NASA Curiosity rover takes a bite of Martian soil

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Bob Iger Says Disney Will Focus On Mobile And Social (Not Console) Star Wars Games

The big emphasis during Disney's conference call discussing its acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion was, not surprisingly, the enormous earnings potential of the Star Wars franchise. And that includes gaming ? so one of the analysts on the call asked for more details about Disney's interactive strategy. CEO Bob Iger responded that the company is "likely to focus more on social and mobile than we are on console." However, he added that Disney will look at console games "opportunistically," using licensing deals to allow other companies to create Star Wars games for consoles.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/yhUWCd3V8oI/

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Twitter Fiction | The Cornell Daily Sun

Ever thought that choosing just the right 140 characters for your latest tweet was something of an art form?

Twitter agrees with you. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 2, Twitter will hold its first ?Twitter Fiction Festival.? According to Twitter's blog, this ?virtual storytelling celebration? will feature ?creative experiments in storytelling from authors around the world.? Everyone is invited to submit a proposal, and Twitter plans to announce the selected authors and festival agenda Nov. 19.

This is not Twitter?s first foray into fiction. In 2009, Alexandere Acimen and Emmet Rensin launched Twitterature, a project that boiled down 80 of the greatest works of Western fiction to a few tweets a piece. Think Cliffnotes on drugs written with text message abbreviations. (A sample from Hamlet: ?WTF IS POLONIUS DOING BEHIND THE CURTAIN????). Similar experiments have been done with the Bible (@biblesummary summarizes whole Bible chapters in single tweets) and Ulysses (a group of Joyce fans boiled every eight pages down to a single tweet). What they all have in common is summarization and immediacy. Long, difficult books are simplified and condensed, making them immediately more accessible to contemporary or less educated audiences. Although these are noteworthy first experiments, they do not use Twitter as a literary medium. The tweets are meant as summaries, not as stand-alone literature.

The Guardian has taken things a step further. In October, they challenged 21 well-known writers to compose 140 character stories. These attempts resemble flash fiction, very short fiction of just a few hundred words. Because of their brevity, many of these stories hint or suggest conflict rather than fully delineate plot and characters. Ian Rankin?s tweet is an especially good example: ?I opened the door to our flat and you were standing there, cleaver raised. Somehow you?d found out about the photos. My jaw hit the floor.? In just 140 characters, the tweet accomplishes much of what an entire short story does. There are characters, although we don't know who they are. There is conflict, although we are not sure of its specifics. There is setting, although it is not fully detailed. Already, we can guess at the relationship between the two characters and fill in some backstory about the problematic photos. While this is really good flash fiction, it?s not Twitter fiction. These pieces could very easily appear in print and not be read any differently. Although they limit their words a little more stringently than most flash fiction, the stories do not fully engage Twitter as a time-based, interactive medium.

A couple writers have moved beyond summarization and flash fiction. This past May, Jennifer Egan (who wrote Visit from the Goon Squad) tweeted an entire short story through The New Yorker?s Twitter account. The tweets for ?Black Box,? a science fiction story about a spy living in the Mediterranean, were released a minute at a time, an hour a day, for ten days straight. Unlike the previous examples, Egan's story did not confine itself to a single tweet and therefore falls outside the realm of flash fiction. Instead, it was fully-fleshed out and time-based. The delay between released segments slowed down the read, putting it in the same arena as serial fiction and television programs. While the story successfully explored Twitter as a time-based medium for reading, it did not explore it as a time-based medium for writing. Egan?s tweets were all written beforehand. She was not composing them as she went along, nor was her narrative interspersed with real-time tweets from followers.

In her critique of ?Black Box,? BuzzFeed?s Anne Trubek claims that Egan?s story left out some of the key elements of Twitter such as scrolling backwards, responding to other tweets and unrelated tweets popping up. As Trubek rightly points out, Egan?s story doesn?t take advantage of Twitter as an interactive medium, only as a serial one.

However, there are a few authors who have done so. In ?Small Fates,? Cole crafts stories around short news clippings, what he has called ?news of the weird? and ?strange little things.? Given Twitter?s importance as a journalistic medium, Cole?s stories seem to have matched form with content. There?s also Dan Sinker?s hilariously profane fake Twitter account, @MayorEmanuel, which satirized Rahm Emanuel's mayoral campaign. The fake account, which attracted a wide following for the five months it ran, took advantage of Twitter as a tool for self-promotion as well as for social activism and critique.

I think there?s more to explore. Come November 28, I hope to see writers not just writing for Twitter but writing with Twitter, crafting their stories in 140 characters at a time, opening themselves up to the improvisation and interactivity of the form.

Source: http://www.cornellsun.com/section/arts/content/2012/10/30/twitter-fiction

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'Boardwalk Empire' Season 3, Episode 7: 'Sunday Best'

With ?Sunday Best,? Boardwalk Empire displays the proverbial calm before the storm in an exceptional episode (and that?s not a hurricane Sandy reference), proving there?s still plenty in these characters that?s not only surprising to them, but for the audience as well.

It?s Easter Sunday, and most everyone is celebrating it in his or her own unique way. In a rather fantastic opening, Eli (Shea Whigham) begins the day by hiding Easter eggs around his yard for those in his brood who are still young enough to be concerned with such things, and the two his brother is bringing along on a long overdue visit to the more modest Thompson house. Eli has been campaigning for more responsibility (and forgiveness) from Nucky (Steve Buscemi) by showing his loyalty during the recent Tabor Heights debacle, so inviting his older brother and his family over for dinner is an attempt to appeal to whatever maybe left of Nucky?s sentimental side.

The two sit on the porch as Eli struggles to find common ground with Nucky, at first attempting to talk shop and then discussing how he promised his wife June (Nisi Sturgis) he wouldn?t drink until later. As it turns out, the lack of alcohol really keeps his head clear. But there?s a lot of insight into the Thompson clan, as Eli recalls how their mother would put out three red eggs (a traditional prize in their family Easter egg hunt), while Nucky recalls how their father would keep all the money usually awarded to those who found said red eggs. Later, June tells Margaret (Kelly Mcdonald) about Eli?s feelings toward his brother, and that Nucky basically has a good heart. All this sharing about feelings prompts Margaret to unload about Nucky?s affair and his criminal dealings ? which June diffuses with her joy over the pineapple upside down cake Margaret brought.

Meanwhile, Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) is taking Tommy Darmody out so that Gillian (Gretchen Mol) can have the day to herself ? tending with personal issues, and what not. The two briefly discuss where Richard is headed and Gillian is adamant that her son not be around any rough language, so, naturally, Richard makes sure to take the young boy to the home of a man recently seen in a drunken bar fight. Of course, Richard?s really interested in seeing Julia Sagorsky (Wrenn Schmidt), and is willing to suffer through a meal with her father, Paul (Mark Borkowski) as a means of doing so.

As Julia explained, her father was crushed by the death of his son, and since then has taken to releasing his rage on anyone close by, or a child who happens upon the shrine to the deceased Sagorsky boy. In that regard, Paul?s hard to get a bead on; one moment, he?s berating everyone at the table, and the next, he?s handling the issue of Tommy?s request to go to the bathroom with a stern, but seemingly kindhearted reminder to ?aim that pistol straight into the bowl.? That kindheartedness evaporates quickly after Paul discovers Tommy playing with his late son?s toys. Richard swoops in and removes Tommy from the situation with a blunt threat to kill the old guy, and then manages to get Julia to come out for a bit with him and Tommy.

Basking in his glory, Richard walks along with Julia as she explains how she?s used to her father and that Richard probably shouldn?t threaten to kill him again. This grants the normally quiet Mr. Harrow an opportunity for a few hilarious lines regarding how her Easter dinner was a disaster, but that he?d had a great time. It?s tough to say whether this is going anywhere, or if the Julia/Richard outing will simply be a one-off adventure, but whatever it is that lets her understand her father is the same thing that allows Julia to speak with Richard on such a human level ? and to do things like set him a plate in a separate room so that he can dine without concern of what the others might see or think. Richard?s grand day out culminates with a photographer assuming the three are a little family unit and taking their picture. It?s a simple photo capturing Richard?s good side that could easily be seen as a husband, his wife and their child ? which couldn?t be further from the truth. Naturally, Richard returns home and pastes the photo into his scrapbook of perfectly imagined families.

While Richard and Tommy are out, Gillian welcomes unfortunate Indiana native and James Darmody look-alike Roger (Billy Magnussen) over for supper, a nice hot bath and ?rather a lot? of heroin. It was inevitable that the young man would fall prey to Gillian, and all of this probably could have been handled off screen ? given everything else that was going on in this episode ? but it at least demonstrates her willingness to do whatever it takes in order to see that her business succeeds. And, in a way, perhaps this serves as a way for her to finally close the book on Jimmy.

Gillian?s not the only one dealing with business, however. Gyp Rosetti, who it turns out is a lot like Adam Sandler?s character in Punch Drunk Love, is spending the day with his mother and his sisters berating him while an associate tells him how the Tabor Heights ordeal has left Gyp without men or money at his disposal. Gyp resigns himself to an angry outburst inside a church, bemoaning his station in life before beating a priest and taking all of the church?s collection money as payment for Joe ?The Boss? Masseria (Ivo Nandi). Turns out, Joe?s fed up with Rosetti; he can?t control him, and he can?t rely on him, so he?s ready to wash his hands of the temperamental Sicilian. That is, until Gyp appeals to Masseria?s dislike of Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) and promises his boss a war that will have people calling him ?king.?

There?re many appeals in ?Sunday Best,? and one that actually manages to go over. After coming home and attempting to teach his wife how to juggle, Nucky?s appeal to Margaret is met with her telling him ?it?s too late,? both in the hour and their relationship, so he does the next best thing and calls his brother. Nucky tells Eli he appreciates how he handled things in Tabor Heights and promotes him to running the warehouse with Mickey Doyle (Paul Sparks). The question now is: with the war coming, did Nucky just put his brother on the front lines?

-

Boardwalk Empire continues next Sunday with ?The Pony? @9pm on HBO. Check out a preview of the episode below:

"Follow us if you want to live."

Source: http://screenrant.com/boardwalk-empire-season-3-episode-7-sunday-best-recap/

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Washington Metro to remain closed on Tuesday morning

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Hurricane Sandy disrupts Northeast telecom networks

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Power outages and flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy disrupted telecommunications services on Tuesday resulting in spotty coverage for cellphones, home telephones and Internet services.

Verizon Communications , which serves many of the states in the hurricane's path, appeared to have suffered some of the worst damage from the storm.

The company said that storm surge resulted in flooding at several Verizon central offices that hold telecom equipment in Lower Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island "causing power failures and rendering back-up power systems at these sites inoperable."

It did not give an estimate as to how many people were affected but said that customers served by these central offices will experience "a loss of all services" including television, Internet, and traditional telephone services.

It said that some customers may experience intermittent busy signals for non-emergency calls.

"I think, everybody's equipment's going to be damaged including cellphone towers," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher King said from his Verizon Wireless cellphone in Baltimore, Maryland.

"Particularly for Verizon, they're clearly going to have the most damage on the wireline side because it's pretty much all of their territory (where the storm hit)," King said.

Verizon said that its engineers were on site from the early hours and were still trying to assess the damage late morning on Tuesday. Outside of New York, the company warned that it was also having some trouble.

"Verizon is discovering that many poles and power lines/Verizon cables are down throughout the region due to heavy winds and falling trees," the company said in a statement.

Sprint Nextel , the No. 3 U.S. mobile provider said it was seeing outages at some cell sites because of the power outages across all the states in Sandy's path including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Maryland, North Virginia and New England.

"(Repair crews) have started on some critical areas but they haven't been able to get to everywhere they need to be," spokeswoman Crystal Davis said. She noted that 80 of the company's stores would reopen at noon. Sprint had closed about 180 stores ahead of the storm.

T-Mobile USA said that "customers may be experiencing service disruptions or an inability to access service in some areas, especially those that were hardest hit by the storm. "

People complained of outages to their cable telephone, Internet and television services from providers ranging from Comcast Corp , Cablevision Systems Corp and Verizon in New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York.

Cablevision said it was experiencing widespread service interruptions primarily related to loss of power. The company said it is working to restore services.

Comcast, whose headquarters is in Philadelphia and serves East Coast states, said it was still assessing the impact of the storm on its service.

Cellphone service also appeared to be spotty for other top wireless providers Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc and T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom , according to some customers. Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group.

AT&T said it was experiencing some issues in areas heavily affected by the storm. By Tuesday morning spokesman Mark Siegel said it was in the initial stages of on-the-ground assessment and expected "crews will be working around the clock to restore service."

Verizon Wireless said it was assessing the situation on Tuesday morning.

Several Time Warner Cable customers in Brooklyn said that their Internet, television and phone services stopped working Monday night but were back again by Tuesday morning.

Time Warner Cable said that while it has not seen any major damage to its infrastructure, its customers who do not have electricity do not have cable services.

Millions of people in the eastern United States awoke on Tuesday to flooded homes, fallen trees and widespread power outages caused by Sandy, which swamped New York City's subway system and submerged streets in Manhattan's financial district.

At least 15 people were reported killed in the United States by one of the biggest storms to ever hit the country. Sandy dropped just below hurricane status before making landfall on Monday night in New Jersey.

(Additional reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York and other Reuters reporters; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hurricane-sandy-disrupts-northeast-telecom-networks-134150463--sector.html

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Windows Phone 8 review

More Info

• Windows Phone 7 review
• Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) review
• Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

Two years ago, the mobile landscape was quite different than what it is today. Android flagship phones sported 1GHz single-core CPUs and were in the process of upgrading to Froyo, the iPhone 4 was the Apple phone of choice and the word "phablet" was sure to be followed by a "Gesundheit." (It still is, arguably.) This is just a brief glimpse at the world in which Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was born. Destined to be the replacement solution for an obsolete Windows Mobile 6.x platform, WP7 did its best to disrupt the industry by offering its unique Metro user interface and slick performance across the board.

There was one growing problem, however; the mobile industry was rapidly changing, and the Windows Phone honeymoon didn't last as long as Microsoft would've liked. Today, the company enjoys less than 5 percent of the world's smartphone market share as it prepares to launch its next major revision, Windows Phone 8. The new firmware promises to resolve concerns surrounding hardware limitations and the platform's ecosystem, add a plethora of long-awaited features and integrate the OS with Windows 8. It's a hefty task for Microsoft to undertake, to say the least, but we're hoping that two revolutions around the sun were enough for the software giant to impress us with its struggling mobile platform. Did it pull it off? Take a look at what makes Windows Phone 8 tick after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone 8 review

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Phone 8 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/29/windows-phone-8-review/

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Welcome to Russia, Where Most of Your Friends Are Video Game ...

By Timur Seyfelmliukov

Editor's note: A couple of weeks ago, we published a story about people who pirate Halo 4. The game has not been officially released, but people were pirating it left and right. A former video game reporter and critic in Russia named Tim Seyfelmlyukov read that story and reached out to me. There was nothing strange about all this piracy to him: in Russia, he told me, just about everyone pirates games. Intrigued, I asked him to write about his experiences in a country where he'd tell you that anyone who wants to play Halo 4 is already playing Halo 4.

In my former career as a game journalist I wrote quite a few game reviews. I had owned an Xbox 360 since 2008 and had a PlayStation 3 debug console-for reviewing early games-since 2010. I reviewed most games on the 360. Sometimes a week or two before release I'd get a copy with a "Not for Sale" yellow sign. I would play it a little bit, beat it, and then write a review.

Here in Russia while playing a review copy you can be 100% sure that half of your friend list is already playing the game. Some hardcore players have already beaten it (sometimes for full fledged 1000 Gamerscore). So how does the journalist feel when he's writing a review for a game everyone is already playing? It's quite strange and awkward. I think there were about 10 guys on my friend list playing Dishonored a week before release date. Last week there were a few guys playing Halo 4 in co-op sitting in a comfortable Xbox Live party fearing totally nothing. FIFA13 a week before the street date playing online? Sure! Resident Evil 6 a month before the release and with half of the achievements unlocked: check!

What's the problem with the gaming industry in Russia?

First. The games are expensive. Like very expensive. The ordinary price for the console version of Max Payne 3 in a local retailer like "Eldorado" or "Technosila" is $85 (2700 rubles). You can search the web and find some barely legal shops which sell it for $48 (1500 rubles)?mostly imported copies from Europe. If you are truly short on money then it is possible to dig a little deeper and find some forums like Xboxland and Xboxrussia where you can buy a used copy for a super cheap price of $28 (900 rubles). That's how it goes as far as legal way of obtaining games.

But I have to say that all of the above-mentioned ways are applicable only to big cities like Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and alike. If you are "lucky" enough to live in a small city with 500k population you're gonna be stuck with this price scheme: $85 for a new game in local retailer and $50 for a used game. In Moscow the average monthly salary is 52.000 rubles ($1650), according to Moscow officials, but in most of the Russian cities people make their living with 17.000 rubles ($540). Not really suitable to fork out $85 for a game while paying for rent and loans, is it? So most Russian gamers pirate.

Second. Is it hard to pirate a console game? The answer is no.

You have to jailbreak your PS3 or mod your Xbox 360. The average price for such service is about 1500 rubles ($48). There are hundreds of people who do it extremely fast. They don't fear anyone and do it openly in some shopping malls.

Then, you need to get a game. With the Russian Internet being quite good now?a stable 20 Mbps or higher connection is present in almost every city?a console game can be downloaded from thousands of torrent trackers and file sharing sites in 45 minutes or even less. Next, you need to burn the game and upload it to your HDD. So there has to be a PC for this stuff. If there is none, you just go to a local, unofficial gaming shop and buy a pirated game already burnt to a DVD with printed artwork and a box with cover. It's a no-brainer as there are lots of such shops that sell pirated games, music CDs, DVDs and other media almost openly, especially in big "tech" malls such as "Gorbushka" and "Savelovsky" in Moscow. The price is about 300 rubles ($10). And this would be almost legal because the shop even issues a receipt.

Buy another Xbox 360 or PS3 in nearly mint condition for $160 and mod it for $48. Here you go, until the next ban.

And if you want to do it at home, the process is totally simplified. Just buy some blank dual-layered DVD+Rs, download games and burn them with special software. It's even possible to play online. Your Xbox has been banned? No problem, you sell it for $100 on your local Xbox forum or on the Russian Craigslist wannabe named "Avito", buy another one there in nearly mint condition for $160 and mod it for $48. Here you go, until the next ban. Sony and Microsoft do sell their consoles officially in Russia. But nothing stops people from reselling them. Banned Xboxes are really cheap and are often used for offline play and also for Freeboot modding?JTagging and enabling games and homebrew that boot right from harddrive. On forums and through online auctions old Xboxes from 2007 or 2008 cost around 5000-7000 rubles ($160-$224) rubles depending on condition and accessories included. Slim Xboxes cost around 7000-9000 rubles ($224-$288), also depending on what's included, sometimes even with Kinect. The new official Xbox is 10000 rubles ($320) for the 250GB version and 14000 ($450) with Kinect and 250GB. The pricing is quite the same for PS3 - 11000-15000 rubles).

So let's dig into some figures. All of them are unofficially provided by my friends and former colleagues in publishing companies, retailers and platform holders. There are about 1.7 million Xbox 360s and about 1 million PS3s sold in Russia. My sources told me that the current install base is estimated as 1.2 million 360s and 700 thousand PS3s (some consoles were broken, some exchanged). There were more Xboxes sold because it was always easier to mod them and still play online. Jailbroken PS3s mostly can't get online. And now check this out: the best-selling games like FIFA and Call of Duty sell 3000-10000 copies per platform. Only 500-1000 copies of games like Enslaved or Shadows of the Damned are sold in Russia. The most popular officially-sold games are the family games (dancing, racing sims, kids and other Kinect stuff) beside such huge hits in Russia as Call of Duty and FIFA.

So my fellows in different retailers are saying the same thing: "The consoles are selling quite ok but the games are treated like an additional commodity, accessories. Nobody is interested in selling them". That's why all the big retailers are filled with such games as Fallout 3, Tekken 6, old Need for Speed installments and other old stuff. People don't buy games at big retailers. And shops are totally uninterested in selling games.

But if you watch forums, gaming sites, ask your friends, look at your friend lists, everyone is playing Call of Duty, Battlefield, FIFA, Need For Speed, Borderlands, GTA. So if people don't buy these games, it's obvious they pirate them. If asked about pirating games almost anyone says: "Games are expensive, I can't afford them but I want to play them." Since there is almost no law enforcement going after people playing pirated games or distributing them on the web, people do it everywhere in Russia. Most of them are even proud of cutting their costs and fucking over "greedy developers/ publishers." The problem, some will say, is industry "greed."

After years of talking to hundreds of people and seeing thousands of forum comments I can say that the majority of gamers who pirate games don't understand that developers don't want to make games for pirates. If they don't get money they don't make games. It's that simple. But everyone is laughing and saying "let the stupid Americans pay for their games."

If game developers don't get money, they don't make games. It's that simple. But everyone is laughing and saying "let the stupid Americans pay for their games."

Things are getting better. My sources in the retail and modding community are saying that everyone is tired of modding their Xboxes and PS3s. So Russians are now cautiously getting into used games. It's really easy to buy some used games for the price from $10 (like Mass Effect or Call of Duty 4) to $48 (Dishonored, Darksiders 2). Gamers are starting to understand and cherish the online services which are unavailable for their modded consoles. (Even those 360s with modded harddrives that are running Halo 4 these days might get banned; so for some it becomes less of a hassle not to pirate.)

If games become more affordable then people are going to buy them a lot. Look at PC gaming. PC games are priced a lot cheaper in Russia (though region-locked ,sometimes), not to mention those legendary Steam sales. For example: Borderlands 2 for PC costs in retail about 600 rubles ($19) and Xbox 360 or PS3 version will empty your pocket for 1800-2600 rubles ($58-83) depending on your luck. That's why PC gaming is really strong in Russia. And that's why barely anybody buys console games.

And you know what happened this morning? Black Ops 2 was pirated because some shops broke street date.

Moscow-based Timur Seyfelmliukov has been a gamer since 1993. He started writing amateur articles about games when he was 15. In 2010 he became an editor of the dedicated gaming section in Lenta.ru, the biggest Russian-language news site. Beside his main job he covered games for Russian media outlets including RIA Novosti, RIA TV, Digit.ru, Games TV, Xboxtra and Gamemag. Now Timur is the head of PR in Boomstarter, a Russian crowdfunding platform created after the huge success of Kickstarter. Though busy at his main occupation Tim is still a passionate gamer and sometimes give his opinion about games to Russian media.

Top Pic: The Kremlin, at sunset, via the Flickr feed of John Leach.

Source: http://kotaku.com/5955739/welcome-to-russia-where-most-of-your-friends-are-video-game-pirates

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'Frankenstorm': Worse than sum of its parts

McKayla Walker and her mother, Holly, fight the wind and enjoy their first time to see hurricane waves on the Atlantic Ocean, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 in Atlantic Beach, N.C. (AP Photo/The Jacksonville Daily News, Chuck Beckley)

McKayla Walker and her mother, Holly, fight the wind and enjoy their first time to see hurricane waves on the Atlantic Ocean, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 in Atlantic Beach, N.C. (AP Photo/The Jacksonville Daily News, Chuck Beckley)

A person rides in a cart blown by the winds along the Altlantic Ocean in North Wildwood, N.J., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, as the winds pick up ahead of Hurricane Sandy. From the lowest lying areas of the Jersey shore, where residents were already being encouraged to leave, to the state's northern highlands, where sandbags were being filled and cars moved into parking lots on high ground, New Jersey began preparing in earnest for Hurricane Sandy. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Map shows predicted rain across the northeast

A satellite image of Sandy is shown at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. Early Saturday, the storm was about 335 miles southeast of Charleston, S.C. Tropical storm warnings were issued for parts of Florida's East Coast, along with parts of coastal North and South Carolina and the Bahamas. Tropical storm watches were issued for coastal Georgia and parts of South Carolina, along with parts of Florida and Bermuda. Sandy is projected to hit the Atlantic Coast early Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The storm that is threatening 60 million Americans in the eastern third of the nation in just a couple of days with high winds, drenching rains, extreme tides, flooding and probably snow is much more than just an ordinary weather system. It's a freakish and unprecedented monster.

How did it get that way?

Start with Sandy, an ordinary late summer hurricane from the tropics, moving north up the East Coast. Bring in a high pressure ridge of air centered around Greenland that blocks the hurricane's normal out-to-sea path and steers it west toward land.

Add a wintry cold front moving in from the west that helps pull Sandy inland and mix in a blast of Arctic air from the north for one big collision. Add a full moon and its usual effect, driving high tides. Factor in immense waves commonly thrashed up by a huge hurricane plus massive gale-force winds.

Do all that and you get a stitched-together weather monster expected to unleash its power over 800 miles, with predictions in some areas of 12 inches of rain, 2 feet of snow and sustained 40- to 50 mph winds.

"The total is greater than the sum of the individual parts" said Louis Uccellini, the environmental prediction chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists. "That is exactly what's going on here."

This storm is so dangerous and so unusual because it is coming at the tail end of hurricane season and beginning of winter storm season, "so it's kind of taking something from both ? part hurricane, part nor'easter, all trouble," Jeff Masters, director of the private service Weather Underground, said Saturday.

With Sandy expected to lose tropical characteristics, NOAA is putting up high wind watches and warnings that aren't hurricane or tropical for coastal areas north of North Carolina, causing some television meteorologists to complain that it is all too confusing. Nor is it merely a coastal issue anyway. Craig Fugate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told reporters Saturday: "This is not a coastal threat alone. This is a very large area. This is going to be well inland."

Uccellini, who estimated that 60 million people will feel the storm's wrath somehow, said: "This storm as it grows and moves back to the coast on Monday and Tuesday, the circulation of this storm will extend all the way from the Midwest, the Ohio Valley, toward the Carolinas up into New England and southern Canada. It's really going to be an expansive storm system."

It's a topsy-turvy storm, too. The far northern areas of the East, around Maine, should get much warmer weather as the storm hits, practically shirt-sleeve weather for early November, Masters and Uccellini said. Around the Mason-Dixon line, look for much cooler temperatures. West Virginia and even as far south as North Carolina could see snow. Lots of it.

It is what NOAA forecaster Jim Cisco meant Thursday when he called it "Frankenstorm" in a forecast, an allusion to Mary Shelley's gothic creature of synthesized elements.

Cisco and others have called this storm unprecedented. Uccellini, who has written histories about winter storms, said the closest analogs are the 1991 Perfect Storm that struck northern New England and a November 1950 storm. But this is likely to be stronger and bigger than the Perfect Storm; it will strike farther south, and affect far more people.

In fact, the location among those with the highest odds for gale-force winds in the country's most populous place: New York City. New York has nearly a 2-in-3 chance of gale force winds by Tuesday afternoon.

One of the major components in the ferocity of the storm is that it is swinging inland ? anywhere from Delaware to New York, but most likely southern New Jersey ? almost a due west turn, which is unusual, Uccellini said. So the worst of the storm surge could be north, not south, of landfall. And that gets right to New York City and its vulnerable subways, which are under increasing risk of flooding, he said.

"There is a potential for a huge mess in New York if this storm surge forecast is right," Masters said.

Add to that the hundreds of miles of waves and the overall intensity of this storm, Uccellini said in an interview, and "we are in the middle of a very serious situation."

Forecasters are far more worried about inland flooding from storm surge than they are about winds.

There are several measures for hurricanes. And one NOAA research tool that measures the intensity of hurricane overall kinetic energy forecasts a 5.2 for Sandy's waves and storm surge damage potential. That's on a scale of 0 to 6, putting it up with historic storms, such as Katrina. It rates a much smaller number for wind.

Because of the mix with the winter storm, the wind won't be as intense as it is near the center of a hurricane. But it will reach for hundreds of miles, spreading the energy further, albeit weaker, meteorologists said.

Uccellini and Masters said they expect the central pressure of the storm to drop to a near record low for the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast for any time of year. That is a big indication of energy and helps power the wind. This puts it on par with the 1938 storm that hit Long Island and New England, killing 800 people, or the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-28-Superstorm-Why?/id-75007b98d2f14c6095d128ef3d36be85

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Endorsement watch: Martin and Sullivan (Offthekuff)

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Pick the right dog at the shelter

October 28, 2012 posted by Sara B. Hansen

By Kelly Marshall

One of the saddest experiences for many dogs is becoming lost, separated or abandoned by their family. Often dogs become homeless when an owner has to move to a new town or city and is not able to take the dog with them. Many times when owners pass away the family doesn?t want to keep the dog and turns them over to a rescue.

There are many different breed rescues located all around the world. These organizations are usually staffed entirely by volunteers that rescue abandoned dogs and care for them while looking for suitable homes. Often the volunteers choose to provide homes for the dogs so they are not kept in kennels. This process also allows the volunteers to get to know the dogs and see how they interact with children and other pets within their household. Some of the ?foster? homes also offer some basic training for the rescued dogs if they do not have a good understanding of the basic commands.

Dogs that are brought into the rescue with a known history are often easier to find homes for. Usually puppies are not brought to a rescue, but there are often a high number of senior dogs left at rescue shelters that are very hard to find homes for.

Benefits To Getting A Dog From A Shelter
For those families that would like to get a dog that already has basic training, is housebroken, and also is spayed or neutered a dog from a rescue is a perfect option. Often these dogs are very well trained and there is a good record of the interaction that they have with their foster families. These families work to socialize the dogs as well as find out if they are good with children, other dogs as well as pets. Volunteers that work in the shelters are very familiar with the breeds and their characteristics.

The dogs from shelters are always spayed or neutered. The cost to adopt a dog from a shelter is often less than most vets fees are for just the spay or neuter. All vaccinations are up to date and the dogs are usually treated for fleas, parasites and heartworms prior to adoption.

Dogs from a rescue are often very loving dogs that are eager to find a good home and a permanent place to live. Many people that have adopted a dog from a shelter report that the dogs are very affectionate and loyal, almost as if they realize that they have been specially chosen.

The cost to obtain a dog from a rescue shelter is usually between one and two hundred dollars. Often dogs that have required a lot of veterinarian services may require an additional amount of a donation to cover the added expenses. All the fees obtained from the adopted dogs are used to buy food, provide shelter and veterinarians services as well as advertise and find homes for other dogs in the shelter.

If you want to get a dog of a particular breed consider adopting one of the many dogs currently in a rescue shelter. If you have a shelter in your area you also may wish to volunteer to help dogs in the shelter or even become a foster family for dogs looking for permanent homes.

Kelly Marshall is a featured author on Oh My Dog Supplies. For more articles by Kelly visit Oh My Dog Supplies.

Posted in adoption, Home page, puppies | Tagged adoption, puppies |

Source: http://www.dogsbestlife.com/home-page/pick-the-right-dog-at-the-shelter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pick-the-right-dog-at-the-shelter

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BASF reveals its 'Smart Forvision' concept car in India

Bringing the electrical commuting to next level?, BASF one of the world?s leading chemical company, revealed a concept car named ?Smart Forvision? at the Indo-German Urban Mela in New Delhi. The car has been jointly developed by Daimler and BASF and integrates futuristic design with innovative technology that affects areas like fuel efficiency, temperature management and lightweight. Smart Forvision is also regarded as the best platform to showcase new and innovative technology.

Incorporating the automotive expertise of Daimler and material system skills of BASF, the vehicle showcases technology that delivers sustainable and complete electrical kinesis for the future. The designers and engineers have raised a mixture of visionary material and technology in this concept vehicle. Some of these technologies are still at the laboratory stage while the others have shown realistic chances of entering into production line. Smart Forvision was first revealed at the International Motor Show at Frankfurt.

BASF one of the largest suppliers of the chemical products for automotive industry has developed several sustainable and environmental friendly products for the energy efficient commutation for future. The two companies have combined their technological expertise to develop a vehicle that can provide answers for all the challenges that wait for us in the future.

New light weight body components, transparent organic solar cells, transparent LEDs, infrared reflective films and coatings and all plastic wheels help the concept vehicle to reduce the total energy consumption to an extra low level and increase it range and hence its practicality.

Energy efficiency

The new state of the art material allows the new concept car to become more efficient, it doesn?t only uses energy efficiently but also generate it. This results in an increase in range and further contributes more towards increasing and improving economy and performance of this electric car. The concept features highly energy efficient solutions like power generating solar cells that are based on the energy saving dye on the roof. The solar cells combine with the organic light emitting diode and give this vehicle a real design enhancement in an environmental friendly way.

The main challenge behind the electric commutation is the production and usage of the electric power required to move cars. Electric mobility is quite effective during climate change and also protects environment if the energy required to drive it is produced with lower CO2 emission. For this consecutive reason BASF is trying to produce energy from renewable sources of energy.

Light weight design

Lighter vehicle requires less energy to move, and also allows for greater range. So, making vehicle lighter is one of the key challenges for the future. Light weight design would mean replacing the traditional metallic components with light weight composite plastics that could offer the same functionality and usage. The weight can also be reduced by using reinforced materials in load bearing components like chassis. Further the Smart Forvision also showcases the all plastic wheels using a high performance material Ultramid developed by BASF. The material is as stable as the metals but weights 30% less.

Comprehensive temperature management

Heating and Air conditioning systems are one of the major consumers of energy in a vehicle. The amount of energy that is being required to heat or cool down the car can be reduced by using comprehensive temperature management system. The system uses innovative materials such as polymer films in the windows and high performance insulating materials.

The vehicle brings together these innovative technologies from the chemical industry in coagulation with the automotive industry to produce unique mobility solutions. Working together chemical and automotive industry are making quite a significant changes in the safety, environmental friendliness and affordability of the vehicle. In form of Smart Forvision, BASF and Daimler had laid the foundation of an efficient, uncompromising and sustainable electrical mobility.

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Source: http://www.indiandrives.com/basf-reveals-its-smart-forvision-concept-car-in-india.html

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Star-powered political rallies get party started

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Baseball great Hank Aaron is a Barack Obama guy. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus is in Mitt Romney's camp.

From athletes and astronauts to singers and Hollywood stars, a growing line of celebrities is turning up at fancy dinners and rallies to build support and get out the vote for Obama or Romney, the president's Republican challenger.

Obama has entertainers like Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, George Clooney, Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Romney's supporters include Clint Eastwood, musicians Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood and comedian Dennis Miller. Often the Democratic ticket attracts younger and glitzier stars.

Both campaigns have spent huge amounts of time and effort making sure their rallies feature opening acts that reinforce a campaign message, whether it's the economy, health care, veterans or some other issue.

Nicklaus, who now designs golf courses, teed up Romney at a campaign event near Columbus, Ohio.

The golfer said he's had to lay off workers because of the struggling economy. "We can't keep doing what we've been doing. We have to look at the problems at hand and change them," he said.

On the Democratic side, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder ripped into Romney at an Obama fundraiser in Florida. Vedder said he was upset by Romney's caught-on-tape comments that 47 percent of Americans consider themselves victims and entitled to government help. If Romney wins the White House, "none of those 47 percent of people would have a voice," Vedder said.

Aaron, who wore No. 44 for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, urged a crowd in Wisconsin to re-elect Obama, president No. 44. Appearing with Obama in Milwaukee, Aaron said one of the most touching moments of his life was when Obama was elected as the country's first black president.

"As one who wore the number 44 on his back for decades, I ask you to join me in helping the 44th president of the United States hit a grand slam," said Aaron, the last Negro League player to compete on a major league roster.

After retired space-shuttle astronaut Sid Gutierrez trumpeted Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in Florida last month, Obama countered with his own famous former astronaut. Former Ohio Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, appeared with a rally with the president.

Singer Will.i.am, who wrote the song "Yes We Can" for Obama's 2008 run, also was on stage that day. Obama joked that the singer "sometimes looks like he's been to outer space," while Glenn "has actually been to outer space."

Celebrity warm-up acts may draw news coverage, but they're unlikely to have a lasting effect on the election, said Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution think tank.

Even so, appearances by high-profile supporters can validate candidates "by taking them out of the political realm into popular culture," West said.

"Voters are cynical about candidates and think they will say anything to win," West said. "Having a nonpolitical opening act gives politicians credibility at a time of massive cynicism."

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Virginia, Ken Thomas in Florida, Kasie Hunt in Ohio and Julie Pace in Colorado contributed to this report.

___

Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/star-powered-political-rallies-party-started-082619609--politics.html

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Video: Options Action: About-Face for Facebook

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China residents protest chemical factory expansion

BEIJING (AP) ? Thousands of people in an eastern Chinese city clashed with police while protesting the proposed expansion of a petrochemical factory that they say would spew pollution and damage public health, townspeople said Saturday.

Pollution has become a major source of unrest in China, as members of the rising middle class become more outspoken against environmentally risky projects in their backyards.

The Zhenhai district government in Zhejiang province's Ningbo city said in a statement Saturday that "a few" people disrupted public order by staging sit-ins, unfurling banners, distributing fliers and obstructing roads. It said the proposed project was under review.

Zhenhai police said protesters threw rocks and bricks at officers Friday and that police dispersed illegal gatherings to restore the flow of traffic.

Residents, however, said the protests involved thousands of people and turned violent after authorities used tear gas to dispel the crowds and arrested participants.

"It started with a peaceful petition but turned into a citywide riot," said a local resident who gave only his family name, Ren, because he had come under police watch. He said he was called in by police over his frequent online postings about the project, which would produce chemicals such as ethylene and paraxylene.

Ren said the protest intensified Friday when young residents returned home for the weekend. He said 4,000 to 5,000 people blocked major road entrances to the district and that the public grew angry when police arrested three college students and used tear gas on the crowds.

Thousands of protesters stormed a local police station, where they demanded the release of the students and a dialogue with district officials. Ren said the protesters also went to a traffic police compound, where they overturned police vehicles and private cars.

He said riot police moved in and formed a shield to guard the traffic police compound and that protesters threw rocks and water bottles at the riot police.

Later Friday night, police began beating protesters and passers-by with batons, Ren said.

On Saturday, protesters gathered in a large public square in Ningbo and shouted slogans against the project, Ren said. Many were arrested, he said.

Photos posted online showed demonstrators clashing with police and holding up signs demanding that the project be halted.

Searches for phrases including Zhenhai and Zhenhai chemical plant were blocked Saturday on the microblogging site Sina Weibo.

The state-run Ningbo Daily newspaper echoed the district government's statement in an online editorial Saturday, reminding the public that the expansion project remains under evaluation and saying there are ample opportunities ? including public hearings ? for the public to voice opinions. It also condemned any illegal behavior.

Residents of several Chinese cities have taken to the streets this year to protest projects, including a coal-fired power plant in southern China, a waste-water pipeline in eastern China, and a copper plant in west-central China.

Such protests reflect increasing tensions between a government which wants to push economic growth while maintaining social stability and a public worried about health consequences.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-residents-protest-chemical-factory-expansion-084631116.html

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The Role of Life Insurance in Non-Traditional Planning ? DAI News ...

The Role of Life Insurance in Non-Traditional?Planning

Advising for diversity

Today, there are many forms of non-traditional family arrangements where individuals have chosen to live together and combine their assets. Like their traditional counterparts, unmarried couples of the opposite sex and same-sex couples want to preserve wealth during their lifetime, pass on assets to their partners and build a secure future for their families. Unlike their traditional counterparts, they face distinct issues that require specialized financial planning, as they do not always benefit from the same spousal rights, tax incentives and legal presumptions. Thankfully, for advisors who work with non-traditional couples, one of the best planning solutions ? life insurance ? is also one of the best ways to guarantee that these individuals are covered for future needs. And, even though some traditional estate planning strategies may not work for these clients, there are some that do. Therefore, it?s up to the financial professional to look to these other planning tools when developing a plan to protect his or her non-traditional clients and their families. This article will discuss four such tools: Grantor Retained Income Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts and Wealth Replacement Trusts.

Grantor Retained Income Trusts

A Grantor Retained Income Trust, or GRIT, is an excellent estate planning tool for non-traditional couples. GRITs have been around for many years. Prior to 1990, they were commonly used by families to transfer assets to the next generation while minimizing gift taxes. However, this wealth transfer strategy was severely curtailed by the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1990 because it worked too well.

The law amended the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the use of GRITs between family members. Since non-traditional couples are not considered married under federal law ? even if they reside in states that recognize same-sex marriage, or in the case of opposite-sex couples, common-law marriage ? they are not considered family members. Thus, GRITs remain an extremely useful tool for transferring wealth between non-traditional couples. A GRIT is an irrevocable trust in which the grantor ? such as the wealthier partner ? transfers assets to the trust while retaining the right to receive all of the net income from the trust assets for a fixed term of years. The net income is distributed by the trustee of the GRIT to the grantor annually, or on a more frequent basis, pursuant to the trust agreement. At the end of the trust term, the remaining trust principal is either distributed to the beneficiaries (such as one?s partner) or may be held in trust for their benefit. Additionally, if the grantor survives the trust term, the principal of the GRIT is excluded from her or his estate for federal estate tax purposes. Where does life insurance come in? It is generally advisable for the grantor to create an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) to own a policy on her or his life. This will provide liquidity to pay any estate taxes that may be owed if the grantor does not survive the trust term. Remember, non-traditional couples do not benefit from the unlimited estate tax marital deduction at the first partner?s death, so adequate life insurance is critical to meet any estate tax liabilities (and other liquidity needs, such as income for the survivor).

Charitable Remainder Trusts and Wealth Replacement Trusts

A great option for non-traditional couples who face potentially significant estate tax exposure, but who also have specific philanthropic objectives, is a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT). A CRT allows an individual to make gifts to a charity of his or her choice, while also naming someone to receive income from the donated property. A CRT is an irrevocable trust with significant income tax advantages. It is often referred to as a ?split-interest trust? because it has both charitable and non-charitable beneficiaries. A CRT also serves dual purposes: 1) To provide the donor and his or her partner with a stream of income ? the income interest ? for a certain term of years or for their lifetime; and 2) To have the balance of that asset ? the remainder interest ? eventually go to their favorite charity. A CRT allows your clients to make a gift to the trust in return for a stream of income. The income stream can be a fixed-dollar amount (also referred to as a Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust or CRAT) or a fixed percentage of the assets in the trust (a Charitable Remainder Unitrust or CRUT). When the gift is made into the trust, a current charitable income tax deduction will be allowed based upon the present value of the remainder interest that will ultimately pass to the charity. Income earned by the trust is not currently taxable. Instead, the income tax recognition may be spread out over the number of years in which the income stream is paid. The trustee sells the transferred assets at full market value with no current capital gains tax liability. The proceeds are then utilized to purchase an investment that will provide income for your client?s lifetime or for a period of years depending upon how the trust was designed. The income is paid on a yearly basis until the end of the trust term.

A great option for non-traditional couples who face potentially significant estate tax exposure, but who also have specific philanthropic objectives, is a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)

As with the GRIT, a CRT?s effectiveness can be enhanced in many cases with life insurance by creating a Wealth Replacement Trust (WRT), an ILIT that has significant estate tax and legacy benefits. It allows for the purchase of life insurance inside of the trust, thereby keeping the insurance proceeds out of the insured?s taxable estate. The beneficiary of the trust, however, is the insured?s partner so the insurance proceeds can ?replace? the assets that were donated to charity using the CRT technique. The premiums for the insurance are paid using a portion of the income stream received from the CRT, resulting in no out-of-pocket expense. The overall result of this strategy is that the assets used to fund the CRT can be used to provide your clients with an income stream and to benefit their favorite charity, all without reducing the legacy ultimately left to the surviving partner. Charitable Lead Trusts and Wealth Replacement Trusts

Like a CRT, a Charitable Lead Trust (CLT) is considered a ?split-interest trust? since the interest is divided between both a charitable and non-charitable beneficiary. However, unlike a CRT, a CLT pays the charity a stream of income first. The income stream can be a fixed-dollar amount (also referred to as a Charitable Lead Annuity Trust or CLAT) or a fixed percentage of the trust assets (a Charitable Lead Unitrust or CLUT). When the charity?s interest ends, the remaining trust estate is paid to the surviving partner as the non-charitable beneficiary. While CLTs come in many forms, one of the most common types is a testamentary CLT. A testamentary CLT is typically created by the wealthier partner?s Last Will and Testament or Revocable Living Trust at his or her death. Under the terms of the CLT, an income stream is paid to charity for either a term of years or for the life of a designated individual. There are rules to take into consideration regarding permissible measuring lives when a CLT is established for the life of one or more individuals. When the charity?s interest ends, the remaining assets in the CLT pass to the non-charitable beneficiary, such as the surviving partner. Regardless of whether the trust is a CLAT or a CLUT, the client?s estate will receive an estate tax charitable deduction based on the present value of the charity?s lead interest. While the present value of the non-charitable beneficiary?s remainder interest will be included in the gross estate, it may be possible to ?zero out? the CLT so that the estate-tax calculation of the remainder interest is zero. How can life insurance enhance this planning tool? Remember that, with a CLT, the surviving partner does not receive any portion of the trust estate until after the charity?s interest ends. By purchasing life insurance inside of a WRT, your insured client can assure that her or his partner receives assets immediately at the client?s death, in addition to the ?delayed inheritance? she or he will receive upon the charity?s interest terminating. In addition, this strategy allows the client to retain full control over assets during her or his lifetime without sacrificing the goal of making a significant charitable impact. While it?s true that non-traditional couples face estate planning challenges that married couples of the opposite sex do not, as this article shows, a thoughtful financial professional can help his or her clients overcome most of these with proper planning ? and life insurance can play a critical role in the process.

by Cynthia L. Hearing, JD, CLU, ChFC, CLTC

Ms. Hearing, JD, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, is a consultant with the Business Resource Center for Advanced Sales at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Prior to joining Guardian, she held positions with MassMutual, New England Financial and Prudential Securities.

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Source: http://dworkinassociates.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/the-role-of-life-insurance-in-non-traditional-planning/

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Pandora, Clear Channel, Others Form Lobby Group for Lower Web ...

Pandora, Clear Channel, Others Form Lobby Group for Lower Web Radio Payments; MusicFirst Pushes Back

Pandora and Clear Channel are among the founding members of the Internet Radio Fairness Coalition, a collection of companies, trade associations and advocacy groups announced today that are throwing their weight behind bills that aim to lower the rates webcasters pay for the performance of sound recordings.

The group's namesake is the Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012, legislation that its supporters hope will lower webcaster royalties by changing how the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) sets statutory rates. The proposed legislation would replace the "willing buyer and willing seller" standard with the 801(b) guidelines used by satellite radio and cable. Using the 801(b) guidelines would allow the rates to be set using criteria that take into account the public interest, the return earned by copyright owners, the minimization of risk in the industry, and the interplay between creative contribution and capital investment.

Other founding members of the coalition include Consumer Electronics Association, terrestrial broadcaster Salem Communications, AccuRadio, Small Webcaster Alliance and Computer and Communications Industry Association.

Business Matters: The Truth About Pandora's Payments to Artists

Record labels and webcasters have different definitions of fairness. Record labels will be putting their support behind a bill, currently in draft form, by Congressman Jerrold Nadler that proposed to bring satellite radio and cable radio rates up to the level of webcasters.

Each side should have a chance to speak on the record soon enough. Sources say a Congressional hearing is likely in either late November or early December.

Clear Channel has already found some market-based solutions. The company has negotiated direct licenses with Big Machine Label Group and Glassnote Entertainment that cover both terrestrial and webcasting royalties. Terms of those deals have not been disclosed.

"We believe that market-based solutions are the way to go," said Bob Pittman, CEO of Clear Channel. "But in the absence of these agreements, the CRB needs to have and consider more relevant information so they are better? able to develop a rate structure that will lead to a healthy, sustainable Internet radio marketplace."

musicFIRST quickly came out against the creation of the coalition. Executive Director Ted Kalo said in a statement that supporters of the bill were trying create momentum where none exists. "This bill is now commonly known as the 'Screw Artists Act' because it would produce a windfall to millionaires, mandate a pay cut for artists, and provide no benefits to subscribers."

The organization says artists, music creators and other people wrote over 11,000 letters to Congress opposing the Internet Radio Fairness Act last weekend.

Source: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/legal-and-management/pandora-clear-channel-join-lobby-group-for-1007990962.story

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