National Air Traffic Controllers Association representative says staff ...

Tom Rizzardo, the Dallas-Fort Worth facility representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, says the weather would not have made a difference in yesterday?s diverted flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport if there had been enough air traffic controllers working.

The Federal Aviation Administration attributed the diverted flights to ?a combination of weather and staffing shortages? as a result of automatic federal spending cuts. The agency on Sunday began furloughing employees.

Yes, Rizzardo said, the airport and airlines faced a combination of factors yesterday, but a staffing shortage at D/FW Approach Control ?began the domino effect? of flight diversions. Some air traffic control shifts have been operated with as few as four people instead of seven controllers.

?When the arrival rate [of airplanes] has to be cut to 75 percent or 50 percent of normal due to staffing restrictions that causes aircraft to be sequenced into lengthier streams and ? forces them into holding pattern,? Rizzardo wrote today in an email. ?In this case, we anticipated a 30-minute delay because we were unable to run triple approaches to the D/FW Airport due to the lack of staffing.?

However, when weather conditions forced a runway change, the planes could not withstand a longer delay and needed to divert, Rizzardo said. If full staffing had been in place, the planes either would have landed or their delay time would have been shorter, he added.

Rizzardo expects flight delays and other issues to get worse in the coming weeks ?as mandatory vacation time? puts more demands on staff.

Source: http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/national-air-traffic-controllers-association-representative-says-staff-shortage-created-domino-effect-yesterday-at-dfw-airport.html/

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MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile offer

NEW YORK (AP) ? MetroPCS Communications Inc., the country's fifth-largest cellphone carrier, says its shareholders have approved the company's takeover by No. 4 T-Mobile USA.

The deal is intended to produce a stronger combined company. By combining the space allocated to each company on the airwaves, the new company should be able to deliver faster wireless data downloads, a crucial competitive factor.

The approval at a Wednesday's special shareholder meeting in Richardson, Texas, came after T-Mobile USA sweetened its bid. Its initial offer was approved by MetroPCS' board, but shareholders and shareholder advisory firms called it inadequate.

The deal gives MetroPCS shareholders 26 percent of the combined company. Shareholders of T-Mobile's German parent, Deutsche Telekom AG, will own the rest.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-24-T-Mobile%20USA-MetroPCS/id-6440adfadd3c4135a946990719a6d44f

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US child porn suspect captured after 5 years

Nicaragua's National Police agents escort U.S. citizen Eric Justin Toth to be presented to the press at a police station in Managua, Nicaragua, Monday April 22, 2013. Toth was detained by police Saturday, April 10, 2013, in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Toth is on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Nicaragua's National Police agents escort U.S. citizen Eric Justin Toth to be presented to the press at a police station in Managua, Nicaragua, Monday April 22, 2013. Toth was detained by police Saturday, April 10, 2013, in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Toth is on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Nicaragua's National Police agents escort U.S. citizen Eric Justin Toth, center, to be presented to the press at a police station in Managua, Nicaragua, Monday April 22, 2013. Toth was detained by police Saturday, April 10, 2013, in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Toth is on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Nicaragua's National Police agents escort U.S. citizen Eric Justin Toth to be presented to the press at a police station in Managua, Nicaragua, Monday April 22, 2013. Toth was detained by police Saturday, April 10, 2013, in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Toth is on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Nicaragua's National Police agents escort U.S. citizen Eric Justin Toth while presented to the press at a police station in Managua, Nicaragua, Monday April 22, 2013. Toth was detained by police Saturday, April 10, 2013, in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Toth is on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

This image provided by the FBI shows a 2008 photo of Eric Justin Toth who was detained Saturday April 20, 2013 in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras. Police in Nicaragua have detained the former U.S. school teacher who was on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday April 22, 2013. (AP Photo/FBI)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Investigators say Eric Justin Toth's five-year run as a fugitive began when he was fired from his teaching job at a prestigious private school in Washington after being confronted about images of child pornography taken with a school camera in the man's possession.

It ended over the weekend when Nicaraguan authorities, acting on a tip, found him living in that Central American country ? with phony passports, driver's licenses and credit cards, authorities said. The FBI is investigating why Toth was living there and has previously said he may have been advertising as a nanny or tutor while on the lam.

Now, investigators are trying to piece together how he avoided capture even after he was added to the FBI's Most Wanted list, a notorious designation reserved for those considered dangerous criminals and that has featured the likes of Osama bin Laden and Whitey Bulger. Prosecutors are encouraging any other abuse victims to come forward as they proceed with a federal child pornography case against the 31-year-old Toth, who was ordered held without bond during a brief court appearance Tuesday.

"The fact that he is a known child predator and that he's been on the run for five years, we assume that there's potentially other victims in other places that he's been over the past five years," said Valerie Parlave, the head of the FBI's Washington field office.

A federal public defender assigned to Toth didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. Phone listings for possible relatives of Toth either declined to comment or did not return phone messages.

The arrest on Saturday, in a city near Nicaragua's border with Honduras, ended a frustrating international manhunt for the computer-savvy third-grade teacher and former camp counselor.

There were tantalizing clues along the way ? a fake suicide note in Minnesota, an apparent sighting at a shelter in Arizona, a tip that led agents on an extensive search of South America. Yet Toth continued to elude authorities, even as pictures of his bespectacled and sometimes bearded face were featured on news programs, billboards around the country and the FBI's list.

The big break came from a tip last week after a female tourist who encountered Toth in a social setting recognized him and contacted authorities, said FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire.

Toth first arrived in Nicaragua in October and appeared to have spent at least part of his time there creating false identities and ID documents, police said. When his house was raided, police found passports, driver's licenses and credit cards from three banks, under different names, suggesting he was preparing new false identities to use, said national Police Chief Aminta Granera. Toth was living under an assumed name, authorities said, and the FBI used records of a recent purchase to pinpoint his whereabouts.

Federal prosecutors unsealed a criminal complaint Tuesday charging Toth with possessing and producing child pornography, charges that together carry a maximum 50-year prison sentence. Toth wore a blue jail jumpsuit, his hair considerably longer than in the photographs the FBI had made public, and he spoke softly in response to a judge's perfunctory questions.

Prosecutors revealed no new details of their case in court. But according to the complaint, multiple images of child pornography ? including one video in which Toth allegedly appeared alongside an undressed young boy ? were located in June 2008 on a media card found inside his classroom at Beauvoir, a private elementary school on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral.

Although "not the most socially adept guy," he was an engaged teacher who helped students think outside the box in math and logic and who even incorporated lessons on why people do or don't do the right things, recalled Michele Booth Cole, whose daughter was in one of Toth's classes.

"He wasn't teaching from the textbook. It was really much more creative and thought-provoking for the kids," said Cole, executive director of Safe Shores ? the DC Children's Advocacy Center, which helps abused children.

The media card with the pornographic images was found in in a box addressed to Toth at the school's address, the complaint says. Although some of the images showed children laughing and playing, others were every parent's nightmare, said Ron Machen, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Those include photographs and videos showing the hand of an adult male fondling a boy, the complaint says. Another video, taken in what appears to be a classroom at the school, shows a man investigators believe to be Toth with an undressed prepubescent boy.

Toth was fired after the images were discovered by fellow school employees and escorted from the school. He disappeared immediately, long before anyone could arrest him.

But there were soon clues that would set agents in motion.

His car was found later that summer in a long-term parking lot at the Minneapolis airport along with a fake suicide note inside that claimed he was going to kill himself in a nearby lake. But no body was found, and investigators concluded it was a ruse.

"Clearly he was trying to throw investigators off at that point," said FBI Special Agent Kyle Loven, an agency spokesman in Minneapolis.

He was believed to have been sighted in Phoenix in 2009, apparently working as a quasi-counselor at a shelter under an assumed name, the FBI has said. He was gone before agents could get to him.

Authorities also believe Toth, who is from the Midwest, traveled while on the run to Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In April 2012, the FBI, concerned that the trail was going cold and that Toth's experience in interacting with children and earning their trust might be putting other kids at risk, announced that it was adding him to the bureau's Most Wanted fugitives list, where he filled a slot left vacant by the death of bin Laden.

Ron Hosko, then the special agent in charge of the criminal division of the FBI's Washington field office, said at the time, "This is a dangerous person because of his nature, because he is a child predator, because of his ability to groom both adults and potentially these children to develop some sorts of bond of trust."

___

Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York and writers Luis Manuel Galeano in Managua, Nicaragua, and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

___

Follow Tucker on Twitter at http://twitter.com/etuckerAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-23-Nicaragua-American%20Arrested/id-16babee3aaf048cf8560fff3bddb6c8b

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WHO: New flu passes more easily from bird to human

BEIJING (AP) ? A new strain of bird flu that emerged in China over the past month is one of the "most lethal" flu viruses so far, worrying health officials because it can jump more easily from birds to humans than the one that started killing people a decade ago, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday.

Scientists are watching the virus closely to see if it could spark a global pandemic but say there is little evidence so far that it can spread easily from human to human.

WHO's top influenza expert, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told reporters at a briefing in Beijing that people seem to catch the H7N9 virus from birds more easily than the H5N1 strain that began ravaging poultry across Asia in 2003. The H5N1 strain has since killed 360 people worldwide, mostly after contact with infected fowl.

Health experts are concerned about H7N9's ability to jump to humans, and about the strain's capacity to infect birds without causing noticeable symptoms, which makes it difficult to monitor its spread.

"This is definitely one of the most lethal influenza viruses we have seen so far," Fukuda said. But he added that experts are still trying to understand the virus, and that there might be a large number of mild infections that are going undetected.

The H7N9 bird flu virus has infected more than 100 people in China, seriously sickening most of them and killing more than 20, mostly near the eastern coast around Shanghai. Taiwan on Wednesday confirmed its first case, a 53-year-old man who became sick after returning from a visit to the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu.

In comparison, the earlier bird flu strain, H5N1, is known to kill up to 60 of every 100 people it infects.

Wednesday's briefing came at the end of a weeklong joint investigation by WHO and Chinese authorities in Beijing and Shanghai.

Experts said they still aren't sure how people are getting infected but said evidence points to infections at live poultry markets, particularly through ducks and chickens. They said it was encouraging that reported infections appeared to slow down after the closure of live poultry markets in affected areas.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flu-passes-more-easily-bird-human-073635353.html

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Anger in Lebanese streets as Syria border fighting rages

By Dominic Evans

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Stripped to the waist, his face heavily bruised and a rope around his neck, the grey-haired Syrian man was led by his captors on a humiliating parade through the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

"I am an Alawite shabbiha," read slogans daubed on the bare chest of the man, referring to militias from a minority sect fighting for President Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria. Vigilantes led the man through Tripoli, a predominantly Sunni Muslim city, on Monday.

No one stepped in to stop the degrading procession until he was handed over to army intelligence, Tripoli residents said, his treatment yet another sign that the Lebanese state is losing its battle to contain street tensions over Syria's bloodshed.

Long-standing sectarian tensions in Lebanon have been further fuelled this week by heavy clashes in the border region. Lebanese Sunni Muslims support the Sunni-led opposition fighting Assad. Most Lebanese Shi'ite groups support Assad and the Alawite sect to which he belongs, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam which has largely supported the Assad family's four-decade rule.

Along the border, pro-Assad forces - including fighters believed to be from Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite guerrilla movement Hezbollah - have made strategic gains in recent days.

They appear to be creating a crucial corridor between Assad's seat of power, Damascus, and the Alawite stronghold region along Syria's Mediterranean coast.

On the same day the Syrian man was dragged across Tripoli, two prominent Sunni clerics called on Lebanese men to defend the rebels in Syria, either by sending weapons or joining in combat.

"It is a duty for any Muslim who is able to reach our Syrian brothers, to enter Syria to defend its people, its mosques and religious sites," Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir told supporters in Lebanon's southern port town of Sidon.

Assir singled out the besieged rebel-held town of Qusair, near the Lebanese frontier, and central Homs, Syria's third largest city, as strategic priorities. Homs has been roughly divided between government and insurgent-held areas.

The porous border around Qusair and Homs is a vital smuggling route for the rebels. But the rebels also want to seal off the border from government forces to sever Damascus from Syria's Alawite coast.

As clashes intensify along the border, rocket fire has been hitting Lebanon with increasing frequency. Suspected rebel rockets hit the Shi'ite town of Hermel, 10 km (six miles) inside Lebanese territory.

Rebels have threatened to "move the battle into Lebanon" if the Syrian government offensive, which they described as Hezbollah-led, continues.

"DISSOCIATION" POLICY IN TATTERS

Assir's call to arms and the vigilante action in Tripoli further undermine Lebanon's tattered policy of "dissociation" from Syria's turmoil - a stance which Assad himself mocked in a meeting with sympathetic Lebanese politicians at the weekend.

"No one can distance himself (from the conflict) while being consumed by flames," Assad told his visitors.

His remarks could further fan the fear of many Lebanese that their country is vulnerable to being dragged into Syria's bloodshed. Syria has historically dominated its small neighbor, where it maintained a military presence for 29 years until 2005.

Since the start of the anti-Assad uprising, which has mushroomed into civil war, Lebanon has been hit by street fighting in Tripoli between Sunni and Alawite gunmen, cross-border shelling, and the assassination in October of a top security official.

In Tripoli, the popular hardline preacher Sheikh Salem al-Rafei told worshippers on Monday that Sunni Lebanese fighters should go into Syria.

He argued that Hezbollah fighters were killing Sunni Muslims in Syria and justifying their actions as defense of Lebanese Shi'ites who live just inside Syria's side of the border.

"If Hezbollah is defending the oppressed Lebanese Shi'ites, we will also defend the oppressed Lebanese Sunnis in Syria," he said. "We will send support - men...and weapons to support (them)."

Hezbollah denies it has sent guerrillas to fight alongside Assad's forces inside Syria, but has held regular funerals for fighters it said were carrying out "jihadi duties". It says any Hezbollah fighters involved are local Shi'ite residents of Lebanese villages inside Syria, defending their territory.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anger-lebanese-streets-syria-border-fighting-rages-123516097.html

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American Golfer: Golf Road Warriors Take on ?The Best Island ...

(Portland, Ore.) ? TheAPosition.com kicks off its spring golf season with a tropical flourish by sending five journalists to Maui from April 21-27 to sample the Magical Isle?s world-class golf courses, beaches, hotels, cuisine, and more. ?Four writers and a videographer will create and broadcast daily original content via a collection of websites and social media that will be further disseminated by sponsor partners. ?The content will include short travelogues, videos, and reviews of courses, restaurants, and other attractions, as well as the observations of a team of seasoned golf enthusiasts. This edition of Golf Road Warriors involves members of The A Position who have reported from previous trips to Myrtle Beach, Scottsdale, Reynold?s Plantation, Palm Springs, Casa de Campo, and other locales.

Brian McCallen is a long-time golf travel writer whose credits include GOLF Magazine (where he was a Senior Editor for 16 years), Robb Report, Cigar Aficionado, Travel & Leisure, the Washington Post and many others top publications. ?McCallen is also the author of a number of books about the world?s best golf destinations.

Manhattan-based writer Jim Frank has been a golf journalist and editor for more than 30 years, including stints as Executive Editor of GOLF Magazine from 1990-2003, and founder of Golf Connoisseur. ?Franks has edited and published countless articles in the best golf and travel publications and published several books.

Award-winning writer Tom Bedell is the only member of both the Golf Writers Association of America and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. ?His work has appeared in Travel & Leisure Golf, Celebrated Living, Lexus Magazine, and many other top publications.

Jeff Wallach, Executive Editor of the A Position, has published in The New York Times, Money Magazine, Outside, and other magazines and newspapers. The author of five books, he claims to have a pretty good short game for a journalist.

On Maui the writers will be videoed by Jamie McWilliams, whose extensive sports background has included producing, directing, and writing for NFL Films. ?McWilliams has worked as the videographer for a number of Golf Road Warriors adventures. ?He will document adventures at such great golf courses as Wailea Gold, Kapalua?s Plantation Course, King Kamehameha Golf Club, and Kaanapali?s Royal Course.

Check out the warriors? field reports at GolfRoadWarriors.com and theAposition.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Source: http://americangolfer.blogspot.com/2013/04/golf-road-warriors-take-on-best-island.html

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Man Witnesses Boston Marathon Bombing and Texas Plant Explosion

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/man-witnesses-boston-bombing-and-texas-explosion/

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Any tips for cutting down on the number of inboxes I have?

Great discussions are par for the course here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

Discussion of the Day

Other Great Discussions

Great Discussions Any Time

For great discussions any time, be sure check out our user-run blog, Hackerspace.

If you've got a cool project, inspiration, or just something fun to share, send us a message at tips@lifehacker.com.

Happy Lifehacking, everybody!

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G.W. Bush Advances in Esteem Yet Still With More Brush to Cut (ABC News)

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Economic calendar of Latvia. April 22 ? 26, 2013 | Baltic News ...

Monday, April 22:

-Swedbank presents a survey on the preparedness of state and commercial structures of Latvia for the Euro transition.

-EU House holds the ?Energy Efficiency ABC ? practical recommendations for households?.

-R?gas piena kombinats holds a press-conference, during which it will tell about the students? summer practice programme ?Young entrepreneur?.

-The Kipsala international exhibition centre holds a press-conference dedicated to the upcoming opening of the Auto 2013 exhibition.

-The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia reports the data about the changes in consumer prices in manufacturing in March 2013.

-The Restaurants Week in Riga.

-State Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry Dace Lucava participates in the EU Agriculture and Fishery ministers in Luxembourg.

Tuesday, April 23:

-Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Tur?ba Graduate School of Business Administration organize a pre-election discussion among entrepreneurs and Riga Mayoral candidates.

-The first meeting of the newly created Social Consultative Council of the National Council for Electronic Mass Media.

-Meeting of Latvijas balsams shareholders.

-Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija holds the ?Intellectual Property Rights Protection? seminar organized by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency.

-Director of the Tax Policy Department of Finance Ministry Nils Sakss participates in the meeting of the Committee on Economics and Finance in Brussels, Belgium.

Wednesday, April 24:

-The Latvian Museum of Fire Service holds a forum for specialists ? ?Building restoration ? fire safety ? financial aspects?.

-Finance Ministry holds meetings with representatives of the field of public relations in order to choose the best possible partner in the information process about Euro adoption.

-Cesis holds the ?Construction process in projects co-funded by the EU? discussion.

-Emergency meeting of the members of the Latvian Association of bus stations and regional carriers.

Thursday, April 25:

-Riga holds the ?Energy efficiency 2013-2020 ? political and financial challenges? conferece organized by the Latvian Association of Energy Efficiency, Latvian Association of Local Government and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Latvia.

-Alberts Hotel holds the ?The Baltic natural gas market five years from now? discussion.

-Shareholder meetings of Tosmares ku?ub?v?tava, Stren?u me?r?pniec?bas saimniec?ba, Latvijas J?ras medic?nas centrs and R?gas farmaceitisk? fabrika.

-Meeting of the Council of experts of food production and agriculture at the State Education Development Agency.

-Finance Ministry holds a meeting dedicated to the cooperation program between Latvia and Switzerland.

-Finance Minister Andris Vilks welcomes the members of the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce. The minister will also have a meeting with the director of the The Finnish-Norwegian-Latvian office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Friday, April 26:

-Shareholder meetings of R?gas juvelierizstr?d?jumu r?pn?ca, Reverta, Remars-R?ga, Tor?u un autocelt?u firma ?UBAK?, Siguldas Ciltslietu un m?ksl?g?s aps?klo?anas stacija, Kurzemes ciltslietu un m?ksl?g?s aps?klo?anas stacija, VEF.

-Latvijas balsams holds a virtual conference on the enterprise?s results in 2012.

-The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia reports the data on the changes in construction costs in March 2013.

-Representatives of the Latvijas Ce?u b?v?t?js report about the state of roads in Latgale.

-Kipsala international exhibition centre opens the Auto 2013 exhibition

Ref: 017.109.109.7030

Source: http://bnn-news.com/economic-calendar-latvia-april-22-26-2013-93510

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6 films and shows that remind you to love Earth

There is no reason not to love Earth. Despite what scientists speculate about Mars or distant "water worlds" discovered by NASA's Kepler probe, this planet is the only game in town if humans want to keep breathing, drinking water and, you know, existing in the near future. But as our entertainment choices frequently point out, we're not always the best caretakers of this big blue marble in space. In honor of Earth Day on Monday here are a few films and television shows that provide food for thought about why we should celebrate our planet every day of the year.

'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'
The opening minutes of 1991's "T2" deliver a jarring scene: Los Angeles in 2029 is nothing but a leveled wasteland of twisted bits of metal and piles of human skulls scattered about. It?s as dark as midnight, dusty, with not a single ray of natural light, not a blade of green grass, not a drop of water, not a tree branch. Earth is nearly devoid of the living, overrun instead by Skynet?s terrifying cyborgs. Kinda makes you appreciate our blue skies, (somewhat) clean air, mountains, rivers, human-run planet and non-murderous machines, doesn?t it? So take a break and get up from your desk. Go outside, suck in some fresh air, bask in the sunshine and be thankful that your TV isn?t a T-1000 intent on crushing your skull in its poly-alloy hands. --?Anna Chan

'Planet of the Apes'
Look, we?re not saying we humans have treated our dear Mother Earth well. But we?re not ready to hand it over to the monkeys yet. Don?t get us wrong: We loved Cornelius and Zira in the original "Planet of the Apes" film series that started in 1968. But the planet wasn?t any better under Ape Law, what with blowing up New York ("YOU MANIACS!") so that the Statue of Liberty was left chest-deep in the sand, and creating a race of mutants who worship the atom bomb. Damn dirty apes! We may not want them ruling our planet, but we puny humans continue to go bananas for ape movies, with the next one, ?Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,? coming in 2014. -- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper?

'Revolution'
The main conceit of "Revolution," for those who haven?t seen the NBC series that first started airing in 2012, is that the power goes out. Not for a night, not for a week, but for always. There?s just no more electricity. In fact, anything that has to remotely be powered up ? cars, planes and the like ? is unable to do so. The net result goes beyond not having a refrigerator, air conditioning and creature comforts. It also means all those digital photos you took of your family are gone forever. Your ability to move from point A to point B? Better hope points A and B are close together. Otherwise your feet will be getting pretty tired. And when everyone?s blaming each other for the sorry state of affairs, leaders are ousted and tempers flare, who can you trust? The show isn?t about saving Earth or being "green." Rather, it illustrates just how thoroughly everything is intertwined on this planet of ours. Take care of it, and be nice to people. -- Courtney Hazlett

'March of the Penguins'
While "March of the Penguins" definitely brought the cute factor, the 2005 documentary also explored some heavy environmental issues. In addition to giving viewers an awe-inspiring glimpse of the natural habitat of the emperor penguins of Antarctica, the Academy Award winning film also showcased the effects that global warming has had on the adorable, noble creatures. Not only is the footage visually stunning, taking viewers under water and across the icy Antarctic terrain, but it taught that animals are much like humans in how they love, interact and live. Plus, who doesn?t like to watch baby penguins run around for 80 minutes? --?Ashley Majeski

'WALL-E'
The title robot in Pixar's animated "WALL-E" is so adorable. With his fixation on movie musicals, it's almost easy to forget that on at least one level, the film is an ecological horror story: WALL-E exists solely to help a garbage-covered (thanks, Buy-n-Large Corp.), human-depopulated Earth clean again so that humans can (in theory) eventually return to live there. The idea that humans can survive the trashing of their own planet is only vaguely comforting. The notion that they've been living in space for hundreds of years and are literally fat lazybones is not precisely a positive comment on human nature. If any movie will inspire you to pick up that piece of trash you absentmindedly tossed aside, it's this one. -- Randee Dawn

'Fringe'
Oxygen is awesome! That is a legit takeaway from the sci-fi thriller, which wrapped up its run early in 2013 and featured antagonists called Observers ?-- created, futuristic humans who pumped carbon dioxide into the atmosphere because current-day Earth's air was too oxygenated for their super-evolved DNA. (They also paved over Central Park -- heresy!) These visitors from the future came from a world saturated with pollution, so be warned: If you want new generations to be able to blow dandelion seeds in the park (instead of struggling for breath in an apocalyptic urban landscape), do what you can to protect our environment. Also, don't create humans without emotions in the first place. -- Dru Moorhouse

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/04/20/17838859-six-films-and-tv-shows-that-will-make-you-appreciate-earth?lite

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Sony announces Jak and Daxter Trilogy coming to PS Vita this June

Despite what the sales figures might imply, the general consensus is that, for the most part, the PlayStation Vita's a neat portable console -- although some still argue Sony could do a little more to give its precious handheld a boost when it comes to available content. And just as it did with the PS3, the Japanese electronics maker has now announced that a remastered collection of Jak and Daxter is headed to the PS Vita as well, which includes Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3. The trilogy's said to be debuting on the PlayStation Vita at some point in June of this year for $29.99 in North America, or a corresponding €29.99 for those located across the pond in Europe. Not too bad a price to pay for some nostalgia-filled gaming sessions, eh?

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Sony

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/l-S2WqVPCFI/

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Baseball: Hughes leads Falcons upset of No. 1 Gainesville

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Overshadowed by ranked teams Gainesville, Loganville, and Winder-Barrow, Flowery Branch let it be known Thursday that there is another team to watch out for in the rugged Region 8-AAAAA.

Behind a seven-hit attack against previously unbeaten Michael Gettys, the Falcons knocked off the Class AAAAA top-ranked Red Elephants 5-2 at the Hog Mountain Sports Complex.

The win virtually assured the Falcons (14-9, 9-5 Region 8-AAAAA) of a playoff spot. They led Apalachee by two games before Thursday and the Wildcats still have two games remaining against Gainesville.

Flowery Branch still has an outside chance for third but would need No. 2 Loganville to lose its remaining three games and the Falcons would need to sweep Heritage in their final two games next week.

The loss for the Elephants (20-3, 12-2) snapped their 11-game win streak. The five runs allowed were the second most this season and just the second game of five or more runs allowed by Gainesville pitchers.

The loss also kept them from clinching the region title. Their magic number remains at one with two games left against Apalachee next week.

The victory was a welcome sign for Falcons? coach Scott Meyers after a disappointing 8-0 loss to the Elephants on Wednesday.

?You want momentum at this time of the year so this was a big, big win for us,? Meyers said. ?We had a tough first game with them but tonight I thought we executed perfectly. We wanted to go opposite-field on Gettys and the kids did a great job. And don?t forget about Jonathan (Hughes).?

Hughes limited Gainesville to just six hits, including no multi-hit innings. The Elephants had been on a tear of late with seven home runs in their last three games.

?Jonathan did a great job of changing speeds and keeping them off-balance,? Meyers said. ?One of the best games he?s thrown all year.?

Hughes, who went the distance and struck out three, said he wasn?t intimidated by the potent Elephants attack.

?I just tried to keep the ball low and take away their power,? Hughes said. ?It felt good to get the win. I think this will definitely give us some confidence for the playoffs.?

The Falcons struck first in the bottom of the first when Dylan Gibeau knocked in Hughes, who reached on an error, on a RBI ground out for a 1-0 lead.

While the Flowery Branch offense grabbed the lead, Hughes was busy holding the potent Gainesville lineup in check. He allowed just three hits and stranded five baserunners through the first four innings.

The Falcons then blew the game open with four runs in the third off Gettys, who had not allowed more than one earned run in a game this season. Stephen Skeggs started it with a single and would score on a squeeze bunt by Justin Seabolt.

Gibeau followed with a single and then Seabolt scored on a double by Drew Miles. Gibeau would come home on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Weekley and Miles scored on a single by C.J. Navin for a 5-0 lead.

The Elephants cut the lead to 5-1 in the fifth when Luke Maddox reached on an error and later scored on a single by Skyler Weber.

They weren?t done, however, as they managed to get the tying run to the plate in the seventh.

Sims Griffith and Weber reached on back-to-back, two-out walks and Griffith would score on a single by Caleb Whitenton. But Hughes got Hunter Anglin to fly out to left to end the game.

The Falcons offense had balance as all but one batter had either a hit, an RBI, or scored a run against Gettys, who allowed four earned runs in six innings while fanning four. Seabolt finished with two hits, one RBI, and scored a run and Navin had two hits and one RBI to lead the offense.

Gibeau and Miles each had one hit, one RBI, and scored a run while Derek Eder and Skeggs each had one hit for Flowery Branch.

Weber and Luke Moore each had two hits for Gainesville. Griffith and Whitenton had one hit apiece for the Elephants and Weber and Whitenton had one RBI each.

Source: http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=260653

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Vine, The App That Eats Your Precious Memories

No app has ever broken my heart quite like Vine, Twitter's six-second animation maker. You capture a scene, then pocket your phone while you think of a witty way to describe. But when you open it a few minutes later or the app randomly crashes, it's gone. That moment, that memory, deleted. I still love Vine, but I'll never forgive it for the visions it stole from me.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/uaO0LuFMj5k/

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Lobbying for the future | MinnPost

Tax Day 2013 arrived on a Monday in Minnesota?s endless winter. Could it get any worse? Well, actually, yes. By this time next year, Minnesota could have a tax system that is more complicated, less transparent and more of a drag on innovation and investment.

The Minnesota Legislature is busy looking under every rock to find new revenue. So far, it has proposed ? and passage seems likely ? ?fees? on homeowners and auto insurance policies to bail out public pension funds, a new health insurance premium tax to pay for the Health Insurance Exchange and a fourth tier on the state income tax to finance new education spending. Other tax increases that are being bandied about include taxes on tobacco and alcohol, an extension of the sales tax to include clothing and some personal services, a surcharge on high-income earners to pay back the shift in payments to schools, a metro-area sales tax increase to finance investments in transit and new taxes on residents of the Rochester area to pay for infrastructure improvements to support Mayo?s planned expansion.

That?s quite a list, even for a DFL-controlled state government. It seems likely that some ? and perhaps all ? of these taxes will become law. That?s not all bad. Some of these new taxes should be imposed. But new taxes shouldn?t be the result of a debate that is framed mainly by ?tax the rich? or ?no new taxes.?

Instead, Minnesota needs a debate framed by a far more important question: ?What is the tax policy Minnesota needs to become a state of innovation, knowledge and economic growth?? If that?s the question, there aren?t many answers to be found in the second paragraph above.?

The challenge is that neither the DFL nor the GOP has a clear vision of what Minnesota?s future should look like. Democrats are insistent on making up for what they see as opportunities lost under the eight years of the Pawlenty Administration. Meanwhile, Republicans are stuck defending the status quo. ?No new taxes? is a working partner to ?no new spending.? The GOP?s approach preserves what isn?t working while blocking investments in government programs that should work better.

The problem with both perspectives was identified by?New York Times?columnist David Brooks in a recent article: ?The future has no lobby, so there are inexorable pressures favoring present consumption over future investment. The crucial point is not whether a dollar is spent publicly or privately, it?s whether it is spent on the present or future. The task today is to reform institutions and rearrange spending so we look like a young nation and not a comfort-seeking, declining one.?

There is Minnesota?s challenge and opportunity in a nutshell. Public policy is too focused on redefining the past or preserving the present instead of creating the future. Yes, Democrats will make the argument that they are investing in early childhood and higher education, infrastructure and other important assets. And Republicans will counter that they are protecting job creators and small businesses in their efforts to build the economy.

There is truth to both those positions. But both also miss the mark, especially on tax reform. What Minnesota needs is a tax system that recognizes the realities of our state. We have a population growing older, moving from their high-earning years to spending years. We live in a world in which capital is increasingly mobile and investment opportunities are connected by technology that have no regard for political borders. And, Minnesota?s economy is based in services and knowledge.

What does all this mean?

First, Minnesota desperately needs tax reform. But tax reform costs money. Reducing taxes on growth and investment require new taxes on consumption. Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk is absolutely right when he makes the case for lowering the sales tax rate and expanding the base to include clothing and personal services.

Second, Minnesota should subsidize knowledge, not individual jobs. Last year, the?New York Times?reported that state and local governments provide at least? $80 billion annually to attract jobs to their communities. The money is provided with little accountability and little evidence that taxpayers are receiving fair value for the giveaways. Invest in lifelong learning and training, infrastructure (including broadband) and incentives for investments in equipment and people and the return will be substantially greater.

Third, taxes should be transparent. Tacking fees onto insurance premiums to pay for unrelated public purposes is absurd. The same can be said for many ?tax expenditures? ? the deductions and credits that clutter our tax code.

Finally, reform won?t happen if it?s left only to legislators. The business community is spending $600,000 to tell Minnesotans what taxes?shouldn?t?be raised. We all would be better off if business leaders were invested in a campaign to engage Minnesotans in a thoughtful discussion of what a fair, transparent and growth-oriented tax should be.

Minnesota needs a lobby for the future. In the end, isn?t that our job?

This post was written by Tom Horner and originally published on NextMinnesota. Follow NextMinnesota on Twitter: @nextMN.

If you blog and would like your work considered for Minnesota Blog Cabin, please submit our registration form.

Source: http://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog-cabin/2013/04/lobbying-future

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Lobbying for the future | MinnPost

Tax Day 2013 arrived on a Monday in Minnesota?s endless winter. Could it get any worse? Well, actually, yes. By this time next year, Minnesota could have a tax system that is more complicated, less transparent and more of a drag on innovation and investment.

The Minnesota Legislature is busy looking under every rock to find new revenue. So far, it has proposed ? and passage seems likely ? ?fees? on homeowners and auto insurance policies to bail out public pension funds, a new health insurance premium tax to pay for the Health Insurance Exchange and a fourth tier on the state income tax to finance new education spending. Other tax increases that are being bandied about include taxes on tobacco and alcohol, an extension of the sales tax to include clothing and some personal services, a surcharge on high-income earners to pay back the shift in payments to schools, a metro-area sales tax increase to finance investments in transit and new taxes on residents of the Rochester area to pay for infrastructure improvements to support Mayo?s planned expansion.

That?s quite a list, even for a DFL-controlled state government. It seems likely that some ? and perhaps all ? of these taxes will become law. That?s not all bad. Some of these new taxes should be imposed. But new taxes shouldn?t be the result of a debate that is framed mainly by ?tax the rich? or ?no new taxes.?

Instead, Minnesota needs a debate framed by a far more important question: ?What is the tax policy Minnesota needs to become a state of innovation, knowledge and economic growth?? If that?s the question, there aren?t many answers to be found in the second paragraph above.?

The challenge is that neither the DFL nor the GOP has a clear vision of what Minnesota?s future should look like. Democrats are insistent on making up for what they see as opportunities lost under the eight years of the Pawlenty Administration. Meanwhile, Republicans are stuck defending the status quo. ?No new taxes? is a working partner to ?no new spending.? The GOP?s approach preserves what isn?t working while blocking investments in government programs that should work better.

The problem with both perspectives was identified by?New York Times?columnist David Brooks in a recent article: ?The future has no lobby, so there are inexorable pressures favoring present consumption over future investment. The crucial point is not whether a dollar is spent publicly or privately, it?s whether it is spent on the present or future. The task today is to reform institutions and rearrange spending so we look like a young nation and not a comfort-seeking, declining one.?

There is Minnesota?s challenge and opportunity in a nutshell. Public policy is too focused on redefining the past or preserving the present instead of creating the future. Yes, Democrats will make the argument that they are investing in early childhood and higher education, infrastructure and other important assets. And Republicans will counter that they are protecting job creators and small businesses in their efforts to build the economy.

There is truth to both those positions. But both also miss the mark, especially on tax reform. What Minnesota needs is a tax system that recognizes the realities of our state. We have a population growing older, moving from their high-earning years to spending years. We live in a world in which capital is increasingly mobile and investment opportunities are connected by technology that have no regard for political borders. And, Minnesota?s economy is based in services and knowledge.

What does all this mean?

First, Minnesota desperately needs tax reform. But tax reform costs money. Reducing taxes on growth and investment require new taxes on consumption. Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk is absolutely right when he makes the case for lowering the sales tax rate and expanding the base to include clothing and personal services.

Second, Minnesota should subsidize knowledge, not individual jobs. Last year, the?New York Times?reported that state and local governments provide at least? $80 billion annually to attract jobs to their communities. The money is provided with little accountability and little evidence that taxpayers are receiving fair value for the giveaways. Invest in lifelong learning and training, infrastructure (including broadband) and incentives for investments in equipment and people and the return will be substantially greater.

Third, taxes should be transparent. Tacking fees onto insurance premiums to pay for unrelated public purposes is absurd. The same can be said for many ?tax expenditures? ? the deductions and credits that clutter our tax code.

Finally, reform won?t happen if it?s left only to legislators. The business community is spending $600,000 to tell Minnesotans what taxes?shouldn?t?be raised. We all would be better off if business leaders were invested in a campaign to engage Minnesotans in a thoughtful discussion of what a fair, transparent and growth-oriented tax should be.

Minnesota needs a lobby for the future. In the end, isn?t that our job?

This post was written by Tom Horner and originally published on NextMinnesota. Follow NextMinnesota on Twitter: @nextMN.

If you blog and would like your work considered for Minnesota Blog Cabin, please submit our registration form.

Source: http://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog-cabin/2013/04/lobbying-future

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Wall St falls as data triggers slowdown worry

By Chuck Mikolajczak

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street stocks were lower for a second straight session after data in China and the United States added to a spate of recent indications the global economy may be slowing.

China's economic recovery unexpectedly slowed in the first quarter, with the annual rate of growth in the world's second-largest economy easing back to 7.7 percent from the 7.9 percent of the previous quarter, below economists' forecast for an 8.0 percent expansion.

Adding to concerns about a slowing global economy, the New York Fed's "Empire State" index of general business conditions fell to 3.05, from 9.24 in March, short of economists' forecasts for a smaller decline to 7 as new orders tumbled.

U.S. stocks had dipped on Friday, partly due to weak retail sales and consumer sentiment reports, but still managed to notch their second-best weekly performance of the year with a 2.3 percent gain.

"None of the economic data has been very good for the last couple of weeks, when you look at the whole scope of data it looks like we have been going into a slowdown here," said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont.

"I wouldn't say this is over yet, but there are enough indicators out there to really indicate that investors should approach this market with a degree of caution which doesn't seem to exist right now."

The market has been very resilient in its run-up to record highs hit last week. The declines on Monday put the S&P 500 on track for its first two-day losing streak in a month.

Among earnings reports, Citigroup shares advanced 2.6 percent to $45.93 after reporting a higher-than-expected 31 percent rise in first-quarter profit.

In deal news, Dish Network Corp , the No. 2 U.S. satellite television provider, offered to buy Sprint Nextel Corp for $25.5 billion in cash and stock, a move that could thwart the proposed acquisition of Sprint by Japan's SoftBank Corp . Sprint shares jumped 15.8 percent to $7.20 as the best performer on the S&P 500.

The Chinese data weighed heavily on commodities, with U.S. crude oil down 2.3 percent to $89.69 as it recovered slightly off its lowest level of the year, while gold sank further into bear market territory.

The PHLX Gold/Silver index tumbled 8.1 percent and the PHLX oil service sector index fell 2.5 percent.

Chevron lost 1.3 percent to $118.40 as one of the biggest drags on the Dow while Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold dropped 6.1 percent to $29.98. Freeport was also downgraded to "sell" from "neutral" at Citigroup.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 81.06 points, or 0.55 percent, to 14,784.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 10.65 points, or 0.67 percent, to 1,578.20. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 21.31 points, or 0.65 percent, to 3,273.63.

U.S. homebuilder sentiment waned for the third month in a row in April, with builders citing increasing materials costs and supply chain concerns, the National Association of Home Builders said.

Earnings season heats up this week, with 74 companies in the S&P 500 scheduled to report, including American Express Co , Goldman Sachs , Bank of America and Google Inc .

Genetic testing equipment maker Life Technologies Corp has agreed to a $13.6 billion cash buyout by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc , in one of the year's biggest corporate takeovers. Life Technologies shares climbed 7.7 percent to $73.25 and Thermo Fisher advanced 3.5 percent to $82.41.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio, Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-falls-data-triggers-slowdown-worry-141618797--finance.html

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Witnesses: 2 explosions heard near finish line of Boston Marathon

WHDH cameras rolling on runners approaching the finish line of the Boston marathon, capture the first of two explosions in downtown Boston.

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

Two explosions went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring dozens more, as runners completed the course and thousands cheered them on. Race organizers described the blasts as bombs.

Authorities reported a third explosion at the John F. Kennedy Library, elsewhere in the city, more than an hour after the blasts. There were no immediate reports of injuries in that explosion. Authorities said that they were investigating and treating it as related, and the police commissioner urged people in Boston to stay inside.

Video from the finish line at the marathon showed people screaming and an enormous cloud of white smoke, and about 20 seconds between the blasts. The explosions were strong enough to cause at least one runner to collapse, and emergency personnel carried bloody spectators away.

?We saw two big puffs. I thought maybe it was fireworks. Then it went off again. And then all of a sudden we heard people crying and running away. It was a huge horde of people just running away,? said Serghino Rene, another witness, who was a few blocks away. ?We just got away from the scene and away from tall buildings.?

A third, undetonated device was found near the finish line, a House Homeland Security Committee official and three law enforcement officials told NBC News.

Police said at least 23 people had been injured, but the count from hospitals was much higher. Massachusetts General Hospital said that it had 19 patients, Tufts Medical Center nine and Brigham and Women?s Hospital 18 to 20 ? a total of 46 to 48.

Of the 19 at Mass General, six were severe, hospital officials said. Dr. Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency medicine, characterized the blasts as a military-style bombing.

?This is like a bomb explosion we hear about in the news in Baghdad or Israel,? he told reporters.

Jackie Bruno, a reporter for New England Cable News, said on Twitter that she saw people?s legs blown off.

?Runners were coming in and saw unspeakable horror,? she said.

Race organizers, in a post on Twitter, said: ?There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today?s Boston Marathon. We are working with law enforcement to determine exactly what happened.?

President Barack Obama was notified, and his administration was in touch with state and local authorities, a White House official told NBC News. Obama directed the administration to provide whatever help was necessary, the official said.

Suspicious packages were found after the blasts at three Boston subway stops, and authorities were investigating. Within an hour of the blasts, New York police deployed extra security to landmarks, and Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was closed to foot traffic. San Francisco put its police on heightened alert.

Related: Images from the scene

The race is a signature event in Boston and has been run since 1897 on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April. Tens of thousands of spectators turn out each year to watch.

Race organizers said that almost 27,000 runners competed, representing 96 countries. The winners were Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia for the men and Rita Jeptoo of Kenya for the women. A special marker at the 26th mile of the course, yards from the finish, had been set up to honor the 26 dead in the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting last December.

The race began at 10 a.m., and the explosions were reported just before 3 p.m. The winners had long ago completed the race ? Desisa finished with a time of just over 2 hours, 10 minutes ? but the explosions came as masses of other runners were approaching the finish. NBC affiliate WHDH said that storefront windows nearby were blown out.

Related: Slideshow of scene of explosions

?Right now I?m in my condo with about 50-60 people I picked up off the street including marathon runners. Setting up a camp,? Corey Griffin told NBC News. ?They have nowhere to go because everything is shut down. Officials said to get inside. This is crazy.?

Authorities did not immediately offer information on who might be responsible.

Evan Kohlmann, a terrorism analyst for NBC News, said that authorities would probably examine residue from the blasts to determine their type.

Adding that it was premature to identify a culprit, he said: ?If this was a deliberate act, unfortunately it certainly would reflect something that we?re seeing. There?s an emphasis on these soft targeted attacks now. We?re moving away from the spectacular attacks and we?re moving into the small grade, homegrown attacks.?

Will Ritter, the spokesman for Massachusetts Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez, who was running the race, told NBC News that he heard what sounded like two explosions and saw smoke rising near the Boston Public Library. He said that he saw three fire engines and police running to the site.

?We heard two really large explosions in rapid succession, about a second apart from each other,? Ritter said. ?Everybody kind of ducked and hit the ground.?

Another witness told WHDH that it sounded like cannon fire.

The AP reported that runners and race organizers were crying as they fled the scene, and that bloody spectators were carried to medical tents intended for exhausted runners. Runners who were still on the 26.2-mile course were being stopped and directed elsewhere, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said. The agency suggested that people trying to reach loved ones use text messaging because of crowded phone lines.

New England Cable News reported that the emergency response came within seconds.

The Boston transit system suspended some service.

Authorities gave a phone number for people in search of loved ones ? 617-635-4520. They encouraged people with information about the blasts to call 1-800-494-TIPS.

Tracy Connor of NBC News contributed to this report. Reuters also contributed to this report.

?

This story was originally published on Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:05 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2abf3e2e/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C150C177647470Ewitnesses0E20Eexplosions0Eheard0Enear0Efinish0Eline0Eof0Eboston0Emarathon0Dlite/story01.htm

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Welcome to iMore ... Peter Cohen!

Peter Cohen has spent most of his life writing about technology, especially as it pertains to Apple and gaming. He ran MacGaming, which was acquired by MacCentral, which in turn was acquired by Macworld, where Peter worked for many years as a Senior Editor. Since then, Peter has written for Mac|Life, MacUser (UK), Tap! and a variety of other online and print publications. Most recently, Peter began the Angry Mac Bastards podcast, and co-founded The Loop with Jim Dalrymple, where he serves as the executive editor.

Over the course of his career, Peter has accumulated a tremendous amount of experience, insight, and understanding, as well as a unique voice, attitude, and editorial sensibility.

And starting April 22, he's bringing it all to iMore.

Not surprisingly, Peter intends to immediately ramp up Mac and gaming content, and make iMore not only the place you go to for the very best iOS coverage, but for the very best Apple coverage. Period.

What's more, Peter will also be working with everyone here to take our entire community to the next level, helping out with our iMore 3.0 projects (both web and app), some amazing Mobile Nations stuff we'll be announcing soon, and some future stuff we're all really excited about.

I've been a huge fan of Peter's work for years and I'm thrilled we'll all get to enjoy even more of it now, and right here at iMore.

Please give him a warm welcome, and if you aren't already, you should follow him on Twitter @flargh.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/u4vzJ2B6Sfw/story01.htm

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Fed doves play down threat of U.S. inflation

By Jonathan Spicer and Alister Bull

(Reuters) - Federal Reserve policymakers went out of their way on Saturday to play down the risk that aggressive measures to bolster the U.S. economy would lead to inflation in the future, in a clear signal of support for its ongoing actions to spur growth.

The U.S. central bank last month maintained a controversial program of buying $85 billion of bonds a month, while pledging to keep interest rates near zero until unemployment hits at least 6.5 percent, so long as inflation stays under 2.5 percent.

Two of the central bank's most dovish officials - Chicago Federal Reserve boss Charles Evans and Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota - pushed back against recent signals from Fed hawks who want to taper those bond purchases.

"Without signs of actual inflation, many inflation-risk discussions ultimately raise this specter of ... unlocking the long-ago-vanquished inflation demons from the dungeon," said Evans, a voting member of the Fed's policy committee this year.

"We have to monitor it, we have to be mindful, but I don't think we should obsess over it," he told an event in Boston.

Minutes of the Fed's March 19-20 meeting, released on Wednesday, indicated that "many" of its 19 policymakers thought the pace of bond buying could be slowed in coming months, provided the nation's labor market continues to improve.

However, data released since that meeting showed disappointingly small U.S. job growth in March and an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent, which was actually down from 7.7 percent the month before but only because people gave up looking for work.

The Fed's preferred inflation measure is around 1.3 percent, well below its 2 percent target.

Kocherlakota, like-minded and speaking alongside Evans, argued that a balanced policy approach would allow inflation to deviate somewhat from its official 2 percent inflation goal, in order to lower U.S. unemployment.

"A balanced approach would allow for deviations of inflation from its longer run goal in order to facilitate a faster decline in unemployment back to its desired level," Kocherlakota said.

Kocherlakota is alone in advocating for even more accommodation from the Fed in the form of lowering to 5.5 percent, from 6.5 percent currently, the "threshold" at which the central bank will consider raising rates from near zero.

Meanwhile, a third official, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart, also defended the bond buying and said the "chemistry" necessary to spark inflation - stronger credit growth and a much more buoyant economy - was simply not in place.

"I'm confident those improving conditions will be easily recognizable and the committee has a variety of tools to counter inflationary pressures with tightening measures," he told an event at the University of Iowa on fiscal policy.

Lockhart, who is not a voter this year, is viewed as a policy centrist and therefore a good guide to the consensus among Fed leaders.

"We are navigating in uncharted waters...but I am convinced we are weighing the benefits of the policy against the possible longer term costs in a balanced way," he told the audience.

(Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-doves-play-down-threat-u-inflation-220246611--business.html

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Society benefits from traditional marriage | Columbia County News ...

Current weather

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Columbia County News-Times ?2013. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://newstimes.augusta.com/opinion/letters/2013-04-14/society-benefits-from-traditional-marriage

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What will happen to the 'Rainbow Nation' once its icon Mandela dies?

By Rohit Kachroo, Correspondent, NBC News

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa ? Discussing what will happen to the country once its iconic leader Nelson Mandela dies has long been a culturally and politically taboo subject in South Africa. Out of respect for the 94-year-old former president, government officials never publicly refer to plans for what happens after his death, and in private, they often use cryptic synonyms to discuss the inevitable.

View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.

But Mandela?s frequent trips to the hospital ? most recently to be treated for pneumonia ? have forced the question of ?what happens next?? further into the public domain.

Of course, no one knows what democratic South Africa will look like without Mandela.

Some believe the frail freedom fighter is somehow holding the disparate parts of the ?Rainbow Nation? together from his sick bed, and fear an outbreak of racial violence once he dies. Others disagree and think the young nation is still struggling ? but that it has moved beyond the apartheid-era issues.??

---

?It genuinely frightens me?
?I am not a racist, but?? -- It sounds like an ominous opener.

Elaine was about to outline her prediction ? an unpopular one ? of what will happen when South Africa loses Mandela. She feels the need to declare her belief in racial equality before setting out her fear that South Africa?s delicate social harmony might be torn apart when the ?Father of the Nation? is gone.

?I am really scared that the country will explode. There are a lot of people out there who are just holding themselves back until he dies. It genuinely frightens me,? said Elaine, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. ?

?I will be mourning like everyone else, but I will be mourning at home. I won?t be leaving my house that day because I?m concerned about what will happen,? she said. ?I don?t know what they will do. But I feel that they have a right to be angry.?

?They? are South Africa?s 40 million black people who, a generation after the end of apartheid, are disproportionately enduring its economic legacy. Largely, they remain the ?have-nots? of what the World Bank has called the world?s most unequal society.

Rohit Kachroo/ NBC News

Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Elaine, a 26-year-old white woman, is certainly one of the ?haves.? Born into a rich family, she now works as a well-paid financial advisor in Johannesburg?s northern suburbs. ?I may be paranoid,? Elaine admitted, ?but there are lots of people who think like me.?

A ?patronizing? view
Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student. A black woman, born after Mandela?s 1990 release from prison, she has never truly known racial segregation and resents the view that violence will erupt after Mandela?s death.

?Many white South Africans think that there will be apartheid in reverse. That?s what they?re afraid of. You hear many whites saying they will move to Australia when that happens.

?But [the violence] will never happen? It?s patronizing and outdated to think that it will.?

?Most of my parents? generation are still angry,? said Georgina's classmate Carol Phago, an English student from Johannesburg. ?Many still hold a grudge,? she said, referring to the former apartheid era.

?But maybe there are different enemies now. People are angry with the government, not with their fellow South Africans.?

Dissatisfaction with government
Rage is certainly building over the government?s inability to improve the lives of the millions of black South Africans who live in impoverished townships.

Nelson Mandela was discharged on Saturday from the hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia, South Africa's presidency said in a statement. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

In addition, there is anger over the country?s inability to shake off the title as ?the rape capital of the world.??

According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, more than one in five men reported raping a woman who was not a partner and 14.3 percent of men reported having raped their current or former wife or girlfriend.

The issue of rampant domestic violence in South Africa gained international attention recently with the fatal shooting of Reeva Steenkamp by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius.

Rohit Kachroo / NBC News

Geoffrey Manulake, is a 32-year-old security guard in Johannesburg, South Africa.

There is frustration with a police force that is faced with constant accusations of corruption and incompetence. The shooting death of 34 striking miners by police officers last August has amplified the recurring claim that the behavior of the state under democracy has become too similar to that of the apartheid government.

It is one reason why security guard Geoffrey Manulake, 32, has rejected a career in the police force. He feels disillusioned with the public institutions of his country and worries about how they will develop in the post-Mandela period.

?Politicians feel the need to satisfy themselves. They just want to line their own pockets,? said Manulake. ?I look around at our leaders and feel that we cannot lose this icon. Nelson Mandela is the one who united our country and united the world.?

?But we have come a long way since ?94,? he said, referring to the year Mandela was elected president in South Africa?s first multi-racial elections. "People who talk about violence are wrong.?

Related links:

Nelson Mandela is discharged from South Africa hospital

Mandela hospitalized again, South Africa leader asks world to pray for him

'Who is my Mandela?' South Africans consider icon's place in a changing world

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