'X Factor's' Nicole should stop playing it safe

Ray Mickshaw / Getty Images

"The X Factor" has fairly decent judges in L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. But Nicole Scherzinger, second from left, not so much.

By Craig Berman, TODAY.com contributor

Dear Nicole,

I?m writing to you as a public service on behalf of everyone who watches ?X Factor.? I genuinely like the show, but I?m worried about it because right now you?re dragging it down single-handedly.

You?re a judge and a mentor of the over-30s, but as of now, you?re mostly just taking up space. We?re two months into ?X Factor? and I can?t remember a single thing you?ve said. You rarely have anything to say when judging others, nor do you seem to have the same personality from day to day. One week you're headbanging to a Josh Krajcik song, and the next you're sitting there demurely like a soccer mom.

Here's the problem: Right now, you have no identity as a judge. You're not critical.? You're not entertaining. You're not funny. You're never going to out-flake co-judge?Paula Abdul. You had that little made-for-TV feud with Simon Cowell going on for a few episodes, but he?s moved on to L.A. Reid now. You?re just bland and boring.

I know that you may be feeling some pressure. You weren't the first choice as a judge, and I wish they had stuck with the original plan, both because I liked Cheryl Cole and because you would have probably helped Steve Jones to be less stiff as a host. Maybe that?s what?s causing you to react by playing it safe.

It?s disappointing, mostly because I?ve seen you sing. When you?re onstage with the dancers behind you and the audience in front of you, you project total confidence and attitude. In addition, you, more than anyone else on the show, know what it takes to make it in the music business as a manufactured superstar and how hard it is to build on that initial burst of recognition once the show goes away. You?re an original ?Popstar,? for crying out loud, even if few remember Eden?s Crush. You?re a Pussycat Doll.

But when you?re behind the podium, you look like you?re petrified to say anything mean or to make a mistake. And you need to stop behaving like that.

So do the contestants a favor: Be honest with them. Tell Drew that she?s got to do something to bring the show?s energy up every now and then instead of sticking with the teen angst ballads every week. Inform Rachel Crow that she needs to add a little edginess to her personality if she wants to avoid being labeled as a Disney Channel singer. Figure out if Chris Rene is a one-hit wonder with ?Young Homie? or if he?s got something else in the tank. Stop treating the?hopefuls?like precious flowers who will wither and die if criticized, and start telling them what they need to do to succeed.

At the very least, do something besides sit there and offer meaningless platitudes every week. The audience needs more, the contestants need more, and you probably need more if you want to come back next season.

Sincerely,
Craig

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Lloyd's List - Finance - Moody's downgrades Ship Finance ...

Frontline represents approximately 35% of SFI?s long-term charters.

SFI caught up in concerns over Frontline?s plans to restructure

RATINGS agency Moody?s Investors Service has downgraded Ship Finance International, which charters vessels to Frontline, from Ba3 to B1 with a review for possible further downgrade, as a direct result of plans by Frontline to restructure following its deteriorating financial performance.

It has also downgraded SFI?s senior unsecured rating from B1 to B3.

Moody?s vice-president and lead analyst Marco Vetulli said that the action ?reflects Moody?s concerns about the negative implications for SFI?s credit profit of the deterioration in the liquidity position of its counterparty Frontline?.

He pointed out that Frontline represents approximately 35% of SFI?s long-term charters.

?The persistent shipping market stress and the decline in Frontline?s liquidity position has negative implications for SFI for two reasons,? Mr Vetulli said. ?Firstly, it could lead to the company having to restructure the charter contracts it currently has with Frontline, which could lead to a weakening of SFI?s short-term performance. And secondly, it will result in a deterioration in the quality of Ship Finance?s backlog of long-term charterers, which could negatively affect the company?s credit profile.?

This negatively affects SFI?s business model, which is based on stable and visible revenues with most of its assets chartered on long-term contracts.

?Therefore, we have downgraded Ship Finance to B1 from Ba3 because we consider that the company?s corporate family rating will not be commensurate with the Ba rating category,? Mr Vetulli said.

Moody?s said the review of SFI will look at the evolution of Frontline?s liquidity and possible alternatives to alleviate the issue, and the impact of any restructuring at Frontline on SFI?s credit profit and liquidity.

However, it added that a more positive outlook could arise in the longer term if SFI showed progress towards sustaining a retained cash flow to net debt ratio approaching a percentage in the low teens, and a debt to ebitda (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) ratio of under five times.

Analysts have also noted the impact of Frontline?s announcement on SFI. The implication is that Frontline needs to lower the cash breakeven rate for its ships and the only way to lower it to any significant extent is to cut the bareboat charter rate from SFI.

Source: http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/sector/finance/article385364.ece

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Should 'citizen juries' decide illegal immigrant status? (The Week)

New York ? Newt Gingrich wants to put ordinary citizens on juries to decide the fate of illegal immigrants. Is he on to something?

When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich proposed creating a legal mechanism to allow millions of long-term, established illegal immigrants to gain permanent residency, his GOP presidential rivals pounced, attacking him for supporting "amnesty." Gingrich denied that, explaining in Florida over the weekend that under his plan, the onerous "path to legality" would run through local "citizen juries" that would ultimately decide the legal status of eligible immigrants with deep community ties. "It requires trusting citizens rather than bureaucrats," he said. Is his idea smart?

Even hard-liners should (quietly) back Newt's plan: "I've been a real hard-ass on illegal immigration," says Jay Tea in Wizbang, but I'm alright with Gingrich's immigration ideas, even with their "degree of amnesty." The "dark truth" is that some "illegals" are here to stay, and as long as we put some limits on these local juries' ability to grant residency, Newt's compromise seems "workable." The citizen panels even have the "slightly subversive" benefit of taking immigration law out of federal hands.
"Gingrich exposes dark truth on illegal immigration"

There's less here than meets the eye: Local juries would still require a costly "massive new bureaucracy," says Suzy Khimm in The Washington Post, a likely deal-breaker for the Right. Meanwhile, the Left will object that Gingrich's plan heavily favors "well-off immigrants," since applicants must prove they're receiving no federal assistance. It's nice that Gingrich is trying to "bridge the gap in the immigration debate," but the citizen juries can't support the weight of his half-baked solutions.
"Gingrich: Citizen juries should decide which illegal immigrants stay or go"

Give Gingrich credit for original thinking: It's not like "Obama has taken courageous stands to create a clearcut path to citizenship for illegal immigrants," says the Santa Cruz, Calif., Sentinel in an editorial. Gingrich's plan isn't perfect, but he deserves kudos for sticking his neck out with an "actually fairly detailed" and realistic proposal. Besides, giving immigrants a shot at chasing the American dream, instead of automatically ripping them apart from their families, is more than good policy ? it's good politics.
"As we see it: Newt voice on immigration reform"

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South Ossetian election results annulled (AP)

TSKHINVALI, Georgia ? A court in the separatist Georgian province of South Ossetia on Tuesday annulled the results of a presidential election, hours after the opposition candidate danced before supporters to claim victory over her Kremlin-anointed rival.

Anti-corruption crusader and former education minister Alla Dzhioyeva was leading with about 57 percent of Sunday's run-off vote with ballots from 74 of the 85 precincts counted. Her rival Anatoly Bibilov, the emergencies minister in the provincial government, who had been endorsed by Russia's dominant pro-Kremlin party, was trailing with 40 percent.

The South Ossetian Supreme Court stopped the vote count and annulled the results after Bibilov complained of alleged election violations. The court also barred Dhioyeva from participating in a new election, which was set for March 25.

The tiny territory of 60,000 people is dependent on Russia's political and economic support. Moscow recognized South Ossetia as an independent state after the 2008 Russian-Georgian war and expanded its military presence in the region.

Dzhioyeva had declared victory earlier Tuesday and ended her speech with a traditional Ossetian dance as her supporters shouted "Alla!" and "Victory!" Hundreds of her supporters marched across central Tskhinvali to a public school where Dzhioyeva once was a teacher.

Dzhioyeva also supported close ties with Moscow. She had pledged to make the distribution of Russian aid transparent and rebuild houses and infrastructure destroyed by years of neglect and military conflicts between separatists and the central Georgian government.

Bibilov was the choice of the outgoing president, Eduard Kokoity, whom critics have accused of embezzling Russian aid.

Both candidates won about 25 percent of the vote in the first round of the election two weeks ago.

South Ossetians broke away from Georgia in a war in the early 1990s. Spiraling tensions between pro-Russian separatists and the Western-learning Georgian government triggered the brief war between Russia and Georgia.

Asked about the annulment, United States State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was never interested in the results to begin with.

"We don't recognize the legitimacy of the outcome of this runoff presidential election," Toner told reporters. "We reiterate our strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

__

Associated Press writer Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111129/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_south_ossetia_election

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Divergent views signal tough climate talks ahead (AP)

DURBAN, South Africa ? With heat-trapping carbon at record levels in the atmosphere, U.N. climate negotiations opened Monday with pressure building to salvage the only treaty limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S., Europe and the developing countries laid out diverging positions at the outset, signaling tough talks ahead even as South African President Jacob Zuma called for national interests to be laid aside "for a common good and benefit of all humanity."

As if to illustrate the effects of global warming, a fierce storm on the eve of the talks flooded shack settlements and killed at least five people in the port city hosting the international gathering. In a statement, municipal officials said the toll could go as high as 10, based on unconfirmed reports. The climate talks were not affected, though the roof of the sprawling center where the conference was being held was damaged.

Scientists say such unusual weather has become more frequent and will continue to happen more often as the Earth warms, although it is impossible to attribute any individual event to climate change.

The talks face a looming one-year deadline with the expiry next December of the commitment by 37 industrial countries to cut carbon emissions, as required under the Kyoto Protocol. At issue is whether those countries would accept another period of greater emission reductions.

As the talks opened, Canadian television reported that Ottawa will announce its formal withdraw from the Kyoto accord next month. Canada, joined by Japan and Russia, said last year it will not accept new commitments, but renouncing the accord would be another setback to the treaty concluded with much fanfare in 1997.

Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent said he would neither confirm or deny the report.

"This isn't the day. This is not the time to make an announcement," he said.

"Countries are running away from the Kyoto Protocol," said Artur Runge-Metzger, the chief negotiator for the European Union.

Canada's withdrawal would not immediately affect the Durban talks, he said. But doubts about the Kyoto deal were one reason the EU was conditioning its acceptance of new commitments on an agreement in Durban from China, India and other major emitting countries that they will adopt legally binding commitments by 2015.

Developing countries say Kyoto is the only instrument that binds wealthy countries to specific targets.

The protocol was "the cornerstone of the climate regime, and its second commitment period is the essential priority for the success of the Durban conference," Chinese delegate Su Wei told the inaugural session.

U.S. chief delegate Jonathan Pershing said the United States, which shunned Kyoto as unfair, would accept legally binding emissions limits in the future as long as all major emitters took on equal legal obligations.

But the U.S. wants to know exactly what such an agreement would contain before it agreed to the principle of a legal treaty ? which would require the endorsement of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate.

"Putting the form of the action before the substance doesn't make a great deal of sense," Pershing told reporters.

Opposition in Congress, which includes outspoken climate skeptics and a Republican majority generally considered climate-unfriendly, has prompted a widespread belief that U.S. negotiators are foot-dragging on emissions issues.

Christiana Figueres, the U.N.'s top climate official, said Kyoto's future is "the defining issue of this conference." She said an extension of Kyoto targets is linked to pledges that developing countries must make to join the fight against climate change.

The task is daunting, she said, then she quoted anti-apartheid legend and former President Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it is done."

In his address opening the conference, Zuma said global warming already is causing suffering and conflict in Africa, from drought in Sudan and Somalia to flooding in South Africa.

"For most people in the developing world and Africa, climate change is a matter of life and death," said the South African leader.

Zuma said Sudan's drought is partly responsible for tribal wars there, and that drought and famine have driven people from their homes in Somalia. Floods along the South African coast have cost people their homes and jobs, he said.

"Change and solutions are always possible. In these talks, state parties will need to look beyond their national interests to find a global solution for a common good and benefit of all humanity."

One of the greatest threats of global warming is to food supplies.

In its first global assessment of the planet's resources, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that farmers will have to produce 70 percent more food by 2050 to meet the needs of the world's expected 9 billion-strong population.

But most available farmland is already being farmed, and in ways that decrease productivity through practices that lead to soil erosion and wasting of water, the FAO said in a report released Monday in Rome.

Climate change compounded problems caused by poor farming practices, it found. Adjusting to a changing world will require $1 trillion in irrigation water management alone for developing countries by 2015, the FAO said.

___

Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

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Euro rises against dollar on European debt hopes (AP)

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

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

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

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

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

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Cody Simpson and Kylie Jenner: New Couple Alert!

Pretty soon, Kim Kardashian will be the only member of her family to have starred in a sex tape and faked a marriage for money be single.

Multiple sources confirm that 14-year old Kylie Jenner has struck up a relationship with pop singer Cody Simpson, as the pair were spotted arm-in-arm at The Grove in Los Angeles this weekend.

"I would say they are dating," a mole tells Us Weekly. "They are a couple! They are so cute together."

Jenner and Simpson reportedly met and hung out and at this month's Hollywood premiere of Breaking Dawn "and have been inseparable since," the insider adds.

Sigh. We can just see it now: Kylie and Cody Take Los Angeles, coming in 2013 to E!

[Photo: Pacific Coast News]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/cody-simpson-and-kylie-jenner-new-couple-alert/

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Occupy LA eviction deadline passes, and protesters file suit to stay put (VIDEO) (Christian Science Monitor)

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Mariachi, fado, Chinese shadow puppetry on UN list (AP)

BALI, Indonesia ? Mexican mariachi music, Chinese shadow puppetry and poetic dueling from Cyprus were among the cultural traditions identified by the United Nations on Tuesday as in need of protection.

Also added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list ? now in its second year and nearly 250 strong ? were French-style horseback riding, which celebrates harmony between beast and man, the doleful fado songs of Portugal and Jultagi tightrope walking from Korea.

The UNESCO intergovernmental committee ? wrapping up its weeklong meeting on Indonesia's resort island of Bali ? was looking at oral traditions, art forms, and rituals handed down from one generation to the next.

Such "living" practices, which bind communities together and provide them with a sense of continuity, are in danger of being lost, some more than others, according to members who added 19 new items in total.

China's Hezhen Yimakan storytelling, the traditional building of Iranian Lenj boats and the Saman dance from Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh, for instance, were identified as in urgent need of safeguarding.

"I'm deeply moved," said Ibrahim Ahmad, a former separatist rebel from Aceh, which recently emerged from decades of civil war.

In the Saman dance, boys and young men sit on the ground, clapping and slapping their thighs, chest and the ground, while rhythmically twisting their heads and bodies.

"What an honor," said Ahmad. "This dance brings together a variety of dynamic movements without any collision, it's truly a symbol of unity."

Also on UNESCO's "intangible" list was the ceremonial Turkish meat dish, Keskek, a ritual of transplanting rice in Hiroshima, Japan, and traditional knowledge of jaguar shamans in Columbia.

The committee commended mariachi, often ensembles playing trumpets, violins and guitars, for teaching "values of respect" for Mexico's history and Indian roots. Chinese shadow puppetry, a type of theater performed on a backlit cloth screen, "spreads knowledge and promotes cultural values," they said.

And Tsiattista, an impromptu form of poetry in Cyprus, celebrates performers' wit and rich vocabulary as they try to out do one another in constructing clever verses of rhyming couplets.

___

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report from Jakarta.

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'Fill Up My Can': Walt Disney Drawing Up For Auction In Nevada

RENO, Nev. -- An original, autographed drawing by Walt Disney, believed to have been made about 1920 before he hit it big in the entertainment world, will go up for auction in Reno this week.

The whimsical drawing of a cigar-chomping man wearing a derby hat will be among 1,400 items up for sale at the two-day auction set to begin Tuesday at the Atlantis Casino Resort.

Titled "Fill Up My Can," the illustration has an estimated value of $35,000 to $50,000. It's believed to predate Disney's Mickey Mouse, which made its cartoon debut in 1928.

"Real pieces signed by him (Disney) are really rare," said Fred Holabird of Reno-based Holabird-Kagin Americana, which is staging the auction. "This is one of the earliest known signed Disney pieces, if not the earliest."

The drawing was once owned by Disney's sister, Ruth Disney.

Also up for auction is what's billed as the "first and possibly only known copy" in private hands of the original Nevada Black Book, which features names, information and photos of about a dozen people barred from entering Nevada casinos.

The 11-page book includes mobster Sam Giancana, whose presence at Frank Sinatra's Cal-Neva hotel-casino at Lake Tahoe prompted revocation of the singer's gambling license in the early 1960s.

The book was made by the Nevada Gaming Commission about 1960, and was owned by the state's first gambling officer.

"It represents the first effort to keep illegal people out of Nevada casinos. It's a big step in the way we did business in Nevada," Holabird said, adding the book is expected to fetch up to $5,000.

Also drawing interest is a unique $50 gold coin struck during the California Gold Rush. It's estimated to be worth from $135,000 to $175,000.

"It's the best piece in the auction," Holabird said. "It's one of the first $50 gold coins Augustus Humbert struck when he was appointed U.S. assayer in San Francisco in 1851."

Also up for auction are collections of Old West photos and Mustang Ranch brothel memorabilia

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Bay Area tries to pull together to help seniors in need at upcoming health summit (San Jose Mercury News)

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Mourinho: Discipline behind Madrid's unbeaten run

By PAUL LOGOTHETIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 5:44 p.m. ET Nov. 26, 2011

MADRID (AP) -A provocative character himself, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho says patience and discipline have been the keys to the best winning run of his career after the team's 13th straight victory.

Madrid rallied to beat nine-man Atletico Madrid 4-1 on Saturday for its ninth straight league victory, ensuring the team stays on top of the standings regardless of Barcelona's later match at Getafe.

Mourinho called it an "ugly" win but lauded his players' ability to stay "calm and in control of their emotions." Particularly in a match in which five Atletico players were booked besides the two straight red cards, to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Diego Godin.

Four of Madrid's five victories in the Champions League group stage count toward the streak.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Newcastle holds United to draw

Roundup: Manchester United was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Newcastle, costing the defending champions in their bid to catch first-place Manchester City.

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

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Biden's 2012 targets: Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania (tbo)

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Crisis threatens EU sovereign ratings: Moody's (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the rapid escalation of the euro zone sovereign and banking crisis threatens the credit standing of all European government bond ratings.

"While Moody's central scenario remains that the euro area will be preserved without further widespread defaults, even this 'positive' scenario carries very negative rating implications in the interim period," the agency said in a report.

Moody's also noted the political impetus to implement an effective resolution plan may only emerge after a series of shocks, which may lead to more countries losing access to market funding and requiring a support program.

"This would very likely cause those countries' ratings to be moved into speculative grade in view of the solvency tests that would likely be required and the burden-sharing that might be imposed if (as is likely) support were to be needed for a sustained period."

Economist Tim Condon, head of research for Asia at ING, said the Moody's statement was unlikely to surprise markets.

"It's basically common knowledge that everything in Europe is at risk," he said. "Quite a few people are contemplating a euro zone breakup scenario."

Financial markets have put Italy, Spain and now France under increasing pressure on skepticism of the ability of European leaders to resolve the debt crisis, that has already sparked financial bailouts for Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti aims to shore up the country's strained public finances this week by unveiling measures that could include a revamped housing tax.

Contacts between the International Monetary Fund and Rome have intensified as concern has grown about a financial backstop for Italy, should the country need it.

Euro zone finance ministers are due on Tuesday to consider detailed operation rules for the area's bailout fund. Approvals will clear the way for the 440 billion euro ($583.83 billion)fund to attract cash aimed at boosting the fund's resources.

Moody's said the euro area is approaching a junction, leading to either closer integration or greater fragmentation.

The likelihood of even more negative scenarios has arisen in recent weeks, Moody's noted, reflecting political uncertainties in Greece and Italy and a worsening of the region's economic outlook, among other factors.

"The probability of multiple defaults by euro area countries is no longer negligible. In Moody's view, the longer the liquidity crisis continues, the more rapidly the probability of defaults will continue to rise," it said.

Such defaults would increase the chances that one or more members of the bloc would leave the euro area.

"Moody's believes that any multiple-exit scenario -- in other words, a fragmentation of the euro -- would have negative repercussions for the credit standing of all euro area and EU sovereigns."

In the absence of major policy initiatives in the near future that stabilize credit market conditions, or markets stabilizing for any other reason, "the point is likely to be reached where the overall architecture of Moody's ratings within the euro area, and possibly elsewhere, within the EU, will need to be revisited."

($1 = 0.7536 euros)

(Reporting by Ian Chua; Writing by Neil Fullick; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

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