Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Both sides plan rallies during same-sex marriage hearings

(Getty Images)

Thousands of activists on both sides of the gay marriage question are poised to rally in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. starting Tuesday?while the justices hear oral arguments for two cases concerning same-sex marriage.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the Court will hear arguments concerning the constitutionality of Prop 8, a 2008 voter-approved law in California that banned gay marriage. On Wednesday the court will consider the Defense of Marriage Act, a law passed by Congress in 1996 that restricts the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.

Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage are planning major rallies near the building to voice their views.

As earlier as Thursday--five days before oral arguments begin--people began lining up near the Court steps to secure seats inside, sitting through freezing temperatures, rain and snow over the weekend.

On Tuesday they will be joined by thousands more, some who are flying in from around the country for the hearings.

The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, will hold a rally on the national Mall, a few blocks from the Supreme Court. The organization has a permit for 5,000 attendees to rally before marching together toward the Court building. NOM has organized with church congregations from 15 states that have confirmed their planned attendance.

Supporters of same-sex marriage will also be on hand in front of the Court. The Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay advocacy group, is planning a diverse line-up of speakers throughout the morning, including a few Republicans who have crossed party lines to support extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.

District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will address the pro-gay marriage rally, as will David Frum, a conservative journalist and former speechwriter for Republican President George W. Bush.

Yahoo News will be on hand both inside the Court for hearing coverage and outside for the rallies. Follow live updates throughout the day on Flickr and join a live-chat about the cases Tuesday at 12:30 PM ET.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/rallies-planned-outside-supreme-court-during-gay-marriage-215244762--politics.html

bethenny frankel sacramento kings alex jones Google Docs Huell Howser Justin Bieber Smoking Weed Katherine Webb

Sunday, March 24, 2013

NASA: Flash in East Coast sky likely a meteor

NEW YORK (AP) ? East Coast residents were buzzing on social media sites and elsewhere Friday night after a brief but bright flash of light streaked across the early-evening sky ?in what experts say was almost certainly a meteor coming down.

Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office said the flash appears to be "a single meteor event." He said it "looks to be a fireball that moved roughly toward the southeast, going on visual reports."

"Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon," Cooke said. "The thing is probably a yard across. We basically have (had) a boulder enter the atmosphere over the northeast."

He noted that the meteor was widely seen, with more than 350 reports on the website of the American Meteor Society alone.

"If you have something this bright carry over that heavily populated area, a lot of people are going to see it," he said. "It occurred around 8 tonight, there were a lot of people out, and you've got all those big cities out there."

Matt Moore, a news editor with The Associated Press, said he was standing in line for a concert in downtown Philadelphia around dusk when he saw "a brilliant flash moving across the sky at a very brisk pace... and utterly silent."

"It was clearly high up in the atmosphere," he said. "But from the way it appeared, it looked like a plane preparing to land at the airport."

Moore said the flash was visible to him for about two to three seconds ? and then it was gone. He described it as having a "spherical shape and yellowish and you could tell it was burning, with the trail that it left behind."

"Set as it was against a cloudless sky over Philadelphia, it was amazing," he said.

Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, agreed that the sightings had all the hallmarks of a "fireball." These include lasting 7-10 seconds, being bright and colorful, and seeming to cross much of the sky with a long stream behind it.

He said what people likely saw was one meteor ? or "space rock" ? that may have been the size of a softball or volleyball and that fell fairly far down into the Earth's atmosphere.

He likened it to a stone skipping across the water ? getting "a nice long burn out of it."

Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society told USA Today "it basically looked like a super bright shooting star."

The newspaper reports that the sky flash was spotted as far south as Florida and as far north as New England.

Pitts said meteors of varying sizes fall from the sky all the time, but that this one caught more eyes because it happened on a Friday evening ? and because Twitter has provided a way for people to share information on sightings.

He said experts "can't be 100 percent certain of what it was, unless it actually fell to the ground and we could actually track the trajectory." But he said the descriptions by so many people are "absolutely consistent" with those of a meteor.

___

Associated Press writer Norman Gomlak in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-flash-east-coast-sky-likely-meteor-041939030.html

fiat 500 abarth madonna halftime m i a mia super bowl tom coughlin eli manning eli manning

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Will natural gas exports raise prices for consumers?

Will natural gas exports raise prices for consumers? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 13-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

How much of the United States' newfound bounty of natural gas should stay at home, keeping prices low for domestic customers? How much should be earmarked for export in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), at the risk of making natural gas pricier? Those questions are the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

C&EN's Jeff Johnson and Alexander H. Tullo explain in the story that hydraulic fracturing and other technologies are boosting domestic natural gas supplies. By 2020, the U.S. actually may have a natural gas surplus, producing more than the total domestic consumption. Oil and gas companies already envision construction of about 17 new LNG shipping terminals, which could export LNG equivalent to fully one-third of current domestic consumption.

The article discusses conflicting views on how exports on such a massive scale might affect prices paid by consumers, including the chemical industry, which uses natural gas as a mainstay raw material. Exporters claim it will have little impact on domestic prices and will have beneficial effects of creating jobs and bolstering the economy. Consumers worry that exports will raise domestic prices, hike manufacturing costs and undercut their international competitiveness.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter Facebook


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Will natural gas exports raise prices for consumers? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 13-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

How much of the United States' newfound bounty of natural gas should stay at home, keeping prices low for domestic customers? How much should be earmarked for export in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), at the risk of making natural gas pricier? Those questions are the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

C&EN's Jeff Johnson and Alexander H. Tullo explain in the story that hydraulic fracturing and other technologies are boosting domestic natural gas supplies. By 2020, the U.S. actually may have a natural gas surplus, producing more than the total domestic consumption. Oil and gas companies already envision construction of about 17 new LNG shipping terminals, which could export LNG equivalent to fully one-third of current domestic consumption.

The article discusses conflicting views on how exports on such a massive scale might affect prices paid by consumers, including the chemical industry, which uses natural gas as a mainstay raw material. Exporters claim it will have little impact on domestic prices and will have beneficial effects of creating jobs and bolstering the economy. Consumers worry that exports will raise domestic prices, hike manufacturing costs and undercut their international competitiveness.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter Facebook


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/acs-wng031313.php

miss canada justin bieber boyfriend marianas trench camille grammer camille grammer us supreme court breaking dawn part 2 trailer

McConnell seeks to capitalize on attacks on wife

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., second from left, gestures as he speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. He is joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., second from left, gestures as he speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. He is joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? It isn't Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who comes out swinging in his first TV ad of his 2014 re-election campaign. It's his wife, former U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

"You've seen the ads attacking my husband," Chao, speaking directly into the camera, says in a spot that's set to begin airing across Kentucky on Thursday. "As Mitch McConnell's wife, I've learned to expect them. Now, far left special interests are also attacking my ethnicity, even attacking Mitch's patriotism because he's married to me. That's how low some people will stoop."

The ad is the McConnell campaign's response to what it calls "racial slurs" made against Chao and to a series of TV spots aired in recent weeks by the liberal group Progress Kentucky, which has attacked McConnell for his pro-gun position.

It's an example of how the 71-year-old McConnell, facing a prospective challenge from actress Ashley Judd, is taking no chances even though the general election is more than 18 months away.

The early ad buy ? a TV spot and an accompanying radio ad ? has caught the attention of Kentucky Democrats, who say McConnell must be worried about his chances.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon charged that beginning an ad campaign so early "is an unprecedented admission of fear."

"Kentuckians would prefer to see our leaders working to solve the nation's problems instead of spending all their energy campaigning in non-election years," Logsdon said in a statement.

University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said she doubts McConnell is scared.

"Concerned might be a better way to put it," Rhodebeck said. "Given some of the commentary that's been in the media the last couple of months, he'd sound foolish if he said he wasn't concerned. He's a good politician. He wants people to think he's taking his job seriously."

Chao makes that point in the ad.

"Mitch works his heart out to protect Kentucky from Washington's bad ideas because Mitch loves Kentucky. We love Kentucky. The meanest personal attacks can never change that," says Chao, who was labor secretary under President George W. Bush.

Rhodebeck said the rationale for the early ad also could be "to frighten the opposition, to perhaps convince supporters, especially financial backers, that McConnell's still got what it takes and that's where their money should go."

McConnell can easily afford the ad buy that his campaign manager, Jesse Benton, said runs into "the six figures." McConnell has a hefty campaign bank account, having already raised more than $10 million. In his last campaign finance report, he reported having $7.4 million on hand. That financial cushion gives McConnell the option to define himself early in TV spots or to respond to opponents.

In this case, McConnell is seeking to capitalize on a liberal group's recent mocking reference to his wife's Asian heritage.

"This woman has the ear of (at)McConnellPress ? she's his (hash)wife," the group Progress Kentucky tweeted on Feb. 14. "May explain why your job moved to (hash)China!"

McConnell called the tweets "racial slurs" and "the ultimate outrage."

"They will not get away with attacking my wife in this campaign," McConnell told about 100 home-state supporters at a Republican dinner in Winchester just over a week ago.

Chao was born in Taiwan and moved to the U.S. as an 8-year-old with her family aboard a freight ship.

"Elaine Chao is just as much an American as any of the rest of them," McConnell said. "In fact, she had to go through a lot more to become an American."

Progress Kentucky removed the offending comments and apologized after a firestorm of criticism that wasn't limited to McConnell and his supporters. Numerous Democrats, including Judd, spoke up, too.

"Whatever the intention, whatever the venue, whomever the person, attacks or comments on anyone's ethnicity are wrong & patently unacceptable," Judd wrote in a Twitter message.

McConnell is trying to head off a GOP primary challenge by cozying up to the tea party. He's also trying to scare off potential Democratic contenders by providing a glimpse of his no-holds-barred political tactics.

The strategy seems to be working, so far. No serious Republican opponent has emerged. Democrats haven't fielded a candidate yet, though Judd, a Kentucky native who lives in Tennessee, is considering a run. She would have to re-establish a residence in Kentucky before she could challenge McConnell.

Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election. His seat is one of 14 that Republicans are defending while Democrats try to hold onto 21, hoping to retain or add to their 55-45 edge.

McConnell, first elected to the Senate in 1984, is a resilient politician with an unbroken string of victories and a reputation of pummeling opponents.

He already has been taunting would-be Democratic challengers in a comical online video intended to raise second thoughts about taking him on.

The video shows Judd, who has a home in the Nashville, Tenn., suburbs, saying "Tennessee is home" and that San Francisco is "my American city home." It also shows some of Kentucky's leading Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, Attorney General Jack Conway and Auditor Adam Edelen, saying they won't run against McConnell.

Judd has been discussing the prospects of challenging McConnell with Democratic leaders, including Gov. Steve Beshear. Her interest has other Democrats sitting on the sidelines until she makes a decision. She has kept silent in the face of the early attack, as has the state Democratic Party.

___

Online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_3B697UwNM

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-13-McConnell-Campaign%20Ad/id-5abf12c9a22544dca2d1fb66eebe7ec7

Alois Bell Donna Savattere deer antler spray Jason London coachella rick ross yahoo finance

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

PFT: Welker?could stay with?Pats? |? Talib, too

Percy HarvinAP

The Seahawks have made a bold, aggressive move to trade for Vikings receiver Percy Harvin, the 2009 NFL offensive rookie of the year.

And while the deal hinges on both Harvin passing a physical and the Seahawks and Harvin working out a contract, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the terms of a new contract are in place.

Harvin currently is traveling to Seattle.? On Tuesday morning, he?ll take a physical.? If he passes the physical (and it will be regarded as a shock if he doesn?t), the trade will be called in to the NFL after the new league year begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, and the contract will be signed.

Despite a report that Harvin wants to be paid in the range of Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, both of those players are in the range of $16 million.? Per the source, Harvin?s deal won?t be close.

In reality, Harvin?s deal will be more in line with the current one-up high-jump that began last year with Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson with five years, $55.5 million, and which was extended by Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe and his five-year, $56 million deal.

Key factors to consider when assessing Harvin?s deal include the fact that he was still under contract for one year at $2.775 million; Jackson and Bowe were both starting from scratch.? While the total money could push Harvin past the $12 million annual threshold, the new-money analysis would yield a lower average.? A

Also, Harvin has been a major pain in the butt for the Vikings, pretty much since he got there.? The Vikings were ready to move on for a reason, and the Seahawks are assuming the risk that Harvin will bring with his immense talent a penchant for causing problems.? Getting Harvin into the second tier of receiver contracts given his history would be an accomplishment.

If Harvin becomes a headache, the Seahawks can?t claim ignorance.? Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell spent two years with Harvin in Minnesota.? Bevell has seen the highs and the lows, and everything in between.

But, in reality, Bevell needs Harvin to be on his best behavior for only one year.? After making it to the interview list for multiple teams after the 2012 season, another potent performance by Seattle could launch Bevell into a head-coaching job of his own.

Which would put him miles and miles away from Seattle before Percy starts causing problems in the Pacific Northwest.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/11/wes-welker-expected-to-stay-in-new-england/related/

facebook buys instagram kevin systrom fibonacci sequence maryland lottery grand jury ozzie guillen fidel castro darvish

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://pheedo.msnbc.msn.com/id/18424776/device/rss/

edgar vs henderson berkshire hathaway ufc 144 james jones james jones aladdin black forest

'The Great Gatsby' Set To Open Cannes Film Festival

Baz Luhrmann will bring his Leonardo DiCaprio-starring film to the iconic festival on May 15.
By Jocelyn Vena


Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Great Gatsby"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1703471/great-gatsby-cannes-film-festival.jhtml

doobie brothers jennie garth peter facinelli marques colston golden state warriors free agents nfl 2012 milwaukee bucks bear grylls

EU bans cosmetics with animal-tested ingredients

BRUSSELS (AP) ? The European Union banned the sale of new cosmetic products containing ingredients tested on animals with immediate effect Monday.

"This is a great opportunity for Europe to set an example of responsible innovation in cosmetics without any compromise on consumer safety," said Tonio Borg, the EU's top official on health and consumer issues.

Animal rights groups were quick to cheer the measure, but Cosmetics Europe, a trade body representing the EU's ?71 billion ($93 billion) industry, said the ban "acts as a brake on innovation."

While the industry's rabbits, mice or guinea pigs used in testing will now be spared, consumers are unlikely to notice immediate changes because products containing ingredients that were tested on animals before the ban can remain on the shelves.

The 27-country bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, claimed the decision "is in line with what many European citizens believe firmly: that the development of cosmetics does not warrant animal testing."

The EU has banned animal testing of finished cosmetic products since 2004. The ban on cosmetics containing animal-tested ingredients was first decided four years ago but initially left loopholes for certain tests following resistance from cosmetics companies.

At the moment, neither the U.S. nor Asian markets have similar bans in place. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale of unsafe cosmetics, it doesn't require that animal tests be conducted to show that the cosmetics are safe.

Animal rights groups such as Humane Society International cheered the EU's decision on the full ban as a major step in stopping animals' suffering, saying the bloc has now become "the world's largest cruelty-free cosmetics market."

The group also said it hopes the course taken by the EU ? whose nations combine form the world's biggest economy ? will soon be replicated by the global cosmetics industry.

The phase-out of animal testing over the years in Europe has resulted in a dramatic drop in such activity among U.S. cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers looking to sell overseas. U.S. beauty makers generated about $38.2 billion in revenue in 2011, according to the latest statistics from the Washington-based industry trade group Personal Care Products Council.

"This had an impact on the U.S. cosmetic industry," said Kathy Guillermo, senior vice-president of laboratory investigation for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA. "It also ushered in a whole new era of non-animal science" in Europe.

The cosmetic industry's European trade body, however, said the new EU ban threatens the industry's competitiveness and comes too early because there is still no alternative for some specific animal tests to ensure all the ingredients' safety.

Cosmetics Europe chief Bertil Heerink said "by implementing the ban at this time, the European Union is jeopardizing the industry's ability to innovate," putting the 27-country bloc at odds with its own goal of fostering a knowledge- and science-driven economy.

The sector's European cosmetic companies had 2010 revenues of ?71 billion, directly employing some 180,000 people, according to the EU Commission.

The Commission stressed it will engage with its trading partners ? for example the United States or China ? "to explain and promote the European model and to work towards the international acceptance" of the ban.

"The Commission will make this an integral part of the Union's trade agenda and international cooperation," it said.

The EU and the U.S. are currently launching negotiations aiming at reaching a free-trade agreement.

New cosmetic products manufactured outside the EU containing ingredients that were tested on animals could still be sold in Europe, but only if producers are able to document their safety to EU regulators without using data gathered through animal tests, said EU health official Sabine Lecrenier.

Cosmetic products that contain pharmaceutical ingredients that have been tested on animals because of the EU's rules governing pharmaceutical products can also still be marketed in Europe.

___

Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this story.

___

Juergen Baetz can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-11-Europe-Animal%20Testing%20Ban/id-b7e65d023dd743bb9e3f373bc216e94c

dad shoots daughters laptop brandon jennings the vow review luol deng culkin wooly mammoth no child left behind

Mixed feelings in Ouellet family: We'd 'prefer to have a brother' than a pope

LA MOTTE, Que. - A Canadian cardinal seen as a papal front-runner is also known for fancying family moose-steak dinners, eating dessert off a sibling's plate, and gunning his uncle's tractor until it broke.

If he becomes pope, however, Cardinal Marc Ouellet's family fears such intimate moments will be lost forever.

"We know that it would be over," his younger brother, Roch, said in an interview in their hometown of La Motte, in Quebec's northwest.

"We're quite frank about it as a family ? we would prefer to have a brother."

It's been decades since the cardinal has lived in this rural region, some 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal. But he has made regular visits to the area, usually twice a year, to see his siblings and their 90-year-old mother, Graziella.

The 68-year-old cardinal, third-eldest in a family of six boys and two girls, now holds one of the most powerful jobs in the Roman Catholic Church. He's in charge of the international process to name bishops and consults regularly the pope.

Since the cardinal's name was floated in 2005 as a long-shot contender for the papacy, his family has long understood he could be asked to don the silk, red slippers.

"This is one of the risks ? that maybe one day he will be called upon to lead this church," said Roch, 63, as he sat in La Motte's old church, which was built with the help of their father and grandfathers.

"But his path... belongs to him. We totally respect it."

That road to Rome began at the family farm in La Motte.

Roch remembers his older brother in a number of ways: as an excellent student, a gifted angler, and a partridge hunter who never turned down moose meat from those who bagged the big catches.

He also had a great appetite, says Roch, adding that his brother would eat dessert off others' plates when they didn't get to it quickly enough.

When it came to work, Marc was known for being impatient at times, a teen who tried to do more than he was asked to do ? and faster. Roch says his brother frequently broke things on Uncle Wilfrid's tractor while pushing the machine to its limit on the hay field.

Marc's also the sibling who almost burned the barn to the ground.

The building ignited while a young Marc was playing with matches nearby, Roch says. The fire was extinguished, and the barn saved, thanks to a quick response from an alert neighbour.

"That was a bit of an innocent gesture by a young person who didn't think about the consequences," says Roch.

"He wasn't an angel."

Marc, however, was something of a guardian angel at times to his younger brother, Roch recalls.

He remembers fishing with Marc at nearby Lac La Motte when a violent thunderstorm rolled in over their heads. Roch was around seven years old at the time and Marc was about 13.

After one particularly loud clap of thunder, the terrified boys dropped a fishing rod and fell to the ground. Roch remembers that Marc quickly rose back to his feet and led them home.

"He stayed in control," Roch says.

"He was probably as scared as I was, but I felt like I had a protector."

In recent weeks, from thousands of kilometres away in Rome, Marc has become the protector of another loved one: their mother.

He sent a message home to his family in La Motte last month shortly after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.

Marc instructed them to think of their elderly mother's well-being before anything else during what he predicted would be an inevitable media storm.

"He told us: 'Be polite, be vigilant and the most essential thing is to protect our mother. Don't open up the house to everyone,' " Roch said of Marc, who has become misty-eyed and emotional in the past when talking to journalists about his mother.

The cardinal's love for his family has also been put to the test in recent years.

His brother Paul Ouellet was convicted a few years ago of sexual assault involving two minors, stemming from incidents in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Marc, who was archbishop of Quebec City at the time, had refused to comment on the case of his younger brother, who took out newspaper ads to explain the assaults.

Roch says Marc and Paul still speak regularly.

"These are two brothers who speak a lot. They have always talked, they have never lost touch," he says, adding the family has the same amount of affection toward every member.

"Their brotherly love was quite a bit stronger than all the stories swirling around, more than people know."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mixed-feelings-ouellet-family-wed-prefer-brother-pope-170721805.html

laron landry mary j blige burger king islands 2013 nissan altima masters par 3 contest google augmented reality glasses wonderlic test

Monday, March 11, 2013

Early Apple iPhone Developer Prototype Looked More Like An iPad, Had Ethernet And Serial Ports

iphoneprototype2Apple has been working on the iPhone since long before it hit the market in 2007, and today a new prototype has come to light that shows how it might have looked if they'd rushed it to market earlier. The 2005 internal prototype is pictured in photos obtained by Ars Technica, from an unnamed former Apple employee.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/qkV0GD9mBTM/

Olympics Opening Ceremony Time paris jackson paris jackson US weekly amelia earhart Sally Ride Ichiro

Kufuor calls for space for African youth in political discourse ...

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has asked African leaders to give more space for the youth in political and social discourse to enable them to fully exploit their potentials for the good of the society.

Mr Kufuor said the youth in Africa share the aspirations of their counterparts in anywhere in the world.

"They want the good life: good education, good jobs, good homes, upward mobility in society and prosperity.

?And they want to enjoy all these in a regime of freedom where they are able to fully exploit their God-given talents without intimidation or harassment.

"The difference between the African youth and those in developed countries is that while numerous avenues exist for those in the developed world to realise their dreams, in many African countries the opportunities are very limited and therefore many a good idea goes unrealised," he said.

This was contained in a press statement signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson/Special Aide to the Former President and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Saturday.

Former President Kufuor was speaking at a symposium at the Academy Hall in Berlin, Germany, to mark the 70th birthday anniversary of Former German President Horst Kohler.

He said Africa needs to change these phenomena in order to gain the full benefits of its vibrant and very capable youth,

Mr Kufuor described Former President Kohler "as a good man whose love for the good of humanity was fully exhibited during his time as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and as President of his country.

He recalled Mr Kohler's support to his government in the adoption of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries programme, which saw a huge proportion of Ghana's debts being cancelled by its bilateral creditors.

"President Kohler must share with us the successful completion of the programme in record time as our government kept to strict economic schedule and the IMF kept its promise, Former President Kufuor," it said.

The statement said Former President Kufuor arrived in Berlin on Thursday and will leave on Saturday for Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France, on an advocacy tour for the Global Network of Neglected Tropical Diseases of which he is Chairman.

It said he will meet with Ministers of state and policy makers in the two countries to drum up more financial support for and the prioritizing of the NTDs in their budgeting to help eradicate them.

?Former President Kufuor returns home on Friday, 15th March 2013,? the statement added.

Source: http://news1.ghananation.com/politics/300197-kufuor-calls-for-space-for-african-youth-in-political-discourse.html

national pancake day bar refaeli Paul Harvey ihop Sasquatch 2013 super bowl commercials wheres my refund

Friday, March 8, 2013

SAS airline three-month loss down to $100 million

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Scandinavian airline group SAS says it narrowed its net loss in the November-January period to 630 million kronor ($100 million) from 2.5 billion kronor a year earlier, mainly through cost cuts.

Revenue in the period was up to 9.6 billion kronor from 9.3 billion kronor as overall traffic grew 4.3 percent.

Facing stiff competition from budget airlines and high expenses, SAS AB in November embarked on a wide restructuring plan to streamline operations and announced 800 job cuts aimed at saving 3 billion kronor annually.

CEO Rickard Gustafson said Friday he was not satisfied with the performance but was upbeat about 2013, saying SAS is committed to completing its action plan. Its aim to achieve positive income before tax for the full-year "remains firmly in place."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sas-airline-three-month-loss-down-100-million-092107684--finance.html

fenway park philadelphia flyers 4/20 student loan forgiveness ufc 145 weigh ins record store day 2012 detroit red wings

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Kids Love The Apple Store So Much They Pee On The Seats

Kids Love The Apple StoreDon't ever sit on the black balls at the kids table in Apple retail stores, recommends supposed former employee and Redditor Mister_Rabbit. It seems that as 370 million people visit an Apple Store each year, a few of the kids are leaving something behind when they go.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/3GqOMuXw-cs/

miguel cabrera dodd frank Lark Voorhies Jennifer Livingston Orlando Cruz MLB Playoff Schedule arizona cardinals

It?s NFL shopping season

?Tis the season! This time of year is like holiday shopping season for NFL teams. There is a cornucopia of NFL free agents waiting to be had at the right price. It?s also the most wonderful time of the year for sports agents. Contract negotiations, franchise tags and holdouts dominate the NFL headlines while agents behind-the-scenes wheel and deal for their clients. However, not all negotiations happen in the offseason. Just ask sports agent Drew Rosenhaus who tells the players, ?You negotiate your contracts on Sunday.?

In 2006, NFL Films spent a Sunday with Rosenhaus as his players negotiated on the field. Go inside an agent?s mind in this clip from ?Inside the NFL.?

Like this:

Like Loading...

Source: http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2013/03/06/its-nfl-shopping-season/

bob beckel anna paquin warren buffett 2012 nfl schedule dishonored april 18 delonte west

Advocates ask Congress to spare Great Lakes funds

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- The effectiveness of a long-term plan to heal the ailing Great Lakes could be marred by federal spending cuts, which also could make it harder to cope with low water levels that threaten the region's economy, local leaders said Wednesday during a lobbying trip to Washington.

Representatives of state and local governments, businesses and advocacy groups were pressed Congress for continued funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which involves nearly a dozen federal agencies in a push to solve some of the region's most pressing environmental problems. They also sought money to dredge sand-clogged harbors, and upgrade sewage treatment plants and other aging infrastructure.

However, the annual visit to Washington by Great Lakes advocates ran headlong into a budget stalemate that will force $85 billion in across-the-board cuts unless President Barack Obama and Congress reach a deal soon.

The Great Lakes initiative is designed to make progress on longstanding threats such as invasive species, toxic pollution hotspots, runoff that causes algae blooms, and disappearing fish and wildlife habitat. It has received $1 billion under Obama, including $300 million the past two fiscal years. If threatened cuts are carried out, the 2013 allocation could shrink to $275 million.

Rep. Candice Miller, a Michigan Republican and co-chairwoman of the House Great Lakes Task Force, said the restoration program "must remain a national priority."

"However, the painful reality is that some federal spending cuts must be made, and all discretionary spending is on the table," Miller said, adding that the administration should "implement the spending cuts responsibly so our Great Lakes do not bear the brunt of these cuts unfairly."

Advocates also noted that significant reductions would make the cleanup more expensive in the long run.

"Cutting restoration funds will not save America one penny," said Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

Their comments came the same day that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a report card on the restoration initiative. It said that during the 2011 fiscal year, federal agencies and grant recipients cleansed 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments and continued work on toxic waste hotspots. One of them ? Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania ? is expected to be completed this year.

The program also helped protect or restore 20,000 acres of wetlands, developed technologies to fight invasive species and removed dams that were impeding fish passageways, the report said.

The Great Lakes Commission, an agency that represents the eight states and two Canadian provinces in the region, joined the lobbying campaign after wrapping up its semiannual meeting in Washington. In addition to supporting the restoration initiative, delegates pleaded for more funding to dredge harbors where shallow water is forcing shippers to lighten loads and threatening to ground pleasure boats. Low water also exposes piers and docks to the elements, causing them to deteriorate faster.

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron hit their lowest levels on record in January. They rose slightly in February, but the Army Corps of Engineers predicts they'll remain below their long-term averages over the next six months.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/advocates-ask-congress-spare-great-131759049.html

barack obama dear abby WRAL John Harbaugh jill biden jill biden martin luther king jr

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez dies from cancer

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died after a two-year battle with cancer, ending the socialist leader's 14-year rule of the South American country, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said in a televised speech on Tuesday.

The flamboyant 58-year-old leader had undergone four operations in Cuba for a cancer that was first detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011. His last surgery was on December 11 and he had not been seen in public since.

"It's a moment of deep pain," Maduro, accompanied by senior ministers, said, his voice choking.

Chavez easily won a new six-year term at an election in October and his death will devastate millions of supporters who adored his charismatic style, anti-U.S. rhetoric and oil-financed policies that brought subsidized food and free health clinics to long-neglected slums.

Detractors, however, saw his one-man style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of opponents as traits of an egotistical dictator whose misplaced statist economics wasted a historic bonanza of oil revenues.

Chavez's death opens the way for a new election that will test whether his socialist "revolution" can live on without his dominant personality at the helm.

VICE PRESIDENT MADURO FAVORITE TO WIN ELECTION

The vote should be held within 30 days and will likely pit Maduro against Henrique Capriles, the centrist opposition leader and state governor who lost to Chavez in the October election.

One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead.

Maduro is Chavez's preferred successor, enjoys support among many of the working class and could benefit from an inevitable surge of emotion in the coming days.

But the president's death could also trigger in-fighting in a leftist coalition that ranges from hard-left intellectuals to army officers and businessmen.

Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves and some of the most heavily traded bonds, so investors will be highly sensitive to any signs of political instability.

A defeat for Maduro would bring major changes to Venezuela and could also upend its alliances with Latin American countries that have relied on Chavez's oil-funded largesse - most notably with communist-led Cuba, which recovered from financial ruin in the 1990s thanks largely to Chavez's aid.

Chavez was a garrulous figurehead for a global "anti-imperialist" alliance stretching as far as Belarus and Iran, and he will be sorely missed by anti-U.S. agitators.

?

(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Wallis; Additional reporting by Girish Gupta, Mario Naranjo, Marianna Parraga and Patricia Velez in Caracas, David Adams in Miami, Daniel Bases in New York; Editing by Kieran Murray, Sandra Maler and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-says-chavezs-breathing-problems-worsened-024327679.html

soylent green phil davis george st pierre aldon smith friday night lights nick santino bruce arians

Justified, Season 4

Raylan Givens and Shelby Parlow Turns out, Raylan has spending a lot of time with Drew Thompson this season.

Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX.

Rachael Larimore: Jay, welcome back to the TV Club! As Raylan says, let's cut right through the B.S. Shelby Parlow is Drew Thompson? Are you kidding me? The writers dropped so many hints to that effect in the previous episode that I was sure it was a feint. What did you think?

Jay Busbee: I think I've got a whole garage full of "We Are All Drew Thompson" T-shirts that are going to go unsold. Yes, it was well-telegraphed, but it's where Ebert's Law of Economy of Characters comes in: There were only so many people it could be without bringing in someone new from offstage. Before we get to the meat of this episode, let me just say that the next time I buy a house, I'll be employing Ava's line: "Thank you for your time, but we don't need your shit." Heck, I might start using that in everyday conversation. What was your favorite line of the episode?

Larimore: Oh, goodness, favorite line? That?s like asking me my favorite flavor of Dairy Queen Blizzard. Let me think. ... Ooh, I've got one.

Busbee: Fire away. No, wait. That's not a phrase I should use in connection with Justified.

Larimore: Boyd telling Ava ?Maybe real estate agents are like new houses; you shouldn?t fall in love with the first one,? was nice. But I think my favorite quote came when Hunter apologized for killing Arlo and Raylan said, "Don?t be. We had a nice visit before he passed. ? Told me that he loved me and that he thought I was a good boy. Said he was sorry for all the times he was a dick and was going to miss seeing me grow up.? Which, conveniently, brings me back to Shelby/Drew.

Larimore: It's clear that Shelby would have had to go into hiding and assume a very low-key lifestyle to stay away from Theo Tonin, after shooting him in the eye and stealing $2 million. But how is it that the seemingly mild-mannered (by Harlan standards) Shelby Parlow inspires such fear that Arlo both killed for him and died for him, and Hunter did nearly the same thing? After last week, I asked how the writers would fill up the last four episodes. I think they are going to need all of that to make us understand Shelby/Drew's back story.

Busbee: We had the scene last episode where Shelby and Ellen May were talking, and Shelby said, ?I think if you pretend to be something long enough, it?s not pretending.? But to go from awe-inspiring stone killer to reticent, humble public servant?remember how uncertain he was about Boyd back in Season 3 when he was getting backed for this job?you're right, that's a big loop to close.

Larimore: That quote was the giant flashing neon sign that Shelby was Drew. Funny thing is, Justified has never been big on redemption. Arlo's last words on-screen were ?Kiss. My. Ass.? Mags Bennett just killed herself when the authorities were closing in. And Raylan himself has never been big on self-reflection. Not that he needs to be redeemed, entirely, but he's not perfect and he seems quite comfortable anyhow. Could it be that Arlo was too far past saving, but Shelby's transformation is supposed to help Raylan grow?

Jay: Perhaps not directly. Perhaps at an angle, by the line that Hunter offered about which of his parents Raylan ought to emulate. But again, we'll need to see more of Shelby's backstory before we can draw that line. Both Arlo and Shelby were given second chances at life: Only one of them took it.

Larimore: It?s interesting that, sure, Arlo died last week, but he was very present in this episode. When Raylan had Hunter in the Wynn-ebago, he told a story about Arlo starting a Hatfield-and-McCoys- style feud over the neighbor dog crapping in his yard. But later, Hunter corrected Raylan and explained that Arlo was defending Francis' honor. I liked that, for once, Raylan didn't have a snarky comeback. And then there was that scene at the end. Hunter is finally getting transported to Leoville, but he has some parting advice for Raylan, that if he takes after his mother he'll be fine but ?I think we both know whose voice it is, makes you do what you do.? I think Raylan needs to figure out that being on the right side of the law makes him different from his father only superficially.

Jay: If anything, his badge lets him feel ... wait for it ... JUSTIFIED in what he does. The dog-crap story was great, not because of the dog crap, but the way it shifted perceptions of Arlo. The entire interrelationship between the Harlan families is so ridiculously, perfectly overcomplicated that this was a handy shorthand for showing that even the most irredeemable of the bunch had his admirable moments.

Larimore: It was a great example of how the writers convey a ton of information. Another instance of this, in this episode, was when Constable Bob inadvertently, while nervously rambling, helped Raylan figure out that Shelby was Drew. (Constable Bob only ever seems to save the day inadvertently.) I admit to not loving this as much. I like Patton Oswalt, but I think I had higher hopes for how Constable Bob would be treated. It's almost like he's there just to be made fun of, like the surviving members of the Legion of Doom did so successfully, setting off a really stupid gunfight.

Busbee: I can't be in any way objective about Patton, because he and I were friends in college (/namedrop) and so I'm always kicked out of the story when I see him in anything dramatic. That said, Bob did deserve to be more than the cheap comic relief/plot driver. Bob needs to be more than a punch line, because he's one of the few people in Harlan who's achieved his dream, little and nearly impotent though it may be.

Larimore: Before we linger too long?like that gunfight?let?s talk about Boyd.?It's interesting to me that he is now working for Theo Tonin, and it turns out that he's had Theo's most wanted?Drew?essentially working for HIM for a while now. I realize this is a crazy-only-in-TV-land coincidence. But I'm wondering what this will mean for Boyd.

Busbee: Opportunity. With Boyd, it's always opportunity, one that he can control. It's like the scene with Colt?Boyd might allow someone to point a gun at him, but he'll do his best to make sure he's in control the whole time. Boyd's greatest advantage is that people underestimate him. What will be fascinating is that Shelby/Drew knows Boyd's tricks and has been watching him effectively from undercover for most of Boyd's adult life. Theo might think Boyd's an ambitious but limited redneck; Shelby won't ever make that mistake.

Larimore: I'm wondering, though, if Shelby?assuming he's caught?will try to get himself a deal by spilling what he knows about Boyd. We've seen a lot of "honor among thieves" this season, but will Shelby prove to be as honorable? As much as I was dismayed that Shelby was Drew (just because I thought it might be someone more exciting), it does seem like there are endless possibilities from here on out.

Busbee: You think Shelby might have gone soft in his years of working on the side of the law? I wonder how much stomach he would have for Boyd's way of doing business these days. I'm hoping the writers use the rather obvious revelation as a way to delve into, as we discussed earlier, whether it's possible to redeem oneself, or if one's true nature always works its way to the surface.

Larimore: His concern for Ellen May seemed sincere?both outright worry for her, and his apparent realization that Boyd goes too far. But it's worth pointing out that he grew this backbone rather suddenly, right about the time he realized that the feds realized that Drew Thompson wasn't dead. (Do you remember when Cassie was in office and there was an internal flash memo or something about Drew Thompson on his computer? Never ignore the little things!) So maybe, like Boyd, he's all about opportunity. So I think the writers could still go either way. Now, we've barely talked about Tim and Colt, but we can?t leave them standing in that church staring at each other. Fans have been clamoring for more Tim and Rachel, and it looks like Tim at least has got himself a decent story line. He's entangled in the web that is Harlan County, and, boy-oh-boy, if he isn't acting a little Raylanish.

Busbee: Tim is just the best. If there isn't a Tim Gutterson one-liner Tumblr out there?and there doesn't appear to be?somebody get on that, pronto. He's so low-key he makes Raylan look like an overcaffeinated Texas cheerleader. So I'm really, really hoping this new storyline doesn't go getting him killed. After last week's bodies-everywhere episode, you were thinking he was in real trouble there in the preacher's tent, weren't you?

Larimore: I would not have been surprised if Tim had gone full Raylan and shot Colt. Colt did have his gun out. The scenes with Tim and Colt are infrequent but great. How obnoxious was it when Colt fake-coughed on his way out? Raylan TOTALLY would have shot Colt then. I have long suspected that Colt will not last the season. Boyd has bigger problems on his hand at the moment, but I don't think Colt is in the clear.

Busbee: Colt's made some powerful enemies very quickly. You're not going to last long in Harlan if you've got both sides of the fence gunning for you. Shame, because I like the guy, but unless he can figure a way to square with Boyd (taking out Shelby?) and pinning Mark's death on someone else, his days are numbered ... and the numbers ain't large.

Larimore: It's not impossible, but I think it would take a complicated maneuver like Boyd managing to give both Shelby/Drew and Theo Tonin to the feds while evading any responsibility for his many crimes?which would give Boyd the freedom to go legit and split peanut-buster parfaits with Ava at their Dairy Queen?to spare Colt at this point. And even then Boyd might just decide Colt's more trouble than he's worth.

Busbee: I just fear for the first teenager who thinks dipping into the till at Boyd and Ava's DQ is a good idea.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=c8513548d35db027025329eee23d6ddf

Claire Danes Amy Poehler Australian Open Girls Hbo Golden Globes homeland homeland

Banned From Baby Showers: BFBS Changes Priorities

This is personal post. ?I've had moments over the last few weeks that have brought me to a new point. ?I feel compelled to share them with you.

First and foremost, I am a wife (18 years) and mother of 4 children (16, 14, 11, 7). ?I have taught natural childbirth classes for the last 10 years. ?I love what I do. ?It's the best job on the planet!

As you may or may not know, I founded the Tarrant County Birth Network with a couple of amazing ladies over 3 years ago. ?Our leadership grew, as did membership. ?In fact, we grew it to be the largest chapter of BirthNetwork National in the country. ?We put together so many awesome events and meetings. ?I am so proud of all that we accomplished. ?It was a very busy, rewarding time for me personally.

Last January, I agreed to join the BirthNetwork National Board. ?That entailed a lot of phone conversations and emails. ?It took a considerable amount of time, but I had the opportunity to connect with so many women advocating for better birth around the country.

March 24, 2012 we launched Birth Boot Camp childbirth classes. ?I wrote a workbook with the help of Sarah Clark and a few other Birth Boot Camp Board members. We've seen incerdible growth in less than a year. ?We'll do a full report on our anniversary. ?That is not the point of this post.

I cannot begin to tell you what my family has suffered over the last 3 years. Lots of take-out, and fast easy microwaveable meals. ?They've learned to make a few dishes, as a result of me being so busy, like pasta and grilled cheese. ?Even when I'm here, I'm extremely distracted with all that I have to do. ?I'm not really present. ?I'm on the phone or the computer almost non-stop. ?How's this for full-disclosure?

Did I mention that I never talk to my family and close friends anymore - unless they are working on these projects with me, of course! ?I literally haven't had time. ?Those relationships have suffered.

It's like a train moving so fast, you can't get off. ?I could see life going on for my kids and I have barely been a part of it - only the mechanics of getting through the day - just so you can get them to bed and keep working. ?I really love my work. ?Did I mention that?

But I also love my kids. ?Oddly, my relationship with my husband has not suffered. ?He's been?extremely?supportive and my best friend through it all.

A few weeks ago I was on the verge of starting a huge project for BirthNetwork National. ?I had that moment when I stepped back and thought about whether my family could handle another big project, where mom is totally absorbed in something outside the home, even when she is at home? I've nearly got 3 teenagers in the house and they really need me to be more present. ?One is homeschooled, but I haven't had time to take her to do anything extra. ?In fact, my kids haven't been able to?participate?in extracurricular activities because I literally haven't had time to take them. Sad.

I love birth advocacy and working with these women to improve birth, not only locally, but nationally. ? This weekend I've seen so many people I've worked with over the years posting about the CIMS conference and it's been hard to know that I'm not there.

And yet, I am so at peace with my decision. ?I've stepped back from TCBN leadership as well as the BNN Board. ?I've enjoyed my kids over the last few weeks. ?I've made my family dinner! ?I canned beans (I'll tell you how to do it if you really want to know). ?I talked to my mom for over an hour and it was great! ?I chatted with my niece over Facebook this week about a cowboy she's dating (!!!!) and it was so fun. ?I'm totally stalking her page now (shhhh!), whereas I would never have had time for that in previous months. ?It feels so good to reconnect with people I love.

So now I have one job. ?Birth Boot Camp. ?As Founder/President, I have an obligation to our instructors to make this the best company possible. ?Like I mentioned, we are growing so fast because there's nothing else out there like what we're doing. ?I am not pulled between 3 different jobs. ?I have one job and will do it well. It's much easier to set business hours for one job than it is for three!
My family is happier. ?I am happier. I am able to live in the moment, which is something I haven't done in a long time. ?My church calling might actually get the attention it deserves. ?(I'm in charge of SIXTEEN 14-15-year-old girls, which is a huge responsibility and we've got Girls Camp around the corner!) I'm grateful for all that I have and I'm grateful for the realization that it's OK to step away from birth activism for now. ?Between all the kids activities we've recently signed up for, I might even do some long overdue home organization! ?I can't wait!

Source: http://banned-from-baby-showers.blogspot.com/2013/03/bfbs-changes-priorities.html

morosini death jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie kenny rogers avatar the last airbender david wright

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

China Says Google Controls Too Much Of The ... - Business Insider

china google office, flickr http://bit.ly/4AHmdGSHANGHAI (Reuters) - Google Inc has too much control over China's smartphone industry via its Android mobile operating system and has discriminated against some local firms, the technology ministry said in a white paper.

The white paper, authored by the research arm of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, also said China had the ability to create its own mobile operating system. (http://www.catr.cn/kxyj/qwfb/bps/201303/P020130301397809834073.pdf)

"Our country's mobile operating system research and development is too dependent on Android," the paper, posted online on Friday but carried by local media on Tuesday, said.

"While the Android system is open source, the core technology and technology roadmap is strictly controlled by Google."

The paper said Google had discriminated against some Chinese companies developing their operating systems by delaying the sharing of codes. Google had also used commercial agreements to restrain the business development of mobile devices of these companies, it added.

A Google spokesman in China declined to comment.

The ministry did not recommend any specific policies, regulatory actions or other measures.

Analysts said the white paper, which lauded Chinese companies such as Baidu Inc, Alibaba Group and Huawei Technologies for creating their own systems, could be a signal to the industry that regulations against Android are on the horizon.

"In China, regulators regulate regularly especially where they can position the regulations as helping out domestic companies," Duncan Clark, chairman of technology consultancy BDA, said in an email to Reuters.

"Ironically, Android's success has underpinned a lot of the growth in China smartphone vendors in recent years," Clark said. Home-grown companies had failed previously in China's market for simple handsets, he said, due to weakness in software and operating systems.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's largest smartphone maker, uses the Android system, as do Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE Corp.

Last September, the launch of a smartphone between Acer Inc and a unit of Alibaba Group was cancelled due to what Alibaba said was pressure from Google on the Taiwanese group. Representatives for Acer and Google declined to comment on the matter at that time.

Technology research firm IDC has estimated that China surpassed the United States as the world's biggest smartphone market in 2012, accounting for 26.5 percent of all smartphones shipped.

In 2010, Google conducted a partial pullout from China on the basis of censorship and after it suffered a serious hacking episode that the company said emanated from China. Since then, Google's search market share in China has fallen from almost 30 percent to 15 percent at the end of 2012. Android has been Google's bright spot in China.

In the third quarter last year, Android accounted for 90 percent of all mobile operating systems in China while Apple Inc's iOS system was at just 4.2 percent.

(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-says-google-controls-too-much-of-the-countrys-smartphone-sector-2013-3

Hector Camacho Jill Kelly McKayla Maroney gronkowski jeremy renner best buy black friday deals breaking dawn part 2

Animal / Wildlife stock image: monkey, animal, tree, sit, ape


??415314436??ImageVortex Example at 300 dpi (print-size):
Add image to Lightbox Large: 2079x2903 px
6.9"x9.7"
$29.99
Medium: 1040x1452 px
3.5"x4.8"
$22.49
Author: Astroid Small: 520x726 px
1.7"x2.4"
$15.00
View similar images (more):
Keywords: animal, ape, beast, danger, exotic, eye, glance, green, jungle, mammal, monkey, nature, semidarkness, sit, squirrel, squirrel monkey, tree, wild

?

?

Source: http://www.imagevortex.com/stock/photos/tag/animals_wildlife/415314436/

project x the lorax lorax fisker karma super tuesday states shepard fairey is snooki pregnant

Monday, March 4, 2013

Legislator to small business owner: bicycling bad for the ...

Today, we circulated a screen shot from an email exchange between State Rep. Ed Orcutt?of the 20th District and a constituent about the proposed ?bicycle tax? and noting that bicycling was bad for the environment due to all the exhaling of CO2. While I had received it from a trusted friend and ran with it, some folks asked to verify its authenticity, a good practice after recent hoaxes that have embarrassed the media (see: Manti Te?o).

I can confirm that the email is legit. Here are the original exchanges between Rep. Orcutt and small business owner Dale Carlson ?of BikeTech in Tacoma:

?

?????????- Original Message ?????????-
Subject: RE: No new bicycle tax
From:??? ?Orcutt, Rep. Ed? <Ed.Orcutt@leg.wa.gov>
Date:??? Mon, February 25, 2013 9:59 pm
To: ? ? ?Dale Carlson
?????????????????????????

Dale,

I am not a fan of much in the House Transportation tax proposal nor of?many tax proposals, but I have to admit I think there are valid reasons to?tax bicycles. Think about this for a moment: Currently motorists are?paying to use their cars on the roads while they are actually driving?their cars. At the same time, they are paying for bike lanes because there?is no gas tax ? or any transportation tax ? generated by the act of?riding a bike on the roadways. So, if cars pay for the roads they are?using, it only makes sense that bicyclists would also be required to pay?for the ?roads? they use when they are actually biking on them.

Also, you claim that it is environmentally friendly to ride a bike. But if?I am not mistaken, a cyclists has an increased heart rate and respiration.?That means that the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of?carbon dioxide from the rider.? Since CO2 is deemed to be a greenhouse gas?and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride.

I know, you own a car and drive so are paying gas tax ? but not while you?are riding your bike. When you are driving your car and generating gas tax?you are also driving on the roads so are only really paying for the roads?when driving ? not while biking.

Sorry, but I do think that bicyclists need to start paying for the roads?they ride on rather than make motorists pay.

Ed

Representative Ed Orcutt
20th Legislative District

Olympia Office:
408 John L. O?Brien Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
O?ed.orcutt@leg.wa.gov
e?360.786.7990

??Original Message??
From: Dale Carlson
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2013 9:40 PM
To: Orcutt, Rep. Ed
Subject: NC: No new bicycle tax

HOUSE INTERNET E-MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE

TO:? Representative Ed Orcutt

FROM: Dale Carlson(Non-Constituent)

SUBJECT:? No new bicycle tax

MESSAGE:

People who choose to ride a bicycle instead of driving a car actively
reduce congestion, save wear and tear on our roads and bridges, and reduce?the state labor needed to patrol our highways. Additionally, bicyclists?produce fewer emissions and reduce healthcare costs through increased?physical fitness. Therefore, it is unfair for bicyclists to subsidize the?construction and maintenance of highways that they impact far less than?the motorists. If anything, new bike purchases should earn a $25.00 tax?credit because of the savings they provide to the state.

Not only do I believe that a bike tax is unfair in principle but the?proposed amount is disproportionately large compared to vehicle excise?taxes in the state. A tax of $25 on a $500 bicycle purchase is 5% of that?sale. The vehicle excise tax in the proposed package for the state is?0.7%. The federal government even offers tax credits on electric vehicles,?up to $7,500 depending on the value of the vehicle. It?s absurd that?Washington state plans on taxing bicyclists while such a credit system?exists to promote energy efficiency. Bicycles are far more efficient even?than electric cars. Bicyclists already pay substantial sales, property,?and federal taxes which fund two-thirds of transportation spending in?Washington. Bicyclists who own cars pay the same license tab and other?car-related taxes even if they drive less.

This new tax would also hurt the bicycle industry in the state of?Washington, an industry that already competes with internet vendors and?bordering states with lower sales tax. Bicycle stores near the edges of?our state have been impacted for years by the reduced sales tax in Oregon?and Idaho. Residents would have 25 more reasons to purchase bikes outside?of Washington should this proposal pass. In-state bicycle sales would also?be lost to internet vendors based elsewhere which neither pay taxes in?Washington nor employee residents of Washington. Surely the loss of tax?revenue on in-state bicycle sales would offset the forecasted gains from?the proposed tax.

Dale Carlson, Owner
Bike Tech
Olympia, Lakewood, Tacoma

Thanks to Dale Carlson for speaking up. If you haven?t already, join Dale by telling your Washington State legislators that they can do better on our transportation package.?We?re working hard in Olympia to make it better, and every voice counts!

In case you?re still thinking that people who ride bikes don?t pay for roads, you need to read this?and this?and this?and this, too.

Tom at the Seattle Bike Blog talked to Rep. Orcutt today to confirm that he does believe bicyclists are polluting the air through excessive exhaling.

Side note: I?ve heard reasons to slow down on a bike ride, but this is a new one for me.

Source: http://blog.cascade.org/2013/03/legislator-to-small-business-owner-bicycling-bad-for-the-environment/

school closings Michelle Obama Oscars Wissam Al Mana anne hathaway seth macfarlane oscar winners Castel Gandolfo