cribber hadji: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two Review | Video Game Blog, Video ...

Genre: Platform/Adventure

Platform: Ps3

Developer: Junction Point

Publisher: Disney Interactive

Released: November 18th 2012

The first Epic Mickey game, released exclusively on Wii, was a really nice surprise. Ever since the first concept artwork was unveiled we knew that the game was set to be different from the usual Disney themed game: it was a dark and mature take on Mickey Mouse, the world around him and even on some more obscure Disney characters like Oswald the Rabbit. Expectations were really high for Epic Mickey because it was developed by Junction Point, headed by experienced game designer Warren Spector: gamers were indeed hyped for the inclusion of many gameplay elements which would make the game stand above the standard Disney game. The game didn?t fully deliver but it was good enough to warrant a sequel which seemed to address some of the issues of the first game, at least on paper. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the Wasteland.

Back to the rescue

The game?s plot is really simple and straightforward but enjoyable: Mickey Mouse is back into the Wasteland to help Oswald save his world, threatened by constant earthquakes. Gus from the first Epic Mickey makes a comeback as the narrator and more characters are going to assist the duo in their quest to save the Wasteland once again. The game?s story is told through some really good looking animated cutscenes and more cutscenes with in-game graphics: the ingame scenes are really well made as well, sporting a ?musical? like feeling, something Warren Spector really wanted to introduce in the series. The presentation overall shows really high production values.

Wasteland Travel

Gameplay wise the game is not too different from its prequel: players will control Mickey and Oswald in a third person view exploring the Wasteland and interacting with a lot of objects during the stages. It?s almost like going back a few years when games like this were trying to ride on the success of Super Mario 64 and its innovative gameplay. A nice diversion during the main game is the inclusion of 2D stages which serve as a connection between the main stages: they are very simple and short so they?re nothing more than a diversion but if you?re a nostalgic you?ll like them as much as I did. Main stages are quite big and some of them? actually work almost as a hub world where you?ll be able to take on various sidequests: it?s almost as if you?re playing a mini sandbox game and there?s plenty of stuff for you to do like collecting special items, unlocking extras and more details on the story.

Mickey and Oswald

One of the biggest additions in the Epic Mickey formula is the inclusion of Oswald the Rabbit as a playable character and the whole level design is based on using both Mickey and Oswald?s ability to be able to proceed. This feature hasn?t been executed to the best for a few reasons: Mickey is still the main focus, you can only control him in single player mode, and all the gameplay elements revolving around Oswald almost seem tackled in, just to justify his presence. It?s quite bad during single player due to a not too good AI that?s just going to slow you down but during offline co-op it can be quite fun. But if you stop and think about it, you can clearly understand that the game was designed with Mickey?s abilities in mind and that the co-op feature is just a gimmick to introduce a multiplayer mechanic which in the end just creates more annoyances if you?re going to play the game only in single player mode.

Choices, choices and more choices

Another addition to the formula is the choices system, which will have some consequences during the game. Warren Spector constantly stressed the ?PlayStyle Matters? system during interviews, stating how the game?s world would always react to player?s choices. Is it really like this? Yes and no. Yes because it?s indeed true that players will have a lot of freedom in how to proceed during the story, how to solve puzzles, how to tackle subquests and so on, even having the possibility to take some ?moral? choices which will change NPC behaviors towards our duo; no because the choices have a really small impact and only on the current stage, the impact will be minimal on the whole world: it?s understandable though, given the type of game and it?s even bold including something like this considering that the game is mostly aimed at a younger audience. Still, it?s disappointing, given how much this system was hyped and how it turned out in the end.

Camera, how much you loathe me

Being developed on Wii and then ported to all platforms, Epic Mickey 2 isn?t as strong as one could have expected graphically: polygon count is low and the whole game is lacking on special effects. But it?s not really a big problem since the game?s presentation really shines thanks to an excellent design for both the locations and the characters: the iconic Disney characters are placed inside a great rethinking of other classic Disney places and the result is really great, you?ll almost feel like your playing through a cartoon. Everything described so far, however, is not enough to make me overlook a terrible, terrible, terrible camera: it?s never spot on the action and requires constant adjusting. The standard view is set way too low or in strange angles, it?s practically useless and even unnerving, ruining the whole experience. It?s slightly better than the first Epic Mickey but at times it?s just as unbearable.

Final Thoughts

Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two was really hyped during development and too much hype somewhat made the game feel less impressive than it is: there?s a lot to do and many new features but most of them lack polish and probably needed more work on them, especially the AI partner.; it?s not a bad game though. Unfortunately the horrible camera drags the whole experience down more than any other issue. With a lot of content and secrets to uncover, all players who liked the first Epic Mickey will surely enjoy this one too as well as players looking for a good co-op game without guns and futuristic soldiers, aliens, zombies and so on. Everyone else may want to try the game first even to only check if the camera issue is a big deal for you as much as it was for me.

PROS

Great presentation
Tons of content
Fun co-op mode
Freedom of choice during puzzle solving

CONS

AI Partner
Choices system not too deep
Oswald?s sections seem tackled in
Horrible Camera

Rating:??

6.5 out of 10

Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Epic Mickey 2 Collector?s Edition announced
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion Review
Epic Mickey 2 new gameplay video
DISNEY EPIC MICKEY 2: THE POWER OF TWO REVEALS A NEW FRONTIER AT PAX PRIME 2012
Disney Epic Mickey 2 demo now available on Xbox Live, PSN

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2012/videogame-reviews/epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-review/

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Iran welcomes UK decision barring arms case extradition

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry has welcomed the decision of a British court not to extradite a former Iranian diplomat wanted by the United States after he was caught in a sting operation trying to export night-vision weapons' sights to Iran.

Nosratollah Tajik, 59, a former Iranian ambassador to Jordan, was arrested in London in 2006 after agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security posed as arms dealers seeking to sell the military kit in violation of arms embargoes.

The High Court proceedings on Tuesday showed that the British government had tried and failed to persuade the Americans to withdraw the extradition request to avoid endangering British diplomats in Iran.

"For nearly six years Nosratollah Tajik was the victim of a made-up scenario and from that time was kept at home in unsuitable conditions," spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Wednesday in a statement on the Foreign Ministry website.

"Despite the six year delay, the Islamic Republic considers these steps to be in the right direction and reiterates the necessity that he is freed as soon as possible," he added.

Iran's relations with Britain have worsened in recent years because of the Britain's staunch support for sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Britain's embassy in Tehran was stormed in November 2011 over far-reaching sanctions imposed by London against Iran's banking system. The embassy was evacuated and has since remained unstaffed. Iran says it nuclear program is purely peaceful.

Tajik spent years fighting extradition on grounds of ill health. The courts rejected these arguments in 2008 and he then appealed to the Home Office with new medical evidence.

The Home Office rejected his appeal in November 2011 and ordered his extradition. Tajik launched new court proceedings against the decision which culminated in Tuesday's ruling.

For three years the British government had asked Washington to drop the extradition request. It received no response for more than two and a half years, a delay which led to the extradition being denied.

Tajik had been free on bail but tagged and subject to a night-time curfew pending the outcome of his legal battle.

(Reporting by Marcus George; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-welcomes-uk-decision-barring-arms-case-extradition-182031444.html

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Healthy Skin Care Tips | Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Posted In: Health & Wellness : 11/28/2012

Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Did you know ? November is Healthy Skin Month?

Your skin is the largest organ on your body, and says so much about your health. It reads in strength and vibrance. It shows weariness, tiredness, or lack of good nutrition. Your skin is what people see as your overall health and vitality.

So, how do we improve the health of our skin?

We start with the inside! Sally Kravich, Holistic Nutritionist and author of the book Vibrant Living, says ?Beauty begins from the inside out. Often, we look to external products to make us feel and look more beautiful. Natural products and regular skin care is beneficial, but beautiful skin begins with the food and liquids we eat and drink.
In Chinese medicine the skin is considered the third kidney. In order to keep the skin alive and healthy, you will want to open the skins pores by sweating and drink plenty of pure water.?

What does that mean?

Sweating through exercise cleans out the pores of the skin, and gives the skin a healthy glow. Drinking plenty of water keeps the skin looking dewy and young. Katherine Goldman, aesthetician and owner of Stript Wax Bar in Los Angeles says 120 ounces of water per day is optimal for skin health.

Internally, vitamins and minerals help with skin health and elasticity.

Nancy Reagan, ?First Lady of Skin Care?, pun intended, says that Vitamin A in the diet is important (available through red and orange-hued vegetables), and ?B vitamins are not stored in the tissues so they must be constantly replenished. Minerals are also being used to support the skin with hydration and immune support (Chloride, Zinc, Potassium). Healthy skin comes from within so not only are topical vitamins necessary, but internal vitamins are very important. With that being said, the nutritional support for healthy skin includes a diet void of chemicals, preservatives, and dairy.? A diet high in processed foods, like canned and boxed foods, brings chemicals into the body, which break down the skin cell structure over time. Natural, whole ingredients are easily used as fuel for the skin?s health, with easy accessibility to natural vitamins and minerals. So, hit the farmer?s market or organic fruit stand whenever possible.

On the external side of skin, a healthy regimen is also important.

Once or twice a week,? you can polish your skin by buffing it lightly, which takes off the dead skin cells that may be sitting at the top. The result is the younger skin underneath glowing through, and the apparent reduction of lines.?

Candice Betz, Director of W Austin?s AWAY Spa?in Austin, Texas, recommends a Pumpkin Facial Scrub to keep skin healthy:

? cup organic canned pumpkin

3 Tablespoons organic sugar

? teaspoon sweet almond oil

Mix and scrub. Put the remaining amount in the refrigerator until further use.

What are some of your favorite healthy skin care tips or products? If you have a tip for healthy skin that you?d like to share, please add a comment.

Tags: healthy skin, healthy tips, skin care

Source: http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com/health-and-nutrition/health-and-wellness/healthy-skin-care

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NYC nanny pleads not guilty in child deaths

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2012 file photo, Photographs of the two children allegedly stabbed by their nanny are displayed alongside balloons and stuffed animals at memorial outside the apartment building were they lived in New York. Yoselyn Ortega, the nanny, has pleaded not guilty in the stabbing deaths of the two children. Ortega was arraigned Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 at a hospital where she has been treated for self-inflicted stab wounds. Six-year-old Lucia Krim and her 2-year-old brother, Leo, were killed Oct. 25 in their Upper West Side apartment. Their mother found them when she came home with the victims' 3-year-old sister. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A nanny accused in the stabbing deaths of two children in her care at their upscale Manhattan home pleaded not guilty Wednesday inside a hospital room where she's been treated for self-inflicted stab wounds.

Yoselyn Ortega ? lying handcuffed in her hospital bed in silence, her right hand trembling ? entered the plea through her defense attorney.

"I ask you to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of my client," said the lawyer, Valerie Van Leer-Greenberg.

Van Leer-Greenberg also told Judge Lewis Bart Stone that her client remains "profoundly, medically impaired and in need of medical attention."

Stone ordered Ortega held without bail while she undergoes psychiatric exam. The judge, like two prosecutors and everyone else crowded into the room, wore a hospital gown.

Ortega, 50, appeared alert but didn't speak during the 10-minute hearing.

She had a tube leading to her throat, but was breathing on her own. She wore a blue hair net. No wounds were visible.

The hospital room was sparse: There were no flowers, photos or other personal items on display.

The unusual bed-side arraignment came as District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced an indictment charging Ortega with multiple counts of murder.

"This crime shocked and horrified parents around the city, many of whom entrust their children to the care of others both by necessity and by choice," Vance said in a statement. "My heart goes out to the family of those beautiful young children, and I hope that, with time, this family will heal."

Van Leer-Greenberg left the hospital without speaking to reporters.

Authorities allege that on the evening of Oct. 25, while the children's mother was out with a third child, Ortega repeatedly stabbed 6-year-old Lucia Krim and her 2-year-old brother, Leo.

When their mother, Marina Krim, returned with her 3-year-old daughter, she found their bodies in the bathtub, with Ortega lying on the bathroom floor with stab wounds to her neck. A kitchen knife was nearby.

The children's father, CNBC digital media executive Kevin Krim, had been away on a business trip when the killings occurred.

The couple's apartment building sits in one of the city's most idyllic neighborhoods, a block from Central Park, near the Museum of Natural History and blocks from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The neighborhood is home to many affluent families, and seeing children accompanied by nannies is an everyday part of life there.

Some of Ortega's friends and relatives said she appeared to be struggling emotionally and financially recently, but they still couldn't believe she could have committed such a heinous act.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-28-Children%20Stabbed-Nanny%20Arrested/id-ddd5740e90fc453cac5f609928e4623a

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Rice concession on Libya fails to mollify 3 in GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice told lawmakers Tuesday that her initial explanation of the deadly Sept. 11 raid in Libya was wrong, but her concession failed to mollify three Republican senators who signaled they would try to block her possible nomination to be secretary of state.

In a closed-door meeting that Rice requested, the ambassador answered questions from Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte about her much-maligned explanations about the cause of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. She was joined by acting CIA Director Michael Morell.

"The talking points provided by the intelligence community, and the initial assessment upon which they were based, were incorrect in a key respect: There was no protest or demonstration in Benghazi," Rice said in a statement after the meeting. "While we certainly wish that we had had perfect information just days after the terrorist attack, as is often the case the intelligence assessment has evolved."

Rice's unusual visit to Capitol Hill ? typically only nominees meet privately with lawmakers ? reflects the Obama administration's campaign for the current front-runner to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton against some strenuous GOP opposition.

"We are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got and some that we didn't get concerning evidence that was leading up to the attack on the consulate," McCain told reporters after emerging from the hour-plus session that he described as candid.

Said Graham: "Bottom line I'm more disturbed now than I was before that 16 September explanation." He said in a later interview that Rice went "far beyond the flawed talking points" and should be held accountable.

"I'm more troubled today," said Ayotte, who argued that it was clear in the days after the attack that it was terrorism and not a spontaneous demonstration prompted by an anti-Muslim video.

The White House remained defiant in its support for Rice, arguing that she was relying on an assessment from the intelligence community and had no responsibility in compiling the information on the cause of the attack. It dismissed what it characterized as a fixation on her national television appearances five days after the raid.

"The focus on, some might say, obsession on comments made on Sunday shows seems to me and to many, to be misplaced," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a White House briefing.

House Democrats, including female members of the Congressional Black Caucus, have suggested that the GOP opposition to Rice is sexist and racist. Senate Democrats, who will increase their advantage to 55-45 in the next Congress, said Rice could win confirmation if Republicans recognize the unfairness of penalizing her for the intelligence community's talking points.

"The personal attacks against Ambassador Rice by certain Republican senators have been outrageous and utterly unmoored from facts and reality," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement. "I am shocked that senators would continue these attacks even when the evidence ? including disclosures from the intelligence community about the information she presented ? have made it clear that the allegations against Ambassador Rice are baseless, and that she has done absolutely nothing wrong."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., told reporters that "it is so unfair to hold her responsible for something that she didn't produce and which the intelligence community has specifically stood by."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who met separately with Rice and Morell, said the ambassador told him that she based her Sunday show appearance on material from the intelligence community and the White House neither provided briefings nor additional talking points.

Lieberman said she made clear she was following the talking points, and her account on Sept. 16 should not disqualify her from any appointment.

A recurring issue is whether changes were made to the intelligence material at the request of the White House or for political reasons. Lieberman said Morell told him that was not the case.

"The acting director of the CIA said whatever changes were made in the original talking points before they were given in unclassified form to the House Intelligence Committee and to Ambassador Rice were made within the intelligence community," Lieberman said.

In a statement late Tuesday, McCain, Graham and Ayotte said Morell told them the FBI had removed references to al-Qaida in the talking points to prevent compromising ongoing investigations. Hours later, the CIA contacted the three senators to say Morell had misspoken and that the CIA had deleted the references.

Despite lingering questions over her public comments after the Benghazi attack, Rice has emerged as the top candidate on a short list of possible successors to Clinton, with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., seen as her closest alternative.

The strong statements from the three senators clouded Rice's prospects only two days after Republican opposition seem to be softening. Rice planned meetings on Wednesday with Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is in line to become the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Corker said Tuesday that he had concerns with a possible nomination.

"When I hear Susan talk she seems to me like she'd be a great chairman of the Democratic National Committee," Corker said. "There is nobody who is more staff supportive of what the administration does. That concerns me in a secretary of state."

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had indicated late Monday that Rice perhaps had been unwittingly used by the administration, said in a statement Tuesday that Rice is unfit for the top diplomatic post.

"It is now clear that she willingly misled the American public five different times in the days after the attack," Inhofe said. "And for months after the attack she failed to acknowledge, until today, that her account of what happened was deeply and fundamentally flawed."

A senior Senate aide said the administration was sounding out moderate members of the Foreign Relations Committee, such as Corker and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Assessing the prospects for Rice before Obama makes any announcement would avoid the embarrassment of a protracted fight with the Senate early in the president's second term and the possible failure of the nominee.

On talk shows the weekend following the attack, which took place on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, Rice was given talking points that described the attack as a spontaneous protest of the film, even though the Obama administration had known for days that it was a militant assault.

Republicans called her nomination doomed, leading to a vigorous defense of her by Obama in his first postelection news conference. Since then, GOP lawmakers have appeared to soften their views. McCain, who said earlier this month that would he do everything in his power to scuttle a Rice nomination, had said Sunday that he was willing to hear Rice out before making a decision.

Rice, who at 48 is relatively young, has been known to covet the job for years, but was passed over for Clinton in 2009.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/pol?guid=20121127/a04fb086-bc6a-4d25-994e-b1d317982370

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Smartphone Specs Leak, Release Date in 2013?

Books & Review | Cole Garner Hill

Updated: Nov 27, 2012 03:42 PM EST

Samsung

(Photo : Samsung) According to Nenamark 2, the S4 uses a 1.2GHz processor and comes with a screen with a resolution of 480 x 800.

As consumers continue to snap up Samsung's bestselling Galaxy SIII and Note 2 smartphones, numerous rumors suggest the specs for the upcoming Galaxy S4 handset have been leaked. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has already shown up in the Nenamark 2 benchmark database, according to The Droid Guy.

Nenamark 2 is a benchmark for high-end mobile devices that measures graphical performance by using realistic scenes that could be taken from a typical game and presents the results in frames per second. This provides a performance number that could be used for realistic comparisons between devices, according to the app's Google Play description.

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Benchmark results for Samsung's "GT-19400" recently popped up in Nenamark 2, prompting some to believe that this is the Galaxy S4. Some question the veracity of the report due to the underwhelming nature of the purported specs, while other point out the fact that the unnamed device does carry a model number that would seem to put it in succession with the Galaxy SIII ("GT-19300").

According to Nenamark 2, the GT-19400 uses a 1.2GHz processor and comes with a screen with a resolution of 480 x 800. The GPU is said to be an ARM Mali-400, as Sam Mobile points out who was the first to report these results.

It's worth noting that even if this is Samsung's Galaxy S4, the test may not reflect the specs of the final product, it's possible this benchmark is just an early part of the testing phase.

That was certainly the case when Samsung tested its Galaxy SIII. As Android Community notes, when Samsung was testing the handset's firmware, it was listed with mediocre specs. So, it's possible the Galaxy S4 Samsung is currently testing won't reflect the final version of the smartphone. Or, it could be a different smartphone altogether.

If it isn't the Galaxy S4, some speculate the device could be the successor to the Galaxy SIII Mini, or the highly rumored Galaxy S2 Plus.

Previous rumors have all centered on a 2013 release date for the Galaxy S4, and labeled the alleged Galaxy S4 with an entirely different set of technical specifications such as a 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display panel with 441ppi and a resolution of 1920 x 1080, an Exynos 5450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Mali-T658 GPU and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box. Other rumors have also said that Samsung is currently in the process of testing an eight-core processor, but there has been no mention of what that tech would be used for.

A source in South Korea suggests the Galaxy S4 won't be released until 2013 because Samsung is struggling to mass-produce the new screens. The displays reportedly require a new high-tech evaporation technique. According to the reports, Samsung is trying to obtain advanced LITI technology from 3M that allows OLED material to be more smoothly printed on glass.

Some sources are speculating Samsung will introduce the new displays to the world at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

That will surely continue to build excitement towards the release of the Galaxy S4.The new chipset is reportedly faster than the one currently in the Google Nexus 10 tablet and will be made on a 28nm process.

It is also believed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature a 13-megapixel camera. This 13-megapixel sensor was originally planned for the Galaxy S3 and second-generation Galaxy Note, but due to the time schedule to get the S3 out it was decided to hold the new cameras back in favor of putting them into the next generation Galaxy device. A 13-megapixel camera would be capable of capturing pictures with 4208 x 3120 resolution.

Meanwhile, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy SIII smartphones continue to be virtually unrivaled successes. Just weeks ago, the SIII became the world's top-selling smartphone, according to research by Strategy Analytics.

Samsung's Galaxy S III overtook Apple's iPhone 4S to become the world's bestselling smartphone model for the third quarter (July through September) of 2012. The Galaxy S III shipped 18 million units worldwide, compared with 16.2 million for the iPhone 4S. That's 11 percent of all smartphones shipped on the planet, according to Strategy Analytics.

The Note 2 has been almost as popular. Samsung has sold 5 million of its Galaxy Note II smartphone tablet hybrid devices in the first two months on the product's release, the company announced Nov. 26, according to InformationWeek.

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Source: http://www.booksnreview.com/articles/1763/20121127/samsung-galaxy-s4-smartphone-specs-leak-release-date-2013.htm

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Turkey lifts headscarf ban in religious schools

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has lifted a ban on female students wearing headscarves in schools providing religious education, in a move drawing criticism from secularists who see it as fresh evidence of the government pushing an Islamic agenda.

Education has been one of the main battlegrounds between religious conservatives, who form the bedrock of support for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party, and secular opponents who accuse him of imposing Islamic values by stealth.

Those secularist fears were fuelled this year when Erdogan said his goal was to raise a "religious youth" and the AK Party, in power for the past decade, pushed through a reform of the education system which boosted the role of religious schools.

Under the latest regulation, announced on Tuesday and going into effect from the 2013-2014 academic year, pupils at regular schools will also be able to wear headscarves in Koran lessons.

Erdogan said the reform, which also ends a requirement for pupils to wear uniform, was taken in response to public demand.

"Let's allow everyone to dress their child as they wish, according to their means," he said at a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

"These are all steps taken as a result of a demand."

Rivalry between religious and secular elites is one of the major fault lines in Turkish public life.

Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party has tamed the influence of the military - the self-appointed guardians of secularism since the modern republic was founded in 1923 - over the past decade, but he denies an Islamist agenda.

Last month the military top brass attended a reception in the presidential palace alongside the headscarved wives of the president and prime minister, something that until recently would have been unthinkable.

DOGMA

The secularist newspaper Cumhuriyet said the latest reform was a step towards the Islamization of education.

"This will end with chadors," a headline in the paper said.

The latest reform followed a law approved in March allowing "imam hatip" schools specializing in religious education combined with a modern curriculum to take children from the age of 11 instead of 15.

The Egitim-Sen education sector union was critical of the move on school uniforms and the headscarf.

"The changes in the clothing regulations are important in enabling us to see the intense degree to which the education system is being made religious," the union said in a statement.

"Religious symbols which spread a religious lifestyle in schools and which will have a negative impact on the psychology of developing children should definitely not be used," it said.

But others voiced support for the reform.

Gurkan Avc?, head of the Democratic Educators' Union (DES), said it had removed a legacy of the September 12, 1980 military coup by changing the dress code.

"We will not be able to rescue the education system from the perverse consequences of the oppression, rituals, dogma and thinking of the 'cold war' period until teachers and pupils are liberated," he said.

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Greg Mahlich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-lifts-headscarf-ban-religious-schools-133348880.html

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Video: Ray Liotta: ?I don?t mind? playing bad guys

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49964208/

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Bloomberg to ask Congress for $9.8 billion for Sandy costs

(Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday he will ask Congress for $9.8 billion to pay for superstorm Sandy costs not covered by insurance or other federal funds.

In a letter to New York's congressional delegation, Bloomberg said public, private and indirect losses to the city from the devastating late-October storm totaled an estimated $19 billion.

Of that, private insurance is expected to cover $3.8 billion, with Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements to cover at least an additional $5.4 billion, Bloomberg said in a statement.

The city still will need the additional $9.8 billion to help pay for costs that FEMA does not cover, like hazard mitigation, long-term housing, shoreline restoration and protection efforts, he said.

Bloomberg is scheduled to speak with congressional leaders in Washington on Wednesday.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29. It blasted through the Northeastern U.S., killing dozens of people, devastating homes, forcing evacuations, crippling power systems and shutting down New York City's subway system for days.

The total cost in the region still is not clear as estimates of the damage, as well as future repair and prevention costs, continue coming in from states, cities and counties.

Private insurance is expected to cover a large chunk of the costs, while FEMA is expected to cover at least 75 percent of eligible costs, but city and state officials can ask for more.

On November 12, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he planned to ask the federal government for $30 billion in disaster aid for the state.

Cuomo's initial estimates pegged the total amount of damages for the region at $50 billion, with about $33 billion of that incurred in New York state.

Cuomo's office did not immediately reply to a request for information about how New York City's damages fit into the overall estimated damages for the state.

The city had about $4.8 billion of uninsured private losses, $3.8 billion of insured private losses, and $4.5 billion in losses to city agencies.

Reconstructing the city's damaged roads alone could cost nearly $800 million, Bloomberg said. New York City, a financial and tourism center, also lost about $5.7 billion in gross city product, he said.

Neighboring New Jersey, which saw massive damage to its transit system and coastline, said it suffered at least $29.4 billion in overall losses, according to preliminary estimates released by Governor Chris Christie on Friday.

(Reporting By Hilary Russ; Editing by Maureen Bavdek and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/york-city-mayor-ask-congress-9-8-billion-170800247--sector.html

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N. California community mourns family swept to sea

In this photo provided by the Arcata High School Pepperbox, Arcata High School students wear green colored clothing in tribute to fellow student Gregory Kulijan Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, at Arcata High School in Arcata, Calif. The Kuljian family were out for a walk Saturday, Nov. 24 at Big Lagoon beach, playing fetch with their dog when Gregory Kuljian tossed a stick that took their dog down to the water's edge. Kuljian's son ran to save the dog, and struggled as he was captured by the surging surf. Howard Kuljian followed, and later his wife. Both parents' bodies were later recovered, but the boy, presumed dead, is still missing. (AP Photo/Arcata High School Pepperbox, Forrest Lewis)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Howard Kuljian and his family were out for a walk on a damp, overcast morning at Big Lagoon beach, playing fetch with their dog Fran as 10-foot surf churned the water just feet away like a washing machine.

Signs near the beach warned of "sneaker waves," the kind that suddenly roar ashore.

Kuljian tossed a stick that took the dog down to the water's edge, and in an instant, authorities said, a wave swallowed it, setting off a nightmarish scramble.

"Everything kind of snowballed from there," Coast Guard Lt. Bernie Garrigan said.

Kuljian's 16-year-old son, Gregory, ran to save the dog, only to be captured by the surging surf himself. Kuljian, 54, followed, and then his wife, Mary Scott, 57. On shore, their 18-year-old daughter, Olivia, and Gregory's girlfriend could only watch.

Both parents' bodies were later recovered, but the boy ? presumed dead ? is still missing.

The dog eventually made it back to shore.

News of Saturday's tragedy shocked many in the small college town of Arcata on the rough Northern California coastline about 280 miles north of San Francisco.

Students at Gregory's high school wore green in his memory Monday.

By late afternoon, more than 1,300 people "liked" a Facebook page set up by the teenager's friends called "Wear Green for Geddie" ? using his nickname. Dozens tweeted tributes with the hash-tag (hash)WearGreenForGeddie.

"I will always remember him no matter how long," wrote Emmalaya Owen on the Facebook page. "Especially how he was such an upbeat happy person or how he tried to put up 'Be Happy' propaganda posters he drew around school."

Others were trying to come to terms with the deaths. His sister graduated last year.

"He was just a friendly guy, and everyone who knew him liked him, and his family was very close," said Day Robins, a high school senior. She said Gregory and his family were active in school athletics and sailing.

At Big Lagoon beach, a short drive from Arcata, signs posted near the parking lot warned beachgoers not to turn their back to the surf and to pay special attention to sneaker waves.

"Because the beach is designed that way, when that 10-foot wall breaks, it surges up on the beach and surges back really fast," said Garrigan, the Coast Guard officer. "It's like a cyclical washing machine."

As the family walked along the beach, Howard Kuljian threw the stick and the dog gave chase, said Dana Jones, a state parks district superintendent.

Seeing his son in the water, Kuljian leapt to action, and disappeared into the frigid water.

Gregory managed to pull himself back onto the sand, but after realizing his father was drowning, both he and his mother went in to save him.

As Olivia and the girlfriend watched in horror, a nearby bystander called police. By the time help arrived, it was too late. Jones said the officer wasn't able to get to the family members because of the high surf.

Garrigan said the search for the teenager was stopped because a person without a wetsuit could not survive for long in the cold surf.

The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and two motorized life boats to find the teenager, but thick coastal fog made the search difficult. The parks department also called off its search.

"When there is shorebreak like that, you don't even have to go into the water to be pulled into the sea," Jones said. "It's a reminder to be real careful around the ocean."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-26-Swept%20Away/id-bfc33421f2cb44c893856713a8263612

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Monday, November 26, 2012