Virgin Galactic's commercial space plane makes first successful test flight

Attention, amateur space cadets! If you've ever wanted to swing on a star or see one up close, consider this proof positive Virgin Galactic's that much closer to making your dreams come true. SpaceShipTwo, its inventively named commercial vehicle designed to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace, has just completed its first rocket-powered test flight. The craft, partially owned by Virgin group overlord Sir Richard Branson and the Abu Dhabi-based investment group PJC, took off earlier today from its berth at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo ferried it to a 47,000 ft altitude after which its own rockets kicked in for a supersonic flight. In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55,000 feet before returning safely back to its desert port.

For its first outing, the SS2 scored high marks by Virgin Galactic chief George Whitesides' estimation, performing just as expected with "expected burn duration, good engine performance and solid... handling qualities throughout." It's encouraging news for the nascent commercial space industry, although it's worth noting this flight carried reduced risk considering it was bound to our own atmosphere. The team anticipates that "full space flight" testing will begin sometime before year's end. As for when you'll be able to actually book a real deal luxury space flight? Virgin Galactic's set a tentative 2015 date for that, giving you, the every(wo)man, plenty of time to save up or mortgage your life for the opportunity to tour the cosmos.

Filed under: Science

Comments

Source: Virgin Galactic

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

Jon Lord Colorado shootings dark knight rises Aurora shooting James Eagan Holmes jeremy lin Sage Stallone

Silicone liquid crystal stiffens with repeated compression: Discovery may point toward self-healing materials

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Squeeze a piece of silicone and it quickly returns to its original shape, as squishy as ever. But scientists at Rice University have discovered that the liquid crystal phase of silicone becomes 90 percent stiffer when silicone is gently and repeatedly compressed. Their research could lead to new strategies for self-healing materials or biocompatible materials that mimic human tissues.

A paper on the research appeared this month in Nature's online journal Nature Communications.

Silicone in its liquid crystal phase is somewhere between a solid and liquid state, which makes it very handy for many things. So Rice polymer scientist Rafael Verduzco was intrigued to see a material he thought he knew well perform in a way he didn't expect. "I was really surprised to find out, when my student did these measurements, that it became stiffer," he said. "In fact, I didn't believe him at first."

The researchers had intended to quantify results seen a few years ago by former Rice graduate student Brent Carey, who subjected a nanotube-infused polymer to a process called repetitive dynamic compression. An astounding 3.5 million compressions (five per second) over a week toughened the material, just like muscles after a workout, by 12 percent. What Verduzco and lead author/Rice graduate student Aditya Agrawal came across was a material that shows an even stronger effect. They had originally planned to study liquid crystal silicone/nanotube composites similar to what Carey tested, but decided to look at liquid crystal silicones without the nanotubes first. "It's always better to start simple," Verduzco said.

Silicones are made of long, flexible chains that are entangled and knotted together like a bowl of spaghetti. In conventional silicones the chains are randomly oriented, but the group studied a special type of silicone known as a liquid crystal elastomer. In these materials, the chains organize themselves into rod-shaped coils. When the material was compressed statically, like squeezing a piece of Jell-O or stretching a rubber band, it snapped right back into its original shape. The entanglements and knots between chains prevent it from changing shape. But when dynamically compressed for 16 hours, the silicone held its new shape for weeks and, surprisingly, was much stiffer than the original material.

"The molecules in a liquid crystal elastomer are like rods that want to point in a particular direction," Verduzco said. "In the starting sample, the rods are randomly oriented, but when the material is deformed, they rotate and eventually end up pointing in the same direction. This is what gives rise to the stiffening. It's surprising that by a relatively gentle but repetitive compression, you can work out all the entanglements and knots to end up with a sample where all the polymer rods are aligned."

Before testing, the researchers chemically attached liquid crystal molecules -- similar to those used in LCD displays -- to the silicones. While they couldn't see the rods, X-ray diffraction images showed that the side groups -- and thus the rods -- had aligned under compression. "They're always coupled. If the side group orients in one direction, the polymer chain wants to follow it. Or vice versa," Verduzco said.

The X-rays also showed that samples heated to 70 degrees Celsius slipped out of the liquid crystal phase and did not stiffen, Verduzco said. The stiffening effect is reversible, he said, as heating and cooling a stiffened sample will allow it to relax back into its original state within hours.

Verduzco plans to compress silicones in another phase, called smectic, in which the polymer rods align in layers. "People have been wanting to use these in displays, but they're very hard to align. A repetitive compression may be a simple way to get around this challenge," he said.

Since silicones are biocompatible, they can also be used for tissue engineering. Soft tissues in the body like cartilage need to maintain strength under repeated compression and deformation, and liquid crystal elastomers exhibit similar durability, he said.

The paper's co-authors include Carey, a Rice alumnus and now a scientist at Owens Corning; graduate student Alin Chipara; Yousif Shamoo, a professor of biochemistry and cell biology; Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering; and Walter Chapman, the William W. Akers Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, all of Rice; and Prabir Patra, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Bridgeport with a research appointment at Rice. Verduzco is an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

The research was supported by an IBB Hamill Innovations Grant, the Robert A. Welch Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University. The original article was written by Mike Williams.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Aditya Agrawal, Alin C. Chipara, Yousif Shamoo, Prabir K. Patra, Brent J. Carey, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Walter G. Chapman, Rafael Verduzco. Dynamic self-stiffening in liquid crystal elastomers. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1739 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2772

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/top_news/top_technology/~3/61Z0GEWnuTs/130429164952.htm

chimpanzee chimpanzee the lucky one pittsburgh pirates mariners mets shades of grey

S&P 500 reaches new high, led by tech

NEW YORK (AP) ? Technology companies led the stock market higher Monday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index above the all-time closing high it reached earlier this month.

A pair of strong economic reports also encouraged investors. Wages and spending rose in the U.S. last month, and pending home sales hit their highest level in three years.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, the S&P 500 index was up 12 points at 1,594, a gain of 0.7 percent. That put the index above the record closing high of 1,593.36 it reached on April 11.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 96 points to 14,808, a gain of 0.7 percent. Microsoft and IBM were among the Dow's best performers, rising 2 percent each.

Concerns about weak business spending and slower overseas sales have cast a shadow over big tech firms, said Marty Leclerc, the managing partner of Barrack Yard Advisors, an investment firm in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Revenue misses from IBM and other big tech companies have highlighted the industry's vulnerability to the world economy. But Leclerc thinks tech companies with steady revenue and plenty of cash look appealing over the long term.

Information technology stocks rose the most of the 10 industry groups in the S&P Monday, up 1.5 percent. It's the only group that remains lower over the past year, down 2 percent, versus the S&P 500's gain of 14 percent.

The Nasdaq composite rose 32 points at 3,311, a rise of 1 percent. Apple, the biggest stock in the index, rose 3.5 percent to $431.95.

The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes reached the highest level since April 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors. Back then, a tax credit for buying houses had lifted sales. Americans' spending and income both edged up last month, the government reported Monday.

Moody's and Standard & Poor's parent company McGraw-Hill surged following news that the ratings agencies settled lawsuits dating back to the financial crisis that accused them of concealing risky investments. McGraw-Hill gained 6 percent to $54.80, while Moody's jumped 10 percent to $61.02, the biggest gain in the S&P 500.

Manufacturer Eaton Corp. rose 5 percent to $61.31 after reporting that its quarterly net income jumped, beating Wall Street's estimates. The results were helped by its acquisition of Cooper Industries, an electrical equipment supplier.

In the market for government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.66 percent, close to its low for the year. That's down from 1.67 percent late Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-500-reaches-high-led-tech-173611735.html

new york auto show 2012 tulsa easter eggs pineapple upside down cake free ecards flying car masters golf tournament

James Cameron Donates His Tricked-Out Deep-Ocean Sub to Science

HEADED TO WOODS HOLE: The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible was the centerpiece of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research. Cameron has donated the vessel to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Image: Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

Before setting his sights once again on the far-off moon Pandora for the next Avatar adventure, filmmaker and aquanaut James Cameron has bequeathed arguably his greatest technological accomplishment to science. Cameron?s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submarine, which he drove to the deepest part of this planet last March, will in June arrive at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, ultimately helping researchers there better understand life in Earth?s last unexplored frontier.

?Most of what?s known about the bottom of the ocean has come from images shot miles up in the water column, and it?s a relatively coarse data set,? Cameron said recently at roundtable discussion in New York City with WHOI scientists who design, build and operate manned and robotic deep-sea exploration vehicles. ?So you?ve got to get down there and look around and ground-truth it,? he added. ?Very little of that looking around has been done.?

Cameron and his team of engineers outfitted the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER with cutting-edge flotation mechanisms and energy storage systems, along with cameras, lighting and other features specifically tailored for gathering data, samples and images during the first manned mission to the deepest recess of the Mariana Trench. He touched down about 11 kilometers below the Pacific Ocean surface at the Challenger Deep site, a spot previously visited by only a handful of robotic subs. During the seven-hour round-trip, Cameron spent about three hours at Challenger Deep collecting samples for marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics research.

In addition to the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER itself, Cameron is kicking in nearly $1 million to help WHOI scientists and engineers make the sub's technology more widely available for deep-sea exploration. ?We?ve been be sure to fund this enough that there are enough people and resources available to write this up, publish it and therefore have it available,? he said. ?To me, that?s an infinitely better outcome than [the sub] sitting dormant until I?m done with my next two movies, and maybe it comes to the tech community five or six years down the line when it?s already obsolete.?

Most immediately WHOI scientists will install lightweight, highly maneuverable cameras and a lighting system that Cameron and his team designed for the?DEEPSEA CHALLENGER onto the institute?s Nereus robotic sub, which has been exploring the oceans? depths since 2009. The Nereus team is preparing for a six-week voyage?funded by the National Science Foundation to the tune of about $1.4 million?beginning in February 2014 to study the Pacific Ocean?s Kermadec Trench, which is about 10 kilometers deep. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER's camera equipment and lighting enabled Cameron to capture high-resolution 3-D images of geologic processes and species despite the pitch-black depths during his dives, including the Challenger Deep expedition and a number of test dives.

Scientists want to explore every aspect of oceanography in the deep-water hadal regions?those anywhere below a depth of six kilometers. Researchers want to know what lives there, understand the food supply for its denizens and how they evolved, Tim Shank, an associate scientist in Woods Hole?s Biology Department, said at the event. Shank is the leader of the Hadal Ecosystem Studies (HADES) project investigating the major environmental drivers of trench ecology. Biology in the ocean?s hadal regions is largely unknown, and much of what scientists do know is the result of Danish and Soviet sampling expeditions in the 1950s, Shank added.

Everything changes below six kilometers, and the next generation of research subs need to be built with that in mind, Cameron said. Vehicles that can withstand the extreme pressure at those depths tend to be heavier and more difficult to manage, making them more expensive and less fuel-efficient. Cameron?s engineers actually developed new materials?including a syntactic foam made from millions of hollow glass microspheres suspended in an epoxy resin?to strengthen the sub?s hull without adding a lot of weight. The vessel, which is 7.3 meters long but only 1.09 meters wide, also has a sphere-shaped pressurized cockpit that collected evaporated moisture from Cameron?s breath and sweat into a plastic bag, which would supply him with extra drinking water if necessary. The vessel itself descends vertically, with the cockpit oriented at the bottom, below a 2.4-meter-long panel of lights and batteries.

The sub will arrive at WHOI shortly after the opening of the institution?s new Center for Marine Robotics (CMR), which seeks to develop marine exploration technology with help from academia, the federal government and businesses. Such technology has lagged behind its counterparts on dry land for far too long, according to Andy Bowen, director of Woods Hole?s National Deep Submergence Facility. Bowen helped develop Jason Jr., the tethered robotic sub that first explored the Titanic in 1986, as well as Nereus, which explored the Mariana Trench in 2009.

?Undersea robotics has underachieved, in some ways, to demonstrate the potential we?re seeing in terrestrial applications, such as airborne drones or a robot that you can buy to sweep your floors,? Bowen said during the roundtable. ?The undersea is difficult because there?s no GPS, there?s no wi-fi, there?s none of the things that make it possible to build a really diverse range of robotic tools for terrestrial applications.?

Most likely, exploration of the planet?s vast deep-sea trenches will require a combination of automated and manned vehicles to be successful. ?So many people think we live in a post-exploration age?it?s all been seen, it?s all been mapped,? Cameron said. ?How did we happen to get into the 21st century and miss a continent? The answer is obvious: It?s the hardest place to get to on the planet,? he noted, adding, ?The aggregate area of these trenches is greater than the size of the United States, greater than the size of Australia, so it?s basically like a continent that?s been unexplored that exists right here on Earth.?

The world?s last unexplored continent?not a bad setting for a new science fiction movie, once Cameron returns from filming the further adventures of the Na'vi on their native Pandora, in the Alpha Centauri star system.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=90ede6a5c4ebcae54b05bb9672fe7d48

fiona apple CJ Spiller tracy morgan Chase.com Talk Like a Pirate Day raiders Demi Lovato

Living with Glass, Day Four: Canyon Carving

More Info

• Living with Google Glass, Day One: The Reveal
• Living with Google Glass, Day Two: Around the House
• Living with Google Glass, Day Three: Security Checkpoint

Finally, the flash of newness is wearing off. It's taken a few days, but the initial novelty of Glass, enjoying wearing it simply because I could wear it, is running thin. The haze of new gadget excitement is clearing and we can truly get down to brass tacks -- but that doesn't mean I'm not having fun. In fact I've had the opportunity to take Glass with me to do something very fun indeed: ride a Ducati 848 Streetfighter on some of the most amazing roads in the world.

Even as I did this, a jaunt more focused on gathering some exciting footage than truly evaluating the device, I learned some things -- including the fact that a Google Glass headset doesn't really fit underneath a full-face helmet. Not comfortably, anyway.

Gallery: Google Glass motorcycle ride

Filed under: Wearables

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/28/living-with-glass-day-four/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

atlantic city ocean city maryland Nexus 7 KDKA Pumpkin Carving Ideas Hurricane Sandy path sandy

Naki Sumo: Japan's Crying Baby Contest (PHOTOS)

This may not seem out of place in a country in which you can play video games on a toilet and the national tourism ambassador is... Hello Kitty, but Japan has a crying baby competition, and it's a little weird.

The "Naki Sumo," contest consists of two sumo wrestlers holding up children who were born in the previous year, standing across a sumo wrestling ring from each other and trying to make their opponent's baby cry.

The event, which has been held annually for over 400 years, is meant as a prayer for the children's healthy growth.

And if the babies don't cry? The referee puts on a mask to scare them.

Check out photos of the event below.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Content

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

• Japan Crying Baby Contest

  An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.

Also on HuffPost:

"; 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'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/naki-sumo-japan-crying-baby-contest_n_3180075.html

nfl hall of fame 2012 ufc diaz vs condit super bowl start time target jason wu gi joe jason wu for target collection nick diaz vs carlos condit

'Mortal Instruments' Actor Robert Sheehan Makes Magic Out Of The Mundane

Actor takes MTV News behind the scenes of upcoming 'City of Bones' adaptation.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706470/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-simon.jhtml

robyn the colony ncaa final four 2012 uk vs louisville university of kansas buckeye west side story

There has been an error of some kind. Ack!

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

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/googlemoneyscam

UMass Dartmouth Katherine Russell MBTA Fox News Live Boston lockdown jennifer love hewitt 4/20

Chevy Corvette jumps in price (plus $8K for leather interior)?

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau ? ? ? 10 hrs.

Anyone who put off buying a Corvette to wait for the new model is going to have to dig a little deeper in their pockets to get behind the wheel of the new model. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray starts at $51,995, including $995 for delivery -- $1,400 more than the current version. The Stingray convertible starts at $56,995.

The Detroit Bureau: Ford Sets Earnings Record in North America

Then again, there had been some concern that Chevy might go significantly higher when the all-new 2-seater hits market late this summer to reflect the major upgrades. Among other things, the base version of the 2014 Stingray will match the power and performance of the mid-range 2013 Corvette Z06.

The Detroit Bureau: Feds Announce New Distracted Driving Guidelines

?The (2014) Corvette Stingray delivers a combination of performance, design and technology that very few manufacturers can match, and none can even come close for $52,000,? said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet marketing.

C7 owners will also get a little more for their money, however, especially when it comes to horsepower. The new model, which derives its power from a 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine, produces 450 horsepower. Buyers can also choose between a seven-speed manual transmission with rev-matching or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

To ensure drivers are getting the most bang for their horsepower buck, Chevy pared nearly 100 pounds off the new model through the use of a carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel for the coupe as well as an all-aluminum frame, which also improved the car?s stiffness by 57 percent.

The Detroit Bureau: Toyota Still Top Seller Worldwide - But GM, VW Closing the Gap Fast

The new model is not without creature comforts, standard features including the Chevy MyLink eight-inch touch-screen infotainment system complete with a Bose nine-speaker stereo system, Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

While the base model is very affordable considering the performance one gets, if you?re looking to make it a little more comfortable, the price goes up. Options such as $8,005 leather interior package, $2,495 sport seats, $1,995 carbon-fiber roof panel and $595 for brake calipers that are painted red can push the price of the C7 to more than $70,000.

The Detroit Bureau: Top 10 Green Cars

In fact, a C7 optioned like the one it had on display at the Stingray?s world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January would sell for $73,360, according to Chevy officials. That loaded model included navigation, color heads-up display, and heated and cooled Napa leather seats.

The debut model featured the Z51 performance package, which includes a transmission cooling system, magnetic ride control active handling system with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels: for $2,800. The new model will begin production this summer at the Bowling Green, Ky., facility and reach dealers in September.

The Detroit Bureau: Study Foresees 5 Mil Battery Cars on the Road

Copyright ? 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2b44f48f/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cchevy0Ecorvette0Ejumps0Eprice0Eplus0E8k0Eleather0Einterior0E6C9639810A/story01.htm

Ash Wednesday 2013 ted nugent Pope Resigns westminster dog show Christopher Dorner Manifesto mardi gras Christopher Dorner

Free Internet Marketing Tips for Your Business Search Engine ...

As a seo consulting firm; SEO Web Analyst?? offers seo consulting services to clients and other seo firms. Our affordable seo packages start from 47$/MTH, which consist of full in depth seo analysis reports on all major factors that will boost your seo web marketing, client select the analysis report our seo analyst will work on and submit. Our seo packages also consist of url submission and we provide SEO webminar sessions on a quarterly basis, we select a client with the worst ranking score for a live case study.

Web analysis and url submissions are executed once a month; clients can submit different url every month, this is what makes us your best choice as affordable seo services. We have designed a simple but yet powerful pay per click profit calculator, that help clients decrypt indices values of some PPC terms. This helps them to know the revenue generated on sales from their pay per click campaigns and get the actual sum of their return on sales. We have integrated internet marketing live webminar feeds from successful guru's, there are over 50 videos on various Internet marketing topics you can learn from, and we also have on site web design tutorials on css, html, galleries, etc. This is why our mission states, "We're glad to help you"...The World's Most low cost, effective, Affordable SEO Services @ SEOWebAnalyst.com! :: Best Free Internet Marketing Resources Online.

Visit Us Today and get your Exclusive Free WEB SEO Report that will guide you with improving your search engine ranking positions (SERPs)

Source: http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/free-internet-marketing-tips-for-your-business-search-engine-ranking

Buffalo Wild Wings Superbowl Start Time Jim Harbaugh Who Won The Superbowl Super Bowl Halftime Show 2013 Super Bowl Commercials 2013 Ray Lewis Murders

The Marketplace Fairness Act Will Support Small Businesses ...

Click if you like this column!

Republicans in Ohio last week took an important step toward broad tax reform when the state House of Representatives approved an across-the-board reduction in the personal income tax. That tax cut, however, is contingent upon Congress passing legislation that will allow Ohio and other states to have online-only retailers remit state sales tax just like any other business does. The U.S. Senate is now poised to grant states this power via the aptly named Marketplace Fairness Act. This legislation levels the economic playing field by putting small businesses on the same footing as online-only outfits. Conservatives should embrace this needed reform.

Under the current system, state governments collect sales tax from stores located in the jurisdictions if an outlet conducts an in-person sale or makes a transaction online with a state resident. When an individual makes an online purchase from a retailer outside their state, that person is supposed to report the purchase and pay the sales tax?commonly called a ?use tax??to his or her home state. As one might imagine, taxpayers rarely adhere to the requirements of use taxes.

The nationwide increase in online shopping has thus led to a sharp decline in sales tax compliance for state governments. States, which are legally forced to balance their budgets, have made up their revenue shortfalls through a mix of spending cuts, increasing marginal income tax rates and hiking other taxes or fees. The lack of a mechanism to have remote sellers collect and remit sales tax ultimately hurts small local business owners while increasing the overall tax burden on individuals and families who now pay for the higher taxes in other areas. This policy essentially amounts to a federal subsidy for online-only retailers and it threatens the creation of jobs for many local businesses.

The Marketplace Fairness Act is Congress? answer to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that said states needed federal approval to have remote retailers remit sales tax the same way local retailers do. This legislation allows states to correct the tax imbalance and divide the burden they impose on their residents more sensibly. With the recovery of lost sales tax revenues, states will be able to reduce marginal income tax rates and other levies as they balance their budgets. Naysayers argue that this will not be done, but they are already being proven wrong.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/stephendemaura/2013/04/28/the-marketplace-fairness-act-will-support-small-businesses-n1579996

2012 grammys foo fighters nikki minaj album of the year grammy red carpet grammy award winners the band perry

Rep. Matsui Introduces ?Broadband Adoption Act? Proposing ...

Earlier this week, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) reintroduced ?The Broadband Adoption Act of 2013? (H.R. 1685) to propose reforms and modernization to the nation?s telecommunications federal Lifeline Program. Bill co-sponsors include Ranking Members Henry Waxman (D-CA), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Reps. Diana DeGette (CO), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), G.K. Butterfield, (NC) and Ben Ray Lujan (NM).

Photo: http://matsui.house.gov

In remarks today at a hearing entitled ?The Lifeline Fund: Money Well Spent?? of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Rep. Matsui emphasized that the history of the Lifeline Fund shows bipartisan support, with creation of the fund in the Reagan administration and expanded for wireless services by the Bush administration. She said that in her Sacramento, California district, nearly 30,000 of her constituents participate in the Lifeline program, 17,000 of which are seniors living on a fixed income.

?The Lifeline program must be reformed and modernized in a responsible manner, and it must account for the Internet Economy,? Matsui stated. ?Nearly 100 million Americans still have not adopted broadband, which is more concerning given more than 80 percent of available jobs in this country now require online applications.?

She said her bill allows eligible Americans in rural and urban communities to use Lifeline program for broadband Internet services, and not just voice services. The bill also requires the FCC to implement a national eligibility data base to ensure only one Lifeline per eligible household, to avoid waste, fraud and abuse of the program. Lifeline is funded by surcharges in federal communications services.

The bill gives the FCC 270 days after date of enactment to adopt a final rule establishing Lifeline program support for broadband that enables qualifying low income customers living in urban and rural areas to purchase broadband service at reduced charges by reimbursing providers who elect to participate in the program. The customer can elect to apply support from the Lifeline program to basic telephone service, voice telephony service or broadband service, whether each service is purchased stand-alone or in a bundle.

The bill directs the FCC should consider a preference to participating broadband providers who provide digital literacy programs as part of their offerings. The FCC is asked to consult with the Federal-State Joint Board whether state matching funds may be provided as a condition of eligibility for low income households within a particular state. The bill directs the FCC is to routinely study the prevailing market price for broadband service and prevailing speeds of broadband service adopted by households. The program is to be technology neutral; a provider need not be an ?eligible telecommunications carrier? to receive support under the program but should be FCC authorized to participate.

The Broadband Adoption Act drew supporting public statements by two FCC Commissioners, Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Last year, the FCC rolled out a pilot program to add broadband access to Lifeline?s support for landline and mobile phones. The new legislation would make broadband a permanent offering.

?I commend Congresswoman Matsui for her continued leadership on ensuring that low income Americans have access to broadband by addressing one of the key barriers to adoption ? cost,? commented Chairman Genachowski in a written statement. ?[T]ransitioning Lifeline support to 21st century communications is vital: today, broadband is essential for finding jobs, allowing children to do their homework, communicating in times of emergency and accessing vital health information.?

In her statement, Commissioner Clyburn emphasized that the FCC?s Lifeline reforms have led to significant savings of $200 million, which may grow to $400 million this year. She stated that ?expanding broadband service to low income consumers would be a boon for the nation with this savings.?

About Rachelle Chong

Rachelle Chong is a nationally known expert on telecommunications, broadband, wireless communications, cable, digital literacy, public safety communications, renewable energy and smart grid policy. She is a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (Clinton appointee) and the California Public Utilities Commission (Schwarzenegger appointee). Prior to that, she has been Vice President, Government Affairs for Comcast California Region, Special Counsel for the CA Technology Agency, a partner at two international law firms (Graham & James and Coudert Brothers), and an entrepreneur. Rachelle is delighted to brush off her Journalism degree from Cal Berkeley, and serve as a columnist for Techwire, focusing on federal policies and the San Francisco and Silicon Valley tech/telecom beats.

Source: http://techwire.net/rep-matsui-introduces-broadband-adoption-act-proposing-reforms-and-modernization-of-the-lifeline-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rep-matsui-introduces-broadband-adoption-act-proposing-reforms-and-modernization-of-the-lifeline-program

deep impact miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy usssa baseball alex o loughlin the godfather cape breton

Smartphones overtake 'dumb' phones worldwide

NEW YORK (AP) ? Research firm IDC said more smartphones than "dumb" phones are being made this year, a milestone in a shift that's putting computing power and Internet access in millions of hands worldwide.

Manufacturers shipped 216 million smartphones worldwide in the first three months of this year, compared with 189 million regular cellphones, according to a study IDC released late Thursday. IDC said smartphones made up 51.6 percent of the 419 million mobile phones shipped.

In the U.S., smartphones overtook regular cellphones in 2011. IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said Friday that the shift to a global majority of smartphones is now being driven by consumers in developing countries such as China, India and Indonesia.

Another firm, ABI Research, found that smartphones made up 49 percent of shipments in the first quarter. Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest phone maker, doesn't provide a breakdown of its phone shipments, and analysts vary in their estimates. Even going by ABI's numbers, it's clear that smartphones will solidly overtake the market this year.

The shift from phones primarily designed for calls, and perhaps texting, to ones with advanced operating systems and touch screens has roiled the cellphone industry. Finland's Nokia Corp. was for many years the world's largest maker of cellphones, but it has failed to translate that into success in smartphones. It's now the second-largest maker of phones overall, behind Samsung Electronics Co., but it falls far down the list of smartphone makers.

Cellphone pioneer Motorola Mobility, a U.S. company now owned by Google, has stumbled through the transition as well, while Apple Inc. has become the world's third-largest maker of cellphones, less than six years after launching the first iPhone. Samsung and Apple are the top makers of smartphones. LG Electronics Inc. of South Korea; HTC Corp. of Taiwan; and ZTE Corp. and Huawei Technologies Ltd. of China jostle for the No. 3 position.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/smartphones-overtake-dumb-phones-worldwide-192908040.html

joan rivers gary carter dies oolong tea survivor one world lil kim progeria what will my baby look like

Beauty From Pain

• Reputation:
  Words written:
  Words per post:
  Joined:
  Last visit:
  Location:
  Website:
  

Six strangers brought together through there own issues. Their issues range from addiction, self-harm, mental instability etc. Through there troubles being faced together it showes that through pain can come beauty.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Beauty From Pain?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

First post: ? 2 posts ? Page 1 of 1

This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Beauty From Pain"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

ShadowedxLove

Member for 0 years

---

---

May I reserve a spot for a female character?

Mindfang

Member for 0 years

---

---

First post: ? 2 posts ? Page 1 of 1

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Our Sponsors

RolePlayGateway is proudly powered by obscene amounts of caffeine, duct tape, and support from people like you. It operates under a "don't like it, suggest an improvement" platform, and we gladly take suggestions for improvements or changes.

The custom-built "roleplay" system was designed and implemented by Eric Martindale as of July 2009. All attempts to replicate or otherwise emulate this system and its method of organizing roleplay are strictly prohibited without his express written and contractual permission; violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

? RolePlayGateway, LLC | with the support of LocalSense

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/9q4SS2C7iaA/viewtopic.php

sarah shahi rutgers dharun ravi george clooney arrested ravi leigh espn

Technical Sales Manager | Jobs | Eco-Business ? Asia's Cleantech ...

Asia / China / Asia / PERM / Up to 160,000 USD Per?Annum

Our?Client:-

Our client is a Global Energy powerhouse whose Wind Division offers integrated solutions and services that meet the demands of the entire wind energy conversion chain. They have an outstanding track record of delivering proven solutions to onshore, coastal and offshore sites and are dedicated to keeping the turbines running optimally throughout their entire?lifecycle.

The rapidly growing APAC team based in in Shanghai is looking for an experienced?Technical Sales Manager (TSM)?who will be responsible for the management of international Wind?Power?projects.

Job?Description:?

The main responsibility of Technical Sales Manager is managing world-class professional sales projects, with special focus on order-entry time, target EBIT, Customer Satisfaction (CS), Market Share (MS) or Share of Wallet (SoW) and Hit?rate.

More specifically, your assignments will?cover:

• Develop and execute Priority Account Plans, alternatively Marketing?Plans.
• Maintain and develop contacts and relationship with customer on all levels, and identify important?stakeholders.
• Actively pursue business opportunities and sales leads in a systematic and prioritized way. Initiation/drafting of tenders, assurance of proper technical and contractual handling, coordination of proposal development?process.
• Lead negotiations through to?close-up.
• Manage and coordinate efforts of the sales team, as well as of associated partners in the regional?entities.
• Make analysis of pre-sales activities by won and lost orders, and draw conclusions for Account?Plans.
• Collect / analyze market and competitive data and draw appropriate conclusions for Account Plans or ad hoc sales?project.
• Assess potential risks in coordination with resource?delivery.
• Have responsibility for project business administration with focus on WTG supply, e.g. leading the Wind Turbine group (WTG) ?sales?team.
• Technical Sales Manager together with the super-ordinate sales management is granted the authority to make the initial Go / No Go decision for a?project.
• Obtain bid invest decision; define bid strategy for the WTG?supply.
• Be the main contact to customers and lead the negotiation process mainly in regards to the WTG?supply.
• The same applies to turnkey projects unless other is agreed with Turnkey Project Manager for Sales & Proposals for a given?project.
• Extra responsibilities for turnkey?projects:
• Project planning and reporting, in cooperation with Turnkey Project Manager for Sales &?Proposals.
• Turnkey Project Manager for Sales & Proposals, Technical Sales Manager and Commercial Sales Manager as well as Contract Manager are jointly responsible for the customer contract management for a?project.

Candidate?Requirements:-

• Extensive experience in project sales or development, preferably in the energy or power?sector.
• Previous responsibility of complex projects in multicultural teams and professional?customers.
• Project management?(desirable).
• Working experience in multilingual and multicultural teams, preferably operating across?borders.
• Development of Account- and Marketing?Plans
• Wind market development and?trends
• Analysis of project?economics
• Technical understanding of wind?projects
• Customer?knowledge
• Competitor?knowledge
• Project?Management
• Negotiation?skills
• Contract management?knowledge
• Commercial?knowledge

EarthStream?is a specialist global recruiting business dedicated to the energy, resources & environment sectors that is uniquely positioned to understand the interplay and increasing convergence between these sectors. We specialize exclusively in the energy, resources and environment sectors with our capability in providing staff across a range of technical, engineering, scientific and commercial disciplines. The recruiters in each of our industry specific divisions understand the unique skills and requirements of each vertical sector and where to find the best people in that field. With operations in five continents we have the coverage and experience to service our clients and candidates anywhere in the world.??Please quote reference?3298 when applying for this?position.

Apply directly for this role by emailing?Kevin.Gibson@earthstreamglobal.com. Alternatively, contact our office by telephone on +65 6499?7103.?

Apply to EarthStream Global Pte Ltd,?10C4186.

Why this is a green job

This job is in the renewable energy?sector.

Source: http://www.eco-business.com/jobs/technical-sales-manager/

tony romo Good Friday 2013 good friday Dufnering What Is Good Friday Alexis Wright Monsanto Protection Act

Slow Insurance Approvals Strand Mental Health Patients in ER ...

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on April 25, 2013

A significant problem regarding health care access involves obtaining hospital admission for those experiencing a mental health crisis.

The backlog in obtaining insurance approval for admission to a hospital bed is problematic for the patient in crisis, other emergency room patients and physicians.

A research letter to be published in the May issue of the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine argues that pre-authorization process is akin to health care ?rationing by hassle factor.?

?An emergency department is just about the worst place for a psychiatric patient to wait for an inpatient bed, and yet that is exactly what the pre-authorization process forces on millions of these vulnerable people,? said senior author J. Wesley Boyd, M.D., Ph.D.

?The thousands upon thousands of hours emergency physicians spend obtaining prior authorization for admission to the hospital are hours we are not spending on direct patient care. Only Medicare does not require prior authorization for us to admit psychiatric patients to the hospital; maybe they are onto something.?

In the study, researchers recorded data on 53 patients ? most were in the emergency department because they were having suicidal thoughts.

Half of the authorization requests took under 20 minutes to be approved, but 10 percent of the patients? authorizations took an hour or more. Only one of the 53 patients? insurance carriers denied pre-authorization. There are approximately 2.5 million psychiatric admissions to hospitals every year in the U.S.

?Psychiatric care is really the poor stepchild in the world of insurance coverage,? said lead author Amy Funkenstein, M.D., of Brown University in Providence, R.I..

?Insurance carriers reimburse poorly and as a consequence, hospitals often have inadequate resources for patients who urgently need this care. The situation is so dire that ERs are now being designed and configured to house psychiatric patients awaiting placement as inpatients. These patients deserve better.?

Source: American College of Emergency Physicians

Man waiting in the Emergency Room photo by shutterstock.

APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2013). Slow Insurance Approvals Strand Mental Health Patients in ER. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 26, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/04/25/slow-insurance-approvals-strand-mental-health-patients-in-er/54083.html

?

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/04/25/slow-insurance-approvals-strand-mental-health-patients-in-er/54083.html

the ten commandments charlton heston moses tulsa shooting doug fister the perfect storm mickelson

Tons of linemen drafted, but Te'o waits for Day 2

Eric Fisher, from Central Michigan, stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Eric Fisher, from Central Michigan, stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Florida State's E. J. Manuel addresses a news conference after being selected by the Buffalo Bills during the first round of the NFL Draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Luke Joeckel, de Texas A&M, posa con el comisionado de la NFL, Roger Goodell, tras haber sido elegido por los Jaguars de Jacksonville en la segunda selecci?n general del draft de la liga, el jueves 25 de abril de 2013, en Radio City Music Hall de Nueva York. (Foto AP/Mary Altaffer)

Retired New England Patriots' Joe Andruzzi and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell honor the victims and first responders of the Boston Marathon bombings during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Dion Jordan from Oregon speaks during a news conference after being selected third overall by the Miami Dolphins during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

NEW YORK (AP) ? More than 2? tons of linemen, five trades, one quarterback and no Manti Te'o.

The first round of the NFL draft delivered an enormous portion of beef, with 18 teams devouring linemen from the opening pick of offensive tackle Eric Fisher by Kansas City to center Travis Frederick by Dallas at No. 31.

But perhaps the biggest story of the first round was Teo's name not being called by Commissioner Roger Goodell during the 3-hour, 33-minute session Thursday night.

Te'o, the All-America linebacker from Notre Dame, became a tabloid sensation in January with revelations that the girlfriend who supposedly died during the season was actually a hoax. But what may have hurt his draft status most was his poor play in the national title game loss to Alabama, and his slow 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine.

Te'o wasn't the only big-name player who will have to wait until Friday's second round. West Virginia's Geno Smith was expected to be taken, but instead the only quarterback picked was Florida State's EJ Manuel by Buffalo with the 16th spot, acquired in a trade with St. Louis. It was the lowest the first QB was taken since 2000, when Chad Pennington went 18th to the Jets.

The Bills, of course, are optimistic about Manuel.

"If we can develop this guy, he has the talent to take you to the dance," Bills general manager Buddy Nix said. "This guy was further along than most of them as far as his knowledge of the game. ... This guy, to us, has got leadership qualities. He's smart. And he's big."

Also left out in the first round were running backs ? none was taken for the first time since 1963. Among running backs who could go in the second round are Eddie Lacy of Alabama and Montee Ball of Wisconsin. Other quarterbacks still waiting for their names to be called include USC's Matt Barkley, Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib.

This first round showed off the beef. The breakdown: nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen.

"It's always nice when the O-line gets some respect," offensive tackle Luke Joeckel said after being taken No. 2 by Jacksonville. "We usually get the crummy meeting room, the crummy chairs in our meeting room.

"A lot of teams are realizing how important the position is. The guys, they look pretty scoring the touchdowns, but they get space to score those touchdowns from us."

And on the other side of the ball, teams need players to break through the line to get to the quarterbacks and running backs.

That's why Miami was in a trading mood, moving up from No. 12 to No. 3 in a deal with Oakland to grab defensive end Dion Jordan of Oregon.

"We took a player we coveted quite a bit," Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said of the player he hopes could be the next Jason Taylor. "You've got to knock the quarterback down, you've got to take the ball away. This guy can do one of those two things."

After the opening two picks, the stampede was on. The first seven picks were all linemen.

"That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," Fisher said.

Fisher became the first Mid-American Conference player selected at the top when Chiefs new coach Andy Reid chose the 6-foot-7, 306-pound offensive tackle.

"This is so surreal," Fisher said. "I'm ready to get to work right now. I'm ready to start playing some football. I can't process what's going on right now."

After Joeckel and Jordan were taken, it was BYU defensive end Ziggy Ansah to Detroit, LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo to Cleveland, and North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper to Arizona.

Fisher was only the third offensive tackle picked No. 1, joining Orlando Pace (1997) and Jake Long (2008) since the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL. It's also the first time since '70 that offensive tackles went 1-2.

Even without a high-profile passer, runner or tackler going at the outset, the fans in the home of the Rockettes were pumped. They chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A" when Goodell paid tribute to the first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings and to the victims of the explosion in West, Texas. They roared when Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath began the countdown to the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather site by taking the podium and screaming: "New York; Super Bowl 48."

The crowd didn't seem to care that early on the picks were all heifers, not hoofers. No Andrew Lucks or RG3s at the top of this crop.

New Eagles coach Chip Kelly got a road-grader for his uptempo offense in Johnson.

"Tackle is not a very sexy position," Johnson said. "But it's a position of dire need."

In another trade, the Rams moved up eight spots ? and sent four picks to Buffalo to do so. St. Louis then grabbed West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin, all 5-8, 174 pounds of him.

The New York Jets may have found a replacement for star cornerback Darrelle Revis ? traded to Tampa Bay ? when they picked Alabama All-American Dee Milliner. That was the first of three straight selections from two-time national champion Alabama: Tennessee took guard Chance Warmack and San Diego got offensive tackle D.J. Fluker.

Oakland used the pick it got from the Dolphins for Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden, who nearly died last November after a collision in practice tore a blood vessel off the back of his heart. He was taken to a hospital and had surgery.

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who also had a heart scare at the NFL combine but then checked out fine, went 14th to Carolina, followed by Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro to New Orleans.

Former Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who carried an injured female runner to safety after the Boston Marathon explosions, displayed a jersey with the city's 617 area code and "Boston Strong" written on the front. He was supposed to announce New England's pick, but the Patriots dealt it to Minnesota, giving the Vikings three first-round selections.

Andruzzi, a native New Yorker, said, "There's a new saying in Boston: Boston Strong" before unveiling the jersey as "Sweet Caroline" was played on the loudspeakers.

Pittsburgh, which always seems to find standout linebackers, took the highest-rated one in Georgia's Jarvis Jones. The Rams went with another Georgia linebacker, Alec Ogletree with the No. 30 pick.

Notre Dame ended up with a first-rounder when tight end Tyler Eifert was chosen 21st overall by Cincinnati.

Atlanta's choice of Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant gave that family three brothers in the league. His older siblings, Marcus and Isaiah, preceded him.

One major surprise was the New York Giants' selection of Justin Pugh ? yet another tackle, but one who wasn't projected to go in the opening round by many draft analysts.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-26-NFL%20Draft/id-624a2f18135843a39a6c6f047b7adead

turbotax nascar Catching Fire trailer Marfa Texas leonhard euler venezuela kobe bryant

Putin: order and discipline not a sign of Stalinism

By Steve Gutterman

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin rejected comparisons with Soviet dictator Josef Stalin on Thursday in his annual televised question-and-answer session with citizens, denying political persecution but saying Russia needed order and discipline.

A liberal journalist referred to a host of legal sanctions applied to Putin's opponents since he was re-elected president to ask him whether there were elements of Stalinism in his exercise of power.

But on a day when the first Russian civic group was fined under a new law intended to limit foreign influence, an opposition activist was jailed over an anti-government protest and another was being tried for fraud, Putin dismissed the idea.

"I don't see any elements of Stalinism here," he said. "Stalinism is linked to the cult of personality, massive legal violations, repressions and labor camps.

"There is nothing like that in Russia and I hope there never will be again," he said. "But this does not mean that we should not have order and discipline."

Putin, a former KGB officer who has mixed praise of some of Stalin's achievements with criticism of his harsh methods, denied using the courts to persecute opponents - a hallmark of Stalin's three decades in power until his death in 1953.

"Nobody is putting anyone behind bars for their political views," Putin said.

FRAUD CHARGES

Protest leader and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, arguably Putin's most formidable political opponent in the absence of any effective parliamentary opposition, says his trial on charges of defrauding a timber firm has been trumped up to silence him.

Avoiding using Navalny's name, but clearly referring to him, Putin said: "People who fight corruption must be pure as crystal themselves, otherwise it (their campaigning) all looks like self-promotion and political advertising."

Navalny's supporters have compared his trial to that of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was jailed in 2005 on fraud and tax evasion charges after falling out with Putin and remains in prison.

Putin's remarks in a confident live appearance that lasted nearly five hours indicated he has no plans to ease the pressure on opponents and activists that has helped stifle what were the biggest opposition protests since he came to power in 2000.

The human rights campaign groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch this week said Putin's new term had seen a witch-hunt against dissenters and the toughest crackdown on civil society since the Soviet era.

PROTESTERS ON TRIAL

A Moscow court on Thursday convicted opposition activist Konstantin Lebedev of organizing mass disorder at a protest on May 6 last year, the eve of Putin's inauguration, and sentenced him to two-and-a-half years in prison.

He was given lenient treatment because he implicated others, which lawyers fear could bode ill for prominent opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and more than 20 others who have also been formally accused or charged in connection with the May 6 protest. One other person has been convicted.

Also on Thursday, a Moscow court handed a 300,000 rouble ($9,500) fine to Golos, a vote-monitoring group that documented fraud allegations in the presidential election and a 2011 parliamentary election, for declining to register as a "foreign agent" under a new law aimed at NGOs with foreign funding.

For many Russians, that designation clearly evokes the Stalin era. Golos said the foreign payment in question had been a human rights prize, which it had promptly returned in full.

Putin dismissed criticism of the law, saying: "Let them say where they got money, how much, and how they have spent it."

He also referred disparagingly to Pussy Riot, the female band, some of whose members were jailed for singing a raucous anti-Putin song near the altar of Moscow's main Orthodox cathedral.

"These girls from Pussy Riot and guys who desecrate the graves of our soldiers must be equal before the law," he said.

($1 = 31.5385 Russian roubles)

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/putin-order-discipline-not-sign-stalinism-181241727--business.html

Bath And Body Works Dicks Sporting Good office max office max jcp Sports Authority Hollister

Japan Takes Tough Stand Against the Chinese - Night Watch ...

Japan-China: On 23 April Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to "expel by force" any Chinese landing on the islands in the East China Sea, and promised "decisive action."

"We would never allow a landing," Abe told parliament in response to questions from lawmakers, adding: "It would be natural for us to expel by force if (the Chinese) were to make a landing," he said.

Comment: This is the strongest statement the government has made about Japan's determination to defend its claim to the Senkaku Islands against the Chinese.

The presence of a contingent of eight Chinese civilian government ships within the territorial sea of the islands all day on 23 April appears to have prompted Abe's statement. Japanese media reported that the eight-ship incursion is the largest this year.

This dispute is escalating. Intrusions by Chinese government ships, not navy ships, have increased in frequency and size since the reorganization of the civilian maritime agencies in early March. President Xi's speech to the National People's Congress and the recent Defense White Paper leave no doubt about the Chinese leadership's determination to recover the islands, at some point.

Chinese intrusions appear intentionally designed to probe Japan's military response capabilities as well as the attitude of the Japanese population towards a confrontation with China, while asserting China's claim. China is arousing Japanese nationalism. With neither side backing down, clashes and tests of political and military resolve are unavoidable.

Pakistan: Former president Musharraf appeared before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi on 23 April in connection with accusations of complicity in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. The court attached his property in 2011 to ensure he would appear eventually to answer the charge. When Musharraf appeared the court lifted the attachment and Musharraf promised to cooperate.

Meanwhile in Islamabad, the High Court resumed a hearing on how Musharraf escaped from the Court on 18 April when he was supposed to have been taken into custody and who helped. At least one Deputy Superintendent of Police has been suspended.?

Comment: It looks like and local Pakistani observers have remarked that Musharraf is likely to beat the charge against him in the Anti-Terorrism Court. With the interim government's refusal to prosecute him for treason, the remaining actions appear to be those before the Islamabad High Court over his imprisonment of judges.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/nightwatch/2013/04/25/japan-takes-tough-stand-against-the-chinese-n1577778

oolong tea survivor one world lil kim progeria what will my baby look like gary carter died cmas