Brie Larson looks radiant in red as she heads home after a night out at the Chateau Marmont on Sunday night (January 12) in West Hollywood, Calif.

The 24-year-old actress recently opened up about the genuine portrayal of a high school experience in her film The Spectacular Now.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Brie Larson

It was definitely a conversation between James [Ponsoldt] and Shailene [Woodley] and Miles [Teller] and myself, she told Parade. Even little things like having the conversations about how none of us were really going to exercise and how we would just eat what we want. I just felt like we all kind of fell into and embraced the idea of getting a little dirty, in a way. I started thinking about it after I read the script. I had never seen a movie about high school that felt like what high school felt like to me. Its usually either an extreme or terrifying interpretation of it or its a John Hughes movie. I still feel like The Spectacular Now is the closest that Ive seen to that.

10+ pics inside of Brie Larson leaving the Chateau Marmont

Like Just Jared Jr. on FB

Share This! Like what you see?

See the original post:

Brie Larson: 'The Spectacular Now' Portrayed High School in a Real Way

The future is rapidly approaching for many of the Red Sox top prospects. Boston is holding its 2014 Rookie Program this week, in which 10 of the organizations top prospects will participate in workouts and seminars focused on easing each players transition to the major league level. Its obviously not a guarantee that any of the players participating in the program will make their way to The Show in 2014, but the camp typically involves players who are believed to be 12- to 18 months away from making the majors.

Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. two players expected to be in the Red Sox 2014 Opening Day lineup participated in the Rookie Camp last offseason and made their major league debuts in 2013.

The complete list of 2014 Rookie Camp participants can be seen at the link below. But with the program in full swing, this seems like a good time to look at which players in the Red Sox organization could make their MLB debuts in 2014. Lets sort them according to their odds of being called up at some point this year.

(Bogaerts, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and some others technically can be considered prospects, but lets focus on those who have yet to taste the majors.)

Strong chance of making MLB debut in 2014

Christian Vazquez, C

Christian Vazquezs rocket arm turned heads at spring training last year, and the Red Sox have high hopes for both him and fellow catching prospect Blake Swihart. Swihart is a year or two away from breaking into the majors, but Vazquez is on the cusp of a call-up and could find himself in The Show at any moment. The Red Sox were reluctant to give Jarrod Saltalamacchia or any other catcher a multiyear contract this offseason because they view Vazquez and Swihart as their future catching tandem.

Vazquez spent most of his 2013 season with Double-A Portland, where he threw out a league-best 47 percent of would-be base stealers. The 23-year-old also made strides offensively, hitting .289 with a .376 on-base percentage in 96 Eastern League games. A.J. Pierzynski and David Ross are penciled in as Bostons two major league catchers for 2014, but both are aging veterans and Ross has a concussion history. Vazquez could find himself in the majors if either gets hurt, although the Red Sox would need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to call him up.

Vazquez is one of this years Rookie Camp participants.

Read this article:

Christian Vazquez, Bryce Brentz Among Red Sox Prospects Eyeing 2014 MLB Debut

Jan 14, 2014 11:36am

ABC News Taylor Behrendt and Tara Berardi report:

The Golden Globes red carpet was packed with some major fashion show-stoppers, but two unique looks in particular had heads turning and people talking.

The first was Harry Potter starlet Emma Watson, stunning the crowd in a peek-a-boo pant number by Christian Dior.

Cameron Silver, owner of Decades in Los Angeles, notes that Watson has rocked the pants look before and says we should expect to see it even more in the future.

What I loved about Emma Watsons look is that she looked demure from the front, but gave us complete drama in the back, Silver told ABC News, adding this style could be a hint of what might be seen next week in Paris at the couture shows. I think this is a very modern, fresh perspective on how to dress. This was definitely the intention of the look.

RELATED: Inside Julia Roberts Golden Globes Prep

The other hybrid that had tongues wagging was Julia Roberts Dolce and Gabbana number, which was designed just for her. The belted and bejeweled part dress and part blouse ensemble caused a frenzy online.

This year she gave us a new idea and I think a lot of people were surprised, said Silver. But shes a trendsetter in her own non-fashionista way. Shes never a fashion victim. She wears what she likes and Dolce and Gabbana custom-made this look for her and I thought it was really flattering.

Here is the original post:

Dress Hybrids: How Julia Roberts, Emma Watson Broke the Red Carpet Mold

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (WFLX) - Should Palm Beach County continue to use red-light cameras?

Their future in unincorporated Palm Beach County will be discussed by the county commission at Tuesday's meeting.

Palm Beach County's contract for its red-light camera program, which has been in operation since June 21, 2009, expires in June.

Currently, there are 17 cameras in use at eight different intersections.

A study of crash data, from four key intersections by Palm Beach County for the 22 months before red-light cameras and 22 months after using the cameras, showed no change in the total number of crashes.

The county study shows rear-end crashes are up; however, left turn crashes and angle crashes are down at intersections using the cameras.

Palm Beach County does not currently issue tickets for drivers who enter an intersection less than 0.5 seconds after the light turns red.

Some cities in Palm Beach County that operate their own red light camera program do not have a grace period, and their ticket numbers are higher than the county's.

Palm Beach County traffic engineers say most crashes occur when a driver runs a red light eight seconds or more after the signal changes.

The County Commission on Tuesday will consider extending the contract for red-light cameras, as well as continuing the 0.5 second grace period for drivers.

Read more here:

Red-light cameras' may become obsolete

"Did everybody forget Bill Gates' 'If they are gonna pirate, I want them to pirate from us' bit?" Slashdot blogger hairyfeet warned. "Every one using Cent is NOT using Ubuntu; more importantly, they are learning the RH way of doing things. I have no doubt Red Hat will begin offering support contracts for CentOS, as well as an upgrade option. Better they learn RH than learn Debian."

There's no doubt privacy is a highly pertinent goal for 2014, but partnership and collaboration are nothing to sneeze at, either.

That's why the news out of North Carolina last week was so exciting.

"Red Hat and the CentOS Project today announced they are joining forces to build a new CentOS," the press release began, "capable of driving forward development and adoption of next-generation open source technologies."

Yes, that's right -- Linux heavyweight Red Hat and RHEL-based community distro CentOS are teaming up, leaving more than a few heads spinning -- on Slashdot and down at the Linux blogosphere's Broken Windows Lounge.

'Godspeed the New Meta-Distro'

"I think it's a fantastic idea," consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack told Linux Girl. "Not everyone wants the full service package of RHEL, but they definitely need security updates."

Indeed, "this kind of forces-joining is what I have dreamed for every GNU/Linux distro family, as opposed to the 'I fork it because I can' policy," enthused Google+ blogger Gonzalo Velasco C.

"CentOS is a successful communitarian GNU/Linux distribution, and everyone knows how much success Red Hat has as an enterprise, even though they have the well-developed community branch Fedora," Gonzalo Velasco C. pointed out.

More here:

Red Hat and CentOS: A Great Thing or a Gates Thing?

SHIFT. NOW BACK TO YOU. AWARDS SEASON KICKED OFF IN HOLLYWOOD LAST NIGHT. RUBEN AND RACHEL IN OUR VIRTUAL SET THIS MORNING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE HITS AND MISSES. GUYS, GOOD MORNING. DON'T GIVE AWAY OUR SECRETS. WE'RE KNOT COVE. LET ME TELL YOU, THE ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT GOLDEN GLOBES IS IT'S REALLY KIND OF THE FIRST LOOK AT THE BIG HITS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH IN HOLLYWOOD AND THEN LAST NIGHT, THE RED CARPET, PHENOMENAL. AND BY THE WAY, HOUSTON, WHO NEEDS A FASHIONISTA OR FASHION EXPERT WHEN YOU HAVE RACHEL McNEILL? ALL RIGHT, GUYS, LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. SOPHIA VERGARA, MY FAVORITE. SHE'S WEARING ZAC POSEN. SHE LOOKS HOT, HOT, HOT. SHE WORKS IT. SHE'S LIKE THE MOVIE GODDESS. YES OF SHE'S THAT HOUR GLASS FIGURE AND I LOVE THE POP OF COLOR THAT SHE HAS WITH THE BLACK, SO I THINK SHE JUST LOOKS ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL. SHE TENDS TO SHOW OFF A LOT OF, A LOT OF EVERYTHING, SO I WAS GLAD SHE WAS COVERED UP IN ELEGANCE. SHE WENT ON AN ATOMIC CAKE BINGE RIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW. SHE SPLIT HER DRESS LAST SEASON, SO I WAS GLAD SHE WAS ABLE TO KEEP EVERYTHING CONTAINED THIS YEAR. ZOE ZALDANA, NOT MY FAVORITE. SHE USUALLY DOES A GREAT JOB ON THE RED CARPET, BUT THIS TIME, WAY TOO MUCH FABRIC, WAY TOO MUCH COLOR. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, RACHEL IF IS LOOK AT HER FACE OF SHE IS JUST NOT FEELING THIS LOOK. SHE'S EITHER I'M STARVING AND I HATE THIS DRESS I THINK IS WHAT SHE'S THINKING TO HERSELF, BUT IT'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON WITH THE SHEER AT THE BOTTOM AND THERE'S JEWELS AND THERE'S OFF THE SHOULDER AND THEN THE HAIR PULLED BACK. I AGREE. SHE GETS VERY NERVOUS ON THE RED CARPET BEFORE ANY BIG AWARDS SHOW. SO ONE OF MY OTHER FAVORITES, TAYLOR SWIFT, OH MY GOODNESS! OLD HOLLYWOOD GLAM RIGHT HERE WEARING CAROLINA HERRERA. DON'T YOU LIKE IT? I LOVE IT. YOU KNOW, I DON'T LOVE THIS LOOK BECAUSE IT'S OVERWHELMING. IT'S A LOT OF FABRIC FOR HER, I THINK, SO IT'S NOT ONE OF MY FAV. I DON'T LOVE HER HAIR AND MAKEUP, BUT SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN A STEAMER. I DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THIS ONE. THUMBS DOWN. DREW BARRYMORE, AS A MOTHER, SHE IS GLOWING, BUT WHAT IS UP WITH THIS OUTFIT? OH MY GOSH! THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF FLOWERS. YOU KNOW IT'S BAD WHEN YOU HEAR OWEN SCREAMING. GOING THROUGH PREGNANCIES, I'LL NEVER FORGET, YOU TRY TO STICK TO SOLIDS BECAUSE I WORE SOMETHING CRAZY ON THE AIR AND A VIEWER eMAILED ME AND SAID, YOU LOOK LIKE BIG BIRD, AND SO YOU HAVE TO LEARN THAT LESS IS MORE. HE WAS RIGHT. ONE OF MY FAVORITES NOW, OWEN AND YANEZ ARE GOING TO LOVE MARGO ROBBY, THE STAR OF WOLFF WALL STREET, AND SHE'S WEARING GUCCI, GUCCI, GUCCI. YOU CANNOT GO WRONG. SHE IS GORGEOUS. SHE'S GOT THE HAIR WORKING. I LOVE THE ADDRESS. GORGEOUS COLOR ON HER. AND LET ME TELL YOU, WHITE IS NOT EASY TO PULL OFF. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OLIVIA WILD, A BABY BUMP, ALL WHILE WEARING GUCCI, SHE DID HER THING. THAT IS HOW YOU WORK MATERNITY. THAT IS MATERNITY CHIC. KEEP IT ALL IN COLOR, SHE HAD THAT BEAUTIFUL EMERALD. I LOVE IT. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. AND I LOVE YOU! I'M GOING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE GUNS BECAUSE THEY SCARE ME, BECAUSE YOU REALLY SCARE ME, GIRL.

View post:

Red carpet showdown: winners and losers at the Golden Globes

Awards season officially kicked off on Sunday (January 12) with the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood's A-listers from movies and television came together to swarm the red carpet, but the star that stood out above the rest had to be the fashion.

On a night when glitz, glamour and elegance are always on full display, this year's looks did not disappoint. Stars took risks with their looks, donning shimmering metallic gowns, nude dresses and a whole lot of red.

Amy Adams, Taylor Swift and Julia Louis-Dreyfus all opted to wear red on the red carpet, but it was "12 Years a Slave" actress Lupita Nyong'o who perfected the look. Wearing a striking Ralph Lauren caped gown, Nyong'o instantly turned into a household name and a budding fashion icon.

The Best Dressed Celebs At The Globes

"This gorgeous red dress with this crazy cape, actually very simple and it just complements the tone of her skin," Jarvis Derrell from the blog She Has Had It told MTV News. "I just wanted to know who this girl was."

Was Jennifer Lawrence channeling "The Little Mermaid" with her dress?

Nyong'o's competition for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Jennifer Lawrence, who crashed Swift's red carpet interview before winning her award, wowed once again in a white Dior strapless gown separated by black bands.

"I love Jennifer Lawrence. She's like America's favorite stepsister. She is so quirky and funny, and then she changes it up with the pixie haircut, which looks great in this gown," Derrell said. "She can do no wrong for me on the red carpet."

Emma Watson wears a glamorous apron and pants to the Globes.

A dominating trend on the red carpet had to be a very big accessory: the baby bump. Drew Barrymore sported a floral Monique Lhuillier look, while Olivia Wilde simply sparkled in an emerald Gucci gown. But it was "Scandal" star Kerry Washington who may have stolen the show as she confirmed her pregnancy on the carpet while glowing in Balenciaga.

Originally posted here:

Who Wore It Best At The Golden Globes?

SHILLONG: RTI activist Rev K Pyrtuh has slammed the State Government for not respecting the apex court ruling on the use of red beacons. The apex court has banned the use of red beacons after seeing its misuse by the people in power, Pyrtuh said while speaking at the street corner meeting on Lokayukta here on Saturday. He said that the State is experiencing a very dangerous trend with the abuse and misuse of power by the people at the top. This form of corruption is more dangerous since people are taking advantage of the position they are holding, Rev Pyrtuh said. The RTI activist said that the common people welcomed this ruling of the Supreme Court since they saw how these red beacons were misused. We would want the Government to respect and implement the Supreme Court ruling in letter and spirit, he said. Meanwhile, he urged the people to participate in the red beacon campaign launched by the Thma U Rangli (TUR), a group led by social activist Angela Rangad. We urge the citizens to click photographs of vehicles using the red beacon, and file complaints before the police, Pyrtuh appealed. In December last year, the Supreme Court had ruled that only constitutional authorities were entitled to the privilege of using red beacons. Constitutional authorities include the President, Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, governors, Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court judges and the heads of both houses of Parliament. The court asked the Centre and state governments to furnish the list of authorities, who are entitled to use the red beacon within a period of three months. It said emergency vehicles and police jeeps should be assigned blue beacons. In Meghalaya, even vehicles bearing private registration use the red beacon, the symbol of power, with impunity. Besides blaring sirens, these vehicles with red beacons travel at lightning speed. But no one has an idea whether the actual user of such privileges is entitled to such rights. Rangad said abuse of power and public funds was just another form of corruption. If you see a vehicle with a red beacon going to the market, please click a picture, and release it to the media. Citizens can also directly contact us for any assistance, he said. The social activist said the campaign was only to help implement the Supreme Court ruling. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma did not mince words when he said there were politicians who resort to populist strategies by refusing to occupy bungalows or utilize the red beacon. Different people adopt different approaches to governance. I need not tell my colleagues that we should only replicate somebody elses approach to governance, because I believe not in rhetoric, but in actual demonstration of our commitment and resolve to serve the people and take the state forward, Sangma had said.

Read more:

Govt criticised over red beacons

A volunteer with the Calloway County Chapter of the American Red Cross left Murray Friday on a deployment to assist in efforts to restore drinking water to residents in West Virginia in the wake of a chemical spill.

Calloway County Chapter Director Matt Hamblen confirmed that LeRoy Harris, who lives in Buchanan, Tenn., left Murray with the Calloway chapters emergency response vehicle Friday morning en route to West Virginia.

He does live in Tennessee but hes been with us the last two years so we think hell do his job well, Hamblen said. The main thing were looking at for him is helping out with bulk distribution of water for the people up there, so he is taking our ERV, and we should hear from him (Friday night) and, from there, it will just be a matter of where hes asked to go and help it any way he can.

Hamblen said he was notified that a volunteer from the Calloway chapter was being sought for deployment Thursday evening.

The Associated Press said schools and restaurants closed, grocery stores sold out of bottled water and state legislators who had just started their session canceled the day's business after a chemical spill in the Elk River in Charleston, W.Va., shut down much of the city and surrounding counties even as the extent of the danger remained unclear.

AP said the federal government joined the state early Friday in declaring a disaster, and the West Virginia National Guard planned to distribute bottled drinking water to emergency services agencies in the nine affected counties. In requesting the federal declaration, which makes federal resources available to the state, state officials said about 300,000 people were affected.

AP added that federal authorities are also launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the spill and what caused it, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said in a news release Friday. The spill happened Thursday, causing Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to order customers of West Virginia American Water to not drink, bathe, cook or wash clothes with tap water.

See the original post:

Red Cross volunteer heads to West Virginia

General Sources - Saturday 11th January, 2014

Seven people were wounded Saturday in Bangkok when shots were fired at a site where a massive protest rally is scheduled to be held Monday, Thai officials say.It was unclear if those hurt were anti-government protesters or security guards with the People's Democratic Reform Committee, which is organizing the rally, the Bangkok Post reported.The protests come in advance of Feb. 2 elections ...

The Independent - Saturday 11th January, 2014

Seven people have been shot and injured today, raising the spectre of more violence in the coming days as anywhere up to 100,000 protesters are expected to descend on the city, united in one aim: forcing out the government. The authorities are planning to deploy more than 14,000 soldiers and police to try and maintain order. One foreign embassy has warned its expatriate citizens to stock up on ...

News.com.au - Saturday 11th January, 2014

ABOUT seven Thai anti-government protesters have been wounded after gunmen opened fire on a rally in Bangkok, intensifying pressure on the caretaker government ahead of a planned city-wide ...

Christian Science Monitor - Saturday 11th January, 2014

Tensions are high as anti-government protests continue, echoing those in 2006. Protesters hope to shut down Bangkok by blocking traffic Monday. Eight people have been killed in the protests over the past two ...

Mail and Guardian - Saturday 11th January, 2014

Seven people were wounded after gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on anti-government protesters in Bangkok early on Saturday, heightening fears of worsening violence when protesters attempt to "shut down" the capital next week in a bid to overthrow the government. The gunmen opened fire on protesters in central Bangkok at around 2am and at least one other attack took place nearby, ...

Continued here:

Red Shirts to counter Bangkok demo

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - The eighth-ranked Villanova Wildcats go in search of their fourth straight victory to open Big East Conference play, as they do battle with the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon.

Villanova is an astounding 14-1 on the season, and the team has won its first three conference games, the last two in relatively easy fashion. The Seton Hall Pirates were the latest to fall victim to the Wildcats, doing so on Wednesday night in an 83-67 final in Newark, New Jersey. Villanova's only loss of the campaign came against former league rival Syracuse on Dec. 28, and the 'Cats are 3-1 in true road games.

St. John's is hoping to put the brakes on a two-game slide today, as the team has dropped its first two conference games, both on the road, to Xavier (70-60) and Georgetown (77-60). As a result, the Red Storm bring an overall record of 9-5 into this clash, and they will be trying to secure their eighth home win in nine chances this season. SJU is 0-2 against ranked foes this season, dropping decisions to both Wisconsin (86-75) and Syracuse (68-63).

St. John's owns a 59-47 lead in the all-time series with Villanova, but the Wildcats won a pair of meetings last season and have claimed victory in nine of the last 10 overall.

As one might imagine, Villanova is enjoying tremendous success at both ends of the court this season, putting up 81.3 ppg behind typical shooting efforts of .462 overall and .351 from 3-point range, while allowing 65.5 ppg, with foes hitting only 39.1 percent of their total shots, including 34.3 percent of their long-range launches. The Wildcats goad the opposition into more than 16 turnovers per outing, while laying claim to a +5.0 rebounding margin. The team boasts three double-digit scorers in JayVaughn Pinkston (16.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg), James Bell (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Darrun Hilliard (14.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg), with three others (Josh Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono, Dylan Ennis) netting between 8.5 and 9.7 ppg.

Pinkston scored his 1,000th career point in the recent win over Seton Hall, as he finished with 17 points and six rebounds. Hilliard actually led the team with 19 points, thanks to his 4-of-5 effort from beyond the arc, while Arcidiacono drained three treys to tally 14 points, and Hart chipped in with 11 points and five boards coming off the bench. Villanova shot 52.0 percent from the field, knocking down 12-of-23 3-point tries along the way, while also converting 19-of-22 free throws. As for the Pirates, they shot 45.8 percent from the floor, which included nine treys, but committed 16 turnovers.

St. John's got off to a poor start in its recent clash with Georgetown, shooting a mere 21.4 percent from the field in the opening half en route to a 42-16 halftime deficit. Things improved dramatically for the Red Storm after the break (.567 FG percentage, 44 points), but the hole was simply too deep to dig out from and the team suffered a double-digit defeat as a result. Max Hooper and Sir'Dominic Pointer were the only two SJU players to reach double figures in the game, netting 13 and 11 points, respectively. The Hoyas used a 22-10 edge in points from the foul line to aid their overall effort.

D'Angelo Harrison has been the Red Storm's top player this season, and he ranks fourth in the Big East in scoring with an average of 18.5 ppg. He had a disastrous outing against Georgetown, however, going just 1-of-12 from the field to tally a mere four points. JaKarr Sampson (12.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is the only other player averaging double digits for St. John's, which averages 73.1 ppg while permitting 66.4 ppg.

More here:

No. 8 Villanova heads to Big Apple to battle St. John's

ON UPPER RED LAKE -- We're four miles from shore, past the last cluster of ice houses, at the end of the ice road, approaching a pressure ridge.

But it's not the end of the line for Brad Hawthorne, who's piloting his "Otter Train." The freight cars are three portable ice shelters, and the locomotive is his Polaris 4-wheeler that has tracks instead of wheels.

"Just out there, there should be some dirty water from this pressure ridge," he says over the drone of the motor, not yet squinting into the approaching sunrise. "And we'll be away from all the activity."

The machine surmounts the snowdrifts with ease, and soon we're there: on the edge of a pressure ridge, 100 yards or so away from the nearest sign of human activity.

And, as we'll soon confirm, we're sitting above a pile of walleye.

The lack of features atop this frozen expanse is matched only by the lack of features below the ice.

Upper Red Lake's bottom is primarily a basin, where depth changes of a single foot are noteworthy elements of "structure."

Topside, the only landmarks are groups of ice fishing houses, cul-de-sacs planted off the ice roads that, if not kept plowed amid this year's snow, would surely leave even 4x4 owners marooned. The more you look, the more you see. Perhaps 1,000 houses on this weekend.

And so it is below the ice, where the real landmarks are clusters -- enormous schools sometimes -- of walleye.

The only question is whether the fish will be beneath the houses.

See the article here:

Red Lake ice fishing: On the move for walleye

TALLAHASSEE

Installation of new red-light cameras would be banned across the state under a bill that passed a key committee in the Florida House Thursday, signaling a renewed debate over the devices use to catch traffic-light violations.

The measure, approved 10-3 by the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee, would prohibit cities and counties from installing cameras after July 1 and would sharply limit the revenue that local governments could raise from the enforcement systems.

The bill would not affect the cameras already in use by the estimated 77 local governments in Florida including Sarasota, Bradenton and Manatee County.

We are not removing the cameras that are already there, said Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami. What were saying is that the local governments are not going to profiteer from it. ... If its about safety, make it about safety.

Artiles said leaving the existing cameras in place would meet the safety concerns raised by camera advocates, while at the same time reducing the revenue being generated for the cities, counties and the state. Critics have called the cameras a back-door tax for local governments.

The bill is opposed by local governments and law enforcement advocates.

Our message has never changed or wavered, said Chris Connell, a Tallahassee police officer representing the Florida Police Chiefs Association. We do believe that the red-light cameras are a safety improvement and they do save lives.

Connell was not able to offer any crash statistics but said his city has seen a significant decrease in red-light violations since the cameras have been installed. That tells us driving habits have been changed, he said.

Artiles noted the safety statistics are unclear since a quarter of the local governments using the cameras do not provide any crash information to the state.

See the original post:

House panel votes to ban new red-light cameras

SHILLONG: The Megh-alaya Chief Ministers disregard for restricting the use of red beacons in Government vehicles comes in conflict with the Supreme Court order limiting the use of red beacons and sirens only to the constitutional heads. When a question was asked on the Governments action on the misuse of red beacons in Government vehicles on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma remained non-committal. However, the stand of the Chief Minister may invoke contempt of court if the State does not follow the instructions of the Supreme Court. Different from the views of the Chief Minister, a political department official said that the police and the transport department had been asked to act on the Supreme Court order and also make a list of those who can use the read beacons and sirens. The law department has also been consulted to define constitutional heads. However, many ministers and officers still continue to use red beacons. Strangely, though police had been asked to take action as per the Supreme Court order on red beacons, DGP PJP Hanaman has been seen moving with red beacons and sirens accompanied by escort . While some lower level officials had removed red beacons from their vehicles, Senior officials including the Chief Secretary WMS Parait are yet to remove the red beacons from their official vehicles. When contacted, the Transport Minister HDR Lyngdoh said that he is yet to get the copy of the order of the Supreme Court on the matter.

See the article here:

State may face contempt of court

By KEITH HEUMILLER

Staff Writer

Red Bank Councilwoman Cindy Burnham (far right) is sworn into office by state Sen. Jennifer Beck (second from right) at Borough Hall on Jan. 1 as Burnhams daughters (right to left) Emily, Samantha and Kate Thomas, who is not pictured look on. KEITH HEUMILLER/STAFF Despite a long history of disagreement between the Borough Council and its newest member, Red Bank officials say the governing body will continue to function as normal in 2014.

After being sworn into office during the boroughs reorganization meeting on Jan. 1, longtime activist and first-time Councilwoman Cindy Burnham said her past squabbles with her new colleagues will not be a factor going forward.

Ive known these people for 25 years, said Burnham, the first Republican to sit on the council since 2007. They are basically all fine people. We just disagree on certain things. We have different priorities, and I think thats why it was time to get somebody like myself on the council.

Mayor Pasquale Menna, a 26-year veteran of the council, cited a long history with Burnham, saying she had assisted in one of his first campaigns for public office.

She has been extraordinarily dedicated to a number of issues, he said. We look forward to working with her and carving out constructive solutions, ideas and a road map for a lot of our common issues that we all have.

Menna said he does not foresee any Herculean problems on the council this year, pointing to Red Banks history of bipartisanship as proof that differing opinions dont necessarily preclude effective leadership.

The overflow crowd gathered for the Jan. 1 meeting included two of Red Banks more prominent Republican alumni: Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley and state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-11), who administered the oath of office to Burnham.

Other dignitaries included U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), retired Superior Court Judge John DAmico and state Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-11). Addressing the crowd, Menna vowed to pursue a number of new projects and initiatives in 2013, including a joint effort with Count Basie Theatre personnel to establish a Mayors Arts Commission and promote public art projects throughout town.

See the article here:

Red Bank council promises cooperation

There was plenty to talk about from the BCS National Championship, and thats without even getting into the thrilling back-and-forth conclusion to Florida States last-minute, 34-31 victory over Auburn at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

The flag for most unsportsmanlike conduct goes to the mother of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, Dee Dee, who took a charged Twitter shot at winning quarterback Jameis Winstons post-game interview.

Am I listening to English? she tweeted, before quickly deleting it.

She later returned to Twitter and wrote: Any1 that knows our family knows we r far from racist. My tweet was not in anyway meant that way. I sincerely apologize if it offended any1.

Katherine Webb, the model girlfriend of McCarron, favorited another insensitive tweet that read: Jameis Winston needs to learn sign language to communicate because listening to him attempt to speak English is just insulting.

Webb said it was a mistake.

The idea that I am a racist is absolutely stupid and it needs to stop. I was scrolling through my TL and that tweet was accidentally FAV, she tweeted, referring to her timeline.

Winston addressed the criticism Tuesday afternoon with a tweet of his own: For the people that criticize the way that I talk this is for yall. The Florida state Seminoles are national champions! That is all.

*

While Webb, a brunette beauty, stole the nations attention during last years game, it was a redhead that turned heads on Monday night.

See the original post here:

Red Lightning, AJ’s mom and Tim Tebow share BCS spotlight

STORRS As the meteorologists have been saying the past few days, the world can be a cold place to work and play.

They are correct. And sometimes, even the air temperature can be unbearable.

The point is, Houston, in last place in the American Athletic Conference, came to Gampel Pavilion in need of a warm hug.

Their head coach, Todd Buchanan, left in the midst of his eighth season and he did it just before Christmas. Not the best way to build confidence for the future.

Instead, the Cougars felt the biting wind of the nation's No. 1 team during a 90-40 loss before a crowd of 6,257.

Houston (4-11, 0-4) has not won since Buchanan left. That's its cold reality. The Cougars were led by Alecia Smith (11 points).

"We have struggled to play well in the last few games to play really well," said Breanna Stewart, who led the Huskies with 24 points. "During yesterday's practice and this morning's shootaround the big key was fixing that."

The Huskies are as hot as the tropics. And they played like it again against a badly undermanned opponent.

UConn had 17 blocked shots, a program-high and two short of a tying a national record. And it now has won 22 straight dating to last year's NCAA Tournament.

"I have no idea how we do that [block shots]," Stefanie Dolson said, responsible for a career-high seven of them. "We're really big?"

Follow this link:

Red-Hot UConn Women Leave Houston Out In The Cold

General Sources - Wednesday 8th January, 2014

BANGKOK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday, with Singapore and Indonesia recovering from three sessions of falls while Malaysia marked its first gain in six sessions, as strong U.S. trade data bolstered sentiment across Asia. Thai shares bucked the trend as investors booked quick profits in shares such as Airports of Thailand amid domestic political ...

India Today - Wednesday 8th January, 2014

A Monday, December 30, 2013, photo released by the US Customs and Border Protection shows a woman found inside a suitcase in a smuggling attempt at the US-Mexico border. AP ...

The Nation - Wednesday 8th January, 2014

Two medial organisations Wednesday urged the People's Democratic Reform Committee to ensure safety of reporters and that their journalistic duty would not be blocked by protesters on ...

The Straits Times - Wednesday 8th January, 2014

Riot police officers stand behind tear gas canisters and rubber bullets during a demonstration for the media at the Royal Thai Police Sport Club in Bangkok, on Jan 7, 2014. Nearly 15,000 police and soldiers will be deployed in the Thai capital next week for the planned "shutdown" of Bangkok by demonstrators trying to overthrow the government, officials said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: ...

Phuket Gazette - Wednesday 8th January, 2014

PHUKET: Phuket Police are considering discharging a police officer who shot dead a Soi Bangla bar worker on December 26. The 35-year-old Patong Police officer, Sgt Pongsakorn Treeyuth, was off duty and allegedly drunk when he held an 11mm handgun to the head of Sawitree Kaewin, 27 ...

Continue reading here:

No winner as Bangkok heads for shutdown

Basketball, like any sport, can hinge on emotion. Passion, determination and competitiveness can be key for any team to come out on top.

But when a player or coach loses control of their emotions, even for just a moment, it can be costly.

Payson saw that firsthand in the the first half of Tuesday night's game at Springville when some frustration resulted in a Lion technical foul. The Red Devils, who had also been fouled on the play, took advantage by hitting 3-of-4 free throws and draining a 3-pointer.

That six-point possession sparked a 13-3 Springville run that turned a close game in favor of the home team. The Red Devils never looked back, pulling away for the 73-59 win over Payson.

"We had a lot of energy tonight," said Springville head coach Chris Kitchen. "There were some lapses where we got complacent but overall I was pleased with our energy and our offensive execution. Offensively we looked as good as we have all year and thats because we were sharing the basketball."

Kitchen also said that its always important for a team to take advantage of its opportunities, like the stretch that turned the 21-21 contest into a 34-24 Springville lead.

When you have technical fouls, they can be game-changers, he explained. We didnt expect an easy game. I have a lot of respect for Payson head coach Dan Lunt and we knew they would be well-coached, so we expected a dogfight. But little mistakes like that can change the game.

While that run gave the Red Devils the lead, the Lions were still close enough to threaten early in the second half.

With the score 46-39, Springville scored seven straight points to extend the lead and Payson never got the deficit back to single-digits the rest of the way.

I felt like the first few minutes of the second half where we build the lead was the key stretch in the game, Kitchen said.

More here:

Springville Red Devils roll past Payson boys basketball

After a relatively short winter break, Grimm is back to bust some wesen heads. Though theres nothing all that cliffhangery from the last episode of 2013, which was Christmas-themed, the show still has some dangling plot threads to deal with, like Adalinds pregnancy.

The episode opens with the quote To kill Koschei the Deathless, first you must find his soul, which is hidden in an egg, in a duck in a lead chest buried beneath an oak tree.

We then see a jogger in red running to a cover of Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs Little Red Riding Hood, which gives it an echo of the shows pilot (though that episode opened with The Eurythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

Just then Nick jogs by (perhaps its just hat tip). Juliette gets a call from her friend Alicia whose husband Joe beats her. Juliette wants Alicia to come and stay with her and Nick, and Alicia agrees. Nick comes home and though hes been jogging isnt sweaty.

In Vienna, Adalind has coffee with Renard and shes curious why theres a camera in her room. Renard says its because of her pregnancy, and plan to sell the Royal on the black market.

He then suggests she pick a side, specifically his. Back in Portland a young woman is praying that God will kill her when a Boris Mishkin whose eyes glow green cures her, while another a man gets an address and has plans to pay Boris back.

Boris is at a bar getting a young woman drunk (even though hes sitting next to his wife Olga) and is being toasted, and he wants everyone to celebrate, but when he goes to the bathroom hes assaulted by the man seeking revenge, but his Wesen powers send the assassin out a window, and the assassins got a wound that looks fatal.

The assassin stumbles into his apartment trying to make a phone call, but passes out. Juliette calls Alicia, but theres no answer, but just then Alicia pulls up.

Nick and Juliette offer her comfort as she cries, and then she reveals herself to be a wesen. Hank goes through physical therapy with his beautiful physical therapist, and when he tries to ask her out, hes shot down.

View post:

‘Grimm’ Review: Red Menace