advocating that, saying: "I am not saying double it."

But she did speak out in favor of folding funds from the EFSF into the ESM to give it more firepower.

The more immediate worry is Greece. Without the second bailout from the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund, Athens will not be able to pay back 14.5 billion euros in maturing bonds in March, triggering a messy default that would hurt the entire euro zone and send tremors beyond the 13-year old single currency bloc.

DETERIORATION

Euro zone leaders agreed in October that the second bailout would total 130 billion euros, if private bondholders forgave half of what Greece owes them in nominal terms.

But Greek economic prospects have deteriorated since then, which means either euro zone governments or investors will have to contribute more than thought.

A key sticking point is the coupon, or interest rate, the new Greek bonds would carry. Officials said the new bonds are likely to be 30 years in maturity and carry a progressively higher coupon, which would average out at around 4 percent.

Progress will be presented to the Eurogroup, the euro zone ministers, by Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

"We will listen to the Greek finance minister to hear what models there are," said Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter as the talks got under way. "It is important to have a long-term model so that Greece has time ... We know that the banks are not overly happy, but a crash is far more expensive than such a long-term plan."

After dealing with Greece, euro zone ministers will choose a replacement for European Central Bank Board member Jose Manuel Gonzales Paramo, whose term ends in May.

The 17 ministers of the euro zone will then be joined by 10 ministers from the other European Union countries to finalize a treaty setting up the euro zone's permanent bailout fund, the ESM.

The 27 EU finance ministers will also prepare the final draft of another treaty to sharply tighten fiscal discipline in the euro zone, called the "fiscal compact," that is designed to ensure another sovereign debt crisis cannot happen in future.

EU leaders are to sign off on both treaties at a summit on January 30, allowing the ESM to become operational in July.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Brown and Alexandra Hudson in Berlin, Leigh Thomas in Paris, Lefteris Papadimas and Ingrid Melander in Athens; Writing by Noah Barkin and Jan Strupczewski, editing by Mike Peacock/Jeremy Gaunt.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/bs_nm/us_eurozone_ministers

david arquette lionfish lionfish conjoined twins justin bieber paternity justin bieber paternity denver news

New tool enhances view of muscles

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Marianne Meadahl
Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca
778-782-9017
Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University associate professor James Wakeling is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details that have never been seen before.

Fascinated with the mechanics of muscle movement in people and animals, Wakeling has developed a novel method using ultrasound imaging, 3D motion-capture technology and proprietary data-processing software to scan and capture 3D maps of the muscle structure in just 90 seconds.

It's a medical-imaging breakthrough because previous methods took 15 minutes to do the jobfar too long to ask people to hold a muscle contraction.

The key to the breakthrough is the way the software processes the data, says Wakeling, who teaches in SFU's department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology. He developed the software with graduate student Manku Rana.

"Now, we can get people to do muscle contractions and we can actually see how the internal structure of the muscle changes," he says.

Wakeling's goal is to improve the muscle models used in musculoskeletal simulation software that predicts how people move and the forces on their joints.

Current packages are missing important information about muscle contraction, such as how the muscle shape changes, how it bulges, or how the internal muscle fibres become more curvedall details that Wakeling's technology can capture.

Wakeling hopes his research will ultimately lead to new software programs for predicting the outcome of orthopaedic surgeries such as tendon-transfers for treating conditions like cerebral palsy in children.

"We're poised to start making new observations and insights," he says, "and to do new experiments that haven't been possible before."

###

Photos: http://at.sfu.ca/NilEGt



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Marianne Meadahl
Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca
778-782-9017
Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University associate professor James Wakeling is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details that have never been seen before.

Fascinated with the mechanics of muscle movement in people and animals, Wakeling has developed a novel method using ultrasound imaging, 3D motion-capture technology and proprietary data-processing software to scan and capture 3D maps of the muscle structure in just 90 seconds.

It's a medical-imaging breakthrough because previous methods took 15 minutes to do the jobfar too long to ask people to hold a muscle contraction.

The key to the breakthrough is the way the software processes the data, says Wakeling, who teaches in SFU's department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology. He developed the software with graduate student Manku Rana.

"Now, we can get people to do muscle contractions and we can actually see how the internal structure of the muscle changes," he says.

Wakeling's goal is to improve the muscle models used in musculoskeletal simulation software that predicts how people move and the forces on their joints.

Current packages are missing important information about muscle contraction, such as how the muscle shape changes, how it bulges, or how the internal muscle fibres become more curvedall details that Wakeling's technology can capture.

Wakeling hopes his research will ultimately lead to new software programs for predicting the outcome of orthopaedic surgeries such as tendon-transfers for treating conditions like cerebral palsy in children.

"We're poised to start making new observations and insights," he says, "and to do new experiments that haven't been possible before."

###

Photos: http://at.sfu.ca/NilEGt



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/sfu-nte012312.php

drag me to hell alot alot are you afraid of the dark are you afraid of the dark dallas news google tv

'The Artist' silent but golden at producer awards

FILE - French Producer Thomas Langmann arrives for the screening of "W." by U.S. Director Oliver Stone at a cinema in Paris, in this Oct. 21 , 2008 file photo. Langmann received the award handed out at the Beverly Hilton by the Producers Guild of America, as "The Artist" beat out George Clooney's family drama and another Oscar favorite, "The Descendants." (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

FILE - French Producer Thomas Langmann arrives for the screening of "W." by U.S. Director Oliver Stone at a cinema in Paris, in this Oct. 21 , 2008 file photo. Langmann received the award handed out at the Beverly Hilton by the Producers Guild of America, as "The Artist" beat out George Clooney's family drama and another Oscar favorite, "The Descendants." (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

(AP) ? "The Artist" followed its Golden Globe win by taking top honors at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, as the silent film continues its unlikely run toward Oscar night.

Producer Thomas Langmann received the award handed out at the Beverly Hilton by the Producers Guild of America, as "The Artist" beat out George Clooney's family drama and another Oscar favorite, "The Descendants."

"The Artist" won best musical or comedy at Sunday's Golden Globes and "The Descendants" won best drama along with a best actor nod for Clooney, making the movies likely rivals for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

The other nominees in the movie category were "War Horse," ''The Help," ''Bridesmaids," ''Hugo," ''The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," ''Midnight in Paris," ''Moneyball" and another Clooney movie, "The Ides of March."

Along with honors from other Hollywood professional groups such as actors, directors and writers guilds, the producer prizes have become part of the preseason sorting out contenders for the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan. 24.

HBO's saga of mobsters in Prohibition-era Atlantic City "Boardwalk Empire" won the producers' award for television drama series, keeping AMC's "Mad Men" from winning its fourth straight PGA Award.

A team of seven producers including Martin Scorcese received the award for "Boardwalk Empire," which also beat out Showtime's "Dexter," CBS's "The Good Wife," and another HBO series, "Game of Thrones."

The ABC sitcom "Modern Family" took the award for best comedy series for the second straight year, beating "30 Rock," ''The Big Bang Theory," ''Glee," and "Parks and Recreation."

Other winners at the PGA awards include PBS's "Downton Abbey" for long-form television, "The Adventures of Tintin" for animated film, "Beats, Rhymes & Life" for movie documentary and "The Colbert Report" for talk and live entertainment shows.

___

Online:

http://www.producersguild.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-22-Film-Producers%20Awards/id-a5939e3d974a46f8a47c07bded782ca7

yom kippur diamondbacks wolf creek wolf creek arizona diamondbacks arizona diamondbacks alex rodriguez

Reality-TV winner just might go into space

Danny Martindale / Getty Images

Reality-TV impresario Simon Cowell poses for photos with fans as "Britain's Got Talent" kicks off its annual talent search Friday with an event at the Lyric Theatre in Manchester.

By Alan Boyle

More than a decade after the first effort to blend reality TV with real-world spaceflight,?talent-show impresario Simon Cowell says the winner of "Britain's Got Talent" could go into outer space on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane.

"I love the idea that if they are up for it they have the option of performing in space,"?Cowell told?Britain's Daily Star. The comment comes as Cowell is ramping up for a new season of the show that?inspired "America's Got Talent."


Cowell has already signed up for his own flight on SpaceShipTwo, which could start flying passengers beyond the 100-kilometer (62-mile) boundary of outer space on $200,000 suborbital rides as early as next year. The longtime record producer, who left an enduring mark on reality-TV history as the black-garbed, brutally frank judge on "American Idol," hinted that he's worked out a deal with British?billionaire Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic.

Live Poll

Do you think Simon Cowell has a winning plan for reality TV in outer space?

  • 173950

    Yes, that'd be must-see TV.

    32%

  • 173951

    No, this idea is sure to fizzle out.

    46%

  • 173952

    It's a tossup.

    23%

VoteTotal Votes: 57

"It's tens of millions of pounds, but Richard genuinely is up for doing it," Cowell told the Star. "I am being serious, I swear to God and on my mum?s life. Don?t worry about the details, we?ll make it happen."

If Cowell is to make it happen anytime soon, the winner would?most?probably have to travel to New Mexico to follow through on the flight plan. And it seems unlikely that going into space would be a requirement placed on the winner, whoever?he or she?turns out to be.

Producers have tried for years to put together a reality-TV show focusing on spaceflight. The highest-profile effort was "Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett's plans?in 2000?for a?show that would follow contestants through?the training routine for spaceflight. The winner would have?been sent?to?Russia's Mir space station ? but that concept fizzled out even before Mir was deorbited in 2001.

Other proposed entertainment?projects have revolved around?pop singer Lance Bass and film director James Cameron. Just last week, Beyonce and Jay-Z were said to be interested in doing a music video aboard SpaceShipTwo.

No Hollywood space effort has yet gotten off the ground, but if anyone has the required combination of guts, glitz and gold, I suppose that'd be Branson. Like Cowell, Branson is a veteran of reality TV, having starred in "The Rebel Billionaire," a series that aired on Fox in 2004-2005.

Who knows? In the next year or two, there may be more than one way for reality-TV contestants to get into outer space. Andrew Nelson, chief operating officer for XCOR Aerospace, says his company is moving ahead with its own Lynx rocket plane ? and he's not shy about courting Cowell's attention.

"If Simon wants to take a more exciting ride at half the price, I'd take his call," Nelson told me today.

More about commercial space:


Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.?

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10202380-britains-got-talent-in-space

tyler perry tupac tupac shakur nfl power rankings houston news us news and world report college rankings us news and world report college rankings

6 S.C. counties to watch (Politico)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? There are four regions to know in South Carolina: the Upstate, the Lowcountry, the Midlands and the Pee Dee. All are unique in their own way, but they won?t matter in equal degree in Saturday?s GOP primary.

The Upstate ? in particular, the socially conservative Greenville-Spartanburg area ? will be critical to Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich?s chances. The Lowcountry ? which includes Charleston and the coastal areas ? is where Mitt Romney will live or die.

Continue Reading

South Carolina Primary Live Coverage

Ron Paul?s map is more opaque. There are aspects of his message that would appeal to various parts of the state but the dovish congressman hasn?t paid much attention to hawkish South Carolina. In 2008, he managed just 4 percent here.

Here are 6 counties across the state to follow on primary night to get a feel for who?s doing well and who?s not:

Greenville County

There?s a reason the candidates spent so much time in and around Greenville County: It?s the state?s most populous county and it?s strongly Republican. More votes were cast here in the 2008 GOP presidential primary than anywhere else in the state ? no other place came close. Home to Bob Jones University and also to Furman University, this was unfriendly terrain for Mitt Romney in 2008 ? he finished in fourth place here. For Newt Gingrich to capture the state, he?s going to have to perform well in Greenville.

Lexington County

Located in the Columbia metro area and home to conservative bedroom communities, Lexington County has produced some of the politicians who are most recognizable outside the state?s borders: Rep. Joe Wilson, Gov. Nikki Haley, state Sen. Jake Knotts. This Midlands county, situated roughly halfway between Greenville and Charleston, encompasses the politics of each ? it?s amenable to both socially conservative and free market-oriented candidates. John McCain captured the county with 33 percent in 2008, followed closely by Mike Huckabee, who finished in second place with 29 percent. If Romney is running in third place here, as he did in 2008, it?s a worrisome sign for him.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71758_html/44254419/SIG=11m1dlh9p/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71758.html

blackberry outage seal beach ca seal beach seal beach bhutan zip code finder zip code finder

Johnny Otis of 'Willie and the Hand Jive' dies (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Johnny Otis, the "godfather of rhythm and blues" who wrote and recorded the R&B classic "Willie and the Hand Jive" and for decades evangelized black music to white audiences as a bandleader and radio host, has died. He was 90.

Otis, who had been in poor health for several years, died at his home in the Los Angeles foothill suburb of Altadena on Tuesday, said his manager, Terry Gould.

Otis, who was white, was born John Veliotes to Greek immigrants and grew up in a black section of Berkeley, where he said he identified far more with black culture than his own. As a teenager, he changed his name because he thought Johnny Otis sounded more black.

"As a kid, I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black," he once explained.

His musical tastes clearly reflected that adopted culture and even after he became famous, his dark skin and hair often led audiences and club promoters to assume he was black like his band mates.

Otis was leading his own band in 1945 when he scored his first big hit, "Harlem Nocturne." In 1950, 10 of his songs made Billboard Magazine's R&B chart. His "Willie and the Hand Jive" sold more than 1.5 million copies and was covered years later by Eric Clapton.

He later wrote "Every Beat of My Heart," which was a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips.

But the influence of Otis was felt most through his ability to recognize and promote talent. He wove into his bands such diverse and legendary R&B vocalists as Etta James, Hank Ballard, Big Mama Thornton and The Robins, the latter a group that would evolve into the Coasters.

He produced Thornton's original recording of "Hound Dog," a song that would later become an even bigger hit for Elvis Presley.

"His band shows a different style on pretty much every new recording," said Piero Scaruffi, author of "A History of Rock Music, 1951-2000." "The reason is that Otis did not force his personality on others but worked with the personality of the others. He may not have been a great composer or performer himself, but he was an impressive conductor."

Otis launched his professional music career as an 18-year-old drummer for bawdy barrelhouse pianist Count Otis Matthews, although he had never played the drums until then.

Matthews instructed him to simply pound out the syncopated "shave and a haircut, six bits" beat that would become the backbone of early rock `n' roll. His mastery of it soon proved his ticket to other bands and eventually to headlining his own group.

Otis saw himself as curator of black popular music, which for him represented much more than a diversion or livelihood. His cross-country R&B reviews and his radio and television appearances were dedicated to delivering black music to white audiences.

"The music isn't just the notes, it's the culture ? the way grandma cooked, the way grandpa told stories, the way the kids walked and talked," he once said.

While he always returned to playing music, in later years touring with his sons Shuggie and Nicky, Otis' eclectic interests also included politics, art and organic food.

He worked for years as deputy chief of staff to state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally when Dymally served in the Assembly, state Senate, as lieutenant governor and as a congressman.

In later years, Otis spent much of his time painting and sculpting. He also opened an organic grocery store in Sebastopol in the early 1990s to sell his son Nicky's vegetables, decorating the store with his own colorful murals.

Although he had little success selling groceries, he did draw large crowds to the market every Friday and Saturday night when he performed there with his band.

"It was a smashing success," Gould said. "You had to make reservations three weeks ahead. It was amazing."

Otis also had a regular show playing records on the nonprofit Pacifica Radio Network's stations until failing health prompted him to retire in 2005.

In addition to his sons, Otis is survived by his wife, Phyllis, whom he married in 1941; daughters Janet and Laura; and several grandchildren.

__

Former Associated Press writer Andrew Glazer contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_en_ot/us_obit_otis

hp ceo hp ceo r e m gurney gurney clemency us supreme court