NFL: An Analysis of the 3-Horse Race for the AFC Championship

The Ravens are reminiscent of two modern-era NFL teams?the 1970s Rams and 1990s Steelers?in that they showed remarkable consistency over a period of years, finishing with records among the best in the league during the regular season.??

However, come playoff time, the shortcomings of the two teams (most specifically lacking a franchise QB) led to playoff disappointments. However, both the Rams and Steelers of the era finally did break through and win a conference championship, although they lost the Super Bowl (albeit to dynasty-level teams in competitive games).??

The Ravens have been knocking on the door for years and seem well positioned to finally follow in the steps of the 1979 Rams and 1995 Steelers to win the conference championship.

?

Why the Ravens Should Win the AFC

The 2011 Ravens finally overcame the hump of the Steelers, sweeping them in the season series for the first time since 2006. The inability to overcome Pittsburgh has forced the Ravens into Wild Card games and playing on the road in the playoffs.??

With the tie-breaker in hand and a schedule almost as (statistically) easy as the Patriots, the Ravens are in control of their destiny to finally earn a top seed and a bye week. The Ravens have a great mix of playoff experience, veteran leadership (the only team in the league featuring two ?sure-fire? first ballot Hall of Fame players? Ed Reed and Ray Lewis), overall talent and a genuine hunger. There is something to be said for a team that has tasted postseason success over several years but has fallen short and has extra desire to win a championship.

?

Why the Ravens Will Not Win the AFC

The Ravens' most potent offensive weapon is running back Ray Rice. They have a team that would be more ideally designed if it were 2001-2005, the pre-Goodell era league. In particular, since 2007 only two Super Bowl participants have featured a running back with over 1,000 yards and only one (2009 Saints?No. 6) finished with a Top 10-ranked rushing game.?

While the Ravens' statistical offensive balance at a glance would seem to indicate they are not as reliant on the running game as they are the passing game (No. 15 in passing, No. 27 in rushing), a closer look at their games reveals that in games where Ray Rice is prolific, the Ravens do well, and in games in which he has been held in check, the Ravens have been vulnerable and needed late defensive breakdowns by their opponents to win.?

Joe Flacco is a solid QB, but unremarkable and inconsistent. He does not do anything particularly ?special? and that is a problem in a league that is pass-heavy?Flacco is going to have to raise the level of his game and do so in the extreme pressure of the NFL playoffs. ?

Despite his 4-3 playoff record, Flacco?s actual playoff performance has been far from stellar?where by comparison the Ravens' top AFC competition features QBs who by the same points early in their careers, turned in some spectacular playoff performances and won a Super Bowl, but have repeated the experience to the tune of seven total appearances and five Super Bowl wins among them.?

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/966877-a-3-horse-race-for-the-afc-championship-an-analysis

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Streep, tipped for glory, says Oscars still matter (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? She has been nominated for an Academy Award 16 times, a record for any performer, and won twice, but to Meryl Streep, the golden statuette still matters.

The 62-year-old first attended the annual awards ceremony as a contender more than 30 years ago, when she was up for a supporting role honor in "The Deer Hunter".

The following year she won that honor for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and scooped the best actress prize with the 1982 Holocaust film "Sophie's Choice".

Since then Streep has been back as a nominee 12 times, each time leaving empty-handed.

Now the "Devil Wears Prada" star is a frontrunner again for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady".

Asked in an interview on Thursday if she still cared about the Oscars, she replied: "Sadly it still matters.

"It's so exciting, it really is. I remember the first time I went and (Laurence) Olivier was here and I was next to Gregory Peck and Bette Davis was behind me," Streep told BBC Radio.

"I mean, I've been going to that thing for many years but it's still the one."

She described The Iron Lady, in which she portrays Thatcher both at the height of her powers and as an old, forgetful woman looking back on her life, as a "Lear for girls", a reference to Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear".

"I said it secretly, I said, 'you know what this is? This is Lear for girls'. It's concerned with the endgame and how power diminishes, how we let go of things, and that's the part that really interested me."

Streep added that tackling such a controversial figure in politics who still divides British public opinion was daunting.

"The policies that she put forward were shared by a number of people in the Conservative Party at that time, but it's how they're communicated.

"And was it (former French President Francois) Mitterrand that said she had the mouth of Marilyn Monroe and the eyes of Caligula."

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111201/en_nm/us_merylstreep_oscars

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Sundance Announces 2012 In-Competition Lineup

I had a blast at this year?s Sundance Film Festival and I can?t wait to go again next year.? Today, Sundance announced their In-Competition line-ups for 2012 and already I?m trying to plan out how I?m going to see all of them (which is impossible, but it?s nice to dream).? The U.S. Dramatic Competition features For Ellen, Nobody Walks, Safety Not Guaranteed, Smashed, and more.? There are also some interesting-sounding films in the U.S. Documentary Competition including Finding North, The Invisible War, and The Other Dream Team.

Hit the jump to check out the full press release, which includes the in-competition line-ups for U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and World Cinema Documentary Competition.? The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 19 ? 29th.

2012 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films In Competition

Park City, UT ? Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival will take place January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

Robert Redford, Founder and President of Sundance Institute remarked, ?We are, and always have been, a festival about the filmmakers. So what are they doing? What are they saying??They are making statements about the changing world we are living in. Some are straight-forward, some novel and some offbeat but always interesting. One can never predict. We know only at the end, and I love that.?

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, ?In these challenging economic times, filmmakers have had to be more resourceful and truly independent in their approaches to filmmaking. Looking at this year?s submissions, the result is more fully realized visions and stronger stories; we are proud to see the Festival emerging as a key indicator of the health and creativity of our filmmaking community. The overall quality of the films in the 2012 Competition section will make for an exciting Festival and a remarkable year ahead for independent film audiences everywhere.?

For the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, 110 feature-length films were selected, representing 31 countries and 46 first-time filmmakers, including 26 in competition. These films were selected from 4,042 feature-length film submissions composed of 2,059 U.S. and 1,983 international feature-length films. 88 films at the Festival will be world premieres.

In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents feature-length films in six out-of-competition sections. Films in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT <=> and New Frontier sections will be announced on December 1. Films in the Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections will be announced on December 5.

On Day One, the Festival will screen one narrative film and one documentary from both the U.S. and World Cinema competitions, as well as one shorts program.

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, ?The enthusiasm and optimism of John Cooper and his programming team this year is infectious; we are all excited to unveil and experience their selections for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. On behalf of my colleagues at the Sundance Institute we are pleased to introduce new storytellers to our audience, welcome new and returning filmmakers to the Festival and kick off a lively cultural dialogue for 2012.?

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

The world premieres of 16 American narrative feature films.

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) ? Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin? under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhan? Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The Comedy / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Robert Donne, Colm O?Leary) ? Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father?s estate, Swanson whiles away his days with a group of aging Brooklyn hipsters, engaging in small acts of recreational cruelty and pacified boredom. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alexia Rassmusen, Gregg Turkington.

The End of Love / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mark Webber) ? A young father unravels following the loss of the mother of his child. Cast: Mark Webber, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Amanda Seyfried, Frankie Shaw.

Filly Brown / U.S.A. (Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, Screenwriter: Youssef Delara) ? A Hip Hop-driven drama about a Mexican girl who rises to fame and consciousness as she copes with the incarceration of her mother through music. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos.

The First Time / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jonathan Kasdan) ? Two high schoolers meet at a party. Over the course of a weekend, things turn magical, romantic, complicated and funny, as they discover what it?s like to fall in love for the first time. Cast: Brittany Robertson, Dylan O?Brien, Craig Roberts, James Frecheville, Victoria Justice.

For Ellen / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: So Yong Kim) ? A struggling musician takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter. Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, Shay Mandigo.

Hello I Must Be Going / U.S.A. (Director: Todd Louiso, Screenwriter: Sarah Koskoff) ? Divorced, childless, demoralized and condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35, Amy Minsky?s prospects look bleak ? until the unexpected attention of a teenage boy changes everything. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Abbott, John Rubinstein, Julie White. DAY ONE FILM

Keep the Lights On / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias) ? An autobiographically inspired story of a passionate long-term relationship between two men driven by addiction and secrets but bound by love and hopefulness. Cast: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane, Paprika Steen.

LUV / U.S.A. (Director: Sheldon Candis, Screenwriters: Sheldon Candis, Justin Wilson) ? An orphaned 11-year-old boy is forced to face the unpleasant truth about his beloved uncle during one harrowing day in the streets of Baltimore. Cast: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton.

Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) ? When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissant, Edwina Findley.

Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) ? Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family?s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) ? A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he?s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karen Soni.

Save the Date / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Mohan, Screenwriters: Jeffrey Brown, Egan Reich, Michael Mohan) ? As her sister Beth prepares to get married, Sarah finds herself caught up in an intense post-breakup rebound. The two fumble through the redefined emotional landscape of modern day relationships, forced to relearn how to love and be loved. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber.

Simon Killer / France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Antonio Campos) ? A recent college graduate goes to Paris after breaking up with his girlfriend of 5 years. Once there, he falls in love with a young prostitute and their fateful journey begins. Cast: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Constance Rousseau, Michael Abiteboul, Solo.

Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) ? Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and? drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) ? Mark O?Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist with an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) ? Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

The Atomic States of America / U.S.A. (Directors: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce) ? In 2010, the United States announced construction of the first new nuclear power plant in more than 32 years. A year later, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan sparking a fierce debate in the U.S. over the safety and viability of nuclear power.

Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) ? Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) ? The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare / U.S.A. (Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke) ? What can be done to save our broken medical system? Powerful forces are trying to maintain the status quo in a profit-driven medical industry, but a movement to bring innovative methods of prevention and healing is finally gaining ground ? potentially saving the health of a nation.

Finding North / U.S.A. (Directors: Lori Silverbush, Kristi Jacobson) ? A crisis of hunger looms in America and is not limited to the poverty stricken and uneducated. Can a return to policies of the 1970s save our future?

The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) ? For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world?s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

How to Survive a Plague / U.S.A. (Director: David France) ? The untold story of the intensive efforts that turned AIDS into a manageable condition ? and the improbable group of (mostly HIV-positive) young men and women whose amazing resilience broke through a time of rampant death and political indifference.

The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) ? An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

Marina Abramovi? The Artist is Present / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Akers) ? Marina Abramovi? prepares for a major retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York hoping to finally silence four decades of skeptics who proclaim: ?But why is this art??

ME at the ZOO / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Moukarbel, Valerie Veatch) ? With 270 million hits to date, Chris Crocker, an uncanny young video blogger from small town Tennessee, is considered the Internet?s first rebel folk hero and at the same time one of its most controversial personalities.

The Other Dream Team / Lithuania, U.S.A. (Director: Marius Markevicius) ? The 1992 Lithuanian National Basketball Team went from the clutches of Communism to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona ? a testament to the powerful role of sports as a catalyst for cultural identity.

The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) ? Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America ? a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles ? when their timeshare empire collapses and their house is foreclosed. Their rags-to-riches-to-rags story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. DAY ONE FILM

Slavery By Another Name / U.S.A. (Director: Sam Pollard) ? As slavery came to an end with Abraham Lincoln?s Emancipation Proclamation, a new system of involuntary servitude took its place with shocking force, brutalizing, terrorizing and ultimately circumscribing the lives of hundreds of thousands of African Americans well into the 20th century.

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) ? One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

We?re Not Broke / U.S.A. (Directors: Karin Hayes, Victoria Bruce) ? As American lawmakers slash budgets and lay off employees, leaving many people scrambling to survive, multibillion-dollar corporations are concealing colossal profits overseas to avoid paying U.S. income tax. Fed-up Americans are taking their frustration to the streets.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

Fourteen films from emerging filmmaking talents offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

4 Suns / Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Bohdan Sl?ma) ? Immature Fogi attempts to straighten up and accept his responsibilities as a new husband and father, as well as role model to his troubled son from a previous relationship, but finds himself unable to change his nature, leaving him to watch haplessly as his family begins to crumble. Cast: Jaroslav Plesl, A?a Geislerov?, Karel Roden, Ji?? M?dl, Kl?ra Mel??kov?. World Premiere

About the Pink Sky / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Keiichi Kobayashi) ? A high school girl finds a wallet full of money and tracks down its owner, leading to unexpected consequences for the girl and her friends. Cast: Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara, Tsubasa Takayama, Hakusyu Togetsuan. International Premiere

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) ? A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Ucer, Serdar Orcin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci. World Premiere

Father?s Chair (A Cadeira do Pai) / Brazil (Director: Luciano Moura, Screenwriters: Elena Soarez, Luciano Moura) ? Following the trail of his runaway teen son, Theo confronts his own identity as a son, a father and a man along the way. Cast: Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima. World Premiere

L / Greece (Director: Babis Makridis, Screenwriters: Efthymis Filippou, Babis Makridis) ? A man who lives in his car gets caught up in the undeclared war between motorcycle riders and car drivers. Cast: Aris Servetalis, Makis Papadimitriou, Lefteris Mathaios, Nota Tserniafski, Stavros Raptis. World Premiere

The Last Elvis (El Ultimo Elvis) / Argentina (Director: Armando Bo, Screenwriters: Nicol?s Giacobone and Armando Bo) ? A Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who believes that he is the reincarnation of the King struggles to shake free from reality and live his musical dream. Cast: John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez. World Premiere

Madrid, 1987 / Spain (Director and screenwriter: David Trueba) ? The balance of power and desire constantly shifts during the meeting of an older journalist and a young student, of two generations completely foreign to one another. Cast: Jos? Sacrist?n, Mar?a Valverde, Ramon Fontser?. International Premiere

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) ? A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd,?Sa?d Taghmaoui,?Fady Elsayed. World Premiere

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) ? Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen. World Premiere

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) ? Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid. World Premiere

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andr?s Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calder?n, Andr?s Wood) ? A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavil?n, Thomas Durand, Luis Mach?n, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Far?as. International Premiere

Wish You Were Here / Australia (Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith, Screenwriters: Felicity Price, Kieran Darcy-Smith) ? Four friends embark on a carefree holiday, but only three return home. Who knows what happened on that fateful night? Cast: Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price, Antony Starr. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

WRONG / France (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux) ? Dolph searches for his lost dog, but through encounters with a nympho pizza-delivery girl, a jogging neighbor seeking the absolute, and a mysterious righter of wrongs, he may eventually lose his mind? and his identity. Cast: Jack Plotnick, Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena, Steve Little, William Fichtner. World Premiere

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Guti?rrez, Pedro Peirano) ? 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodr?guez, Aline Kuppenheim, Mar?a Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmakers working today.

? REVOLUTION / Denmark (Directors: Omar Shargawi, Karim El Hakim) ? In January 2011, two filmmakers captured the reality of the Egyptian revolution as it occurred out of view from the world?s media in the alleyways and streets away from the square ? and in the process were arrested by the secret police. North American Premiere

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) ? A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village?s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son?s lens on the world. International Premiere

THE AMBASSADOR / Denmark (Director: Mads Br?gger) ? What happens when a very white European man buys his way into being a diplomat in one of Central Africa?s most failed nations? Welcome to the bizarre and hidden world of African diplomacy, where gin and tonics flow and diamond hustlers and corrupt politicians run free. North American Premiere

BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* / Sweden (Director: Fredrik Gertten) ? The behind-the-scenes story of a full-scale attack on freedom of speech. When Dole set its sights on the WG Film production Bananas!* in May 2009, confusion was the method, aggression was the tactic and media control was the story. North American Premiere

China Heavyweight / Canada, China (Director: Yung Chang) ? In central China, where a coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions, the top students face dramatic choices as they graduate ? should they fight for the collective good or for themselves? A metaphor for the choices everyone in the New China faces now. World Premiere

Gypsy Davy / Israel, U.S.A., Spain (Director: Rachel Leah Jones) ? How does a white boy with Alabama roots become a Flamenco guitarist in Andalusian boots? A tale of self-invention and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of the cost to others. International Premiere

The Imposter / United Kingdom (Director: Bart Layton) ? In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in Spain with a shocking story?of kidnap and torture. But all is not what it seems in this tale that is truly stranger than fiction. World Premiere

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) ? Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. World Premiere

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra?anan Alexandrowicz) ? Israel?s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system?s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population. International Premiere

Payback / Canada (Director: Jennifer Baichwal) ? Based on Margaret Atwood?s best-selling book, Payback explores how debt is a central organizing principle in our lives ? influencing relationships, societies, governing structures and the very fate of this planet. World Premiere

Putin?s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) ? 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization?s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. North American Premiere

Searching for Sugar Man / Denmark, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) ? Rodriguez was the greatest ?70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion ? rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924047/news/1924047/

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9 men deny plot to mount London bomb attacks (AP)

LONDON ? Nine men have denied plotting to launch bomb attacks on landmarks including Britain's Parliament and busy shopping areas.

The men were detained in several British cities Dec. 21 in the country's largest counterterrorism raids for two years.

The British suspects, aged between 20 and 29, pleaded not guilty Friday to preparing for acts of terrorism and conspiring to cause explosions.

Prosecutors accuse the men of agreeing on targets, discussing materials and methods, carrying out reconnaissance, attending operational meetings and downloading and researching files "containing practical instruction for a terrorist attack."

Several also are accused of having copies of the al-Qaida magazine Inspire.

They are due to stand trial Jan. 23 at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_terrorism

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S.Africa: 1st class graduates from Winfrey school (AP)

HENLEY-ON-KLIP, South Africa ? Mpumi Nobiva was raised by her grandmother in a neighborhood beset by poverty and crime after her mother died of AIDS. Now one of the first to graduate from Oprah Winfrey's school, she is headed to college in North Carolina.

Winfrey spent $40 million to give her girls a campus with computer and science labs, a library and a wellness center. None paid tuition. The students are high-achievers, often from communities where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.

And as the South African school year nears its end, all 72 members of the school's first graduating class have been accepted to universities in South Africa or the United States. More than a dozen have received full scholarships.

Winfrey told her students that when you teach a girl, you teach a nation.

"The first class, my class, will prove that," said Nobiva, 18, who will study visual and performing arts at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Winfrey will be at the school for graduation ceremonies in January, school officials said Wednesday as students gathered to reflect on their experiences over the last five years.

The school that has drawn sometimes harsh attention because of the celebrity who founded it, and also because of early problems.

Students have been accused of being spoiled. Allegations that a woman employed to care for the girls in their dormitory had instead abused teens were the subject of headlines around the world. The woman was acquitted last year.

Earlier this year, a newborn born to a student at the school was found dead, again drawing international attention.

"Yes, we've had bad coverage," Nobiva said. "But it has certainly made us stronger."

Winfrey, who has visited her school often, has instilled a sense of purpose. On Wednesday, Nobiva's classmates ? aspiring doctors, accountants, engineers and lawyers ? spoke of their plans to serve their communities.

"You can imagine the impact of girls with that insight going out into the universe," Nobiva said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111130/ap_en_ot/af_south_africa_winfrey_s_girls

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Australia government denies backing India, U.S. security pact (Reuters)

CANBERRA (Reuters) ? Australia denied on Friday it was pushing for a joint security pact with India and the United States, a tie-up that would likely add to China's fears that wary neighbors were trying to encircle it.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd was quoted in an interview with the Australian Financial Review newspaper this week as backing the idea of a trilateral security pact.

But a Rudd spokeswoman said he had been misinterpreted and had been responding to a question on the likely overturning soon of an Australian ban on uranium exports to India.

"The question that was answered was what the Indian response had been to a shift on uranium policy. It had nothing to do with anything else," she said.

Rudd was overseas and neither he not the newspaper could be reached for comment.

The idea of an Australian, Indian and U.S. security dialogue -- in part to counter China's rising naval power -- has been strongly pushed by a trio of influential think-tanks in all three countries, but has yet to be adopted by any government.

A four-way security pact proposed by the United States in 2007 which would have drawn Australia, the United States, Japan and India together disintegrated when Japan and India floated concerns that it would look like an attempt to encircle China.

India's foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement on the ministry website that New Delhi was "not aware of any such proposal", while China's military denounced the United States and Australia for recently upgrading military ties, warning such moves could erode trust and fan Cold War-era antagonism.

China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with two-way trade in 2010 worth A$105 billion ($107 billion), up almost 24 percent on the previous year and driven by energy-hungry Chinese demand for Australian resources.

Australia, a close U.S. ally, also agreed last month to host a de facto U.S. base in the north of the country which would provide military reach into southeast Asia and the South China Sea, where China is involved in disputes with several other states over sovereignty.

Australia's ruling Labor Party is expected to vote over the to drop a longstanding ban on uranium sales to non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty countries like India in a bid to boost exports and improve security ties with New Delhi.

(Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Ed Davies and Jonathan Thatcher)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/pl_nm/us_china_us_australia

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U.S. official: Lockheed F-35 production should slow (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Production of Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 joint strike fighter, the costliest arms purchase in history, should be slowed because of the potential number of cracks and "hot spots" turning up in fatigue testing and analysis, the Pentagon F-35 program director said.

"The analyzed hot spots that have arisen in the last 12 months or so in the program have surprised us at the amount of change and at the cost," U.S. Navy Vice Admiral David Venlet said in an interview with Web-based publication AOL Defense.

The Pentagon program office confirmed the vice admiral's quotes on Friday.

"Most of them are little ones. But when you bundle them all up and package them, and look at where they are in the airplane and how hard they are to get at after you buy the jet, the cost burden of that is what sucks the wind out of your lungs," Venlet added.

"I believe it's wise to sort of temper production for a while here, until we get some of these heavy years of learning under our belt and get that managed right," he said.

Lockheed did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Pentagon currently plans to buy more than 2,400 F-35 aircraft in three models, at a cost of more than $382 billion.

Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 contractor by sales, has projected the F-35 would account for just over 20 percent of its revenue when it hits full production.

The plane is currently in early production.

(This story corrects the name spelling to Venlet throughout. Also corrects the last paragraph to make the word "revenue," not "profit.)

(Reporting by Jim Wolf; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/bs_nm/us_usa_defense_fighter

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