Moment Obama learned of Newtown horror: Photo Shows Obama Hearing of Sandy Hook Shooting

A new collection of White House photos includes an image of the moment on Dec. 14 when President Obama heard about details of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

A grim-looking Obama leans on a couch as his Homeland Security adviser tells him of the shooting.

"The President reacts as John Brennan briefs him on the details of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.," according to the caption provided by White House photographer Pete Souza. "The President later said during a TV interview that this was the worst day of his Presidency."

Later that day Obama made televised remarks from the briefing room at the White House.

"The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," the president said of the 26 victims, pausing to collect himself. "They had their entire lives ahead of them, birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own."

The shooting at Sandy Hook began an ongoing national discussion about gun violence that has led the president to go from largely ignoring the issue to now listing gun control near the top of his second-term agenda.

Samuel L. Jackson gets real about Oscar

When it comes to this year's Oscar race, Samuel L. Jackson seems to be giving the Academy the knowing evil eye.
The 64-year-old actor recently admitted he was none too pleased when he was passed up for an Academy Award in 1994, all but revealing his intention to win the award this year for his role as house slave Stephen in "Django Unchained."
Marking his only Oscar nomination to date, Jackson lost the golden statuette in 1995 to Martin Landau who won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for playing Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood." But this isn't necessarily news: If you were watching Jackson's reaction closely as the award was announced -- by a young Anna Paquin, mind you -- you saw his mouth form what appears to be the word "sh--" (watch here at 1:14-in).
"I really don’t know many people who can not only remember 'Ed Wood' but remember what Martin Landau did in it," Jackson told Deadline about his disappointment over losing his only shot thus far at the prestigious acting award.

[Related: Leonardo DiCaprio’s real blood is in ‘Django Unchained’ scene]

Landau, left, with his 1995 Oscar, and Paquin (Photo: James Aylott/Getty Images)And to state the obvious, that was the year he was nominated for arguably his most famous role -- the oddly philosophical, tough-as-nails hit man Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." "You know they were saying 'Martin’s been nominated a few times and you’re going to be around for a while. Don’t worry.' I was thinking I didn’t know it was a thing where if you get nominated for a few times you automatically get one. I thought it was supposed to be about impact."
Incidentally, Jackson shared the supporting actor loss that year with Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump"), Chazz Palminteri ("Bullets Over Broadway") and the late Paul Scofield ("Quiz Show." Scofield also won a Best Actor Oscar in 1967 for "A Man for All Seasons").
It stands to reason if Landau got one that was overdue, this could very well be Jackson's year to win. But, controversy over the film's racially-charged content aside, there is at least one hurdle standing in Jackson's way: He wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe.
While "Django" has earned five Globe nominations -- including two supporting actor nods for Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz -- Jackson wasn't included. But he's not worried. "I understand what the Golden Globes is. It's the only show they [the Hollywood Foreign Press Association] have and is their biggest moneymaker so you have to pack the room with people that are going to make people tune into that show. With popular actors and the popular television shows, it’s whoever they think people want to see on the red carpet and hope that they win, not necessarily the quality of work you’ve done," he told Deadline.

[Related: Jamie Foxx tells Yahoo! Movies of a confrontation with racism during his youth]

Jackson in 'Django Unchained' (Image credit: The Weinstein Company)Jackson's awards-season irreverence didn't end there. He went on to say he doesn't try to game the system like other actors who seem to only take roles that have "Oscar potential." "I do movies I want to see myself. Like Quentin, he writes the movies he wants to see. I tend to take roles that I want to see me in. I enjoy movies for the audience aspect of it," he added.
Like other actors who have garnered significant Oscar buzz this year --namely, Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Lawrence -- Jackson has been letting it all hang out. He recently dared a reporter to say the n-word and also trashed the ending of fellow awards-season favorite "Lincoln."
Could this possibly be a new Oscar campaign strategy? Form your own armchair opinion next week when nominations are announced on Thursday morning, and ultimately when the winners are named on February 24th.
"Django Unchained" is in theaters now.

'Invisible' photographer Liu Bolin

Woman auctioned off ex-boyfriend’s secret fishing spots for big cash

 

A Breakups can be painful. But on the bright side, they can lead to some creative revenge schemes. To wit: A spurned New Zealand woman sold the secret locations to her ex-boyfriend's favorite fishing spots, netting $3,000, which she then spent on herself.
The drama went down in January of 2012 but is just now getting wide pickup on the Web. New Zealand's Stuff magazine reports that the unnamed ex had entrusted Angela Potter with the locations to his secret fishing holes. But once the fella hightailed it for Australia without much notice, Potter auctioned the information on the Web. She expected just a few hits, but instead got nearly 90,000.
[Related: Couple's amicable breakup video goes viral]
Potter insisted that she wasn't out to be cruel. Rather, her ex-boyfriend forced her hand when he took off with her luggage (ouch). "When he refused to return my suitcase, that's when I sold his coordinates," she said. "I didn't list them to be vindictive. I listed them as a bit of a laugh."
Laughs or not, Potter earned herself a nice chunk of change. She is now dating a new fisherman. However she hasn't shared her ex-boyfriend's fishing spots with the new fella. "I wouldn't do that," Potter said. "I'm fairly honorable in that respect."

Surprise benefits of a home security system: Reasons you need to invest in a home security system now

Have you thought about installing a home security system, but put it off because you don't think you really need one?
Well, before you put it off any longer, you may want to consider these facts: In 2010, there were more than two million home burglaries in the United States, over 70 percent of which took place in residential homes, reports the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
What's more, victims of these burglaries claimed an estimated $4.6 billion in lost property, and the average dollar loss per burglary was $2,119.
With these startling statistics, investing in a home security system doesn't seem like such a bad idea, does it?
Marshall Marinace, vice-president of the Electronic Security Association, doesn't think so.
"The number one reason to invest in a home security system is to protect your family and assets," says Marinace. "The simple fact of installing a security system deters crime. Your police department might not have the eyes and ears out there that they used to, especially in areas where police departments have seen big budget cuts."
Keep reading to see why else you should invest in a home security system…

Reason #1 - To Deter Potential Crime

You might think that a crazy-loud k-9 is a great way to keep burglars away - and you wouldn't be wrong - but studies show that investing in a home security system is a proven way to keep burglars at bay.
In fact, according to a 2010 study partially underwritten by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation, burglars spend less than 60 seconds breaking into a home. So, anything that made a house harder to access, including home security systems, deadbolt locks, bars on windows, and pins in sash windows, acted as a deterrent.
What's more, the Electronic Security Association's "Home Safety Fast Facts" report, notes that 9 out of 10 burglars avoid homes with alarm systems and said if they did encounter an alarm, they would not attack the home.
The bottom line: Burglars are on the lookout for "soft targets," so making your home more difficult to access is likely to deter a break-in.
[Think it's time to install a home security system? Click to find a home security provider now.]

Reason #2 - To Detect Smoke and Fire

So, it's pretty obvious that a home security system can protect your home against burglary, but did you know that many security systems are also built to protect your home from a fire?
Here's how: "A home fire alarm system is usually part of a total security system providing burglary protection in addition to fire protection," according to the U.S. Fire Administration. "Such a system supervises doors, windows, and spaces within the home for break-in and may provide monitoring services by dialing your telephone to report a fire or intrusion to a security office, where it will be reported to your local police or fire department."
And having a home security system that doubles as a smoke detector is extremely important, especially when you consider the latest home fire statistics.
 The National Fire Prevention Association says fire departments responded to an average of 371,700 home fires in the United States each year from 2006 to 2010. Their August 2012 report on structure fires, that include any type of residential fire, found that many fires are started by cooking mishaps or "heating fires," which are caused by central heating units, fireplaces, chimneys, water heaters, or heating stoves.
And unfortunately, these fires could do a lot of damage. According to a 2008 to 2010 U.S. Fire Administration study on heating fires, about 50,000 heating fires occur in the United States each year and result in approximately 150 deaths, 575 injuries, and $326 million in property loss.
To avoid becoming a part of this statistic, consider how a home security system could help you.
[Protect your family from a fire. Click to find a home security provider now.]

Reason #3 - To get a Discount on your Home Insurance

On top of being a burglar-deterrent, installing a home security system could also help lower the premium on your home insurance - and by a pretty penny at that.
In fact, "Some companies may cut your premiums by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire or other monitoring stations," according to a homeowner's insurance article published by the Insurance Information Institute.
Why are home insurance companies willing to offer these huge discounts?
Think about it like this: When you install a home security system, it makes it less likely that someone will be able to break into your home, and in effect, there's less of a chance that your insurer will have to cover your losses due to a home invasion.
Essentially, when you install a home security system, you are less of a risk for your insurer.
[Want to save on your home insurance? Click to compare rates now.]

Reason #4 - To Control Your Home Remotely

Have you ever called a neighbor to ask whether you left your kitchen window open? Now there's an app for that, in a manner of speaking.
Most home security systems can alert you - via text or e-mail - when there's activity in your home that you want to know about, say Marinace. For example, you can get alerts every time someone enters your home, the basement light goes on, or every time your liquor cabinet opens.
Many systems even allow you to view live video feeds from your home online or on your phone, adds Marinace.
And if you're a working parent who wants to keep tabs on when your kids come and leave the house, certain alarm systems will allow you to do just that.
Case-in-point: Marinace says that some so-called "latch key" systems will send a picture of your child returning from school to your e-mail or phone. Yes, this does sound a little like "Big Brother," but when it comes to the safety of your home and family, it's probably best to be overly cautious.
And if you're worried you'll start to get annoyed by the alerts and notifications, you'll be happy to know that they're completely customizable, so you can tone them down or turn them off completely.
[Protect your family with a home security system. Click to find the right provider for you.]

Reason #5 - To Help Law Enforcement Respond Faster to Emergencies

What's another good reason to invest in a home security system? How about this: It can actually help children or seniors get medical attention in the event of an emergency.
How so, you're probably wondering? Well, if someone with health problems is living alone, they could carry a wireless transmitter that triggers their home security system if they need assistance, says Marinace. As with a fire, once the home security system has been triggered, emergency responders are immediately notified.
Marinace also points out that many home security systems include two-way intercoms so that when the system is triggered, you and your family members can communicate directly with the operators in case you can't get to a phone.
And while this little detail may not sound like much, to someone with limited mobility, who many not be able to get to the phone very quickly, it could prove extremely helpful.