home technology: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Enter My 19 Current Giveaways ? NYX, Urban Decay, Amazon, Texas Roadhouse, Kohl?s, Little Passports, Lush, Sephora & More!

mca-giveaway

I know that I have a ton of giveaways going on right now, 19 to be exact, and I thought it might be easier to post direct links to them all here. ?I hope that you will enter some or even all of the giveaways and i especially hope YOU win!!! ?Thank you SOOOO much for all of your love especially today and for helping me to celebrate my 3 years of blogging. ?You are all so special to me! ?My sister is getting induced tomorrow morning so I offered to take her two other little ones overnight and they will be here in a couple of hours so I will be getting ready for them. ?All winners for the giveaways that ended earlier today and tonight will be chosen and announced early next week depending on when baby Isla makes her appearance.

Here are the links to each giveaway:

Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box - ends 6/30 at 7:00 pm est

$5.00 Amazon Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 9:00 pm est

$5.00 Amazon Gift Card - ends on 6/30 at 9:00 pm est

$10.00 Amazon Gift Card - ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est ?*Must join group and you will see it pinned to the top of the group*

$10.00 Amazon Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$10.00 Ulta Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$20.00 Kohl?s Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$10.00 CVS Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$10.00 Panera Bread Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$10.00 Target Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$10.00 Lush Gift Card ? ends on 6/30 at 11:59 pm est

$25.00 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card ? ends on 7/1 at 11:59 pm est

NYX Love In Paris & NYX Love in Florence Eyeshadow Palettes ? ends on 7/1 at 11:59 pm est

Coupon for FREE 20 Mule Team Borax (3 winners!) ? ends on 7/2 at 11:59 pm est

Three whimsical and inspirational prints by AmesStudio ? ends on 7/5 at 11:59 pm est

The Money Saving Mom?s Budget by Crystal Paine ? ends on 7/5 at 11:59 pm est

3 Month subscription to Little Passports ? ends on 7/5 at 11:59 pm est

One Month of Bestowed Box ? ends on 7/5 at 11:59 pm est

$20.00 Sephora Gift Card ? ends on 7/7 at 11:59 pm est

Source: http://www.momscouponaffair.com/2013/06/30/enter-my-19-current-giveaways-nyx-urban-decay-amazon-texas-roadhouse-kohls-little-passports-lush-sephora-more/

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Despite cuts, Fort Knox's iconic status endures

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) ? Few military posts have a place in pop culture as rock solid as Kentucky's Fort Knox, thanks to its mysterious gold vault.

The name of the historic base is practically synonymous with impenetrability. In addition to housing the Treasury Department's U.S. Bullion Depository and its stacks of gold, the Army's tank training school was started at Fort Knox. And the sprawling central Kentucky Army post has been the setting for blockbuster Hollywood films.

But Knox's days as a war-fighting post may be over with the Pentagon's decision last week to strip its only combat brigade, which follows the loss of its famed armor school and thousands of tank personnel just a few years ago. The base will remain the site of the gold vault, but otherwise it could be destined to function less as a tip-of-the-spear military facility and more as a home to office and support workers.

Many of those workers file into a nearly million-square-foot structure on post that was completed a few years ago, but the massive building doesn't seem destined to unseat the vault as the symbol of Fort Knox.

"It is kind of an icon. Most people when they see the outline of the depository, they know what it is," said Harry Berry, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who is now judge-executive in Hardin County. "When you think about Fort Knox, if you don't have a military background, you instantly think about gold or 'Goldfinger,'" the 1960s James Bond film.

The Pentagon announced last week that it was eliminating Knox's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division as part of a major restructuring that will reduce the Army's active duty combat brigades to 33 from 45. The cuts will reduce the size of the Army from about 570,000 in the midst of the Iraq war down to 490,000, which includes personnel in units that support the brigades.

For some posts, that means the loss of a few hundred soldiers, but in Knox's case it's a cut of more than 40 percent to its active duty force and nearly a total elimination of its fighting personnel. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear puts the figure at about 10,000 lost troops and their families leaving Knox and the surrounding area.

Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff, said the military was not moving toward closing Knox: He pointed out that the Army's recruiting and human resource commands have relocated there since a major Army realignment almost a decade ago.

Baldy Carder, who owns a tattoo parlor in nearby Radcliff, said he's not worried about the post closing ? "because of the gold reserve." But he said his business could take a hit since about half his customers come from the post.

"When you're talking about 10,000 people leaving, that's quite a chunk of change that we're going to be losing," he said.

Fort Knox's own estimates project that its annual economic impact will shrink from about $2.8 billion a year to $2.62 billion upon the brigade's departure, said Ryan Brus with the post's public affairs office. That's a decrease of more than 6 percent.

Much of Knox's future is invested in the home for the Army's Human Resources Command, which opened in 2010. The gleaming structure is the largest office building in Kentucky and one of the biggest in the military.

The work going on inside is a far cry from the military post's heyday when tanks and infantrymen roamed the grassy hills. Knox was known as the home of the Army's tank and armored vehicle training for more than seven decades, before the Pentagon completed the move of the school to Fort Benning, Ga., in 2011.

Lonnie Davis hated to see the tanks go. Aside from the lost business for his Radcliff barber shop, the Kut Zone, he had a 20-year career in the Armored Division at Knox.

"That's why I went into Armor, to stay close to home," Davis said.

Today, the Gen. George S. Patton Museum and a scattering of aging tanks and armored vehicles sprinkled around the post are only remnants of that past.

Inside the museum, which just finished a $5 million renovation, visitors learn about the post's history, and tucked away in a small corner is a tribute to its Hollywood past. That started with "The Tanks Are Coming," a 1951 film about a tank crew fighting its way into German territory. Bill Murray's comedy "Stripes" was released in 1981, with Knox doubling as the fictional Fort Arnold where Murray goes through basic training.

But the most iconic film shot at the post was 1964's "Goldfinger," with Sean Connery in the role as 007, tasked to stop a madman from destroying the country's gold reserves.

The movie helped spur curiosity about Knox's gold vault, which opened in 1937. Its seemingly impregnable walls ushered Fort Knox into the American lexicon as a way to describe a safe and secure location.

During World War II, the gray stone fortress housed documents including the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The U.S. Treasury Department says on its website that there are now 147 million ounces of gold inside, with an estimated worth of more than $160 billion at today's prices.

But the gold stays inside, and the bullion depository is not a tourist attraction: No visitors are allowed in.

Berry and Davis said Knox's future success could depend on adding staff to Human Resources Command along with other administrative-oriented missions. The post's total workforce now is about 20,000, including active duty and civilians.

"We'll gain from that as opposed to the green-suit side, if you will," Berry said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/despite-cuts-fort-knoxs-iconic-status-endures-151135411.html

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PFT: July 2012 victims didn't know Hernandez

As the nonstop developments in the Aaron Hernandez murder case(s) begin to subside, it?s time to broaden the lens and address a topic that has popped up from time to time over the past two weeks.

Should the Patriots have avoided drafting Hernandez in 2010 and/or giving him a long-term, big-money contract in 2012?

Many are suggesting that the Pats screwed the proverbial pooch on this one, that they negligently brought a potential murderer to Massachusetts and, two years later, made him a multi-multi-millionaire.? But there are multi-problems with that logic.

For starters, there really was no indication that Hernandez was anything other than a kid who:? (1) liked to smoke marijuana; and (2) periodically made mischief.? As the folks at CFT pointed out on Saturday, Hernandez was indeed questioned in connection with a shooting nearly six years ago in Gainesville.? But it was perfunctory and brief.? Other Gators were questioned at the time, including safety Reggie Nelson and the Pouncey twins.

The only true red flag that attached to Hernandez from his college days came from an affinity for inhaling the fumes of a plant that, if anything, make the user less likely to commit violence or do anything other than sit around and eat Fritos.? And if there?s a link between smoking pot and murder, there would be a lot more murders.

Whatever was wrong with Hernandez, he supposedly had been rehabilitated by former Florida coach Urban Meyer, who according to the New York Times personally conducted ?daily Bible sessions? with Hernandez in order to turn him around.? Meyer presumably vouched for Hernandez to Patriots coach Bill Belichick.? Given the strong friendship between Belichick and Meyer that likely went a long way to persuading Belichick that Hernandez?s talents justified the risk.

Of course, some are now painting the picture that Hernandez entered the NFL with a pair of six-guns strapped to his side and ink on his arms that not-so-cryptically spelled out plans for his future crime sprees.? But where we these ?sources? with knowledge of supposed gang ties and other actual or perceived misdeeds or antisocial tendencies when Hernandez emerged as a fourth-round star in his second NFL season?

That would have been the obvious time for scouts, General Managers, and coaches to cover their collective asses by leaking the notion that, even though Hernandez was playing at a very high level, they avoided Hernandez in rounds one through three because he had more problems than marijuana.? But there was nothing ? not until after Hernandez was tied to a murder case and scouts and sources and some in the media all began to join in a hands-across-Whoville chorus of I told you so.

Even if Hernandez?s antics had generated real warning signs beyond marijuana, it?s impossible to connect dots from off-field misbehavior to premeditated murder.? It?s far more reasonable (or, as the case may be, far less reckless) to connect a substance-abuse problem (drugs or alcohol) to the potential for accidental death or dismemberment while driving a car.

Murderers come from all walks of life, with no way to prospectively screen for them ? unless they?ve actually killed in the past.? For every Aaron Hernandez there?s a Jovan Belcher, who generated no objective evidence to suggest that he would get into serious trouble before he repeatedly shot the mother of his young child and then killed himself in the presence of his coach and G.M.? Ditto for Rae Carruth, who orchestrated the murder of the mother of his unborn son because Carruth apparently didn?t want to pay child support.? The Chiefs and the Panthers saw neither problem coming, because there?s rarely any reason to suspect someone of having the capacity to deliberately kill someone else, regardless of the person?s history.

For the best proof of this, look no farther than O.J. Simpson.? Revered as a player, beloved as a broadcaster, and celebrated as an actor, he would have been the last man anyone would have regarded as the potential murderer of his ex-wife and a stranger who was in the worst possible place at the worst possible time.? (Simpson was acquitted in criminal court, but found legally responsible in civil court for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.)

On one hand, this is an extreme example of how the Modified Patriot Way of buying low ? via trades, free agency, and the draft ? can go very wrong.? On the other hand, the only way to avoid blame for harboring a potential murderer is to shun any player who has generated at any time any reason to believe that he could do anything wrong as an NFL player.

Even then, there?s still a chance that a player with no red flags will be the next Jovan Belcher, Rae Carruth, or O.J. Simpson.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/30/july-2012-victims-didnt-know-hernandez/related/

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Nigerian commission reports troops killing civilians

Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission said Sunday it has credible reports security forces are killing, torturing, illegally detaining and raping civilians in a fight to halt an Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria that has killed nearly 2,000 people since 2010.

A report by the commission said troops retaliating against civilians have torched homes and tried to hide evidence of gross violations by disposing of bodies.

In the most egregious case, where troops went on a rampage in several villages after a soldier was killed in mid-April in the fishing village of Baga, it quoted police as saying soldiers "started shooting indiscriminately at anybody in sight including domestic animals. This reaction resulted to loss of lives and massive destruction of properties."

The military said 36 people were killed, most of them extremist fighters. Witnesses told the AP at the time that some 187 civilians were killed.

The commission said the killings also came after militants had ransacked an armory, with subsequent reports indicating the extremists enjoyed an increase in the caliber and quantity of weapons and "had become both more organized and emboldened by their apparent successes despite the enhanced security presence."

That contradicted military reports that they have taken control of the region in a military emergency covering thee states and one-sixth of the sprawling country. Instead, they appear to have pushed the fighters into rocky mountains with caves where it is more difficult to flush them out. The extremists regularly attack towns and villages.

Mobile phone and internet service cut

The commission, a government body, issued an interim report saying it would finalize it when its investigators are able to visit the area where soldiers have cut mobile phone and Internet connections. A state of emergency was declared May 14 when the government said extremists from the Boko Haram terrorist group had taken control of some towns and villages.

The insurgency poses the biggest threat in years to security in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation of 160 million and the continent's biggest oil producer.

Communities trapped between the Islamic militants and the security forces "reportedly live in desperate fear and destitution," the commission said.

Commision warns of food shortage

It warned of an imminent public health emergency and food shortages because farmers have been forced from their fields.

Some medical experts from the region have reported a notable upsurge in sudden deaths, heart attacks and aneurysms, it said.

Northeast Nigeria already presents "the worst statistics of human development in Nigeria generally," it said.

Maternal mortality rates were three times the national average of 545 deaths for every 100,000 live births, and reports reaching the commission suggest the emergency has even more mothers dying in childbirth.

Northeast Nigeria is the poorest region in the country, with government statistics indicating 75 percent of the population lives from hand to mouth on less than $1 a day.

Western religion and medicine forbidden

The commission's interim findings corroborated AP reports from the region. Militants who began by targeting government personnel and health workers ? they preach that Western religion and medicine are forbidden ? are increasingly targeting civilians in attacks on schools and vaccination campaigns.

"The Commission equally received several credibly attested allegations of gross violations by officials of the JTF (joint task force of police and military), including allegations of summary executions, torture, arbitrary detention amounting to internment and outrages against the dignity of civilians, as well as rape," the rights commission said.

"In particular, we have received persistent and credibly attested allegations of indiscriminate disposal of dead human remains by personnel of both the JTF and the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency."

The military and presidential spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/06/29/nigeria-islam-uprising.html?cmp=rss

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South Portland native Brett Brown could become NBA head coach

U.S. President Barack Obama met Saturday with family members of ailing South African statesman Nelson Mandela and spoke by telephone with Mandela's wife as she maintains a vigil by his bedside.

However, he and first lady Michelle Obama will not visit ...

Saturday, June 29, 2013

EV Grieve: A case against using the term 'crusty'

[At a recent Thursday night PBJ Dinner in Tompkins Square Park]

Andr?a Stella, executive director and co-founder of The Space at Tompkins, submitted the following post.

With the summer in full swing, a lot of our clients are coming back to New York, and we wanted to take a moment to give an explanation for a term that has been and will inevitably be thrown around while they're here.
Three reasons why we don't call our clients "crusties"
1) The term "crusty" is derived from "Crust Punk," a punk movement started in the 1980s out of England with followers who referred to themselves as "crust punkers." Being a "crusty" is like calling someone a Deadhead. 99% of our clients do not refer to themselves as crusties, so we don't either. The term gets thrown around a lot in the East Village because it's a quick way to define a group of folks who look a certain way, but that doesn't make it accurate.
2) When asked, "What do you consider yourself?" ? almost everyone told us their name. The first time I asked someone that question, I felt like an idiot because I know that personally, I don't walk around introducing myself as, "Hi, I identify as a white female and my name is Andr?a." I start with my name.
3) Our clients are individuals, and most of them are trying to transition out of their current situation. It may not always look like it to outsiders, but there are many complex issues right under the surface that each person copes with in their own way. Tagging someone as "crusty" deepens the stigma and does not promote positive change.
We're The Space at Tompkins, a harm reduction organization whose mission is to help homeless travelers move towards improved health and self-sufficiency. We've been doing this since 2009.

Learn more about The Space at Tompkins here.

Source: http://evgrieve.com/2013/06/a-case-against-using-term-crusty.html

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Aaron Hernandez Family Members, Friends Defend NFL Star: He's Not a Gang-Banger!

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'Quota' rugby poaching rampant - The Herald

Schalk Mouton

ALMOST 20 years into democracy and with R500-million spent by SA Rugby, transformation efforts in the sport are floundering as government is failing to come to the party.

At school rugby level, where the most rugby development should take place, large rugby unions like the Blue Bulls are accused of the "wholesale" poaching of players from the Western Cape to bolster their quotas.

Players' school fees are paid by the schools and the players can hope for a possible contract at the rugby union after school.

While this brings players out of poor, underdeveloped communities, Western Cape principals said they spent thousands on the development of these players, just for the Bulls to poach them.

In the Craven Week for high schools ? being hosted in Polokwane, Limpopo, from July 8 to 13 ? nine out of each squad of 22 players should be "players of colour".

"Everybody does it," Johan Schoeman, manager of rugby development at the Blue Bulls rugby union, said about the recruitment from other provinces.

"If the circumstances are so that you walk into a brick wall, and you can't get the talent you need in your own communities, then you go and search for it in the Cape," he said.

Dirk Marais, principal of the Swartland Ho?rskool in Malmesbury, said the Bulls made frequent recruitment forays to the Western Cape to fill their quotas.

"I have lost my whole blackline," Marais said about the Bulls' most recent recruiting drive.

"I spent R35000 to develop one of my top players, Duncan Matthews, and Heyneke Meyer personally came and recruited him."

Pretoria's Garsfontein Ho?rskool has even set up a Section 21 company to fund the recruitment and development of players.

Schoeman said while the Bulls were spending "millions" in trying to develop the game in underprivileged areas, they were getting no support from either the Education Department or Sports and Recreation Department.

"There are no facilities. The teachers are not willing to participate in extramural activities and there are no funds," he said.

The Sports and Recreation Department ? which spent R46-million last year on their Sports Awards Gala Dinner ? signed a memorandum of understanding with the Education Department 1? years ago, taking over all responsibility for sports development at schools.

However, except for a series of national tournaments for the top schools, the department had not contributed a "single cent" to rugby development, Schoeman said.

The department could not be reached for comment.

The Blue Bulls have increased the number of "underdeveloped" schools playing rugby by 40%, and now have up to 3000 children competing in games in townships. "But our Springboks come from private and city schools," Schoeman said.

Source: http://www.peherald.com/news/article/16637

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Mark Suster On Being ?Upfront,? Plans For His New $200M Fund, And High Expectations For The LA Startup Ecosystem

Mark Suster's venture firm just wrapped up a new $200 million fund, and it also has a brand new name: Upfront Ventures. Today, I got a chance to sit down with him to talk about the firm's new branding, as well as his plans for the new fund and continued support for the L.A. startup ecosystem.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dwNaIOdee9s/

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Computer Science Teacher: CS Educator Interview: Garth Flint

One of my summer projects is to collect stories from different computer science teachers. There are many teachers in many types of schools and many of them often feel like they are alone; that they are the only one in ?their situation.? While all schools and all teachers are different (which is not a bad thing) there are usually similarities if you know where to look for them. That is the purpose of this series. I have asked a good number of teachers to answer some questions for me so I can post the result as a sort of interview.

Garth Flint from Loyola Sacred Heart High School in western Montana is one of the first teachers I approached. Garth is a regular blogger (Garth Flint?s blog) and frequently comments on my blog. The result is that I learn from him. So without more wasted time here is Garth?s response to my questions.

Where do you teach? What sort of school is it?

I teach at a private Catholic High School in a town of about 60,000 in western Montana.? This is a poor Catholic School so close to half of our students are on some kind of scholarship.

How did you get started teaching computer science?

When I interviewed for my first teaching job as a math teacher in ?83 the superintendent was giving me the school tour. We walking into the classroom and he pointed to two TRS-80 computers and asked if I know how to use them.? Apparently they had just bought them and nobody in the school know what to do with them.? I lied and said ?Yes?.? I had some Apple IIe experience from college so I figured I could fudge a little on the answer.? That fall I started using them in my math classes and the kids wanted to learn how to program.? So I said to myself ?I can figure this out.?? I have been saying that ever since.

Describe the computer science curriculum at your school. What courses do you have and what are the focuses of each?

Our curriculum is very flexible but the usual is:

Computer Apps (freshman usually) ? the usual Office, Photoshop and odds and ends.
Computer Technology (9 ? 12) ? hardware, a little networking, viruses and malware, troubleshooting, ethics and a mish mash of other stuff that is happening in the world of technology.
Programming I (9-11) ? Typically Scratch and Small Basic.? Just a intro to the concepts and idea of programming.
Programming II/III (10-12) ? Mostly Corona but usually 2 or three other languages.? These courses are somewhat driven by the students in the class.? I like to show them a variety of languages with the intent of making them learn something from the beginning.? I try to teach them to learn, not teach them a language.? If I teach them language X then sure enough the college of their choice will use language Y.
Programming Research (11-12) ? Whatever I think is cool.? Again the focus is on learning a language from the beginning and not building Christmas trees with asterisks.? This fall I think we are going to look at TouchDevelop and some C++.? One of the students is in a robotics club that uses C++ so I figured it would be a good direction.
Computer Technology II (10-12) ? Offered when I have enough kids interested.? Setting up computers from scratch, building a domain, networking, Active Directory, Group Policy, routers, switches, troubleshooting weird issues, etc.

What is your overall teaching philosophy? Project based learning? Flipped classroom? In short, what makes your CS program ?your CS program??

I try to teach my students how to learn.? I taught math at the local university for 10 years and have friends teaching in the CS department.? College and high school students can learn by rote but they cannot seem to troubleshoot, develop a good trial and error strategy or locate learning resources.? My teaching philosophy/goal is to fix that as much as I am able.? One of my favorite assignments is ?Draw a house using a turtle in language X.? You have two weeks.?? The students reply ?But we do not know language X?.? My reply is usually ?Bummer.? You better get to looking for resources then.?? One year I gave ?Draw a house using a turtle in three different languages.?? One girl drew the house in Python.? I do not know Python.

What is the biggest challenge in teaching CS at your school?

My biggest challenge is keeping up with the kids.? I give these broad assignments then I have to find time to do them or at least be able to give the kids some help when they hit a bump.? Having learned all my CS on the job leaves some huge gaps in my knowledge base.? It also does not help when a good number of the kids are smarter than I am.? I think for any CS teacher the lack of formal education in methods of teaching CS is a massive handicap.? As a math teacher I have had multiple courses in math pedagogy and learning techniques.? There are a huge number of studies on why kids struggle or succeed in math classes.? CS not so much.

What is administration?s support (or lack of support) like at your school?

I get all the support my administration can afford.? Our graduation requirement is two semesters of computer technology.? We pride ourselves on offering more CS that the public schools.? Private schools can end up a little geek heavy demographically so my administration realizes a good percentage of our kids are going into computer intense fields.? We strive to be a tech school on a poor man?s budget and we do a pretty good job of it because the administration is behind the CS.

How do you measure success for your program? For your students?

I measure success by talking to the college students that come back to visit.? When they come back and say their first year of college CS was boringly easy I know I am doing OK.? My graduates are consistently hired to be tech aides at their universities.? Not because they know a lot of computer tech, but because they know how to troubleshoot and know how to learn.? I also measure my success by the way the students that take my CS courses are not absolutely turned off by CS or programming.? They may not go on in the field but they are no longer adverse to learning about computer technology or programming.

What is the one thing you like to talk about regarding your program that I haven?t already asked?

I get to build my own courses which allows me to pick up a new direction as CS changes.? Since we have not spent big money on a textbook or on some ?program? we are able to introduce something new in the time it takes me to figure it out.? CS is not like math.? Math has been pretty much the same for a long time.? Euclid did the geometry we teach today.? CS on the other hand can change last week.

School name and web site: Loyola Sacred Heart High School.? http://www.missoulacatholicschools.org/

Blog:? http://gflint.wordpress.com/

Source: http://blog.acthompson.net/2013/06/cs-educator-interview-garth-flint.html

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Revealers, A New Social-Meets-Gaming App, Launches Today ...

A new social game called Revealers is launching today, and it?s betting on the feature of letting players add content to the game to make it more than a flash in the pan hit.

Israeli founder Muly Litvak has an extensive background in entertainment, so we?ll see how his experience translates into gaming.

Here?s how it works: players select to play against their Facebook friends or against a random opponent and are shown a photo fully obscured by a grid of squares. Both players are given four hints to help figure out what the picture is. As the picture uncovers square by square, the challenge is to identify the photo before your opponent.

Users can then add their own photos and hints to change the game up. Eventually there will be private categories between friends, but for now games are scanned for relevancy in the world or country.

Winners earn ?brain cells? and advance to higher ?brain levels? accordingly. You can only play against another user if they have challenged you back.

It?s a pretty simple game, so we?ll see if that ? and the vanity aspect of getting to upload your own photos ? will be enough to make it as addictive as Litvak is hoping.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/27/revealers-a-new-social-meets-gaming-app-launches-today/

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Senate on verge of historic immigration vote

FILE ? In this May 9, 2013, file photo Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, confers with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as the Senate Judiciary Committee meets on immigration reform on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republicans are deeply split over the immigration bill now steaming toward Senate passage, with business allies pulling in one direction and tea party supporters in the other. The divide makes the bill's fate unpredictable in the House and complicates the party's campaign to broaden its appeal among Hispanic voters. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate is on the cusp of approving historic immigration legislation offering citizenship to millions in the U.S. illegally and spending billions of dollars to secure the border.

The vote on final passage of the White House-backed bill was expected as early as Thursday, after a series of test votes so far this week demonstrated supporters command a bipartisan majority well over the 60 votes needed to secure passage and send the bill to the House. First must come two more procedural tests set for Thursday.

"We're on the edge of passing one of the most significant pieces of legislation that this body has passed in a very long time," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "The vast majority of members in this body realize that the immigration system is broken and needs fixing."

Supporters posted 67 votes or more on each of three procedural tests Wednesday. More than a dozen Republicans sided with Democrats on each, ensuring bipartisan support that the bill's backers hope will change minds in the House.

The outlook there is uncertain. Many in the GOP-controlled House oppose the pathway to citizenship at the center of the Senate bill. And many prefer a piecemeal approach rather than a sweeping bill like the one the Senate is producing.

The House Judiciary Committee is in the midst of a piece-by-piece effort, signing off Wednesday on legislation to establish a system requiring all employers within two years to check their workers' legal status.

The Judiciary Committee was turning its attention Thursday to a bill on high-skilled workers. Last week it approved two more measures, one on agriculture workers and a second to make illegal presence in the country a federal crime, instead of a civil offense as it is now.

At its core, the legislation in the Senate includes numerous steps to prevent future illegal immigration, while at the same time it offers a chance at citizenship to the 11 million immigrants now living in the country unlawfully.

It provides for 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, requires the completion of 700 miles of fencing and requires an array of high-tech devices to be deployed to secure the border with Mexico.

Businesses would be required to check on the legal status of prospective employees. Other provisions would expand the number of visas for highly skilled workers relied upon by the technology industry. A separate program would be established for lower-skilled workers, and farm workers would be admitted under a temporary program.

The basic legislation was drafted by four Democrats and four Republicans who met privately for months to produce a rare bipartisan compromise in a polarized Senate. They fended off unwanted changes in the Senate Judiciary Committee and then were involved in negotiations with Republican Sens. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Bob Corker of Tennessee on a package of tougher border security provisions that swelled support among Republicans.

Outnumbered critics insist the bill falls short of the promises made for it.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., called it "the mother of all amnesties."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-27-Immigration/id-037ef159990f432081b01df17bc6b23e

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Get cool tips and tricks about all technology you live with: How To ...

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase its speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you're online.
Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

1. Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses
Spyware collects personal information without asking for permission. From the websites you visit to user names and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to compromising your privacy, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. Fortunately, there are a couple of easy ways to combat spyware.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials for free to help guard your system from viruses, spyware, adware, and other malicious software (also known as malware). Microsoft Security Essentials acts as a spyware removal tool and includes automatic updates to help keep your system protected from emerging threats.

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, also free, checks computers running Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software, including Folstart, Phorpiex, Weelsof, Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom. It helps remove any detected infection or malware.

2. Free up disk space
The Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and lets you choose to delete some, all, or none of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

Remove temporary Internet files.
Delete downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.
Delete optional Windows components that you don't use.
Delete installed programs that you no longer use.
Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.
Delete system files (Windows 8).
Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup:

Windows 8 users

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

3. Speed up access to data
Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened (to piece it back together). The response time can be significantly longer.

Optimize Drives (Windows 8) and Disk Defragmenter (sometimes shortened to Defrag by users) are Windows utilities that consolidate fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Optimize Drives or Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running these utilities at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:

You add a large number of files.
Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.
To use Optimize Drives:

Open Optimize Drives by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering Defragment in the search box, tapping or clicking Settings, and then tapping or clicking Defragment and optimize your drives.
Under Status, tap or click the drive you want to optimize. (The Media type column tells you what type of drive you're optimizing.)
To determine if the drive needs to be optimized, tap or click Analyze. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.
After Windows is finished analyzing the drive, check the Current status column to see whether you need to optimize the drive. If the drive is more than 10% fragmented, you should optimize the drive now.
Tap or click Optimize. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.
Optimizing a drive might take anywhere from several minutes to a few hours to finish, depending on the size of the drive and degree of optimization needed. You can still use your PC during the optimization process.
Notes

If the drive is being used by another program, or is formatted using a file system other than NTFS, FAT, or FAT32, it can't be optimized.
Network drives can't be optimized.
If a drive isn't appearing in Optimize Drives, it might be because it contains an error. Try to repair the drive first, then return to Optimize Drives to try again.
How to make a computer faster: 6 ways to speed up your PC
By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase its speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you're online.
Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

To use Disk Cleanup:

Windows 8 users

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

When to run Optimize Drives or Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running these utilities at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:

You add a large number of files.
Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.
To use Optimize Drives:

To use Disk Defragmenter:

Windows 7 users
Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze disk button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.
To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment disk button. In the Current status area, under the Progress column, you can monitor the process as it happens. After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.
To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.
To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.
You can also schedule the Disk Defragmenter to run automatically. (Your computer might even be set up this way by default.) Under Schedule, it reads Scheduled defragmentation is turned on and then displays the time of day and frequency of defragmentation. If you want to turn off automatic defragmentation or to change the time or frequency, click Configure schedule (or Turn on Schedule, if it is not currently configured to run automatically). Change the settings, and then click OK.
To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, on the title bar of the window, click the Close button.
Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

Running Optimize Drives, Disk Cleanup, and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis is a proven way to help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to learn how to schedule these tools and others to run automatically, please read Speed up your PC: Automate your computer maintenance schedule. Windows 8 users should read Improve performance by optimizing your hard drive.

4. Detect and repair disk errors
In addition to running Optimize Drives, Disk Cleanup, and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

Run the Error Checking utility:

5. Learn about ReadyBoost
If you're using Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory?like a USB flash drive or a memory card?to improve performance without having to add additional memory. With Windows 8, if you have a storage device that will work with ReadyBoost, you?ll see an option to use ReadyBoost when you plug the device in to your PC.

6. Upgrade to Windows 8
If you try all the previous remedies and your computer still isn't as fast as you would like it to be, you may want to consider updating to Windows 8

Source: Microsoft

Source: http://hackedhead.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-improve-yor-compter-performance.html

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Friend: Trayvon Martin encounter racially charged

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A friend of Trayvon Martin's who was on the phone with him shortly before his fatal fight with George Zimmerman testified Thursday that she thought the encounter was racially charged.

Rachel Jeantel testified for the second day in a row, saying she thought race was an issue because Martin told her he was being followed by a white man.

"He was being followed," Jeantel said.

Her answer came in response to questioning from defense attorney Don West about why she had given differing accounts about what she had heard over the phone when Martin first encountered Zimmerman on a rainy night on Feb. 26, 2012, at the Retreat at Twin Lakes townhome complex.

West suggested in his cross-examination that 19-year-old Jeantel had raised the racial issue in some accounts but not others. In some accounts, West implied, Jeantel said Zimmerman responded one way when he first encountered Martin, but in other accounts she said he responded another way. Jeantel gave her version of events in a deposition, in a letter to Martin's mother and in a recorded interview with an attorney for the Martin family.

Jeantel is one of the prosecution's most important witnesses because she bolsters the contention that Zimmerman was the aggressor. She was on the phone with Martin moments before he was fatally shot.

Jeantel testified Wednesday that her friend's last words were "Get off! Get off!" before the phone went silent. But on Thursday, under cross-examination, she conceded that she hadn't mentioned that in her account of what happened to Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton.

She had left out some details to spare Fulton's feelings, and also because neither Fulton nor the Martin family attorney asked her directly about them, Jeantel said. At one point, West handed her a letter she had written with the help of a friend to Martin's mother explaining what happened. She looked at it but then said she couldn't read cursive handwriting.

When asked by West if she had previously told investigators that she heard what sounded like somebody being hit at the end of her call with Martin, Jeantel said, "Trayvon got hit."

"You don't know that? Do you? You don't know that Trayvon got hit," West answered angrily. "You don't know that Trayvon didn't at that moment take his fists and drive them into George Zimmerman's face."

Jeantel recounted to jurors on Wednesday how Martin told her he was being followed by a man as he walked through the Retreat at Twin Lakes townhome complex on his way back from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee.

She testified that Martin described the man following him as "a creepy-ass cracker" and that he thought he had evaded him. But she said Martin told her a short time later the man was still behind him, and she told him to run.

Martin said Zimmerman was behind him and she heard Martin ask: "What are you following me for?"

In one account, according to West, she said Zimmerman responds, "What are you doing around here?" In another account, according to West, she says Zimmerman said, "What are you talking about?"

She then heard what sounded like Martin's phone earpiece dropping into wet grass, and she heard him say, "Get off! Get off!" The phone then went dead, she said.

Later, she bristled and teared up when West asked her why she didn't attend Martin's funeral and about lying about her age. She initially told Martin's parents she was a minor when she was 18. She said she didn't want to get involved in the case.

The exchanges also turned testy, including one moment when she urged West to move on to his next question: "You can go. You can go." And she gave him what seemed like a dirty look as he walked away after he had approached her on the stand to challenge her on differences between an initial interview she gave to Martin family attorney, Benjamin Crump, and a later deposition with the defense. Jeantel explained it by saying she "rushed" the interview with Crump because she didn't feel comfortable doing it.

And when the judge asked if both sides wanted to break for the day, prosecutors said they'd like to continue, believing the testimony could take another two hours, to which Jeantel reacted with surprise, repeating, "Two hours?" Instead, the judge decided to continue the cross examination Thursday, carefully instructing Jeantel to return at 9 a.m. and not discuss her testimony with anyone.

Jeantel's testimony was more subdued on Thursday, and West took note of her calmer demeanor. She answered many of West's questions by repeating "yes, sir," almost in a whisper.

"You feeling OK today? You seem different than yesterday," West said.

"I got some sleep," she answered.

Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Zimmerman followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.

Zimmerman has said he opened fire only after the teenager jumped him and began slamming his head against the concrete sidewalk. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic and has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/friend-trayvon-martin-encounter-racially-charged-134457254.html

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Weddings Used To Be Sacred And Other Lessons About Internet Journalism

Editor's note: Sean Parker is the executive general partner at Founder's Fund. Previously he was co-founder of Napster and the founding president of Facebook. He currently serves as a director of Spotify. My wife and I met 5 years ago and almost immediately began fantasizing about having a wedding in an enchanted forest. But life rarely works out the way it does in fairy tales.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/A94CyFTQZDk/

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Climate tug of war disrupting Australian atmospheric circulation patterns

June 26, 2013 ? Further evidence of climate change shifting atmospheric circulation in the southern Australian-New Zealand region has been identified in a new study.

The study, in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that mid-latitude high pressure zones (30^oS-45^oS) are being pushed further into the Southern Ocean by rising global temperatures associated with greenhouse warming. This is despite more frequent occurrences of strong El Ni?os in recent decades, which should have drawn the high pressure zones in the opposite direction toward the equator.

"What we are seeing," says study lead author, Mr Guojian Wang "is a 'tug of war' between stronger El Ni?os driving the winds north and the greenhouse gas-warming effect driving the winds south."

Mr Wang, said the result confirms the robustness of the Southern Hemisphere circulation changes over the past three to four decades as the global temperature rose, "so much so that it overode the influence from strong El Ni?os during this period."

Study co-author, Dr Wenju Cai said the most conspicuous change is a rising sea level pressure in the mid-latitude bands and a decreasing sea level pressure over the Southern high latitudes (55^o-70^oS), a pattern referred to as the Southern Annular Mode. The changing pressures indicate a poleward or southward expansion of the tropical and subtropical atmospheric zones.

In turn, this indicates that over the long-term, there is a relationship between a rising global mean temperature and an upward trend of the Southern Annular Mode.

"The research reinforces our past work that climate change is altering Southern Hemisphere circulation and increases our confidence in this conclusion," Dr Cai said.

Dr Cai has previously reported on changes in atmospheric circulation that have been shifting and strengthening the Pacific Ocean winds poleward and in turn strengthening the ocean circulation, pushing the East Australian Current further south down the Australian coast.

He said during El Ni?o, the warmer ocean releases heat to the atmosphere and global average temperatures increase. At the same time, warm ocean surface temperatures along the equator cause the tropical and subtropical atmospheric belts to move toward the equator, generating a 'negative' phase of the Southern Annular Mode.

"On year-to-year time scales, higher global temperatures are associated with a negative phase of the Mode but over the past 35 years, when El Ni?o has been strong and conducive to a negative trend, we are seeing an opposite trend with the circulation systems moving southward impacting on regional climate," he said.

The project was funded through the Australian Climate Change Science Program.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/-ms3vXaI4mM/130626113658.htm

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Fugitive Edward Snowden still at Moscow airport, says Russia's Putin

As of Monday, NSA leaker Edward Snowden was still on the lam. He has managed to evade U.S. officials, who are reportedly furious with China for letting him escape to Moscow after the FBI thought they had him bottled up in Hong Kong. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

By Matthew DeLuca and Alastair Jamieson, NBC News

Edward Snowden is still inside the transit zone of Moscow?s Sheremetyevo?Airport, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday ? the first official word on the fugitive's whereabouts in more than two days.

Putin said Russia has nothing to do with Snowden's plans, and appeared to pour cold water on demands from Washington to hand him over to U.S. prosecutors.

"As regards handing him in - we can hand over foreign nationals only to a country with which we have an agreement about handing over criminals," Putin told reporters at a press conference in Finland. "We do not have such an agreement with the United States."

Confirmation of Snowden's location added to speculation that Snowden is seeking permission to fly to Cuba then onward to another country ? most likely Ecuador, to which he has already applied for political asylum.

Meanwhile, he remains beyond the reach of American efforts to extradite him - placing a strain on U.S. relations with Russia, Ecuador, and China, where irate officials have denied they assisted his escape from Hong Kong on Sunday.

No one had bought a ticket under Snowden?s name for a daily Aeroflot airlines flight from Moscow to Havana on Tuesday, airline employees told NBC News before the plane took off. The next flight to the island nation 90 miles from the U.S.? is scheduled to leave on Thursday.

The 30-year-old former employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton was expected to be aboard a flight from Russia to Cuba on Monday amid speculation that he would stop there en route to Ecuador. The plane eventually left the airport full of journalists, but with no sign of Snowden.

Secretary of State Kerry earlier called on authorities in Russia to ?do the right thing? and prevent Snowden from leaving Moscow.

?I?m not going to get in to the details of what I think is going on, but we hope that the Russians will do the right thing,? Kerry told NBC News in New Delhi, India, on Monday. ?We think it is very important in terms of our relationship. We think it is very important in terms of rule of law. There are important standards.?

Asked whether he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Barack Obama said on Monday that the U.S. government is ?following all appropriate legal channels and working with all countries to ensure the rule of law is being followed.?

A former CIA and FBI official told the TODAY show on Tuesday that Russian officials have likely already spoken with Snowden, much as U.S. intelligence officials would if they found themselves in a similar situation.

?The likelihood that there?s either been no conversation with him or they haven?t downloaded stuff from his electronic gear is about zero,? former CIA director of counterterrorism Philip Mudd said.

Authorities in China have also pushed back against claims from Washington that they let Snowden slip through their fingers after the U.S. requested his extradition.

?The U.S. has no reason to call into question the Hong Kong government?s handling of affairs according to law,? China foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chungying said at a briefing, according to Reuters. ?The United States? criticism of China?s central government is baseless. China absolutely cannot accept it.?

Sources familiar with the case have told NBC News that Snowden?s passport has been revoked ? a move that would be standard procedure, a State Department spokeswoman said.

?As is routine and consistent with U.S. regulations, persons with felony arrest warrants are subject to have their passports revoked. Such a revocations does not affect citizenship status,? State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

?Persons wanted on felony charges, such as Mr. Snowden, should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States. Because of the Privacy Act, we cannot comment on Mr. Snowden?s passport specifically,? the spokeswoman said.

The government in Hong Kong said in its statement that extradition documents presented by the U.S. did not satisfy the requirements set by the law in Hong Kong, and that Snowden left the country ?through a lawful and normal channel.?

In an interview with Hong Kong newspaper the South China Morning Post, Snowden said that he had taken his job with defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton so that he collect information on secret data-gathering programs conducted by the NSA. NBC News could not independently verify the report.

?My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA had hacked,? Snowden reportedly said in his interview with the paper. ?That is why I accepted that position about three months ago.?

Snowden, who was fired from his job at the defense contractor, told the Post he collected documents showing U.S. hacking into computer systems in mainland China, and that he did not want to release all the documents he had gathered at once.

?I did not release them earlier because I don?t want to simply dump huge amounts of documents without regard to their content,? Snowden told the Post. ?I have to screen everything before releasing it to journalists.?

Ecuador, which has provided refuge to Assange at its embassy in London, said on Monday that it was reviewing a request for asylum from Snowden. Foreign minister Ricardo Patino told reporters on Monday that Ecuador had been in ?respectful? contact with Russia over the issue.

NBC News? Jim Maceda and Ed Flanagan contributed to this report.

Related:

This story was originally published on Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:45 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2dc631d5/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C250C19130A1650Efugitive0Eedward0Esnowden0Estill0Eat0Emoscow0Eairport0Esays0Erussias0Eputin0Dlite/story01.htm

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Shares, dollar gain after GDP data eases Fed fears

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose and global equity markets gained for a second day on Wednesday after a surprisingly sharp downward revision to first-quarter U.S. economic growth eased concerns the Federal Reserve might soon begin to withdraw stimulus.

In addition, moves by China to calm bank fears and supportive signs from the European Central Bank on the need for continued stimulus helped extend Tuesday's rebound after the global sell-off of stocks, commodities and bonds last week.

U.S. gross domestic product grew at only a 1.8 percent annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said in its final estimate, down from the prior estimate of a 2.4 percent pace.

The benchmark S&P 500 stock index was on track for its biggest two-day gain in three weeks, cutting the decline since its all-time closing high a month ago to 3.95 percent.

"Despite all the rhetoric and fear about tapering, this will keep the Fed firmly planted in stimulus, which is a positive for the market," said Michael Mullaney, chief investment officer at Fiduciary Trust Co in Boston, which oversees about $9.5 billion.

"This is another example of bad news being good news."

European stocks gained close to 2 percent to post their biggest two-day gain since April after ECB president Mario Draghi said an accommodative monetary policy was still appropriate. The bank's policy "will stay accommodative for the foreseeable future," he said.

MSCI's all-country world equity index <.miwd00000pus> rose 0.96 percent, while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> of leading regional companies gained 1.71 percent to close at 1,149.71 points. The EuroSTOXX 50 index <.stoxx50e> rose 2.34 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> closed up 149.83 points, or 1.02 percent, at 14,910.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 15.23 points, or 0.96 percent, at 1,603.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> gained 28.34 points, or 0.85 percent, at 3,376.22.

The S&P 500's advance followed a gain of nearly 1 percent on Tuesday, spurred after U.S. data on durable goods orders, sales of new homes and consumer confidence all topped expectations.

A pledge by China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, to act as a lender of last resort was the story of the day on Wednesday, said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at The Davidson Cos in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

"The global fears regarding the possibility of a Chinese credit situation spilling over and becoming very serious has eased off some," he said. The People's Bank "is going to come in and make sure the Chinese banking system doesn't collapse."

Gold hit its lowest in almost three years and was on course for a record quarterly loss. Prices could slide to levels below $1,000 per ounce, investors and analysts said. Silver dropped 5 percent and platinum group metals also declined sharply.

Spot gold prices fell $53.03 to $1,223.70 an ounce. U.S. gold futures for August delivery settled down $45.30 at $1,229.80.

Bond markets in Europe and benchmark U.S. Treasuries continued to claw back ground, although investors remained worried the rebound could give way with markets likely to need more time to acclimatize to the new environment.

U.S. Treasuries gained after a recent slump took yields to near two-year highs, with the weaker-than-expected GDP pointing to continued potential for fragility in the world's biggest economy.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 17/32 in price to yield 2.5465 percent.

Euro zone bonds rose across the board on the ECB's pledge to keep exceptional monetary policy measures for the foreseeable future.

German Bund futures came off 8-month lows on Monday of 139.90 to settle up 49 ticks at 141.03.

If economic data is weak, "the punch bowl stays where it is. Good news, economically, the punch bowl gets moved a little bit further away," said Wilmer Stith, co-manager of the Wilmington Broad Market Bond Fund in Baltimore.

Oil prices traded near break-even after data showed an unexpected rise in U.S. crude stocks, which combined with the GDP report, stoked concerns about the outlook for demand in the world's top consumer.

Brent crude for August delivery rose 40 cents to settle at $101.66 a barrel. U.S. crude settled up 18 cents at $95.50 a barrel.

The euro was down 0.60 percent at $1.3005, stung by Draghi's comments on an accommodative monetary policy and the risks to growth in the euro zone.

"Juxtaposed against shifting Fed policy, (Draghi's comment) highlights that relative central bank policy will soon shift from supporting to weighing on the euro," said Camilla Sutton, chief FX strategist at Scotiabank.

The dollar rose to a three-week high of 83.003 against a basket of currencies <.dxy>, buoyed mainly by solid gains against the euro. It later was up 0.48 percent at 82.958.

(Additional reporting by Marc Jones in London; Reporting by Herbert Lash; editing by James Dalgleish, Leslie Adler and Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/most-asia-shares-rebound-pboc-assurances-shanghai-extends-030528848.html

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Juwah lists gains of approved broadband policy - Vanguard

BY EMEKA AGINAM

NIGERIAN Communication Commission, NCC, boss, Engr Juwah also revealed that the national broadband plans has been submitted by the presidential committee on broadband, even as the document has also received the approval of the President for implementation.

According to him, part of the objectives of the Nigerian National broadband plans were to promote pervasive broadband deployment, increase broadband adoption, and usage and ensure availability of broadband services at affordable prices.

He added that these were aimed at maximizing the socio political and economic benefits of broadband to the people.

?It is intended over the period of these plans to see more than a five-fold increase in the internet and broadband penetration figures. It is also intended that all state capitals and urban cities have metro fiber infrastructure installed.

?Certain estates and business districts within major cities shall have fiber to the home or premises ??whereas on a national scale, it is the intention of government to facilitate full roll out ?by operating companies of 3G networks with ?the potential for immediate transition to 4G/LTE as spectrum becomes available? he explained.

He said that as the industry regulator, NCC was prepared to play major role in the broadband plan and ensure that through regulatory responsibilities and interventions, the plans is speedily and adequately delivered for use in the country.

A peep into policy document revealed that operators in the Nigerian ICT sector have identified challenges common to them as high cost of rights of way, resulting in the high cost of lease and transmission, long delays in obtaining permits, backhaul capacity constraints, multiple regulation and taxation at federal, state and local government levels, damage to fibre infrastructure during road works, lack of reliable, clean public electricity supply, lack of major green energy initiatives and supports.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/juwah-lists-gains-of-approved-broadband-policy/

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Gun Control Takes Toll On Outdoor Recreation Across Colorado ...

Colorado

By: Lee Hopper | June 25, 2013

The recent gun control measures approved in Colorado have already taken a toll on local individuals, businesses, and ?communities throughout the state. Those who work in the outdoor recreation industry, along with entire towns and counties that center around hunting and fishing, have been the first to experience the real economic effect of the new firearm regulations.

Tom Bowers is an outdoor recreation guide and the owner of Colorado?s High Lonesome Outfitter & Guides located in Yampa. Bowers shared with Media Trackers Colorado how the new gun legislation has already affected his business.

?Many of my hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and rafting clients are choosing to recreate in other states because of the new laws. Before the [gun control] legislation passed I got 15-30 calls from potential clients a day, now I get less than 5.?

Eric Layman with Western Colorado Outfitters in Montrose experienced the same drop off in business bookings, reservations, and correspondence as Bowers. After the gun control package cleared the legislature, ?the phone calls and emails suddenly stopped. It?s hard to tell if the state is being boycotted if you don?t hear it from anyone directly,? Layman told Media Trackers Colorado.

Neither Bowers or Layman are isolated cases. As Media Trackers Colorado previously reported, Magpul Industries has also had to make plans to close its doors in Colorado and move elsewhere, taking with it a business that employed over 600 Coloradans and generated more than $85 million in taxable revenue for the state. Various shooting sports competitions have been cancelled and hunters have launched a Colorado boycott.

Layman confirmed this reality and added that, ?my friend and neighbor was supposed to host the shooting event that was cancelled. That will really hurt the local hotels and restaurants also.?

?I?m thinking about sending the legislature a bill for lost business,? Layman concluded frankly.

In a normal year, Bowers and his High Lonesome Outfitters guide between 35 and 40 big game hunters. This year, he said he would be lucky to get 20-25. One big game client, whom he has served as a guide?for 15 years, told Bowers that he will not be rebooking or coming back to Colorado. Bowers recalled the conversation with the client, who told him: ?It is not because of you, it is because of your Governor. I am not giving any money to that state?.

Bowers? clients who booked before the new laws still plan to come this season, but many of them have told him it will be the last time they come to Colorado for any kind of outdoor recreation, even beyond hunting.

As such, Bower?s losses are not limited to hunting, as he attests to the fact that many of the fisherman and rafters he guides will no longer be returning to Colorado to recreate either. ?He explained: ??Now we are a gun control state. My type of clients think if they come to the state of Colorado they are going to be violating gun laws.?

Layman, from Western Colorado Outfitters, echoed the fact that the boycott is spreading far beyond the hunting crowd, saying that while ?the hunter forums show comments indicating that the boycott is in full effect, even summer visitors and skiers are joining in.?

In an attempt to pick up his bookings for this year, Bowers recently lowered the retail cost of his services by a whopping 40 percent. Since he reduced the rates, Bowers has received a total of 20 emails. In previous years, he received between 75-130 emails during the same time frame ? at normal prices.

Bowers finished by expressing his desire simply to stay in business. ?If the trend continues I will be out of business within four years, which would mean losing my home and ranch as well.? Bowers said that he started his?business twenty six years ago with ?two horses and one saddle.?

The blow to the outdoor recreation industry will affect many businesses in Colorado. There are 10 counties across the state where the highest proportion of employment is related to hunting and fishing.

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, ?The shooting sports are so much more than simply pulling a trigger or releasing a bowstring. They represent financial opportunity for every American community, especially rural economies. Each purchase made by hunters sets off a chain reaction of economic benefits.?

Moreover, the losses will affect more than just local gas stations, restaurants, and hotels. The State of Colorado usually collects over $8 million in taxes from the hunting industry, while the federal government collects over $43 million in Colorado.

Exact losses to Colorado?s $1.8 billion dollar hunting and fishing industry will not be fully recognized until next year.

Follow Lee Hopper on Twitter: @hopper_lee

Source: http://mediatrackers.org/colorado/2013/06/25/gun-control-takes-toll-on-outdoor-recreation-across-colorado

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China astronauts return to Earth

25 June 2013 Last updated at 22:52 ET

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The crew returned after China's longest manned space mission

A capsule carrying three Chinese astronauts has landed safely after a 15-day mission in space.

The astronauts travelled on the Shenzhou-10 craft to China's space laboratory, the Tiangong-1.

They completed manual docking exercises and astronaut Wang Yaping gave a video lecture to students back on Earth.

The Shenzhou-10 is China's fifth manned space mission and came 10 years after China first sent an astronaut into space.

State TV showed the capsule touching down in grassland in the Inner Mongolia region at around 08:07 local time (00:07 GMT).

The mission control centre burst into applause after the crew were reported to be safe and well, reports said.

Mission commander Nie Haisheng was the first to exit the capsule at 09:31 (01:31 GMT), followed by colleagues Wang Yaping and Zhang Xiaoguang.

The astronauts needed time to allow their bodies to adjust to Earth's gravity before emerging from the space capsule, Chinese media said.

Mr Nie, who has been on one previous space mission, has now spent more hours in space than any other Chinese astronaut, having clocked up over 470 hours across his two missions, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Wang Yaping, China's second woman in space, delivered the country's first space lecture from the Tiangong-1.

China plans to eventually put a permanently manned space station above the Earth.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23058541#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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