Socioeconomic status may explain racial disparities in diet, exercise, and weight

Public release date: 28-Nov-2011
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Contact: Eileen Leahy
adajmedia@elsevier.com
732-238-3628
Elsevier Health Sciences

According to new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Philadelphia, PA, November 28, 2011 Large disparities exist in obesity and other chronic diseases across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Are racial differences in diet, exercise, and weight status related to better knowledge about healthy eating and awareness of food-related health risks? Or are they more closely related to differences in socioeconomic status (SES)? A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds that people with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be overweight, regardless of racial/ethnic background, and that the level of nutritional knowledge and health awareness did not lead to significant racial differences in weight and diet.

"Our findings suggest that disparities in obesity in the United States may be more affected by the broader social environment," said authors Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, MS, director of the Johns Hopkins Global Center for Childhood Obesity and associate professor of International Health and Epidemiology, and Xialoi Chen, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant scientist in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. "Poor quality retail food environments in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in conjunction with limited individual economic resources, contribute to increased risk of obesity within ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations."

The authors hypothesized that between-group differences in nutrition- and health-related psychosocial factors, including nutrition knowledge and beliefs, are important contributors to the large racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences observed in U.S. adults' dietary intakes, exercise, and obesity. They analyzed nationally representative data collected from 4,356 individuals who had participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Continuing Survey of Individual Food Intakes, and who had completed the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey, which asks about self-perceptions of nutritional intake, awareness of the relationship between diet and health, perceived importance of following nutritional guidelines, and other questions related to health and diet.

Each participant was asked 24 questions to evaluate nutrition and health-related psychosocial factors (NHRPF). SES was assessed using education and household income. The authors analyzed the relationship between NHRPF and SES with self-reported dietary intake, diet quality (measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index [HEI]), exercise participation, body mass index (BMI), and overweight or obesity. Changes in racial/ethnic differences in weight status were compared with diet and exercise participation.

In general, compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks had higher BMI and scored lower on the HEI, and were less likely to participate in exercise. Hispanics scored higher on the HEI. The racial and ethnic differences in diet and BMI changed little after controlling for NHRPF. But when SES was controlled for, the blackwhite differences in HEI became smaller and the whiteHispanic differences became greater.

"Our study shows several important findings that could help enhance the understanding of the complex factors that affect disparities in diet, exercise, and obesity across ethnic and SES groups," commented Dr. Wang. "Different from what we expected, few of the racial/ethnic differences in diet, exercise, and weight status were explained by health- and nutrition-related psychosocial factors. But SES explained a considerable portion of the disparities."

"The underlying causes of ethnic disparities in eating, exercise, and obesity in the United States are complicated. More well-designed studies with vigorous and comprehensive assessment of related factors are needed to help advance understanding."

###

The article is "How Much of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Dietary Intakes, Exercise, and Weight Status Can Be Explained by Nutrition- and Health-Related Psychosocial Factors and Socioeconomic Status among US Adults?" by Y. Wang and X. Chen. It appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 111, Issue 12 (December 2012) published by Elsevier.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Eileen Leahy
adajmedia@elsevier.com
732-238-3628
Elsevier Health Sciences

According to new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Philadelphia, PA, November 28, 2011 Large disparities exist in obesity and other chronic diseases across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Are racial differences in diet, exercise, and weight status related to better knowledge about healthy eating and awareness of food-related health risks? Or are they more closely related to differences in socioeconomic status (SES)? A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds that people with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be overweight, regardless of racial/ethnic background, and that the level of nutritional knowledge and health awareness did not lead to significant racial differences in weight and diet.

"Our findings suggest that disparities in obesity in the United States may be more affected by the broader social environment," said authors Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, MS, director of the Johns Hopkins Global Center for Childhood Obesity and associate professor of International Health and Epidemiology, and Xialoi Chen, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant scientist in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. "Poor quality retail food environments in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in conjunction with limited individual economic resources, contribute to increased risk of obesity within ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations."

The authors hypothesized that between-group differences in nutrition- and health-related psychosocial factors, including nutrition knowledge and beliefs, are important contributors to the large racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences observed in U.S. adults' dietary intakes, exercise, and obesity. They analyzed nationally representative data collected from 4,356 individuals who had participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Continuing Survey of Individual Food Intakes, and who had completed the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey, which asks about self-perceptions of nutritional intake, awareness of the relationship between diet and health, perceived importance of following nutritional guidelines, and other questions related to health and diet.

Each participant was asked 24 questions to evaluate nutrition and health-related psychosocial factors (NHRPF). SES was assessed using education and household income. The authors analyzed the relationship between NHRPF and SES with self-reported dietary intake, diet quality (measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index [HEI]), exercise participation, body mass index (BMI), and overweight or obesity. Changes in racial/ethnic differences in weight status were compared with diet and exercise participation.

In general, compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks had higher BMI and scored lower on the HEI, and were less likely to participate in exercise. Hispanics scored higher on the HEI. The racial and ethnic differences in diet and BMI changed little after controlling for NHRPF. But when SES was controlled for, the blackwhite differences in HEI became smaller and the whiteHispanic differences became greater.

"Our study shows several important findings that could help enhance the understanding of the complex factors that affect disparities in diet, exercise, and obesity across ethnic and SES groups," commented Dr. Wang. "Different from what we expected, few of the racial/ethnic differences in diet, exercise, and weight status were explained by health- and nutrition-related psychosocial factors. But SES explained a considerable portion of the disparities."

"The underlying causes of ethnic disparities in eating, exercise, and obesity in the United States are complicated. More well-designed studies with vigorous and comprehensive assessment of related factors are needed to help advance understanding."

###

The article is "How Much of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Dietary Intakes, Exercise, and Weight Status Can Be Explained by Nutrition- and Health-Related Psychosocial Factors and Socioeconomic Status among US Adults?" by Y. Wang and X. Chen. It appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 111, Issue 12 (December 2012) published by Elsevier.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/ehs-ssm112811.php

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Auto Forex trading Investing You Should Know This! | Watch My Gear

Vehicle fx trading, automates the forex or buying and selling market that normally requires area at the international trade it is frequently known as the foreign exchange, fx or currency exchange. Todays foreign exchange market place, is the consequence of a transformation that took location 30 a long time in the past, when a floating exchange price became more prevalent. The forex market place has a everyday world wide exchange, that is well in the trillions of bucks and requires the massive banking institutions and corporations, governments and speculators. This marketplace facilitates trade and investment, by allowing the trade of currencies this kind of as the Pound sterling, US greenback or Canadian dollar.

Is This Marketplace- Special?

There are a range of aspects that make the forex exchange special and also a difficult spot to commit. It is the difficulties that helps make the vehicle forex trading trading programs particularly suited to this sort of market. A single of the biggest problems, would be the range of factors, that can influence currencies. Financial stability and the price of oil, are just two there are a amount of other people. The fx market has lower margins when compared to other investing markets nonetheless, buying and selling revenue can be really higher simply because of the higher trade volume.

Car Foreign exchange Buying and selling -Is It a Resource?

Something that automates an activity, could by considered a tool. Personal computers have become exceptionally powerful and the plans utilised, have proved their selves more than and above with there accuracy and positive benefits. The potential to carry out a intricate evaluation and run 24 several hours a day and seven days a week make them a currency traders very best pal.

This sort of buying and selling, allows for novices to enter a tough market to trade. The forex industry is a huge industry to make investments in with low margins, but it is the large trade volumes that make it 1 of the most rewarding markets to be lively in.

Currency Trading Australia

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged currency trading australia. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://watchmygear.com/2011/auto-forex-trading-investing-you-should-know-this/

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Defrost Frozen Foods in a Frying Pan [Kitchen Hacks]

Heavy frying pans are designed to conduct heat efficiently when cooking food, and you can also use these same pans to quickly defrost frozen foods. Line a heavy frying pan with aluminum foil, place your food in the pan, and place the pan on your stove top or an oven rack (turned off, of course) to facilitate defrosting.

Bento weblog Lunch in a Box found this tip from a Japanese language book on freezing foods. Using the frying pan method of defrosting works more quickly than letting food defrost in your refrigerator, avoids wasting water with the running water technique, and prevents hot cooked spots from forming when you defrost in your microwave.

Speed tip: Frypan defrosting | Lunch in a Box

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YKH0M77CDUA/defrost-foods-in-a-frying-pan

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Legal battle ignites over Jesus statue in Montana (San Jose Mercury News)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/166785578?client_source=feed&format=rss

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India supply chain chaos next hurdle for global retailers (Reuters)

MUMBAI (Reuters) ? Seven years ago, when India's Future Group retail giant sent shipments from Mumbai on the country's west coast to Kolkata in the north-east, the products took 10 nervous days to arrive.

"You sent the goods, and until you received them, you just prayed," said Anshuman Singh, managing director and chief executive officer of Future Supply Chains. "There was just a black hole until they finally reached the destination."

Since then, he has wrestled with shoddy roads, minimal cold storage capacity and a myriad of state regulations and taxes to cut the journey to 72 hours. That challenge is all to come for foreign retailers eyeing a slice of India's $450 billion market.

Major cities in Asia's third-largest economy are thousands of miles apart, connected by pot-holed and clogged roads or creaking railways where wagons are in short supply.

Global giants such as Wal-Mart may be eager to start selling their wares to 1.2 billion people, but a need to first tackle India's logistical headaches will likely mean they will be heavily dependent on local expertise.

The government last week approved 51 percent foreign direct investment in supermarkets, ending years of legislative hand-wringing over a policy seen modernising the industry.

To appease those who say it will destroy local shopkeepers, rules mean foreign retailers must source almost a third of their produce from small industries, invest a minimum of $100 million and spend half of that on "back end" supply infrastructure.

"Global retailers have expertise from around the world, but in India they will have to develop it," said Singh, who ships 2 million items a day, including 95 percent of the goods sold by Future Group's retail arm, Pantaloon Retail India Ltd.

"They will all have to go through the learning curve on their own."

Today, GPS tracking means each of his firm's consignments are monitored every metre, from a vast warehouse outside Mumbai to the bright aisles of an air-conditioned Kolkata supermarket.

CHAOTIC SUPPLY

At 4 a.m. every day, hundreds of vegetable traders begin to pack the pavements of one of Mumbai's trunk roads. Hours later, milling retail customers and piles of pungent produce bring three lanes of traffic to a halt in the morning sunshine.

Mounds of potatoes lie inches from the tyres of trucks and cars trundling past, as traders dodge commuters to carry sacks of coriander and boxes of cabbages on their shoulders through clouds of exhaust fumes and the stench of rotting produce.

Around 30 percent of India's vast fruit and vegetable production goes to waste due to a traditional supply network that uses hand-pulled wooden carts more than refrigerated freight wagons and keeps fresh produce highly regionalised.

"India cannot be seen as easy," Viney Singh, managing director of Max Hypermarkets, a six-year old local supermarket chain with a licence from European retailer Spar told Reuters.

"There are some players that have been in the retail business for more than 10 years, and til date there is no hypermarket player that has made any money."

The chaos of Mumbai's Dadar market is a universe away from Future Supply Chain's chilled 125,000 square foot (11,600 sq metre) warehouse 50 km (30 miles) from the city, where fork-lifts move crates on shelves rising up to the 17 metre-high (53-foot) roof, and 150 workers feed hundreds of metres of computer-controlled conveyor belts.

"Retail is all about filling the shelves, on time, every time," said Future Supply Chain's Singh.

"In India, the technical know-how, expertise... requires a lot of learning, it is not common knowledge here."

His six-month old site in Bhiwandi is one of 50 warehouses across the country that supply the Future Group's outlets in 300 cities -- attracting over 300 million footfalls a year.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Some global players with sourcing operations in India, such as London-listed Tesco Plc, have first-hand experience of the country's poor warehouse space, unreliable transport links and chronic lack of cold-chain storage.

Without local expertise or a huge amount of investment, domestic retail executives say overseas players could struggle to stack the shelves.

"It certainly will not be easy for players coming in," said Max Hypermarket's Singh, whose chain has nine stores in India and plans for five more before March 2012.

A race to gain market share in one of the world's largest untapped markets is likely to spur lucrative deals for local players with established supply chains, industry analysts say.

That could mean a windfall for firms such as Pantaloon, the Tata Group's Trent Ltd and Shopper's Stop Ltd, and make local expertise a valuable currency in getting products to market quickly and cheaply.

"If some of them want to throw dollars, burn some cash to build it, they can," said Future Supply Chain's Singh.

"We are ready made for them. They can use us."

(Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111127/india_nm/india607492

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Allergy Sufferers Should Prepare for Holiday Triggers (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The holiday season can be a challenge for people with allergies and asthma, but there are a number of things they can do to protect themselves, allergists say.

Food allergies are an issue because many traditional holiday foods contain such allergens as wheat, soy, dairy and nuts, the experts pointed out in a news release from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

For example, self-basting turkeys can include soy, wheat and dairy. A natural turkey is the safest choice since it contains nothing but turkey and water. Another recommendation: Use wheat-free bread for the stuffing.

To make allergen-free mashed potatoes, use chicken broth and margarine instead of milk and butter. It's also a good idea to forgo slivered almonds as a topping on the green bean casserole, the ACAAI suggests.

Pumpkin allergies are rare but can cause problems. It's a good idea to have alternative desserts or to suggest that guests with serious food allergies bring their own desserts.

Visiting or staying at other people's homes can expose allergy and asthma sufferers to a number of environmental triggers. For example, fancy guest soaps may contain fragrances that can cause allergic contact dermatitis. So you should use regular soap or bring your own.

If your hosts have pets, asking them to confine the critters in the basement won't do much good. Pet dander gets everywhere and is nearly impossible to eliminate. Your best bet is to use allergy treatments such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and decongestants or appropriate asthma medications, the ACAAI advises.

If you're hosting someone with allergies or asthma, thoroughly dust the extra bedroom and wash bedding in hot water to eliminate dust mites. If you're a guest, consider bringing your own pillow or allergen-proof pillow cover.

"A number of holiday-related triggers can make people sneeze, wheeze or, in the case of food allergies, have a more serious reaction," said Dr. Myron Zitt, past president of the ACAAI, in the news release. "But by planning ahead, the day can go smoothly for people with allergies or asthma."

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has more about allergens and irritants.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111125/hl_hsn/allergysufferersshouldprepareforholidaytriggers

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93% 50/50

All Critics (161) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (150) | Rotten (11)

Still, it's Gordon-Levitt's choices that continue to impress. Sure, he owned one of the most jaw-dropping sequences in last summer's blockbuster Inception. But the actor remains drawn to profoundly human-scale hurts and quiet triumphs.

Gordon-Levitt is an agreeably undemonstrative actor who plays well opposite the burbly Rogen.

Chances are about 90/10 that you'll enjoy 50/50.

Scene by scene, 50/50 can be both amusing and moving, with the tightly wound Gordon-Levitt and the boundaryless Rogen forming an oddly complementary pair. But as a whole the movie never quite coheres.

In other hands, Adam might well be hard to take. But as the comedy in 50/50 turns darker, Gordon-Levitt, who's maybe the most natural, least affected actor of his generation, makes prickly plenty engaging.

An everyman tale with plenty of heart and honesty, the serious subject matter is regularly enlivened with jolts of genuine hilarity, some of it in delightfully questionable taste.

This frequently funny and moving film proves humour can be wrung from tricky subjects, providing it's done with sufficient thoughtfulness and wit.

This film leaves a strange taste in the mouth.

Gordon-Levitt's uptight everyman hero fully earns our sympathy and Kendrick is superb as the rookie therapist, but the film suffers from an overly strong dose of Rogen's crudity and mawkishness, which must surely be reaching its use-by date soon.

So well-meaning you want to hug it.

The picture scores highly for tackling tricky, thought-provoking subject matter and contains some humorous and touching moments.

A rom-com with brains that - at key moments - feels as sly and sweet as Annie Hall.

It's not a major landmark on anybody's r?sum?, but it's nothing to be ashamed of either.

The Gordon-Levitt-Rogen bromance is one of the most exciting and fun ones in recent comedy history, and the pair have a wonderful natural rift ...

Seth Rogen might be there to puts bums on seats, but it's Joseph Gordon-Levitt who will keep you watching.

It may be a marketing nightmare, but as examinations of mortality go, few come funnier, wiser or more astutely acted.

Whether you're after a comedy-drama about cancer or a Rogen laugh-fest with added heart, this does a remarkable job of balancing the odds.

This is the terminal illness weepie for people who don't watch terminal illness weepies, and it's much the better for it.

It's refreshing to see a movie that embraces the ugly side of what happens to complicated personal relationships. Its quite uncomfortable at times, and the frank exploration of the cancer patient journey makes the comedy even funnier.

It is tough to make a comedy about cancer, since it touches us all. It is not funny. When you have Seth Rogen in a film, however, anything can be funny.

The elements of 50/50 that do work are strong enough to carry the film along and affecting enough to bring losers like me to tears in their cinema seats.

Tackles a distressing subject with a healthy dose of humour, thanks to a sharply observed script, well-rounded, likeable characters, astute direction and a trio of terrific performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick.

There couldn't be a more serious subject, yet Gordon-Levitt and especially Rogen (who co-produced the movie) make the comedy seem both spontaneous and organic.

Nimbly switching gears between heartful drama and uproarious comedy, 50/50 tackles the near-impossible and makes a film about cancer that'll have you crying like a baby one minute and laughing so hard your sides hurt the next.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/5050_2011/

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Cretaceous Thanksgiving

Feathered dino ate true bird

Web edition : 3:16 pm

More than 120 million years before the first Thanksgiving ? before the first turkey even ? at least one dinosaur was feasting on a bird.

A fossil Microraptor gui from northeastern China ? still a dinosaur despite winglike feathers on all four limbs ? has bird bones in its abdomen, report Jingmai O?Connor and her colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. The position of the bird feet and partial wing suggest the dinosaur swallowed some now-extinct, tree-perching bird whole, the researchers contend in a paper published online November 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They propose that Microraptor frequented trees and hunted deftly enough to snag what was probably an adult bird.

Possible, but not the only possibility, cautions paleontologist Jerry D. Harris of Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. If the dino caught its lunch, he wonders why there weren?t more bird bones. Also, studies of Microraptors and their relatives suggest ground-based hunting. ?Today?s cats certainly get into trees, and perching birds visit the ground, Harris says, but ?bird remains in a cat?s guts don?t mean that it was hunting and catching birds in trees.? ?

Found in: Earth Science, Environment and Life

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336423/title/Cretaceous_Thanksgiving__

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Mice with fewer insulin-signaling receptors don't live longer

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Scientists studying longevity thought it might be good to lack a copy of a gene, called IGF1 receptor, that is important in insulin signaling. Previous studies showed invertebrates that lacked the copy lived longer, even if their bodies were less responsive to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar.

A new study from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio challenges this. Knocking out one copy of the gene failed to increase the life span of male mice, and it only modestly increased the life span of female littermates.

Martin Adamo, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, and Arlan Richardson, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, lead the laboratories that conducted the study. "Our data show insufficiency of this insulin-signaling gene does not produce a robust increase in life span as previously reported in invertebrates," Dr. Richardson said.

Dr. Adamo said: "This demonstrates that reducing insulin signaling through the IGF1 pathway in mammals does not play the same role in aging that is observed in invertebrates."

A receptor is a molecule on a cell's membrane that receives chemical signals. Knocking down the genetic instructions that make IGF1 receptors results in reduced insulin signaling.

###

The study is described Nov. 23 in the journalPLoS ONE.

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews

Thanks to University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 69 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115462/Mice_with_fewer_insulin_signaling_receptors_don_t_live_longer

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Fired CEO of Olympus speaks with investigators

Former Olympus Corp. Chief Executive Michael Woodford is surrounded by the media upon his arrival at Tokyo's international airport at Narita on Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011. Woodford has returned to Japan for the first time since his firing last month triggered one of the biggest scandals to ever hit corporate Japan. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Former Olympus Corp. Chief Executive Michael Woodford is surrounded by the media upon his arrival at Tokyo's international airport at Narita on Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011. Woodford has returned to Japan for the first time since his firing last month triggered one of the biggest scandals to ever hit corporate Japan. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Former Olympus Corp. Chief Executive Michael Woodford is surrounded by the media ip[on his arrival at Tokyo's international airport at Narita on Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011. Woodford has returned to Japan for the first time since his firing last month triggered one of the biggest scandals to ever hit corporate Japan. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

TOKYO (AP) ? The former chief executive of Olympus Corp. met with Tokyo prosecutors Thursday as they probe the Japanese camera and medical equipment maker's coverup of investment losses. A day later he plans to confront the Olympus directors who sacked him for questioning dubious deals.

Japanese NHK TV showed Michael Woodford going into the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. He is also scheduled to speak with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission.

Woodford declined comment on what he was going to tell prosecutors.

Woodford, who returned to Japan on Wednesday after being fired last month, has said he hopes to attend a Friday board meeting of Olympus. Under intense pressure, the embattled company has admitted that a $687 million payment to an obscure Wall Street firm for financial advice and expensive acquisitions were used to cover up investment losses dating to the 1990s.

The board abruptly ousted Woodford last month for questioning the deals and payment. He remains a director at the company and can only be removed by shareholders.

The scandal has cast a harsh light on corporate governance in Japan, which has been repeatedly criticized as falling behind global standards. Recent media reports have also pointed to possible ties between Olympus and organized crime.

After appointing a third-party panel to investigate the company's accounting, Olympus said the exorbitant payments for financial advice and acquisitions were used to cover up heavy investment losses.

That panel has said it has so far found no evidence of any ties with the underworld.

Woodford told the throngs of media gathered at Narita International on Wednesday that he is not afraid to be back in Japan and would press for answers during his stay.

"This isn't going to go away, the truth will come out," he said. "Please now have the dignity, at least the dignity, to accept that the game is up."

Woodford went public with his concerns after his sacking.

Tsuyoshi Kikukawa resigned as president on Oct. 26 and was replaced by Shuichi Takayama. The company blamed the accounting scheme on Kikukawa, former executive vice president Hisashi Mori and ex-auditor Hideo Yamada.

Olympus now risks being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange unless it can rectify past filings with regulators by reporting revised earnings by Dec. 14. The company's shares have plummeted 65 percent since the scandal broke in mid-October.

The issue surged 20 percent on Tuesday after the independent committee commissioned by Olympus issued a statement saying it has found no evidence so far linking any past acquisition funds to organized crime syndicates.

Woodford said a delisting is "the last thing I want" because it would hurt employees and shareholders, according to Kyodo news agency.

He is speaking on a panel and with reporters Thursday evening, and has a press conference Friday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo.

___

Follow Tomoko A. Hosaka on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tomokohosaka

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-23-AS-Japan-Olympus/id-4c6409802e624d80afad24e66c9bfcfd

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?Sister Wives? kids struggled with baby news

TLC

The "Sister Wives" kids feel growing pains has the family gets ready to welcome the newest addition.

By Ree Hines

The newest member of the ?Sister Wives? family, baby Solomon, arrived in October, but thanks to the delay of reality TV, the?blessed event is only now on the way to the small screen. And as it turns out, not everyone in the family considered it good news.

On the upcoming ?Sister Wives? season finale, some of the children Kody Brown had with his first three wives expressed their feelings about the addition of one more member joining their already big brood.

?I honestly think we already have almost more kids than we can handle,? Hunter, son of wife No. 2 Janelle, said, shaking his head. ?And the fact that we?re just having more, it?s ? I don?t know.?

As regular viewers know, Hunter, along with his sister Madison, has had a tough time adjusting since the family left Utah behind and moved to Las Vegas. And once again, Madison feels much the same as her little brother.

?I?m glad (fourth wife) Robyn?s having a baby, and I think it?s happy for her, but I don?t know if I?m excited,? she said. ?I don?t know what I think about the baby. I don?t know that I really feel happy that we?re having a baby, ?cause ? I just don?t know. ? We have so many kids right now, that I don?t know.?

Hunter then added, ?You can?t love someone you don?t know.?

But not all of the Brown family?s 16 kids felt the same way about the baby.

?I love him,? Mariah, Kody?s only child with first wife Meri, insisted.

See how the family handles this emotional time when the ?Sister Wives? season finale airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.

Are you surprised to see some of the kids struggle with the idea of expanding the family, or was this expected after all of the post-move problems? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

?

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/23/8976914-sister-wives-kids-struggled-with-baby-news

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Face the Nation on Sunday: Books & Authors show (cbsnews)

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Paper Jamz Pro Mic

The Paper Jamz Pro Mic series by Wowwee ($39.99 list) is essentially a karaoke machine for kids made out of paper. Well, not your average paper. It's Active Graphics Technology circuit-embedded paper, which allows you to play like a pro by simply touching the paper surface.

The Pro Mic measures a compact 6 by 5 by 1 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.8 ounces. It comes in three different styles, and requires four AA batteries. It works with both PCs and Macs, and comes with two songs bundled in. The Pro Mic features several voices effects. The Perfect Pitch effect corrects your pitch so you're automatically in tune, while Chorus multiplies your voice. Auto Vibrato adds dramatic effect to your voice, and Melody Match tunes your voice so you always sing in perfect pitch. Finally, there's Auto Harmony, which makes you sound like part of a perfectly harmonized duo.

To download new songs into the device, users (or their parents) need to install the Paper Jamz Pro desktop app onto their PC or Mac. Then connect your Pro Mic to your PC via the included USB cable, and drag and drop song files into the desktop app, which will tell you if the song will work on your Paper Jamz device. The Pro Mic supports MP3 and M4A file formats. Alternatively, you can purchase songs via the The Pro Series Setlist, which has certified-compatible tunes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/UK3-oWlIVyU/0,2817,2396664,00.asp

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Obama acknowledges tough economy this Thanksgiving (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama is urging Americans facing tough economic times this Thanksgiving to believe in the nation's ability to overcome its challenges.

In a taped Thanksgiving message, Obama says the partisanship and gridlock in Washington may make people question whether unity is possible. But he insists the nation's problems can be solved if all Americans do their part.

Obama is also encouraging Americans to remember the men and women of the military who are spending the holiday serving overseas. And he thanks those who are taking time out of their Thanksgiving celebrations to serve in soup kitchens and shelters.

The president will celebrate Thanksgiving with family at the White House.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_thanksgiving

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Xbox Live Users Scammed in Phishing Attack (NewsFactor)

Bringing back memories of the Sony PlayStation hack that compromised thousands of gamer accounts, some British Microsoft Xbox Live users have been scammed in a phishing attack. Although Microsoft insists its network has not been hacked, the phishers have nonetheless fooled some gamers into disclosing credit-card information.

The Sun, a paper in the U.K., first reported that online crooks hacked into thousands of Xbox Live accounts to steal millions of dollars. The paper said the average catch was 100 British pounds, or a bit over $150 -- but that many suffered losses of more than 200 pounds.

"Xbox Live has not been hacked. Microsoft can confirm that there has been no breach to the security of our Xbox Live service," Microsoft said in a statement. "In this case, a number of Xbox Live members appear to have recently been victim of malicious 'phishing' scams."

Microsoft's Response

News reports suggest some Xbox Live users received e-mails tricking them into visiting "spoofed" Web sites and entering their personal information, including their credit-card numbers. Microsoft said it consistently takes measures to protect Xbox Live against ever-changing threats, and listed three current initiatives. Those initiatives sound like a lesson in basic Internet security 101.

For example, Microsoft is warning people against opening unsolicited e-mails because the messages may contain spyware or other malware that can access personal information on their computer without their knowledge or permission. Microsoft is also reminding all customers that they should be very careful to keep all personal information secure whenever online and never supply e-mail addresses, passwords or credit card information to strangers.

Finally, Microsoft said it is working closely with Xbox Live users who have been in touch with the company to investigate and/or resolve any unauthorized changes to their accounts resulting from phishing scams.

Back To Internet Basics

"It looks like these phishers convinced gamers that they were visiting an Xbox site and got the users to give up IDs and passwords and their credit card numbers," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group. "The bad guys got enough information to actually charge the credit card, then pulled in small amounts of money over a long period of time."

News reports have suggested the phishers convinced gamers to enter the information in exchange for reward points. Enderle expects most credit card companies will indemnify the victims if they dispute the charges.

"This story points to the typical warning for anyone using the Internet: If someone is representing themselves as the vendor, they already have your password and ID. They don't have to ask you for it," Enderle said. "So it should be a red flag if anybody asks you for both your password or ID. Never provide it, even if the site looks to be safe."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/videogames/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111123/bs_nf/81096

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Romney wins endorsement from Thune (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was set to announce Wednesday the endorsement of South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a rising star in the Republican Party who had weighed a White House bid of his own before deciding to stay in the Senate and move up in his party's leadership.

Thune is the latest high-profile Republican to back Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who opened the week with the backing of another emerging GOP star, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. Romney, who enjoys steady support in the polls and a sophisticated political and fundraising machine, is looking to demonstrate his strength with fewer than six weeks before the first nominating contests.

"Mitt Romney has shown throughout his life in the private sector, as leader of the Olympics, as governor and in this campaign that he will not back down from difficult challenges," Thune said in a statement. "His plans to revitalize the private sector and restore our country's fiscal health are drawn from his 25-year career as a conservative businessman."

Thune, who won his seat by defeating Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004 and coasted to a second term last year without a Democratic opponent, was set to appear with Romney in Des Moines on Wednesday. The endorsement came a day after Romney posted yet another strong debate performance and a day before most campaigns planned a brief break from politics for Thanksgiving.

Thune is also the latest of the Republicans who mulled a White House bid ? or, in the case of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, actually launched one ? only to line up behind Romney.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who reconsidered his early insistence he would not run after party leaders pined for him, backed Romney last month.

Earlier this week, Rep. Charlie Bass of New Hampshire joined Romney's campaign. Bass, who served six terms in Congress before losing his re-election bid in 2006, only to win back his seat in 2010, was named a national adviser to the campaign. He joins other New Hampshire notables, including Ayotte, former Sen. Judd Gregg and former Gov. John H. Sununu.

Romney has long enjoyed a strong advantage in New Hampshire, where he placed second during his 2008 White House bid and where he owns a vacation home. Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, has high name recognition in New Hampshire and has built a solid get-out-the-vote operation.

But he's starting to eye Iowa as a target as well. He recently opened a campaign office there, and his campaign gave first word of the Thune endorsement to The Des Moines Register and The Sioux City Journal in the hopes of building buzz there.

Romney aides immediately confirmed the endorsement, hoping to signal unstoppable momentum behind Romney this time around.

In 2008, Romney spent $7 million on Iowa airwaves and built an enormous statewide organization, but he never won over conservatives who dominate the early decision-making.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney_thune

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Grooveshark Will Soon Be Destroyed [Music]

Remember Grooveshark, the magical website that let you stream any song you wanted, in high quality, for free? Did you ever wonder how such a thing managed to avoid legal annihilation? Trick question! It hasn't. Its lawsuit death is here. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/JSgCR1FN3q4/grooveshark-will-soon-be-destroyed

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Egypt crowds chant rejection of election plan

CAIRO?? Egypt's military leader promised to speed the transition to civilian rule, saying Tuesday that presidential elections will be held by the end of June 2012. But the major concession was immediately rejected by tens of thousands of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, who responded with chants of "Leave, leave!" now.

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Late Tuesday, tear gas was pouring into Tahrir Square but dissipated in about 10 minutes, according to tweeted reports by NBC's News' Richard Engel.

The protests continued hours after Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi vowed that landmark parliamentary elections will start on schedule on Monday, the first vote since longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak was ousted in an uprising nine months ago. And he said the military was prepared to hold a referendum on immediately transferring power to a civilian authority if people demand it.

Tantawi said he has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's civilian government and politicians who attended a 5-hour crisis meeting with the ruling generals said the military intended to replace Sharaf's cabinet with a "national salvation" government. It was not clear who might head the new Cabinet, but names of a couple presidential hopefuls were mentioned.

"Our demands are clear," said Khaled El-Sayed, a protester from the Youth Revolution Coalition and a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election. "We want the military council to step down and hand over authority to a national salvation government with full authority." He also demanded that the commander of the military police and the Interior Minister, who is in charge of the police, be tried for the "horrific crimes" of the past few days, when 29 people were killed in clashes, most of them in Cairo.

The standoff culminated four days of clashes and demonstrations around the country that have constituted the most sustained challenge so far to nine months of military rule. It plunges the country deeper into a crisis that may only hamper the democratic transition the protesters are fighting for.

Slideshow: Violent clashes in Egypt (on this page)

In Tahrir Square, the atmosphere was reminiscent of the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak, with jubilation over the large turnout mixed with the seething anger directed at the military. On Tuesday, the protesters had called for a million people to turn out and drew a massive crowd of tens of thousands.

The crowds carried an open wooden coffin with a body of a slain protester wrapped in white and held a funeral in the middle of the square.

A stuffed military uniform was hung from a central light pole with a cardboard sign on its neck saying "Execute the field marshal," a reference to Tantawi, Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years. People cheered when the effigy was hung and state television showed some hitting it with sticks or shoes.

Men in the square opened a corridor in the middle of the crowds and formed a human chain to keep it open, giving easy access to motorcycles and ambulances ferrying the wounded to several field hospitals in the square.

Sweet smells of popcorn and cotton candy mingled with tear gas and burning garbage.

As night fell on the square, thousands streamed in over a bridge across the Nile river. Men and women carrying blankets and boxes of supplies chanted: "Down with the field marshal."

The latest round of unrest began Saturday when security forces violently evicted a few hundred protesters who camped out in Tahrir. The perceived use of excessive force angered activists, who began to flock to the square. A joint army and police attempt to clear the square on Sunday evening failed, leaving protesters more determined to dig in there.

The clashes played out amid charges that the military was trying to cling on to power after an elected parliament is seated and a new president elected. The military recently proposed that a "guardianship" role for itself be enshrined in the next constitution and that it would enjoy immunity from any civilian oversight.

Further confusing the political situation, the military-backed civilian government on Monday submitted a mass resignation in response to the turmoil.

In his brief televised address to the nation, Tantawi did not mention a specific date for the transfer of power, although the presidential election has long been considered the final step in the process. The military has previously floated the end of next year or early 2013 as the date for the presidential vote.

"The armed forces, represented by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has no desire to rule and puts the country's interests above all. It is ready to hand over responsibility immediately and return to its original duty of defending the country if the people want that and through a public referendum if it is necessary," he said.

Tantawi sought to cast the military as the nation's foremost patriots and angrily denounced what he called attempts to taint its reputation.

But he hinted at conspiratorial plots behind the protests, much like Mubarak did in his final days.

He spoke of forces "who are working in the dark to incite sedition and drive a wedge between the people and the Armed Forces or between different segments of the Egyptian people."

"At the end we will hand over power to an elected civil authority," Tantawi said, but he did not offer to step down. The crowd in Tahrir Square responded with chants of, "the people want the fall of the Field Marshal."

The crowds in Tahrir immediately rejected Tantawi's proposals with chants of "erhal," or leave.

"We are not leaving, he leaves," chanted the protesters. "The people want to bring down the field marshal," they shouted.

A youth group that played a key role in the anti-Mubarak uprising said it decided to remain in the square until the military handed over power to a civilian presidential council to run the country's affairs. Beside a representative of the military, the council should include pro-reform leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, said the April 6 group.

"The military council has failed to manage the transitional period, and the generals' hands are tainted by the blood of the nation's youth and have been collaborating with the counterrevolution," the group said in a statement.

Others in the square said the referendum was just a ploy to divide people.

American students arrested
Three American students at the American University of Cairo, which sits on Tahrir Square, were arrested outside the university's campus Monday night, Morgan Roth, a spokeswoman for the university, told NBC News.

She did not specify whether any charges had been filed or what any charges may be, but she named the three students as Luke Gates, an Indiana University student from Bloomington, Indiana; Gregory Porter, a Drexel University student from Glenside, Pennsylvania; and Derrik Sweeney, a Georgetown University student from Jefferson City, Missouri.

The three were on a study abroad program with the American University of Cairo.

They were being held at the Abdeen police station in Cairo, NBC reported.

Egyptian television said that they had been arrested after being seen throwing fire bombs from the roof of a building owned by the American University of Cairo, NBC News' Richard Engel reported.

George Gates, the father of a 21-year-old Luke Gates, also confirmed to NBC that his son had been arrested "sometime late last night," and said the family was in contact with the Department of State.

On what appears to be Luke Gates' Twitter feed, Gates lists his location as Cairo, Egypt and makes references to being in Tahrir Square.

His last post, dated Monday, November 21, read, "reports of tear gas being fired from AUC campus on Tahrir, university officials have started investigating."

An airport official also said a U.S. citizen who had been arrested while allegedly filming security forces at Tahrir Square was deported Tuesday to the United Arab Emirates from which he had arrived.

State television showed brief footage of the three students, males who appeared to be in their early 20s.

The new wave of protests and violence around the country that began on Saturday has left 29 dead and has thrown Egypt's politics into chaos less than a week before landmark parliamentary elections were to begin.

"The army is making the same mistake as Mubarak. They hear the demands but respond when it's too late," said protester Mustafa Abdel-Hamid, a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood who came to Tahrir even though his movement has not endorsed the protests over the past four days.

Battered economy
Egypt's military has been backed into a difficult corner. Protesters are demanding it surrender the reins of power ? or at least set a firm date in the very near future for doing so soon. Without that, few civilian political leaders are likely to join a new government for fear of being tainted as facades for the generals, as many consider the current Cabinet.

The political uncertainty and prospect of continued violence dealt a punishing blow to an already battered economy.

Egypt's benchmark index plunged more than 5 percent, the third straight day of declines. Banks closed early and many workplaces sent employees home ahead of schedule for fear of a deterioration in security.

Several main roads were closed to traffic, adding to Cairo's already congested streets.

'Deplorable' violence
The United States, which gives Egypt's military $1.3 billion a year in aid, has called for restraint on all sides and urged Egypt to proceed with elections.

"We are deeply concerned about the violence. The violence is deplorable. We call on all sides to exercise restraint," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday.

Political uncertainty has gripped Egypt since Mubarak's fall, while sectarian clashes, labor unrest, gas pipeline sabotage and a gaping absence of tourists have paralyzed the economy and prompted a widespread yearning for stability.

Meanwhile, rights group Amnesty International accused Egypt's rulers on Tuesday of brutality sometimes exceeding that of Mubarak, saying the hopes of protesters had been "crushed."

The group said Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) ? which assumed control after an 18-day uprising toppled Mubarak in February ? had made only empty promises to improve human rights.

In a report, Amnesty said military courts had tried thousands of civilians and emergency law had been extended. Torture had continued in army custody, and there were consistent reports of security forces employing armed "thugs" to attack protesters, it added.

"The SCAF has continued the tradition of repressive rule which the January 25 demonstrators fought so hard to get rid of," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa acting director.

"Those who have challenged or criticize the military council ? like demonstrators, journalists, bloggers, striking workers ? have been ruthlessly suppressed in an attempt at silencing their voices ... The brutal and heavy-handed response to protests in the last few days bears all the hallmarks of the Mubarak era."

By August, Amnesty said the military council admitted about 12,000 civilians had been tried by military courts and at least 13 sentenced to death. The trials were "grossly unfair", said the rights group.

NBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45398123/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Don't slash military budget, GOP contenders say (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republican presidential hopefuls warned in near unanimity against deep cuts in the nation's defense budget Tuesday night, assailing President Barack Obama in campaign debate but disagreeing over the extent of reductions the Pentagon should absorb to reduce deficits and repair the frail U.S. economy.

The debate ranged widely, from Iran's threat to develop a nuclear weapon to the anti-terror Patriot Act, the war in Afghanistan, U.S-Pakistan relations and illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S. across the Mexican border. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said some should be allowed to stay, drawing fire from rivals Mitt Romney and Michele Bachman.

On defense spending, former Massachusetts Gov. Romney said nearly $1 trillion in cuts are on the horizon for the Pentagon over the next decade, noting that is the same as the costs for the nation's new health care law. He blamed Obama for that, adding, "We need to protect America and protect our troops and our military and stop the idea of Obamacare."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry was harshly critical of the magnitude of potential cuts saying the Obama administration's Pentagon chief had called them irresponsible. "If Leon Panetta is an honorable man, he should resign in protest," Perry said.

Neither Perry nor Romney specified if they support any cuts in the Pentagon's accounts, but Gingrich and Jon Huntsman, one-time ambassador to China, both indicated the topic should be on the table as budget-cutters look for savings.

"It's clear that there are some things you can do to defense that are less expensive," said Gingrich.

Only Rep. Ron Paul of Texas sounded unperturbed, saying that despite ominous talk, lawmakers are considering only reductions in future military growth, not actual cuts.

In a race constantly in flux, the former House speaker has recently emerged as Romney's principal rival atop the public opinion polls. As he looked around him, he saw other rivals who once held that position ? Bachmann, Perry and businessman Herman Cain among them.

They and the other GOP would-be commanders-in-chief made their points in a national security debate a mere six weeks before the Iowa caucuses begin the formal competition for delegates to next summer's National Republican Convention. The venerable DAR Constitution Hall was the site ? a few blocks from the White House and as close as most if not all of the GOP hopefuls are likely to get.

On immigration, Gingrich said that while some who are in the country illegally should be forced to leave the country, that wasn't true for all of them.

"If you've been here 25 years and you got three kids and two grandkids, you've been paying taxes and obeying the law, you belong to a local church, I don't think we're going to separate you from your family, uproot you forcefully and kick you out," he said.

Romney and Minnesota Rep. Bachmann strongly differed.

She said, "I don't agree that you would make 11 million workers legal, because that, in effect is amnesty."

Neither the format nor the moderator permitted all eight candidates to answer any one question, producing a somewhat disjoined event in which there was relatively little back-and-forth among the rivals.

Syria was one exception ? Perry saying he supported a no-fly zone over the nation where President Bashir Assad's forces are using force to quell protests, and Romney saying now is not the time.

The focus on defense cuts came one day after Congress' supercommittee failed to reach agreement on a plan to reduce red ink by $1.2 trillion over the next decade, an outcome that threatens to trigger a similar amount in automatic spending cuts beginning in 2013.

The Pentagon's share of those reductions would be about $500 billion, an amount that would come on top of Obama's own plan to trim military costs by about $450 billion.

Romney did not distinguish between the two categories when he accused Obama of targeting the Pentagon for debilitating reductions.

"They're cutting a trillion out of the defense budget, which just happens to equal the trillion dollars that they're putting into Obamacare," he said. He said such a Pentagon reduction would crimp weapons acquisition and other critical defense needs.

Several Republicans spoke up strongly for the anti-terror Patriot Act, saying it should be extended or perhaps strengthened to help identify and capture those who would attack the United States.

Only Rep. Paul among the eight presidential hopefuls dissented, arguing that the law is "unpatriotic because it undermines our liberties."

Gingrich jumped at that. "That's the whole point. Timothy McVeigh killed a lot of Americans," the former House speaker said. "I don't want a law that says after we lose a major American city, we're sure going to come and find you. I want a law that says, you try to take out an American city, we're going to stop you."

Neither Gingrich nor any other Republican mentioned that Obama, like President George W. Bush before him, signed legislation extending the Patriot Act. He did so while traveling in Europe last May, putting him name on a four-year extension of the law that gives the government sweeping powers to search records and conduct wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.

Asked about the same general topic, Bachmann said Obama has "essentially handed over our investigation of terrorists to the" American Civil Liberties Union. "Our CIA has no ability to investigate," she said. Bachmann did not cite any examples to buttress either of her claims.

On other issues, Cain seemed to sidestep when asked if he would help Israel attack Iran in the event the Islamic regime acquired nuclear weapons. He said he would want to know what the plan was and have an understanding of its chance of success.

Gingrich said he would bomb Iran only as a last resort and with a goal of bringing about the downfall of the government.

There was disagreement when it came to the war in Afghanistan.

Former Utah Gov. Huntsman said it was time for the United States to withdraw nearly all its troops.

Romney said top generals disagreed with that and asked Huntsman if he was talking about a withdrawal beginning immediately.

"Did you hear what I said?" Huntsman asked across the debate stage, noting that under the Constitution the president is commander in chief. A few moments later, referring to Vietnam, he said a president had listened to the generals in 1967, and the outcome was not in the interests of the United States.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_debate

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Diablo Cody Talks Evil Dead Remake

A few months ago we reported Fede Alvarez was going to write and direct an Evil Dead remake, with Diablo Cody doing some script revisions.? Now before you get up in arms that Evil Dead is being remade, it?s important to know that director Sam Raimi and original producing partners Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell are very much involved in the film.? Based on the original team?s inclusion, this is one of those projects I?m very curious about.

However, while we knew the remake was moving ahead as evidence by the premiere of the new logo at AFM and Lionsgate?s selling of international rights, no one was quite sure exactly how much work Cody had done on the script.? So when I spoke to her today for her great new movie Young Adult, she was more than willing to talk about her involvement on the film.? She said that she mostly handled dialogue and character, and addressed concerns people may have about her involvement by assuring me that she had no intention of infusing Evil Dead with ?wacky dialogue and cute stuff? from Juno. In addition, she said the script is ?unbelievably violent? and that the director?s draft was ?really scary.?? Hit the jump for more.

Here?s the portion of the video interview on the Evil Dead remake.? Further down is the transcript.? Look for my full interview with Cody in early December.

?

Collider: If I?m not mistaken, you did a draft or wrote the Evil Dead remake.

Diablo Cody: I did a draft. I did like a polish slash rewrite on the pre-existing, excellent script by Fede Alvarez.

Do you know if the draft that you submitted is the one they?re shooting with?

Cody: I?m not 100% sure. I guess it?s possible that that?s the one, but for all I know they could have commissioned another rewrite, you never know. Are they shooting right now?

No, but I think I?ve seen like a logo which means?

Cody: I think it?s going forward. I?m really excited to hear about it cause it was fun to work on.

When you worked on it, were you on it for a few weeks, was it a few months? And talk a little bit about working on it, cause this is a huge property for so many people.

Cody: I know, honestly I was so excited to do it. I wouldn?t have even gotten involved if Sam [Raimi] and Bruce Campbell hadn?t been involved as well, they?re producing it, and so of course I was like ?Alright I have to do this? because I?m such a fan of the original, and the whole original series in fact. But I was nervous to take the job because I thought ?Ugh, I?m gonna get shit for this. People are not gonna like this, because all people know of me is like Juno and they think I?m gonna pollute Evil Dead with like wacky dialogue and cute stuff and folk music, and it?s like ?No, look I understand what this is. I?m interested in storytelling here and making it scary and good and true to the original.? I feel like people will hopefully see Young Adult and go ?Oh, okay that?s a horrifying movie maybe she could pull it off (laughs).?

Did you add or be a part of any gruesome R-rated death scene?

Cody: Because the director?s draft was really scary, I tried to stay away from some of the big horror set pieces. I didn?t wanna mess with his vision, because he?s the one who ultimately has to shoot it. That being said, there is a moment near the?I mean it?s unbelievably violent (laughs). Occasionally I threw in a wound here or there. I didn?t write anything extravagant.

So did you sort of do a pass on dialogue and character stuff?

Cody: Yes. And once again, I did not do like the standard dialogue people associate with me at all. I did very naturalistic dialogue that I felt would serve the story.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1923986/news/1923986/

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