Iran isn’t a nation known for its liberal outlook on…. anything. So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the country may soon pull out of the Internet and launch its own national network instead. Iran is clamping down heavily on web users before parliamentary elections in March with draconian rules on cybercafes and preparations to launch a national internet. Tests for a countrywide network aimed at substituting services run through the world wide web have been carried out by Iran’s ministry of information and communication technology, according to a newspaper report. The move has prompted fears among its online community that Iran intends to withdraw from the global internet. The police this week imposed tighter regulations on internet cafes. Cafe owners have been given a two-week ultimatum to adopt rules requiring them to check the identity cards of their customers before providing services. “Internet cafes are required to write down the forename, surname, name of the father, national identification number, postcode and telephone number of each customer,” said an Iranian police statement, according to the news website Tabnak. Not only are they considering pulling the plug on the entire internet but they want to start their own national service to censor and monitor its on citizens. What type of oppressive mess is that?? They are regulating something serious over there SMH SOURCE
Thanks to solid support from caucus voters under the age of 30, Paul finished a solid third in Tuesday’s primary. By James Montgomery Ron Paul Photo: Getty Images Mitt Romney may have edged Rick Santorum to take Tuesday’s Iowa caucus, but Ron Paul’s third-place finish gives his campaign plenty of momentum heading into next week’s New Hampshire primary … and new data indicates he owes much of that showing to the support of young voters in the state. According to the
The closest Iowa caucus results in history produced a near draw, with Mitt Romney winning by just eight votes over Rick Santorum and Ron Paul a close third. Romney, considered the favorite in the Republican presidential race quest, did not notch a commanding win that could have ended the primary process early. However, a win’s a win, and after a year in which one candidate after another sought to be the conservative alternative to him, a pretty impressive one at that. Even more remarkable was the finish of Rick Santorum, whose candidacy was so moribund just weeks ago that many wondered why he was still in the race. The former Pennsylvania Senator was neck-and-neck with Romney, the one-time Governor of Massachusetts, for all of Tuesday night and into this morning. Romney being declared the winner by a mere eight ballots early Wednesday. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was a close third with 21 percent of the caucus votes. “We will go on,” he said in an upbeat speech. “There is nothing to be ashamed of.” The race was so close, Romney couldn’t even claim victory in his speech. With 99 percent of the vote counted, he and Santorum each had 24.6 percent. ‘‘We also feel it’s been a great victory for us here,’’ Romney said early today, before the final votes were tallied. “Onto New Hampshire, we’ve got work to do.” ‘‘Thank you so much Iowa,’’ said Santorum, who is also off to N.H. ‘‘You, by standing up and not compromising ….. have taken the first step of taking back this country.’’ The GOP nominating process continues with the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday, followed by the South Carolina primary Saturday, January 19. The former favors Romney heavily, the latter not so much. Santorum and Newt Gingrich, who placed fourth last night in Iowa, will be contesting it hard. And Ron Paul … you can never count out Ron Paul. You may soon count out Texas Gov. Rick Perry, though. After finishing fifth in Iowa, he announced that he was returning to Texas to assess his candidacy. Last night’s Iowa caucus results: Mitt Romney: 24.6%
Last year, Robertson claimed God told him that America’s future will be bleak because of debt and divisions, and today on The 700 Club said that God again communicated to him that financial problems and partisan politics are going to bring America into decline. Unsurprisingly, Robertson said God is no fan of President Obama : “Your president holds a radical view of the direction of your country which… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Right Wing Watch Discovery Date : 03/01/2012 18:16 Number of articles : 4
‘The momentum in Iowa will help Santorum get to the next level,’ conservative candidate’s supporter tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman Rick Santorum attends a “Rock the Caucus” event at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images DES MOINES, Iowa — Almost every candidate in the Republican presidential field has gotten a chance to be the front-runner so far. But in the days leading up to Tuesday night’s (January 3) all-important first contest, the Iowa caucus , former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is definitely peaking at just the right time. The staunchly conservative family-values candidate, who was polling in the single digits for much of last year, has surged in the past few weeks and is now a close third behind Representative Ron Paul and leading candidate Mitt Romney . At a campaign rally Tuesday morning at a “Rock the Caucus” event in the gymnasium of Valley High School in West Des Moines, his staffers told MTV News they were feeling bullish about his prospects. “Santorum is a huge supporter of faith and family. I truly believe that supporting the family … will have a trickle-up effect on our society in America,” said Jonathan Gehman, 29. “Kids who grow up in strong families will get good jobs and have good morals and high integrity that will build this country.” As he’s spoken to people on the phone over the past few weeks, Gehman said a number were unaware of Santorum, but admitted that the more they heard about him and saw him on the news, the more they liked what he was saying. “The energy is going to carry into tonight, and the momentum in Iowa will help Santorum get to the next level,” he predicted. Fellow staffer Ryan Rutt, 26, said Santorum resonates with him because of the candidate’s views on limited government. “He believes in people and not in the government fixing our problems,” Rutt said. “He’s all about smaller government, people unleashing their own innovation and not having the government take care of us.” Plus, Rutt said without naming names, he feels Santorum (who calls himself “Steady Eddie”) has had a consistent message and has not flip-flopped on his beliefs. While Santorum is known for holding a socially conservative hard line on issues such as abortion and gay rights, Rutt said he thinks his candidate might actually benefit from the youth support that has buoyed another late-surging candidate, libertarian Paul, who has a more socially liberal slate of views. “There’s a lot of youth support for Ron Paul now, but I think the core message of principles that they’re excited about Rick Santorum also has,” he said. “They get excited about freedom, they get excited about liberty, and that’s what I get excited about. While Ron Paul has sort of a sexy appeal, I think that they will quickly realize when Santorum comes around that he has a lot of those same core principles and that’s why they’ll get behind Rick Santorum.” MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage , and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
“He’s one of the only honest politicians left,” one voter says of Dr. Paul. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Andrew Jenks Ron Paul meets with supporters in Iowa Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images DES MOINES, IOWA — There’s a very good reason that long-serving Texas Congressman and Tea Party Godfather Ron Paul has rocketed up the ranks in this crucial early caucus state: passion. Specifically, the kind of wide-eyed enthusiasm and dedication he inspires in young first-time caucusers like Carl Bisenius and his friends. “I’ve made my decision and I’m going to vote for Ron Paul,” said Bisenius, 19, of neighboring Ankeny, Iowa. “Mostly because he seems the most honest. He’s got the best record out of all of them and I really agree with everything he says.” Bisenius said he’s been absorbing as much information as he can about the Republicans vying for the nomination while volunteering at a Paul call center in his hometown and he’s convinced that the libertarian fire starter is the one who can beat President Obama. “A lot of people are sick of politicians lying all the time, and he’s one of the only honest politicians left,” said Bisenius. As he huddled around a table on Sunday night at Mullet’s, a beer and burgers joint in the shadow of the state capitol in downtown Des Moines, Bisenius’ confidence was bolstered by some cold, hard facts from friend Jay Fieser, 20, of Iowa City. A political science major the University of Iowa, Fieser said he paid “a bit” of attention to the 2008 election in which Paul also ran and has since learned enough about early 20th century foreign policy that he believes Rep. Paul is the man for the job. “I think it would be interesting to see the United States going back to some kind of policies like that … ending the policing of the world,” said Fieser about Paul’s isolationist arguments. As he spoke, an endless barrage of commercials from candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry flashed by on the bar’s flat screen TVs as the top candidates made a final, furious push to woo Hawkeye State voters. “His foreign policy is what really drew me to him … I don’t like the two-party system here and he doesn’t seem heavily invested in the Republican Party and they don’t seem to like him that much. People are saying if he gets elected there will be a reshuffling of the parties and I’d like to see that.” Paul has drawn attention for a number of his beliefs, inlcuding not intervening in international conflicts, voting against the Iraq war, withdrawing from the United Nations, rejecting amnesty for illegal aliens and eliminating such federal government agencies as the Departments of Education, Energy, Commerce and IRS. And, in some ways, Fieser said it is precisely because the rank-and-file of the GOP and the mainstream media have ignored or ridiculed Dr. Paul that he is so interested in the former obstetrician’s views. “People are kind of sick of what’s been going on in Washington for so long … I think they’re really staring to look at Ron Paul because of that,” he said. It is one of Paul’s more radical ideas — returning the U.S. to the gold standard — that caught the eye of first-time caucuser Daniel Swenson, 18. “He seems to be the really only candidate that his voting record reflects his policies and principles he stands for. That’s what really draws me to him,” he said, citing Paul’s claims that returning to the standard the country abandoned in 1933 in order to emerge from the Great Depression could help turn around our current economic crisis. Like his friends, Danielson said he planned to do his part in the days leading up to Tuesday’s vote by talking to his family and other undecided voters about Paul’s policies and trying to sway them to cast a vote for the second-time presidential candidate. MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage , and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
A handful of the most successful artists alive helped America ring in 2012 last night. As previously reported/posted, Lady Gaga rocked out in her native New York City, while Justin Bieber also took to Times Square for a duet with Carlos Santana and an original take on The Beatles . Across the country, meanwhile, Nicki Minaj made her talented presence felt. The singer helped Dick Clark celebrate 40 editions of his annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special via a fun performance of “Turn Me On.” Check it out now. Nicki Minaj – Turn Me On
One major Republican idea that Barry shot down during the Obamacare debate was lifting interstate insurance restrictions. Right now you can only buy health insurance inside the state you live in. If that restriction was removed every insurance company in the country would be forced to compete with each other, thus driving down prices. When the idea was offered up by GOP congressmen in a 2009 meeting… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Sharp Elbows StL Discovery Date : 30/12/2011 21:57 Number of articles : 2
MTV News counts down the most gripping, action-packed moments from ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Breaking Dawn,’ ‘Dragon Tattoo’ and more. By MTV News staff Daniel Radcliffe in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros Rare is the moviegoing experience after which you leave the theater having loved each and every frame that flashed onscreen. Even when talking about our 10 favorite films of the year , we didn’t love everything about them, just most everything. More often than not, however, a film’s success and sustainability can be attributed to a few brilliantly crafted key scenes or sequences. They are the moments that make us ooh and aah, laugh out loud, cringe or cover our eyes. In the spirit of the movie moments that have stuck with us and will continue to do so, here’s our list of the 10 best scenes from 2011’s new releases. SPOILERS ahead. 10. Ryan Gosling’s Airbrushed Abs Reveal, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” Let’s face it, ladies have been mooning away over Ryan Gosling since his star-making turn in “The Notebook.” And although the Hollywood heartthrob always looks good onscreen, we hadn’t seen him cash in on the whole dreamboat card until this year’s hit romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” When he removes his fancy dress shirt to reveal a ridiculously chiseled and tanned torso, he really does look Photoshopped, in the best way possible. — Kara Warner 9. The Hour-Long Fight, “13 Assassins” Takashi Miike’s play-out in two parts: one hour of build-up and one hour of bloody chaos. In an attempt to kill a corrupt ruler in feudal Japan, 13 samurai set the most violent version of a “Home Alone” house to trap the target and his entourage of 200 bodyguards. The result lasts an hour and engages you the entire time. — Kevin Sullivan 8. Bridge Fight in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” The latest, possibly greatest “Apes” movie was already one of the excellent surprises of the 2011 movie season even before the film reached its climax high atop the Golden Gate Bridge. The brillz apes take on the feckless cops in a fight scene that’s tense, cinematically creative and just beautiful to behold. Even more impressive than the throw-down itself is that director Rupert Wyatt manages to slip some genuine character drama into the mix without slowing down the action: Caesar, the ringleader of the simian uprising, goes from reluctant warrior to cold-blooded revolutionary when he finally realizes humans don’t give a hoot about his damn dirty kind. — Eric Ditzian 7. The Final Tap-Out, “Warrior” Sure, there are a few clich
‘My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking … it’s a very dirty, filthy habit,’ Travie McCoy tells us. By Jocelyn Vena 50 Cent Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images Wondering what some of the biggest names in the music industry are resolving to do come 2012? Well, wonder no more. MTV News asked some of those folks just that, and they are dishing on what their New Year’s resolutions are for the next 12 months. “Ah man, so many. So many new things to work on myself. I just got to be conscious, more conscious of myself,” 50 Cent explained. “And try and be a better judge of character with others.” Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy seems to be taking a page from Fiddy’s handbook and looking to better himself in the new year. “My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking … it’s a very dirty, filthy habit,” he said. “But not [only] is it my New Year’s resolution to quit, but it’s also my New Year’s resolution to get my friends to quit as well.” Common opened up about the philosophical goal he hopes to achieve in the coming year. “I haven’t thought deeply on it, but I would say I just want to be great at everything I do,” he said. “Greatness.” Some celebrities are planning to look inward in the new year, and others, it seems, want to physically broaden their horizons. Jill Scott said, “I’d like to visit Europe more often next year.” Meanwhile, Evanescence ‘s Amy Lee wants to travel in order to meet more of her devoted fans. “We’re gonna make it a goal to just go to all those countries where we have fans going, ‘Hey come to my country. You’ve never been here.’ That’s sort of our goal for next year is to go everywhere and tour all the places we’ve never been and see the world,” she said. “Have some fun.” Before making those resolutions a reality, many celebrities will be out and about on New Year’s Eve looking to break loose at a number of big New Year’s parties . And MTV will also be getting in on the fun during “NYE in NYC 2012,” which will feature Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Mac Miller and more. The show airs live at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday from Times Square, where the famous ball drops. Related Artists 50 Cent Common
