12 pop-culture trends that can stay in 2012

By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

OPINION: Wouldn't it be great if the promise of a new year also meant a promise that some of pop culture's more odious trends could be left behind?? Here are 12 I could happily leave in 2012.

Getty, Reuters, YouTube

Blow us a kiss goodbye? Lindsay Lohan, left, a galloping PSY, center, and Brad Pitt mumbling for Chanel.

Gangnam style
More than 2 billion people have "liked" the video for "Gangnam Style" on YouTube since it debuted there on July 15, and I can firmly assert that I am not among them. I can appreciate a good earworm; I've been caught humming "Call Me Maybe." But I see no up side to the irritant that is PSY. The dance moves are unflattering, the melody nonexistent. And then it gets stuck in your head. Please: no more.

Lindsay Lohan
I'll keep this brief. Lindsay, I want the best for you, I do. But in 2013 I'd like to not read a word about you. Please stay away from clubs. Call a cab. Pay for everything.

Bad celeb ads
I get it -- endorsements are easy money. Signing on to be the face of a product is little work for a whole lot of dough and if Chanel came knocking on my door, I'd take the gig -- this is the one thing Brad Pitt and I have in common. But I'd want the ad to be spoof proof. Not just to save ego, but because it's not good for the career when you're starring in a film and all the viewer can think of is your silly perfume ad.

Rihanna?s Instagram
The photo-sharing social network, Instagram, has been under scrutiny lately for its advertising policy, but the real scandal is the fact that it allows Rihanna to play along. Sadly, it's a job requirement to keep track of her feed -- how else would I know if she and Chris Brown were together again? How else would I know if she had a new tattoo, or if the skin on her upper thighs was blemish-free? Sharing is one thing, over-sharing another.

Deciphering greater meaning in celeb tattoos
If a celebrity gets a tattoo and doesn't take an Instagram picture of it, does the tattoo exist? Does it have MEANING? Ink up your skin all you want, kids, but let's not spend another moment wondering what its place is in the universe.

The wardrobe malfunction down south
If you're a celebrity and your stylist can't find an undergarment that works with your particular dress, you should probably get another stylist.?

Bump watching
People are either pregnant or they are not. And until someone decides to make it known that their uterus is occupied, we, the public, just cannot know more. I'm fine leaving it at that. (And I never thought the day would come that I'd write this: Thank you, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. You did you part by sparing us from this ritual before the request even went out. Congrats on your baby-to-be.

Kimye, or any other lovers' contraction
The ill-fated romance between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez kicked off the trend, and since" Bennifer" made it into the lexicon there appears to be some strange, unwritten obligation to give all celeb couples the same treatment. Here's the thing: Bennifer worked. It rolled off the tongue, it saved headline space.? But Kimye, for the aforementioned Kim and Kanye? No.

Celebs 'quitting' twitter
And by quitting, I mean making a grand "I am not doing this any more" gesture and then rejoining. Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Alec Baldwin are all offenders. You're either in or out, folks. Commit.

Teen Mom tweets
Speaking of Twitter: Admittedly, I have a strange fascination with "Teen Mom" (especially "Teen Mom 2"). But their tweeting habits -- the fighting, the new baby news, the marriages, the obvious amount of time they're spending on the social network and not with their kids -- ?it's too much.

The television over-think
You guys, don't ruin shows you love by thinking too hard about everything (Yes, I'm talking about "Homeland" here). Remember, this television-watching stuff is supposed to be fun.?

Madonna's concert stunts
Hopefully, the finale of Madonna's MDNA tour will put an end to her well-publicized concert stunts, but in case that's not her plan ... Please stop waving guns and dedicating stripteases to children shot by the Taliban. The stunts are so commonplace, it's hard to actually get mad about them, instead they're just really?irritating?and tired.

But let's end on a positive note; there were some great pop culture standouts in 2012. ?

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was great comedy and a perfect use of the digital medium.

Alec Baldwin's "Here's the Thing" podcasts for WNYC are real gems -- if you've never listened to any, trust me when I encourage you to check out the subjects that have no initial appeal. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots can put their classroom-instrument spin on any song as far as I'm concerned, and Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield proved that celebs can be just plain nice.

Here's to more of that in 2013. Happy New Year!

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/31/16045683-12-pop-culture-trends-that-can-stay-in-2012?lite

nicki minaj miguel cabrera Karrueche Tran dodd frank Lark Voorhies Jennifer Livingston Orlando Cruz

Beach Babe! Ashlee Simpson Splashes Through the Surf

Ashlee Simpson shows off her toned tummy in Hawaii! Plus, see more of your favorite celebs on the scene

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012/1-b-450006?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012-450006

ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay Hotel Transylvania looper eagles nfl schedule 2012

Apple Security: Mac, iPhone Safer Than Ever?

Whether considering specific threats or the big existential picture, there is no better time to own a Mac or iOS device. Sounds nice, but is Apple security good enough for users to let down their guard? Here?s a quick look at the good and the bad inside the walled garden.

First and foremost, it bears mentioning that any computer can be hacked ? it?s merely a question of time and opportunity.

That said, TidBITS? Rich Mogull offers a very upbeat assessment of Apple security as we head into the New Year:

Apple?s security is, across the board, stronger now than at any time in the nearly eight years I?ve been researching and writing about the company?s products and services. Which is important, since Apple also faces more security challenges than at any time in its past.

The existential threat to Mac security in recent years was Java, which has been a big problem for Windows and Linux, as well. However, the issue on the Mac began to diminish after Apple handed off Java update responsibility to Oracle and, just as importantly, deprecated Java by making it optional, not part of the default OS X installation.

Further, OS X automatically deactivates Java ? no interaction required ? if it goes unused for a period of time, which is just plain smart.

Those things happened months ago, but the payoff is just becoming apparent.

Increasing popularity, smaller target

The baseline fundamentals executed by Apple that make both the Mac and iOS platforms much more secure ? apps must be sandboxed and reviewed before listing on either the Mac App Store or iOS App Store ? have been somewhat unpopular with developers. However, although app sideloading is common on both platforms, the great majority of users are getting software from official, curated channels, which greatly reduces the security exposure of Apple products.

The impressive bit here is that Apple has improved Mac and iOS security even as they?ve increased market share.

For what it?s worth, Microsoft is beginning its own effort to secure Windows inside a walled garden. However, given the hodgepodge, inconsistent approach, it?s hard to imagine Redmond will be successful at least in the short term.

Contrariwise, Google?s Android platform is ?open,? which is just another way of saying it is woefully insecure.

So, is Apple security good enough? Perhaps.

However, the real question isn?t absolute security, but rather which platform does it best? Clearly, Apple is doing a much, much better job than either Microsoft or Google?

What?s your take?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tapscapeRSS/~3/ZbCuZD0C0Aw/

ipad 2 wal mart happy thanksgiving Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012 Turkey Cooking Times Butterball mashed potatoes

2012 one of "bloodiest years" for journalists: media body

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A heavy death toll in war zones such as Syria and Somalia made 2012 one of the bloodiest years for journalists, with 121 killed, an international journalists' group said on Monday.

The Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said the figure was up from 107 journalists and other media workers killed in targeted attacks, bomb blasts and cross-fire incidents in 2011.

The heavy casualties were the result of a "systematic failure by governments and the United Nations to fulfill their international obligations to protect and enforce journalists' basic right to life", the group said.

"The death toll for 2012 is another indictment of governments which pay lip service to the protection of journalists but have consistently failed to stop their slaughter," Jim Boumelha, IFJ president, said in a statement.

Syria, where more than 45,000 people are estimated to have been killed in a 21-month revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, topped the list of the most dangerous countries for media in 2012, with 35 journalists or other media workers killed.

The IFJ said 18 journalists had been killed in 2012 in Somalia, where African peacekeepers are battling al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels, turned the country into a media killing field.

Organized crime in Mexico and insurgents in Pakistan were blamed for the 10 journalists killed in each of those countries during the year.

Five each were killed in Iraq and the Philippines.

The IFJ, which represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries, said that, in many cases, journalists were deliberately targeted because of their work and with the aim of silencing them.

The group said it was counting on a new U.N. plan of action on the safety of journalists to deliver. The plan includes helping countries draw up laws promoting freedom of expression, awareness campaigns about media freedoms and threats to journalists, and guidance on keeping journalists safe.

The IFJ's figure for journalists' deaths was higher than the total reported by a Paris-based rights group on December 19. That group, Reporters Without Borders, said 88 journalists were killed doing their job in 2012, more than in any year since monitoring started 17 years ago.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2012-one-bloodiest-years-journalists-media-body-164458622.html

supreme court health care joe oliver joba chamberlain new york mega millions jetblue jetblue michelle malkin

Armed Robbers Target Teenager in Church Parking Lot in Springs

Colorado Springs police say they caught five people they believe held up a teenager at gunpoint.

Police used a canine to track the four juveniles and one adult.

The robbery happened near a church at Airport and Chelton in the Springs. The pastor at Grace Be Unto You Outreach Church on Airport Road tells us a 16-year-old boy was waiting outside for his mother to pick him up Sunday afternoon when armed robbers took his cell phone and asked if he had keys to a car.

The suspects are now facing robbery charges.

Source: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Armed-Robbers-Try-to-Take-Car-in-Church-Parking-Lot-185230792.html

Michael Clarke Duncan Nazanin Boniadi Deval Patrick Dedication 4 labor day college football scores khan academy

10 Things to Know for Monday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about Monday:

1. SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON HOSPITALIZED

Hillary Clinton is admitted to a New York City hospital for treatment of a blood clot stemming from the concussion she sustained earlier this month.

2. "CLIFF" GROWS PERILOUSLY NEAR

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell remain at odds on such key issues as the income threshold for higher tax rates and how to deal with inheritance taxes.

3. PSYCHIATRIC TEST ORDERED

A 31-year-old woman accused of shoving a man to his death in front of a subway train because she believed he was Muslim is ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. "There is no reason," she said, laughing during her arraignment. "I just pushed him in front of the train because I thought it would be cool."

4. A PLEDGE TO PURSUE MEASURES TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

President Barack Obama voices skepticism about the National Rifle Association's proposal to put armed guards in school, vowing to rally Americans around an agenda to limit gun violence.

5. BREAKING THEIR SILENCE

The family of a pregnant, ailing American woman missing in Afghanistan with her Canadian husband is making public appeals to the public for the couple's safe return. They disappeared after embarking on a journey that began last July.

6. CHAVEZ SUFFERS A SET BACK

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" following his cancer surgery in Cuba. His vice president, Nicolas Maduro, describes his condition as "delicate."

7. DEADLY BUS CRASH ALONG ICY OREGON INTERSTATE

At least nine people die when a charter bus carrying 40 people careens off an icy interstate in Oregon and plunges down a steep embankment. Rescue workers had to descend the hill using ropes to help retrieve people from the wreckage.

8. WHERE VIOLENCE FALLS IN 2012, BUT INSIDER ATTACKS GROW

Insider killings by uniformed Afghans against foreign allies rise dramatically even as violence falls in Afghanistan in 2012, statistics compiled by The Associated Press find.

9. WINNERS AT THE BOX OFFICE

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" continues to be tops at the box office for a third-straight week, earning nearly $33 million this weekend. Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti Western "Django Unchained" came in second with $30.7 million, followed by "Les Miserables" with $28 million.

10. A ROOKIE CHASES A PEYTON MANNING RECORD

Russell Wilson of Seattle ties Manning's record for the most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26, and makes a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Seahawks over the St. Louis Rams 20-13.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-monday-104352258.html

Phelps NBC Olympics Live Olympic medal count Medal Count 2012 London 2012 Fencing olympics chariots of fire

Is creative real real estate investing still alive ... - Zillow Real Estate ...

After many years as?a wholesaler, flipper and rehabber I have been out of the Oregon ?market for several years and?would like to become active once again. So many laws have changed, I need to know if creative real estate investing is still alive and well in Oregon such as Option to Sale and Purchase, Assignment of Contract, Subject To, etc.

??Flag content

Stating a discriminatory preference in an advertisement for housing is illegal. If you think this content is discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate and feel it should be removed from Zillow, please let us know by completing the information above.

Close

We're Sorry

This service is temporarily unavailable. Please come back later and try again.

9 hours ago - Salem

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Is-creative-real-real-estate-investing-still-alive-and-well-in-Oregon/472609/

Mayans camilla belle NASA Robert Bork instagram mark sanchez christina aguilera