Liberty Newspost Feb-27-2012

Curated News Edition
- 27/02/12
http://www.LibertyNewspost.com
Polls: Romney, Santorum tied in Michigan

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prize and a key swing state that will also factor in the general Submitted at 2/27/2012 7:35:00 AM election. Updated 11:49 a.m. ET Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich trail New polls show Mitt Romney the two leaders in both states, a n d R i c k S a n t o r u m a r e according to the latest polls. deadlocked in Michigan, on the Romney leads Santorum, 39% to eve of a pair of key primaries that 37%, among likely GOP primary will boost their claims to the GOP voters in the PPP survey in presidential nomination. Michigan. He's ahead by about 4 Romney has a slight lead in percentage points in the We Ask surveys released Sunday by America survey. Public Policy Polling and We Ask The Mitchell poll, meanwhile, America in his native state of has Santorum leading Romney, Michigan, while Santorum is 37% to 35%, among likely GOP ahead in polls by Mitchell voters. The American Research Research/Rosetta Stone and the Group survey, released Monday American Research Group. morning, has Santorum ahead by STORY: Swing states poll 1 point. INTERACTIVE: Poll tracker In a key finding, Santorum's The former Massachusetts popularity among GOP voters has governor is on more solid ground taken a nose dive in the PPP in new polls out of Arizona, survey. His net favorability which also holds its primary r a t i n g s h a v e d r o p p e d 2 9 tomorrow. Michigan, with 30 p e r c e n t a g e p o i n t s . delegates at stake, is the larger And in a state that's been hard hit [unable to retrieve full-text content] [unable to retrieve full-text content]
overcome that." The Mitchell poll shows Santorum doing best among evangelical voters, Tea Party supporters, and those voters who describe themselves as the most conservative. "Santorum's strong appeal to social conservatives has been very effective," Steven Mitchell of by the recession, Romney leads Mitchell Research told the Detroit Santorum by 15 points in the PPP Free Press. "This race is still very survey among those Michigan close, but momentum seems to voters who say the economy -- have changed. Get-out-the-vote and not social issues, as Santorum efforts will really count." Final polls are likely to be has stressed -- is their top released later today. concern. "Momentum in Michigan is This entry passed through the completely on Mitt Romney's Full-Text RSS service if this is s i d e , " s a i d D e a n D e b n a m , your content and you're reading it president of Public Policy Polling. on someone else's site, please read "He's amassed a large lead with the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentabsentee voters and it will take a only/faq.php#publishers. Five huge turnout on Election Day Filters recommends: Donate to f r o m S a n t o r u m v o t e r s t o Wikileaks.
China Swaps Drop Most in a Week as Cut to Reserves Takes Effect BusinessWeek
(china - Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:00:32 PM
China Swaps Drop Most in a Week as Cut to Reserves Takes Effect BusinessWeek 27 (Bloomberg) -- China's interest-rate swaps declined the most in a week on speculation money supply will improve after the cut in banks' reserve requirements took effect. The seven-day repurchase rate, which measures interbank funding availability,... China Money Rate Drops to 2Week Low as Reserve Cut Takes Effect Bloomberg all 3 news articles
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EU imposes new sanctions on Syrian regime

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Submitted at 2/27/2012 11:28:30 AM
BRUSSELS (AP) European Union foreign ministers said Monday they were increasingly appalled by the Syrian government's ruthless campaign of repression against civilians, and imposed new sanctions in hopes of pressuring the regime to change course. AFP/Getty Images This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency shows President Bashar al-Assad casting his ballot Saturday as his wife, Asma, looks on. AFP/Getty Images This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency shows President Bashar al-Assad casting his ballot Saturday as his wife, Asma, looks on. The officials from the 27 EU countries, meeting in Brussels, froze the assets of seven Syrian government officials and the country's central bank. They also banned the purchase of gold, precious metals and diamonds from the country, and banned Syrian cargo flights from the European Union. "The EU underlines that those responsible for the violence across Syria will be held accountable for their actions," the foreign ministers said in a statement, adding that, "The EU supports the Syrian opposition in its struggle
for freedom, dignity and democracy." The EU had previously imposed eleven rounds of sanctions on Syria, freezing the assets of more 100 people and 38 organizations, and trying to cut the country's supply of equipment for its oil and gas sectors. But so far the EU sanctions have had little effect on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Activists groups said Monday the death toll for the 11-month-old uprising had surpassed 8,000. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that more than 5,800 of the dead were civilians and the rest were either members of the military or army defectors. "We really need to get the regime Assad to stop killing the population," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. To do that, she said, the international community needed to stand together. As he left the meeting, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he thought the imposition of new sanctions would be effective as part of a broader effort to put pressure on the Assad regime. "It will not be enough, of course, but it is a new step," he said. The names of the Syrian officials sanctioned Monday will be made public Tuesday in the EU's official journal. Juppe said, too, that humanitarian access to those in need in Syria
the government for abuses carried out by its security forces. Russia has previously voted with China to stop resolutions in the U.N. Security Council from backing Arab League plans aimed at ending the conflict and condemning Assad's crackdown. Any decision taken by the Human Rights Council would was "an absolute priority." The foreign ministers also carry little legal weight, but recognized the Syrian National Western and Arab diplomats hope C o u n c i l , o n e o f t w o m a i n it would send a signal that the o p p o s i t i o n g r o u p s , a s o n e U.N.'s top human rights body legitimate party to talk with, their wants the violent repression to s t a t e m e n t s a i d . B u t , end. On Monday, Russian Prime acknowledging that there were other elements opposed to Assad's Minister Vladimir Putin warned rule, they urged the opposition to against military intervention in a g r e e o n a s h a r e d s e t o f Syria and its foreign minister criticized an international principles. B r i t i s h F o r e i g n S e c r e t a r y conference in Tunisia last week William Hague said he was focusing on the country, saying it impressed with the Council's had failed to help end the commitment to democracy and bloodshed. the protection of minorities. But, Sergey Lavrov expressed regret he added, "We can't vouch for that the "Friends of Syria" every single group that may make conference didn't "help create up opposition elements in Syria." conditions that would encourage Also Monday, a number of all Syrians to engage in political Western nations, including Britain dialogue." and Switzerland called for Syrian Russia criticized the conference's authorities to halt the crackdown. organizers for failing to invite The call by Britain, Switzerland representatives of the Syrian and others came a day before the government and accused them of U.N. Human Rights Council was encouraging the Syrian opposition scheduled to hold an urgent to reject talks. meeting on Syria, and amid "It's not realistic to demand that efforts by Russia to block the the government ends its action Geneva-based body from passing against militants and keep the a resolution that would condemn militants free of any obligations whatsoever," Lavrov said.
Meanwhile, he hailed the Syrian regime's referendum on a new constitution Sunday as a "movement toward democracy" even as the U.S. and its allies dismissed it as a "farce." Syrian state TV said Monday that 89% of voters approved the new document while 9% rejected it. Less than 2% of the ballots were ruled invalid. It put turnout at 57% of eligible voters. President Bashar Assad has presented the new charter as a step toward reform. The new constitution in theory allows other political parties to compete with Assad's ruling Baath party, and imposes a twoterm limit on the president. But Assad's time served so far doesn't count, meaning he could remain in office until 2028. Opposition groups boycotted Sunday's vote. Copyright 2012 The 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.
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WikiLeaks publishes leaked intelligence firm emails

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Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:51:11 PM
An initial examination of the emails carried out by the Associated Press turned up a mix LONDON (AP) WikiLeaks o f t h e i n n o c u o u s a n d said Monday it was publishing a embarrassing, but WikiLeaks massive trove of leaked emails chief Julian Assange promised from the geopolitical analysis firm more explosive material in the Stratfor, shedding light on the coming weeks. inner workings of the Texas-based "What we have discovered is a think tank that bills itself as a c o m p a n y t h a t i s a p r i v a t e l e a d i n g p r o v i d e r o f g l o b a l intelligence Enron," Assange told intelligence to a range of clients. London's Frontline Club, referring By Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP to the Texas energy giant whose Julian Assange, founder of spectacular bankruptcy turned it WikiLeaks, attends a press into a byword for corporate c o n f e r e n c e i n L o n d o n o n malfeasance. Monday. Assange accused Stratfor of funneling money to informants By Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP through offshore tax havens, Julian Assange, founder of monitoring activist groups on WikiLeaks, attends a press behalf of major multinationals, c o n f e r e n c e i n L o n d o n o n and making investments based on Monday. its secret intelligence. The online anti-secrecy group "Stratfor is simply out of control," said it had more than 5 million he said. Stratfor emails and it was putting Stratfor pushed back against the them out in collaboration with suggestion that there was anything two dozen international media improper in the way it dealt with organizations. its contacts. The small selection so-far "Stratfor has worked to build published to WikiLeaks' website good sources in many countries gave a rare look at the daily around the world, as any publisher routine at a private intel firm: One of global geopolitical analysis described a $6,000-a-month would do," the company said in a payment made to a Middle statement. "We have done so in a Eastern source, another carried straightforward manner and we bits of gossip dropped by a retired are committed to meeting the spook, and many were filled with highest standards of professional off-color office banter. conduct."
deal said that the documents were made available by WikiLeaks within the past month. "They haven't told us anything about how they obtained them," the journalist said, speaking anonymously to discuss sourcing issues. Austin, Texas-based Stratfor is a subscription-based publisher The Stratfor statement suggested t h e c o m p a n y w o u l d n ' t b e providing political, economic and commenting in any further detail m i l i t a r y a n a l y s i s t o h e l p customers reduce risk. It charges on Assange's allegations. "Having had our property stolen, subscribers for its reports and we will not be victimized twice by analysis, delivered through the submitting to questioning about web, emails and videos. The emails thus far posted to the them," the statement said. Web are generally mundane How WikiLeaks got the company's emails remains unclear dealing with training, staffing, Assange refused to answer budgets and administration. q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e m a t t e r Others carry boasts about the Monday but Stratfor said the company's reach. In one, Stratfor messages appeared to be the same Vice President of Intelligence ones stolen by hackers over the Fred Burton brags about his Christmas holidays. The breach, "trusted former CIA cronies." In claimed by the Internet activist another, he promises to "see what group Anonymous, ravaged the I can uncover" about a classified company's servers and led to the FBI investigation. disclosure of thousands of credit Messages left for Burton weren't card numbers, among other immediately returned. Stratfor has speculated that some of the leaked information. Several media groups, including emails may have been altered or Rolling Stone magazine and forged, although the firm did not Germany's NDR broadcaster, say p r o v i d e a n y e v i d e n c e o f they have been offered advance t a m p e r i n g . access to the emails and that they The hackers involved took to will publish stories based on the Twitter to reject the suggestion as "pathetic." documents if appropriate. One journalist involved in the One Stratfor email warned about
letting people know too much about how the company operated. "I think showing too much of our inner workings devalues our Mystique," the email said. "People don't know how we collect our intelligence and that's one of the cool, mysterious things about STRATFOR." Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines. This entry passed through the WIKILEAKS page 4
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Walker watch: Wisconsin gov. expects to run against "big union bosses from Washington"
(The Front Page)
the Badger State. They were behind the attempt to recall a Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:14:00 AM [state] Supreme Court justice in Accepting the inevitability that April, and they put an estimated h e w i l l f a c e t h e v o t e r s o f $44 million in the recall of Wisconsin in a recall election [Republican] state senators [in m o s t l i k e l y h e l d i n J u n e , which some were unseated but the Republican Gov. Scott Walker GOP retained control of the told HUMAN EVENTS that he senate by one seat]. doesnt care which Democrat he Under state law, 540,238 faces and he will run against what signatures of registered voters are he called the big union bosses required to trigger a recall election (china - Google News) from Washington DC. of the governor. In January, Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:20:29 PM During a break from the National W a l k e r e n e m i e s s u b m i t t e d Governors Association meeting in petitions bearing the signatures of Telegraph.co.uk Washington this weekend, Walker more than one million voters Intel Unveils China, India Phone pointed out to us that the chief seeking such a recall. Ventures bankrollers of the movement to When we noted that the amount Wall Street Journal recall him are the National of signatures on petitions was far By SHARA TIBKEN Intel Corp. Education Association, the AFLabove that required for a u n v e i l e d p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h CIO, the American Federation of statewide recall of the governor, handset makers in China and State County, and Municipal Walker said the states India, and said it is working with Employees [AFSCME] and all the Government Accountability Visa Inc. on securing mobile public employee unions. Board [which oversees elections] payments, continuing the chip In February and March, they would probably certify the maker's push in the mobile-phone were the ones who launched the signatures shortly, that there market. "What we hoped to do attacks against us when we started would be a primary in May, and was show a... the movement to reform [how he expects a general election, Intel smartphones coming to the much state employees contribute probably in early June. UK, France, China, India Register to their retirement programs, I cited the remarks at a forum all 237 news articles which eventually became law in hosted by Politico the day before
Intel Unveils China, India Phone Ventures Wall Street Journal
in which Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, told the audience how Wisconsins Walker had tried to outlaw unions and the result was his state was rated 49th in job creation. Oh, the hysteria from those on the left is incredible, Walker laughed, Look, hes citing a few figures from last yeara snapshot at the end of the year. Right now, unemployment is 7.1 percent, the lowest since 08 and weve created 150,000 new jobs [since Walker became governor]. And we have a balanced budget. Just contrast that to Illinois, where the Democratic governor and Democratic legislature raised taxes and the results were the oppositeeconomic meltdown, unemployment at 9.8 percent. and the budget process a wreck. Thats where those who want a recall in Wisconsin want to take us back to. A day before we spoke to Walker, Secretary of State Doug LaFollette, heir to one of
Wisconsins most illustrious political names, announced he would seek the Democratic nomination to oppose the governor in the election. Other names mentioned are those of former Milwaukee County Executive Kathleen Faulk and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walkers opponent in 2010. It doesnt matter who I face, Walker said, I will be running against the big money from Washingtonand those who want us to go back to where we were. (Friends of Scott Walker, PO Box 620437, Middleton, Wisconsin, 53562; 608-441-1640) John Gizzi is Political Editor of HUMAN EVENTS. 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.
Theater producer and director Theodore Mann dies (AP)

(Yahoo! News: Obituaries)
AP - Theodore Mann, a Tony Award-winning director and
producer who was a driving force behind Circle in the Square
Theatre and its school, has died. He was 87.
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Witnesses to deadly shooting at Ohio school describe chaos - USA TODAY

(Top Stories - Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:48:34 PM
FBI said. FBI agent Scott Wilson would not comment on a possible motive Senior Matt Goergen was in for the attack. English class Monday morning The victim has been was when he saw two girls sprinting identified by the MetroHealth down the hallway "but thought M e d i c a l C e n t e r a s D a n i e l nothing of it." Parmertor. The slain student, By Tony Dejak, AP Daniel Parmertor, an aspiring Students leave with parents after computer repairman, was shot a shooting at Chardon High while waiting for the bus for his School on Monday in Chardon, d a i l y 1 5 - m i n u t e r i d e t o a Ohio. vocational center. Then Principal Andrew Fetchik "We are shocked by this senseless announced on the high school's tragedy," Parmertor's parents said public address system "We are on in a prepared statement. "Danny lockdown." was a bright young boy who had a Goergen, 17, said he wasn't sure bright future ahead of him. The if it was a drill. But after the family is torn by this loss." school's assistant principal Five students, including repeated the message, Goergen Parmertor, were taken to local said, "we thought something may hospitals. Parmertor later died. be up." Sheriff Daniel McClelland said Students crowded into the the shooter had already fled when classroom and huddled into a officers arrived at the school. corner. Two other victims are in critical "A girl sitting next to me got a condition, a third is in serious call from her dad saying it was condition and a fourth is listed as real," Goergen said. "We were all stable. McClelland did not release very scared." the names of the injured because On Monday morning a gunman they are minors. opened fire inside Chardon High Panicked students screamed and School's cafeteria, killing one ran through the halls when the student and wounding four others, gunfire broke out at the start of authorities said. the school day at the 1,100The suspect, believed to be a student high school. student, was taken into custody Heather Ziska, 17, said she was near his car a half-mile from the in the cafeteria when she and suburban Cleveland school, the other students heard popping
noises in the hall. She said she saw a boy she recognized as a fellow student come into the cafeteria and start shooting. She said she and several others immediately ran outside, while other friends ran into a middle school and other students locked themselves in a teachers' lounge. "Everybody just started running," said 17-year-old Megan Hennessy, who was in class when she heard loud noises. "Everyone was running and screaming down the hallway." Early Monday afternoon a team of federal agents searched a complex of luxury homes on a lake on a rural road in Chardon. They searched a barn on the property and gathered on the porch of a large home overlooking the lake. Agents were from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Freshman Danny Komertz, 15, said he was just about to leave for his first-period health class when he heard a loud popping sound and then saw the shooter open fire. He said one student was trying to get under a table to protect himself and shield his face. Komertz said the shooter was known as an outcast who had
apparently been bullied. He said there were at least 100 students in the cafeteria at the time and that most fled immediately as shots were fired. Seanna Sicher, 18, says the school went in lockdown mode shortly after morning announcments over the public address system. "My class assumed that it was just a drill,'' says Sicher, 18. "It was maybe five minutes later when our teacher received an email and people started checking their phones. We realized immediately it was serious and the whole room felt silent. It was like a 9/11 movie the way everyone was trying desparately to reach friends and family." The(Cleveland) Plain Dealer interviewed high school junior Nate Mueller who said he was hit in the right ear. Mueller identified the shooter by name but USA TODAY and other news organizations are withholding publication because he is a juvenile and no formal charges had been filed. Mueller said he and his friends, including Russell King, Nick Walczak and Demetrius Hewlin, were sitting at their regular cafeteria table when the shooter approached at about 7:30 a.m. He said he heard a gunshot behind him. He turned and felt a
sting on his ear. "My friends were crawling on the floor, and one of my friends was bent over the table, and he was shot," Mueller said. "It was almost like a firecracker went off. I turned around and saw him (the shooter) standing with a gun and I saw him take a shot." Mueller, who has a scratch on his upper right ear, said he ran out of the building, hid behind a car and called 911. He said his group had been friends with the shooter through middle school, but in high school the shooter went his separate way. Russell, he said, had recently started dating the shooter's exgirlfriend, who is home schooled. "He was silent the whole time," said Mueller, who at the time of the shooting was waiting for a bus to his culinary arts classes at Auburn Career Center. "That's what made it so random." Mueller told the newspaper that the shooter typically waits for a bus that goes to Lake Academy, a school in Willoughby serving atrisk students. Sophomore Trevor Miducki, 16, was in the hallway next to the cafeteria when he saw a pair of girls "running down the hallway, just like, sprinting" away from the cafeteria. WITNESSES page 10
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Are Santorum's assaults on college, JFK a win for Romney? - msnbc.com

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Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:32:13 PM
points of view. >> he seems to be expressing his point of view clearly there. mitt >>> too. we are just one day out romney is making his final pitch from high stakes primaries taking as the fiscal conservative in this place in arizona and michigan. race and taking on no less than rick santorum is making his case big bird. w i t h s o c i a l c o n s e r v a t i v e s >> i like pbs. i like big bird and delivering a robust defense of bert and ernie. he's going to have religion in public life after to get used to corn flakes. we're declaring that universities are going to stop some of this indoctrination mills that cause excessive spending. students to lose their faith. >> romney's kids are all grown santorum described why john f. men, but you're never too old for kennedy's 1960s speech calling big bird. if romney is riling up for strict separation of church and viewers of public television, state made him want to throw up. santorum is taking his fight to >> say that people of faith have higher education and calling the no role in the public scare, you bet president a snob. that makes you throw up. what >> president obama once said he kind of country do we live in that wants everybody in america to go says only people of nonfaith can t o c o l l e g e . w h a t a s n o b . i come in the public square and understand why he wants you to make their case. that makes me go to college, he wants to remake throw up. you in his image. >> there you have it. today >> some pretty strong words santorum brought up that issue there. when he was asked about it again saying he favors separation on sunday, he didn't back down. of church and state but only in >> we have some real problem on one direction. our college campuses with >> i'm for separation of kmurj and political correctness and on a state. the state has no business idealology that is forced upon telling the church what to do. the people that may not agree with the separation of church and state political left doctrine. what our founders believe in has >> i want to bring in our panel been turned on its head. now it's now from washington. karen the church, people of faith, who finney and clarence page. with me have no right to come to the in new york, jonathan alter. it's public square and express their nice to have you all with me.
karen, i want to start with you because two of santorum's targets, colleges and universities as well as j.f.k. explain the politics in this one. is this a smart move? is this a smart strategy? >> isn't it hard to remember the republican kennedy gave that speech is because people thought the pope was a threat to our democracy should he become president. here is what santorum is doing. it's more of the dog whistle politics trying to incite anger and rally the religious conservatives who feel left out or those feel playing this elitism narrative, but it's such -- i won't say the word i want to say, it's so unfair. >> go ahead. >> it's such crap. how about the hearings that we had where pete king didn't allow any real muslim leaders to come in and talk about community, their faith in his hearings on terrorism or how about the fact that part of the tradition is all voices are supposed to be heard and everybody, as the president has said, who wants the chance to go to a four-year college or a two-year college or trade school should have that opportunity. >> is this suppose to be the interpretation that he wants to legislate from a more religious stand point or is it supposed to be
just an interpretation from catholocism? >> i think the hypocrisy of the way he talks about this is he's talking about the christian faith as he see s it. i didn't hear him talk about any of those other faiths or areas where people have been kept out of the public like let's say women on a conversation about contraception. he's trying to appeal to a very small group of religious conservatives and those conservative, he thinks are not going to go for mitt romney. >> jonathan, let's talk about the numbers telling the story as we talk about college. a high school graduate with no college degree faces an 8.4% unemployment rate. that's with no college what so ever. it's 7.2% for those with some college. 4.2 for those with a college degree. is it snobbery to push for an education system that puts americans to work and putting them into the higher education system. it's just part of the american dream, isn't it? >> it's not just the american dream, in is the only way to compete internationally and maintain our standard of living and create a better life for our children is if larger and larger numbers of people get at least two years of college, at least 14 years of education. the jobs that are available require training. we
have this huge skills gap in this country. i know you might go why is he talking about this in this context because what santorum is doing is extremely destructive to what everybody has to have, mainly a basic understanding of what we need to do. give you a very quick example. in chicago they have a 10% unemployment rate. they have 100,000 job vacancy, but the unemployed there don't have the training to fill the jobs. to get the training they need go to a community college to get some specialized training. that's not a pc institution that's turning them into nonreligious whatever rick santorum wants to say. it's an effort to try to prepare them for the real world. for him to go after that is so disgusting and so contrary what's in the best interest of the country and getting us prepared for the future. >> clarence, the president responded today. listen to this. >> when i speak about higher education, we're not just talking about a four-year degree. we're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door handling a million dollar piece of equipment. we all want americans ARE page 11
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What You Need To Know About The Senate Cybersecurity Bill

Neal Ungerleider (Fast Company)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:31:07 PM
A long-awaited cybersecurity bill may put the Department of Homeland Security in charge of establishing national internet security standards. Compliance costs for tech and Internet firms could be costly. The Senate is currently debating a key piece of cybersecurity legislation which could change the way American tech firms operate. It is impossible to understate the need for the proposed Cybersecurity Act of 2012--the United States, in the midst of a historic surge in online crime and espionage, has decided to act to reduce the problem. However, critics argue that the Cybersecurity Act is wasteful and threatens privacy. As currently written, the Cybersecurity Act could lead to massively increased costs for American tech and Internet firms. The Cybersecurity Act dramatically increases the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) role in combating cybercrime. Responsibility for commercial and civilian online security would be explicitly placed under DHS's supervision; responsibility currently lies with a host of
federal, state, and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies. A new National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC) would be established within DHS, and would be headed up by a Senateconfirmed presidential appointee. Information sharing between
government agencies would be streamlined. And the DHS will be responsible for establishing federally mandated cybersecurity performance requirements for critical Internet infrastructure. The latest aspect of this bill has especially rankled critics. The
DHS, once it decides what constitutes critical internet infrastructure--as the bill does not give an explicit definition-will lay down security requirements for the owners and operators of relevant services. Owners and operators will be required, at their own expense, to
alter their Internet security choices in accordance with government requirements. This will be an extremely pricy proposition for hardware providers, Internet infrastructure providers, and web giants like WHAT page 12
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6 Ways Your Business Card Can Still Pack A Big Punch

Lydia Dishman (Fast Company)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:17:27 PM
MOO.com pioneered business cards the size of a stick of gum; the company expects to churn out 100 million in 2012. Here's how to leverage that small bit of paper into a big branding opportunity. Richard Moross wants you to know that business cards are alive and well. As the CEO of MOO, the company that pioneered those clever mini cards with do-it-yourself design options, Moross says the business of printing may be 500+ years old, but it's doing quite nicely, thank you very much. Since its founding in 2004, the company has a seen its compound annual growth rate exceed 100%. MOO.com now has hundreds of thousands of customers in nearly 200 countries and printed 50 million business cards last year alone. Moross is expecting that number to double in 2012. Which is why Moross brushes away talk that exchanging cards is going to go the way of the horse and cart. Not only does he order and give out thousands of his own cards every year, Moross maintains, The more connected to the web we are, the more precious the real world is, so it is important to make a connection.
That connection comes in the form of a handshake, a look in the eye, and the passing of the card. It is hard to generate trust virtually and convey your personality through a Skype call, Moross explains. Though he says, we sell the most boring products in the world, Moross
notes that business cards are resilient for a number of reasons, not the least of which is simplicity. You don't need to upgrade the OS. Everyone understands what it is, and it just works. For all their genteel simplicity, MOO's cards captured the
attention of some pretty techheavy businesses. Recent partners include Airbnb, whose hosts are encouraged to use MOO cards to showcase their digs to prospective guests, and Facebook. Moos Facebook Cards are personalized featuring any of your Facebook Timeline Cover Photos
on the front and a custom quote (or favorite status update) on the back. These collaborations drive home Moross's fascination with the way design on the diminutive bits of paper can break the ice, build WAYS page 13
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Stakes high for GOP race in Michigan, as Romney, Santorum slug it out - Fox News
Fox News (Top Stories Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:09:38 PM
No one, not even the candidates, anticipated the slugfest that is shaping up in Michigan as Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney head toward the final hours before Tuesday's Republican presidential primary vote. But anyone watching the ad campaigns in Michigan this week has a clue how close this race has become. The stakes are very high, particularly for Romney. A failure to achieve anything other than the top spot in the state where his dad was governor for three terms could prove to be a dramatic momentum killer -- enabling Santorum to bolster his argument that Romney is far from the presumptive GOP nominee. Making the rounds in the Wolverine State, Santorum said he didn't expect to be competing at this level, but he is very excited. "You here, in Michigan, everyone thought: 'Oh, this is going to be a sleepy little primary.' You know we have one of the candidates who claims a lineage here in the state of Michigan, although I do believe he was governor of Massachusetts, not Michigan," Santorum told an audience on
Monday. Romney has at least once framed himself as the underdog in his home state. "I think I can show that I can fight real hard and come from behind and I think the people as they're focused on my campaign and my candidacy and my plan to get
people working again, he said. The latest Mitchell-Rosetta Stone poll out Monday showed Santorum had pulled into the lead, 37 percent to Romney's 35 percent. Newt Gingrich, who hasn't campaigned in Michigan was pulling 9 percent, neck-andneck with Ron Paul at 8 percent.
But the latest Real Clear Politics average gives the top spot to Romney with 37.3 percent of recent polling. Santorum is following within the margin of error at 35.8 percent of Republican voters polled. The beneficiaries of the slugfest are Michigan television and radio
stations, which are bombarding Michigan voters with political ads paid for by the campaigns and their surrogates. "I just tune them out now," said Michigan Republican voter Norma Frane. "I go and get my STAKES page 11
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Top News/
WITNESSES
Though he was near the shooting scene, he didn't hear shots. But moments later, the school went "straight into lockdown" after he made his way to first-period English class. Miducki heard sirens outside but wasn't quite sure at first what was going on. "We were all wondering what happened," he said. "We were all frantically texting our parents." With so many students using cellphones to communicate with the outside world, Goergen said, "no one's messages were going through. We were keeping calm, but were all so scared." Miducki said the atmosphere during lockdown was calm at first, but that as the morning wore on, "it started to get more frantic and panicky." After police confirmed that a shooting had taken place, "it was pretty panicked. Girls shaking, guys shaking, people calling their moms. It got pretty intense pretty fast." He and other students said relying on social networking was helpful except when it wasn't. Rumors flew around Twitter and
many users would simply repeat "the first thing they hear," Miducki said. "We heard so many different stories it was crazy what we heard." "Most of the stuff that was going around was just rumors things people were seeing on the news," said Logan Karr, 18, a senior. Hundreds of parents who were notified of the shooting via a phone alert system rushed to the school Monday morning. Police, FBI SWAT team members, ambulances and other officials were on the scene. Students still inside the high school were moved to a nearby elementary school for safety. They were released to their parents five at a time. Parent Teresa Hunt told CNN she got a text from her daughter around 7:45 a.m. that the school was in a lockdown situation. Her daughter, who was not identified, said she heard five shots down the hallway near the cafeteria. Her daughter said she was locked in a classroom. "I believe she was sitting on the floor with another friend," Hunt said. "The last time I talked to her,
she was crying, she was trembling." All Chardon schools, from K-12, will be closed on Tuesday, School Superintendent Joseph Bergant said. The Rev. Peter McCurdy of the First Baptist Church of Painesville, Ohio, 20 minutes north of Chardon, said there will be a prayer vigil Monday night at the church. He said he expects between 200 and 400 people. "Chardon is one of those small communities. Everybody knows everybody," said McCurdy, adding he was a victim of a shooting when he was a child. "I don't know how to judge (the situation). God just said open up the church, so I did." Miducki said he eventually made his way home and proceeded to watch local news coverage of the shooting for about two hours. Speaking by phone around 2 p.m., he said he was still having trouble wrapping his mind around the shooting. "It's so hard to grasp," he said. "This is literally something you would see in a movie or a video game."
"Everyone right now is really just kind of blown away," Carr said. "Everyone's just kind of in disbelief, really." Bus driver Ken Shieff had dropped off a load of high school students at the school 15 minutes before the shooting. After the school closed, only two students took his bus home. Parents picked up the others. "It's not supposed to happen in Chardon," Shieff said. "It's not supposed to happen anywhere." Contributing: Dennis Cauchon in Chardon, Ohio; Carolyn Pesce, Gary Strauss, Douglas Stanglin and Alicia McCarty in McLean, Va.; the Associated Press 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.
China Cord Blood Corporation Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter ... MarketWatch (press release)
(china - Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:03:10 PM
China Cord Blood Corporation Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter... MarketWatch (press release) 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- China Cord Blood Corporation (NYSE:CO) ("CCBC" or the "Company"), China's leading provider of cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services,... and more
Race for cold fusion: Nasa, MIT, Darpa and Cern peer through the keyhole - Wired.co.uk
(Andrea Rossi - Google News)
Darpa and Cern peer through the keyhole Submitted at 2/27/2012 9:32:48 AM Wired.co.uk Race for cold fusion: Nasa, MIT, By David Hambling Four months
ago, Andrea Rossi demonstrated what he claims was a onemegawatt "Energy Catalyser" -or E-Cat -- which produces power
by cold fusion. This technology, also known as Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR), had been consigned...
Technology/
11
ARE
STAKES
getting those jobs of the future. >> clarence, the president not directly saying rick santorum's name, but obviously, it is it a direct toss back at him and comments about the president being a snob for encouraging a four-year degree but the president making the distinction saying he is a strong proponent for education beyond high school. a minimum of having high school and going on the college and beyond that. is the conversation going to change on this point now that the president has spoken back to level the playing field? >> i don't think the conversation is going to change because rick santorum is playing to his base inside of base. it's the santorum base, heavily religious oriented inside the republican base. the two words i have to describe what rick santorum said is dangerous nonsense. it's nonsense because he deliberately misquoted president obama. he never said he wanted everyone to go to college. he said he wanted to open up opportunities. opportunities for everyone to go to college that wanted to go. he called for more job training the, more community college funds for people who work with their hands as rick santorum says. he knows that. he
himself has two degrees already from penn state where the only indoctrination was in the school of joe paterno. there's a little effort to play to the populous by making out obama to be this aloof guy that wants to put everybody into the classrooms. upward mobility is falling behind countries. >> karen, you wanted to jump? >> i really resent what santorum is trying to do. the republicans have been accused democrats of playing class warfare. if you look at what they have been doing how they went after mitt romney and mitt romney who can't help tell us how rich and how many cadillacs he has but now you have santorum using this idea about college. i think the words are really important. it's not just when he talked about college and religious liberty in a divisive way to pit one group against the other. it's again thp idea that we should have multiple pathways for people to be successful, to be healthy, to be free in this country, and instead, he is really twisting it into a very divisive, anti-if you aspear for something bigger than there's something wrong with you and thst an elitist. >> it's really politically stupid of him. in the last ten days he's
against sex, college and he's against j.f.k. who remains one of our most popular presidents. what this is all doing and mitt romney beating up on big bird, as if that's going to balance the budget, what is this doing? it's driving independents back into the obama column. if you're in some degree of despair, here your best chance of winning this next presidential election, winning independents and it's going out the window because the clowns are talking about things so far outside the mainstream of american political discourse they are just committing suicide for the republican party. >> we'll see how everything goes tomorrow when we see how the people in michigan and arizona come out. thanks so much. appreciate your time. 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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coffee. I don't listen to the details because it is just overwhelming." The conventional wisdom is that voters hate negative political ads but remember their content. However, a panel assembled by Fox News at a hotel in Troy, Mich., bucked that trend. Of all the ads the panelists said they have watched, the one that stuck out in their minds was one in which Romney was selling himself as the hometown hero. "Really, the most effective ad I've seen is the one with Romney where they show him with his Michigan roots in his truck," said panelist Lorie Steinhauer. Her thoughts were quickly echoed by recreational fisherman and newcomer to politics John Piotrowski. "People in Michigan, we're going to go, 'yeah, I can relate to that,'" Piotrowski said. Michiganders quickly became wise to the practice of allowing super PACs -- the unregulated, uncoordinated groups that support or oppose candidates -- to handle the dirty work on the airwaves. "When you see an ad sponsored by a candidate ... it's showing what a great guy he is. It's those other groups that aren't affiliated that are throwing those other attack ads out there," Piotrowski said. Because of that, the panelists said they were not swayed by tendentious ad campaigns. "All they do is they make me go do research. I will then go see if it
is true," said Jennifer Hensley. "They use one sound bite and it is always, always out of context." The panelists also said the GOP will not be hurt by the bitter sparring matches in the primary because the party will unify for the general election. With Paul and Gingrich far behind, Michigan voters are looking at this primary as a twoperson contest. "Nobody really pays attention to Gingrich or Paul. They're out there. But the main stories everywhere are Romney and Santorum," Piotrowski said. However, Michiganders have not concluded that Gingrich is singing his swan song. "In any other year, I'd count him out," Hensley said. But not this year in which the primary contest so closely resembles a game of king of the hill. "I wouldn't write him off 'cause he knows what he is doing and he could become a factor again. He could end up becoming No. 1," said Armand Coallier. 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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Top News/ Business/ Technology/
WHAT
Google, Facebook, and Amazon. As currently written, the bill merely defines critical Internet infrastructure as anything whose disruption from a cyber attack would cause mass death, evacuation, or major damage to the economy, national security, or daily life. This is a broad definition that gives Homeland Security a huge mandate for overseeing Internet security standards by American tech firms. A bipartisan group of Senators, led by John McCain (R-AZ), has argued that the Cybersecurity Act will lead to federally mandated Internet security requirements for private firms. Meeting federal benchmarks for online security will lead, ironically, to reduced security for critical Internet infrastructure providers. Rather than being able to introduce innovative responses to new threats, critical infrastructure providers will be tied to federal benchmarks from 2012 for at least the next five years. Government cybercrime and cyberespionage protection is currently covered by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002. This 10-year-old bill does not cover aspects of modern security culture such as smartphones and spearphishing.
On the one hand, a new cybersecurity bill is a much needed thing. However, the current version of the bill clocks in at over 200 pages. Rather than being restricted to protecting the government from cyberattacks (a worthy goal), the bill was intentionally written in ambiguous and confusing language that could hypothetically lead to many American firms falling under its mandate. The Department of Homeland Security has not been known for cutting costs down, for providing clear regulatory definitions, or for working effectively with the private sector. Fast Company just reported on the awful mess of Homeland Security's social media surveillance program. While McCain is upset about the potential for increased government regulation and increased expenses for tech firms, he's mostly angry that the bill doesn't increase the NSA's spying powers. In a statement submitted to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, McCain stated his wish for U.S. Cyber Command and the NSA to oversee cybersecurity, rather than DHS. McCain's statement explicitly stated that part of his vision was
for the NSA to engage in realtime monitoring of Internet traffic in order to prevent cyberattacks. It is important to note that the Cybersecurity Bill is still in its infancy and that the bill's contents will change markedly before passing. An earlier version of the bill inadvertently fueled fears of a government Internet kill switch thanks to sloppy writing. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is pushing through a similar cybersecurity bill. However, whatever form the government's final cybercrime legislation takes, we know two things. Tech and Internet firms will see increased security costs thanks to stricter regulation, and the government's power to spy on the Internet will likely increase. [Image: Flickr user Harald Groven] For more stories like this, follow@fastcompany on Twitter. Email Neal Ungerleider, the author of this article, here or find him on Twitter and Google+.
Race for cold fusion: Nasa, MIT, Darpa and Cern peer through the keyhole - Wired.co.uk
(andrea rossi e-cat - Google News)
ago, Andrea Rossi demonstrated what he claims was a onemegawatt "Energy Catalyser" -Submitted at 2/27/2012 9:32:48 AM or E-Cat-- which produces power Race for cold fusion: Nasa, MIT, by cold fusion. This technology, Darpa and Cern peer through the also known as Low Energy keyhole Nuclear Reaction (LENR), had Wired.co.uk been consigned... By David Hambling Four months
US government charges Bank of America with housing discrimination against 3 ... - Washington Post
(housing - Google News)
in Michigan and Wisconsin. The nation's biggest bank is accused of Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:48:44 PM violating the federal Fair... Fox News HUD: Bank of America violated US government charges Bank of Fair Housing Act CBS News A m e r i c a w i t h h o u s i n g Bank of America charged with d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t 3 . . . discrimination of homeowners Washington Post with disabilities The Hill (blog) WASHINGTON The US Fed: BofA discriminating against Department of Housing and disabled home buyers WBTV Urban Development charged Chicago Tribune- LoanSafe Bank of America Corp. on all 161 news articles Monday with discriminating against three disabled borrowers
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WAYS
relationships, and strengthen a brand. He sat down with Fast Company recently to discuss how he gets maximum impact from a mini card. Be Yourself "I give out thousands of cards but I take a lot, too. I'm an avid collector. I mainly take pictures of places I've been and meals I've eaten and use those on my personal cards. There's a story behind each [image]. For instance, I had octopus raw and shredded in Bangkok once. It looked disgusting but it was marvelous. Those are the things that people find memorable when they rifle through the cards they got that week and they remember you." Ice Breaker, Not Deal Breaker "Typically I give my cards out at the beginning of a meeting; that way the recipient can put it in front of them, and, if there are multiple people in the room, no one forgets anyone's name. I like to lay all my cards out on the table and have people pick their favorite. Each one is different and it makes for a really fun introduction."
Make a Useful and Productive Tool "We mostly print flat rectangles, so it's pretty straightforward at a fundamental level. But there is a very specific reason for the size. When I first designed [the mini card] I did in the shape of a regular business card, but stripping away all the wasted white space made it more personal. Because it is a strange aspect ratio there is some cropping you get to do [when using your own photos]. The fact that you are going through the editing process is quite liberating. You get to really show who you are." Photos for Everyone! "There is a camera in every device now and the proliferation of photography stored on the web-Facebook is the largest depository on the planet. To get people to use [their own photography] in business and personal cards is a powerful application. It is almost like a subversion of the cheesy real estate photo, you can suck the photos into MOO's website and do pretty low intensity design
work, and it's very memorable and impactful." What Not to Print "Other than something illegal, pretty much anything goes. We have had some customers order trials of...offensive graphics, and we block those users. Most of customers are creatively inclined and we are often delighted by the types of cards people make because we hand check everything." Lasting Impression "I think business cards will prove more resilient than books. We are in the identity business and the next stepping stone will include the ttransfer of information [from the cards] into devices. There is still something important about real-world tokens, though. MOO's mission is not just to transfer information, but to keep it." [Image: Flickr user Richard Moross]
Sales Of 'Vibrations' Are Growing Like Crazy

Joe Weisenthal (Business Insider)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:36:00 PM
- Financial Times
(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:23:33 PM
Daily Mail Financial Times Argentina turns away cruise ships BBC News Argentina turns away UK cruise
ships The Guardian Argentines deny entry to Carnival cruises, citing antiBritish law to pressure... Washington Post The Economic Voice- AOL Travel UK- CBS News all 154 news articles
We were just checking out this nvestor presentation from homeware product conglomerate Church & Dwight, and we learned something we didn't know. The 'Vibrations' category grew 16% in 2011... Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story
See Also: Italian Bond Yields Surge On Surprising Expectation That This Will Be The Sex Scandal That Brings Down Berlusconi ABERCROMBIE: How A Hunting And Fishing Store Became A Sex-Infused Teenybop Legend Angelina Jolie's Leg And Jennifer Lopez's Nipple Steal The Oscar Show
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Top News/ Business/
StumbleUpon Gets NFC, Androidized, Dropbox Acquires Communications Startup Cove, HTC Includes Dropbox In New Series
Nidhi Subbaraman (Fast Company)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:01:49 PM
Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day. StumbleUpon Gets NFC, Androidized. Content discovery engine StumbleUpon, riding a mobile growth high, is set to announce a new partnership with Google at the Mobile World Congress. Cozied up with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS, StumbleUpon could let users share their Stumbles through NFC on the Google devices. StumbleUpon is also due to launch an updated app for all its mobile devices today. --NS --Updated 12:18 pm. EST Dropbox Acquires Communications Startup Cove.
Dropbox has made its first purchase--a collaboration and communications startup called Cove, launched in 2011 by a trio of ex-Facebookers. Dropbox's purchase of this cross-talk platform could help it win points with the enterprise crowd, and indicates that may be an area Dropbox may focus on next. --NS --Updated 11:40 a.m. EST WikiLeaks And Anonymous Publish Stratfor Emails. WikiLeaks has teamed up with hacker group Anonymous and two dozen media outlets to publish "The Global Intelligence Files," drawing from about 5 million emails of the Stratfor intelligence group. Anonymous hacked Stratfor on Christmas Eve, shutting its websites down over the last days of 2011. --NS HTC Includes Dropbox In New
HTC One Series. HTC is tucking Dropbox into its newest line of smartphones. The HTC One series comes with 25GB of free Dropbox space for two years, pairing well, the companies says, with the new camera features on
the phone itself. This follows well from Dropbox's own recent autophoto upload feature announced for its Android app last week. -NS Microsoft Targets 23 New Countries For Windows Phone.
Microsoft is amping up its Windows Phone strategy, and planning an expansion of its software in 23 new markets starting with China, Thailand, and Venezuela. The plans are for its OS to take off on phones manufactured by key parters like Nokia (which has quickly become the world's leading device seller with the Windows Phone OS on board). --NS --Updated 6:00 a.m. EST [Image: Flickr user gaelx] Friday's Fast Feed: Apple Buys App Seeker Chomp, Dropbox Focuses On Photos, Motorola Suit in Germany Blocks Push Notifications, and more!
S&P 500 Rises on Housing Data; Oil Falls, Treasuries Advance - BusinessWeek
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:59:52 PM
Oil Falls, Treasuries Advance BusinessWeek By Stephen Kirkland and Rita S&P 500 Rises on Housing Data; Nazareth Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) --
The Standard & Poor's 500 Index climbed to an almost four-year high as an increase in American home sales helped halt a global
drop in equities. Oil snapped a seven-day rally while the yen... and more
Business/ News Wire/ Finance/
15
Zappos Is Celebrating Leap Year With A FourYear Return Policy

Mandi Woodruff (Business Insider)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:32:00 PM
High oil price weighs on stocks but upbeat US housing data helps Wall Street ... - Washington Post
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:48:51 PM
High oil price weighs on stocks but upbeat US housing data helps Wall Street... Washington Post LONDON High oil prices weighed on markets Monday, but
strong housing data from the US and Germany's approval of the last Greek bailout helped limit losses in Europe and push Wall Street higher. Sentiment in the markets has been buoyed in recent... and more
Online apparel shop Zappos.com will celebrate Leap Year by extending its existing 365-day return policy by another three years. Anyone making a purchase on Feb. 29 will enjoy a whopping four-year return window, the retailer announced Monday. Giving our Leap Year customers 1,461 days to returnor more simply putfour years, seemed like a great way to celebrate Leap Year," said Matt Burchard, senior director of marketing. It also might take a bit of the sting out of that whole hacking incident last month, which jeopardized 24 million customer accounts. Zappos has long been a favorite among consumers for its yearlong return policy, although it's been named one of the slowest
Epoch Times | National, World, China, Sports, Entertainment News

(Epoch Times | National, World, China, Sports, Entertainment News)
online retailers to complete online returns. Mystery shopper network StellaService recently ranked Zappos among the highest online retailers in customer service. Now see 10 things you should NEVER buy new > Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this
story See Also: Psychologist Says 'Kleptomania' Is A Bogus Diagnosis Even The Tooth Fairy's On A Budget In This Lousy Economy One Third Of America's Honey May Be A Dangerous And Illegal Import From China
S&P downgrades Greece: the full text

Telegraph Staff (Finance News - Business news from the UK and world)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:11:23 PM
S&P has downgraded Greece to "SD", meaning it believed the country has undergone a selective default. Here are the rating
agency's reasons for the move.
Presse Chinoise owner Crescent Chau tried to sue the Epoch [...] Manal al-Sharif posted a YouTube video of herself driving Top Stories a car in Saudi Arabia last year. After taking beatings early on in Geng He penned an open letter the patent game, Google and its after spending a sleepless night new partner, Motorola Mobility, thinking about Rep. Chris Smiths are fighting back in the patent q u e s t i o n s : H o w c a n G a o warfare that has targetted the Zhisheng suffer so much pain and Android [...] not give up? What [...] T h e G o v e r n o r ' s B a l l i s This entry passed through the considered by some to be the Full-Text RSS service if this is Super Bowl of A-list parties, your content and you're reading it and one of the highlights of the on someone else's site, please read Academy Awards weekend. the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentThree Canadian judges have only/faq.php#publishers. Five d i s m i s s e d a n a p p e a l o f a Filters recommends: Donate to defamation lawsuit against the Wikileaks. The Epoch Times with costs after
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Business/ News Wire/ Technology/
SPOTTED: The McLaren MP4-12C May Be The Ultimate Road Rocket

Travis Okulski (Business Insider)
Monrovia, CA sent us pictures of one on the road. Joe reports that this is one of Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:30:00 PM three MP4-12Cs that were in the With 175 Formula One Grand Bay Area that day. He says they P r i x v i c t o r i e s t o i t s n a m e , were super quick off the line. McLaren is no slouch on the race We believe him. track. And now the company is Have you spotted a rare or l o o k i n g t o p u t t h e s a m e unusual car/plane/train/boat/ dominance to the road with its industry person in your travels? Ferrari 458 fighter, the MP4-12C. Did you take a photo? Do you like We are big fans of this car, so we sharing? were very excited when our If you answered yes to these friends Joe and Ashleigh from questions, please send the picture
to tokulski@businessinsider.com along with where you spotted it to be considered for our Photo of the Day. Take a peek at the last Photo
of the Day > Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this
story See Also: SPOTTED: Boca Raton Is The Perfect Place For An Aston Martin SPOTTED: An American Ford GT Is Conquering The Streets Of Paris SPOTTED: Three Of These Porsches Are Way Better Than One
S&P downgrades Greece to selective default

(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:21:24 PM
ATHENS| Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:21pm EST (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's on Monday cut Greece long-term ratings to 'selective default', the second ratings agency to proceed with a widely expected downgrade after the country announced a bond swap plan to lighten its debt burden. S&P said that once the debt
exchange is concluded, it will likely raise Greece's sovereign credit rating to the 'CCC' category. "We lowered our sovereign credit ratings on Greece to 'SD' following the Greek government's retroactive insertion of collective action clauses (CACs)," the U.S. ratings agency said. It said Greece's retroactive insertion of CACs -- which enforce losses on investors who do not voluntarily sign up to the
offer -- changed the original terms of the affected debt and made the exchange a "distressed debt restructuring". Greece formally launched the bond swap on Friday. Under the deal, bondholders are to take losses of 53.5 percent on the nominal value of their Greek bonds, with actual losses put at around 74 percent in real terms. S&P's move follows that of Fitch, which last week cut Greece's long -term ratings to its lowest rating
above a default as a result of the bond exchange plan. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos) 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.
Shuttered Car Concepts - The Volkswagen Optism is Inspired by Optical Art (TrendHunter.com)
(TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:12:03 PM
( TrendHunter.com) The Volkswagen Optism car concept is inspired by optical illusions. The surface of the vehicle has been crafted in such a way that it looks different from various angles. Although this feature doesn't...
News Wire/
17
Media Matters Boss' $850G 'Blackmail' Settlement

(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:48 PM
Media Matters CEO David Brock Media Matters chief David Brock paid a former domestic partner $850,000 after being threatened with damaging information involving the organizations donors and the IRS a deal that Brock later characterized as a blackmail payment, according to legal documents obtained by FoxNews.com. In an acrimonious lawsuit settled at the end of last year, Brock accused William Grey of making repeated threats to expose him to the "scorn or ridicule of his employees, donors and the press in demanding money and property." Brock claimed in legal papers that he sold a Rehoboth Beach, Del., home he once shared with Grey in order to meet Greys demands, which he called "blackmail" in the lawsuit. Brock, 49, heads the non-profit Media Matters for America, which bills itself as a watchdog of the conservative media but has recently come under fire for allegedly coordinating with Democrats in what could be a violation of its tax-exempt status. Brocks bitter legal battle with Grey, who is described in a Sept. 14, 2010, police report obtained by FoxNews.com as his domestic
partner of more than 10 years, began after Brock began dating Washington, D.C., restaurant impresario James Alefantis about five years ago. For the next three years, Brock and Grey traded angry accusations, which were documented in the police report and were the foundation of a pitched legal battle replete with charges of blackmail, theft and financial malfeasance. Read the police report detailing the lawsuit Alefantis was also named as a defendant in Grey's lawsuit. In his response to Brock's lawsuit, Grey "denies that he committed any "acts of blackmail."" Grey threatened to go public about Brock and Media Matters' finances after he accused Brock in a civil suit filed in Washington of taking$170,000 in possessions, including an $8,000 Louis Vuitton suit bag, paintings, a rug, a chandelier, a painted bust of a Roman soldier and a pair of carved wooden chairs upholstered with purple fabric. Those possessions were displayed in the Washington townhouse where the couple entertained liberal movers and shakers in happier times. Brock took Greys threats seriously and called police in 2010. In the police report, filed by Metropolitan Police as a stalking
bedroom Rehoboth Beach house as its value skyrocketed during the real estate bubble. Sussex County property records show he took out a $273,000 mortgage to buy the pale yellow colonial and carriage house for $606,666 in 1995. As the converted inn, built in 1793, continued to rise in value, Brock refinanced his loan on at least two occasions. Records show he had a $1.44 million mortgage on the property, as well as two more loans against the home totaling incident, Brock accused Grey, undermine Brocks fundraising just over $500,000. a l s o 4 9 , o f a t t e m p t i n g t o efforts. Brock received $1,587,500 for blackmail him with a series of "Next step is I contact all your the home on May 25, 2010, in a emails threatening to "release donors and the IRS," Grey wrote s a l e t o M c L e a n , V a . - b a s e d specific derogatory information in an email dated May 19, 2010. Vardell Realty Investments. It a b o u t [ B r o c k ] a n d h i s "This is going to stink for you if could not be determined how organization to the press and you do not resolve this now." much Brock still owed on the d o n o r s t h a t w o u l d b e Brock said in court papers that he $1.44 million mortgage, or how embarrassing to him and cause paid Grey "under duress." much he netted from the sale, if harm to the organization " On March 8, 2011, Brock filed any. Some of those emails came out as his own suit against Grey for Records indicate that Brock had the lawsuit, filed by Grey on Jan. more than $4 million, demanding paid off the two smaller loans at 28, 2011, wound its way through Grey return the $850,000, plus the time of the sale. Superior Court of the District of pay millions more in punitive Within a year of selling the Columbia last year. damages. The two settled two house, Brock apparently had Read the complete lawsuit filed months ago under terms that second thoughts about paying off by William Grey remain confidential. Grey. In the civil suit, Brock "Please finish this today so I dont Read the complete counterclaim accused Grey of three counts of have to waste my time emailing filed by David Brock blackmail, citing a statute that anyone Biden, Coulter, Carlson, Paying off Grey may not have defines blackmail as threatening Huffington, Drudge, Ingraham," been easy for Brock, even with "to expose a secret or publicize a Grey wrote in a 2008 email. his salary of nearly $300,000 at fact, whether true or false, tending Nearly two years later, Grey Media Matters. Records show accused Brock of "financial B r o c k h a d p u l l e d m a s s i v e MEDIA page 22 malfeasance" and threatened to amounts of equity from the six-
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News Wire/
Gunman kills one, injures four in Ohio school shooting

(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:23:43 PM
By Kim Palmer CHARDON, Ohio| Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:09pm EST (Reuters) - A student gunman opened fire with a handgun in the cafeteria of a high school near Cleveland on Monday morning, fatally wounding one boy and injuring three other boys and one girl before he was chased from the building by a teacher and was caught, police said. The injured students were rushed to area hospitals where a boy identified as Daniel Parmertor, 16, died at MetroHealth System in Cleveland. Parmertor, a high school junior, went to a nearby vocational school where he studied computer science, and was waiting in the cafeteria for a bus when the gunman opened fire. "We are shocked by this senseless tragedy," said a statement from Parmertor's family, provided by MetroHealth. "Danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him. The family is torn by this loss. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time." The Ohio shooting is the worst at a U.S. high school in 11 months and the worst in Ohio since late
2007, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Two of the four other victims was in critical condition at MetroHealth, according to Chardon Police Chief Tim McKenna. A 17-year-old boy was in serious condition and an 18year-old girl was stable at Hillcrest Hospital in suburban Cleveland, a spokeswoman said. Geauga Sheriff's department officials said the suspect was caught about half an hour after the shooting with the help of citizens and a police dog. Police have not formally identified the gunman, who is a juvenile, but students, parents of students and local media said his name was T.J. Lane. By early afternoon, police and FBI had surrounded a brown house on Wilder Road in a rural, wooded area of Chardon identified in public records as belonging to Thomas Lane. The shooting took place at around 7:30 a.m. local time while students were in the cafeteria studying and eating breakfast. A Chardon High School student, Danielle Samples, 16, who was in the cafeteria at the time, told Reuters she heard a series of "pops" and someone yelled to run down the hallway into a
classroom. While Samples was in the hall, she heard another round of pops. "It hasn't hit me yet," Samples said of the experience. "It's very surreal." She said the shooter was not a student at Lake Academy in Willoughby, which serves at-risk students. He was at Chardon's cafeteria waiting for a bus. She said the student lived with his grandparents and sister. Chardon freshman Sofia Larkins, 14, was sitting with Lane's sister when the shooting began. "She didn't know anything," said Larkins. "She was surprised as anyone." The two girls fled to a teacher's lounge when the shooting began, and began hearing talk that T.J. was the shooter, Larkins said. His sister began crying. Larkins said school officials came to the lounge and took his sister away for questioning. Fellow students described T.J. Lane as "quiet." Chardon, the seat of Geauga county, is a semi-rural, fairly well -educated and affluent town about 35 miles from Cleveland with a population of about 5,000, according to the U.S. Census and Chardon's web site. The town contains neatly restored brick
buildings downtown with quaint offices and shops. Its web site describes it as the center of the state's maple syrup industry. After the shooting, emergency vehicles rushed to the high school, where solemn-looking students streamed from the building to meet parents. The entire school district was closed for the day and will be closed Tuesday. "We want them to stay home and spend some time reflecting on family," said an emotional Joseph Bergant, superintendent of Chardon schools, at a news conference. He urged parents to hug and kiss their children. He praised the actions of teachers, who had been through disaster training and acted quickly to protect the students. The teacher who chased the gunman from the school was not identified. Larkins said one teacher who was in the cafeteria at the time was a football coach, Frank Hall, who could not immediately be reached for comment. The school that some of the injured students attended is Auburn Career Academy, a vocational school with 700 juniors and seniors taken from 11 surrounding school districts including Chardon, Auburn
superintendent Maggie Lynch said. They were waiting in the cafeteria for the bus. The mother of a student in Chardon, who asked not to be identified, said her son knew the alleged gunman. "My son's reaction was 'this doesn't surprise me.' T.J. (Lane) was a nice sweet kid who was misunderstood and he probably cracked from being different," she said. The deadliest school shooting in the United States was the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech University that left 33 people dead. The worst high school shooting was the 1999 attack at Columbine High School in Colorado that killed 12 students and a teacher. (Reporting By Kim Palmer, Andrew Stern and Ellen Wulfhorst; Writing by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Greg McCune) 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.
News Wire/ Culture/
19
Romney-Santorum battle in Michigan tightens

(Reuters: Top News)
changed has not. The race remains very fluid," said Steve Mitchell, president of Mitchell Research & Mitt Romney addresses the Communications, a Republican Detroit Economic Club during a firm that polled 858 Republican campaign stop at Ford Field in primary voters. Detroit, February 24, 2012. Romney has a comfortable lead Credit: Reuters/Rebecca Cook in Arizona, which also votes on By Steve Holland Tuesday. ROCKFORD, Michigan| Mon A Romney victory in Michigan Feb 27, 2012 3:29pm EST the state where he was born (Reuters) - A tough fight for w o u l d r e i g n i t e a c a m p a i g n Michigan between Mitt Romney staggered by Santorum's rise. But and Rick Santorum tightened on a loss would be humiliating and Monday in a primary that may raise significant questions about prove pivotal in choosing a 2012 his candidacy a week before the Republican presidential nominee. biggest one-day prize of the With Michigan to vote on primary season, March 6 "Super T u e s d a y , a n e w p o l l s a i d Tuesday" when 10 states hold Santorum had halted a slide in contests. support that began after a weak Romney told voters in Albion, debate performance in Arizona Michigan that he was gaining last week. momentum. "This sure has been The Mitchell Research/Rosetta fun these last 10 days or so. We Stone poll said the former started out about 15 points down Pennsylvania senator is in a in the polls. Now we're leading in statistical dead heat with Romney, the polls," he said. edging him 37 percent to 35 A Santorum win in Michigan percent after losing the lead last could upend the race and prompt week. The poll's margin of error the Republican establishment was 3 percentage points. concerned that Santorum's strong "The volatility we thought had religious conservatism could
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:29:58 PM
make him unelectable - to search for a new candidate to join the race, which picks a challenger for the November 6 election against Democratic President Barack Obama. After days of attention on his opposition to contraception and prenatal testing, Santorum sought to focus on the U.S. economy, the main issue in the 2012 presidential campaign. CAMPAIGN ABOUT THE ECONOMY In a Wall Street Journal opinion article, Santorum called for just two income tax rates and approval of the controversial Keystone oil pipeline from Canada. He vowed to make $5 trillion in budget cuts over five years. "I'll work with Congress and the American people to once again create an economic environment where hard work is rewarded, equal opportunity exists for all, and families providing for their children can once again be optimistic about their future," he wrote. In making his economic pitch, Santorum blasted Romney's
record as a former governor of Massachusetts and said his rival's plan to cut tax rates for all Americans by 20 percent did not go far enough. He also vowed to repeal "all Obama administration regulations that have an economic burden over $100 million," including an Environmental Protection Agency rule on carbon emissions. In the Michigan town of Rockford, Romney returned fire, and suggested that Santorum had spent too much time on social issues, saying: "I'm glad he recognizes this has got to be a campaign about the economy." Romney, whose vast wealth has been an issue in the Michigan campaign, promoted himself as the candidate with the most business experience needed to trigger job growth. "Senator Santorum is a nice guy, but he's never had a job in the private sector. He's worked as a lobbyist, worked as an elected official, and that's fine. But if the issue of the day is the economy, I think to create jobs it helps to have a guy as president who's had
a job, and I have," Romney said. The two candidates trekked across Michigan to make closing arguments and try to encourage voter turnout. In Livonia, Santorum said he was excited at his position. "This was not a place that frankly I thought we were going to be competing at the level we're competing here in the state of Michigan," he said. In a sign he has emerged as a leading contender, Santorum will be getting Secret Service protection beginning on Tuesday, a campaign aide told CBS News. (Additional reporting by Sam Youngman in Livonia and Susan Heavey and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman) 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.
Everyone Ramen [infographic]

(Holy Kaw!)
Via Hack College. (H/T @gvoakes)
Delicious food. Permalink| Leave a comment
20
News Wire/ Sports/
Another Costa Ship in Peril,Drifting With 1,000 Aboard

(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:48 PM
NAIROBI, Kenya An Italian cruise liner carrying more than 1,000 people was adrift without power in the pirate-infested Indian Ocean on Monday after a fire erupted in its generator room. Officials said the blaze was extinguished without causing injuries. The fire aboard the Costa Allegra occurred only six weeks after one of its sister ships, the Costa Concordia, hit a reef and capsized off Italy, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead. Both ships are operated by Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by the Floridabased Carnival Corp. Tug boats from the island nation of Seychelles were steaming to the powerless Costa Allegra, which was carrying 636 passengers and 413 crew members. But the tugs were not expected to arrive until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest. Italian coast guard officials said a large French ocean fishing boat could
be the first vessel to reach the stricken cruise liner late Monday night. The officials, who were in regular contact with the Allegra's crew members, said emergency generators were keeping the ship's command room illuminated and instruments such as its radio functioning. But the rest of the ship apparently was dark as night fell.
focused on rescue efforts, he said. Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic said, "If pirates attack, the armed guards on board will respond. But as far as I am aware, no pirates have been sighted in the area." Costa Crociere SpA, which is based in Genoa, Italy, said in a statement that its ship was about 20 miles from Alphonse Island, one of the atolls in the Seychelles, a nation of islands and atolls that is a popular tourist destination. The Allegra had left northern Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast, on Saturday and was cruising toward the port of Victoria, Seychelles' capital, when the fire erupted. Costa said the The officials said the cruise liner working. Allegra had been due in Victoria was holding steady, despite 5-foot The general region where the on Tuesday. waves in the area and that the cruise ship was adrift -- off the This entry passed through the passengers were being kept in the coast of Tanzania -- has seen a Full-Text RSS service if this is ship's big communal rooms, not rash of attacks by Somali pirates, your content and you're reading it their cabins. but they have never hijacked a on someone else's site, please read Italian Coast Guard Cmdr. cruise ship. the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentCosimo Nicastro told SkyTG24 Nicastro said armed anti-piracy only/faq.php#publishers. Five TV that everyone aboard the military personnel were aboard, Filters recommends: Donate to vessel was safe. But the fire left but he added that there appeared Wikileaks. the cruise liner adrift in the Indian to be no immediate danger of Ocean because its engines weren't pirates. Attention was being
Haith says he is cooperating with NCAA Miami probe

(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)
Missouri coach Frank Haith said Monday that he is fully cooperating with the NCAA in the
latest round of trouble at the University of Miami, his home for seven years before taking over the
Tigers this season.
News Wire/ World News/ Sports/
21
Report: Agents Foil Plot to Assassinate Russian PM

(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:48 PM
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attends a United Russia party's congress in Moscow on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. As news of an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dominated Russian websites on Monday, the timing of the foiled plot is reportedly raising some eyebrows. Russia's state television, The Channel One, reported Monday that the suspects, who have been linked to a Chechen rebel leader, were preparing to kill Putin in Moscow immediately after next Sunday's presidential vote, in which he is all but certain to reclaim the presidency. Many Russians, however, have reacted with skepticism and suspicion, suggesting on social media sites that the failed plot was fabricated and timed just six days prior to the election to garner sympathy for Putin, RFERL.org reports. "A good PR move for the country's main thief. Now all the
grandmothers will react, they love victims," writes one poster on the Russian blogging platform LiveJournal. "Strange that the attack wasn't plotted in London, jointly by [North Caucasus insurgent commander Doku] Umarov, the resuscitated [Al-Qaeda head Usama] bin Laden, and Martians," quips another. "The ratings must be really low." Reports of the alleged plot could be aimed at deflecting attention from the growing street protests against Putin in recent weeks, analysts told the website.
"Although nothing can be ruled out nowadays, it's perfectly clear that this thwarted plot comes at a crucial time in Putin's election campaign," defense analyst Aleksandr Golts said. "Before this news was announced, many analysts said his campaign must receive new impetus in order to show how important Putin is for the country and how much Russia's enemies hate him." Meanwhile, the Channel One said the suspects had been arrested in Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odessa following an accidental explosion that occurred on Jan. 4
while they were trying to manufacture explosives at a rented apartment. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the report to the ITAR-Tass news agency, but refused to make any further comment. The station said the source for its information was Russia's Federal Security Service, the main KGB successor agency dealing with domestic security. It was impossible to independently verify the claim made in the program. Russian and Ukrainian special services wouldn't comment on the report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click here for more on the this report from RFERL.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.
Mamata calls strike 'retrograde politics', threatens action - Times of India

Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:03:54 PM
India Today Mamata calls strike 'retrograde politics', threatens action Times of India Apologizing for calling strikes when she was an opposition leader, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that politics of shutdowns and strikes have crippled the state for the last 35 years. KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was in a combative mood... Strike: Mamata to man control room Indian Express West Bengal turns political battleground after strike call Deccan Herald Corporate lobby up against government: Mamata IBNLive.com Business Standard- Hindustan Times- Daily Pioneer all 161 news articles
Griffin believes he was even faster at combine

(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)
Robert Griffin was able to impress teams and scouts without throwing a pass at the NFL
combine.
22
World News/ Sports/
MEDIA
to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, to impair the reputation of any person." He countersued to get his $850,000 back, plus $500,000 for each of three counts of alleged blackmail, and another $2 million in compensatory damages based in part on what Brocks lawyers called abuse of the judicial system and legal fees. Grey, who relocated to Massachusetts, declined to comment when contacted by FoxNews.com. Brock and Alefantis remain in Washington, where Brock has released a new book attacking Fox News. He is also under scrutiny from several members of Congress amid reports Media Matters for
America is in possible violation of IRS laws governing nonprofits. The Rehoboth Beach home was torn down months after Brock sold it, amid much community opposition, so the buyer could divide the parcel and build two homes. It remains a vacant lot. Perry Chiaramonte contributed to this report. Former Vacation home of Media Matters Founder David Brock, a converted inn house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Brock sold the home in May 2010. The current owner razed the house and divided the plot for two new properties. Related Stories PDF: Civil lawsuit filed by David Brock's ex-partner William Grey PDF: Itemized list of possessions
from William Grey's civil lawsuit against Media Matters founder David Brock PDF: 2010 police report filed by David Brock against ex-partner William Grey PDF: David Brock's counterclaim against civil lawsuit filed by expartner William Grey 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.
Griffin believes The New Rules: A Positive he was even faster at combine Narrative for U.S. (Sports News Headlines Foreign Policy Yahoo! News)
(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 9:01:00 AM Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:29:14 PM
Robert Griffin was able to impress teams and scouts without throwing a pass at the NFL combine.
U.S.-Georgia Defense Talks Leave Tbilisi Smiling

(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 9:00:00 AM
The Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Jan. 30 has already been chalked up as a major victory by Tbilisi. Obama and Saakashvili discussed a range of topics, including the development of Georgias
democracy, the countrys future transition of power and a possible free trade deal. For the Georgian government and their allies in the media, however, increased defense ties were the centerpiece development. Yet aside from an oblique reference by Saakashvili to elevating our defense cooperation further, details on any changes in the military relationship have been scarce.
Several figures in Saakashvilis government, including the president himself, have described the talks as constituting a new level of defense cooperation, but have refrained from elaborating. And other than references to Georgias generous contribution to ongoing military operations in Afghanistan, U.S. officials have been even more coy about the extent of current cooperation and
what might be meant by taking it to a new level. ... 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.
Where is the positive vision for U.S. foreign policy in this election? President Barack Obama and on-again, off-again presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney now duel over who is more anti-declinist when it comes to Americas power trajectory, with both slyly attaching their candidacies to the notion that the worst is now behind us. On that score, Obama implicitly tags predecessor George W. Bush, while Romney promises a swift end to all things Obama. Halftime in America? Indeed. ... 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.
World News/ Politics/
23
Surprised at Akhileshs Ibori pleads guilty to quota remark: Digvijaya laundering public funds - Indian Express - Financial Times
Gillard won't rule out spill payback - ABC Online

Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:58:32 PM
Akhilesh Yadav's statement that... UP will give us clear mandate, we don't need Cong: Akhilesh Indian Express Firstpost Surprised at Akhileshs quota UP Assembly Election 2012: remark: Digvijaya Muslim Quota - Will Congress Indian Express bite SP bait? Economic Times A I C C g e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y Akhilesh vows to fight crime Digivijaya Singh on Monday said Times of India he was surprised by the statement IBNLive.com- Daily News & made by a well-educated person Analysis- Business Standard like Akhilesh Yadav on 18 per all 64 news articles cent quota to Muslims. Singh said he had read SP state president
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:48:56 PM

Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:06 PM
BBC News Ibori pleads guilty to laundering public funds Financial Times By Caroline Binham and Tom Burgis One of the most powerful politicians from Nigeria's oil region over the last decade pleaded guilty to laundering public funds from the African nation on the eve of his jury trial
in London. Ex-governor of Nigeria's Delta State pleads guilty in London to financial crimes Washington Post Nigerian politician owns up to corruption in UK court Reuters UK James Ibori: How a thief almost became Nigeria's president BBC News AFP- The Guardian- Daily Mail all 211 news articles
Clarke says Gold Coast 'Netas see blue films in needs independent MP temples of democracy' - ABC Online - Times of India
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:51:21 PM
CBC.ca Gillard won't rule out spill payback ABC Online by chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths A day after trouncing Kevin Rudd in the leadership ballot, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has refused to rule out taking retribution against his supporters in a Cabinet reshuffle later this week. Payback time as PM Julia Gillard plans to cull Kevin Rudd's mates NEWS.com.au Labor looks to the future The Australian Gillard refuses to safeguard Rudd backers Sydney Morning Herald Herald Sun- ABC Local all 3,345 news articles
Yahoo!7 News Clarke says Gold Coast needs independent MP ABC Online By James Kelly Former Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke says it is time the city's tourist strip was represented by an independent in Queensland Parliament. The 75year-old resigned from the council
yesterday to run as an independent in the Labor-held seat... At 75, Ron Clarke is running again The Australian No deals, no compromise, says Clarke Gold Coast Bulletin News Battle for Qld's Broadwater heats up Business Spectator My Daily NewsInsidethegames.biz all 15 news articles

Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:13:56 PM
Zee News 'Netas see blue films in temples of democracy' Times of India Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Monday attacked the parties and the leaders who criticized him for his alleged remarks against MPs and said that Parliament and assemblies are
temples of democracy and they watch blue films, tear Bills and throw... I am ready for consequences, says Kejriwal Hindustan Times Kejriwal defends statement on MPs Deccan Herald BJP blames UPA for Kejriwal remark Deccan Chronicle IBNLive.com- Economic TimesIndian Express all 159 news articles
Romney and Santorum Give Obama a Boost in Michigan

(Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:54:06 PM
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Two weeks ago, it looked like a key swing state. But the GOP candidates have driven it right into the Democratic column.
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World News/ Technology/ Obituaries
Drive-by shooting targets Preston home where man was fatally shot - Herald Sun
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:04:16 PM
The West Australian Drive-by shooting targets Preston home where man was fatally shot Herald Sun UPDATE: SHOTS have been fired at a house in the same street where a man was shot and later died over the weekend. Police are at a house in Ambon St Preston
where two shots were fired at a gate and parked car about 5am. Preston street peppered with gunfire after fatal shooting The Age Shots fired at Preston home Leader News Man dies after driveway shooting NEWS.com.au Ninemsn all 49 news articles
- Sydney Morning Herald

Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:25:11 PM
Transformative ceramist Ken Price dies in NM at 77 (AP)

Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:03:31 PM
Telegraph.co.uk Sydney Morning Herald Church wins 600000 in hacking settlement Financial Times Charlotte Church on phone
hacking: 'I don't plan to let this lie' The Guardian Church wins 600000 hacking claim The Press Association BBC News- NEWS.com.auDaily Mail all 1,611 news articles
AP - Ken Price, an internationally known artist whose glazed and painted clay blurred the lines between ceramics and sculpture, has died at age 77 at his home in New Mexico.
Amazon & Google Getting Impatient With Book Publishers

Jon Mitchell (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:55:00 PM
All is not well in the e-book market. Amazon and Google have each scaled back some e-book programs in the past week because business was weaker than expected. Both e-book sellers are having trouble doing business with publishers. Amazon has pulled more than 4,000 books from its e-shelves after publishers wouldn't budge for lower prices. Google is cutting off partners in its e-book affiliates program because sales referrals are too low to be worthwhile.
Sponsor What's going on here? E-book sales passed print in all trade categories last year, and e-book library lending is huge, but print still brings in more revenue for publishers. The problem is that consumers expect e-books to be cheaper, so publishers can't charge as much for them as they might like. In other words, it's a problem of business models, not of demand. Meanwhile, Amazon's profits are sagging, and Google Books trails far behind in terms of sales. They're both getting tired of the middlemen, i.e. the publishers.,
Meanwhile, when publishing houses can't meet its price expectations, Amazon pulls the plug on their books. Google's affiliate program for e-books gave partners a better deal than Amazon's affiliate links, but it's cutting off the partners who can't perform. The author and the reader are hamstrung by the presence of not just one but two middlemen. Something's got to give. and the squeeze they put on e- Inevitably, it will. It will be the book sales. publishers. Amazon is not shy about its It's getting amazingly easy for efforts to get authors comfortable authors to publish their own with self-publishing of e-books. books, and Amazon, Apple and
Google are all working on ways to let authors expand the idea of the e-book itself. Amazon is poised for a big Kindle push in Brazil. There's no question that the future of the book business is in the hands of these tech companies, not the publishers who can't keep up. See also: Books Continue to Evolve - Check Out E.O. Wilson's 'Life on Earth' iBook Do you read e-books? Which store(s) and device(s) do you use? Discuss
Technology/
25
Toasty, windy exoplanet charted in 2D for first time

Scientific American (CNET News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:05:55 PM
Astronomers have made a crude thermal map of an extrasolar world they cannot yet see, confirming that violent winds rapidly whip around the planet. A mere 60 light-years away, orbiting an orangish star called HD 189733, is a world an Earthling would not want to visit. The planet is a gas giant, like Jupiter or Saturn, but unlike those familiar worlds this one hugs tightly to its host star, orbiting at about one thirtieth the distance at which Earth circles the sun. The exoplanet, labeled HD 189733 b by astronomical convention, stays mighty toasty under its astronomical broiler, with temperatures upward of 900 degrees Celsius. As exoplanet HD 189733 b is eclipsed by its host star, astronomers can track how much the observed infrared radiation diminishes, and hence how much comes from individual curved bands of the planet. Repeating the process as HD 189733 b reemerges from behind the star produces a rough twodimensional sketch (bottom) of the planet's thermal emission. A complementary analysis of the eclipse data yields a similar map
(top). Thanks to a new study, any hypothetical unfortunates forced to visit HD 189733 b will know which part of the planet is the most infernal. A trio of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, Columbia University, and Northwestern University has produced a thermal map of the planet's atmosphere in both latitude and longitude. Their research appears in the March 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The map is somewhat crude, but that is no surprise given that HD 189733 b cannot even be seen in the conventional sense. As is the case for most of the 750-plus exoplanets that astronomers have identified to date, its presence and properties are inferred from indirect observations--for instance, by monitoring how much starlight the planet blocks when passing in front of its parent star. Five years ago, astronomers used the Spitzer Space Telescope to chart the longitudinal difference in thermal emission from HD 189733 b--the dayside versus the nightside--by monitoring the infrared radiation coming from both the star and the planet. By tracking changes as the planet moved through its orbit, the researchers were able to extract
should have disappeared," Agol says. "You can compare that to how much flux disappears in that not only how much infrared time, and we then can combine radiation the planet emitted, but that to make a two-dimensional a l s o h o w m u c h c a m e f r o m picture of the planet." Images: individual longitudinal bands of NASA's Kepler to seek Earth-like planets 1-2 of 10 Scroll Left the body. HD 189733 b is tidally locked, Scroll Right meaning that the same hemisphere faces the star at all times, much the same way that the same side of the moon always faces Earth. "After watching it for half an orbit, then we've gotten to see all of its sides," says Eric Agol, a UW astrophysicist who contributed both to the 2007 mapping effort and the latest study. "But we don't know where In the picture gleaned from seven the light is coming from as a secondary eclipses, the planet was confirmed to have a significant function of latitude." To get a two-dimensional picture, hot spot, as would be expected on Agol and his colleagues used the dayside, under the continuous Spitzer to track HD 189733 b as glare of the star. But that hot spot the planet disappeared behind its is shifted along the equator just a star, and then as it re-emerged. bit, perhaps because of the fierce B e c a u s e t h o s e s o - c a l l e d winds that are expected to exist secondary eclipses occur high on there. Climate models of HD the face of the star, the edge of the 189733 b have predicted that star blots out the planet at an winds of several kilometers per angle. That allowed Agol and his second may race along the colleagues to estimate the thermal equator. "One hallmark of that brightness of various slanted band of wind is that the hot spot bands of the planet as HD 189733 shouldn't be directly at the b passed behind the star, and as substellar point, at high noon," the planet reemerged. "As the s a y s p l a n e t a r y a s t r o n o m e r planet is passing behind the star, Heather Knutson of the California you know how much of the planet Institute of Technology, who did
not contribute to the new study. "That hot gas actually gets carried a little bit downwind." Knutson, who worked on mapping HD 189733 b in 2007, notes that the two maps pinpoint a similar location for the hot spot. "The really reassuring thing is that by using this different approach they come to a very similar conclusion," she says. Agol's group also revealed that the hot spot is located near the equator, as had been assumed in the onedimensional longitudinal map. "The nice thing about their approach is that you can start to get some of that north-south information," Knutson says. "It's a really great shortcut to get around the fact that most of these planets are so far away that you can't really see them." Unfortunately, few other known planets are as favorably positioned for such detailed study. For starters, HD 189733 b is closer to our solar system than all but a few known exoplanets. And it is a giant, about 14 percent larger in diameter than Jupiter, orbiting next to a host star that is about 20 percent smaller than the sun. Those dimensions, coupled with the planet's extreme heat, make for a relatively strong thermal signature that can be TOASTY, page 27
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Why 'Rango' and 'Hugo' won at the Oscars

Daniel Terdiman (CNET News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:02:39 PM
With no Pixar film to beat, 'Rango' won the Academy Award for best animated feature, while "Hugo" won for best visual effects. Both victors show things are changing in Hollywood. Martin Scorcese's 'Hugo' won the Oscar for visual effects Sunday night in Hollywood. At the same time, Gore Verbinski's 'Rango' won the Academy Award for best animated feature. If there's been one thing you could count on each year since the Academy Awards began honoring animated features, it's that Pixar A lot of people liked "Rango," would walk away with the Oscar. and it broke ground with its Through last year, six of the realistic approach to making an studio's eight films won golden animated Western. statuettes. In making the film, Verbinski But Pixar's 2011 entry, " Cars 2," "wanted to be able to smell the a box office success but a critical breath of the characters," Kevin failure, not only didn't win on Martel, the film's associate Sunday, it wasn't even nominated. animation supervisor, told CNET A n d t h a t m e a n t a g o l d e n last year. "The feeling was that if opportunity for a slew of other you were to take a deep breath, animated filmmakers. you'd inhale all that dust and dirt, In the end, it was "Pirates of the a n d y o u ' d p r o b a b l y s t a r t Caribbean" director Gore coughing." V e r b i n s k i ' s " R a n g o " t h a t And though "Rango" clearly emerged with the Oscar, beating succeeded with that approach, the out "A Cat in Paris," "Chico & movie didn't stand out from the Rita," "Kung Fu Panda 2," and rest of the field the way that, say, "Puss in Boots." Making an Pixar's " Toy Story 3" did a year animated film look live action ago, nor was it a major box office (images) 1-2 of 21 Scroll Left blockbuster. So the question is, in Scroll Right a year where there wasn't a no doubt-about-it animated film, is there a way to tell why "Rango" won?
"Avatar" would win. This year, there was no "Avatar," and in the end, Pixomondo's Rob Legato and his team won for their visual effects work on Martin Scorcese's "Hugo." This was just the second year that the Academy has picked five nominees in the category--there had been three in the past--and that was in part, Cohen explained, because the state of visual effects Indeed, Cohen said that he'd fully hadn't yet advanced to the point expected "Rango" to come away where there were five films each with the win. The big surprise in year that deserved to win. "One the animated feature category this reason they were slow to move to year, Cohen said, was that "Cat in five," Cohen said, "is that there With all due respect to Verbinski Paris" and "Chico & Rita" nabbed w e r e w o r r i e s i n s i d e t h e and the team at Industrial Light & n o m i n a t i o n s b u t S t e v e n [Academy's] visual effects branch Magic that applied to "Rango" the Spielberg's "The Adventures of that if they had five, an unworthy visual effects tricks it generally Tintin," which had beautiful film [could] win." uses on live action movies, the animation based on performance But now, Cohen added, that's no longer true. The field is much f i l m ' s O s c a r w i n p r o b a b l y capture, didn't. Cohen said that it's always deeper, and "the difference wouldn't have happened if "Cars 2" had been as well loved as most difficult to explain why the between the first best visual Academy votes the way it does, effects [film] and the sixth or of Pixar's films have been. But that said, "Rango" was a particularly because "they don't seventh is pretty small." success that managed to win over vote as a bloc [and] there's not a Cohen said he had expected "Rise the many different constituencies cabal here." But he said "Tintin" of the Planet of the Apes," with among the Academy of Motion was likely snubbed because, in his visual effects by "Avatar" winner Picture Arts and Sciences--the opinion, "I think animators in Joe Letteri and his team at Weta cinematographers, the actors, the general, and the animation branch Digital, to snag this year's Oscar. animators, and more. "If you look of the Academy in particular, But he also said he wasn't at 'Rango,' a lot of filmmaking r e a l l y d o n ' t m u c h c a r e f o r surprised that Legato won for "Hugo." In fact, Cohen said that disciplines are well represented," p e r f o r m a n c e c a p t u r e . " either "Hugo," "Rise of the Planet said David Cohen, an editor at 'Hugo' wins for visual effects V a r i e t y . " T h a t m o v i e i s Some years, there's simply no of the Apes," or "Transformers: beautifully lit, the costuming is doubt about which film will win Dark of the Moon" would have c r e a t i v e , t h o s e a n i m a t e d the Oscar for best visual effects. been unsurprising choices. characters actually act pretty well, In 2010, for example, there But "Hugo" surely deserved to the production design is gorgeous, probably wasn't a person in win, in part because of the way [and] the writing is eccentric. It's Hollywood who thought any WHY page 32 not the same old family pablum." movie but James Cameron's
Related stories Familiar names dominate Oscar visual effects nominations Netflix scores David FincherKevin Spacey series Former tech exec wins best documentary Oscar Twitterverse: 'King's Speech' will win Best Picture Get backstage at Oscars with your iPad/iPhone
Technology/
27
Office Wars
Steve Gillmor (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:23 PM
TOASTY,
Although Microsoft has denied the media reports, it seems likely were on the threshold of Office coming to the iPad. Im writing this on Word on the Mac, but it wont be long before Pages will have some serious competition. If Microsoft pulls back, theres OnLIve Desktop that delivers Office as a cloud service with a free version up to 2 gigs of storage. Adobe delivered Photoshop Touch for the iPad this morning. Why now? The most obvious reason is that Apple has reached a tipping point with its tablet platform, where PCs have become little more than set-top boxes for streaming services. We recently bought the second season of Downton Abbey; I downloaded it to my iPad while we watched the Grammys on cable. I figured Id use AirPlay to stream it to the Apple TV in the living room, but when I switched over to the small box, the show was already listed thanks to iCloud. Effectively, the smallest box in the house, Apple TV, was the server. Wed gotten hooked on Season One on Netflix, which already has become the dominant source of programming for the 60-inch Sony in the living room. Youd think it would be outweighed by network shows, the View, and live events, but with our daughter
isolated from the radiation given off by the star alone. But future running non-stop Greys Anatomy Once the incumbents blink, then window dressing at best and infrared observatories, such as and Lost-fests on the biggest the real battle begins. OnLive months from irrelevance. NASA's massive James Webb screen whenever possible, the shows one strategy, moving to the For me, Office represents an Space Telescope, may be able to competition for control has cloud while preserving the increasingly minor amount of map additional exoplanets. overcome the other shows. With document-centric model of Word, screen time in my computing For now, the map that Agol calls m o r e a n d m o r e o r i g i n a l Excel, Powerpoint, and, tellingly, e x p e r i e n c e , w h i l e s o c i a l a "first stab" at the secondaryprogramming transferring to G m a i l i n s t e a d o f O u t l o o k . computing is transitioning much eclipse technique is also an Netflix and TV Everywhere, the Already the Google cloud product of that work to stream-based impressive resume booster for set-top box is quickly becoming is a better fit, at least in the objects. Googles forced march of Carl Majeau, an undergraduate the control point. marketing screen that greets you Google + data into its social student and the lead author of the I f r u m o r s o f A p p l e T V when you go to the site. But experience may be a good long new study. Majeau, who hails undergoing a hardware refresh in theres a wall between OnLives t e r m m o v e f o r t h e s e a r c h from Seattle, approached Agol for March are correct, it may suggest apps and other apps on your iPad company, but it comes at the cost a project between school years at both an upgrade to 1080p for iPad that will need to be bridged, and o f m e s h i n g w i t h A p p l e s Columbia. "This was an idea that 3 and some improvement in the in the process Microsoft will be a c c e l e r a t e d T w i t t e r I thought would be cool to do WiFi routing capabilities of the forced to give up effective control interoperability. As Chatter builds with the data, but I just didn't have AirPlay network. While TV of the overall experience as is out support for Customer groups time to do it," Agol says. "At that Everywhere only supports mobile happening with Hollywood and a c r o s s S a l e s f o r c e b u s i n e s s point I think he had just finished devices today, theres no reason the record business. customers and their partners, his freshman year at Columbia, why Comcast (or other TV The real platform becomes the Twitters direct messages and and he wanted a summer job." Anywhere partners) wouldnt see push notification bus, where @mention authority model are Follow Scientific American on the value in extending their cooperating apps post alerts and being extended in this new form T w i t t e r @ S c i A m OnDemand extended episode e x c h a n g e d a t a w i t h v i r t u a l of collaborative communication. a n d @ S c i a m B l o g s . V i s i t access to Apple TV customers. clipboards of dynamic data. By Microsoft and its partners are ScientificAmerican.com for the Already you can use AirPlay to cloning iOS as much as possible right to confront this new model latest in science, health and push downloads up to the big with Windows 8, Microsoft hopes before its too late. They only technology news. screen; why not cut the mobile to provide an iPad experience have to look to our behavior at the 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. cord altogether? compatible with its forthcoming end of the work day to understand All rights reserved. HBO will continue to exercise its W i n d o w s P h o n e a n d t a b l e t how quickly we will shift the rest This entry passed through the leverage to constrain its original architecture. The Windows and of our time. As one Upstairs Full-Text RSS service if this is productions to the big cable cord Office teams may have finally c h a r a c t e r s u g g e s t s a b o u t a your content and you're reading it model, but competition at the made the decision to jump to Downstairs character she fancies on someone else's site, please read content level is accelerating. HBO parity with Apple, just as they did in Downton Abbey, in times of the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentseries such as Luck with Dustin with Windows NT and Adobe to war those distinctions of class only/faq.php#publishers. Five Hoffman are not available on successfully (that time) force a mean less and less. When time is Filters recommends: Donate to i T u n e s , b u t a u d i e n c e s a r e transition off the Mac in graphics short, pragmatism takes root, and Wikileaks. accustomed to such windowing and video processing. That would once in place, its very hard to tactics with movies and will move explain Adobes move as well, as displace. on to other more accessible series. the ex-Flash provider keeps This is what Microsoft and Adobe Microsoft from squeezing out are afraid of with Office and the Photoshop at Adobes weakest shrinking PC software market. moment. OnLive Flash support is
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Technology/
AT&T's Dual-Sided Pipe is Bad for Developers

Dan Rowinski (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:45:00 PM
AT&T may be instituting a "pay to play" program for mobile app developers in the next year in which publishers would pay for the bandwidth consumers use on their mobile apps. The Wall Street Journal reported today that AT&T's head of network and technology John Donovan compared the service to "toll-free calling for the mobile-broadband world." The report was not specific on the details of the program. We reached out to AT&T but the carrier does not have details of the proposed plan and declined to comment. That leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Will the program be mandatory? Will it be opt-in for publishers looking to push bandwidth-intensive apps? While the program could be a win for consumers, developers may not come out quite as lucky. Sponsor Dual-Sided Pricing GigaOm's Stacy Higginbotham points out that this would be an attempt by AT&T to get a dualsided pricing model for AT&T's bandwidth. That means that AT&T would be able to make money off both consumers paying
for data as well as the content that is flowing over the pipes. AT&T would still charge consumers for their normal data plans but potentially offset their bandwidth use by charging developers. For consumers, this would be a short-term win. What if you could stream all the music or video that you wanted and not worry about your data cap or getting throttled? That would make using Spotify and Netflix on the fly much more data friendly. IntoMobile describes a scenario in which ESPN could offer game feeds of live sporting events and pay for the bandwidth. There are many possibilities for consumers to enjoy great data-intensive apps without worrying about bandwidth limits. On the other hand there are the developers. Nothing in life is really free. If Spotify is forced into using this program by AT&T could it afford to keep its current pricing? At $10 a month for mobile usage, it is already one of the pricier options for music streaming. It could be even worse for Netflix, perhaps the most data intensive apps for users not streaming over Wi-Fi. The question is how AT&T will institute the plan. If it is mandatory for all developers, that
deal with net neutrality where they are theoretically not supposed to discriminate against the content that flows over their pipes. But the net neutrality agreements do not include mobile data. Will AT&T be punishing app developers for creating highbandwidth apps? The fact that the consumer may benefit is a clever wrinkle. AT&T is less likely to face net neutrality regulators if it can argue that the consumer wins is an extra cost that will, in one in the scenario. way or another, get passed onto The carriers are doing everything the consumer. Apps will be more they can to create value from the expensive, have more in-app content flowing over their pipes. p u r c h a s e s a n d m o r e a d s . Whether that includes forcing Subscription rates may be higher. b l o a t w a r e s e r v i c e s d o w n Will users have the ability to opt- consumers throats or their own in and pay more for an app content repositories (AT&T Uupfront (like the current model of Verse, for instance) and app paying extra for an ad-free app)? stores, carriers are trying to Will AT&T force the most squeeze more money from their egregious offenders (music and primary resource: bandwidth. video steaming apps) into the Developers: you can see both p r o g r a m a n d l e a v e o t h e r positive and negative aspects of publishers alone? The Wall Street this proposed plan by AT&T. Journal article does not articulate Would you fight this if the carrier details and AT&T declined i n s t i t u t e d i t o r p a y i n g f o r comment so we do not know the consumers data just another cost answers to any of these questions. of doing business? Let us know A Matter of Net Neutrality your thoughts in the comments. This is deeper than just the Discuss bottom lines for AT&T, developers and consumers. Mobile and cable carriers have to
Your Google+ Is In My RSS Feed! No, Your RSS Feed Is In My Google+

John Biggs (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:52:42 PM
If theres one thing wrong with Google+ its a lack of a real nonbrowser interface. There are workarounds and widgets, but theres never been a real way to pull your G+ feed into a more comfortable format. While many would complain that RSS isnt even close to a comfortable format, its bettern nuffin. That said, a new free service called GPlusRSS allows you to create a public RSS feed of your G+ account. You can potentially share this feed with others ( heres mine) or you can keep it for yourself. The feed consists only of public pronouncements so private messages wont show up. The service is also useful for propagating your G+ info to other services using systems like dlvr.it or something like WPRSSPoster to bring your G+ content to WordPress. It may not be much but its definitely a way to get your goods out of Googles walled G+ garden. Maybe (just maybe?) Ill start using G+ a bit more because of this?
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29
Facebook's Mobile Push Aims To Cut Apple Out As Middle Man

Dave Copeland (ReadWriteWeb)
Goodbye Erick, Hello Eric

Contributor (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:01:08 PM
through Facebook and those users were twice as likely to use the paid version of the music listening Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:30:00 PM app. We've been piling loads of In conjunction with the mobile criticism on Facebook for not billing push, Facebook also said it having a clearly articulated plans to develop and standards mobile strategy as it pushes easier to make purchases. By group for mobile browsers and towards its initial public offering. Facebook's own estimates, it takes introduce a browser test suite. Today, the company took the first what is now an eight-step process Both initiatives underscore the step towards allaying those fears. and turns it into a three-step dramatic push into mobile. Bret Taylor, Facebook's chief process for making purchases. Netflix, Zynga, Electronic Arts, technology officer, wowed the Today's announcement is less Vevo and Adobe are among the Mobile World Congress Tuesday, pleasant for competitors like c o m p a n i e s w o r k i n g w i t h uneviling a series of moves that A p p l e . T h e n e w i n i t i a t i v e F a c e b o o k o n t h e b r o w s e r are aimed at positioning Facebook encourages app designers to build initiative, which the social as a leading mobile player. Perhap a p p s t h a t w o r k d i r e c t l y i n network is calling the W3C most noteworthy is Facebook's F a c e b o o k m o b i l e . A n a p p Mobile Web Platform. push to partner with mobile designed by Zynga running in The goal of W3C is to streamline carriers to allow carrier billing for F a c e b o o k ' s A p p l e a p p , f o r s t a n d a r d s a n d o f f e r u s r s a Facebook transactions. example, currently nets Apple a consistent experience among the Sponsor 30% cut of the revenue, Moving 2,500 different mobile products As the Verge's Brad McCarty those apps to an open Web, as the c u r r e n t l y s u e d t o a c c e s s notes, "Though carrier billing is company is proposing with F a c e b o o k . nothing new, Facebook has today's announcement, gives Among the first mobile carriers essentially brought about an entire Facebook more control. to partner with Facebook are Tapp store ecosystem, and it's an For app developers, the incentive M o b i l e , V e r i z o n , O r a n g e , ecosystem that doesn't care what is obvious. Taylor, according to V o d a f o n e a n d T e l e f o n i c a . OS you're using or who made the New York Times, pointed to "We're unlocking the business your phone." the role Facebook played in the potential of the mobile Web," That's good news for Wall Street success of Pinterest and Spotify. Taylor said. "Fundamentally, analysts and potential investors "Facebook is the single-largest Facebook is a mobile product." who worried how Facebook driver of traffic to Spotify," he Discuss would expand its revenue base said, noting that 7 million people beyond advertising. But it's also had sined up for the service good for users who will find it
TechCrunch has been through a lot lately, and we need to focus on what truly matters: covering startups and innovation. So, this post is going to be short. But here is whats going on: Erick Schonfeld is leaving and Eric Eldon is replacing him as editor. What can you expect from TechCrunch now? Were going to put our heads down and focus on the basics. Were going to continue building our team in Silicon Valley, hitting the mean streets of Silicon Valley to report on the entrepreneurs, investors, world-class tech companies, and everyone else that makes this ecosystem what it is. You know, the stories that made TechCrunch your homepage back in 2005 when it was a personal blog written by Michael Arrington. But its 2012 and the whole world is embracing tech entrepreneurship, so well also grow our staff in other key cities in the US and around the world, too. And no more details for now, because we have a lot of work ahead of us and we hate
overpromising. Wed rather we all just show you how serious we are in practice. Well, except you can expect us to experiment with all sorts of things CrunchBase, videos, events, ways of covering stories, site designs, etc. in the grand TechCrunch tradition. And, here are a few more thoughts on the transition, from Eric: When Erick and I talked about me joining TechCrunch last November, the circumstance today was obviously not on either of our minds. But things can change very quickly in the world of blogging, and Erick decided now is the best time for him to leave. Erick is an extremely experienced journalist and editor, he has worked hard to make the best of a very tough situation in recent months, and hes done a great job of assembling a new team of young veterans Sarah Perez, Josh Constine, Anthony Ha, Ingrid Lunden, Colleen Taylor, Eric Eldon (yes, apologies for speaking in the third person), and another person well be announcing later this week. Along with all of the other alumni, Erick deserves a lot of credit for what TechCrunch is today.
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Technology/
Total Immersion takes augmented reality games to new heights

Mark Raby (SlashGear)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:34:10 PM
Total Immersion, a company dedicated to the niche but growing world of augmented reality technology, has created a new proof-of-concept racing game demo that puts you in the drivers seat. Among the advanced technology is the ability to use a webcam to implant a players face in the game, complete with a racing helmet behind the wheel. And speaking of the wheel, gamers dont need a special controller; they can just hold up anything shaped like a steering wheel. The new demo is, appropriately, on display at the DEMO conference, a place where developers get to show off their emerging projects. On paper, the kind of stuff Total Immersion is showing off has been done before. But because the technology hasnt fully evolved yet, stuff like implanting a players face in a game has largely been used for comedic or exaggerated effect. Total Immersion has sophisticated facial recognition mechanisms that strive to make it a much more
realistic experience than an amusing one. Augmented reality has swelled in popularity recently, not only because of increases in technology like Total Immersion is offering, but because of the ubiquitous nature of digital cameras built into electronics these days. The 3DS, the PlayStation Vita, every smartphone, the Xbox 360 Kinect, and the PlayStation Move they can all easily use real-life content. After being founded in 1999, Total Immersion is now turning a profit and raised $12 million in 2010. Story Timeline Droid Bionic Augmented Reality scavenger hunt ARena App released on Sep 1st 2011
Vuzix STAR 1200 augmented reality headset hands-on [Video] on Sep 1st 2011 Qualcomm DVD augmented reality hands-on [Video] on Sep 15th 2011 Ford 2012 Escape promoted with augmented reality experience on Nov 15th 2011 ST1080 head mounted augmented reality display gets priced on Dec 7th 2011 [ via VentureBeat] Total Immersion takes augmented reality games to new heights is written by Mark Raby& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
LG launches quad-core Optimus 4X HD smartphone, other Androids

Katie Scott
to five times that of the Tegra 2 chip, as used in devices such as the LG Optimus 2X, Samsung LG has unveiled the LG Optimus Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Sony 4X HD, which is one of five new Tablet S. phones to feature Nvidia's latest LG is promising "seamless multiquad-core processor. tasking and lightning-fast web Alike the HTC One X, ZTE Era, browsing" thanks to the chip, but Fujitsu's currently unnamed a l s o p o i n t s t o t h e p h o n e ' s smartphone and the K-Touch "enhanced" 2,150mAh battery so Treasure V8, the Optimus 4X HD you will be able to take advantage is built around the latest version of the processing power for of the Tegra 3 chip, which longer. supports speeds up to 1.5 GHz -- By: Katie Scott, Edited by: Nate as used in this model. Nvidia Lanxon Continue reading... claims that the performance is up
Submitted at 2/27/2012 12:00:00 PM
Technology/ Obituaries
31
Star Wars product rejects: Far, far away from reality

Amanda Kooser (CNET News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:52:17 PM
this product not get made? Use the Force to flavor your breakfast. (Click to enlarge.) What do a Darth Vader lava lamp "Let these legends of the kitchen and a Yoda backpack have in table be a constant reminder of the c o m m o n ? T h e y ' r e r e j e c t e d battle over good and evil in the product concepts from a "Star galaxy," the concept reads. Each Wars: Episode One, The Phantom morning there could be an epic Menace" promotion. battle for the very soul of my There's still time to make these, scrambled eggs. right? The shakers aren't the only I knew there was something products I'm pining for. Jason missing from my life. I just didn't "ToyOtter" Geyer and his former know what it was until I came co-workers at a promotional across ToyOtter's latest list of merchandise agency were in rejected Star Wars merchandise c h a r g e o f c o m i n g u p w i t h ideas on Action Figure Insider. products to tie in with the launch I'm missing a Luke Skywalker/ of "Star Wars: Episode One, The Darth Vader salt and pepper P h a n t o m M e n a c e " a n d a shaker set, without which my life corresponding big Pepsi promo will never be complete. How did push.
The list of products that never made it into production includes an R2-D2-shaped travel thermos, an R2-D2 portable wet bar, and a marshlands of Naboo fountain display designed to dribble water
and smell like the planet's native flora and fauna. The ideas range from the bizarre (a Darth Vader face door knocker) to the brilliant (a Death Star basketball). Really, who wouldn't
want a talking Darth Vader chip clip? I could see some of these designs being big hits if anyone ever picks them up and puts them into production. The popsicle mold that makes Han Solo in carbonite would create a cool galactic treat on a hot summer day. Mmm, carbonite. 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.
Tech torn apart: Jet-powered electricity

Jeremy Kingsley
Submitted at 2/27/2012 12:13:00 PM
The General Electric (GE) FlexAero LM6000-PH is a lightweight, natural-gas turbine. It can run without water, so one FlexAero can save up to 98
million litres a year compared to a water-cooled equivalent. Essentially a jet engine -- its technology is derived from GE's turbofan designs -- the FlexAero can power up or down in less than ten minutes. Its flexiblility reliable power supplies such as enables it to operate from less w i n d a n d s o l a r . S t a r t t h e
engines Highly pressurised gases are used to spin a turbine. After air is compressed and combined with fuel, the mixture is ignited to force an expanding mass of air through turbine blades at high speed. The blades spin around the
drive shaft, driving a generator to create electricity. By: Jeremy Kingsley, Edited by: Dan Smith Continue reading...
Woman who colorized 'Grace' photo dies at 95 (AP)

Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:17:39 PM
AP - The artist who hand-colored "Grace," a photo showing a whitebearded man bowed in prayer
before a simple meal, has died at age 95.
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Technology/ Culture/
AT&T aims to have developers pay for app bandwidth usage

Mike Schramm (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:30:00 PM
WHY
At an interview during the Mobile World Congress going on in Spain this week, AT&T executive John Donovan told the Wall Street Journal that the company is apparently hoping to have app developers pick up some of the cost of network usage. The whole idea sounds kind of dumb, but obviously AT&T wants to make more and more money off of the climbing amounts of network usage, and one idea they've had is to have app developers subsidize the cost of that data. In other words, a developer like Rovio would pay AT&T directly, and then Angry Birds would come with some kind of a "No Network Usage" label, meaning that users wouldn't need to pay AT&T for any data that app happened to use across the network. TechCrunch's Jordan Crook doesn't waste any time taking the charge to AT&T for this, saying
that the whole thing is a "boondoggle" designed to sneak more money out of both developers and users (who are already hit by the rising costs of usage plans). The fact is that most uses don't go anywhere near AT&T's data cap, but it's in the company's best interest to make them think they're almost there, sending out warnings and cautions about how much bandwidth is being used. AT&T's Donovan
claims that a plan like this would allow AT&T to avoid raising user costs, but let's be honest: They'll still go up as AT&T charges users more and more on network usage, and they'll also add on costs to developers (who also will likely pay for way more bandwidth than their users actually use). All of that said, it's doubtful we have much input on this anyway: If AT&T does offer such a usage plan, there are probably plenty of
developers willing to pay if it gains them even just a few more app users. AT&T aims to have developers pay for app bandwidth usage originally appeared on TUAW The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Source| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Hollywood may finally recognize that visual effects are an art on par with older specialties like cinematography or sound editing. "What's interesting to me about 'Hugo' winning for visual effects," Cohen said, "is that it seems to me that what was being recognized was the beauty of the work, and not the scale and innovation of the work. And visual effects [Oscars] have tended to go more for scale and innovation rather than beauty. It's probably a sign that the category is becoming more of a normal category." 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 Krispy Kreme Works

(HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)
Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut have something very
special about them. Watch a day fact videos in the life of a Krispy Kreme in recently added: sweets and this video from HowStuffWorks. snacks fact videos most watched: sweets and snacks 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/content-
only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
Technology/
33
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook shipping now, starting at $999

Rue Liu (SlashGear)
The Dell XPS 13 manages to cram a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 display along with a full-sized Dells first ultrabook, the XPS backlit keyboard into a 12-inch 13, is now available and the order form factor. The base model p a g e h a s g o n e l i v e o n t h e features a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5companys product page. The 2467M processor, Intel HD 3000 ultra slim laptop is priced starting graphics, 4GB of RAM, and at $999, but Dell has thrown in a 128GB of SSD storage. Its also surprise f r e e b i e a available in two other complimentary T-Mobile 4G configurations, one at $1,299 for Hotspot device that includes 90- an upgraded 256GB SSD storage, days of free service without a and another at $1,499 for the contract. Other discounts are also upgraded storage plus a higher available, so you might be able to p e r f o r m a n c e I n t e l C o r e i 7 nab the Dell XPS 13 along with p r o c e s s o r . the T-Mobile 4G Hotspot for Other details about the Dell XPS around $930. 13 include an embedded 1.3Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:05:05 PM
megapixel webcam, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack, and a 6-cell battery. It also measure just 0.71 inches thick and weighs 2.9lbs.
For a more extensive look at the Dell XPS 13, make sure to check out our early hands-on for now until we do our full review of the unit.
The ultrabook is available for order now with free standard shipping. According to Laptop Reviews, you can get $70 off the base price using a Dell EPP discount with this link. Additionally, you can add a $50 discount coupon code: B94N1GC3$6FMM? [ via LaptopReviews] Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook shipping now, starting at $999 is written by Rue Liu& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Daily Update for February 27, 2012

Steven Sande (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:45:00 PM
Fashionably Dead Editorials - The Settimio Benedusi for Uovo Magazine is Hauntingly Beautiful (TrendHunter.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:22:03 PM
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the nonin the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple Flash link below. To subscribe to
the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Daily Update for February 27, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Source| Permalink| Email this| Comments
( TrendHunter.com) Settimio Benedusi for Uovo Magazine
captures a deep and controversial subject in a rather stylish way. His editorial deals with suicidal acts from hanging and falling to pill popping and bathtub drownings....
34
Technology/
Apple iPad 3 price increase tipped

Mark Raby (SlashGear)
the cheapest iPad 3 would be $80 more expensive than the cheapest iPad 2 did on launch day (and If youre already planning on c o n t i n u e s t o b e ) . I t w o u l d standing in line to get your hands obviously be a different step for on an iPad 3, make sure you bring Apple than when the iPad 2 was a full wallet. The latest report released. At that time, pricing was suggests Apples next generation on par with the original iPad, but tablet will retail for as much as t h o s e o r i g i n a l u n i t s s a w a $899 when it launches in the US. d e c r e a s e i n p r i c e . The entry-level model will be Best Buy recently decided to cut priced at a cool $579, according the price of its iPad 2 units by to a post on a Chinese social $50, presumably to move stock in networking site. The post includes a d v a n c e o f t h e i P a d 3 a screenshot of a spreadsheet, in announcement. But perhaps it Chinese, with side-by-side prices didnt need to, as consumers of the iPad 2 and iPad 3. could end up needing more If the picture is to be believed, money than before to be an early
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:56:49 PM
on Feb 21st 2012 iPad 3 fascia reportedly leaks on Feb 22nd 2012 iPad 3 launch dates teased on Feb 23rd 2012 iPad 3 rumored "Retina Display" gets video fondle on Feb 24th 2012 [ via MacRumors] Apple iPad 3 price increase tipped is written by Mark Raby& officially unveiled on March 7. originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All Story Timeline The iPad 3 we know today on right reserved. Feb 20th 2012 iPad 3 casing reportedly leaks
adopter. The iPad 3 is widely known to have a new kind of display technology that will be unlike anything any other tablet has to offer. Its expected to be
Apple staffer reportedly stole $16K worth of iPhones

Mike Schramm (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Recently, an employee allegedly stole up to 25 phones at an Apple Store in Charlotte, North Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:00:00 PM Carolina. The phones were taken When I worked in retail, I out of a back room over about a quickly learned all about "loss month and a half in December and prevention," which is the program January, with the employee that most retailers undertake to try apparently just taking them out of and (you guessed it) prevent loss the store. The total value of the or theft of product at whatever property stolen was $16,000. The store they're running. Customer article in the local paper doesn't theft is obviously an issue say if the police have found the anywhere you have merchandise thief yet, though presumably sitting out in public, but an even Apple would have all of their bigger issue, surprisingly, is information. (The employee in employee theft. question "had access to the A n d A p p l e i s n ' t i m m u n e : Genius room," but may or may
not have been a Genius Bar team member.) At the retail stores I worked at (GameStop and then Borders for a while), employees would have to
go through "bag checks" every day, to make sure they weren't walking out of the store with product. I don't know about Apple's policies specifically
(though I'll bet employees could fill us in on the comments below), but whatever measures were in place, it appears this employee was able to get around them. [via MacRumors] Apple staffer reportedly stole $16K worth of iPhones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Source| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Technology/ Economy/
35
Christian World Adoption

Apparently, The 'Vibrations' Category Had A Good 2011...

Joe Weisenthal (Money Game)
Christian World Adoption is one of the largest international adoption agencies in the United States. Since 1991, Christian World Adoption has placed thousands of children from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. These children now enjoy the love and security of
Confectionery Needle Cozies - These Felted Cupcake Pincushions are for Sweet-Loving Tailors (TrendHunter.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:02:03 PM
We were just checking out this nvestor presentation from homeware product conglomerate Church & Dwight, and we learned something we didn't know. Duncan Geere announce that it's bringing the B- The 'Vibrations' category grew 16% in 2011... Max to Europe. Submitted at 2/27/2012 12:10:00 PM The car was originally unveiled Please follow Money Game on Mobile World Congress in at the 2011 Geneva motor show as Twitter and Facebook. Barcelona normally tends to yield a concept, but it's now getting a Join the conversation about this a bumper crop of smartphones, full release, packed with a story tablets, and the egregiously- surprising amount of technology. See Also: named "phablets", but Ford has By: Duncan Geere, Continue Italian Bond Yields Surge On Surprising Expectation That This chosen the technology show to reading... Will Be The Sex Scandal That Brings Down Berlusconi ABERCROMBIE: How A Hunting And Fishing Store Became A Sex-Infused Teenybop Legend Angelina Jolie's Leg And Jennifer Lopez's Nipple Steal The Oscar Show ( TrendHunter.com) These Felted ideal way to keep all your needles Cupcake Pincushions are for the in a row as you focus on your seamstress with a sweet tooth. designs. Sweetly styled and... These decadent pin cozies are the a forever family. Christian World Adoption currently offers adoption programs in Bulgaria, China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine. Explore our website to learn more about international adoption. Then, when youre ready, call our friendly adoption counselor, toll free, at 1.888.97ADOPT.
Ford unveils the connected, accessible B-Max at Mobile World Congress
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:36:00 PM
36
Policy/
Iran's Fakest Election Yet - By Jamsheed Choksy

JAMSHEED CHOKSY (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:07:40 PM
Why the coming election in Iran will be the fakest one yet. BY JAMSHEED CHOKSY| FEBRUARY 27, 2012 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei didn't mince his words during end-of-Ramadan prayers last August. "Elections have always been a challenging issue for our country," he told worshippers gathered at Tehran University. "We should be careful this challenge does not hurt the country's security. The various authorities should be vigilant." Khamenei spoke for a reason. On March 2, Iranians are once again going to the polls to elect their parliament, the majles. That's a delicate matter at a moment when many of the country's citizens are increasingly questioning the legitimacy of the religious despots who run it. The supreme leader is fully aware of this, and his words capture the importance that fundamentalist Shiite clergymen ascribe to ensuring voting goes the way they want it to. Given the growing pressures that Iranian rulers now face, they will be going to extraordinary lengths to prevent any untoward displays of dissatisfaction. The upcoming vote, indeed, is shaping up to be
even less free and fair than ones in the past. These parliamentary elections come at a turbulent time. Domestic mismanagement and
international sanctions have reduced the economy to a shambles. Many Iranians blame the ideologically inflexible Shiite theocrats for their nation's internal
woes and global isolation. Iranian youth, who make up over 50 percent of the population, are rejecting clerically-dictated behavioral codes. Even President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, having sensed the shifting winds of popular sentiment, has begun IRAN'S page 37
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IRAN'S
opposing the mandates and mores of his clerical overlords. The political discontent that crystallized around the reformist Green Path of Hope (or Green Movement) during June 2009's rigged presidential election, only to be violently suppressed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij paramilitaries, continues to simmer. Yet, despite the mounting frustration of Iran's citizens, events during the run-up to the parliamentary elections suggest that regime change through domestically-inspired, popularly determined politics is less likely than ever before. Faced with the most serious political, social, and economic challenges to their rule in three decades, the ayatollahs are manipulating the representational process not just to thwart reform but to ensure that all avenues for change are shut down. To be sure, elections in Iran have never exactly been a free-for-all. The 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah produced a system that awkwardly tried to reconcile mechanisms for popular representation with what is essentially a clerical dictatorship. Throughout the history of the Islamic Republic, elections have sometimes given the populace chances to vent their dissatisfaction with their rulers, prompting the clergy to push back. The post-revolutionary constitution gives the Guardian Council (whose twelve members
are appointed by the Supreme Leader and the majles itself) "responsibility for supervising the elections." In practice, that means that the Council vets candidates to ensure that none of the parliamentarians who are elected will have the temerity to propose laws unfavorable to the clerical regime. The Council has been chaired since 1988 by the octogenarian Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who publicly denounces those seeking change as "heretics who should not be permitted to participate in politics," even calling for "execution of opponents ... as enemies of God." Disqualification of candidates by the Guardian Council has become increasingly frequent in elections. Four years ago, only 4946 of the 7168 registered candidates were allowed to contest the parliamentary election. Those struck from the ballots included one-third of the outgoing majles' membership -- an astonishing figure. The Guardian Council provides a constitutionally sanctioned means for the ayatollahs to consolidate their political power by determining the eligibility of elected officials. The correspondingly pro-clergy legislature can then thwart democratic aspirations. This time around, the Guardian Council has once again begun systematically throwing out the candidacies of reformist and opposition figures. So far 35 percent of those seeking parliamentary seats have been rejected -- the highest number
ever. Those disbarred include retired ambassadors and provincial governors, even honorably discharged police and military commanders. Names of at least several dozen current parliamentarians will also be barred from making it onto the ballot. Grounds for disqualification include allegations that candidates do not believe in Islam or do not accept the theory of clerical rule. Khamenei, Jannati, and other fundamentalist clergymen openly worry that the elections will be hijacked by a "triangle of seditionists, deviationists, and counter-revolutionaries." The ayatollahs also speak of "neutralizing" this opposition. The alleged villains include members of the Green Movement, which seeks to reform the political system through the ballot box; Ahmadinejad's supporters, who wish to transform it from within; and young people, who want to see the whole thing abolished. Even long service to the Islamic Republic no longer safeguards those clergymen and politicians who seek to alter the absolutist system of clerical rule. Indeed, this time around the regime's hardliners are systematically using a variety of methods to silence opponents. Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani participated in the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and served two terms as Iran's president. Nonetheless, in March 2011, fundamentalists forced Rafsanjani to cede his position as
chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the 86-member Muslim scholarly body that appoints the supreme leader, when he unsuccessfully canvassed its members to remove Khamenei after the uprising of 2009. (He retains his position as chairman of the Expediency Council.) His daughter Faezeh, a feminist activist and fierce critic of the incumbent regime, was sentenced to six months in jail for "spreading propaganda against the ruling system" during those protests. In January, President Ahmadinejad's media advisor, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and banned from all civic activities for five years for publicly suggesting that Islam should not be the sole determinant of what are and are not appropriate political and social activities. Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since early 2011, and so will be unavailable to participate in upcoming elections. Fundamentalist ayatollahs have been calling for the arrest and execution of another popular office-holder, presidential chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, on charges of heresy. When an aspiring political opponent, former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander Admiral Hossein Alaei, suggested that the supreme leader was exploiting Iran's government and trampling Iranians' rights, his home was besieged by Khamenei's
followers, and fellow officers were lined up to cast suspicion on his national loyalty. Opposition websites, including those of the Green Movement, are routinely censored and blocked. But so, too, are those belonging to government agencies and officials regarded as favoring even the most limited electoral, administrative, or civic reforms -including a site run by Rafsanjani. With the Greens out of serious contention and factions loyal to Iran's president emerging as the main opposition to the ayatollahs, even pro-Ahmadinejad and proMashaei sites are being censored on the basis that they propagate messages of change. Journalists and bloggers are detained, their equipment confiscated, and their families and associates intimidated verbally and physically with increasing frequency. Human Rights Watch notes that Iran imprisoned more journalists and bloggers in 2011 than any other nation. Through these actions, the clergy have ensured that the opposition remains incapable of mounting much of a challenge. Additionally, in the wake of mounting tensions between the theocratic and executive branches over whether unelected clergymen should have so much sway over national and international affairs (including the supervision of elections), Khamenei publicly suggested in late 2011: "There may no longer be the need for the IRAN'S page 40
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Policy/
Nasty Electoral Rhetoric Goes Global - By Susan B. Glasser

SUSAN B. GLASSER (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 11:56:54 AM
Putin's reelection strategy: Blame the world for everything. BY SUSAN B. GLASSER| FEBRUARY 27, 2012 There was Vladimir Putin the other day doing what he does best. The Kremlin strongman who has promised to put rebels in the outhouse, threatened an annoying reporter with circumcision and shot darts at rare Siberian tigers, has responded to the pre-election unrest about his planned return to the Russian presidency with his tried-and-true playbook: a noxious brew of ethnic nationalism and macho chauvinism, mixed in with nuclear posturing, Americabashing and old-fashioned scaremongering. "We should not tempt anyone by allowing ourselves to be weak," he lectured in an op-ed last week. In fact, he wants a country with a plummeting population, aging infrastructure, corruption-plagued education system and no major enemies to speak of aside from Georgia (a tiny neighbor onethirtieth its size) to spend billions of dollars modernizing its military, and especially its nuclear missiles, over the next few years. To Putin, under fire in advance of
Russia's Mar. 4 presidential election as never before in the dozen years he's ruled, enemies are suddenly everywhere, from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Napoleon Bonaparte to assorted lesser villains at home and abroad. On Monday, that enemies list grew
even more ominous when Russian and Ukrainian state TV reported an alleged plot to kill Putin by Chechen militants, a plot that had supposedly been broken up in January but only made public now, on the eve of the election. "We will never allow anyone to interfere in our internal
affairs," he shouted at a campaign rally a couple days ago. In a stadium packed for Defender of the Fatherland Day, Putin put on a full-throated pep rally, as if the country were in the midst of war: Victory, he said, was "in our genes, in our genetic code." But Putin's rhetoric --
unquestionably over the top (I remember back in 2004, when Putin threatened a reporter using a word so vulgar the interpreters refused to translate it) -- is less of an outlier than you might think in this global campaign season. In NASTY page 39
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NASTY
Greece, the rioting crowds, furious over austerity, call the Germans who insist on massive budget cuts for their overstretched government latter-day Hitlers. In Venezuela, embattled, cancerstricken autocrat Hugo Chavez has responded to a strong challenge from a united opposition by unleashing a campaign against his opponent that includes tarring him as a gay, Zionist, neo-Nazi sympathizer out to ruin the country. And then there's the U.S. presidential election, where Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has been bashing European socialism, Chinese central bankers -- and Putin -with as much zeal as he has jumped on Barack Obama. His fellow Republican Newt Gingrich, perhaps feeling his chances finally slipping away, just in the last few days called Obama "outrageously anti-American" in his energy policies and pronounced him "the most dangerous president in modern American history." Republicans are sure they can attack Obama as a declinist, a wimpy European sort who'd rather go around the world apologizing for American power than using it (never mind Obama's surprisingly muscular record of supporting war in Libya, surging more troops into Afghanistan and dramatically increasing covert strikes against terrorists). So of course they were quick to seize on the president's apology last week to Afghan
President Hamid Karzai for the apparently mistaken burning of the Koran at a U.S. military base outside Kabul, an incident that set off days of riots throughout Afghanistan. Romney called Obama's apology "difficult for the American people to countenance." His rival Rick Santorum said flatly it was wrong. In a new article out today in Foreign Policy, two key architects of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns make the case for exactly this sort of Obamabashing. The president, according to Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, should be attacked by Republicans this year as "nave," "weak," and generally out of his league on the international stage. (Remember when Obama in 2008 argued that "Iran was a tiny' country that didn't pose a serious threat,'" they write. "How foolish that now seems.") Although the conventional wisdom holds that foreign policy is a strength for a president who finally managed to kill America's Enemy Number One -- Osama bin Laden -- Rove and Gillespie are sure it's a weakness, and one that should be exploited by this year's nominee, whoever he is. "The nominee should adopt a confident, nationalist tone emphasizing American exceptionalism, expressing pride in the United States as a force for good in the world, and advocating for an America that is once again respected (and, in some quarters,
feared) as the preeminent global power." Does all this chest-thumping rhetoric matter? Putting aside the political calculation behind it, it sure seems like a distraction. After an incredible 20 debates among the Republican candidates, the year's conversation about the world can pretty much be summed up like this: America is great, Obama is not, and by the way let's be worried about China and get rid of our foreign aid budget (except the part that helps Israel). Where was the serious discussion of Europe in the midst of its most serious financial -- and political -crisis in decades, a crisis that is arguably the most significant threat to the United States today? It's only the economic health of America's largest trading partner and closest ally that's at stake. (At least in Europe, they get the implications; wags there often refer to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as Obama's running mate.) What about any debate on Obama's escalating drone wars, or his stated goal of a "strategic pivot" to Asia and away from the conflicts of the Middle East? Or a serious discussion of what to do about nuclear-armed North Korea, in a perilous state of transition now under the stewardship of its late tyrant's 27year-old son? And this holds for Obama, too. Long gone is the 2008 candidate of hope, the one who promised to
tackle global warming and peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and even make progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons. These days, Obama positions himself as more of a tough-minded realist, and to listen to his State of the Union speech one could be forgiven for thinking that the signal accomplishment of his first three years in office was killing one man. (Gerhard Peters of the University of California at Santa Barbara calculates that Obama mentioned bin Laden just 14 times from his inauguration to last Apr. 30 -- and 103 times since May 1, when he announced bin Laden's death.) As for Russia and Putin's aggressive campaign, neither party really has much to say about it. Obama early on proclaimed a "reset" with Russia after the frosty relations of the Bush era, and made so much of its success he's not exactly going to campaign now against it -- even with the Russians waging a crude propaganda campaign targeting Obama's new ambassador, Michael McFaul, an architect of the reset now being blasted in the Russian media as an agent sent to foment revolution. Still, the sniping has escalated in recent days, not just because of Putin's tough talk about the supposed hidden hand of Clinton and the Americans in undermining his regime. A real flash point may emerge over
Syria, where Russia pretty much alone in the world has publicly defended the interests of Bashar al -Assad's embattled regime, dismissing the deaths of more than 6,000 people as an internal affair and steadfastly using its U.N. Security Council veto along with China to block any coordinated international action. "It is just despicable," said Clinton. So, is there a new deep freeze on the way between Putin's Russia and whoever runs America after the 2012 election? Better listen to all that overheated campaign rhetoric, whether it's Mitt Romney blasting Obama for negotiating the New START nuclear-arms reduction deal with the Kremlin or Putin's tough-guy talk about upgrading the Russian military so it's no longer a shadow of its Soviet self. They might actually mean it. 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/
IRAN'S
country to have a president; rather, an official appointed by parliament can be in charge." Quickly, hard-line members of the majles, including Speaker Ali Larijani, seized this opportunity to abolish the post of the elected (but potentially independent-minded) chief executive. Larijani, who hails from a family of ayatollahs, and whose own position will be enhanced by terminating the presidency and elevating his role to that of a prime minister, has been especially vocal on the need for such change. For all these reasons, the Green opposition is reaching the conclusion that the surge of popular discontent expressed in 2009 will not be able to find expression through ballot boxes. So the foes of the regime have begun considering a boycott of the elections. But even the ayatollahs need the semblance of public participation in the political process, and they are correspondingly worried about rising apathy among voters who see the whole process as a sham.
So, retired IRGC Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, who now serves as a senior adviser to Khamenei, is pleading with his fellow citizens "to take the elections seriously." Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi warns that not voting is tantamount to sinning. Another influential cleric, Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moghaddam, who doubles as a current parliamentarian, even openly suggests"giving people more cash handouts to encourage them to vote." Seeking to generate voters' sympathy for the regime, the ayatollahs are doing their best to goad the U.S. and Israel into confrontation. A war with Israel or the U.S. would be a boon for the ayatollahs. Not only would it boost their sagging legitimacy by compelling Iranians to rally around the flag; it would also give the clerics a perfect pretext to cancel the elections (under Article 68 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution), round up the reformists, and silence all dissent under the guise of national
survival. Consequently, if one of Iran's adversaries decides to take on the ayatollahs militarily, mere tactical strikes will not sway Iran's despots. Only complete elimination of the ayatollahs' means of enforcing tyranny upon the Iranian people will establish conditions for significant and enduring change at home, which would then pave the way for conforming to international norms. Supreme Leader Khamenei presents himself and his supporters as defending not only Iran but Islam against internal and external adversaries -- even invoking comparisons with the trials of Prophet Mohammed and the earliest Muslims. These ayatollahs regard the Islamic Republic as "established according to the decree of the 12 th Shiite Imam [the Mahdi or Savior] and, therefore, any criticism of the regime is unacceptable." Those words, broadcast by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, reflect the unfortunate reality.
The bottom line is that representative governance is unlikely to emerge in Iran either during the forthcoming elections or in the future so long as the theocracy endures through force and freedom-seekers lack the might to overthrow it. Supreme Leader Khamenei regards all attempts at sociopolitical change as meddling in affairs of state -something that he will not brook. Given the circumstances, it's not surprising to hear some Iranians make comments like this one: "If the supreme leader could kill all of us, he would so to ensure he has no opponents." 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.
MANteresting: Pinterest with a penis?

(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:05:00 PM
Fact: Pinning causes a significant drop in testosterone. Well, not really, but that's what newly launched social bookmarking site MANteresting would have you believe. The Pinterest alternative for men replaces pinning with nailing (dont you feel more manly already?) and doesnt require sissy invites to get started. Go ahead, fellers, nail the crap out of bacon recipes, powertools, and Chuck Norris words of wisdom. Start nailing at MANteresting. Manly stuff for dudes. Permalink| Leave a comment
10 Movie Stars and Their Early Roles

Do you have trouble with tribbles? Have you visited the city on the edge of forever? Did you have an encounter at Farpoint? Several ships have carried the
name of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and many people have served as captain. But out of all the captains in Starfleet, two hold a special place in our hearts: Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Captain Jeanway around the prime directive? Luc Picard. Think you know your
Set your phaser to stun and identify who said these quotes! 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.
Economy/
41
S&P DOWNGRADES GREECE TO 'SELECTIVE DEFAULT'

Joe Weisenthal and Simone Foxman (Money Game)
creditworthiness." Here's the full release: --Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:34:00 PM LONDON (Standard & Poor's) Greece is now in selective default Feb. 27, 2012--Standard & Poor's according to S&P, which just Ratings Services said today that it amended its rating from CC has lowered its 'CC' long-term and (junk) to SD (selective default). 'C' short-term sovereign credit T h i s c o m e s a f t e r G r e e c e ratings on the Hellenic Republic instituted retroactive collective ( G r e e c e ) t o ' S D ' ( s e l e c t i v e a c t i o n c l a u s e s t o f o r c e default). bondholders to participate in an Our recovery rating of '4' on upcoming debt restructuring and Greece's foreign-currency issue submitted a formal offer for its ratings is unchanged. Our country creditors to participate in a bond transfer and convertibility (T&C) swap last week. assessment for Greece, as for all T h e " s e l e c t i v e d e f a u l t " other eurozone members, remains designation differentiates what's 'AAA'. h a p p e n i n g r i g h t n o w f r o m We lowered our sovereign credit disorderly default (or "D" rating), r a t i n g s o n G r e e c e t o ' S D ' s i n c e t h e c u r r e n t d e b t following the Greek government's restructuring is being managed retroactive insertion of collective and guaranteed by other EU action clauses (CACs) in the countries. documentation of certain series of The move is primarily a technical its sovereign debt on Feb. 23, one; private Greek bondholders 2012. The effect of a CAC is to are being asked to voluntarily b i n d a l l b o n d h o l d e r s o f a trade in their holdings of Greek particular series to amended bond bonds for ones with longer payment terms in the event that a maturities, but are now being predefined quorum of creditors f o r c e d t o d o s o t h r o u g h a has agreed to do so. In our collective action clause (CAC) opinion, Greece's retroactive that could make this restructuring insertion of CACs materially obligatory. changes the original terms of the Once the debt swap ends on affected debt and constitutes the March 12, S&P says, Greece's launch of what we consider to be rating will likely be raised again a distressed debt restructuring. back to CCCS&P's "forward- U n d e r o u r c r i t e r i a , e i t h e r looking assessment of Greece's condition is grounds for us to
insertion of CACs will diminish bondholders' bargaining power in an upcoming debt exchange. Indeed, Greece launched such an exchange offer on Feb. 24, 2012. If the exchange is consummated (which we understand is scheduled to occur on or about March 12, 2012), we will likely consider the selective default to be cured and raise the sovereign credit rating on Greece to the 'CCC' category, reflecting our forward-looking assessment of Greece's creditworthiness. In this context, any potential upgrade to the 'CCC' category rating would inter alia reflect our view of Greece's uncertain economic growth prospects and still large lower our sovereign credit rating the issuance of new debt with less government debt, even after the on Greece to 'SD' and our ratings -favorable terms than those of the debt restructuring is concluded. on the affected debt issues to 'D'. original issue without what we If a sufficient number of As we have previously stated, we view to be adequate offsetting bondholders do not accept the may view an issuer's unilateral c o m p e n s a t i o n . S u c h l e s s exchange offer, we believe that change of the original terms and favorable terms could include a Greece would face an imminent conditions of an obligation as a de r e d u c e d p r i n c i p a l a m o u n t , outright payment default. This is facto restructuring and thus a extended maturities, a lower because of its lack of access to default by Standard & Poor's coupon, a different payment market funding and the likely p u b l i s h e d d e f i n i t i o n currency, different legal unavailability of additional (see"Retroactive Application Of characteristics that affect debt official financing. The revised Collective Action Clauses Would s e r v i c e , o r e f f e c t i v e financial assistance program Constitute A Selective Default By s u b o r d i n a t i o n . provided by most of the eurozone G r e e c e , " F e b . 1 0 , 2 0 1 2 , We do not generally view CACs governments and the Stand-By and"Rating Implications Of (to the extent that they are Credit Arrangement with the Exchange Offers And Similar included in an original issuance) International Monetary Fund are Restructurings, Update," May 12, as changing a government's predicated on a successful 2009). Under our criteria, the incentive to pay its obligations in d e f i n i t i o n o f r e s t r u c t u r i n g full and on time. However, we S&P page 45 includes exchange offers featuring believe that the retroactive
42
Economy/
It's Official: S&P Cuts Greece To (Selective) Default From CC

Tyler Durden
documentation of certain series of its sovereign debt on Feb. 23, 2012. The effect of a CAC is to Translation: Greece better have b i n d a l l b o n d h o l d e r s o f a that PSI in the bag or else the particular series to amended bond "Selective" goes away and " payment terms in the event that a Greece would face an imminent predefined quorum of creditors outright payment default." Our has agreed to do so. In our question for former Goldmanite opinion, Greece's retroactive and current ECB head Mario insertion of CACs materially Dragi: does the ECB allow changes the original terms of the defaulted bonds to be pledged as affected debt and constitutes the collateral within the Euro System? launch of what we consider to be From S&P a distressed debt restructuring. Greece Ratings Lowered To 'SD U n d e r o u r c r i t e r i a , e i t h e r (Selective Default) condition is grounds for us to Rating Action lower our sovereign credit rating On Feb. 27, 2012, Standard & on Greece to 'SD' and our ratings Poor's Ratings Services lowered on the affected debt issues to 'D'. its 'CC' long-term and 'C' short- As we have previously stated, we term sovereign credit ratings on may view an issuer's unilateral the Hellenic Republic (Greece) to change of the original terms and 'SD' (selective default). conditions of an obligation as a de Our recovery rating of '4' on facto restructuring and thus a Greece's foreign-currency issue default by Standard & Poor's ratings is unchanged. Our country p u b l i s h e d d e f i n i t i o n ( s e e transfer and convertibility (T&C) "Retroactive Application Of assessment for Greece, as for all Collective Action Clauses Would other eurozone members, remains Constitute A Selective Default By 'AAA'. Greece," Feb. 10, 2012, and Rationale "Rating Implications Of Exchange We lowered our sovereign credit O f f e r s And Similar r a t i n g s o n G r e e c e t o ' S D ' Restructurings, Update," May 12, following the Greek government's 2009). Under our criteria, the retroactive insertion of collective d e f i n i t i o n o f r e s t r u c t u r i n g action clauses (CACs) in the includes exchange offers featuring
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:29:23 PM
the issuance of new debt with less -favorable terms than those of the original issue without what we view to be adequate offsetting compensation. Such lessfavorable terms could include a reduced principal amount, extended maturities, a lower coupon, different payment currency, different legal characteristics that affect debt service, or effective subordination. We do not generally view CACs (to the extent that they are included in an original issuance) as changing a government's incentive to pay its obligations in full and on time. However, we believe that the retroactive insertion of CACs will diminish bondholders' bargaining power in an upcoming debt exchange. Indeed, Greece launched such an exchange offer on Feb. 24, 2012. If the exchange is consummated (which we understand is scheduled to occur on or about March 12, 2012), we will likely consider the selective default to be cured and raise the sovereign credit rating on Greece to the 'CCC' category, reflecting our forward-looking assessment of Greece's creditworthiness. In this context, any potential upgrade to
the 'CCC' category rating would inter alia reflect our view of Greece's uncertain economic growth prospects and still large government debt, even after the debt restructuring is concluded. If a sufficient number of bondholders do not accept the exchange offer, we believe that Greece would face an imminent outright payment default. This is because of its lack of access to market funding and the likely unavailability of additional official financing. The revised financial assistance program provided by most of the eurozone governments and the Stand-By Credit Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund are predicated on a successful exchange offer. Our T&C assessment for Greece, as for all other eurozone members, is 'AAA'. A T&C assessment reflects our view of the likelihood of a sovereign restricting nonsovereign access to foreign exchange needed to satisfy the nonsovereign's debtservice obligations. Our T&C assessment for Greece expresses our view of the low likelihood of the European Central Bank restricting nonsovereign access to foreign currency needed for debt
servicing. If Greece were to withdraw from eurozone membership (which is not our base-case assumption) and introduce a new local currency, we would reevaluate our T&C assessment on Greece to reflect our view of the likelihood of the Greek sovereign and its central bank restricting nonsovereign access to foreign exchange needed for debt service. Contrary to the current case, in this scenario, the euro would be a foreign currency, and the Bank of Greece would no longer be part of the European System of Central Banks. As a result, under our criteria, the T&C assessment can be at most three notches above the foreigncurrency sovereign credit rating. Average: Your rating: None Average: 5( 3 votes) 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.
Economy/
43
Broad Risk-Off Day - Apart From Stocks

Tyler Durden
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:51:23 PM
Today was another tale of two worlds as stocks outperformed everything as broadly speaking risk assets leaked notably lower post Europe's close and accelerated post Nowotny. Financials led the exuberance (in stocks not credit) on a day when volume was certainly not terrible and credit market indices tracked stocks (ES) almost tick for tick (which along with desk chatter suggested little activity in credit today as credit dealers reracked along with futures movements). HYG dipped significantly into the close- after a decent drop in the middle of the day that was saved only to be held up by its VWAP. For the second day in a row, VIX closed higher on a higher S&P close and implied correlation is sending those trend fade warnings once again but it was the broadbased disregard for any and every other asset class today (by stocks) - as Treasuries remained near their low yields of the day, Crude, Gold and the commodity complex all sold off, FX carry reverted back to risk-off after Europe closed, and apart from a minor leak higher in the last hour bond curves were notably flatter - that was surprising (and unusual in recent weeks/months). In the medium-term, credit remains considerably less sanguine than stocks here and the late day disappointment from Nowotny
ahead of LTRO2 may have just taken the jam out of the equity market's doughnut for now. The trading day seemed broken into 5 segments. Through the European market ( early morning), risk was leaking lower broadly speaking as all asset classes stayed together. Then around 8am ET, Crude and Gold took off while the rest of risk assets deteriorated (looked like a QE/LTRO trade), then as the US opened, risk assets awoke broadly even as Treasuries remained at their low yields of the day. This print-fest-prone action lasted until Europe closed at which all momentum was lost. Stocks leaked higher as broad risk assets drifted lower (and Treasuries remained bid). Then finally
Nowotny's comments incited some realization that the ECB is really not (at least not yet) a bottomless pit of money for everyone to borrow and lever forever, which saw commodities leg lower, USD leak higher, VIX accelerate higher (inverted on the chart), and even stocks give some back (as AAPL and the financials also gave some back right at the death). HYG tried and failed in the middle of the day to sell-off as once again a decent drop was saved from nowhere (as it crossed Friday's closing VWAP and today's VWAP at the time). Credit indices tracked rather remarkably well to ES for a change, suggesting little actual flow occurring - although we do note
that when HYG dipped, so IG and HY were also underperforming only to catch up at the close. Trying to put today's equity strength in CONTEXT, the following charts may help. Upper left shows the equity ETF (SPY) diverging upwards notably away from its empirical relationship with Vol (VXX), rates (TLT), and credit (HYG). Upper right shows the more broad-based CONTEXT(our proxy for risk assets overall) deteriorating from around the European market close - even as stocks leaked higher and higher. In the lower left, our VIX model (based on equity/credit/vol relationships) was once again very informative as the aggressive open to VIX (over 19%) was well
above where equity and credit would have thought. VIX compressed back to 'fair' but there was a clear demand for macroprotection as it pushed higher into and after the European market close. The last hour of the day saw correlations (lower right chart) start to pick up once again as equities regained some sanity and drofted lower with risk assets. FX was volatile with a slow drift lower (vs USD) broadly into the US open (aside from JPY which gained over 1% from Friday's close). AUD rallied handsomely to drive broad risk assets up on carry but as Europe closed all that exuberance faded once again and we limped lower in JPY and USD and sideways in EUR and DXY broadly - to end with the USD +0.2% or so from Friday's close. Commodities were extremely volatile as tomorrow's LTRO print -fest remains front-and-center. WTI wobbled around $108-109 but eventually lost $108 post Nowotny - even though the BrentWTI spread was stable around $15.5 all day (since Thursday now). Gold is modestly down (along with Silver) as they tracked USD's moves with a higher beta today. Treasuries rallied almost 7bps in the long-bond today before giving a little back into the close and 2s10s30s dropped 4-5bps overall dragging risk off in general. Charts: Bloomberg and Capital BROAD page 45
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Economy/
Capital Flight From Italy, Greece, Portugal Accelerates; Two Trillion Fantasy; Merkel Weaker Every Week; Crude and Geopolitical Risks
noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)
and sentiment negatively. Greece Controlled Default: Greece will have a controlled default and a vacation from Submitted at 2/27/2012 10:49:00 AM Via Email, here is a nice Europe. summary of European events Portugal CDS Spreads: Portugal from Steen Jakobsen at Saxo is the real issue and containment Bank in Denmark. Topics include is almost impossible. CDS the G20 Summit, Extend-andspreads suggest the probability of Pretend Dogma, Capital Flight , default within five years is about and Geopolitical Risks. 65 percent. Steen Writes ... Nice money printing week, Two Trillion Fantasy Steen Jakobsen Mike "Mish" This week-end's G-20 came and Shedlock unemployment is exploding Greece can be saved according to went without any real new h t t p : / / higher adding further burdens to German newspaper Bild. information. Yes, the policy globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot. already stretched government Finland will have an interesting makers wants us to believe com deficits. vote this week. Follow it closely. ultimately IMF will have 2 trillion Click Here To Scroll Thru My The new EU forecast for GDP The G20 did not give more US dollars at its disposal. Recent Post List Mike growth in 2012 of minus .3% credibility to more funds but they No, the US, UK and rest of non"Mish" Shedlock is a registered from this past Friday down from sure talked the talk of extend-andEurope is not really interested investment advisor representative plus .05% is great example of pretend dogma. before we all get more for SitkaPacific Capital how EU and the debt crisis non- Geopolitical Risks clarification on how Europe will Management. Sitka Pacific is an solutions continues to lack behind Crude: We are potentially a few ring fence the debt crisis. asset management firm whose fundamentals. Soon the rising w e e k s f r o m s o m e s o r t o f This is more and more Wall goal is strong performance and disconnect will hit the politicians confrontation unfortunately. IEA Street vs. Main Street: low volatility, regardless of games of buying time. report from Iran is due this week. Underfunded banks buys market direction. Visit http:// Capital Flight Israel's time window is closing if underfunded government bonds www.sitkapacific.com/ Merkel Weaker Every Week you believe the media coming out and underfunded governments account_management.html to Chancellor Merkel is weaker, of Israel. Iran's finances are guarantees underfunded banks. learn more about wealth week after week. She soon will running out of time as well. Iran The real loser being the management and capital have to rely on SPD votes if she failed to pay for Indian rice last unemployed - Edward Heath put preservation strategies of Sitka continues down this path. 62 week. it more elegantly: Unemployment Pacific. percent polled over weekend are High energy prices will soon spill is of vital importance, particularly against giving more money to -over into gasoline and survey to the unemployed. Greece and 2/3 don't believe data and will start to impact data Meanwhile the real economy and
The Cost Breakdown Of Making Cigarettes

Joe Weisenthal (Money Game)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:20:00 PM
From a recent investor presentation from Philip Morris, the cost breakdown of making and selling a cigarette. And this is interesting about tobacco leafs. Meanwhile, Phillip Morris shares have just been a monster. Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story See Also: 17 Facts You Need To Know About Smoking In The 21st Century Tobacco Companies Freaking Out Over Super-Graphic Warning Labels It's Obvious: The Government Is Getting Closer And Closer To Just Totally Banning Cigarettes
Economy/ Talk/
45
The PPT Must Have Thought We Had Moved To Daylight Savings

Tyler Durden
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:10:59 PM
S&P
From Peter Tchir of TF Market Advisors The PPT Must Have Thought We Had Moved To Daylight Savings Time and left at 3pm after trying to ramp it up then. Weird day. The morning drop seemed overdone based on "fears" of a German vote against the ECB/ Bank bailout using Greece as a conduit for the money. The vote was strongly in favor which made markets happy, though someday maybe someone will present an argument other than "give them money or plunge the world into chaos". The lack of news out of the IMF wasn't good, but it keeps the ability to create rumors of new money alive and well, which is probably far more useful on a day to day basis in this market. Pending home sales sparked some excitement too. Though we will see how many close, and
more importantly, how much of a role the great weather played. Greece is moving inexorably towards a CDS Credit Event. ISDA has been asked to opine on if one has already occurred. I understand the argument, but don't think it will be enough to trigger CDS. The PSI process still seems to be run by a bunch of amateurs. Since no one expects anything more from them, it doesn't spook the market. The ECB's holdings of March 20th bonds seems rather larger (same for the May issue). That may become an issue for those looking to holdout. The Spanish Budget Minister Montoro literally laughed when asked about the ability to bring the 8.51% budget down to the EU's 4.4% target. I guess with LTRO2 coming, budget deficits aren't a big deal. And finally, the market seems completely driven by Apple. At any moment in time, if you know where APPL is trading, you can
exchange offer. Our T&C assessment for Greece, as for all other eurozone members, is 'AAA'. A T&C assessment reflects our view of the likelihood of a sovereign restricting nonsovereign access to foreign exchange needed to satisfy the nonsovereign's debtget the S&P and Nasdaq pretty service obligations. Our T&C accurately. It has replaced the assessment for Greece expresses EUR as the thing to watch our view of the low likelihood of the European Central Bank intraday, or so it seems. My favorite bonds (or at least restricting nonsovereign access to series of bonds) were the Italian foreign currency needed for debt ponzi bonds issued by the likes of servicing. Unicredit on the day of the last If Greece were to withdraw from LTRO. Clearly they already eurozone membership (which is know what they plan to do on not our base-case assumption) and Wednesday, as do other banks. I introduce a new local currency, expect more accurate rumors to we would reevaluate our T&C start coming out tomorrow. I lean assessment on Greece to reflect towards a relatively small take-up, our view of the likelihood of the w h i c h w i l l d i s a p p o i n t t h e Greek sovereign and its central backdoor QE crowd at first, but bank restricting nonsovereign will try and bounce on the spin access to foreign exchange needed that all is good and banks don't for debt service. Contrary to the need money. Average: BROAD Your rating: None Average: 5( 1 continued from page 43 vote) Context Average: This entry passed through the Your rating: None Full-Text RSS service if this is This entry passed through the your content and you're reading it Full-Text RSS service if this is on someone else's site, please read your content and you're reading it the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contenton someone else's site, please read only/faq.php#publishers. Five the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentFilters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
current case, in this scenario, the euro would be a foreign currency, and the Bank of Greece would no longer be part of the European System of Central Banks. As a result, under our criteria, the T&C assessment can be at most three notches above the foreigncurrency sovereign credit rating. Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story See Also: A Complete Guide To Greece's Selective Default Next Month Greece's Future Could Be Decided On March 12 Germany Just Keeps Throwing Stones In The Cogs Of European Rescue Plans
only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
TED: Kevin Allocca: Why videos go viral - Kevin Allocca (2011)

TEDTalks (TEDTalks (video))
Submitted at 2/27/2012 12:09:15 PM
Kevin Allocca is YouTube's trends manager, and he has deep thoughts about silly web video. In
this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral. (This is the first talk posted
from an amazing TEDYouth event. Many others will come on line next month as part of our
TED-Ed launch. We can't wait ...)
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Culture/
No Bully For You, Kid: F-Words Earn Bullying Doc an 'R'

Angela Watercutter (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:32:00 PM
Alex Libby, seen in a still from Bully, lobbied the MPAA for a rating that would let kids his age see the documentary without their parents. Screengrab: Wired The director of Bully, a documentary about bullying in schools, says he does not want to water down his films message by editing out the rough language that earned it an R rating. His stance means it will be much harder for the movie to be seen by its target audience: bullied kids. Its a film for them, its about them, Bully director Lee Hirsch said in a phone interview with Wired.com, who said the harsh talk is essential to get across how bad bullying can be for children picked on for being geeks or for being different in other ways. Thats why the irony is so incredible its like they cant see a film thats real based on whats happening all over the place. The language is real. Hirsch is looking for options to get his movie in front of young people after the Motion Picture Association of America slapped it with an R based on some language in the film roughly wont be permitted to see the film seven uses of the word fuck without a parent or guardian. Its which means those under 17 the latest ratings struggle in which the MPAA, a shadowy
organization that has been questioned and criticized for its rating process, said to employ arcane formulas about the number
of times a specific expletive is used. The irony is so incredible, its like they cant see a film thats
real based on whats happening all over the place. The language is BULLY page 49
Culture/
47
Terry Jones to Protest Youcef Nadarkhani's Execution by Burning Qurans

(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)
On Feb. 23, 2012, Stand Up America Now, based in Gainesville, Fla., protested Islamic Awareness Month at the (Photo: American Center for University of Florida, also located Law and Justice) Pastor Youcef in Gainesville. Nadarkhani, who is currently The organization's president and imprisoned in Iran for apostasy, f o u n d e r , D r . T e r r y J o n e s , preached to a congregation of 400 describes the planned burning of b e f o r e h e w a s a r r e s t e d b y the Quran as a form of protest authorities in Oct. 2009. which would "obviously get (Photo: AP Images / Phil Islam's attention," saying that Sandlin) In this file photo, Pastor Christians "cannot just stand by Terry Jones of the Dove World and do nothing." Outreach Center speaks to the "We have very little that we can media on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. do as a Christian community to protest the inhumane activities of February 25, 2012| 9:56 am Islam," Jones told The Christian The American Center for Law Post. a n d J u s t i c e a n n o u n c e d o n Like us on Facebook Tuesday, Feb 21 that the Iranian "It's a type of protest to let the courts may have issued an government know we are totally execution order for Nadarkhani. disgusted with their type of Nadarkhani, who has been a Shariah, with their activities. In pastor at a number of house fact, with the activities of Islam churches in Iran for the past 10 over the past 1,400 years," he years, has been imprisoned since added. October 2009, originally for Jones, who is also the pastor of protesting, but those changes were Dove World Outreach Center in later controversially changed to Gainesville, has previously apostasy and attempting to sparked controversy over the evangelize Muslims. Quran. In July 2010, Jones According to the Stand Up threatened to burn 200 Qurans on A m e r i c a N o w w e b s i t e , t h e the 2010 anniversary of the Sept. organization focuses on many 11, 2001 attacks on the World social issues, with a special Trade Centers in New York City, emphasis on standing up for New York. He deemed this Christian minorities persecuted in controversial event "International Islamic dominated countries. Burn a Koran [sic] Day."
Although he did not end up burning the Qurans, his threat sparked international controversy, causing riots in the Middle East and Asia. Jones sparked controversy a second time when he held the "trial of the Quran" on March 20, 2011 at his Gainesville Church. Jones burnt a Quran while inside his Church, sparking massive riots in the Northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Shairf. Protesters attacked the United Nations Assistance Mission, killing ten U.N. officials, according to ABC News. In Nov. 2011, Jones announced that he was running for the president of the United States, according to The Huffington Post. His candidacy has been widely overlooked by mainstream media. Jones has also voiced his support for the U.S. Military's burning of Qurans in Afghanistan, which the U.S. government has deemed as an inadvertent destruction of the holy books, and for which President Barack Obama has since apologized for. Thousands of Afghans have been rioting since Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, when Afghan workers at the Bagram Air Field spotted Qurans and Islamic religious texts being burned. The riots have taken place throughout Afghanistan, but have
been especially focused in the Northern Baghlan province and the western Herat province. Critics argue that Islamic countries do not respond well to Quran desecrations, as seen through this week's protests in Afghanistan, where two American soldiers and several locals have been killed in the riots. Jones, however, hopes that a Quran burning will help the fate of future persecuted Christians. Jones believes that Islam's goal is world denomination, while "our goal is world evangelism." "We all know that Islam is like a big bully. Most of the time the answer to a bully is not to give in and not to run away, but to stand up to the bully," Jones said. "I think Islam has proven itself as the ultimate bully and we definitely have to stand up and if we don't they are not going to back down," he added. However, Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, calls Jones's protest a "stunt." "It's unnecessary," Sekulow told CP. "It's an abuse of freedom. We have those kinds of freedoms here, but if you're going to do it for publicity's sake, it still doesn't make it right just because it's legal." Sekulow argues that those who
think the burning of the Quran will have a positive outcome are failing to recognize the complexities of the Islamic religion. "It shows a lack of comprehending anything," Sekulow told CP, arguing that it is not only Christians who suffer persecution from radical Muslim regimes, but also fellow Muslims, including Sunni Muslims and other faith groups. Also, the Muslims who often react violently to the burning of Qurans are from radical sects. As Sekulow points out, Muslims as well as Americans have perished in the riots pulsing through Afghanistan this week. "If we're going to be standing up for religious freedom, we'd have to be standing up for the Muslims, too," he said. Recent news regarding the plight of Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has caused both the U.S. White House and the U.S. State Department to voice their concern. Now, the United States, Europe Union, 89 members of Congress, France, Great Britain and Mexico all stand behind the release of Nadarkhani. Currently, Nadarkhani's wife, Fatema Pasindedih, and his two TERRY page 52
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Culture/
Facebook's New Initiative Promises To Make Cross-Platform Mobile Payments Real

Tim Carmody (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:23:00 PM
Image courtesy developers.facebook.com At the Mobile World Congress on Monday, Facebook announced several new initiatives to battle fragmentation on the mobile web. The most intriguing may be a partnership with global wireless carriers including AT&T, TMobile and Verizon in the U.S. to streamline mobile purchases for webapps using Facebooks login and payment platforms. In this agreement, Facebook would be the intermediary between its web developer and wireless carrier partners. Customers purchasing goods through webapps equipped with Facebooks Pay Dialog wouldnt have to prepurchase Facebook credits; instead, theyd be billed by their wireless providers. Developers would deal with Facebook; Facebook would deal with the carriers with its Payments and Credits platform translating between the two on the transaction. As a Facebook spokesperson told Wired, right now this program is more vision than reality; it hasnt been fully implemented, and many of the details still have to be worked out between all the
partners in the coming months. The vision, though, is spelled out in a blog post by Facebook Director of Developer Relations Doug Purdy: to minimize the number of steps needed to complete a transaction in mobile web apps, which will make it easier for hundreds of millions of people worldwide to purchase
apps on their device via operator billing. Besides the Big Three carriers in the U.S., announced partners include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefnica, Vodafone, KDDI, and Softbank Mobile. The carrier payment partnerships also part of a broader effort by Facebook to make mobile app
development easier (and make partnership with Facebook more appealing to developers): Facebook is extending its social app discovery feature to include native Android apps in addition to iOS and web apps; Its joining the W3Cs Mobile Web Platform Core Community Group, to help accelerate the
improvement and standardization of mobile browsers; Its immediately contributing a cross-platform mobile web test suite called Ringmark. The payments initiative, however, is the most ambitious FACEBOOK'S page 53
Culture/
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BULLY
real. Its an inexact science at best. Asked whether he would be willing to alter Bully to gain a more-accessible PG-13 rating, the director said, Im fighting to have the film released as it was honestly shot. Harvey Weinstein cochairman of the Weinstein Company, which is releasing the film made a personal appeal to the MPAA last Thursday to change the R rating to a PG-13, claiming, As a father of four, I worry every day about bullying. The powerhouse Hollywood producer was joined by one of the documentarys subjects, Alex Libby, a boy with Aspergers syndrome who discusses being hit and strangled by his classmates in Hirschs film. Libby implored the MPAA to change the rating so kids his own age could see the film, said Hirsch, who had to wait outside the hearing but spoke to his subject afterward. The MPAA kept the R rating after last weeks hearing. In a statement, Joan Graves, the chair of the MPAAs Classification and Ratings Administration, said that although the organization agreed it was important for young people to see Bully, The MPAA also has the responsibility, however, to acknowledge and represent the strong feedback from parents throughout the country who want to be informed about content in movies, including language.
The MPAA points out that people under the age of 17 could still see the film theyd just need to be accompanied by a parent. While thats possible, the truth is that not every kid has supportive parents willing to take them to see Bully, Hirsch said. Hes also quick to note that the rating will keep young people from watching a film depicting a reality they could experience any day of their lives. Everyone feels this is appropriate and necessary and it gains its power and meaning from the honesty and the truth of what kids experience, said the director, who won the audience award at Sundance in 2002 for his documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony. And our position is that we want to release the movie as it is. Following the ruling on the rating, Weinstein released a statement announcing that the company was considering a leave of absence from the MPAA. (Though, as the Los Angeles Times 24 Frames blog points out, Weinstein isnt actually in the MPAA, leading some to wonder if the studio just meant it would no longer submit films for MPAA ratings.) The documentary, which is scheduled for release March 30, couldnt be coming at a more opportune time. Bullying is in the news almost daily and a rash of suicides in recent months has brought the issue to the forefront.
had originally been intended to serve as part of an educational curriculum on bullying but the rating puts those plans in jeopardy, Hirsch said. In St. Louis Park, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis, the film was going be screened at a community event to begin the school year next fall as a part of an awareness campaign on the issue, said Brian Johnson, chair of the citys human rights commission. The R rating means its far less likely Bully can be screened in a public setting. After the ruling, Johnson wrote a letter to the MPAA saying the organizations rating has removed access to a film from the very viewing audience that needs to see it the most, children.An R rating would significantly impact the ability to incorporate Bully into an widespread anti-bullying awareness campaigns. An R rating would significantly impact the ability to incorporate Bully into any widespread antibullying awareness campaigns, Johnson said in an e-mail to Wired.com. This film provides children who are being bullied with proof that they are not alone and that others are going through the same things they are. Asked whether removing some of the films language in order to get a PG-13 rating would be beneficial, Johnson was emphatic in his belief that the language should stay in the film. To
remove some of the language just to get a PG-13 rating would minimize all of the children who have been verbally bullied throughout this country, he said. An online petition has been started on Care2 to get the MPAA to change its mind about the rating. The goal is to get 100,000 signatures; as of this writing, more than 3,100 have been collected. Its hard to tell what would or could change the MPAAs ruling at this point, especially with just a few weeks until the films scheduled release. The director, who was himself bullied as a young person, said he hasnt decided if hed be willing to edit his film if it meant it could change the rating. Hed rather fight to have his documentary released asis. We could take out a lot of things, Hirsch said. But I think the film will have less impact and power. 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.
Top 20 Oscars Red Carpet Moments

Allie Merriam (PopSugar)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:23:20 PM
The Oscars red carpet was full of hot fashions, A-list stars, and much more. George Clooney and Stacy Keibler were among the hottest couples at the ceremony, as were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Your pick for Oscars best dressed is currently Gwyneth Paltrow, who rocked an amazing, caped Tom Ford ensemble. Gwyneth cracked up with Bridesmaids writer Kristen Wiig, while elsewhere on the carpet, the Mara sisters, Rooney and Kate, made their way past photographers. Jean Dujardin was pumped well ahead of his best actor win or The Artist, and Tina Fey kept the humor level high while messing with a friend. We've rounded up 20 highlights from last night's red carpet - click through to see the top moments. View Slideshow
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Culture/
Richard Dawkins Reveals He Is Agnostic

were an atheist and a Christian. "I sit here as a representative of ignorance," he said jokingly. So naturally, it was a surprise to (Photo: REUTERS/Andrew him when Dawkins, who was Winning) The Archbishop of described by Kenny as "the Cantebury Rowan Williams (R) world's most famous atheist," said and atheist scholar Richard he is actually an agnostic, because Dawkins pose for a photograph he has no way of disproving outside Clarendon House at God's existence. Oxford University, before their Like us on Facebook debate in the Sheldonian theatre Dawkins explained himself in Oxford, central England, further by pointing to his book, February 23, 2012. The name of T h e G o d D e l u s i o n , w h i c h the debate is "The Nature of contains in it a seven-point scale Human Beings and the Question he created for people to evaluate of their Ultimate Origin." their beliefs with. The number one on the scale means "I know God February 24, 2012| 3:28 pm exists," and number seven means Dawkins revealed that he is in "I know he doesn't exist." On that fact not an atheist as he is not 100 scale, Dawkins said, he is a six percent sure God doesn't exist. (though he half-jokingly increased The discussion, titled "The that number to a 6.9 later on in the Nature of Human Beings and the discussion). Question of Their Ultimate Dawkins doesn't identify himself Origin," was moderated by with many other agnostics, he philosopher and agnostic Sir explained, because they believe Anthony Kenny. that there is about a fifty-fifty "I don't know whether there's a chance that there is a God. He G o d o r n o t . I ' m o p e n t o believes, by comparison, that the persuasion either way," said probability of the existence of any Kenny, as he explained why he supernatural entity is lower than sat between what he believed that.
"What I can't understand is why you don't see the extraordinary beauty of the idea that we can't explain the world, universe [and] life," Dawkins said to Williams. "That is such a staggeringly elegant and beautiful thing. Why would you want to clutter up your worldview with something so messy as a God?" The Archbishop who said during the discussion that he believes in both God and evolution said he agrees with Dawkins that creation is elegant and beautiful, but disagrees on other points. "I don't see clutter coming into it at all ... I'm not thinking of God as an extra that has to be shoehorned, somehow, into this," said Williams. One question that was posed to Williams asked under the assumption that the earth is billions of years old and that the Bible's writers had no scientific knowledge of how old it actually was at the time if the writers of the Bible should have avoided writing about the origins of the earth? "The writers of the Bible, inspired
as I believe they were, were nonetheless not inspired to do twenty-first century physics. They were inspired to pass on to their readers what God wanted them to know," said Williams. "And that means, reading the first book of the Bible, what I look for is the basic information: The universe depends on God and God's freedom, humanity has a very distinctive role in that universe and, from the first measurable moment, humanity has made a rather conspicuous mess of that role." Another major focus of the discussion was on human consciousness. The archbishop, who is the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, pointed out that human beings are self-aware and have the ability to ask questions, tell jokes, fantasize and even pray abilities that aren't seen in other animals. Dawkins described human consciousness as "deeply mysterious," but said it is something he believes science will eventually figure out. Kenny asked Williams if he thought the human soul survives
death, and he said it does. "The confidence that I, as a Christian, have about that is not the belief that there's something in me that will survive," said Williams. "It's a belief in the kind of God who does not terminate the relationship initiated from God's side as I develop and grow." Both Dawkins and Williams have ties to the University of Oxford. The university's chancellor, Christopher Patten, explained before the discussion that there were three "packed" theaters in Oxford and people watching around the world via a live Web stream. The size of the audience, he said, helped to "underline the importance of this event." 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.
Fact or Fiction: Hollywood vs.History

It's time to step into the time machine and travel back through history. Of course, if you hope to survive, you're going to want to
separate what you actually learned in history class from all the historical inaccuracies in the movies. Think you can do it? Well, before you pull the lever, let's do a little travel planning and see what you really know.
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.
Culture/
51
Cultural Cluelessness Threatens U.S. Commando Strategy

David Axe (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:20:00 PM
Afghan forces training in Laghman Province. Photo: David Axe In one sense, the U.S.-led coalition has itself to blame for the riots and killings that have raged across Afghanistan in the wake of last weeks accidental burning of the Koran by American forces. Too many U.S. troops habitually disrespect their Afghan trainees, according to some of the elite forces who head up those training sessions. And those small, tactical acts of cultural stupidity can lead to a strategic moment, like the one were having now. The ongoing disrespect can fuel smoldering resentment among Afghans that is compounded by the Afghans underlying discomfort with the decade-long foreign occupation of their country. The mishandling of the Koran was like a match on that explosive tinder. According to members of a U.S. Special Forces A Team based in Laghman province, American trainers there inadvertently mistreat the Afghans with rough touching, mock insults and and a dearth of positive reinforcement. During my recent visit to Langhman, one Special
Forces officer hurried to intervene when some Army National Guard soldiers wandered into an Afghan cemetery another big no-no. Ive seen too many guys disrespecting their Afghans, one Special Forces weapons sergeant says.
The accidental burning of the Koran represents was even more thoughtless and reflects an almost willful ignorance of Afghan sensitivities. How after 11 years here is there no system in place for properly disposing of religious [documents]? asks one
sergeant attached to a Special Forces unit based in Kabul. Its just fucking stupid. There have been nearly 40 incidents in which Afghan troops have turned their weapons on their international trainers including four last week amid the
ongoing riots. In the past, some of these attacks have been blamed on Taliban infiltration. But the Afghan government worker suspected in Saturdays murder of two American officers inside the CULTURAL page 54
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Culture/
Court Lets NYC Churches Resume Worshipping at Schools

it worse than the expression of everybody else. "The court's order allows February 25, 2012| 3:17 pm churches and other religious District Judge Loretta Preska groups to meet in empty school granted a preliminary injunction buildings on weekends just as non against the city's ban on weekend -religious groups do while the worship services in vacant school lawsuit proceeds. The city's view buildings after determining that of the First Amendment is wrong, t h e p l a i n t i f f t h e B r o n x and we intend to continue to H o u s e h o l d o f F a i t h demonstrate that in court." demonstrated irreparable harm Like us on Facebook and will likely win its lawsuit The Alliance Defense Fund has against the Board of Education. been defending the Bronx church The judge wrote in the court since 1995 after its application to opinion that the church has a good rent a public school building for chance of winning based on the Sunday services was rejected. argument that the ban "fosters While it was able to win a e x c e s s i v e g o v e r n m e n t a l temporary injunction in 2002 to entanglement with religion" and worship at the school, the 2nd violates the Free Exercise Clause Circuit Court of Appeals ruled of the First Amendment which against the church in 2011. The provides that "Congress shall U.S. Supreme Court declined to make no law ... prohibiting the review the case in December free exercise [of religion]." 2011. The city plans to appeal the The ban on worship services at ruling. public schools went into effect on Jordan Lorence, senior counsel of Feb. 12, affecting more than 60 the Alliance Defense Fund, other churches in New York City. commented, "The city can't single Heavenly Vision Christian Center out religious expression and treat held its Sunday service outdoors
in Manhattan last weekend. Others were able to find alternative spaces such as private schools, theaters, and local church buildings but for some, the move was only temporary until they could find a more permanent solution. Last week, Bronx Household of Faith was given a temporary injunction to continue meeting at school on the weekends. Friday's court order now allows the dozens of other affected churches to also continue using public school buildings while the court battle continues. While Judge Preska recognized the Board of Education's concern that allowing schools to be used for religious worship services could be perceived as violating the Establishment Clause, she stated, "In this Court's view, losing one's right to exercise freely and fully his or her religious beliefs is a greater threat to our democratic society than a misperceived violation of the Establishment Clause." Despite the temporary win,
ADF's Lorence urged New York legislators to continue their efforts in passing a bill that would overturn the worship ban. Such a bill is currently before the state Assembly. "This [court] order prevents the city's policy from being enforced while litigation continues, but legislators can resolve the issue once and for all by making the city get rid of the policy," said Lorence. "The courts have consistently ruled that the Constitution does not require New York City to ban religious worship services, so the city or the state legislature is free to repeal the policy." 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 to Use Tech to Plan and Optimize Your Garden [Gardening]

Thorin Klosowski (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:00:00 PM
Planning a garden of any kind isn't an easy task. Plants grow at different rates, they never grow to the size you expect, and more often than not, they don't grow at all. Using a bit of tech to help you plan your garden is an easy and cheap way to ensure you're not wasting time and space. Let's go over a few planning tools and a few tech tricks you can use to keep the garden going. More
TERRY
sons, Daniel, age 9, and Yoel, age 7, await further news on his fate. 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.
Culture/
53
FACEBOOK'S
and has the most potential to turn into a serious revenue stream for Facebook and its partners. We think this experience can be as good or even better than the native platforms, Facebook CTO Bret Taylor told Computerworld. By having a great developer experience around billing well be unlocking the business potential of the mobile Web. As I wrote earlier this month, payments and mobile are the two areas where the company has been the slowest to leverage its platform. A real excursion into mobile payments is the best way for Facebook to continue to grow going where its users already are, and making use of that portable buying machine in their pockets. But just how far is Facebook willing to go? Not very far. At least not yet. According to a Facebook spokesperson, the immediate use case is very close to what Facebook is already doing with Credits, i.e., payments for virtual goods in casual games by Zynga and other developers using Facebooks platform. The only real difference is that customers would be billed in cash through mobile carriers directly on mobile phones. Given the untapped possibilities
of mobile payments, shopping and commerce, this may be the narrowest implementation possible. What about a Facebook webapp that lets you get together with friends, order takeout and go pick it up, without ever pulling out a credit card? Or that alerts you to local deals and coupons? Or buys digital media with Facebook credits? What about extending this to native smartphone apps on iOS, Android, etc., that use Facebook logins and payments through the Open Graph? None of these are yet visible on the radar, according to the spokesperson who briefed me. This baffled me, so I reached out to another Facebook spokesperson to ask specifically about the prospect of a broader mobile payment platform beyond virtual goods. This was the (coy? vague? willfully neutral?) response: Mobile payments are important for the entire mobile ecosystem but monetization options are limited. Facebook and operators see an opportunity to make them better. This new operator billing process simplifies the purchasing process for consumers and expands pricing options for developers. In short, Facebook is developing
a mobile payments system that, while limited, could blossom into a powerful, cross-device, inherently social mobile shopping platform, giving it access to realworld revenue and shopping data that would make Google blush. Then cringe. Then probably get really mad. All they have to do is line up the infrastructure with developers and carriers, use social games and virtual goods as a real-world proof-of-concept, build out its relationship with merchants note: not an easy task and then take the lid off the thing. Then its all over. Except, you know, beating Google and Square and PayPal and the banks and credit card companies and everybody else. No big deal at least for a company thats really serious about changing the world. 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.
Cameron and Kate, Katie and Posh - All the Fun Photos From Inside Vanity Fair
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:24:15 PM
The red carpet at Vanity Fair's Oscars party was full of hot couples and great gowns, and the fun continued inside. Cameron Diaz, in orange Victoria Beckham, shared laughs and champagne with pal Kate Hudson, wearing red Versace. Kate arrived on the arm of fianc Matt Bellamy, while Cameron's rumored guy, Diddy, also went to the bash. Gwyneth Paltrow said hello to Jane Fonda, while nearby, a girlie crew of Paula Patton, Amy Adams, Claire Danes, and Jennifer Westfeldt caught up. Kate Bosworth, who made the rounds in Prabal Gurung, couldn't keep her hands off her boyfriend Michael Polish. Tom Cruise and an Elie Saabclad Katie Holmes made the rounds as well. They spent a good chunk of time with their longtime friends Victoria Beckham, in her own design, and David Beckham. Tom and Katie also said hello to a Monique Lhuillier-clad Lily
Collins and George Lucas. Love was in the air! Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde watched the Oscars show from the Sunset Tower Hotel, in the company of Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Claire Danes, and Tom Ford. Sofia Coppola also checked out the telecast with Jason, Olivia, and company, and later welcomed her husband Thomas Mars to the fun. Miley Cyrus found a seat to spend quality time with her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth. To see all the inside Vanity Fair Oscars bash pictures read more
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CULTURAL
Ministry of Interior in Kabul did not have Taliban ties, ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said. And the Laghman commandos believe the most of the incidents were sparked by cultural misunderstandings. David Sedney, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, in a January Congressional testimony agreed, chalking up the majority of attacks by trainees to personal motivation. The riots have hit hard in Laghman, though the province thankfully been spared the murders that occurred elsewhere. They stormed Mehtar Lam and broke through the wire, one Special Forces officer reported last week. Eventually, they tired of their own anger and retreated. Were expecting the same today: 2,000-3,000 people in total. At the behest of their commanders in Kabul, the Laghman A Team took a couple steps back from performing its mission, the officer said. The temporary suspension of training
in Laghman echoes the temporary pull-out of all U.S. advisers from Afghan government ministries in Kabul following Saturdays shooting deaths. As long as the violence directed against the coalition continues, and as long as international trainers are at elevated risk of being murdered by their trainees, the commandos and other advisers will have deep trouble performing their vital mission preparing Afghans to secure their own country. The more widespread the anger, the less likely Afghans are to even want foreign assistance. The coalition plans to withdraw its roughly 150,000 regular troops by the end 0f 2014, but that plan has always been contingent on Afghan troops being adequately trained. In any event, Special Forces have planned to remain behind after 2014 to continue working with the Afghan army and police. The rioting and murders cast that strategy into doubt. Washington is urging patience. I think we need to let things calm
down, return to a more normal atmosphere, and then get on with business, Ambassador Ryan Crocker told CNN. This is not the time to decide that we are done here. But moving forward at this late stage could require some major changes in the way the coalition approaches Afghans and fast. Mark Jacobson, the former NATO deputy senior civilian representative in Kabul, said he sees the writing on the wall. If the trust, ability and willingness to partner falls apart, you are looking at the endgame 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.
Angelina Jolie Recovers From the Oscars With the Twins and Brad's Mom
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:24:20 PM
Angelina Jolie shopped in LA this afternoon with her youngest children, Knox and Vivienne Jolie -Pitt. Also along for the retail outing to Auntie Barbara's Kids Boutique was Brad's mother, Jane Pitt. Angelina spent the day with family after hitting the red carpet at yesterday's Oscars. In Atelier Versace, Angelina Jolie turned more than a few heads thanks to a serious slit in the black velvet gown. She presented honors to the year's best screenwriters, and one group of honorees, from The Descendants, playfully mocked Angelina's onstage pose. The gesture didn't seem to bother Angelina much, as she and Brad
segued right into their afterparty fun. Brad and Angelina met up with George Clooney, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, and Salma Hayek at a private bash Clooney hosted at Craig's restaurant. View Slideshow
Why You Can't Rely on Progress Bars [Annoyances]

Adam Pash (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:00:00 PM
Progress bars. They're better than nothing, but who among us hasn't stared at a misleading, confusing,
or wholly inaccurate progress bars and wondered, "Why can't anyone make these more accurate?"
Popular Mechanic's John Herrman answers that question. More
Culture/ TV/ Featured/ Politics-Left/
55
Could You Ever Ditch Email? [Ask The Readers]

Adam Pash (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:30:00 PM
Victoria Gotti's Surprising 'Celebrity Apprentice' Prediction

Alex Moaba (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:16:29 PM
Most of us consider email a key part of our everyday personal and professional lives, but blogger and academic Cal Newport argues that your email dependence might be more knee-jerk convention than reality. More
Veterans and higher education [infographic]

(Holy Kaw!)
Victoria Gotti was fired Sunday night on " The Celebrity Apprentice," cutting short her stint on Donald Trump's reality show. Her elimination was a shame for viewers who hoping to see some major drama erupt between Gotti and "Real Housewife" of New Jersey Teresa Giudice. But stopping by " The Wendy Williams Show" (weekdays on Fox) Gotti was gracious about her time on the show, and offered up a surprising
prediction for who she thinks could end up winning it all. On the much-ballyhooed rift with Giudice that never really materialized, Gotti explained that, "Teresa and I had a kind of mixup in the beginning. But then we clear the air and become good friends," she said. Gotti was also diplomatic about comedian Lisa Lampanelli, who she butted heads with on the show. "I don't have any thoughts ... If you want to win that hard, take it, go for it, I'll give it to ya." When Wendy asked Gotti who her pick was to win it all, her answer seemed to surprise the
audience. "Definitely Clay Aiken," she said, as the crowd gasped in surprise. "You know what guys, you have to understand, you're seeing the mean side of people and you're thinking, 'You have to be the meanest to win it.' In the end, that gets you so far, then you have to use your brain." TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.
Bradley Manning Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Daniel Halper (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:00:00 PM
Runoff likely as Senegal counts votes

(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:45:38 PM
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:44:00 PM
Via Online College. (H/T Muhammad Saleem) A lesson on education. Permalink| Leave a comment
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, the Associated Press reports. Manning is most famous
for allegedly leaking troves of classified documents, including
State Department cables and Military files, to WikiLeaks. He was arraigned last week in Ft. Meade, Maryland and is being charged with "engineering the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history."
RUNOFF page 56
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RUNOFF
A total of 13 candidates are seeking to unseat Wade as Senegal's president following Sunday's election [Reuters] Senegal's presidential vote appears set for a runoff, with results indicating that Abdoulaye Wade, the incumbent president, has failed to win an outright majority. Tallies reported since the vote finished on Sunday night show Wade leading and Macky Sall, a former prime minister, close behind, suggesting the two will challenge each other in a second round. Sall, who directed an earlier reelection campaign for Wade, said on Monday that he had won Dakar, the capital, and several major towns. Sall and Idrissa Seck, the mayor of Thies, are the main opposition challengers seeking to unseat Wade. Wade, 85, was seen as the favourite to win in the first round, with the opposition split between 13 candidates. His chances would diminish in a runoff, as the opposition is likely to be united. Wade is seeking a third term a m i d c r i t i c i s m from the opposition that he is trying to cling to power after changing the constitution and had earlier promised "a crushing majority". Reconciled to runoff Speaking in Dakar on Monday, Wade said a first round win was still possible, with half the votes tallied, giving him 32.17 per cent
and handing 25.24 per cent to runner-up Sall. Nevertheless, he accepted the possibility he may have to head to a runoff. "On those figures, it is seen as impossible that it could be anything other than a second round," Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reported from Dakar. "[Wade made] the remark 'anything is still possible' indicating that possibly he could still win the first round. But it doesn't look that way. This looks like really game, set and match to the opposition ... because in the long run, the voters will all rally around one candidate and that could very well be Macky Sall. "It is an uncertain situation in Senegal right now, but there is a mood of optimism that Wade is finally going to be beaten at the ballot box rather than forced down to resign by the influence of international diplomacy and the opposition of Senegal." Dakar was noticeably quiet on Monday, and residents said people may have stayed at home to avoid any election-related street violence. There was a lot of anticipation in the air, but people seemed to be adopting a wait and see approach to how all sides would ultimately respond to the final election results, Al Jazeera's Azad Essa reported from Dakar. Hundreds of voters had booed Wade on Sunday as he cast his ballot in the suburb of Point E in Dakar, drowning out the several dozen supporters who applauded
his arrival at the polling station. Voting passed largely without incident, nevertheless, and counting continued across Senegal with some votes counted by candlelight or lamps. Partial results were being announced over public and private radio stations. Residents of Dakar much of the night listening intently to the radio stations as results of individual polling stations were released, Al Jazeera's Essa said. Senegal, a former French colony, is one of the continent's pioneer democracies, boasting an unbroken series of elections since independence in 1960. 'Grand projects' Wade's third-term bid has proved to be a test of Senegal's democratic credentials, prompting international concern and weeks of protests. Despite having served two terms in office, a limit he himself introduced, Wade says 2008 constitutional changes extending term lengths to seven years allow him to serve two more mandates. He says he needs more time in office to finish his "grand projects". Sunday's voting took place after Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union envoy, suggested that Wade retire in two years if reelected. The June 23 Movement, an alliance of opposition parties and activists, had called for a presidential election to be organised within six to nine months, one in which Wade does
not take part. Wade was in the opposition for 25 years before unseating the Socialist Party in 2000, and has remained defiant in the face of the storm of criticism at home and abroad. He has dismissed the opposition protests as "temper tantrums" and heaped derision on calls from France and the US that he should retire. He would not be dictated to by "Toubabs", he said, using the Wolof term for Westerners. Senegal is a nation of 13 million. Its biggest industries are fishing, tourism and groundnut production, but a large proportion of Senegalese live in poverty. Those who support Wade point to considerable infrastructure development under his governance. His opponents argue that his focus on grand legacy projects has left him out of touch with the concerns of the average citizen. An estimated 5.3 million people were registered to vote in Sunday's election. Follow Azad Essa on Twitter at@azadessa 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.
Free Pancakes Tomorrow At IHOP

Chris Morran (The Consumerist)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:15:00 PM
We know that many of you will be observing National Pancake Day tomorrow by spending time with your family and other loved ones, visiting your local pancake memorial/monument and generally pondering what Pancake Day means to you. But if you also want to eat pancakes, IHOP is once again rolling out the free short stacks. While you scarf down the free pancakes tomorrow, IHOP is hoping you'll also drop a donation for the Children's Miracle Network. The restaurant chain says it's raised nearly $8 million for charities since it started the free pancake program in 2006, and hopes to raise $2.7 million this year alone. 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.
Politics-Left/
57
Scores reported dead in Syria violence

Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:13:21 PM
Syrian TV said that 57.4 per cent of eligible voters voted in Sunday's referendum [Reuters] Syrian activists have reported the deaths of more than 125 people across the country, just hours after state television announced that an overwhelming majority of voters had said "yes" to a new constitution. In the beseiged city of Homs, at least 64 bodies were reportedly recovered on Monday in a rural area between the villages of Ram al-Enz and Ghajariyeh. Abou Baker from the troubled Bab Amr neighbourhood said the bodies belonged to people who were kidnapped as they were trying to flee the area. "Families leaving Bab Amr were stopped at a checkpoint last night and 62 were kidnapped. This morning their bodies were recovered in an area loyal to [President Bashar] al-Assad," he said. Bab Amr is an opposition stronghold that has been under bombardment by government forces for more than three weeks. The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), an umbrella opposition group, confirmed the deaths and said that 25 people were killed in separate incidents in the city. Explosions were reported in the Homs neighbourhouds of
Hamidiyeh, Bustan al-Diwan and the city centre. "Homs is literally dying," Omar Shakir, an activist, told Al Jazeera. "Only one hospital in Waar neighbourhood remains functioning in the city. There is a severe shortage of medicine and
medical supplies. "Only two bakeries are struggling to provide Homs with bread. There are many hungry people." In other parts of the country, the LCC said nine people were killed in the suburbs of Aleppo, 15 in the countryside of Idlib, four in the suburbs of Hama, four in the
Damascus Suburbs, one in Damascus, one in Hasake, one in al-Raqqa and one in Deraa. 'Cynical referendum' The latest reports of violence came as Syrian TV said on Monday that 57.4 per cent of eligible voters voted the day earlier, with 89.4 per cent saying
"yes" and only nine per cent saying "no" to the referendum that Assad's opponents and Western nations have dismissed as a sham. Victoria Nuland, US state department spokeswoman, asked how a democratic process could SCORES page 59
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Politics-Left/ Sports/
Two arrested over 'plot to kill Putin'

Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:53:27 PM
Russian and Ukrainian security services have foiled a plot to assassinate Vladimir Putin after next week's presidential election, according to Ukraine's SBU counter-intelligence agency. Russian pro-government Channel One television said Ukrainian special services in the Black Sea port of Odessa had arrested two men in connection with a plot. According to the AFP news agency, the station showed two men on Monday who said they were acting on the orders of Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov. The attack was to happen after next Sunday's presidential vote, the report said. Follow our indepth coverage and analysis of Russia's upcoming presidential elections The men said they prepared the attack in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa and were planning to carry it out in Moscow. One man died in a blast in early January that prompted the investigation, the report said. "They told us that first you come to Odessa and learn how to make bombs," the station showed a man identified as Ilya Pyanzin as saying. "And then later, in Moscow, you will stage attacks against commercial objects, with the subsequent assassination attempt against Putin," the man said.
Al Jazeera's Christopher True, reporting from Moscow, said: "There is some scepticism among people here regarding the timing of the arrests, just six days before the presidential election. "The incident brings to mind an annoucement just a few days after the last presidential election when the Russian secret services announced they had foiled an attack on Putin close to Red Square, arresting a man on March, 2, 2008, the day of the election. "Russia's Channel One station said the alleged members of the group had arrived in Ukraine from the United Arab Emirates via Turkey with instructions from Doku Umarov, the Chechen rebel leader. "Umarov has claimed responsibilty for a number of attacks in Russia in the past, including the Moscow airport
bombing on January 24 last year, which left 36 people dead." 'End goal' The state television footage, which was apparently shot in Ukraine, showed a video of Putin getting into his car being played on the laptop computer belonging to the second arrested man, identified as Adam Osmayev. "This was done so that we had an understanding of how he was protected," Osmayev said. "The end goal was to come to Moscow and to try to stage an assassination attempt against premier Putin," Osmayev said. State TV aired pictures of the men who were allegedly planning to kill Vladimir Putin after Sunday's election. "The deadline was after the election of the Russian president," Osmayev said. Putin was president from 1999
until 2007 and is standing in March's elections for the same position. Several assassination attempts have been reported on Putin since he rose to power in 2000 but such reports have rarely made a big impact in Russia. Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford, reporting from Moscow, said the timing of this assassination report is the "big bone of contention". "There have reportedly been at least 10 assassination plots on Putin during the two terms of his office uncovered and foiled by various security services in Russia," he said. "So this again a week before an election where Putin is widely expected to win, there are a lot of voices here, a lot of people who are calling into question the timing of this story." Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, could not immediately be reached for comment. Putin, 59, also did not comment immediately although aides said he had chaired a government meeting on the military-industrial complex at his residence of Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow on 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.
Blackhawks snag Oduya from Jets - Miami Herald

By Sports Network (- Bing News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:30:17 PM
The Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets on Monday in exchange for a second -round and third-round draft pick in 2013. The 30-year-old totaled two goals and 13 points in 63 games for Winnipeg this season. A former seventh-round pick of the Capitals in 2001, Oduya broke into the NHL with New Jersey in 2006 and was shipped to Atlanta in February of 2010 in the deal which saw Ilya Kovalchuk acquired by the Devils. Oduya has racked up 22 goals, 109 points and 222 penalty minutes in 445 games with the Devils and Thrashers/Jets franchise. 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.
TV/ Featured/
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SCORES
take place in the country while Syrian government guns and tanks were still firing. "We dismiss it [the referendum] as absolutely cynical," Nuland told reporters on Monday. People who live in Damascus tell Al Jazeera of the daily battle they face to survive The announcement of the results came just after the EU adopted sanctions on Syrias central bank and froze the assets of several Syrian government officials. The foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries, in a meeting in Brussels on Monday, also banned the purchase of gold, precious metals and diamonds from the country, and banned Syrian cargo flights from the EU. The names of the Syrian officials sanctioned would be made public on Tuesday in the EU's official journal. In another development on Monday, Qatar's prime minister said he was in favour of delivering arms to the Syrian opposition that is battling government forces. "We should do whatever
necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to defend themselves," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani said during an official visit to Norway. "This uprising in Syria now [has lasted] one year. For 10 months, it was peaceful: nobody was carrying weapons, nobody was doing anything. And Bashar continued killing them. "So I think they're right to defend themselves by weapons and I think we should help these people by all means." Multiparty system The approved constitution, framed by a committee of 29 people appointed by Assad, would drop the highly controversial Article 8 in the existing charter, which makes the Baath party "the head of state and society". That would effectively end the monopoly on power the Baathists have enjoyed since they seized power in a 1963 coup that brought Assad's late father, Hafez, to power. Under the new charter, the president would maintain his grip on broad powers, as he would still name the prime minister and
government and, in some cases, could veto legislation. Article 88 states that the president can be elected for two seven-year terms, but Article 155 says these conditions only take effect after the next election for a head of state, set for 2014. This means that Assad could theoretically stay at the helm for another 16 years. This is Syria's third referendum since Assad inherited power from his late father. The first installed him as president in 2000 with an official 97.2 per cent in favour. The second renewed his term seven years later with 97.6 per cent in favour. 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.
First Look Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Return To TV

Chris Harnick (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)
very seriously, and although everyone says this is a comedy, I don't think there is anything funny Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:54:01 PM at all about me being a heartbeat Julia Louis-Dreyfus is returning away from the presidency." to TV in HBO's " Veep,." And In "Veep," Louis-Dreyfus stars as she's doing it with style and power a former senator who is now as Selina Meyer, the new vice second in command of the United president of the United States. States. However, Vice President "In The Loop" co-writer Armando Meyer quickly learns the job isn't Iannucci created the new HBO exactly what she expected. comedy that also stars Sufe "OK, what's left here? I have Bradshaw ("Overnight"), Anna 'hello' and ... prepositions," the Chlumsky ("My Girl"), Tony Hale character says while going over ("Arrested Development"), Reid her newly-edited speech. What Scott ("My Boys"), Tim Simons exactly is politics about for Vice ("Days Together") and Matt President Meyer? "People," Walsh ("Outsourced"). apparently. "It is a true delight to work with Check out the new trailer below. HBO and Armando Iannucci," "Veep" premieres Sun., April 22 Louis-Dreyfus said in a statement. at 10 p.m. on HBO. "I take the role of vice president
Ted Kennedy's Son Attacks Conscience Protections Ted Kennedy Supported

John McCormack (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:06:00 PM
When Republican senator Scott
Brown of Massachusetts makes the case for a bill that would restore the conscience protections that existed prior to Obamacare, Democratic predecessor Ted he frequently notes that his
Kennedy shared the same position.
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TV/
EXCLUSIVE: Jean Chatzky's Financial Advice For Post 50s

The Huffington Post (TV on HuffingtonPost.com)
most boomers is how to take that sum of money and turn it into an income stream that will last the Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:30:25 PM rest of their lives. They have to Award-winning journalist and give that as much consideration as best-selling author Jean Chatzky they gave the first half. has a new show, " Cash Call with What are the top three financial Jean Chatzky," which premieres issues you see facing Boomers? February 28 on RLTV. On "Cash Retirement, health care -- and Call," Chatzky -- the financial include long-term health care in editor for NBCs "TODAY" and there -- and dueling family the personal finance contributor pressures. We are in the squeeze; for Newsweek/The Daily Beast-- at 55, people today are looking at will focus on financial questions how to pay for college for their from post 50s. kids and how to help their parents Chatzky shared some of her who may need it. On top of that, financial advice for those over 50 we are trying to retire ourselves. -- including tips on retirement and Has rehirement replaced downsizing -- with The retirement? Huffington Post. Check out our Yes -- although I've never heard interview and a clip from "Cash it phrased that way. I like it, Call" below and keep reading to "rehirement!" I call it "rewire" see how you can submit your own instead of "retire." We are talking questions to Chatzky. less and less about retirement as a What's the single most-important time of not working but instead bit of personal finance advice you are seeing it as a another period of would give to Post 50s today? our lives where we do something They need to figure out how to different, hopefully something we make their money last. Until now, love, and making a little bit of we have focused so much of our money at it. attention on accumulation -- you What specific financial guidance have to save, you have to max out would you give to Post 50s today? your 401k, you have fund your These are hard times. If you have Roth IRA. Now the challenge for reached this point in your life and
you dont know where you are financially what with the volatility of the market, unemployment, and everything else ... then it's time to sit down and run the numbers and figure it out. I know it's a perennial question, but how much money does someone need to retire today? The answer is very individualized. If you have paid off your mortgage, have a decent amount saved in retirement funds and don't want or need a lavish lifestyle, you are probably fine. If you still have a mortgage -- which many boomers do -- if you have parents to take care of, had your kids late and want to send them to college, or if your 401k was decimated, it's a different story. For me to say you need 'X' would be doing you a disservice. You need to sit down with a financial planner and figure out what you have and what you need. If you aren't close, you have to ask 'what can I change now to potentially get there?' We hear a lot about downsizing. What does downsizing look like? Downsizing means reducing your monthly nut, what you spend to live. It can include where you
live, how often you take vacations, how often you eat out, where you shop. It means living simpler and spending less. It means asking yourself, "How can I shrink my cost of living so I can save more?" Many boomers may have missed the boat on long-term care insurance. What do you suggest for them? We are starting to hear more about longevity insurance, which is very specific insurance you pay for when you are in your 50s and 60s and you dont get anything back unless you live past 85. It's like a delayed annuity. By the way, being in your 50s isn't too late to get long-term care insurance. Even at 60, and with chronic illness, it is still available but much pricier. You have five rules of personal finance, and boomers, as a generation, seem to have violated one of them big-time. I'm talking about your rule that "You need to spend less than you make." What can those folks do about it now? If you are the kind of person who didn't listen to what financial advisors told us in our 20s and 30s, well, you aren't alone. If you
came to the party late, you need to be saving more aggressively now. It's really essential that these people spend time right now figuring out where they stand and what steps they need to take to reach their retirement goals. OK, so for those who have managed to accumulate some savings. What should they do with them? How aggressively should they invest? Don't invest too conservatively. I recommend a 60/40 asset mix. And if you aren't sure what to do, get some help. What will "Cash Call" focus on? We are an interactive show with viewers calling and emailing in their questions. It's targeted for 50+ and debuts on RLTV on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Watch a clip of "Cash Call" below: Viewers can submit questions to "Cash Call with Jean Chatzky" via RLTVs Facebook page and Twitter (@RLTVLive) feed, Jean Chatzkys Facebook page and Twitter feed (@JeanChatzky), Skype (Cash.Call) or phone at: 1855-550-RLTV (7588).
Products/ Featured/
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Music Monday: Greatest Swipes

(Woot! - One Day, One Deal)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 10:00:00 AM
add your own swipe candidates in the comments. See you after the jump! The music industry has a long The Lemon Song history of taking what they want Now, it's hard to say someone's and apologizing later. No, we really stolen the blues. After all, don't mean cover songs, because the blues are supposed to evolve cover songs require attribution. and build on what came before, What we mean is the not-so- and those basic notes that live honorable tradition of the swipe, near the heart are so primal, it those songs built from chopping seems everyone has the right to up other songs and trying to sneak puzzle it out their own way. under the radar. Today Scott's However, in the case of Led picked five of his favorites from Zeppelin well, when 100% of the swipe files. Maybe you know the legal songwriting credit goes them already? He'll start with a to "Page/Plant" but the last words song from a man often alleged to of the song send you to a prehelp himself to ideas, one Mr. existing near-sound alike from Paul Simon: Howlin' Wolf I just gotta go El Condor Pasa (If I Could) with swipe. This lovely flute-heavy Simon My Sweet Lord and Garfunkel ballad was actually This one is pretty well known, composed by Alomia Robels but thanks to the case where a judge it's unfair to call it stolen. To Paul r u l e d G e o r g e H a r r i s o n h a d Simon's credit, he originally infringed on The Chiffons by thought the song was public accident. However, the resolution domain and was very polite about of the case is kinda complex. See, sharing the publishing when he the Beatles' old manager Allen found out it wasn't. Robles' son Klein first represented Harrison in described the court case as almost this case, then went out and friendly and both parties walked bought the rights to "She's So away smiling. But even if it was Fine" right before the verdict accidental it's still a swipe. came down. The result was that And that's what we're looking at Harrison owed Klein the money, today! Inside you'll find a few which turned Klein a nice profit more swipes, and, as always, just (plus legal fees, most likely.) click on the image to enjoy the Obviously the court decided this song we're discussing. Once was a jerk move and reduced the you've read them all, feel free to damages, so Klein didn't get as
talking about, that rumor comes with a huge grain of salt. All one can be sure of is that the court of public opinion says swipe! Alone Again Of course there's a difference between a sample and a swipe, but I think this Biz Markie song is noteworthy because much of the fair use troubles lead back to Grand Upright Music, Ltd v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. Singer Gilbert O'Sullivan took offense much as he'd hoped. When all was that his one-hit wonder was sliced said and done, Harrison ended up up without permission, and in the with the rights to both hits, the lawsuit that followed, royalties songs stayed in print and became something very different. everybody got some money but Samples now had to be cleared even though he was a nice guy well in advance, and almost about it, it's still a swipe! overnight the world of hip hop Come As You Are became something a lot less Kurt Cobain was hailed as a pop mercurial. Today the track itself is music genius, but you know what no longer on any Biz Markie they say. "Talent borrows, genius album and you can't even find it steals." Compare Nirvana's pretty on the iTunes store. Because of wobbly-water intro with this that, we're saying it might have earlier song from Killing Joke. started as a playful homage, but it And yes, there was a lawsuit. Of ended up as a swipe. course, after Cobain's death, it Okay, now it's your turn. What seemed a bit cruel to keep a swipes do you love, or maybe lawsuit alive, so Killing Joke let it hate? Hit the comments and go and there was never a final educate us, and don't forget to cite verdict. Even still, a rumor says the originals! Then maybe join us Dave Grohl might have played on in the Woot.com Music Monday Killing Joke's 2003 album for Turntable FM room for some free, as a sort of apology for the more music fun? We'd love to whole affair. Naturally it's have you join our gang. impossible to confirm, and since this is the music industry we're
Dem Congresswoman on Obamacare Mandate: "Basically, Were Not Looking to the Constitution"
John McCormack (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:39:00 PM
Via Ed Morrissey, here's a mustwatch video of Democratic congresswoman Kathy Hochul getting tripped up at a townhall meeting by a constituent's questions about Obamacare's contraception/abortifacient mandate:
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Products/ Finance/
MWC 2012: Hands on with the HTC One smart phones

Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 11:59:59 AM
MWC 2012: Hands on with the HTC One smart phones HTC today unveiled the new One series of very slim smart phones that promise to maintain the companys track record for serious image-taking prowess. I had a chance to play briefly with the HTC One X and S at a press event in New York earlier today; I didn't try the One V, as its hardware and software are still being refined. The One phones are led by the HTC One X, a slim 4.7-inchscreened model with an 8megapixel camera that supports AT&T's fast 4G LTE network. Other new models include the One S, which has a 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED display and supports T -Mobile's HSPA+ 42 Mbps network and; the HTC One V, designed for the pre-paid market carriers such as TracFone. All the phones' cameras can shoot a series of photos in rapid-fire succession while in camera mode; they can also snap a still picture at
any moment while shooting a video. Both are rare features, even on standalone cameras. The One phones also feature a new sensor that HTC says will let them take better pictures under "less than ideal" conditions. In our smartphone Ratings (available to subscribers), HTC smart phones tend to have some of the betterperforming camerasparticularly under low-light conditions. When the phones are available in April, they'll have 1.5-GHz LTE Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processors and come with Android 4.0 and HTC's newest interface, Sense 4.0. The phones thin design does come with a drawback: You cant remove their back covers, and so cant replace batteries or increase storage by slipping in a MicroSD card. But the phones do come with 16GB of internal storage, with another 25GB of free storage online. No prices or availability dates were announced for the phones. Here are my initial impressions of the One series: Still camera. Instead of a virtual toggle to switch between
reviewing the video. I was impressed by how close together I was able to grab stills while shooting a video. The phones also let you perform some rudimentary editing tasks, such as trimming the length of video clips. Display. The One X's 4.7-inch display uses LCD technology, camcorder and still camera, the while the 4.3-inch screen on the icons for both are always visible, One S display is qHD AMOLED. allowing you to switch rapidly Both displays seemed quite sharp, from one function to the other. To though I think the One S's display snap a picture, you just push the appeared slightly brighter, with camera button. Shutter lag seemed more-vibrant colors. The viewing pretty short. But most impressive angles of both displays were was the Burst Mode, which you extremely wide: I could easily activate by holding your finger on read what was on the screen even the camera button, initiating a 5- when the phone was pointed away shot-per-second volley. You can't from me by 70 to 80 degrees. adjust the frequency of the burst, I'll have more on these phones but you can adjust its duration, to when we receive them for testing in our labs in the next few weeks. between 5 to 99 pictures. Video camera. The phones 8- Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o megapixel camera can capture video in 1080p, while a second ConsumerReports.org for expert front-facing 1.3-MP camera Ratings, buying advice and captures video at 720p. And the r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f main cameras let you capture still products. Update your feed pictures as youre shooting a preferences video, by simply tapping the camera icon. You can also grab additional stills while you're
Germany approves Greek bail-out but warns Angela Merkel against further help
Louise Armitstead (Finance News - Business news from the UK and world)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:50:02 PM
German politicians approved the 130bn bail-out for Greece, as S&P downgrades Greece and claims that the debt-stricken country has undergone a selective default.
Products/
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More evidence to burst the angioplasty balloon

rss@consumerreports.org (Consumer Reports)
Birth Control Pills Recalled: Tablets Are Out Of Order In Blister Packs
Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)
less risky than angioplasty as the initial therapy for most people with stable heart disease. Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:45:56 PM Hopefully, this will put to rest any More evidence to burst the lingering doubts. angioplasty balloon Angioplasty is also more If you have stable heart disease expensive, the authors report. the initial treatment should They said that by following usually be lifestyle changes plus current guidelines, 76 percent of drugs, not angioplasty, according guidelines before undergoing patients with stable heart disease to a study out today in the angioplasty, research suggests. would save approximately $9,450 Archives of Internal Medicine. Some other recent studies had each in lifetime health-care costs. Yet, as weve previously reported, claimed to find benefits for Other researchers have estimated thats not the way doctors treat angioplasty and stents compared such a shift would save $6 to $8 most people with heart disease. to medication alone. But the billion a year. A n g i o p l a s t y a n i n v a s i v e authors of this latest analysis say See our advice on how to treat procedure in which a doctor those studies had problems, such heart disease, including the inflates a thin balloon in a a s c o m p a r i n g o u t d a t e d overuse of angioplasty. In narrowed artery to crush deposits, angioplasty techniques and drugs. addition, use our calculator to then leaves a cylindrical insert T h e n e w a n a l y s i s , w h i c h estimate your risk of having a called a stent in place to prop the combined the results of eight heart attack in the next 10 years vessel openclearly saves lives clinical trials, looked at only at and see our Ratings of heart tests. when performed as an emergency data that compared the most Source procedure in people who have just current angioplasty techniques Initial Coronary Stent had a heart attack. and medications. It confirmed that I m p l a n t a t i o n W i t h M e d i c a l B u t i n o t h e r p e o p l e , t h e p e o p l e t r e a t e d w i t h d r u g s Therapy vs Medical Therapy procedure isnt lifesaving. Indeed, (including statins, ACE inhibitors, Alone for Stable Coronary Artery medical guidelines have for angiotensin receptor blockers, and Disease[Archives of Internal several years said that most aspirin) fared just as well as those Medicine] Subscribe now! people who have symptoms of who also underwent angioplasty S u b s c r i b e t o heart problems, such as angina with stents. ConsumerReports.org for expert (chest pain on exertion), but have John Santa, M.D., director of the Ratings, buying advice and not had a heart attack, should be Consumer Reports Health Ratings r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f treated with lifestyle changes and Center, says We've known for a products. Update your feed drugs first. Yet less than half of while that drugs and lifestyle preferences patients in that situation are changes looked as effective and treated according to these
NDC: 68462-565-29 Lot number 04110101, expiration 7/31/2013 Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:00:00 PM Lot number 04110106, expiration February is turning into quite the 7/31/2013 unfortunate month for birth Lot number 04110107, expiration control recalls earlier this 7/31/2013 month one million pill packets Lot number 04110114, expiration were recalled by Pfizer, and now 8/31/2013 another company, Glenmark Lot number 04110124, expiration Generics, says seven lots of its 8/31/2013 pills might have tablets in the Lot number 04110129, expiration wrong order in blister packs. 8/31/2013 The company says the generic Lot number 04110134, expiration pills involved are Norgestimate 9/30/2013 and Ethinyl Estradiol, where the Previously: Pfizer Recalls Birth tablets were placed in reverse C o n t r o l P i l l s F o r B e i n g order, according to the Food and Potentially Unable To Prevent Drug Administration. Those Pregnancy affected were distributed between Glenmark Generics Inc. September 21 and December 30, Announces a Nationwide Recall 2011. of Seven (7) Lots of A key to recognizing whether the Norgestimate and Ethinyl pack you have is subject to recall Estradiol Tablets USP, 0.18 mg/ is if its number and expiration 0.035 mg, 0.215 date are not visible except on the mg/0.035 mg, 0.25 mg/0.035 mg outer pouch, as the blister (Generic) Due to Possibility of packaging was inserted 180 Out of degrees from where it should be Sequence Tablets[FDA.gov] within the card. This entry passed through the Consumers exposed to any of Full-Text RSS service if this is these packages should begin using your content and you're reading it a n o n - h o r m o n a l f o r m o f on someone else's site, please read c o n t r a c e p t i o n , n o t i f y y o u r the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentphysician and return the pills to only/faq.php#publishers. Five the pharmacy. Filters recommends: Donate to See below for affected lot Wikileaks. numbers:
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Products/ Politics-Right/
Facebook: We're Not Reading Your Texts But We Can If We Wanna

Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)
VIDEO: Gov. Luis Fortuo Predicts Puerto Rico Will Become 51st State
Rob Bluey (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
permission to access text messages is right there in the app's terms and conditions, according to Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:00:00 PM the Washington Post. You know that list of permissions "The Sunday Times has done you breeze by when downloading s o m e c r e a t i v e c o n s p i r a c y an app? The ones you likely don't theorizing but the suggestion that read but that could contain all we're secretly reading people's kinds of little things you might texts is ridiculous," the company not want to put in the hands of said in a statement. "Instead, the say, Facebook? Yeah. You should permission is clearly disclosed on probably be reading those, since the app page in the Android Facebook permissions for its marketplace and is in anticipation mobile app allows for it to read of new features that enable users your text messages if they want to integrate Facebook features to. with their texts. However, other After a report in the Sunday than some very limited testing, we Times in London said Facebook haven't launched anything so was secretly reading the text we're not using the permission. If messages of users of the mobile we do, it will be obvious to users app, they're responding to say what's happening. We'll keep you that's all hogwash they're not posted on our progress." doing it now, but they technically A close look at the app could if they really wanted to. permissions list does show And you already gave them the go Facebook can edit, receive, read -ahead. or send SMS messages on your A Facebook spokesman said in behalf. On the bright side, maybe response to the article that the it would be better at not sending
oil to natural gas. During his visit to Heritage, we spoke to Fortuo about Puerto Rican statehood, his relationship Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:18:13 PM embarrassing texts to exes than Puerto Rico has long flirted with with Venezuelas Hugo Chavez, you are. the idea of becoming the 51st drug trafficking, budget reforms The bottom line is to be aware of state. This year voters will once and why Hispanics should find what you're agreeing to if again have their choice at the conservatism appealing. you're not comfortable giving a ballot box. And for Gov. Luis The interview runs about 4 company that kind of control, Fortuo, the time is right. minutes. Hosted by Rob Bluey don't agree to an app's Fortuo visited the nations a n d p r o d u c e d b y B r a n d o n permissions. You might not be capital last week for a meeting at Stewart. For more videos from able to download the app, but you the White House on increased H e r i t a g e , s u b s c r i b e t o o u r know what they say about having drug trafficking through the Y o u T u b e c h a n n e l . your cake and eating it, too. You Caribbean. Its one of many This entry passed through the can't! challenges facing Puerto Rico. Full-Text RSS service if this is Previously:'Hunger Games' Viral When he took office in 2009, your content and you're reading it Site Requires You To Give Fortuo inherited a poor economy on someone else's site, please read Marketers Control Of Your and high unemployment. He has the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentFacebook Or Twitter Account instituted reforms to balance the only/faq.php#publishers. Five Facebook denies it's snooping budget and reduce the overall tax Filters recommends: Donate to through texts[Washington Post] burden. The Wall Street Journal Wikileaks. This entry passed through the recently featured his plans to Full-Text RSS service if this is switch electricity generation from 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.
Products/ Politics-Right/ Finance/
65
Pricing: 2013 Acura RDX Karzai Wants Soliders Who Burned to start at $34,320 Korans Punished
Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)
28 highway mpgnotably better than the outgoing model. We recently reported on the Submitted at 2/27/2012 12:59:59 PM Acura RDX from the 2012 Detroit Pricing: 2013 Acura RDX to start Auto Show. We had mixed at $34,320 feelings about the original Acura The 2013 RDX crossover SUV RDX, which had a stiff ride, will go on sale at Acura pronounced road noise, and dealerships with a manufacturer's uneven power delivery. Hopefully suggested retail price starting at Navigation System with Voice the second-gen RDX addresses $34,320, Acura announced today. Recognition, and a GPS-linked those and other shortcomings. Slated to be available this spring, solar-sensing dual-zone automatic We'll find out when we buy one to the Acura RDX remains the climate control system, plus test. premium rendition of the Honda several other technology features. For information on other new CR-V, just with the turbocharged RDX $34,320 RDX with vehicles check out our model four-cylinder engine replaced by a technology package $38,020 overview pages with Rating. For stronger 3.5-liter V6 with 273 RDX with AWD $35,720 RDX more upcoming models, see our horsepowerup 33 horses over w i t h A W D a n d t e c h n o l o g y New car preview. the outgoing model. The engine is p a c k a g e $ 3 9 , 4 2 0 Acura Announces Pricing for fitted with a six-speed 2013 RDX[Acura] Subscribe transmission, and a new all-wheel now! -drive system, which is available S u b s c r i b e t o as a $1,400 option. ConsumerReports.org for expert For $3,700, a technology package Initial EPA estimates put the Ratings, buying advice and includes the AcuraLink Satellite front-drive RDX at 20 city, 28 r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f Communication System, Real- highway mpg. The all-wheel- products. Update your feed Time Weather and Traffic with drive RDX is estimated at 19 city, preferences Traffic Rerouting, Acura
(The Feed)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:44:18 AM
Via Washington Post: . . .However, Karzai, while pushing for the punishment of those responsible for Koran burning, has called on his countrymen to not resort to violence because he said the insurgents and their foreign backers would manipulate their protests. Now is the time to return to calm and not let the enemies of peace and development to use this situation, Karzai said in a news conference Sunday. We have asked for justice and punishment for those who have done this act, he said of the culprits behind the Koran burnings. . . So, even Karzai doesnt accept
the presidents apology? Time to leave. 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.
Thousands of staff share over 2million in bonuses at quangos AFTER they were scrapped
Christopher Hope (Finance News - Business news from the UK and world)
Thousands of staff shared millions of pounds in bonuses at regional development quangos
after they were axed by the Coalition, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
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Sports/
6 years after Barbaro, trainer Michael Matz has another top contender for Kentucky Derby - Minneapolis Star Tribune
(- Bing News)
before heading to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:25:52 PM on May 3. Six years after Barbaro, trainer Algorithms, scratched before Michael Matz has another star Sunday's Fountain of Youth attraction for the Kentucky Derby. because of a splint bone injury in Union Rags confirmed his status his right front leg, drops off the as the Derby front-runner with an list after being ranked second. impressive four-length victory in Hansen, set for his next start in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Saturday's Gotham at Aqueduct, Stakes over the weekend at moves up to No. 2, with El Gulfstream Park. Padrino moving in at No. 3 The win in his 3-year-old debut following Saturday's victory in the comes nearly four months after $300,000 Risen Star at the Fair the colt's lone defeat by a head Grounds. to Hansen in the Breeders' Cup It was a weekend of ups and Juvenile on Nov. 5. downs for trainer Todd Pletcher "You never know after a four- and jockey Javier Castellano. month rest. Do you have the horse Pletcher trains Algorithms, and fit enough? Did you do this? Did his other entry in the Fountain of you do that?" Matz said. "You ask Youth, 4-5 favorite Discreet yourself 51 questions. I guess we Dancer, finished a distant third. did it right this time." Castellano, meanwhile, gave up Matz took a similar path with the ride aboard Union Rags to Barbaro, who won the 2006 stay with Algorithms. On the plus Derby before breaking down in s i d e , P l e t c h e r t r a i n s a n d the Preakness and sustaining Castellano rides El Padrino, injuries that ultimately led to the Union Rags breeder and owner colt being euthanized. Phyllis Wyeth was feeling With his fourth win in five career confident in the winner's circle at starts, Union Rags remains No. 1 Gulfstream Park. in the AP's latest Run to the Roses "We were just out for a practice Top 10 list of Derby contenders. run. Can you believe that one? The Dixie Union colt will have And we didn't want him to peak to one more prep the $1 million soon," she said. Florida Derby on March 31 As for comparisons to Barbaro,
Matz says, "Barbaro was an undefeated horse and we had a lot of confidence in him, there was no doubt. If it wasn't for maybe two feet he'd be undefeated, also," said Matz, referring to Union Rags. "I think he's a real good horse. He's a got a real good disposition and I certainly don't think there's any problem with distance with him." ___ 1. Union Rags (Michael Matz, trainer; Julien Leparoux, jockey): Cruised to 4-length win in Fountain of Youth (G2) in 3-yearold debut. ... Lone loss in five starts was by a head in BC Juvenile (G1). .... Next start: Florida Derby (G1), Gulfstream, March 31. ... Derby future wager odds: 7-1. 2. Hansen (Mike Maker, Ramon Dominguez): Two-year old champ worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.95 Sunday at Gulfstream. ... Headed to New York this week for next prep. ... Runner-up in Holy Bull (G3) owns win over Union Rags. ... Next start: Gotham (G3), Aqueduct, Saturday. ... Odds: 26-1. 3. El Padrino (Todd Pletcher, Javier Castellano): Survived bumping foul claim to win Risen Star (G2) by a nose over Mark
Valeski on Saturday. ... Next start: Louisiana Derby (G2), Fair Grounds, April 1. ... Odds: 16-1. 4. Gemologist (Pletcher, Castellano): Worked 5 furlongs in 1:03.88 Sunday at Palm Meadows. ... Unbeaten in three starts, all as 2-year-old . ... Next start: Rebel (G2), Oaklawn, March 17. ... Odds: 22-1. 5. Alpha (Kiaran McLaughlin, Dominguez): Withers (G3) winner worked 4 furlongs in 49.71 Saturday at Palm Meadows. ... Owned by Sheik Mohammed's Godolphin Stable. ... Next start: Wood Memorial (G1), Aqueduct, April 7. ... Odds: 19-1. 6. Secret Circle (Bob Baffert, Rafael Bejarano): Won division of Southwest (G3) in last start. ... Has four wins in five starts. ... Could run in Rebel (G2) on March 17. ... Next start: Undecided. Odds: 3-2 (mutuel field). 7. Fed Biz (Baffert, Bejarano): Allowance winner worked 6 furlongs in 1:16 last week at Santa Anita. ... Next start: San Felipe (G2), Santa Anita, March 10. ... Odds: 21-1. 8. Liaison (Baffert, Bejarano): CashCall Futurity (G1) winner worked 1 mile in 1:43 last week. ... Could end up in Rebel (G2) on
March 17. ... Next start: Undecided. ... Odds: 56-1. 9. I'll Have Another (Doug O'Neill, Mario Gutierrez): Robert B. Lewis (G2) winner worked 4 furlongs in 48.60 on cushion track at Hollywood last week. ... Next start: Santa Anita Derby (G1), Santa Anita, April 7. ...Odds: 291. 10. Out of Bounds (Garrett Gomez, Eoin Harty): Sham winner training well at Hollywood Park. ... Owned by Sheik Mohammed's Darley Stable. ... Next start: San Felipe. ... Odds: 23 -1. ___ Keep an eye on: Algorithms, Creative Cause, Dullahan, Mark Valeski, My Adonis. ___ Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ rosenblattap 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. YEARS page 67
Gaming/ News Photos
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YEARS
Deja Review: Tales of the Abyss (3DS)

Jason Venter (Joystiq)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:30:00 PM
Photos of Daytona 500 rain delay - Tulsa World (blog)

(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:16:19 PM
Filed under: Portable, Reviews We're of the firm opinion that your time is too precious, too valuable to be spent reading a full review for a game that was already reviewed many, many years ago. What's the point of applying a score to a game that's old enough to be enrolled in the sixth grade? That's why we invented Deja Review: A quick look at the new features and relative agelessness of remade, revived and re-released games. When Tales of the Abyss arrived on the PlayStation 2 near the end of 2006, it was the second Tales title to hit North American stores in the same year. The RPG genre
was flying high and compelling new JRPGs seemed to arrive on a monthly basis. Even in that environment, the game managed to stand apart from the crowd. Though it featured a somewhat formulaic story that bowed to
system and an epic adventure. The game's greatest strength was its ability to take so many familiar genre elements and tie them together to create an experience that almost felt too big for the PlayStation 2 hardware. More than five years later, that experience has returned in handheld form with all of the magic still in place. Gallery: Tales of the Abyss (Gamescom 2011) Continue reading Deja Review: Tales of the Abyss (3DS) genre tropes (even going so far as to include a mostly amnesiac lead Deja Review: Tales of the Abyss protagonist), Tales of the Abyss (3DS) originally appeared on wowed consumers and critics Joystiq on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 alike with interesting characters, 16:30:00 EST. Please see our d e t a i l e d a n d b e a u t i f u l terms for use of feeds. environments, an efficient combat Permalink| Email this| Comments
Photos of Daytona 500 rain delay Tulsa World (blog) TERRY RENNA/AP Photo Cheer up, rain-starved Tulsa area. Our chances of rain are coming (check out our forecast here). And NASCAR fans can cheer up too, knowing that their once-Sunday afternoon race will be reaching an even larger audience on primetime... and more
Photos: Actress Sean Young arrested at Oscars party - Denver Post

Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:40:39 PM
Photos: Actress Sean Young
arrested at Oscars party Denver Post Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images. Actress Sean Young
attends a photocall for the film France. ( Photo by Carlo Allegri/ "Killer Within" during the 57th Getty Images) Sean Young stars I n t e r n a t i o n a l C a n n e s F i l m with Tom... Festival May 13, 2004 in Cannes, and more
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Gaming/ News Photos
Mass Effect 3: Space Edition almost raffled off in illegal lottery

Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:00:00 PM
Photos of the Day: Feb. 27 Wall Street Journal (blog)

Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:03:59 PM
Two men who tried to raffle off one of the early Mass Effect 3" Space Edition" copies decided to call their plan off, after discovering their actions could include possible jail time. Kotaku reported earlier today that videomakers Michael Davis and Miguel Droz were holding a lottery where folks interested in winning a copy of the game early could pay $5 for a ticket, with 30 percent of the accumulated cash going to the Child's Play charity.
One tiny problem: It's all so illegal. Former Law of the Game on Joystiq columnist Mark Methenitis explained that the pair could have faced jail time or
massive fines in their home state of Nevada, to say nothing of the federal implications for taking cash from across the country. Droz told Kotaku this afternoon that they should have done their
due diligence and are refunding everyone's money. They "super apologize" for wasting anyone's time. Guess they'll just have to suffer through playing Mass Effect 3 now instead of selling it off. Mass Effect 3: Space Edition almost raffled off in illegal lottery originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
Photos of the Day: Feb. 27 Wall Street Journal (blog) By WSJ Staff TENDING TO A LOT: Parking attendant Tyler Bounelis sat near an empty lot at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Monday. Heavy rain on Sunday forced Nascar to postpone the Daytona 500 to Monday, the first postponement... and more
Medal of Honor: Warfighter avoiding Osama Bin Laden mission

Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)
Operatives]. ... It's been an interesting exercise learning Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:30:00 PM what's okay and what's not okay Medal of Honor: Warfighter, [to portray in the game]." And which uses the experiences of who at EA is going to argue with Tier One Operatives for its a guy who can kill with a missions and plot, will avoid the paperclip? conclusion of terrorist Osama Bin The Medal of Honor reboot also Laden's life in its narrative. avoided possible offense two "That's not our story to tell," years ago by changing "Taliban" producer Greg Goodrich told to "Opposing Force" for the O X M U S . " T h a t ' s ' f a m i l y multiplayer portion of the game. b u s i n e s s ' t o [ t h e T i e r 1 "The objection was, kind of from
around an active conflict." Medal of Honor: Warfighter avoiding Osama Bin Laden mission originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments an older generation that doesn't understand games, that the sound bite was 'Play as the Taliban and kill US soldiers,'" Danger Close marketing director Craig Owens told us at the time. "There still is, it seems, a group that's still a little bit leery of a game taking place
Science/
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Smithsonian Aims to Make All Objects In Museum Collection 3-DPrintable

Rebecca Boyle (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:45:14 PM
How Could We Possibly Choose? The Milestones of Flight exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum contains plenty of awesome things, any of which would be excellent candidates for 3-D printed replicas. Photo by Eric Long, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Please give me a Friendship 7 to call my own The Smithsonian Institution, guardian of the nation's historical awesomeness, is building a new archive of 3-D digital models for its entire collection. It starts with a statue of Thomas Jefferson and ends, we sincerely hope, with fullscale replicas of every item in the National Air and Space Museum, which we can personally print out with a souped-up Makerbot. CNET reports that that some 3-D scanned items will become 3-D printouts, and others will remain digital models (which could also
conceivably be printed, or used to help restoration efforts). Replicas would probably go to schools or other museums, but it would be fairly simple to put the plans online somewhere and let people hook up their own laser sintering devices. This is amazing - instead of tinkering over hobby-store models, you could just print your
own Spirit of St. Louis. Or the Apollo 11 command capsule. Or SpaceShipOne. What if you could print every single item in the collection and put it in your garage? I personally choose the Wright Flyer, Friendship 7, Apollo 11 command module, and a Mars rover. (I already have a mini Spirit of St. Louis, so that's
accounted for.) If you could 3-D print awesome aerospace replicas, which would you choose? (There are lots of other items related to our nation's history that are not aerospace, too.) Smithsonian curators started with a 3-D printed statue of our nation's third president. It's a replica of a Jefferson statue installed at Monticello, and it was apparently installed as part of a preview exhibit for the justgroundbroken National Museum of African American History and Culture. CNET has the scoop on how curators used a $100,000 Minolta laser scanner and worked with Studio EIS to generate a 3-D model, and studio RedEye on Demand to generate a 3-D printout. Head over to CNET for more details and a photo gallery. And tell us what piece of our nation's history you would print out, given the chance.
IBM Photographs the Electric Charge in a Single Molecule

Rebecca Boyle (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:32:06 PM
Where's the Charge? For the first time, Kelvin probe force microscopy shows how electrical charge is distributed in a single molecule. IBM Research This is a molecule, and the circles represent how the electrical charge is distributed inside it. It's a glimpse of the forces that bind molecules together, essentially. This picture is a major b r e a k t h r o u g h f o r nanotechnologists - understanding how charge is arranged inside molecules could help research in anything from solar energy to biology. IBM researchers made this image using a new technique called IBM page 70
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Science/ Health/
Steer Your Wheelchair With Your Computerized Tongue Piercing

Dan Nosowitz (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:07:36 PM
Tongue Drive Georgia Tech Today in non-cosmetic body piercings: A group of engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a way to control, well, just about anything (but most likely, things like wheelchairs) with a combination of a magnetic tongue piercing and a paired retainer. The user would press the tongue piercing against different parts of the retainer to send signals. Shift into neutral! Pretend like you're saying the word "lilt"!
The system is called the Tongue Drive, and it relies on a waterproof retainer on the roof of the mouth containing a Li-ion battery, induction coil for charging, and and several
magnetic contact points to detect the position of the tonguemounted magnet. It'll then beam the signal wirelessly to a mobile device--iOS devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch are
mentioned--and the mobile device shoots those commands over to whichever device is meant to be controlled. Theoretically you could use the Tongue Drive for just about anything, but the engineers are specifically looking to replace what's called the "sip-npuff" system for controlling wheelchairs, sort of like blowing into a straw. The Tongue Drive part of a new crop of wheelchair controls that are far more customizable than before. It's a pretty interesting field--read more about them here. [ Wired UK]
Pediatricians Recommend HPV Vaccination For Boys

(Shots - Health Blog)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:36:00 PM
IBM
Kelvin probe force microscopy, a different version of the more familiar atomic force microscopy that already gave us the first pictures of a molecule three years ago. When it hovers over the molecular sample, the tip of the probe creates an electric field, which can be measured. The researchers were able to determine the electrical charges of the molecule by looking at changes in this electric field. The colorful picture above represents the charge distribution
in an X-shaped molecule called naphthalocyanine. It has two hydrogen atoms that are facing off, and when a voltage is applied, the hydrogens switch their configurations. This affects the way electric charge is distributed in the molecule, as the other atoms in naphthalocyanine have to re-jigger themselves so everyone stays together and happy. Watching that dance can unveil how atoms behave at much higher resolution. This new method
could be used to study charge transport in molecules used for computing and energy storage, according to IBM. The research was published Sunday in Nature Nanotechnology. [ IBM Research via BBC]
Active Video Games Don't Keep Kids Moving

(Shots - Health Blog)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:29:00 PM
Jeff Gentner/ AP page 71 ACTIVE
Richard Knox/ NPR Connor Perruccello-McClellan, a senior at Providence Country Day School in Rhode Island, has been vaccinated against HPV, something less than 1 percent of U.S. males can say. The leading group of U.S. pediatricians says it's now time for boys, as well as girls, to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus. The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance to parents and doctors in favor of routine immunization for boys against the virus. Previously, the group had said it was OK to vaccinate boys against the HPV, but it only became part of the pediatricians' official schedule of recommended vaccines this month. HPV can cause cervical cancer. And girls have been the prime focus for vaccination, though that has stirred controversy almost PEDIATRICIANS page 71
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ACTIVE
PEDIATRICIANS
Just because it's an "active" video game, doesn't mean the kid stays active. Active video games like the Wii seem just the thing to lure children into getting more exercise. But in real life, giving a child active video games doesn't get them off the couch and moving. That's what happened with 78 healthy children in Houston who took part in a study published in the journal Pediatrics. Half of the kids were given games like Mario Kart Wii and Madden NFL 10. The other half got games like Dance Dance Revolution, Wii Sports, or EA Sports Active. The researchers expected a big spike in activity in the weeks when the 9- to 12-year-olds were handed the active games. But much to their surprise they found no increase in running, jumping and swinging during the 12-week experiment, compared to the children who got typical only-mythumbs-are-moving video games. "There was no impact," says Tom Baranowski, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, who led the study. Earlier studies that had children play games in laboratory settings
found increased exercise, but this study suggests that that doesn't translate to real life. Other studies of home use found that giving explicit instructions to use the games did increase activity. But these researchers didn't do that. They wanted to mimic the situation when a family brings home a new video game. Baranowski isn't sure why the active games didn't get the children moving more. He thinks there may be two reasons. One is that they may have played the games with a minimum of effort. Or they may have exercised less during the rest of the day as a result. (The children's activity was measured by having them wear pedometers on their belts that measured daily activity.) Public health researchers are putting a lot of effort into trying to deploy children's love of video games to improve their health. The lack of behavior change is particularly frustrating to Baranowski and his crew because they've had luck getting children to eat more fruits and vegetables by having them play speciallydesigned video games. But those custom games have well-developed characters and a
strong story line, like " Escape From Diab." In that game, a motley crew of teenagers band together to evade the evil King Etes, who stuffs his subjects full of free junk food to keep them under control. "The active video games are very different than other video games in that there's no story," Baranowski told Shots. "We think if we could learn to wrap a story around an active video game, we would get more kids active as they try to see how the story plays out." Maybe it's time for a version of Mario Kart that has Luigi and Peach running the New York City marathon while evading Donkey Kong. 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.
from the start. But the sexually transmitted virus also causes genital warts and anal cancers. It's also been implicated in the recent increase in oral cancers, though the HPV vaccines aren't approved to reduce that risk. The vaccine is most potent if given before the onset of sexual activity. Boys and girls should be vaccinated when they're 11 or 12, the doctors say. Older boys and young men, ages 13-21, should get the vaccine, if they weren't immunized earlier. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that boys also get the vaccine, paving the way for the pediatricians' decision. Immunizing boys against HPV can help curb the spread of the virus to girls. Side effects, such as pain and redness at the site of injection, are generally mild. The vaccination is expensive. Full immunization takes three shots (either with Merck's Gardasil or GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix), which run about $100 or more each. The cost-effectiveness of vaccination for boys is an issue. The recommendation notes that "a range of assumptions," including the vaccination rates for girls, can affect how much each prevented case of illness costs. Still, the group concluded HPV vaccination
would be worthwhile for boys and men up to 21. In response to a question about potential financial conflicts, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that the members of its policy -writing committees have to provide disclosures to the group. "Neither Rodney Willoughby, the lead author of the HPV policy, or Michael Brady, the chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, had any financial disclosures," a spokeswoman for the group told Shots in an email. In Rhode Island, where HPV vaccination of boys has been common, there's been no backlash, NPR's Dick Knox reported last year. "There's been a surprisingly muted reaction," Dr. Don Dizon, a Brown University oncologist, told him. "We tend to believe that girls are chaste and are going to 'save themselves for marriage.' But, you know, sexual activity is something that's almost expected of boys." 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-Right/ Social Media/
Beijing and Damascus

Dean Cheng (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
opposition to proposed sanctions on Syriain October 2011 and again this month. Some have suggested that the Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:30:10 PM A s t h e s i t u a t i o n i n S y r i a Chinese veto is cast not in support continues to deteriorate, the of Assads regime but as part of a regime of Bashar al-Assad has SinoRussian effort to balance the found two steadfast allies: Russia United States. Yet Beijings and the Peoples Republic of reaction today to U.S. Secretary China (PRC). of State Hillary Clintons While Russian interest in Syria condemnation of the veto suggests may be rooted in the longstanding that perhaps more is at work here. t i e s b e t w e e n M o s c o w a n d Rejecting Clintons description of Damascus (and the substantial the veto as despicable, the amount of arms that Syria has Chinese foreign ministry in turn purchased over the years from declared her comments totally Russian arms manufacturers), unacceptable, while Peoples Chinas interest is less clear. Daily described the U.S. as Syrian armories are not filled with super arrogant. Chinese weapons. SyriaPRC The Chinese leadership has long trade is only about $2.2 billion opposed interference in the and mostly involves Chinese internal affairs of other states. exports to Syria; Syria is not a This is partly rooted in Chinas major oil producer, and most of unhappy history with imperialism, the 100,000 barrels per day it but it also provides a cover for produces is shipped to Europe. their own crackdowns on Tibetans Yet Syria clearly has significance and Uighurs. In this context, the for the PRC. Since assuming its application of sanctions has seat on the U.N. Security Council increasingly been seen as an in 1972, China has cast only eight initial step toward eventual vetoes. Of these, two have been in regime change, whether in Iraq or
Libya. This is potentially exacerbated by concern over whether the Arab Spring, which saw the overthrow of various authoritarian regimes, might not have a Chinese sequelan especially pointed concern as the Chinese leadership prepares for political transition this fall. Chinese opposition to the imposition of sanctions, then, is likely as much due to concerns about Chinese vulnerability and fears about internal stability, now and in the future, as it is concern about the Syrian population. The vehemence of the Chinese response to Clintons remarks suggests that the leaderships fears may be closer to the surface than generally recognized. 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.
Banner Ad Lets You Play Piano Like Schroeder [VIDEO]

Todd Wasserman (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:44:24 PM
Do you have what it takes to be a world-class pianist? If youre like most people, the answer is no, but an interactive banner ad from MetLife gives you a little taste. The ad, created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, features Schroeder, the Peanuts character, at his piano. A headline asks, Help Schroeder with his big performance. To do so, you have to touch your computer keyboard (any keys will do) at roughly the speed he plays not too fast, not too slow. A meter shows you how fast youre going. The banner shown above ran on The New York Timess homepage last week. Another placement is planned for People.com on March 1. You can also play the game at MetLifes Facebook Page.
Thematically, the ad fits in with MetLifes current I Can Do This campaign, which is built around the premise that, when faced with a seemingly daunting task, all you have to do is take the first step and youll see theres nothing standing in your way. For whatever reason, The New York Timess homepage seems to be a magnet for trials of new banner ad technology. Last year, the USA network rigged the page to turn it into a game promoting the show White Collar. Before that, Mac and PC from the longrunning Apple campaign conversed with fake ads on the page. More About: Advertising, banner ads, crispin porter + Bogusky, Marketing
Politics-Right/
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Sen. Schumer, Who Opposed Keystone XL, Calls for More Saudi Oil Production
Lachlan Markay (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:00:08 PM
Responding to record-high gas prices and a potential for further disruptions in supply, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday requested that the State Department pressure Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production. The senators concerns are twofold: Schumer called on the State Department to press the Saudis to publicly commit to meet their capacity potential to offset any current or future Iranian manipulation and bring down gas prices, worldwide, reported a local broadcaster in Buffalo, NY. This is the same senator who opposed construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which could have worked toward both of Schumers ostensible objectives: reduced reliance on Iranian oil, and lower gas prices through an increase in crude supplies. Schumer avoided some of the
more heated rhetoric of his colleagues in discussing the pipeline, but his state director informed constituents on Feb. 14 that the senator will be voting against the proposed amendment that includes Keystone XL and is working with Majority Leader Reid to defeat the amendment. Schumer was referring to an amendment to the highway
TransCanada, the company responsible for Keystone, said it would move ahead with construction of a smaller pipeline within the United States which does not need State Department approval while the administration considers its new application for the full pipeline. Like President Obama with respect to this new domestic pipeline, Schumer has no direct control over Saudi Arabias energy policies. Both could more proactive in addressing challenges posed by expensive oil and reliance on hostile regimes for it. This entry passed through the funding bill currently under p i p e l i n e would be Full-Text RSS service if this is c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h a t w o u l d exported. Valero, a Texas oil your content and you're reading it authorize the pipeline route as c o m p a n y t h a t w a s h e a v i l y on someone else's site, please read initially conceived. If built, the involved with Keystone XL, said the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentpipeline could transport up to the vast bulk of Keystone oil only/faq.php#publishers. Five 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil would stay in the United States. Filters recommends: Donate to per day to Gulf Coast refineries. But as Scribe pointed out at the Wikileaks. Critics of the pipeline argue that time, American exports to Europe the pipeline is not worth building or other parts of the world would in the United States since much of still reduce dependence on OPEC the oil transported through the nations, including Iran.
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Social Media/ Technology/
Facebook Denies Looking At Your Text Messages [VIDEO]

Alex Fitzpatrick (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:20:49 PM
Facebook denied a report Monday from the Sunday Times in London that the company is reading text messages sent by users that have installed its popular app on their mobile phones. The Sunday Times has done some creative conspiracy theorizing but the suggestion that were secretly reading peoples texts is ridiculous, said Iian Mackenzie, Facebooks head of European communications in a post entitledTodays Bad Journalism. An earlier report in the Sunday Times suggested that Facebook was ogling users private texts based on the Facebook for Android apps permissions. Those permissions seem to allow the Facebook app to view text messages stored on the installers
phone. However, Facebook has now strongly denied that it reads users text messages. Instead, Facebook says, the text-reading permission was put into place in anticipation of a text-integration feature currently being tested by the company. . . . the permission is clearly disclosed on the app page in the Android marketplace and is in anticipation of new features that enable users to integrate Facebook features with their texts, said Mackenzie. However, other than some very limited testing, we havent launched anything so were not using the permission. If we do, it will be obvious to users whats happening. Well keep you posted on our progress. Mackenzie suggested that concerned users run a test to see exactly what data is being
exchanged between a phone running the Facebook app and the companys servers. He also made sure to tell readers that his post shouldnt be interpreted as an announcement of a new messenger service. Just as an aside we didnt say were launching a messenger product, said Mackenzie. Any proper technology journalist will tell you that there are any number of things you can use SMS for, such as carrier billing. Do you always check the permissions of a new app you download? Do you think app developers should be more transparent about why you need to agree to certain permissions before installing an app? Sound off in the comments below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ymgerman More About: app permissions, cell phones, Facebook, Mobile, SMS, Text
Intel reportedly delays Ivy Bridge launch until June, manufacturing process to blame
Billy Steele (Engadget)
the component manufacturer communicated that the Q2 shipping plans for Ivy Bridge Looking forward to splurging for remain the same. You can rest some tech decked out with Ivy assured we'll be keeping a close Bridge? Well, you may have to watch on this one and what the wait a bit longer. Financial Times delay could mean for upcoming is reporting that Intel's new 22nm laptop releases. processor has been pushed from Intel reportedly delays Ivy Bridge April to June. The site caught up launch until June, manufacturing with executive VP and chairman process to blame originally of Intel China Sean Maloney who appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 said that the manufacturing Feb 2012 17:29:00 EDT. Please methods used to make the heir to see our terms for use of feeds. Sandy Bridge was to blame for P e r m a l i n k A r s T e c h n i c a | t h e c h a n g e i n s c h e d u l e . Financial Times| Email this| Furthermore, a spokesperson for Comments
Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:29:00 PM
Social Media/ Daily World/
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Email Overload? This Startup Lets You Unsubscribe to All Mailing Lists at Once [INVITES]
Sarah Kessler (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:18:29 PM
Church wins 600,000 hacking claim

(Evening Standard - News)
Yesterday I was subscribed to 271 newsletters. Today, after putting about 10 minutes of effort, Im subscribed to just the 17 of them I find useful and they arrive at my inbox packaged in a single email. Hallelujah. Unroll.me, which started as a simple hack for unsubscribing to emails, is the startup behind this improvement, and its launching a redeisned product on Monday. For the first time, users can compile the newsletters they do want to receive into a one-emailper-day digest. Heres how it works: After you grant Unroll.me access to your inbox (only gmail, MSN, Yahoo and AOL are compatible for now), it searches for the newsletters you receive on a regular basis. A 2003 law that requires newsletters to include certain language makes this easier for the startup to spot them. Through the Unroll.me dashboard, you can then opt out of each newsletter it detects with a single click (for sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, Unroll.me directs you to the appropriate settings page). You can also add
He said that James and Maria Church were not in the public eye, Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:06:24 AM but their own privacy has been 27 Feb 2012 violated on a number of Charlotte Church and her parents o c c a s i o n s . H e a d d e d : " T h e have settled their phone-hacking motivation for this intrusion into claims for 600,000 with up to the lives of two essentially private 200 fresh claims on the horizon. and ordinary individuals was to As the singer told reporters of her make money." disgust at the behaviour of News Michael Silverleaf QC, for NGN, of the World publisher News said: "I am here today to offer my Group Newspapers (NGN), Mr client's sincere apologies to the J u s t i c e V o s w a s s e t t i n g a Church family for the way they timetable for the High Court to h a v e b e e n t r e a t e d . N G N any of them to a daily digest you can continue purging your deal with the next wave of the acknowledges that they should litigation by this time next year. never have had to endure what newsletter with one click. Thats inbox. it. Considering the benefits of the Miss Church, 26, sat in the they have suffered and that NGN Eventually the site hopes to make service, however, a social plug is packed London courtroom as her are liable for the damage that they lawyer told the judge that the now have caused." money by building an index of a small price to pay. n e w s l e t t e r s . I t c o u l d h e l p Unroll.me is still in private beta, -defunct newspaper targeted her The settlement of Miss Church's n e w s l e t t e r s a c q u i r e n e w but the first 5,000 Mashable users and her voicemail messages case means that 55 of the original subscribers by suggesting them to who sign up at this link can skip r e p e a t e d l y , a n d u n l a w f u l l y 6 0 c l a i m s l a u n c h e d b e f o r e obtained her private medical October last year have been users who subscribe to similar the line. information and details of her resolved. The remaining five are ones, and it would charge them More About: email, unroll.me personal relationships with her those of footballer Ryan Giggs, for the service. Unroll.me is For more Business coverage: currently offering newsletter Follow Mashable Business on family and friends. former royal butler Paul Burrell, Solicitor Mike Brookes said it police officer and Crimewatch recommendations to users, but Twitter began in 2002 when Charlotte presenter Jacqui Hames - and her none of them are sponsored. Become a Fan on Facebook Despite the lack of income, the Subscribe to the Business was just 16 and continued for husband David Cook, public many years. service is free to use but there channel relations consultant Nicola is a catch. After unsubscribing Download our free apps for "Charlotte was also regularly Phillips and Elle Macpherson's from four lists through Unroll.me, Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad harassed and even placed under former adviser, Mary Ellen Field surveillance by the News of the whose case will be tried in July. you need to tweet, post or email World and those paid by them. Earlier this month, the court was friends about the service before They followed the every move of CHURCH page 76 a teenage girl."
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CHURCH
told that a second wave of 56 new claims was in the pipeline including those of singer James Blunt, footballer Peter Crouch and his wife Abigail Clancy, politician Nigel Farage, footballer Kieron Dyer and ex-wife of golfer Colin Montgomerie, Eimear Cook. NGN is also facing a claim from Cherie Blair after lawyers for the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair confirmed they had issued proceedings on her behalf. Acknowledging that the situation was changing "from minute to minute", Hugh Tomlinson QC said 14 new cases had been issued and 180 individuals had
approached solicitors and were considering claims. Metropolitan Police figures showed that there were 829 potential victims, of whom 231 were said to be uncontactable. 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.
Romney on NASCAR: I dont follow it closely but I have some friends who own NASCAR teams
Allahpundit (Hot Air Top Picks)
Politics Q&A: Campaign-Finance Reformer Mary Boyle

Molly Ball (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 1:17:25 PM
I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners. Democrats and liberals quickly Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:50:53 PM ridiculed the remark on Twitter. I posted at 4:50 pm on February dont know people who fish but I 27, 2012 by Allahpundit know people who own yachts, No foolin: The more I write t w e e t e d B r a d W o o d h o u s e , about these populist blind spots of communications director of the his, the more I find them goofily Democratic National Committee. endearing. Whats the big knock Ari Melber, a writer for the liberal on Romney? That hes an overly Nation magazine who apparently s c r i p t e d p h o n y w h o l l s a y was watching the Oscars, tweeted: anything to get elected, right? Do I like movies? Well I have Well, rest assured: No one would some friends who own movie script this line. This is the real companies. Mitt, doing his awkward best to For Romney, it was just his world relate. Not in a snobby way either and his friends. For Democrats, it I think the class divide implicit was a political opportunity. This in his answer utterly escapes him. is just the latest example of how Hes just trying to connect with out of touch Mitt Romney is from NASCAR fans and this is the best the average American experience. he can do. I almost want to tousle From an economic plan that his hair and say, Good effort! provides tax cuts to line the Think we can convince every pockets of his friends like independent in America to share those who own NASCAR teams my view? to wanting Wall Street to write Asked by the AP reporter if he its own rules, Mitt Romney just f o l l o w s N A S C A R , R o m n e y doesnt get it and wont work to responded, Not as closely as restore economic security for the some of the most ardent fans. But middle class, said DNC press
secretary Melanie Roussell. Sounds like something Mr. Howell might say to Gilligan. And hey, everyone loved Mr. Howell. Optimism. The punchline, of course, is that despite the lefts theatrical mirth about Mitt being out of touch, hell almost certainly beat Obama easily among NASCAR fans in the fall. Watch the clip, then restore your equilibrium by reading this BuzzFeed piece about Romneys heroism nine years ago when he and his sons heard a family screaming for help on Lake Winnipesaukee. Whatever else you think of Mitt, hes awfully good during a personal crisis. 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.
For those concerned about the POLITICS page 77
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influence of money in politics, things have never been worse. But one activist sees reason for hope. The state of campaign-finance law is in the spotlight thanks to super PACs and their massive impact on the presidential campaign. The widespread angst about the rise of these groups and their largely unrestricted campaign spending has brought renewed attention to the often lonely crusade of groups like Common Cause that seek to reduce the influence of money in politics. Mary Boyle, Common Cause's vice president, is a former newspaper reporter who has been with the group for a decade. In a recent interview at a Washington coffeeshop, she talked about why she believes there's hope for reform. This interview has been edited and condensed. You're a campaign-finance reform advocate. Is that a pretty lonely fight a lot of the time? Yes, certainly. You say "campaign-finance reform" and a lot of people's eyes glaze over. It is difficult in times when the economy hasn't collapsed, when the mortgage foreclosure crisis hasn't just happened. It is hard to get regular people who've got a lot of other worries and problems -their kids, their families, their schools -- to pay attention to why it matters that some billionaire is writing $10 million checks to presidential candidates and why they should care about that, why that matters to their life. It's a little easier now. Americans are just acutely aware they have
gotten the short end of the stick. People are getting this. I think that Occupy [Wall Street] deserves some of the credit for really raising the national narrative around that issue. Do you get a sense that people are newly mobilized around this issue? Right now I feel like Common Cause's issues are really front and center. There is more money than ever in politics. There's the Citizens United decision that unleashed all this corporate money. In a presidential year, Common Cause also works on protecting the vote and fighting things like voter ID laws that, in our view, make it harder for people to vote. We are also looking at some of the process issues that we think are a factor in grinding Washington to a halt, like the filibuster and how frequently the Senate is abusing that. We are working on some filibuster-reform issues. There's this real sense in the country that Washington isn't working for average Americans. We would agree with that, and we're trying to work on some of the fundamental issues as to why it's not working. A big part of that is our campaign-finance system and how we pay for campaigns. We have basically a system of legalized bribery where, if you want to run for elected office, you go to the people who are most willing to give you big checks or bundle big checks, and those also happen to be the people who want something from government. So
you've got this system where people who want something from government are also the ones paying for the campaigns of our elected officials. It's kind of no shock that one of the outcomes of that is a government that is looking out more for their donors than for average people. And this is something that cuts across party lines -- it's not an issue about Democrats or Republicans. Is it really true that there's more money in politics than ever before? A hundred years or so ago, didn't you have robber-baron types who essentially were the patrons of individual candidates? That's true, and I would argue right now, with super PACs, we are there again. To be perfectly cynical, you talk about regular people getting mobilized around this issue, but does that really matter if the politicians aren't interested in reform? Is there any political will to change? We think there are a number of solutions, and one is essentially a public-financing system for Congress. We believe that most people who seek public office go in with best of intentions. The system ends up, for lack of a better word, corrupting them, making them make these decisions where they're going to their big donors and they're taking their campaign money because they have to if they want to be reelected. Votes are taken, decisions are made that favor that [donor]. One of our arguments to the Hill and to politicians in
general is, if we had a different system, a small-donor public financing system, you wouldn't have to spend all your time dialing for dollars -- begging for money, basically. What response do you get to that argument? We generally get agreement, but I think there is some truth in the idea that everyone who's been elected to office has gone through this system. It's almost like a hazing. They have mastered it, they got through it, they got it down, they know the tricks, they've got their donors. They are reluctant to change it. Isn't there also a sense that it's just not possible to get money out of politics, no matter what you do? There's some of that. But I think [it's overblown]. Two years ago, before the Republicans took over the House, we had close to 200 cosponsors of the Fair Elections Now Act. We had Republican cosponsors and Democratic cosponsors. This is not something that just lives in the head of goodgovernment groups. There's a lot of confusion about what Citizens United did and didn't do, with a backlash recently from those who say it's being blamed for a lot of things, like super PACs, that actually have nothing to do with that particular decision. What Citizens United did do is allow corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money. What Citizens United did not do is allow the Sheldon
Adelsons of the world to give their $11 million checks. He still could have done that in 2008 -- it wouldn't have been to a super PAC, but maybe it was to a 527. But it's been a string of Supreme Court decisions that have loosened all the rules. There was a second decision [ SpeechNow v. FEC] based on the Citizens United decision, and that made it easier for the Sheldon Adelsons of the world to give that money to Super PACs. So they could have done it before, but the SpeechNow federal court ruling after Citizens United made it easier. How? The SpeechNow decision got rid of the $5,000 limit that had previously existed for individual contributions to independent groups. But the limits for individual contributions to candidates still exist. It's only independent groups. The only rule of super PACs is you can't coordinate with the candidate. But super PACs still have to disclose their donors, right? I think a lot of people mix up the worry about secret money with the worry about corporate money. They still have to disclose, but if I am a corporation and I give money to the Chamber [of Commerce] and the Chamber gives money to the Super PAC, that way I can hide the fact I have given. POLITICS page 78
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Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 has written a good explainer on exactly this question, how and why Citizens United has brought us to this point. Because some people are out there saying, well, Sheldon Adelson could have done what he did before. Right, large independent expenditures by wealthy individuals aren't new. What's happening with super PACs now is analogous to what was done by the Swift Boat Veterans or MoveOn in 2004, isn't it? That's right, but there was not unlimited corporate money involved. The latest figures show that corporate money thus far has only been about 17 percent, so people are saying, see, this whole corporate nightmare is not coming to fruition. We think it's way too early to say that, because a lot could be going on through [groups like] the Chamber that's not disclosed, because disclosure rules are so thin. There are lots of ways to funnel things. Two, we're not in the general election yet. And three, we think one of worst things about Citizens United is that it cleared way for just the threat of spending. The idea that a wealthy corporation could spend a million dollars or even six figures, which in a congressional district is enough to swing a campaign -that creates kind of not a great legislating climate. If you're a member of Congress, you're looking over your shoulder. You're not thinking, "How can I cast a vote in the best interest of my constituents?"
Politicians would say you're the one being cynical when you assume that money influences their votes in this way. They argue that they get contributions from all kinds of different interests, but when it comes time to vote, they put that aside and listen to their constituents above all. Who can look you in the face and say, "Yes someone gave me a million dollars to help me win my election, but I don't put any credence in what they say to me, I am not in any way looking out for them"? I mean, it's just not human nature. We're not saying in every case they are buying votes, but when someone gives you a large amount of money, they are in the back of your head. Is it really possible to create a muscular campaign-finance regime? Before Citizens United, we'd just had McCain-Feingold, which was supposedly landmark campaign-finance legislation, and we still had things like those massive independent expenditure campaigns in 2004. That's true, it's not like we went from paradise to where we are now -- things were bad before. We do think there is a way to have a small-donor public financing system. The Fair Elections Now Act is similar to state systems in Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona that are running and working. The gist of it is, you raise small contributions from a certain number of people in your district based on population. So let's say [the
threshold is] 500 $100 contributions. You then qualify as a serious, legitimate candidate, and you get the qualifying money -- you can't accept lobbyist or special-interest money, and contributions from your district are matched with federal money. There's talk of [the match being] 4 -1. So a $100 donation is suddenly worth $500. It's very heavily reliant on public financing, but it still allows people to give those small donations. From our perspective, these are the healthy donations that are not looking to buy favors or legislation. But there is a public-financing system in presidential elections, right? And Obama opted out of it. There is, but it's badly broken. It needs to be fixed by Congress. It needs more money, the timing has got to be changed to fit a modern campaign. It hasn't been updated in a long time. We think it can and should be fixed. How damaging was it that Obama chose not to participate in the public financing system in his last campaign, and that he recently reversed his stance on approving the super PACs supporting his campaign? It was damaging that he opted out, and we were very disappointed he gave the green light to the super PACs. As someone who ran on change, someone who opted out of the presidential public-financing system saying, "but I'm going to fix it," and then didn't do that, it was disappointing. We put out a
pretty strong public statement to that effect. If Barack Obama, whose platform and worldview seem about as close to the goodgovernment activist viewpoint as any president in memory, isn't going to do it, who is? It seems like if even he's going to surrender to the status quo in this regard, anybody would. We think what has yet to unfold in this campaign in terms of the money, in terms of the corruption we may or may not see immediately, but that will come with these huge donations -- we certainly don't hope for a crisis, but like I said, it takes a tipping point. We think we are at that tipping point, and we will see it even clearer in the months to come. The American people will see what happens when our elected officials are allowed to take millions of dollars, what happens in return in terms of how our government is run. Coordination between campaigns and super PACs is supposed to be illegal, yet you see candidates speaking at their super PACs' fundraisers, you see super PAC donors like Adelson and Foster Friess hanging out with the candidates, you see the same staffers working on both the campaigns and the super PACs. Is there a sense that there's no meaningful regulation left at all, and if there is, if it's challenged, the court will just knock it down? The Roberts Court certainly has been moving in that direction. A mockery is basically being made
of our campaign-finance laws. I would not say there is a sense of fear [of enforcement] out there. On top of that, we have a Federal Election Commission that basically has its hands tied behind its back. They are constantly deadlocked and totally ineffective. It's politicized, there are three Democrats and three Republicans, it's a disaster. In our view, it has to be remade and restructured. They are appointed by Congress to basically patrol Congress, and that doesn't work. Speaking of making a mockery of the campaign-finance laws, what do you think of Stephen Colbert's activism of late? It's great. This obviously can be dry stuff, and the fact that he has gotten people excited and interested and talking about super PACs is fabulous. [Last week] we had a rally and 100 people came out to the Supreme Court in the middle of the day to complain about super PACs and urge the court to reconsider. That's significant. I do think this is gaining traction. People are getting this, and they're angry about it. Image: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/02/politics-q -a-campaign-finance-reformermary-boyle/253658/ 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 POLITICS page 79
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White House: Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is still a possibility

Tina Korbe (Hot Air Top Picks)
POLITICS
the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
permit on the completion of that review, Carney added. Republicans remained cautious in Submitted at 2/27/2012 3:15:40 PM their response, arguing the news posted at 4:15 pm on February that a new pipeline route is being 27, 2012 by Tina Korbe considered raises fresh questions TransCanada, the company a b o u t t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s behind the proposed Keystone XL p r e v i o u s o p p o s i t i o n . oil pipeline from Canada to the Its good news that progress is Gulf Coast, has resubmitted its continuing on a project that would application for approval from the create tens of thousands of administration and the Obama American jobs and keep Canada administration today announced from selling North American that the president just might say energy to the Chinese, but it also yes to the plan this time around. m a k e s the Obama White House Press Secretary Jay a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s r e f u s a l t o Carney used the announcement to approve it even more disturbing, hammer Republicans, saying, said Michael Steel, a spokesman House Republicans forced a for Speaker John Boehner(Ohio). rejection of the companys earlier Boehners spokesperson is right: application in January, by not All politics aside, this is good allowing sufficient time for news. Remember: This is a important review or even the project that would create by identification of a complete the State Departments own pipeline route. estimate 5,000 to 6,000 U.S. But as we made clear, the jobs. TransCanada suggests it presidents decision in January in would create 20,000 jobs in the n o w a y p r e j u d g e d f u t u r e United States 13,000 in applications. We will ensure any c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d 7 , 0 0 0 i n project receives the important manufacturing. Other estimates assessment it deserves and will put the number even higher up base a decision to provide a to the hundreds of thousands.
KXL would yield benefits beyond jobs, too. Construction of the pipeline would bring us closer to energy independence and leave us less reliant on unethical oil. According to one source, the pipeline would carry more energy to the United States than the sum of all the green energy projects funded by the Obama administration and it would do it at no cost to taxpayers. Contrary to environmentalists claims, the pipeline might actually be better for the environment than no pipeline at all. After all, if it isnt constructed, oil companies will still transport oil but by lowspeed rail, which poses its own environmental risks. The president should have approved the construction of the pipeline in the first place, but at least his no didnt completely deter the company behind the proposed project. Still, nobody should be so naive as to think the president will move swiftly on this. He hasnt agreed to make a decision on this new application within any specific time frame, as he did on the last
one. He can and probably will delay a final verdict until after November 2012. TransCanadas second application merely allows the president to play this both ways. As high gas prices call attention to the presidents awful energy policies, he needs to be able to say hes doing something anything to make affordable energy accessible to Americans. Reconsidering KXL is that something. Actually approving it would cost him support with environmentalists but delaying a decision while dangling the possibility of approval in front of overwhelmed U.S. energy consumers does absolutely nothing to hurt his reelection chances. 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.
Jesse Jackson: Its an honor to be a food-stamp president

Tina Korbe (Hot Air Top Picks)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:25:21 PM
posted at 5:25 pm on February 27, 2012 by Tina Korbe Pretty much from the minute Newt Gingrich branded President Barack Obama the best foodstamp president in American history, Ive wondered why liberals didnt immediately tout that statement as a compliment. Government spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has doubled just since 2008 and more than 10 million people have been added to the food stamp rolls but isnt that a positive in the liberal worldview? Ten million more beholden to government and likelier to vote for the continuation of the welfare state? Whats so bad about that for politicians who want to continue to preside over that welfare state? JESSE page 80
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A Gay Marine's Homecoming

David A. Graham (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 2:44:50 PM
A photo of a Marine returning from deployment and leaping into the arms of his partner burns up the Internet. Following the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, heartwarming photos of gay servicemen and servicewomen returning home from war are becoming a genre unto themselves, but this picture seems to be hitting a nerve. Since it was posted Saturday on the Facebook group Gay Marines, it's racked up more than 17,000 likes (as of writing -- it keeps climbing). The Marine is Brandon Morgan, whose Facebook page shows he's your standard foulmouthed warrior. LGBT blogger Joe. My. God. has this from Morgan: To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and
didn't care...then why do you care what these random people have to say? In summation thank you for your love and support. I received a lot of friend requests off this. I don't just accept requests so if your request was because of this post message me and let me know. Goodnight all, and Semper Fi. Seriously, that guy's partner is gigantic. Maybe a recruiter ought to talk to him. Via Huffington Post. Image: Facebook This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/02/a-gaymarines-homecoming/253659/ I want to say thank you. Dalan, felt. As for the haters, let em This entry passed through the the giant in the photo, can't hate...to quote Kat Williams, Full-Text RSS service if this is believe how many shares and everyone needs haters, so let them your content and you're reading it likes we have gotten on this. We hate. We are the happiest we have on someone else's site, please read didn't do this to get famous,or ever been and as for the whole the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentsomething like that we did this PDA and kissing slash hugging in only/faq.php#publishers. Five cause after 3 deployments and uniform...it was a homecoming, if Filters recommends: Donate to four years knowing each other, we the Sergeants Major, Captains, Wikileaks. finally told each other how we Majors, and Colonels around us
TI reveals more OMAP 5 details at MWC 2012

Michael Gorman (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 5:11:00 PM
Well, if our hands-on at CES didn't sell you on TI's next-gen OMAP 5 platform, perhaps some more specs revealed recently at MWC 2012 will. We've known about its dual Cortex-A15 and Cortex-M4 architecture since this time last year, but we didn't know that those M4 cores are there to handle real-time processing of multimedia -- like video encoding REVEALS page 81
JESSE
Course, they couldnt acknowledge that as the true motivation for their satisfaction with the swelling of SNAP, but they could still spin Gingrichs statement as a sign that the president is doing something right. Ive outlined an idea for such spin in the past: Strictly speaking, the term food stamp president doesnt include a
value judgment. A person could apply the label to the president without automatically meaning it is a negative fact that food stamp enrollment has increased under Obamas watch. Increased enrollment could actually be an argument that the food stamp program is effective, that its flexible and responsive enough to meet the increased needs of out-of
-work new enrollees during a down economy. Guess Jesse Jackson had the same idea (h/t NewsBusters and Greg Hengler): Those comments represent a reversal of sentiment for Mr. Jackson, who initially accused Gingrich of name calling for pointing out the facts about the presidents food stamp record. Jackson also misses some
crucial facts about what leads to human flourishing ( hint: its not handouts!). But at least his remarks represent an attempt to stand by liberal policies; Ive actually gotta hand it to him for that. 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
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Technology/
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AMD rolls out two new Bulldozer chips, cuts price of the FX-8120 to celebrate
Daniel Cooper (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2012 4:56:00 PM
4.2GHz CPU with 4.3GHz Turbo mode (for more on AMD's Bulldozer architecture, see here) Like Hugh Hefner (probably), while the six-core FX-6200 has a AMD took a good hard look at its 3.8GHz base clock and a 4.1GHz lineup this week and decided it Turbo mode. Availability will was high time to add a pair of vary by region as the company models. Two new Bulldozer- shuttles out the new silicon on a powered FX CPUs will join the rolling timeline, but we'd start pantheon of world-record beating keeping our eyes peeled next time chips in the company's constant you're down the shops. To fight against the forces of Intel. celebrate, AMD is hacking down The quad-core FX-4170 has a the price of the top-end FX-8150
from $245 to $185 and you should stats we were able to type about see a similar price drop from these slices of silicon before our outlets filter through shortly. palms got sweaty. After the break we've got all the Continue reading AMD rolls out
two new Bulldozer chips, cuts price of the FX-8120 to celebrate AMD rolls out two new Bulldozer chips, cuts price of the FX-8120 to celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments
REVEALS
and decoding -- which TI claims can provide up to ten percent power savings. Additionally, the company's wunderkind SoC will pack a dual-core PowerVR SGX544 GPU and a dedicated 2D hardware-accelerated composition engine to deliver great graphics and lower power consumption than other mobile silicon solutions. OMAP 5 also comes with a multi-tasking image signal processor that can use up to four image sensors at the same time, or take 1080p 60fps video while snapping 12-megapixel stills simultaneously. So, you ready for a super-speedy OMAP 5 chip in
your next smartphone yet? Those who are still skeptical can peruse the PR after the break for a full rundown of its considerable capabilities. Continue reading TI reveals more OMAP 5 details at MWC 2012 TI reveals more OMAP 5 details at MWC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments

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