SBTPS

Early reports are sketchy as to the details of the abduction, but it appears that the two American women were traveling in a minivan with their Egyptian guide when they were kidnapped. The Egyptian guide was also abducted, but at least three other tourists were not taken. The nationality of the remaining tourists has not been released. The group was traveling south from Saint Catherine’s monastery on Mount Sinai to the Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh when the abduction took place.

Kidnappings have been on the rise in Egypt as officials struggle to bring the nation to order following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. 25 Chinese workers were kidnapped from a nearby area earlier in the week, but they were all released the following day without incident. It is believed that the American women were targeted by the kidnappers in the hopes that they would bring a ransom for their safe return. But with so little information about who may have taken them – or why – it is simply too soon to make those sorts of assumptions.

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo has yet to release a statement about the situation, but it’s safe to say that U.S. officials will be monitoring the situation very closely. Incidents like these will continue to erode the dwindling Egyptian tourism industry, which has seen a nearly 30% decline in 2011 tourism numbers from those achieved in 2010.

The kidnappings occurred against the backdrop of rising violence across Egypt, which is still reeling from the deaths of 74 fans in the aftermath of a recent soccer match. Citizens are blaming the deaths on a lack of security and have taken to the streets in protest. At least 4 additional deaths have occurred since, as protesters clash with police and military personnel.

The Woman in Black is a fine and appropriate return to atmospheric horror movies for the once great Hammer Films. It sticks to the source material’s (the 1983 novel by Susan Hill) original time period (the late 19^th century to the early 20^th century), with authentic costumes, sets and a spectacularly creepy haunted house. The mood is perfect (emphasized by extreme isolation), the sustained dread is gut-wrenching, and the anticipation is a killer. Although this is a ghost story with the standard dilapidated, abandoned mansion as the central location for trepidation, it presents several very unique ideas for old-fashioned hauntings.

Young Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) lost his wife (Sophie Stuckey) during childbirth a few years ago. He frequently has visions of her in her wedding dress (symbolically, the woman in white), which gives him a newfound sense of spiritualism, but hampers his ability to work effectively at the law firm that employs him. His last assignment, one that is necessary to prove his dedication to the company as well as demonstrate his recovery from grief, is to journey to a remote village on the outskirts of England. Once there, he must sort out the papers left at Eel Marsh House to finalize the financial and legal dealings of the recently deceased Mrs. Drablow. Although the townspeople wish for Kipps to leave as swiftly as he arrives, he finds a friend in Simon Daily (Ciaran Hinds), the only man in town with a car, and one who has lost his son in an accident and whose wife (Janet McTeer) has gone crazy with mental suffering. What is supposed to be a simple job becomes plagued by disconcerting secrets, the mysterious deaths of children, and the unnatural sightings of an ebony-veiled woman in black funeral attire.

The use of demonic-looking toy contraptions and unnerving dolls is nothing new. Nor are the expected, manipulative jump scares fueled by loud thuds, screeches, and jarring sound effects (and a pesky crow), or the sudden appearances of otherworldly imagery coupled with crescendo-favoring musical accompaniment. But the evil spirit itself is wonderfully singular in its ability to scare through subtle materialization (coming into sight in alarming manner, with slower paced emergences more traumatizing than the rapid ones), its targeting of children and pattern of avoiding physical harm to adults, and most of all in its vengeful mission that cannot be appeased, calmed or quelled. She’s a wronged poltergeist of legendary ill-omen stature, foreshadowing doom; she’s not meant to be satisfied but rather endured.

The explanation for the wraith is much more straightforward and understandable than in the previous film adaption. The many questions that arose from the 1989 version are neatly covered here, opting for a clear-cut motive of insatiable revenge. Kipps still possesses an uncanny bravery (or stupidity) in the face of genuinely frightful, spectral harassment, and attempts many panic-induced, pointless parries (such as locking the door on a ghost). The conclusion has changed, along with the previous unforgettable climax, but despite the morbid nature of the story and the terminal confrontation, screenwriter Jane Goldman (or perhaps interfering producers) has chosen the most assuaging method to wrap up a dark narrative of eerie tragedy and undying wrath.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Newt Gingrich’s fast Florida fade is the latest indication that the Tea Party is losing its grip on the GOP, with the establishment poised to triumph once again.

An official endorsement Saturday night from last year’s Tea Party standout, Herman Cain; an all-but-official backing from longtime Tea Party darling Sarah Palin; and the support of the Tea Party Express have not lifted Gingrich back over Mitt Romney in the Florida polls. That weakened clout has been accompanied by the Republican establishment’s full-throttle charge at Gingrich’s past — to great effect with the primary here just one day away.

It’s a stunning twist of fate for the GOP, which just 18 months ago was mired in intraparty battles that gave rise to the grass-roots movement, and that had been desperately seeking anyone but Mitt Romney in the presidential race to satisfy its hard-right turn. Still, if Romney wins here on Tuesday and goes on to clinch the nomination in the coming weeks or months, it may not settle the question of whether he has quieted the Tea Party faithful heading toward the general election.

Its various favorites have failed to take hold. Michele Bachmann was ultimately not seen as credible, Cain was forced out of the race over charges of sexual harassment, and Rick Perry couldn’t pass muster through the debates.

Though Gingrich has embraced the Tea Party — and many of its leaders have hugged him back — he doesn’t fit the movement’s mold. The Romney campaign knows this and has had no qualms about highlighting that fact.

From former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the GOP presidential nominee in 1996, to Sen. John McCain, the standard bearer in 2008, a growing number of Republican “insiders” have blasted Gingrich for his slip-ups and judgment lapses during his reign as House speaker.

That would be a risky strategy if Gingrich were a tried-and-true Tea Party candidate who hadn’t spent his time currying favor with Washington’s elite. When the establishment pounded candidates like Rand Paul and Christine O’Donnell in 2010, it backfired, and they won their primaries against Republican officeholders.

And yet, Romney has unleashed every surrogate he’s got to clamp down on Gingrich. McCain, when asked Friday by RealClearPolitics if Romney risked a backlash by employing this strategy, answered, “I think that’s always a risk, but once the Tea Partiers examine his fiscal record, then it’s very hard to get enthusiastic about a guy that supported a bill that had $ 14 billion in earmarks.”

That’s the difference: The establishment harangued O’Donnell, Paul and Herman Cain for being unqualified, even eccentric. But with Gingrich, “Washington insiders” are reminding everyone that he’s one of them.

Romney himself pointed that out during a Panama City rally Saturday afternoon, noting that Gingrich “was given the opportunity to lead our party.” An audience member shouted back, “He failed.” And Romney responded: “You’re right; he failed. We allowed him to lead our party, and some of us remember, ‘Oh, yeah — the ‘Contract With America,’ that was a good thing. We took over the House — that was great news.’ But what happened four years later? He was fined for ethics violations.”

Romney’s campaign has made Gingrich’s time in Washington the centerpiece of its attacks, even using a 1997 news report from the dean of the current news media, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, that detailed Gingrich’s ethics violations in an ad released late Friday.

Acoording to a report by Reuters, Apple’s generous customer service may be causing huge problems for victims of iPhone theft. The warranty plan is tied to the iPhone and not the person who owns the phone; this means anyone can take an iPhone to an Apple Store for service or replacement.

The ease of trading in stolen iPhones and selling their replacements makes them nearly as tempting as grabbing cash. In cities from coast-to-coast, reports of iPhone thefts are common. While some thieves sell the phones through the traditional channels of fencing stolen goods, examples abound of stolen iPhones being brought back to Apple, as if broken, for either replacement or a discount on a new unit. ”Apple seems to have not considered stolen devices and instead is relying on the honor system,” says Robert Siciliano, a consultant for Intel Corp’s technology security unit McAfee and an identity theft expert. “The honor system is devised with the mindset that we are all sheep and there are no wolves.” Siciliano says he has known of this problem for a while, but doesn’t see any immediate solution. “Until consumers scream loud enough about this issue, Apple probably won’t do anything about it.”

While this approach is fantastic for the honest iPhone owners, thieves are using Apple’s good nature to carry out a type of laundering for stolen iPhones. When a phone is reported as stolen, a carrier can blacklist it as stolen and disable it by using its device specific IMEI number. If the device has been swapped or replaced at an Apple Store, that security measure has now been bypassed. This enables a thief to sell on or use a brand new iPhone without fear of recrimination.

Apple has yet to comment on the findings within the report but let’s hope a simple solution can be found that will not cause pain for the honest amongst us. The last thing we need is for Apple to change its policies and make life more difficult when it comes to iPhone service and replacement.

Source: Reuters, Image Wikipedia

With the South Carolina primary set for Saturday and his prospects fading quickly, Rick Perry has decided to step out of the race for the GOP nomination for President in 2012. CNN is reporting that Perry will hold a press conference at 11AM on Thursday in South Carolina to formally announce his decision and to endorse former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

In South Carolina, Gingrich has managed to mount a challenge to Mitt Romney, although Romney still holds a significant lead in the polls. Perry’s donors had recently given indications that they saw the writing on the wall and that the Texas Governor was not going to be in a position to capture the GOP nod.

After strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, Romney brought plenty of momentum and a huge war chest into South Carolina. But recent questions about Romney’s business dealings as well as his personal wealth and savvy tax avoidance have drawn the suspicions of wary voters. At a time when many voters are increasingly concerned about the cozy relationship between big business and big government, Romney seems to represent the worst case scenario.

But even with the recent dents to Romney’s image, it seems like his is going to be the only campaign that is going to be able to sustain a strong run throughout the primary season. Romney is the candidate who appeals to those who are holding onto a traditional view of government as primarily benevolent and well-meaning. Newt Gingrich’s supporters fall into the same broad category, but with slightly different values. It will be interesting to see if any of the GOP candidates will generate the broad-based appeal required to topple President Obama in 2012.

The world can be roughly divided into two parts – TV lovers and TV bashers. Television, for most of us, is a good stress reliever. The following people, on the other hand, are the ones bringing a bad name to TV. As in the case of all good things, these party poopers make you want to smash your TV with your bare hands. I present you a list of people who bring out murderous tendencies in regular humans with their antics.

Highly Overrated Actors on TV

David Spade
Just Shoot Me! before I do, as David Spade keeps attempting to suck the joy out of television! Saturday Night Live showed us the amusingly sarcastic side of David Spade. After Rules of Engagement, the audiences decided that they have had enough versions of his sharp-tongued, dwarfy and skirt-chasing characters.

David Caruso
Take a bow, Lieutenant Horatio Caine, as David Caruso enters this list with honors. He chooses to portray every complex emotion by wearing and removing his sunglasses. To that, he adds some crass one-liners delivered in a deep monotone. Crime solving on CSI: Miami hits a hilarious low.

Sarah Jessica Parker
Sex and the City may have created a sartorial revolution, but the equine-faced Sarah deserves a lot of flak for portraying the thirty plus Carrie as a giddy sixteen year old. Thank heavens for the Vivienne Westwood outfits and the Manolo Blahnik footwear that shifted the spotlight from Ms. Parker’s juvenile attempts at acting.

Jennifer Love Hewitt
This Ghost Whisperer had her job all sorted out. A maximum of two expressions fleeted across Jennifer Love Hewitt’s face throughout the time the show was aired. A collective sigh of relief was heard in some quarters when this show was abruptly pulled off the air.

Miley Cyrus
A chubby face that sings in a high school, Miley Cyrus fulfills the requirements for being a preteen idol. As far as her acting abilities are concerned, the less said, the better. Let us hope she manages to gain some of that when she loses her baby fat.

Charlie Sheen
Was Charlie Sheen actually acting on Two And A Half Men? If not for the laughter track, it seemed like a reality show, giving a glimpse into his personal world. The slow speech, the lost eyes looked so natural, it could be termed ‘method acting’, except for the fact that it was not.

Ashton Kutcher
The role of Michael Kelso on That 70′s Show embodied the spirit of Ashton Kutcher. He followed it with Punk’d, which reinstated the fact that Ashton Kutcher equalled bad television. He seemed to have done a huge favor to television audiences by moving over to the big screen. We can now touch our remote without the fear of getting punk’d. Rejoice!

David Hasselhoff
So what’s with this list and the name ‘David’, as they all seem to hatch a conspiracy to annihilate television? Before all the episodes of drunken rants happened, David Hasselhoff was a Baywatch star (not actor, but star) who didn’t even bring any star value to the show. Can’t really blame the guy, can you, when you had Pamela, Carmen and Yasmin grabbing all the eyeballs.

Other Overrated Actors on TV

The stellar names above deserved a special mention, for reasons of mass aversion. Here are a few more actors who have unknowingly unleashed an epidemic of misery on the viewers. Let us hope they spare us the agony of viewing them on television in 2012.

1. Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives)
2. Fran Drescher (The Nanny)
3. Minka Kelly (Charlie’s Angels)
4. Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal, Brothers and Sisters)
5. Spencer Pratt (The Hills)
6. Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
7. Gillian Anderson (The X-Files)
8. Ron Eldard (Arresting Behavior)
9. All the Disney Horrors – Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Raven-Symoné, Demi Lovato and the likes.
10. The Cast of The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless

These actors have played a part in television being called the ‘idiot box’. However, dislike is a very subjective term, and you are obviously free to dispute this list. Acting prowess aside, they have managed to inadvertently give us some comic relief, putting a smirk (not a smile!) on our faces. After all, isn’t this a part of entertainment too?