98% The Muppets

James Bobin's update of Jim Henson's beloved series The Muppets is not a comeback, because the Muppets never left. For months now, this has been one of my most anticipated films of the year, ever since they came out with the first trailer, followed by an array of brilliant parody trailers. Another reason I was pumped up was the teaming of Forgetting Sarah Marshall scribes Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, who are well-known for their raunchy R-comedies, and they handled The Muppets with advantageous delicacy; managing to combine classic humor, modern humor, and fantastic musical numbers. It's time to light the lights... because The Muppets is impeccably muppetational!The concept is refreshingly original and clever, executing all of the right jokes, at all of the right times. This is literally a laugh-a-minute riot, much thanks to the ingenious updating of Henson's characters. What intrigued me the most was the way that the writers managed to keep the modern aspect here, while using nostalgic techniques to create a fantastic trip for adults who were fans of the Muppets. Don't get me wrong here, this is a complete joy for the kiddies, but for the adults who can appreciate nostalgic, ironic humor, you will have a pleasant time.

May 24, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/

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IT Company Plans Total Ban on Internal Email [Email]

A French tech company wants to eliminate all internal email, claiming only 10 per cent is actually of any use. It thinks internal forums, wikis and instant messaging are the future. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/f2aLkceZ1lI/it-company-plans-total-ban-on-internal-email

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Roof of energy drink warehouse partially collapses

Staff report

4:21 p.m. CST, November 27, 2011

Police officers are directing traffic away from a warehouse because its roof has partially collapsed in West Town. No injuries have been reported.

The roof of a building at 2425 W. Hubbard St. partially collapsed shortly before 4 p.m., according to the Chicago Fire Department. ?

The structure is a warehouse for 5-hour Energy drinks, according to Police News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety.

Police are directing traffic away from that area and no injuries have been reported, said Baety.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoBreakingNews/~3/JEIq__T3OIA/chi-roof-of-energy-drink-warehouse-partially-collapses-20111127,0,884442.story

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Lady Gaga 'Doing Prep' For Tour, Next Album

'She's always doing 25,000 things in a row,' DJ White Shadow tells MTV News of Gaga's 2012 plans.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga
Photo: Leon Neal/AFP

Lady Gaga is hard at work. The Mother Monster is already coming up with ideas for 2012's Born This Way Tour and even thinking about her next album. When MTV News caught up with pal and musical collaborator DJ White Shadow, he talked about what the Haus has in store for Gaga.

"She's doing prep for the next round of touring, and she's always doing 25,000 things in a row," he told MTV News last week when he stopped by to chat about the opening of Gaga's pop-up holiday shop at Barneys. "But I think the main focus for her after this season is going to be prepping up for the show, touring new songs for the record."

Gaga has hinted that she'd like to get Elton John on this next record, but, right now, anything goes. White Shadow — who has worked with Gaga extensively on Born This Way, including on the tracks "Born This Way" and "Americano" — is ready to drop everything to collaborate with Gaga again.

"I want to try and be as close to it as possible, that way I don't have to wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning and fly to L.A. or wherever or Japan or wherever she's starting to do stuff," he explained. "Maybe when the tour starts, she's working all the time. I send her stuff and she sends stuff. She's always working on something. It just depends. I know she likes to write when she's on the road, [so maybe she'll make a] new album during the tour."

Given the pair's track record, expect across-the-board sounds on the next project. "The kind of stuff that I send her, some of it is so crazy that I don't know what you'd call it," he said. "When I make stuff ... I know what's for her and what's not for her. Some of it's structured as songs and some of it is structured as madness, and she goes through it like a gold miner."

What are you expecting from Gaga's next album? Let us know in the comments below!

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• MTV First: Lady Gaga

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• Lady Gaga

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675019/lady-gaga-next-album-tour.jhtml

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Tunisia again extends state of emergency

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? Tunisian authorities have extended the North African nation's state of emergency for the rest of the year, the state news agency reported Tuesday.

The report did not give reasons for the extension, but Tunisia has faced intermittent bouts of violence and unrest in recent months. Some of the protests have involved hard-line Muslims or youths angry about high unemployment.

Interim President Fouad Mebazza signed the decree extending the state of emergency for the fourth time since it was first enacted during street unrest after the fall of Tunisia's longtime autocratic leader in January.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled on Jan. 14 to Saudi Arabia after a monthlong popular uprising that inspired pro-democracy movements across the region.

Since Ben Ali's departure the country has been buffeted by violence in remote towns and ongoing demonstrations. There has also been some spillover from neighboring Libya's civil war.

With the Oct. 23 elections, however, the country appears to be calmer, aside from some scattered protests in the neglected towns of the interior.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-29-ML-Tunisia/id-a6bf2aa32f654fa492a187b41dde5f13

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Mexico arrests 3 in slaying of governor's guards (AP)

MONTERREY, Mexico ? Mexican authorities say they have arrested three members of the Zetas drug cartel who later confessed to the June slaying of bodyguards for the governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon.

A federal prosecutor's aide says the men were captured during a traffic stop Saturday.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns.

The aide says the men confessed to killing two of Gov. Rodrigo Medina's guards in June; a guard for a town mayor last year, and three police officers in May.

The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Arturo Garcia Celaya, 25-year-old Jose Daniel Hernandez Guzman, and 34-year-old Nicolas Yepes Alvarez.

The aide says Garcia and Hernandez were fugitives following a prison escape last December.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_drug_war

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The Black Friday and Cyber Monday Purchases You Can Write Off [Taxes]

If you just snagged a bunch of great deals on stuff for Black Friday and Cyber Monday it doesn't mean the savings end there. If you're a small business owner or you purchased something that might help with your job, you can write a few of those purchases off.

Technology Used for Business

If you purchased a tablet, computer, printer or anything else you use exclusively for work, you can write off all of it. If you're replacing an old computer, you can claim that as you personal one and the new as your business computer. If not, you have to figure out the percentage you use it for yourself and write off that amount, which we'll go through below.

The same goes for tablets. If you're using it to read work related documents or for presentations, you can write off part of the expense, with depreciation. This year, you get 100 percent expensing on business purchases, so you should use it whenever possible. If you just found a job that lets you telecommute, it might be a good idea to keep your new and old computer separate.

You can also write off purchases like a new laptop or cell phone if it makes it more convenient for your employer to get a hold of you. If you're on-call on the weekends, for instance, a cell phone can count and if you're doing work, so can the laptop. This is referred to as employer's convenience.

You can also write off up to $25 per person for gifts if they're business related. So, if you picked up a fancy iCADE for $49.99 for your potential business partner who loves Atari games, half of that is a write off. You can also write off some of the clothes you might have purchased if you bought them specifically for work (these include the extra tight pants you purchased for your band's performances too), if it's clothes you wouldn't otherwise wear.

That new flat-screen TV is a little trickier. If you happen to write about TV or movies, and you can prove you needed to purchase the television for your work, you can write it off. You'll just need to gauge your usage or place it in your office where if wouldn't be confused with everyday usage.

Gauge Your Usage

You might find using one of your favorite time management application helpful for gauging your usage, because if you're using a computer for both work and personal use, you need to gauge the average time spent on both over the course of a week or so.

You'll use a percentage amount to figure out the rest. If your computer cost $1,000 and you spend 40 percent of your time using it for business, you can deduct $400. The same goes for any other electronics.

Photo by Amber Rae.

Technology Used Only at Home

If you don't use your new purchases for your full-time job, there might still be ways to claim them on your tax return if you use them for a hobby. If your state supports Energy Star rebates, you might be able to get a small check for new purchases as well.

Hobbies

If you have a hobby that's occasionally a business (say, you have an Etsy shop, or your have Google AdSense on your blog), but you still have a full-time unrelated job, you can and should still get the benefits of write offs. In fact, CPA Gwendolyn Lynch recommends reconfiguring your outlook a little:

I always recommend that people with side jobs/businesses start out acting like it's a business and not a hobby. If after a few years you keep having losses and no net income to show then switch to a hobby. That way you have much more to write off and plus, you never know how it will take off. Usually after five years of losses from a small business the IRS will examine you and try to classify you as a hobby, so I recommend after three years to examine yourself and beat them to it if you are not faring well. Basically "close" your business.

If your hobby doesn't meet the qualifications of being a small business, which includes questions like, "Does the activity make a profit in some years?" and "Does the time and effort put into the activity indicate an intention to make a profit?" you can't write off any of Black Friday or Cyber Monday purchases. So, the fact you wrote a blog post about a Dancing With the Stars doesn't automatically mean you can write off a TV, you have to make a little money off of that blog. You can write off as much of the expense as you make. If you purchased a new laptop specifically for blogging for $400 and your Google AdSense income per year is $300, you can write off $300.

Energy Star

Unless you went all out and purchased something like a Biomass stove on Black Friday, the 2011 Federal Tax credits for Energy Star appliances aren't as good as they have been in the past. Most Black Friday related appliances don't count anymore. If you just purchased a new washer/dryer combo you're not entirely out of luck, many states have incentives for purchasing Energy Star products and you should have received a mail-in rebate card at the point of sale if so. If you didn't, you can check if your state has an incentive program. If not, you can see if you qualify through your energy provider on Energy Star's website.

Photo by Allen Siew.

Donate Your Old Stuff

We mentioned last week how to get rid of stuff stored at your parents house and the same idea is at play here. If you just made some completely unnecessary or entertainment purchases that can't otherwise be written off, you can write off the donation of your old gadgets to charity.

You will want to talk with a tax professional before taking any of these claims, but it's good to start holding on to the right receipts now.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/TrvwdwfzuhE/the-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-purchases-you-can-write-off

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Euro rises against dollar on European debt hopes (AP)

NEW YORK ? The euro is rising against the dollar on hopes that a new plan to stop Europe's debt crisis from spreading is in the works. A strong start to the U.S. shopping season also helped boost the euro.

Hopes rose Monday that the International Money Fund is putting together a $794 billion rescue package for Italy. Investors are hoping that European leaders will finally agree on a solution to the region's debt crisis.

The euro rose to $1.3337 in midday trading Monday from $1.3230 late Friday.

In the U.S., a retail association said that more shoppers visited stores and websites during the Thanksgiving weekend than last year.

In other trading, the British pound rose to $1.5549 from $1.5433. The dollar rose to 78.04 Japanese yen from 77.76 Japanese yen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_dollar

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PFT: Freefall? DeSean benched, Eagles arguing

AP

Julian Edelman isn?t just a wide receiver anymore.

Edelman, who?s listed at receiver but has been spending time in the Patriots? secondary this season, has to be considered a real defensive player now that he?s laid his first hard hit on an opposing quarterback. Edelman got a couple of good shots on Eagles quarterback Vince Young on Sunday, tackling Young on a running play and later planting Young into the turf just as Young released a pass.

After the game, Edelman said taking Young to the ground was a lot of fun, but he needs to be careful about it, what with all the NFL rules protecting offensive players.

?Yeah, any time we can get a rush on the quarterback and force him to get the ball out and have our guys make the play, it feels good. And we got off the field, so that play was good,? Edelman told the Boston Herald. ?It?s funny because with all the rules floating around with regards to quarterbacks, I wanted to hit him but do it right. I just did not want to get any kind of penalty and hit him in the right zone.?

Edelman played 16 snaps, primarily covering the slot receiver, as Patriots coach Bill Belichick continues to show (as he did with Troy Brown) that if you?ve got a guy who can play slot receiver, it?s not a stretch to teach him to cover the slot receiver, too. Belichick praised Edelman after the game in Philadelphia.

?Julian?s worked hard on that,? Belichick said. ?He?s had to keep up with what?s going on on offense and also in the kicking game, but he?s worked hard. He?s spent a lot of extra time with [Patriots defensive backs coach] Josh Boyer and kind of splitting time between meetings between offense and defense, and of course he does all the special teams stuff too. He?s worked hard and he?s really been a huge help for us.?

That?s the kind of player Belichick loves.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/27/eagles-meltdown-desean-benched-coaches-exchange-words/related

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Hone Your Tasting Skills with Apples [Tasting]

Have you come to the realization that, despite your best efforts, you're not that great of a taster? That you really have no clue how to distinguish coffees, wines, or even, sometimes, pork from chicken? You can use this season's apple harvest to help train yourself, on the cheap.

Erin Meister, barista trainer at Counter Culture Coffee, offers tips at Serious Eats on how to improve your tasting techniques for coffee "cupping," or deep sampling and comparison. But whatever it is you want to get better at tasting, Meister suggests using the bounty of fall apples, and some note-taking, to hone your mouth (and nose).

Buy a bushel of different varieties of apples and taste slices from each in succession, making sure to note which is which, and maybe jotting down some thoughts about the flavors that strike you as you go. Think about how the texture of each feels in your mouth, think about how sweet one type of the fruit is in relation with another. If you can start to recognize these types of elements in other things you taste regularly, it will be more of a cinch the next time you face down a flight of different coffees.

It's much harder to dent your budget on apple slices, as compared to finer wines and coffee varieties, and the selection in most parts of the U.S. right now is quite rich.

What have you become better at sampling, tasting, and judging, and how did you get there? Photo by incase..

Tastebud Training: How To Become A Better Coffee Taster | Serious Eats

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You can reach Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, on Twitter at @kevinpurdy or Google+.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ROwgD4G6rUE/hone-your-tasting-skills-with-apples

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Luck, No. 4 Stanford beat No. 22 ND, 28-14

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) smiles during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) smiles during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo catches a touchdown pass in front of Notre Dame cornerback Gary Gray (4) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo (11) catches a touchdown pass in front of Notre Dame cornerback Gary Gray (4) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees (11) runs to the 3-yard line as he is chased by Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas (44) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) passes to wide receiver Ty Montgomery (88) in the first quarter against Notre Dame in an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) ? Andrew Luck walked back into the overcrowded home locker room at Stanford Stadium, greeted by hugs and handshakes and serenaded with a chant that suited him just perfectly.

"Macho, Macho man!" teammates bellowed, singing the lyrics to the Village People's famous song. "I want to be a Macho man!"

Only one has earned that title on The Farm.

Luck set the school record for the most career touchdown passes and eclipsed his own single-season mark, throwing for 233 yards and four scores to lead fourth-ranked Stanford past No. 22 Notre Dame 28-14 in his home finale Saturday night.

Luck topped John Elway's record of 77 touchdown passes and helped the Cardinal (11-1) build a 21-0 halftime lead. He has thrown for 80 touchdowns in three years ? while it took Elway all four ? and 35 this season.

"There's no player in America like Andrew Luck," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "Forget about the stats. Forget about the comparisons of other guys. It doesn't matter."

Luck of the Irish? Forget it.

Luck is on Stanford's side.

The victory likely vaulted the Cardinal into consideration for an at-large BCS bowl bid for the second straight year ? with the Fiesta Bowl among the leading possible destinations ? but they will not play for a major championship this season. The lone loss to Oregon put the Ducks in the Pac-12 title game out of the North Division and crushed Stanford's dreams of a national title.

"I think one loss, that's great," said Luck, who turned down a chance to be the NFL draft's top pick this year. "We've been on a 23-2 run for a while, I think it's pretty impressive. We put ourselves in position to be in a good bowl game, and that's what we wanted to do."

Notre Dame's stumbled at the finish line again.

Tommy Rees threw an interception, lost a fumble and took a bruising blow to the ribs for Notre Dame (8-4) before getting benched. Andrew Hendrix threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in a second-half rally for the Fighting Irish that came up short.

Keeping Stanford close gave the Irish little satisfaction.

"We didn't come here for second prize," said Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who would not name a starting quarterback for the bowl game. "We got off to a slow start and battled against it. To me, the scoreboard showed 28-14 and that's not good enough. The slow start put us in a tough position."

Stanford coach David Shaw shined the spotlight on his program and his quarterback's Heisman Trophy campaign with a calculated rip of the "flawed" BCS system this week. The Cardinal's play matched his words for 30 minutes.

A sloppy second half almost took everything else Stanford had worked for this season.

Kelly benched Rees in favor of Hendrix to start the third quarter, and the move pumped some life into a stagnant Irish offense. Notre Dame took advantage of pass interference and roughing the passer penalties for its first score.

Hendrix threw a 6-yard TD to Michael Floyd to slice Stanford's lead to 21-7 halfway through the third quarter. Floyd finished with 95 catches on the year, breaking the single-season mark of 93 set by Golden Tate in 2009.

The Irish were driving for another score when Hendrix overthrew a receiver, the ball was tipped and intercepted by Michael Thomas. When Notre Dame regained possession, Hendrix was sacked by A.J. Tarpley for a 13-yard loss that sent another drive tumbling.

"Consistency is the one thing I have struggled with the most," said Hendrix, who completed 11 of 24 passes.

Only room for one quarterback to steal the show.

Luck quickly connected with Coby Fleener for a 55-yard TD pass to extend Stanford's lead to 28-7 with 5:40 remaining to put the game out of reach. Fleener also caught a 28-yard TD in the first half that gave Luck every major school touchdown record.

Stanford's Senior Day belonged to the redshirt junior.

Luck lobbed a fade to the short corner of the end zone to complete a 3-yard score to Levine Toilolo, giving Stanford a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Even he had to hold back a smile running to the sideline to a swarm of well-wishes from teammates for the records-tying toss.

But Luck lost his rhythm when a back-side blitzer closed the pocket, and he tossed a short pass that Darius Fleming intercepted and returned 35 yards. Notre Dame took over at the Stanford 10 after a 15-yard penalty on Fleener for a horse collar.

Stanford stifled the Irish on consecutive plays and forced a 20-yard field goal that David Ruffer missed wide right.

Luck followed with a 28-yard TD pass to Fleener. The tight end dragged cornerback Robert Blanton the final 10 yards into the end zone, sealing Luck's marks in the school record book.

"I think it's something I'll be able to tell my kids and grandkids when I'm watching Andrew on TV someday," Fleener said. "He's got my Heisman vote."

___

Follow Antonio Gonzalez at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-27-FBC-T25-Notre-Dame-Stanford/id-32a3bcbac1784aef9342d7c254a8ff44

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