In Swing Ohio, Gingrich Gaining the "Not-Romneys"

For "Anybody but Romney" Republicans in a key conservative region of Ohio, Newt Gingrich has been picking up support as an alternative to the former Massachusetts governor.

The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, followed closely by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Ohio's presidential primary is scheduled for March 6, one of the biggest prizes for Republicans among about a dozen states voting on "Super Tuesday."

Mitt Romney hasn't excited some of the party's staunchest conservatives for reasons that include his past support of abortion rights and enactment of a Massachusetts health care plan that's often compared to President Barack Obama's overhaul.

Some conservatives had flirted with supporting Herman Cain, drawn to his business background and unconventional campaign style. But Cain suspended his campaign this month following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior and a longtime extramarital affair. Cain's decision and Gingrich's performance in nationally televised debates helped some make up their minds.

AP

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a campaign stop, Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

"He's sold me," said Dan Keith, 61, of Hamilton. Keith and his wife, Pat, said they are convinced that Gingrich has the experience and savvy to be strong against Obama. "I can't see anybody else coming onto the scene that we would go to."

The Keiths said they were undecided when first interviewed three months ago.

"I think before, people liked the other candidates because they were an alternative to Romney. But I'm hearing more people who like Gingrich as Gingrich," said Bill Langdon, co-owner of the Grand Ole Pub, a popular gathering spot for Republican partisans in West Chester. Langdon had been interested in Cain, but doubted whether Cain could win the presidential nomination.

Gingrich is now his choice. "He's the guy they think can go toe-to-toe with the president," Langdon said.

Sandra Arno, of nearby Springdale, turned out for Cain's visit to West Chester in November and liked what she heard. She was deciding between him and Gingrich before Cain stopped campaigning, and most recently was leaning toward the former speaker.

"I think they're both very intelligent, and I think Newt will be good as the candidate," Arno said.

Republican-dominated suburbs like this one — home of House Speaker John Boehner — just north of Cincinnati provide a stronghold of votes in a state that no GOP nominee has ever reached the White House without winning. Their enthusiastic turnout to vote for George W. Bush by 2-to-1 margins in 2004 is credited with delivering Ohio to clinch his re-election. It's important for the Republican nominee to be able to attract big numbers in GOP-oriented suburban and rural regions to offset Democratic urban bastions led by Cleveland.

A series of Quinnipiac University polls tracked Gingrich's rise in Ohio from low single-digits to 36 percent between September and early December. Cain had fallen to 7 percent after leading the pack at 28 percent in October. The sexual harassment allegations against Cain surfaced in late October.

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Security Theater'? TSA Confiscates Woman's Frosted Cupcake

A Massachusetts woman who flew home from Las Vegas this week says an airport security officer confiscated her frosted cupcake because he thought its vanilla-bourbon icing could be a "security risk."

Rebecca Hains told ABCNews.com today that a Transportation Security Administration agent at Las Vegas- McCarran International Airport seized her cupcake, saying the frosting sitting atop the red velvet cake was gel-like enough to violate regulations.

The incident took place Wednesday.

Hains, a teacher, said the cupcake was a gift from one of her students. She was traveling with her husband and toddler, and thought her young son might get hungry on the long trip home.

The cupcake was packaged in a glass container with a metal lid, which was why it attracted the attention of the scanner in the first place.

The TSA agent didn't know what to do with the cupcake, so she called over her supervisor, Hains said.

"The TSA supervisor, Robert Epps, was using really bad logic - he said it counted as a gel-like substance because it was conforming to the shape of its container."

"We also had a small pile of hummus sandwiches with creamy fillings, which made it through, but the cupcake with its frosting was apparently a terrorist threat…I just don't know what world he was living in," said Hains, speaking of the TSA officer.

Hains said she had flown from Boston to Las Vegas with two cupcakes without any problems.

"The TSA at Logan Airport said the cupcakes looked delicious and told us to have a great trip. But in Las Vegas, they were dangerous. They shouldn't be delicious in one part of the country and a security threat in the other."

Hains called the TSA "security theater."

"You'd expect them to be consistent. If they're doing what they claim to be doing and actually protecting travelers, they would be applying their rules using critical thinking. He gave no indication that really thought the cupcake was a threat."

"This really isn't about the cupcake, it's about the bigger issue and it's indicative of the fact that broader reforms need to be made to the TSA because they are not keeping us safe," said Hains.

"In general, cakes and pies are allowed in carry-on luggage," TSA spokesperson James Fotenos toldABC News affiliate WCVB. Fotenos added that they were looking into why this cupcake was confiscated.

Boston student re-united with $170,000 violin

Christmas came early for a Boston music student who was reunited with the $170,000 violin she forgot in the overhead compartment of a regional commuter bus she rode last week, police said.

Muchen Hsieh, a student at the New England Conservatory in Boston, had traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, arriving at roughly 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

Christine O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia police, who helped Hsieh track down the missing instrument, said then came a moment of sheer panic for the student.

O'Brien said Hsieh realized she had forgotten the instrument after she was picked up from the bus station. She blamed her absent-mindedness on travel fatigue.

Hsieh called the bus company, Megabus, roughly 30 minutes after she arrived but the bus had already left the Philadelphia station, O'Brien said. Hsieh also notified police, making a plea for the instrument's recovery, O'Brien said.

The 176-year-old instrument, on loan to Hsieh from a Taiwanese cultural foundation, was found by bus cleaners in the same compartment in which Hsieh left it. They put it in storage, and police returned it to Hsieh on Friday.

Hsieh joins the ranks of esteemed musicians who have mislaid or forgotten their valuable and sometimes priceless instruments. World renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma once left his in a cab.

One German string player required medical attention from the stress caused when he left his violin, worth roughly $1.4 million, on a commuter train in 2010.

It is not unusual for students at Hsieh's school to have such valuable instruments, Ellen Pfeifer, spokeswoman for the New England Conservatory, told the Boston Globe.

"Most of our string players, whether violinists, cellists, or violists, have pretty expensive, old, rare, instruments," Pfeifer said. "They frequently get them on loan from wealthy foundations."

The violin, which is in pristine condition, was made in 1835 by Vincenzo Jorio in Naples.

"This is certainly one of the most expensive items I have ever heard of and we were so relieved to get it back to the owner," said Megabus spokesman Bryony Chamberlain, adding that people often forget stowed-away items after long trips.

Hsieh had traveled from Boston to New York City and then to Philadelphia, Chamberlain said, a trip that could have taken more than six and a half hours.

"Each division has incidents of lost items that rare -- but this is probably one of the most unique," police spokeswoman O'Brien said, adding that Hsieh put on a mini-concert for the officers who organized the recovery.

"She is very talented," O'Brien said.

7 People Shot Dead in Texas Apartment

Christmas celebrations in Texas this year disrupted by the discovery of seven bodies in an apartment in the city Grapevine, Texas, United States. Not only the bodies of four women and three men only, but police also found two pistols inside the apartment.
"This is the investigation of the worst we've ever done since many years," said Robert Eberling of police Grapevine, as published the BBC, Monday, December 26, 2011. Police believe, the seventh victim was a family that comes from three generations.
Age of victims of the shooting varied, ranging from teens to seniors 18 years 60 years. So far, police suspect the first six victims were killed by being shot by another person, before he shot himself.
"We're pretty sure that the perpetrators are also among the victims killed in the apartment. We believe the culprit is not a fugitive," Eberling said.
Eberling also suspect, the seventh victim died after opening a Christmas present.Why, the seventh position when the bodies were found near the Christmas tree in the living room with an open gifts.
According to him, the police rushed to the apartment after receiving a 911 call originating from there. "There is a phone, but no one said anything," he said.
Names of the victims have not been published. And until today, the police continue to conduct inquiries to the discovery of seven bodies. Moreover, these cases occur in the small town of Grapevine, who is always calm and criminal cases are rare.
Based on the statements of neighbors, they pleaded not hear gunshots or any suspicious sounds from the apartment where the discovery of the corpse.Reporting from the daily Wall Street Journal, the area around the scene is complex, which was inhabited family, and the timing of the atmosphere is very calm.
"This incident is very surprising, especially happen at Christmas. Murder can happen anywhere, but here there are only seven people were killed.'s Frightening," said one neighbor, Jose Fernandez.

Behind the group Boko Haram Bomb Nigeria

World leaders condemned the bombing of churches in Nigeria, during Christmas Mass in progress. Meanwhile, the militant Islamic group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the incident that killed at least 40 people.

Reporting from the BBC, Monday, December 26, the United States called the bombing is as senseless violence, while the British called it a cowardly act. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle even states of the world is still not safe from acts of cowardice and fear of terrorism at the feast.

"We condemn this senseless violence and loss of many lives at Christmas in Nigeria. We convey deep condolences expressions on the people of Nigeria, especially for those left behind," said White House spokesman, Jay Carney.

Related to the bombing, President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan has called this an attempt to destroy freedom and peace in Nigeria. He also called on all people to unite against any attempt the destruction of freedom.

Investigation of the bombings that exploded near the church of St.. Theresa in Madalla still ongoing. But the militant Islamic group Boko Haram appears, and through their spokesman, Abdul-Qaqa, which claimed responsibility for bombings carried out in order to enforce Sharia law.

Reporting from Sky News, the rescue team has been criticized because it is considered too slow in evacuation, so that it does trigger anger a group of people. "We are still evacuating casualties at the scene, but we did not have enough ambulances," said Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency.

The death toll from a bomb estimated to have nearly reached 40 people, while more than 50 people were otherwise unharmed. Buildings and vehicles around the church were reportedly suffered heavy damage.

VIDEO: Brutal Action Hunting Discount Nike Shoes

 Riots broke out in several stores in the United States, while buyers jostling to get thenew Nike shoes. Shoes the classic version of Air Jordan model is sold at a price of U.S. $ 180 or Rp1, 6 million. While on the eBay site, these shoes are sold at a price of Rp 5, 5 million.

Reported by the BBC, Monday, December 26, 2011, this disorder occurs fromCalifornia to Georgia. Even the buyers who are first in line, have jostled andtrampled. Even terilbat police scuffled with each other and fellow pengantre.

The police even used pepper spray on the water about 20 buyers who fight in a shopping center in Seattle, Washington, last Friday. One other person should be detained even for hitting a policeman.

"He just did not get shoes. But it was sent to prison," said Mike Murphy, a policeofficer who was on the scene.

The police also have fired warning shots to control the buyer. In other chaos, there were at least four people were arrested for breaking the glass door at a shoe storein Lithonia, Georgia.

There are also efforts against those who believed pickpocketing just bought these shoes in Stockton, California. See his video here.

The atmosphere of chaos this seems to repeat the violence also broke out in the 1990s when these shoes became popular targets of theft in America.

Air Jordan is the production of Nike shoes ever worn by six-time NBA championMichael Jordan, and became a kind of collection a must for fans of basketball.

Search Videos on Bing Will intensified

Microsoft has acquired VideoSurf, a startup company engaged in the business ofvideo search. Some reports indicate that the company from Redmond, Washington, USA that has paid U.S. $ 70 million (Rp636 billion) at VideoSurf.

Excerpted from the Venture Beat, December 26, 2011, specialization VideoSurf isin video search technology that can scan a video related websites to get search results. These sites are eg DailyMotion, YouTube, Metacafe, Hulu, and others.

VideoSurf search results can also focus on specific episodes of the show web,individuals who upload, and other aspects. He was able to distinguish between a viral video or user generated videos from video-quality video production, such asartificial College Humor, Hulu, and others.

Analysts expect, step by Microsoft is buying VideoSurf Microsoft's efforts tostrengthen the function of video search on their search engine, namely Bing.

Before being acquired by Microsoft, VideoSurf alone get a capital injection of U.S. $ 28 million, about Rp255 billion from a number of investors.

Those who have a stake in there include former U.S. president, Al Gore, Joel Hyatt,CEO of Current Media, SurveyMonkey CEO David Goldberg, as well as FacebookCOO, Sheryl Sandberg. VideoSurf also get funds from other agencies such asPitango VC investors and Verizon Ventures.

Founded in 2006 in San Mateo, Calif., the company now has 35 employees.