Tourists Wishing to Meet with IDF Soldiers - Yeshiva World News

It appears that tour operators and organizations representing IDF units have been working to arrange special events between tourists and IDF personnel, events that will benefit the military. If you are visiting Israel and you want to have a barbeque with pilots, or visit and air force base perhaps and have lunch with infantrymen, you may be able to make arrangements in advance if you are willing to pay the cost.

Maariv reports such events have already taken place, costing thousands of dollars which go to benefit IDF units. While some opponents feel the concept is an unwelcome one, one which turns the military into ?schnorrers?, the fact remains such events are an attraction and a considerable amount of money can be raised for the cause.

Opponents explain in one case, soldiers were instructed to sing and dance with visitors, who were paying handsomely for the photo op, and they feel such activities degrade soldiers and in the long run, it diminishes morale among soldiers.

Chabad rov Rabbi Menachem Ofin Runs Ohr L?Chayal, running these events. His non-profit invites those willing to pay to come and meet with soldiers, to ?meet the brave ones face to face?. Ofin says the organization?s activities are not connected to Chabad, but Maariv says otherwise, explaining it checked and Ofin?s activities are indeed connected to Chabad?s international network of shluchim.

Maariv reports some of the costs for visits as follows:

? For the privilege of feeding 70 soldiers, $2,500

? A meal for 150 soldiers, $4,000

? A meal for 500 soldiers, $,7500

The cost includes the entire evening event surrounding the visit, and one wishing to feed an elite unit may, but this of course is more costly.

Ohr L?Chayal responds: Am Yisrael and the Jewish People around the world love and admire the soldiers and they are happy to have such an opportunity, an evening to raise their spirits and show their gratitude. We have been doing this for years with great success and we are accepted by the fighters with open arms. This is the case with the soldiers their officers and the generals of the IDF.

The organization adds all expenses are covered by the visitors, not the military and it is a win/win for all concerned.

Rav Ofin explains that on Purim 13 years ago, as he was bringing misloach manos to soldiers in the Hebron area he was injured in a terror attack and after recuperating, this has become his life?s work, which operates in coordination with the IDF, LIBI and other organizations.

LIBI confirms working with the rav, but Maariv adds it has documented cases in which businesses operating strictly for profit are involved too, mentioning the Vered HaSharon Agency which advertises such get-togethers with soldiers.

(YWN ? Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

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Source: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/?p=158369

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94% Barbara

All Critics (53) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (3)

Hoss is fantastic. Barbara is ice cold at the start, understandably so. Yet Hoss makes her sympathetic.

[Leaves] you drained and horrified.

Sometimes, the sun shines and the wind blows fresh and the very elements that make for intense hardship also open a window on intense joy.

Hoss is mesmerizing as a woman who holds it all together to the point of losing herself.

It's one terrific film, as smart, thoughtful and emotionally involving as just about anything that's out there.

It's a quiet film built of careful details.

This well acted political melodrama, set during the Cold War, is Germany's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Hoss' outstanding performance is a deep well of subtle yet unmistakable motives and reactions.

A crafty filmmaker, Petzold gives us information in increments. During the first half of his movie, which he co-wrote, we are all but left to our own devices; yet it is fascinating, and appropriate.

Worth seeing ... both for Petzold's singular aesthetic and for Hoss, who as usual is a riveting presence.

A well-observed, compelling, and evocative character piece, haunted by the ghosts of Germany's recent past.

Feels like total immersion into the sights, stresses, and the subtle solidarity among middle-class professionals living in the workers' paradise that Petzold's parents fled.

[R]esides somewhere in an unsatisfying borderland between drama and thriller, never quite catching fire as either...

A superbly crafted low-boil drama that gets its hooks into you the old-fashioned way, through character, and highlights the difficulties and cost of living by principles.

Subtly intriguing and ambiguous, it's filled with suspicion and subterfuge.

Despite the limited scope of its predictable narrative, "Barbara" remains a compelling character study thanks to Nina Hoss's enigmatic performance in the title role.

Christian Petzold's latest thriller threatens to cross over the line from minimalism to nihilism.

Both insightful and poignant, but not mawkish...an intriguing character study set against the backdrop of a dark time in history.

The plotting, the planning and the deepening relationships don't make for kinetic action, but they are the foundation for a smart, engrossing film.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/barbara_2012/

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Prp | Leading Glendale AZ Pain Management Clinic, Arizona Pain ...

The leading pain clinic in Glendale AZ and the West Valley , Arizona Pain Specialists , is now providing platelet rich plasma therapy for patients. PRP is an effective regenerative medicine treatment for ligament injuries, tendonitis, soft tissue injuries and arthritis.

Glendale, AZ (PRWEB) February 23, 2013

Platelet rich plasma treatment has been used for in areas in medicine such as urology, wound care ophthalmology and cardiovascular medicine for quite a while. However, it was only recently that PRP has begun to be used for relieving musculoskeletal pain.

Studies are showing promise that it relieves pain from soft tissue inflammation problems like golfer?s and tennis elbow, and it is working well for treating ligament injuries and tendonitis. Three professional sports leagues ? the NBA, NFL and MLB ? approve of PRP, and several professional athletes have obtained PRP therapy such as Dwight Howard, Hines Ward, and Troy Polamolu.

The treatment involves a simple blood draw, and the blood is then spun down two cycles in a centrifuge machine. The resulting top layer is the PRP, and it is then injected into the problem area. Most recently, some papers presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons have shown effectiveness for arthritis.

Arizona Pain has the West Valley clinic in Glendale AZ, and also has two other Phoenix area clinics in Scottsdale and Chandler AZ. These AZ pain clinics offer comprehensive treatments that are individualized to offer patients the best chance of success.

Arizona Pain has Award Winning, Board Certified pain management doctors that offer cutting edge treatments ranging from medication management to interventional therapies like joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, chiropractic therapy, acupuncture, spinal decompression therapy, spinal cord stimulators and more.

For more information and scheduling with the best pain management Glendale AZ and the West Valley offers, call Arizona Pain at (623) 335-0448

Jennifer
Arizona Pain Specialists
(623) 335-0448
Email Information

Related Websites

Source: http://healthy-tips.net/prp-leading-glendale-az-pain-management-clinic-arizona-pain-specialists-now-offering-regenerative-medicine-with-platelet/

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Is it Crazy To Charge People To Send You Email?

Too much email? There might be a solution.

Photo by John Howard/Photodisc.

How many e-mails do you have in your inbox? In general, each one represents a task?something to read, a query to answer, a meeting to schedule, a bill to pay, a request to fulfill or deny. Also on your to-do list: Facebook messages, LinkedIn requests, and Twitter direct messages. Whether it?s a social network message or old-school e-mail, all are items to handle, and all placed there by other people.

Is it fair that you have to prioritize these things, collect them in one place, or switch among them? Isn?t there some way that the senders could assume some of that responsibility?

Of course, this is already happening, in part. Facebook decides what to show you. You decide whom to follow on Twitter. LinkedIn charges people to send more than a certain number of introductory e-mails and penalizes people who send too many unwelcome messages. And Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft (among others) filter spam using everything from content analysis to sender behavior to various methods of authentication.

All of these are useful approaches, but none alleviates the recipient?s burden: The system still lets other people add things to my to-do list. But there is another way: The sender figures out what matters and puts money behind that choice.

The short version is that a sender must pay to send mail, while a recipient can set the price. Of course, this notion provokes angst: What happens to poor but worthy people? What about friends? Won?t it be confusingly complex? The answer is twofold. First, the recipient can decide what to charge, and set different prices (or no price at all) for different people or categories, and can even forgive the charges retroactively. Second, there will be services to handle it all for you. The basic service sets a single price, but higher-end services offer (and charge for) as much complexity as anyone could want. Or, if you want to avoid making a lot of decisions, you could select from a set of defaults. (And if you eschew commercializing your time, you could give the money to a charity.)

But the main question is why anyone should pay to send e-mail when they can do so for free. Isn?t it unfair to cut off access?

In the end, people are paying to get someone?s attention. You can go on sending free e-mail, but if you want to get the attention of certain busy people, you pay. Isn?t that more democratic than having to join a club or undergo an interview with their assistant to meet them?

The point of the payment is not so much the money as it is a signal of how someone values his time. For that reason, people will try to hide the mechanics when possible. For example, when messaging someone who charges, you may see a warning only if the recipient is above your payment limit. Another way in will be to join groups?most likely closed groups?that allow free messages among members.

From the sender side, the initial reaction may be, ?Why can?t I reach this person without paying?? Soon, however, more people will say, ?Hey, I want that service, too! I can?t afford a personal assistant to screen my e-mail, but now I can push the burden back to the senders, who have to consider how likely I am to want their message and to respond in the way they hope.?

Over time, a variety of specialist service providers will emerge?single-topic experts and general mail managers. Mail recipients will set their prices for different kinds of mail/requests/senders. The mail managers will also handle incoming messages and Facebook, LinkedIn, and other requests as specified by the recipient, and will collect credit card information from senders (or more likely charge their PayPal accounts or navigate other payment systems as they emerge).

The recipient is unlikely to see the complexities; most of this will be handled in the background. To start, you can simply set your price at, say, $1, along with a list of people who can reach you for free. There will be lots of glitches at the beginning, starting with people you know who have multiple e-mail addresses, old friends not on your current white list of free senders, and so on. But such challenges will diminish over time, and, as less mail gets sent, a higher proportion of it will be wanted and answered.

A couple of other useful changes will follow. Companies will insist on a more careful distinction between corporate and personal e-mail address use. For example, Yahoo may collect $1 on behalf of its employees when they are ?disturbed? at work by mail from friends. But for actual paying customers trying to reach Yahoo, there may well be a white list of potential advertisers, all writing from their corporate e-mail accounts. (I am an investor in direct.ly, a third-party service that offers paid support from former employees and other experts in a non-e-mail version of this idea, and invested in Boxbe, which started out with sender-pays e-mail but eventually pivoted. I think the time is now becoming right.)

There is, of course, a risk that some people simply will try to get rich by charging for incoming mail that they never read. Caveat sender! The whole point is to get senders to consider more carefully to whom they send mail. The burden needs to go somewhere, and shifting it back to its creators makes sense.

This article was originally published by?Project Syndicate.?For more from?Project Syndicate,?visit their?Web site?and follow them on?Twitter?or?Facebook.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=36f6642c9d1366f00fe1e86e2d76b71c

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Top 5 Beverly Hills Celebrity Mansions - Beverly Hills Real Estate ...

Beverly Hills has long been a choice and preferred spot for celebrities to settle in. There are simply too many magnificent celebrity mansions in the area to limit it to 5 but for purposes of this article, we will try. Owning a property in Beverly Hills appear to be a token necessity among celebrities. One can just imagine the corresponding insurance required for these properties. A quick look into http://homeownersinsurance.com/homeowners-insurance-calculator.php?can provide an idea of the present rates for property insurance.

These properties are certainly worth looking into:

1. Ryan Seacrest

Ellen De Generes and her wife Portia de Rossi listed their sprawling estate on Coldwater Canyon for sale at the price of $ 49 million. Ryan Seacrest got it for $ 37 million, certainly still a big amount of money. Apparently, this property consisting of four separate parcels of land accumulated over the years by spouses De Generes and Rossi seem to be worth it. The property practically covers an entire city block and houses a 9,200 square foot main house and a gym with a size that is comparable to that of a huge health club. Seacrest must be doing quite a bit of walking to cover the entirety of this property.

2. Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone?s Beverly Hills mansion has a size of 15,121 square feet with a total land?acreage?of 4.08 acres. It has 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. The mansion is specifically located in the highly exclusive Beverly Park Terrace neighborhood. With a?net worth?of $ 275 million, it is not surprising that he can afford to be here. His other home is in Lake Tahoe which is reported to have seven fireplaces compared to the four found in his Beverly Hills house.

3. Jodie Foster

Jodie foster?s most recent property purchase was an $ 11,750,000.00 mansion with a canyon and a city view in Beverly Hills. It has five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The property is situated in a very private area with a house that measures at least 3,752 square feet. Though built in 1952 yet, this has not made the house any less grand.

4. Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy is a proud owner of a $ 20 million dollar Beverly Hills mansion located on over 3 acres of land. It is said to resemble a hotel resort more than a private house. It houses a stunning pool and a tennis court. Murphy had to pay almost $ 240,000.00 for the taxes of this property alone in 2011.

5. Denzel Washington Jr.

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Denzel Washington?s magnificent 1.5 acre property is found in the gated community of Beverly Hills which is way on top. The neighborhood has a private and exclusive entrance and is one of the most heavily guarded in the area.

There are surely a lot of other celebrity houses that are worth as much or even more than those mentioned here. Alas ? to be a star!

About the Author

Rita is a real estate agent whose main hobby is looking into the wonders of celebrity homes.

Image: stardriveways.com

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Source: http://www.christophechoo.com/top-5-beverly-hills-celebrity-mansions/

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Dan Rather: Obama 'Has Delivered Less Transparency,' 'Hasn't Met His Promises' (VIDEO)

Lahore

Pakistani NGOs workers shout slogans against US drone attacks and religious fundamentalism during a protest in Lahore on October 21, 2010. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

Manila

Protesters set on fire to a mock model of a U.S. drone during a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, on Friday Jan. 11, 2013. They protested an unarmed target drone found in central Philippine waters over the weekend which U.S. officials claimed was launched from a U.S. Navy ship during a combat exercise off Guam last year and may have been washed by ocean currents to the country. The embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said the BQM-74E drone was launched from the USS Chafee, a guided-missile destroyer, as a mock missile target during naval combat exercises off Guam. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Islamabad

American anti-war coalition CodePink activists, protest while fasting to condemn U.S. drone attacks in Pakistani tribal region, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The placard, center, reads, "fasting for peace." (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

New York

Nick Mottern of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., hands out information to a passerby as he stands beneath a model of an unmanned drone, which he labeled an "unmanned assasination vehicle" during an anti-war teach-in as part of the Occupy Wall Street protest now in its fourth week at Zuccotti Park in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Washington DC

A cardboard 'drone' is seen at an occupy DC camp in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC. Occupy DC's website states the movement is built on the example of Occupy Wall Street, whose activists have continuously camped out in a New York park since September 17. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

Lahore

Activists of the Pakistani fundamentalist Islamic party Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) shout slogans against the release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis and an US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal area, during a protest rally in Lahore on March 18, 2011. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

Islamabad

A Pakistani boy holds a placard during the second day of protests against the US drone attacks along with tribesmen of north Waziristan in Islamabad on December 10, 2010. (FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images)

Washington DC

Members of Pax Christi USA, Foreign Policy in Focus, CODEPINK and other organizations, mock and protest the unmanned US drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan on October 7, 2010 at Union Station in Washington DC. (KIMIHIRO HOSHINO/AFP/Getty Images)

Multan

Pakistani demonstrators shout anti-US slogans during a protest in Multan on January 8, 2013, against the drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas. (S.S MIRZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Islamabad

American citizens rally in Islamabad, Pakistan against drone attacks in Pakistani tribal belt, Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

North Carolina

Protesters march with a drone effigy outside Duke Energy headquarters in Uptown, the Charlotte the business district, before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) September 2, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Florida

Thomas Bolanos holds an American flag as he joins others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

Dina Formentini (C) and Code Pink leader Medea Benjamin (R) join others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

Code Pink leader Medea Benjamin holds a sign reading, 'Raytheon's Drones Create Enemies,' as she joins others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

Clay Colson holds a sign reading, ' Healthcare not Warfare!', as he joins others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

Code Pink leader Medea Benjamin holds a sign reading, 'Raytheon's Drones Create Enemies,' as she listens to a police officer ask the group to move to a public sidewalk durin a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

Liz, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, holds a sign reading, 'Obama's Drones Kill Americans, Too,' as she joins others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Largo, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida

James L. holds a sign reading, ' Obama is just another war prez ', as he joins others in a protest in front of a Raytheon company building which they say is building military drones on August 23, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Philippines

Protesters display placards during a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, on Friday Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Philippines

Protesters march towards the U.S. Embassy in Manila with a mock model of a U.S. drone Friday Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

YEMEN-UNREST-DEMO-DRONE

Yemenis hold up a sign in Arabic that reads, 'No to Foreign Intervention...No to American Terrorism' during a protest against US drone attacks on Yemen close to the home of Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, in the capital Sanaa, on January 28, 2013. Strikes by US drones in Yemen nearly tripled in 2012 compared to 2011, with 53 recorded against 18, according to the Washington-based think-tank New America Foundation. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

YEMEN-UNREST-DEMO-DRONE

A Yemeni hold up a banner during a protest against US drone attacks on Yemen close to the home of Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, in the capital Sanaa, on January 28, 2013. Strikes by US drones in Yemen nearly tripled in 2012 compared to 2011, with 53 recorded against 18, according to the Washington-based think-tank New America Foundation. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/23/dan-rather-obama-has-deli_n_2749563.html

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Sony shows PlayStation 4 capabilities, but no box

NEW YORK (AP) - Sony showed off what the PlayStation 4 can do, but not what it will look like.

The Japanese electronics giant talked about its upcoming game console for the first time and said it will go on sale this holiday season.

But Sony didn't reveal the device itself. Presenters played games that were projected on screens in a converted opera house, but the PlayStations themselves were hidden backstage throughout Wednesday evening's two-hour event.

"I don't know that the box is going to be something that's going to have a dramatic impact on people's feelings about the game. It will be a color and a size fairly comparable to previous consoles," said Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, the U.S.-based arm of the PlayStation business.

"There's a big story to tell here, and it's going to take between now and the holiday season to get all the details out there," Tretton said in an interview.

Tretton said the price of the PS4 hasn't been decided yet, but hinted that it wouldn't be as high as the PlayStation 3 was initially. The PS3 debuted in 2006 with two models for $500 and $600. It now sells for about $300.

The PS4 will be jostling for attention this holiday season with Microsoft's successor to the Xbox. Details on that device are expected in June. Xbox 360 came out a year before PS3 and has been more popular, largely because of its robust online service, Xbox Live, which allows people to play games with others online. Having an event this early allows Sony to grab the spotlight for a few months, though the lack of an actual device was noted by many people on Twitter and elsewhere.

Sony did reveal that the insides of the PS4 will essentially be a "supercharged PC," much like an Xbox. That's a big departure from the old and idiosyncratic PlayStation design and should make it easier for developers to create games. Sony Corp. is using processing chips made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

"One of the big challenges we faced in the past was that we created great technology that we handed over to the development community, and they had to go through a learning curve before they could harness it. And when they did, we saw some phenomenal games," Tretton said. "We wanted to lower that barrier of entry and really give them the ability to create tremendous gaming experiences from Day One."

The adoption of PC chips also means that the new console won't be able to play games created for any of the three previous PlayStations, even though the PS4 will have a Blu-ray disc drive, just like the PS3. Instead, Sony said gamers will have to stream older games to the PS4 through the Internet.

Other new features revolve around social networking and remote access. With one button, you can broadcast video of your game play so friends can "look over your shoulder virtually," said David Perry, co-founder of the Sony-owned Internet game company Gaikai. With remote play, you can run a game on the PS4 to stream over the Internet to Sony's mobile gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which debuted last year.

The goal is to make the PS4 so good at figuring out what games and other content you want that it can download it without being asked, so that it's available when you realize you do want it, Sony said.

"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.

The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 percent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract people who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.

Forrester analyst James McQuivey said Sony is missing the point by building what amounts to an upgraded PS3.

"Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the game console to prove it," he said. "Tablets and smartphones now engage more people in more minutes of gaming than consoles will ever achieve."

Sony showed an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.

Dennis Fong, CEO of the gaming-centric social networking site Raptr, thinks Sony's focus on sharing with the PS4 will be good for both gamers and business.

"The ability to capture an image, video or instantly broadcast what's on players' screen to their friends is transformational for the new generation of consoles," said Fong. "Providing them with community tools to create videos and live broadcasts is a cool feature for gamers, and also great for business. User-generated content keeps players engaged with the game even while they aren't playing it and also attracts new users from the buzz generated around this content."

The bulk of Wednesday's event was devoted to demos of games for the PS4, including a realistic team racing simulator, "Drive Club," super-powered action sequel "Infamous: Second Son," artsy puzzler "The Witness" and several first-person shooter games, including "Killzone: Shadow Fall." Beyond games, the PS4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller - all in real time.

Last fall, Nintendo launched the next generation of gaming consoles with the Wii U, which comes with a tablet-like controller called the GamePad. The controller allows two people playing the same game to have different experiences depending on whether they use the GamePad or a traditional Wii remote, which itself was revolutionary when it came out because of its motion-control features.

Judging by Wednesday's event, Sony seeks to improve but not revolutionize game play. The games were updates to existing ones, with improved graphics.

"At the end of the day, this is a device by gamers for gamers," Tretton said. "The games that people go out and spend billions of dollars on are your traditional shooters."

The original Wii has sold more units since its launch than both its rivals, but it has lost momentum in recent years as the novelty of its motion controller faded. Nintendo said it sold 3.1 million Wii Us by the end of 2012. It was a disappointing start for the first of a new generation of gaming systems.

In some ways, notably its ability to display high-definition games, the Wii U was just catching up to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the preferred consoles to play popular games such as "Call of Duty."

All three console makers are trying to position their devices as entertainment hubs that can deliver movies, music and social networking as they try to stay relevant in the age of smartphones and tablets. The PlayStation online network will have access to Sony's video and music services, as well as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, with paid subscriptions to those services. People will also be able to access Facebook.

Source: http://www.kval.com/news/tech/Sony-shows-PlayStation-4-capabilities-but-no-box-192296511.html

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Big bucks flowing to California home owners under mortgage settlement

Nearly 72,000 Californians have had their mortgages reduced or forgiven under terms of a multi-state mortgage settlement with five major banks, according to a report Thursday from the state appointee monitoring the banks' compliance.

"California is faring very well under this deal," said Katherine Porter, the UC Irvine law professor who is serving as the state's monitor of the settlement with 48 state attorneys general.

About 41 percent of the relief so far has gone to Californians, she said.

"We think that's the result of two things -- a California commitment by three banks and the attorney general who made itclear how serious she was about enforcement of this deal. My office also worked really hard to educate borrowers," Porter said.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris held out for a special "California commitment" from three of the six banks -- Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America -- which is increasing the state's share.

The three banks committed to $12 billion in principal reductions and the appointment of a monitor. "The banks that participated in the California commitment are exceeding what they said they would do to help," pushing the expected total of all forms of relief to struggling home owners in the state to $20 billion, Porter said.

An additional 24,377 borrowers are "in progress" on mortgage reductions, and the total is expected to reach 100,000 before the settlement ends. Out of a total

of $16.9 billion so far, $7.5 billion has been in first or second mortgage reductions or forgiveness, Porter said.

Other relief includes assistance on short sales and "cash for keys" to homeowners who want to leave their homes.

Six banks agreed to a $25 billion multi-state settlement of charges stemming from a "robo-signing" scandal involving improper foreclosures. They are Citibank, JP Morgan Chase/Washington Mutual, Bank of America/Countrywide, Wells Fargo/Wachovia, and Ally Financial

Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 Follow him on Twitter.com/petecarey

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22632362/big-bucks-flowing-california-home-owners-under-mortgage?source=rss_viewed

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Private US firms take major role vs. cyberattacks

WASHINGTON (AP) ? When Kevin Mandia, a retired military cybercrime investigator, decided to expose China as a primary threat to U.S. computer networks, he didn't have to consult with American diplomats in Beijing or declassify tactics to safely reveal government secrets.

He pulled together a 76-page report based on seven years of his company's work and produced the most detailed public account yet of how, he says, the Chinese government has been rummaging through the networks of major U.S. companies.

It wasn't news to Mandia's commercial competitors, or the federal government, that systematic attacks could be traced back to a nondescript office building outside Shanghai that he believes was run by the Chinese army. What was remarkable was that the extraordinary details ? code names of hackers, one's affection for Harry Potter and how they stole sensitive trade secrets and passwords ? came from a private security company without the official backing of the U.S. military or intelligence agencies that are responsible for protecting the nation from a cyberattack.

The report, embraced by stakeholders in both government and industry, represented a notable alignment of interests in Washington: The Obama administration has pressed for new evidence of Chinese hacking that it can leverage in diplomatic talks ? without revealing secrets about its own hacking investigations ? and Mandiant makes headlines with its sensational revelations.

The report also shows the balance of power in America's cyberwar has shifted into the hands of the $30 billion-a-year computer security industry.

"We probably kicked the hornet's nest," Mandia, 42, said in an interview at the Alexandria, Va., headquarters of Mandiant. But "tolerance is just dwindling. People are tired of the status quo of being hacked with impunity, where there's no risk or repercussion."

China has disputed Mandiant's allegations.

Mandiant, which took in some $100 million in business last year ? up 60 percent from the year before ? is part of a lucrative and exploding market that goes beyond antivirus software and firewalls. These "digital forensics" outfits can tell a business whether its systems have been breached and ? if the company pays extra ? who attacked it.

Mandiant's staff is stocked with retired intelligence and law enforcement agents who specialize in computer forensics and promise their clients confidentiality and control over the investigation. In turn, they get unfettered access to the crime scene and resources to fix the problem (Mandiant won't say exactly how much it charges, but it's estimated to average around $400 an hour).

The growing reliance on contractors like Mandiant has been compared to that enjoyed by the military and State Department contractor formerly known as Blackwater, which provided physical security to diplomats and other VIPs during the Iraq war. Officials inside and outside government say that's not a bad thing; contractors can often act more quickly than the government and without as much red tape. There are also serious privacy concerns: Most U.S. citizens don't want the government to access their bank accounts, for example, even if China is attacking their bank.

"The government doesn't have the capacity," said Shawn Henry, a former FBI executive assistant director who works for a Mandiant competitor, CrowdStrike. "There are a lot of people working hard. But the structures aren't there."

Michael DuBose, another former senior Justice Department official who works at a different Mandiant competitor, Kroll Advisory Solutions, added: "I think there's a recognition that the government can't stand at the entry point of the Internet to the United States and shield it from all bad things coming in."

Since Mandiant released its report this week, government officials and lawmakers have publicly embraced its findings. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, hailed Mandiant for exposing China as a problem. She called its report "sobering" and said she hoped it would spur an international agreement to protect companies from cyber-espionage.

"It's a forcing function in the private sector, and frankly ... it's a forcing function with the government," said retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency who now works for the Chertoff Group, a security consulting firm.

Mandiant's report raises questions, too, about the extent to which private companies are in control of defending the nation's most crucial networks, like power companies and water treatment plants. Another question is what rules of engagement private companies might rely on. When does a company strike back?

Mandia and his competitors said they are beholden to U.S. and international laws, which prohibit the type of intrusive acts they accuse China of taking. Mandia also says his clients aren't interested in starting a cyberwar with foreign hackers, in part because they are so vulnerable.

"The only time (hacking back) would really work is if we got all the bad guys out of our networks in the first place," he said. "Then you can start playing that game."

Still, publishing the hacking report was itself an offensive shot across China's bow.

Mandia said he started his company in 2004 after years in the private sector because there was no company focused on investigating intrusions. With a master's degree in forensic science from George Washington University, he became Mandiant's sole employee and, two years later, got a cash infusion from a college friend. Now, he oversees some 330 employees and the field is growing rapidly. He says he used to see maybe three major incidents a month when he started his business; now he estimates there can be anywhere from 30 to 100 incidents a month.

Mandia is hardly alone. A former co-worker, Stuart McClure, recently started his own company, called Cylance. He received $15 million in venture capital funds for his business, which he says is distinctive because of its focus on prevention. McClure said in general he sees the future of cyberdefense residing in the private sector, with its deeper pockets and less red tape.

"With a commercial entity, you can get more creative," McClure said.

As for any problems they might cause in diplomatic or security circles for the federal government, Mandia and his competitors say that's not really on their radar, although he's hiring attorneys to help him monitor changing U.S. policies and regulations. But as a tech guy, he says he's focused on stopping intrusions.

"We're security guys," Mandia said. "We're not diplomats."

___

Online:

Mandiant: http://www.mandiant.com

The report: http://intelreport.mandiant.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-21-Cybersecurity%20Hired%20Guns/id-49baeee53de3454f8bb3d51cb2342241

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Criminal charges dropped against Chevron in Brazil

SAO PAULO (AP) -- A Brazilian federal court has dismissed criminal charges filed last year against Chevron Corp., driller Transocean Ltd. and several of their executives in connection with a 2011 oil spill off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

The two companies and 17 of their executives had been charged with "crimes against the environment" and faced up to 31 years in prison if convicted.

Judge Marcelo Luzio sent the charges back to prosecutors, who have five days to appeal his ruling, a court official said Thursday. The official did not provide further details. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the news media.

The prosecutor's office said it would not have any immediate comment.

Chevron said in a statement that it was pleased by the court's decision and that it remained "committed to its policy of full transparency and close cooperation with Brazilian authorities."

Transocean said it welcomed the ruling, which it said showed that "Transocean's crew members did exactly what they were trained to do, acting responsibly, appropriately and quickly while always maintaining safety as their top priority."

The companies still face two civil lawsuits seeking $20 billion in damages for the spill, in which about 155,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from the seabed near a Chevron well off the coast in November 2011.

"Both sides are seeking an agreement regarding the amount to be paid," said Marcelo Del Negri, a spokesman at the federal prosecutor's office. "All I can tell you is that they have offered to pay far less than what we want ? about $160 million."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/criminal-charges-dropped-against-chevron-211913976.html

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Oregon lawmakers make Dull and Boring tourism move

In this April 25, 2012 photo, a cyclist rides in Boring, Ore. Boring and Dull created some excitement at the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Last year the communities of Boring, Ore. and Dull, Scotland formed a partnership, based on their snoozy names. On Wednesday, the Oregon House voted to celebrate that partnership by making Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Doug Beghtel) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT

In this April 25, 2012 photo, a cyclist rides in Boring, Ore. Boring and Dull created some excitement at the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Last year the communities of Boring, Ore. and Dull, Scotland formed a partnership, based on their snoozy names. On Wednesday, the Oregon House voted to celebrate that partnership by making Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Doug Beghtel) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT

In this April 25, 2012 photo, traffic flows through Boring, Ore on the Clackamas- Boring Hwy. Boring and Dull created some excitement at the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Last year the communities of Boring, Ore. and Dull, Scotland formed a partnership, based on their snoozy names. On Wednesday, the Oregon House voted to celebrate that partnership by making Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Doug Beghtel) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT

Rep. Bill Kennemer sits on the House floor at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Kennemer sponsored a bill, approved unanimously, designating Aug. 9 as Boring and Dull Day to commemorate the pairing of Boring Ore., and Dull, Scotland, two towns that bonded over their ho-hum names. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)

Stephen Bates, chairman of the community planning organization in Boring, Ore., poses for a picture at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. The state House voted unanimously to designate Aug. 9 as Boring and Dull Day, commemorating the pairing of Boring, Ore., and Dull, Scotland, two towns that bonded over their ho-hum names. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)

SALEM, Ore. (AP) ? Legislative sessions can be dull and boring, but Oregon lawmakers Wednesday moved to commemorate the humdrum ? even if no one is quite sure how.

Based on their mundane names, the rural communities of Dull, Scotland, and Boring, Oregon, formed an international partnership last year to build cultural and commercial connections. And Oregon House lawmakers took that a step further with a vote to make Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day in the state, putting the name of the U.S. town first despite mild objections from their European counterparts.

The plan, which now heads to the state Senate, is intended to boost tourism, and the date this summer marks one year from the day the towns were officially dubbed a "pair for the ages."

Republican Rep. Bill Kennener, the proposal's sponsor, announced the measure with a meandering, tongue-in-cheek, 10-minute speech ? that never got around to saying what Oregon residents might do in observance.

"While some might be inclined to call this frivolous, the reality is that this attention is attracting tourism and commerce to this Boring section of Oregon" he said, pun intended.

A fellow Republican, Rep. Kevin Cameron, quipped that he spotted an intern falling asleep during the address, drawing laughs from the chamber.

Stephen Bates, the unofficial mayor of Boring, said the idea to pair the communities came from a Scottish biker who had the rather interesting idea while cycling through the sleepy Oregon town last year. Excited by her Boring discovery, she brought news of the town's existence across the pond to Dull, prompting talks between the two lazily named towns.

Bates said he's amazed at the international attention the partnership has received.

When tourists "come to Boring I think they realize people aren't so boring or dull," said Bates, who is ? officially ? chair of the town's Community Planning Organization.

He and a handful of residents plan to visit the Scottish village with a population of 84 in October. Dull is located off a dead-end highway in a spot so precarious that the Boring visit hinges on whether the tour bus will be able to safely turn around.

The Oregon town of 8,000 is located in Clackamas County southeast of Portland and is home to the oldest guide dog training program in the country.

A former resident and ancestor of the town's namesake, Bob Boring said he's delighted the community is getting so much attention.

"It enjoys all the teasing it gets, and it does get a bunch," said the retired math teacher.

"A Boring math teacher," he joked. "What could be worse?"

It wasn't immediately possible to reach anyone in the village of Dull, set in the Scottish Highlands between the River Tay and the deer-filled Dull Wood.

An article published in June in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper said residents generally welcomed the pairing ? even if one or two didn't see much humor in the stunt.

Business owner Donald Riddell was one of the supporters, saying: "People see it as a daft joke, but there is a very serious side to this."

"We employ 30 local people here, on a (side) road, in a recession," Riddell was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "Anything that can put us on the map and keep our staff in jobs has to be a good thing."

___

Follow Lauren Gambino on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LGamGam

___

Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed. Follow him on Twitter at http://raphae.li/twitter

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-02-20-US-XGR-Dull-and-Boring/id-db93504f30804c4c97fc2e09b6594ec8

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Video: Jesse Jackson Jr. pleads guilty to fraud

>>> former congressman jesse jackson jr . was for years considered a rising bright light among democrats in congress with a famous family name. but today he and his wife were in tears in a federal courtroom, pleading guilty to serious crimes involving campaign money. both of them now face possible prison time. our report from our justice correspondent, pete williams .

>> reporter: for jesse jackson jr ., the walk into the courthouse was the end of a slow-motion fall from grace . he told a federal judge , for years i have lived off my campaign. admitting that he took money received in political contributions and used it to make more than 3,000 separate purchases for himself and his wife over the past seven years. a $43,000 gold watch. $19,000 for one of michael jackson 's guitars. $16,000 for a pair of elk heads. tens of thousands more in furnishings for their homes in washington and chicago. total value, $750,000.

>> jesse jackson jr . had the drive, the ability and the talent to be the voice of a new generation. but he squandered that talent.

>> reporter: as he left today, jackson was apologetic.

>> not a proud day. i'm sorry i let everybody down.

>> reporter: but his lawyer says at age 47, he still has a promising future.

>> a man that talented, a man that devoted to public service , a man who has done so much for so many, has another day. there will be another chapter in jesse jackson 's life.

>> reporter: his wife, sandra, a former chicago alderman , was at the same courthouse, tearfully pleading guilty to a related charge. jesse jackson jr . will be sentenced in june, and will almost certainly face prison time, perhaps as much as four years. pete williams , nbc news, at federal court in washington.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50880252/

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New casino bankrupt: There goes Atlantic City?

New Jersey's newest casino is declaring bankruptcy. If the structured settlement works as planned, it will erase about two-thirds of its $1.5 billion in debt.

By Wayne Parry,?Associated Press / February 19, 2013

The Revel, the newest casino in Atlantic City, N.J., announced today that it will file for Chapter 11 in March, less than a year after opening. Many had hoped the bankrupt casino would turn around Atlantic City's sagging fortunes.

Wayne Parry / AP / File

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Revel, the new casino?many people had hoped would turn around Atlantic City's sagging fortunes, said Tuesday that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, less than a year after it opened.

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The voluntary, prepackaged bankruptcy envisioned for late March will wipe away about two-thirds of its $1.5 billion in debt by converting more than $1 billion of it into equity for lenders.

Kevin DeSanctis, Revel's CEO, said the restructuring will give the?casino?resort more flexibility to operate.

"Today's announcement is a positive step for Revel," DeSanctis said. "The agreement we have reached with our lenders will ensure that the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit Revel every year will continue to enjoy a signature Revel experience in our world-class facility."

Existing management will remain in place, no layoffs are planned, and employees and vendors will be paid as usual, the company said. The restructuring should be completed by early summer, it added.

The $2.4 billion?casino?never caught on as much as it had expected to, and it remained mired toward the bottom of Atlantic City's 12?casinos?in terms of?casino?revenue. Revel had to line up two rounds of additional financing since August to keep operating.

In January, it posted its second-worst month, winning less than $8 million from gamblers. During the second and third quarters of last year, it reported gross operating losses of $35 million and $37 million.

Revel's work force is largely nonunion, a fact that earned it the undying enmity of Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union, representing most of the city's?casino?workers.

"Over three years ago, Local 54 began expressing to every elected official in the city, the state and the governor's office that this project was doomed to failure," said Bob McDevitt, the union's president. "Had they listened to us three years ago, we would not have this catastrophe on our hands now."

Michael Drewniak, Gov. Chris Christie's press secretary, expressed confidence in Revel.

"We are committed to the resurgence of Atlantic City, the tourism district, and the many efforts currently under way to bring world-class attractions and entertainment to the city," he said. "A rejuvenated Revel will remain an integral part of that landscape, as it continues full operations as a premiere hotel, gaming and top-flight entertainment hub for the city, in addition to employing more than 2,000 people. Most importantly, none of those things that make Revel among Atlantic City's highest-profile attractions will change, as Revel uses this new financial flexibility and the continued backing of its investors to grow the business and be part of Atlantic City's expansion."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/42sTyUZYgxY/New-casino-bankrupt-There-goes-Atlantic-City

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RolePlayGateway?

[b]God Name:[/b] What is the name of your god?
[b]Alias:[/b]
[b]Title:[/b] What are you a god of? Keep in mind you can't be something that is already chosen, so be original here.
[b]Gender:[/b]....
[b]Alignment:[/b] (Good, Evil, neutral, etc. and it is allowed to evolve as time passes).
[b]God Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[u]Enemies:[/u] Who does your God see as their enemy?
[u]Allies:[/u] Who do they trust? Why?

[b]Opinion of mortals:[/b] How do you see mortals? Your own race? Others?
[b]interference:[/b] How directly does your God interfere with the lives of his/hers worshipers? Is it appreciated? Is it worth it?

[b]God?s Domain:[/b] What is your God?s domain like? Words or pictures can be used.

[hr][/hr]

[b]Avatar Name:[/b] What is the name of your immortal leader?
[b]Alias:[/b]
[b]Title(s)/Rank:[/b]
[b]Avatar Appearance:[/b]
[b]Real Age:[/b]
[b]Visual Age:[/b] How old does she/he look
[b]Personality:[/b]
[u]Enemies:[/u] Mortal? Immortal?
[u]Allies:[/u]
[b]Magic Abilities:[/b] does your avatar have any? (Keep them moderate and humble, no superman here!)

[hr][/hr]

[b]Hero(es):[/b] (One name and personality per hero)
[b]Rank/Reason:[/b]
[i]Personality:[/i]
[i]Loyalty:[/i] Is your Hero loyal or do they have a secret goal of their own?
[b]History:[/b] How did he/she rise to power?

[hr][/hr]

[b]Terrain Preference:[/b] Where is it most likely to find your people?
[b]Name of Kingdom/Empire:[/b]
[b]Dominating Race:[/b] Major Ethnic group
[b]Minor Race:[/b] Minor ethnic group(s)
[b]Capital:[/b] Just name one.
[b]Major Cities:[/b] Give a few major cities in your lands.
[b]Society:[/b] (what is it like to live amongst your people? Are they friendly? Hostile?).
[People] How? does the people behave? How do they live? Do they have specific clothing styles? Flag?
[Economy] Export, import? Trade? Trade wars?
[Politics] Go back to the list of Gods and see which ones you might be allies with and which ones you know will be your enemies. Is your government stable? Have you ever had rebellions? Revolutions? Coups?

[b]Army:[/b]
[i]Infantry[/i] How's your foot-soldiers made up? Are they trained? Conscripted? Do they have good euipment? Any at all? Do you have muskets? Why not?
[i]Cavalry:[/i] It is common? Are they made of noblemen, or anyone who can ride?
[i]Artillery:[/i] Canons, mortars, etc. Have it? Use it?
[i]Navy:[/i] Do you have one? What is it made up of? Is it effective, yes, no? Why? Why not?

[b]History:[/b] You have at least 3'000 years to cover...You have unlimited possibilities. Revolutions, famines, trade, rise/fall of heroes, etc.
Try to be realistic with your past wars. I doubt you'll wage war with your close allies, nor will you suddenly start trading with your enemies, unless you really have a good story.

[b]Other:[/b] What else do you want to tell us?

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

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McCain meets GOP base, discovers they?re still insane

McCain meets GOP base, discovers they?re still insane.

Associated Press:

[On] Tuesday, McCain hosted two town hall meetings in Arizona, during which he defended his immigration plan to upset residents concerned about border security. A bipartisan group of senators ? including Arizona Republicans McCain and Jeff Flake ? want assurances on border security as Congress weighs what could be the biggest changes to immigration law in nearly 30 years. Arizona is the only state with both of its senators working on immigration reform in Congress, a sign of the state?s widely debated border security issues.

[?]

During a heated town hall gathering in the Phoenix suburb of Sun Lakes, McCain said the border near Yuma is largely secure, but he said smugglers are using the border near Tucson to pump drugs into Phoenix. He said immigration reform should be contingent on better border security that must rely largely on technology able to detect border crossings.

McCain said a tamper-proof Social Security card would help combat identity fraud, and noted any path to citizenship must require immigrants to learn English, cover back taxes and pay fines for breaking immigration laws.

?There are 11 million people living here illegally,? he said. ?We are not going to get enough buses to deport them.?

This did not go well. AP reports that ?Some audience members shouted out their disapproval.?

One man yelled that only guns would discourage illegal immigration. Another man complained that illegal immigrants should never be able to become citizens or vote. A third man said illegal immigrants were illiterate invaders who wanted free government benefits.

Of course, John McCain knows how crazy the GOP base has gotten over the years. If he didn?t, he never would?ve inflicted Sarah Palin on the nation. These people are a monster of the GOP?s own creation; the result of using Fox News, talk radio, and rightwing blogs to sway public opinion. Now, when Republicans speak to their base, they?re speaking to a crowd of ignorant, panicked, and intolerant dopes who repeat the unworkable wingnut media talking points back at them.

And this is what?s going to throw the Republicans? big plan for a party makeover. They can?t change anything without pissing off the base and they can?t win over new voters without changing anything. In the end, self-interest kicks in, elected officials realize they need the base to be reelected, and all plans for change go out the window. Their own efforts to drive Americans crazy have now doomed them to further and deeper irrelevance.

Republicans are victims of their own success. Serves them right.

Source: http://quickhits.tumblr.com/post/43573794387/mccain-meets-gop-base-discovers-theyre-still

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President Chavez returns to Venezuela from Cuba

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery.

Chavez announced his return in a series of message on his Twitter account, saying "we will continue our treatment here."

They were the first messages to appear on Chavez's Twitter account since Nov. 1.

"I'm clinging to Christ and trusting in my doctors and nurses," Chavez said in another tweet. "Onward toward victory always!! We will live and we will triumph!!"

Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on television that Chavez at arrived at 2:30 a.m. and was at a military hospital in Caracas.

Chavez also thanked Fidel and Raul Castro, who have overseen his treatment in Cuba, and thanked his country's people "for so much love."

Chavez's return to Caracas came less than three days after the government released the first photos of the president in more than two months, showing images of him smiling alongside his daughters.

The 58-year-old president hasn't spoken publicly since he left for Cuba on Dec. 10. He underwent his fourth cancer-related surgery on Dec. 11, and the government says he is now breathing through a tracheal tube that makes talking difficult.

Chavez is also undergoing other treatments that have not been specified.

He has been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on-and-off since June 2011. He has said he has had tumors removed from his pelvic region and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Throughout the treatments, Chavez has not revealed the type of cancer or the exact location of the tumors.

___

Ian James on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ianjamesap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-chavez-returns-venezuela-cuba-094727380.html

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Tunisia PM resigns after cabinet initiative fails

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? Tunisia's prime minister announced his resignation Tuesday following a failed effort to form a technocratic government to see the country out of its political crisis.

The resignation is expected to further deepen the country's political instability, which earlier Tuesday prompted an international ratings agency to downgrade the government's credit rating.

Tunisians overthrew a dictator in January 2011, sparking the Arab Spring revolutions. A moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, won subsequent elections in the country of 10 million, and it has since struggled to govern in a coalition alongside two secular parties.

After the assassination of a leftist opposition politician on Feb. 6 set off riots across the country, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali offered to dissolve the fractious governing coalition and put together a new government of technocrats ? a move welcomed by the opposition.

But his own party, Ennahda, rejected his initiative, insisting that the country still needed a government of politicians. The rejection indicated that there not only divisions among the various parties in Tunisia but also within Ennahda.

Jebali announced he'd quit after a meeting with President Moncef Marzouki, describing the move as what's best for the country.

"I promised if my initiative did not succeed I would resign as head of the government, and this is what I am doing following my meeting with the president," he said at the presidential palace. "Today there is a great disappointment among the people and we must regain their trust and this resignation is a first step."

The resignation came the same day that international ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the Tunisian government's credit rating over political instability, a blow to the North African nation's already struggling economy.

Ennahda's leader, Rachid Ghannouchi had put forward his own proposal Monday for a mixed government of politicians and technocrats and had said there was a consensus among political parties for Jebali to remain prime minister.

Jebali did not rule out accepting if he was charged by the president once more to form a new government, but he said that any new cabinet he would lead must be free from partisan haggling, inclusive of all political forces and charged primarily with holding new elections.

Tunisia's economy, which relies heavily on exports to Europe as well as tourism, has been battered by the violence in the country and financial crises facing many of its European trading partners.

Unemployment is around 18 percent and the people have been stung by a 10 percent inflation rate that has sent prices skyrocketing.

Tunisia's economy contracted 1.8 percent in 2011 and saw a sluggish 2.4 percent growth in 2012. S&P said the current instability suggests growth will not recover in 2013 either.

"We expect lower tourism receipts, combined with a widening trade deficit, to result in current account deficits that will remain in excess of 5 percent of GDP through 2016," the ratings agency's statement said. "We anticipate that Tunisia's economic recovery will be slow, particularly given the weak economic conditions in the EU."

The agency, which downgraded Tunisia's rating from BB to BB-, said recovery and investor confidence had been damaged by the pervasive instability as political parties have haggled over the shape of the government.

The move, the third such downgrade since the revolution, makes it harder for Tunisia to borrow on international markets and decreases foreign confidence in Tunisia's economy.

_______

Associated Press writer Paul Schemm contributed to this article from Rabat, Morocco.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tunisia-pm-resigns-cabinet-initiative-fails-182637664.html

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Man charged with slapping toddler may be out job

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? A man charged with slapping a toddler on a Minneapolis-to-Atlanta flight appears to be out of a job.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that AGC Aerospace and Defense had suspended 60-year-old Joe Rickey Hundley, of Hayden, Idaho, as president of its Unitech Composites and Structures.

On Sunday, AGC issued a statement saying that, while not referring to Hundley by name, calls reports of an executive's behavior on personal travel "offensive and disturbing" and says he "is no longer employed with the company." The statement does not say whether the executive quit or was fired.

Hundley was charged with assault last week after he was accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy and called him a racial slur during the Feb. 8 flight. His attorney has said he will plead not guilty.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-charged-slapping-toddler-may-job-011118299.html

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