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Curated News Edition

- 19/03/12

http://www.LibertyNewspost.com

Republican voters' passion uneven for Romney, Santorum


(USATODAY.com Feed)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 6:06:27 AM

Health care debate ramps up ahead of high court arguments


(USATODAY.com Feed)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:56:16 AM

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Gunman kills 4, including rabbi, outside France school


(USATODAY.com Feed)

Moscow aims to ramp up tourism with new website


RT (News RSS : Today)

Merging images of war and peace


RT (News RSS : Today)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:32:25 AM

million, and New York nearly 10 million. Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:55:48 AM Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:56:47 AM For Moscow, the official figure [unable to retrieve full-text As fantastically vibrant and in 2011 was a humble four and a content] A shooter opened fire in interesting as it can be, Moscow is half million. That is what the city front of a Jewish school, killing a still trying to break into the chiefs want to change. They are father and his two sons, and international tourism ratings. To planning to invest more than four another child. speed the process, the citys billion dollars over the next four authorities have launched an years to make the Russian capital expensive new ad campaign. a tourist heaven. -From history to night life, the An advertising campaign in the city may have a lot to offer but western media, street signs in it has still got some way to go to English springing up across the increase its tourist pull, says the city and finally this news, views head of a Moscow-based travel and things to do Amid dozens agency. of online guides and websites We need to build more hotels about travel to the Russian capital, we still dont have enough, we this one is official just launched need to build good roads, we need by the city authorities to do something with our parking We felt that there was a lack of (andrea rossi e-cat - Google lots, Marina Levchenko, general c o n c r e t e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t News) d i r e c t o r a t T a r i T o u r , t o l d Moscow, Georgy Mokhov, Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:21:55 AM RT.But Moscow, dont forget, deputy head of the Moscow only opened up after Perestroika. T o u r i s m C o m m i t t e e , t o l d NextMe Fusione fredda, Rossi sull' E-Cat: Its at the beginning of the '90s RT.Many of those whod like to L'energia termica proviene dalle t h a t w e s t a r t e d t o r e c e i v e visit are put off by the lack of everyone who wanted to visit this useful facts: how to get around the radiazioni city and this country. This is the city, what to see, how to book a NextMe hotel, where to buy tickets. Andrea Rossi, padre dell' E-Cat beginning of the experience. ha rilasciato un'intervista a Ruby Indeed, the Russian capital has T r a v e l 2 m o s c o w . c o m h a s Carat, editor di Cold Fusion Now, yet to make it into the top ten of something for everyone, from rivelando qualche dettaglio in pi the worlds most-visited places. entertainment to culture and sulla sua discussa invenzione Polls show that Paris has firmly shopping, to fit any taste and chiamata. Durante i trenta minuti established itself as the worlds pocket. di intervista, Rossi ha dichiarato biggest tourist magnet, welcoming The new guide, with videos, about 15 million overseas visitors shows the city as a cultural center di aver cambiato... a year. London has more 14 and a place of a rich historic and and more

Fusione fredda, Rossi sull'E-Cat: L'energia termica proviene dalle radiazioni NextMe

architectural legacy. But theres more, says someone who is both a westerner and an advertising guru. He thinks Moscow can and should promote itself as the place for the young and adventurous. I think when you look at Moscow, what distinguishes it from the other cities in Western Europe is the youth energy and the night life, Shannon Cullum, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Russia, told RT.If you know your audience, and if it was a youth audience, the money may be the issue, so you think about that as the way you talk about it. The energys not going to be the issue theyre not going to be afraid. It has a huge potential, its a mysterious, interesting city it just needs to be unveiled. As they say, Moscow never sleeps; and no rest is being taken in the massive effort to boost the citys tourist potential. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Russian troops storm the Reichstag (Image from sergey_larenkov.livejournal.com) An amateur Russian photographer has created a new series of then and now pictures showing how Russian and European cities have changed since being bombed during World War Two. -Sergey Larenkov has long been collecting WWII photographs of cities like Moscow, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Prague for years. Now he has returned to the European capitals to visit the exact locations shown in is 60 year old collection. Using a computer Larenkov has combined the two images to give a glimpse of the cities have been reconstructed. The pictures have now been posted on his blog. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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6 Ways Apple Could Spend $100 Billion [Update: Dividends, Buybacks]


Kit Eaton (Fast Company)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:21:27 AM

Apple's CFO Peter Oppenheimer will take the stage this morning to talk about Apple's cash reserves and reveal what plans Apple has for the money. At last count the reserves were nearing $100 billion, and actually growing at a rate that defies belief despite the already impressive stash. During Steve Jobs' time as CEO there was no movement on the cash issue, despite many calls for some action over the years--even when the reserves numbered just in the several billions of dollars...but now Tim Cook is at the helm, and things may change. What Apple will do with its money is yet unknown, of course. Why would we have an insight into this from one of the most successful and successfully secretive companies ever? But we can make an educated guess, based if nothing else on the sorts of demands that Apple's faced from analysts and shareholders for a while. A dividend This would seem to be the thing most people are expecting. It makes sense for a number of reasons: Despite its enormous market capitalization worth and recent stock rice upticks, many observers note that Apple's share

price is probably still undervalued --having been suppressed for a while by Jobs' illness and misunderstandings of Apple's potential among non-tech investors. A dividend would, in one swoop, reward existing shareholders with a share of Apple's success and also stimulate a dramatic round of share-buying

(particularly among institutional investors who look for this sort of movement when considering medium- to long-term large-scale purchases). Apple could even pay a relatively rewarding dividend and still hang on to the large majority of its cash, free to use for other strategic plans.

A share buyback Another thing Apple could do is buy back some of its issued shares, some say. It's a similar way of returning wealth to shareholders because the repurchase will be at a premium over the stock market price, and the remaining shares are technically worth a greater

proportion of the company (which is important for future acts, like a dividend payout). Repurchasing is also a way for the company to invest in itself, a sign of confidence--at least for a firm in Apple's position of market dominance and significant growth WAYS page 6

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Curated News Edition

Why B2B Companies Need To Up Their Communications Game


Richard S. Levick (Fast Company)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:45:24 AM

B2Bs may never enjoy millions of Facebook fans and Twitter followers, but the more they do to build brands rooted in consumer value and social responsibility, the better positioned they will be. Businesses that sell only to other businesses (B2Bs) have ventured past the cozy confines of LinkedIn and other professional networks to foster deeper connections with the companies that comprise their customer base. They are carving out niches on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a host of other platforms. And they are using these corners of the digital space to articulate thought leadership, amass connections, and announce new offerings. Such strategies cover the how of social media engagement. But weve entered an era in which fresh attention must be focused on the who, and ultimately, the why. Three marketplace forces are exerting outward pressure on the boundaries that once defined the B2B audience. Its not just about their customers anymore; it is--at times exclusively (please see Foxconn and Apple)--about their customers customers. That means B2B communications

strategies need to be about more than sales and lead generation. They need to emphasize the creation of brands (please see BASF--"We dont make a lot of the products you buy, we make a lot of the products you buy better.) that can support end users and survive a frontal assault in which your key customers are

used as weapons against you. Simply put, B2Bs need to act more like sophisticated B2Cs in their communications strategies. The dynamics driving the need for such a transformation include: 1. The Poster Child Last week, Human Resources Journal ran a story about a class action lawsuit targeting three Los

Angeles-based companies accused of wage theft. Walmart wasnt one of the companies involved, but its name appeared three times-and once in the headline--before the article made any mention of the defendants. Thats because all three of the accused are Walmart contractors and the story simply wouldnt

warrant significant attention if they werent. In recent months, weve seen Apple, Victorias Secret, and a number of other big brand names similarly taken to task for alleged supply chain-related improprieties. Such instances WHY page 7

Curated News Edition

Top News/

Rep. Cantor takes sides in Illinois House primary


(The Front Page)

Conservative Union political action committee, Gun Owners of Americaalong with the Illinois With 24 hours to go before polls Family PAC and most of the local open in Illinoiss redrawn 16th tea party groupsare firmly in District, Republicans from the the Manzullo camp. Prairie State to the nations capital Some Manzullo supporters had are still reeling over the news that grumbled that, along with Cantor, the Number Two leader in the Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy H o u s e G O P h i e r a r c h y h a s (Cal.) was also affiliated with the publicly aligned himself with Young Guns PAC and was thus freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger also siding with Kinzinger against over 20-year Rep. Don Manzullo. their man. But McCarthys office Last week, the SuperPAC closely insisted that the California has associated with House Majority nothing to do with the decisions Leader Eric Cantor (Va.)weighed made by Young Guns or its in for Kinzinger by chipping in operating head (former Cantor for $50,000 in advertising on the staffer John Murray). freshman lawmakers behalf. "Congressman McCarthy has no Days ago, the Young Guns involvement with the Young Guns Action Fund began running radio PAC, McCarthy spokeswoman s p o t s i n t h e 1 6 t h D i s t r i c t Sarah Pompei told us, and p r o c l a i m i n g K i n z i n g e r a n whatever they do is completely i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e n e x t independent." generation of conservative Cantor cant make similar leaders and a conservative rock denials. Ten days ago, the in the fight against runaway m a j o r i t y l e a d e r p e r s o n a l l y government spending. endorsed Kinzinger, hailing the As the race between the two former U.S. Air Force pilot and a I l l i n o i s l a w m a k e r s g r o w s new breed of conservative who increasingly incendiary, the spot has helped House Republicans run by the Cantor-affiliated reconnect with our tried and true S u p e r P A C a l s o s e r v e s t o conservative principles. (Earlier accentuate a rift between some reports that Speaker John Boehner national Republican leaders in was backing Kinzinger, because W a s h i n g t o n a n d m o r e of a $5000 donation to him, was conservative grass-roots activists. denied by Boehners people; A Whos Who of conservative Boehner spokesman Michael organizationsthe American Steel told HUMAN EVENTS that
Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:16:00 AM

when the speaker made the donation to Kinzinger, it was unclear it was a Member-onMember primary and [Boehner] has since donated [$5000] to Manzullo].) Whos the most conservative? The scenario of a House GOP leader involving himself in a primary between two incumbents virtually always provokes controversy within the party. But conservative activists are particularly irate about the Cantor teams characterization of Kinzinger (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 72 per cent) as somehow more conservative than Manzullo (lifetime ACU rating: 96 percent). Among the votes on which Manzullo voted yes and Kinzinger no were those to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, to bar funding to enforce the Davis-Bacon Act, bar funds for a new United Nations Building (Kinzinger was one of 21 House Republicans to favor funding), and to eliminate the Foreign Agricultural Service, with 78 offices throughout the world. Congressman Kinzinger was not sent to Washington to vote according to however Washington special interest groups want, Kinzinger spokesman Brook Hougeson told HUMAN EVENTS when we asked about

his ratings from the groups indicating he was not as conservative as Manzullo, He was sent to Washington to represent the voice of the people back home in Illinois. The basis for their claims is over amendments voted on in one bill H.R. 1. After voting to significantly cut spending, the House voted on additional amendments to reduce spending. The amendments he voted against were ones that warranted a hearing and more information about the impact, before Congress voted to cut; including draconian cuts to our national defense. In fact, the Heritage Foundation said that these defense cuts would hurt troops. Along with the involvement of Cantor and the SuperPAC on Kinzingers behalf, Manzullo spokesman Rich Carter told HUMAN EVENTS that they were particularly upset by the attacks on their man and accompanying support for his opponent by two other outside groups: the Committee for Public Responsibility, which was a key factor in the primary defeat of Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Oh.) recently, and the Lunchpail Republicans, which styles itself a pro-labor Republican group and has battled GOP Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Mitch

Daniels of Indiana in their fights to curb union power in their states, If they disliked Gov. Walker and Gov. Daniels, they must like [Kinzinger] because of his support for Davis-Bacon, which Don has always opposed, said Carter. Committee for Public Responsibility spokesman Curtis Ellis told HUMAN EVENTS his group was making a major expenditure in the 16th District primary because Manzullo has been there a long time and broke the term limit pledge he made when first elected. Manzullo spokesman Carter hit this hard, explaining to us that the congressman never signed a pledge, only said he thought he might serve twelve years and when that came up in 04, he said he felt differently because Republicans were in the majority and he was in line to become chairman of the Small Business Committee. Rich Carter said that the backing of Cantor and the SuperPAC associated with him was bothersome but not a major concern because when you see what low esteem Congress is held in most public opinion polls, well take the support of grass-roots conservatives over Congresss REP. page 6

Curated News Edition

WAYS
continued from page 3

velocity. The buyback would also push share prices up. Invest in American infrastructure One call from the U.S. is for Apple to invest in the U.S. more, perhaps taking its recent moves in Texas as an example. Apple is an American company, people say, and by putting money overseas into plants in China and other nations, its effectively denying U.S. folks employment--you could even take an obscurely moral fiscal stance on this and say it's Apple's obligation. It's a possible route for Apple. But folks calling for this need to remember that Apple is a global company, and that the majority of its products are sold overseas, not in the U.S. (where it pays what must be a whopping tax bill). A bias toward U.S. investment would worry overseas shareholders. By diversely investing in overseas plants Apple is actually assuring its position, and insulating against political and financial variations between the U.S. and other nations. Apple is also unlikely to build production lines in the U.S. because of wage issues, the complications of union activity, and the fact that mega-complexes of component suppliers, chassis production plants, and hundreds of thousands of workers (each of these things capable of minute-to-

minute flexibility to adjust the design of the production process) just don't exist in the U.S. Apple may instead choose to build things like data centers on U.S. soil. Invest in Chinese supplier worker care In the wake of the events at Foxconn, even with the scandal of Mike Daisey's fabricated version of what goes on in the factories, some may say Apple should invest in its Chinese plants in order to ensure worker protection, fair pay, and rights. It's arguably a sensible point. With one major exception: Foxconn and its ilk are not Apple properties. They make materials for firms like HP, Dell, and virtually every other consumer electronics firm you can name. Apple's already invested in its dealings with the companies, and has pushed for better worker conditions and allowed audits where none of its peers have. And Foxconn is not just in, say, France --but China, under an entirely different financial, political, and social system where the economy works very differently. Apple cannot over-meddle in these affairs lest it anger the Chinese government, or upset the local economy by upsetting the pay structures. There is wiggle room, for sure,

and Apple may choose to push money this way, but it's hard to see how it could change much, dramatically. Invest in supply chain dynamics This is most likely what Apple will do. It's a strategy that's worked spectacularly well so far, and has resulted in this huge cash stockpile. By buying machinery for firms like Foxconn, paying hard cash to secure premium access to facilities for years in advance, and even by out-buying competitors for last-minute air freight (which is how the iPad 3's arrival in stores was assured) Apple's managed to outmaneuver nearly every one of its peers. Expect more of this, though Apple may keep precise details in the shade lest it reveal too many plans to its competitors. Buy strategic partners Could Apple buy Twitter? It's got the cash, and there's seemingly much synergy between the two firms' futures. Should Apple buy Twitter? That's a wholly different question, and it's important because you could ask it of almost any target people say Apple should buy (Facebook, ARM, Google, Microsoft, Spotify...). Until now Apple's acquisitions have been pretty small, both tactical and strategic--aimed at short-term gains or optimizations to its existing plans (such as those

that enabled its own AX chips inside iPhones). Acquisitions like this, while subject to regulation of course, tend to be easier, as no one is going to push the "creating a monopoly" buzzer, as may happen if Apple tried to buy bigger fish. But revealing that you're pursuing a more acquisitive strategy is a good thing, and will boost investor confidence and demonstrate that you have an expansive five-year plan to follow that will definitely result in growth...so it may be something Apple does. "One more thing..." This is Apple. Something unexpected could be mixed in with the calmly tried and tested. UPDATE Ahead of its press call, Apple's revealed that it will be going with our top two guesses, a dividend payout and a share repurchase program:...the Company plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1, 2012. Additionally, the Companys Board of Directors has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in the Companys fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over three years, with the primary

objective of neutralizing the impact of dilution from future employee equity grants and employee stock purchase programs. Speaking during the press call CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer were careful to explain that the company has plenty of cash to operate with, hence the decision to move on its cash mountain. The majority of the cash is overseas, and Apple pointed out that under current tax laws it's disincentivized to repatriate it--hence the decision to move on domestic cash. Over the next three years some $45 million will be spent to buy back shares and pay dividends, and that's a huge figure--even while Apple will continue making billions in cash every quarter if its past habits are a guide. Rewarding and encouraging shareholders plus confidence, innovation, and plenty of products "in the pipeline" were the watchwords of this call. Careful control of words, no hints of things to come, and no surprises. [Image: Sage Ross under CC license] Chat about this news with Kit Eaton on Twitter and Fast Company too.

REP.
continued from page 5

leaders any day. John Gizzi is Political Editor of HUMAN EVENTS.

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WHY
continued from page 4

should dispel illusions among B2B communicators that they still operate at a safe distance from the harsh media spotlight. A focused communications strategy among plaintiffs counsel (and other adversaries) is shattering that old paradigm. In the case at hand, every ounce of public pressure applied to Walmart further incentivizes the defendants to settle for fear of jeopardizing relationships key to their most lucrative contracts. Highlighting Walmart also injects the story with a viral potentiality. Media-savvy plaintiffs attorneys understand that the media loves a poster child and that Walmart fills the frame far more persuasively than, say, Schneider Logistics (one of the contractors named in the case). Corporate adversaries also understand that the leverage is mainly on their side because there is often little to no resistance against the poster child strategy. Big brands have few incentives to aggressively defend a contractor caught up in controversy. If the B2Bs at the center of the story respond at all, it is usually to a limited number of customers, prospects, investors, and relevant journalists. That enables B2B adversaries to control the narrative--and with it, likely, the

business consequences. 2. How the Sausage Is Made Matters As Nike, Kathy Lee Gifford, and others can attest, the poster child strategy is nothing new. But today, there is an added dynamic at play forcing B2Bs to rethink who their customers are and what their brands are worth. Time and again--and contrary to the conventional wisdom--those that use the poster child strategy have proven that the end user really does care about the company kept by big name brands; that ordinary consumers are now highly attuned to the procedures, practices, and policies that their buying decisions support; and that no link in the supply chain automatically escapes new levels of scrutiny. In just the last two years, we have seen Lego drop APP Packaging after activists railed against the suppliers record of deforestation. Weve seen The Body Shop drop Daabon Organic after reports that the supplier sought to evict peasants from their lands in Colombia. And we have seen Nestle drop Sinar Mas Group over the environmental impacts of palm oil harvesting. Not to be outdone by their activist counterparts, regulators have issued rules requiring public

companies to disclose the use of conflict minerals in their supply chains. During last years proxy season, companies such as Walmart and Dominos were forced to confront shareholder proposals demanding greater transparency about how suppliers treat workers and adhere to animal rights standards. Its an Upton Sinclair moment for B2Bs. End consumers of products, services, stocks, and ideas are paying greater attention to how their sausage is made; and that fact has torn down the walls that once differentiated B2B and B2C communications. 3. Loyalty Matters Too In Webmarketings 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report, 68.6% of B2Bs reported that generating leads and sales is the top objective of their digital communications campaigns. That figure stands in stark contrast to the mere 15.3% that said building brand awareness was their top priority. While such an allocation of resources is certainly understandable in the B2B context, it also underscores the fact that B2Bs are largely failing to leverage the most important aspects of social media engagement at a time when such engagement is crucial to continued success.

Understandably, they see social media as merely a new business tool, rather than a platform to compel the loyalty of whole communities. While understanding the value of the technology, this misses the point of the information revolution. Social media is all about getting large numbers of people to do what you want. In other words, its about a new model of capitalism. How do you identify and win the support of influencers--the previously ignored brand ambassadors that make or break Susan G. Komen, Foxconn, or Kony2012 almost overnight? How do you forge powerful connections rooted in how products and services empower and enrich the lives of consumers? Its a relatively new concept in corporate social media circles, but its one that B2C companies are already starting to consider and in some cases, master. B2B companies must embrace it as well, given the larger consumer population they must now engage and the speed at which things change. B2B brands need to speak to the larger issues that end users care about--and do so in the online venues those end users rely on to decide which companies to

support and which to shun. B2Bs may never enjoy millions of Facebook fans and Twitter followers, but the more they do to build brands rooted in consumer value and social responsibility, the better positioned they will be. In the Digital Age, speed (aka, no warning) and transparency (aka, the whole world is now watching) are the rule, not the exception. That means every B2B is now a B2C. --Author Richard S. Levick, Esq., is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Levick Strategic Communications, a crisis and public affairs communications firm. He is the co -author of The Communicators: Leadership in the Age of Crisis and Stop the Presses: The Crisis & Litigation PR Desk Reference, and writes for Bulletproof Blog. Mr. Levick is on the prestigious list of The 100 Most Influential People in the Boardroom, which is compiled by the NACD and Directorship Magazine. Reach him at rlevick@levick.com or connect with him on Twitter@richardlevick. [Image: Flickr user Carl Jones]

Men still missing on Tas island - Ninemsn


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:46:07 AM

Men still missing on Tas island Ninemsn The search for two men missing

on Tasmania's Bruny Island will resume at first light Tuesday after rescue crews failed to track down

their distress call. Police received a triple zero emergency call about 9.20pm (AEDT) on Monday from

a man seeking help... and more

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Curated News Edition

President Obama hates American conservatism


(The Front Page)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 4:32:00 AM

by Brian H. Darling 03/19/2012 On March 12, President Obama blamed high gas prices on speculation about possible war in the Middle East and loose talk about war. The president obviously wanted to implicate hawkish conservatives as bad guys when Americans go to the gas pump. This isnt the first time. The Obama campaign also is waging a campaign alleging that Republicans are anti-woman. Obama used the phrase hostagetakers to describe congressional members of the Republican Party who obstructed his attempts to increase taxes. Expect more rhetoric along these lines as the campaign moves along. It seems like the only strategy available for the president to secure a second term is to use the media to distract voters from his lack of action to lower gas prices, his failure to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and his anti-growth economic policies. Repeal ObamaCare Yet another reason has been put forth for a full repeal of ObamaCare this past weekcost.

The cost of ObamaCare is far greater than President Obama promised. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that ObamaCare will cost $1.8 trillion between now and 2022. This is far higher than the $900 billion that was promised when the bill was passed. President Obamas campaign website states that ObamaCare will make healthcare more affordable for families and small businesses. Clearly, this law wont make healthcare more affordable to taxpayers. At this time when Congress is considering different bills to partially repeal ObamaCare, this study provides yet another reason it should be repealed in full. Republicans cave on nominations Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture on 17 District Court nominees. Reid claimed that Republican senators were slowing the nomination process by filibustering judges, even though there had yet to be one word of debate on the Senate floor on any of these nominations. This was another Reid attempt to paint Republicans as obstructionists. In the face of Reids threat to force votes on all 17 nominees and to force Republicans into

filibustering the judges, Republicans caved. They gave Reid an agreement to allow votes on most of the District Court nominees. Furthermore, Reid bullied them into allowing votes on two nominees to the Circuit Courts of Appeals. If the Timid Party doesnt toughen up soon, this is going to be a long year for conservatives. Violence Against Women Act Senate Democrats are pushing for a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA. This legislation is classic specialinterest politics. Like federal Hate Crimes laws that add criminal punishment to crimes against protected groups and affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to individuals based on race, the VAWA is based on a faulty premise. The police functions of government are best left to the states, not the federal government. This legislation should be tossed aside with other attempts to use federal law to buy block of votes. The VAWA would increase federal tax dollars going to groups who work on domestic violence issues, increase legal aid to victims, expand the definition of violence to include stalking and provide handouts to local courts

to hire more counseling services. These ideas all sound good, yet they have no authorization in the Constitution. Theyre more properly handled at the state and local level. According to The New York Times, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (RAlaska) urged her colleagues to surrender on this issue for fear of Republicans, being painted as anti -woman. Evidently, identity politics has a constituency in both parties. The issue of gay rights has crept into this debate with a provision being added allowing same-sex couples to seek protection and aid under this proposed law. So it is possible for a male victim of violence by another male, if and only if they are in a sexual relationship, to seek federal aid and protection under the Violence Against Women Act. Senate Democrats recognize that this legislation will play well into the Obama campaign theme of painting Republicans as antiwomen, therefore they will use the good faith opposition of conservatives to demagogue the issue to the American people. A Republican for class warfare According to Politico, Freshman Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) has a new plan to impose a

millionaires tax as part of his package to cut the deficit. Some on the right get it wrong when they try to increase revenues as a means of balancing the budget. The problem isnt that taxes are too low, its that government is too big. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has a budget that balances in five years and does not raise a penny in taxes. Pauls plan, unlike Crawfords plan, eliminates the departments of Commerce, Education, Housing and Urban Development and Energy and privatizes the Transportation Security Administration. Brian H. Darling writes the "Legislative Lowdown" column for Human Events. He is a senior fellow at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. Follow him at Twitter: brianhdarling This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Apple rewards investors with dividend, share buyback - Reuters


(Top Stories - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:44:56 AM

cancer. Jobs' former lieutenant has impressed Wall Street since By Poornima Gupta taking the helm. He has made his SAN FRANCISCO| Mon Mar m a r k b y r e v e a l i n g A p p l e ' s 19, 2012 12:41pm EDT production partners and initiating (Reuters) - Apple Inc CEO Tim investigations into allegations of Cook, moving swiftly after taking labor abuse in its supply chain, over from the late Silicon Valley among other things. icon Steve Jobs, fulfilled a Now, the man once hailed as an longstanding desire of investors able deputy and supply chain guru by initiating a quarterly dividend is reaching out to Wall Street. and share buyback that will pay "We have used some of our cash out $45 billion over three years. to make great investments in our The world's most valuable b u s i n e s s t h r o u g h i n c r e a s e d technology company will start r e s e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t , paying its first dividends since acquisitions, new retail store 1995 -- a regular quarterly payout openings, strategic prepayments of $2.65 a share -- in July, and and capital expenditures in our buy back up to $10 billion of its supply chain, and building out our stock beginning in the next fiscal infrastructure," Cook said. "You'll year. see more of all of these in the The $10 billion annual dividend future." program, which Cook said will be "Innovation is the most important reviewed periodically, ranks objective at Apple and we will not among the largest current U.S. lose sight of that." corporate cash payouts. When Cook was announced as But he told analysts on Monday CEO, many on Wall Street that "making great products" worried he lacked Jobs' vision for remained Apple's top priority, d e v i s i n g g r o u n d b r e a k i n g echoing the sentiments of his consumer electronics. But Apple's former boss, who died in October shares have gained more than 50 after a years-long battle with percent since Jobs' death and set a

record above $600 last week as investors noted the assurance with which Cook has taken the reins. Cook oversaw the rollout of the iPhone 4S last year and presided over what he said on Monday was a "record weekend" of sales for the new, 4G-enabled iPad. But many investors are still waiting to see an Apple TV or something similar: a gadget that will transform the industry the way the iPod and iPhone did. On a conference call, one of the first questions that cropped up regarded the company's product pipeline. Cook declined to comment. Apple shares were up 1.3 percent at $593.34 in morning trade on the Nasdaq. FINALLY Apple expects the share buyback program to run over three years, with the primary objective to offset the impact of employee stock options and equity grants. Its annual dividend yield will come in around 1.8 percent. That ranks above Oracle Corp and International Business Machines Corp but falls just short of the average of around 2.4 percent for

companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, analysts say. "The best thing about it is that we can go back to focusing on what Apple does best," said Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst. The company will still maintain a "war chest" for other strategic opportunities, Cook said. "These decisions will not close any doors for us." The maker of the iPhone, iPad and iPod has $98 billion in cash and securities, equal to about $104 a share, according to ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall. The company said it anticipated using about $45 billion of domestic cash in the first three years of its buyback and dividend programs. Asked about Apple's substantial cash parked overseas, Chief Financial Official Peter Oppenheimer said the company had no plans to repatriate it at this time. "The current tax laws provide a considerable economic disincentive to U.S. companies that might otherwise repatriate the substantial amount of foreign cash

that they have," he said. "That's our view. And we've expressed it. " Apple last paid a dividend in 1995, according to Thomson Reuters data. In 1996, the company posted a net loss of $816 million. "Apple is an overcapitalized company, and it's probably better to have the cash in the shareholders' pockets than in Apple's pockets," said John Strand, CEO of Copenhagenbased Strand Consulting. (Additional reporting by Yinka Adegoke, Sinead Carew and Nicola Leske in New York and Tarmo Virki in Helsinki, Writing by Edwin Chan; editing by John Wallace) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

BUY WITH ME!


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CITY! Get the Best Deals in ANY

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Report: Peyton Manning picks Denver Broncos - USA TODAY


(Top Stories - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:58:41 AM

had contractual frameworks in place last week. He worked out for Denver brass Peyton Manning will trade the at Duke University on Friday, horseshoe for the horse. following a session for the 49ers The four-time MVP has told his earlier in the week and one for the agent, Tom Condon, to finalize Titans on Saturday. Broncos VP contract negotiations but is of football operations John Elway, headed to the Mile High City, per HC John Fox and Co. apparently ESPN's Chris Mortensen, who saw enough to satisfy them that broke the news on SportsCenter. the nerve damage in Manning's NFL Network is also reporting throwing arm was sufficiently the agreement. recovered. Manning underwent "It's crazy, it feels so surreal. ... t h r e e , p o s s i b l y f o u r , n e c k It's such a historic move by the operations over a 19-month span, organization," said Denver DE culminating with the procedure on Elvis Dumervil on ESPN. the dawn of the 2011 season that "I'm so excited, man, so excited." ultimately forced him to the Manning apparently called the sideline for the entire campaign. 49ers and Titans, the other teams After the anterior fusion vying for his services, on Monday procedure to Manning's neck morning to inform them of the healed, he was cleared for practice decision. late in the year, running some I t ' s b e e n w i d e l y a s s u m e d drills for the Colts late in the year. Manning will sign a deal similar Doctors have indicated his neck (if not exceeding) the five-year, should not be an issue; the $90 million package he inked unknown was how long it would with the Colts (who released him take for the nerves in his tricpes March 7) last July. He and and his arm strength to revert to Patriots QB Tom Brady topped form. the NFL with pacts that averaged ESPN's Adam Schefter further $18 million annually. reports that Denver may bring in All three of Manning's suitors C Jeff Saturday, Manning's

longtime batterymate in Indianapolis, and will look to trade QB Tim Tebow. TEBOW MARKET: What is he worth? Why is Manning a good fit for the Broncos? They are in the AFC, relieving Manning of more frequent matchups against the Giants and his brother Eli; Denver plays NFC South teams in 2012. He'll be working for an organization that has great tradition, much of it forged by Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the team to five Super Bowls and two titles and now likely becomes a trusted sounding board for Manning. The AFC West seems to be a winnable division; remember, Denver backed into the postseason at 8-8 in 2011.

They have a solid backfield that includes RBs Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno. The top wideouts, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, are promising, though young. Expect a more experienced body ( Dallas Clark, Brandon Stokley?) to be added. The offensive line is very good, starting with tackles Ryan Clady and Orlando Franklin. Their ability to successfully adapt from Kyle Orton's dropback style to Tebow's running game midway through last season was commendable. Implementing Tebow's stengths is also a tribute to OC Mike McCoy and Fox, who's known as a players' coach. Their adaptability should work well for Manning, who's known as an offensive micromanager in practice. The defense has some nice pieces, most notably OLB Von Miller and Dumervil. Expect more bodies to be added once Manning is officially in the fold. Not everyone likes the move. Deion Sanders, a 49er once upon

a time, tweeted: Manning to Broncos!! Bad move just my opinion. Outside no dome very cold winters inexperienced receivers. I would have chose 49ers. Oh I did It's also bound to be crushing news to Tebow, who's been mum during the Broncos' pursuit of Manning. WHITHER TEBOW: If Broncos dump him, where should he go? One of Denver's two first-round choices in 2010 (along with Thomas), Tebow took over in Week 7 last season and went 7-4 down the stretch, salvaging a 1-4 start for a team that he ultimately led to the divisional round of the playoffs after his unforgettable 80 -yard TD to Thomas on the first play of OT beat the Steelers at home in the wild-card round. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

The capitalism pyramid, circa 1912


(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:44:00 AM

Published in 1912 by The International Pub Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, this poster puts a

capitalism spin on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Via Retronaut.

Brush up on history. Permalink| Leave a comment

Curated News Edition

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11

Police suspect spree killer behind shooting in Toulouse - Jerusalem Post


(Top Stories - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:35:05 AM

today's drama and those last week even if we have to wait to have more elements from the police to The gun used to kill four people confirm this hypothesis," Sarkozy at a Jewish school in Toulouse on said. Monday morning was the same The first shooting in the region that was used in the slaying of took place on March 11 when three French soldiers in two Imad Ibn-Ziaten, a 30-year-old separate incidents over the past staff sergeant, was killed behind a eight days, French police said. school in Toulouse. Police believe French police suspect the his murderer had been waiting for gunman - who is still at large - him. might have also shot dead an offOn Thursday three French duty French soldier in Toulouse soldiers in uniform were shot at a on March 11 and two soldiers in shopping mall in Montauban, 50 nearby Montauban last Thursday. kilometers north of Toulouse. All the slain soldiers were all Two of them --Abel Chennouf, members of minority groups of 2 4 , a n d P r i v a t e M o h a m e d North African descent. Another Legouad, 26-- later died of their soldier, wounded in the second in wounds. the Montauban incident, was of French police said similar Afro-Caribbean descent. ammunition was used in both French President Nicolas Sarkozy shootings. said earlier in the day there were Then on Monday an unknown striking similarities between the assailant shot dead four people -a shooting at the Jewish school and teacher, his two children and the earlier incidents. another child- outside the Ozar "We are struck by the similarities Hatorah school in Toulouse. between the modus operandi of Eyewitnesses said the unknown

assailant drove up to the Ozar Hatorah school's entrance on a black scooter around 8:00 a.m. and fired at the gatherers with a heavy-calibre firearm and a pistol. Yonathan Sandler, a 30-year-old teacher from Jerusalem; his two children Aryeh, 6, and Gavriel, 3; and 8-year-old Miriam Monstango, the daughter of the school's principal, died in the attack and several others were wounded. "I saw two people dead in front of the school, an adult and a child... Inside, it was a vision of horror, the bodies of two small children," a distraught father whose child attends the school told RTL radio. "I did not find my son, apparently he fled when he saw what happened. How can they attack something as sacred as a school, attack children only sixty centimeters tall?" Police shut the city down looking for the gunman who fled the scene of the crime. French Interior Minister Claude

Gueant ordered increased security at Jewish schools throughout the country and Sarkozy was en route to the southern French city to oversee the police investigation. Gil Taieb, a vice president of the CRIF, France's Jewish umbrella group, told The Jerusalem Post he had no doubt the attack was a hate crime. "For someone to locate this school in a place like Toulouse means he knew what he was doing," Taieb said. "He went there to kill Jews." Taieb said the community was in a state of shock. "There are occasional anti-Semitic attacks but they are small, nothing like this," he said. "We haven't had something like this in at least ten years." Some 500,000 Jews live in France, which has the world's third largest Jewish community. Rabbi Avraham Weill, the chief rabbi of Toulouse, said there was no warning that the community, which numbers about 20,000, might be targeted.

"There was nothing, no phone call, no warning, " he said over the phone from France. Weill said his top priority was to comfort the families of the victims and prepare the bodies for burial. The shooting was the single worst act of violence against Jews in France since 1982, when six people were killed and 22 wounded in a grenade attack carried out by Palestinians on a Jewish restaurant in Paris. The most recent anti-Semitic murder occurred in 2006 when Ilan Halimi was kidnapped and killed by a gang in Paris in a crime that had racist overtones. Reuters contributed to this report. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Cheryl Lynn Sher Pontnack - Rochelle News Leader


(Andrea Rossi - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:00:20 AM

Cheryl Lynn Sher Pontnack Rochelle News Leader She worked at Eatons in Rochelle

and Rossi's Pizza in Waterman. Glavin. Cheryl is survived by her Sher was preceded in death by her son, Michael ( Andrea) Pontnack parents and a niece, Ann Marie of Oregon; sister, Nancy (Ed)

Glavin of Rochelle;...

12

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Curated News Edition

Tim Cook To Talk Apple Cash, Foxconn Responds To Mike Daisey Retraction, Esther Dyson On Where All The Cool Companies Are
Nidhi Subbaraman (Fast Company)

take legal action. TAL ran an adaptation of Daisey's play "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:13:22 PM in January. TAL issued a Breaking news from your editors retraction late last week after at Fast Company, with updates all sections of Daisey's account of day. Foxconn factory visits were found AT&T's Record iPad Weekend. to be untrue. --NS Apple's simply said a "record" Esther Dyson On Where All The weekend for iPad has just Cool Companies Are. Esther happened, and AT&T's now Dyson, grande dame of Silicon corroborated this position, noting Valley, believes that investors the weekend included a single-day need to start thinking and record for iPad sales and watching for startups outside the activations for devices on its well-watched, well-known loop, network. Apple was similary she told PE HUB--that's where the cautious about is iPad launch real innovation is taking place. weekend, but we're guessing "Theres this presumption that figures over one million units you need to be part of that circuit, would seem possible. --KE and I think that crowd is very self--Updated 11:00 a.m. EDT referential and missing the truly New iPad Is Apple's Costliest FAA To Reconsider Tablet/E- probably taking note of the stream. Check back at Fast interesting companies," Dyson Yet. A teardown of the new iPad reader Policy. The Federal populartity of the devices, the Company for updates. --NS said. --NS has revealed that Apple likely A v i a t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n i s FAA is looking to amend its own Foxconn Responds To Mike --Updated 5:45 a.m. EST Daisey Retraction. The retracted [ I m a g e : S t a t e L i b r a r y o f spent more on this new device reconsidering its blanket ban on rules. --NS This American Life episode that Q u e e n s l a n d v i a W i k i m e d i a than it spent building the second the use of tablets during take-off, --Updated 6:50 a.m. EST gen iPad 2. Considering Apple taxi, and landing. This makes Tim Cook To Talk About Apple's contained "fabricated" details C o m m o n s ] hasn't upped the price of the sense--if pilots are now toting Spare Change. Tim Cook is about working conditions at Friday's Fast Feed: TEDTalks (basic version of) the new device, iPads, why are passengers still holding a conference call this Foxconn factories has hurt its N o w O n N e t f l i x , S e c u r i t y it's giving up a slice of profit told to stow their devices away? morning at 9 a.m. EST to talk reputation, Foxconn has said. Companies Ignore Pakistan margin to pack more, more Airlines have avoided tackling the about the plans for Apple's "Our corporate image has been Censor Bid, Groupon UK Told To advanced tech into the same lengthy and expensive process to e n o r m o u s s t a c k o f c a s h t o t a l l y r u i n e d , " a F o x c o n n Straighten Up, and more! space, a luxury likely afforded by certify the passenger use of tablets amounting to roughly $98 billion. spokesperson told Reuters, still, and e-readers at all times. So, The call will be available via live he added, the company will not its jumbo cash pile. --NS

Curated News Edition

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13

Analysis: Apple, Fresh faces: young candidates win Moscows China, Foxconn and the fabulist - CNN political arena
(china - Google News) RT (News RSS : Today)

said.It helped me understand how it should be. Now I want to Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:31:11 AM do it in Russia. Maksim Kats, entrepreneur, Soon after, the young man member of the Shchukino district decided to run for a seat in a local municipal council. (RIA Novosti / council without any real Valeriy Melnikov)(39.7Mb) political or financial support. embed video With his own money, he printed A number of young, independent out leaflets stating his position. candidates managed to win My PR agents advised to me to Russias local elections, which change my name, to make a photo took place on the same day as the in a suit and to write a program presidential vote. RT took the promising bigger pensions, higher chance to interview one of the salaries and less corruption, the newly-elected deputies, 27-year- leaflet said.They said it was what old Maxim Katz. an average voter would -An ex-poker player, Katz told RT understand and like. But Im sick that he used to travel a lot and saw of such politics, and I dont that other cities are managed believe that an average voter much better than Russian ones. cant understand serious stuff. This is what triggered his interest. Having been elected to I went to Copenhagen and took Moscows local city council, Katz lessons in architecture, Katz straightaway told those who voted

for him that he would not manage to achieve anything on his current position. The body I was elected into is absolutely useless, Katz told RT.The only thing you can do there is to make suggestions. So Ive told everyone that I did it just to start my political career. People voted for me because they got tired of these old politicians with a tie and a suit. They just liked to see a fresh young face. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Submitted at 3/19/2012 7:33:52 AM

Slate Magazine (blog) Analysis: Apple, China, Foxconn and the fabulist CNN By Kevin Voigt, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) -- A story that helped catapult the issue of poor work conditions for Chinese workers at Foxconn -- a primary maker of iPads and other devices for Apple Inc. -- back into the spotlight in January has

unraveled. Mike Daisey restructures show after 'This American Life' controversy Entertainment Weekly Foxconn not off hook after radio retraction, critics say Reuters Playwright Mike Daisey changes final NYC production of Steve Jobs show CBS News Slate Magazine (blog)InformationWeek- Fox News all 1,352 news articles

Muamba improving, heart beating without medication


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:57:32 AM

Chinese hoping ticket out of China is French class - San Francisco Chronicle
(china - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 7:12:50 AM

Chinese hoping ticket out of China is French class

San Francisco Chronicle (03-19) 00:32 PDT BEIJING, China(AP) -- Thousands of people in China are trying to write their own ticket out of the country

in French. Chinese desperate to emigrate have discovered a backdoor into Canada that involves applying for entry into the...

and more

Bolton player Fabrice Muamba is showing "small signs of improvement" and his heart started beating without medication two days after he was stricken with cardiac arrest during a game.

14

Top News/ Business/ Featured/ Sports/

Curated News Edition

China to Raise Fuel Prices - Wall Street Journal


(china - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:05:49 AM

E-Cat funzioner anche con componenti prodotte da terze parti - GreenStyle


(andrea rossi e-cat - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:24:22 AM

Baffert's Secret Circle moves up Top 10 Derby list


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:54:13 AM

Bloomberg China to Raise Fuel Prices Wall Street Journal By WAYNE MA BEIJING China raised its heavily regulated gasoline prices by 6.4% and diesel by 7%, the second increase this year for the world's No. 2 economy, as it grapples with the rising cost of crude. Still, the

increase suggests Chinese officials... China to increase fuel prices 6-7 percent Reuters China Increases Fuel Prices Second Time in Two Months BusinessWeek China's regulators to raise gas prices MarketWatch Bloomberg- San Francisco Chronicle- Financial Times all 123 news articles

GreenStyle E-Cat funzioner anche con componenti prodotte da terze parti GreenStyle

L'ingegnere italiano Andrea Rossi, nonostante l'interesse della stampa nei confronti del suo ECat sembra si stia raffreddando, continua a dialogare con i suoi fan sul Journal of Nuclear Physics a differenza di Defkalion che ha chiuso il suo forum.

Bob Baffert's Arkansas Shuttle keeps rolling, likely carrying a couple of his 3-year-old colts to the Kentucky Derby in less than seven weeks.

Christians United for Israel Hits a Million


Daniel Halper (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:36:00 AM

run by Pastor John Hagee announced. Christians United for Israel now has a million members, the group

Pastor John Hagee

Actually, People DO Pay For News On Tablets


Alex Cocotas (Business Insider)

than 60 percent of American tablet owners downloaded music Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:09:00 PM on their devices and almost 20 Business Insider Intelligence is a percent paid for the news in the new research and analysis service last quarter of 2011. f o r r e a l - t i m e i n s i g h t a n d While that might initially seem intelligence about the Internet worrisome for publishers, that industry. The product is currently number is already significantly in beta. For more information, and higher than the percentage of to sign up for a free 30-day trial, people who pay for news on the click here. internet. Furthermore, over 40 Contrary to common wisdom, percent of American tablet owners Americans have no problem paid for a magazine in the fourth paying for content when it's on a quarter of 2011. In other words, it tablet. According to Nielsen, more is not as if people aren't willing to

Join the conversation about this story See Also: Virtual Goods Are Now Mainstream Smartphones Are Now The Dominant Mobile Device In US Pay TV Is Actually GAINING Subscriptions pay for any kind of written content. Finally, Pew is releasing its annual State of the New Media report today that finds Americans are now consuming more news thanks to smartphones and tablets. Feedback? Questions? Send us an email Please follow BI Intelligence on Twitter.

Curated News Edition

Business/

15

Meet Joachim Gauck, The New German President


Sanya Khetani (Business Insider)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:13:18 PM

Did Warm Winter Steal Spring Housing? - CNBC.com


(housing - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:42:58 AM

Germany elected Joachim Gauck as its next president with an overwhelming majority on Sunday, the German news agency DPA reports. Gauck, 72, received 991 votes from a special assembly of national and regional members of parliament, defeating his competitor, Nazi-hunter Beate Klarsfeld, who won only 126 votes, according to The Telegraph. A former Lutheran pastor and civil rights activist, Gauck, is not part of any political party, and has gained a reputation for speaking his mind, even on controversial issues. In fact, 80 percent of the German public consider him to be trustworthy, a television poll revealed, AFP reports. The media believes he would make an "uncomfortable" president for Germany's established political parties. He describes himself as a liberal left conservative. Incidentally, Chancellor Angela Merkel had supported Gaucks predecessor Christian Wulff against Gauck in the 2010 presidential elections. This time, however, Gauck had her full support.

CBS Moneywatch Did Warm Winter Steal Spring Housing? CNBC.com As if we really needed a reminder that today's housing market is still very fragile, the first installment in a slew of housing data to be released this week came in below

expectations. Home builder sentiment, as measured by the National Association of... Builders Remain Optimistic About Housing Market NPR Housing Bottom: Are we there yet? CBS Moneywatch Housing Bulls Aren't So Far Out on a Limb Wall Street Journal Reuters- Wall Street Pit all 212 news articles

Gauck, the first president to hail from the former East Germany, has been described in Stasi files as an "incorrigible anti-communist. He was at the forefront of the democratic movement in the East German state, and was made head of the body to investigate the excesses of the Stasi after the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to the BBC. This was Germanys third presidential election in three years, after the resignations of Gaucks two predecessors. Horst Khler, a former head of the IMF, quit after an uproar over comments that allegedly justified

using the military to serve Germany's economic interests; his successor, Christian Wulff, resigned last month in a scandal over receiving financial favors. Please follow Europe on Twitter (housing - Google News) Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:32:41 AM and Facebook. Join the conversation about this Christian Science Monitor story Stockton: The town the housing See Also: A Former Nazi Hunter Is boom broke Running To Be German President Reuters WANTED: A Penpal For A 15- But then came the housing boom, and sorry Stockton practically Year-Old Angela Merkel There's A Huge Problem With The German Economy And It Affects Everyone

Stockton: The town the housing boom broke - Reuters


started to strut. Its loamy farmlands - among the most fertile in the United States - gave way to shiny subdivisions. Middle -class families, priced out of the Bay area housing market,... California Cities Scramble to Avert Insolvency Fox Business all 33 news articles

16

Business/ World News/ Sports/

Curated News Edition

Actually, People DO Pay For News On Tablets


Alex Cocotas (Business Insider)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:15:53 PM

than 60 percent of American tablet owners downloaded music on their devices and almost 20 Business Insider Intelligence is a percent paid for the news in the new research and analysis service last quarter of 2011. f o r r e a l - t i m e i n s i g h t a n d While that might initially seem intelligence about the Internet worrisome for publishers, that industry. The product is currently number is already significantly in beta. For more information, and higher than the percentage of to sign up for a free 30-day trial, people who pay for news on the click here. internet. Furthermore, over 40 Contrary to common wisdom, percent of American tablet owners Americans have no problem paid for a magazine in the fourth paying for content when it's on a quarter of 2011. In other words, it tablet. According to Nielsen, more is not as if people aren't willing to

Join the conversation about this story See Also: Virtual Goods Are Now Mainstream Smartphones Are Now The Dominant Mobile Device In US Social Gaming On Smartphones Is Disruptive pay for any kind of written content. Finally, Pew is releasing its annual State of the New Media report today that finds Americans are now consuming more news thanks to smartphones and tablets. Feedback? Questions? Send us an email Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

Why affordable housing is a myth, in one chart Washington Post (blog)


(housing - Google News)

Colombia's Oil Industry: Between Boom and Frenzy


(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:56:00 AM

affordable housing an increasingly scarce commodity. Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:01:16 PM The National Low Income Why affordable housing is a Housing Coalition, an advocacy myth, in one chart group, calculated how many hours Washington Post (blog) of work at the minimum wage While rents have been rising, would be required to... wages have stagnated, making

his counterpart, "When is Colombia going to join OPEC?" Quietly, Colombia has become Sandwiched between OPEC the fourth-largest oil producer in members Ecuador and Venezuela, Latin America, after Venezuela, Colombia has for decades looked Mexico and Brazil. like an Andean misfit because it Today, Colombia produces was not a major oil exporter. But nearly 1 million barrels of oil per w h e n V e n e z u e l a ' s f o r e i g n day(bpd), almost double its output m i n i s t e r v i s i t e d B o g o t i n in 2005. By 2015, Colombia's oil November, he reportedly asked minister expects the country to

produce 1.5 million bpd. ... This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Report: Manning negotiating to join Broncos


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)

Peyton Manning is negotiating to join the Denver Broncos, ESPN

reported Monday.

Curated News Edition

News Wire/ Featured/

17

Apple rewards investors with dividend, share buyback


(Reuters: Top News)

cancer. Jobs' former lieutenant has impressed Wall Street since By Poornima Gupta taking the helm. He has made his SAN FRANCISCO| Mon Mar m a r k b y r e v e a l i n g A p p l e ' s 19, 2012 12:41pm EDT production partners and initiating (Reuters) - Apple Inc CEO Tim investigations into allegations of Cook, moving swiftly after taking labor abuse in its supply chain, over from the late Silicon Valley among other things. icon Steve Jobs, fulfilled a Now, the man once hailed as an longstanding desire of investors able deputy and supply chain guru by initiating a quarterly dividend is reaching out to Wall Street. and share buyback that will pay "We have used some of our cash out $45 billion over three years. to make great investments in our The world's most valuable b u s i n e s s t h r o u g h i n c r e a s e d technology company will start r e s e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t , paying its first dividends since acquisitions, new retail store 1995 -- a regular quarterly payout openings, strategic prepayments of $2.65 a share -- in July, and and capital expenditures in our buy back up to $10 billion of its supply chain, and building out our stock beginning in the next fiscal infrastructure," Cook said. "You'll year. see more of all of these in the The $10 billion annual dividend future." program, which Cook said will be "Innovation is the most important reviewed periodically, ranks objective at Apple and we will not among the largest current U.S. lose sight of that." corporate cash payouts. When Cook was announced as But he told analysts on Monday CEO, many on Wall Street that "making great products" worried he lacked Jobs' vision for remained Apple's top priority, d e v i s i n g g r o u n d b r e a k i n g echoing the sentiments of his consumer electronics. But Apple's former boss, who died in October shares have gained more than 50 after a years-long battle with percent since Jobs' death and set a
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:41:42 AM

record above $600 last week as investors noted the assurance with which Cook has taken the reins. Cook oversaw the rollout of the iPhone 4S last year and presided over what he said on Monday was a "record weekend" of sales for the new, 4G-enabled iPad. But many investors are still waiting to see an Apple TV or something similar: a gadget that will transform the industry the way the iPod and iPhone did. On a conference call, one of the first questions that cropped up regarded the company's product pipeline. Cook declined to comment. Apple shares were up 1.3 percent at $593.34 in morning trade on the Nasdaq. FINALLY Apple expects the share buyback program to run over three years, with the primary objective to offset the impact of employee stock options and equity grants. Its annual dividend yield will come in around 1.8 percent. That ranks above Oracle Corp and International Business Machines Corp but falls just short of the average of around 2.4 percent for

companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, analysts say. "The best thing about it is that we can go back to focusing on what Apple does best," said Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst. The company will still maintain a "war chest" for other strategic opportunities, Cook said. "These decisions will not close any doors for us." The maker of the iPhone, iPad and iPod has $98 billion in cash and securities, equal to about $104 a share, according to ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall. The company said it anticipated using about $45 billion of domestic cash in the first three years of its buyback and dividend programs. Asked about Apple's substantial cash parked overseas, Chief Financial Official Peter Oppenheimer said the company had no plans to repatriate it at this time. "The current tax laws provide a considerable economic disincentive to U.S. companies that might otherwise repatriate the substantial amount of foreign cash

that they have," he said. "That's our view. And we've expressed it. " Apple last paid a dividend in 1995, according to Thomson Reuters data. In 1996, the company posted a net loss of $816 million. "Apple is an overcapitalized company, and it's probably better to have the cash in the shareholders' pockets than in Apple's pockets," said John Strand, CEO of Copenhagenbased Strand Consulting. (Additional reporting by Yinka Adegoke, Sinead Carew and Nicola Leske in New York and Tarmo Virki in Helsinki, Writing by Edwin Chan; editing by John Wallace) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

'Obama's War on Women'


Daniel Halper (The Weekly Standard)

The latest web ad from the Republican National Committee effectively attacks "Obama's War

on Women."

18

News Wire/ World News/

Curated News Edition

Gov't Pays Nearly $1B a Year for Ads


(FOXNews.com)

Governmental Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight of Government July 30, 2010: The Obama M a n a g e m e n t , t h e F e d e r a l administration released an ad Workforce and the District of featuring Andy Griffith extolling Columbia reviews 11 federal President Obama's new health a g e n c i e s . T h e r e p o r t w a s care law. published on the Federation of Federal agencies spent at least American Scientists' website. $945 million on contracts for A call to the office of Sen. Daniel advertising services in fiscal year Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the 2010, and that sum doesn't include s u b c o m m i t t e e , w a s n o t all public communications i m m e d i a t e l y r e t u r n e d . expenditures in the agencies The report found that the reviewed or even all of the agencies are also engaging in executive branch, a congressional using new and social media to report out last week shows. communicate -- the government Congressional Research Service hosts 1,504 federal government reported that the calculation was domains that carry thousands of incomplete since the total sum websites on them. may never be fully known. In addition, a Government "It is unclear how much the Accountability Office report of executive branch, let alone the June 2011 found that 23 of 24 federal government as a whole, federal agencies surveyed had a spends on communications each presence on Facebook, Twitter year," the CRS report found. and YouTube, and all 15 of the Of that total that was calculable, president's Cabinet agencies have more than $545 million was spent at least one Twitter account. by the Defense Department, much New media helps to "remove the of it on ads to attract recruits, filters between agency employees CRS noted. and the public," allowing prompt The study was done as the Senate a n d more intimate H o m e l a n d S e c u r i t y a n d communications, but it has
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:56:17 PM

potential downsides, the study noted. Social media may lead to agency employees making misstatements of fact or unsanctioned comments, and oversight can be complicated because communications can be easily deleted, altered, forged and made untraceable. The report says that advertising serves many purposes, including informing the public of its rights and entitlements; telling the public of the agency's activities; inviting public comment on proposed rules; warning the public of perils; and discouraging harmful or dangerous behaviors.

Agencies "often speak to the public because doing so generally is considered essential to the functioning of representative democracy. If government is to serve the people, then the people must be kept well-informed of the government's activities so that they may judge its work and alter its policies through elections or other means (e.g., advocacy)," reads the report. According to CRS, over the last 100 years, Congress has enacted three statutory restrictions on agency communications with the public -- one to limit hiring of publicity experts, another to

prohibit using budget money to lobby Congress, and one to ban using budget money for "publicity or propaganda." Congress has criticized government spending on advertising on two recent occasions -- in March 2011, when the General Services Administration was questioned on hiring a private consulting firm to rebut criticisms that environmental contamination at one of its facilities had sickened and killed GSA employees. The other was in August 2010, when House Republicans on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee faulted seven agencies for engaging in propaganda to promote the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

'Big picture' voters key - Brisbane Times


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:11:15 PM

Brisbane Times 'Big picture' voters key Brisbane Times

Ashgrove voters will vote for the future of the state, rather than for their own electorate, one of Queensland's leading experts in voter behaviour said yesterday. The battle for Ashgrove, where

LNP leader Campbell Newman is trying to win a seat in... First 100 days in power all worked out: Campbell Newman The Australian Queensland leaders clash in

debate ABC Online Bligh prepares for a bloody mutiny in the Sunshine State Sydney Morning Herald NEWS.com.au- Courier MailThe Daily Telegraph

all 181 news articles

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19

NY Mets owners settle in Madoff case, avoid trial


(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:41:16 AM

By Grant McCool and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK| Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:41am EDT (Reuters) - The owners of the cash -strapped New York Mets baseball team agreed to pay $162 million to settle a lawsuit by the trustee seeking money for the victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud, averting a potentially embarrassing trial. The pact was announced in District Court in New York just as the trial was set to start. The trustee had accused the Mets owners of turning a blind eye to signs of Madoff's fraud while enriching themselves as long-term investors in his funds -accusations the team's owners denied. "It's a lovely day for a trial, but the parties have something else in mind," Judge Jed Rakoff said on Monday morning as all the parties gathered in court.

Principal Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz will not have to pay any money immediately. The terms of the pact call for payments over a fiveyear period, easing some of the immediate pressure on the Major League Baseball team's finances. For trustee Irving Picard and his team of lawyers, the settlement brings an additional $162 million into the pot to pay back former Madoff customers. "In any settlement, nobody gets everything they want, but both sides got something," former New York State Gov. Mario Cuomo, who oversaw mediation of the dispute, told reporters outside the courtroom. "This is common sense, there's no artistry here." The settlement allows Wilpon and Katz to avoid having their business affairs spilled out in court. The trustee also may receive money for customers sooner than if the lawsuit continued to be fought in court. The trustee has recovered about $9.1 billion so far through all of

his litigation, although about $6.4 billion is unavailable due to appeals and reserves. Madoff, who ran a multibilliondollar Ponzi scheme over decades, is in prison after pleading guilty in the same courthouse three years ago. He ran a Ponzi scheme in which many of his relatives and associates were lured to invest with the promise of steady high returns. Madoff paid old clients with the money from new investments and investigators found that the returns were fictitious. Picard had accused Wilpon and Katz of ignoring warning signs that Madoff was running a fraud during their 25 years of investing with him. The owners countered that they did not know Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme. "The settlement that we announced in court confirms that Mr. Wilpon and Mr. Katz and their partners acted at all times in good faith and did not act willfully blind," said Robert Wise,

one of their lawyers. David Sheehan, the lead lawyer for Picard, told reporters: "This settlement is for the benefit of all the customers. Today, we enhanced the fund by 162 million." The settlement was reached on Friday, but kept secret until Monday. Rakoff scheduled April 13 for final approval of the deal. The case is Picard v. Katz et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 1103605. (Reporting By Grant McCool; Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Basil Katz; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Maureen Bavdek) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Epoch Times | National, World, China, Sports, Entertainment News


(Epoch Times | National, World, China, Sports, Entertainment News)

GOP Candidates Refuse to Go Wobbly on Afghanistan


Daniel Halper (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:51:00 AM

U.S. Marines operate in

Afghanistan in 2008. The two leading GOP candidates were asked about Afghanistan on the Sunday talk shows yesterday. Santorum gave pretty good Both Mitt Romney and Rick

responses and refused to go wobbly on Afghanistan.

Top Stories Explosions rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus as well as Aleppo, the countrys economic capital and largest city, over the weekend,. A year after the catastrophic meltdown of the Fukishima nuclear reactors in Japan, the U.S. Senate is questioning the level of safety in the nuclear industry in the United [...] The Supreme Court will consider whether it is constitutional to sentence juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole (known as JLWOP). Chaka Chakas rise from the townships of Soweto to become a South African superstar and the Princess of Africa. The Eritrean Foreign Ministry accused Ethiopia on Friday of attacking military outposts inside the country. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

20

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Curated News Edition

Gunman Kills 4 Outside French Jewish School


(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:56:17 PM

TOULOUSE, France A French police official says the gun used to kill four people at a Jewish school Monday was the same gun used in attacks on three French paratroopers last week. Police had been investigating a connection between the attacks after a gunman opened fire outside Ozar Hatorah school in the southwestern French city of Toulouse, killing a rabbi, his two sons and one other child, according to the prosecutor's office. Prosecutor Michel Valet said a 30 -year-old rabbi and his 3-year-old and 6-year-old sons were killed in the attack just before classes started at the Ozar Hatorah school. Another child, the 8-year-old daughter of the school principal, was also killed, school officials said. Valet said a 17-year-old boy was also seriously wounded and in the operating ward of a city hospital. "The drama occurred a bit before 8 a.m. A man arrived in front of the school on a motorcycle or scooter," Valet said, adding that

the man got off his scooter outside the school and opened fire. "He shot at everything he had in front of him, children and adults," he said. "The children were chased inside the school." Officials say the shooter fled the scene on a scooter. A police official said the same powerful 11.43-caliber handgun used in Monday's attack on a school in Toulouse was used in an attack four days ago that killed two paratroopers in nearby

terrorism. France's Prime Minister Francois Fillon says he has asked for all schools and religious buildings to be secured in the wake of Monday's school shooting. Sarkozy visited the school accompanied by Richard Prasquier, the president of CRIF, the umbrella group representing Jewish organizations. "It's a day of national tragedy," Sarkozy said. "The barbary, the savagery, the cruelty cannot win. Hate cannot win. The nation is much stronger." The Associated Press contributed to this report. March 19, 2012: Police officers gather at the site of a shooting in Toulouse, southwestern France. Montauban, and in an attack that said. The official, based in Paris, This entry passed through the killed a paratrooper eight days was not authorized to speak Full-Text RSS service if this is ago in Toulouse. The dead and publicly and asked that he not be your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read injured were all of North African identified by name. and Caribbean origin. The motive for the killings is the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five All three times, the attacker came unclear. on a motorcycle, apparently alone, The Paris prosecutor's office said Filters recommends: Donate to and then sped away. M o n d a y i t w i l l i n v e s t i g a t e Wikileaks. In Monday's attack, the killer also e v e n t u a l t e r r o r i s t l i n k s t o used a 9-caliber gun, the police Monday's killing and the two official said. At least 15 shots killings of paratroopers last week. were fired at the school in a The prosecutor's office, in a residential neighborhood in statement, did not indicate any northeastern Toulouse, the official evidence so far of any form of

Curated News Edition

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21

Romney leads in Illinois poll over Santorum


(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:49:32 AM

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney greets supporters during a campaign stop at the American Legion in Moline, Illinois March 18, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Jim Young WASHINGTON| Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:49pm EDT (Reuters) - Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be headed for an important victory in Illinois on Tuesday that would help him put more distance between himself and Rick Santorum, his chief rival for the Republican presidential nomination. A new poll by Public Policy Polling said Romney leads the conservative Santorum by 45 percent to 30 percent in Illinois. Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich had 12 percent and libertarian Congressman Ron Paul, 10 percent.

Romney, who has struggled to put away Santorum, leads the former Pennsylvania senator in the race for the 1,144 delegates needed to win the Republican presidential nomination. He has 518 delegates to Santorum's 239, according to CNN. A victory in Illinois, combined with his win in Puerto Rico and sweep of its 20 delegates on Saturday, would put Romney one step closer to becoming the party's candidate to face Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election. Romney was to give an economic speech in Chicago on Monday to promote what he feels is his strength, a working knowledge of the U.S. economy as a former businessman. The race for the Republican nomination has become an increasingly hard fought as Romney and Santorum exchange insults. Romney called Santorum an "economic lightweight" while Santorum called attention to Romney's wealth.

"I heard Governor Romney here call me an economic lightweight because I wasn't a Wall Street financier like he was," Santorum told a crowd in Rockford, Illinois. "Do you really believe this country wants to elect a Wall Street financier as a president of United States? Do you think that is the kind of experience we need?" The campaign returns to the South late this week as Louisiana holds its primary contest. Santorum may be poised for victory there after winning two other Southern states, Alabama and Mississippi, a week ago. (Reporting By Steve Holland in Washington and Samuel P. Jacobs in Illinois; Editing by Bill Trott) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

The New Rules: Make China the Face of the World Bank
(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:59:00 AM

responsible stakeholder. The symmetry here would be spectacular, as it was Zoellick When Robert Zoellick recently himself who, as deputy secretary announced that he wont seek a of state under President George second term as president of the W. Bush, coined the phrase in World Bank, representatives of describing the administrations n u m e r o u s e m e r g i n g - m a r k e t desire that China start pulling its countries issued a flood of weight in a global leadership role. statements decrying Americas 66 If Washington wants China to -year lock on the position. a s s u m e s u c h s t a k e - h o l d i n g Meanwhile, the Chinese went out leadership, then it needs to lure o f t h e i r w a y w i t h i n t h e Beijing into positions of genuine organization to express their firm responsibility. And this is a desire to have a commanding say p e r f e c t o n e , g i v e n C h i n a s in who succeeds Zoellick. Insiders increasingly outsized role in the are predicting that an American global economy. ... will still win the spot and that the This entry passed through the Chinese simply want to exercise a Full-Text RSS service if this is showy veto over the proceedings. your content and you're reading it That would be too bad, because on someone else's site, please read there are a host of good reasons the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentwhy Washington should presently only/faq.php#publishers. Five burden Beijing with the job of Filters recommends: Donate to running the World Bank. Wikileaks. It would force China to be a

Online Features - April 2012


(Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 3:00:00 AM

Still not convinced that flavor and nutrition can work their way

into a tight food budget? Let our editors help, guiding you to the best store-brand products and providing buying guides for every section of the supermarket.

more This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read

the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Assad's Wife in Emails:'I'm the Real Dictator'


(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:56:17 PM

U.S.-Colombia FTA Driven More by Geopolitics Than Economics


(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 6:59:00 AM

Feb. 26, 2012: In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad casts his ballot next to his wife Asma at a polling station during a referendum on the new constitution, in Damascus, Syria. DAMASCUS, Syria The wife of Syrian president Bashar al Assad told a friend she was the "real dictator" in the family, leaked emails revealed Monday. Asma al Assad, 36, apparently showed no remorse for the deaths of thousands of Syrians in the brutal crackdown on protests and backed her husband in a series of emails to aides, friends and family. Around 3,000 messages were obtained by activists and then passed on to several media outlets including The (London) Daily Telegraph. On Jan. 17, she circulated an email with a joke aimed at the

decade battle against drug cartels. Clyde Prestowitz, president of the Washington-based Economic BOGOTA -- Government and Strategy Institute, described the economic think-tank estimates trade agreement as a geopolitical may differ on the potential tool in the guise of an economic economic benefits of the recently deal. ... approved Colombia-United States This entry passed through the Free Trade Agreement, but one of Full-Text RSS service if this is the FTAs goals has already been your content and you're reading it achieved: It has allowed the on someone else's site, please read United States to reaffirm support the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentfor the Colombian government, only/faq.php#publishers. Five still waging a nearly 50-year-long Filters recommends: Donate to civil war against the FARC Wikileaks. guerrilla insurgency and a two-

people of Homs -- shortly before the Syrian regime launched a military strike on the city that saw hundreds killed. She also praised Assad for being "very strong, no more messing around," and in another email complained that ABC News had unfavorably edited an interview with him. She said, "As for listening -- I am the REAL dictator, he has no choice..." The mother of two, who was born in Britain and studied at a

university in London, was forced to shop online using an alias after international sanctions were brought in over the bloodshed in Syria. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Karnataka porngate: Two ex-ministers exonerated Times of India


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:16:39 PM

The Perfect Meal for Women


(Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 3:00:00 AM

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Science shows this healthy meal could offer that extra

edge for a woman's body.

India Today Karnataka porngate: Two exministers exonerated Times of India BANGALORE: A Karnataka Legislature Committee set up to probe the porngate episode has given clean chit to two former ministers while recommending that another ruling BJP member be censured for watching porn clips on the mobile phone in the

Assembly. Porngate probe panel submits report to Speaker Hindustan Times No proof against MLAs in Karnataka porngate: Panel IBNLive.com Karnataka porn scandal: Two MLAs let off, Savadi to face action India Today Daily Bhaskar- News24onlineNDTV all 24 news articles

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23

Q&A: Private investment in roads - BBC News


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:11:54 PM

Nervous Duchess of Cambridge makes first public speech - The Independent


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:07:02 PM

BBC News Q&A: Private investment in roads BBC News In a bid to improve England's ailing road network, the government wants to bring in private investors to run and maintain existing routes and build new ones. The general idea is that companies would lease

BJP's hard choice on Karnataka leadership: Split MPs to hold emergency or sack - Deccan Herald

motorways and trunk roads from the government,... Cameron says could privatise some UK roads Reuters UK Cameron faces battles on two fronts over infrastructure plans The Guardian David Cameron calls for new toll roads Telegraph.co.uk Sky News- The IndependentFinancial Times all 272 news articles

CTV.ca Nervous Duchess of Cambridge makes first public speech The Independent The Duchess of Cambridge overcame self-confessed nerves to give her first public speech today as she granted the wish of a terminally-ill child's family and posed for a picture. Kate

described the experience as "nerve wracking" minutes after she had... Duchess of Cambridge boosts East Anglia's Children's Hospices BBC News Confident Kate makes maiden speech The Press Association The Duchess of Hearts: Kate in private meeting with terminally ill boy Mirror.co.uk Daily Mail- Scotsman all 1,028 news articles

Outside support to keep communal forces out: SP chief Hindustan Times


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:20:14 PM

debate on NHS reforms - The Independent


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:09:48 PM

(Nation - Google News)

Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:06:17 PM

Wall Street Journal MPs to hold emergency debate on NHS reforms The Independent MPs are to hold an emergency debate on the coalition's NHS reforms tomorrow in a last-ditch Labour bid to keep them off the statute book. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham secured

the debate in an attempt to delay the passage of the Health and... Last-ditch bid to block NHS reforms The Press Association NHS Reforms: How Will Reforms Affect You? Sky News NHS reforms: Speaker to decide whether to grant debate on risk register The Guardian BBC News- Warrington Guardian- Telegraph.co.uk all 230 news articles

IBNLive.com BJP's hard choice on Karnataka leadership: Split or sack Deccan Herald The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday was in a fix on how to tackle its burgeoning Karnataka crisis: should it chuck its present chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda or risk a split in the state

Hindustan Times Outside support to keep communal forces out: SP chief Hindustan Times Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav attends the oath taking ceremony of his son Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state in Lucknow. AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh The Congress and the Samajwadi Party on Monday took... Ravi Shankar meets Mulayam, Akhilesh IBNLive.com Mulayam rules out SP joining unit by expelling former chief govt at Centre Indian Express minister BS Yeddyurappa to... SP not joining UPA govt: Governance in Karnataka all Mulayam Zee News a b o u t c o r r u p t i o n a n d l o o t : Times of India- Daily News & Congress Daily News & Analysis Analysis- Economic Times BJP suspends 'rebel' RS poll all 147 news articles nominee Hindustan Times Yeddyurappa denies blackmailing central leadership The Hindu Business Standard- IBNLive.com all 267 news articles

24

World News/ Technology/

Curated News Edition

Boat refugees will be assessed as air arrivals - Ballarat Courier

Microsoft off the hook in India censorship case


Don Reisinger (CNET News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:14:57 PM

the move would limit inflammatory content finding its (Nation - Google News) of the last vestiges of the Howard way onto the Internet. government's Pacific Solution. Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:15:35 AM Microsoft has been given a Internet censorship has become a About 1300 asylum seekers who... reprieve in an Indian Web key component in online The Age One visa system to cover all censorship case against several companies' relations with Boat refugees will be assessed as asylum claims The Australian online companies. countries around the world. China air arrivals Twice the chance of asylum in The software giant today was told is perhaps the most notorious Ballarat Courier Australia than Europe or the UK by the Delhi High Court that it censor, taking Web sites down ASYLUM seekers arriving by The Daily Telegraph will not face charges in the national barriers that it believes, violate its laws. boat will be assessed for refugee New single process for all asylum criminal censorship case after the Chinese get past censors and Google went as far as moving its status in the same system as air arrivals The Age company argued that no formal onto Facebook, YouTube, Twitter China search to Hong Kong arrivals from Saturday, as the all 71 news articles allegations were brought against because of the country's stringent federal government removes one it. Microsoft's departure from the For their part, Google and censorship laws. case comes after Yahoo was also Facebook argue that they're In India, the stakes are high for allowed out. p r o t e c t e d u n d e r I n d i a ' s all the companies involved. If The Wall Street Journal was first information technology law, they're found guilty, the firms to report on the news. which they claim protects them could face stiff fines and their The India case is focusing on against content added to sites by executives could be forced to Google and Facebook. Last week, users. The companies have also serve jail time. the Wall Street Journal reported said that when asked, they comply Microsoft did not immediately that the companies were forced to w i t h t a k e d o w n s r e l a t e d t o respond to CNET's request for head to trial in India after they " o b j e c t i o n a b l e " c o n t e n t . comment. were charged with failing to A battle between India and the This entry passed through the censor online content that "will online giants, who are among Full-Text RSS service if this is corrupt minds." Related stories n e a r l y a d o z e n d e f e n d a n t s , your content and you're reading it (TREND HUNTER - The Latest (TREND HUNTER - The Latest Pakistan's Internet filter has the s e e m e d t o b e b r e w i n g i n on someone else's site, please read Trends) Trends) V a l l e y b u z z i n g o v e r w h o ' s December when the government the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentbidding Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:30:02 AM Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:40:03 AM demanded that all Web companies only/faq.php#publishers. Five Facebook, Google in India's prescreen user content before it Filters recommends: Donate to ( T r e n d H u n t e r . c o m ) A n ( TrendHunter.com) While the crosshairs over Web censorship hits the Internet. India's acting Wikileaks. abandoned shopping mall in beautiful flowers that grace the PayPal demands 'obscene' e- telecommunications minister, Reading, Berkshire is set for front lawn of Somerset House in books be pulled Kapil Sibal, said at the time that demolition and will serve as the London appear extremely life- Schmidt: The Web will dissolve perfect location for a real-life like, they are actually part of The Z o m b i e B a t t l e E x p e r i e n c e . Fernando Casasempere Out of Every weekend until the building Sync installation.... is torn down,...

Apocalyptic Shopping Malls The Zombie Battle Experience is a Gory Retail Experience (TrendHunter.com)

Clay Flower Installations - The Fernando Casasempere 'Out of Sync' Display Blooms in London (TrendHunter.com)

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Technology/

25

The Uninspired Smartphone Buyer's Guide for the Early Adopter


Dan Rowinski (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:30:00 AM

through AT&T that gives me phone upgrades every 10 months or so. I keep track of what is Every day we are bombarded by coming down the pipeline from news about a new smartphone on all the OEMs and what carrier's the market. It's fast! It has Ice will be selling them. So, there is a Cream Sandwich! LTE! Yet, for wide net for the search to replace all the new innovations in mobile the Atrix. What are the best technology over the last couple of options? years, the current bumper crop of The problem, as mentioned smartphones on the market is above, is that there just are not relatively uninspiring. Every new any devices on the market that d e v i c e f r o m v a r i o u s cause an early adopter to shiver manufacturers looks surprisingly with excitement. Samsung has a similar to the one that came plethora of devices on the market before. If you are in the market but each one looks like the one for a new smartphone, what are that came before. In many cases, you to do? Samsung devices are the same I n s e a r c h i n g f o r a n e w smartphones that came before, smartphone to replace my dying just rebranded for a different Motorola Atrix, I stopped into a carrier. Follow that up with hoRadioshack to get the lay of the h u m r e l e a s e s f r o m H T C , land. When I asked the sales rep, Motorola, LG and Nokia and the Jeff, what was new and exciting market is thin. on the market right now he just Image: Nokia Lumia 800 shrugged. "It is the end of the first a v a i l a b l e i n E u r o p e quarter," Jeff said. "There is really Jeff from Radioshack likened the nothing exciting out right now." current smartphone market to the Jeff was partially right. There is cereal aisle in a grocery store. nothing exciting out right now but "You walk in looking for a cereal the problem is not just because of and there are like 300 options," the first quarter. For an early Jeff said. "But, when it comes adopter looking for the best new down to it, there are really only device, the landscape has become four. You have your fruity wholly uninspired. cereals, wheat cereals, corn Sponsor cereals and sugary cereals. The Replacing the old Model smartphone market is pretty much As a professional early adopter, I the same thing." have a rotating set of plans Samsung is the largest culprit.

Walk into an AT&T store and tell the sales rep you are looking for a smartphone that is not an iPhone and the first three devices he will show you are Samsung. That includes the ridiculous Galaxy Note, the older Samsung Galaxy S II and the Skyrocket. Ask for an HTC device and you are pointed at the Inspire or the Vivid, both in the middle range of the smartphone scale ($99 on contract). Motorola? Nokia? Yeah, good luck with that. Image: Samsung Nexus S, the flagship device for Android Gingerbread For Verizon, the problem does not get any better. We walked up to a Verizon kiosk at the mall and said, "what is the best phone you have right now?" The sales rep immediately pointed us to Droid Razr Maxx, a smartphone from Motorola that is a Droid Razr with a bigger battery and still only running Android Gingerbread

2.3.5. So, we kept looking. What we realized is that right now is just not a good time to be buying a smartphone if you are an early adopter. On the other hand, if you are a casual consumer, right now is a great time to be buying a smartphone. There are a ton of older devices that are perfectly capable that are very affordable. If you are just looking for a smartphone that works to minimal expectations, the world is your oyster. Note on criteria: Devices need to be relatively new, within the last couple of months or yet to be released. That precludes the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy II from the list even though both are still quality devices. Phones with "4G" LTE and dual-core processors are given precedence as are Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich. The problem with that criteria? We were not able to find many devices that had those particular specs. We have picked three devices from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon as the best bets for early adopters looking for new smartphones. Prices listed on two-year contract. AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD

Price: Unreleased ( Rumor $199) Running: Android 4.1 What to like: This phone is essentially the Samsung Galaxy Nexus rebranded by AT&T. It will likely sport ICS and have NFC and run on AT&T's LTE network. What not to like: Samsung. Since it is not the actual Galaxy Nexus serving as the flagship Android 4.0 device, it will likely be given Samsung's TouchWiz skin or whatever passes for the OEMs Android user interface these days. When we asked the AT&T sales rep what our options were for Android phones running ICS with LTE and NFC capabilities, they looked at us like we were crazy. "We do not have anything like that right now," the rep said. "May, at the very earliest." Nokia Lumia 900 Price: Unreleased ( Rumor $100) Running: Windows Phone Mango What to like: The top end Nokia Lumia devices are some of the finest hardware available on the smartphone market right now. The Lumia 800 series has been available in parts of Europe since November 2011 but only one Lumia device (the 710 on TMobile) has made it stateside. The prediction here is that Nokia will UNINSPIRED page 27

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SoLoMo: CityMaps Nabs $2.5M To Render Your City Social, One Block At A Time
Rip Empson (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:57 PM

Maps have been around for millenia, but for a significant chunk of that time, they remained static, two-dimensional forms, rendered by hand on paper. It sounds crude now, even as services like Wave have us mapping our worlds with our smartphones like explorers of old. Today, with the ridiculous amount of data available on the Web and in the cloud, maps have become something else entirely, our surroundings coming alive in wizbang, interactive 3-D displays. Throw in the level of granularity online maps are capable of, even on mobile, and your onceenthralling lists have become boring bordering on analog. Google Maps is a feat in and of itself, but, again, with the wealth of data now available online about local businesses, their hours of operation, menus, websites, deals, and the ability to interconnect all of them based on location, Ive been waiting for a smart, visual aggregated service like CityMaps. For those unfamiliar, CityMaps transforms the cities of New York, San Francisco, and Austin (with more to come by years end) into block-by-block grids plotted with nearly every local business out there in an effort to help both

natives and newcomers navigate their city. Whats cool about CityMaps is that not only does it include all these local storefronts (from restaurants to dry cleaners), it gives users the ability to mouse over them to see the business latest tweets, reviews, menus, hours of operation even offering daily deals available in realtime based on location (the deals show up as colored dots). The DealMap was one of the first startups to really nail the plotting of daily deals on an interactive map, and unsurprisingly the startup was scooped up by Google last August. There are plenty of awesome deal aggregators out there, but CityMaps wants to be the next generation, the ultimate aggregator not only of location, local business, and deal data, but also of social data, adding another few layers to the interactive map experience. Of course, striving to become a meta aggregator means that theres plenty of opportunity to over-do it, to create a cluttered UI and a disappointing UX. But last week, CityMaps emerged from beta with a cleaner design and a new mapping engine that reduces most of that concern. Users can now see tips and photos from Foursquare, browse deals in real time, or use Facebook Connect login to see social data along with

tweets from local businesses refreshed every hour. The startup also released its iOS app, which brought the services to mobile for the first time, meaning that users can now click on businesses to make dinner reservations via OpenTable (pretty handy), buy movie tickets, find Foursquare deals from local merchants, read reviews, and look up the next BART or subway departure time from the Web and on mobile. CityMaps Cofounders Elliot Cohen and Aaron Rudenstine tell us that an Android app is on its way in the next month, as is an iPad-specific app. The latter in particular will be huge, as the map experience can be a little condensed on the iPhone, but it should have a terrific user experience when customized for the iPad. Just as Waze and OpenStreetMap are trying to offer Wikipediastyle, crowdsourced map experiences, this was the original inspiration behind CityMaps, said Cohen, whose background in real estate and urban planning convinced him that the Web was in dire need of a map that went beyond deals and directional navigation, something that combined a virtual representation of a city with White pages business data and friendsourcing. Its certainly the intersection of a

handful of much-buzzed about trends in technology, as every big tech company tries to get a piece of the SoLoMo pie. And that last piece is really significant, because while services like Yelp, Foursquare, and Google (in about 5 different products) offer various pieces of this, Foursquare is still thought of as a check-in service, Yelp a reviews service, and Google Maps as a directions-providing tool. That gives DealMaps plenty of room to be free from pigeonholing and to define itself as a mix. My experience on Yelp mobile recently has left a lot to be desired, with slow map rendering and just a glitchy user experience. That being said, Yelp offers the best categorization function out there, allowing local business discovering through filtering by proximity, price, whether the service is open or not, and the cofounders assure us that this kind of drilling down is coming soon to CityMaps. If it adds Google Street Views, more high-level filtering, and another important piece a meta score for businesses which takes into account Foursquare and Zagat ratings, Yelp reviews, etc., giving the business one overall score, whether its based on stars or a number scale this is going to be one killer business.

Which brings up the matter of revenue streams. Its not completely clear how CityMaps will make money, it could charge businesses a small fee to fill out their profile page (although its doing that for free now), or amplify Twitter and Foursquare for marketing purposes, or do lead generation. The service just came out of beta last week, so theres time yet. CityMaps also raised $1 million in angel funding at the end of 2010, and is now officially announcing its $2.5 million Series A round, closed earlier this year. Investors include Dave Leyrer, a former VC, and Dave Levin, president of 360i.com and an angel investor. The startups advisors include Neil Vogel, the co-founder of the Webby Awards and Netted.com as well as Zander Lurie, SVP of Strategic Development at CBS and a board member at SurveyMonkey. Both these advisors and its new infusion of capital will help the startup improve upon its Web UI and continue to add much-needed features that will put its UX above and beyond the other players in the space. But, in doing so, it will very likely become an acquisition target for one of the bigger SOLOMO: page 34

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UNINSPIRED
continued from page 25

sell a decent amount of smartphones in the U.S based on the 900's hardware because once consumers hold it in their hands, it is hard to put back down. This device is predicted to land at AT&T at the end of March. What not to like: It depends on how you feel about Windows Phone, which will be the argument for any non-Android device on this list. The app ecosystem falls short of expectations set by iOS and Android and the UI takes quite a bit of getting used to coming from the two dominant smartphone operating systems. HTC One X Price: Unreleased ( Rumor $199+) Running: Android 4.0 What to like: HTC had a poor 2011 and saw sales drop against the wave of Samsung devices flooding the market. Part of that was Samsung's fault but HTC's Android devices were relatively tame updates to their existing smartphones that took the Android ecosystem by storm in 2011. The early reviews of the HTC One series are positive coming out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. The HTC One series, which is expected to have an iteration on every U.S. carrier is a quad-core dynamo with robust specs. For the early adopter, this may actually be a device to get

excited about. What not to like: When ICS was announced, one of the big worries for OEMs like HTC were the fact that a lot of what made HTC different - its Sense UI - was integrated into Android 4.0. We will see when the HTC One X hits the market if it holds to the same standards that HTC has come to be known for. Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus Price:$299 Running: Android 4.0 What to like: The flagship ICS device. Pure unadulterated Android with NFC, LTE and a dual-core processor. If you are an Android fan the device you want is the flagship for newest flavor of the operating system. What not to like: Verizon is playing tough with Google Wallet hence handicapping one of the better features of the operating system. What precludes the carrier from blocking other great Android features? Motorola Droid Razr Maxx Price:$299 Running: Android 2.3.5 What to like: For all its woes, Motorola still makes decent hardware. If the Atrix that I am replacing is an indication though, that hardware may not hold up over the long haul. The Razr Maxx is Motorola's answer to the first Droid Razr that was incredibly thin and slick except

lacked decent battery life. The Razr Maxx essentially provides a bigger battery. What not to like: It is mildly amazing that Motorola does not yet have a smartphone running Ice Cream Sandwich and only one (the Droid Fighter?) rumored in the pipeline. The specs page for the Razr Maxx says it will be upgradeable to ICS but consumers have come not to trust over the air upgrade cycles and promises from carriers and OEMs. HTC Rezound Price:$199 Running: Android 2.3.7 What to like: Honestly, it was really hard finding another Verizon smartphone, released or unreleased, to be included in this list. Outside of the Samsung Galaxy S II, iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus S, there are not a lot of other phone to really like coming from Verizon. At least AT&T has three unreleased devices that could be considered mildly exciting. The Rezound is the precursor to whatever HTC One devices come to Verizon and is essentially the same undifferentiated offering from HTC. If you like HTC Sense and big screens (4.3 inches), this is what you will like about this phone. What not to like: Pretty much just covered that with what you like section. Sprint

LG Viper Price: Unreleased Running: Android 2.3.5 What to like: This smartphone is still mostly a rumor at this point but internal documents leaked during CES in January say that it will be a Gingerbread device running LTE. It also is apparently eco-friendly, made from recycled materials. What not to like: There has not been an LG device that has inspired excitement since in the last five years. Also running Gingerbread when LG has smartphones in the pipeline ready for ICS. Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch Price:$199 Running: Android 2.3 What to like: Well, it is a Samsung Galaxy II, more or less. Outside of the iPhone 4S, this is the best smartphone being offered by Sprint right now. What not to like: That aforementioned Samsung problem and the fact that it is running Gingerbread. Sprint loves to take Samsung Galaxy devices and give them design tweaks and overlylong names. Just look at the phone (pictured right) and ask yourself: how is that any different from smartphones we have been seeing for the last two years? iPhone 4S Price:$199+ Running: iOS 5

What to like: It is an iPhone. On Sprint. What not to like: It is an iPhone. On Sprint. How Excited Are You? Yes, we broke our criteria for the final smartphone on Sprint's network but look at that list above and the original point has been proven: there are not a lot of great new devices on the market and few exciting devices in the pipeline. We would have included T-Mobile on the list but, frankly, the pickings were pretty slim in comparison to even Sprint. Android devices have created a ubiquitous market for consumers looking for smartphones in the $0 -$150 price range. The Droid Razr, Bionic and Atrix 2 are fine devices if you do not mind getting something a little older. What is the most exciting device in the pipeline? Probably the Nokia Lumia 900 or one of the HTC One smartphones. There is a reason that the iPhone has dominated smartphone sales in the U.S. followed by Samsung. When it comes to quality devices and cross-market ubiquity, those are the two OEMs that have the most and best offerings. What device are you looking to buy? What tipped your scales towards that device? Let us know in the comments. Discuss

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Do You Value Your Internet Privacy?


Alicia Eler (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 1:00:00 PM

collecting information to shape future search results was a good thing. When this data collection The personal data that you so coincides with commerce, will the freely provide to Internet sites is results differ? worth something. Yet it's unclear The ENISA study is the largest how much individuals actually laboratory experiment in the field understand the cost-benefit trade- of privacy economics to date. offs that they undertake when Four-hundred and forty-three making purchase on the Internet. participants were invited to a lab What does it mean to disclose in Berlin, and were asked to buy personal data? movie tickets from one of two A study released by the European online sites. By default, each Network and Information Security company asked for names, birth Agency (ENISA) analyzes the dates and email addresses. One of monetization of privacy, or a t h e c o m p a n i e s a s k e d f o r consumer's decision of disclosure additional information - a mobile or non-disclosure of personal data phone number. In exchange, i n r e l a t i o n t o a p u r c h a s e participants were charged 50 Euro transaction. The researchers cents less (approximately 65 cents investigated whether or not U.S.). customers of online services Of the participants, only one in would pay a mark-up to an online three (or 29%) paid extra in order service provider who protected to not submit their cellphone their information better? number. A tiny 9% paid to avoid Sponsor receiving marketing emails. Price Online privacy is becoming differences aside, 80% went with increasingly important in the the company that collected less w a k e o f F a c e b o o k ' s p u b l i c personal data. On the whole, 74% offering and Google's one-size- of Europeans say that they believe fits-all privacy policy. A recent disclosing personal data is an study from Pew reported that increasing part of modern life. most Americans were "anxious" Only 43% say they have been about the personal information a s k e d f o r m o r e d a t a t h a n that search engines and websites necessary when trying to obtain collected from them: 65% were access to an online service. worried that it would create a According to ENISA, 47% of filter bubble-like effect. Only service providers treated personal 29% thought search engines data as a commercial asset; 48%

sites like Fab.com, Ticketmaster and TripAdvisor, users need to be increasingly aware of how much information they are divulging. The Ticketmaster on Facebook app, for example, asks for basic info, profile info (including description, interests and likes), events, events shared with you and your music activity. The app might also post on your behalf, mentioning events you attended, events you bought tickets to and admitted to sharing data with third an ambiguous "more," which is parties. not explained on the easily In the European Commission's clickable permissions dialog report, Communication of the screen. Digital Agenda of Europe, it There is a tiny privacy policy lin states that a lack of trust in the k somewhere on that Ticketmaster online environment is hampering screen, however. It explains the the development of Europe's e x t e n s i v e c o l l e c t i o n o f o n l i n e e c o n o m y . N a t u r a l l y , information by third parties, consumers are less apt to shop including cobranded pages, online if they feel like their rights transactions with e-commerce are not being protected. Facebook partners, vendors and advertisers, Social Commerce and Access to third party advertising and third Your Information party links. In the information we Targeted advertisements and collect section, Ticketmaster personalization aren't a new clearly states that it collects both controversy. Last year's European p e r s o n a l l y i d e n t i f i a b l e Commission's crackdown on the information (residential address, w a y F a c e b o o k g a t h e r s telephone number or billing information about European users, information) and non-personally which aimed to ban targeted i d e n t i f i a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n adverting unless users wanted it, ( a g g r e g a t e d i n f o r m a t i o n , was one step forward in the face demographic info, IP addresses, of a privacy-less world. geographic location and "other As Facebook social commerce information that does not reveal apps continue to expand, with your specific identity). Discuss

Fab.com on track to make $100m in sales in 2012


Olivia Solon
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:14:04 AM

Online design retailer Fab.com is on track to take more than $100m (63m) in sales in 2012, having only launched in February 2011, according to founders Jason Goldberg and Bradford Shellhammer. The company famously pivoted from being a social networking site with 150,000 users to an "Amazon.com for design" last year. "We didn't want to spend another dollar or another day working on something we didn't believe in," said Goldberg, speaking at theLondon Web Summit. They shut down the old business and developed a new vision for a design retailer with discoverability at its heart. "A lot of the time people don't know what they need and just want to discover," Goldberg added. By: Olivia Solon, Edited by: Dan Smith Continue reading...

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The Agony and Ecstasy of Mike Daisey


David Strom (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:29:03 AM

The story of Mike Daisey and Foxconn's labor practices is a story of our times: what is truth and what is fiction, how workers at a Chinese factory that supplies many tech products are treated, and how we as Americans should feel about the people who make our iThings and other tech toys. Daisey is the monologist of the widely popular stage play, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" that just finished a second run at New York's Public Theater, one of my favorite venues. In the show, he describes the state of the Foxconn factory that he visited several years ago: the employment of underage workers, their long hours, a worker who is maimed, guards at the gates and other details. Turns out he didn't really observe much of this, and took liberties with the facts. Sponsor This all came undone when Ira Glass, the producer of "This American Life" radio program put Daisey on one of his shows in January, at about the same time that various news reports appeared in the New York Times and elsewhere about Chinese tech labor abuses.

Glass is one of my heroes: I have seen him live do a stage version of how he puts together his show, and I am an avid listener too. He was uncomfortable with Daisey's portrayal and when one of radio colleagues who covers China raised red flags, he dug deeper. So deep that he ended up retracting much of what Daisey stated as "fact" in a radio show broadcast last week. I believe this is the first such time that Glass has done this in many years on the air and with producing hundreds of broadcasts. It is an extraordinary piece of radio. The hour-long broadcast is at times painful to listen to but shows the efforts that Glass and his staff had to go through to get at exactly what happened, and what is happening at Foxconn. Daisey squirms and evades direct questions. He posits that there are two levels of factual accuracy: one for journalists and one for the theater. He apologizes to Glass, but only for allowing his work to be aired on a news show, not for lying to his listeners. Daisey, on his blog, states in his defense about his monologue: "It uses a combination of fact, memoir, and dramatic license to tell its story, and I believe it does so with integrity....What I do is not

journalism. The tools of the theater are not the same as the tools of journalism." Well, let's just say that I have a different definition of integrity than Daisey does. When I write my stories that you read, I try to make sure that I have accurate information ALL THE TIME. To me, my veracity is a nonrenewable resource: once it is

lead icon was taken). But no matter whether what is and isn't true, there is a bigger issue, and one that Glass gets to in the waning moments of his broadcast last week. How do we, as consumers of tech, feel about using products that are produced from less than humane working conditions? A hundred years ago or so, American factories employed underage workers (you can see the fine documentary photos of Lewis Hine here that brought this practice to an end), long hours, and unsafe working conditions. It is as if, as Glass says, that we have exported this time capsule to China. Daisey's efforts and other actual news reports have shed some light on these practices, that much is true. And eventually Foxconn was motivated to raise their workers' salaries, as the Times reported here last month. But that could be gone, you the reader aren't coming because of increased competition, back. not increased compassion. The whole Daisey dust-up is In the meantime, if you have the doubly ironic, since one of his time, listen to Glass' program. earlier monologues was called And think about these issues the Truth. It follows the fictional and next time you buy your tech gear. nonfictional stories of James Frey. Discuss Frey, you might remember, was outed on Oprah as making up many of the elements in his own memoirs (and from which our

Financial Services Authority calls insurers to heel over pet cover


Emma Simon (Finance News Business news from the UK and world)

Pressure is growing on Lloyds Banking Group to offer compensation to the thousands of

pet owners who have had their insurance cover abruptly withdrawn.

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CafePress To Acquire T-Shirt Competitor Logod Softwear For $8.3M


Sarah Perez (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:44:28 AM

CafePress, the company that allows customers to design, buy and sell merchandise including tshirts, hats, bags, mugs, stickers, and more, has entered into an agreement to acquire customized clothing seller Logod Softwear, Inc. The acquisition, which was noted in an amendment recently filed to CafePress, Inc.s S-1, states that the agreement allows CafePress to purchase all the assets of Logod for $8.3 million, with $7.5 million in cash and $800,000 in shares of common stock. Launched in 1999, CafePress filed its IPO papers back in June 2011. Last week, the company provided more details about its plans. CafePress took in $175.5 million in revenue last year, up 37% from $127.9 million in 2010. 4.5 million shares (2.5M from the company and 2M from selling shareholders) will be made available for $16-$18 each,

raising between $72 million and $81 million. CafePress says it expects to receive about $36.7 million, after costs, which it plans to use for working capital and capital expenditures. The company is now in an SEC quiet period, so it cannot comment on the details of the planned acquisition at this time. However, the amendment notes that the company expects to close the acquisition during the second quarter of 2012. For background, Logod Softwear Inc. is the 17-year old company behind custom sportswear outlet LogoSportwear.com, as well as team uniform printers TeamSportswear.com, school apparel site Custom School Sportswear and a t-shirt print shop Custom T-Shirts Printed. To date, nearly 4 million designs have been created online at the companys properties. Like CafePress, Logod allows users to set up their own Share and Sell stores with zero cost and

inventory management its all print-on-demand. CafePress currently has print productions facilities in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as in Portland, Oregon as a result of its acquisition of Canvas On Demand, LLC, and Raleigh, N.C., as a result of acquiring L&S Ventures, Inc. When and if the Logod deal completes, the company will be able to add additional facilities in Connecticut. The key details from the S-1 read as follows: In March 2012, we entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Logod Softwear, Inc., an ecommerce provider of personalized apparel and merchandise for groups and organizations. The asset purchase agreement provides for a total initial purchase price of $8.3 million, consisting of $7.5 million in cash and $0.8 million in shares of CafePress common stock priced as of the closing date, as

well as contingent rights for the principal stockholder to receive up to $8.6 million in future performance-based cash consideration. In addition, in connection with, and upon closing of, the acquisition, the principal stockholder will receive CafePress stock options to purchase shares of our common stock with an aggregate value of up to $2.1 million, with vesting based on the achievement of certain performance milestones. The contingent right to future earn -out payments will expire either March 31, 2016, or June 30, 2016, depending on the closing date of the acquisition. The acquisition is anticipated to close during the second quarter of 2012, subject to obtaining the requisite approvals and other customary closing conditions. We may not be able to close this acquisition as planned or at all, and may be unable to successfully integrate this business or realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.

Apple will spend 28 billion rewarding shareholders and buying back shares
Mark Brown
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:21:00 AM

Banks take a nasty bite out of Premier Foods


Helia Ebrahimi (Finance News Business news from the UK and world)

Apple is to spend almost half of its $97.6 billion (61.4 bn) cash pile to pay dividends to its shareholders and buy back some of its shares. CEO Tim Cook announced the plans in a conference call, on 19 March. Apple, now the world's most valuable company, will pay a quarterly dividend to shareholders of $2.65 (1.66) per share from July 2012. The company hopes that this expensive move will make its stock a more attractive investment, and help it pull in a wider base of investors. It marks the first time since 1995 that Apple will split its profits with shareholders. By: Mark Brown, Edited by: Nate Lanxon Continue reading...

Tut, tut, tut. Don't the banks realise Mr Kipling's cakes are exceedingly good?

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Microsoft preps massive Windows Phone App Hub expansion


Chris Burns (SlashGear)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:37 PM

This week is the beginning of Microsofts biggest push ever for the expansion of their App Hub for Windows Phone, developers being tipped to Prepare now and beat the crowd for 23 new marketplaces around the world. With the Windows Phone Tango expansion of the mobile operating system made to access devices with lower-tiered specifications for less expensive smartphones as well, Microsoft is now coming at a vast new set of markets in lower -income areas of the planet everywhere from Bulgaria to the Ukraine. This move is set to not only allow Microsoft to sell one whole heck of a lot more phones, but provide a much more lucrative arena for app developers working with their Windows Phone platform. This new move has the Windows App Hub, that being the App Store for Microsofts mobile OS, Windows Phone Marketplaces in other words, put into 23 new locations the world over. These locations include Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica,

Tango hands-on on Feb 16th 2012 Windows Phone Tango toting ZTE Orbit and Tania revealed on Feb 27th 2012 Windows Phone Tango experience diluted Microsoft admits on Mar 8th 2012 Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh tipped to Tango on Mar 12th 2012 Windows Phone Tango leaks: ported to HTC HD2 on Mar 16th 2012 Microsoft is also noting to prospective app developers that theres now a 7 day wait period for app approval for any and all apps before they reach the market. Keep on working with the Windows Phone platform for vast rewards in the future, folks! [ via Windows Phone Developer Blog] Microsoft preps massive Windows Phone App Hub expansion is written by Chris Burns& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Developers have only to visit the App Hub once its been updated to include these markets and tap the markets theyd like to work with. If instead a developer would like to simply hit worldwide theyll be included in the new markets as

well. The update coming out now does not include the new App Hub locations yet, with new markets also including certain certifications that youll need to work with in order to comply with local laws and regulations. Youll have to check out Section 3.10 of Microsofts content policy to see full details on Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Story Timeline

Nokia Champagne Windows Phone Tango device uncovered on Nov 10th 2011 Windows Tango getting C++ support, 120 languages on Jan 30th 2012 Nokia Lumia 610 tipped as inexpensive Tango hero on Feb 14th 2012 Windows Phone Lumia 610 may be key to Tango update puzzle on Feb 15th 2012 LG Fantasy or Miracle gets

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Zynga Is In Talks To Buy Draw Something Maker OMGPOP


Kim-Mai Cutler (TechCrunch)

price range of $5 to $20 million. But it did make a fantastic deal in Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:45:20 AM late 2010 to buy Words With Zynga is in talks to acquire Friends-maker Newtoy for $53.3 OMGPOP, the maker of massive million in cash and stock a hit Draw Something, according to price that looks positively low in a source with direct knowledge of retrospect. After buying Newtoy, the discussions. Talks are still in Zynga was able to double Words an earlier stage and its my With Friends daily active users in understanding that there may be 120 days. By the time it had filed other Japanese buyers that are still for a public offering, Zynga had pursuing the company. grown its mobile footprint by When asked for comment, Zynga tenfold, largely on the back of said it does not comment on Newtoys titles. rumor or speculation. Given that For Zynga, this is a question of OMGPOP has raised around $17 buy or build. On the one million to date, Id expect the hand, Zynga could launch a price for this deal to be in the competing title like Draw With $150 to $250 million range. In e- Friends or as one intrepid m a i l s o v e r t h e w e e k e n d , commenter suggested last week, OMGPOP chief executive Dan Doodles With Acquaintances. P o r t e r a l s o d i d n t a n s w e r But that would mean it would questions about interest from come several months late to the Japanese buyers like GREE or market and then it would split the DeNA. market with OMGPOP. This has If it did happen, it would be happened with several other Z y n g a s b i g g e s t p u b l i c l y genres of games that Zynga has disclosed acquisition to date. entered like animal care-taking Zyngas track record is mostly in and tower titles. acquiring small teams for a talent- Alternatively, an acquisition at

the right price could be a big win for Zynga. Draw Something is an ideal fit for Zyngas With Friends line-up. Over the past year, the former Newtoy team has launched Scramble With Friends and Hanging With Friends among other titles. If Zynga scooped up Draw Something, it could take the games existing base, grow it further or use it to cross-promote future mobile gaming titles. Draw Something has racked up more than 30 million downloads in five weeks. Plus, Draw Something has been such an unexpected hit that its taking some of the wind out of Zyngas momentum on mobile. OMGPOPs title just became the largest game on Facebook by daily users last week. So an OMGPOP acquisition could send the right message to investors that Zynga is keeping its foot on the gas pedal as it expands beyond the Facebook platform. This story is developing.

AT&T sets single day sales, activation record with iPad


Steven Sande (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)

speed when they're mobile. As of the end of the December quarter, Apple had sold 55 million Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:30:00 PM iPads. Piper Jaffray analyst and While the company hasn't TUAW favorite Gene Munster provided specific numbers, AT&T noted last week that he expected announced this morning that the Apple to move over a million new iPad set a single-day sales iPads on Friday. Since Wall Street and activation record in the 24 expects Apple to sell about 10.1 hours of availability. million iPads in the current In a short statement from AT&T, quarter, the hot launch of the the company said that it had latest iPad could be the first sign encountered "robust demand for o f a n o t h e r r e c o r d - b r e a k i n g the new iPad." Shortly thereafter, q u a r t e r . Apple CEO Tim Cook echoed AT&T sets single day sales, those comments during this activation record with iPad m o r n i n g ' s " c a s h c a l l " b y originally appeared on TUAW announcing a record weekend of The Unofficial Apple Weblog on iPad sales. Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. While AT&T's 4G LTE network Please see our terms for use of is much smaller than that of feeds. competitor Verizon, the new iPad Source| Permalink| Email this| -- which is the first to support 4G Comments LTE -- could be a real draw for AT&T customers who want more

Curated News Edition

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On buying iPads for your kids


Steven Sande (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 1:00:00 PM

When it comes to talking about buying iPads for kids, I'm probably the last person to ask since I have no children. That's why it's a good thing that Wired's Brad Moon wrote a lovely post in which he explains his reasons for purchasing an iPad for each of his three children. For Moon, the decision wasn't made just because the family had moved wholeheartedly into a digital lifestyle -- replacing books with ebooks, cable with Apple TVs and streaming video, traditional photography with digital, and more. His kids are gamers and Moon saw an upgrade to a Nintendo 3DS handheld coming up. As Moon put it, "If three kids were to eventually upgrade, that's $150 each for the 3DS hardware. Cartridges run $20 to $40 apiece and I don't know about your household, but in mine there will be skirmishes over popular titles." OK, so we're now talking about a total close to the cost of a single 16 GB iPad. But Moon and his wife started thinking about the bigger picture. Their family does a lot of driving trips, and the iPad -- with its 10 hour battery life -- is perfect for keeping kids engaged

Christian World Adoption


noreply@blogger.com (Ad ServeRSS) (AdServRSS Feed)

and entertained. Moon notes that every time a new game came out for Nintendo, he needed to spend an average of $30 for a cartridge ... per kid. iPad games are more reasonably priced at $1 to $5, and everyone gets the game with one purchase. The iPads aren't there just for fun. Moon says that he finds many apps that are available for helping his kids learn, including math and French quiz apps. And since there's only one computer available for the Moon kids to use for homework, the individual iPads offer a great way for them

to do research and take notes -anywhere. Lest you think that all writers are loaded with cash, Moon notes that Apple's refurb store is the perfect place to find decent hardware at reasonable prices. As he mentions, a first-generation refurb was available (with a one-year warranty) for $299, and now iPad 2s are available for $399 every day. He also recommends buying the iPad(s) in lieu of other Christmas presents as a way to ease the monetary pain a bit. Have you bought iPads for the kids, or handed down a first or

Christian World Adoption is one of the largest international adoption agencies in the United States. Since 1991, Christian World Adoption has placed second-generation iPad to the thousands of children from young ones? Do you find that the Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and iPad is a great investment in the Latin America. These children future of your children? Tell us now enjoy the love and security of about your experiences in the a forever family. Christian World Adoption currently offers comments below. On buying iPads for your kids adoption programs in Bulgaria, originally appeared on TUAW - China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. and Ukraine. Explore our website Please see our terms for use of to learn more about international adoption. Then, when youre feeds. Source| Permalink| Email this| ready, call our friendly adoption counselor, toll free, at Comments 1.888.97ADOPT.

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Technology/ Finance/

Curated News Edition

Portal Gun replicas sale details revealed


Chris Burns (SlashGear)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:17:12 PM

SOLOMO:
continued from page 26

Theres a limited edition Portal Gun coming to your doorstep via ThinkGeek, all you fans of the fantastic cult classic game, and its the 1:1 replica you may never have known youve always needed. This gun is the same youve seen in the Portal Series in both the first and second editions, you being able here to toss some C batteries in, start it up, and blast some GLaDOS friendly sound effects and lights into the atmosphere at will. This Portal Gun replica is limited to 5000 pieces worldwide and has been announced for sale on the 18th of May by ThinkGeek today! The Portal series has long been a favorite amongst gamers looking for not only a fantastic fun-filled puzzle-room experience, but a bit of deranged humor along the way as well. Truly it is appropriate then that the makers of this gun, NECA, have chosen ThinkGeek to be one of the few to sell it. This is Aperture Sciences Handheld Portal Device, a fabulous masterpiece of science, and youll

Portal Video Game Live Action Video Short Blows Internet Away on Aug 24th 2011 Portal 2 takes your holiday shopping to a new dimension this season on Dec 2nd 2011 Skyrim Portal crossover brings robots to the realm on Feb 8th 2012 Awesome replica Portal gun up for pre-order on Feb 9th 2012 Portal ported to Android in homebrew edition on Feb 14th 2012 Super Mario Bros. + Portal = Mari0 on Mar 5th 2012 Portal 2 alternate realities detailed by Valve writers on Mar 9th 2012 be owning it very, very soon. Inside youve got orange and blue LED lights, unique sound effects for each color, and a threeway switch that allows for blue, orange, or off modes. Youve got a trigger that activates the firing mechanism, and the claws out front are both extendable and posable. This unit is weighted so you can pose it nicely without need of a special stand, and it does indeed require 3 C batteries to make it work scientific! This device is 8.5-inches wide at its thickest point and 30-inches long with the claws retracted. Get ready for testing, and expect no cake. Story Timeline Portal 2 on sale today! [Video] on Apr 19th 2011 DIY Portal turret has motion detection and laser eye on May 10th 2011 [ via ThinkGeek] Portal Gun replicas sale details revealed is written by Chris Burns& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

players, if it isnt already. Theres a lot to be said for allowing people to experience a granular view of their city in a much more visual way than just listing points on the map. Building on this will be critical for the startup, as will it be to beef up its infrastructure, making sure that rendering and data processing stay at peak performance as it attempts to roll out into 25 to 30 cities by the end of this year (including a few international locations). For more on CityMaps, check them out at home on the Web here and on the App Store here.

Debt crisis: Live


Martin Strydom (Finance News - Business news from the UK and world)

Daily iPad App: Word Jigsaw challenges you to spell while you complete a puzzle
Kelly Hodgkins (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:00 PM

The European Commission wants to broaden its regulatory sweep to include "shadow" banking, the

46 trillion sector blamed for helping trigger the financial crisis.

Word Jigsaw mixes 35 of my DAILY page two

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35

Microsoft gaming helmet revealed in patent


Ben Kersey (SlashGear)

a smartphone. Patent Bolt have discovered Microsofts patent that lays out a It wasnt too long ago that we display system worked into learned Google were working on goggles, glasses, and a helmet, special glasses that would bring designed to display two different smartphone like functionality to images simultaneously. However, your eyes. Most notably, Google the human eye cant focus on such were aiming to heavily feature a close image, requiring a system augmented reality, overlaying that would display the images as information onto the real world as if they were further away from the you wear the glasses. Now a eye. patent reveals that Microsoft may Microsofts proposal is to utilize be working on similar concepts: a pair of laser beams, acting as one designed to be a gaming projectors, which would correctly helmet, with another posing as a display the images. Since the pair of sunglasses to be used with p r o j e c t o r s b e a m t h e i m a g e
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:18:06 PM

Given the patent, Microsoft could potentially build a device that would augment games and add more depth to the experience. Take the helmet, for example: imagine wearing it during a flight combat game, with a HUD being displayed on the helmet, while the main action is happening on your television. Microsoft gaming helmet revealed in patent is written by directly in front of the users eyes, used for displaying video, or a Ben Kersey& originally posted on the glasses (or helmet) are virtual reality: the projectors SlashGear. designed specifically to be the could feasibly be transparent, 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All correct distance. allowing the viewer to continue right reserved. The devices wouldnt just be seeing the world around them.

DAILY
continued from page 34

favorite games. It's a word game that challenges you to spell words and it's a puzzle game that requires you to build a jigsaw puzzle. The game starts with a puzzle that has a variety of pieces. You can choose the puzzle size -the tiny one has five pieces while the giant one has twenty. Each piece has letters that are used to spell a word. The game tracks your time while you build the puzzle and spell the words. If you get stuck, there's a hint button that'll place a puzzle piece for you. You can't just put the pieces together and hope the words turn out right. On more than one occasion, I was able to complete the puzzle, but the words were

wrong. In those cases, I had to start over and build the words first and then fit the puzzle pieces together. There's no game center integration, but the app keeps track of your time and shows your average completion time and your record time in the stats section. If you enjoy word games, then Word Jigsaw deserves a spot on your iPad or iPhone because it's both challenging and fun. It's not a mindless game, but one that requires you to think and plan as you build your words. Word Jigsaw supports the retina iPad and is a universal app that's available for both the iPad and the iPhone. The free version includes ads and three levels, but you can remove the ads and unlock all the

levels by purchasing the full game for US$1.99. You can also buy a bucket of hints for 99-cents which will remove the ads. Daily iPad App: Word Jigsaw challenges you to spell while you complete a puzzle originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. (TREND HUNTER - The Latest Source| Permalink| Email this| Trends) Comments
Submitted at 3/19/2012 5:20:06 AM

Diet-Specific Booze Guides The Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory Lists Animal-Free Alcohol (TrendHunter.com)

Facebook Photos: The Key to a Successful Social Media Campaign - Mashable


(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:40:46 AM

( TrendHunter.com) Those who dont eat animal products may want to check out the Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory to ensure that their drink of choice fits their dietary restrictions this coming St.Patricks day....

Facebook Photos: The Key to a Successful Social Media Campaign Mashable While Facebook marketing strategies shift with every new iteration and development from the network, one thing remains the same: The stories that jump out from our Timelines and News Feeds are told with photos. If you doubt the relative importance of...

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Technology/

Curated News Edition

West Coast highway just got a lot more EVfriendly


Suzanne Ashe (CNET News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:02:43 PM

Press reported. According to the story, EV drivers from the northern border Vehicles like this Nissan Leaf of California to Cottage Grove, will be able to charge in about 20 Ore., can stop at any one of eight minutes at stations along the stations, which are spaced out 'Electric Highway.' along the road about every 25 Say goodbye to range anxiety-- miles, for free. well, while heading through the Electric vehicles charge at three Pacific Northwest, anyway. different levels: Level 1 DC, for A 160-mile stretch of Interstate 5, example, uses 110 volts and dubbed the Electric Highway, vehicles charge over-night. Level now offers a little piece of mind 2 uses 240 volts, and can charge a for EV drivers, the Associated car in three to four hours. But the

Nissan Leaf, which uses 480 volts at Level 3, can go from a 20 percent charge to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes.

California, Oregon, and Washington set plans into motion in 2009 to turn I-5 into an Electric Highway.

This is the first major section of the West Coast highway to be outfitted with that many charging stations along a single route. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Panasonic Lumix GF5 leaked by fashion model


Shawn Low (CNET News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:52:36 AM

The very first image of the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 was supposedly leaked by a triggerhappy Instagram user named Angelababy who posted the image to her user profile, according to 4/ 3 Rumors. A quick check of her account

shows the image has since been removed, but the rumor site speculates that Angelbaby could be a model involved in a commercial shoot with the new camera. Meanwhile, a secondary source has also provided leaked images of the GF5, which is shown to be available in black and white. The source of the leak goes so far as to

say the low-light performance of the GF5 could be as good as

Canon's mid-range dSLRs, the EOS 7D and 60D. Judging by aesthetics alone, we think the design of the GF5 doesn't stray too far from the older GF3. Panasonic has declined to comment. (Source: Crave Asia) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is

your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Curated News Edition

Technology/ Economy/

37

Carmageddon: European New Car Sales Crash, Worst February in History


noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:42:00 AM

European entrepreneurs need to put more money back into the market
Olivia Solon
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:38:00 AM

European entrepreneurs and investors need to be encouraged to put money back into the market in the way that those in Silicon Valley do, argued Nick Halstead, founder of Datasift, at the London Web Summit. Speaking on a panel that asked "Do European startups have the capital they need?", Halstead said that after Facebook's IPO there will be 1,000 people who will suddenly become angel investors

Carmageddon Truth About Cars reports European New Car Sales Have Worst February Of The Millennium The European new car market crashed in February. According to data released by the European manufacturers association ACEA, new car sales were down 9.7 percent in February. Two months into the year, car sales in because "that's the culture". Nic Brisbourne, partner at DFJ the EU are down 8.3 percent from Esprit, argued that the European the same period a year earlier. The harmless looking startup and VC system is at a very percentages hide the fact that this early stage and has had a horrible childhood, including the dot com February was the worst of the crash and the global financial millennium. Only 888,878 units crisis. "A bunch of people who changed hands in the EU27 in made money in 1999 and 2000 February, the lowest level since then reinvested and then learned comparing months made sense that it sucks," he said, adding, (going back further is futile, the "we need successful entrepreneurs EU was much smaller then) Even during carmageddon, and successful case studies." By: Olivia Solon, Edited by: Dan European had not seen a February as bad as this one. Smith Continue reading... EU basket cases Greece and Portugal saw their new car sales nearly halved. These are relatively unimportant markets, by now, tiny

Luxemburg has more car sales than Greece. If Greece would leave the EU, it would not even register in the car statistics. What hurts much more is the deterioration of the volume markets. France is down 20.2 percent, not boding well for PSA and Renault. Italy is down 18.9 percent, putting pressure on Fiat. Flat sales in Germany spared Europe a double digit tanking. I commend author Bertel Schmitt for an excellent report. Click on the top link for model specific data. Mike "Mish" Shedlock h t t p : / / globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot. com Click Here To Scroll Thru My

Recent Post List Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http:// www.sitkapacific.com/ account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

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Policy/

Curated News Edition

A New Challenge for Our Military: Honest Introspection - By David Rothkopf


DAVID ROTHKOPF (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:37:46 AM

It's time to hold the generals accountable for Afghanistan and Iraq. BY DAVID ROTHKOPF| MARCH 19, 2012 We have lost more than lives in our wars in the Middle East, more than money, more than precious elements of our national reputation. We have also lost our ability to judge our actions or their consequences with a critical eye. Yes, certainly there has been national debate about whether we should have been involved in those wars, one that has belatedly delivered the message to our political leadership that it is time to bring our troops home. But about one crucial array of issues concerning our involvement we have been stunningly silent: the competence of our military leaders, the effectiveness of the strategies they have employed, and the very structure and character of our military itself. Clearly, recent headlines have underscored the difficulty we have had achieving our overall objectives in both Afghanistan and Iraq -- after a decade of massive costs in lives and resources -- and raised serious questions about discipline,

morale, and the consequences of our actions, both intended and otherwise. And while our political leadership must ultimately be held responsible, it is fair and indeed

urgently important to ask to what degree our top military commanders should also be held accountable. Perhaps our silence is

understandable -- to a degree. It was a national scandal how badly our troops were treated in the wake of the Vietnam War. They had sacrificed greatly and served

with honor, and it was wrong to take them to task as a group for the misjudgments of those who NEW page 39

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directed their actions or for a few bad soldiers who committed some terrible misdeeds. In subsequent years, political leaders like Ronald Reagan won great national approval for embracing those troops and trying to redress the wrongs done to them and their reputation. But as with many policies of the Reagan era -- such as deregulatory fervor, contempt for "big government," jingoism, and the tax-cutting siren song of supply-side economics -- we have taken them too far in the decades since, pushing them to extremes few in either political party dare challenge. We pumped up the volume of patriotic posturing with the sap and testosterone cocktail of country songs and NFL gameopening flyovers and shots of troops rooting for their teams from distant bases. We made any serious discussion of cutting defense budgets virtually impossible, equating it with defeat and a desire to weaken America. The 9/11 attacks and the emotions they stirred only compounded these impulses, fueling an insecurity-driven national mania for massive international displays of our fortitude and resources. We gave our military virtually everything it asked for. No part of the U.S. government illustrates the excesses of bloated biggovernment spending more extravagantly than the Defense Department, which, with upwards of $650 billion in spending this fiscal year, a huge 96 percent increase over the last decade, now

sucks up the biggest nonentitlement portion of our federal budget. Yet, in the wars we have just been through, we are left with a troubling track record. In Iraq, let's stipulate that we shouldn't have been there in the first place and attribute that gross misstep to our elected political leaders. But once asked to act, our military brass closely collaborated with their political bosses on a "shock and awe" approach that was costly, absolutely devastating to many innocents among the Iraqi people, and, in the end, as effective at achieving our goals as advertised. Indeed, it was years into the war before it was finally acknowledged that we needed to change course with "the surge." When our AfPak military strategy also proved to be frustratingly ineffective, they dialed up a surge there too -despite the many and profound differences between the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan as in Iraq, our actions, despite efforts to win public support, have also produced profound alienation, at least in part due to a backlash against a steady number of incidents of what the military calls "collateral damage." Such incidents inevitably occur in warfare, but given our political debate, even apologizing for these mistakes -- acknowledging them as errors -- has been made to seem a sign of weakness. From Abu Ghraib to the burning of the Qurans in Afghanistan, from urinating on corpses to the murder

of civilians, there have been multiple such incidents -- yet there is little appetite to ask why so many have occurred or whether some aspect of our military or the way it is being run is contributing to their frequency. It was the military that opted to make these two wars the first in U.S. history in which the majority of people we had on the ground were private contractors -- with all the errors, abuses, and problems that have been associated with some of those contractors. It was the military that made the spending recommendations resulting in the costliest wars in U.S. history -even though both will end very unsatisfactorily. In Iraq, we are likely to end up with a fragmented country under the rule of a strongman and subject to Iranian influence. In Afghanistan, we are likely to turn the country over to either a corrupt, incompetent current government or the very Taliban we entered the country to flush out. We have done great damage to al Qaeda since 9/11, thus achieving one of our principal objectives. But through our missteps, we have inflamed new terrorist organizations and worsened key relationships in the region, and it would be impossible to say that the Middle East today is more stable or less of a threat to U.S. interests than it was before we started spending the trillions of dollars we have poured into our conflicts there. Politicians like President George W. Bush and his

top advisors deserve much -- even most -- of the blame for this, but so too do military leaders who have set the budgets. By any measure, they have been denied little; indeed, this generation of Americans and several to come have and will sacrifice greatly to pay for these wars. But given the results, the missteps, and the associated tragedies, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect a fair accounting, an open, candid, and nonpartisan debate about what went wrong and how we can do better? Toward the end of these wars, it became clear that a different formula for U.S. engagement with our terrorist enemies could be quite effective. Credit Barack Obama's administration and the military top brass for finally coming around to the recognition that a more surgical, stealthy approach -- special forces, plus drones, plus intelligence and covert activities -- could better help us achieve key objectives. But why was this not advanced sooner? If it was, who rejected it? Shouldn't we better understand why for so long we focused on costly, less-than-effective overkill? Indeed, while one cannot help but celebrate the heroism of those who took out Osama bin Laden, it would be fair to ask why it took a decade to find him, especially given that in the end it turned out he was virtually hiding in plain sight. We need to have enough confidence in ourselves and our system to know that asking

questions about why our system has not worked as we might have hoped is a sign of strength, not of weakness, of genuine patriotism, not the opposite. The scars of Vietnam have healed, but in their place we are creating, through our unwillingness to have the full and open discussion of both our strengths and our weaknesses on the battlefield, new ones. As a country, America has made a decision over the past several decades to devote the greatest part of our discretionary budget to national defense, to outspending all the world's major militaries added together. This should raise perhaps the biggest question of all -- about our priorities. Historians will look back and conclude that we bet on raw power to maintain and extend our global leadership, consistently choosing force over investments in our people, schools, infrastructure, or research. Our military leaders and their sponsors in the defense industry have been complicit in helping us arrive at this decision, reducing our risk of foreign attack perhaps but also increasing the likelihood we succumb, as other great powers have, to a combination of overreach and fear of losing what we have gained. As these two wars come to a close, the period of healing in the region and the repatriation of our troops and the reintegration of them into society must be accompanied by one of introspection and a different kind NEW page 40

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of courage. Let's do our duty to ourselves and show our military that we respect it enough to know that it can stand up to the scrutiny it deserves. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read

the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Barton Biggs Explains Why Apple Could Go The Way Of Sony


Joe Weisenthal (Money Game)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:51:58 AM

present value of its long-term stream of dividends. It's good that a big tech company is showing I n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h that they are going to pay B l o o m b e r g T V , h e d g e f u n d dividends to their shareholders." manager Barton Biggs makes a "Apple's done exactly the right very unflattering comparison for thing. They could have really Apple. screwed this up by making some Here's the partial transcript ridiculous acquisition or a huge provided to us. one-time cash payout would have You can watch the video here. been a mistake. The board has a ------------very exquisite dilemma. I think On Apple's announcement today: they've solved it well." "I think Apple and its board did On whether he will buy more the right thing in the long run, for shares of Apple: i n v e s t o r s , a s o p p o s e d t o "We have a position in Apple. It is speculators. You buy stocks for a good sized position. I am not the future stream of dividend inclined to buy it or sell it. I like income. It's a very good sign that Apple the way it is." Apple is dealing with this cash "I think you have to wonder about hoard that they have in this way, any technology company that by paying a dividend." produces a very, very hot "I think it's a good sign for big consumer product because the capitalization technology stocks. history of the modern world is It really is what counts. The that all technology, electronic present value of a stock is the c o n s u m e r p r o d u c t s b e c o m e

commodities in the end. In the end, the life cycle of these things is relatively short. With that in mind, I think Apple is appropriately valued." "[Apple] is a consumer-products company that's been selling a specialized type of consumer

product that eventually has a definite life cycle. The things Johnson & Johnson sells are consumer products that have a permanently slowly rising demand. You want to compare Apple with something, I think it would have to think back on Sony

or a company of that nature -- that was producing a very hot consumer product that eventually turned into a commodity. You see what happened to Sony." Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story See Also: It's Official, Hedge Funds Are Still Loading Up The Boat On Apple Stock Alleged Inside Trader Shimoon On iPad In 2009: "It's, It's Totally It's A New Category Altogether" Ashton Kutcher Predicts Worthless Currency And Mass Panic, Recommends Getting As Buff As Possible

Curated News Edition

Economy/

41

An Open Letter to All Presidential Candidates


Phoenix Capital Research
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:13:17 AM

Dear Presidential Candidates: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc. Watching your debates and speeches of late, it is clear that you are all (with possibly the exception of Ron Paul) missing the point and only continuing to widen the gap between the US Government and the American people. In some regards, this is not entirely your fault. You all are doubtless surrounded by strategists and experts who ascribe to the dominant economic theories of the last 80 years; namely that Government and monetary intervention can fix any economic problems this country faces. Mr. President I know for a fact that your inner circle of advisors is comprised of individuals who owe their current jobs and fortunes to bailouts (Mr. Immelt and Mr. Buffett to name two). Your strategists are missing the point. Aside from the fact that their own self-interests are completely at odds with those of the American people, they are looking at economic numbers and data as realities or stand alone items. This the completely offbase. The economy and economic

data are not reality, they are simply measures of the American Peoples activity. With that in mind, you need to actually consider the people, not the data. The people are already voting whether you realize it or not. Theyve voted with their money by doing the following: Pulling their money out of the stock market en masse (the mutual fund industry saw investors pull $132 billion from stock-based funds in 2011). Buying guns (according to the

FBI, there were over 16 million background checks in 2011, an all -time record. The FBI has noted that only 1.3% of background checks result in denial of a weapon so these were gun buyers.)

Moreover, they dont believe that the bailouts/ Stimulus have worked. It is easy to see why. Despite record Government deficits, debt levels, and stimulus, the US economy is in the gutter. The following four charts prove it These two data points tell us one beyond any doubt. thing: Americans do not buy into Heres duration of or trust the current policies being u n e m p l o y m e n t . O f f i c i a l enacted in the US. recessions are marked with gray Americans dont believe that the columns. While the chart only stock market represents the US goes back to 1967 I want to note economy or should be the main that we are in fact at an all-time focus of the Governments efforts. h i g h w i t h y o u r a v e r a g e

unemployed person needing more than 40 weeks to find work(or simply falling off the statistics). Heres the labor participation rate with recessions again market by gray columns: Another way to look at this chart is to say that since the Tech Crash, a smaller and smaller percentage of the US population has been working. Today, the same percentage of the US population are working as in 1980. Heres industrial production. I want to point out that during EVERY recovery since 1919 industrial production has quickly topped its former peak. Not this time. Weve spent literally trillions of US Dollars on Stimulus and bailouts and production is well below the preCrisis highs. Heres a close up of the last 10 years. Again, whats happening in the US is NOT a garden-variety cyclical recession. It is a STRUCTURAL SECULAR DEPRESSION. Americans dont pay their bills using the proceeds from stocks. They pay their bills and buy their food/ gas with the money earned from their incomes. This is why most people dont OPEN page 44

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Economy/

Curated News Edition

Is There a Bubble in Treasuries? Both Sides of the Case; Explaining the 2011 Treasury Rally (It's Not What You Think); Where to From Here?
noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)

These moves were the exception not the norm, a function of the unconventional measures all the central banks has been pointing to Submitted at 3/19/2012 3:25:00 AM People have been calling a forever. bubble in treasuries for at least a We are entering an extremely decade. The shocking result, dangerous period. Valuations are especially to hyperinflationists, stretched, even my internal bull, has been a stair-step decline in P e t e r G a r n r y i s g e t t i n g yields for 30 years. That's quite a conservative. The divergence is long time. bigger and bigger actually to me Here is a chart going back 20 this is beginning (on charts) to years from Steen Jakobsen at look at lot like end of 2007 into Saxo bank in Denmark. 2008. Click on Any Chart in this Post Lets hope I am wrong, again, for Sharper Image and this is merely a pause before $TYX 30-Year Long Bond the world is saved and we can all Operation Print-Money-Like-a- believe that more debts creates Madman growth and reforms. Bubble of Via email, Steen writes Modern Banking I think higher interest rates are I happen to agree with Steen in for real, and not a fluke. his implied suggestion the world The move down in US yields is not saved, but that is not the below its long-term channel was same as a treasury bubble (and an unusual move - as can be seen Steen did not use that word). in the above chart - 30 year US However, James Grant, publisher has been in solid down-ward of Grant's Interest Rate Observer slopping channel since 1980s. is willing to state flat out that There have now been two breaks treasuries are a " Bubble of to the down-side: One in 2009 Modern Banking, a Desert of when the stock market crashed to Value". 666 in the S&P - and now since In case you missed it, please click 2 0 1 1 , w h e n F e d i n i t i a t e d on the above link to see an Operation Print-Money-Like-a- interesting Bloomberg video with Madman with QE, QEII and James Grant and Deirdre Bolton. Operation Twist plus low rates Here is a key transcript snip. forever. Deirdre Bolton: How is a bond

investor to deal with this current environment? You are calling actually for a bear market in bonds, am I correct?. Grant: I have forever. So I am no help there. But it seems to me a bond investor is almost better off in cash. If you were to go out 10 years in a US treasury security you earn yield of approximate 2%. To remain in cash and be flexible you sacrifice those 2%. The bond market is a desert of value. Deirdre Bolton: What does this mean for gold? Grant: The price of gold is the reciprocal of the world's faith in the deeds and words of the likes of Ben Bernanke. The world over,

central banks are printing money as it has never been printed before. The European Central Bank has increased the size of its balance sheet at the annual rate of 89%. It's amazing. The Fed is far behind at only 15%. The Bank of England 67% over the past few months. These are rates of increases in the production of paper currencies we have never seen in the modern age. It takes no effort at all. They simply tap the computer screen. Recession 2012 Means Lower Treasury Yields Says Lacy Hunt I certainly agree with Grant on gold, but what about the idea a recession is coming in 2012, and if so what does it mean for

treasuries? Lacy Hunt at Hoisington Management in the 4th quarter 2011 review says High Debt Leads to Recession. It's the last paragraph that is of most interest to the treasury bubble debate. The long end of the Treasury market witnessed a decline in yields from 4.34% at the beginning of 2011 to 2.89% at the end of the year. To most, this 35% return was a surprise as there was near unanimity of opinion that rates would rise in connection with the higher real economic growth rate that was expected for 2011. Similarly, faster growth seems to be embedded in most rate expectations for 2012, and concomitantly expectations are for interest rates to rise. If recessionary conditions appear in 2012, as we expect, then even lower long-term interest rates will be recorded. Van R. Hoisington Lacy H. Hunt, Ph.D. There you have it, Lacy Hunt one of the biggest treasury bulls you can find vs. James Grant a perpetual treasury bear. Let's step back a bit and look at the last 10 years. Treasury Bubble Calls $IRX 3-month treasuries THERE page 45

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43

Guest Post: How To Cripple The Real Estate Market In Five Easy Steps
Tyler Durden

mortgage is (say) $350,000, then the bank would be forced to recognize a $150,000 loss Submitted by Charles Hugh (actually more with transaction Smith from Of Two Minds fees, repair of the derelict How To Cripple the Real Estate property, etc.). Market in Five Easy Steps If the bank's entire portfolio of Central Planning has crippled the phantom-value properties was real estate market to "save" their a u c t i o n e d o f f o r i t s p r i c e core constituency, the banks. discovered by the market, the If you were head of Central bank would be declared insolvent Planning (howdy, Ben!) and were and closed. tasked with crippling the real So instead the zombie banks' estate market, here's what you impaired properties clog the would recommend. market, unlisted, unsold, 1. Choke the market and banking indefinitely held off the market sector with zombie banks. Central u n t i l u n i c o r n s a r r i v e a n d Planning creates zombie banks in valuations return to bubblicious one easy step: it allows insolvent 2006 levels where the bank can banks to mark their impaired "real unload them with no loss. estate owned" to fantasy rather Since those valuations haven't than to market. This enables the arrived, millions of properties are banks to survive in a deathless being held off the market. This state, propped up by free money "shadow inventory" is wellfrom the Federal Reserve and lax known (tens of thousands of regulations that enable fantasy p e o p l e a r e l i v i n g r e n t a n d accounting and all sorts of off- mortgage-free in homes that the balance sheet trickery. banks have yet to even put in the Zombie banks have no incentive foreclosure pipeline), so no one to auction off their holdings of has any confidence that "the r e a l e s t a t e w i t h d e f a u l t e d , bottom is in." Confidence cannot underwater or otherwise impaired be restored until the market clears mortgages, for having the market the inventory and a real bottom is discover the price of these established. properties would immediately This destruction of confidence reveal the insolvency of the bank undermines the entire market. as properties it held on its books Zombie banks create zombie at (say) $400,000 were actually v a l u a t i o n s . W h o c a n s a y only worth $200,000. Since the valuations won't decline once the
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:34:50 AM

shadow inventory finally hits the market? Keeping zombie banks alive via bogus valuations and shadow inventory of derelict and defaulted homes has another consequence: banks themselves cannot be confident that prices won't decline further, so it makes no sense for them to put capital at risk by issuing mortgages on real estate. 2. Have the central bank (the Federal Reserve) buy up $1 trillion in toxic, impaired mortgages. If these mortgages were such a great deal, then why didn't private buyers snap them up? Exactly: they were fetid garbage no private buyer would touch except at steep discounts that would have sent the banks into insolvency. (That isn't allowed in crony-capitalist Staterun economies.) The market was thus denied the opportunity to discover the price of all this mortgage debt, and this effectively destroyed the private market for mortgages. Literally 99% of all mortgages in the U.S. are guaranteed by the Central State. Suppressing market price discovery works just as well in the mortgage market as it does in the housing market. 3. Lower the rate that banks can borrow from the Fed to zero, and then pay the banks interest on all funds deposited at the Fed. I wish

we had this option, don't you? We could borrow $1 billion from the Fed at zero interest, then deposit the $1 billion with the Fed and skim risk-free interest. But the real-estate effect of ZIRP (zero-interest rate policy) is to lower the mortgage rate to such a low level that it makes no sense to take on the risks and unknowns of real estate valuations for such a paltry return. After all, what if the bank loans $300,000 on a $400,000 home, the value subsequently drops to $300,000 and the buyer defaults? The bank will lose capital it can't afford to lose dumping the property at auction. Better to avoid the mortgage market altogether by refusing most applicants as risks--and given the high debt levels of most households, they may indeed be poor risks. 4. Try to prop up the housing market by giving poor credit risk buyers loans with only 3% down. This generates a new pool of ready buyers, but since the government is guaranteeing the loan, qualifying is easy and the buyers only have a few thousand dollars of skin in the game. This means defaulting is not very painful, especially if it takes the lender a few years to foreclose on the property. The net effect of subsidizing poor

credit risks to buy houses is that another pool of uncertainty is created, as these buyers are defaulting in droves, dumping inventory that had just been cleared back on the market. (The default rates of FHA loans is skyrocketing, and now the taxpayers will have to bail out the FHA.) This is what happens when you try to prop up the market with unqualified buyers and 3% down mortgages--those buyers bail out in huge numbers and the homes return to the inventory. The clearing of inventory was as phantom as the real estate valuations on the banks' balance sheet. 5. Load young people up with the equivalent of a mortgage in student loans. That insures that the majority of potential new homebuyers won't be qualified to buy a house--they're already indentured to the banks for student loans. Those fortunate few who get good-paying jobs will qualify for a mortgage when they're getting grey hair; most will never qualify, having been buried by impossible-to-default student loans. OK,let's see how our Organs of Central Planning are doing: check, check, check, check, GUEST page 44

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OPEN
continued from page 41

GUEST
continued from page 43

care about the stock market anymore. Well, that and the fact that a large percentage of the ones running the show in the markets committed massive fraud, earned billions doing it, and have never been called to justice despite admitting they did this. As for the Depression, the reason we are in a Depression is due to the realities underlying our financial system: namely too much debt. Moreover, the USs response to dealing with this problem has been to simply add more debt: since 2008, the National Debt has increased over $4 trillion since 2008. Lets face the facts we are saturated with debt on a Federal, State, Local, and Household basis. You cannot solve a debt problem by issuing more debt no matter what your economists and strategists tell you. For the sake of my letter to you, lets focus on US Households since theyre the ones who will vote for the next President. During the housing boom, consumer leverage rose at nearly twice the rate of corporate and banking leverage. Indeed, even after all the foreclosures and bankruptcies, US household debt is equal to nearly 100% of US total GDP. To put US household debt levels into a historical perspective, in

order for US households to return to their long-term average for leverage ratios and their historic relationship to GDP growth wed need to write off between $4-4.5 TRILLION in household debt (an amount equal to about 30% of total household debt outstanding). This is the mathematical reality underpinning our economy today. So how do we solve this? The only way for us to get out of this mess is for incomes to start rising. And the only way that will happen is if jobs pick up. For that to happen, we HAVE to do two things: Focus almost exclusively on small businesses. Remove the distrust that Government policies have engendered in the US populace. Regarding #1, according to the Governments own data: Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. Employ half of all private sector employees. Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years. Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP. Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms. Who runs these small businesses? The American people. Main

Street. Not the big firms. Not the Too Big To Fails. Not Wall Street. Not the firms that were bailed out. Etc. In simple terms, the US economy is PRIMARILY comprised of those who decide political elections. Theyre not the ones coughing up $30,000 to have dinner with you, but theyre the ones who decide who will be in office starting in 2013. And they will vote based on their experiences of the economy, NOT based on the fudged numbers coming out of the BLS. So, if you want to win the 2012 Presidential Election, you need to focus on these people and win back their trust. And how can you do that? Two simple steps: Stop bailing out/ permitting the elite to get away with crimes that normal Americans would be prosecuted for. Stop interfering with small business. Make it easier for small business to start hiring by removing the uncertainty surrounding future benefits/ regulations/ taxes that small businesses will face (why do you think everyones hiring temps and part-timers?) Obviously these moves wouldnt solve the problems for the US.

But theyd go a long ways towards getting us back on track in terms of re-establishing trust in the Government and the system at large. Trust creates jobs. Trust wins votes. Trust gets the economy back on track, even if it means some short-term pain (defaults/ deleveraging). This country has gotten through a Civil War, Great Depression, numerous recessions, and more. We will get through this latest Depression as well. But this will only happen if we go back to being the United States of America, not the United States of Government Driven America. Whichever of you figures this out first and acts accordingly, will be the next President. Sincerely, Graham Summers Average: Your rating: None This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

check: a perfect score! they're doing everything possible to cripple the real estate market. Do they care? Of course not; the only goal is to keep the zombie banks alive, regardless of the cost to the nation. Great work, Ben, Barack, Timmy and the rest of the gang at Central Planning: thanks to your policies, the real estate market will never clear and therefore it can never be restored to health. Average: Your rating: None Average: 5( 1 vote) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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45

THERE
continued from page 42

$FVX 5-year treasuries $TNX 10-year treasuries $TYX 30-year treasuries Except for the 30-year long bond (and that divergence could be significant), the rest of the yield curve has made lower lows for 30 -years. Eventually that trend will break, but is this the time and are interest rates really as low as people think? Explaining the 2007-2011 Treasury Rally With the above, albeit lengthy, introduction let's take a look at some housing related charts. Yes, at long last this is the second half of my Home Price Index Post How Far Have Home Prices "Really" Fallen? HPI Upcoming Changes; HPI and the CPI To quickly recap, I asked Doug Short at Advisor Perspectives to make a housing related change to the CPI. Specifically, I asked to see a chart of "real" inflation adjusted yields, were the BLS to substitute actual home prices in the CPI for Owners-EquivalentRent (OER). If you missed the post you

certainly need to read it to understand what follows, and you may need to take another look even if you have seen it. Here is one of four charts from that post. HPI-CPI click on chart for sharper image The Fed kept interest rates at historic lows between 2002 and mid-2004. The last two rate cuts by Alan Greenspan were not justified at all, by any measure, and downright absurd considering the bubble brewing in housing prices vs. rent. Two Year Treasury Yields Five Year Treasury Yields Ten Year Treasury Yields "Operation Twist" Unwinds Those three charts explain nicely the massive rally in treasuries since 2007. Global central bank printing, various QE and "Operation Twist" moves certainly helped, but "real" yields were far higher than most thought. For a discussion of "Operation Twist" and the recent rise in treasury yields, please see Treasuries Hammered as

"Operation Twist" Unwinds; Another Triumph of the 1% Over the 99%. Note that HPI-Adjusted rates are still positive on the 10-year treasury note. Is this the making of a bubble? The answer of course depends on the definition of bubble. That said, Grant is certainly correct that treasuries are devoid of value. Moreover, a 30-year rally in treasuries is quite long in the tooth. There is no value here. Where to From Here? Even if the 30-year long-bond does nothing more than rise to the top of that channel shown in the first chart, treasury holders will be massacred. If the recovery is real (I do not think it is, others do), yields should rise to the top of that channel at a minimum, probably sailing even higher. Moreover, it's certainly possible rates go sailing even if the recovery is not real. Should that happen, the US dollar will likely strengthen as well. Those are the two key take-aways at this

juncture. One thing is certain. Treasury bubbles sure take a heck of a long time to form, with many premature calls along the way. Mike "Mish" Shedlock h t t p : / / globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot. com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http:// www.sitkapacific.com/ account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Trakr Is a Simple Way to Track Everything You Do [IPhone Downloads]


Thorin Klosowski (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 8:30:00 AM

iPhone: Tracking your accomplishments and failures is a great way to get a gauge on how you're doing with specific goals, but actually keeping a tally of those accomplishments can be hard. Trakr is an iPhone app that allows you to quickly and easily track anything with a number. More

Apple Blasts To $600 (AAPL)


Jay Yarow (Money Game)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:43:00 AM

Apple's stock just hit $600 for the first time ever during the trading day.

The dividend and share buyback plan, coupled with record iPad sales is driving the stock to new heights. Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this

story See Also: Here's What The Smart Money Thinks Apple Will Do With Its Cash CHART OF THE DAY: The

Evolution Of How People Plan To Use iPads I'm Sorry, Apple!

46

Economy/ Culture/

Curated News Edition

Did Kate Hudson and Corporate 'Warnings' Matthew Bellamy Season Is Underway And Already Get Married? So Far It Stinks
Lauren Turner (PopSugar)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:49:40 AM

Sam Ro (Money Game)

Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:18:00 AM

Q4 earnings season is over with 497 companies having announced their financial results. For the record, 65 percent of companies beat analysts' estimates according to data compiled by FactSet. We have a few weeks before Q1 earnings season kicks off. For now, it's "warnings" season. Warnings season is the period before earnings season when corporations confess their sins and announce earnings guidance that falls below analysts' expectations. So far, 69 of the S&P 500 companies have announced Q1 EPS guidance that was worse than analysts' estimates, according to FactSet. Just 39 companies have announced guidance better than estimates. On the bright side, the 69 negative estimates represents just 64 percent of the companies that have preannounced. Ahead of Q4 earnings season, 75 percent of companies announced EPS

Did Goldie Hawn spill Kate Hudson's secret marriage news?People Lindsay Lohan puts herself on house arrest- Us Weekly Lady Gaga takes a vow of silence- HuffPost Entertainment Brooklyn Decker talks working her "butt off" to act- Hollywood Reporter Is a split announcement coming from Will and Jada?- Lainey Gossip Josh Lucas secretly got married! - TooFab e s t i m a t e s s h y o f a n a l y s t s ' Goldman's Top Strategist Gives Jon Hamm isn't backing down expectations. 3 Reasons Why The S&P 500 from his Kardashian commentsCelebitchy Overall, analysts expect Q1 EPS Will Fall To 1,250 for the S&P 500 to decline by 0.5 India's Indecisiveness On Its More speculation about Kate percent year-over-year. SEE Export Policy Is Wreaking Havoc Middleton's weight- The Daily Beast ALSO: The Best And Worst On Cotton Prices Stock Pickers On Wall Street > Here Are The Key Market Katy Perry covers a Jay-Z and Please follow Money Game on Moving Events For Tuesday, Kanye West song- BuzzFeed Twitter and Facebook. March 13, 2012 Join the conversation about this story See Also:

Kris Jenner shares a topless pregnancy pic from her past- The Insider 21 Jump Street has a recordbreaking weekend- Rotten Tomatoes Why Sofia Vergara loves her curves- Wonderwall Beyonc plans her first postbaby concert- Lifeline Live Josh Hutcherson on his chances in a real-life Hunger GamesZap2It

Curated News Edition

Economy/ Culture/

47

Infographic: If Apple Was A Car Fanatic, Here Is What It Could Spend Its Money On
Tyler Durden
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:36:55 AM

Megachurch Pastors Offer Advice on Preaching Better Sermons


(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)

Courtesy of Jalopnik comes a slightly different perspective on what Apple could do with its $100 billion (and over by now) cash horde. Obviously due to the publication's automotive bent, the emphasis is on uses of funds that tend to be related to the 'horsepower' space. In short, the consumer company, which is now

far bigger than the entire US retail sector as noted before, could purchase 435,113 Ferrari 458 Italia's and/or some permutation of the other options indicated below. That said, while it is wellknown what conventional wisdom says about any gentlemen who feels the need to redirect attention to his red blazing sport car from other, ahem, issues, we wonder what would be said about an entity that feels the urge to

procure not one, but 435,113 Ferraris(or 41,667 Bugatti Veyrons for that matter)...

h/t nolsgrad Average: Your rating: None Average: 3( 1 vote) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

(Photo: Preaching Rockets via The Christian Post) Perry Noble (right), pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina, speaks on preaching better sermons, March 2012. (Photo: Preaching Rockets via The Christian Post) Charles Stanley (left) of In Touch MEGACHURCH page 48

The 5 rules of working with any agency


(Holy Kaw!)

that doesnt mean you should just accept it and move on. Take your time and review every detail. Get In business, it's inevitable that f e e d b a c k f r o m y o u r you'll work with agencies of all colleaguesand ask for specifics sortsPR, advertising, design, from reviewers (no "Im not sure the list goes on. When you're why I dont like it" responses working with one of those allowed). Roll up all the feedback agenicies, there are five rules that a n d g i v e i t t o t h e a g e n c y c a n h e l p m a k e s u r e t h e unvarnished. But do it in a relationship works, according to constructive way. Open Forum. Here's one of those This will be an important point in rules: the relationship. Many agencies Give feedback early and often go to great lengths to protect their The agency is brilliant. We all creative and defend the people know that. They nailed the pitch. who came up with it. You should Their work has been sterling. But take the agencys adviceto a
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:30:00 AM

point. You and your team know your companys needs and if you feel the work coming from the agency falls down on even a small point, you need to bring that up.

The good agencies will work with you to make sure their work meets your needs. Get the campaign out the door and measure everything. Give that

feedback to the agency. If its a success, everyone will be happy. But if things need to be improved, which will probably be the case, work with the agency to get things back on track. Give this relationship some time to work. But if your agency blanches at making changes, or constantly argues points, you might need to look for a different one. Full story at Open Forum. Top advertising news. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment

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MEGACHURCH
continued from page 47

Ministries speaks on preaching better sermons as Jeff Henderson of North Point Ministries looks on during a webcast March, 15, 2012. March 16, 2012| 5:32 pm Those are some of the questions that a group of well-known pastors responded to during a webcast Thursday that was designed to help pastors across the country preach better sermons. According to Casey Graham, founder of PreachingRocket.com, which led the event, 90 percent of unchurched people choose a church based on the pastor or preaching. And 92 percent of people return to a church because of a sermon. With that, the preachbettersermons.com event was launched to provide insights into the way some of the country's most influential pastors do what they do and to provide a community in the lonely world of preparing and preaching sermons. Ideas and Sermon Preparation NewSpring Church Pastor Perry Noble advised the thousands of pastors watching online to begin with the Word of God and not a VH1 video or popular song. Like us on Facebook "Let the text, the Bible drive the sermon. Don't say I saw a video on VH1 and I want to establish a sermon around that," the South Carolina megachurch pastor exhorted. "The Word of God has to be where it starts. I'm so

passionate about that." Noble, whose church is getting ready to launch its eighth campus, said nearly every idea that he has preached on for the past five years came out of his quiet time. He made it clear, however, that his quiet time with the Lord is not sermon prep time. "But while I'm reading the Bible to try my best to hear the voice of God, if something pops in my mind, I write it down," he explained. "A preacher preaches best when he preaches out of the overflow of his heart. I really want to try my best to communicate that idea that God set my heart on fire with." Already, he has enough thoughts written down that he can create sermons for the next year and a half, he said. For Charles Stanley, who has been preaching for 55 years, his ideas come from asking "What's the need of the people who are going to be listening?" The veteran pastor, whose sermons are broadcast around the world through In Touch Ministries, developed a little saying that some, including his son Andy Stanley, cite: "Until a preacher has as burden for the message, he's not ready to preach." "I realized I needed to have on my shoulder spiritually the weight of what God has in mind. What does He want to accomplish in this message? ... I'm preaching for an impact, not to impress anybody

but just impact. I want to see their life change," he explained. Essentially, the feeling a pastor should have is: "I must preach this message, I have to preach it, I can't wait to preach it," he described. While Stanley typically begins preparing for his sermon a week ahead and makes sure that is the only thing on his mind between Saturday and Sunday, Noble likes to plan much farther ahead by several months. With his sermons consisting not only of preaching but also of videos, illustrations and other elements, Noble likes to give his Creative Team time to prepare. "One of the things I've discovered about preaching is ... preaching is relatively easy if all I've got to do is read a text and apply it. But today ... there's so many creative elements around it," he said during the "Preach Better Sermons" webcast. "We all serve each other. The way I serve our Creative Team, Worship Team, and Video Team, is try my best to plan as far ahead as possible ... Then everybody can give their best effort possible. They don't serve me, we serve each other." Andy Stanley, lead pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., also chooses to prepare his sermons more than a week in advance. "I can't live that way," he said of last-minute preparations. Do Megachurch Pastors Get

Nervous? When it comes to getting up in front of thousands of people on a large stage every week, Stanley of North Point doesn't believe nerves should be in play. "When a preacher or teacher is nervous, it's all about them," he stated. "I can't be concerned about me... and be concerned about them. I'm going to walk out there concerned about that group ... or about me. [It] can't be both." "If you're nervous ... you're really not ready," he stressed. Rather than evaluating success based on how well the congregation applies what is preached, the pastor who is concerned and nervous ends up basing success on how well he or she did, Stanley noted. "Don't get up there so you can feel like you did a good job ... don't just cover the material," he advised. "Walk out there with that person in mind." That person may be a teen who's giving church a try one last time or (for Stanley) a middle-aged man who was dragged to church by his wife. "Make sure it's about them and not about you," he exhorted. The elder Stanley, Charles, also said he never gets nervous on Sunday morning. Rather, he's more excited to preach what God wants him to say. Dealing With Criticism Citing Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll, Noble said pastors have many foes, fans and then very few

friends. "He said you've got people that think you're worse than you really are, [those who think] you're better than you really are, and some people who will tell you the truth." Noble chooses not to listen to the "foes." He also doesn't listen to the "fans" who will always tell the pastor "great job." Instead, he listens to friends who love Jesus first, the church second and the pastor third. "They're willing to speak the truth to you so ... ultimately it'll edify the church," he noted. Other speakers featured in the webcast included Louie Giglio of the Passion movement, Judd Wilhite of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick-filA, and Pastor Vanable H. Moody II of The Worship Center Christian Church in Birmingham, Ala. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Culture/

49

VMware's WSX Does Virtual Desktops With HTML5


ArsTechnica (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:35:00 AM

Accessing a virtualized Windows XP desktop from a tablet with VMware WSX. Photo: Christian Hammond By Ryan Paul VMware is developing an impressive new feature called WSX that will allow users to access virtualized desktops remotely through any modern Web browser. VMware developer Christian Hammond, who worked on the implementation, demonstrated a prototype this week in a blog post. According to Hammond, WSX is built with standards-based Web technologies, including the HTML5 Canvas element and Web Sockets. The user installs and runs a lightweight Web server that acts as a relay between the Web-based client and the virtualized desktop instance. It is compatible with VMware Workstation and ESXi/ vSphere. WSX, which doesnt require any browser plugins, is compatible out of the box with Firefox, Chrome, and Safari on the desktop. It will also work with mobile Safari on iPads that are running iOS 5 or later. Hammond says that Android compatibility is still a work in progress. The performance is said to be

good enough to provide nearnative quality and framerates when viewing a 720p YouTube video on the virtualized desktop through WSX in Chrome or Firefox. Users who want to test the feature today can see it in action by downloading the Linux version of the VMware

Workstation Technology Preview. Although its still somewhat experimental, WSX is a compelling demonstration of how far the Web has evolved as a platform. It also shows how the ubiquity of Web standards make it possible to deliver complex applications across a wide range

of platforms and device form factors. Hammond also said he was working on tapping the new iPads higher resolution: The most talked about feature of the new iPad is, of course, the shiny new retina display (a 20481536 resolution). A few

apps really show this off, and text is certainly crisp, but a few people wondered aloud, Is it really that big of a difference? Yes, it is. Naturally, I had to play around with getting WSX to show a retina-friendly desktop. See, by VMWARE'S page 53

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Curated News Edition

Pentagon Plan: Watch a Satellite's Every Move -- From 22,000 Miles Away
Katie Drummond (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:30:00 AM

What the Galileo system might look like once finally realized. Illustration: Darpa The Pentagons mad-science division recently launched a mind -bending plan to harvest dead satellites for useful parts. But the orbital recycling mission wont work unless the military can see which satellites its cannibalizing. Now, Darpa suspects its got a solution. Instead of relying on todays telescopes, which can only move along a single axis and require lengthy periods of time to capture anything more than a blob in orbit, the agency wants to design an entire array of telescopes that move at multiple angles. That way, personnel here on Earth will be better able to catch a satellites every step in the sky above. Its all part of a larger space initiative thats been launched over the past few months by Darpa. First, the agency expressed an interest in foraging for parts among satellites that are still skyborne, but no longer operational. More recently, theyve appealed for research into cheap, easily deployable satellites to offer quick footage for soldiers on the ground, and kicked off a program to

replace ground-based satellite launchpads with subsonic airliners. This latest program, Galileo, builds on those previous developments. Obviously, Darpa wants more satellites in the sky so they want em cheap and easy to deploy. And it makes sense to take parts from old satellites and

re-use them in new ones. But that requires a lot of careful monitoring from the ground. You not only need to be able to detect a dead satellite in GEO, Brian Weeden, a former officer with the U.S. Air Force Space Command, tells Danger Room. But also get a good image of it so you can see the size, shape and

condition of its solar panels and antennas, to see if it is a good candidate for salvaging. Enter Galileo, which would vastly improve telescopic imagery by means of fiber optics technology. Existing telescopes that are designed to track objects in geosynchronous orbit (thats

around 22,000 miles above sea level) do a fair job. But when it comes to getting a detailed image, the telescopes dont fare as well. [Telescopes] can generally tell what something is, but not much beyond a blob, Weeden says. Those techniques that do exist PENTAGON page 54

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Navy Chief: Robot Subs Might Span Oceans. (Someday.)


Spencer Ackerman (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:00 PM

A mine-hunting robot is lowered from the U.S.S. Avenger into the Strait of Malacca, May 2011. Photo: U.S. Navy Its been the Navys dream for years: undersea drones that can swim entire oceans. But its been thwarted by sciences inability to build propulsion and fuel systems for a journey of that length. Still, the Navys top officer and its mad scientists think that some recent research could help turn the the dream into an ocean-crossing reality. Im very much desirous of that end-state, cross-ocean, as feasible, Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, told reporters on Friday. There are a few propulsion systems that can give you that range 30-day, 45-day. The fuel needed, regrettably, is extensive, and that drives the size, so were not there yet. What might get the Navy there: academic projects that have propelled robo-subs thousands of miles, and foreign oceanographic research into the briny deep. Why would you want a robot sub when youve got, say, stealthy manned subs like the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter? Because the robots

can help the manned subs. If the Carter, say, can deploy a fleet of robotic scouts that can fan out across the oceans and relay aquatic information back to the mothership, itll give the Navy a huge advantage over its rivals. And thats on top of the drone subs potential for hunting mines or distracting torpedoes without putting a submariner in jeopardy.

Or even, someday, shooting torpedoes of their own. For now, though, thats a long way off. The Navys current fleet of undersea drones resemble torpedoes in their design, and theyve got similar ranges and sensing capabilities that is, not much. Drone subs are in their Ford Model T phase. In 2010, Greenerts predecessor, Adm.

Gary Roughead, all but begged the contractors, engineers and robotics experts at the Navys science and technology conference to build him the undersea drone equivalent of a Camaro. So far, not so much. But theres a new wave of research that might expand the range of drone subs. The mad scientists at the Office

of Naval Research point to Rutgers University (full disclosure: my alma mater), which a few years ago sent its yellow drone glider, the Scarlet Knight (yes, its yellow for some reason), over 4600 miles of Atlantic Ocean, a trip that took 221 days. The Knight, partially NAVY page 54

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Curated News Edition

Theologians Debate Calvinism Amid Calvinist Resurgence


(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)

on the program that the TULIP method, although a good overview, reduces what Calvinism March 18, 2012| 11:40 am really is. Ed Stetzer, president of Lifeway For Horton, the real emphasis in R e s e a r c h , m o d e r a t e d t h e Calvinism is "God being faithful discussion between Roger Olson to His decision in Jesus Christ to and Michael Horton, who both save those whom He has chosen have recent books released on the in His son and to keep them in the topic of Calvinism, but taking faith." opposing views on the system. He explained that even though Stetzer wrote in a Nov. 15, 2010 his faith might wane in different blog post that he thinks "there IS a stages of his life or his obedience r e s u r g e n c e o f C a l v i n i s m seems halting, "God is the Savior. (particularly w i t h i n He is the one who does all the evangelicalism)," and that it is saving and even the faith through among a younger population. which I am justified is itself a gift Stetzer briefly explained on his of God." program the theology behind Like us on Facebook Calvinism using an acronym While all three men agreed that known as T.U.L.I.P: Total Calvinism places a strong depravity, unconditional election, emphasis on God's sovereignty, limited atonement, irresistible their paths diverge over the grace, and perseverance of the problem of evil and God's role in saints. it. Horton, a professor at Roger Olson, who took the W e s t m i n s t e r S e m i n a r y - counterpoint to Horton in both the California and author of the book discussion and his book Against For Calvinism(2011), told Stetzer Calvinism(2011), said he has seen

a resurgence in Calvinism among university students. He subscribes to Arminian theology, which rejects the idea that men are "elected" by God to have salvation. Instead, people can choose their salvation through their free will. Olson said that Calvinism, taken to its logical conclusion, seems to say that "even hell and all who suffer there are eternally foreordained by God. God is rendered morally ambiguous at best and a moral monster at worst." He said that the Calvinist idea that some have been chosen for life and others for death exclude so many people. "When it comes down to only some people being given love and the grace of God, it makes God [seem] not as loving as God really is. But God wants everyone to be saved because He is love," Olson argued. Horton disagreed, saying in looking at Jesus' ministry he saved some and not others, and he

also healed some and not others. He said Calvinism is not God "going through the phone books saying you're in, out. All of us are out of the same lump of clay of condemned humanity." Horton argued that what Calvinists believe is that God actually saves all of the elect, although no one knows how many there actually are. He said that the Gospel invitation is not "come all ye who are elect; it's whosoever will let Him come. Jesus adds that no one can come unless the spirit draws him. Stetzer began The Exchange webshow two years ago in response to requests for ministry advice. Past episodes of The Exchange can be found here. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

How Many Hours Do You Work Per Week? (Hint: If It's Over 40, You May Have a Problem) [Reader Poll]
Adam Pash (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:30:00 AM

TED: T. Boone Pickens: Let's transform energy -- with natural gas - T. Boone Pickens (2012)
TEDTalks (TEDTalks (video))
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:43:42 AM

For years, the 40-hour work week was recognized as the sweet spot for workplace productivity and profits, a system, which AlterNet's Sara Robinson points out, is backed by 150 years of research. Every hour you work beyond 40 actually makes you "less effective and productive over both the short and the long haul." But you don't have to be a social scientist to notice that this wisdom seems to be going by the wayside. In fact, most of us just need to take a glance at our own working hours. More

The US consumes 25% of the world's oil -- but as energy tycoon

T. Boone Pickens points out onstage, the country has no energy policy to prepare for the inevitable. Is alternative energy our bridge to an oil-free future?

A f t e r l o s i n g $ 1 5 0 m i l l i o n Q&A with TED Curator Chris investing in wind energy, Pickens Anderson. suggests it isn't, not yet. What might get us there? Natural gas. After the talk, watch for a lively

Curated News Edition

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53

Church Still Loves Disqualified American Idol Contestant Jermaine Jones


(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)

VMWARE'S
continued from page 49

March 18, 2012| 12:27 pm "He's well-loved and accepted here," TMZ quoted the Rev. George Holland at Green Grove Baptist Church in New Jersey as saying Saturday. "We serve a forgiving God. Everyone has made mistakes in their lives. Hopefully when you make those mistakes you've learned from them and become a better person." Holland added he has known 25year-old Jones since he was a boy. "I don't know exactly what the charges are so I can't comment on that, but as far as welcoming him back ... there's nothing out there he could've done to make us not welcome him back." Jones, dubbed "the gentle giant" by show host Ryan Seacrest, found himself caught in a string of lies which ultimately led to his dismissal. Some suspect it was a deliberate set up by crafty show producers. Last Tuesday, Jones informed his

followers on Twitter that he had been disqualified. "Awww I will no longer b (sic) on the show," a tweet from Jones' official "Idol" Twitter account read, although now the entire account has been deleted. Jones, who became a Top 12 finalist, was reportedly sent packing after producers discovered that he had lied about his criminal past, which includes arrests for violence. Jones had a total of four outstanding warrants, three for driving on a suspended license and one for disorderly conduct with an open container, according to TMZ. Like us on Facebook When confronted by producers, Jones said, "I didn't want to get judged. I didn't want to get penalized for anything that happened in the past." Jones was reportedly "very aggressive" behind the scenes, and once terrorized a member of the staff by screaming at her because he didn't like his wardrobe. Jones tweeted about God

default, everything is scaled up 2x to simulate the resolution of the original iPad (1024768), but they have some support in there for loading higher-resolution images. Turns out, with some tricks, you can also make the canvas retina-friendly. What say you of VMwares new showing him favor before his WSX? Also, what of the new Twitter account was deleted. He iPads new real estate in this and let fans know that his faith was every business context? Im being tested before announcing thinking virtual or not, the his dismissal from the show. "Its resolution makes the new iPad (sic) my gift that will make room much more appealing as a work for me....and the favor of God on device. In other HTML5 news my life.....not no stupid story," The VMware demo was one of Jones tweeted. "Just got off the the most impressive HTML5 phone with my mother... God is demos that we saw this week, but so good and he's an on-time there are a few other newsworthy items that we want to share in this God!" Jones compared his struggles to roundup. that of Jesus Christ, speaking jSFiddle is a handy tool for about his trials falling in line with prototyping, saving, and sharing his crucifixion. "They nailed him JavaScript snippets. Its a bit like to the cross and he's the son of pastebin, but it allows you to God," he tweeted. "Thank you define separate blocks of HTML, lord for tests and trials for they CSS, and JavaScript and then see come to make you strong.... the rendered output in a pane. One of the developers behind #iwasnotBUILTtoBREAK!" This entry passed through the G o o g l e s a b a n d o n e d W a v e Full-Text RSS service if this is collaboration tool has published a your content and you're reading it JavaScript framework for building on someone else's site, please read real-time Web applications with the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content- Operational Transformation. The only/faq.php#publishers. Five framework can be used to add live Filters recommends: Donate to concurrent editing to a textbox in a Web page with only a few lines Wikileaks. of code. The HTML5 Rocks blog has a great tutorial that demonstrates

how the Web Audio API can be used in browser-based games. It provides some good tips for implementing background music, sound effects, and 3D positional sound. The official Chromium blog has published several videos that demonstrate modern Web features and how they can be used. Firebug, a popular Firefox addon for Web developers, has been moved to GitHub. This will make it easier for people to join the project and contribute improvements. Crumbs from the cookie jar If you missed our Web coverage on Ars this week, be sure to check out our hands-on review of Firefox 11, which introduced a new built-in stylesheet editor and 3D DOM viewer. You might also be interested in our report on Mozillas proposal to support H.264 video playback in mobile Firefox. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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PENTAGON
continued from page 50

for imaging often involve having a telescope stare at an object for a relatively long period of time and then a lot of postprocessing is done to develop an image. Darpas solution? Use multiple telescopes, and link them together with flexible fiber optic cables giving each telescope an impressive range of motion. Some of that technology already exists: In an astronomical approach known as interferometry, scientists use an interconnected array of telescopes to collect multiple phase angles (the angle between a light source like the sun, an object like a satellite, and an observer). But right now, connecting those telescopes requires rigid light pipes, which limits the range of motion of each telescope. But light pipes are necessary, because they combine all the phase angles

collected by the satellites into one central hub so that an accurate image can be rendered. To attain the ideal of sensitive stargazing, Darpas new program would do away with those rigid light pipes entirely, and replace them with fiber optic cables (like those that transmit TV to your big -screen, for example). Because those cables are flexible, theyd allow each telescope to rotate more freely (right now, the satellites are confined to a single axis of movement) and therefore capture more angles of an orbiting satellite. If you can move the telescope around you can get multiple phase angles faster than waiting for the satellite to slowly drift, Weeden says. Sure, it sounds like a big investment just to keep tabs on a bunch of sats limping towards

death. But keep in mind that this same system could also be deployed to monitor foreign satellites which might come in handy when Chinese ones stage their next mysterious rendezvous. Not to mention the benefits of job creation: Darpa anticipates employing heaps of robotic space grunts to forage for those spare parts. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Up for a Challenge? Take the Ultimate Most Dangerous Place on Earth Quiz
(HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 4:00:56 AM

There are dangers waiting for us around every corner, be it cars accidents, diseases, earthquakes or floods. However, some places are more dangerous than others, facing violence, war or terrorism. Take this quiz to learn about avoiding the most dangerous places on Earth. Earn a point for every right answer! Save your score at the end of the quiz. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it

on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

NAVY
continued from page 51

funded by the Navy, is electric powered, though, and so it needs to recharge a dicey proposition in the briny deep. And it doesnt descend to the depths of the ocean. A robo-sub called URASHIMA does. In 2005, the drone, built by the Japanese oceanographic research agency JAMSTEC set a world record for unmanned aquatic exploration by diving to the seafloor and traveling across it for nearly 200 miles. Thats nowhere near as far as Greenert wants, but the oceanographic research drones sensors and on-

board computer create programmable destinations and adjust to sea conditions, which are crucial for long-range exploration. Greenert pointed to a few others. Penn States got some good ideas. Johns Hopkins comes through with some ideas. Im going to go out and mine that again, he said. (Johns Hopkins is reportedly developing a new drone for deep-sea exploration, building on a decade of undersea engineering.) Among Greenerts concerns: keeping fuel requirements down so that the drone sub doesnt become a

bloated, stealthless, slow husk weighted down by its energy supply. For the near term, the Navys going to experiment with unmanned subs that cant swim as far. The Office of Naval Research is developing its own glider, the Persistent Littoral Undersea Surveillance system, or PLUS. Its a diesel-electric robot for shallow water environments that tops out at about 620 miles. Lessons from PLUS and the other experimental drones will get the Navy thinking about how to crack the ocean-spanning robo-sub

problem. That will be key in the undersea domain, Greenert said, to remain our edge. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Sales tips for every entrepreneur


(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:00:00 AM

WhetherSALES page 55 every you like it or not,

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Culture/ News Photos

55

SALES
continued from page 54

entrepreneur is a salesperson. If you don't have sales experience or have trouble admitting to yourself that you are a salesperson, Denver Business Journal explains everything the entrepreneursalesperson needs to know. Understand value from the buyers perspective. Benefits are benefits only if the buyer sees them as important. Turn a feature into a benefit by tying it to a problem. Prospects will buy more quickly to solve a problem or perceived problem than they will to gain a benefit that will occur later. Studies also suggest buyers will buy to prevent a loss before buying for pleasure. Upsell and gain add-on sales by asking questions around problems your solution can resolve or

prevent. Prospects who disclose the problems and fears they face are more likely to buy. The ability to uncover and solve customer problems on a continuing basis turns you into a trusted adviser. Once you are in that valued inner circle of trust, the sales process becomes almost automatic. This approach also helps distinguish tire kickers from those who are sincere prospects. Full story at Denver Business Journal. Top news for entrepreneurs. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment

Become the Town Planner:Play Royal Envoy


(HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 4:00:56 AM

Photos: NCAA men's basketball: Ohio University 62, South Florida 56 - Columbus Dispatch
(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:38:37 AM

Take the king's challenge in Royal Envoy, and think your way to triumph in this whimsical resource management experience. The isles of Islandshire have been ravaged by a storm, with most of the rainy season still to come. The residents are in need of new homes and the king has sent you, along with Cedric the royal architect, to handle the job. Hurry to the islands and help the king's loyal subjects! Build and upgrade sturdy homes for them. Hire help, restart factories, clear roads and get the markets trading again. There are 60 fun and challenging levels including entertaining side

quests featuring pirates, treasure and hot-air balloons. Remember, you are the town planner and it's all in your hands. Critics say Royal Envoy is "very well designed and developed, with many elements that make it stand out" and "will guarantee hours of fun". Find out when you play Royal Envoy free with the demo version or download the full version today! This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Columbus Dispatch Photos: NCAA men's basketball: Ohio University 62, South Florida 56 Columbus Dispatch Donn Jones | AP Ohio University guard DJ Cooper (5) shoots over South Florida guard Anthony Collins (11) in the first half of their NCAA tournament game in Nashville, Tenn. Sign up for home delivery of The Columbus Dispatch and find out What's In It... and more

10 Things to Leave Off Your Rsum


Ed Grabianowski (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)

way for your potential employer to contact you. But how much do you know about the things you Submitted at 3/19/2012 4:00:56 AM should never put on a rsum? Most of us know what key things Are there rsum items so heinous we should put on our rsums -- they might disqualify you from recent jobs, important awards, even being considered for the job? academic degrees related to the You might not be aware that job, and of course a clear and easy rsum styles have changed quite

a bit in recent years. Things that were de rigueur on rsums 10 years ago are pass today. Read this list of 10 rsum killers to find out why that objective you spent an hour writing is a waste of space, why a potential employer might throw your rsum straight into the garbage if you mention

your religion, and why references have no place on a modern rsum. Let's start with our first no-no: a picture is not worth a thousand words. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read

the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Culture/ Politics-Left/

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Jessica Biel Brings Her The Hunger Games Cast Enormous Engagement Ring Talks Low-Carb Diets and On Casual Farmers Market Trip Intense Training Regimens 'Heavy Molly Goodson (PopSugar) Molly Goodson (PopSugar) fighting' shakes Jessica Biel's engagement ring Syrian capital sparkled as she stopped to check The Hunger Games release date
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:06:26 AM Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:15:01 AM

out some fresh flowers at a farmers market in LA on Sunday. Jessica debuted her giant diamond on a walk with fianc Justin Timberlake earlier this month, and since then she's been showing it off everywhere from courtside at a Lakers game to casual trips to the supermarket. Justin reportedly popped the question over the holidays, but the two kept their big news private for a couple months before letting the sparkler shine in public. Jessica also wasn't shy with her bathing suit body on the April cover of W Magazine. The actress talked about bucking

her good-girl image by being "very, very bad," and while that may be true, we'll be seeing her badass side instead when her reboot of Total Recall hits theaters later this year. View Slideshow

is just days away, but things aren't slowing down here at DistrictSugar! In the next week, we'll continue to bring you our exclusive coverage of the soon-tobe hit film with more interviews from the cast. PopSugar editor Lindsay Miller recently sat down with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth to talk about their intense training regimens. Josh joked about his low-carb diet while Jennifer

(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))


Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:13:33 AM

revealed the behind-the-scenes moments she fears could end up on YouTube. Check it out and see The Hunger Games in theaters this Friday, March 23!

Heavy fighting has broken out between opposition fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar al -Assad in a main district of Damascus that is home to several security installations, witnesses said. The sound of heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades echoed throughout the night from the western neighbourhood of al-Mezzeh, one 'HEAVY page 58

Audacity 2.0 Adds Automatic Crash Recovery, Improved Keyboard Shortcuts, Stability, and Better Effects [Downloads]
Thorin Klosowski (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:00:00 AM

open source sound editing program Audacity has been updated with a few new features. improved effects, a ton of new Windows/Mac/Linux: The free, T h e m o s t n o t a b l e i n c l u d e

keyboard shortcuts, and a handy automatic crash recovery mode. More

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57

French police probe scooter killings links


(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:41:05 AM

French anti-terrorist prosecutors have linked a shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse with two deadly attacks on soldiers in the same region last week. A police source told the AFP news agency that the same weapon and the same stolen scooter appeared to have been used in all three attacks after Monday's school shooting left four people dead, including three children. Politicians and justice officials noted similarities between Monday's incident and the March 11 murder of a soldier in the same southwestern city and another shooting four days later. In that attack, three soldiers were shot, two fatally, in the garrison town of Montauban, just 46km away from Toulouse. All three attacks were carried out by the rider of a powerful, darkcoloured scooter, using a .45calibre weapon, who witnesses described as calmly shooting his victims at point-blank range. In Montauban, witnesses told how the killer had time to turn over one of the wounded men who was trying to crawl away and fire three more shots into him before getting back on his scooter and making his escape. The first victim, a 30-year-old non-commissioned officer, was

dressed in civilian clothes when he was shot dead in a Toulouse street just eight days ago. In Monday's killings, the shooter opened fire outside the school with a 9mm calibre weapon, which jammed. He then produced a second weapon, a pistol of the same .45 calibre as that used in the other attacks, and chased children into the school to continue his spree. Possible pattern Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Toulouse, said that people were particularly concerned by the sense that a pattern of killings was emerging. "It would seem to be a huge coincidence otherwise; over the space of eight days you have three attacks, all of which involve an attacker on a motorcycle wearing a black helmet and the same sort of gun. So the evidence is starting to stack up." Patrick Rouimi, the father of a child at the school, told the AFP news agency that the attacker opened fire on a group of people standing at a spot where children were picked up for school. "He shot at everything he could see, children and adults, and some children were chased into the school," Michel Valet, the local prosecutor, told journalists. The daughter of the school's director was seriously injured in the attack, said Charles Ben Semoun, a parent of another child

in the school. Nicole Yardeni, president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France, told Al Jazeera that the children who were killed were younger siblings of those who attend the school. "There is an eight-year-old, a sixyear-old and a three-year-old that are dead and a 17-year-old that [attends] the school, that is between life and death at the hospital." Yardeni said that a parent was also killed. She said the gunman had appeared "extremely determined because cameras showed [the attacker] running after the children and shooting at them". "He was shooting at them, even catching them and shooting them in their heads," she said.

moved" [AFP] "There are questions about the similar modus operandi in today's drama and those of last week, even if we must await more precise elements from the forensic police to confirm this hypothesis," Sarkozy said. Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, said in a statement that he was "deeply shocked" by the shooting. "Only a person possessing demonic evil could conduct such a terrible murder of small children at a school," his office quoted him as saying. Reuven Rivlin, the speaker in the 'National tragedy' President Nicolas Sarkozy rushed Israeli parliament, said the attack to the school, ordering increased was against Jews and Israel and security at Jewish and Muslim should alert the international buildings around Toulouse, while community. h i s p r i m e m i n i s t e r o r d e r e d "Jewish children and a teacher officials to "secure" all school and were murdered this morning religious buildings in France, because they were Jewish," he which has Europe's largest Jewish said in remarks broadcast by community, estimated at up to military radio. "This just shows the horrors of 700,000 people. "It is a national tragedy," said a n t i - S e m i t i s m , w h i c h a l s o S a r k o z y , d e n o u n c i n g t h e manifests in anti-Israeli (acts)... "savagery" of the attack, and This should be a warning signal to the world." vowing to find the killer. "We do not know who this killer This entry passed through the is, the exact links with the drama Full-Text RSS service if this is t h a t a f f e c t e d t h e m i l i t a r y your content and you're reading it community, with the young on someone else's site, please read soldiers killed in Montauban and the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentToulouse," he said. A local only/faq.php#publishers. Five prosecutor said the gunman Filters recommends: Donate to "opened fire at everything that Wikileaks.

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'HEAVY
continued from page 56

of the most heavily guarded areas of the capital, residents told the Reuters news agency by telephone on Monday. Syrian state television said three "terrorists" and a member of Syria's security forces were killed in the fighting. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), earlier said that at least 18 security troops were wounded. Lena, a member of the Revolutionary Leadership Council in Damascus, an opposition activist network, told Al Jazeera that residents in al-Mezzeh began hearing gunfire at about midnight. "Some people came to alMezzeh and they are trying to attack residents. They are calling them names and taking them out of their houses ... people have left their homes. They are in the streets. The security forces are all around the place," she said. Another witness who lives in the area said there was fighting near Hamada supermarket and the sound of explosions in nearby. "Security police have blocked several side streets and the street lighting has been cut off," she said. Reporting from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon, Al Jazeera's Rula Amin said: "Residents are telling us there was intense gunfire for hours. They

could hear from loudspeakers the army and the security forces asking armed men to leave one of the buildings, Hamada supermarket. "Al-Mezzeh is not geographically located in the heart of the capital but it's a very important neighbourhood. It is heavily guarded. There are a lot of highranking officials living in alMezzeh, in addition to the UN headquarters, embassies, and ambassadors," she said. "This is taking place as the government claims they have control over the capital." 'Damascus documents' The latest fighting comes as Al Jazeera gained access to confidential documents prepared for Assad by his intelligence chiefs that give details of the regime's plans to contain the uprising and protect government strongholds. The documents, running into hundreds of pages, point to a government desperate to keep control of the capital Damascus and include clear orders to stop protesters from getting into the city. Elsewhere on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Russia's foreign minister voiced clear support for a plan for daily humanitarian ceasefires in Syria and promised Russia would press

Assad's government to accept it. Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "clearly agreed to and was supportive of" the idea of a daily two-hour cessation of hostilities to allow for life-saving aid operations, ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger told Reuters after talks with Lavrov in Moscow on Monday. Asked whether Lavrov had promised that Russia would pressure Syria's government on the plan, Kellenberger said, "Yes, very much so". The two sides issued no joint statement but ICRC officials said Kellenberger "received positive indications of support" from Lavrov. The Red Cross has yet to receive permission from Syria to access all parts of the country affected by fighting. Moscow, an ally of Damascus, is seen as having a certain amount of influence on the Syrian leadership. Attacks This came a day after Syria's opposition reported heavy raids by security forces and fighting with rebels in northern and southern provinces and suburbs of Damascus on Sunday. A car bomb close to a state security office in Syria's second biggest city of Aleppo killed at least three people on Sunday, according to the SOHR. Syrian state TV said that

the"terrorist" explosion took place between two residential buildings in the al-Suleimaniya district, behind a post office. In Damascus, crowds gathered for memorials to the 27 victims of Saturday's car bombs, which had targeted a customs office and air force intelligence headquarters. State television also blamed "terrorists" for those attacks, but opposition activists said they doubted armed groups trying to bring down Assad would have the capacity to carry out such operations against his security institutions in Damascus. The United Nations estimates that more than 8,000 people have died so far in the violence following the revolt against four decades of rule by the Assad family. Syrian authorities say they are fighting insurgents who have so far killed more than 2,000 members of the security forces. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Chiefs sign Quinn, Winston FOXSports.com


(- Bing News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:43:15 AM

Updated Mar 19, 2012 11:44 AM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs have formally announced the signing of free agent quarterback Brady Quinn and veteran right tackle Eric Winston. Winston was in the fourth year of a $30 million, five-year deal when he was cut by the Houston Texans to save salary cap space. Winston helped Houston become the NFL's second-leading rushing team, and he will address a glaring need for the Chiefs. Quinn will back up Matt Cassel, who is coming back from a season -ending injury to his throwing hand. The former first-round pick of the Browns started 12 games over three seasons in Cleveland, completing 52 percent of his passes for 1,902 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He did not play in Denver last season. Terms for the two deals were not disclosed Monday. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Politics-Left/ Gaming/

59

Al Jazeera obtains secret Syria files


(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:18:31 AM

the biggest rallies have been in the province of Idlib. Barakat, the whistleblower, told Al Jazeera has gained access to Al Jazeera: Any person reading confidential documents prepared these reports will be shocked, will for the Syrian president by his realise that Syria is living a true intelligence and security chiefs on crisis: killings, criminality and the conflict raging across the suppression of protesters. nation. However security chiefs paint [a] The files provide an insight beautiful picture in their reports. into President Bashar al-Assads They ignore many substantial strategy to suppress antifacts on the ground, simply to government protests, boost the presidents morale, he including the lengths the said. government went to for protecting Al Jazeera's Bays said that the its strongholds. network was confident about the The documents, running into validity of the documents, and hundreds of pages, point to a cell in Damascus, has fled to diplomats to defect. that two Al Jazeera teams had government desperate to keep Turkey. Every evening at 7:00 pm worked for days to verify them. control of the capital Damascus For months, the opposition had a Damascus time, there is a meeting "We have been through the and include clear orders to stop mole at the heart of Assads of all the intelligence and security documents in detail ... not just protesters from getting into the security apparatus working in this chiefs looking back at what l o o k i n g a t w h a t ' s i n t h e city. joint co-ordination cell that co- happened across the country documents, the detail of the They also revealed detailed ordinates the work of all the during the day, making their d o c u m e n t s , l o o k i n g a t t h e security plans for crushing intelligence agencies across the plans, making their orders for the letterheads, looking at the the protests in the cities of Aleppo country, Al Jazeeras James next day, our correspondent said. signatures on the documents, and Idlib. Bays, reporting from Turkey, These orders then go to the speaking to Syrians, speaking to One leaked paper spelled out said. office of the president the next opposition activists. clear orders to top officials to give " T h i s m a n w a s l e a k i n g morning and he himself signs all "We are very confident that the financial and moral support to information to the opposition. the orders, the final go ahead, he documents are genuine," he said. Assad's supporters in Aleppo, the Finally he was compromised and added. This entry passed through the second major city. Full-Text RSS service if this is realised that he had to get out of Monitors spied on Whistleblower Syria to save his own life. As he The documents indicate that the your content and you're reading it The documents were passed on to left the country he took with him government spied on the Arab on someone else's site, please read Al Jazeera by Abdel Majid some of Syria's most secret League monitoring mission, the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentBarakat, who until recently was documents." which was in Syria at the end of only/faq.php#publishers. Five one of the governments most In one leaked cable marked last year. Filters recommends: Donate to trusted officials. confidential, the They also spell out where Wikileaks. The former Baath party member, government cautioned the Syrian protests have been taking place, who was in charge of collating foreign minister about countries and how many people were information from across Syria at t r y i n g t o i n f l u e n c e S y r i a n involved. They show that some of the secret joint crisis management

Humble Bundle for Android #2 brings Canabalt to Android


JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 1:01:00 PM

If you have an Android phone, you've probably been eagerly awaiting this day: the day when Semi Secret Software's autorunner Canabalt jumps through a window and lands on Android. Not only is it out today, it's part of a new Android-focused Humble Bundle. Other games in today's pay-whatyou-want charity collection include Zen Bound 2, Cogs, and Spiderweb's Avadon: The Black Fortress. Those who pay over the average also get Swords & Soldiers. Though it's an Android bundle, buying it gets you access to all the games across PC, Mac, and Linux as well, plus soundtracks for everything but Avadon. And, of course, you get the positive feeling of contributing to charity or whatever. Humble Bundle for Android #2 brings Canabalt to Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

60

TV/ Food/

Curated News Edition

'Pretty Little Liars' Season 40 Meals Under 40 Minutes 3 Coming Really Soon!
Chris Harnick (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:33:10 PM

" Pretty Little Liars" Season 3 will debut in June, just three months after Season 2 wraps and "A's" identity is revealed. The Season 2 finale of "Pretty Little Liars" airs Mon., March 19 at 8 p.m. ET and ABC Family has scheduled the premiere of "Pretty Little Liars" Season 3 for Tues., June 5 at 8 p.m. ET. The sophomore season of " Jane by Design will follow the Season 3 premiere of "Pretty Little Liars" at 9 p.m. ET.

"Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's newest TV show "Bunheads" joins the ABC Family lineup on Mon., June 11 at 9 p.m. ET. Starring Sutton Foster, "Bunheads" tells the story of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively gets married and then relocates to a small town where she works at her mother-in-law's dance school as an instructor. "Baby Daddy," a new half-hour comedy from "The Nine Lives of Chloe King's" Dan Berendsen premieres on Wed., June 20 at 8:30 p.m. Jean-Luc Bilodeau ("Kyle XY") stars as a young man who suddenly finds out he's a

father after an ex-girlfriend leaves a baby on his doorstep. Former Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane and "Smart Guy's" Tahj Mowry also star. " Melissa and Joey" also returns with new episodes on Wed., May 30 at 8 p.m. ET. ABC Family is adding a reality show to its schedule on Wed., July 11 at 9 p.m. ET when "Beverly Hills Nannies" debuts. From the production company behind "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Orange County," "Beverly Hills Nannies" follows a group of caretakers who work in the elite 90210 zip code.

(Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)

sign in to your personal Recipe File account. If you don't have an Submitted at 3/19/2012 3:00:00 AM account, click Print Menu. From Use this meal-planner guide to there, select the Shopping List f i n d m e n u s t h a t s u i t y o u r option from the left column of the weeknight fancy, and voila: faster, page. Next Meal #1: Chicken healthier weeknight eating for Dinners your entire family. This entry passed through the To get a shopping list for a Full-Text RSS service if this is specific menu, click the View your content and you're reading it Menu link at the bottom of the on someone else's site, please read slide. You will be taken to that the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentmenu's page on MyRecipes.com. only/faq.php#publishers. Five F r o m t h e r e , c l i c k S a v e t o Filters recommends: Donate to Shopping List to the right of the Wikileaks. menu. You will be prompted to

Lady Gaga Takes A Vow Of Silence


The Huffington Post (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:55:03 AM

Lady Gaga has always been very open with the press, from revealing intimate details about her love life to shock jock Howard Stern to sharing her struggles with bulimia. That's all about to change

because Lady Gaga is going silent. On Sunday night's episode of " Oprah's Next Chapter," the "Born This Way" singer told Oprah that she won't be doing any more interviews "for a very long time." "The latest thing I do is I don't read a damn thing," said Gaga, as she explained her new creative process. "No press, no television.

If my mom calls and says, 'Did you hear about?' I don't want to know nothing about anything that is going on in relation to music. I shut it all off." This could explain why Gaga appeared to shun media at the Grammys last month. Gaga also opened up about her desire to settle down and become a mother. "I want kids. I want a

soccer team, and I want a husband," she told Oprah. The singer is currently dating "Vampire Diaries" star Taylor Kinney. Gaga and Kinney first met on the set of her " You and I" music video, and it seems like things are going great for the couple. Gaga has reportedly been crashing at Kinney's California home since January, and the pair

spent some time over the holidays in Kinney's hometown of Lancaster, Penn. The two are reportedly looking to make things more permanent and move in together. They are rumored to be looking at places in Pennsylvania and New York City. Watch Oprah's interview with Gaga below.

Curated News Edition

TV/ Products/ Daily World/

61

Mitt Romney Compares Primary Victory To Pancake


The Huffington Post (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)

Man Behind Juked-Up Apple/Foxconn Story Says He Lied To "Make People Care"
Chris Morran (The Consumerist)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:30:00 AM

pancakes, and number two, I need you to go vote tomorrow." Romney's first wish came true. Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:39:09 AM ABC News reports that the former A f t e r c r u i s i n g t o a n Massachusetts governor heaped overwhelming victory in Sunday's h e a v y p r a i s e o n " C h a r l i e ' s P u e r t o R i c o p r i m a r y , G O P Famous Giant Pancake," equating presidential hopeful Mitt Romney the 16-inch flapjack to his was up bright and early on weekend performance. Monday, likening his big win to a "These pancakes are about as massive pancake. large as my win in Puerto Rico Romney stopped in at Charlie last night, I must admit," Romney Parker's Diner in Springfield, Ill., said. "The margin is just about as making a pitch to voters at the good." popular breakfast joint. Charlie Parker's cuisine has "I need only one thing from you received national attention. The this morning -- no two," Romney spot was featured on Food said. "Number one, I need some Network's hit show Diners, Drive-

ins and Dives, where host Guy Fieri learned that about 18 ounces of batter are used to make the pancake. During the course of his campaign trail travels, Romney has turned to food to connect with the local scene. While dining in Mississippi two weeks ago, he revealed his affinity for grits. A few days later, his Magnolia State travels also led him to try catfish for just the second time. WATCH: Awkward Mitt Romney Moments

Acts 3:19-20 (03-19-12)


(Verse of the Day)

straying from a passionate walk with the Lord? Refreshing times come when we change our hearts Repent, then, and turn to God, so and lives to live for God and with that your sins may be wiped out, God in our everyday lives! In fact, that times of refreshing may come Jesus has told us that he will from the Lord, and that he may reveal himself to us as we live send the Christ, who has been obediently for him (see John appointed for you -- even Jesus. 14:15-21). His home will be in us Acts 3:19-20(NIV) Thoughts until he returns for us and we get on Today's Verse... When was the to enjoy the ultimate refreshment last time that you caught yourself -- going home to be with him
Submitted at 3/19/2012 2:00:00 AM

forever. My Prayer... Abba Father, I am consciously turning my life over to you today. I ask for your forgiveness for any sin that I have committed. Please refresh me through a deeper awareness of Jesus' lordship and presence in my life today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

As we reported on Friday, This American Life had to issue a retraction on a radio segment about workers at a Foxconn factory where Apple products are made because Mike Daisey, the man whose story is the thrust of the piece, fabricated a number of the details. And while Daisey has admitted he made things up, he says he did it all with good intentions. Over the weekend, TAL aired a piece explaining how it became aware of inconsistencies in Daisey's story, and gave him a chance to explain why he used fictional information for his monologue about his Foxconn visit. [E]verything I have done in making this monologue for the theater has been toward that end to make people care. I'm not going to say that I didn't take a few shortcuts in my passion to be heard. But I stand behind the work. My mistake, the mistake that I truly regret is that I had it on your show as journalism and it's not journalism. It's theater. I use the tools of theater and memoir to achieve its dramatic arc and of

that arc and of that work I am very proud because I think it made you care, Ira, and I think it made you want to delve. And my hope is that it makes has made other people delve. Meanwhile, TAL's Ira Glass says that even though Daisey lied about some of the details regarding his trip to China, much of what the original piece reported about Apple and Foxconn was correct: We did factcheck the story before we put it on the radio. But in factchecking, our main concern was whether the things Mike says about Apple and about its supplier Foxconn, which makes this stuff, were true. That stuff is true. It's been corroborated by independent investigations by other journalists, studies by advocacy groups, and much of it has been corroborated by Apple itself in its own audit reports. Why Mike Daisey Lied About Foxconn According to Mike Daisey[Gizmodo] From ConsumerReports.org: This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

62

Products/ Gaming/

Curated News Edition

NetZero introduces 4G wireless Net modems and no-contract access Grasshopper/DeNA partnership plans releasing new Frog
Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)

The $100 NetZero 4G Hotspot will connect up to eight Wi-Fi devices to Clearwire's WiMAX Submitted at 3/19/2012 6:59:59 AM wireless Internet network. NetZero introduces 4G wireless Subscribers can switch billing Net modems and no-contract p l a n s a t a n y t i m e w i t h o u t access plans incurring a contractual Remember NetZero? Today, the obligationalthough they are company introduced a new 4G limited to 12 months for the free broadband Internet access service 200MB service. Users can also that doesn't require a two-year choose download rateseither a commitment to wireless service. "warpspeed" of 10 megabits per What's more, new subscribers can second or a "lightspeed" of 1 try a year of the NetZero wireless megabit per secondat will. 4G service for free. Sort of. Changing between "warpspeed" T h e N e t Z e r o 4 G M o b i l e and "lightspeed" can occur in as Broadband service is similar to little as 15 minutes, so subscribers the wireless data services and can vary between the speeds as devices sold by competing cell- neededsay, using the slower phone service providers. NetZero speed on days when only e-mail is c u s t o m e r s c h o o s e a 4 G vital, and going to the faster speed modema $50 USB device for when watching online video one computer or a $100 "hotspot" smoothly is more important. that can wirelessly connect up to Free-plan subscribers who go eight Wi-Fi devices, such as that o v e r t h e i r m o n t h l y 2 0 0 M B brand- new Apple iPad or e-book allotment of wireless data, will readerand a monthly wireless have to upgrade to a paid plan data plan. before they can keep surfing for NetZero's monthly 4G broadband the month. And any subscriber plans are: who exceeds their plan's monthly $50 for 4GB data cap will be shut out until the $35 for 2GB next monthor pay overage $20 for 1GB charges of $7 for an additional $10 for 500MB 250MB or $20 for an extra 1GB $0 for 200MB of wireless 4G data. Still, conventional wireless 4G

flocked to NetZero. Fast 4G service. Maybe. NetZero is using Clearwire's WiMax wireless broadband technology, a 4G "flavor" that is falling out of favor because of LTE (Long Term Evolution). And while Clearwire's 4G download speeds are technically fast for a service can be expensive. Sprint, fourth-generation wireless setup, for example, offers a free 4G NetZero's function and future is hotspot modem, but subscribers questionableespecially as larger need to stick around for two wireless service providers ramp yearsat minimum, an $840 up 4G LTE coverage nationwide. commitment, not counting any But at just $50 for a single taxes or overage charges. Should you jump at NetZero's mobile broadband modem and i n e x p e n s i v e , c o n t r a c t - f r e e 200MB of wireless data per wireless broadband service? month, NetZero's service might be There are a couple of caveats to a very attractive deal for laptop workers who infrequently need consider. S e r v i c e i s n ' t w i d e l y Web access while away from a availableor rated. The NetZero public Wi-Fi hotspot. What do 4G Wireless Broadband will be you think? a v a i l a b l e i n a b o u t 8 0 U . S . NetZero[United Online] Questions to consider in citiespaltry compared to the 8,000 neighborhoods that NetZero deciphering 4G technology[USA services nationwide with wired Today] Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o home Internet, including free dialup access and DSL broadband. ConsumerReports.org for expert But even with that presence in Ratings, buying advice and wired access, Consumer Reports' r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f subscriberswho are the heart of products. Update your feed o u r R a t i n g s o f s e r v i c e preferences providershaven't exactly

Minutes this spring


JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:00 PM

A year after the release of the charity app Frog Minutes, Grasshopper Manufacture is preparing an updated version for iOS and Android. As announced last September, this new Frog Minutes game will be published by DeNA on its (newly worldwide) Mobage network. The release is set for the spring. The last game had players catching bugs to lure various species frogs, then capturing the frogs. This game is being released under the Grasshopper/DeNA joint venture, whose name appears to have been changed from "Grasshopper Social Network Service Inc." to the infinitely snappier " Grasshopper Universe." Grasshopper/DeNA partnership releasing new Frog Minutes this spring originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Products/

63

Music Monday: Half-Forgotten Wonders


(Woot! - One Day, One Deal)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:00:00 AM

Some songs you never think about until you're hearing them. Maybe you'll be in a grocery store or a car wash and they'll hit you out of the blue. "Oh, yeah!" you'll say. "How did I forget about THIS one?" And then, ten minutes later, you couldn't remember it to save your life. Those are the hits Scott wants to talk about today, from the one-hit wonders to the solid but forgettable hits that were swept aside. He's picked one from each previous decade just because. Will you know them all? You might! Go ahead and give the first one a shot: Moody Blues - Go Now (1964) Most people forget that before they had the angry flute player, the Moody Blues were, well, bluesy. This single did pretty well but if you left it off a greatest hits album, some fans might not even blink. And yet, if you heard it over the in-store, you'd find it easy to hum along. You can't call it forgotten, but it sure isn't always remembered. Now, we accept you're gonna find it hard to think of songs you don't usually think about. But if you can, or if the songs inside jog your memory, throw your favorite forgotten memory in the comments for everyone to see. Maybe we'll all rediscover some hidden gems together! See you

but if you hear this in a dressing room while buying a pair of jeans? You'll probably grin and shake your head in amusement. You lived long enough to find your niche, Jesus Jones. Sorry it wasn't quite what you probably expected. Angie Aparo - Spaceship (2000) The nice thing about Angie Aparo is that he didn't really seem to care about being famous. In fact, Spaceship actually includes the lyrics "this is just a song to pay the rent." But rather than killing himself to stay a pop star, Angie Aparo kept doing his own thing, and wound up with songwriting credits for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. We hear the guy's a great show live, and though he'll probably never go Top 40 again, he seems to be cool enough. Maybe his albums aren't on your desert island picks, but inside The Hooters - All You Zombies not awful or anything, but it's easy this song'll sure brighten up your Raydio - Jack And Jill (1978) (1982) to see why your brain might day when you hear it playing in the mall. Smooth, isn't it? If you're old The Hooters were never exactly choose to overwrite this. enough, you might have heard this an A-list band, but if you're Jesus Jones - International Bright Agree? Disagree? Never heard any of these songs before today? on your family's car radio back looking for a shortcut to the sound Young Thing (1990) when Carter was the president and of 80s rock, they're sure servin' it Poor Jesus Jones. One day they Hit the comments and tell us what gas was still less than a dollar. up here. The echo in the vocals, were an up-and-coming pop band, you think, what you'd pick, and The song was written by Ray the tone of the guitar, the drums and the next they were hit full in w h a t e v e r e l s e y o u w a n t t o Parker Jr. (yes, the Ghostbusters that just vaguely remind you of a the face with Trent Reznor, Kurt mention. Then join us in our guy) and it's just a warm ocean of Miami Vice episode, lyrics that Cobain, and N.W.A. This song Turntable.fm room for our regular radio-friendly synth-funk. But it's seem to mean something but was part of that last, hungry gasp Music Monday fun. Think of it as also sorta forgettable, right? actually don't, it's everything 80s from the Second Summer of an in-store you make yourself. Which is probably why it pops up radio ever wanted. Also of note is Love, a kind of Hail Mary pass to on in-stores from time to time. It's how the video takes place in some America that almost paid off. just cool enough to distract you sort of waste management plant, Today, of course, the band isn't from calculating the sales tax. possibly after a nuclear war. It's even a footnote in rock history,

64

Products/

Curated News Edition

First drive video: 2012 Fisker Karma


Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)

on top of having several other rogue warning indicators appear last week. It is expected we'll be Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:44:59 AM revisiting the dealership soon. First drive video: 2012 Fisker We've had cars in the past that Karma have been troublesome, but never With our new Fisker Karma back anything like this. from its recent visit to the dealer, Once the kinks are sorted out, we we were able to record a video to look forward to putting the Karma s h a r e o u r i n i t i a l d r i v i n g of us.) Unfortunately the car's t h r o u g h o u r c o m p l e t e t e s t impressions of the car. inherent design forces some program to see how well the car Like our recently tested Land compromises. The big backbone performs as a plug-in extendedRover Range Rover Evoque, the battery tunnel creates tight range electric car, as well as eyeKarma appeals at first sight with quarters inside, and the car's 5,395 catching luxury transport. its audacity to be different. The -pound heft impacts acceleration, Watch the video below for our interior abounds with thoughtful agility, and fuel economy. I admit first driving impressions. touches. When ordering the car, to wondering what it would have Related: you can even select where the been like with a twin-turbo V6 or Consumer Reports is not the only reclaimed wood trim comes from. a nice V8, but that would remove Fisker owner to experience bad Plus, what other car has woven part of the car's distinctiveness-- Karma suede covering the dashboard? a n d t h e a b i l i t y t o u t i l i z e It's back: Our Fisker Karma With leather interiors becoming government-backed loans for returns from the dealership with a almost a commodity, it's rare to development. new battery pack have one whose interior actually Normally when we have a car Bad Karma: Our Fisker Karma smells like the real thing--our like this at our test facility, it has plug-in hybrid breaks down Karma EcoSport's cabin does. no problem accumulating break-in 2012 Fisker Karma - A weekend (Other models get a synthetic miles. After all, big luxury sedans full of Karma material.) Even the digital clock lend themselves to road trips. But Five questions with Henrik in the instrument cluster has a the Fisker is languishing in our Fisker, father of the $100,000 designer's touch. lot, going out mostly for short Karma plug-in hybrid Subscribe But the Karma aims to satisfy on commutes that remain well within now! a lot of different levels. It's trying cell-phone coverage in case of S u b s c r i b e t o to be stylish, luxurious, sporty, trouble--a concern in the rural ConsumerReports.org for expert and environmentally friendly. area surrounding our track. Just Ratings, buying advice and ( N o t t o b e c o n f u s e d w i t h this weekend, for example, the r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f "economical." At $107,850, speedometer and energy meter products. Update your feed Karma buyers don't need to pinch display disappeared when driving, preferences pennies at the pump like the rest

Doctors Insist Woman With 24-Pound Tumor Is Just Pregnant


Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)

she was pregnant. She later returned to the hospital and told doctors to take another look, as Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:00:00 PM the whole late-term pregnancy In a story that seems like the diagnosis didn't seem to be exact opposite of those shows panning out. where women don't think they're During an ultrasound, she says pregnant and yet, oops, out comes the doctor finally said, "Gosh, a baby, a woman in Barcelona what a huge cyst." Yes, cyst, not a was pretty darn sure she wasn't baby go figure. The woman is pregnant, and yet doctors insisted going through chemotherapy now she was. Really, she had a 24- and has opened a case with the pound cancerous uterine tumor. patients' ombudsman in Spain. United Press International says 24-pound tumor misdagnosed as the woman claims that she was p r e g n a n c y [ U n i t e d P r e s s "treated with contempt" while at a I n t e r n a t i o n a l ] h o s p i t a l e m e r g e n c y r o o m This entry passed through the complaining of excruciating Full-Text RSS service if this is abdominal pain. She's alleging your content and you're reading it that doctors joked, "Haven't you on someone else's site, please read ever heard of contraception?" and the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentsaid her pain was due to a panic only/faq.php#publishers. Five attack. Filters recommends: Donate to She then had two negative Wikileaks. pregnancy tests as they insisted

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Products/ Daily World/

65

Skip the sunburn on spring break


rss@consumerreports.org (Consumer Reports)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 7:29:59 AM

Starbucks Expands Its Horizons With New Evolution Fresh Juice Store
Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:45:00 AM

Skip the sunburn on spring break Nothing can ruin a spring vacation faster than a nasty case of sunburn. Hello, lobster! Wondering which sunscreen to get before heading out to Vegas or Punta Cana? No worriesour testing pros have the answers. One of our two Best Buys was a Walgreens brand. Among the other sunscreens we tried were Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Hawaiian Tropic. Check out our Ratings(available to subscribers) to see how they and others fared. To help keep you from frying this spring break: Buy a sunscreen with a sunprotection factor (SPF) of at least 30 (drop that tanning oil, or you'll look like Snooki in a few years!). If you can't find one of our recommended sunscreens, pick a broad-spectrum water-resistant

one that claims to protect against both UVA and UVB rays, which are linked to skin cancer. Fill up most of a 1.5-ounce shot glass with sunscreen--that's how much you should apply each time you use it (at least every two hours and after you go swimming or sweat a lot). Or spray generously while applying it evenly and then spray yourself again. Avoid using sprays on children. Rub sunscreen in 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside. If it's windy out, apply spray sunscreen to your hand and rub it in. For your face, spray your

hands and then rub it in. We found that most of the sunscreens in our tests stain, so be careful not to get it on your beach attire. Bring a big hat, a long-sleeved beach cover-up, and sunglasses to help shield you from those harmful rays. Pack sunscreen in your checked luggage, not your carry-on, if you want to keep it. Check out the TSA carry-on rules before you get to the airport. Be sure to check back before Memorial Day for our annual "sun"-sational sunscreen guide. See our advice for preventing skin cancer and how to distinguish between a mole and melanoma. Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Starbucks has made a name for itself, to say the least, with all things coffee, so now it seems they've decided to move beyond their bread and butter (or scones and coffee, as it were) and have opened their first Evolution Fresh Inc. juice store today. The Wall Street Journal says they bought the juice makers last November for $30 million. The company had been selling juices in stores like Whole Foods, but will now have their own retail shops, starting with the newlyopened today location in Bellevue, Wash. Each store will have, of course,

juice, as well as wraps, soups, salads, vegetarian and vegan options and various other options for noshing. Evolution Fresh cracks, peels, presses and squeezes their own fruits and veggies and don't use pureed or powdered ingredients. Eventually, Evolution Fresh juices will also be sold in Starbucks stores later this year. Starbucks to Open Evolution Fresh Store[Wall Street Journal] This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Comedian conducts Bach recording appeal


(Evening Standard - News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:38:55 AM

Armstrong, 42, is calling on 2,500 other music-lovers to donate 20 each so that Sir John can finish recording all of the

church cantatas written by Johann Sebastian Bach. The London-based conductor has so far issued 27 two-CD volumes of the 200 cantatas performed by the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists.

They were all recorded in 2000, but problems with noise in Salisbury Cathedral rendered the recording of the four cantatas for Ascension Day impossible. The aim is to complete the set in the church of St Giles,

Cripplegate, in London on May 10. www.monteverdi.co.uk/ascension This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read

the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Products/ Gaming/ Technology/

Curated News Edition

Apple's 100 Billion Dollar Announcement: What's Next?


(Woot! - One Day, One Deal)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 6:00:00 AM

In a few hours Apple's gonna make a big announcement about what they'll be doing with their 100 billion in cash reserves. The currency of tomorrow? Techcrunch hopes they're gobbling up a movie studio, Bloomberg is sure they'll give handouts to rich investors, and us? Well, we're just hoping to see one or two of the things below. - All the money goes to hiring an assassin to take out the coach of Lehigh University for trashing everyone's brackets - Price on Mac Memory dropping,

now to be only moderately insane - Zimbabwe becoming the first privately owned nation, name changing to iMbabwe - Best darn Superbowl commercial the world has ever

seen! - Full amount to be donated to the woefully underfunded research into fan death. - Everyone in the country gets one free potato skin (add 35 cents for

bacon) - At long last creating a studio to develop a decent video game for OS X - Everything on Black 35! Tim Cook's got a hunch! - Finally gonna test Paul Weller's statement "I wouldn't get The Jam back together for a hundred billion dollars." - Everything is going to a random Kickstarter campaign just to blow some Etsy designer's mind - "Coming soon to the iTunes Store: Firefly, Season Two." Image credited to emarschn and used under the Creative Commons License.

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2's new features detailed


Terrence O'Brien (Engadget)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:55:00 AM

PEGI: Dragon's Lair coming to XBLA


JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:30:00 PM

Sure, you can buy Dragon's Lair for many, many (many) platforms, but Xbox 360 is not one of them. Unless you count buying a DVD version and playing it through the X b o x ' s D V D p l a y e r . T h a t of the FMV game. We're shocked embarrassing omission is now ... that it took this long for being corrected: a PEGI rating has Dragon's Lair to end up on Xbox. been spotted for an XBLA version Being a rating and not an official

announcement, there's no actual release date associated with this newly discovered XBLA release. We're checking in with Digital

Leisure, who will probably tell us about a couple more upcoming ports of Dragon's Lair in the process of answering. PEGI: Dragon's Lair coming to XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

When Apple dropped the second developer preview of Mountain Lion on Friday it didn't see fit to include release notes, instead leaving it to us and the rest of the blogosphere to dig up the new features ourselves. The big ones are clearly Twitter alerts in the Notification Center and the introduction of tab syncing in Safari through iCloud. The latter of which should sooth iPhone fans that were jealous of Chrome for Android. Smaller enhancements were also turned on, including warnings when a program asks to access your contacts and locationbased alarms in the Reminders app -- which can be shared with your iOS-based mobile device as well. We'll keep looking for more, but let us know you discover any new features in the comments. Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2's new features detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Verge, Cult of Mac| 9to5Mac 1, 2, Mac Rumors| Email this| Comments

Curated News Edition

Sports/

67

Courtship of Peyton Manning has other quarterbacks scrambling - Boston Herald


(- Bing News)

a new deal with the 49ers, reportedly is considering giving Condon the boot. T he NFL is a passing league. Meanwhile, Matt Hasselbeck, So it was fitting that quarterbacks coming off his excellent season in Matt Flynn and Alex Smith Tennessee, could likewise be essentially passed in the friendly looking for a team, when it once skies over the weekend, with seemed so logical that he would Flynn flying from Miami to be the ideal mentor for Jake Seattle (where he signed a three- Locker, drafted eighth overall by year deal with the Seahawks on the Titans last year. Sunday), and Smith taking a red- And Denvers Tim Tebow? His eye flight from San Francisco to future is as murky as it has ever Miami to meet with the Dolphins. been, despite all those dramatic It would have been almost victories last season. unimaginable last week that Smith Some of this is simply the typical would be talking to any team but shifting sands of the off-season, the 49ers, where he has spent his the reshuffling of free agency. But entire career. But the revelation with Manning, the most decorated Friday that San Francisco secretly free agent in NFL history, still up m e t w i t h P e y t o n M a n n i n g , for grabs and controlling the watching him throw and giving process the way he directs traffic him a physical, has Smith on at the line of scrimmage the uncertain ground less than two quarterback carousel seems ready months after his best season as a to spin off its axis. pro. The decision on a team has to Further rocking Smiths world is come at some point, but only t h a t h e a n d M a n n i n g a r e Manning can say for sure whether r e p r e s e n t e d b y a g e n t T o m it will happen this week. The Condon. Not surprisingly, Smith, t h r e e f i n a l i s t s a r e D e n v e r , a free agent who was working on Tennessee and San Francisco, and
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:28:56 AM

each comes with enticements. If his goal is to win another Super Bowl, his best chance comes in San Francisco, where the 49ers have a top-notch defense (best in the NFC last season); a 1,200yard rusher in Frank Gore; an elite tight end in Vernon Davis; and a receiving corps featuring Michael Crabtree and the just-added Mario Manningham, who beat double coverage for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl to make that pivotal, 38-yard catch on the sideline. Whats more, the 49ers are the best team in a lukewarm division, a franchise that came within a hairs width of reaching the Super Bowl last season. Jim Harbaugh was the NFLs coach of the year an award accepted by Smith, incidentally and some people have suggested that he and Manning are so alike in their intensity that they would clash. Thats laughable. Both are uncompromising and hard wired to win, and there is no way Mannings personality would do

anything but entice the 49ers. At the scouting combine last month, Harbaugh was asked about Mannings remarkable career. He said: I think that is the exact right word remarkable. That your career would be something that people talk about and remark about. And in the history of the game, youre talking about a quarterback whose career will be talked about for 50, 100 years to come. Hes been that kind of player in the National Football League. Very remarkable. Good word. At that same news conference, though, Harbaugh was asked about Smith and said: Alex is our guy. Thats well-documented. He had a tremendous season. So the 49ers have been very quiet in their pursuit of Manning. Not so for the Broncos and Titans. Its clear that John Elway, the Broncos executive vice president of football operations, isnt comfortable handing the keys of the organization to Tebow, a 46.5% passer last season. Its likely that Tebow will be traded if

the Broncos land Manning. With or without Manning, Tebow is no lock to be Denvers starting quarterback next season. The Broncos have a lot of salarycap room, and the team that signs Manning will need that. According to the Denver Post, the Broncos are offering him a deal in the neighborhood of $90 million over five years, essentially picking up the contract Manning had with the Colts before he was sidelined for the 2011 season because of multiple neck procedures. 2012 the Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Sports/ Politics-Right/

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UCSB women lose 81-40 Terrorism in France: 4 Shot Dead at to top-seeded Baylor Jewish School Boston Herald
(The Feed) (- Bing News)

over Ohio State. The Gators (20-12) scored the Submitted at 3/19/2012 7:44:18 AM games first nine points and held B OWLING GREEN, Ohio on in front of a crowd packed Brittney Griner scored 14 points with fans of the in-state Buckeyes in only 22 minutes and top-seeded (25-7). Baylor rolled to an 81-40 win Tayler Hill scored 23 points for over 16th-seeded UC Santa Ohio State, including two late Barbara in the Des Moines baskets to pull the Buckeyes Regional on Sunday. within two. Florida patiently Brooklyn Pope had 13 points for worked the ball inside to George, the Lady Bears (35-0) and who went up strong with her left Destiny Williams added 12. hand and scored with 45 seconds Baylor has not lost since the to play. Emilee Harmon missed at quarterfinals of last years NCAA the other end for the Buckeyes. tournament. Ohio State star Samantha Emilie Johnson scored 10 points Prahalis went scoreless in the f o r U C S B ( 1 7 - 1 6 ) b u t t h e second half and finished with nine Gauchos were as overmatched as points. expected. They swarmed Griner Lanita Bartley scored 15 for early and prevented her from Florida. dominating, but Baylor has plenty No. 4 GEORGIA TECH 76, No. of other options. 13 SACRED HEART 50 The Lady Bears move on to the CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) second round, where theyll face Freshman guard Sydney Wallace ninth-seeded Florida on Tuesday scored a season-high 28 points to night. lead Georgia Tech past Sacred No. 9 FLORIDA 70, No. 8 OHIO Heart in the first round. STATE 65 Wallace finished 11 of 13 and hit Jennifer George had 16 points s i x 3 - p o i n t e r s w h i l e S a s h a and six rebounds to lead Florida Goodlett added 12 points and 11

rebounds. They helped Georgia Tech (25-8) set the schools single -season wins record and avoid being upset in the first round for the second time in three years. The Yellow Jackets used a huge run in the first half to take command and didnt allow the Pioneers to get closer than 13 after the break while claiming a spot in the second round opposite fifth-seeded Georgetown on Tuesday night. Gabrielle Washington had 13 points for Sacred Heart (27-6). No. 5 GEORGETOWN 61, No. 12 FRESNO STATE 56 Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Submitted at 3/19/2012 8:25:10 AM

Via NYT: PARIS A man opened fire outside a Jewish school in southwest France on Monday morning, killing four people, three of them children, and wounding another, officials said. Witnesses said that a man fled the scene in Toulouse on a motorbike. Michel Valet, the local prosecutor, said a father, his two children and another child were killed in the attack and a 17-year-old boy was seriously wounded. He shot at everything he could see, children and adults, and some children were chased into the school, Mr. Valet said, according to news reports. President Nicolas Sarkozy, interrupting his presidential campaign, arrived in Toulouse late Monday morning. His Socialist opponent, Franois Hollande, also suspended his campaign and planned to travel to the site of the shootings. Last week, in the same region, a man on a motorbike killed three French paratroopers in two separate shootings, using a pistol of the same caliber as one of two

weapons used in the Toulouse killings, police officials said. There are some similarities but its much too early to say if there is a real link or not, Mr. Sarkozy said, according to Agence FrancePresse. Only the police and the judiciary will tell us what conclusions to draw. He called the shooting a national tragedy.. .. Updates to follow. . . Greg Pollowitz This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Science/ News Photos

69

Pirate Bay Wants to Put Unassailable Servers in the Sky, Aboard Small Aerial Drones
Clay Dillow (Popular Science New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:06:29 PM

Photos: Peyton Manning picks the Denver Broncos - Denver Post


(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:50:15 AM

Networking Through Microdrones Pirate Bay could use commercially available unmanned aerial drones like this MicroDrones MD4-200 to create aerial nodes for its networks. MicroDrones But what goes up must come down In an effort to outmaneuver the law enforcement entities that have pursued its swashbuckling operation across the land, the Pirate Bay is looking to the skies. In a blog post yesterday, the Bay's MrSpock said that in an effort to keep its front machines--the ones that redirect your illicit traffic to servers in a secret location--one step ahead of the law, the organization is going to try to build a network of traffic-relaying aerial drones. "With the development of GPS controlled drones, far-reaching cheap radio equipment and tiny new computers like the Raspberry Pi, we're going to experiment with sending out some small drones that will float some kilometers up

in the air," MrSpock writes. "This way our machines will have to be shut down with aeroplanes in order to shut down the system. A real act of war." Commenters on the post suggested placing the aircraft over international waters to exacerbate law enforcement headaches, but naturally the further out (and higher up) any kind of relay station is, the more difficult its going to be, technologically, to transmit large volumes of data.

MrSpock notes that modern equipment will allow Pirate Bay to beam 100Mbps per aerial node from up to 30 miles away. But that's when the drones are not refueling or battling through inclement weather or being serviced. And putting the frontend machines in the air doesn't negate the fact that the hidden servers are still somewhere on the ground (as are the people behind Pirate Bay), and still susceptible to seizure by terrestrial law

enforcement. We're all about DIY approaches to connectivity and freedom of information and all that, but it seems that if it's a reliable, stable, around-the-clock network the Pirate Bay is looking for, a network of small drones flying miles above the Earth might not be the optimal approach. [via ITProPortal]

ESPN Photos: Peyton Manning picks the Denver Broncos Denver Post The Colts defeated the Broncos 27-13 ( Photo by Doug Pensinger/ Getty Images) In this March 9, 2012 file photo, NFL football quarterback Peyton Manning, center, takes a tour with executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos John... Reports: Manning to join Broncos Chicago Tribune Report: Peyton Manning to sign with Denver Broncos San Jose Mercury News all 1,064 news articles

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Science/

Curated News Edition

The Supersonic Jet of the Future Will Be a Biplane


Rebecca Boyle (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:12:59 AM

Supersonic Biplane This biplane concept is based on a design by engineers at Tohoku University. MIT/Christine Daniloff When supersonic travel inevitably returns to the skies, the airplanes are going to look a lot different. At least one design harks back to the early days of aviation with a biplane design, rather than a sleek delta-winged jet like the Concorde. This shape can apparently produce much less drag and therefore much less noise at supersonic speeds, MIT engineers say. The decreased drag would make a supersonic biplane more fuelefficient and it would produce a quieter sonic boom, because the shock waves propagating toward the ground would be canceled out. The trick is getting it to fly. A German aviation engineer named Adolf Busemann came up

with this idea in the 1950s, according to MIT. His design called for triangular wings, with the top and bottom pointing toward each other. As MIT News explains it, this design would cancel out the shock wave produced by compressed air as the plane moves toward Mach 1 speeds. But this quieter biplane could not fly - the gap between the wings would limit the amount of air passing through, causing

incredible drag. To improve on this design, MIT engineer Qiqi Wang and his colleagues designed a computer model to test the biplane at various speeds and with 700 different wing configurations. With a smoother inner surface on each wing, the air channel could be widened. By adjusting the top edge of the high wing and the bottom edge of the low wing, the plane could fly at supersonic

speeds with half the drag of the Concorde, they found. Next, the team plans to design a 3 -D model of this conceptual plane to test it for real. A Japanese team is also building on Busemann's designs, according to MIT - so the field could see a development boom in the coming years. [ MIT]

Curated News Edition

Science/ Politics-Right/ Health/

71

Too Much Monkey Business Leads to Monkey Vasectomies


Rose Pastore (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:06:43 AM

Too Much Monkey Business Click here to get a bigger view of this amazing image. Reuters/ Mukesh Gupta A rhesus macaque awaits a vasectomy at a wildlife rescue facility in Himachal Pradesh, India. The state's estimated 319,000 monkeys frequently ransack garbage cans and harass citizens. Last year, the state

government announced a bounty of 500 rupees ($9.50) to anyone who captured and transported a monkey to a sterilization center, and program administrators

estimate that they will neuter 200,000 monkeys, at 25 sterilization centers statewide, by June. Sterilization initiatives for

troublemaking monkeys aren't unprecedented. In 2002, Hong Kong began a similar program, but the city's conservation department soon discovered that the local macaques were difficult to catch-the animals learned to elude traps and decoys. Still, veterinary staffers were able to sterilize more than 1,500 monkeys, and nuisance calls about them dropped from a peak of 1,400 in 2006 to fewer than 200 in recent years.

Castro Knew JFK Would Be Assassinated?


(The Feed)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 8:06:07 AM

Prone To Failure, Some All-Metal Hip Implants Need To Be Removed Early


Richard Knox (Shots - Health Blog)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 3:14:00 AM

Via McClatchy: The orders surprised the Cuban intelligence officer. Most days in his tiny communications hut, just outside Fidel Castros isolated family compound on the west side of Havana, were spent huddled over his radio gear, trolling the islands airwaves for the rapid-fire bursts of signals that were the trademark of CIA spies and saboteurs, pinpointing their

location for security forces. But now his assignment had abruptly been changed, at least for the day. The leadership wants you to stop your CIA work, all your CIA work, his boss said. Instead, the officer was told he had a new target: Texas, any little detail small detail from Texas. And about three hours later, shortly after mid-day on Nov. 22, 1963, the shocked intelligence officer President John F. Kennedy. had something to report that was Castro knew, the intelligence much more than a small detail: the officer would tell a CIA debriefer assassination in Dallas of

years later, after defecting to the United States. They knew Kennedy would be killed.. . . True? Greg Pollowitz This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

[8 min 31 sec] Download Richard Knox/ NPR Young-min Kwon of Massachusetts General Hospital holds the metal-alloy ball of Susy Mansfield's faulty artificial hip joint. The yellowish tissue on top is dead muscle caused by a reaction to the metal debris produced by the defective hip implant. When Susy Mansfield needed a hip replacement in 2009, her orthopedic surgeon chose a relatively new and untested kind PRONE page 72

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of artificial hip made entirely of metal. "He said, 'You're young. Metal is good for younger people. It's going to last a lot longer,' " says Mansfield, who was 57 at the time. Older-model artificial hips are usually made of a tough plastic and metal. But they can wear out after 10 or 15 years, especially in people who are physically active like Mansfield. She runs a recycling facility and likes to hike, kayak and even windsurf. So manufacturers of the newer all -metal hips have touted them as the right choice for younger patients. But for Mansfield, and thousands of other artificial hip patients, they've been a bad choice. Recently she found herself in an operating room at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston undergoing major hip surgery for a second time to remove the allmetal device she got more than three years ago. It was eating away at the surrounding bone and soft tissue. Since her original implant, Mansfield has suffered from constant, worsening pain. "It's terrible," she said a few days before the so-called revision surgery over a cup of elderberry tea in her New Hampshire kitchen. "It's a hot pain ... that's there all the time. Every step is agony." She says she can't sleep without painkillers. The first implant also became loose. "At one point, the doctor said, 'OK, I'll hold your hands ...

now stand on that leg.' And I stood and it went kuh-CHINK, like that, and he said, 'What the hell was that?' " Later Mansfield read a newspaper article about problems with all-metal hips and called the surgeon's office to ask if she had one. The secretary assured her she didn't. But she did some research and found out that she did. In fact, she subsequently learned that the model she had, made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson called DePuy, had been recalled. She says she didn't see the recall notice until a year after the fact. Metal Hips Prone To Early Failure Metal and metal hip replacements are less reliable than other types, a new study finds. Metal Artificial Hips May Need A Hip Check Doctors had favored metal for its longevity, but it turns out shavings can enter the bloodstream. At the time Mansfield got her allmetal hip, about 1 in 3 artificial hip patients across the nation was getting this kind. Since there are about 250,000 hip implants a year, that means around 80,000 of them involved the all-metal implants when they were most popular. Far fewer are believed to be implanted now, though they're still being marketed. More than a half-million Americans are thought to have all -metal artificial hips. More than 5,000 of them have filed lawsuits against manufacturers. (Mansfield is not among them.) Fortunately, Dr. Joshua Jacobs

says, most patients who got allmetal implants don't suffer the kind of problems Mansfield did. He's chairman of orthopedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and an officer of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. "Most patients who have metal-on -metal bearings are doing fine," Jacobs says."They have good clinical results. Even the implant that's been recalled, the majority of patients still have wellfunctioning implants. However, it does have a failure rate that is unacceptably high." A recent study from Britain found a five-year failure rate of 6.2 percent 1 in 16 patients. But the rate could be higher. Nobody really knows because the U.S. has no system for keeping track of how many were implanted or what happened to the patients. Jacobs says the orthopedic surgeons' group is trying to get such a clearinghouse off the ground. After talking to Mansfield, I was interested in seeing for myself what kind of damage was going on around her first hip implant, and what was involved in replacing it. Orthopedic surgeon Young-min Kwon at Mass General allowed me to watch the operation. Dressed in a kind of moon suit, Kwon hovers over Mansfield as he slices through skin and muscle until he exposes the faulty hip joint. "You can see here the yellowish discoloration of the tissue that is

no longer functioning," he says. That yellow tissue used to be Mansfield's muscle. The all-metal hip implant has been killing it. Next, assisting surgeon David Anderson takes up a big mallet and, after several sharp blows, knocks off the implant's steel ball at the top of her thigh bone. The surgeons find more dead tissue than they expected, although Kwon says he has seen much more severe damage than Mansfield has. "You see that staining? Black staining of the tissue?" Kwon says. "We call that metallosis." Metallosis is the buildup of metal debris tiny pieces of cobalt and chromium that have flaked off the implant and worked their way into surrounding tissue. It often causes swelling, tissue death and the kind of burning pain that kept Mansfield awake at night. Researchers have found high levels of cobalt and chromium in the blood and organs of many patients with all-metal hip implants. But they aren't sure what risk that poses. Many surgeons monitor blood levels of these metals in patients with all-metal hips, but Kwon and Jacobs say high blood levels alone don't justify removing the old implant if the patient is not having pain or other symptoms. Next Kwon takes the mallet, removes the implant's metal cup from Mansfield's hip bone and holds it up for me to see. "There's actually no bone that's grown into this," he says. "It should be covered with the bone."

Kwon decides to do a bone graft to beef up the hip bone under the implant. It has grown thin, another effect of the all-metal joint. He sprinkles white pieces of bone from a cadaver donor into the hollow where the old implant used to be. The pieces will grow together and fuse with her own bone. After several hours, the operation is finished. Kwon predicts "a reasonably good prognosis." The original hip implant Susy Mansfield got wasn't tested extensively in humans before it went on the market. It was cleared for sale by the Food and Drug Administration after it was deemed " substantially equivalent" to those already on the market. Kwon says that shouldn't happen in the future. "I think there are lessons for all of us that you need to have scientific data to support any introduction of any new technology," Kwon says. "One might argue that [this one] didn't have enough." The FDA says patients with allmetal implants should be monitored for problems. Four days after her surgery, Mansfield is almost ready to go home. Remarkably, she has already passed a crucial test going up and down stairs, on crutches. She is still woozy from pain meds, but she is full of hope. "I'm going to actually be able to I think, and fairly soon have no PRONE page 73

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pain!" This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five

Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Congress Keen to Promote Americas Interests in Asia


Melanie Passons (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)

Washington in recent years. Not so at The Heritage Foundation on Thursday. The panelists indicated strong support on Capitol Hill for Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:30:18 AM Three key senior congressional reinvigorating the relationship staff members gathered last between the U.S. and its treaty Thursday for an enlightening ally. Burrier argued that it is discussion in The Heritage important that our relationship Foundations annual View from with the Philippines continue to the Hill event, hosted by Walter mature from one simply based on Lohman, director of the Asian counterterrorism efforts. Studies Center. The Philippines is a key U.S. Edward Burrier, a professional ally, and a more robust maritime staffer for Congressman Ed Royce p a r t n e r s h i p i s i m p o r t a n t , (RCA) on the House Foreign especially given the threats to A f f a i r s S u b c o m m i t t e e o n freedom of navigation in the Terrorism, Nonproliferation and South China Sea. As opportunities Trade;Joel Starr, counsel and arise to help the Philippines foreign affairs legislative assistant develop the capacity to defend to Senator Jim Inhofe (ROK); itself, the U.S. should take them. and Chris Socha, legislative F o r i n s t a n c e , M a n i l a h a s director and foreign policy expressed an interest in receiving advisor to Senator James Risch as many as four refurbished (RID), also examined current decommissioned American Coast policy toward Asia and described Guard cutters. It has gotten one their ideas to strengthen ties with and has one on the way. U.S. allies and defend our Lohman emphasized that, as a interests abroad. non-NATO ally, the Philippines The Philippines is a country that should be first in the queue for the has been largely ignored in other cutters as they become

available. It is a very modest request (the Philippines covers part of the cost) with a big impact on Filipino capability. The panel also emphasized strong U.S.Taiwan relations, lambasting the Obama Administrations shortsighted decision not to sell Taiwan the F16C/Ds it so desperately needs. China continues to play a pivotal role in U.S.Asia relations. Regarding the ongoing South China Sea dispute, the Senate passed last year a resolution reaffirming support for a peaceful, multilateral resolution to the dispute there. The resolution also deplored the use of force by naval and maritime security vessels from China in the South China Sea and supported the continuation of operations by the United States Armed Forces in support of freedom of navigation rights in international waters and air space in the South China Sea. The panel also echoed Heritages longstanding concern that the much-anticipatedpivot to Asia

seems merely cosmetic, as defense cuts seriously undermine our commitment to Asias regional security. As China recorded an 11 percent increase in military spending, the U.S. should remain vigilant, because, as Socha said, the U.S. is truly free when we can defend our interests not only at home but abroad as well. Regarding trade, the panel iterated the oft-used phrase that the business of Asia is business. Currently, the U.S. is part of only a handful of nations that have trade agreements in Asia, so it is imperative that Congress push the current Administration to promote more free and fair trade throughout Asia. It is concerning that the Obama Administration is focused almost exclusively on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russiato the detriment of the broader, more important nine-nation (plus Japan) Transpacific Partnership (TPP). Socha argued that without immense engagement from the White House, the TPP will not be

successful. In essence, Congress should remain actively engaged in U.S. policy, promoting strong relations with our Asian allies and pushing for free trade agreements. This year is an election year, but Congress should continue to focus its attention on Asia and promote freedom and defend U.S. interests abroad. Melanie Passons is a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please visit: http:// www.heritage.org/about/ departments/ylp.cfm This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Obamacares Second Anniversary: No Gift for Seniors


Alyene Senger (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)

the Part A trust fund is predicted to run dry by 2024. It perpetuates the flawed price control model. Obamacare cuts Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:21:48 AM T h i s w e e k w i l l m a r k Medicare spending by reducing Obamacares second birthday, but provider payments. The cuts are theres little reason to celebrate. so severe that the Medicare T h r o u g h o u t t h e w e e k , Actuary predicts: Obamacare advocates will be Providers for whom Medicare emphasizing the laws supposed constitutes a substantive portion benefits on specific groups of of their business could find it Americans, but as Heritages difficult to remain profitable and, research over the past two years absent legislative intervention, has shown, Obamacare harms might end their participation in Americanseven the groups t h e p r o g r a m ( p o s s i b l y showcased by the left. jeopardizing access to care for Today, the focus is on the impact beneficiaries). Simulation by the to Americas seniors. Obamacare Actuary suggests that roughly 15 supporters claim that the health percent of Part A providers would law protects and strengthens become unprofitable within the 10 Medicare, but this couldnt be -year projection period as a result further from reality. Instead, the of the productivity adjustments. law actually uses savings in It cuts seniors benefits. Medicare to fund other new Obamacare makes extreme cuts to government spending while Medicare Advantage (MA), which threatening seniors access to care allows seniors to receive their and ending Medicare as we know Medicare benefits through a it. private health care plan of their At the same time, Obamacare choice. In 2012, MA premiums f a i l s t o s o l v e M e d i c a r e s decreased by 7 percent and devastating fiscal insolvency. The enrollment increased by 10 p r o g r a m f a c e s u n f u n d e d percent. Despite its increasing obligations of $36.8 trillion, and s u c c e s s a n d p o p u l a r i t y ,

Obamacare makes drastic cuts to MAto the tune of $145 billionwhich the Actuary predicts will decrease enrollment by 50 percent by 2017. The result of the cuts will be reduced benefits, increased costs, lower enrollment, or some combination of the three. According to Heritage research, By 2017, Medicare beneficiaries who would have enrolled in Medicare Advantage under prior law will lose an average of $1,841 due to the MA changes alone and $3,714 when the effects of the entire bill, including the [fee for service] cuts, are considered. Due to the cuts, the Actuary projects that enrollment in MA plans will have decreased by 50 percent in 2017. It puts an unelected board in charge. Obamacare will attempt to curb Medicare spending using the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a group of 15 unelected officials tasked with finding cuts in Medicare to meet a new hard spending cap. Heritage health policy expert Bob Moffit writes that the board is prohibited by law from proposing real structural

reforms. The only cuts it is allowed to make would be cutting p r o v i d e r s reimbursementsincluding administrative costs and profit margins of Medicare Advantage plans. As physicians Medicare payments get slashed, they will be forced to deny Medicare patients. One senior voices her concerns in this Heritage video. Medicare can be made fiscally solvent and permanently sustainable through reform that uses the proven successes of free market principles to improve value in the program. To learn more about this alternative approach to Medicare reform, check out Heritages Saving the American Dream proposal. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Obama Administrations Optimistic Slant on Iran Nuclear Intelligence


James Phillips (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 9:00:50 AM

Iran continues to make steady progress in stockpiling supplies of increasingly highly enriched uranium far above the quantities that it needs for its civilian nuclear program. Yet the Obama Administration maintains that Tehran has not yet decided whether to build a nuclear weapon. This despite the fact that Iran continues to stonewall the investigations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), defy multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, and shrug off a growing list of international sanctions. The Obama Administrations optimistic reading of the state of Irans nuclear program is based on a highly controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that assessed that Iran halted its weaponization efforts in 2003. The New York Times today reported that an intelligence crisis erupted in 2010 when the intelligence community wavered in its assessment only to reaffirm the 2007 NIE. The U.S. intelligence OBAMA page 75

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c o m m u n i t y w h i c h underestimated the speed of the nuclear breakouts by the Soviet Union, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea continues to assess that Iran has frozen its nuclear weaponization efforts. Meanwhile, the IAEA, which has long remained cautious on the Iranian nuclear issue, released a report in November that cited evidence that Iran has recently experimented with the components of a nuclear weapon and worked on engineering studies for fitting a nuclear payload into Irans Shahab 3 ballistic missile. Armed with the optimistic Iran NIE, the Obama Administration has pressed Israel to refrain from

launching a preventive attack on Irans nuclear infrastructure. This led to considerable tension ahead of the ObamaNetanyahu summit in early March. One hopes that, despite the U.S. intelligence communitys spotty record in predicting the timetable of nuclear proliferators, it has kept accurate tabs on Irans nuclear program. But according to The New York Times, one former senior intelligence official admitted, Id say that I have about 75 percent confidence in the assessment that they [Iranians] havent restarted the program. It is little wonder that Israeli leaders remain concerned that the Obama Administration underestimates the urgency of

Irans potential nuclear threat. For more see: The Iran National Intelligence Estimate: A Comprehensive Guide to What Is Wrong with the NIE. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

New iPads Retina Display Reduces Eye Strain, Expert Says


Peter Pachal (Mashable!)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:56:55 AM

Weve seen how the new iPads ultra-high-resolution retina display can improve the visibility of type and images, making the whole experience of interacting with the tablet more pleasing. But Gary Heiting, an optometrist and can it also ease the inherent strain associate editor of the site All that goes hand-in-hand with About Vision, says yes. staring at a glowing screen, A key factor in something thats sometimes for hours on end? NEW page 76

Sony to Reintroduce Xperia Phones with Wes Anderson-Directed Spot [VIDEO]


Todd Wasserman (Mashable!)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:23:49 AM

Sony has enlisted cerebral, quirky director Wes Anderson for a TV spot reintroducing the Xperia smartphone. The 60-second spot, sporting a soundtrack from Jonsi from Icelandic group Sigur Ros, is set to break on March 24. To generate buzz, the company has released a video detailing the

making of the ad, the first in a new global campaign themed Made of Imagination. The video shows British schoolchildren detailing their dream smarthphones. Anderson who has created ads for Hyundai and American Express, among others is best known for his live-action films, like The Royal Tenenbaums, but released a well-received animated film in 2009, The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Andersons next movie, the liveaction Moonrise Kingdom, is set to make its debut on May 16. Sony has a lot riding on two new models, the Xperia U and the Xperia P, which were introduced at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona last month. Though the Xperia line has been around since 2008, the U and P come after Sony spun off partner

Ericcson, which is now going by the name Sony Mobile Communications. In a press release, Sony is billing the campaign as its return to the smartphone market. The campaign comes as Sonys global market share in mobile phones sits at just 1.8% (as of 2011), according to Gartner. Meanwhile, parent company Sony continues to suffer on almost all fronts. Sony lost $2.9 billion in

fiscal 2011 and announced in February that it was replacing longtime CEO and president Howard Stringer with Kazuo Hirai, former executive deputy president and head of the companys Consumer Products & Services Group, a position hes held since April 2011. More About: Advertising, Marketing, sony, wes anderson, Xperia

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called computer vision syndrome, or just eye strain from computer use, is screen resolution, Heiting says. The new iPad, with twice the resolution of the iPad 2, 264 ppi (pixels per inch) instead of 132, people are going to notice less pixelation, especially in a small typeface. Its not just an enjoyment issue or an aesthetic issue, but its definitely a visual comfort isue, over time. Why is screen resolution such a key factor? It ties back into the whole rationale for creating a retina display in the first place, which is loosely described as a screen so sharp that it becomes impossible for a normal person to resolve individual pixels when its held at normal viewing distances. As Heiting describes it, the closer you can get the screen resolution to be similar to the human eye itself, the better its going to be in terms of visual comfort. SEE ALSO: Is a Retina Screen on the iPad Overkill? We all use our iPads differently, however, with some using it mainly as an book and news reader, others as a video hub and some as a gaming device (among

many other uses). Heiting says reading is where users will get experience the most comfort benefit. For the typical user, its really going to be more about [type], he says. Thats going to put the greatest demand on their vision. The iPads retina display would also ease some of the eye strain of playing games, says Heiting. Since games arent static like photos, they put more stress on the eye. Although the dynamic nature of games will always fatigue eyes faster than type, the upgraded screen can still help. When youve got movement going, thats a whole new level of neurology involved in vision, Heiting says. So the greater clarity, the greater color saturation for gaming should make the new iPad significantly more comfortable on peoples eyes than the previous models. The term retina display first arrived with the iPhone 4. At the time, some experts claimed Apple was exaggerating in its claims that the screen was more dense than the human eye could see. Now that the retina tent is expanding,

its worth asking: Is it fair to call the new iPads screen a retina display? SEE ALSO: Heres How Apple Put a Retina Display in the iPad Heiting explains that it all depends on how close you hold the device to your eye. At typical distances 12 inches for a smartphone, 15-17 inches for a tablet Apples claims are true. If you hold your device closer, however, you may be able to see pixels. But he says you wouldnt want to do that anyway. The closer you hold things to your eyes, not only the more your eyes have to focus, but the more they have to converge inwards. So its more stressful on your eyes, and your eyes are going to tire a lot quicker. At the normal distances for tablets, the human eyes resolving power is about 240 ppi, which makes the new iPads 264 ppi a true retina display. He adds one caveat, though: That holds only for people with normal 20/20 vision. There are a lot of people who are capable of seeing more people with, say, 20/10 vision, Heiting

adds. Thats twice as good as whats considered normal. If you wanted to cover those people, you may want to be around the 400 mark for ppi. Is that really going to be noticeable to 80-90% of people? Probably not. Do you find that you experience more eye strain on lower-res devices? And is it at all a factor in the gadgets you buy? Let us know in the comments. BONUS: The New iPads Retina Display Close Up 1. Art Authority App Here's Caspar David Friedrich's Wreck in the Sea of Ice(1798) from the app Art Authority, which was just upgraded to retina resolutions. Artwork really shows off the new iPad's new retina display -- besides the better detail, color saturation appears improved. Click here to view this gallery. More About: apple, eye, ipad, retina display

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Riot killers mother Apple and AT&T Announce Record-Breaking cut up his clothes to cheat justice Sales for New iPad
Samantha Murphy (Mashable!)

Have you seen the new iPad yet? What are your initial thoughts? Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:07:25 AM Let us know in the comments. Apple wasnt the only company BONUS: The New iPad to benefit from last Fridays iPad The New iPad Details Hit launch. Telecoms also basked in Apple.com the glory of new device purchases The new 9.7-inch iPad has 2048 and activations. x 1536-pixel retina display, 5AT&T announced on Monday some analysts said about one megapixel camera (with the same that it set a record for the most million iPad 2 units were sold optics sensor from the iPhone 4S) iPad sales and activations in one opening weekend. This means and 1080p video recording. It is day, following the debut of the that the new iPad smashed that available March 16 in black and much-anticipated new Apple record. white, powered by A5X chip Apple also announced it will (with quad-core graphics) and device on Friday. The company didnt release any s t a r t a $ 1 0 b i l l i o n s h a r e supports 4G LTE networks. It's details about how many units repurchasing program, starting in 9.4 millimeters thick and 1.4 Apples fiscal 2013, which starts pounds. were sold. Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim on September 30, 2012. This Wi-Fi only iPads cost $499 for Cook also commented on the wild m e a n s A p p l e w i l l s p e n d 16 GB, $599 32 GB and $699 for s u c c e s s o f t h e n e w i P a d s approximately $45 billion of its 64 GB, while 4G versions cost blockbuster weekend. During a cash reserves on dividends and $629 for 16 GB, $729 32 GB and conference call on Monday share buyback in the first three $829 for 64 GB. Pre-orders start m o r n i n g r e g a r d i n g A p p l e s years of these new programs. today, and the devices will be in dividend and share buyback We have used some of our cash stores March 16 in these 10 program, he said that Apple has to make great investments in our countries: U.S., UK, Japan, a record weekend. He did not b u s i n e s s t h r o u g h i n c r e a s e d Canada, Switzerland, Germany, r e s e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t , France, Hong Kong, Singapore elaborate on that statement. SEE ALSO: Apple to Spend $45 acquisitions, new retail store and Australia. Billion on Dividend and Share openings, strategic prepayments Credit: Apple.com and capital expenditures in our Click here to view this gallery. Buyback Although Apple hasnt gone on supply chain, and building out our More About: apple, ipad, new the record with how many devices infrastructure. Youll see more of ipad, tablets, tim cook, trending were sold this year or even last all of these in the future, Cook year with the launch of the iPad 2, said.

(Evening Standard - News)


Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:46:10 AM

Lavinia Desuze, 31, is accused of cutting up the distinctive clothes her then 16-year-old son Darrell was wearing including a Robbers and Villains top after police appealed for help catching Richard Mannington Bowess killer. She knew her son had been involved in the death in Ealing on August 8, Inner London crown court heard. However, unlike others who turned in their own children she instead tried to help him escape justice, said prosecutor Brian Altman QC. Mr Bowes, 68, was trying to put a fire out in a bin near his home when he was punched by Darrell Desuze He died three days later in hospital after suffering severe

brain damage. Darrell, now 17, pleaded guilty to manslaughter this month. His mother denies perverting the course of justice. Prosecutor Brian Altman QC said his mother told police she had cut up the clothes her son had been wearing and put them in two bins, one behind a shop and another near the A4 motorway. He added: She knew he had been in Ealing. She knew he had been involved in killing Mr Bowes. The trial continues. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Put your questions to candidates in the Standard mayoral debate


(Evening Standard - News)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:42:13 AM

the latest poll. The official election campaign kicks off tomorrow and the Standard will The event, at the Emmanuel bring you all the latest news, C e n t r e i n W e s t m i n s t e r , o n insight and gossip from the Wednesday evening, April 11, c a m p a i g n t r a i l a s t h e r a c e w i l l b e c h a i r e d b y C l i v e progresses in the paper, on Anderson, pictured, and will Twitter and online. feature the four main candidates. Our team of reporters will be Tory Boris Johnson, Labours with the candidates day and night Ken Livingstone, Lib-Dem Brian as they battle it out for the support Paddick and Green Jenny Jones of Londoners. will debate issues including To apply for tickets, go to transport, policing and the standardevents.co.uk capitals economy. Anyone This entry passed through the wishing to attend can from today Full-Text RSS service if this is book a ticket on a Standard web your content and you're reading it page and can at the same time on someone else's site, please read suggest questions to be put to the the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentcandidates during the event. only/faq.php#publishers. Five With just 45 days to go the battle Filters recommends: Donate to for City Hall is neck-and-neck, Wikileaks. with Mr Johnson leading Mr Livingstone by just two points in

Video: MN legislators have immunity from drunk-driving laws?


Ed Morrissey (Hot Air Top Picks)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:45:11 AM

posted at 12:45 pm on March 19, 2012 by Ed Morrissey Its not just DUIs, either, as Concordia professor Jayne Jones told Fox News yesterday, but anything that doesnt qualify as treason, felony and breach of the peace, as noted in Article IV, Section 10 of the state constitution. The clause echoes an identical restriction in the US Constitution in Article I, Section 6. The bar on arrest prevents law enforcement and local authorities from using their power of arrest to interfere with legislative business. But does this go too far in putting legislators above the law, and people in danger? Watch the latest video at video.insider.foxnews.com The issue caught their attention after a police dash cam video surfaced of a state representative getting pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence. Jones said the law exists because, Back in the 1800s, when our Founding Fathers wrote the

constitution, there was a natural fear of political retribution from certain votes and freedoms of speech. Thienes said he was appalled to find out that there were people who can get a pass for drinking and driving, especially with all the laws that legislators recently made to make DUIs tougher in Minnesota. Jones recalled a student, who had interned for the Minnesota Senate, describe an incident at a legislative reception. According to Jones one of the senators said to the student, Ride along with me in my car, I cant get arrested for a DWI. Im not certain that the legitimate fear expressed by the Founders in Article I, Section 6 has no basis in todays world. Weve seen local communities pass resolutions calling for national-level politicians to be arrested and tried for crimes, especially George W. Bush during the Iraq War. How difficult is it to predict that some of those same localities might not take advantage of the power of arrest to keep a legislator from casting a vote on a contentious

bill say, perhaps, in Madison last year during the fleebagger protests? On the other hand, Jones has a point about the hypocrisy of a legislature that toughened laws on driving under the influence (and rightly so) while apparently flaunting their immunity from the same law while the part-time legislature is in session. Public safety is a factor, too, as it was in passing those tough laws, and so is the principle of equal treatment under the law. Perhaps the solution to this would be to amend the state constitution to include driving under the influence so that legislators understand that they cant simply claim immunity from arrest while arguably endangering other Minnesotans on the roads. What do you think? Take the poll: This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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David Ignatius: A National Security Wonk's National Security Wonk


Steve Clemons (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:35:48 AM

Politico's Dylan Byers has written one of the fairest, most earnest reviews of another journalist's work that I've read in some time, particularly when it is about a writer who enjoys enviably high degrees of access at the White House, CIA, State Department and Pentagon. There is none of the cheap shot snark that invades too much of today's punditry. I am referring to Byers' piece that just appeared today profiling the work of David Ignatius, who recently was given some insider access to Osama bin Laden files taken during the Navy SEAL Team 6 raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad; and in general has been a valuable lead in the journalistic corps digging out detail on the Obama administration's course that many others have been unable to do. Just today, Ignatius continues his exclusive reporting on the bin Laden files in the Washington Post with a piece titled " A Lion in Winter." Here is an interesting excerpt from Ignatius article highlighting bin Laden's lament about al Qaeda's situation and fears about the state of his movement and the deaths of his

key followers: Bin Laden wanted to save what remained of his network by evacuating it from the free-fire zone of Pakistan's tribal areas. He noted "the importance of the exit from Waziristan of the brother leaders.... Choose distant locations to which to move them, away from aircraft photography and bombardment." This evacuation order comes in the most revealing document I was shown, which is a voluminous 48-page directive to Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, who served, in effect, as bin Laden's chief of staff. Throughout this document, bin Laden pondered the likelihood that al-Qaeda had failed in its mission of jihad. Bin Laden begins by recalling the glory days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when his al-Qaeda mujaheddin were "the vanguard and standard-bearers of the Islamic community in fighting the Crusader-Zionist alliance." But the al-Qaeda leader turns immediately to a bitter reflection on mistakes made by his followers -- especially their killing of Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere. The result, he said, "would lead us to winning several battles while losing the war at the end." Bin Laden ruminated on the "extremely great damage" caused by these overzealous jihadists.

Not only is the organization's reputation being damaged, he noted, but "tens of thousands are being arrested" in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. I was pleased to see that Sally Quinn, wife of legendary Washington Post executive editor Benjamin Bradlee and editor-inchief and co-founder with Jon Meacham of On Faith, credits the book America and the World: Conversations on the Future of US Foreign Policy with Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft as a pivot point helping to trigger Ignatius' recent three year ascent to the top of national security columnists. Ignatius was the 'interviewer' in

this book -- which I put together with then Basic Books editor (now editor at Yale University Press) William Frucht as part of the New America Foundation/ Basic Books series. This book, which I think is still highly relevant to today's geostrategic challenges was selected in 2008 as among New York Times book review editor Michiko Kakutani's top ten favorite books of the year. From Dylan Byers' article: But it is in the past three years, during the Obama administration, that Ignatius has really earned his reputation as perhaps the most important media voice in national security circles, particularly related to the Middle East.

Quinn, who says Ignatius is "at the pinnacle" of his career, believes he began to take off in 2008 with the publication of "America and the World," a book of conversations between Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft moderated by Ignatius. Clemons, who commissioned the book, agrees and recalls the book party in Sen. John Kerry's backyard that marked a watershed moment in Ignatius's career. "When Chuck Hagel and John Kerry did the book launch for us at John Kerry's home, and Ignatius interviewed Scowcroft and Brzezinki in Kerry's backyard, it was a signal to the national security community that David Ignatius had broadened his portfolio significantly." Ignatius is also respected among White House officials because of his nonideological approach to national security, which puts him at odds with the Post's editorial page editor, Fred Hiatt. "Fred sees himself as a liberal interventionist, which David definitely is not," Clemons said. "David has a moral spine, but he is fundamentally a realist." (Hiatt told POLITICO he wasn't "big on labels," but acknowledged his support for a foreign policy "founded on ideals, helping those DAVID page 83

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Poll: 58% say Obamas policies driving gas costs higher, 48% expect unemployment to rise
Ed Morrissey (Hot Air Top Picks)

upheld and 22 percent arent sure. On economic issues, 62 percent of voters say Obamas policies Submitted at 3/19/2012 10:35:45 AM will increase the debt, while 25 posted at 11:35 am on March 19, percent think they will cut it, and 2012 by Ed Morrissey by a 48-percent-to-38-percent While the national media focuses margin, voters believe those on polls from Reuters and Pew policies will increase joblessness that use skewed samples to show rather than put people back to Barack Obamas approval rating work. going back up, The Hill takes a On energy, 58 percent say look at what might come in the Obamas policies will result in future and its not pretty for gasoline prices increasing, while the President. In a survey of just 20 percent expect them to cut 1,000 likely voters in the 2012 prices and by a 46-percent-togeneral election, almost half 36-percent margin, voters believe expect the Supreme Court to they will cause the United States overturn ObamaCare, with only to become even more dependent 29% confident of its constitutional on foreign oil. legitimacy. And thats not the The sample in this case is a little worst of the poll, either: skewed, but in an unusual Half of likely voters expect the direction. The D/R/I is 32/36/32 Supreme Court to strike down for an R+4 advantage, one of the President Obamas signature rare occasions when a pollster h e a l t h c a r e l a w , a n d s t r o n g favors Republicans. The fourmajorities see other major policies point advantage for the GOP has coming from the White House low odds of becoming reality in making life more difficult for the fall, though; the midterm themselves and the country, elections, without a Democrat according to this weeks The Hill defending the White House, had a Poll. 35/35/30 split in CNN exit The poll indicated that 49 percent polling. Republicans will do well of likely voters said they expect a if they get to that kind of parity in court ruling that is unfavorable to November with Obama at the top the Affordable Care Act, while of the ticket. just 29 percent think it will be Even adjusting for the R+4, these

numbers look very bad for the President, especially on gas prices. Overall, blame for increases in gas prices falls on Obama by 38 points, which means hes especially vulnerable if prices shoot up this summer as they did in 2008 and 2010. Younger voters put even more blame on Obama, 70/8, as do lower-income earners ($40-60K is the worst for Obama, 75/13 but the under-$20K is almost as bad at 62/15), perhaps because they feel the loss of disposable income and capacity for independent travel even more. Independents blame Obama 61/13, while only a plurality of Democrats think Obama has made gas prices lower, 31/42. Rasmussen also polled likely voters on ObamaCare, and finds that support for repealing it has remained remarkably consistent: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the national health care law next week, and the number of voters who Strongly Support the laws repeal is now at an eight-month high. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely U.S. Voters shows that 56% at least somewhat favor

repeal of the health care law, including 46% who Strongly Favor it. Thirty-nine percent (39%) oppose repeal, with 29% who are Strongly Opposed. (To see survey question wording, click here.) Overall support for repeal is up three points from two weeks ago and is at its highest level since last September. The number that Strongly Favors repealing the law is at its highest point since July of last year. Since the laws passage, most voters have favored repeal in nearly every survey, with support running as high as 62%. Opposition to repeal has ranged from 32% to 44%. Strong support for repeal hit an eight-month high, but the range on overall demand for repeal in those eight months has been very steady indeed. Todays number is 56%; the lowest it has gone in those eight months is 51%, and the high was 57%. Opposition to repeal has never gone above 42% in the past two years. At the moment, independents back repeal 57/39, with almost half (48%) strongly supporting its repeal. Even among Obamas natural constituencies, support for repeal is strong or at a dead heat with support for ObamaCare:

women (51/42), 18-29YOs (47/45 split), black voters (48/49 split), under-$20K income (50/35), $2040K (53/39), and so on. Given that the only real accomplishments of the Obama term has been ObamaCare, the failed stimulus bill, and DoddFrank, the fundamentals of this election look very bad for Obama and will get worse if the Supreme Court throws out ObamaCare and gas prices continue to rise. Update: I almost missed this from the Washington Post, which looks even worse: Most Americans want the Supreme Court to invalidate at least part of the landmark healthcare law that was passed in 2010, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. More than four in 10 42 percent want the high court to throw out the entire law, 25 percent want to do away with the mandate alone and a similar proportion wants the justices to uphold the entire law. Overall, among general population adults, 67% want the Supreme Court to partially or completely overturn Obamas POLL: page 83

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Illinois Looking Like Fertile Ground for Mitt Romney


Alex Roarty (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 6:55:10 AM

Business-focused candidate poised to win in Land of Lincoln. Think of the Illinois Republican presidential primary as a re-run of an old television episode. If you're a Mitt Romney supporter, it's a story you know but are eager to watch again. If you back Rick Santorum, you might want to switch off the TV. Tuesday's contest in the Land of Lincoln is following a familiar path this primary season: The business-focused Romney is poised to win a state whose electorate is more upscale and secular, full of suburban Republicans drawn to his jobsheavy message. And as has been the case in a litany of previous battles, Romney and his affiliated super PAC have outgunned their Santorum counterparts to give the former Massachusetts governor an edge in the state, according to recent polls. Those factors add up to a nearuniversal expectation that the GOP front-runner, despite his most recent bruisings in Alabama and Mississippi, is set to win another key victory. MORE FROM NATIONAL JOURNAL What a Cub Political Reporter

Learned From Her Elders: Not Much GOP Incumbents Should Run Scared In the GOP Primary, Evangelicals Reign "Romney will win the delegate count regardless, unless something really strange happens," said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of politics at the University of Illinois-

Springfield. "This isn't going to be a huge victory for Romney, but I think it will be comfortable." Ohio and Michigan are the closest facsimiles to Illinois, two Midwest primaries that featured narrow Romney wins. Each state has the same rough demographic sketch, consisting of a sizable population of college-educated, secular Republicans. White-collar Republicans constituted 51 percent of the vote in Michigan,

for example - four years ago, the Illinois primary featured 52 percent of college-educated voters. In Ohio, 47 percent of voters were evangelical, according to exit polls taken after this year's primary. That's a similar share to the 41 percent in Illinois in 2008. Both states are far less religious than other GOP primary states three-quarters of the GOP vote in Alabama, for instance, was

evangelical. Despite the demographic edge, Romney won Michigan and Ohio by three and one point, respectively -- minute victories that would seem to portend another close contest in Illinois. But the circumstances this goround are different. The onetime Bay State governor entered the previous two battles trailing his ILLINOIS page 82

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Chicago Dems: Vote for the crook, its important

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rival, sometimes by double digits. In Illinois, he enters the race with the lead already in hand. A Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll released Sunday reported Romney in the lead at 35 percent, a small edge over Santorum's 31 percent. Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, at 12 percent, and Rep. Ed Morrissey (Hot Air Top Perhaps the most audacious plea candidate qualified in this race, so Ron Paul, 7 percent, each trailed Picks) came from West Side Democratic Democrats have no other choice far behind. And that was before elected officials who urged voters but to vote between someone Romney's TV campaign began to Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:10:27 AM to support an Illinois House f i l m e d t a k i n g a b r i b e a n d pound away at Santorum. posted at 12:10 pm on March 19, member charged with bribery. It someone who just joined their Santorum himself on Friday acknowledged he's an underdog. 2012 by Ed Morrissey looks bad, they acknowledged, party. Buddy Roemer coined one of the but it will prevent the seat from What does the highest-ranking "I don't think there was a single greatest political slogans in f a l l i n g i n t o t h e h a n d s o f Democrat in Illinois think about poll that had us up in Mississippi, American history when white R e p u b l i c a n s . this? Heres Governor Pat Quinn, so I don't really worry too much supremacist David Duke managed The rally in support of appointed not auditioning for the next about polls," he told reporters to win the a general-election slot state Rep. Derrick Smith (D- volume of Profiles in Courage: after a speech in Osage Beach, in 1991 for Louisiana governor in Chicago) featured U.S. Rep. Gov. Pat Quinn on Saturday Mo. "Look, Illinois's a tough the open primaries. Roemer, the Danny Davis (D-Ill.), three tiptoed around Smiths bribery state, I understand. When you're incumbent, came in third behind a l d e r m e n a n d a c o u n t y charge, calling his race against getting outspent 10 to 1, it's hard. Duke and Democrat Edwin commissioner and even adopted a Swiss a tough call for voters, But we're gonna keep working, Edwards and just missed a chance catchy moniker: No defeat or but one theyll be able to sort and do the best we can. And we're fighting money, we're fighting the to vie for re-election. The newly- retreat keep the Dem seat. out. Republican Roemer told his Smith was arrested last week by No thanks to you, Governor. As organization, and we're fighting a fellow GOP voters to support federal prosecutors after being for Chicago Democrats being divided conservative vote. That's Edwards by saying, Vote for the secretly recorded while allegedly asked to vote for the crook, they a pretty hard hill, but we've been c r o o k i t s i m p o r t a n t . accepting a $7,000 bribe in might be most surprised by the climbing it and doing well." Edwards won in a landslide, exchange for writing a letter of suggestion that they have any As the former senator referenced, he's being outspent heavily in although as Roemer more or less support for a daycare center other choice. predicted, Edwards wound up seeking a $50,000 state grant. This entry passed through the Illinois, by some estimates as serving over eight years in prison The most amusing part of this Full-Text RSS service if this is m u c h a s f i v e - t o - o n e . T h a t for corruption in office. story is that Smiths opponent is your content and you're reading it includes a new hard-hitting At least in that case, one can also a Democrat. Tom Swiss on someone else's site, please read released Friday that attacks understand the push for voters to switched parties to run for the the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content- S a n t o r u m a s a n " e c o n o m i c c h o o s e a c o r r u p t p o l o v e r seat, which is why this has come only/faq.php#publishers. Five lightweight" and questions his something far worse. In Chicago, up in the primaries. Even more Filters recommends: Donate to ability to beat President Obama in the fall. what counts as far worse? amusing, the Illinois Democratic Wikileaks. If Santorum has hope, it lies with Republicans(via Newsalert): Party apparently has no other Illinois's more rural, conservative voters in the state's southern half. They're the voters who helped

conservative state senator Bill Brady win the party's GOP nomination for governor in 2010 over Chicago-area lawmaker Kirk Dillard -- though Brady could not overtake Democrat Pat Quinn in the general election. "Romney will do better much better in the Chicago suburbs than Santorum, and Santorum will do better than Romney downstate," Redfield said. That regional success can help Santorum win a portion of the state's 54 delegates up for grabs on Tuesday, who are allocated based on support in congressional districts. As the ex-U.S. senator hinges his strategy on denying Romney the 1,144 delegates necessary for the nomination, those small successes could be critical. Just don't count on his rewriting the GOP primary's script. This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/03/illinoislooking-like-fertile-ground-formitt-romney/254698/ This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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who are striving for freedom and human rights.") During the George W. Bush administration, Ignatius wrote a piece profiling the then hardly-reported-on David Addington, titled " Cheney's Cheney." He wrote this piece after an off-the-record salon dinner the New America Foundation had hosted with former top National Security Council lawyer and then Counselor to the Secretary of State John Bellinger -- in which battles between Bellinger and Addington inside the administration about the legality and course of the Bush/Cheney's anti-terror measures were beginning to surface. It was a very important article at the time as Addington had largely escaped any media interest in his activities until then. It's in that spirit that I title today's

response to Dylan Byers' good essay, "David Ignatius: A National Security Wonk's National Security Wonk." photo credit: Charlie Rose Show This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/03/davidignatius-a-national-securitywonks-national-security-wonk/ 254717/ This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

signature accomplishment. That number rises to 70% among independents, and its 48% among Democrats. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read

the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Android, and now the organization is back with a first of another sort for the platform -five of them, in fact. The second mobile-focused Humble Bundle sees five games making their Android debut, including iPhone favorite Canabalt(now with a twoplayer mode and Androidexclusive 3D option), plus Zen Bound 2, Cogs, Swords and Soldiers and Avadon: The Black Fortress HD(the latter specific to Android tablets). Along with those comes a beta version of Humble Bundle's own app (up from an alpha release before),

which makes it a bit easier to download the games and check for updates since all of this handled outside of Google Play. As with all Humble Bundles, you can set your own price for the bundle, with an amount of your choosing going to the Child's Play charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and you'll also get desktop versions of all five games for Windows, Mac and Linux. A Steam key is included with all purchases over $1 as well (although it doesn't yet include HUMBLE page 84

Humble Bundle brings Canabalt and more to Android


Donald Melanson (Engadget)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 1:00:00 PM

January saw the release of the first ever Humble Bundle for

HUMBLE page 83

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Canabalt), and they've even thrown in soundtracks for three of the games for good measure. Continue reading Humble Bundle brings Canabalt and more to Android Humble Bundle brings Canabalt and more to Android originally

appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Humble Bundle| Email this| Comments

LG launches new A540T/D 3D notebook, adds A540-P IPS model


Mat Smith (Engadget)
Submitted at 3/19/2012 12:22:00 PM

Klout Star: Christine Kirk


Kameron Kitajima (The Official Klout Blog)

While LG neatly folded its glasses-free A540-H model into its CES line-up at the start of the year, it's now added another pair of notebooks to launch alongside it in Korea. This includes another 3D model that requires a pair of stylish squash goggles passive 3D glasses to gain that extra dimension. For those less disposed to hanging techno eyewear off their face and watching Avatar again, there's the simpler two-dimensional joys of the A540 -P, which houses a 15.6-inch AHIPS display. All three versions

founder of the popular live Twitter chat called#luxchat, which takes place on a quarterly Submitted at 3/19/2012 11:00:24 AM house the same Core i7 processors basis, and is a live online and a GeForce GT555M for the Tweet discussion about the intersection necessary graphical grunt work. Our Klout Stars series highlights of luxury brands and social media. F a n s o f b o t h m o n o a n d top influencers and how they got Prestigious past guests include, stereoscopic computing can to where they are today. Lexus, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, consult the (Google-translated) About: Four Seasons Hotels, Exclusive press release below for more Christine Kirk is Founder and Resorts, Bergdorf Goodman, and details. C E O o f S o c i a l M u s e many more. Christine is also a Continue reading LG launches Communications, advising luxury freelance writer covering luxury new A540-T/D 3D notebook, travel, restaurant, technology, and travel and food for CBSLA.com, adds A540-P IPS model lifestyle brands on social media JustLuxe.com, and an editor for LG launches new A540-T/D 3D marketing, traditional public LAWoman.com. notebook, adds A540-P IPS relations campaigns, and online 1. How did you get started in model originally appeared on branding. She has amassed over social media? Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18,000 engaged followers on My career started in social media 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our Twitter, and growing, and is a 9 y e a r s a g o b a c k w h e n terms for use of feeds. Permalink guest blogger and speaker on Friendster was the social network Akihabara News| LG Electronics| various social media, PR and du jour and the word blog was Email this| Comments l u x u r y l i f e s t y l e s u b j e c t s . not a mainstream word. I realized Additionally, Christine is the quickly that social media was

going to be the future of public relations and I wanted to be a part of building and growing a new industry and not keep doing the same traditional communications that had been done for decades. Being part of shaping a new industry got me excited, and while for years my bosses and supervisors had no clue what I was doing, I stuck with it on behalf of my clients because I was passionate about it, and I knew that social media would change the way the world communicates. 2. In what ways does social media play into your current job or industry? Do you have any examples? I live, breathe, eat, and sleep KLOUT page 85

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social media on behalf of my amazing clients in the luxury hospitality and tech industries. I manage the online presence for brands on a daily basis across social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Ustream, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+. Social media offers luxury hospitality brands the ability to provide their guests and customers with 5-star service before that guest even sets foot on the property of the hotel, or walks through the door of the store. Many people plan their vacations online, asking their friends for recommendations, and tweeting or Facebooking about how excited they are to be going on a trip. If the social media presence is managed correctly, the hotel can greet a guest before they are even on property, arrange for any special requests or in-room amenities in advance of their stay, and then interact with the guest while on property, providing

concierge services or addressing any questions about the hotel or the destination itself. Finally, the hotel can keep in touch with their guests after theyve left the hotel, thanking them for their stay, and continuing to stay top of mind. Now THAT is 5-star service! Luxury brands whether it be in the hospitality, fashion, retail, or automotive industries pride themselves on the quality of their product and service. These days, a luxury brand not engaging in social media is not providing their customer with 5-star service. 3. What does influence mean to you? Who influences you the most online, and why? Influence to me means inspiration. My goal on social media with both my clients online presence, and my own personal brand is to INSPIRE to be happy, to find your passion, to laugh, to enjoy the little things, and to enjoy the journey of life. If we can give that to our audience

online, then weve done our jobs. As a luxury enthusiast, I am influenced and inspired online by b r a n d s like@Bergdorfs,@RitzCarlton,@ FourSeasons,@Burberry, and@Lexus. 4. What recent social media trends do you think are interesting or helpful? I think the social media trend for 2012 is VISUAL. Social networks and photo-sharing apps like Pinterest and Instagram will continue to thrive and go mainstream. Pictures really do speak a thousand words. Also, I think 2012 will be another big year for online video including premium, user-generated, and live. Connect with Christine on Twitter at@LuxuryPRGal

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