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Luger dies in Olympics practice crash

February 12, 2010 By 1 Comment
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Luge slider from Georgia killed hours before the opening ceremony * Winter Games open Friday night in Vancouver, British Columbia * Nodar Kumaritashvili was to compete in the men's singles luge event (CNN) -- A luge slider from Georgia was killed Friday when he crashed during an Olympic training session hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Georgian Embassy and the International Olympic Committee said. Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, was near the end of the course when he had a "serious crash" and was propelled off the track, according to the IOC. Video of the crash shows Kumaritashvili lying motionless after being thrown from his sled and striking a steel pole as he was coming out of the course's last turn. He was given CPR by medical staff on site before being transported to a hospital where doctors were unable to revive him, the IOC said. "It is difficult to remain composed," IOC President Jacques Rogge told reporters as he was overcome with emotion. "This is a very sad day. The IOC is in deep mourning." An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way, the IOC said, and Rogge declined to comment on what safety precautions may be put into place pending the investigation's outcome. Full statement from IOC "This is a time of sorrow, not a time to look for reasons," Rogge said at the brief news conference. "That will come in due time." Video: IOC committee: 'time of sorrow' RELATED TOPICS * Winter Olympics Kumaritashvili was scheduled to compete in the men's singles luge event, which begins Saturday. The official training session was being held just hours before the opening ceremony for the Winter Games. "He came to Canada with hopes and dreams that this would be a magnificent occasion in his life," said John Furlong of the Vancouver Organizing Committee. "We are heartbroken beyond words to be sitting here." Rogge said the IOC has been in contact with the Georgian Olympic Committee, Kumaritashvili's family and the president of the Georgian republic to express their condolences. The luge is often called the "fastest sport on ice." Sliders use their legs and shoulders to steer small fiberglass sleds down an icy track, at times approaching or surpassing speeds of 90 mph, according to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Web site. They are positioned on their backs with their feet straight out in front of them and their heads back to be as aerodynamic as possible. The luge track at the Whistler Sliding Center where Friday's crash occurred is about 4,500 feet long (1,371 meters). A track speed record was recorded February 21, 2009, when a single men's luge athlete topped 95 mph. American luger Tony Benshoof said Friday that he had had problems in the lower portion of the track during one of his training runs. "Because of the physics of the curves, and going at 95 mph, there's a really small margin for error," Benshoof said. "You really need to get it … [Read more...]

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3 killed in Alabama university shooting

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS * At least one hurt in shooting at University of Alabama in Huntsville * Police say female shooter is in custody * Authorities still searching campus' Shelby Hall RELATED TOPICS * University of Alabama * Huntsville * Shootings (CNN) -- Three people were killed and at least one was wounded Friday in a shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a spokesman for the university said. A female shooting suspect was in custody, said the spokesman, Ray Garner. A spokeswoman for Huntsville Hospital said it had received three patients in critical condition from the shooting. Trent Willis, chief of staff to Mayor Tommy Battle, said the incident occurred about 4:15 p.m. in Shelby Hall, which police were still searching. "We do have some witnesses," he said. The 6-year-old, $60 million facility houses the Chemistry Department and is named for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama and his wife, Dr. Annette Shelby. … [Read more...]

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Iran uses 'enemies of God' charge on protesters

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks. Some who protested his re-election are charged as enemies of God. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks. Some who protested his re-election are charged as enemies of God. STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Those convicted of being "mohareb," enemies of God, are executed * Two men convicted of the charge were hanged in January, another faces death * Lesser charges failed to intimidate protesters, Iranian analyst says RELATED TOPICS * Iran * Religious Freedom and Discrimination * Middle East (CNN) -- Iran hanged two men at the end of January -- the first political prisoners known to be executed in Iran since the demonstrations protesting the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to Amnesty International. It's still not entirely clear what Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani's crime was. Rahmanipour's lawyer said he was already in jail on election day in June 2009, so he couldn't have been involved in the post-election uprising, she said. But whatever their earthly crimes were, the two men executed last month were also accused of another offense far more serious than simply protesting against a government. They were convicted of being "mohareb," enemies of God. That is the worst possible crime in Shiite Muslim law, according to Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian studies at Stanford University. The legal implications are clear, he said. "A mohareb, according to Shiite law, is executed," he said. That the regime is labeling its opponents enemies of God is a sign of how rattled it is by the protests, he said. "They were completely caught off guard by the ferocity and extent of the opposition and they pulled out all the stops," he said. Traditional accusations did not succeed in intimidating the protesters, he said. "They accused them of working in cahoots with the United States and Israel. When it didn't work, they said you are mohareb," he said. Legally, there's nowhere for the government to escalate from here, he added. "I can't imagine them upping the legal ante," he said. "What you can do is increase the number of people they are executing in an in-your-face manner to bring terror to the people." In fact, at least one other person is on death row for being a mohareb, according to the Tehran Judiciary as quoted by the semi-official Iran Students News Agency. Labeling opponents of the government "enemies of God" is a relatively new tactic, said Iranian journalist Amir Taheri, who argued that religious tolerance was more traditionally Iranian. "It was not like that the beginning of the revolution. The revolution was an Islamic revolution but they did not try to give a religious aspect," he told CNN's Hala Gorani. "Now unfortunately they are giving a very dangerous and arguably un-Iranian religious aspect to it by hating the Jews, hating the Baha'is, [using] anti-Christian propaganda, executing or even murdering some Sunni Muslim preachers," said Taheri, who … [Read more...]

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China decries Barack Obama's plan to meet Dalai Lama

February 12, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Dalai Lama in Washington DC (October 2009) China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a troublemaker China has again urged the United States to cancel a planned meeting between President Barack Obama and the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The two men will meet at the White House on 18 February, US spokesman Robert Gibbs has confirmed. He said the Sino-US relationship was mature enough to disagree while finding common ground on international issues. China had already said that such a meeting would seriously undermine relations with the United States. Mr Gibbs said the Dalai Lama was "an internationally respected religious leader". "He's a spokesman for Tibetan rights. The president looks forward to an engaging and constructive meeting," he said. "We think we have a mature enough relationship with the Chinese that we can agree on mutual interests, but also have a mature enough relationship that we know the two countries are not always going to agree on everything." China reacted quickly to the announcement through its Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu. "We firmly oppose the Dalai Lama visiting the United States and US leaders having contact with him," Mr Ma said. "We urge the US side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, and honour its commitment to recognise Tibet as part of China and to oppose 'Tibet independence'," he added. "China urges the US... to immediately call off the wrong decision of arranging for President Obama to meet with the Dalai Lama... to avoid any more damage to Sino-US relations." China, which took over Tibet in 1950, considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and tries to isolate the spiritual leader by asking foreign leaders not to see him. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has since been living in India. Tense ties The US has already moved carefully on the issue. Mr Obama avoided meeting the Dalai Lama in Washington last year ahead of his own first state visit to Beijing. US-CHINA TENSIONS Google - China denies being behind an alleged cyber attack on the US search engine Taiwan - a US sale of $6.4bn (£4bn) of defensive arms to Taiwan has angered Beijing Tibet - China says a US meeting with the Dalai Lama would "undermine relations" Trade - rows over imports and exports of meat, media, car tyres and raw materials Iran - the US fears China will not back tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme Climate - the US is disappointed at China's tough position at the Copenhagen Summit Relations hit a bad patch The US-China power balance But on that trip he told his Chinese hosts his meeting with the revered Tibetan Buddhist leader would go ahead. The meeting this month will take place in the White House Map Room, not the symbolic surroundings of the Oval Office, where Mr Obama normally meets foreign leaders and VIP guests. President George W Bush also met the Dalai Lama at the White House. The planned meeting comes … [Read more...]

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Hard times at Hooters

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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The restaurant chain is reportedly up for sale. Can babes and wings cut it in this economy? Posted by Kim Peterson on Thursday, February 11, 2010 1:28 PM Hooters waitress. Credit: (© Gil Cohen Magen/Reuters)The Hooters restaurant chain is reportedly up for sale, desperate for cash as business has fizzled. The restaurants -- known for waitresses wearing short-shorts and down-to-there tank tops -- could sell for more than $250 million, analysts tell The New York Post. The Post reports that Hooters has hired North Point Advisors, a San Francisco investment bank, to help with the sale. The restaurant isn't officially commenting on rumors that it has been shopping itself to private-equity firms. What went wrong for Hooters? Well, the company doesn't make the smartest moves. Plunging sales: Hooters' same-store sales are in steep decline, one source tells the Post. In this economy, many folks just don't have the cash for wings and beer. Questions about management: We'll learn more about the way Hooters runs things on Sunday, when CBS features the company for an hour on the reality show "Undercover Boss." Already, it doesn't look good. The show reportedly found one supervisor telling waitresses that they had to play his "reindeer game" if they wanted to leave early that day. According to the Post, the game meant burying their faces in plates of food without using their hands, all while the supervisor screamed, "Hoooo, doggie!" Um, I've lost track of what I was talking about. Oh yeah, problems at Hooters. Casino troubles: The Hooters casino in Las Vegas has been losing revenue since it opened in early 2006. Cash flow dropped to the point that a buyer wanted to take the Hooters name off of the place and rebrand it as a boutique hotel. But that deal fell through. Hooters just gets a royalty fee for the use of its name, the Post reports, but that source of revenue may be drying up. Hooters Air: Need I say more? Rest in peace. Business-travel woes: Hooters tied itself to the business-travel market in some ways, placing some of its 450 restaurants near convention centers and other business meeting sites. So when the economy put the brakes on business trips, Hooters took a hit, too, one analyst tells Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson. … [Read more...]

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Doc Love: Dating Before Divorce

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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This week, Doc Love answers a question from a reader who is separated from his wife and who is having relationship troubles with a girlfriend he loves. reader's question Hey Doc, I’ve read your course materials and love your weekly column. Much wise material is contained in your words. I’m a professor in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and I have recently separated from my wife. I also have a 6-year-old daughter. I met Danya, a student of mine, and we started talking, going out on dates and finally established a relationship. She’s 29, I’m 33 and everything was fine for the first three months, until she told her parents about our relationship. Since then they have transformed my life into a living hell. Every time Danya and I are together, she is wonderful, we make plans for the future and we have lots of fun. But whenever her parents call or visit her, they tell her that sooner or later I will leave her and go back to my ex-wife, and that I’ll break her heart, just like her ex-boyfriend who was also separated from his wife. Well, they don’t know me and they shouldn’t make such harsh judgments. unwanted parental influence Now these people are badgering Danya on a daily basis, trying to convince her to go back to her hometown, which is 2,000 miles from here. She’s beginning to tell me to forget her and to not call her anymore because it’s going to be easier for her to forget me that way. She says she can’t take the pressure from her parents or me. I know Danya loves me because of the way she is when we’re together. I have no doubt that I love her and that I’m not going back to my wife. I don’t know if keeping a distance from Danya now is a good idea, because I’m afraid her family will end up convincing her to do what they want. I simply don’t know how to deal with this situation. Please coach me, Doc. Davi - who doesn’t know whether he should apply more pressure doc love's answer Hi Davi, Thanks for the compliment, but I don’t think you actually memorized my materials because if you had, you’d understand that you can’t be trying to date someone when you’re already married. So, in the first place, I have to straighten you out on something. You didn’t “firmly establish” a relationship with Danya. How could you, pal? You have a wife. So you couldn’t and didn’t have anything solid with this woman. Like my Uncle Jethro Love says: “You’re standing on second base and you forgot to touch first!” In case you haven’t noticed, Davi, you don’t have your divorce papers yet. This relationship you think you have with Danya is really nothing but a big daydream in your own mind. It’s a fantasy and my job is to help you deal with reality. you're out of line Of course Danya’s folks have transformed your life into a living hell. What else would you expect them to do? If your daughter were going out with a married man who has a family, what would you, as a good father or mother, say to her? Wouldn’t you try … [Read more...]

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GameLink Plans on Marketing iPad-ready Adult Films

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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SAN FRANCISCO — GameLink on Thursday said it plans on marketing iPad-ready adult films, with 7,500 of them already formatted and ready to go when the new Apple tablet hits the shelves. The San Francisco-based company also said it plans on adding more than 150 new titles in the new format each week. In addition to the full Private Media Group catalog — GameLink’s parent company — its offerings include productions from Evil Angel, Bluebird, Jules Jordan and Devil´s Films. GameLink’s Jeff Dillon said that the company has seen the growth of its iTunes-formatted porn downloads rise dramatically. “Some are calling the iPad the ultimate portable media device,” said Dillon, GameLink’s director of online sales, “and we are proud to deliver our content in iTunes format for our Apple consumers. ¨ GameLink offers an array of distribution formats, including pay-per-minute, DivX, Windows Media, and DVD and Blu-ray. … [Read more...]

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TMZ Visits XBIZ Awards; Coverage to Air Tonight

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — TMZ reports from last night’s XBIZ Awards as its lead story tonight. TMZ’s crew traveled to the Avalon in Hollywood for the annual show, interviewing stars on the half-block-long red carpet. The awards program drew 1,000 enthusiastic attendees who honored the businesses and performers that define the industry. TMZ’s teases the segment on TMZ.com today with the following: “So we went to the porn awards — not the AVNs — the XBIZ Awards,” TMZ says. “They’re the 'Daytime Emmy Awards' of porn.” The show airs at various times tonight in your local city. … [Read more...]

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Joanna Angel, Sasha Grey to Sit on Sex Panel at Yale University

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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LOS ANGELES — BurningAngel founder Joanna Angel and adult crossover star Sasha Grey will be panelists at Yale University’s Sex Week. Both adult stars will be sitting on the “Sex, Gender & Pornography” panel on Saturday, February 13th at 7pm. The discussion, moderated by Fleshbot.com editor Lux Alptraum, will showcase pioneers in progressive porn production and give an in-depth look at how gender has influenced their roles and aspirations within the adult film industry. "I'm very excited to be going back to college, but instead of being a student, I'll be a teacher! I look forward to this amazing opportunity!," Angel said. Additional panelists include: Tristan Taormino (Feminist porn award winning director and educator), Madison Young (director) and transgender performer Buck Angel. After the panel discussion Angel will host a pre-Mardi Gras bash at New Haven’s Toad’s Place at 300 York Street in New Haven, CT. To close out Sex Week at Yale, Sasha Grey will give her keynote address, entitled "Sasha Grey: Positively Sexual on Sunday," at 4:30pm. Grey's talk ends with a discussion on why sex doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure at all. For more information contact Brian Gross at (818) 340-4422 or brian@bsgpr.com. … [Read more...]

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Nightline Tackles Piracy In Porn

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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'Will free content, legal or otherwise, kill the industry?' ABC asks. HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—ABC's Nightline tonight will deal with a problem that's haunted the adult industry since before the beginning of the Digital Age: How to make money from adult content when so much similar material is available free on the internet? The Nightline segment is titled, "Why Would You Ever Pay for Porn?" and features interviews with several adult producers that were conducted during the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas in January. "It's a huge issue and it's something that the entire industry is looking at—and not only the adult industry, but I think Hollywood is looking at it as well," said Vivid's Steve Hirsch. "We have two full-time people—all they do is they're out there on the internet looking for pirated content. When they find it, we send a notice, it comes down, then it goes back up, and it's sort of a cat-and-mouse game." Hirsch also voiced some thoughts about how to attract advertisers to pages containing free content, but noted, "as of now, the economics don't make sense." The ABC crew also got some quotes from AVN publisher Paul Fishbein. "The adult business was the first to figure out how to make money on the internet, before anybody else. What they didn't foresee was the availability of all this free content," Fishbein said. "You can only do so much policing and so much ... trying to prevent your material from being pirated and shared. The very technology that helped bring the business into the 21st century is also killing it. It's hard to sell to certain consumers when they can get stuff for free." See the full story tonight on Nightline, 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on your local ABC affiliate. … [Read more...]

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