Robotic jellyfish named Cyro could one day work for the Navy [video]

Meet Cyro, the latest robotic jellyfish to emerge from the engineering labs at Virginia Tech.
Cyro measures 5 feet, 7 inches across and weighs in at 170 pounds. Its design was based on the real-life species Cyanea capillata, one of the largest jellyfish in the world. (Cyro is an amalgam of “Cyanea” and “robot.”) When submerged in a pool, the robot flaps its eight arms and swims gracefully.
“Our goal with this robot is to copy the natural jellyfish,” Alex Villanueva, a grad student at Virginia Tech’s college of engineering, explains in the video above.
Why? Jellyfish are one of the most efficient marine species, able to roam the oceans with comparatively little energy. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, offering plenty of designs for engineers to copy and test.
But why make a robotic jellyfish in the first place? The researchers at Virginia Tech – along with colleagues at UCLA, Stanford University, Providence College in Rhode Island and the University of Texas at Dallas – have a $5-million grant from the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research to develop autonomous robots that can ply the oceans. Robotic jellyfish like Cyro could one day conduct undersea military surveillance. They might also be deployed to monitor the environment or clean up oil spills.
“This robot, we intend to leave it in the ocean for as long as we can,” Villanueva said. “We’re talking, like, weeks and months and even more if we can.”
That means Cyro will have to be energy-efficient. The robot has a rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery to power the linear actuators that move its arms as well as its electronics (which are a challenge to keep dry).
The mechanical arms move in conjunction with a thick layer of silicone – the “jelly” part of the jellyfish – to propel Cryo through the water.
“We’re dealing with a type of propulsion that’s not commonly studied,” Villanueva says. “It’s not like a boat or a submarine.”
Cyro is the younger sibling of RoboJelly, Villanueva’s first robotic jellyfish. RoboJelly was much smaller (it fits in one hand) and had to be tethered to a power source. More prototypes are on the way.

SOURCE : http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-heb-robotic-jellyfish-cyro-navy-20130328,0,1772761.story

Read More

The faces of Jesus: Minister's collection numbers about 240

So think a minute. How many times have you seen Jesus depicted as laughing?

Eyes lit, showing his teeth, like Mary Magdalene had just cracked a great joke or Peter had tripped overboard into his nets again.
At the Broadway Church in Westport, four “laughing Jesus” portraits by different artists can be found banded together at the end of a hall. The earliest was published in Playboy in the early 1970s. The explanation on the wall:
“This is a totally new image of Jesus. There is simply no tradition of mirth in Christian art. It’s about time.”
They are just a sliver of a provocative collection of Christ pictures, some passed down as copies from antiquity, others original religious art picked up here and there by Paul Smith.
Smith, who retired in December after 49 years as pastor of the uber-liberal church, wrote the wall text, too.
About 240 versions of Jesus hang here, almost certainly the biggest gathering of his image in the city. Some are comfortable old friends from the walls of Sunday school. “Head of Christ” by Warner Sallman sold 450 million copies of the rather bland, blue-eyed savior.
Smith said 10 percent are originals, some a tad mind-blowing, such as the pregnant woman on the cross about to give birth.
“People either love that or hate it,” said Smith, 75, guiding visitors around the narrow halls and stairwells. No, the old Swedish Baptist Church was not designed to be a spacious, well-lit art gallery, but then, in which place would you be more likely to meet Jesus, anyway?
The permanent exhibit, which runs up and down staircases and into the sanctuary, is divided into four parts: The Human Face of God, The Many Moods of the Master, The Risen Cosmic Christ and The Face of Jesus in Every Person.
“The pictures help us see Jesus as a person, a human being like every one of us,” said Smith, who said he has come to believe that Jesus was not sent to die for the sins of mankind. “I decided God’s not going to send anybody to hell. God’s not mad at anybody.”
Almost all have wall text, which gives the viewer a little history and Smith’s take on the image.
He points out the many prints by Dali, Picasso — “Here’s Warhol’s ‘Last Supper.’ He went to Mass every morning.” — as well as Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian. A crucifixion by Edvard Munch (better known for “The Scream”). Another small one by Gauguin. An earlier piece by William Blake, “Albion Before Christ Crucified.”
While he does not care much for the flat-faced Orthodox icons, the mystical finds many places on the walls. Smith, who received his master of divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has become more mystical himself, he says. He admires the work of Alex Gray.
Smith points out a small, easy-to-miss copy of graffito found scratched on a Rome wall. The Christian (Jesus?) on the cross has the head of a donkey. It may be the earliest known depiction. It’s next to the face from the Shroud of Turin.
A few feet away is the largest image — a life-size, naked and suffering Christ, powerful in its unique quilt medium. Lent by Janet Patek, a local quilter, “Eli, Eli” was created in 1990s.
Still, so many different artists, old and new, focus on the crucifixion: one looked straight down in a God’s-eye view. Andrea Mantegna’s riveting 15th-century “The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ” cast the viewer’s eye almost between the bloodless Jesus’ pierced feet, and Picasso … well … you tell me.
Smith is proud of the breadth of his collection, which reflects his own broadmindedness.
“I have people from all over the country to see it,” he said. “They may not remember my sermons, but they’ll remember my pictures … although some of my sermons were pretty controversial, too.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/30/4152185/the-faces-of-jesus.html#storylink=cpy

SOURCE : http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/30/4152185/the-faces-of-jesus.html 

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/30/4152185/the-faces-of-jesus.html#storylink=cpy

 

Read More

Student and her family sue Grain Valley School District

An elementary school student and her parents are suing the Grain Valley School District, alleging negligence in its supervision of a teacher who pleaded guilty this month to multiple counts of child sexual abuse.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court, alleges that the girl, while a second-grader in the 2011-2012 school year, was abused by Matthew J. Nelson, a former district elementary school teacher.

The suit names names Nelson, the school district and several district administrators.

The family is alleging negligence, negligent supervision and intentional infliction of emotional distress. School district officials also failed to take action against Nelson, allowing him to remain in a position of authority over students, according to the lawsuit.

Since the alleged offenses, the girl has suffered from depression and sadness and once tied a rope around her neck and tightened it.

Kim Roam, a Blue Springs lawyer who represents the school district, said he had not seen the lawsuit and had no comment.

Nelson, now 34, admitted earlier this month that he sexually abused 11 boys. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 25.

According to the lawsuit, Nelson began abusing the girl, identified as “Plaintiff Jane Doe,” when she was 7.

During the 2011 school year, the suit alleges, Nelson “began an ongoing, repeated and continuous practice of fondling, holding, kissing and otherwise inappropriately touching and assaulting Plaintiff Jane Doe, including such specific acts as touching her private area, touching her legs, and inner thighs, and requiring Plaintiff Jane Doe to stand between his legs while he sat at his desk in the classroom.”

Further, the school district officials knew about prior inappropriate contact by Nelson against at least one other Grain Valley student, the lawsuit alleges. At one point, it adds, administrators spoke to Nelson but otherwise failed to take adequate action against him.

Authorities arrested Nelson in January 2012 after several students alleged he had touched their genitals either through or inside their clothing.

Prosecutors filed initial charges based on allegations made by four children. More charges followed in February.

In a letter released that month, district officials said that a “concern” regarding Nelson had been brought to their attention in 2008.

That allegation originated in an anonymous report called into the Missouri School Violence Hotline. District officials said they discussed the allegation with Nelson at that time but added that the “generic nature” of the report didn’t lead them in any particular direction.

The incidents to which Nelson pleaded guilty occurred from August 2008 through January 2012.

“The widespread multi-year nature of the abuse involving so many children is difficult to comprehend,” said Andrew Smith, lawyer with Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, the Independence law firm that is representing the family. 

SOURCE : http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/29/4151528/student-and-her-family-sues-grain.html

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/29/4151528/student-and-her-family-sues-grain.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/29/4151528/student-and-her-family-sues-grain.html#storylink=cpy

 

Read More

Mother arrested for slapping wrong boy at son’s school

TO South Carolina, where 36-year-old Tyshekka Collier is on the way to Fairforest Middle School. Her son has been suspended. In a dark mood, Collier reaches Principal Ty Dawkins’ office. She sees a boy sat in a chair. His head is down. Collier slaps the lad in the face. Only, it’s not her son. This boy is ill. He’s waiting for his mother to pick him up.
Collier apologizes. She then spots her son and begins to slap him about the head and face.
Principal Dawkins calls the police. Collier is arrested. She’s charged with disturbing school and two counts of assault and battery.  Her three children are placed in protective custody.



The mother of the slapped child can be heard her in the interview below:

“I wanna slap her.”

CBS Atlanta 46

SOURCE : http://www.anorak.co.uk/352610/strange-but-true/mother-arrested-for-slapping-wrong-boy-at-sons-school.html

Read More

Amazon to buy social site Goodreads

NEW YORK (AP) -- Amazon.com Inc., the world's biggest online retailer that got its start in bookselling, has agreed to buy book recommendations site Goodreads.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Amazon said Thursday that it "shares a passion for reinventing reading," with Goodreads.
"Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle content for Amazon. "In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike."
In addition to recommending books to read based on other books people have liked, Goodreads also serves as a social network for bookworms. It has 16 million members and was founded in 2007.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. says Goodreads headquarters will remain in San Francisco.
"Goodreads is a place for all readers no matter what books they read or how they read them, and we expect to keep it that way," said Amazon spokeswoman Kinley Pearsall in a statement, citing Zappos and the movie information website IMDb as examples. Amazon owns both but has kept them as stand-alone businesses.
Shares of Seattle-based Amazon closed up $1.19 at $266.49.

SOURCE : http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/03/29/amazon-to-buy-goodreads/2030419/

Read More

Richard Griffiths, uncle to Withnail and Harry Potter, dies aged 65

Richard Griffiths died after complications following heart surgery. Photograph: Getty

Richard Griffiths, the award-winning actor famous for his roles in Withnail & I and Harry Potter, has died following complications after heart surgery. The celebrated stage and screen star, one of Britain's best-known character actors, was 65.
Tributes poured in for the actor, who died on Thursday at the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire. Daniel Radcliffe, who starred alongside Griffiths in the Harry Potter films, said the actor made any room "twice as funny".
Radcliffe said Griffiths had supported him at two key points in his career, when he first played the young Harry Potter and later when he made his stage debut in Equus.
"In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease," he said.
"Seven years later we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."
Richard E Grant, who played the title role in Withnail & I, paid tribute to his late co-star on Twitter. He wrote: "My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend."
Griffiths was feted for his roles as Withnail's eccentric Uncle Monty in the cult classic and Hector, the unconventional teacher in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for best actor, the Drama Desk Award for outstanding actor in a play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for best featured actor in a play, and a Tony Award for best performance by a leading actor in a play.
He gained widespread fame as grumpy Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films and was much loved as disillusioned police officer and pie chef, Inspector Henry Crabbe, in the successful TV detective drama series Pie In The Sky.
Sir Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, said Griffiths' "army of friends" would be devastated by his unexpected death. "Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved and recognisable British actors – he was also one of the very greatest," he said.
"His performance in The History Boys was quite overwhelming: a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously. But that was just one small part of a career that spanned Shakespeare, cutting-edge new plays and major work in film and television."
Hytner, who directed Griffiths in The History Boys and The Habit Of Art, added: "His currency as an actor was truth; as a colleague it was hilarity. His anecdotes were legendary. They were, literally, endless. They would go on for hours, apparently without destination, constantly side-splitting.
"The only way to stop them was to tell him you were walking away, though there were always others in the audience so, as far as I know, he never stopped. He was the life of every party."
Thea Sharrock, who directed Griffiths in Equus, Heroes and Sunshine Boys, said: "I worked with Richard more times than any other actor. Everybody knew he was my favourite. He was the most tender, gentle, kind, generous, loving man. His curiosity was unending, as was his striving for perfection. I cannot imagine a world without all those stories. I will miss him so very, very much."
The producers of Heroes and Equus, David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, said the actor was a "great man, a great character, a great talent greatly missed".
Griffiths, the son of a steelworker, was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, in 1947 were he cared for his deaf parents. He left school at 15 but later studied drama, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. He married Heather Gibson in 1980 after they met during a production of Lady Windermere's Fan in 1973.
His portly stature, which made him instantly recognisable on screen, was thought to have been caused by medication he was given as a youngster. He was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 2007.
His agent, Simon Beresford, said his thoughts were with Griffiths' wife and family. "Richard brightened my days and enriched the life of anyone he came into contact with. On stage he allowed us to share in our own humanity and constantly question our differences," he said.
"Richard gave acting a good name. He was a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors. He will be greatly missed."

 

 

SOURCE : http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/mar/29/richard-griffiths-harry-potter-dies

Read More

Mandela Making 'Steady Progress'

Former South African president Nelson Mandela is said to be making "steady progress," two days after he was hospitalized with a lung infection.

The office of President Jacob Zuma says the 94-year-old Mandela is also in good spirits and enjoyed a full breakfast Friday morning.

President Zuma said Thursday that Mandela is doing "very well," telling the BBC that South Africans "must not panic."

But many remain concerned in South Africa, where the Nobel laureate is viewed as a national hero. Bokoboko Ndongo said he would be devastated to lose Mandela. "I feel bad because he's an African leader. He's a South African hero. He brought South Africa from struggle," he said. "From economic struggle to freedom. And he brought apartheid to an end."

Mandela was taken to an unidentified hospital late Wednesday. The Nobel laureate was hospitalized for three weeks in December with another lung infection and gallstones.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday he is "deeply concerned" about the health of Mr. Mandela, who he called an inspiration and a hero. "When you think of a single individual that embodies the kind of leadership qualities that I think we all aspire to, the first name that comes up is Nelson Mandela," Obama stated.

Mandela spent nearly three decades in prison for opposing apartheid in South Africa and became a symbol of the nation's peaceful transition to a democratic government after decades of suppression by the white minority.  He became South Africa's first black president in 1994.

SOURCE : http://www.voanews.com/content/zuma-mandeal-doing-very-well/1630915.html

Read More

Video shows dog belonging to Mark Kelly's daughter attack sea lion

(NBC NEWS) -- A disturbing video has surfaced on YouTube of a dog locking its jaws on a beached baby sea lion as California beachgoers frantically try to free the trapped mammal.
The dog, which Laguna Beach police said was an American bulldog mix, belonged to the daughter of astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, local media reported. Giffords, Kelly and his daughter -- Giffords' stepdaughter -- were vacationing in Laguna Beach on Saturday when the incident happened, reported The Los Angeles Times.
Laguna Beach police received a call at 2 p.m. on Saturday and arrived at the shoreline to find the dog had freed itself from its 18-year-old owner and attacked a beached sea lion on a public beach, Capt. Jason Kravetz said in an email to The Los Angeles Times.
In the YouTube video (warning: graphic video and language), three women attempt to pull a small, limp sea lion from the mouth of a dog who refuses to let go. Cries of "No!" No!" are heard as the dog shakes the beached sea lion in his mouth. Offscreen, someone yells, "Take him out there and drown the dog. He'll let go," to which one of the women yells back, "No, what the f---?"
After a couple of minutes of struggling, Mark Kelly appears in the shot, according to the man who recorded the incident.
The man who shot the video and posted it online only identified himself by his first name, Nathan.
"Mark Kelly came over and picked the dog up by the collar, shook it, called the dog out by name, and that's when the dog released. Mark Kelly was able to walk the dog back to the parking lot," Nathan told KPNX, an NBC affiliate in Phoenix, where Giffords and Kelly live.
A pool of blood from the sea lion is left on the shoreline as Kelly and the dog walk off. The sea lion, which isn't moving by that point, later died, according to The Los Angeles Times. It was removed from the area where it had beached itself, which may have been an indication that it was sick before the brutal encounter.
The dog lives with Giffords' stepdaughter in Houston, according to the paper. No citations were issued because "it was legal for her to have the dog on the beach this time of year, and she did have it leashed. It was so strong that it pulled free of her when it saw the [sea lion]," Kravetz told The L.A. Times.

SOURCE : http://www.firstcoastnews.com/rss/article/305745/82/Video-shows-dog-attack-sea-lion

Read More

Lawmakers planning to ban use of Google Glass during driving

Driving is fun, and is dangerous too. There are certain things you should not do while you are driving. In some states, the jurisdiction tells you what not to do while you are driving. For example, the very well known list of things which are banned in most parts of the world include no drink and drive, no talking on the phone while driving, no texting while driving, and much more. And to add to this list, we have no Google Glass while driving. But this is going to be only for people living in West Virginia.
This is because the lawmakers in West Virginia are working on banning Google Glass while driving saying that it is dangerous and a distraction while driving. I agree with that. And the law makers are not banning Google Glass only, they are covering the whole genre of devices by saying that “using a wearable computer with head mounted display,” in general should be banned. Again, I agree with that.
CNET’s Chris Matyszczyk writes that this might be a result of the rising popularity of Google Glass. Congressman Gary G. Howell wrote Matyszczyk that the bill was targeted at the young population of the state as this is the population which will be the early adopter of the new technology, also the inexperienced driving population. That is not a good mix. “It is mostly the young that are the tech-savvy that try new things. They are also our most vulnerable and underskilled drivers. We heard of many crashes caused by texting and driving, most involving our youngest drivers. I see the Google Glass as an extension.”
We can also see some shops banning the use of Google Glass inside their private premises, which makes sense due to the recording capability of the Google Glass without any kind of indication. So, what do you think of this bill? Should it be passed?

Read more at http://thedroidguy.com/2013/03/lawmakers-planning-to-ban-use-of-google-glass-during-driving/#gUof4iJaSrWqSI8p.99

Read More

Escort charged with attempted murder for biting man's genitals, deputies say

Priscilla Vaughn, 29

ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) - An alleged escort was arrested and charged with attempted murder for biting a man's genitals in an Orange County hotel room, deputies said.

Authorities were called to the Crestwood Suites on University Boulevard after 2 a.m. Tuesday by callers who reported hearing screaming and growling from a room on the second floor.
Responding deputies found the victim naked, covered in blood on the floor of the trash room. He was going in and out of consciousness as he tried to describe what happened, officials said.
According to the sheriff's office, the victim had bite marks on his hands and stomach and was bleeding from significant lacerations on his genitals. He also had eye gouging injuries and injuries that indicated he had been hit in the head and face.
He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Deputies arrested the suspect, Priscilla Vaughn, 29, who was naked with blood on her face. She growled at deputies, they said.
At the hospital, the victim told police he met Vaughn on backpage.com and picked her up to go Applebee's and get something to eat.
When they got back to the hotel, she invited him into her room where they smoked marijuana, drank alcohol and Vaughn snorted Ecstasy, deputies said.
She began to give him oral sex, which is when things turned violent.
The victim said Vaughn started biting his penis and testicles.

Inside the hotel room, deputies found several discarded condoms, Vaughn's Wisconsin ID and a sex toy that was chewed and had the top bitten off. Deputies said the sex toy was chewed before the attack and shows that Vaughn had the "desire to cause severe damage to a male penis." Deputies said the victim would've died if not for the quick response by emergency personnel.
Vaughn was charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and false imprisonment.

 

 

SOURCE : http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/article/304700/82/Escort-charged-with-attempted-murder-for-biting-mans-genitals

Read More

Madness to close BBC Television Centre with gig

Madness will help close BBC Television Centre with a gig from the car park outside the iconic building.

Suggs's '80s pop collective will perform a concert that will act as a warm-up for a final two-hour pre-recorded show about the broadcaster's studios, Goodbye TV Centre.

© Rex Features

© Rex Features

Airing in March, the show will celebrate the BBC's flagship studios, looking back at events such as the power cut on the launch night of BBC Two, and visiting the studios used for Monty Python's parrot sketch, Del Boy's living room, Miranda's shop and the corridors that Alan Partridge ran down with his stolen Stilton.

Guests who joined former BBC chairman Michael Grade on the sofa include Penelope Keith, Ronnie Corbett, David Mitchell, Michael Parkinson, Terry Wogan, Mark Lawson, David Jason and Zoe Ball.

© Stanhope

Completing the lineup are Phillip Schofield, Gary Lineker, Chris Hollins, Bob Harris and Fiona Bruce.

BBC Television Centre opened on June 29, 1960. It closes on March 31. The building is being redeveloped into hotels, flats, a cinema and office.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a461899/madness-to-close-bbc-television-centre-with-gig.html#ixzz2OBBihGeA

Read More

The Sun - Bizarre with Gordon Smart Edited by Gordon Smart Jay-Z has a rappy marriage

Wedded bliss ... Jay-Z and Beyonce

 

JAY-Z has thanked his missus in a unique way – by singing about her on a track called B**** Don’t Kill My Vibe.

He tells the world about his life with BEYONCE on a collaboration with KENDRICK LAMAR by rapping: “Up in the clouds, me and my spouse, rumours on the ground gettin’ too loud. Please turn them s**** down, can’t hear myself think.”
It’s less hassle than his last strange gift for Beyonce – in 2012 he flew her to a vintage caravan in the Texan desert so she could have some peace.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4852553/jay-z-beyonce-song.html#ixzz2OBAkpe6C

Read More

It’s Ellie and Cal-vid Harris - Kiss ... the stars pucker up

Cal-ling in love ... Ellie Goulding sports Daisy Dukes in the video

CALVIN HARRIS won’t be showing this music video to his new Victoria’s Secret model girlfriend.

Awkward ... the pair have a cheeky snog in the video

Pacific Coast News

The Scottish producer and singer ELLIE GOULDING play a loved-up couple in the clip for their collaboration I Need Your Love.

The look of love? ... Calvin attempts to gaze lovingly into Ellie's eyes

Pacific Coast News

It must have been an awkward shoot for Calvin – who’s currently dating ANNE VYALITSYNA – and old mate Ellie, who is in a relationship with War Horse actor JEREMY IRVINE. You can see the pair looking awkward and faking a snog in these snaps, taken in Miami.

Kiss ... the stars pucker up

Pacific Coast News

Cringe ... Ellie appears to suffer from post-snog embarrassment

Pacific Coast News

The trip got off to a bad start for Ellie – she wrote on Twitter that her luggage was lost on the flight to the US.

Selfie ... Ellie and Calvin film themselves

Pacific Coast News

She said: “Anyone in Miami want to lend me some clothes for my music video?”

Kiss me quick ... Ellie and Calvin display some unconvincing body language as they go in for a smacker

Pacific Coast News

Her fella will be happy no one found her a bikini for the shoot.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4852235/Ellie-Goulding-Calvin-Harris-snog-in-I-Need-Your-Love-video.html#ixzz2OBAHLO00

Read More

Billionaire Google Board Member Is Latest Victim Of "Guccifer" Hacking Rampage

Add a billionaire Silicon Valley titan to the growing list of public figures victimized by the hacker “Guccifer.”
Venture capitalist John Doerr had his AOL account breached several days ago by the same hacker responsible for illegally accessing the e-mails of Colin Powell, former White House aide Sidney Blumenthal, and assorted Bush family members (among others).
Doerr, 61, is a general partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the powerhouse venture capital firm. Doerr, whose net worth Forbes pegs at $2.7 billion, has worked closely with firms like Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Groupon, and has been a member of Google’s board of directors since May 1999.
Doerr’s AOL account was broken into last week by “Guccifer,” who sent unsolicited e-mails to TSG from the compromised account. “do you like my new face?” the hacker wrote in one e-mail. “i wear glasses right now an I have 2 zillion + in my bank accounts:))” Doerr is pictured above.
During his months-long spree, “Guccifer” has employed a series of “burner” e-mail accounts, and has also sent correspondence while “inside” e-mail accounts he has breached (including those of Doerr; John Negroponte, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and the wife of a Hollywood actor).
To prove that he controlled Doerr’s AOL account, “Guccifer” forwarded a screen grab of a page from its “Contacts” section that listed e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers for several Kleiner Perkins officials, as well as Doerr associates like author Walter Isaacson and AOL co-founder Steve Case. The “Guccifer” screen grab also showed that the Doerr account contained at least 5000 e-mails.
Doerr did not reply to a TSG e-mail seeking comment about “Guccifer”’s illegal access of his AOL account.
Doerr is not the first Kleiner Perkins figure to be victimized by the hacker. Powell has served as a “strategic adviser” to the firm since July 2005. After breaching the former Secretary of State’s AOL account earlier this month, “Guccifer” had access to correspondence from Kleiner Perkins partners and even confidential tax documents provided to Powell by the firm.

SOURCE : http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/hacking/john-doerr-hacked-by-guccifer-098742

Read More

Asteroids: NASA say best way to handle moon rock heading for Earth is to PRAY

Getty

The head of NASA revealed that the best way to handle a large asteroid heading for Earth... is to PRAY.
Charles Bolden told Congress that prayer was all the experts or anyone else could currently do about asteroids that may be on a collision course with the planet.
Over 1,500 people were injured when a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, last month - generating shock waves that shattered windows and damaged buildings.
On the same day, an asteroid discovered last year passed 17,200 miles from Earth, closer than television satellites that ring the planet.
When asked what Nasa's plans were if an asteroid was heading for New York, Bolden said: "The answer to you is 'pray'."
Democrat Eddie Johnson added: "We were lucky recent events were a coincidence, not a disaster."

SOURCE : http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/asteroids-nasa-say-best-way-1776121

Read More

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s comeback is working out well.

His third album, The 20/20 Experience, will hit No1 this Sunday, knocking DAVID BOWIE off the top of the charts.
After one day on sale Trousersnake was more than 30,000 copies ahead of David’s own comeback record The Next Day, according to early sales figures yesterday.
And there is more for his pop rivals to worry about with news he has confirmed another album for later this year.
He said at a playback on Monday night that the ten tracks on 20/20 are actually only “the first half of the album.”
It’s thought another ten (making 20) will follow in November.
Anyone else with an album out around then will be watching the release date closely.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4850743/justin-timberlake-album-set-for-number-one.html#ixzz2O4a5MsXD

Read More

R-Patz’s romp with 3 women

Romp ... R-Patz appears in raunchy advert

 

 

AS the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold.

And ROBERT PATTINSON has knocked up a double-filthy dish for his ex KRISTEN STEWART.
The screen star has acted out a FOURSOME with stunning models in a new advertising campaign — picking up £8million for his trouble.
That’s one better than pulling her best pal, in my book.
R-Patz indulges in some “arty” bed-hopping for a new Dior men’s clothing campaign which will be appearing everywhere from May.
He filmed his demanding gig just after Kristen broke his heart when pictures emerged of her and director RUPERT SANDERS getting it on. So he must have given the arduous shoot some extra welly — with an “e” not an “i”.
A Dior source revealed: “The advert is sexually explicit. It is pushing the boundaries of what you can get away with in advertising.

“Robert is topless for part of it and kissing one of the models with tongues. He really gets stuck in.
“There’s another scene where he takes part in a foursome in various states of undress, although it’s not clear whether those scenes will make the final cut.
“According to the people on set, he didn’t take much persuading to get into the role. He got stuck right in.”
And who can blame him? His ex didn’t hold back in those pictures with married man Rupert.
R-Patz should have taken some Polaroids and sent them to her too.
A lot of the Zoolander fashion mob are getting very excited about the new ads.
Dior are deliberately making an advert to ruffle some feathers — and sex sells. Especially sex with a box office star like posh-boy Robert.
Good on him for taking some of the fashion cash too.
Every time I’ve seen him, he has been dressed like an extra from Fresh Meat.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4850415/robert-pattinson-romp-with-3-women-in-advert.html#ixzz2O4ZOKbEY

Read More

Condoleezza Rice writing book on democracy

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is working on a book about democracy.
Henry Holt and Company announced Tuesday that the book, currently untitled, will be published in 2015. The 58-year-old Rice has previously written or co-written a handful of policy books, along with memoirs about her family and her years in the George W. Bush administration.
Rice served as national security adviser during Bush's first term and secretary of state during his second term. She is currently a professor of political economy and political science at Stanford University, where she has taught off and on since the early 1980s.
In her new book, Rice will draw on personal and professional experiences to address such issues as self-government, immigration and education.


SOURCE : http://www.wbir.com/watercooler/article/260634/141/Condoleezza-Rice-writing-book-on-democracy

Read More

Statue of Liberty to reopen by July 4

New York City's Statue of Liberty, closed to visitors since Superstorm Sandy hit in late October, will reopen by Independence Day, the National Park Service announced Tuesday.
"Sandy inflicted major damage on facilities that support the Statue of Liberty - destroying the docks, crippling the energy infrastructure on Ellis Island and wiping out the security screening system - but we are fully committed to reopening this crown jewel as soon as it's safe for visitors and not a second later," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a statement. "Based on the tremendous progress we have made, Lady Liberty will be open to the public in time for the July 4th celebration."
Salazar emphasized the importance of reopening the statue to the New York economy. A park service report released last month showed 3.7 million people visited the site in 2011, generating $174 million in economic activity and supporting 2,218 jobs.
Repairs to the docks needed to transport visitors to Liberty Island are being funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Lands Highways Program, as part of $28 million committed to roads and bridges in federal parks and recreation areas in New York and New Jersey damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Officials estimated as much as three-fourths of Liberty Island's 12 acres was flooded, notes the Associated Press, with water reaching as high as eight feet.
Sandy arrived one day after the Statue of Liberty's 126th birthday and the reopening of the crown, which had been closed for a year for a $30 million upgrade to fire alarms, sprinkler systems and exit routes.

SOURCE : http://www.wbir.com/watercooler/article/260586/141/Statue-of-Liberty-to-reopen-by-July-4-

Read More

"FastDiet' Book Is Attracting Dieters, and Doubters

Michael Mosley is the author of the new diet book called "The FastDiet." He is also starring in a PBS series that will air April 3. (Photo: Rebecca McAlpin for USA TODAY)

The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy and Live Longer With the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting (Atria Books, $24), by British physician Michael Mosley and writer Mimi Spencer, is No. 46 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list. Mosley stars in an upcoming three-part PBS series. The first part, Eat, Fast and Live Longer With Michael Mosley, airs April 3.
The diet has a following in the United Kingdom, including some cardiovascular surgeons, TV journalists, chefs and celebrities.
But the book is generating a bit of controversy on this side of the pond. Obesity experts in the USA say the diet may be hard for many people to adhere to, and more research needs to be done to determine if it's safe and effective. And one U.S. researcher doesn't like how her work was used in the book to support the diet.
"I am a scientist at heart and I do not remotely claim that this is the be-all and end-all," Mosley says. "It's just the beginning of something interesting. People need to try it for themselves and see if it works."
Mosley, 55, who works for BBC as a medical journalist, says that when he first read about the alleged benefits of intermittent fasting, he was skeptical, too. "Nothing in my medical training had prepared me for this," he says. Although most of the world's great religions advocate fasting for faith purposes and some for health purposes, it seemed drastic and difficult to him.
But then Mosley had some medical tests done and discovered he had some risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, and he was a bit too heavy. "My doctor recommended I go on medication for high blood sugar and high cholesterol. She predicted that in 10 years I would be on eight different medications. I decided I wanted to find a different way."
So he asked his boss at BBC if he could use himself as a "guinea pig" to explore the science behind life extension, which focuses on calorie restriction and fasting.
Based on his review of the research, he created what he calls the "5:2 diet." Five days a week, he eats normally; two days a week, he eats 600 calories. For women, he recommends 500 calories on the fasting days. That would be about two poached eggs on a slice of whole-grain toast and a bowl of raspberries for breakfast, and roast salmon with green beans and cherry tomatoes for dinner.
Daily caloric needs vary depending on gender, age, height and physical activity level. An older sedentary woman might need only 1,600 calories a day to maintain her weight, while an active younger man might need 3,000.
Mosley divides his calories on the fasting days into two meals - breakfast and lunch. "You can have it all in one meal if you fancy. I found I was really quite irritable if I didn't have breakfast." He eats 300 calories at breakfast, often eggs with a bit of ham, and 300 calories for dinner - lots of vegetables and a lean protein. During the day he drinks lots of fluids, such as water, tea and coffee.
If people eat 500 or 600 calories on the two fasting days each week and don't significantly overeat on the "feed days" the rest of the week, they will lose weight in a steady fashion, he says. Mosley didn't find himself overeating on the feed days.
So what about feeling hungry? "I've gotten used to it. Hunger is one of those things that generally passes," Mosley says.
Where he used to grab sugary treats when he was hungry, he now snacks on vegetables. "I crave vegetables because they're what I satisfy myself with on a fasting day."
Some people worry that intermittent fasting will make them unable to focus, he says. "What I've discovered is that it sharpens my senses and my brain."
He thinks the plan may work for some people because it doesn't require the deprivation that characterizes many diet plans. Dieters still get to enjoy the foods they love, most of the time, he says.
Before he started intermittent fasting, Mosley, who is 5-foot-11, weighed 187 pounds and had a body mass index of 26, which put him into the overweight category. His waist was 36 inches; his neck, 17. His fasting blood glucose (a measure of diabetes risk) was too high, along with his cholesterol.
After two months on his program, he weighed 168 pounds, a loss of 19 pounds. He had a body mass index of 24, and his waist was 33 inches. His neck size was 16. His cholesterol and blood glucose and other factors fell to the normal range.
"I didn't want to lose any more because my wife, who is a doctor, said I was looking gaunt. These days, I fast one day a week, and often skip lunch on the other days."
One scientist who studies fasting takes exception to the way some of her work was used in the book. "My research on alternate-day fasting has been misrepresented in the book," says Krista Varady, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois-Chicago. "He is using my research, which looks at fasting three to four days a week, to support his diet, which encourages fasting two days a week."
But Mosley says he was partly inspired to try the 5:2 approach after reading research done by Michelle Harvie, a dietitian in England who wrote The 2-Day Diet.
U.S. obesity experts say Mosley's plan may work for some, but many questions remain.
"I am aware of only one randomized, controlled trial that compared conventional daily calorie restriction with the 5:2 diet plan," says Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "In that six-month trial, weight loss and most health benefits from weight loss were the same in both groups.
"Additional and longer-term studies are needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the 5:2 diet approach and to determine which people might be more compliant with intermittent fasting than conventional daily calorie restriction," he says.
Klein says the real question is this: "Is it easier for people to starve two days a week than to reduce their calorie intake every day?"
"We do not know whether intermittent fasting has independent health benefits beyond weight loss alone," he says. "In rodents, alternate-day fasting has metabolic health benefits without a change in body weight," he says. However, alternative-day fasting in people causes weight loss, so it's difficult to separate the benefits of intermittent fasting from those of the weight loss itself, he says.
Tim Church, director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, says, "We know that one diet doesn't fit all. This style of caloric control may work for some people, but we need more research to test the proposed mechanisms and benefits."
The bigger question is whether people can stick with a fasting diet, given the amount of time and energy it takes, he says.
To learn about the science behind fasting, Mosley interviewed several researchers, including ones with the National Institute on Aging and at several major universities across the country. Much of the research on fasting has been done on rats and mice, but there have been 11 human trials on it, Mosley says.
Some of the medical benefits of fasting involve the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1, called IGF-1, Mosley says. People need adequate levels when they are young and growing, but high levels later in life appear to lead to accelerated aging and cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer, he says. Fasting appears to reduce the levels of IGF-1, and it appears to switch on a number of repair genes. The reason it happens is not fully understood, he says.
Mosley says fasting may also increase production of a brain-derived neurotropic factor that seems to improve mood and protect the brain against the ravages of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and age-related mental decline. "This is based on animal research, and they are doing human studies now."
Marji McCullough, a nutrition epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society, says, "Higher levels of IGF-1 have been linked to several cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. Whether reducing IGF-1 levels will lower cancer risk is plausible but not proven."
The key for any diet is whether or not people can stick with it and keep the weight off, she says.
Mosley believes fasting has "undone" some of the damage he has done to his body over the years and hopes that it will help him live longer and healthier.
He recommends seeing your doctor before starting a fasting program. He says fasting is not recommended for people who are pregnant, those who are underweight, people with diabetes (especially type 1), and children and teenagers who aren't fully grown. And he wouldn't recommend it to people who have issues with food, although "there is no evidence it will trigger anorexia or bulimia," Mosley says.
Although plenty of people have reported their weight-loss success stories to him, not everyone is going to get the results they want, Mosley says. "No diet is going to agree with everyone. Some people find that they don't lose weight as fast as they thought. That's probably from overeating on the other five days. It's not magic."

SOURCE :  http://www.wltx.com/news/watercooler/article/228205/363/FastDiet-Book-Is-Attracting-Dieters-and-Doubters

Read More

1,000-year-old Chinese Bowl Sells for Over $2.22M

(CBS NEWS)  NEW YORK      A rare Chinese bowl bought at a tag sale for $3 has sold at a New York auction for more than $2.22 million.

The 1,000-year-old bowl was part of the opening session of Sotheby's fine Chinese ceramics and works of art auction Tuesday.

Sotheby's says it was sold to a London dealer for $2.225 million, far above the presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.

The person who put the bowl up for auction bought it at a tag sale in 2007 and had it displayed in the living room for several years before becoming curious about its origins and having it examined.

The bowl is 5 inches in diameter, white in color and from the Northern Song Dynasty.

SOURCE : http://www.wltx.com/news/watercooler/article/228172/363/1000-year-old-Chinese-Bowl-Sells-for-Over-222M-

Read More

They did WHAT! Khloe officiates over a very vulgar sibling rivalry... as Kim and Kourtney get competitive over their sex life

Even for the warts-and-all Kardashian sisters who are famous for their indiscreet reality show, it was definitely too much information.
In what is a new low sisters Kim and Kourtney decided to hold a very vulgar competition on Sunday night's reality show - to see whose private parts smell the sweetest!
While in London staying at world reknowned hotel The Dorchester, the trio used their spare time in the luxury confines to test sister Khloe's theory that drinking lots of pineapple juice 'makes everything sweeter'.

Tale of the tape: Kim Kardashian offers Kourtney a sniff of her intimate aroma in a bizarre contest with her sister on Sunday's episode of Kourtney & Kim Take Miami

It was certainly a new low for the brash sisters, in an episode that was filled with wall-to-wall vulgarity, as Khloe teased Kourtney about whether she had sex recently with husband Scott Disick - and if he had said she 'was sweet?'.

'Obviously I always am - better than Kim would be,' Kourtney insisted.

Sensing a challenge, Kim lewdly joked: 'A vagina smell-off!'

Too much information? Kim and Kourtney engaged the reluctant Khloe to be a judge in the contest

I declare the winner! Khloe said Kim's private parts smelled better than her older sister's

She later told cameras on their show Kourtney and Kim Take Miami: 'Kourtney seems very competitive about her vagina. I don't know why Kourtney is challenging me - but she will lose.'

Although it started as a joke, the pair took the competition seriously and, while in London to promote their Dorothy Perkins line of clothing, they endlessly drank pineapple juice.

'If I'm going to win this I need to get as much pineapple juice as I can,' Kourtney admitted, telling friends: 'It makes the vag smell good'.

Reluctant: The contest was the last thing Khloe expected when she jetted into London

The sweetest thing: Kim and Khloe made sure they drank a lot of pineapple juice to win the contest

When Khloe finally joined them in London, her older siblings shocked her by carrying out the plan, and in eye-popping scenes led the sisters in taking it in turns to wipe themselves on hand towels and forcing her to smell it.

'Do I want to be the judge of the pineapple p****? Not really,' Khloe said. 'But we're sisters - If  can't smell their p****** what else am I supposed to do?'

Kourtney was the first to present her towel, with Khloe sniffing and saying: 'Mmm, smells like a tropical island.'

As Kim walked out, Khloe told her 'I'm not smelling Kanye's ****', but Kim forced her towel on her.
'Oooh,' Khloe said, blushing. 'It smells like a flower p****.'

As the sisters waited for her decision, she finally said: 'Honestly, I will say that Kim's p**** smells the best - she's the kitty winner.'

Drinking on the job: Kourtney sipped on pineapple juice even when meeting Sir Phillip Green at their fashion launch

Doing the rounds: The sisters posed up with Green outside Topshop during the UK tour

But Kourtney was not convinced. 'If Kim needs to think she's won, then fine, I'll let her think that - but we all know whose vagina is the sweetest of them all,' she insisted.

Private parts were rather a the central theme of the latest episode, with Khloe also getting some Ben Wa Balls because she read that they 'tighten things up'.

'Ben Wa Balls baby - my p**** is going to be tighter than it's ever been before!' she said excitedly when she finally bought some.

'How will I know? What is the test for my vagina to say, "Oh yeah, those Ben Wa Balls really worked, man"? I just want to see if it's tight, and this is the test.'

After a pause she added: 'I've never had any complaints, by the way.'

Enjoying the British way of life: Khloe, Kim and Kourtney waved flags as they launched their Kardashian Kollection for Dorothy Perkins at Westfield

Meet and greet: Thousands of fans turned up for the launch in a bid to catch a glimpse of the world-famous siblings

But what goes up does not so easily go down - and she was forced to perform some weird gyrating exercises, with Kourtney also spanking her, to get the balls out.

The intimacy also continued when Khloe grabbed Kim's breasts and joked: 'These are like my mood ring - let me see what mood I'm going to be in.'

Kourtney was not so kind to her curvy sister, telling Kim: 'your ass is so large I don't know how you can even run' as they went jogging together in matching black skin-tight outfits.

Meanwhile, the episode also showed the moment that Khloe, riding in a car with her family, got the call that she had landed the job as co-host of the U.S. X Factor.

What mood am I in? The intimate scenes continued as Khloe had a grope of her sister's breasts

How do you even run? Kourtney told Kim she doesn't know how she works out because her bottom is so big

But it also showed her stressing out amid a series of disasters - including her nipples showing through her dress onstage, another dress ripping and her make-up crew not turning up for her first ever show.

'Maybe I did bite off more than I can chew,' she admitted, even asking mother Kris Jenner to call Simon Cowell and get her out of the show.

'I'm going to fake a heart attack to get out of it - you don't know how stressful it is,' she told her mother.

Meanwhile Scott Disick was his eccentric best as he threw a bizarre party in his Miami home while his family were away in London.

Nervous: Khloe was seen reading her script before heading onto host The X Factor USA for the first time

You can do it! Khloe was supported by her family during the debut of her hosting the show

After getting himself a throne and coat of armour, the self-styled Lord Disick dressed up as a medieval king,  and even flew in a personal butler who had to call him 'my Lord'.

'OK freak,' his wife told him during a video chat where she viewed his over the top ensemble complete with crown.

At the 'Lord Disick' party, he arrived in a 'chariot' - an open topped car - and made everyone treat him like a Lord, before he finally trashed everything.

'I'm pretty sure Miami will never be the same after this party,' he bragged.

What are you doing? Scott's embracing of his new-found Lord title left his partner bemused

Time to celebrate: Scott hosted a party to give 'Lord Disick' a royal introduction

But he soon realised his plans for 'guy time' without his family were not what he hoped - and finally flew to London to be with Kourtney and their son Mason because he was 'so lonely'.

'In my mind having some alone time, not having all these responsibilities, always sounds good - until they're not there. And then I'm anxious, bored and miss everybody,' he told his girlfriend.

Kim also talked about how she had just been on 'the most amazing trip ever' after returning from Italy where boyfriend Kanye West had taken her for birthday.

She joked about how a fan in tears approached her and said, 'Kim I have to tell you my sister is going through an awful divorce, and I'm like, "Aren't we all",' referring to her ongoing divorce nightmare from Kris Humphries.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2295087/Khloe-Kardashian-sniffs-Kim-Kourtneys-private-parts-bizarre-competition-reality-show.html#ixzz2Ntiilk7s

Read More

Nadal and Sharapova win Indian Wells titles

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Rafael Nadal continued his successful comeback with his third title in four tournaments, and Maria Sharapova broke through, too.

Nadal rallied to beat Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and win the BNP Paribas Open after Sharapova claimed her first title of the year, 6-2, 6-2 over Caroline Wozniacki in the women's final on Sunday.
Nadal improved to a career-best 17-1 on the year, including 14 straight match wins since returning in early February after a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury.
He's won three titles - two on clay while runner-up in another on his favorite surface - and now his first on hard courts since Tokyo in October 2010. He had lost six previous finals on the surface.
"That's makes emotional week for me," he said. "Very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them."
Sharapova, runner-up here last year, won her first Indian Wells title since 2006. She and Nadal each earned $1 million.
"It's nice to hold up that trophy after so many years," she said.
The victories moved up both players in this week's rankings. Nadal is No. 4 and Sharapova is No. 2 behind Serena Williams.
"Number 1 is a great number," Sharapova said. "But I think at this point in my career, titles and Grand Slams are just a bigger priority."
Nadal won his 600th career match and broke a tie with Roger Federer for most career ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles with his 22nd.
Nadal defeated Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals, then took out Tomas Berdych in two sets in the semis. Against Del Potro, Nadal rolled to an early lead in a match that was marked by several momentum swings.
Nadal served three love games in the third set, capping his last one with a 123-mph ace that gave him a 5-3 lead.
Del Potro came from love-40 down and fought off three match points to hold at 5-4. But Nadal served out the match, dropping just one point in the final game of the 2 1/2-hour match in the desert heat.
"I try to put the match in a little bit slower rhythm and waited for the right moments to go for the point and worked well," he said. "Del Potro is a fantastic player, so it's not easy to change the dynamic of the match like this."
Del Potro saved three break points to lead 1-0 in the third. Nadal held at love, taking three games in a row for a 3-1 lead that he never gave up.
After falling behind 3-0, Del Potro won eight of the next nine games to claim the opening set and take a 2-0 lead in the second.
"I was wrong in strategy for moments, something that for me is not usual, because normally I can have mistakes with the shots," Nadal said, "but with the tactics and how I have to manage the points, how I have to play the points, normally I am right."
Del Potro went up 3-1 before Nadal won the final five games and the set 6-3 on a 105-mph ace that capped a love service game.
After Nadal picked himself up, he hugged Del Potro, then trotted behind the baseline to clasp hands with billionaire tournament owner Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. before falling to his knees near the net and raising his arms in celebration. Nadal playfully took a bite out of the Baccarat crystal trophy.
Del Potro came up short in his bid to beat three Top-10 players in the same tournament for the second time in his career. He defeated No. 3 Andy Murray and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets apiece in becoming the second Argentine since Guillermo Villas in 1977 to reach the final here.
Sharapova dictated from the opening game, when she broke Wozniacki at love with groundstrokes that had the Dane running from side to side. Sharapova faced just two break points on her serve in the nearly 1 1/2-hour match.
"I always felt like I was always a foot ahead, especially with the breaks," she said. "I was able to serve well today, and that helped me."
The victory gave Sharapova at least one title for 11 straight years dating to 2003.

SOURCE : http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/18/4127896/nadal-and-sharapova-win-indian.html

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/18/4127896/nadal-and-sharapova-win-indian.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/18/4127896/nadal-and-sharapova-win-indian.html#storylink=cpy

Nadal rallied to beat Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and win the BNP Paribas Open after Sharapova claimed her first title of the year, 6-2, 6-2 over Caroline Wozniacki in the women's final on Sunday.
Nadal improved to a career-best 17-1 on the year, including 14 straight match wins since returning in early February after a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury.
He's won three titles - two on clay while runner-up in another on his favorite surface - and now his first on hard courts since Tokyo in October 2010. He had lost six previous finals on the surface.
"That's makes emotional week for me," he said. "Very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them."
Sharapova, runner-up here last year, won her first Indian Wells title since 2006. She and Nadal each earned $1 million.
"It's nice to hold up that trophy after so many years," she said.
The victories moved up both players in this week's rankings. Nadal is No. 4 and Sharapova is No. 2 behind Serena Williams.
"Number 1 is a great number," Sharapova said. "But I think at this point in my career, titles and Grand Slams are just a bigger priority."
Nadal won his 600th career match and broke a tie with Roger Federer for most career ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles with his 22nd.
Nadal defeated Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals, then took out Tomas Berdych in two sets in the semis. Against Del Potro, Nadal rolled to an early lead in a match that was marked by several momentum swings.
Nadal served three love games in the third set, capping his last one with a 123-mph ace that gave him a 5-3 lead.
Del Potro came from love-40 down and fought off three match points to hold at 5-4. But Nadal served out the match, dropping just one point in the final game of the 2 1/2-hour match in the desert heat.
"I try to put the match in a little bit slower rhythm and waited for the right moments to go for the point and worked well," he said. "Del Potro is a fantastic player, so it's not easy to change the dynamic of the match like this."
Del Potro saved three break points to lead 1-0 in the third. Nadal held at love, taking three games in a row for a 3-1 lead that he never gave up.
After falling behind 3-0, Del Potro won eight of the next nine games to claim the opening set and take a 2-0 lead in the second.
"I was wrong in strategy for moments, something that for me is not usual, because normally I can have mistakes with the shots," Nadal said, "but with the tactics and how I have to manage the points, how I have to play the points, normally I am right."
Del Potro went up 3-1 before Nadal won the final five games and the set 6-3 on a 105-mph ace that capped a love service game.
After Nadal picked himself up, he hugged Del Potro, then trotted behind the baseline to clasp hands with billionaire tournament owner Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. before falling to his knees near the net and raising his arms in celebration. Nadal playfully took a bite out of the Baccarat crystal trophy.
Del Potro came up short in his bid to beat three Top-10 players in the same tournament for the second time in his career. He defeated No. 3 Andy Murray and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets apiece in becoming the second Argentine since Guillermo Villas in 1977 to reach the final here.
Sharapova dictated from the opening game, when she broke Wozniacki at love with groundstrokes that had the Dane running from side to side. Sharapova faced just two break points on her serve in the nearly 1 1/2-hour match.
"I always felt like I was always a foot ahead, especially with the breaks," she said. "I was able to serve well today, and that helped me."
The victory gave Sharapova at least one title for 11 straight years dating to 2003.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/18/4127896/nadal-and-sharapova-win-indian.html#storylink=cpy

Read More

Canadian prisoners captured after daring helicopter escape

(CNN) -- Even by dramatic jailbreak standards, this escape was particularly brazen.

Two men posing as tourists reportedly commandeered a helicopter from a Canadian tour company, ordered the pilot to fly over a detention center near Montreal, hoisted two inmates using cables or ropes into the hovering aircraft -- and zipped away.

All in broad daylight. All in full view of incredulous witnesses.

It was a real "James Bond moment," witness Francis Emond told CNN affiliate CTV about Sunday's escape from the correctional facility in Saint -Jerome, about half-hour northwest of Montreal.

But despite the movie-worthy getaway, the prisoners' freedom didn't last long.

By early Monday morning, authorities arrested both inmates and two other people.

A pilot roped into the plot?

Authorities have not yet said how long they believe the plot had been percolating.

But it was put into play early Sunday afternoon.

The helicopter belonged to a tour company in Mont-Tremblant, a city in Quebec about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Montreal.

Two men posing as tourists hired the chopper for a tour, said a reporter from LCN television network who said he knows the pilot.

Once they were in the air, the men held a gun to the pilot's head and reportedly ordered him to fly to Saint-Jerome.

Quebec provincial police spokesman Benoit Richard would not comment on the reports.

Reaction time 'probably too slow'

Once at the detention center, the helicopter hovered as two inmates climbed aboard using cables or ropes lowered for them, police said.

Slack-jawed prison guards watched as the helicopter then spirited away as two of their prisoners clung on.

One of them, police said, was 36-year-old Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau who had beaten a double murder conviction on an appeal. But he was in prison in connection with an attempted murder investigation.

The other, 33-year-old Danny Provencal, was serving a seven-year sentence for various offenses, including arson, police said.

The prison, which houses 480 inmates, knows how to handle the expected. About a month ago, it quelled a riot before it got out of hand.

But, Yves Galarneau, the deputy director general of Correctional Services Western Quebec, he'd never seen anything like this escape in his three-decade-long career.

"The reaction time was probably too slow," he told reporters, adding that everything happened very quickly.

Galarneau also acknowledged the jail did not have security protocol in place to prevent a helicopter from swooping in.

"As far as I know, it's a first in Quebec," he told reporters at the scene. "It's exceptional."

A manhunt for the fugitives followed.

Calls to a station

Adding an extra layer of audacity to an already extraordinary caper, a man claiming to be Hudon-Barbeau called a Montreal radio station to say he'd been shot in the calf during the escape -- and to justify his departure.

"I don't want to cause any harm to anybody. I am not a killer. I never did anything bad to an innocent," the man told 98.5 FM.

"I know that (the escape) wasn't the best thing to do, but I didn't want to stay in prison anymore. I am ready to die."

The man then said the escape was Provencal's idea.

"It was not my idea to get away but Danny convinced me it was his friends who arranged it outside," the man said.

Chopper found

Authorities found the chopper back in Mont-Tremblant, from where it originally left.

The pilot was inside but the men had fled.

He was taken to a hospital for a medical assessment and later for questioning.

The men, meanwhile, escaped in a white Cadillac Escalade -- with police on their tail.

A short-lived breakout

Authorities tracked the SUV to the town of Chersey, about 50 minutes north of Saint-Jerome.

LCN, the television station, showed images of a cottage where the men were believed to be hiding. Outside, the white Cadillac stood, its driver's side door open.

Six hours after the escape, police arrested three men.

One of them was Hudon-Barbeau. Police did not release the names of the other two.

But Provencal was still missing.

Several hours would go by before he too was in custody.

Police found him holed up inside a sugar shack in the same city.

He eventually surrendered early Monday morning.

All four men will appear in a court in Saint-Jerome Monday to face charges.

Police have not yet decided what they will be.

Escapes not unheard of

While spectacular, airborne escapes are not unheard of.

Albanian inmate Alket Rizaj broke out of a maximum security prison in Greece twice -- in 2006 and 2009.

On both occasions, accomplices swooped in to the prison's courtyard on helicopters and inmates climbed aboard using rope ladders.

Both times, Rizaj was recaptured.

Last month, another prison escape in Greece tried to use the same tactic.

But the plot was foiled when the prisoner was shot and the chopper was forced to land on the prison parking lot.

In 1971, a New Yorker escaped from a Mexican jail aboard a helicopter and went on to become the subject of the book, "The 10-second Jailbreak : The Helicopter Escape of Joel David Kaplan."

And in France, Pascal Payet escaped not once, not twice but three times from French prisons.

Each time, he was recaptured.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Ross Levitt, Paula Newton and Alexander Hunter contributed to this report.

SOURCE : http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/305380/58/Canadian-prisoners-captured-after-daring-helicopter-escape

Read More