chretien dammit: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Egypt bracing for massive protests

NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Cairo where a large crowd of people are gathered to protest Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's handling of the country one year after he was elected.

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

Tens of thousands of opponents and supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi flooded the streets of Cairo on Sunday ahead of competing protests that observers warn could descend into mayhem and bloodshed.

Swarms of anti-government demonstrators massed in Tahrir Square, crucible of the 2011 so-called ?Arab Spring? uprisings?that overthrew autocratic leader?Hosni Mubarak.

"The people want the fall of the regime!" they chanted, many waving national flags ? this time not against an aging dictator but against their first ever elected leader, who took office only a year ago to the day.

Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi shout slogans against him and brotherhood members during a protest at Tahrir square in Cairo June 30, 2013.

At the same time, legions of Morsi's allies were assembling outside the Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque near the Ittihadiya?presidential palace, some wearing military-style regalia and carrying shields and clubs, according to The Associated Press.

Although both sides have pledged to keep the peace, observers worry that Sunday's rallies could set off a wave of ugly violence. At least seven people, including an American college student from Maryland, have been killed in clashes in the last week, with hundreds of others wounded.

The planned protests represent the peak of a year of turbulence and turmoil in which Egypt has been rocked by scores of political crises, dozens of bloody clashes and a declining economy that has set off a spate of power outages, fuel shortages, skyrocketing prices and routine lawlessness and crime.

The opposing sides of the conflict are representative of the bitter political, social, and religious divisions in contemporary Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood and other hard-line groups form the backbone of the pro-Morsi camp. Many of Morsi's proponents have characterized the protests as a conspiracy by Mubarak's political allies to return the former leader to power.

The anti-government movement brings together secular and liberal Egyptians, moderate Muslims and Christians, and wide swaths of the general public the opposition says has rejected the Islamists and their regime.

Liberal leaders say nearly half all Egyptian voters ? some 22 million people ? have signed a petition calling for new elections.

"We all feel we're walking on a dead-end road and that the country will collapse," said Mohamed El-Baradei, a former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and now liberal party leader in his homeland.

Despite mounting pressure, Morsi did not buckle in advance of the preplanned protests, dismissing the widespread dissent as an undemocratic assault on his electoral legitimacy, Reuters reported.

Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi shout slogans against him and members of the Muslim Brotherhood during a demonstration in Tahrir square in Cairo June 30, 2013.

But he also proposed to make changes to the new, Islamist-inflected constitution, saying he was not personally responsible for controversial clauses on religious authority, which stirred up liberal animosity and triggered the popular revolt, according to Reuters.

For many Egyptians, though, all the turmoil that has followed the Arab Spring has just made life harder. Standing by his lonely barrow at an eerily quiet downtown Cairo street market, 23-year-old Zeeka was afraid more violence was coming.

"We're not for one side or the other," he told Reuters. "What's happening now in Egypt is shameful. There is no work, thugs are everywhere ... I won't go out to any protest.

"It's nothing to do with me. I'm a tomato guy."

Protests in Egypt have occurred around the country in the last few days, with more expected Sunday. The demonstrations come two years after former president Hosni Mubarak was removed from power, and some are hoping the current protests will unseat Egypt's current leader Muhammed Morsi. NBC's Aymen Mohyeldin reports.

Visiting sub-Saharan Africa, President Barack Obama has cautioned that rancor in the largest Arab country could rattle the region.

"Every party has to denounce violence," Obama said in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday. "We'd like to see the opposition and President Morsi engage in a more constructive conversation about how they move their country forward because nobody is benefiting from the current stalemate."

?Washington has evacuated non-essential personnel and redoubled security at its diplomatic missions in Egypt.

Reuters and The Associated Press?contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2dffb664/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C30A0C1921750A80Eegypt0Ebracing0Efor0Emassive0Eprotests0Dlite/story01.htm

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

39;People must be educated on tackling natural ... - mbps scampi

Places that are prone to natural disasters must have a proper warning system in place and their residents should be educated on how to deal with crisis situations, experts said here Wednesday.

Experts, representatives of governments and the civil society from eight South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Bhutan, participated in a three-day workshop on ?Regional Priorities for Knowledge Management and Strategy for Action: South Asia on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction? organised by Unesco.

Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the event which ended Wednesday, SAARC Disaster Management Centre director Santosh Kumar said it was of utmost importance that a proper early warning system was in place for areas that were prone to natural calamities and residents were educated and informed about tackling a crisis.

?Early warnings need to be more quantified and people should be educated about the impact of such a damage?local level communities have to be educated and informed,? he said.

Agreed Lam Dorji, executive director of Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), Bhutan, who said that when it comes to natural disasters, people at the village level have no education on how to tackle the situation.

?Changes have to be made at the ground level,? he said.

Kumar said it was difficult to say whether climate change was behind the cloudburst and incessant rains which subsequently led to flash floods and landslides, killing hundreds in the hill state of Uttarakhand.

?Scientifically, it is difficult to establish the relation between the heavy rains and climate change as more study is required on this subject though according to reports, global warming is threatening to affect the rain patterns in India,? Kumar said.

Article Reference: ?www.business-standard.com

Source: http://southasiarevealed.com/2013/06/27/people-educated-tackling-natural-calamities/

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Source: http://mbps-scampi.blogspot.com/2013/06/must-be-educated-on-tackling-natural.html

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Source: http://oil-spill-latest-news.blogspot.com/2013/06/39people-must-be-educated-on-tackling.html

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89% In the House

All Critics (71) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (8)

The film treats imagination-and talent-in certain hands as an almost mystical force.

Ozon and the script move a little too far afield and hold on a bit too long as the film approaches its end. Still, "In the House" has enough trippy truth to it to grab your interest and shake your mind.

It's fiction about life that becomes fiction that might be life - and the viewer happily dives in.

The expected punch line... never materializes, so I guess this must be a drama after all.

Savor In the House for its meta-exploration of adolescence, class resentment and suppressed desire, but don't expect much more.

The seductions of storytelling drive "In the House," a cleverly structured comic thriller rich with narrative trickery and macabre humor.

A cinematic bouquet of surprising left turns and addictive story hooks. Strongly recommended.

Provocative, playful, entertaining and audacious, In the House is a writer showing us the inner workings of writing, complete with its power to subvert, to imagine and to deceive

Occasionally too clever for its own good, the film may go one step too far, but Ozon manages the hybrid of genres beautifully and ultimately it is his superb cast that sells the nuances and the concept

A sly, stylish blend of melodrama and suspense that's also a cunning commentary on the seductiveness and danger inherent in storytelling itself.

Director/scriptwriter Francois Ozon knows his Hitchcock well. He employs him effectively, but the clutter is his own.

An almost perverse delight, an egghead thriller that slyly shell-games its truer purpose as an inquiry into the construction -- and deconstruction -- of fiction. Scratch deconstruction: Make that tear-the-house-down demolition.

It's partly real and partly a fable, full of events that might have happened or could never have happened, with intrigues that defy us to take them seriously.

In the House is a structurally solid thriller that is both inventive and absolutely seductive in nature.

Inviting photography and a relentless pace complement Claude's unfolding narrative, but the big thrills are in the deftly drawn characters...and the incisive satire...

A slick psychological thriller that veers into dark comedy the more absurd it gets, "In the House" demonstrates the dangers of addiction -- not to sex or drugs, but to story.

Captures why we do what we do, and the extent to which stories reflect both the writer and the reader.

It's amusing and unexpected, capturing the compulsive spirit of writing with wit and attention to mischief that keeps it unpredictable to the very end.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_the_house_2013/

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Bagpipes play up a storm in Pakistan's boomtown

One Pakistani city has turned into a boom town by manufacturing and exporting a diverse array of products from bagpipes to replica Civil War uniforms. NBC's Amna Nawaz reports from Sialkot, Pakistan.?

By Amna Nawaz, Correspondent, NBC News

SIALKOT, Pakistan ? It's not a sound you expect to hear in Pakistan. And yet, here we stand, in the heart of the country's Punjab province, listening to the theme song from ?The Titanic? played on traditional bagpipes.

The Pakistani teenager serenading us with the soaring wails of this iconic Scottish instrument?was taught to play by his father, who was taught by his father before him.

And his bagpipe was made right here in Sialkot, a city of 3 million that's emerged as the world's leading manufacturer of the instrument. More than 100,000 locally made bagpipes are exported every year.

M.H. Geoffrey's factory is one of over a dozen in the city. His grandfather began the business when a British army officer, part of the colonial forces in the region in the 19th century, approached him to get his own bagpipe fixed.

"My grandfather not only fixed that one, he made?two more!" Geoffrey said.

Today, Geoffrey's company makes and exports nearly 3,000 bagpipes a year.

In a narrow, high-ceilinged room covered in sawdust and lit by an over-sized skylight, five workers squat before their lathes, expertly churning out intricately carved bagpipe parts. When the power goes out, as it often does in Pakistan, a single generator spurts to life, filling the room with a deafening hum.

Farooq Naeem / AFP - Getty Images file

Ibrahim, the son of Farooq Ahmad, owner of the Imperial Bagpipe Manufacturing Company, tests a bagpipe at a bagpipe factory in Sialkot, Pakistan.

Every piece is handcrafted. Every bagpipe is hand-assembled. The cheapest bagpipes cost around $100; the most expensive, over $1,000. But Geoffrey, like many local businessmen, has also found other niche markets.

A combination of cheap textiles and skilled seamstresses prevalent in Sialkot led to the costume wing of his company. They now make, sell and export hundreds of replica U.S. Civil War uniforms every year.

The vintage, leather goods wing followed soon after ? manufacturing everything from footballs to cleats.

?Anything you need made? We can make it here. Anything at all,? Geoffrey said.

Sialkot is an anomaly in Pakistan?s economy. In a country where taxes aren?t regularly collected, power companies can?t produce sufficient electricity, and the currency continues to lose value, Sialkot?s business community decided to go its own way.

Ten years ago, business leaders pooled their resources to construct the nation?s first privately funded airport. It now boasts the country?s longest runway and more than 30 domestic and international flights a week. Last year alone, more than 6,000 tons of locally produced exports were flown out.

Those products run the gamut from bagpipes and costumes to medical instruments and sporting goods.

Companies around the world have long tapped into Sialkot?s manufacturing prowess for access to cost-effective, high-quality goods. Nike, Adidas and Puma all have contracts here. A walk down one main market street reveals over a dozen medical instrument and surgical supply storefronts, all selling local goods.

Sheikh Abdul Majid, the chairman of the local chamber of commerce, said Sialkot?s exports brought in more than $1.4 billion last year, and the local economy had grown by 10-15 percent every year for the last five years.

The IMF estimates the national economy, by comparison, may grow by just 3.5 percent this fiscal year. Across the country, fewer than a million Pakistanis pay income taxes.

Majid said?all local exports were taxed, with the money re-invested into the city.

Farooq Naeem / AFP - Getty Images file

A Pakistani laborer prepares components to make bagpipes at a bagpipe factory in Sialkot, on April 14, 2011.

?We?ve fixed roads, built schools, even put in sewage systems with the money we?ve been able to bring in,? he said. ?And we plan to continue doing that, every year.?

For a new national government, elected largely on its promise to right an upended economy, the secrets to Sialkot?s success could prove useful.

Much voter frustration centered on 20-hour power cuts in parts of the country, a failure of the previous government to tackle corruption, and a lack of any clearly articulated plan to address either.

After just one month on the job, the new leaders? plans for emergency cash infusions to the power sector and increasing tax revenues are beginning to take shape. However, economists say an economic revival on a national level could take years.

Back in Sialkot, Geoffrey said business had never been better. Bagpipe sales now make up half of their revenue, and with the addition of online sales, his costume orders have grown exponentially.

?My sons are now learning the business, helping me to run it,? Geoffrey said. ?One day, this whole business will be given to the next generation ? the fourth generation to run it.?

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No, Children of 1990, Computers Are Not the Devil

Computers may be ubiquitous now but in 1990 they were just beginning to enter the mainstream. And like any revolutionary technology, the desktop computer was viewed with more than a little skepticism by the average American. Luckily, David Neil of PBS's Newton's Apple was there to explain to a group of dubious high schoolers that computers are not inherently evil. And he brought a two story exhibit to help illustrate.

BlackBerry hits bump in turnaround road, shares plunge

By Euan Rocha and Alastair Sharp

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry's total market value plunged by more than one-fourth on Friday after the smartphone maker reported dismal quarterly results, prompting ever-deeper skepticism about a long-promised turnaround.

BlackBerry, which has struggled to claw back market share from the likes of Apple Inc's iPhone, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Galaxy phones and other devices powered by Google Inc's Android operating system, reported a loss in the fiscal first quarter ended June 1, and sales of its make-or-break new line of devices were softer than expected.

The company also said it will not make an operating profit in the current quarter.

Shares of BlackBerry, which changed its name from Research in Motion, closed 27.8 percent lower at $10.46 on the Nasdaq on Friday. The stock touched levels last seen in November 2012, before the early 2013 launch of the new range of smartphones.

Some analysts believe that potential buyers may take a look at BlackBerry, given assets that include a wealth of valuable patents, as well as hardware and service businesses.

"If you look at the asset base that they have at their disposal, it's formidable," said John Jackson, research vice president for IDC, in response to a question on Reuters Television. "So there are any number of companies that might have an interest in RIM's assets if indeed it's in play."

Macquarie analyst Kevin Smithen cut his rating on BlackBerry to "underperform" from "neutral" and said he sees a breakup or sale of the company as a likely end game.

BlackBerry invented the concept of on-the-go email more than a decade ago with clunky little devices with a mini keyboard. The gadgets, which offered powerful security features, allowed the company to corner the lucrative market serving business and legal professionals as well as government workers.

But many in that market are now moving to other devices, leaving BlackBerry struggling to make its mark both at the top and the bottom of a competitive smartphone market.

STAYING THE COURSE

BlackBerry said it shipped 6.8 million smartphones in the quarter, including about 2.7 million BB10 devices. This fell shy of market expectations of more than 3 million shipments for its new Z10 and Q10 smartphones. The first-quarter results and revenue figures also missed analyst estimates.

By comparison, Apple shipped 37.4 million iPhones in the March quarter, up from 35.1 million a year ago.

Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said it would take "at least a few quarters" to turn BlackBerry around and he insisted the company would stay the course.

"We're not sitting here devastated or destroyed," Heins told Reuters in an interview after the results came out. "In my view, given where we are with the portfolio and the roll-out, it actually was a good quarter."

On the bright side, BlackBerry's cash position rose to $3.1 billion as of June 1, up about $200 million from the final quarter of the last fiscal year. The company has no debt.

Excluding one-time items, Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry reported a loss from continuing operations of $67 million, or 13 cents a share, on revenue of $3.1 billion. The company said Venezuelan foreign exchange regulations had knocked some 10 cents a share off the bottom line.

Analysts, on average, had expected a profit of 6 cents a share, on revenue of $3.36 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The net loss was $84 million, or 16 cents a share in the quarter, down from $518 million, or 99 cents a share a year ago.

But BlackBerry also reported a steep decline in revenue from its high-margin service business, the fees BlackBerry collects for providing data and security services to customers. Those fees had been expected to fall. But the Venezuelan curbs meant that the decline was steeper than forecast, BlackBerry said.

MURKY OUTLOOK

BlackBerry launched two new BB10 smartphones this year, the touch screen Z10 device and then the Q10, which includes the mini keyboard many BlackBerry users still covet, as well as a less expensive Q5 keyboard device targeted at emerging markets.

But the Z10 only hit store shelves in the crucial U.S. market in late March, while the Q10 device reached the United States only after the quarter had ended.

BlackBerry said it plans to unveil one more lower-priced phone running on its old BlackBerry 7 platform later this year, as it tries to keep market share in price-sensitive emerging markets that are flooded with cheap Android devices.

BlackBerry did not provide a detailed outlook for the rest of the year, saying the smartphone market remained highly competitive, making it difficult to estimate units, revenue and levels of profitability.

Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um, who cut his rating on the stock to "market perform" from "outperform," said the latest results show that the transformation will take some time.

"Our downgrade does not necessarily reflect a view that BlackBerry will not be able to succeed, but rather, that success may be further out than we would like and that the benefits may be costly upfront as the company invests heavily."

(Editing by Janet Guttsman, Frank McGurty and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-reports-quarterly-loss-shares-plunge-111328915.html

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Kanye West Album Debuts at #1

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/kanye-west-album-debuts-at-number-1/

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Perry, filibuster star clash over Texas abortions

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) ? Gov. Rick Perry hit back Thursday at the star of a Democratic filibuster that killed tough new Texas abortion restrictions, saying state Sen. Wendy Davis' rise from a tough upbringing should have taught her the value of each human life.

Davis, a former teenage mom who graduated from Harvard Law School, responded that Perry's comments were "without dignity and tarnishes the high office he holds."

Before the white-hot battle over abortion in the second-largest state turned personal, the Fort Worth Democrat staged a marathon filibuster Tuesday that helped defeat an omnibus bill further limiting abortion in a state where it's already difficult to undergo them. But Perry called lawmakers back for a second special session next week to try and finish the job.

"Who are we to say that children born in the worst of circumstances can't lead successful lives?" Perry said in a speech to nearly 1,000 delegates at the National Right to Life Conference in suburban Dallas. "Even the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances."

Davis, now 50, started working at age 14 to help support a household of her single mother and three siblings. By 19, she was already married and divorced with a child of her own, but she eventually graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and won her Senate seat in an upset.

Perry pointed out that personal history in his speech, adding "it's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters."

In comments to reporters after his speech, he went even further.

"I'm proud that she's been able to take advantage of her intellect and her hard work, but she didn't come from particularly good circumstances," the governor said. "What if her mom had said, 'I just can't do this. I don't want to do this.' At that particular point in time I think it becomes very personal."

Davis quickly fired off an email response blasting Perry's comments.

"They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view," she said. "Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Gov. Perry fails that test."

Davis' supporters argued Perry never would have made such suggestions to a male politician.

"Rick Perry's remarks are incredibly condescending and insulting to women," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and daughter of the late former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, said in a statement. "This is exactly why the vast majority of Texans believe that politicians shouldn't be involved in a woman's personal health care decisions."

The Texas Legislature adjourned May 27, but Perry called legislators into a 30-day special session to pass stricter limits on abortion, including banning the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. But with the extra session set to end at midnight on Tuesday, Davis was on her feet for more than 12 hours ? speaking most of that time ? as Senate Democrats attempted a filibuster.

Just before the final gavel, Republican lawmakers silenced her for speaking on a topic other than the bill she was opposing ? only to have hundreds of abortion rights activists cheer so loudly from the public gallery that all business in the chamber halted until it was too late.

With a second special session now beginning Monday, Perry has vowed to pass a measure similar to the one that failed. Besides the 20-week ban, it would force many clinics that perform abortions to upgrade their facilities to be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. Doctors also would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.

Opponents say such upgrades are so expensive that only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics would remain in operation.

Abortion rights groups have promised to respond with more protests, including one scheduled Monday for the state Capitol. Perry too called those who oppose abortion to action, telling the conference, "The world has seen images of pro-abortion activists screaming, cheering. Going forward, we have to match their intensity."

Adding intrigue to his grudge match with Davis is the fact that Perry had been expected to announce this week if he will seek a fourth full term in office next year. But he said Thursday that announcement will now be delayed until lawmakers can finish the extra work he's given them.

Davis is up for re-election next year but had been urged by Democratic operatives even before her filibuster to consider running for governor.

She has mulled a run for statewide office but says she wants to wait for the right time. A Democrat hasn't won such a post in Texas since 1994, and the state Democratic Party would face a major challenge establishing the organization or infrastructure necessary to deliver enough dependable votes. Asked what he thought of Davis as a possible gubernatorial candidate, Perry simply shrugged: "I don't have a clue."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.html

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Poncho: The Best Weather Service You've Never Heard Of

The weather. It's all anyone talks about these days. But there's never been one single service that gets it right, or even bothers to tell you what you actually need to know. Well, Betaworks' Poncho, a new weather service, might have just figured it all out?with a simple text message in the morning.

With constant internet access and real-time data at our disposal, the simple act of checking the weather has gotten rather complicated, when all you need to know is whether or not you need a jacket and/or umbrella. Launched back in mid-April, Poncho is the brainchild of Kuan Huang, a resident hacker at Betaworks, who's looking to change just that.

"We're not a real-time weather service. Poncho is something you read in the morning to help you plan your day. We're trying to help optimize your routine," Huang recently told me.

If anyone can dream up a better system, it's Betaworks. These are the same folks who resuscitated Digg in just six weeks, created one of the most addictive iOS games in recent memory, and launched a new RSS reader this past week.

Ironically, Huang admits to never having checked the weather before joining Betaworks and starting Poncho. He says the most useful weather service was his mother who would alert him to any drastic shifts in temperature while he was in college. "I went to school in China and would study late in the library till 2 or 3 AM. She'd never tell me the exact temperature or wind speed, she'd just tell me the information I needed to know," Huang reminisces. That experience served as inspiration for Poncho's weather service, which is personalized and context-based.

When you sign up for Poncho?limited to New York City for now?you fill out a quick survey of your habits and routines, like what time you wake up or what train you take, and whether or not you have pets or allergies, and when you usually leave work. Once you've done all that, you can opt to have a custom weather forecast texted or emailed to you in the morning when you wake up. Huang and a contract writer come up with the copy the night before and like clockwork, Huang gets up at 5:30 to make sure the information is still accurate for the day before pulling the trigger. Take, for example, a few texts I've received in recent weeks:

Partly cloudy skies & a clear evening. Temps hitting the low 80s. You guys, could this change our attitudes about Mondays?
Prime June day in the low 80s. Hot enough, but comfortable. June, you're much chiller than other months. Looking at you, July.
It'd be all fire hydrant sprinklers if we were in old school NYC. Similar to yesterday with temps in the high 80s. Get tan or get to shade.

Now, if you take the train or drive, the web version of your forecast (below) would tell you of any delays on your particular line or whether or not you had to move your car to the other side of the street. And if I had a dog, it'd even tell me the best time take the pooch out.

Poncho: The Best Weather Service You've Never Heard Of

Before even writing a line of code, Huang tells me he'd wake up at 5:30 every morning and email 20 people from the Betaworks office to see what information they actually wanted about the weather. He began working on Poncho in February, pulling openly available data from the MTA, New York City Department of Transportation, Weather Underground and Forecast.io, the makers of the Dark Sky iOS app. From those four sources, Poncho is able to tell you exactly what you need to know to go about your day?in plain English.

"My job at Poncho is to explain all that data to people. I don't want to just give you a number," Huang says. "I'll tell you what's actionable."

And an app is in the works, too, though Huang is still figuring out what additional functionality it will give users. For now, he wants Poncho to be a passive experience?something that, in his words, "you'd never have to open." By tracking your habits based on location, Huang thinks he can anticipate your behavior in the future?information that will help him better understand how to deliver the forecast to you.

Poncho: The Best Weather Service You've Never Heard Of

Obviously not a GIF

In recent weeks, Poncho has rolled out a couple of new features, including an animated GIF that refreshes to reflect the day's weather on the site. And in the coming weeks, users will be able to opt into an afternoon edition that pushes an alert to you before you leave work with traffic and weather updates, along with a forecast for the next day.

I've been using Poncho for the better part of the last two months and it hasn't steered me wrong. I've been caught out in the rain once due to my own idiocy and I've only launched the other weather apps I have to check the extended forecast. Checking the weather just isn't something I need to do anymore.

Poncho is limited to New York City for now, and Huang isn't in a rush to expand just yet, though he is looking at San Francisco or Chicago down the road. When I asked when he would be, he simply said, "Not until it's the best experience that it can be." [Poncho]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/poncho-the-best-weather-service-youve-never-heard-of-574886711

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

'Playboy' Paul Giamatti joins 'Downton Abbey'

Ree Hines TODAY contributor

3 hours ago

Evan Agostini / AP

Paul Giamatti.

There was a time when Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) was the lone Yank on "Downton Abbey," but those days are long gone.

Last season, her mother, Martha (Shirley MacLaine), arrived on the scene -- much to the displeasure of the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) -- and next season, the American invasion will continue.

The next non-Brit on his way to the Abbey is Cora's brother, and if Lady Violet cringed at every Americanism out of Martha's mouth, she's bound to be positively apoplectic about Harold, as played by the oh-so-modern American Paul Giamatti.

Yes, that's right. The man who once played Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in Howard Stern's "Private Parts" is joining the show.

At first the actor might seem like an odd fit for the "Dowton" ensemble, but fans can take heart. Giamatti already mastered the art of the perfect period piece performance in HBO's "John Adams," for which he won an Emmy, and it's not like he'll be channeling any of his past crude, nerdy or neurotic on-screen personas for his "Downton" role. In fact, according to TVLine, Giamatti's Harold is a "maverick, playboy" type.

Executive producer Gareth Neame told TVLine that Harold would be "free spirited," and that he -- along with mom Martha -- holds the promise of upsetting "the Grantham apple cart" by the end of season four.

But there's still a long wait for the beginning of season four -- at least for Harold's fellow Americans. "Downton Abbey" returns to PBS Jan. 5, 2014.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/american-invasion-downton-abbey-continues-paul-giamatti-joins-cast-6C10423979

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Police dog killed, officer shot in Indiana standoff

By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News

A K-9 officer was shot and killed in Sellersburg, Indiana at the start of a nine-hour police standoff with a man who fled from and shot at?officers trying to serve him with a warrant on Monday, police said.

Sellersburg police officers approached a man with a warrant and he ran away and then fired several shots, said Sellersburg Police Trooper Brock McCooe. The shots?hit a police dog and a deputy.

The human officer was shot in the leg and was in stable condition at a nearby hospital, but the K-9 officer was fatally wounded, said McCooe.

According to NBC affiliate Wave 3 News, the dog's name was Kilo, and he had assisted with numerous drug busts.

The suspect ran into a house? that was empty at the time and barricaded himself inside, officials said.

Judy Frazier lives three houses away from where the suspect holed up, and said she had not been able to leave her own home for most of the afternoon and evening.

?The SWAT teams are on roofs they?re in yards, they?re everywhere,? she said while the standoff continued.

McCooe said the suspect finally responded to commands through a loudspeaker a little after 9:30 p.m. ?He just walked out and gave up,? he said.

In a statement following the suspect?s surrender, Sellersburg Police Chief Russ Whelan said the man came out of a closet and then emerged out of the backdoor wearing a torn up t-shirt and his boxer shorts. He was unarmed and not injured even though Whelan said police had thrown about 40 tear gas canisters into the house.

?Now the work starts as far as processing the scene and collecting the evidence and building our case,? said Whelan.

Authorities on Monday night had not yet released the name of the captured man.

The wounded officer, Chris Proctor, is a member of the Clark County SWAT team, who were early to the scene to assist Sellersburg police. Clark County Sheriff Daniel Rodden said Proctor will have surgery on his knee on Tuesday morning but is ?in good spirits.?

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2dbc132b/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C240C191195180Epolice0Edog0Ekilled0Eofficer0Eshot0Ein0Eindiana0Estandoff0Dlite/story01.htm

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Apple reportedly notifying customers of in-app purchase settlement details

Customers whose kids racked up in-app purchase bills without their knowledge can reportedly now begin to seek some form of compensation. An email from the ?Apple In-App Purchase Litigation Administrator? has begun to hit inboxes, and 9to5Mac managed to get hold of a copy:

If your iTunes account was charged for an in-app purchase made by a minor in a game app without your knowledge or permission, you could be entitled to benefits under a class action settlement.

The parties have reached a settlement in a consolidated class action lawsuit against Apple Inc. (?Apple?) regarding in-app purchases of game currency charged by minors to an iTunes account without the account holder?s knowledge or permission. If the settlement is court-approved, your rights may be affected. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement so that the benefits may be paid. This summary provides basic information about the settlement.

Those who racked up $30 or less will receive a $5 iTunes gift card as compensation, but those who exceeded that may end up receiving a cash reimbursement. Any iMore readers received the same email? Shout out in the comments!

Source: 9to5Mac

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/rLLhAROI2Gk/story01.htm

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Monday, June 17, 2013

How to Perform Safe Body Piercing by Following Specific Guidelines ...

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Source: http://www.freelife365.com/art-entertainment/tattoos/how-to-perform-safe-body-piercing-by-following-specific-guidelines-7265.html

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Happy Father?s Day: Check Out These Celebrity DILFs

Happy Father’s Day: Check Out These Celebrity DILFs

Celebrity DILFs We celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday so we’ve put together some of the hottest celebrity fathers out there. Take a gander at these DILFs! Soccer hunk David Beckham and former Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham are parents to Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and daughter Harper Seven. Brad Pitt is definitely a DILF to a whole passel ...

Happy Father’s Day: Check Out These Celebrity DILFs Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/06/happy-fathers-day-check-out-these-celebrity-dilfs/

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Osteoporosis drug stops growth of breast cancer cells, even in resistant tumors, study suggests

June 15, 2013 ? A drug approved in Europe to treat osteoporosis has now been shown to stop the growth of breast cancer cells, even in cancers that have become resistant to current targeted therapies, according to a Duke Cancer Institute study.

The findings, presented June 15, 2013, at the annual Endocrine Society meeting in San Francisco, indicate that the drug bazedoxifene packs a powerful one-two punch that not only prevents estrogen from fueling breast cancer cell growth, but also flags the estrogen receptor for destruction.

"We found bazedoxifene binds to the estrogen receptor and interferes with its activity, but the surprising thing we then found was that it also degrades the receptor; it gets rid of it," said senior author Donald McDonnell, PhD, chair of Duke's Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

In animal and cell culture studies, the drug inhibited growth both in estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells and in cells that had developed resistance to the anti-estrogen tamoxifen and/or to the aromatase inhibitors, two of the most widely used types of drugs to prevent and treat estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Currently, if breast cancer cells develop resistance to these therapies, patients are usually treated with toxic chemotherapy agents that have significant side effects.

Bazedoxifene is a pill that, like tamoxifen, belongs to a class of drugs known as specific estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). These drugs are distinguished by their ability to behave like estrogen in some tissues, while significantly blocking estrogen action in other tissues. But unlike tamoxifen, bazedoxifene has some of the properties of a newer group of drugs, known as selective estrogen receptor degraders, or SERDs, which can target the estrogen receptor for destruction.

"Because the drug is removing the estrogen receptor as a target by degradation, it is less likely the cancer cell can develop a resistance mechanism because you are removing the target," said lead author Suzanne Wardell, PhD, a research scientist working in McDonnell's lab.

Many investigators had assumed that once breast cancer cells developed resistance to tamoxifen, they would be resistant to all drugs that target the estrogen receptor, McDonnell explained.

"We discovered that the estrogen receptor is still a good target, even after it resistance to tamoxifen has developed," he said.

The investigators tested a variety of breast cancer cell types, including tamoxifen-sensitive cells that are resistant to the drug lapatinib, another targeted therapy that is used to treat patients with advanced breast cancer whose tumors contain the mutant HER2 gene. These cells had previously been shown to reactivate estrogen signaling in order to acquire drug resistance. In this cell type, bazedoxifene also potently inhibited cell growth.

Paradoxically, in bone tissue, bazedoxifene mimics the action of estrogen, helping protect it from destruction. Because bazedoxifene has already undergone safety and efficacy studies as a treatment for osteoporosis, it may be a viable near-term option for patients with advanced breast cancer whose tumors have become resistant to other treatment options, Wardell reported. In clinical trials, the most often reported side effect was hot flashes in the bazedoxifene treatment groups.

The study was funded by a research grant from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, maker of bazedoxifene.

In addition to Wardell and McDonnell, Erik Nelson and Christina Chao of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, contributed to the research.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/xbLzKGQubP8/130615152341.htm

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Pictures of Azorean Whalers: The Last of Their Kind

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

A Gorgeous Lightweight Carbon Fiber Bike Designed Exclusively For Kids

Children are impossible to please, no matter now many Lunchables you ply them with. But even the most ungrateful tykes will appreciate getting one of Mores stunning Petitpierre kids bikes crafted from carbon fiber so they're easier to ride and maneuver.

Featuring everything from built-in LED safety lights, to a clever footrest built into the frame for kids just learning to ride, the bike's curvy design gives it a lower center of gravity which makes mastering the two-wheel balancing act a little easier. And at just under seven pounds kids can easily lift it over curbs or other obstacles they're too small to tackle.

The only catch? A $2,000 price tag that will probably have parents refusing to let their kids actually ride the Petitpierre so that it can be handed down for generations.

A Gorgeous Lightweight Carbon Fiber Bike Designed Exclusively For Kids

[Mores-Design via designboom]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-gorgeous-lightweight-carbon-fiber-bike-designed-exclu-513361864

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

? Cheap General Mills Assorted Cereal, Individual ... - Snack Food ...

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

Source: http://elarazaman013.blogspot.com/2013/06/cheap-general-mills-assorted-cereal.html

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Catching individual molecules in a million with optical antennas inside nano-boxes

June 10, 2013 ? A single cell in our body is composed of thousands of millions of different biomolecules that work together in an extremely well-coordinated way. Likewise, many biological and biochemical reactions occur only if molecules are present at very high concentrations. Understanding how all these molecules interact with each other is key to advancing our knowledge in molecular and cell biology.

This knowledge is of central and fundamental importance in the quest for the detection of the earliest stages of many human diseases. As such, one of ultimate goals in Life Sciences and Biotechnology is to observe how individual molecules work and interact with each other in these very crowded environments. Unfortunately, detecting one molecule amongst millions of neighbouring molecules has been technically impossible until now. The key to successfully detecting the single molecule lies in the conception and production of a working device that shrinks the observation region to a tiny size that is comparable to the size of the molecule itself, i.e. only a few nanometres.

Researchers at the Fresnel Institute in Marseille and ICFO-the Institute for Photonic Sciences in Barcelona report in Nature Nanotechnology the design and fabrication of the smallest optical device, capable of detecting and sensing individual biomolecules at concentrations that are similar to those found in the cellular context. The device called "antenna-in-a-box" consists on a tiny dimer antenna made out of two gold semi-spheres, separated from each other by a gap as small as 15nm. Light sent to this antenna is enormously amplified in the gap region where the actual detection of the biomolecule of interest occurs. Because amplification of the light is confined to the dimensions of the gap, only molecules present in this tiny region are detected. A second trick that the researchers used to make this device work was to embed the dimer antennas inside boxes also of nanometric dimensions. "The box screens out the unwanted "noise" of millions of other surrounding molecules, reducing the background and improving as a whole the detection of individual biomolecules.," explains Jerome Wenger from Fresnel Institute. When tested under different sample concentrations, this novel antenna-in-box device allowed for 1100-fold fluorescence brightness enhancement together with detection volumes down to 58 zeptoliters (1 zL = 10-21L), i.e., the smallest observation volume in the world.

The antenna-in-a-box offers a highly efficient platform for performing a multitude of nanoscale biochemical assessments with single molecule sensitivity at physiological conditions. It could be used for ultrasensitive sensing of minute amounts of molecules, becoming an excellent early diagnosis device for biosensing of many disease markers. "It can also be used as an ultra-bright optical nanosource to illuminate molecular processes in living cells and ultimately visualize how individual biomolecules interact with each other. This brings us closer to the long awaited dream of biologists," concludes ICFO researcher Prof. Maria Garcia-Parajo.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Deep Punj, Mathieu Mivelle, Satish Babu Moparthi, Thomas S. van Zanten, Herv? Rigneault, Niek F. van Hulst, Mar?a F. Garc?a-Paraj?, J?r?me Wenger. A plasmonic ?antenna-in-box? platform for enhanced single-molecule analysis at micromolar concentrations. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2013.98

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/fCmDVqqCWWs/130610095144.htm

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Monday, June 10, 2013

Mysterious monument found beneath the Sea of Galilee

Public release date: 10-Jun-2013
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Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University research says unique structure is the product of skilled construction

The shores of the Sea of Galilee, located in the North of Israel, are home to a number of significant archaeological sites. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have found an ancient structure deep beneath the waves as well.

Researchers stumbled upon a cone-shaped monument, approximately 230 feet in diameter, 39 feet high, and weighing an estimated 60,000 tons, while conducting a geophysical survey on the southern Sea of Galilee, reports Prof. Shmulik Marco of TAU's Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences. The team also included TAU Profs. Zvi Ben-Avraham and Moshe Reshef, and TAU alumni Dr. Gideon Tibor of the Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute.

Initial findings indicate that the structure was built on dry land approximately 6,000 years ago, and later submerged under the water. Prof. Marco calls it an impressive feat, noting that the stones, which comprise the structure, were probably brought from more than a mile away and arranged according to a specific construction plan.

Dr. Yitzhak Paz of the Antiquities Authority and Ben-Gurion University says that the site, which was recently detailed in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, resembles early burial sites in Europe and was likely built in the early Bronze Age. He believes that there may be a connection to the nearby ancient city of Beit Yerah, the largest and most fortified city in the area.

Ancient structure revealed by sonar

The team of researchers initially set out to uncover the origins of alluvium pebbles found in this area of the Sea of Galilee, which they believe were deposited by the ancient Yavniel Creek, a precursor to the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee. While using sonar technology to survey the bottom of the lake, they observed a massive pile of stones in the midst of the otherwise smooth basin.

Curious about the unusual blip on their sonar, Prof. Marco went diving to learn more. A closer look revealed that the pile was not a random accumulation of stones, but a purposefully-built structure composed of three-foot-long volcanic stones called basalt. Because the closest deposit of the stone is more than a mile away, he believes that they were brought to the site specifically for this structure.

To estimate the age of the structure, researchers turned to the accumulation of sand around its base. Due to a natural build-up of sand throughout the years, the base is now six to ten feet below the bottom of the Sea of Galilee. Taking into account the height of the sand and the rate of accumulation, researchers deduced that the monument is several thousand years old.

Looking deeper

Next, the researchers plan to organize a specialized underwater excavations team to learn more about the origins of the structure, including an investigation of the surface the structure was built on. A hunt for artefacts will help to more accurately date the monument and give clues as to its purpose and builders. And while it is sure to interest archaeologists, Prof. Marco says that the findings could also illuminate the geological history of the region.

"The base of the structure which was once on dry land is lower than any water level that we know of in the ancient Sea of Galilee. But this doesn't necessarily mean that water levels have been steadily rising," he says. Because the Sea of Galilee is a tectonically active region, the bottom of the lake, and therefore the structure, may have shifted over time. Further investigation is planned to increase the understanding of past tectonic movements, the accumulation of sediment, and the changing water levels throughout history.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

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Mysterious monument found beneath the Sea of Galilee

Public release date: 10-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University research says unique structure is the product of skilled construction

Ancient structure revealed by sonar

Looking deeper

###

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

[ | E-mail |

Share ]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/afot-mmf061013.php

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SCB plans to get into lending for commercial vehicles - The Nation

Home ? business ? SCB plans to get into lending for commercial vehicles

SCB

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation
June 10, 2013 1:00 am

Thanachart Bank and Krungsri Auto are the market leaders in auto lending.

Narong Srichukrin, first executive vice president and head of SCB's auto finance business division, said the bank was studying the commercial-vehicle market and expected to join the segment next year.

Lending for commercial-vehicle purchase is regarded as a high-yield business. Such vehicles are used in construction and subcontracting businesses, which will benefit from the government's infrastructure projects, while the borrowers' good liability is attracting lenders to secure this market.

SCB is also looking to get into motorcycle instalment loans, he said. The bank will not set up new subsidiaries to handle these new segments because it believes awareness of its brand and its large nationwide network will attract customers.

Narong noted that with the end of the government's first-car-buyer project, new auto loans were expected to shrink by 6 per cent to Bt800 billion from Bt860 billion last year. However, outstanding loans this year will be able to grow from the used-car market, forecast at Bt1.77 trillion, up from Bt1.5 trillion in 2012.

SCB estimates new loans this year at Bt120 billion, up from Bt100 billion last year, as it focuses more on used-car loans and strongly promotes its "My Car My Cash Prompt" product.

The bank plans to boost the proportion of used-car loans to 35 per cent by the end of this year from 30 per cent now.

Used-car loans and the new |cash-for-car products are expected to increase the car-loan portfolio from Bt180 billion year to date to Bt220 billion by year-end. Of the Bt180 billion, new-car loans account for Bt125 billion, Bt35 billion for used cars and the rest My Car My Cash.

He said the bank spent 12 months to develop MCMC Prompt to fill the gap between used-car loans and the My Car My Cash product.

The new product was designed for vehicle customers who prefer the convenience of withdrawing money when they want liquidity. Applicants can secure up to 80 per cent loan to value (LTV) to a maximum of Bt2 million at an interest rate of 18 per cent per annum. Interest will be charged only when the loan is drawn down. MCMC Prompt is suitable for business operators, Narong said.

SCB will offer ATM cards to the approved customers, and if they do not use the card for withdrawals, the bank will not charge interest. Vehicle age is limited to 10 years.

He said the bank expected half of MCMC Prompt customers would use the overdraft and this would help drive the portfolio of My |Car My Cash to Bt30 billion by year-end from Bt20 billion.

SCB is expanding the used-car customer base upcountry, especially in the Northeast. Lending upcountry this year is targeted to increase to 60 per cent from 55 per cent, he said.

Both used-car loans and My Car My Cash are high-yield products. The flat rate for a used-car loan is 3.5-4 per cent per annum for vehicles aged up to four years and 5-6 per cent for vehicles age seven to 10 years, higher than the 2.5-per-cent rate for a new-car loan.

Of 1.3 million new-car sales under the first-car scheme, 700,000 units were delivered last year and the remainder are being transferred to buyers this year. However, about 100,000 purchases are expected to be cancelled. The cancellations will not hurt the lenders as the buyers did not handle the financial transactions, but the dealers did.

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Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/SCB-plans-to-get-into-lending-for-commercial-vehic-30207895.html

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