FROM FOXED UP NEWS

Parents Group Petitions Congress, Attorney General to Investigate MTV for Child Pornography in 'Skins' Series


Is MTV a purveyor of kiddie porn?
The Parents Television Council wants to find out.

The media watchdog group called on lawmakers and law enforcement officials Thursday to open an investigation regarding possible child pornography and exploitation on the cable network's new series “Skins.”

“On January 17, the Viacom-owned cable network MTV aired a teenager-based drama, ‘Skins.’ The episode included all manner of foul language, illegal drug use, illegal activity as well as thoroughly pervasive sexual content,” PTC President Tim Winter said in a letter sent to the chairmen of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees and the Department of Justice. “Many of the actors appearing in the show are below the age of 18. It is clear that Viacom has knowingly produced material that may well be in violation of [several] federal statutes."

“Since it is not necessary for Viacom or MTV to distribute the material in order to be in violation of the law, we call upon your committees to immediately investigate Viacom and MTV for the production of this material," Winter said in the statement. "Furthermore, we urge you in the strongest possible terms to compel the attorney general to mount an investigation by the Department of Justice into whether the production of ‘Skins’ has violated federal law meant to protect minors from exploitation.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/01/20/mtv-worried-scenes-new-series-skins-prosecutable-child-pornogoraphy-report-says/#ixzz1BgRdz9pN

FROM NEWYORK MAGAZINE

Assange’s Story Headed to the Big Screen

That was quick: Julian Assange's life story may soon make it to the big screen. The Most Dangerous Man in the World, Australian writer Andrew Fowler's Assange biography, has been optioned by producers Barry Josephson and Michelle Krumm. The pair have yet to hire a screenwriter to adapt the book, which follows Assange from childhood through his founding of WikiLeaks. They'll need to get started soon, though: In December, Assange also signed a $1 million deal to write his autobiography. So who might play Assange: a bleached Robert Downey Jr.? Paul Bettany? a dyed-blonde Christian Bale? [HR]

FROM Newyork magazine

FROM CBC NEWS

The clue: It's the size of 10 refrigerators, has access to the equivalent of 200-million pages of information and knows how to answer in the form of a question.

The correct response: "What is the computer IBM developed to become a Jeopardy! whiz?"

Watson, which IBM claims as a profound advance in artificial intelligence, edged out game-show champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on Thursday in its first public test, a short practice round ahead of a million-dollar tournament that will be televised next month.

Later, the human contestants made jokes about the Terminator movies and robots from the future. Indeed, four questions into the round you had to wonder if the rise of the machines was already upon us — in a trivial sense at least.

Watson tore through a category about female archeologists, repeatedly activating a mechanical button before either Ken Jennings or Brad Rutter could buzz in, then nailing the questions: "What is Jericho?" "What is Crete?"



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2011/01/14/computer-jeopardy.html#ixzz1B35R2vkd

FROM THE TELEGRAPH


Fox 'shoots hunter' in Belarus
A wounded fox shot its would be killer in Belarus by pulling the trigger on the hunter's gun as the pair scuffled after the man tried to finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle, media said on Thursday.

The unnamed hunter, who had approached the fox after wounding it from a distance, was in hospital with a leg wound, while the fox made its escape, media said, citing prosecutors from the Grodno region.

"The animal fiercely resisted and in the struggle accidentally pulled the trigger with its paw," one prosecutor was quoted as saying.

Fox-hunting is popular in the picturesque farming region of northwestern Belarus which borders Poland.



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Donald Trump 'planning to run for President'
Donald Trump, the billionaire property mogul and host of America's version of 'The Apprentice', has told friends he is seriously thinking of running for president.


His catchphrase as host of the American version of The Apprentice is "You're fired". But the words that Donald Trump really wants to hear are "You're elected", according to conservative circles in Washington.

The 64-year-old property mogul is best known for his business empire, extravagant lifestyle, expensive divorces, comb-over hair and television appearances. To that portfolio of interests "The Donald" apparently wants to add the title Mr President.

He was reportedly telling friends over the recent holidays, when Rod Stewart was among guests for a lavish New Year's Eve party at his Palm Beach estate, that he will "definitely" make a White House run as a Republican.

He confided that he would make the announcement after The Apprentice finishes its current season in spring, according to Ronald Kessler, the well-respected chief reporter of the conservative political website Newsmax.

Jockeying for next year's Republican nomination contest is intensifying after the party last week assumed control of the House of Representatives, one half of Congress, following a backlash against President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats in elections last November.

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FROM INSIDE TV

Exclusive: Discovery, Catholic Church team for exorcism series
by James Hibberd


Discovery Channel is teaming with the Vatican for an unprecedented new series hunting the deadliest catch of all: Demons.

The Exorcist Files will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the Catholic Church. The project includes access into the Vatican’s case files, as well as interviews with the organization’s top exorcists — religious experts who are rarely seen on television.

“The Vatican is an extraordinarily hard place to get access to, but we explained we’re not going to try to tell people what to think,” says Discovery president and GM Clark Bunting.

Bunting says the investigators believe a demon can inhabit an inanimate object (like a home) or a person. The network executive says he was initially skeptical when first meeting the team but was won over after more than three hours of talks.

“The work these folks do, and their conviction in their beliefs, make for fascinating stories,” Bunting says.

If the show’s first season is successful, the network hopes its partnership with the Church will pave the way for producers GoGo Luckey to take the series to the next level — joining Catholic investigators on live demon-purging ride-alongs. (Move over, Syfy’s Ghost Hunters.)

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