What happens 70 years ago

 Nothing intersting

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said Monday that the war on drugs in Mexico "is not a failure."
At a press conference in Mexico City after meeting Mexican Interior Minister Alejandro Poire, Napolitano called the drug policies of both Mexico and the United States "a continuing effort to keep our peoples from becoming addicted to dangerous drugs."
Napolitano also said that among the things discussed at the meeting with Poire was how to have a more regional approach to a number of security issues threatening the United States, Mexico and Central America.
Asked why, in spite of efforts by both Mexico and the United States, the leader Mexico's most powerful criminal organization -- the Sinaloa drug cartel -- remains at large, Napolitano implied it's only a matter of time before Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman falls.
"It took us 10 years to find Osama bin Laden and we found him," Napolitano said. "And you know what happened there. I'm not suggesting the same thing would happen with Guzman but I am suggesting that we are persistent when it comes to wrongdoers and those who do harm in both of our countries."
Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001, and both Mexican and U.S. authorities are offering multimillion-dollar rewards for information leading to his capture.
Mexican reporters also asked whether the U.S. Homeland Security secretary still considers Mexico a safe destination. Twenty-two Carnival Cruise Lines passengers were robbed of valuables and their passports Saturday while they were traveling by bus in the middle of a shore excursion near the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta.
Napolitano didn't specifically address that incident, but suggested she doesn't believe there is a generalized security problem.
"I think Americans come and go freely to Mexico all the time and I expect that to continue. It's a wonderful country. There are many, many places to go and to see. And obviously we also do a tremendous amount of commerce," Napolitano said.
The meeting with Poire was Napolitano's first stop of a five-day regional tour that will also take her to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama.
Napoliticano was specifically asked whether the U.S. government is as concerned about the power of criminal organizations in Latin America as it is about terrorism. She called both terrorism and drug trafficking a global scourge, but pointed out there are important distinctions between the two.
"(Drug trafficking) has to be handled in a somewhat different way. It's a different type of crime and it's a different type of plague, but that's also why it is so important that we act not only bi-nationally, but in a regional way, to go after the supply of illegal narcotics," Napolitano said.

What happens 70 years ago
Japanese land forces invade Java.
Operation Bitting: British paratroopers are sent to Bruneval, France where the Germans install a modern radiotelemeter. Dismount the machine and translate it to England, being transport by little British cruisers.
Battle of Sonda Strait: The Japanese destroy the rest of the Allied fllet in The West Dutch Indies.

What happens 70 years ago

Battle of Java Sea: Under a Dutch Admiral, the combined forces lose one aircraft tender (the Langley), six destroyers, and five cruisers off Java.

In the Philippines, the Japanese invade Mindoro Island.

Chris Brown collaboration is typical Rihanna, analysts say

Once the artists' respective remixes, "Birthday Cake" and "Turn Up the Music," featuring each other, hit the Web on Monday, that head-shaking turned into full-blown opposition.
Some have questioned why Rihanna would musically reunite with her ex and whether their working together was a straight career move or a byproduct of her feelings for Brown. But based on the way the "We Found Love" singer markets herself, industry experts agree, her decision to collaborate with Brown is actually quite characteristic.
"So much of (Rihanna's) music is about being in control of herself," said Tamar Anitai, the managing editor of MTV Buzzworthy. "Some of her fans have been really surprised by (her working with Brown again), but a lot of her other fans are so used to her making these big, bold statements."

Rihanna has been in the game for a long time, Anitai said, and she wants people to know that she makes her own decisions. "This is her way of saying, 'I've made peace with my past.' "
Since he pleaded guilty in June 2009 to assaulting his then-girlfriend on the eve of the 51st Grammy Awards, Brown's career has flourished -- as has Rihanna's.
Country singer Miranda Lambert and HLN's Dr. Drew are among those weighing in on Brown's successes in addition to his troubles, including outbursts on Twitter and a reported tantrum after an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" last year.
A firestorm erupted when many women tweeted after this year's Grammy Awards that they would let Brown beat them.
But while the response to the pair's partnership has been overwhelmingly negative, their remixes have actually been well-received, said Ian Drew, Us Weekly's senior editor for music.
"Say what you will about them ... but when they're on a track together, it sort of lights up and ignites," Drew said.
Referencing Rihanna's "S&M," which shocked listeners with talk of chains and whips, he said that "these two are all about pushing buttons."
What is boils down to, Drew added, is whether people have the ability to separate the artists' personal lives from their music.
It's unclear what effect their collaborations will have on their careers. But the critics seem to be out in full force.
A recent Newsday story titled "Rihanna and Chris Brown deserve each other" states, "Apparently, Rihanna wants to show her independence and Brown wants to show that he can beat a woman and still get her to be friends."
And AJ Reynolds, who hosts Canada's Top 20 Countdown, said that all tracks featuring Brown have been pulled from the radio show after numerous parents complained.
The backlash couldn't have come as a surprise to the two artists. Music producer The-Dream, who wrote "Birthday Cake" with Rihanna, told MTV it was actually her idea to feature Brown on the song's remix.
"When she raised the question to me, I know she's not crazy," he said. "So my thought was, 'you've been thinking about this; you've already thought it out, so evidently you know what reaction you gonna get.' "
Despite the fact that Rihanna typically embraces her sexuality in her music, "Turn Up the Music" (which features the lyrics, "So let's go tonight and do whatever it takes to make it right") and "Birthday Cake's" explicit nature are a bit jarring, given the pair's history, said Bill Werde, Billboard's editorial director.
Even so, Werde said, he can't see Rihanna's career being hurt by the collaboration.
"If Chris Brown can rebound from (the assault) ... please don't tell me that Rihanna can't rebound from what some are perceiving as a lapse in judgment," he added.
In the end, fans reserve the right to support the artists or not, but onlookers have to remember, this is still a real and tumultuous situation.
"People have the tendency to forget that maybe this isn't some kind of contrived career move or a staged opportunity for PR," Werde said. "This media-saturated world is trying to make sense of a very, very human decision.
"I would like to think she's thought through the consequences, but I don't think she's making this decision with an eye toward her career," Werde added. "She's probably just thinking with her heart."

Comment: I think, if i was a celebrity and i had to participate with a person that had heart me, more if i was a women and they do it fiscally because what Chris Brown do to Rihanna cant be fixed, if a man hurts his girlfriend in any way he most be prepared because people will be in the girl side, What Chris Brown has is anger issues, he had to control the, I think that Chris Brown is a good singer, but in his life stile I dont think the same way,   the ager that a person has to hurt a person knowing that all persons will find out, well I researve mi comments. But if i was Rihanna I will think twice before collaborating with Chris Brown.

What happens 70 years ago

United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand ratify  mutual assistance agreement.

In Burma, the British retreat to the Pegu River line.

49 killed in Argentina train crash

Video from the scene showed rescuers prying open windows of twisted train cars to reach trapped passengers. Crews carried bleeding victims on stretchers through the busy Once station; some victims were taken to area hospitals by helicopter.

"The government and people of Argentina give their solidarity and weigh the pain felt by the families of the victims," President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said in a statement declaring the mourning period. Memorials will be held outside Argentina's Government House and Olivos, the presidential residence, the state news agency Telam reported.

"Never in my life had I seen anything like this," Transportation Secretary Juan Pablo Schiavi told reporters hours after the accident, which occurred during the height of the morning rush.

Passengers told reporters the crash sounded like a bomb blast.

"Suddenly I heard a bang, and many people fell on top of me. I think I had more than 10 people above me. I got out as quickly as I could," a witness identified only as Esteban told the state news agency. "I only saw injured people and heard screams."

The first two cars of the train -- crammed with commuters -- were most affected by the crash. Passengers emerged bruised, some with serious injuries, Schiavi said.

The crash injured more than 600 people, Telam reported, and more than 460 were hospitalized. Family members flooded local hospitals, clamoring for news of missing loved ones.

Auhtorities will use GPS data, security camera footage, audio recordings from the driver's cabin and maintenance records in their investigation, Schiavi said.

The train stopped at other stations on its route, and data show that it slowed as it approached the Once station, Schiavi said.

"It stopped 14 times, and the last time, it didn't stop," he said.

The train was traveling at 26 kilometers per hour (16 mph) when it entered the station around 8:30 a.m., he said.

"We do not know what happened in the last 40 meters," he said.

The train's 28-year-old driver had just started his shift and had a good record, the transportation minister said.

Earlier Wednesday, Schiavi said authorities believed there were problems with the train's brakes that caused it to smash into a barrier at the station.

Buenos Aires Trains, which runs the rail service, said it was cooperating with the federal investigation.

Wednesday's crash was among the worst in Argentina's history, Telam reported.

In 1970, 200 people died when two trains crashed north of Buenos Aires.

Eight years later, 56 people were killed when a train hit a truck in Argentina's Santa Fe province, the state news agency reported
Comment: Its a real tragedy that a lot of people dies for one accident,  i dont now why it happens, how the train crash? how it happen? it whas on porpuse? we dont know , but we should pray for the deaths and the deaths families, because they have just lost a person in their life, we dont know if it was a father in the train, and now the mom is the one that has to mantain the fasmily.

What happens 70 years ago 

British Marshal sir Arthur Harris take control of bombers.

Preisdent Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as American defence of the nation collapses.

30 prisoners escape after riot in northern Mexico, governor says

The prison's director and 18 guards have been removed from their positions and are under investigation, Nuevo Leon Gov. Rodrigo Medina told reporters.

"There is no doubt that without the help of prison officials, it would have been very hard to make this escape. ... For us, it is difficult to confirm that the betrayal, corruption and complicity of a few can hinder the work of good police, soldiers and sailors who risk their lives daily for the security of Nuevo Leon's residents," he said.

Authorities are offering a reward of 10 million pesos (about $788,000) for information leading to the escapees' capture, Medina said. Preliminary reports indicate the escapees were members of the Zetas drug cartel, he said.

A fierce rivalry between drug cartels likely fueled the fighting that killed 44 people Sunday inside the prison in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, state security spokesman Jorge Domene told reporters.

At least two Zetas leaders, including the suspected head of the cartel in the nearby industrial city of Monterrey, were among the prisoners who escaped, according to Mexican military records.

Prisoners could have used the riot to engineer their breakout, Domene said Sunday. He did not say how prisoners inside acquired the clubs, stones and sharp objects they used in the fighting.

Earlier Sunday, Domene said inmates had taken a guard hostage as clashes broke out at the prison. Some prisoners also set mattresses ablaze, sending smoke rising above the facility, he said.

Federal and state police surrounded the prison as anxious family members awaited information outside its gates.

The clashes, which occurred in a part of the prison where most inmates were serving time for federal drug trafficking offenses, might have begun as a fight between the Zetas and Gulf cartels, Domene said.

The Zetas started with deserters from the Mexican Army and quickly gained a reputation for ruthless violence as the armed branch of Mexico's Gulf cartel. The partnership ended in 2010, and turf battles between the rival cartels are common in northern Mexico.

State officials have asked Mexico's interior ministry to transfer inmates connected with federal offenses out of the prison, which has become significantly overcrowded as authorities crack down on organized crime, Medina said Monday.

The Apodaca prison was housing about 3,000 prisoners at the time of Sunday's riot, Domene said Sunday.

Last year, 14 inmates were killed and 35 people were injured in a fire in the prison's psychiatric ward.

Nearly half of Mexico's 428 penitentiary centers are overcrowded, according to federal police statistics.

After more than 350 people died in a fire in a Honduran prison last week, a United Nations official said widespread overcrowding was one factor behind a recent wave of violence in Latin American prisons.

"These events reflect an alarming pattern of prison violence in the region, which is a direct consequence of -- or aggravated by -- a range of endemic problems including chronic prison overcrowding, the lack of access to basic services such as adequate floor space, potable water, food, health care and lack of basic sanitary and hygienic standards," Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement.

In Mexico, prison expert Jose Luis Musi said conditions remain ripe for more violence.

"There are many factors," he said. "There is overpopulation, there is complicity and there is a lack of security."

comment: What I believe is impossible is that a group of 30 prisoners escaped form a prison, without the help of policemen, because if the prisoner hade a routine, and they make it every day I dont see how could they go out. The other thing is that these shows that Mexico is more dangerouse than  Guatemala, because here that havent happen, so that is a total proof that Guatemala is more safe than  Mexico. Maybe in Mexico they dont ask for cellphones in the traffic light, but here in Guatemala we dont have prisons in witch 30 people scape at once.     

What happens 70 years ago

Japanese troops cross the important Salween River in Burma.

Japanese invade Bali and Timor by a combined use of paratroops and amphibious troops.

The Americans try to retake Rabaul, but are rejected by the Japanese.

Rats being put to work in Colombia, training to detect explosives

This new recruit is unlike any other. It stands on four legs, has white hair all over its body and weighs slightly less than a pound. Its name is Rattus Norvegicus -- but it's more commonly known as a lab rat.

During a recent training session, trainers set the white rat on a patch of grass where they had hidden an explosive device underground. It took the rat less than a minute to find it. The rodent was showered with praise. Its trainers also gave it its favorite reward, a treat.

Though safer than a decade ago, Colombia is a country where landmines and car bombs are still a threat. Earlier this month, six people were killed by a car bomb targeting a police station in the town of Villa Rica in the southern province of El Cauca. The day before the February 2 bombing, nine people were killed and 70 were injured by another explosion in the neighboring province of Narino.

Edgar Ramirez, a second lieutenant with the Colombian National Police, says his country still "faces conflicts such as guerrillas, and criminal and paramilitary groups. There are many disputed territories because of the drug trade or simply to take control, and many groups set up land mines in these territories."

In the past, Colombian police used bomb-sniffing dogs; but the dogs' weight would often trigger the explosives. That's not a problem for lab rats that weigh slightly less than a pound.

And according to the trainers, their sense of smell is just as good as a dog's.

Colombia is not the first country to use rodents in this fashion. Rats have already been put to work in Mozambique to detect landmines.

Ramirez says that the only disadvantage he can think of about using rats is their short life span.

"These animals live only three to four years, which is a relatively short period of time from a human perspective. On the other hand, they're very prolific. They reproduce themselves exponentially in a very short time," Ramirez said.

So far, the rats have been trained to detect seven different kinds of explosives including ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, gunpowder and TNT.

The project is directed by Luisa Fernanda Mendez Pardo, a veterinarian who specializes in canine explosives-detection training. Mendez said that in the last four years her team has produced five generations of between 15 and 18 rodents each.

"As a researcher," Mendez said, "I can tell you that this project has exceeded the expectations we had at the beginning. We have been able to condition the rats to follow simple verbal commands. We have also trained them to not be afraid of their human handlers."

Their trust has also gone beyond humans. The rats even get on with the cat that protects them from other predators at the lab where they're trained.

Mendez also says the rats are much more cost-effective than their canine counterparts. "With the money it takes to feed a dog per day, you can feed seven rats for seven days," Mendez said.

Officials with the Colombian National Police say they expect to take the bomb-sniffing rats into the field in later this year.

"The main goal is to tackle a humanitarian problem in Colombia," says Mendez. "In my career, I have seen many civilians, police officers and soldiers who have been killed or severely injured in mine fields. It has become a personal challenge, and I want to use this project to help my country."

The team has been able to successfully train more than 70 rats in the last four years since the project began. The process has allowed them to acquire important knowledge about how the rodents can help authorities clear fields full of landmines in the Colombian countryside.

comment: The idea of Colombia of training rats for the detection of bombs, its prety good, because they are, indirecly, saving a lot of persons lifves because the people will not longer have to go and find the bomb. A lot of people may said that "the rats are living things too, why are you trainig this animals...", but what this people dont see is that a humman life, is more valuable that an animal life. Also they are giving rats a positive function, others than eating trash, or being a pest.

Baby opens door into Indian trafficking ring

In a New Delhi hospital, a two-year-old girl is fighting for her life after a teenager brought her there three weeks ago, unconscious with severe head injuries and bruises, fractured arms and human bite marks covering her tiny body. All of India began following her ordeal through newspapers and television.

Police investigating the baby's case unearthed a suspected ring of human trafficking. The details sparked outrage among authorities and the public, who say the case raises a host of questions about child abandonment, exploitation and the poor treatment of girls and women in the world's second most populous nation.

Now the baby, named Falak by doctors, has thrust an ugly side of Indian society into the national spotlight

comment: Well is bad that a baby open the door is to danger.

What happens 70 years ago

Operation Cerverus, when the German warships parked in Brest (Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prine Eugen, cross the Calais Pass and arrive to Norway with only little damages made by British water mines.

The explosion Monday of a device attached to an Israeli Embassy van in New Delhi and the discovery and safe detonation of another such device found on an embassy car in Tbilisi, Georgia, led quickly to a round of fingerpointing between Israel and Iran.

Four people were wounded in the van explosion, which occurred near the Israeli mission in New Delhi, officials said.

The other bomb, found on an embassy car in Tbilisi, Georgia, was detonated in a controlled explosion with no injuries, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed both incidents on Iran, calling it "the biggest exporter of terror in the world."

Israeli Embassy car detonates in India

"The Israeli government and her security organizations are continuing to operate together with local security services against these acts of terror," Netanyahu said. "We will continue to act in a strong way, systematically and steadfastly."

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast blamed Israel, accusing it of having bombed its own embassies in New Delhi and Tbilisi "to tarnish Iran's friendly ties with the host countries," Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said. "He brushed aside Israeli accusation on Iranian involvement in the bombing and said that Israel perpetrated the terrorist actions to launch psychological warfare against Iran," IRNA reported.

"Iran condemns terrorism in strongest term and Iran has been the victim of terrorism," Mehmanparast said.

Police in India identified one of the wounded there as Tal Yehoshua Coren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry employee. A doctor in India told reporters she was in critical but stable condition in a hospital.

Also wounded in New Delhi was the Indian driver of the car, said Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. He said both victims were being treated and "are OK." Two others in a vehicle next to the van sustained minor injuries, according to B.K. Gupta, an Indian police official.

Akbaruddin said the car was about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the Israeli mission at the time.

A witness told CNN there was a "huge explosion sound" and he later saw a foreign woman and the Indian driver being removed from the car.

In a written statement, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attacks. "The United States places a high priority on the safety and security of diplomatic personnel around the world, and we stand ready to assist with any investigation of these cowardly actions," she said.

Israeli Foreign Ministry personnel based overseas have been on alert in recent weeks to the heightened possibility of attacks at Israeli facilities by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Muslim militant group and political party.

Sunday marked the fourth anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Imad Mugniyah in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria. Hezbollah holds Israel responsible for his death and has vowed revenge.

Both Netanyahu and Michael Herzog, former chief of staff to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, noted two recent attempted attacks on Israeli citizens in Thailand and Azerbaijan. The Israeli government issued a travel advisory this year for citizens traveling to Thailand after Thai security officials arrested at least one Hezbollah-affiliated man connected with a planned attack in the country.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this month that Iran would support any nation or group that stands up against Israel. He said Iran doesn't interfere in other nations but has aided such militant groups as Hamas and Hezbollah in conflicts with Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.

"Taken together, maybe we are witnessing an Iranian attack against Israeli representation across the world," Herzog said of Monday's incidents and the thwarted bombings in Thailand and Azerbaijan.

The modus operandi is not new. Last month, a mysterious explosion in Iran killed a man identified as a nuclear scientist -- the third such killing in the past two years in which someone placed a bomb on or under a scientist's car. A fourth survived an assassination attempt.

The United States and Israel oppose Iran's nuclear program, although numerous countries have expressed concern as well. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes.

Iranian officials, on state-run media, blame Israel and the United States.

Clinton has denied "any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran."

While Israel generally refuses to comment on accusations and speculation, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said on his Facebook page, "I have no idea who targeted the Iranian scientist but I certainly don't shed a tear."

With no one claiming responsibility, the killings remain shrouded in mystery. Iran experts contacted last month by CNN could only speculate.

"The most likely contender among people who are following this is that the Israelis are doing it, possibly in cooperation with the Iranian mujahedeen," said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian-American Council and author of the book "A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran."

"There's almost no downside for Israel," he said. The killings "take out nuclear assets and embarrass Iran" by showing that the regime can't prevent such attacks, Parsi said. And "if Iran retaliates with a violent act, then Israel can point to it as a reason to take military action against the regime."

Michael Rubin, resident scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, agreed that Israeli involvement was the most "plausible" scenario. And Mark Hibbs, senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, also said the way the attacks took place "would be consistent" with the possibility of Israel acting with cooperation inside Iran.

Parsi told CNN he does not believe the killings are the work of the United States, and he said they do not match the kind of activity U.S. intelligence would carry out in a country with which there is no declared state of war.

Rubin agreed, and gave a different reason. "Frankly, I don't think the United States has the human intelligence knowledge," he said.

me:

the car do boom =) ↑↑↑ read that awesome finally that someone say that! cool 

What happens 70 years ago

Hitler resigns finally to Operation Sea Lion, The invasion to United Kingdom.

The battle for Bataan continues.

The soviets attack the Voljov zone, their objective is liberate Leningrad.

The allies attack the Halfaya Pass. 

Who will win (and who should win) a Grammy?

 There are many award-worthy artists on the ballot this year -- even some not named Adele, Bruno, Nicki, or Katy. Here's who we think will grab the gold on Feb. 12 (and who would if we had our way).

Record of the Year

Adele, ''Rolling in the Deep''
Bon Iver, ''Holocene''
Bruno Mars, ''Grenade''
Mumford & Sons, ''The Cave''
Katy Perry, ''Firework''

Who will win: Adele's already Grammy catnip, and with its immaculate songcraft and pitch-perfect production, ''Rolling'' simply dominated 2011.

Who should win: Sorry, no drama here: we're going with the Academy on this one.

Album of the year

Adele, "21"
Foo Fighters, "Wasting Light"
Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
Bruno Mars, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans"
Rihanna, "Loud"

Who will win: "21" revived a bruised music industry practically by itself. And because Adele's rising tide lifted all boats, she'll be the one hoisting this award.

Who should win: Since the year's only serious challenger to "21" -- Kanye West's brilliant "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" -- was snubbed in this category, we're going to defer to Adele once again.

Song of the Year

Kanye West, ''All of the Lights''
Mumford & Sons, ''The Cave''
Bruno Mars, ''Grenade''
Bon Iver, ''Holocene''
Adele, ''Rolling in the Deep''

Who will win: No, really, we're not kidding -- this is Adele's year.

Who should win: If somebody's going to topple Adele's sweep of the top awards, it should be Justin Vernon -- Bon Iver's ''Holocene'' is a stunner.

Best New Artist

The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Who will win: Bon Iver is only ''new'' by Academy math; still, he feels like the front-runner here, especially considering his inclusion the Big Three categories.

Who should win: Nicki Minaj came out of nowhere and tricked us into thinking she was here the whole time. And for that, this award should truly be hers. But, unfortunately, history has rarely favored rap in this category.

Best Pop Solo Performance

Adele, ''Someone Like You''
Lady Gaga, ''Yoü and I''
Bruno Mars, ''Grenade''
Katy Perry, ''Firework''
P!nk, ''F---in' Perfect''

Who will win: Adele's powerful, give-all pipes make her the top contender once again.

Who should win: P!nk's voice is an undeniable force, up there with even Her Majesty Adele.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse, ''Body and Soul''
The Black Keys, ''Dearest''
Coldplay, ''Paradise''
Foster the People, ''Pumped Up Kicks''
Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, ''Moves Like Jagger''

Who will win: People competing against Tony tend not to win, and voters will be eager to pay their respects to the late, great Amy.

Who should win: Foster the People's ''Pumped Up Kicks'' is a great track, even if it was overplayed -- and since Foster were totally snubbed in Best New Artist, we'd give them this one.

Best Pop Vocal Album

Adele, "21"
Cee Lo Green, "The Lady Killer"
Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
Bruno Mars, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans"
Rihanna, "Loud"

Who will win: Only one vocalist completely captured American earbuds this year, and it wasn't Cee Lo.

Who should win: Adele.

Best Rock Song

Mumford & Sons, ''The Cave''
The Decemberists, ''Down by the Water''
Coldplay, ''Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall''
Radiohead, ''Lotus Flower''
Foo Fighters, ''Walk''

Who will win: Dave Grohl flexed his rock muscles this year, roaring his way back onto the radio and, likely, into this win.

Who should win: The Decemberists are historically not everyone's cup of tea, but ''Down by the Water'' -- aided by R.E.M. alum Peter Buck's guitar and Gillian Welch's vocals -- is a uniter, not a divider.

Best Rock Album

Jeff Beck, "Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul"
Foo Fighters, "Wasting Light"
Kings of Leon, "Come Around Sundown"
Red Hot Chili Peppers, "I'm With You"
Wilco,"The Whole Love"

Who will win: Light may not be the Foos' best, but it's certainly rock and definitely an album, and that's good enough for the Academy.

Who should win: Wilco's been reliably (and relatively quietly) releasing amazing rock records for years, and "The Whole Love" is no exception.

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Death Cab for Cutie, "Codes and Keys"
Foster the People, "Torches"
My Morning Jacket, "Circuital"
Radiohead, "The King of Limbs"

Who will win: Bon Iver has a nod in three top categories, so if he loses out on those, this will be his consolation prize for not being a platinum-plated British song bird.

Who should win: While we loved the BI album as much as the next guy in line at Starbucks, My Morning Jacket's freaky redefinition of Southern rock made "Circuital" a standout.

Best Rap Album

Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Watch the Throne"
Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter IV"
Lupe Fiasco, "Lasers"
Nicki Minaj, "Pink Friday"
Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

Who will win: Since Nicki Minaj will probably lose Best New Artist, this could be the Academy's way of recognizing her breakout year.

Who should win: No disrespect to Minaj (we certainly don't want to incur the wrath of Roman Zolanski), but Kanye West has a bona fide opus on his hands, and a Grammy would fit nicely there too.

Best Country Album

Jason Aldean, "My Kinda Party"
Eric Church, "Chief"
Lady Antebellum, "Own the Night"
George Strait, "Here for a Good Time"
Taylor Swift, "Speak Now"

Who will win: Swift's crossover appeal makes her an obvious choice, but country voters might want to keep it in the family -- and Aldean did have a huge year.

Who should win: Since Taylor Swift is hardly even nominated in the bigger mainstream categories for what was a massive, critically admired album, we'll say she earned this one fair and square. (And yes, we know her trophy case is already full.)

Best Folk Album

The Civil Wars, "Barton Hollow"
Steve Earle, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive"
Fleet Foxes, "Helplessness Blues"
Eddie Vedder, "Ukulele Songs"
Gillian Welch, "The Harrow & the Harvest"

Who will win: Snubbed in the Best New Artist category, industry favorites the Civil Wars are primed to get their due in this apples-and-oranges bunch.

Who should win: Fleet Foxes are actually dark horses here, but the otherworldly beauty of the band's sophomore album definitely deserves its own spotlight.

comment: Well I think that is good to win a grammy. I hope someone good with alent should win it.

comment: