tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6955731608154248932024-02-07T02:54:23.315-08:00khmer of wonderSexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.comBlogger1621125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-26452755800031860622011-07-22T23:59:00.000-07:002011-07-22T23:59:00.600-07:00Legislators introduce bill to resuscitate PACE program for green upgrades to homesThe PACE program, which made installations of energy-efficient solar panels, insulation and water conservation systems more affordable for homeowners, has been stalled by a technical roadblock.<br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppZ6bSZc7UySSps4x7Fao7cCDESXIXn-LBz_3dDw_nn9P24_mrIl4LBCU5_7zDnXx0P1taZT1ymrQNs9czdifsUwosBbmS29xSPIPWyyPPC9KQ25Bk5QQJWXsd_KToGMrSLsOhQmsm5s/s0/63385669.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632068795889391922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Brad Bartz of ABC Solar carries a solar panel to be used with a pump for a jacuzzi at a home in Palos Verdes Estates in November 2009. (Jay L. Clendenin, Los Angeles Times / July 21, 2011)<br /><br />A government program that helped homeowners finance and install green upgrades before a technical roadblock stalled it last year may be resuscitated by Congress.<br /><br />A group of legislators introduced a bill Wednesday to jump-start the Property Assessed Clean Energy program, known as PACE. The program made installations of energy-efficient solar panels, insulation and water conservation systems more affordable.<br /><br />More than half of the country had approved some version of the program in which local governments provided funding for home improvements. Homeowners paid back the funds in installments through surcharges on their annual property taxes.<br /><br />But the Federal Housing Finance Agency balked at a component of the program, saying that in case of a foreclosure on the property the PACE funds would have to be paid back before the mortgage.<br /><br />The housing authority, which oversees mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, warned last summer that PACE posed "unusual and difficult" financial risks for lenders. The lenders in turn told homeowners that participating in the program could be a violation of their mortgage terms and could be grounds for foreclosure.<br /><br />Since then most governments have backed away from the program.<br /><br />But the PACE Protection Act from Reps. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), Dan Lungren (R-Gold River) and Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) would force the housing finance agency to rescind its warning. To mitigate the potential risks of homeowner defaults, the trio worked in more stringent standards for PACE applicants, such as lowering the scope of green improvements relative to property size.<br /><br />"We've tried everything to work with them, but they're just being stubborn," Thompson said of the housing finance agency. "It's come down to introducing legislation, which is not the route we wanted to go."<br /><br />The agency said in a statement that it was willing to offer input on PACE-related legislation. However, it said it "continues to have concerns with the first lien created by certain PACE programs and the absence of effective consumer protections."<br /><br />The program helped create construction jobs in Sonoma County when the housing industry was free-falling elsewhere, said Thompson, who represents the region.<br /><br />The nearly 2,500 PACE projects on the books helped generate income and tax revenue for municipalities — about $60,000 per home, according to a new study from advocacy group PACENow. Owners of retrofitted homes also generally had lower mortgage default rates.<br /><br />"Not only do you get the lower utility rates and contributing to saving on energy costs, it's really done wonders to put people to work," Thompson said. "It's a huge answer to the question of how we solve this energy problem."<br /><br />Other financing options have begun to spread as PACE struggles to find its footing.<br /><br />Lease programs from installers such as SolarCity and Sun Run eliminate the upfront costs of solar panels. A company called One Block Off the Grid, which arranges group deals for solar installations and offered a Groupon special last year, announced a nationwide discount this week.<br /><br />Sponsors of the new bill say the wider array of options will increase rather than hinder demand for PACE by making energy efficiency seem more affordable.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-81518731840985235312011-07-22T00:05:00.000-07:002011-07-22T00:08:26.448-07:00Apple updates the MacBook Air, axes the white MacBook<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhTWAgAjqC1bOnNWzMAW9kFX9P2y55l4IntSEUOCI1eqUzCES9C_9yL0kuo-HsC4Yo3dfYb4RFsumMs09RD-u-XJUuXabNAnHTSVoghmdgNKVeOH9VMKLCLzhys1Oag8pRy-b7IP-0BE/s0/6a00d8341c630a53ef0153900b2904970b-600wi.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632069996851199442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>Apple updated its thin-and-light MacBook Air laptops on Wednesday, alongside the much anticipated release of <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mac OS X Lion</a>, while also unceremoniously discontinuing its white entry-level MacBook line.</p> <p>The new MacBook Air notebook computers, which lack optical drives (another example of Apple pushing users toward a disc-free future), gain speedier Intel processors -- ranging from the 1.6GHz dual-core Core i5 chip in the lower-end 11-inch-screen model, to the dual-core 1.8GHz Core i7. The i5 and i7 processors are known for being pretty powerful, with variations of this chip line running in Apple's MacBook Pros and iMac computers.</p> <p>A backlit keyboard and a <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Thunderbolt</a> port have also been added to the Airs in this refresh. Thunderbolt ports are capable of transferring data at a rate of 10 gigabits per second, much faster than USB 2.0, which transfers data at about 480 megabits per second. But, as of now, there aren't a lot of external <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">hard drives</a> or cameras and other items that utilize the ports due to the cost of implementing the technology -- a Thunderbolt cable itself sells for <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">$49</a>.</p> <p>Despite the changes, the price range for the MacBook Air is staying the same; from $999 to $1,699.</p> <p><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" style="float: right;"><img alt="MC207_AV1" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c630a53ef014e89fe89f0970d" src="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef014e89fe89f0970d-300wi" style="width: 280px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" title="MC207_AV1" /></a> And it just might be that $999 price point of the 11-inch base MacBook Air that is responsible for Apple killing off the much beloved white polycarbonate MacBook laptop. Though we don't know for sure if that's the reasoning -- as of Tuesday morning, Apple officials weren't available for comment on why the white MacBook is getting the axe.</p> <p>Without any notice, the white MacBook (which also started at $999 and had a 13-inch screen) was yanked from Apple's lineup and online store. Some old refurbished models of the <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">MacBook</a> are still available from Apple online, but new models are done.</p> <p>The move to discontinue the polycarbonate MacBook will leave Apple, for the first time since 2001's introduction of the <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">iBook G3</a>, without a solid-white laptop for sale. A stroll across just about any U.S. college campus in the last decade was a testament to the massive popularity of Apple's entry-level laptops, which makes this move a bit surprising.</p> <p>But if Apple no longer sees a need for disc drives in its entry level notebooks, which the MacBook Air now seems to be, the MacBook must have made a lot less sense to Steve Jobs and other Cupertino execs. Now, every Apple laptop (and desktop for that matter) is clad in silver aluminum.</p> <p>Those looking at a laptop and also wanting a disc drive can either pair a MacBook Air with a portable disc drive for an <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">extra $79</a>, buy a pricier <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">MacBook Pro</a> laptop, or look to one of the many Apple competitors.</p>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-79854005785800230152011-07-21T23:55:00.000-07:002011-07-22T00:05:27.154-07:00Fake Apple Stores popping up in China<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpW24H7ofiXV3qz1APp1N2SF-aDzyo8rTYvkwmki0L4uu4N8dGW7SsRe1bgYw3rSy4985vH8gvpVQdKyF5bUTZGQplQv1IvxaFZm7vCRCfjnznO7AstKz_7LUXosf8J-0EOfm-EzPe-j0/s0/6a00d8341c630a53ef015433df72f5970c-600wi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632067591980617058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><p>Products get knocked off all the time -- designer bags, Oscar-night dresses, watches. But entire stores? That's something new. Which is why the Internet is going crazy over a blogger's report that three fake Apple stores have popped up in her neighborhood in Kunming, China.</p> <p>In a post dated Wednesday on the blog <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_self">BirdAbroad</a>, the citizen reporter (an employee of an international public health organization) said she was initially duped by the quality of the fake Apple store. It had the iconic clean wood interior, the Apple branded posters on the walls, the employees with those tell-tale blue polo shirts and chunky name tags hanging around their necks. The store appeared to sell real Apple products.</p> <p><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Fake_apple_store_employee" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c630a53ef014e89ff4b89970d" src="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef014e89ff4b89970d-600wi" style="width: 600px;" title="Fake_apple_store_employee" /></a></p> <p>Her husband bet it was a fake, she bet it wasn't. When they got home they looked online and found that Apple doesn't have any stores in Kunming. A few days later she walked down the street and bumped into two more Apple store knock-offs!</p> <p>In retrospect, she writes, some things felt off in the store. The stairs were poorly constructed and the name tags didn't have actual names on them, just the word "staff." She also notes the walls weren't painted correctly, and the sign in front was wrong:</p> <p>"Apple never writes 'Apple Store' on it’s signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit," she wrote.</p> <p><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Apple_store" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c630a53ef015433df41b9970c" src="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef015433df41b9970c-600wi" style="width: 600px;" title="Apple_store" /></a></p> <p>BirdAbroad, who does not use her real name on her blog and asked that we not use it either, had to do some fancy maneuvering to be allowed to take photos in the store.</p> <p>"I … may or may not have told them that we were two American Apple employees visiting China and checking out the local stores. Either way, they got friendlier and allowed me to snap some pictures," she wrote.</p> <p>She also said the employees definitely believed they were working for the real Apple company.</p> <p>Citizen journalism lives!</p><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-44683840714076378512011-07-21T23:54:00.000-07:002011-07-21T23:55:49.778-07:00Auto cucumbered' text messages gone wrong. Oops, that's 'auto corrected'<a href="http://khmerangkorkh.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GA8Xe0sEF3GVRgXlI3wTqI5K7idMtCHtbVffdPHrS2osjRXHu6K9mTZddRsg8jnKGWME1IJXNHQOmZcAECIJp3tkaNBs_xNsjboYzwov14gj5viITiObUBRhLOfnQa98NPNwLX38zPE/s0/6a00d8341c630a53ef01539014f7af970b-600wi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632066725214790658" border="0" /></a><br />What with all the walking and texting, dining and texting, and talking and texting that goes on, it's no wonder that communication sometimes breaks down.<br /><br />Throw in auto correct, and you're guaranteed some jaw-dropping mishaps. That's probably why the blog "Damn You, Auto Correct," which collects text exchanges gone wrong, has proved so popular. Since launching in October, it's garnered almost 300 million page views.<br /><br />Here are some gems randomly selected from the archives:<br /><br />Exchange #1: We need to talk<br /><br /> "Be warned: I'm dumping you when I get home tonight."<br /><br /> "Fine with me. I was just thinking we could use some time apart."<br /><br /> "...JENNA??? I got autocorrected. I mean to write jumping you not dumping you. And you're telling me you want to break up?"<br /><br /> "Well this is awkward."<br /><br />Exchange #2: Shocking News<br /><br /> "I've got to tell you something. Are you sitting down?"<br /><br /> "I am actually. What's up mom?"<br /><br /> "Your brother was adopted!"<br /><br /> "What??? What are you talking about? Why are you telling me this over a text? Call me."<br /><br /> "Oh this damn phone. I wrote accepted and the phone changed it. He got accepted to Yale!"<br /><br />Exchange #3: Dangerous dealings<br /><br /> "Hey Taliban. Does someone your size usually wear an xl shirt?"<br /><br /> "...auto correct! I typed "tallman"<br /><br /> "Well now we're on a FBI watch list. Thanks."<br /><br />Exchange #4: Now that's a bad date<br /><br /> "So how was the date last night bro"<br /><br /> "...first date we went to dinner and then walked her home. then i killed her in the woods outside her house and left"<br /><br /> "Killing her seems a bit harsh. Did she order the lobster and filet mignon at dinner or something?"<br /><br /> "***************KISSED..."Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-37402979044614966932011-07-12T22:22:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:23:55.623-07:00Tokyo stocks flat, BOJ's ETF buying helps mood<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLt4kpapeuvN0nXrjuHFQewCtrotgTpKSLrk7nH5iQ0RUUeuDTdooNa3yTEdzftpZ8SOneuPr87WNs7nE55h0Na34B3pVOTsphy_80TnMweEdXmatiKIqYikh9F3WMV0leWmr2rj_LZM/s0/s4.reutersmedia.net.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628703308846898018" border="0" /></a><br />(Reuters) - Japanese stocks were flat on Wednesday as investors, emboldened by the central bank's purchases of exchange-traded funds, hunted for bargains, offsetting worries about euro zone debt woes that have led to renewed strength in the yen.<br /><br />The Bank of Japan purchased 22.1 billion yen ($275 million) in Japanese ETFs the previous day, part of its asset-buying scheme to support the economy, and it has typically bought whenever the Nikkei stock average falls more than 1 percent, as it did on Tuesday.<br /><br />"A further sell-off seems to have stopped for now," said Yumi Nishimura, a senior market analyst at Daiwa Securities, adding that the central bank's move was reassuring to investors.<br /><br />As European debt woes mounted, the dollar briefly plunged below 79.00 yen for the first time since mid-March, before recovering to around 79.40 yen. The euro stood at 111.37 yen after dropping 1.4 percent to 110.98 yen.<br /><br />"People are now used to seeing the dollar dipping below 80 yen, but the question is whether this strong yen trend is temporary or is it one that will last for a while," said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities.<br /><br />"If it lasts for a week, the Nikkei may fall toward 9,500."<br /><br />The benchmark Nikkei .N225 was flat at 9,926.81 at the midday break after rising as high as 9,973.23, while the broader Topix index .TOPX added 0.2 percent to 858.92.<br /><br />Moody's cut Ireland's credit rating to junk on Tuesday, warning that the debt-laden country would likely need a second bailout, while European officials, for the first time, refused to rule out default by Greece.<br /><br />Investors fear the crisis could overtake the bigger European economies of Spain and Italy, though some Tokyo-based fund managers were hopeful that the impact on domestic equities would be limited.<br /><br />"While such global economic fears remain, there are hopes for strong earnings for the April-June quarter, so the Tokyo market may not fall sharply this month," said Naoki Fujiwara, a fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management.<br /><br />Chip-related shares slipped after Microchip Technology Inc (MCHP.O) tumbled 12 percent on Tuesday, a day after the chipmaker cut its first-quarter outlook hurt by lower automotive production and weakness in consumer and computing end markets.<br /><br />Advantest Corp (6857.T) shed 0.9 percent to 1,515 yen in active trade, while Tokyo Electron (8035.T) fell below its 25-day moving average, losing 1.1 percent to 4,320 yen. Tokyo Seimitsu (7729.T) dropped 2.2 percent to 1,495 yen.<br /><br />But some exporters rose on bargain hunting, with Toshiba Corp (6502.T) rising 1.0 percent to 416 yen and Sony Corp (6758.T) adding 0.3 percent to 2,143 yen.<br /><br />Shares of Mitsui & Co (8031.T) made their biggest daily gain in the last three weeks, adding 2.3 percent to 1,435 yen, after the trading house said it would launch a rival offer for Singapore port operator Portek International (PKIL.SI), outbidding Philippines' International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICT.PS).<br /><br />Shares in mobile social gaming company DeNA (2432.T) gained 2.0 percent to 3,765 yen after Morgan Stanley Mitsubishi UFJ Securities hiked the firm's rating to "overweight" from "equal weight," citing its overseas expansion and attractive valuations.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-64454384361230633342011-07-12T22:17:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:22:03.519-07:00Halle Berry wins stay away order against intruder<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJPt94Sh24YdPHdHcKn1y1mv9J2M0csXRinkrS7AbLWcXIfTpShxsl5H9xnGbNcbE7Xkfe4kroVPcYxG2iTT71dwMS5Nt1qGDrowhC4Z2bOFLBM2jbG1MgQudM0dZ9Qv8wTw3cj4CZ7I/s0/s4.reutersmedia.net.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628702680299633570" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="articleText"><span class="focusParagraph"><p>(Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday granted Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry on a stay away order against a man who she said intruded on her Los Angeles property three times in recent days, before police arrested him.</p> </span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson issued a temporary order directing Richard A. Franco, 27, to stay 100 yards from Berry and her young daughter.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Franco, who has a history of violence, theft and drug offenses, was found to have a book with "nonsensical ramblings" and Berry's name in his handwriting, the actress said in court papers posted at TMZ.com.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Franco first approached Berry's home on Saturday, when she was talking to her manager and saw through a glass door that Franco -- whom she does not know -- was in the gated back yard, the papers state. Berry's manager yelled at Franco and he left, she stated.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The actress further said that on Sunday, she went to her kitchen to get a Diet Coke and noticed Franco was on the other side of a glass door, less than a foot away.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"Panicking and in fear of my life, I turned my body and quickly hit the deadbolt lock on the glass door," Berry said in the court papers.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>She said she ran upstairs to call police. That evening, arrangements were made to have armed security officers at Berry's home, and as a result on Monday, Franco was caught when he returned.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"This person has invaded and trampled upon the most fundamental sense of security I have and I am extremely frightened of him and what he might do to me or those I love," Berry said in her court papers.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Franco was booked on suspicion of stalking, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on its website that Franco is being held in jail, and that his bail has been set at $150,000.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Berry, 44, won an Oscar for her role in the 2001 drama "Monster's Ball." She also starred in the movies "X-Men," "X2" and "X-Men: The Last Stand," and in 2008 she was named Esquire Magazine's "sexiest woman alive."</p></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.reuters.com/resources_v2/flash/video_embed.swf?videoId=216779891" id="rcomVideo_216779891" height="259" width="460"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.reuters.com/resources_v2/flash/video_embed.swf?videoId=216779891"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.reuters.com/resources_v2/flash/video_embed.swf?videoId=216779891" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" height="259" width="460"></embed> </object><br /></div></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-89133342581233184272011-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:17:47.020-07:00Obama warns on debt, deal elusive after talks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7SfkD-aSNlk38LX3TKwhhro9-1Hp9oKFZTzy1DaqLMHpK9XYNb0gEIT8WTmdppB0xaJ0SfdTLtGbLpo__IaUijfj3IC3HAdYuyVMo4kaKLooHqTv_YO9s_7kxIpMTdhrPIn2olBImog/s400/s1.reutersmedia.net.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628701779428612994" border="0" /></a><br />(Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday that elderly Americans could suffer first from a debt default, raising pressure on lawmakers as prospects for a deal to lift the debt ceiling appeared far from reach.<br /><br />The president and congressional leaders met at the White House for the third time in as many days, working to break a logjam over taxes and spending cuts before August 2. when the Treasury says it will run out of money to pay all of the country's bills.<br /><br />Obama, who has said he would meet every day this week, will convene more debt talks on Wednesday at 4 p.m. EDT.<br /><br />Republicans have balked at raising the debt limit without a deficit-cutting deal, but their leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, proposed a backup plan that would give Obama the option of raising the ceiling while avoiding spending cuts.<br /><br />McConnell's complicated maneuver would also allow Republicans to duck a politically painful debt limit vote.<br /><br />As politicians sparred, business leaders pressed Washington to act swiftly to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling or risk derailing a sputtering economic recovery and endangering the global financial system.<br /><br />Obama told CBS television in an interview that checks to recipients of the Social Security retirement program may not go out in early August if he and congressional leaders do not hammer out an agreement.<br /><br />"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue," Obama said, according to excerpts of the interview released before its broadcast.<br /><br />"There may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Obama said. He said veterans checks and disability benefits could also be affected without a deal.<br /><br />Obama's warning that senior citizens -- an active voting group -- could suffer first if a deal was not reached could give lawmakers a nudge ahead of 2012 elections.<br /><br />Reacting to Obama's comments, House Speaker John Boehner questioned whether Social Security checks would be cut off, asserting that the Treasury can prioritize payments.<br /><br />"I think it's way too early to be making some type of veiled threats like that," Boehner said on Fox News.<br /><br />Seniors punished Democrats last year for including Medicare cuts in their healthcare package and then turned on Republicans in a special New York election this year over a Republican plan to overhaul the government healthcare program for the elderly.<br /><br />It also evoked memories of the debt limit crisis of 1996 when Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin warned he would not be able to send out Social Security pension checks the next month if the ceiling were not raised. The Republican-controlled House immediately voted to allow the government to issue more debt to make those payments.<br /><br />LITTLE PROGRESS<br /><br />Failure to seal a deal by August 2 could spook investors globally, causing interest rates to surge and stock prices to plummet, putting the United States at risk of another recession, Treasury officials and economists have warned.<br /><br />As he laid out his debt-limit backup plan, McConnell said a "real solution" to the U.S. debt problem was unlikely while Obama was in office.<br /><br />Obama, in the CBS interview, chalked that up to "partisan politics," and White House spokesman Jay Carney said it was important to stay focused on a "unique opportunity to come to agreement on significant, balanced deficit reduction."<br /><br />Carney also welcomed what the White House saw as a recognition by McConnell "that defaulting on America's past due bills is not an option."<br /><br />A Democratic official close to the negotiations said Obama made a similar point about the McConnell plan during Tuesday's nearly two-hour meeting with congressional leaders.<br /><br />The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that after two tense meetings that focused on process, Obama sought to tone down the rancor and refocus the discussion on the substance of the deficit-reduction proposals.<br /><br />McConnell's idea would allow only one-third of Congress -- presumably Democrats -- to raise the debt ceiling. Under the proposal, Congress would reject Obama's debt-limit request, and Obama would veto the rejection. If Congress failed to muster the two-thirds vote needed to override a veto, the debt limit would effectively be lifted by the amount Obama requested.<br /><br />Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has warned of catastrophic consequences if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling, held firm on Tuesday to vows that the United States would not default. "Failure is not an option," he said.<br /><br />New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, mentioned as a possible successor to Geithner, also weighed in on the debate, saying a default would damage the U.S. credibility around the world.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-10417217817324876832011-07-12T22:11:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:13:55.617-07:00Thailand's Shinawatras: From clan to dynasty<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp9O9P5gde4v0Uyl2l53K75Pb6m98eyhw4UENY6GhnIPf3vs5m_NOkw9wwbvsIwsLCfoTBc21c6Mpn_ohl989fcVOejP2PD9owX38YnXPPzIRcBkGf8AWyStrQWUNKtd_btGjaFtUxtc/s0/_54039136_comp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628700590875325474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="width:464px;">Yingluck Shinawatra is Thaksin's youngest sister and is expected to become Thailand's next prime minister</span> <div class="embedded-hyper"> <a class="hidden" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">Continue reading the main story</a> <div class="hyperpuff"> <h2>THAILAND WOES</h2> <ul><li> <a class="story" rel="published-1309721247123" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">New era?</a> </li><li> <a class="story" rel="published-1309132383291" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">Profile: Yingluck Shinawatra</a> </li><li> <a class="story" rel="published-1309706097432" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">Economic fallout</a> </li><li> <a class="story" rel="published-1309783384039" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">Focus on reconciliation</a> </li></ul> </div> </div> <p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">He was Thailand's prime minister for five years, his brother-in-law has served as prime minister, his youngest sister is expected to become the next prime minister - Thaksin Shinawatra once again seems to have broken the mould of Thai politics, writes Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.</p> <p>On 3 July the Pheu Thai party won 265 seats in Thailand's 500-member assembly. The party's figurehead in the election was Yingluck Shinawatra - so raising the profile even higher of the powerful Shinawatra family.</p> <p>Thaksin Shinawatra lives in exile in Dubai to avoid going to jail for a corruption conviction, but his sister's convincing victory is bound to throw more scrutiny on his time in office during the 2000s.</p> <p>In Thailand's structurally polarised climate, Yingluck may just be what the Thais need - if both Thaksin and his adversaries allow it.</p> <p>Since constitutional rule was introduced in place of absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has had military and civilian leaders from the same cliques or coalitions, but rarely from the same immediate family. </p> <p>The one exception was the Pramoj brothers - Seni and Kukrit - who alternated as leaders in the turbulent politics of the mid-1970s. </p> <p>But they belonged to two distinctly different parties and stood apart on the political spectrum.</p> <p>Not so in the case of the 44-year-old Yingluck and her controversial brother. They are made from the same mould, hailing from the Sankhampaeng district of Chiang Mai, a favourite tourist destination in northern Thailand. </p> <p>Thaksin is the eldest son among 10 children of Lert and Yindee Shinawatra, descendents of Chinese immigrants who toiled in the town in various entrepreneurial pursuits during the 1950s-60s. </p> <p>Before Mr Lert's career peaked in 1969, when he earned a seat in parliament, he endured topsy-turvy times as a businessman.</p> <p>Thaksin, a schoolboy in the 1950s, looked after his father's small coffee shop in a wooden shophouse, the top floor being their home. </p> <p>Where his father went, Thaksin followed. </p> <span class="cross-head">Political clan</span> <p>These efforts in the face of hard times became the stuff of legend in Thaksin's meteoric rise from a police officer-cum-struggling businessman who eventually hit the jackpot with a telecommunications monopoly and stock-market fortune.</p> <p>Until recently, Ms Yingluck's story was little more than a footnote. </p> <p>A generation apart, Thaksin was a paternalistic sibling - and as Thaksin's star brightened, Ms Yingluck increasingly gravitated into its orbit. </p> <div class="caption body-narrow-width"> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54038000/jpg/_54038967_012352879-1.jpg" alt="Yingluck Shinawatra shakes hands with supporters after a rally on 1 July 2011 in Bangkok" height="171" width="304" /></a> <span style="width:304px;">Yingluck pressed the flesh and connected with Pheu Thai's grassroots on the campaign trail</span> </div> <p>Ms Yingluck followed in her big brother's footsteps by heading to the US for her postgraduate studies. She went to Kentucky State University, just up the road from Eastern Kentucky University, where Thaksin completed a criminal justice degree. </p> <p>Universities in Kentucky state were popular with Thai students, particularly police officers, as they offered a ready network of friends and family. </p> <p>After her return to Bangkok in the early 1990s, Yingluck was thrust into the family business, which had just listed on the stock market. </p> <p>Some of her other siblings and in-laws had a hand in the Shin Corp telecommunications umbrella, but Thaksin hired "professionals" for key management positions. </p> <p>Ms Yingluck was cutting her teeth in business just as Thaksin began dabbling in politics, but she stayed out of the political limelight even after his political career sky-rocketed in the late 1990s. </p> <p>The most political of Thaksin's siblings was Yaowapa Wongsawat, who led a northern faction of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party.</p> <p>Thaksin was deposed in a military coup in September 2006, but continued to organise the largest parties in parliament with the help of his relatives.</p> <p>During Thaksin's initial post-coup fight-back under the People's Power Party in 2007-08, Ms Yaowapa's husband, Somchai Wongsawat, became a short-lived prime minister.</p> <p>But the party was dissolved and its leading politicians banned by the judiciary. </p> <p>People's Power was succeeded by Pheu Thai, which fell into disarray after the opposing Democrat Party was propelled to office with the help of the army and the courts in December 2008. </p> <p>Pheu Thai lacked leadership and policy direction, and was wracked by factionalism. </p> <span class="cross-head">A tall order</span> <p>As the election approached this year, the only person untainted and politically viable enough to put a stop to Pheu Thai's internal squabbling was Yingluck.</p> <p>She was looking after what was left of the family business after Shin Corp was sold in January 2006. </p> <p>Thaksin had never before hinted at deploying her in the field; but she has worked well for him.</p> <p>She has the qualities of youth, femininity, novelty and business acumen. </p> <p>Her campaign stuck to well-laid plans. She pressed the flesh and connected with Pheu Thai's grassroots. </p> <p>Unlike her brother, Yingluck is not easily flustered. Her political instincts, energy and appetite have held up so far.</p> <p>But her problem will be that she is surrounded by her brother's men, beset by his circumstances, driven by his policy ideas, and without a support base of her own. </p> <p>Even if Yingluck can carve out some space beyond Thaksin for her own rule, she will be hard-pressed to placate his powerful adversaries in the establishment that includes much of the military, bureaucracy, judiciary, Privy Council, middle class and intelligentsia. </p> <p>They may not be able to win the vote but they can, as seen in the recent past, keep her tenure shorter than intended.</p> <p>Yingluck faces a tall order but she should be given a chance in view of Thailand's imperative of compromise over the logic of further conflict. </p> <p class="story-footer">Thitinan Pongsudhirak is Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.</p><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-3207565277107379682011-07-12T22:08:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:11:43.232-07:00Apple files patent complaint against phone maker HTC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtJxDDKw6NGckkEwr88Gmk5BqRnzNI9zpxtgqC_kddCvHJmW9YtwnohElufFhdPM3V0YH0jgfsfUxXK32hn-uF1ydi_8AULJn_SG_nOdur2so2TdTULf4chYIP5OaJFu4cTR21TalJWQ/s400/_54021485_htc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628700206798435202" border="0" /></a>Apple has accused the smartphone maker HTC of infringing its patents, in the latest phase of the legal battle between phone and tablet PC makers. <p>Apple has filed a complaint against the US International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking an inquiry by the panel into the matter.</p> <p>The news comes just weeks after Apple and Samsung accused each other of copying designs and technology.</p> <p>HTC is the world's third-biggest mobile phone maker, by stock market value. </p> <p>However, HTC has denied Apple's allegations.</p> <p>"HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place," said Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel.</p> <span class="cross-head">Growing rivalry</span> <p>The launch of products such as iPhone and iPad saw Apple become one of the market leaders in the global smartphone market, and the biggest seller of tablet PCs.</p> <p>Apple's success in quickly securing a large slice of the market, with fashionable products enjoying good demand from consumers, prompted several rivals to launch their own gadgets hoping to win a share of the fast-growing market.</p> <p>However, that resulted in relations between Apple and its rivals souring as the competition grew.</p> <p>Last year the American technology company filed a similar complaint against HTC accusing it of infringing as many as 20 of its patents.</p> <p>That prompted HTC to launch a counter attack, claiming that Apple was guilty of infringing patents held by the Taiwanese company.</p> <p>HTC went to the extent of seeking a ban on sales of iPhones, iPads and iPods in the United States.</p>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-32058601760228794912011-07-12T22:06:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:08:43.554-07:00Drugs war strains Mexico's forensic investigators<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifD82Jaj526hrAqUvEDCY414PZYW4u3SsBpfLZBpfvN3Zi92kNy2opTOtvPej5pl1FF7JaWU9odFxnffZ2TMSNk18V4NT2hYtT88YV504isBaNg8zH6UqUUtejl4yW3aO4Bf8q6Sk9zMg/s0/_53894346_53894345.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628699321839969906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">Walk past the modern facilities of Mexico City's forensic headquarters and it is hard to imagine that the building hosts one of the grimmest aspects of Mexico's war on drugs.</p> <p>Inside are dozens of unidentified corpses - most believed to be the victims of the drug gang violence that has engulfed parts of this country. </p> <p>They were found in clandestine graves in the north of the country - a macabre twist to the bloodletting that has seen some 40,000 people killed since late 2006. </p> <p>Some mortuaries in the violence hot spots - mostly in the north near the US border - have been overwhelmed by the discovery of hundreds of corpses. </p> <p>"We only have facilities to deal with 20 bodies," Dr Jose Gutierrez Silva, head of the forensic service in the city of Durango told the BBC. </p> <p>"We had to hire two trucks that are specially fitted to hold corpses."</p> <span class="cross-head">Tortured victims</span> <p>To date, some 250 bodies have been found in several mass graves in the state of Durango. </p> <div class="videoInStoryB"> <div id="emp-14127137-135800" class="emp page-bookmark-link-aware"> <div style="height: 252px; width: 448px; position: relative; padding: 0pt; margin: 0pt 0pt 3px;"><div style="height: 252px; width: 448px; position: relative;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54034000/jpg/_54034200_jex_1105608_de27-1.jpg" alt="" height="252px" width="448px" /></a><div style="height: 92px; width: 108px; position: absolute; top: 50%; margin-top: -46px; left: 0%; margin-left: -13px; padding: 0pt; text-indent: -5000%; cursor: pointer; z-index: 10; background-image: url("http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/player/emp/1_1_3_0_0_440234_441894_1/img/iplayer-overlay.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center center;"><p>Click to play</p></div></div></div></div> <div id="bbccom_companion_14127137" class=" bbccom-advert bbccom_visibility_hidden bbccom_companion"> </div> <p class="caption">Julian Miglierini visits Mexico City's Forensic Medical Service</p> </div> <p>It has been a similar story in the north-eastern state of Tamaulipas, where more than 190 bodies were unearthed earlier this year near the town of San Fernando. </p> <p>That is why many bodies have been brought to the capital. </p> <p>At Mexico City's Forensic Medical Service (Semefo), work continues to try to give a name to the victims stored in temperature-controlled vaults behind two heavy metal doors. </p> <p>The hope is that a positive identification means a body can be handed over to grieving relatives. </p> <p>Mexican officials say the number of forensic staff employed at a national level is now 1,500 - up from 454 a decade ago. </p> <p>At the beginning of July, a new forensics laboratory was inaugurated in Mexico City, while the main university, UNAM, is set to introduce a new degree course next year to train people in forensic science. </p> <p>But the expansion of the forensic service will take time - while the victims keep turning up. </p> <p>"We support states in the north of the country by receiving these bodies because they don't have facilities to keep them for long," says Dr Macario Susano Pompeyo, technical director of Semefo. </p> <p>"And since they keep on finding bodies, that makes their work more difficult."</p> <p>About 120 of the Tamaulipas bodies, some mutilated and bearing the signs of torture, were moved to Mexico City. </p> <p>So far, less than a quarter of the corpses has been formally identified. None of the victims, Dr Pompeyo says, had any links with criminal groups. </p> <p>"They were migrants making their way to cross the border with the US," he says. </p> <p>That could explain why few families come looking for their loved ones. </p> <p>"Many of them do not even know if their relative is missing or dead," says Dr Pompeyo.</p> <span class="cross-head">Missing or murdered?</span> <p>That is not the case of Maximo Bazaldua, who believes his brother-in-law Rafael, could be among the bodies at the Semefo facilities. </p> <p>The last time he heard from him, in March 2010, Rafael was on a bus on his way to the US. </p> <div class="caption body-narrow-width"> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54025000/jpg/_54025495_53902482.jpg" alt="Mortuary workers transport a coffin to be buried along with other unidentified bodies found recently in mass burials, at the cemetery Valle de los Sabinos in Durango 3 June, 2011." height="171" width="304" /></a> <span style="width:304px;">Limited storage means some unidentified victims have already had to be reburied</span> </div> <p>Over the phone, he told his family that the bus he was on had been stopped in Tamaulipas at a supposed checkpoint near San Fernando.</p> <p>Mr Bazaldua's efforts to find his brother-in-law have so far been unsuccessful. </p> <p>The search involves dealing with different departments, a lot of bureaucracy and costs money travelling to and from Tamaulipas. </p> <p>"We're about to give up," he says. </p> <p>Rafael seems set, for the foreseeable future at least, to remain on the list of some 6,000 people who have gone missing in Mexico since 2006, according to human rights groups. </p> <p>As for the bodies in Semefo's vaults, their destiny contains a grim irony.</p> <p>If in about a year, no relative has claimed them, they will be buried again in mass graves.</p><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-4384289556487318662011-07-12T21:53:00.000-07:002011-07-12T22:06:37.412-07:00Harry Potter: How do you end a movie franchise?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhsYniQnAtVpjkvrg8srOhMpdx0ITQDrC29j3q1N_8P9B5BnzLCd5M79Z8oXGAFQ6uXwo5k4Jjv40fBm6uVvn7hJL8jmeNjHvJ7sODm8fNVLyTEKfpzo3vMrDr1mra0EDOkH37lTlE_4/s400/_53985540_harry_hermione_ron_warnerbr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628698624932299810" border="0" /></a>As the final Harry Potter film arrives in cinemas, its producers and directors explain how they steered the world's most successful film franchise to its conclusion. But what does studio Warner Bros have lined up after Potter? <div style="text-align: center;"><p>There is a chapter in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows novel called The Seven Potters. </p> <p>Any book about making of the Harry Potter movies is likely to contain a chapter entitled The Three Davids. </p> <p>Producers David Barron and David Heyman, and director David Yates have been the triumvirate in creative control of the Harry Potter franchise for the final four films.</p> <p>Now, as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 hits cinemas worldwide, they are adjusting to life without JK Rowling's boy wizard.</p> <div class="caption body-narrow-width"> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54035000/jpg/_54035142_012433371-1.jpg" alt="David Barron, David Yates and David Heyman attend the New York premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2" height="171" width="304" /></a> <span style="width:304px;">David Barron, David Yates and David Heyman at the New York premiere of Deathly Hallows Part 2</span> </div> <p>"It's been an unbelievable journey," says Heyman, whose Heyday Films production company has made the Potter films from day one, with Warner Bros providing the financial muscle.</p> <p>"I've been doing this for 12 years solid and it's been the gift of all gifts," Heyman adds. "For a producer, that's such stability."</p> <p>The franchise has conjured up more than $6.4bn (£4bn) worldwide, making it the highest grossing film series, ahead of James Bond and Star Wars. </p> <p>Industry commentators have observed the Potter films' distinctive tone is a product of Warner Bros <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">decision to defer control of the production to a small British team</a><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">.</a></p> <p>Heyman admits the success of the first film in 2001 made that relationship easier. </p> <p>"Warners in general are quite tough, as all studios are, before you get to the starting line. Then they let you make the film as long as you work within the budget.</p> <p>"They have been respectful of us and allowed us to make the films we have. One of my sadnesses is that I will never have it so good again."</p> <div class="caption"> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/53985000/jpg/_53985536_012399093-1.jpg" alt="Producer David Heyman hugs actress Emma Watson " height="282" width="226" /></a> <span style="width: 226px;">Last week's world premiere in London was an emotional time </span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><span style="width:226px;">for the cast</span> </div> <p>He praises the studio's strategy of giving creative control to directors like Alfonso Cuaron (Prisoner of Azkaban) and Christopher Nolan (Batman series).</p> <p>"They are a film-maker's studio. People with a point of view - that's what they tend to like."</p> <p>Heyman, who worked in LA during the 1980s for Warner Bros and United Artists, set up Heyday Films in the UK in 1996, and secured the rights to Harry Potter the following year. </p> <p>Apart from the Harry Potter films, Heyman's producing credits include Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey, science-fiction thriller I Am Legend, with Will Smith, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.</p> <p>He is currently producing Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, with Cuaron directing. </p> <p>"I'm not easing into unemployment yet," says Heyman. "I view it not as the end but the end of the beginning." </p> <div class="story-feature narrow"> <a class="hidden" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/">Continue reading the main story</a> <h2 class="quote">“<span>Start Quote</span></h2> <blockquote><p class="first-child">I view it not as the end but the end of the beginning.”</p></blockquote> <span class="quote-credit">David Heyman</span> </div> <p id="story_continues_2">Deathly Hallows director David Yates describes Heyman as the "guardian" of JK Rowling's boy wizard on the big screen.</p> <p>"When I started on Order of the Phoenix, there were areas that David was very sensitive about. We would haggle and negotiate about what I could and couldn't do. </p> <p>"It got subsequently easier as we built up a relationship of trust over the films until it got to the point where he left me more on my own towards the end."</p> <p>Producer David Barron, says Yates, would keep him in line on the budget. </p> <p>"We were a good team and they were always my first audience. I like having something to bounce against. It's healthy. </p> <p>"You see some directors who become very successful surrounded by people who only say, 'Yes' - and then the standard of the work goes down." </p> <p>The Merseyside-born director won his first Bafta for BBC period drama The Way We Live Now. In 2003, he directed the drama series State of Play, and the following year Sex Traffic, for which he won another Bafta.</p> <p><strong>Cauldron of cash</strong></p> <p>Yates, who directed the last four of the eight Potter films, admits he might go through "a bit of a dip" now the films are over. </p> <div class="videoInStoryC"> <div id="emp-14061085-140639" class="emp page-bookmark-link-aware"> <div style="height: 180px; width: 320px; position: relative; padding: 0pt; margin: 0pt 0pt 3px;"><div style="height: 180px; width: 320px; position: relative;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/53910000/jpg/_53910847_jex_1100030_de01.jpg" alt="" height="180px" width="320px" /></a><div style="height: 92px; width: 108px; position: absolute; top: 50%; margin-top: -46px; left: 0%; margin-left: -13px; padding: 0pt; text-indent: -5000%; cursor: pointer; z-index: 10; background-image: url("http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/player/emp/1_1_3_0_0_440234_441894_1/img/iplayer-overlay.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center center;"><p>Click to play</p></div></div></div></div> <div id="bbccom_companion_14061085" class=" bbccom-advert bbccom_visibility_hidden bbccom_companion"> </div> <p class="caption">Guardian film critic Jason Solomons gives his verdict on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2</p> </div> <p>"It's been physically and mentally hard to do four films back to back, but it's been fun." </p> <p>Having been a cauldron of cash for 10 years, how is the end of the Potter films likely to affect Warner Bros? </p> <p>Producer David Barron is no doubt the studio will survive the loss of its top earner. </p> <p>"I'm sure they'd like it if there was another one, but they've got plenty of material that I think will be very audience friendly." </p> <p>He names Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer and Tim Burton's Dark Shadows among the candidates.</p> <p>Also on Warner Bros list of releases for 2012 are Clash of the Titans 2; Clint Eastwood's J Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio; Superman: Man of Steel - and the first of Peter Jackson's Hobbit films. </p> <p>While Barron doesn't envisage any more Potter novels from JK Rowling - "I think it's a full-stop for her" - he does see the "three Davids" working together again. </p> <p>"I'd like to make a great psychological thriller, or a Western - if it's good character-driven material we'd all be interested I think." </p> <p>Barron and Heyman have recently produced thriller Page Eight, written and directed by David Hare and starring Potter regulars Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon.</p> <p>Heyman points out that while the Potter films are finished, the franchise is very much alive. </p> <p>"They are already talking about where the DVD launch is going to be, and Warners will find a way to repackage in every which way the ultimate collection.</p> <p>"And I'm sure there will be Potter conventions..."</p> <p><em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is out on 15 July</em></p><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-88791710592708740012011-07-12T21:52:00.000-07:002011-07-12T21:53:54.843-07:00Phone hacking: Tories join call over BSkyB bid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyKZZLNDnHjtiNuIMWf8LwnL6LqNhZiHuGbhonAf2CARw12UydBUulMYfnz1JhEGECxuE_GxRul48uMmEh9OLb9od_wCg1KrWj8v_EaUhvSn9ELYMmoiDKRujiGCyFUJdQcp1EOJPQ04/s400/_54043027_012434444-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628695526495924018" border="0" /></a>The Conservatives and Lib Dems are set to back a Labour motion urging Rupert Murdoch to withdraw his bid for BSkyB.<div style="text-align: center;"> <p>They will call on Mr Murdoch's News Corporation to do so in the "public interest" while alleged phone hacking at the News of the World is probed.</p> <p>Prime Minister David Cameron is also set to detail the terms of a public inquiry into the hacking scandal.</p> <p>In a Commons statement, he is expected to outline the remit of the judicial probe and possibly who will head it. </p> <p>Labour says the unanimous support of MPs for News Corporation to pull out of a bid for the broadcaster will send a "clear message" to Mr Murdoch.</p> <p>It comes after Mr Cameron met Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband at Downing Street to discuss the hacking scandal on Tuesday.</p> <p>Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson is believed to have updated the three men on the current state of the police inquiry into hacking claims when he visited No 10.</p> <span class="cross-head">'Broad scope'</span> <p>The prime minister has conceded the need for a judge-led public inquiry into what took place at the News of the World, flaws in the initial police investigation and allegations of improper links between police and the newspapers.</p> <p>He has also argued for a separate inquiry into the relationship between politicians and the press and the future of newspaper regulation.</p> <p>Mr Miliband has urged him to go further, to start a single probe immediately - rather than awaiting the outcome of the police investigation - and for its terms of reference to be as wide as possible.</p> <div class="story-feature narrow"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14131555#story_continues_2">Continue reading the main story</a> <h2 class="quote">“<span>Start Quote</span></h2> <blockquote><p class="first-child">It is very important that we all come together in the national interest, send that message and hopefully Mr Murdoch will listen to the wishes of the House of Commons”</p></blockquote> <span class="quote-credit">Ivan Lewis</span> <span class="quote-credit-title">Shadow Culture Secretary</span> <ul class="links-list"><li> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" class="quote-link">Newspapers reject Brown attacks</a></li><li> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" class="quote-link">Rupert Murdoch 'could face MPs'</a></li></ul> </div> <p id="story_continues_2">BBC political correspondent Vicki Young said Labour believed they had got everything they wanted out of Tuesday's meeting as both sides sought to appear on the front foot over the scandal.</p> <p>Mr Cameron's statement is likely to follow prime minister's questions - which is set to be dominated by the issue - and precede an opposition day debate on News Corp's planned takeover of BSkyB.</p> <p>Following fresh revelations about alleged malpractice at News International - News Corp's UK newspaper arm - Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt referred the company's bid to acquire the 61% of shares it does not already own in BSkyB to the Competition Commission.</p> <p>But MPs want News Corp to pre-empt the regulator's inquiry - and Mr Hunt's final decision on whether to approve the deal - by agreeing to withdraw the bid.</p> <span class="cross-head">'National interest'</span> <p>Shadow Culture Secretary Ivan Lewis said he welcomed the backing of both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats for his party's motion.</p> <p>Although the vote will not have an effect on the regulatory process, he said the support of all MPs would ramp up the pressure on Mr Murdoch to reconsider his position. </p> <p>"The public will not understand it if the BSkyB deal were to go ahead without all the criminal matters that are currently under investigation being resolved," he said.</p> <p>"It is very important that we all come together in the national interest, send that message and hopefully Mr Murdoch will listen to the wishes of the House of Commons."</p> <p>Mr Lewis rejected suggestions Labour was pursuing a vendetta against News International - which switched its support from Labour to the Tories before the last election.</p> <p>"This is not just about News International," he added. "It is also an issue that other newspapers in this country have to be honest about and have to come clean about."</p> <p>The prime minister is also due to meet the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler - whose mobile phone was allegedly hacked into after her disappearance.</p> <span class="cross-head">'Clearing names'</span> <div class="caption"> <a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54043000/jpg/_54043146_012438871-1.jpg" alt="Sir Paul Stephenson leaving No 10" height="282" width="226" /></a> <span style="width:226px;">The Met's most senior officer visited Downing Street on Tuesday</span> </div> <p>The Commons Culture Committee has asked Mr Murdoch - who is in London to oversee the crisis, his son James and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to appear before it next Tuesday to answer questions about the News of the World's closure and the firm's internal inquiry. </p> <p>Tory MP Louise Mensch, a member of the committee, said the Murdochs should show "leadership and courage" by agreeing to appear at the hearing.</p> <p>Doing so would enable them to "clear their name and clear the name of their company", she told the BBC News Channel.</p> <p>But she said it was naive to believe questionable practices were "confined" to News International.</p> <p>"My concern is News Corporation does not become the bogeyman for what I believe is an industry-wide problem. This is widespread across British tabloids and has gone on for far too long."</p> <p>News International has said it will "fully co-operate" with the committee but has not yet confirmed who, if anyone, will attend.</p> <span class="cross-head">'Serious consequences'</span> <p>Meanwhile, the Sun has defended itself against allegations it accessed former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's family medical records without his knowledge.</p> <p>The paper, published by News International, said information that Mr Brown's son Fraser had cystic fibrosis came from a member of the public whose own child also had the condition.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3691926/The-Sun-exposes-the-allegation-that-we-hacked-into-Gordon-Browns-family-medical-records-as-FALSE-and-a-smear.html">Sun has released a video</a> of the man it says was the source of the story. The man's face is not revealed and his voice disguised to protect his identity.</p> <p>In the US, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller called for an investigation into whether phone hacking targeted any American citizens.</p> <p>He said the authorities should consider whether journalists working for News Corp had broken US law.;</p> <p>News Corp has announced plans to buy back $5bn (£3.2bn) of its shares in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.</p> <p>News Corp shares have fallen 14% since 4 July, wiping about $5bn off the company's value.</p> <p>The group said in a statement it would increase an existing buy-back programme of about $1.8bn to $5bn.</p></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-61308834265169045832011-07-12T10:53:00.000-07:002011-07-12T10:53:54.626-07:00NASA's Final Space Shuttle Flight Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65AkmQO_-cMy7zHSmSgMbsKOgZ4Z5-YdlNgI0CxvYe_xu-7HUSyeabuzPuAMsFnXYCPe3ezwxVgiHNW8Dc6FsP1iC_X9Rb0hAmK4OmlK5XwP23li_-wT4EFhllc9fRkeFTYqRhFZc3iU/s1600/00002bff_medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="justify">In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the STS-135 crew (L-R), Sandra Magnus, mission specialist, Rex Walheim, mission specialist, Doug Hurley, pilot, and Chris Ferguson, commander, ride in the Astrovan to launch pad 39A to board space shuttle Atlantis on July 8, 2011 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Ross/NASA via Getty Images)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65AkmQO_-cMy7zHSmSgMbsKOgZ4Z5-YdlNgI0CxvYe_xu-7HUSyeabuzPuAMsFnXYCPe3ezwxVgiHNW8Dc6FsP1iC_X9Rb0hAmK4OmlK5XwP23li_-wT4EFhllc9fRkeFTYqRhFZc3iU/s320/00002bff_medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLfqwFNx1lFqIlYi0KvD_9YTkZiElJD237hpqxNwmR4JWiP51DeZDEd-5kUBk5TlhUFrVyhZbQamSerTpoIo3SA0F0mX_dVBW8zzfrSJZ4T8NccpauSU_8J_BSwlmGSSOXwvNkj68cXU/s320/00002bfe_medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="justify">A NASA Emergency Response Team member, looks out while flying near the Vehicle Assembly Building before the launch of space shuttle Atlantis July 8, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65AkmQO_-cMy7zHSmSgMbsKOgZ4Z5-YdlNgI0CxvYe_xu-7HUSyeabuzPuAMsFnXYCPe3ezwxVgiHNW8Dc6FsP1iC_X9Rb0hAmK4OmlK5XwP23li_-wT4EFhllc9fRkeFTYqRhFZc3iU/s320/00002bff_medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ed7dzvpKD-3pKQ-ENlbYRZq4hhJZaT3qI2L6oIeL8MBzivmMG6kPt9bBk2HeHO0zc-6VO-ChU-ZF5iDWhD7J3wlLy406gRE3KYNQ9-US6qs7q9WGPAU34Iej2osEF1B6oskNRmwlEhk/s320/00002c00_medium.jpeg" width="213" /><span id="goog_2003341909"></span></a><span id="goog_2003341910"></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DwAPvypALBI3xeq-HNN8EIlck2x3IXnp327EtHbdgLn1rB7XWlR6vlLQH4Q5zGbK07u3BI8yuuG7YQ1f8-b0H-29p0WyIEArWZU-Fe12ale6NHgSkFmKcb-liTZ3mnzB6doGa20r-Mc/s1600/00002c03_medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DwAPvypALBI3xeq-HNN8EIlck2x3IXnp327EtHbdgLn1rB7XWlR6vlLQH4Q5zGbK07u3BI8yuuG7YQ1f8-b0H-29p0WyIEArWZU-Fe12ale6NHgSkFmKcb-liTZ3mnzB6doGa20r-Mc/s320/00002c03_medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeXiQn8uLIK7AOO8-oy36DghSJ32bpXy17GNuzDfEb3f4I2dFMsBlNg53kOUaAUZAaBM_VU9gikwe1ztL0f9IoR06TNlxk4f_6eG6drbNFNh_i-TmIMrOBvQnSNZslXdEV-1HexbHmPk/s320/00002c01_medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-24530238079146823672011-07-12T10:45:00.000-07:002011-07-12T10:47:53.062-07:00Devotees Mutilate Themselves At Phuket Vegetarian Festival<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ABmvHr9NHNZdcXHQoKa56TTvz9Yfo-j0eORlbjR9Z0uVT8iG34PVmdhdghENqZPuCLRwKbGfY6Ed_X5NXrRbqBlKpKeXymj77XMxfd27-ZORwg_VN4435dRMTFtdjvGvzx2Yu4JCouI/s0/00002bee_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628523655031776770" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A devotee of the Chinese shrine of Sapam, pierces his cheeks with swords during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival on October 10, 2010 in Phuket, Thailand. Ritual Vegetarianism in Phuket Island traces it roots back to the early 1800's. The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves and bring the community good luck. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images)<br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/ef/2b/00002bef_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11247" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f0/2b/00002bf0_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11248" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f1/2b/00002bf1_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11249" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f2/2b/00002bf2_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f3/2b/00002bf3_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11251" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f4/2b/00002bf4_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11252" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f5/2b/00002bf5_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11253" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f6/2b/00002bf6_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11254" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f7/2b/00002bf7_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11255" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f8/2b/00002bf8_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11256" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/f9/2b/00002bf9_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11257" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/fa/2b/00002bfa_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/fb/2b/00002bfb_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11259" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/fc/2b/00002bfc_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11260" /></a><br /><br /><div class="tags"><a href="http://avaxnews.com/tags/Phuket%20Vegetarian%20Festival"><br /></a></div><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-25886931448318459872011-07-09T09:06:00.000-07:002011-07-09T09:06:00.412-07:00Contrail “Contrails (short for “condensation trails”)<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fpvBZgFFttyJ9qg7FNGzohjpxW5skravfdTuiKPkXzvpoWMkg8q1hIiXt870y4rKT46nPJsYV2aPpf41Q5nRQcXdtrdAH8Of8yna1NF_wbnuxQvy4aJHJlk3RgOPCsZQOoKcFBuDA1g/s0/00002a4a_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626642617386658530" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="justify">“Contrails (short for “condensation trails”) or vapour trails are artificial clouds that are the visible trails of condensed water vapour made by the exhaust of aircraft engines. As the hot exhaust gases cool in the surrounding air they may precipitate a cloud of microscopic water droplets or, if the air is cold enough, tiny ice crystals.<br /><br />The wingtip vortices which trail from the wingtips and wing flaps of aircraft are sometimes partly visible due to condensation in the cores of the vortices. Each vortex is a mass of spinning air and the air pressure at the centre of the vortex is very low. These wingtip vortices are not the same as contrails. Depending on atmospheric conditions, contrails may be visible for only a few seconds or minutes, or may persist for many hours which may affect climate”. – Wikipedia<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="justify">The Eurofighter Typhoon military jet flies during a demonstration at the 46th Paris Air Show June 13, 2005 in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/4d/2a/00002a4d_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10829" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">An aircraft flies through London skies leaving a vapour trail on February 2, 2007 in London, England. When burning its fuel, planes release exhaust fumes which contain, among others, water vapour and impurities. When these gases come into contact with the cold air, the significant temperature difference causes the water on the impurities to condense and turn to ice. Aircraft exhaust fumes have been attributed to climate change. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/4e/2a/00002a4e_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10830" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">An airplane leaves a vapor trail as it flies on February 4, 2007 above Hanover, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/4f/2a/00002a4f_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10831" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">An airplane leaves a vapor trail as it flies in front of he moon on January 17, 2007 above Hanover, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/50/2a/00002a50_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10832" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">A Warbirds T6 trainer casts his shadow on a team members smoke trail during the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow on April 23, 2008 in Wanaka, New Zealand. (Photo by Ross Land/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/51/2a/00002a51_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10833" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/52/2a/00002a52_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/53/2a/00002a53_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10835" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/54/2a/00002a54_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10836" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">The Red Arrows go through one of their aerobatic displays as Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, the first ever female Red Arrows pilot takes to the air for the media during the launch of the 2010 team line-up at RAF Scampton on November 12, 2009 in Lincoln, England. Flight Lieutenant Moore, from Lincolnshire, makes history by becoming the first female Red Arrow pilot. Earlier in her RAF career, the 31-year-old served as a Qualified Flying Instructor, teaching students to fly the advanced fast jet trainer at RAF Valley, before flying the Tornado GR4 on operations in Iraq. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/55/2a/00002a55_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10837" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Three T6 Texan, Skywriting «Oi» perform during the Red Bull Air Race Day on May 9, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race)</div></div></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-66014268252491783822011-07-08T09:02:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:02:00.610-07:00London 2012 Announce Artistic Directors for Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCFZAC7HIU7UUK5ML7Wz8wSEJoMe7zpbdSGNHXRCeveLx1-x702EZzLvM2zrIWVcf9dRHG2lG9s_lAzkzvtLYN9IkNPe-d_3ZSpOguLkL7jU2vGA4rwfy7EAFrQZkcRHWc_fiE7HGtag/s0/000027d5_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626641939795417042" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="justify">Bradley Hemmings and Jenny Sealey MBE pose for the camera with a Giant Iron Man on the set of Iron Man at the Greenwich and Docklands Festival in St Alfege Park on June 24, 2011 in London, England after they are announced by LOCOG as the Artistic Directors for the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/d6/27/000027d6_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10198" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/d7/27/000027d7_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10199" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/d8/27/000027d8_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10200" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/d9/27/000027d9_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_10201" /></a><br /><br /><div class="tags"><a href="http://avaxnews.com/tags/Contemporary%20Art"><br /></a></div></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-6476573492453515292011-07-07T09:09:00.001-07:002011-07-07T09:10:23.144-07:00Wall Street rallies on jobs data, retailers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FiFF0NPoDtRCcmHGXcHWNt-MQdG_B97X9Ug5_Gfrg5Thn_lCHwxF5oX35R1wg69UoYnf2fNNkDdYBk44dR97MwHf1oUf0-0GSqY7WEidYmaBUOqXv5PwH0yP-UWZvuUeN3gybONbIcQ/s400/s4.reutersmedia.net.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626643413013495010" border="0" /></a>(Reuters) - Wall Street jumped on Thursday after signs of life in the labor market and strong sales at some U.S. retailers lifted optimism in the economy ahead of Friday's key June jobs report.<br /><br />Data from payrolls processor ADP showing U.S. private hiring increased by more than double expectations coupled with a fall in new claims for jobless benefits raised hopes that a recent slow down in the U.S. economy may only be temporary.<br /><br />The reports also fueled speculation that Friday's non-farm payrolls report from the Labor Department would provide more evidence of an improving labor market, a key factor if markets are to rally into the end of the year.<br /><br />"If tomorrow's report follows through on today's positive ADP report and comes in above 125,000, that could be enough to push equity markets through the top end of the trading range that we have been in since February and March," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial.<br /><br />The S&P 500 is likely to run into strong overhead resistance at mid-1,300, according to technical analysts at UBS, about where the index found a ceiling on Thursday,<br /><br />"Failure to break out above major supply will promptly lead to a near-term trading range between 1,258-1,263 and 1,340-1,345," the analysts said in a research note.<br /><br />Retailers were among the best performers after several top companies reported better-than-expected sales gains for June, using bargains to lure shoppers in an uncertain economy.<br /><br />Target Corp (TGT.N) shares jumped 6.5 percent to $51.59 and Macy's Inc (M.N) added 3.2 percent to $29.80. The S&P retail index .RLX gained 2.1 percent.<br /><br />The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 81.32 points, or 0.64 percent, to 12,707.34. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX added 11.53 points, or 0.86 percent, to 1,350.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC rose 33.33 points, or 1.18 percent, to 2,867.35.<br /><br />Employers are expected to have added 90,000 jobs in June in Friday's Labor Department report, according to a poll of economists by Reuters.<br /><br />The ADP report showed the private sector added 157,000 jobs last month, exceeding expectations for a gain of 68,000.<br /><br />Stocks have recovered sharply from losses in May and June when the S&P 500 fell around 7 percent. Thursday marks a continuation of a rally last week that pushed the index up 5.6 percent as more investors come to the view that a recent slowdown in the U.S. economy will reverse in the second half.<br /><br />"That is precisely the kind of number the market needs in order to bolster confidence that our soft patch is brief and behind us," said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital in Jersey City, New Jersey. "It's definitely the type of green light the market is looking for to move higher."<br /><br />Major brokerages raised their price targets on Visa Inc (V.N) a day after the world's largest card processing network said the impact from the Federal Reserve's new debit fee rule was "manageable." Visa's stock rose 1.5 percent to $89.52.<br /><br />There were some glimmers of a potential compromise that would avoid a debt default as President Barack Obama and top congressional leaders searched for ways to break a deadlock over spending and taxes.<br /><br />However, a small team of U.S. Treasury officials is discussing options to stave off default if Congress fails to raise the country's borrowing limit by an August 2 deadline, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-89091724406099021662011-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-07T09:02:35.135-07:00Chinese Children Study Kung Fu<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJz_MHI5m49PMvESiaL-cYS8bLI0f9fiQmPlUxbJHz4qBoSl0aQ8cvxOrmHhMyXrH9XAmNXnJQ-OPMJvcmuM-NeVLQylp1VtOkQQ5KXag_wUug4F5-qjc5l2L6kkiPPjVHNhVfQZfCcs/s0/00002b1b_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626641216243482978" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/1c/2b/00002b1c_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11036" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/1d/2b/00002b1d_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11037" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/1e/2b/00002b1e_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11038" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/1f/2b/00002b1f_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11039" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/20/2b/00002b20_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11040" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Wang Zeyu, 4, a fee-paying enthusiast of kung fu, displays his newly learnt skills in front of his classmates during a training class at a kung fu school near the Shaolin Temple April 10, 2005 in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. Zeyu's father sent him to the school from his home in Jiangsu Province, thousands kilometres away from Dengfeng, when he was just 3 years old. And his father must pay 9,800 yuan (US$1195) for one year's tuition at the school, a huge amount for most Chinese. There are more than 80 kung fu schools that line the road from the city of Dengfeng to the Shaolin Temple with hundreds and thousands of young kung-fu lovers from all over the country and beyond studying here. All the schools use the Shaolin name to attract students as the Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/21/2b/00002b21_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11041" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/22/2b/00002b22_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11042" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/23/2b/00002b23_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11043" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Wang Zeyu reacts to his teacher during a maths class at a kung fu school near the Shaolin Temple April 10, 2005 in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/24/2b/00002b24_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11044" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/25/2b/00002b25_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11045" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Wang Zeyu (L), 4, a fee-paying enthusiast of kung fu, plays with his toy at his dormitory in a kung fu school near the Shaolin Temple April 10, 2005 in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/26/2b/00002b26_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11046" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Wang Zeyu (2nd from L), enjoys his dinner with his classmates at a kung fu school near the Shaolin Temple April 10, 2005 in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)</div><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-11004578480627106882011-07-07T08:56:00.000-07:002011-07-07T08:59:55.629-07:00Artwork by Banksy“Banksy is an pseudonymous England based graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world.<br /><br />Banksy's work was born out of the Bristol underground scene which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. According to author and graphic designer Tristan Manco, Banksy “was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier technician, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s”. Observers have noted that his style is similar to Blek le Rat, who began to work with stencils in 1981 in Paris and members of the anarcho-punk band Crass who maintained a graffiti stencil campaign on the London Tube System in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is active today”. – Wikipedia<br /><br />Photos: People looks at some of the surprise exhibits by the underground guerrilla artist, Banksy on June 12 2009 in Bristol, England. The exhibition called “Banksy versus Bristol Museum” is one of the largest single collections of the artist works and was organised under tight security and installed in just 36hrs with only a handful of museum staff aware it was even happening. Banksy, whose real identity remains a mystery, is said to hail from the Bristol area, and claims that hosting the exhibition in the city is his way of thanking the city for his early street art career. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)<br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczHrSPJmKeEGKMhBkan8LcS-ibp9mPjjY_rAJ77CuYkrXEaneWfvLpOqyvQNGK6lsodL9-bfrAofwnvfnDXfLJDHLa3vPdJz6k9BBkBG8y7vfaKixGPLBfEGHFjQWDPs16HnQEOn8SGg/s0/00002b27_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626640324495536898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/28/2b/00002b28_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11048" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/29/2b/00002b29_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11049" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/2a/2b/00002b2a_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11050" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/2b/2b/00002b2b_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11051" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/2e/2b/00002b2e_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11054" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/31/2b/00002b31_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11057" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/34/2b/00002b34_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11060" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/35/2b/00002b35_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11061" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-75043896964313623572011-07-07T08:53:00.000-07:002011-07-07T08:55:24.415-07:00Mark Zuckerberg Makes Announcement At Facebook Headquarters<a href="http://khmerangkorkh.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5KZxFblS-ckA7ObtFyQtjdjaI-WTbsVglpNUohJ76V51n8OxoZSbVe93aldgPGeBMobiosJyVyFVjtW8HJRo3lZY3aU1F2_FaeEeb3PXRoNlQGvqZ2sxDZfNW-zSmQcUUA_j9r1RqcI/s0/00002b3b_medium.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626639470003136146" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://khmerangkorkh.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/3c/2b/00002b3c_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11068" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://khmerangkorkh.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/3d/2b/00002b3d_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11069" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (L) watches a demonstration of the new Facebook video chat during a news conference at Facebook headquarters July 6, 2011 in Palo Alto, California. Zuckerberg announced new features that are coming to Facebook including video chat and a group chat feature. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://khmerangkorkh.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="picture"><img src="http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/3e/2b/00002b3e_medium.jpeg" id="external_img_11070" /></a><br /><br /><div class="justify">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (R) and Skype CEO Tony Bates (L) embrace during a news conference at Facebook headquarters July 6, 2011 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)</div> </div>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-74406804082093850192011-06-26T01:32:00.000-07:002011-06-26T01:36:00.740-07:00Energy stocks push major indexes higher<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAp1GxA7We9-3atHl_GZ8payapJPXYR7YouRYIQa8tEQx8aAJMzwa5Q2r_znQ0MqX6zsIfQjDL1s17aQZGGzo9f_KErk3uLu3pN4oUd3IfIB0eZNBnRvOLba1DVKDsaPTKEr6bmTaRqg/s0/zs+daily+6-25.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622444191218307970" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="body.text">NEW YORK (AP) — Energy companies drove major indexes higher Monday after Alpha Natural Resources made a bid for rival coal producer Massey Energy and Exxon Mobil reported strong earnings.</p> <p class="body.text">Alpha offered $7.1 billion in cash and stock for Massey and the nation’s fourth-largest coal producer by revenue accepted it. That sent Massey’s stock up 11 percent in early trading, making it the best performer in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.</p> <p class="body.text">Other major coal companies, including Consol Energy Inc. and Peabody Energy Corp., rose by more than 2 percent.</p> <p class="body.text">The Massey deal suggests “maybe coal isn’t dead,” said Kim Caughey Forrest, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group. It also raises hopes for similar deals in the future.</p> <p class="body.text">Energy stocks also got a lift after Exxon Mobil Corp. reported its most profitable quarter since the record third quarter of 2008. That sent its shares up about 1 percent in early trading.</p> <p class="body.text">The Dow Jones industrial average rose 11, or 0.1 percent, at 11,833. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 3, or 0.3 percent, at 1,279. The Nasdaq composite index fell 3, or 0.1 percent, at 2,683.</p> <p class="body.text">Treasury prices fell, pushing their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.35 percent from 3.33 percent late Friday.</p> <p class="body.text">Investors were also encouraged after the Commerce Department reported that Americans increased their spending sharply in December. Consumer purchases for all of 2010 rose at the fastest pace in three years.</p> <p class="body.text">But the unrest in Egypt continued, and concerns remained about Egypt’s impact on oil prices, especially if the Suez Canal, a key route for oil tankers and cargo ships, may be closed.</p> <p class="body.text">“The market wants to work its way higher,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of Standard & Poor’s. “The big worry is the unknown — the cascading effects that could occur.”</p> <p class="body.text">Oil prices rose 27 cents to $89.61 in morning trading.</p> <p class="body.text">Investors will get several additional updates on the economy later in the week, including reports on auto sales, construction spending, factory orders and employment for January.</p>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-15404383868722231862011-06-26T01:30:00.000-07:002011-06-26T01:32:48.209-07:00World markets sink as protests escalate in Egypt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitar-ySTGXbZKCkFrtZeVHP_2dzTnMIMjWAcmuJNLLzLsKix1gCT5kxU98DbmwpwuutucXhZ10kQzF3kQEIR39yqR4zK6mPyZSb3INtvEjm6LmISMlAL9E-fVjDv4Gg0UgvE6ujkbFw-U/s400/c4bba807-43d8-460b-ac54-6e5402c8235d.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622443580241137922" border="0" /></a>Escalating protests in Egypt jarred world financial markets today. Stocks fell while the dollar, Treasurys and gold rose as investors sought to reduce their exposure to risk. <p class="body.text">The Egyptian government’s response to escalating street protests unnerved investors. The military was deployed in an effort to restore order and the headquarters of the ruling party was on fire. Thousands of people defied a curfew, and Internet and cell phone service has been cut off.</p> <p class="body.text">Earlier, riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and used water cannons to disperse crowds that had gathered in the largest challenge to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s thirty-year rule. Investors have been concerned that the collapse of the Tunisian government Jan. 14 could lead to challenges to other authoritarian governments in the Middle East.</p> <p class="body.text">“The safety trade is back,” said Jeffrey Frankel, president of broker Stuart Frankel & Co. “Gold is up. Oil is up. Anything related to overseas is getting hit.”</p> <p class="body.text">Prices of Treasury bonds, considered one of the safest assets, rose sharply. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.32 percent from 3.38 percent late Thursday. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.</p> <p class="body.text">The dollar rose 0.6 percent against an index of six other currencies as investors sought safety. Gold rose 1.6 percent to $1,339.50 and crude oil rose 4.4 percent to $89.42 a barrel.</p> <p class="body.text">The Egyptian stock market was closed for a holiday. It fell 10.5 percent Thursday.</p> <p class="body.text">The MSCI World Market index, the broadest measure of the world’s stock markets, slumped 1.3 percent.</p> <p class="body.text">“Traders are watching this flare-up in the Middle East and using it as a reason to take profits,” said Doug Godine, managing director at Signal Hill, an investment bank. Prior to this week, the Dow Jones industrial average had been up for eight straight weeks.</p> <p class="body.text">Disappointing earnings reports also helped send stocks lower. Ford Motor Co sank 12 percent after its earnings fell short of Wall Street’s projections. Amazon.com Inc. fell 8.5 percent after reporting that higher costs cut down its profit margins. Microsoft Corp. lost 4 percent after it said that the profitability of its Windows division was falling.</p> <p class="body.text">The Dow Jones industrial average fell 138 points, or 1.2 percent, to 11,852 in afternoon trading.</p> <p class="body.text">The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 18, or 1.4 percent, to 1,281. All 10 company groups that make up the S&P index fell.</p> <p class="body.text">The Nasdaq composite index fell 61, or 2.2 percent, to 2,694. The index was not updated nearly an hour after the market opened due to technical problems.</p> <p class="body.text">A lower than expected report on the U.S. economy helped lead to a market sell-off as well. The Commerce Department reported that U.S. gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent between October and December. That was below the 3.5 percent that analysts had forecast.</p> <p class="body.text">Sara Lee Corp. fell 2.2 percent after announcing a plan to split into two companies. One, a food and retail business, will keep the Sara Lee name and also operate the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms businesses. The other, which has yet to be named, will hold the current company’s beverages and baked goods lines. The company had considered selling the whole business but was unable to get a satisfactory price for it.</p> <p class="body.text">The Associated Press NEW YORK — Stocks are rising in early trading after a report showed that the U.S. economy is growing.</p> <p class="body.text">The Commerce Department said Friday that U.S. gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent between October and December. That’s up from 2.6 percent in the previous quarter.</p> <p class="body.text">Microsoft Corp. rose 2.4 percent after its fourth quarter earnings beat analysts’ estimates. But Ford Motor Co. lost 7 percent after its revenues fell short of Wall Street’s projections.</p> <p class="body.text">The Dow Jones is up 7 points, or 0.1 percent, to 11,997 in morning trading. The S&P 500 is up 1, or 0.1 percent, to 1,300. The Nasdaq composite is flat at 2,755.</p>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-57957488355745859882011-06-25T01:13:00.000-07:002011-06-25T01:18:07.337-07:00Durable goods orders rebound in May<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cHjpiY_FY5SwWB2-9wqAzYeM35SmAaHsndJjUO3wQ-RRuFcY5aP-5pmkvyZH0IUYNQbAnfYtwY3iIAblwKaghWCUwzAL7_on-tQ1ArFsVk9OQFJpPI5DCDGPSCfwIy-jPxFVR-XvSh8/s400/ALeqM5hfJHHgOEGaWzjSRSYIQM2Kt2eaHw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622068626191858594" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses boosted their orders for machinery, electronics products and airplanes in May. The pickup suggests manufacturing is rebounding after the Japan crises made parts scarce and slowed production of some factory goods temporarily.<br /><br />Orders for long-lasting manufactured products increased 1.9 percent in last month, the Commerce Department said Friday. A key category that signals business investment plans rose 1.6 percent.<br /><br />The stronger demand follows a revised 2.7 percent decline in April that was largely the result of supply disruptions caused by Japan's March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The inability to get critical component parts in such industries as autos and electronics slowed U.S. manufacturing.<br /><br />"The rebound in orders for new durable goods in May will help ease any fears that the economy is headed for a double-dip recession," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.<br /><br />But Ashworth said the new report did not change his belief that "economic growth has slowed sharply over the past few months."<br /><br />Orders for autos and auto parts rose 0.6 percent in May after having fallen 5.3 percent in April. The rebound in May in both autos and broader categories supports the view that the April lull was temporary.<br /><br />A wide range of industries showed strength in May. Businesses boosted their orders for machinery 1.2 percent and demand for computers rose 1.3 percent. Communications equipment jumped 3.6 percent increase.<br /><br />Businesses boosted demand for transportation products 5.8 percent. Much of that increase reflected a 36.5 percent surge in orders for commercial aircraft, a very volatile industry which had reported a big decline in production in April. Excluding the volatile transportation category, orders would have risen 0.6 percent in May after dropping 0.4 percent in April.<br /><br />The capital goods category excluding aircraft is viewed as a proxy for business investment. It rose 1.6 percent after a 0.8 percent drop in April. Economists believe this category will show strength as companies respond to a one-year tax break aimed at spurring capital spending.<br /><br />Manufacturing has been one of the strongest sectors of the economy since the recession official ended two years ago. However, there are concerns that the production pace could slow in coming months as businesses decide to scale back their restocking of inventories.<br /><br />A closely watched gauge of manufacturing activity from the Institute for Supply Management showed manufacturing dipped to 53.5 in May from 60.4 in April. Readings above 50 indicate manufacturing is continuing to expand. Regional manufacturing surveys put out by the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Philadelphia also showed recent weakness.<br /><br />But as production returns to more normal levels in Japan, economists are forecasting that disruptions to factory production in the United States will ease in coming months.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-8179408705473455372011-06-25T01:07:00.000-07:002011-06-25T01:13:53.882-07:00Stocks dip as job market worries continue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBno1cz1eKZNodRbZrONA7VuVB05Eh6mf6mqxBxDl5BZsDJcRcup9KWIjTvL70R8hc_rCvw3PAYZJnmIukCiga5GylV8DrikrQXjY0L-t5QpMA75ryKaySiGxVp52pL_O7DtZkvoEU9w4/s400/300h.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622067343566257906" border="0" /></a><br /><span>NEW YORK—</span>What began with a steep drop in the stock market ended with a modest decline Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average lost just 60 points after being down nearly 240 points earlier in the day.<br />A jump in the number of people applying for jobless benefits and plummeting oil prices drove stocks lower at the market open. By 11 a.m., the Dow was down 234 points. Then came late afternoon reports that Greece may have reached a deal for a new austerity plan. The Dow made up nearly 100 points between 2:45 and 3 p.m. alone.<br /><br />The Dow finished with a loss of 59.67 points, or 0.5 percent, to 12,050. The Standard & Poor's 500 index, down as many as 24 points, closed down just 3.64, or 0.3 percent, to 1,283.50.<br /><br />Since late April, reports on manufacturing, retail sales, home sales and other economic indicators have come in weaker than economists anticipated. Europe's debt problems and a slowing growth rate in China have also raised concerns about the global economy. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said problems plaguing the economy may last longer than previously thought.<br /><br />As a result, the stock market has fallen six of the last seven weeks. The S&P 500 is down 5.9 percent from its high for the year of 1363.61 in April.<br /><br />"This is no longer looking like a small soft patch. It's beginning to look more like quicksand," said Lawrence Creatura, a stock portfolio manager at Federated Investors.<br /><br />The continued rise in first-time claims for unemployment benefits indicated little improvement in the job market since May, when there was a drop in the number of new jobs created. New applications for unemployment benefits rose to 429,000 last week, from 420,000 the week before.<br /><br />"400,000 is the magic number and we've been above it for 11 weeks," Creatura said.<br /><br />Energy companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp. led the market downward after oil prices tumbled nearly 5 percent. Oil dropped after the International Energy Agency said 60 million barrels of oil would be released from reserves to make up for the loss of Libyan exports. Oil prices had spiked following unrests in Middle East and North Africa, raising concerns that higher fuel costs would slow the world economy.<br /><br />Companies like Netflix, Priceline.com and others in the consumer discretionary industry were mostly up. Overall, the group rose 0.4 percent. Investors are betting that a drop in oil costs could lead consumers to spend more money on things like movies, restaurants and clothing. Netflix was up 2.9 percent. Chipotle Mexican Grill gained 2.2 percent.<br /><br />Companies that benefit from lower fuel costs also rose. Airline stocks like United Continental Holdings Inc. and AMR Corp, the parent company of American Airlines, rose more than 4 percent.<br /><br />The two indexes most tied to economic growth fared better than the broader market. The tech-focused Nasdaq composite index was up 17.56, or 0.7 percent, to 2,686.75. And the Russell 2000 index of small companies gained 0.4 percent. For the week, both are up 2.7 percent.<br /><br />"We're starting to see that the supply-chain disruptions caused by the tragedy in Japan are easing a bit, and the biggest beneficiaries of that are technology and auto-supply companies" which tend to be smaller businesses, said Burt White, the chief investment officer at LPL Financial.<br /><br />Among the most active stocks, Bed Bath & Beyond gained 5.3 percent after the home furnishings retailer posted a 31 percent jump in income. The company also raised its earnings forecast for the rest of the year, in part because of cost controls it has in place. ConAgra Foods Inc. fell 0.2 percent. The owner of Slim Jim and Hebrew National brands cut its earnings estimate for the current quarter.<br /><br />Government bond prices were higher as traders shifted money into investments that are considered safe, pushing long-term interest rates lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note sank to 2.90 percent, near its low mark for the year. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.<br /><br />Even so, portfolio manager Creatura says that the recent market slide could represent a chance to pick up some stocks on the cheap. Current prices already reflect reaction to most of the economy's problems, he says. "The most fearful times can be the best times to invest," he said. "It's not only what you buy, it's the price you pay that matters."<br /><br />Three stocks fell for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was slightly above average at 4.4 billion.Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695573160815424893.post-58618620269267775932011-06-25T01:03:00.000-07:002011-06-25T01:07:35.918-07:00Obama Says Gay Couples Deserve Same Rights as All<a href="http://window-media.blogspot.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0HcMf5WMe9RyD_l8ohV6azs8ENhZKkr5Voa6Efhe28GVFbCtGxp0i3VZ5Sp_XoEh44v9KdE5g4VD3BmM9jS6KYYeyjGwWpr7wtU3rY5Tkf-oMbnUoe9kUcUjzMgXz2-BIMOW8H2hwu4/s0/gty_same_sex_marriage_nt_110623_wg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622065790626123634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p> Treading carefully, President Barack Obama praised New York state lawmakers who were debating landmark legislation Thursday to legalize gay marriage, saying that's what democracy's all about. But as expected, the president stopped short of embracing same-sex marriage himself, instead asking gay and lesbian donors for patience.</p> <p> "I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country," the president said at a Manhattan fundraiser, his first geared specifically to the gay community. Coincidentally, the long-planned event occurred just as lawmakers in Albany were debating legislation that would make New York the sixth and by far the largest state to legalize gay marriage.</p> <p> That served to spotlight the president's own views on same-sex marriage, a sore point with gay supporters who've otherwise warmed to Obama. The president has said his views are "evolving," but for now he supports civil unions, not same-sex marriage.</p> <p> Obama said progress will be slower than some people want, but he added that he was confident that there will be a day "when every single American, gay or straight or lesbian or bisexual or transgender, is free to live and love as they see fit.</p><br /><p> "Traditionally marriage has been decided by the states and right now I understand there's a little debate going on here in New York," he said to laughter. New York's lawmakers, he said, are "doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do."</p> <p> The lawmakers ended their session late Thursday in Albany without voting on the bill.</p> <p> As Obama spoke a handful of people shouted out "marriage!" And Obama said, "I heard you guys." He never directly mentioned gay marriage.</p> <p> Obama said there were those who shouted at him at events about other causes of the gay community, such as the need for anti-hate crimes legislation and for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay military service, and both of those have since been achieved.</p> <p> Obama also has won favor by instructing the Justice Department to stop defending in court a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.</p> <p> Obama told of receiving a letter last year from a teenager in a small town. He said the boy was a senior in high school who was gay and was afraid to come out. The boy wondered to the president why gays shouldn't be equal like everyone else.</p> <p> "So, yes, we have more work to do," Obama said. "Yes, we have more progress to make. Yes, I expect continued impatience with me on occasion."</p> <p> He said teenagers such as the one who wrote to him "remind me that there should be impatience when it comes to the fight for basic equality. We've made enormous advances just in these last two and half years. But there's still young people out there looking for us to do more."</p> <p> In a direct appeal for votes, Obama said: "With your help, if you keep up the fight, if you will devote your time and your energies to this campaign one more time, I promise you we will write another chapter in that story. ... I'll be standing there, right there with you."</p>Sexy Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01653668759522425663noreply@blogger.com0