Senin, 09 Januari 2012

Papa John's Pizza Apologized for The Racist Treatment of Employees


“We are very upset by recent receipt issue in New York & sincerely apologize to our customer. Franchise employee involved is being terminated,” Papa John’s tweeted.
This isn’t the first time a restaurant has come under fire over employees using racial or ethnic slurs on receipts.
Last month, a cashier at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Irvine, Calif., was fired after allegedly mocking Asian-American customers, ABC News Los Angeles station KABC-TV reported.
The cashier reportedly used “Ching” and “Chong” in the customer identification line on the receipts. -OLIVIA KATRANDJIAN, ABC News

"We were extremely concerned to learn of the receipt issued in New York," said the company in a statement posted on its Facebook page Saturday. "This act goes against our company values, and we've confirmed with the franchisee that this matter was addressed immediately and that the employee is being terminated. We are truly sorry for this customer's experience."
According to ProPublica spokesman Mike Webb, Cho has been a center of attention since the incident went viral.
"This blew up far beyond Minhee's expectations," Webb said in an e-mail to CNN.com. "She has reporters coming to her apartment, and that's annoying. So she wants it to blow over and she has nothing more to say." -Jason Van Hoven, International Business Times

On the receipt, under the section for customer name, an employee who took the order named the customer ‘lady chinky eyes’ in an effort to describe her.
Hundreds of people quickly retweeted the photo of the receipt by 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, when it had been viewed 25,000 times.
“I apologize,” said the unidentified restaurant manager. “I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm but some people will take it offensive.” She also said that she had an idea of who caused the incident based on the timestamp from the receipt. The manager also said that this behavior would result in disciplinary action but would not elaborate on the extent of it. -JD Journal

George Clooney, Brad Pitt expectation in Palm Springs Film Festival


One of the earliest events to sell out was the Saturday night awards gala, traditionally one of the glitziest events on the Oscar campaign trail. Pitt, Clooney, Williams and Close will be on hand, as will "The Help's" Octavia Spencer, who is receiving the breakthrough performance award. Gary Oldman will accept the international star award for his performance in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," and "Young Adult" director Jason Reitman, screenwriter Diablo Cody and cast members Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt will receive the Vanguard Award for creative ensemble.
"The honorees and presenters seem to feel more comfortable to say off-the-cuff things they wouldn't say at any other major awards show," said festival chairman Harold Matzner. "That's why we don't televise it. We really prize the natural state of the show, the fact that it is so relaxed."
The cinema of yesteryear is the focus of the festival's Archival Treasures section, which will be anchored by film historian Mark Cousins' 15-hour documentary "The Story of Film: An Odyssey," being screened over two days. Some of the movies highlighted in the documentary, including the 1958 Egyptian classic "Cairo Station" and Satyajit Ray's 1960 Bengali film "The Goddess," will also play for audiences. -Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times

Presented by Cartier and hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with honorees including George Clooney, Glenn Close, Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Jessica Chastain and the film Young Adult. -Radar Online

“Stephen Daldry has garnered international acclaim as a director, bringing his consummate skill to both the cinema and stage,” said PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner in a statement announcing the award. “ … For this haunting film [Extremely Loud"] and for all of his achievements as a 'director’s director,' the Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2012 Director of the Year Award to Stephen Daldry.”
Daldry received Best Director Academy Award nominations for his first three films, "Billy Elliot," "The Hours" and "The Reader."
The festival's Awards Gala will take place on Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Previously announced honorees include George Clooney, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Octavia Spencer, Michel Hazanavicius and director Jason Reitman, screenwriter Diablo Cody and stars Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt from "Young Adult."
The festival runs from Jan. 5 through Jan. 16 in the desert resort town east of Los Angeles. -Steve Pond, Reuters

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ascended at the red carpet of the 23rd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala, in Palm Springs, California. Al Pacino, George Clooney and a host of other stars were also seen at the Festival. -Aparajita Das, International Business Times UK

Rabu, 04 Januari 2012

Justin Timberlake's Love Adventures ended with Jessica Biel

Timberlake, a six-time Grammy winner, popped the question to Biel, 29, in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming. “Justin knows how much she loves snowboarding and the mountains, so it was the perfect place,” one insider explains.
After a brief three-month split in 2011, Biel made it clear that she wanted to spend her life with Timberlake, 30. “When they reunited, they had a conversation about taking the next step.”
Another Timberlake insider adds that he’s “never been happier” with the New Year’s Eve actress. “He knew it was the right time to propose.”
Source: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are Engaged!
http://gossiponthis.com/2012/01/04/justin-timberlake-jessica-biel-engaged/

The couple, who began dating in 2007, broke up briefly in early 2011, weeks after they attended Oscar parties together. According to the Us source, "When they reunited, they had a conversation about taking the next step." Another source close to the singer said he's "never been happier" and that "he knew it was the right time to propose."
At the time of their March 2011 split, a rep explained, "Addressing the media speculation regarding Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake's relationship, we are confirming that they mutually have decided to part ways. The two remain friends and continue to hold the highest level of love and respect for each other."
While the two got together again shortly after the breakup, they have always been plagued by speculation about their relationship, whether it be that they are breaking up or getting married.
Source: Are Justin Timberlake And Jessica Biel Engaged?, By Jocelyn Vena
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676742/justin-timberlake-jessica-biel-engaged.jhtml

Their source revealed that Justin popped the big question on the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming,stating, “Justin knows how much she loves snowboarding and the mountains, so it was the perfect place.”
They had broken up,briefly,for about three months in 2011. However,when they got back together, they had a conversation about taking the next step,and it looks like they didn’t waste anytime,taking it.
Source: Justin Timberlake Reportedly Engaged To Jessica Biel Now, by Brad
http://hwhills.com/justin-timberlake-reportedly-engaged-to-jessica-biel-now/

Ron Paul Take Point in Iowa Results

Yes, Paul’s doing better than he did last time, and he’s got lots of cash and committed followers. He could score big in caucus states such as Nevada. But his appeal to actual Republicans is limited. And he is running for the Republican nomination, after all.
“I think Ron Paul is going to be in it for a long time, but I don’t think he’s a viable national candidate,” said Iowa’s veteran GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley on Wednesday during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Just look at the Iowa entrance polls conducted by a media consortium to see Paul’s promise and problems. On the one hand, he won a plurality of men in Iowa – taking 24 percent of the male vote. He was the overwhelming favorite of young voters, winning almost half the ballots cast by people aged 18 to 29.
Source: Iowa caucus results: Where does Ron Paul go from here? (+Video)
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2012/0104/Iowa-caucus-results-Where-does-Ron-Paul-go-from-here-Video

Paul supporters downplay any suggestion that their candidate's 21-percent take in the Iowa vote was a disappointment, especially given that this is the Texas congressman's third try at the presidency.
"The campaign is talking about slow growth," said John Dennis, who lost a congressional race two years ago against then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and now is a key organizer for Paul. "People say Ron Paul can get only 21 percent and that's it. They forget the base was 10 percent four months ago, and there's very little attrition."
Dennis said Paul's aggressive retort to Gingrich was a reminder that his opponents in the race have to take him seriously.
Source: Ron Paul charges ahead after Iowa, by Carla Marinucci,Joe Holley
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/MNVH1ML2KH.DTL

So the fact that the Iowa caucuses avoided giving the gold to Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul or some other sure-to-lose candidate shows that Republicans are dead serious about beating Obama this fall. Even in Iowa, the only Republican with a chance of doing that won.
Ron Paul is not electable as president for several reasons, including that he is only a congressman, is bad on illegal immigration, favors drug legalization and is off the charts on foreign policy.
(But it would serve the rest of the world right to have Paul running the show for a term or two. Then they'd find out what it's like to be entirely on their own, protecting their own sea and air lanes, digging themselves out of their own earthquakes, getting invaded and nuked by hostile powers, having their computers hacked by terrorists and buying oil from the new Islamic caliphate. After eight years of President Paul, it would be generations before we'd hear a peep of anti-American sentiment again.)
Source: Iowa shows Republicans determined to beat Obama, by Ann Coulter
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=48571

First the “Preference Poll”, which the media will announce that the candidate with the most votes is the ‘winner’ of the Iowa Caucus. Second was the vote to send delegates from each precinct to the county convention. Few stick around for this vote, it is typically symbolic as the results of the caucus is usually binding, but not this year in Iowa. Ron Paul may not have had the plurality of ‘Preference Poll’ votes, but due to impressive caucus training, he may very well have had the most supporters stick around to become delegates to the county level, which in turn elect delegates to district, then state, and national conventions.
Now what does it mean to have a slate of Ron Paul supporting National Delegates from Iowa, probably not much. If another candidate gains the majority of delegates without Iowa’s as would happen in a typical race, the worst that could happen would be some rogue delegates changing their vote to Paul in a largely symbolic move, having no impact on the result of the race. But, if no candidate reaches 1144 delegates without Iowa’s 25 this could be a minor component to the perfect storm.
Source: Perfect Storm for Brokered Republican Convention? Ron Paul May Play Kingmaker, by Dustin Krutsinger
http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/2012/01/perfect-storm-for-brokered-republican-convention-ron-paul-may-play-kingmaker/

Dan Savage give Rick Santorum Serious Problem

Readers of Savage’s column, “Savage Love,” have spent years clicking on the site to move it to the top of Google’s results for a search of Santorum’s name. Some commentors have joked that Santorum may only be running for president in the hopes that new stories about him will lead to more flattering Google results.
Santorum, who served two terms as a Pennsylvania senator before being defeated in 2006, was unknown to many national voters before he finished a very close second to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Iowa. The successful finish suddenly and dramatically raised his national profile, and he was the second-highest search term on Google Wednesday morning.
Source: Rick Santorum still haunted by Google problem despite strong showing in Iowa, By Tim Molloy
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/04/rick-santorum-still-haunted-by-google-problem-despite-strong-showing-in-iowa/

The website was put up by Dan Savage in 2003 in response to comments you made about gay marriage. It quickly went viral, and it’s been stuck at the top of Google‘s indexes ever since. The site also hosts a blog where users discuss your stance on gay rights. Savage has now threatened to redefine “Rick,” too, if you run an anti-gay campaign in 2012.
Google has refused to alter the “Santorum” result because it’s an accurate reflection of search traffic and SEO.
“Google’s search results are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the web,” a Google spokesperson said. “Users who want content removed from the Internet should contact the webmaster of the page directly. Once the webmaster takes the page down from the web, it will be removed from Google’s search results through our usual crawling process. We do not remove content from our search results, except in very limited cases such as illegal content and violations of our webmaster guidelines.”
Savage’s site went viral on its own steam and tampering with their indexes would go against Google’s policies.
Source: Dear Rick Santorum: 6 Ways to Fix Your Google Problem, by Alex Fitzpatrick
http://mashable.com/2012/01/04/rick-santorum-google-problem/

Years ago, Santorum drew the ire of popular blogger Dan Savage by making some unsavory comments regarding the gay community. During an interview where he stated the position that consenting adults have no expectation of privacy, Santorum equated homosexuality to bigamy and incest. He also made some comments relating homosexuality to bestiality, although he has maintained that the were taken out of context.
Either way, Savage and some other activists were less than pleased. They launched a campaign to redefine the definition of the word “Santorum.” Through SEO tactics and link-trading, they were able to push a website called spreadingsantorum.com to the very top of the Google search results for “Rick Santorum.”
Source: Rick Santorum’s Google Problem Is Not Simply A Google Problem, by Josh Wolford
http://www.webpronews.com/rick-santorums-google-problem-is-not-simply-a-google-problem-2012-01

Santorum has reportedly asked Google to eradicate the revolting search result to no avail. But his Iowa success, the resulting searches of his name, and people clicking on other sites besides “SpreadingSantorum.com” have helped to flush the “ frothy mix” farther down the page:
A Wikipedia entry and Santorum’s own website surged to the top along with the candidate. The general Google rule of thumb is that people tend to click on the first or second link that comes up in a search.
Source: Rick Santorum's Iowa Performance Helps His 'Google Problem'
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/01/04/rick-santorums-iowa-performance-helps-his-google-problem/

Jon Huntsman Gave Criticism to Mitt Romney in His Political Campaign

"You're going to have a choice this election cycle. The establishment is going to tee up Mitt Romney and they’re going to say there’s your guy," Huntsman said at a town hall meeting at Manchester's public service utility. "But you know what? This nation can’t afford a status quo president."
Hours after Romney appeared elsewhere in Manchester with 2008 GOP nominee and two-time New Hampshire primary winner John McCain, Huntsman said his rival's support from dozens of Washington lawmakers showed he was not the candidate of change.
Source: Jon Huntsman says Mitt Romney would be 'status quo president', By Michael A. Memoli
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-huntsman-manchester-20120104,0,7582764.story

McCain is no darling of the right, but at this point Romney is concerned about two things: winning convincingly in New Hampshire, and making sure he faces in South Carolina a divided field of conservatives and no real competition for moderate voters. In other words, he wants to bury Jon Huntsman in New Hampshire, and if possible, to slow down the Rick Santorum train.
The first of these aims seems doable. The Suffolk University tracking poll of likely voters in New Hampshire’s primary reports: “Huntsman dropped three points, from 10 percent yesterday to 7 percent today. [Ron] Paul dropped two points, from 16 percent to 14 percent, despite a third-place finish in Iowa last night. The poll showed Romney maintaining his lead with 43 percent of the vote, followed by Paul (14 percent), Newt Gingrich (9 percent), Jon Huntsman (7 percent), while Rick Santorum (6 percent), fresh off an impressive Iowa Caucus second-place showing, managed to climb another point and is now within striking distance of third place.”
Source: Mitt Romney’s plan for New Hampshire: Burying Jon Huntsman, By Jennifer Rubin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/mitt-romneys-plan-for-new-hampshire-burying-jon-huntsman/2012/01/04/gIQADMutaP_blog.html

Mr. Huntsman's strategy relies on New Hampshire voters who are unaligned with either party, who make up 43% of the electorate, said Andrew Smith, associate professor of political science who directs the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
But while these voters are called "undeclared," most of them vote Republican, he said. So by failing to sound conservative themes, Mr. Huntsman "didn't define himself as a mainstream Republican and pitched his campaign to a bloc of voters which isn't large enough to get him a win in New Hampshire," Mr. Smith said.
Source: Clock Ticks for Huntsman in New Hampshire, By ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204331304577141152281667404.html

Hoping to establish a competitive position once the Republican presidential primary contest shifts its focus from Iowa to New Hampshire, Jon Huntsman sharply criticized Mitt Romney on Tuesday, saying the frontrunner would be an agent for Wall Street and protector of the status quo if elected.
In an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post, the former Utah governor challenged Romney to prove his independence from the financial sector's biggest players.
Source: Jon Huntsman: Mitt Romney Would Be An Agent For The Big Banks, by Sam Stein
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/03/jon-huntsman-mitt-romney-wall-street-banks_n_1182005.html

DASH Diet, Favourite Diet Plan for 2012

A 2008 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that among 88,517 women who were followed for 24 years, the DASH diet was associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke in middle age.
Weight Watchers ranked high as well, voted best weight-loss diet, best commercial diet plan and easiest diet to follow. Weight Watchers also came out ahead in a September 2011 study in the journal the Lancet, in which 772 overweight and obese adults were randomly assigned to be treated by a doctor, or to Weight Watchers. Those in the Weight Watchers program lost about twice as much as those under a doctor's care.
Source: The DASH diet ranks best overall in U.S. News Best Diets 2012, By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-diet-rankings-us-news-20120104,0,7350402.story

The diet is not new among doctors. In fact, they have been studying the results of this diet since 2008 and they have discovered that it brings numerous benefits to its practitioners. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 88,517 women who were followed for 24 years managed to lower the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke in middle age thanks to the DASH diet.
The diet is good for many other reasons not just healthy ones. It was also voted the best weight-loss diet, best commercial diet plan and easiest diet to follow. Weight Watchers have also provided many examples of people who have lost considerable weight thanks to DASH. In September 2011, Weight Watchers published a report showing that obese adults who have followed DASH have lost twice as much as those under a doctor's care.
Source: The DASH diet – the best U.S. diet of 2012, by Angel Libby
http://www.dailygossip.org/the-dash-diet-the-best-u-s-diet-of-2012-2135

The Dash Diet took the prize for best overall again this year, while Weight Watchers earned best weight-loss category status.
The panel of 22 experts ranked 25 popular diets overall, based on seven categories: short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, easy to follow, nutrition, safety, diabetes and heart health. The fruit- and veggie-heavy Dash Diet contains many of the components nutrition experts have been telling people to focus on for years: eat whole grains and nuts, avoid sugars, fats and red meat.
Source: Dash Diet, Weight Watchers, named top diets, By Cara Kelly
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/dash-diet-weight-watchers-named-top-diets/2012/01/04/gIQA8Iv6aP_blog.html

The DASH Diet book has been praised by dieticians and everyday calorie counters as an easy program to understand.
"The DASH Diet is sensible, healthy and effective," one dieter gushed on the web site's reader feedback section. "The book is easy to read, understand and follow."
Another reviewer praised the book for showing portion sizes for different calorie levels, something she'd struggled with in the past. "This was the first diet that made any sense," she wrote.
Source: DASH Diet: 5 Things to Know About No. 1 Diet Plan of 2012, By Melanie Jones
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/276570/20120104/dash-diet-best-plan-2012-things-know.htm

Senin, 02 Januari 2012

Rick Santorum Fight Against Gay Marriage

In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd at his campaign headquarters in Iowa, Santorum said there needs to be one marriage law for all 50 states. When asked if he would make same-sex couples get divorced, he responded, "Well their marriage would be invalid. If the constitution says 'marriage is this,' then people whose marriages are not consistent with the constitution ... (shrug.) I'd love to think that there was another way of doing it."
Santorum said he has hesitations about the Supreme Court taking the decision about marriage away from the people. "32 times marriage has been voted on, in 32 different states from Maine to California, and 32 times marriage has won," he said. But later in the interview Santorum acknowledged that "just because public opinion says something, doesn't mean something's right if it's not right."
(Rick Santorum Would 'Invalidate' Gay Marriages)

When Chuck Todd asked, “Do you think marriage is going to be a state issue?” Santorum answered: “I think marriage has to be one thing for everybody. We can't have 50 different marriage laws in this country, you have to have one marriage law.”
“What would you do with same-sex couples who got married?” Todd asked. “Would you make them get divorced?”
“Well, their marriages would be invalid. I think if the constitution says, 'Marriage is this,' then people whose marriage is not consistent with the constitution.”
Santorum added that he wanted to be “tolerant” but he could not ignore the “real consequences” of marriage equality.
(Rick Santorum Would Annul All Marriages Of Gay Couples, By On Top Magazine)

"Well, their marriage would be invalid," Santorum said. "If the constitution says 'marriage is this,' then people whose marriages are not consistent with the constitution...I'd love to think that there was another way of doing it."
Santorum pointed out that people in 32 states have voted against allowing gay marriage, even though courts and lawmakers have approved it.
When asked whether "the people" were always right, Santorum said: "Just because public opinion says something, doesn't mean something's right if it's not right."
(Rick Santorum pulls ahead in Iowa polls, threatens to 'invalidate' gay marriages, by GoPride)

The Family Leader, a conservative group that Mr. Vander Plaats formed after losing the Republican governor’s race in Iowa last year, narrowed its choices last month to Mr. Santorum, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former House speaker Newt Gingrich.
Bob Vander Plaats and all the other people associated with The Family Leader are obviously people who, not care deeply about repressing the all-encompassing encroachment of secularism, but also spend a lot of time and energy studying and ultimately becoming fearful the effects of the homosexual lifestyle on the American family. So, it makes perfect sense that they would want to throw their weight behind a candidate who shared their worldview.
And, I'm sorry, but for my money, there's no candidate who screams "fearful" "repressed" and "homosexual" like Rick Santorum.
(Anti-Gay Candidate Rick Santorum Somehow Nabs Valuable Anti-Gay Endorsement)

Obama Signed a Wide-ranging Defense Bill into Law

Those provisions raise serious about the patriotism, judgment and dedication to democracy of Congress and the President, according to many critics because they have forsaken commitment to protecting the individual liberties guaranteed in the Constitution.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch said: “By signing this defense spending bill, President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law.”
Congressman Ron Paul, the leading Republican presidential contender in Iowa, told voters there that sanctions against Iran are “acts of war” that are likely to lead to an actual war.
(Obama Stokes War vs. Iran & American Ideals)

In a statement accompanying his signature, the president chastised some lawmakers for what he contended was their attempts to use the bill to restrict the ability of counterterrorism officials to protect the country.
Administration officials said Obama was only signing the measure because Congress made minimally acceptable changes that no longer challenged the president's terrorism-fighting ability.
"Moving forward, my administration will interpret and implement the provisions described below in a manner that best preserves the flexibility on which our safety depends and upholds the values on which this country was founded," Obama said in the signing statement.
Signing statements allow presidents to raise constitutional objections to circumvent Congress' intent. During his campaign for the White House, Obama criticized President George W. Bush's use of signing statements and promised to make his application of the tool more transparent.
(Obama signs defense bill despite 'serious reservations', By Julie Pace)

“The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it,” the president said in a prepared statement. “I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists.”
Such provisions in NDAA extend to detainment of U.S. citizens who are members of al-Qaeda or “associated factions.”
The NDAA also seeks to suspend 60 percent of $1.1 billion in counterinsurgency aid to Pakistan, as the State and Defense departments reassess the country’s effectiveness in counterterrorism, specifically the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IED).
The bill authorizes $662 billion in spending to fund the military through 2012. It also provides for sanctions against foreign financial firms that purchase Iranian oil, and penalize Iran’s central bank as part of an effort to toughen sanctions against the country in response to its expansion of nuclear development
(President Signs Controversial Defense Act, By Jim Fogarty)

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd R) arrives back at the White House, on December 20, 2011 in Washington, DC. Obama signed into law the controversial National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Saturday. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Hunt Bigfoot, Legendary Creatures

“Even though this area of the Hudson River Valley is fairly populated and not terribly far from the urban New York City, there is still a lot of forest here,” BFRO founder Matt Moneymaker said in a press release announcing the new season. “And a lot of vegetation to support something like a sasquatch.”
In the episode, the team heads to the Catskills Mountains to provide analysis of video footage from 1997 indicating that perhaps a young sasquatch had been in the area. They interview locals for possible tips and hold a night mission in an attempt to find the baby bigfoot under cloak of darkness — think of it as Paranormal Activity 3 with primates (sorta). During the rest of the season, the crew will visit New Mexico, Minnesota’s Moose Lake, rural Rhode Island, Virginia and state parks in Ohio and Indiana, all in the name of sasquatch science.
(Finding Bigfoot Scours New York for Sasquatch, By Angela Watercutter)

From left, Cliff Barackman, James Fay, Ranae Holland and Matt Moneymaker in a scene from “Finding Bigfoot.”

For those who have missed the back story, Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is a legendary large apelike creature who some believe lives in woodlands all around the world, but is so secretive and clever that no human has ever captured a specimen.
Or touched one. Or found a corpse. Or taken a clear picture.
Yet the BFRO, and other believers, have put together an FBI-style profile of Bigfoot, detailing pretty much his whole life.
Bigfoot is curious, for instance. If you make a certain kind of sound, Bigfoot will come around to investigate.
Just not when you can actually see him.
So this program, like countless other documentation on the hunt for Bigfoot, is really about the process, or, more to the point, the strength of the faith among Bigfoot believers.
They have long since stopped discussing whether he exists. That’s a given. Finding him at this stage feels like it would be a nice bonus, but long ago stopped being necessary.
The Bigfoot expedition documented in the first of this second season’s 10 episodes follows a familiar pattern.
(‘Finding Bigfoot’: Believing in Sasquatch may be more vital than finding him, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS )




The crew also convenes a town meeting across the Hudson in Pawling, N.Y., in Dutchess County, where residents, Mr. Barackman explains, “are exactly the kind of people who might be encountering sasquatches every once in a while on their own property.”
The investigators invite those who attend to relate their sightings of Bigfoot or Bigfoot tracks, and quite a few do. By plotting the locations of these sightings, the investigators determine that the beasts seem to hang out in the vicinity of the Appalachian Trail.
“We think the Bigfoots use that as their highway,” Mr. Moneymaker says.
The team sets up nighttime surveillance in the woods in hopes of meeting some Bigfoots, bellowing an occasional sasquatch call — a cross between a police siren and an ill baby — through the hills to try to get the creatures interested in a rendezvous. As is usual for this absurd but delightfully addictive show, Mr. Moneymaker’s crew does not capture a Bigfoot, either on film or in the flesh. But the investigators nonetheless amass almost irrefutable evidence that the Catskills and Dutchess County are crawling with the critters: ¶When Mr. Pridgen appears on camera, the identifying label under his name says, “New York Bigfoot Witness.” Same thing for a couple of Pawling residents who describe sightings. Would Animal Planet, which has brought us rigorously scientific shows like “Hillbilly Handfishin’ ” and “Rat Busters NYC,” allow someone to be called a “Bigfoot Witness” on TV if he had not witnessed a Bigfoot? Seems unlikely.
(Finding Bigfoot, Be Wary of Bobo, Sasquatch, By NEIL GENZLINGER)




A Russian government official also confirmed a live female Yeti had been captured after the footage showed the beast attacking a sheep and then running away.
But as news of the incredible sighting spread across Russia and the video went viral on internet – including YouTube — the story was exposed as a hoax.
The Federal Security Bureau was forced to investigate the claims but denied it had caught the beast. An FSB official said: "News agencies distributed the information without checking the facts. It's a hoax.
"No such creature has been found here."
(Proof of Bigfoot? Not Yeti)

Minggu, 01 Januari 2012

Exxon accept around 908 Million from Venezuela

"They must be elated that they got off so cheap. It's certainly a happy new year for Venezuela," said Russ Dallen, head bond trader at investment bank Caracas Capital Markets.
"But what gives Exxon hope is that it's only the first of two arbitration proceedings."
An Exxon spokesman said in an e-mail on Sunday that the International Chamber of Commerce, or ICC, had ruled that Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, "does have a contractual liability to Exxon Mobil. The ICC award is for $907,588,000."
(Exxon wins less than expected from Venezuela dispute)

Exxon Mobil said the International Chamber Of Commerce had determined that the state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA "does have a contractual liability to Exxon Mobil.”
The company said the award is for $907,588,000.
Exxon Mobil has not publicly revealed how much it was seeking in compensation from Venezuela for the 2007 nationalization of a crude oil project in Venezuela’s Orinoco belt.
The Reuters news agency said Exxon Mobil had sought as much as $10 billion, and Venezuela had earlier offered $1 billion.
(Exxon Mobil Awarded $908 Million)

Exxon has said that it invested around $750 million into the Cerro Negro facility. The company reduced its claim to $7 billion from an initial claim of $12 billion.
Despite the smaller-than-expected compensation for Exxon, the money is still a substantial chunk of change for PdVSA, which posted a net profit of $4 billion during the first six months of 2011. The Venezuelan oil monopoly has faced declining oil production and cash flow problems in recent years as Chavez diverts large portions of revenue toward social projects, which critics say has resulted in insufficient investments into maintenance.
Earlier this year, Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said his government planned to pay no more than a total of $2.5 billion between its arbitration cases with Exxon and ConocoPhillips. Fellow oil major Chevron Corp., the second-largest U.S. oil company, decided to accept PdVSA's majority stake and remained in Venezuela.
(Venezuela Seen Getting Off 'Lightly' In $908 Million Exxon Payment)

“Exxon took a risk when they went in. I’m sure they were expecting more than just making their money back,” Dallen said, adding that it will be hard to reach a definitive conclusion about what the decision means until more details are released.
The Exxon spokesman told ­Reuters that the company was still reviewing the more-than-400-page ruling.
In 2007, Venezuela bought back $630 million in bonds issued to finance the Cerro Negro project, which Dallen said may have figured into the calculation of the award.
Local analyst Asdrubal Oliveros of Ecoanalitica estimated the value of Exxon assets in Venezuela at $4.5 billion.
Conoco Phillips was an investor in two of the four Orinoco upgrader projects. Exxon and Conoco, which had in total asked for as much as $40 billion in compensation, both left the country after the nationalizations.
(Exxon awarded $908 million to compensate for Venezuelan nationalization)