Gigantic Radio Telescope to Search for First Stars and Galaxies (SPACE.com)

More than 20,000 radio antennas will soon connect over the Internet to scan largely unexplored radio frequencies, hunting for the first stars and galaxies and potentially signals of extraterrestrial intelligence.

The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) will consist of banks of antennas in 48 stations in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, all hooked up by fiber optic cables. Signals from these stations will be combined using a supercomputer, transforming the array into "perhaps the most complex and versatile radio telescope ever attempted," said Heino Falcke, chairman of the board for the International LOFAR Telescope.

Currently 16,000 of LOFAR's antennas and 41 of its stations are up, and the array will be completed by the middle of this year. All told, LOFAR will have a resolution equivalent to a telescope 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) in diameter. In addition, "it's an expandable design ? we can always come along later and add additional stations," said Michael Wise at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy.

Since LOFAR is so large, it can scan large parts of the heavens ? its first all-sky survey, which started Jan. 9, can sweep across "the entire northern sky twice in just 45 days," said George Heald of ASTRON.

LOFAR is also very fast, capable of measuring events only five-billionths of a second long. In addition, the fact that LOFAR is essentially many different radio telescopes knit together means it can run, say, three different science projects simultaneously, Wise said.

The array is designed to monitor low-frequency radio waves, a largely unexplored part of radiation from the sky. One critical source of these radio emissions are extremely feeble signals from the cold hydrogen gas that dominated the cosmos during the so-called dark ages of the universe. As stars eventually came into being, they would have left scars on this hydrogen, and by analyzing how the radio signals from this gas changed over time, scientists can therefore learn much about how the first galaxies came to be. ?[Infographic Tour: History & Structure of the Universe]

"This is a pivotal phase in the early evolution of the universe, stretching from 400 million to 800 million years after the Big Bang," said Ger de Bruyn of ASTRON. "We'd like to know when exactly it happened, how it happened, how fast it happened."

LOFAR will also scan for artificial radio emissions as part of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Past SETI missions focused on higher frequency radio waves, but perhaps alien civilizations preferred lower frequencies.

"LOFAR can do interesting SETI experiments," Falcke told SPACE.com. "In the next couple of years, we'll be trying it."

Low-frequency radio waves are also emitted around intensely powerful cosmic objects such as black holes, and investigating these could help scientists better understand the inner workings of these ferocious systems. For instance, when it comes to pulsars ? the highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars that can form after supernovas ? LOFAR can monitor radio emissions from within about 60 miles (100 kilometers) of the pulsar's surface, said Jason Hessels of ASTRON.

LOFAR will open its capabilities to astronomers internationally starting in May. Scientists at LOFAR detailed their work earlier this month at the 219th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas.

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcom?and on?Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120131/sc_space/giganticradiotelescopetosearchforfirststarsandgalaxies

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UN panel urges world at Rio to launch energy fixes (AP)

GENEVA ? A high-profile U.N. panel headed by the presidents of Finland and South Africa hopes to spark an "ever-green" energy revolution later this year in Brazil using a general roadmap it presented Monday on how world leaders could wean the world off fossil fuels.

Its report links the world body's goals of reducing poverty and inequality to promoting the use of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy to run the economies of nations rich and poor.

To do that, the panel urges that nations fully integrate the social and environmental costs of their commerce into the prices and measures of their economic goods and services. They also call for creation of a global education fund, improvements in human rights and more programs to empower women ? all with the aim of overhauling economies.

The report says governments and international organizations "should work to create a new green revolution ? an 'ever-green revolution' for the 21st century" by spending more on agricultural research, protecting imperiled plant and animal species, conserving land and water and fighting pollution.

It also encourages the creation of regional oceans and coastal management bodies that protect world fisheries supplying 170 million jobs and daily protein for about one in five people on the planet.

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created the 22-member high-level panel in August 2010 to focus on one of his top priorities by providing the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development with a roadmap for its meeting in June at Rio de Janeiro.

The panel is headed by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. Other panel members include top officials from the United States, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and some former world leaders.

The conference known as Rio+20 is a follow-up to the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio that galvanized the global environmental movement.

It was at that gathering two decades ago that the world first agreed to accept voluntary controls on greenhouse gases. National leaders signed on to a treaty committing them to work "to protect the climate system for present and future generations."

Five years after Rio, negotiators added the Kyoto Protocol to the treaty. The Kyoto pact ordered cuts in emissions of heat-trapping cuts by 37 industrialized nations, but the U.S. rejected it. Subsequent climate summits have so far failed to craft a successor to Kyoto, which expires at the end of 2012.

Scientists have produced persuasive evidence that the carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that industry, transport and farming pour into the atmosphere are trapping heat and raising global temperatures, with potentially damaging effects from a changing climate.

The panel's report, presented at an African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is billed as a new blueprint for sustainable development and "low-carbon prosperity," with 56 recommendations to help get those priorities mainstreamed into nation's economic policies.

"With the possibility of the world slipping further into recession, policymakers are hungry for ideas that can help them to navigate these difficult times," Zuma said in a statement. "Our report makes clear that sustainable development is more important than ever given the multiple crises now enveloping the world."

Jim Leape, director-general of Swiss-based WWF International, one of the world's largest conservation groups, said the recommendations are "the highest-level political signal yet of greater readiness" by world leaders to transition away from fossil fuels.

"This report makes the alarming point that while we are already exceeding the Earth's capacity to support us, by 2030 we will need 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water than we do today," he said.

But in a statement the group also criticized the U.N. report because it "fails to suggest any concrete, time-bound commitments for progress, leaving policies open to governments to implement as they saw fit."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_un_energy_revolution

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Ancient Mummy Had Prostate Cancer

CAIRO -- A professor from American University in Cairo says discovery of prostate cancer in a 2,200-year-old mummy indicates the disease was caused by genetics, not environment.

The genetics-environment question is key to understanding cancer.

AUC professor Salima Ikram, a member of the team that studied the mummy in Portugal for two years, said Sunday the mummy was of a man who died in his forties.

She said this was the second oldest known case of prostate cancer.

"Living conditions in ancient times were very different; there were no pollutants or modified foods, which leads us to believe that the disease is not necessarily only linked to industrial factors," she said.

A statement from AUC says the oldest known case came from a 2,700 year-old skeleton of a king in Russia.

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/researchers-find-cancer-in-mummy_n_1240756.html

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Apple Buy Hollywood? That?s A Terrible Idea

Apple should not use its $100 billion in cash to buy, or buy into Hollywood. While it would most assuredly (ahem, cough) disrupt the system, it would not spur the kind of creative chaos and innovation that would lead to the Emerald City of any show, on demand, for free, to rent, or buy, or subscribe, and organized by taste or popularity, or you! In fact, Apple buying into Hollywood, would actually kill Hollywood. Here?s why:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/l6KZ0r94d4U/

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Video: Ford Misses Earnings Estimates

A breakdown of why Ford missed estimates. with CNBC's Phil LeBeau and Mike Ward, Sterne Agee auto analyst.

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Hit me: Gingrich spokesman calls the CNN debate a blackjack ?push? (The Ticket)

Newt Gingrich disembarks from his campaign plane in Miami, Fla. (Matt Rourke/AP)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Even Newt Gingrich's top aides agree: Thursday's debate? wasn't their boss's hottest night.

Mitt Romney showed up armed with the safety turned off. When the other candidates tried to return fire, Romney ducked, dodged and fired right back.

Tensions were already high between Romney and Gingrich before they entered the debate hall. The night was a culmination of a 48-hour media blitz against the former House Speaker on the Florida airwaves. Romney and his surrogates pounded Gingrich all week: Bob Dole released a scathing statement against him; former Reagan aides questioned his commitment to conservatism; and others derided his?discussions of?building a colony on the moon before the end of his second term.

After the debate, Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond huddled with reporters who were waiting to fly with the candidate 350 miles south to Miami.? "Right now he's taking every axe, arrow, rock, pin, piece of poison, something you can choke a child on, and throwing it at us," Hammond said of Romney.

A few feet away, a photographer for a magazine played a harmonica. As Hammond spun the debate, another reporter belched.

"In 2008, this is where Romney's ticket ended," Hammond went on to say. "And he knows that if he does not make it out with a big margin out of Florida, then his campaign is over."

A reporter tried to interject with a question.

"I'm not done!" Hammond shouted. "Every single time he steps out on the podium to forward that positive vision, when you have an agitating force in the power of Mitt Romney next to you, who is going out and misleading and abusing the truth in the way that he does, you end up getting in a bit of a nit-nat fight every once and a while."

"You both are stretching the truth," a reporter shot back.

Hammond ignored her. The photographer continued to play his harmonica.

"Romney knows that if he doesn't win Florida really big, then his ticket's over," Hammond said.

Another reporter asked about Gingrich's weak debate performance.

"Nineteen debates, I'd call this one a push," Hammond said.

"A push?" a reporter asked.

"What's a push mean?" another said.

"A push," Hammond said. "A draw."

"You had a push with who?"

Hammond sighed.

"So, in blackjack, when you tie the dealer, when you don't get the break either way, it's a push," he said. "So that's what I'm calling tonight's debate."

Sheldon Adelson would approve.

Correction, Jan. 27, 12:03 p.m.: This story has been updated to indicate that the harmonica player was a photographer, not a writer.

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:

Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add us on Tumblr.

Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20120127/el_yblog_theticket/hit-me-gingrich-spokesman-calls-the-cnn-debate-a-blackjack-push

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#scio12: The Big Takeaway from the Broadening Participation Panel

Science Online has become my favorite annual conference to attend, by far.? Where else can I be simultaneously surrounded by, tutored, and refreshed by hundreds of folks who are equally geeked about science, technology, outreach, quality education, and social justice and equality as I am? And I love, nay exhilarated by the fact that these comrades are like me, but like me in so many beautiful, complex and different ways.? It warms my heart and feeds my soul. It really does.

I was honored, again, that The Blogfather Bora Z, asked me moderate a session on Broadening Participation of Underrepresented Populations in Online Science Communication & Communities.? There was plenty of discussion and sharing among the participants, which I suppose was near 30 or so (I?m bad a mental math).

Alberto Roca of MinorityPostdoc.org aggregated the notes from the session (which I was typing on the spot).?The?notes include a list of Action Items generated from the discussion. ?It also some video from the session, thanks to Tim Skellet, as well as a Storify summary of? tweets related to the session that occurred both before, during, and after. In fact the tweets continue. Search the hashtags #scio12 #diversity to get the scoop.

The notes give you an idea of the issues we broached.? And truth be told, I believe we could have spent another hour exploring some of the topics more fully.? But there were some very good take home messages, for the people in the room and anyone else in the science, education, and communication worlds that could make the goal of bringing more people into the fold a reality.

1. Regarding blogging, we can each work to create more reader-friendly blog posts.? For example, add more detailed captions for photos.? Some people may be google images and this search activity could bring newer audiences to your blog.? Plus, with more people from urban communities using mobile devices to access the internet, make sure your page is optimized for such viewing.

2. Real life connections still matter, and perhaps more than ever.? Mentoring young scholars ? whether they become scientists/engineers or not is an important if not pivotal piece in the broadening participation jigsaw puzzles.? Plus, it?s important that we maintain real contact with people who may not read blogs very much. We still can be that key resource to them, personally, and their sole connection to science and innovation.

3. The highlight of the session was the incomparable and wise, Dr. Cynthia Coleman (Musings on Native Science). Through her very engaging (and almost hyponotic) story-telling style she eloquently illustrated the imperative of?comprehending cultural norms for different communities.? Many communities such as Native peoples of America have multi-generational traditions for passing on knowledge or us, oral history/story-telling traditions to explain natural phenomena or new discoveries.? And something that really touched the entire audience is that for Native Americans, science isn?t a separate way of knowing.? Science is mbedded/intertwined/enmeshed in everything.? It is a part of the spiritual traditions and rituals of the people. ?And I was heartened to learn that the Ecological Society of America (ESA) is recognizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge or TEK in its programming.? Which opened up the conversation and a member of the USDA Forest Service Eastern Forest & Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center reached out to members of the audience to partner with communicating with different audiences.

4. Finally, Gabe Lyon of Project Exploration really drove home a very important point: There is NO a single way to access STEM. The metaphor of the pipeline may not be the best because all of our solutions to ?plug up? or fix the ?leaky pipeline? are deficit models.?? We?ve got to work with people, all people where they are and help them find or rather navigate this twisty-turny maze to access STEM.

From this perspective, it gives everyone a chance to work At any point of time any or all of us might be called upon to be a

Map spelling out the way, the rewards, and the potential pitfalls to pursuing STEM;

Beacon shining light on new opportunities to students, blog readers, a family member or neighbor child;

Signpost pointing someone in the right direction for financial aid, academic support, or even social services so that they can stay on course;

Cheerleader who celebrates every victory ? a test passed, a presentation given, a lab project completed ? and who?offers unselfish obnoxious applause to persevere when a student falls short of victory;

Shelter offering students retreat when they encounter pitfalls or nasty antagonists along the way, because surely they will; or an

Ally welding your weapon to slay a dragon too ferocious or leding your strength to build bridges across moats too wide for a student to handle alone.

We?ve all got work to do. What will you do to broaden participation of under-represented communities in science and science communication?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=85f1c55aaa2fff3ec62d388fe6bb4065

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Greg Kelly, Son Of NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, Accused Of Rape

A New York woman has accused broadcast journalist Greg Kelly of sexually assaulting her last October.

Kelly, 43, co-host of the morning TV show "Good Day New York" on the Fox affiliate WNYW-TV and the son of New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, is cooperating with the investigation and denies any wrongdoing of any kind, The Associated Press reported.

The woman, who is in her late 20s or early 30s, made the complaint on Tuesday at the 13th Precinct station house. The reason why she waited several months to come forward is unclear.

According to The New York Times, the woman claims to have met Kelly on the street on Oct. 8. They went for drinks at the South Street Seaport then proceeded to the Lower Manhattan law office where she works. The alleged assault occurred there, she said.

The pair remained in contact by phone and text message after the incident.

When the accuser's boyfriend learned about the encounter, he reportedly approached Commissioner Kelly at a public event and accused his son of ruining the woman's life. The commissioner suggested he write a letter, The New York Post reported. It is unknown if the boyfriend did so.

Due to Kelly's relationship with the police commissioner, the New York County District Attorney's office is conducting the investigation.

"We know that the District Attorney's investigation will prove Mr. Kelly's innocence," attorney Andrew Lankler said in an e-mailed statement.

Kelly joined Fox News Channel in 2002 and was the White House correspondent from 2005 to 2007. A Marine Corps veteran and lieutenant colonel in the reserves, he also covered the Iraq War and the September 11 terror attacks.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/greg-kelly-rape-accusation_n_1233028.html

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Video: Obama's Economic Approval Rating Rising?

Vin Weber, Clark & Weinstock; Meghan McCain, Daily Beast; and Matt K. Lewis, Daily Caller, discussing the President's economic approval rating, and whether his State of the Union address, gained him some points.

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Thunderstorms pound Texas; tornado threat looms (Reuters)

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) ? Thunderstorms pounded San Antonio, Austin and Dallas on Wednesday morning and moved into Houston, bringing the parched Lone Star State drenching rains and destructive winds that knocked out power, flooded streets and kept emergency workers busy with water rescues.

Springlike moisture from the Gulf of Mexico dropped the heaviest rainfall - 6-8 inches - on an area east of Austin and San Antonio along IH-35, said Mark Wiley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

"That's very unusual for this time of year," he told Reuters. "It was just so much rain in such a short period of time. In so many areas, the ground is still fairly dry, but it was just so fast that it didn't have anywhere to go, especially in the urban areas."

Crews were planning to check for evidence of tornadoes, he said. He did not have reports of any injuries.

By midday, the powerful storms were pushing into Houston and were expected to move gradually into Louisiana.

"Now, Houston will be under the gun," Wiley said.

Tornadoes are possible on Wednesday afternoon and evening, according to AccuWeather.com.

In Bastrop, an area east of Austin heavily damaged by Labor Day weekend wildfires, schools canceled classes on Wednesday. And in Pflugerville, north of Austin, school buses were delayed Wednesday morning because the school district's bus barn was damaged overnight, the district website said.

In San Antonio, lightning hit an apartment complex on the city's north side as storms blew through, sparking a fire that forced people into the driving rain and destroyed four apartments, officials said.

Between Austin and Houston, in Brenham, high winds twisted trees and tore the roofs off a couple of buildings in the downtown area, said Ricky Boeker, fire chief and emergency management coordinator.

"It sounded like the world was coming apart -- I'm not going to lie," Boeker told Reuters.

The severe weather in Texas follows damaging storms and tornadoes that swept through Arkansas and Alabama earlier in the week.

In Texas, "while most of the region is still in the grips of a severe drought and very much needs the rain, too much rain too quickly can do more harm than good," AccuWeather.com meteorologist Mark Miller said in a Wednesday report. "Still, the rain will go a long way in helping to reduce the severity of the drought in exceptionally dry locations."

CPS Energy, the South Texas electric utility, reported more than 30,000 customers without power as wind snapped electric power lines and knocked out traffic signals during the morning rush hour in San Antonio. In Austin, some 5,000 customers of Austin Energy lost power, spokesman Ed Clark said.

As San Antonio resident Johnny Grant surveyed damage to homes in his northwest San Antonio neighborhood on Wednesday, he said of the storm: "It sounded like a freight train to me. It was something terrible."

(Additional reporting by Lauren Keiper, Deborah Quinn Hensel and Corrie MacLaggan. Editing by Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/us_nm/us_weather

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Republican Dominated Indiana State Senate Committee Votes for Creationism in Schools (Little green footballs)

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

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House votes on permanent electronic duck stamp (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The e-Duck Stamp would become a permanent part of federal law under legislation passed by the House Monday.

Since 1934, migratory waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 have been required to buy the federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps, or duck stamps, at post offices or sporting goods stores.

But four years ago, eight states joined a pilot program allowing them to sell temporary duck stamps through the Internet. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said that program has been a success and it was time to make it federal law.

The bill passed 373-1. If passed by the Senate, it would give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service authority to make that program permanent and extend it to all states.

The electronic stamps are valid for 45 days, giving hunters and other purchasers time to get their actual stamps through the mail.

The program also makes it easier for hunters to go online to buy their federal stamps and state hunting licenses at the same time.

The stamps now cost $15 a year, with 98 percent of the revenues going to buy or lease wetland habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Fund has received more than $800 million since 1934, putting 5.3 million acres of wetlands under the refuge system. The program currently generates about $25 million a year.

The stamps also give birders and other non-hunters free access to the nation's 553 wildlife refuges.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors a contest every year where wildlife artists from around the country vie to have their entry selected as the design for the stamp the next year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_go_ot/us_duck_stamp

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Woods hoping to resume good play in Abu Dhabi (AP)

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates ? Tiger Woods says he's starting a season healthy for the first time in at least eight years.

"It's been quite a few years since I've been physically fit," Woods said on Tuesday in his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

"So I'm looking forward to getting out there and giving it a full season, which I haven't done in a while."

Woods' confidence got a boost when he ended 2011 by winning his Chevron World Challenge in December for his first title in more than two years.

He's hoping to pick up where he left off against a tough field that includes top-ranked Luke Donald, second-ranked Lee Westwood, defending champion Martin Kaymer and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.

"I'm looking forward to this year," Woods said. "That's something that I have to say, because I was able to prepare and get fit enough to prepare last year and towards the end of the year. I demonstrated to myself what I can do with implementing what (coach Sean Foley) wants me to do on the golf swing."

Woods took part in traditional Emirati ayala dancing earlier in the day with Westwood and McIlroy, and was in good spirits for most of the news conference. But he appeared slightly agitated when the questions turned to a book written by Hank Haney, his swing coach for six years.

The book, due out in March, chronicles the time Haney began working with Woods at the Bay Hill Invitational in 2004 until they parted a month after the 2010 Masters, where Woods made his return to golf after being exposed for multiple extramarital affairs that shattered his image and led to divorce.

Woods said he was unhappy that those he had worked with, including Haney and former caddie Steve Williams, had spoken out.

"Certainly it's something that I have to deal with. I get asked at press conferences what these guys have done, and that's just part of it," he said. "Am I disappointed? Yes. Frustrated? Certainly, because I have to answer the questions. ... So I've answered them and I guess I'll have to continue doing it. Hopefully, this will come to an end."

After missing much of 2011 with injuries, Woods said he finally was "healthy enough to practice" toward the end of last season and it paid off.

He finished third at the Australian Open, and then delivered the clinching point for the American team in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne before winning the Chevron. With the win, Woods moved up to 25th in the world after falling outside the top 50 last year.

"I think Australia was pretty big for me to go down there for two weeks and play in that type of wind, and to hit the ball as well as I did, I really controlled my golf ball for two weeks, and you know, I think that led to what I did at the World Challenge," Woods said. "I hit the ball just as well there, and made a couple of putts, and especially on the last two holes there. You know, consequently, got a W."

The 14-time major winner would only say his goal this year was to win more than he had last year, and was hopeful one of those victories would be another major. He is four short of Jack Nicklaus' record.

Woods has switched his season-opener from San Diego to Abu Dhabi this year and acknowledged his scheduling decisions are influenced by the appearances fees he's offered. Woods refused to say how much he was getting at Abu Dhabi, but unlike the U.S. PGA Tour, the European Tour allows for appearance fees which can reach into the millions of dollars.

"You know, I'd have to say yes, it certainly does," he said on the influence of appearance fees. "That's one of the reasons why a lot of the guys who play in Europe, they do play in Europe, and they do get paid. I think the only tour that doesn't pay is the U.S. tour. But, you know, a lot of the guys play all around the world and they do get appearance fees."

Woods praised Donald, calling his winning the money titles on the U.S. and European Tours last season a "heck of an achievement." But he saved his highest praise for the great Seve Ballesteros, who died in May following a three-year battle with a brain tumor.

Woods said the five-time major winner was the most talented golfer he ever played alongside.

"Never seen a person do the things with the golf ball that he was able to do and the creativeness that he was able to do," Woods said. "To me, he certainly had the most talent that I had ever seen in person. I never saw (Ben) Hogan hit a golf ball. Never saw (Byron) Nelson hit a golf ball. I never saw Jack in his prime. But I did see Seve when I first came out here, and I was able to play with him a few times; it was impressive."

___

Follow Michael Casey on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mcasey1

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_sp_go_ne/glf_abu_dhabi_championship_woods

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2 more bodies found, fuel removal to begin on ship

Italian Navy scuba divers return after working on the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Italian officials were clearing hurdles Monday to begin pumping some half a million gallons of fuel from the capsized Costa Concordia that threaten an environmental catastrophe, as divers continued the search for 19 people known missing. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Italian Navy scuba divers return after working on the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Italian officials were clearing hurdles Monday to begin pumping some half a million gallons of fuel from the capsized Costa Concordia that threaten an environmental catastrophe, as divers continued the search for 19 people known missing. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Oil recovery technicians work in the harbor of the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, where the cruise ship Costa Concordia run aground, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Italian officials were clearing hurdles Monday to begin pumping some half a million gallons of fuel from the capsized Costa Concordia that threaten an environmental catastrophe, as divers continued the search for 19 people known missing. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slack off, divers would not swim into the submerged part of the vessel just off the port of Giglio, a tiny Island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slack off, divers would not swim into the submerged part of the vessel just off the port of Giglio, a tiny Island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Workers of the Costa Crociere company place messages outside the company headquarters, during a march in downtown Genoa, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Rescuers on Sunday resumed searching the above-water section of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise liner, but choppy seas kept divers from exploring the submerged part, where officials have said there could be bodies. Civil protection officials said that until the waves slacken off, divers will not swim into the submerged part of the vessel near the port of Giglio, a tiny island off the Tuscan coast. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

ROME (AP) ? Nudged gently by the tides off Tuscany, the capsized Costa Concordia has been deemed stable enough on its rocky perch for salvagers to begin pumping fuel oil from its giant tanks as early as Tuesday.

The cruise liner, its hull gashed by a reef and pocked by holes blasted by divers searching for the missing, yielded two more bodies Monday, 10 days after the accident. The corpses of two women were found in the luxury liner's Internet cafe, now 55 feet (17 meters) underwater.

Tables, desks, elegant upholstered armchairs and cabinets bobbed in the sea as divers guided the furniture out of the holes to clear space for their exploration inside.

So far, the bodies of 15 people have been found, most of them in the submerged portion of the vessel, while 17 others remain unaccounted for. Authorities said earlier reports that an unregistered Hungarian woman had called friends from the ship before it flipped over turned out to be groundless.

The Concordia rammed a reef and capsized Jan. 13 off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio as it was carrying 4,200 passengers and crew on a Mediterranean cruise.

Salvage experts received the green light Monday to start pumping fuel soon from the double-lined tanks of the Concordia. The weekslong fuel-removal operation aims to avert a possible environmental catastrophe in the waters off Giglio, part of a protected seven-island marine park.

Officials said the pumping would be carried out as divers continue the search for the missing since instrument readings have determined the Concordia was not at risk of sliding into deeper waters and being swallowed by the sea.

"The ship is stable," said Franco Gabrielli, head of the national civil protection agency. "There is no problem or danger that it is about to drop onto much lower seabed."

Meanwhile, an oily film was spotted about 300 yards (meters) from the capsized vessel by officials flying in a helicopter and by residents of Giglio, Gabrielli's office said. Samples were being analyzed, but preliminary observations indicated the slick is a light oil and not from heavy fuel inside the Concordia's tanks.

Absorbent panels put around the area seem to have at least partially absorbed the oil, authorities said.

The ship's Italian captain, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest near Naples, facing possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his vessel while some people were still aboard. He has insisted that he was coordinating rescue operations from a lifeboat and then from shore.

The ship's operator, Costa Crociere SpA, has distanced itself from the captain, contending he made an unauthorized detour from the ship's authorized route. Schettino, however, has reportedly told investigators that Costa officials requested that he sail close to Giglio in a publicity move.

In a statement issued late Monday, Costa said it would refund passengers the full cost of the cruise and reimburse all travel and any medical expenses incurred as a result of the accident.

Schettino's lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, told reporters Monday that tests on urine and hair samples showed his client was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs before the crash. Prosecutors are not allowed to discuss the investigation while it is under way and it was impossible to confirm the report.

Despite earlier fears, officials said the crippled cruise ship, with a 230-foot (70-meter) gash in its hull, is not expected to roll off its rocky seabed perch and be swallowed by the sea.

An Italian geologist on Giglio monitoring the ship's movements said the Concordia was not so much moving as "responding to the tides."

"It is moving at the rate of about one or two millimeters an hour," Nicola Casagli told Sky TV TG24.

The sea has been calm for several days but was expected to become choppy in the next few days.

Islanders have been pressing for removal of the heavy, tar-like fuel from the ship's 17 tanks to avert a possible catastrophic leak.

"They should start the oil drainage operations on the ship. At this point those who died will not come back to life. Even if they pull them out later, unfortunately it won't make a difference," Giglio resident Andrea Ginanneschi told The Associated Press.

Five miles (eight kilometers) of oil barriers have been laid to protect marine life and the pristine waters, which are prime fishing grounds and a protected area for dolphins and whales.

Recovery experts from the Dutch salvage company Smit have said they will create holes in the top and the bottom of each tank, heating the fuel so it flows more easily and pumping from the top while forcing air in from the bottom. For the underwater tanks, sea water will be used to displace the fuel, which becomes thick and gooey when cooled.

Besides some 2,200 metric tons of heavy fuel oil, there are 185 metric tons of diesel and lubricants on board, as well as chemicals including cleaning products and chlorine. Some diesel and lubricants have leaked into the water near the ship, probably from machinery on board, officials have said.

"Smit has been ready for a week to begin pumping fuel from the tanks, awaiting only the go-ahead," said a company statement. "For this purpose, Smit has mobilized an oil tanker with emergency response equipment, including sweeping arms, booms and a skimmer."

Seven bodies still await identification. Gabrielli said officials have DNA from the relatives of all of the missing passengers and are working to confirm their names.

On Monday, the body of a woman found in the ship a few days earlier was identified as that of a 30-year-old Italian woman, a new bride who was on the Mediterranean cruise with several family members.

__

Barry reported from Milan. Andrea Foa reported from Giglio.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-23-EU-Italy-Cruise-Aground/id-455303f531c24153a45cf33a611825f8

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Fourth "Underworld" film leads domestic box office (omg!)

(Reuters) - Vampires and werewolves lured moviegoers to theaters this weekend as the fourth "Underworld" film topped domestic box office charts and brought in an estimated $38.8 million around the world.

"Underworld: Awakening" stars Kate Beckinsale as a vampire leading the charge in a battle against humans trying to drive her species and the werewolves to extinction.

The fourth movie opened stronger than two of the three earlier films in the franchise, which opened in 2003. "Awakening" pulled in $25.4 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters from Friday through Sunday, plus $13.4 million from 36 international markets, distributor Sony said on Sunday.

Playing in 3,078 domestic locations, the film's weekend sales finished "at the high end of where we hoped," said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures. Audiences were eager to see Beckinsale return to the lead role, he said. She had starred in the first two films but skipped the third.

"Awakening" is the first "Underworld" movie in 3D and cost about $70 million to produce. The movie fell flat with critics as just 24 percent gave a positive review on aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences polled by survey firm CinemaScore awarded the movie an A-.

In second place, World War Two story "Red Tails" far exceeded studio forecasts with $19.1 million domestically.

"Red Tails" stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. in a drama about Tuskegee Airmen -- a black pilot group in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War Two. Producer George Lucas paid the film's $58 million production cost plus marketing expenses, and distributor 20th Century Fox had forecast $8 million to $10 million in domestic ticket sales for weekend.

"Never in our wildest dreams did we think we could pull off a number like this," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president for domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. He said audiences clearly enjoyed the film, giving it an A grade in polling by CinemaScore. Critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes came in at 34 percent positive.

WAHLBERG MOVIE DROPS TO THIRD

Last weekend's winner, thriller "Contraband" starring Mark Wahlberg, finished its second weekend in theaters in third place, grabbing $12.2 million domestically.

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," a drama about a boy trying to make sense of his father's death on 9/11, landed in fourth place with $10.5 million. The movie had opened in a small number of theaters on Christmas but expanded nationwide this weekend. The film stars Thomas Horn as the boy and Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as his parents.

In fifth place, Steven Soderbergh-directed spy tale "Haywire" took in $9 million domestically, just beating distributor Relativity Media's projection of about $8 million.

"Haywire" features mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano as an operative who is double-crossed and becomes the target of assassins. While critics praised the film with an 82 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were not impressed. The film earned a D+ rating from CinemaScore.

Elsewhere this weekend, two movies that won Golden Globe awards last week expanded to more theaters.

Silent film "The Artist," winner for best musical or comedy film, doubled last weekend's sales with $2.4 million after moving into in 662 theaters from 446 last week.

"The Iron Lady," which won Meryl Streep best actress at the Globes for her role as Margaret Thatcher, dropped 32 percent from a week ago despite expanding by more than 800 theaters to 1,076 locations. The movie took in $3.7 million over the weekend.

The movie division of Sony Corp distributed "Underworld." Time Warner Inc unit Warner Bros. released "Extremely Loud." News Corp unit 20th Century Fox distributed "Red Tails." The privately held Weinstein Co. released "The Artist" and "The Iron Lady." Privately held Relativity Media released "Haywire" in the United States, and Alliance Films distributed the movie in Canada.

(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_fourth_underworld_vampire_movie_leads_u_box_office171234403/44266004/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/fourth-underworld-vampire-movie-leads-u-box-office-171234403.html

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Jay-Z Still Calling Women Bitches: Right or Wrong?

Last week, a report surfaced that in light of the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Jay-Z would no longer be referring to women as bitches in his lyrics.

The story was met with universal praise. Too bad it was false.

Jay-Z personally told the New York Daily News that the story was fake. While he did not formally announce that he will continue to call women bitches, by denying the contrary, implicitly, the message is that he may continue to do so at will.

The words attributed to Jay-Z may have been fake, but the response of countless fans to what they thought was his change of direction was still very real.

Is it wrong for the new father to continue to use the word "bitch" (among other more choice words)? When Blue's mom is such a champion of strong girls?

Jay is far from the only rapper to face such criticism, of course.

Eminem, a father of multiple daughters, has defiantly said that music is art and his lyrics are not a reflection of him as a person or the way he treats women.

Still, for a lyrical maestro like Jay, would anyone object if he omitted a few degrading terms? Should he be expected to, considering what his craft is?

You tell us: Is it okay for Jay-Z to call women bitches?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/jay-z-still-calling-women-bitches-right-or-wrong/

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Saudi urges pressure on Syria, withdraws monitors (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) - ? Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it was withdrawing its observers from Syria after an Arab monitoring mission failed to end 10 months of bloodshed, and called on the international community to exert "all possible pressure" on Damascus.

Hundreds of Syrians have been killed since the observers began their work in late December and political opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are demanding the Arab League refer the crisis to the United Nations Security Council.

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby reported to Arab foreign ministers in Cairo Sunday that Syria had only partly met the terms of an Arab peace plan and that a monitoring mission to Syria be extended, expanded and get more technical support.

After a day of meetings over how to handle the Syrian crisis, the foreign ministers were expected to recommend that Syria create a unity government including opposition figures within two months to prepare for early parliamentary and presidential elections, a draft of the final statement showed.

It was not clear how the Arab League might enforce those recommendations given its failure to stop the violence, in which the United Nations says at least 5,000 people have killed.

The Saudi comments suggest the extension of a mission Syria's opposition has described as toothless, and the new political road map, will not be enough to satisfy everyone in the 22-member League, divided over whether to escalate pressure.

"My country will withdraw its monitors because the Syrian government did not execute any of the elements of the Arab resolution plan," Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal told the ministers. The statement was obtained by Reuters after he spoke.

"We are calling on the international community to bear its responsibility, and that includes our brothers in Islamic states and our friends in Russia, China, Europe and the United States," Prince Saud said, calling for "all possible pressure" to push Syria to adhere to the Arab peace plan.

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For graphic on Arab League http://link.reuters.com/pev65s

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ARABS DIVIDED

Qatar and Saudi Arabia, regional rivals of Syria and its ally Iran, are impatient for decisive action against Assad but military action against Assad would need unanimous backing and several states prefer a negotiated solution, League sources say.

While none have so far followed suit, a diplomatic source said the remaining Gulf states backed the Saudi position while Algeria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia criticized its move.

The Security Council is also split on how to address the crisis, with Western powers demanding tougher sanctions and a weapons embargo, and Assad's ally Russia preferring to leave the Arabs to negotiate a peaceful outcome.

Suggestions to send in U.N. experts to support the Arab observers made little headway at the last meeting earlier this month and Damascus has said it would accept an extension of the observer mission but not an expansion in its scope.

Others worry that weakening Assad could tip Syria, with its potent mix of religious and ethnic allegiances, into a deeper conflict that would destabilize the entire region. Some may fear the threat from their own populations if he were toppled.

Qatar, which has led calls for escalation, said it was time to rethink the mission and consider sending Arab peacekeepers.

"The reality says that the bloodshed has not stopped and the killing machine is still working and violence is spread everywhere," Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani told the ministers. His comments later appeared in a statement.

"What is needed now is a full review of the work of this mission."

The lack of a unified Arab response has frustrated Syria's opposition which has demanded that Arab countries clearly state Assad's failure to adhere to its peace plan, withdraw monitors and hand the file to the UN Security Council.

Syrian opposition leaders urged other Arab states to follow Saudi Arabia's lead.

"We welcome the Saudi stance and I know that the Saudis are also pro sending the Syria file to the United Nations," said Abdel Baset Seda, an official in the main opposition Syrian National Council.

FUNERAL PROCESSION

Two Syrian army officers, an infantryman, a rebel and two civilians died in clashes Sunday in Talfita, a village near Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria says 2,000 security personnel have been killed in the revolt.

Intermittent fighting continued in the town of Douma, nine miles northwest of the capital, which had been encircled by the military, said the UK-based rights group.

An opposition activist and a rebel fighter in Douma told Reuters by telephone the fighting had eased and the rebels held about two thirds of its main streets.

Masked fighters had set up checkpoints and a funeral procession for five civilians killed Saturday was passing through the town, they said. Angry cries could be heard in the background as they spoke.

The rebel fighter said there were several casualties on Sunday but no confirmed deaths.

Syrian forces opened fire on a car near the mountainous north Lebanese border town of Wadi Khaled, leading to an exchange of fire between the passengers and the Syrians, a Lebanese security source said. Residents later said they found a Syrian man wounded by landmines placed on border.

Syria, keen to avoid tougher foreign action, has tried to show it is complying with the Arab peace plan, which demanded a halt to killings, a military pullout from the streets, the release of detainees, access for the monitors and the media, and a political dialogue with opposition groups.

This month the Syrian authorities have freed hundreds of detainees, announced an amnesty, struck a cease-fire deal with armed rebels in one town, allowed the Arab observers into some troublespots and admitted some foreign journalists.

Assad also promised political reforms, while vowing iron-fisted treatment of the "terrorists" trying to topple him.

(Additional reporting by Erika Solomon in Beirut and Lin Noueihed in Cairo; Writing by Tom Pfeiffer and Lin Noueihed; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/wl_nm/us_syria

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Video: SBUX vs. MCD: Which is Better Buy?

Heavyweights Starbucks and McDonald's are both trading near all-time highs. So which is the better buy? Matt Disfrisco, analyst at Lazard Capital Markets, has a "buy" rating on both stocks.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46056064/

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Defense wants Pa. boy murder suspect released (AP)

NEW CASTLE, Pa. ? Attorneys for a Pennsylvania boy who was just 11 when he allegedly killed his father's pregnant fiancee and unborn son want the Pennsylvania Superior Court to release him from juvenile custody while the court decides an appeal by newspapers to open his trial to the public.

The court heard arguments last week in Pittsburgh about whether to open the trial of Jordan Brown, who is now 14.

State law required Brown to be charged as an adult in the February 2009 killings before his attorneys convinced a judge to move the case to juvenile court. The trial was then closed to the public.

Brown's attorney tells the Beaver County Times ( http://bit.ly/w3RRga) the attorneys want Brown released until the trial, which has been delayed indefinitely by the newspapers' appeal.

___

Information from: Beaver County Times, http://www.timesonline.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_us/us_pregnant_woman_killed

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Genes About a Quarter of the Secret To Staying Smart

Not necessarily. If I'm reading this right, all this study showed that there was a correlation between certain DNA sequences and cognitive stability in 25% of the people in the study. That's it. "Mental exercise, diet, etc," could account for the other 75%, sure, but it could also be that the other 75% is purely genetic, but the researchers were looking at the wrong thing. Or that the correlation is pure coincidence. Or that there was a freak storm of cosmic rays that changed the DNA of 25% of the study participants[1]. Or that their methodology was flawed. Or that their methodology was correct but the sample size was just too small. Et cetera, ad infinitum.

In short, the study?any study?says what it says. What it doesn't say, it doesn't imply.

[1] And granted them superpowers, of course.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/KASYIseByPk/genes-about-a-quarter-of-the-secret-to-staying-smart

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Young to Fuel Entergy's Nuclear Communications

? ? ? ? ? O'Dwyer's PR Magazine ? Jan. '12 PR Buyer's Guide and Crisis Comms. Magazine O'Dwyer's magazine, now in its 25th year, is the #1 publication for PR and marketing communications pros....Subscribe today Each month, a different area of PR is examined. If you'd like to submit a profile of your firm, contact editor jon.gingerich@odwyerpr.com or you can use our online form. ? 2012 Editorial Calendar: January, PR Buyer's Guide/Crisis Comms. February, Environmental PR & Public Affairs March, Food & Beverage PR April, Broadcast Media Services & Social Media PR May, PR Firm Rankings June, Multicultural/Diversity PR July, Travel & Tourism PR August, Prof. Svcs. PR & Financial/Investor Rels. September, Beauty & Fashion PR October, Healthcare & Medical PR November: Technology PR December: Sports & Entertainment PR ? ? PR Firm Rankings ? Top PR Firms - 2011 Rankings: 1. Edelman, NY - $521,969,675 2. APCO Worldwide, D.C. - $113,400,000 3. Waggener Edstrom, Wash. - $111,910,000 4. Ruder Finn, NY - $97,059,000 5. Text 100, San Fran. - $46,700,000 6. WCG, San Fran. - $37,008,000 7. MWW Group, NJ - $34,798,000 8. Qorvis Communications, DC - $29,713,320 9. ICR, CT - $26,514,0009. 10. Schwartz Comms., Mass. - $25,210,803 ? Ranking of 151 Top PR Firms and Agencies ? Submit your firm to be ranked by O'Dwyer's ? Top PR Firms By Specialty: ? Top PR Firms By Location: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

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NEED HELP? john@odwyerpr.com Subscribe to O'Dwyer's website | Editorial Contacts | Order O'Dwyer Publications | Advertising Info | Contact O'Dwyer's | Terms and Conditions Copyright ? 1998-2012 J.R. O'Dwyer Company, Inc. 271 Madison Ave., #600, New York, NY 10016; Tel: 212/679-2471 or Toll Free: 866/395-7710

Source: http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/3877-Young-to-Fuel-Entergys-Nuclear-Communications.html

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Investors look for tech to rise as behemoth earnings loom (Reuters)

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) ? As four big tech bellwethers ready their earnings reports after the bell on Thursday, the big question is whether their results will further fuel a solid rally in the tech sector.

Major companies due to report quarterly earnings include Dow components, Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp, International Business Machines and Google Inc.

The Nasdaq 100 index, which tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq, is up 7.3 percent so far this year, and could easily top its 10 percent gain in October, which was its best month since Sept 2010. For the year the S&P 500 is up 4.6 percent.

"Solid earnings would help to confirm the price action we have been seeing in the Nasdaq 100 index," said Steve Place, a founder of options analytics firm investingwithoptions.com in Mobile, Alabama.

"Maybe investors have already anticipated solid earnings from the major tech stocks and that has led to the breakout in the index."

Chip makers have also rallied, with the PHLX semiconductor index up 13 percent for the year.

INTEL AND NASDAQ

The risk, however, is that strong results could give opportunity for investors to take profits on recent gains. Earnings announcements from Intel have often come when the market reaches a top, said Jason Goepfert of SentimenTrader.com.

"Intel's earnings reports have a funny way of occurring near peaks in the broader market," he said, adding especially for technology and particularly when the market has already been doing well.

Goepfert looked at the Nasdaq 100 performance after Intel earnings in the month of January when the index was within 2 percent of a high. This occurred five times in the period between 1997-2011 - 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011.

Over the next two weeks after Intel results, the Nasdaq never managed to gain more than 1.7 percent at its best point during any of the five instances, and lost more than 2 percent every time at its worst point.

Despite Intel's impact on the Nasdaq 100, some market analysts are optimistic about the company.

While Intel was recently downgraded by some sellside analysts, MKM Partners semiconductor analyst Dan Berenbaum remains constructive on the shares, with a 12-month price target at $29.

The stock is currently trading up 0.8 percent at $25.57.

MKM Partners derivatives strategist Jim Strugger, in a report, recommends two bullish options strategies for Intel. One entails buying the stock to capture the company's dividend and against that position selling the July $23-$29 strangle to generate an additional synthetic yield of 5.8 percent.

A short strangle involves the selling of a call and a put with the same expiration date and different - but both out-of-the-money - strike prices. This strategy is a play against excessive volatility - the seller of the $23 put and the $29 call collects the premium, and only starts to lose money if shares move sharply beyond those points.

Another trade for upside exposure is buying the July $26-$29 call spread, which involves the sale of the $29 strike against the purchase of the $26 strike for a net cost of 90 cents per contract. The trade would break-even at $26.90 to make a maximum of $2.10 per spread with the stock at $29 or higher at July expiration, Strugger said.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 61 cents per share for Intel, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine SmartEstimates, which ranks analysts' estimates according to their past accuracy.

For IBM, the forecast was for $4.63 per share, and for Google, the forecast was $10.55 per share. For Microsoft, the forecast was 76 cents per share.

(Reporting By Angela Moon and Doris Frankel; Editing by Andrew Hay)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/bs_nm/us_techcompanies_earnings_options

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Greece in race against time to avoid default (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? Greece resumed talks with its international debt inspectors Tuesday, facing a race against the clock to avoid becoming the first country that uses the euro to default on its debts and potentially trigger a chain reaction that could ultimately destroy the European single currency itself.

The debt inspectors ? whose mission chiefs are expected in Athens Friday after technical teams lay the groundwork ? face a massive task. They have to once again find more ways to cut spending and raise revenue in a country that is increasingly seen as immune to fundamental reforms.

Apart from identifying financial shortfalls produced since their last visit in December, they also have to set up a detailed policy and spending program for the next two years if Athens wants to have a chance at securing an extra euro130 billion ($166 billion) in rescue loans. Those loans were promised in October, after it became clear that a first euro110 billion bailout granted in May 2010 was not enough to buffer a Greek economy in freefall.

And the inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission ? known as the 'troika' ? are not the only foreign officials in town this week.

While they go through Greece's books, the government in Athens is also locked in a battle to convince banks and other private bondholders to forgive half of the Greek debt they hold ? an essential part of the second rescue package.

At the same time, the head of the European Union's task force for Greece is also in the capital, looking to streamline the country's sprawling bureaucracy, trying to improve lax tax collection and kickstart stalled infrastructure projects.

For the Greek government, the stakes could not be higher. The country has to repay a euro14.5 billion bond in March ? one that it can't afford to pay. Negotiations with the bondholders on the bond swap ? and ideally the troika ? have to be concluded by Jan. 30, when European leaders meet in Brussels to scrutinize the deal.

The crucial bond swap negotiations with the Institute of International Finance, which represents bondholders, stalled on Friday after a sudden disagreement arose with other eurozone countries and the IMF over the interest rate on the new bonds.

Talks will resume Wednesday, the IIF said, which went on to press the "sense of urgency" over the need for a deal. However, it was not clear whether positions had moved closer together since last week. After Greece's economy shrank almost 6 percent last year, the official lenders are trying to cap the amount of money they have to pump into the country.

Time is running short. Ideally, a final outline of the debt deal should be reached by the end of this week, with a formal public offer at the beginning of February, a senior Greek finance ministry official said last week. Only then will Greece know how many bondholders are actually willing to participate voluntarily.

If the agreement goes ahead, it would both reduce the amount the country has to pay on its debt and extend the maturity date, giving the country much-needed breathing space. If it doesn't, it puts into question the entire second bailout and makes the possibility of a messy default alarmingly likely.

Such is the scene in Athens these days, almost two years after a new government called for international help to plug a budget deficit that was much bigger than expected. Since then, the troika has flown over more or less every three months, checking on progress and often coming back disappointed.

Each time their visits have grown longer, the debate over yet more austerity measures more acrimonious, and invariably, a broad selection of workers go on strike. Yet resignation has set in among many Greeks, who see no particular result arising from labor walkouts and demonstrations that often turn violent.

All this takes place against a backdrop of growing frustrations among Greece's official creditors, the IMF and the other eurozone countries.

"The potential ramifications of a Greek disorderly default are so negative it is still likely that some kind of agreement will be reached," said Gary Jenkins, director of Swordfish Research. But "the fact that such a scenario is possible after all the bailouts and talks will probably continue to be a drag on confidence even if the problems are resolved."

Last Friday, U.S. rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit score of nine of the 17 countries in the eurozone. Nonetheless, Spain, one of the countries hit by the downgrade, successfully auctioned off euro4.9 billion ($6.21 billion) in short-term debt at sharply reduced interest rates Tuesday, an indication that investor sentiment had not been dented. Portugal, another S&P target, also on Tuesday secured an agreement with trades unions and employers on a package of labor reforms aimed at reversing the country's steep economic decline.

Greece also raised euro1.625 billion ($2.06 billion) in short-term debt, with its 13-week treasury bills selling at an interest rate of 4.64 percent, marginally lower than the 4.68 percent in the last such auction in December.

At the Brussels-based Commission, the missions to Greece are seen as one of the most taxing assignments. Officials joke that with the troika trips to Greece, one never knows when they will end, be interrupted, or restarted. Technical experts work in shifts, with a second group flying in once the first batch has reached its limits. Nonetheless, Europe remains determined to reach a solution.

"We have not given up on Greece at all," Marco Buti, the head of the Commission's economic affairs division, which supplies the troika experts, said in Brussels Tuesday. "Actually we are working very very hard to make sure the Greeks embrace the right policies."

____

Gabriele Steinhauser in Brussels and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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