Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR

The Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR ($549.95 list) is a big camera with an impressive zoom lens. Its styled like a D-SLR, complete with manual control over the zoom, and covers a staggering 24-1,000mm range. Additional features like a sharp EVF, vari-angle rear display, and a very sensible control layout make the 16-megapixel shooter an appealing choice for photographers in search of a camera that can capture wide landscapes and distant objects. The HS50EXR does well at lower ISO settings, but its images suffer when shooting at higher sensitivities. It's a good camera, but can't match Fuji's top-end superzoom, the X-S1, which features a similar manual zoom lens, or our Editors' Choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200, which manages to maintain a wide f/2.8 aperture throughout its 24x zoom range.

Design and Features
A lot like a small SLR, the HS50EXR has a deep handgrip, an eye-level electronic viewfinder, and a big lens with manual focus adjustment. Unlike an SLR you can't change the lens, and you won't benefit from a huge image sensor. The HS50EXR uses a 1/2-inch sensor, which is a little larger than the 1/2.3-inch design used in most compact and long zoom cameras, but not quite as big as the 1/1.7-inch type used in high-end compacts like the Canon PowerShot G15 or the big 2/3-inch sensor used in Fuji's own X-S1 superzoom.

The HS50EXR measures 4 by 5.3 by 5.7 inches and weighs 1.8 pounds. It's a bit bigger than the FZ200 (3.5 by 4.9 by 4.3 inches, 1.3 pounds), which keeps its size and weight under control thanks to a shorter zoom ratio. The HS50EXR lens covers a 24-1,000mm (35mm equivalent zoom range) and features? a variable aperture that opens up to f/2.8 on the wide end, but dwindles to f/5.6 as you zoom in. The FZ200's lens is only a 24x design (24-600mm), but it maintains f/2.8 throughout. The HS50EXR closes down to f/5.6, which captures only 25 percent as much light as f/2.8, at focal lengths longer than 300mm. The lens is stabilized, and I was able to get a sharp, handheld shot at maximum zoom with a shutter speed of 1/60-second?which is about four f-stops of effectiveness.

Because of the SLR-like design, there's plenty of real estate for control buttons and dials. On the top of the handgrip, to the right of the pop-up flash, you'll find the power switch and shutter, the mode dial, and a control wheel. Buttons to activate continuous drive shooting and to control EV compensation for quick image brightness adjustments are also here. The rear panel holds buttons to activate exposure lock, toggle macro focusing, control the flash, set the self-timer, and record movies. There's also a Q button, which is located to the left of the eyepiece, that brings up a software menu that allows you to quickly adjust common shooting settings. From that menu you can adjust the ISO, white balance, video resolution, still image quality, metering pattern, focus area, and activate Fuji's film simulation settings. These settings tune the JPG output to match the look of classic film stocks, including Velvia, Provia, and Astia.

The 3-inch LCD is a hinged vari-angle design. It can sit flat against the back of the camera, but also swings out and rotates so you can view it from above, below, or with the camera facing you. It packs an impressive 920k-dot resolution, so you can review images to confirm critical focus right from the camera. There's also an eye-level LCD viewfinder, which is quite handy when shooting at longer focal lengths as shooting at eye-level makes it easier to hold the camera steady. The EVF is about a quarter-inch in size, but packs 920k dots into that space. The EVF in the Panasonic FZ200 is a bit sharper and crisper; it packs 1,312k dots into its frame.

If you're a fan of manual focus, the HS50EXR has one feature that will jump out?Peaking. When you switch the camera into manual focus mode, Peaking activates to highlight in-focus areas in white. It works best on edges that show contrast. There's also a focus aid that acts a bit like a bar graph?a white line lengthens as you get closer to locking proper focus, eventually lining up with a yellow dot to let you know that you're ready to take the shot. The autofocus system generally does a good job, but it's good to know that you'll have some help achieving accurate focus on your own if needed.

Performance and Conclusions
The HS50EXR starts and grabs a shot in about 1.5 seconds. Its shutter lag is an acceptable 0.2-second, and it can fire off a burst of 7 JPG photos at just under 8 frames per second. If you opt to shoot Raw or Raw+JPG the speed and number of shots you can get in a burst are reduced; you'll be limited to a maximum of 5 shots at 5.7 frames per second. The Panasonic FZ200 does a better job; it starts and shoots in 1.3 seconds, can grab a 12-shot burst in just over a second, and its shutter lag is a minimal 0.1-second.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of images captured by the HS50EXR's lens. It managed 2,132 lines per picture height on the test, better than the 1,800 lines required for a sharp photo. The Fujifilm X-S1 didn't do as well, only scoring 1,685 lines on the same test. At its maximum zoom the images appear to be a bit softer, but space in our studio doesn't allow us get a resolution score at that focal length, but shots of our studio test scene captured at the 1,000mm focal equivalent show that the HS50EXR holds up when zoomed all the way in.

Imatest also checks photos for noise, which can make a photo appear grainy and sap detail from shots. Noise increases along with ISO, which is a numerical representation of a camera's sensitivity to light. The HS50EXR keeps noise below 1.5 percent through ISO 800, but fine details are erased by noise reduction at this setting. Image quality isn't that much better at ISO 400, but it's quite good at ISO 200 and 100. These low settings will be used on bright days, but if you're shooting in dimmer conditions or trying to get a fast shutter speed when zoomed in, you'll likely have to shoot at a higher ISO. The Fujifilm X-S1, which features a larger 2/3-inch image sensor, does a much better job at higher ISO settings. It keeps noise below 1.5 percent through ISO 1600, and delivers images with about as much detail at that setting as the HS50EXR captures at ISO 400.

Video is recorded at 1080p60 or 720p60 quality in QuickTime format. The camera refocuses with ease and motion is quite smooth. The lens is a manual zoom design, so the sound of it moving being captured on the recording is largely dependent on how careful you are in doing so. I didn't find it to be noticeable on the soundtrack, but you can connect an external microphone if you're using the camera for more serious video work. The microphone port is a 2.5mm design, smaller than the more common 3.5mm, so you'll have to get an adapter in order to use a standard microphone. A dedicated charger is included, so you won't have to charge the battery inside the camera as you do with other recent models. In addition to the mic input there is a mini HDMI output and a proprietary USB port. As with most cameras, SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are supported.

The HS50EXR delivers an impressive 42x zoom range in a form factor that's about the same size as a D-SLR with a 3x zoom lens attached. Its EVF is quite sharp and its optical stabilization system is effective. It doesn't do as well at higher ISO settings as the more expensive Fujifilm X-S1, and its zoom lens isn't as fast or sharp at the telephoto end as our Editors' Choice Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. We still think that the FZ200 is the superzoom to get?its range isn't quite as long, but it makes up for it with a lens that never drops below f/2.8?capturing four times the light at its maximum zoom as the HS50EXR is capable of at the same focal length. If you prefer a camera with a manual zoom lens, save your pennies and splurge for the Fujifilm X-S1; it debuted at $800, but is currently selling for less.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/htIa_-ebWlA/0,2817,2417955,00.asp

taylor swift taylor swift Ed Sheeran Fun ll cool j Presidents Day 2013 jack white

Fahad Hassan: A Message to Americans: Let's Increase Teacher ...

When I first came across Randy Turner?s article on why young professionals should not become teachers, I was pretty upset. Though I have no problem with Mr. Turner offering his opinion, nor do I disagree with him on a number of points, Mr. Turner?s analysis of the teaching profession is nevertheless incomplete. For those not entirely immersed in the education industry, I would like to add some context to his thoughts. As an education entrepreneur, I do not claim to understand every nuance of the classroom. I am not a teacher, but I believe I can offer some additional insight as another key participant in our educational conversations. I spend hours of my life on a daily basis visiting classrooms, Skyping with teachers, participating in educational panels, speaking at education conferences, and collaborating with educators at various levels from around the world. I continue to be amazed at the level of passion and dedication I see from our teachers, and the awesome discourse taking place in our society on education reform.

Mr. Turner mentions several key points of discussion, including common core standards, self-learning, student evaluations, merit-based pay and tenure, among others, but his thoughts on guiding young professionals away from teaching and the general lack of value our society places on teachers are what truly caught my attention.

He said, ?If I were 18 years old and deciding how I want to spend my adult years, the last thing I would want to become is a classroom teacher. Classroom teachers, especially those who are just out of college and entering the profession, are more stressed and less valued than at any previous time in our history.?

As someone whose entire life revolves around education, I can say with complete certainty that these points should come with some major disclaimers. First of all, I greatly value teachers. My family, fellow entrepreneurs, and our President all value teachers. There are easier ways for me to make money, but I choose to work in education for a reason. I?m passionate about the impact education can have on a person?s life. It?s reflected in the sacrifices my parents made when they emigrated from Bangladesh because of the value they placed on the American Education System. And it?s constantly a reference made by our president as recently as a few months ago at his State of the Union speech,

?Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let?s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren?t helping kids learn.?

Sure, there are folks out there who don?t understand the entire educational eco-system in our country, or are too lazy to effectively dive into the dynamics within a school, or those who may randomly think ?teachers suck and are the problem, not the solution.? But people who think like this are really no different than teachers who claim that they ?aren?t valued by anyone.? This blame game needs to stop and is something I do not advocate on any level.

While I agree that a major problem here in the U.S. is that we don?t put teachers on a high enough pedestal within our cultural paradigm, that doesn?t mean the majority of American?s don?t value teachers. There are many ways to value teachers. As an entrepreneur, I think about the problem at hand and how to effectively, creatively and efficiently solve that problem. Everything else is a distraction. Pointing fingers at one another, complaining about the system without recommendations on how to fix things, or expecting unreasonable outcomes simply stalls progress and are some of the biggest distractions in the education conversation. Teacher pay, for example, is an issue Mr. Turner brings up that needs more focused attention, not just general thoughts that get lost in the mix.

Teachers are underpaid in our society, but to not trust evaluations from administrators above them or to pick and choose which feedback to accept from students beneath them (as Mr. Turner mentioned he did) is not the way to get the pay problem solved. Let me be loud and clear: every teacher in this country should be paid a six-figure salary. We found $2 trillion to fight the Iraq War, I know we can find a way to increase the average teacher pay from $56,000 for 3.7 million teachers to $100,000 or greater. We have the money to make this happen and I believe most teachers deserve it. Those not worthy, qualified, or passionate should leave teaching and pursue other dreams. Teaching is no different than any other profession, and I would encourage those who love education, but choose not to teach, to help in other ways. Become an education entrepreneur, lobby Congress for more rights, help reform the Teachers Union to better align with outcomes, and get involved with your local school board. All of this is in our control.

And finally, with regards to the difficulty and stress associated with being a teacher, I fully empathize due to my own world-view as a struggling entrepreneur. I went years without a paycheck to help identify and improve teaching in this country with the aid of technology. I did this without any guarantee of funding, success or market adoption. But make no mistake ? it was entirely my choice to pursue this path in life.

Teachers have that same choice, and if young entrants in this field decide the profession is not for them, that is OKAY. People switch professions all the time, and it?s tough to understand what we?re meant to do sometimes without immersing ourselves in the task at hand. But to tell young graduates not to even try teaching ? as Mr. Turner does ? is something I?m completely against. It goes against everything I?ve ever been taught in my life by my parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors ? and I strongly disagree with Mr. Turner on this point. It simply isn?t the American way. The power structure in our country works from the ground up ? not the top down. President Obama showed us how powerful this can be in his first election campaign. He laid a grassroots path and showed us it can work. Let?s take that formula and find ways to bridge it into our everyday lives. Let?s bridge it to education reform, medical reform, immigration reform, and others. Let?s take back control and not simply give up or avoid professions just because they are hard. Let?s fight to give teachers the help, pay, respect and recognition they deserve ? and most importantly, have earned. We need more teachers entering the workforce ? not less.

Source: http://www.uspoliticalnewswire.com/blogs/fahad-hassan-a-message-to-americans-lets-increase-teacher-value/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fahad-hassan-a-message-to-americans-lets-increase-teacher-value

Ada Lovelace 12/12/12 manny pacquiao Chopper Live jerry brown michael buble michael buble

Five savvy shopping apps for the fashion obsessed

Some of the best fashion apps are surprisingly not from the most fabulous brands. Stylish apps that bring a unique experience or special function to your smartphone are the ones that should earn the coveted space on your phone?s home screen. Think of virtual closets incorporating your current clothes with new offerings from the most popular retailers, and one-stop viewing of all your favorite high-end catalogs. These are functions you should look for in mobile apps, as shopping capabilities are not enough reason to download an app these days. Here are five suggestions you should download.

Macy?s, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus, oh my! Get all your favorite store catalogs in one handy app, thanks to the Catalog Spree app for iPhone. You can also use the app to unsubscribe from paper catalogs via Paper Karma. Use the app to shop virtually for some sexy new shoes or whatever you fancy, and help save some trees at the same time. Plus, you get access to catalogs first and exclusive deals.

---

Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps.

---

While you are out shopping, snap a photo of your fashion finds with the Snapette mobile app. Fashionistas who just can?t get enough of shopping, shopping, shopping will love bringing this app along on their next trendy hunting experience to snap pictures of their finds. Use the innovative app to tap into exclusive discounts from your favorite retailers and to locate some of the top boutiques around the world. Or simply browse photos for inspiration on what to wear next while you are out and about hunting for your latest wardrobe treasure.

Dubbing itself ?the best in shopping entertainment,? Wanelo is an online hub for stylish socialites. As it applies to fashion, community members post their latest purchases with a price tag and the store, and others can comment. Wanelo aims to showcase both independent stores and well-known brands. The mobile app extends the already impressive functionality of the website, ?separating categories into: Women, Men, Home, Kids. You can also browse items based on your budget. The app?s layout is nothing short of gorgeous, using a tiled design that draws the eye to sassy tops, dresses and accessories that you can combine to make stunning Spring and Summer ensembles.

Are you one of those people who won?t buy an item of clothing without feedback from a family member or your best friend? Then, the Pickn?Tell mobile app is definitely for you. Basically you take a selfie picture in the dressing room or in store and post to the app. This shares your photo with all your friends so they can give you feedback on whether to buy or not. You can even gain points and earn prizes for your activity with this savvy shopping app. There are several more fun benefits to downloading the app like managing your wardrobe virtually and special shopping deals.

Unlock exclusive offers with the Swirl app simply by walking into your favorite store. This app does more than just help you virtually shop. It actually modernizes the way you do your old fashion shopping at the physical store space of the retailers you love. Another bonus is that you can track all your favorite apps from this one handy app versus downloading a ton of branded apps. If you are strictly looking for fashionable deals then you definitely want to have this app on your mobile phone. Swirl is your personal shopping assistant for more than 200 retailers from Aldo to Zara.

Source: http://www.appolicious.com/shine/articles/13395-five-savvy-shopping-apps-for-the-fashion-obsessed

2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest zurich classic selena lamichael james lamichael james

FAA orders inspections of 1,050 US-registered Boeing 737s

Sakthi Prasad, Reuters ? ? ? 2 hrs.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an inspection of more than 1,000 U.S.-registered Boeing 737 jets to examine the tail planes for a potentially faulty part, which it said could cause pilots to lose control of the aircraft if it failed.

The airworthiness directive (AD) issued by the FAA calls on airlines and other operators to replace tail plane fixing pins with improved pins following concerns over how their protective surface coating was applied.

"We are issuing this AD to prevent premature failure of the attach pins, which could cause reduced structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer to fuselage attachment, resulting in loss of control of the airplane," the FAA said in the directive issued on Monday.

The airworthiness directive was posted on the website of Federal Register and was first reported by the Wall Street Journal late on Sunday.

The FAA said the inspection was "prompted by reports of an incorrect procedure used to apply the wear and corrosion protective surface coating to attach pins of the horizontal stabilizer rear spar."

FAA said its directive affects 1,050 aircraft flown by U.S. carriers and may cost up to $10.1 million across the fleet, or up to $9,627 per aircraft.

The directive applies to models including 737-600, 737-700, 737-700C, 737-800, 737-900, and 737-900ER series aircraft.

Boeing could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2ab9dde7/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctravel0Cfaa0Eorders0Einspections0E10E0A50A0Eus0Eregistered0Eboeing0E737s0E1C9338372/story01.htm

jessie j jessie j David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy Chad Johnson London 2012 Soccer

Final defendant in LA 'Bling Ring' sentenced

Nicholas Prugo, is seen during his sentencing at the Criminal Courts building in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15,2013. A judge has sentenced Prugo the alleged ringleader of the group that burglarized celebrities? homes to time served. Prugo is the final defendant in the so-called ?Bling Ring? to be sentenced. He pleaded no contest in March 2012 to stealing from Lindsay Lohan and reality star Audrina Patridge in exchange for a two year prison sentence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Nicholas Prugo, is seen during his sentencing at the Criminal Courts building in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15,2013. A judge has sentenced Prugo the alleged ringleader of the group that burglarized celebrities? homes to time served. Prugo is the final defendant in the so-called ?Bling Ring? to be sentenced. He pleaded no contest in March 2012 to stealing from Lindsay Lohan and reality star Audrina Patridge in exchange for a two year prison sentence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Nicholas Prugo, left, is seen with his attorney Markus Dombois at the Criminal Courts Building in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15,2013. A judge has sentenced Prugo the alleged ringleader of the group that burglarized celebrities? homes to time served. Prugo is the final defendant in the so-called ?Bling Ring? to be sentenced. He pleaded no contest in March 2012 to stealing from Lindsay Lohan and reality star Audrina Patridge in exchange for a two year prison sentence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Nicholas Prugo, is taken from superior court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, April 15,2013. A judge has sentenced Prugo the alleged ringleader of the group that burglarized celebrities? homes to time served. Prugo is the final defendant in the so-called ?Bling Ring? to be sentenced. He pleaded no contest in March 2012 to stealing from Lindsay Lohan and reality star Audrina Patridge in exchange for a two year prison sentence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A man who pleaded no contest to stealing from Lindsay Lohan and reality star Audrina Patridge has been sentenced to time already served in jail.

Nicholas Prugo is the final defendant to be sentenced in the "Bling Ring" burglaries case that Los Angeles authorities say targeted celebrities' homes.

District attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison says Prugo spent a year in custody before being sentenced Monday. He pleaded no contest in March 2012 in exchange for a two-year prison sentence.

Judge Larry Paul Fidler gave Prugo credit for that year plus an additional year's credit because of good behavior.

Authorities say the burglaries that Prugo and five others were involved in netted more than $3 million in jewelry, clothes and art.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-15-Celebrities%20Burglarized/id-1d19d55b86204f77b78fa7744b2ae1b6

the watchmen whitney houston dies dolly parton i will always love you beverly hilton hotel whitney houston found dead i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards

After weeks of NKorean fury, calm on key holiday

A North Korean child covers the eyes of her father as she sits on his shoulders watching mass folk dancing in front of Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Monday, April 15, 2013. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il Sung. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

A North Korean child covers the eyes of her father as she sits on his shoulders watching mass folk dancing in front of Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Monday, April 15, 2013. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il Sung. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

A North Korean soldier guarding the entrance to Pyongyang's Kumsusan mausoleum, where the bodies of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie embalmed, looks back through the doors of the main gate Monday, April 15, 2013. North Koreans turned out on Monday to mark the 101st birthday of Kim Il Sung. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

North Korean women carry a bundle of brooms after the cleaning of the area around bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang on Monday, April 15, 2013. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il Sung. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

People visit statues of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il to celebrate the 101st birthday of Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, April 15, 2013. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

A man, center, supervises a dancing group during a mass folk dance in front of the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, April 15, 2013. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il Sung. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Koreans celebrated the birthday of their first leader Monday by dancing in plazas and snacking on peanuts, with little hint of the fiery bombast that has kept the international community fearful that a missile launch may be imminent.

Pyongyang fired off a rocket ahead of the last anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth ? the centennial ? but this time the day was simply the start of a two-day holiday for Pyongyang residents who spilled into the streets.

Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along streets festooned with celebratory banners and flags and boys on inline skates took a break to slurp up bowls of shaved ice.

There was no sense of panic in the North Korean capital, where very few locals have access to international broadcasts and foreign newspapers speculating about an imminent missile launch and detailing the international diplomacy under way to try to rein Pyongyang in.

Elsewhere in the region, however, the focus remained on the threat of a launch as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a tour to coordinate Washington's response with Beijing, North Korea's most important ally, as well as with Seoul and Tokyo.

In Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a parliamentary committee Monday that North Korea still appeared poised to launch a missile from its east coast, though he declined to disclose the source of his information.

Kerry warned North Korea not to conduct a missile test, saying it would be provocation that "will raise people's temperatures" and further isolate the country and its impoverished people. He said Sunday that the U.S. was "prepared to reach out," but that Pyongyang must first bring down tensions and honor previous agreements.

Foreign governments have been trying to assess how seriously to take North Korea's recent torrent of rhetoric warning of war if the U.S. and South Korea do not stop holding joint military maneuvers just across the border.

Officials in South Korea, the United States and Japan say intelligence indicates that North Korea, fresh off an underground nuclear test in February, appears ready to launch a medium-range missile. North Korea has already been slapped with strengthened U.N. sanctions for violating Security Council resolutions barring the regime from nuclear and missile activity.

North Korea has warned that the situation has grown so tense it cannot guarantee the safety of foreigners in the country and said embassies in Pyongyang should think about their evacuation plans. But British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Monday that although there is reason for concern over the "frenetic and bellicose" rhetoric, Britain believes there has been "no immediate increased risk or danger" to those living in or travelling to North Korea.

He said Britain does not see an immediate need to draw down embassy staff, but is keeping that under constant review. He added that, from discussions with other governments, the U.K. does not believe any foreign embassy in Pyongyang plans to close.

While concerns over North Korea continued to dominate headlines abroad, Pyongyang's own media gave little indication Monday of how high the tensions are.

The Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party newspaper, featured photos and coverage of current leader Kim Jong Un's overnight visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to his grandfather. There was only one line at the end of the article vowing to bring down the "robber-like U.S. imperialists."

Kim Jong Un's renovation of the memorial palace that once served as his grandfather's presidential offices opened to the public on Monday, the vast cement plaza replaced by fountains, park benches, trellises and tulips. Stretches of green lawn were marked by small signs indicating which businesses ? including the Foreign Trade Bank recently added to a U.S. Treasury blacklist ? and government agencies donated funds to help pay for the landscaping.

Starting from early in the morning, residents dressed in their finest clothing began walking from all parts of Pyongyang to lay flowers and bow before the bronze statues of Kim and his son, late leader Kim Jong Il, as the mournful "Song of Gen. Kim Il Sung" played over and over.

Their birthdays are considered the most important holidays of the year in North Korea, where reverence for the Kims is drummed into the people from the time they are toddlers. The largest basket of flowers at Mansu Hill was from Kim Jong Un, whose elaborate offering was cordoned off with ropes.

With that ritual out of the way, many stopped at food stalls set up at the base of Mansu Hill to warm up with tea and snacks. They queued at roadside snack stands for rations of peanuts, a holiday tradition.

"Although the situation is tense, people have got bright faces and are very happy," said Han Kyong Sim, who works at one of the beverage stands.

Later, as the day warmed up, scores of young women in a rainbow of sparkling traditional dresses thronged the parking lot outside Pyongyang Indoor Stadium for North Korea's version of square dancing.

Monday marked the official start of the new year according to North Korea's "juche" calendar, which begins with the day of Kim Il Sung's birth in 1912. But unlike last year, the centennial of his birthday, there are no big parades in store this week, and North Koreans were planning to use it as a day to catch up with friends and family.

North Korea is believed to be saving its parades and big parties for July 27, the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, and the 65th anniversary in September of the founding of the nation.

But while there was little sense of crisis in Pyongyang, North Korea's official posture toward the outside appeared to be as hardline as ever.

A top North Korean leader, Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, told officials Sunday that the North must bolster its nuclear arsenal further and "wage a stronger all-out action with the U.S. to cope with the prevailing wartime situation," according to state TV.

North Korea has also pulled workers from the Kaesong factory complex on its side of the Demilitarized Zone, the last remaining symbols of inter-Korean rapprochement, in a pointed jab at South Korea. South Korean-run factories provided more than 50,000 jobs for North Korea, where two-thirds of the population struggle with food shortages, according to the World Food Program.

On Sunday, Pyongyang rejected Seoul proposal to resolve tensions through dialogue. A Unification Ministry spokesman in Seoul, Kim Hyung-suk, called the response "very regrettable" on Monday.

___

Associated Press writer Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Follow Lee, AP's bureau chief for Pyongyang and Seoul, at www.twitter.com/newsjean.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-15-Koreas-Tension/id-d728a39a6b104be98c6eba8da17a600a

chandler jones peyton hillis fletcher cox charlotte bobcats new york rangers nfl mock draft 2012 norfolk island

Exclusive: Wells Fargo cuts approved list of money managers

By Jed Horowitz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co is slashing an approved list of money managers and investment vehicles that its stockbrokers market to the firm's wealthy clients, a change of direction that has rattled the third-largest U.S. brokerage network.

Executives said the clampdown protects clients from exposure to a plethora of investment models that have received little oversight. It will also reduce the firm's risk at a time when litigation and compliance costs are rising industry wide.

Money managers affected by the cull range from big names such as JP Morgan Asset Management Inc and Legg Mason to scores of small hedge funds and regional managers. For Legg Mason alone, the number of investment products on the list will shrink to 12 from 56, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

Many of the smaller managers have worked with Wells' advisers for years, sometimes as former colleagues in the brokerage business.

"We want reassurance that the strategies being recommended to our clients...are something we are comfortable with," said Patricia Loepker, director of externally managed and institutional accounts at Wells Fargo Advisors, the company's brokerage unit.

"Our clients, of course, think they're good strategies because otherwise we wouldn't offer them, but it was time for us to deliver on that belief," she said.

Currently the approved list has more than 1,000 investment strategies from about 470 portfolio managers. Starting next month, brokers will no longer be allowed to solicit money for 633 of the strategies offered by 220 of the outside managers, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

The extensive list in part reflects Wells Fargo's December 2008 acquisition of Wachovia Corp. Wachovia's broker-dealer was an amalgam of more than a dozen smaller firms - including A.G. Edwards, Prudential Securities and Everen Securities - and brokers at the firms who had ties to many little-known portfolio managers.

With 15,354 brokers, Wells Fargo Advisors at the end of 2012 held $58 billion of client assets managed by outside portfolio managers in what are known as separately managed accounts. That ranked Wells fifth among all brokerage firms, according to Cerulli Associates, a consulting firm. Measured by its total managed account assets of $325 billion at the end of this year's first quarter as well as by its financial adviser count, Wells Fargo is the third-largest broker in the United States.

BROKER DISCONTENT

The changes at Wells are centered on its Private Advisor Network, a product in which clients are directed to outside money managers by their financial advisers - as Wells designates its brokers - and pay fees to both the bank and the outside managers.

The culling has irritated some of the brokers. Four interviewed by Reuters complained that the changes were unveiled only a few weeks before they are to take effect next month.

The brokers, who sought anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to reporters, said Wells is eliminating unique investment choices that clients cannot find at rivals - including unheralded managers with strong records.

"They say they are trying to protect my interests but they are shutting down new business in these accounts...," said a 30-year veteran who produces about $1.4 million of brokerage revenue a year.

The advisers also accused Wells of hardball compensation tactics to discourage them from using Network, which they said is more lucrative to many brokers than some other managed money products in which the bank keeps more of the fee.

Earlier this year, Wells imposed a surcharge on fees advisers glean from Private Advisor Network accounts. The levy, which some advisers said was buried in the company's 2013 compensation plan, raised protests from high-producing brokers who said they could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wells backed off by putting a $10,000 annual cap on the charge. It also told portfolio managers it may consider reinstating some investment strategies after a year if there is enough interest from advisers and a "need within the asset class."

Wells acknowledges some of the broker discontent but insists it has little choice because of its inability to adequately monitor the qualifications and track records of so many outside managers.

"Advisers are very entrepreneurial and independent and they like to demonstrate their independence with a broad range of managers," said David Carroll, head of Wells' wealth, brokerage and retirement division. "The problem is that we can't keep up."

INDUSTRY GIANT

Under the new policy, clients can opt to remain in investment strategies being lopped from the approved list, but new money is subject to a $2 million minimum and can be invested in a non-approved strategy only at the client's request. The current Wells minimum is $100,000, though some outside managers have higher requirements.

If clients pull their money, advisers could lose additional compensation cut since they are paid on total assets invested in the separately managed account program.

Outside managers, meanwhile, worry about the timetable. In October, the bank will alert clients that it has stopped doing due diligence on products that have fallen off the list, according to internal documents reviewed by Reuters.

"If a heavy-handed letter goes out telling clients to use the strategies at their own risk, we'd be concerned," said John Ranft, a salesman and former sales director at Navallier & Associates, a Las Vegas portfolio manager that is losing 17 strategies and keeping six in Network.

Wells Fargo is now negotiating with some managers on the Private Advisor Network's approved list to also list the strategies on a second platform called Masters, Wells' Loepker said.

That program, which offers what are known as wrap-fee accounts in which clients pay a single fee for management and administrative services, currently has about 80 managers offering about 185 strategies. Within two-and-a-half years Wells expects it to have about 125 managers with 500 strategies, Loepker said.

Clients whose outside managers move to Masters would pay lower fees than in Network and, in some cases, be subject to lower account minimums, she said.

A Wells spokeswoman declined to comment on some advisers' contention that the bank makes more money from the wrap-fee than from the separately managed account.

Several outside managers said the winnowing of Wells' approved list brings the firm in line with its rivals, leading to a greater homogenization of investment choices for investors. They declined to be identified, since many are hoping to requalify strategies for Wells approved list and its wide reach among retail investors.

Still, portfolio managers said they were taken aback by the shift at Wells and how it might affect the firm's reputation as being open than rivals to smaller managers recommended by its advisers.

"Wells had a very liberal strategy," said Navallier's Ranft. "If one strategy was approved, you could basically get any others added to the list."

(Reporting By Jed Horowitz. Editing by Lauren Young, Frank McGurty, Leslie Gevirtz and Diane Craft)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-wells-fargo-cuts-approved-list-money-managers-054647497--sector.html

march madness bracket ncaa basketball scores brian urlacher kate upton Harry Reems ncaa basketball ncaa tournament schedule

Frito-Lay Loses SCOOPS!? Patent, Trademark Infringement Case ...

On March 5, 2013 a jury returned a verdict against Frito-Lay North America (?Frito-Lay?) and in favor of Medallion Foods and Ralcorp Holdings, (collectively ?Medallion Foods?) in the Eastern District of Texas ?Sherman Division.

Frito-Lay brought a lawsuit against Medallion Foods for allegedly trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, unfair competition, and dilution under United States Trademark Act. Frito-Lay also alleged willful patent infringement under the patent laws of the United States.

In its amended complaint Frito-Lay alleged that Medallion Foods? tortilla chips result from processes, which infringe one or more claims of United States Patent No. ?6,610,344 either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. Additionally, Frito-Lay contends that Medallion Foods is liable for infringing the ?344 Patent under U.S.C. ? 271, as well as the infringement being willful, entitling Frito-Lay to enhanced damages under ?284.

Both sides tried to limit the scope of trial through pre-trial motion practice. On October 4, 2012, Frito-Lay filed a motion for summary judgment on Medallion Foods? sale or public use affirmative defenses and counterclaims. Frito-Lay ?contends that it is entitled to summary judgment because Defendants [Medallion Foods] failed to produce clear and convincing evidence that the chip sold by Frito-Lay in a test market had fluted edges, and all testing of a bowl-shaped chip with fluted edges occurred under confidentiality agreements.? The Court went through a thorough analysis and granted in part, and denied in part the motion.

With regards to the part of the motion that was granted the Court stated: ?[t]he burden is on Defendants [Medallion Foods] to show by clear and convincing evidence facts that support the existence of a public use. The Court finds that Defendants are unable to provide such evidence?The evidence before the Court provided by Plaintiff indicates that the testing did occur in public to individuals that were subject to a confidentiality agreement. There is no indication that these tortilla chips were used in public without the presence of the confidentiality agreement, and there is no indication that any individuals violated the confidentiality agreements that they signed. Therefore, the Court finds Plaintiff?s motion for summary judgment should be granted on this ground.?

Medallion Foods also requested relief under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(d), which provides that ?if a nonmovant shows by affidavit or declaration that, for specific reasons, it cannot present facts essential to justify its opposition, the court may (1) defer considering the motion or deny it; (2) allow time to obtain affidavits or declarations or to take discovery. However the Court found this not to be the case: ?[b]ecause Defendants failed to show any specific facts exist that would determine the testing was public, the Court finds that Defendant?s request for relief under Rule 56 (d) is denied.?

Although the motion for summary judgment was decided on January 8, 2013, the trial began in February of this year. ?Frito-Lay?s currently holds the rights to the ?344 Patent, which covers the manufacturing process for the TOSTITOS SCOOPS! Product ?which was issued in 2003. During the two-week trial, Frito-Lay alleged that Medallion infringed its trade dress rights to the Scoops design, as well as the chip packaging. Both Frito-Lay and Medallion had product packages that are blue and features a black name on a geometric background ?while having a see through panel that gives the illusion that the chips are being dipped in salsa. One of the requirements to succeed on a trade dress claim is ?a plaintiff must show that its trade dress is distinctive and non-functional and that a defendant?s product would confuse customers as to the source of the product.?

Based on the verdict, the jury did not believe that consumer confusion existed pertaining to the specific trade dress or patent infringement claims. ?This was a very complicated trial, and we were fortunate to have an extremely smart jury that understood the issues and delivered a just verdict,? says Mr. John Ward, whose firm Ward & Smith helped represent Medallion. ?This jury digested almost 40 pages of complex instructions and returned a verdict in our clients? favor on all issues submitted.?

Needless to say, Frio-Lay was extremely disappointed by the outcome of the trial. Chris Kuechenmeister, a spokesman for Frito-Lay stated: ?Frito-Lay?s trade dress and patent rights remain valid.? Frito-Lay is currently addressing its post-trial options, including appeal.

The presiding judge over the trial was United States Magistrate Judge Amos L. Mazzant.

Source: http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2013/04/13/frito-lay-loses-scoops-patent-trademark-infringement-case/id=37580/

Happy 4th of July 4th Of July Desserts fireworks fireworks 4th of July Andy Griffith joe johnson

Former Texas official arrested in probe of prosecutors' slayings

By Lisa Maria Garza

KAUFMAN, Texas (Reuters) - A former justice of the peace in Kaufman County, Texas, whose home was searched as part of the probe into the killings of the local district attorney, his wife and a prosecutor, has been arrested on suspicion of threatening violence, officials said on Saturday.

Eric L. Williams, 46, was arrested on Friday on charges of making a "terroristic" threat, which generally involves a threat to commit violence, according to the Kaufman County jail website. Kaufman County is just east of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

It was not immediately clear whether the alleged threat had any connection to the slayings, which along with the March slaying of the Colorado prisons chief raised concerns about public officials being targeted by criminal elements.

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found shot to death on March 30 at their home near Forney, 22 miles from Dallas, two months after Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down execution-style. McLelland had publicly vowed to capture Hasse's killer.

The arrest of Williams marked at least the third time investigators in the case have taken a person into custody over an alleged threat, and came as Texas authorities were seeking to double an existing $200,000 reward to find the killers.

Williams has not been named as a suspect in the slayings. He lost his position as justice of the peace in Kaufman County after being convicted last year of theft, according to local media reports.

His attorney, David Sergi, said in a statement on Friday that his client "has cooperated with law enforcement and vigorously denies any and all allegations," according to local news station KXAS-TV, an NBC affiliate.

Sergi did not return calls on Saturday.

SEARCH WARRANT

A jail official confirmed that Williams' bail was set at $3 million in connection with the charge against him, but she could not release further details.

Kyle Bradford, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers, said authorities served a search warrant at Williams' home on Friday.

Richard Mohundro, who lives next door to Williams' house in Kaufman County, said he watched from his porch as police poured into the neighborhood on Friday afternoon. "There were cops everywhere and I thought, 'Oh my God,'" he said.

Officers were there until around midnight and took out bins filled with documents and computers, Mohundro said.

After the slayings of Hasse and the McLellands, investigators had tested Williams for gun residue and they examined his cell phone, but they did not name him as a suspect, according to the New York Times.

The theft conviction against Williams last year centered on his removal of computer monitors from a public building, according to a report on the trial from The Forney Post newspaper. Hasse prosecuted the case, according to the paper.

Police investigating the slayings previously have arrested others on a charge of making a public threat.

The Texas Rangers arrested a man on April 4 accused of using Facebook to threaten violence against an assistant district attorney. Two days earlier, authorities arrested another man suspected of making a telephone threat against a county official on a tip line set up for the case.

Kaufman County Sheriff's spokesman Lieutenant Justin Lewis, whose department is the lead investigative agency on the case, did not return calls to Reuters.

(Additional reporting Marice Richter in Dallas,; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Vicki Allen, Cynthia Johnston and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bigger-reward-sought-probe-killings-texas-prosecutors-015359211.html

tyler perry good deeds pretty in pink shark tank john wall gordon hayward gas prices rising stars challenge

NASCAR could take closer look at sponsorships

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) ? NASCAR might take a closer look at how it approves sponsors after the National Rifle Association became the title sponsor of this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Texas during a national debate over gun rights.

NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said NASCAR has no official position on gun rights.

"Our fans, racing teams and industry partners come from all walks of life and thus have varying points of views and opinions," Higdon said Friday. "As a sport, we are in the business of bringing people together for entertainment, not political debate."

Sponsorships are agreements directly between track and sponsor, but NASCAR reserves the right to approve or scuttle them.

"The NRA's sponsorship of the event at Texas Motor Speedway fit within existing parameters that NASCAR affords tracks in securing partnerships," Higdon said. "However, this situation has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."

Sprint Cup points leader and five-time champion Jimmie Johnson said it is "clearly a sensitive subject." He said drivers are in Texas to do their job and put on a great race.

"The title sponsorship of an event is well outside of the driver's focus or anything we have to do with," Johnson said. "I do recognize that it is a very touchy topic right now."

The NRA 500 on Saturday night comes as the U.S. Senate weighs legislation intended to reduce gun violence in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., recently called on the Fox network to not broadcast the race and questioned the Victory Lane tradition at Texas, where the winner gets a cowboy hat and can fire six-shooters loaded with blanks into the air.

The NRA also sponsored a second-tier Nationwide race last September at Atlanta, which like Texas Motor Speedway, is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-12-CAR-NASCAR-NRA/id-1dfdcdc4dc6642c4958adc3747aa089f

helicopter crash matt jones whitney houston in casket photo resolute national enquirer whitney houston casket photo jk rowling qnexa

Analysis: Obama proposal irks both sides (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/298634987?client_source=feed&format=rss

mad hatter azerbaijan ryan howard ps i love you ray charles cheney heart transplant weather san diego

Some lung cancers linked to common virus

Apr. 10, 2013 ? A common virus known to cause cervical and head and neck cancers may also trigger some cases of lung cancer, according to new research presented by Fox Chase Cancer Center at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 on Wednesday, April 10.

Examining tissue samples from lung cancer patients, the researchers found that nearly 6% showed signs they may have been driven by a strain of human papillomavirus (HPV) known to cause cancer.

If HPV indeed plays a role in lung cancer in some patients, the next step is to better understand those tumors so they can be treated more effectively. "The ultimate goal," says study author Ranee Mehra, MD, attending physician in medical oncology at Fox Chase, "is to determine if we can target our therapies to the specific characteristics of these tumors."

Studies from Asia have shown that lung tumors are frequently infected with HPV. The pattern makes sense, explains Mehra -- the lungs are located near the head and neck region, which is known to be at risk of tumors upon exposure to some strains of HPV.

To investigate, she and her colleagues examined 36 tissue samples from people diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer who had never smoked, part of the Fox Chase Cancer Center Biosample Repository. The reason they chose non-smokers, Mehra explains, is that smoking is a major cause of lung cancer -- but in non-smokers, the explanation is often less obvious.

The researchers found that 4 out of 36 samples had signs of infection from two strains of HPV known to cause cancer, 16 and 18. Looking more closely at the two samples infected by HPV 16, Mehra and her team saw signs the virus had integrated into the tumor's DNA -- which is even more suggestive that the infection caused the tumor. They presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Although this suggests that HPV drives lung cancer in less than 6% of non-smoker patients, making it a relatively rare occurrence, lung cancer is very common, Mehra notes -- killing more than 1 million people every year. Approximately 10 percent of cases occur in non-smokers. "Given how many patients develop lung cancer, if even a small percentage of those tumors stem from HPV, that ends up being a large number of patients," she says.

It's not clear how HPV reaches the lung, she says; patients may simply breathe it in. And just because these patients have evidence of an HPV infection that does not necessarily mean the infection caused their tumors, Mehra cautions. "It could simply be a coincidence that they had both lung cancer and HPV," she notes. "But the presence of both simultaneously, and the integration of the virus into the tumor's DNA, fuels the hypothesis that they are related."

Although the majority of people are exposed to HPV, these results are largely not cause for concern, assures Mehra. "In my practice, I treat many people with head and neck cancers who are infected with HPV. Some fear that they are 'contagious', and could somehow pass the cancer onto their families," she says. "Mostly, I reassure them -- even though many people have been exposed to HPV, it's likely only a minority who develops cancer as a result."

And people who have lung cancer but never smoked need not rush to their doctors to determine if they also have HPV, since doctors don't know yet if they should treat these tumors differently, or if the presence of the virus has any impact on prognosis. "These results are very preliminary and not a reason to run to your doctor to find out if you are infected, or panic if you are," she states.

As such, researchers need to investigate what factors drive some people to develop cancer after exposure to HPV, so they can better treat those types of tumors, says Mehra. "Hopefully, this research will fuel some discussion or further studies," she notes. "What we need is a better understanding of why does cancer develops in some patients and not in others."

Co-authors on the study include Brian Egleston, Donghua Yang, Walter Scott, Hossein Borghaei, and Camille Ragin.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Fox Chase Cancer Center.

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

---

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/72nZoMDuskc/130410082732.htm

tenebrae the lake house petrino arkansas roy williams divine mercy chaplet matt lauer albert pujols

North Carolina reptile and exotic pet show | Pet Expert

most of them were captive bred, I do not support selling? of wild caught animals at all. As long as a responsible owner buys the animals I?m happy, because there are worse homes for them and irresponsible owners and uneducated kids who buy them cheap and let them die. Once they?re at a show its too late to let them free or any nonsense like that. By the way it?s ?bred? not ?breeded?. Stop making up words, and im sure the animals are happy to not go home with you.

Source: http://petexpert.org/?p=2633

oklahoma city bombing robbie robertson the curious case of benjamin button secret service prostitute rich ross april 20 secret service prostitution

Oman to shift weekend to Friday start

MUSCAT, Oman (AP) ? Oman will switch to a Friday-Saturday weekend to align its banking and business days with most other nations in the region.

Currently, Oman and neighboring Saudi Arabia follow a Thursday-Friday weekend. But other countries in the Gulf start their two-day weekends on Friday, the Muslim day of prayer.

The decree by Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, also ordered private companies to give their employees the same number of religious holidays as civil servants in an effort to make non-state jobs more attractive.

Oman has faced sporadic Arab Spring-inspired protests demanding greater employment opportunities.

The new weekend decree, carried Sunday by the official Oman News Agency, will take effect May 1.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oman-shift-weekend-friday-start-065300955--finance.html

dr jekyll and mr hyde edwin jackson punksatony phil 2012 groundhog day groundhog phil pee wee herman ketamine

Ebert's cancer is back

Sad news from Chicago: Roger Ebert's cancer has returned and he's taking what he calls a "leave of presence" to focus on recovery and a few different projects.

What in the world is a leave of presence? It means I am not going away. My intent is to continue to write selected reviews but to leave the rest to a talented team of writers handpicked and greatly admired by me. What's more, I'll be able at last to do what I've always fantasized about doing: reviewing only the movies I want to review.

At the same time, I am re-launching the new and improved Rogerebert.com and taking ownership of the site under a separate entity, Ebert Digital, run by me, my beloved wife, Chaz, and our brilliant friend, Josh Golden of Table XI. Stepping away from the day-to-day grind will enable me to continue as a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, and roll out other projects under the Ebert brand in the coming year.

Love that first sentence. Get well soon, Roger.

Source: http://kottke.org/13/04/eberts-cancer-is-back

Justin Bieber cancer Mockingbird Lane peyton manning sf giants gold rush gold rush windows 8

S&P forecasts regional growth despite federal cuts

(Reuters) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said on Thursday that broad federal spending cuts through sequestration should not be a drag on overall economic growth, but will have different effects among the country's regions.

S&P said it expects the strongest growth in 2013 to occur in the mountain region, which encompasses Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as in the west south central states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Meanwhile, the growth forecast for Pacific states - Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California - "looks slightly dimmer from the vantage point of a few months ago, owing primarily to the expected impact of federal sequestration cuts that went into effect March 1," S&P said in a report.

The rating agency revised its forecast for economic expansion in the mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to 1.9 percent from 1.6 percent in January. The Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin were expected to have the slowest growth among the regions due in part to lags in employment growth and the housing recovery, according to S&P.

(Reporting Caryn Trokie and Karen Pierog; Editing by Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-forecasts-regional-growth-despite-federal-cuts-215618518--finance.html

tamera mowry slow jam the news madden cover obama slow jams the news metta world peace ron artest gladys knight

Hillary Clinton to headline NY women's conference

NEW YORK (AP) ? There's been plenty of star power already at the Women in the World summit in New York: Angelina Jolie and Meryl Streep both were part of the opening night program.

But a different sort of star is sure to get a rapturous reception Friday at the annual two-day conference, which focuses on global women's issues: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

It is her second high-profile speech this week, following one at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards in Washington, and it coincides with the announcement Thursday of her new memoir about her years as secretary of state. She's addressed this forum before, but now there's the added excitement of all the speculation: What's next for her?

The main focus of the women's conference, though, is the plight of women across the globe, and Jolie had the most emotional moment Thursday, introducing ? via video from Britain ? Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating for girls' education.

"Today I'm going to announce the happiest moment of my life," the 15-year-old said in the brief video, wearing a bright red headscarf and at one point shyly covering her face with her hands. She said that thanks to the new "Malala's Fund," which she will administer, a new school in her homeland would be built for 40 girls. "Let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls," she said.

Malala has garnered huge global attention since she was shot in the head in October by Taliban attackers angered by her activism. She was brought to Britain for treatment and surgery, including skull reconstruction. She's now started attending school there. She recently signed a deal to write her memoir, and she was also shortlisted for Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2012.

Jolie gave a poignant rendition of her story. "Here's what they accomplished," she said of Malala's attackers. "They shot her point blank range in the head ? and made her stronger. The brutal attempt to silence her voice made it stronger."

After Jolie's introduction, Tina Brown, the Newsweek/Daily Beast editor who created the Women in the World summit, now in its fourth year, told the audience that Jolie had just committed $200,000 personally to the fund, which was established by Vital Voices, with a donation from the Women in the World Foundation.

Jolie was not the only Hollywood star on the stage of Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater Thursday. Streep was there to honor another activist, Inez McCormack of Northern Ireland, who died in January of cancer. At the first summit in 2010, Streep had played McCormack in a short play, called "Seven," with McCormack herself watching from the audience. Streep spoke some lines from the play on Thursday evening ? in a flawless Irish accent.

The evening began with a dance performance by Michaela DePrince, who grew up as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone, where her father was killed and her mother starved to death, as she explained in an accompanying film. She was adopted by an American family and now dances with the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Barbara Walters moderated a panel on Syria, Charlie Rose interviewed South African political activist Mamphela Ramphele, and Christiane Amanpour led a panel on "The Next Generation of Malalas," featuring two other young women fighting for girls' rights in Pakistan.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the U.N. refugee agency, told an anecdote about Malala that had the audience smiling. She said the girl's father had shown his daughter, in the hospital, a poll that said she was the sixth most influential person in the world, and that President Barack Obama was seventh. But the girl, according to the story, said she wasn't so happy ? she didn't think human beings should be categorized like that.

"So there's a lot we can learn from this little girl," Jolie said with a grin.

_

Online: http://womenintheworld.org/pages/women-in-the-world-summit-2013

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hillary-clinton-headline-ny-womens-conference-064512971.html

Galaxy S4 google reader carnival cruise nfl nfl lil wayne wes welker

N. Korea moves missile, could be preparing a test

U.S. officials suspect that North Korea may be preparing for a test of its Musudan medium-range missile after seeing evidence of it being transported to North Korea's eastern coast. Such a launch would be the latest in a series of provocations by North Korea in recent weeks.

Earlier Thursday, South Korea's defense minister told his nation's lawmakers that a North Korean missile with "considerable range" had been transported to that country's eastern coast. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said he could not explain the movement and added that the missile was not capable of reaching the United States.

north korea

U.S. officials have identified the missile as a mobile-launched Musudan missile estimated to have a range of between 1,800 and 2,500 miles that could put U.S. military bases in Okinawa and Guam within its range.

RELATED: North Korea Relocates Long-Range Missile in Latest 'Rhetorical Threat'

The officials said that, two days ago surveillance satellites detected the movement by train of a Musudan mobile launcher as well as fuel and equipment needed for a missile launch.

One official said it is possible that as many as two missiles could be readied for a potential launch because there were more missile components spotted than might be needed if only one missile was being launched.

The U.S. is trying to locate the location on the eastern coast where the launcher and missile components are currently located.

The officials said there is speculation that a missile test could be in the works and that it could occur soon. Unlike long-range missiles, which can spend weeks on a launch pad in preparation for a launch, mobile-launched missiles can be launched fairly quickly and with little warning.

PHOTOS: Inside North Korea

The Musudan is a medium-range missile that has never been tested before, though it has been publicly paraded by North Korea in the past. U.S. officials have been expecting it to be tested at some point over the past few years.

A U.S. official said that, so far, North Korea has not provided a notice to mariners about a potential missile launch. During previous long-range launches, the North Koreans have listed advance warnings to mariners and aviators. In addition to serving as safety warnings that a missile may land near a body of water, they have also served as indicators of a possible launch. The official said launching this missile without such an advance advisory would be seen as a provocation.

READ MORE: N. Korea's Real Power, Kim Jong Un's Aunt, Uncle

One of the officials said there is also concern about how Japan might react if a North Korean missile were to overfly its territory. Placing the Musudan on the eastern coast indicated the trajectory might take it over Japan. Last December, in advance of North Korea's long-range missile test that month, the Japanese government gave orders to its military shoot down a missile should it appear to be headed for Japanese territory.

That did not happen, as the Unha 3 missile was launched on a southward trajectory away from the Korean Peninsula. Japan has both land-based and ship-based missile interceptors like the ones aboard U.S. Navy ships.

In light of North Korea's recent threats to launch missiles at the United States, the Pentagon has assigned two of its missile-defense-capable Navy destroyers to provide missile defense if needed.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed the destroyers USS John S McCain and USS Decatur had been sent to pre-determined locations in the western Pacific.

The USS Decatur will soon be replaced by the destroyer USS Fitzgerald so that it can return to its homeport of San Diego after a seven-month deployment.

RELATED: U.S. Troops Stand 'Poised to Respond' at NKorea Border

Japan and South Korea both have short-range air missile defense systems, the U.S. Navy ships can provide backup if the trajectory is beyond that range and pose a threat to other partners in the region and U.S. territory.

In the wake of North Korea's missile threat on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that it was sending a land-based missile defense system to Guam.

North Korea also has a mobile-launched, long-range missile known as the KN-08. North Korea has never tested the missile, but it is of particular concern because it can be launched with little warning and is believed to be able to reach parts of the United States.

One official said there has been no worrisome activity related to the KN-08.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-moves-missile-could-preparing-test-224814101--abc-news-politics.html

fletcher cox charlotte bobcats new york rangers nfl mock draft 2012 norfolk island michael brockers lisa marie presley

lern2play Resources and Information. This website is for sale!

By using our site, you consent to this privacy policy: This website allows third-party advertising companies for the purpose of reporting website traffic, statistics, advertisements, "click-throughs" and/or other activities to use Cookies and /or Web Beacons and other monitoring technologies to serve ads and to compile anonymous statistics about you when you visit this website. Cookies are small text files stored on your local internet browser cache. A Web Beacon is an often-transparent graphic image, usually no larger than 1 pixel x 1 pixel that is placed on a Web site. Both are created for the main purpose of helping your browser process the special features of websites that use Cookies or Web Beacons. The gathered information about your visits to this and other websites are used by these third party companies in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. The information do not include any personal data like your name, address, email address, or telephone number. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/lern2play

cyprus Bracketology Erin Go Bragh St Patrick lisa vanderpump Dancing With the Stars 2013 NIT Bracket