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Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friend: Md. man held in shooting plot gentle giant
This image provided by by Mike Cochran shows Neil E. Prescott in an undated photo. Cochran, a friend of Prescott, says the Maryland man accused of threatening to shoot up his workplace is a "gentle giant" who collected weapons and had expressed concerns about break-ins near his apartment complex. Cochran tells The Associated Press on Saturday, July 28, 2012, that he thinks Prescott did not intend for his comments to be taken seriously. Cochran says Prescott was known for having a sarcastic sense of humor. (AP Photo/Mike Cochran)
This image provided by by Mike Cochran shows Neil E. Prescott in an undated photo. Cochran, a friend of Prescott, says the Maryland man accused of threatening to shoot up his workplace is a "gentle giant" who collected weapons and had expressed concerns about break-ins near his apartment complex. Cochran tells The Associated Press on Saturday, July 28, 2012, that he thinks Prescott did not intend for his comments to be taken seriously. Cochran says Prescott was known for having a sarcastic sense of humor. (AP Photo/Mike Cochran)
This undated handout photo provided by the Prince George's, Md. County Police shows weapons found in the possession of a suspect who they say was plotting a shooting in his workplace. Police in Maryland say a man who called himself "a joker" and threatened to shoot up his workplace was in the process of being fired. Police say the 28-year-old man was taken into custody Friday morning. Investigators said he was wearing a T-shirt that said "Guns don't kill people. I do." He was taken into custody for an emergency mental health evaluation and charges are pending. (AP Photo/Prince George's County Police)
Prince George's County, Md. Police Chief Mark Magaw answers questions at the Prince George's County Police Headquarters in Palmer Park, Md., Friday, July 27, 2012, after a news conference to discuss a suspect who police say was plotting a shooting in his workplace. A Maryland man calling himself "a joker" is accused of threatening to shoot up the business from which he was about to be fired and was wearing a T-shirt that read "Guns don't kill people. I do," when he first talked to officers who arrested him, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Prince George's County, Md. Police Chief Mark Magaw speaks at a news conference at the Prince George's County Police Headquarters in Palmer Park, Md., Friday, July 27, 2012, to discuss a suspect who police say was plotting a shooting in his workplace. A Maryland man calling himself "a joker" is accused of threatening to shoot up the business from which he was about to be fired and was wearing a T-shirt that read "Guns don't kill people. I do," when he first talked to officers who arrested him, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Prince George's County Police Chief Mark Magaw listens at left as Deputy Chief Henry Stawinski, with the Bureau of Forensic Science and Intelligence, speaks at a news conference at the Prince George's County Police Headquarters in Palmer Park, Md., Friday, July 27, 2012, to discuss a suspect who they say was plotting a shooting in his workplace. Police in Maryland say a man who called himself "a joker" and threatened to shoot up his workplace was in the process of being fired. Police say the 28-year-old man was taken into custody Friday morning. Investigators said he was wearing a T-shirt that said "Guns don't kill people. I do." He was taken into custody for an emergency mental health evaluation and charges are pending. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? To his friends, Neil E. Prescott was a "gentle giant" ? a physically towering young man with a background in computers and electronics and a sarcastic, even biting, sense of humor that people close to him knew to shrug off as innocuous.
But police say they had no choice but to take it seriously when Prescott threatened to shoot up his workplace and referred to himself as "a joker," comments that raised particular alarm in the wake of last week's mass shooting at a Colorado theater during the latest Batman movie. The man accused in those shootings dyed his hair reddish-orange, and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said the man called himself the Joker ? a reference to Batman's nemesis.
Prescott, 28, was taken into custody early Friday at his apartment in Maryland, where officers found several thousand rounds of ammunition and a cache of about two dozen weapons including semi-automatic rifles and pistols. He was receiving an emergency psychiatric evaluation at a hospital and had not been charged as of Saturday afternoon.
Two friends told The Associated Press Saturday that they couldn't imagine that Prescott, who was in the process of being fired or already had lost his job, intended to be taken seriously when he allegedly told a supervisor: "I'm a joker and I'm gonna load my guns and blow everybody up."
"Neil's the kind of guy who had the ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and not mean anything by it. So to him, he thinks it's funny," said Wesley Weber, who said his friend, at 6 feet 7 inches, was a "gentle giant" prone to bouts of exaggeration and inappropriate jokes who "talked big but didn't walk the walk."
"He has the ability," Weber added, "to say things that could be taken out of context."
Another friend, Mike Cochran, said Prescott has a history of wearing T-shirts with sarcastic, provocative and even inflammatory messages and is "no stranger to sarcasm regardless of political correctness." When first approached by officers, police say, Prescott was wearing a shirt that said "Guns don't kill people. I do."
"The Neil I know made those comments sarcastically in an environment where he felt he could make them without being taken seriously," Cochran said in an email.
Friends say that over the years, Prescott had shown deep interest in hobbies like such as computer software, electronics and ham radio. His clique of friends at one time gathered at parties to play multi-player video games and consume the highly caffeinated Jolt cola, Weber recalled. A sometime disc jockey, he'd also spin house music at Baltimore nightclubs and was the DJ for Cochran's bachelor party in 2005.
In recent years, though, he'd cultivated a passion for collecting firearms. He'd practice his shot at the training range, friends said, and communicate online with fellow gun enthusiasts about the ins and outs of firearm equipment and gun laws. At least some of the firearms recovered from his apartment in Crofton, near Annapolis, appear to have been legally owned, authorities said.
A search for Neil Prescott on a website that tracks users' online activities led to a profile that appears to be him on mdshooters.com, a website for Maryland gun hobbyists. On it, he trades advice about firearms with a display of technical know-how while at times expressing concern about break-ins near his apartment and detailing interactions with the police.
Cochran, who also posts on the site, said he doesn't know when Prescott started his gun collection but that he had been anxious about home invasions. He said he received one message from Prescott last November that said, "Might be sleeping in tomorrow, just had a suspicious male at my door. Notified PD but am gonna be lookin out tonight. Some crazy breakins near me recently."
In March, he provoked a spirited back-and-forth on the site when he complained that two police officers responding to a possible break-in at a nearby apartment "told me never to answer the door on my own property carrying." He said he called a sergeant to complain about the directive.
Last week, he was still on the site, talking with fellow users about 30-round magazines and boasting about his night-vision goggles.
"During the power outage i spent lots of time loading mags and mounting lights, when the zombie apocalypse comes i'll be ready," he wrote.
Maryland state court records for Prescott list only a speeding ticket in 2007. It wasn't immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
Police say Prescott, an employee of a subcontractor for software and mailroom supplier Pitney Bowes, made the threats during two Monday morning phone conversations with a supervisor. The supervisor, who declined to comment Saturday to a reporter who came to his house, said the comments made him afraid, especially because he was aware of Prescott's weapons' cache.
Prescott at one point said he wished to see his supervisor's "brain splatter all over the sidewalk," but also acknowledged that he shouldn't be saying such things over the phone, according to a search warrant applications. The threats were reported to the police, who paid an initial visit to Prescott's apartment on Thursday before taking him into custody Friday morning.
Cochran said he's known Prescott since 2001, when they were colleagues at a technical support outsourcing company. He said Prescott was a network engineer.
"With his skill set and education he would have had no problems finding other work with good pay. Neil did not at any point indicate to me that he had problems with where he was working," Cochran wrote.
Pitney Bowes spokeswoman Carol Wallace said Prescott had not been on any company property in at least four months. It wasn't clear why he was losing his job.
Weber said he thought the remark was inappropriate, but that it was bound to receive more attention now than it may have years ago, especially one week after the Colorado shooting.
"We live in a different world now," he said.
___
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://twitter.com/etuckerAP
___
Associated Press writer Brian Witte and AP researcher Judith Ausuebel contributed to this report.
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
Microsoft kicked off public beta for 2012 Xbox Live update, but quickly ran out of space
And just like that, it was all over. Shortly after the well-known, always-informative Major Nelson announced that this year's upcoming Xbox Live update had officially opened its beta doors to the public, he soon followed up with a note saying it was already "full and no longer accepting sign-ups." For the lucky ones, though, the public beta will give them early access to a slew of anticipated Xbox Live features, such as personalized dashboard recommendations, improved category / discovery features and, best of all, a look at Internet Explorer on Microsoft's entertainment console. Sadly, Major Nelson didn't say whether or not there's going to be more spaces opening up soon, but we'll keep you in the loop if anything changes.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Software
Microsoft kicked off public beta for 2012 Xbox Live update, but quickly ran out of space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Friday, July 27, 2012
Trustees: Sanctions better than football ban
Penn State's trustees may not like the NCAA's unprecedented sanctions against the university's football program, but they say the alternative ? the so-called "death penalty" ? would have been worse.
In their first joint statement since Penn State was hit with a $60 million fine, a four-year bowl game ban, reduced football scholarships and the forfeiture of 112 wins, trustees said Wednesday the NCAA punishment was "unfortunate" and "difficult."
University spokesman David La Torre said the potential for a four-year ban on playing football was floated during discussions between Penn State President Rodney Erickson and NCAA officials.
The trustees met with Erickson on the subject at a State College hotel Wednesday and afterward issued their statement.
The penalty hasn't been used since the NCAA suspended Southern Methodist University for the 1987 season. SMU then sat out the '88 season on its own and has never fully recovered its status in college football.
Reporters were barred from the conference room where the Penn State trustees met, and trustees avoided them after the meeting broke up.
The potential for a four-year ban, first reported by ESPN, showed how high the stakes were as college sports' governing body considered how to respond to an internal school investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh that found former coach Joe Paterno and three other top college officials helped conceal reports that Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach, was abusing children.
NCAA president Mark Emmert said this week that if a total football ban had been imposed, other penalties would have accompanied it.
"If the death penalty were to be imposed, I'm quite sure that the executive committee and I ... would not have agreed to just the death penalty. It would have included other penalties as well," Emmert said as the sanctions were unveiled.
An NCAA spokeswoman declined further comment Wednesday on negotiations with Penn State.
Many alumni and some trustees were incensed over the unprecedented NCAA penalty ? which likely will cripple Penn State's football team for years to come ? and Penn State's quick acceptance of it.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday that Gov. Tom Corbett said the penalties imposed on Penn State "go well beyond" those with responsibility for the handling of the sex abuse allegations against Sandusky.
"What's important to note is the kids that are up there right now, whether they are students or the student-athletes, the members of that team or the members of any other team, had nothing to do with this. Nothing," Corbett said. "And they are the ones that, unfortunately, are bearing the brunt of this. And that's what I find difficult."
A person with knowledge of the trustees' meeting said earlier Wednesday that trustees were to discuss whether Erickson had the authority to agree to the sanctions without first getting the board's approval. The person was not authorized to discuss the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some trustees had expressed concern that Erickson may have violated a board rule that says the board must authorize the signing of "contracts, legal documents, and other obligations."
The board statement made no reference to the propriety of what Erickson had done, saying trustees held a discussion but did not take any votes.
"The board finds the punitive sanctions difficult and the process with the NCAA unfortunate," the statement said. "But as we understand it, the alternatives were worse as confirmed by NCAA President Mark Emmert's recent statement that Penn State was likely facing a multi-year death sentence."
La Torre said Wednesday that Erickson had authority to act without the approval of the full board.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trustees-sanctions-better-football-ban-074204447--spt.html
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Jeb Bush wants Romney to choose Rubio for VP (The Arizona Republic)
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Michael Jackson's Family Claims His Will Was Forged
Several of the King of Pop's siblings, including Janet, allege their mother suffered a 'mini-stroke' as a result of stress from legal issues.
By John Mitchell
Marlon Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson, and Tito Jackson
Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1690102/michael-jackson-family-claims-will-forged.jhtml
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Friday, July 20, 2012
U.S. banks haunted by mortgage demons that won't go away
(Reuters) - Lenders like Bank of America Corp and Wells Fargo & Co say they are facing mounting pressure to buy back bad mortgages they sold to investors, signaling that banks' home-loan headaches could continue for years.
Investors like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been pressing banks to buy back bad mortgages for years, but in recent months those requests have intensified, the banks have said in recent second-quarter earnings reports.
These comments from banks provide a fresh reminder of the loose ends that remain from the housing bust that started five years ago. The threat of new expenses and litigation is dampening bank share prices, and the problem could linger for some time, analysts and experts said.
"This is not done yet," said Paul Miller, analyst with FBR Capital Markets. "There will be continued surprises in the industry."
The most pain will likely be felt by Bank of America, which said on Wednesday its total outstanding claims from investors surged more than 40 percent to about $22 billion in the second quarter. The bank's shares fell nearly 5 percent as investors worried about future losses and dropped again on Thursday.
At a time of low interest rates, U.S. banks are making many new loans to borrowers buying homes and refinancing, but anxiety about the costs of old loans is overshadowing some of this success.
During the housing boom in the last decade, banks parceled billions of dollars of loans into highly-structured residential mortgage-backed securities they then sold off to investors. The buyers of these loans included the now-government controlled agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as private investors.
When selling the mortgages, banks made promises or "representations and warranties" about the loans. Investors can ask banks to buy back soured mortgages if these promises were evidently broken, for reasons such as poor underwriting, insufficient verification of income or other documentation errors.
Banks have fought some of these claims, but most lenders still expect to have to buy back many of the mortgages.
Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank, faces the biggest threat from repurchase requests because in 2008 it bought subprime lender Countrywide Financial, a major producer of toxic loans during the housing boom. Its mortgage unit has posted more than $30 billion of losses since the beginning of 2010.
About half of the bank's claims are from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were placed in government conservatorship in 2008 as their loan losses ballooned.
Tensions are so high between Bank of America and Fannie Mae that the bank stopped selling some loans to the agency in February. According to a securities filing, Bank of America had the most outstanding repurchase requests with Fannie as of March 31 - $7.1 billion, or 58 percent of outstanding claims.
The bank, in its earnings presentation, said Fannie Mae's repurchase standards have been changing and differ from the bank's interpretation of its contracts. The bank, for example, has noted an increase in claims on loans in which the borrowers have made payments for at least two years.
Bank of America argues that when borrowers have made payments for two years or more, it is hard to fault the bank's underwriting instead of, for example, the state of the economy.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said they are looking out for U.S. taxpayers in making their claims. Fannie, for example, has said it may need more funds from the U.S. Treasury if it collects less than expected from Bank of America.
"Under our contracts, lenders are required to repurchase loans that are delivered to Fannie Mae but do not meet our standards," Fannie spokesman Andrew Wilson said. "We pursue repurchases in order to minimize losses and protect the interest of taxpayers."
Freddie Mac doesn't think taxpayers should have to pay for ineligible loans sold to the agency, said spokesman Michael Cosgrove. The top three reasons for Freddie claims against banks are problems with borrowers' income, loans that don't meet the bank's automated underwriting standards and problems with collateral or appraisals, he said. Freddie does not disclose claims by each bank.
ADDING TO RESERVES
Banks, including Wells Fargo and PNC Financial Services Group Inc said they expect to have to pay investors more than they previously thought, and they set aside additional funds to cover the requests. Fifth Third Bancorp on Thursday said it expects claims to increase later this year.
Wells Fargo, the biggest U.S. mortgage lender, set aside $669 million to cover repurchases, up from $242 million a year ago when it posted second quarter earnings last week.
"We want to make sure that we have got that reserve absolutely accrued for appropriately," Wells Chief Financial Officer Tim Sloan said in a conference call with analysts. "We saw the agencies continuing to adjust their requests."
PNC added $438 million to its reserves, up from $21 million a year ago.
Bucking the trend was JPMorgan Chase & Co, which said claims had reached an "inflection point" and were declining.
In addition to a jump in requests from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Bank of America said it is getting more claims from private investors who want to meet statute of limitations requirements. These claimants weren't part of an $8.5 billion settlement the bank reached last year with major institutional investors.
For the second quarter, Bank of America added $395 million to its repurchase reserves, which was more than the first quarter but way down from the $14 billion it set aside a year ago to cover the $8.5 billion settlement and other repurchase requests.
The bank now has about $16 billion in reserves to cover these claims, but FBR Capital Markets analyst Paul Miller wrote in a research note on Wednesday that the bank may not be putting enough aside to cover its future losses. Bank officials later called him to argue that they have sufficient reserves, he said.
The bank gave him a very strong argument, but he hasn't changed his mind, Miller said. "I have my opinion. They have their opinion," he said.
Bank spokesman Jerry Dubrowksi said the bank's calculations take into account the fact that collateral backs about half of its $22 billion in outstanding claims. In addition, the bank has historically paid out 8 to 12 cents on the dollar for the remaining balance for settlements with private investors, he said.
The bank on Wednesday said it is not possible to "reasonably" estimate the possible losses to Freddie Mac and Fannie. It did not change its estimate that losses to private investors could cost $5 billion more than existing reserves.
"We have significant reserves to handle potential representations and warranties claims," Dubrowski said.
Industrywide, repurchase requests may be near their peak, but are likely to remain a concern for at least another year or two, said Cliff Rossi, a teaching fellow at the University of Maryland's business school and a former bank executive.
"We are certainly not through it," he said. "It's another thing to give uncertainty to investors."
(Additional reporting by Michelle Conlin in New York; Editing by Eric Meijer)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-banks-haunted-mortgage-demons-wont-away-014600534--sector.html
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Thursday, July 19, 2012
96% First Position
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (2)
A number of the performances are plain stunning - Aran and Joan, in particular, seem born to move - and in many ways watching the movie is like watching a sporting event; there are winners and losers and favorites to cheer on.
It's an intense journey, and Kargman captures it all, down to the dancers' bloodied and bruised feet.
Yes, it is possible to create a gripping documentary about the ballet world without resorting to "Black Swan" melodramatics.
Because its subjects are so driven and so talented, "First Position," which is about ballet, is more gripping than the norm.
It's in the quick audience-reaction shots of the young dancers' exultant parents and cringing private instructors that the movie finds its most nakedly human moments.
The film shows the grueling work it takes for young dancers like Zamora to look effortless on stage, and First Position shows teachers who range from supportive to borderline abusive.
Far from the dutiful progeny of "Dance Moms," these are individuals of uncommon skill, self-knowledge, maturity and drive. They're the real deal. And so is First Position.
All of the dollars and expertise that produced this summer's blockbusters could never produce a spectacle as wondrous as 11-year-old Aran Bell dancing his heart out.
Kargman ... brings a welcome empathy to this programmatic film that follows six hopefuls as they compete in something called the Youth America Grand Prix, which we're told is the most comprehensive ballet competition in the world.
The children are almost unearthly in their agility and elegance -- until they remove their shoes, and reveal their all-too-human abrasions and injuries.
It's a wealth of material at odds with a scant running time and shallow focus.
When it's over, you won't remember so much about who won and who lost. Instead, what remains is the expression on a young dancer's face, reflected in a mirror: showing the joy of being in love with what you do.
What we experience is the overwhelming thrill of the competition and the true agony of defeat.
It could very well compete for Best Documentary at next year's Academy Awards.
For someone (like me) who has never been to a ballet, the talent of these teens and tweens is a revelation.
It's 'Spartacus' en pointe.
Inspiring documentary about hardworking young dancers.
Almost loses its sense of good taste entirely in the final act, straining to build suspense and shape heroes. The bias hangs a little ugly in an otherwise passable, somewhat enlightening effort.
The cookie cutter format Kargman uses in presenting her subjects may be unoriginal but a safe way to introduce the filmmaker to her new audience.
Child ballet dancer and former journalist Bess Kargman brings a dancer's passion and insight to her directorial debut, illuminating the addictive magic and fierce demands of a ballet dancer's life.
Really, all of the dancers' evident passion for their art is, well, spellbinding.
These kids are proud of their tights.
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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/first_position_2011/
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Motorola Defy Mini lands in Peru
Motorola Mobility has announced that the Motorola Defy Mini (see our hands-on) is now available in Peru. The Defy Mini is the little brother to the Defy and presents a more affordable option in the smartphone market.
The Defy Mini boasts a 600MHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM, 3MP rear-camera, VGA front-facing camera and a 3.2-inch display that is coated with Gorilla Glass to avoid scratching.
For everyone in the Peruvian market looking for a more affordable smartphone, the Defy Mini is now available from Claro Customer Service Centers and other authorized distributors. Pricing starts at S/. 329 with an 18-month contract but there are other plans for 6 and 12 month contracts. Full press release after the break.
Source: Motorola Mobility
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/3c_kF33Ydmc/story01.htm
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Aftermath of an Affair | URBANETTE Magazine
Learning that your partner has had an affair is one of the worst experiences a person could have, and about 65% of the time it ends the relationship. Affairs break the foundation of trust and honesty between the couples, and to some the trust is impossible to repair. But, truth be told, not all affairs will end in separation; recovery can be possible if the heart is strong enough to accept it.
The Aftermath
In the months after the affair, the emotional and mental turmoil to both partners will surely reach its peak. The sense of anger and betrayal felt by the cheated partner will definitely make rational thinking almost impossible. The guilt and remorse of the cheating partner might end up scarring them, and may make both people begin to loose hope of getting the lost trust back.
But this doesn?t have to be the case; if we let our emotions get the better of us then we might just as well throw everything out the window and forget everything. This kind of attitude will definitely lead to separation and forever losing the intimacy and romance that was once shared.
Recovery
The first step after the affair is recovery.?Both parties must be determined enough to give each other a chance at the relationship.
The first step of recovery is to totally end the affair; this includes cutting all ties with the person you had the affair with. This means communicating with them and letting them understand that you want to end it. Make sure that you block them on email, chat and Facebook, and tie up loose ends or you might be experiencing a lot of irritations from that person during the recovery stage.
The second step is the recovery of the cheated partner. He or she must cope with the anger and betrayal that has grown within their heart. They have to realize that all these ugly emotions will not be productive if they mean to recover from this situation. Once they gain complete control over their feelings, then they?ll be able to think straight and rationalize the situation clearly.
Honesty and Trust
The honesty and trust that serve as the foundation of the relationship was definitely broken during and after the affair. Once the crown of lies has been worn, the scars will never go away. It is true that after recovery between the couple, trust must be rebuilt in order to give the relationship a chance.
For the cheating partner, they must fully apologize for their betrayal. They must be sincere or else everything that you have worked for will come to naught. The cheated partner must come to grips with their emotions and accept the apology, keeping in mind the bond that was shared before the affair. It?s time to give trust a chance to mend the broken love.
Communication
Although affairs often happen simply because one partner was selfish, there is occasionally a reason why a partner will resort to having an affair. There may be something lacking in the relationship that they choose to look for it in another person. Both have to look into themselves and realize their contribution to the situation. It?s never the cheated partner?s?fault, so don?t let anyone convince you of that. Cheating is a cowardly action; one which has no real justification.?Each has to open the line of communication and share everything, from the smallest problem to the biggest issues concerning the relationship. Everything must be brought out into the open.
It?s important for the cheating partner to realize that trust will not be easy to earn back. They must give double effort in proving that they have truly mended their ways. The person must not give any reason for their partner to doubt them ? their actions, responses, routines and commitment; all have to be taken into consideration for the love relationship to mend.
May It Never Happen Again?
To avoid this situation in the future, the cheated partner must realize that there may be some things lacking in the relationship hence the reason for the affair. Both people must take time to communicate their need to their partner as to make sure that everything is provided and future affairs are avoided.
Recovery after an affair is truly a very hard thing to do. Rebuilding the trust which took months or years to build is not an easy task. Both individuals must give double effort into communication, trust and, most of all, acceptance for their relationship to work. The upside is that all relationships go through ups and downs, and if you can get through them as a couple, you just might find yourselves on the other side, even stronger than before.
?
Source: http://www.urbanette.com/the-aftermath-of-an-affair/
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Sunday, July 15, 2012
Facebook stock falls 3 pct for the week
NEW YORK (AP) ? Facebook's stock has had another down week.
It closed on Friday at $30.72, down 3.2 percent from a week ago. Since it went public in mid-May, the stock has been down for five weeks and up for three weeks. It's now 19 percent below its initial public offering price of $38.
Facebook Inc. began trading publicly in mid-May following one of the most anticipated stock offerings in history. The IPO priced at the top of a projected range that Facebook had already boosted just days earlier.
The stock had fallen sharply in the weeks following the IPO, going as low as $25.52.
Investors have been concerned about its ability to keep increasing revenue and make money from its growing mobile audience, though many analysts hold positive long-term opinions.
Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Facebook-stock-falls-3-pct-for-the-week-3705706.php
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Friday, July 13, 2012
RocFlavors: Adults can chill out with icy wine desserts (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Kelly Osbourne Tweets Black Eye Photo, Slams Delta Airlines
Kelly Osbourne is not too happy with Delta Airlines and she is letting everyone know about it. Let?s just say it involves a black eye and a jerk sitting in front of her. Oh yes this is some good shiz my friends. It was not the friendly skies for Kelly Osbourne the other night as she was attempting to make her way back to Los Angeles. The not so pleasant flight resulted in The Fashion Police co-host not only receiving a black eye but going on one heck of a Twitter rant about Delta Airlines. The trouble began when the passenger sitting in front of Kelly hit her in the face when reclining the seat. The action is what gave Osbourne the black eye. If that wasn?t bad enough the passenger in question allegedly began laughing about the incident. In a series of Tweets Kelly let her frustration with the whole situations be known. ?Really? The a**hole in front of me almost knocked me out putting her seat back Might get a black eye Im going2 kick her seat all the way to LA.? ?Why is it that when you hit your forehead you get a black eye?? ?After kicking [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/qyQsVhLyX20/
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Monday, July 9, 2012
China's premier warns of further economic slowdown
In this April 21, 2012 photo, people check a scale model of a housing project at a real estate fair in Nanjing, in eastern China's Jiangsu province. State media reported Sunday, July 8, 2012, that China's top economic official has ordered local officials to enforce rules aimed at cooling a surge in housing prices. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT
In this April 21, 2012 photo, people check a scale model of a housing project at a real estate fair in Nanjing, in eastern China's Jiangsu province. State media reported Sunday, July 8, 2012, that China's top economic official has ordered local officials to enforce rules aimed at cooling a surge in housing prices. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT
BEIJING (AP) ? China's economy faces "huge pressure" to slow further despite stimulus measures, Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday, damping hopes for a quick recovery from the deepest slump since the 2008 global financial crisis.
Companies and investors are closely watching the world's second-largest economy for signs of a further slowdown which could have global repercussions by hurting Chinese demand for goods from the United States, Europe and other struggling economies.
"The economy is running at a generally stable pace, but there is still huge pressure for it to go downward," the official Xinhua News Agency paraphrased Wen, the country's top economic official, as saying during a weekend visit to eastern China.
The government has cut interest rates twice in a month, reduced gasoline prices and promised more spending on low-cost housing and other public works to revive growth that fell to a nearly three-year low of 8.1 percent in the first quarter.
Despite that, forecasters expect data due out this week to show that growth fell as low as 7.3 percent in the second quarter.
The slowdown raises the risk of job losses and unrest at a politically awkward time for the ruling Communist Party. It is trying to enforce calm ahead of a once-a-decade handover of power to younger leaders.
In his weekend remarks, Wen said government measures to boost economic growth were showing results, Xinhua reported. "The economic slowdown is tending toward stability," Xinhua paraphrased him as saying.
The government is trying to reduce reliance on exports and investments to drive growth by boosting domestic consumption. Wen said that is Beijing's "fundamental standpoint" to improve the economy.
He said the government also is trying to diversify and promote stable export growth. The government has set a 10 percent growth target this year for trade, which the Commerce Ministry has said is achievable, barring unexpected setbacks in Europe or elsewhere.
Wen promised to "fine-tune economic policies," according to Xinhua, but no details or new initiatives were reported. He said the government will press ahead with changes in the tax system that should reduce the burden on many taxpayers, but gave no timetable.
On the same visit, Wen also vowed that the recent interest rate cut aimed at stimulating economic growth will not ignite a new bout of real estate speculation that would push up housing costs, state media said.
Wen ordered local officials on Saturday to enforce rules aimed at cooling a surge in housing prices and called for those who tried to evade curbs to be punished, Xinhua reported.
Wen also called for faster construction of affordable housing, saying that local authorities should facilitate the approval of land and improve the quality of construction by inviting all types of investors to participate in projects, Xinhua said.
Wen said regulation of the housing market is still at a "critical moment" and described the task as "tough," it said. The measures to control the market include limits on home purchases and high down payments to qualify for mortgages.
The controls have helped push prices slightly lower over the past year but they remain near record-high levels. A nine-month decline ended in June, when the average home price in 100 major cities rose 0.05 percent from a month earlier, Xinhua reported, citing data from the China Index Academy.
Surging housing costs have fueled political tensions. The rise in real estate prices was driven in part by a large amount of government stimulus spending and bank lending pumped into the economy after the 2008 crisis.
On Thursday, China's central bank cut the interest rate on one-year loans by 0.31 percentage points to 6 percent. It said banks will be allowed to offer discounts to borrowers of up to 30 percent below that benchmark, an increase from the 20 percent discount previously allowed.
In an unusual step, the central bank also called on banks to control mortgage lending. That suggested authorities are worried about a possible resurgence in real estate speculation as they try to stimulate industrial activity and job creation.
___
Associated Press writer Joe McDonald contributed to this report.
Associated PressSaturday, July 7, 2012
Handprints on the Wall - 1st Blogiversary!
Woooo! ?One year of science-art!
It?s the Scientific American Blog Network?s 1st blogiversary, and it?s time to celebrate.
Happy 1st Blogiversary to all #SciAmBlogs! And to us. We're totally eatin' that cherry cheesecake right there.
Here?s a bit of what we were up to this past year:
- 106 posts, average 8.83 posts a month
- Featured 143 different artists (+/-), with links in our Scumble and Buzz posts to dozens more
- Artwork by members of 4 different species
- 280+ comments on the blog, a lot of conversation on Facebook, Twitter and G+.
- Helped prompt major change in Pinterest?s Terms of Service through copyright discussion
- Exposed the Incredible Hulk
- Generally partied like rockstars with other science-art rockstars (?please sort out only the raw umber M&M?s, I loathe the burnt sienna ones??)
Expect to see a post in coming days indexing everything we?ve posted so far!
But that?s not all.
Put your handprint on the cave wall! Or um, comment instead!
We want to hear from you! ?Time to put your handprint on the Symbiartic cave wall!
In the tradition of?Ed Yong?s annual?Who Are You? Kalliopi and Glendon (that?s us!) would like to know more about our readers.
In the comments below or on?Twitter, let us know?
1. Who are you? Pseudonyms and anonymous commenters welcome!
2. What do you do?
3. How?d you find Symbiartic?
4. What kind of science-art do you like? Paleo-art, infographics, bioart, comics, scientific illustration, fine art history or some crazy thing like a?fractal pie?
Those questions are just suggestions: paint us a picture, mm-kay?
Team Symbiartic
Thanks everyone for a full-spectrum, colorful year!
-Kalliopi and Glendon
About the Author: Kalliopi Monoyios is the illustrator of two popular science books: Neil Shubin?s Your Inner Fish, and Jerry Coyne?s Why Evolution is True. Her illustration portfolio can be found at?kalliopimonoyios.com. Follow her on Twitter at @eyeforscience and with co-blogger Glendon Mellow at @symbiartic. Follow on Twitter?@symbiartic.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f5648eeb82f1ec7c7bdbe671df17dcd3
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Friday, July 6, 2012
The future of digital music distribution and online music marketing ...
Following years of doom and gloom surrounding the rise of internet piracy and the death of physical formats, we?re finally hearing some good news from the UK music industry.
In May the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) announced that UK digital music revenues overtook those from physical formats. It means that the UK music industry is finally catching up with the US and China who were already earning the lion?s share of their revenue from online digital music distribution.
The BPI report states that consumers spent a total of ?155.8m on music in the first quarter of 2012, with 55.5%, or ?86.5m coming from digital music revenues. This trend is set to continue with the growth of music downloads as well as subscription and ad-funded music services.
So has the music industry?s winter of discontent finally ended?
According to an IFPI report digital music revenues received by record companies grew by 8% in 2011 to $5.2bn, as new global markets were tapped into.
In 2011 there were 3.6bn paid music downloads, up 17% on 2010. Music distribution is relatively well-established online, compared to other entertainment industries, and there are two distinct ways that music is marketed and distributed online.
The main divide in online music distribution is between access and ownership, and there are important developments on both sides.
Music access
Access refers to services which offer consumers the ability to listen to music without owning it. This includes streaming services, which are either treated as promotional content or paid for through advertising revenues, and subscription services such as Spotify.
Spotify is the biggest player in the music subscription market. Since its launch in 2008 it has gone from strength-to-strength, and last year moved into the USA, the biggest music market of all. It is paid for through paid subscriptions and advertising which is played between tracks.
Music Ownership
Ownership is the old model of music consumption, pay once and listen forever. Mp3 downloads are growing in popularity, whether it?s mainstream music downloaded on iTunes or independent artists? music on sites like Band Camp.
Many consumers still live in the ownership age, and don?t see the value of music access; they want to own the music.
Consumer demand for music is being driven by the growth in popularity of smartphones and tablet devices, as well as growing broadband penetration. Increasingly users are looking to replicate their record collection on iTunes or a mobile device.
Technological developments are changing the way that we manage and store music. iTunes launched Match in November 2011, a service which allows users to access their iTunes library across a range of devices without having to manually transfer files.
The service costs $25 per year and is licensed by record labels. Google Music was also launched in November for the Android platform, which also helps users to access purchased materials from a cloud to multiple devices.
Ownership vs. access
Access might be the future of online music distribution, but for now ownership is here to stay. Only a small percentage of the customer base is active in digital music currently, and many of these are the people who still value the ownership of music as a physical product.
As the younger generations (who currently use free music access services such as Spotify, YouTube and Pandora) begin to acquire spending power, they are likely to heavily influence the development of paid access-based and subscription services.
Until then, the older generations will continue to value ownership of music despite advancements in music access.
With subscription services and music access, users understand that the content cannot be accessed when the subscription has ended. They also understand that when they buy and own music, it is theirs for a lifetime, just like a CD, cassette or LP.
Today the average consumer has numerous devices which they might wish to play music on, some connected and some not: car stereo, Walkman or mp3 player, phone, computer.
Music subscription services have made progress in recent years, especially with the arrival of mobile sites and smartphone apps, but they still don?t offer the same degree of device ubiquity as an owned Mp3 which can be copied and transferred between devices whether they are internet-connected or not.
The downside of ownership of music is that size restraints can mean that a whole music collection can?t be mobile. Music subscription could be seen as the answer, since all that is needed is network connectivity, but ubiquitous connectivity still hasn?t been reached.
It?s only when you compare the prices of owned vs. accessed music that you begin to see why subscription and access services are so appealing. It could cost thousands to build a significant collection of mp3s going the ownership route, while $10 per month will buy you ?all you can eat? on many subscription services.
Music access and marketing
Allowing access to music online can be a great way of promoting releases, events and other related products. Not only could users who access the music end up purchasing it at a later date, they could share it on their social media profile and promote it to their followers and contacts.
There are several embeddable music players which can help distribute music to different social networks. Zimbalam, SoundCloud or Bandcamp apps all allow tracks to be streamed from other sites. Artists also now have a specific ?listen? function built into their Facebook pages, further evidence of the tight integration of music with social media.
Many music access sites not require users to login via Facebook, with SoundCloud, Mixcloud and Spotify being built around that platform. It means that activities on these music sites can translate into visible activities on Facebook which promote the artist, music, event or product.
Music is an inherently social experience, even more so than any other form of art or expression, and digital music is no exception. While sharing owned music is technically illegal, and can involve creating additional physical copies, streaming services are designed with sharing in mind.
Music ownership and marketing
Giving away free downloads might seem like the wrong way to promote music, but streaming doesn?t work for some audiences ? they are only interested in owning music. These users are far more likely to buy music and related products if they are given a free download.
Some marketers giveaway low bitrate mp3s for free in the hope that listeners will end up paying for a high quality mp3, wav or flac file. This works particularly well for DJs who need high quality audio to play at high volumes on large sound systems.
When giving away music, it?s advisable to ?gate? the content in order to get something from the downloader, and this could include social actions such as:
??Shares.
??Likes.
??Re-tweets.
??+1s.
A ?share2download? Facebook app can gate content and ensure that various social actions are made before a user can download a track for free. Meanwhile, unsigned and indie artists use Bandcamp to capture the email address of anyone who wants to download free music.
These email addresses can come in handy at a later date to promote releases, events and merchandise.
Music isn?t doomed, it?s just that the way it is being consumed is changing. As the industry begins to get to grips with new technology we can expect to see musicians and record labels do a better job of marketing, distributing and monetising digital music online.
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Spain police recover priceless 12th-century Codex
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[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spain-police-recover-priceless-12th-century-codex-153517113.html
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Thursday, July 5, 2012
Report: Galaxy offer Chelsea's Lampard a 2-year deal
| Frank Lampard of Chelsea celebrates kissing the medal after their victory in the UEFA Champions League Final between FC Bayern Muenchen and Chelsea at the Fussball Arena München. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Photo / July 4, 2012) |
10:10 p.m. CDT, July 4, 2012
The People in the UK reports: The Los Angeles Galaxy have reportedly offered Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard a two-year, $20 million (?13million) contract.Lampard just turned 34-years-old last month and has one season left on his Chelsea contract.
Get the full story: people.co.uk.
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Research and Markets: Comprehensive Google AdWords Training
DUBLIN--()--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kc73td/comprehensive_goog) has announced the addition of the "Comprehensive Google AdWords Training" training to their offering.
This is a compilation of two classes, Introduction to Google AdWords and Advanced Google AdWords.
The Introduction to Google AdWords course is designed to introduce you to the world of search engine marketing (SEM) and familiarize you with the Google AdWords tool. You will learn how to leverage Google AdWords to best serve your online marketing needs.
The Advanced Google AdWords Training Course takes a deep dive into understanding and optimizing search engine marketing campaigns. The course covers optimization of keywords, campaigns and ads, and other advanced features of Google AdWords. You will also learn about conversion tracking in Google AdWords and how to integrate Google Analytics with your AdWords account to gain insights into the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.
This hands-on, interactive, self-paced course includes exercises, presentations and readings to ensure students stay engaged and learn the material presented.
Key Topics Covered:
Overview of Search Engine Marketing
Introduction to Google AdWords
Working with Keywords
Writing Ads in Google AdWords
Creating and Managing Your Ad Campaigns
AdWords Reporting and Account Performance Reports
Integrating Google Analytics with Google AdWords
Advertising on Google's Content Network
Introduction to Google Places
Optimizing Your Keywords Strategy for AdWords
Optimizing AdWords Campaigns
Optimizing Ads
Conversion Tracking in Google AdWords
Leveraging the AdWords Report in Google Analytics
Introduction to Website Optimizer
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kc73td/comprehensive_goog
Source: http://feeds.businesswire.com/click.phdo?i=e5b69d0096cff70e63c2931f66741ce7
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