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Roundtable: 1 Stock to Buy in October
As we do each month, we asked a handful of our top analysts across sectors for one stock that looks especially compelling right now. Here are the companies they singled out.
Rick Munarriz: It's time to get a smoothie fix. I'm going with Jamba this month. The parent company of the Jamba Juice smoothie chain will be hosting a conference call next week to get investors up to speed with its outlook for the year ahead and the progress that it has made in fleshing out its product offerings and expanding its JambaGo line of self-serve kiosks.
This should be a good time for Jamba. Back in August it was targeting 4% to 6% in comps growth for 2013, even though same-store sales through the first half of the year only rose 2.8%. Revenue growth has been uninspiring as Jamba hands over company-owned stores to franchisees, but profitability is growing at a healthier clip. Analysts see a profit of $0.36 a share this year, soaring to $0.66 a share come 2014. There may be a growing number of places where one can get a smoothie these days, but Jamba's been able to set itself apart as mainstream fast-food chains and baristas educate the beverage sippers on the merits of blended fruit drinks.
Chuck Saletta: Right now, natural gas pipeline giant Kinder Morgan looks like an interesting opportunity for income-oriented investors with a long time horizon. In December of 2012, the company projected that it would pay $1.57 in dividends in 2013. In May, it increased its projection to $1.60, a projection it reaffirmed in September. With only one quarter remaining in 2013, Kinder Morgan has paid $1.15 in dividends, which means that it needs to pay $0.45 in the fourth quarter to meet its projection.
In spite of that solid projection, Kinder Morgan's stock is down since that update, in part because it had to stretch to pay its third-quarter dividend. With low natural gas prices and an aggressive expansion plan, Kinder Morgan may need to stretch again if it plans to meet its projected dividend, and there's also the chance that it simply won't reach its projection.
That risk of either missing or stretching for its dividend isn't helping the company's stock. Still, when it was originally selected for the real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio last December, I estimated its fair value at $36.16 per share. Its recent price of $35.57 is around that level, even though it's continuing to expand in a way that is anticipated to create long-term value in spite of any near-term hiccups.
With a decent valuation and long-term income growth plan, Kinder Morgan looks like a stock worth buying in October.
Maxx Chatsko: If only there existed a company that was spearheaded by an industry legend, allowed you to tap into growth in emerging markets, led an entire industry's response to climate change, and was virtually locked-in for double-digit growth for years to come.
Oh wait, that sounds an awful lot like Air Lease , which buys energy-efficient aircraft and leases them to airlines throughout the world. The company was founded by aircraft guru Steven Udvar-Hazy in 2010, who, in addition to leading International Lease Finance Corp. for 37 years before selling it to AIG, has more than three decades of jet flying experience. That gives the company a unique edge in advising Boeing, Embraer, Airbus, and ATR on new design concepts. You read that right: Air Lease tells them what to build.
September was a busy month for the company, as it announced the placement of one aircraft each with Georgian Airways and Ukraine International Airlines and the finalization of orders for 30 new aircraft from Boeing. It's all part of the bigger picture: boosting aircraft from 176 now to 283 by the end of 2016. With year-over-year second-quarter sales and net income growing by 31% and 53%, respectively, I would say any month is a good time to add shares.
Sean Williams: Halloween may be right around the corner, but I'm looking to put the tricks back in the bag and point out one treat-like contrarian stock, American Eagle Outfitters .
There's no sugar-coating the back-to-school shopping season -- it was atrocious. It really doesn't matter which teen retailer we choose -- from the low end of Aeropostale to the higher end Abercombie & Fitch -- sales stunk! But American Eagle holds a few key advantages over its peers.
To begin with, American Eagle is perched in a perfectly priced niche. Teens want branded clothing and parents want non-branded pricing. Whereas Aeropostale doesn't exactly fit the bill of "cool" branded clothing among teens, American Eagle and Abercrombie do. Fortunately for American Eagle, Abercrombie's comparably higher price points and multiple PR gaffes have put it off most parents' radar.
American Eagle is also more fluid with its inventory than either of its peers. Although second-quarter same-store sales dipped 7%, it has completely cleared its inventory backlog. Aeropostale, on the other hand, has been dealing with inventory issues for two years and counting. While discounting isn't preferable, American Eagle understands when to cut its losses and move into more profitable ventures.
Speaking of profitable ventures, the company's direct-to-consumer segment remains on fire, posting a low double-digit increase in the second quarter. As long as American Eagle can continue to connect with its core teen customer both in the store and online, it should have no trouble rebounding from its recent swoon.
Brendan Mathews: My favorite stock this month is Accenture -- one of the largest management consulting, system integration, and outsourcing companies in the world. The company, which was also recommended in September, has a strong competitive advantage, it is awash in cash, and the company has a history of rewarding shareholders.
Accenture employees work closely with clients, often becoming indispensable. Ninety-two of the company's top 100 clients have been customers for at least 10 years. This customer loyalty is a strong competitive advantage, which fuels Accenture's superior economics.
Thanks to customer loyalty, pricing power, and an asset-light business model, Accenture produces plenty of cash. In the past year, the company generated over $3 billion in free cash flow. And the company has nearly $6 billion of cash on its books, with virtually no debt. That's a lot of cash coming in (and on the books) for a $47 billion market cap company.
It's great to have plenty of cash, but it's even better when its ends up in shareholder pockets. That's where Accenture excels, since is IPO over a decade ago, the company has returned 90% of the free cash flow generated to shareholders, either via its growing dividend or share repurchases.
Jim Mueller: I like homebuilder Meritage Homes because of strong demographic trends and clear-sighted management.
First, there is huge pent-up demand for home purchases and a large wave of buyers behind that. Many people delayed starting their own households during the Great Recession. As the economy slowly improves, they're feeling greater pressure to do so. Plus, there are millions aged 20-24 today who will be entering the prime housebuying ages of 25-35 over the next several years, more than 4 million a year. That's more than will be exiting that bracket each year, which should drive up housing demand.
Second, I greatly admire CEO and co-founder Steve Hilton. He reacted quickly when the housing bubble started bursting by switching the company from growth to survival mode, paying down and refinancing debt and growing the cash balance . With the company on stronger footing , he then started buying developed lots at deep discounts from less savvy developers . Then he turned the company toward coming out of the recession with improving sales tactics and creating a competitive advantage with implementing more energy efficiency in the homes .
All through the crisis and coming out of it, he explained what the company would do and then the company did it. No excuses, no complaining, just clear, forthright management that navigated Meritage successfully through the troubles and brought the company back to profitability.
Keith Speights: Intuitive Surgical has been a longtime winner for many investors, but 2013 has unfolded as an ugly year for the robotic surgical systems maker. Sales have been disappointing due to financial pressures on hospitals and sluggish growth in procedure volumes as questions have arisen about the safety of the company's devices. Intuitive's shares have dropped by 26% year-to-date as a result.
That's the bad news. However, there are several good reasons to buy this stock. Intuitive Surgical is priced more attractively now than it has been since early 2009. Despite significant headwinds this year, demand is still growing for Intuitive's daVinci surgical systems.
Those financial pressures experienced by hospitals could be alleviated at least partially in 2014 as previously uninsured Americans gain coverage through the Obamacare health insurance exchanges. As for the safety questions, I expect that Intuitive will be able to address these satisfactorily.
Intuitive Surgical's recurring revenue from instruments, accessories, and services accounts for a whopping 57% of total sales. The old razor-and-blades business model works for robots, too. I think Intuitive will get past its current woes and reward shareholders who maintain a long-term perspective.
Tamara Rutter: Starbucks is on a roll this year. The coffee giant's stock has gained 44% year-to-date and shares are trading near an all-time high of more than $77 apiece. As a result, many investors avoid Starbucks and default to the "buy low, sell high" mantra. However, there are still catalysts that should push the stock higher from here.
For starters, Starbucks is facing lower input costs thanks to declining coffee prices. In fact, "Arabica-coffee futures tumbled to their lowest price in more than four years," according to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal. Of course, coffee prices won't remain depressed forever. But that won't matter for Starbucks thanks to the brand's pricing power. In June, Starbucks increased prices at its U.S. stores by an average of about 1%. Yet, Starbucks customers hardly noticed. This isn't the first time the java retailer has raised prices, and it won't be the last. Starbucks' profit margins should continue to benefit from the company's ability to charge customers more, whether or not it pays less for raw materials.
A beverage maker named Fizzio is another potential catalyst for Starbucks that's not yet priced into the stock. Starbucks recently filed a patent application for the device, which makes carbonated drinks . This could thrust the coffee company into a fast-growing at-home soda market that's currently dominated by SodaStream. Make no mistake; Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has a near-flawless track record when it comes to launching food and beverage offerings. Moreover, a company spokesperson confirmed that Starbucks is already testing flavored sodas in its Atlanta and Austin stores, which means an official Fizzio debut may be just around the corner.
Kevin Chen: You may have lost hope for Sohu.com years ago, but, now, there's ever more reason for you to be bullish.
Investors got a huge vote of confidence last month after Tencent announced a $448 million deal to merge its Soso search engine with Sohu's Sogou.com. While Tencent now owns a 36.5% stake in Sogou.com, Sohu still maintains majority control of its search business. This gives Sohu a great shot at tackling its competitors in the search space.
Adding up the numbers, Sogou.com market share has jumped 3.4 percentage points to 12.2%. Search results get better the more a search engine is used, so don't be surprised if Sogou.com grows even faster in the year to come.
More importantly, Sohu now has the space to really focus on search -- or any industry. Before, Sohu was fighting what seemed like a losing battle in mobile, online video, and online portals -- the company saw double-digit growth over recent months, but its market share lagged far behind competitors. One of those competitors is Tencent, a leader in each of those industries. As the deal shows the two companies on friendly terms, Sohu seems to have one less competitor to worry about.
While Sohu stock has yet to fully rebound after dropping from its high of $105 in 2011, the company now trades around $80 per share, having increased 70% so far this year. If this deal becomes an enduring partnership, you can be sure that Sohu's stock will rise even more.
Patrick Morris: While PNC had a difficult 2012, it has begun to turn the corner through the first two quarters of 2013 as it has watched its return on assets and equity draw closer to its highly esteemed peer US Bancorp.
This has been the result of a diligent focus on transforming its business to be less dependent on traditional bank interest income from its consumer division, and a greater focus on its more highly profitable corporate clients. In addition it has watched incredible growth in its 22% BlackRock stake -- which added $220 million to its bottom line through the first six months of the year, compared to just $178 million last year. It is also pursuing growth in its automobile and commercial health care businesses, which will likely stand to benefit from expanding market conditions.
While its businesses are growing at a healthy rate and present a compelling case in and of themselves, it also has a very attractive valuation, with a price-to-tangible book value of 1.4, while peers US Bancorp and BB&T sit at 3.1 and 2.1, respectively. In all of this, PNC makes for a compelling consideration to buy in October.
Matt DiLallo: The average oil well in America only produces about a third of the oil that's in the ground. That means oil companies are leaving untold billions of barrels of oil worth hundreds of billions of dollars just sitting there. This is oil that could be fueling our economy, but it's not...yet.
It's that remaining oil that my top stock this month, Denbury Resources , is focused on getting out of the ground. The company uses an enhanced oil recovery method which sees it injecting carbon dioxide into those wells to get more oil out. While the method has been around since the 1970s, Denbury is the first company to build its business almost exclusively around that process.
What I like about Denbury is that it's a great long-term buy-to-hold oil stock. The company has a plan in place to grow its production by a low teens annual rate for the next decade. Right now it's investing heavily to build the infrastructure needed to bring that growth online. However, because of how the economics of enhanced oil recovery works, the company should be producing significant free cash flow in a couple of years. That means that patient long-term investors should eventually see a substantial dividend to go along with solid oil production growth. That makes Denbury a great way to play the American oil story.
If you are interested in one additional idea, The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for this year. Find out which stock it is in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.
The article Roundtable: 1 Stock to Buy in October originally appeared on Fool.com.
The Motley Fool recommends Accenture, Intuitive Surgical, Kinder Morgan, Meritage Homes, Sohu.com, Embraer, SodaStream, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of Denbury Resources, Intuitive Surgical, Kinder Morgan, PNC Financial Services, SodaStream, and Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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(CNN) - Newt Gingrich denied any knowledge of a robocall put out by his campaign Tuesday claiming rival Mitt Romney refused to fund kosher food for Holocaust survivors during his time as Massachusetts governor.
Gingrich's campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond confirmed the calls were going out statewide in Florida Tuesday. The call's claim that Romney vetoed a bill providing kosher meals to nursing home residents during his time as governor first arose Monday, when Gingrich cited a report from the New York Post.
CNN Live: Tune in to CNN on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET for CNN's live coverage of the Florida primary results and follow real-time results on CNNPolitics.com and on Twitter at #cnnelections. Stay up to date with CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android or other phones.
Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
The robocall begins by saying: "As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney vetoed a bill paying for kosher food for our seniors in nursing homes. Holocaust survivors, who for the first time, were forced to eat non-kosher, because Romney thought $5 was too much to pay for our grandparents to eat kosher."
Gingrich's robocall then urges voters to cast votes for Gingrich, saying, "Tuesday you can end Mitt Romney's hypocrisy on religious freedom, with a vote for Newt Gingrich."
At a campaign stop in Plant City, Florida, Gingrich denied any knowledge of the robocall, despite his campaign claiming responsibility for it.
When asked if the call was "over the top," Gingrich said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
When pressed, Gingrich said he wouldn't comment about the call since it was "something I don't know about."
Gingrich first made the claim about Romney's kosher food veto Monday, telling an audience in Jacksonville he read about the veto over the weekend.
The New York Post reported Friday on a veto Romney cast in 2003 that rejected "$600,000 in additional funds for poor Jewish nursing-home residents to get kosher meals."
The veto was one of hundreds of line-item vetoes Romney made as governor during a time of fiscal crisis in Massachusetts.
Responding to Gingrich's claims, Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul said the former speaker's campaign was growing increasingly desperate.
"It's sad to see Speaker Gingrich lashing out in a desperate attempt to try and save his floundering campaign," Saul said. "Speaker Gingrich will say anything to distract voters from the fact that he suffered an unprecedented ethics reprimand, was forced to pay a $300,000 penalty, and resigned in disgrace at the hands of his own party. His record is one of failed and unreliable leadership and simply one Americans can't risk."
CNN's Jim Acosta, Shawna Shepherd, Peter Hamby and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
Also see:
Gingrich camp pulled in $5 million in January
Gingrich sued for using 'Eye of the Tiger' in campaign
Florida primary 'the most negative campaign ever,' says media group
Don't know who said it 1st, but man's true character is proven during hard times...Newt's true character is showing...he doesn't even believe it anymore...
Too bad for the Religious Right and Tea Baggers...no one to vote for this November.
I don't believe Newt knows the difference between denying and lying. In fact, I don't believe Newt....period.
Like we should ever believe anything Newt tries to pass on. He is a bully, and a liar, who loves to blame anybody else for his mistakes.
If his pants ignited every time he lied, he'd have the hottest poker in Washington.
Holocaust survivors, who for the first time, were forced to eat non-kosher, because Romney thought $5 was too much to pay for our grandparents to eat kosher."
Are you kidding me??? FOR THE FIRST TIME? Wow...who knew that Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen served kosher, and it was Evil Mitt Romney who finally "forced" non-kosher food? I'm so grateful to Newt Gingrich and his minions for clarifying history for me. What a miscarriage of justice that the Nazi camp guards were never credited with respecting the religious beliefs of their prisoners...
My prediction: Newt becomes the GOP nominee (which he has assured us he will). He gets the Lincoln-Douglas debates he's been asking for – with the 150-year-old debate style and everything. And he totally trounces Obama and also proves to the world not just how smart Newt really is, but also that Obama's birth certificate is a fake. And we'll be lobbing missiles at Iran soon, too. But I still have just one question: Can we please have Mitt sing the National Anthem at Newt's inauguration?
Obama 2012.
Why doesn't someone with some cojones in the media ask the newterman to repeat "Spanish is the ghetto language" and how he is going to teach blacks to earn a paycheck instead of receiving welfare.
That would go over really well in Florida and the rest of the country.
I am sure if this bill was put before Mr. Gingrich, he would suggest the senior citizens clean the toilets at their nursing home to defray the cost of kosher meals and tell us how the elderly have no work ethics as they expect other people to take care of them.
This guy is like the sline that grows at the bottom of a watering pail left outside. If he wins, I'm leaving the country.
Still on the kosher gambit, Newt? The whole "denying Holocaust survivors kosher food" thing really adds an exquisite touch to the overall pandering for Florida's elderly Jewish vote. What would Saul Alinsky think?
Well, it is Newt, so everybody knows he's lying about not knowing anything, just sayin'!

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi guys,
I just started working with oracle 11i about three months ago and need some help. Most people around here seem clueless about the application so we resort to a third party for help, but they seem to never get back to you.
The problem I am having is that, Our system shows that we have some purchase orders open or I should say not paid in the Univoiced Receipts Report. The purchase orders and items have been paid for. What happen was that our AP dept. did not match the Purchase Order with the payment. So it still shops open. What can I do to remove it from the Univoiced Receipts Report?


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- You Are Here:
- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Finance
- Revenue Collections
- Business License
Business License
En Español
Contact Information
Customer Service Counter
6550 Miles Avenue #127
Huntington Park, CA 90255
(323) 584-6232
(323) 588-2657 Fax
Information Sheets and Applications
- New Business License Application (PDF)
- Business License Closure Form (PDF)
- Contractor's License Application (PDF)
Any person or entity who conducts any business, trade, profession, enterprise,
establishment or occupation within the City shall obtain a business license whether or not the
physical address is in or outside the City. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Apartment owners (see Rental Property License application)
- Commercial/Industrial rental property owners (see Rental Property License application)
- Business located within the City such as retail stores, wholesalers, manufacturers and service providers
- Businesses, which are located outside the City, but transact business in the City such as contractors, cleaners, repair people and gardeners
- Home-based businesses
- Independent contractors such as doctors, hairdressers, janitorial contractors
- Ice cream, produce, bakery and catering trucks
Certain businesses may require other permit approval in addition to filing the business license application and the payment of the business license tax.
Steps for Obtaining a Business License
There are several steps in the process of obtaining your business license. Before you get started, make sure to take care of these initial steps:
* Contact Community Development to find out if your business activity is
permitted at the proposed business address.
* Check your Business Type to see if your business requires further review
License Steps
- Step One: Application and Review
- Step Two: Pay Fees and Inspection Requirements
- Step Three: Safety Inspection
- Step Four: Final Documents
Important Contact Information
Community Development
Phone #(323) 584-6210
Step One: Application and Review
Contact Community Development for review and approval; upon approval you are ready to begin the business license process.
1. The business license application requires approval by Community Development. An occupancy permit requires an inspection. The purpose is to ensure the business operation is in the correct zone and the area you intend to occupy meets the City's building code standards.
2. Please make sure your application contains a Business Operations Description.
3. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
4. Submit the business license application and the business license supplemental application to Community Development at the counter between 7:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Thursday.
Community Development will review the application. In some case, the review may involve a site visit.
Important Contact Information
Community Development
Phone #(323) 584-6210
Step Two: Pay Fees and Inspection Requirements
When Community Development reviews and approves your application, they will direct you:
- Pay the Occupancy Permit Inspection at the Finance Cashier Window
- Below is the list of inspection items required for a Business License Occupancy Certification from the Department of Building & Safety:
- Property address clearly visible from the street.
- Double keyed door locks are not allowed on exit doors.
- A sign on the entrance door, frame, inside the business and above door, is required stating "This door to remain unlocked during business hours".
- All outlets, switches, and junction boxes are to be properly covered.
- No exposed wiring.
- Bolt all storage cabinets and shelving over 6' tall to the ground or wall.
- GFCI outlet is required if the outlet is within 6' of a sink.
- No open breaker slots allowed in any panel.
- A minimum of 3' clearance is required in front of all panels and electrical meters.
Please contact the Building and Safety Department at (323)584.6273, when you are ready for an inspection.Step Three: Safety Inspection
Now that you have an inspection appointment, you need to:
- Designate someone to greet the inspector and provide access to the building.
- This person must be at the business location from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Specific times cannot be provided.
- If the inspection fails, the inspector will leave a correction notice. When all corrections have been made, you need to call for a re-inspection. For a building inspector call (323) 584-6273.
- There is no charge for a re-inspection.
Step Four: Final Documents
You have obtained building inspector approval. This means you passed inspection.
Here is what you need to do next.
- Complete the business license application and calculate fees. Contact Business License Division at (323) 584-6232, to confirm amount.
- Complete the alarm permit application. There is a $20 permit fee. If you do not have an alarm, fill out the application and indicate there is no alarm.
- Submit the following forms and payment to the Finance Department.
- Business License Application
- Emergency Card
- Alarm Permit Application
- License Collector's Form
- State/Government Issued Identification
- Federal Tax Identification Number/SSN Number
Closing a Business License
Business owners who wish to close a business entirely or transfer ownership to another party must file a Business License Closure Form with the Finance Department.
Additional forms are required for Corporations, Specialty Professions and Food Related Businesses. Contact Business License Division at (323) 584-6232, for required forms.


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Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy took Iran to task on Thursday for its role in the Syrian crisis. During a speech at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, Morsy, though never directly criticizing Iran, repeatedly condemned the "unjust" and "oppressive" Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, Iran's closest ally.
"The crisis in Syria is hanging upon all of us. It is our responsibility. It is our responsibility," Morsy repeated. "We have to be aware the bloodshed will not stop and will not be limited if we do not actively interfere to stop it." Iran advocates a "Syrian-Syrian" solution free of "any external influences on the internal affairs of Syria," as Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told TIME on Tuesday.
(MORE: In Tehran, a Surprise Session with Iran's Foreign Minister)
Morsy was in Tehran to hand over the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement to his "dear brother," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since Morsy took office, Iran has made several overtures to Cairo, hoping for a normalization of relations with Egypt. At one point, Ahmadinejad said he could be in Cairo in an hour if Morsy was willing to meet — an offer that went unanswered, as did an Iranian offer to take over the $1.3 billion in annual military aid Egypt receives from the U.S.
So Iran was delighted when Morsy announced that he would be attending and speaking at the conference, even though the Egyptian leader would only spend a few hours in Tehran and refused all offers for bilateral talks. "Egypt is there not because of Iran but because of the Non-Aligned Movement," says Dennis Ross, a former top adviser to President Barack Obama on the Middle East. "Morsy's playing it up as Egypt being independent, not owned by anybody and not owing anybody anything."
(MORE: Will Iran's Third-World Jamboree Hasten an Israeli Attack? Probably Not)
Iran initially pushed for a resolution on Syria as part of the conference's declaration, but backed down when it became clear such a move would provoke a fight with Sunni nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. "The Arab Spring hasn't proven the godsend gift to the Republic that the Iranian officials have talked about," says Ali Alfoneh, an Iran expert at the American Enterprise Institute. "The events in Syria have been catastrophic for Iran because they find themselves on the other side of the revolution." The sectarian violence in Syria, with Assad's regime accused of killing tens of thousands of Sunnis, also seems to be the biggest sticking point in Iran's hoped-for rapprochement with Egypt, at least if Morsy's speech on Thursday was any judge.
Morsy's remarks represented the first drama in the otherwise staid conference. During the ministerial portion of the conference earlier in the week, 120 nations agreed on the declaration text, which includes only three bland paragraphs promoting peace in Syria. Much more attention was paid to the support given to Iran's nuclear program and against U.S. and E.U. sanctions currently squeezing the Iranian economy.
Morsy paid lip service to this issue as well, but he returned three times to the Syrian crisis. "I am here today to announce our full and just support of a free, independent Syria," he said. "And a process that supports a transition to a democratic system that respects the will of the Syrian people … at the same time preventing Syria from going into civil war or going into sectarian divisions."
(PHOTOS: The Syrian Civil War: Photographs by Alessio Romenzi)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, who officially welcomed more than 40 heads of state to the summit on Thursday, didn't mention Syria, though he did express his hope that the Non-Aligned Movement spurs the transformation of a unilateral world, under the supremacy of the U.S., into a multilateral one. "Humanity is divided into first-, second- and third-class citizens," Khamenei said. "American and European security is important while the security of the rest of humankind is considered unimportant. Torture and assassination when committed by the U.S. and Zionists or one of their henchmen is totally condonable."
MORE: What Lies? Beneath the Mysterious History of an Iranian Nuclear Site


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== Agenda ==
== Agenda ==
Latest revision as of 03:55, 6 June 2010
The 112th Meeting of Noisebridge.
Get someone to grab the membership binder now. Get someone to take notes.
- Moderator: Al Sweigart
- Note-Taker: Al Sweigart
Attending: 12+
Officers: 0
Introduction and Names[edit]
- Anyone new to the meeting/space should stand up and say something cool.
- What Noisebridge is about: We make stuff and so can you!
- A brief primer on consensus process: We agree and so should you!
Work Party on Saturday, June 5th, noon - 7pm NoiseBridgeRehab for more details.
Treasurer's Report[edit]
Funds in the bank: $8572
Above 50 members
Membership Binder[edit]
- Read off any names from the binder for the past month.
- Anyone up for join this week should introduce them selves then leave the area in search of gifts for the rest of the group.
New Names are read in the binder:
What's Going On at Noisebridge[edit]
The following items should be introduced:
- Circuit Hacking Mondays (7PM, 2169)
- Python Mondays (6:30 PM, 2169)
- SCoW craft group - Wednesdays at 7PM
- GameDevelopment - Wednesdays at 8PM, 2010 class is in session
- Shop Friday still plans to come back when the shop is done.
- Sensebridge and the EEG group - Sundays at afternoonish (1-2ish) - come to try brain scanning
- Spacebridge - Sundays at 5PM
- Knots, Go, and Locks! - Sundays 3PM
Project Updates[edit]
Consensus items[edit]
Deliver consensus on 5/25/10 meeting item: Shall Noisebridge allow Mitch to use member's given emails to offer a promotional opt-in for reciprocal SF techshop membership. 5/25/10 Notes & TechShop/NB Reciprocal Membership
Discussion Items[edit]
- PASSED - Walkie Talkies for people needing elevator when it's stuck Elevator Radios -- Mitch.
- Adafruit reseller pricing for Noisebridge -- should we sign up? Who's willing to do the work? (Al has volunteered to handle this, including looking into any 501c3 issues with selling kits.)
End of Meeting[edit]
- PGP Key Signing could happen now, check the list to see who wants in on the action.
- Put back the membership binder. Note: this week, notices were sent to sponsors of potential members languishing in the back of the binder due to not attending membership meeting for induction.
- Save the meeting notes to the wiki.
- Send a copy of the meeting notes to the discussion list.
- Copy the Meeting Notes Template for next week's agenda and update the main wiki page's link to it.
- Enjoy a cocktail with your fellow hacker or robot.


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That's about as long as it takes for a longer form of content, like a blog post, to gather feedback from the moment of publishing. You know how you're doing within that time frame. No comments, likes, or retweets, and you can be sure it will just sit there, a virgin in your stream. That doesn't mean it's not interesting, it's just not timed right for some reason.
90 minutes is the time it takes to play a football game - yes, in Italy we do call it that - although it may take a little longer to win a World Cup. 90 minutes is a long time if you're running up and down a regular soccer field - I know, I played the game - and it's a long time to be waiting for an answer, a goal, a score, something.
In customer service situations, 20 minutes may seem like an eternity. What happens if it takes you 90 minutes to diagnose an issue and come up with an answer? After all, it took more than that time to come up with the product or service, align the business to deliver it, and bring it to market.
But once the product or service is ready, marketers want to get the word out about it as broadly as possible and with as much bang as possible. Only to wish customers would wait to speak up if there is a service issue. Which is where the rubber meets the proverbial road.
So, if 90 minutes is our symbolic time it takes to diagnose and solve an average problem (yes, I'm aware of the issue with declaring any problem average), what are the options?
OPTION 1: Could you make up speed with breadth? In other words, could you spread your presence over as many social networks as possible to involve customers wherever they are? By being a known entity, you may go farther than other companies in gaining an understanding of what is important to your customers, first, and deliver that as you keep fixing the rest.
OPTION 2: Would you be willing to make up speed for participation? In other words, allowing your customers and peers to help diagnose and create solutions, moving the forums to your own Web site or Web properties, and sharing the outcomes.
OPTION 3: What if you made up speed with attention? This is something a company and individual earns over time and over actions - visible, public actions of regard and consideration. It is the question and age old flattering gesture of attention that we focus our conversation at Fast Company Expert blog, where we explore why and how fluency in customer conversation is a key business driver.
What other options can you think about?


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Last week, the United States Supreme Court decreed that the limits of $5,200 in campaign donation to a single candidate, and $123,200 to all candidates in an election cycle are unconstitutional because these limits represent a restriction on the constitutionally protected free speech. The decision made it possible to donate up to $3.6 million during an election cycle. I'm sure many of you felt frustrated by the burdensome regulation that prohibited you from donating more than $123,000 to the candidates of your choice… Not many of you? Wait, not even one of you? Well, apparently someone did feel constrained by these few campaign finance restrictions remaining after Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision that money equals free speech and that corporations are people. Here are 10 reactions to the latest Court's decision on campaign finance and free speech.
1) Vladimir Putin, president of Russia: Thank you, Supreme Court! Thank you! Now I know that don't have to spend $100-$200 billions to prepare for the new Cold War, I just need $10-$20 billions to buy up all the American politicians and win it.
2) Average Republican voter: I'm also happy with this decision. I am absolutely, positively sure that whenever a wealthy job creator gives a few million dollars to a Republican candidate, he does so because he genuinely has my best interests in mind.
3) Susan P. Stein, curator of Thomas Jefferson museum at Monticello: We have temporarily suspended all tours to the Jefferson family's burial plot due to the complaints of some strange noises heard there. It sounds like something is rolling underground.
4) Republican National Committee: To celebrate the Supreme Court's decision, we will hold a special Red Thursday sale on all Republican candidates! Perfect for both running errands and for entertaining your dinner guests with their outrageous antics! Get them while supplies last! And don't miss this amazing deal: 50% off on all used candidates like Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney!
5) Lawrence T. Elliot, high-profile criminal defense lawyer: Since the Supreme Court has established that money is speech, I, instead of bothering to argue a criminal case for my affluent clients in court, will just be able to donate a few million dollars to the judge.
6) Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice: Unfortunately, our decision still left in place most of the restrictions on the free speech. Look, $3.6 million limit per donor is still an infringement on free speech. Asking donors to disclose their donations – certainly an infringement on free speech. And, finally, making it illegal for politicians to promise special favors in exchange for large donations – well, that sounds a lot like free speech infringement to me.
7) Armed Patriots For White Power, a militia organization: This was a very encouraging decision, and it gives us hope that today's Supreme Courts will soon recognize political assassination as a form of protected free speech.
8) Republican National Committee: We have been trying to eradicate voter fraud from elections since 2008 – and the Court's decision has finally offered us the solution to the problem of people just not getting our message and still showing up to vote. Why can't we just have decide the winner of all future elections by whoever raises the most money?
9) List of X: I was planning to continue this list to 10 items, but then I realized that my standard of writing exactly 10 numbered items is nothing but a restriction on my free speech, and I'm just not going to stand for it.
19,221.61) So there.
On a personal note… Last Friday, my blogging buddy and Galactic Empire stormtrooper TwinDaddy has made my blog a target of his Stuphblog's Feature Friday series where he spotlights his favorite bloggers. I was both honored and perplexed that I was even considered for this exclusive club – but what floored me the most is that TwinDaddy actually wrote a list of 10 reasons why you should follow List of X. Since I myself can't think of a single reason why you should follow me, I suggest that you read them in his post. Please don't forget to check out his entertaining Stuphblog and follow it, because if you don't, it means that you do not respect TwinDaddy's right to free speech and hate the Constitution.
Don't forget to leave a comment – or just send me a check, because, as you know now, money is speech, too.


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Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles.
zero -- runs allowed by Pedro Strop in six games for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Orioles position players Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop produced mixed results at the World Baseball Classic -- each had some big hits but put up underwhelming numbers overall -- but reliever Pedro Strop was of the most unhittable relievers in the tournament. Pitching for the Dominican Republic, which won the tournament Tuesday night, Strop went 3-0 and was credited with two holds in six appearances. He did not allow a run in 6 2/3 innings. He gave up just three hits, walked no one and struck out seven batters. The Orioles would certainly like to see him pitch like that in the later innings once the season begins in early April.
1.118 -- slugging percentage for Matt Wieters through Tuesday's Grapefruit League play.
The Orioles catcher entered Wednesday's game on a hot streak, having collected at least one hit in eight straight games. Against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, Wieters went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in. His five total bases in two at-bats brought his spring slugging percentage to 1.118, tops among Orioles regulars. Of course, he won't be able to sustain that once the games start to matter, but it's a good sign that Wieters, who had a career-high 23 homers last season, is rolling right now.
three -- stolen bases for Brian Roberts in four tries this spring.
There continues to be positive news coming out of Sarasota when it comes to Roberts. He hit the road Tuesday for a game for the first time this spring. And he has been given the green light to start stealing bases. He stole one base head-first against the Boston Red Sox last week and stole two more against the Red Sox on Tuesday. His three steals in four attempts are tied with Trayvon Robinson for the most among Orioles this spring. The Orioles don't steal bases often -- they were last in the major leagues with 58 in 2012 -- but maybe they will try it more if Roberts continues to stay healthy.
nine -- base runners allowed by Zach Britton in Wednesday's start.
Britton had been making a push for the team's fifth and final spot in the starting rotation, recording a 2.08 earned run average in his first four Grapefruit League appearances. But the lefty got rocked Wednesday by the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave up five runs on seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings. He walked two batters and allowed a home run to Emilio Bonifacio. Britton's ERA has ballooned to 5.42, perhaps putting him behind Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Steve Johnson in the battle for the final spot in the rotation.
five -- position changes for Nate McLouth and Robinson on Tuesday.
For the first six innings of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Orioles manager Buck Showalter shuffled the pair of outfielders between center field and left field. He had McLouth and Robinson switch places after each inning. Why? The ballpark has a replica of the Green Monster in left field and Showalter wanted to give each player a little bit of experience playing caroms off the high wall (no balls hit the wall, though). It's not a relevant stat, per se, but I thought it was a fun factoid.
Bloggers note: Have a nifty stat you want to share? E-mail me at email@example.com or contact me on Twitter at @mattvensel. If I end up using it, I'll be sure to give you a nice plug on the blog.


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Chadwick, Florence May
Chadwick, Florence May, 1918–95, American distance swimmer, b. San Diego, Calif. She began swimming at the age of six, and four years later she swam the San Diego Bay Channel, the first child to do so. On Aug. 8, 1950, she broke Gertrude Ederle's 24-year record for English Channel swims by women. Florence Chadwick covered the 20 mi (32 km) from France to England in 13 hr 20 min. She also swam (Sept., 1951) from England to France, becoming the first woman to swim the channel in both directions. In 1952 she became the first woman to swim the 21-mi (34-km) Catalina Channel off Long Beach, Calif., breaking speed records for any swimmer (13 hr 47 min). She swam the Bosporus, the Dardanelles, and the Strait of Gibraltar in 1953.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies


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Derry senator announces retirement
Seat expected to stay in Republican hands
Becoming a grandparent can change a lot of people's lives. For state Sen. Jim Rausch, of Derry, it means leaving behind 14 years of service in Concord.
Rausch announced Monday morning that he will not seek re-election to the Senate this year. The move opens up at least a three-way Republican primary among those who want to replace him, but not Democratic candidate appears to be the obvious choice this fall. This may have something to do with the fact this district, which includes Derry, Hampstead and Windham, is among the most Republican leaning in the state.
"As Lorinda and I look forward to welcoming our first grandchild this fall, I've decided to step aside in order to ensure I can fully enjoy this special time and the years ahead with my family, and also so that the residents of District 19 can continue to have a voice in the Senate who will give this job the time, energy, and commitment it requires," said Rausch.
He said that among his legislative accomplishments in the Senate and in the House was to create a "sustainable education funding formula, strengthen our Career & Technical Education program, and most recently to pass a transportation funding bill."
Hoping to replace him are state Reps. Frank Separeto and Regina Birdsell. Derry Republican Chair Jim Foley also said he hopes to make an announcement about running in the next few days.
Rausch said the he does plan to make an endorsement in the primary.
In addition to Rausch, Bob Odell and Peter Bragdon, also Republicans, have announced they plan to retire. Republicans currently hold a 13 to 11 majority in the Senate.


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The School of the Seers Expanded Edition: A Practical Guide on how to see in The Unseen Realm
Price: $16.99
Availability: in stock
Prod. Code: ss451
More insight—more depth!
Three new chapters and a small group study guide round out this expanded edition of an already comprehensive guide on how to see into the unseen realm!
The School of the Seers is the how-to guide for seeing into the spirit realm. With the addition of three new chapters, including a small group study guide, this bestselling book is sure to excite readers worldwide.
As a teacher and seer himself, author Jonathan Welton raises the standard for walking in wisdom, character, and power. Carrying a revelatory forerunner anointing, he imparts fresh new understanding and Kingdom perspectives for every believer.
You can activate the seer gift in your life knowing the vital keys from Scripture to:
- See with your spiritual eyes
- Recognize what may be hindering your discernment
- Access divine secrets
- Steward heavenly revelation
- Truly worship in Spirit and Truth
- Understand meditation, impartation, and so much more
The School of the Seers Expanded Edition demystifies a mystical subject—giving you the keys to an exciting lifetime of spiritual, Jesus-centered enlightenment!


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moniquemeloche is pleased to present a presentation by Carol Jackson and Ben Murray.
The Armory Show, a leading international contemporary and modern art fair and one of the most important annual art events in New York, takes place every March on Piers 92 & 94 in central Manhattan. The Armory Show is devoted to showcasing the most important artworks of the 20th and 21st centuries. In its fifteen years the fair has become an international institution, combining a selection of the world's leading galleries with an exceptional program of arts events and exhibitions throughout New York during the celebrated Armory Arts Week.


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The Everett Clinic: Monte Cristo Conference Room, 3830 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Call 425-258-3900 to sign up for classes or see everettclinic.com/classes for information about specific classes.
Free classes include diabetes control refreshers, newborn basics, and end-of-life directives.
A family caregivers support group meets monthly for care partners, family members and friends of people with dementia.
Facial Rejuvenation: A free evening seminar about skin care, Botox, and facelifts, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., March and 27 at The Everett Clinic Smokey Point Medical Center, 2901 174th St. NE, Marysville. To register, call 425-258-3900.
Providence Hospice &Home Care of Snohomish County: 2731 Wetmore Ave., Suite 500, Everett. Call 425-261-4807 for class details or see www.providence.org/phhc and click on "events."
Individual short-term grief support and education.
Support groups with trained facilitators and individuals who have experienced a loss. Six-week evening group requires registration. Call 425-261-4807.
Drop-in groups, no registration required for spouses, newly bereaved, and children and teens. Call for times and locations.
Providence Regional Cancer Partnership: 1717 13th St., Everett. Call 425-297-5500 or see www.cancerpartnership.org for more information: Click on "Support Services," then, on the right side of the page, click on "Classes" or "Support Groups."
Classes include weight loss, art therapy, cancer and sleep, gentle yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction, nutrition, weight loss and "Look Good, Feel Better" for women with cancer.
Support groups are offered for caregivers, survivors and people diagnosed with breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and stage IV cancer.
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett: Colby campus, 1321 Colby Ave.; Pacific campus, 916 Pacific Ave.; Pavilion for Women and Children, 900 Pacific Ave. Call 425-304-6000 to learn more about classes or see www.providence.org: Click on Everett, then "Health Information &Classes."
Classes include heart health, smoking cessation, hip and knee pain, CPR and first aid, blood pressure, baby-sitting, pregnancy and childbirth preparation, cesarean birth, infant care, sibling preparation, new dads, car-seat safety and Systematic Training for Effective Parenting.
Support groups are offered for new mothers, and people dealing with cancer, sleep apnea, lung disease, heart disease and stroke, caregiver stress and bereavement, including separate grief groups.
Skagit Valley Hospital and regional clinics: Call 360-814-2424 to sign up for classes or see www.skagitvalleyhospital.org/events.
Classes include doctor presentations, diabetes, AARP driver safety, predialysis education, pulmonary rehabilitation, joint replacement, childbirth preparation, breast feeding and newborn care, and car seat safety.
Support groups are offered for children of cancer patients and people dealing with heart problems, bereavement and ostomy, and "Look Good, Feel Better" for women dealing with skin and hair changes associated with cancer.
Health screenings, offered for free or low cost, include heart and vascular, stroke and aneurysm, skin cancer, bone density, cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, heart health and vitamin D.
Safe Harbor Free Clinic: 9631 269th St. NW, Stanwood, near the corner of 271st Street and 97th Avenue; 425-870-7384 or 888-550-6277. See www.safeharborfreeclinic.org for driving directions. This clinic serves uninsured and underinsured clients from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday nights on a first come, first served basis, including chronic and basic acute illnesses, baby and well-child checks and referrals to services in Snohomish and Skagit counties. Safe Harbor is operated out of the Skagit Regional Clinic of Stanwood, but is not affiliated with it.
Swedish Edmonds: 21601 76th Ave. W., Edmonds. Call 206-386-2502 to sign up for classes or see www.swedish.org: Click on "Classes &Resources," then "Health Classes."
Class topics include fall prevention, diabetes prevention, weight loss, nutrition, stroke prevention, baby-sitting, cholesterol, blood pressure, chronic pain, AARP driver safety, growing up male for tweens, growing up female for tweens, joint replacement, sibling preparation, CPR and first aid.
Support groups are offered for new mothers, caregivers and people struggling with grief, and a separate group for couples who have lost infant children.
Valley General Hospital: 14701 179th Ave. SE, Monroe; 360-794-1411. See www.valleygeneral.com and click on "Classes &Events."
Class topics include car seat safety, CPR, first aid, baby-sitting, prediabetes, mental health, fitness and AARP driver safety.
Support groups are offered for people coping with diabetes and cancer, including patients, caregivers, family members and friends, and "Look Good, Feel Better" for women dealing with skin and hair changes associated with cancer.
Hospice help: Providence Hospice &Home Care of Snohomish County, 2731 Wetmore Ave., Suite 500, Everett, needs volunteers to visit patients, deliver supplies, work in the office or help with events. Information sessions are held on the third Wednesday of each month. Call 425-261-4815 to register.
Free mammograms: By appointment for the uninsured or underinsured, Citrine Health, 2817 Rockefeller Ave., Everett; 425-259-9899; www.citrinehealth.org.
HIV testing: Walk-in, 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 3020 Rucker Ave., Everett; or 5 to 7 p.m. second and fourth Mondays, 6101 200th St. SW, Lynnwood; free for those who qualify, $78 for patients at low risk; other times by appointment, all offered by the Snohomish Health District, 425-339-5298, www.snohd.org.
YWCA Pathways to Work: Free daytime workshops for people reentering the workforce in Everett, Lynnwood, Monroe and Stanwood. Weekly classes, which are three hours long, include how to set goals, build self-esteem, translate life experiences into marketable skills, create great resumes, practice interviewing skills and learn where to get training and find work. Call 425-258-2766, ext. 226 or write Brenda Patrykus at firstname.lastname@example.com to register. Space is limited.
To submit an item for Health Resources, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing email@example.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to firstname.lastname@example.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.


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Rhen Tellur is hellbent on being a scientist. She loves the thrill of the experiment and the puzzle of the discovery–but for Rhen, it's even more personal than that. In her world, women are second-class citizens considered capable only of running men's households and bearing their children. And that's an idea Rhen definitely doesn't love. She'll do anything for the chance to pursue her education and further her love of learning. And her cousin Seleni will do anything to help her–especially when Rhen's mom contracts the deadly disease that's been plaguing the city's poor. Rhen knows that if she only had access to the latest scientific advancements and information, she could help. But the only way to get access is to attend Stemwick University…an all-male school, of course. Even if the school did allow women, Rhen's chances would be hopeless. Only the rich elite of Pinsbury Point can afford such an opportunity.
Each year, every family receives a letter. Extended to all men of entry-level age is an invitation to compete for a full scholarship to Stemwick. All they have to do to get it? Enter the school's deadly labyrinth… and be the last one standing when the competition is over. For Rhen, it will mean dressing like a boy and pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, but it's a chance.
Rhen knows that to enter the maze is to risk her life. Even if she makes it to the end, there's no guarantee they'll give her the scholarship. But she'll do it anyway–to save her mother, and the rest of the rotting poor, from an even worse fate. And maybe, just maybe, she'll prove to everyone how ridiculous the rules were in the first place. All she has to do is survive…
TO BEST THE BOYS (Thomas Nelson, March 2019) features lush world-building, a spunky, dynamic heroine with a mile-a-minute mind and voice reminiscent of Felicity Montague of Mackenzi Lee's Petticoats & Piracy, and a plot as nail-bitingly intense as Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games.
Initially a little slow to start, but I was hooked in the buildup to entering the maze and after that point could barely put the book down! For me, one of the most gratifying aspects of the book is that it centers on the relationship between two women. Though Rhen and Seleni in many ways could not be more different, the bond between them was unbreakable and stayed center stage. As much as I appreciated this, however, I did also want more of the romantic plot. As it was, it felt a little under-realized–I also would have really loved to see more page time between Lute and Rhen. (Also more Beryll!)
All told, this book is witty, charming, fast, and fun. Weber leads her readers on a suspenseful, high-stakes adventure while presenting a pretty unforgiving metaphor for the dangers awaiting young people as they prepare to confront the world. If you love smart, brassy girls and sweet, cinnamon roll boys, you'll enjoy Mary Weber's TO BEST THE BOYS.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*


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Give Muslims a reason to go out on the streets and destroy something, whether property or other human lives, and they'll do it. In fact, they don't even need a reason, being alive is enough reason for them. TGO
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank and Gaza on Wednesday to mark the 65th anniversary of their mass displacement during the war that followed Israel's founding in 1948.
Every May 15, Palestinians commemorate the "nakba," or "catastrophe" — the term they use to describe their displacement. Hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out during the fighting.
The dispute over the fate of those Palestinians and that of their descendants, now numbering several million people, remains at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Israel views the Palestinians' return as demographic suicide and expects the displaced and their descendants to be taken in by a future Palestinian state.
But intermittent Israeli-Palestinian attempts to agree on the terms of such a state have so far failed.
Sirens wailed at noon in the West Bank for 65 seconds, the number of years since 1948. Thousands marched in Ramallah from the grave of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to the city center. Many wore black in a sign of mourning, holding Palestinian flags and large keys symbolizing the homes they left behind.
"The right of return will not die," chanted the protesters. Schools closed at midday and parents brought their children to the demonstration.
In Ramallah, 38-year-old Manwal Awad brought her 11-year-old twins to the protest. "Every year I bring them with me to inherit the story of our nakba, and to keep the dream of return," she said.
Rallies were also held in other cities across the West Bank and smaller protests were held in Gaza, which has been under control of the militant Hamas group since it ousted Palestinian Fatah forces in 2007. About a thousand marched to the U.N. headquarters in Gaza City.
"We shall return. We will never give up or compromise over our land," chanted the marchers, members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian factions.
The Israeli military said Palestinian protesters across the West Bank threw rocks at soldiers who responded with tear gas.
President Mahmoud Abbas addressed his people in a televised speech on Tuesday night, saying the Palestinian cause earned international acceptance last year with the U.N. de facto recognizing a Palestinian state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
"We won the support of the world," Abbas said, adding that Israel's policies toward the Palestinians are "condemned internationally."
Last year Abbas created a stir when he told Israeli media that he himself has no wish to live in Safed, the city of his birth, in northern Israel.
Although widely condemned by Palestinians, Abbas' remarks were seen as a reflection of a decades-old understanding among Palestinian officials that likely only a limited number of refugees would ever be able to return to their original homes in Israel as part of a compromise that would result in a future peace agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been trying to renew negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, which collapsed four years ago over the issue of Jewish settlements. Palestinians insist they will not resume talks unless the construction of settlements in territories they want for their future state ends first. Israel says negotiations should resume without preconditions and that settlements will be resolved through talks along with the other issues.
In efforts to restart the talks, Kerry has managed to persuade Arab leaders to reissue their 2002 peace proposal with new incentives, including a suggestion that final borders between Israel and a future Palestine could be modified from the 1967 lines through agreed land swaps.
The 2002 initiative, which at the time was endorsed by the Arab League and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, offered Israel normalized relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from territories captured in 1967. However, it was overshadowed by Israeli-Palestinian fighting and was greeted with skepticism by Israel.
Israel has been mostly quiet on the proposal so far. On Wednesday, the Palestinian statistics bureau in the West Bank issued a statement with the latest figures. According to the bureau, the number of Palestinians today has reached 11.5 million. Of those, 4.4 million live in the West Ban, East Jerusalem and Gaza; 1.4 million in Israel while the remainder live in the diaspora.
Associated Press writer Ibrahim Barzak contributed to this report from the Gaza Strip.


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Anyway, I did have some examples in mind from some time ago, which I would probably not bring up except for aforementioned hypocrisy.
The example is the asexual blogosphere, which, as much as it pains me to generalize, has a habit of not citing the things it criticizes. We'll begin with Sciatrix.
So in the wake of the shitstorm that's been happening on Tumblr this week I've seen one thing over and over again, and it bugs the shit out of me.No links or quotes of even one of those times you saw it? And though I may know which shitstorm is being referenced, not everyone does, and hardly anyone knows which part of the shitstorm it was.
There were lots of other examples (found through Sciatrix' excellent linkspams) about the same drama which similarly failed to provide links or quotes:
Where the fuck is all this 'heteroromantic aces can't call themselves queer' BS coming from? [The title of this post. The question remains unanswered, since no links are provided.]There are plenty more, not all having to do with the same drama, but that's probably enough--I already feel like a blogging-etiquette nazi. Hell, let's throw in one more recent example for good measure.
So there is a situation I've ran in to quite a few times that I find rather ironic, and I noticed it just recently from some of the bullies/trolls on tumblr.
[From here. No links provided when there is a clear opportunity.]
...there's been some massive awfulness directed at asexuals on tumblr and some big livejournal communities I shall not name over the past few weeks...
[Kaz at least has some conviction about not linking drama]
Sooo I know some of you saw that debacle. In sf_d. A lot of you probably didn't? But that's alright because I'm pretty sure the things I want to say here can stand completely separate from that, but I do have a few words to say on that first, as to why I'm now writing a post on it;
[From here. I think a link still couldn't hurt.]
Another big misconception is the idea that groups are ordered from most privileged to least privileged.
[The worst example. The drama that inspired it isn't even mentioned. From Skeptic's Play.]
But yeah, providing specific examples of the views being criticized is generally a good thing. To rehash, this gives opponents a chance to respond, gives allies a chance to join in, shows that you are not making straw men, and reduces confusion over what views are being criticized.
It's jarring to see so many bloggers deliberately missing out on opportunities for citations. In contrast, I have not seen a single post on elevatorgate in the skeptical blogosphere which did not link to relevant posts. However, there is still lots of confusion over who is criticizing whom... so yeah.
Since this is an inherently belligerent post, I should remind you of my comment policy: Anything but spam.


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Mutiya Vision – Entrepreneur
By Kim Brown-Taylor at May 26, 2009 | 11:48 pm | 1 Comments
Mutiya Vision is an extraordinary woman encompassing wife, mother, poet, author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and workshop facilitator. Writing has always been a crucial component to Mutiya's survival. It has been a best friend to her. Growing up she used writing to work out issues and turn her pain of emotions into poems of inspiration. Mutiya has shown that


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Feb. 11, 2010 -- The images from Haiti were devastating: of hands reaching out from under piles of rubble, of slabs of concrete where buildings once stood, and of orphaned children crying out for their parents.
They awoke a sleeping giant in Americans. People wanted to help. In the days and weeks after the earthquake, charitable donations poured in to relief organizations
All over the country Americans opened their wallets and poured almost half a billion dollars into 23 top American charities, according to figures compiled by ABC News.
ABC News reached out to these charities to find out more about where all of the money was going.
While some of the money is being spent, most of it still sits in bank accounts.
Following the Money
When asked by ABC News to provide numbers on spending for food & water, medical care, shelter and operational costs, four of the organizations -- Operation USA, American Refugee Committee, Merlin and Doctors Without Borders -- did not offer specifics. The most common answer was they just, "don't have the exact breakdown," on current spending. Several of organizations offered up descriptions of specific relief, but were not able to assign dollar figures to their efforts.
The largest recipient of donations-- the Red Cross-- said it's spent about a third of the quarter billion dollars it raised, mostly on food and water but also on shelter items like tents, blankets and tarps. The Red Cross is also providing hygiene kits, kitchen sets, drinking water and vaccinations.
Another organization, Oxfam America has opened eight different sites in Haiti, providing clean drinking water and latrines. They say they are serving 90,000 people.
And a medium-sized charity -- International Medical Corps -- raised $4.5 million and has spent about $1.6 million. They began operating at Haiti's University hospital on the day after the earthquake. The group is "operating 13 mobile clinic sites covering 15 sites," according to their Web site, serving a target population of approximately 450,000.
World Vision provided the most detail about its work. As of Feb. 5, World Vision raised about $77 million worldwide including $25 million in cash from the U.S. Among their priorities-- shelter, water and sanitation, and efforts to protect children.
The Hope for Haiti Now telethon also aided the relief efforts in a big way.
Americans donated $66 million through the telethon; about half of the money has been distributed to seven different charities--
On its Web site, the telethon organizers say they expect to make one or two more large distributions. But the next allocation of funds is not planned until May.
Donation Breakdown
In total, of the half a billion dollars sent to Haiti relief organizations contacted by ABC News, 18 percent is already being spent on food and water, Additionally, 11 percent is going toward medical supplies and clinics, six percent on housing, and two percent on operations.
For a closer look at the ABC News' breakdown of charity donations, click: U.S. Charity Donations to Haiti
But here's the catch. The money now being spent is only a small fraction of the total donations given. Most of the donations made to the relief efforts -- 69 percent or $325 million -- have not been spent on anything yet.
"The ability of the organizations to manage this tremendous volume of need and with their infrastructure -- they can only do just so much at any given time," Ken Berger, President and Executive Director of Charity Navigator said.
Some of the explanation for why groups are not spending more of their donations at the moment is intentional planning.
"There's a conscious effort to have a certain amount dedicated to the immediate and then a significant amount for the longer term," Berger said.
"This is common for large-scale disaster response efforts by reputable NGOs. For example, for the Asia tsunami response, World Vision spent approximately 40 percent of its response budget in the first year of its multi-year relief and recovery response," said Rachel E. L. Wolff, spokeswoman for World Vision.
But there's more to it than that.
Problems with Distribution
Organizations might be able to get more help to Haiti if there were better coordination, Berger said.
The U.S. government is coordinating its government money through U.S. Agency for International Development. The U.S. State Department says the United Nations is in charge of coordinating the global relief effort.
The United Nations has tapped former President Bill Clinton to coordinate its efforts. But when ABC News called Clinton's office, a spokesman said Clinton "is not operationally in command" of distributing aid in Haiti.
There are also political sensitivities involved. The Haitian government is ultimately in charge of its country, but the government was weak to begin with and further decimated by the earthquake.
The bottom line? A Red Cross relief worker in Haiti told ABC News no one is in charge. He said they are waiting for someone -- anyone -- to step up.
Situation On the Ground
Holding back donation money has slowed down certain aspects of the aid effort.
Nine out of ten people who need shelter don't have a proper tent to sleep in, and the tropical rainy season is just a few weeks away.
"We need to have improved structures for everyone before the hurricane season," said Kristen Knutson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to OCHA, there are more than 1.2 million people living in so-called "spontaneous settlements," and nearly half a million who have fled Port-au-Prince, putting added stress on neighboring towns.
Because of all of the crowding, there is no room for showers and toilets. So far, there are only 900 latrines for 900,000 people who need them in Port-au-Prince.
There are some bright spots on the ground -- food distribution has picked up. Approximately, two million people are in need of food and 2.2 million have received a two-week supply. Still, many Haitians complain of shortages.
Clean water, according to OCHA, reaches nearly 800,000 people a day.
The delivery of relief supplies is also going more smoothly. Roads are open, the port is being repaired and the traffic coming into the airport is half of what it was two weeks ago.
The biggest concern now is that disease could overwhelm hospitals still packed with earthquake victims.
Keep Giving
It is still a challenge to organize and distribute all of this aid in a disaster area the size of Yellowstone National Park. Everyone we spoke with said Americans should not be disheartened that some of their donations remain in some charity's holding docks.
Haiti is still in desperate need of international assistance and all of the charities we talked with said they would eventually use all of the money donated for Haiti.
"All funds raised will be used for Haiti relief and rebuilding efforts, which will take years, not months," the spokeswoman for World Vision told us.
So what should Americans do? Give, says Berger. But give wisely.
"The heart of the American people, over and over again, it's just amazing," Berger said. "Use your head as well as your heart. Do a little due-diligence and think through the best way to give."
Despite the fact that some organizations could not provide ABC News with details of their work, most American charities are more transparent about their giving than ever before. In many cases, the Internet makes it easy for donors to track where there money is going.
ABC News' Daniel Arnall, Mary Kate Burke and Susan Kriskey contributed to this report.
For more information about individual charities, check:


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All this and more (well, not realy that much more at the moment!) over at my new blog, which actually works as expected.
I'm getting back at this painting biz a little bit more now and again.
It was pointed out to me today when I shared the final pictures of the Taco General Staff that I had in fact failed rather stunningly in my limited research into the correct uniform colors. Aparently all bicornes and the like were black in the French army. A cusory look around the web confirms this. . .not sure how I missed it before.
But whats more, how did the people I shared the work in progress with miss it as well? I expect more from my readership! Yes thats right, the both of
I know, I know, I'm supposed to be working on the elf. I've been a complete spaz since we've moved and haven't really settled into a consistent project groove yet. I started these French staff officers before the move, and I just realized I was really almost done with them, so why not finish them off. The chance to have something completed was too strong, I had to take it. Now all I need is for the putty to dry, and they'll be on their way out the door shortly there after.
Costochondritis is pretty much destroying my productivity of late. . . and driving me f'ing nuts. I managed to get a little work done on the stag though, and have the rider ready to go too.
I wasn't sure how the fur and hide pallette was going to come together, but I'm happy with how this is working out. I'm managing to find good contrasts while still keeping the overall effect very muted and staying away from highlighting to white which would be absurd here.
I'm doing this conversion for a friend's wood elf lord. The figure he wants mounted on it is a bit big on the backend- sculpted to fit a taller/wider mount, so his flowing robes etc would leave a couple glaring millimeters space twixt his cape and his mount. So, this stag gets filled out with taller fur, and a section of saddle to make up the difference.
The elf lord will be GW. The stag is from Chronopia.
The funnest part of zombies is almost always the goreification. I was pretty happy with the way the camo and body armour came out on these, so there was a brief moment of sadness as it got all goopy, but it was short lived.
Finally got my order in from Litko- 200 bases for about 22$. Not bad. I don't think I'd put nice character pieces on them, since the rounds aren't round, but show the segemented cuts, but for massed troops, square and round are find, and a good price. I'd been waiting for the delivery to base up these zombies, which are bound for a demo game @ Salute. Any color suggestions for the bugged out zombie eyes?
Zombie stoner #2, done for a friend of mine.
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Famous for its midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Friday and Saturday, the 8th Street Playhouse featured a great roster of revivals, cult classics, and foreign films.
This ad is from the March 1982 issue of the now-defunct East Village Eye.
They had some great double bills too: in the early '90s I saw Duck Soup and Animal Crackers, as well as A Streetcar Named Desire followed by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
I believe they closed their doors in 1992. The video store that then occupied the circa-1929 theater went bust several years ago. I think a "Store For Rent" sign is up where the marquee used to be.
Tags: 8th Street Playhouse, Beau Pere, defunct movie theaters, East Village Eye, Greenwich Village movie theaters, indie theaters in New York City, revival theaters of New York City, Rocky Horror Picture Show, TLA Video, West Eighth Street


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The President's "green energy" loan program has turned into an embarrassment for the White House, in part because of the sordid corruption associated with the bankruptcy of Solyndra.
But the subsidy program also has attracted some negative attention for its failure to create jobs – even from media outlets that normally are sympathetic to big government.
Here's a passage from a story in today's Washington Post.
A $38.6 billion loan guarantee program that the Obama administration promised would create or save 65,000 jobs has created just a few thousand jobs two years after it began, government records show. The program — designed to jump-start the nation's clean technology industry by giving energy companies access to low-cost, government-backed loans — has directly created 3,545 new, permanent jobs after giving out almost half the allocated amount, according to Energy Department tallies.
Wow, more than $19 billion lent out, and only 3,545 jobs created. I'm not a math genius, but that seems to be more than $5 million per job.
But let's suspend reality and accept the Administration's nonsensical projections that the full $38.6 billion will lead to more than 60,000 jobs. That still works out to be in the neighborhood of $600,000 per job.
Even using that ultra-optimistic scenario, this certainly seems to be a case of government spending far too much money to achieve a particular goal.
But this analysis is grossly inadequate, and White House critics are understating the argument against the scandal-tainted green energy program.
You don't measure the job impact of a government program simply by dividing the number of jobs into the amount of money that has been spent. That only gives you part of the answer.
You also have to estimate how many jobs would have been created if the $19 billion (or full $38.6 billion) had been left in the private sector rather than being diverted by the heavy hand of government.
In other words, to paraphrase Bastiat, we want to look not only as the "seen" of government spending, but we also want to look at the "unseen" of how the money otherwise would have been allocated. What modern economists sometimes refer to as the "opportunity cost."
It is not easy, of course, to estimate the number of jobs that would have been created if the government wasn't diverting money into a green energy program. Ask 10 economists and you'll get 15 answers.
But we know these effects are real.
To understand what this means, let's create a rough-and-ready rule of thumb.
According to Tables B-102 and B-103 of the Federal Reserve's Flow of Funds report, the combined non-financial capital of non-farm businesses is about $20.7 trillion. And the Labor Department says we have close to 140 million people employed, which means the average amount of capital per job is about $155,000.
You can also take a different approach and look at the non-financial capital of households from Table B-100, which is a bit over $23 trillion. Using that number, the average amount of capital is about $165,000 per job.
In either case, it's quite obvious that the private sector utilizes capital far more efficiently than government. Instead of using $5 million of capital to create a job, as has been the case so far with the Administration's green energy program, the private sector requires about $160 thousand.
But let's not forget that we want to give the White House the benefit of the doubt, so we will use the Administration's future projection that each job will cost "only" $600,000. That's still almost four times as much as it costs to create a job in the private sector.
Keeping in mind that good analysis requires us to measure the "seen" and "unseen," let's now look at net job creation, which is where the rubber meets the road. The federal government is going to divert $38.6 billion from private capital markets for its green energy program, and the Administration claims this will lead to 60,000-65,000 jobs.
However, based on the existing ratio of non-financial capital to employment, that same $38.6 billion, if left in the productive sector of the economy, would create about 240,000 jobs.
In other words, for every one job "created" by the government, almost four jobs will be foregone. The Obama White House isn't defending a program that spends a lot of money to create very few jobs. The Administration is defending a program that spends a lot of money and – as a result – reduces total jobs by perhaps 180,000.
P.S. This analysis, by the way, is incomplete. You also should estimate how many jobs might be lost because of secondary economic effects such as the expectation of higher taxes caused by additional red ink. And what about the tertiary effects such as companies and investors responding to big government by inefficiently allocating resources to lobby for DC handouts.
P.P.S. This analysis applies to all government spending, whether it is for short-run Keynesian stimulus or long-run entitlement programs. The relevant question, from an economic perspective, is whether the government can utilize resources more efficiently and productively than the private sector. Needless to say, there are not many types of government spending that meet this test. This is why the academic research, as explained in this video, shows that we would be much more prosperous if government was much smaller.
P.P.P.S There are any number of ways one can measure the amount of capital per job. Very broad measures, such as total net worth in the economy, would push the number higher, but presumably would overstate the amount of capital needed to create an average job in the private sector. Narrower measures, such as the value of business equipment and structures, would generate a much smaller number, but presumably understate the amount of capital needed to create an average job in the private sector. Or, instead of looking at the stock of capital and the total number of jobs, we could look at incremental flows of capital and incremental employment changes. I don't pretend that my rule-of-thumb estimate is ideal. The goal is simply to create an example so we can understand why it is important to consider both the "seen" and the "unseen." And using that approach helps explain why the economy gets weaker as the government gets bigger.


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The Organised Store
Match-Ups Plastic 1L
Find the right lid everytime with Decor Match-ups. The ultimate container has a smart lid colour match system where lids and bases match in colour, any lid matches any red base – its so simple and smart! The Realseal lids have have a soft seal that makes the storers airtight and leakproof. The lid also has an air release vent, which allows the storers to be used in the microwave for reheating. All the storers are clearly marked with coloured graduated measurements. They nest inside each other to save space and are modular by colour. 6 lids fit 24 bases over both plastic and glass storers.


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Supporters, opponents split on Patrick gun control bill
Governor says legislation closes loopholes in gun laws
Gov. Deval Patrick is filing gun control legislation he says will close loopholes in Massachusetts' existing laws while strengthening mental health services.
Some measures in the bill have been filed by Patrick in the past, including restricting gun owners to purchasing one firearm a month and mandating buyers undergo background checks before purchasing weapons at gun shows.
Activists for gun control say Massachusetts laws are good now, but "... Massachusetts is not an island," said Christine Robinson of Citizens for Safety, adding "between 50 and 60 percent of guns at least that turn up on our streets used in crimes are trafficked in from other states with weak gun laws."
The mother of a victim of gun violence said laws need to be tougher. Kim Odom's 13 year old son Stephen was killed as he returned to his Dorchester home from playing basketball.
"The epidemic of gun violence that has impacted our society and hurt the most vulnerable of our society which are our children. Oftentimes people say when a child is killed, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Odom said. "Our children are not in the wrong place, they're walking home, they're at the playground, they are in school."
The bill would also tighten access to high-powered ammunition, create four new types of firearms-related crimes, and require the state to send all relevant mental health records to a federal gun license registry.
But gun rights advocates say the state already has strict laws.
"We already have some of the most restrictive laws in the country in Massachusetts, but unfortunately they are also some of the most confusing and that's the problem with enforcement," said James Wallace of the Gun Owners Action League.
The push for tighter gun laws has intensified in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.
Patrick's bill also includes $5 million for Department of Mental Health programs, including training teachers to recognize symptoms of mental illness in students.


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The Jedi of Lifeblogging
One would be Gordon Bell, a Microsoft research scientist who's been doing a darn good job at living a relentlessly documented, paperless life. He's been deemed the guinea pig for the MS lifeblogging project, MyLifeBits. The Bits software enables users to save every email, IM transcript, phone call, a new jpg every 30 seconds--basically all your lovely ephemera; as ars technica explains:
Bell generates 1GB of data each month, and says that having a computer store this much information frees his mind for other things. "It gives you kind of a feeling of cleanliness," he says. "I can offload my memory. I feel much freer about remembering something now. I've got this machine, this slave, that does it.
Do you consider yourself a lifeblogger? If not, what kind of an archivist are you? I just read Alison Bechdel's intrepid Fun House, and feel inspired by her diligence in documenting & the ensuing pay-off. My friend saved all his receipts for a year and then used them as a backdrop for a giant painting. Another takes a picture of herself everyday at 3 p.m. How do you document your life?


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MLS News, Notes and Rumors
- The Miami Herald reported Monday that the city of Miami is actively seeking an MLS franchise for a proposed new stadium that will replace the Orange Bowl. Last week, the University of Miami Football team announced they would vacate the stadium in favor of Dolphin Stadium.
- The Boston Globe reports that the Revolution are on the verge of signing Dusan Petrovic, who played for Serbia & Montenegro in 2006 World Cup.
- The Times of London continues to fuel the almost never ending drum beat about Jurgen Klinsmann replacing Frank Yallop and/or Alexi Lalas in this article.
- Freddy Adu has not left the bench for Benfica since Jose Antonio Camacho took over the club.


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Stephen Fry Joins the Cast of 24: Live Another Day
British actor Stephen Fry has joined the cast of Fox's 24: Live Another Day, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
As first reported by Deadline.com, Fry will play British Prime Minister Trevor Davies, a strong and charismatic leader whose alliance with President Heller (William Devane) will come under tremendous pressure because of personal and political crises, such as when U.S. fugitive Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) turns up in London.
Must-watch new winter TV shows
The event series will also feature the return of Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe and Kim Raver as Audrey, as well as new castmembers Benjamin Bratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Tate Donovan, Giles Matthey, Gbenda Akinnagbe and Judy Davis.
Fry has previously appeared on Fox during a stint on Bones.
24: Live Another Day will launch with a special two-hour premiere on Monday, May 5 at 8/7c on Fox. Live Another Day will make its timeslot debut the following week on Monday, May 12 at 9/8c.
View original Stephen Fry Joins the Cast of 24: Live Another Day at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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By Duncan Geere, Wired UK
A genetic study of cattle has claimed that all modern domesticated bovines are descended from a single herd of wild ox, which lived 10,500 years ago.
[partner id="wireduk"]A team of geneticists from the National Museum of Natural History in France, the University of Mainz in Germany, and UCL in the UK excavated the bones of domestic cattle on archaeological sites in Iran, and then compared those to modern cows. They looked at how differences in DNA sequences could have arisen under different population history scenarios, modeled in computer simulations.
The team found that the differences that show up between the two populations could only have arisen if a relatively small number of animals -- approximately 80 -- had been domesticated from a now-extinct species of wild ox, known as aurochs, which roamed across Europe and Asia. Those cattle were then bred into the 1.4 billion cattle estimated by the UN to exist in mid-2011.
The process of collecting the data was tricky. Ruth Bollongino, lead author of the study, said in a press release: "Getting reliable DNA sequences from remains found in cold environments is routine. That is why mammoths were one of the first extinct species to have their DNA read. But getting reliable DNA from bones found in hot regions is much more difficult because temperature is so critical for DNA survival. This meant we had to be extremely careful that we did not end up reading contaminating DNA sequences from living, or only recently dead cattle."
The research has implications for the study of the history of domestication. Mark Thomas, geneticist and an author of the study, said in the release: "This is a surprisingly small number of cattle. We know from archaeological remains that the wild ancestors of modern-day cattle were common throughout Asia and Europe, so there would have been plenty of opportunities to capture and domesticate them."
However, it tallies with existing research on the matter. Jean-Denis Vigne, a CNRS bio-archaeologist and author on the study, said in the release: "A small number of cattle progenitors is consistent with the restricted area for which archaeologists have evidence for early cattle domestication 10,500 years ago. This restricted area could be explained by the fact that cattle breeding, contrary to, for example, goat herding, would have been very difficult for mobile societies, and that only some of them were actually sedentary at that time in the Near East."
Image: saturn ♄/Flickr
Source: Wired.co.uk


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Justin Taylor Lookin' Good Faux Leather Strap Fedora
Top off all your favorite looks with this tan flat brimmed fedora, which features a faux leather strap and an adjustable tie.
- Pattern: Contrast
- Features: Flat brim, thin belt, fedora, adjustable
- Product measurements:
Depth: 4.5 in
Brim width: 4 in
Interior circumference: 22.5 in
- Material composition: 100% polyester
- Imported
Justin Taylor is a family-owned wholesale company located in LA. They offer trendy outerwear and accessories that complete any look.
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This article is more than 1 year old
Baidu apes Google with Chinese Chrome
You want web stuff that works behind the Great Firewall?
Chinese search giant Baidu has launched its own web browser, aping Google's Chrome with web applications and aspirations of becoming a desktop replacement.
The Baidu Browser only runs on Windows, but it does have its own application store for web apps (which run in a Webkit-based sandbox) and an extension framework very reminiscent of Chrome's. The browser also offers extensive customisation options for managing shortcuts, creating a screen layout more reminiscent of Apple's iPad than anything else.
We tried to get a better screenshot, but our Chinese let us down during installation
There's a proper review over at Penn Olson, who liked the browser but felt that its reliance on IE for rendering basic HTML pages left it lagging behind competitors in following the latest web standards.
There's no Baidu Browser OS as yet, though persistent rumours suggest the company is working on an Android fork for mobile users. Just like Google, Baidu feels it should be in the platform business rather than just helping people find stuff. Baidu also has aspirations outside its Chinese roots, where it will have to fight Google on a level playing field.
Google is available in China, but uses servers based in Hong Kong and thus suffers through the Chinese Firewall. That firewall generates network errors and slows connections when Google is used, particularly when it is used for potentially sensitive searches. That makes Google look unreliable, and pushes users towards the domestic rival, which recently signed a deal with Bing to handle English-language searches.
Chinese manufacturers are renowned for copying successful products, even cloning an entire Apple store without telling the staff, but Baidu is replicating every element of Google's business model in a market where Google isn't around to compete. Having China as a revenue-generating base from which to attack other markets will enable Baidu to compete with Google, for better or worse. ®


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Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell Tuesday:
JDS Uniphase - The tech company posted earnings of 15 cents a share on revenue of $439 million, easily topping estimates for 12 cents a share on revenue of $423 million. Shares jumped in extended-hours trading. (Click here for after-hours quote.)
Bob Evans - The restaurant chain posted earnings of 58 cents a share, slightly missing expectations for 60 a share. Meanwhile, the company raised its quarterly dividend and handed in a full-year 2013 earnings guidance that were better than expectations. Still, shares edged higher in extended-hours trading. (Click here for after-hours quote.)
Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway took new stakes in Phillips 66 and National Oilwell Varco, while increasing positions in Viacom and Liberty Media, according to its latest 13-F filing. Meanwhile, the company reduced its shares in Visa , Johnson & Johnson , UPS , CVS Caremark and General Electric , while dissolving its positions in Intel . (Read More: Buffett's Berkshire Slashes Stock Holdings)
Berkshire Hathaway's Holdings
Widely-followed hedged fund manager Dan Loeb's Third Point decreased its stake in CapitalOne, while taking new positions in Advanced Auto Parts, Aetna and AIG, Cabot Oil & Gas and Chesapeake Energy, while increasing its stakes in Liberty Global and JCPenney, according to its latest 13F filing. Meanwhile, the hedge fund dissolved stakes in Abercrombie & Fitch, Sysco, Devon Energy,Google, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.
Third Point's Holdings
Greenlight Capital took new stakes in Aetna, Chipotle, Hess, United Healthcare, Humana and Wellpoint, while dissolving positions in Dell, HCA and Research In Motion, according to its latest 13F filing.
Greenlight Capital's Holdings
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square took new positions in P&G , while dissolving positions in Kraft, Family Dollar and Fortune Brands, according to its latest 13F filing.
Kraft Foods - The food manufacturer approved a spinoff of its North American grocery business. The company also announced a regular quarterly dividend of 29 cents a share. (Click here for after-hours quote.)
Francesca's Holdings - Janney Capital initiated coverage of the women's apparel store with a "buy" rating and a price target of $38. (Click here for after-hours quote.)
CVS Caremark , Walgreen - Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage of both drugstores with "buy" ratings and price targets of $55 and $43, respectively. Shares of both companies edged higher in extended-hours trading. (Click here for after-hours quotes.)
Vail Resorts - The ski resort chain announced its CFO Jeff Jones will retire at the end of the year. Shares edged higher in extended-hours trading. (Click here for after-hours quote.)
—By CNBC's JeeYeon Park (Follow JeeYeon on Twitter: @JeeYeonParkCNBC)
Questions? Comments? Email us at


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Bobbi Kristina's BF Nick Gordon -- Reckless Driving Arrest Footage ... BLASTING Whitney Houston Music [VIDEO]
Nick Gordon Arrest Footage [VIDEO] BLASTING Whitney Music
Bobbi Kristina's boyfriend Nick Gordon was listening to the Whitney Houston classic "I Will Always Love You" at FULL BLAST when police pulled him over for reckless driving -- and TMZ has obtained the dash cam footage of his arrest.
In the video, Gordon tells the police officer he keeps a 9mm gun in his glove box. The cop checks it out after putting Gordon in his cruiser, and based on the video, it appears the gun is legit.
We broke the story ... Nick was popped in Alpharetta, Georgia last week just after cops say he was going 82 mph in a 35 mph zone near a pedestrian-jammed shopping area.
You can see in the video, Gordon was driving a Chevy Camaro -- the same kind of car BK was driving when she crashed into an embankment hours before Nick was arrested.
Nick was cited for reckless driving and speeding. He's due back in court in February.