Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/167165085?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Check Out Beyonce?s Sexy Video ?Dance For You?! (VIDEO)
Check Out Beyonce’s Sexy Video “Dance For You”! (VIDEO)
Beyonce has premiered her brand-new video for “Dance for You,” a sexy love letter to her man. The black-and-white video is a naughty film noir [...]
Check Out Beyonce’s Sexy Video “Dance For You”! (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2011/11/27/check-out-beyonces-sexy-video-dance-for-you-video/
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Frederik Meijer, Meijer Inc. founder, dead at 91
Fred Meijer talks to a reporter at Frederik Meijer Gardens in this April 1998 photo. Meijer, who built the regional retail powerhouse Meijer Inc. while nurturing his lifelong love of the arts, has died at age 91. The company confirmed his death in a statement Friday evening Nov. 25, 2011, saying the billionaire died at the Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids after suffering a stroke in his home in the early morning hours. (AP Photo/Anna Moore - Grand Rapids Press)
Fred Meijer talks to a reporter at Frederik Meijer Gardens in this April 1998 photo. Meijer, who built the regional retail powerhouse Meijer Inc. while nurturing his lifelong love of the arts, has died at age 91. The company confirmed his death in a statement Friday evening Nov. 25, 2011, saying the billionaire died at the Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids after suffering a stroke in his home in the early morning hours. (AP Photo/Anna Moore - Grand Rapids Press)
FILE - Frederik Meijer stands next to the giant head of "Leonardo's Horse" sculpture during assembly at the Frederik Meijer Gardes in Grand Rapids, Mich., in this Sept. 17, 1999 file photo. The 79-year-old Meijer got involved with the project of bronze sculpture in 1997 as is delighted to have one of the only two sculptures ever built. (AP Photo/Dale Atkins, File)
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (AP) ? Frederik Meijer, who built the regional retail powerhouse Meijer Inc. while nurturing his lifelong love of the arts, died late Friday at a hospital in western Michigan. He was 91.
The billionaire passed away at the Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids after suffering a stroke in his home early Friday morning, according to a statement issued by the company.
Meijer was credited with starting the supercenter store format in the 1960s that made Meijer a successful Midwest retailer. By 2009, Meijer had 180 of the giant stores throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio with annual sales of $15 billion.
He and his wife also gave millions of dollars to causes in the Grand Rapids area, and arts projects were major benefactors.
"The Meijer family thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers and requests their privacy be respected at this difficult time," the company's statement said.
Meijer was 14 when his Dutch immigrant father, Hendrik, opened his first grocery store in Greenville in 1934 with $338.76 worth of merchandise purchased on credit. The younger Meijer worked 40 hours a week at the store throughout high school.
"We were hard up, and you know what? I didn't even feel deprived," he said in a 2002 interview. "I had a good time in the store, I was a decent student in school ? I had a B-plus average."
Meijer and his father expanded their grocery operation in 1962 to include general merchandise, creating their first Thrifty Acres supercenter.
"I really enjoyed working with my dad till he died (in 1964, at age 80)," Meijer said. "We had a marvelous relationship."
The stores were renamed Meijer in 1984, and the company became one of the largest family-owned retail businesses in the U.S. Frederik Meijer was 82 before he took the title of chairman emeritus and began devoting less time to the company.
Meijer was born Dec. 7, 1919, in Greenville and in 1946 married Lena Rader after meeting her at the first Meijer store in Greenville, where she was a clerk. They spent their honeymoon visiting new stores.
The Meijers donated generously to programs in the Grand Rapids area through the foundation he established in 1990.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a 125-acre (50-hectare) botanical garden outside Grand Rapids, opened in 1995. A 30-acre (12-hectare) sculpture park featuring two dozen works by important modern sculptors was added seven years later.
His interest in the arts stemmed from his youth. Even in the hardest of times, his parents made sure their children learned about culture.
"When I was young, I had piano lessons, clarinet lessons and violin lessons," he said. "My sister had piano, violin and viola (lessons). I was encouraged to sing in choirs. ...
"The point is, no matter how hard up we were in the Depression, certain things like that ? music lessons ? came as a part of life, rather than saying we couldn't afford it."
Meijer carried that belief to the community. Declaring that city dwellers needed to get outdoors to preserve "mental stability," he donated seed money to develop a network of hiking and cycling trails in western Michigan.
Meijer is survived by his wife, Lena, and sons Hank, Doug and Mark. Funeral arrangements are pending.
The death was first reported by The Grand Rapids Press.
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Saturday, November 26, 2011
Russian wanted by Lithuania arrested in London (AP)
VILNIUS, Lithuania ? A Russian businessman who owns Portsmouth Football Club and has tried to invest in cash-strapped car maker Saab has been arrested in London in connection with a money laundering probe that has rocked Lithuania and Latvia, officials said Friday.
Vladimir Antonov, 36, and a Lithuanian partner, Raimondas Baranauskas, 53, were detained Thursday on an arrest warrant issued by investigators probing alleged fraud and money laundering at his banks in the Baltic states, Lithuanian prosecutor Tomas Krusna told reporters.
The Bank of Lithuania said late Thursday that his bank there, Snoras Bank, will be liquidated, calling it the best solution for country's financial system and economy, which were jolted after the bank was nationalized and its operations halted.
Lithuanian regulators claim that hundreds of millions of euros were siphoned from Snoras, the country's fifth-largest financial institution, while Latvian authorities have said that similar asset-stripping took place on a massive scale at Latvija Krajbanka, a subsidiary bank controlled by Snoras.
Lithuanian bank chief Vitas Vasiliauskas said the government was liquidating the bank rather than waste taxpayers' money trying to help "a plane that won't fly."
"There is no other way to solve this situation," he said.
The decision to liquidate Snoras means that Latvijas Krajbanka, which Snoras controls through a 68 percent stake, is almost certain to suffer the same fate given Latvia's meager financial resources as it emerges from one of the world's worst recessions.
When asked about Antonov's arrest, London police read a statement saying that two men ? age 36 and 53 ? were arrested in response to a Europe-wide arrest warrant in London's financial center. British officials do not name suspects until they have been charged.
Police said the two men remained in custody overnight and are due to appear in a London court later Friday.
Lithuanian prosecutors on Wednesday issued the warrant for Antonov, who owned over 60 percent of Snoras, and Baranauskas.
Antonov told the Lithuanian daily Respublika in a phone interview published Thursday that he feared for his life.
"I returned to London because I live and work here ? my family is here. Where else can I go? Russia? That would be a one-way ticket. I would have to stay there for safety, but this would be considered an escape attempt," he said.
"I am ready to testify...I understand that extradition is inevitable. I can say it openly ? I am scared that I may get killed," Antonov said.
Latvian officials had hoped that Lithuania's government might be able to salvage the banks, and Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis was due to travel to Lithuania on Friday on discuss the issue. However, once news of Snoras' liquidation broke, Dombrovskis canceled the trip.
Lithuania's Finance Ministry said Friday that they would pay out all guaranteed deposits ? up to euro100,000 ($132,000) ? at Snoras by Christmas ? requiring some 4 billion litas ($1.5 billion) in funds.
Latvia's government was due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the fate of Latvijas Krajbanka.
Authorities in both Lithuania and Latvia say the two banks' collapse does not pose a systemic risk since they are mid-sized and the two states have ample reserves to guarantee deposits.
Latvijas Krajbanka was Latvia's 10th largest bank by assets after it was taken over by regulators on Monday.
Janis Brazovskis, an official with Latvia's Finance and Capital Markets Commission who was appointed to oversee Krajbanka, said Wednesday that Antonov's failed attempt to acquire the troubled Swedish automaker Saab might have triggered the Baltic banks' downfall.
He said that approximately 100 million lats ($200 million) were siphoned from the bank to increase its charter capital and finance Antonov's investment projects ? including the unsuccessful takeover of Saab.
Deposit holders in both countries are now forced to wait in long lines to withdraw money from cash machines, while companies and municipalities have seen the working capital virtually disappear.
Baranauskas, who owned just over 25 percent in Snoras, said last week that Lithuania's decision to nationalize Snoras was "robbery" and an attack on Antonov.
___
Associated Press writers Cassandra Vinograd in London and Gary Peach in Riga, Latvia, contributed to this report.
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North Korean leader rallies front-line troops (AP)
SEOUL, South Korea ? North Korea says its leader Kim Jong Il has rallied troops at a front-line military base.
State television said Saturday that Kim grabbed the hands of each commanding officer as he visited the base near disputed waters with South Korea. The report recalled last year's shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island that killed four people and said the troops were ready for a similar attack.
North Korean media did not say when Kim made the visit. South Korea conducted large-scale military drills on Wednesday near the maritime border to mark the first anniversary of the North Korean attack.
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Friday, November 25, 2011
Army says oldest 4-star general has died at 98 (Providence Journal)
Sarkozy, Merkel agree to stop sniping on ECB crisis (Reuters)
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) ? France and Germany agreed on Thursday to stop arguing in public over whether the European Central Bank should do more to rescue the euro zone from a deepening sovereign debt crisis.
President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel said after talks with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti that they trusted the independent central bank and would not touch its inflation-fighting mandate when they propose changes of the European Union's treaty to achieve closer fiscal union.
They also demonstrated their confidence in Monti, an unelected technocrat, to surmount Italy's daunting economic challenges, in contrast to the barely concealed disdain they showed for his predecessor, media billionaire Silvio Berlusconi.
"We all stated our confidence in the ECB and its leaders and stated that in respect of the independence of this essential institution we must refrain from making positive or negative demands of it," Sarkozy told a joint news conference in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.
French ministers have called repeatedly for the central bank to intervene decisively to counter a market stampede out of euro zone government bonds, while Merkel and her ministers have said the EU treaty bars it from acting as a lender of last resort.
Sarkozy said Paris and Berlin would circulate joint proposals before a December 9 EU summit for treaty amendments to entrench tougher budget discipline in the 17-nation euro area.
Merkel said the proposals for more intrusive powers to enforce EU budget rules, including the right to take delinquent governments to the European Court of Justice, were a first step toward deeper fiscal union.
But she said they would not modify the statute and mission of the central bank, nor soften her opposition to issuing joint euro zone bonds, except perhaps at the end of a long process of fiscal integration.
French aides had hoped Berlin would relent in its opposition to a bigger crisis-fighting role for the ECB after Germany itself suffered a failed bond auction on Wednesday, highlighting how investors are wary even of Europe's safest haven.
"There is urgency (for ECB intervention)," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told France Inter radio before the meeting.
Sarkozy took a step toward Merkel this week by agreeing to amend the treaty to insert powers to change national budgets in euro area countries that go off the rails. Juppe cautioned that treaty change could take years because of the need for 27 national parliaments to ratify it.
With contagion spreading fast, a majority of 20 leading economists polled by Reuters predicted that the euro zone was unlikely to survive the crisis in its current form, with some envisaging a "core" group that would exclude Greece.
Analysts believe that sense of crisis will in the end force dramatic action. "I think we are moving closer to a policy response probably, which could be either more aggressive ECB action or the idea of euro bonds could gain some traction," said Rainer Guntermann, strategist at Commerzbank.
RESISTANCE
In signs of public resistance to austerity in two southern states under EU/IMF bailout programs, riot police clashed with workers at Greece's biggest power producer protesting against a new property tax, and Portuguese workers staged a 24-hour general strike.
Credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Portugal's rating to junk status, saying a deepening recession made it "much more challenging" for the government to cut the budget deficit, highlighting a vicious circle facing Europe's debtors.
German bonds fell to their lowest level in nearly a month after Wednesday's auction, in which the German debt agency found no buyers for half of a 6 billion euro 10-year bond offering at a record low 2.0 percent interest rate.
The shortage of bids drove Germany's cost of borrowing over 10 years to 2.2 percent, above the 1.88 percent markets charge the United States and the 2.18 percent that heavily indebted Britain has to pay.
Bond investors are effectively on strike in the euro zone, interbank lending to euro area banks is freezing up, ever more banks are dependent on the ECB for funding, and depositors are withdrawing increasing amounts from southern European banks.
In one possible response, people familiar with the matter said the ECB is looking at extending the term of loans it offers banks to two or even three years to try to prevent a credit crunch that chokes the bloc's economy.
Monti repeated Italy's goal of achieving a balanced budget by 2013 but said there was room for a broader discussion about how fiscal targets could be adjusted in a worse-than-expected recession.
Italian bond yields' jumped this month to levels above 7 percent widely seen as unbearable in the long term, despite stop-go intervention by the ECB to buy limited quantities, triggering Berlusconi's fall.
Keeping Italy solvent and able to borrow on capital markets is vital to the sustainability of the euro zone. Key Italian bond auctions early next week will test market confidence.
GERMAN EXPOSURE
German officials said the failed auction did not mean the government had refinancing problems and several analysts said Berlin just needed to offer a more attractive yield.
But it was a sign that, as the bloc's paymaster, Germany may face creeping pressure as the crisis deepens that may cause it to re-examine its refusal to embrace a broader solution.
Economy Minister Philipp Roesler of the Free Democratic junior coalition partner called for parliament to reject euro zone bonds "because we don't want German interest rates to rise dramatically."
But some market analysts are convinced joint debt issuance will eventually have to be part of a political solution to hold the euro zone together.
"Although it is not easy to see how the region will get to a fiscal union with Eurobonds, we believe that this is the path that will be chosen," JP Morgan economist David Mackie said in a research note.
With time running out for politicians to forge a crisis plan that is seen as credible by the markets, the European Commission presented a study on Wednesday of joint euro zone bonds as a medium-term way to stabilize debt markets alongside tougher fiscal rules for member states.
The borrowing costs of almost all euro zone states, even those previously seen as safe such as France, Austria and the Netherlands, have spiked in the last two weeks as panicky investors dumped paper no longer seen as risk-free.
Outside the euro zone, a top British financial regulator said British banks should make contingency plans for a potentially disorderly break-up of the currency area, or the exit of some countries, as the sovereign debt crisis rages on.
"Good risk management means planning for unlikely but severe scenarios and this means that we must not ignore the prospect of a disorderly departure of some countries from the euro zone," Andrew Bailey, deputy head of the Prudential Business Unit at the UK's Financial Services Authority, told a conference.
In a Reuters poll conducted over the last 10 days, 14 out of 20 prominent academics, former policymakers and independent thinkers agreed the euro zone's make-up would change.
A new "core" euro zone with fewer members received qualified backing from 10 economists as a possible solution, with seven of them saying Greece should be excluded from it.
(Reporting by Stephen Brown, Noah Barkin, Natalia Drozdiak, Veronica Ek, Eva Kuehnen, Ana Nicolaci da Costa, Giselda Vagnoni; Writing by Paul Taylor, editing by Mike Peacock)
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"Awful" Italy debt sale heightens euro zone stress (Reuters)
MILAN (Reuters) ? Italy paid a record 6.5 percent to borrow money over six months on Friday and its longer-term funding costs soared far above levels seen as sustainable for public finances, raising the pressure on Rome's new emergency government.
The auction yield on the six-month paper almost doubled compared to a month earlier, capping a week in which a German bond auction came close to failing and the leaders of Germany, France and Italy failed to make progress on crisis resolution measures.
Though Italy managed to raise the full planned amount of 10 billion euros, weakening demand and the highest borrowing costs since it joined the euro frightened investors, pushing Italian stocks lower and bond yields to record highs on the secondary market.
Yields on two-year BTP bonds soared to more than 8 percent in response, a euro lifetime high, despite reported purchases by the European Central Bank.
In a sign of intense market stress, it now costs more to borrow for two years than 10 on the secondary market and borrowing costs for whatever term are above the 7 percent threshold, over which Italy is likely to need outside help if they do not subside.
"The pricing is awful," said Padhraic Garvey, rate strategist with Dutch bank ING in Amsterdam. "The object of the exercise this morning was to get the job done and they've done that, but that's about the only positive thing to say."
Investors' attention will now turn to a bond sale of up to 8 billion euros that Italy is planning for next Tuesday.
"For the BTP auctions next week, we'll have more of the same they'll probably get it done at a concession," Garvey said.
Italy's new technocrat government, which took power last week, is at work on structural reforms to revive the stagnant economy but markets are looking for quick and effective responses from European policymakers, such as a greater involvement of the European Central Bank.
Traders said the ECB was buying Italian and Spanish bonds in an attempt to shore the market up. But given its reluctance to prop up high-debt euro zone governments, its bond-buying program has been conducted intermittently, and never powerfully enough to provide more than short-term stability.
New Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said short-term measures to tame Italy's budget deficit would not be enough to solve the country's economic problems and only structural reforms will generate growth.
At an annual average rate of just 0.3 percent over the past decade, the Italian economy has grown faster than only a handful of other countries across the world. Real purchasing power has fallen 4 percent in 10 years.
BIG SPRING DEBT BILLS
Since being thrust to the fore of the euro zone crisis in July, Italy has always managed to attract sufficient demand at its auctions.
But record high yields threaten Rome's planned gross issuance of 440 billion euros for 2012 as interest payments on the country's 1.9 trillion euro debt pile rise.
Analysts say that, at current yield levels, the euro zone third-largest economy risks losing market access as redemptions totaling a massive 150 billion euros for the February-April period approach.
The euro, already trading around a seven-week low, inched down after Friday's auction. European stock markets remained in negative territory for the day with the Milan stock-market the worst performer.
The six-month yield nearly doubled from an auction level of 3.5 percent a month ago.
By comparison, Spain paid 5.2 percent to sell six-month paper at a much smaller short-term auction earlier this week, after elections handed power to an austerity-committed conservative government.
Italy also sold 2 billion euros of zero-coupon CTZ bonds at a euro era record high yield of 7.8 percent, up from 4.6 percent at the previous sale.
(Reporting by London and Milan government bond desks; editing by Patrick Graham/Mike Peacock)
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8
When we first saw the Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 ($1,049 list at Best Buy), we knew it would take a top spot in the new laptop ultrabook category, thanks to its well-crafted all-metal construction, superb Bang & Olufsen audio, and a keyboard that rivals the trend-setting Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299.99 direct, 4 stars) for comfort. And testing in our Labs showed that it provides more than six hours of battery life, as well as more features and better all-around performance than any other slim-bodied laptop we've reviewed. It's our Editors' Choice for ultrabooks, but it should be noted that later versions of this SKU at Best Buy will have the lower-clocked 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, rather than its current 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M.
Design
The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 measures 0.66 by 12.79 by 8.78 inches (HWD), and is roughly the same size as the Apple MacBook Air and Acer Aspire S3 ($899.99 direct, 3.5 stars). The UX31-RSL8's chassis has a spun finish, with tight concentric circles radiating out from the logo etched into its aluminum lid. Asus has emulated Apple's "unibody" construction with an all-metal "monoshell" chassis. But in contrast Apple's seamless single-piece construction, Asus has sandwiched together the palm rest and the underside of the chassis and bolted the two together. The palm rest has an attractive vertical brushed pattern. There was no perceptible flexing in the screen or chassis, and holds up to a firm palm press on the lid.
Compared with the plastic construction of the Acer Aspire S3, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 feels sturdier and much more substantial, even though it tapers down to 0.11 inch thick at its thinnest point and 0.66 inches at its thickest. The UX31-RSL8 weighs 2.86 pounds, lighter than the MacBook Air (2.9 pounds), Acer Aspire S3 (2.94 pounds), and Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) ($1,599 street, 4 stars) (2.9 pounds).
The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 has a 13.3-inch widescreen that displays in 1,600-by-900 resolution?higher than the 1,366-by-768 display on the Acer S3 and 1,440-by-900 one on the MacBook Air. At 450 nits, it's brighter than the display on the Samsung Series 9 and matches the bright backlit screen of the Acer Aspire S3. The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 also has wider viewing angles than the Acer S3, making it better suited to sharing the screen with another person. The audio on the UX31-RSL8 is also impressive, powered by Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower. The resulting sound on the Zenbook is crystal clear and consistent at high volumes?and you can get a surprising amount of volume out of this little laptop. While you can fill a room with sound, you won't be rumbling with bass. For movies and music, you'll definitely want to add a subwoofer to the mix.
The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 has a chiclet-style keyboard that shares the square tile layout of the MacBook Air 13-inch, but adds a new luxurious element with metal keys. While the keys have the same low height and shallow keystrokes as the MacBook Air, the backlight is sadly absent. The glass-topped touchpad is smooth and expansive, measuring five inches diagonally. The broad touch surface supports multitouch gestures, and though it has distinct right and left mouse buttons, it also features a clickpad. The bottom right and left corners?which serve as nearly silent mouse buttons?click more easily than the clickpad surface, making the use of the clickpad optional for those who want the more familiar experience of a standard trackpad.
Features
The thin-sliced proportions of an ultrabook are achieved, in part, by jettisoning many of the features you would find in a standard mainstream laptop, like the optical drive. Despite the limited space available, Asus has managed to include a few features you won't find on the Acer S3. On the left hand side of the Zenbook UX31-RSL8, you'll find a USB 2.0 port, a combined headphone and microphone jack, and a built-in card reader (SD/MMC). On the right, there's a USB 3.0 port, a mini VGA connection, and a microHDMI port. Neither the MacBook Air or the Acer Aspire S3 offer USB 3.0, and the microHDMI output can be used on a much broader array of monitors and HDTVs than Apple's Thunderbolt port, though it may require an adapter.
In addition to these on-board ports, Asus includes two additional adapters with the Zenbook?a mini VGA-to-VGA adapter (allowing greater use with monitors and projectors), and a USB-to-Ethernet adapter (allowing a wired LAN connection). The Samsung Series 9 also requires (and included) an Ethernet adapter. Integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 technologies are onboard the UX31-RSL8. Asus bundles a protective laptop sleeve, an attractive fabric and faux-leather envelope with a soft padded lining, and a small matching case for the dongles themselves.
Asus has made a point of keeping your information secure with several Asus branded tools, including Asus Secure Delete and Asus Face Logon, which combines facial recognition and a built-in webcam to make logging onto the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 as easy as looking at the screen. Automatic data backup and recovery kicks in whenever the battery level dips below five percent, ensuring that even when left in standby mode for several weeks, your work won't be lost. A 60-day trail of Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security also provides protection, though only for a limited time.
The UX31-RSL8 is equipped with a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), and access to Asus's Web Storage which lets you offload storage to the cloud. Asus provides 2GB of free storage space for a year, and unlimited space can be bought for a modest subscription fee?ranging from $8.99 for a three-month subscription to $54.99 for two years. Though the SSD doesn't offer the 320GB offered by the Acer Aspire S3's spinning hard drive?or the lower cost?it does have the benefit of being more durable than traditional spinning drives, and allows practically instant boot-up and resume times. Our own testing confirmed Asus' claims of 15-second cold start and 2-second resume from sleep.
There are a few preinstalled programs. In addition to the aforementioned security software trial for Trend Micro, there's also Microsoft Office Starter 2010, a Bing toolbar, and Nuance PDF reader. There are also several Asus-branded utilities, including Asus Tools, and Asus Vibe 2.0, which includes a multimedia library and games. On the desktop are utilities for toggling Instant-On on and off, and PowerWiz, which gauges your current power usage and provides a running estimate of remaining battery life. Asus covers the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 with a one-year warranty, which includes accident protection, and a second one-year warranty covering the battery.
Best Buy offers an extended warranty program, which gives customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than four repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new PC purchased through Best Buy.
Performance
Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 is its performance. Asus equipped the UX31-RSL8 with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M dual-core ultra low voltage processor and 4GB of RAM, the same components found in the MacBook Air 13-inch. It's also a step up from the processor used in the Acer S3 and the upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad U300 ($1,199, stay tuned for our review), which uses the same Core i5-2467M processor found in the smaller Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,199 direct, 3.5 stars). Despite the similar hardware, the UX31-RSL8 outperformed the 13-inch MacBook in PCMark 7 (3,531 points) and Cinebench R11.5 (2.2 points)?the 13-inch MacBook Air scored 3,186 points and 2.17 points, respectively. It also produced the best performance in multimedia tasks, with leading scores in both Handbrake (2:08) and Photoshop CS5 (4:36). This performance pulled ahead the MacBook Air (2:09 in Handbrake; 4:55 in CS5), Acer Aspire (2:36 in Handbrake; 5:37 in CS5), and Samsung Series 9 (4:45 in Handbrake; 5:53 in CS5).
Though it outperformed the MacBook Air in processor performance, the MacBook Air produced better graphics scores using the same integrated Intel graphics chipset. In 3DMark 06 the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 scored 4,619 points at medium detail settings and 1,024-by-768 resolution. With these same settings the MacBook Air scored 4,781 points. The Acer S3 fell behind with 3,530 points. In our Crysis and Lost Planet 2 gaming benchmark tests, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 (18.4 frames per second in Crysis; 17.1fps in Lost Planet 2) and MacBook Air were close (18.8 fps in Crysis; 21.2 frames per second in Lost planet 2), but the Acer S3 only scored 16.3fps in Crysis and couldn't run Lost Planet 2.
One of the defining characteristics of the ultrabook category is long battery life. Though Asus has claimed the 50Wh battery in the UX31-RSL8 will provide up to eight hours of continuous use, it lasted only 6 hours 9 minutes in MobileMark 2007. However, this test was performed with all battery-extending features turned off, making it possible to eke out more time with power-saving measures in place. So far, the only comparable laptop to break the six-hour mark is the Samsung Series 9 (6:04, capacity not specified) and Toshiba Portege Z835-P330 ($799.99 list, 3.5) (7:35, 47Wh battery), while the Apple MacBook Air lasted 5:46 (with a 50Wh battery) and Acer Aspire S3 lasted 5:20 with a smaller capacity 36Wh battery. Asus also claims that the Zenbook has up to 14 days of standby time, which is considerably shorter than the 30 days claimed by the MacBook Air or 50 days claimed by the Acer Aspire S3. We couldn't test this standby estimate overnight, but you should still feel confident leaving the UX31-RSL8 in standby mode for days at a time.
The Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 tops the spiritual progenitors of the ultrabook category, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch and the Samsung Series 9. While it may not be as affordable as the Acer Aspire S3 or the Prot?g? Z835-P330, it more than makes up for it in superior construction, a fuller feature set, and stronger performance. With models on the horizon, it may face some stiff competition soon, but for the time being, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 is our Editors' Choice and the ultrabook to beat.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 with several other laptops side by side.
More laptop reviews:
??? Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8
??? HP ProBook 4430s
??? HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx
??? Sony VAIO VPC-F237FX/B
??? Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A-B01UB)
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/6BwNUppBh5Q/0,2817,2395187,00.asp
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Vegas is Far From a Fairy Tale ~Disney~ |Character Sheets|
? If only I could make him understand. I just don't see things the way he does. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things, could be bad. ?
?Ariella Ade Thillens ?
(? ? ?__? ? s ? c s)
? you may know me as ? Ariel or Ella
? the birthday candles ? Eighteen
? last time i checked i was a ? Girl!
? i expect presents on ? May 25th
? my heart beats for ? Boy and girls
? they gave me a new name ? Ariel from The Little Mermaid
? these are my favorite colors ? Medium Spring Green, Medium Aquamarine, and Medium Turquoise
(g ? ? ? ? ? g__? ?__? ? ? ?__? ?)
? my life is no fairytale ?
(bio - 2+ paragraphs)
? sometimes i act a little different ?
Independant
Rebellious at times
Strong-willed
Adventurous
Slightly na?ve
Curious
Generally good-natured
? these things make my life complete ?
Ice cream/Pretty much any dessert...but mostly ice cream. This should be self-explanatory
Swimming, just because it's fun ;p
Beaches, because they're some of the most beautiful places in the world! And they're just so much fun to go spend a day or two at.
Cats, because everyone needs something cute and soft to cuddle..and cats are perfect for that.
Fish/Aquatic animals in general, because they're so fun! They can be cute, or funny, or strange, or plain ugly...almost like little people.
Music, because music is life and that's why our hearts have beats ?
Singing, because it's a way of expressing the feelings you really need to get out, but can't exactly speak (also see Music).
New people, places, and things, because new things are good.
? please keep these away ?
(list 5 - 10 dislikes and why you don't like them)
? my worst nightmares ?
(list 3 fears and why you fear them)
? keep the beat going ?
(3 - 6 songs that your character likes or you feel describes them)
? did you know? ?
(anything else?)
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/1ysO_Gs74PM/viewtopic.php
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Crosby sparkles in season debut (AP)
PITTSBURGH ? Sidney Crosby split a pair of defenders, worked the puck to his backhand and let it fly.
New York Islanders goaltender Anders Nilsson never had a chance.
Welcome back, Sid the Kid.
The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar capped his 10-month comeback from concussion-like symptoms in thrilling fashion, scoring a pair of goals to go with two assists in a 5-0 victory on Monday.
It was a storybook end to Crosby's frustratingly methodical return, one marked by numerous setbacks, rumors and questions about whether the 24-year-old former MVP would regain the form that's made him one of the league's most popular players.
The early returns were a resounding yes.
Skating onto the ice to chants of "Crosby! Crosby!" the Penguins captain wasted little time showing he was back for good.
Pittsburgh nearly scored on his first shift and he made his third one count, taking a pass from linemate Pascal Dupuis before racing through the New York defense and zeroing in on Nilsson. The gloveside backhand was good for a moment that was nearly a year in the making.
Crosby thrust his arms to the sky in triumph, letting out a guttural scream as crowd waved "Sid!" signs.
He did it again near the end of the first period, feeding Brooks Orpik on a pass to the point that Orpik turned into his second goal of the season.
It was the kind of brilliant performance reminiscent of Crosby's idol, Hall of Famer and current Penguins owner Mario Lemieux.
Super Mario notched a goal and two assists in his return from retirement in 2000.
Crosby said early Monday it'd be hard to match the moment.
It was. And Crosby may have topped it anyway.
The scintillating play was validation for Crosby, who never doubted he'd play hockey again. Never wavered as the months passed and his concussion-like symptoms stuck around. Never wondered if maybe he'd be better off hanging up his skates before his 25th birthday rather than risk the type of injury that jeopardizes more than a career.
There's no healing from the kind of shots Crosby took in back-to-back games last January. There's only dealing with a new normal.
Crosby spent nearly a year painstakingly going through the checklist, enduring test after test and blocking out rumor after rumor that he was done.
Sitting in his locker on Monday morning, the start of his seventh season finally at hand, Crosby smiled in a way he hadn't in a long, long time.
"I think now's the easy part, now you get to play," Crosby said. "When you're getting ready, that's the tough part, practicing and going through each of those steps, trying to get through each stage. That's really all the hard work. Now you've just got to go out and do it."
How, exactly, he'll do it remains to be seen.
Though Crosby has been cleared for contact since Oct. 13, he understands there's a major difference between hitting in practice and hitting in a game.
Even he wasn't sure how he'd react.
"I think that anyone who has gone through this that would be lying if they said they weren't anxious to get those first couple hits in, whether it's giving it or taking it," Crosby said. "After that it's back to normal."
Things certainly looked that way, with Crosby taking a shot from New York's Travis Hamonic on a Pittsburgh power play. Hamonic checked Crosby cleanly to the ice. In a flash he was back on his feet allowing the Penguins ? and hockey ? to exhale.
Crosby's return produced the kind of buzz normally reserved for a Stanley Cup final. The team issued more than 250 media credentials ? about four times the usual number for a late-November game ? and upper concourse seats were being scalped for $275 two hours before the puck dropped.
Though Pittsburgh has gotten along just fine this season without its captain, entering Monday night tied with Philadelphia atop the Atlantic Division, it understood things change the moment No. 87 slides off the bench and onto the ice.
In the span of a day, the Penguins went from Cup contenders to Cup favorites.
"With or without Sid we wanted to win every night and we had a chance to win every night," center Jordan Staal said. "Obviously it's going to be different with him going back and everyone fitting in and having the pieces together ... we know what we have here."
Even if they're not quite certain how it's going to look, not even to coach Dan Bylsma.
Though the Penguins have upgraded the offense since Crosby went out last January, trading for James Neal and signing Steve Sullivan, Crosby was paired with Dupuis and Chris Kunitz in his return because of a certain comfort level obtained through years of playing together.
"You just hope you don't mess up for him," Kunitz joked.
Hardly.
Crosby played with the kind of peerless ferocity that's become his trademark, the kind his teammates have seen enough of since training camp began to think the road back to spectacular play for their leader will be a short one.
"It's not going to be easy but who knows, he can make it look easy," Staal said. "You can't really do it unless you go through it, but he's talented enough that he can do some great things."
And do them in bunches. Crosby was on his way to capturing his second MVP award when he was injured.
It all changed on Jan. 6 when he was diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms that he later described as "fogginess."
He unwittingly became a case study for the effects of head shots on the game and led the NHL to crack down on such plays.
If it helps make the sport he loves safer, Crosby is all for it. That's not why he came back, however. He wanted to play, not make a statement.
"I've been working hard the last couple months to make sure when it's time to come back, I'm ready," Crosby said. "Do I expect to be where I was in January last year? Probably not, but I expect to contribute."
Even if his teammates and the entire hockey world held their breath the first time he got knocked around.
"That's just normal to be like that," Neal said. "The first hit is always like that. Hopefully he's good to go and I'm sure he will be. He's so quick and so fast and agile it's tough to hit him."
Yet Crosby knows he will get hit again. He welcomes it. He doesn't want to get treated as if he's in bubble wrap. He just wants to get after it.
"It's a relief to be back but it's not time to start gliding now," Crosby said. "It's time to get going."
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Beyonce worried baby secret would be revealed (AP)
NEW YORK ? It's tough to keep a pregnancy a secret when you're in the public eye, and for a while, Beyonce thought the jig was up.
"The whole time I definitely was thinking, `Everyone knows, everyone can see,'" said the singer before the screening of her new concert DVD Sunday in New York.
It became particularly difficult for her to hide the growing baby bump when the Grammy-winner performed for four nights to sold-out crowds at New York's Roseland Theater in August.
"When you're pregnant, it's a little bit harder to breathe, so it was hard doing all the choreography and singing at the same time," said the 30-year-old singer in an onstage interview.
Fans who didn't get a chance to catch "The Intimate Nights" shows ? what Beyonce said was her last concert performance of the year ? can get a behind-the-scenes look in her new "Live at Roseland" DVD, available exclusively at Walmart this week.
Along with classics from her Destiny's Child days and major hits from her solo career, the DVD includes interviews with the singer, home footage of rehearsals and special family moments ? even shots of Beyonce in a wedding gown.
She's also hoping the film will serve as a time capsule for her unborn child, a chance for him or her to say, "I can't believe I was in that belly," she said.
____
Online:
http://www.beyonceonline.com
_____
Nicole Evatt covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NicoleEvatt.
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Man to plead guilty to harassing Palin attorney (Reuters)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) ? A Pennsylvania man has agreed to plead guilty to a charge that he harassed an attorney for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, actions that authorities said followed his similar goading of Palin herself, according to court documents filed on Monday.
Shawn Christy, 20, is charged with a single federal count of making harassing interstate phone calls, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He and his father, Craig, are accused of making hundreds of hostile telephone calls to Fairbanks, Alaska, attorney John Tiemessen, who represents the Palin family, and his colleagues.
Attorneys for Shawn Christy, who is in jail in Anchorage on the charge, submitted a change-of-plea motion in U.S. District Court on Monday.
"Defendant, Shawn Richard Christy, by and through counsel ... notifies this court that he intends to plead guilty," the filing stated.
Representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Shawn Christy's lawyers could not be reached for comment.
Shawn Christy is scheduled to enter his guilty plea officially and be sentenced on December 1, the court papers state.
A plea agreement is also expected from Craig Christy, according to court papers filed earlier this month.
Both men were already the subject of restraining orders issued by an Alaska state court over repeated telephone calls that authorities say the two made to Palin's parents and a long-time Palin friend, Kristan Cole.
Palin first won a restraining order against Shawn Christy last year. In a court hearing this year, she described him as being obsessed with her and said he made sexual threats.
In May, the state court issued a new restraining order against Shawn Christy and a similar order against Craig Christy over calls he had made to the Palin camp.
The two men from McAdoo, Pennsylvania, were arrested in August in their home state and later sent to Anchorage, Alaska, to face charges over the calls made to Palin's attorney.
Those calls were laced with profanities, and Shawn Christy also used repeated anti-Semitic slurs, an affidavit filed in the case said.
A psychiatric report prepared for the U.S. Secret Service and submitted in state court said Shawn Christy was intelligent but suffered from delusions that made him believe he was entitled to contacts with powerful people.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Peter Bohan)
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Baylor runaway No. 1 in AP women's basketball poll (AP)
Baylor is the runaway No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll.
The Lady Bears received 39 of the 40 first place ballots Monday after beating then-No. 2 Notre Dame 94-81 on Sunday. The Lady Bears host Yale on Tuesday before playing at Tennessee on Sunday.
The Irish fell to fourth after the loss. Connecticut and Stanford each moved up two spots to second and third. The Huskies and Cardinal will play each other Monday night.
Texas A&M, which garnered the other first place ballot, is fifth.
Tennessee fell three places to sixth after losing in overtime at Virginia. The Lady Vols were followed by Duke, Maryland, Miami and Georgia to round out the top 10.
Virginia at No. 22 and Texas at No. 24 entered the poll this week, while USC and Florida State fell out.
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Opposites Attract
Gingrich is having his moment now because he offers punchy answers and ready solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. If he endures an examination of his personal baggage, his record on the issues, and his private-sector career, it will be in part because he is the ?Republican Ideas Man.? But when you listen to those ideas?the scope of the change he is proposing, and the punch with which he delivers his pitch?you get the sense that that voters may not be interested in the Gingrich past because they?re too scared of the Gingrich future.
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=0637fea8fd512d121704d4e642d8ce2e
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Monday, November 21, 2011
Basque separatist voters grow after ETA ends violence (Reuters)
BILBAO, Spain (Reuters)- A new leftist Basque party with a goal of independence from Spain looks like making a strong showing on Sunday when people vote in elections without the threat of violence for the first time in more than 40 years.
In most parts of Spain, the election build-up has been dominated by worries over the country's economic plight, especially high unemployment and cuts in public spending. Mariano Rajoy of the center-right People's Party is expected to win the contest and usher in an era of even more hardship.
But in the Basque Country, traditionally one of Spain's more prosperous regions, unemployment is relatively low and people are enjoying a new political scenario.
The armed separatist group ETA announced an end to decades of armed struggle in October and the new party, called Amaiur, is pursuing its quest for an independent Basque homeland through peaceful means.
"While the rest of Spain talks about unemployment and the economy, the Basque Country is also talking about Amaiur and what it means, peace or ETA," said Ivan Redondo of the Redondo political consultancy based in Madrid.
"Amaiur is positioning itself as the party of peace."
Amaiur, a new coalition of Basque left-wing parties with separatist sympathies, won unprecedented control of city halls under the name of Bildu in local elections in May.
Bildu was the second-most popular party in the Basque Country, taking a quarter of votes after winning support throughout the fractured left and from separatists disillusioned with the moderate Basque Nationalist Party, which some saw as too willing to strike deals with the central government.
Polls show Amaiur could win five seats in the lower house, the same number as the long-established Basque Nationalist Party, a strong enough representation to be able to present bills and have a voice in weekly debates with the prime minister.
But it is unclear how the new party, some of whose members have scarce political experience, would take their separatist agenda to Madrid.
Amaiur has also called on the government to release ETA prisoners or move them closer to their families, and to cut the military presence in the Basque Country, home to more than 2 million people.
"We will confront projects democratically and look for agreement, but we won't spend all day (in Parliament) because the two-party system won't approve anything that we could try to present," Inaki Antiguedad, who heads Amaiur's ticket in the Basque province Vizcaya, told Reuters.
Rajoy, tipped to be the next prime minister, was adamantly opposed to separatist talks with ETA but analysts now see political dialogue with parties such as Amaiur as inevitable.
However, given Spain's high unemployment and the risk that it will become the next victim of the euro zone debt crisis, Rajoy is likely to focus his agenda on more economic issues.
If Amaiur does achieve a positive outcome on Sunday, the party is likely to set its eyes on the presidency of the Basque autonomous community and could call for regional elections, not due for another two years, to be brought forward.
ETA cast a dark shadow over the Basque Country and the rest of Spain with a campaign of shootings and bombings that killed more than 800 people.
Its fight began in the days of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, when Basques faced state repression. But as the Basque region gained more autonomy in democratic Spain and the violence continued, its support waned. A wave of arrests, including of senior leaders, has also weakened it.
In October, it declared an end to its armed struggle and called on the Spanish and French governments to start talks to resolve the conflict.
(Writing by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
My Brother's Bride
"Can you not do this right now," David hissed, shooting his older brother a glare that threw caution into the air. It didn't stop Blake, his older brother, from antagonizing him, only made him more irritated.
"Why the hell didn't you listen to me?" Blake sounded almost defeated as he slumped down on the couch in their parent's living room. David couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Blake didn't approve of his girlfriend, fiance now, but he didn't have a say in their relationship whatsoever.
"What-- Am I supposed to break up with her because you tell me to?" Sarcasm dripped off Dave's each word. There was a moment of silence as Blake stared at him, expression of stone.
"Yes!" He shouted, "When have I ever told to do the opposite?"
"Don't be ridiculous, I love her--"
"That is why you're blind, Dave!" Blake stood up from the couch, one index finger extended towards his brother, "You'll remember my words when she rips you to shreds," and with that, Blake stalked out of the room.
The entire family had gathered for a wedding preparation that was supposed to take place next month. Blake was eager to return mainly because he'd just gotten out of another rough relationship, which was a breaking point for him. When he looked at women now, all he saw were the lying, cheating, and scheming demons in place of beauty and feminism. He'd sworn off relationships, only allowing himself for those raw one-night-stands that kept his heart from being preyed upon. He didn't want his brother to end up the same. According to Blake, Dave was digging his own grave.
Blake blew into the kitchen, ripping open the fridge. His mother, who was looking over the content of the wedding brochure, lifted up two pieces of paper, "Oh Blake!" his mother exclaimed, "Which carnation is more elegant?" She asked her eldest, expecting him to place a vote for one of the two almost identical photos of flowers. Blake groaned in response, jumping away from his mother as if she was a rabit animal.
"Keep me out of this," he lifted his hands up in front of him in defence.
"What's gotten into you?" The woman furrowed her brows, setting the photos aside.
"Nothing, I'm just peachy," The man flashed a brief grin, too wide to be real and left the kitchen. There were too many people in this household that were poisoned by that woman,
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/izIQs9U0Ys0/viewtopic.php
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Video: 'People judge a book by its cover?
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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45081895#45081895
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Saturday, November 19, 2011
German autobahn pileup kills 3 (AP)
BERLIN ? Police say a 52-vehicle pileup on a highway in northwestern Germany has left three people dead and 35 injured.
The accident happened Friday evening on the A31 autobahn near the town of Gronau on the border with the Netherlands. The weather was foggy at the time but it wasn't immediately clear what triggered the pileup.
Police said Saturday that 14 people were taken to nearby hospitals. Twenty-one people had only light injuries.
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Friday, November 18, 2011
Video: How long will Gingrich stay in the top tier?
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45329634#45329634
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Viewpoint: What Was Really Behind the Occupy Wall Street Crackdown (Time.com)
Justin Lane / EPA
A man holds up a copy of a court order that was meant to allow protesters back into New York City's Zuccotti Park after it was cleared on Mayor Bloomberg's order on Nov. 15, 2011. The protesters were eventually allowed back in
Wolf's latest book, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries, was released in 2008
Yesterday morning, when I learned that Zuccotti Park had been cleared overnight by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ? who justified his action in a statement that cited health and safety concerns ? the first thing I did was call my lawyer. I wanted to go and show my support for the protesters? First Amendment right ?to assemble and petition government for redress of grievances? ? a right that a 1925 Supreme Court decision confirmed superseded municipalities? laws that sought to restrict its exercise. But my partner and I had already been arrested on Oct. 19 for standing peacefully on Hudson Street after informing protesters outside an event I was attending of their right to assemble. The wonderful National Lawyers Guild advised us that we would probably be O.K. ? the New York police department would have to alert us before a second arrest.
(PHOTOS: After Weeks of Tension, Police Clear Occupy Wall Street)
We had to take the issue seriously because of the way we had been threatened by the sergeant at the Seventh Precinct, who warned us before our release that if ?I returned to my friends, the protesters,? a second arrest would be treated far more seriously: our information would be fed into a federal database, to follow us forever.?I recall speaking to him through the cell bars: ?But officer, if I checked the law this time in order to obey it and still got arrested, how do I avoid getting arrested again???He acknowledged that I had not disobeyed the law but pointed out that if police cite ?safety concerns,? they can arrest anyone anywhere, no matter what the law says. Of course, nothing we had done ? walking peacefully on a sidewalk in single file, not blocking traffic ? had posed a safety threat.
When Bloomberg gave the order to temporarily remove the protesters from Zuccotti Park and rid it of all tents, books and signs, he invoked ?safety and public health,? although the safety and health of the protesters at the hands of the NYPD turned out to be far more of a danger. He confiscated the protesters? generators ? though generators are used in every New York City street fair. In his statement, he insisted that there is ?no absolute right? to First Amendment freedom of assembly ? which is patently untrue ? although later in the afternoon, Judge Michael Stallman ruled that the city?s actions were reasonable restrictions. Instead of imminent safety issues, the timing of the crackdown was far more likely to do with the fact that the Occupy movement was planning something media-savvy at last: a ?carnival? on Wall Street on Thursday in which protesters would telegenically tell their individual stories of hardship, job loss and disenfranchisement. It is that event that posed a ?safety risk? ? to the efforts of Wall Street and the Bloomberg administration to manage the narrative.
(MORE: Top 10 American Protest Movements)
Avram Ludwig, my partner with whom I had been arrested in October, and I drove downtown. We saw a mass of NYPD surrounding a triangle-shaped, empty lot on Canal Street. Inside the ring of police and phalanx of TV trucks, protesters were trying to scale the walls that had been erected around an empty site where Occupy was trying to resettle. A young man was standing motionless before a line of cops, holding his right hand up in a peace symbol. Another man, in a beige jacket, was looking for the names of protesters who had been arrested ? I assumed he was with the National Lawyers Guild. A giant puppet shaped like the Statue of Liberty wandered the locked-down perimeter. I interviewed a young man wrapped in the American flag who said he felt frustration by the fact that a judge?s decision to issue a restraining order against Bloomberg had been ignored. I asked him why he was wrapped in the Stars and Stripes: ?People say the movement is un-American, but we want to wear symbols that show that what we are doing is a very American thing to do. The First Amendment comes first.?
From there we drove to Zuccotti Park, and I got out. Police lined Broadway for blocks. A massive surveillance tower loomed over the site. It was an eerie scene: the square was cleared out ? ?It looks like a cemetery!? shouted one young woman ? and ringed with metal barricades. A 24-year-old woman who looked shell-shocked told me she had been trapped between riot police and protesters and was beaten on her chest by at least two police officers with batons. She had, she said, the names and badge numbers. She claimed that she asked them ?10 or 15 times? to stop and said that if they had seen a man treat a woman that way on the street, they would have arrested him for domestic abuse. Another young woman, she said, held her shoulder to comfort her, but that woman was dragged out of the crowd, and two officers sat on her and pushed her face into the ground. She said members of the press were dragged out of the crowd too ? and two Occupy videographers? cameras had been confiscated.
(MORE: From the Arab Spring to the American Fall)
Where does Occupy Wall Street ? and the satellite movements in Oakland, Denver, Portland and other cities, which have also recently faced nighttime police raids ? go from here? I have argued that the organizers need to become a major electoral block and make the case that they will get out the vote for leaders who support citizens? rights to First Amendment expression (especially during those critical congressional elections) and will call for the defeat of city leaders who brutalize and suppress citizens. They could even lead a recall drive for abusive mayors. Dozens of city and state leaders, like California?s Gray Davis, have been successfully recalled by voters since 1911. New York State does not have a legislative recall mechanism, but Occupy can put it on the ballot through a referendum. And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo can recall Bloomberg by presenting charges. So Occupy Wall Street has to put pressure on Cuomo by showing that it will organize to get out the vote for or against him based on thousands of registered voters.
Occupy has an ill-advised resistance in some quarters to engaging with the voter-registration process, but that may be changing. They are terribly vulnerable now without electoral organization and can expect only further violence and aggression. But if they register voters in recall drives and start to field their own candidates, they will send a powerful message to cities? leaders across the country that suppressing constitutional rights is a political death knell. The next place to Occupy? The voting booth.
Wolf is the author of several books, including The Beauty Myth and Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries. The views expressed are her own.
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Origins of Antarctica's ice-covered mountains unraveled
ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2011) ? Buried below more than a mile of ice, Antarctica's Gamburtsev Mountains have baffled scientists since their discovery in 1958. How did the mountains get there, and what role did they play in the spread of glaciers over the continent 30 million years ago? In the latest study on the mountains, scientists in the journal Nature say they have pieced together the puzzle of the origins and evolution of this mysterious mountain chain.
An international team of scientists flew over Antarctica's deep interior in 2008-2009 with ice-penetrating radar, gravity meters and magnetometers to reveal the peaks and valleys hidden below the ice. The data they gathered has provided insight into how the mountains arose. One billion years ago, before animals or plants appeared on land, several continents collided and the oldest rocks that make up the Gamburtsevs smashed together. From the collision, a thick crustal root formed deep beneath the mountain range. Over time, these ancient mountains were eroded but the cold dense root remained.
Between 250 and 100 million years ago -- when dinosaurs walked Earth -- the supercontinent Gondwana, which included Antarctica, ripped apart, causing the old crustal root to warm. Reactivated, the crustal root and the East Antarctic Rift pushed land upwards again, reforming the mountains. Rivers and glaciers carved deep valleys and raised peaks to create a spectacular landscape that resembled the European Alps. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which formed 34 million years ago and at 10 million square kilometers covers an area the size of Canada, protected the mountains from erosion.
"It has been almost a billion years since the Gamburtsev first formed," said study co-author Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "This work shows that very old mountains can rise again, like a Phoenix from the ashes. The Gamburtsevs rose from the long eroded East Antarctic craton."
The study also resolves an apparent contradiction: how could such ancient mountains have retained their tall, jagged, and youthful peaks, said study co-author Carol Finn, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey. "We are accustomed to thinking that mountain building relates to a single tectonic event, rather than sequences of events," she said. "The lesson we learned about multiple events forming the Gamburtsevs may inform studies of the history of other mountain belts."
"It was fascinating to find that the East Antarctic rift system resembles one of the geological wonders of the world -- the East African rift system -- and that it provides the missing piece of the puzzle that helps explain the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains," said study lead author Fausto Ferraccioli, a scientist at British Antarctic Survey. "The rift system was also found to contain the largest subglacial lakes in Antarctica."
The team's next goal is to drill through the ice and collect the first Gamburtsev rock samples. "Amazingly, we have samples of the moon but none of the Gamburtsevs," said Bell. "With these rock samples we will be able to constrain when this ancient piece of crust was rejuvenated and grew to a magnificent mountain range."
The work was funded by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and was launched in conjunction with the International Polar Year, an effort to study the Arctic and Antarctic spanning 2007-2009 and involving research by thousands of scientists from more than 60 nations. "It is very fitting that the initial results of Antarctica's Gamburtsev Province project are coming out 100 years after the great explorers raced to the South Pole," said Alexandra Isern, program director at NSF. "The scientific explorers of the AGAP project worked in harsh conditions to collect the data and detailed images of this major mountain range under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The results of their work will guide research in this region for many years to come."
Support also came from the Natural Environment Research Council of Britain and the British Antarctic Survey, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Resources in Germany and the Polar Research Institute of China.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Columbia University?s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Fausto Ferraccioli, Carol A. Finn, Tom A. Jordan, Robin E. Bell, Lester M. Anderson, Detlef Damaske. East Antarctic rifting triggers uplift of the Gamburtsev Mountains. Nature, 2011; 479 (7373): 388 DOI: 10.1038/nature10566
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/6-OqueyQM9s/111116143126.htm
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Thursday, November 17, 2011
Strange domes on Europa formed on thin ice
Jupiter's icy moon Europa is pockmarked by curious domes and depressions. How they formed has been a mystery, but now it seems they are areas where liquid water once appeared close to the surface.
Europa is thought to harbour a saltwater ocean, sandwiched between a 20-kilometre-thick layer of surface ice and a rocky core below. For clues as to what might be happening there, Britney Schmidt of the University of Texas, Austin, and colleagues looked at studies of subglacial volcanoes and ice shelves on Earth. They concluded that ice rising from the bottom of Europa's surface layer created its 300-metre-high "chaos terrains".
As Europa orbits Jupiter, it flexes as a result of slight variations in the gravitational tug of the giant planet. The energy that goes into this bending is converted into heat that warms the bottom of the surface ice, pushing plumes of it upwards. This changes the pressure in the ice above, creating pockets of liquid water. The water breaks up the overlying ice and refreezes over tens of thousands of years, creating jumbled domes.
A large dark spot on Europa called Thera Macula (shown right) could result from warm ice rising beneath it, says Schmidt. "We are probably witnessing active chaos formation."
Could the this liquid water close to the surface support life? Not unless it was already in the icy crust, says team member Paul Schenk of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. "Because these water pockets are short-lived ? [it takes] 10,000 to 100,000 years before they refreeze ? it seems doubtful anything could grow unless it were already embedded within the ice," he says.
But if there is any life in Europa's oceans, the process might bring it up into the icy crust, making the domes intriguing targets for future landers, he says.
Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature10608
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