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Katherine Heigl may have found the plumb franchise role she'd been waiting for – as in Stephanie Plum.
Taking on the part of novelist Janet Evanovich's popular plucky bounty hunter heroine in the film version of the book series first entry "One for the Money" may provide the blonbe actress with her first-ever film franchise, and Heigl tells PopcornBiz that the role came with big challenges (like replicating Plum's signature Jersey hairstyle) and perks (learning to love a day on the shooting range).
On her entry point into the world of Stephanie Plum:
U.S. & World
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I was approached about the project when I was doing 'The Ugly Truth' with Lakeshore Entertainment and they wanted to turn the book into a movie. And I had, at that point, not read the book, so I started reading them. And I became obsessed with them and then got really exited about the idea of bringing it to film. And I really loved the producer role on this, because it was so important to me to keep the film really close to the book – because that's what I fell in love with and that's what millions of people have fallen in love with, in terms of the 'One for the Money'/Stephanie Plum series. So it was great to get to kind of be in the room and have an opinion.
On the Stephanie Plum literary franchise:
What's interesting about the books is that they all a murder mystery tie-in with the bounty hunting aspect of it, and so it's not all just about romance. It's not all just about comedy. Especially in this movie, the murder mystery storyline's kind of dark and a little edgy. And gives it a vibe that is not purely chick-flick-ish. I'm really excited about it because I think it does appeal to everyone. It isn't just a girls' movie. It's a good time for everyone, men included.
On Stephanie Plum, the character:
I just think that there's something about her that's really endearing. You just like her. You just really like her. She's a decent person with a big heart and she's sort of fearless and courageous but perpetually puts herself in situations where she's just in over her head but doesn't take herself very seriously. And doesn't take other people too seriously. She has this sort of great perspective on life that happens to be really funny and witty and charming as well. So I don't know. I just sort of like everything about Stephanie. And she's sort of that hapless heroine that don't get a lot of. You sort of get the overly perfect heroines that you can never aspire to be like. But Stephanie's a sort of everyday girl.
On words of wisdom from Janet Evanovich:
I didn't speak to her until after the movie was made and after she saw it. And I really wish that I had gotten to talk to her on the phone beforehand, because I think she would have relieved a lot of pressure. She was so supportive and so cool about it. And kind of just took the angle of like, 'Look, you're always going to have a few people that don't think you're the right fit for the role. But I think you are, and I think it's great. So just be you and do your Stephanie and people will embrace it.' Such a relief to hear from the creator of the novels, because I it's hard to know what anyone else is thinking of the character. You only have your imagination to go off of, but I was trying to read people's minds and fit myself into it somehow. And ultimately I kind of just have to do my thing.
On adopting a Jersey Girl look:
Her look is very specific in the book, and once you get attached to that idea in your head I couldn't imagine Stephanie any other way. It would have been really weird to play Stephanie blonde. It just wouldn't have worked. But the other side of that is that most people know me as a blonde so it was disconcerting, I think, for certain fans to see me as a brunette. And then it was disconcerting for the fans of the book to imagine me as Stephanie and blonde and blah, blah, blah. So I died it before we started filming, brown, trying to like get people onboard. And then I ended up just wearing a wig, because I don't have curly hair and Stephanie does.
On mastering real-life firearms for the first time:
I've been like yielding guns in films since I was 15 but they're fake, and there's no actual bullet in them. And so they took us to a shooting range to practice, because there are certain things that you're not supposed to do, like blink when you shoot. But it's impossible not to blink! It's really hard! And it was really intimidating and nerve-wracking the first time they put a loaded gun in your hand – plus they'd just given you a 20-minute spiel about the dangers of this gun, so you're sort of freaking out. And then I really enjoyed it because it was super satisfying and cathartic on some level. And then Jason O'Mara's gun shot, like, fire out of it or something. Yeah, it was a little intense. But I had a good time. I mean, I started wanting to go to the gun range regularly. And then I started shooting clay pigeons with my husband. I really like to shoot things.
"One For the Money" opens everywhere Friday, January 27th


text: I hate to be a drama queen, but I am waivering on my choice of interior and would like some feedback. I just ordered a Titanium Silver 335is coupe for European Delivery. I really like the Saddle Brown leather but my girlfriend talked me out, claiming that the color combination is a "stretch." She favors the Coral Red but thinks that even Black is preferable to the Saddle Brown. To be on the safe side, I ordered Black leather even though it has no "pop." I've probably looked at 50 Titanium Silver BMWs but have never seen one with Saddle Brown interior. Has anyone out there seen this combination and, if so, what is your impression? I know the Coral Red "pops" but question whether the color will become annoying over time. I have heard people say they regret getting the color. Saddle Brown certainly "pops" with Black, Red, Monaco Blue and White. It probably looks good with Space Gray as well. But Titanium? I need help. I still have time to change my order.

subset: commoncrawl


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1. Because I keep trying to find ways to articulate the myriad shades of beautiful and banging-ass brown found in this photo shoot — done in Costa Rica by 28 members of the Florida A&M chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, where they celebrated the 10 year anniversary of them crossing in 2007 — and I keep coming back to food. Candy bars, oatmeal, and chocolate cake, specifically. And since I love food, and since God is love, this very obviously must mean that Black women are God.
2. Because you know, since these were Deltas, that at least five of them wanted to take some pictures on an elephant. Like, there were probably email, Gchat, text, and Slack threads debating whether to use one, and at least one Yelp search for "elephant rental stores."
No one fought about an elephant. But someone's definitely not talking to someone this week about an elephant.
3. Because only a group of Black women can manage to outshine an entire freakin coast. That coast has been there for millions of years — and the sun for billions — but then they showed up and made it the Kyrie to their Lebron. That coast definitely requested a trade this week, so it can get its own team and shine again on its own.
4. Because of all of the exes of the women in this shoot, seeing the photos, and then sitting on a futon somewhere this week thinking "Damn. Jigga said 'Never go Eric Benet.' I went Eric Benet. I wish he would he said 'Never go Eric Benet' before I went Eric Benet."


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Alleged Federal Reserve bomb plotter Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis' ties probed
Updated at 11:24 a.m. ET
Investigators are probing the connections of a Bangladeshi man who allegedly tried to detonate what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb outside the Federal Reserve building in Manhattan Wednesday, CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports.
Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn to face charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda. Wearing a brown T-shirt and black jeans, he was ordered held without bail and did not enter a plea. His defense attorney had no comment outside court.
On "CBS This Morning" Thursday, Miller reported that Nafis had made statements that he was in contact with a Qaeda network before he arrived in the United States in January. But there was no allegation that Nafis actually received training or direction from the terrorist group.
In conversations recorded by the FBI, Miller reports Nafis allegedly said he admired the radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who inspired the "underwear bomber," Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and the accused Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Hasan. Even after Awlaki was killed in a drone strike, his magazine, called Inspire, supplied Nafis with the outlines for his plot.
"There are still individuals and groups, indeed, around the world who have bought into the al Qaeda narrative, who have some kind of vague blueprint in their mind, which involves New York and the United States and explosives and to wish to do harm," Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law, told CBS News.
A U.S. official told CBS News that Nafis considered targeting President Obama before settling on the Federal Reserve building just blocks from the World Trade Center site, but those considerations never got beyond the discussion stage.
Authorities are investigating whether Nafis was acting alone. Miller, a former assistant director of the FBI, reports that the bureau's agents are talking to at least five of Nafis' friends and associates.
One man who voiced his support during the plotting of Nafis' alleged plans to engage in terrorism was picked up in San Diego late Wednesday afternoon, Miller reports. That man faces deportation hearings.
Before trying to carry out the alleged terrorism plot, Nafis went to a warehouse to help assemble a 1,000-pound bomb using inert material, according to a criminal complaint. He also asked an undercover agent to videotape him saying, "We will not stop until we attain victory or martyrdom," the complaint said.
In July, he contacted a confidential informant, telling him he wanted to form a terror cell and that he admired "Sheikh 'O'" -- a reference to Osama bin Laden, the criminal complaint said.
The defendant had sought assurances from an undercover agent posing as an al Qaeda contact that the terrorist group would support the operation.
"The thing that I want to do, ask you about, is that, the thing I'm doing, it's under al Qaeda?" he was recorded saying during a meeting in bugged hotel room in Queens, according to the complaint.
In a September meeting in the same hotel room, Nafis "confirmed he was ready to kill himself during the course of the attack, but indicated he wanted to return to Bangladesh to see his family one last time to set his affairs in order," the complaint said.
In Bangladesh, Nafis' family was stunned at the allegations, saying he was incapable of such actions and he went to America to study business administration, not to carry out any attack. They denied he could have been involved.
"My son couldn't have done it," his father, Quazi Ahsanullah, said weeping.
On Wednesday, agents grabbed the 21-year-old Nafis -- armed with a cellphone he believed was rigged as a detonator -- after he made several attempts to blow up the bomb inside a vehicle parked next to the Federal Reserve, the complaint said.
Authorities emphasized that the plot never posed an actual risk. However, they claimed the case demonstrated the value of using sting operations to neutralize young extremists eager to harm Americans.
"Attempting to destroy a landmark building and kill or maim untold numbers of innocent bystanders is about as serious as the imagination can conjure," said Mary Galligan, acting head of the FBI's New York office. "The defendant faces appropriately severe consequences."
Prosecutors say Nafis traveled to the U.S. on a student visa in January to carry out an attack. In July, he contacted a confidential informant, telling him he wanted to form a terror cell, the criminal complaint said.
In further conversations, authorities said Nafis proposed several spots for his attack, including the New York Stock Exchange and that in a written letter taking responsibility for the Federal Reserve job he was about to carry out, he said he wanted to "destroy America." Other communications took place through Facebook, the complaint said.
A Twitter account with the suspect's name and photo had six followers and two messages and was linked to a Facebook page that had been taken down.
CBS News has learned that Nafis was enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University for the spring semester earlier this year and that he was pursuing a degree in cyber security; he is no longer enrolled there.
University spokeswoman Ann Hayes told The Associated Press that Nafis requested a transfer of his records in July and the university complied, though she couldn't say where the records were transferred.
On Wednesday, federal officials were at the New York home where Nafis was staying, a red brick building in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Owner Rafiqul Islam said Nafis was staying with his second-floor tenants, and he was told he was related to the family. The tenants didn't answer their door and their apartment was dark.
Islam said Nafis had only lived there about a month or so.
"I didn't notice anything, he spoke to me very quietly," he said. "He said he was going to be studying here."
Neighbor Jose Santos, 19, said he would see Nafis at the same grocery store.
"He seemed like a regular nice guy to me," Santos said. "I'm just shocked right now to see that he tried to plant a 1,000-pound bomb. That's crazy."
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the case is one more reminder that New York remains a target:
"New York continues to be very much in the mind frame of terrorism. This individual came here with the express purpose of committing a terrorist attack; he was motivated by al Qaeda. We see this threat as being with us for a long time to come."
Kelly said security is always a precaution and there are about a thousand officers in the counterterrorism division. He didn't specify if any additional measures were being taken.
The bank, located at 33 Liberty St., is one of 12 branches around the country that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, make up the Federal Reserve System that serves as the central bank of the United States. It sets interest rates.
The Federal Reserve is one of the most fortified buildings in the city, smack in the middle of a massive security effort headed by the New York Police Department where a network of thousands of private and police cameras watch for suspicious activity.
The department uses sophisticated programs that can search for suspicious activity, like an object in one place for a long time, at the building modeled after London's "ring of steel." The analytic software also is designed to take video and catalog it according to movements, shapes and colors, so officers can set parameters to search the system for, say, a suspicious van.
The Fed is also home to the world's largest accumulation of gold, according to the bank's website. Dozens of governments and central banks store a portion of their gold reserves in high-security vaults deep beneath the building. In recent years, it held 216 million troy ounces of gold, or more than a fifth of all global monetary gold reserves, making it a bigger bullion depository than Fort Knox.
The federal case was the latest where a terrorism plot against the city turned out to be a sting operation.
Four men were convicted in 2009 in a plot to bomb synagogues and shoot down military planes with missiles a case that began after an FBI informant was assigned to infiltrate a mosque in Newburgh, about 70 miles north of New York City. The federal judge hearing the case said she was not proud of the government's role in nurturing the plot.
In 2004, a Pakistani immigrant was arrested and convicted for a scheme to blow up the subway station at Herald Square in Midtown. His lawyers argued that their client had been set up by a police informant who showed him pictures of Iraq abuse to get him involved in an attack against civilians.


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Main Content
About the Talk
January 15, 2010 10:35 AM
Sandusky, OHSandusky, OH
Talk about strange bedfellows: what happens when you mix one part Lisp (one of the oldest computer languages), one part Java (so young, yet so well adopted), a healthy serving of functional programming, and a state-of-the-art concurrency layer on top? That's Clojure, which "feels like a general-purpose language beamed back from the near future." Clojure embraces functional programming with immutable data types and first class functions. It is fully interoperable with Java. Clojure's approach to concurrency includes asynchonous Agents, and Software Transactional Memory. Clojure is fast, elegant, dynamic, and scalable: a language for the future, today.


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Located at Oracle's headquarters, our center in Redwood Shores provides an ideal setting for joint client workshops and enables Accenture to participate in beta trials of new versions of Oracle software, platform and infrastructure. This gives Accenture a jump start on building Accenture-proprietary assets. And, through the Accenture's Oracle Business Group, Accenture and Oracle are creating a suite of industry-based solutions and prebuilt accelerators, assets, and tools to help quickly and predictably deploy digital solutions.
Our Innovation Center in Dallas is powered by the Accenture Enkitec Group—including the world's top experts on Oracle Engineered Systems and Oracle Database—where we discover opportunities to test data workloads on a variety of Oracle Engineered Systems to enable faster and more cost-effective implementations.
KERRY OSBORNE , Managing Director, Accenture Enkitec Group
Our innovation center in Tokyo focuses on Supply Chain and Enterprise Performance Management, with further emphasis on timely, strategic conversion to International Financial Reporting Standards.
This is Accenture's largest pan-European center, co-located with a specialized delivery center for Oracle. This location focuses on Oracle Cloud, the Internet of Things and the Accenture Foundation Platform for Oracle, in addition to supporting Oracle's traditional on-premises solutions.
At our center in Bengaluru, we've built solutions around mobility, customer experience, engineered systems and emerging cloud and digital technologies as well as established technologies such as Hyperion and Primavera, along with the development of industry solutions, such as the Smart Grid proof of concept.


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Support our nonpartisan, nonprofit research and insights which help leaders address societal challenges.Donate
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Publication Date:
November 2012
During the last two decades, human resources functions have aggregated volumes of information about the workforce. However, many of today's human capital professionals are working with inconsistent, basic information and have yet to become proactive and predictive. This report, which reflects the work of The Conference Board Research Working Group on Human Capital Analytics, looks at the current state of human capital analytics in terms of challenges, guiding principles, processes, models, and standards. It identifies the key metrics, sources of data, common applications, and best practices for a sound human capital analytics function.


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The future is expensive and takes up too much space. But hey, it's the future!
You might recognize the guy; we're dealing with the same YouTuber who brought us footage of virtual GTA IV. This time, he tackles Arma 3. It's sorta cute how he crouches with his little plastic gun—go ahead, take a look yourself:
ARMA 3 in VR [Cyberith@YouTube, via DSOGaming]
Questions? Comments? Contact the author of this post at andras-AT-kotaku-DOT-com.


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Betty White (photo courtesy JPI Studios Inc.) last appeared on "The Bold and the Beautiful" as the not-so-great mother of Stephanie and Pam a year ago. Betty is back as Ann starting Nov. 18, but this time Ann is very ill and preparing for her death. But first, she has some loose ends to tie up with her daughters.
Betty was thrilled to return to the "B&B" set, telling me: "I was so surprised that they wanted to have me back. Ann hasn't been there in about a year, so it was kind of nice to come back and revisit the character — not only from an actor's standpoint, but also because it is such a great show to work on. They are the nicest people in the world, and they greet you back like a member of the family — even though it's a member of the family they don't like on camera.
"It didn't even feel like I had been away for a year. I think it's amazing that as long as that show has been going, that they keep the freshness to it. It's amazing. It's also, for me, such a great stretch, because I don't get the chance to do serious acting. So to get some serious things to do was kind of fun."
Switching between comedy and drama is easy when you're a pro like Betty. "You get a different mind-set. You try to see it from a different perspective from the other things you do. A couple of times there was a chance to almost go for the laugh, and I had to resist that temptation strongly."
Having the chance to work with the "B&B" cast again was another perk for Betty. "When you get into the acting that is on this show — Susan Flannery is so good, as is Alley Mills — it really makes it easy to get into character and really go for it. You're playing very heavy, serious scenes, and during the breaks, you can laugh at it all. It's nice that they don't take themselves so seriously that they can't get out of character."
Betty assures me that fans will be happy with what they are going to see. "I was very happy with how they handled Ann's story. There are some surprises. We had one beautiful day up at Malibu on the beach. We were up at Paradise Cove, and Ann is so taken with this setting — again, another side of Ann that you don't expect to see, that she would be that taken with natural beauty — that for me it opened up a new door for playing Ann."
Betty almost didn't get to play Ann this second time around. "I was so surprised when they invited me back. They had asked me before, but I couldn't schedule it because I was working on other projects. I was glad when they asked me again, because they had written such an interesting story line, and it's tough for an actress to turn down something like that. It's fun to play.
"'B&B' is the closest for me to doing something I don't get the chance to do, which I enjoy doing, and that is playing a serious role. Comedy is still my heart, but this satisfies that craving to do a serious role."
However, the role that Betty craves most is that of animal lover and advocate. She tells me: "I've been with the Morris Animal Foundation for 43 years. We are a health organization; we fund research for specific health problems of dogs, cats, horses and wildlife. We helped develop the feline leukemia vaccine and the parvovirus vaccine. I've also worked with the Los Angeles Zoo for 45 years. Zoos these days take such good care not only of animals in the zoos but of animals overseas that are diminishing in population.
"That's the big half of my life. I have to be in show business to pay for my animal business."
Monday, November 16, 2009
Interview B&B: Betty White Returns to Tie Up Loose Ends
Betty White (photo courtesy JPI Studios Inc.) last appeared on "The Bold and the Beautiful" as the not-so-great mother of Stephanie and Pam a year ago. Betty is back as Ann starting Nov. 18, but this time Ann is very ill and preparing for her death. But first, she has some loose ends to tie up with her daughters.


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UB's Research Institute on Addictions is located on Main Street in downtown Buffalo.
By SARA R. SALDI
Published August 22, 2013
Share This
"Given the current funding climate, only the most outstanding research projects are being funded."
Kenneth Leonard, director
Research Institute on Addictions
UB's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) recently was awarded more than $6 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to fund five innovative studies that will expand knowledge on societal ramifications of drug and alcohol use.
The studies cover a wide range of alcohol- and drug-related topics. Three studies focus on youth issues, including bullying and its relationship to substance use, energy drinks mixed with alcohol and their connection to risky sexual practices, and the effects of parental drinking on children of alcoholics.
The remaining grants focus on marijuana-induced aggression and partner violence, and understanding physical craving in substance abuse recovery.
RIA Director Kenneth Leonard is extremely pleased that RIA has been recognized for its hard work and excellence in research.
"The number and size of these grants represent a remarkable achievement for RIA and our talented researchers," Leonard says. "Given the current funding climate, only the most outstanding research projects are being funded."
Jennifer Livingston
Jennifer Livingston, RIA senior research scientist, was awarded $1.8 million over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to study "Peer Victimization as a Pathway to Adolescent Substance Use."
Livingston says that although there is clearly the potential of peer victimization (PV) (bullying and sexual harassment) to cause harm, not all adolescents suffer serious effects from such experiences. Little is known about the conditions under which PV causes harm.
"This study aims to discover the conditions under which PV contributes to emotional distress and substance use among adolescents, both immediately and over time" says Livingston. "We're also seeking to identify the circumstances that might curb the long-term effects of PV, particularly as they relate to the development of emotional distress and substance-use problems."
Kathleen Miller
The NIAAA also awarded $1.37 million to Kathleen Miller, RIA senior research scientist, to fund her study, "Alcohol and Energy Drink Use, Expectancies and Sexual Risk Taking."
Miller, a nationally renowned expert on the subject of alcohol mixed with energy drinks, says that although energy drinks have been widely available in the U.S. for more than a decade, their effects remain significantly understudied.
"This study will collect the first detailed, nationally representative data on the prevalence of energy drinks (ED) and alcohol mixed with energy drink (AED) use by youth," says Miller, "and will map the differences in use across gender, race/ethnicity, age, college-enrollment status and sports involvement, as well as examine the links between AED use and sexual risk taking. We will then seek to understand how gender differences affect these relationships."
Rina Das Eiden
Rina Das Eiden, RIA senior research scientist, received more than $400,000 from the NIAAA for a two-year study, "Early Childhood Predictors of Adolescent Substance Use in a High Risk Sample."
Eiden, an expert on the prenatal effects of substance use, says that though children of alcoholics (COAs) are a large and critical component of the underage drinking population, little is known about how alcohol affects parenting and what the predictive risks are for underage drinking and substance use among COAs.
"Knowledge about predictors of substance use—beginning in infancy—is crucial for determining and developing early intervention to address substance-use risk among COAs," she says.
Maria Testa
A $1.86 million grant was made by the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA) to Maria Testa, RIA senior research scientist, for her study titled "Proximal Effects of Marijuana in Understanding Intimate Partner Violence." The study will take place over four years.
Testa says that despite the commonly held belief that marijuana suppresses aggression, many studies have found a positive association between marijuana use and intimate-partner violence.
"Although marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States—with increases in rates of usage over the past few years—there is a lack of research regarding marijuana use and aggression," says Testa. "Understanding the contribution of marijuana to the occurrence of domestic violence has important public health implications."
Her research will address this gap in knowledge by examining the effects of marijuana use in couples and the consequences for their relationships.
Robert Schlauch
Robert Schlauch, senior research scientist, received nearly $600,000 from the NIAAA for his project, "Ambivalence Model of Craving: Re-Examining the Craving-Drinking Relationship."
This five-year study aims to improve understanding of the ways in which craving impacts positive treatment outcomes. The research specifically will examine how craving processes change over the course of recovery, including their influence on starting and maintaining treatment.
"Greater understanding of craving processes during the course of recovery has the potential to inform current treatment strategies," he says. "Craving is a complex experience requiring consideration of many factors, including both desires to use (approach) and desires not to use (avoidance)."


text:
Classic SUV offers off-road capability and panache.
Sport Utility Vehicles
Editor: Phil Berg
$27,260 Base Price MSRP
$41,355 As Tested MSRP
Model Lineup: Laredo ($27,260); Limited ($32,190); Overland ($37,015); Laredo 4WD ($29,230); Limited 4WD ($34,620); Overland 4WD ($39,275); Special Edition; Freedom Edition
Standard Engine: 4.7-liter sohc 16-valve V8
Engine Options: 195-hp 4.0-liter ohv 12-valve inline-6; 235-hp 4.7-liter sohc 16-valve V8; 260-hp 4.7-liter sohc 16-valve V8
Standard Transmission: five-speed automatic
Transmission Options: 4-speed automatic; 5-speed automatic
Basic Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
Assembled In: Detroit, Michigan
Model Tested MSRP: Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4WD ($39,275)
Standard Equipment: power windows, keyless remote power locks, power heated mirrors with memory, heated power front leather seats with driver's side memory, fog lights, garage door opener, automatic headlights, roof rails, skid plates on front suspension, transfer case, and fuel tank, cruise control, leather and wood tilting steering wheel with remote stereo controls, power sunroof, front tow hooks, rain-sensing wipers, celing-mounted side-curtain air bags
Options As Tested: GPS Navigation Radio ($1,200) includes color display w DVD-based mapping and AM/FM radio display; adjustable pedals ($185); class IV trailer hitch, wiring and power steering cooler ($255); tire pressure monitor ($150); adjustable roof rail crossbars ($50); engine block heater ($40); Inferno Red tinted pearl coat paint ($200)
Standard Safety Equipment: ABS, traction control, front airbags
Optional Safety Equipment: side-impact curtain airbags front and outboard rearDestination Charge: $645
And they continue to buy them. Grand Cherokee ranks among the best-selling SUVs in America. Jeep sells about 220,000 Grand Cherokees a year. That's a whole big bunch. Grand Cherokee sales outrank such popular nameplates as Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Expedition, and Durango. And the imports don't even come close. In one month, September 2003, Jeep sold 16,410 Grand Cherokees, which would not be a bad half-year for the Mercedes M-Class or BMW X5. This drives other manufacturers crazy. The marketing people for every SUV sold in America list Grand Cherokee as a competitor simply because Jeep sells so many of them.
Why is Grand Cherokee so successful? For starters, everyone knows what it is. The Jeep Grand Cherokee combines luxury with impressive off-road capability. It served as a symbol of success throughout the 1990s. You could park a Limited with gold wheels and matching gold pinstripe in your driveway and everyone would know you'd achieved the American dream.
Grand Cherokee is a solid vehicle that can go anywhere. It can tackle steep slopes, slog through mud, and plow through snow. It's reasonably quick with the available high-output 4.7-liter V8. It was completely redesigned for 1999. It has been continuously revised since for improved ride quality, easier steering effort, improved brake pedal feel, and increased safety and convenience.
Grand Cherokee is luxuriously appointed yet competitively priced. Its interior is attractive and tastefully trimmed in handsome wood. Its list of features looks impressive. MSRPs range from $26,980 for a six-cylinder 2WD Laredo to $38,995 for a 4WD Overland with a V8. Rebates of $3,000 and zero-percent financing can sweeten the deal.
But there's no question that this is a dated product. Hordes of new SUVs offer a smoother ride, better handling and more refinement. Grand Cherokee has a relatively rough ride. Its new navigation screen is relatively small (though the system itself is modern and the screen works great for displaying radio stations). Its radio buttons are small, fussy and hard to operate. And in many other ways it does not feel like a contemporary product. Also, most SUV buyers confine their driving to paved trails so go-anywhere capability is not a priority.
An all-new Grand Cherokee is on the horizon for the 2005 model year. Until then, the current model strives to deliver the American dream.
Jeep has expanded the Grand Cherokee line to five for 2004: Laredo ($27,260), Limited ($32,190), and Overland ($37,015) continue. A new Special Edition model has been added along with a new Freedom Edition. All come standard with two-wheel drive, but we recommend looking elsewhere if you want a two-wheel-drive vehicle.
Four-wheel drive is the soul of the Grand Cherokee and it would be a crying shame to order one without it. Four-wheel drive is available for all five models: Laredo ($29,230), Special Edition, Freedom Edition, Limited ($34,620), and Overland ($39,275).
A 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine comes standard on the Laredo, Special Edition, Freedom Edition, and Laredo. This inline-6 with overhead valves is rated at 195 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. The six-cylinder comes with a four-speed automatic. A 4.7-liter overhead-valve V8 is available that develops 235 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and comes with a five-speed automatic transmission.
A high-output version of the 4.7-liter V8, with 265 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, is standard on Overland and optional on Limited, Special Edition, and Freedom Edition models. The V8 comes with the five-speed automatic transmission plus Goodyear Wrangler Eagle ES P235/65R17 tires.
Laredo, the base model, comes with a high level of standard equipment, including a six-speaker Infinity sound system with CD player, cloth upholstery, a six-way power driver seat, tilt steering, cruise control, and power windows, mirrors and locks.
The new two special edition models are essentially packages added to the Laredo. These packages may vary, so what you see on the dealership lot may not exactly reflect what we're able to report here. The Special Edition features the monochromatic exterior design cues of the Limited model, plus fog lamps and an AM/FM/ cassette/10-disc CD audio system with Infinity speakers. Special Edition 4WD models are upgraded with the Quadra Trac II transfer case. The Freedom Edition adds high-back cloth seats with Jeep logo embroidery on driver and passenger seat backs and chrome tow hooks.
More luxurious is the Limited model, which adds leather upholstery, automatic dual-zone climate control, fog lights, universal garage door opener, low-back bucket seats, and other features. A 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, a memory function for the driver's seat and mirrors, and other features are available in option packages.
Overland adds satin-silver aluminum wheels and metallic-painted side rock rails. Inside you'll find an exclusive Dark Slate suede leather interior with redwood burl accents and embroidered floor mats. Overland comes with a 10-disc CD changer and express-open power sunroof. Ceiling-mounted side-curtain air bags are standard.
Walk Around
The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a fresh look with a new front fascia, new grille and new fog lamp appearance for all models.
Grand Cherokee is readily identifiable in a market crowded with on-road SUVs. From its jailhouse grille to its squared-off wheel openings, there's no mistaking the Grand Cherokee for anything but a Jeep. Short front and rear overhangs contribute to its off-road capability, and to its pulled-taught styling. Slightly rounded edges and a subtle bulge in the roofline modernize, but do not detract from, a design heritage traceable to the 1941 original.
The interior of the Grand Cherokee is attractive and comfortable. The Overland's Redwood Burl wood trim is attractive and tastefully applied (and it is wood, not plastic).
The front seats are comfortable, though they seem cushy for serious off-road driving. The bottom cushion has ridges to keep you in place, but the backrest lacks lateral support. This makes it easy to slide into the seat while wearing a bulky coat, nice for those cold winter commutes, but if you charge into a hard corner you may find yourself sliding toward the door. Our Overlander came with seat heaters.
Our initial impression from the driver's seat was that the hood was too high, blocking vision immediately in front of the vehicle. But the hood slopes down on its sides, so your vision isn't blocked while turning.
Power adjustable pedals ($185) are an option that improves comfort and safety for shorter drivers because it enables them to find a comfortable driving position without moving too close to the airbag-equipped steering wheel; pressing a button moves the brake and accelerator pedals up to 3 inches closer. Tall drivers with long legs will find themselves moving the pedals all the way forward (away from them). The pedals automatically reposition themselves with the seats and mirrors when the available memory function is activated, a boon to couples who are significantly taller or shorter than their significant other. A button on the key fob activates the memory function, so you can pre-adjust everything to your settings before you even climb into the vehicle.
The wood-and-leather steering wheel that came on our Overland wasn't as plush or thick as that of a Jaguar, but its does have remote stereo switches on the front of its horizontal spokes. That feature relieves the long reach to the dashboard for the radio controls, a reach made longer by the Grand Cherokee's high seating position.
The gauges on Limited and Overland models are electroluminescent, so the dials themselves appear to glow at night. It's a more pleasing look than the conventional setup, where the pointers and numerals are lighted against a darker background.
The new navigation system ($1,200) nicely integrates the global positioning satellite data with the radio controls. The 4.9-inch full-color display on the center console is relatively small by contemporary standards, but it's a crisp readout that displays a map of the surrounding area. On the other hand, this system costs less than most navigation systems. The screen does an outstanding job of displaying radio stations in big, crisp numerals.
The stereo system buttons themselves are too small and too hard to operate while driving. Annoyingly, there's a separate Set button for station presets, more awkward than the more common method of holding down a preset button for a few seconds. This same awkward button is used for navigation functions. The available CD changer is mounted in the right rear of the cargo compartment in a form-fitting compartment, not as handy as an in-dash changer.
Big knobs make adjusting cabin temperature quick and easy.
Rear legroom is tight for long-distance trips with large fishing buddies, but adequate for a night on the town with another couple. Climbing into the back seats is relatively easy thanks to wide doors.
The rear seats fold flat (after removing the headrests) to reveal a decent-sized cargo compartment with a flat floor. Tie downs are provided on the sides and floor, handy for securing cargo. The rear tire lies under the floor, which allows more space for cargo at the expense of a higher lift-over height at the tailgate.
Safety features include available ceiling-mounted side-curtain air bags, which provide head protection for front- and rear-seat occupants. These are in addition to the dual frontal airbags. Seat belt reminders have been enhanced for 2004, reminding drivers and passengers that seatbelts are your most important line o
Driving Impressions
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is not the most refined SUV sold today. Reduced-pressure shock absorbers were added for 2003, but the Grand Cherokee does not have a Lexus ride quality. It feels more like a truck.
Jeep's available high-output 4.7-liter V8 is lively. Its 30-horsepower advantage over the standard 4.7-liter V8 is noticeable. This engine provides the Grand Cherokee with smooth acceleration performance, and it sounds refined. It produces 265 horsepower at 5100 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 3600, compared with the standard 4.7-liter V8's 235 horsepower at 4800 rpm and 295 pounds-feet of torque at 3200 rpm. In other words, it produces more power, but revs higher to do it. Most of the power increase comes from a higher compression ratio (9.7:1 vs. 9.3), so the high-output engine requires premium fuel.
The five-speed automatic transmission that comes standard with the V8 engines shifts unobtrusively. It makes hurrying up a mountain or passing slow-moving trucks a breeze. It has two overdrive gears, so in fifth gear the engine is only turning 2000 revs while cruising at 70 mph. You could say this transmission is actually a six-speed automatic: There are two second-gear ratios, a low second gear ratio for up-shifting from first and a higher second gear ratio for downshifting from third. No more than five gears, however, are used in sequence. Sometimes, usually when lifting off the throttle while coasting under momentum up a steep hill, the transmission will upshift with a hard thump, as if to remind us that we're in a vehicle built for serious off-road duty.
The Grand Cherokee seems sluggish off the line at first, but this is partly due to the throttle's long pedal travel. Experienced off-road drivers prefer a longer pedal travel for precise manipulation of the throttle in tricky situations. Deliberate mashing of the throttle brings a quick launch, quicker than in most other SUVs in this class.
The quick acceleration is due in part to the relative light weight of the Grand Cherokee, whose figure is kept trim by its unit-body construction. This design results in a platform that is lighter and more rigid than traditional truck-based designs that are built on a frame. The Jeep feels faster and more responsive than most V8 SUVs, especially the huge Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition.
A surprisingly tight turning circle adds to the Jeep's spirited, nimble feel. The Grand Cherokee feels controlled and steady when driving down a bumpy, rutted rural lane or off road. There's no need to slow down for rough railroad crossings. But under many on-pavement conditions, the Grand Cherokee drives like a big, heavy truck, leaning noticeably in turns.
Steering is quick but isolated. The steering was recalibrated for lower effort for 2003. When you turn the wheel you can't feel how much the front tires are slipping on pavement. You don't really steer the Grand Cherokee so much as guide it. But that's the same for all of the top-selling sport-utilities. Like them, the Jeep is a truck, sitting tall, and leaning side-to-side in corners and high winds.
All Grand Cherokees stop with four-wheel-disc brakes and ABS. Jeep refined the brakes for 2003 with new brake calipers and a high-output master cylinder to reduce pedal effort. Our Overland stopped confidently, but with the telltale diving motion of a high-riding off-road vehicle. The Up-Country suspension package that comes on the Overland lifts the body an inch higher than the standard Grand Cherokee suspension.
The trend among competing sport-utilities is to use independent suspensions for better highway handling. The Jeep Liberty uses an independent front suspension, and the new Ford Explorer's suspension is independent at all four wheels. The Grand Cherokee, however, rides on live axles, front and rear. This is a drawback on washboard-rutted roads, where the Grand Cherokee will bounce itself sideways at speed.
For the most part,
The Grand Cherokee is a popular choice for families who revel in its rugged image. It's a dated product and lacks the refinement of the latest car-based SUVs, but still earns respect and admiration on the street. Its retail price creeps up in its Overland guise, but rebates and other incentives soften the blow.
Jeep Grand Cherokee tracks like Daniel Boone through the backcountry. Only Land Rovers, Toyotas, and Hummers can compete with Jeep when it comes to trail running. When the going gets rough, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a thoughtful design that delivers.
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School official: Cuomo aid not stable funding source
Much of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's latest proposal for school aid consists of "funny money" that cannot be relied upon as a stable source of financing, a leading Long Island educator told a regional forum Friday.
William Johnson, superintendent of Rockville Centre schools, said the governor's aid plan for the 2013-14 school year includes more than $310 million in new incentive grants and one-time payments that districts cannot count on over extended periods.
That's in addition to a $611 million statewide increase in traditional aid.
"It's a combination of aid package and funny money," said Johnson, who urged his audience to lobby hard for more aid. "The problem with it, it's one-time-only."
He spoke to nearly 200 school officials at a forum sponsored by the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents.
A spokesman for the governor's Budget Division later rejected any suggestion that next year's aid plan is gimmicky.
Spokesman Morris Peters, in a phone interview, said the governor's approach to school aid consistently provides greater financial stability than was available in the past, by guaranteeing increases that are pegged to statewide growth in personal income for two years at a time.
Peters added that tying aid increases to income growth had the benefit of ensuring the state does not commit to higher spending than it can afford.
"We can't go back to an era where increases in expenditures have no ties to the economic reality we live in," he said.
At the heart of the debate is an unusual proposal, outlined in Cuomo's January budget message, that would add $203 million to the total aid package for one year only. State lawmakers would decide how the extra money is distributed.
Up to now, many policy experts had praised the plan as both financially generous and politically shrewd. Johnson conceded the extra funding had positive features, but his remarks were far sharper than other criticisms aimed at the plan.
Johnson, who has served as Rockville Centre's superintendent for 27 years, is widely regarded as one of the state's leading local school administrators.
He has been a president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, and he pioneered the use in his district of college-level International Baccalaureate courses. That program has gradually spread to other Island districts.
Johnson also is a somewhat controversial figure, due to his pay package.
In November, the Empire Center for New York State Policy, a conservative Albany-area think tank, identified Johnson as the highest-paid school employee in the state, with total annual compensation of $567,248.
Johnson has responded that his annual salary is $221,000 and has remained flat for four years. The additional money, he said, included $300,000 in retirement funds from an earlier contract that was paid in advance -- a payout that was less than if he had taken a lump sum upon retirement.
Tim Hoefer, director of the Empire Center, said Friday that the superintendent's pay package has raised issues.
"It's not that this guy doesn't deserve the contract he gets," he said. "But it illustrates the bigger problem with schools, which is that districts get locked into these contracts they can't afford."


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Dear Sam.
Received your letter dated July 2, and it sure was welcome news to hear you were still O.K. I am glad you received the pictures and I know it must seem good to you to received mail at the place you are in. We took some pictures of the kitten but they didn't come out very good so I won't bother to send any to you.
This is a fine day. It is nice and cool. We have just got through supper and I wish you could have had some of these beans. There was a piece in the paper about President Wilson driving all around Boston and no one recognized him. He went through Newspaper Row and the North End and down Revere. He certainly put one over on Boston alright.
It is such a swell night I think Ill go out. Uncle Al was over last night and I told him you received his letter. He said he would write again some time. Lena is frosting a cake. I guess she must be expecting Henry over. (Stick your nose in it, Sam). She gives him a loaf of home made bread once in a while and he certainly appreciates it.
Pa is out on the piazza enjoying his pipe and reading the paper. He is always out on the piazza and the kitten stays out there with him. Aunt Madge and her folks are all well and so are we. Hoping this finds you in the best of health I will close.
With Love from all
[This letter was returned to sender while Sam was in hospitals]
© Copyright 2009 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.


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Trim that back hair with the MANGROOMER
Want an easy way to get rid of that back hair? There are all sorts of trimmers out there to help you with your manscaping, but few of them make it easy to handle the hard-to-reach areas on your back. That's a problem, as back hair ranks up there as one of the biggest turnoffs for women. We tried out the new MANGROOMER, and this do-it-yourself electric back hair shaver is incredibly easy to use.
You can see the ingenious design from the photo about. The MANGROOMER simply folds out to give you an easy tool that reaches every part of your back. Just reach around your side or over your shoulder and you'll be shocked by how easy this is to use. It also feels good on the skin as it neatly trims off the hair on your back.
With summer around the corner it's time to get in shape, and now that also includes doing the little things to make you look better. Getting rid off that excess back hair will make you look much better, and now you have the tool to take care of it.
Check out their website for more information on the MANGROOMER and other grooming products for guys, along with their Facebook page and Twitter account.
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.


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The hypocrisy is staggering, even by Obama's standards
Paul Joseph Watson
Friday, September 30, 2011
President Barack Obama has triumphantly hailed the death of Anwar al-Awlaki as a crushing blow to Al-Qaeda's hopes of acquiring a safe haven, even as the US-backed NATO bombardment of Libya provides terrorists with a safe haven in North Africa.
Responding to the news that Al-Awlaki, who received an upgrade in his role after death to "chief of external operations" for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, had been killed, Obama labeled it "another significant milestone" in the war on terror, adding, "This is further proof that al Qaeda and its affiliates will have no safe haven anywhere in the world."
Aside from the fact that Al-Awlaki was a confirmed double agent, having dined at the Pentagon shortly after 9/11 despite being declared the spiritual leader of the hijackers, and going on to become chief patsy handler for intelligence agency entrapment operations, the hypocrisy here is staggering even by Obama's standards.
If Obama was so concerned about not providing safe havens to terrorists, then why has he just helped hand an entire country over to them in Libya?
As we have previously highlighted, shortly after the start of the conflict in March, Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the leader of the anti-Gaddafi rebel army, admitted that the rebel ranks include Al-Qaeda terrorists who have killed U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These terrorists are part of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), led by Abd Al-Hakim Belhadj, designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, yet now being hailed by the establishment media as liberators even as they round up, imprison, and slaughter innocent black people en masse.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
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A 2007 West Point Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) report noted how the LIFG provided more fighters per capita to combat US troops in Iraq than any other nation, or in other words was primarily responsible for killing American soldiers.
Leaders of the LIFG have now seized key strongholds in Tripoli and other areas, refusing to hand over control to the western-backed National Transitional Council.
Going back on Obama's promise that no U.S. ground forces would be sent to Libya, the administration has justified its decision to send troops into the country by citing the missing shoulder-launched missile weapons that were looted by NATO-backed rebel forces.
White House spokesman Jay Carney announced earlier this week that the United States is preparing to deploy additional forces on the ground in Libya to "secure conventional arms storage sites" as well as to try to track down missing surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
On March 18, Obama vowed that "The United States is not going to deploy ground troops into Libya." Aside from the fact that western special forces were on the ground advising the rebel fighters from the very beginning and were later involved in the siege on Tripoli, earlier this month it was officially announced that U.S. service members would be dispatched to rebuild the U.S. Embassy.
The Obama administration's support for the NATO intervention has provided the US government with the very pretext necessary to now go in and occupy the country in the name of protecting against terrorists gaining a safe haven, the very terrorists armed, trained and funded by the US and NATO in the first place.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show.
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Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals Release 2-Song EP
Phil Anselmo's inaugural Housecore Horror and Music Festival got underway today (Oct. 24) in Austin, Texas. To celebrate, they are releasing a limited edition, two song vinyl EP.
The EP's two tracks are 'Ugly Mug' (listen below via Metal Sucks) and 'Pigs Kissing Pigs (also listen below) via Scion AV).' They were both written by Anselmo and recorded during the 'Walk Through Exits Only' sessions at Anselmo's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, and produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson. Anselmo's debut solo album 'Walk Through Exits Only' was released in July.
"This two-song EP is a great departure from our earlier full-length, 'Walk Through Exits Only,'" Anselmo says. "The material is a different approach to extreme music in general, and perhaps some of the most epic songs written to date from our camp. Enjoy."
The EP is for sale now at the festival, and will be available to order beginning Monday at this location.
The Housecore Festival is jam packed with film screenings and performances from artists including GWAR, Goblin, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Pig Destroyer and more. Anselmo is performing twice during the festival, once with Down and once with the Illegals. Click here to see our interview with Anselmo about the festival.
Some of the full-length and short films being screened at the festival include 'The Evil Dead,' 'The Manson Family,' 'Deadbeat at Dawn,' 'Nekromantik' (parts one and two), two 'Coffin Joe' classics and many more.
Listen to Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals - 'Ugly Mug'
Listen to Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals - 'Pigs Kissing Pigs'


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Clinical Skills & Simulation Center
Photo courtesy of Laerdal
Michael Carr, MD, Medical Director (423-778-7695)
One of the unique elements of the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga is a state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Center that houses both a surgical skills lab and a human patient simulation lab. Both sections of this center provide an innovative and progressive facility with stimulating educational experience in a multidisciplinary learning environment in which residents, practicing physicians, and allied health professionals can train and learn to provide better patient care. Dr. Michael Carr is the Medical Director for the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center.
"It is good to have this vital educational element available to our students, residents, and practicing staff at our institution," according to Dr. R. Phillip Burns, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery and original Medical Director for the Medical Surgical Skills Laboratory. "Skills training has become more and more frequently required by credentialing agencies such as the Residency Review Committee as an important part of medical education."
The Skills Lab has two state-of-the-art operating rooms (up to 12 beds), micro-surgery rooms and anatomical study room, and a classroom. Residents and practicing physicians are supervised in the acquisition of new skills and the practice of new medical techniques, including those involved with orthopaedic surgery and arthroscopy, anatomical study, surgical skills practice, microsurgery, and vascular procedures. Chattanooga residents and fellows have early hands-on experience and practice the latest general and vascular surgical techniques.
The Skils Lab facilities have enabled professors to teach new techniques and procedures including specialized courses such as Advanced Trauma Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Laparoscopic Cholescystectomy, and GYN Laparoscopy Lasers. The Department of Surgery has even used the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center to develop an individualized training program to successfully rehabilitate physically impaired physicians.
The adjoining high-fidelity, human patient simulation lab is used to teach skills to all health care profesionals and students in a team environment. This allows medical students, residents, faculty, nurses, paramedics, physician assistants, and other allied health personnel to work in an interdisciplinary patient environment to improve patient care skills.
Studies have shown that simulation can be used to reliably measure and demonstrate resident competencies in acute care management. A simulation lab can take the form of a trauma bay, operating room, intensive care unit, emergency department, or a micro-surgery room. The accompanying classroom has audio visual equipment with computer-controlled cameras, and state-of-the-art multimedia features.
Please click on the UTCoMC Medical Simulation Center for more details.


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Deloraine House Playgroup
June 14, 2019 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
Weekly on the same day
Event Navigation
Come along & make friends, have input onto what the playgroup does and join in the fun activities coming up throughout the year.
Every Friday 10:30am – 12 noon.
All welcome. No Cost


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There are 1 item(s) tagged with the keyword "kids' backpacks".
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Drs. Katie and Quintin Sleigh of Sleigh Family Chiropractic in Arlington Heights are concerned with the increasing numbers of kids experiencing back pain much earlier in their lives. One common cause of this may be overloaded, improperly worn, improperly sized backpacks. Many kids want to get the backpack that fits their current interests and style. However, Drs. Katie and Quintin warn that caving into their demands may be setting them up for back injury and pain, as well as neck pain and headaches.
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FBI, FTC and HHS say tracking dollars lost to fake exchanges and other sites that prey on insurance applicants isn't their responsibility.
Don't ask the federal government how much money citizens are losing to Obamacare Internet scams. Tracking the dollars stolen through fake exchanges and other sites that prey on insurance applicants apparently is not under the administration's jurisdiction.
The criminals are on top of it though.
Even before the $400 million official HealthCare.gov marketplace opened on Oct. 1, potentially fraudulent sites had reserved various incarnations of "Obamacare" for their homepage name, according to Web researchers. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were about 700 copycat sites, said John C. A. Bambenek, who watches abnormal online activity for the nonprofit Internet Storm Center.
The expectation is that some of these webpages are for hosting bogus insurance marketplaces.
"The real fraud is so-called fake exchanges . . . entities that set up what appear to be exchanges, but are not, with a link to provide your personal data and/or payment," said Mark Rasch, former head of the Justice Department's computer crime unit.
Soon, "phishing" emails, trick text messages and sham phone calls will direct you to online forms where you essentially enroll your personal information with identity thieves.
But the FBI, Federal Trade Commission and Health and Human Services Department each say following the money is not their agency's responsibility.
An FBI spokeswoman said, "I suggest you check with the Federal Trade Commission or HHS on this. My understanding is FTC has the lead on accepting ACA-related complaints," referring to the 2010 Affordable Care Act that authorized government-run healthcare exchanges.
FTC spokesman Frank Dorman said, "Our agency has no way to know how much money may be lost to any kind of scam." The commission's complaint inbox, called the Consumer Sentinel Network, documents anecdotal reports, he explained. "Very few ACA-related complaints have been received in the past few years," Dorman said.
HHS officials with the department's office of inspector general said they are awaiting dollar amounts from the FTC and law enforcement agencies.
To be fair, it's too early – and nearly impossible -- to total up all the financial figures. The authentic HealthCare.gov homepage has been up for less than one billing cycle. Credit card charges and other account ripoffs likely won't show up until next month or later. Crooks who realize payments for premiums aren't due until Dec. 15 might not bother trying to fool applicants now. And much of this money might be pocketed indirectly through personal information sold on the black market.
While unable to provide any fraud data, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did provide instructional materials on how to avoid being conned.
One flier advises citizens to be suspicious of anyone charging a fee to enroll. A separate announcement promotes a new fraud hotline reachable through the marketplace's real number (1-800-318-2596).
An estimate of how much money has been stolen would be a good public service announcement too.
In the meantime, you can join us at Nextgov Prime in Washington on Nov. 20-21, where I'll be discussing some of the trends we're seeing in data breaches and the implications for federal networks. Registration is free for federal employees.
(Image via Lisa S./Shutterstock.com)


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Family Album Staff is the author of 'Family Album U. S. A. Bk. 2 : Home Study Exercise', published 1992 under ISBN 9780024184924 and ISBN 0024184926.[read more]
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PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Review
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale may have a needlessly long name and a ridiculous acronym, but it's also one of the most fun fighting games out there. While the idea of a Sony-centric (with some third-party characters thrown in) Smash Bros-esque fighter isn't the most original, at least the execution is on par with the source material, and manages to do enough things differently to help it stand out.
One of those things is the three-tiered super meter system. By either gathering AP orbs or successfully landing attacks, you can fill your meter up and unleash a super move. These are the only way to score wins, and add a lot of strategy to things since each one of the three available for each character has a different range to them. As a general rule, level 1 moves have very little range, but are faster and feel super-satisfying to land as a result, especially if you can incapacitate multiple foes with just one attack. Level 2 ones tend to have more range, but take longer and can be avoided easier if you're quick enough. Level 3 attacks are these huge set pieces that will remind folks of giant Final Fantasy VII-style summons that pay direct homage to the games the characters come from and will basically unleash Hell upon the screen and ensure victory.
Another is the diverse attack list for each character. X jumps while the other face buttons attack with left/right, up, and down offering up different attacks both standing and mid-air. Having over a dozen attacks at your disposal really helps keep things fresh, and the roster feels different enough to not just feel like a clone. Raiden was easily the best surprise for me because he's a character I really don't care about all that much, but I love playing with him here since he's the king of really fast short-range combos, which allows you to build your super bar up quickly and makes him an ideal choice for beating the game at higher difficulty levels. The controls feel very natural and the usage of the right stick to throw may seem weird in theory, but winds up becoming second nature after only a few matches.
The super-interactive stages are another highlight as they go far beyond the usual thing and throws in things from time to time. Sure, there are times when Hades will rain down pain, and then you'll have parts of stages change around like in Power Stone 2. Just like there, you'll need to jump up quickly or else face death and be out of the game for a few crucial seconds that enemies can use to rack up wins. The stages are full of some hilarious WTFery like Chop Chop Master Onion turning into a Godzilla-sized version of himself to do battle in PaRappa's stage after the dojo walls fall, or the aforementioned God of War stage being invaded by a marching Patapon troupe, who also changes the music.
One of the most pleasant surprises is the inclusion of the Vita version via Cross-buy. This is a wonderful move that allows you to enjoy the game wherever you are, and use your PS3 save data on the go. All you need to do is pop the disc in, go to the 'disc benefits' section, hit X, which will send you to the PS Store to download the Vita version to your PS3, and then you can just transfer it to your Vita. For the space-wary consumer, the Vita version takes up 1.3 GBs of space. Everything from the console version is included, and the only thing hurt by the transition is grabbing items. It's much harder to tap them on-screen in the heat of battle instead of just hitting R1, and I hope a patch is released that enables another way to pick up items because it's the only major issue I have with the Vita version, and one of the few things I can really find fault with the game as a whole.
Online play is quite impressive and allows Vita users to play at the same time as PS3 users. Even through the Vita's Wi-Fi-only setup, play is smooth and I never encountered lag. That really shocked me because I'm fairly used to at least dealing with some lag during an online fighting session, but there was none to be had here. The mode variety is a bit sparse, but I do like that tournaments are available right away as opposed to being added later on with DLC.
PSABR strikes a balance between delivering high-quality detailed graphics and not making them so detailed that it's hard to follow what's going on. Given the frantic pace of the action, especially with four players on-screen at once, things could become a disaster, but that never happens. There is a bit of a learning curve with larger-scale battles involving four people, but it only takes a few to get used to them. The background details are outstanding, and there are a lot of laughs to be had in them. Animation-wise, things look good and none of the animation is so elaborate that it takes too much time to execute. One of the side effects of that is having things like walls magically form behind Nathan Drake, but that's just fine by me – it adds to the absurdity of the spectacle and it's fun to behold.
The soundtrack is full of original techno and remixed music from the games the roster comes from. Hearing the Uncharted tunes again is always fun, but the redone versions of series songs that change around with the stages are something to behold. I wouldn't say they're as good as the original songs, but they're quite unique and have me wishing for a PSN OST of the game ASAP. The character sound bytes are awesome. It's impossible to hear Master Onion yell "KICK, PUNCH" and not laugh. Similarly, Polygon Man saying "YOU ARE NOT RED-E" will make everyone around for the PSOne's launch chuckle, as did the realization that the original Smash Bros. Fighting Polygon Team was likely a little swipe at Polygon Man.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale delivers some great fighting and hilarious comedy at the same time. It's a must-have for anyone who loves the fast-paced style of fighting popularized by Smash Bros. While it would be easy to dismiss the game for being a copycat, doing so would be a mistake as the game does quite a few things differently that help it stand on its own. It's a very well put-together game regardless of its inspiration and is worthy of at least a rental for skeptics.
Reviewed By: Jeremy Peeples
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Rating: 90%
This review is based on a copy of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for the PlayStation 3 provided by Sony Computer Entertainment.


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NAGC works to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research
Dr. Sally Krisel, Director of Innovative and Advanced Programs for Hall County Schools in Gainesville, Georgia, leads innovative programming initiatives designed to help teachers recognize and develop the creative and cognitive abilities of children from culturally and linguistically diverse groups. A former State Director of Gifted Education and part-time faculty at the University of Georgia, Dr. Krisel is dedicated to raising academic standards for all students, including those who are gifted and talented, by expanding rigorous curriculum offerings and integrating the know-how from programs for the gifted to develop students' academic potential through engaging, joyful learning experiences. She has helped Hall County Schools develop 11 charter schools and more than a dozen innovative programs of choice, all with roots in gifted education.
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With growing wealth in many developing countries around the world, diet and lifestyle changes are showing dramatic increases in obesity and related diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. From Central and South America to the Middle East to Asia, weight problems are now among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. But more than rising standards of living, lack of education seems to contribute to these dismal trends.
In China, India and Brazil, where economic growth has been especially dramatic but has also created vast inequalities in their populations, diet and lifestyle changes have had a particularly profound impact on the risk of obesity, according to one study that investigated the effects of rising incomes on people's health.
In Mexico, which is considered a middle-income country, prevalence of obesity proved to be the highest among those who were better off financially but had little education. Similar findings were made in Egypt, a low-income country, where obesity has become a fast growing problem, especially among women. Here too, increasing wealth is a predictor – but even more so, lack of schooling.
"For the first time, we have studied the interaction between wealth and education and found they have fundamentally different effects on obesity," said Dr. Amina Aitsi-Selmi, the lead author of the Egypt study.
Greater exposure of emerging economies to global food markets and rising buying power of consumers lead to these consequences. The best way to prevent this from happening would be to invest in education, especially in women who are in charge of food shopping, cooking, and taking care of the health needs of their families, she said.
"Our study suggests that investing in women's education protects against this effect by empowering individuals to look after their health," she said to Science Daily.
As 'gatekeepers' in their households, women have the most influence on the nutritional wellbeing of children, which is our best hope for breaking the vicious circle that begins with childhood obesity and subsequent, often chronic, health issues during adulthood.
Scientific evidence leaves no doubt that the environment we live in is largely responsible for the obesity epidemic, Dr. Aitsi-Selmi said. We can only change the environment by changing the behavior of individuals. And that is best accomplished through education.
Obviously, providing even a basic amount of health education in different socio-economic and cultural settings is no easy task in one country, let alone on a global scale. But, as this study and others have shown, increase in literacy and greater opportunities for learning have many benefits and can provide the groundwork for attitude and behavior modifications, including improving eating habits.
It also means that greater affordability of food does not automatically lead to better health outcomes – sometimes to the contrary. Only when people understand how their diet and lifestyle choices affect them, they can make appropriate changes and take control of their wellbeing.
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Timi Gustafson R.D. is a registered dietitian, newspaper columnist, blogger and author of the book "The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun"®, which is available on her blog and at amazon.com. For more articles on nutrition, health and lifestyle, visit her blog, "Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D." (www.timigustafson.com).


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Leroy Schecter first asked $95 million for his 35th-floor condo combo in Manhattan--and that clearly, as that would have been one of the most expensive pads in the city, was too high. He soon bumped the price down to $85 million. Then, the home was taken off the market.
That's because Leroy "fell in love" with it. He hadn't seen it during construction, but when he finally set eyes on it, he decided he wanted to move in.
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But apparently it was a fleeting love. Now, Leroy has decided he wants to rent the place for $125,000 a month.
The Observer points out that this price is not unheard of. Units at the Waldorf Towers go for $140,000 a month, the Astor Suite at the Plaza once asked $165,000 a month (later reduced to $125,000). But those apartments offered full amenities of the hotels--can Leroy's unit ask the same?
The five-bedroom home is "not the most elegant amalgamation," reports The Observer. "The tenant would have to pass through no fewer than five separate doorways to get from the master bedroom to the bathroom, and would experience prolonged hunger pants before reading the kitchen for a midnight snack."
Time will tell if there's someone out there who will put up with that for the steep price.
Read the full piece on The Observer.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Feature on the YouTube phenomenon.
Jeff Hoffman and John Reid are obsessed with Dunkin' Donuts. It's a fixation many caffeine addicts – especially those who live near the Canton-based company's headquarters – can understand. But Hoffman and Reid are from Florida, and their interest goes way beyond a daily afternoon craving for a large French vanilla with cream and sugar.
The University of Florida grads have visited more than 140 Dunkin' Donuts franchises across the country, including the company's flagship store in Quincy.
Three years ago, this fascination would have made them eccentric at best. Now, thanks to YouTube.com, a video-sharing Web site in which users can share footage of their lives with the world, it has made them minor celebrities.
The pair's big break came when Hoffman, 24, posted a video montage on YouTube of photos he and his friends had taken on their cross-country coffee runs, including images from their claim-to-fame trip in which they visited 40 Dunks in one day.
Their video attracted more than 500 views – a pittance compared with the millions garnered by popular mini-flicks – but it was quirky enough to draw attention from media outlets in Florida and Boston.
Meanwhile, reps from Dunkin' Donuts' Florida public-relations agency came calling, too, and they are now considering enlisting Hoffman and Reid to help promote the chain throughout the Sunshine State via radio stunts and other grassroots methods.
"At first, all of our friends thought it was ridiculous what we were doing. Then our newspaper did a story, and people started viewing (the video) on YouTube, and they thought, 'Maybe they do have something here,'" says Hoffman. "People put their personal stuff (on YouTube) and people look at it, and people feel important and famous."
Indeed, since the popular Web site debuted in February 2005, it has become the soapbox for the common man. With some simple software, a user can share with millions a page from his personal scrapbook – be it of visits to coffee chains, attempted skateboard moves or recently perfected Van Halen guitar rifts. And while not every poster gets this kind of celebrity status, as Hoffman and Reid can attest, YouTube exposure can make them just famous enough.
"Before, if you wanted to be known, you had to go though a distribution system. Now you can be famous in five seconds. It's democratized the distribution of content," says Sasha Norkin, a professor at Boston University's College of Communications. "This is a way where, theoretically, everyone can reach everyone. And one would hope that quality would rise to the top, but I don't think that always happens."
Watching Hoffman's homespun montage, it seems Norkin may be right. But YouTube, which boasts 70,000 new videos every day, must be doing something right. The site was purchased by Google in November for $1.65 billion and was Time magazine's Invention of the Year in 2006. Its creators, Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, were named People of the Year at this year's annual Webby online achievement awards for "transforming the media landscape."
Indeed they have.
Politicians are using YouTube to boost their campaigns: presidential candidate John Edwards is urging people to post videos in support of his policies, videos about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama became Web sensations and the U.S. military is using the site to show its view of the war in Iraq.
And police are posting security-camera footage of robberies in the hopes that someone will recognize the culprit.
Meanwhile, networks like NBC have used it to promote their programming, and companies like Coca-Cola have used it to supplement their marketing strategies.
There are, of course, less relevant uses for the site. Viewers can laugh at others' misfortunes (botched bike stunts, science experiments gone wrong), marvel at their creative triumphs (animated or live-action films) or admire their otherwise useless skills (like beating an old Nintendo game in less than five minutes).
While it's impossible to categorize every one of the 100 million-plus videos YouTube users have posted, it's easy to highlight some of the wackiest sub-categories that have emerged in the past 1.5 years. Here are a few favorites, coming soon to a laptop near you.
- For the love
YouTube is filled with clips from countless amateur directors, animators and entertainers hoping to become professional directors, animators and entertainers. But not every creative clip is made by a poster dying to be the next Martin Scorsese or Matt Groening. Many performers simply want their creations to reach as many people as possible. If one of those views happens to be a network exec, great. But if not, they're satisfied knowing they were able to give someone in Japan a laugh.
"YouTube was a godsend. It's really a very fortunate circumstance that a site like that caught on for people who want to put longer segments on the Internet," says Frank Possenato, co-creator of "Weymouth After Dark," a cable-access show that he and his brother Joe post on YouTube to reach a wider audience. "It's not as profit-driven. Most people are doing it out of creativity and out of love for what they're doing."
- Memory lane
Remember "Fraggle Rock"? If not, there are about 800 YouTube videos to remind Web surfers just how much they loved the Jim Henson show, which featured colorful Muppets called Fraggles when it was on TV in the mid-1980s.
Videos of the show's theme (Muppets singing "Dance your cares away") and episode clips have inspired viewers to post comments like "My childhood relived!" Similar message-board nostalgia can be found following everything from clips of old commercials – like Chef Boyardee's Tic Tac Toes canned pasta and Snuggle fabric softener – to Mr. T's "Treat Your Mother Right" video.
Think no ones watching these blasts from the past? The Mr. T. segment, in which the 1980s TV star raps (awkwardly and to great comedic effect) about respecting, yup, mothers, has more than 700,000 views.
"I'm a nostalgic person," Possenato says. "Old wrestling clips, old commercials that you thought you'd never see again and you still know how it goes even though it hasn't been on since the '80s, I like seeing these moments."
- Guitar hero
Mr. T., however, has nothing on Funtwo (real name Jeong-Hyun Lim), a 23-year-old guitar virtuoso from Korea. He filmed himself sitting in his bedroom and playing a rocked-up version of Pachelbel's Canon in D. Someone posted the video on YouTube in December of 2005, and it now ranks among the site's 10 most popular clips ever.
There is an abundance of shredders who post video of themselves showing off killer riffs, but none has ever been hotter than Funtwo.
Many were awed by his performance; some believed it too good to be real. But seemingly everybody wanted to know: Who is Funtwo? The mystery landed on the front page of The New York Times, propelled an impostor to come forward, and eventually led to the unmasking of Funtwo (in the video, you can't see his face; he looks down and a baseball cap is pulled over his eyes). With his identity revealed, he was invited to perform Canon at the Korean ambassador's home in Washington, D.C. His video has been viewed more than 20 million times.
The bulk of shredders on YouTube, however, aren't so famous. Rather, the buzz most musicians get after sitting down and ripping riffs from The Eagles, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Jimi Hendrix come in the form of message-board comments, ranging from congratulatory ("nice speed picking") to critical ("kinda sloppy") to vile and unprintable.
- Gamers galore
If Funtwo is the ultimate shredder, his counterpart in the gaming world would have to be the Angry Video Game Nerd. The AVGN, or James Rolfe, ridicules old video games like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Top Gun" for the Nintendo Entertainment System. His frustrations with the difficulty and stupidity of old Nintendo games – often in the form of profanity-laced tirades – spew from his mouth as he tries to land Top Gun jets on aircraft carriers or defeat TNMT enemies. His "nerd" character, which he started on the video game Web site CineMassacre.com, has taken off on YouTube, though some of his videos have been removed because of language.
But that hasn't hurt AVGN's popularity (there's even an online petition to get them back on). Some of his clips have attracted more than 1 million hits. Of course, the AVGN has many followers on YouTube, but Rolfe and his disciples aren't the only novelty acts that have YouTube's gamer population hitting up the message boards. Just as popular are posters who take vintage games, like Nintendo's "Super Mario Bros.," "Contra" and "Double Dragon," and beat them in record time – no audio commentary necessary.
How fast is fast? How about "Super Mario Bros." (the original) in five minutes.
- Abracadabra explained
How does David Copperfield fly? Ask YouTube poster "ethannir." His video, "David Copperfield Flying Revealed," explains how the illusionist's tricks are no more than simple acrobatics done on ropes that are too small for the human eye to see.
But Copperfield isn't the only illusionist that has his craft exposed by posters. Criss Angel, the magician known for his A&E television series "Criss Angel Mindfreak," explains his illusions on videos that end up on YouTube (mostly from a poster called "daoco"). With one simple viewing, an aspiring illusionist can see how Angel gets away with top-level tricks like levitation (hidden platforms!) or more entry-level stunts like making a toothpick vanish (Scotch tape!).
The videos can easily be found on YouTube alongside snippets from other top tricksters, including Penn & Teller, who give away their secrets on how to make a smoking cigarette disappear then reappear (misdirection!) or how to cut a person in half (hidden panels!).
The tricks exposed on YouTube are not all so grand, as the secrets to card tricks, making paper towels disappear and putting a bottle cap through a glass are all revealed.
But who really wants to spoil a good magic trick by learning how it's done?
Judging by the hits, hundreds of thousands of us.


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Julia Stiles didn't wake to congratulatory calls and text messages last month on Golden Globes nominations morning – the "Dexter" star was stranded in Havana, Cuba, broke, with almost no one to turn to for help.
The actress ran into trouble when she ran low on money during a humanitarian aid trip and was unable to access her bank accounts.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Golden Globes 2011: Inside The Show!
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"With three days left to go in my trip, I was walking around Havana flat broke. I had been spending my convertibles, the secondary currency used by tourists, like Monopoly money. I figured when my cash supply got low, I'd simply slow down my spending. With funds dwindling, I realized I had miscalculated the cost of my lodging, and forgotten about the exit fee at the airport," Julia wrote Saturday in The Wall Street Journal. "Cuba is not a place where one can access American banks or use credit cards, so if you run out of cash you cannot get anything. You can't even get off the island."
In the process of figuring out how to get some cash – all other members of the group she had traveled with had left for the other side of the island from Havana – the 29-year-old actress learned she had been nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Lumen on Showtime's "Dexter."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Former Child Stars
"There I was, thrilled to have received such a professional honor, yet still unable to barter it for cab fare," she wrote.
Despite limited cell phones and Internet access, Julia was able to borrow money to pay for her lodging travel fees, along with learning an important lesson.
"With all of its crumbling beauty, Havana taught me the true value of a dollar," she continued. "It also taught me that the people you know, and the ways in which you rely on one another, are more valuable than any paper currency."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Golden Globes 2011: Red Carpet Stars!
To read Julia's full account of her journey, CLICK HERE.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Golden Globes 2011: Newly Single & Ready To Mingle!
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
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