Rebuilding Raiders introduce Allen as new coach (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Oakland Raiders introduced head coach Dennis Allen on Monday as they attempt to launch a new era of success for the once feared franchise that has recently fallen on hard times.

The 39-year-old Allen served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos last season and represents the first man to be hired by new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie.

"Our number one priority with the 2012 Raiders is we're here to win a championship," Allen told a news conference. "I can't speak for what happened in the past. This is a new Oakland Raiders."

Oakland fired coach Hue Jackson earlier this month following a late season collapse that saw the Raiders (8-8) miss the playoffs in his only season at the helm.

Jackson was hired by legendary owner Al Davis, who died in October, ending a period of almost 40 years under his supervision.

The Raiders will now look to end a drought that has seen the team miss the playoffs for nine straight seasons.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/sp_nm/us_nfl_raiders_allen

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Stocks fall. Greece weighs on markets.

Stocks are down in Asia and Europe ahead of a key European summit. S&P futures are also lower. Investors shun stocks as concerns linger about Greece's long-term solvency. ?

World?stock?markets fell Monday as uncertainty about a tentative deal to resolve Greece's debt crisis weighed on investor sentiment ahead of a summit of European leaders.

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The leaders gathering in Brussels hope to focus on how to stimulate economic growth and create jobs at a time when huge government spending cuts threaten to push many countries back into recession.

The latest data showed Spain was one step closer to recession ? technically defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction ? after its economy shrank in the last three months of 2011.

Experts say Europe's efforts to cut its high levels of debt will be for nothing if its economies remain uncompetitive. The leaders will also discuss a new treaty on tightening budget controls and setting up a permanent bailout fund.

But the meeting will be dominated by another topic that is not officially for discussion ? Greece's debt problem.

Greece has reached a tentative deal with its private creditors that could avert a disastrous default this spring. Investors holding ?206 billion ($272 billion) in Greek bonds would exchange them for bonds with half the face value. The replacement bonds would have a longer maturity and pay a lower interest rate. When the bonds mature, Greece would have to pay its bondholders only ?103 billion.

But because Greece has been in recession for years, some experts fear it could need more rescue loans from its bailout partners ? other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund ? if it is to remain solvent.

Richer countries like Germany, however, are losing patience with giving Athens loans, saying the Greek government is not implementing reforms and austerity cuts quickly enough.

A German official even proposed to have an EU official directly oversee Athens' government spending. The idea was quickly rejected, however, by both the European Commission and Greek leaders.

Despite progress in Greece's debt talks with private creditors, the continued uncertainty over its finances pushed stocks lower Monday.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.8 percent to 5,689.76 and Germany's DAX lost 0.9 percent to 6,4552.51. France's CAC-40 shed 1.1 percent to 3,281.48. Wall Street was also headed for a lower open, with Dow Jones industrial futures falling 0.6 percent to 12,533 and S&P 500 futures down 0.8 percent to 1,302.50.

Sentiment, which has been relatively buoyant so far this year on hopes for a recovery in the U.S., was also dented by Fitch Ratings agency's announcement late Friday that it had downgraded five eurozone countries, including Italy and Spain.

Looking ahead, investors will keep an eye on an Italian bond auction and more earnings, which were mixed Monday in Europe ? airline Ryanair beat expectations but appliances maker Philips disappointed.

In Asia, most indexes closed lower as investors there reacted to Friday's release of data showing the U.S. economy grew more slowly than expected in the last three months of 2011. The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the October-December quarter, lower than the 3 percent that economists were expecting.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index shed 0.5 percent to close at 8,793.05. South Korea's Kospi was 1.2 percent lower at 1,940.55 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.7 percent to 20,160.41. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 percent at 4,272.70.

Benchmarks in mainland China, Singapore, Indonesia, India and the Philippines also fell. Taiwan and New Zealand rose.

Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corp. plummeted 14.8 percent after the Defense Ministry and the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center said they would not sign contracts with the electric machinery manufacturer, which acknowledged it had overcharged on defense and space-related projects, Kyodo News agency reported.

Traders are awaiting more data this week for clues about which way the U.S. economy is headed. On Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management will release its manufacturing index for January and the U.S. Labor Department will release monthly employment data Friday.

"Because the market has been expecting rather good economic data from the U.S. ... I am afraid if those figures disappoint the market, it may trigger further correction in the?stock?market," said Louis Wong, dealing director of Phillip Securities Ltd.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 60 cents to $98.96 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 14 cents to end at $99.56 per barrel on the Nymex on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3129 from $1.3208 late Friday in New York. The dollar fell to 76.70 yen from 76.72 yen.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/lSzg3owr9N0/Stocks-fall.-Greece-weighs-on-markets.

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EU leader: we have not done enough

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti speak together prior to a meeting at the European Council in Brussels ahead of the European Union leaders summit, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders were trying Monday to come up with ways to boost economic growth and jobs, which are being squeezed by their own governments' steep budget cuts across the continent. (AP Photo/Philippe Wojazer, pool) FRANCE MAGS OUT

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti speak together prior to a meeting at the European Council in Brussels ahead of the European Union leaders summit, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders were trying Monday to come up with ways to boost economic growth and jobs, which are being squeezed by their own governments' steep budget cuts across the continent. (AP Photo/Philippe Wojazer, pool) FRANCE MAGS OUT

British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders will try to come up with ways to boost growth despite steep budget cuts across the continent when they meet in Brussels on Monday. The 27 heads of state and government will get a taste of the popular frustration with austerity and high unemployment as they try to get to the summit in a city paralyzed by strikes. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti speak together prior to a meeting at the European Council in Brussels ahead of the European Union leaders summit, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders were trying Monday to come up with ways to boost economic growth and jobs, which are being squeezed by their own governments' steep budget cuts across the continent. (AP Photo/Philippe Wojazer, pool) FRANCE MAGS OUT

Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, left, speaks with Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Necas during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders will try to come up with ways to boost growth despite steep budget cuts across the continent when they meet in Brussels on Monday. The 27 heads of state and government will get a taste of the popular frustration with austerity and high unemployment as they try to get to the summit in a city paralyzed by strikes. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, walks by German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. European leaders will try to come up with ways to boost growth despite steep budget cuts across the continent when they meet in Brussels on Monday. The 27 heads of state and government will get a taste of the popular frustration with austerity and high unemployment as they try to get to the summit in a city paralyzed by strikes. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? A top official says the European Union realizes it has not done enough to get out of its financial crisis and must do more to stimulate the it economy.

"We recognize that financial stability is not enough in itself to get out of the crisis," said Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, said Monday after a summit meeting of European leaders. "We must do more, particularly in the areas of growth and employment."

Critics have accused the EU of focusing relentlessly on austerity to the exclusion of economic growth, thereby potentially pushing Europe toward recession.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BRUSSELS (AP) ? All European Union countries, except Britain and the Czech Republic, agreed Monday to sign up to a new treaty designed to stop overspending on the eurozone and put an end to the bloc's crippling debt crisis, while also pledging to stimulate growth across the region.

The new treaty, agreed at a summit of European leaders in Brussels Monday, is known as the fiscal compact and includes strict debt brakes and makes it more difficult for deficit sinners to escape sanctions. The 17-country eurozone hopes that the tighter rules will convince investors that all countries will get their debts under control and restore confidence in their joint currency.

"We have a majority of 25 that will now sign up to the fiscal compact," said Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Although the new rules only apply to the 17 euro states, the currency union was hoping to get broad support from the other EU states, in the hope that the accord could eventually be integrated into the main EU treaty.

Britain had already said in December that they wouldn't sign the new treaty. Reinfeldt said that the Czech Republic didn't sign up because of parliamentary procedural problems.

The Swedish prime minister said it he decided Sweden should join even though it does not use the euro because the new accord gives it more influence on policy within the currency union.

The summit also promised to stimulate growth and create jobs across the region, in a tacit acknowledgment that their exclusive focus on austerity has had painful side effects. Earlier Monday the meeting pledged to offer more training for young people to ease their transition to the work force, deploy unused development funds to create jobs, reduce barriers to doing business across the EU's 27 countries, and ensure that small businesses have access to credit. However there was no offer of any new financial stimulus.

"We must do more to get Europe out of the crisis," they said in a statement.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, says that there are still euro82 billion in development funds that have yet to be allocated, and the statement from Monday's summit said they should be "rapidly" committed to projects focused on growth and job-creation.

Europe's debt crisis has put the continent and its leaders in an almost impossible situation. While they have to slash their deficits to reassure investors reluctant to lend to them, the debt crisis has also hammered the so-called "real economy," sending unemployment soaring. Many analysts, politicians and trade unions think that only government spending can restart growth.

Overall, 23 million people are jobless across the EU, 10 percent of the active population. In Spain, unemployment has soared to nearly 23 percent and closed in on 50 percent for those under age 25, leaving more than 5 million people ? or almost one out of every four ? out of work as the country slides toward recession.

Even countries in the so-called European "core" ? which are generally better off ? are suffering. The French government was forced Monday to revise down its growth forecast for the year from 1 percent to just 0.5 percent.

In fact, many now fear that Europe is on the verge of another recession, and leaders gathering in Brussels said that while austerity is important, more needs to be done for growth. Economists often note that cutting spending is just one way to slash deficits; another equally important method is to boost growth, which increases the amount of money pouring into government coffers.

While the leaders meeting in Brussels focused on walking the fine line between reining in spending and stimulating growth, the elephant in the room was Greece.

Greece and its bondholders have come closer to a deal to significantly reduce the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion ($170 billion) bailout.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he hoped a final agreement on Greece will be achieved "in the coming days," either at a special meeting of eurozone finance ministers or leaders.

Negotiators for Greece's private creditors said Saturday that a debt-reduction deal could become final within the next week. If the agreement works as planned, it could help Greece avoid a catastrophic default, which would be a blow to Europe's already weak financial system.

But European officials are afraid that even that deal may not be enough to fix Greece's finances, with some blaming Athens for dithering on its promise to cut spending and introduce austerity measures.

___

Associated Press writers Don Melvin, Robert Wielaard and Raf Casert contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-30-EU-Europe-Financial-Crisis/id-8dd17ac5b6a342cc9b83046c3e6b4276

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GOP Rep. Dan Burton of Ind. won't seek re-election (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS ? Republican Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana says he won't seek re-election to a 16th term.

The 73-year-old Burton told reporters Tuesday at the Indiana Statehouse that he wouldn't run again. He planned to announce his decision on the state House floor.

Burton narrowly survived tough GOP primary battles in his past two campaigns. He was elected to his 15th term in November 2010.

Burton first won election in 1982 to the district that remains heavily Republican under new electoral boundaries state legislators approved last year. It includes all of Hamilton County and the north side of Indianapolis, but lost some rural counties closer to Fort Wayne that Burton carried on his way to winning the 2008 and 2010 primaries.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_el_ho/us_congress_burton

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Russia invites Syria's gov't, opposition for talks

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's Foreign Ministry says it has invited Syrian authorities and opposition for talks in Moscow.

The ministry said in a statement Monday that Syrian authorities have already agreed to come. The ministry is hoping that opposition leaders will send their reply in the coming days. The opposition has balked at holding talks with the regime, saying the violence must end first.

The U.N. estimates about 5,400 people have been killed in 10 months of violence.

The ministry said the Syria talks need to be conducted "as soon as possible" to stop violence in the country.

Russia, Syria's longtime ally has been backing the regime of President Bashar Assad although Moscow has also talked to Syrian opposition leaders in the past months.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-30-ML-Syria/id-ecf8907e671140169cb1ce2cb7e5c05c

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Incomes up strong 0.5 pct., consumer spending flat

In this Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, shoppers walk past a clearance sign at the New York & Company outlet store at the Dolphin Mall, in Miami. Consumer spending was flat in December while incomes rose by the largest amount in nine months. But even with the December income surge, incomes for the whole year were up just half the amount of 2010, underscoring the challenge facing the economy. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

In this Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, shoppers walk past a clearance sign at the New York & Company outlet store at the Dolphin Mall, in Miami. Consumer spending was flat in December while incomes rose by the largest amount in nine months. But even with the December income surge, incomes for the whole year were up just half the amount of 2010, underscoring the challenge facing the economy. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

In this Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, a shopper carries purchases while shopping at Dolphin Mall, in Miami. Consumer spending was flat in December while incomes rose by the largest amount in nine months. But even with the December income surge, incomes for the whole year were up just half the amount of 2010, underscoring the challenge facing the economy. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Americans' incomes rose last month by the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of weak wage gains. But consumer spending was flat.

Incomes rose 0.5 percent, the Commerce Department said Monday. It was the strongest increase since a similar gain in March.

Consumer spending was unchanged. That followed weak gains of 0.1 percent in both October and November.

The report underscored the challenge facing the economy in 2012. Unless incomes grow more rapidly, consumers will be forced to cut back further on spending. That would slow growth and result in less hiring.

After-tax incomes adjusted for inflation rose 0.3 percent in December. For the year, inflation-adjusted incomes rose 0.9 percent, just half the modest 1.8 percent rise in 2010.

The government reported Friday that the economy grew at an annual rate of 1.7 percent last year ? roughly half the growth of 2010. It was the weakest showing since the economy contracted 3.5 percent in 2009.

Consumer spending for the year rose a modest 2.2 percent, only slightly higher than the 2 percent gain in 2010. But Americans dipped into their savings last year to finance some of the growth in spending last year.

Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.

Unemployment stands at 8.5 percent ? its lowest level in nearly three years after a sixth straight month of solid hiring.

For the final three months of 2011, Americans spent more on vehicles, and companies restocked their supplies at a robust pace.

Still, overall growth last quarter ? and for all of last year ? was slowed by the sharpest cuts in annual government spending in four decades. Many people are reluctant to spend more or buy homes, and many employers remain hesitant to hire, even though job growth has strengthened.

The outlook for 2012 is slightly better. The Federal Reserve has estimated economic growth of roughly 2.5 percent for the year, despite abundant risk factors: federal spending cuts, weak pay increases, cautious consumers and the risk of a European recession.

Economists say the big question going forward is whether incomes will gain enough strength to support stronger spending, thus helping the economy to grow at a faster rate. Many analysts believe the economy will continue to muddle along with low growth in 2012.

Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, said he expected the overall economy would grow 2 percent this year, only slightly better than 2011 with consumer spending rising 2 percent as well.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-30-Consumer%20Spending/id-b8a57e446e3b4b388b8795fd011f82f0

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Phonak Aud?o PFE 232 Earphones Review

I?m torn about the PFE 232 Earphones from Phonak Audeo. They are about the best sounding universal-fit earphones I?ve yet heard. They are well made, extremely comfortable, customizable (more on that later), and have replaceable cables. But wow, are they expensive. There is no getting around that. It?s an elephant in the room you can?t [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/29/phonak-audeo-pfe-232-earphones-review/

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Peru: 26 killed in fire at rehabilitation center

ALTERNATIVE CROP OF MMS105 - The bodies of people who were killed in a fire lie on the ground as firefighters try to revive others after removing them from the Christ is Love center for drug and alcohol addicts in Lima, Peru, Saturday Jan. 28, 2012. A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital on Saturday, killing at least 26 people as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside. (AP Photo)

ALTERNATIVE CROP OF MMS105 - The bodies of people who were killed in a fire lie on the ground as firefighters try to revive others after removing them from the Christ is Love center for drug and alcohol addicts in Lima, Peru, Saturday Jan. 28, 2012. A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital on Saturday, killing at least 26 people as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside. (AP Photo)

A police officer stands next to a group of bodies outside the "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. A fire swept through the private rehabilitation center for Saturday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 10 as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents trapped inside. (AP Photo/Juan Contreras)

Police officers stand next a group of bodies outside the "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. A fire swept through the private rehabilitation center for Saturday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 10 as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents trapped inside. (AP Photo/Juan Contreras)

Relatives of patients of the "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts, react in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. A fire swept through the private rehabilitation center for Saturday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 10 as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents trapped inside. (AP Photo/Juan Contreras)

LIMA, Peru (AP) ? A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital Saturday, killing 26 people and critically injuring six as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.

The "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts was unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept inside "like prisoners," Health Minister Alberto Tejada told The Associated Press.

Six men rescued from the building were hospitalized in critical condition, said Peru's fire chief, Antonio Zavala, adding that most of the victims died of asphyxiation. All the victims appeared to be male.

The local police chief, Clever Zegarra, said the cause of the 9 a.m. fire was under investigation.

"There has been talk of the burning of an object, of a mattress, but also of a fight that resulted in a fire. All of this is speculation," he told the AP. "I've been here at the scene from morning to evening but for the moment the exact cause of the fire is not known."

One resident of the center on a narrow dead-end street in Lima's teeming San Juan de Lurigancho district said he was eating breakfast on the second floor of the center when he saw flames coming from the first floor, where the blaze apparently began.

Gianfranco Huerta told local RPP news radio station that he leaped from a window to safety.

"The doors were locked; there was no way to get out," he told the station.

AP journalists at scene said all the windows of the building they were able to see were barred. Journalists were not allowed inside as police cordoned off the block. By early afternoon, all the dead had been removed from the center.

Most of the bodies seen by reporters were shirtless, their faces blackened. Many were also shoeless.

"This rehabilitation center wasn't authorized. It was a house that they had taken over ... for patients with addictions and they had the habit of leaving people locked up with no medical supervision," Tejada, the health minister, said.

Authorities said they did not know how many people were inside the center at the time of the fire. They said they were looking for the center's owners and staff, some of whom apparently fled the scene.

The local police chief, Zegarra, identified the owner as Raul Garcia.

Zoila Chea, an aunt of one victim, said families paid Garcia $37 to treat an addicted relative and $15 a week thereafter.

She said that neighbors had constantly complained about the center and that it had been closed twice by authorities.

Chea, 45, said relatives were prohibited from seeing interned patients during the first three months of treatment, which she added consisted mainly of reading the Bible.

Her nephew, Luis Chea, was at the center for a month, she said.

Zavala, the national fire chief, said the blaze was of "Dantesque proportions." Firefighters had to punch a hole through a wall with an adjoining building to help people trapped inside the rehabilitation center.

"We've had to use electric saws to cut through the metal bars of the doors to be able to work," Zavala said.

Relatives of residents of the center gathered near the building weeping and seeking word of their loved ones. As the day wore on, nearby sidewalks filled with relatives mourning and trying to console one another.

One of them was Maria Benitez, aunt of 18-year-old Carlos Benitez, who she said was being treated at the center.

"I want to know if he is OK or not," she told ATV television.

___

Associated Press journalists Mauricio Munoz, Cesar Barreto and Frank Bajak contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-28-LT-Peru-Fire/id-3b1fe54e44014f53b445e59f7dddb347

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Students find man stuck for days in Rio Grande mud

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? A man who tells authorities he was stuck in the mud at the Rio Grande river in New Mexico for three days has been rescued after a group of high school students on a field trip heard him yelling for help.

An Albuquerque Fire Department spokesman tells KRQE-TV (http://bit.ly/A6bCXQ) that the students and their biology teacher heard the man yelling from a marshy wetlands area Saturday morning.

It took swift-water and technical rescue teams about two hours to pull the unidentified man to safety. His name and condition were not released.

The man told the students he'd spent three days stuck in the mud of the old river bend about two miles north of Interstate 40 in Albuquerque.

It wasn't immediately clear how he became stuck, and calls seeking additional information from the fire department weren't immediately returned.

___

Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-01-28-Mud%20Rescue/id-845b3476967644499802816965b8b220

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Stocks slip after US economic growth disappoints (AP)

NEW YORK ? Stocks were drifting lower Friday after the government reported the U.S. economy grew at a slower pace than economists had expected in the fourth quarter.

If prices don't reverse, the Dow Jones industrial average will end the week down, the first time that's happened in 2012. The Dow has risen for three weeks in a row and is up 4 percent this year.

The Dow fell 80 points, or 0.6 percent, to 12,656 at noon. The S&P 500 index fell 4 points to 1,314. The Nasdaq composite edged up 5 to 2,810.

The Commerce Department said the economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year. Economists had expected 3 percent growth.

Among stocks making big moves, Chevron Corp. fell 3 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow average, after the energy company's fourth-quarter revenue and earnings per share came in well below what analysts were expecting. Oil and natural gas production declined in the quarter.

The declines were broad, with all ten sectors of the S&P down.

Ford Motor Co. fell 3 percent after reporting disappointing fourth quarter earnings due to weak sales in Europe. The company said its results were also hurt by trouble at parts suppliers in Thailand due to flooding there.

Starbucks Corp. fell 2.6 percent after reporting late Thursday that that full year results were likely to come in less than expectations. Procter & Gamble Co., which makes Tide, Crest and other consumer products, fell 1 percent after cutting its earnings outlook.

Legg Mason fell 6 percent after the investment management company's earnings fell in half as clients pulled money out of the firm. Legg Mason's earnings of 20 cents per share were well below the 25 cents per share that analysts were expecting, according to FactSet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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Nokia plans board of directors refresh, chairman to step down

Following on from today's mixed bag of Nokia financials, the Espoo-based company will see some changes on its directorial board, after its Annual General Meeting in a few months. As forecast last year, non-executive chairman Jorma Ollila joined Nokia in 1985 and has been on the board through Nokia's explosive growth into the world's biggest handset manufacturer -- and its more recent troubles. He will leave the board alongside more recent members Bengt Holmström and Per Karlsson, while existing board memeber Risto Siilasmaa is currently pegged to take the helm once the new board of directors is formed. New candidates earmarked for the board include Bruce Brown, of Procter and Gamble, Mårten Mickos, CEO of Eucalyptus Systems and independent corporate advisor Elizabeth Nelson. The whole Nokia nitty-gritty awaits at the source below.

Continue reading Nokia plans board of directors refresh, chairman to step down

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'Toddlers' mom sues media for sexualizing girl

Marc Andrew Deley / Getty Images

Isabella Barrett at the "Toddlers and Tiaras" Reality Weekly Launch Event benefiting her anti-bullying bracelets on Dec. 29 in Providence, R.I.

By Anna Chan

She's not sexy and she doesn't know it!

That's what "Toddlers & Tiaras" pageant mom Susanna Barrett insists about her 5-year-old glam princess Isabella. Barrett claims that after a video of her little girl singing LMFAO's "I'm Sexy and I Know It" at a night spot?surfaced, several media outlets tried to turn the non-sexual performance into something inappropriate, and she's suing mad.

According to the New York Daily News, Barrett filed a $30 million libel lawsuit on?Tuesday in Manhattan. She claims that TMZ, The Huffington Post and the Daily Mail described the little girl's act? as "gyrating in a nightclub and singing about her sex appeal" when in fact Isabella was sitting during the song.

"(Isabella) did not understand the concept of sex, let alone 'sex appeal' and could not have been singing about her own sex appeal," Barrett said in her lawsuit. Instead, "it is the defendants who, through their articles, have thrust these false and vulgar characteristics on to Isabella," according to the suit.?"As a result, Isabella is now perceived sexually, erotically and pornographically, and (the stories) have placed Isabella in serious physical danger, attracting the attention of others who would seek to sexualize a child."

Not long after the video surfaced, Barrett defended Isabella's videotaped performance to TMZ. She explained that the little girl was at New York's Libation for a pet charity event and started singing when the DJ invited her up, but that they left at the reasonable hour of 9 p.m.

As for how the 5-year-old knows the lyrics to the LMFAO tune? "We just listen to the radio, and that's a real catchy song," she told TMZ at the time.

Do you agree with Susanna that it's the websites' fault for sexualizing Isabella's performance? Tell us what you think on our Facebook page.

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SPIN METER: Candidates use transparency as a club (The Arizona Republic)

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UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country

The West Country is home to some of the finest engineering anywhere in the UK, thanks to the region's historical patronage of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. That reputation will continue thanks to the Department of Energy and Climate Change naming it as the home of the nation's first marine energy park. Running from Bristol, past Cornwall and out to the Isles of Scilly, the tidal-power plant is expected to generate 27 Gigawatts of power, the equivalent of eight coal-fired power stations. Of course, harnessing the energy of the seas isn't something we'll be seeing soon as the project's earmarked to be ready for 2050, around the same time we're likely to get LTE.

Continue reading UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country

UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PFT: Allen is Raiders' top candidate for coach

Earlier today, we suggested that folks thinking about buying an NFL jersey should consider waiting until April of this year, when the switch flips from Reebok to Nike.? But with a Nike exec saying in October 2010 that the company plans on ?changing the NFL jersey dramatically,? the league is now saying otherwise.

?Logos are controlled by teams and the NFL,? league spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT by email this morning.? ?That will not change.? Teams have to apply to league to make changes to logos and colors.

?We anticipate new uniform technology (i.e., performance-driven, lighter materials).? That?s what Nike?s [Charlie] Denson was referring to in his interview in 2010 regarding changes.?

So, apparently, the jerseys will look the same, barring any changes that would be made in the ordinary course of changing jerseys.? Of course, the shift to Nike could cause some teams to decide to make the change.

Last year, for example, Seahawks president Peter McLoughlin said that the team will use the occasion to re-do their duds.? ?There will be no changes for ?11, for the upcoming season,? McLoughlin told Dave ?Softy? Mahler of KJR.? ?2011 is the final year for the Reebok deal with the NFL, and starting in 2012 we?re going to be going with a Nike jersey and a Nike design.? So we?ve actually met with Nike, and I think we were the first NFL team to meet with them, and we had a fascinating session with them.? Pete Carroll was in the room, John Schneider, all kinds of people, and we?re looking at all kinds of new designs, and new kinds of jerseys, and we?re talking about a throwback for sure.? So there?s a lot of creative stuff in the works right now.?

Thus, we won?t know for sure the team jerseys that will look different until the new jerseys are unveiled.? The league says that?ll happen in late April, in connection with the 2012 draft.

As to players changing jersey numbers, McCarthy said that the policy won?t change.? Players wanting to change their numbers will have to submit requests to the team, and the team will then pass the requests along to the league.? Still, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello separately tells PFT that the requirement that a player who changes his number refund Reebok for the unsold inventory of jerseys bearing the prior number will go away in conjunction with the changeover.

So if, for example, Adrian Peterson wants to change his number (as he said he wants to do on his Twitter page), he won?t have to write a check to Reebok.

The bigger takeaway is that Nike won?t be unleashing haphazardly a new array of alternative looks and designs.

We think.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/24/dennis-allen-is-the-leading-candidate-in-oakland/related/

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Egypt's ruler partially lifts emergency laws

CAIRO?? Egypt's military ruler on Tuesday decreed a partial lifting of the nation's hated emergency laws, while saying the draconian measures would still apply to crimes committed by "thugs."

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said in a televised address to the nation that the emergency laws would be lifted effective Wednesday, the first anniversary of the start of the popular uprising that toppled longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Tantawi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces he chairs took power when Mubarak stepped down on Feb. 11, 2011.

"I have taken a decision to end the state of emergency," he said, adding the exception for "thuggery."

He did not spell out what thuggery meant exactly.

"This is not a real cancellation of the state of emergency," said Essam Sultan, a newly elected member of parliament from the Wasat Party, a moderate Islamist group.

"The proper law designates the ending of the state of emergency completely or enforcing it completely, nothing in between," he said.

Far-reaching powers
The decision to partially lift the laws, which have given police far-reaching powers since 1981, would also likely not satisfy rights groups that have been campaigning for the total removal of the laws.

They have complained about the repeated use by the military of the term "thugs" to justify crackdowns on protesters.

Egyptians want new parliament to 'hear our voice'

Rights groups say at least 12,000 civilians have been tried before military tribunals since the generals took power nearly a year ago.

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Many of them, they say, were charged with acts of "thuggery" when, in fact, they were protesters.

The term has been used to ridicule the military in the independent press, and some of the young protesters in recent demonstrations have been chanting, "we are thugs!"

Story: On eve of power, Egypt Islamists show moderation

At least 80 protesters have been killed by troops since October.

Tantawi was Mubarak's defense minister for some 20 years, during which he was known to be unquestioningly loyal to the ousted leader.

Sullen-faced ruler
He and the generals on the military council, according to activists, remain beholden to Mubarak, whose approval was essential for their promotion through the ranks. Mubarak ruled for 29 years, and the emergency laws were in force throughout.

A sullen-faced Tantawi, who is in his 70s, renewed past pledges that the military would return to the barracks when power is handed to a civilian administration.

Tantawi's address came one day after Egypt's first freely elected parliament in decades held its inaugural session, a significant step in the handover process.

The election for the 508-seat chamber was held over a six-week period starting Nov. 28. The Islamist-dominated legislature's first priority is to name a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution. The next step would be to put the draft to a vote in a nationwide referendum whose date has yet to be announced.

Presidential elections are to be held before the end of June, and the military has said it would return to its barracks when a new president is sworn in.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46116888/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Flags and flowers on Lunar New Year in North Korea (AP)

PYONGYANG, North Korea ? Soldiers and children, bundled up against the freezing cold, lined up Monday at Pyongyang's main plaza to pay their respects again to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.

A massive portrait of a smiling Kim that had been removed after a mourning period following his Dec. 17 death was restored at Kim Il Square. People scurried across the vast plaza to get in line to bow and place flowers, including his namesake "kimjongilia" begonias, in piles beneath the portrait. The song "It's Snowing" blared from loudspeakers, a reminder of Kim's solemn funeral procession through the capital's snowy streets late last month.

For several weeks after Kim's funeral, Pyongyang was barren and somber. But almost overnight the city has filled with color again. North Korea's red, white and blue national flag fluttered from signposts. Banners celebrating "Juche 101" ? the current year, according to the North Korean calendar, which begins with the 1912 birth of national founder Kim Il Sung ? and posters marking the holiday were pinned to buildings and walls.

One sign read, "The power of single-hearted unity ? congratulations on New Year's Day."

At the plaza in front of the Pyongyang Grand Theater, hundreds of children scampered and shouted as they played traditional Korean games. Signs in front of the theater spelled out "We are happy" in big, bold letters. In a large square, groups of children from the surrounding district gathered to jump rope, fly kites and practice taekwondo, their breaths steaming in the cold weather.

"Our great general gave instructions to bring up children educated with national character from their childhood by encouraging folk games," teacher Yu Un Ju told AP.

Pyongyang residents said they were encouraged to celebrate the traditional holiday as they usually do, despite the death of Kim Jong Il, only the second person to lead North Korea since it was founded in 1948. State television aired a segment late Sunday on making rice cake soup, a traditional New Year's meal in both Koreas.

The holiday comes as new leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son, visits military units.

Outside observers have questioned whether Kim Jong Un ? who's believed to be in his late 20s ? is ready to rule a country of 24 million with a nuclear program and chronic food shortages.

But the North has dismissed such worries, and state media have produced reports and images meant to show that Kim has strong military and governing experience. Late last week, North Korea credited Kim Jong Un with spearheading past nuclear testing and said he was "fully equipped" with the qualities of an extraordinary general.

Kim Jong Un, anointed his father's successor at least three years ago, was declared "supreme leader" of the North Korean people, party and military after his father's death. He has pledged to uphold his father's "military first" policy.

The new era of leadership comes as North Korea prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary in April of the birth of Kim's grandfather, late President Kim Il Sung.

___

Follow AP's North Korea coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/dguttenfelder.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_new_year

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BlackBerry maker's CEO: No drastic change needed

In this Feb. 5, 2009 photo, Research In Motion co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, left, and Mike Lazaridis talk to media after an Ontario Securities Commission hearing in Toronto. The company on Sunday, Jan. 22 2012 says Balsillie and Lazaridis are stepping down, and will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

In this Feb. 5, 2009 photo, Research In Motion co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, left, and Mike Lazaridis talk to media after an Ontario Securities Commission hearing in Toronto. The company on Sunday, Jan. 22 2012 says Balsillie and Lazaridis are stepping down, and will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

This undated photo provided by Research in Motion shows Thorsten Heins, who on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Research In Motion. Heins succeeds co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who announced they are stepping down. (AP Photo/Research In Motion via The Canadian Press)

TORONTO (AP) ? The new chief executive of Research in Motion said Monday that drastic change is not needed, even as the once iconic maker of the BlackBerry smartphone confronts the most difficult period in its history.

The Canadian company turned the smartphone into a ubiquitous device that many couldn't live without. But following the departure of Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who stepped down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen on Monday, Thorsten Heins assumes the chief executive role at a time when Americans are abandoning their Blackberrys for flashier touch-screen phones such as Apple's iPhone and various competing models that run Google's Android software.

RIM's U.S. market share of smartphones dropped from 44 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group. The company still has 75 million active subscribers, but many analysts believe the company will lose market share internationally, just as it has in the U.S.

Heins, a little known chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, replaces RIM's founders after the company has lost tens of billions in market value. Balsillie acknowledged in December that the last few quarters have been among the most challenging times the company has seen.

Even so, Heins said on a conference call on Monday that he didn't think significant change was needed. He said the leadership change was not a "seismic" event. Heins said he's committed to switching the company's phones over to a new operating system, which is expected late this year. That's the same plan favored by Lazaridis and Balsillie, who announced Sunday they would step down from the top jobs, but serve in other roles.

Heins said RIM has to improve its U.S. marketing to go beyond the traditional corporate customer.

"I want us to have a bit more of an ear towards the consumer market, understand trends, and not just do what the Street is telling you," Heins said.

Shares of RIM fell 5.8 percent, or 99 cents to $16.01, following his remarks. The stock had initially moved up almost 4 percent in premarket trading.

Vic Alboini, president of Jaguar Financial Corp. in Toronto, which has been pushing for a change in leadership, said the drop in stock price on Monday meant the market saw the leadership adjustment as "more of the same."

Many shareholders and analysts have said a change or sale of the company has been needed, but the sudden departure of the two founders from their top jobs wasn't expected despite their promises that they would examine the co-CEO and co-chairmen structure.

Balsillie and Lazaridis have long been celebrated as Canadian heroes, even appearing in the country's citizenship guide for new immigrants as models of success. They headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.

Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board. The two remain two of RIM's biggest shareholders.

"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Analysts have said RIM's future depends on its new software platform as RIM has tried and failed to reinvigorate the BlackBerry.

RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future would be delayed until late this year. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to deeply discount it to move the devices off store shelves.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in late 2010 that RIM would have a hard time catching up to Apple because RIM has been forced to move beyond its area of strength and into unfamiliar territory of trying to become a software platform company.

BlackBerrys made email mobile and were dominant in the North American smartphone market until the iPhone came along. Under Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company struggled to adjust to the times and match the iPhone's facility with Web browsing, third-party applications and multimedia.

Heins, 54, said Lazaridis and Balsillie took RIM in the right direction and they are "more confident than ever that was the right path."

Barbara Stymiest, a former chief operating officer of the Royal Bank of Canada who has been a member of RIM's board since 2007, has been named chair of the board of directors. RIM also announced that Prem Watsa, the chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings, is a new board member. Watsa has become a significant shareholder.

Lazaridis said he was so confident in the future direction of the company that he intends to purchase an additional $50 million of the company's shares on the open market.

RIM was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago but now has a market value of around $8.9 billion. Some industry analysts believe RIM is following the same trajectory as struggling Finish handset maker Nokia or former Canadian tech giant Nortel, which declared bankruptcy in 2009.

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis agrees that a change in marketing is needed, but it will take more than that to reverse the decline. Gillis said the move is two years late and said he'll get more excited when RIM announces positive news about their new software platform.

"It's just a shuffling of the deck," Gillis said. "He's got a pretty rough road to drive up. The other part is that Mike and Jim are still around. Think about Jerry Yang in Yahoo. When he finally stepped down people said he was still a really big influence on the company."

Stuart Jeffrey at Nomura Securities said the management switch could remove an obstacle toward selling the company, but still believes a buyer is unlikely to surface. The value of the company is uncertain, since the new operating system, BlackBerry 10, is unproven.

Private-equity buyers might be enticed to buy the company for its cash flow, he said, but the fair value for the company is about $15 per share on that basis, meaning private-equity firms are unlikely to pay much above $10.

___

Associated Press writer Peter Svensson in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-23-RIM-CEOs%20Resign/id-e933bca41b8946d39aedd2e68f736b5d

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BlackBerry maker's CEO: No drastic change needed (AP)

TORONTO ? The new chief executive of Research in Motion said Monday that drastic change is not needed, even as the once iconic maker of the BlackBerry smartphone confronts the most difficult period in its history.

The Canadian company turned the smartphone into a ubiquitous device that many couldn't live without. But following the departure of Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who stepped down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen, Thorsten Heins assumes the chief executive role at a time when Americans are abandoning their Blackberrys for flashier touch-screen phones such as Apple's iPhone and various competing models that run Google's Android software.

RIM's U.S. market share of smartphones dropped from 44 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group. The company still has 75 million active subscribers, but many analysts believe the company will lose market share internationally, just as it has in the U.S.

Heins, formerly a little known chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, replaces RIM's founders after the company has lost tens of billions in market value. Balsillie acknowledged in December that the last few quarters have been among the most challenging times the company has seen.

Even so, Heins said on a conference call on Monday that he didn't think significant change was needed. He said the leadership change was not a "seismic" event. Heins said he's committed to switching the company's phones over to a new operating system, which is expected late this year. That's the same plan favored by Lazaridis and Balsillie, who announced Sunday they would step down from the top jobs, but serve in other roles.

Heins said RIM has to improve its U.S. marketing to go beyond the traditional corporate customer.

"I want us to have a bit more of an ear towards the consumer market, understand trends, and not just do what the Street is telling you," Heins said.

Shares of RIM fell eight percent, or $1.39 cents to $15.61, following his remarks. The stock had initially moved up almost 4 percent in premarket trading.

Heins said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that RIM doesn't have plans "right now" to put the company up for the sale or to split it up. He reiterated there is no reason for a "shake up" of RIM. He explained that he would consult with Lazaridis and Balsille on major decisions because they remain board members.

"I've worked really well with Mike in the past. He is a founder of an iconic company, a great innovator. For sure, I will seek his advice and his counsel where needed and I will have my discussions with him, but the company is run by the CEO and that's what you'll see," Heins said.

Heins' top priority will be to release smartphones that run the company's long-awaited Blackberry 10 software. "I will do everything I can to make that happen, but I cannot commit to a very specific date. But, yes, we will ship BlackBerry devices later this year on BlackBerry 10," he said.

Vic Alboini, president of Jaguar Financial Corp. in Toronto, which has been pushing for a change in leadership, said the drop in stock price on Monday meant the market saw the leadership adjustment as "more of the same."

Many shareholders and analysts have said a change or sale of the company has been needed, but the sudden departure of the two founders from their top jobs wasn't expected despite their promises that they would examine the co-CEO and co-chairmen structure.

Balsillie and Lazaridis have long been celebrated as Canadian heroes, even appearing in the country's citizenship guide for new immigrants as models of success. They headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.

Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board. The two remain two of RIM's biggest shareholders.

"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Analysts have said RIM's future depends on its new software platform as RIM has tried and failed to reinvigorate the BlackBerry.

RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future would be delayed until late this year. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to deeply discount it to move the devices off store shelves.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in late 2010 that RIM would have a hard time catching up to Apple because RIM has been forced to move beyond its area of strength and into unfamiliar territory of trying to become a software platform company.

BlackBerrys made email mobile and were dominant in the North American smartphone market until the iPhone came along. Under Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company struggled to adjust to the times and match the iPhone's facility with Web browsing, third-party applications and multimedia.

Heins, who is 54, said Lazaridis and Balsillie took RIM in the right direction and they are "more confident than ever that was the right path."

Barbara Stymiest, a former chief operating officer of the Royal Bank of Canada who has been a member of RIM's board since 2007, has been named chair of the board of directors. RIM also announced that Prem Watsa, the chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings, is a new board member. Watsa has become a significant shareholder.

Lazaridis said he was so confident in the future direction of the company that he intends to purchase an additional $50 million of the company's shares on the open market.

RIM was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago but now has a market value of around $8.2 billion. Some industry analysts believe RIM is following the same trajectory as struggling Finish handset maker Nokia or former Canadian tech giant Nortel, which declared bankruptcy in 2009.

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis agrees that a change in marketing is needed, but it will take more than that to reverse the decline. Gillis said the move is two years late and said he'll get more excited when RIM announces positive news about their new software platform.

"It's just a shuffling of the deck," Gillis said. "He's got a pretty rough road to drive up. The other part is that Mike and Jim are still around. Think about Jerry Yang in Yahoo. When he finally stepped down people said he was still a really big influence on the company."

Stuart Jeffrey at Nomura Securities said the management switch could remove an obstacle toward selling the company, but still believes a buyer is unlikely to surface. The value of the company is uncertain, since the new operating system, BlackBerry 10, is unproven.

Private-equity buyers might be enticed to buy the company for its cash flow, he said, but the fair value for the company is about $15 per share on that basis, meaning private-equity firms are unlikely to pay much above $10.

___

Associated Press Technology Writer Peter Svensson in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_hi_te/cn_rim_ceos_resign

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Viral video spoofs the, er, stuff New Yorkers say

This image courtesy of Mindy Tucker shows comedians Eliot, left, and Ilana Glazer as they pose for a photograph in New York. A video the siblings created about the things New Yorkers say has gone viral in the few days it's been posted, attracting lots of opinions of what New Yorkers do and don't say. (AP Photo/Mindy Tucker)

This image courtesy of Mindy Tucker shows comedians Eliot, left, and Ilana Glazer as they pose for a photograph in New York. A video the siblings created about the things New Yorkers say has gone viral in the few days it's been posted, attracting lots of opinions of what New Yorkers do and don't say. (AP Photo/Mindy Tucker)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Hip young New Yorkers hate waiting for the subway. They wouldn't be caught dead near tourist sites and couldn't care less if a celebrity walked by. They're snobby about what they read, even snobbier about what they eat, stick to their own borough, and call the most minuscule bedrooms "huge."

And there's something else: Some don't take kindly to being reduced to a cultural stereotype.

That's what Eliot and Ilana Glazer, brother-sister bloggers, comics and native New Yorkers, have discovered since their video, "Stuff New Yorkers Say" (no, the word isn't really "Stuff") has gone viral in the last couple days. Turns out, one of the things New Yorkers like to say is: "We don't say THAT!"

But there's been lots of positive feedback, too, and all the attention has stunned the Glazers, who posted the video on Wednesday night, hoping for some buzz but not expecting well over a million YouTube views (about 1.3 million as of late Friday).

"It's really bonkers," Eliot Glazer, 28, said in a telephone interview.

The video, inspired by a current Internet meme on what all sorts of groups of people say, is simple enough. In it, the Glazers and friends converse the way young New Yorkers would (or wouldn't, depending on whom you ask.) There are a few distinct themes.

Impatience: "Where is the train? Where is the TRAIN?" (There have been comments posted that while people in New York think this, they don't actually stand on the platform saying it.)

Exclusivity: "Nobody knows about this place."

Culinary exclusivity: "All I had today was a bagel." Or "Ah, Momofuku!" a reference to the group of restaurants headed by hip young chef David Chang.

Culinary snobbery: "Ah, Magnolia!" a reference to the cupcakes made famous by "Sex and the City" ? followed by a sour face, because the cupcakes aren't very hip.

Celebrity fatigue: "Sarah Jessica Parker! Oh, who cares."

Disdain for tourists: "Who goes to the Statue of Liberty?" ''Who goes to the Empire State Building?" ''Move! Move!" (walking down the street behind slowpokes.) "I hate tourists!"

That last theme, Glazer explains, is not to be taken literally. "New Yorkers are actually very kind to tourists," he says.

Another thing people are taking too literally, according to Glazer: The derisive comments about boroughs other than Manhattan, as in "I don't go to Queens," and "I don't do Brooklyn."

In fact, Glazer was born in Queens, grew up on Long Island, and now lives in Brooklyn, as does his sister ? a writer and comic whose Web series, "Broad City," is in development for the FX network.

Especially funny, Glazer says, is unwarranted speculation online that the Glazers aren't even from New York. But he says he doesn't read comments on YouTube: "It's just a pool of negativity."

"This is satire," he says. "We intended it to be a satire of what it means to be young and semi-spoiled in New York."

The video was shot and edited in about two weeks. "I was worried we were past the expiration date of the meme," Glazer says. He and his sister posted it to their Facebook accounts, and "within two hours it was insane ? the comments, the sharing," he says. "It was mind-blowing how quickly it took off."

What's clear from the video is that its creators love the city, despite its hardships.

Love-hate relationship with New York:

"I love it here.

"I hate it here.

"I love it here."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-20-US-Stuff-New-Yorkers-Say/id-775c703a8ca344278dfd2639475a4ede

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