Backlash on 'Dancing'? Judges nitpick Melissa

ABC

Melissa Gilbert delivered a tough cha-cha, but the judges weren't impressed.

By Ree Hines

Aaaaaaand they're off! Monday night, the stars put on their dancing shoes (and some really questionable costumes) and strutted their ballroom stuff on the season 14 premiere of "Dancing With the Stars." The results? Mixed, to say the least.

Basically, the ballroom romps broke down into three categories: Good, fun and fair. Oh, wait! There was one more category: Unfair.

That's because just one night into the competition, things are already getting personal on the part of the panel of experts. What else could explain the bounty of nitpicks actress Melissa Gilbert received after tackling one of the most difficult dances of the night alongside ballroom's bad boy, Maksim Chmerkovskiy?

As any loyal "Dancing" fan knows, Maks has had his share of verbal run-ins with Len Goodman and the gang, and last season the tension between the pro and the panelists escalated right past the spinning mirror ball and through the roof. This season? It seems like his partner (and by extension, Maks) is paying for it.

The "Little House on the Prarie" star took the stage for the sort of cha-cha-cha one might expect halfway into the competition. The intense choreography, which required many more solo moves than any of the other cha-chas of the night necessitated, showed off some early strengths from the star -- such as a great sense of musicality from a non-musician/non-dancer and near-perfect timing. It also revealed some tiny, typical first-night weaknesses -- most notably imperfect arm lines and shoulders that could use more finesse in the future.

Anyone familiar with the early routines would expect such a dance to earn a decent score -- maybe a couple of 8s and a 7, which seemed the score of the night for equal dancers and for several lesser ones. But no, after a string of nitpicks about the shape of Melissa's free arm, the judges gave her 7s and a 6, unfairly landing her in the back of the pack and presumably punishing Maks for last season's sins (if you want to call them that).

Melissa was far from the only good dancer of the night, just the only one held back for it. Also from the plus side of the dance floor was actor Jaleel White, who left his "Family Matters" character, Steve Urkel, behind for a fantastic foxtrot. (Of course, there may have been a little Stefan Urquelle in those smooth moves.) For his effort, he earned two 9s, one 8 and whole lot of praise.

"I'm telling you, I thought I was watching the great Gregory Hines," said Bruno Tonioli.

Tying Jaleel on the scoreboard with a flowing foxtrot of her own was Welsh operatic-pop star Katherine Jenkins, otherwise known as "who?" to most viewers. Only time will tell if her moves are enough to overcome her lack of stateside fame.

Which might have been a concern for former model and actor William Levy, if he hadn't totally blown the ballroom away with his sexy (seriously sexy) cha-cha. Levy no doubt secured plenty of votes as he moved alongside partner Cheryl Burke and showed off moves that were part Chippendales and part ...?something else almost too naughty for ballroom. The end result? Carrie Ann Inaba has a new favorite and William has a matching set of 8s.

Disney Channel star Roshon Fegan impressed the crowd with his precision cha-cha moves, but there was a darned good reason for that. While his partner, Chelsie Hightower, may have shown him a few cha-cha pointers, the routine, influenced heavily by hip-hop moves, played right into his ringer status. After all, before getting his 23, Roshon admitted he was a lifelong freestyle hip-hop dancer.

Another one dancing for Team Good was actor Jack Wagner. Not surprisingly, given his musical background, Jack was strong on musicality. In a sweet foxtrot, he kept up with pro partner Anna Trebunskaya nicely, if not excitingly, and took 23 points for it.

Those looking for excitement found plenty of it from the fun crowd. There was Donald Driver, who saw 7s for his action-packed cha-cha with Peta Murgatroyd. Sherri Shepherd also made a fun impression with her 23-point foxtrot with the self-proclaimed "better looking" Chmerkovskiy, Val. And then singing legend Gladys Knight put the Pips to shame with her equally scored cha-cha with Tristan MacManus.

As for the just fair dancers, they were led by Derek Hough's rare non-ringer partner actress and "Extra" host, Maria Menounos, who earned 7s for her cha-cha. It was one less for Gavin DeGraw's foxtrot with pro Karina Smirnoff. And the likable Martina Navratilova, who surely won't be bringing home Tony Dovolani's much-desired mirror ball this season, tied Gavin (and Melissa?!) with her foxtrot.

So, who's premiere-night dance was worthy of the premiere ballroom boot of the season? Luckily for the stars, they won't have to worry about it yet. There's no elimination this week, so all of the hopefuls will return next Monday for another shot to show what they can do ? and more importantly, how much better than can do it than they did this week.

Who topped your personal ballroom scorecard? And who do you think should hang up their dancing shoes? Share all your "DWTS" premiere night perspectives on our Facebook page.?And don't forget to join me and Anna Chan for our weekly chat at 3:30 ET Tuesday!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/19/10764365-ballroom-backlash-on-dancing-with-the-stars-judges-nitpick-melissa-and-maks

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Scientists Manipulate Electrons Into Material Never Seen on Earth [Science]

Stanford scientists have created designer electrons that behave as if they were exposed to a magnetic field of 60 Tesla—a force 30 percent stronger than anything ever sustained on Earth. The work could lead to a revolution in the materials that make everything from video displays to airplanes to mobile phones. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/c_er4BhX-AY/scientists-manipulate-electrons-into-material-never-seen-on-earth

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Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329

If that display up there looks familiar, it's because it's already won itself a fancy schmancy iF product design award. But as Prospero would say, 'tis new to thee -- at least if you live on this side of the Atlantic. Acer just announced it's bringing that very S23HL monitor to the US, along with four other models whose screens range in size from 20 to 27 inches. The S235HL is clearly the star of the show here, with a half-inch-thick frame and asymmetrical stand. (It has 1080p resolution and VGA / HDMI ports too, if you're interested in more than just the design.) Intrigued? You can expect to fork over $219 for it when it lands stateside next month.

Moving on, Acer also has two other 23-inch, 1080p monitors -- the S230HL Abd and Abii -- with the former packing VGA and DVI ports, and the latter trading DVI for two HDMI sockets. Look for those in April for $169 and $189, respectively. Of the lot, the most expensive is the 27-inch S271HL, a 27-inch, 1080p monitor with DVI, HDMI and a VESA mount. You can snag one now for a cool $329. Last but not least, if you're on a tighter budget there's the 20-inch S200HL, which has a more modest 1600 x 900 resolution, along with VGA and DVI ports. That's on sale now for $139. More info on all of these in the PR after the break, though we're pretty sure we passed on all the pertinent details already.

Continue reading Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329

Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama holds news conference, unveils housing plan

President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, March, 5, 2012, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, March, 5, 2012, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is aiming mortgage relief at members of the military as well as homeowners with government-insured loans, the administration's latest efforts to address a persistent housing crisis.

In his first full news conference of the year Tuesday, Obama was to announce plans to let borrowers with mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration refinance at lower rates, saving the average homeowner more than $1,000 a year. Obama also was detailing an agreement with major lenders to compensate service members and veterans who were wrongfully foreclosed upon or denied lower interest rates.

A senior administration official described Obama's proposals to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss them ahead of the announcement.

Obama is holding the news conference in the midst of a modestly improving economy. But international challenges as well as a stubbornly depressed housing market remain threats to the current recovery and to his presidency.

Obama has not held a full news conference since November. The White House scheduled this one on the same day as the 10-state Super Tuesday Republican presidential nominating contests. While aides insisted the timing was coincidental, it follows a pattern of Obama seeking the limelight when the attention is on the GOP.

The news conference comes amid a new sense of optimism at the White House. Obama's public approval ratings have inched up close to 50 percent. The president recently won an extension of a payroll tax cut that was a main element of his jobs plan for 2012. Economic signals suggest a recovery that is taking hold.

Still, he will probably face questions about the pace of the recovery. The unemployment rate in January was 8.3 percent, the highest it has been in an election year since the Great Depression. With rising gasoline prices threatening to slow the economy, Obama has also faced attacks from Republicans over his energy policy.

Iran's nuclear ambitions will also command attention in the aftermath of his meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Tension over Iran has already contributed to higher oil prices, and Israel's threats of pre-emptive military strikes to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear bomb have dominated Washington discourse for weeks.

Other developments in the Middle East, where turmoil has soured some of the promise of last year's Arab Spring, are also likely to be addressed. Syria's bloody crackdown on protesters has increased pressure on Obama to intervene. Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday urged the United States to launch airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to force him out of power.

Under the housing plans Obama was to announce Tuesday, FHA-insured borrowers would be able to refinance their loans at half the fee that the FHA currently charges. FHA borrowers who want to refinance now must pay a fee of 1.15 percent of their balance every year. Officials say those fees make refinancing unappealing to many borrowers. The new plan will reduce that charge to 0.55 percent.

With mortgage rates at about 4 percent, the administration estimates a typical FHA borrower with $175,000 still owed on a home could reduce monthly payments to $915 a month and save $100 a month more than the borrower would have under current FHA fees.

Though 2 million to 3 million borrowers would be eligible, the administration official would not speculate how many would actually seek to benefit from the program. The FHA provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders throughout the United States and its territories. The loans typically go to homeowners who do not have enough equity to qualify for standard mortgages. It is the largest insurer of mortgages in the world.

For service members and veterans, Obama will announce that major lenders will review foreclosures to determine whether they were done properly. If wrongly foreclosed upon, service members and veterans would be paid their lost equity and also be entitled to an additional $116,785 in compensation. That was a figure reached through an agreement with major lenders by the federal government and 49 state attorneys general.

Under the agreement, the lenders also would compensate service members who lost value in their homes when they were forced to sell them due to a military reassignment.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-03-06-Obama/id-c064e8cf58cb476a83eb00c9b732b88a

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Iran says to let U.N. nuclear sleuths visit military site

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it would let U.N. nuclear investigators visit a military complex where they had been refused access to check intelligence suggesting Tehran has pursued explosives research relevant to nuclear weapons.

Western diplomats dismissed Iran's statement as a time-buying gambit - rather than a genuine shift towards nuclear transparency - with Israel talking increasingly stridently of last-resort military action against its arch-enemy.

Diplomats cited a proviso in the statement saying that access to Parchin still hinged on a broader agreement on how to settle outstanding issues which the two sides have long been unable to reach - an impasse that has put the West and Tehran on a slippery slope towards confrontation.

The West has sharpened sanctions against Iran to block its oil exports, a defiant Tehran has threatened to shut Gulf oil shipping lanes in reprisal while Israel has signaled it is losing patience with efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday that Israel has made no decision on attacking Iranian nuclear sites, sources close to talks in Washington said. He, however, gave no sign of backing away from possible military strikes.

Russia urged global powers on Tuesday to revive talks with Iran as soon as possible, saying an Iranian approach last month showed it was ready for serious negotiations. That perception is not shared by the United States, France and Britain. The last talks a year ago failed even to agree on an agenda.

EXPLOSIVES TESTS

An International Atomic Energy Agency report in November said that Iran had built a large containment chamber at Parchin, southeast of Tehran, to conduct high-explosives experiments that are "strong indicators" of an effort to design atomic bombs.

The IAEA requested access to Parchin during talks in Tehran in January and again in February, but the Iranian side refused.

"Considering the fact that Parchin is a military site, granting access is a time-consuming process and cannot be permitted repeatedly," Iran's delegation to the Vienna-based IAEA said in the statement.

It added that the "process could be ... started when the agreement on modalities is reached" - suggesting Tehran had not relaxed its insistence that there must first be an omnibus agreement on how to settle questions about the nature of Iran's nuclear work before an inspection trip to Parchin could happen.

Iranian diplomats and IAEA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Western suspicions about activities at Parchin date back to at least 2004, when a prominent nuclear expert assessed that satellite images showed it might be a site for research and experiments applicable to nuclear weapons.

IAEA inspectors did visit Parchin in 2005 but did not see the place where the U.N. watchdog now believes the explosives chamber was built.

Asked about Iran's statement, Western diplomats familiar with the matter told Reuters they saw an Iranian ploy to play for time, possibly to "sanitize" the Parchin site to eliminate any evidence of suspect activities before inspectors came.

One Western diplomat attending a meeting this week of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors said the Iranian announcement was "nothing new, definitely not" a policy shift.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said on Monday the agency had "some indication that activities are ongoing at the Parchin site. It makes us believe that going there sooner is better than later."

He also said the IAEA continued to have "serious concern" about possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program. Iran says it is enriching uranium only for peaceful energy.

HISTORY OF FUTILE TALKS

There have been many prolonged, tortuous negotiations and procedural obstacles imposed by Iran since the IAEA first began seeking unfettered access in the country almost a decade ago to check indications of illicit military nuclear activity.

Diplomats say a broad deal on settling outstanding issues has been thwarted by Iran's refusal to let inspectors examine sites, peruse documents and question nuclear scientists cited in classified Western intelligence reports provided to the agency.

The IAEA named Parchin in a detailed report in November that lent independent weight to Western fears that Iran is working to develop an atomic bomb, an allegation Iranian officials deny, saying they are seeking only peaceful nuclear energy.

The report presented a trove of intelligence pointing to research activities in Iran of logical use in developing the means and technologies needed to assemble nuclear weapons, should it decide to do so.

At the IAEA governors meeting, the United States and its Western allies were seeking Russian and Chinese backing for a resolution against Iran to help isolate it over its failure to address the agency's growing concerns.

ISRAEL, U.S. DIFFER ON URGENCY OF THREAT

Israel has spoken of pre-emptive bombings against Iran, a hawkish approach that Obama - wary of the risk of igniting a new Middle East war and a global surge in oil prices as he seeks re-election in November - has tried to restrain Israel to give time for harsher sanctions and diplomatic pressure to bear fruit.

Obama and Netanyahu agreed on Monday to keep up coordination on Iran but continued to disagree on when the clock for non-military options to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability should run out.

The Jewish state insists that military action against Iran would be warranted to prevent it from reaching nuclear weapons capability, as opposed to when it actually builds a device. Washington has not embraced that idea.

"The pressure (on Iran) is growing but time is growing short," Netanyahu was quoted by aides as telling Obama.

Later, addressing the influential pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, Netanyahu said: "None of us can afford to wait much longer. As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation."

At the podium, he held up a copy of a 1944 letter from the U.S. War Department to world Jewish leaders turning down their request to bomb the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz.

Obama sought to reassure Netanyahu that Washington was keeping its own military option open as a last resort and "has Israel's back." He added: "We do believe there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to this issue."

Israel, believed to be the only nuclear weapons power in the Middle East, fears Iranian nuclear facilities may soon be buried so deep that they would be invulnerable to its bunker-busting bombs, which are less powerful than those in the U.S. arsenal.

U.S. officials say that while Iran may be maneuvering to keep its options open, there is no clear intelligence that it has made a final decision to "break out" with a nuclear weapon.

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Tehran and Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; Writing by Mark Heinrich in London; Editing by Diana Abdallah)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-let-u-n-nuclear-sleuths-visit-124728681.html

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Jessica Capshaw: I Forget I?m Pregnant

"With this third one, I woke up and I was six months pregnant," she laughs. "I'm like, 'What happened?!'"

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