Affleck's 'Argo' wins best-picture Oscar

Actor Jack Nicholson, left, presents the the award for best picture to producer/director Ben Affleck for "Argo" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Actor Jack Nicholson, left, presents the the award for best picture to producer/director Ben Affleck for "Argo" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Daniel Day-Lewis accepts the award for best actor in a leading role for "Lincoln" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Karen Lawrence, left, congratulates her daughter Jennifer Lawrence after she is announced as the winner of the award for best actress in a leading role for "Silver Linings Playbook" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for best actress in a leading role for "Silver Linings Playbook" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Actor Christoph Waltz accepts the award for best actor in a supporting role for "Django Unchained" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Ben Affleck's "Argo," a film about a fake movie, has earned a very real prize: best picture at the Academy Awards.

From the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama joined Jack Nicholson to help present the final prize.

"There are eight great films that have every right, as much a right to be up here as we do," Affleck said of the other best-picture nominees.

In share-the-wealth mode, Oscar voters spread Sunday's honors among a range of films, with "Argo" winning three trophies but "Life of Pi" leading with four.

Daniel Day-Lewis joined a select group of recipients with his third Oscar, taking the best-actor trophy for his monumental performance as Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War saga "Lincoln."

"Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence triumphed in Hollywood's big games, winning the best actress as a damaged soul in "Silver Linings Playbook," while Ang Lee pulled off a huge upset as best director for "Life of Pi."

Anne Hathaway went from propping up leaden sidekick James Franco at the Academy Awards to hefting a golden statue of her own with a supporting-actress Oscar win as a doomed mother-turned-prostitute in the musical "Les Miserables."

Christoph Waltz won his second supporting-actor Oscar for a Tarantino film, this time as a genteel bounty hunter in the slave-revenge saga "Django Unchained." Tarantino also won his second Oscar, for original screenplay for "Django."

Ang Lee pulled off a major upset, won best director for the shipwreck story "Life of Pi," taking the prize over Steven Spielberg, who had been favored for "Lincoln."

Lawrence took a fall on her way to the stage, tripping on the steps.

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell," Lawrence joked as the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

At 22, Lawrence is the second-youngest woman to win best actress, behind Marlee Matlin, who was 21 when she won for "Children of a Lesser God." Lawrence also is the third-youngest best-actress contender ever, earning her first nomination at age 20 two years ago for her breakout role in "Winter's Bone," the film that took her from virtual unknown to one of Hollywood's most-versatile and sought-after performers.

With a monumental performance as Abraham Lincoln, Day-Lewis became the only performer to win three best-actor Oscars, adding to the honors he earned for "My Left Foot" and "There Will Be Blood." He's just the sixth actor to earn three or more Oscars, tied with Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan with three each, and just behind Katharine Hepburn, who won four.

Hathaway, whose perkiness helped carry her and the listless Franco through an ill-starred stint as Oscar hosts two years ago, is the third performer in a musical to win supporting actress during the genre's resurgence in the last decade.

"It came true," said Hathaway, who joins 2002 supporting-actress winner Catherine Zeta-Jones for "Chicago" and 2006 recipient Jennifer Hudson for "Dreamgirls." Hathaway had warm thanks for "Les Miz" co-star Hugh Jackman, with whom she once sang a duet at the Oscars when he was the show's host.

Hathaway's Oscar came for her role as noble but fallen Fantine in the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway smash that was based on Victor Hugo's epic novel of revolution, romance and redemption in 19th century France.

"Life of Pi" also won for Mychael Danna's multicultural musical score that blends Indian and Western instruments and influences, plus cinematography and visual effects.

"I really want to thank you for believing this story and sharing this incredible journey with me," Lee said to all who worked on the film, a surprise blockbuster about a youth trapped on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger.

A veteran performer in Germany and his native Austria, Waltz had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood when Tarantino cast him as a gleefully evil Nazi in 2009's "Inglourious Basterds," which won him his first Oscar.

"I have to cast the right people to make those characters come alive," said Tarantino, who won previously for "Pulp Fiction. "And boy, this time, did I do it. Thank you so much, guys."

Waltz has since done a handful of other Hollywood movies, but it's Tarantino who has given him his two choicest roles. Backstage, Waltz had a simple explanation for why the collaboration works.

"Quentin writes poetry, and I like poetry," Waltz said.

Oscar host Seth MacFarlane opened with a mildly edgy monologue that offered the usual polite jabs at the academy, the stars and the industry. He took a poke at academy voters over the snub of Ben Affleck, who missed out on a directing nomination for best-picture favorite "Argo," a thriller about the CIA's plot to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis.

"The story was so top secret that the film's director is unknown to the academy," MacFarlane said. "They know they screwed up. Ben, it's not your fault."

"Argo" also claimed the Oscar for adapted screenplay for Chris Terrio, who worked with Affleck to create a liberally embellished story based on an article about the rescue and part of CIA operative Tony Mendez's memoir.

Terrio dedicated the award to Mendez, saying "33 years ago, Tony, using nothing but his creativity and his intelligence, Tony got six people out of a bad situation."

The foreign-language prize went to Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke's old-age love story "Amour," which had been a major surprise with five nominations, including picture, director and original screenplay for Haneke and best actress for Emmanuelle Riva, who turned 86 on Sunday and would be the oldest acting winner ever.

The top prize winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival, "Amour" follows the agonizing story of an elderly man (Jean-Louis Trintignant) tending his wife (Riva) as she declines from age and illness.

Haneke thanked his own wife for supporting him in his work for 30 years.

"You are the center of my life," Haneke said.

The Scottish adventure "Brave," from Disney's Pixar Animation unit, was named best animated feature. Pixar films have won seven of the 12 Oscars since the category was added.

"I just happen to be wearing the kilt," said "Brave" co-director Mark Andrews, who took the stage in his trademark Scottish garment.

The upbeat musical portrait "Searching for Sugar Man" took the documentary feature prize. The film follows the quest of two South African fans to discover the fate of acclaimed but obscure singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, who dropped out of sight after two albums in the 1970s and was rumored to have died a bitter death.

"Thanks to one of the greatest singers ever, Rodriguez," said "Sugar Man" director Malik Bendjelloul.

There was a rare tie in one category, with the Osama bin Laden thriller "Zero Dark Thirty" and the James Bond tale "Skyfall" each winning for sound editing.

William Shatner made a guest appearance as his "Star Trek" character Capt. James Kirk, appearing on a giant screen above the stage during MacFarlane's monologue, saying he came back in time to stop the host from ruining the Oscars.

"Your jokes are tasteless and inappropriate, and everyone ends up hating you," said Shatner, who revealed a headline supposedly from the next day's newspaper that read, "Seth MacFarlane worst Oscar host ever."

The performance-heavy Oscars also included an opening number featuring Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum, who did a classy dance while MacFarlane crooned "The Way You Look Tonight." Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt then joined MacFarlane for an elegant musical rendition of "High Hopes."

Halle Berry introduced a tribute to the Bond franchise, in which she has co-starred, as the British super-spy celebrated his 50th anniversary on the big-screen last year with the latest adventure "Skyfall." Shirley Bassey sang her theme song to the 1960s Bond tale "Goldfinger." Later, pop star Adele performed her theme tune from "Skyfall," which won the best-song Oscar.

Barbra Streisand injected some musical sentiment into the show's segment memorializing Hollywood figures who died in the past year as she sang "The Way We Were," the Oscar-winning song she did in the film of the same name.

A salute to the resurgence of movie musicals in the last decade included Oscar winners Zeta-Jones singing "All That Jazz" from "Chicago" and Hudson doing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls." Hathaway and Jackman joined cast mates of best-picture contender "Les Miserables" to sing songs from their musical.

Academy officials said all performances were sung live.

Fans had pondered how far MacFarlane the impudent creator of "Family Guy," might push the normally prim and proper Oscars. MacFarlane was generally polite and respectful, showcasing his charm, wit and vocal gifts.

MacFarlane did press his luck a bit on an Abraham Lincoln joke, noting that Raymond Massey preceded "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis as an Oscar nominee for 1940's "Abe Lincoln in Illinois."

"I would argue that the actor who really got inside Lincoln's head was John Wilkes Booth," MacFarlane wisecracked, earning some groans from the crowd. "A hundred and 50 years later, and it's still too soon?"

___

AP writers Christy Lemire, Sandy Cohen, Beth Harris and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-25-Oscars/id-97109bc680434538926e1a0bdfb4080d

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Economic News: China denies it's world's biggest trader | BirchIndigo

The Apple share price is shown on a stock ticker on Aug. 21, 2012, in New York. It was a day after the company?s market cap had made it the world?s most valuable company.(Photo: Mark Lennihan, AP)

Story Highlights

• Despite recent stock price drop, Apple expected to stay on top
• No big growth surges for Microsoft, but its software dominance continues
• Exxon embraces clean energy, plans to invest $ 185 billion next 5 years

Each January, 24/7 Wall St. forecasts the publicly traded U.S. companies that will have the highest profits in the year ahead.

This year, Apple (AAPL) almost certainly will keep first place, well ahead of No. 2 Exxon (XOM), as the most profitable corporation in America. It already passed the oil giant in market capitalization. However, while the market appears to anticipate continued rapid growth from Apple, its prospects have dimmed somewhat. After reaching all-time highs last year, Apple?s stock advance has stopped and shares have sold off recently.

The list of most profitable companies is still dominated by oil companies, banks and big tech. A look back at profits over the past five years shows that this trend has continued. Some of these companies have not grown much on the top line of revenue for several years. But they continue to be earnings machines because of their long-time sales success, which will help them produce higher profits in the foreseeable future. Microsoft (MFST) is the best example of this. The software company is no longer considered a leader in the tech world, a position taken by public corporations like Google (GOOG) . Yet, Microsoft?s Windows and business franchises still have huge profit margins. Microsoft?s net income is greater than that of almost all other tech firms.

24/7 Wall St. used Capital IQ data to identify companies with the largest profits, defined as net income, over the past 12 months. This included revenue and earnings forecasts and pricing data. We reviewed earnings forecasts for the final quarter of 2012 and for the full year of 2013 to gauge growth prospects. In addition, 24/7 Wall St. looked at the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500 based on revenue and again reviewed earnings and earnings forecasts for these based on Capital IQ data. Here are what 24/7 Wall St. predicts will be the 10 most profitable companies of 2013:

1. Apple, market cap: $ 491.6 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 191 billion, up 23%, earnings of $ 46 billion, up 10%
? Stock price: $ 500, trading between $ 418.66 ? $ 705.07 per share

More than a year after the death of co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, Apple?s efforts to maintain preeminence in the smartphone and tablet PC markets are under constant scrutiny. Apple?s pace of change has been remarkable. When it launched the iPhone, the company was a PC and portable music player company. Just over five years late, the iPhone accounts for almost half of Apple?s revenue and two-thirds of its profits. Competition from a broad array of products from other companies, led by the Samsung line of smartphones and Amazon.com?s Kindle tablet, has eroded Apple?s lead. Apps built for the Google Android mobile operating system threatens Apple?s strength in the app business, in which it has had a mammoth lead. There is a great deal of speculation about what Apple will do to remain ahead of its competition in all markets, including talk of launching an Apple TV and a cheaper version of the iPhone. Nervousness about Apple?s prospects have pushed down its shares about 15% the past six months.

2. Exxon Mobil, market cap: $ 406.2 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 473 billion, down 1%, earnings of $ 37 billion, up 2%
? Stock price: $ 90.80, trading between $ 77.13 ? $ 93.67 per share

Exxon Mobil is the world?s fourth-largest oil company, the largest company in the U.S. based on revenue, and the second-largest public corporation in the world based on market cap. Like most large energy companies, Exxon has made a large bet on the oil sands business, a relatively new way to produce significant amounts of crude. It also continues to increase its capacity to bring crude from deep-sea locations, and it is investing $ 14 billion in the Hebron fields off the coast of Newfoundland. As have most of the world?s largest energy companies, Exxon has embraced the clean energy and fuel-efficiency movements, and it says it plans to spend a staggering $ 185 billion in energy projects the next five years.

3. (tie) Chevron (CVX), market cap: $ 216.2 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 260 billion, up 8%, earnings of $ 24 billion, unchanged
? Stock price: $ 110.47, trading between $ 95.73 ? $ 118.53 per share

Chevron is the third-largest company in the U.S., based on revenue, according to Fortune, behind Wal-Mart and Exxon. Like most other large U.S. oil and diversified energy firms, much of Chevron?s revenue comes from overseas. In the most recent quarter, Chevron?s total sales were $ 55.7 billion, of which $ 32.4 billion was pegged as ?international.? Chevron recently forecast its financial results for the final quarter of 2012 would be particularly strong. Chevron has significant operations in the natural gas sector, operates gas stations under the Chevron, Texaco and Caltex brands, and has large shipping and pipeline operations. Chevron?s stock has outperformed those of most of its global peers over the past five years and has risen 20% over that period.

3. (tie) Microsoft, market cap: $ 222.7 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 80 billion, up 9%, earnings of $ 24 billion, up 7%
? Stock price: $ 27.25, trading between $ 22.26 ? $ 32.95 per share

Microsoft, once the most powerful and largest software company in the world, has fallen on hard times. Its flagship product ? Windows ? was recently updated. The new operating system, Windows 8, has not done well, partly because global PC sales have slowed considerably. Unfortunately for Microsoft, PC sales are not expected to improve this year, as consumers move to tablets and smartphones. Microsoft has several other challenges. Its Online Services Division, made up of its Bing search engine and MSN portal, has struggled with losses. Google remains the dominant search engine by far, which has hurt Bing?s growth chances. Microsoft has also had trouble gaining adoption of its mobile Windows product, which relies in large part on its partnership with handset giant Nokia (NOK). Microsoft?s struggles have hurt it on Wall Street ? its stock is down more than 20% the past five years.

5. JP Morgan Chase (JPM), market cap: $ 175.4 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 100 billion, up 2%, earnings of $ 20 billion, up 6%
? Stock price: $ 46.46, trading between $ 30.83 ? $ 46.49 per share

Until recently, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was considered the preeminent chief executive in his industry. His name was often mentioned as a possible candidate for Treasury Secretary when Tim Geithner retired. As a matter of fact, Warren Buffett said he favored Dimon for the job. But JP Morgan has had its share of trouble recently, and Obama?s chief of staff, Jack Lew, was nominated to be the next Treasury secretary. The heart of JP Morgan?s trouble was a large trade that cost the bank more than $ 6 billion. It was made by London investment employee Bruno Iksil, who has been called the ?London Whale? because of the magnitude of the hit to JP Morgan?s financials. Dimon readily admitted that poor management was the cause of the problem, which cost the bank?s chief investment officer her job and caused Dimon to replace the head of London trading operations. As a result, Dimon lost most of his bonus for last year.

6. (tie) Wells Fargo (WFC), market cap: $ 183.4 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 85 billion, down 1%, earnings of $ 19 billion, up 9%
? Stock price: $ 34.93, trading between $ 28.77 ? $ 36.60 per share

Wells Fargo is one of America?s ?big four? commercial banks, alongside Chase, Citigroup (C) and Bank of America (BAC). The company recently reported better-than-expected earnings. The quality of those numbers confirmed what many analysts believe: Wells Fargo has been able to build ?a reputation as one of the strongest banks in the country,? as ABC News reported. An indication of Wall Street?s admiration for the bank is that its share price has well outperformed its peers the past five years. Like the other large American banks, Well Fargo is highly diversified. It has retail bank operations, commercial operations that handle business lending, an investment bank and a wealth management business.

6. (tie) International Business Machines (IBM), market cap: $ 217.9 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 107 billion, up 2%, earnings of $ 19 billion, up 10%
?Stock price: $ 194.47, trading between $ 177.35 ? $ 211.79 per share

IBM is one of America?s largest tech companies. It is also one of the most diverse. Its strength in sales to corporations and government has allowed it to largely avoid many of the troubles that have faced firms like Dell (DELL) and HewlettPackard (HPQ), which are more dependent on sales to consumers. IBM has significant operations in Europe and Asia. It sells hardware ? including mainframe computers ? software and IT services. It also has consulting operations and a finance division. IBM is one of America?s oldest tech companies, and in 2011 celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. The company last year appointed its first female CEO ? Ginni Rometty.

8. General Electric (GE), market cap of $ 222 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 148 billion, up 2%, earnings of $ 18 billion, up 11%
? Stock price: $ 22.04, trading between $ 18.02 ? $ 23.18 per share

GE is considered the world?s largest conglomerate. It provides global infrastructure products and services, health care systems, jet engines and transportation services, and household appliances. It also has a large financial services division. One of the major criticisms of GE management is that the company has grown very little over the past several years. Wall Sreet has reacted negatively, and the stock price has fallen by over a third over the past five years. GE CEO Jeff Immelt is highly visible in business and government circles, and currently heads the U.S. Jobs Council set up by President Obama.

9. Pfizer ( PFE), market cap: $ 197 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 58 billion, down 1%, earnings of $ 17 billion, up 6%
? Stock price: $ 26.54, trading between $ 20.75 ? $ 26.77 per share

Pfizer?s largest challenge, like that of most other large pharmaceutical companies, is the expiration of patents for much of its drug portfolio. Cheaper, generic versions of these drugs have taken market share. In a recent example, Pfizer had to drop the price of Viagra in Canada to compete with generic versions sold there. Pfizer has gone through a series of layoffs to protect its margins, most recently at its U.S. sales operations. In the latest reported quarter, revenue fell to $ 14 billion from $ 16.6 billion in the same period a year ago.

10. Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), market cap: $ 228.7 billion
? Forecast: Revenue of $ 467 billion, up 5%, earnings of $ 16 billion, up 10%
? Stock price: $ 69.20, trading between $ 57.18 ? $ 77.60 per share

Wal-Mart employs more than 2 million people, making it the largest company in America by headcount. In the most recent Fortune 500 ranking, Wal-Mart fell just behind Exxon in total revenue. Wal-Mart is made up primarily of three divisions: Wal-Mart?s domestic stores, its Sam?s Club warehouse operation and Wal-Mart International. Wal-Mart has had a year marked by scandal. Allegedly, executives at the company?s Mexico division bribed government officials. Democratic Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings and Henry A. Waxman recently released information indicating Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke was aware as early as 2005 of allegations company executives had bribed Mexican government officials.

McIntyre is a partner of 24/7 Wall St.,a financial news website.

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New Ford F-150 Murfreesboro TN 37129

Ford F-150 4X4 Style

You're going to love the 2013 Ford F-150. It features four-wheel drive capabilities, a durable automatic transmission, and a 3.5 liter 6 cylinder engine. Ford prioritized fit and finish as evidenced by: 1-touch window functionality, a rear step bumper, tilt steering wheel, power door mirrors, power windows, an overhead console, and a split folding rear seat. Audio features include an AM/FM radio, and 4 speakers, providing excellent sound throughout the cabin. Ford ensures the safety and security of its passengers with equipment such as: head curtain airbags, front SIDE impact airbags, traction control, a security system, and 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS. With electronic stability control supplementing mechanical systems, you'll maintain precise command of the roadway. Our team is professional, and we offer a no-pressure environment. They'll work with you to find the right vehicle at a price you can afford. Call now to schedule a test drive.

Source: http://www.fordofmurfreesboro.com/blog/video/2013/february/23/2013-Ford-F-150-Murfreesboro-TN-d7f7c3e40a0a00e000ba22e1ae49a592.htm?locale=en_US

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Microsoft Files Its Support For Oracle Against Google In Java API Court Case

Few days back, Microsoft along with EMC and NetApp has filed a petition in support for Oracle to US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Oracle lost the case against Google involving usage of Java APIs with out any licensing agreements. Microsoft?s main arguments are as follows?

Read more at Microsoft News

0

About Microsoft News

As the battle of ecosystems intensify, we can no longer use a company's phone OS without knowing about the rest of its services. Microsoft-News.com aims to bring news of Microsoft's latest moves to remain relevant in the Post-PC world.

Source: http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-files-its-support-for-oracle-against-google-in-java-api-court-case/

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Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 Smartphone Web Traffic Neck to Neck. iPhones Overall Generate 2x the Traffic of Samsung's Smartphones.

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Excerpt from: Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 Smartphone Web Traffic Neck to Neck. iPhones Overall Generate 2x the Traffic of Samsung's Smartphones.

Chitika Insights measured tens of millions of ad impressions from October 3rd to the 9th ?of 2012 and from February 1st to the 9th of 2013 in the US and Canada.? In the October survey the iPhone 5 had been out for less than three weeks and the Samsung Galaxy S III had been out for almost four mont...

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At 80, Yoko Ono sees a world full of new activism

By Reuters

Half a lifetime ago, artist Yoko Ono lay in an Amsterdam hotel bed with husband John Lennon, staging a week-long "bed-in" for peace and feeling they were very alone in their activism.?

?

Reuters

Today, Ono, whose own energy for campaigning has never tired, sees a world full of activists, maintaining her energy and faith in humanity.?

"When John and I did the bed-in, not many people were with us. But now there are so many activists, I don't know anyone who is not an activist," she told Reuters in an interview in Berlin on Monday, her 80th birthday.

"Even the corporations - John always used to say the corporations need to be with us... Corporations now say 10-20 percent of their profits will go to such and such charity. They have to do that almost for people to feel good about it."

The late Beatle and Ono's 1969 bed-in to protest against the Vietnam war was repeated in Montreal, Canada. Press attention was huge, but much of it was mocking.

Ono, who gave a sell-out concert in Berlin on Sunday alongside their son Sean Lennon which closed with the anthem "Give peace a chance", said it was still critical to stand up for peace despite new conflicts in the intervening decades.

"I don't want to be drowning in sadness. I think we have to stand and up and change the world," she said.

The artist, born to a wealthy Japanese family in Tokyo in 1933, has recently become a passionate opponent of fracking, a controversial procedure which has sharply lifted energy output in the United States but which critics fear pollutes drinking water deep underground and could increase earthquake risks.

"Fracking is an incredible risk to the human race, I don't know why they even thought of doing it," she said.

Ono, whose birthday is being marked by a major retrospective of her work in Frankfurt, said she feels she is becoming freer in her art.

"My attitude has changed... I'm allowing things to happen in a way I hadn't planned before," she said.

Asked about her feelings on becoming an octogenarian, she said: "I'm surprised. It is a miracle in a sense that I am 80, I am proud about it. Not everybody gets there."

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Good Samaritan gifts gold bars to Tsunami affected fishermen of Japan

No one knows the name of the sender except that the gold bars come by post and packed in paper from a north western city of Nagano as reported in bbc.com of dated 16th of February 2013.

There is no message but the recipients are overjoyed and take it as a gift from God to help rebuild their broken homes and devastated lives.

The gold bars began to arrive in Ishinomaki, in Miyagi prefecture, about 10 days ago and, so far, two packages have been received - each of them contain 2-Kg of gold bars valued at approximately $250,000.

The money would be used to rebuild the fish market of Ishinomaki which is, at present, operating out of tents.

It may be recalled that on 11th of March 2011, a quake of magnitude 9.0 triggered a Tsunami in Japan and in that disaster, nearly 19,000 persons died while the nuclear reactor in Fukushima was damaged extensively.

Ishinomaki lies 350-Km north-east of Tokyo and the casualty in this region was 3,000 with more than 40,000 buildings completely destroyed.

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Bolt goes 400 meters in 2013 debut

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) ? Usain Bolt kicked off his sprint season Saturday by making a rare appearance in a 400-meter race and finishing in 46.74 seconds.

Bolt, who has back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100, 200, and the 4x100-meter relay, overtook Allodin Fothergill in the homestretch to win his heat.

Bolt's biggest rival, Yohan Blake, ran 46.64 in a separate heat, finishing second to Warren Weir, the 200-meter Olympic bronze medalist, who finished in 46.23.

There were no finals in the small meet, the Camperdown Classic, which drew about three dozen sprinters to Kingston's National Stadium.

Bolt, the world-record holder in the 100 and 200, used to run the 200 and 400. But while getting ready for the 2008 Olympics, he took up the 100 and took a break from the longer distance.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bolt-goes-400-meters-2013-debut-113331459--spt.html

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Why We're All Above Average

On a scale of one to 10, you probably think you're a seven. And you wouldn't be alone.

While it's impossible for most people to be above average for a specific quality, people think they are better than most people in many arenas, from charitable behavior to work performance.

The phenomenon, known as illusory superiority, is so stubbornly persistent that psychologists would be surprised if it didn't show up in their studies, said David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell who has studied the effect for decades.

It happens for many reasons: Others are too polite to say what they really think, incompetent people lack the skills to assess their abilities accurately, and such self-delusions can actually protect people's mental health, Dunning told LiveScience.

Widespread phenomenon

Since psychological studies first began, people have given themselves top marks for most positive traits. While most people do well at assessing others, they are wildly positive about their own abilities, Dunning said.

That's because we realize the external traits and circumstances that guide other people's actions, "but when it comes to us, we think it's all about our intention, our effort, our desire, our agency ? we think we sort of float above all these kinds of constraints," he said. [10 Things You Didn't Know About You]

In studies, most people overestimate their IQ. For instance, in a classic 1977 study, 94 percent of professors rated themselves above average relative to their peers. In another study, 32 percent of the employees of a software company said they performed better than 19 out of 20 of their colleagues. And Dunning has found that people overestimate how charitable they'll be in future donation drives, but accurately guess their peers' donations.

Drivers consistently rate themselves as better than average ? even when a test of their hazard perception reveals them to be below par, said Mark Horswill, a psychologist at the University of Queensland in Australia.

"You find it across all ages, you find it among novice drivers, and you find it among drivers over age 65," Horswill told LiveScience.

Because even the worst driver may by chance avoid an accident, people are more likely to overestimate skills like that than concrete skills like chess or tennis, where the incompetent are trounced quickly, Horswill said.

Room for delusion

In part, most positive traits ? like being a good driver ? are so vaguely defined that there's plenty of wiggle room to make them fit, Dunning said.? People also don't usually get honest feedback from others.

"People don't say to your face what they might say behind your back," Dunning said.

But in a strange twist, the most incompetent are also the most likely to overestimate their skills, while the ace performers are more likely to underrate themselves, because if they find a skill easy they assume other people do too, he said.

Self-protection?

One group seems to be immune to such self-aggrandizement: People who are depressed or have anxiety don't overrate themselves, Horswill said. The more severe the depression, the more likely they are to underrate themselves. That suggests the illusion of superiority may actually be a protective mechanism that shields our self-esteem, he added.

"You think you're better than everyone else and that's actually good for mental health," Horswill said.

And the trend varies considerably with culture.

"North Americans seem to be the kings and queens of overestimation. If you go to places like Japan, Korea or China, this whole phenomenon evaporates," Dunning said.

That is possibly because Eastern cultures value self-improvement, while Western culture tends to value self-esteem, he said.

Finding the truth

While it's not possible to get a completely clear-eyed view of oneself, people can bring their self-perception more in line with reality, Dunning said.

For one, people should look to others whose lives inspire admiration, figure out what they're doing right, and try to emulate them, he said.

And since people are generally pretty accurate in assessing other people (just not themselves), people should be aggressive about getting ? and taking to heart ? constructive criticism from others, he said.

"The road to self-insight runs through other people," he said.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.?

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-were-above-average-150516461.html

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Credit Card Debt and Financial Advice at Shortsentences.org Gives ...

Lowell, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/06/2013 -- Not everyone is happy about having a credit card. Where there was excitement before about spending in plastics, now the populace is having big problems about credit card bills. As more and more Americans are downed with personal credit card debt, the government is fast on its heels trying to solve the problem. But are we really progressing towards that end?

In a recent research done at Ohio University, it was found out that younger Americans not only take on relatively more credit card debt than their elders, but they are also paying it off at a slower rate.

"If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future," comments Lucia Dunn, co-author of the study and professor of economics at Ohio State University. Dunn conducted the study with Sarah Jiang of Capital One Financial in McLean, Va. The outcome of the said research was published in the January 2013 issue of the journal Economic Inquiry.

Mishandling of credit card debt hurts our credit score more than our bigger obligations such as housing loans or student loans, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?s new report on the credit scoring industry. Richard Cordray, Bureau Director of Consumer Financial Protection, said ?If they are not responsible with that one card, it could end up costing them a lot more down the line when they go to take out a mortgage and that credit card is a black mark on their credit report.?

The problem of consumer harassments from collection lawyers has reached the concerned government agencies. In response to that call, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was put in place in order ?to prohibit abusive practices by debt collectors?. This is also an opportunity for consumers to ask for validated credit information in order to guarantee that the claims are correct and accurate. Otherwise, consumers have the right to deny or dispute the said debt.

The need to educate the consumers on his or her rights comes to the fore because people can only act according to their knowledge. A campaign to increase the awareness regarding the pitfalls of indiscriminate credit card use should be in order. Financial literacy is not taught in school and a lot of people succumb to the temptation of cashless purchase simply because they are ignorant of the math behind it.

About Shortsentences.org
Shortsentences.org is a website dedicated to provide valuable information regarding personal finance, credit card and credit card debt relief. The author feels very strongly about helping people get out of debt.

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/credit-card-debt-and-financial-advice-at-shortsentencesorg-gives-pointers-on-how-to-avoid-getting-trap-in-your-credit-card-debt-203158.htm

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Tsunami kills at least 5 after big Pacific quake

(Reuters) - A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake set off a tsunami that killed at least five people in a remote part of the Solomon Islands on Wednesday and triggered evacuations across the South Pacific as island nations issued tsunami alerts.

The quake struck 340 km (211 miles) east of Kira Kira in the Solomons, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said as it issued warnings for the Solomons and other South Pacific nations including Australia and New Zealand. It later canceled the warnings for the outlying regions.

A tsunami measuring 0.9 metres (three feet) hit near the town of Lata on the remote Santa Cruz island, swamping some villages and the town's main airport as people fled to safety on higher ground.

More than three dozen aftershocks up to magnitude 6.6 rocked the region in the hours after the quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Lata hospital's director of nursing, Augustine Pilve, told New Zealand television that five people had been killed, including a boy about 10 years old, adding that more casualties were possible as officials made their way to at least three villages that may have been hit.

"It's more likely that other villages along the coast of Santa Cruz may be affected," he said.

Disaster officials in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara told the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corp. that they believed six people were dead and that five villages had suffered damage.

Solomon Islands Police Commissioner John Lansley said it was too early to fully assess the damage or casualty numbers, and said authorities hoped to send aircraft to the region on Thursday to help determine the extent of the damage.

Luke Taula, a fisheries officer in Lata, said he watched the tsunami as it came in small tidal surges rather than as one large wave.

"We have small waves come in, then go out again, then come back in. The waves have reached the airport terminal," he told Reuters by telephone.

The worst damage was to villages on the western side of a point that protects the main township, he said.

"There are reports that some communities have been badly hit, their houses have been damaged by the waves."

About 5,000 people lived in and around the town, but the area was deserted as people fled to higher ground, Taula said.

HOT SPOT

The Solomons, perched on the geologically active "Pacific Ring of Fire", were hit by a devastating tsunami following an 8.1 magnitude quake in 2007. At least 50 people were killed then and dozens left missing and more than 13 villages destroyed.

"It's an area that is very prone to earthquakes," said Jonathan Bathgate, seismologist at Geoscience Australia. "We've had seven 6-plus magnitude earthquakes in this region since January 31, so it has been very active in the past week."

Initial signs were that the tremor was a thrust quake, in which vertical movement in the continental plates generates higher risk of tsunami, Bathgate added.

Authorities in the Solomons, Fiji, Guam and elsewhere had urged residents to higher ground before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center canceled its alerts.

"The earthquake would have to be quite a bit bigger to make a much more sizeable tsunami," said Brian Shiro, geophysicist for the center in Hawaii.

(Reporting by James Grubel in CANBERRA,; Additional reporting by Michael Perry and Lincoln Feast in SYDNEY and Alex Dobuzinskis in LOS ANGELES)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/magnitude-6-3-quake-strikes-off-solomon-islands-003108147.html

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Deal of the Day ? 11.6? HP ENVY x2 Dual-core notebook/tablet

Tuesday’s LogicBUY Deal is the customizable 11.6″ HP?11.6-inch ENVY x2 (11t-g000) hybrid notebook/tablet, starting at?$774.99. ?Features: Laptop also functions as a tablet Intel Atom Z2760 1.8GHz Dual-core with integrated graphics 2GB RAM 64GB SSD 1080p webcam, 8MP rear camera 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, and NFC Two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI out Windows 8 (32-bit) Beats Audio [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/05/deal-of-the-day-11-6-hp-envy-x2-dual-core-notebooktablet/

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National Geographic Society To Set Two Guinness World Records ...

Taylor Swift's shoes are helping to set a world record in D.C.

WASHINGTON -- There are a lot of shoes in the courtyard of the National Geographic Society headquarters. A lot. Enough to set a world record. And some have been worn on the feet of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Eli Manning.

From a National Geographic media release:

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, National Geographic Kids will display tens of thousands of shoes in the courtyard of the National Geographic Society headquarters to announce two new Guinness World Records titles!

The shoes, which include those of One Direction, Taylor Swift, Danica Patrick and Eli Manning, will be the largest collection of shoes to be recycled. We will also be announcing the title of most number of people to run or walk 100 meters in 24 hours, which was performed all across the world in October. The records support First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, which encourages kids and families to get healthy and active

The event begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5 and is free and open to the public. National Geographic Kids and Guinness World Records spokespeople will speak and proclaim the records.

The National Geographic Museum is at 17th and M Streets NW in Washington D.C. It's open everyday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, students and members of the military and $4 for children.

• World's Tallest Mohawk

  In this image taken from video, Kazuhiro Watanabe, 40, a fashion designer from Tokyo, shows off his 3-foot-8-point-6-inch hairdo in New York City's Washington Square Park on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012. To make it stand upright he says it takes stylists two hours, one can of gel and three cans of hairspray. The New York appearance was to promote the newest version of the Guinness World Records book, which for the first time includes Watanabe. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

• World's Tallest Dog

  In an undated photo provided by Guinness World Records 2013 Book, Kevin Doorlag stands with his dog Zeus in Otsego, Mich. The Great Dane is now officially the world?s tallest canine according to the record book. The 3-year-old measures 44 inches from foot to shoulder. Standing on his hind legs, Zeus measures 7-foot-4. (AP Photo/Guinness World Records 2013 Book, Kevin Scott Ramos, HO)

• Gangnam Style Most Viewed Online Video Ever

  The South Korean pop star?s video for "Gangnam Style" is not only the top music video on YouTube but also the most viewed video online of any kind. But the records won't stop there - looking further ahead, the video is poised to become the first online video to register 1 billion views, a mark likely to come before Christmas.

• World's Tightest Parallel Park

  The tightest parallel park is 14 cm (5.51 in) and was achieved by Ronny Wechselberger aka Ronny C' Rock (Germany), at Flugplatz Kindel in Eisenach, Germany, on June 18th, 2012.

• World's Oldest Person Dies at Age 116

  The world's oldest person, Besse Cooper, died of natural causes Tuesday at the age of 116.

• 28 Women Stuff Themselves In A Mini Cooper

  Twenty-eight limber ladies from Sussex, England squeezed their way to a new record, by simultaneously stuffing themselves inside a Mini Cooper hatchback in honor of November?s eighth annual Guinness World Records Day. The organizer, Dani Maynard, had her team of gymnasts take on a training regime which included extra stretching and hula-hoop relay racing in order to prepare for the record. It took 10 minutes for all the women to get inside with all doors and windows shut for at least five seconds.

• Miranda Ferguson, 16-Year-Old Cheerleader, Does 35 Back Flips

  Miranda Ferguson, a 16-year-old cheerleader in Texas, gave the halftime performance of a lifetime last week. As her team and the audience cheered her on, the Texas high school junior broke the world handspring record with a series of 35 back flips. At last year's game, Ferguson completed 20 handsprings, and when she found out that the current world record was 32, she set her sights on beating it. At this year's big game, two Guinness Book of World Records officials stood by to witness and keep count as Ferguson backflipped her way from one 15-yard line on the field to the other.

• Tom Schaar Does 1080 Skateboard Spin

  The first person to perform a '1080' on a skateboard (three full rotations while airborne) is Tom Schaar, a 12-year-old from Malibu, California who achieved the feat using a "mega ramp" at Woodward West, Tehachapi, California on March 26th, 2012.

• World's Smallest Adults Meet For The First Time - Guinness World Records

  Chandra Bahadur Dangi, the world's shortest man and Jyoti Amge, the world's shortest woman met for the first time to celebrate the organisation which made them famous. The 18-year-old from India and the 72-year-old Nepalese both made headlines last winter when they were given their titles.

• Flaming Lips Break Jay Z's Guinness World Record

  The most live concerts performed in 24 hours in multiple cities is eight, and was achieved by The Flaming Lips as they hit eight different cities throughout the Mississippi Delta by bus between June 27th-28th, 2012. The gig was documented by Viacom?s O Music Awards, which celebrates the world of digital music. The record was previously held by rapper Jay Z who performed concerts in seven different cities to promote the release of his new album 'Kingdom Come' in 2006.

• Felix Baumgartner Does 24 Mile Freefall

  The Austrian aeronautic pioneer?s death defying jump from near the edge of space recorded the most concurrent views of a live stream with over 8 million people tuning in to watch the milestone feat! The unprecedented feat is also being considered for three new Guinness World Records: the highest freefall parachute jump (both FAI-sanctioned and unsanctioned), the highest vertical speed in freefall, and the greatest freefall distance.

• Barack Obama: Top Twitterer

  President Obama?s re-election generated the most widespread social networking message in 24 hours: "Four more years.? The iconic phrase was re-tweeted more than 771,635 times on Twitter by different individuals within 24 hours of its first appearance on November 7th. The online sentiment beat out famed pop star Justin Bieber?s Twitter record, which was 251,878 re-tweets of a ?Happy Birthday? during his 18th birthday.

• Felix Baumgartner

  The Austrian aeronautic pioneer's death defying jump from near the edge of space recorded the most concurrent views of a live stream with over 8 million people tuning in to watch the milestone feat! The unprecedented feat is also being considered for three new Guinness World Records: the highest freefall parachute jump (both FAI-sanctioned and unsanctioned), the highest vertical speed in freefall, and the greatest freefall distance.

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WASHINGTON -- There are a lot of shoes in the courtyard of the National Geographic Society headquarters. A lot. Enough to set a world record. And some have been worn on the feet of celebrities such as...

WASHINGTON -- There are a lot of shoes in the courtyard of the National Geographic Society headquarters. A lot. Enough to set a world record. And some have been worn on the feet of celebrities such as...

Filed by Brandon Wetherbee ?|?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/national-geographic-guinness-world-records_n_2617806.html

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China says Syrian deputy foreign minister to visit

BEIJING (Reuters) - Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Makdad will visit China this week to meet with China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi, in what Beijing said was part of its efforts to push for a political solution to end fighting in the country.

Makdad will be in China from February 4-7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing. He will also meet vice-foreign minister Zhai Jun.

"This is part of China's effort to push for a political resolution of the Syrian issue," Hua said.

Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Moualem, last visited China, one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, in April last year.

China, along with Russia, has blocked three Security Council resolutions aimed at pushing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out or pressuring him to end a civil war in which more than 60,000 people have died.

But China has been keen to show it is not taking sides, inviting both Syrian government officials and opposition members to visit, despite having little influence in the Middle East.

It has urged the Syrian government to talk to the opposition and take steps to meet demands for political change, and has said a transitional government should be formed.

(The first and second paragraphs of the story has been corrected to show that visit is by Syria's deputy foreign minister)

(Reporting by Terril Yue Jones; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-says-syrian-foreign-minister-visit-073109764.html

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Asia stock markets mostly up after US rally

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Asian stock markets were mostly higher Monday as investors continued to feel confident about stocks following last week's U.S. jobs report and the Wall Street's rally.

Solid corporate earnings reports and expectations that the weaker yen will enhance the bottom line of Japanese exporters also lured investors to stocks.

Japan's Nikkei 225 closed its morning trading session 0.5 percent higher at 11,245.37. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.5 percent to 23,848 while South Korea's Kospi opened higher before turning slightly lower at 1,957.11. Stocks in Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia were also up.

Shares in mainland China were mixed and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.2 percent to 4,910.40.

Last week, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 14,000 on Friday for the first time in more than five years as investors became less risk-averse following solid economic indicators from the U.S. and Europe.

U.S. government revised upward how many people were hired in the last two years ? adding an upbeat note to earlier news that Europe saw a lower-than-expected unemployment rate in December.

These indicators whetted investor appetite for risky assets, assuring them that the U.S. economic recovery is not losing steam and that the slump in eurozone economic activity might be bottoming out.

Among individual stocks, shares of Panasonic Corp. skyrocketed more than 17 percent after the company reported a surprise profit for the three months ending in December. Sony Corp. also saw its shares soar 9.5 percent.

South Korean exporters Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. saw their shares fall 0.6 percent and 1 percent respectively, as the stronger won threatens to erode their overseas revenues.

Benchmark oil for March delivery fell 20 cents to $97.56 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 28 cents to finish at $97.77 a barrel on the Nymex on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3633 from $1.3662 in late trading Friday in New York. The dollar was nearly unchanged at 92.74 yen from 92.75 yen.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stock-markets-mostly-us-rally-034547969--finance.html

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FTC slams (and punishes) social network Path for deceiving users

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 21 hrs.

The developers of Path have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that the social network has deceived users and improperly collected personal information (including that of children). As part of the settlement, they'll have to "establish a comprehensive privacy program and to obtain independent privacy assessments every other year for the next 20 years." And pay a fine of $800,000.

Path is an app-based social network which allows users to share "moments" ? photos, text, geographic locations, song names, and more ? with small networks of up to 150 friends. The social network was initially iOS-only, but is now available on Android as well.

The FTC's complaint primarily focuses on the Path iOS app ? version 2.0, to be specific ? which according to the agency had a misleading user interface which "provided consumers no meaningful choice regarding the collection of their personal information."

When users took advantage of the app's "Add Friends" feature in order to find existing connections on the social network, they were provided with the options to search their contacts, find friends from Facebook, or invite friends via email or SMS. There was just one problem:

"Path automatically collected and stored personal information from the user?s mobile device address book even if the user had not selected the 'Find friends from your contacts' option," a press release by the FTC explains. "For each contact in the user?s mobile device address book, Path automatically collected and stored any available first and last names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook and Twitter usernames and dates of birth."

The FTC alleges that Path deceived users by claiming that it "only" collects certain information such as IP addresses, browser types, site activity info and similar ? rather than snatching up and storing personal information from the users' contacts. This deception was deemed to be a violation of a Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) rule, which requires those who run online services to notify parents and obtain their permission before information is collected from children under the age of 13.

Path's developers explain, in a post on its official blog, that the information belonging to youngsters was collected due to a glitch. "[T]here was a period of time where our system was not automatically rejecting people who indicated that they were under 13," they write. "Before the FTC reached out to us, we discovered and fixed this sign-up process qualification, and took further action by suspending any under age accounts that had mistakenly been allowed to be created."

No matter the explanation, neither this violation nor the overall deception of users is being taken lightly by the FTC. In addition to slamming Path with a civil penalty amounting to $800,000 for the COPPA violation, the agency is also prohibiting it from "making any misrepresentations about the extent to which it maintains the privacy and confidentiality of consumers? personal information." Path is also required to delete any information collected from users under the age of 13 (though the social network claims it already deleted the contact information previously gathered).

In a press release, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz emphasized that the agency is focusing on consumer privacy violations:

Over the years the FTC has been vigilant in responding to a long list of threats to consumer privacy, whether it?s mortgage applications thrown into open trash dumpsters, kids information culled by music fan websites, or unencrypted credit card information left vulnerable to hackers. ... This settlement with Path shows that no matter what new technologies emerge, the agency will continue to safeguard the privacy of Americans.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/ftc-slams-punishes-social-network-path-deceiving-users-1B8211202

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Skooba Design makes gear bags for all your tech equipment, including your cameras and photography gear. ?In their Tenba Vector camera bag line, they have bags sized to hold a small point-and-shoot camera to big bags that will hold your DSLR, lenses, flashes, and other gear. ?Right now, for the first time ever, they are [...]

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New Orleans: A tale of 2 cities since Katrina

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a front porch stands alone where a house once was in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was heavily damaged by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a front porch stands alone where a house once was in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was heavily damaged by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Jan. 31, 2013, photo, overgrown vegetation surrounds a damaged house at dusk in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was hit hard by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Jan. 31, 2013, photo, the shell of a damaged building sits vacant in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was hit hard by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Jan. 31, 2013, photo, damaged houses sit vacant in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was hit hard by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, dogs walk on an empty street past lots where buildings once stood in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was heavily damaged by floodwaters from a levee break after Hurricane Katrina. The glittering party in the French Quarter is going stronger than ever. But as revelers celebrate the ultimate comeback from those dark days in 2005, there are still areas of New Orleans that do not look much different than they did right after Hurricane Katrina swept through. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? While a blimp hovers not too far in the distance, circling over tens of thousands of Super Bowl revelers, Christopher Weaver looks around at the neighborhood where he was born and raised and almost died.

He loves this place, probably more now than he did back in 2005, before Hurricane Katrina tried to wash it all away.

But it's not much to look at, that's for sure.

"You can see it for yourself," Weaver moaned to a reporter, staring Friday at all the vacant lots, overrun with weeds that are taller than he is, at all the abandoned shells of former homes, many of them still marked with the spray-painted "X'' that became the grim symbol of a great American city nearly wiped off the map.

"I'm going to be honest with you," he went on. "It sucks here. Just look across the street. Nothing. Look over there. Nothing."

In many ways, New Orleans has come back stronger than ever since Katrina. The restaurant scene is thriving. The hotels are packed. The Superdome has received a glamorous makeover. The French Quarter rocks into the wee hours night after night.

But, as the Big Easy prepares to host the party-slash-national holiday it does like no other, Super Bowl Sunday, it's worth remembering that life has not yet returned to normal for everyone here.

Not even close.

"It's like a tale of two cities," said Mike Miller, who works with the homeless group Unity of Greater New Orleans. "It's hard to believe that seven years later, it still looks like this."

Just a short ride from the French Quarter, in historic neighborhoods such as Treme and the Ninth Ward, it's not hard to find a virtual time capsule from the days when Katrina roared ashore. On block after block, there are structures that look pretty much the same as they did after the water receded.

There are the telltale markings that show just how high it climbed when the levees cracked ? 3 feet on this crumbling house, 5 feet on those remains of a shopping mall, 7 feet on that ghostly apartment complex. Those Xs still mark the date many of them were searched, who did the searching and how many bodies, if any, were found inside.

Where kids once played and neighbors used to hang out together, now all that remains could easily pass for a former war zone.

"It's just hard to believe that every abandoned house, every abandoned apartment, represents a family that never came back," Miller said, shaking his head.

Even after all these years, it all looks so familiar to anyone who remembers those horrific images of people clinging to rooftops and huddled on bridges, waiting desperately for help to arrive.

"You can still see," said Travers Kurr, also with Unity of Greater New Orleans, pointing toward the roof of a boarded-up house, "where people busted out of their attics so they could be rescued."

Weaver was one of those who barely got out alive.

When Katrina struck, he was looking out a window toward the levee about a block away, the one that was supposed to keep him safe. Instead, he watched it tear apart right before his eyes ? and the water come rushing through.

He tried to escape the conventional way, but the pressure from winds howling at well over 100 mph prevented him from opening the door. He busted a window and climbed out, only to get pinned against the wall of his house by the rapidly rising waters. Finally, he went under, sure he was going to die. He held his breath and remembered what his grandmother told him, to always pray to God to forgive his sins.

"Suddenly, something shot me away from that house," Weaver said, convinced beyond any doubt that he's still alive today only because of a higher power.

A neighbor pulled him to safety using a strand of Christmas lights. After 2? days on a rooftop, they were finally rescued. Weaver still has a nasty scar of his right leg from a cut he got while being tossed about in the turbulent waters.

Despite the unthinkable carnage in the Lower Ninth Ward, Weaver never had any doubt he would return and rebuild, even if it's now clear that so many of his former neighbors and fellow survivors won't be following his lead.

"I was born and raised right here," he said. "If Katrina comes back again, I'm still not leaving."

Miller estimates there are more than 10,000 ? and maybe as many as 15,000 ? abandoned structures in the New Orleans metro area. Many of them have been commandeered by the city's large homeless population, who slip away in the light of day but leave behind evidence of their existence ? dirty clothes scattered about, a bedroll where they slept, empty cans and plastic foam containers from what passed for a meal.

As he drives around the areas that won't be found in any tourism brochures, another member of his team, New Orleans native Clarence White, rattles off what used to be here, what used to be there.

"That was a popular bar room over there," White said, turning to his left. "There used to be a drug store over there," he said, shifting his gaze to the right.

The NFL, as it now does in all Super Bowl cities, has set aside Saturday as a day of service, in which volunteers will take part in the renovation of five local playgrounds and their surrounding communities. That gesture will surely be more poignant in New Orleans than any other place where the championship game is held.

But Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed, a native of nearby St. Rose, is keenly aware that it will take far more than a few hours to get this city ? this entire city ? back on its feet.

"When I get home, I drive around the city, go to some of my old spots, just hang out with people," he said. "You see the city is rebuilding, but we've still got a long way to go. It's just different, man. You have so many people that were lost. The spirit was kind of broken for a second. But New Orleans people, we've been through a lot. We love our city, man. We love to have a good time. We love for people to come have a great time with us."

Even amid the lingering devastation, there are hopeful signs of progress. In the Lower Ninth Ward, for instance, construction workers were on the scene Friday at several odd-shaped, energy-efficient homes going up with funding from a group led by actor Brad Pitt.

"I appreciate everything he's doing," Weaver said, though he quickly added that the remnants of Katrina are far, far more prevalent in this part of New Orleans.

Through all the hardship, Weaver doesn't seem the least bit bitter about his plight. He's proud the Super Bowl has returned to his hometown for the first time since Katrina, and he'll be pulling hard for the Ravens to beat the San Francisco 49ers. This being New Orleans, the occasion will be marked with adult beverages and plenty of food ? gumbo, red beans and rice, a big pot of crawfish.

But, for all those Super Bowl revelers who might think everything has returned to normal in the Big Easy, Weaver has this message:

"Come on over here where I'm at."

It's not far away at all.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/super-bowl-watch and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-01-Super%20Bowl-Still%20Rebuilding/id-01c85d3bead64fac990b90ac1cf93ad4

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