'Artist,' 'Tinker Tailor' up for UK film awards (AP)

LONDON ? It's spry versus spy as frothy silent movie "The Artist" and moody thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the race for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars.

"The Artist" received 12 nominations and "Tinker Tailor" 11, with each film up for best picture and director, and best actor nominations for leading men Jean Dujardin and Gary Oldman.

The other best-film nominees, announced at a ceremony Tuesday by actors Daniel Radcliffe and Holliday Grainger, were "The Descendants," "Drive" and "The Help."

In a diverse field not dominated by any single film, there are also multiple nominations for "Hugo," "My Week With Marilyn," "The Iron Lady" and "The Help."

The nominations are another feather in the cap of "The Artist," a black and white French film about a silent screen star's fall with the rise of talkies that has become an unlikely hit. On Sunday it won three Golden Globes, including best musical or comedy film.

Director Michael Hazanavicius said Tuesday he and his crew had been "a bit mad to make a black-and-white silent film in 2011."

"We certainly hoped to find an audience, but the support we have received from so many people in so many different countries was unexpected, overwhelming and quite wonderful," he said.

The shortlist gives a boost to "Tinker Tailor," an atmospheric adaptation of John le Carre's espionage classic that has received rave reviews but has so far been snubbed during the U.S. awards season.

"Tinker Tailor" producer Tim Bevan said the film was a "particularly British cultural phenomenon. It's great that it's being recognized at the BAFTAs but that it hasn't at the Golden Globes is not surprising."

"'The Artist' seems to be the film with the momentum, and rightly so," he said. "It's been an OK year but not a brilliant year for movies, and 'The Artist' defines what cinema should be. It's brave, different, it's got a great shot."

The best actor contest pits Oldman and Dujardin against Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," George Clooney for "The Descendants" and Michael Fassbender for "Shame."

The best actress category includes two performers playing real-life icons ? Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn" and Meryl Streep as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

Streep, who has been widely praised for her performance, said the nomination was "thrilling news ... Not just for me, but for the film of which I am very proud, and for the hundreds of people who worked on it! Thanks, from a (New) Jersey girl."

The other nominees are Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Viola Davis for "The Help."

The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony at London's Royal Opera House on Feb. 12. They are considered an important indicator of prospects at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles two weeks later.

In recent years, the awards, known as BAFTAs, have helped small British films gain momentum for Hollywood success.

In 2010, Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" won seven BAFTAs, including best film; it went on to take eight Oscars. Last year "The King's Speech" won seven BAFTAs and four Oscars, including best picture.

"My Week With Marilyn," the story of the movie legend's time shooting an ill-starred comedy in England, received six BAFTA nominations, including a supporting-actor nod for Kenneth Branagh, who plays Laurence Olivier.

He is up against Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Jim Broadbent for "The Iron Lady," Jonah Hill for "Moneyball" and Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Ides of March."

The supporting actress category features Carey Mulligan for "Drive," Jessica Chastain for "The Help," Judi Dench for "My Week With Marilyn," Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids" and Olivia Spencer for "The Help."

The multinational best-director contest pits Hazanavicius against Denmark's Nicholas Winding Refn, for the turbocharged "Drive," Sweden's Tomas Alfredson for "Tinker Tailor," Britain's Lynne Ramsay for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Martin Scorsese of the United States for "Hugo."

The best British film category contains "My Week With Marilyn," racing documentary "Senna," sex-addiction drama "Shame," family tragedy "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."

Steven Spielberg's equine adventure "War Horse" was overlooked in the major categories but gained five nominations, including cinematography, visual effects and music.

___

On the Net: http://www.bafta.org

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

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_en_mo/eu_britain_film_awards

nfl playoffs cincinnati bengals bengals the stand josh mcdaniels cotton bowl wizards of waverly place

Want To Build A Startup? Entrepreneurs & App Developers Are Going B2B

You may have heard someone say, or said yourself: "I want to build a business, what should I focus on?" Obviously, the possible answers are nearly infinite. Steve Poland wrote a great post in December that addresses this question directly. I would agree with Steve's main piece of advice for founders and entrepreneurs: Focus on problems. Start with a space you know, and ask yourself what's broken -- big or small. Or, here's an alternative approach, which applies to both app developers and founders. Not only should you do market analysis to see what is already working (and not working), but find out which spaces/categories are already saturated. It's not that high frequency alone should be a deterrent, but just because one category is popular, it doesn't necessarily follow that you can't make money (or more importantly, build something disruptive) in another.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/zQXIm3AgmSA/

john lennon death c.j. wilson three stooges pujols mythbusters miami marlins hanley ramirez

Video: Justice for Bonnie, Part 5

Dateline NBC

'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/45991315#45991315

truffles truffles houston weather 316 william daley demaryius thomas transtar

Recreating Afghanistan's soundtrack, one young musician at a time

By Cheryll Simpson
Kabul, Afghanistan

The yellow rickety bus pulls up at the big iron gates. Enthusiastic students, in the midst of a harsh winter, arrive quickly. Others soon appear by foot or pushbike, and they all line up for their daily security pat-down to enter school. But this isn?t just any school, this is Afghanistan?s revived institution for the education of young Afghan musicians.

Ahmad Sarmast, 49, the founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, is an Afghan national from Australia who lives in Kabul most of the year.

?I identified the need to establish a dedicated music college, where the most disadvantaged kids of Afghan society can get their general education and specialist training in music that will guarantee them a bright future,?? he said.

The jovial father of two comes from a family with a rich musical pedigree --?his father was the late, well-known Afghan musician Ustad Sarmast. The younger Sarmast wanted to use that reputation and his qualifications to help his native country. His vision for the school took root in 2006 after he earned his Ph.D. in music at Monash University in Melbourne.

Several years later, the school is thriving, and music teachers come from all over the world to instruct the students.? Instrument tuition ranges from drums, piano and violin to traditional string instruments such as the Sarod and Rubab.

One of the students, who goes by the name Sapna, is an orphan from Jalalabad who is believed to be 9 years old. Now, she says, she can envision a future for herself.

?When they did [the] entrance exam I chose piano -- and I also like violin,? she said. ??I want to be famous all over the world. All kids should learn these things.?

Afghan culture had always provided a rich tapestry of music tradition and history, but when the Taliban captured power in the 1990s, they forcibly banned music in Afghanistan. Musicians suffered discrimination ? in many areas only chanting was permitted. Post-Taliban, Sarmast witnessed a bleak and discouraging picture of the music scene.

?When I saw that very grave picture ? I decided my country needs me and I have to return back to Afghanistan,? Sarmast said. ?That was the major factor for my decision.?

The school now has 140 students with 50 percent of the school enrollment each year reserved for the disadvantaged kids from Afghan society: orphans, street vendors and girls. Sarmast said his school is committed to not only promote music, but to rebuild ruined lives and to empower the women of Afghanistan?to practice and listen to music.

?While we are preserving or reserving 50 percent of the places for the most disadvantaged group of Afghan society, the other 50 percent are the most talented kids of Afghanistan,? he said.??"If they?ve got the talents, we do everything to have them here.?

People in the community are very supportive of the promotion of music, and music education, Sarmast said. ? everyone is trying to get their kids here so that says a lot.?

One man who shares the same vision as Sarmast is popular music teacher William Harvey from Indianapolis, Ind.?who has been teaching at the school since March 2010.? Harvey said he believes in the power of music to transcend cultural barriers. ?It?s a positive experience that transforms the relationship between the countries one person at a time,? he said.

?When I first came here they could only play ?Love Story?, or ?Godfather?, now I have two top students learning Bach?s concerto for two violins,? he added.

Harvey said the students are exceptional and unusual. Teaching the Afghans differs from teaching students in the U.S. because the students often come from very difficult backgrounds.?

?It?s also possible in the U.S., but the social mechanism to support them isn?t always there. If a child is being beaten constantly by her father there is no child protective services here," Harvey said.?"We do have children that used to be selling chewing gum on the street but thanks to the sponsorship program initiated by Dr. Sarmast, now they are studying violin with me.?

Harvey recalled a student of his, a girl who was forced to work on the streets, begging for small change to support her family. Her father had been paralyzed after being beaten with an electric cable during the Taliban?s reign.

"Instead of working on the streets this girl is now studying violin -- and I believe that she has a good shot at a career, not just in Afghanistan but perhaps internationally given the talent that she has shown.?

Harvey said he believes cultural diplomacy is essential for the United States' relationship with Afghanistan. "I remember conducting the orchestra for President Karzai, four times now, and one of those times someone who was a member of the previous government came up to me and shook my hand and I thought, ?Wow ? this is amazing,'? he said. "Because you know under the government that he served music was banned. And here he is shaking hands with an American who just conducted Afghan children ? boys and girls playing Afghan music.?

Sarmast is confident that in 10 years there will be at least three other music schools in Afghanistan.? ?That?s my vision and I?m dedicated to establishing three more. But on the other end I see, and it?s clearly in front of my eyes, the first symphony orchestra of Afghanistan completed by the graduates of ANIM!? he said excitedly.?

"When they play I can see the happiness in their faces ? and how much they are enjoying it,? he said. ?On Sunday I was in the orchestra room and they were rehearsing I couldn?t control my tears when I came out of the studio.?

Source: http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/13/10150258-recreating-afghanistans-soundtrack-one-young-musician-at-a-time

mendenhall nbc sports network demarcus cousins mount rainier savannah brinson ohio state football michigan state

France rating could go lower, but no euro zone break up: S&P (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? France risks another downgrade of its sovereign credit rating if its public debt and budget deficit deteriorate further, Standard & Poor's said on Saturday, a day after it cut the country's top-notch AAA rating by one notch to AA+.

"The deficits could increase from the relatively high levels where they are already and reach certain thresholds in the general government debt and deficit ratios, which might lead to another lowering of the rating," S&P credit analyst Moritz Kraemer told a conference call.

Kraemer said the ratings agency was not considering a breakup of the single currency area and that such a scenario was not being factored into its ratings decisions.

(Writing by Luke Baker and Robin Emmott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/bs_nm/us_eurozone_sp_france

golden globe nominees vernon davis cruise ship italy miss america gisele bundchen patriots broncos game new orleans saints

Wearing contact lenses can affect glaucoma measurements

Public release date: 13-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Ritter
jritter@lumc.edu
708-216-2445
Loyola University Health System

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- A study about how wearing contact lenses affects glaucoma measurements has been named the top presentation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine's annual St. Albert's Day research symposium.

First author of the study is Marie Brenner, a fourth-year student at Stritch School of Medicine.

Brenner and colleagues studied the effects of contact lens wear on retinal nerve fiber layer measurements, which ophthalmologists use to diagnose and manage glaucoma. The researchers found that in patients with lower refractive errors, better quality measurements were obtained without contact lenses in place. But in patients with higher refractive errors, wearing contact lenses could improve measurements. (A refractive error is an error in the way the eye focuses light.)

Brenner, who is from Grand Rapids, Mich., plans to do her residency in ophthalmology. Her co-authors are Pooja Jamnadas, MD; Peter Russo, OD; and Shuchi Patel, MD.

St. Albert's Day is an annual event that showcases research by students, residents, fellows, post-doctoral researchers and faculty members at Stritch. It is named after St. Albert the Great (1206-1280), a German philosopher and theologian known as "teacher of everything there is to know."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 13-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Ritter
jritter@lumc.edu
708-216-2445
Loyola University Health System

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- A study about how wearing contact lenses affects glaucoma measurements has been named the top presentation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine's annual St. Albert's Day research symposium.

First author of the study is Marie Brenner, a fourth-year student at Stritch School of Medicine.

Brenner and colleagues studied the effects of contact lens wear on retinal nerve fiber layer measurements, which ophthalmologists use to diagnose and manage glaucoma. The researchers found that in patients with lower refractive errors, better quality measurements were obtained without contact lenses in place. But in patients with higher refractive errors, wearing contact lenses could improve measurements. (A refractive error is an error in the way the eye focuses light.)

Brenner, who is from Grand Rapids, Mich., plans to do her residency in ophthalmology. Her co-authors are Pooja Jamnadas, MD; Peter Russo, OD; and Shuchi Patel, MD.

St. Albert's Day is an annual event that showcases research by students, residents, fellows, post-doctoral researchers and faculty members at Stritch. It is named after St. Albert the Great (1206-1280), a German philosopher and theologian known as "teacher of everything there is to know."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/luhs-wcl011312.php

dale sveum jets broncos thursday night football demi moore johnny jolly johnny jolly demi moore and ashton kutcher

Indian Muslims demand author Rushdie be denied entry (Reuters)

LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) ? Muslim leaders have demanded India ban Salman Rushdie from entering the country to attend a literary festival, re-igniting a decades-old row about the Booker prize-winning author's works.

Rushdie's 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses" was considered blasphemous by many Muslims and sparked calls for him to be killed, forcing the writer into hiding for years. He has visited India since, although the book is still banned there.

"India is a country where the sentiments of each community and caste are respected and therefore such a man should not be permitted to come to the country," Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, a prominent Muslim cleric, told Reuters.

His comments echoed those of other clerics at a high-profile Muslim seminary who said Rushdie had offended tens of millions of Muslims by insulting the Prophet Mohammad, according to statements made to Indian media.

Rushdie rejected the demand he be denied a travel permit.

"... for the record, I don't need a visa," the Indian-born Rushdie said on Twitter.

Many comments on the microblogging website on Tuesday supported Rushdie, who won the Booker prize for his novel "Midnight's Children" in 1981.

Muslims represent about 13 percent of India's 1.2 billion people.

Rushdie is due to attend Asia's largest literary festival in

historic Jaipur city from January 20-24.

(Writing by Matthias Williams; additional reporting by Matthias Williams, Annie Banerji and Nigam Prusty in NEW DELHI)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120110/wl_nm/us_india_rushdie_visa

kim jong ii dead snapdragon snapdragon kim jong ill dead wedding crashers next iron chef next iron chef