For Valentine's Day, Cupid ditches arrows, opts for e-cards

Admit it. You've always wanted to love like John Travolta.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

Romance isn't dead.

It's merely been reduced to the level of a friend request, a poke, and a privacy control.

Often in that order.

How else can one interpret the staggeringly predictable research -- performed on behalf of SOASTA, the oddly named company that performs cloud and mobile testing -- that suggests more than a third of American human beings will send an e-card for Valentine's Day?

It's true that some e-cards can be amusing, uplifting, even offering an instant surprise on an otherwise moribund day. But can they truly incite a loving feeling on America's most commercially amorous day of the year?

You will be stunned into loving only yourself for the rest of your days when I tell you that -- of the 2,474 American adults surveyed -- men seem a little keener on Valentine e-cards than women.

Indeed, this research offered that 47 percent of men between the ages of 35 and 44 indicated that the love of their life deserved merely a few clicks and a canned expression of love.

Next in enthusiasm were men aged 18-34, 41 percent of whom will let their fingers do the loving.

But let's not besmirch these men any more than they deserve. 41 percent of women aged 18-34 also claimed that e-cards were their chosen method to stroke their chosen one.

Clearly, convenience is at the heart of this e-card enthusiasm, just as it is at the heart of modern romance.

Respondents were radiant at the idea that e-cards are free. 35 percent beamed at the fact that they offer the possibility of animation. And a deeply serious 34 percent felt the need to point out they were environmentally friendly.

A surprisingly paltry 6 percent admitted that they loved e-cards because you could happily include NSFW content.

More Technically Incorrect

Because ours is an acquisitive society, those who send these free, convenient things to express their temporarily undying love actually expect something in return.

A kiss is expected by 8 percent. A fulsome 10 percent expect sex. They must be among those who believe you can get something for nothing.

There will be those who reach for their Latin and mutter: "Sic transit tragoedia mundi." (Oh, look it up, e-carders.)

But when a whole new personal version of oneself is being created and spun online, who can be surprised that other expressions of love might seem not merely passe but also downright unexpressive?

E-cards surely allow you a far greater breadth than paper cards or balloons to display precisely what you really feel about the most important person in your life.

Which, in the case of 3 percent of the respondents in this moving survey, is "the hot receptionist at work."

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Photo released of alleged Ala. killer, hostage-taker

Jimmy Lee Dykes

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Alabama Department of Public Safety

(CBS/AP) MIDLAND CITY, Ala. - Police have released a photo of the man they say is holding a 5-year-old boy hostage in an underground bunker on his rural Alabama property.

Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, allegedly shot a school bus driver to death Tuesday, grabbed the kindergartner, and slipped into the bunker, which reportedly has electricity, food, and TV.

The standoff between police and Dykes dragged into a fourth day on Friday, as authorities sought to continue delicate conversations with the man through a pipe and worked to safely end the tense situation.

Police have delivered the boy's medication through a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker.

Hostage negotiators have used the pipe to talk to the gunman, identified by neighbors as Jimmy Lee Dykes, but investigators have been tightlipped about their conversations.

Complete coverage of the Alabama standoff on Crimesider

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Arias Trial Puts Mormon Sex Rules in Spotlight

The murder trial of Jodi Arias has been filled with salacious details of phone sex, graphic text messages, and an erotic sexual relationship between her and her devout Mormon ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

Arias, 32, converted to Mormonism when she began to date Alexander, then 29, in 2006. Though they were both outwardly devout, they immediately developed a sexual relationship.

The trial has cast a spotlight on the tight-knit Mormon community in Mesa, Ariz., and its strict social mores, including a ban on premarital sex. According to Patrick Mason, a professor of religion who specializes in Mormon studies at Claremont Graduate University in California, the trial shows the difficulty Mormons face in coping wiith the church's demand for chastity.

"The LDS church puts a really high priority on complete chastity," Mason said. "They define that as no sexual relations of any kind outside of marriage between a man and a woman, no premarital sex and no extramarital sex either, and there's actually a lot of time and attention paid to this."

Arias is on trial for murdering Alexander, whom she dated for a year and then continued to have sex with for a year after that. Prosecutors allege she killed him in a fit of jealousy in June 2008, after taking graphic sexual photos with him and having sex earlier in the day.

Jodi Arias Murder Trial: Former Boyfriend Takes Stand Watch Video

Jodi Arias Murder Trial: Defense's First Day of Witnesses Watch Video

Arias claims she shot and stabbed Alexander in self defense, and her attorneys have focused on Alexander's secret sex life as proof that he was a "sexual deviant" who was abusive and controlling toward Arias.They claim Alexander, who was considered a church elder, kept Arias his "dirty little secret" because sex outside of marriage was against church rules.

See Full Coverage of Jodi Arias Trial

See Jodi Arias Trial Videos
More than anything, Mason said, this case shows the shockwaves sent through Arizona's Mormon community when those values were breached so flagrantly with a violent killing and the web of lies surrounding it. "Mesa is one of those concentrated areas of historic Mormon settlement."

"Were you shocked to learn (Alexander) was not a virgin?" defense attorney Jennifer Willmott asked Lisa Daidone, who dated Alexander after he broke up with Arias. Alexander and Arias continued to sleep together while he dated Daidone.

"Yes," Daidone said on the stand Wednesday. "I believed he was a virgin."

"Was Mr. Alexander living in accordance with his Mormon principles?" defense attorney Kirk Nurmi asked another witness, Daniel Freeman, a Mormon friend of Alexander's in Arizona.

"Yes," Freeman said on the stand Thursday.

"Was there any reason to believe Mr. Alexander was not living up to his Mormon principles as a church elder?"

"No," Freeman said.

Freeman said that Alexander never told him or other church members that he had a sexual relationship with Arias. In fact, Freeman's sister, Desiree Freeman, testified that Alexander made it known he was a virgin when in social settings, and "he joked about it."

The stakes are high for Mormons who choose to have sex, Mason said. They can face excommunication or a tarnished reputation among their closest friends and family members.

"In Mormonism, if you're not married, your social capital is largely defined by preserving your virginity. If it is known that you've had sex before marriage, even if people try to be compassionate and not judgmental, there is no doubt that in Mormon communities and the eyes of other Mormons... it lessens your social standing."

The conflict between Alexander's outer appearances and his secret sexual trysts with Arias is key to the defense's strategy of painting him as an abusive lover. But the testimony has also shown, conversely, how sexually conservative and pure many young Mormons in America are.

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Football: Balotelli settles scores on Milan unveiling

MILAN: AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli hit out at the English media, weather and food, but had kind words for former club Manchester City as he was officially unveiled at the San Siro Friday.

Balotelli, who grew up as a fan of the Rossoneri, joined Milan for a fee of around 30 million euros in a deal that will see him remain at the Serie A giants until 2017.

Although admitting he would miss the "amazing" English Premier League, Balotelli said he was "really happy" to have returned to Milan, where he played for arch city rivals Inter prior to his City move in 2010.

The football aside, the 22-year-old admitted there are few things he will miss about England.

"The press first, the weather, the food," replied Balotelli when asked to expand on an earlier answer about the bad things he experienced during his two-and-a-half-year stay in the Premier League.

To one journalist from The Sun tabloid newspaper, Balotelli took a firmer stance.

"Ever since I arrived in England, your newspaper has always talked bad about me. So I don't want to talk to you," he added.

Seemingly admired and reviled in equal measure in the Premier League, where his off-field antics garnered as much if not more attention than his feats on the pitch, Balotelli said he would miss City, their manager Roberto Mancini and the club's fans.

"I don't have regrets, but I have to say thanks to all the City fans because they have all been nice to me, they always supported me in the good times and the bad," he added.

"I also have to thank my team-mates and the manager (Mancini) as well."

When asked what good things he would miss, Balotelli said: "Good things? Only when I get to play and train, my team-mates and the manager.

"To be honest, the Premier League is an amazing league and I think it's the best."

He added: "The bad things - everything else."

Presented to a 100-strong media by Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani, Balotelli - dressed in a smart suit - was first treated to a video of earlier goalscoring exploits with City.

The video stopped on a famous picture of Balotelli sitting in a Milan cafe while wearing an AC Milan shirt. It was in 2010, while he was still at Inter.

Balotelli was presented with the same number 45 shirt earlier this week, and again on Friday evening.

AC Milan have a reputation for being one of Europe's strictest clubs when it comes to managing their players, and controlling rumours surrounding them.

It remains to be seen if Balotelli, who endured a tumultuous time at City, will get his wish of a successful stay in Milan, where he hopes to remain "for as long as possible".

Asked by AFP of the significance of his move, and what he expects from the different style of football in Serie A, Balotelli replied: "Of course it's a dream come true. (For) a long time I wanted to come here and I couldn't.

"I'm not expecting anything. I'm just looking forward to playing with my teammates."

He added: "I'm here to win, to succeed, to play good football. To play for Milan is very important for me.

"It's an honour, and I want to remain here as long as possible."

- AFP/jc

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At 100, Grand Central still bursting with secrets

Every day, more than 700,000 people pass through Grand Central Terminal in New York, including 200,000 visitors. Yet, while so many people use the famous terminal, few know about some of the terrific secrets it harbors. The famous terminal turned 100 today.

(Credit:
Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

When one of the most famous buildings, let alone the busiest train terminal in the world, turns 100, a lot of people stand up and take notice.

So it should come as no surprise that on its one-hundredth birthday today, the world celebrated the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal, New York's shining beacon to public transportation, still vital and busy after all these years.

In 2010, I had the privilege of visiting Grand Central and getting a behind-the-scenes look at some of its greatest secrets, and some of its most awe-inspiring views. Given the opportunity to view out over the amazing main concourse from a window high above, I was even told in all seriousness that I should wait to stick my head -- and my camera -- out the window until the police had been alerted. My host didn't want me to get shot by cops worried I might be a sniper.

Grand Central is justifiably famous as a transportation hub, but few know about some of its other world-class attributes. Among them are a hidden train station far below dedicated to one task only: getting American presidents in and out of New York in case of emergency; a lost-and-found department that is more efficient than any on earth; a $20 million jewel hidden in plain sight in the concourse; and so much more.

Happy birthday, Grand Central.

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Cops: Armed officer at Atlanta school disarmed shooter

Parents seen waiting for their children outside Price Middle School in Atlanta after one student allegedly shot another, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

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CBS Atlanta

(AP) ATLANTA - Atlanta's police chief says an armed officer working at a city middle school where a student was shot was able to disarm the suspect, also a student, moments after the shooting.

Authorities say a 14-year-old boy was shot in the back of the neck Thursday at Price Middle School and his injury does not appear to be life-threatening. The suspect was taken into custody.

Chief George Turner says multiple shots were fired, and only the 14-year-old was wounded. After some initial confusion about the nature of a teacher's injuries, officials now say the teacher received minor cuts in the aftermath of the shooting.

Police spokesman Carlos Campos says investigators believe the shooting was not random and that something occurred between the two people involved that may have led up to it.

Students at the school were kept inside for hours as their parents waited anxiously outside. By 5p.m. children were being reunited with their parents.

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll Davis says the school has metal detectors and officials are looking into how the gun got on campus.

More on Crimesider
Jan. 31, 2013 - Atlanta School Shooting: Suspect was student at middle school, official says
Jan. 31, 2013 - Atlanta School Shooting: At least two wounded, including student reportedly shot in the head at middle school

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Arias' Ex-Boyfriend Kept Affair Secret

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was kept away from the Mormon friends of her lover Travis Alexander and their torrid sex affair was kept secret by Alexander, even as he sent lewd photos of himself to her online, according to court testimony today.

The testimony in Arias' trial for killing Alexander in 2008 was intended to bolster the defense's argument that she killed him in self defense, that Alexander was a sexual deviant who treated Arias as his "dirty little secret."

Arias' attorneys introduced as evidence photos that Alexadner took of his penis and sent to Arias, part of a string of graphic messages and sexual phone calls the two engaged in while Alexander, an elder in the Mormon church, was supposed to be chaste.

Today's witness was the latest in a string called by the defense, including Alexander's former girlfriend Lisa Daidone, who told the court that Alexander had professed to be a virgin.

Daniel Freeman continued his testimony today, describing how he was a friend of both Arias and Alexander but that Alexander kept Arias distanced from his Mormon pals.

"Travis had made more friends at (the Mormon) ward, and had (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fight nights at his house many times, and Jodi was in town, but she wasn't there," Freeman said.

"There was that group of friends, them and Jodi, two different groups, and so Lisa [Daidone] and friends from church were there, but Jodi wasn't there," Freeman said.

Jodi Arias Murder Trial: Former Boyfriend Takes Stand Watch Video

Jodi Arias Murder Trial: Defense's First Day of Witnesses Watch Video

Alexander's behavior, the defense hopes to prove, shows that he mistreated Arias.

Arias, 32, is on trial for murdering Alexander, whom she dated for a year and continued to have a sexual relationship for a year after that. Her attorneys claim that Alexander was abusive and controlling toward Arias, and that she was forced to kill him.

Freeman described how he took a trip with his sister, Alexander, and Arias, and how Alexander had asked him to come along so that he and Arias "would not get physical."

"I don't know that I can say he didn't want to be alone with her, but he liked that when I was there, and my sister was there. They weren't as physical," Freeman said.

Freeman admitted that he had no idea Alexander and Arias had been having a sexual relationship the entire time they were together. He said Alexander never mentioned that to his friends.

In fact, Freeman noted that Alexander was considered to be a church elder when he baptized Arias into the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Both a church elder and a convert were expected to abide by the church's strict law of chastity, which banned any sexual relations outside of marriage.

"One thing people give up in this baptism process was sex," prosecutor Juan Martinez said. "Did you know she was having oral sex with Mr. Alexander at the time of her baptism? Would that be an insincere baptism?"

"She would not be ready to be baptized in that case," Freeman said.

"You were asked about Miss Arias, whether she was worthy of baptism if she was performing oral sex, but what about the elder receiving oral sex?" defense attorney Kirk Nurmi said.

"They would not be worthy of performing that ordinance at that time until they had gone through repentance," Freeman said. "They would go to a discipline council and could face excommunication or a probation period or have their priesthood removed."

Freeman said that Alexander never confessed to having a sexual relationship with Arias.

Freeman's testimony came on the third day of the defense's attempt to paint Alexander as a controlling, sex-obsessed liar who was cruel to Arias. Other witnesses have said that Alexander cheated on other women he dated with Arias, and lied to his friends and family about their relationship.

The defense also had Freeman point out that Alexander was strong and fit. They are expected to conclude that Alexander was physically threatening Arias when she killed him.

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Obama's Pentagon pick grilled by Republican critics

WASHINGTON: The Vietnam war veteran picked to lead the Pentagon, Chuck Hagel, faced a rough reception at his confirmation hearing Thursday as Republican critics reopened the bitter debate over the Iraq war and painted him as naive on national security.

In a dramatic exchange, a fellow veteran of Vietnam, Senator John McCain, blasted Hagel for his opposition to the troop surge in Iraq in 2007 and demanded Hagel declare if he had been wrong.

But Hagel, a Republican, calmly refused and tried to explain his thinking at the time, even as McCain repeatedly interrupted him.

"I want to know if you are right or wrong. That's a direct question. I expect a direct answer," McCain said.

Hagel replied: "I would defer to the judgment of history."

McCain responded with disgust: "History has already made a judgment on the surge sir, and you're on the wrong side of it."

McCain has seen the troop surge as allowing for a dignified exit from Iraq. Hagel, however, said it was unclear if it was worth losing some 1,200 Americans in the surge of reinforcements to Iraq.

"I'm not sure. I'm not that certain that it was required," he said.

The tense back-and-forth underscored the tensions between Hagel and his fellow Republicans over his apostasy on the Iraq war, which he initially supported before breaking ranks.

The blunt-speaking former senator from Nebraska, wounded and decorated for his combat tour in Vietnam, has said military action should be a last resort and has sometimes expressed impatience with Israel while expressing support for direct talks with Iran.

But Hagel sought to reassure lawmakers that he regretted some of his past remarks and was ready to back military action if necessary against Iran or other adversaries.

"We will not hesitate to use the full force of the United States military in defence of our security," Hagel said before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"But we must also be smart, and more importantly wise, in how we employ all of our nation's great power."

Hagel told lawmakers he endorsed the president's stance on Iran's nuclear program, with military force remaining an option if diplomacy fails.

"I am fully committed to the president's goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and -- as I've said in the past many times -- all options must be on the table to achieve that goal," he said.

Despite harsh criticism and a blitz of attack ads against Hagel, the White House is hopeful the Senate will approve his nomination in the end, albeit with little support from the Republican minority.

Another senator wounded on the Vietnam battlefield, John Kerry, has been approved as the next secretary of state, and both Hagel and Kerry reflect Obama's preference for restraint when it comes to employing US military might.

Most of the questions at the hearing focused on his record and not what he would do as defence secretary, amid looming budget cuts and a troop drawdown in Afghanistan.

Hagel has pursued a charm offensive in recent weeks, holding a flurry of meetings with senators in Congress. But the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee said he was not convinced, portraying Hagel as ready to appease Tehran.

"His record demonstrates what I view as a lack of steadfast opposition to policies that diminish US power and influence throughout the world," Senator Jim Inhofe said.

Inhofe and others also accused Hagel of being too soft on arms control, questioning his support for scaling back the country's nuclear arsenal.

But Hagel said: "We're not going to unilaterally disarm."

His nomination has sparked an unprecedented advertising campaign by conservative activists, who began airing ads not long after Obama announced his choice for the Pentagon.

Although the ad campaign likely will fail to block the nomination, the attacks serve as a warning to Hagel that he will be under tough scrutiny.

If confirmed, Hagel would be the first Vietnam veteran to serve as Pentagon chief, as well as the first to come from the military's enlisted ranks.

- AFP/jc

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Smart LED desk lamp is sensitive to your moods

It's more than just a lamp.

(Credit:
Satechi)

The day of the single-purpose gadget is rapidly fading. You can't just have a phone that you use to talk to other people. It has to do 50 other things. You can't just have a desk lamp that lights up your desk. You have to have one that charges your phone and gives you mood lighting, too.

The Satechi Smart LED Desk Lamp tries to fit as much functionality in as it can. It charges smartphones and has a built-in timer to power it off. It's also very touchy-feely. It's controlled through a touch panel and has different lighting modes to fit your mood.

The lamp can be dimmed in increments, or you can choose one of four pre-sets. Reading mode features a mid-range color temperature to be easy on your eyes. Study mode has high-range color temperature, supposedly to increase concentration. Relaxation mode brings low-range color temperature to encourage you to kick back. Bedtime mode has a soft light for people who like to sleep at their desks.

Phone charging functions aren't new to desk lamps. Konica Minolta came out with wireless charging lamp late last year. The Satechi lamp doesn't do wireless, but at $100, it's $200 cheaper than the Konica Minolta. If you're the kind of person who's not satisfied with single-function devices, then the Satechi lamp could be worth a look.

Charge your phone while relaxing with your mood lighting.

(Credit:
Satechi)

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Storm system moves into Ga., blamed for 2 deaths

Updated 6:45 p.m. ET

ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. A massive storm system raked the Southeast on Wednesday, spawning tornadoes and dangerous winds that overturned cars on a Georgia interstate and demolished homes and businesses, killing at least two people.

The storm system tossed vehicles on Interstate 75 in Georgia into the air, onto their roofs and into the grassy shoulder. The highway was closed for a time, and another main thoroughfare remained closed until crews could safely remove downed trees and power lines from the road. Authorities were working to rescue people reportedly trapped in homes and buildings.

The storm decimated that city's downtown area and wiped out parts of a large manufacturing plant, killing at least one person and sending nine to hospitals, Bartow County officials said. Residents said no traces remained of some roadside produce stands — a common sight on rural Georgia's back roads.

A funnel cloud in northern Georgia on Jan. 30, 2013

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WGCL-TV

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for Bartow and Gordon counties. Georgia Power reports there are 10,200 outages statewide. Of the 10,200, 5,600 outages are in the Adairsville Area and 3,500 in metro Atlanta, reports CBS affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta.

One other death was reported in Tennessee after an uprooted tree fell onto a storage shed where a man had taken shelter.

In Adairsville, the strange mix of debris in one yard showed just how dangerous the storm had been: a bathtub, table, rolls of toilet paper and lumber lay in the grass next to what appears to be a roof. Sheets of metal dangled from a large tree like ornaments.

"The sky was swirling," said Theresa Chitwood, who owns the Adairsville Travel Plaza. She said she went outside to move her car because she thought it was going to hail. Instead, the passing storm decimated a building behind the travel plaza and ripped the roof off of a nearby bank.

"It sounded like a freight train coming through," she said. "It looks like a bomb hit it."

Juanita Carter told CBS News she was sleeping when the tornado hit; a dangerous situation. "I was hanging. My back was across those blocks," she said. "I don't remember nothing after that. I blacked out."

17 Photos

Massive storm system hits the South

Powerful winds ripped through the entire region, with gusts powerful enough to topple tractor-trailers in several places.

Conditions remained ripe for tornadoes into Wednesday afternoon, and authorities were still investigating several sites to determine if damage was caused by twisters. Since Tuesday, the system had caused damage across a swath from Missouri to Georgia.

In recent days, people in the South and Midwest had enjoyed unseasonably balmy temperatures in the 60s and 70s. A system pulling warm weather from the Gulf of Mexico was colliding with a cold front moving in from the west, creating volatility.

One person was reported injured by lightning in Arkansas during the storm's eastward trek. Two people suffered minor injuries when a mobile home was blown off its foundation in Kentucky. Only one minor injury was reported in Mississippi, where officials praised residents for heeding warnings and being prepared.

In Tennessee, officials confirmed that a tornado with peak wind speeds of 115 mph touched down in Mount Juliet. No serious injuries were reported there, though the path of damage was about 150 yards wide, including homes, a warehouse and an automotive business.

At a shopping center in Mount Juliet, large sheets of metal littered the parking lot, light poles were knocked down and bits of fiberglass insulation were stuck in the trees.

One wall of a Dollar General convenience store collapsed, and the roof was torn off. Mark Fulks Jr. runs Mark's Automotive with his father in a building attached to the Dollar General. The garage door was blown off his shop and sitting on one of the cars inside, and Fulks said several of the cars they were working on had their windshields blown out.

A nearby office building and a distribution center for The Tennessean newspaper also had severe damage. Rick Martin, who bags the newspapers and helps his wife deliver them, was shocked when he saw what was left of the distribution center.

The metal frame of the building still stood, but its cinderblock walls had crumbled, and papers and plastic bags littered the trees.

"We feel real lucky," he said on Wednesday morning as looked at the damage. "I would have hated to be in here when this happened."

The nation has had its longest break between tornado fatalities since detailed tornado records began being kept in 1950, according to the Storm Prediction Center and National Climatic Data Center. The last one was June 24, when a person was killed in a home in Highlands County, Fla. That was 220 days ago as of Tuesday.

The last day with multiple fatalities was June 4, when three people were killed in a mobile home in Scott County, Mo.

CBS meteorologist David Bernard reports there were tornado watches stretching from Tallahassee, Fla., through Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday night. The Washington, D.C., area was also under a tornado watch.

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