France votes on genocide law, faces Turkish reprisals (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? French senators vote later Monday on a bill to make it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide, raising the prospect of a major diplomatic rift between two NATO allies.

Lawmakers in the lower-house National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in December for the draft law outlawing genocide denial, prompting Ankara to cancel all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and recall its ambassador for consultations.

The bill, which has been made more general so that it outlaws the denial of any genocide, partly in the hope of appeasing the Turks, will be voted on around 7 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.

The Ottoman empire was dissolved soon after the end of World War One, but successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of genocide is a direct insult to their nation. Ankara argues there was heavy loss of life on both sides during fighting in the area.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg that Ankara would take new and permanent measures unless the bill was rejected and compared it to the Inquisition in the Middle Ages which was created by the Catholic Church to stamp out heresy.

"If the law is voted (through), it will hurt French and Turkish relations." Arinc said Turkey could take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkey says the bill is a bid by Sarkozy to win the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in the two-round presidential vote on April 22 and May 6.

The bill mandates a maximum 45,000-euro ($58,000) fine and a year in jail for offenders. France passed a law recognizing the killing of Armenians as genocide in 2001.

WAVING VOTING CARDS

Thousands of Turks from across Europe demonstrated in central Paris at the weekend and about 200 Franco-Turks protested Monday in front of the Senate. They waved their French voting cards and banners with slogans including: "It's not up to politicians to invent history."

The Socialist Party, which has had a majority in the Senate since elections in the upper house late last year, and the Senate leader of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party, which put forward the bill, have said they will back the legislation.

But a non-binding Senate recommendation last week said the law would be unconstitutional and, after weeks of aggressive Turkish lobbying, there are suggestions the outcome will be closer than anticipated.

If adopted, Sarkozy should then ratify the bill with the process to be completed before parliament is suspended in February ahead of the presidential election.

It could still be rejected if some 60 lawmakers agree to appeal the decision at the country's highest court and that body considers the text unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council would have one month to make its decision.

Sarkozy wrote to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan last week saying the bill did not single out any country and that Paris was aware of the "suffering endured by the Turkish people" during the final years of the Ottoman empire.

French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero called on Turkey not to overreact and said Paris considered Ankara a "very important ally."

Engin Solakoglu, first secretary at the Turkish embassy in Paris, said: "France can't continue to say that Turkey is an important ally when it votes laws against it."

European Union candidate Turkey could not impose economic sanctions on France, given its World Trade Organization membership and customs union accord with Europe.

But the row could cost France state-to-state contracts and would create diplomatic tension as Turkey takes an increasingly influential role in the Middle East.

(Additional reporting by Lucien Libert in Paris, Gilbert Reilhac in Strasbourg and Daren Butler in Istanbul)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wl_nm/us_france_turkey_genocide

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Shuriken Sticky Notes Make For Stealthy Office Reminders [Office]

I love everything about these ninja-inspired throwing star sticky notes from ThinkGeek. Everything except the fact they're made from black paper, making them next to impossible to write on with anything other than a special marker. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/D5DPIUASW9k/shuriken-sticky-notes-make-for-stealthy-office-reminders

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Carey Mulligan?s Fashion Fail: Same Dress Twice!

Carey Mulligan not only wore a ridiculous, curtain-like dress in public recently, but it was the second time in a matter of a month! For you and me, it?s really not a big deal, but for a celeb, it?s a definite epic-fail. She wore this strange, dress that sort of looks like the top of a cocktail umbrella to not one, but TWO events. The first time she wrapped her grandmother?s curtains around her was for a party in LA, and the second was for something called the London Critic?s Circle Film Awards. Maybe she thought behind across the pond no one would notice? I really feel like this dress is something a true amateur would put together in an introductory fashion design class. And what about those shoes? Did she forget the pair she meant to bring and end up borrowing them from a middle schooler? Shame shame. Photos: www.wenn.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/4vPJJQ3_5bc/

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Viral video spoofs the, er, stuff New Yorkers say (AP)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exclusivity: "Nobody knows about this place."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love-hate relationship with New York:

"I love it here.

"I hate it here.

"I love it here."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_us/us_stuff_new_yorkers_say

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Mild winter offers break from high heating costs (AP)

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. ? Ashley Tatum was three months behind on utility payments after leaving her job at a coffee shop because of pregnancy complications. The mother of two owed $648, and the tough economy did not offer many options.

The Milwaukee resident had one small reason to hope: The winter has been mild and her heating bills low, offering an unexpected chance to catch up on overdue payments.

"It was helpful because then I wouldn't have to stress about getting all this extra money," she said.

Although there have been some cold snaps and storms, the moderate weather has been a boon to millions of Americans, allowing them to save money on snow removal and permitting outdoor activities to continue well beyond autumn. But few have been more grateful than low-income families, who are getting a break from high heating costs.

Tatum first noticed the lower charges in November. Her bill covering most of December was $164, less than half the price from a year earlier.

"I was surprised," Tatum said. "I called my sister and said, `Girl, is your bill cheaper, too?' I'm happy that we had those nice warm days."

Initially, forecasters made grim predictions that this winter could rival or exceed the cold, snowy assault of 2010-11. But average temperatures have been well above normal across the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Combined with a lack of snow and ice, the unseasonable conditions have been a blessing for many families who normally devote much of their budgets to natural gas, propane or heating oil.

In Michigan, temperatures have been 15 percent above normal since October, and plentiful fuel supplies are driving down natural gas prices.

"It's helping all customers," said Judy Palnau, spokeswoman for the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Utility company Consumers Energy says its 1.7 million natural gas customers in Michigan are paying about 20 percent less than a year ago. The average residential bill for January will be $112, down from about $140.

Marc Ryan of Traverse City is living in a friend's trailer for the winter. His latest utility bill was for $90 ? about $25 less than last year.

"It's not a lot, but 25 bucks is 25 bucks," Ryan said. "It's half a tank of gas in my pickup truck. I'll take that."

Advocacy groups and government agencies agree the weather has been helpful ? to a point. Demand for heating assistance remains high, they say, partly because so many Americans are unemployed or working at low-paying jobs.

Congress in December slashed the federal program that provides low-income heating and utility subsidies from $4.7 billion to $3.5 billion for this year. But because of the moderate weather, assistance agencies that had been turning people away now have money to give.

Still, many recipients will be getting less. Minnesota's average grant is now $400, down from $500 to $600 a year ago. The state is helping 190,000 households with heating expenses ? more than last year, despite a 23 percent drop in federal payments.

"There are households that are calling. They're wondering, `What are we going to do? The grant I was provided will barely get me one fill of my propane tank,'" said Judd Schultz, housing director for Minnesota Valley Action Council, one of 28 nonprofit agencies through which the money is distributed.

In Indianapolis, employment coach Janice Duffey of Southeast Community Services said she's been flooded with calls for heating help and expects no letup anytime soon.

"The weather could go berserk in a week," Duffey said.

The owner of an oil company in Scarborough, Maine, said heating oil usage among his customers dropped about 25 percent in November and 18 to 20 percent in December.

Les Thomas, who runs Cash Energy, has two tanks in his house. "I've usually filled them up again around Christmastime," he said. This year, he didn't need to.

One couple's oil supply lasted so long that they stopped checking it regularly.

"I got home last night and realized my tank was just about empty. It's been so warm, I forgot about our oil," said Angie Tapper, a waitress who lives with her husband in Lewiston, Maine.

She also got used to having some extra money. "It's been a welcome break for our bank account," she said.

Still, Tapper knows there's still plenty of winter ahead.

"I've got to get into a January-February mindset," she said, "until I see flowers."

___

Associated Press writers Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee; Kathy Barks Hoffman in Lansing, Mich.; Corey Williams in Detroit; Carrie Schedler in Indianapolis; Alexandra Tempus in Minneapolis; and Glenn Adams in Augusta, Maine, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_us/us_mild_winter_cheap_heat

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Apple sets out to transform textbooks

Reporting from Los Angeles and Chicago?

Apple Inc. has already transformed the music, mobile phone and personal computing industries, and now the tech giant says its next chapter will be about reinventing textbooks.

In New York on Thursday, at the company's first product launch event since the death of Steve Jobs in October, Apple announced a trio of new or updated products ? the iBooks 2, iBooks Author and iTunes U applications ? that it said would uproot the traditional learning experience.

With the new iBooks 2 app, students can download interactive textbooks to their iPads, usually for $14.99 or less, eliminating the need for a bulging backpack laden with out-of-date, hundred-dollar textbooks. IBooks Author enables publishers and writers to create their own books using Mac computers and publish them to Apple's iBookstore. And students can use the iTunes U app to receive course curricula, read textbooks, view presentations and lectures, and get assignment lists from their teachers through their mobile devices.

The apps are available free of charge in Apple app stores.

"It's a game changer," said John Bailey, former director of educational technology at the U.S. Department of Education, who said Apple was smart to tap into students' preference for and familiarity with technology. "This is for education and publishing what iTunes and the iPod was for music."

The aggressive foray into the education industry could elevate Apple's popular iPad tablet into a must-have device for students, and it cranks up the competition between the company and Amazon.com Inc. The online retailing giant is a leader in the physical book-selling market and recently released its first tablet, the Kindle Fire, which was widely considered the iPad's first real competitor; Apple's venture into education could be a strategic move to get one step ahead of Amazon before it ramps up its own e-book initiatives.

Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said 1.5 million iPads are already in use in education institutions and that the tablet was "rapidly being adopted by schools across the U.S. and around the world." More than 20,000 educational apps are available in the company's iOS App Store.

The announcement also brought to fruition Jobs' longtime dream of revolutionizing the publishing space, a goal he shared with biographer Walter Isaacson in his book "Steve Jobs."

"Jobs had his sights set on textbooks as the next business he wanted to transform," Isaacson wrote. "He believed it was an $8-billion-a-year industry ripe for digital destruction. He was also struck by the fact that many schools, for security reasons, don't have lockers, so kids have to lug a heavy backpack around."

"The iPad," Isaacson quoted the tech visionary as saying, "would solve that."

The company promised that the titles would be "an entirely new kind of textbook that's dynamic, engaging and truly interactive" by featuring interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos and navigation. Students would be able to highlight portions of the text with their fingers, take notes and instantly transform the sections into digital flashcards, for instance.

"This is really, really different," said Shaw Wu, senior technology analyst at Sterne Agee. "A standard e-book is basically a regular textbook ? it's not interactive, it's just in digital form. Now we're talking about textbooks that'll interact like a website."

Apple's stock, which hit a record intraday high Thursday, slipped slightly to close at $427.75.

Apple said it teamed up with three major publishing houses ? Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education and Pearson ? that together account for 90% of textbook sales to deliver digital textbooks through its iBookstore.

McGraw-Hill initially will focus on offering high school math and science titles, said Vineet Madan, the company's senior vice president of new ventures and strategic services.

McGraw-Hill already makes its instructional materials available in some type of digital form, including companion websites or additional images for the K-12 market, Madan said. But Apple's tools and the iPad's touch screen enabled other kinds of features, such as the ability to manipulate 3-D molecules in virtual space. The titles being offered on the iPad exist in print form but will now include content such as videos, layered images and animations.

"It's one thing to see a picture of a cell structure; it's another to see an animation of the layers of the cell coming together," Madan said. "It's easier for students to understand that than seeing one very complex image, which is all that is possible in print."

Pearson said its "first wave" of books for Apple's iPad comprises about 7,000 pages of content, more than 100 videos and 1,000 "interactive widgets" that include features such as 3-D animation. The publisher is releasing several of its current high school math and science textbooks for the platform, covering topics such as biology, environmental science and algebra.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will release "a number of titles" for the iPad but declined to announce specific titles Thursday. They will most likely be for the middle school and high school markets, said Josef Blumenfeld, senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Blumenfeld said a big challenge will be getting more iPads, which start at $499, into the hands of students. Deployment "is expensive and it's a high hurdle for a lot of districts to overcome right now," he said.

During its announcement Thursday, which took place at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Apple made no mention of new discounts on iPads for students or schools. But Wu said students who go the iPad route for their textbooks would quickly find it to be cost-effective.

"The initial cost may be high, but the whole ownership cycle is probably cheaper because you just carry that one iPad," he said. "Doing it this way is actually lowering costs over the longer haul."

andrea.chang@latimes.com

wawong@tribune.com

Chang reported from Los Angeles and Wong from Chicago.

Times staff writer Nathan Olivarez-Giles contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/C-aMscMbync/la-fi-apple-20120120,0,3227156.story

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Italian Nanni Moretti to head Cannes jury (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? Acclaimed Italian actor and director Nanni Moretti will head the jury at the 2012 Cannes film festival in May, organizers said on Friday.

The 58-year-old has had a long association with the world's most important cinema showcase, appearing in competition in 1978 with "Ecce Bombo."

He was back in 1994 with "Caro Diario" (Dear Diary), for which he won the best director award, and in 2001 with "La Stanza del figlio" (The Son's Room), which won the coveted Palme d'Or for best picture.

Five years later came "Il Caimano" (The Caiman), a film that criticized aspects of Italian political life in the era of Silvio Berlusconi.

"This is a real joy, an honor and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world," said Moretti, who served on the Cannes jury in 1997.

"As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film," he added in a statement.

The 2012 festival runs from May 16-27.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/media_nm/us_cannes_moretti

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