Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/315890980?client_source=feed&format=rss
is snooki pregnant snooki pregnant gbc hedy lamarr kowloon walled city ronda rousey vs miesha tate lindsay lohan snl
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Obama: I don't need 'photo op' with Mandela
President Obama is heading to South Africa from Senegal as part of his African tour, where Nelson Mandela's daughter says he might visit Mandela if doctors approve. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.
By Stacey Klein and Ian Johnston, NBC News
Barack Obama said Friday that he did not need a ?photo op? with Nelson Mandela, saying the ?last thing? he wanted to do was be intrusive at a time when the anti-apartheid icon?s family are concerned about his health.
However, the president did not rule out a meeting.
On Tuesday, Mandela's daughter Zindzi said that her father ?opened his eyes and gave me a smile? when she told him Obama was coming.
Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters
Protesters protest the visit of President Barack Obama in Pretoria Friday. One said he viewed Obama as a "disappointment" and thought Nelson Mandela would too.
Speaking on Air Force One as he flew to South Africa from Senegal, Obama said that ?we?ll see what the situation is when we land.?
?I don't need photo op," he said. "The last thing I want to do is be intrusive at a time when the family is concerned? with Mandela?s condition.
He said the main message he wanted to deliver was ?profound gratitude? for Mandela?s leadership and to say that ?the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, his family and his country.?
This message could be delivered to his family and not directly to Mandela, the president said.
On Thursday, Obama said he had already had the "privilege of meeting Madiba [Mandela's clan name] and speaking to him."
"And he's a personal hero, but I don't think I'm unique in that regard," Obama added. "If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages."
When asked by NBC News Special Correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault?whether the family would welcome a visit by Obama, Zindzi Mandela said Thursday she wasn't aware of any formal request. However, she added that decision would be left with doctors treating the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Ahead of his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday, an anti-Obama protest broke out not far from the hospital where Mandela is being treated with one demonstrator claiming the U.S. president had been a ?disappointment.?
/
View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.
About 200 trade unionists, student activists and South African Communist Party members gathered to protest Obama?s visit over what they called the his ?arrogant, selfish and oppressive? foreign policy.
"We had expectations of America's first black president. Knowing Africa's history, we expected more,? Khomotso Makola, a 19-year-old law student, told Reuters. He said Obama was a ?disappointment, I think Mandela too would be disappointed and feel let down.?
South African critics of Obama have focused in particular on his support for U.S. drone strikes overseas, which they say have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, and his failure to deliver on a pledge to close the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba housing terrorism suspects.
However, Nigerian painter Sanusi Olatunji, 31, had brought portraits of both Mandela and Obama to add to a growing number of flowers, tribute notes and gifts outside the hospital.
?These are the two great men of my lifetime,? he told Reuters. ?To me, Mandela is a prophet who brought peace and opportunity. He made it possible for a black man like me to live in a country that was only for whites.?
Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images
A group of well-wishers hold candles and a photo of Nelson Mandela on Thursday as they pray for his recovery outside a Pretoria hospital.
In the latest statement on Mandela?s condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said the 94-year-old was ?much better? on Thursday than he had been the previous night. "The medical team continues to do a sterling job," he added.
A statement issued by Zuma?s office said he and Obama would hold ?crucial bilateral talks that will take forward relations between the two countries? on Saturday.
?South Africa values its warm and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States immensely. This is a significant visit which will take political, economic and people to people relations between the two countries to a higher level, while also enhancing cooperation between U.S. and the African continent at large,? it said.
The statement noted Obama?s visit was being made as South Africa prepares to celebrate ?20 years of freedom? ? 1994 saw the first elections in the country in which all its citizens were eligible to vote. Mandela voted for the first time in his life in that year and was elected the country?s first black president, serving until 1999.
?South Africa greatly appreciates the solidarity provided by the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United States during the struggle for liberation,? the statement said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:05 AM EDT
Earthquake Costa Rica Clinton speech Michael Strahan Griselda Blanco Michelle Obama Speech Michael Clarke Duncan Nazanin Boniadi
SE Asia smog 'may spark palm oil group clampdown'
The uproar over the smog blamed on the burning of Indonesian forests to clear ground for oil palm trees could prompt a clamp down on plantation groups, prompting a slowdown in output of the vegetable oil.
Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has already apologised to Malaysia and Singapore for the extent of the haze, which has forced hundreds of schools to close, and brought pollution levels to record highs in some area.
A Singapore pollution index, which sees anything above 300 as hazardous, reached a record 401.
The extent of the pressure on Indonesia to act to prevent further extreme smogs could prompt the country into measures to curtail the slash-and-burn agriculture strategy blamed for the extremity of this year's haze, Singapore-based broker Phillip Futures said.
Potential action
"With pressures from neighbouring countries to mitigate the haze issue, the Indonesian government might be prompted to tighten regulations on palm oil companies," Phillip Futures analyst Sim Han Qiang said.
"There is a high probability they will do something to prevent certain agricultural practices going forward," he told Agrimoney.com.
Potential measures Indonesia might adopt include removing palm oil licenses from groups deemed not to meet sustainability criteria, besides capping the number of palm oil licences issued.
"As such, the palm oil supply from the world's largest palm oil producer is likely to fall in the future," Mr Sim said.
Too big to punish?
Action to curtail palm oil production would threaten an industry which has grown into a huge earner for Indonesia, where output has soared eightfold over the last 20 years, with exports rising more than 10 times above 20.0m tonnes a year.
Indeed, the country, which overtook Malaysia around seven years ago to claim top rank in palm oil output, may baulk at cutting back on such a strong earner, an analyst at another Singapore bank said.
"The government may make a big song and dance about it, but when it comes down to actually taking action, I can't see them doing much that would really hurt the industry," the analyst said.
In Singapore too, where many leading palm oil groups are listed, "it is unlikely that they will come down hard at all on such important companies".
'Not just a supply effect'
However, Mr Sim flagged that some slowdown in Indonesian output could hold benefits to palm oil groups, in supporting prices, given a weaker demand outlook in the face of stuttering Chinese economic growth.
"There is more than just a supply effect at work in the crude palm oil market," he said.
"Demand also needs to be considered because of what is happening in China."
The economic slowdown highlighted on weak manufacturing data is "likely to affect demand for crude palm oil" from a country which is the second-ranked importer.
Corporate involvement?
A number of major palm oil groups have been accused of having a role in the forest burning behind the haze, including Sinar Mas, which is controlled by powerful Indonesian interests, Malaysia-based Sime Darby ?and Singapore-based Wilmar International.
However, these groups have said they operator strict no-burn policies, switching blame to local operators and smallholders.
Source: http://www.agrimoney.com/news/se-asia-smog-may-spark-palm-oil-group-clampdown--5989.html
derek fisher lyrid meteor shower hippocrates andrew breitbart penguins the band colton dixon
Friday, June 28, 2013
Facebook announces Android app beta testing program starting June 27th (that's today)
Facebook's always working on improving its mobile apps, and doing so for Android has proven to be a unique challenge. To aid in Android development, Facebook's starting up a new beta testing program to help identify bugs and get user feedback before each monthly release. You see, Facebook has found that the huge diversity of hardware and OS software in the Android ecosystem makes it difficult to find every bug and issue with new releases when using only internal folks (and their limited number and kinds of devices) as testers. Thankfully, at Google I/O this year, Google announced a new framework that allows app builders to create a Google Group for beta testers and have them download beta versions of apps from the Play Store.
Facebook has created just such a group and wants Android users the world over to sign up as beta testers. To get in on the dogfooding action, folks simply need to sign up for the Google group, then opt-in to become a beta tester and head over to Google Play to download the app. Additionally, Facebook has created its own FB group to facilitate discussion between testers and devs, and while it wants folks to join, it's not a requirement. Once you're on the new version, you need only use the app as they normally would. Reporting bugs is easy: just tap the new "Report Bug" icon in the settings menu, and the necessary information will get sent to Zuckerberg's crew. The best news? The program starts today at noon, and you'll be able to download the newest Facebook app beta directly.
Filed under: Software, Facebook
Jim Nabors The Americans bank of america online banking Adairsville Ga ashley judd Alois Bell Donna Savattere
On Gay Marriage In Churches, Stances Vary Among Religions, Clergy, Members
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Married couple Michael Knaapen (L) amd John Becker (2nd L) react after hearing the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional at the Supreme Court, June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Married couple Michael Knaapen (L) amd John Becker (2nd L) kiss after hearing the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional at the Supreme Court, June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Michael Knaapen, left, and his husband John Becker, right, embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings striking down the ban. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 26: Richelle Spanover (2nd R) wipes her eye after after the Supreme Court ruled key portions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, at the Stonewall Inn on June 26, 2013 in the West Village neighborhood of New York City. The Stonewall Inn became historically important in the Lesbian-Gay-Bigender-Transgender community after playing a key role during the Gay-rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 26: Virginia Sin (L) and Gretchen Menter smile after the Supreme Court ruled key portions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, at the Stonewall Inn on June 26, 2013 in the West Village neighborhood of New York City. The Stonewall Inn became historically important in the Lesbian-Gay-Bigender-Transgender community after playing a key role during the Gay-rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Edith Windsor, center, accompanied by her attorney Robert Kaplan, right, is greeted by Orie Urami, left, as she arrives at the LGBT Center for a news conference, in New York, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. In a major victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
David Boies, an attorney arguing in support of gay marriage, speaks to the media after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and declined to rule on the California law Proposition 8 in Washington, D.C., U.S. on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. A divided U.S. Supreme Court gave a landmark victory to the gay-rights movement, striking down a federal law that denies benefits to same-sex married couples and clearing the way for weddings to resume in California. Photographer: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Chris Roe (L) and Roby Chavez (R) celebrate while holding their soon-to-be adopted children as the US Supreme Court ruling is announced on June 26, 2013. The US Supreme Court struck down The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) today, and declared that same-sex couples who are legally married deserve equal rights to the benefits under federal law that go to all other married couples. In another ruling, the Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California as the justices, in a prcedural ruling, turned away the defenders of Proposition 8. AFP PHOTO/Josh Edelson (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
Edith Windsor arrives at the LGBT Center for a news conference, in New York, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. In a major victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Edith Windsor reacts during a news conference at the LGBT Center, in New York, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. In a major victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Kris Perry, second from right, kisses her partner Sandy Stier outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in their home state of California. From left are, plaintiffs Jeff Zarrillo, and his partner Paul Katami, attorney David Boies, plaintiffs Sandy Stier and Kris Perry, and attorney Ted Boutrous. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
John Lewis, left, and Stuart Gaffney embrace outside San Francisco's City Hall shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Sandy Stier, center, and her partner Kris Perry, right, plaintiffs in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the California Proposition 8 case, meets with reporters outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court's 5-4 decision that cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in their home state of California. Gesturing at far left is fellow plaintiff Jeff Zarrillo. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: American University students Sharon Burk (L) and Mollie Wagoner (R) embrace after hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional at the Supreme Court, June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
John Lewis, left, and his partner Stuart Gaffney embrace as they react next to Andrea Shorter after the Supreme Court decision at the office of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee at City Hall in San Francisco, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a U.S. law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in the state of California. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 26: Same-sex couple Jewelle Gomez (R) and Diane Sabin react upon hearing the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on gay marriage in City Hall June 26, 2013 in San Francisco, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Gay rights activist Bryce Romero, who works for the Human Rights Campaign, offers an enthusiastic high-five to visitors getting in line to enter the Supreme Court on a day when justices are expected to hand down major rulings on two gay marriage cases that could impact same-sex couples across the country, in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Gay rights activist Bryce Romero, who works for the Human Rights Campaign, offers an enthusiastic high-five to visitors getting in line to enter the Supreme Court on a day when justices are expected to hand down major rulings on two gay marriage cases that could impact same-sex couples across the country, in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Attorney David Boise (C) speaks while flanked by plantiff couples Paul Katami, (L), Jeff Zarillo (2nd L), Sandy Steier (2nd R) and Kris Perry (R) after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional at the Supreme Court, June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Plaintiffs in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the California Proposition 8 case, react on steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after justices cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California. From left are, Jeff Zarrillo, and his partner Paul Katami, attorney David Boies, and Sandy Stier and her partner Kris Perry. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Michael Knaapen (L) and his husband John Becker react outside the US Supreme Court in Washington DC on June 26, 2013. The US Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a controversial federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, in a major victory for supporters of same-sex marriage.The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) had denied married gay and lesbian couples in the United States the same rights and benefits that straight couples have long taken for granted. AFP PHOTO / MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Chase Hardin hugs friend Kai Neander on the steps of the Supreme Court after favorable rulings were issued in same sex marriage cases June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court ruled to strike down DOMA and determined the California's proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage was not properly before them, declining to overturn the lower court's striking down of the law. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Gay rights supporter Jay Norris, of New York City, holds a U.S. flag outside the U.S. Supreme Court building on June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court is expected to rule on the DOMA and Prop 8 gay marriage cases. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 26: Martha Acevedo, 25, celebrates the Supreme Court ruling after a watch party at Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California, on June 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Ellen Pontac, left, and her wife Shelly Bailes, celebrate in Sacramento, Calif., after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage in California, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The 5-4 decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples, like Pontac and Bailes, from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) will now have the same (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Attendees at a watch party in Miami celebrate after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage in California Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Julia Tate, left, kisses her wife, Lisa McMillin, as they read results of Supreme Court decisions regarding gay rights on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. McMillin holds the couple's son, Luke. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Juan Talavera, right, kisses his partner Jeff Ronci after the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling at a watch party in Miami, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Renata Moreira, right, and partner Lori Bilella cheer after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage in California, at San Francisco's City Hall on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The couple plans to marry. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 26: Erica Ikeda (C), 26, and Jessica Parral (R), 24, react to the Supreme Court ruling at a watch party at Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California, on June 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 26: Brandon Benoit (C) hugs Martha Acevedo (L), 25, and Briana Castaneda, 23, as they celebrate the Supreme Court ruling at a watch party at Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California, on June 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 26: People celebrate in the street after the Supreme Court ruling at a watch party at Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California, on June 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 26: Supporters of same-sex marriage cheer as they learn results of the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on gay marriage in City Hall June 26, 2013 in San Francisco, United States. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 26: Same-sex couple Sue Rochman (L) and Robin Romdalvik celebrate upon hearing the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on gay marriage in City Hall June 26, 2013 in San Francisco, United States. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Gay rights activists reacts outside the US Supreme Court building in Washington DC on June 26, 2013, after the court ruling on California's Proposition 8, the controversial ballot initiative that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. AFP PHOTO / MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 26: Erica Ikeda (C), 26, and her friends react to the Supreme Court ruling at a watch party at Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California, on June 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. The high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ruled that supporters of California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, could not defend it before the Supreme Court. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
John Lewis, left, gets a kiss from his partner Stuart Gaffney as they embrace after the Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California at the office of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee at City Hall in San Francisco, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Plaintiff couple Sandy Stier (C) and Kris Perry (L) arrive for their Proposition 8 case before the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court is expected to rule on the DOMA and Prop 8 gay marriage cases. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Gay rights supporters Brian Sprague (L) and Charlie Ferrusi, from Albany, New York, hold a Human Rights flag outside U.S. Supreme Court building on June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court is expected to rule on the DOMA and Prop 8 gay marriage cases. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Gay rights supporter Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag outside the U.S. Supreme Court building on June 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. The high court is expected to rule on the DOMA and Prop 8 gay marriage cases. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Gay rights activists gather outside the US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC on June 26, 2013. The US Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a controversial federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, in a major victory for supporters of same-sex marriage.The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) had denied married gay and lesbian couples in the United States the same rights and benefits that straight couples have long taken for granted. AFP PHOTO / MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)
American University students Sharon Burk, left, and Molly Wagner, embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings striking down the ban. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Arriving at the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, on a final day for decisions in two gay marriage cases are plaintiffs in the California Proposition 8 case, from left, Paul Katami, his partner Jeff Zarrillo, and Sandy Stier and her partner Kris Perry. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Michael Knaapen, left, and his husband John Becker, right, embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013 after the court struck down a federal provision denying benefits to legally married gay couples. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
American University students Sharon Burk, left, and Molly Wagner participate in a rally for rights for gay couples in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings striking down the ban. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Supporters of gay marriage embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings striking down the ban. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) spotted in the crowd during the SCOTUS decisions on June 26
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/gay-marriage-church-religion-prop-8-doma_n_3469191.html
9/11 Memorial 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike september 11 2001 september 11 2001
Sikorsky cuts jobs, cites weak military spending
STRATFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is laying off 200 workers due to military spending cuts and the uneven economic recovery.
Spokesman Paul Jackson said Thursday that the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. is responding to reduced spending by the U.S. and other governments. In addition, he says costs to compete are increasing, and many customers are delaying buying decisions due to what he says is economic uncertainty.
Most of the job cuts are in Connecticut and represent about 1 percent of all jobs at the company. The rest are in eight other states.
Sikorsky, which is based in Stratford, Conn., is best known for its Black Hawk helicopter, a work horse in Afghanistan and, before that, in the Iraq war. It also makes helicopters for commercial use.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sikorsky-cuts-jobs-cites-weak-192129163.html
Marissa Mayer Jon Lord Colorado shootings dark knight rises Aurora shooting James Eagan Holmes jeremy lin
Kosovo says now recognized by 100 countries
By Fatos Bytyci
PRISTINA (Reuters) - Egypt has become the 100th country to recognize Serbia's former province of Kosovo as independent, the Pristina government said on Wednesday, a milestone for the Balkan country's pursuit of full international acceptance.
"The oldest state in the world, Egypt, has officially recognized now the youngest state in Europe - Kosovo," Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said on Twitter.
A ministry official said this was the 100th recognition since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 with the backing of the West. The country of 1.7 million people is also recognized by the United States and 22 of the European Union's 27 member-states.
Kosovo's government hopes Egyptian recognition will spur other Muslim nations to accept the country as sovereign.
Serbia does not accept the secession of land it considers central to Serb identity and faith. Russia, a Serbian ally and U.N. Security Council veto-holder, has so far thwarted Kosovo's hopes of joining the United Nations.
Serbia lost control of the territory in 1999, when NATO bombed for 11 weeks to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians by Serbian forces trying to crush a guerrilla insurgency.
This year, Belgrade has bowed to pressure from the European Union to cooperate with Kosovo, seeking the reward of membership talks that the bloc said this week would begin by January.
The Egyptian decision follows an EU-brokered deal in April to improve ties between Serbia and Kosovo, with Belgrade agreeing to cede de facto control of a small Serb pocket in the north of the majority-Albanian state.
(Editing by Matt Robinson and Andrew Heavens)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kosovo-says-now-recognized-100-countries-192722255.html
brandon phillips summerfest summerfest fidel castro rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Ancient horse's DNA fills in picture of equine evolution
A 700,000-year-old fossil proves astoundingly well preserved
By Tina Hesman Saey
Web edition: June 26, 2013
Enlarge LEADING THE DNA DERBY
Researchers extracted DNA from these pieces of a 700,000-year-old horse bone and compiled the world?s oldest genome.
Credit: Ludovic Orlando
A frozen fossil of a horse has yielded the oldest genome sequence ever compiled. Clocking in at about 700,000 years old, the horse DNA is nearly 10 times older than the previous record holder, the genome of an 80,000-year-old Denisovan, an extinct evolutionary cousin of Neandertals and modern people.
The extreme age of the horse?s genetic material has raised hopes that scientists can find even more primitive DNA, perhaps a million years old or more. The ancient DNA also provides scientists with some of the first clues about the genetic changes that accompanied horse domestication.
An international team of researchers deciphered the genome of the horse from the Middle Pleistocene, along with those of a 43,000-year-old horse, a modern donkey and five contemporary domestic horse breeds. Using those data, the researchers pushed back the emergence of the ancestor of horses, zebras, asses and donkeys to about 4 million to 4.5 million years ago. That makes the ancestor twice as old as previously thought, the team reports in the June 27 Nature.
The study also hints at both the origin and future of the last truly wild lineage of horses.
Prior to the new work, researchers had pulled snippets of DNA that were hundreds of thousands of years old from cave bear fossils and ice cores. Those samples? molecules were far smaller than the billions of chemical units, or nucleotides, that make up a genome, an organism?s complete set of genetic instructions. ?It was literally nothing more than a few nucleotides,? says study coauthor Ludovic Orlando, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Copenhagen. ?
So Orlando and his colleagues were astounded by how well preserved the biological molecules were in the ancient horse foot bone. The fossil was found in permafrost at the Thistle Creek site in the Canadian Yukon. ?
Experts on ancient DNA say that natural deep freezes such as permafrost are the place to look for really old specimens. ?They took advantage of the best possible conditions,? says Carles Lalueza-Fox, of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona. But, he says, the question remains: ?How far back can you go in nonpermafrost environments??
The study may help settle a debate over whether a Mongolian equine called the Przewalski?s (pronounced sheh-val-skees) horse is really wild and not domesticated, like all other horse breeds. Named for a Russian colonel who led an expedition in 1881 that found them, Przewalski?s horses were extinct in the wild for decades until a captive breeding program reintroduced them to Mongolia in the mid-1990s.
Some experts consider these sturdy steppe animals a separate species (Equus ferus przewalskii) and the last wild horse. Others insist the wild horses are a subspecies, a feral offshoot of domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus) like the American mustang, Chincoteague pony or Australian brumby. The debate has been difficult to resolve because, until Orlando and his colleagues deciphered the genomes of the two prehistoric horses, scientists had no examples of wild ancestral horses to compare with Przewalski?s and domestic horses.
By lining up the DNA from the ancient and modern horses, the researchers concluded that Przewalski?s horse is a separate, truly wild species that split sometime between 38,000 and 72,000 years ago from the lineage that led to domestic horses. Since that time the two groups have not interbred, the researchers found. ?It is 100 percent wild. There?s not domestic genetics present in that horse,? Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen says of the individual the team investigated.
Despite stemming from only 13 or 14 animals in breeding programs in zoos, Przewalski?s horses have retained more genetic diversity than the domestic horse breeds the team examined. That diversity is good news for conservation efforts. ?It might mean we could have a very good chance at saving that horse population,? Orlando says.
Meanwhile, the researchers are gleaning information about horse domestication by identifying genes that differ among domestic horses, Przewalski?s horses and the fossils. So far, genes involved in production of blood and sperm, muscle organization and coat color show signs of being important for domestication.
Iron Man 3 Trailer Super Bowl 2013 Ray Rice sodastream dan marino godaddy did the groundhog see his shadow
Thursday, June 20, 2013
James Gandolfini Dead At 51
51-year-old 'Sopranos' star reportedly suffers heart attack in Italy.
By Emily Blake
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709340/james-gandolfini-dead.jhtml
Club Penguin Espn Bracket First Day Of Spring 2013 Bates Motel Michelle Shocked ncaa bracket bracket
tips for creating an outdoor oasis | the handmade home
Hello lovely friends! We hope this post finds you with a happy kinda week!
?Tis the season at our house for gardening, blow up pools, s?mores, sprinkler runs, popsicles? and all around fun in the sun. Recently, a sweet gal named Amy wrote me with this question :
I have been obsessed with your back yard, all of your how-tos and the beautiful work you guys have put into it. I desperately need something for ours. The problem is, I have no idea where to begin. This might sound kinda dumb, but what do you recommend for making my back yard better? Where do I start? Any tips? Please please?help. Our yard is so sad. It needs some character, about eight months ago?
I think that when we tend to look at a home, we save landscaping on the list for last. It?s outside, so it seems trivial. We like to delve into the main areas for redos, like living rooms and kitchens. Those are the heart of the home, after all. But let me put this out there: working on your outdoor space brings a different level of value to your home. For us, redoing our yard has added ?square footage? to our home, lengthened it?s lifespan for our family, and if you ask the kiddos? upped the fun level to optimum. ;} Once we got around to it, we just wished we?d tackled it sooner. It has become the new ?heart of the home?, and it?s the perfect space for entertaining.
So here?s a few of our favorite tips on where to begin with your own outdoor oasis.
1. Zones.?
When it came to our back yard makeover, I knew what I wanted, but wasn?t sure how it would look. So I took notes on what our space should be divided into and for what. I sketched. I poured over ideas in magazines and Pinterest? I obsessed. I visualized. I breathe, sleep and eat design? I?m pretty sure I drive all my friends nuts. It?s who I am.
So keeping our needs and our design aesthetic in mind, Jamin and I came up with spaces for different things.?From playing, to lounging, to celebrating with friends and family? this yard serves those needs.
2. Materials.?
Think of your outside space as a room. And think in terms of a variety of materials, layered with texture to bring character and interest to an otherwise plain jane space. Then, use those materials to define your zones.
We added shutters for interest.?We built a pergola to help anchor the space.
When it comes to furniture, break it up. There should be a no-matching rule allowed beyond a few pieces. ;} In the same way that you use texture and layers, apply it to your furnishings in the back yard. Using different pieces in unexpected ways (see table top with a door + glass) or giving them a dual purpose {see firepit + table top} or even something as simple as a swing combined with chairs around a firepit? you get the picture. Thinking beyond the typical in simple ways can give you fun, personal results.
Reinvent your space with color. If you don?t like it, paint it. Combine stain with paint for a contrast. And use fabrics like icing on a really good cake, to repeat color throughout your space.
Then, pull paint colors from your repeated fabrics. I used blue in my chandy, the ?hideaway?, and the chairs to infuse it with color and strengthen the feeling of a ?room outdoors?. The yellow in the door and even the flower pots do the same thing in subtle ways. Use repetition with variety to infuse it with character.
5. Lighting.?
Last, but certainly not least? Our home came with zero lights in the back. Say what?! So we added?these lights?around our pergola, and into our hideaway for a great feel at night, and plenty of light for the kiddos to see.
If you have a covered porch, and you?re waiting for your dream design, and all you have are those globe lights from target for your in-the-meantime? DO IT. It?s the simplest way to add instant ambiance to any outdoor setting. It gives an atmosphere like no other, and can be your most powerful ally in creating a space of your own. Don?t forget the lighting.
These are a few tips on breaking it down for creating an outdoor oasis. We hope that helps! What are some of yours? We would LOVE to hear your input, what?s worked for you and what hasn?t. It?s amazing how an outdoor oasis can make your home feel for your family!
Pssst? Check out all of our how-tos for this space, here!
Have an inspired day, y?all!
Source: http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2013/06/tips-for-creating-an-outdoor-oasis/
charlize theron barbra streisand barbra streisand hugh jackman Aly Raisman Oscar Results Jennifer Lawrence Fall
Average credit card, mortgage debt declining in Arizona
Thinkstock
Average credit card debt in Arizona is declining, according to a new survey.?
Arizonans? credit card and mortgage balances have fallen a bit during the past year, while other forms of debt have risen, according to the latest monthly data from Credit Karma.
The average credit-card balance in Arizona in May is $4,879 ? down $682 from a year earlier and down $161 from April. Credit-card balances were a hair lower for Phoenix residents, who carried an average balance of $4,356 last month compared with $5,008 in May 2012.
Mortgage balances also dipped from the same period last year. The average mortgage balance in Arizona was $172,273 in May, a drop of $4,665 from last year. However, last month?s average balance was about $1,000 higher than the average in April ($171,284). Phoenix mortgage balances saw a similar trend, with a May 2013 average of $167,668, which was lower than the $168,416 average of a year earlier, but slightly higher than April?s $167,451.
Nationally, Arizona had the 24th-lowest average credit-card debt balance. Mississippi residents carried the lowest average balance on their credit cards at $3,830.
As far as mortgages go, Arizona had the 33rd-lowest average mortgage balance in May. Arkansas posted the lowest average mortgage balance last month, with $103,320.
Nationally, the average credit-card balance was $4,975 and the average mortgage debt was $167,373.
Other debt -- auto and student loans -- increased across Arizona during the past year. Arizonans carried an average auto loan balance of $17,978 last month, up more than $1,500 from May 2012?s average of $16,362, and up $54 from April.
Student loan balances were up nearly $1,200 from last year. Arizonans? average student loan balance was $28,160 in May, compared with May 2012?s average of $26,962. From April to May this year, the average balance dropped by about $800.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_2/~3/jHQpxgdXil0/average-credit-card-mortgage-debt.html
vanessa bryant vanessa bryant Prince Harry naked Prince Harry Vegas Melky Cabrera Mayim Bialik Rich Kids of Instagram
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
McCaskill explains why she's pushing Hillary Clinton for president
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
cnn debate equatorial guinea marine helicopter crash photo of whitney houston in casket star jones carrot top george huguely
Bieber's latest driving scandal caught on video
Celebs 
7 hours ago
YouTube
Justin Bieber behind the wheel.
Justin Bieber and driving haven't mixed well for some time, but a new video taken late Monday night appears to show him striking a member of the paparazzi who ignores requests to clear out of the road.
In the video (warning: vulgarities) taken outside the L.A. comedy club The Laugh Factory, Bieber is shown climbing into his white Ferrari, surrounded by flashing lights from photographers.
A security guard insists repeatedly, "Y'all have to back up." Bieber -- wearing sunglasses despite the late hour -- appears to wait until the coast seems clear, then revs the car and pulls out of his parking space in a halting manner. The security guard is briefly bumped in that initial attempt at exiting.
Bieber is then blocked in by another car, and eventually pulls around it, racing off and briefly striking a paparazzo still lingering in the street. The man falls to the ground, clutching his knee as the car disappears down the road.
YouTube
The moment of alleged impact.
WENN news reported that police were called to the scene, where the photographer reportedly had suffered a leg injury and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A spokesperson for Bieber said he had no comment at this time. The Los Angeles Police Department have only confirmed that an incident occurred on Monday night with Bieber, and have not released details, according to KCAL-TV.
This story is still developing; check back for updates.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/justin-biebers-latest-driving-scandal-caught-video-6C10361926
Aeropostale Jcpenny ohio state football cyber monday lupus iCarly banana republic
iHome iBT4 Bluetooth Boombox review
Are you shopping for a portable speaker for your favorite Bluetooth enabled device? Take a look at?iHome. They have a large variety of speakers, so if you can’t find something there,?you probably don’t know what you want. They recently sent me the funky looking iBT4?wireless Bluetooth speaker which I’ve been testing for a couple weeks. [...]
Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/06/18/ihome-ibt4-bluetooth-boombox-review/
harden nor easter nor easter veep los angeles kings timothy leary jonathan frid
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Source's employer: Reports of NSA leak 'shocking'
A sign stands outside the National Security Administration (NSA) campus in Fort Meade, Md., Thursday, June 6, 2013. The Obama administration on Thursday defended the National Security Agency's need to collect telephone records of U.S. citizens, calling such information "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats." (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
A sign stands outside the National Security Administration (NSA) campus in Fort Meade, Md., Thursday, June 6, 2013. The Obama administration on Thursday defended the National Security Agency's need to collect telephone records of U.S. citizens, calling such information "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats." (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The employer of a 29-year-old man who says he is behind the leaks of sensitive National Security Agency programs is calling the disclosure "shocking" and is pledging to work with authorities.
Consulting giant Booz Allen on Sunday confirmed Edward Snowden is an employee assigned to a team in Hawaii. The firm says Snowden has been working there less than three months.
The Guardian identified Snowden as a source for its reports on intelligence programs after he asked the newspaper to do so. The Washington Post also identified Snowden as a source for its reporting.
The Guardian says Snowden is a former CIA covert employee and has been an NSA contract employee for four years.
Associated Presstupac andrew shaw hologram pulitzer prize winners nfl 2012 schedule gmail down tim lincecum
Boyce Avenue And Fifth Harmony Cover Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man' (VIDEO)
Original Song: "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars
Cover Artist: Boyce Avenue and "X Factor USA" girl group Fifth Harmony
How It's Different: In their latest cover, Boyce Avenue and Fifth Harmony have taken on Bruno Mars' piano-based breakup ballad, singing it mostly a capella with a little help from Boyce's electric guitar. The ladies take turns singing different parts of the song, adding a female perspective to Bruno's emotional lyrics.
Why We Love It: We love a good Bruno Mars cover, and Fifth Harmony doesn't fail to impress. Like previous collaborations with Boyce Avenue, the girls of 5H know how to hit the sweet spot when it comes to choosing the perfect song, highlighting their individual vocal talents and further proving that they have what it takes to be the next big thing.
Better than the Original? It's a tough call. While it's difficult to compete with Bruno Mars, there's something about Boyce Avenue and 5H's version that stops us in our tracks. Though we'd probably pick Bruno if we had to choose, 5H and Boyce Avenue's cover is a solid one.
What do you think of Boyce Avenue and 5H's cover? Sound off in the comments below or tweet @HuffPostTeen!
Related on HuffPost:
"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/10/boyce-avenue-fifth-harmony-cover-bruno-mars_n_3417746.html
New pope 2013 good morning america earthquake california earthquake california douglas adams brandon knight brandon knight
Apple unveils music streaming service, revamps iOS
By Poornima Gupta and Edwin Chan
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc unveiled a music streaming service called iTunes Radio and new mobile software on Monday, in the biggest redesign of its operating system since the original iPhone was introduced in 2007.
The new software, designated iOS 7 and announced at Apple's annual developers' conference in San Francisco, sports a streamlined design, employs translucency and a fresh palette of colors, and features animation in apps.
Apple's iTunes Radio, one of the more highly anticipated features of the new iOS 7, comes free, supported by ads across many devices including iPhones, iPads and the Apple TV.
Much like rival Pandora Media Inc's Internet radio, the service - which launches in the fall, months after Google Inc's "All Access" on-demand competitor debuted - allows listeners to customize their own radio stations by genre, skip songs multiple times, or just tune in to some 200 featured stations.
Apple has been talking to record companies for the past year in hopes of getting the service off the ground, seen as crucial to retaining users as music consumption grows alongside smartphone use. It will also come free of ads for customers who subscribe to Match, another Apple music service.
Executives also showed off a new line of Macbook Air computers. They gave a sneak peek at a cylindrical Mac Pro desktop, in a rare preview of upcoming hardware. And, in a continuation of efforts over the past year to wean itself off arch-rival Google's services such as maps, Apple's updated Siri voice software on the iPhone will turn to Microsoft Corp's less-popular Bing as its default in-app search engine.
Previously, Siri handled Web search queries by asking users if they would like to access Google, which dominates Internet searches. With iOS 7 however, users can still choose to ask specifically for Google results.
The latest Macs will run a new computer operating system christened OSX Mavericks - named after a famous California surfing spot and a departure from Apple's penchant for naming software after big cats like Mountain Lion.
The real makeover was reserved for iOS 7, a smartphone and tablet platform overhauled by resident creative honcho, Jonathan Ive. It comes with a new edge-to-edge look that uses translucency to highlight underlying content, new typefaces, and new icons. Apple plans to release iOS 7 in the fall.
It will support multitasking for all apps.
"It's the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone," said Chief Executive Tim Cook.
Robert Brunner, founder of design consultancy Ammunition and a former design head at Apple, said it was past time Apple changed the look of software that had become "busier and busier" visually and, to some degree, busier and busier functionally.
"The iOS look and feel had become long in the tooth," said Brunner, who hired Ive while he was at Apple. "So what Jony has done is really gone in and cleaned it up. He made it feel more sophisticated, more modern."
"It seems like quite a lot to have done in a relatively short period of time," said Brunner, who uses an iPhone.
"MY ASS"
The conference, whose tickets sold out in just over a minute after they went on sale in April, comes as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd solidified its lead in the smartphone market in the first quarter with a 33 percent share followed by Apple with 18 percent, according to market research firm IDC.
Cook is under pressure to show that the company that created the smartphone and tablet markets is not slowing as deep-pocketed competitors like Samsung and Google encroach on its market.
Investor concerns center on whether Apple will be able to come up with more groundbreaking products as the smartphone and tablet markets get more crowded. In April, Apple reported its first quarterly profit decline in more than a decade.
Marketing chief Phil Schiller offered the audience a sneak peek at Apple's upcoming new Mac Pro, its top-of-the-line computer. The computer has a sleek cylindrical chassis that he said will feature several times the processing and memory speed and power of the previous generation.
It will be released later this year and be assembled in the United States, Schiller said.
"Can't innovate any more, my ass," Schiller said as he showed off the new Mac Pro. "This is a machine unlike anything we've ever made."
Apple's stock has fallen 37 percent after touching a high of $705 in September as competition in the smartphone market escalated. Some investors believe the company is struggling to come up with original new products since the death of cofounder and former CEO Steve Jobs in 2011.
The redesigned iOS comes after Cook ousted former chief mobile software architect and 15-year Apple veteran Scott Forstall last November, in a sweeping management move that also gave Ive more control of the look-and-feel of both hardware and software.
Some industry experts have criticized Apple's mobile operating software, which has retained its general look and feel since its inception, for looking somewhat dated.
"The iPhone was the first real smartphone for a lot of people so it had to be really basic," said Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, which makes note-taking software for smartphones. "Now the training-wheels are starting to come off a little bit."
Among some of the other features introduced was "activation lock," an anti-theft security enhancement that prevents unauthorized resetting of the device.
Cook told the audience of developers that Apple's App Store now has 900,000 apps that have been downloaded a total of 50 billion times.
Apple's stock dipped 0.66 percent to close at $438.89 on the Nasdaq.
(Additional reporting and writing by Noel Randewich, Editing by Andre Grenon, Richard Chang, Steve Orlofsky and Matt Driskill)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-unveils-music-streaming-revamps-ios-010909034.html
Call Of Duty Ghosts alice eve kevin durant tumblr Oklahoma Tornado Ray Manzarek Jodi Arias
34 remarkable works by contemporary artists at the Albuquerque ...
?Changing Perceptions of the Western Landscape?
Every once in a while, the captains of Albuquerque?s art scene will conceptualize and present an astounding exhibit of works that updates our dusty notions of What Is.
?BURNBABYBURN? by Vincent Valdez
This entire summer, we are presented with such a transformative view of what is ?landscape? and what is ?The West.? This remarkable exhibit is ?Changing Perceptions of the Western Landscape? ? the experience will include a multitude of art, music and theater events, so buckle up.
For starters, we?re looking at 34 works by 24 outstanding contemporary artists:? Amelia Bauer, Erika Osborne, Ed Ruscha, Mary Tsiongas, Vincent Valdez, B.C. Nowlin, Charlie Burk, Gus Foster, Woody Gwyn, Joanne Lefrak, Patrick Nagatani, Alan Paine Radebaugh, Jack Loeffler and Donald Woodman. Among others.
?The Grand Library? by Guy Laramee
Their works include paintings, videos, photography, printmaking, works on paper, digital art, works on etched Plexiglas and one sculpture. To expand on the experience, exhibit curator (and senior curator at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History) Andrew Connors has scheduled four concerts of contemporary American music that explores western landscape themes in music.
Artist Larry Bob Phillips will create a landscape-inspired painting on a lobby wall at the Museum. How often do we get to see an artist in action? Take Nike?s advice and just do it.
Other adventures include three gallery talks by the curator, artist Mary Tsiongas and aural historian Jack Loeffler. The latter has recorded thousands of hours of natural habitat and music, and will address, among other things, the relationship of culture to homeland, including audio excerpts from his radio series on ?Watersheds as Commons.?
The FUSION Theater Company will participate with a production of Sam Shepard?s ?Kicking a Dead Horse,? a one-man play that examines concept of the ?Old West.?
In selecting works for the main exhibit, Connors did some homework on the history of Man?s relationship to Nature going back as far as biblical times. What he found is that Man has been conflicted off and on with the question of whether to dominate or submit, to demonize Nature or organize it. Fear it or embrace it.
Connors explains, ?The contemporary artists in this exhibition confront all sorts of issues and therefore help us come to a more complex appreciation for both our expectations and the reality of the Western landscape.?
Changing Perceptions of the Western Landscape, exhibit program includes:
May 18 through September 1:? Contemporary art exhibit of 34 works by 24 artists.
June 5, Wednesday, 11 am:? Gallery Talk with Curator Andrew Connors, free
June 20, Thursday, 5-8:30 pm:? Evening of Western Style Entertainment, free
June 23, Sunday, 1 pm:? Gallery Talk with Sound Artist Jack Loeffler, free
July 3, Wednesday, 11 am: Gallery talk with Connors and artist Mary Tsiongas, free
July 18, Thursday, 7 pm, and July 21, Sunday, 2 pm: ?Kicking a Dead Horse,? one-man play by Sam Shepard presented by FUSION Theatre Company (adult language), free
July 18, Thursday, 5-8:30 pm:? Larry Bob Phillips creates a landscape-inspired painting on Museum?s lobby wall, free
July 25, August 1, 8 and 15, all Thursdays, 6 pm:? Concert Series of contemporary American composers whose work is evocative of the land. Admission fees apply.
August 15, Thursday, 5-8:30 pm:? Slow Down Albuquerque! Two concerts by Chatter, free.
Open 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays-Sundays
Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain NW, 243-7255
Admission: $3 New Mexico adults, $2 seniors, $1 ages 4-12. Free 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays, and 2-5 pm on Saturdays, the first Wednesday of the month and 5-8:30 pm the third Thursday of the month
?Chasm of Bingham? by Erica Osborne
B.C. Nowlin?s B.T. Paintings
You could say that ?landscape in transformation? is the theme of one astounding painting in ?Changing Perceptions.? Transformation by fire, that is.
B.C. Nowlin is a highly successful painter of southwestern landscapes of big skies and stunning imagery. The artist is so successful that he could conceivably continue in the same vein of work indefinitely if he got the notion. But the best artists cannot ignore the creative urge to evolve different styles or topics. So it goes with Nowlin, who admitted to eight years of doing just that, but in extreme secrecy. Not even his wife saw his ?burning things? paintings. ?
Starting in 2004, Nowlin explored the mystery of fire in his landscapes by painting 40 works of ?burning things.? He and his wife call them the B.T. paintings. One of them ? ?Violet? ? is in ?Changing Perceptions.? He doesn?t see paintings of fiery landscapes as necessarily tragic or cynical, and regrets that some viewers might ? it?s what kept the series a secret for years.
After a successful exhibit of the B.T. paintings in Santa Fe a few years ago, he speaks with even more confidence. ?I?m pushing as far as I can push out in my craft and imagination. That?s a satisfying feeling.?? ?????
Of ?Violet,? Nowlin says, ?In spite of fire and smoke, it?s a beautiful twilight landscape over a peaceful valley, intensely evocative of feelings, of memory. It feels like a familiar childhood memory.? There?s a lot to take in here, including the savage beauty of fire in our world. Yet most of these flame paintings have a feeling of a vague remembrance for the artist. He can?t explain why.
?It?s like a novel you haven?t written but you already have the illustration for it,? he observes. Yet these paintings, he says, are ?the most difficult paintings I?ve ever done.? Curiously, Nowlin does not paint from photos or sketches. ?I just stand up and paint a picture.?
Nor does he try to paint something ugly. ?I wanted to paint a whole different subject that would be considered ugly but rendered beautiful. I want to treat a burning vehicle with the same kind of love that artists would paint the Grand Canyon and in the process, take it somewhere new.??
Author of the award-winning?Tradiciones Nuevomexicanas: Hispano Arts and Culture of New Mexico?(UNM Press), Mary?Monta?o writes for a variety of regional and national publications.??
Source: http://abqarts.com/?p=12604
dennis kucinich apple ipad kony kony 2012 jim irsay the new ipad apple announcement
Ciara Served With Legal Documents While Performing - Celebuzz
During her performance at Los Angeles Pride this weekend, Ciara got an unwelcome surprise. Posing as a fan, a process server made it to the edge of the stage, and when the singer reached out she was handed legal documents.
The papers were served by the popular West Hollywood club The Factory, where she was supposed to perform Friday night. Ciara's people claim they told the club Ciara couldn't make it in advance, but The Factory is suing.
Ciara quickly dropped the papers, but she no doubt knows about the suit. She has not commented publicly on it yet.
Let's just hope she reads too.
Source: http://www.celebuzz.com/2013-06-09/ciara-served-with-legal-documents-while-performing/
ireland vangogh yield crossbow airhead atherosclerosis steven tyler
This Is What iOS 7 Looks Like in Motion
iOS 7 is here. It's beautiful. You can check out all the details in our main post, but here is some video (top video without audio, we'll fix when we can) to see how it looks in action. You really want to see this.
     |
Tagg Romney Bosses Day Cabin Fever 2 Alexis Wright Zumba binder full of women Microsoft Surface Candy Crowley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)