Upstate brewery to produce 'Game of Thrones' beer

COOPERSTOWN — A new line of beers linked to the hit HBO drama "Game of Thrones" is being produced for the series by an upstate New York brewery.

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown will bring out Iron Throne Blonde Ale in time for the premiere of the show's third season on March 31. The company says another beer will be released in the fall and others are planned for future seasons.

Company officials say the brewery's Belgian-style beers are a good fit for the series, based on the George R.R. Martin fantasy novels set in a medieval-like time of jousts, wars and intrigue.

Ommegang officials say the beers will be named and crafted to directly tie into "themes and nuances" of Westeros, the fictional realm where Lannisters, Starks and various other factions battle for supremacy.

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Survey shows better lending climate

Most Miami-Dade businesses believe they have easier access to borrowed money amid a slowly improving economy.

That’s one result from a recent survey of executives by Miami’s Bilzin Sumberg law firm. The online survey of about 200 top executives was conducted during the second half of 2012.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they thought the financing environment had improved since 2011, with venture capital funds and community banks identified as the top sources of potential capital. Fifty-two percent called the economy “growing slowly,’’ compared to 7 percent describing it as “strong and growing.” Only 16 percent described the economy as weak.

DOUGLAS HANKS

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Weather alert: South Florida cold front to bring low-50s by Friday night

As if right on cue, a cold front is moving in as Christmas nears.

Thursday night lows in South Florida will drop to the mid- to upper-60s. And then, by Friday night, say “ahh.”

Friday night lows are forecast to dip to near 50, according to the National Weather Service in Miami-Dade. The cool will be accompanied by a breeze with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Saturday night will remain chilly, in the mid-50s. Temperatures will gradually warm Sunday and Monday, Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Day forecast for Tuesday? Mostly sunny, with highs around 80.

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What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities

What if there is nobody or nothing to blame for Adam Lanza‘s heinous acts? Other than Lanza, of course.

What if school security and the school psychiatrist kept an eye on Lanza since his freshman year? The Wall Street Journal has a compelling narrative about the red flags addressed.

What if he had a form of autism that has little or no link to violent behavior? Lanza may have had Asperger’s syndrome but, even so, that is not a cause.

What if it’s too simple to lay the massacre at the feet of the gun lobby? Reader Larry Kelly tweets that shaming Aspies “makes about as much sense at stigmatizing the NRA. Pick an enemy … any enemy. Let outrage and fear rule.”

What if Lanza wasn’t provoked by video games? David Axelrod, a close friend an adviser of President Obama, tweeted last night: “In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot ‘em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn’t we also quit marketing murder as a game.”

When I asked whether he was laying groundwork for a White House initiative, Axelrod said no: “Just one man’s observation.” A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonytmmity, said today that Axelrod was not a stalking horse for Obama on this issue.

What if Lanza’s mother did everything she could, short of keeping her guns out her adult son’s reach? What if he wasn’t bullied?

What if there is nobody or nothing to blame? Would that make this inexplicable horror unbearable?

What if we didn’t rush to judgement? What if we didn’t waste our thoughts, prayers and actions on assigning blame for the sake of mere recrimination? What if we calmly and ruthlessly learned whatever lessons we can from the massacre — and prevented the next one?

A parting thought: What if it wasn’t one thing, but everything, that set off Lanza?

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Title Post: What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities
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Angelina Jolie to Direct Unbroken Film

Angelina Jolie is in final negotiations to direct her second film, Unbroken, based on the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian-turned-World War II prisoner of war, according to Deadline.

Video: Angelina Jolie Talks Kids, 'Blood and Honey'

"I was so moved by Louie Zamperini's heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film," said The Oscar-winning actress in a statement. "Louie is a true hero and a man of immense humanity, faith and courage. I am deeply honored to have the chance to tell his inspiring story."

Adapted from Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, the feature film will tell the real-life tale of American Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini, who was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese Navy during World War II.

Unbroken will be the second film directed by Jolie. The 37-year-old made her debut in 2011's In The Land Of Blood And Honey.

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French judges keep Strauss-Kahn pimping charges

PARIS — French judges decided Wednesday not to drop pimping charges against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, his lawyers said. They quickly vowed to appeal.

The case is the last remaining legal headache involving alleged sex-related crimes for Strauss-Kahn. The 63-year-old one-time Socialist presidential hopeful resigned from his IMF job in May last year and saw his international reputation collapse after a hotel maid accused of him of trying to rape her. A settlement was reached in that case last week.

In a statement after a court in the northern city of Douai retained the preliminary charges, Strauss-Kahn lawyer Henri Leclerc lashed out at investigating judges in the case. He claimed the charges against Strauss-Kahn were not specified, that some evidence was hidden from the defense team, facts were twisted and definitions of the legal term "pimping" were created with no basis in law.

Outside the Douai courthouse, Frederique Baulieu, another defense lawyer, told reporters: "We are certain that Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be cleansed of all charges against him."

Strauss-Kahn was hit in March with preliminary charges of "aggravated procurement in an organized gang" in an investigation into a hotel prostitution ring in nearby Lille that was said to involve prominent city figures and police.

The case against Strauss-Kahn hinges on whether he knew he was partying with prostitutes, and whose money was used to pay them. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have said he attended "libertine" gatherings, but didn't know some women present were paid.

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iOS apps you need right now

If you’ve just gotten an iPhone 5 or an iPad Mini, you’re going to want to play with it. And if you’re looking for apps to try out on your new iOS device, these old and new favorites are perfect — not to mention cheap or free.

PHOTOTOASTER

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)

The good: PhotoToaster is one of the best ways to add effects to your images, and features an excellent interface layout for giving your images a really cool look.

The bad: Like many apps, PhotoToaster has begun to add in-app purchases, but there are several included filters that do the job nicely.

The cost: 99 cents

The bottom line: There are tons of image editors in the App Store, but PhotoToaster is easy to recommend, with its slick and simple interface, helpful menus to get you started and extremely impressive results.

ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS HD

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)

The good: Angry Birds Star Wars does just enough with new worlds and new Star Wars-themed birds to add variation to an already great game mechanic.

The bad: The app is not universal to both phones and tablets, so you’ll need to purchase it twice if you want to use the game on both.

The cost: $2.99

The bottom line: With new birds, new powers andnew levels to explore set in the Star Wars universe, this is a worthy purchase, even if you’ve played the previous games.

NETFLIX for iOS

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)

The good: Great-looking streaming shows and new interface elements make browsing through scenes easier.

The bad: The streaming library is only a fraction of the larger DVD library. You still can’t add to or change your DVD queue via the app.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: If you don’t mind the limited streaming library, the Netflix app is a great way to watch movies, and the new interface elements make it easier to use.

FIFA SOCCER 13

4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)

The good: Not only the best soccer game, but the best sports game on an iOS device. New skill moves are easier to pull off, making them integral to the game. Precise controls and fast-paced action make for excellent gameplay.

The bad: Skill levels still feel too far apart. Poor camera selections make playing on an iPhone difficult, with very small players forcing you to bring your iPhone much closer than you’d like.

The cost: $6.99

The bottom line: If you want a great soccer game for iOS, FIFA 13 hits the mark on almost every level. With tons of teams, new skill moves, and online multiplayer, this is the sports game to beat on iOS.

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Miami-Dade commission to take up annexation, Jackson proposals

Miami-Dade commissioners will take up a pair of proposals regulating the expansion of existing cities on Tuesday during their last meeting of the year.

The board is scheduled to take final votes on two annexation measures, both sponsored by Commissioner Javier Souto. One would prohibit cities from annexing portions of communities exploring cityhood bids of their own. Another would prohibit cities from annexing areas that would divide existing U.S. Census tracts.

Souto, who represents unincorporated West Miami-Dade, has been at odds with the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater, which is not in Souto’s district, is trying to annex Florida International University’s engineering campus and portions of West Flagler Street and Southwest Eighth Street. The campus and the roads are in Souto’s district; he has accused Sweetwater of eyeing the nearby Fontainebleau community in his district, which has long considered becoming its own city. Sweetwater has denied that annexing Fontainebleau is in its plans.

Separately, commissioners are also slated to reconsider the structure of the governing board of the public Jackson Health System. A divided commission gave preliminary approval in October to permanently reshape the Public Health Trust to seven members, from 17.

The proposal had the strong support of former Commission Chairman Joe Martinez. who left the board in November after losing the county mayoral race. Commissioners had been scheduled to vote on the matter earlier this month, but the item was deferred without explanation.

In other business, commissioners will decide which policies their lobbying team should support, oppose and advocate for at the federal and state levels in 2013. Several of the state-level policies will involve tweaking elections laws, in the aftermath of the long lines and slow ballot-counting during last month’s presidential election.

The meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 NW First St.

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$35 Raspberry Pi computer gets its own app store

Title Post: $35 Raspberry Pi computer gets its own app store
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YouTube Announces Top 10 Videos of 2012

YouTube has just released their top 10 videos of 2012 along with one dazzling video bound to become a viral sensation in its own right.

Watch the clip to see the Rewind YouTube Style video featuring the website's biggest stars acting out a parody of Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe. The video was shot at the new YouTube Space in Los Angeles, a place for YouTube creators to come learn, collaborate, and create great content to put up on their YouTube channels.

Check out the list of 2012's greatest YouTube moments below:

1) PSY - Gangnam Style: The Korean pop music video that surprised the world is set to hit 1 billion views and has become the most viewed video of all time in just six months.

2) Walk off the Earth: This is the most-viewed cover song of 2012, attracting 140 million views this year.

3) KONY 2012: This video contained a call to action and collected 31 million views in a single day -- the most views ever for a YouTube video.

4) Call Me Maybe - Bieber, Gomez, Pena: This video, covering the song of the summer, kicked off a trend of lip sync videos that spanned from the Harvard baseball team and celebs to Olympians.

5) Epic Rap Battles - Obama vs. Romney: This episode featured well-known Obama impersonator Alphacat, and is one of the better known instances of the 2012 trend of Obama and Romney videos.

6) Dramatic Surprise: This video, featuring a mysterious sign in the middle of a Flemish square, brought in 25 million views in its first week.

7) Why You Asking All Them Questions: Comedian Emmanuel Hudson's popularity exploded this year partly from this video that garnered 39 million views -- almost half of which came from mobile devices.

8) Lindsey Stirling: Lindsey's trademark dubstep violin styles created a lot of buzz this year -- especially in the U.S., Germany and Poland. This video, which was shot by Lindsey's fellow YouTube creator Devin Graham, has over 500,000 likes and 100,000 comments.

9) Facebook Parenting: This video taught us not to mess with Dad. Bringing in 11 million views in one day, this video was the catalyst for an international discussion about parenting and Facebook.

10) Stratos Highlights: This live stream of Felix Baumgartner's free-fall from 128,000 feet shattered previous live stream records with 8 million concurrent views.

Visit youtube.com/rewind for more.

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