New Year's Eve 2012 TV Guide: Justin Bieber on 'Dick Clark,' 'The Walking Dead' Marathon & More

"The Walking Dead" Marathon (11 a.m. to 12 midnight EST on AMC)
If you've missed out on the critically-acclaimed zombie drama or are just trying to avoid all of the other soulless, dead-eyed beings that congregate on New Year's Eve, it's your lucky night: AMC is re-airing "The Walking Dead" in its entirety, from the premiere episode to the recently-aired midseason finale. It's a gory way to celebrate 2012, but it's probably less messy than going out for the night.

"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012" (8 p.m. to 2:13 a.m. EST on ABC)
Those intro tradition can keep it locked on the alphabet network for nearly 5.5 hours of bi-coastal New Year's festivities, presided over by the eponymous Dick Clark and the ever-present Ryan Seacrest. Things kick off at 8 p.m. with "New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party," hosted by Jenny McCarthy in Times Square and Fergie in Los Angeles. While The Band Perry, blink-182, Christina Perri, Florence + The Machine, Gym Class Heroes, LMFAO, OneRepublic, Nicki Minaj, Taio Cruz and will.i.am will take the stage in L.A, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Pitbull and Hot Chelle Rae will be performing from New York.

"iCarly" (8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST on Nickelodeon)
This two-parter, titled "iStill Psycho," is a follow-up to the Season 3 special "iPsycho," as obsessive fan Nora is released from prison to torment the iCarly gang once more.

"NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly" (10 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. EST on NBC)
It sounds like Nicki Minaj will be pulling some TV trickery on Dec. 31, since she's slated to perform at both Dick Clark's Los Angeles party and Carson Daly's New York celebration. She'll be joined by Lil Wayne and My Chemical Romance on the presumably pre-taped performance for Daly's show, which also features an exclusive interview with Bono and The Edge.

"NYE in NYC 2012 Live" (11 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. EST on MTV)
For the teen set, Demi Lovato and "Teen Wolf" star Tyler Posey will host MTV's New Year's party, with Lovato pulling double duty as a performer along with Selena Gomez, J Cole, Jason Derulo and Mac Miller. Viewers will also get a sneak peek at the revival of "Punk'd," and "America's Best Dance Crew" winners I.aM.mE will also take the stage.

"American Country New Year's Eve Live" (11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. EST on Fox)
If you like your NYE with some twang, Fox is going a little bit country (albeit from Las Vegas and New York) with comedian Rodney Carrington and "Pawn Stars" hosts Rick Harrison and Austin “Chumlee” Russell playing host. Expect musical performances from Joe Nichols, Lauren Alaina, Rodney Atkins, Eli Young Band and Toby Keith.

"New Year's Eve Live With Anderson Cooper And Kathy Griffin" (11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. EST on CNN)
TV's snarkiest odd couple will once again ring in the New Year from Times Square and for sarcasm breaks, look for reports from celebrations across the globe and closer to home, from Central Park to Nashville.

"106 & Party: New Year's Eve Special 2011" (11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. EST on BET)
Following an all-day marathon of the "Top 100 Videos of 2011," BET rings in the New Year with a "106 & Park" special. Terrence and Rocsi will host and there will be performances from Diggy Simmons, Young Jeezy, Wale and more.

And, since everyone likes getting something for nothing, social media site GetGlue.com has teamed with eight different TV networks for a series of special New Year's Eve-themed stickers for all of the shows listed here. Just check into whatever you're watching on Sat., Dec. 31 to earn the holiday badges.

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/new-years-eve-tv-viewing-guide_n_1175724.html

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Washington Redskins Injury Report, Week 17: Roy Helu, London Fletcher Limited In Wednesday Practice

Read More: Sav Rocca (P - WAS), London Fletcher (LB - WAS), Jammal Brown (OT - WAS), Donte Stallworth (WR - WAS), Adam Carriker (DE - WAS), Roy Helu (RB - WAS), Evan Royster (RB - WAS), DeJon Gomes (DB - WAS), Niles Paul (WR - WAS), Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins practiced Wednesday in advance of their season finale Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles and released the week's first injury report.

No Redskins player sat out of practice entirely, though the team elected to limit five players' participation due to injury: right tackle Jammal Brown (hip), defensive end Adam Carriker (chest), linebacker London Fletcher (ankle), running back Roy Helu (toe, knee), and wide receiver Dont? Stallworth (ankle).

"We'll just judge him as the week goes on," coach Mike Shanahan said of Helu, who's started five games for the Redskins in 2011. In Helu's absence on Saturday, fellow rookie Evan Royster made his first career start and gained 132 yards on 19 carries.

Three other injured Redskins appear on Wednesday's report, though they participated fully in the day's practice: safety DeJon Gomes (knee), wide receiver Niles Paul, and punter Sav Rocca.

For more on the Redskins, please visit Hogs Haven, SB Nation's Redskins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Philly and Bleeding Green Nation, SB Nation's Eagles blog.

Source: http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-redskins/2011/12/28/2666633/nfl-injury-report-week-X

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Sync IPad 2 with database on PC

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

The IPad Forum is a community of members from all walks of life and from all over the world coming together to share our experiences and to help each other learn about this wonderful piece of technology the Ipad. There is a wealth of information already here in the many threads we have so doing some searches will answer most of the questions you have. If then you cannot find the answer you are seeking then by all means post your question. There are many friendly and informed members here only too willing to help you.

We also have our own App - It is a very simple app to navigate.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/discu...412896524?mt=8
Reading the IPad manual is a great place to start so please download a copy of these.
http://www.support.apple.com/manuals/ipad/
A very informative thread from which you will learn many tips and shortcuts for the IPad.
TIPS AND TRICKS - for those of us who don't know!
We have rules like any Community so please read these also
Forum rules - everybody please read!!

Once again we welcome you here and are so pleased you have joined us!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Source: http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help/58448-sync-ipad-2-database-pc.html

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Around the Web?

It’s Hump Day! Give Wednesday’s links a click: Four-year-old rants about pink princess toys aimed at girls ? ABCNews.com Enfamil formula pulled off shelves after 10-day-old baby dies ? MSNBC.com Angered moms stage nurse-in at Target ? TIME.com VIDEO: President Obama gets surprised by a grabby baby ? CBSNews.com Are your breasts off-limits while breastfeeding? [...]

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/7HTpwT0Jpa4/

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Former Microsoft Exec Explains Windows Phone?s Failure

Charlie Kindle, a former General Manager for the Windows Phone team at Microsoft, recently posted an entry to his blog in which he explains what he believes are the main reasons why Windows Phone has not been a commercial success. Despite numerous positive reviews for the mobile OS, an app market that continues to boom and just exceeded the 50,000 app mark, and affordable devices available on virtually every major carrier, Windows Phone?s market penetration continues to disappoint.

In the rant, Mr. Kindle, who is no longer with Microsoft, says, ?In the mobile device space the four primary sides of the market are not actually aligned very well. In fact, there is such deep misalignment that there is great instability. Android has succeeded (in raw unit numbers at least) by capitalizing on that misalignment. Apple has attempted to change the game by cutting out one of the sides of the market.? Then he goes on to say that Microsoft?s approach causes more friction with both carriers and device manufacturers than competing platforms (in not so many words), and that the friction prevents both the carries (who control major marketing dollars and the retail sales processionals responsible for actually selling the devices) and the device manufacturers from fully embracing Microsoft?s mobile platform. A platform which many?including Charlie Kindle?feel offers a better end-to-end experience than Android.

The HTC Tital Running Windows Phone

Microsoft?s more controlling approach essentially dictates what the hardware specifications for a device should be, much to the chagrin of the device manufacturers. And Microsoft also dictates to the carriers how, and to some extent, when devices will be updated. The end result is that the Windows Phone experience from device to device is consistent and that in the last update cycle, when Mango was rolled out, almost every Windows Phone device got an update, virtually eliminating the fragmentation that?s rampant with Google?s Android. Kindle believes that it?s these restrictive policies that have made device manufacturers reluctant to fully embrace Microsoft?s mobile platform and carriers reluctant to stand behind it and incentivize their retail sales force to push the platform.

Kindle goes on to say, ?This is why, despite being a superior PRODUCT to Android, Windows Phone has not sold as well.? Spending marketing dollars on advertising Android devices is (an) easy decision for the carriers.?

Considering Kindle?s history and understanding of the mobile market, his opinions obviously hold some water. However, I think there are other factors at play as well. In addition to being more open and allowing both carriers and device manufacturers to customize Android, Android?s other advantage (at least currently) is that it offers a more affordable alternative to iOS, while still maintaining the look and feel of Apple?s product. Whether Android?s or iOS? interface elements are superior is a matter for another debate, but most consumers? perception that Apple?s product has it ?right? makes them more open to Android in my opinion. In comparison, Windows Phone?s interface takes things in a completely different direction and can be jarring at first glance.

Consumers are also reluctant to try Windows Phone because at this point it offers little incentive over competing products. If they?re not enamored by the interface, why would someone buy a Windows Phone over an iPhone or the myriad of excellent Android-based devices? As of today, there is little incentive--there are more apps for iOS and Android, more varied devices (for android), and the hardware is more cutting edge on competing platforms. Whether or not that changes once Windows 8 ships remains to be seen, but it?s clear that it?s going to take more than persistence for Windows Phone to gain any real traction with consumers.

Source: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/former-microsoft-exec-explains-windows-phone%E2%80%99s-failure?source=nww_rss

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Appeals court delays SEC-Citigroup fraud case (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Securities and Exchange Commission won a delay in its securities fraud lawsuit against Citigroup Inc, as the regulator tries to appeal a judge's decision to reject its $285 million settlement with the bank.

The case will be put on hold until a motions panel on January 17 begins considering the SEC's bid for a longer delay so it can pursue an expedited appeal, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said in its order on Tuesday afternoon.

That order was made public 78 seconds before U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, who rejected the Citigroup settlement last month, issued a ruling opposing any delay in the case, court records show. Citigroup supported the SEC's request for a delay.

The rulings come as the SEC tries to ensure it can continue settling enforcement cases without requiring corporate defendants to address whether they did anything wrong.

That practice was called into question when Rakoff on November 28 harshly rejected the proposed settlement with New York-based Citigroup.

He said the SEC's failure to require Citigroup to admit or deny its charges left him no way to know whether the settlement was fair. Rakoff also called the $285 million payout "pocket change" for the third-largest U.S. bank.

But the SEC said that ruling was "legal error," at odds with decades of court decisions allowing such settlements and letting investors get faster recoveries, and could affect its ability to reach similar accords with other companies.

SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment. Citigroup spokeswoman Danielle Romero-Apsilos repeated that the bank disagreed with Rakoff's November 28 decision, and would have "substantial factual and legal defenses" at a trial.

The October 19 settlement was intended to resolve charges that Citigroup sold $1 billion of risky mortgage-linked securities in 2007 without telling investors that it was betting against the debt, and caused more than $700 million of losses.

Citigroup's $285 million payment was to include $160 million of disgorged profit and fees, $30 million of interest and a $95 million civil fine.

IRREPARABLE HARM, OR ILLUSORY HARM?

In a filing on Tuesday morning with the 2nd Circuit, the SEC said the urgency to put the case on hold came after Rakoff in a teleconference this month told Citigroup to answer the charges by January 3, 2012 - or 27 days sooner than federal rules require.

An answer can force Citigroup to deny some or all of the SEC allegations, or seek to dismiss the case entirely.

But this would cause the SEC "irreparable harm" by forcing it to devote substantial resources to the case, and would "disrupt a central negotiated provision" in which Citigroup agreed not to deny the allegations, the regulator said.

In his decision on Tuesday, which the motions panel may choose to follow or not follow, Rakoff said it is "patently clear" there was no statutory basis to appeal his November 28 ruling, and "derail the orderly conduct" of the case.

The judge said this was because the appeal focused on his alleged error in demanding more facts about the case, rather than on the injunctive relief provided by the settlement.

He also said the alleged harm faced by the SEC was "largely illusory" because the regulator is pursuing a related case arising out of the same facts against a Citigroup employee, director Brian Stoker, who contests the regulator's charges.

The SEC has asked Congress for authority to seek larger penalties in corporate cases than the law now allows.

Rakoff has set a July 16, 2012 trial date.

The cases are SEC v Citigroup Global Markets Inc, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 11-05227; and U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-07387.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/bs_nm/us_citigroup_sec

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Medvedev: Test of much-heralded new missile done (AP)

MOSCOW ? A ballistic missile that is to be a cornerstone of Russia's nuclear arsenal has completed its rocky test program and will be commissioned by the military, President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday during a meeting with military officers.

The Bulava ICBM, intended to arm a new generation of nuclear submarines, is a three-stage missile that can carry up to 10 individually targeted warheads at a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

The Bulava suffered a string of failures during tests that dragged on for years, raising doubts about the future of the most expensive military project in the nation's post-Soviet history. Several recent tests, however, have been successful, including last week's simultaneous launch of two Bulavas.

Russian officials have billed Bulava as a new-generation weapon, capable of dodging any potential missile defenses, thanks to its quick start and an ability to perform unusual maneuvers in flight. The Bulava would replace Soviet-built missiles approaching the end of their service lifetimes.

The Russian navy also has finished building the first of a new series of nuclear-powered submarines to be armed with the new missile, the Yuri Dolgoruky. Several other such submarines are under construction.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_new_missile

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A joyous Christmas for new church in Weymouth

The town?s newest church has a special reason to celebrate this holiday. After zoning and building code problems delayed its fall opening, New Journey Christian Church is getting ready for its first Christmas worship.

In October, New Journey?s situation was uncertain. The Rev. Debra Randolph was trying to comply with town regulations that apply to the church?s leased space on the first floor of a former Weymouth Landing fire station. Now the fledgling congregation draws as many as 25 people to Sunday services ? the maximum allowed by zoning.

?It worked out fine,? the Rev. Randolph said. ?God always has a plan.?

In January, New Journey may begin holding an additional Sunday service at nearby East Weymouth Congregational Church if attendance exceeds the 25-person limit at the old fire station.

If that happens, the fire station church will continue to be ?God?s rescue station,? with small-group worship, the Rev. Randolph said.

New Journey started as a house church. It was scheduled to open in the former fire station in late September, until inspectors showed up to inform the Rev. Randolph that the space lacked emergency exit lights and other safety features, and that it had been arranged for too many people.

She spent weeks taking care of technical questions and raising money to pay for the improvements. Attendance has grown since the initial services. The regulars now include a recovering drug addict.

Church members will gather at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Christmas Day. The Rev. Randolph says she has not decided what she will preach or what songs they?ll sing.

?We?ll see what God does,? she said.

New Journey is at the Broad Street-Washington Street intersection. For information, call 781-901-1605 or email at NewJourneyChristianChurch@gmail.com.

Reach Lane Lambert at llambert@ledger.com.

READ MORE about this issue.

Source: http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1895998153/A-joyous-Christmas-for-new-church-in-Weymouth

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Miguel Ortiz and Larry Fitzgerald joined Alternative Energy dot Com

Transceivers have many varied kinds, to be utilized for telecommunication. the SFP modules are hooked straight into the motherboard and are often one of the smallest versions of transceiver. Optical fibers are exploited to create high speeds in a computer network with the kind of transceivers called XFP modules. the same type of GLC-FE-100LX effect on telecommunications can ensue with modules such as GBIC, CFP, MAU, and XAUI.Since these types of?See More

Source: http://alternativeenergycom.ning.com/profile/MiguelOrtiz?xg_source=activity

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Despite reforms, young immigrants still in limbo (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/178750765?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Republicans Give In

Whether you say that House GOP leaders "caved in" to Democrats or simply gave in to growing pressure within Republican ranks, it was a rough few days for Speaker John Boehner in his party's bid to forge a year-long extension of a payroll tax cut.

"It may not have been politically the smartest thing in the world," Boehner told reporters in announcing the deal with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a two month extension, "but let me tell you what, I think our members waged a good fight."

A quick scan of news web sites though showed that the headlines were not so forgiving for Boehner.

"Payroll tax deadlock ends as House caves," said the Associated Press.

"Boehner caves in on tax cut deal," said ABC News.

Democrats were more than happy to pile on.

"It was about time the GOP put the needs of the middle class ahead of Tea Party politics and agreed to the payroll tax cut," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz (R-FL).

What did Republicans get in this deal? They got Democrats to agree to appoint negotiators to work out a one year extension of the payroll tax cut in coming weeks - before the next deadline of February 29.

On the Republican side, there was a lot of grumbling from the rank and file.

"I cannot support this concession," said Rep. Allen West (R-FL).

"It seems the politics of demagoguery have won over policy and principle with the concession to enact tax policy on two-month basis," West added.

"It is disappointing that since the Senate failed to do their job, we will now have to have this debate again in two months," said Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN).

The plan is to approve the deal by "unanimous consent" - a term that's well understood in the halls of Congress, but not so well outside of Capitol Hill.

Basically it means that any lawmaker could object to the bill's passage - and if that happens, then Speaker Boehner would call the House back in to session to take a vote next week.

That would cost an estimated $4-5 million.

There was talk that someone would object to the deal; I asked one Republican if he would do that.

"No, that would just cost the taxpayers more money," he said before adding in the final verbal punch.

"They are getting screwed already," he added.

For a third straight year, the Congress is in session just a few days before the holiday break for lawmakers.

Merry Christmas.

Source: http://www.krmg.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/dec/22/republicans-give/

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Broadcast What You Read: Yahoo Expands Facebook Social Sharing

Yahoo said today that it is expanding its Facebook social sharing feature to 26 more Yahoo sites around the world, meaning there are now more options to automatically share the Yahoo stories you're reading with Facebook friends.

That includes Yahoo TV, Yahoo Movies, Yahoo Games, and blog properties like omg, as well as Yahoo News sites around the world.

Back at September's f8 developer conference, Facebook unveiled new partnerships with music and entertainment companies that allowed Facebook users to link up and share what they were doing outside Facebook. Watch an episode of "30 Rock" on Hulu and share that on your profile, or listen to a song on Spotify and automatically alert your friends. Similarly, the Yahoo deal shares the stories that you're reading on Yahoo News via Facebook.

In a blog post today, Mike Kerns, vice president of social and personalization for Yahoo, said the company has seen a 300 percent traffic boost from Facebook to Yahoo News since the feature was implemented about two months ago.

"Many of you who love to share your reading activity are young and socially engaged (no surprise!), and this has quickly impacted the virality of Yahoo's content on Facebook, as demonstrated in their recent post about the most-shared stories of 2011, showing that 12 of the 40 most-shared stories this year came from Yahoo," Kerns wrote.

The new additions will likely provide users the option to share the movies they're perusing on Yahoo Movies, for example, or the games they're playing on Yahoo Games.

"The features are designed to bring a deeply personalized, social news experience to more of the content millions of people come to Yahoo to read each day," Kerns wrote.

Yahoo also said it will add a Notifications button across Yahoo in the U.S., which will alert you when you've received feedback on a review, response to comments, stock alerts, and more.

There are, of course, some privacy concerns that crop up when automatic sharing is involved. Do you really want all your Facebook friends to know that you read three Justin Bieber articles today? Luckily, the service is opt-in. You have to add an app to your Facebook profile before auto-shares commence, and if there is something you want to read privately, you can temporarily shut down sharing via Yahoo.

But if a friend reads a Yahoo article and it shows up on your news feed, you also have to have the app installed before you can read it. You can't just click and go directly to the story on Yahoo News. This prompted CNET's Molly Wood to say in a recent column that Facebook had ruined sharing. But in a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said this type of sharing is the future of Facebook.

Going forward, instead of just telling people how you feel or what you had for dinner, you can share your interests more deeply with apps that bring in your activity from across the Web. "Do you want to go to the movies by yourself or with your friends?" Zuckerberg asked.

Do you agree with Zuckerberg? Have you found Yahoo News (or Spotify, Hulu, etc.) auto-sharing helpful, creepy, annoying, or none of the above? Let us know in the comments.

For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397934,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05079TX1K0000992

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el_pais: #hasidonoticia Dos atentados sacuden Damasco durante la visita de los monitores de la Liga ?rabe http://t.co/w614XGeE

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Stocks end sharply higher, Dow back over 12K

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Investors' ongoing mixed feelings about Europe?s debt woes seemed to turn optimistic Tuesday as stocks rallied from the opening bell. The Dow ended the day back over 12,000 for the first time in nearly two weeks and the major indexes all rose more than 2.5 percent.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 335.73 points, or 2.85 percent, to 12,101.99. The last time the Dow closed above 12,000 was Dec. 12. The S&P 500 rose 35.87, or 2.98 percent, to 1,241.22. The Nasdaq was 80.59 higher, or 3.19 percent, to 2,603.73.

At the close, CNBC called the day the best for stocks in a month.

A jump in apartment building also seemed to help the market. The Commerce Department said builders broke ground on 685,000 new homes last month, a 9.3 percent jump from October. That's the highest level since April 2010. Building permits, a gauge of future construction, increased 5.7 percent, spurred by a jump in apartment permits.

German business and consumer confidence rose unexpectedly in December, and the Spanish government pulled off a successful debt auction. Both helped to ease worries about Europe's debt crisis.

Borrowing costs for the Spanish government plunged at an auction of short-term debt, a sign that investors are becoming more confident in the country's ability to pay it back.

"Spain has plenty of problems, large debts and budget deficits," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ. "So when we see debt auctions go much better than expected it's very encouraging."

Spain raised ?5.6 billion ($7.3 billion), much more than its goal of ?4.5 billion. Investors demanded an interest rate of only 1.74 percent to lend to the government for three months, a steep fall from the 5.1 percent at an auction in November.

Analysts cautioned that other big rallies in the stock market have been quick to fade as traders move quickly to get out of stocks and keep more money in cash. "If you're selling into rallies, it means people want out. They don't believe it's sustainable," said Quincy Krosby, Prudential Financial's market strategist.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/20/9587927-santa-rally-stocks-end-day-sharply-higher

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NKorea media dubs young Kim `outstanding leader' (AP)

PYONGYANG, North Korea ? The handover of power in North Korea to Kim Jong Il's young son appeared to be going smoothly Thursday, with official media calling him the "outstanding leader" and no outward unrest in the capital or troop movements along its borders.

Foreign governments have focused intense scrutiny on North Korea since Kim's death was announced Monday because of concerns over his untested heir's rise in a country with a nuclear program, 1.2-million strong military and a history deep animosity toward its neighbors.

But the capital remained a scene of mourning ? not protest ? on Thursday. U.S. and South Korean military officials said there had been no unusual military movements by the North Koreans in recent days.

"This appears to be a relatively smooth transition on the peninsula, and we hope it stays that way," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in Washington, adding that there has been no increase in force protection levels for U.S. troops in South Korea.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak sought to assure Pyongyang that his country was "not hostile," despite putting its front-line troops on alert since Kim's death was announced.

South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Yoon Won-sik said North Korea's military isn't showing any particular movement and that the South's troops are operating normally despite the alert.

In a clear signal to North Korea's people and the outside world, the North's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun in a lengthy editorial urged the country to "rally, rally and rally behind great comrade Kim Jong Un and faithfully uphold his leadership."

It called him "the outstanding leader of our party, military and people and a great successor."

Ratcheting up the personality cult it builds around the Kim family, North Korea claimed that Kim Jong Il's death generated a series of spectacular natural phenomena, creating a mysterious glow atop a revered mountain, cracking a sheet of ice on a lake with a loud roar and inspiring a crane to circle a statue of the nation's founder before perching in a tree and drooping its head in sorrow.

Dramatic scenes of mourning in the capital have continued nearly nonstop since Monday's announcement of Kim's death, which the government says happened two days earlier when he suffered a massive heart attack while on a train.

On Thursday, a long line of North Koreans filed passed the body of Kim Jong Il, which lay in state in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace. With a military band playing a funeral dirge and a flag flying at half staff above the palace, mourners in black suits slowly circled Kim's glass coffin, Kim's head and shoulders bathed in a spotlight, a red cloth pulled tight around his body.

Outside powers, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, are watching with keen interest to see how the transition proceeds.

Communication between the United States and North Korea still appears open as the North continues its official 11-day mourning period. This is in sharp contrast to the confusion that followed the death of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung in 1994 and an indication that discussions may resume after the mourning period on food aid and efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear arms programs.

The State Department said it wasn't expecting any meeting with the North Koreans this week, and little contact before the mourning period ends Dec. 29.

"We want to be respectful of the period of mourning, but the ball's in North Korea's court," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. "We are also appreciative that this is not a moment in Pyongyang where we're likely to have fresh instructions until after the mourning period."

Despite the signs that North Korea is consolidating power behind Kim Jong Un, fears of instability remain high.

Chinese boatmen along a river separating North Korea and China told The Associated Press that North Korean police have ordered them to stop giving rides to tourists, saying they will fire on the boats if they see anyone with cameras.

Kim Jong Un only entered the public view last year and remains a mystery to most of the world.

South Korea's intelligence agency has told Parliament members that an ad hoc committee in which Kim Jong Un is a vice chairman is expected to handle key state affairs before he formally becomes the country's leader.

The agency predicts Kim Jong Un's aunt Kim Kyong Hui, a key Workers' Party official, and Jang Song Thaek, her husband and a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, will play larger roles supporting the heir, according to a lawmaker who spoke to the AP.

___

Reporting from Pyongyang by Associated Press Television News senior video journalist Rafael Wober. AP writers Foster Klug, Hyung-jin Kim, Sam Kim and Eric Talmadge in Seoul, South Korea, Lolita Baldor in Washington, and Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_re_as/as_kim_jong_il

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The Best Music Player Application for Linux [Linux App Directory]

There are a surprisingly large number of music players on Linux, and while we know the choice is a deeply personal one, we recommend Banshee for all your music listening needs.

Note that music players are one of the most hotly contested App Directory categories, and it's easy to see why. Everyone wants different things from their player, so it's nearly impossible to really choose the best one. However, the point of App Directory is to give you a starting point for good apps in any given category, and as such, we think Banshee is the perfect choice here?it's familiar, feature-filled, and perfect for Linux users looking for a music player. As always, we recommend checking out the competition section below for other choices if Banshee doesn't suit you.

• Store and play your music, videos, podcasts, and audiobooks all in one library
• Create and manage playlists and smart playlists that update based on custom filters
• Enqueue songs into a "Now Playing" pane for on-the-go playlist creation.
• Watch folders on your hard drive for changes and automatically adjust your library accordingly
• Import libraries from Amarok, Rhythmbox, and iTunes
• Sync iPod, iPhone, Android, and many other portable music devices with your library
• Listen to and rip audio CDs
• Set a bookmark on any song, video, or podcast and return to that point later
• Fix broken and missing metadata using bulk operations
• Mini-player from which you can control Banshee through a small window
• Wikipedia context pane that provides information about the currently playing artist
• Integration with internet radio, DAAP, Miro, Last.fm, and the Amazon MP3 store

Banshee is one of those programs that finds the sweet spot between customizability and ease of use. It has a ton of features that let you use it pretty much however you want to, whether that's enqueuing songs in a "Now Playing" window, creating smart playlists, or integrating with external services, and you can tweak the interface to look just how you want it to. It also supports a ton of devices, including the iPod touch and iPhone, which not a lot of third party programs can claim. And, it does all this while keeping a familiar, easy to use interface that newcomers won't be intimidated by. It has a little something for everyone, which makes it a great first stop on your search for a good Linux music player.

Banshee's a bit of a younger program, so some really heavy power users might prefer something tried and true like Rhythmbox. Banshee has an extension library, but it isn't quite as extensive as other programs (depending on what you're looking for), and a few people have mentioned that it isn't quite as stable as other favorites?for example, some claim it has trouble with very large libraries. If you find it's too buggy for your tastes, you can try some of the competition below.

Rhythmbox is Banshee's biggest competition, having been the default player in Ubuntu for a long time before it was replaced with Banshee in 11.04. It has a reputation of being a bit more stable than Banshee, and it's still pretty feature filled (though not quite as much as Banshee). The two are quite similar in many ways, though, so they're both worth a look in our opinion.

Amarok, designed for the KDE desktop environment, has a bit less familiar of an interface, but it's really great. Instead of the typical library view, you have three columns: a list of artists on the left, a lyrics and Wikipedia browser in the middle, and your "Now Playing" queue on the left. It only supports music, though, not podcasts, videos, or audiobooks, and it doesn't have quite the flexibility of other programs. It can sync with some devices, though, and has a few cool other features, like smart playlists that automatically update on loose criteria. Incidentally, it's also my favorite music player of all time, on any platform.

Exaile and Clementine are great music players for those that miss Amarok 1.4, before it went through a large interface overhaul. Both embrace Amarok's playlist-based listening, but with a somewhat more familiar library interface. Exaile's interface is very simple, but Clementine is much more feature-filled, containing things like a lyrics view, Last.fm integration, and more.

There are a lot of other music players out there, but these are the heavy hitters on Linux. Again, we know that many of you are already fervent fans of a specific player, so let us know which one you're digging?and why?in the comments.

---

Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/LIaBLeLFXbw/the-best-music-player-application-for-linux

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Whitecaps acquire Nguyen in MLS weighted lottery

Associated Press Sports

updated 4:37 p.m. ET Dec. 15, 2011

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired attacking midfielder Lee Nguyen through Major League Soccer's weighted lottery.

The 25-year-old from McKinney, Texas, signed a multi-year contract with MLS on Dec. 6. Nguyen was entered into the weighted lottery after he had turned down a MLS contract when he was drafted in college. He played a season of college soccer at Indiana before joining the Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven for the 2005-06 season.

The Whitecaps were one of six MLS clubs to participate in Thursday's draw for Nguyen. Vancouver was selected ahead of FC Dallas, the Houston Dynamo, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC. Each team's record dictates its probability of winning the draw.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Chelsea slips, Dempsey scores

Euro Roundup: Chelsea missed a chance to put pressure on the two Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, yielding a goal with two minutes left in a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Wigan.

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45689509/ns/sports-soccer/

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Big endorsement: Romney picks up SC governor's aid

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to the media during a rally at Boiling Springs Fire Station, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to the media during a rally at Boiling Springs Fire Station, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

FILE -- In this May 5, 2011 file photo, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks to the South Carolina Greenville Tea Party's "1st Presidential Debate Freedom Rally" in Greenville, S.C. Thursday, May 5, 2011. Haley endorsed Mitt Romney Friday morning, saying Romney is "someone that knows what it's like to make a decision and lead." (AP Photo/ Richard Shiro)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a rally at Missouri Valley Steel in Sioux City, Iowa, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney takes a question during a rally at Missouri Valley Steel in Sioux City, Iowa, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) ? Challenging Newt Gingrich's claim to South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney charged into the state Friday with a key endorsement from the tea party-aligned governor, a packed campaign schedule and plans to start airing TV ads in the early primary state.

The show of force by Romney was a clear signal he intends to compete aggressively in a state that stymied him in 2008 and that Gingrich has made a cornerstone of his own campaign.

"It's a real kickoff of a major portion of our campaign," Romney told reporters after accepting an endorsement from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. "I want to win in South Carolina."

While Romney was planting his flag in a Gingrich stronghold, the former House speaker from neighboring Georgia spent the day off the campaign trail, with a book-signing near Washington and private family events in the capital city.

On Friday and in the previous night's debate, Romney steered clear of pointed attacks on Gingrich, entering the final sprint to the Jan. 3 leadoff Iowa caucuses with an air of confidence after a week of assailing Gingrich's leadership, judgment and temperament. That pivot suggested the Romney camp believes Gingrich's recent rise in opinion polls may have leveled off and Romney can campaign closer to his early stance as the all-but-inevitable nominee.

The New Hampshire primary follows one week after Iowa, then comes South Carolina on Jan. 21. While Romney was still in Iowa on Friday, Haley announced she was supporting him as the best Republican candidate to take on President Barack Obama in the battle for the White House next year.

South Carolina wasn't kind to Romney in 2008. He spent millions here only to come in fourth after disappointing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire. Critics suggested his Mormon faith caused problems with the state's significant conservative Christian vote.

On Friday, Haley argued that her state was past all that. "South Carolina just elected a 38-year-old Indian female for governor," said Haley, who was raised Sikh and converted to Christianity. "What the people of South Carolina care about is values and family and faith."

Not that Friday was all smooth sailing for Romney.

After more than a week of criticizing Gingrich as a loose cannon likely to be savaged by Democrats, Romney opened himself to similar complaints by saying he didn't understand Medicaid until he started working in government. One of the principal avenues of criticism against Romney is that he's spent his life among the privileged and is out-of-touch.

"You know, I have to admit I didn't know all the differences between these things before I got into government," Romney said, referring to the federal-state health care program for the poor, at a campaign stop in Iowa.

Romney later told reporters traveling with him to South Carolina that he understood the program but hadn't quite grasped how it was funded. He called his earlier comment a "self-deprecating understatement."

Meanwhile, he had no harsh words for Gingrich ? seeming content to leave that to his fellow Republican rivals and a political action committee that supports Romney. They have gone after Gingrich aggressively since he claimed the lead in national and Iowa polls this month.

The closest Romney came Friday was a veiled reference to the former congressional leader and longtime Washington consultant.

"What concerns me is that we have in Washington, D.C., a class of people who spent their whole time in Washington," Romney said.

His introductory South Carolina TV spot is upbeat.

The ad cost is modest, just $65,000 on cable television this week and next. But it signals an effort to cut into Gingrich's South Carolina showing heading into the bigger Florida primary, set for Jan. 31.

Romney was confident and relaxed campaigning Friday, traveling with his wife, Ann, and bringing reporters along on the campaign's charter flights for the first time this year.

Gingrich is still facing withering criticism from Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Romney also hopes to slow Gingrich heading into New Hampshire, a must-win state for Romney, who was governor in next-door Massachusetts. Romney, who has led comfortably in New Hampshire, began airing a new ad there featuring his conversations with New Englanders concerned about the economy.

Romney already had set aside campaign money to step up his South Carolina effort, although the focus will probably remain on advertising, not additional campaign staff.

No doubt in the works for South Carolina is another Romney ad before the Jan. 21 primary, one featuring Haley.

Haley's ties with Romney run deep. She endorsed him in 2008 when she was in the Legislature. Romney returned the favor when she ran for governor in 2010.

"Neither South Carolina nor the nation can afford four more years of President Obama, and Mitt Romney is the right person to take him on and get America back on track," Haley, a rising GOP star, said after announcing her endorsement on Fox News Channel.

She later told The Associated Press that Romney "has led in making decisions," a point Romney stresses in suggesting his decades in business and term as governor qualify him most for the GOP nomination.

Romney has focused heavily on winning New Hampshire's primary on Jan. 10. But he has been spending time, too, in Iowa, where he finished a disappointing second to Arkansas' Mike Huckabee after spending $10 million on his 2008 Iowa campaign.

The candidates ? except for Gingrich ? were making final pitches to voters on Friday before people begin focusing on the holidays.

Bachmann and Texas Gov. Rick Perry were taking their argument that Gingrich isn't conservative enough to lead the party to Iowa voters on separate bus tours in the state's conservative but lightly populated northwest.

Although Gingrich was off the trail, his campaign drew unwanted attention after two New Hampshire Republicans alleged in complaints filed with state authorities that they had received illegal political telephone calls from the Gingrich operation.

New Hampshire law prevents political campaigns from using recorded political messages, or "robo-calls," to contact residents who are registered on a national do-not-call list.

Gingrich's campaign denied wrongdoing.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Davenport in Spartanburg, S.C., and Steve Peoples in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-12-16-GOP%20Campaign/id-f074f4dc02894a58af2813dc9e81c6b1

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Best Artists Of 2011

From Mother Monster to the Throne, MTV counts down the top 10 artists of the year.
By MTV News staff

Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

In 2011, Beyoncé asked (rather rhetorically) "Who run the world?" The answer, of course, was girls, which was pretty apt, considering everywhere you looked this year, female artists were front and center, not only running the world, but flat out dominating it.

Adele's had the year's best-selling album, by a long shot. Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift each moved 1 million units in a single week. Katy Perry continued to nab #1 singles, as did Rihanna and Britney Spears. Nicki Minaj broke through to the mainstream, B made the leap with 4, Christina Aguilera moved like Jagger ... the list goes on and on. Female artists did it all this year, to the point where you sort of forgot that dudes made music too.

Of course, they did and truly you can't have a discussion about 2011 without mentioning Lil Wayne, Drake, Justin Bieber or Jay-Z and Kanye West's high-profile Throne project. Girls may have run the world, but the guys definitely picked their spots, and delivered big time.

But who had the biggest year of all?

It's a tough question to answer. Still, we've given it our best shot, organizing a brain trust to lead a roundtable — moderated by MTV's Sway — on the Best Artists of 2011. Panelists James Montgomery and Rob Markman (MTV News), Yomi Desalu and Malika Quemerais (MTV Music and Talent) and Tamar Anitai and Nicole James (MTV.com) pored over the charts, debated stuff like Facebook friends and Twitter followers and watched a ton of music videos. After some rather zesty discussions, we've come up with a list of 10 who not only defined the year, but dominated it too. Here's the first look at who made the cut, from #10 to #3. Tune in to MTV at 4:59 p.m. ET on Thursday (December 15) to find out who'll be named 2011's Artist of the Year!

10. Justin Bieber
This year, the teen pop superstar upped the ante: He toppled the box office with his 3-D concert flick, "Never Say Never," and released a slew of new music, including his chart-topping holiday album, Under the Mistletoe. And when he wasn't busy recording, shooting videos, rapping, shufflin', touring and tweeting, he romanced Selena Gomez. Not even tabloid headlines could rain on his parade. In fact, Bieber proved that if he wants to try something in his career, he won't just try— he'll probably succeed. — Jocelyn Vena

9. Drake
Drizzy claimed that all he cared about was money and the city that he's from, but you've got to figure that making hits was pretty high on the Toronto MC's list in 2011. Granted, his second solo album, Take Care, came out in November, but the singing rapper (or the rapping singer) still made his presence felt throughout the year. Duets with Rihanna ("What's My Name"), posse cuts with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross (DJ Khaled's "I'm On One") and his own Internet leaks ("Marvins Room" and "Dreams Money Can Buy") served as ample appetizers before Drake served his main course. When he did unveil his emotionally driven main course, 750,000 hungry fans came to the table and purchased it in the first week of release. So much for a sophomore jinx. — Rob Markman

8. Lil Wayne
Rap star or rock star? Or maybe he's a pop star? In '11, Lil Wayne proved he's all of the above. With "6 Foot 7 Foot," the thumping "John" and his free Sorry 4 the Wait mixtape, Weezy left no doubt that he's still a premier MC. But over the acoustic guitar plucks of "How to Love," Wayne once again penetrated the pop world. If covers by Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato weren't enough, then consider Wayne's appearances on J.Lo's "I'm Into You" or Joe Jonas' "Just in Love." Tunechi also took his guitar on the road with his I Am Still Music Tour, rocked an MTV "Unplugged" special and closed out this year's Video Music Awards. Oh yeah, his ninth solo album, Tha Carter IV, nearly went platinum in its first week out, selling more than 964,000 copies. What a year! — R.M.

7. Beyoncé
Like every other Beyoncé fan, I'm thrilled the star is expecting her first child with hubby Jay-Z, but the delivery of her album 4 was just as exciting. The LP, her most mature to date, is a collection of soulful ballads and midtempo tracks tracks tempered with a deep nostalgic streak. And those singles, the best of which were joyful, horn-blasting throwback jams like "Love on Top" and "Countdown," were unlike anything else on pop radio. Maybe that's why 4 didn't connect commercially the way many of her past records have. But B's 2011 arc has been steady and, most important, certain. Everything she touched in 2011, from 4 to those acclaimed dates at New York City's Roseland Ballroom in August (to that belly!), was golden. — John Mitchell

6. Rihanna
Rihanna had us buzzing about songs off not one, but two albums in 2011. There were a number of hits that dropped this year from 2010's Loud, including a remix of "S&M" with the one-and-only Britney Spears. And while she was still riding high off the momentum of her fifth album, Rih went back into the studio mid-tour and cranked out the sexy, grinding Talk That Talk. Thanks to "We Found Love," the chart-topping lead single off TTT, Rihanna reinvented herself as a punked-out club kid looking for love ... knowing that it's not always easy to find. — J.V

5. Lady Gaga
Gaga is that girl you knew in college with a triple-major in finance, modern dance and molecular chemistry who also played cello and made her own whole-wheat gnocchi on weekends. In 2011, she hit just about every talk show and awards ceremony known to man. And while she did all that, she also toured, released a string of controversial high-concept music videos, spoke out against bullying and starred in an HBO concert film and a prime-time Thanksgiving special. Oh, she also spent the year spinning off a string of hits that mined everything from classic rock to decadent disco. She never slows down, it's never enough and she's set a torrid pace for all divas to come. And that's exactly how she likes it. — Gil Kaufman

4. The Throne
Be honest, you didn't think this was going to work out. After all, the track record for superstar team-ups isn't exactly great (just ask Jay-Z about the Best of Both Worlds Tour), and the Throne are perhaps the super-starriest team-up in recent history. But somehow, Jay and Kanye made it happen, ditching their egos and delivering a classic album ... and a sold-out tour too. Sure, they may play "N---as in Paris" 15 times a show, but that's only because they've earned the right to do so. — James Montgomery

3. Adele
No artist was more quietly ubiquitous this year than Adele. When it came to the charts, she dominated: 21 was the top-selling album of 2011 and "Rolling in the Deep" was the year's biggest song. She ruled because everyone, from millennials to their mothers and maybe even their grandparents, could all agree that hers was the best, most universally appealing mainstream music released this year. There was no need for a year-round media assault, no reason to cause a Twitter beef; heck, she only needed to release two singles to keep it all afloat. Why? Because she's just that good. — J.M.

We've counted down #10 to #3, but who will come out on top in the final two? Stick with us as we reveal the Best Artist of 2011 today 4:59 p.m. ET on MTV!

All this week, watch "AMTV" on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675981/best-artists-2011.jhtml

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6 ways Mitt Romney is trying to prove he's 'human' (The Week)

New York ? Goodbye, Rombot. Hello, sensitive human? Here's how Team Romney is trying to make the super-rich, often-wooden candidate seem like the rest of us

"Meet Mitt Romney, human," says Reid J. Epstein in Politico. With the GOP nomination seemingly fading from sight, Team Romney has been working overtime to soften the so-called "Rombot" candidate who's been on display all year. The push to "humanize" Romney ? a strategy his campaign team disavows ? has its skeptics. But it's pretty clear, says Ashley Parker in The New York Times, that the often "inscrutable, overly polished, and occasionally robotic" candidate "is striving mightily to humanize himself just three weeks before the first round of voting begins." How? Here are six ways:

1. Deputizing his family
The humanizing effort began last week with a spate of TV ads emphasizing Mitt the Family Man. And to "show his softer side," says Philip Rucker in The Washington Post, Romney "has been campaigning more frequently with his wife, Ann, and their family." He's had various of his five sons introduce him at events, and is telling more personal anecdotes about his family life. The subtext may be a swipe at thrice-married GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich, but it's also tactically "good to remind Iowans of how strong he is from a family standpoint," says unaligned Iowa GOP congressman Steve King.

SEE MORE: Time for Mitt Romney to attack Newt Gingrich?

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2. Sending his wife to talk about his unseen side
Beyond featuring wife Ann in ads, Romney is sending her out to smaller private fundraisers to talk about "the side of Mitt people don't see or don't hear about." In other words, says Jessica Grose in Slate, "she's trying to make Mitt seem less stiff, and more fun." It might work, but if she wants to improve on "her first attempt at Mitt humanization circa 2007," Ann Romney is going to have to be a little more "specific, intimate, and revealing." It's nice that Mitt stood by her through breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, but Ann will have to "up the personal disclosures if she wants to crack that lacquered image that most people have of her husband."

3. Talking about his Mormonism
The Dec. 10 debate marked the first time in four years that Romney brought up being a Mormon, and he's only upped the religion talk since, discussing his stints as a missionary in France and as a stateside counselor to struggling Mormons. In "racing to humanize a distant and sometimes awkward politician...," say Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman in Politico, Team Romney just "smashed personal red lines the candidate spent decades erecting." He's even joking about his religion, claiming that he "encouraged the guys" who created the lewd, satirical Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, "because I thought that'd be really helpful."

SEE MORE: Why Fox News viewers don't like Mitt Romney: 4 theories

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4. Talking (maybe too much) about his hardships
Mitt's Mormon remembrances included new details about his two-year missionary stint that weren't even in his autobiography. Insisting he wasn't "living high on the hog" in France, Romney told a crowd on Sunday that he'd subsisted on $110 a month, in bare-bones apartments often without refrigerators, showers, or even toilets. Instead of toilets, he had "little pads on the ground, OK?" he elaborated. "You know how that works, all right. There was a chain behind you with a bucket ? it was a bucket affair." I get that he's trying to "shed his robotic image,"?says Zeke Miller in Business Insider. But that's "a definitional case of the phrase 'Too Much Information'."

5. Meeting the press more
After facing criticism for avoiding the press, and then blowing an on-air chat with Fox News'?Bret Baier, Romney has dramatically boosted his access to reporters. More is needed, American University political scientist Leonard Steinhorn tells the Boston Herald. "If he wants to humanize himself, he better work as quickly as possible and work as many media outlets as possible," especially Jon Stewart's Daily Show. Romney himself seems cool to the idea, telling the Herald he'd "much rather have a setting that's fun, and give-and-take."

SEE MORE: Romney's big weakness: Speaking French?

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6. Talking about how equally un-human his rivals are
Romney's estimated $200 million in wealth may make him seem removed from everyday Americans, but he "doesn't want to be cast as the only rich person in the race for the Republican presidential nomination," says Brian Montopoli in CBS News. On Wednesday Romney pointed out that Gingrich is also "a wealthy man, a very wealthy man," adding that "if you have a half a million dollar purchase from Tiffany's, you're not a middle class American." Zing! Gingrich is worth at least $6.7 million.

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Eliot Daley: Obama Needs More Involuntary Head-Nods

Maybe, just maybe, President Obama is finally shaking off his subdued demeanor and will resume the kind of soul-stirring leadership stance that carried him into office. Deliberately echoing the rambunctious Teddy Roosevelt, Obama's recent speech calling for an America that is "fair" reminded us all how powerfully he can state the case, and how powerfully we yearn for a leader who will demand the best from us and elected officials.

But, alas, he is still inept at framing the critical issues that differentiate him from the Republicans, and tone-deaf at using language that reinforces those differences.

There is a holy grail all successful marketers pursue with a passion: it is called "the involuntary head-nod." That head-nod signals that the hearer has just heard something they deeply agree with. The head-nod happens automatically, without the hearers even realizing they are nodding. It is triggered by just the right word or phrase or image that instantly reminds the listeners of what they care about.

The involuntary head-nod is never triggered by a carefully spelled-out intellectual rationale. But the President and his team don't seem to get this.

For example, in a 60 Minutes interview on Dec. 12, Steve Kroft confronted Obama, just after that TR-styled speech, and managed to splatter him with three polarizing images in just two sentences: "You were really talking about income inequality which suggests redistribution of wealth... there are going to be people who say, 'This is the socialist Obama, and he's come out of the closet.'" Three red flags in 10 seconds.

How did Obama respond? He said that everybody's concerned about income inequality and then went on to lament the difficulty of generating a common consensus of one-for-all sharing to build a strong middle class in America. His response was not only boring; it was far worse. By making the dubious assertion that "everyone" wants to redress income inequality, he tacitly agreed, "Yes, I want to tap into rich people's fortunes to beef up the middle class."

This is a total loser of a stance. The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations notwithstanding, Americans get very queasy about playing Robin Hood. We do indeed want "fair" as Obama noted, but, paradoxically, we are so fair-minded that when a proposal sounds like it could be a confiscation of somebody else's money, even from those who don't need it, we shy away from it.

Obama could have leap-frogged over Kroft's provocative language and re-framed the question on his own terms: "Steve, the Bush administration decided the richest Americans would love a cash bonus from the government, and so he told them they could just hold onto a trillion dollars that they were otherwise supposed to send to the U.S. treasury. Remember that? (Head-nod.) Giving them this gift may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but then the crash of 2008 came and we found ourselves in this ridiculous situation: on the one hand, American needs revenues worse than at any time in almost a century, right? (Head-nod.) And on the other hand, the richest Americans are sending in taxes at the lowest rate in almost a century, right? (Head-nod.) Doesn't take a genius to see what's wrong with this picture. (Head- nod.) And so all I'm saying is, the party's over. Uncle Sam is no longer your sugar daddy. No more cash gifts to the rich." (Head-nod.)

There is a world of difference between "redressing income inequality" and "cancelling a special cash bonus." Obama should reinforce the point by describing the Bush tax cuts for the rich as a "tax expenditure" -- money that would be flowing into our treasury right now except for the decision to spend it as a bonus. He should describe the termination of that supposedly "temporary" expenditure as "slashing government spending by a trillion dollars." Reclaiming these revenues is not "new taxes"; terminating these tax expenditures is exactly what everyone is crying for: reduction of government spending. (Head-nod.) We must stop spending money on everything we can't afford -- including cash gifts for the rich. (Head-nod.)

Preemptively taking charge of the framing and the language can upstage the poisonous taint of "new taxes" and "redistribution of wealth" and "socialism" and "class warfare." Obama should never, ever respond to those words at all, and especially refuse to get suckered into claiming "not guilty." He must ignore them completely and simply re-frame the issue on his own terms. If he doesn't, he loses ground. Whenever Obama and the Democrats allow themselves to discuss "making the rich pay more" and to rant about "income inequality," it unwittingly tweaks that instinctive gut-level reaction against Robin Hood-esque confiscation. It evokes the very opposite of the involuntary head nod: the involuntary head shake that says, "I don't think I agree." Even if most Americans envy the rich of their riches, almost none of us feel entitled to take it away from them. Avoiding any such perception is absolutely critical for Obama.

Similarly, Obama and his team should ban any further use of the word "regulation." It has been tainted beyond all hope of positive perception. They should employ instead the word that is the end-purpose of regulation: protection. Nobody wants regulation; but lots of us want and need protection from the manipulators who are doing their nefarious best to sell us shoddy investment vehicles they themselves are betting against or questionable foodstuffs they don't let their own families consume. We know we're completely overmatched by these manipulators' ability to hoodwink us, and we do need a skilled bodyguard to protect us when they try. (Head-nod.)

From now until November 2012, Obama and his team must put every single word of their intended utterances to the test: will it trigger an involuntary head-nod of approval or not? Sophisticated explanations cannot and will not do the job. But simply reminding Americans of what they already know and want can be absolutely magnetic.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eliot-daley/obama-needs-more-involunt_b_1147972.html

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