Family Group Calls for Boycott of America’s Got Talent and Howard Stern
While that doesn’t openly require that advertisers refrain from buying air time with NBC, the message is clear. Of course, the Parents Television Council is probably only serving America’s Got Talent and Howard Stern by making these sorts of public overtures. Controversial, polarizing characters drive television ratings, regardless of the format. America’s Got Talent is going to remain a family show, except that now it is also going to attract a more edgy audience who wants to see Stern perform on prime time television.
And once he demonstrates the ability to navigate the confines of prime time television while maintaining his sharp wit and honesty, it’s going to be extremely difficult for advertisers to stay away. Even the promos for America’s Got Talent have an almost Disney-like quality to them. NBC has been playing up Stern’s edginess, but it will be his heartfelt honesty and everyman qualities that will win over the masses when the show premieres on May 14.
Whether Stern’s presence is enough to move the needle for AGT remains to be seen. But the potential is there for huge success and a completely new level of fame and recognition for Howard Stern.
Rihanna To Play Villain In Fast & Furious 6
Rihanna To Play Villain In Fast & Furious 6
Rihanna will have a role in the upcoming movie Fast & Furious 6. Writers were impressed with her acting debut in Battleship and felt the villain role would suit her perfect.
Rihanna will be racing cars alongside Dwayne Johnson & Vin Diesel out in England where the movie will be filmed. The filming will start early next month.
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Advantages and Disadvatages of Various Martial Arts
1.) Kendo (Kenjutsu), is the martial art teaching the way of the sword. Now, in real life you are probably not going to be carrying a sword with you everywhere you go, thanks to urban society norms and laws. But, on the other hand, you may like to learn this art as a way to know how to master the use of in hand weapons in general. I mean, even if you can’t carry a sword, if you don’t know how to use a sword, you probably can’t efficiently use a similar weapon; like a jujitsu staff or even a large tree branch. Kendo will indeed teach you to become very efficient in the art of the bladed weapon, however, it lacks some of the defensive teaching (guarding, meditation etc) shown in other martial arts. You can easily learn Kendo and another martial art or two though, it doesn’t take a whole lot of knowledge, just dedication and patience. While some of the move’s can become complex within this art, usually they are not as expansive or diverse as let’s say Tai Chi or even Kung Fu. That all being said, Kendo is a great art and the traditional values of honor and respect are very important elements as well. Many have forgotten about the value of honor and respect.
2.) Tae-Kwon-Do, is a martial art from Korea, speaking the way of fast and reflexive spinning kicks, as well as ethical self-defense practice. They emphasize patience, reflex and dedication, like most martial arts. Tae-Kwon-Do offensive tactics are derived of mainly kicks, although counter arm strikes are also taught in many regions. Defensive stances and guarding is well taught, and well explained. I would say Tae-Kwon-Do is a very diverse martial art, but certainly not the most diverse art. Tae-Kwon-Do can be used with success in self-defense against some street thugs or even moderate fighters, however because it does not teach certain aspects of positive aggression, or channeling aggressive energy, or the balance of aggression and patience, it may be less useful when fighting someone trained in let’s say, S.C.A.R.S or Mixed Martial Arts. The irony is, anybody trained in multiple martial arts will almost certainly be more effective against one with a background of only one martial art. Tae-Kwon-Do does teach decent grapple techniques, and efficiency in a fight, but again, you might wanna add a second choice to Tae-Kwon-Do because it is not the most diverse.
3.) Boxing/Kickboxing – I have put these two into one section since they both are almost identical in their style. One uses the hands and the other the feet, obviously is the only major difference. However, both practice powerful single and multiple strikes, coupled with a close eye on the target and his movement’s. Boxing is usually designed for someone of heavier weight class (190+), although there have been some pretty successful 170 lbs boxers as well. Kickboxing can be achieved by a leaner type as well. Boxing and kickboxing can be very useful upfront against an opponent, and is a great self-defense weapon, but also very narrow and non diverse. For one, the defensive techniques taught by both of these arts, speak not of the circumstances where one is cornered by multiple enemies. The tactics don’t teach the environmental manipulation needed in true real life self defense, and it also doesn’t teach much in the way of patience. Despite the fast-paced nature of boxing and kickboxing, counter-strikes in these arts are not exactly designed to counter sweep kicks, knee strikes or nerve directed attacks. You also aren’t going to go up and put on your boxing gloves against a bear in the forest, or a 5-star ninjitsu master who is going to find some loophole in your move’s and quickly put you to sleep with a long-range attack. Let’s face it, upfront boxing is very effective, but even then, very narrow, and in a real-life sceario, it’s great for when a semi-big dude is going to jump you. But what about three fast thugs who are each armed with a knife and also in theory one could be half as fast as the flash ? Neither boxing or kickboxing teach, how to grab a weapon from an assailant, much less how to use weapons against them effectively.
4.) Karate – Karate is like the root of basic martial arts. It doesn’t teach many complexities at all, but it does teach the essentials and may be a great place to start for some. Before moving into more complex and diverse martial arts, karate may help you become accustomed to some of the general practice’s and elements martial artists use. Now, in real-life scenario’s, Karate may help in some situations. You would have to catch your attacker off-guard for one, but karate does teach a great deal of patience and moderate meditation. Karate can help you interpret your attacker’s next move, by teaching insight. Tae-Kwon-Do also does a good job at this, but again, Karate is a nice transitional movement to the next martial arts. Karate also is good at teaching willpower, and not giving up once you have started. Consistency is very important, as you will become more effective and confident that your skills are second-nature enough to support you in a real life fight or dangerous situation. Karate also teaches basic grapple techniques, and also the blows that will allow you to escape from a dangerous situation. Karate may enable you to take away your enemies weapon from them, in a quick manner.
5.) Ninjitsu – Ninjitsu is a nearly ancient martial art. Not many people practice this art, and have simultaneously mastered it as well. Ninjitsu is diverse, it teaches medication, patience, defensive and offensive strikes, and it teaches great endurance. It teaches insight; knowing the move’s of your opponent and countering them. Ninjitsu teaches hand-to-hand combat as well as weapon based combat, however in the weapon area, mostly we are talking long range weapons or throwing weapons. Ninjitsu teaches the utilization of spiritual energies, and balancing aggression with patience. Ninjitsu is exclusive in that it teaches the art of stealth, something very important in avoiding large armies of attackers. The art also teaches how to target vital nerves in an attacker’s body, leaving them stunned or incapacitated. Ninjitsu also involves modern technologies, such as the use of diversions and smoke grenades. By mastering psychology, a ninja can defeat his opponent first mentally, then physically. This art can be very powerful and very effective in most of all self-defense situations in real life. However, it is not ideal for arena fighting, in which you must rely on heavy weighted attack techniques. Ninja’s by contrast are taller and leaner, rather than bigger and stockier. But this middle class body weight is perfect for a ninja, being you can move fast and decisively, but you must have immense muscle strength to be a ninja. Ninjitsu is probably the best martial art for real-life scenario’s in which you must know the greatest diversities of self-defense tactics. It is not by any means sufficient when fighting in an arena against a boxer or wrestler. You might have a decent chance against a mixed martial artist, but like I said before, one knowing many, will be more efficient against one that only see’s one.
***Sources***
My Own Experience
Reading and Learning
Travel advice for bmibaby passengers
bmibaby has announced that it will cease flying and is winding down its operations over the next few months.
From June 11 2012, it will no longer operate any routes from Belfast City Airport (to Alicante, Amsterdam, Birmingham, East Midlands, Faro, Ibiza, Mahon, Malaga, Palma and Stansted).
Some services from Birmingham (to Amsterdam, Belfast and Knock) and East Midlands (to Amsterdam, Belfast, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Newquay, Nice and Paris) will also be discontinued.
All remaining routes will cease to operate on 9 September 2012.
Why is bmibaby shutting down?
According to the BBC, bmibaby is losing about £25m per year. Following its sale to owner’s IAG, the decision was made to cut the loses.
Will I get a refund?
All bmibaby passengers are entitles to a full refund and passengers should receive an email from the airline explaining the procedure.
Can I get another flight?
bmibaby has said that it will try to book passengers on an alternative bmibaby service where possible. It is not able to transfer passengers to alternative airlines (including bmi or BA).
Other airlines such as Monarch, easyJet and Jet2 have said they may replace some of the cancelled routes, but passengers would have to buy a new ticket.
Search on Skyscanner to see what your options are.
For more information
Visit bmibaby’s help page
Or call the bmibaby helpline on: 0844 245 0055.
Invisible man casts shadow over US-China talks
WASHINGTON (AP) — The blind Chinese lawyer at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing is a taboo topic in each capital. Neither side wants the biggest human-rights issue between the two since Tiananmen Square to disrupt high-level strategic and economic talks set to begin on Thursday.
President Barack Obama‘s administration and China‘s officials have signaled that the global economy, North Korea, Iran and Sudan — issues in which millions of lives are at stake — have become far more important in U.S.-Chinese relations. Thus, both refuse to admit anything is amiss as a high-profile dissident is believed to be sheltering with U.S. diplomats in China.
To listen to officials in both countries, Chen Guangcheng is an invisible man.
Obama himself refused to address the issue on Monday, declining to confirm that the blind lawyer is under U.S. protection in China or that American diplomats are attempting to negotiate an agreement for him to receive asylum.
“Obviously, I’m aware of the press reports on the situation in China, but I’m not going to make a statement on the issue,” the president said at a joint White House news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
He added obliquely, “What I would like to emphasize is that every time we meet with China the issue of human rights comes up.”
Speaking later, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, similarly declined to talk about Chen but said she would raise human rights issues at the upcoming meetings in Beijing. She said she and Obama had worked hard to have “an effective, constructive and comprehensive” relationship with the Chinese
“A constructive relationship includes talking very frankly about those areas where we do not agree, including human rights,” she said. “That is the spirit that is guiding me as I take off for Beijing tonight. And I can certainly guarantee that we will be discussing every matter, including human rights, that is pending between us.”
Clinton added that “the freedom and free movement of people inside China” were “issues of great concern to us.”
Neither Obama nor Clinton offered information as the administration and the Chinese government sought to prevent the biggest human rights issue with China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations to disrupt high-level strategic and economic talks set to begin in Beijing on Thursday.
Earlier, State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland was also tight-lipped, refusing to answer any questions about Chen. She confirmed that the top U.S. diplomat for Asia, Kurt Campbell, is in Beijing to prepare for the fourth round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, but would not say if he was discussing Chen and pointedly did not utter the dissident’s name.
Campbell arrived in Beijing early Sunday, at least a day ahead of schedule and, according to activists, is in intensive discussions with the Chinese to strike a deal over where Chen should go — either to asylum in the United States or to stay in China or go to a third location — before Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner get there. But Nuland said the meetings will go on as planned.
“Both sides want to solve this in a low-key manner and they do not want this to dominate other issues in the (strategic and economic) dialogue so that’s why they are working hard to find a speedy solution,” said Bob Fu of the Texas-based rights group ChinaAid, which was involved in Chen’s escape from house arrest last week and his subsequent arrival into the protection of U.S. diplomats in Beijing.
Despite the silence, the handling of his case — the most serious issue between the two nations since an American spy plane was forced to land on China’s Hainan Island in 2001 — will have profound ramifications on both sides of the Pacific.
Obama’s options are limited. Facing a tough fight for re-election in November, he cannot afford to ignore the situation. Doing nothing to help a visually impaired, self-taught lawyer who has fought against forced abortions and corruption in China would open Obama up to attacks from his presumed Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. It would also draw intense criticism from the human rights community in the United States, one of his core constituencies.
But at the same time, pressing the issue too hard may prompt a backlash from China, on which the U.S. is increasingly reliant for foreign capital and support as it seeks to lead the global economic recovery, deal with North Korea and Iran’s nuclear programs and prevent a potential war between Sudan and South Sudan.
The key to resolving the situation may well rest with an aging cadre at the top of China’s Communist Party, who could either promise protection for Chen and his family in China or allow him to leave the country, possibly even to Hong Kong or Macao, as they prepare for their own leadership transition later this year.
“Mr. Chen prefers to stay in China if he and his family’s safety can be guaranteed. In the current environment in China that might not be possible so a viable solution is to have him and his family come to the U.S.,” said Fu. He said a face-saving option may be to let Chen and his family come to the U.S. for medical treatment.
The ouster of powerful politician Bo Xilai following a deputy’s visit to the U.S. consulate in Chengdu in February has already laid bare some of the party’s dirty laundry ahead the changes and the Chinese will be loath to lose more face over Chen, whose case was raised repeatedly by American officials, including Clinton herself, until the information blackout began last week.
Human rights has been a distasteful issue for Beijing for decades and it has criticized the U.S. approach as lecturing. Clinton made waves on her first trip abroad as secretary of state when she said that human rights could not dominate the entire agenda with China at the expense of other pressing issues.
Her comments drew fire at the time, but the relationship has clearly evolved as global priorities have shifted.
While China in the 1990s was in need of foreign investment and diplomatic partners and was willing to send jailed dissidents into exile to get them, Beijing sees little need for such concessions now, with its diplomatic clout and coffers bulging with foreign exchange. As the first and second largest economies, the U.S. and China have intertwining interests, and as the reigning superpower and burgeoning world power, they are frequently jostling for advantage across the globe.
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Matthew Pennington in Washington and Charles Hutzler in Beijing contributed to this report.
Google Releases Entire FCC Investigation Into Wi-Fi Snooping Scandal – Geekosystem
A few weeks ago, the Federal Communication Commission announced that it had concluded its investigation into Google’s interception of user data from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks with its street view cars. Now, Google has released the entire report of perusal, giving insight into this curious case.
Though the names of some individuals involved in the investigation have been withheld, the report is a close look into what exactly happened with Google’s street view cars and why. The report is currently available on Scribd, for those interested in reading it.
Until this point, it had seemed that interception of data was purely accidental. That appears now to be only half true. According to the L.A. Times:
The report points the finger at a rogue engineer who, it says, intentionally wrote software code that captured payload data information — communication over the Internet including emails, passwords and search history — from unprotected wireless networks, going beyond what Google says it intended. The engineer invoked his 5th Amendment right and declined to speak to the FCC.
After the code was written, it somehow avoided being spotted by anyone involved with the project. Coworkers missed it during code reviewers, managers missed memos discussing the utility of intercepted data, and so on and so forth. Whether or not you believe this perfect storm of lapses in oversight depends, I suppose, on how much you trust Google.
At least part of what allowed the code to go unnoticed was Google’s policy of allowing employees to work on projects that interest them in their free time. The engineer who wrote the data-intercepting code was apparently working on it as a side project, and was not required to get permission from the street view team before modifying the code. One wonders how long that policy will remain sacrosanct. Though it shielded Google in this case, it also portrays the company as being ignorant of its own products.
You may be wondering what value the intercepted data could possibly have to Google. Again, from the L.A. Times:
On at least one occasion, the report says, the engineer reviewed the data to identify frequently visited websites. He thought it might be helpful in determining how much people were using Google search, so he asked a member of Google’s search quality team who told him “it had no use or value,” the report says. When he determined it had no value, he abandoned the idea.
After that, it seems that the code remained on the cars — presumably because no one thought to remove it.
These apparent ”communication failures” within Google aside, you might believe that the search giant was being noble when it turned away the intercepted data. But let’s look at the dates. The code was implemented on cars in 2006. Two years later, Google announced its super-fast Chrome web browser. While its certain that the information picked up by the street view cars did offer little value to Google, part of the reason might have been that the search giant had already come up with a far better (and far less creepy) way to gather information about how users were surfing the net: A web browser.
It’s also worth noting that though the FCC wound up merely fining Google for obstruction of justice, it did not prosecute the company simply because there was no precedent. The distinction is important, since it implies that there are simply no laws against what Google did, rather than Google not doing anything actually “bad.” Sometimes it seems like Google’s “don’t be evil” policy is more along the lines of “don’t be evil within the narrowly defined parameters of the law.”
(L.A. Times via Techmeme, image via Wikipedia)
