Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/334722887?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, October 17, 2013
'Fifty Shades' fallout: Sources cite script showdown
Movies
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/fifty-shades-fallout-sources-cite-charlie-hunnam-script-showdown-8C11401094
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21 hours ago
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images file
Actor Charlie Hunnam, who currently stars on "Sons of Anarchy."
Universal Pictures and Focus Features haven't yet resorted to posting a woman-seeking-man personal ad on Craigslist. But in the wake of Charlie Hunnam's abrupt departure from "Fifty Shades of Grey" — after what sources say was increasing conflict with the high-profile film's creative team — the studio is left to scramble desperately for another actor to star opposite Dakota Johnson in the role of billionaire S&M fan Christian Grey so the project can meet a looming Nov. 1 start date.
PHOTOS: Stars Misaligned: Charlie Hunnam Quits 'Fifty Shades' and 15 Other Casting Near-Misses
Universal chairman Donna Langley, producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author EL James are said to have drafted a list of four men they want to read for the role. Although the list is being kept under NSA-level secrecy, THR.com revealed Oct. 13 that British TV stars Jamie Dornan, 31, and Christian Cooke, 26, are among the targets. Both actors came close to capturing the part the first time around but lost to Hunnam because the "Sons of Anarchy" star is a bigger name. ("True Blood's" Alexander Skarsgard also is being considered.)
Getty Images file
Actor Jamie Dornan.
Dornan could be emerging as a front-runner. Born in Northern Ireland, he's a former Calvin Klein model, dated Keira Knightley for two years and played Sheriff Graham on the first season of ABC's "Once Upon a Time." According to a source, Dornan was contacted by Langley even before Hunnam officially dropped out Oct. 12. But a Dornan confidant says no overtures had been made at press time to the actor, who stars in British series "The Fall," on which he plays a killer terrorizing Belfast. The fact that Dornan's wife, actress-singer Amelia Warner, is pregnant also could complicate matters.
PHOTOS: Top 10 Fan Favorites for the Cast of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'
The last thing Universal wants is another actor to emerge as its "Fifty Shades" protagonist only to waffle. The studio is reeling over Hunnam's exit less than three weeks before the start of production. Sources say his discomfort with the hoopla around the project had been mounting for at least four weeks before he bailed, which officially was blamed on his "Sons" schedule not allowing him time to prepare (the FX series wraps production Oct. 22). After signing Sept. 2, Hunnam faced a public frenzy on social media sites, where fans of the book congregated to fawn over and complain about his casting. Universal was forced to hire bodyguards for the actor at a recent "Sons" premiere, and two appearances to promote the show were canceled — one at Goulet Motosports in Hawkesbury, Ontario, on Sept. 14, and one at Rocky's Harley-Davidson in London, Ontario, on Oct. 13.
In addition, Hunnam, who also is a writer (he penned the gothic horror screenplay "Vlad" for Brad Pitt's Plan B and Summit Entertainment), is said to have submitted his own very detailed script notes on Kelly Marcel's adaptation of the runaway best-seller. The notes were well received, according to sources, but that only led to Hunnam seeking further script approval, which was denied. "That's Charlie, that's who he is. He's particular," says one source.
STORY: Charlie Hunnam Drops Out of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie
According to another source, Hunnam, who was to be paid about $125,000 for the film, began butting heads with the creative team, including Taylor-Johnson. The conflict reached a fever pitch in early October, though everyone involved thought the issues had been resolved. But the discord spiked again Oct. 11. Hunnam's team at CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners strongly advised him to stay on the project for fear that his exit would embarrass Langley — new to the chairman job — and burn a bridge with one of the major studios. That same day, Universal hired writer Patrick Marber — no stranger to taboo sex themes with his Oscar-nominated screenplay "Notes on a Scandal" — to do a polish and bolster the characters. But by then, Hunnam, whose heart it seems never was in the project, had decided to decamp. The next morning, the studio announced his departure, and James tweeted, "I wish Charlie all the best." Universal and CAA declined comment.
Hunnam isn't the first actor to have doubts about playing the dungeon-loving Christian Grey. James' first choice, Robert Pattinson, never engaged with producers. Garrett Hedlund was heavily courted this summer and even received an informal offer, but the "Tron: Legacy" star passed in July because he couldn't connect with the character. Now he is in Australia to shoot the Angelina Jolie-directed "Unbroken."
EXCLUSIVE: 'Fifty Shades' Movie Hires Writer for Script Work
Fortunately for Universal, its leading lady, Johnson, 24, remains firmly in place, ready to take on the virgin-turned-sexpert Anastasia Steele, a role that has greater dimension than the Grey character. But with the clock ticking, the start of production likely will need to be pushed back at least a week. Still, the studio says it remains committed to making its Aug. 1, 2014, release date.
For her part, the ever-involved James (she has approval rights on cast) is in Los Angeles the week of Oct. 14 as the hunt for a new Christian Grey continues. As the author writes no fewer than 44 times in "Fifty Shades": "Oh my."
Borys Kit contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/fifty-shades-fallout-sources-cite-charlie-hunnam-script-showdown-8C11401094
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Dutch Cable Group Ziggo Rejects Bid by John Malone's Liberty Global
Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images
John Malone
COLOGNE, Germany – Dutch cable group Ziggo has rejected a takeover bid from John Malone's Liberty Global, calling it "inadequate."
Ziggo is the largest cable operator in the Netherlands, reaching some 2.8 million homes, and has a market value of around $8.5 billion (€6.3 billion).
PHOTOS: THR's Power Business Managers Breakfast
Liberty already controls number two Dutch operator UPC (1.67 million homes) and has built up a 28.5 percent minority stake in Ziggo ahead of its takeover bid.
But in an official statement, Ziggo said Liberty's offer was “considered inadequate and there is no certainty that Ziggo will receive any revised offer.” Financial details of the bid were not disclosed, but at current prices, a takeover would have cost Liberty at least $6 billion (€4.5 billion).
Malone's cable group is looking to consolidate operations across Europe. Early this year, Liberty acquired Britain's Virgin Media in a stock-and-deal worth around $15.8 billion. The group controls Germany's second-largest cable operator, UnityMedia, and tried to buy number one cabler, Kabel Deutschland (KDG), but was recently outbid by U.K. mobile group Vodafone, which paid $10 billion for KDG.
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Forecasting with fractures: why aching joints predict freaky weather
Convinced that your long-healed pelvic fracture aches right before a big thunderstorm? It might not be in your head: once largely dismissed as a myth, the idea that aching joints can forecast changing weather is now gaining traction among some scientists.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, several studies have found links between changes in temperature, barometric pressure or humidity and discomfort among sufferers of conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers still aren't sure exactly why that connection exists, but they do have several theories. Where storms are concerned, experts speculate that a change in barometric pressure before rainfall causes changes to the pressure inside joints. That increased pressure triggers friction between the joint and surrounding nerves or tissue. Want to keep tabs on the likelihood of weather-induced bone pain? There's a website for that: both the Weather Channel and AccuWeather maintain indexes to tabulate the odds that local weather will make you ache.
Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/15/4840856/why-aching-joints-forecast-weather-changes
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Nikon D5300: A Mid-Range DSLR With a New Image Sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS
Nikon's updating its line of cheaper intermediate DSLRs with the D5300. The camera features a redesigned image sensor plus built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, compared to last year's D5200
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Celebrity Style We're Iffy About: Likes or Yikes?
Would you wear these outfits? You be the judge about the stars' (Miley! Olivia!) fashion choices.
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes/1-b-67322?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes-67322Related Topics: derek hough pittsburgh steelers yom kippur the league Linda Ronstadt
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Another 'Outdated' Monorail Bites the Dust
First, the pylons of Sydney’s monorail came tumbling down. Now, the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN has shuttered its aging monorail for good.
The troubled traincars took their last loop around the zoo campus on September 2, and now the zoo has announced the line won’t run ever again.
“It was an outdated system that had reached the end of its useful life,” spokeswoman Kelly Lessard told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Back in 2011, the train stalled, leaving passengers stranded 18 feet above ground. Firefighters rescued them with ladders when they couldn’t get the monorail running again.
Maintenance on a 34-year-old system was certainly an issue. But the biggest problem with the zoo monorail was that it didn’t have any stops along its route. Instead, it looped around the zoo, and those on board could only catch glimpses of animals as it drove past.
As you might expect, not many people paid the extra $4 to ride the monorail when they could spend that time looking at exhibits on foot. In fact, only 15 percent of zoo visitors boarded the tram, a number that fell every year, according to the Star-Tribune. The monorail had lost more than $100,000 each year since 2009, and ridership would have to increase dramatically to break even.
So, the fate of the Minnesota Zoo Monorail was sealed: Closure. The traincars were put up for auction, but only one sold. The other seventeen are being stored. For now, the tracks still stand, but it’s unlikely they’ll survive any future renovations.
If you missed your chance to ride the monorail, enjoy a video of the monorail’s loop, complete with the boarding process and narration from a naturalist.
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Senate cuts deal to raise U.S. debt ceiling, reopen government
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate announced a last-minute deal on Wednesday to avert a historic lapse in the government's borrowing ability and a potentially damaging debt default, and to reopen the government after a two-week shutdown.
But even if the Senate and House of Representatives manage to overcome procedural hurdles to seal the deal before Thursday - when the Treasury says it will exhaust its borrowing authority - it will only be a temporary solution that sets up the prospect of another showdown early next year.
Major U.S. stock indexes rose more than 1 percent on optimism that lawmakers were finally reaching a deal to end the weeks-long fiscal impasse.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced the agreement on the Senate floor, where it was expected to win swift approval after a main Republican critic of the deal, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, said he would not use procedural moves to delay a vote.
Weeks of bitter fighting among Democrats and Republicans over President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law led to a partial government shutdown on October 1, sidelining hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Cruz and other Republicans backed by the conservative, small government Tea Party movement want to repeal or delay the healthcare law.
The initial fight over the healthcare law turned into a bigger argument over the debt ceiling, threatening a default that would have reverberations around the world.
"If we don't get a default, it would be like Y2K. People were staying up all night worried about what would happen during that deadline. Then nothing happened," said David Keeble, global head of interest rate strategy with Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in New York, referring to worries about the millennium computer bug in 2000.
Both Democrats and Republicans are confident that the U.S. House of Representatives will have enough votes on Wednesday to pass the bipartisan Senate plan, a top Democratic aide said.
Aides to House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, called senior Senate staff to say the House would vote first on the measure, the aide said. The aide said it appears certain to be approved with mostly Democratic votes.
Boehner has been under fierce pressure from conservative members of the House not to call a vote relying on Democratic votes, and his job may be on the line if they continue their opposition to the Senate deal.
Lawmakers are racing against time. While analysts and U.S. officials say the government will still have roughly $30 billion in cash to pay many obligations for at least a few days after October 17, the financial sector may begin to seize up if the deal is not finalized in both chambers.
"Today is definitely not the day to be conducting any serious business as traders across the globe will be hypnotized by their TVs/terminals and anxiously waiting for something to hit the news wires," Jonathan Sudaria, a trader at Capital Spreads in London, wrote in a client note.
Fitch Ratings has said it could cut the U.S. sovereign credit rating from AAA, citing the political brinkmanship over raising the debt ceiling.
The deal that emerged on Wednesday would basically give Obama what he has demanded for months: A straight-forward debt limit hike and government funding bill.
The deal would extend U.S. borrowing authority until February 7, although the Treasury Department would have tools to temporarily extend its borrowing capacity beyond that date if Congress failed to act early next year. It would also fund government agencies until January 15.
The budget deadlock led to federal agency shutdowns at the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1 as Obama and his fellow Democrats stood firm against changing the healthcare law.
Uncertainty over the shutdown and the debt ceiling have already taken a toll on the economy and on confidence in U.S. assets.
Richard Fisher, the hawkish president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, told Reuters on Tuesday that "reckless" U.S. fiscal policy will likely force the Federal Reserve to stand pat on monetary policy this month rather than reducing bond purchases the central bank has used to help support the economy.
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Bill Trott and Thomas Ferraro; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Claudia Parsons)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-senate-close-deal-debt-limit-reopening-government-011751522--sector.html
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Tokyo Film Fest Head Yasushi Shiina on Luring Hollywood Talent to Japan (Q&A)
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival Director Yasushi Shiina
A 20-year veteran of the industry, executive at Kadokawa Pictures and sometime producer, Yasushi Shiina has begun his three-year term as head of the Tokyo International Film Festival. He sat down with The Hollywood Reporter in Tokyo to talk about attracting Hollywood stars, a Chinese jury president and a Kennedy -- as well as his vision for the festival.
The Hollywood Reporter: You’ve attracted a lot of big Hollywood stars to TIFF this year. How did you manage that?
Shiina: When we were selecting an opening film, we wanted one where the star could definitely come to the festival. So that was how we got Tom Hanks, and for the others, Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola and Ellen Page, we were just really lucky. We’ve also invited the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy.
STORY: Tokyo Film Fest: 4 Must-Attend Reasons
THR: Appointing Chinese director Chen Kaige (Farewell my Concubine) as head of the jury has won you some kudos, especially in the light of the current Japan-China tensions. Was that a factor?
Shiina: No, I’ve known Chen Kaige for 20 years and released his films on video in Japan. I approached a lot of people for the jury, and it’s always difficult getting directors due to their schedules. But I asked him and he agreed, though he made sure first that it was president of the jury (laughs). I wasn’t thinking about the politics of the situation at the time.
THR: Are you worried about him getting pressure at home not to come?
Shiina: Frankly, he might get some pressure, but things seem to be quite calm at the moment: there haven't been any big demonstrations or anything recently, which is a relief. And this is really about film; it shouldn't be anything to do with politics. We have a number of Chinese films in competition and other sections, and also a tie-up with a Chinese film festival. Because of the quota system in China, it's difficult for Japanese films to be released, so if Japanese films can get released there through festivals, I'll be very happy.
STORY: Tokyo Film Fest Announces Lineup, Visits From Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks
THR: This is the start of your three-year term as new head of the festival, what is your vision for TIFF?
Shiina: First, to increase the number of foreign visitors to TIFF, and then also to support young Japanese creators to take their productions overseas. And if you talk about Japanese content, then anime is a major part, so we need to increase the focus on that. And not just Japanese films, but we should also introduce Japanese fashion, food and culture to the world. And we’re a Far East festival, so we should focus on films from Asia. Festivals like Venice and Cannes naturally enough promote European films, and we should do the same for Asian films.
THR: There seems to be less focus on the ecology theme of recent years.
Shiina: Ecology is very important, but it’s not everything. The festival should be about films first.
THR: You’re following five years of Tom Yoda, who is a big personality, as head of TIFF. How do you plan to further raise the festival’s profile?
Shiina: I think the Japanese industry had become a bit disconnected from TIFF. In the early years, they were very supportive, but recently I feel they don’t really care so much about the festival. I have a lot of connections from my more than 20 years in the business, and I’m working to get the industry more involved. There hasn’t been much of a change in the overall box office for many years and I understand how difficult it is to promote foreign films in Japan these days. My hope is that the festival will help to grow the film business here. And, we’ve been very lucky with the Olympics now coming in 2020; that should mean more foreign visitors to Tokyo and more attention from overseas and at home.
Twitter: @GavinJBlair
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Suspect's body found after two Memphis cops shot by wanted man barricaded in burning house
WSMV-TV
Flames engulf a house in Memphis, Tenn., where a man who shot two police officers was believed to be barricaded Tuesday night.
By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC News
Two police officers were shot Tuesday by a murder suspect in Memphis, Tenn., who barricaded himself inside a house that he then set on fire, authorities said.
Police said the body of Aaron Dumas, 32 — whom police tactical officers had been trying to arrest when the gunman opened fire on them — was found in a bathtub in the home.
The wounded officers, identified as Timothy Jackson and Paul Hutchinson, were described as stable with gunshot wounds in their legs. Jackson was released from the hospital Tuesday night.
Memphis Police Department
Aaron Dumas, 32, was wanted on attempted murder charges in the shootings last week of his ex-girlfriend and her brother in Memphis, Tenn.
Dozens of members of the Memphis Police Department's elite tactical unit circled the house in south Memphis for much of the day after Dumas' mother let them in about 1:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. ET) with a warrant for Dumas' arrest in a double shooting last week, police said.
The gunman fired "numerous" shots at Jackson as he tried to enter a bedroom where the man was holed up, Police Director Toney Armstrong said. About three hours later, when police tossed in what they described as a "chemical agent," the man opened fire again, hitting Hutchinson.
The house went up in flames and billowing smoke shortly thereafter. Armstrong said police believe the gunman set the fire.
Specially trained tactical officers were sent to arrest Dumas because he was considered armed and extremely dangerous, Armstrong said. "The TACT Unit was there as a precaution, and as you can see, things can go very, very badly very, very quickly," he said.
Dumas had been wanted on two attempted murder counts in connection with the shootings Oct. 7 of his ex-girlfriend and her brother. Angelique White, 29, and Christopher White, 23, were in good condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis after having been shot in a confrontation in their mother's driveway.
"This has been very hard," Bonita White, the victims' mother, told NBC station WMC of Memphis on Monday. "It's been something I had envisioned (and) had dreams about for 3½ years."
White said that there had been a disturbance involving Dumas two weeks ago but that her daughter chose not to press charges — even though she said Dumas had made threats to kill the family before.
"You listen and you hear things like that (and) you think it's an idle threat," White said. But "he made good on his threat. It makes me very, very angry."
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
This story was originally published on Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:13 PM EDT
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Feel Old Yet? Roddick And Blake Will Play On Senior Circuit
James Blake addresses the crowd during an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez after losing on day three of the 2013 U.S. Open.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
James Blake addresses the crowd during an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez after losing on day three of the 2013 U.S. Open.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Neither of them is over 35 years old. One of them played in ATP World Tour events just months ago; the other did so last year. But none of that will keep recently retired tennis players Andy Roddick, 31, and James Blake, 33, from joining a circuit of senior players.
The pair will be playing in the PowerShares Series, a touring set of one-day tournaments featuring tennis legends such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. By joining the tour, Roddick could eventually get a chance to play alongside his former coach, Jimmy Connors.
We will pause here to acknowledge that any of the people listed above would make short work of us on any court, under any conditions. And it can be debated that the PowerShares Series isn't a traditional senior tour, as its minimum age requirement is that players be just 30.
But we also confess to a moment of dubious shock after reading this headline in The Los Angeles Times: "Andy Roddick, James Blake join senior tennis tour."
"I am looking forward to playing on the PowerShares circuit," Roddick says, in a report on the Tennis site. "Having a chance to stay connected with tennis and compete on a limited basis through events like these fits perfectly with my life these days."
A look at the PowerShares site shows that it features a Tennis article identifying it as "the newly-named senior circuit" last year, when it changed its name from the Champions Series. The tour was founded in 2005 by a group that includes former tennis star Jim Courier, who plays in many events.
If you're wondering about the age cutoff for other senior tours, so were we:
In tennis, the ATP Champions Tour requires that players be retired and meet career criteria, such as holding a world No. 1 ranking or being a Grand Slam finalist.
While some sources report the Champions Tour requires that players are at least 35, Roddick is scheduled to play a tour event in early 2014, when he'll still be 31. The Champions Tour is also said to require a player be at least two years past their retirement; details about its policies weren't available for review at the time of this post.
In professional golf, the standard minimum age to join a senior tour is 50.
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Irish Government Brings Forward Upped Tax Incentive to 2015
2012 British-Irish drama "Shadow Dancer"
LONDON – The Irish Film Board is celebrating after Ireland's government said it would up its tax breaks for production to 32 percent from 2015.
The Irish lawmakers also said it would extend the breaks for production to talent from outside the European Union, including talent from the U.S. working on the Emerald Isle. The change mirrors the U.K. tax credit, which also allows work by U.S. talent on British shores to qualify.
"Building on the current success of the film, television and animation industry, this new measure will assist Irish producers in attracting foreign direct investment in the form of international feature films and television shows which will assist in creating new Irish jobs within the sector," Irish Film Board chief executive James Hickey said in a statement.
PHOTOS: The Scene at the Venice International Film Festival 2013
The enhancement of the Irish tax incentive for the film and television industry demonstrates the commitment of the Irish government to the future of Irish film, television and animation sectors and Ireland's creative industries.
Earlier in 2013, the Irish government extended the Section 481 legislation to 2020 and increased its value to 32 percent as of 2016. This improvement and the change announced in the 2014 budget has now been brought forward to 2015.
Irish Minister for finance Michael Noonan said: "These productions are job-rich and can often give a knock-on boost to the tourism sector. This extension will be subject to EU state-aid approval, and it will be coupled with the introduction of a withholding tax."
Production activity across the feature film, independent drama, TV and animation industry in Ireland in 2012 was valued at more than $244 million (€180 million) in terms of expenditure on local goods and services in Ireland, up around 30 percent over 2011 figures.
STORY: Four Ways Irish Film New York Is Breaking Through the Crowded Festival Scene
Employment levels within the overall audiovisual industry, which has a turnover of more than $678 million (€500 million), also have increased to more than 6,500 full-time job equivalents.
Over the course of 2012, the Irish Film Board invested in 30 film and television projects, which led to $160 milllion (€118 million) being raised in foreign direct investment by Irish producers on IFB-funded projects. $108 million (€80 million) of this was invested directly into the Irish economy through the purchase of local services and employment.
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Eleanor Catton wins fiction's Booker Prize
Shortlisted authors, from left, Jhumpa Lahiri, Eleanor Catton, Colm Toibin, NoViolet Bulawayo and Ruth Ozeki pose with their books during a photocall for the shortlisted authors of the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. The media presentation of short listed authors is a tradition ahead of the the winner of the 50,000 pounds (US$80,000) prize being announced on Tuesday, Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Shortlisted authors, from left, Jhumpa Lahiri, Eleanor Catton, Colm Toibin, NoViolet Bulawayo and Ruth Ozeki pose with their books during a photocall for the shortlisted authors of the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. The media presentation of short listed authors is a tradition ahead of the the winner of the 50,000 pounds (US$80,000) prize being announced on Tuesday, Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Books by Man Booker Prize shortlisted authors, from top, Colm Toibin's 'The Testament of Mary' NoViolet Bulawayo's 'We Need New Names', Eleanor Catton's 'The Luminaries', Jim Crace's 'Harvest', Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Lowland', Ruth Ozeki's 'A Tale for the Time Being', seen during a photocall for the shortlisted authors of the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, presented at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. The media presentation of short listed authors and their books, is a tradition ahead of the the winner of the 50,000 pounds (US$80,000) prize being announced on Tuesday, Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
LONDON (AP) — Youth and heft triumphed at the Booker Prize on Tuesday, as 28-year-old New Zealand author Eleanor Catton won the fiction award for "The Luminaries," an ambitious 832-page murder mystery set during a 19th-century gold rush.
The choice should give heart to young authors of oversized tales. Catton is the youngest writer and only the second New Zealander to win the prestigious award — and her epic novel is easily the longest Booker champion.
Travel writer Robert Macfarlane, who chaired the judging panel, called "The Luminaries" ''dazzling" and "luminous."
"It is vast without being sprawling," he said.
"You begin it, feel you are lost, think you are in the clutches of a big, baggy monster ... but soon realize you are in something as tightly structured as an orrery," a device for measuring the planets.
"It is beautifully intricate without being fussy," Macfarlane said. "It is experimental ... but does not by any means neglect the traditional virtues of storytelling."
Catton had been bookmakers' joint favorite among the six prize finalists, alongside British novelist Jim Crace, for his rural parable "The Harvest."
She also beat Ireland's Colm Toibin, Indian-American writer Jhumpa Lahiri, Zimbabwe's NoViolet Bulawayo and Canada's Ruth Ozeki.
Catton received her trophy, which comes with a 50,000 pound ($80,000) check, from Prince Charles' wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, during a dinner ceremony at London's medieval Guildhall.
"The Luminaries" centers on a man named Walter Moody who comes to a New Zealand prospecting town in 1866 and finds himself immersed in a web of saloons, seances and skullduggery.
The book's elaborate narrative is structured according to astrological charts: It consists of 12 sections, each half the length of the last, from a 360-page opener to a final chapter of a single page.
Macfarlane said the novel "requires a huge investment from the reader" but delivers big returns. "It begins in fixity and then it accelerates out of it, and once you are on the down slope, the pace is irresistible," he said.
He said it was a book that "takes place in a culture which is utterly capitalized" and focused on money, but also dwells on tenderness and love.
Macfarlane said the panel of five judges met for two hours — brief by Booker standards — to choose the winner, which was decided without a vote. "No blood was spilled in the judging," he said.
Catton, who was 25 when she started writing the book and 27 when she finished it, has published just one previous novel. Now she has won a prize that brings a huge boost in profile, publicity and sales, and whose laureates include V.S. Naipaul, Margaret Atwood, Julian Barnes and Hilary Mantel.
The only previous New Zealand winner is Keri Hulme, who took the Booker in 1985 for "The Bone People."
This is the last year that the Booker — founded in 1969 and officially named the Man Booker Prize after its sponsor, financial services firm Man Group PLC — will be open only to writers from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies.
Beginning next year, Americans and other English-language writers will be able to enter as well.
The rule change aims to expand the global scope of the Booker even further, although some fear it may alter the delicate chemistry of the prize.
Macfarlane said "The Luminaries" was a fitting winner — "a global novel that is always intensely local."
And its sheer size — eight times the length of Toibin's 104-page "The Testament of Mary" — had an added benefit for the judges.
"Those of us who didn't read it on e-readers enjoyed a full upper-body workout," Macfarlane said.
___
Online: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/
Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
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Urban soil quality and compost
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Public release date: 14-Oct-2013
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Contact: Susan V. Fisk
sfisk@sciencesocieties.org
608-273-8091
American Society of Agronomy
October 14, 2013With higher populations and limited space, urban areas are not often thought of as places for agriculture. A recent surge in community gardens, though, is bringing agriculture and gardens into the cities. And certain byproducts of urban life food and yard waste and municipal biosolids can benefit those gardens, and the soils in them, tremendously.
Sally Brown, associate professor at University of Washington will discuss the use of compost and biosolids in urban agriculture on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 9:35 am. Her talk, Urban Soil Quality and Compost, is part of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings, Nov. 3-6 in Tampa, Florida. The theme of this year's conference is "Water, Food, Energy, & Innovation for a Sustainable World."
Urban soils can present various obstacles for gardeners. Sometimes, the soils are contaminated, most commonly with lead. Also, many community gardens are built on vacant lots. Because those soils were misused or abandoned, they are often unhealthy and compacted.
"These soils have been treated like dirt," says Brown. "They've been ignored in terms of growing things, and often buildings or cars have been sitting on top of them."
The U.S. Composting Council recommends that soils contain at least 5% organic matter, a number that soils in many urban areas fall below. The addition of compost and biosolids can raise organic matter and in turn improve the structure of the soil and the amount of water it can hold. Compost and biosolids also slowly release nutrients that crops need.
In addition to making soil healthier, compost can also help decrease contaminants in the soil. By mixing in compost, contaminants are diluted out. And some contaminants, such as lead, often become less hazardous when compost is added to the soil.
"Compost can change the form of the lead in soil so that if you actually do ingest the soil, the amount of lead that's available to do harm is reduced," explains Brown.
In Tacoma, Washington, the reuse of a byproduct is already providing great benefits to urban growers. The city provides a biosolids-based soil product to gardeners free of charge giving growers the motivation and tools they need. Since 2010, Tacoma has built nearly 30 new urban gardens. Brown wants to see more cities realize the potential of their byproducts and use them to help residents grow fresh produce close to home.
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Media Invitation: Members of the media receive complimentary registration to the joint meetings.
Contact: Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org. Please RSVP by October 25, 2013
If you would like a 1-on-1 interview with Brown, contact Susan Fisk at the email above.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 14-Oct-2013
[
|
Share]
Contact: Susan V. Fisk
sfisk@sciencesocieties.org
608-273-8091
American Society of Agronomy
October 14, 2013With higher populations and limited space, urban areas are not often thought of as places for agriculture. A recent surge in community gardens, though, is bringing agriculture and gardens into the cities. And certain byproducts of urban life food and yard waste and municipal biosolids can benefit those gardens, and the soils in them, tremendously.
Sally Brown, associate professor at University of Washington will discuss the use of compost and biosolids in urban agriculture on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 9:35 am. Her talk, Urban Soil Quality and Compost, is part of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings, Nov. 3-6 in Tampa, Florida. The theme of this year's conference is "Water, Food, Energy, & Innovation for a Sustainable World."
Urban soils can present various obstacles for gardeners. Sometimes, the soils are contaminated, most commonly with lead. Also, many community gardens are built on vacant lots. Because those soils were misused or abandoned, they are often unhealthy and compacted.
"These soils have been treated like dirt," says Brown. "They've been ignored in terms of growing things, and often buildings or cars have been sitting on top of them."
The U.S. Composting Council recommends that soils contain at least 5% organic matter, a number that soils in many urban areas fall below. The addition of compost and biosolids can raise organic matter and in turn improve the structure of the soil and the amount of water it can hold. Compost and biosolids also slowly release nutrients that crops need.
In addition to making soil healthier, compost can also help decrease contaminants in the soil. By mixing in compost, contaminants are diluted out. And some contaminants, such as lead, often become less hazardous when compost is added to the soil.
"Compost can change the form of the lead in soil so that if you actually do ingest the soil, the amount of lead that's available to do harm is reduced," explains Brown.
In Tacoma, Washington, the reuse of a byproduct is already providing great benefits to urban growers. The city provides a biosolids-based soil product to gardeners free of charge giving growers the motivation and tools they need. Since 2010, Tacoma has built nearly 30 new urban gardens. Brown wants to see more cities realize the potential of their byproducts and use them to help residents grow fresh produce close to home.
###
Media Invitation: Members of the media receive complimentary registration to the joint meetings.
Contact: Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org. Please RSVP by October 25, 2013
If you would like a 1-on-1 interview with Brown, contact Susan Fisk at the email above.
[
|
Share]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/asoa-usq101413.php
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LAX Police Increase Security Following Second Dry-Ice Bomb Explosion
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Los Angeles International Airport
Police at Los Angeles International Airport said Tuesday that security is being increased after a second dry ice bomb exploded.
The first bomb went off Sunday night; meanwhile, two others have been found in restricted areas of the airport.
PHOTOS: Hollywood's Private Jets: From Oprah Winfrey to Tom Cruise, Who Owns What
"The focus is definitely in the restricted area, not in the areas where passengers have access," Sgt. Karla Ortiz told the Los Angeles Times. "We want to make sure that that gets tightened up."
Police say these bombs don't appear to be acts of terrorism.
Flights out of terminal two were halted Sunday as the LAPD bomb squad investigated the first dry-ice bomb explosion. Authorities described it as a plastic bottle with dry ice inside. It was discovered by an airport employee in an empty bathroom after the staffer heard the explosion from the tarmac at around 7 p.m.
The second explosion occurred around 8:30 p.m. Monday on the airfield, near the gate area of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, with very little disruption to airport activities.
No one was injured in either explosion.
Both incidents are being investigated by the LAPD's criminal conspiracy division, with assistance from the FBI.
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Ortiz, Red Sox sting Tigers 6-5, tie ALCS at 1
BOSTON (AP) — David Ortiz's line drive sailed just beyond Torii Hunter's reach and into the Boston bullpen, sending the Tigers right fielder flopping headfirst over the wall after it.
With one swing, the Red Sox slugger turned everything upside-down.
Ortiz's grand slam erased an eighth-inning deficit and ended Detroit's unprecedented run of pitching dominance, and Jonny Gomes scampered around the bases with the game-winning run in the ninth Sunday night to give Boston a 6-5 victory over Detroit and knot the AL championship series at one game apiece.
"That's what he does. He's an amazing hitter," said Max Scherzer, who took a no-hitter and a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning but could only watch as the Detroit relievers blew it. "He's an amazing postseason hitter. He's clutch. Any given moment, a swing of the bat he can always take you deep."
One night after Anibal Sanchez and four relievers came within two outs of the first combined postseason no-hitter in baseball history, Scherzer struck out 13 and held Boston hitless for 5 2-3 innings. But the Red Sox loaded the bases against three relievers in the eighth and then closer Joaquin Benoit came in to face Ortiz.
The Red Sox designated hitter lined the first pitch into the glove of the Red Sox bullpen catcher. Hunter went down hard and came out only after his teammates had waved for the Detroit medical staff to come out and help him.
"I jumped up. I thought I had a beat on it," said Hunter, who came up in the Minnesota Twins organization with Ortiz and remains friends with the Red Sox slugger. "Next thing, I know I'm falling over the fence."
The fans waited until the trainers verified that Hunter was OK to start chanting, "Papi!" and call Ortiz out of the dugout for a curtain call. It was the first career postseason grand slam for a star of the 2004 playoff run that ended in Boston's first World Series title in 86 years.
"The guy's an actor at work," Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino said. "It's fun to watch. It's great to see. He's always upbeat and always positive. He always likes to go up and swing the bat. That's what he always wants to do."
Koji Uehara pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
Rick Porcello gave up a leadoff infield single that left Gomes at second when shortstop Jose Iglesias threw the ball into the Boston dugout. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a foul popup that glanced off first baseman Prince Fielder's glove when he got tangled up with a fan.
Gomes moved to third on a wild pitch, and then Saltalamacchia hit one through the drawn-in infield to drive in the game-winner.
"It's playoff baseball," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Looked like we had one in hand and we let one get away, there's no question about that. But there have been two great games."
Boston's comeback came a few hours after Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass with 5 seconds left to complete the New England Patriots' comeback over the New Orleans Saints. The score was greeted with cheers by Red Sox fans waiting for the baseball game to start.
Game 3 of the ALCS is in Detroit 3 on Tuesday, when Justin Verlander will face Boston's John Lackey.
"We need it, man. We need start some momentum going on," Ortiz said. "The whole regular season, you haven't seen a team shutting us down for 14, 15 straight innings like they have the past couple of days. If you look at the way they've been pitching, (it's) unbelievable. It's up to us make an adjustment."
Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila homered off Clay Buchholz as Detroit scored four in the sixth inning to open a 5-0 lead. The Red Sox got one in the bottom half but were four outs from falling behind 0-2 in the series when Ortiz tied it.
Scherzer, who led the majors with 21 wins, did not allow a hit until Victorino singled to left with two outs in the sixth.
It was an unprecedented third consecutive playoff game in which a Tigers starter took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. That had never been done even twice in a row before this year's Detroit staff, which boasts the AL ERA leader, the major league leader in wins and the 2011 AL Cy Young winner and MVP.
"Scherzer was terrific. He was spent," Leyland said. "Last night our bullpen was flawless, and tonight it just wasn't quite as good."
In his first career ALCS start, Buchholz allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings while striking out six.
One night after Jon Lester absorbed a 1-0 loss, Buchholz kept the Red Sox in the game despite allowing three straight hits in the second and spotting Detroit to a 1-0 lead.
But Cabrera hit a solo shot off the light tower above the Green Monster in the sixth, then Fielder lined a double off the left-field wall. Victor Martinez followed with an RBI double to right-center and Avila hit a two-run shot over the Tigers bullpen to make it 5-0.
Scherzer continued to coast, striking out at least one batter in every inning. The favorite for the AL Cy Young Award after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA in the regular season, Scherzer allowed one run on two hits and two walks before leaving after seven innings with a 5-1 lead.
NOTES: Dave Roberts, whose stolen base sparked Boston's comeback in the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Ortiz's 63rd postseason game tied Jason Varitek for the Red Sox franchise record. ... Buchholz had a 1.20 ERA against the Tigers in four career starts at Fenway Park. ... Victorino's nine career hit by pitches in the postseason tie him with Alex Rodriguez for the major league record. .. Scherzer lost 2-1 at Fenway Park on Sept. 9 when going for his 20th win.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ortiz-red-sox-sting-tigers-6-5-tie-035643617--spt.html
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Are These Avant-Garde Popsicles the Frozen Treats of the Future?
Whether they're ice pops or flat Paletas, most icy treats aren't much of an adventure. But these faceted vegan delicacies up the ante: They're designed to have a smoother melt and better mouth feel and than anything you've tried before. That's right—highly engineered popsicle mouth feel. Welcome to the future. It's time to savor the flavor.
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Saturday, October 12, 2013
Yahoo makes Mail beautiful to woo Gmail users
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer declared email a pain point that needed to be fixed less than a year ago. On Tuesday, Yahoo unveiled her solution: a redesigned Yahoo Mail with a focus on mobile and a mission to dethrone Gmail.
Yahoo refreshed Mail for the Web, Windows 8, Android, and iOS last December with a clean and simple white-and-purple motif, but Mayer clearly wasn't satisfied with the results. The new look for desktop, iOS, and Android takes its cues from Flickr and Yahoo Weather with curated background themes and beautiful transparent layers. The theme you pick will follow you from the Web to your devices as part of Mayer's efforts to maintain consistency across platforms.
[ Get the skinny on the state of the cloud with InfoWorld's "Cloud Computing Deep Dive" special report. Download it today! | For a quick, smart take on the news you'll be talking about, check out InfoWorld TechBrief -- subscribe today. ]
But Yahoo Mail doesn't just look a little different. In a jab at Gmail, the service now displays threaded conversations -- finally -- and quick actions when you hover over a message on the desktop, or swipe left or right on mobile. You can also preview full-screen attachments on desktop with support from Flickr and Dropbox.
Yahoo unveiled the new look and features on Mail's 16th birthday, and made premium features free to mark the occasion. Now disposable email addresses, automatic email forwarding, advanced filters, and 1TB of storage are available to everyone -- though Mail Plus customers still benefit from an ad-free experience.
Will Mail sink or swim?
Mayer is clearly listening to what users want: easy-to-use features and a beautiful, streamlined interface. Yahoo Mail won't fail based on its looks.
But even after a summer promotional campaign that cleared the decks of old, inactive email accounts and bestowed new usernames to those who created wishlists, Yahoo still has a long, uphill climb to overtake Gmail -- if such a heroic feat is even possible.
After years of clearly not caring about the competition, no one can say Yahoo is resting -- or backsliding -- on its mighty laurels anymore. Yahoo Mail might not be the transcendent email experience required to slay Gmail, but it's a huge move in the right direction.
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Thursday, October 10, 2013
Elephants Understand Human Gesture, No Training Needed
Elephants understand the human gesture of pointing, new research suggests.
The ability is even more impressive given that the animals received no training to understand the gesture and have never been domesticated.
"By showing that African elephants spontaneously understand human pointing, without any training to do so, we have shown that the ability to understand pointing is not uniquely human but has also evolved in a lineage of animal very remote from the primates," study co-author Richard Byrne of the University of St Andrews said in a statement.
The new finding gives elephants membership in a select club that includes dogs, cats and bottlenose dolphins. Chimpanzees that have lived with humans can be trained to follow a point, but wild chimps typically fare worse than dogs at understanding human gestures. [5 Animals With a Moral Compass]
Byrne and his colleague Anna Smet, also of St. Andrews, studied a group of 11 African elephants that took tourists on rides near Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The animals had been trained to follow vocal commands, but had never learned pointing.
The team hid tasty morsels of food in several containers, then pointed to the correct bin to direct elephants to the food.
The elephants went to the correct food container two-thirds of the time, significantly above chance. All told, five out of 11 of the elephants consistently went to the right container. In contrast, 1-year-old children typically get it right about 70 percent of the time.
Even more impressive, many of the pachyderms chose the correct bin from the first try.
"What really surprised us is that they did not apparently need to learn anything. Their understanding was as good on the first trial as the last, and we could find no sign of learning over the experiment," Byrne said.
Those elephants born in captivity or bred for more human contact performed no better at the task.
Though elephants make other gestures with their trunks, no one knows whether those gestures are parallel to pointing.
The findings suggest that elephants' ability to follow a point may arise from their social natures. Elephants live in large groups and display many emotional behaviors, including marking the gravesites of lost pack members and weeping for their dead. Elephants also recognize themselves in a mirror, a hallmark of animals with sociality and empathy.
"What elephants share with humans is that they live in an elaborate and complex network in which support, empathy, and help for others are critical for survival. It may be only in such a society that the ability to follow pointing has adaptive value, or, more generally, elephant society may have selected for an ability to understand when others are trying to communicate with them, and they are thus able to work out what pointing is about when they see it," Byrne said.
The research was published today (Oct. 10) in the journal Current Biology.
Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter and Google+. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.
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