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Sunday, December 9, 2012

'Skyfall,' 'Guardians' duel for box-office win

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? James Bond is in a box-office photo finish with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny over what looks to be the last slow weekend of the holidays.

According to studio estimates Sunday, Sony's Bond tale "Skyfall" took in $11 million to move back to No. 1 in its fifth weekend.

That put it narrowly ahead of Paramount's "Rise of the Guardians," the animated adventure of Santa, the Easter Bunny and other mythological heroes that pulled in $10.5 million.

The two movies inched ahead of Summit Entertainment's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," which had been tops for three-straight weekends. The "Twilight" finale earned $9.2 million, slipping into a tight race for No. 3 with Disney's "Lincoln," which was close behind with $9.1 million.

The top movies were bunched up so closely that rankings could change once final weekend revenues are released Monday.

The weekend's only new wide release, Gerard Butler's romantic comedy "Playing for Keeps," flopped with $6 million, coming in at No. 6.

"Skyfall" raised its domestic total to $261.6 million and added $20.3 million overseas to bring its international income to $656.6 million. At $918 million worldwide, "Skyfall" has the best cash haul ever for the Bond franchise and surpassed "Spider-Man 3" at $890 million to become Sony's top-grossing hit.

The "Twilight" finale also is a franchise record-breaker, surpassing the $710 million worldwide haul of last year's "Breaking Dawn ? Part 1." The finale's domestic total now stands at $268.7 million.

It was another traditionally quiet post-Thanksgiving weekend, with big November releases continuing to dominate in the lull before a pre-Christmas onslaught of movies.

The box office is expected to soar next weekend with the arrival of part one of "The Hobbit," Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" prelude. After that comes a steady rush of action, comedy and drama through year's end, including Tom Cruise's "Jack Reacher," Quentin Tarantino and Jamie Foxx's "Django Unchained," Seth Rogen's "The Guilt Trip" and Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe's "Les Miserables."

"The last couple of weeks of the year are some of the strongest every year," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "We are on the cusp of some really huge box office. There's a lot of money still left in the year despite this slow period right now."

Hollywood's domestic revenues have topped $10 billion so far this year, with the industry expected to finish 2012 ahead of the all-time high of $10.6 billion set in 2009.

Trashed savagely by critics, FilmDistrict's "Playing for Keeps" stars Butler as a washed-up soccer star trying to reconnect with his ex-wife (Jessica Biel) and young son. The all-star cast includes Catherine Zeta-Jones and Uma Thurman as soccer moms with the hots for Butler.

In limited release, Bill Murray's Franklin Roosevelt drama "Hyde Park on Hudson" opened solidly with $83,280 in four theaters, averaging a healthy $20,820 a cinema. By comparison, "Playing for Keeps" averaged $2,115 in 2,837 theaters.

Released by Focus Features, "Hyde Park on Hudson" stars Murray as Roosevelt, whose intimate relations with a distant cousin (Laura Linney) become both a source of strength and distraction as the president plays host to the king and queen of England on the eve of World War II.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Skyfall," $11 million ($20.3 million).

2. "Rise of the Guardians," $10.5 million ($26 million international).

3. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," $9.2 million.

4. "Lincoln," $9.1 million.

5. "Life of Pi," $8.3 million.

6. "Playing for Keeps," $6 million.

7. "Wreck-It Ralph," $4.9 million ($5.8 million international).

8. "Red Dawn," $4.3 million.

9. "Flight," $3.1 million.

10. "Killing Them Softly," $2.7 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skyfall-guardians-duel-box-office-win-173344211--finance.html

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Quentin Tarantino: if you think "Django Unchained" is violent, try slavery

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - If you think "Django Unchained" is violent, Quentin Tarantino has a historical reality check for you: Try slavery.

The "Pulp Fiction" auteur is back with an Antebellum revenge flick that according to early screenings pours on the blood and gore. Tarantino told an audience of British Academy of Film and Television Arts members on Thursday that if anything he spared the lash in his depiction of slavery, according to the Guardian.

"We all intellectually 'know' the brutality and inhumanity of slavery," Tarantino said, "but after you do the research it's no longer intellectual any more, no longer just historical record - you feel it in your bones. It makes you angry and want to do something ... I'm here to tell you, that however bad things get in the movie, a lot worse shit actually happened."

Tarantino's comments indicate that he anticipates the irreverent "Django Unchained" - which opens on Christmas Day - will court controversy for setting its story against the backdrop of the slave trade.

The film centers on a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) who partners with a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) to take down a plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) who controls his wife. Candie, who speaks with Magnolia-scented menace in the trailers, owns a mixed-race club in Greenville, Miss., and deals in slave-fights.

Perhaps because the film features Tarantino's trademark sardonic humor, some early viewers have compared "Django Unchained" to the works of Mel Brooks.

"Just watched what was basically a three-hour homage to BLAZING SADDLES,"@LouLumenick tweeted.

But despite the humor, in an interview with Howard Stern this week, Tarantino indicated that he took the responsibility of depicting slavery very seriously. In particular, he said that shooting a scene where a female slave is brutalized brought him to tears and deeply impacted the crew.

"It was early on in the production, and it was the first time we started officially dealing with that kind of ugliness," Tarantino said. "We later got used to dealing with that kind of ugliness. But that first - it was traumatizing to everybody, none less because of the fact that we were doing it in the real slave area of a real plantation where the slaves lived.

"This actually happened on the grounds," he added. "There was blood in that ground. Those trees had memories of everything that happened there. We could feel the spirits of the old slaves on the property."

Of course, Tarantino has taken on controversial subjects before. He turned an ultra-violent and satiric eye at the Nazis and an SD colonel nicknamed the "Jew Hunter" and turned it into "Inglourious Basterds." Dealing with charges of insensitivity, it nonetheless collected over $300 million worldwide and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/quentin-tarantino-think-django-unchained-violent-try-slavery-011805306.html

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One in four physicians uses social media daily

Posted Dec. 7, 2012 ? A new survey shows that about one in four physicians uses social media daily or multiple times a day to scan or explore medical information, and 14 percent use social media each day to contribute new information, according to an oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

The survey of 485 oncologists and primary care physicians, also found that on a weekly basis or more, 61 percent of physicians scan for information and 46 percent contribute new information. More than half said they use online physician-only communities but only 7 percent said they use Twitter. The work was published recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Oncologists are more likely to use social media to keep up with innovation, while primary care physicians are more likely to use social media to get in touch with peers and learn from them, the survey found.

Since the survey was conducted a year and a half ago, it's likely that more physicians are using social media now, says Robert S. Miller, M.D., an assistant professor of oncology and oncology medical information officer at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The amount of information required for medical practice is growing exponentially, he says, and social media provides "a very valid construct for physicians to keep current."

"What did surprise us was the heavy use of online physician-only communities," Miller says. "It's possible that many physicians feel more comfortable with that type of social media instead of a more public space like Twitter or Facebook."

In March 2011, Miller and colleagues e-mailed the survey, about attitudes and usage of social media, to a random sample of 1,695 practicing oncologists and primary care physicians found among the American Medical Association's Physician Masterfile. Social media was defined as "Internet-based applications that allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content, including social networking, professional online communities, wikis, blogs and microblogging."

Of 485 practicing physicians who responded, nearly sixty percent said social media is beneficial, engaging and good way to get current, high-quality information (279 respondents); enables them to care for patients more efficiently (281 respondents); and improves the quality of patient care they deliver (291 respondents). What influenced a physician's usage of social media most were perceived ease of use and usefulness. Physicians who had positive attitudes toward social media were more likely to use it. Neither age nor gender affected use of social media.

More studies are needed to determine how social media impacts physicians' knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors, and its usage among other populations of health care professionals, Miller says.

The study originated from a common interest in social media among Miller and his co-investigators Brian S. McGowan, Ph.D., Molly Wasko, Ph.D., and Bryan Steven Vartabedian, M.D. Funding for the study was provided by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer through McGowan, the lead investigator, who previously was Pfizer's Director of Oncology Medical Education and is now a medical education consultant and blogger. The research was conducted independently from the funding organization.

Coauthors were Brian S. McGowan, Ph.D., of Blue Bell, Pa.; Molly Wasko, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama; Bryan Steven Vartabedian, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine; and Desirae D. Freiherr and Maziar Abdolrasulnia, Ph.D., of CE Outcomes, LLC, of Birmingham, Ala.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Brian S McGowan, Molly Wasko, Bryan Steven Vartabedian, Robert S Miller, Desirae D Freiherr, Maziar Abdolrasulnia. Understanding the Factors That Influence the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Social Media by Physicians to Share Medical Information. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2012; 14 (5): e117 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2138

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/NH0_3vuKIC4/121207225028.htm

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Windows 8, RT, IE10 to Receive Further Critical Patches

Internet Explorer 10 set to receive first security patch as well.

Microsoft is set to release the second round of critical patches through an incoming bug fix update for Windows 8 and RT.

Scheduled for a release on Tuesday, the patches will also affect the other current versions of Windows, including XP, Vista, and Windows 7, in addition to Server 2003 and 2008.

A total of?five of the patches are rated critical, with two being branded important. The critical patches have been designed to close security holes in the operating system that could allow an attacker to infect a system with malicious code.

Should Windows Update be set to automatic, critical patches will automatically be installed, while the ones considered important can be manually installed by users.

Internet Explorer 10 is also set to receive a security fix next Tuesday, which will be its first patch. The critical-rated patch secures holes that could leave a system vulnerable to certain malware. The update will also apply to earlier versions of the browser -- from IE6 through till IE9.

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Source: http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=69decb5f703f1ecbe66d9e0d906397ca

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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Rowers From Norwalk Club Make College Choices

NORWALK, Conn. ? Girls from the Norwalk-based Connecticut Boat Club routinely find their way to some of the nation?s top college rowing programs. This year is no exception, but the path they took is far different from previous years.

Seven girls from the team coached by Liz Trond will continue in college. Six recently committed to colleges. Darien?s Kate Tyrrell to Clemson, Kylie Maier to the University of Pennsylvania and Kate Hickey to Dartmouth have selected their schools. So have Greenwich?s Sarah Mudd to UCLA, Holly Geffs to Yale and Tayla Daniels to Texas. Wilton?s Maggie Roberts is undecided.

Some of the girls have been rowing for less than two years. Others have been competing longer, but with the galaxy of stars at the club over the past two years, competed on backup teams. This fall, all of them blossomed simultaneously, instantly and spectacularly. The college recruiters took notice.

?This group has come a long way from the summer to fall,?? Trond said. ?Even from where they were in September to where they were when we raced in California in November, they showed amazing growth.?

Hickey and Tyrrell were on the CBC Novice 8 that won a gold medal at the Northeast Regional championships in May. Maier won a gold medal on the regional on the Junior Varsity 8+. All of them only began rowing in 2011.

Geffs and Mudd have been with the program longer but took more time to develop. ?They have amazing physiques for rowing,?? Trond said. ?It?s easier to build strength and fitness on smaller athletes. Once you do it with taller girls, the sky is the limit in terms of potential. The college coaches see that physique and it?s something they want to build on.?

Daniels, a native of Australia, joined CBC this fall after competing for a team in Greenwich. ?She chose Texas because she wanted to experience a totally different part of the country,?? Trond said. ?It?s a fabulous rowing venue.?

The reputation the club has developed over the years has helped girls get into the nation?s elite rowing programs. They also put in the work to reach their academic and rowing goals.

?It?s not more rewarding than past years, it?s just different,?? Trond said. ?It?s nice to know there are a lot of different roads. The common denominator is hard work and good grades. It?s nice to show everybody that you don?t have to start real young. It?s a later blossoming sport.?

The seniors have helped foster a team unity more pronounced than in previous years, she said. She believes that will help the team have another successful spring season and provide inspiration for the underclassmen.

?They?re invested in bring up the underclassmen,?? Trond said. ?This is all about the team for them. We?re looking for big things out of this group in the spring.?

Source: http://norwalk.dailyvoice.com/sports/rowers-norwalk-club-make-college-choices

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Friday, December 7, 2012

Phoenix Real Estate Market Best Performing in Nation | For Sale ...

Phoenix Ranks Top in Nation for Real Estate The Phoenix real estate market is back, and is moving in a positive direction.?According to the existing home sales numbers issued by the National Association of Realtors, Phoenix was the best performing market in the United States.?More importantly, it isn?t just inventory that?s reducing, but prices are coming back as well.

The Phoenix market had a 35% increase in the average home price over the same month in 2011. ?This is due in large part to the number of foreclosures that flooded the market in 2011. ?In fact, in September 2011, 50% of all of the homes sold in Phoenix were foreclosures. ?The downward pressure on pricing that foreclosures is the absolute biggest factor in those reduced prices over the last few years. ?Banks in many cases just want to get the home off of their books , and any reasonable offer was accepted. ?When those sales figures started to be factored in, prices plummeted.

Now that those foreclosures have worked their way through the system, just 13% of the homes sold this September were foreclosures. ?The best news of all? ?Analysts predict that the trend will continue into 2013.

New home construction, which previously had been almost non-existent and which often pushes prices in an area up, is back with a vengeance. ?That coupled with low unemployment in Phoenix l, strong demand from retirees, and excellent affordability of quality housing ? the market is primed to be strong especially in the most desirable areas.

If you are currently considering purchasing a home in Phoenix or a surrounding area, please contact us! It would be our pleasure to share with you all of the wonderful opportunities that currently exist in the Phoenix real estate market.

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(all data current as of 12/7/2012)