As Cyber Monday approaches, Black Friday sets new records

Black Friday this year set new records for in-store and online buying. Despite high unemployment and a generally worrisome economy, nearly half of all Americans went shopping.

Black Friday this year appears to have set records for consumer frenzy ? and not just in fisticuffs, pepper spray, and mall parking lot rage.

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According?to ShopperTrak, which counts retail and mall foot traffic, Black Friday sales increased 6.6 percent over the same day last year, totaling $11.40 billion in retail purchases ? the biggest dollar amount ever spent during the day.

?Despite our sluggish economy, shoppers proved they are looking for value and ready to buy if given a good customer experience,? said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin in a statement. ?This is the largest year-over-year gain in ShopperTrak?s National Retail Sales Estimate for Black Friday since the 8.3 percent increase we saw between 2007 and 2006.?

Part of the increase this year is tied to ever-earlier sales, some on Thanksgiving night. This includes early online sales as well. Record numbers of pre-promotions and extended shopping hours in the weeks leading up to Black Friday account for some of these increases, according to ShopperTrak.

IBM?s Coremetrics retail benchmark (based on more than one million transactions at 500 retailers nationwide) shows that ?shoppers took advantage of early sales this holiday driving a 39.3 percent increase in online Thanksgiving day spending while setting the stage for 24.3 percent online growth on Black Friday compared to the same period last year.?

The National Retail Federation (NRF) was expecting 152 million Americans to shop on Black Friday ? up from 138 million last year and nearly half the US population.

The NRF also notes increased use of social media in finding bargains and therefore boosting buying.

The organization?s survey found 17.3 percent monitoring retailers? Facebook pages and 11.3 percent checking out group-buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. Of those who own tablet devices and who plan to shop for or research holiday items this year, one in five were expected to seek out group buying sites and 31.2 percent are checking out retailers? Facebook pages, according to the NRF.

Tentatively, at least, experts predict more good news for retailers beyond Black Friday (named for the day when many retailers say their annual financial situation becomes profitable) ? despite high unemployment rates and a generally worrisome economy.

?A solid Black Friday suggests the rest of the season should be pretty good,? Ken Perkins, president of Swampscott, Massachusetts- based Retail Metrics told Bloomberg News. ?Those who have jobs have been willing to spend.?

Still, it?s just one day, notes ShopperTrak?s Bill Martin.?

?It remains to be seen whether consumers will sustain this behavior through the holiday shopping season,? he said.

As for that woman who pepper-sprayed fellow shoppers crowded around a crate of Xbox video game players at a Wal-Mart in the upscale Porter Ranch section of the San Fernando Valley in California, she has yet to be charged.

The woman surrendered to authorities but was released pending further investigation after she refused to discuss the incident with police, according to the Associated Press. Police are still interviewing witnesses to the attack.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/QV88Wnm4UZ0/As-Cyber-Monday-approaches-Black-Friday-sets-new-records

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Moody's warns US not to back off deficit cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Moody's Investors Services warned on Wednesday that it could downgrade the U.S. government's top credit rating, if Congress backs off $1.2 trillion in automatic deficit cuts scheduled over the next decade.

The credit rating agency said in a statement it will not lower the nation's rating on long-term debt after a special congressional panel failed this week to reach agreement on alternative cuts to the deficit.

The impasse triggered the automatic cuts, which are scheduled to kick in beginning in 2013. Moody's said any effort to reduce those cuts could force the agency to downgrade its rating.

Moody's currently has U.S. government debt with a top rating of Aaa but with a negative outlook.

The agency said it had decided to take no action based on the failure of a special congressional panel to come up with a plan because the automatic cuts will arrive at the same level of deficit reduction. Some Republicans are vowing to block the cuts slated to occur in defense programs, which amount to about half of the total.

In its statement, Moody's said, "While a change in the composition of the spending cuts would not be a major rating consideration, a reduction in the total amount ... could have negative rating implications."

Moody's did not say when it would conduct its next review of the U.S. credit rating. Fitch, another rating agency, also has a triple-A rating on U.S. debt but said in August that a failure of the congressional panel to produce a plan could lead to a reassessment of that rating. Fitch has said it will issue its next report at the end of the month.

On Monday after the announcement of the 12-member congressional panel's impasse, Standard & Poor's said it would not downgrade the U.S. credit rating. Like Moody's, it warned that its present rating was based on the expectation that the automatic cuts will not be reduced.

S&P in August cut its rating of long-term U.S. Treasury securities by one notch from AAA to AA+, the first such downgrade of U.S. government debt in history.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-23-US-US%20Credit%20Rating/id-bf880c765fbb4cb98d27770d62054e1f

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JetSuite's Sweet Thanksgiving Deal

If your bank account and stress levels are feeling the pressure this holiday season, doesn't flying in a private jet for $1 sound just too good to be true?

Well, it may not be.

In the past, Cyber Monday has just been the day after Thanksgiving, but thanks to Private Jet Company JetSuite -- deals have been extended to last through the entire week of Thanksgiving.

JetSuite provides customers with a "Suite Deal" which allows them access to last minute flight deals starting at $499 - for the entire four passenger private jet.

For Thanksgiving weekend, JetSuite's "Suite Deal" will not start at $499 one-way, but instead $1 to charter all four-seats on the aircraft during November 23 through November 29.

All destinations (such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, and Palm Springs), flight times, and availabilities are posted exclusively on JetSuite's Facebook page.

JetSuite is based in Southern California and is the first private jet operator to offer a fleet of Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft, the most fuel-efficient jet in its class.

Sweet deal.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/jetsuite-private-jets-swe_n_1105630.html

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Campbell yet to convince Street on soup turnaround (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Campbell Soup Co's (CPB.N) efforts to turnaround its U.S. soups business have yet to convince Wall Street as it risks losing price-conscious buyers with fewer promotions and by raising prices due to high ingredient costs.

The world's largest soup maker, which named Denise Morrison as its new chief executive in June, has cut jobs and promotional spending on soups and quit the Russian market, even as some American shoppers shifted to rival brands.

In the latest quarter, Campbell reported lower revenue, missing analysts' expectations as U.S. soup volumes continued to fall, and even international sales of its meals and beverages decreased.

The company's shares were down 5 percent at $31.78 on Tuesday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange.

"The company's U.S. soup business continues to be challenged, especially in the condensed and ready to serve categories," Morningstar analyst Erin Lash said.

Soup sales have fallen at Campbell for several quarters. The company had tried to entice shoppers by increasing price-cutting promotions, but pulled back as its profits took a hit and sales did not grow as expected.

On an analyst call, CEO Morrison, who increased spending on advertising and introducing new products, said the company's efforts to stabilize its U.S. soup business were on track, but admitted there was work to be done.

In the latest quarter, U.S. soups revenue fell 4 percent, hurt by promotional spending by rivals, while sales in its international beverage and meals business decreased 3 percent.

PROFIT BEATS

However, Campbell reported a higher-than-expected profit, helped by lower advertising and promotion expenses and stood by its fiscal-year forecast.

Campbell, which also makes V-8 juice drinks and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, began advertising later than usual "to be more closely aligned with the start of the soup season."

Campbell expects fiscal 2012 expenses on advertising and consumer programs to rise and will increase its spending in the coming quarters.

For the quarter ended October 30, net earnings attributable to Campbell Soup were $265 million, down from $279 million a year earlier. Per share earnings were unchanged at 82 cents due to a decline in outstanding shares.

Sales fell 1 percent to $2.16 billion.

Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 79 cents a share on sales of $2.21 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Marketing and selling expenses fell 6 percent to $261 million.

Campbell expects fiscal 2012 adjusted earnings per share to fall 5 to 7 percent, with sales flat to up 2 percent.

(Reporting by Mihir Dalal in New York; editing by Derek Caney, John Wallace, Dave Zimmerman, Robert MacMillan and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111122/bs_nm/us_campbellsoup

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Gmail (for iPhone)

You can already use Gmail on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, so why would you want a standalone Gmail app from Google? Speed, better search functions, and color-coded threading are three possible answers.

The Gmail app for iOS (free, for iOS 4 and later) made by Google gives users another choice for managing email. It allows iPhone users to decide what they value in an email app. Do you value search capability over text displayed at readable sizes? Is it more important for your various email accounts to be managed in one app, as Mail arranges them, or would you rather have a dedicated app just for Gmail that looks more like Gmail on the web, with color-coded threading?

In short, the app does some things well, but it's largely a matter of preference whether it's right for you. One deciding factor may be that you can't log into multiple Gmail accounts at once. You have to sign in and out. Apple's Mail app, however, does support multiple Gmail accounts.

If you happened to snag the Gmail app ?when it was prematurely released on November 2?it was removed merely hours after its debut?you'll have to log out and log back in, or completely uninstall and reinstall the app to ensure you have the fully functioning new version of the app.

The new app for iOS 4 and later does have better search capabilities than the Mail app synchronized to your Gmail account, which is not a surprise, given that we're talking about Google, the first name in computer search.

Mail vs. Gmail
The Gmail app has a Facebookian design, in that a collapsible menu pane appears to the left of the central interface. Toggle the menu open, and it nudges its way into view, taking up not quite half of the screen real estate. Here, you can find the requisite Gmail folders, such as Important, Sent, and Drafts, as well as all the custom folders you've made. A new feature, the Priority Inbox, helps you tag and navigate to the most important messages. There's a menu listing for Chats, although it's not an active messaging service; it's just a folder (which appears in your Web-based Gmail account, too) where your chat dialogs are saved if you enable a setting). When you preview messages, the majority of text in the Gmail app appears in light gray type, indicating read messages. The only time you'll see bold or black is for unread mail. Compared to the bold, black lettering of cascading point sizes used in the Mail app, Gmail's text is much harder to read.

Check out?The Best iPhone Apps

Open a message, and each person on the thread appears in a different color, using the same color-coding scheme seen in the Gmail website. Whoever initiates a new email has their name in green; the first respondent shows up in purple; the third is red; and so on. The message itself is in whatever color text the sender uses (usually black, with blue for hyperlinks), although other information, such as the sender details in a forwarded message, appear in the harder-to-read light gray.

In terms of search performance, the Gmail app outperforms Mail easily, because it searches your entire mailbox, whereas the Mail app restricts you from searching beyond the folder that's open (usually, it's Inbox). The Mail app gives you results letter-by-letter as it finds matches, in part because it's only searching a limited subsection of your entire mailbox. Gmail waits until you've typed all your letters and hit "Search" before embarking on the hunt to match the terms anywhere in your mail.

Which Gmail iPhone App to Use?
Both the Gmail iOS app and the native Mail app connected to a Gmail account do a fine job of getting your messages to you when you're not in front of a full-sized computer. Which one you choose is largely a matter of preference, although I think the decisive factor for many people is that the Gmail app doesn't support multiple accounts simultaneously. If search is of the utmost essence, though, you'll definitely appreciate the Gmail app. The same goes for those who love color-coded threading in messages. If you've been happy to date with Mail's performance and appreciate larger type and bold fonts in your previews, however, there is no need to get used to a new interface.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touches already support Gmail very well. The new app from Google just adds another choice for how you can access it. Seeing as its free, why not load both and use the one that best suits your needs at the moment?

More iPhone Apps Reviews:?
??? Gmail (for iPhone)
??? Ask.com (for iPhone)
??? Cards (for iPhone)
??? Skype 3.5 (for iPhone)
??? Dragon Go! (for iPhone)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/8ml3Hv0pD8A/0,2817,2395783,00.asp

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Romney says supercommittee likely to fail, calls on Obama to stop threatened military cuts (Star Tribune)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/164457088?client_source=feed&format=rss

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More than 1 in 5 U.S. children poor, Census says (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The number of children in the United States considered poor rose by 1 million in 2010, the U.S. Census said Thursday, with more than one in five of the youngest Americans now living in poverty.

"Children who live in poverty, especially young children, are more likely than their peers to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties, to complete fewer years of education, and, as they grow up, to experience more years of unemployment," the Census said.

In 2010, when the Census survey was conducted, 21.6 percent of children across the country were poor, compared to 20 percent in 2009.

That was mainly due to a rise in the number of children living below the federal poverty threshold, defined as an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four, to 15.7 million from 14.7 million in 2009.

The figures reflect the overall state of the economy. The national poverty rate stands at 15.3 percent and the unemployment rate is at 9 percent some two years after the recession that began in 2007 officially ended.

The number of people living in poverty has reached an all-time high in the United States, despite the country's position as one of the wealthiest in the world. Its gross domestic product per capita of $47,184 was 3,095 percent more than India's $1,477 in 2010.

In 24 states and Washington, D.C., more than 20 percent of those up to 17 years old lived at or below the poverty threshold.

RACIAL GAPS

The Census found that the percentage of white children in poverty increased in 25 states in 2010 from the year before.

Overall, "white and Asian children had poverty rates below the national average, while black children had the highest poverty rate at 38.2 percent," it said.

"The poverty rate for Hispanic children was 32.3 percent, and children identified with two or more races had 22.7 percent living in poverty."

Children in some states fared worse than in others.

"About one of every three children in poverty lived in one of the four most populous states, each of which saw increases in the number and the percentage of children in poverty between 2009 and 2010," the Census said.

There were 2 million children in poverty in California, followed by Texas, where 1.8 million children were considered poor. Slightly less than 1 million children lived in poverty in Florida and New York.

The Census found that the number and percentage of children in poverty rose in 27 states in 2010. New Mexico's rate increased the most, by 4.7 percent.

Among states, Mississippi had the highest proportion of children in poverty, 32.5 percent. In Washington, D.C., and in New Mexico, child poverty rates also neared one-third.

In 10 states child poverty rates are 25 percent or higher, including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

New Hampshire has the lowest child poverty rate at 10 percent.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Xavier Briand)

(Corrects headline, first and third paragraphs to show 21.6 percent of children below poverty line, corrects to show New Mexico's rate increased the most)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111118/lf_nm_life/us_usa_poverty_children

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This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Nov 19, 2011 5:00 PM 4,773 0

• Five Best Desktop Comic Book Readers (Windows/Mac/Linux) There's a certain nostalgia to reading a paper comic book and flipping the pages, but if you can get digital copies of your favorite comics and you can use your computer's large display to read them, why not? This week we're going to take a look at five apps that can make downloading and reading comics on your computer fun and easy.
• Win7s? Brings Mac-Like Screen Corners to Windows 7 (Windows) Win7s? brings one of Mac OS X's best features to Windows, letting you trigger different actions by moving your mouse to one of the corners on your screen.
• The Best Disc Burning App for Windows (Windows) Windows has more disc burning apps than we can count, but a few notable programs stand out from the pack. Our favorite is CDBurnerXP for its long list of features and easy-to-use interface.
• The Best Terminal Emulator for Linux (Linux) While your terminal emulator of choice depends a lot on personal preference, it's quite clear that the most powerful terminal emulator on Linux is the feature-filled Terminator.
• Any.DO Is a Crazy Intuitive, Gesture-Based To-Do App for Android (Android) Android has a lot of great to-do apps, but few of them are as easy to use as Any.DO. You can add tasks by voice, manage them with simple gestures, and even use its predictive features to instantly add common tasks to your to-do list.
• Simplier is a Lightweight Music Player for Macs that Uses Your iTunes Library (Mac) Sure most of us use iTunes to purchase music, but playing that music in iTunes is kind of a pain. For a lot less bloat and a more streamlined experience give Simplier a try-it's a simple music player that uses your existing iTunes music library.
• Logo Maker for Chrome Gives You an Interactive Canvas to Design Your Own Logo (Chrome) If you have a web site or business, or just want a logo to identify yourself on social networks, Logo Maker is a Chrome add-on that gives you a canvas you can use to add and scale an image, apply text under it, and then export it as a PNG that you can add to your web site or upload as a profile pic, all without installing an image editor.
• Tincta Is a Free, Fully-Featured Programming Text Editor (Mac) Our favorite programming text editor for Mac costs $40, so we're always excited when a good and free option comes along. Tincta is just that, offering several great developer-friendly features like code syntax highlighting, line numbering, autocomplete brackets, and much more.
• Acoustic Ruler Pro Turns Your iPhone into a Sonic Ruler (iOS) Chances are you don't have a ruler on you at all times, but you probably carry your phone with you everywhere you go. Acoustic Ruler Pro is an app that converts your iOS device and its headphones into a ruler for quick measurements.
• Evernote Clearly Makes Web Pages More Readable and Transportable Into Evernote (Chrome) Albeit a little late, Evernote has jumped on the improved web site readability bandwagon and introduced a new feature called Clearly. Much like most browser extensions and bookmarklets, it takes a given web site and converts the layout into a more readable format. This makes clipping web content to Evernote a lot nicer as you won't have to deal with improper formatting as the page transitions to your notebook.

Related Stories

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/sR5L47dBs7s/this-weeks-top-downloads

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Two Afghan police killed in clash with foreign troops (Reuters)

KABUL (Reuters) ? Two Afghan police officers were killed in a clash with foreign troops conducting a night raid southwest of the Afghan capital, Kabul, early on Saturday, a provincial police chief said, adding to Afghan pressure to stop the raids.

Night raids, which foreign troops say are one of their most effective weapons in the fight against insurgents, are a major cause of friction between President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers. Karzai has said repeatedly he wants them stopped.

Saturday's incident happened when the soldiers, who were involved in a night raid which had not been coordinated with the police, ignored orders to halt when spotted by officers in Ghazni province, said Ghazni police chief Zorawar Zahid.

Shots were fired in the resulting clash, he said.

"Foreign troops were planning to conduct night raids but a firefight took place when they failed (to obey) police orders to stop," Zahid said.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said the coalition was aware that an incident had taken place and was investigating. It declined to give further details.

Afghanistan wants the United States and NATO to agree to stop carrying out night raids on Afghan homes as a precondition to signing a long-term alliance with Washington, Karzai said on Wednesday.

Parts of Ghazni province are expected to be included in the next phase of a security handover to Afghan forces under a plan agreed by the coalition and for foreign combat troops to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

(Reporting by Ahmad Mustafa and Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Jan Harvey; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_police

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Cain meeting with Union Leader newspaper canceled

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain speaks during a rally with supporters ,Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain speaks during a rally with supporters ,Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain speaks during a rally with supporters ,Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain smiles as he talks to reporters a a campaign stop at the Statehouse, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner listens at left, as Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain talks to reporters during a campaign stop at the Statehouse, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain talks with customers during a campaign stop at the Airport Diner, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) ? Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain returned to New Hampshire on Thursday for the first time in about a month, but couldn't spare time for the state's largest newspaper.

A scheduled meeting with the New Hampshire Union Leader's editorial board was canceled about an hour before it was to begin. The newspaper is an influential voice among New Hampshire conservatives, the group Cain needs to do well in the first-in-the-nation primary state.

There was disagreement over whether the meeting would be videotaped. The Union Leader typically allows filming of its meetings with presidential candidates; Cain's campaign refused to allow it.

The development came several days after Cain struggled during an interview with a Milwaukee newspaper, which was videotaped and went viral after it was posted on the Internet.

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon said the Union Leader canceled because of a disagreement over timing.

"We would like to do something with them in the future," he told The Associated Press.

Cain's trip was his first to the Granite State since a GOP presidential debate about a month ago. Much has changed since then in what has been a rollercoaster race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Cain briefly shot up in the polls, but has struggled to maintain momentum following allegations of sexual misconduct and questions about his preparedness.

"The thing that we are learning is that the more successful you are in your campaign, the more disciplined you have to be because there are even more demands on your time," Cain told The Associated Press.

The Georgia businessman had just one public event in the state Thursday, an afternoon rally. He defended recent stumbles on foreign policy and said the president doesn't need to know every detail about every country.

"We need a leader, not a reader," Cain told hundreds of cheering supporters inside a Nashua hotel ballroom. Some had traveled from nearby states to see him.

Cain suggested that recent allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women are irrelevant. He has strongly denied the charges.

"The people that are on the Cain train, they don't get off because of that crap," he said.

Cain did not address the Union Leader situation directly. He spent much of the morning conducting interviews with local TV stations at a Manchester diner.

The Union Leader interview was scheduled last week and was to last at least an hour, according to Andrew Cline, the newspaper's editorial page editor. The paper typically allows C-SPAN to broadcast its meetings with presidential contenders.

Gordon conceded that the campaign tried to change the terms of the interview.

Late Wednesday, Cain's staff said he had only 20 minutes to spare. They also refused to allow videotaping.

"For editorial boards, videos are options and we decided not to pursue that option," Gordon said. "It's a newspaper."

On Monday, Cain had trouble answering a question about the U.S. role in Libya during a meeting with the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That interview was taped and later spread across the Internet.

Cain addressed the Milwaukee incident on Thursday, telling the AP that he paused simply to gather his thoughts.

"They want people to think it was a mental lapse. If that's what they want to think, so be it. I know what it was," he said, describing it as "a powerful pause." ''You can look forward to some more powerful pauses."

Gordon said he'd like to reschedule with the New Hampshire newspaper but doesn't know when Cain will return to the state.

Joseph McQuaid, publisher of the Union Leader and an influential voice in New Hampshire Republican politics, suggested the canceled interview wouldn't significantly affect Cain's presidential campaign. Despite his brief rise in the polls, Cain has few formal endorsements, staffers or campaign infrastructure in states like New Hampshire that vote early in the nominating process.

"I don't think he's going anywhere from here at this point, anyway," McQuaid told the Union Leader.

Cain, meanwhile, issued a statement calling on Justice Elena Kagan to recuse herself when the Supreme Court hears arguments next year in a legal challenge to President Barak Obama's health care law. Kagan was the administration's solicitor general when the overhaul was being formulated.

The court's practice is for justices who are staying out of a case to make an announcement when the case is accepted. Kagan has not said she will step aside.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-11-17-US-Cain/id-0746fac9a53046358f728216508cc7a5

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Google Music now available for Google TV

Google TV is finally starting to grow up, now that the Honeycomb update is rolling out. And following yesterday's Google Music announcement, you can now stream all of your music to the updated Google Music app for Google TV. Presumably your TV's hooked up to at least a decent stereo. If not, well, Christmas is right aroudn the corner.

Head into the Android Market on Google TV to download the app.

Source: Google TV blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/JsFvuDeqBVs/story01.htm

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Clinton sees flood evacuees on quick Thailand trip (AP)

BANGKOK ? U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton played with a toddler and asked a little girl if she misses school during a quick visit to an evacuation center for Thai flood victims Thursday, a day after announcing a $10 million aid package.

Clinton exchanged the traditional Thai greeting known as "wai" ? bowing deeply while pressing the palms together near the face ? with some of the more than 1,400 evacuees living in gymnasiums inside the Ratchamangala National Stadium complex.

"Tell me your story," she asked some of the evacuees, including Wirat Chumsuwan.

"It's someone big from another country and she's interested in helping our country, so it feels good," Wirat said.

Nearly a third of Thailand's 77 provinces, including Bangkok, have been hit by floods since late July. More than one-fifth of the country's 64 million people have been affected, and at least 567 have died.

Clinton arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday in a hastily arranged trip, making a detour while on her way to attend a regional summit in Bali, Indonesia. On Wednesday, she announced an aid package worth $10 million in addition to $1 million in aid already given through the Red Cross.

At the stadium complex, evacuees sleep next to each other on blue mats with their meager possessions stacked nearby. Clinton, accompanied by Thai officials, played briefly with a toddler feeding from a milk bottle.

She then asked Wirat's 9-year-old daughter Manthitha if she misses school. The girl said she did, not having gone to class for more than two months.

Wirat, who lives in the nearby province of Pathum Thani, said he battled the floods for two weeks but had to evacuate a month ago.

"The water was rising and I couldn't stay anymore," he said.

Wirat took his family to an evacuation center at Bangkok's Don Muang domestic airport, where they stayed for a week before that too was flooded. They were moved to the stadium complex three weeks ago.

The U.S. is already providing medical assistance and a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Lassen, is in a Thai port with crew and helicopters to help relief efforts, Clinton said.

She said the U.S. would help reopen Don Muang airport and rehabilitate flooded police stations.

Washington is also consulting with the Thai government on how to restore important cultural sites, such as the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, which is in one of the worst-hit areas.

Parts of Thailand, especially areas just outside Bangkok, still face weeks of flooding. But the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority said the overall situation in the capital is improving quickly, especially in Don Muang and Lad Phrao, a district studded with office towers, condominiums and a popular shopping mall.

In northern Bangkok, a few hundred residents protested Thursday near a dike made of sandbags, complaining that floodwaters on their side of the barrier were higher.

After negotiations with authorities, the community was permitted to remove two 16-foot (5-meter) -wide sections of the barrier so water could flow out, police Maj. Gen. Damrongsak Kittipraphat said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_floods

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Adele 'on the mend' after throat surgery

LONDON?? British singer Adele said she was "on the mend" after undergoing microsurgery in Boston to treat a benign polyp on her vocal cords.

The problems forced Adele, whose album "21" is the top seller in the United States and Britain this year, to cancel a string of appearances at concerts and awards ceremonies in recent weeks.

Story: Singer Adele has vocal cord surgery in Boston

"I'm doing really well, on the mend, super happy, relaxed and very positive with it all," the 23-year-old said in a blog posting on her website.

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"The operation was a success and I'm just chilling out now until I get the all clear from my doctors ... I best get back to practicing my mime show now."

Adele, who leads the field with four nominations at the American Music Awards to be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 20, recently dismissed speculation in the media that she had throat cancer.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45320278/ns/today-entertainment/

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VIDEO: Rob Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner Talk ?Breaking Dawn?

You might have read Parade.com?s interviews with Breaking Dawn, Part 1 stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner. But now they?re featuring some terrific video, where each of the stars dish on the long-awaited next chapter in the Twilight Saga. From steamy scenes to emotional endings, watch our three exclusive interviews for a behind-the-scenes [...]

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Post office near default? Losses mount to $5.1B (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it has lost $5.1 billion in the past year, pushing it closer to imminent default on a multibillion-dollar payment and to future bankruptcy as the weak economy and increased Internet use drive down mail volume.

The financial losses for the year ended Sept. 30 came despite deep cuts of more than 130,000 jobs in recent years and the closing of some smaller local post offices.

Losses will only accelerate in the coming year, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe warned, citing faster-than-expected declines in first-class mail. He implored Congress to take swift, wide-ranging action to stabilize the ailing agency's finances as it nears a legal deadline Friday to pay $5.5 billion into the U.S. Treasury for future retiree health benefits.

Congress is expected to grant a reprieve, but that will only delay the day of reckoning for an agency struggling for relevance in an electronic age. Based on current losses, the Postal Service says it will run out of money ? or come dangerously close ? next September, forcing it to halt service.

"We are at a point where we require urgent action," Donahoe said.

In the event of a shutdown, private companies such as FedEx and UPS could handle a small portion of the material the post office moves, but they do not go everywhere. No business has shown interest in delivering letters everywhere in the country for a set rate of 44 cents for a first-class letter.

For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, the post office had income of $65.7 billion, down $1.4 billion from the previous year. Expenses totaled $70.6 billion.

The loss of $5.1 billion was less than a previous estimate of $10 billion, but only because the $5.5 billion payment ? originally due Sept. 30 ? was deferred until Nov. 18 with the approval of Congress.

In 2010, losses totaled $8.5 billion.

Mail volume this past year totaled 168 billion pieces, compared with 171 billion in 2010, a decline of 1.7 percent. At the same time volume was declining, the post office was required to begin service to thousands of new addresses to accommodate population growth and new businesses.

The Postal Service, an independent agency of government that does not receive tax money for its operations, is not seeking federal funds.

Instead, postal officials want changes in the way they operate so they can save money. They have asked Congress for permission to reduce mail delivery to five days a week, which many lawmakers oppose, and to eliminate or reduce the annual payments of about $5.5 billion to prefund retiree health benefits. The agency also wants the return of at least $6.9 billion it says was overpaid into federal retirement funds.

The service also seeks more layoffs, which are barred by current contracts with its employee unions, and the authority to negotiate with unions on a possible alternate health care system that would cost less.

Postal Service losses have been mounting over the past few years as more private mail and bill payments have been switched to the Internet, and the recession has hurt returns on advertising and other business mail.

Of particular concern has been the decline in lucrative first-class mail, largely consisting of personal letters and cards, bills, payments and similar items. First-class mail volume fell 5.8 percent in 2011, 6.6 percent in 2010, 8.6 percent in 2009 and 4.8 percent in 2008. Traditionally, this mail has produced more than half of total revenue.

Volume for standard mail ? advertising and similar items ? improved somewhat, indicating some signs of economic recovery. But it generates less income.

The Postal Service has struggled to find its role in an Internet age but insists it can eventually return to profitability with legislative changes. It recently launched a TV advertising campaign that pokes at the vulnerabilities of email or online payment, noting that documents posted on a refrigerator or cork board won't get "hacked" or attacked by a virus. "Give your customers the added security a printed statement or receipt provides ? with mail," the ad says.

A postal default on billions of dollars in federal payments wouldn't cause immediate repercussions. There are no criminal or civil penalties for failure to pay, and the health account already contains more than $40 billion so no retiree's benefits are at near-term risk. In June, the Postal Service defaulted on a separate, legally required payment into an employee retirement fund but now says it will make the $1 billion in accumulated payments following a Justice Department review.

Separate proposals recently passed by House and Senate committees would alter or scrap the annual payment requirement while differing widely on points including financial oversight and a reduction to five-day-a-week delivery. Congress is expected to pass a stop-gap spending measure this week that would extend Friday's payment deadline until mid-December.

The Postal Service has said a short-term delay of the $5.5 billion payment won't change its grim forecast of possible bankruptcy next year. Officials also said Tuesday that the proposed legislation currently falls short in reducing health care costs and authorizing immediate five-day-a-week delivery.

"We're hoping for long-term, comprehensive legislation that will solve the issue and make other changes so the Postal Service can be profitable again ? not have more delays that just kick the can down the road," postal spokesman David Partenheimer said.

Last month, the post office said it will increase postage rates on Jan. 22, including a 1-cent increase in the cost of first-class mail, to 45 cents. But the rate increase, which is tied to the rate of overall inflation, will make only a small dent in financial losses. The Postal Service hasn't ruled out the possibility of further stamp price increases based on its dire financial circumstances.

The agency is also considering additional layoffs and reviewing about 3,600 underused post offices around the country for closing, many of them in rural areas.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that registered voters were broadly in favor of ending Saturday deliveries to help with the agency's financial problems, with 79 percent supporting it. Smaller majorities favored raising stamp prices ? 60 percent ? or closing local branches, about 53 percent.

"The Postal Service is in a tailspin," said Art Sackler, coordinator of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, which represents the private-sector mailing industry. "Without congressional action, there is a strong likelihood the Postal Service will have to shut down sometime next summer, dealing another critical blow to the economy and the 8 million private sector jobs that still depend on the mail."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111115/ap_on_bi_ge/us_postal_problems

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RI lawmakers to vote on landmark pension overhaul (Providence Journal)

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Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg fighting Parkinson's (AP)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ? Green Bay Packers great Forrest Gregg, a man celebrated for his durability on the football field, is facing a difficult challenge away from the gridiron.

Nicknamed "Iron Man" for playing in a then-record 188 consecutive NFL games during his Hall of Fame career, Gregg told The Associated Press he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Although the cause of the debilitating neurological disorder is unknown, Gregg, his family and his neurologist say his disease may be related to numerous concussions he suffered during his playing career in the 1950s at SMU and from 1956-71 with the Packers and Dallas Cowboys.

The 78-year-old Gregg was diagnosed last month after being referred to Dr. Rajeev Kumar, a Parkinson's expert and medical director of the Colorado Neurological Institute's Movement Disorders Center in Denver.

Gregg's symptoms include hand tremors, a stooped posture, shortened stride and softened voice.

"I'd like to stop it there if I could," he told the AP in an interview.

There is no cure for Parkinson's, but a combination of drugs, exercise and physical therapy can delay the devastating effects of the disease that strikes more than 50,000 Americans every year.

The former offensive lineman, who was a six-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, said he wanted to go public with his diagnosis to promote understanding of the disease and push for more research. He said he hopes to help others recognize the signs of Parkinson's and seek treatment early enough to delay the degenerative effects of the disease on both mind and body.

"I don't pretend to say that I'm important to the scheme of things in the whole world, but I can do something and help along people who have this disease," Gregg said. "So, I'm kind of just saying that I have it, I want to do something about it and I think I found the right people to help me along the line.

"I had a friend who had Parkinson's and he didn't find out he had it until it was too late to do anything about it and we lost him and when I first heard this, you can believe me, it shook me up."

More than 5 million people worldwide, including more than 1 million in North America, have Parkinson's, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease is characterized by increasingly severe tremors and periodically stiff or frozen limbs. Patients gradually lose brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical key to the circuitry that controls muscle movement. Dopamine-boosting medication and an implanted device called deep brain stimulation can reduce some symptoms.

Muhammad Ali is mostly mute after years of living with Parkinson's, and actor Michael J. Fox also suffers from the disease.

"The thoughts, prayers and support of the Green Bay Packers are with Forrest, his wife, Barbara, and his family as he faces this new challenge in his life," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. "Packers fans have long admired Forrest, from his playing days to recent years when he's returned to Lambeau Field and Wisconsin as a widely respected alum.

"I had the opportunity to get to know Forrest last spring on our Packers Tailgate Tour and know he will use the same inspiring determination that marked his career and previous health challenges to serve him well as he adjusts to living with Parkinson's."

Gregg beat melanoma in 1976 and colon cancer in 2001.

"This is not my first experience with a life-threatening disease," he said. "So, I've got another battle to fight."

Gregg first noticed something was wrong while giving a speech in his hometown of Sulphur Springs, Texas, in February.

"Being a football player and a coach, those guys are all loud, and I noticed that my voice had softened considerably," Gregg said. "And I wasn't getting around as well as I had been. I started to stoop over. And I didn't like that."

Gregg also noticed his left hand trembling. At first he thought maybe these symptoms were just signs of advancing age. His wife and daughter persuaded him to seek medical help.

Gregg's neurologist said the former football player's fitness, lifelong fondness for exercise and fighter's mentality will aid him in his battle.

Kumar stressed that it's uncertain whether Gregg's diagnosis is a result of playing football, although he noted that research shows there is a link between head injuries and neurological disorders later in life.

And Gregg suffered countless concussions during his college and pro seasons.

"One time in college, I went over to the other team's bench," Gregg recalled. "I woke up with an ice pack on the back of my neck and I said, `What's going on?' They said, `You've been gone for a while.' So that's what I know about concussions. That's what I know about getting hit."

Kumar said Gregg's many concussions may very well have served as a trigger for Parkinson's.

"We know that prior head injury also increases the risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's disease and increasingly there's a recognition players who have played in the NFL who have had prior head injuries ? which is just about everybody ? have a substantially increased risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. We don't know if that also applies to Parkinson's, but my guess is that it probably does," Kumar said.

Kumar, who said he's also diagnosed another former NFL player with Parkinson's, praised the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits to the head and new protocol on concussions.

Gregg said he would still have chosen to play the sport even if he'd known there would be a price to pay later in life.

"It might have caused me to shorten my career. But I don't know what I would have done differently," Gregg said.

A guard and tackle, Gregg is one of three NFL players to win a-half dozen NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls with the Packers. Gregg finished his career with another Super Bowl title with the Cowboys in 1971.

He went on to coach the Bengals, Browns and Packers, compiling a record of 75-85-1. He led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl after the 1981 season, where the Bengals lost to San Francisco 26-21.

Although his motor symptoms began to show up over the last year or two, Gregg's wife, Barbara, said he began acting out his dreams about 15 years ago. Kumar said this phenomenon, known as REM sleep behavior disorder, was a possible early warning sign of Parkinson's.

One time he dreamed he was trying to strangle a snake and his wife had to sock him to get him to let go of her wrist. Another time he dreamt he was back blocking for Bart Starr and knocked her out of their bed.

"It would be like he was playing football. It was awful. And one time he grabbed my wrist and it was bad. I thought he was going to kill me and I had to say, `Stop, you idiot!' You know, anything I can say to make him stop, and finally I learned to sock him back," Barbara Gregg said.

Gregg is on two medications, one to help him with the motor symptoms of Parkinson's and possibly slow the progression of the disease and another drug to treat his abnormal sleep behavior.

Gregg still keeps a busy travel schedule, doing autograph shows and speeches.

Also on his agenda now is speaking out about Parkinson's.

"I think the first thing is probably try to learn as much as you can about the disease. That way if it happens to you, there are no surprises," Gregg said. "I think there are things that can be done to slow this disease down and I think that's one of the biggest things I'm thankful for."

___

AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton can be reached at astapleton(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111116/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_forrest_gregg_parkinson_s

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'Twilight' Fans Bond Over Vampire Love In 'Tent City'

'I would have come two weeks ago if they would have let me,' one camper tells MTV News outside 'Breaking Dawn' premiere.
By Kara Warner

A fan attends the "Breaking Dawn" premiere in Los Angeles
Photo: Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Here at MTV News, we've been celebrating the highly anticipated release of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" with a flurry of "Twilight"-related activity.

Now it's time to spotlight the very dedicated, passionate fanbase. On Saturday, we headed out to "Twilight" fan central, fondly referred to as "tent city," where more than 900 people had already set up camp ahead of tonight's Los Angeles premiere. (Join MTV.com live from the red carpet at 8 p.m. ET!)

"I got here at 12 a.m. Wednesday night," Megan Lambert told us in front of her "Team Jacob"-themed tent. Lambert holds the #2 spot in line and is hoping for a hug from Taylor Lautner at the premiere.

Campers Lisa Paulosky, Emily Chadduck and Christy Brolezi bonded over their love for "Twilight" and formed a Facebook group ahead of the premiere for fellow fans who wanted to camp out. Several members traveled a considerable distance to be there.

"I came from Chicago," Paulosky said.

"I came from New Mexico," Chadduck admitted.

They all want one thing on Monday: a Robert Pattinson encounter.

"I need to take a picture with Rob," Brolezi said. "My heart will break if I don't."

The most creative fan group award goes to the ladies behind the Facebook group Kristen Stewart's Hot Bodyguard, a.k.a. Team HBG. Unsurprisingly, the ladies are hoping for a photo opp with Kristen and their main man, HBG.

"We have a special present for HBG that we've been holding onto for a year," founding member Lynsey Jacob told us.

We also happened upon a young male fan, who wasn't at all shy about his love for the lady vampires, particularly Nikki Reed. "I'm Team Vampires," Cody Huddleston said with a smile.

The dedication among these fans is a marvel, and they would have camped out sooner if they could have. "I would have come two weeks ago if they would have let me," Shannon Berry said. "I would have come a month ago."

Tonight, join MTV.com live from the "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" red-carpet premiere as we talk to your favorite stars about all things "Twilight"!

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Photos

• Twilighters Set Up Camp For 'Breaking Dawn' Premiere
• 'Breaking Dawn' Premieres Around The World

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674371/breaking-dawn-premiere-tent-city.jhtml

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Lawsuit: LaBelle threw water at tot in NYC lobby (AP)

NEW YORK ? R&B diva Patti LaBelle hurled curses ? and half a bottle of water ? at a woman and her 18-month-old daughter after a dust-up over parenting in an apartment building lobby, according to a lawsuit filed Monday and the family's lawyer.

LaBelle's publicists and lawyer didn't immediately respond to Kevin and Roseanna Monk's lawsuit.

The couple live in a Manhattan building where the Grammy Award-winning singer stayed for a time while appearing in the Broadway musical "Fela!" last fall, said the Monks' lawyer, Samuel L. Davis.

He said LaBelle chastised Roseanna Monk for letting the toddler take some steps away from the mother as she grappled with some luggage and a car seat in the building's lobby on the afternoon of Nov. 11, 2010. After Monk scooped up the child and told LaBelle it was none of her business, the singer threw water on them from a bottle she was carrying and then launched into an obscenity-filled tirade, he said.

When the child started wailing, Roseanna Monk made a remark to LaBelle, and the singer charged at her and tried to hit her, Davis said.

The Monks filed a complaint with police; no arrests were made.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, comes five months after a West Point cadet sued LaBelle over a Houston airport scuffle with her bodyguards. He said they attacked him for no reason in March 2010. She countersued the cadet, saying he tried to get into her limousine and was drunk and using racial slurs, which he denied.

Davis said Roseanna Monk had asked LaBelle for an apology and a donation to a children's cancer charity but was rebuffed. The Monks feel "someone's got to teach her even a diva can't attack and frighten and assault regular people in the building," their lawyer said.

LaBelle's singing career has spanned more than four decades, two Grammys and several hits, including the 1974 disco smash "Lady Marmalade."

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111115/ap_en_mu/us_people_patti_labelle

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Justin Timberlake attends Marine Corps ball

Justin Timberlake is a man of his word!

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On Saturday, the 30-year-old singer-actor attended the Marine Corps Ball with Cpl. Kelsey De Santis in Richmond, Va.?

PHOTOS: JT's style evolution

He wrote on his website that the event "turned out to be one of the most moving evenings I've ever had."?

As for De Santis? "She seemed to be so humble and honest ... Very cool," he wrote. "She also simultaneously seemed like she was nervous about the whole evening and if I was going to enjoy myself ... I have to tell you, it's not every day that I meet a 23 year old girl and she's more worried about if I'm having fun or if I'm comfortable! It hit me all of a sudden that these were the type of people that look after us and our freedom ... Humble, concerned for others before themselves ... This was the type of person our Marine Corps was building. I was really blown away."

WTVR.com: Attendee captured photo of Timberlake at the ball

A video montage of Pearl Harbor, World War II and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks "almost brought [Timberlake] to tears." He wrote that it was "a surreal moment to be in that room with so many of our great Marines who have such a different type of connection to those stories."

How did Timberlake end up at the ball? In July, his "Friends with Benefits" costar Mila Kunis was first invited to the Nov. 18 Marine Corps Ball in Greenville, N.C., by Sgt. Scott Moore. The marine made a YouTube video asking Kunis, 28, to be his date to the fete.

PHOTOS: Justin and more southern superstars

After Timberlake encouraged Kunis to accept Moore's invitation, De Santis followed suit, also inviting the "In Time" star to a Marine Corps ball via YouTube. "If you can't go," De Santis said in the clip. "All I have to say is cry me a river! Hit me up."?

PHOTOS: Stars' good deeds

When asked at a Cancun press conference this summer whether he intended to attend the ball, Timberlake said yes. "But not because she shouted out one of my songs, which I do love," he said. "And not because she had all those beefcake military guys behind her to try to intimidate me ? although that probably would have worked by itself. I don't get asked out ever! So I was very flattered by that."

PHOTOS: All the ladies JT's romanced!

Timberlake wrote that he was "proud to be [at the Corps Ball]" and "felt like I was getting a chance to be among my heroes. It's funny too because a lot of them are SO younger than me."?

"I've met so many of my heroes ? from Michael Jordan to Michael Jackson ? and nothing makes me feel more honor and pride than when I get to meet one of you," Timberlake added, referring to those who serve. "Last night changed my life and I will never forget it."

Copyright 2011 Us Weekly

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45269169/ns/today-entertainment/

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Steelers hold on for 24-17 win over Bengals (AP)

CINCINNATI ? Rashard Mendenhall ran for a pair of touchdowns Sunday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers intercepted rookie Andy Dalton twice in the fourth quarter, holding on for a 24-17 victory over the upstart Cincinnati Bengals.

Pittsburgh (7-3) got a needed win by putting together long, balanced drives while thousands of Steelers fans waved Terrible Towels in the first sellout crowd of the season at Paul Brown Stadium.

Dalton handled most of what Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau threw at him. He had two more touchdown passes, giving him 14 overall ? the most by a rookie quarterback in his first nine games since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

At the end, a Steelers defense that's finally getting healthy and forcing turnovers got to him.

Pittsburgh came in with only two interceptions all season. Cornerback William Gay anticipated Dalton's throw and stepped in front of Jerome Simpson for a clinching interception inside the Pittsburgh 20-yard line with 2:27 left.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111113/ap_on_sp_fo_ga_su/fbn_steelers_bengals

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NASA Successfully Tests J-2X Engine (ContributorNetwork)

NASA made a critical step in its goal to develop the heavy lift Space Launch System by successfully testing the J-2X rocket engine on a test stand at the Stennis Space Flight Center in Mississippi for 500 seconds, the time it would burn in flight.

What was the result of the test?

NASA has pronounced the test a success. The J-2X burn ran smoothly, without a hitch. The J-2X that was tested is the first of seven test articles that have been assembled by Pratt and Whitney at its facility at NASA Stennis. Once each of the seven engines are tested under various conditions, NASA will start to receive flight ready engines.

What is the J-2X?

The J-2X is a modified version of the J-2 engine that powered the second and third stages of the Saturn V which launched men to the moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The J-2X was originally designed to be used in the upper stage of the Ares 1 and Ares V under the old Constellation space exploration program. Upon the cancellation of Constellation by President Obama, the J-2X has been designated to power the second stage of the Space Launch System, scheduled for its first test launch in 2017. The J-2X burns liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and has 294,490 pounds of thrust.

What will be the role of the J-2X in future NASA missions?

The J-2X will power the upper stage of the Space Launch System. The Space Launch System is NASA's planned heavy lift rocket that will launch astronauts to destinations beyond low Earth orbit, including the moon, Earth approaching asteroids, and ultimately Mars.

What is the Space Launch System?

The Space Launch System will consist of two stages with two strap-on boosters. The first stage will be powered initially by three RS-25D/E engines, with later versions being powered by five RS-25D/Es. There will be initially two five segmented solid rocket boosters strapped on to the first stage, but later there will either be upgraded strap-ons that will either be solid or liquid fueled. The upper stage will be the one powered by a single J2-X with either a cargo carrier or a manned Orion Multi Service Crew Vehicle on top. The initial version of the SLS will be capable of launching 70 metric tons to low Earth orbit, but later versions will be able to launch 100 metric tons, then later still 130 metric tons.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times, and The Weekly Standard.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111111/us_ac/10407795_nasa_successfully_tests_j2x_engine

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