Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Former Duke hoops star Jay Williams enters sports-marketing world

Jay Williams, a former Duke basketball star who played for the Blue Devils between 1999-2002, has agreed to become managing partner for the Leverage Agency, a sports, entertainment and media marketing company based in New York, reports The Durham Herald-Sun.

Williams, 31, suffered a motorcycle accident in 2003 that cut his NBA career short. Recently, he has served as a basketball analyst for ESPN. Although his contract with ESPN is up, Williams plans to continue working in television in addition to his new role with Leverage.

Leverage was founded by Ben Sturner, a 1995 Chapel Hill High School graduate, in 2005.. The company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Beijing and Dubai and has sold more than $100 million in sponsorships.

Burkhart oversees TBJ's web operation.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bizj_triangle/~3/d_2VvI2o2qQ/former-duke-hoops-star-jay-williams.html

dominion power Heather Clem Con Edison LaGuardia Airport the weather channel national grid LIPA

King: ?Pathological problem? should bar Weiner from becoming mayor

(CNN) - Anthony Weiner?s proclivity for sending sexually charged online messages is a ?pathological problem? that should prevent him from assuming the role of New York City mayor, Rep. Peter King said Sunday.

A Republican representing parts of Long Island, New York, King said on CNN?s ?State of the Union? that Weiner was ?not psychologically qualified to be mayor of the city of New York.?

King?s comments came days after Weiner admitted to sending lewd chats and photographs to women online last year. He resigned from Congress two years ago for similar actions.

Despite calls from some of his rivals to step out of the race, Weiner has not withdrawn. His campaign has seen a hit, however ? the NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released Thursday showed him dropping to second among the Democratic candidates for mayor, and his favorable rating took a nose dive.

Previously, Weiner was leading in some polls, which King attributed Sunday to a ?perverse celebrity factor? in the race.

?I just can't see any way, even if this latest scandal would not have come out, that Anthony Weiner could have won,? King told chief political correspondent Candy Crowley.

Listing past New York mayors such as Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani and the current one, Michael Bloomberg, King said it was impossible to imagine Weiner joining their ranks.

?I think he should do himself and everybody a favor and step to the sidelines,? he said.

Source: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/28/king-pathological-problem-should-bar-weiner-from-becoming-mayor/

rosh hashanah rosh hashanah boardwalk empire iOS 6 Release Date Chavez vs Martinez Yunel Escobar Irish Daily Star

Monday, July 29, 2013

Borst will retire as Toyota finance chief - Automotive News

George Borst's move in 1997 to Toyota Motor Credit Corp. puzzled some Toyota insiders because of his lack of experience within the finance arm.

Related Topics

LOS ANGELES ? George Borst, who led Lexus through the endaka currency exchange crisis of the mid-1990s and who has been CEO of Toyota Financial Services for the past 13 years, announced his retirement from Toyota today.

Borst will stay with the U.S. credit and insurance arm through the end of September, he told a meeting of top Toyota and Lexus dealers. He will turn 65 on Sept. 2.

His replacement will be Mike Groff, 58, the seventh employee hired by Toyota Motor Credit Corp. when the captive finance company was formed in 1983. Groff has been head of Toyota Financial Services' sales and marketing for the past five years.

Borst presided over massive growth in Toyota's finance arm ? from about $21 billion in assets in 1997 to $91 billion today, with its operating income jumping sixfold in that period, to $1.8 billion. Toyota's share of its dealers' finance business has soared from 37 percent in 1997 to 64 percent today.

In an interview, Borst said Groff is an excellent choice as his successor.

"Mike has worked in the branches and regions, in operations and strategic planning," Borst said. "His five years in sales and marketing have been the toughest five years ever, and we've had terrific results in that time."

Hired by McCurry

Borst was hired in 1985 by legendary Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. executive Bob McCurry to oversee the marketing department, a position that evolved into running Toyota's budding strategic planning department in 1991.

But his biggest challenge may have been as general manager of Lexus Division, a job he assumed in 1993. During his tenure, the dollar collapsed against the yen, making the cost of Japan-built vehicles sold in America much more expensive. The yen went from 115 to 80 to the dollar by 1995, and Lexus' launch momentum was derailed.

"I am most proud of my time at Lexus," Borst said in an interview. "When we started to struggle, we could have had bargain-basement sales and eliminated all those customer handling touches. This was our first test of who we were. And in 1995, even as our sales volume had dropped, we still swept the J.D. Power awards."

Borst's move in 1997 to Toyota Motor Credit Corp. puzzled some Toyota insiders because of his lack of experience within the finance arm. At the time, even Borst admitted he was a bit at sea. But his background in strategic planning helped meld an organization that has become a financial powerhouse.

In 2000, Toyota Motor Corp.'s 16 separate finance arms worldwide were absorbed by a new global finance unit called Toyota Financial Services Corp. Borst was named CEO of Toyota Financial Services U.S.A.

One of his first moves was to create a collaborative management committee to analyze strategies to help build the business. He also changed the unit's field structure.

In 2001, Toyota decided that its 36 finance branch offices should handle only dealer business and stop handling customer interaction. Instead, three call centers handled all customer service. About 1,000 people were affected, and some branch offices were closed. But with more than a year's notice, Toyota Financial suffered little loss of service in the move.

Award winner

The increased efficiencies allowed the unit's volumes to nearly double in five years ? growth that slowed only when the recession hit. Again, Borst made a tough decision, refusing to let Toyota Financial back out of leasing when the rest of the industry panicked. Toyota stood by its residual values, and dealers and retail customers stayed loyal to the brand.

As a result, Toyota has 345,000 off-lease customers returning to the fold within the next 18 months ? a significant opportunity for loyalty retention, Borst said.

"When you think of how competitive this market is, that's a significant advantage," he said. "Were giving dealers 18,000 leads a month from this."

Toyota Financial Services is now the No. 2 issuer of commercial paper in the world, behind General Electric. And the unit's in-house treasury department has won all four of the financial services industry's coveted awards for performance, stability, speed-to-market and risk management. No company, automotive or otherwise, has ever done that, Toyota said.

Those were key reasons why Borst was named an Automotive News All-Star in 2012.

Borst said he was proud that Toyota's finance arm ranked atop seven categories in the recent National Automobile Dealers Association survey.

"Toyota dealers can only get their cars from Toyota," he said. "But finance is a commodity product. It's a relationship business."

You can reach Mark Rechtin at mrechtin@crain.com. -- Follow Mark on Twitter

Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130729/OEM02/130729894/borst-will-retire-as-toyota-finance-chief

Sagrada Familia Animal Crossing New Leaf wwdc santa monica college Shannon Richardson Terrilynn Monette Belmont Stakes

Chesterfield soccer coach accused of touching boy due in court

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -

The Chesterfield youth soccer coach accused of inappropriately touching a young boy is due in court on Monday morning.

Investigators say 22-year-old Joe Crespo texted and groped the boy during a car ride.

Crespo has been in jail since his arrest last week. He'll appear in juvenile court at 11 a.m. for an attorney status hearing.

Copyright 2013 WWBT NBC12.? All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.nbc12.com/story/22953884/chesterfield-soccer-coach-accused-of-touching-boy-due-in-court

avengers soa andy williams andy williams New Girl Avalanna Gigi Chao

Need 3 more people for Dreams Within Eden!

roleplay/dreams-within-eden#introduction

The Haunted: - Open: Once a revered physician, but by falling into Lazarus's trap of poisoning Leonard Heyward, and was caught. Thus he became an exiled man because it was he who essentially killed Eden's favoured Dictator. It was during his short time in the Wastelands he happened upon The Silent and was able to see his point of view that Eden must fall. After the death of Leonard, he has experienced frequent visions of Leonard's "ghost", sometimes telling him things, sometimes merely asking why he was killed, or seemingly doing so to get some kind of revenge on The Haunted for killing him. (The Haunted Palace)

The Sleeper: - Open: A child, the AI who runs Gehenna, the entire underground portion of Eden City. She is a full machine covered by a human skin, in contrast with her brother, the more advanced bio-machine. She was created separately from The Enigma, and wants to find him. She was the first to be uncovered by "Mother" and the less complicated of the two. As such, she is mobile and can use her body to travel. She shows no emotions, but feels them, though it is somewhat limited. She can communicate with The Enigma through dreams. (The Sleeper)

Master Eldorado: - Open: Is an old scholar who travelled with the original people that founded Eden. There he finds the old books pertaining to how the city originally was. He is strong in his belief that it can be restored back and searches for someone that can do just that. He lives in Eden where he continues to study and teach about the history. He lives alone, sacrificing his own love life to see the city shine like it once had. He taught Leonard and Lenore hoping that they would be the ones to do just that. Now he works with the Lenore, Annabel, and others to try and get rid of Lazarus. He holds onto a book that is forbidden to anyone. He keeps it hidden in a small library that he keeps hidden away from everyone. No one, not even the people who was with him at the time Eden was found, knows about it. (Eldarado)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/joyaeSZL9KA/viewtopic.php

Mlk Quotes Elder Scrolls Online joe biden lupe fiasco jason wu jason wu Mavericks Surf

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Israel: Palestinian prisoners to be freed in talks

JERUSALEM (AP) Israel will release some "hardcore" Palestinian prisoners as part of the new breakthrough by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in efforts to restart Mideast talks, a senior Israeli official said Saturday.

The remarks by Yuval Steinitz were the first Israeli comment detailing the terms for the negotiations since Kerry on Friday night announced that the two sides will meet soon in Washington to formalize an agreement on relaunching peace talks that collapsed in 2008.

Kerry's announcement came after last-minute meetings with Palestinian officials at the end of a day in which he shuttled between the Jordanian capital and the West Bank. In Amman, Kerry said Israel and the Palestinians had agreed on a basis for returning to negotiations, five years after talks broke down.

Steinitz's remarks on Saturday were all the more surprising because Kerry insisted that the agreement is still in the process of being formalized, "so we are absolutely not going to talk about any of the elements now."

Steinitz, Israel's intelligence and strategic affairs minister, told Israel Radio on Saturday that "there will be hardcore prisoners (released) ... those that have been sitting in jail for dozens of years."

In Israeli parlance, term "hardcore" refers to prisoners implicated in deadly attacks.

Their release has been a long-standing Palestinian demand. Steinitz didn't say how many would be released, adding only that they would be freed in phases.

But, Steinitz said, other Palestinian demands will not be met, such as a freeze on settlement building and defining the 1967 lines as borders ahead of the negotiations.

The fate of the prisoners is extremely sensitive in Palestinian society, where after decades of fighting Israel, many families have had a member imprisoned. The Palestinians are held on a range of charges, from rock throwing to deadly assaults like shooting attacks or bombings targeting Israeli soldiers and civilians.

The Palestinians mostly view the prisoners as heroes while Israelis tend to see them as terrorists.

Steinitz also said it was agreed that there would be a timetable of at least nine months during which the negotiations would go on, to prevent them from collapsing along the way.

He also said the Palestinians agreed to refrain from taking action against Israel at the United Nations while the talks are underway.

Other Israeli officials in the government could not be immediately contacted to back up Steinitz's remarks. There was no word from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not meet with Kerry during the American diplomat's trip this week.

And though Kerry's statement fell short of an outright resumption of Mideast negotiations, which would tackle the toughest issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said the two sides had agreed on "a basis" for the talks.

"If everything goes as expected," Israeli and Palestinians negotiators will hold initial talks "within the next week or so," Kerry said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who met with Kerry in the West Bank town of Ramallah earlier on Friday, said "lengthy talks ... have resulted in the Palestinians accepting the resumption of talks."

In a statement, Abbas said "some details still need to be worked out."

Kerry said all talks are being held privately.

"Any speculation or reports you may read in the media or elsewhere or here in the press are conjecture. They are not based on fact because the people who know the facts are not talking about them. The parties have agreed that I will be the only one making further comments about this," Kerry said.

This story has been automatically published from the Associated Press wire which uses US spellings

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10900965&ref=rss

kim kardashian flour matt forte jeremy shockey new orleans saints ireland vangogh yield

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Comic Con Costumes 2013: Taking San Diego By Storm (PHOTOS)

  • Fans crowd the entrance to the San Diego Convention Center on the first day of Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California July 18, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • A masked attendee outside the Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California July 18, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • A man in a Wolverine costume uses his mobile photo on the first day of Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California July 18, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • An attendee carries her baby in a Captain America costume on the first day of Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California July 18, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 18: A costumed fan attends day 1 of Comic-Con International 2013 on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Costumed fans attend day 1 of Comic-Con International 2013 on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Costumed fans attend day 1 of Comic-Con International 2013 on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Festival goers during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 18, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • LG Electronics and Legendary Entertainment team up at Comic Con 2013.

  • LG Electronics and Legendary Entertainment team up at Comic Con 2013.

  • LG Electronics and Legendary Entertainment team up at Comic Con 2013.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • 2013 Comic-Con - Preview Night Event

  • 2013 Comic-Con - Preview Night Event

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • 2013 Comic-Con - Preview Night Event

  • 2013 Comic-Con - Preview Night Event

  • 2013 Comic-Con - Preview Night Event

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A general view of atmosphere during Comic-Con International 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • A Storm Trooper walks through the crowd outside Comic-Con 2013 in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • People in Star Trek -themed costumes attend Comic-Con 2013 in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Amanda Esposito (L) portrays the character Yoko Littner from the popular animee Gurren Lagann and her friend Jenn Hobbs is dressed as Tank Girl, at Comic-Con 2013 in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • People in an eclectic collection of costumes pose together for a photo at Comic-Con 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Attendee Shelby Cunningham is dressed as the character Sasha Blouse from the animee 'Attack On Titan,' at the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Attendee Jacqueline Barker portrays the character Mileenathe from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting video games., at the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Attendee Connor Sullivan, an artist and prop builder, is dressed as a character from the 'My Little Pony' franchise, at the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • An attendee in costume at the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Dressed as the Submariner, Ian Bassett (L) and his friends in Ironman (C) and Captain America costumes attend the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, on July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Attendee DanWill McCann is dressed a character from Ghostbusters at the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego California July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • A woman dressed as Wonder Woman attends Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California. Comic Con International Convention is the world's largest comic and entertainment event and hosts celebrity movie panels, a trade floor with comic book, science fiction and action film-related booths, as well as artist workshops and movie premieres.

  • Attendee Anthony Knight dresses as Skull Kid from Legends of Zelda at Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California. Comic Con International Convention is the world's largest comic and entertainment event and hosts celebrity movie panels, a trade floor with comic book, science fiction and action film-related booths, as well as artist workshops and movie premieres.

  • Lisa Kruis shows her zombie outfit at Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California. Comic Con International Convention is the world's largest comic and entertainment event and hosts celebrity movie panels, a trade floor with comic book, science fiction and action film-related booths, as well as artist workshops and movie premieres.

  • Ian Bassett dressed as the Submariner from the Avengers attends the Comic-Con International 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, on July 19, 2013. Comic-Con is a four-day geekfest of pop culture attended by some 130,000 devotees of comic books, movies and TV shows -- many dressed up in the costumes of their idols.

  • Michaell Cherry shows his Joker costume during Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California. Comic Con International Convention is the world's largest comic and entertainment event and hosts celebrity movie panels, a trade floor with comic book, science fiction and action film-related booths, as well as artist workshops and movie premieres.

  • General view seen during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Festival goers during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Festival goers during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Festival goers during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Festival goers during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2013 in San Diego, California.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/comic-con-costumes-2013_n_3625315.html

    easter eggs pineapple upside down cake free ecards flying car masters golf tournament the replacements how to hard boil eggs

    POPSUGAR Shout Out: Whitney Port, Wedding Shoes, Beauty Best-Sellers, Diabetic Cookbooks & More!

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

    Source: http://www.fabsugar.com.au/POPSUGAR-Celebrity-Fashion-Beauty-Health-Whitney-Port-31007184

    holy thursday chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national blake griffin

    Putin acknowledges Snowden is 'trapped' in Russia (+video)

    But he and Snowden agree on one thing: Snowden should leave Russia as soon as possible.

    By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / July 15, 2013

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his visit to the island of Gogland, 110 miles west of St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday, July 15. Putin indirectly addressed Edward Snowden's renewed request for political asylum in Russia, noting that the former NSA contractor appears to be 'trapped' in Russia.

    Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service/AP

    Enlarge

    On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin indirectly addressed Edward Snowden's renewed request for political asylum in Russia, noting that the former National Security Agency contractor appears to be "trapped" in Russia. But, he added, he and Mr. Snowden are in agreement about about one important matter: he really shouldn't stay in Russia any longer than he needs to.

    Skip to next paragraph Fred Weir

    Correspondent

    Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998.?

    Recent posts

    ' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
    ' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

    '; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

    That said, Mr. Putin went on, Snowden has moved toward accepting the Kremlin's condition?that in order to be granted refuge in Russia he must stop leaking damaging NSA secrets to the global public.

    "As soon as there is an opportunity for [Snowden] to move elsewhere, I hope he will do that,"?Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying. "The conditions for granting political asylum are known to him. And judging by his latest actions, he is shifting his position. But the situation has not been clarified yet."

    "There are certain relations between Russia and the United States, and we would not like you to harm them with your activity," said Putin, quoting Russian officials talking to Snowden during a conversation at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after he arrived. "He said no. He said, ?I want to continue my activity, fighting for human rights. I think the US is violating certain international regulations and intervening in private lives and my goal is to fight this.'"?

    Unless Snowden definitively changes his attitude, Putin said, Russia will not help him.

    At a meeting with Russian human rights workers and parliamentarians at Sheremetyevo?on Friday, Snowden insisted that his actions have not caused harm to the US, and said he would immediately renew his application for temporary asylum in Russia.

    It's not clear whether Snowden's remarks meant that he intends to stop leaking NSA secrets. It may be out of his hands in any case. The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald, who's been spearheading most of the revelations, told journalists last week?that Snowden has already turned over a great many documents to him and he will be doing expos?s based on them for months to come.

    As for remaining in Russia, Snowden really doesn't seem able to move along ? as Putin has repeatedly urged him to do???because the US has used all its tools of global influence to block Snowden's ability to travel anywhere beyond Moscow, Putin said.

    "He arrived on our territory without an invitation, he was not flying to us. He was flying in transit to other countries. But as soon as he got in the air it became known, and our American partners, in fact, blocked his further flight," Putin said, referring to Snowden's stealthy June 23 flight from Hong Kong to Moscow aboard a Russian Aeroflot airliner.

    Putin appeared to be claiming that Snowden's passport was only revoked after he boarded the Aeroflot plane, although other reports indicate that his passport was canceled at least a day before he fled Hong Kong. That would leave open the embarrassing question of how Hong Kong authorities and Aeroflot officials allowed him onto the Russian national airline's regular Moscow flight.

    Snowden had an onward ticket from Moscow to Cuba for the next day, June 24, but he failed to use it for reasons that are still unclear.

    "[The US] scared other countries. No one wants to accept him," Putin said.

    According to some news reports, Putin added: "Such a present to us. Merry Christmas."

    Putin's remarks suggest he may be leaning toward taking Snowden in at least temporarily, although the former KGB spy clearly has no enthusiasm whatsoever?for an idealist who refuses to defect in the traditional manner and publicly opposes government secrecy on principle.

    But many other Russians, including leading parliamentarians,?have been urging the Kremlin to embrace the wayward ex-CIA employee who has done so much to undermine the image of the US as the global champion of freedom and democracy.

    As of?Monday, Russian officials were maintaining that they have not yet received any asylum requests from Snowden.?

    "There has been no application from Edward Snowden today," the independent Interfax agency quoted Konstantin Romadanovsky, director of Russia?s Federal Migration Service, as saying. "If an application is received, it will be examined under the established legal procedures."

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/wiEHNfmnCMw/Putin-acknowledges-Snowden-is-trapped-in-Russia-video

    ncaa final four 2012 uk vs louisville university of kansas buckeye west side story final four 2012 bridesmaids

    Are Palestinian Students in Lebanon Being Pressured to Choose Kalashnikovs Over College?

    [unable to retrieve full-text content]

    Source: www.thepeoplesvoice.org --- Friday, July 19, 2013
    by FRANKLIN LAMB Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian Camp. They are 67 new families, or about 400 Palestinian refugees displaced from Syria, residing in 60 recently erected tents set up as an emergency ???gathering??? near the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp adjacent to the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon.? In all, there are approximately 75,000 thousand Palestinians in Lebanon who have fled from Syria over the past 28 months. Read more ? Original post blogged on b2evolution . ...

    Source: http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2013/07/20/are-palestinian-students-in-lebanon-bein

    ben affleck and jennifer garner google privacy changes windows 8 preview leap year moratorium dwts season 14 cast leap day

    Por que a Nokia escolheu ir de Windows Phone em vez de Android? Com a palavra, S...

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

    Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=561334377238406&set=a.419094688129043.87861.136501013055080&type=1

    mexico news the talented mr ripley weather new orleans orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay

    Friday, July 19, 2013

    ?I?m Like, God, You Know, Is He, Am I Not, Is That, He?s Not Gonna Pick Me?

    Brooks gets his second individual date with Desiree and they drive to the top of a mountain, passing through the clouds. Brooks and Des on cloud nine

    Photo by Angus Muir/ABC

    One difference between me and Desiree Hartsock, this season?s bachelorette, is that I'm cursed with the inability to fall in love with someone who mistakes verbs for adjectives. Des, to her credit, is more forgiving. And maybe if I were being courted by Brooks, I'd forgive him too. Sweet, gentle, pretty Brooks, Brooks of the prominent cheekbones and shampoo-commercial hair. What I wouldn't give for hair like Brooks'. Thick, shiny, luscious, undulant?adjectives don't come close to doing hair like his justice. Brooks has hair you want to make a home in.

    He and Des were cruising in a Smart car convertible through the subtropical forests of Madeira Island (?a hidden pearl in the Atlantic,? as Zak W., another contestant, put it), just laughing, having fun, being themselves, and living in the moment. This was Brooks? second one-on-one, so he knew Des was into him?but how into him? Back at the villa, there were four other dudes doing chin-ups, drinking smoothies, and hoping to end up Des' husband. They all had prominent cheekbones, too, and Michael and Drew both had hair almost as beautiful. Brooks needed to know where he stood with Des. He knew she liked him, but did she love him? ?We need more adjectives,? he said, meaning verbs.

    It was a moment that reminded me why I continue to watch The Bachelor(ette), even its weaker seasons?and this season is one of the weakest in recent memory. Des is a lousy bachelorette. She's too reserved, too unsure of herself; her speech is too effortful. In conversation her reactions are weirdly delayed, as if she has to tell herself, ?Someone said something: React!? Her response to anything tender or flattering or sincere is to say, ?Ohhhh! That's so cute!??not because she's patronizing, it seems, but because she doesn't know what else to say. You get the sense she doesn't feel she really deserves to be the bachelorette, which is fatal: Every bachelor and bachelorette should feel, deep down, that their whole lives have been merely a preparation for these few awful and wonderful weeks during which they are privileged to choose their wives or husbands from a pool of 25 eager candidates. Des doesn't project the requisite pathological self-confidence.

    Here's why her season?and any bad season of The Bachelor(ette)?is nevertheless worth watching: No other cultural product today so consistently and entertainingly dramatizes the inadequacy of the English language in the face of love, or whatever it is that without fail seems to actually develop, despite our skepticism, between the show's star and one or more of its contestants. Brooks, while grammatically confused, is right: We do need more words to talk about how we feel. There should be nameable gradations on the spectrum between like and love. ?I lurve you,? says Woody Allen's character to Annie Hall. ?I loave you, I luff you.? He's got the right idea.

    Bachelor(ette) viewers are liable to experience multiple sensations of d?j? vu over the course of a season?not only because every season is structurally and aesthetically identical, but because most of us have acted out some version of these scenes ourselves.

    Which is to say, when it comes to love talk, we mostly resort to stammering nonsense and clich?s. ?I just, you're so, I don't know, it's just that, never mind, I just think, I just think you're really great,? is the kind of dumb thing I sometimes hear myself saying to my lovely girlfriend. (My girlfriend, I should say, doesn't regularly watch The Bachelor(ette), in part out of fear of it ruining our romance, in part because she wrongly believes she has better things to do.) And here's a quote from a recent contestant on The Bachelor: ?I'm like, god, you know, is he, am I not, is that, he's not gonna pick me, because he feels like maybe I'm not emotionally weak enough to be able to, you know, be so needy, you know, and om, it scares me because I'm feeling like, I'm feeling for you, really and really strongly, and I want you to make me feel comfortable enough so that I can fall in love with you, and I'm just, I'm, I don't know, I'm not used to feeling like this, I didn't expect to come in and feel this way.?

    The more we see the bachelors and bachelorettes in ourselves, the more we see ourselves in them. They are more attractive and better socialized and cheerier than we are, but we're comrades in romantic ineptitude. They, like us, have no idea how to talk about love. The only difference is that they're on a TV show on which they're called upon every episode to do little else besides talk about love.

    Who cares that Brooks doesn't know adjectives from verbs? We all know what he means. Later in the date, after he and Des have ascended in their Smart car to a mountain ridge overlooking vast pastures of cumulonimbus clouds, after they've raised their held hands to the sky and shouted, ?We're on cloud nine!?, they settle in for an intimate dinner in front of the cameras on a torch-lit Madeira balcony. Red wine, flickering shadows, untouched food. Brooks dutifully explains how he's all about family, then brings up his ?adjectives? suggestion from earlier in the day. ?Oh, I have some!? Des exclaims. These are the ?adjectives? Des has come up with to signify levels of affection between ?like? and ?love?: ?stepping,? ?skipping,? ?running,? and ?finish line.? Des thinks she and Brooks are ?running.?

    Traditionally, our culture has turned to poetry to express the inexpressible, transcend outmoded forms of speech, and, in the words of Mallarm? as restated by Eliot, ?purify the dialect of the tribe.? Des, a bridal stylist by trade, is also an amateur poet?as is Chris, a mortgage broker and former professional baseball player, and another of the three finalists in the quest for Des' heart. On their Madeira one-on-one, they co-wrote a poem, three quatrains in loosely metered rhyme and slant rhyme:

    Experiences we share together
    keep the memories close to heart,
    so that with time
    our love never parts.

    No matter the distance
    or the hours away,
    know that I'm somewhere
    thinking of you.

    Just as the waves
    crash into the shore,
    I long for the day
    that I will be with you forevermore.

    Better, in my judgment, are Des' impromptu free-verse poems (so they seem to me), like this one from last season's Bachelor, on which she was a contestant (line breaks mine):

    No, you know what I do have,
    I do have a deeper side, though, like,
    I'm very like, you know, I'm very spiritual,
    I'm very emotional, I'm very like?
    I think differently, I think, than a lot of people?
    So I don't just think like on the surface,
    I kind of like, I enjoy life,
    and I enjoy the beauty of life,
    and that's why I'm happy every day.
    And I can know that what I have
    may be what you want,
    and I don't worry about anybody else.
    You know what I mean?

    That put me in mind of one of my favorite love poems, Robert Creeley's ?For Love.? My girlfriend gave me a copy of it not long after we started dating; these days, I'm happy to report, we're ?at the finish line.? Des should try reciting it on one of this season's remaining episodes to Chris or Brooks or Drew. ?Yesterday,? I imagine her beginning,

    I wanted to
    speak of it, that sense above
    the others to me
    important because all

    that I know derives
    from what it teaches me.
    Today, what is it that
    is finally so helpless,

    different, despairs of its own
    statement, wants to
    turn away, endlessly
    to turn away. ...

    And after Des recites the rest of the poem, Chris or Brooks or Drew will nod or smile or embrace her or say, ?That was lovely,??or maybe just be silent for a little while.

    Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/07/abc_s_the_bachelorette_des_hartsock_knows_there_aren_t_enough_words_for.html

    Bill Simmons Doink the Clown alec baldwin alec baldwin Victor Oladipo nba draft Brazil vs Spain

    Thursday, July 18, 2013

    Evolutionary changes could aid fisheries

    [unable to retrieve full-text content]Sustainable fishing practices could lead to larger fishing yields in the long run, according to a new study that models in detail how ecology and evolution affect the economics of fishing.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Err6RJ4lMqE/130718130734.htm

    jetblue michelle malkin october baby sugarland 16 and pregnant ludwig mies van der rohe jamie lynn sigler

    Reports: Cow crashes through roof, kills sleeping Brazilian

    By Henry Austin, NBC News contributor

    A Brazilian man has died after a 3000-pound cow crashed through the roof of his house and crushed him, according to local reports.

    Joao Maria de Souza was sleeping with his wife when the animal plunged through the corrugated asbestos shelter of his home in?Caratinga in south-eastern Brazil.

    The cow is thought to have escaped from a nearby farm, before it clambered onto the home, which backs onto a steep hill. ?

    It then fell eight-feet onto de Souza's side of the bed, after the roof buckled under its weight, local media reported. His wife was unharmed.

    He was taken to hospital with a broken leg but the?victim?s brother, Carlos Correa de Souza, 43, told?Brazilian newspaper?Hoje Em Dia?that he later died from internal bleeding.

    The Civil Police of Caratinga in Vale do Rio Doce will open investigation into the circumstances of death, the paper added.?

    ?I didn't bring my son up to be killed by a falling cow," his mother Maria de Souza told Brazil's Super Canal TV channel. "He nearly died when he was two and got meningitis, but I worked hard to buy medicines for him and he survived. And now he's lying in his bed and gets crushed to death by a cow. There's no justice in the world.?

    Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2eaa970d/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C150C194797660Ereports0Ecow0Ecrashes0Ethrough0Eroof0Ekills0Esleeping0Ebrazilian0Dlite/story01.htm

    Mario Machado May the Fourth be with you James Righton finish line kentucky derby Iron Man 3 margaret thatcher

    Southern California crustacean sand-dwellers suffering localized extinctions

    [unable to retrieve full-text content]Two types of small beach critters ?? both cousins of the beloved, backyard roly-poly ?? are suffering localized extinctions in Southern California at an alarming rate, says a new study. As indicator species for beach biodiversity at large, their disappearance suggests a looming threat to similar sand-dwelling animals across the state and around the world.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/yWeVSQujfd8/130718101341.htm

    brian mcknight sbux nfldraft asante samuel salton sea arizona immigration law aubrey huff

    Wednesday, July 17, 2013

    Restaurant Overload by Bethany Jean Clement - Seattle Food ...

    + Enlarge this Image

    BRASS TACKS The bar

    So. Many. New. Restaurants. In. Seattle. It is overwhelming. Just in the last couple months, six new restaurants have opened on Capitol Hill alone. Six! Plus two pop-ups! By the time you read this, there's probably a seventh?Freddy's, a hamburger place from the owner of Rancho Bravo (his name is Freddy). And it's happening all over town: more and more and MORE places to eat food. Local food blogs put up posts like "The 47 Most-Anticipated Restaurant Openings This Summer."

    As a human professionally obligated to keep up with all this, I need another stomach, or maybe a wholesale clone (she would live such a good life!). Meanwhile, there are places that get tried, then lost in the shuffle?good neighborhood places, places with really nice people working there, ones that it's a shame to leave never mentioned just because they don't have a name-brand chef or a trendy menu.

    Here are three new restaurants I tried recently that I would totally go back to if there weren't 47 other new places waiting.

    Brass Tacks

    6031 Airport Way S, 397-3821, georgetownbrass.com

    Brass Tacks is the sister and next-door neighbor of Ground Control, the Georgetown sandwich shop and bar with the model airplanes that everybody loves. Brass Tacks feels like an upscale roadhouse?it's welcoming and odd, with shuffleboard among the tables and a baby doll smoking a cigar in a big birdcage. Strings of lights make the rough-around-the-edges stuff (and the people among it) look romantic and fun, the kind of party you'd see through the slats of a fence and want to crash. If someone from the outside had come into Georgetown and made Brass Tacks, they'd have been excoriated for appropriating the neighborhood's unaffectedly mismatched, reclaimed, weirdo style; as it is, it seems pretty much perfect.

    The woman who seated us was a marvel of human interaction?so genuinely, immediately nice that you felt like family?and the rest of the service was low-key and just right. (This is a silverware-in-jars-on-the-table kind of place, as any Georgetown restaurant besides the Corson Building probably should be.) It happened to be the night of HONK! Fest?the annual convergence of multiple marching bands on the streets of Georgetown?and a jazz band was playing on Brass Tacks' corner stage, loud enough that we had to shout a bit. It still felt like a refuge.

    The menu is a familiar fancied-up comfort- food one: house-made pickles, poutine, a Painted Hills cheeseburger, macaroni and cheese with house-smoked brisket, half a Mad Hatcher chicken. It was a hot night, so we skipped the pork fries (pork belly that's breaded and deep-fried?really!) and the heavy stuff. The deviled duck eggs ($6) were great, each with a little chip of crisped ham and a cornichon lodged in the creamy yolk. The Oregon lamb sliders ($12 for three) were tasty on their springy little brioche buns, but needed more horseradish/citrus aioli for kick and sauciness. Jerk chicken thighs ($11) were limey-spicy-good. Then we ate vegetables: a delicious, unwieldy, grilled romaine version of a Caesar ($10); roasted artichoke ($9, with white beans, arugula, and radish, all good but not really integrated); and grilled asparagus ($8, with pea vines, fennel, and pancetta, same deal).

    Beardo chef Chris Opsata will roast you and your party a whole suckling pig if you order it ahead of time; he would probably love to do it.

    Resto

    421 E Thomas St, 427-1745, restoseattle.com

    Do you remember the Thomas Street Bistro: somewhat liked, mostly reviled, and finally?unbelievably?kicked off Groupon due to customer complaints? Resto is in the same Capitol Hill spot, and spot is the word for it: It seems like it used to be the entryway for the apartment building above. There's a miniature outdoor seating area, three booths, two tables, and the world's smallest open kitchen. If there are loud people at Resto, you will know it; hopefully, they'll have French accents, like our loud people did.

    "Resto" is Montreal/French slang for "restaurant." Resto's menu has a nominal Quebecois bent, evidenced by poutine (here called "poutini," maybe after the Toronto restaurant?) and moules frites. The chef/owner lived in Montreal while on a 10-year break from restauranting; before that, he ran the Front Porch in Snoqualmie and some places in Richmond, Virginia. He was assisted intermittently in the kitchen by the goofily gallant, completely lovable server (who also makes the pie, which I feel mean saying was just okay).

    First: an amuse-bouche (yay!) involving planks of cracker and roasted grapes, which was odd but kindhearted and charming, much like Resto overall. And generous: Resto's beet salad ($8) had a chunk of ch?vre on it that was practically bigger than the restaurant. The beets were very good, as was a small plate of crispy-fried oysters ($7), presented thoughtfully and prettily with little heirloom tomatoes and arugula. The lamb chops, in the lollipop style (three for $21), were excellent: richly flavored and exactingly cooked, still pink, warm, luscious. The "Eggman Pasta" ($12), purportedly containing olive oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, and capers, was plain in the extreme, like boxed spaghetti made by a particularly incompetent hungry drunk person in the middle of the night. Luckily, we had lots of leftover ch?vre and heirloom tomatoes to mix in, to great improvement.

    Everything else was at such a higher level, it seems like the Eggman debacle must have been a mistake. I would absolutely give it?and the rest of Resto's short, happily uncomplicated menu?another chance.

    La Cocina Oaxaque?a

    1216 Pine St, 623-8226, lacocinaoaxaquena.com

    La Cocina Oaxaque?a has filled the Capitol Hill space of that pho place across from Machiavelli that was always sadly empty. Walking to the restaurant in a torrential downpour, I got a text from my waiting friend: "There is a noise in here that I'm not sure I can deal with," she said. But one of the kind and solicitous people who work there rushed to open the door for me as I dealt with my umbrella, and another of them had already moved my friend from the problem, which is an isolated area beneath a vent near the door. (It does make a soul-vibrating sound; don't sit there.)

    The space is a little strange; there is so much glass that paranoid people who prefer to sit with their backs to the wall will be hard-pressed to do so. But, again, everyone is so nice, and the house margaritas are made with fresh lime (and only $7). The carne asada tacos ($6.95) were in the upper 20th taco-percentile, with subtly seasoned meat, fresh cilantro, and bits of onion in cushy homemade tortillas. A side of beans ($2.50) was also much better than most, in the preferable soupy style. And the camarones al mojo de ajo ($11.95), a large number of very fresh-tasting shrimp, was really, fearlessly spicy-hot?the hottest version I've ever had. I didn't have a knife, and they never noticed and got me one, but I was so involved with my shrimp, fork, and spoon, it didn't matter.

    One of the owners of La Cocina Oaxaque?a used to be a manager at the famous/great La Carta Oaxaca, which will open a Capitol Hill branch just a few blocks up Pine Street this fall. The new La Carta will be approximately equidistant between La Cocina Oaxaque?a and the really good Fog?n. So much Mexican food. But La Cocina Oaxaque?a might end up being your favorite, and you won't know if you don't try. recommended

    Source: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/restaurant-overload/Content?oid=17268211

    Iron Man 3 Trailer Super Bowl 2013 Ray Rice sodastream dan marino godaddy did the groundhog see his shadow

    Comment: Is Japan's whaling program scientific research?

    Japan's whaling program under scrutiny. (AAP)

    Japan's whaling program under scrutiny. (AAP)

    By Tony Press, University of Tasmania

    Australia and Japan?s case on whaling in the Antarctic, heard in the International Court of Justice, wound up on Tuesday. In presenting Japan?s final arguments Professor Payam Akhavan of Harvard University claimed ?it would not be an exaggeration to say that Australia?s case now hangs by a thread?.

    Utilisation, not preservation

    Japan said that the Court should look at ?the applicable law? of the Whaling Convention and again argued that its purpose was the ?conservation and management of whale stocks? and the ?optimum utilisation of the whale resources?. Sustainable whaling is clearly one, if not ?the fundamental objective" of the Whaling Convention, Japan said. ?But Australia does not accept sustainable commercial whaling?.

    In response to arguments from Australia and New Zealand regarding Special Permit Whaling under the oft mentioned Article VIII of the Convention, Japan said that it was ?an exemption from the Convention, an exemption that permits whaling for the purposes of scientific research?. This exemption, Japan argued, allowed each State freedom to decide for itself what should be included in its program of scientific research.

    An ANZAC collusion

    Referring to a 2010 joint press release from the then Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, and New Zealand?s Foreign Minister Murray McCully, Japan said the two Parties ?have acted in collusion in this case? and ?clearly prejudiced Japan in these proceedings?.

    Japan also referred to interviews with Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. Japan said it was clear that ?irrespective of the Court?s decision, Australia will continue its campaign of confrontation at the IWC? and that ?Australia will stop at nothing?.

    Science on trial ? but what is art?

    On Australia?s arguments about science, Japan said ?Australia?s best case is that there is some scientific disagreement? on aspects of Special Permit whaling. ?But the question before the Court is not whether Japan could improve its scientific research. It is whether it has no scientific merit at all; or whether it is commercial whaling in disguise?.

    Emeritus Professor Lowe, an expert on international law from Oxford University, argued for Japan that ?there is no uniquely correct formula? for what is scientific research. He said that there might be differences among scientists about Japan?s Special Permit whaling, but ?these are debates about scientific questions?. He went on to say ?the Court can ask: could a reasonable State regard this [JARPA II] as a properly framed inquiry? But it can no more impose a line separating science from non-science than it could decide what is or is not Art?.

    While some might think Japan?s whaling program is bad science or unnecessary science, Japan?s view is that it is ?an absurd exaggeration to say that it is not scientific research at all?.

    Science ? implications for other international agreements

    Professor Allan Boyle from the University of Edinburgh argued that if Japan?s lethal whaling program was not scientific research, ?then neither are the research activities of institutions providing advice on sustainable catch levels for fisheries worldwide?. He went on to say that the case could have ?broad systemic? implications across the whole field of international environmental law.

    In summing up on the last day of the case, Professor Alain Pellet of the University of Paris Ouest, said Australia had ?an elitist and metaphysical view of science?. He went on to say that some scientists? ?anti-whaling bias might be stronger than their objectivity?.

    Bad faith and fig leaves

    On Australia?s arguments about ?bad faith?, Japan said that this was a ?legal euphemism for intentional deception. Australia?s case is that Japan has lied, and that it has done so systematically, as a matter of State policy for almost 30 years?. Japan said that this was a serious accusation and an affront to a nation.

    Japan again argued that it was Australia that had acted unreasonably. If Australia, in 2010, had not abruptly rejected consensus on reform of the International Whaling Convention things may have been different. But Australia had said ?it was now time to close the door on the Proposed Consensus Decision? on reform of the International Whaling Commission. Had Australia not done what it did the Commission would have been saved from the brink of collapse.

    Professor Pellet later said that Australia was arguing that Japan?s Special Permits were the ?fig leaves of commercial whaling?. But Australia and others, he said, replaced the objects and purpose of the Convention with ?utterly ideological? opposition to whaling.

    On the brink of collapse

    More than once in this case it was inferred or stated that the International Whaling Commission was on the brink of collapse. Japan referred to the Kingdom of Denmark?s actions in unilaterally implementing a catch quota for Aboriginal subsistence whaling, because the Commission could not agree on their proposal for catch limits for 2013 and beyond. Denmark had indicated that it could ?withdraw from the Convention before 1 January 2014?.

    Japan went on to say that ?if the hijacking of the Convention continues? soon there will be no whaling nations at the IWC? Soon there will be two competing international organisations?There will be a Whaling Commission and an anti-Whaling Commission?. Japan reflected again on this scenario in its final summing up.

    What do we want? When do we want it?

    Last week Australia asked that the Court ?to adjudge and declare? that:

    • Japan is in breach of its international obligations in authorising and implementing its whaling program in the Southern Ocean
    • Japan refrain from authorising or implementing special permit whaling; and
    • Japan cease its whaling program immediately.

    Australia also asked the Court to declare that Japan?s JARPA II whaling program is ?not a program of scientific research? within the meaning of the Whaling Convention.

    In summarising Japan?s argument in the case, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Koji Tsuruoka, thanked the Court and said ?we have been able to present to the World the truth about Japanese scientific whaling?. He then went on to infer that if it was not possible for Japan to conduct its scientific whaling ?the only way out is to leave?.

    Mr Tsuruoka asked the Court ?to adjudge and declare that the claims of Australia are rejected?.

    When will we ever learn?

    The Court will now retire to consider the vast amount of written and oral evidence before it. A Court official said that it usually takes the International Court of Justice four to six months to consider its cases.

    That might not satisfy those who would like a decision soon to stop the next season of Japanese whaling in the Antarctic.

    Tony Press receives funding from the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program. He is the CEO of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.

    Source: http://sbs.feedsportal.com/c/34692/f/637529/s/2ec2515b/l/0L0Ssbs0N0Bau0Cnews0Carticle0C17899220CComment0EIs0EJapans0Ewhaling0Eprogram0Escientific0Eresea/story01.htm

    mary poppins john derbyshire kinkade thomas kinkade paintings navy jet crash virginia beach isiah thomas easter recipes

    Stevie Wonder to boycott Florida following George Zimmerman trial verdict

    stevie-wonder-marrakesh.jpgStevie Wonder is hardly the first celebrity to share their disappointment over the outcome in the George Zimmerman trial, which found the accused not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin. He is, however, taking his expression of said disappointment one step further -- vowing to no longer perform in the state of Florida.

    "I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again," Wonder announced during a performance in Quebec City on Sunday (July 14), referring to the state's highly controversial self-defense law.

    And Wonder's show of support for Martin doesn't stop at just avoiding the Sunshine State. "As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in the part of the world," he said.

    "The truth is that for those of you who've' lost in the battle for justice -- wherever that fits in any part of the world -- we can't bring them back," he added. "What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That's what I know we can do."

    Be sure to watch the video of Wonder making the declaration himself below:

    Photo/Video credit: Getty Images

    '; if (data.results.schedules != null && data.results.schedules.length > 0) { html += '

    ON TV:

    '; html += ''; jQuery.each(data.results.schedules, function(){ dateString = this.date.split("-"); if (this.time != null && this.time.length > 0) { timeString = this.time.split(" "); var d=new Date(dateString[2], dateString[0]-1, dateString[1], timeString[0].split(":")[0], timeString[0].split(":")[1], 0, 0); } else { var d=new Date(dateString[2], dateString[0]-1, dateString[1]); } date = new Date(dateString[2], dateString[0], dateString[1]); html += ''; var showTitle = this.title; if (!String.prototype.trim) { String.prototype.trim = function() { return this.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g,''); } } var titleCount = showTitle.length; var shortTitle = jQuery.trim(showTitle).substring(0, 25).trim(this); if (titleCount > 25) { shortTitle +="..."; } if (previous != null && previous == this.link) { html += ""; } else if (this.programType == "MV") { html += '' + shortTitle + ''; } else if (this.episodeTitle != null) { html += '' + shortTitle + ''; } else if (this.showcardLink != null) { html += '' + shortTitle + ''; } else { html += '' + shortTitle + ''; } html += '
    '; month = date.getMonth() + 1; if (this.time != null && this.time.length > 0) { html += days[d.getDay()] + " " + (d.getMonth() + 1) + "/" + d.getDate() + " " + timeString[0] + " " + timeString[1] + " " + data.results.schedules[0].timezone; } else { html += days[d.getDay()] + " " + (d.getMonth() + 1) + "/" + d.getDate(); } html += ' '; if (this.callsign != null) { html += '(' + this.callsign + ')'; } else { html += "Check Local Listings"; } html += ''; previous = this.link; current++; if (current == total) { return false; } }); html += ''; } html += '

    Source: http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/07/stevie-wonder-to-boycott-florida-following-george-zimmerman-trial-verdict.html

    Rob Ryan bethenny frankel sacramento kings alex jones Google Docs Huell Howser Justin Bieber Smoking Weed

    Merck drug to reverse anesthesia delayed again at FDA

    By Toni Clarke

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators need more time to review Merck & Co's application to sell sugammadex, an injection designed to reverse the effects of muscle relaxants used during surgery, the company said on Tuesday.

    The announcement came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration canceled a meeting of outside advisers who were scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to recommend the drug be approved. The FDA declined to give an explanation for its unusual last-minute cancellation.

    Merck said the FDA needs additional time to assess the results of its recently completed inspection of a clinical trial site that was involved in a study of whether the drug increases the risk of allergic reactions.

    In 2008 the FDA declined to approve sugammadex, citing concerns about its possible association with allergic reactions and bleeding. The advisory panel scheduled for this week was supposed to discuss Merck's revised application, which included new clinical data showing a slight increase in the risk of allergic reactions but no increase the risk of bleeding.

    The study was conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany.

    The sudden delay surprised analysts and clinicians alike.

    "I'm surprised to hear about this last-minute issue," said Dr. Glenn Murphy, an anesthesiologist and director of clinical research at North Shore University Health System in Evanston, Illinois, who was an adviser to Merck on sugammadex. "I thought everything was moving along towards getting this drug approved."

    Sugammadex is already approved in more than 50 countries, where it is sold under the brand name Bridion. It generated worldwide sales of $261 million in 2012.

    Analysts on average forecast U.S. sales of sugammadex, if approved, to reach $663 million annually by 2018, according to Reuters data. It would compete with Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc's Prostigmin, known generically as neostigmine, and Tensilon, also known as edrophonium.

    "Given the success it's had outside the United States and the clinical data I've seen, I'm optimistic," said Damien Conover, an analyst at Morningstar.

    Muscle relaxants are typically used as part of the anesthesia process at the beginning of an operation to help doctors insert a breathing tube. They can also be used during surgery to prevent muscle movements that could complicate a procedure.

    After surgery physicians use reversal agents to undo the effects of these muscle relaxants so that patients can breathe, eat and swallow on their own. Sugammadex is the first in a new class of drugs designed to reverse the effect of the muscle relaxants rocuronium and vecuronium.

    Sugammadex's path toward approval has been far from smooth. The product was originally developed by Organon BioSciences, which was acquired by Schering-Plough in 2007 for $14.4 billion. Merck acquired the drug when it bought Schering-Plough for $41 billion in 2009.

    Organon also developed Raplon, a muscle relaxant that was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2001 after being associated with fatal episodes of airway constriction known as bronchospasms.

    In March, the FDA said it would not complete its review of sugammadex until Merck provided more clinical data on allergic reactions, though Merck said at the time it had completed the necessary trials and that the FDA had accepted its resubmitted marketing application.

    The delay is the latest in a number of setbacks for Merck, coming just two weeks after the FDA rejected the company's insomnia drug suvorexant, though it left the door open for the company to submit a lower-dose version for approval. In February Merck said it would delay its marketing application for odanacatib, an experimental osteoporosis drug, and in March it replaced its research chief.

    Merck said it is "engaged in discussions with the FDA" to identify the steps necessary to enable the agency to complete its review of sugammadex, which the company believes offers significant advantages over its competitors, particularly in the speed with which it takes effect.

    Patients taking sugammadex to reverse deep paralysis caused by rocuronium emerged, on average, in 2.2 minutes, according to pooled data from late-stage clinical trials conducted by Merck and submitted to the FDA. Patients taking neostigmine emerged in 19 minutes, while those taking a placebo emerged in 92.9 minutes.

    In patients given sugammadex to reverse the effects of vecuronium, patients emerged in 3.8 minutes on average compared with 67.6 minutes for those taking neostigmine, the company said.

    David Michelson, Merck's head of neuroscientific research, said that in a trial of 448 patients who received 16 milligrams of sugammadex per kilogram of body weight - an amount given only on an emergency basis - one patient experienced a clear anaphylactic reaction, characterized by a drop in blood pressure, hives, increased heart rate and difficulty breathing.

    Two other patients had reactions that were not clearly anaphylactic but shared some symptoms, while seven or eight more had milder allergic reactions such as nausea and rash, he said.

    In patients taking the normal dose used in routine surgeries - 4 milligrams per 1 kilogram of body weight - there were no clearly anaphylactic reactions and only one mild reaction, Michelson said, adding that in a trial of nearly 1,200 patients undergoing hip or knee surgery, those who were given sugammadex were no more likely than those who were not given it to have episodes of bleeding.

    In 2012, nearly 5 million surgeries in the U.S. included the use of rocuronium and vecuronium. About 60 percent of those also involved the use of a reversal agent, according to IMS Health.

    Merck's shares fell 0.6 percent to $48.23on the New York Stock Exchange.

    (Additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson in New York; Editing by Carol Bishopric and Prudence Crowther)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/merck-says-fda-needs-more-time-post-surgery-183104134.html

    Steam Summer Sale 2013 Randy Travis in critical condition stacy keibler stacy keibler sf giants Ryan Davis Golden Corral

    Oil truck crashes into camper, house in ND

    WATFORD CITY, N.D. -

    A Colorado Springs man escaped serious injury when an empty oil tanker truck rolled down a hill in Watford City and pushed the camper where he was sleeping into a house.

    The Forum newspaper reports that 45-year-old Tom Netschert did not suffer any broken bones in the crash about 10:45 p.m. Saturday and was released from a hospital on Sunday.

    The area where the crash happened is at the bottom of a hill where truck drivers often park while they stop at a convenience store.

    Netschert has been working in the North Dakota oil fields as a mechanic. He plans to fly home to be with his family in Colorado Springs.

    Source: http://www.krdo.com/news/oil-truck-crashes-into-camper-house-in-nd/-/417220/20982774/-/s9causz/-/index.html

    presidential debates Felix Baumgartner Little Nemo gawker Romney Bosses Day 2012 Arlen Specter

    Wednesday, July 10, 2013

    Nasdaq stocks posting largest volume increases

    NEW YORK (AP) -- A look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on Nasdaq at the close of trading:

    China Natural Resources Inc. : Approximately 24,500 shares changed hands, a 750.3 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.56 or 12.6 percent to $4.99.

    Emclaire Financial : Approximately 4,400 shares changed hands, a 2,352.9 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares fell $.25 or 1.0 percent to $25.15.

    FedFirst Financial Corp. : Approximately 25,300 shares changed hands, a 1,226.0 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.02 or .1 percent to $19.30.

    Hampton Roads Bankshares Inc. : Approximately 7,763,400 shares changed hands, a 3,170.7 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.21 or 16.2 percent to $1.51.

    Liberty Interactive Corp. Liberty Ventures B : Approximately 2,100 shares changed hands, a 3,506.9 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares fell $2.26 or 2.5 percent to $86.60.

    Neonode Inc. : Approximately 5,803,100 shares changed hands, a 2,099.1 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $1.52 or 23.9 percent to $7.89.

    Riverview BanCorp Inc. : Approximately 349,600 shares changed hands, a 1,324.3 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.23 or 9.1 percent to $2.75.

    Seneca Foods B : Approximately 1,700 shares changed hands, a 791.8 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.77 or 2.3 percent to $34.35.

    SmartPros Ltd. : Approximately 36,800 shares changed hands, a 1,931.3 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares remained unchanged at $1.65.

    Transcat Inc. : Approximately 109,700 shares changed hands, a 788.8 percent increase over its 65-day average volume. The shares rose $.26 or 3.9 percent to $6.90.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-stocks-posting-largest-volume-220505435.html

    Tim Hardaway Jr Kelly Olynyk Bill Simmons Doink the Clown alec baldwin alec baldwin Victor Oladipo

    Behold the Budget iPhone Rainbow of Colors

    With each passing day more lower-priced iPhone parts are photographed and leaked from the supply chain. At least this is what AppleDaily wants us to believe. Considering the large number of matching photos form several sources Apple might actually launch the device in the colors pictured below.

    Aside from offering the so-called budget iPhone alongside the flagship iPhone 5S this fall, Apple is expected to release iOS 7. One thing is clear, the bright hues found in the company's latest operating system could have met their match in the external plastic parts of the budget iPhone. Of course, it's possible these parts are knock-offs and will never see the light of day.

    So what about the hardware Apple is expected to offer in the budget iPhone? Should the parts leaks be authentic, the device will be around 2mm or 3mm thicker than the iPhone 5. Both devices will have the same 4-inch Retina display. Other details are hard to come by, including whether or not Apple will actually launch a lower-priced plastic version of its smartphone.

    When it comes to the iPhone 5S, rumors are circulating of a faster graphics processor along with a possible dual-flash upgrade. Apple could also incorporate 120fps video on the device, allowing users to record high-quality slow motion video.

    Source: http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/972724

    catherine zeta jones charlize theron barbra streisand barbra streisand hugh jackman Aly Raisman Oscar Results

    Chrome for Android update adds fullscreen mode for tablets, Google Translate integration

    Image

    Chrome for Android just turned 28! Version 28, which today moved out of beta to the stable channel, includes a pair of notable additions, along with the typical variety of bug fixes and performance improvements. The first new feature is Google Translate integration. When you come across a website in a foreign language, the browser will offer to translate the text into your language. Additionally, tablet users are now able to take advantage of the fullscreen mode already available on smartphones. After updating to 28, you should be able to scroll down the page and see the toolbar disappear. Finally, there's a new interface option for right-to-left languages, which include Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew. Snag the update at the source link below.

    Filed under: , ,

    Comments

    Via: Chrome Releases

    Source: Google Play

    Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/dd29F_qXg6E/

    louisville Kevin Ware Injury Video Richard Griffiths FGCU Reid Flair tony romo Good Friday 2013