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- 16/05/12

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Communities start to fine for texting and walking


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This spring, Fort Lee, N.J., police began issuing $85 fines for Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:34:55 PM careless walking, and the Utah By Melissa Nann Burke, The Transit Authority made distracted (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal walking around trains punishable Updated by a $50 fine. If you're reading this story on Delaware has taken a different your smartphone while walking, approach, placing about 100 large you're looking in the wrong place. stickers with the words "LOOK The (Wilmington, Del.) News UP" on sidewalks near crosswalks Journal A pedestrian looks at her in Wilmington, Newark and cellphone at an intersection in R e h o b o t h B e a c h , u r g i n g Newark, Del. pedestrians to pay less attention to their phones and more to what's The (Wilmington, Del.) News going on around them. Journal "Delaware may be breaking some A pedestrian looks at her new ground," says Jonathan cellphone at an intersection in Adkins, spokesman for the Newark, Del. Governors Highway Safety A g r o w i n g n u m b e r o f Association, which tracks state communities are trying to get that highway safety campaigns. "It's message across to stave off really an emerging issue." pedestrian accidents that can By Wade Malcolm, The happen when people walking (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal become too engrossed with their "Look Up" stickers are placed on phones. sidewalks at busy intersections on [unable to retrieve full-text content] [unable to retrieve full-text content]

the University of Delaware campus in Newark to remind texting pedestrians to pay closer attention to traffic. Nabree Tilghman, 18, slowed his walk slightly to check his Android smartphone as he approached an intersection this week in Wilmington, Del. "If you're aware of your surroundings, it's safe. You just have to be smart about it." said Tilghman, a student at Delaware Technical Community College. Tilghman admits he has, on occasion, tripped while texting

and crossing the street, but says he hasn't run into anyone or had close calls with a moving vehicle. Others haven't fared as well. Research from Ohio State University showed cellphone use by pedestrians led to more than 1,000 emergency-room visits nationwide in 2008. In March, a 45-year-old woman had to be rescued from Lake Michigan after she fell off a pier while texting and walking, police said. "When people are talking on cellphones, texting or even listening to music, unfortunately, they're not as aware of what's going on around them," said Police Lt. Mark Farrall in Newark, Del. 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 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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Al-Qaeda leader calls new Obama worth as Yemen leader a U.S. agent much as $10 million
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Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:25:43 PM

permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards SANAA (AP) Al-Qaeda's Editor Brent Jones. For leader has released a 17-minute publication consideration in the audio address aimed at swaying newspaper, send comments to public opinion against Yemen's letters@usatoday.com. Include new president, calling him a U.S. name, phone number, city and agent and a traitor. state for verification. To view our AP Video image purports to transfer deal that Washington c o r r e c t i o n s , go to show al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al hoped would allow Yemen to corrections.usatoday.com. USA -Zawahri, in a still image from a increase operations against al- TODAY is now using Facebook web posting by al-Qaeda's media Qaeda, which seized control of Comments on our stories and blog arm, as-Sahab, earlier this year. posts to provide an enhanced user much of the country's south. "Out went a (U.S.) agent and in experience. To post a comment, AP came an agent," al-Zawahri says. log into Facebook and then "Add" Video image purports to show alThe audio was put online your comment. To report spam or Q a e d a ' s l e a d e r , A y m a n a l - Tuesday, the same day that abuse, click the "X" in the upper Zawahri, in a still image from a Yemen's military announced that right corner of the comment box. web posting by al-Qaeda's media U.S. troops were working directly To find out more, read the FAQ arm, as-Sahab, earlier this year. with them in a major offensive and Conversation Guidelines. Ayman al-Zawahri attacked against the militant network. This entry passed through the President Abed Rabbo Mansour Copyright 2012 The Associated Full-Text RSS service if this is Hadi for serving as vice president Press. All rights reserved. This your content and you're reading it during the "corrupt rule" of material may not be published, on someone else's site, please read deposed leader Ali Abdullah b r o a d c a s t , r e w r i t t e n o r the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentSaleh. r e d i s t r i b u t e d . F o r m o r e only/faq.php#publishers. Five Hadi took over from Saleh earlier information about reprints & Filters recommends: Donate to this year in a U.S.-backed power Wikileaks.

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Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:07:00 PM

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Three things are apparent from President Obama's annual financial disclosure statement, released today: He is a wealthy man, with assets of as much as $10 million. He has a hefty stake in JP Morgan Chase, the megabank that just made a bad $2 billion bet. Obama has an account worth between $500,000 and $1 million. Despite the nation's $15.6 trillion debt, he is a believer in government paper. More than half his assets are in Treasury bills and notes. The disclosure statement lists assets and liabilities in dollar ranges, so pinpointing the president's net worth is difficult. His assets appear to tally between $2.6 million and $9.9 million. He holds a mortgage on his Chicago home of $500,000 to $1 million. As was clear from Obama's income tax filing, much of his income continues to roll in from book royalties. The disclosure form lists $100,000 to $1 million

in royalties from Dreams from My Father, $100,000 to $1 million from Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, and $50,000 to $100,000 from The Audacity of Hope. Vice President Biden, on the other hand, isn't all that wealthy. His financial disclosure statement includes less than $1 million in assets -- and as much as $1.5 million in liabilities, including between $500,000 and $1 million on his Wilmington home. 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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Obama walks fine line in bashing Romney, courting Wall Street - Reuters
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Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:13:34 PM

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON| Tue May 15, 2012 7:11pm EDT May 15 (Reuters) - For President Barack Obama's re-election team, it's sort of like threading a needle. While trying to define Republican Mitt Romney as an insensitive job-killer during his time as a private equity executive, the Obama campaign also is raising money from private equity executives on Wall Street - and hoping voters don't see that as hypocritical. The Obama campaign's political dexterity was evident on Monday, as it released a blistering video ad recounting how Romney's Bain Capital laid off 750 workers from a steel mill in Missouri. Hours later, the campaign raked in about $2 million at a Manhattan fundraiser held by Tony James, president of the Blackstone Group, a huge private equity firm. The Blackstone Group had been on the Obama campaign's radar before - as a target for criticism. Last month, the campaign identified a Blackstone partner, Paul Schorr, as one of "eight wealthy individuals" who donated to Romney's campaign after "betting against America" in "less -than-reputable" deals that led to

outsourcing and layoffs. So on Tuesday at the White House, Obama spokesman Jay Carney faced several questions about whether the president's campaign was setting a double standard in dealing with Wall Street, where some executives see Obama as anti-business. Carney rejected the notion that Obama's team, in criticizing Romney and Republican donors in private equity, had been critical only of executives who had not contributed to Obama's campaign and that only those who support the president were "totally kosher," in the words of ABC's Jake Tapper. Carney said that Obama's campaign was being critical of individuals, not an industry. "There is absolutely a place for a vibrant and successful financial sector ... that includes private equity," Carney said. NOT 'AGAINST PRIVATE EQUITY' Carney's words were echoed by Bill Burton, who heads Priorities USA Action, a pro-Obama "Super PAC" that is spending $4 million to put out its own version of the anti-Romney ad released by Obama's campaign. "The president isn't running against the private equity industry, he is running against Mitt Romney," Burton said. "Our

ads ask whether the decisions Mitt Romney made creating incredible wealth for himself and his partners would make him a good president of the United States." Not surprisingly, conservatives do not see it that way. The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on Tuesday that chided Obama for attacking Romney's private equity work and then fundraising on Wall Street the same day. The newspaper, an influential voice in conservative politics, said that those at the fundraiser, "many from the private equity world, paid $35,800 a head for the privilege of dining with the president who purports to loathe Wall Street when he isn't asking its greedy denizens to redistribute their wealth to his campaign." FIRST IMPRESSIONS Analysts said the attacks by Obama's campaign - and the counter-punching by Romney's team, which released a video ad showing workers from another Bain-owned steel plant praising Romney - were not surprising. Although the election is more than five months away, the analysts said, this is a critical time in the campaign - especially for Romney. Voters who were not focused on the Republican primaries may now be getting their first long

look at Romney. So both campaigns are eager to create a lasting first impression of the Republican challenger to Obama. "Some voters are just taking a first look at Romney, so the Obama campaign wants to shape the narrative," said Greg Valliere of Potomac Research group, which tracks political developments for investors. "Negative ads work. Romney should know, since he eviscerated (Republican rivals) Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum with withering attack ads in the primaries." Valliere questions whether accusations that Obama is being hypocritical toward the private equity industry were unlikely to gain much traction with voters, who he said already are deeply distrustful of politics - and politicians. "I think the irony is lost on the public," Valliere said. "Besides, he's a politician - what would you expect?" Romney's campaign, which wants to focus the conversation on Obama's handling of the sluggish economy, said the president is trying to distract voters from his own record. In a speech in Iowa on Tuesday, Romney blasted Obama as an overspending, "old-school liberal" whose economic policies are damaging the country and

delaying critical decisions about government spending and debt. "What President Obama is doing is not bold," Romney said. "It's old." There were new signs on Tuesday of the challenge Obama could face at a time when the nation's unemployment rate is hovering at just above 8 percent and the economy is growing, but growing slowly. A new USA Today/Gallup poll found that 55 percent of Americans expect the economy to get better during the next four years if Romney wins the election, while only 46 percent said it would improve if Obama is re-elected. And 27 percent expect the economy to get worse under a President Romney, compared with 37 percent who expect things would become more sour if Obama wins a second term. (Additional reporting by Kay Henderon in Iowa, Gregory Roumeliotis in New York and Eric Johnson in Chicago; Editing by David Lindsey and Philip Barbara) 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/contentOBAMA page 4

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Cops cuff college student after fatally wounding him with seven shots
RT (News RSS : Today)

dispatchers that he was the victim of a robbery and claimed that two armed men stole his backpack. Authorities investigating the Cops responded and would killing of a 19-year-old college eventually open fire when one of athlete have determined that not t h e s u s p e c t s t h e y s t o p p e d , only did multiple shots fired by McDade, reached towards his cops cause the death of Kendrec waistband. McDade but that police Both officers involved have gone officers cuffed the suspect as he on the record to say they realized laid dying on the street. McDade was unarmed, but not T h e L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y until they had already shot the coroners office has released their suspect. Carrillo later admitted report on the death of Kendrec that he made up that claim that the McDade, a young black man who robbers were armed in hopes that was shot and killed by cops in l a w e n f o r c e m e n t w o u l d b e Pasadena, California this past dispatched right away. A second March after police officers teen was arrested nearby and responded to a fraudulent 911 charged with two counts of call. According to the medical commercial burglary, one count examiner that assessed the body, of grand theft and one count of at least three of the shots fired at failure to register as a gang McDade were fatal. The report member as a condition of his also reveals, however, that probation. For his role, Carrillo a u t h o r i t i e s t h o u g h t i t w a s was charged with involuntary a p p r o p r i a t e t o s h a c k l e t h e manslaughter. teenager after emptying more than The parents of the deceased dont half a dozen rounds into his body. think that the police are putting The officers that shot and killed together the pieces to the puzzle, McDade did so while responding though. McDades mother and to a 911 call placed by local shop father have filed a wrongful death owner Oscar Carrillo. At the time lawsuit against the Pasadena he dialed for help, Carrillo told Police Department because they
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:06:00 PM

feel like higher-ups on the force tried to cover up the officers own mistakes. Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle tells the Los Angeles Times that he cannot comment on the case while an investigation is being conducted, but that, typically, it is up to the officer on the scene to decide when to remove the cuffs of a suspected criminal. "Procedurally, until an individual has been deemed to be no further threat, the officer can use discretion to unhandcuff," Riddle tells the paper. In the case of McDade, then, it would seem as if the officers felt threatened until paramedics arrived and moved the bloodied, bullet-riddled body of the young man onto an ambulance. Detective Van Hecke of the Pasadena Police Department writes in his official witness statement that one of the officers involved handcuffed McDade on the ground aware that at least four shots had been fired. The witness statement authorized by Detective Van Hecke explains that paramedics were dispatched to the scene in regards to a

medical aid call after McDade was injured: Upon their arrival, they found the decedent lying prone on the asphalt in the middle of the street with his hands cuffed behind his back. They noted (8) visible gunshot wounds to his body. They noted the decedent to be combative and restrained him. He was awake and alert and had vital signs. How combative McDade actually was could be a decision that may be left for a court to decide. Both officers that opened fire, Detective Keith Gomez and Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez are all named as defendants in the federal lawsuit. Whatever the outcome, it should be noted that the coroner determined that at least three of the bullets were still lodged in the victims body before he died. His iliac, femoral and brachial arteries were all lacerated in the event before McDade was cuffed. They transported him to the ER where ER personnel noted (11) gunshot wounds to his body (ten to the front and one to the rear), continues the report.He was

awake and speaking, but altered. He then began to lose his pulse. McDade was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on March 25. When the coroner finished a separate examination of the body outside of the ER, only seven gunshot wounds were identified, although eight casings were recovered from the scene. The boys father, Kenneth McDade, told the Associated Press earlier this year that he was outraged that the Pasadena PD has pegged the blame seemingly solely on Carrillo for lying in his emergency call. How can I put my trust in a system that doesn't ever work for us?" McDade asked the AP. The family is seeking unspecified damages. 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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Expert says surveillance cams are vulnerable to hackers


RT (News RSS : Today)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:46:09 PM

Stoner Leads MotoGP World Championship By One Point Going Into Le Mans Round RoadracingWorld.com
(Andrea Rossi - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 12:22:32 PM

(AFP Photo / Getty Images) Its not news that surveillance cameras are practically everywhere in America, but do you know who exactly is monitoring your every move? One security expert has the answer, and it isnt pretty. Researcher Justin Cacak of Gotham Digital Science has been investigating some of the countrys most popular closedcircuit surveillance camera systems and has come to a startling discovery: hacking into the feed of hidden cam is often feat even a novice computer nerd can manage. Speaking to Wired this week, Cacak reveals that much of the US relies on CCTV systems from only a few big name companies. Of those, he says, MicroDigital, HIVISION and CTRing are the most popular. So popular, in fact,

that many of their customers simply purchase their products, install them with ease and assume they are good to go. Rarely, he says, does it seem that administrators bother to change the default passwords of these out -of-the-box systems. And since many CCTV systems come ready to broadcast to the Web, hackers can access them from around the globe. You can essentially view these devices from anywhere in the world, Cacak tells Wired. The researcher adds that his team examined more than 1,000 closedcircuit TV cameras that had Internet capabilities and could also be hacked with just a little bit of the right know-how. Most of the major brands come with remote Internet access enabled by default, reports the website, and unless an administrator takes it upon his or herself to disable this service or make a different password, cracking into the

system is as easy as making a few educated guesses. We find about 70 percent of the systems have not had the default passwords changed, he says. Often those default passwords arent very hard to crack either. He says that usually the administrators log-in is, predictably, admin, or, in some cases, user. Passwords are often easy-to-guess numerical codes, such as 1234 or 1111. All the ones we found have remote access enabled by default, Cacak says. Not all the customers may be aware [of this]. Because most people view these [video feeds] via console screens, they may not be aware that they can be remotely accessed. In all of these instances, Cacak says his fellow researchers were hired to audit surveillance systems to search for security vulnerabilities. He might have a big client on his hands if he

decides to undertake any work for Illuminating Concepts, though thats the company RT reported on last year by revealing that their patented streetlights that double as surveillance hubs had been installed in the city of Farmington Hills, Michigan. Only this week, however, has it been confirmed that the lampposts which also have the capabilities to broadcast WiFi signals and spy on passersby with cameras will be coming across the country. Illuminating Concepts say that they have plans to implement their Intellistreets system from coast to coast soon. 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.

RoadracingWorld.com Stoner Leads MotoGP World Championship By One Point Going Into Le Mans Round RoadracingWorld.com Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso have so far provided some great inter-team battles and will be aiming to not only out-do one another once again, but to find that extra bit of pace to catch up to the front three. and more

Fiorentina retain a special place in my heart, reveals Ranieri - Goal.com


(Andrea Rossi - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:53:08 PM

Goal.com Fiorentina retain a special place in my heart, reveals Ranieri

Goal.com The Roman was fired by Inter in March, having only been at the

helm for six months, but has been heavily linked with the Viola following the recent dismissal of

Delio Rossi after a touchline bustup with forward Adem Ljajic.

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Merkel, Hollande agree to Medical blunder make joint effort to push costs breakdance on growth - Xinhua champ his leg
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parliamentary elections collapsed, with the debt-ridden country Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:46:40 PM heading to fresh polls in June. BERLIN, May 15 (Xinhua) -However, leaders of the Despite their differences over how eurozone's two largest economies to drag Europe out of its current expressed their wish for Greece to economic swamp, German and stay in the single currency bloc. French leaders pledged to make "We want Greece to stay in the joint effort to reinvigorate growth euro," said Merkel, adding that in the continent during their first G e r m a n y a n d F r a n c e w e r e meeting on Tuesday. prepared "to study the possibility "We share the responsibility for a of additional growth measures in good development in Europe and Greece" if Athens said they I think we will find solutions for needed them. individual problems in this spirit," Hollande echoed Merkel's G e r m a n C h a n c e l l o r A n g e l a opinion, while promoting a M e r k e l t o l d a j o i n t n e w s growth-driven strategy which was conference. at core of his presidential She made an effort to downplay c a m p a i g n . the differences between her and "I hope that we can say to the t h e F r e n c h l e f t - w i n g n e w Greeks that Europe is ready to add president Francois Hollande, who measures to help growth and took office just hours ago. support economic activity so that The high-profile visit, which was there is a return to growth in Hollande's first diplomatic trip, Greece," Hollande said. was overshadowed by storm that Calling the French-Germany ties forced his plane to return to as "balanced" and "respectful", Villacoublay military airport, Hollande said that "everything apart from mounting international should be put on the table" at the pressure of a potential Greek forthcoming informal summit of eurozone exit. EU leaders in Brussels due on Earlier in the day, the final May 23. critical talks among Greek party In addition, Hollande also leaders over the formation of a a f f i r m e d h i s w i s h f o r a national unity government to lead renegotiation of the EU fiscal G r e e c e a f t e r t h e M a y 6 pact. "I said it during my election

campaign and I say it again now as president that I want to renegotiate what has been agreed to include a growth dimension." Though remained opposed to any change of the EU fiscal pact, which has been ratified in several of EU member states, Merkel made it a point to send a signal of unity. "Growth has to feed through to the people. And that's why I'm happy that we'll discuss different ideas on how to achieve growth," Merkel said. Following the visit to Germany, Hollande is due to fly to Washington later in the week to meet U.S. President Barack Obama at the G8 meeting scheduled for May 18-19 at Camp David of the U.S. presidential retreat, as well as NATO summit in Chicago on May 20-21. Enditem 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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but stable, Olga Gugneva from Krasnodars regional hospital told Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:03:15 PM Life News website.He has Evgeny Smirnov with his many regained consciousness and trophies (Image from Evgeny doctors have stitched up the Smirnovs page a t wounds in his leg. But we still Odnoklassniki.ru) cant give any guarantees. The Russian breakdance champion, g a n g r e n e i s s p r e a d i n g a n d Evgeny Smirnov, wont be able to surgeons are fighting to prevent impress the audience with his the disease spreading to the other moves again as the young man leg. has lost his leg due to the Smirnovs relatives and friends n e g l i g e n c e o f m e d i c s i n have started raising money to Krasnodar Region. continue his treatment in a clinic -Smirnov was admitted to hospital in Israel. in the village of Lazarevskoe on A festival in support of the young the Black Sea coast after a road man, involving dance crews and accident in which his motorbike musicians, will be held in Sochi collided with a car. on May 19. The unconscious 25-year-old was Therell be free entrance to the diagnosed with a double open event, but all who come will be tibia fracture and immediately free to donate any sum they want. taken to intensive care. Smirnovs This entry passed through the friends demanded he be moved to Full-Text RSS service if this is the regions administrative center your content and you're reading it of Krasnodar but he was denied on someone else's site, please read admission for a week. the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentThe gangrene developing in the only/faq.php#publishers. Five young mans leg was treated only Filters recommends: Donate to belatedly and the limb had to be Wikileaks. amputated as a result. The patient's condition is serious,

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Groundbreaking, $100M study aimes to stop Alzheimer's before it starts - CBS News
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Chen Guangcheng, blind Chinese activist, calls into Hill hearing again - Washington Post
(china - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:05:24 PM

right, and if we start early enough, we may have a way to stop the Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:31:57 PM disease in its tracks before people An Alzheimer's disease sufferer develop symptoms." in Colombia (CBS News) Another possible outcome would (CBS News) Alzheimer's disease also represent a breakthrough. If cannot be cured but it can be the drug stops the amyloid prevented. The government buildup and the patients still get announced Tuesday a $100 Alzheimer, researchers will learn m i l l i o n s t u d y t o t e s t a n c e r t a i n t h e y w i l l c o n t r a c t amyloid is not the cause. Alzheimer's prevention drug in Alzheimer's by the age of 50. The This trial could fail, and still tell just one family. It's potentially a patients will get shots of the science what it needs to know. breakthrough because it's hard to leading experimental Alzheimer's "If the study fails, it would test Alzheimer's prevention. drug called Crenezumab to target compel the research community to Scientists can never know which what most scientists think is the start searching for, to target other healthy people will develop the root cause of disease: the buildup, elements of the disease, so that we disease, but now they've found deep in the brain, of the toxic can find a way to prevent it as one family in which nearly amyloid protein. If the family soon as possible," Reiman said. everyone develops Alzheimer's. members get no buildup of the Technically, the clinical trial has CBS News correspondent Wyatt protein, scientists hope they won't yet to win formal approval in Andrews reports more than 5 develop Alzheimer's. Promising either the U.S. or in Colombia, m i l l i o n A m e r i c a n s h a v e Alzheimer's research delayed by but approval is expected. The trial Alzheimer's or another forms of shortage of volunteer patients will study 300 patients in dementia. That's expected to triple More on Alzheimer's from the Colombia, and will look for 24 over the next 40 years as the NIH Americans at high risk of getting population ages. Dr. Eric Reiman(Credit: CBS Alzheimer's and who are willing The annual cost of care - now News) to take the experimental shots. $200 billion - could hit $1 trillion. "We believe that it is time to This entry passed through the The Obama administration launch a new era in Alzheimer's Full-Text RSS service if this is announced a strategy Tuesday to prevention research," said Dr. Eric your content and you're reading it find a treatment by 2025. R e i m a n , t h e l e a d c l i n i c a l on someone else's site, please read In a highly unusual move, researcher for the trial. "Most but the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentresearchers will focus this clinical not all researchers believe that the only/faq.php#publishers. Five trial on patients near Medellin, accumulation of amyloid plays a Filters recommends: Donate to Colombia. Hundreds of people in critical role in the development of Wikileaks. one extended family were born Alzheimer's disease, and if that's with the genetic flaw that makes it

AFP Chen Guangcheng, blind Chinese activist, calls into Hill hearing again Washington Post Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng called into a US congressional hearing for the second time in two weeks Tuesday and said his relatives have been persecuted in retaliation for his escape from

house arrest. He expressed particular concern for his... China Dissident Chen Decries Pattern of Abuse Against Family San Francisco Chronicle Blind China activist speaks by phone to Congress The Associated Press Friction with China a small price to pay for promoting democracy The Seattle Times Wall Street Journal- CBS NewsAFP all 766 news articles

China Adds Treasuries for Second Month on Reserve Growth - Bloomberg


(china - Google News)

percent to $1.17 trillion, US Treasury Department data released... Bloomberg China Remains Ahead Of Japan China Adds Treasuries for As Largest Foreign Holder Of US S e c o n d M o n t h o n R e s e r v e Treasurys: TIC Wall Street Growth Journal Bloomberg Who loves us, baby? China still China remained the largest does. CNN foreign US creditor, adding to its Foreign holdings of US debt hit holdings in March as the Treasury record high; China ups holds for 10-year note yield reached the third time Washington Post highest level since October. all 119 news articles China's holdings rose by 1.3
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:34:41 PM

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China, Philippines Fishing Fiorentina retain a special Ban Defuses Tensions - place in my heart, reveals Voice of America Ranieri - Goal.com India
(china - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:49:38 PM

Housing help aids families Atlanta Journal Constitution

New York Times (blog) China, Philippines Fishing Ban Defuses Tensions Voice of America A territorial squabble between China and the Philippines over a small group of islands in the South China Sea has not evolved into a going green agreement. But a decision by both countries to implement a ban on fishing in the

region has helped to... China and the Philippines Play the Green Card in Sea Dispute Wall Street Journal (blog) Inside the China-Philippines Fight in the South China Sea New York Times (blog) Philippines feels the economic cost of standing up to China Christian Science Monitor Pakistan Daily Times- XinhuaReuters Blogs (blog) all 289 news articles

(Andrea Rossi - Google News)


Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:06:28 PM

Goal.com India Fiorentina retain a special place in my heart, reveals Ranieri Goal.com India The Roman was fired by Inter in

(housing - Google News) March, having only been at the helm for six months, but has been Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:40:42 PM heavily linked with the Viola following the recent dismissal of Housing help aids families Delio Rossi after a touchline bust- Atlanta Journal Constitution up with forward Adem Ljajic. By Ed Jennings Jr. Recently, housing counselors, advocates and Ranieri has revealed that... those who work in Georgia's and more housing industry traveled to the White House to talk with senior Obama administration officials about what we need to continue rebuilding in the wake of a...

Ron Johnson Says JCPenney Is 'Starting To Act Like A Startup'


Aimee Groth (Business Insider)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:57:00 PM

At today's JCPenney event, CEO Ron Johnson talked about the company's big Q1 miss. He said the turnaround was tougher than expected, but that JCP is "starting to act like a startup." "We're moving a lot quicker," he said, and that with startups "which I'm really familiar with in the Apple area; you get your learning and reaction time really close. We're starting to work really close."

To operate like that, you've got to be smaller than a huge corporate behemoth like JCPenney. Which is why Johnson has been cutting corporate and store employees across the country for the past few months. He's also completely replaced all the top executives with a new team, and added 41 new VPs and EVPs, half of which are outside hires from "companies like GE, Apple, Nike and Disney." JCPenney President Michael Francis spoke about all the brands the company is now partnering

with, like Michael Graves, Vivianne Tam and Jonathan Adler. He said that "for our strategy to win, we'll win on the assortment."

Those are a lot of changes to roll out in the next few months, and so far, customers haven't warmed up to a big part of its new strategy: its pricing.

The bottom line is that Johnson is aggressively demanding change, but whether or not it eventually gets America back into its stores is to be seen. And he doesn't have that much time. According to UBS, " Judgment Day" is in the second half of 2012. Now read more from JCPenney's Q1 earnings announcement > Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story

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Business/

This Poll Reveals The Biggest Problem With Advertising On Facebook


AP (Business Insider)

Facebook "only a little," or "not at all." Users' desire for privacy and Facebook's reach is wide but not F a c e b o o k ' s n e e d t o t a r g e t deep. advertising aren't necessarily Few users surveyed in an opposing interests. Facebook Associated Press-CNBC poll say doesn't expose information about they click on the site's ads or buy its users directly to advertisers. the virtual goods that make Instead, it effectively accepts money for it. missions to deliver ads to groups M o r e t h a n 4 0 p e r c e n t o f of people, like "moviegoers" or American adults log in to the site "people planning trips to Europe." to share news, personal It's up to Facebook to figure out observations, photos and more how to find those people. at least once a week. But the company doesn't seem to In all, some 900 million people be connecting very well. In the around the world are users. But poll, 83 percent of respondents many of them don't have a very said they "hardly ever" or "never" high opinion of Facebook or trust click on the ads Facebook serves it to keep their information up. private. The ones who did click through If Facebook the company were a were enough to yield the company Facebook user, it would have a lot $4.34 per user in advertising last of virtual friends but not many year. That's up from $3.07 in real ones, the poll suggested. 2009. So the company is getting Users' distrust limits the value of better at making money from its the site's ads. Advertisers want to user base, but it has a long way to target their messages to the people g o t o f i l l o u t t h e m a r k e t most likely to respond to them. capitalization of nearly $100 And the more Facebook knows billion implied in its IPO pricing. about us, the better it will be at Google, another online tailoring those ads to our interests. advertising company that walks a Yet in the poll of U.S. adults similar line between ad targeting published Tuesday, only 13 and privacy, makes more than $30 percent said they trust Facebook per user, per year. People also like "completely" or "a lot" when it it more. In the AP-CNBC poll, 71 comes to keeping their personal percent of respondents had a information private. A majority, favorable opinion of Google, or 59 percent, said they trust compared to 51 percent for
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:48:00 PM

Facebook. "Somehow Facebook still hasn't stumbled upon a model that's proven consistently successful for marketers, or that brings in the massive revenues to match the site's massive user base," Forrester Research analyst Nate Elliott said in a blog post. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that General Motors Co. plans to stop advertising on Facebook because the company has concluded that the ads are ineffective. The paper cited anonymous sources. GM spokesman Tom Henderson said the company is "reassessing" advertising on Facebook, but would not say if the company has

made any changes. Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at research firm eMarketer, said Facebook has plenty of opportunities to be a better link between advertisers and users. For instance, it can be more effective when it places an ad in a social context. People are much more likely to click on an ad if a friend has already "liked" it or if it consists of a comment a friend posted on the brand website, she said. "This all fairly new and experimental. I don't think we've seen the full results of what adding social context means when it comes to the response to advertising," she said.

Advertising made up 82 percent of Facebook's revenue in the latest quarter. The rest came from the purchase of Facebook "credits" for the purchase of virtual goods, like cows in "Farmville" or chips in "Zynga Poker." But like advertising, this is a business that touches only a minority of Facebook users. Last year, 15 million users, or only 2 percent of the total, bought any credits at all. If Facebook wants to help stores selling something other than virtual bling, it has to overcome skepticism among users first: The poll found that a majority of respondents, or 54 percent, would feel "not too safe" or "not safe at all" buying goods such as clothes or services such as travel from the site. Only 8 percent said they would feel "extremely safe" or "very safe." The Associated Press-CNBC Poll was conducted May 3-7, 2012, by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,004 adults nationwide and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. See Also: General Motors Pulls $10 Million Campaign From Facebook Because Its Ads Don't Work FACEBOOK'S WORST THIS page 10

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Subdivisions go urban as housing market changes - USA TODAY


(housing - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:31:15 PM

THIS
continued from page 9

USA TODAY Subdivisions go urban as housing market changes USA TODAY A housing industry slowly

shaking off the worst economic conditions in decades is rethinking what type of housing to build and where to build it. It's a response to a new wave of home buyers who have no desire to live in traditional subdivisions far... and more

NIGHTMARE: After GM, Here's How The Other Dominoes Could Fall Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story

CNBC's David Faber Won Jeopardy's 'Power Players' Episode Today


Lisa Du (Business Insider)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:47:13 PM

Home Depot CEO: 'Gradual thaw' in housing market Atlanta Journal Constitution
(housing - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:17:07 PM

Families 'dump 680 of food a year' - The Press Association


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:30:00 PM

CNBC anchor David Faber won the game on today's episode of Jeopardy, which featured notable personalities as part of the game show's "Power Players" week. Faber, who was competing against former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Fox News' Dana Perino, won $50,000 for his charity of choice, New Visions for Public Schools. As expected, Faber was able to answer questions on Facebook and Warren Buffett's giving pledgewhere Buffett himself

posed the question. Although Jeopardy had the good humor to put a "Squawk On The Street" category, the questions actually involved bird calls, and not finance. Yesterday, Jeopardy featured former Bloomberg TV reporter Lizzie O'Leary. SEE ALSO: Former Bloomberg TV Reporter Lizzie O'Leary Shares The Secret To Jeopardy Success Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story

Home Depot CEO: 'Gradual thaw' in housing market Atlanta Journal Constitution It's a sign of a "gradual thaw" in the housing market, Home Depot

chairman and CEO Frank Blake said in a company conference call Tuesday, even as he said housing is still under pressure. Customers continue to do their own projects to save money,... and more

Skull-Adorned Friendship Bracelets - Threads of Friendship Releases the Diamond Dust Collection (TrendHunter.com)
(TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:22:02 PM

( TrendHunter.com) Threads of Friendship is a jewelry line based

Belfast Telegraph Families 'dump 680 of food a year' The Press Association The study found that the average household spends 68 a week on food but that 91% of households with children admit to throwing some of that food away. Researchers said that the value of wasted food was heavily underestimated by families. Fifth of our food thrown out: Brits waste 12bn a year binning good food Mirror.co.uk Supermarket offers: Are in New York created by jewelry Manchester families lured into designer Andrea Barna and wasting more food... Mancunian b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r K o l l e n e Matters McGinley. The company will be Final Day and Final Thoughts: releasing its first piece from the... My Week Living Below the Line Huffington Post UK (blog) all 172 news articles

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FBI launches JPMorgan probe, shareholders back Dimon


(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:18:49 PM

By David Henry TAMPA, Florida| Tue May 15, 2012 7:18pm EDT (Reuters) - The FBI has opened an inquiry into the multibillion-dollar trading losses at JPMorgan Chase, stepping up pressure on the bank after key U.S. agencies said they were looking into high-risk trades that first drew regulators' attention last month. The news did little to spook investors, who sent the stock higher Tuesday, or shareholders, who backed embattled Chief Executive Jamie Dimon at the bank's annual shareholders meeting, with a vote rejecting a proposal to split the jobs of CEO and chairman. Though investors mostly gave Dimon a pass, pressure mounted on the bank to reclaim some of the millions of dollars it paid to the executives who oversaw the trades. Dimon said JPMorgan would pursue more disciplinary action against those responsible. "We will do the right thing. That may well include clawbacks," he told reporters after the annual meeting. The timing on any such move was not clear, though, and the various regulatory probes could add complications. A source

familiar with the situation said Tuesday that U.S. and UK regulators first raised concerns with senior management in April. A separate source familiar with the FBI probe, opened by the agency's New York office, described it as preliminary. The probe was seen in some quarters as a necessary public step, given the ongoing debate in Washington about bank regulation, and one expert said it raised the level of concern around what happened. "The FBI looks for evidence of crimes and goes after people who it alleges are criminals. They want to send people to jail. The SEC pursues all sorts of wrongdoing, imposes fines and is half as scary as the FBI," said Erik Gordon, a professor in the law and business schools at the University of Michigan. The bank's trading losses have also drawn the attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve, both of which have opened inquiries. After two trading days of heavy losses, JPMorgan shares rose 1.3 percent to close at $36.24. The stock is down more than 11 percent since the trading losses were disclosed, wiping out slightly more than $17 billion of market capitalization. "It affects my opinion of the entire

financial industry," said Dennis Hong, principal with Altimeter Capital, a hedge fund that manages about $250 million. "It's really shocking because JPMorgan has been known as the most conservative in terms of managing their business risk. They may be losing their way." AFFIRMS 'CASE FOR ... REFORM' In Washington, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said JPMorgan's losses strengthened the case for reform. "I think this failure of risk management is just a very powerful case for ... financial reform," Geithner told an event sponsored by the Peterson Foundation. "The test of reform is not whether you can prevent banks from making mistakes ... the test of reform should be: 'Do those mistakes put at risk the broader economy, the financial system or the taxpayer?'" Larry Summers, Treasury secretary in the last years of the Clinton administration, said JPMorgan's loss strengthened the case for stronger capital requirements at banks. "I think that whatever one thought about how large a safety buffer was necessary 10 days ago, it seems to me that in light of what has happened one would tend to have a bias towards larger safety

buffers, larger capital requirements, larger levels of liquidity," Summers said in an interview for the Freeland File show on Reuters.com. Congress meanwhile ratcheted up its own response to JPMorgan's trading blunder, which comes as policymakers are finalizing new rules for the bank industry. "I would suggest that JPMorgan take their business to Las Vegas because it's just a gamble," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat who represents Nevada, told reporters. Congressional Republicans who have been critical of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law took a cautious approach in addressing the still-unfolding scandal. Senator Richard Shelby, the top Republican on Senate Banking Committee, wants a hearing held with Dimon and regulators to get answers, his spokesman said. Congressman Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he would delay a hearing on bills to rein in and clarify swaps regulation, citing the JPMorgan trading loss. CLAWBACKS New York City Comptroller John Liu, who oversees the city's $400 million stake in JPMorgan, joined those calling for a "clawback"

from executives responsible for the trading losses, including Ina Drew, chief of the hedging unit in question. Drew, who announced her retirement on Monday, earned more than $15 million in each of the last two years and was potentially eligible to retain more than $14 million in unvested stock awards after leaving. Drew did not return messages for comment left at her New Jersey home on Tuesday. In its 2011 annual report, JPMorgan said its stock-based compensation awards were subject to clawback provisions. It can cancel unvested awards or require that the value of distributed shares be repaid when "the employee engages in conduct that causes material financial or reputational harm to the firm or its business activities," according to its proxy filing. "We don't know the facts and culpability, but it appears she (Drew) did have a responsibility here along with a number of others," Sheila Bair, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, said in an interview with Reuters Insider. "Clearly, the whole purpose of clawbacks is if you make a bad bet that results in losses, FBI page 15

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GM to drop Facebook ads due to low consumer impact


(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:35:05 PM

The Facebook logo is shown at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California May 26, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith By Ben Klayman and Alexei Oreskovic DETROIT/SAN FRANCISCO| Tue May 15, 2012 7:35pm EDT (Reuters) - General Motors Co said on Tuesday it will stop advertising on Facebook, even as the social networking website prepares to go public. While GM gave no specific reason for dropping Facebook ads, a source familiar with the automaker's plans said the company's marketing executives decided Facebook's ads had little impact on consumers. While GM's decision could be an exception in the advertising world, it marked the first highly visible crack in the Facebook strategy, said Brian Wieser, Internet and media analyst at Pivotal Research Group. "This does highlight what we are arguing is the riskiness of the overall Facebook business model," he said. "It is not a sure thing. It sure looks likely that it will be one of the most important ad-supported media properties, but it's not certain because there will be marketers who are

challenged to prove the effectiveness of the marketing vehicle." Facebook Inc, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, is expected to start trading on the Nasdaq on Friday. The world's No. 1 social networking site raised its IPO price range on Tuesday, potentially giving the company a valuation of more than $100 billion. An executive at another large consumer products company said the issue with advertising on Facebook is nobody really knows yet if it works better than traditional media and is worth the money spent. "Is it just a shiny new object, or is it a real value proposition?" said the executive, who asked not to be identified. GM said it will still have Facebook pages, which cost nothing to create, to market its vehicles. GM pays no fee to Facebook for its pages, which allow the automaker to reach consumers directly. GM said it regularly reviews how it spends its marketing budget and adjusts its approach as needed. "It's not unusual for us to move our spending around various media outlets - especially with the growth of multiple social and digital media outlets," the company said in a statement.

"In terms of Facebook specifically, while we currently do not plan to continue with advertising, we remain committed to an aggressive content strategy through all of our products and brands, as it continues to be a very effective tool for engaging with our customers," GM said. NO. 3 U.S. ADVERTISER GM spends about $40 million on its Facebook presence, but only about $10 million of that is paid to Facebook for advertising, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported GM's plans to drop Facebook ads. The remaining budget covers the creation of content and the advertising and media agencies involved, the newspaper said. GM, the country's third-largest advertiser behind Procter & Gamble Co and AT&T Inc, spent $1.11 billion on U.S. ads last year, according to Kantar Media, an adtracking firm owned by WPP Plc. About $271 million of the total GM spent for ads last year was for online display and search ads excluding Facebook advertising. Facebook ads make up a small percentage of GM's advertising budget, but the company said it is committed to the website to market its vehicles. For instance, the Facebook page for the Chevrolet Sonic small car as of 2000 GMT on Tuesday had

more than 423,000 "likes." The first three months of Sonic's marketing campaign which began last October were exclusively digital, with TV ads not running until early this year. REACHING YOUNGER CONSUMERS While GM rival Ford Motor Co said it was committed to advertising on Facebook, the social media site is just one part of the No. 2 U.S. automaker's marketing strategy. Ford also is boosting its spending on Facebook, including ad buys. "You just can't buy your way into Facebook," said Ford spokesman Scott Monty. "You need to have a credible presence and be doing innovative things." More than 20 percent of Ford's marketing budget is spent on digital and social media, he said. The company launched its 2011 Explorer SUV on Facebook and other digital outlets for a fraction of the cost of a Super Bowl TV spot, which cost $3.5 million on average per 30 seconds this year. Automakers are increasingly turning to social media sites to reach younger consumers on their turf for less than a tenth of the cost of a traditional marketing campaign. Ford first used social media on a wide scale to promote the Fiesta small car in 2009 in a campaign

dubbed the "Fiesta Movement." It spent $5 million on the campaign for the car, which was returning to the U.S. market after roughly three decades. After the Fiesta campaign, Ford said 60 percent of Americans who said they would buy a small car within two years said they were familiar with the Fiesta. That kind of recognition would cost $100 million through traditional means, the company said. Another fan of Facebook is Japanese automaker Subaru, which started using banner ads at the website in the past year in addition to its free content. "Advertising plus content equals more clicks to our website, which we like," Subaru spokesman Michael McHale said. Most of Facebook's corporate clients, like Ford, are satisfied with the return they get from their ads, said Jason Beckerman, chief strategy officer for Unified, which helps companies analyze the impact of marketing campaigns on social networking sites. In addition to Ford, clients at his firm include German automaker BMW, P&G and Microsoft Corp. Beckerman, who has worked with Facebook in the past, said companies tend to be dissatisfied when they simply "throw money" DROP page 17

Curated News Edition

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13

April retail sales hint at slower spending pace


(Reuters: Top News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:49:25 PM

Customers shop for lumber at a Home Depot store in Washington February 20, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON| Tue May 15, 2012 4:49pm EDT (Reuters) - Sales at retailers barely rose in April as the boost from an unseasonably warm winter faded, pointing to some loss of momentum in consumer spending early in the second quarter. However, the Commerce Department report contained signs of underlying firmness in demand. Other economic data on Tuesday showed a rebound in New York state manufacturing this month and U.S. homebuilder sentiment at a five-year high. Taken together, the reports calmed concerns the economy was stalling. In addition, retreating gasoline prices, which put a lid on broader inflation pressures last month, should free money for discretionary spending by households in the months ahead. "The economy continues to grow at a decent clip, but there are still

a lot of risks coming from overseas," said Omair Sharif, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut. Retail sales edged up 0.1 percent in April, held back by a decline in receipts from building materials and clothing stores. That was the smallest gain since December. Manufacturing remained resilient, with a gauge of factory activity in New York state bouncing higher this month as new orders and shipments rose. The New York Federal Reserve said its Empire State general business conditions index jumped to 17.09 in May from 6.56 in April, outpacing economists' expectations of 8.50. Separately, the National Association of Home Builders/ Wells Fargo Housing Market index rose to 29, the highest reading since May 2007, from 24 in April. Lingering concerns over the debt crisis in Europe amid news that Greece could hold a new election blunted the impact of the data on U.S. financial markets. Stocks on Wall Street fell for the eighth day in the past 10, while prices for U.S. Treasury debt were little changed. The dollar rose to a four-month high against major

currencies. WEATHER PAYBACK Unusually warm weather pulled forward sales into January and February, resulting in first-quarter consumer spending rising at its fastest clip in more than a year. Consumer spending rose at a 2.9 percent annual rate. Sales last month were mixed, with building materials and gardening equipment receipts falling 1.8 percent - the largest drop since January last year - after surging 2.7 percent in March. Home Depot Inc also fell victim to the weather in April. The world's largest home improvement chain reported weaker-than-expected quarterly sales on Tuesday after demand slowed last month after earlier strength. The payback from the warm weather was also evident in clothing stores sales, which dropped 0.7 percent after dipping 0.1 percent in March. Clothing sales also were probably affected by an early Easter holiday, which brought forward spring purchases. "Much of the slowdown was driven by a payback to unseasonably warm weather earlier this year," said Diane

Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago. Elsewhere in the report, auto sales increased 0.5 percent after rising 0.2 percent in March. Excluding autos, sales ticked up 0.1 percent after advancing 0.8 percent the prior month. Sales at gasoline stations fell 0.3 percent as prices at the gasoline pump retreated from recent highs around $4 a gallon. Sales had increased 1.0 percent the prior month. While the drop in gasoline prices contributed to holding back retail sales last month, this should boost spending in the months ahead by easing the burden on cashstrapped households. So-called core retail sales, which exclude autos, gasoline and building materials, rose 0.3 percent after increasing 0.6 percent in March. Core sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of the government's gross domestic product report, and April's gain was consistent with spending rising at a rate between 2 percent and 2.5 percent this quarter. "The tone of the report was largely constructive and we expect consumer spending to

remain supportive to the economic recovery going forward," said Millan Mulraine, senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York. The economy grew at a 2.2 percent rate in the first quarter but could be revised a bit lower as data on restocking by businesses was not as strong in March as the government had assumed when it published its initial GDP estimate last month. The pullback in gasoline prices saw consumer prices unchanged in April after rising 0.3 percent in March. Stripping out food and energy prices, core CPI gained 0.2 percent, matching the increase posted in March. (Additional reporting by Jason Lange and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Kenneth Barry) 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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Eisenhower Memorial Plans Redone After Family Outcry


(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:15:51 PM

Shown here is a depiction of the initial design proposal for the Eisenhower memorial. The architect has since proposed a new design following family o b j e c t i o n s . Eisenhowermemorial.net Architect Frank Gehry has proposed changes to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, following strong criticism from surviving family members and questions from top GOP House lawmakers. The family had initially complained that the design focused too strongly on the late president's humble Kansas roots, as opposed to his accomplishments as a president and military commander. While members of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission have voiced approval for the changes, they don't necessarily address one of the family's complaints -- a lifesize sculpture of a young Eisenhower would remain at the center of the memorial despite the family's earlier objections. But the memorial plan would feature other likenesses of the former president. At the center of

the park, Gehry is replacing large images in stone reliefs with statues standing about 9 feet tall, showing Ike as a World War II hero and as president. The estimated $100 million memorial would be built on the National Mall. The statues would depict Gen. Eisenhower with the 101st Airborne Divison of soldiers before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, in World War II. Eisenhower as president would

be depicted with his hand on a globe, inspired by a Yousuf Karsh photograph titled "The Elder Statesman." "After careful consideration, I believe that the sculptures bring the story to life in a more powerful and accessible way than the bas reliefs were able to do," Gehry wrote, reversing his early rejection of adding statues to the memorial. Perhaps the strongest and most compelling opposition came in March from granddaughter Susan

Eisenhower when she testified before Congress. "President Eisenhower's contribution to this nation is not the central theme to this design," she said to the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. She said the design instead portrays the late president as a "dreamy boy." In addition, Rep. Darrell Issa, RCalif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government

Reform Committee, asked the commission to send to him copies of all submitted architectural designs concerning the memorial and "a detailed description of the process leading to acceptance of the Frank Gehry submission, including a breakdown of any and all votes taken pertaining to any submission." The memorial commission did not formally vote on the changes Tuesday, saving that for a later EISENHOWER page 16

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15

Chinese Activist 'Cannot Be Silenced'


(FOXNews.com)

FBI
continued from page 11

gives the green light. Chen was defiant Tuesday, as he called in to a congressional hearing in Washington chaired by This file image made from Smith for the second time in less video posted to YouTube April than two weeks. 27, 2012 by by overseas Chinese Through a translator, Chen news site Boxun.com, shows addressed his activism in China b l i n d l e g a l a c t i v i s t C h e n and said he "cannot be silent" on Guangcheng. AP/Boxun.com/File those issues. But he also complained that his The Chinese dissident whose elder brother, nephew and sisteractivism against his country's in-law had all been beaten by practice of forced abortion and Chinese authorities since Chen sterilization made him a wanted fled house arrest in late April. m a n d e c l a r e d T u e s d a y b y Chen said a charge of homicide telephone before a Capitol Hill brought against his nephew was hearing that he "cannot be silent" "trumped up." in the face of "evils" against Rights activist Bob Fu, who women and children. translated Chen's comments, Chen Guangcheng also described earlier testified that Chen's the persecution his family has nephew had injured several suffered, and the diplomatic crisis people who had burst into his surrounding him has not quite home without warrants. been resolved. Despite claims that Chen's escape from his home he would be allowed to travel to village is what triggered the America to study, Rep. Chris diplomatic standoff last month. Smith, R-N.J., one of his top Chen sought asylum in the U.S. defenders on Capitol Hill, said Embassy in Beijing and stayed Tuesday that Chen is still in a there for days until he finally left Chinese hospital, not allowed for a hospital to see his family and visitors. seek medical treatment. Smith also said there's been no Chen said Tuesday that his wife progress on Chen's travel visa, and two children are doing fine, though the State Department said and he thanked those in America U.S. visas for Chen and his family who have supported his cause. are ready for them once Beijing As Smith expressed concern
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:15:51 PM

compensation should be clawed back." SPLIT PROPOSAL REJECTED While regulators probe the losses, most shareholders at the brief annual meeting seemed more Chen is stuck in "de facto house concerned with the proposal to arrest" at the hospital, State split the roles of chairman and Department spokeswoman CEO. Victoria Nuland said the visa That proposal, which was processing was completed more nonbinding, received 40.1 percent than a week ago for Chen, his of the votes cast in favor. Some wife and two children, to allow 44 percent of AT&T Inc him to study in New York. shareholders and 46 percent of China has said it would accept Honeywell International Inc Chen's application for travel shareholders voted to separate the documents to leave the country. roles at their companies in The Associated Press contributed meetings held last month. to this report. "Obviously, all the media Print attention, all the political Email yammering of the past week, Share undoubtedly had some influence Comments on people who had not voted up Recommend to that point," said Marshall Front, Tweet chairman of investment manager Front Barnett Associates in Share This Article Newsletter Chicago, whose firm voted Signup against the proposal. Sign up for free e-mail news Protests outside the annual alerts from FoxNews.com and meeting were relatively limited. FoxBusiness.com. Newsletter Half a dozen Occupy Tampa Signup protesters did media interviews This entry passed through the and occasionally chanted, "hey Full-Text RSS service if this is hey ho ho, big banks have got to your content and you're reading it go." on someone else's site, please read Nonetheless, retail shareholders the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentexpressed incredulity at the size only/faq.php#publishers. Five of the losses. Filters recommends: Donate to "I am amazed that they think $2 Wikileaks. billion is a bump in the road," said A. Reihl, an 85-year-old

shareholder who said she has owned the stock for more than a decade. "This is not the time to be taking risk." Father Seamus Finn of the Washington-based Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility described the outcome of the meeting as "pretty poor." "I don't think we got any more clarity out of Mr. Dimon about what he got out of these recent experiences and what they're going to do," he said. (Reporting by David Henry and Barbara Liston in Tampa, Ross Kerber, Jim Finkle and Ben Berkowitz in Boston, Jed Horowitz, David Randall, Dan Wilchins, Basil Katz, Emily Flitter and Rhonda Schaffler in New York, Dave Clarke and Susan Cornwell in Washington and Sinead Cruise in London; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Alwyn Scott, David Holmes and Steve Orlofsky) 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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Groundskeeper Fired for Finding, Turning Over Gun


(FOXNews.com)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:15:51 PM

John Chevilott was fired by Wayne County after he found a gun on the job and turned it into police. WJBK/MyFoxDetroit.com A Detroit groundskeeper, who turned in a loaded handgun he found hidden in weeds while working, was fired by the Wayne County Department of Public Services, MyFoxDetroit.com reports. John Chevilott, who is just two years shy of retirement, found the loaded snub-nosed revolver on May 3 when he and his crew were mowing a lawn in Wayne County. Chevilott secured the gun, waiting for police to drive by so he could hand it over to them. 'They said I did the right thing getting it off the street.' - John Chevilott But, according to the station, the Detroit police never did pass by, so Chevilott finished his work that

MyFoxDetroit.com Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet Related Stories Mississippi police hunt for suspected fake cop in highway shooting deaths 5 arrested after baby and 58 dogs found living in filthy Texas home Authorities prohibit father of missing Arizona girl from seeing sons Share This Article Newsletter Signup Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com. Newsletter Signup 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.

day, drove the gun home and later that same evening turned it into his local police department. He says the cops ran the gun and discovered the weapon had been stolen from St. Clair Shores in 2005. "They said I did the right thing getting it off the street," Chevilott told MyFoxDetroit.com. However, Chevilott's superiors at

the Wayne County Department of Public Services had a much different opinion. His foreman, who had knowledge of the situation, was suspended for 30 days, and after 23 years on the job, Chevilott was fired for violating department policies. According to a Wayne County spokeswoman and the rules, employees aren't allowed to

possess a weapon on work property. Chevilott says he didn't bring a weapon to work. He found it on the job. "There is no policy. I've never seen a policy what to do if we find a gun out here. So, all I did was secure the situation to make sure nobody else got hurt or killed." Click for more from

EISENHOWER
continued from page 14

date. All the members who were present, though, voiced their approval. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Print

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17

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


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

DROP
continued from page 12

[...] After weeks of calls for boycott from European governments, the West has increased the pressure Top Stories on Ukraine with Washington Political parties, human rights demanding the immediate release organizations, and other groups of jailed former [...] that are n o r m a l l y JPMorgan Chase & Co.s $2 suppressedoften violentlyin billionand countingloss China, will now be allowed to disclosed on May 10 will not only register themselves under a [...] hurt its bottom line, but a few The European Union anti-piracy high-level executives are expected unit struck a Somali pirate base to leave in its [...] for the first time on Tuesday, This entry passed through the using an attack helicopter to strike Full-Text RSS service if this is pirate-owned boats used to carry your content and you're reading it out kidnappings. on someone else's site, please read On March 5, 2002, a group of the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentF a l u n G o n g p r a c t i t i o n e r s only/faq.php#publishers. Five successfully hacked into the state- Filters recommends: Donate to controlled cable network in Wikileaks. Changchun, China, to show videos about Falun Gong and how

at social networking sites. "Without the proper planning and structure of your buys, you are asking for little to no results." (Additional reporting by Deepa Seetharaman and Bernie Woodall in Detroit, Jim Finkle in Boston and Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz, Matthew Lewis and M.D. Golan) This entry passed through the

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Chrome is better
(Dave Winer's "Scripting News" weblog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 10:34:53 AM

I've spend a couple of days working fulltime in Chrome, and it's improved my workflow.

Strategic Posture Review: Iran


(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 10:41:00 AM

Muted Barely-There Fashion - The Jill Sander Fall 2012 Collection Features Barely There Nudes (TrendHunter.com)
(TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:43:02 PM

( TrendHunter.com) The barelythere nude colors featured as part

Amid the turmoil that has engulfed the wider Middle East over the course of the past year, Iran has been confronted with numerous challenges and some opportunities. Not surprisingly, the top priority for the Iranian regime remains its own survival. The main threats in this regard stem from external military intervention, internal unrest and increasingly, over the past year, strengthened international sanctions in response to its nuclear program. In order to of the Jill Sander Fall 2012 c o u n t e r t h e s e t h r e a t s , I r a n runway show were fresh and continues to invest in asymmetric, pretty. Completely toned down niche capabilities that play to and simple, the colors matched Irans strengths while exploiting well with the classic and elegant... the vulnerabilities of its high-tech adversaries. The regime has also

embarked on a diplomatic and covert military offensive, the latter spearheaded by the Qods Force, to undermine the U.S. and its allies in the region. The possibility of widespread internal unrest, orchestrated from abroad, has traditionally been a top concern of the Iranian regime, rendered more acute by the riots that followed the presidential elections in 2009. While the regimes threat perceptions are unlikely to change in this regard in the short term, the possibility of widespread unrest engulfing the country in 2012 is probably more remote than it has been in previous years. Speculation that the Arab Spring might give rise to a period of renewed unrest in Iran has proved to be unfounded. The reformist Green Movement has been driven underground, and all

of its key leaders who have not gone into exile have been arrested or silenced. Irans security forces -- including its intelligence services, its police force and the paramilitary Basij -- have become particularly adept at penetrating opposition networks and disrupting demonstrations before they spread. Ongoing low-level ethnic and sectarian insurgencies in Iranian Kurdistan and Balochistan continue to plague Tehran, but they do not threaten the regimes existence. ... 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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With Eye on Regional Security, U.S. Looks Past Algeria's Flawed Elections

Global Insights: Afghan Strategic Pact Depends on Future U.S. Commitments


(World Politics Review: Articles)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 9:17:00 AM

legally binding, securing it yields advantages to both parties. It reassures the government of On May 2, the United States and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, (World Politics Review: Articles) Moroccos top-down reform p o i n t o u t t h a t w h i l e t h e s e A f g h a n i s t a n s i g n e d a n e w as well as its successors and process enacted at the onset of the elections took place during a Strategic Partnership Agreement regional allies, that they will not Submitted at 5/15/2012 9:20:00 AM regional uprisings. dynamic period in the region, after months of negotiations. In be abandoned by the West. The While attempts to frame Algeria But Algerias ability to avoid the their domestic significance pales the accord, the United States deal also provides Kabul with within the Arab Spring narrative upheaval that has swept North in comparison to the countrys pledged to support social and leverage in dealing with the have proved unrealistic, some Africa over the past year has less presidential election, planned for economic development, provide Afghan Taliban, Iran and Pakistan observers thought the countrys to do with a proactive leadership 2014, which could offer a rupture security assistance and promote by weakening any perception that May 10 parliamentary elections and more to do with its wary, with the aging Bouteflikas regional cooperation for 10 years the United States and its NATO could present an opportunity for apathetic citizenry that is both leadership. ... b e y o n d t h e p l a n n e d 2 0 1 4 coalition allies will simply wash substantive political change. traumatized from the violence of This entry passed through the withdrawal date for all U.S. their hands of Afghanistan after European and American officials the 1990s and disenchanted with Full-Text RSS service if this is combat troops from Afghanistan. pulling their troops out of the lauded President Abdelaziz the country's political institutions. your content and you're reading it Under the terms of the agreement, country. ... B o u t e f l i k a s i n v i t a t i o n t o P a s t e l e c t i o n s h a v e b e e n on someone else's site, please read the United States will not seek This entry passed through the international organizations to send characterized by widespread the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content- permanent military bases in the Full-Text RSS service if this is election observers, as well as abstention and manipulation, and only/faq.php#publishers. Five country, but can receive access to your content and you're reading it recently passed reforms, as Algerians had little reason to Filters recommends: Donate to Afghan facilities. In return, the on someone else's site, please read progress toward democracy, believe that this time would be Wikileaks. A f g h a n i s t a n g o v e r n m e n t the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentl i k e n i n g t h e s e m o v e s t o different. It is also important to c o m m i t t e d t o s t r e n g t h e n only/faq.php#publishers. Five accountability, transparency, the Filters recommends: Donate to rule of law and human rights for Wikileaks. all Afghans, male and female. Although the agreement is not

Union members may foot bill for fighting fund - ABC Online
(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:40:28 PM

Brisbane Times Union members may foot bill for

fighting fund ABC Online By Simon Cullen Millions of union members across the country could be slugged with a new levy

to pay for a fighting fund at the Casual workers need annual ACTU. Delegates at the ACTU leave: ACTU Ninemsn Congress have voted to set up a Gillard pledges allegiance amid new campaigning fund, in a HSU scandal ABC Local further sign the organisation is... ACTU considers reviving

campaign fund Business Spectator The Australian- Sydney Morning Herald all 224 news articles

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Man crashes car Scams during Mayawati's rule No change of stand on into oncoming Annandale ground issue: Prem worth Rs 40, 000 crore : Kumar Dhumal - Times of India Akhilesh Yadav - Times of India traffic in Malaga
(Nation - Google News)

matter amicably, The Himachal Pradesh... Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:40:23 PM No clinching evidence in army Moneycontrol.com chief's bribery charge so far? No change of stand on Annandale Daily News & Analysis g r o u n d i s s u e : P r e m K u m a r Annandale row: Army, HP govt Dhumal agree to find mutually acceptable Times of India solution Hindustan Times SHIMLA: Even the meeting of BJP wants government to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen disclose how Army chief's letter VK Singh with chief minister was leaked Economic Times Prem Kumar Dhumal failed to The Hindu- IBNLive.com- Indian end the Annandale controversy. Express While the Army Chief claimed all 132 news articles that they are trying to sort out the

(Nation - Google News)


Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:44:09 PM

India Today Scams during Mayawati's rule worth Rs 40, 000 crore : Akhilesh Yadav Times of India As per the government's estimates, the total worth of scams during the BSP rule is over Rs 40000 crore, which is almost equal to the annual outlay for the state during 2011 - 2012 and is

nearly one-fourth of the state's annual budget of Rs 1.89 lakh... Financial fraud in Maya`s statues may be Rs 40k cr: Akhilesh Zee News UP govt wants centre to increase Haj quota IBNLive.com Maya's jumbo scam close to Rs 40000 crore: Akhilesh Mumbai Mirror Hindustan Times- Indian Express - Economic Times all 177 news articles

- Sydney Morning Herald


(Nation - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:45:27 PM

Matrix Prasad, babu Tent embassy arrested in Jagan protest case - Times of India Brisbane Times
(Nation - Google News)

Man crashes car into oncoming traffic in Malaga Sydney Morning Herald A man has been arrested after he crashed into another car while allegedly attempting to flee police in Malaga this morning. The man's vehicle was travelling on Marshall Road at 4.45am when police tried to stop the car. The driver instead drove off. Police pursuit ends with car crashing into another ABC Local Crash driver injured after police high speed chase Perth Now Cop chase car crash in Beechboro The West Australian TVNZ all 7 news articles

earlier worked with the state's ports, investment and... Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:31:41 PM CBI arrests Matrix Labs founder The Hindu Nimmagadda Prasad Economic Matrix Prasad, babu arrested in Times Jagan case Nimmagadda Prasad taken into Times of India custody The Hindu H y d e r a b a d : I n a m a j o r 2 arrested in DA case against d e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e Y S Jagan Indian Express Jaganmohan Reddy assets case, IBNLive.com- India Todaythe CBI on Tuesday night arrested NDTV industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad all 25 news articles and IRTS officer KV Brahmananda Reddy who had

(Nation - Google News)

Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:38:53 PM

Brisbane Times Tent embassy protest Brisbane Times RAW VISION: Police look on as indigenous tent embassy protestors chant in Musgrave Park in Brisbane's West End. 16/05/12 Sorry. An error occured when submitting the form. Websites in

the Fairfax Digital Network offer streaming video and audio in the... Police break up Brisbane tent embassy protest ABC Online Police make arrests at Aboriginal protest Herald Sun Police move in to end tent embassy The Australian NEWS.com.au- ABC LocalPerth Now all 151 news articles

20

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Benefit reforms paint 'bleak picture' for Scotland's most vulnerable - stv.tv
(Nation - Google News)

Holyrood`s Welfare Reform Committee has approved the Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:11:44 PM p r i n c i p l e s o f a S c o t t i s h (Nation - Google News) BBC News Government Bill designed to Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:30:00 PM Benefit reforms paint 'bleak mitigate "the likely widespread... picture' for Scotland's most Welfare cuts create 'grave BBC News vulnerable concern' The Press Association Greenpeace warned over sponsor stv.tv MSPs support Scottish welfare ad The Press Association Westminster benefit reforms changes BBC News Greenpeace has been warned paint "a bleak picture" for all 43 news articles against encouraging anti-social Scotland's most vulnerable behaviour after an ad asked people, MSPs have heard. supporters to sponsor the painting

Greenpeace warned over sponsor ad - The Press Association


of a power station chimney. The organisation's sponsorship page said in December: "Chimneys, they're a bit dull aren't they? Geenpeace warned over 'statements on chimneys' advert BBC News Greenpeace ad banned Marketing Week all 170 news articles

Socialite-Turned-Model Editorials - The T Vestal Magazine Fashion Story Stars Tinsley Mortimer (TrendHunter.com)
(TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:32:01 PM

( TrendHunter.com) The T' Vestal magazine editorial is featured in the publication's May 2012 issue and stars fashionable New York city socialite Tinsley Mortimer. Tinsley takes on the role of model,...

Create Your Series B Deck Immediately After Closing Your Series A


Joe Kraus (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:05:53 PM

That advice is: Right after you sign your term sheet for your Series A, write the fantasy deck Editors note: Joe Kraus is a for your Series B (complete with partner at Google Ventures, whatever metrics, graphs and focusing on mobile, gaming, and customer lists you would love to local services. In 1993, he co- have). founded Excite.com, an early I say this because of the way Ive Internet search engine. He also co both done fundraising and seen it -founded JotSpot in 2004, a wiki done. Whether we like to admit it company acquired by Google in or not, the way its usually done 2006. Follow him on his blog, tends to be very haphazard and J o e K r a u s . c o m , a n d o n bottoms up. It starts with Twitter:@jkraus. We have about 4 months of cash One of the things I wish I had left, its time to raise money. done in both of my companies With that statement, companies (Excite.com and JotSpot) was to go about trying to weave together take a piece of advice that I now a narrative from the various facts give most entrepreneurs I meet. that are true at the time. You look

at your metrics, your sales, your customer lists and you try to create something cohesive. The problem is that its a bottoms up story; its composed of whatever facts are lying around. You didnt set out twelve months before to create an intentional story. Your pitch deck ends up feeling a bit underpowered, a bit awkward. You try to emphasize the facts that look good and gloss over the ones that arent so hot. At the heart of the problem is that startups often get trapped being busy and making general progress instead of driving, intentionally, down a path toward a fundable story.

A better approach is to use all the feedback youre getting during your current fundraising process to create the ideal story for your next round. In the process of raising money (be it seed, series A or B), you hear from potential investors what theyre excited about and what theyre worried about. At the end of the process, youre in a perfect position to create the fundraising pitch that would be absolute music to any investors ears. So, do it. Write your Series B deck immediately after signing the term sheet for your Series A. THEN, use this as your plan for how you spend that round of

money. Use that presentation as the goal posts for the next 18 months. Begin with that end in mind and that presentation becomes your operating plan. Even if you dont hit all of it, you will have a story and a company that holds together so much better than if you just run as fast as you can and try to create a story from the random assortment of facts that are lying around when youre coming close to running out of money. [ image via the New Line Cinema film Glengarry Glen Ross]

Curated News Edition

Technology/ Culture/

21

Bing Exposes Its New, Stripped Down Search Results To All Americans
Rip Empson (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:02:30 PM

Overload, something many are familiar with the feeling of being overwhelmed by the Last week, Bing began the initial bramble of links, maps, tools, and phase of rolling out a major options that prevail in todays redesign, in fact the most search model. And, really, its a significant redesign in its three- response to the public disapproval year history. Today, the wait is over Google integrating social o v e r . T h i s a f t e r n o o n , B i n g into its search results. Obviously, officially turned on its new Google has retained its iron grip design, and has made it available on search for some time, but, with for everyone in the U.S. You can its redesign Bing is positioning check it out here. itself an unbiased, pure The new Bing is now integrates a l t e r n a t i v e . search and people in our social In this vein, Bing is taking steps networks through a dedicated to offer a cleaner, pared down social sidebar. With sidebar, experience, in an effort to clean Bing brings together the best of up its search results. As Josh the web, with what experts and noted at the time, the redesign your friends know, giving you the essentially divides its search confidence to act. This new way results into three groups: Simple, to search lets you share, discover, text-based, algorithmic results and interact with friends like you placed front and center; maps, do in real life. If youre on the go, reviews, and input fields are youll notice weve optimized the placed on the right side; and layout and placement of the social social context from friends and results on the mobile device for ones social network in a panel on smaller screen sizes and for touch the far right. input, so the user experience will As Bing said in its blog post be different than what people see today, this dedicated social on a PC. sidebar is a response to Google The new design is Bings answer searchs G+ integration, serving t o t h e p r o b l e m o f S e a r c h actionable information from

friends and experts. Bing now suggests friends on Facebook that might be relevant to your search based on what they like, their Facebook profile information, and the photos theyve shared. This will work in varying degrees of effectiveness, meaning that the right friends may not always show up, because the search engine is using public Facebook information along with the content youve given it permission to access. According to its blog post, it wont match friends based on other Facebook content, such as status updates or check-ins, in an effort to respect privacy settings. Which means that you wont see information from friends who have opted out of Facebook instant personalization or that have blocked the Bing app. For those who do choose to optin to Bings Instant Personalization partnership with Facebook, you will be able to see if friends have liked search results. But, an important qualification of this feature is that those likes do not alter search

rankings, nor do they add to the clutter of results with social identifiers, names, and faces. Instead, youll just see that thumbs up icon adjacent to Bings algorithmic, center pane, with the ability to hover over the icon to see who liked those results. Furthermore, its intermediate section, the one that lies between algorithmic results and social, shows stuff like maps, product reviews, restaurant ratings, and allows users to book flights. Bing has struck a number of partnerships with startups like OpenTable and FanSnap to make booking tables and finding tickets easier. Bing now has a whole lot more social functionality, but the key is that its social integration doesnt get in the way, the goal being, in Bings words, to create a new way to search that lets you share, discover, and interact with friends like you do in real life. If Bing is going to be a decision engine, as its mission statement declares, boosting its results with the right amount of social influence and direction is paramount. To address this, Bings new

social pane includes an Ask Friends field, which allows searchers to enlist the service of their friends. Bing posts your submitted questions to your Facebook wall, whereupon youll get a notification if a friend swoops in to the rescue, and guides you to the best nightspot for margaritas, or the best hotels to check out when in Los Angeles. You can also go further, requesting help from Friends Who Might Know those whove liked your search results, but arent in your friend list. Bing has taken some major steps forward to get itself back in the ring with Google, but its still got a lot of ground to make up. Dont be surprised if you find a massive Bing marketing campaign show up on taxis, TVs, and bilboards near you. For more, give the new Bing a try here. Sorry international Bingers, it looks like youll have to wait a bit longer.

The typewriters of writers


(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:39:00 PM

The birth of many great works included the sound of clickity, clickity, clack.

Write. Permalink| Leave a comment Via KGB Yardsale.

22

Technology/

Curated News Edition

Facebook Will Roll On, Even as GM Pulls Ads


Dave Copeland (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:43:32 PM

General Motors Co. said on Tuesday that it would stop advertising on Facebook because the platform didn't generate enough sales. It is certainly not a great day for the social media giant, as it looks to float its initial public stock offering on Friday. Before you heed the naysayers, though, consider what Facebook is really good at. Need proof that Facebook will weather this and countless other storms? Look no further than the comments section of the very Wall Street Journal article that broke the news. The newspaper spurs logins by riding on Facebook's coattails. Facebook, in other words, is seemingly everywhere online. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg admits that his company is lagging behind archrival Google in advertising revenue, but the loss of one big advertiser is not enough to upend a company that could be worth more than $100 billion by this time next week. More importantly, the automaker is depriving Facebook of only $10 million in direct advertising buys; it will continue to spend about

$30 million annually on Facebook content, agencies that manage that content and daily maintenance of its Facebook pages, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jeff Dachis of Dachis Group, which uses data to help clients get the best return on their social networking campaigns, said Facebooks power lies in engagement with brands, not generating sales through display advertising, meaning the GM decision isnt a death knell for Facebook. Dachis said Facebook advertisers need to look at the platform as helping to build longterm brand loyalty. Although many will latch onto this news in the next few days as a reason for the skepticism around Facebooks advertising model to continue, we believe that this proves that Facebooks power lies in engagement, not display advertising. According to the WSJ report, GM is still spending approximately $30 million on Facebook. Theyre not abandoning ship, Dachis said. Engaged users on Facebook whether theyre on mobile or the browser - will monetize better than throwing mobile or display ads at them. GM signaled that it would continue to develop a strategy for using its brand page on Facebook.

investment. They understand any business has good days and bad days. Theres no denying that some advertisers are concerned about how effective Facebook advertising is. But, as we reported earlier this month(and, incidentally, in the wake of another Journal article questioning Facebooks advertising strategy), a lot of advertisers are happy with the GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick returns theyre seeing from told The Wall Street Journal that Facebook. t h e c o m p a n y " i s d e f i n i t e l y In fact, GM's decision may have reassessing our advertising on more to do with the fact that Facebook, although the content is Facebook just isnt the right effective and important." medium for an automaker. The newspaper reported that GM Although some large brands and h a d b e g u n r e a s s e s s i n g i t s agencies may be grumbling, not Facebook strategy earlier this year everyone is unhappy," said and made the decision to pull its Michael Nicholas, chief strategy a d v e r t i s i n g a f t e r s e v e r a l officer at Roundarch Isobar, a executives met with Facebook digital marketing and advertising officials to address their concerns. consultancy. "Brands whose W e ' v e a s k e d F a c e b o o k f o r business is more performancecomment and will update when oriented and predominantly ewe hear back. commerce-based are seeing While the timing just days quality results and good service before Facebooks IPO - stings, from third-party companies. people purchasing shares are Thinking about it from an ad theoretically looking to become spend point of view, its this owners of Facebook. Without vocal majority that's fueling all discounting the people who will the headlines about large brands quickly try to flip their shares, and agencies question Facebooks other shareholders are looking at ad model. Facebook as a longer-term

In pictures: Imaginative portraits of superhero ancestors


Wired
Submitted at 5/15/2012 11:45:00 AM

Brothers Carlo and Andrea Marvellini, founders of Foto Marvellini, created these fun and impressive series of vintage photographs that reveal the hidden ancestry of many superhero and pop-culture characters of today. From Darth Vader to Catwoman to Popeye, the Marvellini brothers choose the perfect old photographs to transform into a family heirloom. "Just don't try to figure out who is behind the Italian art studio, or how its creations are made," noted our overseas cousins on Wired.com when they profiled the artists responsible. Question is: can you identify all the superheroes? By: Wired, Continue reading...

Curated News Edition

Technology/ Sports/

23

3,997 Models: Android Fragmentation As Seen By The Developers Of OpenSignalMaps


Chris Velazco (TechCrunch)

over some of the smaller blocks, see if there are any brands or Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:09:08 PM devices that ring a bell. Over the past six months, the Its pretty crazy to see just how folks at Staircase 3 have been many players are in the field, and keeping tabs on the devices that nothing against Staircase 3 have been downloading their their app is actually pretty O p e n S i g n a l M a p s n e t w o r k damned useful but its not an monitoring app, and so far theyve immediate must-download for recorded downloads onto 681,900 every user. separate Android devices in 195 That there are gobs of Android countries. Now theyve taken all devices floating around out there that data and splayed it out for all isnt exactly a shocker, but data to see, and it highlights rather like this really drives home the nicely how big a headache issue. With so many devices f r a g m e n t a t i o n c a n b e f o r running so many versions of developers. Android with who knows many For the most part, the results are c a r r i e r a n d m a n u f a c t u r e r as youd expect runaway hits mandated tweaks onboard, how is like Samsungs Galaxy S II was a developer supposed to make the most represented device sure that all of their users gets a among the 3,997 distinct models consistent experience? They cant, they spotted, and Samsung unless theyre willing to test like Android devices were far and crazy. away the most widely used. What Google chairman Eric Schmidt really gets me is how many other f a m o u s l y d o w n p l a y e d t h e devices and brands fill up the rest termfragmentation at this years of that list. Seriously, if you CES, suggesting instead that havent yet, go look at it. Mouse people call it differentiation. Its

hard not to agree with sentiment on some level after all, one of Androids key strengths is how easily it fits into different niches and price points. But according to him, as long as every Android user is able to use the same apps, theres no problem here. That strikes me as a rather shortsighted way of looking at it. Downloading and installing apps is one thing, but what I think really counts the user experience can still vary from hardware configuration to hardware configuration. Not a day goes by without new Android hardware (or rumors of new Android hardware) make the rounds hell, just an hour or so ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google will soon be filling out the new Devices section in the Google Play Store with new, unlocked Nexus hardware thanks to cooperation from up to five hardware manufacturers. Thats why developers like

Animoca have invested what I can only imagine is a sizable amount of money and effort testing their apps with something like 400 Android devices before pushing them out into the world. And of course, fragmentation isnt just a hardware issue the OSM post points out that the two most used versions of Android now only account for 75% of the devices they surveyed, down from 90% last year, yet another issue for developers to grapple with. Does every developer need to go through a process that outlandish? Certainly not OpenSignalMaps seems to test on a tiny fraction of that, and smaller developers can cover most of their bases with a handful of carefully chosen devices. At the end of the day though, despite the sheer amount of choice and flexibility that Android has provided users, those developers still have a choice to make do they want to strive for perfection, or do they want to keep their sanity?

Christian World Adoption


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

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 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.

Trainer gives his Derby-winning colt a day off


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)

Four days before the Preakness, O'Neill was feeling very skittish I'll Have Another trainer Doug about his pending appearance on

the grand stage.

24

Technology/

Curated News Edition

NVIDIA brings the Avengers in to show off Kepler virtualization power


Chris Burns (SlashGear)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:17:33 PM

coverage from this week through the timeline below and let us know what youre looking At the GPU Technology forward to in the world of Conference (GTC) this week graphics processing now! NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang Also take a look at NVIDIAs spoke on the innovations theyd live stream of this event where been pushing with their next-level weve picked up a couple of Kepler GPU architecture, in their images that you see here in this last show of power bringing in the post thanks NVIDIA! Story big guns from the film industry Timeline with ILM. The folks at Industrial MSI GeForce GTX 680 offers Light & Magic are responsible for easy Kepler overclocking some of the greatest film triumphs NASA extends Kepler Earth-ain our modern movie world, and like search until 2016 the guest NVIDIA had on stage NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 this week, Visual Effects twin-Kepler official Supervisor Grady Cofer, has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 worked on such hits as Star Trek, brings Kepler on a $399 budget Pirates of the Caribbean, and the NVIDIA's Jen-Hsung Huang Avengers. shows explosive growth of CUDA What NVIDIA and Industrial at GTC 2012 necessarily to work with the video with a virtual desktop on the can move the shredder devices Light & Magic had to offer this NVIDIA Tesla GPU family itself, he needed a next-generation MacBook and NVIDIA Kepler through the air in near real time, week on stage at GTC was more upgrades revealed solution. architecture, sculpting these a c c e s s i n g t e r a b y t e s o f than just a couple of videos. Cofer NVIDIA Kepler GPU power Popping out a MacBook Air, scenes from anywhere on the i n f o r m a t i o n r e m o t e l y . broke down his situation like so: gets virtual on the iPad Cofer clicked to get to his simple planet virtually. Finally, Cofer shows of a display all of my data is localized at workstation desktop. From there, Pulling up an application called of 100 screens showing streaming ILM, a lot of my work is NVIDIA brings the Avengers in he noted, he could show you a Nuke next, Cofer showed a v i d e o a t o n c e , o n e o n e presentation, and I need to go to to show off Kepler virtualization live scene running Maya from running scene from Battleship workstation. This power of LA and show some film. Now, I power is written by Chris Burns& ILMs offices in the Presidio. with shredders flying through virtualization is made possible need to break everything down, originally posted on SlashGear. Cofer noted that over the course the air towards a ship in the sea. w i t h N V I D I A s K e p l e r but I dont have access to how it 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All of the year we [ILM] had five Cofer demonstrates that hes able architecture and is made real with was made. He continued that right reserved. weeks and 500 shots left a to remotely access the data which technology that is live today. because he needed more often to hundred shots a week. Working allows him to adjust the film that Check out the rest of our NVIDIA not to simply show work, not

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25

Engagio Gives the Web a 'Context' Button


Jon Mitchell (ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:02:00 PM

The killer app for the social Web is the one that will filter the signal from the noise. In the Facebook age, even casual Web users hold tons of conversations at once. Engagio, the conversation discovery company, pulls them all into one place. It also leads you into new ones. And with a new dashboard view released today, it lets you click one button to figure out what's actually going on in all these conversations. Engagio's dashboard breaks out articles, sites and other links from all your social networks into separate panels, and lets you reply, share and like straight from there. But the best part of this section is the "context" button. The button doesn't really have a halo, but it should. It puts an end to that feeling that you're seeing a snippet of something that's relevant to you, but you don't know what it is. If a message part of a larger conversation, click "context," and the whole message expands. This is a great way to discover things that are interesting to people in your networks. Inbox Engagio's original component is

its inbox. As of today's update, you can now add unlimited, multiple accounts for all of your connected services. Those include the usual social networks, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Foursquare. It also follows conversations centered around blogs, connecting with Tumblr and Disqus, as well as with Hacker News, a popular news aggregator for people in the

tech industry. It also connects to your Google contacts, so you can track those email conversations. There's also a new Chrome extension for Gmail users, which brings some of Engagio's powers into the inbox where millions of people already live. It gets people used to the idea of an inbox for all conversations. Contacts The final key component is the

contacts section. You can use Engagio for what Mougayar calls a "deep follow," identifying friends from various networks and following their conversations, not just your conversations with each other. By inviting users to connect on Engagio, you're saying, "I like your stuff. Will you join Engagio, so I can see more of where you hang out online?" This is a fairly intimate connection, as social media connections go, and Engagio is great about handling that. You can follow strangers or friends, but you don't have to reveal personal contact info until later. For example, revealing email addresses to one another is a sort of Engagio right of passage. For those Internet friends who seem to be constant sources of new and amazing things, Engagio provides a way to open up each other's worlds. Correction: The last paragraph originally stated, "You have to deliberately connect to someone and reveal your email address to them in order to be able to watch each other," which was a slight misunderstanding of the feature.

An era of 'spiky attention' means live TV needs to be social


Olivia Solon
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:06:27 PM

We live in an era of spiky attention where social media allows you to attract a large audience very quickly, but lose it just as quickly, according to Matt Locke, founder of Storythings. Speaking at Media Future in Dublin, Locke explained that it used to be difficult to get a company, personal story or band into mainstream media, but once you got there it was relatively easy to get attention thanks to the relative scarcity of media space. "Now people's attention is hard to get," he said. "You can get attention very quickly but you can lose it very quickly as well." By: Olivia Solon, Edited by: Nate Lanxon Continue reading...

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Staying Off Facebook Won't Protect Your Privacy


Dave Copeland (ReadWriteWeb)

Nvidia accelerates gaming in the cloud


Brooke Crothers (CNET News)

have a vast trove of data about members that isn't generally available. Social network Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:30:00 PM platform operators typically have Stay away from social networks access to much more detailed and people won't know who information on nodes such as the you're hanging out with or what age, sex and (approximate) you're doing, right? Wrong. When location of their members; and if it comes to social networking, a they provide messaging services recent study suggests, you can run they can infer the quality of an but you can't hide. acquaintance from its A paper published last month in communication pattern, they the journal PLoS One shows how wrote. researchers were able to learn research in the area focuses on the Researchers have long known about nonmembers of social r e l a t i v e l y i n n o c u o u s f a c t s that studying real-world social networks based on information surrounding who you do and don't networks is a good way to predict their friends posted online. Using know, it will become increasingly i n d i v i d u a l b e h a v i o r . W e ' v e m a c h i n e - l e a r n i n g m o d e l s , easier to draw profiles of people previously reported on how online German researchers Emke- based on what their contacts share social networks can be used to g n e s H o r v t , M i c h a e l on Facebook. predict a persons risk of Hanselmann, Fred A. Hamprecht To our knowledge these are the contracting a sexually transmitted and Katharina A. Zweig were able first results on the potential of disease. But the latest findings t o p r e d i c t w h e t h e r t w o social network platforms to infer suggest a path toward an allnonmembers of a social network r e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n n o n - encompassing model that may one k n e w e a c h o t h e r b a s e d o n members, the researchers wrote. day be able to predict much more information shared by a mutual T h e y a l s o n o t e d t h a t t h e than who you know. relationships were predicted with Ultimately, the study concludes, contact on the network. In other words, even if youre an astonishing rate of accuracy it evokes the question of the one of those holdouts who refuses simply by scanning readily ownership and exploitation of to join Facebook and other social a v a i l a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n o n relational data in the information networks due to privacy concerns, Facebook for students at five U.S. age. the data your friends share is universities. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. enough to let anyone with access And the authors were working to that data draw conclusions only with publicly available about you. And while the initial information. Social networks may

Intel. The net effect for gamers is Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:34:55 PM playing higher-end games on an Nvidia announced graphics-chip iPad or Android device that based cloud tech today, claiming wouldn't ordinarily support that to deliver fast gaming to almost level of game play. any device. Nvidia is hooking up with "GeForce GRID represents a Gaikai, which has about two massive disruption in how games dozen data centers in the U.S., are delivered and played," said a n d O n L i v e , a m o n g o t h e r Phil Eisler, general manager of c o m p a n i e s . cloud gaming at Nvidia, in a Nvidia also made a broader statement. announcement today about its The trick is to power the games new Kepler technology, which is remotely with brawny servers that designed for use in large-scale tap into Nvidia's new Kepler data centers. Like the gaming graphics processing units (GPUs). experience described above, Each Kepler chip has 3,072 Kepler GPUs deliver faster Nvidia "CUDA" processor cores streaming "making a remote data and packs 4.7 teraflops (trillion center feel like it's just next door," floating point operations per the company said. s e c o n d ) o f 3 D s h a d e r GPU-assisted data centers can p e r f o r m a n c e . S h a d e r s a r e also be more energy efficient instrumental in rendering realistic since GPUs are inherently more effects in games. efficient at processing certain All of this horsepower will allow types of data. gaming-as-a-service providers to This entry passed through the render complex games in the Full-Text RSS service if this is cloud and encode them on the your content and you're reading it G P U s o s e r v e r s c a n on someone else's site, please read simultaneously run more game the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentstreams, according to Nvidia. only/faq.php#publishers. Five GPUs are more adept at rendering Filters recommends: Donate to gaming effects than traditional Wikileaks. CPUs, or central processing units, provided by chipmakers such as

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27

Diablo III Servers are down fix in the works


Chris Burns (SlashGear)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:13:13 PM

Here on the first full release day of Blizzards Diablo III live on Battle.NET for the whole world to play, the dreaded Servers are down message has been seen by thousands. Blizzard has acknowledged that this error is popping up across the planet and they have let the world know that a quick fix is in the works. You might already know that and are at this point only looking for some solace in any new news on when youll be able to play again unfortunately that news is only known by Blizzard officials themselves. What is known is what glitch actually set this whole firestorm off. The most innocuous of things, a trade, a pushing of items is to blame. To make the error happen for yourself, and we do not recommend this if youre still able to play online at the moment, is to create a Demon Hunter and give a

Templar follower a shield. Simple as that. Once you do that strangely common set of actions, youll be booted from the Battle.NET servers and will not be able to log back on until Blizzard sends out a software fix. This sad news is also popping up as Error 3006, the saddest of messages a Diablo fan can get after waiting more than 10

years since the last installment of the Diablo online RPG series. Now we must wait oh the pain! UPDATE: Servers are offline for the time being hopefully not for long! Starting at approximately 2:15 p.m. PDT, we will be bringing Diablo III servers in the Americas offline for urgent maintenance to address several issues that are

impacting the game. We anticipate that maintenance will last for about an hour and that servers will be available at approximately 3:30 p.m. PDT. We will provide further updates as they are necessary. Thank you for your patience. Blizzard Forums Story Timeline Blizzard releases Diablo III skill calculator

Diablo III Collector's Edition revealed and detailed Diablo III enters open beta for the weekend Diablo III beta download here, join us this weekend! Diablo III teaser has fans pumped Diablo III real-money market detailed in full Diablo III Starter Edition provides free demo Diablo III pre-game preparation top 10 countdown Player finishes Diablo III in 12 hours 29 minutes (and others in 7) Diablo III pre-orders trounce Max Payne 3 Diablo III Servers are down fix in the works is written by Chris Burns& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Anatomy of a Massacre - By Michael Dobbs


MICHAEL DOBBS (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:49:22 PM

Investigating the worst war crime

in modern Europe. BY MICHAEL DOBBS| MAY 15, 2012 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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Comcast denies favoring Xfinity video content


Steven Musil (CNET News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:27:43 PM

In response to charges that Comcast favors content streaming via its Xfinity app on the Xbox over that of its competitors, the cable giant denied giving preferential treatment to its app and said its traffic policies are in compliance with the FCC's Open Internet rules. Comcast announced in March that it will stream Xfinity ondemand content to Microsoft game consoles. The fact that Comcast content streamed directly to the Xbox console will not be counted against subscribers' total bandwidth usage caps prompted accusations that the cable provider is giving its Xfinity app an unfair advantage over the apps of competitors, such as Netflix and Hulu. The app-console combination "essentially acts as an additional

cable box for your existing cable service," Comcast Chief Technology Officer Tony Werner said in a blog post today. "Specifically, we provision a separate, additional bandwidth flow into the home for the use of this service," he said. "It's really important to us that we make crystal clear that, in contrast to some other providers, we are not prioritizing our transmission of Xfinity TV content to the Xbox (as some have speculated)," he wrote. "While DSCP [Differentiated Services Code Point] markings can be used to assign traffic different priority levels, that is not their only application -- and that is not what they are being used for here." Consumer advocates say the bandwidth cap exemption violates the Net neutrality rules that Comcast had to agree to as part of the conditions for its merger with NBC Universal. Those rules

prohibit broadband providers from favoring their own content on the open Internet over that of their competitors. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been a particularly outspoken critic of the Xfinity exemption, saying in a Facebook post last month that, "Comcast should apply caps equally, or not at all." Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) sent letters to the FCC and Justice Department last week, expressing concern that the Xfinity exemption violates Net neutrality rules and urging the agencies to take a closer look at the arrangement. 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.

Stunning Apple news: Men love Zooey Deschanel


Chris Matyszczyk (CNET News)

shot past that of Android. This seems to have occurred Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:30:10 PM within a mere five days. Before I am going to whisper this very Zooey: Apple 16, Android 26. quietly, but there are some people Five days into Zooey: Apple 30, w h o a r e s i c k o f Z o o e y Android 29. Deschanel's "self-consciously cute YouGov declares, though, that ways." the males account for most of the I use the quotation marks because new buzz. I don't want the person who said it Buzz, though, is highly to have his house broken into by temporary concept. The batteries rabid men ages 18 to 34. of excitement do tend to run out It would be men in that age range very quickly. It's the long haul because, according to YouGov's that truly matters. Any actor will i n d i s p e n s a b l e a n d h i g h l y tell you that. objective Brand Index, these men I am sure that Siri would tell you love the fact that Deschanel is that too. starring in Apple's Siri ads. More This entry passed through the Technically Incorrect Full-Text RSS service if this is Indeed, the very minute Apple your content and you're reading it launched its ads(which also on someone else's site, please read featured the rather bossy Samuel the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentL. Jackson), Apple's YouGov only/faq.php#publishers. Five Buzz Score rose stiffly upward. Filters recommends: Donate to So much so, indeed, that Apple's Wikileaks. Buzz Score in the 18-to-34 age range for both sexes immediately

Behind the scenes of "Back to the Future"


(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:46:00 PM

flying cars, and self-tying shoelaces come to life requires a lot of talented hands behind the Making a future of hoverboards, scenes. Geek Tyrant shares a glimpse at what was happening in

back of the camera during the making of the Back to the Future triology. Full collection at Geek Tyrant.

Let's all go to the movies. Permalink| Leave a comment

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29

Analyst predicts new Macbooks and iMacs in June, 7-inch iPad this fall
Michael Crider (SlashGear)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:44:12 PM

When you write for a tech blog like SlashGear, its hard to be surprised at Apple rumors. But every once in a while the source can throw you for a loop. So it is with this one: Ben Reitzes, an analyst for Barclays Capital, claims that the company will updater its MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac lines as soon as next month. Hes echoing things weve heard ourselves for weeks, including Retina displays and a new lower price point for the Air. His predictions on hardware seem obvious enough: new Intel Ivy Bridge platforms for all the laptops and the iMac, and a new version of both OS X and iOS before the fall. On the iPad side of things, he claims that a smaller model would make sense for the fall, especially in the education market, where the high price of entry for tablets is keeping many

of Steve Jobs and continues its incredibly profitable streak above the mobile market, while dominating tablets and making strides on the desktop. All of Apples non-mobile hardware is due for a refresh, and at least some of it will certainly come during WWDC in June. Story Timeline Ivy Bridge iMac and MacBook Pro revealed in benchmarks MacBook Pro 2012: 15" Retina Display, USB 3.0 and ultra-thin MacBook Pro 2012 GameStop sales tip Apple gaming future Apple to unveil thinner MacBook Pros at WWDC away. Interestingly, textbooks seem central to this thesis, even though the meager offerings on iBooks havent improved significantly since it was introduced in January. Quote Reitzes, We do not feel that a smaller, lower priced tablet will dilute the quality of the iPad brand and iOS ecosystem either, despite prior comments by the company. The analyst isnt saying anything more than weve already heard (if fact a cynic might say hes an avid reader of the tech blogs), but he says it with the authority of several billion dollars worth of guided investments. Apple has successfully navigated the passing [ via Forbes] Analyst predicts new Macbooks and iMacs in June, 7-inch iPad this fall is written by Michael Crider& originally posted on SlashGear. 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Astronauts will live underwater to train for asteroid mission


Mark Brown
Submitted at 5/15/2012 11:13:00 AM

Nasa is to reveal details of robotic and manned missions to near Earth asteroids at a Japanese conference in May 2012, according to the Telegraph. In the agency's report, which is to be presented to the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting, Nasa will reportedly announce plans to send an unmanned spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016, and use a robotic arm to collect samples. In the late 2020s, a manned mission will follow. By: Mark Brown, Edited by: Duncan Geere Continue reading...

Kobe: I don't take charges


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)

Lakers star Kobe Bryant says he doesn't take charges, and he's got a reason for it.

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Daily iPhone App: Ozgood is a lovable piece of puppet tech


Mike Schramm (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:00:00 PM

Ozgood is an interesting little iPhone game from a few developers who've worked for bigger game companies, and have recently gone independent. Most iPhone games deal with the platform's hardware by either just going with 2D graphics or trying relatively simple 3D -- it's usually only bigger developers like Epic Games that can really use an engine like Unreal to wring really colorful graphics out of the iPhone. But RunWilder, the developers of Ozgood, took an entirely different tack: They took video of a real life puppet, and then put it together with 2D backgrounds and 3D items to make this virtual pet game.

The result is a very unique kind of wonderful. Ozgood is a crazy little guy full of personality, and the app (which is free right now) is full of content. There's a "story" you can play through by feeding Ozgood certain things and interacting with him in certain

The app is silly -- it's very kid friendly, and Ozgood can sometimes be crass with his burps and various bodily functions. But even for adults, it's wild to see how these developers used a puppet to make this app, and there's clearly a lot of skill in how it's all put together. Ozgood is a free universal download that's definitely worth checking out. Daily iPhone App: Ozgood is a lovable piece of puppet tech originally appeared on TUAW The Unofficial Apple Weblog on ways, there's a "studio mode" Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. where you can use him to make Please see our terms for use of messages to send along to friends, feeds. and there's an ongoing metagame Source| Permalink| Email this| as well, where you can feed Comments Ozgood a fake soda called Chugg and even share six packs of it with your friends online.

Gun To His Head, Bill Fleckenstein Says He Sure as Hell Wouldn't Buy a Bank
CrownThomas
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:43:14 PM

Daily Update for May 15, 2012


Steven Sande (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)

quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:05:00 PM stories by clicking the inline It's the TUAW Daily Update, player (requires Flash) or the nonyour source for Apple news in a Flash link below. To subscribe to convenient audio format. You'll the podcast for daily listening get all the top Apple stories of the through iTunes, click here. day in three to five minutes for a No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSS Daily Update for May 15, 2012

Bill Fleckenstein, of Fleckenstein Capital, channels his best AntiBove and says what a vast majority of us are already thinking (at least ZH readers), in that with all the accounting gimmicks, how do you even know what you own in a bank anymore? "The problem is, and the problem has been, that the state of accounting in the world today, financial statements and financial institutions mean nothing" "It's quite possible that Jamie Dimon doesn't even know what's going on, and if he doesn't know how's an outsider ever gonna know" "Accounting is so awful that you can never tell what you own" "I don't know why anyone would ever want to own a financial stock originally appeared on TUAW - personally" The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Average: Tue, 15 May 2012 19:05:00 EST. Your rating: None Please see our terms for use of This entry passed through the feeds. Full-Text RSS service if this is Source| Permalink| Email this| your content and you're reading it Comments 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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Inkling to sell iPad textbooks in over 900 college bookstores


Mike Schramm (TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 8:00:00 PM

Keith Judd Speaks!


Daniel Halper (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:18:00 PM

Inkling is an e-book publishing platform that's currently running an app on the App Store, and while Apple has been making an official push for more textbooks in iBooks, Inkling is strengthening its own holdings. The company has made a deal with Follett to bring hundreds of Inkling titles into college bookstores, where students can buy the ebook content right there in person.
noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)

The company is selling whole textbooks, or it's also offering a program called "Pick 3," which allows students to grab three chapters of a book at a time, keeping costs down if teachers or

students don't need the whole book. Overall, this may not be cheaper, however -- don't forget that students who buy real books can often have a chance to resell them, or can buy them used, and the requirements of provisions providing for the reform. Another 30 Billion Euros Needed, More Nationalizations Coming Up Banks that do not return the aid within 5 years will be nationalized The State nationalize financial institutions that do not return within five years aid articulated through convertible bonds, the socalled 'coconuts', designed to 'clean up' their balance sheets of real estate assets. This is particular the Legislative Decree on Saturday published the Official Gazette (BOE), which requires banks additional sanitation EUR 30,000 million credit-linked unproblematic 'brick'. After this period, the Bank

with ebooks, there's obviously no resale value. The Follett deal should be ready by the time students head back to school in the fall. Inkling to sell iPad textbooks in over 900 college bookstores originally appeared on TUAW The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Source| Permalink| Email this| Comments

The federal prison inmate who got 41 percent of the Democratic primary vote in West Virginia last week against President Obama tells CNN that this election is about the economy: As he sat in a prison cell in Texas, Keith Judd, inmate # 11593-051, was winning 40% of the vote in the West Virginia Democratic primary last week amid whatever fanfare one could receive in such a place.

results within two months. In addition Guindos assured that no minister of economy of the eurozone has said that Spain Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:18:00 PM Spain Potpourri: Official Denials should come to the rescue fund From Finance Minister; More EU to recapitalize their banks. Nationalizations Coming Up "There is nothing to hide, believe Official Denials From Finance that the reform we are doing is a Minister reform that clarifies and Finance Minister Says "Nothing introduces transparency and to Hide" Asks for ECB Audit of clarity in balance sheets and the Banks, Denies Need for Rescue Spanish government has a will Fund very clear about it," stressed the The Economy Minister Luis de Minister of Economy. Guindos, said Tuesday it has "Nobody has spoken at all to go to asked the European Central Bank the bailout fund, is a matter of (ECB) to assist in the independent speed independent valuations," audit of the Spanish banks' has settled the finance minister balance sheets and is committed when asked about whether Spain to full throttle work as has asked would seek assistance from the the Eurogroup, in order to have EU to help banks unable to meet

Restructuring Fund (FROB), through which the state sanctions the 'coconut', have a maximum of six months to implement in practice what would be nationalization of the entity. However, the rule empowers the Bank of Spain to proceed with the conversion of shares before those five years when it considers "unlikely" that a particular bank can afford to pay for this help. And if the entity defaults on the repayment of the aid, the regulator may also temporarily replace the administrative or management of the entity, which would eventually assuming his speech. Spanish banks must set aside another 30,000 million for provisioning loans to real estate

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

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Lebanon's Little Syria - Emile Hokayem


EMILE HOKAYEM (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:53:15 PM

Bashar al-Assad's enemies and allies are battling it out in the flashpoint city of Tripoli. BY EMILE HOKAYEM| MAY 15, 2012 Most Lebanese certainly wished otherwise, but it was only a matter of time before the bloodshed that has overwhelmed Syria for the past 15 months arrived at their doorstep. The conflict has now come to the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, which possesses a social fabric and history that make it fertile ground for the longawaited proxy war between enemies and allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The latest conflagration was triggered by the May 12 arrest of previously unknown Sunni Islamist activist Shadi alMawlawi and five others by Lebanon's General Security Directorate (GSD). Within hours of Mawlawi's arrest, Sunni protesters took to the streets, blocked the highway, and burned tires to demand his immediate release -- a call joined by the city's politicians and clerics. The standoff soon spiraled out of control: Armed men deployed in the poor Sunni district of Bab alTabbaneh, battling with gunmen of the adjacent district of Jabal Mohsen, which is inhabited by staunchly pro-Assad members of

Lebanon's small Alawite community. So far, the conflict, which has escalated to include rocket-propelled grenade and mortar attacks, has left five people dead and more than 100 wounded. But there's more to this conflict than meets the eye. It seems that GSD officers mounted a trap --

Mawlawi was lured to a social services center under the pretext he would receive health care -and had no valid warrant at the time of the arrest. The agency later leaked that Mawlawi had returned days ago from Syria, where he allegedly partook in the rebellion, though it is impossible

to confirm these claims. Lebanon's Sunni prime minister, Najib Mikati, a native of Tripoli, called the manner of the arrest "unacceptable," adding that he "rejected and condemned [it]" during a meeting of Lebanon's Higher Defense Council, the top body in charge of internal and

external security. Notwithstanding this torrent of words, a military prosecutor charged the six men on May 14 with belonging to an "armed terrorist organization" and "plotting to carry out terrorist acts inside and outside of Lebanon." A LEBANON'S page 34

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Mr. Omnishambles - By Alex Massie


ALEX MASSIE (Foreign Policy)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:27:07 PM

Is David Cameron about to get laughed out of office? BY ALEX MASSIE| MAY 15, 2012 LONDON A government may survive unpopularity, apathy, even scandal, but ridicule is another matter. Yet this is the present, sorry predicament that David Cameron's government finds itself in. As it marks ("celebrates" is clearly the wrong word) two years in power this week, the British prime minister's Conservative government is adrift in the polls and struggling to retain the electorate's respect. The depth of Cameron's predicament was made all the more apparent last week when, in an effort to put recent woes behind him, the prime minister tried to, as the hackneyed phrases have it, "draw a line" or "move on" from recent woes by "turning the page" and relaunching his government. However clever this strategy might have seemed in No. 10 Downing Street, it sent a quite different message to the country: A successful government needs no "fresh start" -- far less a total relaunch. So when Cameron and his coalition partner, Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, held a chummy news conference on May 8 in a tractor factory -- a venue chosen to demonstrate their commitment to boosting manufacturing and getting Britain

back to economic growth -- they only succeeded in highlighting the unwelcome fact that Britain isn't working at present and, with the country suffering a (modest but painful) double-dip recession, growth seems but a distant prospect. They may still build tractors in Essex, but

unemployment is at its highest in 15 years. Nor have events elsewhere in Europe assisted an embattled prime minister. Election results in France and Greece, plus fresh turmoil in Spain and the Netherlands, have highlighted these as dismal times for

incumbents. Worse still, from Cameron's perspective, is that socalled "austerity" is becoming unfashionable across Europe. Even if Cameron is correct to insist that Britain must reduce a deficit that -- even in these leaner times -- runs at 8 percent a year, the mood and fashion appears to

be turning against him. There is little prospect for relief. Polls show Cameron's Conservatives trailing Labour by as many as a dozen points; worse still, just 65 percent of 2010's batch of Conservative voters say MR. page 35

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Lebanese newspaper on May 15 quoted intelligence sources saying Mawlawi confessed to the accusations. The arresting party is, to say the least, controversial. GSD is one of Lebanon's many competing security agencies, and it is perceived as the internal arm of Hezbollah. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who previously served as Hezbollah's and other Shiite factions' go-to man in military intelligence, heads the organization, which has a broad mandate that includes monitoring political activity, foreigners, and the media. An anti-Assad Lebanese parliamentarian on May 14 laid the blame for the conflict squarely at Ibrahim's feet, accusing him of "following a Syrian agenda in Lebanon." In the absence of any history of impartial justice -- other security agencies are similarly corrupt and dominated by other sects -Tripoli residents have focused their anger on the GSD for overstepping its authority. One friend in the city angrily asked me on May 14: "Does the Internal Security Forces [an agency seen as sympathetic to anti-Assad groups and the Sunni community] dare arrest someone in the south or Dahiyeh [the Hezbollahcontrolled suburbs of Beirut]? No. So why is General Security even operating here?" Lebanon's own pathologies have been exacerbated by the bloody crisis next door. Northern Lebanon has been particularly welcoming of the Syrian

opposition, rebels and refugees alike. This is not surprising. The region suffered greatly during the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, notably in the 1980s when a brutal war arrayed Islamist and Palestinian factions against the ultimately victorious Syrian military and its Lebanese Alawite allies. Tripoli and the Sunni-dominated north, in general, have predictably become an anti-Assad and antiHezbollah bastion since Syrian troops withdrew in 2005. Since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising, the city and its suburbs have seen many pro-revolution rallies, and many roads are decorated with anti-Assad slogans and flags, some espousing extreme sectarian views. Unsurprisingly in this city on the edge, which is also plagued by poverty and state neglect, deadly clashes have repeatedly occurred between Sunni and Alawite gunmen in recent months. On my visits to the areas even closer to the Syrian border, further north and east of Tripoli, the local population's enthusiasm for the revolution was unmistakable. This was particularly true in the region of Wadi Khaled, from where one can see the Syrian city of Homs and which has provided shelter for many of the refugees fleeing the military crackdown on that city and nearby villages. In the absence of the state, traditional networks supply the help needed. Syrian refugees stay in mosques and private homes; members of the Free Syrian Army regroup and

find respite; and injured civilians and rebels receive medical care and sustenance. Assad's Lebanese allies have tried, unconvincingly, to paint all this activity as the work of Islamist radicals. Asked about the accusations by the pro-Assad Lebanese defense minister that al Qaeda was running the smuggling to Syria, a village chief laughingly responded, "We are doing all what this villain says, except that we are not al Qaeda or extremists." He has a point: Residents of Wadi Khaled belong to tribes living on both sides of the border, and they support the Syrian rebels out of kinship rather than religious ideology. Smugglers in the area once transported cheap Syrian goods and gasoline into Lebanon -- when the uprising erupted, they simply reversed the flow. Now they carry everything from weaponry to medical equipment and drugs across the minefields that the Syrian regime has laid along the border, bringing goods and supplies to the hot zones around the western Syrian cities of Homs and Qusayr. It should come as no surprise that the Lebanese Navy recently seized a ship bound for Tripoli from Libya that was carrying arms presumably destined for Syria. The more radical Sunnis reside further to the south, in the rugged mountains of Dinniyeh and in the slums of Tripoli (though, of course, many moderate Sunnis live alongside them as well). There, the Salafi influence is

visible to anyone who drives through. In December 1999, Islamist militants fought fiercely against the Lebanese military, backed by Syrian forces. Dozens were killed and hundreds arrested. In 2007, a shadowy jihadi group, Fatah al-Islam, took over the Palestinian camp of Nahr al-Bared and battled the Lebanese Army for four months. Hundreds were killed in vicious fighting, and the camp was almost entirely destroyed. According to Lebanese intelligence, Fatah al-Islam members are now fighting alongside the rebellion in Syria, where a few were reportedly killed in April. The irony is not lost on many Lebanese who suspect, with good reason, Syrian intelligence of having contributed to its rise. Ever since Syria's uprising began, Hezbollah and its allies in the Lebanese government have wanted to see a more forceful state crackdown on anti-Assad activities. This, however, would fatally destabilize a government over which they wield decisive influence -- alienating their shrinking number of Sunni allies at the risk of further inflaming sectarian passions. For his part, Prime Minister Mikati has tried to tread a thin line between assuaging his Sunni constituency and his pro-Assad allies in government, touting a shaky policy of neutrality and "dissociation" from developments in Syria. This has not prevented Lebanon's security agencies from monitoring, harassing, and even

aiding in the rendition of Syrian dissidents, to the anger of the country's large anti-Assad constituency. The possibility that the violence in Tripoli will spread across Lebanon remains limited, but the situation is undeniably deteriorating. Mikati's strategy depends on the ability and willingness of each faction to control the more destructive tendencies of its followers. As the case of Tripoli demonstrates, however, this is easier said than done: Sunni groups, feeling triumphant or angry, may think (mistakenly) the time is opportune to strike a blow against their rivals at home, as well as Assad abroad. Hezbollah, militarily strong but politically on the defensive, may decide that preemptive action is warranted. Any of the two scenarios would throw Lebanon into a sectarian hell. Tripoli's descent into violence reveals two other ominous trends: the fragmentation of Sunni politics and the weakening of its mainstream politicians. Mikati, who came to power by displacing the vehemently anti-Assad Saad Hariri in January 2011, is one contender for the loyalties of Lebanon's Sunnis, as is the Lebanese finance minister, Mohammad Safadi, another Tripoli native and wealthy candidate for the premiership. Hariri remains a powerful figure, but his standing has taken a hit because of his lackluster LEBANON'S page 36

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MR.
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they would back Cameron's party if an election were held next month. In such circumstances, a government needs all the support it can muster. Yet Cameron's government has lost more than its share of friends. And what support it once had seems to be deserting it in droves. Backbench Tory MPs complain the prime minister and his chancellor, George Osborne, are "incompetent" or, just as bad, "out of touch." Meanwhile, even the right-wing press has turned on the prime minister. The Daily Telegraph-- a paper sometimes nicknamed the "Torygraph" -now complains of about a "lack of basic competence" and warned that "Cameron cannot simply write off his party's unpopularity as the natural mid-term response to an administration bent on constraining public spending at a time of economic stagnation. In recent months, his Government has been shown to be flawed in gravely worrying ways." For its part, the Daily Mail(perhaps the most influential paper in Britain) thundered that "the country will not forgive a government which fails to take the brave steps required to fix the economy and give the country a hope of a brighter future. Mr Cameron remains a man of genuine appeal and undoubted ability. He has three years until the election to prove his economic competency and his Tory principles. But the clock is ticking." With friends like these, who

needs enemies? The right has tired of the compromises imposed by the coalition government and wants the prime minister to rediscover his inner-Thatcherite. That means dropping plans for legalizing same-sex marriage or reforming the House of Lords and instead concentrating on cutting everything and anything. It means slashing public spending, taxes, immigration, regulations, and welfare. The papers note, with approval, that Boris Johnson was reelected as London's mayor on a populist conservative platform. When Boris -- as he is universally known -- returns (as it is presumed he will) to the House of Commons when his mayoral term is up, he will inevitably be seen as a rival and potential successor to Cameron. Rather than suppose that Cameron's problems stem from the failure of austerity, the British right complains that Cameron has not been tough enough on public spending. Increased debt repayments and higher welfare payments -- the cost of rising unemployment -- mean that core government spending has only been reduced by 2 percent since the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats replaced Gordon Brown in No. 10 Downing Street. In fact, Osborne's timetable for deficit reduction has slipped and now looks more like that proposed by Labour prior to the 2010 election than it does to Osborne's own original plans. A deficit that was supposed to be eliminated by 2015 will instead

survive until at least 2017. The chancellor, in fact, bears a heavy responsibility for Cameron's troubles. His recent budget was swiftly declared an " omnishambles." This withering phrase, borrowed from the satirical TV show The Thick of It(penned by the same team bringing Veep to HBO), became an omni-purpose description of a government that has lost its way. Although the budget lifted some low-paid workers out of the burden of income tax, it also dragged millions of middleearners into higher tax brackets while cutting income taxes for the wealthiest 3 percent of Britons. Added to that, changes in regulations governing serious subjects (such as tax relief for charitable donations) and trivial matters (slapping value-added taxes on hot meat pies or pasties) dominated headlines for days. Meanwhile, the government's relationship with Rupert Murdoch's media empire threatens fresh embarrassment at every turn. On May 15, Rebekah Brooks, previously editor of the Sun and chief executive of Murdoch's British newspaper holdings, was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Her husband, the racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks and a schoolboy friend of Cameron, was also charged as part of the ongoing police inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal that persuaded Murdoch to close the News of the World and withdraw his bid to increase his

shareholding in the satellite TV company BSkyB. Cameron's determination to win Murdoch's support once seemed a prudent political investment. That worm has turned; now it seems like a gross, unsavory miscalculation that no longer seems appropriate in a political climate in which Murdoch has, at least temporarily, been declared persona non grata. Cameron's government was happy to allow Murdoch to purchase BSkyB (a position that antagonized every other media company in Britain), and the discovery that the minister charged with ruling -- in a "quasijudicial" manner -- on the bid appeared to be in regular discussions with Murdoch's representatives further fuels the suspicion that the government was flying too close to the Murdoch sun. Last week, Cameron's former chief spin doctor, Andy Coulson, appeared at the judicial inquiry that is currently investigating links between politicians, the media, and the police. Coulson, a former editor of the News of the World, survived relatively unscathed, but his mere appearance reinforced the extent to which the Tories were linked to Murdoch's empire. Nor did the embarrassment end there. The fact that the prime minister sent a text message to Brooks commiserating with her when she was forced to step down from her post at News International was bad enough. Worse still came the news that, as

part of their regular textfriendship, Brooks had to tell Cameron that LOL appended to the end of text messages is not, in fact, generally understood to stand for "Lots of Love." (It means, for any reader not familiar with the youth-inspired conventions of text -speak, "Laugh Out Loud.") One can only imagine how awkward and deeply satiric some of his messages must have been perceived. These discoveries, seemingly trivial, help foster the impression of a prime minister simultaneously out of touch with ordinary people and far too close to "powerful special interests," whatever they are. No wonder the government is struggling to make itself heard. If these were happier economic times, then much of this could be dismissed as just the usual political froth and chatter that's a large part of the Westminster universe. But, of course, these are not happy, sunny, economic times. Consequently, every setback, every presentational blunder, every set of dreary economic figures reinforces the suspicion that something has gone wrong and that Cameron's government is adrift and urgently requires a new rudder. In time, and with some luck, the ship of state may yet be righted. The government will hope that Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics produce a feel-good factor to MR. page 36

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MR.
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performance and a long absence from the country. All three are increasingly seen as weak, indecisive defenders of their sect. This provides an opening for radical Sunni groups. Tripoli already plays host to several competing Salafi factions. Incredibly, one group -- Harakat al-Tawhid -- is aligned with Hezbollah. Most, however, are vehemently anti-Shiite and antiAlawite. Omar Bakri Muhammad, a Syrian Salafi cleric who was expelled from Britain for his support for al Qaeda and a darling of the Western media for his fluency in English, resides in Tripoli. Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, a previously unknown Salafi cleric from the southern city of Saida, has emerged as a vociferous champion of Syria's revolutionaries and a challenger of Hariri's political dominance in the city. The Sunni gangs fighting on the streets of Tripoli are not jihadi outfits -- yet. Rather, they are a mishmash of armed political activists, religious militants, and neighborhood strongmen who

think they are protecting their communities. But the growth of Salafi movements would not only adversely affect Lebanon's fragile equilibrium -- it could well taint the Syrian revolution. It would provide Assad with timely evidence that his domestic opponents are not struggling for freedom and democracy, but are allied with violent, foreign Salafists who object to his government on fundamentalist religious grounds. In the meantime, the Lebanese military has been called in to rescue Tripoli. The Lebanese Army is generally seen as the country's least politicized and least sectarian security force, though this image suffered when it stood idle as Hezbollah and its allies invaded Beirut in May 2008. Its deployment on the streets of Tripoli may contain the clashes for the moment, but it will merely serve as a Band-Aid -- the military will neither seize weaponry nor arrest militiamen involved in the fighting, thus doing nothing to prevent the same bloody cycle from repeating itself.

The sad fact is that there are precious few saviors willing to guide Lebanon through this crisis. The military on which many Lebanese have pinned their hopes reflects, rather than transcends, the country's many ills. Nor can the Lebanese count on their politicians -- the Syrian crisis has crystallized the existing divides in Lebanon, with each side hoping that its allies next door will come out on top in the conflict. It looks like all sides will be disappointed -- with little prospect of a gamechanging development, the Syrian revolution will likely gain in complexity and violence, slowly dragging Lebanon down with 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.

cheer Britons. Perhaps these summer entertainments will prove a tonic, but most of all, the electorate wants economic growth and a government that appreciates the difficulties faced by ordinary voters. As Cameron's government reaches half-term, the message, delivered by voters and the newspapers alike, is simple and stern: Must Do Better. 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.

Videos: The Devils Ride


(HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:00:56 PM

New directory displayer


(Dave Winer's "Scripting News" weblog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:45:48 AM

With the new directory displayer you get a two-level slice of the

hierarchy. So if you view from the top of the worknotes site, for example, you get the months and days. Click on a month and you get the days and story titles.

Video Added: May 15, 2012 Views: 148 Runtime: 02:02 This video's The Devils Ride : Videos : page>> Discovery Channel our sites You need the Flash Player video version 10.1.0.0 or higher and a mobile JavaScript enabled browser to shop view this site. Playlist ( 10) Info stay connected About This Playlist The Devils corporate Ride Life inside othe Laffing Discovery Channel Videos D e v i l s , o n e o f S o u t h e r n CONTENT LINKS 15 California's biggest motorcycle Enterprise Feedback clubs, doesn't come easy ... but it's M a n a g e m e n t sure intriguing. List Added: April CRM Integration 27, 2012 http://dsc.discovery.com This entry passed through the /videos/the-devils-ride-videos/ Full-Text RSS service if this is Now Playing The Devils Ride: your content and you're reading it Secret Ballot Opposition When on someone else's site, please read new club president Billy the Kid the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentmakes the vice-presidential only/faq.php#publishers. Five election a secret-ballot vote, he Filters recommends: Donate to gets pushback from some club Wikileaks. members unused to "secrets among the brotherhood."

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Spain Potpourri: Official Denials From Finance Minister; More Nationalizations Coming Up; Banks Use ECB Money to Refinance Large Enterprises in Dire Shape, New Credit To Households Down 80%
noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)

providing for the reform. Another 30 Billion Euros Needed, More Nationalizations Coming Up Banks that do not return the aid Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:04:00 PM Official Denials From Finance within 5 years will be nationalized Minister The State nationalize financial Finance Minister Says "Nothing institutions that do not return to Hide" Asks for ECB Audit of within five years aid articulated Banks, Denies Need for Rescue through convertible bonds, the soFund called 'coconuts', designed to The Economy Minister Luis de 'clean up' their balance sheets of Guindos, said Tuesday it has real estate assets. asked the European Central Bank This is particular the Legislative (ECB) to assist in the independent Decree on Saturday published the audit of the Spanish banks' Official Gazette (BOE), which balance sheets and is committed r e q u i r e s b a n k s a d d i t i o n a l to full throttle work as has asked sanitation EUR 30,000 million the Eurogroup, in order to have credit-linked unproblematic results within two months. In 'brick'. addition Guindos assured that no After this period, the Bank minister of economy of the Restructuring Fund (FROB), eurozone has said that Spain through which the state sanctions should come to the rescue fund the 'coconut', have a maximum of EU to recapitalize their banks. six months to implement in "There is nothing to hide, believe p r a c t i c e w h a t w o u l d b e that the reform we are doing is a nationalization of the entity. r e f o r m t h a t c l a r i f i e s a n d However, the rule empowers the introduces transparency and Bank of Spain to proceed with the clarity in balance sheets and the conversion of shares before those Spanish government has a will five years when it considers very clear about it," stressed the "unlikely" that a particular bank Minister of Economy. can afford to pay for this help. "Nobody has spoken at all to go to And if the entity defaults on the the bailout fund, is a matter of repayment of the aid, the regulator speed independent valuations," may also temporarily replace the has settled the finance minister administrative or management of when asked about whether Spain t h e e n t i t y , w h i c h w o u l d would seek assistance from the eventually assuming his speech. EU to help banks unable to meet Spanish banks must set aside the requirements of provisions a n o t h e r 3 0 , 0 0 0 m i l l i o n f o r

provisioning loans to real estate developer and healthy yet recorded incidents of payment. Collapse in Credit Banks Use ECB Money to Refinance Large Enterprises, New Credit To Households Down 80% Loans from the European Central Bank (ECB) for Spanish banks are finally beginning to be seen in the figures for new credit. After many months of fall shows signs of stabilization and down only 1.5%. However, the news is not as good as it seems. If we analyze the data by sector we find that the money has not

been evenly distributed, but for families and small business loan new credit falls with increasing strength while for the general business credit do you see a recovery (+8.9% compared to March 2011). These loans are likely to mostly be treated refinancing to large companies in dire financial shape, given the terrible sales data that are being seen in recent months. In the first graph we see the evolution of total credit, which appears to show signs of stabilization, at present, about 50,000 million / month, less than

half that seen at the peak of the bubble. We can also see the credit business, which also stabilizes over 45,000 million / month, less than 60% of what was in 2007, and the family is declining and is already below the 6,000 million / month, less than a quarter of what had in 2007. click on chart for sharper image The following graph we can see the evolution of new credit to households, broken down into housing, which fell by 21.7% compared to March 2011 (down nearly 80% from maximum), consumption, whose rate of decline increases to 10 , 2% (also down almost 80% from maximum), and other purposes, which drops to 9.8% (almost 70% from maximum). Families, therefore, despite the extraordinary liquidity injections to three years of the ECB (lters) were the tap is closing more and more credit. click on chart for sharper image The situation for the small business credit, which is what you see in the chart below, is very similar. Increases its rate of decline to 14.8% and down almost 60% from highs. However, the situation for the great credit business is very different. Increases by 8.9% over March 2011 and down only just over SPAIN page 40

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Screeching Halt in China; Weak Trade Data; Imports and Exports Fall Way Short of Expectations; Credit Crunch Underway; Feeble Forecasts From Pimco, Others
noreply@blogger.com (Mike Mish Shedlock) (Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis)

fallen 92 percent last week from the week before, as declining prices for apartments have left developers short of cash and Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:48:00 PM China bulls are in for a multi- reluctant to start further projects. year shock because rebalancing In a series of interviews over the f r o m a n e c o n o m y o v e r l y past week, bankers and senior dependent on exports is going to executives from provinces all over be far more painful, and last much China, in a range of light and longer than most think. Data is heavy industries, cited a broad coming in much weaker than d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n b u s i n e s s expected, but I propose this is conditions. Two of them said that only the very beginning. some tax agencies in smaller The New York Times reports cities had been telling companies Data Signal Economic Trouble in to inflate their sales and profits to China make local economic growth look China announced Thursday that less weak than it really was, while g r o w t h i n i m p o r t s h a d reassuring the companies that u n e x p e c t e d l y c o m e t o a their actual tax bills would be left screeching halt in April rising unchanged. just 0.3 percent from the same There are early signs of a credit period a year earlier, compared crunch, at least among private with expectations for an 11 sector companies. Many seem to percent increase. Businesses be asking their suppliers for more across the country appeared to time to pay debts and complaining lose much of their appetite for of cash flow problems. Zhang products as varied as iron ore and Jinmei, the sales manager at computer chips. Qitele Group, a company that Growth in other sectors appears makes playground equipment in to be slowing, too, particularly in the coastal city of Wenzhou, said real estate. Soufun Holdings, a that local investment and lending Chinese real estate data provider, pools there were starting to charge released figures Monday showing higher interest rates for loans, a that residential land sales in the s i g n o f w o r r i e s a b o u t countrys 20 largest cities had creditworthiness. Imports and

Exports Fall Way Short of Expectations The Financial Times reports China trade: warning signals. Whichever way you look at it, Chinas latest set of trade figures is bad news. Not only did both exports and imports fall short of expectations, they missed by quite a way. Although the first half of 2012 was expected to be a tough one, analysts say action is needed soon if the Q3 rebound many have been pinning their hopes on is going to happen at all. If the large jump in the trade surplus is the symptom, the economic illnesses look multiple. Exports have fallen to Europe for the second month in a row, which, from a trade perspective, makes this a low-point since the opening depths of economic crisis. That Chinese imports have fallen even faster is the greater worry. Many had hoped that Chinese shoppers (and builders) would rescue the rest of the world with a voracious appetite for everything. But that seems not to be the case, at least not until the credit taps are turned back on. Easily Predictable All of this was easily predictable yet most did not see this coming

and fewer still still see what is ahead. For example please consider this feeble China forecast by PIMCO. Chinas slowdown may deepen as policy makers unwind the excesses of a record credit boom while only gradually increasing stimulus, leaving 2012 growth at the weakest in 13 years, Pacific Investment Management Co. says. The economy is unlikely to bottom until the third quarter, Ramin Toloui, Pimcos global cohead of emerging markets portfolio management in Singapore, said in e-mailed comments May 13. Pimco, which oversees the worlds largest bond fund, sees Chinese growth this year in the mid-7 percent range, a pace unseen since 1999. Its call is still lower than that of banks from Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Bank of America Corp. and UBS AG, which all pared their forecasts after April economic data were released last week. Bottom When? Note the feeble forecasts by Pimco, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Bank of America, and UBS. And what's with this bottom call by Pimco in the third quarter? I

have to ask, third quarter of what year? 2020? What a bunch of collective bunk! I am sticking with 3.5% average growth for the rest of the decade, an idea proposed by Michael Pettis in a bet with The Economist. For details, please see 12 Predictions by Michael Pettis on China; Non-Food Commodity Prices Will Collapse Over Next Three to Four Years; Nails in the Hard Landing Coffin? Mike "Mish" Shedlock h t t p : / / globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot. com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http:// www.sitkapacific.com/ account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Curated News Edition

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EXPOSED: 38 Popular Index Mutual Funds That Are Way More Expensive Than Vanguard's (VFIAX)
Abby Rogers, Eric Platt and Sam Ro (Money Game)

fund also has a low tax cost ratio of 0.30. TIAA-CREF and Fidelity's Spartan funds have tax Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:15:00 PM cost ratios of 0.73 and 0.69, Indexing is praised by experts as respectively. t h e l o w - c o s t , t a x - e f f i c i e n t When it comes to cost, you just investment strategy that beats the can't beat Vanguard. What markets more often then not. follows is a list of S&P 500 index But when it comes to index funds. We scored the funds based funds, some are better than others. on their net expense ratio and tax Click Here To See 38 Costly cost ratio. Again, the lower the Index Funds > better. Click Here To See 38 We screened Morningstar for Funds That Are More Expensive S&P 500 index funds. We then Than Vanguard's > ranked them based on expense More On Indexing ratio and tax cost ratio; the lower The desire to make money is a the better. powerful one. However, it causes What we found: NO ONE even us to be irrational and leads us to comes close to being as low-cost make big mistakes. as Vanguard. One of the biggest mistakes The legendary Vanguard 500 investors make is not paying Index Admiral Fund (VFIAX) attention to costs when choosing boasts an incredibly low net mutual funds. Many funds, often expense ratio of 0.05 percent. "actively managed" funds in The next best funds based on the which portfolio managers try to same metric were TIAA-CREF's pick stocks that beat certain S&P 500 fund and Fidelity's benchmarks like the S&P 500, Spartan 500 Index fund, which have very high costs. each have net expense ratios of Countless studies prove that most 0.07 percent. actively managed funds do not However, Vanguard's Admiral a c c o m p l i s h t h e g o a l o f

outperforming. A recent study showed that these funds underperformed 62% of the time over the past 10 years, 67% for the last 15 years, and 72% for the last 20 years. Some studies show that 97% of actively managed funds underperformed their benchmarks over more extended periods. GE Instl S&P 500 Index Inv, GIDIX

Total Score:.665 Net Expense Ratio: .15% 1-Year Tax Cost Ratio: 1.18 1-Year Pretax Return: 4.61 1-Year Tax Adjusted Return: 3.38 Data was collected using Morningstar

BlackRock S&P 500 Index A, MDSRX Total Score:.565 Net Expense Ratio: .56% 1-year Pretax Return: 4.14 1-Year Tax Adjusted Return: 3.55 1-Year Tax Cost Ratio: .57 Data was collected using Morningstar Legg Mason Batterymarch S&P 500 Index A, SBSPX Total Score:.565 Net Expense Ratio: .59% 1-Year Pretax Return: 4.15 1-Year Tax Adjusted Return: 3.59 1-Year Tax Cost Ratio: .54 Data was collected using Morningstar See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

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SPAIN
continued from page 37

36% from highs. There is no doubt that banks are giving priority to these large companies, which not only get much more credit than all other sectors combined (despite employing only a third of private sector employees) but also , are increasing their participation in the growing pie, as they have gone to get before the crisis over 40% of loans over 60% right now. click on chart for sharper image The privileges of these big companies do not end here, since the conditions are also radically different for large and small loan. If before the crisis the difference used to be 100 basis points (bp), 1% or so, now the widening and extending more and reaches the 266 bp (2.66%).

Everything indicates that Spain is moving increasingly in the AngloSaxons called crony capitalism , but as an Iberian, ie banks that also pays to be the handouts to their favorites regardless of purely commercial factors. This can only affect an increasingly inefficient allocation of resources and a poorer functioning of markets, which will only further reduce the resilience of our economy in a globalized world increasingly difficult. Ponzi Financing Those charts show the Spain is banking system is in deep, deep trouble in spite of official denials from the finance minister. Ponzi financing of the largest enterprises is the name of the game and the bond market has zeroed in on it. Yield on the 10-

year bond has soared to 6.35%. I expect back above 7% soon. Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http:// www.sitkapacific.com/ account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Bulls' Rose to miss 8-12 months with knee injury: doctor


(Sports News Headlines Yahoo! News)

named the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Most Valuable Player last year, suffered Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:45:09 PM the knee injury in Chicago's (Reuters) - Chicago Bulls guard opening playoff game last month. Derrick Rose could be out of D o c t o r B r i a n C o l e , w h o action for an entire year while he performed the operation on recovers from surgery to repair a Saturday, told a news conference torn anterior cruciate ligament, Rose was facing a lengthy break the doctor who performed the from the game. ... procedure said on Tuesday. Rose, a three-time All-Star who was

Next Stop: Dow 100,000


Tyler Durden
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:16:32 PM

We thought that Jeremy Siegel, Laszlo "the Ruler" Birinyi and Jim Altucher were optimistic with their stock market targets. Sadly, with their equal to or less than 20,000 Dow Jones predictions, the three merely come off as rank amateurs, especially when compared to the forecast of BNP's head of fixed income Philippe Gijesels, who sees the stock market at 100,000 at some point over the next 25 years. However,

unlike the previous trio who bases its forecasts on misguided expectations of economic growth, Gijesels may actually end up being right, because his estimate is predicated on one simple thing: hyperinflation, or specifically 12.2% inflation each year, which for a country like America is tantamount to the dreaded Hword. The other premise used by Gijesels: too much debt which has to be inflated. And actually, he is spot on. The only problem is that when the Dow hits 100,000 due to money printing, which is his

underlying thesis, one will needed scientific notation to express the price of any hard asset (and most certainly gold), because if America falls in a two-decade long Weimar republic phase, the Dow may well be 100,000 or 100 googol - the truth is it won't matter as the money this number translated to would be absolutely meaningless. Just ask the Weimar Germans, who may have had some tremendous monthly increases in their 401(k) statements, but all they really cared about is whether they had

the latest and most fashionable wheelbarrow model. Average: Your rating: None Average: 5( 7 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.

George Osborne wins battle for tougher rules on UK banks


Philip Aldrick (Finance News Business news from the UK and world)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:50:03 PM

George Osborne has scored a victory over his European rivals by securing the right to impose stricter financial regulation on Britain's banks.

Curated News Edition

Economy/ Culture/ Featured/

41

Ron Johnson: 'We've Got To 10 Influential Get People To Understand Green Architects Our Pricing Strategy'
Melanie Radzicki McManus (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed) Aimee Groth (Money Game)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:35:00 PM

Today JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson presented on the company's Q1 earnings and its ongoing strategy in New York City. This was right after the company announced that it missed sales expectations by 15%. He said that its turnaround has been tougher than anticipated but the "transformation is ahead of schedule." One big problem is that customers don't get the new pricing strategy, which it started rolling out in February. A lot hinges on this. " Our marketing isn't doing the work. It needs to communicate pricing strategy" and bring in more traffic, he said. " We've got to get our pricing across." Its new strategy involves weaning people off coupons and getting them to buy products at "everyday" prices. There are also weekly and monthly promotions, but the discounts aren't nearly as

steep as they used to be. " Coupons were a drug, they really drove traffic," Johnson said. "[Customers] need to understand the value we're offering." He explained that the company is retooling its ads so that its new pricing is clearer and explains its "fair and square" strategy. The disconnect is proof that if you make things too complicated for the consumer or don't

explain the change in plain language, over and over again it won't work. Now read about how JCPenney didn't realize how much customers were into coupons > Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story

agree that today it's in the forefront of our collective minds, for both our homes and places of Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:00:56 PM business. The government's Many say the pioneer of green getting in on it, too, with building design was the irascible Frank codes regarding energy efficiency Lloyd Wright, whose innovative and carbon footprints becoming organic architecture philosophy increasingly stringent. This means focused on creating structures that everyone involved in construction appeared to be part of their has to be a little more creative, a surroundings. But others refute little more thoughtful, a little t h i s , n o t i n g s u s t a i n a b l e nimbler. Especially the architects architecture has been around and designers, who kick-start the forever. Or, at the very least, its process. principles are ancient. Just think So which architects, past and of the famous Roman aqueducts, present, are considered tops in the many of which are still used green game? That's constantly t o d a y . T h e g r a v i t y - d r i v e n evolving, as more and more structures not only distributed designers are attracted to the field. water and took away waste, but B u t h e r e a r e 1 0 w h o s e provided renewable water power contributions can't be denied. for mines, forges and mills. And This entry passed through the when the ancient Greeks began Full-Text RSS service if this is running low on fuel sources, they your content and you're reading it began positioning buildings and on someone else's site, please read even entire cities to catch the sun's the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentrays [source: WebEcoist]. only/faq.php#publishers. Five No matter when sustainable Filters recommends: Donate to architecture began, most will Wikileaks.

Happy Hour Links: Lagoon Sized Pools


Michael Warren (The Weekly Standard)

Chris Matthews bombs:"Who is Gary Powers? Who is Gary Powers?"

The lavish Soros Summit.

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Economy/

Curated News Edition

Will America Ever Recover From The Housing Crisis - A Real Estate Infographic
Tyler Durden
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:00:16 PM

Back in March, on the back of the last gasp of yet another central bank-induced sugar high (in this case mostly LTRO 1+2), as well as economic data skewed by record warmth, a plethora of housing bottom callers (we would call them analysts but they are

anything but) emerged from their hibernation and did what they do like clockwork every year: called a housing in bottom. Sadly, now that the market has topped out, at least for the current easing iteration, it appears that the housing triple dip as measured by Case Shiller will shortly be a quadruple dip. And so on, and so on, until the question becomes:

will America ever recover from the housing crisis. We don't know, but we do know one thing - fixing an excess debt problem with more debt won't work. Period. Yet that is what continues to be the only "policy" in resolving the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. For everyone else seeking a more nuanced answer we suggest perusing the infographic

below which provides a less jaded perspective and even has a Hollywood conclusion: "The end is on the horizon"... well, a Tarantino-esque conclusion: "...The distant horizon." Average: Your rating: None Average: 5( 5 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.

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43

BofA: The 'Ichimoku Clouds' Signal A Storm May Be Coming For The Stock Market
Matthew Boesler (Money Game)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:30:00 PM

According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch's technical analysis team, the S&P 500 and the KBW bank index have breached important support levels on the Ichimoku cloud charts, and the VIX is now trading above cloud resistance. In case you don't know, the cloud is formed in the area between two "spans" (the red and green lines in the charts below) that in turn are determined by averages of the high and low points over short and long timeframes, similar to

moving averages. Unlike moving averages with precisely defined levels of support and resistance, however, the cloud provides a nice "range" for these support and resistance levels. Now, let's go storm-chasing. Via

Bank of America Merrill Lynch's team of technical analysts: Bonus cloud charts for key European equity bourses: BAML's key takeaway: Putting these breaks together, along with the weaker cloud chart

patterns for Europe, supports the case for a deeper equity market correction... our call remains for a continued correction with risk to 1300-1250 in the S&P 500, but we favor a summer rally and would look to buy dips. Just try not to get rained on. See Also BofA: These 4 Charts Will Tell Us If We Should 'Sell In May And Go Away' Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook. Join the conversation about this story

This Land is Your Land: The Citizenship Quiz


(HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:00:56 PM

Freddie Prinze Jr. Joins Charlotte and Pregnant SMG at the Zoo
Lauren Turner (PopSugar)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:51:25 PM

camera while he held their daughter Charlotte. The group got a ride through the park on a golf The whole Prinze family headed cart and checked out a few animal to the LA Zoo for an afternoon of exhibits before stopping to take fun last week. Sarah Michelle, photos at a lizard statue. SMG and who is pregnant with her and Charlotte have been out and about Freddie's second child, carried a multiple times this Spring while

She should have more time to spend close to home now that her CW series Ringer was just canceled. There's plenty on the horizon for Sarah Michelle though, with the arrival of her SMG is on a break from work. next baby later this year. View Slideshow

For people who never leave their native countries, citizenship is simple as pie -- you simply have to be born. But being a citizen entails a lot more than just living in a nation. Test your knowledge about what it means to be a citizen with this citizenship quiz. 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.

44

Culture/

Curated News Edition

ACLU Warns State Dept. Against Firing Worker Who Criticized Government
Kim Zetter (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:35:00 PM

The American Civil Liberties Union has come to the defense of a former State Department employee who looks likely to be fired for blogging and writing critically about the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The ACLU says doing so would violate the constitutional rights of veteran State Department employee Peter Van Buren, according to a letter the group sent the government on Tuesday. The letter further accuses the government of unlawful retaliation against Van Buren for publishing critical comments about U.S. foreign policy on his personal blog last year. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that public employees retain their First Amendment rights even when speaking about issues directly related to their employment, as long as they are speaking as private citizens, and as long as theyre writing about matters of public concern, the ACLU wrote in its letter(.pdf). There can be no dispute that the subject matter of Mr. Van Burens book, blog posts, and news articles the reconstruction effort in Iraq is a matter of immense public concern.

Van Buren, a 23-year Foreign ACLU page 47

Curated News Edition

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45

Majority of Mexicans Want More U.S. Help in Drug War


Robert Beckhusen (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:00:00 PM

A U.S. Army National Guardsman at his post along the U.S.-Mexico border near Nogales, Arizona, on Jan. 17, 2007. Photo: Department of Defense. This summer, Mexicans will go to the polls to choose their countrys next commander-inchief. But the new president will also have to deal with ominous developments in the drug war and the fact that few Mexicans believe the governments strategy is working. He or she will also have to negotiate with the U.S. on the scope and responsibilities of Americas role in fighting the cartels. The reason is stunning. More than half of Mexicans (52 percent) want an increased U.S. role in the drug war, and 28 percent want the U.S. military to intervene on Mexican soil, according to polling conducted by The Dallas Morning News, Mexicos El Universal and Texas Spanish newspaper Al Da. Only 21 percent of Mexicans say the governments strategy is working, though 64 percent think the military should continue leading the fight against the cartels. Ending the drug war through striking a deal with the gangsters

is as popular as the current strategy: Only 21 percent think its a good idea. That tells you that Mexicans are

really, really tired of this drug war, and they would rather see an end sooner than wait years fighting this by themselves,

Jorge Buenda, president of Mexicans blame the U.S. in part polling firm Buenda & Laredo, for the drug war (with plenty of told The Dallas Morning News. MAJORITY page 49 Buenda added that because many

46

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Curated News Edition

Black Pastors Speak Out on Obama's Gay Marriage Stance


(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)

May 14, 2012| 8:42 am (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and Vice President Joe Biden walk together to a ceremony honoring the 2012 National Association of Police Organizations Top Cops award winners during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, May 12, 2012. The Rev. Emmett C. Burns Jr., a politically influential black minister, held an event Sunday at his Rising Sun Baptist Church in Baltimore, Md., to publicly withdraw support from Obama over his same-sex marriage support, CNN reported. "I love the president, but I cannot support what he has done," Burns was quoted as saying at the church. He also predicted that Obama's stance would lead to his defeat in November. Many other black ministers differed with Obama's stance but also said they'd continue to support him. The Rev. Wallace Charles Smith of the largely black Shiloh Baptist

Church in Washington said the church is against same-sex marriage. However, he did not fully condemn the president, noting there were "larger challenges that we have to struggle with." He said, "We may disagree with our president on this one issue. But we will keep him lifted up in prayer. ... Pray for President Barack Obama." The willingness of AfricanAmerican pastors to openly talk about same-sex marriage is an emerging trend, some believe, and can possibly hurt Obama. Atlanta-based Tim McDonald, founder of African-American Ministers Leadership Council, was earlier quoted as saying that more black pastors were talking about gay marriage than ever before. "Three years ago, there was not even a conversation about this issue. There wasn't even an entertainment of a conversation about this." Like us on Facebook A poll held in April by Pew Research Center found that almost half of all African-Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, as compared to 43 percent of whites who oppose it. A May 10 USA Today/Gallup

poll also warned that the president's support of gay marriage might make some independents and Democrats less likely to vote for him in November. It found that 23 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats say it makes them less likely to vote for Obama, while a smaller 11 percent of independents and 2 percent of Republicans say it makes them more likely to vote for Obama, the first president to publicly support gay marriage while in office. Obama made the historic announcement last Wednesday in an interview with ABC News. He said, "[I]t is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think that same-sex couples should be able to get married." Obama cited friends, family and staff as well as the Golden Rule for his position in now supporting gay marriage. Dr. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Redmond, Wash., told The Christian Post last Thursday that he would never vote for someone who believes in same-sex marriage and abortion, "regardless who it is, regardless how white they are, regardless how black

they are." Rick Santorum has urged presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney to use Obama's support of same-sex marriage as a "potent weapon" in the November election. The former presidential candidate told Arkansas TV station KARK, "This is a very potent weapon, if you will, for Governor Romney if he's willing to step up and take advantage of a president who is very much out of touch with the values of America." Santorum also said during his interview with the channel Friday night that he hoped Romney would continue to "stand tall for his position on this issue and understand how detrimental it would be for society for it to have this changed." The presumptive GOP nominee, Santorum added, "has to talk about his values. That's the most important thing." Romney reiterated his opposition to gay marriage after Obama's announcement, but he later seemed hesitant in making it one of the main issues of his campaign. Romney told Fox News last Thursday, "I believe that marriage has been defined the same way for

literally thousands of years by virtually every civilization in history and that marriage is by its definition a relationship between a man and woman." He also said it's fine for gay couples to adopt children. However, in North Carolina, where voters approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions by a large margin last week, Romney remained silent on the issue during his visit last Friday. Notably, a day later, he reaffirmed his support for traditional marriage in front of thousands of evangelicals at Liberty University's commencement ceremony. READ: PASTORS, DON'T GO WOBBLY OVER GAY MARRIAGE! 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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ACLU
continued from page 44

Service officer, was a former leader with the reconstruction team in Iraq following the recent war there. But after he left that position to take up different work in the department, he became a public critic of the U.S. governments reconstruction efforts in a book he published last year titled We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People. Van Buren submitted his book to the State Department for prepublication review in accordance with federal rules that require employees to obtain clearance before publishing information on matters of official concern. Such matters are broadly defined as policy, program, or operation of the employees agency or to current U.S. foreign policies, or [that] reasonably may be expected to affect the foreign relations of the United States. The rule states that material must be submitted for a reasonable period of review, not to exceed thirty days. But after 30 days had passed and Van Buren had no response from the State Department, he proceeded with publication of his book. Last August, to coincide with the release of the book, Van Buren wrote a blog post criticizing the government for hypocritical actions against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and linked to a

leaked U.S. State Department cable that had been published by the secret-spilling site WikiLeaks. The link went to a 2009 cable about the sale of U.S. military spare parts to Gaddafi through a Portuguese middleman. State Department investigators subsequently interrogated Van Buren twice, demanding to know who had helped him write the blog post and asking about the publishing contract for his book. The investigators warned him that he would be fired if he refused to answer questions and that he could be charged with interfering with a government investigation if he wrote publicly about the inquiry against him, which he did anyway. The Principal Deputy Secretary of State then wrote Van Burens publisher demanding three small redactions from a chapter of his book, which had already shipped to bookstores. Van Burens top secret security clearance was suspended, and the State Department also confiscated his diplomatic passport and placed him on administrative leave. He was banned from the State Department building, lost access to his work computer, and was reassigned from his position on the departments Board of Examiners to a makeshift telework position, all for failing to submit his writing before publication. The State Department has lately

been putting Van Burens two decades worth of foreign service skills to use by having him do Google searches on all coroners working in the U.S. and copying their addresses into a document while it decides his fate. The Department has recommended Van Buren be fired, a proposal that is currently being reviewed by the departments human resources division. Van Buren was scheduled to respond to the proposal Tuesday, and the ACLUs letter was sent in support of his response objecting to his firing. The ACLU said in its letter that the State Departments publication review policy, as it applied to the pre-publication of blog posts and articles, raised serious constitutional questions, since it amounted essentially to restricting the speech of Van Buren and other State Department employees and doesnt comply with other federal policies that allow soldiers, for example, to blog from battlefields without having their writing reviewed. Their official reason, that the blogs didnt comply with preclearance, makes sense for books, said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLUs Speech, Privacy & Technology Project. A 30-day delay in publishing a book doesnt make any difference. For blogs and articles, its impractical.

The State Departments actions have clearly been meant to punish him for what he wrote, Van Buren told Wired last year. He said the suspension of his security clearance was particularly vindictive. Im fairly close to retirement [from government work] and this is a way of not allowing me to retire with a security clearance, he said. Its like having a big scarlet loser painted on my forehead. The ACLUs Wizner agrees that the State Departments actions are meant as punishment for what Van Buren wrote. Theres nothing he has done that would trigger his firing had he not been a vocal critic of the State Departments policies, Wizner told Wired. Hes coming to the end of his career. It calls into question why theyre going to the trouble of firing this guy except to send the message to other government employees that they should stay in their lane. 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.

When You've Got Low Self-Esteem, Fix Your Problems With Others Rather Than With Yourself [Mind Hacks]
Adam Dachis (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:30:00 PM

If you're suffering from a moment or a long period of low self-esteem, chances are the problem isn't internal. As Psychology Today points out, the problem is more likely caused by issues you have with people other than yourself: More

48

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Curated News Edition

World's Subways Converging on Ideal Form


Brandon Keim (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:09:00 PM

Sample of subway network structures from (clockwise, top left) Shanghai, Madrid, Moscow, Tokyo, Seoul and Barcelona. Image: Roth et al./JRSI After decades of urban evolution, the worlds major subway systems appear to be converging on an ideal form. On the surface, these core-andbranch systems evident in New York City, Tokyo, London, or most any large metropolitan subway may seem intuitively optimal. But in the absence of top -down central planning, their movement over decades toward a common mathematical space may hint at universal principles of human self-organization. Understand those principles, and one might make urbanism a quantitative science, and understand with data and numbers the construction of a city, said statistical physicist Marc Barthelemy of Frances National Center for Scientific Research. In a May 15 Journal of the Royal Society Interface paper, Barthelemy and NCSR complex systems analyst Camille Roth focused a network analysis lens on the aforementioned cities subways, along with Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, Madrid, Mexico, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo.'One might understand with data and numbers

the construction of a city.' With equations used to study twodimensional spatial networks, the class of network to which subways belong, the researchers turned stations and lines to a mathematics of nodes and branches. They repeated their analyses with data from each decade of a subway systems history, and looked for underlying trends.

Patterns emerged: The core-andbranch topology, of course, and patterns more fine-grained. Roughly half the stations in any subway will be found on its outer branches rather than the core. The distance from a citys center to its farthest terminus station is twice the diameter of the subway systems core. This happens again and again. Many other shapes could be

expected, such as a regular lattice, said Barthelemy. What we find surprising is that all these different cities, on different continents, with different histories and geographical constraints, lead finally to the same structure. Subway systems seem to gravitate towards these ratios organically, through a combination of planning, expedience, circumstance and

socioeconomic fluctuation, say the researchers. This is a crucial point: If the subways followed a predetermined path, their evolution would only reflect a set plan. Instead, the convergence is a sign that there are some basic, profound mechanisms that drive the development of urban WORLD'S page 50

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MAJORITY
continued from page 45

justification), many are becoming more pragmatic and tolerant about alternatives. Especially with no end in sight. On Sunday, the Mexican military discovered 49 headless bodies dumped on a highway connecting the border city of Reynosa to the northern metropolitan city of Monterrey. According to news reports, Mexican officials pointed to the Zetas as the likely killers. ( The Zetas have denied responsibility.) Two other mass dumps of dismembered bodies were reported earlier this month, one in Guadalajara and another in the border city of Nuevo Laredo. Northeastern Mexico near the Texas border and Monterrey have also seen a renewed conflict between the Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel as the latter move in to contest increased Zetas control of the region, a conflict that Latin America security analyst Patrick Corcoran wrote is expanding across Mexico into a prolonged turf war. The alternatives have as much to do with politics as they do with military strategy. The ruling center-right National Action Party, or PAN, appears to be headed for a major defeat in July elections, setting up the return of

the moderate Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ruled Mexico as a singleparty state for much of the 20th century. The PRIs candidate, front-runner Enrique Pea Nieto, has pledged to defeat the cartels and has proposed a new national police force comprised of former soldiers to phase out the military on city streets. (Left-leaning candidate Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, now polling in second place, has vowed to end the drug war.) But if Mexicos politicians have been unable to stop the violence, then theres no guarantee an increased U.S. presence will succeed where Mexico has failed. Likewise, the Mexican government will not allow the U.S. to deploy troops against the cartels, and Mexican laws prohibit foreign military and police from operating in Mexico. Foreign nationals which would include U.S. soldiers are subject to tight regulations which makes carrying weapons difficult. The U.S. and Mexico have routed around these restrictions by allowing U.S. federal agents and civilian military employees to assist Mexican forces in an advisory role. U.S. agents have

also been caught in the fighting. In February 2011, Mexican narcos shot and killed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata as he and another agent traveled through northern Mexico. The U.S. also operates a small drone fleet along the border and even into Mexico proper to spy on the cartels, though critics have cited high costs and poor results at stopping smuggling. The U.S. has also been pumping billions in aid to Mexicos police and military forces. The majority of the Mexican population isnt angry that [President Felipe] Calderon is using the military to fight organized crime. Theyre angry that hes done such a lousy job of it, blogged Latin America security analyst James Bosworth. He added that this is not an argument that the U.S. should have large numbers on the ground in Mexico, he said. That would be a disaster. Those numbers would quickly reverse to enormous opposition once the troops were actually there. But the fact is: The U.S. shares some responsibility, or even most of it. And its possible the data might open the space for an

increased U.S. role. After all, demand for drugs north of the border fuels the cartels, and U.S. weapons and ammunition helps keep them in the fight. Hiding from the debate every time a criticism comes up isnt just bad policy, its bad politics. More transparency about cooperation in an environment where citizens want to see more cooperation should be an obvious policy, Bosworth said. Though, it looks like well have to wait until the next Mexican government comes to power and whether a second-term Obama (or first-term Romney) administration will be open to expanding a U.S. presence. Either way, the drug war is likely not going to end anytime soon. 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.

Tie a Tie in 5 Seconds Flat [Video]


Whitson Gordon (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:00:00 PM

We've shown you four different ways to tie a tie, but if you're really looking to step up your game, this method delivers a sharp-looking tie with serious speed. More

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(Lunarpages Contact Support Page)

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Manny Pacquiao Uses Bible to Rebuke Obama's Support for Gay Marriage

WORLD'S
continued from page 48

systems, said Barthelemy. City subway systems converge on a ratio for the number of stations on branch lines to the number in city cores. Image: Roth et al./JRSI According to Andrew Adamatzky, a University of West England computer scientist who (Christianpost.com > Most lies with a woman, both of them "God only expects man and uses creatures called slime molds Popular) have done what is detestable," woman to be together and to be to study optimal transportation Pacquiao told the Examiner. legally married, only if they so are networks, its possible that "They must be put to death; their in love with each other," Pacquiao engineers were influenced by (Photo: Reuters/Romeo Ranoco) blood will be on their own heads." said. "It should not be of the same e a r l y s u b w a y n e t w o r k s i n World Boxing Organization However, Obama has attempted sex so as to adulterate the altar of L o n d o n , B e r l i n a n d P a r i s . welterweight champion and to explain his reasoning for matrimony, like in the days of But Adamatzky still called the congressman Manny Pacquiao of supporting a redefinition of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old." results very promising, saying the Philippines gestures during a marriage, using the Golden Rule Pacquiao, nicknamed "Pacman," that when more data will be press conference in Manila in this of loving your neighbor as is a Roman Catholic who has collected, then maybe they can March 26, 2012 file photo. justification for ignoring other talked recently about ending his suggest some useful theory of verses condemning homosexuality fighting career to focus on his subway development. May 13, 2012| 10:22 am in the Bible. religious beliefs. The boxer told Barthelemys group says the After Obama vocalized that he "Do unto others as you would ABS-CBN News that his fight trends they observed could next was in support of gay marriage have them do to you," the against Timothy Bradley Jr. at the be cross-referenced with social earlier this week, Pacquiao was president said in an ABC News MGM Grand in Las Vegas on shifts in cities. Their ultimate goal adamant that the president had got report. "At a certain point I've just June 9 might be the last of his is a model of subway evolution based on real-world observations. it wrong. In an interview with the concluded that for me personally career. National Conservative Examiner it is important for me to go ahead R E A D : O N L O V E , With such a model, they could while training in Los Angeles, and affirm that I think same-sex HOMOSEXUALITY AND SIN look for ways to tweak future Calif., Pacquiao spoke about the couples should be able to get This entry passed through the transportation systems in optimal need for society to put "God's married." Full-Text RSS service if this is ways. words first." Like us on Facebook your content and you're reading it To be sure, this wouldnt be the The boxer quoted Leviticus 20:13 While the 33-year-old boxer said on someone else's site, please read first time that urbanists have tried when referring to the president's he respected Obama, he told the the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content- to impose rationality and order on decision to advocate for same-sex Examiner that the president only/faq.php#publishers. Five cities. The fruits of some such marriage. should read the bible or "manual Filters recommends: Donate to efforts such as the vast, "If a man lies with a man as one of life" to better society. Wikileaks.

soulless housing projects of beloved of rectangle-obsessed modernists proved bitter indeed. But Barthelemy said his groups approach is different, seeking to improve on how people naturally organize themselves rather imposing abstract, arbitrary rules from above. We dont have big ideas, Barthelemy said. Were just in the process of trying to understand centuries of development. Citation: A long-time limit for world subway networks. By Camille Roth, Soong Moon Kang, Michael Batty and Marc Barthelemy. Proceedings of the Royal Society Interface, 15 May 2012. 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.

'Britain must copy hard-working South Korea'


James Kirkup (Finance News Business news from the UK and world)

Ministers have come under fire after telling businesses to stop complaining and get on with

creating more jobs.

Curated News Edition

Culture/ Featured/

51

ABC Cancels Controversial 'GCB' Series


(Christianpost.com > Most Popular)

Kristen Stewart Makes a Stop in Berlin on the Road to Cannes


Katie Henry (PopSugar)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:23:05 PM

49 demographic. Stars of the series, touted as the heir to the "Desperate May 13, 2012| 11:38 am Housewives" throne, tweeted ABC has officially passed on about its cancellation. ordering second seasons of four "[ABC] is literally in a room in series, including "GCB," which is NY right now deciding our fate. based on Kim Gatlin's novel Good # G C B #GCBSeason2 Christian Bitches and centers on a #PleaseLord," cast member newly widowed woman who Jennifer Aspen wrote on Twitter moves back with her family to the Friday, and then announced, "I'm u p s c a l e D a l l a s , T e x a s , so sorry to tell you all that #GCB neighborhood where she grew up, has been cancelled by ABC. according to tvline.com. #Heartbroken." The "Missing," "The River" and Like us on Facebook "Pan Am" series have also been "Onstage. Sound check. Bad canceled. timing abc. San Fran will get a The series, which was changed g r e a t s h o w t h o ! " K r i s t e n from the original title "Good Chenoweth, head "GCB" Carlene Christian Bitches" to "Good Cockburn in the series, wrote on Christian Belles" and finally to Twitter. "GCB," was only able to attract an Leslie Bibb, the protagonist who average of 5.9 million viewers plays a divorced mother and and 1.9 ratings in the adults 18-to- former high school "mean girl,"

tweeted, "To all u #GCB fans & Amanda lovers, thx 4 the The American Family Association had filed a petition against the show, saying, "With a title like Good Christian Bitches, you can imagine what kind of show it will be. Even if they change the title, the content will still mock people of faith." One Million Moms also called for a boycott of "GCB" as "blasphemy at its worst!" READ: HOW WOULD JESUS RATE GCB? 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.

Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron touched down in Berlin today following a brief stay in the UK. The ladies premiered their action-packed fairy tale, Snow White and the Huntsman, in front of a London crowd. Charlize and Kristen were also joined by their leading men, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin, on the red carpet, but it wasn't until after hours that Kristen was able to relax with boyfriend Robert Pattinson. Rob turned 26 over the weekend, and the pair celebrated the milestone at a private party with friends Sienna Miller and Hugh Jackman. For now, Kristen's focusing on her Snow White film, but soon she'll shift gears to promote another highly anticipated project. Kristen's among the many stars headed to the Cannes Film

Festival to showcase their latest work. She's expected to attend the worldwide premiere of On the Road with costars Kirsten Dunst, Tom Sturridge, and Garrett Hedlund. Robert's also planning a trip to the French Riviera for the debut of his dramatic thriller Cosmopolis, though we'll have to wait and see if either actor goes home with the Palme d'Or, the festival's highest honor. View Slideshow

Bloomberg/Washington Post: Obamacare Is a $1 Trillion Windfall for Insurers


Jeffrey H. Anderson (The Weekly Standard)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:27:00 PM

The Washington Post reports on a new study by Bloomberg

Government, which shows that the repeal of Obamacare would cost health insurance companies more than $1 trillion yes, thats trillion over the remainder of this decade alone. Why?

Because Obamacare would

transfer colossal sums of money from American taxpayers, through the federal government, to private insurers and repeal would keep that transfer from occurring.

52

Culture/ Finance/ Politics-Left/

Curated News Edition

Rob, Gwyneth, Brad, Cameron, and More - Take a Look Back at the Cannes Film Festival!
Meghan Rooney (PopSugar)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:59:26 PM

The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, and we can't wait to see all the sexy celebrities hit the red carpet. Before we catch a glimpse of our favorite stars in the South of France, we're taking a look back at all the celebs who have attended the cinema event in years past. There have been plenty of great moments to capture, including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's PDA and Cameron Diaz's Shrek 2 photo call. Best buddies George Clooney and Matt Damon have hit the Croisette, and Johnny Depp once turned up with Kate

Remains of the Day: Wikipedia Alerts Users, If You See Ads It's Malware [For What It's Worth]
Moss. Click through to see all the famous faces, and make sure to check back for all the updates straight from Cannes, where we'll be at the most exciting premieres and parties. View Slideshow
Jeremy Hoag (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:00:00 PM

Ads on Wikipedia may be a sign of a hijacked browser, Google adds embedded search tools to Docs, and Flickr gets a redesign. More

Coalition needs to sort out growth before it can sell RBS

HOLLANDE
continued from page 52

with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday, Francois Hollande reiterated Merkel's desire that Greece should stay in the euro, as Damian Reece (Finance News - the country's political woes raised Business news from the UK and fears it could leave the eurozone. Both leaders said they wanted to world) keep debt-stricken Greece in the (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:56:48 PM It's not often shareholders call for euro. They will hold an informal Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:59:00 PM a chief executive to be paid more, summit on May 23. When it comes to advertising, but that's the view of some During his election campaign, can Facebook ever live up to Hollande said he wanted to investors in RBS. renegotiate the EU's fiscal pact, Google? which will require its signatories When it comes to click-throughs, Google towers over the social HOLLANDE page 54 media giant and GM recently

Facebook IPO: Can it beat Google? [infographic]


pulled their Facebook advertising budget of $10 million, calling the ads, if not the pages, ineffective. So, what do the numbers say? Via Wordstream.com. p class="alltopbar">Advertising infographics. Permalink| Leave a comment

Hollande vows to work with Merkel


(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:00:01 PM

The new French president has to put "everything on the table" to boost growth in the eurozone after calling for a "balanced" and "respectful" relations with Germany. Speaking after his first-ever talks HOLLANDE page 52

Curated News Edition

Politics-Left/ Products/

53

Colombia blast targets former minister


(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))

Navigate Through Your Social Security Information With New Online Tool
Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)

has not seen attacks on this scale for years. Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:34:16 PM "Although there have been In a rare attack in the Colombian smaller bombings in past years, capital Bogota, a bomb targeting a and more recently in front of former interior minister has killed Radio Caracol in Bogota, this his driver and a police officer, attack is seen as the largest and President Juan Manuel Santos boldest in many years," she said. said. "The bomb was placed on top of The Andean country has battled the vehicle of [former Interior and left-wing guerrillas, right-wing Justice Minister] Londono, who is paramilitary groups and drug a rightwing and conservative lords for decades, but a campaign politician, who has a daily radio since 2002 against cocaine programme La Voz de la Verdad, traffickers and rebels coupled or the Voice of Truth, as well as a w i t h t h e d e m o b i l i s a t i o n o f newspaper column in El Tiempo. paramilitaries has sharply reduced "He uses both to fiercely attack violence. the FARC and is a staunch "We condemn this attack ... this supporter of ex-president Alvaro government will not be thrown off Uribe." course by these terrorist attacks. Al Jazeera's Alessandro We will stay the course and carry Rampietti, reporting from Bogota, out all the investigations needed said the bomb exploded in one of to find the culprits," the center- the most imported thoroughfares right president said after connecting the city with Tuesday's attack. Colombia's north. "This was an attack against "Londono was being driven by his f o r m e r m i n i s t e r F e r n a n d o driver, who died in the attack. Londono. Unfortunately his driver Londono himself is said to be in and a police officer have died," stable condition," Rampietti said. Santos added, saying both the Local television broadcast images victims were accompanying the of him walking from the scene of minister as part of a state the bomb attack with blood protection program. covering his face, flanked by a Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera's bodyguard carrying a gun. Latin America editor, said Bogota Local media said more than 20

people were taken to a nearby hospital for injuries sustained in the blast, which was initially reported to have happened on a bus. Londono was interior minister from 2002 to 2004 in the government of former President Uribe, who led a crackdown on the FARC and other armed groups during his eight years in office. Londono later took up journalism and now hosts a radio show and writes opinion pieces for Colombian daily newspapers. Although substantially weakened by a US-funded military crackdown, the FARC remains a force to be reckoned with. Its members often stage attacks against police and military installations, set off car bombs in areas already ravaged by drug violence and cause mayhem in remote jungle regions. However, they rarely carry out attacks in the national capital. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

The estimated Social Security and Medicare taxes you've paid; Information about qualifying Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:00:00 PM and signing up for Medicare; Remember the year you couldn't Things to consider for those age even find a babysitting job and 55 and older who are thinking of cashed out all your savings bonds retiring; just to afford groceries and beer? General information about T h e U . S . S o c i a l S e c u r i t y Social Security for everyone; Administration does, and now all The opportunity to apply online of your past earning info and for retirement and disability more is online, ready and waiting benefits; for you to walk down memory and A printable version of your lane or prepare for your future. Social Security Statement. Unless you've just turned 25, or I'm all signed up, and am even are 60 or older, you won't be more depressed that I spent all receiving your Social Security that time working at a cinema grill statements in paper form in the in the summers for such a mail. The new online tool allows pittance. The smell of fry grease citizens to create an account and and the soundtrack to Chicken then have access to their past Run still haunt me. earning record, as well as Get Your Social Security estimated benefits at retirement. S t a t e m e n t Also included: Online[SocialSecurity.gov] Estimates of the retirement and This entry passed through the disability benefits you may Full-Text RSS service if this is receive; your content and you're reading it Estimates of benefits your on someone else's site, please read family may get when you receive the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentSocial Security or die; only/faq.php#publishers. Five A list of your lifetime earnings Filters recommends: Donate to according to Social Security's Wikileaks. records;

54

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HOLLANDE
continued from page 52

to balance their budgets. Merkel has said the terms of the agreement cannot be changed. Hollande included the possibility of eurobonds, which would pool the debts of eurozone nations, backed by all 17 member governments. Germany has always rejected the idea of eurobonds. "As president of the [French] republic, I want to renegotiate what was accepted at a certain stage to give it the dimension of growth," Hollande said, standing alongside Merkel, at a news conference in the German capital. Merkel said France and Germany were willing to "study the possibility of additional growth measures in Greece". Al Jazeera's Nick Spicer, reporting from Berlin, said: Merkel pointed out the importance of the continuation of the Franco-German relations. Hollande said we have to respect each others opinions, including the opinions of other European partners, as Merkel is moving slowly towards the idea of growth tonight there was consensus, definitely not the splits people had thought initially. Greece is struggling to enact the austerity measures required by the

EU and the IMF in return for a bailout of $170bn. Lightening start Earlier on Tuesday, Hollande was sworn in for a five-year term, becoming France's first Socialist president in 17 years. In his inauguration speech, Hollande said he wanted to deliver a "message of confidence". The new president said he was fully aware of the challenges facing France, which he summarised as "huge debt, weak growth, reduced competitiveness, and a Europe that is struggling to emerge from a crisis". Hollande replaced the conservative president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy handed over the levers of power including the country's nuclear codes and other secret dossiers, before bidding his successor goodbye on the steps of the palace and leaving with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Nicolas Sarkozy earlier greeted his successor to the Elysee Palace. Reporting from Paris, Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland said that these two words represented a break with the "flashy" style of Sarkozy's presidency, and that Hollande's down-to-earth style "will be more in harmony with

ordinary French people." He named Jean-Marc Ayrault, leader of the Socialist group in parliament, as his prime minister. Shortly after the ceremonies, Hollande departed for Berlin, but his plane was hit by lightning and had to turn back to Paris. Hollande resumed his journey on a second plane, arriving 90 minutes later than scheduled. According to official figures released on Tuesday morning, the French economy showed no growth in the first quarter of 2012. Growth in the final quarter of 2011 was also revised down to 0.1 per cent from 0.2 per cent. However, Germany's economy grew by a stronger than expected 0.5 per cent in the first three months of the year. 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.

Should Pizza Be Classified As A Vegetable? Crusading Lawmaker Thinks Not


Mary Beth Quirk (The Consumerist)

plate of greens, a side of carrots or broccoli? Nope, says Polis, which means it shouldn't count for the Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:00:00 PM vegetable in federally subsidized When I ask for a burger with a school lunches. To be clear side salad, what I'm really after is Congress has never said, "Yes, a nice slice of pizza. Hey, it's a pizza is a vegetable." It does vegetable, right, Congress? U.S. count tomato paste a serving of Rep. Jared Polis has had it with vegetables, however. this whole "pizza is totally a Polis has introduced the "Slice vegetable because it has tomatoes Act" to improve lunch at schools in it" thing, and has announced and do away with the pizza new legislation that would allow loophole and effectively nix any t h e U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f future arguments from kids A g r i c u l t u r e t o i m p l e m e n t yowing, "But it IS a vegetable! nutrition standards for pizza. Give me pizza!" According to CBS 4 in Denver, Rep. Polis Doesn't Want Pizza Polis says Congress "has actually C l a s s i f i e d A s A V e g e t a b l e declared pizza to be a vegetable," A n y m o r e [ C B S 4 D e n v e r ] which is just silly. This entry passed through the "Pizza may be fine to eat from Full-Text RSS service if this is time to time, but it ain't a your content and you're reading it vegetable," he said, adding that on someone else's site, please read he's not anti-pizza in general, if the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contenti t ' s s e r v e d w i t h s o m e t h i n g only/faq.php#publishers. Five healthy. Filters recommends: Donate to After all, should an eighth of a Wikileaks. cup of tomato paste equal a nice

TED: Jean-Baptiste Michel: The mathematics of history Jean-Baptiste Michel (2012)


TEDTalks (TEDTalks (video))
Submitted at 5/15/2012 10:00:09 AM

What can mathematics say about quite a lot. From changes to history? According to TED language to the deadliness of Fellow Jean-Baptiste Michel, wars, he shows how digitized

history is just starting to reveal deep underlying patterns.

Curated News Edition

Politics-Left/ Products/

55

Deaths reported in Syria amid UN team's visit


(AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE))
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:43:28 PM

At least 21 civilians have been killed after Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession in Khan Sheikhoun, a town in Idlib province, during a visit by UN peace monitors, activists say. A spokesman of the rebel military council gave a higher death toll, saying at least 50 people were killed in Tuesday's attack during which cars belonging to the UN team were hit. The activists said the observers were not among the wounded, but their vehicles were damaged. An Idlib-based activist, Fadi alYassin, said he witnessed the attack on the funeral and saw that the UN observers were there. A spokesman for the UN mission in Syria said the "convoy of four vehicles was struck by an improvised explosive device". "Three UN vehicles were damaged. No UN personnel were injured. The mission has sent a patrol team to the area to extract the UN military observers," the

GM Says Facebook Ads Don't Work


Meg Marco (The Consumerist)

spokesman said. 'Safe with Free Army' One observer and a member of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) said the seven-strong team of observers was with FSA fighters. "We are safe with the Free Army and we are waiting for a [UN] group to pick us up," the monitor told Reuters news agency. Ahmad Fawzi, a spokesman for Kofi Annan, the UN special envoy, had no other details. Speaking to Al Jazeera from New York, Kieran Dwyer, a UN spokesman, said the Annan mission to end the violence in Syria was not working. Citing concern for the communities on the ground, Dwyer, said "Syria is on the brink of far-reaching civil war if all parties don't step back from the violence", but that, per their

mandate, the observers are not able to prevent violence through any show of force. Responding to criticism that violence has not ceased in the month that observers have been in Syria, Dwyer said: "The violence was taking place before the UN went in there ... . To say that somehow we are covering that up is a silly analysis." Dwyer further said that any future UN action in Syria was up to the discretion of the UN Security Council. 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.

"In terms of Facebook specifically, while we currently Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:30:00 PM do not plan to continue with GM spends about $40 million advertising, we remain committed dollars on its Facebook presence, to an aggressive content strategy but only $10 million of that goes through all of our products and to Facebook itself, in the form of brands, as it continues to be a very ads. Unfortunately for Facebook, effective tool for engaging with it turns out that their cut will soon our customers," GM said. GM, be zero. the country's third largest GM has confirmed a report by advertiser, will continue to have the Wall Street Journal, claiming Facebook pages for its vehicles. that the auto maker's executives Facebook provides these pages to determined paid ads on Facebook companies at no cost. had little impact on consumers' GM plans to stop advertising on car purchases. Facebook[Reuters] From Reuters: This entry passed through the "We regularly review our overall Full-Text RSS service if this is m e d i a s p e n d a n d m a k e your content and you're reading it adjustments as needed...it's not on someone else's site, please read unusual for us to move our the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentspending around various media only/faq.php#publishers. Five outlets - especially with the Filters recommends: Donate to growth of multiple social and Wikileaks. digital media outlets," GM said in a statement.

56

Products/ Gaming/

Curated News Edition

NHTSA study finds underinflated and worn tires increase the likelihood of a crash
Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)

for the 2008 model year alert drivers if any tire drops 25 percent or more below the recommended Submitted at 5/15/2012 12:59:59 PM inflation level of your vehicle. NHTSA study finds underinflated Tire pressure monitoring systems and worn tires increase the are designed to alert a driver of a likelihood of a crash tire losing air pressure and are not Consumer Reports has long intended to be used as a substitute advocated that drivers check their for monthly tire pressure checks. car's tire pressure monthly to The study also found that five prevent uneven tire wear and tire percent of all vehicles studied failure. Now, a new study by the e x p e r i e n c e d t i r e p r o b l e m s National Highway Traffic Safety immediately before a crash, with A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( N H T S A ) 66 percent of those representing r e i n f o r c e s t h a t a d v i c e b y passenger cars, 17 percent being determining that vehicles driving SUVs, and the rest being pickups on tires underinflated by more and vans. Half of the tire-related than 25 percent are three times crashes involved a single vehicle, more likely to be involved in a and just 31 percent of single crash related to tire problems than vehicle crashes were not related to vehicles with proper inflation. tires. And tires underinflated up to 25 This shows that tire problems are p e r c e n t r u n t h e r i s k o f evident in the pre-crash phase, overheating, leading to failure, which has a very small window and at the very least adversely for attempting a crash avoidance affecting handling and tread life. maneuver. Rollovers are more The study looked at crash data c o m m o n a m o n g S U V s t h a t from 2005-2007--before tire- experienced a tire problem before pressure monitoring systems were a crash--45 percent rolled over. required to be installed on all On the other hand, passenger vehicles. The systems mandated c a r s , p i c k u p s , a n d v a n s

consumers start shopping for new tires at 4/32" tread depth while some all-weather grip is still available. At this point tire-related crashes approached 8 percent. A 2009 NHTSA analysis found that 57 percent of vehicles with tire-pressure monitoring systems had tires that were properly experiencing tire problems had inflated. fewer than a 25 percent incidence The study reiterates the need for of rollover. Overall, the study motorists to properly maintain concluded that tire problems in their tires. Buying a tire pressure the pre-crash phase were more gauge and regularly checking likely to lead in rollover in SUVs your pressure can help avoid these tire problems and the increase risk than other types of vehicles. Tire problems combined with of a related crash. other factors, such as bad weather Related: or an inexperienced driver, can Tire buying advice and Ratings increase the likelihood of a crash. Tire gauges help keep the Aside from properly inflating pressure up to ensure your safety your tires, it is very important to Guide to car maintenance monitor your tire tread depth Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o condition. This study showed that tire-related crashes were more ConsumerReports.org for expert likely as your tire's tread wears, Ratings, buying advice and with accident rates at just 2.4 r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f percent when tires had near full products. Update your feed tread depth to 26 percent when the preferences tires were worn- out (0 - 2 /32" depth). We recommend

PSN Tuesday: PixelJunk 4am, Sonic 4: Episode 2, Rock of Ages


Jessica Conditt (Joystiq)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:30:00 PM

PixelJunk 4am drops its sick beats on PSN today, daring anyone to look cooler or make prettier sounds come out of a TV than mixmaster Baiyon. Seriously, launching this game is a dare in itself - to create something beautiful and share it with the world - so don't be a wuss. Today PSN also gets Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2, Prototype 2 and Rock of Ages for download on PSN. PlayStation Plus members get Rock of Ages for free, Goldeneye 007 Reloaded for half price ($30) and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Complete Edition for 40 percent off ($15). The entire run-down of content, free, discounted and just-launched, is available on the PlayStation Blog. PSN Tuesday: PixelJunk 4am, Sonic 4: Episode 2, Rock of Ages originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Curated News Edition

Products/ News Photos

57

Completely Unfair Comparisons: On Paper, Bees, and Inhibitions


(Woot! - One Day, One Deal)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 12:00:00 PM

There are plenty of places on Woot where you can find helpful information. This is not one of those places. Every week we will be comparing 3 pairs of things that shouldnt be compared using this formula: Unrelated Thing X vs. Unrelated Thing Y in terms of Function Z. Facts will be misunderstood, overlooked, or changed for the sake of the argument. Enjoy. 1. A Blank Sheet of Loose Leaf Paper vs. Pyrotechnics in terms of What You Want in Your Mini Fridge Pyrotechnics in a mini fridge? What a contrast, right? Something built out of heat and light inside of a cold, dark box. How poetic, dont you think? Well, heres the thing: poetry is expressed through words on paper, not fireworks in a fridge. You want to write about it? Fine. But dont crowd up my mini fridge (small by definition) in the name of poetry and expect me not to complain. Advantage: A Blank Sheet of Loose Leaf Paper (by default) 2. A Bees Knees vs. A Cats Pajamas in terms of What Would Actually Make You Look Cooler A cat doesnt wear anything to

sleep. Thus, saying youre wearing "the cats pajamas would essentially be the same thing as saying youre in your birthday suit, which is to say, youd be naked. Now, a bees knees may look cool on a bee, but theyre also microscopic, and oftentimes what looks good tiny will appear off-putting and alien when blown up. What Im getting at is this comes down to your own body image. Do you feel comfortable in your own skin? Or would you rather have the joints of an insect than be without clothes?

Advantage: It's a toss up 3. Swamp Land vs. Ping Pong Balls in terms of Letting Go of Your Inhibitions Ping pong balls cannot help you lose your inhibitions because they do not model uninhibited behavior. Even in games where the goal is inebriation (a state often associated with a loss of inhibitions), the ping pong balls themselves must be placed into exact, pre-defined spaces in order to bring about change. Swamp land, by contrast, is a place of extreme inexactness. Is that solid ground or not? How deep is that

water? What's that swimming over there? When you cannot trust what lies beneath your feet, you have no choice but to cast off your inhibitions and simply march forward into the unknown. In boots. Even if youve lost all of your inhibitions, you should still be safe. Advantage: Swamp Land The prestigious Rebuttal of the Week from last week's comparisons goes to user TimDroz who, with one sentence, destroys my argument for why butter is better than a paper cutter in terms of making a young lady's heart flutter: If someone (perhaps wearing a hockey mask) ripped the blade off a paper cutter and brandished it threateningly in the vicinity of a young lady, her heart would likely do more than flutter. Can you swiftly embarrass me like Tim did? well, post a rebuttal below, and we'll find out next week! Photos:"More paper to chop" by flickr user, rmkoske;"Uncertainty" b y f l i c k r u s e r , nicubunu.photo;"swamp" by flickr user, MikeLove.. All used under a Creative Commons License.

News of the world in photos: Wildfires rage in Arizona - Seattle Post Intelligencer
(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:45:44 PM

News of the world in photos: Wildfires rage in Arizona Seattle Post Intelligencer Photo: AP / SL An air tanker drops retardant on a fire near Crown King, Ariz. Fire crews spent the weekend fighting several wildfires including the four and a half square mile blaze near Crown King. Photo: AP / SL An air tanker drops retardant on a... Top news photos for May 15 News in photos all 2 news articles

Stream TV Networks promises glassesfree 3D displays


Consumer Reports News StreamSTREAM page promises TV Networks (Consumer Reports) 58 glasses-free 3D displays

58

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Curated News Edition

STREAM
continued from page 57

Stream TV Networks announced today that it has struck a deal with a manufacturing company that will result in 3D-capable displays that don't require any 3D glasses. According to Stream TV, the deal will result in its glasses-free Ultra -D technology being used by Unihan Corporation to develop a variety of 3D-capable displays. The initial product to be developed by the two companies will be a 42-inch 3D display. The companies did not mention the price, but said the goal is to produce the display later in 2012. The two companies will also build an outboard 2D-to-3D converter boxcalled the Ultra-D Seecubethat can create 3D effects from regular 2D programming, as well as take stereoscopic material and convert it to glasses-free 3D on the fly.

The companies say they'll also be working to develop a wide range of products, including tablets, smart phones, laptops, PCs, digital communicators and TV sets of various sizes, that can use the technology. Stream TV describes Ultra-D as a combination of both hardware and software, which operate in sync. Displays use a layer of lenses that directs light at an optimal angle to create a 3D image for the human eye, while the software uses sophisticated algorithms to scan incoming video streams to determine the different layers that can help produce a depth effect. The Seecube converter box will reportedly work with a variety of content, including regular and 3D cable and satellite feeds; Blu-ray players; video-game systems; streaming websites such as

YouTube, Netflix and Vudu; and even Facebook and Skype. Stream TV said that the Seecube also supports Apple's iOS devices, including the iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. The company promised that more information about products will be available during the upcoming Computex show in Taiwan. Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Photos: Bogota, Colombia bombing targeted former interior minister - Denver Post
(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 1:55:55 PM

Photos: Bogota, Colombia bombing targeted former interior minister Denver Post AFP PHOTO/Guillermo LEGARIAGUILLERMO

LEGARIA/AFP/GettyImages A woman reacts as she watches the scene after a bomb exploded in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says two people were killed in the bomb attack... and more

Wikipedia warns of malware that places ads on its site


Consumer Reports News (Consumer Reports)

legitimate. The ad-injecting malware can manifest as a browser extension Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:30:10 PM called "I want this," which installs Wikipedia warns of malware that itself into the Google Chrome places ads on its site browser, according to a Wikipedia If you head to Wikipedia and blog post; but there could also be spot an advertisement, be warned: other forms of the malware I t p r o b a b l y m e a n s y o u r cropping up on additional computer's been infected with browsers. As well, some Internet malware. The non-profit site is ad service providers (like those in -free and funded by donors, so no Internet cafes or free Wi-Fi a d y o u m a y s p o t t h e r e i s networks) may inject ads.

which can be automated using the HTTPS everywhere extension offered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. See the Wikipedia blog post for more tips on preventing and removing the malware. And for advice and recommendations on security software, see our new buying To prevent unwanted installation guide at ConsumerReports.org. o f b r o w s e r a d d - o n s , i t Source: If you're seeing ads on recommends using the Web with a secure (HTTPS) connection, Wikipedia, your computer is

probably infected with malware Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

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Sports/

59

To a Tee: Sybase Match Play could be exciting, if shown well - FOX News
Fox News (- Bing News)

for upsets and pressure- packed moments. Here you have a tournament that Philadelphia, PA It's an comes three weeks before the exciting week in the golf world, second major on the LPGA with the PGA in Texas for the c a l e n d a r - - t h e L P G A Byron Nelson, and both the Championship -- and could serve E u r o p e a n T o u r a n d L P G A as an indicator of whose game is running match play events. headed in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, last week It's just that, based on the provided good golf with The television coverage, you don't get Players Championship, but it will much of a chance to see all of it. be nice to have all those The event will, in fact, be t o u r n a m e n t s g o i n g o n t h i s broadcast -- tape-delays on weekend. Thursday and Friday, and live Thing is, I just wish people had coverage Saturday and Sunday. more of an opportunity to see the All in all, the broadcasts will total women play in the Sybase Match 10 hours. Play Championship. Now compare that to the PGA, Here you have a tournament which will receive 12 hours of featuring 64 of the LPGA's best live coverage. The Volvo World players, including most of the Top Match Play Championship, on the 10 in the world. Top-ranked Yani E u r o p e a n T o u r , w i l l g e t a Tseng will be there, as will whopping 19 hours of live Suzann Pettersen, who won last coverage. The BMW Charity Proyear despite battling an illness all Am, on the Nationwide Tour, also week. will have live coverage, for eight Here you have a tournament that hours. will provide four days' worth of The point of that comparison isn't one-on-one, tournament-style to simply compare numbers and play, and a multitude of chances say, 'Hey, every golf tournament
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:56:44 PM

ever should have equal amounts of TV coverage.' Not every golf tournament is the same. But it's slightly illustrative of broadcasters' priorities and assumptions, isn't it? If the Sybase Match Play featured Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood, there is no chance the first two rounds would be shown on tape delay. It just wouldn't happen. Now, the LPGA event is just getting off the ground. It's only in its third year of existence, so it's not the World Match Play Championship or Byron Nelson, which have been around for decades. And, yes, the Sybase Match Play isn't the biggest event on the LPGA calendar, nor does it have the biggest purse It's not a Kraft Nabisco or U.S. Women's Open. It's not the Evian Masters. But I really struggle to find a good reason why it gets the broadcast short shrift. Just because it's on television at all doesn't mean that it's being treated equally, and just because it's a

young event doesn't mean that it's not worth showing. These are the best players in the women's game. Maybe broadcasters are comfortable with the arrangement. Maybe they don't think there's a large enough fan base that will make a stink over how the tournament is shown on TV. And I'm not trying to single out one tournament or network, because broad exposure is what creates fans and a fanbase. When you see those moments live, you can feel the excitement and tension build. That's when sports fans get hooked. Match play events are a distillation of that dynamic; they're intrinsically set up to provide excitement. That's partly why the WGC and Volvo match play events, along with the Ryder Cup, are such big hits. Another big reason is because golf fans want to see the world's best facing each other head-to-head. So I have to wonder why, when presented with the opportunity to show the best in the women's game go head-to-head, networks

aren't taking advantage. What happens if Tseng is on the cusp of losing her first- or secondround match? Well, unless you want to wait for the evening news, I guess you better be paying attention on-line. Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet Share This Article Newsletter Signup Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com. Newsletter Signup 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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Clippers-Spurs Preview - YAHOO!


The Associated Press (- Bing News)

Butler is expected to play despite his broken left hand. Following a light shootaround Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:56:44 PM and film session Monday, Griffin SAN ANTONIO (AP) Blake put his health between 75 percent Griffin woke up Monday with his and 80 percent. sprained left knee not feeling ''Hopefully more than that, but worse, but not really much better. realistically, probably about that,'' Rest is the only remedy, a luxury he said. ''But my knee hasn't the Los Angeles Clippers don't g o t t e n w o r s e . T h a t ' s t h e have, and doctors guess he might encouraging thing. It just needs miss two weeks if this were the time, and we haven't had much of regular season. it.'' Griffin? He says he will play in They've barely had any at all. Game 1 on Tuesday night against The Clippers flew straight to the San Antonio Spurs. Texas from Memphis on Sunday Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro night, leaving them little time to is making no such guarantees. savor one of the biggest wins in ''I don't know yet,'' Del Negro said the woeful 41-year history of the Monday. ''I'll make that decision franchise. Never had the Clippers tomorrow after shootaround, after won a Game 7 before Sunday, and I talk to the trainer.'' this marks only the third time G r i f f i n d o e s n ' t t h i n k t h a t they've advanced to the second conversation will be necessary. round of the playoffs. Griffin said there is ''no doubt'' Then there are the Spurs. about his availability for the start Few things about the No. 1 seed of the Western Conference in the West could be more semifinals, which start two days different than the Clippers, and after the hobbled All-Star played not just in terms of franchise fewer than two minutes in the history. While the worn-out fourth quarter of a Game 7 win at Clippers are facing their sixth Memphis. His injury is the most game in 11 days, the Spurs worrisome for the banged-up haven't played for eight days since Clippers: All-Star Chris Paul said sweeping Utah in the first round. Monday that his bothersome right That the Spurs are not the most hip is OK, and forward Caron hobbled team in a playoff series is

a refreshing change of pace for them. Winners of 14 in a row one of the NBA's six-longest winning streaks sustained in the playoffs since 1986 - the Spurs are not just well rested but also in unusually good health for this time of year. They're also in a good mood: After the Clippers won Sunday, Spurs guard Tony Parker sent Paul a text message. ''See you soon,'' Parker wrote. What took the Clippers so long, anyway? ''I was kind of expecting to play on Sunday,'' Manu Ginobili said. ''The uncertainty is not always good. I came here (Saturday) thinking I was going to know, and then I didn't. It's demotivating. Because you can't prepare for nobody.'' The Spurs won two of three meetings with the Clippers this season, their only loss coming when Parker sat out with a sore thigh. That was March 9; the Spurs have lost only three more times since then, and once was when coach Gregg Popovich didn't play Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan so his stars could rest. By Monday afternoon, the Clippers were so starved for rest

that Griffin was talking about the Game 7 afternoon start almost as though it were a blessing, because it gave them another precious half -day to recover. ''Going through a seven-game series is definitely exhausting,'' Griffin said. ''We may have some guys that are a little beat-up. That's how it is. But a lot of teams have that, and we can't use that as an excuse.'' Still blaming the Bavarians, though. RT @ christomasson: Roy Hibbert told me his nickname at Georgetown was BMW, meaning Body Made Wrong. Obie. RT @ YourManDevine: I respect his talents as much as the next man. RT @ HutchNGo: you're not a fan of Hibbert as a point center? Rule#2 Miami. Geez. http://t.co/ XJbdpcyq RT @ sbnation: VIDEO: LeBron and D-Wade are amazing in transition, volume 234: http://t.co/17b1INTW 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.

Photos: Bird races and other hijinks on Seattle Storm's media day - Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
(news photos - Google News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:37:28 PM

Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) Photos: Bird races and other hijinks on Seattle Storm's media day Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) Below is a photo gallery from the day's events and hijinks. Dressed in bird suits, Seattle Storm's Victoria Dunlap tumbles to the floor as Shekinna Stricklen, right, reaches to snag a basketball and Ann Wauters, left, trails as they try out what is... and more

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61

Dwyane Wade Featured in Vogue Fashion Spread msnbc.com


By David Hill NBCMIAMI.com (- Bing News)

Liebowitz. "It would be a cinch to dwell on Dwyane Wades recordbreaking off-court style," the Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:21:59 PM piece begins. "Heres a guy who Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade can use colorpocket squares, has long been considered one of shirts, ties that dont just dazzle the best dressed men in the NBA, but change the gamelike a three noticed as much for his bold style -point shot at the buzzer, the hoop off the court as his explosive that takes it home." Wade was moves on the court. Having photographed shirtless in black appeared in a number of men's a n d r e d b a s k e t b a l l s h o r t s fashion magazines over the years alongside model Karlie Kloss. "I (including GQ and Esquire), but have always been a big D-Wade n o w h e i s f e a t u r e d i n t h e fan," Kloss said. Wade tweeted legendary bible of fashion, this week, "It was an honor to be Vogue. In a piece profiling shot by the legendary Annie Olympic hopefuls from Vogue's Leibovitz [sic] for this Vogue June issue, Wade was highlighted piece. Also I wanna thank my i n a p h o t o s p r e a d s h o t b y good friend Anna Wintour for this legendary photographer Annie honor." The piece makes good use

of Wade's chiseled physique, but talking up Wade's fashion sense while featuring photos of him in basketball is a bit like asking Paul McCartney to play a song on bagpipes. Fortunately for Wade, he'll get plenty of opportunities to show off his stylish wardrobe in postgame press conferences throughout the NBA playoffs. 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- JC Fletcher (Joystiq) only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Submitted at 5/15/2012 8:00:00 PM Wikileaks. New screenshots released today introduce the new starting point in Pokemon Black Version 2 and White Version 2. Aspertia City is a location new to the series, though of course "new" is relative in the world of Pokemon. From that location, you'll begin your investigation of how the Unova setting has changed since the events of two years ago. And you'll catch lots of Pokemon and fight gym leaders and stuff. Nintendo also sent out the new

Welcome to Pokemon Black/White Version 2's scenic Aspertia City


box arts, allowing you to see Black Kyurem and White Kyurem facing each other down just as they will on retail shelves. Unless they're shelved in a different order, in which case they'll be defiantly facing away from each other. Gallery: Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 (5/15/12) Welcome to Pokemon Black/ White Version 2's scenic Aspertia City originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Game of Thrones review: Bowed, bent, broken


Xav de Matos (Joystiq)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:00:00 PM

Translating the tome that is author George R.R. Martin's masterwork A Song of Ice and Fire is a task that must be both daunting and erratic. In its second season on HBO, the television adaptation of the series has been lovingly crafted into a marvelous weekly hour of television. In the video game world, developer Cyanide Studio has stumbled in its task thus far, releasing an abysmal strategy game that seemed to be created less in devotion to the source material and more in reaction to the

franchise's new mainstream spotlight. With the studio's second effort at the series, the French developer has brought the Seven Kingdoms to life in a new, roleplaying adventure.

Unlike the strategy title A Game of Thrones: Genesis, the RPG Game of Thrones feels like it was cobbled together by people who have genuine affection for the series. But Cyanide's ideas

themselves seem more grand than the company is capable of delivering, showing stitches of the small studio's limitations throughout. It's the intention of the HBO series - with the budget of a SyFy original movie. Gallery: Game of Thrones (4/25/ 12) Continue reading Game of Thrones review: Bowed, bent, broken Game of Thrones review: Bowed, bent, broken originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Test Drive: The 2013 MercedesBenz SL 63 AMG


Jon Alain Guzik (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 2:35:00 PM

Run against the Republican Party


(Dave Winer's "Scripting News" weblog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 11:59:17 AM

I saw Romney interviewed on Fox, and all the arguments about him being awkward and a flawed human being, to me, are unconvincing. To balance those, I look at what I know about the President. Honestly, measuring

one man against another, it's a draw. The reason I'll almost certainly vote for Obama in the fall is that he is not a Republican. The thought of them controlling the government again, is a real motivator. I saw what they did in August with the debt ceiling. And I see it coming again and again. This is a party that's taken a very

wrong turn. I think a United States run by Republicans is in mortal danger. Even Republicans must see that. They need get a message that if they ever want power again they have to clean up their party and get it aligned with the interests of the United States. They once were a sane party. If we elect the insane version of the Republicans, we deserve what we

get. I'm afraid the President will try to win without winning back the House and retaining control of the Senate. This would be an awful mistake. Maybe the President can do a good deed for the country and make this a question of the United States retaining some semblance of sanity.

The new roadster has been substantially redesigned for 2013-but you'll still look awesome while driving it With the new sixth generation SL, Mercedes-Benz once again redefines the two-seater luxury roadster segment that it helped to create in 1954. For 2013, Mercedes-Benz started from the ground up on the SL, this time building upon a lightweight aluminum bodyshell similar to the top-of-the-range SLS. The platform is entirely new--its first in a decade. The new SL is longer, wider, lighter, more powerful and gets better gas mileage than before. But the 2013 SL 63 AMG--AMG is Mercedes's performance division--doesn't stop there, with more power and a sportier drive. TEST page 63

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It's a techno-luxury roadster worthy of its (considerable) pricetag. WHAT'S NEW Almost everything's new. Starting with new for 2013 SL underpinnings, the AMG model ups the ante with a 5.5-liter, 530hp, 590-lb-ft twin-turbocharged "bi-turbo" V8 engine mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox that drives the power to the rear wheels. The body is two inches longer and a little more than two inches wider than the previous model. With the new, larger size and interior redux, the SL AMG looks right at home in the 21st century, especially when painted in an a la mode matte finish. Our test model was a fetching matte Designo magno cashmere white with matte black rims that looked especially of the moment. The engineering team says that about a third of the SL 63 AMG is different from the SL 550. Those changes include the drivetrain, the cooling system, the steering ratio, the fuel system and the grill, among other parts, which result in a much more dynamic drive than the 550. That said, even with all the new upgrades to the vehicle, the new SL is about 275 pounds lighter than the last iteration. WHAT'S GOOD Since almost everything is new, almost everything is improved over the outgoing model. We especially like the new larger

body, which creates a much more muscular-feeling SL, differentiating the SL from the decidedly more up-market SLKClass. We liked the optional, $6,400 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system as well as the optional $2,500 Magic Sky Control roof, which, like a pair of Foster Grant sunglasses, can go from light to dark, all at a switch of a button. The Drive: The SL 63 AMG is like a private jet for two, all sumptuous leather, carbon fiber and a cockpit designed for the driver. The drive isn't half bad, either. The SL was everything you'd expect a high-end roadster to be: quiet and unassuming when it needed to be, but if you drop the hammer, switch the car to Sport+ mode, you get an encouragingly loud gurgle from the exhaust and speeding-ticket-inducing power. The SL has a lot of horsepower in its standard configuration, but we think the $9,000 AMG performance package is a musthave option. With a boost to the turbo from 14.2 psi to 18.5 psi, the performance pack gives the SL a power enhancement to 557 hp and 664-lb-ft of torque and adds a much needed limited slip differential. The performancepack-equipped SL also gains a top speed of 186 mph, up from a tortoise-like 155mph. The additional power cuts almost 0.2

seconds off the 0-to-60-time, to 4 as opposed to 4.2 seconds. Did we mention there are also red brake calipers? Well, there are also red brake calipers. With or without the performance pack, the SL 63 AMG comes with an Eco Stop/Start feature that turns off the engine at stoplights and restarts when you lift off the brake, just like a Prius. If the eco mode isn't to your liking, just switch the control to S or S+ to disable the function. But who can argue with 30% better gas mileage? How You'll Look While Driving It: You will look awesome. Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG: Mercedes-Benz WHAT'S BAD We wish a lot of the options came standard. Really, when dropping close to $150,000 for a car, we think it should come with a backup camera and keyless entry system standard. We also think the COMAND control system for the SL is sometimes a bit too confusing in terms of drilldown menus--it took almost four steps to adjust the bolsters on the seats. That said, you know when the main gripe about a car is the bolster on the seats, the manufacture has done something right. THE PRICE Starting at $146,695, the new SL 63 AMG isn't for the faint of heart or wallet. And remember, that's the starting price: one of the models we drove came equipped

with quite a few pricey options--a $4,300 Premium Package, a $9,000 AMG Performance Package, $12,625 AMG Carbon Ceramic brakes, to name a few-and brought our SL 63 AMG closer to the $190,000 mark. That's a lot of coin, but somehow we think the SL AMG buyer isn't looking to scrimp and save. The SL, while a two-seat roadster, goes head to head with a variety of models--the Jaguar XKR-S, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Maserati GranTurismo Sport, Bentley Continental GTC and the Aston Martin Vantage, which is an awfully nice group to be in. THE VERDICT Yep, it's an all-new SL AMG roadster and yep, Mercedes-Benz will sell a bushel of them. Why? The SL buyer is unique--a lot like a Porsche 911 buyer--and the TriStar has built a lot of goodwill into the vehicle. Every few years, SL owners replace their older model with a newer one even if the model isn't substantially different--that's what Steve Jobs did with his SL. This time there is no reason not to upgrade to the newest and best SL yet.

"Map of Life" Shows the Location of All Organisms, Large and Small
Rebecca Boyle (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:45:28 PM

Mapping Little Brown Bats The Map of Life platform lets you search by species, using either its Latin name or common name, and find out where it is located on the planet. The project sheds light on how little we know about some species. Map of Life Project Ever wonder exactly where grizzly bears live on this continent? Or where you might find Myotis lucifungus, the fuzzy, adorable little brown bat that is currently threatened with extinction because of white-nose syndrome? Now you can track them on Google Maps, thanks to a new program that aims to plot the location of every single living thing on Earth. It's kind of like the Gawker Stalker, only with lemurs instead of Malcolm Gladwell. This ambitious project, called the "MAP page 64

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Map of Life, uses a Google Maps platform to map the known distribution of 30,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates. Many more are still being added, with the eventual goal of curating hundreds of thousands of plants, birds, fish, reptiles and everything else under the sun. Meanwhile, there's still plenty to search. The project just opened to the public. "It is the where and the when of a species," said Walter Jetz, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, who leads the project. It's supported by NASA, international research institutions and the Encyclopedia of Life project, itself a monumental undertaking that aims to catalog all there is to know about every species on the planet. Visit the MappingLife page and you'll see a plain Google Maps

view of Earth, which you can pan and zoom like any other. A series of filters lets you search by species, whose known distributions appear as points on the map. You can display records from specific study areas, like nature reserves or large regions. You can even see what species are located in the vicinity of any location on the planet - set the search radius and group of interest (birds, mammals, etc.) and rightclick on any point of the map. A list appears with every species found in your radius. Also notice the sources for some of this data. It includes museums, local checklists and research institutions, published studies and global groups like the World Wildlife Fund. The goal is to share knowledge and identify gaps - it's surprising how little is known about some species, the

team says. Improving that information will require collaboration from lots of groups. The more complete it is, the more useful it will be for conservation organizations, wildlife managers and the public, helping people follow species' changes over time. It's essentially an infrastructure, Jetz said in a Yale news release: "Something to help us all collaborate, improve, share, and understand the still extremely limited geographic knowledge about biodiversity." You can play with it here.

Now Showing in NYC: A Rare Collection of Hollywood Futurist Syd Mead's Paintings
Clay Dillow (Popular Science New Technology, Science

NOW page 65

F-22 Update: Panetta Restricts Flights


(The Feed)

22 pilots have suffered from oxygen deprivation while in flight Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:35:21 PM since April 2008. Panetta on Via NBC News: Tuesday ordered that all F-22 Defense Secretary Leon Panetta flights remain within a proximate has ordered the Air Force to distance of an airfield in case a restrict flights of its new F-22 pilot should suffer from a hypoxia s t e a l t h f i g h t e r s b e c a u s e o f event and be forced to land. That continuing problems with the will force an immediate end to F- Panetta also ordered the Air Force aircrafts oxygen system. At least 22 patrol missions over Alaska. to accelerate installment of a

backup oxygen system in all F22s and provide monthly progress reports on efforts to identify the problem with the current oxygen system. The Air Force does not expect to begin installing automatic backup oxygen systems until December of this year. . . This doesnt look good. . . Greg Pollowitz

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NOW
continued from page 64

'Future Rolls-Royce' by Syd Mead(1967) via BravinLee Programs From the man who brought you the future of transit via 'TRON' and 'Blade Runner' Getting around in the future is going to be something of a trip, at least to let classics of science fiction like TRON, Blade Runner, Aliens, and Star Trek tell the story. In a rare glimpse into the mind of the man that largely shaped Hollywood's sci-fi representation of the future of transport, a collection of visionary designer Syd Mead's paintings is currently on display in Manhattan. Mead is probably best known for his work on vehicle design and environments for Hollywood films, particularly future-leaning titles like the ones mentioned above, all of which benefitted

from Mead's artistic touches (those Blade Runner "spinner" cars? That's Syd Mead.). But he was also a prolific painter, using gouache--a thicker, heavier form of watercolor--to bring form to his many visions of what the future might hold. A former designer for Ford Motor Company, Mead's work has always listed heavily toward transit (his design shop is based in Detroit). So while his work often portrayed utopian futures playing out, say, on distant planets or aboard spaceships, personal transit and particularly future analogs for the automobile are a theme throughout his body of work, which at this point reaches back far enough that it can be viewed in the context of today's cars (for instance, his Future Rolls

Royce leaves something to be desired as a predictor of the future --painted in 1967, it shares little with the actual Rolls-Royce designs of 2012--and yet is undeniably amazing in its conjecture). Others, like 2003's Hypervan(pictured below), could still prove prescient. The exhibition, titled"Future (Perfect), runs through June 30 at BravinLee Programs in Chelsea in NYC. [via Core77]

You May Be Among The Things That Go Bump In The Night


iStockphoto.com YOU page 66 the United States should leave the Islamic world alone. This attitude is known as sticking your head in the sand, and it will not serve us well. As Kyl also noted, taking a moral stand in addition to keeping a strong military makes a difference. Unfortunately, we do not usually have the luxury of choosing when and where we must confront evil in the world. The point is this: It is likely America will need to act in the future somewhere in the world for our own security purposes, even though we cannot today predict where or when. We cannot retreat behind a Maginot Line of our east and west coast. We can expect to be engaged beyond our borders. 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.

Kyls Call to Action


Helle Dale (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)

that Americans have made huge sacrifices to prosecute the wars in Iran and Afghanistan, and they are weary. However, the world with Submitted at 5/15/2012 3:30:10 PM Americans are tired of carrying its multitude of challenges will the burden of foreign obligations, n o t g o a w a y . S o m e h o w , frequently unappreciated by Americans will have to find the others and always costly in blood determination to lead and to and treasure, lamented Senator remain engaged. Jon Kyl (RAZ) last week, as he A powerful illustration of the gave the annual Jesse Helms popular sentiment described by l e c t u r e a t T h e H e r i t a g e Senator Kyl was provided on Foundation. The Senator, who Monday by the public opinion spoke powerfully in favor of research firm Rasmussen Reports. engagement and a strong defense, In addition to crippling defense was absolutely right. The fact is cuts inflicted by the Obama

Administration, Americans themselves are expressing fatigue. Nearly two out of three likely U.S. voters (63 percent) surveyed by Rasmussen agree with Samuel Huntington that we are in the midst of a clash of civilizations between the West and the Islamic countries. This echoes a finding by Rasmussen from the last week of April that the vast majority of American voters (79 percent) do not believe that the war on terrorism is over. YetstunninglyRasmussen also reported that most also think

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She's not alone. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I've ever walked in my sleep. There's a family story that I'd like to label fiction about a somnolent bathroom run that ended in a closet. But if it ever happened, I don't remember it. Turns out sleepwalking is pretty common though. At some point in life, 29 percent of adults in the U.S. walk in their sleep, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. Some 3.6 percent of adults had engaged in "nocturnal wandering," as the researchers put it, in the year before they answered questions during an interview for the study. One percent had two or more episodes of sleepwalking a month in the previous year. Sleepwalking by kids is "very common," with some studies finding as many as 30 percent of children strolling around while they doze, the researchers note. The behavior tends to decrease with age. The researchers on the latest study, which involved more than 15,000 people, say it's the first to show how common sleeping

walking is in the general population. What leads to sleepwalking? The researchers looked at a lot of factors, though this is the kind of study that can't pinpoint a cause. Sleeping less than seven hours a night was associated with a slight increase in the odds of sleepwalking. Sleep that's interrupted often, or fragmented in the researchers' lingo, could be an issue. But further analysis suggested the cause of the interruptions, such as sleep apnea or insomnia, might be more important. Taking antidepressants and other drugs for mental health conditions appeared at first to be a significant factor. But the researchers did some additional analysis and concluded that the drugs, rather than causing the wandering, "appear to trigger events in predisposed individuals." The study had limitations, including the fact that it relied on people being aware of the sleepwalking incidents. If anything, the researchers figure their estimates of sleepwalking prevalence are on the low side. Sleepwalking can lead to real

trouble, as the researcher note, saying it can result in injuries. Comedian Mike Birbiglia, a sleepwalker, has made mined humor from some of his misadventures, including one that could have gotten him killed. He jumped through a hotel window while escaping, he thought, a missile with his name on it. He had been dreaming. But the blood on his legs was real, as he told NPR's Talk of the Nation in 2009. He talked with Fresh Air's Terry Gross the following year about his book Sleepwalk With Me. And most recently, he made a pretty funny video with Goss that is kind of like a bad dream for an encore of This American Life's live show. You can check it out below. YouTube 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.

Escalation: EU Targets Land-Based Somali Pirates


(The Feed)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:57:59 AM

Via BBC: EU naval forces have conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland, saying they have destroyed several boats. The EU forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of Haradhere. Anti-piracy forces have been reluctant to attack mainland bases, fearing for the crew of captured ships. Somalia-based pirates have seized vessels across the Indian Ocean and demand huge ransoms for their release. They are believed to be holding about 17 ships and 300 crew. The latest incident involves the Greek-owned oil tanker Smyrni which was hijacked in the Arabian Sea last week. The Liberian-flagged tanker carrying 135,000 tonnes of oil is reported to be heading for Somalia. . .

Dont worry Europe: no actual pirates were killed in this action. Just a few boats put out of commission. . . Greg Pollowitz This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentonly/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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Cost Of Cancer Pills Can Be Hard For Medicare Patients To Swallow


(Shots - Health Blog)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 8:43:00 AM

iStockphoto.com Taking a pill for cancer can cost patients more than getting chemotherapy by IV. If you've got cancer, chances are you'd rather take a pill to fight the cancer cells than sit for hours hooked up to an IV line as the

chemotherapy drips slowly into you. The difficulty is, many of the new cancer pills, which often target cancer cells for destruction but leave healthy cells intact, are pricey, costing tens of thousands of dollars for a course of treatment. And how some insurers pay for treatments means that pills can wind up costing a patient

more than chemotherapy given by IV. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia now require private health plans to cover cancerfighting pills, if they're available, to the same degree and without charging patients more than they would for traditional intravenous infusion therapy, according to the National Patient Advocate

Foundation. So, for example, a health plan that has a $1,500 limit on out-ofpocket spending for outpatient services like IV chemotherapy can't charge more than that annually for their treatment pills. But Medicare beneficiaries don't benefit from these laws. They're tied to whatever coverage they have through their Medicare

prescription drug plan, which may or may not provide affordable coverage for their anti-cancer pills, if they're covered at all. High drug costs are a problem for all patients, but those on fixed incomes can be hit especially hard. One study by researchers at COST page 69

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U.S. Funding Of HIV/AIDS Fight Overseas Carries Other Benefits


Richard Knox (Shots - Health Blog)

with a grant from the PEPFAR program. U.S. government spending to Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:10:00 PM fight HIV/AIDS in developing Shashank Bengali/ MCT/Landov countries is also preventing death A mother and child wait to from other diseases, a new study receive treatment at the HIV clinic finds. in Nyagasambu, Rwanda, in Feb. Some experts worry the billions 2008. The clinic was built by the of dollars the United States Washington-based Elizabeth spends to treat people with HIV in Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation poor countries may crowd out

prevention and treatment of other illnesses. But the findings of a study just published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggest the opposite. The analysis indicates the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has had substantial spillover benefits. Stanford's Dr. Eran Bendavid,

lead author of the study, says deaths from all causes dropped nearly 20 percent over five years in nine African countries where PEPFAR operates. That works out to nearly threequarters of a million lives saved. Many would have died from other diseases. Bendavid thinks that's because PEPFAR improved the general quality of health care.

In an editorial about the study, the University of Pennsylvania's Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel says the report "is welcome news in helping to document the even greater benefits of PEPFAR not only on HIV/AIDS but on overall mortality in countries." But, he writes, it's fair to ask: "Is U.S. page 69

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Avalere Health found that about 46 percent of Medicare beneficiaries faced more than $500 in cost sharing for their initial anti-cancer drug prescription. Sixteen percent of Medicare beneficiaries didn't fill their initial prescriptions for anticancer pills, compared with 9 percent of patients with private insurance. Under the Medicare Part D drug benefit, beneficiaries are responsible for paying 100 percent of their prescription drug costs from the time they reach $2,930 in total drug spending until they hit the $4,700 maximum outof-pocket limit for the year. Once they're through that so-called doughnut hole in coverage, they're

usually responsible for 5 percent of their drug costs. A new lung cancer drug might cost $10,000 a month. "It's a real problem for people on Social Security who don't have any other income," says Len Lichtenfeld, deputy medical director for the American Cancer Society. 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.

PEPFAR worth it?" From 2003 to 2008, $20.4 billion was poured into PEPFAR. And during the three years that ended in 2011, more than $20 billion more has been given to PEPFAR, he writes, which has helped bring the number of people to receiving antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS to 4 million. Other health programs of value aren't getting funded to the same tune. "The fundamental ethical, economic, and policy question is not whether PEPFAR is doing good," he writes, "but rather

whether other programs would do even more good in terms of saving life and improving health." 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.

Heritage Interns Bring Conservative Principles to Life: Danielle Hanson on Family Farms
Heather Pfitzenmaier (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 4:44:16 PM

Each semester, we bring together more than 60 young leaders from across the country to participate in our internship program in DC. They are given the opportunity of HERITAGE page 70

Follow the Nebraska and Oregon Primaries on Social Media


Alex Fitzpatrick (Mashable!)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:28:15 PM

Mitt Romney has the Republican presidential nomination more or less in the bag, but primary season lives on. Voters in Nebraska and Oregon are headed to the polls Tuesday, with 63 delegates up for grabs. Romneys collected approximately 973 delegates, so even if he cleans up Tuesdays voting, hed still be shy of the

magic number 1,144 needed to formally secure the nomination. Two of Romneys opponents, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, have suspended their campaigns. Libertarian Ron Paul, who has about 104 delegates, sent an email to supporters this week saying he would no longer campaign in states that havent yet voted, but rather he would focus on amassing delegates in

other ways a sign that hes bowing out of the race but wants to boost his own level of political influence. Theres other voting happening

in both states, too. In Nebraska, parties are holding primaries for an open seat in the U.S. senate, while an Ohio Democrat in the House of Representatives is facing a primary challenge. Throughout the night, politicians, journalists and voters will use social media to rally support, tell the story of the evening and discuss the nights events. Follow along as Mashable collects the best examples of social media use

throughout primary night in Nebraska and Oregon: [ View the story "The Nebraska and Oregon Primaries on Social Media" on Storify] Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, Henrick5000 More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, Social Media, US

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practical experience working on policy research, marketing, and business, to training on marketing, blogging, and public speaking. Combine trips to the Pentagon, National Archives, and Mount Vernon with each interns individual talents and passion, and each Young Leaders Program graduate will leave Heritage equipped for success. This semester, we challenged each member in the class to submit a personal story, and bring conservative principles to life. The second piece, written by Danielle Hanson, is the runner-up of all submissions this semester. Stay tuned for the winner. Killing the Family FarmOne Regulation at a Time by Danielle Hanson Growing up in rural South Dakota, many of my fondest memories revolve around helping out on the ranchbe in my familys or neighbors. In ranching communities, like the one I grew up in, cattle drives and brandings are more than just part of the job, they are community and neighborhood gatheringsa time for friends and family to gather, share a meal and perform a necessary ranching task that would be impossible for one family to complete on their own. I only hope that my 14-year-old sister and 11-year-old brother will be able to continue to have the same valuable experiences that I had growing up. Their opportunity to participate in essential chores like these has

been placed in jeopardy, however, by new regulations proposed by the Department of Labor. These regulations include prohibiting certain teens under 16 from: working on a farm in a yard, pen, or stall occupied by an intact (not castrated) male equine, porcine, bovine, or bison older than six months, a sow with suckling pigs, or cow with new born calf (with umbilical cord present); engaging or assisting in animal husbandry practices that inflict pain upon the animal and/or are likely to result in unpredictable animal behavior such as, but not limited to, branding, breeding, dehorning, vaccinating, castrating, and treating sick or injured animals; Herding animals in confined spaces such as feed lots or corrals, or on horseback, or using motorized vehicles such as trucks or all terrain vehicles. Operating power driven machines, such as riding lawn mowers.

other ranches, including ranches belonging to my extended family members. For example, under these regulations, my brother cannot help my grandfather vaccinate calves, if my grandfather wants to pay him for his labor. And my sister cannot mow the neighbors lawn on the riding lawn mower for some extra spending money. My parents cannot even sign a waiver to allow them to do these things. These regulations will not only adversely affect teens, like my siblings, who want to work on a family members ranch or neighboring property. It will also prevent some children from working on their own parents ranch. As the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has pointed out, [O]ne of the most disturbing aspects of the rule with so many family farms being incorporated or in LLCs, the family farm exemption does not apply as universally as implied by this part of the new law: Where the ownership or operation of the farm is vested in persons other than the parent, such as a business The actual impact of these entity, corporation or partnership regulations is that neither my (unless wholly owned by the brother nor sister can participate, parent(s)), the exemption would for pay, in those very experiences not apply. I wonder how many that I found so beneficial as a farms will actually be considered young teen growing up in a rural family farms since I know a lot of community. While my siblings them that are incorporated, in can work, for pay, for my parents partnership or LLC which would on their ranch under the family then by that definition kick them farm exemption, my siblings out of the exemption for their own cannot perform any of the above kids to work on their farm. tasks (and many more) for pay on These regulations have been

proposed under the guise of protecting children from injuries. And while that is a worthy undertaking, that will not be the cumulative effect of these new regulations. The cumulative effect will be denying generations of future farmers and ranchers opportunities to learn how to safely navigate many of the essentials of farming and ranching by working alongside family members, friends and neighbors. As any farmer or rancher, including my dad and my grandfather, will tell you, safety is the number one priority in doing any job. But in order to learn how to do that job safely, you have to do it. This is not something you can sit on the sidelines and learn by osmosis. If the Department of Labor is really serious about ensuring childrens safety, they will abandon these restrictive regulations and allow parents to teach their children safety in a manner that is most applicable to their unique situation. 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.

U.S. Free Trade Agreement with Colombia Enters into Force Today Finally!
Jim Roberts (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:58:59 PM

Following through on President Obamas announcement last month in Cartagena that the U.S.Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement will take effect on May 15, 2012, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the following statement: Beginning today, U.S. agricultural exporters receive duty -free access on more than half of the products we currently export to Colombia, and virtually all remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 15 years. Estimates show that the tariff reductions in the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (FTA) will expand total U.S. exports by more than $1.1 billion, supporting thousands of additional American jobs while increasing U.S. GDP by $2.5 billion. While this is good news for American workers and the U.S. economy, what the Obama Administration failed to mention was that it had joined with its allies in Congress to block approval of the FTA with Colombia for nearly half a U.S. page 71

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decade. House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (RTX) noted that fact in his congratulatory announcement last fall that passage had beennearly five years in the making. In that time, the U.S. lost its competitive advantage on billions of dollars of sales to Colombia that U.S. competitors were happy to make up. The U.S.-based Latin America Trade Coalition reported in September 2011 that, in the years after the U.S.Colombia agreement was signed in November 2006 until it was finally approved in October 2011,

U.S. exporters had to pay over $6 billion in tariffs to the Colombian government that would have been eliminated upon full implementation of the FTA. In any case, the FTA has finally been implemented, and that must be a good thing, since the far-left guerillas in Colombia chose to celebrate the occasion by trying to kill one of former President Alvaro Uribes ministers today in a deadly car bombing in Bogot. With the FTA now in place, Colombia and the U.S. can look together to ever stronger ties and greater certainty that open markets and freer movements of goods, services, and investments

will cement the two democratic nations together. That is reason to celebrate. 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.

Smart Collar Transmits Doggie Health Reports to the Cloud [VIDEO]


Joann Pan (Mashable!)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:23:19 PM

Ever wonder how your dog is feeling during a run in the park or how your pet is doing while home alone? A smart collar that transmits data to the cloud directly from your pups body can now tell you. Information technology product manufacturer Fujitsu has

developed a special device that can be attached to a dogs collar or harness. From there, the device monitors the number of steps the dog takes, signs of shivering and external temperature. Changes in these numbers, which could point to obesity or diabetes, would also SMART page 72

These Are the Most Engaging Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC]


Samantha Murphy (Mashable!)

takes a look at which global brands are making the most of Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:02:16 PM their Facebook presence. As Facebook gears up for its With 157 million Facebook users initial public offering later this in the U.S. and 901 million on the week, theres been a lot of site in total, about 83% of speculation about the companys members are located outside the valuation. But theres no denying 50 states. This means theres that its worth to major and up-and room for brands to grow their -coming brands is invaluable, global reach. allowing Facebook users to SEE ALSO: 10 Innovative Uses i n t e r a c t a n d e n g a g e w i t h of Facebook Timeline for Brands companies in unprecedented Coca-Coca is the top global ways. beverages brand on Facebook, t h e f o o d r e t a i l s e c t o r a n d A new infographic from social a c c o r d i n g t o S o c i a l B a k e r s . aConverse tops the retail apparel marketing firm SocialBakers Meanwhile, Starbucks dominates category.

The infographic also reveals the top ten countries in which global brands are engaging their audience, with the U.S. leading the pack with Starbucks, McDonalds, Xbox, Walmart and Disneyland. Brazil comes in second with LOreal Paris and Trident (Kraft) followed by India with Vodafone and Pepsi. SocialBakers also notes that among the fastest moving global brands are Halls, Axe, Nokia and Sony. Which brands social media strategies do you believe are most

impressive? Let us know your opinion in the comments. More About: brands, Business, Facebook, Marketing For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

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be easier to detect, says Fujitsu. On-the-go pet owners can access the cloud service to see how Scruffy or Sparky is doing. The health monitoring device sends data to an specialized Android app or web service. Its accessible on iOS devices with a web browser. SEE ALSO: 10 Animals With More Social Media Fans Than Major Media Outlets The contraption is compact enough for your pet to wear at all times, says the company. The service will be available in the latter half of 2012. It will be showcased at the Fujitsu Forum and Tokyo International Forum

this week in Japan. What factors about your pet would you like to track? Tell us in the comments. More About: pets, Tech, Video For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Angry Brooks hits out over charges


(Evening Standard - News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:10:09 PM

Rebekah Brooks has angrily attacked police and prosecutors for dragging her friends and family into the phone-hacking scandal as she said she was "baffled" to face charges. The former News International chief executive said allegations that she, her husband and four others plotted to hide evidence were "an expensive sideshow and a waste of public money". In a defiant statement delivered outside her solicitor's London office, she added: "Although I understand the need for a thorough investigation, I am baffled by the decision to charge me. However, I cannot express my anger enough that those close to me have unfairly been dragged into this." The 43-year-old and her racehorse trainer husband Charlie

stood side-by-side to brand the charging decisions as a "witch hunt" against her. Mrs Brooks said: "Whilst I have always respected the criminal justice system, I have to question today whether this decision was made on a proper impartial assessment of the evidence." Mr Brooks said: "I feel today is an attempt to use me and others as scapegoats, the effect of which is to ratchet up the pressure on my wife, who I believe is the subject of a witch hunt. "There are 172 police officers, about the equivalent of eight murder squads, working on this; so it doesn't surprise me that the pressure is on to prosecute, no matter how weak the cases will be. "I have no doubt that the lack of evidence against me will be borne out in court but I have grave doubts that my wife can ever get a fair trial, given the huge volume

of biased commentary which she has been subjected to. We will fight this in court." The pair have been released on police bail until August, said Scotland Yard. The couple will appear in court on June 13 alongside her former PA, Cheryl Carter and chauffeur Paul Edwards charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Mark Hanna, head of security at News International and security consultant Daryl Jorsling also face single counts of conspiring with her. 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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Leveson warns over inquiry evidence


(Evening Standard - News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:10:08 PM

Whitehall 'should join fraud fight'


(Evening Standard - News)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:10:07 PM

Labour has withdrawn a series of Parliamentary questions it wanted Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to answer about his relations with News Corporation after a warning that MPs could jeopardise parts of the investigation into press ethics. MPs were told sessions of the Leveson Inquiry with key figures in politics and the Murdoch news empire could be scrapped if Parliament published or debated their evidence first. Shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman said the party had revoked 15 written parliamentary questions it had tabled for Mr Hunt to answer but would return to them "if necessary". It comes after growing criticism from MPs that the inquiry is being used as an excuse to block their

access to information and ability to question ministers. Commons Speaker John Bercow has told the House it was preeminent after a number of politicians raised concerns about the issue. Lord Justice Leveson issued a robust defence of his inquiry into media standards insisting he "was not in any way" seeking to challenge the right of Parliament to examine any of the issues his inquiry is covering. But he warned MPs he would drop key strands of his investigation if the neutrality of witnesses and evidence was compromised by the actions of Parliament. That includes evidence from Fred Michel, News Corporation public affairs executive, and Adam Smith, Mr Hunt's former special adviser, who exchanged a series

of emails that have sparked allegations about the impartiality the Culture Secretary when dealing with a the controversial BSkyB deal. Lord Justice Leveson said: "As for the evidence that the inquiry has obtained, it is not for me to say anything about what should or should not be placed before Parliament and when that should happen. "In particular, I am not, in any way, seeking to challenge the ability of Parliament to proceed as it thinks appropriate." 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.

led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of wrongly-held disabled parking badges and A spending watchdog has hit out travel passes. at the failure of Whitehall The commission said it resulted departments to join a major anti- in 731 prosecutions - 636 for f r a u d i n i t i a t i v e w h i c h h a s housing benefit fraud. uncovered 275 million of scams, Mr O'Higgins said the scheme overpayment and errors in the was "well on its way to returning past two years. a landmark 1 billion to the public Audit Commission chairman p u r s e , m o n e y t h a t w o u l d Michael O'Higgins called on the otherwise have been lost to fraud, head of the civil service to force over-payment or human error". them to participate - claiming But he complained that despite there was "no defensible case" for championing anti-fraud measures, their absence. including data matching, central His appeal - in a letter to Sir Bob government was "still not sharing Kerslake expressing serious in the benefits" despite regular frustration - came as the body appeals. released the latest results of the He praised Sir Bob for ensuring National Fraud Initiative (NFI). t h e d e p a r t m e n t h e h e a d s It continually compares data held c o m m u n i t i e s a n d l o c a l by 1,300 public and private-sector government - was one of only two organisations from across the UK, central government bodies, with including the commission's the Highways Agency, to be equivalents in Scotland, Wales directly involved. and Northern Ireland. This entry passed through the Figures for the last two years Full-Text RSS service if this is show pensions (98 million), your content and you're reading it council tax discount for single on someone else's site, please read occupiers (50 million) and the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contenthousing benefit (31 million) are only/faq.php#publishers. Five the biggest problem areas. Filters recommends: Donate to It also rooted out 164 illegal Wikileaks. foreign workers and 321 fake council house applications, and

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What Will Americans Elect Do Now That It Can't Find a Candidate?


Micah T. Sifry (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:29:39 PM

The project to recruit a centrist third-party standard bearer appears to have fizzled. But it's unclear what happens in states where it's already on the ballot. Americans Elect via YouTube As David Karpf wrote here 10 days ago, the Americans Elect third-party experiment of 2012 looks like it has hit a dead end. No declared candidate is anywhere close to hitting the group's requirement of earning 10,000 supporters across at least 10 states, with at least 1,000 from each state. Former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer is the closest at just 5,840. He has less than 600 from California. As Jonathan Tilove points out in his story in the Times-Picayune, that means Roemer has more followers on Twitter than he has supporters who actually want him on AE's presidential ballot line. Americans Elect had an ambitious plan to hold several rounds of online voting to winnow down what its leaders had hoped would be a competitive field of national candidates, and spent a reported $35 million circulating ballot petitions and building the organizational and online infrastructure to attract

those candidates to its fold. It also attracted a fair amount of media coverage for its efforts, and encomia from the likes of Thomas Friedman, John Avlon, and Lawrence Lessig. But it never caught on, in part for the reasons I outlined almost a year ago: the lack of transparency about its finances, which made potential supporters distrustful (even

spawning a watchdog blog called AETransparency), and the evident lack of public interest in its founders' evident desire to find a "centrist" candidate. It's possible that AE could have evolved differently, but that would have required that the vehicle be more genuinely controlled by its supporters, and that was an option that AE's leaders clearly didn't

want to allow. Before anyone sticks a fork in AE and says they're done, however, it's worth considering two little-noticed facts. The first is that in every state where AE has established a ballot line -- and now they've done so in about half the states -- now there's an open question about what will happen to that line. In theory, these state

ballot lines should be controlled by state committees made up of local voters, who could act autonomously and use those lines for good or ill. When I asked Richard Winger, the longtime publisher of Ballot Access News and the country's leading authority on this topic, he told me, "In state WHAT page 77

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CNN anchor to Obama spokesman: Youre smearing Romney with this Bain attack ad, you know; Update: Obama bundler tired of vilification of the rich
Allahpundit (Hot Air Top Picks)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 6:45:58 PM

posted at 7:45 pm on May 15, 2012 by Allahpundit Im kind of torn on this one. On the one hand, she seems as much offended by the idea of campaign attacks generally as by the specifics of the attack on Bain and Romney. When you invite a paid flack on to shill for his candidate, dont be surprised when he wont concede the point that their entire line of messaging on Romneys background in private equity is illegitimate. On the other hand, a defense of business as dogged and full-throated as this on mid-day cable news is a welcome surprise. All shes really doing, ultimately, is asking him to contextualize the attack on Romney over GST Steel. He wasnt a corporate raider; Bain took over these companies, tried to build them, and sometimes but not always failed. Whats the problem? And did this guy actually offer as a criticism of Mitt, The goal here wasnt job creation, it was wealth creation for himself and his partners? Hello?

Actually, I think Team Hopenchange is okay with wealth creation so long as youre sharing that wealth with The One: On Monday night Mr. Obama spoke at a fund-raiser at the Manhattan home of Tony James, the president of the private-equity giant, the Blackstone Group. Attendees, many from the privateequity world, paid $35,800 a head for the privilege of dining with the President who purports to loathe Wall Street when he isnt asking its greedy denizens to redistribute their wealth to his campaign. Mr. James donated the legal maximum of $35,800 to the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee in November 2011. This is the same private-equity business the Obama campaign is now smearing as morally repugnant when undertaken by Mitt Romney. On Monday Team Obama rolled out a two-minute television ad focusing on a steel company that was bought and eventually shuttered by Bain Capital, the private-equity firm that Mr. Romney founded Asked about the attack on Mr. Romney, deputy Obama

campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said yesterday the President isnt questioning private equity as a whole. But that wasnt the message as recently as April, when Team Obama posted on a website a list of eight private citizens who were Romney donors and whom it said had less than reputable records. A friend e-mailed with a good point in response to yesterdays post praising Mitt for hitting back so quickly after Obama launched his first Bain attack ad. Simply put, why didnt Mitt hit first? Why didnt he push the Bain issue out there unprompted as an intro to the general electorate, as part of his resume on job creation? He knew that O would hit him on this eventually so it wasnt a matter of preempting an attack that might never come. And hes been dealing with Bain-related sniping from Democrats for nearly 20 years so he has a finely honed sense of how theyre going to attack him. (In fact, compare and contrast Obamas Bain ad to the one Ted Kennedy ran.) No sense waiting around to let your opponent define you. Update: Does this guy also invest

with an eye to wealth creation for himself rather than job creation for others? Tsk tsk: Don Peebles, a Miami real estate executive who has raised more than $100,000 for the presidents campaign this cycle, told BuzzFeed I think its difficult to attack or demonize an industry and then take money from it. I think its inconsistent, he added. I wonder why the leaders of that industry are supporting him. Any type of attack and vilification of a particular industry is not okay to begin with, he said A spokesman for Peebles reached out to BuzzFeed to set up the interview saying he is growing concerned by the growing influence of wealthy in campaigns on both sides of the aisle. 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.

What's Behind George W. Bush's Odd Romney Endorsement?


Molly Ball (Politics : The Atlantic)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:15:00 PM

The former president blurted out his support for his party's nominee -- only to be greeted with silence in return. Reuters Updated 6:48 p.m. George W. Bush's endorsement of Mitt Romney on Tuesday appears to have been unplanned. The former president had just given a speech on human rights in Washington, and afterward, Matt Negrin, a reporter for ABC News, followed him to the elevator and asked who he's supporting in the election in November. "I'm for Mitt Romney," Bush said, as the elevator doors inched closed. Well, sure he is. What else was he supposed to say? But it was beyond strange to see a former two-term Republican president slide his support for his party's presumptive nominee under -- or, rather, through -- the door in this WHAT'S page 77

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Picture of the Day: Barack Obama's Many Appearances in History


David A. Graham (Politics : The Atlantic)

browse more pages on a site." It's true that the White House website has a great deal of partisan Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:11:35 PM political content elsewhere. The The administration opens itself question is whether it's necessary up to jokes by linking the or wise to bring that into the president to his predecessors in historical section of the website. their White House bios. Yfrog via You won't see similar boosting for Erick Erickson overtly political causes, for Here is today's fun partisan example, on the section of the site Internet freakout, via devoted to the White House Commentary: Easter Egg Roll, notwithstanding The Heritage Foundation's Rory Glenn Beck's hysterical attempts Cooper tweeted that Obama had to politicize Michelle Obama's casually dropped his own name Let's Move! push. Besides, how into Ronald Reagan's official would liberals have reacted if the b i o g r a p h y o n Bush administration had done www.whitehouse.gov, claiming this? Probably with a healthy dose credit for taking up the mantle of of disgust and derision. Turnabout Reagan's tax reform advocacy is only fair. with his "Buffett Rule" gimmick. This article available online at: My first thought was, he must be http://www.theatlantic.com/ joking. But he wasn't -- it turns politics/archive/2012/05/picturewhich has now evolved to become Declaration of Independence. more reliably liberal Comedy out Obama has added bullet of-the-day-barack-obamas-manythe Federal Communications National Review's Dan Foster has Central Indecision team got into points bragging about his own appearances-in-history/257232/ Commission (FCC). President s o m e g o o d i d e a s f o r o t h e r the action. accomplishments to the This entry passed through the Obama became the first president additions, such as: "In the Late It's worth noting that these biographical sketches of every Full-Text RSS service if this is to hold virtual gatherings and Neolithic, the wheel was invented. additions are tacked onto the end single U.S. president since Calvin your content and you're reading it t o w n h a l l s u s i n g T w i t t e r , President Obama has made of pre-existing bios, rather than Coolidge (except, for some on someone else's site, please read Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, historic use of wheels for his interpolated into the text. A White reason, Gerald Ford) One the FAQ at fivefilters.org/contentetc." The additions were made many campaign trips to Ohio." House official defended them, particularly banal example: "On only/faq.php#publishers. Five yesterday. The RNC put together a Tumblr saying, "No biographies have Feb. 22, 1924 Calvin Coolidge Filters recommends: Donate to Naturally, this has produced a w i t h O b a m a i n s e r t e d i n t o been altered. We simply added became the first president to make Wikileaks. series of comic reactions, mostly anachronistic situations, although links at the bottom of each page to a public radio address to the on the right. The PhotoShop the photo editing skills leave related whitehouse.gov content, American people. President above is a high point, situating the something to be desired( here's which is a commonly used best Coolidge later helped create the president at the signing of the how it's done, guys). Even the practice to encourage people to Federal Radio Commission,

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manner. And Romney's response was even stranger: silence. The Romney campaign didn't respond to a request for comment on the Bush endorsement, and Romney didn't mention it in his postendorsement speech Tuesday in Iowa. (A campaign spokeswoman told the New York Observer that Romney was "proud" to have Bush's support, but did not expect to campaign with him.) Is that any way to treat a former president from your own party? Yes, Bush remains unpopular -- in March 2011, the most recent poll I could find, his favorable rating was measured at 42 percent, while 54 percent viewed him unfavorably. Compare that to President Clinton, whose approval in the same poll stood at 67 percent. Clinton, incidentally, has not endorsed Romney -- but he was mentioned positively and at length in Romney's Iowa speech. Bush may not be popular, but his ratings have improved considerably since April 2008, when just 31 percent viewed him positively. And right around that time -- March 2008 -- Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, sucked it up, gritted his teeth, and went to the White House to accept

Bush's endorsement. McCain was no great friend of the 43rd president's. He'd run against him in 2000 and frequently disagreed with him during Bush's presidency. But he pronounced himself "honored and humbled" to accept Bush's support. If you are the latest to join the hallowed lineage of nominees for president of the Grand Old Party, that is just what you do. Would it really be so awful for Romney to have graciously acknowledged Bush's endorsement? Romney wasn't too anxious about how it would look to be endorsed by Donald Trump or Ted Nugent. He hustled to Houston to receive George H.W. Bush's endorsement in person. He's going to be attacked as a Bush clone no matter what -- on Tuesday, in response to Bush's impromptu endorsement, the Obama campaign issued a statement saying, "President Bush has endorsed Governor Romney, and Governor Romney has endorsed a return to Bush-era economic policies." Tying Romney to Bush-era policies is a prominent feature of Obama's stump speech, and Romney has not bent over backward to repudiate Bush's record -- in fact,

he's defended it, saying Bush, not Obama, deserves credit for turning around the economy. At this point, Romney's apparent avoidance of Bush is far more conspicuous than any one-anddone grip-and-grin with the former president would have been -- if, in fact, that's what it is. There is another possibility, and that's that it's Bush who's holding out. Plenty of other Republicans have held their noses and gotten formally behind Romney. Is it possible that Bush, who's supposedly so radioactive, isn't keen to do the same? This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/05/whatsbehind-george-w-bushs-oddromney-endorsement/257235/ 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.

after state, when I phone the state elections office and ask 'Who is state chair?' the person either says it is someone in Washington, D.C., or someone in California, or they say 'we don't know.'" He said this was surprising and unprecedented in his experience tracking how states deal with minor parties. "It is incredible to me that so many states don't require a group that submits a petition to simultaneously (or earlier) submit a list of state officers," he told me. He added, "States have bent over backwards this year to accomodate AE. In Mississippi, a group qualifies as a party by submitting a list of state officers. There is no petition. It works fine and is a good model for other small states. But, incredibly, Mississippi let them list a state committee consisting of people who live outside Mississippi! They would not have let any other group do that." The second fact to remember about AE is that these ballot lines don't expire in 2012. Many will be available in 2014, and Peter Ackerman, AE's founding father

and key funder, has hinted in the past that he might be interested in recruiting a wave of AE congressional candidates. Considering that Congress is in need of major shake-up, that might not be such a bad idea. But the same issues of transparency and control will arise in 2014 -assuming the national Americans Elect 501(c)4 organization continues to exist by then. This article was first published at TechPresident.com. This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/ politics/archive/2012/05/what-will -americans-elect-do-now-that-itcant-find-a-candidate/257237/ 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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Daily Kos poll of Wisconsin: Scott Walker leads by five, Romney within one point of Obama
Allahpundit (Hot Air Top Picks)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:50:42 PM

posted at 6:50 pm on May 15, 2012 by Allahpundit Dont get too excited about the Obama/Romney number. Wisconsin hasnt turned red since 1984, so if Mitt ends up winning there this year itll likely be because hes riding a landslide wave thats sweeping all sorts of unlikely states into his column. Its not going to decide the election, in other words, unless Obama holds onto it and wins with just slightly more than 270 votes. The recall vote is another matter. Tom Barrett just won the Democratic recall primary and, according to this poll, has gotten an exciting zero-point bounce from it. Barrett is also mayor of Milwaukee and lost to Walker in 2010 which is to say, Wisconsin voters have had a long time to value his stock. Like John McCormack says, theres no reason to think anyones opinion of him will change over the next three weeks so, barring a turnout

effort by big labor thats somehow even more superhuman than the superhuman effort thatll be turned in by Walkers supporters, how exactly does Barrett win this? A few things to note: There does appear to be an enthusiasm gap thats favoring the GOP right now. Among registered voters (as opposed to likely voters), the race was a point tighter, with Walker up 49-45 As a consequence, the numbers in the presidential race are far, far closer than anyone expects to see this fall, with Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney just 47-46 among RVs (and the same spread among LVs). But that further buttresses the notion of an enthusiasm gap for the recall, because the June electorate is definitely looking more Republican-friendly than the November one. Could be that Im reading the crosstabs wrong or that dKos made a mistake in transcribing them but it looks to me like the sample is 28D/35R/37I, which is wildly different from the 39D/33R /29I from the 2008 Wisconsin

presidential exit poll. Is that sample specially weighted for the recall, possibly to reflect greater GOP enthusiasm? And is GOP enthusiasm really that much greater? Good lord. Also, how can it be that Obama leads Romney by fully 18 points among independents and yet by just one thin point overall? Im missing something here, obviously. For your viewing pleasure, via the Examiner, enjoy the surreal spectacle of an Obama campaign official complaining about the results of a New York Times poll. Note to Team O: If you dont like the fact that people perceive Os gay-marriage evolution as opportunistic, why not try to find the silver lining in that result instead of whining about it? Debbie Wasserman-Schultz did! 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.

Microsoft rolling out new apps to Xbox 360, including MUZU.TV and Manga in the US
Edgar Alvarez (Engadget)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 8:03:00 PM

You can never have enough apps, right? With that in mind, Microsoft's rolling out a couple of new applications to Xbox 360s in the US and Canada. For starters, those of you living Stateside will now have access to Manga Entertainment and MUZU.TV (also available in the True North); the first of which allows you to watch free video content from its catalog, while the latter has around 40,000 music videos ready for your viewing pleasure. In addition to the aforementioned

apps, the Australia-only FOXTEL application has been updated with support for Redmond's Kinect, allowing Oz folks to control it with hand gestures or by voice. We've already seen the new apps pop up on our Xbox, so you should be seeing them hit your console any time now. Microsoft rolling out new apps to Xbox 360, including MUZU.TV and Manga in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 20:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Xbox| Email this| Comments

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Are you ready for the Engadget HD alternative Newsweek Podcast 299 Obama gay-marriage covers? 05.15.2012
Allahpundit (Hot Air Top Picks)

or four conservative editorial cartoonists to grapple with. Or what about this one from Submitted at 5/15/2012 5:08:39 PM American Weasel, which nicely posted at 6:08 pm on May 15, illustrates the possibility that 2012 by Allahpundit Obama miscalculated on this I cant decide which I like better: issue? The one of the rainbow flag flying Speaking of which, via Mediaite, over the White House (victory!) heres Sharpton and Bashir trying or the one of the omnipotent to puzzle out how anyone can American father holding up the think Obama evolved for two male cake toppers, a beatific p o l i t i c a l a d v a n t a g e w h e n glow around him, the whole Romneys been the big winner cultural world literally in his poll-wise so far. Answer: The key hands. But wheres the one of him words there are so far. Once desperately trying to cover Biden pushed this issue front and Bidens mouth on Meet the center, O faced the dilemma of Press before he inadvertently keeping up the lie about his forced O to courageously beliefs while the media carped profess the belief hed been ever more loudly about it or cowardly hiding for decades? Or coming clean and facing a how about one showing a group backlash among older voters, of wealthy gay Democratic black Democrats, and socially bundlers, young voters, and conservative independents. Like I a s s o r t e d l i m o u s i n e l i b e r a l s said last week, he probably presenting him with one of those reasoned that it was better to fess giant sweepstakes-placard checks up now, collect millions in for $100 million? Alas, that donations from his newly excited degree of realism about what base, and count on voters really motivated this evolution attention spans to make them falls to one of the countrys three f o r g e t a l l a b o u t t h i s c o m e

November than to let it drag out and potentially blow up in his face at an inopportune moment later on. Romneys not going to stray too far afield to talk about SSM lest it complicate his economic message so Obamas betting that by election day itll be more or less a non-issue. My hunch is that hes probably right about that, especially if something happens between Israel and Iran, but eyeball this new data from ABC showing a gap, including among independents, between the number who strongly oppose Obamas new position and the number who strongly support it. No surprise there. But will it endure? 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.

Trent Wolbe (Engadget)

Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:31:00 PM

Episode number 299 comes in with a bang as automated commerical skipping makes its triumphant return to the DVR with Dish Network's "Auto Hop" and we also take a peek at the updated TiVo Premiere XL4. Also invading this week is a flood of OLED news, from production models delivered by Samsung and some tasty Panasonic / Sony team -up rumors. Also in the news is BBC's Sport app and WatchESPN on Comcast, while the return of Total Recal l on Blu-ray is definitely reason to celebrate. Get the podcast [ iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [ RSS- AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes. [ RSS- MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [ Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [ MP3] Download the show (MP3). Host s: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc) Producer: Trent Wolbe 03:38 - Dish Network adds 'Auto

Hop' commercial skipping feature to its Hopper DVRs 12:26 - Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed 16:42 - TiVo Premiere XL4 review 20:00 - TiVo Spring update brings new Netflix and YouTube experience 25:26 - Nuance takes credit for voice features inside Samsung's 2012 Smart TV lineup 31:35 - Samsung shows off production 55-inch OLED HDTVs at the 2012 World's Fair 33:30 - Panasonic racks up a record loss for 2012, looks forward to profits and a partner for OLED TVs 35:15 - Panasonic, Sony purportedly entering into OLED TV team-up, torrid love affair ENGADGET page 80

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Burritob0t hands-on (video)


Terrence O'Brien (Engadget)
Submitted at 5/15/2012 7:46:00 PM

ITP, or the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU churns out some of the most reliably interesting tech-centric artists in the world. Every so often, the school opens its doors to the public and the press and, of course, we jumped at the chance to see what the grad students were cooking up... literally. Marko Manriquez took the opportunity to showcase his thesis project, the Burritob0t, a 3D printer the spits out edible piles of beans and

cheese, instead of non-toxic (but, highly inedible) plastic. The base is built largely around a standard RepRap machine, with the Frostruder attachment from MakerBot. From there it's pretty simple to plug in any 3D model and build your creation from highly-processed Mexican food -on a heated platform from the Thingomatic, of course. Marko says that his creation not only seemed like a logical way to combine "edible bits and digital bytes" but also a way to address the increasingly mechanized food industry and our growing reliance on manufactured "food." Sadly,

we weren't able to get a complete demo on the show floor. The current incarnation of the device relies on air pressure to push the ingredients through syringes, and

firing up the compressor was not an option. A Kickstarter is forthcoming, however, and Marko plans to upgrade the components to ditch the bulky and loud

compressor. He also hopes to actually serve food from his printer, perhaps by taking up residence in a park. But, we suspect it'll be a while before you can get a Burritob0t burrito while you wait for your Concrete from Shake Shack. Check out the video after the break. Gallery: Burritob0t hands-on Continue reading Burritob0t hands-on (video) Burritob0t hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments

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35:45 -'Hundreds' of Cablevision iO TV on-demand rentals now past 48 hours, procrastinators rejoice 36:09 - New DVD anti-piracy warning now packs double the nag 38:30 - BBC Sport app brings Olympics and more to Sony Bravia TVs, PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray players 42:08 - WatchESPN finally streams to Comcast customers, but not on Android 44:02 - Total Recall 'MindBending' Blu-ray remembers a better looking video transfer July

31st 47:38 - Must See HDTV (May 14th - 20th) Hear the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) Filed under: Podcasts Engadget HD Podcast 299 05.15.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments

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