Tracking Santa’s Christmas flight on Mac and iPhone

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Obama's Mount Gushmore

Posted: 12/24/11 08:57 AM ET

Well, that didn't last. President Obama went out to Osawatomie, Kansas, to deliver what the White House told us in hushed tones was a major address. He proclaimed it "the defining issue of our time." It's more than that, it's the "make or break moment for the middle class and for all those struggling to make it into the middle class."

He invoked Theodore Roosevelt's 1910 speech at Osawatomie. He appealed to that example as his inspiration. And then he went on CBS's 60 Minutes and compared himself to Lincoln, FDR, and Lyndon Johnson. What happened to TR? What happened to the great Trustbuster? No mention.

Most critics are jumping on Obama, hooting at his claim to be the fourth most consequential president in our history (and for reminding us that he's only just getting started.) Mr. Obama cited -- in a general way -- his legislative accomplishments as his basis for climbing onto his own Mount Gushmore.

President Obama traces his health care legislation to TR. He claims that the first Roosevelt was an earlier harbinger of this great cause for the middle class. Nothing so threatens the middle class in America as Obamacare. If this is not repealed, middle income Americans will find themselves shackled to a government-provided health service that gets worse and worse and costs more and more. Britain is going through a painful re-examination of the dangers of cradle-to-grave "coverage."

Worse, Obamacare forces middle income Americans to subsidize the killing of millions of unborn children. These children are the best hope of getting us out of this debt spiral.
They are a priceless source of human capital. Growth depends almost wholly on the number of workers plus human capital. And education depends greatly on the impact of early education in the family. When combined with education and purpose, a healthy and growing population is only way for a nation to achieve economic security.

Obamacare inverts all of this. Nor will Mr. Obama compromise on federal programs that fund the killers of the unborn. Those programs are off the table. That's "non-negotiable, John," he tells House Speaker John Boehner. And yet, he claims Boehner is not willing to work with him.

Mr. Obama is not entirely wrong when he cites TR as an inspiration for national health care. TR's Osawatomie speech led him on a straight path to his "Bull Moose" third party run for president. In that 1912 campaign, TR's Progressive Party platform did indeed call for nationalized health care.

Now, Theodore might have meant this provision when he said his own party was filled with do gooders, government reformers, "and, of course, the lunatic fringe." Amazing that the canny TR invented that phrase 101 years before the Occupy Wall Street crowd appeared on the scene.

Roosevelt's 1912 campaign was, to his admirers, a most painful episode. He had allowed himself to be prodded and goaded into a campaign that could only result in the worst of outcomes -- the election of Woodrow Wilson. Now, TR was not the most radical candidate in 1912. There was a fourth party candidate, Eugene V. Debs, who campaigned on a train called "The Red Special." Debs was for nationalizing all industry, all private property.

Hmmm. Might that have included banks, insurance companies, auto makers, and college loans, perhaps? The Socialist Debs advocated a program more like that of the Obama administration today than even TR's most far-reaching proposals.

There is a herky-jerky quality to this presidency. Dash to Osawatomie, wrap yourself in TR's mantle, then forget about him, discard his legacy, and put yourself in his place on a Mount Gushmore of your own devising. Take a Big Stick to Congress. Then go to Hawaii on vacation.

Let's all grant that the White House does not attract many shrinking violets. Most of its occupants have had healthy self-esteem, to put it mildly. But what we have now may be the most egotistic presidency we have seen. Bragging about "legislative achievements" but not daring to say what those achievements were -- Obamacare, the failed stimulus, bailouts for Big Donors like Solyndra -- and then claiming that you are doing it all for the embattled middle class is the act of an amazing ego. 2012 should be an interesting year. Maybe even the Red Special will come steaming down the tracks.

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Tracking Santa’s Christmas flight on Mac and iPhone

by Charles Moore at December 24, 2011 9:58 am

0

NORAD’s preparations for tracking Santa’s flight path over North America this year are in place. You can receive updates from the North Pole and discover new surprises in the Kids’ Countdown Village.

Santa’s elves have been busier than usual this year preparing. Visit Santa’s Village to see what’s been going on, and join in on the fun at www.noradsanta.org.
This year, there’s also a new iOS NORAD Tracks Santa App by Visionbox, available for free download at the Apple App Store.
NORAD Tracks Santa is the official mobile app of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. Watch the days count down to Santa’s flight, follow Santa’s progress on December 24, play “Elf Toss” to help Santa’s elves deliver presents, and learn about NORAD and its mission.

Product [NORAD Tracks Santa]
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa: radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets.
Tracking Santa starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System—a powerful radar system consisting of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On December 24th, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment radar indicates Santa has lifted off, NORAD switches to its second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors which enable them to detect heat. Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows the NORAD satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.
The third tracking system is NORAD’s Santa Cam network, which was first used in 1998, the year NORAD first put its Santa Tracking program on the Internet. Santa Cams are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year to capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey around the world.
The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots flying the CF-18 aircraft intercept and welcome Santa to North America. In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15 or the F-16 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph.

In addition to tracking Santa on the NORAD Tracks Santa homepage, you can also track his flight in Google Earth.

This Christmas Eve, you can also join NORAD to track Santa’s flight from your smartphone. On December 24th, open Google Maps for mobile and do a search for “Santa” to see his latest location
For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.
The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chiefs operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa. NORAD provides advanced warning of impending missile and air attacks against its member nations, safeguards the air sovereignty of North America, and maintains airborne forces for defense against attack.

NORAD’s mission has evolved over the years. The most recent “evolution” coming as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. NORAD now coordinates closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NAV CANADA, Canada’s equivalent to America’s FAA, to monitor the airspace within Canada and the United States. In addition, the command also conducts maritime monitoring.
The men and women of NORAD are constantly watching the skies and waterways of the United States and Canada to keep us safe.
Tracking Santa in Google Earth
In 2007, Google became NORAD’s official Santa Tracking technology partner. In addition to tracking Santa in Google Earth, they added a Google Maps tracker and integrated YouTube videos into the journey as well, and now had Santa on the map and on “Santa Cam” arriving in several different locations around the world, with commentary in six different languages. Elf McClendon says the heavy traffic—several millions of users—put Google’s infrastructure to the test, but with some heroic work by Google’s system reliability engineers, the Santa Tracker worked continuously.
To use the Google Earth Plug-in, download it first if you don’t have it, than go to www.noradsanta.org and click on the link “Track Santa in Google Earth.”
You can also find Santa on Google Map. There are also links to Santa Cam videos, and gift icon links to linformation about each city.
To follow Santa with your, phone, bring up Google Maps for mobile and search for “santa” on your phone’s browser.
There’s also a Santa YouTube Channel.
And if your family has a General Motors vehicle equipped with OnStar, you can track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve by pushing the OnStar button. From 7 a.m. Christmas Eve through 5 a.m. Christmas Day, OnStar operators will be collaborating with NORAD to inform vehicle occupants of Santa’s location.
And finally, you can play an interactive game on the NORAD Santa site.
Visit www.noradsanta.org Christmas Eve from 6:00 am EST when Santa’s journey begins.

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Microsoft passes Yahoo as 2nd most popular Web property -ComScore

December 24, 2011 6:21pm

Software giant Microsoft has passed media portal Yahoo! as the second most popular web property in the United States in November, according to figures from Internet marketing company comScore.

 

In its November 2011 Media Metrix report, comScore also noted millions of Americans began holiday shopping in November, driving most of the Web activity during the month.

 

"Google Sites ranked as the No. 1 property in November with 186.7 million visitors, followed by Microsoft 

Sites with 175.5 million and Yahoo! Sites with 174.5 million," it said.

 

During November, Google Sites had 186.659 million visitors, while Microsoft Sites had 175.499 million and Yahoo! Sites 174.481 million.

 

Social networking juggernaut Facebook was fourth with 166.007 million, comScore said.

 

Tech darling Apple Inc. ranked 13th with 79.219 million visitors.

 

Also, added Best Buy Sites and Sears Sites were new to the list Nos. 29 and 38 respectively.

 

"Amazon Sites jumped to fifth place with 112.9  million visitors.  Target Corporation leaped 20 positions in the ranking to secure the No. 26 ranking with  40.2  million visitors," it said.

 

On the other hand, comScore said Google Ad Network led the November Ad Focus ranking with a reach of 92.8 percent of Americans online, followed by Yahoo! Network Plus (86.3 percent) and AOL Advertising (84.9 percent), AT&T AdWorks (83.0 percent) and ValueClick Networks (81.8 percent).

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China's Super-Sleek Curving Bridge

• Posted by Jacob Paul Wiegmann on December 23, 2011 at 8:19am
• View Blog

Check out this gorgeous design. L&A Design Group has a proposal for a new bridge in the Jiangsu province of China. The Wuxi Xidong bridge would connect the north and south shores of the park and would also create an accessible path to the island on the lake which would feature cafes, gardens, and other sights and venues.
The design team hopes to create both a modern and iconic building for the park. Functionally speaking, the bridge still allows boats to pass under its elevated paths and an "S" shape was chosen to allow visitors two separate observation vistas on either side of the structure. It is planned to be made out of lightweight steel and colored outer panel skins that could be lit up at night. I hope to hear more about this stunning project in the future!



L&A Design Group's website
via [Archdaily]

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Defesa Civil alerta municípios mineiros para possibilidade de temporais hoje

24/12/2011 - 12h01

• Nacional

Alex Rodrigues
Repórter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Já bastante castigados pelas chuvas dos últimos dois meses, os moradores de Minas Gerais devem se precaver contra a ocorrência de temporais neste fim de semana. Segundo a Defesa Civil Estadual, a elevação das temperaturas registradas nos últimos dias favorecem a ocorrência de chuvas fortes a partir de hoje (24), especialmente nos municípios do sul e oeste do estado. A temperatura máxima para hoje chega a 36ºC.

Além disso, uma frente fria deve atingir parte da Região Sudeste do país ainda neste fim de semana, provocando temporais localizados no estado. Segundo o Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (Inmet), nas regiões sul e oeste do estado e no Triângulo Mineiro pode, inclusive, haver queda de granizo até a meia-noite de hoje.

De acordo com a Defesa Civil Estadual, 82 municípios foram afetados pelas chuvas que atingem o estado desde outubro. Ao todo, 26 cidades mineiras decretaram situação de emergência. As duas últimas, Braúnas, na região do Rio Doce, e Pará de Minas, na região central do Estado, devido a enchentes e enxurradas causadas pelas chuvas dos últimos dias.

A Defesa Civil calcula que, até o momento, 61.731 mil pessoas foram afetadas em todo o estado. Além de dois mortos, as chuvas deixaram 27 pessoas feridas. Os óbitos ocorreram nas cidades de Reduto e Governador Valadares. Ao menos 7.240 mil estão desalojadas e 256, desabrigadas. Mais de 1,8 mil casas foram danificadas e 66, destruídas.

A orientação da Defesa Civil é a de que todas as pessoas estejam atentas a qualquer sinal de perigo, como deslizamento de terra, mesmo que em pequena quantidade; à queda de árvores; trincas ou rachaduras em paredes; ao rebaixamento de pisos; ao volume excessivo de água em terrenos sem cobertura vegetal. A atenção precisa ser redobrada à noite.

Edição: Talita Cavalcante

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MPF/RJ investiga supostas milícias atuando em desapropriações para obras da EBX

23/12/2011

Construção do Porto do Açu estaria violando direitos humanos de agricultores em São João da Barra

O Ministério Público Federal (MPF) em Campos (RJ) instaurou procedimento para investigar suposta formação de milícias e a violação de direitos humanos no município de São João da Barra, onde será construído o Porto do Açu, empreendimento do grupo EBX. Seguranças privados e policiais militares estariam atuando de forma truculenta e arbitrária na desapropriação de agricultores e pescadores do 5º distrito da cidade.

De acordo com as denúncias recebidas pelo MPF, cerca de 800 famílias que querem permanecer na região estão sofrendo diversas ameaças para deixar o local, com a presença ostensiva de policiais militares e seguranças. Além disso, moradores que já foram removidos não teriam recebido indenização e alguns despejos foram realizados sem a apresentação de ordem judicial.

O procurador da República Eduardo Santos de Oliveira, responsável pela investigação, irá requisitar informações à Polícia Federal (PF) para saber se os seguranças privados foram autorizados a trabalhar na região, conforme Portaria 387/2006 do DG/DPF. Mesmo autorizados pela PF, os seguranças não poderiam realizar desapropriações nem atuar junto a cidadãos.

O MPF irá oficiar ainda a Polícia Militar, a Polícia Civil, o Ministério Público Estadual (MPE), a Defensoria Pública do Rio de Janeiro, o Governador do Estado e a prefeitura de São João da Barra para que possam prestar esclarecimentos e informações acerca da situação dos moradores. No curso da investigação, diretores e empregados da empresa LLX - responsável pela obra - deverão ser chamados a depor. Caso sejam comprovadas violações graves dos direitos humanos e omissão do poder público local, o MPF poderá solicitar na justiça a atuação da Força Nacional na região.

"O MPF não irá tolerar nenhuma violação de direitos humanos, sendo seu dever mediar, evitar e eliminar conflitos fundiários coletivos. Se há abusos por parte das autoridades ou de particulares, mesmo a pretexto de exercício de direito, iremos investigar e buscar a punição dos culpados e a salvaguarda da integridade física e moral das populações envolvidas" - disse o procurador.

A instauração de procedimento investigatório e as denúncias recebidas serão comunicadas também à Presidência da República, à Comissão de Direitos Humanos da Câmara de Deputados e da ALERJ e às Procuradorias Regional e Federal dos Direitos do Cidadão.

Assessoria de Comunicação Social
Procuradoria da República no Rio de Janeiro
Tels: (21) 3971-9460/9488
http://twitter.com/MPF_PRRJ

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Five Things: Blogging, Christmas Services, Holiday Songs, iPhone App and a Preview

Scope out the "Patch Facts" column for Dec. 24.

• By Mark Ouellette

 

   

Upload Photos and Videos

1. Quick updates: Want to download our free iPhone app? All you have to do is visit Apple's iTunes website to download it.
2. Blog for us: We're looking for some unpaid bloggers who either live or work in Stoneham to contribute blogs to our "Local Voices" section. We'd love to have folks passionate about writing on various localized topics such as cooking, fashion, fitness, high school sports and the outdoors. We'd prefer bloggers who can contribute one blog with photo(s) per week. If interested, email Stoneham Patch Editor Mark Ouellette at mark.ouellette@patch.com and provide previous blog experience or writing samples and a resume (optional).

3. Christmas services in town: Check out our listing of churches and the various holiday services each is offering this weekend.

4. Love holiday music? Let us know what your favorite holiday song is by taking our poll and posting a comment letting us know why it's your top choice.

5. Sneak peek: Play the "Name That Place" guessing game on Sunday at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit our events calendar.

About this column: Want to know some of the things going on in the Stoneham area today? Check out our daily column on different activities happening in the community.

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Delhi court summons 21 social networking sites

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Solar energy to light up 925 forest villages in Madhya Pradesh

Bagish K Jha, TNN | Dec 24, 2011, 06.19PM IST

INDORE: It is a move that promises to dispel darkness from forest villages. The forest department has drawn up a plan to power 925 forest villages in 28 districts of the state by taking an unconventional route-- solar energy. Towards that end, solar power station will be installed in every forest village under forest village development programme.

For a power-starved state, it will be a win-win situation. For, besides being environment-friendly, it will put no burden on stretched-to-the-limit conventional energy sources in the state grappling with demand and supply deficit.

Forest minister Sartaj Singh said the project would cost Rs 350 crore. The state government, union government and Norway government each would share one third of the cost. Norway government is providing technical and financial support for programme in association with the union ministry of new and renewable energy sources.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) R K Dave said the proposal has been sent to the union ministry of new and renewable energy sources. Once approved, the government will hire a consultant for preparing a detail project report (DPR) over some five months. Thereafter, it will be implemented in a phased manner.

"We may start with a few hundred villages to begin with," said Dave, adding the project would help win confidence of villagers and get their support for forest conservation.

Officials maintain most of these villages do not have conventional power supply. Under the proposal, every village will have solar power station with solar panels. It will power street lights, houses and fans. In some cases, it will also supply power for irrigation facility.

"All economic development is centered round energy. Once villages get power it will usher in prosperity to villagers," Dave said, adding that it would ring in economic opportunities for villagers. It will reduce villagers' independence on forest.

Besides, solar energy scores over conventional power in terms of advantages. With this source of energy, there will be no risk to wildlife, source said.

In the past, there were instances of wildlife loss on account of use of conventional source of energy in the country, sources added.

Of late, the forest department in its bid to reach out to villagers, of late organised a clutch of programmes and schemes. The latest move is expected to change the lives of inhabitants of forest villages for better.

The state government, union government and Norway government each would share one third of the cost

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Happy Holidays Google Doodle Video

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'I was an atheist at eight': Ricky Gervais caught up in Twitter spat with Christians after saying he doesn't believe in God

• Poses in Jesus style on New Humanist cover

By Daniel Bates

Last updated at 9:48 PM on 23rd December 2011

Ricky Gervais has provoked the rage of fundamentalist Christians after getting into a row about God on Twitter.
The spat began when a user called GodsWordIsLaw tweeted: ‘Thank God for Christopher Hitchens’ death.’
The writer and committed atheist had died a day earlier.
Gervais replied with a sarcastic ‘Perfect’, adding: ‘This is in the world at the moment people. Can we change it a bit?’ – suggesting that intolerance was rife and  that people should adopt a less extreme stance.
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Controversial: Ricky Gervais spoke to New Humanist magazine about his views

The seemingly innocuous comment was met with a barrage of abuse from GodsWordIsLaw, who wrote: ‘Atheism is poison, may God have mercy on your soul before he dropkicks you into HELL.’
He added: ‘Ultimately it will lead to your eternal damnation. Enjoy this life because it goes fast. Next one is for ever.’

 

The fundamentalist’s attention was then drawn to the cover of the September/October 2011 edition of New Humanist magazine, which featured Gervais in a Christ-like pose with a microphone stand and the word atheist across his chest.
The tweeter was so angry that he filmed himself burning a copy of the magazine – the kind of treatment usually reserved for the American flag by radical Muslims in the Middle East.

Twitter debate: The Office star insists he is not anti-Christian, just anti-bigot

He uploaded the video to YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 300 times. Others then joined in the abuse.
Over eight days, the writer and star of The Office was branded ‘as evil as they get’ and accused of using his celebrity to ‘indoctrinate thousands of lost souls into a Godless life’.
His attackers included a Twitter user called MargieJPhelps, from extremist Christian website godhatesfags.com.
This is run by the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, which blames gay people for the deaths of U.S. servicemen.

Abuse: Ricky has been targeted by Christian fundamentalists because of his views on religion

Another of the group’s members tweeted: ‘Any you ask why did God harden Hitchens in his sins? Read: “...to show his wrath, and to make his power known...” Romans 9:22.’
In an interview with the magazine, Gervais said that he had stopped believing in God by the age of eight.
He also discussed his new project, called Afterlife, in which he plays God
Ricky reveals he plays the religious leader as 'an arrogant, wisecracking son of a b****, who thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread' in the new show.

And he says despite the touchy subject, the programme isn't meant to be taken seriously.

Unapologetic: Ricky Gervais out and about in Primrose Hill, north-west London, in jeans and donkey jacket yesterday

'He (God in the show) also loves welcoming atheists to heaven with a smug grin on his face. He likes atheists deep down though. Or rather he likes good atheists,' Ricky muses.

'He admires the fact that they were moral people even though they didn’t believe they would ever be rewarded with everlasting life. It’s not anti-religion, it’s just fun.'
In his Twitter responses, he flipped between provoking his critics and calling for peace.
In one tweet aimed at GodsWordIsLaw, who represents ‘Minnesota’s Christians for a Moral World’ and has called for a boycott of The Hobbit film because it features gay actor Sir Ian McKellen, he said he was not anti-Christian but that he was ‘anti-bigot’.
He wrote: ‘I don’t believe in ANY god. I treat all religions equally. And all good people.’
He added: ‘To all sane Christians. I know you’re not all like these evil fundamentalists. I don’t believe in your God but I believe in your kindness.’
Gervais was involved in a previous Twitter row when he used the word ‘mong’ – a derogatory term for people with learning difficulties.
He was forced to apologise after coming in for a string of criticism.
The comedian also landed himself in trouble after hosting the last two Golden Globes award ceremonies, during which he mocked a number of A-list celebrities including John Travolta.
His performances met with a huge backlash. But despite this, he has been called back to host the ceremony for a third time on January 15 next year.

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The Girl with the Drake tattoo: The rap fan who had hip hop artist's name inked onto her FOREHEAD

By Hannah Roberts

Last updated at 1:20 PM on 24th December 2011

• Comments (72)
• Share

A true fan will go to extreme lengths to prove their love for their favourite celebrity.
But while most of us settle for a copycat hair cut or a cheap imitation dress, one woman has gone the extra mile to show rapper Drake how much he means to her- by getting the hip hop star’s name tattooed across her forehead. 
The mystery woman, who has shaved eyebrows and hair, adding to the dramatic look, visited an LA based tattoo parlour to make her bold statement.

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Devoted: A mystery fan has gone the extra mile to show rapper Drake how much he means to her- by getting the hip hop star's name tattooed across her forehead

TExtreme: The woman has the tattoo done in a Los Angeles tattoo parlour

After: The woman also has shaved eyebrows, adding to the dramatic look

It is thought that the unknown fan may be responding to a lyric in one of Drake’s songs, Free Spirit, which instructs a lover or listeners to, ‘tat my name on you so I know its real’.
Photos of the bold new look found their way onto the internet and have now gone viral.
Even Toronto-based musician Drake-real name Aubrey Graham- has seen the photos, reacting in disbelief at the permanent addition to the girl’s face.

The rapper told Mando Fresko that he wants to meet her and 'understand what happened'. He said: 'That's cool. I feel you 100 %. That to me is absolutely incredible. He added: 'It was love.

Shocked: When Toronto-based musician Drake-real name Aubrey Graham- saw the photos, he threatened 'to f*** up' the tattoo artist who inked the permanent mutilation to the girl's face

The Canadian rapper then exploded in a rant against the tattoo artist.
He said: 'The guy who tatted it is a ****ing ***hole. You should lose your job and never do tattoos again.'
He even threatened to 'f*** [the tattoo artist] up'
The musician appeared visibly upset by the pictures. He added: 'It's crazy, it's surreal- I don't even want to look at it anymore.' Graham is said not to have any tattoos himself.

Justified? Kevin Campbell, the tattoo artist at LA parlour Will Rise, who is responsible for the work, has spoken out about his decision to go ahead

Meanwhile Kevin Campbell, the tattoo artist at LA parlour  Will Rise, who is responsible for the work, has spoken out about his decision to go ahead.

He said  ‘She was really psyched about it. She had the sh---y font all picked out on her iPhone ready to go and was pretty adamant about putting it on her forehead.’

Campbell, who claims he asked the woman three times if she was sure about the inking, and explained possible future consequences to her, told Vice magazine, ‘She acted as if she had planned it out for a while; though I'm not really sure how much extended coherent thought could actually go into getting such a stupid tattoo on your forehead.’

Campbell assumed because of the neighbourhood that it was a gang-related tattoo, he said

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Apple picks up legal win, a chip company, and a Grammy

by Josh Lowensohn December 24, 2011 4:00 AM PST

Welcome back to Apple Talk Weekly. We're back from hiatus with a weekly dose of the top Apple news and rumors.
Despite the holiday season being in full bore, it's been a busy week for Apple, starting with a win against HTC in its complaint to the International Trade Commission. That was followed shortly thereafter by the apparently successful purchase of an Israeli memory chipmaker, and another legal volley against Samsung in an Australian court.
There were, of course, other goings-on, like some changes to the iTunes store, talk of "prototype" Apple retail stores, and a posthumous Grammy win by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Read more about those stories, and the rest of this week's Apple happenings below.
Apple Talk Weekly rounds up of some of the top Apple-related news and rumors. It appears every Saturday morning and is curated by CNET's Apple reporter, Josh Lowensohn.
News
Apple sees victory against HTC in ITC patent case
The International Trade Commission this week ruled in favor of Apple in its complaint against HTC, alleging that the Taiwan-based company was infringing on 10 of its patents with its mobile devices. The ITC ruled that HTC was in fact, violating one of those patents, and gave the company until April of next year to comply with a software fix. Later in the week, HTC said it already a workaround for the issue ready to go. See also: HTC loses key patent battle: How does it affect you?

Anobit's mobile storage technology, now reportedly Apple's.

(Credit: Anobit)

Apple spends reported $400-500M on memory company
Israel-based flash memory maker Anobit is now owned by Apple, according to reports this week. A story from Israeli news site Calcalist says the deal has gone through, and cost Apple somewhere in the $400 million to $500 million range. The apparent acquisition should beef up Apple's in-house hardware efforts, and adds to its previous hardware acquisitions including Intrinsity and P.A. Semi.
Apple takes aim at Samsung in Australia, again
A federal court in Australia was the scene of another Apple legal volley against Samsung this week. In a hearing, Apple said Samsung was infringing on "at least 10" of its design patents with the designs of its smart phones and 10-inch Galaxy Tablet. This follows moves by Samsung to change its tablets in that market to comply with a previous Apple complaint.
Steve Jobs nabs a Grammy
Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be posthumously awarded a Grammy this year. The Recording Academy this week said that Jobs was to be given one of the organization's Special Merit Awards for helping how people consume music, TV, movies and books. Apple itself nabbed a technical Grammy in 2002 for its audio software efforts.
Apple building "prototype" store in Palo Alto
Apple is planning to give its Palo Alto, Calif., retail store a reboot as part of an upcoming construction project that will build a new store just a block away. The $3.15 million project will bring a 15,030-square-foot store to the area, which Apple says will serve as a prototype of sorts. It's the latest in a series of projects to revitalize some of Apple's retail locations.

Bought a TV show from a series? Apple now offers the option to get the whole season at a discount.

(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

Apple tweaks "complete my season" and "album" iTunes Store services
Apple made two key adjustments to its digital media store this week, the first being the quiet removal of a policy that would only give users 180 days to complete an album at a limited price after purchasing selected tracks. The second bit adds the completion feature to TV shows on iTunes, letting users subscribe to an entire season after having purchased an episode or two, without having to re-buy those same shows when purchasing a whole season.
Apple replacing overheating first-gen Nanos with new models
Despite having promised those with recalled first-generation iPod nanos replacements from the same generation, some users have been getting back Apple's latest model instead. Apple's original stance on the issue when the recall went out last month was to provide users with refurbished versions of the same model.

Rumors
Apple chatting up TV plans with media execs
A report from the Wall Street Journal earlier this week noted that Apple's been talking to a handful of media executives about TV, particularly with how it could make use of voice and physical movement. Apple is expected to debut a TV set as soon as next year. The company's current living room effort centers around its $99 set top box, the Apple TV.
Apple working on wearable Siri gadgets
Apple and Google are said to be working on gadgets that can be worn, things like wristwatches and curved glass iPods. Those details, which came from a New York Times report this week, said such ideas were still in the conceptional phase, and could tap into Apple's recently-released, iPhone 4S exclusive Siri voice assistant to become more useful.

A smaller iPad 2012? Nope says analyst.

No 7-inch iPad in 2012, analyst suggests
With a recent rumor pointing to a smaller version of the iPad being on the way, analyst Brian Blair of Wedge Partners this week told investors that such a product would be unlikely. "(Steve) Jobs was emphatic in his view that 7-inch tablets were dead on arrival, and we believe it would be unlikely to see the company test the waters in this category anytime soon," Blair wrote. As an alternative, Blair suggested that Apple would keep the iPad 2 around, like it does with previous versions of its iPhone, and selling it at a lower price point.
iPad 3 launch to coincide with birthday of Steve Jobs
A report out of Focus Taiwan this week (via 9to5Mac) claimed that Apple was pushing its suppliers hard to get the next iPad ready to go in time for the birthday anniversary of late company co-founder Steve Jobs on February 24. That included making employees at Apple's manufacturing partners avoid taking vacation during the holidays.

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FAB : ralo da piscina: Menino morre em piscina de clube da FAB em Brasília

O menino R.R.C, de 7 anos, morreu afogado na tarde de ontem, em uma das piscinas do Clube de Associados da Aeronáutica de Brasília. O acidente aconteceu por volta das 14 horas, quando as pernas do menino foram sugadas e ficaram presas no ralo da piscina. Segundo a polícia, a bomba da piscina estava ligada na hora do ocorrido. O laudo da perícia deve ficar pronto em cerca de 30 dias.
De acordo com a polícia, foi necessária a ajuda de quatro homens, que entraram na piscina para puxar a criança. As equipes dos Corpo de Bombeiros trabalharam por cerca de uma hora para reanimar o menino, que não resistiu.
Segundo o Centro de Comunicação Social da Aeronáutica, a administração do Clube colocou-se à disposição da equipe de peritos da Polícia Civil para contribuir com as investigações, que apontarão as causas do falecimento.
Em nota, o Centro de Comunicação da FAB afirma que o Primeiro Centro Integrado de Defesa Aérea e Controle de Tráfego Aéreo, onde o pai da vítima trabalha, já adotou providências de apoio à família.

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