Friday, August 31, 2012

Recession 'drives invention boom'

Britons have risen to the economic challenges of recent recession by becoming more prolific inventors, a random survey of 2,000 Britons shows.

A third of respondents claimed that the recession has increased the amount they were coming up with inventions and innovative, money-saving solutions.

A third of those with a bright idea were learning more about science and technology to help refine it.

One in 10 adults had looked into or applied for a patent in the last year.

"This research shows the recession has sparked a real 'can do' attitude amongst ordinary people of all ages who are looking to make some extra cash - and it's amazing to see that, as a nation, we are turning to science and engineering to make the impossible possible," said Dragon's Den success and first "inventor-in-residence" at London's Science Museum Mark Champkins.

"Breakthroughs using science and technology hold the key to not only transforming individuals' lives but the state of our country's future economic growth."

The survey, commissioned by the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair, found that young people were part of the boom as well; 5% of survey respondents aged 11 to 18 had looked into or applied for a patent in the last year.

It is those young inventors that are of greatest interest to Big Bang fair; organisers are encouraging young inventors and technologists to put forward their ideas in the National Science and Engineering Competition.

"With a chance to compete for top prizes worth over ?50,000, it's the perfect incentive to test, stretch and expand young minds," said Mr Champkins.

"That 'light bulb moment' could see them crowned 'UK Young Engineer of the Year' or 'UK Young Scientist of the Year'."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19423195#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Japan court rejects Apple patent claims against Samsung

A Japanese court Friday rejected Apple's claim that Samsung stole its technology, dealing a blow to the iPhone maker after last week winning $1.05 billion in damages in the US from its bitter rival.

The ruling by the Tokyo District Court is the latest chapter in a long-running global patent war between the smartphone giants who have accused each other of stealing intellectual property for their own products.

The Japanese court found that Samsung did not infringe on Apple's iPhone and iPad patents for some of its own Galaxy smartphones and tablet computer. The three-judge panel also awarded legal costs to Samsung.

"The defendant's products do not seem like they used the same technology as the plaintiff's products so we turn down the complaints made by (Apple)," Judge Tamotsu Shoji told the court.

Apple had sought damages and the block of sales of its some of Samsung's products in the lucrative Japanese market.

But as well as dealing a blow to the US firm, the ruling will help Samsung pick itself up after the defeat in the United States, analysts said.

Samsung shares closed 1.48 percent higher in Seoul on Friday.

"Investors were encouraged by the ruling in Tokyo... it eased concern over Samsung's future which had been raised by the defeat in the US court battle," said Seo Won-Seok, analyst at Korea Investment Securities.

Samsung, which has steadfastly denied its rival's claims in a string of similar cases filed across the globe, hailed the Tokyo court's ruling.

"We welcome the court's decision, which confirmed our long-held position that our products do not infringe Apple's intellectual property," it said in a statement.

A Japan-based spokesman for Apple, which can appeal the verdict, declined to comment.

Last week the iPhone maker won $1.05 billion in a massive US court victory over Samsung with jurors finding that the South Korean firm had "willfully" infringed on Apple's patents.

The Japanese case, which focused on Apple's claim that Samsung stole technology used to transfer music and video files, sought a comparatively small amount -- 100 million yen ($1.27 million) -- in damages.

Both firms' gadgets are increasingly popular in the the Japanese market which was previously monopolised by domestic giants such as Sony and Sharp.

"It was a ruling on just one technology so it is difficult to draw any conclusion on its overall impact," said Michiru Takahashi, a patent lawyer at Jones Day in Tokyo.

"But... if Samsung had lost again it would have considerably hurt its image."

The high-profile verdict in the United States last week regarded patents on a range of Samsung products including some of its popular smartphones and its Galaxy 10 tablet.

Jurors rejected the South Korean electronics firm's patent theft counterclaims against Apple.

Also last week, a court in Seoul ruled the pair had swiped each other's technology and awarded damages to both sides.

The Seoul Central District Court said Apple breached two of Samsung's technology patents, and ordered it to pay 40 million won ($35,000) in damages.

It also ordered Samsung to pay 25 million won for violating one of Apple's patents. Each company had sought damages of 100 million won from the other.

The South Korean court said there was "no possibility" that consumers would confuse Samsung and Apple smartphones -- a key issue in the US trial -- and that Samsung's smartphone icons do not infringe Apple's patents.

But it said Samsung infringed Apple's patent for bounce-back technology, a widely copied spring-back action when users reach the edge of a document.

The court imposed a partial ban on both firms' product sales.

The patent cases come as Apple loses ground to rivals including Samsung that use the Android operating system developed by Google.

Samsung shipped 50.2 million smartphones globally between April and June, while Apple sold 26 million iPhones, according to research firm IDC.

The Asian firm held 32.6 percent of the market compared to 16.9 percent for Apple, while the US company holds about a 70 percent market share for tablets.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tokyo-court-rejects-apple-patent-claim-against-samsung-051937658.html

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The HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf All-In-One Printer Gives You Great Bang for the Buck [Stuff We Like]

The HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf All-In-One Printer Gives You Great Bang for the BuckWe all need a printer every once in awhile, but for most of us, it's hard to care which model you end up with. Our friends at the Wirecutter have done the work for us, narrowing down the best printers for quality, speed, and price.

The HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf, besides having a catchy name, is the perfect printer for those that want to print, scan, copy, and fax without paying an arm and a leg. The printer will run you $170, but you'll incur far less ongoing cost than you would with most other printers. Of course, if you print a lot more or need to print in color, you'll need an InkJet printer like the HP 3050A?but be warned, that while it costs less up front, you'll quickly pay a lot for ink cartriges. If all you need is the occasional black-and-white page of text, the M1212nf is the printer to beat. Hit the link to read more.

HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf Printer | Amazon via The Wirecutter

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/-UWOVVyh3kA/the-hp-laserjet-pro-m1212nf-all+in+one-printer-gives-you-great-bang-for-the-buck

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Feuding Russian tycoons face London court ruling

FILE This Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 file photo shows the owner of England's Chelsea Football Club, Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich as he leaves court in London. Russian businessmen Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky. rose to riches together in the chaotic years of post-Soviet Russia and then became archenemies and a British judge will soon rule on which oligarch will defeat the other in a multi-billion-dollar court battle. After a seven-month delay, Judge Elizabeth Gloster is expect to deliver a summary ruling Friday Aug. 31, 2012 to settle the legal feud between Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner, and self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

FILE This Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 file photo shows the owner of England's Chelsea Football Club, Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich as he leaves court in London. Russian businessmen Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky. rose to riches together in the chaotic years of post-Soviet Russia and then became archenemies and a British judge will soon rule on which oligarch will defeat the other in a multi-billion-dollar court battle. After a seven-month delay, Judge Elizabeth Gloster is expect to deliver a summary ruling Friday Aug. 31, 2012 to settle the legal feud between Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner, and self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

FILE - This is a Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 file photo of Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky as he arrives at the high court in London. Russian businessmen Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich, rose to riches together in the chaotic years of post-Soviet Russia and then became archenemies and a British judge will soon rule on which oligarch will defeat the other in a multi-billion-dollar court battle. After a seven-month delay, Judge Elizabeth Gloster is expect to deliver a summary ruling Friday Aug. 31, 2012 to settle the legal feud between Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner, and self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

(AP) ? Two Russian businessmen rose to riches together in the chaotic years of post-Soviet Russia and then became archenemies ? and a British judge will soon rule on which oligarch will defeat the other in a multibillion-dollar court battle.

After a seven-month delay, Judge Elizabeth Gloster is expect to deliver a summary ruling Friday to settle the legal feud between Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner, and self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky.

The feud, the most high-profile commercial case at London's High Court in recent years, has fascinated the British and Russian media with intriguing tales about the tycoons' jet-setting lives and the lawless Wild West years that followed the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

Berezovsky, 66, is a former Kremlin power broker who fled to Britain after falling out with President Vladimir Putin. He sued the 45-year-old Abramovich, who he calls his former friend, prot?g? and business partner, alleging that Abramovich threatened him into selling his stakes in the Russian oil giant Sibneft vastly beneath their value. Berezovsky alleged blackmail and breach of contract ? and is seeking more than 3 billion pounds ($4.8 billion) in damages.

Abramovich has denied the allegations and his lawyer has accused Berezovsky of lying and making up stories.

"I'm an optimistic person, it's in my genes. So, of course, I'm confident that the judgment will go my way," Berezovsky said ahead of the ruling.

Abramovich's lawyers did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

Both tycoons were cross-examined and sat across from each other on most days during the four-month trial, which attracted large crowds of journalists, lawyers and spectators.

The case has sparked so much interest partly because of its focus on the two oligarchs' personal, as well as business, relationship. They were said to have become friends after meeting on a private cruise in the Caribbean, built a business empire together, but parted bitterly when their fortunes were reversed.

Berezovsky, a mathematician-turned-Mercedes dealer, amassed his wealth during Russia's privatization of state assets in the early 1990s. In return for backing former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, he gained powerful political connections and access to valuable assets at very low prices.

Berezovsky says he mentored the younger Abramovich, treated him like a son, and founded Sibneft with him and a third partner. Berezovsky claimed that the friendship faltered when he fell out with Putin, at which point Abramovich "intimidated" him into selling his Sibneft shares ? causing him losses of almost $6 billion.

In separate claims, Berezovsky also alleged breach of trust and breach of contract when Abramovich sold Berezovsky's alleged stake in aluminum conglomerate Rusal without his consent.

Abramovich claims that Berezovsky was not his mentor and never owned the stakes ? in fact, he argued that Berezovsky only had a political role in creating Sibneft and never "contributed a single cent" to acquiring or building up the company.

According to Abramovich, he had already paid more than $2.5 billion to Berezovsky for his services as his "political godfather" ? a protector whose political influence helped him do business ? and reluctantly funded Berezovsky's extravagant lifestyle of yachts and vacation homes because he feared retaliation. He doesn't owe Berezovsky any more money, he said.

"Our business relationship was over and yet he still treated me as his 'cash cow' and expected me to fund all of his expenses," Abramovich claimed in a statement. He described Berezovsky as ambitious, sometimes megalomaniacal, and a man who "would often start believing his own PR."

Charged in Russia with fraud and embezzlement, Berezovsky has been living in London since 2001.

Abramovich lives in Russia and is known to some as the "stealth oligarch" because of his low profile, but is widely known in Britain since he bought the Chelsea soccer club in 2003. His wealth is estimated to be 9.5 billion pounds (about $15 billion) by The Sunday Times.

The pair's feud is just one among many lucrative commercial fraud cases dealing with Russia and Central Asia that have found their way into London courts. Lawyers say many wealthy Russians distrust the legal infrastructure in their own country and flock to English courtrooms because they believe they can find fairness there.

Friday's summary verdict will be followed soon after by an extended judgment and lawyers from both sides will meet in the next few weeks to discuss appeals and legal costs.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-30-Britain-Billionaires'%20Battle/id-d6ce7cf2a2a84e7abaf0850bed7cd790

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Connecticut Travel Agent Partnerships | Absolute Transportation ...

CT Travel AgentTravel agents, are you looking for additional ways to service your clients? Far too often, we assume customers are happy to plan their own itineraries. While some look to handle most of their bookings (plane, cruise ship or rail) ? others would prefer to be guided through the process.

Airport limo service is an excellent enhancement to any itinerary. Whether booking services locally or at the point of destination, your customers will appreciate the convenience factor. Vehicles range in size from luxury sedans all the way up to the motor coach level ? so groups of all sizes can easily be accommodated. You will want to partner with a company that offers nationwide and international services to facilitate the end-to-end booking process.

Why Encourage Your Customers to Use Limo Service?
? Safety: From unfamiliarity in foreign cities, to unlicensed operators and jetlag on return flights, safety should be a top priority for travelers.
? Convenience: Door-to-door service and assistance with luggage are among top reasons routinely cited for hiring a local limousine company.
? Price: For longer trips, the price of limo service to the airport can be cheaper than driving & parking
? Peace-of-Mind: Knowing a car is waiting in an unfamiliar city or after a long span of travel can put weary travelers minds at ease.
? Fun: Leaving the driving to a trusted professional allows the fun to start at the point of pick-up. Passengers will be able to relax and enjoy the company of others.

When looking for ways to set your travel agency apart from the competition, consider enlisting the services of a local limousine company. If you would like information on our Travel Agent program, please call 203-938-0000 for details. We look forward to working with you!

This entry was posted in CT Travel Agents. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.absolute-transportation.com/blog/2012/08/29/connecticut-travel-agent-partnerships/

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London Web Development | Blogging For Business eBook | Latest ...

Wednesday, 29 August 2012 08:08

If you?re involved with the marketing aspect of your web presence, then you?ve probably heard of blogging for business. Simply put, a well executed blog can be the hub of all your internet marketing efforts. Does your business have one? If not, you?re missing out on one of the most powerful and reliable methods of [...]

?

Source: http://www.dotingenuity.com/Social-Media-and-Web-Design-News/Latest-web-and-social-media-news/blogging-for-business-ebook.html

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Best CDs for Toddlers | Toddler Times

Family Roadtrip Music 300x199 Our Favorite Music for Family RoadtripsMy family takes a lot of road trips. With many friends and family members within a day?s driving distance from our home in West Virginia, we?re on the road quite a bit.

Besides putting miles on our vehicle, road trips are a fantastic way for our family to bond. And by ?bond? I really mean confine ourselves to tight quarters and try not to lose our tempers while still getting where we need to go and Why on earth did we plan this roadtrip again?

With music snobs for parents and children ages 9, 5, and 3, it can be a challenge to find music that we all agree on. Here are our time-tested favorites.

  • thumbs 01 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    Here Come the ABCs

    They Might be Giants have produced so many great children's CDs, and this is one of our favorites.

    Amazon, $15.37

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#here-come-the-abcs

  • thumbs 02 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    The Merry Goes Round

    Ever since I got this CD last spring, it has been a staple. "Sammy the Spider" is my toddler's favorite song!

    Amazon, $12.24

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#the-merry-goes-round

  • thumbs 03 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    Silly Sing-Along

    This songbook-CD pack is filled with whimsical tunes that you and your toddler will love. It's an interactive CD that will get you moving on those long drives to grandma's!

    Amazon, $7.55

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#silly-sing-along

  • thumbs 04 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    You are My Little Bird

    Do you know about Elizabeth Mitchell? If you have a toddler, you absolutely should. Her songs are sweet and well-written and your kiddo will love them, I promise!

    Amazon, $12

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#you-are-my-little-bird

  • thumbs 05 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    The Green Album

    This CD is comprised of wonderful covers of Muppets songs, some better-known than others. My kids love "Mahna Mahna" by The Fray and "Our World" by My Morning Jacket the most.

    $10.92, Amazon

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#the-green-album

  • thumbs 06 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

    Catch that Train!

    Dan Zanes doesn't make "typical" children's music, and this difference is one of the reasons he's a hit with my family. The songs on Catch that Train are great for roadtrips because they do not all sound alike; it's enough to keep even the littlest members of the family engaged.

    Amazon, $14.85

    /toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/#catch-that-train

Mary Lauren Weimer?is a social worker turned mother turned writer. Her blog,?My 3 Little Birds, encourages moms to put down the baby books for a moment and tell their own stories. Connect with her on?Facebook?and?Twitter.

More by Mary Lauren:

10 Ideas For Backyard Toddler Fun

Family Biking with your Toddler: Tips from the Pros!

Etsy Shops that Celebrate Childhood

 Our Favorite Music for Family Roadtrips

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/toddler-times/2012/08/28/our-favorite-music-for-family-roadtrips/

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Diet to Lose Weight | Healthy Nutrition Info

lose weight Diet to Lose WeightHave you ever wanted to know, how people can be fat? The most common reason is overeating, eating the wrong foods and unhealthy, irregular meal times. Actually, if someone wants to know the drug for weight loss, he had to make major changes in your diet and how to eat so forget the reasons why people can be fat mentioned above.

When talking about weight loss, people always have a thought in her mind like a figure the amount of weight they want to lower the amount of time. Let me explain one thing to you here:

Amount of weight that can be derived by a person depends on a number of factors as well. If two people follow an exercise routine the same and eat the same food, does not mean they?ll both lose weight by the same amount as well.

Run A Balanced Diet

To lose weight in a healthy way, a balance in the diet should be considered. The food we eat should be able to meet the demand of nutrients required by the body as nutrients essences, vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, calcium and fat.

Food filamentous High

In a variety of diets to lose weight, eat fibrous always been a necessity. High-fiber foods such as fruit raisins, papaya, beans, and others can help digestive process. He is keeping the stomach remains full for a long time, so that one may tend to eat less food for the next meal. Other benefits of a diet rich in fiber are good for losing weight is carbohydrates that can not be digested. When carbohydrates are not digested by the body is removed, it will bind or carry with dirt and grease. This could in turn lowers the accumulation of fat in the body, so as to lose weight.

Protein and Fat

Foods that contain high protein crate of meat, eggs, broccoli and fish are a must in one?s diet. Protein helps build muscle from fat-fat and it can help the process of weight loss. Healthy fats such as those found in olive oil (olive oil) is needed by our bodies in order to remain in good health.

Carbohydrate

Many diets for weight loss recommend someone not to eat carbohydrates in order to lose weight. However, this is not a healthy way to lose weight. Carbohydrates are an important part of the balance in a variety of foods, it gives your body energy to perform our daily tasks. Instead, one must incorporate into her diet of complex carbohydrates such as those found in brown rice, rice, cereal, wheat bread, etc..

Avoid fattening food

All foods, foods that contain high sugar, fast food, snacks with high calorie, fatty foods, carbonated beverages (soda), all types of alcoholic beverages, try to stay clear of your diet because of all the high-calorie foods and beverages is not healthy! Write on the agenda or your phone screen: Avoid fattening Foods! to always remind you. Solution when you are hungry before the main meal: drinking water or eating fruit.

Eat a Low Calorie Food

You will be surprised to learn there are certain foods that contain calories much lower than that required by the body to digest it! So, add these foods into your diet every day of the diet such as tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, cauliflower, carrots, peaches, grapes, watermelon and lemon.

Eat 5 Times With A Small Portion

If you tend to eat a lot of meals at a time, you had to leave this way, if you want to lose weight. Eat small portions and distribute your food in a couple of meals a day! 5 to 6 meals a day is the best way for our digestion than eating 3 meals with large portions. Another thing you need to remember here is the dinner you should be very little, while the breakfast your biggest meal of the day is you. These studies found that when eggs are served at our breakfast menu, can help you lose weight.

Drink Pure Water

Water is very good for your health, help digestion, keeping the smoothness of your skin and keep it shining, and also helps suppress your appetite! So, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. He will not hurt you even bring many benefits for your body, so why not try it?

Sport

As the balance in your diet, you should exercise regularly to lose weight. Moderate exercise such as jogging, swimming, cycling, or aerobics, have done for forty minutes every day in order to lose weight.

For those of you who want to find ways to diet to lose weight 10 pounds in two weeks, I suggest that you should throw away such an idea because of the way it really is not healthy. Instead, you can run a healthy diet as mentioned above as diet routines that can be done forever and will result in weight loss gradually. So apply the above tips right away to start your life in order to get the body healthy, trim and fit!

Source: http://www.blastcapnutrition.com/diet-to-lose-weight-2.html

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Religion, 9/11 grab spotlight as Venice film fest opens

VENICE (Reuters) - Politics, religion and personal crisis combine in "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," the opening movie at this year's Venice film festival, which examines what the 9/11 attacks mean for a young Asian man destined for a bright future on Wall Street.

Based on the novel by Pakistan-born writer Mohsin Hamid, it is directed by Indian Mira Nair, one of a large number of female filmmakers in Venice this year and a winner of the festival's coveted Golden Lion for best film with 2001's "Monsoon Wedding."

"The Reluctant Fundamentalist," which has its red carpet world premiere on Wednesday to launch the 2012 festival, is not eligible for awards because it screens outside the competition.

But organizers are hoping its themes of faith, alienation and radicalism will provide a provocative start to 11 days of films, interviews, press conferences, photo shoots and late-night parties on the Lido island, which is part of Venice.

"'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' gave me the platform to create a dialogue between the subcontinent and the West, over a schism that becomes more and more pronounced each day," Nair said of her new film.

She called it "a story about conflicting ideologies, instead of competing fists, where perception and suspicion have the power to determine life or death."

Venice, the world's oldest film festival, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and welcomes back artistic director Alberto Barbera for another stint at the helm.

He takes over from the respected outgoing director Marco Mueller, and will have his work cut out to ensure that Venice remains one of the top three film festivals in the world amid growing competition from Toronto and beyond.

His competition lineup of 18 movies has won early praise from critics, and Venice has launched a small market to make the notoriously expensive trip to Venice more commercially attractive to movie studio bosses.

"I think all of us at the Biennale (festival) were aware of the fact that you change or die because the competition with other festivals is too strong," Barbera told Reuters. "They invested a lot in the last decade to renovate the structure of the festival, the scope of the festival and make sure Venice remained the same as it was 20 years ago."

LACK OF STARS?

The lack of A-list stars this year is a concern among some festivalgoers, although Barbera will hope that a new generation of up-and-coming acting talent, including Zac Efron, Shia LaBeouf and Selena Gomez, provides the kind of buzz on which festivals thrive.

The older generation will be represented by Robert Redford and Julie Christie, while Rachel McAdams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and the unpredictable Joaquin Phoenix also are expected.

One of the most talked-about movies this year is likely to be "The Master," Paul Thomas Anderson's story about a religious cult bearing similarities to Scientology.

The "There Will Be Blood" director has said the role of Lancaster Dodd, played by Hoffman, was partly inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.

The movie's distributor, The Weinstein Company, features a news report on its website calling "The Master" a "Scientology-tinged religious drama".

Yet both Anderson and company chief Harvey Weinstein have played down parallels with the self-described religion that counts Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its followers but has been cast by opponents as a cult that harasses people who seek to quit and coerces followers to think like they do.

Elsewhere, there will be plenty of on-screen sex with Brian De Palma's revenge thriller "Passion" working up an early head of steam through a racy trailer featuring McAdams and Noomi Rapace.

Terrence Malick, back on the European festival circuit a year after "The Tree of Life" won the Palme d'Or in Cannes, presents "To the Wonder," which has been given a film rating restricting it to adults due to scenes of nudity and sex.

Also in a slimmed-down main competition of 18 films is Marco Bellocchio's "Bella Addormentata" about Eluana Englaro, a woman left in a vegetative state by a car crash, who was at the center of a lengthy right-to-die case that divided opinion in Italy.

"Collateral" director Michael Mann leads the jury that decides who wins the Golden Lion. Last year the prize went to "Faust" by Russia's Alexander Sokurov.

Out of competition, Redford arrives with political action thriller "The Company You Keep," while Saudi Arabia's Haifaa al-Mansour says her movie "Wadjda," in the "Orizzonti" section, is the first feature to be shot entirely in the Kingdom.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/religion-9-11-grab-spotlight-venice-film-fest-005419571.html

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Speaking two languages also benefits low-income children

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2012) ? Living in poverty is often accompanied by conditions that can negatively influence cognitive development. Is it possible that being bilingual might counteract these effects? Although previous research has shown that being bilingual enhances executive functioning in middle-class children, less is known about how it affects lower income populations.

In a study forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychological scientist Pascale Engel de Abreu of the University of Luxembourg and colleagues examine the effects of speaking two languages on the executive functioning of low-income children.

"Low-income children represent a vulnerable population," says Engel de Abreu. "Studying cognitive processes in this population is of great societal importance and represents a significant advancement in our understanding of childhood development."

Existing research, conducted with older bilingual children and bilingual adults from middle class backgrounds, suggests that knowing two languages may have different effects on different aspects of executive functioning: while being bilingual seems to have a positive influence on the ability to direct and focus attention (control), researchers have found no such benefit for how people encode and structure knowledge in memory (representation).

Engel de Abreu and her colleagues hypothesized that this pattern would also hold for younger bilingual children who were low-income.

A total of 80 second graders from low-income families participated in the study. Half of the children were first or second generation immigrants to Luxembourg, originally from Northern Portugal, who spoke both Luxembourgish and Portuguese on a daily basis. The other half of the children lived in Northern Portugal and spoke only Portuguese.

The researchers first tested the children's vocabularies by asking them to name items presented in pictures. Both groups completed the task in Portuguese and the bilingual children also completed the task in Luxembourgish.

To examine how the children represented knowledge in memory, the researchers asked them to find a missing piece that would complete a specific geometric shape. The researchers also measured the children's memory, using two different tasks to see how much visual information the children could keep in mind at a given time.

The children then participated in two tasks that looked at their ability to direct and focus their attention when distractions were present. In the first task, they had to find and match 20 pairs of spacecrafts as quickly as possible, a task that depended on their ability to ignore all the non-matching spacecrafts. In the second task, the children were presented with a row of yellow fish on a computer screen and they had to press a button to indicate which direction the fish in the center was facing. The other fish either pointed in the same or opposite direction of the fish in the middle.

Although the bilingual children knew fewer words than their monolingual peers, and did not show an advantage for representation tasks, they performed better on the control tasks than did the monolingual children, just as the researchers hypothesized.

"This is the first study to show that, although they may face linguistic challenges, minority bilingual children from low-income families demonstrate important strengths in other cognitive domains," says Engel de Abreu.

The researchers believe that the findings could inform efforts to reduce the achievement gap between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds. "Our study suggests that intervention programs that are based on second language teaching are a fruitful avenue for future research," says Engel de Abreu. "Teaching a foreign language does not involve costly equipment, it widens children's linguistic and cultural horizons, and it fosters the healthy development of executive control."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Association for Psychological Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Engel de Abreu et al. Bilingualism Enriches the Poor: Enhanced Cognitive Control in Low-Income Minority Children. Psychological Science, 2012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/IKZ05ckTW7A/120827162057.htm

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Monday, August 27, 2012

LA Steel Show - Internet Radio

  • On AirLoading

    EGH Media visited Chillingham Castle, reputedly one of Europe?s most haunted locations. The guys teamed up with head ghost tour guide Graham Burney and produced a show full of psychic work, ghost stories and history all rolled into one.

  • Michael Voris spent a number of years working as a CBS affiliate anchor, producer and reporter, in various markets, winning multiple Emmys for his work in broadcast news. Join us as he talks about the impact of the "New Media" internet based programming.

  • Christian Women Lifestyle xPress Online Magazine welcomes Essence Best Selling Author Norma L. Jarrett know best for Sunday Brunches. Author Jarrett will be discussing her latest project Brunchspiration.

  • Notre Dame's Man Cave QB, Steve Herring, breaks down the 2012 season opener with the Huffington Post's Jordan Schultz, former Sports Illustrated CFB writer John Walters & recent ND quarterback Matt Mulvey (09-12). Inside analysis, insight, projections & more.

  • Deborah Shane welcomes career pro's and authors Emily Bennington and Corey Harlock back to discuss using social media for job search and career advancement and how job boards are now integrating social media into their platforms.

  • The NFL Season opener is 1 Week away. Join us as Kimberly helps us develop our sport's IQ and shares all the craze about those Fantasy Football League...

  • The Willie Lawson Show will be broadcasting LIVE from the Republican National Convention. Tune in to get on the floor reports from what will prove to be an interesting event.

  • Virginia may be for lovers but what about for anglers? Join the PointClickFish.com team live on location in Virginia Beach for the 2012 Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament! Our team will interview Captains, fans, vendors and anglers.

  • Join Lifestyle Expert Cameron Washington as he talks live on air with national and international music sensation Aaron Camper and plays his new single " Madness". Plus, a few surprise guests, and "Hot Topics"

  • Vinny Bond speaks with Redd Velvet about her career and Music Heals Memphis Inc, her charitable health & social service program. JT Lauritsen speaks from Norway about his life and music. Matthew Davidson returns with his debut EP "Step UP" and Blues411 Report

  • Are you tired of facing the piles of clutter in the office and at home? Have you thought about living the simple life? Join me and my guest Valerie Anderson, MSW as we discuss ways to clear the clutter and live a life of simplicity.

  • The Drew Show welcomes from America's Got Talent Singer Bria Kelly. Bria was selected out of Millions on YouTube to be a contestant on this season of America's Got Talent!

  • Buffalo welcomes Oscar winning actor, director, writer and musician Billy Bob Thornton to discuss movies, music an life. We also welcome members of the band Royal Southern Brotherhood.

  • Iconic filmmaker Spike Lee will be joining us this week on PDC Live!! to discuss his latest film Red Hook Summer, a venture back to the universe he created originally in Do The Right Thing.

  • We will have a couple of great guests and we give a heavy dose of college football and NFL talk. This will be our first NFL fantasy draft show and we plan to have a lot of people listening.

  • Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lasteelshoworg/2012/08/29/la-steel-show

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    Go for Life National Grant Scheme 2012now open ?. : Sligo Sport ...

    Browse >
    Home / Events / Go for Life National Grant Scheme 2012 now open ?.

    One of the main elements of the Go for Life Programme is the National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People. Running since November 2001, each year Go for Life allocate money to local groups all over the country, who are seeking to provide increased opportunities for older people to participate in sport and physical activity.

    The Grant Scheme is administered by the Steering Committee of Go for Life ? the National Programme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People. Developed by the Irish Sports Council and Age & Opportunity, it has,?in the past eleven?years, allocated?almost ?3 million.

    Any local group seeking to provide increased opportunities for older people to participate in sport and physical activity may apply for a grant.? Grants range from ?300 to ?700 and are typically used by groups to either purchase equipment or used so that members may explore a new sporting activity.? In previous years, successful applicants have included active retirement associations, senior citizens clubs, ICA guilds, sports clubs, day centres and community centres in 26 counties.

    Completed and signed application forms must reach the address below before

    The National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People
    Go for Life Programme
    Age & Opportunity
    Marino Institute of Education
    Griffith Avenue
    Dublin 9

    E-mail: gfl.grants@ageandopportunity.ie

    N.B. Late applications will not be considered.? It is the responsibility of grant applicants to ensure that grant forms are received by Go for Life on time (see above address, date and time)

    Please click to ?download an application form in either PDF format or in Word format:

    NGS Form 2012 pdf

    NGS Form 2012 Word

    Go for Life Funding Workshop: ?19th September 2012

    Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership and the HSE -West intend to host a workshop in Sligo in September to assist Active Age groups in the County in putting together their ?applications for this years scheme. The Workshop will take place as follows: (Groups will also be notified by post)

    Date: ? ? ?Wed 19th September
    Venue: ? Sligo Park Hotel, Pearse Road, Sligo
    Time: ? ? ?2.30pm

    Interested Active Age groups MUST BOOK PLACE/S IN ADVANCE by calling ?Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership at 07191 61511.

    Source: http://www.sligosportandrecreation.ie/2012/08/go-for-life-national-grant-scheme-2011/

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    Self Improvement & Memory Training: How to Interpret Your Dreams

    Dreams

    Dreams can be a means to self-or spiritual development, as they are an easy way of receiving information on aspects of our personality that need further work. We also read in sacred scriptures that angels can appear to us in dreams. They can therefore also be a source of guidance.

    Keep a dream journal

    Keeping a dream-journal is a valuable tool in remembering your dreams, as they usually fade very quickly. You will discover that if you write the details of your dreams down immediately after you wake, your process of recall will become easier. The journal also helps you to provide structure to your work of interpreting the dream.

    The structure of dreams

    Dreams are assembled in your subconscious. When you dream, your subconscious is communicating with you by presenting symbolic images in a dramatised and metaphorical form. Being able to record your own 'language' of dream-images in a journal will therefore help you interpret your dreams as well as any other visions you may encounter during your spiritual work.

    Some dream-images are quite common, as our symbolic processes are the same. However, their meaning usually differs as a result of each person's unique background and past experiences. I will therefore be supplying you with basic rules and guidelines to help you explore and interpret your own exciting and enigmatic world of dreams.

    The dimensions of your dream

    The way your dream is put together is very important as it contains elements or clues to its meaning hidden within its context, structure, form and composition. It also uses your present view of the world and framework of concepts, beliefs and ideas. There are a number of different dimensions or levels in your dreams, each having its own set of symbols and meanings.

    The background in your dream

    For instance, the background always suggests the context or theme of the message. Try to recall if your dream was light or dark and involved a natural scene or buildings of some sort. What you see as the background is only a clue to the underlying theme of the dream and should not be taken literally. For instance, the sea is often considered a metaphor for the ebb and flow of everyday life, with tides flowing in and out as events unfold. A dream playing out against the backdrop of the sea would probably suggest a problem or situation arising in your normal day-to-day life which requires attention. Likewise, a dream-scene taking place in a desert (which is usually desolate), may suggest a situation in which you feel isolated and alone and are seeking assistance. A dream playing out in semi-darkness may indicate that you are in a crisis (having trouble seeing your way forward). The idea is find a connection between the background of your dream and your present circumstances, needs or state of mind, by looking at the symbolism involved.

    Your immediate surroundings

    Once you have jotted down the background details, the next important step is to remember the immediate surroundings in your dream. This will provide you with more information on your present situation and state of mind as well as your outlook on the world. For instance, in 'looking out' onto the world, you would normally use the windows of your home or office. And in your dream, any building in which you find yourself would be a metaphor for 'where you are' at the moment. Try to recall the characteristics of the structure, as these can usually be related to your current situation or world-view. For example, a 'small' window could suggest your having a limited outlook on life. A dark and damp building could relate to your being in an unpleasant situation or having a negative view of the world. And a building or house in shambles could suggest that your present situation, state of mind or outlook, is chaotic.

    The activities in your dreams

    Moving away from the immediate surroundings in your dream, focus on the activity which took place. The type of drama, scenario or situation that is being played out, reveals the content of the message, which as I said, could be related to an unfulfilled need in your life or to some other issue which requires attention. You now need to ask yourself how the activity in your dream can be applied (metaphorically) or related (symbolically) to your present situation. For instance, a scene involving travel could be a call for change, or the broadening of your boundaries and the opening of your mind. A battle or conflict in your dream could be referring to a similar situation within yourself. Any threatening situation may be a warning of a matter that urgently needs to be resolved, something which is a real threat to your mental well-being or inner peace.

    The persons and images in your dream

    The next dimension involves the actual images, characters and objects that were presented. In terms of Gestalt psychology, every object or person (character) in a dream represents a certain aspect of yourself and you will need to ask yourself what aspect of your personality the figure represented. Look at the attributes of the characters involved. Were they large or small, aggressive or loving, threatening or supportive? For example, a poor, abused and helpless child could suggest your wounded 'inner child'. A richly dressed, opulent figure could symbolically point to abundance or a desire for riches, depending on the context and what actions are taking place. For example, a fight with another figure in your dream could be pointing to a conflict within yourself that needs to be resolved.

    Symbolic objects in your dream

    Finally, consider each object that appeared in your dream. Each will have a particular symbolic significance and add detail to the final meaning of your dream. Objects can often be interpreted in terms of their practical uses or effects in everyday life and applied (metaphorically) to your present situation or path in life. For instance, a large boulder on your path would suggest an obstacle to be overcome and a crossroads, a decision to be made. Once again, the guideline is to consider what you will need to do in real life when confronted with such a situation or object and re-phrase the answer in a metaphorical form.

    The final meaning

    To unlock the final meaning and message of the dream, you will need to learn to link and combine the information obtained from each level or dimension of symbols, into an integrated whole. This is a straightforward process which involves applying your knowledge and reasoning. However, those of you who are skilled in intuition could also learn to 'sense' the meaning of dream-scenes, activities, characters and objects with practice.

    Readers are invited to vist my website http://www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com for details of my books and services.

    Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

    Source: http://selfimprovementandmemorytraining.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-interpret-your-dreams.html

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    Source: http://international-travel-deals.blogspot.com/2012/08/self-improvement-memory-training-how-to.html

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    Source: http://markconsueloss.blogspot.com/2012/08/self-improvement-memory-training-how-to.html

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    Sunday, August 26, 2012

    Recreation & Sport: The Joy of Fly Fishing in New Brunswick

    Ron?s Out Casting New Brunswick Waters For Muskie

    Posted: 25 Aug 2012 02:51 AM PDT

    ron with a muskyIt's a beautiful August Saturday morning, not a breath of wind and clear skies. A great start to the day. Just sitting here in my office having a nice hot coffee and enjoying the cool air coming in my office window.

    Not much more than spam in my email inbox as usual. Next I logged into my Facebook account to see what friends and family where doing yesterday. I noticed that Ron Lovean had created a Youtube musky fishing video while he was out casting for some muskies.

    He cast for musky and caught the musky in the picture above. That was number one for the evening but before he left that spot and within an hour he caught, landed and released two more musky. Here's his video, enjoy.

    Source: http://blogsportrecreation.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-joy-of-fly-fishing-in-new-brunswick_25.html

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    Interpreting Traditional Pregnancy Confinement : Isla Magazine

    Posted by Kaman Ryan on Sunday, August 26, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

    At Isla, we are constantly seeking to culturally broaden our horizons.? This week, Kaman Ryan thoroughly explains? her personal experience with the Chinese tradition of Pregnancy Confinement:

    ?

    The Chinese refer to the postpartum period following a baby?s birth as ?Zuo Yue Zi.? It was believed that, after childbirth, the mother?s body is weak and requires special protection and nourishment. During this time, new mothers traditionally remained in the family home, resting and eating foods prepared by family members from special recipes. This practice, which in the West is referred to as ?confinement,? was first recorded in the Qing dynasty, although most of the recipes predate that period. While modern medicine and lifestyle changes have had an impact on this ancient tradition, it is still widely practiced, both in Asia and in the West.

    ?

    ?Zuo Yue Zi? was generally practiced for approximately 40 days commencing immediately after the birth, but in modern times many new mothers have shortened the confinement period to 30 days. The primary purpose of confinement is to ensure that mother and baby get plenty of rest. Mum and baby are not to leave the house, and both are considered susceptible to illness and pollution.

    ?

    It is believed that, after birth, the mother loses bodily energies commonly translated from the Chinese as ?heat.? This loss of ?heat? is believed to be caused by the strenuous activity of giving birth, and new mums are encouraged to stay in warm rooms bundled up from head to toe during confinement. It is believed that the absence of ?heat? can allow cold air (commonly translated as ?wind?) to enter the body, resulting in susceptibility to joint ailments later in life.

    ?

    While most mothers who practice confinement will adhere to the main practices described above, there are some traditions that are more challenging. For instance, some believe that all windows in the house should remain closed during confinement to prevent ?wind? from entering the home. (Keep in mind that when many of these practices originated, plumbing/electricity was non-existent, which meant no hot showers, hair dryers, or heated rooms.)

    ?

    The mother is not allowed to wash her hair, walk around the house, read books or watch television. Bathing is discouraged, though it is permitted to soak the feet and hands in dried ginger skin with hot water, as this is believed to promote ?heat.? Consumption of cold water is not allowed, as it is believed to remove ?heat? and promote water retention. It is imperative that mothers remain hydrated, including by drinking teas and other warming drinks.

    ?

    The new baby?s grandmother generally performed the cooking, cleaning, and other household duties needed to support a traditional confinement. However, as times have changed and many Chinese have become more prosperous and less likely to live with family members, there has been a shift in some circles to hire a ?confinement lady? who prepares the traditional recipes and attends to the needs of mother and baby. However, it can be assumed that in the modern economy, the majority of mothers practicing confinement will be doing so without the help of either a grandmother or confinement lady.

    ?

    Confinement Cuisine

    Confinement cuisine basically consists of ?heating? ingredients, for example old (dried) ginger, sesame oil, rice wine, and black vinegar, which are believed to introduce ?heat? into the body. Chinese herbs such as ginseng and dong qui are also considered to be vital tonics that help the body heal.

    Must-have confinement recipes include ginger and black vinegar pig trotters, sesame oil chicken, pork liver and kidneys cooked with ginger and sesame oil, and DOM chicken soup. Hot drinks such as ginger and date tea and longan and date tea were also consumed. A sample of some traditional confinement recipes are listed at the end of this article.

    Alcohol such as DOM and rice wine was consumed to keep the body warm, replenish lost nutrients and give the mother more strength and energy. However, modern medicine clearly discourages any alcohol consumption by new mothers, especially those who intend to breastfeed. If you intend to use any confinement recipes that include alcohol as an ingredient you should consult with your doctor beforehand, particularly if you intend to breastfeed.

    ?

    After Confinement

    After completion of confinement, there is a full month of celebration. This is an opportunity for the new parents to celebrate their baby?s first month of life with relatives and friends. Traditionally, the baby?s name is announced as part of this celebration. To mark the occasion, eggs colored with red dye, known as ?Red Eggs? are given to the guests.

    ?

    My Takeaway

    Regardless of your view of the traditions of confinement, spending a month at home after giving birth gives mum a great time to rest, recuperate, and bond with her new baby. There are also potential benefits for baby, who will be a month older, stronger and better prepared for the attentions of his or her hordes of adoring fans.

    ?

    Nutrition and the Recipes for Confinement

    In addition to the main ingredients used during confinement, new mothers need to ensure they maintain a balanced, nutritious diet, with emphasis on an adequate intake of calcium (for breastfeeding), fiber, protein, vegetables, fruit, and sufficient calories in addition to any supplements recommended by your doctor. It is believed that some vegetables and fruits are more warming than others. For example, snow peas, papaya, apples, and pears are believed to be warming, whereas bitter gourd, cabbage, some mushrooms, lettuce, cucumber, bananas, fig, kiwi, watermelon, and grapefruit are believed to be cooling.

    ?

    My Plan

    My own personal game plan is to observe confinement for 30 days at home with my baby.

    ?

    I have prepared one recipe so far: the ginger and black vinegar pig trotter (currently stored in the freezer). Honestly, this was a particular tricky recipe to make, not least because pig trotters are hard to come by in Dublin! I had to call several butchers, and once I found one that could oblige my odd request, I discovered that getting it chopped was particularly troublesome, as the trotters have to be frozen before chopping or they get caught in the meat grinder. I hope I made enough to last for the month because I don?t foresee me making this one again, especially the process of boiling stinky chunks of meat before actually preparing the recipe. Ladies, be warned: this stinks up the house for a few hours. But the result is yummy (well, the boiled eggs are anyway).

    ?

    The rest of the soups, teas, and foods will be made with the help of my dear husband.

    ?

    I don?t intend to abstain from showering and washing my hair, but for ladies who plan to observe this, dry shampoo and baby wipes will be a godsend.

    ?

    Click here for the recipes I have hand picked as the top essentials. All these recipes are courtesy of www.chinesesouplady.com or http://chineseconfinementfood.blogspot.ie. I have modified the ginger and black vinegar recipe to make it tastier as well as the sweet potatoes and ginger soup.

    ?

    Notes on the Recipes:

    Ginger packs a lot of heat and spice, so if you find it?s too spicy, modify it to your taste. Each person is different.

    Ensure that all meat, eggs, and other raw ingredients are fully cooked prior to consumption.

    ?

    Resources:

    ?

    sgmummy.com/chinese-postpartum/

    www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2010-09-20-china-confinement_N.htm

    www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/nyregion/bringing-an-asian-tradition-for-new-mothers-to-new-york.html?pagewanted=all

    www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/womenhealth/Pages/Myths-about-Confinement.aspx

    www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/zuo-yue-zi-and-chinas-traditional-childbirth culture.html

    www.4panda.com/chinatips/culture/baby.htm

    rasamalaysia.com/recipe-sesame-oil-chicken/2/

    chineseconfinementfood.blogspot.ie

    www.thechinesesouplady.com

    www.shlcares.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/foodexplore.pdf

    ?

    Source: http://islaorganic.com/interpreting-traditional-pregnancy-confinement/

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    Thursday, August 23, 2012

    AP Exclusive: Energy loan watchdog an Obama donor

    WASHINGTON (AP) ? A veteran Wall Street executive who performed an independent review that exonerated the Obama administration's program of loans to energy companies contributed $52,500 to re-elect President Barack Obama in the months since completing his work, according to an Associated Press review of campaign records. The executive defended the integrity of his conclusions and said he decided to donate to Obama after his work was finished.

    The campaign contributions to Obama started just weeks after Herbert M. Allison Jr., in congressional testimony in March, minimized concerns that the Energy Department was at high risk in more than $23 billion in federal loans awarded to green energy firms. Two weeks later, Allison began giving to the Obama campaign. His contributions to Obama and the Democratic National Committee totaled $52,500 by last month. Allison previously was the former head of the government's mass purchase of toxic Wall Street assets.

    Allison did not make any Obama donations during his four-month review of Energy Department loans, and he has a long history of working with and giving money to both political parties. However, Republican Party officials and congressional critics of the energy loans said Allison's donations to Obama raise doubts about his objectivity and highlight his decision not to assess multimillion-dollar loans to two companies that later went into bankruptcy ? the troubled Solyndra solar panel company and Beacon Power, an energy storage firm.

    Allison's report, completed in February and touted by the White House, acknowledged that the Energy Department could lose as much as $3 billion in loans, but it concluded that was far less than the $10 billion set aside by Congress for high-risk companies. The review did not assess the two bankrupt firms because those loans were no longer current. Allison told Congress that "DOE has negotiated protections in the loan agreements that enable it to cut off further funding and to demand more credit protection if projects do not meet targets." He also urged the Energy Department to toughen its oversight.

    Allison defended the integrity of his review in an interview with The Associated Press. He said that he did not make the decision to back a presidential candidate until after he had finished his work and that his selection was approved by Energy Department lawyers before he began his review last October to "ensure there was no hint of bias or conflict of interest."

    "I was on the record with the White House that this had to be completely independent review and they agreed," he said Wednesday in a telephone interview from his home in Westport, Conn. "It didn't hew to anybody's political suasion, I think, and it had to be fully factual or it wouldn't be credible."

    Allison said he made his decision to support Obama after he saw "his administration in action and decided that I believe broadly in the things he's trying to accomplish."

    Allison gave $2,500 to the Obama campaign on March 29, two weeks after he testified to the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee about his review. In May, he gave $15,000 to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that supports both the president's re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Allison gave the same amount to the fund again in June and then $20,000 more in July.

    Allison has donated money to both parties, but his gifts in the past have tended to be much smaller than his current contributions, typically no more than $1,000 or $2,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. Allison explained his larger donations to the Obama campaign by saying "there's a hell of a lot more money in politics today than in years past and I decided I could go this route."

    Allison has given to GOP figures such as Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and to Democrats such as Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York and former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey. Allison's presidential preferences have been mostly Republicans ? Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas. He also gave $2,300 to Obama in 2008, a year before Obama appointed Allison as an assistant treasury secretary.

    The White House and the Obama campaign defended Allison, saying his donations did not taint his work as independent reviewer of the loans program. They pointed to his repeated hiring over the past two decades by Republican presidential administrations and GOP campaigns as justification that Allison had the independence to oversee troubled government programs.

    "Mr. Allison was selected to do this study because of his relevant expertise and he is a public servant widely respected by Democrats and Republicans alike," said Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman. Schultz added that Allison's "analysis of the DOE loan portfolio was thorough and reliable as evident by additional independent reports affirming his findings." The Obama campaign said, "Having completed an independent assignment does not cost him his right to continue participating in the political progress on behalf of many candidates, as he has in the past."

    A former Merrill Lynch executive, Allison worked for several Republican administrations and earned a reputation for tackling troubled federal programs. During McCain's failed 2000 presidential run, he served as national finance chairman and was rumored to be McCain's choice to become treasury secretary if he had won.

    Allison was named by President George W. Bush to head Fannie Mae after the quasi-government home lending agency was placed in conservatorship in 2008 following the Wall Street collapse. A year later, Obama named Allison as an assistant treasury secretary to oversee the Troubled Asset Relief Program that Bush had created to stabilize Wall Street banks and investment houses reeling with toxic debt.

    During his work at the Treasury Department, Allison was among top officials who crossed swords with TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky, who accused the department of failing to properly track government bailout money given to banks and investment houses. Barofsky declined to comment about his dealings with Allison.

    Allison left the Treasury Department in 2010 but returned last year to head up the review of energy loans. The White House agreed to the review in the wake of mounting Republican criticism after Solyndra, a California firm, went belly up. The bankruptcy cost U.S. taxpayers $528 million in lost loans.

    Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., who chairs the House Energy Committee's oversight subcommittee, said Allison's donations to the Obama campaign back up GOP warnings this year that the White House review was suspect. Stearns said Allison's "financial support for the Obama campaign undermines (his) credibility and shows once again that the president did not want a careful, independent review of his risky green jobs scheme."

    Allison's role as a large Obama donor "raises serious questions about an administration that puts campaign cash before taxpayer money," said Joe Pounder, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

    Allison declined to say whether he will keep donating to Obama. "Next time around," he said, "I might support a Republican."

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-energy-loan-watchdog-obama-donor-064732726.html

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    Amazon launches Glacier archiving service, a cheap way to put your files on ice

    Amazon launches 'Glacier' archiving service, a cheap way to put your files on ice

    Amazon's S3 cloud service has proved a popular proposition, with many large web enterprises happily depending on it (most of the time) to serve up its content. Now, the internet retail giant is offering a similar product, aimed squarely at archives, called Glacier. The idea seems pretty simple, starting from a penny, you can store 1GB of data on the firm's servers for one month. You'll only pay for what you store, and there are no upfront costs. Thinking this sounds like a cheap way to host your website? Well, maybe not, as retrieval requests are sent to a queue, and won't be available to download for a few hours. There's no limit on the amount of data you can store though, which is not surprising, but each individual archive does have a 40TB limit -- so those DNA back-ups are off the menu. Retrieval is priced differently, with 5 percent of your storage (pro rata) downloadable for free, but beyond that you'll have to pay. The service is available from today, with storage locations in the US, Europe and Japan. Full details of pricing can be found via the source.

    Filed under:

    Amazon launches Glacier archiving service, a cheap way to put your files on ice originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink Techmeme  |  sourceAmazon Web Services Blog  | Email this | Comments


    Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/2KKpz8CX8Fk/

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