Hoppin John Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
• 2 medium onions, divided
• 3 large cloves garlic, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 green onions, sliced

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water.

 

Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

 

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

 

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

 

Source:  http://southernfood.about.com/od/blackeyedpeas/r/bl80308c.htm

Elton John and David Furnish have a son via Surrogate

Finally, Elton John can call himself a father.

The pop rock superstar and his long-time husband, David Furnish, announced to US Weekly, that they have had a child via a surrogate mother in California. Their son, named Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born on Christmas day, and weighed seven pounds and 15 ounces.

"We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment," the new fathers told the magazine. "Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents."

It's been a long road for John and Furnish in their quest to be fathers; in 2009, they were denied the right to adopt an HIV-positive toddler from the Ukraine, due to John's age and the country's lack of recognition of civil unions rendering him single by their laws.

John said that he still planned to support the child and his brother financially, and now has a son of his own, too. And one with the name Levon, one of John's many well-known songs.

Source:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/27/elton-john-david-furnish-have-son-via-surrogate_n_801803.html

Raynaud's syndrome

Help for Cold Hands

Dealing with cold hands from time to time is normal. But if your fingers are constantly cold or stay chilled long after the rest of your body warms up there could be a problem.

Relief is possible from some unlikely treatments.

The Midwest winter makes keeping our hands warm a challenge. But what if your digits get icy cold and seem to stay that way for hours? Some people even have the problem all year round. It was happening to Erinn Connelly.

"Started with the two right fingers here. These two digits started turning snow white in July. Just the tips and then it started working its way up," said Connelly.

Connelly says she's always been a person who chills easily. But when her hands started changing colors she knew it was serious. She is now getting relief at the Cold Hand Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

So, how do you know if your cold hands are a sign of something more?

"Cold hands after a cold exposure is a normal, physiological phenomenon. However, it should not take more than 20 minutes to warm your hands," said Dr. Nadera Sweiss, rheumatologist, University of Chicago Medical Center.

When the body is chilled, smaller vessels in the skin constrict and blood is redirected from the arteries near the surface to those deeper in the body. For most people, once they get back in a warm environment normal flow returns. But hands that don't warm up could be a signal of a problem with your blood circulation or the vessels.

"There are multiple diseases that could cause cold hands," said Dr. Sweiss.

Heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, arthritis, anemia, underactive thyroid, diabetes, even smoking or injury can be the underlying cause. Autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and lupus can also affect the hands. And one of the more common vascular diseases linked to cold hands is Raynauds. It's what Connelly was finally diagnosed with.

Doctors even suspect the decreased blood flow from Raynaud's disease was affecting other parts of her body and may have been responsible for six miscarriages she suffered in between her successful pregnancies.
Raynauds causes smaller arteries to narrow limiting blood circulation. And one unlikely treatment: Botox. The same medication used to smooth wrinkles can temporarily stop vessels from constricting. Connelly says her hands are pinker and warmers since getting the shots in October. Doctors are now trying it on her cold feet.

"Botox can paralyze the blood vessels and allow them to dilate and allow more blood to flow to the fingers," said Dr. Sweiss.

There are no FDA-approved treatments for cold hand syndrome so physicians may use medications off label such as Botox, Prozac and even impotence drugs such as Cialis or Viagra seem to help get the blood flowing in the hands. In the most serious cases surgery is also an option.

Besides being an annoyance and painful, the lost circulation can lead to ulcers and gangrene.

"Even if you have a minimal problem, you could get that treated and live a more fuller life," said Dr. Ginard Henry, plastic surgeon, University of Chicago Medical Center.

Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago also has a cold hand clinic.

Having chilly hands isn't reason for alarm. It can be a normal physiological response. Doctors say just being stressed out can make your hands cold. It's time to seek medical guidance, according to experts, when the problem doesn't go away. And one thing doctors stress is if you have an issue with cold hands prevention is key. Once you let your hands get cold, you're making yourself susceptible to problems.

Source:  http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=7835476

Lunar Eclipse

Final lunar eclipse of 2010 set for early morning of December 21
　Skygazers hoping to catch the last lunar eclipse of 2010 on Tuesday morning best be ready to stay up late (or wake up very early) to watch the full moon as it goes through a range of dramatic color changes. is expected to last about three-and-a-half hours from its start as a partial eclipse at 1:33 a.m. ET to its finish at 5:01 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The previous lunar eclipse occurred June 26
The December 21 lunar eclipse
.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon, the Earth, and the sun align so that the sun's rays are shielded from the moon. An eclipse of the moon can only take place if the moon is full, and only if the moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow, which is composed of two cone-shaped parts, one nested inside the other.
The start of the total eclipse is expected around 2:41 a.m, when the entire moon passes through the Earth's umbra, or inner shadow, which blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon.

The moon will take on a vibrant red color until 3:35 a.m., according to NASA.

Before and after the total eclipse, the moon will pass through the penumbra, or outer region of the Earth's shadow, where Earth blocks some of the sun's rays, but not all.

The entire event is visible from North America, Greenland and Iceland. Western Europe will see the beginning stages of the eclipse before moonset while Western Asia will get the later stages after moonrise.

Source: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/17/final-lunar-eclipse-of-2010-set-for-early-morning-of-december-21/?iref=allsearch

Christmas in Washington 2010

President Obama talks Jesus, tradition on 'Christmas in Washington' 2010 concert

President Barack Obama took to the podium at the 2010 "Christmas in Washington" concert to thank Mariah Carey, Maxwell and others for their memorable performances, as well as speak on his Christian faith, the history and tradition of Christmas, and the true meaning of the holiday season.
At the podium, President Obama was flanked by his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Here are a few of the President Obama's remarks from the concert, which helped raise money for the Children's National Medical Center:

"This season reminds us that more than 2,000 years ago, a child born in a stable brought our world a redeeming gift of peace and salvation. It's a story with a message that speaks to us to this day -- that we are called to love each other as we love ourselves, that we are our brother's keeper and our sister's keeper, and our destinies are linked."

"It's a message that guides my Christian faith and it focuses us as we think about all those whose holidays may be a bit tougher this year. We pray for our troops serving far away from the warmth of family and homespun traditions. We remember those who are out of work, or struggling just to get by. We hold in our hearts all those who've fallen on hard times this holiday season."

"Because while Christmas is a time to celebrate, a time to sing chorals and exchange gifts, it's also something more. It's a time to rediscover the meaning of words like "charity" and "compassion" and "goodwill"; to do our part for our neighbors; to serve God through serving others. So from our family to yours, happy holidays, everybody. Merry Christmas, and God bless you all. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/african-american-entertainment-in-national/president-obama-talks-jesus-tradition-on-christmas-washington-2010-concert

Heidi Jones WABC

New York City television station WABC-TV has suspended weather woman Heidi Jones after news surfaced that she filed a false police report alleging that she was the victim of an attempted rape.

According to the a news source, Jones went to police at Manhattan's Sixth Precinct on Nov. 24 to report that she had been attacked in late September by a Hispanic man while she was jogging in Central Park. Jones claimed that the man dragged her away from the jogging path and tried to rape her but was scared off by passersby. Jones alleged that the same man approached and threatened her near her apartment building in late November, three days before she reported either incident to the police.
A source for the Daily News says that in Jones' reports, "She tries to paint the picture of a stalker, but things don't add up. We're thinking, 'She doesn't want there to be any witnesses we can talk to, so she's as vague as possible.'"

The source says that Jones fessed up to inventing the attacks, citing a desire to gain "sympathy" due to her struggles with "personal and professional pressure." Sources say that Jones was having relationship problems and that she was "deeply unhappy, personally and professionally."

Jones, who has been part of the WABC news team since 2005 and also fills in on 'Good Morning America,' is described as "a nice girl" by one co-worker, although others were openly outraged over the forecaster's claims.

"All this trust we had is shattered. We're like a family. We feel betrayed," a WABC source tells the Post.

Upon getting wind of the alleged attacks, WABC staffers had rallied around their co-worker "to the point that security guards would offer to escort her home," says the Post source.

Jones' lawyer, Paul Callan, says of his client, "Ms. Jones has had a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist and urges all concerned to refrain from jumping to conclusions about the unproven charges against her being discussed in the press," adding that Jones will enter a not guilty plea.

 

Source: http://www.popeater.com/2010/12/16/heidi-jones-attempted-rape-lie/

School Board Shooting

When it came time for citizens to bring up issues, the 56-year-old resident calmly approached the front.

He spray painted a red "V" with a circle around it on the wall, brandished a small-caliber handgun and ordered the room cleared at a Panama City schools building.

"Six men stay. Everyone else leave," the burly gunman said.

Moments later, Ginger Littleton, a board member, returned to the room and swung a purse at him. She ended up on the ground after the two struggled. The gunman cursed her, but did not open fire and he let her leave the room.

Someone was going to die, he said.Clay Duke sat quietly through the first portion of the Bay District Schools, Florida, school board meeting Tuesday afternoon as local children were honored for their achievements.
At that point, Duke, began a rambling discourse that included the apparent firing of his wife and sales taxes.

The confrontation ended in the gunman identified as Duke calmly firing at the school officials, being wounded and, according to police, taking his own life.

At first, school board members and Superintendent Bill Husfelt tried to reason with Duke, who had a criminal record. They talked about possibly finding a job for Duke's wife or looking into the case.

Husfelt told the gunman that he likely signed the termination papers, but didn't recall the circumstances.

"I'm the one who signed the papers," Husfelt. "Let them go," he said referring to the school board members.

At one point, Husfelt said, "I don't want anybody to get hurt. I've got a feeling that what you want, is you want the cops to come in and kill you because you are mad. Because you said you are going to die."

"But why? This isn't worth it," the superintendent told him. "This is a problem."
The gunman then pointed the pistol at the official.

"Please don't. Please don't. Please," Husfelt said.

The gunman opened fire at Husfelt and school board members. He missed them all, even though he was at close range, said Lee Stafford, director of student services of Bay District Schools. Duke said, "I'm going to kill [unintelligible]," while he fired.

Mike Jones, chief of security for the school system and a retired police officer, exchanged fire with Duke, who was wounded and rolled to the ground. Duke turned his gun on himself, dying of a fatal gunshot to the head, authorities said. Husfelt called Jones a "hero."

The gunman was declared dead at a local hospital. An autopsy is expected Wednesday.
Police and school officials were left to piece together what happened.

"I'm sure they never expected this kind of event to occur," Sgt. Jeffrey Becker of the Panama City Police Department.

The superintendent later related the event as being "surreal," Becker said.

Husfelt told reporters that Duke had almost a smile on his face. "He made up his mind. You could tell he was going to die."

The superintendent said he believes the gunman used a combination of live bullets and blanks. But police said live bullets were used.

Husfelt told "AC360" Tuesday night that the gunman was "just mixed up" and that he tried to calm him down. "I knew the police were on their way."

"You knew he had something in mind he was going to do and it would not end well," Husfelt said.

The superintendent said he wanted to protect the school board members, but Duke did not want to talk.

"The good Lord was standing in front of me," said the school chief, adding authorities found two bullet holes behind his desk.

Police have a solid lead on Duke's motive, Becker said, but were not prepared Tuesday night to release it.

The investigation includes Duke's assertions that his wife had been terminated by the school district. Police were talking with Duke's wife, Becker said.

School officials said they were unaware of the significance of the spray painting.

But a Facebook page belonging to a Clay Duke has a profile photo of a "V" in a red circle, a logo that is used in the movie "V for Vendetta."

According to the Internet Movie Database, the 2006 film is about "a shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally."

The source could not verify if the Facebook page belonged to the gunman, but it does list Duke, 56, as living in Panama City, Florida.

A biography on Duke's Facebook page reads: "My Testament: Some people (the government sponsored media) will say I was evil, a monster (V)... no... I was just born poor in a country where the Wealthy manipulate, use, abuse, and economically enslave 95% of the population. Rich Republicans, Rich Democrats... same-same... rich... they take turns fleecing us... our few dollars... pyramiding the wealth for themselves. The 95%... the us, in US of A, are the neo slaves of the Global South. Our Masters, the Wealthy, do, as they like to us..."

Under "political views," Duke labels himself a "Freedom Fighter." Under religious views, he wrote, "Humanism."

Duke, who lived in Lynn Haven, a suburb of Panama City, has a previous record, Becker told the source.

According to the website of the Florida Department of Corrections, Duke was sentenced in 2000 for aggravated stalking, obstructing justice and throwing or shooting into a vehicle.

According to the Panama City News Herald, after six months of stalking a former girlfriend, Duke confronted the woman outside her home on Oct. 20, 1999. He was wearing the mask and vest and holding two .22-caliber guns. He threatened to kill her, then kill several others and then himself, the newspaper said. When the woman tried to drive away, Duke shot out a rear tire.

The photo of Duke on the corrections page matches the Facebook page.

The News Herald reported that the gunman was taken out of the building on a stretcher.

According to Panama City Police Chief John Van Etten, no one other than the suspect was injured.

School board spokeswoman Karen Tucker said the man "was a large guy" she had seen sitting in the back of the boardroom earlier, according to the News Herald.

Superintendent Husfelt will hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the administration building in Panama City, police said.

The source reported children and parents were at the meeting to be recognized for achievements, but were gone before the incident began.

"We are absolutely in state of shock," said Stafford. "I was in the third floor and we were watching the live feed, and first we thought it was a drill. But the more that you watched it, we realized this was an actual incident and emergency situation."

Duke's Facebook page listed him as a 1972 graduate of King High School in Tampa.

His favorite quotation: "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth," from the movie "A Few Good Men."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/14/florida.meeting.shooting/index.html?hpt=C2

Golden Globe Nominations

The King's Speech leads Golden Globe nominations

As the Golden Globe nominations were revealed today, The King’s Speech leads the pack with seven nominations, follwed by The Fighter with six, The Social Network with five, and Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right with four each.

Josh Duhamel, Katie Holmes and Blair Underwood joined Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk to announce the Golden Globe nominations in Los Angeles this morning.

The Globes will be held Jan 16, again hosted by Ricky Gervais.

Best Picture, Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O. Russell, The Fighter

Best Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours

Best Actor, Drama
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp, Alice In Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal, Love & Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

Best Actress, Drama
Halle Berry, Frankie & Alice
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway, Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist
Emma Stone, Easy A
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Best Animated Film
Tangled
Toy Story 3
How To Train Your Dragon
Despicable Me
The Illusionist

Best Foreign-Language Film
I Am Love (Italy)
Biutiful (Mexico-Spain)
The Concert (France)
The Edge (Russia)
In a Better World (Denmark)

Best Original Song
“You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me,” Burlesque
“Bound to you,” Burlesque
“Coming Home”, Country Strong
“I See The Light,” by Alan Menken, Tangled
“There’s a Place For Us,” Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Best Miniseries or TV Movie
Carlos
The Pacific
Temple Grandin
You Don’t Know Jack
Pillars of the Earth

Best Actor, mini-series or TV movie
Idris Elba
Ian McShane
Al Pacino
Dennis Quaid
Edgar Ramirez

Best Actress, mini-series or TV movie
Hayley Atwell
Claire Danes
Judy Dench
Romola Garai
Jennifer Love Hewitt

Source: http://www.screendaily.com/awards/golden-globe-nominations-revealed/5021603.article

Muschamp - a star? We'll soon find out?

Muschamp a star? We'll soon find out

Jack Youngblood, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and part of Florida’s Ring of Honor, didn’t hear his alma mater’s big news until late Saturday night.

He admitted he knew little about Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the 39-year-old, never-before head coach the Gators hired to replace Urban Meyer. Still, he offered an initial reaction that sums up the national sentiment about UF’s move.

Will Muschamp has the tough task of replacing Urban Meyer at Florida, where expectations remain high despite the Gators coming off a 7-5 season. (AP Photo)

“He’s got his hands full, that’s for sure,” Youngblood said in a telephone interview. “He knows what he’s walking into. The expectations are already set. That bar is there. He’s going to have to rise to that bar or else it will be a short tenure.”

Muschamp comes with a profile full of superlatives — great recruiter, great motivator, great defensive strategist. But he also comes with uncertainty — how will one of the nation’s hottest assistant coaches manage one of the of highest-profile head coaching jobs in college sports?

The world will start to find out Tuesday, when Florida introduces Muschamp in a press conference at 6 p.m. The school’s athletic department released news of the hire Saturday night, confirming early reports by The Florida Times-Union, the Associated Press and the blog Saturday Down South. Terms of Muschamp’s contract will be released during the press conference.

What the world knows so far qualifies him as a coaching future star. The easy comparison is to Bob Stoops, who was 38 when he transitioned from Florida defensive coordinator to Oklahoma head coach. The Sooners have won seven Big 12 titles and a national championship since.

A walk-on player at Georgia, Muschamp’s coaching career began to blossom when he worked as a Nick Saban assistant at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins. He then worked as a defensive coordinator at Auburn and Texas, helping lead the Longhorns to last season’s BCS National Championship Game.

UT administrators thought enough of Muschamp to name him coach-in-waiting, which guaranteed him the head job if he remained on staff when Mack Brown retired. It took a program like the Gators to lure him away from such a sweet deal.

“He’s been ready,” former Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said in a telephone interview Saturday night. “Not necessarily to leave, but to be a head coach. He wasn’t going to leave for any spot. This is an opportunity he felt was too good to pass up.”

Davis, who said he had spoken with Muschamp earlier Saturday, said his former fellow Longhorn owns every qualification needed for success as a head coach. He’s an expert on at least one side of the ball — Davis raved about Muschamp’s ability to lead multiple schemes and match his plans to this talent.

He’s an ace organizer, Davis said, and a master energizer. Youtube.com proves it — the top six videos on a search of a site include clips of Muschamp lifting one of his Auburn players off the ground in celebration and another of him chest-bumping former UT defensive end Brian Orakpo.

Oh, and he can find players, too. Known as one of the top closers with high school stars, Muschamp arrives with expectations to continue to dominate local recruiting the way his predecessor, Urban Meyer, did in his six-year tenure.

“It’s his energy and his passion,” Davis said. “He does a great job off the field visiting in a one-on-one setting. He knows what his vision is for every player.”

Questions remain, though, and answers are coming on some critical ones. A coaching staff must be assembled, and Muschamp must decide whether he will call his own defenses or hire a coordinator. The other side of the ball, where he has never played or worked in college, is a mystery, too.

The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun is reporting Texas assistant Major Applewhite will become Florida's offensive coordinator, according to a source within the Gator program.

“I’m anxious to see who is offensive coordinator is going to be,” said ex-Gator receiver Chris Doering, who now works as a radio host and television analyst. “It’s the big thing people are going to want to know.”

Muschamp will become the face of Florida’s program as well, handling heavy media responsibilities and booster functions. He’ll discipline players for off-field infractions. And he’ll have to do it all with Meyer still in town and a potential presence in and around the program.

“He’s been in big-time football jobs,” Doering said in a telephone interview. “I don’t think in any way will he be overwhelmed. His guys seem to play hard for him, and that’s going to continue.”

The Gators’ knack for championships must continue under Muschamp, too. Maybe he can thrive. For now, it’s a guessing game, especially with his lack of experience.

But, as Youngblood soon will learn, few coaches appeared as qualified to succeed Meyer as the guy who got the job

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/feed/2010-12/urban-meyer/story/muschamp-a-star-well-soon-find-out

Madoff Son Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

Mark Madoff, the son of convicted Ponzi-schemer Bernard Madoff, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment Saturday morning of an apparent suicide, according to a law enforcement source.

Madoff's body was discovered by a male family member around 7:30 a.m., the source told CNN. His body was fully clothed and hanging in the living room, the source said.

Police investigators were at Madoff's apartment to examine the circumstances surrounding his suspected suicide. A medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Madoff's death occurred on the second anniversary of his father's arrest.

"Mark Madoff took his own life today," Madoff's attorney Martin Flumenbaum said in a statement. "This is a terrible and unnecessary tragedy. Mark was an innocent victim of his father's monstrous crime who succumbed to two years of unrelenting pressure from false accusations and innuendo. We are all deeply saddened by this shocking turn of events."
Bernard Madoff is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence for masterminding the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. Madoff bilked investors out of $50 billion by masquerading his investment firm as legitimate when it was nothing more than a front. He used funds from new investors to send payments to his more mature investors, falsely portraying them as proceeds from investments, when they were actually stolen money.　The 71-year-old Madoff pleaded guilty to the charges in 2009 and is now incarcerated at the Butner Federal Correction Complex, a medium-security prison in North Carolina. Madoff is scheduled to be released on Nov. 14, 2139.

Bernard Madoff's criminal activities have spawned a tidal wave of civil actions against Mark Madoff, his mother, siblings and hundreds of other defendants, accused of profiting off the Ponzi scheme by withdrawing more money from Madoff's fund than they invested, money they presumably thought was investment income.

Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee in charge of recovering and distributing Madoff's assets, has filed a slew of lawsuits in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan over the past week against some of Madoff's victims.

The defendants include JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, UBS, an Austrian banker, and two CPAs (and their families) who are accused of knowing about the fraud but covering it up and profiting from it.

The majority of Madoff's victims did not invest directly in his firm. They invested in third-party feeder funds, and therefore don't qualify for the financial protections extended to direct investors.

So far, 16,394 claims have been filed by investors who claim to have lost money.
The majority of the claims -- 13,054, or nearly 80% of the total -- have been denied, because the investors were invested through feeder funds.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/11/new.york.madoff.son.suicide/index.html?hpt=T1

Christina Aguilera Leaked Photos

Christina Aguilera blames hacker for leaked photos

Christina Aguilera. (AP)

Christina Aguilera is blaming hackers for a set of racy photos that turned up online Wednesday.

In NSFW pix, which we won't link to here but are easily Google-able for the truly curious, Aguilera poses in what appears to be a walk-in closet. Most of the pix are relatively tame as far as leaked photos of celebs go, with Aguilera posing in panties and a silk robe. There is one, though, in which Aguilera wears only decorative body chains (what? I don't know how else to describe them) and pasties.

How burlesque of her!

A rep for Aguilera tells TMZ that the photos were "taken in the privacy of Ms. Aguilera's home and were used only in a personal exchange between the star and her stylist."

The rep adds that they are now "attempting to determine the identity of the hackers and will pursue them aggressively."

In the meantime, Aguilera can enjoy the bonus of pictorial proof that she doesn't appear to be, as recently rumored, pregnant.

Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/12/christina_aguilera_blames_hack.html

MasterCard Website Down

MasterCard website down; cyberattack blamed

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- MasterCard's corporate website was inaccessible because of an apparent cyberattack Wednesday, but the credit card company said that its cards are still functioning.

A tweet on Twitter indicated a possible tie to a recent MasterCard move against WikiLeaks, the website that recently released thousands of secret U.S. State Department documents, but that could not be confirmed.

"MasterCard is experiencing heavy traffic on its external corporate website - MasterCard.com," the company said, in a prepared statement. "We are working to restore normal speed of service. There is no impact whatsoever on our cardholders ability to use their cards for secure transactions."

Various news agencies reported that supporters of WikiLeaks are claiming to have launched a cyberattack in retaliation for MasterCard's refusal to process payments from WikiLeaks.

"It's a concentrated effort to flood our corporate website with traffic and slow access," said MasterCard spokesman James Issokson.

Issokson wouldn't comment on allegations of who was behind the attack. But on Tuesday, MasterCard said it was "working to suspend the acceptance of MasterCard cards on WikiLeaks."

On Twitter, a post from a handle called @Anon_Operation took responsibility for the attacks, tweeting about its so-called Operation Payback: "We are glad to tell you that Mastercard.com is down and it's confirmed. Operation: Payback (is a bitch!)"

There was no immediate confirmation that whoever is behind the handle is responsible for the attack. 

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/08/news/companies/mastercard_wiki/

Pearl Harbour Day

Pearl Harbor Day: Honoring Pearl Harbor Day 2010

Every year, on December 7, Pearl Harbor Day is commemorated in the United States.

Pearl Harbor Day honors those who died in the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

But what exactly happened in 1941 at Pearl Harbor?

As of July 1941, the United States had ended trade with Japan.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor 28 months before to deter the Japanese military.

The United States expected an attack in the Indies, Malaya and the Philippines, but never expected the attack at Pearl Harbor on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii.

On Dec. 7, 1941, 190 attack planes took off to attack the Fleet. After 45 minutes, 170 more attack planes did the same.

In 1941, radar wasn’t what it is today, and there was no television, only radio, and no satellites.

The attacks began at 7:55 a.m. and the ships in the harbor were under fire fro 30 minutes beginning at 8 a.m.

The Japanese lost 28 planes and a total of 64 men in the attack. The United States lost more than 2,400 men.

Pearl Harbor was the largest deadly attack by an enemy until the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Source: http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/12/07/pearl-harbor-day-honoring-pearl-harbor-day-2010/

ps3 Update

PlayStation 3 update targets hardware hacks

Sony has closed a loophole that allowed users to run software that enables pirated games to be played on the PS3 console.The update blocks the PSJailbreak and PSGroove applications.

Mathieu Hervais, one of the developers behind PSGroove, told BBC News that it was "safer not to update" if users wished to continue using the hacks.

Sony won a court order in early September banning the distribution of the PSJailbreak dongle.

The update is the latest step in Sony's ongoing battle against the commercial dongle - PS Jailbreak - that allows users to play pirated software. It also targets open source code, known as PSGroove, which allows homemade games to be played on the console.

 

Mixed response

It is the continuation of a cat-and-mouse game between hackers and the electronics giant, which started when PSJailbreak first appeared for sale on website.

The USB dongle was the first hardware hack of Sony's secure games console.

Sony has since obtained a court injunction preventing the distribution of the PSJailbreak dongle in Australia.

The firm has also filed a US lawsuit against Zoomba, a firm that runs a site selling the device. Distributors in the Netherlands have also told the BBC that they have received court documents banning the sale of the dongles.

However, Sony has now decided to tackle the problem head-on by releasing a software update for the consoles that block the hacks.

The new patch received a mixed reception from the gaming community, with some users praising Sony for its prompt action, while others were more critical.

"Every time there is an update, it's a security patch I don't care about," wrote one.

"Give me something that will keep me occupied like more visuals on the music player, a way to delete trophies for a game I don't have anymore, backward compatibility for PS2 games, better video chat.

"You guys don't take to many suggestions from your players. If you listen, I mean really listen, to the ideas you will be top," they added.

Mr Hervais told BBC News that it did yet know how Sony fixed the security flaw.

Sony declined to comment on the specifics of the update, but a spokesman told BBC News: "Since this is an overall security related issue, we will not be providing further commentary to this case.

"But as we always have, we will continue to take necessary actions to both hardware and software to protect the intellectual content provided on the PlayStation 3."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11213618

While the PSGroove software was not originally intended to allow the playing of pirated games, as PSJailbreak does, it has already been modified by other hackers to permit the practice.

Katia Zatuliveter ?Russian spy

MP Mike Hancock denies assistant is Russian spy

Katia Zatuliveter, pictured at a Black Sea holiday resort in 2002, was 'arrested on MI5 orders'

A Russian working as a parliamentary aide to a British MP has been taken into detention to face deportation proceedings amid claims she is a spy.

According to the Sunday Times, Katia Zatuliveter, 24, was arrested on the orders of MI5 over espionage claims.
She has been working for Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock, who said she had done nothing wrong and would appeal.
The Home Office said it did not routinely comment on individual cases, nor would it confirm deportation moves.
But a security source is said to have told the Sunday Times that Ms Zatuliveter's presence was not "conducive to national security", and the intention was to "show her the door".
It is believed to be the first time since the end of the Cold War that someone working in Parliament has been accused of spying for the Russians, suggests the Sunday Times.

Mr Hancock says his aide has been taken into detention but has done nothing wrong

Mr Hancock said on Saturday night that Ms Zatuliveter was not a spy. He confirmed she was subject to a deportation order, which she would be appealing against.
He said she had done nothing wrong and he was sure she would be vindicated.
Mr Hancock is MP for Portsmouth South, a city which has a large naval base. He also sits on the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.
Police interviews BBC South political editor Peter Henley said Ms Zatuliveter was first stopped coming back to the UK from a holiday in Croatia during the summer.
He said she had been in the UK for a long time, had completed a masters degree at Bradford University and had been employed by Mr Hancock for two and a half years.
"Throughout that time she's been closely working with the MP but he says there is no doubt whatsoever that she was absolutely straightforward and he dealt with her like any other of his staff," he said.
"After she was arrested coming back through Heathrow, she has been interviewed by the police several times. She had actually left Mike Hancock's employment but because of that situation, he kept her on and kept her working.
"But she could have gone back to the Caucasus where she lives any time."
Shadow Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said vetting procedures for those applying to work in the Commons might have to be looked at.
She told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "It is important to make sure those are strong enough and secure enough and I'm sure that depending on what happens with this individual case, if there do turn out to have been breaches in security, then obviously the wider security in Parliament would be to be looked at."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11920665

Cartoon Pictures for Facebook Profile

Facebook members joined the Violence against Children campaign until Monday, December 6, 2010 changing their profile to cartoon heroes.
The members of facebook were invited to change their profile pictures to a cartoon character from childhood to join the campaign for violence against children. This is to commemorate the awareness of violence rising in children from different communities.
The objective of the campaign is to eliminate violence against children. As a result vast majority of people joined the campaign through the social network Facebook by putting pictures of different cartoon character heroes from childhood that will create an invasion of memories of childhood. Some of the profile pictures includes Spongebob, favorite cartoon anime and cartoon superheroes.
In addition, this is to help the campaign promote social awareness. This is to take advance action not only to change the situation but also to end the violence against children. Spreading the campaign to everyone will give justice especially to the children who were abused around the world. This is a simple way to give respect to children that are neglected during childhood and help the future of children.
The campaign is still running for a major cause. People are still joining the campaign to promote the importance the campaign. Preventing the violence and understanding the children are important. A group of people and the members of facebook are reposting the campaign and still inviting all the people to join. The campaign written on Facebook lasts until Monday, December 6, 2010.

Source: http://www.sandiegonewsnet.org/facebook-members-join-violence-against-children-campaign-20101641.html