China?s 10 Most Wanted Smartphones ? Great News for Android, Not So Much for iPhone

Smartphone growth and usage continued to accelerate in China in 2011 ? but which phones do Chinese consumers most want to buy? QQ Tech looked at the most popular product searches for such devices on all the major search engines, and compiled this top ten list. The results are awesome news for Android ? which runs on seven of the ten ? and offer a glimmer of hope to Nokia. But the iPhone is not the one sitting on the throne.

Note that this method is better than taking a poll, as asking an invited audience for their opinions can be very self-selecting and reductive. So by taking these stats from popular product searches, we get a free-form and realistic view of what Chinese consumers are keen to buy with their own money. Of course, that doesn?t translate into sales, but it gives a good picture of which smartphones are the most likely to be parting cash from consumers.

So here, in reverse order, is the top ten:

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10th. Lenovo A60

Lenovo (HKG:0992) smartphones won?t be too familiar to overseas readers, but they?ve been a low-end to mid-range mainstay in China for years. This A60 is one of the better efforts, with Android 2.3.3 and a 3.5-inch HVGA screen. Lenovo?s custom UI, with those huge round icons, is not exactly classy though. But it seems plenty of Chinese netizens are keen to read-up on the phone with a view to buying it. Afterall, with a China Unicom (NYSE:CHU; HKG:0762) subsidy, it?s a cheap ticket to the smartphone club, costing just under 1,000 RMB (US$158).

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9th. Meizu MX

Another local kid makes the list, as Shenzhen manufacturer Meizu generates a lot of hype and excitement for its newest MX. The Meizu MX comes with a highly-customized Android 2.3.5 (which it now calls Flyme OS) which looks good on its 4.0-inch screen and is powered by its dual-core processor. The screen is higher-res than many others on the list, at 960 by 640 pixels. Starting at 2999 RMB for the 16GB version, this could be a headache for the more established brands in 2012.

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8th. Motorola Defy (ME525+)

Despite Motorola (NYSE:MMI) pushing some high-end business-oriented handsets in China, its cheaper phones are proving to be of interest too. This ME525+ runs Android 2.3.4, has a 3.7-inch screen, and costs about 1,900 to 2,200 RMB.

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7th. HTC Wildfire S

And now things get a bit lame, with the ridiculously under-powered Wildfire S from HTC (TPE:2498) ? known as the G13 in China ? with its small, low-resolution screen that makes it obsolete and unable to run a lot of newer, funkier apps.

Despite running the older Android 2.2 OS, its small form-factor combined with the Sense UI makes this pretty popular around here. It costs about 1,300 on the grey-import market, but it?s a very bad deal via more official channels where it costs 2,000+ RMB.

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6th. Samsung Galaxy SII

Samsung?s (005930:KS) new flagship ? dubbed the i9100 around here ? is the impressive follow-up to the best-selling original Galaxy S. In a recent analytics report, we found that the first version was now the most popular single Android phone model in China, usurping the HTC Desire. But, frustratingly, it seems Samsung might deny all those consumers an upgrade to Android 4.0, which ought to be the decent thing to do for a mere year-old phone. Shame on you, Sammie!

Anyway, Chinese consumers seem to like the TouchWiz UI and other local customization such as a Chinese app store which accepts local payment methods. The Galaxy SII is currently about 3,400 RMB on the grey-import market.

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5th. Nokia N9

Halfway through the list, and we finally encounter Nokia (HEL:NOK1V; NYSE:NOK). This beautiful-looking device seems popular in product searches, though I?m very skeptical that this will translate to sales once people realise it runs a moribund OS ? MeeGo ? for which there are few games or apps. The 16GB models costs about 3,500 RMB in most gadget malls, although the official local price is a not-so-reasonable 4,888 RMB.

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4th. HTC Sensation XE

HTC?s most impressive release this year was perhaps the Sensation XE, which launched in China last month with all the usual Beats ephemera such as branded in-ear headphones and better music software. Its 4.3-inch qHD screen was a welcome feature, as Android phones were so slow to rise to the challenge of Apple?s ?retina screen? iPhone. The 1.5GHz dual-core phone, complete with the updated Sense 3.5 UI, costs about 3,500 RMB on unofficial sales channels.

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3rd. Apple iPhone 4

Daddy?s home! Yes, Apple?s (NASDAQ:AAPL) ubiquitous iPhone makes the list of popular product searches, but only in third place. With the iPhone 4S still not on sale here officially, it seems the older but aesthetically identical previous model is still in vogue. The 8GB model costs 4,000 RMB when schlepped over the border tax-free from Hong Kong, or 4,500 RMB direct from Apple or China Unicom.

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2nd. Nokia N8

Grandpa?s home! Pull up a comfy chair, make a mug of hot chocolate, and get out the medication ? because Symbian has just arrived on our list. The creaky old OS is still soldiering on in Nokia?s N8, which is proving popular amongst those who?re familiar with Symbian and its still significant catalog of apps and services.

There have been a lot of bad omens for Nokia in China this year, but the interest in the N8 is a ray of hope at a time when middle-income Chinese have been turning to Android smartphones and the iPhone. The N8 costs about 1,800 RMB.

---

1st. Xiaomi M1

Regular readers of PO won?t be too surprised to find the much talked about dual-core, Android-powered Xiaomi phone at the top of the list of searches in 2011. It launched with a bang and a breath-taking price tag ? just 1,999 RMB ? back in August of this year, and ends the year being talked about in the Chinese tech press pretty much everyday, snagging a supply deal with China Unicom, and attracting a further US$90 million in funding ? some of which is coming from Yuri Milner?s own pocket.

In October, we dropped into Xiaomi HQ in Beijing to get a hands-on demo of the phone on the same day that it hit shelves across China; here?s the video:

[Hat-tip to QQ Tech news (article in Chinese) for collating the list data; Motorola Defy image from Whatmobile.net, and the Lenovo one from Zol.com.cn]

Source: http://www.penn-olson.com/2011/12/30/china-top-10-smartphones/

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Facebook Started Saturating The US Market In 2011

Most third party web measurement firms have provided a regular drumbeat of good growth news for Facebook over the years, as the company has gained tens of millions of users in the US and around the world. But now the social network appears to be reaching market saturation among internet users in some of its early key markets. Instead ?of raw user growth, the numbers to watch the most closely will be around engagement. The saturation trend has become especially obvious in 2011 here in the US, its first and most important market. The graph below shows Facebook traffic from July of 2009 through the most recent numbers I could find from all publicly available data sources, including comScore, Compete, Quantcast, Nielsen, and Facebook's own advertising tool (which provides rough reach estimates for advertisers buying targeted ads on the site).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TB9tPRhDHF0/

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Who is more evil Apple or Google?

My brother refuses to use any of Google's services saying that that are evil.

But he sticks to his Apple products like glue and defends Apple to the core.

I use Google quite extensively.

Is he right? Or is Apple the more evil?

(Asking webOS users for impartial opinions!)

__________________
Pilot 5000 > Pre > Pre2 > Pre3 > Galaxy Nexus
TouchPad > Galaxy Tab 8.9

Source: http://forums.webosnation.com/off-topic/309553-who-more-evil-apple-google.html

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Exxon Mobil deal hikes tension in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) ? An oil exploration deal between U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil and Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region is fueling political tensions in a country where a post-U.S.-troop withdrawal spike in violence and political turmoil is clouding the climate for foreign investments sorely needed by Iraq.

Baghdad's anger over the deal highlights the long-simmering power struggle between the Kurdish and central governments. The dispute is building momentum as Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki faces criticism over his stewardship of a country where, years after the 2003 U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein, development remains a distant dream for millions.

The deal "will certainly contribute to further complicating the relationship" between the Kurds and Baghdad, said Gala Riani, Middle East and North Africa Regional Manager at the London-based IHS Global Insight.

It "may also raise tensions in border areas which have already become more restive as a result of the withdrawal of the U.S. troops," he said.

While the Kurds have sought control over the oil within their northern territory, Baghdad insists the resource should overseen by the central government. About 30 percent of Iraq's 143.1 billion barrels of proven reserves of conventional crude sit in the Kurdish region.

The dispute has festered unresolved since the U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. Parliament has failed to signed off on a draft national oil law on sharing the resources since 2007, angering the Kurds and making foreign majors leery of investing. Baghdad's last two international oil licensing auctions drew limited interest by deep-pocketed firms like Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP PLC.

Under the Kurdish deal, Exxon Mobil, would explore for crude in six patches in northern Iraq, including land claimed by both the Kurds and Arabs in northern Ninevah province.

More broadly, the issue of the disputed territory, which stretches from across the country from the Syrian border to the Iranian border, is one of Iraq's most nagging post-Saddam era problems. American forces for years acted as a buffer between the Kurds and Arabs in the area by building partnerships between Iraqi army forces and their Kurdish counterparts known as the peshmerga. But after the U.S. troops' withdrawal, officials warn violence could flare there.

Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni Arab nationalist from Ninevah and an outspoken opponent to Kurdish land ambitions, called the granting of the exploration blocs an "unacceptable violation" of Ninevah's administrative boundaries and demanded it be annulled. Opposition to the Kurds' moves is one of the few things that unite Sunni Arabs and the Shiite parties that dominate the Baghdad government.

A day earlier, a Ninevah provincial delegation to Baghdad files an official complaint to the government, according to provincial councilman Abdul-Rahim al-Shimmari.

Baghdad and the Kurdish government have already nearly come to blows over oil fields in this disputed region. In 2008, a 24-hour standoff developed between their respective security forces over a section of an oil field in Kirkuk, an ethnically-mixed area the Kurds want to annex.

Baghad warns it could punish Exxon Mobil and that the company's existing contracts could be in jeopardy. But so far it has taken no punitive measures.

Many analysts doubt that it will, considering Baghdad's profound need for foreign investment.

Outside the Kurdish zone, Exxon Mobil and Shell are already developing one of Iraq's biggest oil fields, the 8.6 billion-barrel West Qurna Stage 1 field in southern Basra province. Exxon Mobil is also expected to lead a multibillion dollar project in Basra, a Shiite stronghold, that will help make available the water needed for oil development.

Baghdad's oil policy is not a "long-term sustainable program that would attract foreign capital into Iraq," said Fadel Gheit, chief economist with Oppenheimer & Co.

Although Iraq sits atop the world's fourth largest proven reserves of conventional crude, decades of sanctions, war, sabotage and negligence have battered the sector that generates about 95 percent of the government's foreign revenues. Iraq hopes to boost its output to 12 million barrels per day by 2017 from about 3 million a day now. Such a surge will only be possible with help from foreign majors.

Despite its oil resources, electricity remains spotty, at best, years after Saddam's ouster and the country faces chronic problems with unemployment and private sector growth largely because of daily violence and rampant corruption.

Western companies have so far been wary of significant investments in a country where violence has recently spiked, and where tensions are growing between Sunnis and Shiites.

During the last two international licensing rounds, Western majors expressed little appetite, and Baghdad signed contracts with a host of state-run companies from China, Angola, Algeria and others. Few of those companies are seen as having the capital or experience of the Exxons or Shells of the world.

Exxon Mobil has not commented on the deal since it was announced by the Kurds in mid-November. Officials from the company did not respond to requests for comment.

If the deal goes forward, it would be an enormous vote of confidence for the Kurds' oil policy and could open the door for other majors to jump in.

"This is a further step for the Kurds' autonomy in the federated Iraq," Theodore Karasik, an analyst at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis said.

For the company, the deal's benefits are obvious. It allows Exxon Mobil to retain a share of the profits from the oil produced while the service contracts offered by Baghdad provide the firms with a flat fee per barrel of oil produced for their services.

The Kurds win the coup of netting a major company. They have unilaterally signed scores of oil deals, mostly with mid-sized companies. Baghdad considers all of these deals illegal and has blacklisted the companies involved.

The Kurds and Exxon Mobil appear to be betting the Baghdad government will be forced to acquiesce.

They "are now in a position where they could essentially force Baghdad to accept the status quo and the two separate regulatory systems that exist in the country," said Riani.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-28-ML-Iraq-Oil-Tension/id-c8aed3d9d5d74c34a5743b56ae270029

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US warns Iran against closing key oil passage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world's oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country's crude exports.

The increasingly heated exchange raises new tensions in a standoff that has the potential to spark military reprisals and spike oil prices to levels that could batter an already fragile global economy.

Iran's navy chief said Wednesday that it would be "very easy" for his country's forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about 15 million barrels of oil pass daily. It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran's concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country's biggest source of revenue, oil.

"Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV, as the country was in the midst of a 10-day military drill near the strategic waterway.

The comments drew a quick response from the U.S.

"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."

Separately, Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

Rebarich declined to say whether the U.S. force had adjusted its presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran's comments, but said the Navy "maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region's vital links to the international community."

Iran's threat to seal off the Gulf, surrounded by oil-rich Gulf states, reflect its concerns over the prospect that the Obama administration will impose sanctions over its nuclear program that would severely hit its biggest revenue source. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, pumping about 4 million barrels a day.

Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.

Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of over 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages.

What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move the oil to markets if Iran goes through with its threat.

About 15 million barrels per day pass through the Hormuz Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

There are some pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be.

The Saudi official's comment, however, appeared to allay some concerns. The U.S. benchmark crude futures contract fell $1.98 by the close of trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but still hovered just below $100 per barrel.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as "rhetoric," saying, "we've seen these kinds of comments before."

While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation will come to that. Nor do they believe that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the Strait because doing so would further damage Iran's own economy.

Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior.

U.S. officials have not said whether there is a concrete response plan in place should Iran seek to block the Strait. But the administration has long said it is comfortable with the U.S. Naval presence in the region, indicating that the U.S. could respond rapidly if needed.

The White House has been largely silent on Iran's threat, underscoring the administration's belief that responding at the White House level would only encourage Iran.

While many analysts believe that Iran's warnings are little more than posturing, they still highlight both the delicate nature of the oil market, which moves as much on rhetoric as supply and demand fundamentals.

Iran relies on crude sales for about 80 percent of its public revenues, and sanctions or even a pre-emptive measure by Tehran to withhold its crude from the market would already batter its flailing economy.

IHS Global Insight analyst Richard Cochrane said in a report Wednesday that markets are "jittery over the possibility" of Iran's blockading the strait. But "such action would also damage Iran's economy, and risk retaliation from the U.S. and allies that could further escalate instability in the region."

"Accordingly, it is not likely to be a decision that the Iranian leadership will take lightly," he said.

Earlier sanctions targeting the oil and financial sector added new pressures to the country's already struggling economy. Government cuts in subsidies on key goods like food and energy have angered Iranians, stoking inflation while the country's currency steadily depreciates.

The impetus behind the subsidies cut plan, pushed through parliament by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was to reduce budget costs and would pass money directly to the poor. But critics have pointed to it as another in a series of bad policy moves by the hardline president.

So far, Western nations have been unable to agree on sanctions targeting oil exports, even as they argue that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear program ? already the subject of several rounds of sanctions ? is purely peaceful.

The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that penalizes foreign firms that do business with the Iran Central Bank, a move that would heavily hurt Iran's ability to export crude. European and Asian nations use the bank for transactions to import Iranian oil.

President Barack Obama has said he will sign the bill despite his misgivings. China and Russia have opposed such measures.

Sanctions specifically targeting Iran's oil exports would likely temporarily spike oil prices to levels that could weigh heavily on the world economy.

Closing the Strait of Hormuz would hit even harder. Energy consultant and trader The Schork Group estimated crude would jump to above $140 per barrel. Conservatives in Iran claim global oil prices will jump to $250 a barrel should the waterway be closed.

By closing the strait, Iran may aim to send the message that its pain from sanctions will also be felt by others. But it has equally compelling reasons not to try.

The move would put the country's hardline regime straight in the cross-hairs of the world, including nations that have so far been relative allies. Much of Iran's crude goes to Europe and to Asia.

"Shutting down the strait ... is the last bullet that Iran has and therefore we have to express some doubt that they would do this and at the same time lose their support from China and Russia," said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.

Iran has adopted an aggressive military posture in recent months in response to increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel of possible military action to stop Iran's nuclear program.

The Iranian navy's exercises, which began on Saturday, involve submarines, missile drills, torpedoes and drones. A senior Iranian commander said Wednesday that the country's navy is also planning to test advanced missiles and "smart" torpedoes during the maneuvers.

The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea and could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area.

The moderate news website, irdiplomacy.ir, says the show of strength is intended to send a message to the West that Iran is capable of sealing off the waterway.

"The war games ... are a warning to the West that should oil and central bank sanctions be stepped up, (Iran) is able to cut the lifeblood of the West and Arabs," it said, adding that the West "should regard the maneuvers as a direct message."

___

El-Tablawy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, Julie Pace in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Abdullah Shihri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-28-ML-Iran-Oil/id-640496e272944a559614bf7d80a1678e

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Urgently looking for AVP FLEX Developer Mumbai India

Urgently looking for AVP FLEX Developer Mumbai India

Huxley Associates is seeking senior level developer with strong hands-on experience in FLEX 3 or 4 for one of its investment banking clients in Mumbai India to work on highly visible products in equities technology currently, with lot of business focus and commitment behind it.

Responsibilities:

1) Candidate would be working on fast-paced, highly visible and very challenging project, and would be expected to be self-starter, and someone who loves technology in general and excels when challenged.

Skills Required:

1) Strong Adobe FLEX 4.0 or 3.0, Javascript required.
2) Knowledge of other UI technologies such as jQuery, JSON, strong javascript, MVC frameworks is useful.

The ideal candidate:

1) would also understand server-side technology challenges to implement more efficient front-end solutions for clients.

Please call +91 022 39530997 or email your updated CV on the same ID

Source: http://in.huxley.com//en/job/Urgently-looking-for-AVP-FLEX-Developer-Mumbai-India/Mumbai/Perm/0/553069/

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MESM Soviet computer project marks 60 years

Before you go complaining about your job, take a moment to remember the MESM project, which just marked the 60th anniversary of its formal recognition by the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The project, headed by Institute of Electrical Engineering director Sergey Lebedev, was born in a laboratory built from scratch amongst the post-World War II ruins of Ukrainian capital city, Kyiv, by a team of 20 people, many of whom took up residence above the lab. Work on MESM -- that's from the Russian for Small Electronic Calculating Machine -- began toward the end of 1948. By November 1950, the computer was running its first program. The following year, it was up and running full-time. The machine has since come to be considered the first fully operation electronic computer in continental Europe, according to a Google retrospective. Check out a video interview with a MESM team member, after the break -- and make sure you click on that handy caption button for some English subtitles.

MESM Soviet computer project marks 60 years originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  The Official Google Blog  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/mesm-soviet-computer-project-marks-60-years/

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Google's Rumored Tablet Could Adversely Impact Partners' Sales of Tablets

Not long ago, Andy Rubin let slip that Google way be working on a "pure Google" branded Android tablet, although he left enough wiggle room that it is still just a rumor at this point. That's probably a good thing too, because some industry analysts are predicting that a Google Android tablet might negatively impact sales of Google's own OEM partners. Some are suggesting that Google will likely lead off with some newer update to Ice Cream Sandwich, like an Android 4.1, which could leave some of the other brands, like Asus, Samsung and Lenovo playing catchup. The DigiTimes analyst also suggested that Google might partner up with Motorola to build the device, since it is in the process off acquiring the company for its patents. This too could leave the other Android tablet manufacturers feeling "jilted."

At this point, it's really just speculation, yet it is food for thought. Perhaps, Google should find a creative way of offering all the manufacturers that a way to create their own "Nexus-style" Android tablet...

Source: BGR

Source: http://www.android.net/forum/android-news/77006-googles-rumored-tablet-could-adversely-impact-partners-sales-tablets.html

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Japan, China talk about Koreas

By Chi-Chi Zhang, CNN

updated 7:25 AM EST, Mon December 26, 2011

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, left, shakes hands with China's President Hu Jintao in Beijing on Monday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Peace between the Koreas "serves the common interests of all parties," an official says
• Yoshihiko Noda visits Beijing for the first time as Japanese prime minister
• China and Japan also signed energy and environmental agreements
• Both countries will also use their own currencies -- not the U.S. dollar -- in bilateral trade

Beijing (CNN) -- Chinese and Japanese leaders held talks Monday to discuss peace and stability on the Korean peninsula following the recent death of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday, wrapping up his trip to Beijing to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

"The two sides believe that maintaining peace and stability of the Korean peninsula serves the common interests of all parties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters Monday. "The two sides are ready to make concerted efforts to realize peace and stability of the Korean peninsula."

During Noda's visit, discussions over the stability of the Korean peninsula overshadowed traditionally controversial issues between the countries -- including issues of disputed islands and energy disagreements in the East China Sea.

Both sides also signed energy conservation and environmental protection agreements, along with an announcement that the two sides will use their own currencies in bilateral trade rather than U.S. dollars in an effort to encourage economic cooperation.

Noda, in his first visit to Beijing since taking power in September, is the first foreign leader to visit with China's leaders since Kim's death. Both sides touched on the importance of resuming the six-party North Korean nuclear talks in an effort to promote the long-term stability of the region, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

Kim's death was announced by Pyongyang on December 19 and has put the region on edge, as the world waits to see how North Korea's succession will play out.

In an effort to improve North and South relations, an 18-member civilian delegation of South Korean citizens arrived in Pyongyang on Monday to express condolences after the death of the Kim, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/26/world/asia/china-japan-meeting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

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Obama to nominate economist, banker, as Fed governors (Reuters)

HONOLULU/WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama will nominate Harvard economist Jeremy Stein and Jerome Powell, an investment banker and former Treasury official, to the two empty seats on the Federal Reserve's policy-setting board of governors.

The White House's pick of candidates, who have Democratic and Republican credentials respectively, may help speed their nomination through Congress amid a sluggish economic recovery that has failed to put a major dent in the unemployment rate, now at 8.6 percent.

While neither has laid out detailed views on monetary policy, Stein wrote a paper earlier this year suggesting he would back the Fed's unconventional efforts to keep down long-term borrowing costs, which have been controversial in Washington. The Fed for over three years has adopted an array of radical measures to keep interest rates low and spur recovery.

Stein, who previously worked for the Obama administration as an adviser to the Treasury secretary and a National Economic Council staff member, specializes in stock price behavior, corporate investment and financing decisions, risk management and capital allocation inside firms. He declined to comment on his nomination.

The choice of Powell, who served at the Treasury during President George H. W. Bush's term in the late 1980s and early 1990s, could be aimed at mollifying Senate Republicans. They blocked Peter Diamond, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist, saying the Nobel prize winner was not qualified for the job and was too sympathetic to government intervention in the economy.

Powell is a lawyer by training and worked at Dillon, Read and Bankers Trust Co. after leaving the senior Bush administration and before joining Carlyle Group. His knowledge of financial markets could help him fill the gap left by Kevin Warsh, a former Morgan Stanley executive who acted as Chairman Ben Bernanke's point-man for crisis negotiations.

FULL BOARD

However, Powell's financial industry background may also be a source of criticism from analysts who already see the U.S. central bank as being too cozy with Wall Street.

Powell is currently a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, focused on federal and state fiscal issues. He was not immediately available to comment. Both Stein and Powell had already been flagged in various press reports as likely nominees.

In response to a deep recession and financial crisis, the Fed slashed interest rates to near zero and sharply expanded its balance sheet to $2.8 trillion to keep the economy afloat. Some analysts worry the Fed's asset purchases could make it harder for the central bank to tighten monetary policy when it decides the time is right.

If Powell and Stein are confirmed, it would be the first time since April 2006 that all seven seats on the Fed's board are filled. The term currently filled by Elizabeth Duke, the last remaining George W. Bush appointee on the board, is to expire at the end of January, though governors can choose to stay in office until a successor is confirmed.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson, a Democrat, welcomed the most recent nominations.

"With the fragile state of the U.S. economy and a looming European debt crisis, Chairman Johnson believes it is imperative that our financial regulators operate at full strength," his office said in a statement. "Chairman Johnson is committed to moving these nominations though the Banking Committee in a timely manner and is looking to schedule a hearing soon."

(Additional reporting by Pedro da Costa; Editing by Neil Stempleman and Dan Grebler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/ts_nm/us_usa_fed_whitehouse

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Automotive Industry ? Pricol | Automotive Diagnosis

Automotive industry plays a responsible and worthy role in economy of a country.Present scenario indicates a stupendous growth in the industry across the globe.Affordability, increased purchasing power and a desire for better lives is driving people from all walks of life to own a four wheeler. It is no more restricted to be the luxury of rich and famous.If statistics are taken in to consideration, in India, cars manufacturing has grown from 7, 23,330 cars to 13, 08,913 cars in barely three years. This promises an undeniable growth and development of automotive parts manufacturing also.

Established in 1976, Pricol has been a premier and expert manufacturer of automotive parts.It is reckoned as market leader in automotive industry of India for uncompromising quality, profit productivity and time bound deliveries.

Any industry or trade flourishes exceedingly in favorable situations. It further boosts the sales and profitability when policies and regulations that are introduced promote business.Technology has made access to all relevant information instant, simple and easy.Government is formulating and introducing flexible rules that are export and import friendly.The most recent example of such an initiative is the launch of the Harley Davidson brand of motorcycles in India.Many such automotive giants are looking at India as potential market.Almost every quarter there is new product line launched; specific designs are being developed to cater to Asian and Indian market.

Pricol has delivered and is continually upgrades it systems to meet future demands of the automotive industry.The manufacturing and services units provide trustworthy and expert technical know-how of the vehicles of all segments.The product range offers spare parts for motorcycles, scooter, cars, SUVs, MU Vs, Trucks, trailers, tractors, bus, and fleet management equipments among others.

Launch or new product range also needs strong maintenance and support teams for ceaseless and efficient functioning of all the vehicles.The automotive industry is widespread sector .It involves aviation industry,land transportation and tools.The expert team of professionals at testing facilities located at various states of India; work hard and are involved at every stage of product development, engineering or services.Pricol has all the standard certifications (ISO /TS16949, ISO 14001 etc) accredited essential for meeting national and international standards of quality of production.

Pricol has state of art lab and testing facilities.It has manufacturing units in all major cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Coimbatore etc. These facilities are well structured and fully functional to meet the demand of sophisticated machines.The International collaborators like Ceranaro Pricol India, Italy, Blue Ridge USA, Turbo tools has provided Pricol with an edge over others in advance technology. Virtual Prototyping technique used extensively in product engineering and development helps customer, manufacturer and support teams in powerful way. It reduces cost, risk factor and gives accurate perspective of fittings in accordance with style, design and actual mechanical requirements of the vehicle. Pricol limited is a major contributor in the growth of automotive Industry of India.

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Source: http://www.riredistricting.org/automotive-industry-pricol.html

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Anti-Putin protests draw tens of thousands (AP)

MOSCOW ? Tens of thousands of Russians jammed a Moscow avenue Saturday to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, in the largest show of public outrage since the protests 20 years ago that brought down the Soviet Union. Gone was the political apathy of recent years as many shouted "We are the Power!"

The demonstration, bigger and better organized than a similar one two weeks ago, and smaller rallies across the country encouraged opposition leaders hoping to sustain a protest movement ignited by a fraud-tainted parliamentary election on Dec. 4.

The enthusiasm also cheered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who closed down the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991.

"I'm happy that I have lived to see the people waking up. This raises big hopes," the 80-year-old Gorbachev said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

He urged Putin to follow his example and give up power peacefully, saying Putin would be remembered for the positive things he did if he stepped down now. The former Soviet leader, who has grown increasingly critical of Putin, has little influence in Russia today.

But the protesters have no central leader and no candidate capable of posing a serious challenge to Putin, who intends to return to the presidency in a March vote.

Even at Saturday's rally, some of the speakers were jeered by the crowd. The various liberal, nationalist and leftist groups that took part appear united only by their desire to see "Russia without Putin," a popular chant.

Putin, who gave no public response to the protest Saturday, initially derided the demonstrators as paid agents of the West. He also said sarcastically that he thought the white ribbons they wore as an emblem were condoms. Putin has since come to take their protests more seriously, and in an effort to stem the anger he has offered a set of reforms to allow more political competition in future elections.

Kremlin-controlled television covered Saturday's rally, but gave no air time to Putin's harshest critics.

Estimates of the number of demonstrators ranged from the police figure of 30,000 to 120,000 offered by the organizers. Demonstrators packed much of a broad avenue, which has room for nearly 100,000 people, about 2.5 kilometers (some 1.5 miles) from the Kremlin, as the temperature dipped well below freezing.

A stage at the end of the avenue featured banners reading "Russia will be free" and "This election Is a farce." Heavy police cordons encircled the participants, who stood within metal barriers, and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Alexei Navalny, a corruption-fighting lawyer and popular blogger, electrified the crowd when he took the stage. He soon had the protesters chanting "We are the power!"

Navalny spent 15 days in jail for leading a protest on Dec. 5 that unexpectedly drew more than 5,000 people and set off the chain of demonstrations.

Putin's United Russia party lost 25 percent of its seats in the election, but hung onto a majority in parliament through what independent observers said was widespread fraud. United Russia, seen as representing a corrupt bureaucracy, has become known as the party of crooks and thieves, a phrase coined by Navalny.

"We have enough people here to take the Kremlin," Navalny shouted to the crowd. "But we are peaceful people and we won't do that ? yet. But if these crooks and thieves keep cheating us, we will take what is ours."

Protest leaders expressed skepticism about Putin's promised political reforms.

"We don't trust him," opposition leader Boris Nemtsov told the rally, urging protesters to gather again after the long New Year's holidays to make sure the proposed changes are put into law.

He and other speakers called on the demonstrators to go to the polls in March to unseat Putin. "A thief must not sit in the Kremlin," Nemtsov said.

The protest leaders said they would keep up their push for a rerun of the parliamentary vote and punishment for election officials accused of fraud, while stressing the need to prevent fraud in the March presidential election.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among those who sought to give the protesters a sense of empowerment.

"There are so many of us here, and they (the government) are few," Kasparov said from the stage. "They are huddled up in fear behind police cordons."

The crowd was largely young, but included a sizable number of middle-aged and elderly people, some of whom limped slowly to the site on walkers and canes.

"We want to back those who are fighting for our rights," said 16-year-old Darya Andryukhina, who said she had also attended the previous rally.

"People have come here because they want respect," said Tamara Voronina, 54, who said she was proud that her three sons also had joined the protest.

Putin's comment about protesters wearing condoms only further infuriated them and inspired some creative responses. One protester Saturday held a picture montage of Putin with his head wrapped in a condom like a grandmother's headscarf. Many inflated condoms along with balloons.

The protests reflect a growing weariness with Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and remained in charge after moving into the prime minister's seat in 2008. Brazen fraud in the parliamentary vote unexpectedly energized the middle class, which for years had been politically apathetic.

"No one has done more to bring so many people here than Putin, who managed to insult the whole country," said Viktor Shenderovich, a columnist and satirical writer.

Two rallies in St. Petersburg on Saturday drew a total of 4,000 people.

"I'm here because I'm tired of the government's lies," said Dmitry Dervenev, 47, a designer. "The prime minister insulted me personally when he said that people came to the rallies because they were paid by the U.S. State Department. I'm here because I'm a citizen of my country."

Putin accused the United States of encouraging and funding the protests to weaken Russia.

Putin's former finance minister surprised the protesters by saying the current parliament should approve the proposed electoral changes and then step down to allow new parliamentary elections to be held. Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, warned that the wave of protests could lead to violence and called for establishing a dialogue between the opposition and the government.

"Otherwise we will lose the chance for peaceful transformation," Kudrin said.

Kudrin also joined calls for the ouster of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov.

Putin has promised to liberalize registration rules for opposition parties and restore the direct election of governors he abolished in 2004. Putin's stand-in as president, Dmitry Medvedev, spelled out those and other proposed changes in Thursday's state-of-the nation address.

Gorbachev, however, said the government appears confused.

"They don't know what to do," he said. "They are making attempts to get out of the trap they drove themselves into."

____

Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva and Jim Heintz contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_protests

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Longtime Langston University president Ernest Holloway dies

Holloway, who was being treated for stomach cancer in Texas, died Saturday afternoon, said Currie Ballard, former university historian in residence. He was 81.

Holloway worked for 40 years of service to Langston, a historically black university, where he rose from assistant registrar to become the 14th president in 1979.

Before becoming president, Holloway had served as the school's registrar, a professor, vice president of administration and dean of student affairs. Holloway also was a student at Langston.

Holloway was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2002 he was presented with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Education Leadership Award, which recognized Holloway as a leader in education.

Before he took over as president, the university had five presidents in less than 10 years and during that time there was talk of closing the school. Holloway brought stability to Lang-ston, which was created in 1897 as the Colored Agricultural and Normal University. It was the first and only state college to be designated by race.

"If he had stumbled as president of Langston, there wouldn't be Lang-ston as we know it," Ballard said.

"He's the only person I've ever known in a high position of authority to have an open-door policy. If you were an alumnus, he had the same policy at his home," he said.

"He was just an extraordinary personality and leader," former Gov. David Walters said Saturday. "I really enjoyed working with him while I was in office."

Walters, who served as governor from 1991-95, said he enjoyed Holloway's good-natured lobbying "for all things Langston."

Walters recalled that during one of the commencement speeches he gave at Langston it seemed especially warm inside.

"I couldn't help but think Ernest may have actually turned the heat up in the gymnasium which he was lobbying to try to get us to air condition," Walters said. "We were all sweating so profusely. We found a way to get the gymnasium air-conditioned shortly thereafter. He kidded about the heat, of course, but made his point."

Holloway also worked to improve Oklahoma 33 between Guthrie and Coyle, including a span that runs north of Langston University, which is named the Dr. Ernest L. Holloway Highway.

Holloway and others complained that the former two-lane highway from Guthrie to Coyle was unsafe, putting Langston students and their families at risk. Walters said work on getting money for the improvements started under his administration; funding came during the administration of his successor, Frank Keating.

"That created a new front door for Langston University," Walters said. "It changed the complexion of the campus and made it a lot safer place for the kids to get back and forth to. That was a big deal for Ernest to finally get that done."

Rep. Mike Shelton, a 1996 graduate of Langston, worked for a year in Holloway's office while a student.

"He was the biggest advocate Langston had," said Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. "He truly bled orange and blue. He understands the time to fight and he understands the time for compromise and he would never put Langton second to any university in the state of Oklahoma."

Holloway is survived by sons Ernest Holloway Jr., of Beaumont, Texas, Norman Holloway, of Kansas City, Mo., and Reginald Holloway, of Richmond, Texas, as well as several grandchildren.

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20111225_11_A16_CUTLIN724134&rss_lnk=1

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Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Energy (August 28, 1992); Oak Ridge, Tennessee Facilities - 76: 80408-80409

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.osha.gov --- Monday, December 26, 2011
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 247 (Friday, December 23, 2011)] [Notices] [Pages 80408-80409] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2011-3 ...

Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=22349

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gatewaypatriot: A MUST SEE: The 7 most illuminating economic charts of 2011 http://t.co/4u7SeHqd #tcot #economy #jobs #teaparty

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Wedding Stories: The Most Heartfelt Wedding News Of 2011

Cystic fibrosis patient Kevin Dwyer never thought that he'd be able to finish a grueling 26-mile race -- or live long enough to propose to his girlfriend. But in November, he did. Despite his life-threatening chronic disease, Dwyer ran the NYC Marathon with his girlfriend -- and proposed at the finish-line. She said yes, of course! (Skip to 3:40 to watch the tear-jerking proposal.)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/24/wedding-stories-the-most-heartfelt_n_1164122.html

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Mom of bullied Dr. Phillips football player speaks out

ORLANDO --?

A mom who confronted her son's accused bullies is hoping to become a voice against bullying.

As we first told you,?Rena Denson drove her Jeep onto the football field at Dr. Phillips High School to confront the people she thought beat up her son Darrion and stuffed him in a trash can.

?Somebody needs to speak up for other children, to be the voice, because this should not happen, whether it is in high school or college,? said Denson.

Denson told a judge Thursday she is still paying off the fines as part of her probation.

Source: http://cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/december/361299/Mom-of-bullied-Dr-Phillips-football-player-speaks-out?cid=rss

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Catholic church in SF disinvites gay clergy (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? A Roman Catholic church in San Francisco that canceled a series of pre-Christmas services featuring gay ministers from other denominations is being criticized for sending a negative message to its predominantly gay and lesbian congregation.

Pastor Steve Meriwether of Most Holy Redeemer Church late last month rescinded the invitations he had extended to the three ministers at the direction of San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, the San Francisco Chronicle ( http://bit.ly/sHsd0F) reported Friday.

The story first was reported by the Bay Area Reporter, a gay newspaper.

Archdiocese spokesman George Wesolek told the Chronicle the archbishop felt the speakers were "inappropriate for the season of Advent, which should be a time to reflect on the coming of Christ."

Wesolek said he was unsure how the archdiocese learned Most Holy Redeemer had asked Otis Charles, a former Episcopal bishop, Presbyterian Rev. Jane Spahr and Metropolitan Community Church Rev. Roland Stringfellow. An article in California Catholic Daily mentioned the Nov. 30 scheduled appearance by Otis, who came out as gay after he retired.

"It's a very delicate pastoral situation," Wesolek said. "There are a lot of wonderful gays and lesbians who attend Most Holy Redeemer, but there are parameters that must be followed."

Stringfellow, a minister for the gay-oriented Metropolitan Community Church, had been scheduled to speak Wednesday. The cancellations were an insult to the clergy involved and sends a message to gay and lesbian Catholics that they are unwelcome within the Catholic Church, Stringfellow said.

"Most congregations invite speakers who can speak well to their community's concerns," he said. "We are all clergy within our own rites and denominations, and we were very disrespected by the idea that we can only give a talk that's about gay rights."

The archdiocese has stepped in before to draw a line when it felt Most Holy Redeemer's support for gay Catholics has trespassed into advocacy for gay rights.

Niederauer ordered the parish in 2009 to cancel a performance of a play that explores the subject of adolescent sexuality in a Christian context, according to the Chronicle. The parish also was told to end its official participation in San Francisco's annual Gay Pride parade.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_clergy_disinvited

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BookTalk: John Brown's "Midnight Rising" (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? More than 150 years after his violent attack on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, abolitionist militant John Brown still inspires fiery debate.

In a new book, Tony Horwitz, a Pulitzer-Prize winning war correspondent and author, provides a vivid history of Brown's life, a departure from his usual breezy personalized histories like "Confederates in the Attic," which was about civil war nostalgia.

"Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid the Sparked the Civil War" is Horwitz's first serious history. He spoke to Reuters about why Brown's story remains so alive and why Brown remains a controversial figure.

Q: He was hung just over 150 years ago -- why is John Brown still relevant?

A: "Brown is relevant because he raises eternal questions about ends and means. Is violence justified in the cause of justice? And should an individual defy laws that he or she regards as immoral? Also, we're living in troubled times, when change seems to bubble up from the extremes, as it did in 1859. Then, as now, people are attracted to blunt, viscerally satisfying solutions. Hopefully, though, we're not headed for armed conflict."

Q: As a journalist who covered Middle East and East European wars, do you see parallels between fundamentalism there and Brown's raids?

A: "Brown is a religious fundamentalist who leads 18 men in what is ultimately a suicide strike on a symbol of American power, a U.S. armory with 100,000 guns, just 60 miles from Washington. He seeks to terrorize white Southerners, shock the nation, and bring on the great conflict he believes is necessary to cleanse America of its great sin.

"And in the end, he identifies with Samson, pulling down the pillars of slavery around him and dying in the ruins. He triumphs as a martyr. But I don't think he should be lumped with terrorists in our own time, who slaughter thousands of innocents. He didn't kill indiscriminately. He had a clear target, and his cause was racial justice.

Q: You have done readings from your book in the north and the south. Do people react the same?

A: "Broadly speaking, Northerners are more inclined than Southerners to see Brown as a freedom fighter rather than a homicidal fanatic. But the stronger divide is racial. Brown has always commanded tremendous respect among African Americans, from Frederick Douglass to W.E.B. Dubois to Malcolm X, and he's still widely admired by blacks today.

Q: Who are the writers who influence you most and which historians?

A: "The writer who influences me the most is my wife, Geraldine Brooks, a historical novelist ("Caleb's Crossing: A Novel" and Pulitzer winner "March"). She's my first and last editor. We write beside each other all day, and call out whenever we're stuck or searching for a word or phrase.

"As for historians, I'm a great admirer of Jill Lepore, who writes essays for the New Yorker in addition to her many books. I also like Adam Hochschild, a non-academic who writes history with great clarity and storytelling skill for a general audience, basically what I aspire to. My favorite book of his is "Bury the Chains."

Q: What would you have asked John Brown if you could have interviewed him?

A: "I'd ask him whether he really believed his military plan at Harpers Ferry would succeed. His raid doesn't make sense to me except as a self-conscious act of martyrdom, intended to bring on the great conflict he believed necessary to end slavery. In that respect, he triumphed. But he made contradictory statements about his intent in attacking Harpers Ferry, and I'd love to be able to pin him down posthumously.

Q: You did a book on Iraq after the first Gulf war ("Baghdad Without a Map.") Do you have any desire to go back and do Baghdad with a map?

A: "I often have the desire, and then it passes. I was in my late 20s and early 30s when I reported from Iraq and other hot spots. I was footloose and reckless, and am very thankful for the experience. But now that I'm a dad with two school-age sons, and no longer young, the life of the war correspondent isn't nearly so realistic or appealing. I applaud others from afar."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111222/people_nm/us_books_authors_horwitz

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Exclusive: China CIC sovereign fund to get $50 billion boost

BEIJING | Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:33pm EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's $410 billion sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. CIC.UL is set to receive additional funding of up to $50 billion, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The new funding comes along with an agreement between relevant Chinese government agencies to give CIC new money to manage every year, the sources said.

The agreement would lay out a long-term framework under which CIC would be allocated money to manage from China's foreign exchange reserves, and would also chart the future of its domestic investment arm Central Huijin Investment, sources said.

"The final plan for capital injection will be unveiled shortly and it could be $50 billion," a source close to the matter said.

CIC declined to comment.

The cash injection follows in the wake of plans -- reported by Reuters earlier this month -- to create a new $300 billion vehicle that would be affiliated with China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), the part of the central bank in charge of the daily management of China's $3.2 trillion in foreign exchange reserves.

The additional funding would give succor to CIC, which operates independently of the central bank, which said in March that it had fully invested all its cash and would like the government to allocate it more money.

Chinese media have reported since late 2009 that CIC was seeking $100-$200 billion in new funding, but there have been no subsequent reports of progress.

CIC was set up in 2007 with the aim of earning higher returns for a slice of China's $3.2 trillion foreign exchange reserves, the largest in the world.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Nick Edwards)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/23/us-china-sovereign-idUSTRE7BM09A20111223?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&rpc=23&sp=true

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A Tit Bit Nipply

The areola is one of the most sensitive areas of the body, and it can be stimulated in both men and women. In addition to their being sensitive to cold, nipples can also become made erect as a result of breast-feeding or sexual arousal. Both stimulate the release of the hormone oxytocin, which triggers the pilomotor reflex. In breast-feeding mothers, this can be prompted by tactile stimulation, or simply by the sight of a hungry baby. Men and women are equally susceptible to the pilomotor reflex during sexual activity, though the effect is less noticeable on smaller, male breasts.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=0e3b48dc6d2133a72c783e226f0fd037

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Sinaloa cartel OK's Mexico's newest drug ballads

NAUCALPAN, Mexico (AP) -- Trumpets and trombones blast across a rodeo ring where women in miniskirts dance with men in cowboy hats and gold chains. Some fans try to climb onto the stage while others whoop to the deafening music and sing along to an outlaw ballad about one of the most-wanted criminal suspects in North America, an alleged drug kingpin.

"We take care of El Mayo

"Here no one betrays him...

"We stay tough with AK-47s and bazookas at the neck

"Chopping heads off as they come

"We're bloody-thirsty crazy men

"Who like to kill."

At the microphone is Alfredo Rios, whose stage name is "The Komander." He's a singer of Movimiento Alterado - "Altered Movement" in English - a new commercial brand of "narcocorrido" ballads that bluntly describe drug violence to the oompah beat of Mexico's norteno music.

The songs are filled with unusually explicit lyrics about decapitations and torture, and praise for one drug gang in particular: the Sinaloa cartel and its bosses, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

The increasingly popular music is banned on radio stations in parts of Mexico but is heavily promoted over the Internet. It is the brainchild of twin brothers based in Burbank, California, who have long turned to the Sinaloa cartel for artistic inspiration. They won a Grammy award in 2008 for producing an artist who goes by the name of "El Chapo de Sinaloa."

Omar Valenzuela says the music not only tells of the violent world of the Sinaloa cartel, but has received its blessing at least once, when the producers worried about the group's reaction to a song about Manuel Torres, allegedly a top hit man for Zambada.

"We looked for them and asked for permission," Valenzuela said. "We sent them the song and they told us it was OK to release the song. We were afraid. They told us through their people that we were authorized to release any song. Sometimes people can get offended. We didn't want any problems."

The song since then has been downloaded 5 million times from the company website, Valenzuela said, and the accompanying video, which tells of how much gunmen working for Torres enjoy killing, has been watched more than 13 million times on YouTube.

Rios and Valenzuela deny any direct relationship with any cartel, and say they don't receive any money from the gangs. "I wish they were putting in money to promote (the music)," Valenzuela said with a laugh.

For Jose Manuel Valenzuela, an expert on narcocorridos at Mexico's College of the Northern Border, the success of the Movimiento Alterado's music shows that drug traffickers have become more socially acceptable in many circles.

"The social presence of drug trafficking helps this music circulate, and this is also made easier by the easy access to it through the Internet," said Valenzuela, who is not related to the twins.

The new music was born in Culiacan, capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. The fact that the bands Valenzuela promotes sing exclusively about the Sinaloa cartel has mostly to do with geography, he said.

"In Culiacan, you can't sing about anyone else because they are from here," he said referring to the Sinaloa cartel. "Singing about the Zetas it's not even something you think about. Someone could complain. Nobody wants any trouble."

The Zetas gang, which had its beginning in the border state of Tamaulipas, across the border from Texas, is fighting the Sinaloa cartel for control of drug traffic routes. The battle has caused many of the roughly 40,000 drug war deaths since Mexican President Felipe Calderon ramped up the military offensive on cartels as he took office in 2006.

Some Movimiento Alterado musicians wear camouflage and bulletproof vests on stage and some have names clearly alluding to the Sinaloa cartel, such as Los Mayitos, referring to Zambada's nickname, or The Buchones, as the new rich who made their fortunes in drug trafficking are called in Sinaloa.

That identification can bring dangers.

Gunmen attacked the car of one of the Movimiento's singers, Gerardo Ortiz, in March in the western state of Colima. He survived but his representative and driver were killed.

Valenzuela said the violent lyrics merely describe the times.

The narcos "are cutting heads, and they are more bloodthirsty," he said. "It's in the news every day. If (the ballads) didn't speak about that, they would sound false. If a ballad doesn't express today's language it sounds old."

That's not a new phenomenon: Popular singers from early English troubadours to American gangsta rappers have treated violent outlaws sympathetically.

Movimiento Alterado's boom began in 2009 when the Valenzuela brothers recorded songs by two bands and released them on the Internet because radio stations wouldn't play them. In the states of Sinaloa and Baja California, it's illegal to play songs that advocate drug trafficking on the radio. In May, Sinaloa state Gov. Mario Lopez Valdez went further and banned them at bars and public places. In Chihuahua state, radio stations agreed not to play them.

But on the Internet, the songs are downloaded by the tens of thousands and Movimiento Alterado bands fill dirt-floor rodeo rings and swanky auditoriums across Mexico and the United States.

"The biggest market for this music is in Los Angeles because there we still sell CDs," Valenzuela said.

They also have greater media exposure there. The bilingual Mun2 cable channel of NBCUniversal Inc. ran a reality series, Los Twiins, about the brothers last year. It showed them developing new artists, such as Rios, and featured a guest appearance by Snoop Dogg.

Most of the albums are recorded in Los Angeles at Twiins Enterprises studios, though the Valenzuelas say some are recorded in Culiacan.

Back at the rodeo ring in Naucalpan, on the northwest edge of Mexico City, it was 3 a.m. and the crowd was getting impatient waiting for the star of the night. Finally, the MC announced "the king of the Movimiento Alterado."

Dressed in a black shirt and black pants, Rios looked the part of a pop singer. He invited the audience "to drink solid." The women cheered, and men offered him a drink from their whiskey bottles. The music went on until close to dawn.

Rios doesn't sing about drug traffickers. He sings as if he is one.

"Honestly, I don't like guns, in the first place because I'm not very good at using them," he said. "What I like is playing a role, like in a video game called 'The Executioner.' I play the executioner."

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_DRUG_BALLADS?SITE=TXCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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