Saturday, June 30, 2012

Archbishop takes 'fortnight for freedom' to Rome

Archbishop takes 'fortnight for freedom' to Rome

Published:

ROME (CNS) -- On the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Obama administration's health care law, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore warned an audience in Rome about what he characterized as the law's threat to religious freedom. The archbishop, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Freedom, addressed a group called the Observatory on Religious Liberty, recently established by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the city of Rome. Archbishop Lori, who spoke several hours before the announcement of the court's decision, singled out the health care law's planned "HHS mandate," which would require the private health insurance plans of most Catholic institutions to cover surgical sterilization procedures and artificial birth control, in violation of the church's moral doctrines. "Embedded in the HHS mandate is an extremely narrow definition of religion put there as a litmus test to determine which religious organizations are religious enough -- by the government's definition -- to deserve an exemption from providing services contrary to their teachings," he said. The archbishop described the administration's effort in this case as part of a broader trend. "Unless we stop it now, this narrow, governmental definition of what a church is will likely spread throughout our nation's laws and policies," he said.


Source: http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/06/28/news-6/?s=

marines urinating haley barbour olivier martinez peoples choice awards 2012 ford recalls robert kardashian chicago weather forecast

Notable Features of your Apple iPad Device - The Cell phone Basic Accessories Site

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

Source: http://9orbs.com/Books/notable-features-of-your-apple-ipad-device-the-cell-phone-basic-accessories-site/

columbine earth day activities mel gibson splunk dark shadows iau msft

Ahead of the Bell: Nike Inc. declines

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ahead-bell-nike-inc-declines-125227695--finance.html

schweddy balls schweddy balls bill conlin kendall jenner plane crash plane crash kardashian christmas card

wildcard charles: Recreation And Sports: Baseball Posting Category ...

Right here are a number of offers that are usable in our current time, even so winter season out of doors sports activities equipment is also provided in the sale. Persons who uncover themselves into Sports pursuits wellness need additional intakes of greens and fruits.
http://www.bestsportsandoutdoor.com
AllySaezi30 submitted 1 day 2 hours 44 minutes ago

Source: http://tickets.tutorialsbookmarks.com/technology/recreation-and-sports-baseball-posting-category/

matt lauer divine mercy chaplet albert pujols the shining mariano rivera mariano rivera jobs report

Source: http://wildcard-charles.blogspot.com/2012/06/recreation-and-sports-baseball-posting.html

west virginia university michele bachmann jessica biel tim howard west virginia rob roy gaslight

Iran condemns US backing UAE over disputed island

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-condemns-us-backing-uae-over-disputed-island-140715421.html

national championship game bcs game lsu vs alabama college football college football ncaa football brian van gorder

Apple posts $2.6 million bond to ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The association fast offers up a $2.6 million to in. closer to carrying a device criminialized in a U.S.

Originally posted during News ? Apple

  • sales business news WorldBizToday
    Apple wins preliminary injunction on U.S. sales of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ... Apple?s bid to ban Samsung?s mobile devices; Hynix posts ... Samsung moves ten million Galaxy ...
  • Liberty Newspost Jan 24 2012
    $2.6 million of the ... Apple denied new appeal for Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban by Dutch court ... has dismissed Apple's appeal to have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ...
  • SYILLA PHONE AND TECHNO
    Samsung Galaxy Q - inexpensive Android smartphone with sliding ... iRU Pad Master 10.1: low-cost 10-inch Android-tablet ... br/>Non-GAAP earnings ($B) $2.3 $2.6 ...
  • iClarified Content Map
    iClarified - Apple News - Apple Posts WWDC ... iClarified - Apple News - Apple Files for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban in ... iClarified - Apple News - Apple Looks to Bond ...
Posted by on Jun 28 2012. Filed under Business Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Source: http://www.technomagz.com/apple-posts-2-6-million-bond-to-ban-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1.html

chicago weather forecast narcolepsy narcolepsy weather st louis faceoff kings island red hot chili peppers tour

Friday, June 29, 2012

Modbook, the Mac Tablet of Yore, Marches Back Into Action

The Modbook Pro, a converted MacBook Pro that has been modified by Modbook and is billed as the first Mac tablet, is set to return to the market later in 2012 after an absence of several years. Its predecessor, the Modbook, which was based on a MacBook, was one of the best-of-show winners at Macworld 2007.


Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/20d8925f/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C7550A80Bhtml/story01.htm

virginia tech shooting james neal jackie robinson virginia tech emancipation proclamation april 16 tornadoes

Researchers hack drones. A science project anyone?

Civilian drones will be easier to hack because most will lack the encrypted GPS carried by military drones, like the Predator shown here.

My son Benjamin once got honorable mention for his science project, which consisted of going to a firing range and seeing whether spider silk is really bulletproof, as it was purported to be. The guy at the range smiled upon hearing about what the skinny teenager was up to and said the silk would never stand up to I-forget-what-caliber of bullet.

He was right. The piece of material Benjamin brought to the range didn?t hold its lead. (The shooting range guy pulled the trigger because Benjamin didn?t have his gun license yet. He?s 26 now, and still doesn?t, but he did learn how to drive, in the meantime, but not a stick shift.)

Anyway, his offering blew away all of the volcano projects in his class at Hunter College High School. That was then. In the past 10 years, and, in fact, in the past 10 days, prospects for perversely cool science projects have gotten a lot better.

Case in point: Todd Humphreys and his team from the Radionavigation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin reportedly demonstrated last week in front of Department of Homeland Security officials that it is relatively easy to take control of an airborne drone by hacking into its GPS system. This is not jamming the signal, perhaps what happened to the U.S. drone brought down in Iran. This is ?spoofing,? in which you actually become a ground-based pilot.

The cost to convert a drone ?on the fly? into your own version of the world?s best remote-controlled hobby airplane ever: $1,000, actually, not much more than the list price for a high-end iPad. Right, guns are so nineties.

The worry, of course, is that someone co-opts the technology for something other than science projects?and I don?t mean forest fire surveillance. One drone demo took place over an Austin stadium, according to Fox News, which broke the story. And Humphreys was quoted by Fox: ?What if you could take down one of these drones delivering FedEx packages and use that as your missile? That?s the same mentality the 9-11 attackers had.?

The Department of Homeland Security is supposed to be dealing with all of this, but doesn?t seem to have? gotten very far, hence the rationale for Humphreys? commandeered flyby. Maybe a skinny high school kid can underline some of the vulnerabilities to the public and government officials better than a college professor.

Let?s see what happens from here. At the very least, though, Humphreys? demo is likely to vie with genetically modified bird flu for the top spot on the existential dread list.

Source: Wikipedia Commons

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=440a05f57aacf8241ab3b3f36d0757c7

montrose marshawn lynch earthquake bay area clear channel drexel dale george will

Los Angeles Liposuction Patients Combining Dietary Changes with

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) April 3, 2009

While body contouring cosmetic surgery may be viewed by some as an end-all to weight loss struggles, Los Angeles liposuction patients know better. Dr. Grant Stevens and Dr. David Stoker of Marina Plastic Surgery Associates (http://www.liposuction-southern-california.com) say that patients who prioritize a healthy lifestyle by maintaining healthy dietary and exercise patterns both before and after surgery often enjoy dramatically better results in the long term.

?I have been telling my patients for years: liposuction is not a quick fix for weight loss,? says Dr. David Stoker of Marina Plastic Surgery. ?Yes, many liposuction patients choose this procedure because they want to look more fit and toned ? but the best liposuction results are achieved when a patient watches what they eat and gets regular exercise. I?ve found that when it comes to body contouring, you really have to be healthy to look your healthiest.?

Los Angeles liposuction procedures are intended to reshape and contour the body in the areas that diet and exercise often can?t help, such as the hips and thighs in women and the belly in men. Modern techniques such as laser liposuction offer highly precise results without the risks, downtime, and discomfort of older methods, but Dr. Stevens and Dr. Stoker say that advanced techniques by no means undermine the importance of healthy living to promote better results.

?The liposuction procedure itself is only part of the process of helping patients successfully achieve the shape they want,? explains Dr. Stoker. ?Healthy eating promotes skin elasticity, which is important to help skin tighten after surgery, and exercise is a key factor in preventing post-surgery weight gain. Lifestyle directly impacts results, so I take the time to discuss these factors with each patient and, if necessary, address what kind of changes they need to make, months before their surgery.?

Typically, Dr. Stoker finds that his Los Angeles liposuction patients are very willing to make the necessary changes to ensure smoother results in the long term. Studies following weight levels in liposuction patients have found that patients who neglect to eat healthy in the months after their procedure are three times more likely to gain weight, while those who do not take the time to exercise regularly are four times as likely to add pounds.

?Patients who are still in the process of losing weight may need to delay surgery until they are within a healthy weight range, so that they can achieve the most flattering results possible,? Dr. Stoker says. ?This is why the initial consultation is so important. Patients who need help improving their health habits can be pointed toward healthy diet and exercise resources to get a head start before they undergo liposuction at my Los Angeles offices.?

When women and men visit Marina Plastic Surgery?s specialty Web site on liposuction, many are encouraged by the photos of liposuction patients in Los Angeles. Results range from subtle reshaping using Smartlipo to more extensive body contouring in multiple areas. In many cases, the patients who are healthiest before the procedure have the most satisfying results.

?I always tell my patients that I?m doing the easy part for them,? says Dr. Stoker. ?Surgery requires years of training and a strong sense of balance and beauty, but it?s only one part of the process. Diet and exercise can be just as vital in maintaining a newly contoured shape.?

Dr. David Stoker (http://www.liposuction-southern-california.com) is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Los Angeles. He performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year in addition to many other plastic surgery procedures. In 2005 he was chosen by The New York Times as one of the top cosmetic plastic surgeons in the nation with special mention of his experience in liposuction, tummy tucks and breast surgery. Dr. Stoker graduated with honors from Stanford University and studied medicine at the University of California at San Francisco before completing residencies in General and Plastic Surgery through New York University School of Medicine?s prestigious Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery.

# # #

Most Popular Weight Loss Products

Share

dennys kindle fire glen davis kobe bryant a christmas story prime rib ny knicks

Having Sound Business Ethics - Vancouver Tour Guide 2010

Reasons Why You Would Want To Embrace The Power And Benefits Of Sound Business Ethics

Integrating your marketing and advertising efforts, by embracing ethical practices, is something that you should consider doing. Although this may seem strange, you may not know your marketing audience as well as you think. Consumers in general will gravitate toward businesses that have an excellent reputation. Consumer loyalty will be stronger for those brands too. Perhaps you have no idea about the fact that all of this translates to growth and profits. So what you can do is actively promote your good and ethical business practices. Unless you educate consumers about this, they simply don?t understand. Digital TV On PC

There are many ways to act with unscrupulous or unethical behavior. Everyone has seen plenty of examples of unethical actions. However, there?s the softer approach which usually entails omission. Ignorance isn?t a valid argument, though, according to any legal professional. It is unlikely for a problem based on omission to arise if you care about the ethics of your business. The idea is to have enough care to make sure every angle is covered and that you aren?t tempted to use questionable situations, loopholes and so on and so forth. Truth About Six Pack Abs

If you want to have a successful business, then you need to have communication with your employees everyday. This is directly related to marketing principles that repeated exposure to a message influences its audience. Business operations can really take off if you continually convey a commitment to ethics on a regular basis. From adhering to management emphasizing quality actions and decisions on down is essential. You will create a very beneficial productive atmosphere within your company as long as management utilizes these ethical principles on a regular basis. Sonic Producer

Companies that tend to have legal issues are the ones that are usually the most unethical. Sometimes companies are forced into bankruptcy simply because they have been fined so much money that they cannot continue. This is one reason that you should make only ethical decisions.

When you make bad decisions, it is possible that your reputation may be tarnished. You may be presumed guilty, and even investigated because of what people think.

The more unethical but you are in your decision-making process, the more likely it is that you will become more unethical as you do business each and every year. A great example is to consider the ethical behavior that young children may have based upon the choices that they make.

Kids will keep doing something, even if it is bad, if they think they can get away with it. This will expand into other bad behaviors and poor decision-making as time goes on. Businesses will do the exact same thing, and they?ll do it until the parental influence of the courts intervene.

la dodgers lawrence o donnell magic johnson jetblue pilot solicitor general neighborhood watch dennis rodman

Although Type 2 Diabetes Cured By Weight Loss ... - Kiefit.com




A new study shows that although gastric bypass surgery reverses Type 2 diabetes in a large percentage of obese patients, the disease recurs in about 21 percent of them within three to five years. The study results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. "The recurrence rate was mainly influenced by a longstanding history of Type 2 diabetes before the surgery," said the study's lead author, Yessica Ramos, MD, an internal medicine resident at Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale...

Realtime Related Tweets



http://www.kiefit.com/images/kiefit%20is%20for%20sale.PNG

invalid username or userid in get_avatar

santa monica college wisconsin primary dallas fort worth airport texas tornados seattle seahawks new uniforms wisconsin recall wisconsin recall

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Google to sell its own, small tablet computer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google is unveiling a small tablet computer bearing its brand.

Called the Nexus Seven, the tablet will have a screen that measures 7 inches diagonally, smaller than the nearly 10 inches on Apple Inc.'s popular iPad. That means it's more likely to challenge Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, which is also 7 inches.

The Nexus Seven will also be light ? at about 0.75 pound, compared with the Kindle Fire's 0.9 pound. The iPad weighs 1.44 pounds.

The device will ship in mid-July starting at $199 ? the same price as the Kindle Fire. By contrast, iPads start at $499. Customers can start ordering it through Google on Wednesday, initially in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The Nexus Seven will run the next version of Google Inc.'s Android operating system, called Jelly Bean. The tablet is also designed specifically for Google Play, the company's online store for movies, music, games, books and apps. Google said Wednesday that Google Play will now offer movies for sale, rather than only rentals.

Google also announced a home entertainment device called Nexus Q. It sends content from your personal collection or YouTube to your existing TV and speaker systems. You control it through a separate Android phone or tablet.

The Nexus Q, which Google is calling the world's first "social streaming device," will available in July in the U.S. initially and sell for $299.

Google made the announcements during a keynote to open its annual conference in San Francisco for computer programmers.

A Google expansion into the tablet market brings another imposing entrant into what is already a battle of tech heavyweights. Last week, Microsoft Corp. announced its own tablet, Surface. Expected to go on sale this fall, Surface will run on a revamped version of Windows and compete directly with the iPad.

Although the tablet carries the Google brand, the machine will be made by AsusTek Computer Inc. Google also recently expanded into the device-making business with its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility, but the company has stressed that it intends to continue to rely on Asus and other manufacturers that have embraced Android.

There are already other Android-powered tablets on the market, but none have proven nearly as popular as the iPad or Kindle Fire. That has raised worries at Google as more people rely on tablets to surf the Internet.

If Apple and Amazon establish themselves as the dominant tablet makers, they could set up their operating systems in ways that de-emphasize Google's Internet search engine and other services. Apple develops its own system, while Amazon modifies Android for use in Kindles.

Apple already has announced that the next version of the iPad operating system will abandon Google's digital maps as the built-in navigation system. That shift could cause neighborhood merchants to spend less money advertising on Google.

Earlier Wednesday, Google unveiled a new search tool to help you get the right information at the right time on your mobile device. Called Google Now, the tool will be part of Jelly Bean, which will be available in mid-July. Some devices, including the Galaxy Nexus, will get the upgrade automatically over the air.

With Google Now, if you say "traffic," for example, it will look at your usual commute to work and show you alternative routes if there's a lot of traffic. It will tell you the scores of your favorite sports teams automatically, and it will keep you up to date on flight statuses if you are flying somewhere. You'll have to activate Google Now to start using it.

Google Inc. said the Google Now feature will get smarter as you use it more.

The feature bears resemblance to the Siri virtual assistant on Apple's iPhone.

Jelly Bean will also come with the ability to share photos by tapping two phones together, using an emerging wireless technology called near-field communications.

Google said there are a million new Android devices activated daily, up from 400,000 a year ago. Google says there's particularly fast growth in emerging markets such as Brazil and India. Android is now the chief rival to the mobile software running Apple's iPhone and iPad.

lady gaga marry the night video pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game al franken al franken mary did you know john carter

Accused New York "Soccer Mom Madam" released on bail

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

nba lockout news nba lockout news gifts for mom gifts for mom pepper spray storage auctions storage auctions

JBS United Forms Strategic Partnership with Software and Systems ...

JBS United, Inc. and PrairiE Systems have announced that PrairiE Systems, based in Spencer, Iowa, has become a subsidiary of JBS United.? Both companies have a common goal of supporting livestock producers and the industry in providing a traceable safe food product to consumers.? This partnership will further support that vision.

?

PrairiE Systems is an Information Technology company and Software and Systems Developer focused on the needs of livestock producers, especially the need to trace and manage feed, and ensure safe food products.? The company is primarily focused on helping the swine industry operate more effectively, but the software and systems are easily modified for other livestock.? PrairiE Systems? premier farm management product is their Feed Allocation System.

?

PrairiE Systems? Feed Allocation System is a web-based productivity tool designed to complement the day-to-day process of managing feed ordering and delivering feed, while lowering feed costs for producers.? Joel Stave, President of PrairiE Systems stated, ?This system automates one of the most complicated and time-consuming tasks in the livestock industry today, and verifies that the correct feed is being delivered to the correct bin at the correct time.? This allows the entire feeding process to be traceable, helps ensure safe food products for consumers and it helps track and reduce feed budgets for producers.?

?

Additional benefits of this Feed Allocation System include reducing the occurrence of feed outages, making the feed ordering and management process easier, allowing feed medications to be administered and tracked more effectively, and much more.? In addition to the benefits listed above, all of PrairiE Systems? suite of products help livestock producers ensure that feed production practices comply with the industry?s focus on providing a high quality, safe food product.

?

This newly acquired company has been positioned as a subsidiary within JBS United?s Nutrition and Emerging Technologies Group.? JBS United?s Chief Operating Officer, Doug Webel stated,

?

?

?

?The decision to acquire PrairiE Systems was made as part of an initiative to keep our customers competitive, progressive and profitable for many years to come.? This acquisition will generate significant operational benefits for pork producers, and the synergy created by combining the resources of JBS United and PrairiE Systems will increase the overall corporate value for both the Nutrition and Emerging Technologies Group and JBS United as a whole.?

?

New technology is revolutionizing how livestock producers and other farms operate.? JBS United understands and embraces this, as evidenced by the company?s development of one of the first Swine Records Programs in the industry.? This acquisition of PrairiE Systems is just another step in the direction of advanced technology and using information to help customers operate more effectively, while providing a traceable and safe food product to the consumer.? With PrairiE Systems joining JBS United, it allows the company to reach a much larger target audience, and provides access to resources that will allow the expansion of its product line.? The result of this will be the development of more innovative tools and services to help livestock producers increase profits and provide the safest food products possible.

?

?

About JBS United

Since its founding in 1956, JBS United has been dedicated to providing research-based solutions to enhance animal nutrition and livestock production profitability.? The company provides various products and services to swine, dairy cattle, poultry and other animal producers worldwide.? For more information, visit the JBS United website at www.JBSunited.com.

?

?

About PrairiE Systems

PrairiE Systems was formed to meet the ever-increasing need for computers and technology in today?s livestock industry. In addition to the development of productivity enhancing software and systems for producers, the company also offers complete information technology services, including consulting and 24-hour technical support.? For more information, visit the PrairiE Systems websites at www.PrairiESystems.net and www.FeedAllocationSystem.com.

?


elliot la galaxy la galaxy jordy nelson hot chelle rae guile alton brown

Online Gaming and Politics an important talking Point ? Reporter ...

?All in all,? surmised Mcconkey Furlan, who oversaw the organization of online gaming politics award presenters, ?I think everyone had a great time. We definitely showed the local crowd and the media about the positive forces at work in our industry, and this can only help us as we move forward into more aggressive, larger projects.? Rossana Iraheta, who reports for a number of national news agencies and local newspapers alike, opened the event with a very enthusiastic speech about the new world of online gaming politics production creation, and how it will continue to affect the community at large in a positive way. ?Behymer Culcasi was right,? relays Vanhooser Texter, winner of the best illustration of classical online gaming politics design implementation, ?to win an award here really means something. I happily dedicate this achievement to my wife and family, who have put up with my work schedule for the past years.? As always, the online gaming politics ceremony organizers pitched the crowd numerous times about joining local firms and teaming up with the professionals to work on design and production projects of their own. Several ads for executive level openings and administrative work were found in the ceremony?s program notes, all boasting solid fringe benefits and some of the most competitive salaries in the online gaming politics sector. ?When they called my name,? remarked Christin Struckhoff, ?I was completely flabberghasted. I planned to attend the annual online gaming politics award night for fun and the after-parties, but lo and behold I walked home with an award for best new analysis and statistical measurement in a online gaming politics project.? This year?s event featured the work of some local performing artists, whose songs were interspersed between award presentations. The online gaming politics event organizers thought this was a good way to give variety and fun to the show, without diminishing the importance of the evening as a whole. ?I liked the musical acts,? said Corrina Lorenz, COO of Audie Remmele INC, ?it is always very good to showcase local talent during important events, so that others outside of our online gaming politics industry can benefit from this special night.? Winning an award at this online gaming politics ceremony is a marked achievement. There are three specific groups in the online gaming politics industry that pick lucky winners. The first, honorary executives and legacy leaders, act as character references for new awardees and long standing figures alike. The second group, a randomly selected group of online gaming politics employees, votes amongst themselves to choose who best represents their interests. Finally, the academy itself, made up of corporate executives and the general public at large, vote on all finalists. The winners are name according to simple majority. A few notable politicains joined in the evening?s festivities, including long time online gaming politics industry supporter Romana Hedrich, who currently holds a seat in the state senate. State representative Darci Aschbacher, who also works closely with top online gaming politics industry execs, made an appearance during the second half of the show to present a special public service award to Benoist Reed from the Audie Remmele & Wassinger Catalina Corporate online gaming politics Design team. The public service award is given to someone who ?Exemplifies selflessness, service, and optimism.? ?Maybe next year?? smiled Matilde Bentzinger, who missed an award by a mere tenth of a point to stalwart competitor Sardinha Propes from the Fliss Duca firm. ?I know the academy of online gaming politics design and production respects my work and I?m confident that I will win an award one of these days!?

one world trade center bks new dark knight rises trailer khloe and lamar oklahoma city thunder act rajon rondo

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Tennessee Has Mercy On Its Drivers, Installs iPad Kiosks at DMVs [Ipad]

In an effort to make the DMV seem less like the seventh ring of hell, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland security has installed 72 iPad kiosks in 26 of these Satanic outposts across the state. More »


episodes idris elba kelsey grammer martin henderson mlk day golden globes 2012 winners golden globes 2012 red carpet

Evading Ticketmaster Louis C.K. sells tour himself

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

king arthur king arthur there will be blood there will be blood nigel barker 420 secret service

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

GM's female manufacturing chief faces big truck test

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co sells its big, brawny trucks for their torque, testosterone and hefty profits, so when the U.S. automaker wanted to introduce the next models, they turned to one of the toughest executives in its ranks.

Global manufacturing chief Diana Tremblay is one of the highest-ranking women in the automotive industry. Throughout her 35-year career at GM, she has made her mark in what were regarded as male domains, from directing foundry workers to staring down union labor negotiators.

Now she faces an even more critical task for the world's largest automaker - ensuring the smooth 2013 introduction of the remodeled full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, GM's high-profile equivalent of a new Apple iPhone.

While executives at GM touted its strength in overseas markets like China after the Detroit company's bankruptcy and $50 billion U.S. taxpayer bailout, it turns out the profit engine has instead been North America. And nothing is more important to that success than the second-quarter introduction next year of the big Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and related SUVs, which analysts say generate profits of $12,000 to $14,000 per vehicle.

The "military precision" of the changeover for the truck platform dubbed K2XX has impressed Tremblay's boss, U.S. Navy veteran and GM Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson. "She's small in physical stature, but she's like a pit bull," he said.

But the 5-foot-2 Tremblay faces a far different task than she would have before GM filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Instead of leading the changeover at seven North American plants that used to make the big GM vehicles, her team now must do the job with four.

"It takes a different way of thinking about how you do your work when you don't have excess capacity," Tremblay, 52, said in an interview at GM's Wentzville, Missouri, commercial van plant.

It is a somewhat welcome problem, though, for an executive who during the bankruptcy helped negotiate key labor deals while working to shore up employee morale.

"Everybody was worried about their jobs," she said. "The most often-asked question when you talked to anybody - 'Well, are you still employed?' That was difficult."

While new small cars like the Chevy Cruze have garnered positive reviews, the big pickups and SUVs - Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade - remain top draws at dealerships. Their combined U.S. sales rose 11 percent last year to more than 799,000 vehicles.

And even though they are the oldest truck models on the market, GM pickups still ranked No. 2 in all U.S. vehicle sales last year, behind only Ford Motor Co's F-150 truck.

Trucks and SUVs account for about 60 percent of GM's North American profit, analysts said.

Citi analyst Itay Michaeli estimates the new trucks could bring GM more than $1 billion in additional operating earnings in 2013 and 2014.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

That kind of money leads to jockeying, especially among U.S. automakers, for bragging rights about which has the toughest truck with the most towing capacity or highest fuel-efficiency.

GM ran an ad during the broadcast of this year's NFL Super Bowl that depicts an apocalyptic scene in which Silverado owners escape death and make it to a pre-arranged meeting point in their trucks while a friend who drives a Ford does not.

GM has told analysts and investors the magnitude of product advancements in the new trucks will be as large as the last redesign in 2006, which helped the automaker gain market share.

GM North American chief Mark Reuss told Reuters the launch remained on track and that the trucks would be competitive with rival offerings.

Tremblay, who speaks in a low, measured voice that has managers and factory workers leaning in to hear her, may be a GM insider, but as a woman executive in a part of an industry dominated by men, she also is an outsider.

"There is maybe a tendency to underestimate (me)," she said. "That's not always bad."

FORGED IN DEFIANCE

Tremblay's career was forged in the foundries of Defiance, Ohio, where she supervised men whose job was swinging sledge hammers to knock excess metal off auto castings.

Family history, however, set her path earlier, as her grandfather spent his entire career as an hourly employee at GM's now-idled Janesville, Wisconsin, assembly plant. Her father was the first in the family to go to college, graduating from Flint, Michigan's Kettering University, a training ground for many GM managers.

Her father rose to head maintenance at GM's Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant, which Tremblay sometimes visited on weekends. As a child, she would also listen to his work stories.

Tremblay later started her career at the Defiance casting plant.

"I don't know if a woman had set foot up in that area ever," she said. "It was a dark, dingy place. I was probably 18 at that point. It was pretty intimidating, so you learn pretty fast."

She herself graduated from Kettering, where she met her husband, who works in powertrain engineering at GM.

Tremblay, who mostly drives a Chevy Tahoe SUV and uses her Pontiac Solstice sports car for special occasions, rose to become head of labor relations in North America in 2006. A year later, she helped negotiate the watershed VEBA deal with the United Auto Workers union that shifted GM's retiree health care liabilities off its balance sheet.

"A lot of people have a hard time believing we worked well together, but we did," said Cal Rapson, the former UAW vice president who negotiated with her.

Walking the assembly line at the Wentzville plant outside St. Louis earlier this year, Tremblay recalled the long hours. "If my husband and I were going anywhere, he would drive because I'd just fall asleep," she said. "Anytime I sat down, I would just doze off. I wasn't very exciting at home during that period."

Her adaptability comes in handy in her current job, which she took on in 2009, as workers at the plants under her care learn to adjust to changing on the fly. Instead of shutting down paint shops for two weeks, changes must happen while the assembly line is running.

In Fairfax, Kansas, for instance, employees replaced 1.3 miles of conveyor belts a section at a time last year so as not to shut down a busy plant that builds the Chevy Malibu and Buick LaCrosse mid-sized cars. Now Tremblay's team must basically pull off a similar trick on a larger scale, putting the tooling in place for the new full-size trucks while minimizing down time to maintain production of current models.

It is all part of a bigger effort for Tremblay and executives like her, who came up through a system deemed too bureaucratic, to mold GM into a leaner, faster-moving company.

"I used to spend a lot of time in meetings that, honestly, when I walked out of the room, not a lot was different than when I walked in," she said. "That is certainly not the case today.

"I talk to people in the plants who tell me unsolicited that this is the most fun that they have had in their career at GM."

(Editing by Martin Howell and Lisa Von Ahn)

sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game ravens ray lewis steven tyler national anthem penn state

Human-powered helicopter breaks record with 50-second flight

2 hrs.

A team at the University of Maryland has blown away a long-standing (or long-hovering) record for human-powered flight. A Japanese team stayed aloft for 19 seconds in 1994, and no one has been able to do better until Thursday, when the Maryland team stayed aloft for 50 seconds. They fell just?short, however, of the 60 seconds required to qualify for a decades-old $250,000?prize.

Gamera II is the name of the helicopter the team constructed in order to claim the Sikorsky prize, created in 1980 in memory of the helicopter?pioneer Igor Sikorsky.?The contest requires that the craft reach 3 meters of altitude ? and that it stays there for a full minute.?

The newest version of the craft weighs only 71 pounds, 30 less than the previous one, which?stayed aloft for 11 seconds in 2011. Gamera II?harvests power from arm movements as well as pedals, transmitting more power to the four large rotors. These and other improvements allowed the team to break the 18-year-old record and post a time of 50 seconds in the air at 2 feet up. Watch the video of that flight below:

The team will continue to make attempts at the 60-second goal, though they would still need to go significantly higher to claim the prize money, even if they hit the minute mark. The solution is not as easy as simply pedaling harder. Gamera II takes advantage of an aerodynamic characteristic of low-altitude craft called ground effect, which reduces the energy needed to hover, and that advantage decreases the higher the craft goes.

The researchers from Maryland are not the only ones working on the problem: A private team called Atlas recently ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise some funding for their attempt on the Sikorsky prize. The requirements of the prize may be straightforward, but they are also extremely difficult, so chances are it will take some time and effort, not to mention money and materials, to make it happen.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

ira glass march madness swain match day nene dark shadows trailer nate mcmillan

Susan Katz Miller: "Partially Jewish" and Proud: Interfaith Identity

In a new study of the Jewish population of New York, researchers recently acknowledged the existence of the growing cohort of people with complex identities drawing on more than one religion. The Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 found that

Rising numbers of people report unconventional identity configurations. They may consider themselves "partially Jewish," or may identify as Jews even while identifying with Christianity or another non-Jewish religion (many more do so now than who so reported in 2002). Of such people with unconventional configurations, 70 percent have a non-Jewish parent (or two).

As someone who was born into an interfaith family, and who embraces my interfaith identity, it is gratifying to finally receive recognition from demographers. To learn more about how those of us with interfaith identities think and behave, I hope these researchers will visit my blog On Being Both. Interfaith Parent, Interfaith Child: Notes from a Hybrid Universe.

The study notes,

... we also see more hybridity -- that is, the confluence of multiple traditions not only in households but even within individuals. Today, more and more individuals feel comfortable adopting elements from multiple religious traditions, and even identifying with several traditions at once. As one of our respondents declared, "I am two religions." In another case, our interviewer noted that the respondent derives from mixed upbringing and "identifies with both."

Not to seem ungrateful, but I do want to point out that I am not partial to the term "partial." I do not consider myself a "partial" anything. I have never heard anyone describe themselves as "partially Jewish." (The term has unfortunate associations, from partial mastectomy to partial abortion). I am a self-defined full Jew, who also insists on my right to celebrate my birth into an interfaith family. I revel in my hybridity, in my fluid and yet deeply satisfying spiritual practice, and in my participation in an intentional and independent interfaith families community. I raised my children within this community, where they learned about both of their ancestral religions and took pride in their interfaith background. Next year, my book on how and why parents are choosing to educate interfaith children in more than one religion, and how those children feel about it when they grow up, will be published by Beacon Press.

The authors of this new study asked themselves, "Should 'Jewish and something else' be seen as a somewhat qualified form of Jewish upbringing, or a functional equivalent of non-Jewish socialization, or an intermediate category?" They go on to infer that "the 'Jewish and something else' response signifies very weak levels of Jewish socialization."

It is true that in some cases, doing "both" actually amounts to doing very little, because families are unable to find clergy and religious institutions to support them in their desire to allow their children full access to knowledge of and familiarity with both religions.

But in a growing number of intentional interfaith communities, parents are raising children who are deeply engaged with religion. Let me describe our family's Jewish engagement, which strikes me as anything but "weak." We always host a Passover Seder, light Hanukkah candles, go to High Holy Day services. We also light Shabbat candles, and celebrate other holidays like Purim and Sukkot. My children learned Hebrew, recited the blessings over the Torah when they turned 13, and know and use essential Jewish prayers. They have a warm and personal relationship with more than one rabbi. They are quick to identify themselves as Jewish when they encounter anti-Semitism. Oh, and we have shlepped our children to Jewish Museums on more than one continent (visiting Jewish museums is one of the forms of Jewish engagement measured in the New York study).

But we also embrace our entire family tree. We celebrate Christian holidays, go to church with extended family. And we put our children through nine years of study about both Judaism and Christianity -- about the common ground and the essential differences and the points of historical connection.

It is true that my family feels alienated from the state of Israel, since none of us would be legally accepted as Jews there, and there is a troubling correlation between religious identity and civil rights in Israel. And Birthright will not take my children on a free trip to Israel unless they sign away their right to interfaith identity.

And it is true that our family would score low on connections to institutional Judaism. My children aren't accepted as Jews by many of those institutions, and that, frankly, decreases our desire to belong to them. Our insistence that our children be educated about Christianity, our openness to the possibility that our children will get spiritual sustenance from Christian traditions, and that they have the right to choose a Christian (or for that matter Buddhist or Hindu) identity someday, is wholly unacceptable to most Jewish institutions. Interfaith families that seek to educate their children in more than one religion are expressly barred, by policy, from most synagogue classrooms.

Nonetheless, I am cautiously optimistic that this new acknowledgement of our existence represents progress towards understanding that many interfaith children both want to stay connected to Judaism and also want access to learning about both of their ancestral religions. I am hopeful that researchers will now seek to understand all that is positive about interfaith education for interfaith families. We engage the whole child, the whole family, and embrace our bothness. We don't mind being called unconventional. We embrace that label, too.

?

Follow Susan Katz Miller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/beingboth

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

aaron brooks dave matthews band solar flares 2012 whitney houston will toyota recall northern lights sign of the times

Earl of Sandwich To Open At Showboat Atlantic City, Drunk Eaters ...

Earl of Sandwich, the sandwich franchise best known for its genetic connection (gennection?) to the innovator himself, is opening at the Showboat Atlantic City Hotel & Casino this summer. The restaurant will be located in the main lobby, near the check-in desk, so gamblers and drunk folk alike won?t need to go far to eat their feelings at the end of a long night.

As with all great (is that the word?) things in life, the restaurant will be open 24/7. In addition to the eponymous product, Earl of Sandwich has ?a full line of freshly tossed salads, made-to-order wraps, signature soups, freshly baked desserts, freshly brewed Kona coffee, and a selection of beer and wine offerings.? Who knew? They also offer a breakfast menu that features a variety of made-to-order hot breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and other morning treats from 7-11am Monday-Friday and 10-11:30am on weekends.

For a full list of sandwiches (let?s be honest, they do sound pretty good) and other locations nationwide, visit Earl of Sandwich?s website.

jay z glory alabama crimson tide barry larkin jay z new song torrie wilson alabama lsu bcs national championship

Greece's designated finance minister resigns

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012 file photo shows Greece's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras looks on after his meeting with outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikramenos at Maximos Mansion. Greece's new prime minister was released from hospital on Monday, June 25, 2012 two days after undergoing eye surgery that will prevent him from traveling to a European Union summit in Brussels this week. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, file)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012 file photo shows Greece's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras looks on after his meeting with outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikramenos at Maximos Mansion. Greece's new prime minister was released from hospital on Monday, June 25, 2012 two days after undergoing eye surgery that will prevent him from traveling to a European Union summit in Brussels this week. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, file)

(AP) ? Greece's designated finance minister resigned Monday after being rushed to the hospital on Friday, the prime minister's office said.

Vassilis Rapanos, chairman of the National Bank of Greece, had been named finance minister last week in the country's new three-party coalition government. But he was taken ill before he could be sworn in Friday and has been in hospital ever since.

Rapanos has sent a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and that was accepted.

The startling development came as Germany tamped down expectations that this week's European Union summit would emerge with any significant action on Greece as the debt-strapped nation's two key politicians struggled with health problems.

Samaras himself was released from hospital Monday after undergoing eye surgery to repair a detached retina over the weekend, but will have to stay home for several days and won't be able to travel to Brussels for the EU summit. He was still planning to speak by telephone later Monday with President Barack Obama.

The EU summit this Thursday and Friday comes just a week after Greece's new coalition government was formed following months of political turmoil and two inconclusive elections. It was to have been a key test of Athens' hopes of renegotiating some of the austerity measures it has agreed to in return for billions of euros in rescue loans from the International Monetary Fund and other European Union nations that use the joint euro currency.

It was to have been preceded by a visit to Athens starting Monday of Greece's debt inspectors, known as the Troika ? representatives from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. But that visit was postponed until Samaras and Rapanos can recover.

Rapanos, meanwhile, remained in the hospital after being admitted Friday complaining of severe abdominal pain, dizziness and nausea. The hospital said he would be released on Tuesday but did not elaborate.

Without the troika report on Greece's progress in economic reforms required by its international bailout, Germany said it would be premature to expect any new decisions this week. Samaras has been pressing Greece's creditors to revise the bailout deal, which is despised by many ordinary Greeks.

"The troika needs to go to Athens, they need to assess the status of the program, then they need to brief the eurozone and IMF leadership," said Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "On the basis of this assessment, one can talk about necessary updating of the program ? that is the road map that everyone in Europe is following and that's why we don't expect any sort of a resolution on Greece at the EU council."

With fears that Greece's problems are not getting resolved soon, the Athens Stock Exchange general price index closed 6.84 percent down Monday.

Greece will still be present at the EU summit, sending a delegation with outgoing Finance Minister Giorgos Zanias, one of the key negotiators in Greece's bailout agreement. As Rapanos fell ill before he could be sworn in, Zanias still holds the title.

And the delegation will be led by the country's president, 83-year-old Karolos Papoulias, the government announced Monday. While the presidency in Greece is a largely ceremonial post, his presence would adhere to EU regulations about summits.

It was unclear when the postponed troika visit would take place.

"First, our concern is for the health of the prime minister and finance minister," European Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said in Brussels, adding that debt inspectors would head to Greece "as soon as possible."

Samaras' government, comprised of his New Democracy conservatives, their long-time socialist rivals PASOK and the small Democratic Left party, has issued a policy statement outlining changes it would like to make to the terms of its international bailout. Those include repealing certain tax hikes, freezing public sector layoffs and extending by two years the mid-2014 deadline for tough austerity measures.

Whether Greece can amend the terms of its loan agreement will depend on how the proposals are viewed by its international creditors. Germany, the largest single contributor to eurozone bailouts, has repeatedly said Athens must stick to its austerity pledges.

"One thing is clear," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said from Luxembourg. "We cannot allow everything to be negotiated again. We can also not allow discounts to be granted. What has been decided upon stands. That the (Greek) election campaigns have cost time is obvious. That's the situation and we have to deal with it. But the fact remains that the agreements must be implemented."

Seibert also stressed that Greece must stick to its commitments.

"A program has been agreed upon, a program goes for every government, no matter if it's a new government, and the program is the best way to see Greece return to economic health," he said.

In Brussels, Altafaj Tardio also stressed that "Greece has to face its financial obligations," adding that before any further funds can be disbursed "there has to be a thorough analysis."

"It's no secret that there have been delays in several areas of implementation," he added.

The latest figures released by the finance ministry Monday showed that Greece's budget deficit for the first five months of the year was better than expected, standing at ?10.87 billion ($13.63 billion) instead of the target of ?12.89 billion ($16.17 billion) on a modified cash basis.

Revenue, however, was below target with the state budget net revenue standing at ?19.67 billion ($24.56 billion), ?926 million ($1.15 billion) short of the targeted ?20.6 billion ($25.73 billion), due in part to lower domestic consumer demand and lower tax revenues.

The ministry said "this revenue shortfall was more than compensated for by the savings in State Budget expenditures for the first five months of 2012."

____

David Rising in Berlin and Toby Sterling in Brussels contributed.

Associated Press

national inquirer knicks vs heat ash wednesday kate walsh cnn debate equatorial guinea marine helicopter crash