FEATURE: Does gaming need 3D? | Games industry news | MCV

3D technology in the home has yet to achieve mass penetration in any sector.?Sales of compatible TVs may be increasing, but they have yet to claim a majority of households.

Similarly, the number of 3D films?in cinemas is on the rise, but has yet to become the standard. And for all the investment the industry has made, 3D gaming has yet to establish itself as the rule rather than the exception.

Nintendo made perhaps the greatest advance in 2011 with the launch of the 3DS, while Sony will up the ante this year with the release of a 3D games monitor. Microsoft remains steadfastly neutral about the whole affair, but has made the Xbox 360 3D ready and added stereoscopic modes to Gears of War 3 and Halo Anniversary.

Even third-party publishers offer a 3D mode in titles such as Batman: Arkham City, Sonic Generations and Battlefield 3 ? but other compatible releases are few and far between.

Previously, MCV has discussed what it will take for the masses?to embrace 3D, but perhaps the more pressing question is whether or not demand for the technology even exists.

Simon Benson ? Senior Development Manager,?3D Team

If you are a soldier, professional sportsperson or surgeon, it is likely that you need 3D vision to do your job. To simulate their real-world activities, 3D visuals are typically essential and so professional simulators have utilised stereoscopic 3D for many years.?

3D can greatly increase visual immersion ? possibly more so than the transition from SD to HD gaming.

The significant benefits that 3D adds to gaming also makes it a key driver for 3DTV uptake. Currently 3DTVs are widely available and apparently selling faster than HDTVs were at the same point in their lifecycle ? which is even more significant given economic issues.

Let?s not forget though, that 3D gaming is still in its infancy. As a result there are plenty of opportunities to innovate and deliver groundbreaking experiences that naturally attract lots of interest and publicity.

Alex Wiltshire ? Online Editor, Edge

This isn?t about the industry needing it. Arguments about the technology driving TV and hardware sales in a saturated marketplace are for suited execs. No, this is about the games themselves needing 3D.?

Since 3DS? release I?ve begun?to feel a deep affection for stereoscopic 3D.?It started with experiencing Ghost Recon: Shadow War?s playfield as if it?s a little model with toy soldiers. It continued by enjoying the sense of space in Star Fox 64 3D. It grew by better appreciating Link?s relationship with his world in Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D.?And by Super Mario 3D Land and Pullblox, the effect had become an indelible part of the game.

So much so, in fact, that I genuinely missed it in Skyward Sword.

Few companies get 3D like Nintendo does. And I?m still not prepared to both invest in the new TV and wear the glasses ? it?s up to manufacturers to make all that worthwhile. But the titles specifically crafted for 3DS prove that gaming is peculiarly appropriate for the sense of form, relation and volume that the effect at its best can yield.

Lee Kirton ? Marketing Director, Namco Bandai Partners

3D has been around for a very long time and in some cases I really do like it.?I enjoy the 3D experience in some gaming genres but not in others. I think it depends on the experience itself and what you want from it.

I treat 3D as an event.?I do enjoy playing the 3DS and the feeling that it delivers and I?ve also enjoyed many current gen games in 3D.?I?ve yet to get immersed in the home entertainment 3D and Sky 3D but I really do put that down to individual tastes.

Overall, it?s good to have it available in gaming and it?s down to personal choice in the end as to what each gamer or movie fan wants. For me, it depends on what the product is.

David Houghton ? Content Editor, GamesRadar

Every so often, a new technology turns up and instantaneously opens up a raft of new possibilities in the creation and consumption of games.?Online connectivity has transformed how we share gaming. Even the much-maligned motion control has, at times, provided genuinely immersive experiences in naturalistic game-world interaction.?

But so far I have found 3D to be nothing more than an opportunistic chancer, trying to blag its way into that exclusive club of game-changers using a dog-eared, photocopied fake ID and hastily assembled bum-fluff.?

For me, 3D adds nothing but slight and short-lived garnish at the high-cost of clarity and immersion. The effect itself brings with it the potential for no meaningful new design additions bar the same cheap jump-scare gimmicks it has peddled since the ?50s.?

As for those claims of a tangible connection to the game world? Pah. I?ve never found 3D technology to be anything other than a heaving great wrecking ball for the fourth wall. Even when done well, the effect is never natural enough to be fully immersive, creating a wibbly depth-perception uncanny valley.?

All that, and I need to recalibrate my much-prized, none-more-anally honed TV picture settings to counteract the lens tint? Seriously people, why are we doing this??

Joe Robinson ? Deputy Editor, Strategy Informer

The main issue I have with 3D technology in general is that I personally think it?s come too early.?

Now that the HD-format war is long over and high definition content is catered for in nearly every corner of technology, it?s painfully obvious that companies were just looking for a new band-wagon to jump on.?And so they have used 3D as their new vessel for over-priced and unnecessary products.

I know several households that don?t even have HDTVs yet, and I don?t know anyone who has made the leap to 3D gaming ? even among hardcore PC enthusiasts.?Right now 3D is little more than a gimmick, and an expensive one at that. Don?t get me wrong ? I played a bit of Crysis 2 in 3D, and it did look pretty good, but in terms of gameplay and functionality, it did nothing for the game.

Considering 3D gaming requires the use of extra (and expensive) 3D glasses (not to mention yet another TV), to justify the extra expense, something like 3D really needs to add more than a nice visual touch to the gameplay experience.

Nintendo, bless their hearts, have tried to get around that particular issue with glasses-less 3D, but again it?s little more than a gimmick. Then there?s the fact that a percentage of the population can?t even interact with 3D content, and the headaches it can cause amongst others.

With any luck, the bubble will burst and everyone will realise it?s too soon, and perhaps everything will calm down.?There?s a time and a place for something like 3D ? it?s just not now.

Simon Kilby ? Founder, Playr2

There?s a reason Nintendo had to cut the cost of the 3DS after only a few months ? and that?s because your casual gamer just doesn?t care about 3D gaming.

Another example is with Batman: Arkham Asylum?s Game of the Year edition. I must have played the game using the included 3D glasses for a grand total of a couple of minutes, before getting wound up and throwing them in rage for completely ruining the experience.

I don?t know what it is about 3D, but the apparent need to force it upon consumers across film, TV and gaming has to stop. If something doesn?t add to the experience, it shouldn?t be employed in the first place. The gaming industry is better than resorting to fads.

Source: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/feature-does-gaming-need-3d/090508

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Photo Quiz: Guess the Image

Image: Damir Sagolj/Reuters

Parts of Thailand were left unrecognizable at the end of last year, after the country experienced its worst floods in 50 years. The tops of vehicles at a Honda factory in Ayutthaya province (pictured) peeked out from under receding water. The flooding, brought on by an unusually heavy monsoon season, immersed about one third of Thailand?s provinces, displacing thousands and killing more than 650 people. Stagnant waters brought fears of mosquitoes carrying malaria and dengue fever.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1bf4ad3d71aa6139f88d09755ae9496a

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Florida highway smashes kill 10 people (Reuters)

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) ? Ten people died and at least 18 were injured in a series of accidents before dawn Sunday near Gainesville after smoke and fog reduced visibility on the main interstate highway, police said.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the smashes involving 12 cars and six or seven trucks occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on Interstate 75 after smoke from a marsh fire combined with fog to reduce visibility on both the northbound and southbound lanes.

Eighteen people were transported to Shands Hospital emergency room, six of them to a trauma center for people in critical condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Alison Wilson.

By Sunday evening, nine of the people treated in the emergency room had been released.

"It's tragic. It's probably the worst one (accident) I've seen in 27 years," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Patrick Riordan told Reuters.

Riordan said investigators are still trying to determine how many separate collisions occurred on the interstate, which is a main artery through Florida.

In one crash, two cars and a tractor trailer caught fire and melted asphalt on the road, Riordan said.

The interstate remained closed until Sunday evening, when the northbound lanes were reopened, a highway patrol spokesperson said. It was not immediately clear when the southbound lanes would be reopened.

Riordan said he had no information yet on the ages or gender of the victims. He said several people died in one car. Crumpled cars littered northbound and southbound lanes and in the grass shoulders of the interstate.

Gainesville is home to Florida's flagship university, the University of Florida. The marsh fire was in or near Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park south of town.

Florida Forest Service investigators are trying to determine whether the fire was set intentionally, Ludie Bond, a spokeswoman for the service, told Reuters. A lack of rain in recent months meant the fire spread quickly through the parched prairie.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Tim Gaynor)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/us_nm/us_highway_deaths_florida

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As Gridlock Consumes Congress, Boehner Says House 'Has Done its Job' (ABC News)

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Cuba Communist Party eyes term limits at gathering (AP)

HAVANA ? Cuba's Communist Party opened a two-day conference Saturday to hold an internal debate on the future of the party, the possibility of political term limits and perhaps even a change or two at the top.

The closed-door gathering is a follow-up to last April's historic party summit where delegates green-lighted fledgling reforms, opening up long-shut doors of economic opportunity.

But while the government has essentially followed through on its economic promises ? things like liberalizing home and car sales, expanding private-sector activity and offering loans to support farmers, entrepreneurs and homeowners ? expectations were low that this weekend would yield any blockbuster announcements beyond what officials have already hinted at.

"The expectations were high because this conference was perceived as an act of continuity with relation to the 6th Congress, as a space to complete the economic adjustment with complementary political reforms," said Cuban-born economist Arturo Lopez-Levy, a lecturer at the University of Denver. "It became clear that that vision was unfoundedly optimistic."

Foreign journalists were not allowed access, and limited coverage was available through the island's official media. State-run website Cubadebate showed photos of President Raul Castro presiding over the conference wearing a gray blazer and a dark, open-collar shirt, with what appeared to be a small bandage on the tip of his nose.

In a brief snippet of video posted on Cubadebate, Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura said in a keynote speech that the conference would focus on "the everyday work of the organization."

Castro himself has dampened expectations for any big announcements, saying two weeks ago that nobody should have "great illusions about the conference" and the topics of debate were more "an internal question for the party."

According to a draft agenda that circulated last fall, one matter up for discussion will be Castro's call to limit officeholders including the president to two five-year terms, with the goal of achieving a "gradual renewal in leadership."

Over the years a number of rising young stars considered potential successors to Raul Castro, 80, and his brother Fidel, retired and largely out of sight at 85, have been unceremoniously fired. There are no obvious replacements waiting in the wings.

In April the younger Castro, who is also party chief, lamented the lack of politicians prepared to take over from the 70- and 80-somethings who occupy many top posts. Grooming new leaders would be a priority during his five-year term, he said.

Recently a Cuban official told The Associated Press that despite the lack of movement in visible roles like cabinet ministers, many midlevel government posts have quietly changed hands, with younger officials moving up. If true, that would bolster Raul Castro's claim that his government was laying the groundwork, albeit slowly, for generational change. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, and his assertions could not be independently confirmed.

Communist Party newspaper Granma said Saturday that delegates would consider how best to promote women, blacks and young people through the ranks of the party and government.

They will also evaluate the party's role in "the direction and systematic control of the process of updating the economic model and the progress of the economy," Granma said.

The draft agenda for the conference was discussed at thousands of local party and committee meetings and many of its objectives modified. The purpose of the conference was to turn the agenda into policy in support of last year's reforms, Machado Ventura said.

"Let us make our best effort to cast off obsolete mindsets of inertia and old prejudices," he said in comments broadcast on the afternoon news. "Let us work with responsibility and an eye toward the future, with the goal of strengthening the foundation of the (party's) work."

The Communist Party, the only party allowed in Cuba, does not have lawmaking powers but issues guidelines that are later taken up by parliament.

The conference's opening day was timed to coincide with the 159th anniversary of the birth of poet and independence hero Jose Marti, in whose honor a noontime 21-cannon salute thundered from a historic fort overlooking the Havana harbor.

But some said that's about all the fireworks they expect this weekend.

"The only thing that might be interesting is if they have some kind of election, to see who they put in the political bureau, especially if they put someone there who's not 80 years old," said Javier Blanco, a 32-year-old Havana resident. "Other than that... I don't think anything will come out that we don't already know."

Many Cubans were disappointed last month when authorities scuttled a proposal to eliminate the exit visa required for travel off the island.

Lopez-Levy said recent signals from Cuban leadership suggest there's no prospect for major political change in the near future.

"The Cuban Communist Party is going to make an adjustment to its internal life ... but it's not going to subject its political model to open debate on structural reforms as it did with its economic and social project," he said. "It's a low-risk strategy for the short term, but it could complicate the future."

___

Associated Press writers Andrea Rodriguez and Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana contributed to this report.

___

Follow Peter Orsi on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Peter(underscore)Orsi.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_communist_party_conference

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Magnetic Soap May Help Clean Up Spilled Oil

BP released millions of gallons of dispersants to break up oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. But what if dispersants could be sucked up again after doing their job? Chemist Julian Eastoe talks about an iron-containing soap he's created that can be recaptured using a magnet.

Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio?. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. After the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP poured nearly two million gallons of dispersants into the Gulf of Mexico. The goal, of course, is breaking up oil slicks, making them dissolve into ocean waters, sort of like how you squirt dish soap on a greasy frying pan to get the oil to wash away with the water.

The problem is, after you dump all that soap into the Gulf, the soap stays there. My next guest has developed something that could be the solution: the soap that has iron in it so that you can suck up the soap with a magnet.

How do they do it? Could we really use something like this next time there's a big oil spill? Julian Eastoe is a professor in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in the U.K. Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY.

JULIAN EASTOE: Hello, Ira, from the United Kingdom.

FLATOW: Thanks for joining - how did you get this idea? It sounds so simple yet so easy.

EASTOE: Well, to explain that, I'd like to propose an interactive experiment for you and your listeners. Would that be OK?

FLATOW: Absolutely.

EASTOE: Well, the experiment works best if you're in the kitchen. So go over to the fridge and take one of those picture fridge magnets, you know, with Niagara Falls, Las Vegas or Disneyland on it.

FLATOW: Right.

EASTOE: And now go over to the kitchen sink with the magnet. Next put the magnet against the bottle of dish soap. Right. What happens?

FLATOW: Nothing.

EASTOE: Absolutely nothing.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

EASTOE: That's because normal soap is not magnetic. Just as you said, you can't control where it goes. Gravity does that, just sucks it down the drain. Now, Ira, we've been making soaps and surfactants with unusual properties for some years. Have you ever thought of a soap you could turn on with the flick of a switch, a light-sensitive surfactant? We made one of those about five years ago.

And next we thought why not try magnets. Would it be possible to make surfactants or soaps that respond to magnets? Well, if that's true, then you stand a chance to control where the soap does and where it doesn't go. Our motivation for this was just good old-fashioned scientific inquisitiveness.

FLATOW: So you created this soap that is magnetic so that the soap dissolves the grease, keeps the grease with it, and then you can just magnetize it away with a magnet?

EASTOE: Yeah, it sounds incredible, but it's true. I mean, I was witnessing the experiments in my laboratory at the University of Bristol this afternoon with graduate students. We were making emulsions with lube oil, our magnetic soap, and we were moving them around using magnets. The emulsions can be collected up. It's amazing.

FLATOW: Now, I've - I've got an experiment for you now. Tell me if this is possible. Let's say that you can put your - you can disperse your magnetic soap into a harbor. Can you magnetize the hulls of ships so that they sort of scoot around the harbor soaking up all the grease collecting on their hulls, and then you just clean them off when they get back to the harbor?

EASTOE: Well, Ira, I hadn't thought about that. It sounds feasible to me, but I think we would have to do some tests in the laboratory. I'm not sure about if you can maintain magnetism in the hull of a ship.

FLATOW: A-ha, but you think you can do this with an oil spill by collecting up all the grease later on?

EASTOE: Well, in principle that's right. That's what we demonstrated in the laboratory. The - we started with chemicals that are relatives of common or garden(ph) soaps. We kept the organic part of the molecule, the one which dissolves oily substances, but we chemically modified the ionic part, which makes the compound water soluble.

And it's quite simple, really. We replace the normal ions with magnetic ions. Those ions contain the element iron.

FLATOW: And voila, because the soap molecule, as you say, is fascinating to begin with. One end likes to stick in the grease, one end likes to stick in the water, and that's why it works so well. And you basically took the water end and put a piece of iron in there.

EASTOE: Yeah, we've done this with iron. That's in the paper, which has been published recently, but we've even used other magnetic units. I can't disclose them right now because they're under a secrecy agreement, but we are now starting to optimize the chemistry, and that is now really exciting.

I think what this research shows is the first stage in any scientific breakthrough, the essential proof of principle, and once the proof of principle has been established and has been communicated to the scientific community, that's when it gets really interesting.

FLATOW: Yeah.

EASTOE: That's when the collective consciousness, those thousands and thousands of scientific minds get to work coming up with ideas that you would never have thought of.

FLATOW: Yeah, it's - so once you show that this can happen, people will say, you know, this is what I could do with it. Sort of like...

EASTOE: Now, it was suggested to me, Ira, by somebody from the British equivalent of the Audubon Society - that's the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the United Kingdom - that this could potentially help in the cleanup of those poor seabirds when they get contaminated by oil slicks.

FLATOW: They get washed down with this magnetic soap.

EASTOE: Yeah, he suggested that maybe with the extra pull from the magnet you would be able to clean off the poor birds more effectively than just using the traditional, you know, dispersants. So I sent a grad student down to the store to get some lube oil and a pillow. We've taken it apart and we're testing that idea right now with down from the pillows that we bought in the store.

FLATOW: I'm sure the grad students are doing it, right?

EASTOE: Sure.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

FLATOW: You know, once these things happen, you know, like you never know where they're going to end up. I mean, the laser beam was invented to cut steel and razor blades back in the early '60s, but look what it's used for now. You never know where your idea might wind up, where it will end.

EASTOE: No, that's the really exciting thing about being a scientist, is that you uncover facts and figures that you just do not know where that will lead for the human race. Think about the liquid crystals, which were developed in the U.K. in the 1970s.

When they developed liquid crystals, they had no idea that it would be an integral part of mobile phones and smartphones, for example, but they certainly don't work without liquid crystals to allow you to interface with the electronics through the screen. And this is the same it could be here with this application, the applications that could come from this magnetic soap.

FLATOW: Now, let me ask you the $64 question, as we say here in the States.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

FLATOW: And it is a $64 question, I guess. Is it cheap enough? You know, can you make...

EASTOE: Well, in fact, it's interesting that what we started with, a chemical, sort of just the brothers and sisters of those that you would find in household products, we tried to keep it simple here. And the cost of our magnetic soap is already reasonable. It's reasonable enough that it could actually be scaled up.

Think that the elements that are contained in this soap are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine and iron, all very, very common elements. And therefore the soap that we've made is cheap, commercially viable.

FLATOW: Well, I wish you the best of luck, and we'll watch to see where your soap shows up, so to speak.

EASTOE: OK, thank you very much.

FLATOW: Thanks for taking time to be with us today. Julian...

EASTOE: OK, it's been a great pleasure, Ira.

FLATOW: You're quite welcome. Julian Eastoe is a professor in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in the U.K.

Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio?. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/27/145990087/magnetic-soap-may-help-clean-up-spilled-oil?ft=1&f=1007

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Deal of the Day ? 27? ViewSonic VX2753MH-LED 1080p 1ms LED-backlit LCD Monitor with Dual HDMI

Today’s LogicBUY Deal is $70 off the 27″ ViewSonic VX2753MH-LED full HD LCD monitor for $289.99.? Features:? 1920 x 1080 resolution, LED-backlit display, speaker, adjustable display angle, 2x HDMI inputs, 1ms GTG response time, 30,000,000:1 MEGA dynamic contrast ratio, more. $359.99 – $70 off = $289.99 with free shipping. This deal expires February 1, 2012 [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/27/deal-of-the-day-27-viewsonic-vx2753mh-led-1080p-1ms-led-backlit-lcd-monitor-with-dual-hdmi/

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Romney, Gingrich focus on Hispanic voters in Fla. (AP)

DORAL, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney pitched their ideas for reforming immigration law and pushing democracy into Cuba and across Latin America as the Republican presidential candidates vied for Hispanic votes Friday, entering the final, frenzied weekend before Florida's primary.

"We are not anti-immigrant, we are not anti-immigration" Romney said to applause, suggesting the news media had unfairly tarnished his party's reputation among Hispanics. His refrain also echoed a theme that was at the heart of one of several clashes with Gingrich at Thursday night's debate in Jacksonville.

Romney followed Gingrich in speeches before hundreds of Hispanic leaders meeting near Miami, and each avoided criticizing his closest rival in what now looks like a two-man race for the nomination.

Immigration is a flashpoint issue in Florida for the GOP candidates, who are trying to strike a balance between sounding compassionate and firm about stemming the tide of illegal workers. The state has roughly 1.5 million Hispanic voters.

Gingrich called for a measured approach to revising the nation's immigration laws, "because any bill you write that is comprehensive has too many enemies." The former House speaker says he wants stricter border control, faster deportation proceedings and a guest worker program for certain immigrants.

Gingrich called for a U.S.-supported "Cuban spring" uprising against the long-standing communist regime.

If elected, Gingrich said, he would bring to bear "the moral force of an American president who is serious about intending to free the people of Cuba, and willingness to intimidate those who are the oppressors and say to them, `You will be held accountable.'"

Romney said the United States needs to work harder to promote democracy across Latin America and elsewhere. He compared it to selling soda: "We convince people around the world to buy a brown, caramel-colored water called Coca-Cola and to pay like a half day's wage for it. And they'll buy it. It's unbelievable. We're able to convince people of things that sometimes you scratch your head. ... And yet democracy, we don't sell that so well. "

Romney also pledged to appoint a Latin American envoy and to create a task force to focus on drug trafficking and other Latin American troubles.

Gingrich said he would support a Puerto Rican referendum on whether it should be granted statehood.

Their remarks were mild in comparison to their debate clash sparked by immigration issues.

Gingrich responded to a question Thursday night by saying Romney was the most anti-immigrant of all four contenders on stage. "That's simply inexcusable," the former Massachusetts governor responded.

Gingrich fired back that Romney misled voters by running an ad accusing the former House speaker of once referring to Spanish as "the language of the ghetto." Gingrich said he was referring to a multitude of languages, not just Spanish.

Romney initially said of the ad, "I doubt it's mine," but moderator Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Romney, at the ad's conclusion, says he approved the message.

Gingrich rushed out an ad Friday using debate footage that raised questions about Romney's credibility, including his reluctance to own up to the "ghetto" commercial. "If we can't trust Romney in a debate, how can we trust him in the White House," a narrator says in the Gingrich ad.

The debate was the 19th since the race for the Republican nomination began last year, and came five days before the Florida primary on Tuesday. Opinion polls show a close race, with a slight advantage for Romney. Two other contenders, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, were far behind.

Paul has already made clear his intention to skip Florida in favor of smaller, less-expensive states. On Friday, he began a two-day stretch of campaigning in snowy Maine.

Santorum, who had been campaigning aggressively here, conceded that he's better off sitting at his kitchen table Saturday doing his taxes instead of campaigning in a state where he can't keep up with the GOP front-runners.

Outside advisers were urging him to pack up in Florida completely and not spend another minute in a state where he is cruising toward a third straight loss.

The cash-strapped Santorum said he'll make a handful of Florida campaign stops but will finish Friday with his family in Pennsylvania, where he'll spend all day Saturday. He planned to return to Florida for campaign events on Sunday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Avastin May Be Helpful Before Breast Cancer Surgery (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of the cancer-fighting medication Avastin to chemotherapy prior to breast cancer surgery increases the chance that all of the cancer will be removed, according to new research.

However, when looking at which patients might benefit the most from this therapy, two recent studies found conflicting results, and neither study was yet able to address whether or not the addition of Avastin (bevacizumab) early in the treatment process would improve survival rates.

Information on survival will be especially important for defining Avastin's role in early breast cancer treatment. That's because in November 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked Avastin's approval for the treatment of breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. With metastatic breast cancers, the agency felt the survival benefits were lacking, and the drug carries significant risks. Avastin is, however, still FDA-approved as a treatment for some metastatic colon, brain, kidney and lung cancers.

"The bevacizumab story is not done. The addition of Avastin to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with operable breast cancer increased the rate of women having the disappearance of their breast cancer at the time of surgery," said Dr. Harry Bear, lead author of one of the new studies.

"With more follow-up of these trials and several others, we may find that bevacizumab actually does increase the cure rate. But, it may not be for all breast cancers; it may just be for some," said Bear, a professor and chairman of the division of surgical oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center in Richmond.

Results of the studies are published in the Jan. 26 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Bear's study included more than 1,200 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. None of the women had yet had surgery to remove their tumors. All of the women had tumors that were at least 2 centimeters (about 0.8 inches) in diameter, and none had metastatic cancer.

The women received chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy). They were randomly assigned to treatment groups that included the chemotherapy drugs docetaxel, capecitabine and gemcitabine in various doses and combinations. They were also randomly assigned to receive Avastin or not during their first six cycles of chemotherapy.

The study found that adding capecitabine or gemcitabine to docetaxel therapy didn't improve response rates. But the addition of Avastin increased the rate of "pathological complete response" -- meaning the tumor disappeared before surgery -- from 28.2 percent to 34.5 percent, according to the study.

However, the addition of Avastin also increased the risk of serious side effects, such as high blood pressure and heart problems.

The second study, conducted in Germany, included almost 2,000 women with an average tumor size of 4 centimeters (about 1.6 inches). As in Bear's study, the women were randomly assigned to several neoadjuvant chemotherapy groups. In this study, however, treatment was with docetaxel, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. They were also randomly assigned to receive Avastin or not.

Overall, the odds of pathological complete response were increased by 29 percent with the addition of Avastin. However, when the researchers looked at tumors by hormone receptor status, they found that it was primarily women with triple-negative cancers who showed a significant response to Avastin. Having a triple-negative breast cancer means that a cancer's growth isn't influenced by hormones such as estrogen or progesterone. If a tumor is called hormone receptor-positive, it means that hormones, such as estrogen, can help fuel that cancer's growth.

In Bear's study, the investigators found Avastin had an effect on both hormone receptor-positive and hormone receptor-negative cancers, but there appeared to be slightly more benefit for the hormone receptor-positive women.

Bear said a number of factors could explain these seemingly conflicting findings. The differences may have something to do with the women involved in each study, he said. Some of the women in the German study had more advanced cancers. And, the chemotherapy regimens weren't the same, he explained.

Commenting on the findings, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said that "these studies suggest that for certain patients, there may be a benefit to using Avastin prior to surgery for breast cancer."

However, Lichtenfeld added, "what we don't know from these studies is which women would benefit the most, and we don't have the long-term follow-up on these women to see if the survival or the course of the disease is improved."

Both Lichtenfeld and Bear acknowledged that because Avastin isn't FDA-approved for the treatment of breast cancers, insurance companies may be reluctant to pay for these treatments outside of a clinical trial setting.

"There still remain significant questions about the benefits of using Avastin in breast cancer," Lichtenfeld pointed out. "There is an increased risk of side effects, and there's a cost to adding this treatment. Based on these two studies, it's difficult to say whether any particular women should consider this treatment. As with many similar research findings, it's important to talk to your own doctor to get a better understanding of your potential risks and benefits," he added.

More information

To learn more about Avastin, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120126/hl_hsn/avastinmaybehelpfulbeforebreastcancersurgery

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Mailbag: As health goes, so go the Phillies

Team will likely make the playoffs, but they'll need all their stars healthy for a World Series shot

Mike Segar / Reuters

Phillies star Chase Utley missed 59 games with injury last season.

updated 4:23 p.m. ET Jan. 24, 2012

Tony DeMarco

Baseball Expert Tony DeMarco has been covering the big leagues since 1987, and been casting Hall of Fame ballots for the last 12 years. He answers questions weekly here:

Q. The Phillies seem extremely passive this off-season, given their woeful playoff performances the last three seasons. Are they in denial about their poor hitting?
? Bob Silin, Horsham, Pa.

A. The Phillies finished seventh in the National League in runs scored last season, but that is a bit misleading, as they were only 22 runs short of the second-place finisher, Cincinnati. So only the Cardinals, who scored 49 more runs, were significantly more productive than the Phillies in 2011 ? and as you may have heard, they don't have Albert Pujols any more.

The problem the Phillies have had is keeping their top veterans ? all now in their 30s ? in the lineup. Jimmy Rollins (19 games), Placido Polanco (40 games) and Chase Utley (59 games) missed extensive time last season, and now they'll have to do without Ryan Howard for a couple of months as he recovers from left Achilles surgery.

It will be up to the platoon of Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome to fill in at first base for Howard, and for John Mayberry Jr. and/or Domonic Brown to settle in as a productive left fielder and replace Raul Ibanez. I like the chances of success for the left-field situation much more than at first base, as one of those two young players figures to step up ? or at the very least, the two should form a productive platoon.

But you really have to wonder how much Thome can play defensively, since he hasn't played first base regularly since 2005. So there will be pressure on Wigginton until Howard returns. The Phillies also will get a full season from Hunter Pence, and their run production ticked up to 4.47 per game after he was acquired from Houston.

None of this should have much affect on the Phillies' playoff chances ? not with their rotation, and the addition of Jonathan Papelbon at the back end of the bullpen. And don't forget there will be an added wildcard spot this season, so it's very likely the Phillies will stretch their consecutive post-season appearances streak to six.

But going deep into October is another question, and they really will need everybody to be healthy and having high-level seasons. If not, you'll see them adding another bat mid-season. After all, as you mention, the Phillies are trending in the wrong direction in the post-season since winning the 2008 World Series: Losing the 2009 World Series, the 2010 NLCS and a 2011 division series.

Q. Hey, Tony, please tell me I'm not crazy. Shouldn't the Giants be going after Manny Ramirez? They need the offense, and clearly, Bay Area fans don't mind when outfield sluggers dabble in PEDs. And they could get him cheap.
? Curtis Hettich, Sacramento

A. Sorry, Curtis, but you're crazy. Manny is finished. He'll turn 40 in May, didn't play after April 8th last season, and his last stretch of high-level hitting came in the first half of the 2009 season with the Dodgers.

His 2010 stretch run with the White Sox was embarrassing ? a .261 batting average with one homer, two extra-base hits, two RBI and a .319 slugging percentage in 88 plate appearances. The only thing he did well was draw walks.

It took the Rays only five games and 17 at-bats early last season to realize they made a rare bad decision in signing Ramirez, who retired at that point rather than face a second suspension, and needs to just walk away at this point.

If Ramirez does sign, he won't be eligible to play until he serves a 50-game suspension. And even if he still could produce enough offensively, the last thing you'd want is for him to be playing left field. It's DH or nothing at this point, so the Giants should have no interest whatsoever.

I'll be very surprised if Manny makes any significant contribution to whatever American League team ? Oakland? ? decides to take a flier on him.

Q. What's in store for Ryan Spilborghs?
? Bill Oliphant, Santa Barbara, Calif.

A. A question from a hometown fan of Spilborghs, who had a nice run with the Rockies before a subpar 2011 season that was interrupted by two trips to the disabled list due to plantar fasciitis.

Spilborghs, 32, has signed a minor-league deal with the Indians, and will compete in spring training for a spot as a backup outfielder. The field is crowded, but a right-handed bat is needed, as the projected starting outfield includes left-handed hitters Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo ? all of whom missed extensive time in 2011 due to injuries.

In building outfield depth, the Indians also have acquired Aaron Cunningham in a deal with San Diego, and signed free-agents Fred Lewis and Felix Pie to minor-league deals. Shelley Duncan and Chad Huffman are other possibilities for manager Manny Acta.

Spilborghs will have to show he's over the plantar fasciitis that limited him to 98 games, and recapture the form that made him a valuable platoon player from 2006-'10 in Colorado. He also can play all three outfield positions ? a needed skill in a fourth outfielder.

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Fielder deal is good for now

??SportsTalk: The Prince Fielder signing helps the Detroit Tigers remain contenders, but the signing will create some problems down the road.

Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46118256/ns/sports-baseball/

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Colorado Car Insurance | Cheapest Car Insurance

If you are interested buyer of car insurance in Colorado, there are some things that you need to know about especially on the laws and the amount of liability insurance that is required by the state. This information could help you make a right choice in buying a Colorado car insurance and also help you avoid receiving penalties.

It is stipulated in the auto insurance law of Colorado that everyone who owns a car in the state should be insured. This is just a way for them to make sure that the person is protected by overwhelming financial burdens when they get involved in a car accident. Paying for the car repairs, medical costs, and other damages might be very heavy on the pocket especially for those people who are earning just enough to live comfortably. It is also stated there that drivers, regardless of the age should have a minimum liability insurance of 25/50/15. That means that the drivers should have coverage of $25,000 for an injured person, $50,000 for multiple injured person, and $15,000 for the damaged properties. People who are responsible enough has the chance to purchase all of those insurances at a single limit. The total would be $60,000 pesos, which is clearly very expensive, but if you look on the other side of it and try to consider the security that I gives to the owner, then the price is not that high at all.

A driver of uninsured and underinsured injury coverage is not required in the state but a lot of people do suggest that it is wise to get this type of coverage. It would pay off the expenses that are needed to be taken care of when you get into a car collision with a driver that is either under insured or uninsured. And with the rise if the number of these types of drivers that are hitting the road, getting this type of coverage is getting more and more popular in Colorado right now.

The state also requires insurance companies to offer you the Medical Payments coverage for an additional cost of $5,000.? You should be mindful of this one, because sometimes the companies would bundle it with the coverage that you have purchased and that would mean additional cost to you. It would be very important to check if this coverage is added to what you have purchased, you could decide to remove it from the coverage, and all that you need to do is express to them that desire.

If you are a resident of Colorado you need to know that there are a lot of companies out there that offers quality service to the insurance owners under them at really affordable prices. The best way to find them is by looking for them in the internet. You won?t only find different companies that you can choose from, but you will also get instant quotes that can help you a lot in your search for an affordable car insurance coverage. The average car insurance premium rate in the state is increasing each year, so it will be a wise choice for you to look for the best offers that you can get your hands on.

This entry was posted in Car Insurance by State. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://cheapestcarautoinsurance.com/car-insurance-by-state/colorado-car-insurance/

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Country music great Haggard recovering from pneumonia (Reuters)

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) ? Country singer Merle Haggard, who was admitted to a Georgia hospital last week after illness forced him to cancel a show, was recovering from a host of health issues discovered while he was being treated for pneumonia, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Haggard was admitted to hospital on January 17, when illness forced him to cancel a show in Macon, Georgia, just moments before taking the stage. He later said that being hospitalized "probably saved my life."

The 74-year-old singer, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, is recovering from double-pneumonia but was also being treated for a number of serious ailments that doctors discovered while he was hospitalized.

Haggard's pneumonia is "almost completely clear, while he is recovering from three stomach ulcers, the removal of eight polyps from his colon and diverticulitis in his esophagus," which were discovered by the Macon medical staff, according to his Los Angeles-based spokesperson Tresa Redburn.

"He will be back up and running in 30 days," said Redburn, adding that Haggard would be in the hospital for "at least a few more days."

"Thanks to the wonderful people all over the world that prayed their special prayers," Redburn quoted Haggard as saying.

"I'm a new man. Another special thanks to the folks of Macon, Georgia, for their kindness, their intelligence and probably saving my life," he said.

Haggard had to cancel the remainder of his January tour and was planning on beginning his performance schedule again in late February.

With influences ranging from Lefty Frizzell to Bob Wills to Jimmie Rodgers, Haggard is an architect of country music's so-called "Bakersfield Sound." He is best known for songs like "Mama Tried," "Okie from Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me."

(Reporting By Tim Ghianni; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/people_nm/us_merlehaggard

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'The Artist' Wins Three at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards (ContributorNetwork)

On Sunday, January 15, 2012, the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards presented trophies to the best in film and television. Ricky Gervais returned for a third time, even after he caused controversy at last year's celebration. Celebrities waited with their breaths held to see what the comedian would say this time. Though "The Artist" won the most awards, the Golden Globe Awards was basically an equal opportunity giver on this night.

Ricky Gervais opened the Golden Globes by asking the audience if they were nervous. He immediately said the Golden Globes was second place to the Academy Awards. He pulled out a list of rules, supposedly of what was expected of him. Some of the audience seemed amused, with a few trying not to laugh. He mentioned celebrity scandals of past year. In a backhanded sort of way, he thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press for inviting him back.

"The Artist" topped the night with three Golden Globes. Jean Dujardin won best actor in a musical or comedy, and the movie won in the best original score and best motion picture - musical or comedy categories. "The Descendants" followed "The Artist" with two wins. George Clooney took home the trophy for best actor, and the movie won for motion picture - drama.

Other standouts in the motion picture categories included Christopher Plummer, who won for best supporting actor, Octavia Spenser for best supporting actress and Meryl Streep for best actress in a drama. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer humbly acknowledged his fellow nominees and his costar Ewan McGregor. He thanked his wife of 43 years, saying her bravery and beauty still haunts him.

The television categories spread trophies all over network television and cable. Laura Dern won for best actress in a television comedy. She beat past winner Tina Fey and veteran comedienne Amy Poehler. With all of the hype behind "New Girl," I thought Zooey Deschanel would pull the upset. First-time Golden Globe winners included Idris Elba for best actor for the television mini-series "Luther" and Matt LeBlanc for best actor in a comedy series.

Kelsey Grammar, who won Golden Globes for his comedic work, received the trophy for best actor in a drama for his work on "Boss." With two Golden Globes, "Homeland" took home the most television awards. Claire Danes won for best actress in a drama, and the show won for best drama series.

The Golden Globes presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Morgan Freeman. Golden Globe and Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier introduced Freeman, receiving a standing ovation when he came on stage. Pointier called Freeman a prince in his chosen profession. Helen Mirren introduced a montage of his 50 films, even joking that she only got to play in one of them.

The night was full of surprises. Gervais was generally contained during the ceremony. Occasionally, he said something that was right on the boundary that could be funny or offensive. The Golden Globes also distributed the awards across the board, not letting one television production or movie dominate the categories. It was refreshing to hear different names being read and people being honored for stepping away from characters that became emblazoned on the minds of the public. Hopefully, audiences will hear new names next year.

List of Nominees and Winners:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"

Albert Brooks - "Drive"

Jonah Hill - "Moneyball"

Viggo Mortensen - "A Dangerous Method"

Christopher Plummer - "Beginners" (winner)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

Laura Dern - "Enlightened" (HBO) (winner)

Zooey Deschanel - "New Girl" (FOX)

Tina Fey - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Laura Linney - "The Big C" (SHOWTIME)

Amy Poehler - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Cinema Verite" (HBO)

"Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS) (winner)

"The Hour" (BBC America)

"Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

"Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai - "The Hour" (BBC America)

Diane Lane - "Cinema Verite" (HBO)

Elizabeth McGovern - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Emily Watson - "Appropriate Adult" (ITV)

Kate Winslet - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO) (winner)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi - "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)

Kelsey Grammer - Boss" (STARZ) (winner)

Jeremy Irons - "The Borgias" (SHOWTIME)

Damian Lewis - "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)

Television Series - Drama

"American Horror Story" (FX)

"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

"Boss" (STARZ)

"Game of Thrones" (HBO)

"Homeland" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

"The Artist" - Ludovic Bource (winner)

"W.E." - Abel Korzeniowski

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

"Hugo" - Howard Shore

"War Horse" - John Williams

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

"Gnomeo and Juliet" - "Hello Hello" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

"Machine Gun Preacher" - "The Keeper" by Chris Cornell

"Albert Nobbs" - "Lay Your Head Down" by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close"

"The Help" - "The Living Proof" by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas

"W.E." - "Masterpiece" by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry (winner)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Idris Elba - "Luther" (BBC One) (winner)

William Hurt - "Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Bill Nighy - "Page Eight Masterpiece" (PBS)

Dominic West - "The Hour" (BBC America)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Jodie Foster - "Carnage"

Charlize Theron - "Young Adult"

Kristen Wiig - "Bridesmaids"

Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn" (winner)

Kate Winslet - "Carnage"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Peter Dinklage - "Game of Thrones" (HBO) (winner)

Paul Giamatti - "Too Big to Fail" (HBO)

Guy Pearce - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Tim Robbins - "Cinema Verite" (HBO)

Eric Stonestreet - "Modern Family" (ABC)

Best Animated Feature Film

"The Adventures of Tintin" (winner)

"Arthur Christmas"

"Cars 2"

"Puss in Boots"

"Rango"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris" (winner)

George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon - "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne, Jim Rash - "The Descendants"

Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian - "Moneyball"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story" (FX) (winner)

Kelly MacDonald - "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)

Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family" (ABC)

Evan Rachel Wood - "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Maggie Smith - "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" (PBS)

Best Foreign Language Film

"The Flowers of War" (China)

"In the Land of Blood and Honey" (United States"

"The Kid with a Bike" (Belgium)

"A Separation" (Iran) (winner)

"The Skin I Live In" (Spain)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes - "Homeland" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Mireille Enos - "The Killing" (AMC)

Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife" (CBS)

Madeleine Stowe - "Revenge" (ABC)

Callie Thorne - "Necessary Roughness" (USA)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

David Duchovny - "Californication" (SHOWTIME)

Johnny Galecki - "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

Thomas Jane - "Hung" (HBO)

Matt LeBlanc - "Episodes" (SHOWTIME) (winner)

Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Berenice Bejo - "The Artist"

Jessica Chastain - "The Help"

Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help" (winner)

Shailene Woodley - The Descendants"

Best Director - Motion Picture

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris"

George Clooney - "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese - "Hugo" (winner)

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical

"Enlightened" (HBO)

"Episodes" (SHOWTIME)

"Glee" (FOX)

"Modern Family" (ABC) (winner)

"New Girl" (FOX)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Jean Dujardin - "The Artist" (winner)

Brendan Gleeson - The Guard"

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "50/50"

Owen Wilson - "Midnight in Paris"

Ryan Gosling - "Crazy, Stupid, Love"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Glenn Close - "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis - "The Help"

Rooney Mara - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep - "Iron Lady" (winner)

Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

"50/50"

"The Artist" (winner)

"Bridesmaids"

"Midnight in Paris"

"My Week with Marilyn"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

George Clooney - "The Descendents" (winner)

Leonardo DiCaprio - "J. Edgar"

Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

Brad Pitt - "Moneyball"

Ryan Gosling - "The Ides of March"

Best Motion Picture - Drama

"The Descendants" (winner)

"The Help"

"Hugo"

"The Ides of March"

"Moneyball"

"War Horse"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120122/en_ac/10840083_the_artist_wins_three_at_the_69th_annual_golden_globe_awards

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Mixed record for Obama's State of the Union goals

WASHINGTON (AP) ? As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his annual address to Congress, many goals he outlined in previous State of the Union speeches remain unfulfilled. From reforming immigration laws to meeting monthly with congressional leaders of both parties, the promises fell victim to congressional opposition or faded in face of other priorities as the unruly realities of governing set in.

For Obama, like presidents before him, the State of the Union is an opportunity like no other to state his case on a grand stage, before both houses of Congress and a prime-time television audience. But as with other presidents, the aspirations he's laid out have often turned out to be ephemeral, unable to secure the needed congressional consent or requiring follow-through that's not been forthcoming.

As Obama's first term marches to an end amid bitterly divided government and an intense campaign by Republicans to take his job, it's going to be even harder for him to get things done this year. So Tuesday night's speech may focus as much on making an overarching case for his presidency ? and for a second term ? as on the kind of laundry list of initiatives that sometimes characterize State of the Union appeals.

"State of the Union addresses are kind of like the foam rubber rocks they used on Star Trek ? they look solid but aren't," said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College. "Presidents will talk about solving some policy problem, and then the bold language of the State of the Union address disappears into the messy reality of governing."

For Obama, last year's State of the Union offers a case study in that dynamic. Speaking to a newly divided government not long after the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz., Obama pleaded for national unity, a grand goal that never came to pass as Washington quickly dissolved into one partisan dispute after another.

Many of the particulars Obama rolled out that night proved just as hard to pull off.

Among the initiatives Obama promoted then that have yet to come to fruition a year later: eliminating subsidies to oil companies; replacing No Child Left Behind with a better education law; making a tuition tax credit permanent; rewriting immigration laws; and reforming the tax system.

The list of what he succeeded in accomplishing is considerably shorter, including: securing congressional approval of a South Korea free trade deal; signing legislation to undo a burdensome tax reporting requirement in his health care law; and establishing a website to show taxpayers where their tax dollars go.

One of Obama's pledges from last January's speech ? to undertake a reorganization of the federal government ? he got around to rolling out only this month. And other promises are vaguer or more long term, such as declaring a "Sputnik moment" for today's generation and calling for renewed commitments to research and development and clean energy technology; pushing to prepare more educators to teach science, technology and math; promoting high-speed rail and accessible broadband; and seeking greater investments in infrastructure.

"Clearly as time goes on and a presidency matures you get less and less of it and the State of the Union becomes an aspiration for what you want to do as opposed to a road map for what you can accomplish," said Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer. As voters' enthusiasm fades and opposition deepens, Zelizer said, "You lose some of your power and you get closer to the next election and no one wants to work with you."

Last year's address already contained more modest goals than the speech Obama gave to a joint session of Congress a month after his inauguration, which although not technically a State of the Union report had the feel of one. At the time Obama called for overhauling health care and ending the war in Iraq ? promises he kept ? but also for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and imposing caps on carbon pollution ? promises unmet.

Some of his goals, such as immigration and education reform, have resurfaced in multiple addresses, but still without being accomplished.

And rarely has Obama's rhetoric as president reached as high as the lofty promises of his campaign, when he pledged to change the very way Washington does business and remake politics itself. It's a far cry from those promises of change to the ambition of meeting monthly with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders ? but even that relatively modest goal, from Obama's 2010 State of the Union, went unfulfilled.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-23-State%20of%20the%20Union-Promises/id-c6a8360a48a34d239d746bd1a8ad92a7

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Suddenly 'neck and neck' ? Romney, Gingrich in SC (AP)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? On the eve of a Southern showdown, Mitt Romney conceded Friday he's in a tight race with Newt Gingrich for Saturday's South Carolina primary in a Republican campaign suddenly turned turbulent.

It's "neck and neck," Romney declared, while a third presidential contender, former Sen. Rick Santorum, swiped at both men in hopes of springing yet another campaign surprise.

Several days after forecasting a Romney victory in his state, Sen. Jim DeMint said the campaign's first Southern primary was now a two-man race between the former Massachusetts governor, who has struggled in recent days with questions about his personal wealth and taxes, and Gingrich, the former House speaker who has been surging in polls after a pair of well-received debate performances.

The stakes were high as Republicans sought a challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama. Television advertising by the candidates and their supporters exceeded $10 million here, much of it spent in the past two weeks, and mailboxes were stuffed with campaign flyers.

In a bit of home-state boosterism, DeMint said the primary winner was "likely to be the next president of the United States."

Indeed, the winner of the state's primary has gone on to capture the Republican nomination each year since 1980.

A victory by Romney would place him in a commanding position heading into the Florida primary on Jan. 31. He and an organization supporting him are already airing television ads in that state, which is one of the country's costliest in which to campaign.

If the former Massachusetts governor stumbles in South Carolina, it could portend a long, drawn-out battle for the nomination stretching well into spring and further expose rifts inside the party between those who want a candidate who can defeat Obama more than anything else, and those whose strong preference is for a solid conservative.

Romney sounded anything but confident as he told reporters that in South Carolina, "I realize that I had a lot of ground to make up and Speaker Gingrich is from a neighboring state, well known, popular ... and frankly to be in a neck-and-neck race at this last moment is kind of exciting."

Left unspoken was that he swept into South Carolina 10 days ago on the strength of a strong victory in the New Hampshire primary and maintained a double-digit lead in the South Carolina polls for much of the week.

Campaigning in Gilbert, S.C., on Friday, Romney demanded that Gingrich release hundreds of supporting documents relating to an ethics committee investigation into his activities while he was speaker of the House in the mid-1990s.

""Of course he should," he told reporters. Referring to the House Democratic leader, he said, "Nancy Pelosi has the full record of that ethics investigation. You know it's going to get out ahead of the general election."

That was an attempt to turn the tables on Gingrich, who has demanded Romney release his income tax returns before the weekend primary so Republicans can know in advance if they contain anything that could compromise the party's chances against Obama this fall.

Gingrich's campaign brushed off Romney's demand, calling it a "panic attack" brought on by sinking poll numbers.

In January 1997, Gingrich became the first speaker ever reprimanded and fined for ethics violations, slapped with a $300,000 penalty. He said he'd failed to follow legal advice concerning the use of tax-exempt contributions to advance potentially partisan goals, but he was also cleared of numerous other allegations.

At the same time he fended off a demand on one front Friday, Gingrich was less than eager to face further questions made by his second wife, Marianne, who said in an ABC interview broadcast Thursday night that he had once sought an open marriage so he could keep the mistress who later became his current wife.

He denies the ex-wife's account.

On his final lap through the state, Santorum campaigned as the Goldilocks candidate ? just right for the state's conservative voters.

"One candidate is too radioactive, a little too hot," he said, referring to Gingrich. "And we have another candidate who is just too darn cold, who doesn't have bold plans," he added, speaking of Romney.

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, dismissed Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the fourth contender in the race. "There are four, three of whom have a chance to win the nomination," he said, including himself.

Paul, who finished second in the Iowa caucuses and third in the New Hampshire primary, has had a limited presence in South Carolina.

Interviewed on C-SPAN, Santorum said the race "has just transformed itself in the last 24 hours." It was hard for any of the campaigns to argue with that.

In a bewildering series of events on Thursday, Romney was stripped of his victory in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses by state party officials, who said a recount showed Santorum ahead by 34 votes.

Then came an unexpected withdrawal by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who endorsed Gingrich. But Gingrich was suddenly caught in a controversy caused by his ex-wife's accusations.

At a two-hour debate that capped the day, Gingrich drew applause when he strongly attacked ABC and the "liberal news media" in general for injecting the issue into the final days of the South Carolina campaign.

By contrast, Romney faced a round of boos from the audience when he stuck by earlier statements that he would wait until April to release his tax returns.

Romney has stumbled several times in recent days, including once when he said he paid an effective tax rate of about 15 percent. That's half what many middle-income Americans pay, but it's what the law stipulates because his income derives from investments, which are taxed at a lower rate than wages.

Gingrich posted his own tax returns online during the Thursday debate, reporting he paid 31.5 percent of his income to the IRS.

___

Associated Press writers Charles Babington, Kasie Hunt, Thomas Beaumont, Philip Elliott, Beth Fouhy and Shannon McCaffrey contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Key SC senator maintains neutrality in primary

FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2011, file photo, Sen. Lindsey Graham, right, and Sen. Jim DeMint prepare to watch the CBS News/National Journal foreign policy debate at the Benjamin Johnson Arena in Spartanburg, S.C. In the 2012 Republican nominating contest, DeMint is like the pretty girl all the boys want to take to the prom. Nearly every GOP presidential candidate has come a-courting the South Carolina Republican ahead of his state?s Jan. 21 primary. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2011, file photo, Sen. Lindsey Graham, right, and Sen. Jim DeMint prepare to watch the CBS News/National Journal foreign policy debate at the Benjamin Johnson Arena in Spartanburg, S.C. In the 2012 Republican nominating contest, DeMint is like the pretty girl all the boys want to take to the prom. Nearly every GOP presidential candidate has come a-courting the South Carolina Republican ahead of his state?s Jan. 21 primary. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? South Carolina's Sen. Jim DeMint, a tea party leader, says the South Carolina Republican primary is "clearly a two-man race" now between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

DeMint has steadfastly declined to endorse any of the GOP candidates, although he supported Romney four years ago. Asked about his persistent neutrality on "CBS This Morning," DeMint said, "I don't think there's very many people in South Carolina who are waiting for me to tell them how to vote."

He said he's focusing more on trying to win a Republican majority in the Senate.

DeMint says he thinks Gingrich handled a question about marital infidelity "as well as he could have." But he also said he didn't know what effect that might have on the outcome of Saturday's primary voting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-20-Republicans-DeMint/id-285f3184021b41b99fc53ff98715d430

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SnapStream TV monitoring now lets OS X users keep tabs on amusing video-blunders

The Daily Show and Colbert Report famously rely upon SnapStream's high-power Windows DVR software to monitor the insanity at the fringes of America's cable spectrum. The media-monitoring software is also used by news services, educators and shadowy government agencies to keep tabs on the subjects discussed on TV. The latest edition (version five) opens the platform up to OS X users, enabling them to run it in Firefox without messy virtualization. The OS X web player comes with a plugin to watch MPEG-2 streams that'll happily sit on top of Snow Leopard or Lion and will even let you set up customized alerts for whenever inappropriate euphemisms emerge from Oprah's mouth.

SnapStream TV monitoring now lets OS X users keep tabs on amusing video-blunders originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/YqyM4pKfkLI/

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