Who will win Cowboys-Giants?

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It?s here.? The last week of the regular season.? And I have even worse of a chance to catch Rosenthal as the Jets do of making it to the playoffs.

But I can?t give up now.? With a two-game win in Week 16, the game is down to seven games.? We disagree on four this week.? With a sweep, the 11 postseason games could get interesting.

Last week, I finished 10-6.? Rosey was a pathetic 8-8.? For the year, he?s 159-81.? I?m 152-88.

Lions at Packers

Florio?s take:? The Lions should try to beat the Packers, in order to avoid having to go back to New Orleans for the first round of the playoffs.? The Packers should try to beat the Lions, in order to force them to return to the Superdome.? Green Bay remains the better team, as long as they go with their starters.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 34, Lions 24.

Rosenthal?s take: The Packers aren?t likely to play their starters four quarters.? That doesn?t mean this will be a cakewalk for Detroit.? Ask the 2004 Bills about playing a No. 1 seed?s backups.? Or the 2010 Patriots about facing Matt Flynn.? Still, Detroit wants to avoid a trip to New Orleans.? Their defensive line will make the difference.

Rosenthal?s pick: Lions 28, Packers 27.

Titans at Texans

Florio?s take:? Technically, it?s a meaningless game for the Texans.? But with two ugly losses in a row, the AFC South champs need to build some confidence and momentum before the postseason begins.? Though Tennessee still has a shot at the postseason, they?re not ready to beat a quality-yet-flawed team on the road.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 24, Titans 16.

Rosenthal?s take: I believe Gary Kubiak when he says he?ll play this game like any other. The Texans don?t want to hit the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.? T.J. Yates needs his defense and running game to carry him.? They will on Sunday.

Rosenthal?s pick: Texans 21, Titans 17.

Colts at Jaguars

Florio?s take:? If the Colts win, they lose.? If they lose, they win.? So they?ll lose.? And win.? The question, of course, is what they?ll lose.? And what they?ll win.

Florio?s pick:? Jaguars 10, Colts 6.

Rosenthal?s take: The Colts were in this spot in 1997.? They had a random two-game winning streak in late December to put the No. 1 overall pick in jeopardy.? They lost in Minnesota in the season finale, ensuring the top pick and Peyton Manning.? Expect history to repeat.? The Colts haven?t won on the road yet and the Jaguars aren?t lucky enough to lose.

Rosenthal?s pick:? Jaguars 16, Colts 13.

Jets at Dolphins

Florio?s take:? Of all the things that must happen for the Jets to make it to the playoffs, the hardest part could be the business to which the Jets must personally tend ? beating the Dolphins in Miami.? Once 0-7, the Dolphins have improved dramatically in the second half of the season.? But the Jets seem to be destined to swipe another playoff berth, which means that the Jets will have to find a way to punch their way out of a corner yet another time.

Florio?s pick:? Jets 20, Dolphins 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The Dolphins are playing well. The Jets are playing lousy, but I?m still convinced Rex Ryan?s lap band is made out of horseshoe particles. Don?t be surprised if the Jets still sneak in the playoffs.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 20, Dolphins 17.

Bears at Vikings

Florio?s take:? Last month, the Bears were 7-3 and poised to give the Packers a run for their money in the playoffs.? After injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, the Bears have lost five in a row.? Though the Vikings also have lost their starting tailback, they?re trying desperately to get a boost as they head into the offseason.? As long as Chris Kluwe doesn?t kick to Devin Hester, the Vikings should be able to give the Bears the boot.

Florio?s pick:? Vikings 27, Bears 20.

Rosenthal?s take: Josh McCown remains at quarterback for the Bears. Toby Gerhart and Kahil Bell will be the primary running backs. I used to think the 18-game season could work, but can you imagine two more weeks like this?

Rosenthal?s pick: Vikings 24, Bears 20.

Bills at Patriots

Florio?s take:? With a win, the Pats lock up the No. 1 seed.? With another huge passing performance, Tom Brady could leapfrog Drew Brees.? One will happen, and the other might.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 35, Bills 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The way to beat New England:? Hit Tom Brady, keeping Brady guessing by changing up your looks, and play great man-to-man coverage against the Patriots receivers.? The Bills secondary can handle the last part of the equation, but Buffalo?s pass rush is non-existent.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 37, Bills 21.

Panthers at Saints

Florio?s take:? The Saints plan to go ?full steam ahead,? and they?ll need every ounce of it to beat the up-and-coming Panthers.? Though it?ll take an epic upset by the Rams over the 49ers to help the Saints improve their playoff positioning, this one is as much about ensuring that Drew Brees will fend off Tom Brady for the all-time single-season passing yardage record.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 42, Panthers 31.

Rosenthal?s take: I first picked the Panthers in this game based on the logic that Sean Payton will pull his starters once he sees the 49ers take a big lead in St. Louis.? And then I remembered the Saints could score 30 in the first half.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 40, Panthers 38.

Redskins at Eagles

Florio?s take:? With four straight wins to finish the 2011 season, the Eagles will give themselves a significant boost heading into 2012.? Though neither team technically has anything to play for, the Eagles know the value of creating some doubt as to whether the best team will actually win the Super Bowl; there?s a chance that the best team as of right now won?t be in the playoff field at all.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 34, Redskins 20.

Rosenthal?s take: The Eagles have saved some jobs with their effort the last three weeks. One more win, and they will finish in second place in the division because of a tiebreaker advantage over Dallas and New York. So that?s pretty exciting. The Redskins have clinched double digit losses for a third straight year.

Rosenthal?s pick: Eagles 26, Redskins 16.

49ers at Rams

Florio?s take:? If this were John Harbaugh?s team, we?d be worried about the Ravens playing down to the Rams? level.? Then again, the Ravens rolled the Rams in St. Louis earlier this year.? With the No. 2 seed hanging in the balance, the Niners will, too.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 27, Rams 7.

Rosenthal?s take: The Rams aren?t competitive in a league where almost everyone is competitive. Only four of their losses were by less than a 12-point margin. Five losses were by more than 20 points. It?s almost impossible to survive a season like that when it comes in a coach?s third year.

Rosenthal?s pick: 49ers 24, Rams 3.

Seahawks at Cardinals

Florio?s take:? Before Week One, anyone would have assumed that a Week 17 battle between a pair of 7-8 NFC West teams would have involved a home playoff game for the winner.? But with the 49ers at 12-3, it?s one of Sunday?s few meaningless games, except as it relates to draft order.? With Kevin Kolb out, John Skelton has only one more chance to show what he can do.? Until Kolb gets injured again in 2012.

Florio?s pick:? Cardinals 23, Seahawks 20.

Rosenthal?s take: Both the Cardinals and Seahawks have reasons for optimism heading into 2011 after second-half runs that fell short of the playoffs.? Seattle?s success has a better foundation and is based less on lucky finishes.? The Seahawks defense is the best unit in this game.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 17.

Buccaneers at Falcons

Florio?s take:? The Buccaneers have played the Falcons tough in recent years.? But the Bucs currently are in a full-blown free-fall.? Even as they play for their coach?s job, the Bucs are struggling to simply remain competitive.? And if/when the Lions lose to the Packers, the Falcons will have an opportunity to avoid having to go back to New Orleans for the wild-card round.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 35, Buccaneers 21.

Rosenthal?s take: If the Lions win in Green Bay early, the Falcons will be stuck in the No. 6 seed. That means Chris Redman could make an appearance in this game. And Chris Redman can throw on this Bucs defense.

Rosenthal?s pick: Falcons 30, Buccaneers 21.

Ravens at Bengals

Florio?s take:? The Bengals haven?t been able to take down the big boys in the AFC North.? But they lost by only seven points at Baltimore, and Sunday?s game has high stakes for both teams.? Still, since it?s essentially a playoff game for the Bengals and given that the Bengals are 0-2 in playoff games under Marvin Lewis, the Ravens? desire to secure the bye and a home game likely will prevail.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 17, Bengals 16.

Rosenthal?s take: The Ravens can?t beat mediocre competition on the road (San Diego, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Seattle.) The Bengals can?t seem to beat playoff teams. (They?re 0-5 against teams already in the playoffs.) Something has to give here. It?s more likely to include the team with the rookie quarterback.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 21, Bengals 17.

Steelers at Browns

Florio?s take:? With or without Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers are the better team.? And with the Ravens-Bengals game possibly going down to the wire, any scoreboard-watching by the Steelers will point to maintaining the pedal to the proverbial metal.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Browns 10.

Rosenthal?s take: The combined record of the three teams that beat Pittsburgh this year: 33-12. The combined record of the Cleveland Browns: 4-11. The Steelers won?t need a lot from Ben Roethlisberger.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 23, Browns 10.

Chiefs at Broncos

Florio?s take:? The Prodigal Son returns to Denver, with Kyle Orton looking to punish the Broncos for their good deed of giving him his freedom.? And if the Chiefs can topple the Broncos and knock them out of the playoffs, it?ll be a long offseason for anyone and everyone who was involved in the decision to let Orton walk away.? If Tim Tebow can save the front office from that fate, maybe he will end up with the starting job, for life.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 14, Chiefs 13.

Rosenthal?s take: The Chiefs have the personnel to play man coverage on the outside and load up the box to stop Denver?s run game. They also have a quarterback competent enough to score on a suddenly vulnerable secondary. Tebow struggled last week, but it was also alarming to see the Bills offense score on four straight drives of at least 55 yards.

Rosenthal?s pick:? Chiefs 17, Broncos 14.

Chargers at Raiders

Florio?s take:? The Raiders have a shot at their first winning season since 2002, and with a little help a playoff berth.? The Chargers have no shot at saving the skin of Norv Turner.? Reeling after last weekend?s blowout in Detroit, the Chargers could be in for a similar fate in Oakland.

Florio?s pick:? Raiders 27, Chargers 10.

Rosenthal?s take:? San Diego?s no-show last week was the worst game by a team fighting for a playoff spot since . . . San Diego?s no-show in Cincinnati of Week 16 last season. The Raiders finally have their receivers healthy. Deion Sanders would call this a ?U-Haul? game for San Diego.? They are ready to go.

Rosenthal?s pick: Raiders 33, Chargers 30.

Cowboys at Giants

Florio?s take:? The 256th game of the 2011 regular season also will be the first game of the 2011 postseason.? Since I picked the Cowboys to win the division way back in September, I can?t abandon them now.? Even if logic and common sense points to the Giants finishing their unlikely late-season climb to the postseason.

Florio?s pick:? Cowboys 27, Giants 23.

Rosenthal?s take: They Giants are as dangerous as their pass rush allows. It was great last week, with Justin Tuck finally looking healthy. Osi Umenyiora returns this week. There is no figuring out this Giants team, but I took them to win the NFC East before the year and can?t give up now.

Rosenthal?s pick: Giants 24, Cowboys 21.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/29/pfts-week-17-picks/related/

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HawaiiAthletics: WBB: Florida Gulf Coast leads Alcorn State, 48-19 at the half. Hawai'i battles North Carolina State at 4:30pm. #uhwbb

WBB: Florida Gulf Coast leads Alcorn State, 48-19 at the half. Hawai'i battles North Carolina State at 4:30pm. Il y a environ 4 heures via web

Source: http://twitter.com/HawaiiAthletics/statuses/152882735667609601

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Bugs may be resistant to genetically modified corn (AP)

One of the nation's most widely planted crops ? a genetically engineered corn plant that makes its own insecticide ? may be losing its effectiveness because a major pest appears to be developing resistance more quickly than scientists expected.

The U.S. food supply is not in any immediate danger because the problem remains isolated. But scientists fear potentially risky farming practices could be blunting the hybrid's sophisticated weaponry.

When it was introduced in 2003, so-called Bt corn seemed like the answer to farmers' dreams: It would allow growers to bring in bountiful harvests using fewer chemicals because the corn naturally produces a toxin that poisons western corn rootworms. The hybrid was such a swift success that it and similar varieties now account for 65 percent of all U.S. corn acres ? grain that ends up in thousands of everyday foods such as cereal, sweeteners and cooking oil.

But over the last few summers, rootworms have feasted on the roots of Bt corn in parts of four Midwestern states, suggesting that some of the insects are becoming resistant to the crop's pest-fighting powers.

Scientists say the problem could be partly the result of farmers who've planted Bt corn year after year in the same fields.

Most farmers rotate corn with other crops in a practice long used to curb the spread of pests, but some have abandoned rotation because they need extra grain for livestock or because they have grain contracts with ethanol producers. Other farmers have eschewed the practice to cash in on high corn prices, which hit a record in June.

"Right now, quite frankly, it's very profitable to grow corn," said Michael Gray, a University of Illinois crop sciences professor who's tracking Bt corn damage in that state.

A scientist recently sounded an alarm throughout the biotech industry when he published findings concluding that rootworms in a handful of Bt cornfields in Iowa had evolved an ability to survive the corn's formidable defenses.

Similar crop damage has been seen in parts of Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska, but researchers are still investigating whether rootworms capable of surviving the Bt toxin were the cause.

University of Minnesota entomologist Kenneth Ostlie said the severity of rootworm damage to Bt fields in Minnesota has eased since the problem surfaced in 2009. Yet reports of damage have become more widespread, and he fears resistance could be spreading undetected because the damage rootworms inflict often isn't apparent.

Without strong winds, wet soil or both, plants can be damaged at the roots but remain upright, concealing the problem. He said the damage he observed in Minnesota came to light only because storms in 2009 toppled corn plants with damaged roots.

"The analogy I often use with growers is that we're looking at an iceberg and all we see is the tip of the problem," Ostlie said. "And it's a little bit like looking at an iceberg through fog because the only time we know we have a problem is when we get the right weather conditions."

Seed maker Monsanto Co. created the Bt strain by splicing a gene from a common soil organism called Bacillus thuringiensis into the plant. The natural insecticide it makes is considered harmless to people and livestock.

Scientists always expected rootworms to develop some resistance to the toxin produced by that gene. But the worrisome signs of possible resistance have emerged sooner than many expected.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently chided Monsanto, declaring in a Nov. 22 report that it wasn't doing enough to monitor suspected resistance among rootworm populations. The report urged a tougher approach, including expanding monitoring efforts to a total of seven states, including Colorado, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The agency also wanted to ensure farmers in areas of concern begin using insecticides and other methods to combat possible resistance.

Monsanto insists there's no conclusive proof that rootworms have become immune to the crop, but the company said it regards the situation seriously and has been taking steps that are "directly in line" with federal recommendations.

Some scientists fear it could already be too late to prevent the rise of resistance, in large part because of the way some farmers have been planting the crop.

They point to two factors: farmers who have abandoned crop rotation and others have neglected to plant non-Bt corn within Bt fields or in surrounding fields as a way to create a "refuge" for non-resistant rootworms in the hope they will mate with resistant rootworms and dilute their genes.

Experts worry that the actions of a few farmers could jeopardize an innovation that has significantly reduced pesticide use and saved growers billions of dollars in lost yields and chemical-control costs.

"This is a public good that should be protected for future generations and not squandered too quickly," said Gregory Jaffe, biotechnology director at the Center for Science and Public Policy.

Iowa State University entomologist Aaron Gassmann published research in July concluding that resistance had arisen among rootworms he collected in four Iowa fields. Those fields had been planted for three to six straight years with Bt corn ? a practice that ensured any resistant rootworms could lay their eggs in an area that would offer plenty of food for the next generation.

For now, the rootworm resistance in Iowa appears isolated, but Gassmann said that could change if farmers don't quickly take action. For one, the rootworm larvae grow into adult beetles that can fly, meaning resistant beetles could easily spread to new areas.

"I think this provides an important early warning," Gassmann said.

Besides rotating crops, farmers can also fight resistance by switching between Bt corn varieties, which produce different toxins, or planting newer varieties with multiple toxins. They can also treat damaged fields with insecticides to kill any resistant rootworms ? or employ a combination of all those approaches.

The EPA requires growers to devote 20 percent of their fields to non-Bt corn. After the crop was released in 2003, nine out of 10 farmers met that standard. Now it's only seven or eight, Jaffe said.

Seed companies are supposed to cut off farmers with a record of violating the planting rules, which are specified in seed-purchasing contracts. To improve compliance, companies are now introducing blends that have ordinary seed premixed with Bt seed.

Brian Schaumburg, who farms 1,400 acres near the north-central Illinois town of Chenoa, plants as much Bt corn as he can every spring.

But Schaumburg said he shifts his planting strategies every year ? varying which Bt corn hybrids he plants and using pesticides when needed ? to reduce the chances rootworm resistance might emerge in his fields.

Schaumburg said he always plants the required refuge fields and believes very few farmers defy the rule. Those who do put the valuable crop at risk, he said.

"If we don't do it right, we could lose these good tools," Schaumberg said.

If rootworms do become resistant to Bt corn, it "could become the most economically damaging example of insect resistance to a genetically modified crop in the U.S.," said Bruce Tabashnik, an entomologist at the University of Arizona. "It's a pest of great economic significance ? a billion-dollar pest."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_us/us_biotech_corn_at_risk

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Timelines coming to Facebook for iPad in late January

9to5 Mac has word that Facebook for iPad will be getting the new Timeline feature in late January.

Timeline was supposed to come to the iPad in December,

...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/cjWbBACJ7jI/story01.htm

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Kid Cudi Pens Touching Letter to Dead Teen Fan

Kid Cudi took to his Tumblr on Monday to write a heartfelt letter to 18-year-old fan Ben Breedlove, who died on Christmas night from cardiac arrest after a lifelong struggle with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thickened.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/kid-cudi-letter-about-dead-fan-ben-breedlove/1-a-414444?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Akid-cudi-letter-about-dead-fan-ben-breedlove-414444

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Stratfor cyberattack adds an exclamation point to ?Year of the Hack?

The 'hack and extract' attack on the strategic think tank Stratfor will only contribute to the public and media awareness of cybercrime that has grown throughout 2011.

Don?t be too surprised if historians look back at 2011 and dub it ?The Year of the Hack.? If so, it won't likely be due to raw numbers of computer networks infiltrated or websites defaced, but rather the fact that cyberspies, criminals, and hacktivists finally registered as a major threat in the public mind and with news media.

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The ?hack and extract? attack targeting the Texas-based strategic think tank Strategic Forecasting Inc. (or Statfor), which the firm reported Sunday, reinforced that growing awareness of cybercrime.

In the attack, which the hackers said was carried out by the group Anonymous but was later disavowed by others claiming to speak for the hacktivist group, Statfor?s confidential client list was stolen, as were thousands of the clients? credit card numbers. Some clients reported fraudulent charges on their accounts.

It?s difficult to determine if the overall number of cyberincidents in 2011 was more or less significant than previous years since the severity of such attacks is so subjective and information so limited, cyberexperts say.

Yet the sheer volume of high-profile incidents covered heavily by news media outlets seemed significant to several analysts while at the same time a large number of hacks were quite sophisticated and alarming from a national security perspective.

?There seems to have been a rather noticeable increase in attention given to hacking by news media and a corresponding increase in the public interest and awareness of such hacks,? says Patrick Underwood, a University of Washington researcher on online communities, including Anonymous.

At least 58 highly-publicized hacking attacks occurred in 2011 with victim organizations around the world ranging from law enforcement agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and governments to defense agencies and military contractors, according to a Monitor tally compiled from lists drawn up by the Center for Strategic Studies, The Hacker News, and a George Mason University study.

?I would call it the ?Great Awakening,? when people finally realized the extent of the problem,? writes James Lewis, director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington in an e-mail interview.

While some highly reported hacks were ultimately deemed relatively trivial ? briefly knocking the public website of the Central Intelligence Agency out of commission, for instance ? such attacks were still part of a 2011 wave that showed many major government institutions seemingly quite vulnerable.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/xi8rS0Xceg4/Stratfor-cyberattack-adds-an-exclamation-point-to-Year-of-the-Hack

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Swedish royals: It's been a tough year (AP)

STOCKHOLM ? Sweden's royal family says a book that accused the king of visiting strip clubs and media reports that claimed the queen was on the verge of a nervous breakdown made 2011 a very tough year.

But the family also says the onslaught brought it closer together.

In a series of interviews conducted by national broadcaster SVT, to be aired later Thursday, the family says the book "The Reluctant Monarch" triggered an unprecedented media siege that has hurt all of its members.

Queen Silvia says headlines claiming she was close to a breakdown have been "incredibly painful," making her "disappointed and sad."

Crown Princess Victoria describes 2011 as "a very tough year" for the family.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_eu/eu_sweden_king_s_scandal

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Worst year in decades for elephants (AP)

JOHANNESBURG ? It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday.

A record number of large seizures of elephant tusks represents at least 2,500 dead animals and shows that organized crime ? in particular Asian syndicates ? is increasingly involved in the illegal ivory trade and the poaching that feeds it, the group said.

Some of the seized tusks came from old stockpiles, the elephants having been killed years ago. It's not clear how many elephants were recently killed in Africa for their tusks, but experts are alarmed.

TRAFFIC's elephant and rhino expert Tom Milliken thinks criminals may have the upper hand in the war to save rare and endangered animals.

"As most large-scale ivory seizures fail to result in any arrests, I fear the criminals are winning," Milliken told The Associated Press.

Most cases involve ivory being smuggled from Africa into Asia, where growing wealth has fed the desire for ivory ornaments and for rhino horn that is used in traditional medicine, though scientists have proved it has no medicinal value.

"The escalation in ivory trade and elephant and rhino killing is being driven by the Asian syndicates that are now firmly enmeshed within African societies," Milliken said in a telephone interview from his base in Zimbabwe. "There are more Asians than ever before in the history of the continent, and this is one of the repercussions."

All statistics are not yet in, and no one can say how much ivory is getting through undetected, but "what is clear is the dramatic increase in the number of large-scale seizures, over 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) in weight, that have taken place in 2011," TRAFFIC said in a statement.

There were at least 13 large seizures this year, compared to six in 2010 with a total weight just under 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).

In the most recent, and worst, case Malaysian authorities seized hundreds of African elephant tusks on Dec. 21 worth $1.3 million that were being shipped to Cambodia. The ivory was hidden in containers of handicrafts from Kenya's Mombasa port. Most large seizures have originated from Kenyan or Tanzanian ports, TRAFFIC said.

Fifty elephants a month are being killed, their tusks hacked off, in Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, according to the Washington-based Environmental Investigation Agency.

With shipments so large, criminals have taken to shipping them by sea instead of by air, falsifying documents with help of corrupt officials, monitors said.

Milliken said some of the seized ivory has been identified as coming from government-owned stockpiles ? made up of confiscated tusks and those of dead elephants ? in another sign of corruption.

"In 23 years of compiling ivory seizure data ... this is the worst year ever for large ivory seizures. 2011 has truly been a horrible year for elephants," said Milliken.

Rhinos also have suffered. A record 443 rhino were killed in this year in South Africa, compared to 333 last year, according to National Geographic News Watch. South Africa is home to 90 percent of the rhinos left on the continent.

Africa's elephant population was estimated at between 5 million and 10 million before the big white hunters came to the continent with European colonization. Massive poaching for the ivory trade in the 1980s halved the remaining number of African elephants to about 600,000. Following the 1989 ban on ivory trade and concerted international efforts to protect the animals, elephant herds in east and southern Africa were thriving before the new threat arrived from Asia.

A report from Kenya's Amboseli national park highlighted the dangers. There had been almost no poaching in the park, which lies in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, for 30 years until a Chinese company was awarded the contract to build a highway nearby two years ago. Amboseli has lost at least four of its "big tuskers" since then.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_af/af_africa_elephants

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UK's Prince Philip remains in hospital (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's Prince Philip spent a third night in the hospital as he recovers after treatment for a blocked coronary artery.

The 90-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II is in good spirits and will remain under observation for "a short period," Buckingham Palace officials said Monday. There are no details of when he may be released.

The prince underwent a successful coronary stent procedure at Papworth, a specialist heart hospital in Cambridgeshire, where he was taken on Friday after complaining of chest pains.

It was the most serious health scare suffered by Philip, who is known to be active and robust. He has continued to appear at many engagements, most recently taking a 10-day tour of Australia with the queen.

He is likely to miss the Royal Family's traditional Boxing Day shooting party on Monday at the queen's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, an event he usually leads.

Six of Philip's grandchildren, including Princes William and Harry, visited him Sunday in the hospital.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_prince_philip

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dogsdoingthings: Dogs adjusting the picture-in-picture feature on a spacetime viewer until Santa appears at the Sack of Rome, and thinking, "Better."

Dogs adjusting the picture-in-picture feature on a spacetime viewer until Santa appears at the Sack of Rome, and thinking, "Better." 9:40 AM Dec 25th via web

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Man killed amid Britain's post-Christmas sales (AP)

LONDON ? A teenager was fatally stabbed Monday after an argument broke out in a sports store on London's most famous retail street as thousands of shoppers flocked to Britain's capital seeking post-Christmas bargains.

The killing of the 18-year-old man on Oxford Street ? and a second wounding in the same road ? did little to deter shoppers crowding into neighboring stores in the landmark shopping district. Bargain hunters were also largely untroubled by a subway strike which badly disrupted the city's public transport services.

Selfridges ? close to the scene of Monday's stabbing and one of Britain's most popular department stores ? reported its biggest ever first hour of trading Monday morning, while the New West End Company, which represents traders on central London's shopping streets, reported 15 million pounds (US$23.5 million) in sales in the first three hours of trading.

"As ever, the West End's Boxing Day sales have attracted shoppers in their hundreds of thousands," said Jace Tyrrell, of the New West End Company.

Sue West, Selfridges' director of operations, said that ladies' accessories and jewelry were the most popular items snapped up. "Despite Tube disruptions ... we had record sales in our first hour," West said.

London's air ambulance helicopter had earlier rushed to the street following the fatal stabbing. Authorities said the teenage victim died before medics could administer help.

Police erected a tent outside a Foot Locker sports store as they carried out investigations and confirmed that ten people had been arrested in connection with the death.

Officers said a second stabbing took place close by ? on the corner of Oxford Street and Regent Street ? but insisted it wasn't immediately known if the two incidents were linked.

Det. Chief Insp. Mark Dunne, of London's Metropolitan police, said two groups of young people appeared to have become involved in a large-scale altercation before the teenager's death.

Dunne said that little more was known about the circumstances, but there were likely to be large numbers of witnesses. "This is probably the busiest place in the United Kingdom right now, on the busiest shopping day," he told reporters at the scene.

"A number of weapons have been recovered from that scene ? whether I have got the murder weapon I don't know. There's an assortment of items, but no guns," he said.

On London's subway network, the ASLEF train drivers' labor union staged a one-day strike to demand extra pay and additional time off for members working on the public holiday.

Despite the disruptions, huge crowds ? some lining up outside stores from midnight ? rushed into department stores in London and other British cities as soon as doors opened early Monday.

The London Underground, the organization that manages the subway system, condemned the move, saying it was pointless and demonstrated "a complete disregard for our customers." Authorities said extra buses were running in main shopping areas to cater to the increased flow of travelers on one of the year's busiest shopping days.

The ASLEF union has warned it plans to stage three more strikes in January and February if the dispute is not resolved.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_subway_strike

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Current Conditions from Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, IL

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Source: http://web.live.weatherbug.com/Common/home.aspx?zcode=z6286&zip=62701&units=0&rnd=Obs122620110000

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Winter golf comes to Bloomington-Normal

Twin Cities golfers are gearing up for some winter golf. (Photo By Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

BLOOMINGTON ? Twin Cities golfers will be ringing in the New Year with nine holes next weekend.

The 39th Annual Snowbird Open at Highland Park Golf Course is January 1st. With the recently warmer than normal temperatures, Bloomington Golf Courses Director Jason Wingate doesn?t expect the weather to be a factor this year.

?We?ve had some years where we have had typical weather, which has been pretty miserable,? he said. ?We?ve also had some years when temperatures have been reasonable and we thought, ?What a better way to start the New Year off than with a round of golf???

Regardless of the conditions, the hardcore golfers always turn out.

?I can think of just a few years ago we had eight or nine inches of snow on the ground, and we still had people play,? Wingate said. ?They actually tied string to their golf ball so they could find it.?

The entry fee is $2 per person, with registration 9 a.m. ? noon. The open will be played as nine hole individual stroke play.

Paul Morello can be reached at paul@wjbc.com.

Source: http://wjbc.com/winter-golf-comes-to-bloomington-normal/

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Obesity Linked to Higher Esophageal Cancer Death Rates - Drugs ...

FRIDAY Dec. 23, 2011 -- Obese people who have had surgery to treat esophageal cancer are twice as likely to have a recurrence of the disease or die from cancer within five years as patients of normal weight, according to a new study.

In the study, published in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., suggested their findings could change the way some doctors treat obese patients with this type of cancer.

The investigators followed 778 people who had surgery for esophageal cancer and found that those who were classified as obese (a body mass index of 30 or higher) had a five-year survival rate of 18 percent. That survival rate jumped to 36 percent among people who were not overweight.

"Obesity is considered a risk factor in the development of this cancer, which is known to be both highly lethal and increasingly common," the study's lead investigator, Dr. Harry Yoon, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a Mayo news release. "But prior to this study, we did not really understand the impact of obesity in this upper gastrointestinal cancer."

The study authors pointed out that their findings applied only to nonsmokers who had their esophagus removed. Yoon added that previous research has linked obesity to greater risk for cancer as well as increased risk of death from other types of tumors because extra weight results in a chronic inflammatory state.

The researchers noted their findings could change the approach they take with obese patients with esophageal cancer.

"As an oncologist, I did not typically speak to my patients about excess body weight as part of their care, because we are more often concerned about weight loss and maintaining proper nutrition, but that may change," said Yoon. "It would be helpful to be able to offer patients some measures that they can take to possibly impact their prognosis."

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about obesity and cancer.

Posted: December 2011

Source: http://www.drugs.com/news/obesity-linked-higher-esophageal-cancer-death-rates-35567.html

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Huge rally supports Pakistani cricketer's politics (AP)

KARACHI, Pakistan ? Tens of thousands of people have rallied in support of Pakistani cricket legend and opposition politician Imran Khan in the southern city of Karachi.

Sunday's rally further cemented Khan's status as a rising force in Pakistani politics. The turnout was impressive because the event was held outside his traditional support base, Punjab province.

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and the capital of Sindh province.

Khan entered politics 15 years ago when he founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or the Movement for Justice Party, but he long struggled to attract support.

That changed when he drew over 100,000 people to a rally in the Punjabi capital of Lahore in October.

He has attracted several prominent politicians to his party since then.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

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Southern California Close-Ups: Going Hollywood

Pity the rubes. Those wayward tourists who dawdle in their cars and tour buses along Beachwood Drive, enraging the locals as they haltingly seek that perfect Hollywood sign photo op ? they know not what they do. Maybe you're not from this neighborhood either, but you have savvier Hollywood plans.

They involve horse trails, hidden hotels, a magic castle, a monastery ? and that's just a start. To close out our yearlong series of Southern California Close-Ups, here is a set of 10 Hollywood micro-itineraries, suitable for visitors from across town or across the planet. To see the previous 11 installments in our multimedia tour of Los Angeles and Orange counties, go to latimes.com/socalcloseups.

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1. Get thee to a nunnery

The Hollywood sign (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

More specifically, head for the Monastery of the Angels (1977 Carmen Ave., a mile from the Hollywood sign), where 17 cloistered nuns spend their days praying, eating, sleeping and making desserts. Hand $10 to the gift-shop volunteer for a hefty loaf of pumpkin bread ? a fine souvenir, if it lasts that long. Then head two blocks east to Beachwood Drive, turn north toward the famous sign and keep going even after the road dwindles to dirt. There you'll find Sunset Ranch (3400 Beachwood Drive), where horses can be rented for guided rides (ages 8 and older). For $30 you get an hour. Start about 4 p.m. on a clear winter day and you'll get a different angle of the Hollywood sign, but better still, a Technicolor panorama with setting sun, a distant sliver of the Pacific, city lights at your feet and a whiff of horse manure to keep it real. The ranch is also the starting point for the Hollyridge Trail hike, which takes you near the fenced-off Hollywood sign, or you can explore the half-dozen public staircases threaded among the hillside homes. (Plot your route at http://www.beachwoodcanyon.org/Stairs.htm or buy Charles Fleming's 2010 paperback "Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles." And in the interest of full disclosure: Fleming is an L.A. Times editor.) When you're done, you'll want a thick slice of that pumpkin bread and maybe a nap in your room at the handy Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel (6141 Franklin Ave.). The hotel is a mid-range, retro-mod affair with signed glossies of Ray Charles and Marty Feldman on the lobby wall; the movie "Swingers" was written in the lobby-adjacent 101 Coffee Shop.

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2. The Bowl, the Greek, the difference

The Hollywood Bowl (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)

The Hollywood Bowl (2301 N. Highland Ave.) is such a prime city asset that it's a wonder nobody has proposed selling it to reduce municipal debt. It was carved into the hills in the 1920s and programmed by the L.A. Philharmonic, seats about 17,000 people and stages mostly jazz, classical works and show-tune performances, June through September. For newbies, the big surprise is that by long tradition, audiences can bring their own picnics, beer and wine. The city's other prime summer pop-concert option, the Greek Theatre, four miles east at 2700 Vermont Ave., is more intimate, with room for just 5,800 and a season that runs from late April through late October. The Greek will not let you bring in your own food or drink.

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3. Hip strip

Oaks Gourmet Market (Elina Shatkin)

You're not in a hurry. So you patiently seek one of the rare parking spots off Franklin Avenue near Tamarind Avenue, then meander past the trendy row of shops and restaurants between Tamarind and Bronson avenues. Browse Counterpoint Records & Books (5911 Franklin Ave.), scan magazines at the Daily Planet (59311/2 Franklin Ave.). The casual Victor's restaurant (1917 N. Bronson Ave.) will seat you beneath old photos of the hills. The Oaks Gourmet Market (1915 N. Bronson Ave.) will sell you fancy wines and beers, make you a lunch to take away or feed you at the shop's one communal table.

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4. Musso, Frank, Pantages, Frolic and Redbury

Pantages Theatre (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Wouldn't that be a great name for an L.A. law firm? Sit down to an early dinner at Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd.), the oldest restaurant in Hollywood (opened 1919), for old-world service, setting and menu, with juicy steaks and the option of Jell-O for dessert. Then nip out back for a high-end cocktail ($14) at the Writer's Room (6685 Hollywood Blvd.), which feels pre-Elvis but opened next door a couple months ago. Now you're ready for a show at the Pantages Theatre (6233 Hollywood Blvd.), whose 1930 Art Deco lobby is one of the greatest rooms in the city. On your way out after the show, admire the vintage sign announcing the Frolic Room (6245 Hollywood Blvd.). You'll sleep around the corner at the Redbury Hotel (1717 Vine St.), whose 57 rooms are about twice the size of those at the glitzy W Hotel (6250 Hollywood Blvd.) and sometimes more affordable. The Redbury has no pool, but every room has a washer, dryer and turntable. It's where the cool kids might come after having kids of their own. As for the W, it's for those who can't resist a slice o' Vegas ? a party hotel where scene-makers rage into the wee hours at Drai's nightclub next to the rooftop pool.

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5. A movie? Or a live show about movies?

Hollywood & Highland complex (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

If you can handle $56 a person and up, there's no better place than Hollywood to see a sort-of play about movies ? Cirque du Soleil's "Iris," which shares the Kodak Theatre (6801 Hollywood Blvd.) with the annual Oscars ceremony. "Iris," which premiered in mid-2011, is a mix of gymnastics, dancing, live music, cinematic effects and trapeze work, held together by a slender plot. It's expected to run for years. Even if your mind starts wandering after intermission, the evening is a great showcase for performers with stupendous skills. Because the theater is enveloped by the Hollywood & Highland mall, you can check the shops and its ridiculous highflying concrete elephants (inspired by D.W. Griffith's movie sets). But wait. If you have kids younger than 8 or so ? or a tighter budget ? skip the Kodak. Cross the street and see a movie in Disney's exuberantly restored El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd). This venue, built in 1926, premiered "Citizen Kane" in 1941 and kicked off Hollywood's revival with its reopening 50 years later. If you're a screen history geek or in a celebratory mood, you might like the Spanish-style Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood Blvd.), where the first Academy Awards were held in 1929, where Shirley Temple is said to have danced with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson on the lobby steps, and where there are several busy bars and restaurants, including the well-regarded burger joint Twenty-Five Degrees, which stays open all night. It can get loud on weekends, and recent renovations have unaccountably mixed Asian minimalism with the old Spanish flourishes. The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel (1755 N. Highland Ave.), comparably priced, twice the size, only 10 years old and right next to Hollywood & Highland, will suit some travelers better.

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6. Concrete handprints, terrazzo stars and the boulevard

The Hollywood Walk of Fame (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latimes/travel/~3/xVzDgRv0i8k/la-tr-socal-20111225,0,3321325.story

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Border Fence Affecting Black Bears, Too, Study Says

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The black bear population in southern Arizona faces threats from manmade borders, urban sprawl and expanding highway systems, researchers found.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=9f4dc88d936db5e6debc46d88a73fe0b

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Automotive Survival Guide NMA | Get your own automotive style

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Green Business Trend: ?Eco-Packaging? Takes Off

As you wrap, and unwrap, gifts this holiday season, you may notice they?re a little lighter than usual. It might be because more companies are easing up on the packaging ? or at least using eco-friendlier alternatives.

As the green movement grows up, there?s a new movement among businesses to find new, more planet-friendly ways to package their products. Some companies reduced their packaging footprint years ago by eliminating unnecessary plastic and cellophane or replacing non-biodegradable Styrofoam with paper and cardboard. But packaging technology has gotten more sophisticated, and there are higher-quality alternatives these days, from compostable plastic to recycled wood to biodegradable packing peanuts.

Earlier this year, several big companies? including Coca-Cola, Kellogg and Dow Chemical ? banded together to start the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (Ameripen), an organization that will lobby for evaluating the impact of packaging on the environment and reducing its toll. And some product makers have pledged to stop using pollution-causing PVC plastic in their boxes.

Some of this shift might be due to pressure from major chains: Walmart and Target have put more pressure on their suppliers to use eco-friendlier packaging through their sustainability scoring.

For small businesses, though, determining what kind of packaging alternatives will work isn?t always easy, While there are lots of new, ?eco-friendlier? materials to choose from, small businesses need to be careful and do some research.

Here are a few of the considerations:

• True environmental benefit. Even though a company may claim its product is offering an eco-friendly alternative, such as ?biodegradable? or ?recyclable,? that doesn?t necessarily mean its environmental footprint is much less than anything else. You need to know how much energy is used to produce it and transport it.
• Cost. Many eco-friendlier materials are more expensive than ones that are more environmentally harmful. You either have to suck up the extra cost or be able to pass it along to your customers ? which isn?t always realistic. Be sure to understand the cost impact before switching to new packaging.
• Feasibility. Eco-packaging may sound good, but will it actually be a good replacement for what you already use? It?s possible it won?t be as durable, so it?s important to get samples and test any prospective packaging before adopting it.

Given all these potential pitfalls, what do you do? Talk with other businesses in your industry or other businesses that have explored green packaging options. There are some nonprofits that help businesses adopt eco-friendlier packaging and can provide helpful research. Check out the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, for one.

Eco Packaging Photo via Shutterstock

About the Author

Kelly Spors is a former small-business and entrepreneurship reporter and blogger for The Wall Street Journal who has also written for Yahoo!, Entrepreneur, NFIB's MyBusiness magazine and The New York Times. Kelly is now a freelance editor and writer based in Minneapolis and has previously managed communications for an environmental non-profit that helps businesses find ways to be greener.

Connect with Kelly Spors:

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Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/12/green-business-trend-eco-packaging.html

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Community donations help 58 residents

Blue Santa parcels delivered Dec. 17

Estes Park Elementary School students and staff collected 1,500 donation items for the Police Auxiliary s Blue Santa program, benefitting local residents in need.

The Estes Park Police Department Auxiliary, employees and their families delivered Blue Santa donations to 58 elderly, disabled, or shut-in residents in Estes Park on Dec. 17.

"Thanks to the generosity of the community, Blue Santa was a great success again this year," said Police chief Wes Kufeld. "Many of the recipients look forward to this visit all year, and the entire community should be proud of this program."

Through Blue Santa, each individual received two boxes of food and hygiene products, along with gifts such as blankets and holiday decorations. More than $3,000 in cash donations from the community allowed recipients to receive a greeting card with postage stamps and a $35 gift card for Safeway. "Gift cards for groceries allow individuals to purchase items they cannot purchase with food stamps, such as pet food," Chief Kufeld commented.

Estes Park Elementary School students donated 1,500 items, with a Blue Santa campaign organized by staff members Britt Hakonson and Terry Johnson. The preschool/Kindergarten class donated the most items - 335 total. Students also decorated the Blue Santa donation boxes, with Gordon Angelo's second grade class winning a friendly competition for the best design.

In addition to town hall, many local organizations opened their doors to accept Blue Santa donations, making it convenient for people to make donations. These organizations were Animal Medical Center of Estes Park, B & B Food Market, Boulder Valley Credit Union, Country Market, Estes Park Elementary School, Estes Park Medical Center, Estes Valley Library, Estes Park Senior Center, Estes Park Visitor Center, First National Bank, MedX of Estes Park, Rocky Mountain Athletic Club, Rocky Mountain National Park, Elk Valley Auto Parts, Safeway, YMCA of the Rockies and the UPS Store.

For more information on Blue Santa, contact Amanda Nagl, community services manager at the Estes Park Police Department, at (970) 577-3822 or anagl@estes.org. To receive town news in your email inbox, please email townadmin@estes.org.

Source: http://www.eptrail.com/ci_19594172?source=rss_viewed

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Chinese Hackers Hit U.S. Chamber

By SIOBHAN GORMAN

A group of hackers in China breached the computer defenses of America's top business-lobbying group and gained access to everything stored on its systems, including information about its three million members, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The WSJ's Jerry Seib details a cyber attack against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in which emails were stolen. Correction: An earlier caption incorrectly said more than 300 Internet addresses were breached.

The break-in at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is one of the boldest known infiltrations in what has become a regular confrontation between U.S. companies and Chinese hackers. The complex operation, which involved at least 300 Internet addresses, was discovered and quietly shut down in May 2010.

It isn't clear how much of the compromised data was viewed by the hackers. Chamber officials say internal investigators found evidence that hackers had focused on four Chamber employees who worked on Asia policy, and that six weeks of their email had been stolen.

It is possible the hackers had access to the network for more than a year before the breach was uncovered, according to two people familiar with the Chamber's internal investigation.

One of these people said the group behind the break-in is one that U.S. officials suspect of having ties to the Chinese government. The Chamber learned of the break-in when the Federal Bureau of Investigation told the group that servers in China were stealing its information, this person said. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Geng Shuang, said cyberattacks are prohibited by Chinese law and China itself is a victim of attacks. He said the allegation that the attack against the Chamber originated in China "lacks proof and evidence and is irresponsible," adding that the hacking issue shouldn't be "politicized."

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a daily briefing that he hadn't heard about the matter, though he repeated that Chinese law forbids hacker attacks. He added that China wants to cooperate more with the international community to prevent hacker attacks.

The Chamber moved to shut down the hacking operation by unplugging and destroying some computers and overhauling its security system. The security revamp was timed for a 36-hour period over one weekend when the hackers, who kept regular working hours, were expected to be off duty.

Damage from data theft is often difficult to assess.

People familiar with the Chamber investigation said it has been hard to determine what was taken before the incursion was discovered, or whether cyberspies used information gleaned from the Chamber to send booby-trapped emails to its members to gain a foothold in their computers, too.

Chamber officials said they scoured email known to be purloined and determined that communications with fewer than 50 of its members were compromised. They notified those members. People familiar with the investigation said the emails revealed the names of companies and key people in contact with the Chamber, as well as trade-policy documents, meeting notes, trip reports and schedules.

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

The Chamber of Commerce building in Washington, D.C.

"What was unusual about it was that this was clearly somebody very sophisticated, who knew exactly who we are and who targeted specific people and used sophisticated tools to try to gather intelligence," said the Chamber's Chief Operating Officer David Chavern.

Nevertheless, Chamber officials said they haven't seen evidence of harm to the organization or its members.

The Chamber, which has 450 employees and represents the interests of U.S. companies in Washington, might look like a juicy target to hackers. Its members include most of the nation's largest corporations, and the group has more than 100 affiliates around the globe.

While members are unlikely to share any intellectual property or trade secrets with the group, they sometimes communicate with it about trade and policy.

U.S. intelligence officials and lawmakers have become alarmed by the growing number of cyber break-ins with roots in China. Last month, the U.S. counterintelligence chief issued a blunt critique of China's theft of American corporate intellectual property and economic data, calling China "the world's most active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage" and warning that large-scale industrial espionage threatens U.S. competitiveness and national security.

Two people familiar with the Chamber investigation said certain technical aspects of the attack suggested it was carried out by a known group operating out of China. It isn't clear exactly how the hackers broke in to the Chamber's systems. Evidence suggests they were in the network at least from November 2009 to May 2010.

Stan Harrell, chief information officer at the Chamber, said federal law enforcement told the group: "This is a different level of intrusion" than most hacking. "This is much more sophisticated."

Chamber President and Chief Executive Thomas J. Donahue first learned of the breach in May 2010 after he returned from a business trip to China. Chamber officials tapped their contacts in government for recommendations for private computer investigators, then hired a team to diagnose the breach and overhaul the Chamber's defenses.

They first watched the hackers in action to assess the operation. The intruders, in what appeared to be an effort to ensure continued access to the Chamber's systems, had built at least a half-dozen so-called back doors that allowed them to come and go as they pleased, one person familiar with the investigation said. They also built in mechanisms that would quietly communicate with computers in China every week or two, this person said.

The intruders used tools that allowed them to search for key words across a range of documents on the Chamber's network, including searches for financial and budget information, according to the person familiar with the investigation. The investigation didn't determine whether the hackers had taken the documents turned up in the searches.

When sophisticated cyberspies have access to a network for many months, they often take measures to cover their tracks and to conceal what they have stolen.

To beef up security, the Chamber installed more sophisticated detection equipment and barred employees from taking the portable devices they use every day to certain countries, including China, where the risk of infiltration is considered high. Instead, Chamber employees are issued different equipment before their trips?equipment that is checked thoroughly upon their return.

Chamber officials say they haven't been able to keep intruders completely out of their system, but now can detect and isolate attacks quickly.

The Chamber continues to see suspicious activity, they say. A thermostat at a town house the Chamber owns on Capitol Hill at one point was communicating with an Internet address in China, they say, and, in March, a printer used by Chamber executives spontaneously started printing pages with Chinese characters.

"It's nearly impossible to keep people out. The best thing you can do is have something that tells you when they get in," said Mr. Chavern, the chief operating officer. "It's the new normal. I expect this to continue for the foreseeable future. I expect to be surprised again."

--Owen Fletcher in Beijing contributed to this article.

Write to Siobhan Gorman at siobhan.gorman@wsj.com

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204058404577110541568535300.html?mod=fox_australian

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France leads world as gloomiest over economy: poll (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? France leads the world as the "most pessimistic" country in terms of the economic outlook, with the lowest recorded score in more than 30 years, according to a global poll published on Friday.

The "End of Year" survey by Gallup International of 51 countries found that France beat second placed Ireland and third placed Austria for the dubious recognition as most pessimistic, economically-speaking.

Its score of negative 79, a drop of 20 points from last year, was the lowest the poll has recorded since 1978.

"Even in 1978, after the second oil crisis that called into question an entire economic system, the French have never shown themselves as pessimistic as today," said the poll.

"Europe leads in despair, followed by North America," it said. "The rest of the world, lead by Africa, remains mostly optimistic."

With an April presidential election on the horizon and a euro zone crisis threatening havoc at home and on the continent, French voters are increasingly gloomy.

Concerns are pervasive over high unemployment, dwindling purchasing power and the fear that France's traditionally strong social support system is unraveling, even though France has mostly been spared the austerity measures taken in countries such as Greece and Spain.

"After the Second World War, there was reconstruction and our country was one of the pioneers of Europe. Today the French 'Savior State' model, praised by both Left and Right for decades, is basically considered obsolete," said the poll. "What can the French be proud of tomorrow?"

Among a list of 51 countries, Nigeria was found to be the most optimistic country, when considering economic prosperity, followed by Vietnam and Ghana.

Between 500 and 2,700 people were interviewed in each country either by phone, via the Internet or in person between October 26 and December 13.

The survey in France, conducted by BVA, took place between December 2 and 4.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/ts_nm/us_france_poll

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates stops over in Cairns for 'secret' banana meeting

Daniel Bateman

Thursday, December 22, 2011

? The Cairns Post

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ONE of the world's richest men has made a top-secret visit to Cairns to find out how his genetically modified crop of bananas is going.

Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, slipped into the Far North last Saturday for a brief meeting with five scientists from the Queensland University of Technology.

The scientists, who have $10 million backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have been developing a genetically modified banana plant at Innisfail capable of resisting a devastating disease.

Field trials at South Johnstone have produced bananas with more pro-vitamin A than regular bananas. The plant may hold hope for people in poor African nations, who are battling vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia, which leads to death, blindness, impaired immune function and brain development.

QUT project leader ProfJames Dale said the billionaire and his wife only stayed in Cairns long enough to talk with his team at a three-hour meeting at a ??top secret?? location.

It is believed they met at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Prof Dale said it was exciting meeting the Microsoft founder and his wife.

??We were all obviously pretty pumped up before we started,?? he said. ??Having him and Melinda there, it was relaxed, it was informal, it was fabulous.??

The couple were due to visit the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation?s lab at South Johnstone, flying there in their private helicopter, but inclement weather kept them indoors.

Following the success of the South Johnstone trials, GM-bananas are now being grown in a trial in Uganda.

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Source: http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/12/22/197515_local-news.html

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Research on Finance Governance Structure in Liaoning's Listed ...

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?Abstract? In Liaoning province enterprises reform, the company governed structure frame has already established. But listed company?s microscopic foundation- finance governance structure has not been established perfectly. Some problems of finance governance structure in the Liaoning Province listed company hamper the listed company?s progress ,such as In the state holding listed company that ?one share is big alone?, there are quite a lot of company directors that is the administrative staff inside the company. There is question of distribute the control power between administrator and owner ,owner and owner in the inside of board of directors, the state-owned stock which one share big alone makes the board of directors lose the independence. ?Inside people control? is a remarkable characteristic of the board of directors in listed company of our country. the independent director can not function, produced by big shareholder?s recommendation, the independent director?s system has not been put in place yet, these questions have limited the independent director?s play fully on function. Supervising department can not fulfill its obligation highly. At the same time, the incentive system and restrain system are incomplete: the encouragement means is single, it lacks long-term encouragement way; the restraint of the directors and the managers is not enough, etc. In a word, the enterprise financial-rights allocation is distorted severely. So this paper regards listed company of Liaoning Province as the research object, carrying out research on the problem of finance governance structure. According to the comparison and analysis of the relation between property right allocation mode and corporate performance, we hope to find better property right allocation mode in Liaoning province enterprises. So we can improve the corporate performance ultimately.The paper consists of seven parts which are as follows:Chapter 1, Introduction, This part describes the study purpose ,meaning, way and innovation of this paper .Then reviews and summarizes theories, which suggests the financial governance structure and it?s related concepts and theories.Chapter 2, The relation theories of finance governance structure. This part includes the theories of corporate performance theories, finance governance theories and finance governance structure.Chapter 3, The evolution of finance governance structure. This part reviews the evolution of finance governance structure in china and in Liaoning province listed companies.Chapter 4, This part describes the existing problems in Liaoning?s Listed Companies, demonstrating Liaoning province listed company characters.Chapter 5, This part collects the data of finance governance structure in Liaoning?s Listed Companies. Then analyse and compare the relation between property right allocation mode and corporate performance.Chapter 6, Suggests. This part forwards some improvement measures finance governance structure in Liaoning?s Listed Companies.Chapter 7, Conclusion. According to analysis and comparison above, we draw a conclusion that the corporate performance is better, when the big shareholder owns a low proportion of stock, the board of directors are independent and the general manager comes form outside of parent company.

Title: Research on Finance Governance Structure in Liaoning?s Listed Companies
Category: Management economics
Filename: Research on Finance Governance Structure in Liaoning?s Listed Companies.pdf
Pages: 153
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