Thursday, May 31, 2012

M.J. Rose: A Look at Vera Caspary's 'Laura' (1943)

Before it was a movie... it was a powerful noir novel written by Vera Louise Caspary (1899-1987) who became one of the most prominent female authors and playwrights of her generation, writing more than 21 novels. Several of her books were turned into movies, including Bedelia. Caspary also wrote plays and movies. Fritz Lang's The Blue Gardenia and Joseph L. Mankiewicz's A Letter to Three Wives were both based on her screen stories. The Washington Post called Caspary's life "a Baedeker of the 20th century. An independent woman in an unliberated era, she collided with or was touched by many of its major historical and cultural events: wars, the Depression, the Spanish Civil War... Hollywood in its romantic heyday. Hollywood in the grip of McCarthyism, the footloose life of the artistic rich, publishing, Broadway." Laura, her best-known work, was adapted into a popular film in 1944, directed by Otto Preminger with Gene Tierney in the title role and Dana Andrews playing the detective.


Vera Caspary wrote thrillers -- but not like any other author of her time, male or female. Her specialty was a specific type that she pioneered -- the psycho thriller. Typically, thrillers focus on plot development as opposed to character development. They focus on an action arc as opposed to a psychological arc. But a successful psychological thriller does both more or less equally. The suspense comes from the human interaction between characters who prey on each other's thoughts, trying either to confuse, destroy, or deceive.

Laura is a superb example of a perfect melding of all those elements. This haunting novel written in 1941 (its working title was Ring Twice for Laura) and published in 1943 is about a dead woman -- or so we think when we start to read it. Laura Hunt started as a daring and ambitious secretary at an advertising agency and worked her way up to become a top executive (Caspary had a similar background). Laura's inability to balance her professional and private lives results in her murder.

If a mystery is a who-dunit, this thriller is a how-dunit. And Laura satisfies both definitions. Who killed her is certainly a mystery that needs to be solved (a jealous suitor). But there's also the mystery of who in fact was killed. As soon as the supposed murdered woman shows up unharmed and very much alive, we're not only startled -- we're reading non-stop suspense. (Hitchcock's 1958 Vertigo, based on the Boileau/Narcejac novel D'Entre Les Morts, seems strongly influenced by Caspary's device, as does the Brian De Palma 1976 film Obsession.)

At its heart, the novel is about a woman and the men in love with her. Each is a narrator in the novel: there's the 50-year-old man of letters; her fianc?, who is a Kentucky gallant; and the detective investigating her violent death. And when Laura reappears and it turns out that another woman, Diane, was murdered (a shotgun blast obliterated her face, preventing her from being identified), Laura herself becomes a narrator and a suspect.

This groundbreaking suspense novel thrills in the way it playfully toys with the reader's expectations and emotions. It's about obsession, and as such it mesmerizes the reader, just as Detective McPherson is mesmerized by Laura's portrait hanging over her fireplace and the mental image he puts together about her while he spends days, in her apartment studying her journals and fantasizing about her thoughts. (Again, Vertigo comes to mind.)

Reading this novel today, we forget how many advances Caspary brought to the genre. First, her feminist themes were far ahead of her time. Second, she delivered a stylistic tour de force. Like Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone, Caspary's novel utilizes five different narrators who each move the story forward. Part one is told by journalist and critic Waldo Lydecker, Laura's benefactor and companion. Second, we hear from Detective Mark McPherson, who investigaties Laura's murder. Third is Laura herself, the presumed murder victim. The fourth part is a police transcript, and the fifth and final part returns us to Detective McPherson.

Laura is an astonishing blend of a murder investigation and a woman's quest for love and success. Caspary once said, "I'm not nearly as interested in writing about crime as I am in the actions of normal people under high tension." As the New York Times noted in her obituary, her principal theme is "the working woman and her right to lead her own life, to be independent." That emphasis on character is, for me, is what makes Laura one of the must-read thrillers.

You can feel the tension on every page, starting with the book's evocative opening:

The city that Sunday morning was quiet. Those millions of New Yorkers who, by need or preference, remain in town over a summer weekend had been crushed spiritless by humidity. Over the island hung a fog that smelled and felt like water in which too many sodawater glasses have been washed. Sitting at my desk, pen in hand, I treasured the sense that among those millions, only I, Waldo Lydecker, was up and doing. The day just past, devoted to shock and misery, had stripped me of sorrow. Now I had gathered strength for the writing of Laura's epitaph.

And you feel the suspense in every scene:

The doorbell is ringing. Perhaps he has come back to arrest me. He will find me like a slut in a pink slip with a pink strap falling over my shoulder, my hair unfastened. Like a doll, like a dame, a woman to be used by a man and thrown aside.


The bell is still ringing. It's very late. The street has grown quiet. It must have been like this the night Diane opened the door for the murderer.

(This first appeared in Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads: edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner)

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Follow M.J. Rose on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mjrose

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The Truth About Post-Breakup Friendships | Celebrity News & Style ...

black couple laughingIn my journey to happy healthy relationship land I?ve had to make a few commitments to myself in order get ?into the space? and really manifest my intentions. Each time I?ve made a commitment to myself to do better, a test will come along. If it was easy to set an intention and stick to it without facing challenges, we would all be crunk off Peach Ciroc 24/7, hopping from city to city in private jets, with pet monkey sidekicks and money leaking from betwixt our butt cheeks.Say what?!

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21 Sand Castles That Will Blow Your Mind (PHOTOS)

Since we all have unique life experiences and lessons, living that run-on sentence of a lifestyle I mentioned above is not realistic or even desired.

I decided very recently that I was going to put an end to any lingering relationships, as in the ex who wants to be friends. Now don?t get me wrong I have one ex-boyfriend who is a close friend who I?ve had business dealings with but that is because we are better friends and teammates then we are boyfriend and girlfriend. Besides this special relationship, the rest to be quite honest are useless.

I don?t believe it?s beneficial to keep ?almost doesn?t count? folks around. Almost doesn?t count is the title of an old Brandy song that I love and relate to, check the video here if you have time. I strongly feel that people, who almost made the cut, don?t deserve to be a part of your life. Before you start with me, this is because most of the time the only reason they want to be a part of your life is because they have failed to detach from the past in some way and perhaps guilt or other negative emotions could be overwhelming them.

When I wrote the post, ?Trying to get Closure on a relationship makes life harder than it has to be? I mean it. If you are in the position of attempting to remain friends with an ex-lover, I have to ask, what is it you are trying to maintain? Closure is received the moment ish crumbles, it?s when the flow of normalcy has been broken, and closure is a tricky word that puts your behind automatically in the past and quite frankly- It holds you back from BETTER.

People who are unable to make contributions to your progress in life, and play on your weaknesses instead of enhance your strengths need to be removed from it in order for you to move forward. Closure is something you are in control of, not something you need from a person.

I have forgiven myself for failure in relationships and I forgive all who have in any way wronged me, we?re deep into 2012 let?s keep it moving already.

Have you ever maintained a friendship with an ex? What is this friendship like?

Are there any relationships in your past you have regrets about? If so, why or why not?

On Sunday June.24th I?m hosting an event in my hometown of Toronto called ?Battle of The Sexes- Is Chivalry Dead Or In A Coma?? Private live streaming/chat during the event is available for those who won?t be able to make the live event. For more details please visit the Battle of The Sexes event page.

Email:? contact@goddessintellect.com

Follow me on Twitter @goddess_i

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Hottest Celeb Pics Of The Week: May?23-May?30

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Obama signs Ex-Im Bank bill into law

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama has signed legislation that renews the charter of the Export-Import Bank for three years and increases the bank?s lending cap to $140 billion from the current $100 billion. The bank is the government?s vehicle for promoting U.S. export sales.

Obama says the move will help thousands of businesses sell their products and services overseas and help them create jobs at home. The president says the independent federal agency is a key factor toward reaching his goal of doubling exports over five years.

Lawmakers passed the legislation earlier this month amid resistance from conservatives who argued that the bank distorts the market. The bank had support from numerous business groups. Last year it provided about $32 billion in loans, loan guarantees and credit financing, helping support 290,000 jobs.

Associated Press

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Advice on Commercial Real Estate Investing

Want some good commercial real estate investing advice?

What are the secrets to successful commercial real estate investing? Read the following article for some excellent advice on commercial real estate investing. ?It doesn?t have to be a secret to make you successful.

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Investing in commercial real estate is a very rewarding task. Investors gain commercial property with the help of lenders, that may be used for business ventures. Before you make your first investment as a commercial real estate investor, there are some things you must know. The following article will provide you with advice for commercial real estate investment.

Ask the rental agent if outside BBQing is allowed or not. If you enjoy summer BBQs, make sure the apartment complex you choose either has outside BBQs installed or they allow you to use your own. The lack of these facilities can completely ruin your summer party, as you can?t provide the food you want to.

Consider choosing a partner for your commercial real estate company so that you can afford larger and more lucrative properties. If you have two investors in a property that will probably double your initial capital, which will also increase at a faster pace as the returns on the property you by will be higher.

When renting out a property, always include maintenance costs when trying to figure out your finances. Problems are bound to occur at some point so you should try to be prepared. With maintenance, you may go a year with no problems, and have that year followed by mainly costly repairs. Try to set aside a monthly allowance for repairs even if they have not occurred yet.

Make sure you understand the zoning of a particular property when buying commercial real estate. If you buy a property with the intention of building a commercial business on it, check with the city to see what they require as far as zoning with new construction. They might have specific building guidelines which may add significant cost to the construction.

Commercial real estate is a whole different ball game. If you are looking to purchase or sell a piece of property in this category, make sure that you have a professional agent who specializes in this field. Their contacts and knowledge will be essential in the transaction and marketing.

It is getting harder to rent apartments with a new generation of picky renters. A great way to get your apartment rented is by adding furniture. Adding furniture is a great incentive that really adds a personal touch to a home and makes the future tenant feel at home. Providing furniture will ensure that your apartment is rented in reasonable time.

There are many things you can do that will help improve your standing with customers. Even if you?re looking to buy instead of sell, the tips you just read in this article cover commercial real estate in general and will be of great use to you. Know-it-alls lose out in the market, so take the time to learn.

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Kulik Bernsen

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GoArticles.com ? 2012, All Rights Reserved.

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Whose Islands are they? South Korea tries branding in its dispute with Japan

Japan and Korea have long sparred over the Takeshima/Dokdo islets. The latest bid to promote Korea's claim: Napa Valley wine labels.

By Bryan Kay,?Correspondent / May 24, 2012

Dokdo island, also known as Takeshima in Japanese, east of Seoul, is seen in this August 2011 file photo.

Lee Sang-hak/Yonhap/Reuters/File

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When it comes to some disputed islets located in the Sea of Japan, South Korea is not shy about making its claim.

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Though the Japanese refer to island group as Takeshima and remain in a bitter dispute over the issue, ?Koreans are adamant that Dokdo is Korean sovereign territory ? and they are very committed to letting the rest of the world know.

The latest ploy: a Napa Valley wine produced by Korean-American dentist Ahn Jae-hyun at his Dokdo Winery that uses the island post code as its moniker.

Illustrating the fervor with which such attempts to garner attention for Korea?s sovereign claims over the outcrop, when the wine debuted on the Korean market the local distributor pledged to donate all proceeds to nonprofit groups promoting Korean sovereign claims in other countries. ?

While both Korea and Japan point to historical documents to back up their respective claims, South Korea has occupied Dokdo/Takeshima for more than half a century. And it remains a key rallying symbol for lingering resentment over Japan's colonial occupation of the then unified Korean Peninsula in the first half of the 20th century.

Previous efforts to highlight Korea?s territorial claims to Dokdo/Takeshima range from what some observers view as the practical to the more extreme.

In 2010, the Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon was behind a months-long video advertisement in New York's Times Square that not only specifically proclaimed Dokdo as Korean territory but also made sure to refer to the sea in which they are located the East Sea, as opposed to the Sea of Japan.

In recent years, a series of ads taken out in major American newspapers announced a near identical message. The latest, placed as a full-page ad in The New York Times in March by Dokdo campaigner Seo Kyoung-duk and South Korean e-commerce firm Gmarket displayed the national flags of four countries ? including the South Korean Taegukgi ? alongside the names of four islands related to each.

In the case of the other three countries, a line connects each island with the relevant national flag ? except that of South Korea and Dokdo. Readers were encouraged to connect the two, the implication being that Dokdo is Korean territory. Japan protested the ad.?

In 2008, the president of the Korean Dry Cleaners Association in the US produced plastic bags emblazoned with a picture and a map of the disputed island along with the English slogans ?Dokdo Island is Korean territory? and ?The Japanese government must acknowledge this fact,? which were taken up by about 100 Korean dry cleaners in New York.?

And the Korea Times, a leading South Korean English-language newspaper, has for several years run an international Dokdo-themed essay competition in conjunction with the Seoul-based Northeast Asian History Foundation that invariably challenges entrants to tip their hat toward Korea?s claims to the outcrop. The winner receives a $1,270 cash prize.

Still, despite the stated intentions of Dokdo wine producer Ahn and others like him, his website gently hints at what could be seen as the futility of the territorial dispute.

Without any apparent irony, it states: ?For as long as we can remember, there has been much controversy over the island and the ownership of it. Instead of appreciating the beauty of Dokdo, the world has been too busy fighting over it.?

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

1.2 million iOS 5.1.1 devices jailbroken with Absinthe 2.0

The Absinthe 2.0 jailbreak is now responsible for jailbreaking more than 1.2 million iOS 5.1.1 devices since its release on Friday. The Absinthe 2.0 jailbreak supports nearly every iOS device, including the iPhone 4S and the just-released new iPad.


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The Variable Consequences of Debunking Family Myths ? The ...

I received this ferrotype when my maternal grandmother died. She always said it was of her grandparents, who had passed away before she was born. The stories she heard about them from relatives were thus linked in her mind with these images.

However, as my older brother began investigating our genealogy, the family story about this picture didn?t add up. The ferrotype technology was out of fashion in the era it was supposedly taken and the military uniform is of a Pennsylvania regiment in which my great-great-grandfather did not serve. Further spadework proved that the image is in fact a generation further back in our family tree than our grandmother knew. When she visualized her grandparents she was in fact relying on a picture of her great-grandparents.

I doubt it would have bothered her much to learn the truth. She?d have felt silly for a few minutes but then let it go. After all, she didn?t know them personally so it just isn?t that big of a deal.

The debunking of family myths is not always so benign. I had a colleague whose faith in his own family and in people in general was shattered when he learned that the woman he thought was his mother was in fact his maternal grandmother, the woman he grew up thinking was his older sister was in fact his mother and his ?uncle? on the other side was in fact his grandfather. The family had created a network of lies to cover up two scandals (an out of wedlock teen pregnancy and a military desertion). They fooled everyone for decades. Once my colleague found out the truth from his dying mother, he could never forget nor forgive the deceptions. He himself died, in his 80s, still bitter about the myths of his childhood.

In a less serious but still painful case, two women on Antiques Roadshow brought in for appraisal a violin that had been in their family for many years. The family story was that it was a Stradivarius, which the master craftsman had produced in honour of his beautiful new wife Faciebat Ano (Her name was even on the violin!). When the appraiser revealed that Faciebat Ano means ?Made in the Year? and the instrument was a cheap reproduction, their disappointment in the destruction of their family myth must have been accentuated by the humiliation of looking ignorant on national television.

My favorite family myth story concerned two women from Manchester. One of them in late life began digging into her family?s history and found that she had a distant cousin who was probably still living. She tried to track the cousin?s whereabouts and found that she resided only a few miles away! She introduced herself and the cousin was delighted. They found they had similar tastes and similar ideas and why shouldn?t they? They were family after all. Even their husbands got on well, to the point that the four of them dined and played bridge together regularly.

But then the woman who had originally discovered the connection realized that she had misunderstood a baptism certificate of an ancestor. When she corrected the resulting cascade of misinterpretations within her family tree, she realised that her ?distant cousin? wasn?t related to her at all. The friendship, despite being based on a fairy tale, endured. This makes me wonder: If everyone were deluded into believing that some proportion of total strangers were in fact long lost relatives, would we all be blessed with a larger circle of friends?

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Man convicted of NJ webcam gay spying apologizes

(AP) ? A former Rutgers University student convicted of using a webcam to spy on his male roommate kissing another man days before the roommate killed himself publicly apologized on Tuesday for the first time.

Dharun Ravi said in a statement issued through his lawyer he was sorry for what he called his "thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices."

Ravi's roommate, Tyler Clementi, threw himself from New York City's George Washington Bridge in 2010.

Ravi was sentenced in March to 30 days in jail. He said Tuesday he'll start serving his term on Thursday in New Brunswick.

The sentencing judge had criticized Ravi for a lack of remorse and had told him: "I haven't heard you apologize once."

Prosecutors said Ravi's sentence was too lenient.

Ravi, now 20, was convicted of 15 criminal counts, including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy.

Soon after that, letters began pouring in to Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman's chambers making requests for how to handle sentencing. Ravi had faced up to 10 years in prison.

Earlier this month, the judge told him he would have to serve 30 days in jail. Because the sentence is less than a year, it decreases the chances that federal immigration authorities will seek to have Ravi deported to India, where he was born and remains a citizen.

Ravi maintains he is innocent.

Associated Press

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Savory Pear Cooking School - Business Consulting, Wordpress ...

Thursday June 7, 2012 ? Thursday June 7, 2012 Map and Directions | Register Description: Everywhere in the summer people flock to the coasts to enjoy sun, surf and sand! ?Join us in celebrating the bounty of the sea with an Italian twist. ?You will learn several different fish cooking techniques along with a delicious? [Continue Reading]

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Obama vows to protect benefits for veterans

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Monday, May 28, 2012

100 Reasons Why You Should Care About The Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth

TakePart:

Until ten years ago, the pygmy three-toed sloth lived undisturbed in its Caribbean paradise. Then the humans arrived.

Read the whole story at TakePart

Contribute to this Story:

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Home Enhancement Projects without Borrowing Money | Welcome to

It is possible to do home improvements without taking out loans with excessive interest rates. Home improvements can be accomplished most the time without taking a loan out.

Home improvement jobs, especially multiple small ones, can be accomplished over time and can make your house look fantastic. Larger projects usually include adding entire rooms to your home or something large like that. If you take the time to clean your home, and a few walls, and add a few decorations, it will literally look like you spent thousands on a home improvement spree. The strategies in this article will help you accomplish no-loan home improvements that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars. If commercial real estate nj is something you have not yet to try, then of course you must check it out and try it for yourself. You might be impressed at the outcome.

Most of the time, small problems grow into big problems which should have been fixed by the owner of the home instead of having to hire a professional. An example of this is not fixing a leaky faucet which leads to a pipe breaking. You get what we are saying? The best way to go about this is to do the repairs yourself instead of getting loans or financing.

Instead of waiting, get things done early and it will save you money. Most repairs are very easy to accomplish, but if you run into something that confuses you, ask a professional what to do so that you can get the job done right.

Give rugs and carpets a thorough cleaning. Industrial carpet cleaners are available to rent at many markets and will probably give you the most efficient job for your money. A good cleaning can brighten up your rugs and carpets by several shades. This will be one of the least expensive ways to go. It is a very easy process, just get the machine from an outlet, take it home, shampoo your carpets and rugs, and then take it back. If you are thinking about replacing your dingy old rugs with new ones; try giving them a detailed cleansing first. You may discover that new floor covering is not even required! Did you ever take into account or think you might discover as much data on commercial real estate nj as you have?

There are many things you can do to make your home an energy-efficient house, and you should do them. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are better than traditional light bulbs for efficiency, so they should be switched out. It is a very good idea to turn off your electrical appliances, and then unplug them, when not in use, and this includes your microwave and television set. Any appliances or electronic devices that you buy should be energy-efficient. Your computer should be turned off when not in use. Your home can be made energy-efficient in many ways, along with reducing your carbon footprint. As far as home improvements go, this could be the best and also easiest.

Most times, you will not need to take out a loan to give your home a bit of a facelift. If you are vigilant and take care of problems when they are small and learn to do the manageable things yourself you can save thousands and thousands of dollars over the course of your home?s lifetime. Make sure you consult with a professional for the big projects and don?t ever be afraid to ask questions when you have them. Have a good time and enjoy.

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Gene Behind Chronic Inflammation Accelerated Aging and Cancer Identified

A single gene that simultaneously controls inflammation, accelerated aging and cancer has been identified by researchers.

The principal investigator of the study is Robert J. Schneider, PhD, the Albert Sabin Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis, associate director for translational research and co-director of the Breast Cancer Program at NYU Langone Medical Center.

"This was certainly an unexpected finding," said Schneider.

"It is rather uncommon for one gene to have two very different and very significant functions that tie together control of aging and inflammation. The two, if not regulated properly, can eventually lead to cancer development. It's an exciting scientific find," he stated.

For decades, the scientific community has known that inflammation, accelerated aging and cancer are somehow intertwined, but the connection between them has remained largely a mystery, Dr. Schneider said.

What was known, due in part to past studies by Schneider and his team, was that a gene called AUF1 controls inflammation by turning off the inflammatory response to stop the onset of septic shock. But this finding, while significant, did not explain a connection to accelerated aging and cancer.

When the researchers deleted the AUF1 gene, accelerated aging occurred, so they continued to focus their research efforts on the gene. Now, more than a decade in the making, the mystery surrounding the connection between inflammation, advanced aging and cancer is finally being unravelled.

The current study revealed that AUF1, a family of four related genes, not only controls the inflammatory response, but also maintains the integrity of chromosomes by activating the enzyme telomerase to repair the ends of chromosomes, thereby simultaneously reducing inflammation, preventing rapid aging and the development of cancer, Dr. Schneider explained.

"AUF1 is a medical and scientific trinity. Nature has designed a way to simultaneously turn off harmful inflammation and repair our chromosomes, thereby suppressing aging at the cellular level and in the whole animal."Dr. Schneider said.

With this new information, Dr. Schneider and colleagues are examining human populations for specific types of genetic alterations in the AUF1 gene that are associated with the co-development of certain immune diseases, increased rates of aging and higher cancer incidence in individuals to determine exactly how the alterations manifest and present themselves clinically.

The study appeared online ahead of print in Molecular Cell and is scheduled for the July 13 print issue.

Source-ANI

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Matthew McConaughey pulls off Cannes double header

Actor Matthew McConaughey poses during a photo call for Mud at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short)

Actor Matthew McConaughey poses during a photo call for Mud at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short)

From left, actors Macy Gray, Matthew McConaughey, director Lee Daniels and actress Nicole Kidman attend a press conference for The Paperboy at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

El actor Matthew McConaughey y el director Lee Daniels durante una conferencia de prensa de la pel?cula ?The Paperboy? en el 65to Festival de Cine de Cannes, en Francia, el jueves 24 de mayo de 2012. (Foto AP/ Virginia Mayo)

From left, actors Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey and Tye Sheridan pose during a photo call for Mud at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

Actors Reese Witherspoon, left, and Matthew McConaughey pose during a photo call for Mud at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

CANNES, France (AP) ? To have one film competing at the Cannes Film Festival is a privilege. To have two, Matthew McConaughey says, is wonderful good fortune ? and the reward for a spell of hard labor in the trenches of independent cinema.

In Lee Daniels' steamy Southern noir "The Paperboy," McConaughey plays a journalist who returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a murder.

In Jeff Nichols' "Mud," which screened Saturday as the festival's final competition entry, he is a story-spinning fugitive holed up on an island in the Mississippi who is befriended by two local boys.

McConaughey laughs when asked if having two movies competing for the Palme d'Or gives him divided loyalties.

"That would be a high-class problem," he said. "I'm really, really endeared to both of them for different reasons ? and they're very, very different from each other.

"I'm very honored. I've got two films that I'm proud of, two experiences that I really loved, and I've got two characters that I really care about."

The two films take the Texas-born actor on a tour of the U.S. South ? and of men on society's margins.

In "The Paperboy," McConaughey's Ward James is a crusading reporter with dark depths to his psyche that imperil his quest for the truth.

His title character in "Mud" is being hunted as a dangerous fugitive, but may be a wild innocent driven by love.

Critics have hailed McConaughey's turn in "Mud," and director Daniels said he was wowed by McConaughey's nuanced performance in "The Paperboy."

"I'm so happy that he's so understated in the film," Daniels said. "There were moments when I didn't recognize Matthew."

McConaughey said the roles were the result of a decision to "shake things up" in a career that has seen him take leads in a mixed bag of romcoms ("Failure to Launch," ''Fool's Gold") ? and, as he noted at Cannes, play lots of lawyers, in films from "A Time to Kill" to "The Lincoln Lawyer."

"I was looking for some characters that didn't necessarily pander to convention, or even didn't pander to plot," he said, long legs stretched out on a sofa in a Cannes hotel. "They're all kind of characters that live on the fringe, on the outskirts of society. But they're really human characters.

"What I was really looking for is some things where I could hang my hat and be the architect of my man, and it's based on humanity and reality. It's not based on morality or on good or bad or right and wrong."

That's where the similarities end between his two Cannes films. "The Paperboy" takes a Pete Dexter crime novel and mixes in director Daniels' fascination with shifting sexual and racial allegiances.

In "Mud," Arkansas-born director Nichols creates an affecting coming-of-age story with echoes of Mark Twain, rooted in the landscape of his home state.

"Lee is very different from Jeff Nichols," McConaughey said. "Lee's not a linear thinker at all. Jeff Nichols was very linear ? he wrote the script, wrote each word on purpose, and would be editing in his head after he thought he'd got his take.

"Lee grabbed this book but created his own world."

McConaughey's Cannes double-header is the product of remarkable year of work that saw him shoot five independent films with strikingly different directors.

As well as "The Paperboy" and "Mud," he was a sheriff in Richard Linklater's dark comedy "Bernie," a club owner in Steven Soderbergh's male-stripper movie "Magic Mike" and a hitman in William Friedkin's thriller "Killer Joe."

The 42-year-old actor has never been busier ? or, it seems, happier.

"I fired out of bed every morning so excited, and a little scared about going to work, but excited to go and get into it," he said. "I love the energy of an independent film. Time is so precious. There's no go-back-to-the-trailer time. It's a very vital experience, and I like that."

It was also an education in modern American cinema from five filmmakers with strong personal styles.

"Friedkin, you'd do one take, maybe two," McConaughey said. "Usually one. Soderbergh: minimalist. He's more of a shaper.

"With Linklater ? this was our third time working together. We do all this character work together. ... We have a shorthand together."

McConaughey will find out Sunday, when the film festival wraps up, whether either of his Cannes films has taken a prize.

Next up, he hopes, is "The Dallas Buyers' Club," a drama based on a true story about illegal AIDS drugs in the 1980s that he's long sought to make with director Jean-Marc Vallee.

"I never had a rule on what to do, just keep trying to do different things," he said. "But it's got to be more than that. I was instinctually drawn to this kind of material where I was not necessarily drawn to some other comedies or things that I've done in the past.

"I'm more fulfilled with the work probably than I've ever been, and more turned on by it, and I hope that continues."

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Associated Press

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Top Star Magazine: Self Improvement: The Challenges of Making a ...

Change is not easy, nor simple. If you have been told you should change but are not really convinced that this is true, you are more likely to fail at completing the process. Personally I recognize the process to be complete when I no longer remember ?what I was like before?. Someone still in denial about the need to change will not get very far. Chances are there will always be excuses in the form of: I do not have the time for this right now, I am busy, I already know how to?, it is not my fault, you do not understand, ?a leopard cannot change its spots?, I am too old?etc.

Change can only really happen if you are ready to take action.

Research shows 90% of the strategies designed for change assume people are ready to take action. In reality only 20% of the people already involved in some process of change are actually ready to take action. This helps explain why so many attempts to keep New Year?s resolutions, lose weight, change behaviours, etc, are doomed to failure.

It is most helpful and supportive and will increase your chances of successfully completing a change if you can engage the help of a friend or life coach. They will help you by being totally honest, motivate, encourage and in general offer the kind of support you will benefit from. Specifically how to offer this support varies from individual to individual so make sure you communicate clearly how you need them to be.

The most successful way to approach changing a behavior pattern is to:

  • Realize and acknowledge that things can no longer stay the same.
  • Accepting that it is possible to do things differently.
  • Take the time to gather the necessary knowledge, insights and support.
  • Raise your awareness to how your life will change in a positive way by making this change. Pro and Cons lists tend to work.
  • Decide what steps need to be taken to move in the right direction.
  • Recognize any denial, dis-empowering, defensive or self-sabotaging behavior.
  • Understand and accept that you, and your life are worth this effort.
  • Recognize and work through the obstacles and possible self-sabotage routines that appear.
  • Most importantly celebrate your success.

Remember for this to be successful you need time, a lot of patience with yourself, and to know that you will have some setbacks along the way?all part of the process.

?If you believe you can, or cannot ? you are right?

Suzie Doscher is a Life Coach focusing on Personal Development. These articles are designed to give you support for you to master your steps towards behavioral, emotional and intellectual change. The articles aim to offer you tools to help cope with all the stress associated with today?s lifestyle and work demands. May even just one line inspire you. Please also visit: http://suziedoscher.com, or http://coachgroupofch.ch

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Yahoo Courts Second Screen App Developers With New Tools To Connect Phones And TV

Yahoo! Connected TV_ Movies, TV Shows, Internet On Demand-1Launched in 2009, Yahoo's Connected TV was one of the first platforms to introduce an open app development kit (ADK) for Internet-capable TVs. Now it's making those apps even more powerful, by allowing developers to build apps that integrate TV and mobile capabilities. At a meeting with developers Thursday evening, the Yahoo Connected TV team is rolling out the newest version of its ADK, in addition to open source availability of its device communication library for Android devices on GitHub.

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Canada's Flaherty says rising confidence important

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Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria are released

BEIRUT (AP) ? Lebanon's prime minister says a group of Lebanese Shiites who were kidnapped in Syria have been released.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the group was released Friday and is heading back to Beirut. He says the men are in unharmed.

Lebanese and Syrian officials have said armed gunmen in Syria kidnapped 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims on Tuesday. The kidnapping set off protests in Beirut's Shiite-dominated southern suburbs where residents burned tires and blocked roads.

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

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar Assad's ouster Friday, killing two people in the northern city of Aleppo as the regime struggles to vanquish the 15-month-old conflict, opposition groups said.

Crackdowns on protests, as well as other government and rebel attacks, are routine despite the deployment of more than 250 U.N. observers who have fanned out around Syria to monitor a cease-fire brokered by international envoy by Kofi Annan.

Despite the daily violations, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that there was no "plan B" for the Annan initiative.

Friday's violence during weekly anti-government protests was reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists on the ground, and by the opposition Local Coordination Committees.

The Observatory said one person was killed and another wounded in Aleppo, a major economic hub which has remained largely supportive of Assad throughout the uprising but where anti-regime sentiment has been on the rise in recent weeks.

Aleppo-based activist Mohammad Saeed said one of the protesters later died of his wounds, raising the number of those killed in the city's Boustan al-Qasr district to two.

He said more than 10,000 people were protesting in the city. "The regime is desperately trying to put down the protests in Aleppo but all this violence will backfire," he said.

"Down, down, down. Down with Bashar Assad," the protesters shouted as they marched in the Salaheddine district.

Amateur videos posted online by activists showed several wounded people, including a teenage girl, being carried away by other protesters.

The Observatory said a boy was also killed by snipers fire in the Damascus suburb of Arbeen ahead of a protest there.

In the southern town of Inkhel, several people were wounded when troops opened fire at protesters, while in the central Homs region, seven people were reported wounded as a result of security forces' gunfire.

In the capital Damascus, troops fired tear gas to disperse a large demonstration that started as protesters emerged from the Daqaq Mosque in the restive Midan district in Damascus.

Earlier, government forces shelled the Qusour and Jobar neighborhoods in the city of Homs, but there was no immediate word on casualties.

The U.N. estimated in March that more than 9,000 people have been killed in the revolt against Assad, which began in March 2011 as a largely peaceful protest movement calling for reforms but has since morphed into an insurgency. The death toll rises every day.

The violence in Syria has spilled over into Lebanon, where deadly clashes linked to the conflict next door have killed at least 10 people in the past two weeks.

Lebanese and Syrian officials have said armed gunmen in Syria kidnapped 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims on Tuesday, setting off protests in Beirut's Shiite-dominated southern suburbs where residents burned tires and blocked roads.

Lebanese officials said the pilgrims have been located and are expected to be freed soon.

The U.N.'s Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Annan's peace plan is the only option right now for ending the violence in Syria.

"At this time, we don't have plan B," Ban said in an interview Thursday with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

The former U.N. secretary-general's plan calls for a complete cessation of violence but Ban said "unfortunately, this has not been implemented."

He said the deployment of U.N. observers to Syria has had "some dampening effect" but the violence hasn't stopped. Ban said this requires "strong political will" by Syrian President Bashar Assad and full cooperation by opposition forces.

Ban said he spoke Wednesday to Annan, who said he will be going to Syria soon but no date has been fixed.

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Chinese Estates head to be prosecuted in Macau over bribery

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tokyo thrilled to be among 2020 Olympic bid field

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Senator: Prostitution scandal wider than believed

FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2009 file photo, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sullivan will testify for the first time Wednesday about the humiliating prostitution scandal in Colombia that tarnished his agency's image. But don't expect Congress to demand his walking papers. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2009 file photo, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sullivan will testify for the first time Wednesday about the humiliating prostitution scandal in Colombia that tarnished his agency's image. But don't expect Congress to demand his walking papers. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Several small groups of Secret Service employees separately visited clubs, bars and brothels in Colombia prior to a visit by President Barack Obama last month and engaged in reckless, "morally repugnant" behavior, Sen. Susan Collins says.

She says the employees' actions during the stunning prostitution scandal could have provided a foreign intelligence service, drug cartels or other criminals with opportunities for blackmail or coercion that could have threatened the president's safety.

In remarks prepared for the first congressional hearing on the matter Wednesday, Collins, R-Maine, also challenged early assurances that the scandal in Colombia appeared to be an isolated incident. She noted that two participants were Secret Service supervisors ? one with 21 years of service and the other with 22 years ? and both were married. Their involvement "surely sends a message to the rank and file that this kind of activity is tolerated on the road," Collins said.

"This was not a one-time event," said Collins, the senior Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "The circumstances unfortunately suggest an issue of culture."

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the committee's chairman, said, "I want to hear what the Secret Service is doing to encourage people to report egregious behavior when they see it."

Wednesday's hearing was expected to expose new details in the scandal, which became public after a dispute over payment between a Secret Service agent and a prostitute at a Cartagena hotel on April 12. The Secret Service was in the coastal resort for a Latin American summit before Obama's arrival. Collins said several small groups of agency employees from two hotels went out separately to clubs, bars and brothels and they "all ended up in similar circumstances."

"Contrary to the conventional story line, this was not simply a single, organized group that went out for a night on the town together," Collins said.

Senators were expected to focus on whether the Secret Service permitted a culture in which such behavior was tolerated. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has testified previously that she would be surprised if there were other examples, but senators have been skeptical.

In his own prepared remarks, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan told senators the behavior in Colombia wasn't representative of the agency's nearly 7,000 employees.

"I can understand how the question could be asked," Sullivan said, calling his employees "among the most dedicated, hardest working, self-sacrificing employees within the federal government."

Sullivan also assured senators that Obama's security was never at risk. The officers implicated in the prostitution scandal could not have inadvertently disclosed sensitive security details because their confidential briefing about Obama's trip had not taken place.

"At the time the misconduct occurred, none of the individuals involved in the misconduct had received any specific protective information, sensitive security documents, firearms, radios or other security-related equipment in their hotel rooms," Sullivan said.

Sullivan has survived professionally so far based on his openness about what happened. Senators were not expected to ask for his resignation, and the acting inspector general for the Homeland Security Department, Charles K. Edwards, gave Sullivan high marks for integrity. Edwards, who estimated that the early stages of his own investigation would be finished before July 2, said the Secret Service "has been completely transparent and cooperative."

"The Secret Service's efforts to date in investigating its own employees should not be discounted," Edwards told senators. "It has done credible job of uncovering the facts and, where appropriate, it has taken swift and decisive action."

The White House on Tuesday reasserted its confidence in Sullivan. Obama "has great faith in the Secret Service, believes the director has done an excellent job," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "The director moved very quickly to have this matter investigated and took action very quickly as a result of that investigation."

A dozen Secret Service officers and supervisors and 12 other U.S. military personnel were implicated. Eight Secret Service employees, including the two supervisors, have lost their jobs. The Secret Service is moving to permanently revoke the security clearance for one other employee, and three others have been cleared of serious wrongdoing.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that four of the Secret Service employees have decided to fight their dismissals.

Prostitution is legal in Colombia, but Sullivan quickly issued new guidelines that made it clear that agents on assignment overseas are subject to U.S. laws.

Sullivan said he directed Secret Service inspectors to investigate reports of similar misconduct in San Salvador. After 28 interviews with hotel employees and managers, State Department officials and others, "no evidence was found to substantiate the allegations," Sullivan said.

This week the Drug Enforcement Administration said the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General was investigating possible misconduct by two or more agents in Colombia. Collins revealed that the case involved at least two DEA employees who entertained female masseuses in the Cartagena apartment of one of the DEA agents. The investigation is unrelated to the Secret Service scandal but is based on information provided to the DEA by the Secret Service.

Associated Press

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