Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tom Hiddleston Talks Thor 2

If every interview could be with Tom Hiddleston for the rest of my career, I'd be happy. Know this about the actor before we get to the juicy Marvel stuff: He's pleasant, polite, unbelievably warm, gracious and just a great person to be around after a long day of doing press for an upcoming film. That's where I met up with Hiddleston yesterday,?meeting up with the man to chat about?Steven Spielberg's War Horse, where Hiddleston plays a British war hero whose character is?instrumental to the segmented plot. We'll have more with Hiddleston closer to release, but you love the Marvel stuff so I figured we'll let you have those details first.

As far as Thor 2 is concerned, yes, Hiddleston will be playing Loki in the film once again, though he hasn't yet seen a script for that yet. Which begs the question: Just how many Marvel movies will Loki appear in? "Well I signed for six films initially, and I've done two -- Thor and The Avengers," Hiddleston told Movies.com. "I don't know how long people will be interested in me, but we'll see." Regarding Thor 2, Hiddleston added, "Thor 2 is in production, yeah. I haven't seen the script or anything, but I'm thrilled that Patty Jenkins is going to direct. Really, really excited. As a director she has this incredible handling of performance and the muscularity of that character. She's absolutely fearless, and I think she and Chris [Hemsworth] will take Thor in a really cool direction."

Thor 2 is due in theaters on July 26th, 2013. Keep an eye out for more from Hiddleston as the release date for War Horse (which I really enjoyed, for whatever that's worth) approaches.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924072/news/1924072/

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Russia vote watchdog head detained before election (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Russian customs officers held the director of an independent election watchdog for 12 hours at a Moscow airport on Saturday and seized her laptop computer in what the group said was an attempt to stop it monitoring Sunday's parliamentary election.

Liliya Shibanova, executive director of Western-funded group Golos, was detained at Sheremetyevo airport after returning from abroad for the election, which Vladimir Putin's United Russia party is likely to win with a reduced majority.

"The pressure on Golos and its leaders (is) an attempt to block their activities involving independent public monitoring of the election," said a lawyer for Golos, Ramid Akhmetgaliyev.

Campaigning ended on Friday but election posters were allowed on Saturday far away from polling stations if they had been posted earlier. Moscow neighbourhoods were dotted with United Russia posters, but other parties' posters had gone.

Opposition parties say they expect voting irregularities on Sunday as part of efforts to boost United Russia's result, and complain the ruling party had more air time during the campaign.

Speaking to reporters after she surrendered her computer and let go, Shibanova said she had been told she "allegedly had very dangerous software on her laptop."

A Moscow court ruled late on Friday that Golos had violated a ban on the publication of opinion poll results within five days of the election to the State Duma lower house.

A leading expert with Golos, Alexander Kynev, said Shibanova's detention and the court case amounted to "a coordinated operation" against the group and added: "I am convinced that these are actions of government authorities."

Golos and its lawyers said they would appeal against the court decision, which came with a 30,000-rouble ($970) fine. They said Golos had published allegations of campaign violations, not opinion poll results.

Prime Minister Putin has accused foreign countries of meddling in the preparations for the election -- and for a March presidential vote he is expected to win -- by funding organisations in Russia.

The U.S. government issued a statement on Friday condemning the court ruling against Golos and "what appears to be a pattern of harassment directed against this organization."

Russian lawmakers had earlier objected to Golos' foreign financing and urged it to stop vote monitoring.

Golos, a non-profit organisation, has a hotline for electoral violation allegations and an interactive map showing more than 5,500 reported violations linked to Sunday's vote.

It acknowledges it is funded from Europe and the United States, saying this helps it remain objective.

PUTIN SAYS WEST MEDDLING

During his 2000-2008 presidency, Putin repeatedly accused the West of seeking to weaken Russia and of meddling in its affairs, including by funding non-governmental organisations meant to strengthen democracy.

Formally launching his bid to return to the Kremlin next year by accepting United Russia's nomination at a party congress last Sunday, Putin reiterated these accusations.

He said "representatives of some foreign countries are gathering those they are paying money to, so-called grant recipients, to instruct them and assign work in order to influence the election campaign in our country themselves."

He said any such activity was a "wasted effort" because Russians would reject foreign-funded politicians.

Russia's NTV television broadcast a film on Friday that portrayed Golos as a dishonest group working for U.S. cash and alleged that the Swedish embassy in Moscow had been teaching students to use social networks to organise mass protests.

The Swedish embassy issued a statement rejecting the allegations and dismissing suggestions one of its staff had been spying.

Critics in Russia and the West accuse Putin of curtailing democracy through a series of electoral reforms during his presidency, which coincided with an oil-fueled economic boom.

His announcement in September of plans to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medevedev upset some Russians who saw it as a back-room deal agreed with no regard for voters. Putin, 59, could be in power until 2024 if he wins two more terms.

If United Russia, which has dominated the State Duma lower house since 2003, does not retain its two-thirds majority, the biggest gainers could be the Communist Party, which is likely to remain the second biggest force. Vladimir Zhirinovsky's nationalist LDPR also hopes to gain votes from United Russia.

Medvedev, who is leading United Russia into the election, also criticised the West on Saturday, urging Russia's chief prosecutor to study ways to bring to justice foreigners who abuse children they adopted in Russia.

Russia's children's rights commissioner, Pavel Astakhov, said on Friday the United States had "inexcusably" failed to inform Moscow for years about the 2005 death of a Russian-born toddler adopted by an American couple.

(Additional reporting by Gleb Bryanski and Maria Tsvetkova, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111203/wl_nm/us_russia_election

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Video: Jerry Sandusky speaks out



>>> in a lengthy revealing interview about his contact with young boys , an interview with jerry sandusky .

>> reporter: jerry sandusky again denied charges that he sexually molested children. but has he also given prosecutors frash ammunition that he can use against him?

>> these allegations are false. i didn't do those things. i don't know what to say.

>> reporter: the former penn state defensive coordinator spoke for nearly four hours to the "new york times," his most detailed conversation yet of the conduct that had led prosecutors to file 40 criminal charges against him for allegedly abusing eight children over 13 years. sandusky provided his version of the crucial moment when penn state 's then athletic director , tim curley, confronted him about a 2002 allegation involving a 10-year-old boy in the shower in the school's locker room.

>> he was coming to me with a concern because -- and i guess in his words, somebody had talked to him about an inappropriate behavior in the shower. i told him that it didn't happen, and there wasn't -- in my mind there wasn't inappropriate behavior.

>> reporter: sandusky said that coach joe paterno never talked to him about any of this.

>> i don't know that he didn't know. i know that he never said anything to me. i know that.

>> reporter: sandusky also tried to explain his response last month when nbc's bob costas asked him a question that appeared to throw him.

>> are you sexually attracted to young boys , to underage boys?

>> am i sexually attracted to underage boys? sexually attracted ? i enjoy young people . i love to be around them. but no, i'm not sexually attracted to young boys .

>> i was saying, what in the world is this question. if i say no, i'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth. because i'm attracted to young people , boys, girls.

>> not sexual. you were trying --

>> i enjoy -- that's what i was trying to say. i enjoy spending time with young people . i enjoy spending time with people.

>> reporter: for his part, paterno who is undergoing cancer treatments , still wasn't talking about the case today. but a lawyer for one of the alleged victims said sandusky 's continued public denials are painful for his client.

>> that felt like a punch in the stomach to me just knowing victim one and his mother.

>> reporter: lester, some legal analysts are wondering why sandusky is speaking to the press at all, saying all of this could come back to haunt him if in fact the case does proceed to trial. lester?

>> michael isakoff in pennsylvania tonight.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45536712/

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

These vary from policy to policy, so pay close attention the terms when you're researching. The hereditary conditions one in general is difficult to define, so talk to your vet about potential problems before choosing an insurance plan. If you have an "exotic" animal like a horse, lizard, or parrot, you may need to search for special insurance companies.

Photo by holga_new_orleans.

How to Pick out the Right Insurance

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?The cheapest monthly rate I was able to find for a 12-year-old cat was $11.45/month but it had a $1,000 deductible and only covered accidents. Another plan, with a $500 deductible was over $300 a year, which collectively is more than I've spent on the cat's healthcare in its entire lifetime.

The biggest issues to watch out for if you're going to pick a pet insurance are service related. Not all companies are the same and many have exclude specific treatments or pay different percentages on different procedures, so read the policy as carefully as you would your own. Many also vary deductibles based on the incident type and treatment, which makes planning difficult.

I talked with several veterinarians, who seemed to unanimously recommend Petplan and VPI Pet Insurance (although WiseBread has another take on VPI). For what it's worth, Petplan is more expensive, but lets me select my reimbursement percentage and deductible, and then covers loss, kennel fees, and more. They also have a handy calculator so I can see if it's really worth it.

Assuming the treatments were all covered, for their bottom tiered, Bronze plan, I would pay $1,300 on a $6,000 bill that cost about $27 a month, which isn't too bad. The problem is there's probably nothing that could possibly happen to this cat that would cost $6,000, so let's drop it down to a $700 bill. Now, my share of the costs is $340. So, that's $340 right there, plus the $324 in monthly payments I've made, which is $664, a savings of $36, assuming all costs were covered. Below that $700 mark, the savings disappear and considering the average vet bill last year was around $500, it hardly seems worth it. Consumer Reports had similar findings earlier this year. Typically, dog and cat visits are similar in cost, with dogs being slightly more expensive because of their size, but the math doesn't work out either way.

Despite what the numbers say, the veterinarians I talked with were energetic about insurance and recommended it for animals of every size. There reasoning was that it offers peace of mind and works as a savings plan for larger bills that may come down the line. From a veterinarian's perspective, it also means they'd likely have to put down less animals due to cost issues. However, two of the offices mentioned they usually send the entire bill to the insurance company because, "you never know what might get covered," which seems to accent the biggest problem with pet insurance, the unknowable outcomes of claims.

If you'd still like to go for it, we didn't find any solid price comparison sites, but aside from the two mentioned above, popular and well-rated insurance companies also include Trupanion and 24PetWatch. Some home and car insurance may offer discounts on select companies as well, so be sure to check with them first.

Photo by Masahiro Ihara.

Alternatives to Pet Insurance

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?If you don't like the idea of pet insurance, there are alternatives, but they'll require a more proactive approach on your part. The first thing you'll need to do is research your pet and see what types of common, hereditary ailments they might run into and call your vet and ask for rough estimate on cost. With these in hand, you can create a makeshift hypothetical payment plan for yourself. You'll also want to include problems like potential broken bones and dental care. You can use whichever budgeting technique you prefer, but most of our favorite money management sites allow for this type of planning.

As for the care itself, you want to shop around for the best deals. They're going to vary depending on your location, but many larger cities have cheaper, non-profit clinics or universities that are willing to work with you on prices and payments if necessary. These often run a first-come first-served system, so be prepared to potentially spend a lot of time in the office. Most of these types of places also have low-cost annual visits and medications as well, but they typically don't handle major chronic maladies.

Photo by Adria Richards.


The benefit of animal insurance is going to come down to your location, the type of pet, and the lifestyle. If your animal roams the streets freely, it's going to be more prone to accidents and might be worth it. If your animal remains healthy for its life and doesn't have any major medical conditions, the insurance absolutely will not be worth it. Even if your pet does have a major surgery, say $4,000 once in its lifetime, you will still be breaking even in a best case scenario. Pet insurance is geared more toward people who don't want to set up a separate fund to cover health costs, or who want the peace of mind that comes from insurance. If that's you, all we can say is research your potential plans extensively before choosing one.

Love,
Lifehacker

P.S. Have you used pet insurance? Do you feel like you get what you pay for?

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5864155/is-pet-insurance-worth-it

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Amazon launches Kindle in Italy and Spain, brings Kindle Store to the Mediterranean

After having already conquered France, Germany and the UK, Amazon has now brought the Kindle and its associated online store to the shores of Italy and Spain. With today's launch, Iberian users will be able to choose from a selection of more than 22,000 Spanish-language titles, which they can now devour on their very own Kindle devices, available for the first time on Amazon.es. Italian readers will have a slightly smaller selection to choose from, with about 16,000 native-language books available online, though they too now have a Kindle to call their own, giving them access to Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service, as well Both country-specific versions of the e-reader are available for €99 at the source link below, but curious lettori can dig up more information in the dueling press releases, after the break.

Continue reading Amazon launches Kindle in Italy and Spain, brings Kindle Store to the Mediterranean

Amazon launches Kindle in Italy and Spain, brings Kindle Store to the Mediterranean originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmazon.es, Amazon.it  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/K5fX9bPhhWo/

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Friday, December 2, 2011

Official: Jackson's doctor to serve about 2 years (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A probation report says the doctor convicted of killing Michael Jackson was listed as suicidal in jail records before his sentencing. But a spokesman for Dr. Conrad Murray says the physician remains resilient.

The report was released Tuesday after Murray was sentenced to four years behind bars. It states that jail records showed the 58-year-old doctor was classified as "mentally disturbed" and "suicidal."

The doctor was not interviewed by probation officers.

Murray's spokesman Mark Fierro says a defense attorney visited the cardiologist in jail last week and found him upbeat.

He says the doctor may have been distraught after a jury convicted him of involuntary manslaughter, but that time is behind him.

Sheriff's officials say Murray will serve a little less than two years in a one-man cell.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The doctor convicted in the overdose death of Michael Jackson was sentenced to the maximum four years behind bars Tuesday by a judge who denounced him as a reckless physician whose actions were a "disgrace to the medical profession."

Dr. Conrad Murray sat stoically with his hands crossed as Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor repeatedly chastised him for what he called a "horrific violation of trust" while caring for Jackson.

However, Pastor conceded his sentence was constrained by a recent change in California law that requires Murray to serve his sentence in county jail rather than state prison.

Sheriff's officials later said Murray will serve a little less than two years behind bars while housed in a one-man cell and kept away from other prisoners.

"This is going to be a real test of our criminal justice system to see if it's meaningful at all," District Attorney Steve Cooley said.

Cooley said he was considering asking the judge to modify the sentence to classify the crime as a serious felony warranting incarceration in state prison.

The judge was relentless in his bashing of the 58-year-old Murray, saying he lied repeatedly and had not shown remorse for his actions in the treatment of Jackson. Pastor also said Murray's heavy use of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help Jackson battle insomnia violated his sworn obligation.

"It should be made very clear that experimental medicine is not going to be tolerated, and Mr. Jackson was an experiment," Pastor said. "Dr. Murray was intrigued by the prospect and he engaged in this money for medicine madness that is simply not going to be tolerated by me."

Pastor also said Murray has "absolutely no sense of fault, and is and remains dangerous" to the community.

The judge said.one of the most disturbing aspects of Murray's case was a slurred recording of Jackson recovered from the doctor's cell phone.

"That tape recording was Dr. Murray's insurance policy," Pastor said. "It was designed to record his patient surreptitiously at that patient's most vulnerable point."

Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said after the sentencing that he was surprised the judge focused on the recording. The lawyer also contended that nothing said during the hearing would have changed the judge's mind about the sentence.

Michael Jackson's family told Pastor in a statement read earlier that they were not seeking revenge but wanted Murray to receive a stiff sentence that served as a warning to opportunistic doctors.

It included elements from Jackson's parents, siblings and his three children.

"As his brothers and sisters, we will never be able to hold, laugh or perform again with our brother Michael," the statement said. "And as his children, we will grow up without a father, our best friend, our playmate and our dad."

The family told The Associated Press after the sentencing that they were pleased with the results.

"We're going to be a family. We're going to move forward. We're going to tour, play the music and miss him," brother Jermaine Jackson said.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after a six-week trial that presented the most detailed account yet of Jackson's final hours but left many questions about Murray's treatment of the superstar with propofol.

The jury heard the recording of Jackson during the trial but defense attorneys never explained in court why he recorded the impaired singer six weeks before his death.

"We have to be phenomenal," he was heard saying about his "This Is It" comeback concerts in London. "When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, `I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world.'"

Before sentencing, lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff attacked Jackson, as he and his team frequently did during the doctor's trial. "Michael Jackson was a drug seeker," he said.

Murray did not directly address the court. After sentencing, he mouthed the words "I love you" to his mother and girlfriend in the courtroom.

Murray's mother, Milta Rush, sat alone on a bench in the courthouse hallway after the sentencing.

"My son is not what they charged him to be," she said quietly. "He was a gentle child from the time he was small. "

Of her son's future, she said, "God is in charge."

Jackson's death in June 2009 stunned the world, as did the ensuing investigation that led to Murray being charged in February 2010.

Murray told detectives he had been giving the singer nightly doses of propofol to help him sleep as he prepared for the series of comeback concerts.

Propofol is supposed to be used in hospital settings and has never been approved for sleep treatments, yet Murray acknowledged giving it to Jackson then leaving the room on the day the singer died.

Murray declined to testify during his trial but did opt to participate in a documentary in which he said he didn't consider himself guilty of any crime and blamed Jackson for entrapping him into administering the propofol doses. His attorneys contended throughout the case that Jackson must have given himself the fatal dose when Murray left the singer's bedside.

In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors cited Murray's statements to advocate for the maximum term. They also want him to pay restitution to the singer's three children ? Prince, Paris and Blanket.

The exact amount Murray has to pay will be determined at a hearing in January.

"Anything over a couple of dollars, he's not going to be able to pay anyway," Flanagan said.

Murray was deeply in debt when he agreed to serve as Jackson's personal physician for $150,000 a month, and the singer died before Murray received any money.

Prosecutors said the relationship of Jackson and Murray was corrupted by greed. Murray left his practices to serve as Jackson's doctor and look out for his well-being, but instead acted as an employee catering to the singer's desire to receive propofol to put him to sleep, prosecutors said.

Murray's attorneys relied largely on 34 letters from relatives, friends and former patients to portray Murray in a softer light and win a lighter sentence. The letters and defense filings described Murray's compassion as a doctor, including accepting lower payments from his mostly poor patients.

"There is no question that the death of his patient, Mr. Jackson, was unintentional and an enormous tragedy for everyone affected," defense attorneys wrote in their sentencing memo.

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and writer Jeff Wilson contributed to this report.

Follow Anthony McCartney at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111129/ap_on_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_doctor

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