Russell Simmons: Stop 'legal bribery' - MJ Lee - POLITICO.com

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons says he is confident that Occupy protesters are helping to achieve one goal: Ending what he calls ?legal bribery.?

The Def Jam founder, who recently has been promoting a constitutional amendment penned by an anonymous ?senior? lawmaker on Capitol Hill that would ban public financing of politicians, said on MSNBC Tuesday that Occupiers are helping to ?force their legislators to act appropriately.?

Continue Reading

Lobbyists should promote dialogue, ?not pay off politicians? with campaign donations, Simmons said, adding that the Occupy movement is ?building an awareness campaign that will make a difference in this country and one that we need? about ending legal bribery.

Calling the country?s democracy ?a bit flawed,? Simmons, a self-proclaimed ?big supporter? of Occupy Wall Street, praised the protestors for helping to spread the idea that elected officials too often ?report to big business and special interest instead of reporting to the people who elected them.

?I think the nucleus of the movement wants America to be better,? he said. ?As long as they?re there, it allows people to use their energy and promote on change and promote dialogue for that change.?

He added about the Occupy movement, ?Revolutions take time. It?s brand new. ? I think they?re doing fine. The people who are the organizers see the potential for change and evolving the movement, and I think they?re doing a good job so far.?

Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69293.html

mists of pandaria mists of pandaria 20 20 war in iraq war in iraq gunner kiel gunner kiel

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Kick Off a ...

By almost all accounts, the start of the holiday shopping season was strong for retailers, who reported a 7 percent increase in sales over Black Friday 2010. Encouraged by a vigorous campaign supported by American Express and unseasonably warm weather in the northeast, shoppers made the rounds in cities across the U.S. on November 26, 2011, ? the second annual Small Business Saturday.

The initiative?s Facebook page generated more than 2.6 million likes, an increase from 1.2 million last year. American Express offered its card members a $25 credit for any $25 or more spent at qualifying small businesses nationwide.

Millions of consumers made it a point to shop locally in support of small, independently owned local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods. The initiative was created in response to small business owners? most pressing need: more demand for their products and services.

Many found it a welcome reprieve from the Midnight Madness that large retailers created by opening at 12:00 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving.

President Obama, who has made small business growth a priority of his administration, led by example and shopped locally. The President and his daughters visited a bookstore in Washington D.C.?s Dupont Circle neighborhood and made their purchases on Small Business Saturday.

Retailers should be cautiously optimistic about the initial holiday rush. This year Thanksgiving fell on the 24th of November, which left a full 30 days of shopping before Christmas. Cyber Monday provides a third boost during the initial weekend of the 2011 holiday shopping season. The key will be whether the spending continues through December.

A strong fourth quarter could be exactly what the U.S. needs for a full-fledged recovery to occur. Increased consumer demand is what small businesses need to grow. Since they create the majority of new jobs in the economy, we have experienced what could be a positive start for the days, weeks and months ahead.

Image from Kenishirotie/Shutterstock

About the Author

A frequently quoted expert on small business lending and recently named the ?Top Entrepreneur of 2011? by Crain?s New York Business, Rohit Arora is CEO of Biz2Credit, which connects small business owners with 400 lenders, credit rating agencies and service providers. Since 2007, Biz2Credit has secured $400 million in funding for small businesses across the U.S. via its safe, efficient online platform.

Connect with Rohit Arora:

?

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/11/black-friday-small-business-saturday-cyber-monday.html

occupy midnight madness midnight madness john henry john henry zack greinke zack greinke

Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W.: Elder Substance Abuse: Be Careful! (Huffington post)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/166876152?client_source=feed&format=rss

power rangers jungle fury power rangers jungle fury ufc 139 fight card cloudy with a chance of meatballs houston nutt houston nutt peter marshall

Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems (Workbench Series) | Auto ...

Nov
26

Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems (Workbench Series)

Often, wiring and electrical work intimidates automotive do-it-yourselfers the most. It?s not mechanical, and therefore, it?s unfamiliar territory. Electrons are invisible, and they can do unpredictable things in an untrained enthusiast?s eyes. Finally, there is an enthusiast?s guide that takes the mysteries and misunderstandings out of automotive electrical design, modification, diagnostics, and repair.
Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems is the perfect book to unshroud the mysteries of automotive electrics and electronic systems. The basics of electrical principles, including voltage, amperage, resistance, and Ohm?s Law, are revealed in clear and concise detail, so the enthusiast understands what these mean in the construction an

List Price: $ 24.95

Price: $ 16.44

More Automotive Electrical Diagrams Products

Tags: Automotive, Electrical, Series, Systems, Wiring, Workbench

Posted in Electrical Systems
Posted by

Source: http://autotechmd.com/11/automotive-wiring-and-electrical-systems-workbench-series/

alaska map bil keane storm in alaska storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson eric johnson

Report: Agent says Milan is first choice for Tevez

By DANIELLA MATAR

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:55 a.m. ET Nov. 26, 2011

MILAN (AP) -Carlos Tevez's agent says a move to AC Milan is the Argentina striker's preferred option as he seeks to end a controversial spell at Manchester City, according to an Italian newspaper.

Kia Joorabchian had a two-hour meeting with Milan vice president Adriano Galliani at the club's headquarters on Thursday.

"It was a constructive dialogue which left me feeling happy," Joorabchian was quoted as saying in an interview published Saturday in Gazzetta dello Sport. "Milan is the best solution at the moment, his first choice. Carlos wants to wear the Milan shirt."

City manager Roberto Mancini has said that Tevez's decision to return to Argentina without permission had ended any hope the forward had of playing for the Premier League club again.

Tevez has still not returned to Manchester and recently missed a scheduled meeting with the Premier League leaders to discuss his future.

Mancini refused to answer questions about the matter in his weekly news conference Friday, emphatically stating, "I do not want to speak about Carlos Tevez."

Tevez has not played since apparently refusing an instruction from Mancini to warm up during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in September.

City fined Tevez four weeks' wages last month but was forced to halve it after England's players' union intervened.

"In reality the problem is only with Mancini, not with the club," Joorabchian added. "Carlos has been clear with the club, the only consequence was a fine.

"However, it's obvious they're interested in resolving the situation."

Massimiliano Allegri's team is not the only option in Italy for Tevez. Juventus is also said to be interested but a meeting with the player's representatives on Friday was reportedly postponed.

Inter Milan had an offer rejected by City in the summer according to Joorabchian. Inter coach Claudio Ranieri is remaining coy on whether the club is planning to renew its efforts in January.

"Are you convinced Inter isn't interested in Tevez?" Ranieri said Saturday. "I've aroused your suspicions now by saying that."

Tevez is under contract with City until 2014. It will reportedly cost ?4 million ($5.3 million) to take the 27-year-old forward on loan and a further ?20 million ($26.5 million) to make the transfer permanent in the summer. A stumbling block could be the wages, with Tevez earning around ?10 million ($13.2 million) a season at City.

"I don't think problems should be talked about with his wages seeing as all big players earn high salaries," Joorabchian said. "However, we didn't talk about the economic aspect with Galliani."

Milan is hunting for a striker, with Antonio Cassano set to miss the rest of the season as he recovers from heart surgery.

Tevez, however, would not be eligible for the Champions League after featuring for City against Napoli at the beginning of the campaign.

Tevez has long been linked with a move to Italy, despite the Argentina striker saying several times he wishes to return to South America to be closer to his family, including his two daughters who live with his wife in Buenos Aires.

The 2009 recruit from Manchester United was City's top scorer during its run to the FA Cup title last year that ended a 35-year trophy drought.

However, the season was not without controversy for the City captain after he handed in a written transfer request in December, saying that his relationship with "certain executives and individuals at the club" was beyond repair.

Tevez later retracted his request but seemed destined to leave the club during the summer.

Despite saying he would not return to Manchester even for a holiday, he failed in his attempts to secure a transfer in the offseason back to Brazilian club Corinthians, which he left in 2006 to join West Ham.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45428429/ns/sports-soccer/

tucson weather peyton hillis cl p cl p andy rooney andy rooney groupon ipo

Woman Survives Earthquake Thanks to Her Laptop [Wtf]

Earthquake survivors buried under tonnes of rubble normally owe their lives to drinking their own pee. Not so for Japanese aid worker Miyuki Konnai, who says her laptop helped her through the ordeal. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fvFNMlopt4M/woman-survives-earthquake-thanks-to-her-laptop

devin hester shayne lamas cain velasquez willis mcgahee willis mcgahee gop debate dos santos

Canada eyes Asia after U.S. delays Keystone project (Reuters)

HONOLULU (Reuters) ? Canada will try to sell more of its energy products to Asia after Washington delayed a decision on whether to approve the Keystone XL Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline project, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.

"This does underscore the necessity of Canada making sure that we are able to access Asia markets for our energy products," Harper told reporters on Sunday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting in Hawaii.

"That will be an important priority of our government going forward and I indicated that yesterday to the president of China."

The Obama administration recently said it would study a possible new route for TransCanada Corp's proposed $7 billion pipeline, which could end up killing the project altogether.

Canada is already the largest foreign supplier of oil, natural gas, electricity and uranium to the United States.

Harper's conservative government has voiced disappointment at the delay and some big businesses say the move by President Barack Obama's administration was purely political to push the decision out past the November 2012 election.

"It's important to note there has been extremely negative reaction to this decision in the United States," Harper said before a one-on-one meeting with Obama.

But Harper's concerns did little to sway Obama. At their meeting, Obama told Harper he stood by the decision to delay the verdict.

"The president underscored his support for the State Department's announcement regarding the need to seek additional information about the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal to ensure that all questions are properly addressed and all the potential impacts are properly understood," the White House said.

Harper's office said he reiterated his disappointment to Obama and expressed hoped the project would be "decided on its merits and eventually approved."

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai and Laura MacInnis; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/bs_nm/us_apec_canada_keystone

neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson bears lions bears lions kendall jenner neville neville

?Xoom? To Give Way To ?XYBoard??

The Xoom hasn't been the big hit everyone was hoping for. After an inauspicious debut marked by bugs, a lack of Honeycomb apps, and a non-functioning SD card slot, the big debut tablet from Motorola was quickly superseded by other devices, in some cases cheaper or better Honeycomb tablets, and in others more use-specific devices like the Nook Color. It's no surprise, then, that the Xoom brand might be getting a revamp. But what happens when the cure is worse than the disease? XYBoard happens.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-qgu-pXSnH0/

washington redskins doritos confederate flag confederate flag eddie cibrian kim delaney kim delaney

Shanghai Science and Technology Commission proposes 100 'innovation houses' for DIYers

Here we call them hackerspaces and generally they're sustained through the contributions of paying members. The Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality has decided to go with the more esoteric "innovation house" and is expecting support from the government, but the concept is the same -- a pubic place where those with an idea can go and make it a reality. The commission is proposing building 100 such studios equipped with wood and metal lathes, drills, saws and milling machines. Shanghai may be a sprawling city of over 23 million (the largest in the world), but if even just half of those hackerspaces are eventually constructed it would have one studio for every 460,000 citizens and become one of the most DIY-friendly metropolises in the world. By comparison, New York City's roughly 8 million residents share just eight.

Shanghai Science and Technology Commission proposes 100 'innovation houses' for DIYers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot  |  Morning News (Weibo) (translated), STCSM (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/12/shanghai-science-and-technology-commission-proposes-100-innovat/

lsu football lsu football lsu alabama earthquake when is daylight savings 2011 what time is it lsu vs alabama

Russian, U.S. crew blast off safely for space station (Reuters)

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) ? Three astronauts blasted off on Monday to return a full crew to the International Space Station (ISS) as Russia seeks to restore confidence in its space programme following the recent crash of a cargo spaceship and several botched launches.

The launch at 0414 GMT (11:14 p.m. ET on Sunday) was the first since NASA ended its 30-year shuttle programme in July, heralding a gap of several years when the 16 nations investing in the $100-billion space station will rely solely on Russia to ferry crews.

"The spaceship has reached orbit," Flight Engineer Anton Shkaplerov said in a radioed message to the cavernous Mission Control center in a northern Moscow suburb. Applause broke out as the crew flashed a thumbs-up signal to onboard cameras.

The mission had been delayed since September over safety fears after an unmanned Russian Progress craft taking supplies to astronauts broke up in the atmosphere in August, one of the worst Russian space mishaps in decades.

Veteran NASA astronaut Daniel Burbank is making his first voyage on board a Soyuz spacecraft from Russia's Baikonur launchpad in Kazakhstan, while cosmonauts Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin are making their maiden space voyage.

The crew had shrugged off safety concerns before their craft lifted off from a snowbound Baikonur, blazing a bright orange trail through the overcast sky above the Kazakh steppe.

"We don't have any black thoughts. We have faith in our equipment," Russian news agencies quoted Shkaplerov as saying before the launch.

Reporting back to Mission Control after take off, he said the crew was "feeling good." A small stuffed bird from the mobile app Angry Birds, a mascot given to Shkaplerov by his five-year-old daughter, hovered above the weightless crew.

"Except for the bad weather in Baikonur, everything went extremely well," Vladimir Solovyov, head of launches for the Russian segment of the ISS, told reporters at Mission Control.

After a cramped two-day journey aboard the Soyuz TMA-22 capsule, the crew will dock with the space station on November 16, overlapping briefly with station commander Mike Fossum of NASA, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russia's Sergei Volkov.

Any problem in reaching the ISS could leave the space station empty for the first time in more than a decade when the current three-man crew returns to Earth later this month.

REPUTATION

Russia's space agency chief has said the August 24 failure of the Progress rocket launch was an "isolated" glitch caused by a fuel pipe blockage.

But it added to a string of failures that marred this year's celebration of the 50 years since Yuri Gagarin's pioneering orbit and pointed to deeper troubles with Russia's space industry.

Moscow hopes a smooth mission will begin to restore its reputation after more trouble this week when a launch touted as post-Soviet Russia's interplanetary debut went awry.

Russia is likely to have lost the $165-million Phobos-Grunt probe, which is stuck in orbit and may drop to Earth after it failed to set a course toward Mars's moon on Wednesday.

Botched launches have also lost Russia a high-tech military orbiter, a costly telecommunication satellite, and set back plans for a global navigation system to rival the U.S. GPS.

While NASA suffered the tragic loss of crews on its Columbia and Challenger shuttles in 2003 and 1986, Russia last suffered such an accident in 1971, when three cosmonauts died on their way back to Earth on the Soyuz-11 mission.

This year the United States turned over all crewed flight responsibilities to Russia, at a cost of about $350 million a year, until commercial firms can offer space-taxi rides.

NASA is seeking $850 million to help U.S.-based private companies develop human orbital transport capabilities with the goal of breaking Russia's monopoly on ferrying astronauts to the space station before the end of 2016.

(Writing by Robin Paxton in Almaty)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/sc_nm/us_russia_space_iss

lindsey lohan reed hastings cujo hpv vaccine hurricane tracking hurricane tracking flat tax

Mexico crash may have been due to pilot error: report (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) ? Pilot error could have caused the helicopter crash that killed Mexican Interior Minister Francisco Blake on Friday, according to a preliminary investigation cited by a local newspaper on Saturday.

A preliminary report by Mexico's civil aviation authority said there was no explosion or mechanical fault reported by the pilot prior to the accident, the newspaper Reforma said.

That report also said the pilot chose to fly manually, without using instruments that would have shown information about obstacles along the route, Reforma wrote.

The fog could have affected the pilot's distance perception, causing him to crash into the hill, Reforma said, citing the report.

A spokesman for Mexico's Communications and Transport Ministry declined to confirm the existence of that report.

The ministry is expected to give a news conference later on Saturday.

Mexico has requested help from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board as well as the French office in charge of investigating civil aviation accidents, Communications and Transport Minister Dionisio Perez-Jacome told reporters late on Friday.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Friday conditions were cloudy when the helicopter came down so that an accident looked probable.

The helicopter came down on a green hillside south of the capital, killing Blake and seven others on board.

(Reporting by Elinor Comlay, Editing by Sandra Maler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111112/ts_nm/us_mexico_minister_crash

kelly slater kelly slater palindrome palindrome asana als disease brittany norwood

UK police arrest far-right activists in London (AP)

LONDON ? British police arrested more than 170 far-right activists near London's main war memorial Friday, saying the officers acted to prevent a breach of the peace.

The Metropolitan Police said the English Defense League supporters were arrested outside a pub in Whitehall, site of the Cenotaph monument.

They were loaded onto a bus and transported to several police stations.

Police would not comment on reports the group planned to march on a protest camp against corporate greed outside St. Paul's Cathedral.

Friday is Armistice Day, when people gather at the Cenotaph and across the country to observe two minutes' silence in memory of those killed in wars. It commemorates the end of World War I, at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918.

The English Defense League casts itself as a peaceful opponent of radical Islam, but opponents say it is racist and its protests have often turned violent.

Last year on Armistice Day, its members clashed with members of the small radical Islamist group Muslims Against Crusades, who burned paper poppies, worn at this time of year to commemorate war dead.

The Muslim group had planned to protest Friday, but on Thursday the British government banned the organization. Muslims Against Crusades announced it was disbanding and canceled its "Hate for Heroes" demonstration.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111111/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_far_right

four loko michael savage aj burnett aj burnett jason wu jason wu the fall

Are there bogus charges on your phone bill?

Most people don?t realize it, but a telephone number is just like a credit card number. It can be used to pay for products and services. Con artists know this. For years, they?ve placed bogus charges on phone bills.

It?s a scam called cramming and from all indications it?s getting worse. According to the Federal Communications Commission, as many as 20 million Americans will get crammed this year. That is, they will be billed for products or services they do not want and did not knowingly order.?

Crammers bill for all sorts of things: credit repair, identity theft monitoring, Internet and e-mail service, psychic hotlines and diet programs, just to name a few.?

The FCC has proposed new regulations to tackle the problem. If approved, the rules would require landline phone companies to list third-party charges in a different section of the bill ? to make them easier to spot. They would also be required to notify customers if they offer a service to block third-party charges. (I wrote about this in more detail in July: ?FCC Proposes Crackdown on Phone-Bill Cramming.)?

?The common-sense rules proposed by the FCC will go a long way toward protecting American consumers from this abuse,? says Joel Gurin, chief of the FCC?s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.?

Maybe so, but the attorneys general in Illinois, Vermont and Nevada don?t think the FCC?s proposal goes far enough. They want the commission to ban phone companies from billing for third-party charges that are unrelated to a customer?s phone service.?

?We see this as a rampant, continuing, growing problem,? says Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

?Most victims don?t even know their phone bill has been crammed.??

She?s right: an FCC study found that only 1 in 20 cramming victims realize they?ve been scammed.?

?We?ve worked for the last 10 years trying to address this issue,? says Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. ?We?ve put regulations in place working with our federal partners and most importantly notifying the public. But it?s not going away.??

Phone companies say they can handle this
Phone companies don?t like the idea of more regulations and they totally oppose limiting their ability to bill for third parties.?

?It?s really a matter of convenience for the customer,? says Micah Caldwell, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance.

She says a lot of people feel more comfortable having a charge from an outside vendor placed on their phone bill rather than using a credit card or electronic transfer.?

The industry points out that its efforts to fight cramming are working. For example, AT&T reports cramming complaints dropped 89 percent between January 2010 and May 2011.?

AG Madigan does not believe the phone companies have been successful at cracking down on crammers. ?She points to a recent case her office handled where the bad guys had billed nearly 10,000 customers in Illinois for credit repair services. The victims included a county coroner?s office, a restaurant and a public library?s automated dial-a-story telephone line.?

?It is not good enough to let the industry police itself because it?s not working,? Madigan says. ?Instead, we?re saying we need to prevent the industry from having this problem in the first place by banning third-party charges that are unrelated to your telephone service from being put on your phone bill.??

Walter McCormick, president of the United States Telecom Association, says phone companies are working to authenticate transactions and prevent bad actors from getting access to your phone bill.

McCormick says any customer who reports an unauthorized charge will receive ?an instant credit? and be offered the option to block further charges.?

That?s not what I hear from people who complain about being crammed. For example, when David Blume of Peoria, Ill. found $35 crammed on his monthly bill, he contacted his phone company.?

?They said it had nothing to do with them and I would have to contact the companies myself,? Blume tells me.?

There?s a lot of money at stake here. Remember, phone companies get paid for handling the billing for third-party charges. According to a congressional investigation about $2 billion a year is billed this way, and most of this money goes to crammers.?

Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, believes Congress must act. He plans to introduce legislation before the end of the year that he says will ?stop this harmful practice once and for all.? (Read committee report on cramming)?

But for now ? it?s still up to you to protect yourself.?

You do that by checking your phone bill every month. Look for charges that you don?t understand or did not authorize. This is especially important if you use automatic payment, since you?re probably less likely to look at your bill.?

Your best bet is to do what I did. Contact your phone company and see if you can put a third-party billing block on your phone line.? Then, you won?t have to worry about being crammed.?

My two cents
I commend the FCC for trying to do something about the growing problem of cramming. But the proposed rules only make it easier to spot the problem. We need to stop cramming. The proposed ban on third-party charges suggested by the AGs of Illinois, Nevada and Vermont would do that.?

I have another suggestion: make this billing an opt-in situation. Require phone companies to block all third-party charges unless you specifically agree to allow them on your phone bill. This would protect customers and give them ultimate control.

Keep in mind: The FCC?s proposed rules do not cover cell phone bills. As part of this rulemaking process, the commission is asking for comments as to whether they should apply to wireless companies. You know what I think: absolutely!

How to reduce your risk
Sometimes, there?s nothing you can do to prevent a determined crammer from adding fake charges to your phone bill. However, you can avoid giving would-be scammers the opportunity by being wise to some common ploys:

• Enter to win: You think you?re entering a contest, but you?re actually giving your information to strangers who might be up to no good. Before you fill out a contest entry form, consider whether you know the company, and be sure to read the fine print. Shady promoters sometimes use an entry form as ?permission? to enroll you in a service. You find out you?re enrolled only if you notice the fee on your phone bill.
• Join the club: The ad says it?s free, and in fact, the number you call to join may be toll-free. All you have to do is say your name and ?I want the service.? But you may end up enrolled in a club or service program that comes with a monthly charge on your phone bill.
• File a complaint: If you are crammed and can?t get the problem solved, contact the Federal Communications Commission. They are one of the few federal agencies that will actually go to bat for you. You can reach themonline or by phone at: 1-888-CALL-FCC. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission which also prosecutes cramming cases.

More: Cramming: Mystery Phone Charges

?

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/09/8720614-are-there-bogus-charges-on-your-phone-bill

steve jobs and bill gates steve jobs quotes pancreatic cancer symptoms apple stock aspergers apple computer pancreatic cancer

Cable cos. to offer $9.95 broadband for poor homes

NEW YORK (AP) ? Cable companies said Wednesday that they will offer Internet service for $9.95 per month to homes with children that are eligible for free school lunches.

The offer will start next summer and is part of an initiative the Federal Communications Commission cobbled together to get more U.S. homes connected to broadband.

One third, or about 35 million homes, don't have broadband. That affects people's ability to educate themselves and find and apply for jobs, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said.

"The broadband adoption gap in the U.S. is very large, and the costs of digital exclusion are high and getting higher," Genachowski said.

The initiative, called Connect-to-Compete, also includes Microsoft Corp., which pledges to sell PCs with its Office software suite for $250 to low-income families. A firm called Redemtech is offering to sell refurbished computers for $150, including shipping.

For those who can't afford those prices, Morgan Stanley is pledging to develop a microfinance lending program for community-based financial institutions.

People are still signing up for broadband, but growth has slowed in recent years. For those who still haven't signed up, cost is a minor factor. Most say they're simply not interested or don't need it, according to a report by the Commerce Department based on Census Bureau data from last year.

To help address the lack of interest and computer skills, Best Buy Co., Microsoft and nonprofits such as America's Promise Alliance and United Way are promising to support the initiative with training.

All major cable companies are standing behind the $9.95 offer, which will be valid for two years. The price doesn't include taxes, but the companies are pledging to charge nothing for installation or modem rental.

The minimum download speed will be 1 megabit per second, less than one tenth of average cable speeds. Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, said it will be up to the individual cable companies to decide what speeds they provide.

The NCTA estimates that about 5.5 million homes that don't have broadband will be eligible for the offer. According to the Commerce Department study, 78 percent of households with school-age children already have broadband, making them far more likely to be connected than the average household.

The big broadband gap is between younger and older households: Only 45 percent of people older than 64 have broadband. Black and Hispanic households were less likely to have broadband, even when adjusting for income, according to the study.

Comcast Corp., the largest cable company and the country's largest Internet service provider, is already offering broadband to $9.95 to low-income families, with a 1.5 megabit per second download speed. It offered to do that so regulators would let it take control of NBC Universal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2011-11-09-US-TEC-Cheap-Broadband/id-c9d6e8f87b0f4a00a0112cf15a4ba5bd

vincent brown willow smith tom bradley tom bradley penn state riot penn state riot state college pa

Primate Brain Demonstrated to Move and Sense Objects Using Only Thoughts

Macaque monkey Image: Jana Leon/Getty Image

When real brains operate in the real world, it?s a two-way street. Electrical activity in the brain?s motor cortex speeds down the spinal cord to the part of the body to be moved; tactile sensations from the skin simultaneously zip through the spinal cord and into the brain?s somatosensory cortex. The two actions are virtually inseparable: absent the feel of a floor under your feet, it?s awfully difficult to walk properly, and lacking the tactile sensation of a coffee mug, your brain cannot sense how tightly your fingers should grasp it. Until now, attempts to help paralyzed patients move a prosthetic have addressed only half of our interaction with the world. A new study offers hope of expanding that capacity.

Scientists led by Miguel Nicolelis, professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center, have reported the first-ever demonstration in which a primate brain not only moved a ?virtual body? (an avatar hand on a computer screen) but also received electric signals encoding the feel of virtual objects the avatar touched?and did so clearly enough to texturally distinguish the objects. If the technology, detailed in the journal Nature, works in people, it would change the lives of paralyzed patients. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) They would not only be able to walk and move their arms and hands, Nicolelis says, but also to feel the texture of objects they hold or touch and to sense the terrain they tread on.

Other research groups are working on similar advances. At the University of Pittsburgh, neuroscientists led by Andrew Schwartz have begun recruiting patients paralyzed by spinal cord injury into a similar trial that would allow them to ?feel? the environment around them thanks to electrodes in the somatosensory cortex that receive information from a robot arm.

Nicolelis hopes to bring his research to fruition by 2014, when he plans to unveil the first ?wearable robot? at the opening game of soccer?s World Cup in his home country of Brazil. Think Iron Man, a full-body, exoskeletonlike prosthetic. Its interface will be controlled by neural implants that capture signals from the motor cortex to move legs, hands, fingers and everything else. And it will be studded with sensors that relay tactile information about the outside world to the somatosensory cortex. Buoyed by the advances so far, Nicolelis predicts that the device will be ready in time. ?It?s our moon shot,? he says.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=60fbc6cb4b8a63d6f3cff6bad8069154

amanda knox latest news leann rimes brass monkey x factor auditions x factor auditions flds flds

Dr. Conrad Murray has been placed on suicide watch

Conrad Murray was remanded in custody yesterday after being found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson – who died of acute Propofol intoxication in June 2009 – and an unnamed law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that staff were told to ensure he does not try to take his own [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/dr-conrad-murray-has-been-placed-on-suicide-watch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dr-conrad-murray-has-been-placed-on-suicide-watch

san onofre the little couple bubba smith bubba smith oakland strike new gmail new gmail

Magic Johnson still beating HIV 20 years later

Magic Johnson recounts his journey over the last 20 years, his retirement after contracting the HIV virus, during a Magic Johnson Foundation event in Los Angeles on Monday, Non. 7, 2011. Johnson shocked the world on Nov. 7, 1991, when he revealed his HIV diagnosis. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness have changed the world's perception of the disease. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Magic Johnson recounts his journey over the last 20 years, his retirement after contracting the HIV virus, during a Magic Johnson Foundation event in Los Angeles on Monday, Non. 7, 2011. Johnson shocked the world on Nov. 7, 1991, when he revealed his HIV diagnosis. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness have changed the world's perception of the disease. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Earvin "Magic" Johnson listens to AIDS expert Dr. David Ho's recount Johnson's 20 years of living with HIV, during a ceremony of The Magic Johnson Foundation in Los Angeles on Monday, Non. 7, 2011. Johnson shocked the world on Nov. 7, 1991, when he revealed his HIV diagnosis. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness have changed the world's perception of the disease. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Nov. 7, 1991 file photo, Magic Johnson reveals his HIV diagnosis during a news conference in Los Angeles. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness has changed the world's perception of the disease. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii, File)

FILE 0- In this April 30, 2008 file photo,Mmagic Johnson speaks at a round-table event with HIV/AIDS clinicians to discuss the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community, at Howard University in Washington. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness has changed the world's perception of the disease.(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

AIDS expert Dr. David Ho, left, introduces Earvin "Magic" Johnson at the Magic Johnson Foundation ceremony in Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. Johnson shocked the world on Nov. 7, 1991, when he revealed his HIV diagnosis. In the 20 years since, the Lakers great's strong health and tireless work in AIDS awareness have changed the world's perception of the disease. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? If Magic Johnson had known just how well he could live with HIV, he wouldn't have retired from the Lakers on Nov. 7, 1991.

Johnson would never change what he did for the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic when he publicly revealed his diagnosis to a stunned world. His courage that day, along with two subsequent decades of vibrant living, forever altered attitudes about the virus and its effects.

Magic is simply glad the world knows such happy endings are possible with access to treatment and vigilance.

"At that time, it was the right decision," Johnson said Monday on the 20th anniversary of his stunning retirement. "If I knew what I knew today, that I could still play basketball and do my thing, I probably wouldn't have retired. But I'm a guy that doesn't have regrets. I don't look back. I'm happy, because I wanted to be here a long time. We made the right call at that time."

Johnson recognized the occasion at Staples Center on Monday with an upbeat celebration and a message of steadfastness. Dozens of politicians, celebrities and Lakers greats from Jerry West and Pat Riley to James Worthy and Michael Cooper joined Johnson and AIDS researcher David Ho for a luncheon, and the Magic Johnson Foundation announced a $1 million gift to continue its mission for worldwide HIV awareness and testing.

Two decades after his shocking admission and quick retirement at 32, Johnson's doctors say he's a 52-year-old specimen of health, comfortably managing HIV with a daily regimen of drugs and exercise.

While he once took upwards of 15 pills several times a day, he now requires just a few daily medications. He rises around 5 a.m. each day for a vigorous workout ? everything from stretching and running to Tae Bo ? before spending his days overseeing his large business empire.

Yet Johnson worries his strong health could encourage complacency, and he sees the anniversary of his historic announcement as a call to renew dedication to the cause.

"I often say I'm good for the virus, and bad for it," Johnson said. "Good because I'm doing well, and that I can go out and try and raise the awareness level, get people to go get tested ... but on the flip side of that, people see that I'm doing well, so they've kind of relaxed on HIV and AIDS. People think that now if they get the virus, they'll do well, but a couple million will die this year."

While Johnson mostly remembers a feeling of confidence derived from the unflinching support of his wife, Cookie, on the day of his announcement, his fellow Lakers have no trouble recalling the shock and confusion they felt 20 years ago.

"It stunned me, and I think I was only semi-conscious," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said. "The whole day is just like a blur in my mind. I remember Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) had to assist me. I don't think I had enough blood in the brain."

Worthy remembers the Lakers being sent from practice at Loyola Marymount to the Forum, with no idea why. The power forward wondered whether West was retiring from his executive job, or perhaps Johnson was seriously injured after missing the previous week of practice.

"When he announced, it was a reality check, because at that time, it could have been anybody," Worthy said. "A lot of people started to wonder about themselves, especially people who had never been tested before. ... He's taught us all a valuable lesson. Back in the early '90s, you thought it was a death (sentence). You thought it was over. To see him put meaning on a disease that only had one meaning, that was great."

Ho, a pioneering researcher who grew up in Los Angeles idolizing West and Elgin Baylor, said he met Johnson "on one of his darkest days" after his diagnosis. Ho has always been impressed by Johnson's upbeat willingness to acknowledge his condition, using himself to raise funds for research and treatment.

Ho also shot down the long-held suspicion that Johnson easily managed the virus because his wealth and celebrity gave him access to preferential treatment. Johnson's condition is "quite typical" at this point in the virus' treatment, he said.

"All of us working in the field are grateful to him and his foundation for doing so, because this is a plague that continues to rage," Ho said. "Because of therapeutic success, there is too much complacency in this country about this pandemic. We still need to develop new and better drugs. We have drugs that control HIV, but we don't have a cure, so research must continue."

Johnson famously couldn't stay away from basketball after his retirement, spreading the truth about HIV transmission to players and fans who sometimes balked at his participation. He was the MVP of the 1992 All-Star game and won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics before briefly coaching the Lakers in 1994 and returning to the court for 32 games in 1996, finally retiring in uniform.

Johnson is now a hugely successful businessman, a basketball commentator, a doting husband and a grandfather to his son Andre's two children. Yet he's still raising money and awareness, always working to create the same limitless future for others.

"The only problem is, I would be happier if the numbers in the black and brown communities would go down," Johnson said, citing the majority of each year's 60,000 new U.S. cases of HIV in minority communities. "There's been millions of people that have died since I announced 20 years ago, and so this is a bittersweet day. Yes, I'm living, but people are still getting this virus even as we speak. We must change the mindset, and we must do a better job educating those who live in urban America about this disease."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-07-BKN-Magic-20-Years-Later/id-1621425771db41358f1d576dde8ac321

dexter mccluster dexter mccluster david beckham maurice sendak tyche tyche jejune

More Evidence That HPV Vaccine Shields Against Cervical Cancer (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that the Cervarix cervical cancer vaccine may provide "excellent" protection against a precancerous lesion that is often a forerunner to invasive cervical cancer.

Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, protects against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine is particularly effective when given to adolescent girls before they become sexually active.

Cervarix is one of two HPV vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the other being Merck's Gardasil.

The four-year study included nearly 20,000 women aged 15 to 25 in 14 countries in North America, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. The vaccine was found to be more than 93 percent effective against the CIN3 lesion, a precancerous anomaly that often appears before invasive cancer.

The vaccine was 100 percent effective against cancer in young women who were not infected with HPV before they were immunized, the study found, and it was 46 percent effective against CIN3 and 77 percent effective against cancer in the general population of women (who may or may not have been previously exposed to HPV).

Cervarix was 100 percent effective against CIN3 lesions specifically linked to the HPV 16 and HPV 18 strains in previously unexposed women, and it was nearly 46 percent effective in the general population.

The study appears online Nov. 8 in The Lancet Oncology.

One expert said the new findings "are further evidence of the benefits of HPV vaccine."

Dr. Stephanie V. Blank, an assistant professor in clinical gynecologic oncology at NYU School of Medicine, said, "Although not perfect, this study is the largest trial of HPV 16/18 vaccine to date. It is significant because with longer time of follow-up, we are better able to show the true effect of the vaccine."

Blank added that the study "shows that the HPV vaccine will be most protective among adolescent girls but that it is also effective among HPV-exposed women."

Along with specifically targeting HPV 16 and 18, Cervarix also partially protects against four other types of HPV (31, 33, 45 and 51) that account for 15 percent of cervical cancers, according to another study in the same issue of the journal.

Increasing vaccination rates, particularly among young females who aren't sexually active, should be a focus of HPV vaccination efforts, Dr. Mark Schiffman and Sholom Wacholder of the U.S. National Cancer Institute stressed in an accompanying commentary.

Blank agreed with that assessment. "There are several take-home messages here: Vaccinate early; catch-up programs are also worth it; the positive impact of the HPV vaccine may be even more than we had expected; and the vaccine has an effect even if a woman is already exposed to HPV," she said.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about HPV vaccines.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111109/hl_hsn/moreevidencethathpvvaccineshieldsagainstcervicalcancer

milwaukee brewers will power will power indy 500 martin luther king memorial walking dead season 2 walking dead season 2

Jackson fans, family cheer Murray's verdict

LOS ANGELES?? Michael Jackson fans cheered and his family members hailed as a triumph the verdict that found Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death.

1. More Entertainment stories
   1. You be the judge! Rate the 'Dancing' contestants

      Sometimes, it's hard to agree with the judges when they score the celebrities on their footwork. Now you can rate the star...

   2. Updated 111 minutes ago 11/8/2011 4:25:35 AM +00:00 Perfect! J.R. can do no wrong on 'Dancing'
   3. Lohan reports to jail, released hours later
   4. Red carpet: Does Reese top them all?
   5. Motherhood makes Applegate a better actress

The "Thriller" singer died in June 2009 at age 50 from an overdose of sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol, which Murray, his personal physician, administered to Jackson as a sleep aid.

Story: Jackson's doctor found guilty of manslaughter

Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and elder sister Rebbie cried silently as the guilty verdict was read. As she left the courtroom, Katherine was asked by reporters if she was pleased and her answer was simply: "I am."

His parents also released a statement to TMZ.com, saying, "Even though nothing can bring back our son, justice has finally been served. We can?t wait to go home and share this day with Michael?s children.?

Brother Jermaine told reporters, "Justice was served. Michael is with us." Other family members including father Joe Jackson, and siblings La Toya and Randy were whisked away from the court building in cars and did not talk to the media.

But on Twitter, La Toya posted: "VICTORY!!!!!!" and later tweeted, "Michael I love you and I will continue to fight until ALL are brought to justice!"

Murray faces up to four years in jail when he is sentenced on Nov. 29.

Jackson music will live on long after trial

Prosecutors said they were "gratified" at the outcome.

"We finally want to extend our sympathies to the Jackson family ? especially to Prince, Paris and Blanket. They have lost a beloved father. Nothing can make up for that loss," said Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley.

'Mixed emotions'
Asked by reporters if he was disappointed, Murray's attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, told reporters: "Of course", but the defense did not make a statement.

Jackson's friends weighed-in, too. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton released a statement saying he had "mixed emotions" that Murray wasn't given greater punishment, but "was pleased that this jury didn't blame Michael for his own death."

The six-week trial took place without much of the media hype and fan attention surrounding Jackson's 2005 trial on charges of child molestation, but by the time the verdict was handed down on Monday afternoon, around 100 fans had gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse and cheered the verdict.

Slideshow: Michael Jackson doctor trial (on this page)

Some fans shouted "thank you judge," and passersby honked their car horns. Fans sang and danced to Jackson's songs such as "Beat It" and the old Jackson Five hit "ABC."

Dana Brenklin, 35, of Los Angeles, burst into tears when the verdict was read.

"It's not going to bring back Michael but for two years, I had a project ? justice for Michael Jackson ? and I got what I wanted. Hopefully they'll strip his (Murray's) license and I hope he can't practice medicine ever," Brenklin said.

A 32-year-old Los Angeles man calling himself Scorpio, who was dressed like Jackson in cream military suit with sunglasses and one sequined glove, called the verdict "brilliant."

"This is one of the happiest days of my life and I'm sure the family's life," said Scorpio. "Now his mother can relax and rest and not worry about court in the morning."

Reuters and TMZ.com contributed to this report.

? 2011 MSNBC Interactive

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45198959/ns/today-entertainment/

tashard choice tashard choice amityville horror aaron rodgers puss in boots the rum diary trailer the rum diary trailer

Jury in Jackson case a diverse cross-section of LA (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The seven men and five women who hold the fate of Michael Jackson's doctor in their hands are a diverse cross-section of Los Angeles, people of varying ethnicities from different towns who might never have met if they had not been thrown together in the jury pool.

They are white, black and Hispanic, mostly middle-aged and live in an assortment of suburbs in the Los Angeles urban sprawl. Most have children and some have grandchildren.

They include a professor, postman, bus driver, actor and movie animation supervisor.

The panel is set to resume deliberations Monday after spending their first day in discussions Friday without reaching a verdict.

Dr. Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors accused him of administering a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to the King of Pop.

The jurors, who have been engaged by all the details of the case, will likely be methodical in their deliberations.

Nine of them have prior jury experience and one woman, a native of Spain, has served on five juries, all of which reached verdicts. She was once a jury forewoman.

A woman who has worked as a paralegal for 30 years is serving on her first jury and appeared enthralled.

They knew about the involuntary manslaughter charge against Murray before they came to court and most of them know Jackson's music. A few said they were fans and one, the video animation specialist, said he had some interaction with Jackson when the singer was making the video, "Captain EO."

Details about their lives were culled from lengthy written questionnaires obtained by The Associated Press. Their identities have been kept secret and even lawyers in the case know them only by their jury numbers.

In six weeks together the jurors have displayed uncommon attentiveness to the task at hand. Several, including alternates, have taken notes and kept lists of evidence. Once, when the judge was at a loss to find the number of an exhibit, a member of the jury spoke up and told him.

There were no drooping eyelids or distracted glances. When a scientific expert was conducting experiments on the floor of the courtroom, panelists stood up in the jury box to get a better view.

Their attention to evidence and witnesses has impressed Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, who commended them for their commitment, punctuality in getting to court and willingness to give up their personal lives to serve.

When the trial went longer than Pastor had predicted, he apologized, but the jurors seemed unperturbed.

Every night, when he gave them an admonition to avoid the news, the Internet and other sources of information about the trial, they listened as if it was the first time they had heard it and they nodded in agreement.

Many of the panelists have a familiarity with prescription drugs; most of them said they trust their doctors and several believe that celebrities receive a different kind of justice than average people.

Some have learned about the justice system from TV, watching such shows as "Law and Order" and "CSI." Others watched broadcasts of real-life, high-profile trials including the Casey Anthony case and the O.J. Simpson trial.

One woman, an accounting manager, remembered that during the Simpson trial, "a TV was brought to the office for everyone to follow it." A man in his 30s said he followed that trial in school as an educational experience.

While not sequestered, the jurors have had a rare opportunity to bond because they were kept together for lunch and transported together between a secret parking lot and the courthouse. In order to avoid exposure to events outside the courtroom, the judge had lunch catered for them every day.

But during lunches and coffee breaks there was one thing they could not discuss ? the trial. Now, in a secluded jury room, they can give each other their opinions as they try to reach a verdict.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111107/ap_en_ot/us_michael_jackson_doctor

zip code finder zip code finder blackhawks tigers tigers rangers nlcs

Video: Teen?s assault posted on YouTube

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

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45173789#45173789

raiders news raiders news ice cream sandwich android ice cream sandwich android harry belafonte harry belafonte batman arkham city

Nicaragua pres Ortega poised to win third term

Police officers unload ballot boxes in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. Nicaraguan President and one-time Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency-for-life. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Police officers unload ballot boxes in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. Nicaraguan President and one-time Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency-for-life. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

An election sign promoting Nicaragua's President and presidential candidate for the ruling party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel Ortega, is displayed in front of the Supreme Electoral Council in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. A one-time Sandinista revolutionary, Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency-for-life. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A police officer carries boxes filled with ballots towards vehicles that will distribute them to polling stations in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A campaign poster showing Nicaragua's President and presidential candidate of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) ruling party, Daniel Ortega and his wife, first lady Rosario Murillo, is displayed on a pole at an outdoor market in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. The one-time Sandinista revolutionary, Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency-for-life. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A city worker collects leaves into a cart displaying images of Nicaragua's President and presidential candidate for the ruling party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel Ortega, in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. Nicaragua will hold general elections on Sunday. The one-time Sandinista revolutionary, Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency-for-life. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) ? Nicaraguan president and one-time Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega appears headed for victory Sunday in an election that his critics say could be the prelude to a presidency for life.

Since returning to power in 2007, the 65-year-old Ortega has boosted his popularity in Central America's poorest country with a combination of pork-barrel populism and support for the free-market economy he once opposed.

Now, riding on a populist platform and World Bank praise for his economic strategies, he seeks a third term ? his second consecutive one ? after the Sandinista majority on the Supreme Court overruled the term limits set by the Nicaraguan constitution.

With nearly 50 percent of voter support and an 18-point lead over his nearest challenger in the most recent poll, Ortega could end up with a mandate that would not only legitimize his re-election but allow him to make constitutional changes guaranteeing perpetual re-election.

He leads his closest competitor, opposition radio station owner Fabio Gadea of the Liberal Independent Party, by 18 points. Conservative Arnoldo Aleman, a former president and perennial candidate, has 11 percent support in the poll taken between Oct. 10-17 with a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

Ortega led the Sandinista movement that overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979, and withstood a concerted effort by the U.S. government, which viewed him as a Soviet-backed threat, to oust him through a rebel force called the Contras.

The fiery, mustachioed leftist ruled through a junta, then was elected in 1984 but was defeated after one term in 1990. After two more failed runs, he softened his rhetoric, took a free-market stance, and regained the presidency in the 2006 election.

To his supporters, he is just plain Daniel, while opponents say that in his new incarnation, he has espoused "Orteguismo," a politics of personality based on Christianity, socialism and free enterprise.

In his most recent term, Ortega has built wide support among the youth and the poor in a country of 5.8 million people, more than 40 percent of whom live on less than $2 a day.

He also has maintained ties to the U.S. even as he has grown closer to Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez, signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement and cultivated Nicaragua's large business sector. Per capita income, one of the lowest in Latin America, has grown steadily since 2006, according to the World Bank, which has praised Ortega's macroeconomic policies as "broadly favorable."

Still, he has been helped immensely by Chavez, who according to estimates has provided at least $500 million a year in discounted oil and outright donations.

Many warn his success comes at democracy's expense. Claims of widespread fraud in the 2008 municipal elections led Washington to cancel $62 million in development aid.

If the left seemed to be rolling in Nicaragua on Sunday, relatively conservative candidates were dominating elections in nearby Guatemala, which suffered an even bloodier civil war from 1960 to 1996.

Polls showed Otto Perez Molina, 61, a retired general and former military intelligence director at least 10 points ahead of Manuel Baldizon, a 41-year-old tycoon turned political populist.

More than half of Guatemala's 14 million people live in poverty and it has one of the highest murder rates in the world, a product of gang and cartel violence, along with the legacy of its civil war.

Perez would be the first former military leader elected president in Guatemala since the end of military rule 25 years ago. His campaigning focused on fighting the street gangs and cartels.

Nicaragua's 2006 election drew more than 18,000 election observers. This time election observation is much more difficult and local observers are being denied credentials.

The European Union and the Organization of America States have negotiated access to Sunday's vote. The Carter Center, whose Nicaragua delegation was led by former President Jimmy Carter in 2006, has elected not to observe because of the restrictions.

(This version CORRECTS Guatemala does not border Nicaragua.)

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-06-LT-Nicaragua-Election/id-ebc847cf95f74d21bfd2294c7c97ae4d

tucson weather tucson weather peyton hillis cl p cl p andy rooney andy rooney

Canon C300 makes an appearance in Vincent Laforet's Mobius, find the short and behind the scenes right here (video)

A New York Times photojournalist turned Hollywood director, Vincent Laforet has become synonymous with DSLR video, after his short film Reverie helped catapult Canon's 5D Mark II into the world of digital filmmaking. And after playing such a significant role in launching that camera, we certainly weren't surprised to see Laforet make an appearance at today's Canon Cinema event, with his short film Mobius getting some time on the big screen. The film follows a photojournalist who stumbles upon a Cartel execution, but it also tells the story of Canon's tightly-veiled C300 cinema camera, which the company launched just moments ago. Laforet used a pre-production C300 (note the green tape button labels) to shoot Mobius in the Mojave Desert under a variety of harsh conditions, including powerful sunlight and near-darkness, in both extremely hot and chilly temperatures -- the camera appears to have performed extremely well, given both the remote shooting environment and tight production schedule.

Canon has yet to reveal the C300's price tag, which we expect to far undercut the $120,000 Arri Alexa kit, but its sheer portability makes it a more appealing option for filmmakers -- especially those with limited time and other resources. Laforet was able to shoot his film with a very small crew, since the C300 can be operated by just one photographer. The director used the camera mounted on a tripod, tethered to a variety of helicopters, sitting on the road and even hand-held, like a camcorder or DSLR. Laforet shot with Canon's new FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom PL-mount lens, along with a variety of EOS mount lenses, and notes that the camera's form factor makes it even easier to shoot with than a DSLR like the 5D Mark II. Its cost -- somewhere in the range of $20,000 -- should also put it within reach of not only Hollywood cinematographers, but also television directors and even documentary filmmakers and news photojournalists. We won't see the C300 hit the market until late January 2012, so jump past the break for a sneak peak at Mobius to see Canon's new cinema flagship, along with a rather comprehensive behind-the-scenes video.

Gallery: Canon C300 shoot with Vincent Laforet

Continue reading Canon C300 makes an appearance in Vincent Laforet's Mobius, find the short and behind the scenes right here (video)

Canon C300 makes an appearance in Vincent Laforet's Mobius, find the short and behind the scenes right here (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/A1bZckz9f3s/

dennis the menace dylan ratigan dylan ratigan occupy occupy midnight madness midnight madness