93% Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

All Critics (178) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (165) | Rotten (12)

As usual with the series, the movie combines a plot line a toddler could understand with gadgets that would baffle an engineering Ph.D.

I'm thinking it, so I might as well say it: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is no Fast Five.

...it's pretty much state-of-the-art.

[Bird's] fresh touch gives breathless energy, tremendous excitement and, above all, humor to what could have been a wearying genre exercise.

Powered by Cruise's moxie, Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol proves that in a Hollywood action-ride culture drenched in fake adrenaline, it's cathartic to encounter the real thing.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is top-notch popcorn entertainment, chock-full of dazzling stunts and heroic moments, played out at a near-hysterical pitch.

...great cinematic entertainment.

Better than the tower climb is the scene in which Hunt infiltrates the Kremlin with, essentially, a high-tech magic trick; the playfulness of the effect demonstrates the usefulness of Bird's background in the astonish-the-audience culture of animation.

So exciting you have to remind yourself to breathe.

Ghost pulls off the impossible.

Film number four has found its optimum screen display, its best director for the job and its sense of humour while increasing the gadgets and death-defying stunts.

Something goes wrong and the entire Kremlin blows up. 'The wattage of my smile has overpowered the antiquated Russian electrical grid,' explained Tom.

The cinematography is rewarding enough for a travelogue. The good guy vs. the world with a hateful bad guy is involving. This is another film where you should just leave your brain at home, relax, and enjoy it.

Welcome to the post-Pixar action movie.

Best line of 2011 delivered by Jeremy Renner: "That's it. Next time I get to seduce the rich guy." Why is MI4 so terrific? I screamed out in the theater: "The pants are gonna rip!"

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It's actually pretty entertaining... but a certain genericness is creeping in.

A mature Tom Cruise is in top form here, displaying a relatively-sophisticated savoir faire in lieu of the easy boyish charm that's served him so well in the past.

It's a great mix that feeds an action junkie's need for death defying stunts but reminds us how dangerous it all really is so that we remain engaged in the tension of the scene.

Exhilarating, nerve-wracking, vertigo-inducing, action-packed popcorn picture, filled with spectacular feats of derring-do.

This is some Star Trek level techno-nonsense, but the locations, stunts, and ambient batsh*ttedness of the entire endeavor provide ample distraction.

Could be the poster boy for disposable films.

By turns eye-watering, knee trembling, heart-pounding and rib-tickling, this gravity-defying blockbuster is what popcorn was invented for. Chomp away!

...a perfectly watchable (yet undeniably overlong) entry in an almost remarkably consistent series...

This franchise has never dazzled with brilliance but it certainly baffles with something else. Mostly it's video game-style violence... occasionally pausing for necessary exposition that at home would be times to rest your thumbs.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_ghost_protocol/

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M-Edge suit accuses Amazon of corporate bullying, patent infringement over Kindle cases

Case maker M-Edge filed suit with a Maryland court last week accusing Amazon of "unlawful corporate bullying" and patent infringement relating to the company's line of Kindle cases. According to M-Edge, the company signed a three-year agreement with Amazon in November 2009 for a 15-percent sales commission, only to have the retail giant demand a new contract with a 32-percent cut a mere two month later. A lawyer for M-Edge told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon punished the case maker over its refusal to play ball, after threats of burying the company's products on its site. According to the filing, M-Edge finally caved and signed a new contract in July of last year, given the fact that Amazon apparently drives nearly 90-percent of the small company's revenue. The suit also accuses Amazon of "knocking off" its reading light-packing covers with lighted jacket designs for the Kindle 3. Amazon, for its part, has refused to comment on the matter.

M-Edge suit accuses Amazon of corporate bullying, patent infringement over Kindle cases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCO Basketball vs Johnson C. Smith University or Quincy University (Quincy/Subway Holiday Tournament) All Day - Quincy, Ill.

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Racism in English soccer becomes a criminal matter (AP)

LONDON ? For the first time in the long history of English soccer, a player is being prosecuted over words spoken on the field.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that John Terry, one of the country's best-known athletes, racially abused an opponent during an October match. Though the potential penalty ? a $4,000 fine ? is relatively small, the case throws soccer's decades-long struggle with racism onto a high-profile stage with deep ramifications for both the sport and Terry, who captains Chelsea and the English national team.

England has largely eradicated the abuse against black players that blighted the game here in the 1970s and '80s, but recent incidents have raised questions about how far the Premier League has to go. On Tuesday, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez received an eight-match ban and 40,000-pound ($62,000) fine from England's Football Association for racially abusing a Manchester United player during another match in October.

The sport's international governing body has a mixed record on the issue. FIFA has launched anti-racism campaigns but its president, Sepp Blatter, set off a wave of outrage last month by claiming that racist abuse does not exist on the soccer field and suggesting that any incidents could be settled by a handshake at the end of a match.

Prosecutors decided on Wednesday to charge Terry after studying video of him apparently hurling abuse at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand toward the end of the Oct. 23 match, which was broadcast around the world. The video appears to show him yelling two obscenities and the word "black."

Prosecutors declared that Terry had committed a "racially aggravated public order offense."

Terry denies wrongdoing, though he doesn't deny saying the words after a verbal clash with Ferdinand. He said the words were taken out of context because he was repeating an accusation he felt had wrongly been made against him.

"I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends," Terry said. "I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence."

Ferdinand has not commented directly on the case, and the Football Association has yet to issue a ruling, saying it will wait for the police investigation to be completed. Police and prosecutors became involved after a member of the public made a complaint against the defender, having seen footage of his comments.

"After careful consideration of all the evidence I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case," Alison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for London, said in a statement.

Terry will have to appear at West London Magistrates' Court on Feb. 1 in a case that could threaten both his public image ? worth millions in endorsements ? and his international career.

If he is found guilty, it will be difficult for him to represent England at next summer's European Championship ? especially since he often partners with Ferdinand's brother Rio in central defense. Terry already lost the England captaincy once, ahead of the 2010 World Cup, after being embroiled in a sex scandal, but he regained the armband this year.

Anti-racism campaigners are hailing prosecutors' announcement and the FA's punishment of Suarez as evidence that new weapons are being deployed against racism in soccer.

"It's a very important point in the history of campaigning against racism in football," said Herman Ouseley, chairman of the group Kick It Out. "People who are very cynical ? and a lot of black footballers have been right up until I think yesterday ? think it's a waste of time because the campaign hasn't stopped these things from happening. It goes on, it's quiet, it's subtle and nothing ever gets done.

"It's quite important that (players) now feel a bit more confident that, although it has taken a while, due process with decisive action could well make a change."

Suarez was found by an independent FA panel to have directed racist abuse at Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, who is black. However, unlike the Terry case, Suarez's abuse was not caught on camera and there has been no complaint to the police to trigger a criminal investigation.

Liverpool players issued a statement Wednesday saying they were "shocked and angered" by Suarez's punishment, and that they support their Uruguayan teammate. "We know he is not racist," they said.

England is far from alone in European soccer in having to combat discrimination. Most high-profile cases have involved abusive chants by fans against players, but there have been several on-field incidents as well.

The French soccer league has opened an inquiry after claims from Morocco midfielder Kamel Chafni that an assistant referee racially insulted him during Auxerre's 1-0 defeat at Brest on Saturday.

Bulgaria's national federation was fined euro40,000 (about $52,000) by UEFA after its fans directed racist abuse at England players during a Euro 2012 qualifying match in September.

But Luis Aragones held onto his job as Spain coach in 2005 after making racist remarks about French striker Thierry Henry, landing a fine of just euro3,000 ($3,900).

"I think the problem has never gone away ? it's just become more subtle and less obvious," said Ouseley, a member of the House of Lords. "I think there is an awareness that more has to be done."

Ouseley pointed out that Poland and Ukraine, the co-hosts of Euro 2012, have also had problems with racism in the past, and that next summer's tournament will be a good indicator of whether they and other countries are taking the matter seriously.

"We know from the reports we've had back (that) there are going to be problems there," Ouseley said. "They will make the right noises but will they do they right thing? Will they stop abuse?"

___

Rob Harris can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/RobHarrisUK

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_sp_so_ne/soc_terry_racism

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Why are toys selling out? Might be mommy blog buzz (AP)

Emily Vanek is not buying up a bunch of LeapPad Explorers herself, but she may be at least partly to blame for some stores selling out of the $99 children's tablet this holiday season.

"The LeapPad is incredible," the Denver mother of three boys wrote to the 6,000 readers of her ColoradoMoms.com blog. "Not only do kids get to have a toy resembling their parents' tablet, it's durable and my favorite part?! It's not just mindless games they are playing."

These days, mommy bloggers don't just gab about spilled milk and poopy diapers. In fact, they've become so influential in the $22 billion toy market that toy makers go to great lengths to get their seal of approval. Their thumbs-up is particularly important during the holiday shopping season when toy makers hope to create the next hit toy.

It's a major shift for toy companies, which have always given out samples of new dolls, games and other playthings to drive sales. Five years ago, they handed out 98 percent of those products to TV stations, newspapers and magazines. But today, as much as 70 percent go to bloggers.

Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy company, has a database of about 400 mommy bloggers and their location, interests and the children's ages. Canadian toy maker Spin Master, which makes the trading card game Redakai, hired a dedicated staffer whose only job is to reach out to mommy bloggers. And small toy maker Cepia Inc., which makes robotic Zhu Zhu pets, gets feedback from mommy bloggers before its toys hit shelves.

It's hard for toy makers to ignore the monstrous number of mommy bloggers. Nationwide, there are about 4 million or so mommy bloggers who influence millions of other parents around the world.

"Mommy bloggers started because they wanted to share things about a new baby, but the most influential ones got into social media and realized they could make a difference," says Maria Bailey, whose BSM Media firm helps companies pick mommy bloggers with the most reach on the Twitter and Facebook social media websites. "Sometimes that difference is as simple as directing a mom to a toy that will save money."

That's why when LeapFrog Enterprises wanted to roll out its LeapPad Explorer kid-size tablet, it reached out to 200 of the top mommy bloggers. The goal? To get them to generate buzz for the tablet by throwing "mommy parties."

The Emeryville, Calif.-based company sent each blogger a kit that included a LeapPad, a game for it and coupons. LeapFrog also sent tips on how many people to invite (about 5 adults and 15 kids) and suggested recipes (ice cream sundaes).

For bloggers like Vanek, the Denver mom who bills herself as the "go-to answer for all things mom and kids in Colorado," it was a chance to be a hero of sorts to other parents and their kids.

"It not only lets my own children get to try out the newest/hottest toys, it allows them to share them with their friends," she says. "It allows me to get to have my own friends over for something better than a Tupperware party where I'm doing a hard sales pitch."

But for LeapFrog, it was an opportunity to get word-of-mouth going early.

It was the first time the company had hosted "mommy parties," but it seems to have paid off. The company declined to give sales numbers, but the LeapPad has been selling out online and in stores across the country this holiday season.

Earlier this year, SpinMaster also used mommy bloggers to get the word out about its reformulated Moon Dough, a non-sticky PlayDoh-like moldable substance. Within weeks of the company sending samples to more than 500 bloggers, there were thousands of postings about the new product online.

"After playing with our other Moon Dough set just a few days before, I could immediately tell that this Moon Dough was much less flaky," blogged ohsosavvymom.com, a mom in San Antonio, Texas with more than 3,600 Twitter followers.

Harold Chizick, vice president of global communications at Spin Master, says in part because of reviews like that, the product had a double-digit increase in sales, though he declined to give details. If the company had used traditional ways to get the word out, Chizick says, the roll out would have taken several months or longer.

"It was much faster than expected," he says.

Sometimes, buzz from bloggers can backfire.

"If they like something word gets around very quickly, if they don't like something, word will also get around quickly," says Timetoplaymag.com's Jim Silver, a long time toy expert who works with mom bloggers to review products on his website.

In 2009, after Mattel released a silhouette of its new "tween" Dora the Explorer that seemed to deviate from the tomboy-esque look of the original doll, a number of bloggers complained. A Cafemom.com blogger wrote: "Can't they leave anything to the imagination these days?"

Mattel, which had hoped the silhouette would generate excitement ahead of the launch of the new doll, decided to release the full image of the Dora early to reassure moms that the doll wasn't too fancied up.

Crayola also faced scrutiny from mom bloggers this year when its Crayola Colored Bubbles, a product with a wand that kids can blow colored soap bubbles through, caused stains. After bloggers gave it negative reviews, Crayola made some changes, including updating the packaging and adding a warning about the possibility of stains.

"It's just like handing kids a bunch of fabric dye and telling them to throw it around," a blogger on Mommybrunchtales.com wrote.

Still, most toy makers find the risk is worth the reward.

Cepia LLC was relatively unknown until mommy bloggers made its Zhu Zhu pets a hit in 2009. Laura Kurzu, Cepia's senior vice president of marketing, works with bloggers every step of the way to develop toys, including a Zhu Zhu building set that it tweaked due to blogger comments.

"Bloggers can be really great evangelists for the brand, but you have to be invested in listening to what they say to you," she says. "You can't just throw something out there and expect gratuitous support."

_____

Mae Anderson reported from New York.

Follow AP retail coverage at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Retail and Mae Anderson at http://www.twitter.com/Maetron.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111220/ap_on_hi_te/us_hot_toys_mommy_blogs

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National Briefing | West: California: Nurses Plan One-Day Strike Over Contracts

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Source: www.nytimes.com --- Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thousands of nurses plan to hold a one-day strike on Thursday over contract disputes between the California nurses? union and two health care organizations. ...

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/22/health/california-nurses-plan-one-day-strike-over-contracts.html

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Alpha to pay $209 million over coal mine disaster (Reuters)

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (Reuters) ? Coal miner Alpha Natural Resources has agreed to pay $1.5 million to each of the families of 29 miners killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia last year.

The payments, part of a $209 million settlement of civil and criminal charges stemming from the April 5, 2010 accident, included a fine of $10.8 million, the biggest ever imposed by U.S. federal mine regulators.

The settlement, announced on Tuesday, did not resolve questions of individual responsibility and left open the possibility of criminal charges against former executives of Massey Energy, which owned the mine at the time of the blast.

It was the worst accident in the U.S. mining industry in four decades.

"I want to emphasize again that the investigation of individuals associated with Massey is still ongoing," said federal prosecutor Booth Goodwin. "If anything, this resolution allows us to place a greater focus on that critical piece of our investigation.

"We're still working hard on the investigation," he told reporters in Charleston, West Virginia.

Later, at a news conference in Beaver, West Virginia, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said that she had met with victims' families to brief them on the report into the accident by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

"By issuing the largest fine in MSHA's history, I hope to send a strong message that the safety of miners must come first," she said.

Kevin Stricklin, MSHA's administrator for coal mine safety and health, told reporters the victims' families were not happy, even with maximum fines imposed on the coal company.

"They (Massey) sent miners underground, knowing they did not comply with regulations," Stricklin said. "The families were very appreciative, but I don't think this satisfies them. They want to know what the Department of Justice is going to do.

"I can't walk in their shoes, but I don't know if they will ever have closure."

Stricklin said the $10.8 million in fines imposed by MSHA included the maximum $220,000 each for several flagrant violations of safety rules.

"There was a culture of valuing production over safety at Massey and that is unthinkable in a mine," he said.

Shares of Alpha, which acquired Massey this year and assumed liabilities from the accident, closed down 1.15 percent at $24.88 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Earlier, MSHA released its official investigation of the accident, concluding it was "entirely preventable."

It said the blast was caused by a coal dust explosion that started when methane gas was ignited. The agency issued 12 citations for violations of the Mine Act that contributed to the explosion, and another 357 separate violations.

It also said "unlawful policies and practices implemented by Massey were the root cause of the tragedy.

"Massey promoted and enforced a workplace culture that valued production over safety, including practices calculated to allow it to conduct operations in violation of the law," the report said. It cited intimidation of miners to prevent them reporting safety issues, and two sets of books kept by the company to withhold safety concerns from inspectors.

Alpha said in a statement that under its agreement with the federal prosecutor's office for the Southern District of West Virginia, the U.S. Department of Justice and MSHA, it would invest $80 million over the next two years in added safety measures at legacy Massey mines and Alpha mines.

It will also establish a $48 million trust to fund research and development projects designed to improve mine health and safety, and pay $46.5 million to families of the dead miners and two other people affected by the explosion. It said $16.5 million of that sum had already been paid in settlements and anticipated settlements.

Alpha also agreed to pay $34.8 million, including Tuesday's $10.8 million, to settle outstanding safety citations, violations and orders.

Alpha Chief Executive Kevin Crutchfield said the settlement represented "the best path forward for everyone."

Company spokesman Ted Pile told Reuters that so far, eight families had settled with the company and received restitution of about $1.5 million each. Three more families are in the process of settling, and survivors of the other 18 victims are in litigation.

He said Alpha had already figured in the $46.5 million restitution amount in its financials, along with the $80 million investment in safety measures at its mines. The only new figure was the $48 million for a trust fund to research and develop improved safety measures and technology.

Massey said last year that it had set aside $78 million to pay for expected litigation. Alpha acquired Massey in a $7 billion deal in June.

(Additional reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore and Steve James in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Lisa Von Ahn, John Wallace and Richard Chang)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111206/us_nm/us_alphanatural

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Stealthy cellphone software stirs outcry

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Technology bloggers are asking if our cellphones are spying on us after a security researcher said a piece of software hidden on millions of phones was recording virtually everything people do with them.

Amid a broad outcry, Sen. Al Franken is calling for an investigation. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the software's maker, Carrier IQ Inc. of Mountain View, California

The software, which Carrier IQ says is used on some 150 million mobile devices, appears relatively innocuous. It does watch what owners of Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. smartphones do with them, including what people type and the numbers they dial. But it doesn't seem to transmit every keystroke to the company. Instead, it kicks into action when there's a problem, like a call that doesn't go through, and it lets the phone company know.

"It is software that is developed in partnership with carriers with the intent to improve network performance. As far as we can tell, it meets this description in execution," said Tim Wyatt, principal engineer at Lookout, a cellphone security company.

"In line with our privacy policy, we solely use CIQ software data to improve wireless network and service performance," AT&T said in a statement.

Carrier IQ says the data its software gathers is stored by the phone companies or at Carrier IQ's facilities. It doesn't sell the data to third parties. Phone companies, of course, already are custodians of a wealth of private information, including whom you call, where you surf and what your text messages say.

The brouhaha started a few weeks ago, when a programmer named Trevor Eckhart documented Carrier IQ's workings with videos on his blog. The software company threatened him with a lawsuit if he didn't take the information down. The Electronic Frontier Foundation took on Eckhart's case, and the company backed down.

Eckhart posted another video this week, showing Carrier IQ's software logging keystrokes on an HTC EVO 3D from Sprint.

A central privacy worry is what kind of data Carrier IQ is retaining.

Andrew Coward, a Carrier IQ vice president, said the software doesn't record every keystroke or send information about all of them back to the company. The only keystrokes it cares about are specific administrative commands, including those instructing the software to phone "home." The rest it discards, Coward said.

"We never expected to need the content of SMS messages, so we didn't code for it," Coward told The Associated Press in an interview.

Apple Inc. has said it has stopped supporting Carrier IQ in most of its products. Separately, the company came under fire last year over location-tracking features of the iPhone and made a software change to keep data on users' movements for less time.

For now, there's no easy way to uninstall the Carrier IQ software without unsanctioned third-party software. Coward said it is "too early to tell" whether the company will make any substantial changes to the software because of the uproar.

___

Svensson reported from New York.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-02-Cellphone%20Privacy/id-5dd168806d2946459d143407ba0072cb

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iPad Live, tonight at 9pm ET. Be there!

iPad Live, the best iPad podcast in the universe, is coming your way tonight, so get your snacks in order, pour a tasty beverage or several, and get ready to rock! Time: 9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am GMT. Place: http://www.tipb.com/live If you have any questions or topics you’d...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/nJbnZt6UOQ8/story01.htm

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Crisis PR guru Sitrick settles employee stock suit (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Michael Sitrick and Reliance Trust Co. have agreed to settle a lawsuit charging the crisis public relations guru with undervaluing an employee stock option plan (ESOP), TheWrap has learned.

Under the settlement agreement filed Thursday, insurance companies for Sitrick and Reliance will pay $6.25 million to the roughly 60 members of the ESOP. That sum includes attorneys' fees.

Originally filed in April 2010 by former Sitrick employee Richard Wool, the complaint alleged that Sitrick undervalued shares of his company, allowing him to regain control of the firm prior to its October 2009 sale to Resources Connection.

The suit charged Sitrick with bilking ESOP members to the tune of millions of dollars by buying his employees out at a discount.

Reliance served as the plan's independent trustee.

Allan Mayer, head of 42West's Strategic Communications Division and a former Sitrick executive, joined the legal action as a co-plaintiff a month after the suit was first filed. Both men brought the action on behalf of the plan's members.

Sitrick and Co. was acquired by Resources along with corporate turnaround firm Brincko Associates for $44.7 million in cash and stock.

When the suit hit, Sitrick initially vowed to fight the charges. He apparently changed his mind when faced with a costly and time-consuming public battle.

"From the beginning of the litigation, the independent trustee that was in charge of the ESOP transaction has denied any wrongdoing, as have I," Sitrick told TheWrap. "While I remain confident that the claims in the lawsuit did not have any merit and had we proceeded with the litigation we would have prevailed, I decided to settle rather than spend the next two years litigating."

He added, "As the settlement papers state, an independent trustee was retained to determine whether to proceed with the repurchase transaction and if so, to negotiate the price on behalf of the ESOP. They determined, based on their own due diligence, that the repurchase transaction and the sale price they negotiated were in the best interests of and fair to the ESOP and its participants."

Mayer declined to comment. Wool could not be reached.

The settlement has not been approved. On Friday, a conference with a judge will take place, during which a hearing will be set for this spring. Before the hearing, all of the members of the ESOP will have time to file their comments about the settlement.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/media_nm/us_michaelsitrick_lawsuit

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Obama says will push ahead on payroll tax cut (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to push ahead with efforts to pass a payroll tax-cut extension, even if the negotiations disrupt holiday plans for lawmakers and himself.

After a government report showed the U.S. jobless rate dropped to a 2-1/2-year low of 8.6 percent in November, Obama said it was crucial to keep the growth going.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan, Matt Spetalnick and Jeff Mason; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/pl_nm/us_usa_economy_obama

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Joe Peyronnin: Obama's Looking Good

In the words of one long-time Republican, "The Republicans are making President Obama look good." Well, he makes a very good point about the Republican field of presidential candidates.

It appears that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is very frustrated. Despite his energetic campaign and strong debate performances, Romney cannot score more than 25% in polls of Republican voters. The problem is that he has changed positions on key issues in an effort to win more support in his party. And, just in case some Americans haven't noticed, the Democratic National Committee has been airing a political commercial called "Mitt vs. Mitt" that drives the point home.

Romney's campaign has recently resorted to airing a misleading political ad that shows President Barack Obama saying, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." But then candidate Obama was merely quoting a statement that Senator John McCain had made. When the president's campaign cried foul, Romney responded, "We are obviously getting under their skin."

Romney has dutifully avoided doing any press interviews. That is until he agreed to do a Fox News interview on Tuesday. Fox News anchor Brett Baier asked Romney, "You have been on both sides of many issues." He then cited some flip-flops before asking Romney how voters can trust him. Romney responded, "Your list is just not accurate. We're going to have to be better informed about my views on issues." He then looked very defensive for the remainder of the interview.

But if Romney looks uncomfortable, businessman Herman Cain appears under siege. Cain has been repeatedly asked questions about allegations from Ginger White that he had had a thirteen-year affair with her. Cain has already had to defend himself against allegations of sexual harassment involving several other women.

Cain was defiant on Wednesday saying, "They have been trying to do a character assassination on me." He told a crowd of supporters in Ohio, "They are attacking my character, my reputation and my name in order to try and bring me down." Cain has even suggested that Democrats were behind the charges in an effort to help former House Speaker Newt Gingrich win the nomination. Cain has announced he is reevaluating his campaign and he would have an announcement on his future plans next week.

The big winner has been Newt Gingrich. He has surged to the front of the Republican field fueled in part by strong debate performances. But new revelations that Gingrich has earned millions of dollars since leaving office advising health care related companies and the mortgage company Freddie Mac have raised some serious questions. His personal life, a joint appearance with Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in a global warming ad and ethics violations while in Congress are among issues that he will have to overcome.

Meanwhile, President Obama has been unrelenting in his campaign effort to get his jobs bill passed. His most recent focus has been on extending and expanding the payroll tax cut, which is set to expire at the end of the year. If the payroll tax cuts are not extended it will cost the average American family $1,000. The president has proposed paying for the tax cut by raising taxes by on Americans earning a million dollars or more. Republicans in Congress oppose him saying they want to fund the extension with budget cuts. A majority of Americans support additional taxes on high-income earners.

The president's stock is rising as he has stepped up his reelection efforts. And, barring another economic set back, his chances of winning a second term are improving. Meanwhile, with a month to go before the Iowa Caucuses, the Republicans are stumbling badly towards the starting gate.

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Follow Joe Peyronnin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joepeyronnin

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-peyronnin/obamas-looking-good_b_1122379.html

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Steven Petrow: Queeries: When He Won't Wear a Condom (World AIDS Day Edition)

Question:

"Every so often I meet a guy who tells me he just won't use a condom because (take your pick): 1) he can't stay hard; 2) he's too big; 3) he's allergic to latex; 4) he's HIV-negative; or 5) it's a mood killer. How do you suggest I handle these situations -- especially when I'm really turned on?"

Answer:

Let me start today by noting that it's World AIDS Day, which is held on Dec. 1 each year and -- as the official site in the U.K. proclaims -- "is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died."

That being said, there's no better way to observe this day than to pledge to protect yourself and your prospective partners from HIV. And if there's any tool we have to prevent the continued spread of the virus, it's the much-maligned, low-tech (but lifesaving) condom.

I know you've heard this before (I certainly hope that you have), but latex and plastic rubbers, when used properly (and yes, that's key) with a water-based lubricant, provide a high degree of protection to each partner. But sometimes information alone doesn't do the trick. If only. Instead of going to the experts (as Mr. Manners often does), I decided to ask a friend of mine who recently became infected why his knowledge of safer sex didn't safeguard him:

"You can be armed with all the information in the world, but it's much harder to put it into practice when you combine casual sex, alcohol and drugs -- and put places like Fire Island into the mix. My suspicion is that somewhere along the line, I wasn't sober enough to do what I needed to do to protect myself, and there were enough of those nights that the statistical odds became stacked against me."

So, how do I suggest that you respond to these periodic ploys (and that's what they are) to have unprotected sex? It would be facile for me to suggest that you just say "no." Still, you can't make sound judgments if you're stoned, high, drunk, tweaked or toasted -- and there's no question that drug and alcohol use are closely linked with new HIV infections.

For now, though, let's take each of the objections to using a condom and do a little role-playing:

He says: "I can't stay hard."

The truth: It's true that in a fair number of instances, guys may lose their erections after suiting up. But there are a number of things you can do, like trying different brands of rubbers -- especially those that might not be as tight or as thick. More often than not, though, what you're hearing (and seeing) is a self-fulfilling prophecy based on a psychological response ("I don't like to wear a condom"). To counter that, try making the unveiling and capture playfully sexy and fun. If your buddy loses his erection as soon as the glove goes on, go back to first or second base for a while to help him get (re)stimulated while gloved.

He says: "I'm too big."

The truth: Condoms come in all sizes, my friend. Unless your partner is superhuman, there's a condom for him. He doesn't go shoeless because he's a big guy, does he? He shouldn't go without a glove, either. Among the jumbo-sized options are Trojan Magnum XL Lubricated, Durex XXL, and Kimono MAXX. Keep shopping for options until you find one that satisfies.

He says: "I'm allergic to latex."

The truth: Indeed, some men are, but there are condoms made out of plastic (polyurethane) that provide protection against HIV and other STDs. Be sure to use a water-based lubricant with either latex or plastic gloves. And remember: don't use lambskin condoms, since they don't protect against HIV and other STDs.

He says: "I'm HIV-negative."

The truth: First of all, a casual sex partner may not be 100-percent honest about his status if he's eager to get you into the sack. But even an Honest John can put you at risk -- he may think he's negative, but he may be wrong (which is a one of the primary scenarios for new infections). Generally, you must wait at least three months since your last risk of exposure to HIV to be reasonably sure that you're HIV-negative. Even if your guy really is HIV-negative, remember that there are all too many other STDs to be concerned about -- condoms protect you from more than just HIV. (By the way, when's the last time you were tested? If you're sexually active, be sure to get tested on a regular basis, at least annually, if not more frequently, depending on your risk factors.)

He says: "It's a mood killer."

The truth: Possibly, but be creative! If you plan ahead, a condom can be whipped out without losing your focus -- or your state of mind. And given the choice, I'll take a "mood killer" over the alternative.

But if this were all so easy, we wouldn't have more than 40,000 new infections occurring each year here in the U.S. It's not easy at all -- especially when you're really turned on or on a high from drugs or alcohol. Again, my recently infected friend cautions: "Compared with friends who knowingly slipped up in terms of safe sex, I always thought I was a model in terms of precautions. But it only takes once. And the people you meet out and about (or online) for casual sex are all sleeping with other people where the same risk applies."

In other words, knowledge alone isn't power. Vigilance is a necessary part of the equation.

One last word:

There's a new documentary called We Were Here: The AIDS Years in San Francisco (just nominated for an Oscar) that is a must-see for anyone who lived through the darkest years of what was then called the "gay plague," and especially for those who didn't. Kudos to director/filmmaker David Weissman.

This column originally appeared on Advocate.com.

Steven Petrow is the author of Steven Petrow's Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners and can be found online at www.gaymanners.com. Got a question? Email him at ask@gaymanners.com or contact him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Follow Steven Petrow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gaymanners

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-petrow/queeries-safe-sex_b_1121522.html

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Israel releases frozen Palestinian tax funds (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? Israel decided on Wednesday to release tax money it had been withholding from the Palestinians since they won membership to the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO a month ago, a government official said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner cabinet, facing international pressure, voted to unfreeze the funds, amounting to about $100 million a month, that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, the official said.

The cash, which includes duties on goods imported to the Palestinian territories, is vital for paying civil servants' salaries.

In a punitive measure, Israel froze the transfers on November 1,

a day after the Palestinians won UNESCO membership over Israeli and U.S. objections as part of their drive for statehood at the United Nations in the absence of peace talks.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has said the Palestinian Authority would not be able to pay the salaries of about 150,000 workers this month if Israel did not release the money.

The Israeli government official said the inner cabinet decided that tax revenues for October and November would be handed over to the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations stalled shortly after talks were renewed in September 2010 in a dispute over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch, Editing by Jeffrey Heller)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_funds

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