Google?s Plans For Trekker Come To Fruition With 9,500 Grand Canyon Panoramas Added To Google Maps

When Google announced a new project it called Trekker last October, it sounded like a far-reaching and futuristic 20% type undertaking. Today, that project has come through with some of the most detailed and amazing interactive imagery of the Grand Canyon, as promised, showing off Google’s vision for how the world can be catalogued and detailed for everyone’s daily tasks and travels. Starting today, these images will start showing up on Google Maps for everyone to check out. In a blog post from Google Maps Project Manager, Ryan Falor, he discussed exactly how these images were taken and where these images will be applied: This breathtaking imagery collection was made possible with the Trekker. Our team strapped on the Android-operated 40-pound backpacks carrying the 15-lens camera system and wound along the rocky terrain on foot, enduring temperature swings and a few muscle cramps along the way. Together, more than 9,500 panoramas of this masterpiece of nature are now available on Google Maps. Take a quick look at some of the amazingly detailed photos that the Trekker backpack captured: Sure, 40 pounds might sound really heavy, but when you’re out trekking through nature, carrying heavy objects isn’t something totally new. The idea of Trekker is that there are so many views and vantage points that you can’t capture simply by driving a Street View vehicle up and down roads. There are places that cars and trucks can’t go, and this is where Trekker comes into play. Up until now, here’s the type of image you could expect when poking around the Grand Canyon on Google Maps: Yep, it’s the street. Not so pretty. Check these out, though: You’ll now be able to see more, explore more and plan more, all before you leave for your big trip. It started with the Grand Canyon and there’s no telling what location will be “trekked” next by Google. While Trekker isn’t a consumer device, it does look like Google will be sending these things out into the wild to get more data like the shots you’ll see in the below video: I discussed the possibility of Street View technology becoming available for Google Glass at Trekker’s launch and was told “Absolutely.” As you can tell, Google wants people to feel like they’re Christopher Columbus, exploring areas in ways that nobody else ever has, while documenting their experiences along the way. There could be a

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tL7IQ4SeRfA/

psychosis dianna agron million hoodie march tebow trade mike the situation jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars

China's complicated history with video games: when a ban isn't ...

Earlier this week, China Daily quoted an anonymous government source -- allegedly straight from the Ministry of Culture -- saying China is considering lifting a 12-year-old "ban" on game consoles soon. While it was unclear how reliable the source was at the time, the Tokyo stock market sucked it up anyway, with Bloomberg observing a significant rise for Sony and Nintendo after the rumor was published. Then today we learned from Tech In Asia that Dongfang Daily followed up with two representatives from the Ministry of Culture, one of which said the department has never looked into lifting the ban, while the other person was more vague about the matter. But here's the thing: game consoles were never really banned in China. Allow us to set the record straight for you.

Let's take a look at the actual paperwork that supposedly imposed the game console ban. In 2000, the video arcade business was booming in China, but many were illegal or were poorly operated and thus "seriously harming the healthy growth of youngsters." As such, seven ministries got together to come up with a plan. These included: the Ministry of Culture, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and IT, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the General Administration of Customs and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. The outcome was a bill awkwardly titled "Feedback regarding the launch of special operation on video game arcades," and this was passed by the Chinese state council in June of that year -- merely three months after the release of the original PlayStation 2 in Japan.

In a nutshell, the bill covers guidelines on the safety requirements, opening hours and restrictions of video arcades, as well as what types of content are forbidden on the then-remaining arcade machines. Oh, and even internet cafes were forbidden from running businesses related to computer gaming, but that part of the ban is barely enforced these days. Anyhow, the specific parts that many assumed would put a stop on consoles were these:

"As of the day this report is released, the manufacturing and selling of any electronic gaming equipment plus its parts and accessories headed to China are stopped immediately. No company or individual can partake in the manufacturing and selling of electronic gaming equipment plus its parts and accessories headed to China."

"With the exception of processing trade, the import of electronic game equipment plus its parts and accessories through other forms of trade is strictly limited."

Note that the bill's main purpose is to keep underage folks away from dangerous venues and unhealthy content, rather than to prevent gaming addiction -- something for which China eventually had to set up boot camps to deal with. It's also worth pointing out that the ban on manufacturing and selling arcade machines is no longer valid since April 2009, and you can find a list of approved machines on the Ministry of Culture's website. But going back to 2000, the above statement uses the term "strictly limited" for the import of game consoles, meaning there's still space for negotiation.

Indeed, Sony did do a low-key launch for the PlayStation 2 in China in January 2004, but only in two cities instead of five as originally planned, thus upsetting many distributors and gamers in the neglected regions. According to a report by Tencent, Sony's only official statement regarding the launch was this: "The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is now in Shanghai and Guangzhou to meet you." Yes, a "computer entertainment system." But even with the cheeky use of words here to dodge the law, Sony's real problem came after China's auditing system blocked a huge portion of the games that were deemed unhealthy, thus providing more excuses for folks to just get pirated games. And at ?1,988 ($320) per device due to heavy import duties on foreign products, the PlayStation 2 for China was nowhere as attractive as the ones sold in the black market -- this was at a time when the PlayStation 2 was available for just $179 in the US. With such easy access to the rarely policed black markets in big cities like Shenzhen and Beijing, it didn't make sense to buy the more expensive Chinese PS2 and its games, anyway. Even the official ?500 ($80) drop about a year later didn't save the console in China. The PSP and the PS Vita also never officially made it to China presumably due to the strict content restrictions, but like many other flagship gadgets, they were quite popular on the black market.

Sony hasn't given up, though. Last June, Sony Computer Entertainment opened its China headquarters at Guangdong Animation City, a government-backed project in Guangzhou to boost the local animation and gaming industry. The following month Sony made a surprise return to Shanghai's Chinajoy, the country's largest gaming expo, after a four-year hiatus. Coincidentally, the previous-gen PlayStation 3 (CECH-3012A and CECH-3012B, as sold in Hong Kong) was quietly granted a China Compulsory Certificate or "CCC" around the same time, only to be withdrawn by Sony soon after the discovery in November, as the database screenshot below shows.

Speaking to Sina Games in December, SCE Asia's Director of Planning and R&D Eitaro Nagano admitted that the biggest obstacles for his company right now are still the legal requirements in China, but his team's still communicating with the government over this issue -- presumably mainly to do with the content auditing. Nagano also acknowledged the fact that China already has many PS Vita and PS3 users, along with many developers with great potential.

Despite Sony's failed attempts, Nintendo has had better luck with its handheld consoles under the iQue brand, a joint venture between the Japanese company and Chinese American entrepreneur Dr. Wei Yen. In November 2003 the company launched the ?598 ($96) iQue Player, a somewhat experimental version of the N64 that packed the brain and a flashable game cartridge inside the controller. As an attempt to avoid piracy, the games were downloadable using an iQue Depot in stores, and it was ?48 or about $7.70 a pop with free updates forever, but each cartridge can only store one game.

Sadly, the console never took off due to its poor marketing and inconvenience, and pirated games eventually appeared. Since then, iQue has instead been focusing on handhelds, including the Game Boy Advance, SP, Micro, DS Lite, DSi and 3DS XL. To fight the likes of R4 cards that let people pirate games, the iQue's 3DS XL is bundled with Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 by default for the price of ?1,699 (US$270), which is understandably higher than Hong Kong's HK$1,749 (US$225) and the US' US$199.99 for the device alone. But hey, at least iQue gets to openly sell its consoles -- take a look at the "About" page on the company's website and you'll see why it's the Chinese government's darling:

"The reason Nintendo is iQue's best partner is because the former has always been strongly opposed to violence and pornography in the gaming industry, and its mission is to develop quality healthy games suitable for all ages, at a global gaming market flooded by vulgar products today, Nintendo still maintains a precious social responsibility and business ethics, therefore is consistent with iQue's corporate philosophy and the Chinese moral values."

But wait, even the innocent-looking 3DS has violent games! Well, not in China. iQue's website only lists a handful of major titles that are mostly, if not all, made by Nintendo, including the two aforementioned 3DS titles and six DS titles (Nintendogs, WarioWare, Yoshi's Island DS and more), along with several downloadable DSiWare apps. Fortunately, the devices are still compatible with normal DS games from outside China, though normal DS devices can't play games released by iQue. As for the Wii, Nintendo did announce that it would launch the console in China in 2008 (and iQue even obtained the CCC in December 2007), but that never happened after it failed to get the other authorities' approval. We'll probably never know exactly why this was the case, but at least the Wii is all over the black market, ironically.

Don't worry -- we haven't forgotten Microsoft, which is the least active of the three companies in the Chinese gaming market. Back in September, Microsoft announced the Kinect's availability in China, but the catch was there would be no Xbox 360 to go with the motion-sensing peripheral, meaning only the developers could make the most out of the sensor on a PC. Conveniently after Microsoft's announcement, the Ministry of Culture promptly denied the speculation that it was about to make it easier for foreign companies to sell their consoles and games in China.

Ironically, the console black market in China is, well, not that black at all. We've seen plenty of small shops in Shenzhen and Beijing that openly sell imported consoles (as well as KIRFs), and you can even pick one up from online retail platform Taobao, where some resellers claim to be offering devices that were confiscated and then released by customs. Yes, another gray area in the system. But even without those machines from outside China, the country itself has already been pumping out its very own gaming devices, including the shameless iReadyGo (pictured above), the Lenovo-backed Eedoo and various Wii clones. Clearly, the ban isn't as strict as it appears, especially to the local brands and venues that stay well away from content related to gambling and pornography -- we all know what happens when they don't.

So to summarize: the real challenge for the game console makers is to convince the Chinese government that their devices won't touch any "unhealthy" content, which is actually near impossible for Microsoft and Sony, whose gaming success relies heavily on realistic shooting and fighting games. Nintendo, however, doesn't mind offering a much smaller game library for its handhelds in China, though it remains a mystery as to why the Wii never made it to China as originally promised. Not that this matters to the majority of Chinese gamers, who have developed a huge appetite for RPGs like Warcraft and Diablo on the PC.

Now, will China ever loosen up on the legal requirements for games? With the recent transition in the government and the boom in local smart devices (especially Android, which offers considerable freedom when it comes to app sources), it's easy to see why these rumors have made a comeback; but then again, you have to remember that the authorities behind the Great Firewall have not backed down at all. Worse yet, in the latest five-year plan (published on December 1st) for the development of China's service industry, the government specifically encourages more support to help local gaming products to go global. Such favoritism suggests things aren't going to change any time soon for Sony and Microsoft.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/china-console-ban/

the third man 2012 nfl draft order mohamed sanu chris polk chicago bulls st louis blues rueben randle

'30 Rock': Ending a 7-season marathon of mirth

NEW YORK (AP) ? You want resolution on the "30 Rock" finale?

You're gonna get it. Sort of. At least, the sort befitting "30 Rock," with its loopy storytelling mixed with joy in spoofing the culture of TV.

Closure, if that's what it is, comes in a two-minute postscript on this hour episode (airing Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC). But maybe you should just stop reading right now, you "30 Rock" purists who don't want to know what happens or might seem to happen, however wacked-out and ironic it may be.

Which, among other things, includes this sly touch: a reference to the snowglobe revelation with which the medical drama "St. Elsewhere" famously concluded a quarter-century ago.

But there's more. Just before the final fade-out, NBC President Kenneth the former Page (Jack McBrayer) is pitched a new comedy series taking place right there at network headquarters, 30 Rock.

Hmmm. This is no ending. It's a Mobius strip.

The comic coda suggests where many of the characters might be a year from now. But that's not the point of the finale, which mostly wants to have fun. And does.

This last yahoo of "30 Rock" after seven brilliant seasons takes delight in tracking the unraveling of its characters as the show-within-the-show, "TGS," comes to an end with its own final broadcast. After that, of course, its producer, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), its stars, Jenna Moroney and Tracy Jordan (Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan) and other members of the "TGS" staff will have to leave the cozy, kooky nest of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The prospect of doing that terrifies them all.

Meanwhile, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), the newly minted CEO of NBC parent Kabletown, is battling his own existential crisis.

He has gotten the top job he wanted all his life. And as the ultimate Republican capitalist, he has even scored a lash-out from a treasured enemy, House Republican Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"Jack Donaghy is an economic war criminal," Pelosi is seen declaring on a cable news network. "If the Democratic Party controls Congress, I will see to it that he is punished in the worst way possible: by having to come down here and listen to us."

Even with total victory under his belt, Jack still feels unfulfilled. What else can he do? He resigns from the company and begins a journey to discover what might truly make him happy.

Jack's despair includes the fear that he's lost Liz as a friend.

"I don't have that many people in my life," he sobs to Jenna. "I spend Christmas alone in the Hamptons drinking Scotch and throwing firecrackers at Billy Joel's dog."

Out of a job, Liz is miserable as a stay-at-home mom of adopted twins. Conversely, her husband, Criss (played by guest star James Marsden), hates steady employment.

"It's OK to want to work," he consoles Liz. "One of us has to. We just got it backwards: You're the dad."

"I do like ignoring your questions while I try to watch TV," Liz agrees.

(Interestingly, a year hence Liz is seen back at work producing a dumb sitcom with her children in tow. Where is hubby Criss?)

During the finale, "30 Rock" doesn't hesitate to snack on its own past.

Liz and Tracy have an awkward heart-to-heart at the strip club where Tracy lured her on their first encounter on the series' premiere.

And a high point of the episode comes when Jenna revisits the project she starred in years ago, a film with the lips-scrunching title "Rural Juror" (which inevitably comes out sounding something like "ruhr juhr").

On the farewell "TGS," Jenna performs the theme from her new musical adaptation of "Rural Juror," with, inevitably, almost nothing she sings recognizable as English.

It serves as a reminder: "30 Rock" wasn't just a brilliant comedy series. It also forged a comic language of its own.

____

Online:

http://www.nbc.com

___

Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/30-rock-ending-7-season-marathon-mirth-141758515.html

colbert report legionnaires disease underwear bomber unclaimed money godspell media matters hana

Report: States force jobless to pay needless fees

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group.

People are using the fee-heavy cards instead of getting their payments deposited directly to their bank accounts. That's because states issue bank cards automatically, require complicated paperwork or phone calls to set up direct deposit and fail to explain the card fees, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to protect low-income Americans from unfair financial-services products. An early copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press.

Until the past decade, states distributed unemployment compensation by mailing out paper checks. Some also allowed direct deposit. The system worked well for people who had bank accounts and could deposit the check without paying a fee.

It also cost states millions of dollars each year to print and mail the checks.

Banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co., U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America Corp. seized on government payments as a business opportunity. They pitched card programs to states as a win-win: States would save millions in overhead costs because the cards would be issued for free. And people without bank accounts would avoid the big fees charged by storefront check cashers.

However, most of the people being hit with fees already have bank accounts. The bank-state partnerships effectively shifted the cost of distributing payments from governments to individuals. The money needed to cover those costs is deducted from people's unemployment benefits in the form of fees.

Consumer advocates like NCLC are focused on ensuring access to the direct-deposit option so that people can avoid the card fees.

The trouble, the new report says, is that many states make it difficult for people to sign up for direct deposit. The rate of people using direct deposit ranges from a national high of 82 percent in Minnesota to a low of 16 percent in Arizona, the report says.

Minnesota offers direct deposit to people when they apply for benefits, and allows them to change their payment method online or over the phone, the report says.

In Arizona, by contrast, people are automatically enrolled in the card program. After they receive the card, they must find a paper form, fill it out, and submit it by mail. There is no way to change payment methods online or over the phone.

"The difference in direct-deposit rates among states seems primarily due to how hard or easy the state makes it for workers to choose direct deposit," the report says.

In five states ? California, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and Nevada ? unemployed people aren't offered direct deposit at all. The report says that setup is illegal under a federal law that bars states from requiring benefits recipients to open an account at a particular bank.

The federal government recommended in 2009 that people with bank accounts receive payments via direct deposit. Nearly four years later, the report says, "there is no excuse for any state not to be offering direct deposit as the first choice for payment of unemployment benefits."

Banks make more money when more people use the cards. In the past, some of their deals with states prevented states from offering direct deposit, or required states to promote the card program as a first option.

To cover the cost of issuing cards and running the programs, banks charge a plethora of fees, including charges for balance inquiries, phone calls to customer support, leaving an account inactive for a period of months, or making a purchase using a personal identification number.

Many states have eliminated some fees and improved consumer protections in the two years since NCLC published its first comprehensive review of state unemployment payments. Banks no longer charge overdraft fees, which skimmed up to $20 from the benefits of card users whose spending exceeded the balance on the card.

Pennsylvania was singled out for praise in the report. Residents of that state will save $5.2 million in card fees each year because the state switched to a lower-fee card.

In part because of the recent improvements, the report says, prepaid cards often are the best option for people who don't have bank accounts. Those people would often pay even bigger fees to storefront check cashing services.

"A well-designed prepaid card is safer, cheaper and more convenient than paying to cash a paper check," said Lauren Saunders, one of the report's authors, in a prepared statement. But she said "it is no substitute for direct deposit to an account of your own choosing."

___

Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-29-Unemployment-Card%20Fees/id-9ce1f8ebc408464eb64e9756c79bc6ad

bear grylls us news law school rankings gael glen rice jr bars lindzi cox bachelor finale

Facebook gets ahead of Graph Search privacy panic by educating users

20 hrs.

Suzanne Choney , NBC News

Facebook's new search feature, still being rolled out to users, promises to be pretty nifty if you want to find friends who, say, moved to another city or use a certain doctor. But if you don't want to be found???and pestered??? the social network wants you to know there are steps you can take to remove your information from its new Graph Search.

Privacy advocates are understandably concerned about Graph Search because, like other personal information you can't hide on Facebook, this is another feature?you cannot opt out of; you can only change your settings to try to?minimize what others find out about you.

"Ultimately, Graph Search will make everything you share with the public and with friends a whole lot easier for people to find," notes security software maker Kaspersky, on its blog. (For a funny???but scary???look at how Graph Search can be used, see Tom Scott's Tumblr blog;?hat tip to NPR's On The Media.)?

On Facebook, users can find a handy Q-and-A about Graph Search and a helpful video, shared below as well, about changing privacy settings.?

Facebook wants users to believe it takes their privacy seriously, especially after a settlement last summer?of federal charges that Facebook deceived consumers and forced them to share more personal information than they had intended. As part of the settlement, the Federal Trade Commission requires Facebook to get user consent for some changes to privacy settings. Facebook is?also subject to 20 years of independent audits about privacy.

Michael Richter, Facebook privacy officer for product, writes on the Q-and-A page that "privacy works consistently across Facebook, not just on Graph Search. When you control who you share your information with, you determine who it's shared with across Facebook???including News Feed, timeline and in Graph Search."

There are also two other Graph Search info pages that are very useful, one on How Privacy Works with Graph Search and another, Graph Search Privacy. Bookmark those pages, because you'll want to refer to them often once Graph Search is completely rolled out.

In a related move this week, Facebook said its Chief Privacy Officer of policy, Erin Egan, now has an "Ask the CPO" feature on the site's "Facebook and Privacy" page, where you can ask Egan?questions. Not all will be answered, but Facebook says, "Each month, Erin will respond to some of your questions."

Here's Facebook's video that?walks?you?through?the?steps you can take to help ensure privacy when it comes to Graph Search:

Check out Technology, GadgetBox, Digital?Life and InGame on?Facebook,?and on?Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/facebook-gets-ahead-graph-search-privacy-panic-educating-users-1C8160706

edgar rice burroughs dallas clark litter marinol flight attendant pau gasol trade michael madsen

Democrats propose lifting film subsidy cap in NM

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- A fight is brewing between the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Susana Martinez over whether New Mexico should offer more tax subsidies for film production.

House and Senate Democratic legislative leaders said Monday they're working on measures to boost the economy and create jobs. One proposal is to lift a cap on film tax incentives.

New Mexico provides a 25 percent refund on certain expenditures on film and television projects.

The state will hand out no more than $50 million in tax credits each year under a law enacted in 2011, but a proposal by Sen. Phil Griego, a San Jose Democrat, would eliminate the cap.

"We want to send the word out ... to this industry that New Mexico is open and wanting them to come here to film," Griego said Monday at a news conference with Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez opposes lifting the cap, according to spokesman Enrique Knell.

However, the administration plans to ask the Legislature to change the law to allow film subsidies that go unused under the yearly limit to be carried over to the next year, potentially providing more than $50 million to be available for film companies in some years.

Knell said the state's 25 percent tax subsidy "remains a highly competitive rate and, coupled with all of the other tremendous advantages that New Mexico has for filmmaking, we're continuing to attract productions to our state."

State officials contend that New Mexico is attractive for television and film production because of its weather, diverse landscape and a strong base of film industry crew members.

The Legislature and GOP governor agreed to the $50 million annual limit after Martinez initially proposed reducing the tax rebate rate to 15 percent.

Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing economic development measures in this year's 60-day session. The governor has proposed lowering the corporate income tax rate and establishing a tax credit for small businesses that create jobs.

Democrats said they're considering measures to encourage technology and energy industry jobs. They also said the construction industry will benefit from capital improvement projects that lawmakers expect to finance this year with more than $200 million in available bond financing.

__

Follow Barry Massey on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bmasseyAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-propose-lifting-film-subsidy-214358942.html

Green Coffee Bean Extract september 11 9/11 Memorial 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike

Senators reach deal on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan group of senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to rewrite the nation's immigration laws.

The deal being announced Monday covers border security, guest workers and employer verification, as well as a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

With President Barack Obama also backing comprehensive immigration reform, the deal marks the start of what could be the most promising negotiations in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.

The principles were being endorsed by eight senators, including Democrats Charles Schumer, Dick Durbin and Robert Menendez, and Republicans John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-reach-deal-immigration-050407100--politics.html

tyler perry good deeds pretty in pink nba all star game shark tank john wall gordon hayward gas prices

The Hobson and Holtz Report ? Podcast #688: January 28, 2013

Intro: Welcome new listeners via the CIPR and MyNewsDesk, FIR Interview with PRCA?s Francis Ingham published, upcoming FIR Interview with Allan Schoenberg of CME Group, today is Data Privacy/Protection Day;

Quick News: Many ways brands can use Vine and a caveat, social media branding is key for company reputation, the Pope urges Catholics to flock to Twitter, Pew says libraries and print still have a place in an ebook world; Ragan promo;

News That Fits: Discussion on the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer; Michael Netzley reports from Singapore on the latest internet statistics from China from WeAreSocial?s research; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; listener comments; Boeing keeps key buyer informed during Dreamliner crisis; Dan York? reports on Data Privacy Day, and more; if you don?t participate in online social networks, will you become disenfranchised?;

Music from Steph Barrak; and more.

Listen Now:

Get FIR:

Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir.

For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report for January 28, 2013: A 79-minute podcast recorded live from Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and Concord, California, USA.

Links to websites, blog posts and other content we discuss in the show are posted as Delicious bookmarks to facilitate your connection with the discussions and sharing of that content.

Share your comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for future shows, in the online FIR communities on Facebook, Friendfeed and Google+.

You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: @FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We?ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

So, until Monday February 4?

(Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel?s and my podcast blog.)

Source: http://www.nevillehobson.com/2013/01/28/the-hobson-and-holtz-report-podcast-688-january-28-2013/

lisa marie presley florida panthers tannehill joel ward mock draft north country brian mcknight

Solar System (for iPad)

Solar System ($13.99), an iPad app, lets you explore the Sun and its retinue of planets.

It has the same excellence in design and content as two Editors' Choice iPad apps made by Touch Press, The Elements: A 3D Exploration and Pyramids 3D, including similar virtual reality rotatable 3D figures. Its image galleries, featuring pictures from NASA missions and elsewhere as well as artist's impressions, are exquisite. The app is a good choice for students up to high school students and interested laymen alike.

Solar System in a Nutshell
The home screen displays a grid of icons; across the top are the Sun, Earth, and planets, as well as the asteroid belt, Kuiper Belt, and Oort cloud. Displayed under each world are icons for its moons (if any) or other relevant objects; Ceres, Vesta, and other asteroids appear under Asteroid Belt, Comets under Oort Cloud; and Pluto, Eris, and other icy so-called dwarf planets under Kuiper Belt.

At the screen's upper left is an icon labeled Solar System, which takes you to a series of slides describing our solar system, or evolving knowledge about it, and how it compares with other recently discovered planetary systems. The Orrery button at upper right takes you to a digital depiction of our solar system, showing the planets, as well as orbits that you can toggle on and off. A slider at the bottom lets you speed up or slow down their motion. An information button shows a physical orrery, a brass, clockwork miniature model of the solar system; they were popular starting in the 18th century.

Pressing on Song takes you to a slideshow of space images set to an instrumental version of Biophilia, by Bj?rk. The About button describes the app, a collaboration between Touch Press and British publisher Faber and Faber, with the imagery processed by Planetary Vision Ltd., and includes a Credits button.

Exploring the Planets
Each orb accessible through a home-page icon has at least one page devoted to it, and some (the Moon and Mars) have as many as nine pages, each page covering an important aspect of that world. In addition to Wegener's jigsaw and the introductory page, Earth pages include one called Water World; one called Earth's aura, about the atmosphere; Living planet details the development and nature of life on our planet; Earth's umbrella, about the protective effect of greenhouse gases and the Earth's magnetic field; and lastly, How do we know the Earth is round?

As planets and most of the moons depicted are spheres (more or less), the 3D functionality consists of the ability to rotate these worlds to see their entire surface area (or cloud belts, as the case may be.) Irregularly shaped asteroids look more dramatic when rotating. My favorite 3D depiction is one of our own world, titled Wegener's Jigsaw, after Alfred Wegener, who came up with the theory of continental drift after noticing that the coastlines of Africa and South America.? Swiping on the image of the globe takes you through an animation showing 400 million years of shifting land masses.

The opening page for each planet or moon contains the rotatable image, plus a brief description of that world. Pressing the Orrery button now takes you to the object. For instance, clicking on the orrery from the page for Io takes you to Jupiter, where its four largest moons, including Io, are in motion; their speed can be controlled through the slider. Clicking on Done takes you back to the Io opening page.

The spinning red crystal icon at the page's lower left is WolframAlpha; clicking on it takes you to information on the planet or moon from that search engine, including physical properties, orbit, and current position in the sky.

To the right of the WolframAlpha button is an icon that takes you to an image gallery. Solar System includes a gallery for each planet, moon, or class of objects (asteroid belt, Kuiper belt, Oort Cloud, etc.). Clicking on a gallery thumbnail gives you a full-screen version of the image. Nearly all of the photos and illustrations are exquisite. The app's author, Marcus Chown, quips in the About section, "No expense has been spared in the production of Solar System. The location filming budget alone has approached a trillion dollars. That, of course, is NASA's expenditure, not ours!" Gallery images include ones from some non-NASA missions as well.

The rest of the icons and buttons at the bottom of the screen are concerned with navigation. A line of tiny images, starting with the Sun and including each planet and its moons in increasing distance from the Sun as you move to the right, lets you navigate to these object's pages, a tiny Space Shuttle pointer sits under the icon for the orb whose page you're currently viewing. To the right of this line of icons, Home and Back buttons are bracketed by left and right arrows. The arrows proved to be the easiest way to navigate within a section (for instance, among the 7 pages for Jupiter).

A row of white dots at the top of the screen?such as you find on the iPad's home screen with its grid of apps?shows you where you are within the section. It can be used to navigate: tap one of the dots, and you're at another page. It is awkward, though: While I was using the app while seated in a moving subway, navigating with the dots was hit or miss, mostly miss. The arrow buttons are much better, though I would have liked to have been able to advance through the pages by swiping them as well. (The presence of touch-sensitive 3D illustrations on part of the page may preclude that.)

Alternate App
Solar Walk (for iPad) is a similar app. Its 3D graphics aren't as dazzling as Solar System and its navigation isn't as intuitive, but it adds a few videos, a search function for geographic and planetary features, and the ability to email or tweet screen shots, or post them to Facebook, and sells at a much lower price. I can recommend both of these apps.

As an interactive e-book, Solar System provides a useful and engaging overview of the Sun, planets, moons, and other solar system bodies. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the 3D rotatable spheres are skillfully designed. The text provides a solid if somewhat succinct introduction to each world, covering important aspects of the object. It doesn't include any outside links, but should nonetheless inspire students to do their own research.

More iPad App Reviews:

??? Solar System (for iPad)
??? Solar Walk (for iPad)
??? iHeartRadio (for iPad)
??? Temple Run 2 (for iPad)
??? 3D Brain (for iPad)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/6OjSaxoc6bY/0,2817,2414734,00.asp

f/a 18 f 18 crash virginia tenebrae the lake house petrino arkansas roy williams matt lauer

Do You Know More Information About Wealth Building For Personal ...

With real estate, you typically buy a property and then make money through selling it eventually for a much higher value than its purchase price or becoming a landlord and letting the property.? One of the advantages of real estate investing is using the principle of leverage to buy an asset that you otherwise couldn?t afford.

Even already rich people have a problem obeying this principle and can sometimes end up broke as a result. So, only gratify your non-essential desires if you can do so without spending more than nine-tenths of your earnings. Wealth building requires discipline and self-control. You must continue to save one-tenth of what you bring in no matter what. This is the key to building some capital which you can then use to invest. Find something that you love to do and that solves the needs of a target market. Then sell that product or service through relentless marketing and sales. Create efficient systems to sell more, more often. And work towards growing the value of your business by making it less dependent on you so that you can eventually sell it to a new owner. Paying debts down fast and taking care of family and friends is also essential and will increase your ability to earn money.

Seek the advice of those experienced in the profitable handling of money and be wary of following friends and relatives into so-called investment opportunities. Educate yourself and research your investments thoroughly before parting with your hard-earned money. Whatever investment options you pick, you should understand that each has its own time line from start to finish that needs to be followed to fruit-ration. There is no shortcut for this. Every option has a process that needs to be followed through. If you know more information about wealth building, we can have this topic through dedicated servers or buy domain name in domain shop.

Source: http://freefinancearticles.info/do-you-know-more-information-about-wealth-building-for-personal-finance

levon helm firelight world peace elbow kevin love think like a man world peace world peace lakers

ParknPool Heads into New Year with Five Account Managers

As the leading online and catalog distributor of commercial grade furnishings and site amenities such as picnic tables, park benches, bleachers and playgrounds, it is important for ParknPool to have the knowledgeable staff available to answer the many questions of their existing and potential clients. Along with the launch of their new website, ParknPool has also made some changes in their staff.

Lexington, VA (PRWEB) January 25, 2013

For the first time in ParknPool?s history, they headed into the New Year with five account managers instead of the standard four. With an expectation of a rise of sales, both online and by phone, it became necessary to add a fifth account manager.

As the leading online and catalog distributor of commercial grade furnishings and site amenities such as picnic tables, park benches, bleachers and playgrounds, it is important for ParknPool to have the knowledgeable staff available to answer the many questions of their existing and potential clients. They take pride in their customer service abilities and have used this skill to set them apart from their competitors. Ryan McClure, ParknPool?s newest account manager, began his career with ParknPool as the customer service representative. Ryan, who is originally from New Jersey, moved to Lexington, VA at a very young age and is excited for the opportunity he has been given to help clients. ?I am looking forward to the 2013 season as an account manager, I can?t wait to begin building my client list and helping others with their purchases,? explained Ryan.

Gilmore Ayres, like Ryan, began his career in the customer service position and was promoted to an account manager position in 2012. Gil is a Lexington, VA native and enjoys spending time outdoors as well as selling outdoor furniture. ?I used 2012 as a year to gain the knowledge needed in order to fully educate my clients throughout the entire buying process. I am excited to use that knowledge as we head into 2013,? stated Gil. According to the National Park Service of Great Falls, ?Gil?s knowledge of your products, professionalism and willingness to ensure customer satisfaction was and is appealing to our organization. Your customer service is very consistent.? As the most experienced account manager, Tammy Bryant came to ParknPool from the health care profession. Her experience and heart for helping people are exhibited to all of her clients. ?I enjoy helping each and every phone call and online visitor that makes their way to my desk. It is rewarding to receive pictures of an area that I helped to furnish,? said Tammy when asked what she liked most about being a ParknPool account manager. ?Working with Tammy on all of our outdoor projects has been a joy! She?s very customer service oriented and goes above and beyond to make my job (and hers) as easy as possible,? stated Fox River Resort in response to a client survey.

As an Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Chris Lopez, has been an account manager at ParknPool for the better part of a year. ?Chris answered all my questions and was very helpful in the entire process. I look forward to doing business with him and your company again,? complimented RPI Design Goods. Chris enjoys applying the variety of skills he learned while being in the armed forces to help his clients. ?After coming to ParknPool by way of the military, it is definitely a much more relaxed environment to work in. All of my clients are great to deal with,? explained Chris. As one of ParknPool?s leading account managers, Sarah Dudley is originally from Lexington, VA and though she moved away for a brief time, is now back in the area. When asked what she enjoys about her job, she excitedly remarked, ?It?s important, at the end of the day, that you take pride in what you do on a daily basis. It?s not every day that I get to truly make a difference but when the occasion arises, it makes it all worthwhile. After helping to save a Tennessee high school homecoming with bleachers, Sarah was complimented with this remark by the White House Heritage High School Booster Club, ?Sarah was responsive and cared about our school and community ? we couldn?t have achieved our goal without her!?

Educating and serving their clients, is very important to ParknPool and they are excited with the account managers that they have in place to further exceed expectations and enhance earnings. For more information on ParknPool visit http://www.parknpool.com to view their complete product line. To learn more about their friendly staff go to their Our Team Page on the website or call 877.777.3700.

About ParknPool Corporation:

ParknPool is a Veteran Owned SBE/WBE Company and is the leading online supplier of commercial grade furniture and site amenities such as picnic tables, trash receptacles, park benches, bleachers and playgrounds. ParknPool was founded in 1998 in Orlando, FL and moved their headquarters to Lexington, VA in 2005.

Laura Dudley
ParknPool
877-777-3700
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/parknpool-heads-five-account-managers-173656120.html

sacagawea new hope baptist church associated press foster friess new orleans hornets ghost rider spirit of vengeance hornets

Deal signed to clear Myanmar debt, allow new loans

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- The World Bank on Sunday announced a long-awaited deal to allow Myanmar to clear part of its huge decades-old foreign debt, opening the door for new much-needed lending to jump-start its lagging economy.

The bank's Washington headquarters announced in a statement that the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the country's overseas development bank, will provide a bridge loan to Myanmar to allow it to cover outstanding debt to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, which totals about $900 million.

Myanmar stopped payments on its old loans about 1987, making it ineligible for new development lending.

The deal is a major breakthrough for Myanmar, with loans likely to go to upgrading its dilapidated infrastructure, including electricity and ports. The knock-on effect would be to bring in more foreign direct investment, already attracted by the country's relatively low-cost economy.

The deal is also likely to draw criticism, because it comes as Myanmar's army is pushing hard against ethnic Kachin rebels in the country's north, in an echo of the notorious counterinsurgency campaigns of previous military regimes.

A former general, Thein Sein, became the country's elected president in 2011 and began reversing almost five decades of military repression by instituting political and economic reforms.

He won the substantial easing of economic and political sanctions imposed against the junta by the United States and other nations. But some pro-democracy activists say his administration has been rewarded too much, too fast, allowing some abuses to continue, such as repression of ethnic minorities.

The World Bank had already made some exceptions to providing new aid.

In November, it approved an $80 million project to provide $25,000 grants to villages in 15 townships across the country, where community councils will identify the kind of help they want, such as roads, bridges, irrigation systems, schools, health clinics or rural markets. The bank reopened its office in Myanmar in August last year.

The bank was able to act because President Barack Obama earlier lifted a long-standing U.S. restriction on international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, lending to Myanmar after Congress passed legislation enabling that step. It was one in a series of steps by Washington to reward the Southeast Asian country for its democratic reforms.

The World Bank statement did not detail the mechanics of the new deal to clear the debt arrears.

It did say the bank's board on Jan. 22 approved a $440 million "Reengagement and Reform Support Credit to Myanmar."

It said the credit would support "critical reforms being implemented by the Government to strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve public financial management and improve the investment climate."

It added that its proceeds would "also help the Government meet its foreign exchange needs, including repaying (the) bridge loan" and that there are currently discussions with the government to identify priority needs.

Separately, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank announced it would extend a $512 million loan to Myanmar under the same sort of arrangement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation ,

"Myanmar has come a long way in its economic transformation, undertaking unprecedented reforms to improve people's lives, especially the poor and vulnerable," the statement quoted the World Bank's Myanmar Country Director Annette Dixon as saying.

"Much work remains to be done. We are committed to helping the government accelerate poverty reduction and build shared prosperity. The Bank's engagement, together with the ADB, the Government of Japan and other partners, will help attract investment, spur growth and create jobs."

Myanmar had run up $8.4 billion in debt during the socialist regime of the late Gen. Ne Win between 1962 and 1988, and $2.61 billion of debt after a new military junta took over in 1988, making for a total of just more than $11 billion.

The largest creditor before 1988 was Japan, with loans of $6.39 billion, and the biggest post-1988 creditor was China, with $2.13 billion.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/deal-signed-clear-myanmar-debt-160942489.html

andy whitfield kennedy demi moore roy oswalt kevin martin 2012 senior bowl chuck series finale

Canada's Dextre robot refuels faux satellite from the ISS in first-of-a-kind test

Move over, Canadarm. You may have helped the space shuttle fleet repair the Hubble Telescope and build the International Space Station, but there's another robotic tool that's the apple of the Great White North's eye. Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency's dual-armed mechanical "handyman," has successfully refueled a faux satellite from the ISS as part of NASA's and the CSA's joint Robotic Refueling Mission. Not only did the exercise demonstrate how satellites could be juiced up in space and have their lives extended, but the CSA says it's a first for the history books, to boot. Since 2011, Dextre completed a trio of tests to show how it could service satellites that weren't built for being pried opened in space. Late this week, NASA and CSA robotics controllers removed two safety caps from a washing machine-sized mock satellite, snipped two sets of retaining wires and pumped in a bit of ethanol. Sure, you could take a Frankenstein-like approach and cobble together new satellites from old ones, but Dextre's trials indicate there's promise for a proactive tactic that would keep existing hardware humming.

Show full PR text

Dextre Successfully Refuels Mock Satellite and Aces a Major Test for Space Robotics

Longueuil, Quebec, January 25, 2013 - Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency's robotic "handyman" on board the International Space Station (ISS), made space history last night by successfully refueling a mock satellite on the exterior of the station. Topping off the satellite's fuel tank was the pivotal task in the experimental Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to demonstrate how robots could service and refuel satellites on location in space to extend their useful lifetime.

For RRM, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center designed a module simulating a satellite, as well as custom power tools for Dextre. Since RRM operations began in 2011, Dextre has performed three series of tests to show how a robot could service satellites, which were designed never to be opened in space. In this latest set of operations, Dextre removed two safety caps, cut through two sets of thin retaining wires, and finally transferred a small quantity of liquid ethanol into the washing machine-sized module. The latter maneuver was particularly tricky, since handling liquids in space required perfect precision to prevent dangerous leaks. The specialized tools built for the job allowed Dextre to seal the connections between the tool and the fuel valve to eliminate the possibility of leaks. Adding to the level of difficulty was the fuel hose itself, which adds additional forces that tend to pull Dextre's hands. It took the combined skills of the experienced NASA and CSA robotics controllers to pull off this first-of-a-kind space refueling demonstration successfully and without any mishap.

RRM is a significant step in pioneering robotic technologies and techniques in the field of satellite servicing-saving ailing space hardware by refueling or refurbishing them before they become space debris. The ability to refuel satellites in space could one day save satellite operators from the significant costs of building and launching new replacement satellites. With over 1100 active satellites currently operating in the near-Earth environment (many of them worth hundreds of millions of dollars), and an additional 2500 inactive satellites still orbiting around our planet, the savings could be substantial.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Canadian Space Agency

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/26/dextre-robotic-refuels-satellite/

isiah thomas passover easter recipes live free or die hard carlos pena amanda bynes arrested f 18

The USO Draws Hundreds of Troops and Their Families to "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" Screening at MCAS Miramar

The critically acclaimed Cartoon Network series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" along with its director Dave Filoni, producer Cary Silver and cast recently descended on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and entertained hundreds of servicemen and women with a special USO screening spectacular. Complete with a base tour, visit to the flight line, debut of a 25-minute exclusive episode and Q&A sessions with audience members followed by autograph signings, the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" USO visit with troops was a big success.

Arlington, VA (PRWEB) January 24, 2013

Among Those to Debut the Episodes Were Supervising Director Dave Filoni, Producer Cary Silver and Five Members of the Show?s Cast ? Including USO Tour Vet/Actor James Arnold Taylor

Twitter Pitch: @the_USO @TheClone Wars Screenings at @MCASMiramarCA a big hit, drawing hundreds of troops and their families!

The USO brought sci-fi, fantasy and animation to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar with its screening of the critically acclaimed Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Saturdays at 9:30am ET/PT). Joining the show?s supervising director Dave Filoni and producer Cary Silver to extend their gratitude and talk galactic battles were actors Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex, ?the clones and Bossk), Catherine Taber (voice of Padm? Amidala), James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi), Matt Lanter (voice of Anakin Skywalker) and Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano).***Link to video and photos below***

DETAILS:

• ????Attended by hundreds of troops and military families stationed at MCAS Miramar and surrounding bases, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars USO Screening consisted of two 25-minute episodes featuring an exclusive premiere, followed by a Q&A session and an autograph session.

• ????In the hours leading up to the screening, the group took a tour of MCAS Miramar and learned about military operations. The group also visited the MCAS Miramar flight line, where they spoke to pilots, explored military aircraft and posed for dozens of photos.
• ????The screening marked the second USO experience for Taylor, who traveled to Japan in 2009 and will be returning to the Pacific with the USO in March 2013, and the first for the remainder of the group.
• ????A diehard Star Wars fan, Filoni joined Lucasfilm Animation fresh from another touchstone fantasy franchise ? Nickelodeon?s ?Avatar: The Last Airbender,? for which he served as director. Filoni began his animation career working for Film Roman?s ?King of the Hill? as well as ?Mission Hill? and ?Oblongs.? From there, he moved onto Walt Disney Television Animation.
• ????Baker has built an extraordinary voice-acting career spanning more than two decades. Having worked extensively in television animation, and top videogames, his feature film credits include ?Dawn of the Dead,? ?Space Jam? and ?Happy Feet.? In addition to his work on Stars Wars: The Clone Wars, his voice can be heard on ?American Dad,? ?Ben 10: Alien Force,? "Phineas and Ferb," and ?Avatar: The Legend of Korra,? among others.
• ????Hailed as a geek goddess among the sci-fi, fantasy and gaming communities, Taber has appeared in numerous games, films and television projects including ?The Girls Room,? ?Just Like Heaven,? and ?Metal Gear Solid.? But her favorite roles have been In a galaxy far far away! In addition to The Clone Wars, she has portrayed memorable characters in ?Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,? ?The Force Unleashed I & II,? and ?The Old Republic.? In addition to her film career, in 2008 the Georgia native (and "Army brat") created Game For Soldiers, which collects donations of videogames and comic books that she sends to deployed soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• ????Known for his versatile vocal range, Taylor is one of the most sought-after voice-actors working today. Taylor is heard worldwide daily, having voiced promos for the Fox Broadcasting Network, national ad campaigns and some of today?s hottest video games. From Obi-Wan Kenobi to Fred Flintstone, Leonardo the Ninja Turtle to Johnny Test, Taylor is able to sound more than 150 difference voices.
• ????Slated to become one of the industry?s most desirable leading men, Lanter has appeared in such hit shows as ?Grey?s Anatomy,? ?CSI,? ?Heroes,? and ?Commander and Chief,? among others. In addition to lending his voice to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lanter currently stars in the popular CW hit ?90210? as Liam Court. Having starred in such major motion pictures as The Roommate and Disaster Movie, his recent film credits include ?A Chance of Rain? and ?Liars All? (both pending release).
• ????Born in Louisville, KY and raised in Orlando, FL, Eckstein made her television debut on ?JAG.? Since then, she has starred in ?Blue Collar TV,? ?Drake and Josh,? ?That?s So Raven,? ?Alice Upside Down? and ?Sydney White.? In addition to several hosting specials and videogames, Eckstein founded Her Universe, a merchandise line featuring fashionable, feminine apparel and accessories for female fans. Eckstein can currently be heard as the voice of ?Mia? the Bluebird on Disney Junior's new hit show ?Sofia The First.?

QUOTES:????

Attributed to Dave Filoni:

?To have the opportunity to entertain the families stationed at Miramar for a short while, and take them to our galaxy far, far away, was a real privilege. They do so much for us every day, it was an honor to be asked to do something for them.?

Attributed to Dee Bradley Baker:

"The stories we tell in "The Clone Wars" resonate in a special way with military fans. It's incredible to see! I've had officers serving in the Middle East tell me they love our show and how they've turned their platoon on to our show and the clones in particular. They are as into our show as anyone I've ever met! I've met with dads and their kids who show me the incredibly accurate clone armor they've made. It's such an honor to meet these folks and thank them for their service. The characters we portray in our show are heroic, but these service men and women are real heroes in my eyes and it's truly exciting to meet them and share their enthusiasm for Star Wars: The Clone Wars!"

Attributed to Catherine Taber:

?The USO event was amazing! From seeing the jets fly over, to sitting in the pilot seat of the Osprey, it was a fantastic time. But the best part of day and the heart of it all really, was meeting the servicemen and women, their families and the children and spouses of deployed soldiers. I hope they enjoyed the event as much as we did and know how truly grateful we are for their sacrifices. Thank you USO for making it happen!?

Attributed to James Arnold Taylor:

"As someone who has worked with the USO in the past, I was thrilled to combine forces with our Clone Wars cast and bring an event to our troops that was family-friendly and just plain fun! It's an honor to be a part of anything that supports our men and women of the U.S. Military."

Attributed to Matt Lanter:

I have such a fondness and supreme respect for our troops who protect our freedom and their families who endure. To be able to give back in a small way was such a privilege for me and I would love to continue supporting the USO however I can in the future.

Attributed to Ashley Eckstein:

It was truly an honor to have the opportunity to share Star Wars The Clone Wars with the troops and their families at MCAS Miramar. This was a very small way that we could say Thank You for the service that these amazing men and women provide for us everyday. The Force is Strong with MCAS Miramar!

MULTI-MEDIA:

Tour Photos: http://bit.ly/Y7og4V

Tour Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYAG8ixNJE&list=UUT7XEsWeo9V8VNblnZfj2Kw&index=1

USO Fact Sheet: http://bit.ly/yaebvo

###

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America?s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. All of our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President?s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, jcpenney, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe?s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.

Oname Thompson
USO
(703) 908-6471
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uso-draws-hundreds-troops-families-star-wars-clone-205228230.html

directv rashard lewis curacao curacao home run derby kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian

Mass Human Sacrifice? Pile of Ancient Skulls Found

Archaeologists have unearthed a trove of skulls in Mexico that may have once belonged to human sacrifice victims. The skulls, which date between A.D. 600 and 850, may also shatter existing notions about the ancient culture of the area.

The find, described in the January issue of the journal Latin American Antiquity, was located in an otherwise empty field that once held a vast lake, but was miles from the nearest major city of the day, said study co-author Christopher Morehart, an archaeologist at Georgia State University.

"It's absolutely remarkable to think about this little nothing on the landscape having potentially evidence of the largest mass human sacrifice in ancient Meso-America," Morehart said.

Middle of nowhere

Morehart and his colleagues were using satellite imagery to map ancient canals, irrigation channels and lakes that used to surround the kingdom of Teotihuacan (home to the Pyramid of the Sun), about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City. The vast ancient kingdom flourished from around A.D 200 to 650, though who built it remains a mystery. [In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World]

In a now drained lake called Lake Xaltocan, around which was essentially rural farmland at the time, Morehart stumbled upon a site with evidence of looting.

When the team investigated, they discovered lines of human skulls with just one or two vertebra attached. To date, more than 150 skulls have been discovered there. The site also contained a shrine with incense burners, water-deity figurines and agricultural pottery, such as corncob depictions, suggesting a ritual purpose tied to local farming. [See images from the grisly excavation ]

Carbon dating suggested that the skulls were at least 1,100 years old, and the few dozen analyzed so far are mostly from men, Morehart told LiveScience. The researchers did not release photos of the skulls because the sacrifice victims may have historic ties to modern-day indigenous cultures.

The findings shake up existing notions of the culture of the day, because the site is not associated with Teotihuacan or other regional powers, said Destiny Crider, an archaeologist at Luther College in Iowa, who was not involved in the study.

Human sacrifice was practiced throughout the region, both at Teotihuacan and in the later Aztec Empire, but most of those rituals happened at great pyramids within cities and were tied to state powers.

By contrast, "this one is a big event in a little place," Crider said.

The shrines and the fact that sacrifice victims were mostly male suggest they were carefully chosen, not simply the result of indiscriminate slaughter of a whole village, Crider told LiveScience.

Many researchers believe that massive drought caused the fall of Teotihuacan and ushered in a period of warfare and political infighting as smaller regional powers sprang up, Morehart said.

Those tumultuous times could have spurred innovative ? and bloody ? practices, Crider said.

"Maybe they needed to intensify their activities because everything was changing," she said. "When things are uncertain you try new strategies."

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.?

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-human-sacrifice-pile-ancient-skulls-found-152724186.html

revolution rosh hashanah rosh hashanah boardwalk empire iOS 6 Release Date Canelo Alvarez Chavez vs Martinez

Nutty Burgers | Active Vegetarian, Nutrition and Fitness Tips for Plant ...

These are delicious and?hugely?addicting vegan burgers. The seeds give the burgers a fantastic crunch and texture. You won?t be able to stop at just one?or two?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 2 cup mixed nuts and seeds walnuts ? almonds,walnuts, pumpkin seeds,flax seeds, sunflower seeds (soaked)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup ?fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons raw almond butter
• sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• water as needed to?form?patties

Directions?

• Pulse all?ingredients?in high-speed blender / food processor until the burgers are well combined, but still have ?chunky? texture.
• It is the easiest if you process the nuts/seeds and soft ingredients separately and only then blend together.
• Shape into burgers ? about 1 inch thick and 5 inches wide or as you like it.
• Could be eaten as is but ideally dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 8 hours (flip in the middle of the dehydrating process). You can also pan fry them with a bit of coconut oil.
• Serve on bed of greens & veggies or a bun.

Let us know what you think!

Zuzana & Nikki

Source: http://www.activevegetarian.com/nutty-burgers

sheryl sandberg superbowl recipes super bowl kick off chili recipes carlos condit diaz vs condit super bowl 2012 kickoff time

Billionaire investors square off on live TV

This photo combo of file photos shows Bill Ackman, left, of Pershing Square Capital Management, on Feb. 6, 2012, in Toronto, and financier Carl Icahn, on Feb. 7, 2006, in New York. A long-simmering spat between billionaire investors Icahn and Ackman boiled over publicly on Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The two Wall Street titans, interviewed by phone simultaneously on CNBC, traded barbs about an old investment deal and on Ackman?s investment position in nutritional supplements distributor Herbalife Inc. (AP Photo/Pawel Dwulit, Shiho Fukada)

This photo combo of file photos shows Bill Ackman, left, of Pershing Square Capital Management, on Feb. 6, 2012, in Toronto, and financier Carl Icahn, on Feb. 7, 2006, in New York. A long-simmering spat between billionaire investors Icahn and Ackman boiled over publicly on Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The two Wall Street titans, interviewed by phone simultaneously on CNBC, traded barbs about an old investment deal and on Ackman?s investment position in nutritional supplements distributor Herbalife Inc. (AP Photo/Pawel Dwulit, Shiho Fukada)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A long-simmering spat between billionaire investors Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman boiled over into a shouting match on live television Friday.

The two Wall Street titans, interviewed by phone simultaneously on CNBC, traded barbs about an old investment deal and on Ackman's position in the nutritional supplements distributor Herbalife Inc.

Ackman was being interviewed by CNBC host Scott Wapner a day after Icahn made disparaging comments about him on Bloomberg Television. After Ackman had spoken about some of his current investment positions, Wapner interrupted the conversation to say that Icahn had called in and had a few points to make.

"I've really sort of had it with this guy Ackman," Icahn told CNBC. "He's like the crybaby in the school yard."

The two men then spent the best part of thirty minutes telling Wapner why they didn't much care for each other.

"This is not an honest guy, this is not a guy who keeps his word," Ackman said. "This is a guy who takes advantage of little people."

The animosity between the two men dates back to at least 2003, when Icahn bought a stake in Hallwood Realty Partners from Ackman's former fund Gotham Partners. Icahn paid $80 a share for that investment and, according to Ackman, agreed to pay a portion of any future profit to Ackman's fund.

Icahn referred to the clause as "schmuck insurance," and refused to pay up when Hallwood was acquired a year later for $136 a share, according to Ackman's version of events.

Ackman then sued Icahn on behalf of his investors and won. He says that Icahn then called him, congratulated him on winning his claim and said he wanted to be his friend. Ackman declined the invitation.

"Carl Icahn does not have a good reputation for being a handshake guy," said Ackman.

That version of events, in particular the claim that he wanted to be Ackman's friend, is disputed by Icahn. He also said that he had helped Icahn "out of a jam," when he bought the stake in Hallwood.

"To get the record straight, I never asked Ackman to be my friend," Icahn told CNBC. "Quite to the contrary, Ackman has stated to me on more than one occasion that it's a shame we are not friends because then he could have invested with me."

One of Ackman's recent big bets is on Herbalife.

In December, the hedge fund manager said that the nutritional supplements distributor was a pyramid scheme and that he was taking a short position in the stock. Short-sellers make money when the stock they're betting against declines.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television Thursday, Icahn had said it was no secret that he neither liked nor respected Ackman and he didn't like how he had approached his short position in Herbalife, "getting a room full of people to bad mouth the company."

Icahn refused to comment on whether he held a position in Herbalife, but speculation is rife that he bought a stake in a bet against his old adversary.

Despite the ongoing fight with his rival, Icahn has reason to be cheerful this week.

Less than five months ago, the investor decided to go against the grain and make a big investment in the Internet video service Netflix, at a time when most investors were spurning the company.

Icahn bought a stake of almost 10 percent in Netflix for $324 million. The value of that stake has already almost tripled to $941 million after Netflix's stock surged this week, when the company reported an unexpected profit and an influx of 2 million U.S. subscribers to its service.

___

AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-25-Billionaire%20Battle/id-2c4aa6e03b514b02914cce66ff1a2a40

east of eden weather radio indiana autoimmune disease news channel 9 insanity workout mass effect 3 launch trailer