Monday, November 28, 2011

'Twilight' keeps shining with $42M second weekend

(AP) ? The latest "Twilight" movie has plenty of daylight left with a second-straight win at the weekend box office.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1" took in $42 million domestically over the three-day weekend and $62.3 million in the five-day Thanksgiving boom time from Wednesday to Sunday. That raised its domestic total to $221.3 million, while the Summit Entertainment release added $71.5 million overseas to lift the international total to $268 million and the worldwide take to $489.3 million.

Debuting at No. 2 was Disney's family flick "The Muppets," with $29.5 million for the three-day weekend and $42 million over the five-day holiday haul.

Three other family films rounded out the top-five: the Warner Bros. sequel "Happy Feet Two" at No. 3 with a three-day total of $13.4 million and $18.4 million for five days; Sony's animated comedy "Arthur Christmas" at No. 4 with $12.7 million for three days and $17 million for five days; and Paramount's epic adventure "Hugo" at No. 5 with $11.4 million for three days and $15.4 million for five days.

Between "Breaking Dawn" and the blitz of family films, analysts thought Hollywood had a shot at record revenue over Thanksgiving, one of the year's busiest weekends at movie theaters. But viewers did not come in anywhere close to record numbers.

"I was pretty surprised by this. I just thought this was the perfect combination of films in the marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "Maybe there was just too much out there."

Domestic revenue totaled $234 million from Wednesday to Sunday, well below the $273 million record set two years ago, when "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" led the Thanksgiving weekend, according to Hollywood.com. Receipts also fell short of last Thanksgiving's $264 million haul, when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" finished on top.

Studio executives concede it's growing harder to lure fans into theaters given all the portable games, devices and other electronics people have to fill up their entertainment time. A so-so Thanksgiving on a weekend with such a good variety of movies could be a sign that Hollywood simply has to live with diminished expectations.

"I don't know that choice is ever a bad thing, and in terms of a weekend for families, this is one of the best," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, which brought "The Muppets" back to the big-screen after a 12-year absence. "The challenge is breaking through and being relevant and meaningful and fresh enough to take the more finicky customers and have them choose you."

Disney reported that "The Muppets" drew a good mix of families and couples without children who fondly remember Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang on "The Muppet Show." The film stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams as fans helping to reunite the Muppets for a telethon to save their decaying studio.

"Breaking Dawn" was holding close to the pattern set by "New Moon" two years ago, though domestic revenues were off slightly. Factoring in higher ticket prices since "New Moon," the audience shrank even further for "Breaking Dawn."

"I think the audience has changed a bit. Everybody's grown a little older, and I guess we lose a few of our patrons to age," said Richie Fay, head of distribution for Summit.

With no big new releases coming next weekend, though, "Breaking Dawn" has a shot at making up some ground, Fay said.

"Happy Feet Two" has failed to live up to its Academy Award-winning predecessor, a blockbuster that took in nearly $200 million domestically. The sequel about dancing penguins has managed just $43.8 million since opening Nov. 18, a 10-day total that barely matches the opening-weekend gross of the 2006 original.

"Arthur Christmas," from the British animation unit Aardman that made "Chicken Run" and the "Wallace and Gromit" films, has long-haul potential because of its good reviews and holiday story line. The voice cast includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent in a Christmas Eve romp about a child's present that falls through the cracks in Santa Claus' high-tech delivery operation.

"To have the one picture that really is kind of carrying the torch as a Christmas picture really bodes well for the future," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.

Distributor Paramount has similar long-term hopes for Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," which also has great reviews. Based on a children's book, "Hugo" follows the adventures of an orphan boy who tends the clocks in a Paris train station and becomes caught up in unraveling a mystery that connects a surly old man (Ben Kingsley) and a mechanical automaton the youth is trying to repair.

Paramount scaled back "Hugo" from a full wide release over Thanksgiving, opening it in 1,277 theaters, about a third the number for most other top movies. The studio plans to roll the film out more gradually, spreading its marketing budget over the coming weeks to capitalize on the critical word of mouth and potential awards buzz leading up to the Jan. 24 Oscar nominations.

Critics have praised "Hugo" for Scorsese's dazzling use of 3-D. Unlike 3-D fatigue that set in for some other recent movies, whose 3-D business dipped below half of total revenues, "Hugo" audiences have been willing to pay an extra few dollars to see it in three dimensions. About 75 percent of the film's revenue came from 3-D screenings, according to Paramount.

"People are reading the reviews that say, 'You've got to see it in 3-D,' and they're going out and voting with their dollars," said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount.

In narrower release, the Marilyn Monroe drama "My Week with Marilyn" opened solidly with a $1.8 million weekend and $2.1 million since opening Wednesday. The Weinstein Co. release stars Michelle Williams as Monroe during her tumultuous time filming Laurence Olivier's "The Prince and the Showgirl."

Playing in 244 theaters, "My Week with Marilyn" had a weekend average of $7,266 a cinema, compared with a $10,330 average in 4,066 locations for "Breaking Dawn."

Another Weinstein release, the black-and-white silent film "The Artist," had a big opening in limited release with a three-day haul of $210,414 in just four New York City and Los Angeles theaters. That gave the film an average of $52,604 a theater.

"The Artist" traces the fall of a silent-film star (Jean Dujardin) and the rise of a new screen sensation (Berenice Bejo) as talking pictures take over in the 1920s and '30s. The acclaimed film gradually expands to nationwide release during the buildup to the Oscar nominations.

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

1. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1," $42 million ($71.5 million international).

2. "The Muppets," $29.5 million ($1.6 million international).

3. "Happy Feet Two," $13.4 million ($10 million international).

4. "Arthur Christmas," $12.7 million ($11.9 million international).

5. "Hugo," $11.4 million.

6. "Jack and Jill," $10.3 million.

7. "Immortals," $8.8 million ($8 million international).

8. "Puss in Boots," $7.5 million ($9 million international).

9. "Tower Heist," $7.3 million ($7.3 million international).

10. "The Descendants," $7.2 million.

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1," $71.5 million.

2. "Arthur Christmas," $11.9 million.

3. "The Adventures of Tintin," $11.5 million.

4. "Happy Feet Two," $10 million.

5. "Puss in Boots," $9 million.

6. "Immortals," $8 million.

7. "Tower Heist," $7.3 million.

8. "In Time," $6 million.

9. "Real Steel," $5.1 million.

10. "Moneyball," $3.3 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-27-Box%20Office/id-3339f85427ee4fc78097a75c264087ac

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Raiders Injury Report And Inactives List, Week 11: Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford Out Against Chicago

The Oakland Raiders face the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon as they hope to end Chicago's five-game winning streak, but they'll be doing so without star running back Darren McFadden. The 24-year-old former first-round pick was exceptional for Oakland early in the season, rushing for 610 yards and 4 touchdowns over the team's first six games.

Here's the full Oakland inactives list, via the team's official Twitter feed:

- RB Darren McFadden

- QB Jason Campbell

- WR Jacoby Ford

- WR Denarius Moore

- RB Taiwan Jones

- DE Jarvis Moss

- OG Bruce Campbell

The team has certainly missed McFadden, but it's worth noting that the Raiders' rushing offense hasn't really skipped a beat. Back-up Michael Bush has started recently, and he's ran for 461 yards over the past four weeks in McFadden's absence. Oakland's third in the NFL in rushing yards per game, so expect Chicago to be challenged there.

For more on this game, check out the Bears blog?Windy City Gridiron?and Raiders blog?Silver and Black Pride. Stay tuned to?SB Nation Chicago?for more Chicago sports scores and updates.

Source: http://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bears/2011/11/27/2590157/raiders-injury-report-and-inactives-list-week-11-darren-mcfadden

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

No. 21 Baylor wins 66-42 over Tech after RG3 out (AP)

ARLINGTON, Texas ? Nick Florence threw two long touchdown passes after Robert Griffin was knocked out of the game and No. 21 Baylor extended its winning streak to four games with a 66-42 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday night.

The Bears (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) had to win it without Griffin, whose Heisman Trophy chances were dealt a setback because of an apparent concussion.

Still, Baylor set a school mark for most points in a conference game ? Big 12 or the Southwest Conference for decades before that ? and was already ahead to stay when Griffin scored on a 3-yard keeper just before halftime. That score came after he was on the sideline for one play after taking an elbow to the helmet while sliding at the end of a run.

Terrance Ganaway rushed 42 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a school-record 14 for the Bears, who reached eight wins for the first time since 1991.

Texas Tech (5-7, 2-7) finished with its first losing record since 1992. The Red Raiders lost their last five games after a 41-38 upset last month at Oklahoma, which Baylor beat at home last week.

Griffin had scrambled from one side of the field to the other and slid inside the 5 with a first down when defensive back Cornelius Douglas came in hard with an elbow that knocked Griffin's head back to the turf. The quarterback remained flat on his back for a couple of moments before coming out of the game for a play. He then returned for his second touchdown run to make it 31-21.

Florence, the junior who hadn't thrown a pass all season and was possibly going to be redshirted, came in after halftime and completed 9 of 12 passes for 151 yards. He threw a 46-yard TD to Kendall Wright and a 40-yarder to Terrance Williams before Joe Williams returned an interception 90 yards to push Baylor ahead 52-28.

Griffin stood on the sideline holding a towel in his hand but didn't have his helmet when the second half started. Briles said he thought Griffin had a slight concussion but should be ready for the regular season finale next week at home against Texas.

When the game was over, Briles hugged a smiling Griffin and kissed him on the cheek.

The two teams combined for 108 points and 1,061 total yards at Cowboys Stadium, where Baylor outgained the Red Raiders 617 to 444. The Bears had 294 before halftime with Griffin.

Griffin, the national leader in total offense (412 yards per game), completed 7 of 11 passes for 106 yards with a touchdown. He ran 14 times for 62 yards.

Griffin had a school-record 551 total yards against Oklahoma, including the game-winning TD pass with 8 seconds left in a 45-38 victory for the Bears' first win in 21 chances against the Sooners.

Texas Tech had won all previous 15 games against the Bears as Big 12 members.

Seth Doege completed 41 of 55 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Eric Ward set a Tech single-game record with 16 catches for 151 yards.

Baylor scored on its first five drives, including Griffin's 33-yard TD pass on fourth down to Wright, who caught the ball in the middle of the field at the 25 and spun away from a defender to sprint to the end zone for a 10-0 lead.

Griffin had a 4-yard TD run on the first play of the second quarter to put the Bears up 17-7.

The Red Raiders then went 74 yards on 10 completions by Doege. Six were to Ward, the last for a 2-yard TD.

A couple of plays after Baylor got the ball back, officials were blowing the whistle for a false start when safety Terrance Bullitt came from Griffin's blindside and undercut his legs, knocking the quarterback to the ground. That drew a personal foul penalty, and the drive eventually ended with a 4-yard TD by Ganaway.

Tech then used a little trickery to score quickly. Backup quarterback Jacob Karam, wearing a No. 85 jersey instead of his normal No. 3, lined up as a receiver and went in motion. He took a pitch from Doege and then threw a 43-yard TD to Darrin Moore, who later caught a 1-yard TD from Doege.

The Red Raiders then recovered an onside kick. But they failed to get a first down and punted.

That led the wild 12-play drive on which Griffin got hurt. Both teams called a timeout before a fourth-and-7 play, but Tech was called for delay of game ? and coach Tommy Tuberville was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he protested, giving Baylor a first down without having to snap the ball.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_sp_co_ga_su/fbc_t25_texas_tech_baylor

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New Roving Science Lab Charts A Course For Mars

The compact car-sized Mars Science Laboratory is due to land on the red planet on Aug. 6, 2012. It is equipped with a suite of instruments to study rocks and soils, and take other measurements. NASA/JPL-Caltech

The compact car-sized Mars Science Laboratory is due to land on the red planet on Aug. 6, 2012. It is equipped with a suite of instruments to study rocks and soils, and take other measurements.

It's time to go back to Mars. Once every two years, the orbits of Earth and Mars are aligned just right, so it's possible to send a spacecraft from here to there. That special time is now.

NASA's latest mission is the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). It's another six-wheeled rover, but much larger than the rovers Spirit and Opportunity that landed on Mars in 2004. They weighed under 400 pounds. MSL weighs nearly a ton and is about the size of a small compact car.

Another important difference between MSL and its predecessors is it doesn't rely on solar panels for its power. Instead, it's carrying 8 pounds of plutonium that gives off heat that is converted to electricity.

The way MSL lands is also different. Spirit and Opportunity "basically crash landed, softly with airbags," says John Grotzinger, project scientist for MSL. "Mars Science Laboratory is so large that we need an active propulsion system."

The active propulsion system makes use of something NASA has never tried before. It's a sort of a rocket-powered helicopter: When it gets to about 200 feet above the surface, it lowers the rover down on a cable. With the rover dangling below, it descends slowly until rover wheels touch the ground.

"The risks are obvious," says Grotzinger, "but the advantages of this are that the rover lands basically intact, and there's almost no subsequent set-up that has to be done after the rover lands."

The rover has a mast with a camera on it, and a robotic arm. But Grotzinger says MSL is not just about taking pictures and pulverizing rocks.

"It is a laboratory, and so within the belly of the rover are two very important instruments," he says. "One of them is an X-ray diffractometer, which is the instrument that geologists use on Earth to characterize the mineral content of rocks and soils."

The other instrument is called the Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM. It's actually a suite of instruments enclosed in a box about the size of a microwave oven. There are 74 sample cups inside SAM. The idea is that the rover's robotic arm will drill into rocks, and some of the resulting powder will be delivered to one of the cups.

The cup then goes into an oven, where it's heated to 1,000 degrees. "As the gases are coming off, we measure their composition with a mass spectrometer," says Paul Mahaffy of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Mahaffy is the principal investigator for SAM.

One of the elements SAM will be able to measure is carbon. Carbon is essential for life, but Mahaffy and everyone else associated with this mission say finding carbon compounds will not be proof that there is or was life on Mars. It will be just another piece of evidence pointing in that direction.

"We fully don't expect we're going to go to Mars and get a definitive answer, 'Yes, there was life,' or 'No, there wasn't life,' unless we absolutely happen to hit a home run and land in exactly the right spot, and conditions were exactly right," says Mahaffy.

If everything had gone according to plan, MSL would already be on Mars. The mission was supposed to launch in 2009. But delays in building hardware forced a two-year postponement.

Mahaffy says the launch can't come too soon for him and his team. "We've been anxiously awaiting the launch for a long time," he says, "and even more anxiously awaiting August 6th of 2012, when we land in Gale crater and start exploring."

Gale crater is MSL's target. It's a giant crater with a mountain in the middle of it. The site was chosen because measurements from Mars' orbit showed there was lots of interesting geology in the crater, and possibly evidence that Mars was once habitable. With luck, MSL will provide confirmation of that.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/26/142705177/new-roving-science-lab-charts-a-course-for-mars?ft=1&f=1007

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Oil hovers above $96 amid Europe debt worries (AP)

SINGAPORE ? Oil prices hovered above $96 a barrel Friday in Asia as Europe's debt crisis undermined confidence the continent will avoid recession next year.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was up 29 cents at $96.46 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract last settled on Wednesday in New York at $96.17, down $1.84. Markets in the U.S. were closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Brent crude for January delivery rose 73 cents at $107.77 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

Markets close early in the U.S. on Friday for Thanksgiving.

Investor concern that fiscal austerity measures to lower Europe's debt levels will hurt global economic growth and oil demand has helped pull crude back from above $103 last week.

Credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Portugal's long-term debt rating to BB+ from BBB-, following a similar move recently by Moody's.

Uncertainty about contagion spreading from Greece to Portugal, Italy, Spain and Ireland has begun to undermine confidence in Germany and France. The yield on Germany's 10-year bond rose above the 10-year UK government bond for the first time since 2009.

"The eurozone sovereign crisis is starting to threaten the bond markets of even the most solid European economy ? Germany," Barclays Capital said in a report.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 1.1 cents to $2.98 per gallon and gasoline futures gained 0.2 cent to $2.52 per gallon. Natural gas lost 0.3 cent to $3.46 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices

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Ariz. grandfather roughed up by police in Walmart (Providence Journal)

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CHC chair Gonzalez to retire (Politico)

Texas Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, will forego reelection in 2012, he announced Friday.

"I still find the job hugely rewarding, but the demands pull me somewhere else," Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News on Friday. "I've been in Congress for 14 years and I want to do something else - what that is I really don't know, but financially I would like to be productive and have the resources to make a better life."

Continue Reading

Gonzalez, a seven-term Democrat, is slated to hold a Saturday press conference in San Antonio to discuss his decision, according to his office.

Gonzalez becomes the 17th House Democrat to announce he will not seek reelection. Seven House Republicans will not seek another term in 2012.

His exit marks the end of an era: a Gonzalez family member has held a seat in the House for more than five decades, and the Gonzalez name is a staple in the San Antonio political world. In 1999, Gonzalez, a former district court judge, succeeded his father, former Rep. Henry Gonzalez, who began his congressional tenure in 1961.

Democrats familiar with Gonzalez's decision say they expect the retirement will have an electoral ripple effect. State Rep. Joaquin Castro will likely run for the seat and former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez is expected to run for a nearby district. The filing period for candidates to declare their intentions to run for Congress in Texas opens on Monday.

Gonzalez's decision comes amid high tensions surrounding the state's redistricting process. On Wednesday, a San Antonio-based federal court released a proposed interim congressional map that would position Democrats to gain as many as three seats in the state. The court was tasked with drawing an interim congressional map while a Republican-drawn plan, approved by the state legislature earlier this year, is in limbo in a Washington, D.C. court over whether it dilutes minority voting strength.

Republicans have complained bitterly about the proposed map, alleging it favors Democrats. On Friday, the San Antonio court denied a request from state Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican, to stay the interim plan. Abbott immediately announced that he would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Under the court's proposed map, Gonzalez would have been able to run for an eighth term in a San Antonio-area district that strongly favored a Democrat.

His decision might come as a surprise to some. Gonzalez raised He raised over $136,000 in the third quarter - a decent-sized sum that does not typically indicate an impending retirement.

Jonathan Allen contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_69117_html/43717282/SIG=11mpkgign/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69117.html

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Woman pepper sprays other Black Friday shoppers

(AP) ? A woman shot pepper spray to keep shoppers from merchandise she wanted during a Black Friday sale, and 20 people suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

The incident occurred shortly after 10:20 p.m. Thursday in a crowded Los Angeles-area Walmart as shoppers hungry for deals were let inside the store.

Police said the suspect shot the pepper spray when the coverings over the items she wanted were removed.

"Somehow she was trying to use it to gain an upper hand," police Lt. Abel Parga told The Associated Press early Friday.

He said she was apparently after some electronics and used the pepper spray to keep other shoppers at bay.

Officials said 20 people suffered minor injuries. Fire department spokesman Shawn Lenske said the injuries to least 10 of them were due to " rapid crowd movement."

Parga said police were still looking for the woman.

The store remained open and those not affected by the pepper spray continued shopping.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-25-Black%20Friday-Pepper%20Spray/id-1554445182df4bd9b37bf60f88b35905

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Obama pardons pair of gobblers for Thanksgiving (Star Tribune)

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How drought-tolerant grasses came to be

How drought-tolerant grasses came to be [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Robin Ann Smith
rsmith@nescent.org
919-668-4544
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)

New grass family tree reveals C4 photosynthesis is an evolutionary 1-way street

Durham, NC If you eat bread stuffing or grain-fed turkey this Thanksgiving, give thanks to the grasses a family of plants that includes wheat, oats, corn and rice. Some grasses, such as corn and sugar cane, have evolved a unique way of harvesting energy from the sun that's more efficient in hot, arid conditions. A new grass family tree reveals how this mode of photosynthesis came to be.

The results may one day help scientists develop more drought-tolerant grains, say scientists working at the U. S. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.

From the grasslands of North America, to the pampas of South America, to the steppes of Eurasia and the savannas of the tropics, the grass family contains more than 10,000 species, including the world's three most important crops: wheat, rice and corn. We rely on grasses for sugar, liquor, bread, and livestock fodder.

Like all plants, grasses harvest energy from sunlight by means of photosynthesis. But grasses use two strategies that differ in how they take up carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into the starches and sugars vital to plant growth. The majority of grasses use a mode of photosynthesis called the C3 pathway, but many species especially those in hot, tropical climates use an alternate mode of photosynthesis known as C4. In hot, arid environments, C4 grasses such as maize, sugar cane, sorghum and millet have a leg up over C3 plants because they use water more efficiently.

An international team of researchers wanted to figure out how many times, and when, the C4 strategy came to be. To find out, they used DNA sequence data from three chloroplast genes to reconstruct the grass family tree. The resulting phylogeny represents 531 species, including 93 species for which DNA sequence data was previously unavailable.

"By working collaboratively across many labs, from the US to Argentina to Ireland to Switzerland with some people providing new plant material, and others doing the DNA sequencing we were able to get a lot done in a very short amount of time," said co-author Erika Edwards of Brown University.

The results suggest that the C4 pathway has evolved in the grasses more than 20 separate times within the last 30 or so million years, Edwards said.

What's most surprising, she added, is that C4 evolution seems to be a one-way street i.e., once the pathway evolves, there's no turning back. "We can't say whether it is evolutionarily 'impossible', or whether there simply hasn't been a good reason to do it, but it seems increasingly unlikely that any C4 grasses have ever reverted to the C3 condition," Edwards said.

"The new tree will be extremely useful for anyone who works on grasses," she added.

For example, scientists are currently trying to engineer the C4 photosynthetic pathway into C3 crops like rice to produce more stress-tolerant plants. By helping researchers identify pairs of closely related C3 and C4 species, the evolutionary relationships revealed in this study could help pinpoint the genetic changes necessary to do that.

"The next challenge is getting these species into cultivation and studying them closely, and ideally, sequencing their genomes," Edwards said.

The results will be published this week in the journal New Phytologist.

###

CITATION: Grass Phylogeny Working Group II (2011). "New grass phylogeny resolves deep evolutionary relationships and discovers C4 origins." New Phytologist. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03972.x

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. For more information about research and training opportunities at NESCent, visit www.nescent.org.


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How drought-tolerant grasses came to be [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Robin Ann Smith
rsmith@nescent.org
919-668-4544
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)

New grass family tree reveals C4 photosynthesis is an evolutionary 1-way street

Durham, NC If you eat bread stuffing or grain-fed turkey this Thanksgiving, give thanks to the grasses a family of plants that includes wheat, oats, corn and rice. Some grasses, such as corn and sugar cane, have evolved a unique way of harvesting energy from the sun that's more efficient in hot, arid conditions. A new grass family tree reveals how this mode of photosynthesis came to be.

The results may one day help scientists develop more drought-tolerant grains, say scientists working at the U. S. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.

From the grasslands of North America, to the pampas of South America, to the steppes of Eurasia and the savannas of the tropics, the grass family contains more than 10,000 species, including the world's three most important crops: wheat, rice and corn. We rely on grasses for sugar, liquor, bread, and livestock fodder.

Like all plants, grasses harvest energy from sunlight by means of photosynthesis. But grasses use two strategies that differ in how they take up carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into the starches and sugars vital to plant growth. The majority of grasses use a mode of photosynthesis called the C3 pathway, but many species especially those in hot, tropical climates use an alternate mode of photosynthesis known as C4. In hot, arid environments, C4 grasses such as maize, sugar cane, sorghum and millet have a leg up over C3 plants because they use water more efficiently.

An international team of researchers wanted to figure out how many times, and when, the C4 strategy came to be. To find out, they used DNA sequence data from three chloroplast genes to reconstruct the grass family tree. The resulting phylogeny represents 531 species, including 93 species for which DNA sequence data was previously unavailable.

"By working collaboratively across many labs, from the US to Argentina to Ireland to Switzerland with some people providing new plant material, and others doing the DNA sequencing we were able to get a lot done in a very short amount of time," said co-author Erika Edwards of Brown University.

The results suggest that the C4 pathway has evolved in the grasses more than 20 separate times within the last 30 or so million years, Edwards said.

What's most surprising, she added, is that C4 evolution seems to be a one-way street i.e., once the pathway evolves, there's no turning back. "We can't say whether it is evolutionarily 'impossible', or whether there simply hasn't been a good reason to do it, but it seems increasingly unlikely that any C4 grasses have ever reverted to the C3 condition," Edwards said.

"The new tree will be extremely useful for anyone who works on grasses," she added.

For example, scientists are currently trying to engineer the C4 photosynthetic pathway into C3 crops like rice to produce more stress-tolerant plants. By helping researchers identify pairs of closely related C3 and C4 species, the evolutionary relationships revealed in this study could help pinpoint the genetic changes necessary to do that.

"The next challenge is getting these species into cultivation and studying them closely, and ideally, sequencing their genomes," Edwards said.

The results will be published this week in the journal New Phytologist.

###

CITATION: Grass Phylogeny Working Group II (2011). "New grass phylogeny resolves deep evolutionary relationships and discovers C4 origins." New Phytologist. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03972.x

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. For more information about research and training opportunities at NESCent, visit www.nescent.org.


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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/nesc-hdg112311.php

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Eagles CB Nmamdi Asomugha injures knee in practice

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) catches a touchdown pass in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) catches a touchdown pass in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

(AP) ? Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, one of Philadelphia's celebrated free agency acquisitions, injured his left knee during practice Thursday and was taken off the field on a cart.

The Eagles had no comment on the extent of the injury and a team spokesman said Asomugha's status would be updated on Friday.

Asomugha was participating in a non-contact drill on the grass fields adjacent to the team's NovaCare Complex when he was hurt. The 30-year-old, a three-time Pro Bowl pick and four-time All-Pro selection, leads the Eagles (4-6) with three interceptions ? two in his last four games.

With Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie already out with an ankle injury, the Eagles could be down to just one of their celebrated Pro Bowl cornerback trio of Asante Samuel, Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha when they face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (7-3) at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday.

The Patriots have the second-ranked offense in the NFL. The Eagles have allowed 18 touchdown passes. Only three teams have allowed more.

"It's a short-lived career, and to see a guy go down, you just hope it's not as severe as what you saw initially," said cornerback Brandon Hughes, who would likely receive expanded playing time if Asomugha can't play Sunday. "That's what we're hoping."

Asomugha, who spent the 2003 through 2010 seasons with Oakland before signing a five-year, $60 million contract with the Eagles, has missed just six games in nine seasons.

Because Asomugha plays so many different roles ? outside corner, inside corner and safety ? it could be difficult for the Eagles to replace him with just one player. They have only one more practice before Sunday's game.

"We've got to stick to the game plan," strong safety Kurt Coleman said. "Nnamdi's definitely a big piece of what we do on defense, but we have guys we can rotate in, guys who can do similar things. Everybody has to step up their game if he can't go. Everybody has to pick up the slack."

Samuel will start at one cornerback spot Sunday. The other healthy cornerbacks on the roster if Asomugha can't play are veteran Joselio Hanson, who has started 18 games for the 49ers and Eagles since 2003; Hughes, originally a fifth-round pick of the Chargers in 2009; and rookie third-round pick Curtis Marsh.

"One guy goes down, next guy goes in," Marsh said. "That's why everybody goes to meetings every day, so when you step in, you know exactly what's going on."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-24-FBN-Eagles-Asomugha-Injured/id-fb398a40195c4bbc89b4267109f871f2

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

5 movies for which to be thankful (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? It's Thanksgiving this week, a time to reflect on the people and things for which we're grateful. Since I love movies, I thought it would be a good time to choose five for which I'm thankful. These are the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, ones I can watch over and over again, and always rely on to make me laugh, lift me up or provide an escape. (The inclusion of anything by John Hughes goes without saying.)

Ask me tomorrow and this list might be different. But for today, dig in:

? "Rushmore" (1998): This was only Wes Anderson's second movie, but it remains his best ? funny, lively, clever and tinged with a sweet sense of melancholy. All of Anderson's trademark stylistic touches are there, the ones that would seem increasingly precious and self-conscious with each subsequent film he made. Young Jason Schwartzman, making his film debut, stars as Max Fischer, who's involved in every club, sport and activity at the exclusive Rushmore Academy. A restrained Bill Murray is hilarious as the depressed father of a couple of Max's classmates, with whom Max forms an unlikely friendship ? until the two compete for the affections of the first-grade teacher, played by the lovely Olivia Williams. Anderson finds delicate humor in his characters' loneliness, which gives "Rushmore" greater emotional heft than its quirks might lead you to expect.

? "The Sound of Music" (1965): OK, so I'm just going to put it out there: I played Gretl in our little neighborhood production of this musical when I was 5, and it's always held a special place in my heart. Yes, it's a huge movie and a classic, winner of five Academy Awards including best picture. But there's something so personal about it; we all grew up watching it ? it's one of those movies that was on television every year around the holidays. I recall repeatedly listening to the album ? the album, people, that's how long ago this was ? and singing along with every song. Why shouldn't Julie Andrews be able to come up with just the perfect, inspiring tune on the spot, or make play clothes out of drapes for all seven Von Trapp children, and still find time to make goo-goo eyes at the captain? It's corny and gooey and irresistible.

? "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984): Pretty much the greatest mockumentary ever, the one that launched Christopher Guest's entire oeuvre. Others, such as "Waiting for Guffman," have their classic moments, but this one sets the standard. So many great, quotable lines. So many ridiculous songs in this fake behind-the-scenes look at a spectacularly awful and over-the-top British rock band. So many small, deadpan ad-libs that produce huge laughs. Rob Reiner (as director and co-star) nails a particular brand of big-haired musical self-seriousness that was prevalent in this era. Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, all masters of improvisation, bounce beautifully off each other. This is a truly reliable comedy, one that captures a specific moment yet remains a classic. You know the tiny Stonehenge is coming and it's still funny every time.

? "The Big Lebowski" (1998): Admittedly, this is not the Coen brothers' best film ? that would be "No Country for Old Men," their masterpiece. And I could watch that over and over again, too. But the cult of Lebowski is just too powerful. There's something hypnotic about it: the way The Dude navigates the increasingly surreal adventure in which he's found himself; the cadence of the banter; the repetition of certain key phrases (most of which can't be repeated here, sadly). Bowling, Vietnam, white Russians, porn, a toe with green nail polish on it and a crucial rug that really tied the room together all collide in weird and wonderful ways in this absurd case of mistaken identity. No matter what Jeff Bridges accomplishes in his lengthy and varied career and despite the Oscar he recently won for "Crazy Heart," he will always be The Dude. And John Goodman is completely great as his volatile, self-serious sidekick, Walter.

? "Sleeping Beauty" (1959): This was my favorite Disney animated film growing up, an uncharacteristically chickish choice on my part, given its themes of a woman in peril who needs a man to rescue her ? the man she's been arranged to marry, of all people. So no, it's not terribly forward-thinking. But when I was a little girl, it all seemed so romantic. Aurora was so gorgeous and graceful, tall and blond, my epitome of feminine beauty back then. Much of the film's allure comes from the music ? the sweeping score adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet. The movie itself is just so beautiful, too, nearly a decade in the making with its hand-inked animation. And Maleficent is just such a great name for an evil witch. "Sleeping Beauty" was one of the movies I watched when I was home on maternity leave, waiting anxiously for my son to arrive. It was a good distraction.

___

Think of any other examples? Share them with AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire through Twitter: http://twitter.com/christylemire.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_en_mo/us_film_five_most

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Majority of ex-rebels seek to join national army (AP)

SHAKTIKHOR, Nepal ? For a decade, Maoist rebel fighters waged brutal warfare against Nepal's army. Five years after the end of the war, thousands of former insurgents are now joining that very army.

Government monitors have been interviewing 19,000 ex-fighters in camps to ascertain who wants to join the military and who prefers to take a rehabilitation package of up to 900,000 rupees ($11,500) in cash.

That's enough to buy a small farm or shop, or sustain a family for a few years in rural Nepal.

Still, two-thirds of the former members of the "People's Liberation Army" interviewed by government-assigned monitors in recent days said they favored taking a secure job and joining up with their former enemies in the national army.

"We have forgotten the bitterness we had against the army and now are ready to work together," said Santu Darai, the head of the 7th Division of the Maoist force. "But they should respect us and treat us as equals."

Darai said the integration should not be too problematic because both the former rebel force and the Nepal Army consider their main goal to be defending the country and its people.

Under the agreement reached earlier this month between Nepal's major political parties, the ex-fighters would be part of a new division under the command of the Nepal Army commander and used mainly for noncombat duties like construction and emergency response.

Integrating former insurgents into national armies is seen as an important tool for ensuring trained ex-combatants have stable jobs and a stake in keeping the peace of the nation. South Africa staved off further conflict when it integrated former anti-apartheid fighters into the military in the 1990s.

Nepal's former rebels would still have to go through the normal recruitment tests and health checks before they can join. The army says it is working to accommodate the new additions.

"We can't and won't hold any prejudice against them. We have to move forward and instead of having any negative attitude we have to be optimistic," said army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ramindra Chhetri.

"The main thing is peace. The rest are minor things that we can overcome," he said.

Dil Bahadur Magar, 28, who fought for the Maoists, said he sees his future only in the army.

"Being part of the security force is what I know how to do and what I plan to do in the future," said Magar, who was interviewed at the Shaktikhor camp in the southern Nepal district of Chitwan.

Once enlisted, they would receive an annual salary of about $2,400, plus food, housing and other benefits.

A few who were not opting for the army said they would take a lump sum, return home and open up small business or work on ancestral farms.

Anita Chaudhury, who was with her 1-year-old child, said she planned to resume working on a village farm.

"I have already fought several wars and now they want us to go through recruitment tests. It is like a high school student having to go through kindergarten," Chaudhury said.

The Maoists fought government troops in a bloody, 10-year revolt to demand political reforms and end Nepal's centuries-old monarchy. More than 13,000 people were killed in the fighting.

The Maoists joined a peace process in 2006 under an agreement stipulating that the insurgents be integrated into the army, and that in the interim they would be confined in U.N. monitored camps, with their weapons locked up.

Maoists won the most seats ? though not an outright majority ? in 2008 elections. But political disputes stymied efforts to integrate the insurgents into the military. The Maoists wanted all 19,000 fighters to be inducted into the army, while military leaders and other political parties resisted.

Tensions have eased in the five years since the end of the fighting, and earlier this month, the sides finally reached agreement to induct 6,500 ex-fighters into the 93,000-strong army and to give cash and retraining to the others.

It was still not clear what would happen if more than 6,500 opt for the army and pass the recruitment tests.

Balananda Sharma, chief of the monitors conducting the interviews, said the process was expected to be completed next week.

Former insurgent Bikash Shahi, 28, said he was confident he would pass the tests for recruitment.

"My future is with the army. I plan to move forward in life with the army," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_on_re_as/as_nepal_former_rebels

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NBC apologizes to Bachmann (Politico)

ST. PAUL, Minn. - GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann received an apology from an NBC executive after an off-color song was played during her appearance on Jimmy Fallon?s ?Late Night,? her spokeswoman said late Wednesday.

The Minnesota congresswoman received a letter from NBC?s vice president for late night programming, Doug Vaughan, a day after she appeared on the show. As Bachmann walked onstage, the show?s band had played a snippet of a 1985 Fishbone song entitled ?Lyin? Ass B??.?

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Vaughan wrote that the incident was ?not only unfortunate but also unacceptable,? Bachmann spokeswoman Alice Stewart told The Associated Press. She said Vaughn offered his sincerest apologies and said the band had been ?severely reprimanded.?

Fallon also apologized to Bachmann when they spoke earlier Wednesday, she said. He?d tweeted earlier, saying he was ?so sorry about the intro mess.?

?He was extremely nice and friendly and offered his apology, and she accepted it,? Stewert said, adding that the comedian said he was unaware the band planned to play the song. ?It?s just unfortunate that someone had to do something so disrespectful.?

Bachmann lashed out earlier Wednesday at NBC for not apologizing or taking immediate disciplinary action. In her first comments on the flap, Bachmann said on the Fox News Channel that the Fallon show band displayed sexism and bias by playing the song.

?This is clearly a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite,? Bachmann said. She added, ?This wouldn?t be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama. It shouldn?t be tolerated if it?s a conservative woman, either.?

She went further on a national radio conservative radio show hosted by Michael Medved, calling the incident ?inappropriate, outrageous and disrespectful.?

On Fox, Bachmann expressed surprise that she?s heard nothing from the TV network. She suggested that discipline for the show?s band, The Roots, was in order. She said she believed Fallon?s comments to be sincere.

One of Bachmann?s congressional colleagues, New York Democrat Nita Lowey, had called on NBC to apologize for its ?insulting and inappropriate? treatment of its guest.

The Roots? bandleader, Ahmir ?Questlove? Thompson, has said the song was a ?tongue-in-cheek and spur-of-the-moment decision.?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_69085_html/43702008/SIG=11mgo5utk/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69085.html

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World's first night-blooming orchid discovered

A "nocturnal" orchid that blooms only under the cover of darkness has been discovered on a tropical island in the South Pacific ? a first for the orchid world, scientists say.

The new night-flowering species, Bulbophyllum nocturnum, was described by researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in England, and the Center for Biodiversity Naturalis in the Netherlands.

Dutch researcher Ed de Vogel collected specimens of the mysterious plant from a logging site while conducting fieldwork in New Britain, a large, volcanic island that is part of Papua New Guinea.

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However, the plant's surprising nighttime habits weren't discovered until much later.

De Vogel and his colleagues cultivated the plants back in the Netherlands, and the orchids appeared to thrive in their new greenhouse home. Soon, one plant produced buds.

The researchers had established the orchids belonged to a particularly rare and bizarre group of the genus Bulbophyllum, and eagerly awaited the strange showing that would surely come when the plant bloomed.

However, much to the researchers' disappointment, the buds withered and died without opening.

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Perplexed, de Vogel took a plant home with him one evening. Two hours before midnight, a bud began to open, revealing an exotic bloom as yet unknown to science.

Subsequent observations revealed that the other orchids bloomed at 10 p.m. and, the next morning, about 12 hours later, the flowers withered and died.

Other plant species bloom at night ? the aptly named corpse flower, whose massive bloom stinks of rotting flesh, typically begins its malodorous display around midnight. Yet once opened, the plant stays that way for about a day.

In addition, other plant species, such as the queen of the night cactus (Selenicereus grandiflorus) and the midnight horror tree (Oroxylum indicum) open in the dark and close shortly before or after sunrise.

However, the newly identified Bulbophyllum nocturnum is the only orchid known to open at night and close when daylight returns.

It's not clear why the plant flowers in the dark, and researchers say more investigation is needed. However, the scientists said it could be that midge flies that forage at night pollinate the orchids.

The discovery is published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.

Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.??

? 2011 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45394895/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Only four degrees of separation, says Facebook

Jeff Hecht, consultant

We are all a lot closer to Kevin Bacon than we thought.

A few months ago, we reported that a Yahoo team planned to test the six degrees of separation theory on Facebook. Now, Facebook's own data team has beat them to the punch, proving that most Facebook users are only separated by four degrees.

Facebook researchers pored through the records of all 721 million active users, who collectively have designated 69 billion "friendships" among them. The number of friends differs widely. Some users have designated only a single friend, probably the person who persuaded them to join Facebook. Others have accumulated thousands. The median is about 100.

To test the six degrees theory, the Facebook researchers systematically tested how many friend connections they needed to link any two users. Globally, they found a sharp peak at five hops, meaning that most pairs of Facebook users could be connected through four intermediate people also on Facebook (92 per cent). Paths were even shorter within a single country, typically involving only three other people, even in large countries such as the US.

Sociologist Stanley Milgram, who tested the six degrees theory in the 1960s, found an average of 5.2 intermediate people in the US. At the time, he wrote that people at the end points were "not five persons apart, but 'five circles of acquaintances' apart." He thought of them as different "worlds" of acquaintances." Now, the Facebook team concludes, "people are in fact only four worlds apart."

The world just became a little smaller.

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1a4edda2/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Conepercent0C20A110C110Cnow0Ewere0Eall0Ejust0E50Edegrees0Ese0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Tinglan Hong, Hugh Grant Baby Mama, Seeks Injunction Against Paparazzi


Hugh Grant's baby mama Tinglan Hong is going to extremes to protect her privacy.

A British High Court approved an injunction on behalf of the actress, with whom Hugh had an unplanned child in September, forbidding paparazzi from snapping pics of her and the newborn outside her London home or in the street.

She welcomed Grant's first child, a girl, in late September.

Tinglan Hong and Hugh Grant

Per the BBC, a judge granted the court order on November 11 stating that celebrity gossip media members were making the 31-year-old's life "unbearable."

Consequently according to the court, Hong, whom Grant is no longer seeing, has been forced to change her phone number after receiving "terrifying" calls.

The little bundle of joy is a girl, but Tinglan Hong has apparently not settled on a name. Instead the court refers to her in court docs by the initials KLM.

"While Hugh Grant is very well known, the first claimant [Ms. Hong] never sought any publicity or been known to the public for any reason," wrote the judge.

"She and Mr. Grant did their best to keep private the fact that the second claimant was their child and do not know how the information reached the public."

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/tinglan-hong-hugh-grant-baby-mama-seeks-injunction-against-papar/

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Lawyers for Jackson doctor ask for probation (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Lawyers for Michael Jackson's doctor have asked that he receive probation following his involuntary manslaughter conviction, while prosecutors have urged a sentence of four years in prison.

In a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday in advance of sentencing Tuesday, prosecutor David Walgren said Dr. Conrad Murray has shown no remorse for Jackson's death and has placed blame on others.

He asked that Murray also be ordered to pay restitution to Jackson's children.

Defense attorney Nareg Gourjian, citing letters of praise from Murray's former patients, said the doctor is serving a lifetime sentence of self-punishment and asked for probation and community service in the medical field.

The two recommendations were filed with Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. Murray was convicted Nov. 7 after a six-week trial.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_en_ot/us_michael_jackson_doctor

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A little bit of Central Asia in Prague

A?Czech company is simultaneously building a business and helping migrants by hiring Central Asian migrants to cook their homelands' dishes.

? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.?

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Ethnocatering, a Prague catering company founded by migrant women in 2006, is preparing Afghan, Georgian, and Armenian meals for conferences and events for banks, accounting firms, government ministries, and others. The four main chefs met through a program at the InB?ze community center, which offers education, counseling services, and other programs for migrant families in the Czech Republic.?

?One of the goals in establishing Ethnocatering was to create new jobs for migrants and offer them a proper job with social benefits and professional development,? says Sandra Najmanova, the firm?s manager. She says all their meals are popular, but oft-requested ones include adyapsandal, a Georgian dish with eggplant and fried sweet peppers, and mantu, Afghan fried cakes filled with ground beef or lamb and served with yogurt and fresh mint.

?Ethnocatering uses [our chefs?] natural home country know-how to cook specialty dishes, and the clients enjoy them because our chefs cook with love,? says Ms. Najmanova.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/cCDDfFAiwlk/A-little-bit-of-Central-Asia-in-Prague

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