The Amazing Spiderman

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'The Amazing Spider-Man' Trailer HD

Director: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

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Bob Arum refuses Pacquiao-Bradley rematch, wants investigation into scoring controversy

LAS VEGAS – Promoter Bob Arum was still fuming about the split-decision verdict that went against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday and said there would be no rematch with Timothy Bradley unless Nevada attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto launches an investigation.

Bradley, a 4-1 underdog, upset Pacquiao in one of the most controversial outcomes in years to take the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
All three judges scored it 115-113, with Duane Ford and C.J. Ross seeing it in favor of Bradley and Jerry Roth siding with Pacquiao.
The rematch that Bradley thought he would get may be on hold, at least for a while, however. Arum, whose company promotes both fighters, said his feeling that Pacquiao had won a wide decision had not changed a day later.

But because of the outcry among the fans and media, many of whom accused Arum of somehow rigging the outcome, the veteran promoter said he would demand an investigation.
"I want to investigate whether there was any undue influence, whether the (Nevada Athletic Commission) gave any particular instruction and how they came to this conclusion," said Arum, who at the post-fight news conference was adamant the result was a mistake but not the result of any chicanery. "But the whole sport is in an uproar. People are going crazy.
"If this was a subjective view that each of [the judges] honestly held, OK. I would still disagree, but then we're off the hook in terms of there being no conspiracy. But there needs to be an independent investigation because it strains credulity that an event everybody saw as so one-sided one way all three judges saw it as close. It strains credulity."

Ford spoke by telephone to Yahoo! Sports on Sunday. He said the criticism is a part of the job he accepts, but said those criticizing the outcome are almost certainly not familiar with the way fights are judged.
"If this were American Idol, without a doubt, Manny Pacquiao would have won," Ford said. "But it was not. I gave an honest opinion. I had Pacquiao up 4-2, I think, at the end of six rounds. I thought he hurt Bradley a couple of times early in the fight. But when the bell rang to end that round, it was over and what happens in one round doesn't carry over to the next round. They're separate units.
"In the second half of the fight, Pacquiao picked off a lot of punches to the head, but Bradley landed some hard body shots. That hurt Pacquiao. I don't mean it hurt him in the sense of it physically hurting him, but in terms of scoring and piling up points. Bradley did an excellent job standing his ground as a boxer. Remember, it's a boxing match and Bradley demonstrated his ability to box expertly."
Bradley has been harshly criticized by many who believe Pacquiao won, but the fact that Bradley won the fight with two badly injured feet should say something about his tenacity.
And the bout might suggest that Pacquiao is declining more than previously thought. If he had trouble with a fighter who had two injured feet and needed a wheelchair to attend the post-fight news conference, how difficult would it have been for him had his opponent been completely mobile?

Bradley injured his left foot in the second round when he pivoted. His manager, Cameron Dunkin, said an examination late Saturday revealed torn ligaments that will keep him off it for several weeks to a month.
He said the X-ray did not show a fracture, but doctors ordered an MRI on Monday in Palm Springs, Calif.
"They said that just because the X-ray did not show a fracture didn't mean there isn't one," Dunkin said. "He has a lot of pain on the top of the foot and there are 700 bones in there. Some of them are so small. The doctor said the only way to tell if there is a fracture is to do an MRI."
He said there was no serious injury to the right foot, which was far more swollen than the left.
"The right was just kind of rolled and it was basically a twisted foot that was pretty swollen," Dunkin said.

Dunkin also said he was fine if Arum chose not to arrange a rematch. He said Top Rank promotes Bradley and owes him a fight. If it chose not to make a rematch with Pacquiao, it would have to book a different fight for Bradley.
Juan Manuel Marquez, who lost a controversial decision to Pacquiao on Nov. 12 in the same arena, was in attendance Saturday, Top Rank president Todd duBoef said, because the company was planning to make Pacquiao-Marquez IV in the event of a Pacquiao win.
That changed in light of the outcome, and Pacquiao said he wanted a rematch. Ultimately, Arum will likely accede to Pacquiao's wishes.
Pacquiao's next fight almost certainly will not be in Las Vegas after the uproar over Saturday's fight. Ford, though, said it is unfair for those who don't know the scoring criteria and who weren't focusing intently on the fight to bash the judges.
"In pro boxing, you look for damage, and if the punches are equal and the damage is equal, you are looking for effective aggression, and that does not necessarily mean the guy going forward," Ford said. "Effective aggression can be a guy going back. And then you look at ring generalship, and that's all about control.
"When you score a fight of that magnitude, you know the criticism comes with the job. But unless you are totally focused on that scoring zone for three minutes, it's impossible to score the fight correctly. I know you can't do it talking into a microphone. It was a close fight in my mind that could have gone either way. The result was nothing more than three judges giving an honest opinion, and nothing other than that."
[Related: Y! Sports' crew reacts to Timothy Bradley-Manny Pacquiao decision]
Arum told media at ringside that Dunkin had scored it 116-112 for Pacquiao, but Dunkin angrily denied that Sunday. Dunkin said he had it 115-113 in favor of Bradley.
He said he understands the uproar, but said most of it is because of Pacquiao's huge popularity.
"If they're fighting on a street and we're just scoring the fight, the whole fight, I can see you thinking maybe Pacquiao won it," Dunkin said. "But when you score it round by round, I think it's very reasonable to believe Bradley won."

Source: By Kevin Iole | Yahoo! Sports

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'Madagascar 3' Powers Past 'Prometheus' With $60.3M at Box Office

Family audiences turned out in droves for "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," pushing the DreamWorks Animation CGI sequel to a better-than-expected $60.3 million weekend at the U.S. box office.

Big turnouts on Saturday and Sunday pushed it past Fox and Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," which had led after taking in $21.4 million Friday, and went on to an impressive $50 million for the weekend.
"Madagascar 3" also hauled in $75.5 million from 28 overseas territories in its first weekend -- including an eye-popping $16.5 million from Russia -- making it the weekend's No. 1 film worldwide. It added $11 million from Brazil and $10.5 million from China.
With no real family film in the U.S. marketplace since April, "Madagascar 3' plainly filled a box-office void. Both movies delivered on the high end of expectations, particularly the R-rated "Prometheus," in a busy weekend at the cineplexes.
"Madagascar 3" turned in the biggest debut weekend in the franchise history, and the best opening for DreamWorks Animation since "Shrek 4" bowed to $70 million in 2008.
"The release date worked great for us," DWA's chief marketing office Ann Globe told TheWrap Sunday, "particularly for parents."
"Madagascar 3" was a hit with audiences, which were 56 percent female and 54 percent under 25. They gave it an "A" CinemaScore. It's been nearly four years since the last "Madagascar" film and the numbers suggest it not only connected with earlier fans but made some new ones.
"I think the critics and the audiences see this as the best film of the group," Globe continued. "We added some new characters to what was already a robust group and I think that made a difference."

"Madagascar 3" follows the gang, refugees from a New York zoo, as they try to make their way back to the Big Apple from Europe and join a traveling circus. Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short have joined the voice cast, along with returnees Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer. Noah Baumbach ("Fantastic Mr. Fox") comes aboard as a co-writer with Eric Darnell, who directs. The film cost $145 million to produce, the studio said.
The film's extensive promotional tie-ins -- including a million branded Dole bananas -- helped increase awareness, too. It played at 4,258 locations, and about 45 percent of its returns came from 3D screens.
Globe declined to discuss the possibility of another "Madagascar" sequel, but its franchise-best debut plainly bodes well.
Big screens played a big part in the success of "Prometheus," with nearly a quarter of its grosses coming from 3D screens.  It took in $9.1 million from the 298 Imax screens it played on domestically, and another $4.8 million from 94 overseas Imax screens.
"This movie was visually stunning, and tailor-made for the so-called 'premium experience,'" Fox's head of distribution Chris Aronson told TheWrap Sunday.
Fox marketers clearly expanded the film's appeal beyond the fan boy base. Males made up 57 percent of the audience, but that's a solid female turnout, too. Nearly 65 percent of the audience was over 25.
"I think we did a great job selling the film, but you had to start with phenomenal storytellers and filmmakers in Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof," Aronson said, "and we had a great cast. It's hard to imagine anyone else in those roles."
"Prometheus" is set in the 21st Century and chronicles the journey of spaceship crew following a star map discovered among the remnants of several ancient Earth civilizations. Seeking the origins of humanity, they instead discover a threat that could cause the extinction of the human race.
Scott produced and directed from a script co-written by Lindelof ("Lost") and Jon Spaihts. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce star. Lindelof and Tony Scott are also producers. The studio put the production budget at $130 million.
"Prometheus" added another $39.2 million overseas, on 8,263 screens in 50 markets. That gives it an overall international gross of $91.5 million in two weeks.

Last week's No. 1 film, Universal's "Snow White and the Huntsman" was third with $23 million from 3,777 theaters. That gives it $98.5 million overall domestically. It also took in $24.6 million from 52 foreign territories, giving it an $83.5 million overseas total gross.
No. 4 was "Men in Black 3," which took in $13.5 million from 3,792 locations for Sony, raising its overall domestic haul to $135.5 million. It added another $38.3 million overseas from 79 markets this weekend, giving it an overall foreign gross of $352.1, surpassing the original film as the franchise's biggest overseas earner.
Disney's "The Avengers" continued assembling cash in its sixth week, adding $10.8 million from 3,129 locations to up its overall domestic gross to $571.9 million, No. 3 on the all-time list behind only "Avatar" ($761 million) and "Titanic" ($659 million).

Marvel's superhero saga became the first movie to make more than $200 million in Latin America while adding another $7.8 million overseas this weekend. That brings its foreign overall gross to $824.4 million and its worldwide total to $1.39 billion, No. 3 all-time in that category as well, again behind "Avatar" and "Titanic."
"Battleship" added $2.3 million playing at 1,954 theaters, giving it a $59.8 overall tally in the U.S., a small part of its $295.4 million overall worldwide gross.
Focus Features expanded Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" into 96 theaters and took in $1.5 million, a per screen average of $16,443, good enough for the No. 10 spot.

Next week, Sony and Columbia open Adam Sandler's "That's My Boy" and Warner Bros. and New Line check in with "Rock of Ages."

Source: By Todd Cunningham | The Wrap

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Hands-on with Madden 13 at E3: Kinect’s killer app

Surprise, surprise: new technologies and one of the best uses of the Kinect I've ever seen made Madden one of the stars of the show.
by Scott Stein, CNET
Normally, a new version of EA Sports' Madden Football is an E3 non-event. Not so at E3 2012: in fact, it became a sort of poster-child for future-forward gaming.
Admittedly, the second-screen Madden prototypes on Xbox SmartGlass shown briefly at Microsoft's press conference aren't real (yet), but Madden 13 does feature integrated Kinect features and completely new player physics, dubbed Infinity Engine.
The most interesting part of the Madden's Kinect feature-set is that it doesn't use the camera: instead, it relies on voice commands as a way of controlling pre-snap adjustments on offense and defense. Joe Montana seemed to pull it off well during Microsoft's keynote, but I needed proof. I tried it in a relatively quiet E3 show floor booth, and it not only worked, but it could end up being a feature I actually use.
EA Sports reps say that Madden 13 recognizes up to 6,000 words. Like Kinect controls on the Xbox 360, a menu of accepted words for the given situation appear on-screen: Audible, Line, and so on. Individual players can be called by name, and a second menu appears with options. You call appropriate moves by voice, instead of browsing menus with a control pad.
Why is this useful? Before a snap, there are enough parts of a game to pay attention to without pulling up sub-menus. My problem with Siri on the iPhone has always been that its voice recognition takes time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The Kinect cheats the system by offering you direct command suggestions, eliminating the guessing.
It looks like voice commands could shave an extra click or three, maybe even saving a precious few seconds. If that's the case, then Kinect voice command could catch on quickly. Also, let's face it: it just feels cool to bark out audibles like a stressed-out QB. Once in a while, the Kinect had a hard time understanding me, but the moments were few and far between.
The new physics may matter even more. I played Madden 13 in New York a few months ago before the Infinity Engine physics were implemented, and the difference could be felt in my half of a Jets-Patriots game. Broken tackles are now more of a living struggle than a set of preordained animations, and running backs and linemen push off and roll into open space with a more kinetic flow. Physics are hard to describe on paper, but a slow-motion instant replay of a linebacker tackle on a running back revealed body motions that looked utterly real. (And, yes, I tried a few plays with Tebow, but I realized I'm absolutely terrible at executing the Wildcat.)
Oh, and in my first game with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms as commentators, I have to admit I like the move.
Madden 13 comes out August 28, and I can't remember the last time I was this interested to play.

Source: CNET | Plugged In

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Forced to Early Social Security, Unemployed Pay a Steep Price

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — This retirement oasis in the desert has long beckoned those who want to spin out their golden years playing golf and sitting by the pool in the arid sunshine.
But for Clare Keany, who turned 62 last fall and cannot find work, it feels more like a prison. Just a few miles from the gated estates of corporate chieftains and Hollywood stars, Ms. Keany lives in a tiny mobile home, barely getting by on little more than $1,082 a month from Social Security.
“I would rather be functioning and having a job somewhere,” said Ms. Keany, whose pixie haircut, trim build and crinkling smile suggest someone much younger than her years. “I really don’t enjoy living like this. I’ve got too much to do still.”
Even as most Americans are delaying retirement to bolster their savings accounts, the recession and its protracted aftermath have forced many older people who are out of work to draw Social Security much earlier than they had planned.
According to an analysis by Steve Goss, chief actuary for the Social Security Administration, about 200,000 more people filed initial claims in 2009 and 2010 than the agency had predicted before the recession and he said the trend most likely continued in 2011 and 2012, though that is harder to quantify. The most likely reason is joblessness.
Ms. Keany had always expected to work into her 70s and add to her retirement cushion. But after losing her job as an executive assistant at an advertising agency in 2008, she searched fruitlessly for full-time work and exhausted her unemployment benefits. For a while, she strung together odd jobs and lived off her 401(k) retirement and profit-sharing accounts. Then, this year, with her savings depleted and no job offers in sight, she reluctantly applied for Social Security.
Gazing out the window where the Santa Rosa mountains rise behind the mobile home park, she said, “It just seems a waste of a life, to be honest.”
Drawing Social Security early has repercussions that will be hard to overcome even if the economy — and her work prospects — improve. By collecting four years shy of her full retirement age, Ms. Keany will receive a reduced monthly benefit for the rest of her life. Those who collect early get 20 to 30 percent less a month than they would get if they waited until full retirement age, which varies by year of birth. People in Ms. Keany’s age bracket are expected to live an average of close to 23 more years.
“The most potent lever that individuals can pull in trying to get themselves a secure retirement income is to postpone claiming” Social Security, said Alicia H. Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
As recently as a decade ago, half of those eligible claimed Social Security at 62. But that share has been falling because people are living longer and still want to work as well as shore up retirement funds. That makes it even more galling for those who are forced to claim early because of unemployment. Several people interviewed mentioned blows to their self-esteem along with abandoned dreams of a more comfortable old age.
According to an analysis by Richard W. Johnson, director of the retirement policy program at the Urban Institute, 37 percent of older workers who lost their jobs between 2008 and 2011 and did not return to work ended up claiming Social Security as soon as they turned 62.
Ms. Keany, who was born in Britain, was making $64,000 a year as an administrative manager for a boutique advertising agency in Santa Monica when the firm lost two of its biggest clients in one week. She has nearly three decades of experience in the United States. She has managed offices, arranged visits by foreign dignitaries, composed employee handbooks and finessed demanding bosses. She said she had also run errands for movie producers, organized home offices and coordinated the administrative details of a drug study.
Those years of experience now work against her, she thinks. “I’m overly qualified, overly skilled,” she said.
Her age is also most likely an impediment. After they lose a job, older workers tend to have a much harder time finding another than younger workers.
A Government Accountability Office report found that just under a third of those 55 to 64 who lost their jobs from 2007 through 2009 had found full-time work by January 2010, compared with 41 percent of people 25 to 54. The median duration of unemployment for those 55 and older was 34.1 weeks in May, according to the Labor Department, in contrast to 22 weeks for all jobless people over 16.
Ms. Keany, who is single and has no children, tried a change of geography. Because the economy in California was so weak, she moved in with friends in Charlotte, N.C., three years ago in hopes of having better luck there. She signed up with employment offices and volunteered, but did not find paying work.
Another friend invited her to stay on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where Ms. Keany eventually began work at a women’s recovery house in exchange for room and utilities. Then Hurricane Irene hit last August and damaged the house. Ms. Keany could not afford to stay.
In a panic, she used the last of her savings to move to Palm Springs last October and buy a $19,000 one-bedroom mobile home in the same park where friends lived two doors down.
“I was so frantic at that point and I was at my wit’s end,” said Ms. Keany, saying she still planned to find a job. “I thought at least with Palm Springs it’s a retirement resort community and I know there’s a lot of business here as well.”
She scoured Craigslist for affluent residents seeking personal assistants. She took a one-month job in Los Angeles, chauffeuring the principal actor on a movie. She applied for a job as a concierge at a Marriott Hotel, but withdrew after hearing it offered only eight hours a week.
Finally, in January, she gave in and filed for Social Security. Her monthly check covers the $336 mobile home park fee plus utilities, her cellphone bill, insurance and a satellite dish. She is also paying $100 a month in credit card debt. To save money, she has canceled the data plan on her BlackBerry and cut back on fresh fruits and vegetables.
After a wind storm blew out a window, she covered it with a tarp because she could not afford to replace the glass.
Ms. Keany is still hoping to find work. Social Security recipients younger than full retirement age can earn up to $14,640 a year without sacrificing any of their monthly benefit. At Ms. Keany’s age, for every $2 earned over that amount, Social Security deducts $1 in benefits.
This month, she flew back to the Outer Banks to stay with friends and work part time in two gift shops over the summer. If she cannot find permanent work in North Carolina, she plans to return to Palm Springs in the fall.
She is discouraged by what she sees as youth-obsessed employers. “We’re already has-beens, which is so sad,” Ms. Keany said. “Some of us are still pretty productive.”

Source:  By MOTOKO RICH | New York Times

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US Navy hopes stealth ship answers a rising China

SINGAPORE (AP) — A super-stealthy warship that could underpin the U.S. navy's China strategy will be able to sneak up on coastlines virtually undetected and pound targets with electromagnetic "railguns" right out of a sci-fi movie.

But at more than $3 billion a pop, critics say the new DDG-1000 destroyer sucks away funds that could be better used to bolster a thinly stretched conventional fleet. One outspoken admiral in China has scoffed that all it would take to sink the high-tech American ship is an armada of explosive-laden fishing boats.
With the first of the new ships set to be delivered in 2014, the stealth destroyer is being heavily promoted by the Pentagon as the most advanced destroyer in history — a silver bullet of stealth. It has been called a perfect fit for what Washington now considers the most strategically important region in the world — Asia and the Pacific.

Though it could come in handy elsewhere, like in the Gulf region, its ability to carry out missions both on the high seas and in shallows closer to shore is especially important in Asia because of the region's many island nations and China's long Pacific coast.
"With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements — this is our future," Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, said in April after visiting the shipyard in Maine where they are being built.
On a visit to a major regional security conference in Singapore that ended Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the Navy will be deploying 60 percent of its fleet worldwide to the Pacific by 2020, and though he didn't cite the stealth destroyers he said new high-tech ships will be a big part of its shift.
The DDG-1000 and other stealth destroyers of the Zumwalt class feature a wave-piercing hull that leaves almost no wake, electric drive propulsion and advanced sonar and missiles. They are longer and heavier than existing destroyers — but will have half the crew because of automated systems and appear to be little more than a small fishing boat on enemy radar.

Down the road, the ship is to be equipped with an electromagnetic railgun, which uses a magnetic field and electric current to fire a projectile at several times the speed of sound.
But cost overruns and technical delays have left many defense experts wondering if the whole endeavor was too focused on futuristic technologies for its own good.
They point to the problem-ridden F-22 stealth jet fighter, which was hailed as the most advanced fighter ever built but was cut short because of prohibitive costs. Its successor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, has swelled up into the most expensive procurement program in Defense Department history.
"Whether the Navy can afford to buy many DDG-1000s must be balanced against the need for over 300 surface ships to fulfill the various missions that confront it," said Dean Cheng, a China expert with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research institute in Washington. "Buying hyperexpensive ships hurts that ability, but buying ships that can't do the job, or worse can't survive in the face of the enemy, is even more irresponsible."
The Navy says it's money well spent. The rise of China has been cited as the best reason for keeping the revolutionary ship afloat, although the specifics of where it will be deployed have yet to be announced. Navy officials also say the technologies developed for the ship will inevitably be used in other vessels in the decades ahead.
But the destroyers' $3.1 billion price tag, which is about twice the cost of the current destroyers and balloons to $7 billion each when research and development is added in, nearly sank it in Congress. Though the Navy originally wanted 32 of them, that was cut to 24, then seven.
Now, just three are in the works.
"Costs spiraled — surprise, surprise — and the program basically fell in on itself," said Richard Bitzinger, a security expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "The DDG-1000 was a nice idea for a new modernistic surface combatant, but it contained too many unproven, disruptive technologies."
The U.S. Defense Department is concerned that China is modernizing its navy with a near-term goal of stopping or delaying U.S. intervention in conflicts over disputed territory in the South China Sea or involving Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.
China is now working on building up a credible aircraft carrier capability and developing missiles and submarines that could deny American ships access to crucial sea lanes.
The U.S. has a big advantage on the high seas, but improvements in China's navy could make it harder for U.S. ships to fight in shallower waters, called littorals. The stealth destroyers are designed to do both. In the meantime, the Navy will begin deploying smaller Littoral Combat Ships to Singapore later this year.
Officially, China has been quiet on the possible addition of the destroyers to Asian waters.
But Rear Adm. Zhang Zhaozhong, an outspoken commentator affiliated with China's National Defense University, scoffed at the hype surrounding the ship, saying that despite its high-tech design it could be overwhelmed by a swarm of fishing boats laden with explosives. If enough boats were mobilized some could get through to blow a hole in its hull, he said.
"It would be a goner," he said recently on state broadcaster CCTV's military channel.
___
AP writer Christopher Bodeen contributed to this report from Beijing.

Source: By ERIC TALMADGE | Associated Press

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Leonardo DiCaprio was sought for Riddler role

As buzz for "The Dark Knight Rises" continues to build, we are learning that Catwoman and Bane were not necessarily Warner Brothers' first choice to represent the villainous vibes of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy finale.
Instead, the studio had envisioned Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of the Riddler (made famous by Jim Carrey in "Batman Forever" and also by Frank Gorshin and John Astin in the '60s television series).

[Related: Christian Bale gets emotional remembering Heath Ledger at the MTV Movie Awards]

"Rises" screenwriter David Goyer recently revealed to Empire magazine (print edition, via What Culture) that the studio essentially thrust the idea of DiCaprio as the Riddler upon he and Nolan after the release of 2008's "The Dark Knight"... around the same time Nolan was pitching "Inception" to them, in which DiCaprio starred.
WB's top execs said, according to Goyer: "Obviously it's gonna be The Riddler, and we want it to be Leonardo DiCaprio."

In an interesting twist, the DiCaprio proposal -- while ultimately unsuccessful for unknown reasons -- may have spawned other casting choices. You see, much of the "Inception" cast carries over into "Rises": Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- who was originally thought to be cast as the Riddler.
Goyer also revealed in his Empire interview that the ending of "Rises" was conceived at the outset of his partnership with Nolan in the film franchise (via Screen Rant):

"The final scene of 'The Dark Knight Rises' is exactly [the] scene we talked about [when Christopher Nolan and I started the trilogy with 'Batman Begins']. It remained completely unchanged. We both knew in our hearts that we were onto something special. I have to tell you, having finally seen everything strung together a little while ago and seeing that scene, I got a complete lump in my throat."

The proverbial lump in the throat -- along with other widespread speculation -- has had film geeks pondering for months whether Batman lives or dies in "Rises." No one, so far, has a definitive answer. (Thank god! -- That would be too much of a spoiler in my opinion.)
While this is Nolan's final bow with Batman, the franchise could continue -- as it has for the past 20 plus years. Don't rule DiCaprio out for future Riddler roles.
"Rises" opens in theaters July 20.

Souce: By Meriah Doty | Movie Talk

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To the Finals: Heat top Celtics 101-88 in Game 7

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James finally got a Game 7 victory, on his third try.

Next up, the NBA finals - and his third try at that elusive first championship. A year after watching someone else celebrate on their home floor, the Miami Heat were the ones dancing at midcourt.
James had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Chris Bosh hit a career-best three 3-pointers - the last sparking the run that put it away - and the Heat won their second straight Eastern Conference title by beating the Boston Celtics 101-88 in Game 7 on Saturday night.
Miami opens the title series in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. The Heat got there by outscoring Boston 28-15 in the fourth quarter, with the ''Big Three'' of Dwyane Wade, Bosh and James scoring every Miami point.
''We decided to come together and play together for a reason,'' Wade said.
Wade scored 23 points, Bosh finished with 19 and Shane Battier added 12 for the Heat, who won a Game 7 for the first time since 2004 - Wade's rookie season. Now it's back to the finals, where Miami fell in six games to Dallas a year ago.
Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for Boston, which got 19 points from Paul Pierce in what might be the last game of the ''Big Four'' era for the Celtics.
Boston took out its starters with 28.3 seconds left. By then, workers already had a rope around the perimeter of the court, preparing for the East trophy presentation.
''Give them credit,'' Rondo said. ''They spread the points out as a team tonight. Give them credit. They played great tonight as a team and we just came up short.''
When Heat President Pat Riley was shown on the giant overhead video screen in the moments just after the final buzzer, the crowd screamed. Riley finally acknowledged them with some claps, before the 2012 Eastern Conference champions logo was shown as players below the scoreboard high-fived and hugged, all wearing the new T-shirts and caps that marked the accomplishment.
The screams kept coming, first when Alonzo Mourning took the microphone - ''We still got a lot of work to do,'' Mourning said - and then again when he handed the trophy to Heat owner Micky Arison.
''A roller-coaster ride,'' Arison said.
A roller-coaster game, too. In a roller-coaster season.
All worth it - for now, anyway. The next step awaits, another shot at the finals. In a championship-or-bust season, the Heat board a plane for Oklahoma City on Sunday.
''We have been through a lot,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
James and Celtics coach Doc Rivers - who teared up often postgame - shared a long embrace when it was all over. Before coming to Miami for Game 7, Rivers had packed for Oklahoma City, a trip he won't make, set to now spend his time seeing if James can win that first title.
''I told him to go do it,'' Rivers said.
Down by seven at the half and eight early in the third quarter, Miami started clawing back. An 8-0 run tied it at 59-all, capped by Wade hitting a jumper, and then the fun really started.
There were six lead changes and five more ties in the final 7 minutes of the third. Bosh scored with 29 seconds left for the last of those ties, and it was 73-all going into the fourth.
Six games decided nothing, and nothing was decided in Game 7 until the very last moments, neither team yielding much of anything. Battier's 3-pointer with 8:06 left in the third cut Boston's lead at the time to 59-57.
And back and forth they went.
For the next 13 minutes, a span of 46 dizzying, unbelievable possessions, neither team led by more than two points.
That finally changed when Bosh his third 3-pointer with 7:17 left. James made a runner on the next Miami trip, and suddenly the Heat had their biggest lead of the night to that point, 88-82 with 6:54 remaining.
They were on their way.
''He was big time - every shot, every defensive play, every rebound - we missed him,'' James said of Bosh. ''We're just happy to have him back at the right time. If it wasn't for him and the rest of the guys that stepped up, we don't win this game.''
Said Spoelstra: ''Our most important player.''
James made a 3-pointer - it went into the books as a 30-footer, as he leaped from atop one of the Eastern Conference finals stickers on the floor - as the shot clock was expiring with just under 6 minutes left, making it 91-84.
''Backbreaker,'' Rivers said.
Even mistakes were going Miami's way, as James lost a behind-the-back dribble, only to have the ball skip right into Battier's hands.
Bosh scored from inside the lane to end that possession. Wade scored on the next one, the lead was 95-86 with 3:23 left, Boston called time and the building was simply rocking. James did plenty of talking on the Heat bench in that stoppage, clearly saying the word ''Finish'' at one point.
They listened. A three-point play by Wade with 2:53 left all but sealed it, the Heat were up 12, and Oklahoma City beckoned.
''We had nothing left,'' Rivers said. ''That's how it felt, as a coach. ... But overall, I don't know if I've ever had a group like this.''
Brandon Bass scored 16, Ray Allen finished with 15 and Kevin Garnett scored 14 for the Celtics, who know next season could bring big changes.
A team that was under .500 at the All-Star break almost made the NBA finals.
Almost.
''One game away on the road, banged up. ... I don't know if we could have gotten any more from the group,'' Rivers said.
Boston's first score came when the Celtics were inbounding from under their own basket with 1.2 seconds left on the shot clock. Rondo surveyed the defense, then decided to simply toss the ball off Wade's back, catch it and score himself.
It was an omen - the Celtics got plenty of easy scores early.
Boston ran out to a 23-14 lead, before the Heat settled down and tied it twice in the second quarter, the last of those at 35-all with 6:50 left. It was then that Garnett left with his third foul. Heat on a run, Garnett going to the bench, so momentum Miami, right?
Not quite.
Bass scored 10 points in a stretch of just over 3 minutes to spark a 14-3 run, with the Celtics scoring three times off turnovers in that stretch. Allen waltzed in unbothered for a layup with 22 seconds left in the half, and Boston took a 53-46 lead into the break. And the least surprised person in the arena was Rivers, who sensed at the morning shootaround that his team would be sharp for Game 7.
They were.
Just in the end, Miami was sharper.
''That's what we talk about,'' said James, who lost Game 7 appearances with Cleveland in 2006 and 2008. ''It has to be a collective group to win the championship. Everybody was in tune today. We wanted to give our fans a big win. We look forward to the next challenge.''
NOTES: Strange but true: Celtics fans in leprechaun outfits - green glittery vests, bow ties and hats - posed for photos with fans during the game. They were seated directly behind Arison. ... Also strange but true: Manny Pacquiao - from the Philippines, the country where Spoelstra's mother hails from - planned to delay the start of his fight Saturday night so he could see Game 7. Pacquiao is a Celtics fan. ... It was Heat F Udonis Haslem's 32nd birthday. ... Former Heat forward Jamal Mashburn and former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn chatted near the Boston bench before the game.

Souce: By TIM REYNOLDS | The Associated Press

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Boxing Timothy Bradley attends news conference in a wheelchair after beating Manny Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS -- Timothy Bradley injured both of his feet during his win over Manny Pacquiao Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden and was forced to attend the post-fight news conference in a wheelchair.

He said he heard his left foot snap in the second round. In about the fifth, he injured his right. His right ankle was grotesquely swollen following the fight, which Bradley won by a highly controversial split decision.

Bradley had to suck it up and he won most of the last six rounds to take the victory. Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford had it 115-113 for Bradley. Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao.

"I went back to the corner after the second and I said, 'Coach, I think I broke my ankle,' " Bradley said.
His trainer, Joel Diaz, quickly responded.
"You have two options," Diaz said he told Bradley. "I said, 'Either I'll stop the fight now or you'll suck it up and fight like a warrior.' "
Diaz said Bradley once fought with a broken rib in a fight against Miguel Vazquez.
"I wasn't quitting," Bradley said. "This was Manny Pacquiao."
Bradley was taken to a local hospital for x-rays. There was no word on his condition.

Source: By Kevin Iole | Boxing

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Timothy Bradley Jr. earns stunning, controversial split-decision win over Manny Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS – Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao put on an outstanding show, but it was the judges who will be the big story for the next week or so.

 Pacquiao landed 94 more punches than Bradley according to CompuBox, but it was not enough as the judges stunningly awarded a split-decision win to Bradley, who lifted the World Boxing Organization welterweight title from Pacquiao with the victory.
"I thought I won the fight," said Bradley, who said he hurt his ankle in the second round. "I didn't think he was as good as everybody says he is. I didn't feel a lot of his power."

It was an excellent back-and-forth bout, but Pacquiao seemed to control it by landing more, landing at a higher percentage and landing the harder punches.
Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford had it for Bradley, 115-113. Jerry Roth had it for Pacquiao, 115-113. Bradley won the final round on all three cards which pulled out the bout for him.
Pacquiao was shocked by the verdict.
"I do my best and I guess my best wasn't good enough," Pacquiao said. "I've been watching the tapes of his fights. Tonight, he never hurt me. Most of his punches hit my arms. I don't know what happened [with the scoring]. I have no problem. I'll be ready for the rematch. No doubt [I won the fight.]"
It was a stunning end to a more than seven-year winning streak for Pacquiao, who entered the bout ranked No. 2 in the Yahoo! Sports world rankings.
"Can you believe that?" promoter Bob Arum said. "I had it 10-2! After I got into the ring after the fight, I went over to Bradley and said 'You did very well.' He said, 'I tried hard, but I couldn't beat the guy.' This is crazy. You talk about killing boxing? All three scorecards you throw out."

Dreams of a megafight against No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have gone up in smoke with the pens of judges who saw a different fight than the fans in the building and most media at ringside.
Yahoo! Sports scored it 117-111 for Pacquiao, the same margin as Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press and Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Dan Rafael of ESPN had it 118-110 for Pacquiao. HBO's Harold Lederman had it 119-109, or 11 rounds to one, for Pacquiao.
"This is a death knell for boxing, and I'm going to make a ton of money on the rematch," Arum said.
Pacquiao landed 253 of 751 punches, a connect rate of 34 percent. Bradley landed 159 of 839, a connect rate of just 19 percent. On top of that, Pacquiao seemed to land the more powerful shots.

It was an action-paced battle fought at a furious pace for much of the event. Pacquiao showed little respect for Bradley's power and waded in with impunity, ripping straight left hands and hooks.
"He's a beast," Bradley said, while admitting Pacquiao hurt him several times with the left.
Bradley landed clean shots, but wasn't able to back Pacquiao up.
Pacquiao said he respected the decision, but felt he won the fight.
From the look on Bradley's face at the end of the bout, it appeared he felt the same way.

Source: By Kevin Iole | Yahoo! Sports

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Y! Big Story: Facebook slap

As if the IPO fumble and lawsuit pile-on weren't a couple black eyes for Facebook, now comes an insult even more wounding: People are just bored with the social network.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll counted 34% of its users slacking off, compared with six months ago.

The most frequent Facebook users are aged 18 to 34, according to the survey, with 60 percent of that group being daily users. Among people aged 55 years and above, 29 percent said they were daily users. Of the 34 percent spending less time on the social network, their chief reason was that the site was "boring," "not relevant" or "not useful." Privacy concerns ranked third. (June 4, Reuters)

Wait, wouldn't that mean people are bored with their friends? Is it really more IPO letdown? Could the introverts be rebelling? Or is it all of the above? Let's check out the status updates and a few reader comments along the way, and see whether the Facebook beatdown can get any worse (hint: It does).

Too many friends who aren't really. How bored could 901 million active users be? About 526 million of them check in daily—but apparently 2 out of 5 sign in, versus 1 out of 2 just six months ago. Just like most social circles, power users dominate the crowd; people ages 23-35 and women (especially new moms and stressed-out ones) update and comment the most. The rest are occasional spectators—and a good number of them seem to be suffering friend-request regret.
The average number of Facebook friends is 245, but Dunbar's number dictates that your little gray cells  can usually track only around 150. Compare that neurological optimism with a sociologist's survey, which claims that the modern Americans can count 2.03 close friends, a decline from three in 1985. (Pew gives happier odds with 2.16 close pals, versus 1.93 in 2008.)

Then there's the backlash against ruthless cheeriness, embodied in one Texas teacher's mission to show life's complexities by making an EnemyGraph Facebook plug-in. Add the 3.2 million people petitioning for a "dislike" button, complaints about inanity updates, the extra work that the Timeline feature demands, and fears about privacy (which led many to fall for a hoax), and Facebook isn't as friendly as it used to be. The social network even capitulated by releasing Close Friends and Acquaintances features, so you can downgrade (or upgrade) friends; you can also reduce the number of people whose actions show up in your news feed.

Revenge for making us feel lonely? Might we resent Facebook for a cruel self-assessment of friendship? The Atlantic recently took a shot at social networking for making people feel "lonelier" and "more narcissistic," and it zeroed in on Mark Zuckerberg's Frankenstein child.

Facebook users had slightly lower levels of "social loneliness"—the sense of not feeling bonded with friends—but "significantly higher levels of family loneliness"—the sense of not feeling bonded with family. It may be that Facebook encourages more contact with people outside of our household, at the expense of our family relationships—or it may be that people who have unhappy family relationships in the first place seek companionship through other means, including Facebook. The researchers also found that lonely people are inclined to spend more time on Facebook: "One of the most noteworthy findings," they wrote, "was the tendency for neurotic and lonely individuals to spend greater amounts of time on Facebook per day than non-lonely individuals." And they found that neurotics are more likely to prefer to use the wall, while extroverts tend to use chat features in addition to the wall. (May 2012, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" The Atlantic)

Debunkers pooh-pooh the idea of Facebook as a digital divider, and instead see it a tool that individuals control.

Such technological connections don't at all preclude real-life conversations. If we're not having them, it's because that's our choice—the technology isn't choosing for us... But then some people suggest that because these ways are different than what they are used to, they are automatically worse. That's where the problems begin. Different doesn't automatically equal bad, and without quantifiable measures, all you have is a subjective lens in which to conduct your measurements. (June 7, Psych Central)

Then again, behavioral changes happen quickly over a generation. Consider the evolution of telephone etiquette: At first, the caller bore the social burden. After the onset of the answering machine, the obligation landed on the recipient to return the call. With cell phones, a new generation feels compelled to answer the ring, granting a higher privilege to the unseen caller over any live body in their presence. (Note the retaliatory warning notices at retail counters that say they will ignore people on their cell phones—it's quid pro quo.) Many teens can't resist the call even while driving, to the point that some welcome state laws making it illegal for teens to use their phones while they're behind the wheel.
Facebook has unleashed all sorts of etiquette dilemmas (is ignoring a friend request polite, or is it a passive-aggressive slippery slope?), and disgruntled users claim they're already resulting in cultural traits—like narcissism, per the Atlantic.

Facebook 2020 funeral? After all these slaps to Facebook, the only thing left would be spit on the corpse... and sure enough, a Forbes columnist obliges with predictions of its death in five to eight years. (Full disclosure: Columnist Eric Jackson also beats up on Yahoo! regularly, calls it "already a shell of its 2000 self," and owns some shares.)

Facebook is the triumphant winner of social companies. It will go public in a few weeks and probably hit $140 billion in market capitalization. Yet, it loses money in mobile and has rather simple iPhone and iPad versions of its desktop experience. It is just trying to figure out how to make money on the web—as it only had $3.7 billion in revenues in 2011 and its revenues actually decelerated in Q1 of this year relative to Q4 of last year. It has no idea how it will make money in mobile. (April 30, Forbes)

Ouch. Facebook has its defenders, pointing to its launch of Airtime and saying now's the time to buy. As for being less bored—well, wait till they let the kids in.

Source:  Vera H-C Chan | Trending Now

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Tornado touches down in Wyo.; at least 1 injured

DENVER (AP) — Storms brought a tornado and golf-ball-sized hail to Wyoming that downed power lines, damaged homes and pushed some empty train cars on their sides Thursday, a day after thunderstorms pummeled parts of Wyoming and Colorado with 2-inch hail and heavy rain.

Five structures were heavily damaged by the tornado Thursday, and 10 to 12 other structures also have damage, said Kelly Ruiz of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security.
One person was treated at a hospital for a cut on the head, said local radio station owner Kent Smith, speaking for the Platte County Sheriff's Office.
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crew reported the tornado struck a train that had stopped in the Wheatland area due to 55 mph winds and a tornado warning, BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said. Five empty train cars derailed onto their sides, and another was leaning over, he said. No injuries were reported.
Some power lines also were downed, Ruiz said.
The tornado touched down briefly near Wheatland, north of Cheyenne, in a sparsely populated area, officials said. One of the destroyed homes was vacant, Smith said.
Hail was reported in the Wheatland area and Laramie, National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Trudel said.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska through Thursday night. Forecasters said thunderstorms that can spawn tornadoes could develop and flooding was possible.
In Colorado, a tornado was spotted near Calhan in El Paso County on Thursday night. Meteorologists were trying to confirm a report of a tornado to the north in Elbert County near Simla. Elbert County officials reported damage to eight houses, including two that were missing roofs and others with broken windows. They also received a report of one minor injury and standing water on two roads, spokeswoman Kara Gerczynski said. Meanwhile 2.5-inch-diameter hail was reported in El Paso County near Peterson Air Force Base.
On Wednesday, preliminary reports indicated about five tornadoes touched down in Colorado, including one near Denver International Airport. No serious damage was reported. Snowplows were called out in Douglas County, south of Denver, to clear hail up to 8 inches deep. About 40 people in Colorado Springs were rescued after cars became submerged in water and hail, including near Citadel mall, firefighters reported.
The rain provided some help to firefighters who fully contained a 227-acre wildfire in northern Colorado, but the weather initially hurt efforts to control a 6,000-acre blaze in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest.
Storms passed close to the Wyoming fire but mostly brought gusty winds that fanned the flames. Rain and hail fell later but didn't make a significant difference, said fire spokeswoman Beth Hermanson.
Kyle Fredin, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Denver, said the beginning of June is the peak time for such severe weather in Colorado. Most of the state has been experiencing moderate-to-extreme drought conditions.
"It's game-on for this type of thing," he said.
Rob Cox with the weather service in Cheyenne said hail measuring 2 inches in diameter was reported about 18 miles northeast of the city. Cheyenne and areas to the east received from 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said.
Jim Elias, a city public works director, said the drainage system worked well considering that nearly 2 inches of rain fell in a little more than two hours in some areas.
Cheyenne has spent millions of dollars improving drainage around the city since a flood in 1985 killed 12 people.
Elias said crews were called to areas with deep water but most of the water had gotten into the drainage system and had been carried away.

Source:  Associated Press

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Romney calls Obama’s handling of the economy ‘a moral failure of tragic proportions’

Mitt Romney called President Barack Obama's handling of the economy a "moral failure of tragic proportions," suggesting he's failed the American people by enacting policies that have been "muddled, confused and simply ineffective."
Speaking at a campaign event in St. Louis, the Republican nominee said it is "painfully obvious" that Obama was "inexperienced" and "simply not up to the task" of leading the country out of this "great economic crisis."
"We have waited, and waited and waited for recovery, and enough time has passed to pronounce judgment on the economic policies of this administration: They have not worked," Romney told supporters at a campaign event in St. Louis. "Your government has failed you."
The Republican nominee accused Obama of being unfriendly to "free enterprise" and said his administration has failed to deliver on its chief commitment to the country: helping "every American help themselves."
"I do not believe this has been done with evil intent or ill will," Romney noted. "But for a family watching their house being sold at foreclosure, or the family that is forced to spend their kid's college savings just to make ends meet, the results are just as devastating."
Romney vowed to do "everything in my power to end these days of drift and disappointment," suggesting something is "fundamentally wrong" with the country's course when 23 million Americans remain out of work.
"Yet the president tells us he's doing a great job," Romney said. "I will not be that president of deception and doubt. I will lead us to a better place."
Romney's remarks in Missouri expanded on a general theme the GOP nominee has been pushing on the campaign trail in recent weeks. He's argued that the nation's economic struggles are not just a test of policy but a "moral" issue because of the suffering of so many Americans. In his remarks today, Romney used the word "moral" or a variation of it five separate times in pushing the idea that Obama's policies have been a failure for the country.
Echoing a message he repeats regularly on the trail, Romney accused Obama of trying to restart the nation's economy by building up the government rather than helping private business. He called Obama's vision for the country "deeply flawed."
"There is nothing fair about a government that favors political connections over honest competition and takes away your right to earn your own success," Romney said. "And there is nothing morally right about trying to turn government dependence into a substitute for the dignity of work."
Under Obama, the country was on the brink of a "government-led economy," the GOP nominee warned.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Romney said. "These have been years of disappointment and decline, and soon we can put them behind us. We can prosper again, with the powerful recovery we have all been waiting for, (and) the good jobs that so many still need."

Source: By Holly Bailey | The Ticket

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Bill Clinton ‘very sorry’ for veering off message on Bush tax cuts

Former President Bill Clinton apologized on Thursday for making comments this week that appeared to be at odds with President Barack Obama's position on extending the Bush tax cuts.
"I'm very sorry about what happened," Clinton said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I thought something had to be done on the 'fiscal cliff' before the election. Apparently nothing has to be done until the first of the year."
He said he stands with Obama on the issue.
Talking to CNBC on Tuesday, Clinton seemed to suggest that he thinks the Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, should be temporarily extended. Obama is opposed to the extension, a point his press secretary emphasized to reporters on Wednesday after Republicans seized on Clinton's comments.
"We should not extend—and he will not extend—the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of the American people. It's bad policy, it's bad for the economy, it's bad for our fiscal picture," Jay Carney said aboard Air Force One.

Clinton, who campaigned for his wife, Hillary, when she was competing against Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary battle, defended himself when Blitzer brought up the fact that Clinton's critics are charging that he's undermining Obama's re-election effort with his comments.
"I'm strongly committed to his re-election," Clinton said.

Source:  Laura E. Davis | The Ticket 

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Millions of Dollars of U.S. Gear to Combat IEDs Wasted in Pakistan

Millions of dollars of U.S. gear meant to combat the threat of roadside bombs is being wasted in Pakistan which refuses to let the equipment leave its customs warehouses.

The U.S. procured 110 IED jammers for the Pakistani military at a cost of nearly $23 million in 2009 in an effort to ease the threat of the improvised explosive devices that have been the main cause of U.S. casualties in neighboring Afghanistan and taken a toll on Pakistan authorities as well.
So far, not one of the jammers has been put to use, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office.
The GAO report found that "55 jammers were still in Karachi awaiting release from Pakistani customs, and the remaining 55 jammers were being kept in storage in the United States until the initial 55 were released."
Leaving the unused jammers in a Pakistani warehouse also raises the cost of the shipment since the U.S. must pay the storage fees, a GAO spokesman told ABCNews.com.
The U.S. has had difficulty getting Pakistan to accept additional gear meant to help Pakistan reduce the IED threat.
"Other U.S. procured counter-IED equipment under review and still in U.S. storage includes kits for use by combined explosive exploitation cells, explosive ordnance disposal items, and portable trace explosive detectors," the report states.
Despite the frustrations of getting Pakistan to accept the equipment, the U.S. is buying more remote-controlled IED jammers for Pakistan at a cost of $12.1 million, as well as $64 million worth of route clearance vehicles, according to the GAO.
Combating the construction and detonation of IEDs is a major concern for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In 2011, 16,500 IEDs were discovered or detonated against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. More than 80 percent of those bombs were made from calcium ammonium nitrate, known as CAN, a fertilizer that is made in Pakistan and smuggled into Afghanistan.
"Pakistan's ability to stem the flow of CAN and other IED precursors is a life and death issue for U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan," the GAO report said.
Nevertheless, the two countries' ability to cooperate on the issue has actually worsened since the U.S. assassination of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
"U.S. agencies have encountered some challenges to providing assistance to Pakistan to counter IEDs, and events over the past 6 months have strained this important bilateral relationship," the GAO concluded.

Source: By MARK MOONEY | ABC News

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Thunder follow Kevin Durant's lead to NBA Finals, eliminate Spurs

OKLAHOMA CITY – Everybody wanted a picture with the NBA's greatest young star. Friends, family members, the NBA's omnipresent and eternally leather-clad fan, Jimmy Goldstein – even Kevin Durant's own mother. Thursday morning was closing hard on Wednesday night, and Durant had wandered onto the court to find his mom for one more kiss. As they hugged, the arena's overhead video scoreboard, lowered for some maintenance work, continued to flash the Oklahoma City Thunder's newest title: Western Conference champions.
The parade of well-wishers met Durant the moment he emerged from the arena's tunnel and stepped onto the floor. For nearly 20 minutes, Durant obliged them all, taking pictures, signing autographs, no one wanting the night to end. Neatly dressed in sea-foam slacks, plaid belt and blue sportsjacket with a flower on the lapel, Durant looked like he was headed to the prom instead of the NBA Finals. Finally, he pulled his mother close one last time and asked:
"Y'all ready?"
Yes, they're ready. Every last one of them. These young Thunder. The proud city they've carried on this magical ride. Durant's led them all. From the rubble of a 23-win season, from a 2-0 hole against the San Antonio Spurs in the West finals, from an 18-point deficit on Wednesday night, he's lifted them on his slender shoulders.

No one need ask Durant again if he's ready. The West belongs to him now. The Finals are his stage. He delivered a transcendent performance with 34 points and 14 rebounds, never leaving the floor during the game's 48 minutes. As the final seconds began to tick off the Thunder's clinching 107-99 victory, he ran over to the sideline and wrapped his mother and two brothers in a long hug.
"I never want to take those moments for granted," Durant said. "I know we're just one step closer to our dreams."
These playoffs have become a coming-of-ages story for Durant and his Thunder. They swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, dismissed Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games and ran off four consecutive victories against the Spurs after everyone questioned their resolve. The Spurs didn't give back these West finals as much as Durant and the Thunder took them. Standing against a wall in the quiet of the Spurs' locker room late Wednesday, Tim Duncan said what so many had believed just a week earlier: "I thought this was definitely our time."

The West now runs by Durant's clock. He's just 23, and, still, he was tired of waiting. From the Thunder's ferocious point guard, Russell Westbrook, to their cool-headed and crafty reserve, James Harden, they all believed the same: They didn't need to respect their elders anymore; they needed to beat them. No longer is age an excuse for the Thunder. It's an asset.
"I think the youth is kind of something that wills us," Westbrook said.
The Thunder speak often of their "family," and it's true. So many of them are so young, they've all grown up together. All these team-is-one mantras can get a little nauseating to outsiders, but the Thunder believe them. You won't find Durant alone on billboards in Oklahoma City. It's all team shots or pictures of the Thunder flag. The photos lining the walls of the Thunder's arena and practice facility are the same: players' hands clasped in a huddle; a snapshot of the team's logo on a player's shorts. No one individual is greater than the whole, conventional marketing plans be damned.

This is all by design, of course. The Thunder's general manager, Sam Presti, learned under Spurs GM R.C. Buford and patriarch Gregg Popovich. He's built these Thunder using the Spurs as a blueprint. In Durant, Presti has his Duncan: a humble superstar who has embraced small-market comfort and convenience. He's given Durant co-stars in Westbrook and Harden and surrounded them all with pieces that have never fit so snugly. Derek Fisher, the notorious Spurs killer who was signed in late March, buoyed the Thunder with a late 3-pointer and a running bank shot. Kendrick Perkins, all grit and grime, blocked a layup attempt by Duncan to preserve the victory.
Asked afterward what sustained the Thunder, Westbrook chose a single word: "Togetherness." For all the "band-of-brothers" drivel Erik Spoelstra likes to recite from Pat Riley's self-help books, the Miami Heat will never have a bond as thick as these Thunder. They can't. The Heat were brought together by the flourish of a pen stroke, a creation of free agency. The Thunder have grown together, and they've been hardened by those lost seasons, by the experience of failure. They've been protected by the embrace of a community that believes they can do no wrong.
"I think as a group and as an organization, we've seen some light and we've seen that one day we'd be at this moment," Westbrook said, "and one day we'd have an opportunity to win a championship."

The Thunder's coach, Scott Brooks, instilled that belief in them. When the losses piled up in those lean seasons, he refused to consider them losses. "I was telling the guys we were learning how to win games," Brooks said.
They've continued to learn, too. After the Thunder lost the first two games in San Antonio, Brooks told his players they were capable of winning the series. They responded by attacking the Spurs like never before, smothering the Spurs' scorers with a wall of long, quick bodies. This was what the Spurs and everyone else in the league always feared: If the Thunder defended like this, if they played as one, then what hope did anyone have?
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stood on that stage in Miami two summers ago and yelled and screamed and boasted of winning multiple championships. Maybe they will, but eventually this league was always going to belong to Durant and his Thunder. They've conquered the West. Now comes the East.
It was late Wednesday, and Durant was standing in front of his locker, adjusting his collar and pulling his jacket tight. He started to walk off, stopped and took one more long look at the mirror. Something was missing. Durant reached into his locker and picked up one of those black "NBA Finals" hats. He set it slightly askew atop his head and strode out of the room. Never had he looked so self-assured.
Finally, Kevin Durant's time had come, and, yes, he's ready. The prom awaits.

Source: By Johnny Ludden | Yahoo! Sports

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Drastic measures as China students sit exams

More than 9 million students sat China's notoriously tough college entrance exams on Thursday, with "high-flyer" rooms, nannies and even intravenous drips among the tools being employed for success.

With just 6.85 million university spots on offer this year, competition for the top institutions is intense, and attempts to cheat are rife -- 1,500 people have been arrested on suspicion of selling transmitters and hard-to-detect ear pieces.
Parents and students this year are also resorting to some outlandish but legal methods to ensure nothing goes wrong in the make-or-break two-day exam.
Students have reportedly been given pre-exam injections and intravenous drips designed to boost energy levels, while girls have resorted to hormone injections and birth control pills to delay menstruation.
"There are situations where girls take pills to delay their periods until after the exams," a gynaecologist at Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital, who declined to give his name, told AFP.
Some of the more affluent parents have rented houses close to the 7,300 exam venues across the country, while so-called "high-flyer rooms" are being offered in the northern port city of Tianjin, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.
The special hotel rooms -- which cost up to 800 yuan ($126) more than an ordinary room -- are billed as having previously been rented out to someone who scored high points in the exams.
Rooms with lucky numbers such as six -- which symbolises success in Chinese culture, or eight -- which represents wealth -- are also favourites.
"Every year the house rental market heats up ahead of gaokao (the Chinese name for the exam)," Jin Guangze, a teacher from the Beijing Experimental High School told the China Daily.
The exam has also given rise to a new and lucrative industry -- the gaokao baomu -- or "exam nannies" -- who are tasked to look after students during the exam period.
"The nannies are well-qualified with at least a college-level degree," said Jennifer Liu, marketing manager at Coleclub -- an agency that provides household help and has offered the service since 2009.
"They are there to help the students -- cook meals, wash clothes, tutor the students and offer support for their mental well-being," she told AFP.
Liu declined to disclose how much it cost to hire a nanny, but media reports say the service costs an average 4,000 yuan over a 10-day period.
Meanwhile, China's state television CCTV has repeatedly broadcast advice to help students prepare for the exams and has warned against cheating, airing a confession of a remorseful suspect caught for aiding students to cheat.
The nation's public security ministry said in a statement Monday that police had busted over 100 gangs suspected of selling cheating equipment, rounding up 1,500 people with the seizure of some 60,000 devices such as ear pieces.
Exam authorities said they would use wireless signal jammers and frequency detectors to prevent cheating, as well as fingerprint scanners to verify exam-takers' identity.

Source: By Beh Lih Yi | AFP

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Australian Olympic swimmers criticized for Facebook gun photo

Two members of the Australian Olympic swim team are under fire for posing with three high-powered guns and posting the photo on Facebook.

Swimming Australia demanded Kenrick Monk take down the picture of him and Nick D'Arcy in a California gun shop. He complied.
In the picture, Monk held pump action shotguns that resemble those used in the Port Arthur massacre of 1996, an incident which still stands as one of Australia's deadliest shootings. D'Arcy held a semi-automatic pistol. 

The two young men need no introduction to stupidity. D'Arcy was involved in a brawl on the night the 2008 Australian Olympic team was announced and broke the jaw, nose, eye socket and cheekbone of a teammate. He was kicked off the team but avoided jail for the incident.
The lawyer of the man he punched was surprisingly surprised at D'Arcy's current brush with infamy. "I can't believe it," Sam Macedone told The Age. "Despite all the criticism, he still does things that are stupid."
Monk broke his elbow last September and blamed it on a hit-and-run driver. Four days after filing a police report, he confessed that he had actually fallen off his skateboard. Police didn't charge Monk, calling him a "wannabe B-grade celebrity athlete." (Police in Australia sound sort of awesome.)

Source: By Chris Chase | Fourth-Place Medal

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Dawn Loggins: Homeless, Abandoned Teen Heads to Harvard

While other kids were hitting their snooze buttons and pulling the covers over their heads, 18-year-old Dawn Loggins was mopping the halls and emptying the trash at Burns High School in Lawndale, North Carolina. At the end of last summer, while she was attending a prestigious summer program on scholarship, Loggins called home to discover her phone had been disconnected. According to the Shelby Star, her mother and stepfather had left the state and dropped her grandmother off at a local homeless shelter. Her older brother, Shane, was couch surfing with friends. "I realized I was getting nowhere calling my parents," she told the Star. "What was I going to do? Cry about it?"

The teen persevered. "I just made a decision that I was not going to end up like my parents," she told WBTV. And her determination paid off. Tonight is Loggins's high school graduation, and the next stop, Harvard University. 

When she was growing up, Loggins's parents were drug abusers who lived "paycheck to paycheck." Sometimes there was no power and she had to do her homework by candlelight. There were also days without food. She had been abandoned by them for periods of time before and stayed with her grandmother. "When I lived with my grandma," she says, "there was trash all over the house. She never really explained to me that it was important to shower--it was important to take care of your self, so I would go months at a time without showering. I would wear the same dress to school for months at a time." In middle school, some classmates teased her that she was ugly and others called her stupid.

Although Loggins attended three different middle schools and four high schools, she made an impression at Burns. Guidance counselor Robyn Putnam helped her catch up with online courses. She became a straight "A" student, joined the National Honors Society, and scored 2110 on her SATs. The community rallied around her and she moved into the home of a friend's mother, Sheryl Kolton, who works as custodian and bus driver at the school. Faculty and staff gave what money they could, and Loggins got a job doing janitorial work before class.
Loggins applied to four colleges in North Carolina as well as her reach school, Harvard. When a thin envelope arrived postmarked Cambridge, Massachusetts, she assumed it was a rejection. "Dear Ms. Loggins," the read the letter. "I am delighted to report that the Admissions Committee has asked me to inform you that you will be admitted to the Harvard College class of 2016….We send such an early positive indication only to outstanding applicants."
Loggins will be headed to Harvard this fall. "If there is anybody at all who has a dream, then they can definitely make it happen," she told WBTV. "There are no excuses. It depends on you and no one else."

Source: By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger | Secrets to Your Success

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